The authors point out that you can enjoy sweets and still live a completely balanced, healthy life. aunty okumura
- Kaki Okumura is a Japanese wellness writer who grew up in the US and Japan.
- While living in Japan, he adopted daily habits that help him maintain a healthy weight.
- Habits include moving everywhere, using cooking shortcuts, and paying attention to quality.
Growing up in America, it’s easy to get caught up in the idea that in order to be healthy, you have to go to the gym, prepare meals, cut out sugar, and be otherwise disciplined. America is the land of “go big or go home,” where half-measures are often considered futile. But is such strictness really necessary?
At 4.3%, Japan has one of the lowest rates of obesity among high-income developed countries, according to the World Population Review. By comparison, the US sits at 36.2% and has the 12th highest obesity rate in the world. It is not because Japanese people are more disciplined than others, but rather I believe it is the simple, moderate Japanese daily habits that make it more sustainable to modern lifestyle.
Here are five habits for a healthy weight that I learned from life in Japan.
1. Walk Everywhere
The author took this photo on the back streets of Kaiki Okumura, Nagano, Japan
Japanese adults walk a lot. According to the 2019 National Health and Nutrition Survey conducted by Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, men walk an average of 7,000 steps, while women walk less than 6,000 steps per day. Survey participants included 300,000 households in Japan, including 720,000 household members aged 1 year and older. According to the Mayo Clinic, the average American walks less than 4,000 steps per day.
As recently as the 1980s, Nagano had one of the highest rates of stroke in the country. Over the past few years, Japanese prefectures have been able to reverse the trend by adding over 100 walking trails to their community. The prefecture boasts one of the highest longevity rates in Japan.
With an average of 85 years from birth in 2020, Japan tops the global life expectancy rankings.
This does not mean that we should not indulge in high intensity exercises as well, but we should not ignore the importance of walking. Taking a walk around the block or a walk in the park can do wonders for our health.
2. Eat in moderation
Traditional meals made in Japanese restaurants can often be finished in one go. aunty okumura
The modern Japanese diet is no longer just grilled fish, miso soup, and rice. There are people in Japan who sometimes like to enjoy foods similar to those in America, such as hamburgers, ice cream, and french fries. But the main differences are in the frequency as well as the portion size.
If you go to a McDonald’s in Japan, you’ll find that their medium-sized drink is still smaller than the American small. The Japanese Domino’s large pizza is 13 inches in diameter, while the US one is 14 inches. The 16-inch extra large pizza in the US is not available in Japan. Visit any Japanese restaurant, and you’ll find that you can usually finish a meal without feeling overly full at the end.
By practicing moderation, we can eat what we want on a regular basis and not have any major impact on our health. There should be no need to give up sugar, carbs or any of your favorite foods.
And, since vegetables, complex carbs, and fiber-rich foods are still better for you, adding healthy toppings can be a great way to make a more filling dish. For example, fill a bowl of soba with broccoli, edamame, mushrooms, and carrots.
3. Use cooking shortcuts
Japanese parents prepare healthy bento boxes for lunch. Shutterstock
Too often, healthy home cooking is viewed as an hour-long endeavor reserved only for those who have a lot of spare time. After a busy day at work, the prospect of cooking is so tiring that we often resort to takeout.
But while cooking at home takes some time, I’ve learned from Japanese bento box-making that cooking shortcuts can still be healthy. Working parents in Japan who have little time in the morning usually make healthy lunches for their children. There are many ways to be clever with the shortcuts available.
Instead of boiling water, people often cook eggs in the microwave or steam broccoli. It’s common to rely on frozen peas or edamame to add a bit of green to a rice dish. I’ve learned to understand that there’s nothing wrong with using a tiny bit of store-bought dressing on chicken steamed in the microwave.
4. Prioritize enjoyment when it comes to exercise
In Japan, Sports Day is a national holiday. Ken Usami/Getty
Many people view exercise as a chore rather than something they look forward to. This makes sense, given that exercise is often done to look a certain way or create a certain physique.
But in Japan, exercise is often talked about in terms of enjoyment and quality of life rather than calorie burn. For example, in the Japanese public school curriculum “Undoukai (運動会)” or Sports Day is an annual event held during the school year, where the entire school takes a day to participate in various activities ranging from track and field. for tug of war. It’s playful, collaborative, inclusive, and most importantly, fun.
Sports Day is not just for students. It is a national holiday celebrated every year on the second Monday of October. Many working adults get time off to support their children and participate in sports or are encouraged by the government to do something to celebrate physical activity.
Exercising as a necessity to burn calories or look a certain way can be emotionally exhausting, but pursuing it as a form of enjoyment gives us an immediate benefit: It makes us feel good.
5. Decline is defined in terms of quality, not quantity
For the author, fall means having fresh sushi on the counter, served straight from the morning’s fish auction. aunty okumura
If you look up delicious foods in America, search results include Philly cheesesteak, Chicago deep-dish pizza, giant cheeseburgers and ice cream sundaes. Fall is often measured in terms of size and calorific value.
However, if you look at delicious foods in Japanese, you might be surprised to see a page that shows fruits, vegetables, and even seafood. This does not mean that decadence is considered healthy in Japan, but it is often measured through quality, rather than size or caloric value.
The seasonal nature of something, how it was produced, where it was grown, or how it was prepared, all contribute to the idea of decadence.
As such, the idea of treating yourself to a delicious meal isn’t limited to calorie-dense foods in large quantities. Although it may include those things, delicious foods can also take on an extended meaning.
The Japanese approach to taking care of my health has made it not only easy, but enjoyable. Caring for our health doesn’t need to feel like a daily chore, but can be integrated into our day-to-day life to make our well-being feel more meaningful and gratifying.
Kaki Okumura is the author of “Wa – The Art of Balance: Live Healthy, Happy, and Long the Japanese Way.To sign up for her weekly newsletter Kakikata, visit: kakikata.ck.page.
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