This is been an age old debate, but it is proved that the human body is made to last for 190-years but the average life expectancy is generally not even half of it because of slow poisoning (pollution, drugs, alcohol, junk food). Life expectancy is based on numerous factors, genetics, physical activity, individual sociability, the climate, pollution and most importantly the food one intakes. While the average lifespan in America is tipping just over 78-years and India 66 and Europe around the same, one country that leads this list, though the numbers are steadily decreasing, is Japan. Till date, Japan has the most number of centenarians per 100,000 people with the ratio being 43 with the same and one such land that contributes to this phenomenal statistic is Okinawa. This island situated on the Ryuky Islands of Japan, currently holds the record for the longest-lived people or the highest proportion of centenarians closely followed by Sardinia, Italy. A race once tagged centuries back as “Immortals” by their Chinese counterparts, till today, despite the life expectancy of other countries plummeting year after year, the people from Okinawa continue to break the centenarian barrier most people wouldn’t even dream of and they attribute their success to a long-healthy life to their diet- the Okinawa diet. The people of this village have become the subject of keen interest for gerontologist and according to them, strictly following the Okinawa diet could grant you 116 years, although other factors, as mentioned above, do play a vital role. Still don’t believe us? What if I told you that an Okinawan, as compared to an American, and solely because of their diet is 8 times less likely to die from coronary heart disease, 6.5 times less likely to succumb to breast cancer and 2.5 times for Colon cancer and 7 times less likely from Prostate Cancer. Believe me!! This is your secret to a long life!!
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The basic trait underlining the Okinawans and their diet is self-control. Their non-gluttonous ways invariably resulted in their lengthened life span and it is a common fact that eating just right, 8/10th of being completely full significantly boosts one’s metabolism and immunity by almost 40%. Some of the observed traits of the Okinawan’s dietary intake by gerontologist and dieticians not only boosted one’s health but also significantly helped in weight loss. Here are some of the characteristics of the Okinawan diet.
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1. Low Calorie Intake
The average BMI (Body Mass Index) which is the amount of fat one’s body contains, with respect to height and weight is 20. 4 during middle-age or early adulthood. As compared to the other Japanese folk, the Okinawan’s intake 20% calories, 1 calorie per gram intake, and this very process boosts one’s health, slows aging and produces more energy to undertake daily activities.
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2. Low Intake Of Fats & Sugar
With sugar and fats being the prime culprit for causing cholesterol and inevitably coronary diseases and strokes, the Okinawan’s diet consists of only 25% sugar and the rest grains.
3. More Anti-Oxidants
They follow a strict intake of only GOY (Green, Orange and Yellow) vegetables and fruits. The fruits, root and tube vegetables under these certain colors are rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Xanthin, Lutein and Beta carotene that ward of several types of cancers, boost one’s heart functioning and vision. One vegetable that is consumed in excess by the Okinawan’s is sweet potato, 849g vs 66g of any other Japanese folk, which is rich in lycopene, carotenoids, vitamin E and flavonoids and bitter cucumber which is a savior for people suffering from diabetes and high-sugar levels is eaten at almost every meal. Tumeric and green tea, which is widely known to ward of cancer is also consumed on a regular basis.
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4. Fish
Though not consumed in excess, Okinawan’s consume half a serving of fish every-day which is rich in Omega 3 fatty acids, DHA, ALA and EPA which ward off cardiovascular diseases, work as an anti-inflammatory, slows down the process of aging and assists in fetal development.
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5. Tofu
Another ingredient the Okinawans guzzle on is Tofu. With its chief ingredient being soy, Tofu is a perfect protein source and has no cholesterol, negligible amount of calories, and is rich in iron, calcium and amino acids that play a vital role in one’s healthy growth.
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6. Pork
Though their daily dietary consists mostly only of vegetables, Okinawan’s are known to be lovers of pork, so much so that the average pork consumption per year is twice the amount of the Japanese national average. A single person consumes 17lbs a year on average and it is mostly consumed only during festivals.
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7. What They Rarely Eat
Okinawans rarely and almost negligibly consume red meats, dairy products, pickled or preserved vegetables, poultry, wheat, barley, rice and eggs. They consume these food items in disciplined amounts when they do.
Based on the Okinawan diet, Bradley Wilcox, MD, D. Craig Wilcox, PhD and Makoto Suzuki, MD collectively authored the Okinawan diet plan which primarily dealt with caloric intake and divided this into for four categories in order to boost weight loss and inevitable reduce the process of aging.
a) Featherweight Foods:
Foods that consist of only 0.8 calories per gram fall under this category. Leafy veggies like spinach, cucumber and Citrus fruits like orange fall under featherweight foods. One can guzzle on these items as much as they want and how many ever times they want without any adverse effects.
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b) Lightweight Foods:
Foods that have a caloric density of 0.8 to 1.5 are lightweight foods. Bananas and potatoes fall under this category and should be consumed in moderation and not binged upon.
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c) Middleweight Foods:
Between a caloric density of 1.5 to 3 per gram fall under this group. Lean meats, cereals and legumes are middleweight foods and should be consumed in right proportions.
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d) Heavyweight Foods
Red meats, oils, fatty products and nuts fall under this category as they have a caloric density of 300 to 900 calories for every 100 grams. The foods that fall under this group should be eaten rarely and ideally once a week at the most if you want to live past a 100 like the Okinawans.
Photo Credit http://www.peerfit.com/2013/08/red-meat-do-we-or-dont-we/
