1. Different diet choices
A traditional home cooked Japanese meal includes fish, steamed rice or noodles low in fat made from ingredients like buckwheat or mung beans, and simmered vegetables. The meal can also be accompanied by a bowl of miso soup. Afterwards, a cup of green tea is enjoyed and the meal is concluded with fresh fruit.
2. Small portions
Japanese food culture places an emphasis on presentation and despite smaller portions, offers a satiating meal. The Japanese follow the principle of enjoying food slowly. Each dish has its own plate and the food is arranged to show off its natural beauty. They also make sure not to fill each plate completely and stop eating once they are 80% full, avoiding any urge to continue eating for the sake of it. This portion control allows them to keep off extra weight.
3. Power up for the day with miso soup
Japanese breakfasts are no small affair and include a variety of small dishes. One of these servings is a bowl of miso soup, which is rich in probiotics. While it might be considered unusual in the West, this delicious soup offers energy to get you going for the day.
4. Light cooking
When the Japanese cook they choose healthy cooking methods including heart friendly oils, and not exposing the raw ingredients to overly high temperatures for long periods. Choice methods include pan grilling, stir-frying in a wok, steaming, sautéing and simmering foods. Fresh foods, light on dressings are also preferred. Overall this cooking style leaves you with a light, fulfilled feeling in your stomach.
5. No bread. Just rice.
The Japanese traditionally did not eat bread. Instead, they served rice with every meal, traditionally steamed. Without bread, their diet remained free from refined wheat flour. You can go a step further in adding healthy choices to your diet and opt for brown rice, a healthier option than white rice.
6. Less desserts
Sugary and processed desserts are so ubiquitous in Japan. Instead of using puddings, cakes, tarts or ice cream for a sweet ending to a meal, the Japanese serve small helpings of fresh fruit, or small portions of desserts, but not daily. Fruit is rich in antioxidants and other essential nutrients, and less sugar prevents diabetes, excess fat and weight gain.
7. A different attitude
The Japanese devote less time to dieting and are raised to enjoy food. This also means they eat a wide choice of foods. In addition to their healthy attitude to food, they spend a lot of time involved in incidental exercise such as bicycling. Together with smart diet choices, being active allows for Japanese people to remain slim and contributes towards their longevity.
Eating Out? How to Pick the Healthier Meals
If you're looking to stay on a healthy diet, we have compiled some recommendations for you regarding what to look out for in various international cuisines.
What Makes Sandwich Bread so Different than Bakery Bread?
The imminent differences between sandwich bread and bakery bread has an effect on your health.
Fruits That Ripen After Picking and Fruits That Don't
Pick the best produce with these tips, and some hints on how to preserve produce longer
Peanut Butter at Bedtime? Don't Mind If I Do!
Learn about 4 snacks you can enjoy guilt-free when you're feeling peckish before bed.
The Food Additives That Are Actually Beneficial For You
We've been tricked into believing all food additives are bad. Did you know some are beneficial?
16 Human Foods You Can Share With Your Dog or Cat
In this article, we will present you with 8 foods for dogs and 8 foods for cats.
39 Smart Cleaning Tips You Just Have to Try
You can never know enough about cleaning. In This Video you can finds 39 great cleaning tips to make your life much simpler.
Tips For a Happier Life: How Much Free Time Is Optimal?
People love fantasizing about a world with unlimited free time. But is having a lot of free time always the best option for one's well-being and happiness?
Cheap and Great Tips for Removing Rust from Any Surface!
Ugly rust will become a thing of the past, using these simple methods to remove it from metal surfaces and even clothes.
8 Ways to Remove Sweat Stains from Clothes
To help you out, this article will cover what sweat is, how to prevent stains, and how to remove any existing ones.
All About Women: 24 Facts About the Fairer Sex
These fascinating facts will probably surprise even our female readers. We gathered 24 facts that we best you've never heard about, and each of them will make you understand yourself and women a bit better.
40 Incredibly Useful Things You Can Do with Vinegar
Vinegar is one of the most useful materials in the house...
10 Delicious Microwave Hacks That Will Make Cooking Easier
Your microwave has a few more tricks up its sleeve! 10 more tricks, to be more precise, that will unlock your microwave's hidden potential.
If Your Leather Items Are Dirty, Here's What to Do
If you want to clean your leather items yourself, you'd better read this...
HEARING LOSS: How to Keep Your Hearing Strong for Longer
It's not just age that steals away our hearing, but also bad listening habits that damage our ears. Here are 10 tips to help keep your hearing strong.
Why You Shouldn’t Use Olive Oil To Fry Or Braise Food
Stovetop cooking is very versatile, but most people are disappointed with this cooking method because they make one of these 10 mistakes...
Say Goodbye to Your Weeds with These Natural Weed Killers
Trying to find a way to kill your garden weeds without killing your plants? These 8 all-natural weed-killing tips are just what you're looking for!
How Can I Make Christmas More Affordable? - 12 Smart Tips
Save money this Christmas with these useful tips and hacks.
Paper Towels Can Do Much More Than Just Mop Up Spills
We all think that paper towels are just for mopping up spills, but it turns out they have many uses you wouldn't expect. Take a look at them here!
12 Fabulous Uses for Socks That Have Lost Their Mate
Here is a terrifically useful list of 12 handy ways that your odd sock or stocking can regain her purpose, get ‘out there’ and reinvent herself.
How to Fix Holes in Your Drywall: 4 Easy Ways
This video delves into four practical methods to repair your drywall, restoring your walls to their pristine condition.
Discover 6 Easy Ways to Clean a Home with Hydrogen Peroxide
We all want to see our homes clean and sparkling, and it turns out that with hydrogen peroxide - something we all have at home- this can be done with ease!
This DIY Solution Can Clean Even the Dirtiest of Bathtubs
Nobody likes getting down on their hands and knees to scrub the grime off the bathtub. Thankfully, this fantastic concoction will do all the hard work for you!
Keep Your Oven Clean with This All-Natural Cleaner
This non-toxic all-natural oven cleaner will keep your oven looking spick and span.
Relieve Joint and Back Pain with Desk Ergonomics Tips
Do you know how to set up your desk and how to work at the computer without wreaking havoc on your joints and spine? This video shows
Wow, I Never Knew it Was This Easy to Check a Battery!
Did you know you can actually find out if your battery is empty or not? This little tip only takes 2 seconds to do.
WATCH: 10 Microwave Tips You've Never Heard Of
These 10 tips will help you get the very best out of your microwave - replenish old food, keep it clean and simply master it!
Practical Tips on Adjusting a Home to be Senior-Friendly
Take note of these useful tips that will help you make your home more accessible and safe for your life ahead.
7 Tips to Maintaining a Life-Long Friendship
Advice from life-long friends about how to maintain a strong friendship.
12 Ways to Remove Odors from a Microwave
If your microwave has lingering smells despite regular cleaning, here are 12 DIY solutions to neutralize those odors effectively.
14 Creative Uses For Old Wire Coat Hangers
Coat Hangers are not just useful for hanging your favorite clothes in the closet, they are handy in so many other ways too!
Guide: How to Make a Tasty Fruit Salad In No Time at All...
This video will show you how to quickly chop fruit for those delicious and fresh fruit salads.
5 Different Christmas Plants and How to Care for Them
In this guide, you'll find some tips on how to keep it alive throughout the season, and how to maintain it for next year.
These Tricks Have Helped Me Become Smart About Cleaning
12 tips and tricks to clean your house and maintain your furniture and appliances with ease
I Just Found the Most Useful Material in the House!
Toothpaste has so many uses - it's truly amazing. Next time you encounter any of these problems, turn to this list to find out how toothpaste can help.
Say Goodbye to Shrunken Clothes with This Neat Laundry Trick
Recently I accidentally shrunk my favorite pair of pants. I was preparing to bid them farewell until my friend suggested a laundry trick that would revert them back to their former length. I didn’t even know this was possible. See how it's done!
Fake Olive Oil: Here's How You Can Spot It!
If you want to know whether the olive oil you have bought is real or an imposter, here's how you can tell!
Tips and Tricks to Help You Choose the Freshest Vegetables
With the help of these science-based tricks, you will only choose the best vegetables at the supermarket to bring back home.
Knowing These 12 Warning Signs Could Save Your Pet's Life!
If your pets exhibit any of these 12 symptoms, you should take them to the vet immediately!
Watch This and Become a Knot Expert!
Become a knotting expert with this educational guide. Some of these knots can be life-saving...
9 Uncommon Ways to Use Oatmeal in Your Home
Oats are so useful outside the kitchen too!
Solve 18 Cooking and Food Storage Problems With These Tips
These 18 food tips will teach you how to prevent food from spoiling and will show you how to save time and effort in preparing certain foods
I Never Imagined That I Could Use Cucumbers in These Ways
Take a look at the video below and see how cucumbers can help save you some money in 10 different ways.
12 Things Your Dog Can Do...
Here are 12 surprising things that your furry companion knows about you better than anyone else, maybe even more than you do.
How Waking Up at 5.30am Will Change Your Life!
Find out how waking up at 5.30am will have a positive impact on your life.
10 Smart Ways to Treat Your Dry Skin!
Suffer from dry skin? You can find these next natural dry skin treating ingredients right in your home...
We Bet You Never Knew Rubbing Alcohol Was This Useful!
Most people use rubbing alcohol for cuts or to cool a fever, but it has so many other fantastic uses. Here's 15 of them.