Do you ever astonish why Japanese men and women look so youthful and charming even in their maturated ages of life and live a healthier life? What is the secret behind their toned and rejuvenating and evergreen beauty like a child and their longevity? If these are some questions that often haunt your mind then today you are going to get every answer to your question.
The foods that you eat not only nourish your inner health but it also gives nourishment to your outer health which is reflected in the form of clear and rejuvenated bodily skin and thick and healthy hairs.
Most of the diet routine of Japanese people remain rich in antioxidant which is the most effective nutrient vital for overall health benefits and skin beauty as well. So here we are going to discuss some Japanese methods to get more antioxidants in your meals so that even you can also look as youthful and stay healthy as the Japanese people do.
5 Japanese Methods to Get More Antioxidants in Your Meals
Table of Contents
The longing for a healthier and fitter body is the desire of every human being and its secret lies in your daily meals routine which is the core decider of overall aspects of your life. Whether you want to maintain your body weight, or want to enhance your skin and hair beauty or your target is to improve your physical and mental health and well being.
In all respect, you have to consider on one dominant factor above anything else and that is your diet intake. What you eat reflect in your face and beauty as well as in the form of your inner health and well being.
We all know the fact that it is the quality of the food which is important not its quantity. So if your motive is the eat lees but the healthier one then you must concentrate on more antioxidants property-rich meals.
The antioxidant is a vital substance that inhibits oxidation, a chemical reaction which produces free radicals that can cause minor to major forms of damages around the body.
So when you consume more antioxidants rich food your body remains naturally protected as then it becomes capable of fighting against free radicals attacks on your cells which are the root cause of several health concerns.
Japanese people remain very conscious about their health and they understand the importance of antioxidants for their overall health benefits.
This is the reason their overall meal routine is planned in such a way that a person can easily get enough level of this vital substance via different diet sources. Some of the Japanese methods are mentioned below which entails how you can get more antioxidants in your meals.
Green Tea
The versatile health benefits of green tea are not hidden to anyone in the world and at present, this is the most recommendable health drink for relieving different health condition naturally. As per the Japanese people are concerned, it is their most favorable and regular hot drink or beverage.
Green tea is abundant with antioxidant properties which protect your body and skin from different inflammatory conditions by protecting it from the free radicals attack.
The regular intake of green tea for 2 to 3 times in a day gives protection against many critical diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular health concerns, diabetes and many more. Moreover, it gives full protection to the most external layer of your body that is skin by delaying the aging process.
It keeps your skin rejuvenated, firm and glowing naturally by nourishing it from the deep inside and protecting from the attack of free radicals present in the environment. Also, it helps in reducing excess body fat by stimulating the fat-burning ability of your body.
This is really very essential benefit for which green tea is known as by reducing your excess body fat or weight it helps in reducing your risk of developing different health problems associated with excess body fat especially in abdominal areas such as type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity, etc.
Also, it helps in shaping up perfect body figure and muscles building by stimulating the metabolic rate of your body. Start your day with this refreshing beverage and stay energetic and fresh throughout the day.
Seafood
Seafood is another common diet intake of Japanese people and the secret of their long-lasting and evergreen beauty and health. It can be said as their staple food which consists almost every meal of the day whether is breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Seafood specially fishes are an abundant source of many vital nutrients such as high-quality protein, omega 3 fatty acids, and many other vital nutrients. Out of these nutrients, the importance and benefit of Omega 3 fatty acids are vast as it has the capability to enhance and boost each and every aspect of your health whether you want to enhance your skin or hair health or want to control your abdominal or overall body fat, etc.
This essential nutrient has a grip over each and every health aspects. People who are suffering from cardiovascular health concerns are often recommended by the hath specialists to eat more omega 3 fatty acids rich fishes such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring, oysters, sardines, etc.
So it can be said that these seafood are the reason behind the healthy heart health of Japanese people and their longevity. The omega 3 fatty acids are also known for boosting the metabolic, anti-inflammatory or antioxidant absorbing capacity of body which are the core for a healthy body and mind.
This essential nutrient is beneficial for improving brain function and prevents the risk of different brain or mental health concerns such as Dementia, Alzheimer diseases and many cognitive impairments. Also, it is helpful in boosting eyesight or eyes health.
This seafood consumption helps in preventing premature aging signs on the skin by nourishing your skin from deep inside and maintaining the level of collagen protein, a vital nutrient which is also known as beauty protein which started to reduce with aging.
Also, it boosts and maintains your hair health by nourishing and boosting your follicles which helps in promoting healthy, dense and shiny hair naturally. Also, it relieves from hair fall, split ends, dandruff, dryness and other scalp problems with its frequent consumption.
Green Vegetables
Japanese people believe in quality food not the quantity of food is their priority. This is the reason all of their meals routines consists of only healthy and well-balanced diets.
Most of their meal plan contains plenty amount of green vegetables which are the abundant source of essential nutrients and the, more importantly, these veggies are loaded with antioxidant properties.
Hence it is beneficial and effective in preventing several minor to major diseases risks. It nourishes your health from deep inside and boosts your immunity power so that you can easily sustain and fight from diseases causing elements such as free radicals etc.
The nutrient-dense cruciferous vegetables such as kale, cauliflower, broccoli, Chinese cabbage, Brussels sprouts etc can be said as the secret behind their youthful and toned facial and bodily charm and well boosted physical and mental health.
These cruciferous veggies are an abundant source of Vitamin C, dietary fiber and other essential dietary sources of nutrients that you can hardly get through any other food sources in such a pure form.
The consumption of the nutrient-dense green vegetables promotes weight loss which is the basis of several health concerns including heart health to diabetes etc.
In this context, you must appreciate the cooking methods followed by Japanese people as well, which ensure that all essence of diets remains intact and there will be no loss of nutrient during the cooking procedure which generally happens in the normal cooking process.
They prefer a light steaming form of cooking to prepare these vegetables which makes sure all the nutrients value of these healthy foods sources remains intact when you consume them to ensure their full health value for you.
Lesser Intake of Red Meats
Red meats contain a very good amount of saturated fats which can easily stimulate the cholesterol level in the blood leading to the growth of different cardiovascular health concerns.
So to avoid this concern Japanese people prefer to consume red meats in a very limited quantity so that their body can obtain only its good benefits and remains unaffected with its bad consequences such as the stimulation of bad cholesterol level.
In limited doses, red meat is a very nutritious meal that one can have as it contains essentials nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and antioxidant which helps in stimulating the overall health of Japanese people. However, they make sure that they won’t cross the recommended doses or limit of red meats.
The excess consumption of red meats increases your body fat by the dual speed by increasing your daily calorie limit which is again a root cause of many major health problems.
Japanese people also avoid the consumption of many fatty foods which remain loaded with saturated fats and stimulate calories levels such as pizza, highly fried foods, and baked goods. Instead, they prefer more healthy diet options as the substitute of these high-fat food sources.
Strictly Follows a Healthy Eating Pattern
Why Japanese look so healthy and youthful from inside out, the secret lies in their core eating behavior or eating pattern that they follow since the very ancient era and they are very strict in it. Whatever good eating habits they follow same they teach their children as well so the legacy will go on and on.
There is a very popular saying “Hara Hachi Bu†that means one needs to eat until they get full by 80% and the same behavior they teach to their children from their very initial ages. This good habit stimulates their overall health in a positive way.
In the list of healthy eating behaviors, the Japanese food serving style also holds an important place. They always choose a small plate and bowls for serving food instead of using a large size plate for serving the whole meal.
It is now proved in researches that people automatically eat more when they take a larger size plate or bowl. On the other hand when you take small size plate and you have to pick foods from different bowls your body automatically triggers a psychological satisfaction level means satiety even though you have eaten less in that particular smaller plate size. This is the one reason behind the fitness of Japanese people.
They believe in varieties not the quantities of foods. So they use different bowls to serve different varieties of foods such as rice, fish, meat, miso and two-three types of vegetables. These dishes usually served communally and consumed in rotation.
Japanese people also like to enjoy small-small treats or snacks but they never lose their control and with full self-control behavior, they only eat these small treats in a limited portion even though that includes their favorite food or snacks.
One more important eating habit that Japanese people follow and that play a key role in maintaining their overall good health and beauty is that after waking up in the morning the very first thing that they do without failing is that they drink one plain glass of water.
This helps them keep their digestive health in a good position by removing all the harmful toxins from their body through smoother bowel movements which are the core of overall good health.
From Japan, With Krill
Krill is the name given to a large family of shrimp-like crustaceans belonging to the order Euphausiacea. These tiny invertebrates are also sometimes called euphausiids.
They can be found in every ocean in the world but the most popular Krill species is the Antarctic krill or Euphausia superba. This is the krill found in the Southern Ocean and is the species fished commercially in Japan and all the way up to Russia.
Krill is a staple, high-protein, low-fat food in Japan where it is called okiami. Okiami is a traditional delicacy in Japan, Taiwan and Korea where dried krill is preferred over frozen krill.
Krill is also eaten in Russian, Ukraine and Poland where it is sold as precooked mince and coagulated paste.
Krill caught from the ocean are also used for other purposes beyond human consumption. These small invertebrates are used as fish food in aquaculture farms, as bait in sport fishing and also expressed for oil to use in health supplements.
Other popular species of commercially harvested krill include the Pacific krill (Euphausia pacifica) and the Northern krill (Meganyctiphanes norvegica).
How Sustainable is Krill as a Food Source?
Krill is rich in proteins and while it is low in fat, it is actually a rich source of Omega-3 fatty acids. It also contains antioxidants even more than fish.
While only a small percentage of harvested krill finds itself into human diets (at least, outside Japan), there is a growing belief that krill should replace fish and other human protein source.
As global food sources slowly dwindle, commercial fishing in the oceans will increasingly become regulated. This means that our best source of protein will soon become scarce.
In addition, increasing levels of pollution including mercury and heavy metal poisoning are making fish unhealthy additions to diets. Therefore, a suitable alternative to fish needs to be introduced to our diets.
In many ways, krill is the right candidate for a fish substitute. It is just like shrimps but with a salty and stronger taste. The tail is edible and rich in Omega-3 fatty acids.
While krill is mostly safe from pollutants because of its small size and brief lifespan, the exoskeleton can still accumulate fluorides. For this reason, the exoskeletons are removed during preparation of krill for mass consumption.
If we are to replace the other seafood in our diet with krill, it would seem that there is a risk of depleting the stock of the crustacean in the oceans. However, this is very unlikely.
There are a number of reasons why widespread krill consumption is unlikely to place the invertebrate on the endangered list. For one, krill has the largest biomass of all creatures on the planet. In fact, the Antarctic krill which is only one of eight-five species of krill known has a biomass that is twice that of the global human population.
In addition, human consumption of krill is unlikely to shake up the food chain because krill harvesting from the oceans is arguable the best regulated seafood harvesting there is.
Krill Oil vs. Fish Oil
While krill is finding its way into restaurant menus now some may not find it tasteful. You can still enjoy the benefits of krill by choosing krill oil.
Quite a few studies have been done about the health benefits of krill oil but they have all been positive. Two important studies published by Canadian researchers studied the effects of krill oil on hyperlipidemia and cardiac diseases as well as on chronic inflammation and symptoms of arthritis.
In the first study, the results showed that in the management of hyperlipidemia, 1–3 g of krill administered daily was significantly more effective than daily doses of 3 g fish oil.
The study also established that a daily maintenance dose of 500 mg of krill oil was effective for lowering blood levels of LDL and triglycerides while increasing HDL levels and reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.
In the second study, 300 mg of krill oil was found effective for relieving the symptoms of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Krill oil contains omega-3 fatty acids, Vitamins A, D and E as well as the antioxidant, astaxanthin.
The structure of the Omega-3 fatty acids in krill makes them more absorbable than the Omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil. Studies show that the extent of absorption of krill oil fatty acids is 10-15 times those of fish oil.
Similarly, the antioxidant property of krill oil is 48 times more potent than that of fish oil. The improved antioxidant action is chiefly due to astaxanthin which is more powerful than known antioxidants such as Vitamin C and E.
There are 4 known antioxidants in krill oil. These include Vitamins A and E as well as the carotenoids, astaxanthin and canthaxanthin.
This combination of potent antioxidants gives krill oil a very strong antioxidant property. The table below shows a comparison between the antioxidant properties of krill oil and other common antioxidants including some of the antioxidants contained in the oil.
Antioxidant potency is measured by the ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) method.
ORAC Values (micromole per gram)
- Vitamin A – 1.25
- Vitamin E – 1.25
- Lutein – 8
- Fish Oil – 8
- Coenzyme Q-10 – 11
- Astaxanthin – 51
- Lycopene – 58
- Krill Oil – 378
Astaxanthin
Astaxanthin is a carotenoid antioxidant. It is a lipid-soluble pigment responsible for the colors of microorganisms, seafood and birds in which it is found.
This antioxidant protects the Omega-3 fatty acids in krill oil from oxidative damage from air and heat. It keeps krill oil from going bad and is the reason why krill oil never goes rancid while fish oil can.
Astaxanthin protects body tissues from damage by oxidative free radicals. It is believed to also protect the cardiovascular and immune systems as well as protect against inflammatory and autoimmune diseases of the nervous system.
Conclusion
We can say that Japanese people have a very positive attitude towards food and eating behavior which overall creates an ideal condition that helps them in building and maintaining healthy body weight, controlled cholesterol and sugar level, healthy heart health and keeping their skin toned, glowing and youthful forever.
So if you are the one who is fascinated with the Japanese women beauty and their overall good health and longevity then you must follow the above mentioned Japanese methods to get more antioxidants in your meals, which is the secret of their overall good health and beauty.
[expand title=”View Article Sources“]
- https://www.timesnownews.com/health/article/wonder-how-japanese-women-look-young-and-fit-5-japanese-diet-secrets-to-weight-loss-beautiful-skin-and-hair/458306
- https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/why-japanese-diet-so-healthy
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