Eat Like an Okinawan

Elderly Okinawans are known to be the healthiest people on the planet; they have the highest population of centenarians, and a low risk of diseases related to age. And surprise, surprise, it has to do with their healthy and balanced diet and lifestyle factors, such as regular exercise and positive mental outlook.

What seems to show that their diet contributes to their longevity, is that when the younger Okinawan generation traded the traditional food for western fast-food, diseases such as heart disease and cancer started to increase.

Here are 7 tips based off of their lifestyle:

1. Eat minimal amounts of fat, meat, sugar, refined carbohydrates, dairy and stimulants.

2. Have a philosophy of “Hara Hachi Bu,” which means eating until you are 80% full. (We generally eat until we are full, then we feel stuffed.) Try 80% for size—what does it feel like to you?

3. Eat a menu with plentiful fruits and vegetables (they eat up to 13 serving of vegetables a day, mostly yellows, oranges, and greens, such as broccoli, carrots, red peppers, tomatoes, onions, cauliflower, okra, and eggplant) including sweet potatoes (a staple) and legumes.

4. Make complex carbohydrates a little over half of the daily calories, which include vegetables, fruit, whole grains (oats and barley), tofu, and other legumes. (All important to heart health).

5. Eat foods with healthy omega-3 fat, such as fish and soy oil. These also play an important role in heart health.

6. Sweets in moderation. (Moderation in general is the key word.)

7. Include exercise into common daily activities, such as walking and gardening. (For example, try parking farther than normal if you can’t walk to the store. Or take the stairs instead of the elevator.)

You shouldn’t feel that you need to change your own lifestyle drastically, just take what you feel might work for you. This is a good reminder for us of how true the saying, “we are what we eat” is—if we nourish ourselves with healthy foods, exercise and positivity, we will radiate this outward and reap the rewards of health for ourselves and those around us. 

Reference: The Okinawan Diet: Health Implications of a Low-Calorie, Nutrient-Dense, Antioxidant-Rich Dietary Pattern Low in Glycemic Load