The Japanese Diet: Unveiling the Secrets of Weight Loss from the East
The Japanese prefer fresh produce, abundant fish and seafood, and grains, but they consume few fresh fruits. Despite its name, the Japanese diet has nothing in common with the traditional cuisine of the Land of the Rising Sun. Japanese nutritionists supposedly developed this eating plan. It allows for weight loss of up to 10 kg in 2 months by reducing carbohydrate and calorie intake. The diet bases itself on protein-rich foods. However, we don’t know the authors of the diet for certain. We can’t confidently state that they were Japanese. But hey, who needs accuracy when you’re trying to sell a diet, right?
Basic Principles of the Japanese Diet
Let’s warn you right away: you can’t follow this diet for a long time without harming your health. Even the idea of switching to a purely Japanese folk cuisine while living in Paris or Berlin is much better than trying to stick to the Japanese diet for half a year. The diet is designed exclusively for weight loss. It has nothing to do with the balanced nutrition recommended by dietitians. But who cares about health when you’re trying to shed those pesky pounds?
Moreover, the Japanese diet requires adhering to a specific combination of products. You can’t replace components, even if they seem identical and interchangeable. You also cannot change the order of days in the menu. On the other hand, this diet does not require starvation. The recipes included are interesting and varied enough that weight loss does not turn into torture. But let’s be honest, any diet that doesn’t allow you to eat cake is pretty much torture, right?
Reducing Calorie Intake
The essence lies in reducing calorie intake by taking protein-rich foods as the basis of your diet. You minimize the number of carbohydrates. But even active supporters and propagandists of the Japanese diet never tire of reminding that it is designed for only 14 days. By following the recommended diet, you will achieve weight loss, but your body will not receive enough vitamins and minerals. It will live in a mode of energy “starvation,” which is fraught with exhaustion in the long run. But who needs long-term health when you can fit into those skinny jeans?
Mindful Eating
Another important condition: eat slowly, thoroughly chewing your food, without being distracted by movies, TV series, or other entertainment. Focus fully on eating, then the body will feel satiety faster. But let’s be real, who has time for mindful eating when there’s Netflix to binge-watch?
Types of Japanese Diet
After its appearance, the Japanese diet gained such colossal popularity that several varieties appeared at once:
- Salt-free diet for 7 days
- Diet for 13 days
- Japanese diet for 14 days
- With green tea
- Naomi Moriyama diet
Salt-free Diet for 7 Days
It assumes that in a week, you will lose from 3 to 5 kg. This is a safe rate of weight loss for health, so you do not risk your well-being. At the same time, consider this menu option as a kind of base, the basis of all other versions of the Japanese diet.
Diet for 13 Days
This is the most popular version of the diet. It theoretically allows you to lose 10 kilograms. It is very similar to the weekly menu but is designed for a longer period. In essence, you take the diet for a week, but on Sunday, you do not stop the diet. For another 6 days, you repeat the salt-free diet. Because who needs variety when you’re trying to lose weight?
Japanese Diet for 14 Days
In essence, it’s the same seven-day diet, but when the seventh day is over, we “flip” the diet. The menu of the seventh day becomes the diet for the first, the sixth for the second, and so on. We will definitely return to this option because it is very popular. And popularity is all that matters, right?
With Green Tea
In essence, it’s all the same as in the three previous points, but in addition to black coffee, we drink green tea. This option suits people who do not drink coffee at all or do not like espresso. Green tea is an excellent drink rich in vitamins and antioxidants, so it’s a great substitute. However, there is also a special diet adapted for green tea.
Naomi Moriyama Diet
Moriyama is a marketer who wrote a book about nutrition. The diet she proposed most of all resembles the Japanese diet. But let’s be real, anyone can write a book about nutrition these days.
Is Salt So Dangerous in the Japanese diet?
The Japanese diet requires eliminating salt from the diet. Many people give up salt even without additional incentives. Salt, like sugar, has turned into a product-scarecrow. But is it so bad that you need to exclude it from the menu directly? According to the World Health Organization, the physiological norm of salt intake for a person is 5 grams per day.
The Role of Salt in the Body
Salt, or sodium chloride, is involved in our metabolism. It is necessary to maintain the water-salt balance of the body. The WHO does not recommend stopping salting food at all. But it advises limiting the consumption of foods with a high salt content. This way, you don’t receive a double or triple “portion” of salt per day. Foods with a high salt content include fast food, store-bought sauces, corn flakes, white bread, semi-finished products, canned foods, salted and smoked meat, and fish.
Who Should Avoid Salt?
Salt-free diets like the Japanese one are suitable for a limited circle of people. These include patients with acute kidney inflammation, heart failure, pancreatic function disorders, and so on. In short, if you suddenly can’t have salt, your doctor has probably already told you about it.
At the same time, salt-free diets are also contraindicated for many. Don’t stop salting food if you are actively involved in sports, regularly subjected to physical exertion, or live in a hot region. Salt-free diets are contraindicated for pregnant and lactating mothers. If, during active sports, you try to completely exclude salt from your diet, this can be fraught with severe consequences up to and including death due to a violation of the water-salt balance. Because of this, the heart can literally stop beating, so be careful.
Japanese Diet: Contraindications
As you have probably already understood, this method of weight reduction is not suitable for everyone. For whom is it categorically contraindicated?
- Elderly people
- Pregnant and lactating mothers
- People with acute illnesses or chronic diseases in the acute phase
- Diabetics and those who suffer from other endocrine disorders, including clinical obesity
- Those who suffer from diseases of the liver, kidneys, gastrointestinal tract, and heart
Conclusion of Japanese diet
The Japanese diet is a popular weight loss method that promises quick results. However, it is not a balanced or sustainable approach to nutrition. The severe calorie restriction, lack of essential nutrients, and unsustainable nature of the diet make it an unwise choice for long-term weight management and overall well-being.
Instead of falling for the allure of crash diets like the Japanese diet, adopt a balanced, nutritious eating plan that you can maintain as a lifestyle. Couple this approach with regular physical activity and other healthy habits. This is the true key to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight while nurturing your body with the nourishment it needs to thrive.
Remember, your health is far too precious to gamble on fad diets that promise rapid results but deliver short-lived success at best, and serious health consequences at worst. Embrace a wholesome, sustainable way of eating. You’ll be on the path to a healthier, happier you. Because apparently, slow and steady wins the race when it comes to lasting weight loss and vitality.
