Why the Japanese are in better shape and live longest!

Live better and longer

The Japanese are known for their longevity due in part to a healthy traditional diet (without much saturated fat or sugars), an active lifestyle and a health insurance system that facilitates access to care.
The most interesting is the case in Japan, Okinawa. It is said that on a beach in Okinawa, you can read, engraved on a rock, the following inscription: "At 70, you're a child. At 80, you're barely a teenager. And 90 years if the ancestors invite you to heaven, ask them to wait until 100 years of age, when you will reconsider the issue ". This is where we find the greatest number of centenarians and super-centenarians. In addition, 100 years, they are still active, independent, healthy and look young.

One might think that this extraordinary longevity is linked to a specific gene and Japanese without which we would, we Westerners. Well no, this ability to stay healthy is not just genetic but more surely the Japanese way of life. So what can we learn from the Japanese lifestyle to live a little longer?

The way in which to feed the Japanese plays a great role in their longevity..

• They stop eating before no longer hungry. Thus they consume fewer calories. 
• They cook their food very little, often steamed. They combine cooked and raw food in their foods. 
• They are semi-vegetarians. They eat fish, but very rarely meat or animal food. 
• They eat a lot of low-calorie foods such as fruits, vegetables and seaweed, which gives them a good dose of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants varied. 
• They eat a lot of whole grains (such as brown rice) and legumes (such as soy).