The Disadvantages Of Following A Japanese Diet

By Banner Garrett


Some people will argue that the Japanese diet is one of the healthiest ways to eat. This isn't necessarily the case. The modern Japanese diet includes several patterns that aren't best for overall health.

Let's consider this more closely, so you can make the most of your eating choices. If you do want to follow a Japanese or Asian style diet, what are the safety concerns?

First, watch your carbohydrates. What are the staples of the Japanese diet? Carbohydrates!

Consider how frequently the Japanese eat white rice and noodles. Often, these items are eaten at all three meals. For many people, eating this amount of carbs can cause blood sugars to increase and can pack on the pounds.

In some regions of Japan, there is also an issue with low fiber intake. With the carbs (rice, noodles) in most Japanese meals, and the protein that accompanies this (generally fish, chicken or beef), you also should be eating high fiber fruits and vegetables. If you don't, it can negatively impact your digestive health.

Strangely, modern Japanese are also picking up bad habits from other cuisines and mixing these in with their own more traditional choices. There are heavy French and Italian influences now, with pizza and pastry becoming more frequent food choices. Obviously, just as these foods do elsewhere, in a Japanese diet they encourage blood sugar fluctuations and increased body fat.

You may be wondering how the Japanese seem so healthy if they eat so badly. The short answer is: they eat a perfectly fine diet - given their metabolic and genetic makeup. The Japanese essentially have a better metabolism for efficiently processing carbohydrates. They don't seem to have the blood sugar fluctuations and overweight tendencies that Western people would when eating a similar diet. This is why you can't just copy a Japanese diet and expect to be slim and healthy as many of the Japanese are.

You can learn some good diet tricks from the Japanese however, if you take the healthiest parts. The Japanese also eat a lot of fish, and enjoy a wide variety of foods that are often overlooked including sea vegetables and seaweed. These foods are very nutritious and can be beneficial to a weight loss program.




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