|
|
THE
OKINAWA DIET PLAN
Theory:
Between the main islands of
Japan
and
Taiwan
lies the archipelago of
Okinawa
, islands that are home to the longest-lived population.
Great-grandfathers practice martial arts. Energetic great-grandmothers
garden and perform traditional dance.
Okinawans are not only lean, they are lean for life.
Their low calorie diet is the key to their lifelong leanness.
Not only is Okinawan food delicious, but you can eat a good deal of
it and still keep your figure. Okinawans
on average consume more food than Americans, but fewer calories.
Ten
Okinawa
Diet Principles for Lifelong Healthy Weight
Principle #1: Build Meals on
a Featherweight Foundation
- Featherweights
are foods with caloric density of less than 0.7. This group includes
foods like water-based vegetable soup; apples, berries, peaches, and
most other fruit; broccoli, squash, green peas, and most other
veggies; low-fat plain yogurt; and tofu
- Lightweights
have a caloric density between 0.8 and 1.5.
These are foods like white flaky fish, cooked whole grains such
as rice and pasta, sushi, and cooked beans
- Middleweights
have a caloric density between 1.6 to 3.0.
These are foods like hummus, red fatty fish, whole-wheat
bagels; soy cheese; and raisins
- Heavyweights
have a caloric density of more than 3.0.
This groups includes foods such as full-fat cheddar cheese,
graham crackers, plain rice cakes, bacon, smooth peanut butter,
butter, vegetable oil, doughnuts, corn chips, French fries
- Tips
for a Diet of Featherweights and Lightweights
- Go
for the veggie juice
- If
you are a milk-drinker, switch to nonfat or low-fat milk
- Color
your rice brown
- Add
extra veggies to everything
- Eat
fruit at every meal and for snacks
- Drink
low caloric dense beverages
- Avoid
sugared beverages of any sort
- Choose
healthy liquid snacks
Principle #2: Anchor Main
Meals on Low-Calorie Dense Protein
- Get
a good mix of proteins
- Maintain
the minimum protein intake (at least 0.4 grams per pound body weight
daily)
- Pay
attention to the “protein package” – some protein comes packaged
with a lot of unhealthy fat
Principle #3: May a Soy
Principal Protein
- Consume
soymilk, tofu, green soybeans, boiled soybeans, tempeh, miso paste,
soy beverages, soy yogurt, meat alternatives, soy cheese, non-dairy
frozen dessets, soy flour
Principle #4: Balance Your
Fats and Choose the Right Ones
- Bad
fats – trans fat (found in commercially prepared baked goods,
margarines, snack foods, and processed foods; saturated fats (found in
meat, seafood, whole-milk dairy products, poultry skin, and egg yolks
- Good
fats – polyunsaturated (sunflower, corn, and soybean oils) and
monounsaturated (canola,
peanut, and olive oils)
- Tips
for Getting the Right-Fat balance
- Reduce
trans fats
- Cut
meat portions down to size
- Trim
the fat
- Toss
the frying pan
- Invest
in nonstick cookware
- Go
meatless
- Shop
low-fat
Principle #5: Eat Good Carbs/Avoid
Bad Carbs
- Bad
carbs – refined breakfast cereals, canned fruits, white bread,
instant white rice, white spaghetti, French fries, sugar-rich soft
drinks
- Good
carbs – whole-grain breakfast cereals, oats, bulgar, barley, whole
fruits, whole wheat, whole pumpernickel, cooked brown rice,
whole-wheat spaghetti, sliced, baked new potatoes with olive oil,
sweet potatoes, fruit juice
Principle #6: Keep Fiber in
Mind
- Start
your day with a high-fiber breakfast cereal
- Switch
to whole grain breads
- Substitute
whole-grain flour for white flour
- Eat
brown rice
- Eat
fruit at every meal
Principle #7: Go for
Water-Rich Foods
- Start
meals with soup whenever possible
- Eat
more stew
- Drink
more water
- Add
vegetables and fruits to most dishes
Principle #8: Herbs and
Spices are Practically Calorie-Free
- Spice
up your veggies
- Replace
butter with herbs and spices
- Eat
Salsa
Principle #9: Graze Rather
than Gorge
- Size
up your servings
- Downsize
dinner
- Beware
of buffets
Principle #10: Easy on the
Alcohol and Sweets
- Watch
the calories in alcohol
- Choose
red wine
- Snack
on fresh fruit
- Drink
chocolate, don’t eat it
Sample Menu Plan – Western Track
- Breakfast
– Banana-Vanilla French Toast, 1 orange, jasmine tea
- Mid
morning snack – soy yogurt, tea or coffee
- Lunch
– Brilliant Vegetarian Chili, 1 cup green salad, 1 whole-grain roll,
jasmine tea
- Mid
afternoon snack – 1 cup strawberries, your favorite tea
- Dinner
– Roasted Tomato Past, 2 whole-grain dinner rolls, 1 cup cantaloupe
cubes sprinkled with 1 teaspoon lime juice, 1/3 cup soy yogurt or
low-fat plain yogurt, jasmine or decaf tea
Bradley J. Wilcox, M.D., D. Craig
Wilcox, Ph.D., and Makoto Suzuki, M.D. 2004.
New York
: Clarkson Potter/Publishers
|
|
