Okinawa diet pyramid:
The Okinawa-Diet food guide pyramid emphasizes eating
healthy fat,
calcium,
flavonoid ,
and omega-3 rich foods.
Whole grains and other "Right Carbs" along with vegetables make up the base of the pyramid.
Use the Okinawa-Diet food pyramid to guide you in making healthy and nutritious food choices.
What is Okinawa Diet:
Generally, the traditional diet of the islanders was 20% lower in calories than the Japanese average and contained 300% of the green/yellow vegetables (particularly heavy on sweet potatoes).
Local grow vegetable
The Okinawan diet is low in fat and has only 25% of the sugar and 75% of the grains of the average Japanese dietary intake.
The traditional diet also includes a relatively small amount of fish (less than half a serving per day) and somewhat more in the way of soy and other legumes (6% of total caloric intake).
Fresh caught fish
With exception of pork, almost no meat is consumed; virtually no eggs or dairy products are consumed either. Okinawans include pork in their diets. However, the fat content of the pork is eliminated; prior to the preparation of the pork, the fat is boiled off.
Refer to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okinawa_diet
What's the key to long-term heart health?
By Michael d'Oliveira, mdoliveira@tribune.com
"According to the World Health Organization, in 2008 Japan tied with San Marino for the highest average life expectancy, 83.
In Japan, nowhere are the benefits of moderation more apparent than in Okinawa, which has more per capita centenarians than anywhere else in the world.
The Okinawa Centenarian Study – conducted by Makoto Suzuki, MD, PhD, Dr. Craig Willcox, PhD and Bradley Willcox MD, MS – found that elderly Okinawa residents had an 80 percent lower risk for coronary disease compared to citizens in Western nations.
"Their healthy arteries appear to be in large part due to their lifestyle:
diet,
regular exercise,
moderate alcohol use,
avoidance of smoking,
blood pressure control
and a stress-minimizing psycho-spiritual outlook.
However, there are also potential genetic aspects such as lower fibrinogen levels possibly due to differences in fibrinogen-related genes. A recent autopsy study that we conducted on a centenarian demonstrated that her coronary arteries were virtually free of atherosclerotic plaque," reads part of the study.
When it comes to heart health, diet and exercise go hand-in-hand. "You can't say which is more important," Cusnir said. Diets high in fat or too many carbohydrates can cause heart disease, diabetes and other conditions while lack of exercise can weaken the heart.
Campbell said the best diet is one that's balanced with "a good mix of all the major food groups."..."
Reference:
http://www.latimes.com/health/fl-yah-hearthealth-0216-20110214,0,2082029.story
http://www.okicent.org/index.html
http://www.okinawa-diet.com/
