Eat Dinner for Breakfast & Other Things I Learned in Japan

It often can take a complete change in mindset to rethink the things you think you know – particularly when it comes to eating.
 
Helping people improve their diet is one of the most enjoyable things that I do.  Simple changes often lead to resolving issues like inflammation and sinus congestion that medication isn’t able to address.
 
Also, I’ve seen patients lose significant amounts of weight by eating a diet rich in vegetables, healthy proteins and whole grains.
 
I was delighted while on a recent visit to Japan to learn about how the Japanese approach eating.  I knew they got things right when I realized that I didn’t see any overweight Japanese. 

Turns out that the obesity rate in Japan is around 4%, while here in the United States it’s around 40%.  No wonder that the average Japanese lifespan is six years more than the average American one.
 
I believe this is due to not just what they eat, but cultural habits around food.  Here are my favorite ones:
 
Eat Dinner for Breakfast
The Japanese don’t have special breakfast foods and even in Kyoto it was difficult to find restaurants that served breakfast.  Instead, the Japanese eat the same food for breakfast that they eat for dinner --- this can include miso soup, congee, noodles, grilled fish, rolled omelets, pickled vegetables and green or matcha tea.
 
Here in the US, we have certain breakfast foods, many of which include highly processed carbs.  Often, switching to a healthier diet includes expanding our view of food possibilities.   It’s okay to eat leftovers from last night’s dinner or a vegetable soup or salad.  In fact, these foods might you give you nutrients that you would otherwise be missing.
 
Eat balanced meals with many different ingredients
Think of a bento box with small amounts of different foods in each section.  Perhaps some pickled vegetable, sushi, chicken teriyaki and a noodle dish.  When it comes to eating variety is good for us.
 
Eat sitting at a table with real dishes and utensils
The Japanese don’t eat on the run.  There are no trash cans on the streets of Japan or any empty wrappers or water bottles.  People don’t walk around carrying a morning cup of coffee and a bagel.  Every meal that I had was a sit-down one.  And I never used paper goods or plastic utensils.  This was true even in the airport food court.  Instead, food was served in bowls, dishes and bento boxes.  And in many places we were expected to bring food trays, dishes and silverware over to a shelf for dirty dishes.
 
This practice of sitting and eating is so much better for digestion.  It allows us to go into the parasympathetic rest and digest mode that we need to fully absorb the nutrients in foods.
 
Eat no more than necessary
The Japanese don’t have super-size options.  They eat small amounts of food.  There is even a practice called Hara hachi bu which translates to "eat until you are 80% full". Rooted in Confucian teaching, it is a mindful eating practice to prevent overeating, aid digestion, and promote longevity.
 
Since the brain takes 20 minutes to receive and register signals from the stomach of no longer being hungry, this practice encourages you not to overeat, while still eating enough to feel satisfied.
 
Keep it simple
Japanese food is simple and often is cooked at the table.  Meat and vegetables would often be brought to the table for us to cook either in a hot pot or grill.  There were no heavy sauces, rather simple, low-calorie dipping sauces often containing fermented foods like tamari and miso.  This simplicity makes it less time consuming to prepare a meal.
 
Slow down and be grateful
We all have heard about gratitude practices.  The Japanese take this idea to a whole other level with the concept of Ichigo ichie, which translates to “one time, one meeting” and expresses the concept that each encounter is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and reminds us that each moment is unrepeatable, unique and deserves our full attention.  

What if each of us approached each meal this way?
 
I was so excited to begin to incorporate some of these habits when I returned home.  And I’m also excited to share them with you!
 
Eating well and taking time to enjoy what we eat is central to my Yummy, Healthy, Food Nutritional Counseling.  While I’m knowledgeable about foods from many different cultures as well as different nutritional philosophies, the Japanese principles around food can easily be applied regardless of what foods we choose to eat.
 
You can pick any of these ideas and take a few weeks to incorporate it into your lifestyle.  Then notice if anything shifts.
 
If you’re interested in getting support as you do this or in shifting your mindset around food, please do get in touch.  My Yummy Healthy Food nutritional counseling is designed to help you see food in a different way and expand your options for eating well.
 
May preparing and eating food be an expression of joy and gratitude!
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