Principles of the Japanese diet to avoid stress and help with weight loss

• Kake Okumura Japanese wellness writer who was raised in the United States and Japan.
• In Japan, I learned that food is not just fuel and that it can be used as an expression of love.
• Two of the Japanese eating principles that they follow are moderation and variety.

The paradox of good eating is that the more effort we put in, the less satisfied we feel. Strategies like counting calories, tracking macros, and intermittent fasting all require a high degree of commitment, can quickly become overwhelming, and you may start to feel obsessive.

Growing up in the US, I was pretty overweight. In desperation, she resorted to drastic strategies like counting calories to reach a weight that seemed acceptable. Even when I achieved that, my thoughts were plagued with fears like, “Am I eating too much,” “This is too much fat,” and “I can’t go to the party because they’re going to serve cake.”

I was technically healthy according to the number on the scale, but I hated the idea of ​​having to deal with my health this way for the rest of my life.

It was only after I moved to Japan and got a different perspective on healthy eating that I realized there was no need to be obsessed. We can be healthy and enjoy our favorite snacks, sweets and foods without worrying too much. I learned that food is not just fuel, it is the way we express love, understand our culture, and express our values.

So what is the Japanese way of eating? What I learned from life in Japan is that eating healthy is not about making a 180-degree change in our diet, but about paying attention to the small actions we take every day, and understanding that, compounding our healthy habits can have a big impact.

These two Japanese principles of healthy eating helped me go from obsession to freedom:

1. Eat in moderation

Harahachi-bunme directly translates to “80% of your stomach” but what it really means is eat in moderation. The idea is that for most of our meals, we should enjoy them until 80% full, which is the point when we feel full, but not overly so.

This way, we can enjoy the dishes and foods we like, without much change. It doesn’t really require changing anything in what you eat, just being mindful of how much you’re eating. Stop at 80% full, and you’ll never have to go on another diet.

The caveat is that it’s hard to understand satiety if we don’t eat any high-fiber foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, but these foods also don’t need to be our entire diet. If we eat in moderation and eat nutrient-dense foods regularly, we can enjoy sweets, snacks, and just about anything else while maintaining a healthy diet.

2. Focus on diversity

While many diets revolve around cutting out food or focusing excessively on increasing our intake of “superfoods,” the traditional Japanese diet often emphasizes variety.

For example, one common way of serving Japanese meals is through ichigo-sansai, which translates to “one soup with three sides.” One soup is usually miso soup, and the three sides are usually one serving of protein and two servings of vegetables.

You don’t have to take the saying literally to benefit from it. One of my favorite ways to apply ichigo-sansai is simply to balance out the meal I usually eat — for example, if I’m having Thai fried rice as a quick meal, I might steam some broccoli or edamame in the microwave for an extra serving of veggies and toss in.

The irony is that worrying less about my diet has been crucial to improving it. Stress and obsession are not a means to a healthy diet, nor are they necessary. When we are able to consistently practice moderation and variety, we can achieve our health goals without worrying about what we eat. Instead, we can focus on the aspects of life that make it enjoyable, fulfilling, and meaningful.