10 Reasons Japanese women stay slim and don’t look old – Japanese Beauty Secrets!

According to the statistics in 2014, the obesity rate in Japan is 3% while in the US and France, this rate is 34% and 11 %, respectively. This shows that almost all Japanese women are slim. Besides, if anyone used to travel to the beautiful country, they were likely to be surprised by the youthfulness of Japanese women. Japanese women have their tips to maintain the good shape and the youthfulness.

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Here are 10 reasons Japanese women stay slim and don’t look old

1. Eating Fermented Food

Japanese cuisine culture plays an essential role in keeping the country’s citizens always young and in good shape. One of the favorite foods of Japanese women is fermented food. Kimchi, kefir mushrooms, kombucha tea, miso sauce, fermented soybean sauce, tempeh and fermented cabbage are common in the Japanese diet. Fermentation is the process of preserving natural nutrients in food. In fact, it produces enzymes, vitamins B, omega-3 fatty acids and innumerable beneficial bacteria. In this process, the bacteria naturally produce acid and eat sugar and starch in the food. Foods that undergo fermentation have the natural microorganisms that along with sugar and starch in the food form lactic acid.

Fermentation helps maintain the natural nutrients, beneficial enzymes, vitamins B, omega-3 fatty acids and probiotics in the food. At the same time, the fermentation process increases the beneficial intestinal bacteria and decomposes food in the form of easier digestion, which facilitates the digestion process to lose weight easily. Furthermore, the addition of fermented food can also remove harmful toxins and heavy metals from the tissue. A 2014 study showed that there was a link between the growth of beneficial intestinal microorganisms and the fermented milk products. Therefore, this kind of food is never absent from the Japanese meals.

2. Eating Sea Food

The Japanese love to eat seafood, while many Americans like to eat red meat which is believed to cause many health problems, including high cholesterol, obesity, and inflammatory diseases. In general, the main diet of the Japanese is rice, pho, seafood, because the sunrise country is surrounded by the sea. Therefore, in Japan, there are abundant and diversified seafood resources including tuna, salmon, mackerel, and shrimp. In particular, fish have a lot of uses, because fish are high in protein, many necessary nutrients, and omega-3 fatty acids that are good for the brain, cardiovascular health and other parts of the body. Omega-3 fatty acids are particularly helpful in reducing excess fat in the body, especially abdominal fat. Moreover, omega-3 promotes skin smoothness as well as prevents skin disorders such as dermatitis, psoriasis, vulgaris acne, benign and malignant skin cancer. Also, the seafood also has anti-inflammatory property and is good for the nervous system.

The Japanese believe that the fresher the fish are, the better for the human body. This is also the reason that the Japanese have many dishes made from different types of fish, including raw fish, grilled fish, fried fish, steamed fish, and sushi.

3. Eating Small Meals

This is an outstanding feature of Japanese culture. Smaller portions can help you lose weight because they make you eat less. The diet looks bigger when presented in small plates. This also helps you eat less, thereby preventing high-calorie intake and unintentionally over-eating. Dividing meals into smaller meals can cause you to lower your intake of calories, which is good for weight loss. For those who want to lose weight, perhaps eating more small meals a day is more important than how to get on the menu. Japanese set some rules for themselves when eating namely:

• Do not take food to fill a plate.
• Whatever the dish, do not take large portions.
• Fresh food is always the first choice.
• Dishes are placed alone on each plate. Do not mix the dishes to show the beauty and the use of each dish naturally.

4. Walking Is An Indispensable Day Activity

In Japan, everyone from the elderly to children often walks a lot since they consider walking is a great form of exercise to have a lean, slender physique and a great method to protect their health. In fact, walking not only helps to lose weight easily but also is good for heart health, boosts energy as well as mood and reduces stress. The population of Japan is crowded in the cities. There are many people choose to travel by metro and train. Thus, to move from the station to home, they often walk or ride a bike. Walking is not only good for the health of adults but also for all children, so it is not unfamiliar when seeing every child in Japan go to school on foot instead of having their parents take and pick them up. Besides walking, cycling is also very useful for exercising. It is this healthy lifestyle that helps Japanese have the high life expectancy on average of 86.83 years old, ranked the 1^st place in the world in many continuous years.

5. Drinking A Glass Of Water Right After Waking Up

The secret of Japanese women to have porcelain-like-white skin is simply to drink a glass of water right after waking up. Drinking a cup of water right after waking up is considered a way to clean the system. The residue in the stomach and colon will be excreted out of the body during hygienic process later. After a long night, your body is often dehydrated. Getting water immediately compensates for the lack of water and helps you not feel thirsty or hungry throughout the day. Brains sometimes confuse hunger and thirst. You may be tempted to eat something just because of thirst, not hunger. When you get the right amount of water, you lose the habit of snacking, so you can easily control your weight. Furthermore, morning water also helps reduce symptoms of heartburn and Gastroesophageal reflux. When digestive system acts smoothly, you do not feel indigestion; thereby waistline will be slimmer. Drinking water in the morning helps improve the skin significantly. Wrinkles appear due to dry skin and lack of moisture. When supplied with water, the skin will be fresher and smoother. Along with the skin, the hair will also be shiny thanks to providing the necessary moisture.

Additionally, the symptoms of urinary tract infections are also greatly reduced by drinking a glass of water shortly after waking up. Not only that, but this small action will also increase your immunity, and you will be less likely to get sick, especially get the flu in the season changes.

6. Drinking Green Tea

When mentioning Japan, perhaps everyone thinks about green tea. In reality, green tea is the most popular kind of drink in Japan due to a great number of benefits it brings to the skin, shape, and health. Firstly, green tea contains many antioxidants that can remove free radicals to protect the body from aging; thereby the skin will always be youthful. Green tea also works to eliminate toxins and excess fat in the body. Green tea is a diuretic and helps to reduce the capacity of water. The diuretic effect of green tea has been used for centuries to remove excess fluid in the body. Maintaining daily green tea helps prevent the accumulation of water in the body. Besides, thiamine in green tea has been proven to alleviate stress. If you feel too stressed, you can try a cup of tea and feel the difference. Green tea contains caffeine as well so you can drink green tea instead of coffee.

Particularly, green tea is used to help digestion and dissolve fat, which is useful for weight loss as caffeine in tea helps to increase the secretion of gastric juice, accelerate the digestive process, and enhance the ability to break down excess fat. Vitamins in green tea help also reduce the excess fat in the body. Additionally, it can control cholesterol levels in the blood. Another great benefit of green tea is preventing cardiovascular diseases. According to the Harvard Heart Letter, Japanese drink five cups of tea a day, with a 26% lower heart attack rate. In another study, the Athens School of Medicine asked 14 volunteers to drink green tea and warm water with caffeine. By measuring blood pressure and ultrasound to see if the vessels are dilating or not, doctors have found that people who drink green tea have the vessels dilate significantly, which in turn reduces the risk of heart disease and atherosclerosis.

Not only that, green tea is extremely good for teeth, brains and capable of preventing cancer. With such great benefits, that Japanese women who drink green tea every day are slim and look young is very comprehensive.

7. Enjoying Every Meal

The time for meals for the Japanese is a sacred moment because it is the time when people are invigorated by the body, so there is no situation Japanese both eat and walk. It is due to the same reason, in the meal, Japanese never watch TV. At the same time, the meals must provide with healthy and safe food with the attractive and aesthetic dining table. While eating, people usually eat slowly so that the stomach has time to squeeze, handle the intake of food just received and transmit the signal of that the body got sufficient amount of food to the brain. Thus, thanks to these eating habits, Japanese can still eat their favorite food without weight gain.

8. Breakfast Is The Most Important Meal

The Japanese take great care of breakfast. From ancient times, Japanese women always get up early to prepare meals for the whole family. Japanese breakfasts include rice, grilled fish, chicken eggs, salads or natto (fermented beans). Science has proven that, in three meals, breakfast is not only important for health but also a meal that is not easy to cause obesity. At the same time, previous studies have shown that your metabolism works the best in the morning, so the ability to absorb foods is lower – says Daniela Jakubowicz, a professor at the University of Virginia Commonwealth. Besides, if having enough breakfast, you will tend to eat less for lunch, especially for dinner. As a result, there are fewer calories absorbed, which help to reduce fat accumulation and then help to avoid obesity.

9. The Japanese Eat Rice Instead Of Bread And Limit Eating Sweetened Dessert

The striking difference between the oriental and western eating habits is at this point. Consuming a lot of refined flour like bread is the main cause of obesity in the United States. Instead of eating bread with every meal, Japanese eat half a cup of brown rice or whole grains 1-2 times a day. Besides, Japanese usually limit eating sweetened dessert. This does not mean that the Japanese do not like attractive food such as chocolate, pastries, biscuits, ice cream, or cakes. However, they enjoy them on other occasions rather than desserts. In fact, the more sugary foods stimulate appetite and weight gain is inevitable.

10. Taking A Bath In Hot Springs

Hot springs are one of the most famous features in Japan. Perhaps, everyone when traveling to Japan tries taking a bath in hot springs once. For both Japanese women and men, they also sink their body into the hot water to relax. In fact, taking a bath in hot springs brings a lot of benefits, and it is considered as a great way to help Japanese women possess stunning skin and maintain good health. In more detail, this activity can help improve blood circulation. Hot springs include minerals such as calcium, sodium bicarbonate, etc., so when you bathe in it, your body will be soaked in minerals. This process maximally supports the circulation of blood and oxygen in the body. Besides, this is an effective way to reduce stress. Studies have also shown that soaking in hot springs can also help relieve stress and pressure. The temperature of the water relaxes the muscles and minerals in the spring water can contribute to the healing process of psychological illness. Furthermore, your sleep quality will be significantly improved.

A study published in the Journal of Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology said that when you soak in warm water, body temperature rises and when finishing bathing, the body is completely cooled down. This process can help you relax and sleep better. A study published in the Journal of Rheumatology International found that in addition to relaxing muscles, hot springs can help the healing process and reduce pain effectively. Especially, high levels of silicon in hot springs can soften dry and rough skin. Additionally, the study published in Acta Dermato – Venereologica also showed that silicon has the potential to reduce the symptoms of eczema and psoriasis. Thanks to the hot springs, Japanese women always feel relaxed. The relaxed mentality is a wonderful method to maintain youthfulness.

Follow all the above tips and become slim and youthful again

The above are ten reasons why Japanese women are always slim and don’t look old. They are not too special tips that only Japanese females can follow. Therefore, if you want to be like those, let’s consider following the wonderful tips. Of course, delightful results also depend on many other factors, but they are still worthy expected if you are patient with these simple ways above.

This guest post is by Emily Pham, a blogger with many years of experience in natural home remedies for health and beauty issues.