The regime of the Japanese to live more than 100 years – 13/02/2019

It is surprising to praise the Japanese way of life when one hears constantly about the high rates of suicide in this country, because of the increasing stress of work. This is the so-called karoshi, Japanese word for deaths due to overwork.

But the truth is that Japan is the country in the world where life expectancy is the longest (83.7 years) and with more than a hundred years old (He recorded 65,692). "In the Okinawa region, they do not even understand the word suicide." In big cities like Tokyo or Osaka, the situation is different because of the high level of competitiveness and stress, but there are big differences between places ", explains Marcos Cartagena.

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He studied Japanese culture for 16 years, he lived in the land of the rising sun, he is co-founder of the curious travel agency Discovering Japan and has just published The Hanasaki system (Current Platform), where he reviews the nine Japanese pillars of a meaningful life for the centenary.

Cartagena is inspired by the style of the oldest Japanese people to create this system (Hanasaki means "flower blooming") and explains why they live so much and get sick so little. And it is that the Okinawa Islands are at the top of the list of chronic diseases such as diabetes or cancer. What does the Hanasaki system say about food? What do these Japanese eat to stay healthy for more than 100 years? These are some of the keys.

& # 39; Hara hachi drunk & # 39; or do not eat until complete

The literal translation of the concept is "80% belly", that is to say do not eat before being completely satiated. "For the Japanese, 20% that you eat more, until you fill 100%, it's the one that really hurts you." If you stay at 80% of your capacity, you have the ########################################################################### 39 energy needed to organize a race after eating, but if you fill your organs, they wear out more, you feel heavy, you have trouble digesting … That's what it is. they say in the West that causes problems of obesity, diabetes, liver problems …, "says Cartagena.

Eat slowly and chew well

If you chew properly, the stomach runs less. "The Japanese centenarians eat calmly, because they were small, Japanese children are trained in these concepts: something as simple as chewing can give you years of life." It's an idea totally complementary to that of "hara hachi bu", because when you chew more, you're satiated and you eat less.

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It should not be forgotten that Cartagena always refers to certain regions of Japan where many centenarians live. In big cities, they do not eat quietly. "In these cities, they have fully understood Western culture, are working too much and do not have time to cook, they are losing some of their traditions, traditions preserved in other areas."

Few calories

In Japan, an average of 2,719 calories per day. According to gerontologists studying the situation in the Japanese country, these few calories consumed are indicative to explain their way of life.

Slowly badimilate carbohydrates and little meat

In general, the Japanese diet has a high rate of carbohydrates. "They are mainly extracted from the vegetables, fruits and cerealsthey are usually sources of slow badimilation, they do not turn into fats as quickly as another type of hydrates, "according to Cartagena.

As for meat, "the introduction of this food has been linked to the fact that the Japanese live longer". How is it explained? In the seventh century, meat was banned in Japan and was taken only as medicine. When Western civilization entered the Japanese country during the second half of the nineteenth century, Emperor Meiji decided to eat beef regularly. The ban was lifted and introduced into the daily diet of the population. Even in this case, people still thought that the consumption of meat contaminated the blood and that it was only in the second half of the 60s, when this meat became popular. The increase in meat consumption coincided with a significant decrease in the number of strokes.

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"Although the thing is that the Japanese have never eaten as much meat as in the West, the sources of protein are varied: fish, seaweed, fermented soy (miso and miso soup, tofu) and low meat consumption. This combination works very well, "according to the Hanasaki system.

Eat seasonal foods

Older people with whom Cartegena has experienced repeated phrases such as "it's time to eat …" or "it's the season of …". They prefer to let nature take the step and not resort to plants from other places or to a forced culture in greenhouses. "In this way, the nature of this food is not changed, as nature gives it to him."

Traditional eating

In the more rural areas of Okinawa, there is no supermarket. Instead, there are fishmongers, butchers and vending machines for fruits and vegetables. "There are no long shelves of packaged products of commercial brands and striking colors that make us buy, "explains Cartagena.

"Buy at the grocery store, bring home shopping, even cook simple dishes … And is this the new way to eat fast and fast food they take away years of life. "

This diet is not a stressor

On the other extreme of the lack of interest for what we put in our mouths is the obsession with counting calories or following a strict diet. "Entering into something very rigid that tells you that every step you have to take to be healthy can turn into the opposite." Stress physically scratches you, what you gain on the one hand, you lose it the other, in Japan they are not obsessed with diet, and it is the country where the rate of obesity is the lowest in the world (4%, whereas some countries reach 30%) ".

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The Japanese, in fact, are people who usually eat well by betting on "a little bit of everything, without going too far. Reasonable amounts that prevent the increase of obesity in the population. "Perhaps the secret lies in the rule of many vegetables, fruits, and fish.

Healthy habits

To all these eating habits, we must add other healthy lifestyle to explain the quality of life of Japanese centenarians. Continuous activity that keeps them busy, moderate practice of a sport, sleep regularly (sleep between six and eight hours, lie down at the same time), eliminate vices, receive the rays of the sun in moderation and take a bath in the hot springs (in the so-called "onsen"). the other essential keys.

© ROSANNA CARCELLER. L & # 39; vanguard.