Japanese women don’t get old or fat
The title of this post is actually the title of a book written by Naomi Moriyama with help from her husband William Doyle. The book begins with the premise that Japanese women are on average thin and look younger than their actual age. Naomi credits this to the traditional Japanese diet. She uses her own expereince as proof that being thin is not necessarily a matter of genetics. While attending university in the United States, Naomi gained over 25 pounds. She quickly lost all of her excess weight once she returned to Japan and started eating her mother’s home cooking again. Her book, Japanese Women Don’t Get Old or Fat, contains anecdotes and healthy recipes gleaned from her mother and grandmother’s kitchen. We’re not talking dinner at Nobu here, but rather simple, healthy dishes made with fresh veggies and fish, as well as commonly used condiments. Nothing terribly difficult. My wife Mari already serves up many of the dishes found in the book, so I am familiar with both the taste and benefits of such dishes as Chilled tofu with bonito flakes and chopped scallion, or eggplants sautéed with miso. All delicious and well worth the effort. Looking thin and young is not as difficult as one might imagine. It all begins with a healthy diet and the right attitude about food. Just like the Japanese!
