Other staple foods include large amounts of soy products (including soybeans, tofu, and miso soup), leafy vegetables (including spinach, mustard greens, mizuna, and cabbage), legumes, root vegetables (such as carrots, taro, pumpkin, squash, and daikon radish), mushrooms, various seaweeds, fish, fruits (such as bitter melon, grapes, bananas, and green papaya), and smaller amounts of meat (especially pork). The most popular beverages include tea (especially jasmine) and sake. Commonly used spices include turmeric, ginger, bonito flakes, soy sauce, and garlic.
Actually, a study found that tofu and various types of seaweed were the most commonly consumed foods among residents of Ogimi Village in northern Okinawa. Seaweed contains many minerals that help maintain good electrolyte balance in the body and protect neurological and brain functions, Miyashita says.
On a hot day, Okinawan women gather around large bowls and prepare sake for the Ungami festival in Ogimi. Photo Alessandro Gandolfi
“It is a remarkably healthy diet because it follows the basic idea of a healthy diet – it is real food, mainly plants in a sensible, balanced combination,” says David Katz, a specialist in preventive medicine, former president of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and co-author of How to Eat: Answers to all your questions about food and nutrition. “Optimal nutrition keeps everything working well so you can continue to perform well. By putting good fuel in the tank, you optimize the engine and essentially detoxify every day.”
Another notable aspect of the traditional Okinawan diet is the concept of food as medicine, says Willcox, co-author of The Okinawa Program: How the world’s longest-lived people achieve lasting health—and how you can, too. In the traditional Okinawan diet, plants, including herbs and spices, are often used for therapeutic purposes.
(This island has revealed the secret of a long life – and knows how to survive difficult times)
