The healthiest nation. The health of the nation depends on a healthy diet

The Japanese lead an active lifestyle, their teas are much healthier than ours. Among them there are almost no overweight people. Out of 100 people, only three can be fat, which is 10 times less than the Americans.

In the Land of the Rising Sun, women look much younger than their true age. 45 year old ladies are often confused with 25 year old girls. Even 80-year-olds are young and active - they play golf, ride bicycles and drink alcohol in small quantities every day.

Why does a nation that loves good food have the lowest obesity rates of any civilized nation and the longest life expectancy in the world? Below are several rules for a healthy lifestyle that will help you live at least 100 years.

Active lifestyle

When we go to work, we drive a car and then sit at an office desk all day. The Japanese are accustomed to using public transport; a car is a luxury for them. They try to move more, and some even do sedentary work while standing.

Proper nutrition

When eating, the Japanese adhere to the “80%” rule - they do not eat everything, leaving a small part.

Their plates are smaller than ours, and they use chopsticks instead of spoons.

Many of us love fatty and fried foods; the Japanese prefer to cook their food. Instead of rich soup, they eat low-fat seaweed broth.

The staples of Japanese cuisine are fruits, vegetables, soybeans and rice. This is what locals eat in the morning, afternoon and evening. Each Japanese person eats about 68 kg of fish per year.

The Japanese love seaweed, and these plants have very valuable nutritional properties. They cannot live without soy - miso soup, tofu cheese, etc. Soy is a rich source of protein, contains all the amino acids necessary for the body, and is low in calories.

Health control

In Japan, healthcare is at a very high level. Residents of this country are examined at least 12 times a year. Patients have the right to choose their own doctor to see.

One of the secrets of Japanese longevity is green tea.

Japanese tea is much healthier than the one we are used to drinking. Preferring green tea, they drink it with meals, between meals, early in the morning to wake up their body, before bed as a means of relaxation. Japanese restaurants offer this drink for free.

In addition to green tea, the Japanese also drink black tea, and in the summer - cold barley.

Exercise for the spine

According to healer Katsudzo Nishi, the root cause of all diseases must be sought in the spine. He described useful exercises for unloading this important part of our body. The most effective of them is “Goldfish”. It is called so because the movement of the body in its characteristics resembles the movement of a swimming fish.

Execution technique

Lie on your back on a firm, level place. Raise your arms as high as possible and tighten your spine as much as possible. Your legs should also be straight and your feet bent 90 degrees so your toes point toward the ceiling.

To relax your muscles, you can start by doing a few stretches, then placing your hands behind the back of your head, pressing your entire body toward the floor, and pointing your toes toward your head. From this position, you need to swing your entire body left and right, reminiscent of a fish swimming. Do this for 1-2 minutes.

With this exercise, the performance of the entire spine will improve and, consequently, your overall health.

Purity

An important component of the life of every Japanese is cleanliness. They wash themselves twice a day and maintain impeccable order at work and at home.

There is nothing complicated about these rules, and it is worth considering that their implementation can increase the standard of living and its duration.

6 tricks that make the Japanese the healthiest nation in the world. Interestingly, most Japanese believe that a crooked neck is one of the first signs of a short life.Japanese engineer and aikido master Katsuzo Nishi was very sickly from childhood. His doctor told his parents that the boy would not live to be 20 years old. To improve his health, his parents sent Katsudzo to a monastery, where he spent 3 years.

Looking for ways to improve his health, Nishi read not only many books by modern doctors, but also ancient treatises on Eastern and European medicine. The result of many years of work was the work of Katsudzo, in which he describes the system he created for healing the body. The work was published in 1927, when the author was 44 years old.

A few health rules from Katsuzo Nishi

6 tricks that make the Japanese the healthiest nation in the world

1. Hard bed

Curvature of the spine, which is not such a rare occurrence, can lead to various diseases of internal organs. Therefore, you need to monitor your posture and posture not only during the day, but also at night.

Nishi believed that a straight spine makes a person a couple of centimeters taller, and also has a positive effect on the functioning of the digestive organs.

2. A hard cushion instead of a pillow

Interestingly, most Japanese believe that a crooked neck is one of the first signs of a short life.

During sleep, it is difficult for us to control the position of our neck, so Nishi recommends replacing a regular pillow with a hard cushion that will lie in such a way that the 3rd and 4th vertebrae will be on it.

At first this will cause discomfort, so wrap the roller with something soft, removing these layers over time.

3. Exercise “Goldfish”

Lie down on a flat, hard surface. Stretch your arms up.

Place your feet so that they are perpendicular to the floor. Stretch your left heel forward and at the same time pull your left arm up without lifting it from the floor. Repeat the same for the right heel and right hand. The entire exercise takes 2 minutes.

Next, place your palms on top of each other, bend your elbows and place them under the 3rd and 4th cervical vertebrae, bring your legs together, and slightly spread your feet to the sides. Move your feet left and right so that your whole body vibrates. Do the exercise for 2 minutes.

4. Improving capillary blood circulation

Lie down on a hard, flat surface. Place a hard cushion under the 3rd and 4th cervical vertebrae.Raise your arms and legs up, bend them slightly and relax them at the elbows and knees.Start making vibrating movements with your arms and legs. Do all this for 1-3 minutes.

5. Closing feet and palms

Lie down on a hard surface and place a hard cushion under the 3rd and 4th cervical vertebrae. Bend your legs at the knees, without lifting them off the floor, and close your feet. must be repeated 10 times.

Bring your palms together perpendicular to your body and squeeze the fingertips of your left and right hands. Repeat the same movements, but now close not only your fingers, but also your palms. Without opening your palms, raise your hands up and lower them to your solar plexus.

Turn your closed palms towards your face, place your hands behind your head without changing the position of your palms, and then return them to your solar plexus.

6. Belly and spine

Sit on the floor in the lotus position and clasp the ankle of the “upper” leg with your hands, lower your shoulders. Repeat all exercises 10 times. After each block of exercises, do the following: extend your arms in front and place your palms perpendicular to the floor.

Turn your head towards your left shoulder and look at your back, repeat this with your right shoulder. Do the same, raising your arms above your head.

Katsuzo Nishi argued that everything that a person needs for health is inherent in us, the main thing is not to succumb to laziness and reveal our potential.

Incredible facts

They live to be 90 years old, and sometimes even celebrate their centenary. These people live healthy lives, but as a rule, the main reasons for this are embedded in the culture of the country.

In reality, it's not just about people taking care of themselves, but also about habits developed throughout the country.

Why do some countries have the healthiest, happiest people? What do they eat and how do their habits differ from those in other countries?

Iceland

Due to its small population, Iceland is one of the least polluted countries peace. But clean air is not the only reason why Icelanders are so healthy. Due to the cool weather that prevails most of the time, Icelanders love to engage in physical activity to combat winter depression.

The country is experiencing one of highest levels of life expectancy(72 years for men and 74 years for women), as well as one of the lowest child mortality rates (2 deaths per 1000 births). According to the magazine Forbes Iceland is considered the healthiest country in the world.

Sweden

Swedish government policy promotes healthy lifestyles, including positive balance between work and rest. Also, people here love to spend a lot of time outdoors, and the stunning landscape of hills, mountains and glacial lakes contributes to this to the fullest.

Also, due to its location, people often eat fish, which means healthy omega fatty acids. In Sweden it is common to use more healthy cooking methods. So, instead of using large amounts of oil, they boil, ferment, smoke and dry the food.

New Zealand

Just like Iceland, the low population and pollution have made New Zealand a great place to live. New Zealanders love to spend time outdoors, hiking, camping and fishing. All this makes it much easier to lead a healthy lifestyle here. No matter where you live, you can always get to the ocean in just over 1.5 hours.

Plus, the country has an abundance of whole foods. Residents eat fresh seafood, which they often catch themselves, and local organic vegetables and fruits. Everyone tries to grow something, and neighbors sell to each other fresh food.

Sardinia, Italy

Sardinia is an autonomous region of Italy, home to a large number of centenarians. Sardinia has a strong sense of community. People are most often closely related to each other, and the older generation lives with their family.

Many men work as shepherds and walk 8 km a day, and their diet consists mainly of whole grain tortillas, fava beans, tomatoes, herbs, garlic, various fruits, olive oil and pecorino cheese made from the milk of local grass-fed sheep .

Finland

According to the magazine Forbes Just 30 years ago, Finland faced one of the highest mortality rates from heart disease. As a result, the country began to actively promote a healthy lifestyle. The number of smokers has decreased significantly, and the consumption of fruits and vegetables has doubled. This once again proves that if you try to change something, you will definitely succeed.

Japan

World Health Organization(WHO) analyzed the countries where people live the longest in good health, and found that Japan, where the average life expectancy is 74.5 years, came out on top.

For the most part, all of this thanks to nutrition. Every meal in Japan looks like real art. The food here is particularly attractive, exquisite taste and simplicity. Japan consumes more fish, whole soy, seaweed and green tea than anywhere else in the world. Here it is customary to approach food correctly. So, when a person is already 80 percent full, he stops eating, waits about 10 minutes, and then decides whether to continue. And in most cases, people stop without overeating.

Okinawa

Okinawa is a prefecture under the national jurisdiction of Japan. It is worth noting this area separately, since it is believed that this is where they live the healthiest people in the world. According to Study on Okinawa's centenarians, the ratio of centenarians here is the highest in the world - 50 per 100,000 people. Also the country is home to many supercentenarians, people who have reached the age of 110 years.

Okinawans attribute their not only long but healthy lives to a diet rich in local fruits and vegetables, as well as large amounts of tofu and seaweed. This region also has a strict lifestyle and low stress levels.

They live well into their 90s and often exceed the 100 year mark. Health distinguishes their existence, but the underlying reasons are often cultural. Fundamentally, it's not just about individuals taking care of themselves. It is a nationwide phenomenon based on lifestyle.

Why are certain countries home to the happiest and healthiest people on Earth? What do they eat? How do their daily habits differ from other societies? The author discovers an exceptional similarity between these healthy nations scattered around the world.

1. Iceland

Thanks to its small population, Iceland is one of the least polluted countries in the world. But clean air is not the only reason why Icelanders are healthy. They also excel at gymnastics. Due to the cool weather for much of the year, Icelanders exercise, partly to combat the winter blues. The country has one of the highest life expectancies (72 years for men and 74 for women). It also has one of the lowest child mortality rates (2 deaths per 1,000 children). Iceland is considered the healthiest country in the world.

2. Japan

The World Health Organization (WHO) has calculated the countries where people live completely healthy the longest. Japan topped the list with 74.5 years. This is largely due to diet.

Every food in Japan looks like a work of art. The food is beautiful, tasty and simple at the same time. They are the world's largest consumers of fish, soy, seaweed and green tea. When they are already 80% full, they pause and wait for 10 minutes. Then they decide whether to continue or not. And in most cases, they are full and do not need to continue eating.”

3. Sweden

Government policy encourages healthy lifestyles, including a positive work-life balance. The population loves to play outdoors, and with stunning scenery featuring hills, mountains and glacial lakes, it's easy. In addition to this, due to Sweden's location, the Swedish diet is high in fish and Omega fatty acids. Their cooking methods also indicate the health of the nation. Instead of using copious amounts of oil, they boil, ferment, smoke and dry their products.

4. Okinawa

Okinawa is a prefecture of Japan. However, it deserves special mention, since it is generally accepted that the healthiest people on Earth live there. According to the study (long-livers of Okinawa), the rate of centenarians reaching 100 years of age may be the highest in the world - approximately 50 per 100,000 people. Supercentenarians also live here - people who have reached 110 years old. Okinawans attribute their not only long but healthy and happy lives to their consumption of tons of local fruits and vegetables, as well as tofu (bean curd) and seaweed. Their lives are also characterized by strict daily activities and relatively low stress.

5. New Zealand

Like Iceland, the lower population and less pollution make New Zealand a great place to call home. New Zealanders enjoy outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, and fishing. Overall, this is a great place to start on the path to a healthy lifestyle. No matter where you live, you are always 90 minutes from the ocean.

“Plus there is an abundance of healthy natural products here. We eat fresh seafood (we often catch it ourselves) and local organic fruits and vegetables. Everyone grows something here, and neighbors put their crops up for sale. We get fresh lettuce from our children's school, avocados from our own garden, and kiwis, apples and plums from neighbors,” says Jill Chalmers, who moved to New Zealand to join her husband.

6. Sardinia

Sardinia is an autonomous region of Italy, home to a large population of centenarians. There is a clear sense of community in Sardinia. People are closely connected, and the elderly often live with their families. Men here often work as shepherds and walk 5 miles (8 km) a day. And the diet consists of whole grain tortillas, green beans, tomatoes, herbs, garlic, a variety of fruits, olive oil and pecorino cheese from pastured sheep (which is high in Omega 3).

7. Finland

According to the magazine Forbes, just 30 years ago, Finland was struck by one of the highest mortality rates from heart failure. As a result, the country has taken drastic measures to promote healthy lifestyles. The number of smokers has dropped significantly, and the consumption of fruits and vegetables has almost doubled. This is a good example of what can be achieved if desired.

While living a long, healthy life depends on a variety of factors, the countries listed have many similarities. Many of them do not suffer from pollution and prioritize stress management and a favorable work-life balance. They rarely eat meat, if at all. Protein sources include fish and tofu. And at the same time they eat local fruits and vegetables in abundance.

Aug 22, 2015 tigress...s