5 Japanese healthy habits to lose weight without the need for exercise

For people who exercise regularly, losing extra kilograms is not insurmountable;

But it can become a dream and a difficult task for those who follow strict diets.

It seems that in recent decades, we have sometimes exaggerated in following diets and strenuous exercises to get a fit and athletic body, but observing some daily habits and changing them with healthy alternatives may give us the desired result, just like the habits that give the Japanese health and fitness at the same time.

Japanese culture is not the same as American customs, which have been exported to the peoples of the world in recent decades. The obsession with going to the gym, protein drinks and granola bars, does not concern the Japanese so much.

In contrast to the American philosophy, which is concerned with exhausting the body to compensate for the excessive consumption of high-calorie foods, the health culture in Japan gravitates towards prevention rather than treatment.

So we will go over some healthy habits of the Japanese that may be useful for those who cannot exercise;

Because of physical injuries, or who do not have time to do more activities daily.

healthy lifestyle

The Japanese eat balanced meals, walk miles to commute every day, and do not take into account that it is for the purpose of slimming, but rather an essential part of the daily routine.

hot bath

First, let's differentiate between a hot bath in a bathtub and a quick shower. The Japanese rely on a hot bath (at least 40 degrees Celsius) for 30 minutes, and they probably don't need to do it every day.

While a quick shower takes just a few minutes, soaking in a bathtub for longer and in a hot temperature is much like a sauna method;

Which helps speed up our metabolism.

Perhaps the total calories burned in each bath is not high enough to be effective for weight loss on its own;

But doing this consistently will speed up the metabolism, improve the skin, and rid the body of bloating.

Relax in the bathtub for longer and at a hot temperature, much like the sauna method (Getty Images)

Replace rice or noodles with konjac

The goal of this step is to greatly reduce the intake of starches, especially wheat and rice products. Konjac is a plant grown in East and South Asian countries, and is used as flour (flour) in wheat-free baked goods and pasta.

It is characterized as having no specific taste. It acquires the distinctive taste from the additions that it is cooked with, such as vegetables or sauce, yet it helps to reduce weight;

Being low in calories, it helps increase metabolism.

The good news is that konjac products are now available in supermarkets in Arab countries in the health food departments.

Konjac has no specific taste, and is used in many recipes as an alternative to wheat (social networking sites)

Excessive chewing of food

One of the worst habits that we have had to practice recently is eating in a hurry, whether at work or on the go;

But it seems that the Japanese are more slow, they are keen to eat for a longer period, depending on the chewing of food for a long time.

This trick is more effective for people who tend to overeat.

Chewing a lot helps you feel "full" for longer.

Chewing food also enhances digestion, while swallowing it without chewing it properly leads to difficulty in digestion.

In addition, chewing alone releases histamine, a neurotransmitter that sends signals to the brain, and a component of stomach acid, which helps break down food during digestion, a trick that can be used to trick the brain into feeling full with the least amount of food.

The trick is to chew at least 30 times per bite of food, alternating between chewing on the right and left sides of your mouth.

We tend to have a "favorite" side to chewing;

But chewing on one side only is harder to unlock in the long run.

Vegetables in the foreground

This custom is rooted in Japanese culture, where mothers always serve vegetables first on the table for family members, before eating other foods of protein and grains.

Traditional Japanese meals are the healthiest foods in comparison to other cultures.

This trick makes you feel full before eating other foods;

But satiety is not the only cause, when the body absorbs sugar from the food we eat, the level of sugar in the blood rises.

The sugar we consume is then converted into energy;

This helps us to get things done and do our day to day chores.

Our pancreas then releases insulin, which helps lower sugar levels, converting sugar that wasn't converted into energy into fat.

Traditional Japanese meals are the healthiest foods compared to other cultures (Getty Images)

In other words, if the sugar level rises too quickly and too much insulin is released, it becomes easier for our bodies to make fat.

That's why when we eat rice, bread or snacks on an empty stomach, our sugar levels rise very quickly, and an abundant amount of insulin is pushed into our bodies.

The Japanese believe that eating vegetables first helps in forming a body that is more resistant to weight gain, and the Japanese are keen to practice yoga regularly for clarity of mind and meditation, because a tense lifestyle contributes to the secretion of cortisol, which is called the “anxiety hormone”, which is the hormone that It is secreted by the adrenal gland in response to stress, as its excess in the body leads to sleep disturbances and the accumulation of fat in the abdominal area.