If you are serious about your health, longevity and staying lean, then you need to read this.

I have always been fascinated by other cultures. I like to learn about their customs, social norms and how they interact with one another. Most recently I have been reading about the diets of different ethnic groups, especially East Asian cultures, primarily in China and Japan.

I am not referring to East Asians who live in North America. Look around and you will see that per capita they have the same potential to be overweight and unhealthy as any North American walking the streets. When they arrive in North America and start eating Double Whoppers with a Coke and fries, all hope is lost, as they too become defenseless.  I am referring to Asians who are born, raised and live in their countries of origin for the long term. It is not a coincidence that the Japanese have the highest life expectancy on the planet and the smallest incidence of disease. Their lifestyle and the foods that they eat are something we need to learn and follow, to improve our longevity and quality of life.

1. Wild caught fish is a staple in the East Asian diet. They eat it almost daily. The benefit being that their diets are extremely high in omega-3 fatty acids which gives their bodies the DHA and EPA needed to prevent inflammation and disease from occurring. North Americans eat very little fish. The majority of the fish that we do eat comes from fish farms and has much less protein and even less omega-3’s. In order to ward off inflammation in the body we need to have the right ratio of omega-6 to 3 fatty acids.  Dozens of studies have linked the high omega-6 to 3 ratio in farmed fish with higher risks of disease and inflammation.

2. Whether you buy into the gluten free hype or not, eating an abundance of wheat is not in your best interest. East Asian cultures eat next to none. Flour is used in incremental amounts and the noodles that they eat are egg and rice based. While I don’t view rice to be a “health food”, I consider it neutral. Rice is both very easy on the digestive tract and it’s hypo-allergenic.

3. Digestion is very important in East Asian cultures. That is why they eat at a snail’s pace. They may start off with some tea an hour or so before the main course to prepare the stomach for digestion. Different dishes may be consumed one at a time as they are prepared. They take their time and enjoy their food. Eating until one is stuffed is not encouraged.

4. East Asians use a lot of different herbs and spices. Turmeric, rosemary, garlic, thyme and cumin to name a few; all have a number of health benefits. They have been shown to increase metabolism, reduce inflammation, blood pressure, cholesterol and improve digestion.

5. They perform more labour intensive work than any other cultures. In their leisure time they are outdoors walking and riding their bikes. While on the other hand, North Americans sit more and perform less physical activity than any other cultures.

6. They eat a lot of fermented food. The fermentation process removes plant defenses (toxic properties) and adds healthy bacteria to the food, which improves gut health. The most common fermented foods are soybeans, cabbage and tea. Eating these types of fermented foods is much better than the North American alternative of taking probiotic pills to heal the digestive tract.