What is the Okinawa diet?
In the purest sense, the Okinawa diet refers to the traditional eating patterns of the people living on the Japanese island of Okinawa. Their unique diet and lifestyle are credited with giving them some of the longest lifespans on the planet.

The traditional Okinawa diet is low in calories and fat while high in carbs. It emphasizes vegetables and soy products alongside occasional and small — amounts of noodles, rice, pork, and fish.

Okinawan culture treats food as medicine and utilizes many practices from traditional Chinese medicine. As such, the diet includes herbs and spices known for having health benefits, such as turmeric and mugwort. Okinawan lifestyle also emphasizes daily physical activity and mindful eating practices.

➖Foods To Eat: Many of the Okinawa diet’s benefits may be attributed to its rich supply of whole, nutrient-dense, high-antioxidant foods. Essential nutrients are important for the proper function of your body, while antioxidants protect your body against cellular damage.

Unlike other Japanese, Okinawans consume very little rice. Instead, their main source of calories is the sweet potato, followed by whole grains, legumes, and fiber-rich vegetables.The staple foods in a traditional Okinawan diet are:
•Vegetables (58–60%): sweet potato (orange and purple), seaweed, kelp,bamboo shoots, daikon radish, bitter melon, cabbage, carrots,Chinese okra, pumpkin, and green papaya.
•Grains (33%): millet, wheat, rice, and noodles.
•Soy foods (5%): tofu, miso, natto,and edamame.
•Meat and seafood (1–2%): mostly white fish, seafood, and occasional pork,all cuts, including organs.
•Other (1%): alcohol, tea, spices,and dashi (broth)

➖Food To Avoid: The traditional Okinawa diet is quite restrictive compared to a modern, Western diet. Because of Okinawa’s relative isolation and island geography, a wide variety of foods have not been accessible for much of its history. Thus,to follow this diet, you’ll want to restrict the following groups of foods
•Meats: beef, poultry, and processed products like bacon,ham,salami,hot dogs,sausage,and other cured meats
•Animal products: eggs and dairy, including milk, cheese, butter, and yogurt
•Processed foods: refined sugars, grains, breakfast cereals, snacks, and processed cooking oils
•Legumes: most legumes, other than soy beans
•Other foods: most fruit, as well as nuts and seeds