Nick’s DLS 英会話 Blog

Yet more healthy food Japanese discovered in Japan!  Once again I have found another really healthy part of Japanese cuisine.  I always wondered what the little red bottle of red powder was in Japanese restaurants, Ramen shops and Soba shops.  It’s ground chili pepper and it is very good for your health.  I love it on a steaming bowl of meso ramen at my local ‘Tetsuya Ramen’ shop.

As well as containing vitamin C and E it is known to relieve pain and treat a variety of health conditions, including heart disease, poor circulation, weak digestion, gas, sore throats, headaches and toothache.  It has been claimed as the greatest herbal aid to circulation.  Next time you use it, notice that your face goes red straight after eating it!

Some ideas on ways which may help you live longer

YOU HAVE STRONG LEGS
Lower-body strength means you have good balance, flexibility, and endurance.

Tea
 

Both green and black teas contain a concentrated dose of catechins. These substances help blood vessels relax and protect your heart. In a study of more than 40,500 Japanese men and women, those who drank 5 or more cups of green tea every day had the lowest risk of dying from heart disease and stroke. Other studies involving black tea showed similar results.

You really need only 1 or 2 cups of tea daily to start doing your heart some good, just make sure it’s a fresh brew. Ready-to-drink teas (the kind you find in the supermarket beverage section) don’t offer the same health benefits. “Once water is added to tea leaves, their catechins degrade within a few days,” says Jeffrey Blumberg, PhD, a professor of nutrition science and policy at Tufts University. Also, some studies show that adding milk may eliminate tea’s protective effects on the cardiovascular system, so stick to just lemon or honey.

I have also heard that adding milk to tea improves its cancer-fighting properties.  Like most things you read, they should be taken with a pinch of salt

Recently, I have become interested in health, in particular, foods relation to health. I found the top 7 anti aging super foods:

Chocolate

Chocolate is supposed to Maintain youthful blood vessels, lower the risk of high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, kidney disease and dementia.

Fish

Fish is an abundant source of omega-3 fats, which help prevent cholesterol buildup in arteries and protect against abnormal heart rhythms.

Nuts

Studies of Seventh-Day Adventists (a religious denomination that emphasizes healthy living and a vegetarian diet) show that those who eat nuts gain, on average, an extra two and a half years. Nuts are rich sources of unsaturated fats, so they offer benefits similar to those associated with olive oil.  They are also concentrated sources of vitamins, minerals.

Wine

Drinking alcohol in moderation protects against heart disease, diabetes and age-related memory loss. Any kind of alcoholic beverage seems to provide such benefits, but red wine has been the focus of much of the research.

Olive Oil

Four decades ago, researchers from the Seven Countries Study concluded that the monounsaturated fats in olive oil were largely responsible for the low rates of heart disease and cancer on the Greek island of Crete. Now we know that olive oil also contains poly phenols, powerful antioxidants that may help prevent age-related diseases.

Yogurt

In the 1970s, Soviet Georgia was rumored to have more centenarians per ca pita than any other country. Reports at the time claimed that the secret of their long lives was yogurt, a food ubiquitous in their diets. While the age-defying powers of yogurt never have been proved directly, yogurt is rich in calcium, which helps stave off osteoporosis and contains good bacteria that help maintain gut health and diminish the incidence of age-related intestinal illness.

I actually include all these foods in my diet so was surprised to read this article! In English we have a saying: ‘You are what you eat’.  Living in japan has made me realise how important healthy food is.