Okinawan diet

[Guest guest]

you will find that the okinowans eat lots of soy that has been carefulyl

fermented over years.

not soy products that are just quickly extracted from the beans.

_____

From: Jen [mailto:jennydance@...]

Sent: Monday, 20 October 2003 8:35 AM

Subject: Okinawan diet

I have osteoporosis and I am confused on the whole soy issue

so from my understanding... osteo is virtually unknown in Okinawa

because they consume so much soy phytoestrogens which protect them.

I'm confused because Sally contraindicates this and says soy causes

osteoporosis... could someone clarify this for me?

thanks

jen

[Guest guest]

Jen, in Japan, Okinawans are more famous for their pork consumption than their

tofu consumption (I used to live in Japan). As you can see below, Okinawa is

often referred to as the island of pork! This site does say that they also eat

a lot of tofu but it is almost always combined with pork. Soy advocates like to

ignore Okinawan's huge pork consumption!

http://www.wonder-okinawa.jp/026/e/pork.html

Okinawa - The Island of Pork:

Pork appears so frequently in the Okinawan diet that to say " meat " is really to

say " pork. " Everything from head to tail is used. As the saying has it, only the

" oink " and the toenails go begging. It is no exaggeration to say that the

present-day Okinawan diet begins and ends with pork.

Especially in the case of hogs, what the meat lacks in (vitamin A, D and

others), the entrails more than make up for it. The stomach and innards are

cooked together in a clear " Nakami " soup. The liver and heart, together with

vegetables, make " Motsu " (giblet) dishes. These dishes contain high-quality

protein and are rich in vitamins and minerals.

We have the belief in Okinawa, based on the philosophy of food as medicine, that

when one or more of your internal organs is out of kilter, it is good to eat the

same innards of animals. The idea is to eat a food that supplies whatever is

lacking.

Pig feet and pork with the skin on are washed under boiling water and then

simmered and eaten. The skin contains a high-quality protein called collagen.

The Tofu Kingdom:

Okinawans eat a lot of pork, but even more tofu. Okinawa boasts the number one

spot in Japan for tofu consumption.

Chanpuru, the quintessential family dish, is a stir-fried dish based on tofu,

which is easy to get year-round, plus pork, processed pork meats, and seasonal

vegetables. Chanpuru dishes use various ingredients and a particular variation

will be called " such-and-such Chanpuru " depending on the name of the main

ingredient. If the dish has lots of bean sprouts, then it is bean-sprout

Chanpuru. If Goya (bitter melon) is the featured ingredient, then you are eating

Goya Chanpuru. Whatever else there is, if tofu is the main ingredient, then it

is tofu Chanpuru. The protein in the tofu and pork complements the vitamins and

minerals in the vegetables to make Chanpuru a dish offering well-balanced

nutrition.

Besides Chanpuru, it is fair to say that tofu graces the dinner table daily in

other dishes - soups, fried foods and as a side with sake.

Okinawan diet

I have osteoporosis and I am confused on the whole soy issue

so from my understanding... osteo is virtually unknown in Okinawa

because they consume so much soy phytoestrogens which protect them.

I'm confused because Sally contraindicates this and says soy causes

osteoporosis... could someone clarify this for me?

thanks

jen

[Guest guest]

Hi All,

The below is from an erudite scientist studying

Japanese lifestyles by permission. I believe it

to be somewhat of interest.

" The archetypal Spartan (or peasant) diet in Japanese

was traditionally a bowl of steamed rice (not too

appetizing alone) with a bowl of miso soup and a

few slices of pickled radish to lend flavor to

the rice. (Although in fact it seems that very

few Japanese farmers could afford to eat rice until

the late 19th c. They grew rice to turn over to

the tax collectors, and ate millet or barley

except on festive occasions.)

...

Contrary to what

anyone dining at restaurants in N.A. might well

assume, traditional Chinese, Japanese, Korean,

Thai and Indian diets are basically vegetarian, out

of necessity though also of course to varying degrees for ethical

reasons.

...

The sub-tropical climate of Okinawa

sustains a wider variety of fruits, and vegetables

can be eaten fresh most of the year (hence less pickling).

...

the Okinawan diet is not low in

sodium (7 g / day), but lower than that of the

Japanese (more than 12 g / day

...

The wartime forced calorie restriction of

the Japanese (and Okinawan) population certainly

did not entail adequate nutrition. "

Cheers, Alan Pater