Re: The Okinawa Program Myths...

[Guest guest]

>>>>pg 149 Ten healing foods and herbs- These are actually used on Okinawa (compare to the next section whihc deals with western herbs which generally are not used here). Tofu Chample with Cashews (minus the cashews..)

Hi Ed,

Could you list these 10? I'd love to do some online research into them.

Thanks

Kathy

[Guest guest]

Great post, Ed. I like your “devil’s

advocacy”.

Some other thing that bothers me when

talking about Okinawa, is that not each and every thing done in Okinawa is necessarily

beneficial for health and longevity. I mean, we need to focus on the life-style

and diet of the centenarians (and other very oldies) of Okinawa, and not just generalize

about THA OKINAWA WAY.

Micky.

-----Original Message-----

From: Eddie

[mailto:vlad_storm@...]

Sent: Saturday,

August 31, 2002 10:34 AM

Subject: [ ]

" The Okinawa Program " Myths...

Hi All,

" The Okinawa Program " by Wilcox, Wilcox and

Suzuki is a very good book that outlines various things in the Okinawan

lifestyle that lead to good health and longevity. Overall it's wonderful.

But it's not all true - or Okinawan.

p256

" A basic meditation technique.. was taught to us

by an Okinawan sensei.. "

The implication (without saying so) seems to be that

as a whole Okinawans meditate. They do not.

The rest of the chapter full of techniques to reset

your internal clock to 'okinawa time " include such things as

" reseting time, refiguring emotions (this is a taosit meditation by the

way), the sun god uh song that the author turned into a meditation, breathe

your stress away, etc.

All of these techniques are wonderful: But they are

not things practiced in general by Okinawans. Their low stress is due to

viewpoint as opposed to specific practices to " counteract " stress.

The book is full of wonderful ideas for doing things

to improve your health. The thing that I found funny was that even though

the book was great, very few of the suggested practices actually had anything

to do with how people actually live on Okinawa.

One section I liked in the book:

pg 149 Ten healing foods and herbs- These are actually

used on Okinawa (compare to the next section whihc deals with

western herbs which generally are not used here).

Basically the book is a hybrid: Some great facts about

Okinawa and then the authors addition of totally non-Okinawan practices.

I give it four stars for overall useful ideas for

health - three stars for it's specific info on Okinawa - and two stars for

making it seems like the program itself is Okinawan as opposed to being loosely

based on principles learned from Okinawans.

Ed

For those of you with the book.. recipies in the book

I have actually seen here (or had variations of):

Wakame and Soba Noodles with Broth

Somen Chample

Tofu Chample with Cashews (minus the cashews..)

Easy Okinawan Vegetable Chample

Goya Chample (yum yum! bitter!)

Okinawan Eggplants with miso

Simple Simmered Mackerel with Miso (any fish will

do..)

Okinawan White Miso Soup with Veggie (minus the peanut

butter)

Simple Wakame and Tofu Miso Soup

Creamy Miso Dressing

Green Tea Ice Cream

..