Healing Meals

~Blog post #4~

April 19, 2015

By: Brianna Serrano

Andi. Seaweed Salad. Digital image. Food. Andi of LongMeadow Farm, n.d. Web.

            If I could live as long as the average Japanese citizen, I think I’d actually have enough time to eat every single unique dish in Japan. The average life expectancy in Japan as of 2014 is age 87 for women and 80 for men (NBC News). In actuality, a majority of this has to do with the cuisine. Due to the abundant resources of fish and vegetables, having a Japanese diet risks no concern for excessive calorie-intake, thus adding many years for those that live by it.

            Most of the health implications in Japan revolve non-nutritional information, such as pollution and stress. Although, having too much of something is not necessarily the best, especially when it comes to food. Separately, most of the Japanese ingredients are harmless, like the vegetables and the fish. However, the ingredients involved to create certain dishes can potentially lead to some health problems. Vegetables are typically prepared tempura-style, which is a deep-fried batter. An excessive consumption of oil and fried foods can lead to high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease (Harvard). As for the fish, since it is typically served raw, as sashimi, it must be processed and inspected for any harmful diseases. There are several cases of tainted fish, regarding salmonella (CDC) but the outbreak has been controlled by careful inspection.

            Despite the unfortunate parts of the delicious Japanese cuisine, we can’t forget the healthy parts! To maintain a healthy diet in Japanese cuisine, there are a few things to keep your chin up for. First off, the utilization of chopsticks prevents the spread of germs among others and their food, eases the struggle with finger food, and makes you look like a straight up boss. Traditional Japanese meals are served with cups of ice water and green tea, which is used to clear your senses and balance out the fatty acids in the food. Some healthy dishes include seaweed salad, edamame, and sashimi without rice (livestrong).

            It always seems a bit disappointing to discover that the most scrumptious dishes are the most dangerous. But despite the inevitability, it is still completely possible to have a delicious meal while taking care of your health. If you don’t believe me, I suggest you try it out yourself. Here’s a recipe for some miso soup: http://www.food.com/recipe/seaweed-salad-247035.