What if we (almost) lived like the Japanese?

We should stop talking about Okinawa! This island may well hold the record for the number of centenarians per square metre, but the whole of Japan performs well in terms of health. With one of the lowest obesity rates in the world (only 4% compared to more than 10% in Singapore) and a high life expectancy for healthy aged people (74 years on average), the inhabitants of the “Land of the Rising Sun” are an excellent example to follow. It is therefore not surprising to see bentos everywhere, in decoration shops and Shiatsu institutes, or to discover that the number of cat cafés has exploded. (They offer many mental health benefits. This is not a joke, it is very serious.) And as Japan sells well, neither are we very surprised to see these giants of dietary food enter the Konjac market. However, it would be wrong to believe that this Japanese trend is just a marketing phenomenon. It now fits very well in our daily life, because, first and foremost, it is very beneficial for our health. Indeed, a large number of Japanese traditions have successfully passed the tests of modern science. We have everything to gain by adopting this Japanese trend, so let’s do it.

REINSTATE PLACES OF NATURE

“Shinrin-yoku”, which means “to have a walk in the forest”, is an integral part of Japanese culture, even when we live in town. “It’s a well-known way to take care of yourself, and it is passed on for centuries”, explains Jordy Stefan, a psychologist specializing in the effects of plants on health. In terms of our lifestyle, we seemed to forget Mother Nature and her benefits for health a long time ago. So long, in fact, that we are now seeing the emergence of a new pathology: nature deficit disorder. Those who suffer from it – i.e. most urban people – are more stressed, more anxious and more sensitive to depression. If the lack of greenery is difficult to quantify, researchers have highlighted clearly the virtues of trees, the sky and lakes in respect of our well-being.

“The Asians were the first to focus on this issue,” states Jordy Stefan. “They discovered that after two hours in the forest, they could see a reduction in blood pressure, in heart rate and in adrenaline. And these effects last for at least seven days.” The result is less stress, but that’s not all. Other studies have proved that being in contact with nature increases our T lymphocyte rate and boosts our immune system. These effects are partially explained by better oxygenation of the blood, but scientists have other explanations too: the peace existing in the forest enables us to reduce our stress levels and even the green colour of the leaves and grass is known to calm our feelings. For those who do not have the opportunity – or the courage – to get lost in the forest, “we know that having lunch in a green park helps to reduce stress, and even those who just have a green-space view from their office are less often sick than others”. If you don’t, just having a leafy plant covering a square metre of your office would be good for the morale.

FIND THE TIME TO take A NAP

Obviously, the Japanese didn’t invent the afternoon nap. But for them, naps have nothing to deal with laziness and they will not wake an employee who has a nap during a meeting. “A nap is simply the expression of a need for rest. Like us, the Japanese live in a world where they do not sleep enough at night, and need to counterbalance this at some point in the day,” remarks Dr Eric Mullens, a sleep specialist. Disconnecting oneself for a few minutes enables one to be more attentive and concentrate more. It is also a way to fight against lack of sleep and all pathologies that come with it: “Insufficient sleep increases the risk of overweight, diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular problems and mood disorders,” states Dr Mullens. “While the best thing is to rest at night, a diurnal nap helps limit some health dangers.” In recent years, some companies have tried to propose rest areas for their employees, but the practice is far from being generalized. Therefore we do what we can: switch off our mobile, try to find a dark place, a good armchair, and treat ourselves to 15 minutes of relaxation.

We should listen to our hunger and our feeling of fullness

“Unlike us, the Japanese do not eat on the go in the street. That is simply not done,” observes a nutritionist that used to live in Japan. “Moreover, they eat only small portions of food because it is a sign of refinement.” Of course, we are not going to be transformed into a geisha girl in one day, but the notion of “hara hachi bu” should be considered. Roughly speaking, it’s about eating to 80% of one’s hunger, and not beyond. Eating like this, we are sure to stay svelte and rid ourselves of numerous disorders due to overeating: nausea, digestive troubles, and physical and psychic fatigue. “The problem is that many of us are no longer able to identify the hunger signal and the feeling of satiety emitted by our body. It is necessary to begin real work on our senses and our feelings to better understand our metabolism in order to recognize these signals,” explains the nutritionist. This is, moreover, one of the campaigns led for several years by a study group on obesity and the overweight. In reality, learning to better understand our metabolism takes time and sometimes requires the help of a specialist. In order to eat healthily it is also essential to avoid refined products and ready-made meals, which tend to blur the signals.

CURE WITH MAGNETS

Specially conceived to relieve inflammatory joint pains, these are sold in all Japanese pharmacies and are used in hospitals. “The Japanese do not wonder whether magnetotherapy works or not because they have already noticed its efficiency for tendinitis, sprains, arthrosis and so on,” explains a naturopath. The harsh reality of magnetotherapy is there is a profound lack of scientific studies. The faculty of medicine of a New York university recognizes small studies that have shown promising results, but more research is necessary. In the meantime, more and more rheumatologists and osteopaths are using magnets at their patients’ request. Easy and comfortable to use (there are knee pads, elbow pads and ankle pads that contain magnets), they are an alternative to chemistry that is seducing more and more.

Read more on our “Live like the Japanese” report:

5 healthy foods to adopt from the Japanese

Maureen DIAMENT