Book Review: Japanese Women Don't Get Old Or Fat

While we've probably all heard of the "French Paradox", did you know what Japanese women actually live longer and have lower obesity rates than French women? In fact, Japanese women outlive every other group. They also enjoy far more years of health, meaning that they have less disease even in their older years.

This book, written by Naomi Moriyama, takes you straight into her mother's Tokyo kitchen to teach you the secrets of longevity and youth, Japanese style.

Japanese cooking emphasizes the artful and almost artistic presentation of food on smaller plates which leads to automatic portion control. Since rice and vegetables make up the bulk of meals, calorie counts are lower. In fact Japanese women eat, on average, about a thousand calories less per day than Americans, and yet they don't believe in dieting and don't go around hungry. Quite the opposite - Japanese people highly value food and eat a variety of freshly prepared dishes.

When many of us think of Japanese food, sushi or perhaps bento come to mind, but those are only a small part of what makes up the Japanese daily fare. The main staples are rice, vegetables, soy products in their natural state, and small amounts of meat (usually fish), proteins such as eggs, and fruit.

A typical Japanese breakfast is miso soup with a serving of rice, hardboiled eggs and vegetables. Hardly skimpy, this meal will keep you going until lunch, instead of making your blood sugar skyrocket and then crash.

In addition to the why's of Japanese cooking, it is also replete with recipes and how to's. It might surprise you that you won't need to go out and buy fancy equipment to make most everyday Japanese meals, nor will you have to travel across town to an Asian market (if you even have one where you live!). Most of the ingredients you will need are available in most larger grocery stores, health food stores and even online.

Not only will reading this book make your mouth water, but it may also make you live longer too.