Turning Japanese

Japan has long been renowned for having one of the healthiest diets in the world. While the Japanese diet is low in fat, with lots of rice, fish and vegetables, one of the most beneficial aspects of it is the high intake of soya foods, according to leading Japanese food writer, Emi Kazuko.

‘Anyone in their forties or fifties aspires to feel and look younger, and that’s exactly what most Japanese women are achieving through the natural benefits of their diet,” says Emi. Working with soya milk, Emi has devised a seven- day Japanese eating plan. With supermarkets stocking an increasing range of foods from all over the world, adding elements of this Japanese diet into your life can be very simple.

And it doesn’t mean having to eat Japanese food seven days a week. Emi’s seven-day eating plan will allow you to choose which food ideas you want to start introducing. You never know, once you start to introduce some of these habits you may find how easy it is to slick to a diet rich in fresh vegetables, oily fish and soya.

Soya is particularly beneficial for menopausal women because of the phytoestrogens it contains. In fact, there is no term for the phrase ‘hot flush’ in Japan as Japanese women suffer few menopausal symptoms, thought to be due, in part, to their diet and lifestyle.
In fact, soya protein has been shown to also help to reduce the risk of bone fractures, so it can be beneficial for maintaining good bone health too.

Soya milk is one of the easiest ways to incorporate soya into your diet. Why not try new So Good Soya Essential which is 99 per cent fat free, 100 per cent sugar free and has 20 per cent more calcium than semi-skimmed milk. No longer just for people who are allergic to dairy, So Good Soya Essential actively lowers cholesterol, contains nine essential vitamins and minerals and provides the benefits of plant-based Omega 3 to help maintain a healthy heart.
It’s so versatile and can be drunk on its own, in smoothies, in cooking or poured onto your breakfast cereal.