Thank You for sharing your views on a plant-based, whole-foods style of eating after Friday’s wordy post.
I enjoyed reading the comments from other moms out there that feel the same way as I do about unhealthy snacks served to kids after sporting events.
As I mentioned on Friday, after my son’s latest baseball game, he walked off the field noshing on a Ding Dong and washing it down with blue Gatorade. At that moment all I could think of were the unhealthy ingredients flowing through his young, beautiful body.
Ding Dongs –> sugar, partially hydrogenated vegetable and/or animal shortening (may contain one or more of: soybean oil, cottonseed oil, palm oil, beef fat, lard), enriched flour (niacin, iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin), water, cocoa, skim milk, corn syrup, eggs, mono- and diglycerides, starch, whey, leavening (baking soda, sodium acid pyrophosphate, monocalcium phosphate), salt, sodium caseinate, lecithin, cellulose gum, polysorbate 60, artificial color, artificial and natural flavors, and sorbic acid (source).
Riptide Rush (blue) Gatorade –> Water, Sucrose Syrup, Glucose-Fructose Syrup, Citric Acid, Natural Flavors, Salt, Sodium Citrate, MonopotassiumPhosphate, Glycerol Ester of Wood Rosin, Sunflower Oil, Red 40, Blue 1 (source).
Of course I don’t bring attention to this at the ball field — there are just some things you have to let go of when you become a mother. You can’t control everything.
Later on in the car we discussed examples of healthier snacks to eat/drink after baseball games and why it’s important to eat healthy snacks, especially when you’re young and growing.
Hopefully these discussions will stick in his mind and he’ll make good healthy choices when he’s older and 100% responsible for what he eats/drinks.
You just never know when something you share with your child will have a strong and lasting impact.
I still remember reading an article about the Okinawan diet years ago (probably more than 15) — it had a huge and lasting impact on me and sparked the hunger in me to learn as much as I could about nutrition. By diet I don’t mean what we think of in today’s culture where dieting conjures up thoughts of restriction, weight loss, and deprivation. I mean the actual food intake of a group of people.
The traditional Okinawan Diet, consumed by the indigenous people of the Ryukyu Islands in Japan, was made famous because of the Okinawan’s long life-expectancy and low risk of age-associated diseases, believed to be related to their healthy lifestyle (source), which includes a low-calorie, plant-based, nutrient-rich diet. Completely opposite of the Standard American Diet (SAD): typically high calorie, high saturated fat, high salt, high GI and GL, and low in antioxidants (source of table).
The estimated nutrient composition of a traditional Okinawan diet is 85% carbohydrates, 9% protein, 6% fat, 2% saturated fat, 1113 mg sodium, and 5199 mg potassium. SAYONARA Atkins diet.
Characteristics of the traditional Okinawan diet (source)
- High intake of vegetables, legumes (mostly soy)
- Rich in omega-3 fats
- High monounsaturated fat to saturated fat ratio
- Emphasis on low-GI carbohydrates
- Moderate intake of fish
- Moderate alcohol intake
- Low consumption of meat and meat products
- Low intake of dairy and dairy products
- Low calorie intake
Typical foods/dishes Okinawan-style (source)
- meals are centered around vegetables (plant-based): sweet potatoes, mushrooms, goya, gobo, hechima, seaweed
- miso soup (water, miso paste, seaweed, tofu, sweet potato, and/or green leafy vegetables)… um, can I pin this?
- sweet potato (staple carbohydrate)… love it!
- stir-fried vegetable dish (champuru)
- konbu seaweed
- konnyaku
- small amounts of fish or boiled pork
- tofu
It is fascinating to read about the traditional Okinawan diet… there is so much wisdom to be gained from the Okinawan’s view of food and eating!
Tragically, the traditional Okinawan diet has become more and more “Americanized” ever since World War II, resulting in poor outcomes, with the younger generation of Okinawan’s experiencing a higher risk of obesity and other chronic disease risk factors (source).
One of the biggest changes is that their intake of sweet potatoes has plummeted (the traditional staple carbohydrate), while their consumption of (white) rice and breads is increasing (source).
Do you remember hearing or reading something that had a lasting impact and changed how you ate?
♥ Lisa
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Tags: healthy diet, nutrient-dense, Okinawan, plant-based, weight loss
Wow this was so interesting, I’ve never heard of that diet before. I sure love the fact they eat so many fruits and veggies, and sweet potatoes especially
What a fabulous way to get all the necessary vitamins and minerals! If only it wasn’t becoming americanized, I’m sure so many people could benefit from it.
Alexandra recently posted..Life Updates!
I love this. Here in America it’s all about convenience. The fastest way to get food and produce it and the cheapest way. My daughter is 3 and is in preschool. They rotate through the class for snacks. Some of the things she tells me they have for snacks are unbelievable and it is so frustrating on my part. I’d bring the snack everyday if they’d let me! She repeatedly has goldfish crackers, cheese its, fruit snacks, and chocolate chip and blueberry mini muffins. Whatever happened to apples, carrot sticks, cheese, and apple sauce? Everything is so processed. I can only make sure I set a good example and at least she gets a couple healthy snacks when it’s our turn to bring the snack.
Kristen @ Change of Pace recently posted..Busy Busy!
Don’t get me started on Sunday school snacks. Goldfish, gummy worms, donuts…
I too have thought about bringing in my own snacks or even talking to the head of the children’s ministry about writing the snack schedule.
My son’s preschool has gotten alot better. The asked me for healthy snack ideas a couple of months ago and have pretty much stuck with healthy snacks ever since… totally appreciate that =)
I LOVE hearing that sweet potatoes are so good for you, they are one of my favorite foods!
Katie @ Peace Love & Oats recently posted..11 Things
I don’t recall any specific piece of advice, but it was a nutrition class my senior year in college, that made me re-think my lifelong plans. I had a great professor, and I had that “a-ha” moment that I was meant to do something with nutrition for my career, as opposed to advertising, so went back to school after I graduated to do it all over again. I sneak in mini nutrition talks all the time with my kids, and hope they will have these a ha moments about what they are eating when they get older
EA-The Spicy RD recently posted..Recipe ReDux: Breakfast Bananas Foster with Cinnamon Streusal Topping
I learned about the Okinawan diet in my Nutrition class–so interesting. Just to offer some reassurance from a grown-up kid to a parent: the one lifestyle habit that I can really track from my childhood to adulthood is my diet. Sure, there were some years in there (and still are at some points) when I LOVE my junk food, but overall the effort my parents put into my food intake made a huge impact on the food choices I make today
Kiah recently posted..another family music video
I remember reading about this somewhere. The one that really got to me most recently was Forks Over Knives; however, I decided to change my diet a year and a half ago. I had been overindulging in red meats and sweets, so I decided to so a cleanse with my mom. At the end of the 21 days, I felt so much better and had broken my old habits. I never want to go back to my processed ways!
Laura @ Sprint 2 the Table recently posted..Greek Protein Mess
I’ve got to see that movie!!
I don’t think you need to worry about your son making healthy choices when he’s older Lisa, seems to me you’ve given him an amazing foundation for a healthy lifestyle that I’m SURE he’ll carry until he’s old!!! I think your kids are VERY lucky to have such caring, healthy role models for parents! Have a great week!!!
Roz recently posted..Busy in the kitchen
Thanks Roz =) You gotta just do your best and hope the healthy role modeling gets passed on!!
I’ve been living on sweet potatoes for the past week–little did I know I was doing it Okinawan style! What a sensibly-based diet, I can definitely agree with it.
Allie recently posted..Sweet Potato Weather
The nutrition of children has been a major focus of mine lately—I recently worked with a mom to help her 6 year-old with his anxiety and processing problems in school. In 2 months, after changing what he ate completely, his team at school reported that his improvements were incredible—he is now testing at grade level in all subjects, has no processing problems, and is socializing with other kids. He went from getting a 0 or 1 on every math and spelling test to 100% on every spelling test and 13 or 14 out of 15 on every math test. He’s grown an inch!
It makes me feel very strongly about this topic!
What an awesome approach you took in just talking to your son about it!
I’ll have to think about the things that had an impact on me and my passion for food….it’s a series of things, and I think it’s a great idea to explore it. I don’t have any one thing that sticks out (but I do also remember reading about the Okinawans and thinking it was pretty interesting!).
Lisa recently posted..Starting Monday with Lists, Hoping it Carries Over to Productivity!
I really think that the Okinawan diet is soo similar to the Korean way of eating! However, korean food has wayyyy more spice and sodium. But nutrient wise, it’s quite similar! And I love it
Just not when there’s too much heavy meat and msg haha.
Ellie@Fit for the Soul recently posted..Overnight Bliss
I never had heard of the Okinawan diet, but I love how they focus on plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables! My views of foods is changing all the time, but it always comes down to what I’ve always know. Focus on getting a lot of fresh fruits and veggies in and if you eat meat make sure it’s hormone and antibiotic free!
Interesting post! I have never heard of that diet… for me it was reading Patrick Holfords Nutrition Bible and also doing a cleanse. It completely reset my body, I stopped craving junk, managed my portion sizes and just felt so good there was no way I wanted to go back to how I was before. Don’t get me wrong, a few habits have crept back in but on the whole I am 80% healthier than I ever have been! I will definitely continue to cleanse once a year or so, or whenever I feel the need.
Hayley @ Oat Couture recently posted..Snow Day
When I first watched Food, Inc. I became extremely aware, and concerned, about the foods we were eating. At that time, I was just starting to lose weight and was focusing on sugar free/fat free types of foods that were loaded with artificial sweeteners and additives. After watching that, I started to look into it more and was shocked at what I discovered. I switched our way of eating tremendously. I feel the same way after Carter eats something that is loaded with sugar or fried or any type of “junk” food. The sugar is one thing, but I worry more about the artificial colors and additives that go into those foods. It honestly makes me uneasy when he eats anything that is brightly colored (like birthday cake), but I struggle with it because most people aren’t on the same page and think I’m crazy. I believe that someday I’ll be able to say, “See – told you!”, but until then, I just try and educate without preaching or let them eat the way they choose and feed my family the way I choose.
Lindsay@LivingLindsay recently posted..Launch and a Girls’ Night Out
Totally on the same page as you. I’m not as concerned about sugar as I am about artificial ingredients/flavors/dyes.
It makes me really uncomfortable when my kids are putting carcinogenic ingredients into their system. I hope one day all foods will be flavored and colored with natural ingredients!!
Thanks for sharing! I hadn’t heard about this diet.
I would say that a recent documentary called Earthlings had a lasting impact. I will never be able to erase the images of animal cruelty that were displayed on that video. It ultimately changed the way I looked at and purchased animal proteins. I now eat a mainly vegetarian diet.
Kristen @ Swanky Dietitian recently posted..Recipe ReDux: Fresh Starts
wow i didn’t realize that there were cultures that were super healthy! thanks for the info. ahhh i wonder how i’m going to respond when i see my own kids noshing on unhealthy foods. i totally agree with u, teaching/educating out children about healthy eating is so worth it.
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[...] you for sharing your thoughts about the Okinawan diet on Monday! It was a fun post to write — I love learning about the traditional diets of [...]