Oriental Eating

[Kamidake]

I know we already had a topic on my test diet but I can't find it, sorry. Anyway, I've lost about 5 lb. but am not sure whether this is because of Oriental food or because my teacher's keeping me busy! He keeps us hopping! Will continue on a while and report back.

[Tibby]

Define Oriental foods. You know, some of those “Chinese” food places can be pretty greasy. I’m just curious.

[Kamidake]

That's the truth!

 

The original topic was about why you see so few fat Orientals. So I decided I'd test out home-style (as opposed to restaurant) Oriental food for a month or so. Lots of veggies, fruit, & rice.

[SaiFightsMS]

Many of the deep fried thing found in oriental resturants are not true oriental specialties. True traditional wok cooking uses very little oil. And is heavy on veggies.

[ninjanurse]

Traditional oriental diets consist of veggies, rice, fruits, and a small amount of lean fish. They did not eat meat, drink milk, deep fry their foods, or snack on sweets. It is only recently with the addition of fast food and the influence of the "American Diet" that we are seeing an increase in heart disease, diabetes, cancer, etc. within the oriental populations.

 

That is just a fraction of my 2 cents!!!

 

[Martial_Artist]

Actually, it sounds like your speaking more of japanese food. There really isn't a thing known as traditional oriental diet, because every region is different from the next. Ilocanos eat almost nothing but vegetables, Tagalogs fry everything. Mandarins like things light, Cantonese in Hong Kong eat it rich. Cantonese in the country don't. Fukien eat a mixture. Japanese in Tokyo eat slightly different(a lot more western influence) from Japanese in Osaka or Okinawa.

 

Chinese food and other southeast asian foods do fry alot. Not deep fat fry, but simple pan fry. However, affluent chinese dining has always had very rich and fattening dishes.

 

 

 

About not seeing very many fat orientals, I would have to say that's not fully correct. I lived in asia for a few years, been to Japan, Hong Kong, Seoul, and lived permanently in the Philippines. There are plently of fat people there. Of course, I don't mean so huge fitting through a door is a difficulty, but overweight/obese is there.

 

The veggies, rice, fruits, and fish diet is japanese. Only they would eat so zen.

 

I think that most people assume asians are skinny because of their small frames and that's what most people think when they think of asians.

 

The majority are small framed and their metabolism is higher, but go there and you'll see a fair share of overweighters. I had an american friend who thought so, until I showed him otherwise.

 

Also, traditional american food isn't bad for you. I'm talking the food of the pioneers. Everything is grilled or dried. Most things are turned into soups.

 

Anyways, that's been my experience.

 

MA.

[Neil]

I would just like to add to that post. A lot of people think that a healthy diet should be moulded to your environment. The reason westerners are so overweight and obese is due to eating foods that are not native to their country, but of course it also due to unnatural porcessed foods. 2 very healthy races of people are the eskimos whos diet is compromised of 80-90% protein and fats. Yet they don't suffer from heart disease or any of the other dieseases that westerners get through to much meat. Yet asians have a diet high in complex carbohyrdrates, low in fat, low in protein. This is becasue for thousands of years there bodys have adapted to their region. I guess westerners should eat foods that are grown in their soild, and eat animals that are native to their land, and eat fruits that are also native to their land. Maybe potatoes, beef, carrots, bread, soup would be best?

 

Neil

[nathanjusko]

There is no 'magic' diet that everyone continues to refer to, it is all simple thermodynamics in your body (when concerning yourself with obesity as your main risk). It is this simple, you eat more calories than you expend you gain weight (muscle or fat), you expend more calories than you eat you then lose weight. The reason that eskimos eat 80-90% of their diet in fat and protein and maintain a healthy shape is that they are constantly working to survive, and even though 80-90% of their diet is protein and fat, they still do not eat that much food in total. Yes the majority of their diet comes from fat and protein, but if you eat 2000 calories of straight fat in one day (disgusting idea), and you burn 3500 calories in one day, then you will lose weight, even though 100% of your diet comes from fat. This is the simple rule of food when you are trying to lose weight.

[ninjanurse]

HMMMM, 2000 calories of fat per day? What on earth could you eat...I shudder to think!!!!

[shotochem]

IMO it all comes down to portion control. We Americans Super Size everything. If people would eat until they are not hungry instead of till they are full and bloated, have smaller amounts of meats and cheeses, and more fruits and veggies the increasing trend of being overweight and obesity would decline.