It is known all over the world that the Japanese are some of the healthiest people and have a long life expectancy. But not everyone knows that Japanese women are the least obese women in the world, and they owe it to their diet. The essence of Japanese diet is losing weight by eating fresh and seasonal foods in limit, and eating for the body and not for the mind. They include every kind of food that has specific nutrients in the proper amount. They include fresh vegetables, fish, meat, rice, pulses, cereals, and legumes to go with the entire diet, to make it filling as well as delicious. The Diet Plan It is perfect for health as it involves the right amount of fat as well as carbohydrates in every meal so as to balance the amounts of nutrient consumption. Rice and fish being the staple food of Japan, it has to be included in the diet, but vegetarians can ignore fish. They can eat any other food which is rich in iodine, e.g. Misco soup is a fermented soy product which is easy to digest and simple to consume. Upon following this diet strictly without any alterations, a person will not only lose a few pounds but also stay healthy. It is low in cholesterol and fats, so there is no chance of putting on extra pounds. While rice and vegetables provide starch and necessary nutrients, chicken and meat is rich in proteins and vitamins. The diet plan given below provides all the information about foods one could eat as a part of various meals of the day.

Meal	Ingredients
Breakfast	Miso Soup, 1 cup white rice, 1 egg, Nori seaweed strips, Green tea.
Lunch	Teriyaki fish, Rice, Asian greens, Green tea.
Dinner	Chicken, Rice, Miso soup, Sea vegetables with tofu.
Snacks	Fuji Apple and Tangerine.

Japanese Recipes These recipes are healthy and easy to cook. They have all the essential vegetables with nutrients, and are the tastiest for a filling lunch or dinner. Grilled Rice Balls with Vegetable Miso Ingredients

• 2 cups short grain rice
• 2 tablespoons Warishita stock
• ¾ oz. Vegetable miso
• Japanese pickles

Directions Steam the rice in the microwave or on the gas and mix it with the Warishita stock. Then cool it till it is easy to handle. Wash your hands so the rice won't stick and pull half of the rice in one palm. Make a triangle out of that rice with both the hands and repeat the same with the second half of the rice. Grill the rice balls till they are brown from one end, and turn them over to brown the other end. Spread the vegetable miso on the brown surface and lightly scorch it with a kitchen torch. Serve it with Japanese pickles while they are hot and steamy. Chicken Stew (Mizutaki) Ingredients

• 1 kg chicken
• 3 cups of water
• 1 block tofu
• ½ bunch chrysanthemum leaves
• 5 shiitake mushrooms
• ¼ Chinese cabbage
• 150 g cauliflower
• Ponzu soy sauce
• Momiji oroshi
• 4 rice cakes
• 100 g grated radish
• 2 red peppers

Directions Rinse the chicken in hot water and add cold water to it. Boil it. While the chicken is boiling, take out the bones and grind them, then add them back to the soup to let it thicken. Chop the chicken along with the vegetables and tofu. Put other ingredients in the pot and heat all of them on medium flame. After cooking, serve it with noodles, steamed rice, and some salads.