Simply Put, Shoku Iku is the Japanese Term for "Food Education". But it is Only When You Start to Explore this Simple Concept, That You Begin to Understand it's Complexity and Many Health Benefits.
At a Glance
Top
Here Are Some of the Principles of Shoku Iku
Your Five Senses & How They Influence What You Eat
7 Nutritional Rules We Can Learn From The Japanese
Why The Japanese People Are So Thin According to Science
My Family’s Favorite Meal Following the Principles of Shoku Iku
Rajio Taisou ~ And there's Videos!
What is Shoku Iku?
Put simply, Shoku Iku is a common sense, educational approach to a healthy eating regime that is integrated into the daily lives of the Japanese people. It is not just about flavor pairing, but more about having a balance in what and how you eat your life nourishing food, as well as its preparation, serving and consumption.
Here Are Some of the Principles Shoku Iku
Eat and Prepare More Dishes – Think of your dinner table as a Smorgasbord with a wide variety of different foods and dishes. Now while this might sound like you are opening a restaurant in your own kitchen, it is actually a very healthy way to eat as long as the prepared dishes are nutritious and not laden with excessive salt, sugar and bad fats. Think color, think of the family gathered around the table (yes noise and all), think of each of your favorite food combinations being presented in all their glory. Think hot, think cold. You can combine them both into one meal with great results!
In fact it is that change of taste on the palette ie hot, spicy, sweet, sour, salty etc as well as the textures of both crunchy and soft that makes food interesting. And it is well proven that by simply changing the characteristics of the food that we eat in combination with each other, we actually learn to slow down and appreciate it more.
A wide variety of nutritious dishes eaten in smaller quantities is one of the leading principals of Shoku Iku.
Make Meal Time a Ritual – This is very important. Taking time to “honor” (a big word in Japanese Culture) your food is crucial to the Shoku Iku way of eating. Most of us eat whilst trying to do a thousand other things. We are working at our desk, or on the run from one meeting to another, or even eating and trying to do the weekly shop. And here’s a big one – eating and watching TV!
I know it’s not possible to eat three meals a day at the dining table, but taking time out to move to another location to eat your lunch is doable. Maybe sit in the park, or go from your work desk to the lunch room? Don’t allow yourself to make eating at your work station a habit. And when it comes to dinner time, if you have family or friends to eat with, it’s a great time to ask them about their day and what is going on in their lives. If you are on your own try and sit by the window and watch the world go by. Or go outside and just breathe in the fresh air while you eat. Just try and avoid the TV while you are eating.
Meal times spent sharing food & conversation with those you love should not be considered a luxury but rather a required every day event.
Hydration Through Food – In the Western World it is common place to see a great many individuals carrying water bottles around with them everywhere. Have you ever asked yourself why is this? Take a minute to ponder this and then go through your typical daily menu. Just how many of the foods that you consume contain “natural” levels of hydration? Let’s take lunch for example. If you ate a sandwich made with bread, a bit of salad and say a piece of ham and then washed it down with a cup of coffee, just how much natural hydration do you think that meal contains? I’ll tell you now, not much!
The bread is baked and therefore has had most of the water cooked out of it. The salad contains a little water, but since its not the major part of the meal then there is not much hydration there either. The ham has been either smoked or preserved in some way, usually with salts and chemicals. And then there is the coffee, which is usually dehydrating as well. This lunch contains very little “life nourishing” hydration and thus the reason why most of us in the western world need to carry around water bottles and drink with our meals.
Next time you are creating a meal, think about just how much hydration you can capture for your body via the food you eat rather than the fluid you drink. The hydration in your food also enables it to be digested a lot easier and more efficiently, which in turn aids your fat loss efforts.
Meals that contain a lot of fluids such as soup, allow your body to digest your food much easier.
Remember All Your Food Groups
Now this might not be possible to do at every meal, but it is a concept that you should try and integrate into as many meals as possible. So just what are the main food groups? Depending on which country you are from, your food groups will be labelled somewhat differently but in essence they are the following:
Fruits & Vegetables – Fruits and vegetables are bursting with life giving essential vitamins and minerals, antioxidants and fiber. Not only are they a boost for our digestive system and full of fiber, but they keep us feeling fuller for longer and are low in calories.
Everything from fresh to frozen to tinned and dried. As always fresh is best and be wary of dried and tinned fruit and vegetables as they often contain excessive salts and sugars. Try and avoid consuming pre packaged fruit and vegetable juices regularly or use them as a treat and maybe dilute them with water. A lot of pre packed juices contain excessive sugars and salts, and by drinking the juice only, you do not get the important fiber that many of these wonderful foods contain. If you have a juicer at home you can always prepare your own making sure to include the fiber as much as possible.
Carbohydrates – Carbohydrates give your body a quick boost of energy. And the wholegrain varieties are packed with vitamin B. Foods such as grains, pastas, breads, rice, potatoes, noodles, couscous, cakes, breakfast cereals and some countries include legumes and beans in this category, are all sources of carbohydrates. Just remember to use varieties that are as close to natural as possible.
When you eat carbohydrates your liver breaks them down to form glucose. It is this glucose that crosses the blood/brain barrier and fuels the brain. Your brain can also function optimally using ketones as well, but your brain still needs to get at least 25% of its energy from glucose.
Did you know that your brain requires glucose for it to function properly? But how and where you get the glucose from is another matter,
Below is a great video explaining how your body can produce its own glucose to power your brain. It’s a bit of an eye opener! Can I just say though – anecdotal evidence does point towards the fact that consuming less than 30 – 50 grams of carbs a day can lead to a depressive state in some individuals. If you are going to progress to a ketogenic state, I would recommend that you do it in a manner in which you reduce your carbs over a prolonged length of time. This will be different for each individual and you can expect to experience some form of the “keto flu” along the way, especially if this is the first time you have tried to induce ketosis.
I wont spoil the surprise so you will just have to watch these doctors discuss their evidence.
Protein – Did you know that every cell in your body contains protein? Proteins are the building blocks of your body and every single molecule of protein you ingest is broken down into smaller units so that your body can use it.
Your body uses protein to build and repair cells in your skin, muscles, organs and most, if not all, body parts. A meal containing protein will make you feel fuller for longer and reduces cravings. Protein also boosts your metabolism and increases your body’s ability to burn fat. And once you have gained your desired body weight, a high protein diet will help you maintain that weight loss.
Protein is contained in foods such as meat, fish, chicken, eggs, tofu, nuts and seeds. Some countries may group legumes and beans into this category.
Dairy – Dairy is a rich source of protein, calcium and vitamin D, all of which are essential to our body. When our bodies are deficient in calcium and vitamin D our bones become brittle and spongy, making us more susceptible to osteoporosis and other bone diseases such as rickets. Calcium is also necessary to maintain good dental health. Calcium helps break down the fats in our body and maintain a balance in our thyroid hormones.
Calcium is also required to control our heart rhythm by promoting the normal contraction of our myocardium, the cardiac or heart muscle. This rhythmic function enables the heart’s smooth muscle to contract in an orderly fashion rather than a sudden contraction.
Normal cell growth is dependent on calcium, making it extremely important for pregnant women in particular. Right from the first cell division after conception, calcium is required for the on growing development of new life. And of course the mum to be needs to ingest calcium to ensure that her body stores are not used for the development of the baby, leaving her body depleted and liable to develop brittle bones and tooth decay.
Foods containing calcium include milk, cream, yogurt, cheese and custards as well as dairy alternatives such as soy, rice and almond milk.
Fats – Fat tends to get a bad rap when it comes to dietary requirements because in the past it was not properly understood how our body uses fat. In fact, even to this day, fats are still somewhat misunderstood. One thing that all science agrees upon is that each gram of fat contains nine calories, making them more energy dense than both carbohydrates and proteins, which both have four calories per gram.
Did you know that your brain is more than two thirds fat? Yes its true! Each and every brain cell membrane is made of Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) and for that reason alone our bodies cognitive ability depends on an adequate intake of good quality dietary fats. The nutrition in fat is also essential for growth, metabolic function, reproductive and hormonal health, vital organ function, optimal energy levels, as well as healthy skin, eyes and bones. That’s a long list of essential requirements. So just what kind of fats do we need?
To begin with, there are specific fat soluble vitamins that our body requires which can only be absorbed via fat soluble activators. These are vitamins A, D, E and K. Without fat in your diet, your body cannot absorb these essential vitamins, which means that if you are eating foods rich in vitamins A, D, E and K without fat, chances are you are not getting maximum benefit from them.
So how do you go about getting optimum levels of vitamins A,D,E & K from the food you eat? It can be as simple as putting whole butter on your peas and carrots – not margarine! Or making a stir fry using olive oil. Similarly, in order for your body to absorb all it can out of the protein in your diet, you need to combine it with fat as well. So it is well worth adding some chicken or beef to that stir fry!
Fat also has a great “mouth feel”. This makes the food you are eating more pleasing to the palette. And the added bonus is that fat makes you feel fuller for longer as well.
There are four major dietary fats that we eat. The following table should help distinguish which fats are in your diet.
To view a larger image of this dietary fats chart, simply press on the image on the right hand side and it will show a larger image in another window.
If you wish to learn which nuts and seeds are high in monounsaturated fats, you can press here.
Fats include oils such as olive, flax seed and vegetable as well as lard, shortening and butter. There are food products other than oils that contain fat and these include butter, avocado, eggs, fatty fish, nuts, coconut and cheese. These foods include either monounsaturated fats or polyunsaturated fats. The closer they are to nature, the better they are for you. Always use the “full fat” versions as sugar is often introduced into the “light fat” versions in order to make them taste better. Try and avoid hydrogenated oils such as soy, corn, safflower, cottonseed and canola, as they are not good for your overall health, vitality and well being.
Sugars – Oh My Goodness – what a minefield. I feel like I have to write a thesis in order to make this topic somewhat understandable. And then it also depends on how you classify sugar as to how you approach just what that sugar is. In the end I created what I hope is an easy to recognize table so that you can maybe work out what is which sugar and move on from there.
To view a larger image of this chart, simply press on the image.
For more information about artificial sweeteners, here is a great article.
In the end it all boils down to one thing. Sugar is important when you are cooking to bring out the flavors in certain foods, which is especially important when you are cooking with fruit. This is why I choose to add a little bit of raw sugar to my bolognaise mix. The raw sugar breaks down some of the acid in the tomatoes (yes tomatoes are classified as a fruit as they have seeds) and brings out their rich flavor. That, and allowing it to simmer down for a while of course.
And lastly, don’t over consume sugar. It is hidden in so many everyday items such as low fat milk, tomato sauce, yogurt, breakfast cereals, bread, supposed health bars, fruit juices and even salad dressings. Also sneaky manufacturers like to call sugar many different names just to confuse the consumer, but I think that will be an article for another time.
By eating from each of the food groups you can appeal to each of your five senses, which will enable you to interact with your meal on a more personal level and appreciate all that it has to offer you. In the following text I have mentioned how you use your senses when eating, not because I don’t think you know how you use them, but to make you more aware of just how your body is reacting. This realization is the first step to understanding how and why you eat, and what forms of “conditioning” may have developed over time.
Your 5 Senses & How They Influence What You Eat
Smell – Long before we see what is cooking, we smell it! think of a BBQ smell on the Summer Breeze. Or when you walk into the shopping mall and you can smell what’s been cooked in the food court. Or here’s a great one – baked bread or cookies. How many of you wake up to the smell of coffee in the morning? The smell of good food get’s us all salivating in preparation for the feast.
Even though I don't drink coffee, it is actually one of my favorite smells.
In fact your sense of smell has an important function in how you taste your food as well. Did you know that as much as eighty percent of how you perceive taste is actually coming from your sense of smell? Think of it this way. Your nose can distinguish a great many odors as compared to the tongue, which only detects five basic tastes ie salty, bitter, sweet, sour and umami. Umami comes from the Japanese word meaning savory. Think soy sauce, vegemite and mushrooms. But remove your sense of smell and how well can you taste?
It’s horrible when you get a head cold isn’t it? And I bet you don’t really feel like eating either? Chances are this is because your sense of smell has failed somewhat due to the congestion in your sinus cavities. As your sinuses start to clear, you get your appetite back and you start to eat again.
Sight – It is often said we first eat our food with our eyes. And some would argue that this is the most important sense of the all of them.
It is hard to argue with the fact that if the dish looks “yummy” we want to eat it right away. Think of a wonderful vegie stir fry. So many greens, yellows, oranges, reds – it looks like a feast. Or even a tossed salad with all its color looks like a wonderful meal, especially if there is a pieces of meat, fish, cheese or chicken with it. Even the dishes and plates we serve our food on has an impact as to how we perceive the food will taste.
It is important to make our healthy meals as visually exciting as possible as this encourages people to eat them. Nature makes our food in such wonderful colors that it seems a shame to waste this vibrant display.
Colorful food speaks to the promise of delightful flavors and a feeling of satiety.
Touch – You may be excused for thinking that touch would not have anything to do with how you eat but think of it this way. You only know now if a food is mushy or crunchy because when you were younger and you first placed that food in your mouth, it either smushed or it crunched. Think of mashed potatoes verses an apple – you had to learn this as you grew.
Now let’s progress a few years ahead and you are starting to learn to feed yourself with cutlery. It was so much easier to just eat mash with a spoon than say cut up your steak. Or when you tried to pick up a pea with your fork it skidded across the dinner table right?
Then there is the “fun stuff” that we still like to do today; eating with our hands. Think of a great lot of BBQ ribs! There is nothing better than just using your hands to eat this delightful feast. Or a fried chicken drumstick.
And of course the actual sensation that we feel when we put the food into our mouth is part of the touch sense. To this day we know if a food is crunchy, mushy etc because we felt it when we ate it.
There is just something so satisfying about eating with your hands, even if you need multiple napkins.
Sound – Sound is all around us when we eat. Have you ever walked into a restaurant and just known it was the right place for you? This is called ambiance. It is how you sense the mood of the environment you are in. If the ambiance of the restaurant is lively with much conversation, you naturally assume that people are enjoying their food and immediately feel like you would enjoy a good meal there.
Sound is also what you hear as you sit the family down to the table to eat. If you hear everyone chatting away talking about their day, then you know the family is interacting well and the meal will be enjoyable. But if there is deadly silence – well we all know what that means!
There is also sound when you eat. The crunching and munching you hear in your head whilst you are eating, is an important recognition that your brain receives, together with taste and smell of that particular food.
Taste – There is a reason why I put this sense last and that is because this is actually the last sense we use when we eat food. Up until this stage we have only assumed that we will appreciate the taste of the food we are about to eat. We have liked its smell, appreciated its sight, it has felt okay when we’ve picked it up and moved it towards our mouth. Now that the food is in our mouth and its texture has been appreciated by our palette, we have decided to bite down. This is the “taste test”! The very last process of eating before the digestion stage begins. Does the food meet up to your expectations? Or is your brain somehow fooling you?
I remember when I was in college, one of my friends, (who was studying food tech) conducted an experiment on us. She was carrying around three different colors of jello all cut into nice little squares, and asking people to taste them and then report to her what they tasted like. The colors were the same as traffic lights ie red, yellow and green. The participants were asked to try the red color first, followed by the green and then the yellow. I remember saying that the red one tasted of raspberries, the green one tasted of something but I could not tell what, and the yellow had no taste at all. Hmmmm – very interesting my friend said. I asked her what was the point of the exercise and she just said to meet her in the library the next day for lunch.
The next day about fifty of us were gathered in a study room in the library and my friend asked us to all stand as she mentioned the color if we tasted anything. For the red one – all of us stood up. For the green one, about 75% of people stood up and for the yellow only about 30% of the people stood up. It was then that my friend informed us all that NONE of the jelly had any flavor in it at all!!!!! No flavor – just colored water set with gelatin. We all gasped in amazement. It was then that our friend explained to us how sight interacts with our desire to eat and our expectations. We were all amazed. My friend also conducted a few other experiments using smell and taste expectation and how our brain’s perceive this, but I will leave those for another article.
A great page about your senses with videos can be found here.
Spoiler Alert! None of the jello had any flavor!! Your sense of sight impacts greatly on how you taste your food.
Flavor Pairing
Ah, the information you have been waiting for. I realize that you’ve had to read through a lot of information to get here, but I believe that we all needed to learn a bit more about the food we eat first, in order to understand this concept. And whilst we briefly touched on this subject in my eBook Top 15 Exciting Food Pairings That Will Triple Your Fat Loss, I think a bit more of an in depth look at why flavor pairing is so effective as a fat loss and weight maintenance tool is warranted.
Time and time again statistics prove that Japan has the longest life expectancy at birth for its people on the planet. According to recent studies, the obesity rate for Japanese Women is only 3.4% compared to a whopping 41.5% of women in the US. But if you doubt these statistics, and the efficacy of Shoku Iku, here is another even more shocking one. When Japanese people adopt a western diet, they become overweight just like the rest of us!
Why mention this? Because I have heard people say over and over again “oh well the Japanese people just have good genes – that’s why they don’t put on weight”. The fact that Japanese people put on weight when adopting a western diet, just goes to prove that it is not genetics that play a direct role in their weight control but how, what and when they eat. So what makes the Japanese way of eating – Shoku Iku – such an effective way to control your weight?
Every country you go to basically has the same food right? There is animal products, fruits and vegetables, cereals and grains etc so what is the difference? The difference lies in how the Japanese people serve their food, what each food is paired with and the fact that the Japanese people will only eat until they feel 80% full. That is to say they do not stuff themselves every meal like its Thanksgiving.
As we have touched on in the text above, the Japanese people choose to eat a mix of fresh food at every meal and in small portions. They also eat very little dairy or bread. Each meal is nourishing, hydrating and enjoyed and savored in an almost ritualistic way. The Japanese people will usually make sure that as many food groups as possible are represented at every meal, and that it is served in a colorful and pleasing manner.
Rice is always the main ingredient. To the Japanese people rice is like our bread is in the western world. And for this reason, the Japanese will often eat rice for breakfast. Many Japanese will tell you that rice makes them feel fuller faster and for longer.
Long grain rice and black wild rice formed into the Chinese Philosophy Symbol or Yin & Yang. A concept of both dualism and the balance of contrary forces.
Of all the food available to the Japanese people, vegetables are their favorite. At every meal you will see vegetables of all colors. They will either be in a salad or a soup, and it will by hydrating, nourishing, colorful and well enjoyed.
Secondly the Japanese love fish! The Japanese love tuna, sardines, salmon, mackerel and herrings. They love fatty fish which is full of Omega 3’s and 6’s, both of which are great antioxidants. The fact that the Japanese eat so much fish means that they tend to eat less red meat as well.
It is in the form of Sushi that most of us are familiar with Japanese Food.
If the Japanese do not serve rice with their meal you will often find noodles instead. There are several varieties of noodles such as ramen, udon and somen and each noodle has a different purpose and can be made from grains other than wheat.
A simple but very tasty Ponzu Noodle Dish, is a quick and easy meal that the Japanese people like to prepare when on the go.
The Japanese people do not eat desert like we do. Instead they choose to have a piece of fruit such as a fuji apple or a tangerine. This one action alone can save you up to 500 calories a day.
Lastly, and this is a great trick, always serve your meals on a smaller sized plate or bowl. We tend to want to fill up our plate, and if the plate is a big one, then we pile on more food. This is especially important if you grew up like I did, ie you were not finished your meal until your plate was empty. We just ate everything on our plate even if we were full less than half way through it. And yes it does take twenty minutes for our brain to register we are full but is not as simple as that. You can read more about that here.
You will also find that the Japanese people will not eat three heavy meals in a day. They balance a heavy meal with two light meals. Each day of eating is looked on as a whole and not three single meals. This way they can limit food prep for the day or even a couple of days depending on what they have planned. This concept also makes sure they have included foods from each of the food groups in their daily intake.
The Japanese will steam enough rice for the day and do it once. If they are cutting up vegetables for one meal, they will cut up extra for the next meal. By preparing their food in this manner they can eliminate hours in the kitchen and quickly cook a nutritious and satisfying meal. This is just one of the ways the Japanese limit the amount of processed food they eat and keep their meals low in sugar and low in bad fats.
As the Japanese prepare their meals, they are very conscious of combining foods in a manner that aids their digestion. For example, whenever the Japanese eat any oily or fried foods, you will always see grated radish as a garnish or side dish. Eaten with the oily foods, this grated radish helps your body digest the oils in the food you are eating. Another good way to help your body to digest the fats and oils as you eat, is by pairing the oily food with mushrooms, radishes, lemon or lime juice.
The Japanese people use a lot of probiotics. This improves their gut flora, enabling them to digest their food easier and get all those wonderful nutrients from their meals. Foods such as fermented vegetables, pickles, kimchi and sauerkraut are great probiotics. Miso soup is another great probiotic. I love the taste of it and often have it for breakfast in winter. By adding probiotics to your diet with every meal you will not only help your body digest your food easier, but it is one of the easiest ways to lose weight.
As you delve further into Shoku Iku, you will soon realize that the Japanese people get the majority of their energy intake from carbohydrates. But here’s their trick – the Japanese people DO NOT pair a high carb food with a high fat food. By doing this, they have eliminated the insulin spike which shuts down the body’s ability to process fat. The Japanese people also choose to eat carbohydrates that are high in fiber. This also avoids fat storage, keeps their bowels regular and gives them a feeling of fullness much quicker.
Secondly the Japanese people do not eat starchy foods with high sugar foods. For example – pancakes with maple syrup or bananas sprinkled with sugar. Or here’s a great one we in the west do on a regular basis – a PBJ! Think of all that starchy bread, peanut butter and bananas, mixed with that sugary jam. And I do know some people who put butter on their PBJ as well!
A PBJ would be one of the most anti Shoku Iku food stuffs around. But how often do we eat it or feed it to our kids?
The Japanese people use a lot of spices, herbs, oils, cooking wines, vinegars and sauces to liven up their teas and dishes. Wasabi and Soy Sauce are most probably the best known ones, but did you know that the Japanese drink turmeric tea? The Okinawans drink it daily and they have the worlds longest lifespan! Turmeric reduces inflammation and is high in antioxidants. The Japanese also like black pepper – a great belly fat reducer, Ginger – reduces leptin resistance allowing you to control your hunger and chilies – great source of capsaicin which speeds up your metabolism and burns fat.
The Japanese people find a sense of satisfaction after eating a meal following the principals of Shoku Iku. They leave their dinner table with a sense of inner peace that comes from eating a life nourishing meal with good company. By consuming foods from all the food groups prepared in a colorful, tasty and hydrating manner, the Japanese People feel satisfied and not craving any missing pieces.
This nine minute video explains most of just what Shoku Iku is and how it is a way of life for the Japanese People.
It is not a coincidence that the Japanese People remain so healthy. Here are 10 reasons why this is so.
My Family’s Favorite Meal Following The Principles of Shoku Iku
After learning about Shoku Iku what kind of meal do you think would fulfill the above criteria? My favorite meal, and that of my family as well, is one that meets both the desires of those in my family that choose to eat a mainly vegetarian diet, one who has an allergy to prawns and others who do not like coriander or cannot eat spicy food. It is a very easy meal to prepare and once done, people basically serve themselves. It is a Thai Red Curry Soup with all the trappings.
Now first up I have to say that I can often be serving up to 20 people at a time but you can easily make this into a smaller family meal. The trick is to prepare everything before hand and then serve each item in an individual bowl. I know it makes a lot of washing up but thankfully I have a dishwasher. And to be honest, most of the vegie dishes do not get very dirty at all.
First thing I do is choose my protein, cut it up into somewhat equal sized pieces and place it in a marinade of ketjap manis (its like a thick, sticky soy sauce), olive oil, salt and pepper. My chicken I will cut into say one inch square pieces and I thinly slice my beef. I keep both of these meats separate. My other protein is prawns but I buy those frozen already peeled and tailed, so I just remove those from the freezer and place in another bowl.
Now take your vermicelli noodles and place them in boiling water. Do not boil these or you will end up with a mush – just sit them in a saucepan filled with boiling water. I add a bit of olive oil with the vermicelli and a few chicken stock cubes for taste. Come back to this pot every five minutes or so and stir to separate the noodles.
Then I cut up all the vegies we love into small pieces or thin slices. My family love the following –
Bok Choy
Carrots
Spring Onions
Chili
Mushrooms
Ginger
Capsicum – red, green and yellow.
Broccoli – cut into small florets
Turmeric – Fresh if you can get it
Snow Peas
Sugar Snap Peas
Coriander
Vegetables of all different colors bring a meal to life in a way no other food can. Plus many of them add a "crunch" to the meal.
Whatever your family loves, just cut it up and place in separate bowls. I also serve this meal with cashews and shredded coconut. The shredded coconut gives it a nice sweetness and the cashews are a salty crunch.
In a separate big pot make up the soup base using a pre made Thai red curry paste following the directions on the jar and bring to nearly boiling. Once that is done set it, place the lid on the pot and set aside. Now it’s time to cook your protein. I usually have three lots of protein as this is what my family likes but you can use whatever you like.
I cook each of the proteins separately in the wok and once cooked I place them in an individual bowl and cover. In my house I cook the proteins in the following order, chicken, beef and then the prawns last. I have to do it in this order as I have a family member who is allergic to prawns, but you can do it however it suits you and your household.
As I am placing all of these yummy foods on the table, (Nah, who’s kidding? I get the kids or grandkids to do it if we are having a big family feast) I am reheating the Thai red curry soup to near boiling and draining the vermicelli noodles. Once all of this is done, I place the last items on the table and we all start eating.
Coconut Products such as Coconut Milk and Cream contain Medium Chain Triglycerides - MCT - which have been shown to have many health benefits.
Some of the family like everything, others do not. Some of us are vegetarians and others not, and one has an allergy to prawns. But with this one meal I can please everyone and allow for each different way of eating. The grand kids love the way they can take control of their food and they feel very grown up having the choice of what they can eat. And because this meal is very hydrating, there is no cups of drink on the table that might get knocked over whilst reaching for food.
This wonderful meal is visually splendid with all the colors of the vegies laid out in all their bowls on the table. It is very satisfying and hydrating, it has a wonderful smell and a great sound and feel as you crunch on the vegies in the warm soup. And the fat of the coconut cream and the carbohydrates in the noodles, satisfies the biggest hunger. Everyone gets up from the table feeling as though they have had a great meal, shared with wonderful company.
As a side note, we all love crunchy vegies, but if your family doesn’t, there is nothing to stop you cooking them for a bit before you serve them on the table. And of course if you want to use a green curry paste or a laksa paste as your soup base, the choice is yours. Why not experiment?
One last thing and that is, the Japanese people do not sit around all day in front of a screen whether it be a computer one or the television. They choose to meditate or go for a walk instead of sitting still.
Rajio Taisou ~ It’s the Japanese Form of Exercise and There are Videos!
Did you know that there is a daily exercise in Japan is called ‘rajio taisou’? This literally means “radio exercise”. Most Japanese wake up to a five to ten minute exercise routine that closely resembles calisthenics. The same exercise routine is often done in school and at work during the mid afternoon as well. I believe there are three different routines, but for now I have included links to the first set of exercises in case you are interested.
This first video is in Japanese and the video quality itself is not very good, but I thought for the sake of authenticity is worth including with the others. Here are the four versions I could find of the first exercise routine.
This version is in Japanese. To view the video, simply press on the image.
This video shows all three versions of "rajio taisou" ie Original, Hard and X-Treme.
For those of you who are ComiCon Fans, this one's for YOU!
And look what else I found - definitely a sign of the times we are all experiencing.
Have you found other Shoku Iku Principals that I have not mentioned here? Or even developed a Shoku Iku meal that works for you?
Why not share this and other aspects of Shoku Iku on this specially dedicated facebook page? Simply press on the facebook image and I will see you over there.
