Yesterday, I wrote about healthy cuisine choices. Today, I want to explore more of these healthy alternatives to burgers, fries, and pizzas.
Japanese
Being in a military town, I know a lot of people that travel to and from Okinawa. Unfortunately, we don’t have any really authentic Okinawa restaurants here. That is too bad because Japanese food, especially that from Okinawa, is very healthy. Okinawans eat dishes rich in fruits and vegetables that help fight cancer. Helping the healthiness is that the dishes are usually prepared by light steam or by stir-frying. They also practice something called Hara Hachi – eat until you are 80 percent full. Oh, I definitely need to practice that more!
Italian
I love Italian, but I probably need to stray from my favorite recipes that include lots of cheese. Traditional Italian dishes contain tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, oregano, parsley, and basil – all great cancer fighting ingredients for staying healthy.
Mexican
Yes, Mexican can be healthy for you, but we have Americanized it so much, we’ve take out a lot of the healthy. Tons of cheese, chips, and flour tortillas aren’t the answer for eating healthy Mexican. However, the beans in a Mexican diet are wonderful for your health, as is tomato based sauces. The beans help digestion and so does fresh ground corn that you may find in many dishes. Both may also help prevent type 2 diabetes. Just remember to avoid the dip and you will be a lot better off.
Thai
I love Thai food, mainly for the spiciness of it. But, there is a Thai soup called Tom Yung Gung that is made with shrimp, coriander, lemongrass, ginger and assorted herbs that might just help fight cancer more than other antioxidants. Ginger helps digestion, turmeric is anti-inflammatory, and lemongrass has long been used by Asians to treat colds and stomachaches. The only thing you need to avoid is soups that have coconut milk bases because of the amount of saturated fat and calories.
And there you have it, several healthy cuisine options. So next time you are planning a night out, give a restaurant that specializes in one of these cuisines a try.