That's Fit

Each week, we'll be naming a Super Food and offering unique ways to use those Super Foods that pack nutritional power. After all, you are what you eat -- make it count!

A self-confessed sushi addict, I love heading to my favourite Japanese restaurant when I'm hungry. Their sushi is fresh and fantastic, but that's not the only draw: The meals all come with a steaming bowl of Miso soup. Now, I've heard that Miso soup is a bit of an acquired taste, but I love it; salty, a bit tangy, satisfying and the best part? It's really low in calories. We're talking 80 calories or less in a cup of soup.

But Miso is more than soup. This Japanese ingredient is used in a number of delicious dishes. Now, don't be grossed out or anything, but Miso is actually a fermented soybean paste with the consistency of nut butter. It has a delicate, light taste that makes it a welcome addition to many dishes.

Kinoki Detox Foot Pads claim to remove your cellulite through a pad you tape to the bottom of your foot while you sleep. When you awaken, it will be covered with icky brown junk -- these are the toxins your body needs to eliminate (apparently in the same way a tree eliminates toxins through its roots). In addition to removing cellulite, they are supposed to cure headaches, depression, and insomnia by helping your body detox through "Kinoki's Natural Power of Nature."

I'm not convinced. Not at all.

While there might be some merit in the ancient Japanese (or Chinese, depending on whether you're watching the infomercial or reading the website) secrets upon which these are based, they're not going to remove cellulite. This is one product I won't be spending my hard-earned cash on -- I'd rather use it toward a new set of running shoes or a healthy meal, both of which are more likely to yield real results.

12 "healthy" foods that really aren't:

Why? Click to find out!

Americans eat out on average four to five times per week, says a survey conducted in 2000. Once a special treat, going out to eat is now routine, which makes it more important than ever that we're careful about what we consume. Keep these guidelines in mind when enjoying your favorite cuisines.

Italian

• Don't go overboard on portions that come with the names pesto, creamy tomato, alfredo, carbonera, pancetta, sausage, pepperoni, parmigiana, stuffed, or frito -- this means fried.
• Cut down on your servings of pasta dishes stuffed with cheese, like manicotti and lasagna. Instead choose noodles with a sprinkling of cheese.
  

Chinese

• Watch out for sauces. They are generally low in fat but high in sodium or sugar. Examples are: Black bean, hoisin, oyster, plum, and sweet and sour.
• Steer away from the words fried, crispy, or golden brown. It means the food has been battered and fried. Think egg rolls, egg foo young, spring rolls, pot stickers, won tons, and sesame noodles and you'll know what I mean.
• Beware of MSG (monosodium glutamate), a flavor enhancer that may come with sensitivity issues. Ask for your food to be prepared without this additive.
  

Japanese

• Minimize your sodium intake by passing on some of these: Miso, soy sauce, and teriaki. Try balancing these items with a lot of fruits, veggies, and water.
• Be mindful of the amount of cream cheese, avocado, and fried foods that are packed into your sushi rolls.
  

Mexican

• Choose your sides wisely. Most Mexican meals automatically come with chips, beans, rice, and tortillas. Forgo some and pick only what you really love.
• Order a side salad instead of either rice or beans for added nutrition and fiber.
• Take black or pinto beans over the refried variety -- these are higher in fat and some restaurants still use lard when preparing them.
• Use salsa and pico de gallo -- they are loaded with nutrients -- to add flavor without adding fat.
  

The ultimate in lazy health devices: a machine that doesn't even require you to stand or sit up in order to measure your body fat. Tanita Corporation has invented what it's calling "a world first" (I have no idea if that's true) in the form of a machine that can measure a person's body fat from a completely reclined position. It's designed for the morbidly obese and people with disabilities or limitations that make it difficult to reposition -- and in those cases it really is a good thing. Plus for the rest of us it's a nice option to have instead of, say, the water tank method of calculating body fat.

The Japanese are notorious for being slim and healthy. This is often credited to a diet rich in veggies and fish and low in sweets and fat. But as our sibling blog Gadling tells us, there's another key to the Japanese waistline: No-calorie Jello. Japanese women and girls who are looking to shed pounds will eat this jelly instead of a meal. And this jelly is easy to come by -- it's available in convenience stores throughout the country.

Jello can be a great thing to eat if you're trying to lose weight--it's a low-cal dessert that's great at satisfying a sweet tooth--but there's no way that eating it as a meal is healthy. Your body needs calories to keep going. Looks like whoever came up with this idea has found a way to make money off of eating disorders. Ick.

What do you think?

The Japanese always seem to be at the forefront of technology, so it's no surprise that they've devised some ways to incorporate fitness into gadgets we use every day. Take the Japanese Fitness Phone, for example -- it's a phone that can measure your heart rate, act as a pedometer by counting your steps, and dish out fitness and nutrition advice.Guess what else it can do? I can tell you if you have bad breath. Just breath into it and it will tell you whether you're a-ok for that business meeting or whether you need gum or a mint pronto.

The fitness phone is aimed at the middle-aged working men of Japan -- and it's sure to be a hit since men in Japan have been getting larger over the last few years.

What do you think of weight loss and technology -- A good combination or no?

The world as a whole seems to get bigger and bigger, and people in Japan are no exception. Well, half of them are anyway. The male half.

That's right -- studies are showing that as men in Japan get heavier and become closer to obesity, the women of Japan are staying slim and even getting slimmer on average as the years go by. In the past few decade, women on average have lost 2 kg (4.4 lb), while men have gained 4 kg (8.8 lb.)

The reason behind these changes? Women are becoming more aware of the benefits of exercise, while men are working longer hours and socializing for work more.

We all want good skin, and we've all heard of countless different ways to go about getting it, but sitting in an enormous bowl of Ramen noodle soup? That's a new one.

A Japanese spa is offering just that: the opportunity to dip yourself in noodles to get a healthier glow. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending how you look at it!) it's not real noodles (just noodle-shaped spa treatments) but it is real broth. The pork-based broth contains collagen, hence the skin-enhancing benefits.

The treatment costs about $29 -- would you do it? I think I'll pass, and save my Ramen noodles for meals only.


Via Luxury Launches

Here's an ingenious suggestion from Working On My Fitness -- use Bento Boxes for portion control. Bento boxes -- those cute Japanese eating 'plates' that have little compartments for each part of your meal -- would be ideal if you're trying to follow the food pyramid. Put your veggies in the largest compartment, your grains in the second largest and your protein in the smallest. There might even be room for a small (healthy) dessert.

What's great about this idea is that you can't just heap your plate full of food like you can with regular plates. And your meal doesn't have to Japanese to use the Bento box, but it can't hurt since Japanese food is one of the healthiest cuisines out there.

So what would go in your Bento box?

Japan has some of the longest lifespans in the world. And while this is a sign that they are healthier on average than the rest of the world, longer lifespans are putting a strain on the healthcare system in Japan.

New studies are showing that spending on healthcare in Japan is lower than in US, and there just aren't enough resources to keep up with the needs of patients, so many of whom are elderly. And the result? Doctors and other healthcare professionals are cutting corners where ever they can -- yikes! Apparently longevity isn't always a good thing, at least as far as the healthcare system is concerned. Still, a country whose patients are just too healthy is far better off than one in which people would rather die young than eat healthy.

Physically interactive games are all the rage lately, with the most common examples belonging to the Nintendo Wii game system. But pretending to swing a golf club and play the guitar are one thing while arm wrestling in a Japanese arcade with the "Arm Spirit" game is something else altogether -- you could end up with a broken arm.

Game makers insist that the mechanical arm players "wrestle" with quote "isn't that strong," but they still can't explain how 3 different players ended up with broken arms. They're recalling the 150 "Arm Spirits" from arcades around Japan to check them for malfunctions, although a rep says "We think that maybe some players get overexcited and twist their arms in an unnatural way."

Yikes. Did they get their quarters back?

The Japanese seem to go in extremes when it comes to weight -- they're either very slender or they're a Sumo wrestler. It seems like you rarely see a 'mildly chubby' person from Japan. So what's their secret (for the skinny, not the sumo)? According to this article it's probably these 5 things:

• In Japan more people walk or ride their bikes to get around, and few drive. Natural, built-in exercise.
• The Japanese eat more fish than any other culture. Sushi, of course, but also many other types of cooked fish and seafood.
• Tofu is a staple of most Japanese diets and it's been shown to reduce risk of heart disease and cancer.
  
• People eat slower in Japan. Partially it's the culture, and partially it's the chopsticks, but it serves the purpose of giving the brain time to realize the stomach is full before they overeat.
• People in Japan generally eat more fresh vegetables, and less canned and frozen ones. They also eat more vegetables overall than Americans (and other cultures).

Via Fitsugar

At the office the other day I was talking with a co-worker about the kind of crap I used to eat at the mall when I was a teenager. Cinnabuns with extra icing (the entire bun) and poutine (a French-Canadian specialty that consists of fries covered in cheese and gravy -- trust me, don't knock it until you tried it because it's indescribably delicious) were always the order of the day. I finished my end of the chat with the statement "no wonder I was so chubby in Jr. High".

I tend to avoid mall food altogether now but when I do need to grab a bite from the food court, I skip the fries and sugary stuff and stick to the healthy options that are available. These days there's way more variety with wraps, soups, sandwiches, salads and more on offer at most shopping centers.

As this article points out, lots different cultures are represented these days including Mexican, Greek, Italian, Chinese and Japanese. If you're willing to skip the fried stuff, ask for dressing on the side, opt for whole-wheat rather than white bread and avoid extra sauces like mayo and ketchup, you can cut calories while still consuming healthy veggies and protein. For ideas on the best items to order at the food fair, take a look here.

Remember this thing? It made me seriously consider the unhealthy influence that the American diet has over the once-healthy eating habits of other countries. Now I'm even more convinced that the Japanese are on the slippery path to deep-fried gluttony that North America slid down many moons ago because of this: Mayo Margaritas.

Wait, that's not all. Mayo is taking Japan by storm and is now served in or alongside fondue, cocktail weiners, fried chicken, soba noodles, cocktails, tempura -- you name it. Aside from the occasional blot of mayo on a sushi role, I can't see mayo being a tasty addition to Japanese cuisine, but they love it. Those who are especially fond of mayo even have their own nickname: Mayolers.

They certainly could have picked a healthier item to be crazy about -- mayonnaise is notoriously high in calories and fat. But I suppose it's the creaminess that makes it craze-worthy, and creamy seems to go hand-in-hand with fat and calories. Still, I'm not going to become a Mayoler anytime soon. Are you?

The Japanese are known for coming up with one crazy invention after another, and here's one more: Coin-operated fitness machines. They're popping up in convenicen stores around Japan, according to Fitsugar.

In all fairness, it's not that much of a workout. It's called conbini fitness, and it entails holding your balance while footpads move and vibrate. Apparently, it give you an aerobic workout, though I can't see how. Still, I doubt I'll be hopping on one any time soon -- I'd rather pay a monthly fee at the gym than $4 per 10 minutes. How about you?