They say that ‘we are what we eat’ and while you can’t take this saying too literally, when you chip away at the surface and delve a little deeper, it actually makes a great deal more sense than a lot of people realize.

Basically, that saying is trying to convey the importance of eating healthily and prioritizing healthy, fresh, and nutritious produce over unhealthy processed junk food.

When we think of healthy eating, we think of your stereotypical healthy foods such as salads, boiled vegetables, oats, wraps, grilled chicken and other bland and uninspiring dishes. Sure, these foods are good for you, but Asian ingredients are often overlooked, despite the fact that they are healthy and nutritious, packed full of flavour, and even more accessible today for many-a beauty regime.

Asian cuisine can be rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other nutrients, plus it’s also naturally lower in saturated and trans fats too. But there’s more to it than just these, here are some health and beauty benefits of Asian cuisine you may not have known.

Asian ingredients are crammed full of nutrients

One reason why so many Asian people have such healthy, flawless, youthful, and radiant complexions is the fact that their everyday diets are typically full of ingredients, from ginger to goji berries, which are bursting with nutrients.

Asian diets consist of ingredients rich in antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber. These nutrients not only help to strengthen the immune system and promote optimal health from within, but they’re also great from an aesthetic standpoint too.

The antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals in many Asian ingredients help promote the regeneration of healthy skin cells, prevent oxidative stress and damage to skin cells, boost collagen production, and give the skin a healthy glow.

Asian cuisine is consumed in the right ratios

One of the main reasons why obesity in the Western world is so prevalent, is down to portion control. The typical Westerner will consume oversized portions per meal, not to mention the fact that the typical western diet is lacking in nutrients, which in turn can take its toll on a person’s health along with their complexion.

In many parts of Asia, however, meals are consumed in a 3:1 ratio. This means that for each meal vegetables consumed will be 3 times the amounts compared with the amount of meat.

This ratio is ideal as it gives a healthy balance of all three macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates, and fats) along with a healthy amount of micronutrients (vitamins and minerals found in the vegetables).

Such a composition is not only filling, it also provides more than enough of your recommended minimum daily intake for these very nutrients.

Asian cuisine is typically low in fat

While we understand that some healthy fats are essential, a typical Westernized diet can be too high in fats, especially unhealthy saturated and trans fats.

Asian cuisine places an emphasis on foods which are naturally lower in fats, and are virtually free from unhealthy saturated and trans fats. The foods which are consumed, e.g., nuts and oily fish, contain essential fatty acids and good fats which are good for the heart and great for the complexion too.

What’s more, fat intakes are kept to a minimum, so you only consume the good fats that you need, which makes Asian cuisine great for weight management and calorie control.

Most Asian cuisine is low in meat and dairy

Now, don’t get us wrong, in moderation, meat and dairy have been found to be beneficial for the human body, but in excess they can have the opposite effect.

Excess meat and/or dairy consumption can have inflammatory effects on the body, which can lead to chronic illness, pain and discomfort, food intolerances, and premature aging and cellular degradation.

One reason why Asian cuisine is considered to be so healthy and beneficial however, is the fact that it is typically lower in meat and dairy ingredients, proving just enough to provide your body with what it needs, without being high enough to risk any detrimental side effects.

Asian cuisine is tasty and can be simple to prepare

One of the main downsides to healthy eating in the Western world is that preparing healthy meals which actually taste nice can be quite a complex procedure, not to mention expensive.

Most dishes consumed as part of everyday life in parts of Asia, however, are bursting full of dynamic flavours, despite being incredibly simple to prepare.

Whether you’re tucking into stir fried vegetables and noodles, or chicken and mushroom soup, the seasonings, the spices, the herbs, and the ingredients just give these dishes heaps of flavour in no time at all. Not to mention how nourishing they are too!

You can even enjoy delicious healthy Asian cuisine raw, case in point sashimi, which is rich in protein, healthy fats, amino acids, and minerals, while being packed full of flavour.

Final thoughts

As you can see, Asian cuisine isn’t simply one of the tastiest cuisines on the face of the earth, it also happens to be one of the healthiest too.

There are countless health benefits associated with consuming foods such as ginseng, lemongrass, goji berries, and much more besides and it is no coincidence that individuals who consume these foods as part of everyday life, tend to live longer (just check out life expectancies for Okinawa, Japan if you don’t believe us).

Put simply, if you want to enjoy a youthful complexion with a greater chance of longevity and optimal health, be sure to include plenty of ingredients in your diet that form everyday dietary staples in parts of Asia and the Far East.

References:
https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=86574