The Japanese are experts at crafting healthy and balanced plates. Highly mindful of their health, they always make sure not to overindulge in overly fatty or processed foods, aiming to avoid weight gain. There’s no need to exclude signature Japanese food like sushi and maki, which may not always be the best for maintaining a slim figure due to their high sugar content. For instance, in 100g of cooked vinegared rice, you’ll find the equivalent of 1 tablespoon of sugar. This “special sushi” rice actually has a glycemic index (GI) of 90, which is even higher than that of regular rice.

How to Minimize Blood Sugar Spikes?

To steer clear of blood sugar spikes that promote fat storage, the Japanese have a little trick of their own to mitigate the negative impact of such meals. As French biochemist Jessie Inchauspé explains in a video posted on Instagram, it involves completely reordering the meal. “The order in which you consume foods affects your blood sugar,” asserts the expert before continuing: “start with vegetables, then proteins and fats, and finally, carbohydrates and sugars.”

So, in a Japanese restaurant, it would mean starting with miso soup, followed by a bowl of vinegared rice, to avoid that blood sugar spike, which occurs approximately 1 hour after eating. Also, for those mindful of their figure, it seems wiser to opt for sashimi (slices of raw fish served without rice) rather than sushi or maki. As Top Santé points out, raw fish is an excellent source of “good” fats (omega 3, 6, and 9) that help reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases.