A week of (odd) Japanese food that (may) help you lose weight

Dieting is just as popular in Japan as it is in other countries, despite the low obesity rates and things there. Fad diets are very prevalent, as are a lot of dubious diet supplements (sapurimento). But if you look at traditional Japanese food, there are a lot of items that are naturally low in calories, carbs and glycemic indeces, high in fiber, and in some cases even have a lot of beneficial nutrients. These items are being looked at anew as weight loss aids in Japan, which is a great thing I think.

This week I'll describe some of these foods. They may seem odd to you if you're not Japanese (some more than others), but one thing is for sure - they have all been eaten for hundreds of years, if not longer, so they are likely not to kill you anyway. :)

Note: I've already described two foods here that are being touted nowadays as great diet foods: natto [1] (fermented soy beans), and okara [2] (the fibrous parts of the soy bean left over after making soy milk). I'll be talking a bit more about okara, but natto is such an 'acquired taste' that I'll let it be for now.

[Update:] Links to the entries:

• Konnyaku and shirataki [3] - almost zero calorie!
• Seaweed [4], yummy.
• Dried vegetables [5]