{"id":90860,"date":"2025-07-25T08:05:14","date_gmt":"2025-07-25T08:05:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/90860\/"},"modified":"2025-07-25T08:05:14","modified_gmt":"2025-07-25T08:05:14","slug":"what-the-worlds-healthiest-people-eat-and-the-diet-hacks-that-mean-you-can-do-it-too","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/90860\/","title":{"rendered":"What the world\u2019s healthiest people eat \u2013 and the diet hacks that mean you can do it too"},"content":{"rendered":"

In an age of 20-ingredient smoothies and mushroom powders with names that sound like Bond villains, it\u2019s easy to forget that some of the world\u2019s healthiest diets have existed for centuries \u2013 long before nutritional science<\/a> tried to isolate the magic. <\/p>\n

From the Mediterranean<\/a> to Japan<\/a>, Korea to Ethiopia<\/a>, many cultures have been quietly eating in ways that promote long life, good gut health<\/a> and better metabolic function. No protein<\/a> bars or fibre gummies in sight. Just real food<\/a>, mostly plants, made with care and eaten together. Radical, isn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n

But while these diets are often lauded as nutritional gold standards, it\u2019s not the specific ingredients that make them so remarkable \u2013 it\u2019s the pattern. The balance. The cultural rhythms that turn good meals into long lives. And according to a growing number of experts, there\u2019s a lot we can learn from these global plates, even if we\u2019re thousands of miles away.<\/p>\n

Japan: simplicity, structure and the microbiome<\/p>\n

A typical traditional Japanese meal is the antithesis of the Western plate. Think grilled fish, a bowl of rice, some pickled vegetables<\/a>, miso soup, tofu<\/a> and perhaps a little seaweed<\/a>. It\u2019s a masterclass in variety and moderation. And it\u2019s not just what\u2019s eaten, but how: small portions, slowly consumed, rarely late at night.<\/p>\n

\u201cStructured mealtimes, avoiding late-night eating and eating more slowly all support better metabolic health<\/a>,\u201d says Professor Sarah Berry, nutritional scientist at King\u2019s College London and chief scientist for the ZOE health study<\/a>. \u201cA regular eating rhythm helps align food intake with our body\u2019s internal clocks, and allowing time between meals gives the gut and metabolic system time to rest and reset.\u201d<\/p>\n

Japanese cuisine also prioritises fermentation<\/a> \u2013 miso, natto, pickles \u2013 long celebrated for their microbiome<\/a>-supporting benefits. While not everyone is rushing to embrace slimy soybeans at breakfast, the principle stands: diversity, restraint and timing matter.<\/p>\n

\"Small<\/p>\n

open image in gallery<\/p>\n

Small portions, slowly eaten, rarely late at night \u2013 the traditional Japanese way is as much about how you eat as what you eat (Getty\/iStock)<\/p>\n

Soy, too, has faced its share of controversy. \u201cFor a time, it was thought that soy products could increase the risk of hormone-related cancers, particularly breast cancer<\/a> in women,\u201d says nutritionist Rhiannon Lambert. <\/p>\n

\u201cHowever, high-quality studies have shown that moderate soy intake from traditional sources like tofu, tempeh, and miso is not only safe but may actually reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence and may also support heart health<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mediterranean: the most studied diet in the world<\/p>\n

It\u2019s been name-checked by everyone from the NHS to Netflix, but the Mediterranean diet<\/a> has the receipts to back it up. Centred on vegetables, legumes, wholegrains, olive oil, fish and moderate amounts of dairy and wine<\/a>, it\u2019s been linked to everything from heart health to lower inflammation.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a fair amount of fat in the Mediterranean diet \u2013 olive oil, oily fish, even full-fat dairy \u2013 but that\u2019s no reason to fear it. In fact, much of what makes this way of eating so beneficial comes down to the type of fat it favours.<\/p>\n

\u201cOver the years, fats have been unnecessarily demonised,\u201d says Berry. But, \u201cwithout good quality fats, our bodies couldn\u2019t function.\u201d <\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

open image in gallery<\/p>\n

The Mediterranean diet has the receipts to back up its reputation as the healthiest diet in the world (Getty\/iStock)<\/p>\n

\u201cPerhaps the best-known \u2018good\u2019 fats are omega-3s, which are found in high amounts in oily fish.\u201d Meanwhile, \u201cmonounsaturated fats, like those in olive oil, vegetable oils, nuts and seeds, are also healthy fats.\u201d<\/p>\n

The fats to watch out for, and which many of these diets naturally avoid, are saturated fats from animal-based foods. \u201cConsuming large amounts of these fats is linked to increased heart disease<\/a> risk,\u201d she says, and \u201cmany heavily processed foods also contain saturated fats.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lambert adds that while we do need to be mindful of saturated fat intake and ensure it doesn\u2019t exceed recommended limits, \u201cemerging evidence suggests that full-fat dairy, such as milk, yoghurt and cheese, does not increase cardiovascular disease risk and may even be protective when consumed as part of a balanced diet.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ethiopia: high fibre, low fuss<\/p>\n

While less frequently name-dropped in Western health circles, Ethiopia\u2019s traditional plate deserves a place in this conversation. Injera, a fermented flatbread made from teff flour, is the base for a meal of spiced lentils, stewed greens and split peas. It\u2019s affordable, packed with fibre and plant protein and naturally gluten-free. Plus, it tastes phenomenal.<\/p>\n

\n

Emerging evidence suggests that full-fat dairy, such as milk, yoghurt and cheese, does not increase cardiovascular disease risk and may even be protective when consumed as part of a balanced diet<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Rhiannon Lambert, nutritionist<\/p>\n

\u201cTraditional diets built around whole foods like these are naturally nutrient-dense,\u201d says nutritionist Rob Hobson. \u201cThey provide fibre, slow-releasing carbohydrates<\/a>, healthy fats and a wide range of protective phytonutrients that support everything from heart health to blood sugar control.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you eat like this regularly, you\u2019re fuelling your body with what it genuinely needs to thrive.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fibre, he says, is the real unsung hero. \u201cIt is linked to so many positive health benefits,\u201d he says, but \u201cintakes are low [in the UK] \u2013 benefits include reduced risk of heart disease, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes<\/a>, colorectal cancer, as well as helping to manage appetite and body weight<\/a> through their satiating effects.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can also throw gut health in there, too, as different fibres help with different areas of gut health, like feeding the bacteria in your microbiome and keeping you regular.\u201d<\/p>\n

Berry agrees: \u201cIt\u2019s sensible to focus more on plant diversity as they do in traditional diets: although the shelves are stocked with high-protein products, the nutrient that around 90 per cent of people in the UK and US are deficient in is fibre, which we get from fruit and veg. <\/p>\n

\u201cUpping fibre intake will support almost all aspects related to health.\u201d<\/p>\n

The blue zones: beans, simplicity and longevity<\/p>\n

Dan Buettner, the man who popularised the concept of \u201cblue zones\u201d \u2013 regions where people live the longest and healthiest lives \u2013 has spent years studying places like Okinawa, Ikaria and Sardinia. What ties them together isn\u2019t just centenarians, it\u2019s a superfood. It\u2019s beans. And simplicity.<\/p>\n

\u201cAcross all five blue zones, we found strikingly similar dietary patterns,\u201d says Buettner. \u201cThe foundation is what I call a \u2018plant slant\u2019, around 90 to 95 per cent of what people eat comes from whole, plant-based foods. That includes beans, greens, whole grains, nuts, seeds and seasonal vegetables.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Beans,<\/p>\n

open image in gallery<\/p>\n

Beans, lentils and pulses are the quiet MVPs of longevity (Getty\/iStock)<\/p>\n

These foods, he says, are nutritional powerhouses, rich in fibre, packed with plant protein and loaded with phytochemicals and antioxidants that lower inflammation and combat oxidative stress, both key drivers of chronic disease and ageing. \u201cTake beans, for example,\u201d he says. \u201cThey\u2019re inexpensive, versatile and provide a perfect combination of nutrients<\/a> that support both gut and brain health.\u201d<\/p>\n

And here\u2019s the real secret: they also taste good. \u201cTaste is the number one driver of long-term healthy eating,\u201d Buettner believes. \u201cYou could discover a vegetable that adds 20 years to your life, but if people don\u2019t like the way it tastes, they\u2019re not going to eat it.\u201d The genius of blue zone diets is that they feature simple, humble ingredients that have been refined over generations into meals people actually want to eat, day after day. <\/p>\n

\u201cMeat is eaten sparingly, often as a celebratory food, maybe once a week,\u201d he adds, and \u201cthere\u2019s almost no processed food, little to no added sugar, very little cows\u2019 dairy and meals are made from scratch.\u201d<\/p>\n

They cook at home. They rarely snack. Meals are slow and social. \u201cThese people didn\u2019t think of their diet as \u2018healthy\u2019; they ate this way because it was affordable, delicious and embedded in their culture,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd it\u2019s that pattern, simple, plant-forward meals, that consistently supports long lives free of chronic disease.\u201d<\/p>\n

Why don\u2019t we all eat like this already?<\/p>\n

Because, says Hobson, while these diets offer an aspirational model, the reality is often more complicated. \u201cWhat all these diets have in common is that they are made up of whole and minimally processed foods and we know from research that these countries consume less UPFs than the UK \u2013 this has a lot to do with the fact they have strong food cultures that revolve around home cooking, eating together, specific types of foods and buying local produce.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Ultra-processed<\/p>\n

open image in gallery<\/p>\n

Ultra-processed foods are engineered for convenience, but the long-term trade-offs are far harder to digest (Getty\/iStock)<\/p>\n

But in the UK, he says, these traditions aren\u2019t as embedded. \u201cOften it requires time, cooking skills and the budget to buy fresh local produce, which comes at a premium here.\u201d<\/p>\n

You can adopt these principles quite easily without overhauling your life, however, Hobson says. \u201cYou don\u2019t need to start fermenting your own miso or baking injera. A good place to start would be introducing some more whole foods into your daily diet, like beans and lentils, switching to just using olive oil like in the Med, going plant-based once a week or eating more fresh fish.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese swaps are accessible at most supermarkets<\/a> and can be incorporated into familiar meals,\u201d he says. \u201cYou can add beans and lentils to basically any dish!\u201d<\/p>\n

He\u2019s not anti-convenience, but warns that ultra-processed foods, which now make up over half of the average British diet, come with hidden costs.<\/p>\n

\u201cUPFs tend to be high in salt, sugar and unhealthy fats, but low in the nutrients that support long-term health,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

The issue isn\u2019t just the nutritional profile either. \u201cUPFs are often designed to be hyper-palatable, making it easier to overeat, and they don\u2019t support gut health in the same way as fibre-rich whole foods. Likely it\u2019s an accumulation of these factors together that does the most harm.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

You also don\u2019t need to stick to just one traditional diet \u2013 why not just pick out the best bits that are most achievable for you?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Rob Hobson, nutritionist<\/p>\n

So what can we do?<\/p>\n

Rather than trying to replicate these diets perfectly, Hobson suggests we treat them as inspiration. \u201cYou also don\u2019t need to stick to just one traditional diet \u2013 why not just pick out the best bits that are most achievable for you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShifting towards more home-cooked, simple meals using basic ingredients is one of the most powerful things you can do to improve your health and it doesn\u2019t have to be complicated or expensive,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not about striving for perfection or completely overhauling the way you eat overnight, says Lambert. \u201cA much more realistic and sustainable approach is to focus on small, consistent changes that help you include more whole and minimally processed foods across the week.\u201d<\/p>\n

She recommends building your meals around vegetables, legumes and pulses, aiming for colour, texture and variety on your plate, including good-quality sources of protein like lentils, chickpeas, tofu, eggs<\/a>, fish or a moderate amount of lean meat, and incorporating more unrefined wholegrains such as oats, brown rice and wholemeal bread.<\/p>\n

Buettner agrees: \u201cCook at home and make beans the star of your plate. That one shift alone could add years to your life.\u201d And, making a habit of preparing one or two plant-based meals a week will \u201csave money, lower your disease risk and start reshaping your taste preferences\u201d.<\/p>\n

If that sounds a bit much, Berry offers perhaps the most realistic starting point: eat in a consistent pattern, eat slowly and eat more fibre. <\/p>\n

All that to say, sometimes the oldest advice is still the best.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In an age of 20-ingredient smoothies and mushroom powders with names that sound like Bond villains, it\u2019s easy…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":90861,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[210,1182,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-90860","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nutrition","8":"tag-health","9":"tag-nutrition","10":"tag-united-states","11":"tag-unitedstates","12":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/114912842541874242","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90860","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=90860"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90860\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/90861"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=90860"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=90860"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=90860"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}