The okinawa way.

It's pretty self evident that the fresh fish and veg they eat is better than the processed garbage we eat in the west. But do approach these "geographical diet" books with a grain of salt - you're not Okinawan, while you have broadly the same genetics (i.e. you're a human being) there are surprisingly large geographical differences in how certain peoples respond to certain foods. You've also got to remember that there's a lot more than just food that differs in the Okinawan lifestyle. A thousand other factors - from their activity level, to their environment and stress levels and cultural modes of thinking and medicines - all play a part in longevity.

If you look at all the geographical diet books overall, the common pattern that emerges is always the same - eat more fruit and veg and move more. That's pretty much it.

Genetics dont really come into this equation as studies have shown that Okinawans moving to the US and adopting a US diet end up combating the same diseases as Americans. This is true of other emigrants too, so diet/lifestyle seem to play the biggest part.
Okinawans eat mainly a large amount of green/yellow vegetables such as sweet potato cooked in coconut milk and lower amounts of rice than other Japanese. They do eat a little fish and pork but hardly any dairy. Main mealtimes are breakfast and dinner with just fruit for lunch. Little or no sugar is consumed and fast food has in the main been unavailable but recent studies have shown that many Okinawans are starting to adopt a more "Western" diet which has resulted in more of the Western diseases being prevalent.

This whole diet confuses me as Okinawan cuisine includes a whole lot of pork dishes or fish dishes steeped in a spicy soy-ginger glaze (i.e., fat, salt, sugar). Pork is a big deal in Okinawa. I'd read up a bit more on this study before taking it at face value. Not saying it isn't healthy to eat lots of fish and vegetables because that's pretty much what I live on, but thinking that this book is the final word on "Okinawan nutrition" just sends up a big red flag with me because it forgets the pig and the lard. Honestly, from what I've read of this diet plan, it seems more like the diet of the people who live in the more mountainous regions of Japan, where fish comes from streams and vegetables are primarily mountain root vegetables, ferns, etc.

I happen to love Okinawan cuisine, but I don't eat it all that often because of the high fat and sugar content of a lot of dishes. But I could eat goya everyday if I could find it in my local food shop.