Okinawan
If you’ve arrived at our site, it’s likely you’ve heard of the Blue Zones - small communities, usually found in pristine parts of the world, where populations routinely live to be over 100 years old.
Could you be an Okinawan?
Tick anything that sounds like you. 0 of 5 so far.
These are common patterns, not a diagnosis. Your diet type is assigned from your genetic results. How we do it.
At a glance
Go-to breakfast: Natto over white rice and a plant protein smoothie.
Quick answers
Not on a regular basis.
No, not in the traditional sense. Okinawans are not a good candidate for keto diets, even plant based keto diets that rely heavily on monounsaturated fats like olive oil.
Nope.
Natto, a fermented Japanese soybean, is a staple of Okinawan cuisine, and if our Okinawans can stomach the odor and flavor, we say go for it! Really, all fermented foods can be on the menu for Okinawans, other than fermented dairy which is likely to cause digestive problems.
The metabolic muscle for Okinawans is in their ability to deal well with complex carbohydrates. In theory, this means they should be able to include some processed carbohydrates in their diet as well. However, no diet type will do well eating pretzels at every meal. Instead, Okinawans who have ruled out celiac and gluten sensitivity may be able to include some locally baked sourdough bread as part of their eating plan.
Biggest challenge
Making a plant based diet work for each individual Okinawan. The fat and carbohydrate metabolism scores indicate that Okinawans are best suited to a largely plant based diet. This means at least 5 days per week of vegetarian eating. However, the key for each Okinawan is to determine just how plant based they need to go for optimal health. In some cases, as when heart disease has already reared its head, this may mean a strict vegan diet. However, other Okinawans will find benefit from the addition of some fish and eggs a couple days a week.
Closest relative
Not quite you? The nearest type is Vegetarian. Both the Vegetarian and Okinawan diet types are plant based (but not plant exclusive) and both deal well with a diet rich in complex carbohydrates like the purple yams from Frieda’s. The main difference between these two diets is dairy and histamine. Okinawans are able to deal well with histamine, but are very likely to be lactose intolerant, so dairy is off the menu.
Explore other types
See all 20
Only your DNA can tell you.
A simple cheek swab reveals your diet type.