Losing weight: The (super easy) Japanese way

Last month, I was introduced to a super-special lose-weight-as-you-eat dish. Called konjac, it’s a Japanese root vegetable that’s incredibly low in calories – 3 calories per 100 grams (considering 100 grams of cucumber have 10 calories, this is really, really low).

It’s completely gluten and wheat-free. And when you mix it with a little water, konjac transforms into a gel-like substance that traps fats, sugars and other toxins. Plus, it’s the highest natural source of natural dietary fiber, which makes it quite filling. It’s for all these reasons that konjac has long been known as a ‘broom for the stomach’ in its native Japan.


What does this all add up to? The best 1-2-3 diet punch one could ask for!

How to have konjac for weight loss

Konjac is available in several different forms, including a tofu-like block, flour, jelly and supplements. However, the most popular (and easiest) form of konjac is shirataki or konnyaku noodles – clear, thin noodles that have a rubbery texture.

Unlike regular dried noodles, they come packaged in a watery liquid. All you need to do is drain the noodles and rinse them under cold water. Then blanch them in a pot of boiling water for a couple of minutes; drain well and you’re all set!

But what I like best is that konjac is pretty tasteless, so you can mix in an assortment of flavorings and really make the dish your own without worrying about the calories. I prefer to have the konnyaku noodles in a soup, where they acquire the broth’s own flavour and mix in seamlessly. Just make sure to cook them in the soup’s stock for some time (I add them in right at the beginning), so that the flavours mingle perfectly.

Have you ever tried konjac? In what form? And what’s your lose-the-excess-pounds food? Spill!