How to Lose Weight on Sushi

From its humble beginnings as a fish-preservation strategy, sushi's evolution has taken it into gastronomy's most hallowed realms. Besides the virtues of its aesthetic appeal, calorie-counting aficionados will be glad to learn that sushi meals can be a powerful tool in a weight-loss arsenal --- if approached correctly.

Instructions

• 1

  Order extra sea vegetables. Sushi's traditional wrapping, nori, is cultivated seaweed, and kombu --- another sea vegetable --- makes an appearance in many of the miso soup recipes also served in a traditional sushi meal. Sea vegetables are low-calorie, protein-rich and high in vitamins and trace minerals. Weight-conscious sushi aficionados will find that seaweed's many antioxidants boost fat metabolism, and its high-quality fiber contributes to a feeling of fullness. As a bonus, sea veggies' essential fatty acids (EFAs) promote smooth, beautiful skin.

• 2

  Order a second cup of miso soup. A Penn State University study found that test subjects who consumed a hearty portion of light soup before a meal ate 26 percent less during the subsequent meal than people who did not.

• 3

  Flout tradition, and make your sushi with fiber-rich brown rice or with no rice at all. Because the lion's share of sushi's caloric load is in fiber-poor white rice, finding a way to work waist-whittling fiber into the mix or work around it entirely can prove effective in making sushi diet-friendly.

• 4

  Avoid "fusion rolls" like the plague, no matter how tempting they look. Fusion rolls are often packed with cream cheese, mayonnaise toppings and tempura-fried fillings. Keep your sushi strictly traditional, and you'll avoid the fat-laden extras that westernized sushi chefs have added to the mix.

• 5

  Go heavy on the vegetables. When you order out, ask the chef to get creative with vegetarian rolls. Sushi that's veggie-based is always lower in calories than fish-based versions, and the fiber will fill you up faster. Experiment with combinations that include traditional Japanese fermented vegetables such as natto, umezuke and umeboshi for an extra digestive boost.

• 6

  Load up on condiments. Daikon, the bird's nest of shaved white radish often served alongside sushi, is a powerful detoxifier that both promotes healthy weight and protects against cancer risk. Ginger is used to spark metabolism in Ayurvedic medicine, and a single teaspoon of the shaved root has similar antioxidant levels as one cup of spinach.

• 7

  Drink green tea like it's going out of style. According to the University of Maryland, caffeinated green tea might turbocharge metabolism and help your body burn fat. One study confirmed that the combination of green tea and caffeine aided overweight test subjects to both lower and maintain their body weight. Green tea's fat-burning power is often attributed to its high level of polyphenols.