Health

The American obsession with “Fat Free” or “Low Fat” products underscores the problem with mainstream dieting practices. Stuffing your body with factory-produced foods regardless of what the labeling on the box says is not the best approach to a fit and healthy life. Savvy corporations have taken marketing to new low levels and redefined...
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Who can possibly forget the hugely popular series of Budweiser beer commercials from a few years back? In one of the commercials, a young couple sits ordering sushi at a Japanese restaurant when suddenly the male companion begins mimicking the waiter’s pronunciation of “wasabi”. “Wasaaaabi!” he says much to the annoyance of his date. It seems...
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It’s always interesting when a publication puts out a “Best of” list. Rolling Stone magazine recently published a list of the Top 100 Guitarist, and it wasn’t long before the experts started tearing the list apart complaining that there’s no way Duane Allman (number 2) could be better than Jimmy Page (number 9). Duane...
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Though the original idea behind FitLifeJapan was to share the secrets of Japanese health and beauty with an English speaking audience, we understand that many of our readers may wish to try some of the unique products we feature in our articles. To satisfy that need, we’re happy to announce the opening of the...
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What lives an average of 86.44 years and looks great doing it? If you guessed Japanese women, you guess correctly. The Latest Japanese health ministry report has announced that Japanese women have claimed the title of longest living humans on earth for the 25th straight year in 2009. Japanese men dropped from 4th to...
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On June 1st, I set off on my bicycle from the Pacific coast of Hamamatsu Japan towards the snowy peaks of the Japanese Alps. My travel companions, Lowell and Mark stuffed a week’s supply of clothing into their bicycle panniers and together we rode with the Sea of Japan as our final destination. Besides...
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The average visitor to Japan would not be blamed if he thought that there were more bicycles in Japan than there were people. Everyone seems to cycle. From the young mother with a baby in tow, to the ninety year old granny rushing on her bike to meet her friends for a round of...
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As part of our effort to understand what lies behind Japanese longevity and fitness, we will profile both regular and outstanding Japanese people and learn what they do to keep themselves fit and healthy. Today we look at a former professional boxer and learn that turning 41 doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Yasuei...
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The online version of Women’s Health Magazine recently published a slide show demonstrating which foods are best to order when eating at a Japanese restaurant. Not surprisingly the writers advise us to steer clear of fried foods (tempura) and anything covered in sugar. I found the suggestions interesting in that they represent what passes...
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Living with someone for nearly two decades you grow tuned to his or her bio patterns. You begin to understand which seasons affect them worst, how many colds they get during the winter months and other idiosyncrasies related to their health. With Mari, it’s always been a challenge for me to know when she...
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