Garden Tomatoes

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 the truthiness of food labeling. Take for example Mazola’s Pure Cooking Spray with extra virgin olive oil. The label says for “Fat Free Cooking”. How can olive oil be Fat Free? How can any oil be fat free? That’s like “dry water”. A careful look at the back of the cooking spray can reveals the truth behind advertising. Though Mazola claims that their product has zero calories per serving, you need to understand what Mazola defines as “a serving”. In this case, a serving equals to ¼ of a second spray! That amounts to less than a quarter of a gram of oil. And since government guidelines allow food manufacturers to round off numbers less than half a gram, Mazola can claim that there are ZERO calories per serving when it fact it isn’t zero. Who in reality uses cooking oil spray for less than ¼ of a second anyway? Silly right? I mention the Mazola case to highlight the fact that food manufacturing corporations go out of their way to make unhealthy food appear wholesome. In the latest online issue of Men’s Health, the editors list 11 Secrets the Food Industry Doesn’t Want You to Know. Among the nasty little secrets is the fact that Keebler’s Reduced Fat Club Crackers actually contain 33% more carbs than the original. Or that the “Diabetes Friendly” logo on the box of Kellogg’s Cornflakes fails to mention that researchers have shown that cornflakes raise blood glucose faster and to a greater extent than straight table sugar. Let’s not forget that high blood glucose is the primary symptom of diabetes.

Japanese families are not immune to the allure of processed foods. In this country supermarket aisles brim with colorful packages of instant curry flavored noodles and snacks loaded with sodium and preservatives. Fortunately most Japanese homemakers still prepare their meals using fresh unprocessed items. The Japanese culture places a lot of importance on the freshness and quality of food, so though processed foods might be gaining some ground with a younger audience, most Japanese eventually settle into a traditional method for food preparation later in life.  Since obesity is not as big a problem in Japan as it is in the United States, the market for “Fat Free” products is small and not very effective.

Japanese style chicken nabe in a light broth

It not terribly difficult to eat right. In fact, eating right can be as simple of learning how to cook from scratch again. Get into the habit of buying more fresh vegetables instead of canned or frozen foodstuff. Why not make a simple tomato and basil sauce for your next pasta meal instead of buying that jar of spaghetti sauce that is most likely loaded with high fructose corn syrup and preservatives. And above all, keep away from anything marketed as Fat Free. If you crave that piece of chocolate cake, find a place that makes wholesome cakes with real ingredients and fresh cream, then invite a friend or two to share it with you. Learn to enjoy eating small quantities of rich fresh foods. Balance what you put into your body with cleansing foods and drinks like antioxidant rich green teas and almonds. And above all keep moving. Exercise, be it walking, cycling or yoga will help keep your engines running smooth and lean.

Fresh Wasabi

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 as if wasabi has since been firmly entrenched in both the vernacular and culinary culture of America. Sadly, most of the wasabi served in Japanese restaurants is actually just horseradish, mustard extract and green food coloring. Real wasabi is difficult to cultivate and quite expensive outside of Japan. This past weekend I visited the Daio Wasabi Farm in Nagano Japan. Part farm, part theme park, the Daio Wasabi Farm offers Japanese families a rare look into the methods used in cultivating the Wasabia japonica.

The root of Wasabi

The wasabi plant is a member of the Brassicaceae family, which includes

Wasabi paste

cabbages, horseradish, and mustard. The plant grows naturally along stream beds in mountain river valleys in Japan. But most of the fresh wasabi you see in Japanese grocery stores is cultivated artificially in farms such as the Daio Wasabi Farm. In fact, the demand for wasabi is so huge in Japan, that a lot of it must be imported from China. For my money, there is no match for the Japanese grown variety. The business end of the wasabi plant is the root, which is traditionally grated just before serving along side sushi. The leaves are also prepared in salads and as a topping for white rice. In fact, while at the Daio farm, I enjoyed some fried tofu stuffed with rice and wasabi leaves. The slightly spicy flavor of the chopped wasabi leaves balanced the sweetness of the sushi rice. The Daio gift shop was naturally stocked with all things wasabi, including wasabi sausages, snacks and fresh picked wasabi roots (3 for about $11.70 ).

Daio Wasabi Farm

So why the Japanese obsession with this little green root? Unsurprisingly, the wasabi plant is a veritable pharmacy of disease fighting chemicals. Wasabi contains chemical compounds called isothiocyanates . Research has shown that isothiocyanates are effective in inhibiting microbial growth. Dabbing some fresh wasabi on raw fish has the added benefit of killing unwanted bacteria. Wasabi also helps curb the growth of Streptococcus Mutans, those nasty bacteria present in your mouth and responsible for cavities. Wasabi does this by making it difficult for sugar to stick to your teeth. Thus depriving the bacteria of a food source. Wasabi also inhibits platelet aggregation, which may reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke by preventing abnormal clot formation.

Cancer protection

No miracle food would be complete unless it could help fight cancer, and in this area, wasabi shines. The isothiocyanates in wasabi, which are also found in broccoli and cabbage, appear to activate enzymes in the liver which detoxify cancer causing substances before they can do damage to the body. They also appear to interfere with other steps in the formation and metastasis of cancer cells. The isothiocyanates  does all this without damaging good cells. Wasabi has been proven effective against leukemia, stomach, lung and breasts cancer (Tanida et al. 1991, Fuke et al. 1994, Fuke et al. 1997, Shin and Lee 1998, Ono et al 1998) (Yano et al. 2000) (Nakamura et al. 2001) (Nomura et al. 2005).  More studies need to be made, but thus far wasabi looks promising as both a method of prevention and treatment against this terrible disease.

Wasabi flavored snacks

Getting your Wasabi on

So what is the best way to start benefiting form the goodness of Wasabi? That’s easy; eat some! Most Asian stores stock wasabi paste in small tubes. Just read the package carefully and make sure you’re getting 100% wasabi and not a mustard extract mixture. You can also buy freeze-dried wasabi in pill form. This is an effective way of getting all the goodness of wasabi without the nasal stinging affects. Over the next few weeks, the FitLifeJapan Shop will be stocking wasabi based products, so be sure to check back with us soon. Till then, remember wassup with wasabi!

Wasabi Ice cream!

]]> http://www.fitlifejapan.com/wassup-with-wasabi/feed/ 0 http://www.fitlifejapan.com/the-worlds-best-countries/ http://www.fitlifejapan.com/the-worlds-best-countries/#comments Wed, 18 Aug 2010 09:58:22 +0000 T.Torres http://fitlifejapan.com/?p=309 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 Allman? Well, NewsWeek just published their list of the “The World’s Best Countries” and it was no surprise that Japan walked away with the prize for “Best Large Nation”.  As Newsweek puts it;

“ The innovative country that brought the world sushi, Nintendo, and the Kyoto Protocol is also the one with the most healthy citizens.”

Among the reasons cited for healthy Japanese was preventative medicine and diet. Living in this country for almost twenty years, I can attest to the fact that the Japanese (women in particular) go to great lengths to research and try traditional and innovative methods to improve their health and loose weight. In Japan, preventative medicine is practiced through a system of government and company sponsored yearly checkups. When I worked for a large marketing company years ago, I (along with my colleagues) would yearly visit a local clinic for a thorough run-through. We all had to strip down to our shorts and wear funny little gowns as we walked from one part of the clinic to another to complete our cycle of X-rays, blood tests, stomach cancer screening and a slew of not-so-funny examinations. It was at one of these yearly exams that I learned that my liver was overly fat and my blood acid level was too high. I was a prime candidate for gout and I needed to do something fast. The answer was of course dieting and exercises. Preventative medicine started me on the path to a healthy lifestyle.

It’s never too late to get things right. Simple changes in our eating habits are a good way to start. Nightly walks after dinner or stairs instead of elevators can help burn a few calories and build muscle strength. If you can’t move to Japan, then at least try imitating some of the positive habits found in Japan like preventative medicine, schedule a check up soon.

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 FitLifeJapan Shop. Currently we’re experimenting with a small selection of popular health and dieting products found in just about any Japanese drug store. In the future we plan to add a broader selection of Japanese products including unique dieting teas, facial creams and kale drink mixes that promise to have you looking and feeling great! The FitLifeJapan Store is a work in progress and we promise to get most of the kinks worked out over the coming weeks. We encourage you to send us your comments, feedback and special request. Our online store’s success is dependent on the voice of our customers. Feel free to contact us anytime. In the meantime, visit our shop and try some of our relaxing green teas or some stimulating brown rice vinegar. I personally use most of the products in our store (well, except the beauty stuff, I leave that to my wife). Live Long, Live Well, Live Life and Happy Shopping!

Amago Trout

Sometime it’s the little side dishes in a Japanese meal that attracts the most attention. A tiny bowl with a few pieces of steamed snow peas topped with a slightly sweet wheat-miso condiment helped offset the duck and venison flavors. I moved on to a small dish of tempura fried vegetables and shrimp before starting on a small “nabe” of chicken, bamboo shoots and negi onions that had been simmering on the table. I saved the bowl of buckwheat noodles (soba) and mushrooms for last. Though the individual dishes were small when compared to what you might find in an American restaurant, by meal’s end I had eaten fish, duck, venison, chicken, pork, shrimp, over 6 kinds of vegetables and three kinds of grains. Most of the food was locally grown and prepared with minimal seasoning. Over the course of our cycling tour, we would encounter many of these food items at various restaurants and inns. In addition, wild boar seems to be a mountain favorite and is usually served in a stew.

Venison & Duck

During our week-long cycling tour, we traveled through four separate prefectures. Most of the trip took place in Nagano prefecture, where the 1998 winter Olympics was held. Nagano residents are known for their longevity. Their diet, though at times heavy on salt, consist of seasonal vegetables, bamboo shoots and wild game. The low fat nature of their diet along with copious amounts of whole grains and miso might explain why there is such a low incidence of heart disease among these mountain people. As I continued my tour across the Japanese Alps, recurring themes of seasonal foods, low fat protein dishes and whole grains helped underscore what I already knew about the Japanese diet; there is a definite method to the madness. Each dish plays a role in the drama of your life. Your body is the stage and if you take a moment to understand the players in this drama, you will become a healthier person for it. After the tour, I returned to my home two kilograms lighter with stronger legs and a determination to increase my whole grain intake and enjoy the bounty that the Japanese mountains promise to deliver this summer.

Snowpeas & Miso

Tempura

Chicken Nabe

Buckwheat Noodles & Mushrooms

The Japanese mountainside

As I travel through the beautiful peaks of the Japanese Alps, I plan to meet with local villagers and farmers. My goal is to learn all I can about how the mountain people of Japan live and eat. What do they do to stay fit and strong? Perhaps I’ll discover locally produced health products or who knows what? An elixir for long life? I have always been impressed with the people I meet when traveling in the mountainous countryside of Japan. It always seems like the average age of local villagers is about 100, yet age doesn’t stop them from working in their hillside vegetable plots. I hope to have much to write about when I get back from my cycling tour. In the mean time, please visit the blog site we’ve set up to cover our trip at www.japanc2c.com . If you’re interested in pledging a donation just click here and scroll down to my name (Tony Torres). You can enter your pledge amount and currency to the right of my photo. Rest assured, 100% of whatever you give will go to helping Cambodian farmers to become self-sufficient.

The Three Amigos: Lowell, Mark and Tony

]]> http://www.fitlifejapan.com/cycling-for-health-charity/feed/ 0 http://www.fitlifejapan.com/yasuei-yakushiji-fit-for-a-champ/ http://www.fitlifejapan.com/yasuei-yakushiji-fit-for-a-champ/#comments Thu, 25 Mar 2010 08:15:32 +0000 T.Torres http://fitlifejapan.com/?p=198

Yasuei Yakushiji

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 Yakushiji understands punishment. The kind of punishment a body can take and still keep going. The 41 year old former world champion boxer defended the WBC bantamweight title four times during his career before hanging up his gloves at the age of 27. While the average professional boxer can expect to see his weight more than double after retiring from the sport, Yakushiji kept up his training activities after retiring and now after 15 years he tips the scale at only 67 kilograms and less than 13% body fat. Retirement didn’t mean rest and leisure for him. Yakushiji kept up his traning program though not strenuous as when he prepared for a fight. Yakushiji wanted to start a new life and set new goals. Most of all, he wanted to set a good example for his two children; An example of professional dedication and commitment to a healthy body.

I first met Yakushiji about two years ago when I started looking for a place to train. I always loved the sport and thought boxing would be a great way to burn fat and develop endurance for my long distance cycling trips. Yakushiji’s boxing gym and fitness center is located in Nagoya City Japan. Many local pro fighters train there and it’s always a treat to watch the sparring sessions. Very little can compare to the training a boxer goes through before a fight. Boxers need to build strength, endurance, speed and muscles. For this, they run, jump rope, spar, lift weights and even take in the occasional Yoga class to build flexibility.

Recently, after an early morning work out, I sat with Yakushiji and his Hawaiian born former trainer Mack “Mr. Miyagi” Kurihara, to talk about fitness. During his boxing days, Yakushiji trained with Mack in California. Training in America allowed Yakushiji to learn new styles and workout regimens. But it also exposed him to some of the unhealthy choices Americans make in matters related to diet and lifestyle.

"miso soup, lean chicken and fish helped keep me within my weight limits without sacrificing my power reserves"

“I was surprised at how obsessed many Los Angelinos seemed with fitness, yet many looked overweight and unhealthy,” he observed. “Mack kept me on a strict training diet and even forced me to eat left-handed with chopsticks. “

Yakushiji continues, “When I returned to Japan, I realized that many of the foods I grew up eating in Japan were perfectly suited for my pre-fight training regimen. The miso soup, lean chicken and fish helped keep me within my weight limits without sacrificing my power reserves. I could train, build muscle mass and burn fat without starving myself like so many other fighters did to meet weight demands.”

Besides owning and managing a popular boxing gym in Nagoya, Yakushiji hosts a weekly television show about collectible cars and is a sought after personality for many Japanese variety shows. Being in the spotlight forces him to maintain his physique and health. Yakushiji works out at the gym several times a week and limits his alcohol intake as much as possible. Before most meals, he will usually eat a salad followed by some vegetable juice.  This helps his digestion as well as lessens the need to eat over eat.

"I usually meet with a group of boxers that train at my gym around 6:30 in the morning"

“I like running every morning. I usually meet with a group of boxers that train at my gym around 6:30 in the morning. We run about ten kilometers weather permitting. If it’s raining, we’ll run up and down the eleven flights of my apartment building about ten times. This keeps the heart strong and gives me enough energy for the rest of the day.”

I asked Yakushiji what kind of shape he would like to be in when he hits 80,

“I want the body of a world champion boxer”, he said.

Judging from how well he looks now, I think his odds are pretty good.

Fit like a Champ!

Brown Rice Vinegar

Brown rice vinegar, made in the remote areas of Kyushu in southern Japan, is without doubt one of the most delicious and nutritious vinegar around. The manufacturing method hasn’t changed much in over 1000 years. The vinegar is still fermented in earthenware crocks and buried in the ground. The whole process takes one year and the result is a rich dark liquid brimming with life healing properties. The Japanese call this vinegar kurozu (black vinegar) and most of its nutrition lies in the high concentration of amino acids. According to Dr. Yoshio Takino of Shizuka University, Japan, the twenty amino acids and sixteen organic acids found in authentic rice vinegar help prevent the formation of toxic fat peroxides. These fat peroxides result when oil and foods are heated and exposed to light. Fat peroxides contribute to aging and to cholesterol formation on blood vessel walls. It’s important that you use authentic kurozu for this recipe. Regular rice vinegar uses alcohol which is distilled by boiling. This method leaves behind most of the beneficial amino acids.

Making brown rice vinegar – unchanged for 1000 years

According to the Japan Food Research Laboratories, authentic brown rice vinegar has five times the amount of amino acids as sake-lees vinegar. Mitoku Inc. sells some of the best quality brown rice vinegar available. They offer the following advice when shopping for kurozu:

“When shopping for rice vinegar, read labels carefully. The highest-quality products are made from either brown rice or sweet brown rice and water. Although many Oriental foods store vinegars are half the price of natural food brands, keep in mind that these lower-priced products are invariably made from distilled alcohol and sake lees. Some brands list wheat, rice, corn, sake lees, and alcohol as their ingredients, while other brands list no ingredients at all. It is impossible to judge the quality of rice vinegar by its color, since some Oriental food brands have added coloring agents.”

Brown rice vinegar

So make sure you find pure kurozu and avoid any of the clear colorless vinegars.

Kurozato – Japanese Black Sugar

The other ingredient used in Mari’s morning vinegar mix is Kurozato, Japanese black sugar. This is actually a very coarse brown sugar similar to Muscovado sugar and is made in the southern islands of Okinawa. Kurozato is unprocessed sugar. The result of mashing up sugar cane and boiling it down to a thick molasses. Unlike white sugar, which has all of the aroma, color and taste of the cane removed, raw brown sugar contains all of the important nutrients nature intended. Among them are calcium, potassium, iron as well as vitamins B1 and B2. Kurozato has been used by the Japanese to help reduce stress and lower cholesterol.

Japanese “black sugar” kurozato

The final ingredient is the humble banana. I won’t bore you explaining the health benefits of bananas; we all know they are rich in potassium and B6. Most important is that they lend the vinegar mix a delicious flavor…and who doesn’t like the taste of bananas in the morning?

Mari’s brown rice vinegar morning mix

Mari usually prepares the vinegar mix in the evening and lets it stand overnight covered on the kitchen counter. This gives it enough time for the vinegar to absorb some of the banana flavors. Most Oriental and health food shops will carry the Kurozu and kurozato. You can substitute non-Japanese brown sugar so as long as it is coarse and tightly packed. Make sure it is “raw” and not processed sugar with molasses added to it. Otherwise you loose out on the nutrients.

• 1 banana
• 300 ml of brown rice vinegar (kurozu)
• 150g of brown sugar (kurozato)

Peel and slice a large ripe banana

Place banana slices inside a jar that you can cover

Add the brown sugar clumps

Pour the brown rice vinegar

Place jar uncovered into a microwave (500 watts for 1 minute)

Cover jar and let sit outside overnight

Keep the jar covered when not in use. The vinegar mixture should stay fresh for months. Spread it on your toast, pour on your oatmeal or just gulp down a spoonful in the morning to kick off the day. If you add a spoon to a glass of milk, the milk will curdle a bit and form a delicious slightly sour yogurt drink. The Japanese are big on vinegar based health drinks. Over the coming months I’ll be writing more about brown rice vinegar and showing you how to incorporate this amazing elixir into your cooking and daily diet.