ON HEALTH AND WELLBEING

There will be two postings today, the one below, and another on HOW TO USE THIS BLOG SITE.  There has been a sudden jump in number of readers/day, so that other posting will explain how to use this blog site.

I keep posting on what I eat and do because "friends" seem to most enjoy these articles.  Travel is also an interest area, but that will mostly come next year when I go on a couple of around the world adventures.  Here is flavor of one I took in 2013, My Ultimate Global Adventure:  51 days mostly on Star Alliance in first class:

 Honolulu - San Francisco - Sydney- Bangkok - Tokyo - Osaka - Awaji Island - Hiroshima - Tokyo - Matsumoto - Tokyo - Nikko - Tokyo - Seoul - Shanghai - Beijing - Frankfurt - DC - Denver - San Francisco - Napa Valley - Sea Ranch - Mendocino - San Francisco - Honolulu:  35,354 miles by air.

I start by referring to two Star Advertiser features on their ExtraHealth page yesterday. First, Mehmet Oz and Mike Roizen wrote on Men:  boost lifestyle choices, live long.  They are picking on men because we smoke/drink more, avoid doctors and make risky and unhealthy choices compared to women.  They say this is why women live 5 years longer.  I would not necessarily agree with them on that viewpoint, for I think that males live a more stressful "work" life compared to most females.  This is especially so in Japan.  For those who contend that "home" life can be more stressful, maybe.

In any case:

• See your doctor for regular checkups:  I do, every six months, with a blood test taken the week before the appointment.  This I hate because my veins are almost invisible.  Also, I have my teeth cleaned twice/year.
• Pay attention to what you eat:  I do, and since the pandemic began a year and a half ago, I've switched to a mostly vegetarian diet, with regular weekly servings of Japanese Wagyu Beef and o-toro sashimi, and lost 12 pounds in the process.

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  Stay active:  In other words, exercise, which I do, combining walking on a golf course, cross-trainer and strength reps in our wellness center and morning knee/back therapy in the morning.  On Sunday I rest.
• Quit smoking/vaping:  Never smoked cigarettes, owned a number of Meerschaum pipes and have had maybe a cigar or two a year for the past few years.  All of them I have pretty much given up, but have a large humidor of very expensive cigars, which I'm saving for someone who asked for it.  I also have a nice assortment of lighters and filters.

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  Practice stress management:  Yes, this is something I specialize in, and feel all the better.  Well, until this TEDx responsibility suddenly appeared, which, while stressful, makes the Blue Revolution more probable, an important goal of my life, for I already endowed my penthouse apartment to the University of Hawaii to initiate such a program.  Interesting, but this small amount of mental anxiety helps me sleep a lot better.  For first time in years I have slept 8 and 9 hours straight without going to the bathroom.

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  Stay up to date on vaccinations:  In addition to two Moderna COVID-19 shots, I've recently taken Flu, Shingles, Tetanus and Pneumonia vaccinations.

Those are their recommendations, and I cover them all.

The second article had to do with pre/pro-biotics by Alan Titchenal and Joannie Dobbs, who from the University of Hawaii:

• In short, biotics enables your enzymes and  digestive system to utilize the nutrients in food.
• It all has to do with beneficial microorganisms and enzymes in your lower intestines.

• 
  Some foods that contain enzymes to enhance your personal ones are pineapple, papaya, ginger and banana.  Plus products such as Yogurt, poi, kimchee and natto are particularly helpful.  The Japanese are noted for natto consumption...but you don't need to immerse yourself into it.

• 
  I've got to look into this, but Beano is an enzyme product that can decrease gas by breaking down complex carbohydrates found in foods such as beans, grains and many vegetables.
• Beano is alpha-d-glactosidase, which helps make food easier to digest
• My doctor also recommended Gas-X, which contains simethicone, an anti-foaming agent that disperses bubbles trapped in air.

• 
  Beans, some grains, broccoli, asparagus and cabbage are especially bad if you have any serious hypergastric problem.  
• Keep in mind, though, that the normal frequency of flatulation, or passing gas, is 14-23 times/day.  
• The volume/event or smell can complicate things.
• The key point is to improve your gut health, something that more and more is being recognized by the medical profession as a must.

I have yogurt and natto several times/week, and regularly eat kimchee and Japanese variations, papaya, pineapple and ginger.

Here are three relatively healthful meals I had this past weekend watching the Tokyo Summer Olympics, starting with cheeses/croissant, asparagus/watercress/onion salad and a large artichoke:

For the record, cheese is considered to be a healthful, while artichoke is considered to be wonderful.  If you've never had an artichoke before, be careful about getting to the heart, for there are dangerous spines of soft needles.  The first photo is that of the needles mostly scraped off half a heart, while the second shows a safe piece ready to eat with a dip:

If you boil the artichoke just right, the needles can easily be removed.  You want the the artichoke (also from the bottom of the leaves as you peel it) to be somewhat al dente (not fully steamed).

The second meal was a large tacos salad, where the condiments for the standard tacos was only a shadow of the whole salad with extra lettuce, tomatoes, carrots and cucumber.  As my enhancement, I fried the beef portion with small chunks of wagyu fat.  Used three kinds of hot sauce.  Beer and margarita.  

The third was a vegetable nishime, again lightly sauteed with wagyu fat, plus ahi sashimi with cucumber Japanese fermented cucumber (a probiotic) and miso (another probiotic) soup.  Cold beer with hot sake and green tea.

Tropical Storm Nepartak did not seriously affect the Tokyo Summer Olympics.  Two noteworthy USA gold medals:

• Lydia Jacoby of Alaska stunned the swim world by winning a gold in the 100 meter breaststroke.  You just got to watch the reaction of her fans in Seward.  She was raised in that town, is 17-years old, and will swim for the University of Texas this fall.

• 
  Carissa Moore of Hawaii, who grew up surfing off Waikiki Beach, at the age of 18 became the first person to ever win a gold medal in surfing.

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• But not all went well, for Japan beat the USA 2-0 for the softball gold medal.  It was in 2008 when this event was last held in Beijing that Japan also won over the U.S., 3-1.

Video of some incredible photos:

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Tropical Storm Nepartak made landfall just north of Sendai, which is around 230 miles away from Tokyo.  The general weather for the Summer Olympics will remain cloudy and rainy into the weekend.

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