Dear Reader, What does healthy eating look like? Oftentimes, we imagine something like a green salad, lean protein, (maybe) some carbs, water, and not a dessert in sight. But this illustration of the healthy lifestyle is not just wrong, but its skewed version of reality can set us up for resignation. Any moment we’re not exemplifying perfection, it can feel like failure. The reality is, no healthy person actually lives like this all the time. In reality it looks… kind of unhealthy? Here are...
30 days ago • 3 min read
Dear Reader, It's Olympics season! It's already been full of so many iconic moments, such as the selfie between Chinese, North Korean, and South Korean podium athletes, watching a 5'6" Japanese basketball player compete next to a 7'4" French player, and I'll be looking forward to watching today's match between the oldest man to reach an Olympic tennis singles final, vs the youngest man to achieve the feat. If you’ve been watching as I have, you’ve probably thought to yourself at least once...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
Dear Reader, There are a lot of opinions on snacking, and I’ve heard many opinions throughout the years ranging from “It’s terrible for your metabolism and health” to “The best way to eat is many small snacks throughout the day”. The way people see them ranges from evil, to the solution of our health woes. But like most things, I believe the truth is somewhere in the middle. Snacking is not inherently bad for you Meals were established to accommodate the modern lifestyle, rather than the...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
Dear Reader, Last week I challenged myself to something new, and well, it did not go as planned. In fact, it was maybe my 3rd or 4th time trying, and it did not go as planned. I felt pretty bummed, and down about myself. We know that life is full of imperfect moments, but it still doesn’t feel great. But as I was feeling down I came across a quote by Dr. Ruth, that helped shed some perspective on my feelings. “In order for the turtle to move, it has to stick its neck out. There are going to...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Dear Reader, It’s travel season, and so I’m doing whatever I can to not get sick before my much-anticipated plans. While I’m always mindful to get plenty of rest and have a large variety of whole foods, about 2-3 weeks before any big plans (where getting sick wouldn't be ideal), I become more attentive to getting two key vitamins in particular: Vitamins D and C. Why I pay attention to vitamin D and C Vitamin D and vitamin C play a key role in our immune system function, as they help increase...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
Dear Reader, I don’t know where you are in the world right now, but where I am right now it’s really hot. Days are often over 30°C (86°F) and rarely do I ever feel like stranding over the stovetop to cook something over heat. I’m sweaty enough as it is! In fact, I have many days where I don’t want to cook. There are many reasons why I don’t want to– it can be stress, lack of time, and sometimes it’s just the weather. Admitting that has been freeing for me. What Japanese summers taught me...
2 months ago • 3 min read
Dear Reader, When my friends and I just graduated college, for a lot of us it was a very confusing and unsure time. We didn’t quite know what we wanted to do, how we wanted to do it, and we didn’t really know what to make of the opportunities presented to us. We did our best to apply to positions we found interesting, but most of us just ended up accepting the first offer that didn’t sound awful. As a young person who didn’t quite understand what they wanted to do, you can imagine how these...
2 months ago • 3 min read
Dear Reader, What is Japanese genki (元気)? Well, genki refers to good health, but it looks beyond human physiology and encompasses our energy, our vitality for life, and the spirit we project on others. If it was an image, it would be a dog wagging its tail when their owner comes home, or perhaps how a tulip opens up at sunrise. If it was a sound, it’s the way a crowd cheers at a concert, or how a baby laughs with its mother. If it was a touch, it would be a high five from our teacher, or a...
3 months ago • 3 min read
Dear Reader, It’s no secret that prepping for meals in advance makes cooking a lot easier. Many seasoned cooks choose to prep on weekends rather than on weekdays, when they have less time to cook or are simply exhausted after the work day. But ironically meal-prepping can be very time consuming for me, taking away precious leisure time from my weekend in preparation for the workweek. Instead I prefer to eat well with less effort, which leads me to one of my favorite ‘secrets’ to healthy...
3 months ago • 1 min read