Japanese empathy towards boredom snacking — I was recently asked by a reader, “I once read this Japanese word, “Kuchisabishii” — would you mind sharing the meaning of it?” Ah, yes. Kuchisabishii. I’ve been hearing it a lot more these days in Japan, sometimes over Zoom calls and sometimes thrown around the house. When I catch…

Visit a McDonald’s in Japan and you’ll understand why — Whenever I talk to someone who has visited Japan, an ex-pat who has lived there or a tourist just passing by, they will more often than not mention something about the fast-food chains there. “If they tried to pull the same stunt in the United States, there would literally be…

For people stressed or intimidated by fitness culture — In the United States, I’m often bombarded with images and ads of fitness culture. Athleisure is the craze, and it seems that the majority of people are members of gyms like Anytime Fitness, 24 Hour Fitness, or LA Fitness. Any decent hotel or typical college campus…

How to navigate mindful eating for beginners — The holidays used to be a very complicated time for me– it’s a confusing time where we are simultaneously encouraged to indulge in desserts and treats, but warned to watch what we eat. Enjoy pies (but watch your sugar!) Have some gravy (but tsk tsk, that’s a lot of…

A realist’s approach to a healthy lifestyle — When you think of Japanese bento boxes, what do you imagine? In western media, it’s common to think that Japanese bento boxes are these beautiful, intricate, well-balanced meals for children and spouses, made by the “can-do-everything” perfect parent. But if you were to meet one of these individuals and watch…

How to ignore the noise and find a sustainable and healthy practice with food — Our health is a tricky subject. It’s deeply personal, but often outwardly visible. It influences every aspect of our life — our work, our family, our social life, our interests, and our happiness. It’s natural to spend a lot of our time thinking about it.

“I want to eat healthfully, but what do I do if it stresses me out?” — Let’s face it– even if you love cooking, sometimes cooking is a chore. After working for 8 hours, the last thing we want to do is be on our feet, sweaty, and then think about having to do the dishes afterwards. This is why I’ve adopted Zen principles to my…

and why I’m wary of most “holiday healthy eating tips” — I recently received this marketing email from a telehealth provider — what do you think my reaction was? With the fall/winter holidays upon us, I want to take a moment to address the “holiday healthy eating tips” that we will also inevitably start receiving — how to limit sugary candy…

This is part of an interactive storytelling series that I’m trying out. Go through the interactive animation for the full experience! Enjoy. Think about someone in your day-to-day life. Anyone. You don’t need to love them.