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Discussing Japanese Health Myths with a Partner
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G Cthulhu



Joined: 07 Feb 2003
Posts: 1373
Location: Way, way off course.

PostPosted: Sat Jan 30, 2010 1:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

ShioriEigoKyoushi wrote:
Why not start eating western style breakfast cereals ("I miss the taste from home"). Most of them are fortified with folic acid and B vitamins aren't they?


American ones are, typically, but it's not a "western" thing beyond that IME.
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seklarwia



Joined: 20 Jan 2009
Posts: 1546
Location: Monkey onsen, Nagano

PostPosted: Sat Jan 30, 2010 2:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

G Cthulhu wrote:

American ones are, typically, but it's not a "western" thing beyond that IME.


Reminds me of the American women who walked into one of my local cafes. One orders a cappacino before being warned by her friend that the worker might not know what it is, because it's Italian and not all country's are as fortunate as the US in having such wide variety of things from around the world.

Believe it of not, fortified cereals are not only a US thing. We are not only lucky enough to have such fortified goodness of US cereals like stuff by Kelloggs, but we have huge British producers such as the Weetabix company, who have been producing fortified cereals for decades.

And having lived in more than a few EU countries, I'm know that fortified cereals are not limited to only English speaking western countries.

Shiori is right: it is quite typical for western cereals to be fortified with B vitamins and Folic acid.
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Apsara



Joined: 20 Sep 2005
Posts: 2142
Location: Tokyo, Japan

PostPosted: Sat Jan 30, 2010 3:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

In NZ and Australia though it is not at all typical for cereals to be fortified, as far as I know. Recently there was a huge controversy in NZ over a proposition to fortify bread with folic acid as many people were opposed to it, and I believe the idea has been shelved for the time being, so I doubt that fortified cereals are the norm these days either. We can say that some, but definitely not all, western countries add vitamins etc to their cereals.
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seklarwia



Joined: 20 Jan 2009
Posts: 1546
Location: Monkey onsen, Nagano

PostPosted: Sat Jan 30, 2010 7:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Apsara wrote:
In NZ and Australia though it is not at all typical for cereals to be fortified, as far as I know. Recently there was a huge controversy in NZ over a proposition to fortify bread with folic acid as many people were opposed to it, and I believe the idea has been shelved for the time being, so I doubt that fortified cereals are the norm these days either. We can say that some, but definitely not all, western countries add vitamins etc to their cereals.


Is it only bread and cereal that NZ is against having vitamins/minerals added? They definately allowed things like Ribena to be sold until a couple of years ago. Must have been quite a shocking scandal when those school kids accidently found out that the famous kids drink that was boasting added vitamin C actually contained next to none at all.
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Apsara



Joined: 20 Sep 2005
Posts: 2142
Location: Tokyo, Japan

PostPosted: Sat Jan 30, 2010 8:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

seklarwia wrote:
Must have been quite a shocking scandal when those school kids accidently found out that the famous kids drink that was boasting added vitamin C actually contained next to none at all.


It did actually cause quite a stir! Laughing
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G Cthulhu



Joined: 07 Feb 2003
Posts: 1373
Location: Way, way off course.

PostPosted: Sat Jan 30, 2010 7:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

seklarwia wrote:

Shiori is right: it is quite typical for western cereals to be fortified with B vitamins and Folic acid.


Our experiences differ then. I've seen them in other countries, but haven't noticed them as common. It's only in the US and Canada that I've seen them as the norm - it's actually hard finding them where they haven't been tampered with in the US, IME. (Much like trying to find milk in the US that hasn't had vitamin D added to it)

Whatever. Smile
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seklarwia



Joined: 20 Jan 2009
Posts: 1546
Location: Monkey onsen, Nagano

PostPosted: Sat Jan 30, 2010 10:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

G Cthulhu wrote:

Our experiences differ then. I've seen them in other countries, but haven't noticed them as common. It's only in the US and Canada that I've seen them as the norm - it's actually hard finding them where they haven't been tampered with in the US, IME. (Much like trying to find milk in the US that hasn't had vitamin D added to it)


Whilst it is still possible to find foods that haven't been tampered with, that doesn't mean that fortified things are not common.

Have you seen food adverts elsewhere? In the UK, the major selling point of many foods is all the "healthy" additions.

Foods and drinks aimed at kids are especially fortified these days. And stupid parents seem to think that it's ok that their kid's cereal contains half a cup of sugar per serving because it has added vitamins and minerals.

Fortified milks... ugh! I truely had a phobia of those evil white, plastic bottles with the pink caps as a child living in France. Parents often gave it to their kids and my father loved it and used to stock up on the stuff when he went for shopping day trips, but I hated the taste. Then recently, I started seeing it on sale in the UK... Evil or Very Mad Luckily it hasn't taken over... yet...
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southofreality



Joined: 12 Feb 2007
Posts: 579
Location: Tokyo

PostPosted: Sun Jan 31, 2010 2:56 am    Post subject: Unfortunately (or fortunately), Yes Reply with quote

Quote:
Is there anybody who has had this discussion with their Japanese spouse?


Yes, I had many discussions like that with my Japanese wife, not just about having children, either. Failure to at least accept another's way of thinking as based on cultural influences, how they were raised, etc... will set any couple up for disaster. In the end, it became too much to take for either one of us.

I've come to the conclusion, that not only should I not be married to a Japanese person, I should be single forever!

I've learned many important lessons in Japan. Wink
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gaijinalways



Joined: 29 Nov 2005
Posts: 2279

PostPosted: Mon Feb 01, 2010 8:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

southofreality posted
Quote:
I've come to the conclusion, that not only should I not be married to a Japanese person, I should be single forever!


Forever is a long time. Very Happy

Welcome back by the way.
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Lyrajean



Joined: 19 Jul 2006
Posts: 109
Location: going to Okinawa

PostPosted: Mon Feb 01, 2010 10:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Apsara wrote:
Maybe all that goya? Laughing It's not only diet though, it's all kinds of other factors as well. I have also heard that due to a rise in obesity and consumption of non-traditional food, that younger Okinawans are unlikely to be as long-lived as their grandparents.


Eh, yeah that. The little kids are quite pudgy now. There's quite a heavy American influence here. They love McDs, KFC and A&W never died out here like it did in the States. They have driveup restaurants with 1950s style curb service.

The other thing to remember is that until recently, and still if you compare it to the rest of Japan, Okinawa was very poor. It maybe the quantity of what they were able to eat rather than what.
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southofreality



Joined: 12 Feb 2007
Posts: 579
Location: Tokyo

PostPosted: Mon Feb 01, 2010 3:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

gaijinalways wrote:
southofreality posted
Quote:
I've come to the conclusion, that not only should I not be married to a Japanese person, I should be single forever!


Forever is a long time. Very Happy

Welcome back by the way.


Thank you, sir.
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womblingfree



Joined: 04 Mar 2006
Posts: 826

PostPosted: Fri Feb 05, 2010 3:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

ssjup81 wrote:
womblingfree wrote:
flyer wrote:
Yes, I think Okinawa people live th longest in the world


And their diet is based on pork!! Go figure!
Maybe they stick with only the lean parts. Razz


Man, they eat ALL the piggy! Razz

I have a t-shirt with a diagram of the bits you can eat, there's practically nothing left.

I'd say the climate and lifestyle as well as the diet has a lot to do with it. When I stayed in Okinawa for a week I have never, ever felt so healthy. And I ate a lot of soki-soba.
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womblingfree



Joined: 04 Mar 2006
Posts: 826

PostPosted: Fri Feb 05, 2010 3:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Actually, going back to the original post, using vitamins as a food supplement is just as much a Western health-myth as anything I've ever heard in Japan.
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flyer



Joined: 16 May 2003
Posts: 539
Location: Sapporo Japan

PostPosted: Sat Feb 06, 2010 7:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

womblingfree wrote:
Actually, going back to the original post, using vitamins as a food supplement is just as much a Western health-myth as anything I've ever heard in Japan.


yes, well said. A good balanced diet is all you need. Of course don't smoke, drink etc
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