Really, does this surprise anybody anymore?

A pack of beef, imported for the major Japanese restaurant chain Yoshinoya from the Californian plant of National Beef, contained spinal tissue, the agriculture ministry said.

Japan in July 2006 agreed to resume US beef imports on condition the cattle were not more than 20 months old at the time of slaughter, with brains, spinal cords and other risky parts removed.

The illegal shipment was among 700 packs or 17 tonnes of beef imported through Japanese trading company Itochu last August, the ministry said in a statement.

The spinal tissue was discovered on Tuesday at a Yoshinoya meat processing plant in Tokyo’s suburbs.

The meat hasn’t been shipped out for consumption, which is a good thing, but why take the chance over and over? This is the THIRD ban on American-imported beef because of slip-ups like this one. Why keep going back?

Oh wait. What’s that, you say? Pressure from our president? Our president?

Japan, formerly the biggest overseas market for US beef, first banned imports in December 2003 after a cow infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), the brain-wasting condition commonly known as mad cow disease, was discovered in the US state of Washington.

Under US pressure with the threat of trade sanctions, Japan lifted the embargo in December 2005 but slapped it back on a month later after a shipment included a risky part.

Japan has rejected US calls to increase the age limit applied to slaughtered cattle as it believes younger cattle are less likely to have accumulated infectious proteins that could cause BSE.

US President George W. Bush told Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda in Washington last November to “fully open” the Japanese market to US beef and beef products.

Shock, horror, etc, etc…

Source: Japan suspends imports from US meat plant: farm ministry - AFP

- It's Been a Crazy Two Months
- Japanese Version of the Office
- Algorithm March...with Ninja!
- Tokyo Cat Cafes (Why Aren't I Working Here Already?)
- Women's Only Okonomiyaki Eating Contest

Photo from Sashertootie

As if people didn’t have enough incentive to drink sake in Japan (there is sake for just about every seasonal occasion), Osake Therapy will help teach you the beauty benefits of drinking sake with their training courses. They focus on three points that sake can help with: Body Therapy, Mind Therapy, and Beauty Therapy.

According to the site, Japanese Sake can help with the body for women in their 30s who are sensitive to the cold and have stiff shoulders. For the mind, Japanese sake has been noted to help relieve stress for women who are under pressures of modern day society. Finally, for beauty, the ingredients in most kinds of sake can help reduce the appearance of freckles, keep skin moist, and blood circulation.

I’m not sure how much of this I believe, but I did just see an 80+ year old woman on TV drinking her daily cup of sake…

- It's Been a Crazy Two Months
- The Candle Night Campaign
- Japanese Version of the Office
- Algorithm March...with Ninja!
- Tokyo Cat Cafes (Why Aren't I Working Here Already?)

Photo by tanakawho.

Came across an entry on drinking water by comedienne Margeret Cho in her blog. She combines two points that I think are encouraging beauty and health tips: don’t wear a lot of make up, and drink tons of water so your skin will look good without it.

She sings the praises of drinking water everywhere she goes–including the shower:

I drink and drive – water that is – but I never leave a plastic bottle in the car because the plastic supposedly leaches chemicals into the water. I don’t know if this is true, but it just tastes like ‘plastic tea’ which is creepy anyway so don’t do it. I drink big gulps of water in the shower, which some might think is gross but I don’t care because I have perfect skin so fuck you.

The positive effects of staying hydrated are numerous, with the only draw back being the obvious: having to go to the bathroom every five minutes. But the health benefits outweigh this drawback, and the beauty benefits is an added plus.

My two posts on my olive oil adventures proved pretty popular, and I think I am beginning to see a trend with skin care trends: less is more. The simpler your skin care routine, the better your skin will be. The more products and lotions and chemicals you put on your face, the harder it will be to maintain. The more ingredients in a single product, the higher risk of creating a toxic disaster.

And so I present to you a summation of how to get great skin:
1.) drink lots of water
2.) use olive oil for face and body to moisturize
3.) ??
4.) great skin!

Wish I could have told myself these things back in high school: “See? It doesn’t cost an arm and a leg to be a girl!”

- Japan Bans American Beef...Again
- Korean Women Worship Plastic Surgery, Says Oprah
- Drink Yourself Pretty with Sake Therapy
- Health and Beauty: Olive Oil For Your Skin
- How Olive Oil Helped My Skin, Budget, and Outlook on Beauty Care Products

So maybe you’ve read my previous post on how needing new moisturizer helped me figure out that olive oil is an excellent addition to skin care routine, and simultaneously made me re-adjust my perspective on beauty care products.

This post is about the health and beauty aspect of using olive oil, and why I recommend it for those who have problem skin that is dry/oily/prone to break outs.

What I Was Working With
My skin is notoriously shitty come winter time–one entire winter it was so bad that I had cuts on either side of my mouth from just opening it to eat! I also tend to scratch my legs a lot while I’m asleep (err, half-awake?) and this caused a lot of scrapes on my legs.

As for my face, I have always had skin problems. It cleared up after I went to a dermatologist, but coming to Japan seem to undo the progress that was made, most likely due to the pollution and crappy dorm water.

The Results
After doing some research online, it became clear to me that maintaining a balance of oils was important to healthier skin. It is weird to think that in order to combat oily skin, you should put oil on it. But I was fed up with everything else I tried, and so experimented with a bottle of pure olive oil that I grabbed from my cooking cabinet.

When I first used the olive oil on my face, I noticed a difference immediately. My face wasn’t dry after washing it, and the olive oil made it feel natural and smooth. I was a little alarmed by the smell, but it subsided immediately after it has been absorbed and I haven’t noticed a thing after that.

During the first few days, my skin got noticeably oilier quickly, but it evened itself out after that. Red spots that were around for weeks began to fade after a couple nights’ sleep with the olive oil regime. Make up was easier to put on, and washing my face felt better because my skin seemed to retain its oils. Using it on my body after a shower, my skin felt so much nicer, and any nighttime scratching done to my legs caused little to no damage.

Not Yet Perfected
I am still new to using olive oil, so I can’t be sure of the long term affects of using this. But at this rate, I am confident that it will remain a staple in my skin care routine. Right now, I am not using the very best organic extra-virgin olive oil, as I want to use this one up before I go out and buy some. I also still get spots, but they are short-lived and leave little to no redness.

I know that you can use olive oil for your hair as a mask, but being in a dorm makes it hard to test this out. I’d assume that the rich and fatty properties of the oil would make it ideal for giving your hair shine, but until I can try this out, I won’t say for sure Anyone who has tried can let me know it went.

Conclusion
I highly encourage those who are at their wit’s end about their skin to give olive oil a shot. Try it for a month and see if your skin doesn’t get any better. Keep in mind that in my case, my skin was already in the processing of balancing itself out (read: freak out and then calm down), so depending on your situation you might find that you break out a lot before you start to see any improvement. If it worked for someone with skin like mine (see above), I don’t see why it can’t work for everybody else.

- Japan Bans American Beef...Again
- Korean Women Worship Plastic Surgery, Says Oprah
- Drink Yourself Pretty with Sake Therapy
- Simple Ways to Get Great Skin
- How Olive Oil Helped My Skin, Budget, and Outlook on Beauty Care Products

I thought this was a funny commercial about CO^2 awareness. The comedian in the commercial, Kojima Yoshio, claims that he will stop breathing in order to offset the increasing CO^2 in the atmosphere. Does it work? Well…

This is a commercial produced by the campaign for Carbon Offset New Year’s Greeting. In Japan it is customary to send everybody postcards wishing them a happy new year, and this commercial seeks to spread awareness about the environment as well. Here is another commercial that is a little more serious:

Note:
- eco bags (!)
- bringing one’s own chopsticks instead of using disposable ones
- turn off running water while brushing teeth
- alternate means of transportation instead of driving
- shutting off the lights and working by desk lamp (although I am not so sure this good for one’s eyesight…)
- recycling bottles properly
- turning off the TV when not watching it (needing “background noise” is not an excuse!)

- The Candle Night Campaign
- Japan Bans American Beef...Again
- Happy Earth Day 2008
- Environment: Meat-Eating Chinese and Other Causes of the World's Food Crisis
- Drink Yourself Pretty with Sake Therapy

Despite the fact that since August of ‘07 I have a.) been staying in a foreign country and b.) cooped up in dorms and hotels, there is one thing that hasn’t happened that I thought for sure would be inevitable, and has in fact afflicted many other people, including those I have come into close range with.

I have never caught a cold since my move to Japan.

I am no expert, but I do believe that diet and lifestyle has had a lot to do with it. Here are some habits that I think may have attributed to my well-being even in this winter season, even after coming in close contact with sicklings, and even after having to adjust to a new climate and polluted atmosphere. (Again, these are just my opinions not backed by any scientific documentation because I am too lazy, so follow at your own risk!)

- Good Sleep Routine: Even on my off days and vacation days, I try to go to sleep around midnight. I also try to get myself up at 10am at the very latest. I think that a good sleep routine induces less stress on your body then if you were to change it from day to day. The people that I knew that got sick often went to sleep at various hours of the night, and napped for hours on end during the day.
- Fruits and Veggies: It wasn’t too long after I had my first taste of real mikan that I started to eat them everyday, almost without fail. I also incorporate dark greens like spinach into my food. Once in a while I buy raw fish and cook it with some olive oil, pepper, and spinach in the toaster oven (microwaving it will kill any nutrients) and I try to throw some frozen veggies into any instant curry I make.
- Careful with Instant Foods: Even though I buy instant curry, rice, and soup, I don’t buy instant ramen or yakisoba, even though they are much cheaper. For one thing, instant noodles aren’t filling and for another thing, they are filled with sodium and MSG like you wouldn’t believe (if you do eat the stuff, don’t drink the broth or only use half the seasoning packet!). At least with the curry, rice, and soup I can incorporate vegetables and other healthy ingredients and still get the added bonus of saving time.
- Stay Away from (Red) Meat Products: Not only is red meat very fatty, but I always feel like you are taking a risk when you buy pre-made foods with meat in it. Just speculation, but I think diets that leans more towards the vegetarian way provide more health benefits. I try to minimize the meat in my diet the best I can.
- Keep Hydrated: I always feel like crap when I’m thirsty, which is when your body is already dehydrated. Keeping a steady intake of liquids in the form of teas (with no milk and sugar) and water is a good way for your system to clear itself.
- Don’t Abuse the Heat: Whenever the heat is on for prolonged periods of time, my nose/throat always gets irritated and my eyes feel dry. This probably makes an ideal environment for common colds. I think you should try to maintain your room at a comfortable temperature, and not unnecessarily crank up the heat just because it is cold.

To me, these are just common sense things but you never know. It could just be in the cards for me to receive a huge ass-kicking flu right as school/mid-terms/finals/insert-important-event-here starts, and everything I have said above will be null.

- The Candle Night Campaign
- Japan Bans American Beef...Again
- Happy Earth Day 2008
- Environment: Meat-Eating Chinese and Other Causes of the World's Food Crisis
- Drink Yourself Pretty with Sake Therapy

Lately I have been consuming three ingredients that I don’t normally in the states: curry, aloe and sesame seeds. I am a big fan of curried anything so that is no surprise, but I had to muster up some courage before I began to eat foods with aloe or sesame seeds in them. Also I have bought curry powder, and for the first time have been experimenting with it in the foods that I make in the dorm–normally I eat instant curry or the stuff that comes as a roux.

Here is a breakdown of each ingredient:
Curry: If you have never had the chance to eat anything that contains curry, you are missing out on a huge flavor. There are tons of different kinds of curries, but the general flavor is spicy and smoky and makes everything delicious. So says one site:

In India there might be millions of curries because they are usually freshly ground from spices by each cook. With a population of a billion people and millions of cooks, so too are there many curries. But in south India, Kerala, most curries have these ingredients: curry leaves (the fragrant leaves of a small wild tree), coriander seeds, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, black pepper, hot chilies, fenugreek, turmeric, cardamon, and often cinnamon and cloves. These are all toasted in a pan and then ground on a flat stone with a stone hand grinder (or put in an electric blender). (Hidden India)

Like I said, I just bought curry for the first time and have been testing it out on different foods. So far vegetables and potatoes are a “yes,” and (pink) salted fish is a “no.” Here are some recipes I want to try out as soon as I have access to a decent kitchen: Devil Curry, Curry Puffs, Apple Curry Chicken.

Aloe: This is probably the most exotic out of the three. I didn’t even know aloe could be consumed because all I knew of the plant is that it is very spiky and gooey, and you can use it to heal sunburns. But I tried it for the first time in yogurt form, and I was hooked. The taste is similar to that of grapes, only less sweet. Unfortunately it doesn’t seem to be sold in the states outside of Asian markets, but if you have the chance, go ahead and try it! A quick google search came up with articles about health benefits of consuming it internally:

Aloe is one of the only known natural vegetarian sources of Vitamin B12, and it contains many minerals vital to the growth process and healthy function of all the body’s systems. Numerous studies worldwide indicate that aloe vera is a general tonic for the immune system, helping it to fight illness of all kinds, including general infections and even cancer and HIV.

In 1994, the US Food and Drug Administration approved aloe vera for the treatment of HIV. On-going studies worldwide show that aloe taken in highly concentrated doses can stimulate the production of white blood cells that may help fight viruses and also tumours. (International Recipes)

Of course, more research probably needs to be done, but who knew such an angry looking plant could harbor so much potential?

Sesame Seeds: I never used to be a big fan of sesame seeds until this year. Everything has sesame seeds, both white and black, toasted and un-toasted. Like the aloe, sesame seeds seem to have numerous health benefits as well:

The seeds are rich in manganese, copper, and calcium (90 mg per tablespoon for unhulled seeds, 10 mg for hulled), and contain vitamin B1 (thiamine) and vitamin E (tocopherol). They contain lignans, including unique content of sesamin, which are phytoestrogens with antioxidant and anti-cancer properties. Among edible oils from six plants, sesame oil had the highest antioxidant content. Sesame seeds also contain phytosterols associated with reduced levels of blood cholesterol, but do not contain caffeine. The nutrients of sesame seeds are better absorbed if they are ground or pulverized before consumption.

Women of ancient Babylon would eat halva, a mixture of honey and sesame seeds to prolong youth and beauty, while Roman soldiers ate the mixture for strength and energy. (Wikipedia article)

This makes me feel less guilty about eating desserts here that are covered in sesame seeds! Some of my favorites include jin deui, daifuku, and sata andagi when covered in sesame seeds.

- All Asians Have Beef With Other Asians
- It's Been a Crazy Two Months
- The Candle Night Campaign
- Algorithm March...with Ninja!
- Visa Stays are Extended for Those With Japanese Skills

Having to survive on our own here in Japan, a lot of people eat really poorly because they can’t afford anything better. Many people buy instant noodles and spaghetti. In actuality, you can find nutritious food for cheap if you know how to cook and save portions for later. Here are some tips I find useful when trying to eat healthily for cheap:
- Freeze portions ahead of time
- Make your own sauces and spreads
- Price check on items that you buy regularly–keep track of weekly sales
- Cook a big batch and spread it out over the week–rice works really well for this
- Buy fruits and veggies in season
- Buy produce locally
- Steer away from big name brands–go for generic
- Don’t buy juice
- Don’t buy meat unless you find a good sale–meat is usually the most expensive part of the meal
- Don’t buy bottled water–invest in a good water filter

Here are some other resources:
- Eating Healthy on a Budget (MSNBC)
- Food Preservation
- Food Stamp Nutrition Connection: Recipes Finder
- Freezing and Food Safety
- How to Understand and Use the Nutrition Facts Label
- Thrifty Food Plan Challenge (Get Rich Slowly)

- Japan Bans American Beef...Again
- Women's Only Okonomiyaki Eating Contest
- Drink Yourself Pretty with Sake Therapy
- Simple Ways to Get Great Skin
- How To: Eat Sushi

Back in Skinny Jeans posted a great link to a site where you can enter in your make up products and see how toxic they are. Right away I checked out the website and entered in Bare Escentuals, my brand of choice because everything else my skin go crazy. Luckily, they rated about 2 or 3 on their hazard scale, the highest being a 10. I would take the time to check the website out and see if your beauty products may be causing you harm. I try to examine all the ingredients in products I use before I buy them, but often it requires a magnifying glass or a dictionary. Knowing about this site makes things a lot easier for us who have sensitive skin or want to maintain healthy lifestyles.

After doing a quick Google search, I found some other resources for those who want to look into these matters:
- Go Cruelty Free - List of American companies that carry cruelty free cosmetics
- FDA Failing to Remove Toxic Chemicals from Cosmetics (Organic Consumers Association)
- How to Find Non-Toxic Makeup (eHow)
- Campaign for Safe Cosmetics

As always, knowledge is power and all that. I personally discourage using products with any fragrance in them or irritating agents that heat or tighten skin. But do your own research! Especially if you are going to shell out tons of money for a cosmetics line, make sure you aren’t doing it for the packaging or advertising.

- Japan Bans American Beef...Again
- Korean Women Worship Plastic Surgery, Says Oprah
- Drink Yourself Pretty with Sake Therapy
- Simple Ways to Get Great Skin
- Health and Beauty: Olive Oil For Your Skin

If you haven’t heard of the Diva Cup, then you are in for a treat. The Diva Cup is a environmentally friendly, body friendly, wallet friendly, traveling friendly menstrual solution (shut up, it gets better). It is most certainly one of the best investments I have made this year and I whole-heartedly endorse it.

Read the rest of this entry »

- The Candle Night Campaign
- Japan Bans American Beef...Again
- Happy Earth Day 2008
- Environment: Meat-Eating Chinese and Other Causes of the World's Food Crisis
- Drink Yourself Pretty with Sake Therapy