Song: Scarborough Fair
Artist: Sarah Brightman
Photo: 1960s
My mother, although 100% Japanese, was born in Manchuria
during the Japanese occupation in 1939.
She was sent back to Japan while still an infant...
to the care of her Grandmother in Kyushu, Japan.
She remained there until my father had met her
in Sasebo, Japan
(he was in the Navy).
They got married when she was 18 yrs. old...
and my mother has since been living in the U.S.
(she became a US citizen)....
with a three year exception when our family lived in Japan
when we children were young.
when we children were young.
This short history is to show that...
although she is Japanese...
she has lived in the US for most of her life.
This is important...
because statistical studies have shown that many of the life lengthening
advantages shared among the Japanese people are erased once they
consume the typical American diet daily, over a period of decades
(their lifespan becomes the average US lifespan...
studies of Japanese people in Japan vs Japanese immigrants to the US).
Although my mother eats many of the typical American foods...
she has always also eaten many Japanese foods.
She has longevity in her family.
Her Grandmother lived to be over 100 years old.
Her father lived until his late 90s.
When I last met him in Japan...
he was already nearing 90 years old...
he still had most of his hair...
he was of clear mind...
and he was still driving.
Although genetics play a large part in a person's longevity...
without living by the basic three
(nutritious and delicious diet / exercise / deep restorative sleep)...
a person cannot achieve his/her full genetic potential.
Also...
it is not merely longevity for which should be strived...
it is the quantity of quality that is all important.
My mother, for most of her adult life...
was a housewife.
Although she was not subject to normal work day stress...
she also never really exercised.
In her later years (70+)...
she became more and more sedentary.
She watched TV, and, instead of getting enough deep sleep...
she resorted to merely getting naps whenever she felt too tired to stay awake.
She ate out a lot...
and ate convenience foods at home much of the rest of the time.
Just three months ago...
I convinced my mother to move near me in Reno, NV.
I knew I could make a great difference in her life
through the introduction of reasonable amounts of exercise...
a healthful diet, and by ensuring she got restful and restorative sleep
on a regular basis.
Within the first two months...
my mother lost 20 lbs. and she became much more vibrant and happy.
Over the past three months...
I have written many articles of my mother and my son interacting...
and exercising together.
For the past three months...
my mother had been living with my family...
and just a couple of weeks ago...
she had bought her own house just minutes away from mine.
Over the next several articles...
I will reproduce my past articles on my mother on this blog
(from my other blog on my son: 2E Child ).
But first...
I will go over some basic principles and concepts
of living life well...
and why they are important.
The next article will cover these...
along with who I am...
and why I am writing this blog.
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