Dear Reader,

I had my annual physical at the doctor’s a few days ago– I went to a new doctor because I didn’t like my old one (Note: Yes, if you don’t like your doctor you should switch! They are providing a service, and especially when it comes to your health, you should be working with individuals that care for you, and that you trust).

She was asking me a few routine questions about my lifestyle habits, and the topic of drinking came up. I told her I didn’t drink much and she was like, good! Less is better.

“If you hear that alcohol is good for your health, it’s probably the social aspects of drinking, not the drink itself. Drink with people, but I don’t encourage you to drink with people.”

It was the first time that I heard a doctor speak to me about the health benefits of a strong social community. Oftentimes I hear the usual on exercise, eating vegetables, not too much meat, etc. but not about our social health.

There is strong evidence that having a strong social life is good for your health– not just mentally, but physically as well. In fact, the happiest and healthiest people on the planet are not necessarily the rich and famous, but those who have the highest quality relationships.
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It reminded me of the old Japanese proverb,

Eaten alone, even sea bream does not taste delicious

鯛も一人はうまからず (Taimo hitoriwa umakarazu)

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Sea bream is a celebratory delicacy in Japanese cuisine, usually a prized centerpiece dish like a dry-aged ribeye or juicy, crispy turkey in American culture. But eaten alone, how good could something delicious taste?

If you’re looking for a simple way to improve your health this week, one easy way to do that is to share your meals and snacks with others– make it an occasion! Plate it, sit down at a table, and take your time.

Quality over quantity, and by reshaping our relationship with food to not be dictated by macros or calorie count, but by the way it improves our sense of wellbeing, we can find peace with our health.

Because is that not the whole point of good health, to enjoy life?
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Warmly,

Kaki

Overwhelmed by your health? Start here 🌱

Sometimes 'doing the healthy thing' feels hard. Especially when it seems like there are 10000 ways to do it wrong, and all of the information out there gets confusing.

I try to keep it simple. Here are 3 things I’ve been doing for my health this week:

• 🎞️ Looking at photos of my younger self. I was told that when feeling lost, looking at photos from my childhood could help me return home. There is something very grounding about looking at where you were, how far you’ve come, and wanting to be nice to the young child in you.
• 🥦 Ingredient-prepping broccoli beforehand. I wouldn’t even know what I was going to make for dinner or lunch, but I’ve been making it a habit to wash and chop broccoli into little florets and keep them on hand. Meal prepping is time and energy-consuming, but ingredient-prepping makes cooking less daunting. (Plus, it's easy to cook in the microwave)
• 😪 Reading on the Kindle before bed. My mind wanders a lot, and sometimes it’s hard to center and let go of my thoughts. Reading calming words from confident characters is like reading a bedtime story to myself. Makes drifting off feel a lot nicer.

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What’s on your mind at night these days?

Let me know, I read everything that comes my way 📝​
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Thanks for reading!

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