Japan - onsens, shrines, culture
for photos see my Facebook page (privacy set to "friends") - Karen Kinnard
I traveled to Japan with my husband, to visit my son who is living in Takasaki, Gunma Province. I suggested to him that we visit an Onsen hot pool on my visit and he informed me that Onsen's, Japanese hot baths, do not allow people with tattoos to go in.
He said that it is a cultural thing, I asked for more information and he said that in Japan, gangs have tattoos. On Wikipedia: they are a "badge of criminality" so those with tattoos are strictly banned from many Onsens. Although this is slowly changing since so many visitors from the "West" are touring in Japan. However, there is still a strict "no tattoos" rule in most Onsens.
He also then informed me that everyone bathes nude in bathhouses. I suggested that we could go into the separate "mens" and "womens" sections. It makes sense to me that such an old culture people would "bathe" nude. Why not? It's supposed to be where you bathe! However, it is not acceptable to step into the baths dirty. There are buckets and soap or showers provided for those bathing in the public (or private) pools. The Japanese call it "naked communion" where barriers are broken down and people can become more connected in this relaxed atmosphere. (Source: Wikipedia)
However, since tourists from the West started visiting Japan, there are rules for covering the body in the larger cities, yet rural onsens still have traditional nude bathing. The common covering is a towel around the waist for men and a full bath towel for covering for women.
Onsens are scattered throughout all of Japan. The pools are either run by a municipality or are privately owned as Ryokans, or bed and breakfasts. They are so common because there are many volcano-heated water sources in Japan. The waters are made up of at least one of 19 designated chemical elements, most commonly: iron, sulphur, and metabolic acid.
I did a bit of research and there is a website that lists "tattoo-friendly" Onsen pools. On this track, I found a place not too far from Takasaki that allows people in with tattoo's. It is in Shinma in Gunma Province and is one of the most popular spots for visitors. However, upon visiting Japan, I found it was not easy to find reliable information about this. Japanese do not approve of tattoos, so I didn't want to pursue it - I simply bought waterproof bandages to cover my small tattoo.
Ikaho Onsen
The reality of a visit to an Onsen is different than reading about it - as is always the case. We traveled to Ikaho Onsen in Gunma Prefecture. I think you could compare a prefecture to a county in the U.S. We traveled there in my daughter-in-laws car, but there are also buses that go there regularly as it is a popular spot for tourism.
Travel by bus in Japan is easy and economical. The buses are nice, very clean and comfortable (I napped easily on the bus ride from and to the airport - it is more comfortable than travel by train or plane) It would be a challenge for a Western tourist to drive in Japan as you must have an international drivers license and the cars drive on the opposite side of the road than what we are used to. However, there are also tours available for hire to any of the places frequented by tourists in Japan.
My onsen experience was relaxing and healing. The Ikaho waters are warmed by an old, no longer active, volcano. The waters flow through the village in a stream and in natural underground springs. They are rumored to have healing properties, especially to heal joint and muscle pain. I didn't know this until after I soaked in the public onsen, but afterwards, I felt so much better than I had during the walk up the mountain. You see, I have scoliosis and sometimes the nerves leading to my hip get restricted in the flow of energy, resulting in intense pain and lack of strength in my right hip. As you can imagine, walking the 365 steps up the mountain to the Onsen, was an exercise in focus and determination. This is a chronic and long term, yet manageable, problem for me, and when it flares up, I do not let it stop me from enjoying my life.
You did read right. There are 365 steps up the mountain to the onsen. The path is as wide as a narrow, one way street, with buildings on each side of the path. The buildings contain shops, restaurants, hotels, private onsens, and it was so exciting to slowly climb up the mountain and peek into the places as we walked!
My daughter-in-law speaks Japanese quite well, and so she was our interpreter when paying for our onsen bath. My husband and I both went in, but we were in separate baths. Men and women are separated from each other in two separate areas - yet they are adjacent. There is a wooden wall in between the open-air baths.
Even though I couldn't speak the language, there was a moment when all of the women in the bath were quietly giggling. An older man was reaching his hand over the fence and calling someone's name (he was holding a bag like he had something for someone). Finally, one of the young more talkative women said something in Japanese like "she isn't here" and he lowered his arm. Later, my husband told me that this older man was up on a stool trying to peek in also. My son then told me that's one reason he doesn't much like onsen's - because he finds this behavior offensive. Sexual harassment isn't viewed in the same way in Japan as it is in the U.S. It wasn't uncomfortable for me, however, as I could see that he couldn't see over the fence and it was kind of funny to all of us women. It wasn't until recently, that in Japan there are now rules about sexual harassment in the workplace. Only this year (2015) did the Japanese courts uphold a company's right to demote a couple of managers for sexually harassing a female employee.
I didn't take any chances about the tattoo. I have a small "om" symbol tattooed on my right ankle, so I simply put on a large waterproof bandaid over the tattoo. I was a bit self-conscious undressing to go into the onsen, but not enough, again, to stop me. One really great thing about Japan culture is that the people are respectful of others' privacy, so I felt fine undressing and then washing up before stepping into the warm, soothing water. The other women in the water were very quiet, except for a couple of young girls quietly chatting to each other. The pools were hewn from natural stone, with water constantly pouring in from a small waterfall-like spring. It was the perfect temperature for soaking - not too hot and not too cool. One of the most lovely things about soaking in this onsen, was that it is at the top of a mountain, outdoors, and you could smell the cedar trees and hear the birds chirping while soaking. It was certainly a piece of heaven on earth. After an hour of soaking in the onsen pool, I had great relief and had much less problem walking back down the mountain.
Haruna Shrine
Another of my favorite places that I visited in Japan was on the other side of this same mountain. The day before we visited the Onsen, we drove up to Haruna Shrine (or Haruna Jinja). This shrine was founded in 586, the first year of the reign of Emperor Yomei and it is a Shinto Shrine. This shrine is dedicated to the gods of fire, water, and agriculture and is said to give blessings of prosperity to business and a good marriage. It is said to be the central shrine of ancient mountain worship in the area.
The drive up is on a dizzingly winding road and the trip takes about an hour from the city of Takasaki. On the way you can stop at a few other shrines which are smaller and less people go to these, so it is worth it to stop at these smaller public shrines. Make sure they are public, though, because there are many small, private family shrines throughout Japan.
When we arrived at the parking for the shrine, we still had to walk about 200 meters more to the gate. On the route of this short walk, there are public restrooms and small restaurants where you can fill up on snacks or a lunch. We stopped at the ice-cream stand and sampled the green tea ice-cream and the soy sauce ice-cream. There is also a yummy rice bread on a stick we tried as well - the bread is fried on a grill before they hand you the stick of bread.
At the gate of the shrine and all shrines in Japan, there is a chozuya (a spring or well), where we washed our hands, rinsed mouth, and splashed our faces - to purify ourselves for entering the entrance gate. At the gate, we followed the tradition of bowing, clapping our hands together 3 times, then bowing and tossing some yen coins into an offering box. I love this tradition of bowing before entering - it puts you into a respectful frame of mind.
As we entered, the view of the path, the people, and the shrines in the mountain along a mountain stream, put me in a state of awe. The largeness and majesty of this place cannot be experienced any other way, but by going there. Throughout our long two hour walk, I took many photos and stopped several times to simply soak in the mountain, the trees, the energy of the water flowing through it all and the temples. There are several temples - each dedicated to a different purpose. Since I know little to nothing about shinto practices, I simply was quiet and observed and soaked in the energy and beauty of this ancient sacred shrine throughout the walk.
The walk is about 700-meters to the last buildings and Haruna Shrine is now known as a spiritual power spot that attracts many visitors. At the final building we could purchase a token for good fortune or prayers and we could have the monks hang a paper prayer up on the mountain or trees, or have a wooden one we write on ourselves to hang with many other people's prayers (written in languages from all over the world), or to bring one home and hang. I bought one to bring home to hang up - I set my wish and intention into it and it will hang in my home for one year. After the year is over, I will take it down and burn it. It is a prayer for my family's good fortune.
Japan Culture
We stayed with my son in Japan for about 10 days. In that 10 days, I felt somewhat isolated. People do not typically talk to strangers in Japan. Even though we were in the most densely populated city in the world (Tokyo) for a day, it did not seem that crowded. I typically do not like crowds, yet we walked through two large parks, took trains to travel around that day, and not once did I feel claustrophobic. It was even cherry blossom season! People were out in droves viewing the cherry blossoms and participating in the festival.
There were so many differences in Japan, I want you to remember that this is simply one person's perspective. I don't get out much, I live in Minnesota in a suburb and typically spend my time teaching yoga, relaxing at home or playing with my grandchildren. My husband and I work many hours in our own businesses.
In Japan, we noticed that one difference is that coffee shops do not open very early in the morning. In our home town of Eden Prairie, we can go out for coffee at least by 6 am. In Takasaki, the local Starbucks opened at 8 am, while another local coffee shop didn't open until 9:00 am.
Small dogs and cats are quite popular in Japan, although most people cannot afford to keep these pets. We walked into a hardware store and found the pet section and their was one cat for sale (the only pet available) for about 96,000 yen, which is about $800 US. The cat was a calico, and had unique hair on it's ears, but was listed as an American purebred. Interesting.
The streets were another noticeable difference. Every road we drove on was perfectly maintained. No bumps, potholes or cracks were noticeable and the trees alongside the road were perfectly trimmed back.
Most roads in the city were very narrow and only wide enough for a small car to pass one way, even though they were not considered one-way streets. So drivers are very careful and considerate. It is common for someone to even have to back up off the road to let another car pass through or otherwise pull off the road into a drive or parking area to allow the car through.
This also made it a bit challenging to walk or bike, which is another very common mode of transportation in Japan. One very markedly different thing about Japan culture is the lack of theft. You can ride a bicycle anywhere and even carry your packages or personal items in your bike basket and leave them in the basket, park the bike unlocked and expect everything to be there as you left it when you return.
This respect for others and their belongings was very reassuring and allowed me to really relax and enjoy sightseeing and exploring in Japan. It was also very helpful that my son and his wife speak Japanese. I can't imagine how I would fare if I wasn't with them as I do not have a knack for picking up languages quickly. My husband doesn't either, but he had no trouble though communicating what he wanted at the grocery store and coffee shops he visited without me.
Two highlights of my trip was when a young person from Japan said “hello” in English. They were so thrilled - like it was a daring thing they did. It always made me smile to see their excitement in connecting. Another highlight was when we were riding on a train in Tokyo and a woman sat next to me and started talking to me. She began in Japanese and I said “I only speak English”. She then began talking to me in English. She was a professor of Japanese culture at the University of Tokyo and her daughter lived in Chicago and was married to an American. What are the chances of that! I was so happy to speak with her and she was also grateful to be able to practice her English speaking with me. One thing she instilled in me was a desire to attend an authentic Japanese tea ceremony. She teaches this, but naturally, could not demonstrate it to me on the train. She said I “must” attend one when I am offered the opportunity. I know that I’ll be able to do this in Minnesota either at Como Park in St. Paul or at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum - two places where I have seen this offered.
Certainly no trip to Japan would be complete, so I gathered from the crowds, without a walk through Harajuku - a famous shopping district. I am not much of a shopper, more of a spiritual traveler, though it was very exciting - so many flashing lights and lots of noise and people - probably one of the most exciting places I have visited without the trauma of people pushing and shoving in the crowd. You see, even in the most packed situations, Japanese people are very respectful and polite. I am very grateful for the opportunity to have had this experience and especially to live with my son and his wife for 10 days to experience it as a temporary resident.
(Samantha, my son’s wife is teaching at an English School).
This article does not begin to touch upon all of the many sights and sounds I experienced in those 10 days and our journey barely scratched the surface of the possible ancient places to visit. Everyone in the world should take the opportunity to visit Japan - it is a unique place - it is a culture of 98% Japanese people, a slow-changing and ancient culture - yet very modern. I hope to return again and this time visit Kyoto and Mt Fuji. The country is much larger than I realized it would be and exploring its many treasures takes more time than we had allotted, we do hope to return again.
I traveled to Japan with my husband, to visit my son who is living in Takasaki, Gunma Province. I suggested to him that we visit an Onsen hot pool on my visit and he informed me that Onsen's, Japanese hot baths, do not allow people with tattoos to go in.
He said that it is a cultural thing, I asked for more information and he said that in Japan, gangs have tattoos. On Wikipedia: they are a "badge of criminality" so those with tattoos are strictly banned from many Onsens. Although this is slowly changing since so many visitors from the "West" are touring in Japan. However, there is still a strict "no tattoos" rule in most Onsens.
He also then informed me that everyone bathes nude in bathhouses. I suggested that we could go into the separate "mens" and "womens" sections. It makes sense to me that such an old culture people would "bathe" nude. Why not? It's supposed to be where you bathe! However, it is not acceptable to step into the baths dirty. There are buckets and soap or showers provided for those bathing in the public (or private) pools. The Japanese call it "naked communion" where barriers are broken down and people can become more connected in this relaxed atmosphere. (Source: Wikipedia)
However, since tourists from the West started visiting Japan, there are rules for covering the body in the larger cities, yet rural onsens still have traditional nude bathing. The common covering is a towel around the waist for men and a full bath towel for covering for women.
Onsens are scattered throughout all of Japan. The pools are either run by a municipality or are privately owned as Ryokans, or bed and breakfasts. They are so common because there are many volcano-heated water sources in Japan. The waters are made up of at least one of 19 designated chemical elements, most commonly: iron, sulphur, and metabolic acid.
I did a bit of research and there is a website that lists "tattoo-friendly" Onsen pools. On this track, I found a place not too far from Takasaki that allows people in with tattoo's. It is in Shinma in Gunma Province and is one of the most popular spots for visitors. However, upon visiting Japan, I found it was not easy to find reliable information about this. Japanese do not approve of tattoos, so I didn't want to pursue it - I simply bought waterproof bandages to cover my small tattoo.
Ikaho Onsen
The reality of a visit to an Onsen is different than reading about it - as is always the case. We traveled to Ikaho Onsen in Gunma Prefecture. I think you could compare a prefecture to a county in the U.S. We traveled there in my daughter-in-laws car, but there are also buses that go there regularly as it is a popular spot for tourism.
Travel by bus in Japan is easy and economical. The buses are nice, very clean and comfortable (I napped easily on the bus ride from and to the airport - it is more comfortable than travel by train or plane) It would be a challenge for a Western tourist to drive in Japan as you must have an international drivers license and the cars drive on the opposite side of the road than what we are used to. However, there are also tours available for hire to any of the places frequented by tourists in Japan.
My onsen experience was relaxing and healing. The Ikaho waters are warmed by an old, no longer active, volcano. The waters flow through the village in a stream and in natural underground springs. They are rumored to have healing properties, especially to heal joint and muscle pain. I didn't know this until after I soaked in the public onsen, but afterwards, I felt so much better than I had during the walk up the mountain. You see, I have scoliosis and sometimes the nerves leading to my hip get restricted in the flow of energy, resulting in intense pain and lack of strength in my right hip. As you can imagine, walking the 365 steps up the mountain to the Onsen, was an exercise in focus and determination. This is a chronic and long term, yet manageable, problem for me, and when it flares up, I do not let it stop me from enjoying my life.
You did read right. There are 365 steps up the mountain to the onsen. The path is as wide as a narrow, one way street, with buildings on each side of the path. The buildings contain shops, restaurants, hotels, private onsens, and it was so exciting to slowly climb up the mountain and peek into the places as we walked!
My daughter-in-law speaks Japanese quite well, and so she was our interpreter when paying for our onsen bath. My husband and I both went in, but we were in separate baths. Men and women are separated from each other in two separate areas - yet they are adjacent. There is a wooden wall in between the open-air baths.
Even though I couldn't speak the language, there was a moment when all of the women in the bath were quietly giggling. An older man was reaching his hand over the fence and calling someone's name (he was holding a bag like he had something for someone). Finally, one of the young more talkative women said something in Japanese like "she isn't here" and he lowered his arm. Later, my husband told me that this older man was up on a stool trying to peek in also. My son then told me that's one reason he doesn't much like onsen's - because he finds this behavior offensive. Sexual harassment isn't viewed in the same way in Japan as it is in the U.S. It wasn't uncomfortable for me, however, as I could see that he couldn't see over the fence and it was kind of funny to all of us women. It wasn't until recently, that in Japan there are now rules about sexual harassment in the workplace. Only this year (2015) did the Japanese courts uphold a company's right to demote a couple of managers for sexually harassing a female employee.
I didn't take any chances about the tattoo. I have a small "om" symbol tattooed on my right ankle, so I simply put on a large waterproof bandaid over the tattoo. I was a bit self-conscious undressing to go into the onsen, but not enough, again, to stop me. One really great thing about Japan culture is that the people are respectful of others' privacy, so I felt fine undressing and then washing up before stepping into the warm, soothing water. The other women in the water were very quiet, except for a couple of young girls quietly chatting to each other. The pools were hewn from natural stone, with water constantly pouring in from a small waterfall-like spring. It was the perfect temperature for soaking - not too hot and not too cool. One of the most lovely things about soaking in this onsen, was that it is at the top of a mountain, outdoors, and you could smell the cedar trees and hear the birds chirping while soaking. It was certainly a piece of heaven on earth. After an hour of soaking in the onsen pool, I had great relief and had much less problem walking back down the mountain.
Haruna Shrine
Another of my favorite places that I visited in Japan was on the other side of this same mountain. The day before we visited the Onsen, we drove up to Haruna Shrine (or Haruna Jinja). This shrine was founded in 586, the first year of the reign of Emperor Yomei and it is a Shinto Shrine. This shrine is dedicated to the gods of fire, water, and agriculture and is said to give blessings of prosperity to business and a good marriage. It is said to be the central shrine of ancient mountain worship in the area.
The drive up is on a dizzingly winding road and the trip takes about an hour from the city of Takasaki. On the way you can stop at a few other shrines which are smaller and less people go to these, so it is worth it to stop at these smaller public shrines. Make sure they are public, though, because there are many small, private family shrines throughout Japan.
When we arrived at the parking for the shrine, we still had to walk about 200 meters more to the gate. On the route of this short walk, there are public restrooms and small restaurants where you can fill up on snacks or a lunch. We stopped at the ice-cream stand and sampled the green tea ice-cream and the soy sauce ice-cream. There is also a yummy rice bread on a stick we tried as well - the bread is fried on a grill before they hand you the stick of bread.
At the gate of the shrine and all shrines in Japan, there is a chozuya (a spring or well), where we washed our hands, rinsed mouth, and splashed our faces - to purify ourselves for entering the entrance gate. At the gate, we followed the tradition of bowing, clapping our hands together 3 times, then bowing and tossing some yen coins into an offering box. I love this tradition of bowing before entering - it puts you into a respectful frame of mind.
As we entered, the view of the path, the people, and the shrines in the mountain along a mountain stream, put me in a state of awe. The largeness and majesty of this place cannot be experienced any other way, but by going there. Throughout our long two hour walk, I took many photos and stopped several times to simply soak in the mountain, the trees, the energy of the water flowing through it all and the temples. There are several temples - each dedicated to a different purpose. Since I know little to nothing about shinto practices, I simply was quiet and observed and soaked in the energy and beauty of this ancient sacred shrine throughout the walk.
The walk is about 700-meters to the last buildings and Haruna Shrine is now known as a spiritual power spot that attracts many visitors. At the final building we could purchase a token for good fortune or prayers and we could have the monks hang a paper prayer up on the mountain or trees, or have a wooden one we write on ourselves to hang with many other people's prayers (written in languages from all over the world), or to bring one home and hang. I bought one to bring home to hang up - I set my wish and intention into it and it will hang in my home for one year. After the year is over, I will take it down and burn it. It is a prayer for my family's good fortune.
Japan Culture
We stayed with my son in Japan for about 10 days. In that 10 days, I felt somewhat isolated. People do not typically talk to strangers in Japan. Even though we were in the most densely populated city in the world (Tokyo) for a day, it did not seem that crowded. I typically do not like crowds, yet we walked through two large parks, took trains to travel around that day, and not once did I feel claustrophobic. It was even cherry blossom season! People were out in droves viewing the cherry blossoms and participating in the festival.
There were so many differences in Japan, I want you to remember that this is simply one person's perspective. I don't get out much, I live in Minnesota in a suburb and typically spend my time teaching yoga, relaxing at home or playing with my grandchildren. My husband and I work many hours in our own businesses.
In Japan, we noticed that one difference is that coffee shops do not open very early in the morning. In our home town of Eden Prairie, we can go out for coffee at least by 6 am. In Takasaki, the local Starbucks opened at 8 am, while another local coffee shop didn't open until 9:00 am.
Small dogs and cats are quite popular in Japan, although most people cannot afford to keep these pets. We walked into a hardware store and found the pet section and their was one cat for sale (the only pet available) for about 96,000 yen, which is about $800 US. The cat was a calico, and had unique hair on it's ears, but was listed as an American purebred. Interesting.
The streets were another noticeable difference. Every road we drove on was perfectly maintained. No bumps, potholes or cracks were noticeable and the trees alongside the road were perfectly trimmed back.
Most roads in the city were very narrow and only wide enough for a small car to pass one way, even though they were not considered one-way streets. So drivers are very careful and considerate. It is common for someone to even have to back up off the road to let another car pass through or otherwise pull off the road into a drive or parking area to allow the car through.
This also made it a bit challenging to walk or bike, which is another very common mode of transportation in Japan. One very markedly different thing about Japan culture is the lack of theft. You can ride a bicycle anywhere and even carry your packages or personal items in your bike basket and leave them in the basket, park the bike unlocked and expect everything to be there as you left it when you return.
This respect for others and their belongings was very reassuring and allowed me to really relax and enjoy sightseeing and exploring in Japan. It was also very helpful that my son and his wife speak Japanese. I can't imagine how I would fare if I wasn't with them as I do not have a knack for picking up languages quickly. My husband doesn't either, but he had no trouble though communicating what he wanted at the grocery store and coffee shops he visited without me.
Two highlights of my trip was when a young person from Japan said “hello” in English. They were so thrilled - like it was a daring thing they did. It always made me smile to see their excitement in connecting. Another highlight was when we were riding on a train in Tokyo and a woman sat next to me and started talking to me. She began in Japanese and I said “I only speak English”. She then began talking to me in English. She was a professor of Japanese culture at the University of Tokyo and her daughter lived in Chicago and was married to an American. What are the chances of that! I was so happy to speak with her and she was also grateful to be able to practice her English speaking with me. One thing she instilled in me was a desire to attend an authentic Japanese tea ceremony. She teaches this, but naturally, could not demonstrate it to me on the train. She said I “must” attend one when I am offered the opportunity. I know that I’ll be able to do this in Minnesota either at Como Park in St. Paul or at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum - two places where I have seen this offered.
Certainly no trip to Japan would be complete, so I gathered from the crowds, without a walk through Harajuku - a famous shopping district. I am not much of a shopper, more of a spiritual traveler, though it was very exciting - so many flashing lights and lots of noise and people - probably one of the most exciting places I have visited without the trauma of people pushing and shoving in the crowd. You see, even in the most packed situations, Japanese people are very respectful and polite. I am very grateful for the opportunity to have had this experience and especially to live with my son and his wife for 10 days to experience it as a temporary resident.
(Samantha, my son’s wife is teaching at an English School).
This article does not begin to touch upon all of the many sights and sounds I experienced in those 10 days and our journey barely scratched the surface of the possible ancient places to visit. Everyone in the world should take the opportunity to visit Japan - it is a unique place - it is a culture of 98% Japanese people, a slow-changing and ancient culture - yet very modern. I hope to return again and this time visit Kyoto and Mt Fuji. The country is much larger than I realized it would be and exploring its many treasures takes more time than we had allotted, we do hope to return again.
Sugar Addiction - by Mary Battista, Prairie Health Companion
Low on energy? If you are like most people you will reach for a caffeinated beverage or a sugary snack. Unfortunately, both of these things supply us with a temporary boost and then leave us feeling depleted. And both have addictive aspects. Most of us know that caffeine has addictive aspects- just skip your morning cup and notice how you feel. Most people have headaches, lethargy, irritability that comes with withdrawal. But sugar too?? Yes, many studies have confirmed the addictive aspects of sugar. Many people say they don't have a "sweet tooth" but because sugar is so ubiquitous you may be consuming large amounts of sugar unbeknownst to you. The USDA recommends that Americans limit intake of added sugars to 10 tsp or about 150 calories a day, when in fact most Americans consume 3 times that at 30 tsp or 450 calories per day. The largest source of our sugar consumption is sugary drinks- most notably soda. But other drinks such as sugary teas and coffees, energy drinks and juices also supply us with large amounts of sugar. But sugar is also hidden in our yogurt, spaghetti sauce, crackers, breads and cereals. Excess sugar is the culprit in many health issues such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart disease, tooth decay and much more. Kelly Brownell, Director of Yale University's Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, has evidence that some foods, such as sugar, may alter the brain like an addictive drug. He also states that 40% of the calories fed to children in our society age 2-18 are empty calories, mostly sugar, with no nutritional benefits. And are they getting addicted to these foods? "Processed foods and sugary drinks aren't simply unhealthy, they can hijack the brain in ways that resemble addictions to cocaine, nicotine and other drugs", according to Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Many studies confirm this. A little bit of sugar leads to wanting more and more, just to get the same good feeling just as in drugs. The end result of this addiction: obesity in many cases.
The food industry knows the addictive aspects of sugar quite well which may explain why we find sugar in so many unexpected places causing us to eat more and more of their products. Does anyone ever eat one serving of wheat thins (sugar and molasses is in the ingredient list)?
Eating whole foods and avoiding all processed foods, may be your best bet in controlling sugar addiction. Getting sugars as they were intended, through fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes, can decrease sugar cravings while supplying your body with the vital nutrients it needs to feel satisfied and be healthy. Mindlessly eating foods laden with sugar only perpetuates the problem where gradually weaning off of these foods provides a sustainable solution. Of course, managing stress, sleep and daily exercise are also important parts of a long-term strategy to decreasing sugar intake. To find out more about sugar addiction go to: The Rudd center for food policy and obesity website at: www.yaleruddcenter.org
Article submitted by Mary Battista of Prairie Health Companion
Assisting you on your journey towards optimal health and happiness!
prairiehealthcompanion.com
612-810-2247
The food industry knows the addictive aspects of sugar quite well which may explain why we find sugar in so many unexpected places causing us to eat more and more of their products. Does anyone ever eat one serving of wheat thins (sugar and molasses is in the ingredient list)?
Eating whole foods and avoiding all processed foods, may be your best bet in controlling sugar addiction. Getting sugars as they were intended, through fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes, can decrease sugar cravings while supplying your body with the vital nutrients it needs to feel satisfied and be healthy. Mindlessly eating foods laden with sugar only perpetuates the problem where gradually weaning off of these foods provides a sustainable solution. Of course, managing stress, sleep and daily exercise are also important parts of a long-term strategy to decreasing sugar intake. To find out more about sugar addiction go to: The Rudd center for food policy and obesity website at: www.yaleruddcenter.org
Article submitted by Mary Battista of Prairie Health Companion
Assisting you on your journey towards optimal health and happiness!
prairiehealthcompanion.com
612-810-2247
