Cleanse Cleanse Cleanse!

I just came back from the hospital. Have been suffering from horrible fever and nausea for four days since I got back from NY. I have been in bed during the golden week holidays...Apparently, I am infected with a virus. I have not been able to eat anything for the past few days except for some fruit and been drinking lots and lots of "Pokari Sweat" (what an awful name!!!)to prevent dehydration. I hate to put something chemical in my body when I am so weak but I have to admit that whoever devoloped this product should be applauded. A doctor told me that it was made originally as a medical product to prevent sick children from getting dehydrated. When you are nauseous, you can't even keep water in your stomach. Well, it works. Thank you, Pokari Sweat. Anyway, while in bed, I read three interesting bestsellers by health and anti-aging specialists; Dr. Nicholas Perricone's "The Perricone Promise!, Dr. Don Colbert's "Toxic Relief" and Kevin Trudeau's "Natural Cures." What they're basically saying is boost up your body's natural system and get rid of the toxic stuff that is clogging it up. Well, since I do need to lose weight and can't eat anyway, I decided to go on Dr. Colbert's toxic relief program. I even considered that famous "Master Cleanse Program" that is basically about drinking glasses of lemon juice with cayenne pepper and maple syrup for ten days. But I know I'll give up after the first day...I bet it tastes awful! At least Colbert's program allows you to drink fresh fruit juice which is yummier so... I desperately need to get stronger to fight off this virus!

My Pores Are Invisible!!

I just got back last night from a loooong flight from New York and am absolutely exhausted to the point I got really really sick. I have been sleeping for the past 48 hours in order to recuperate from a nasty virus attack. I was in the States to attend the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine's Annual International Congress in Orlando and learned soooo much about health, skincare and age management. I want to share some of these eye opening discoveries but my head is spinning so please give me some time. However, I will write about a shocking experience I had right before I left NY. In Orlando, I was attending these sessions together with physicians and dermatologists who conduct aesthetic treatments to patients with skin problems and learned about this interesting "chirally correct" medical skin care line called Cosmedix that is only prescribed by professionals. So although I was dying to check the products out, the women at the booth won't sell them to me...no matter how many times I explained to them that I have to go back to Japan! So the minute I got to NY, I googled for clinics that carry their products and found one on upper west side. I made an appointment at 11am. The night before, I had a class reunion till 10:30pm, had to meet another friend after that, rushed to Harlem to listen to my old friends play at a jazz jam session that went on till 3am at the Lenox Lounge. So I went to bed at 5am tired, totally forgot about the appointment the next day, but something instinctive in my brain made me open my eyes at 15 min. to 11 and suddenly remind me about the 11 o'clock appointment on 84th street. I actually got ready in ten minutes and ran out of the house after a quick shower, brushing my teeth and no time to put anything on my face. Diana, the facialist at Sara Savage Skin Care looked at my face and commented that I am lucky I had no wrinkles thanks to the oily skin but then oily skin comes hand in hand with enlarged pores. "I see a lot of black heads..." and suggested I do a facial, which was not part of my original plan since I was there just to purchase the products. I thought, why not, but deep inside I was skeptical that a simple facial was going to get rid of the stubborn blackheads I have had for decades.So what she did was a simple peel using this blueberry product from Cosmedix and later covering my face with a mask.But when she physically started to squeeze the blackheads out, I was shocked because I could not believe aesthetic professionals still depended on means so primitive!She lilted that I would be surprised to see my face after the treatment but I was getting really sceptical and worried that my face would be all red from the squeezing.After she put some lotion on my face to finish things off, she handed over a mirror for me to see the result. Believe me, I am not joking or exaggerating.My face looked at least ten years younger and my skin had never looked so tight and smooth in my life! I did not see any visible pores or ugly black heads!I can't tell you how shocked I was!My skin looked radiant and it seemed like I had a layer of foundation to cover the flaws.I left the salon in shock and e-mailed my friend, Sach about this, since she was complaining about her skin the night before.This is the third day after the brutal flight from NY and I still don't see a single black head on my face. Could this be for real??? I am not sure if this result will happen to just anyone with pore problems or I happened to be lucky but in case you want to check it out, the place is on 84th street between Columbus and CPW, Sara Savage Skin Care Center, a small facial place run by Sara and Diana. Number is 212-874-1327. Sach, you have to tell me if it worked for you, too. In bliss, I decided to walk to Filene's Basement and celebrate by buying lots and lots of summer clothes!

Another Reunion in New York

Another Sacred Heart Reunion took place tonight at Telepan's on 69th street, New York. Mary, also known as "Mecko" is someone I have not seen for THIRTY years! I was afraid I would not recognize her but amazingly, she has not changed a bit. Sach, whom I have not seen since college also looked exactly the same...Don't they age? The darling baby here is Mecko's son Ryan, 1 year and four months old. Isn't he cute? Sach and I spent hours in front of easels in highschool because we both believed we will become artists someday. I chose a different path but she also chose to become an executive at a major IT company. When I asked her, "Why?Why? Why?" Her answer was, "Technology is really creative." Wow, that is one new perspective. Well, it was a wonderful evening and time flew as we talked about our lives, gossiped about who is divorcing who, and shared information on good dermatologists and masseuses in New York.Next time, I hope Nancy and Marina can join!

My Public Relations Mentors in New York

I am in New York. I got to meet my two invaluable mentors in Public Relations. The one in the photo is Ms.Sylvia, former producer of ABC television network,who has taught me a lot about television and documentary film production.She is such a warm and embracing human being, I cannot thank her enough for the support and friendship she gave me over the years. The other PR-mentor is Jeff who is now a successful lawyer in Manhattan and whom I deeply respect for his strong sense of justice and fairness. I am really lucky I had both of you as my teachers...you guys taught me a lot and I hope I was an OK student.

Visiting "My Family" in California

I am visiting "my family" in California before I leave for the International Congress of Anti-Aging Medicine in Orlando tomorrow night. Tonight the boys and girls staged for us a fabulous show of "Grease." They were so cute!! But why do these kids know all the songs? That movie was made when I was in highschool...

Brain Aging?

Finally, we got to meet. Today I had dinner with Dr. Satoe Matsubayashi of Ginza Naika Clinic, a famous anti-aging doctor and a specialist on brain aging (I need serious advice cuz I can’t remember names any more…). We have been going back and forth by e-mail for weeks, trying to set a date which would suit both of our busy schedules. We are of the same age; she, an anti-aging medical specialist and I, an avid experimenter and we share information on our trials and errors. Me: “I am exhausted. I am juggling two jobs at the same time and working like a mule. I gained four kilograms in two months and my face is breaking out. Help me…” Doctor sighs, “My conclusion is there is no short cut, you have to lead a healthy lifestyle and exercise. There is no magical anti-aging formula.” Me:”I know that!! If I can, I’d be going to yoga every night. But I come home after ten and am absolutely exhausted and the only human thing I can do is to wash my face, so don’t expect me to go to the kitchen and cook vegetables. It is unthinkable. I went to the hair salon last week and the young guy who massages shoulders was horrified by how steel hard my shoulder muscles were! He was shocked and he told me that if your blood circulation is poor in your shoulders, less blood goes to your brain and your brain starts to slow down. I cannot afford that in my job. Is that true?” Doctor: “No.” Me: (Phew…) “Glad you confirmed that for me, cuz I was seriously getting worried…” The conversation went on for a couple of hours and I went home satisfied with all the specific advice she gave me and the name of products she recommended…until I got home. My nagging worries about my brain deteriorating from poor blood circulation was confirmed…When I tried to remember the products she recommended, I could not remember a thing!!! Aaaah, this is too scary…I can’t handle it. I am going to bed.

Enlarged Pores and Aging

I think Japanese women are obsessed with enlarged pores. When you read women’s beauty magazines, you are amazed by the number of pore-erasing products that are featured every month. Together with whitening, pore care is definitely a national obsession here.
I must admit I have been tackling with enlarged pores for years myself. I even went to a dermatologist in desperate need of a solution, but all he gave me was a soap with AHA (Alpha Hydroxy Acid). I have been using that soap for several months but my pores still look larger than life!
So what has caused my pores to enlarge? Is it because I'm aging? One cause seems to be hereditary, so the doctor told me. Fortunately, my skin never goes dry but because of the excess oil, the pores seem to be more noticeable. Sun damage and aging seem to be another big cause. Aging and sun exposure make the epidermis thicken and cells tend to collect around pores, making “rings” that cause pores to stand out. That is why a lot of pore-care products exfoliate (like that AHA soap) so that the naturally shed dead skin cells won't gather around the rim and make pores become visible. These pores start to look even bigger when plugged with dirt, and becoming black heads.
So, recently, I experimented with a new pore-care product out in the market called CUTINA. It is a medicated gel product that you massage your face with and later rinse off or wipe off with cotton. It is supposed to remove dead skin cells and minimize your pores. And here is my review after using it for a week:
• Unplugging debris and dead skin cells: Very Good, no skin irritation like many exfoliating products.
• Eliminating bacteria: Cannot tell??
• Reducing excessive oiliness: Extremely Effective
• Removing blackheads: Seems to be less noticeable
• Closing Pores: Very Good
• Hydrating: Very Good, with no sticky after-feel.
So far, quite impressed with the visible results I have seen with Cutina. Will continue for a few more weeks but I plan to also try a similar product from Kathy’s Choice "Acid Lotion" to compare. Will report later…In the meantime, Cutina is worth trying.

Nabe Party

You will be shocked to hear how old these girls are...(Marina and Noriko, sorry you weren't in the pic!)Anyway, so why aren't they aging since I last saw them in highschool? Perhaps it's because they all enjoy their lives? So a certain conclusion was reached, especially between me, K and S, which was "who cares what people think...we only live once so we might as well enjoy it!" It sounds pretty trite but it's actually quite a profound piece of wisdom, I think...Anyway, they reminded me of how I was even more frighteningly carefree in college. (I am relieved to know that since then, I have assimilated a bit into civilized society.) Even these girls could not believe that I happily wore my milk-bottle-bottom glasses with a crack in the right lens and cellophane-tape mended in the center to school everyday. (But K, I still find your pool story to be far, far, far more unbelievable!!)We'll have our next get together at my house warming soon, I promise!

Need Some Lifting? Highly Recommended Ultrasonic Face Massager!

My time has been completely tied up with moving into my new home, getting new furnitures, starting a new company and going to the driving school to re-register my lost California driver’s license. Hence, I have not been able to update my blog. However, tonight I promised my friends I will write about my recent discovery—the ultimate ultrasonic face massager which I would recommend to anyone annoyed with their sagging face line. This is effective, I promise.
This is “the thing” that has helped my face from aging over the years. And tonight, when I met my friend K at a party, she was my living proof. I have not seen her for several years and she definitely does not look like she’s over forty and with a son at St. Mary’s. I asked her what she was doing to her face and she told me she was using the same ultrasonic face massager I have been totally dependent on for the past few years. So, everyone, it works!! Tonight looking at K, I was absolutely convinced.
This ultrasonic treatment strengthens your skin’s elasticity and lifts your face up instantly. The difference is scary. La Mente Aurora-ceutical is the name of this massaging product both K and I have been using. It is the best selling face massaging product in Japan right now. So this is how it works. The massager sends cyclic sonic waves of 5 MHz/second from its surface that travel deep into your skin through this gel that you apply onto your face. The machine emits micro-vibrations and frictional heat which penetrates into your skin to smooth out wrinkles and dissolve fat deposits. However, you don’t feel anything but the cold steel surface against your skin so don't worry, it is not painful. This results in visible slimming effect and your face looks clearly lifted up. It also stimulates your skin metabolism and revives the elasticity so the skin looks really tight after you use it for ten minutes. It’s not that expensive so do try if you’re too busy to go to facials! (or lazy like me)

An Enlightening Birthday with my two Osana-najimis

Who did I spend my birthday with? My two osana-najimis I've known for the longest time, G and A. G is a succesful lawyer striving to someday become the kind of carefree man who doesn't give a damn about what people think, and have the guts to do the most outrageous thing at a Chinese restaurant(The photos of G got censored so they're removed...). A is "the caring mother" and the only person in this world who will bawl me out for hours and I shall actually listen to.

Finding me depressed because of a particular painful incident, they left me with one memorable gift of "an intense session" to remind me of my self-centeredness. The "heated discussion" continued till this morning. G pointed out to me with the tone of the wise Yoda, that I am lucky to have friends who care deeply about my happiness. So guys, I may have sounded really stubborn and ungrateful, but I deeply appreciate what you had to say. So thanks, I am really lucky to have you both as my osana-najimis. I really mean it. And thank you for understanding and accepting me for who I am...the eldest child and the uncontrollable one.

FotoFacial RF Skin Treatment

So my best friend from kindergarten, A, is visiting from California. Before eating shabu-shabu, I took her to a dermatologist in Shinjuku. What is bothering us these days is our face line sagging and brown spots appearing. California sun is especially brutal to her aging skin. After much research, my recommendation to her was FotoFacial RF, a medical light system (Not Laser) that has incredibly positive effect to rejuvenate your skin. The system is often referred to at clinics as “Aurora.” FotoFacial RF combines two types of optical energy into your skin, IPL of Intense Pulsed Visible Light and energy with radio frequency (RF) which work synergistically to deliver satisfying and lasting results. This is how it works. The visible light energy or RF energy gets absorbed by the pigment in the skin’s surface and stimulates the production of collagen and elastin from within the dermis. This helps the skin to noticeably firm up. Also, the IPL light energy can also work on dark sun spots by stimulating the melanin to surface and eventually disappear after 3-4 days. 4-5 treatments would be sufficient to rid your brown spots and the treatment is usually administered every 4 weeks. So I took a photo of my friend’s skin after the treatment. Notice the melanin pigments appearing on the surface? These will disappear and your skin will look spotless and smooth after a few days. Will post her photo after a week so please look forward to it!
(A, don't forget to send me the picture!)

Reuniting with Highschool Friends!

Although we chose to take different courses in our lives, there was one thing we all shared...none of us could believe that twenty years have actually passed. So what did we talk about after this long absence? About children, work, fatal bear attacks, real estate, tax filing and unnecessary advice that I am a terrible driver and shouldn't even think of buying another car...
By the way, it is my unwelcomed birthday today and my friends are taking me out to eat shabu shabu(my favorite food.Yeay!)

New Year's Hot Diet: The Reverse Diet Solution

My ageless friend, A from California is visiting Tokyo this week. She told me that people gain on the average 3 kilo-grams between Thanksgiving and New Year's. I am not surprised since I have experienced it firsthand. I spent the New Year's at my parents' and ate day and night...

Apparently, a weight loss method of eating meals in reverse has created quite a stir in the US. So these are the tips:

Don't Eat:
Salt, sugar, alcohol, caffeine and carbonated beverages.

Do Eat:
All vegetables, fresh and frozen, including potatoes
Extra virgin olive oil (the darker, the better)
All seafood, chicken and turkey
All berries, peaches, pineapple, apples, grapes and plums
Eggs
Lemons
White cheese
Fat-free sour cream, salad dressing and skim milk
Low-sodium margarine
GARLIC
All spices, excluding salt, read your labels!
Post Shredded Wheat and Bran
Uncooked Old Fashion Oatmeal
Orange juice
Red meat and pasta, in moderation and small portions

Tips:
Eat a BIG breakfast.
If you don't normally eat breakfast, take tonight's dinner and put it in the refrigerator and have your breakfast for dinner. This will jump-start your metabolism so fast, you'll be running to the scale!
Never skip breakfast.
Don't overeat. Save leftovers for snacks.
Eat a medium lunch and small dinner. You do not need to fill up at the end of the day.
Use water, margarine, olive oil or orange juice when preparing meat.
Drink two glasses of hot lemon water per day.
Drink when you're thirsty. Don't force eight to 10 glasses of water per day.
Eat when you're hungry

My ageless friends...photos of us 20 years ago!!!!

I am sorry...I just had to post these photos. Just found them as I was cleaning out my drawers. These are my friends since kindergarten...Notice our 80's eye brows...and my "pretend I'm Madonna" hairstyle...



And twenty years later...they still look the same...

Oral Health Care Part 2: More Scary Facts About Periodontal Disease

In my earlier post, I talked about my encounter with a great dentist, Dr. Toguchi. Not only is he an excellent dentist who believes that dental treatment should not be painful (yesss!!), but he is also a wonderful teacher who doesn’t mind spending time to educate his patients about oral health care. In my last post, I tried to warn everyone about the threat of periodontal disease that comes with aging. Well, as I was getting my teeth cleaned, Dr. Toguchi revealed to me that the third most common cause of death among elderly people (in Japan?) is pneumonia and much of that is actually caused by periodontal disease! “Whaaaat?! People can die from gum disease?!” He told me that elderly people suffer from weak muscles that inhibit them from swallowing properly. So the bacteria infecting the gums can easily go into their bronchial tube and enter the lungs. With suppressed immune systems, these bacteria could easily infect their lungs, thus causing pneumonia. Utterly shocked, I shared this scary fact with my anti-aging advisor, Dr. Andrew, who casually said, “Oh, yeah, that’s how my grandfather died. He had periodontis and the bacteria in his mouth traveled to his brain and caused brain infection …” “Whaaaat?!”

So here are the warning signs of periodontal disease:
1) Red, swollen and tender gums
2) Gums bleeding when brushing or flossing
3) Teeth getting loose
4) Pus between the gum and the tooth

The mildest form of gum disease is gingivitis where your gums swell and bleed easily. People often ignore these symptoms because there is not much discomfort at this stage. However, if gingivitis is untreated, it could advance to periodontis. Like I mentioned before, you cannot regenerate your gums and bones once destroyed so that means periodontal disease is irreversible. The best way to prevent periodontal disease is to remove that deadly plaque on your teeth by brushing. I recommend use of Sonicare with almighty germ-killer, Concool, flossing and getting your gums checked at the dentist regularly. (I will write about how to brush one’s teeth in my next post. Got thoroughly trained last time I was at the dentist.)

Because periodontal disease is a bacterial infection, that bacteria can enter the blood stream and attack any of your major organs and cause new infections. Heart disease which affects a huge percentage of our population can be prevented if you take care of your gums!!

Shinanomachi Dental Clinic Tel: 03-3341-8286 (Dr. Toguchi)
Fujimi Dental Clinic Tel: 03-3563-4022 (Dr. Hitomi Hayashi speaks English)

http://www11.ocn.ne.jp/~asunaro/

Eyelash Extensions--the Next Beauty Fad

Ever wonder how stars like Jennifer Lopez, Nicole Kidman, Lindsay Lohan and Madonna have long lush lashes that seem to be flawless? Most wear eyelash extensions. This new lash extension craze presently sweeping Hollywood actually started in Japan.

I just got back from my monthly eyelash maintenance at Salon de Beaute Araki. I am going to write about my two incredible eyelash doctors, Kazumi Araki and Yoshiko Mochida. The older one gets, the lazier one becomes to spend time in front of the mirror to pretty oneself up. What first interested me to check out this new “art” called eyelash-extensions is the fact that I won't have to spend that extra five minutes in the morning to curl and apply mascara on my eye lashes! You can dump mascara for good! This was good enough motivation for me. However, despite my hopes, and having tried eyelash extensions at several salons, I was always discouraged by the way they looked. You know, like those fake eyelashes my mom used to wear in the 60s. Moreover, it just felt really weird and uncomfortable. Until I met these two young women…whose skills are absolutely amazing. They really can perform magic. First of all, the lashes look natural, of course a bit too long for Asian eyes but…most of all, they are so light that you forget that you have 50 or so extremely fine silk lashes glued on. What I want to rant and rave about is their technique to shape the eyelashes to look so naturally curled without using curlers or perming the lashes. This is actually quite difficult and cannot be performed by anyone. They run a small cozy salon near Ebisu station but since celebrities started to recommend them in beauty magazines, it has become a popular spot for women who desperately need to boost up their lashes. You will have to book way in advance but I think it is definitely worth it! (FYI, I am using the shortest extensions that match the length of my own lashes to get a natural look. Touch ups needed every 2-3 weeks) Sorry, promise to write about serious anti-aging stuff next…

http://salondebeautearaki.com/silkylash.html

Music and Healing

Sound is an extremely powerful tool for healing and spiritual transformation. For years, sound has been used to induce states of physical, mental, and emotional relaxation. Sound allows us to enter and tap into the inner resources of our life to retrieve positive energy, renewed vitality, balance, inspiration, relaxation, creativity, free expression, and transformation.

Music helps us to fuse with that inner emotional self. When your emotional self is vibrant and energized, that will also lead to the revitalization of the physical self. Even Buddhism stresses the importance of "oneness of body and mind." So, I believe music has true healing power!

I was definitely re-energized last night! David Murray, my favorite jazz tenor saxophonist, and my good old friend is in Tokyo! I think his ballads are absolutely amazing, especially when he plays "In a Sentimental Mood"--talk about a real healing experience! And when he played my favorite piece, Thelonius Monk's "Let's Cool One,"I felt truly energized!! My friends, jazz-crazy Mr.G and Ms.J joined me last night. It was Kumiko Ishiwata's (music promoter, also known as "rabbit") birthday and David dedicated a solo for her.

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Nutri-Genomics? The New Anti-Aging Solution?

Well, I was going to touch on a simple anti-aging topic in my next post, like health benefits of pistachio nuts but tonight I attended an interesting conference where two anti-aging medical experts lectured on “Nutri-genomics.” (What’s that?!) Dr. W. Moon made an innovative proposal on tailor made anti-aging solutions based on genetic testing. Dr. F. Marotta talked about the relationship between gene and nutrition and shared with us clinical test results of how certain nutrients can have positive effect on people of a specific geno-type and negative effect on another. Actually, this is quite an eye-opening statement!

For example, we all know fish oil like Omega 3 is supposed to be an effective anti-aging nutrient. So does this mean that Omega 3 will have positive effects on everyone? He is saying, “Sorry, no! There is no “one size fits all” diet.” Omega 3 fish oil can be a great health benefit for let's say geno-type 1 people but can worsen the condition for another geno-type person. So his take is that these nutriceutical solutions, including taking "supplements," are not that simple. If you're the wrong geno-type, not only are you wasting your time taking a particular supplement, but it could even aggravate your health.

Note: Omega-3 is high in two fatty acids crucial to human health, DHA and EPA. These two fatty acids are pivotal in preventing heart disease, cancer, and many other diseases. The human brain is also highly dependent on DHA - low DHA levels have been linked to depression, schizophrenia, memory loss, and a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's.

When catechin was announced as a powerful anti-oxidant, companies rushed to market green tea-related supplements. And we all believed that green tea is good for your health. However, if you don't know your geno-type, you would not know if catechin actually works for you, what kind of catechin is effective for you, how much and how often you're supposed to take it. Without such precise diagnosis, you may be doing something quite meaningless!

So both of these doctors are urging that accurate gene test and analysis is necessary for an optimal nutraceutical program to be designed just for you. Genetic information to tailor make your health care…sounds to me like the next generation of medical practice!

Your gums age, too! Importance of Good Oral Health

Forgot that your gums age, too...

I went to the dentist today and came home determined, absolutely determined to take care of my teeth and gums.

My dentist told me that if I don’t change the way I brush my teeth, I may soon face serious consequences with my gums. So I sat there with my little red tooth brush that he handed to me, like a trained dog being watched, to practice in front of him. As instructed, I tilted the bristles at 45 degree angle against the gums, focused on brushing in very small horizontal movements, imagining hard that your hand suddenly turned into Sonicare. As his piercing eyes followed every movement of my red tooth brush, I realized I was sweating from nervousness...

I thought I was following a pretty strict oral care regimen until today. Look at these so-called periodontal-preventative products lined up on my sink! Apparently, the most powerful of all is this minty green liquid called “ConCool.” My dentist tells me that its germ-killing power is no rival to any of the oral hygiene products out in the market.

Periodontal (gum) diseases, including gingivitis and periodontitis, are serious infections that, left untreated, can actually lead to tooth loss. Periodontal disease is a chronic bacterial infection that affects the gums and bone supporting the teeth. And this type of inflammation gets worse as you age (because of your immune system getting weaker) so better act now before it is too late!!

Periodontal disease begins when the bacteria in plaque causes the gums to become inflamed. If you don’t fight that plaque, which you may not take too seriously, it will spread under your gum line without you knowing. The toxins from this hardly visible “plaque” will cause chronic inflammation which will slowly but surely destroy the tissue and bones that support your teeth. The tricky thing is, it is not painful, so this can continue unnoticed. By the time your gums start to bleed, you are in trouble. If you leave that untreated, soon your gums will start to thin out, creating pockets between your teeth and gums. The pocket deepens and the next thing you realize, your teeth are loose… you have no teeth…

Cigarette smokers are susceptible to periodontal disease so be careful! Also, women going through menopause should be aware that hormonal fluctuations can seriously affect your gums. Surprisingly, according to research, more than 30% of the people are genetically susceptible to gum disease. Despite aggressive oral care habits, these people may be six times more likely to develop periodontal disease. So they have to go through preventative treatment at an early stage to keep their teeth intact. Furthermore, stress can be a big risk factor that can cause periodontal disease. When you’re under stress, your body cannot fight off the germs and infections. According to my scary but concerned dentist, Dr. Toguchi, most people have some kind of gum infection so you don’t need to panic. But the scary thing is, once your gums recede, you cannot reproduce them again. They will not heal like the rest of your body heals after a cut. The best you can do is to maintain what you have.

So you see, the key is to make your body healthy and strong to fight off the infection inside your mouth while making an extra effort to remove that annoying plaque!

Vitamins...Natural vs. Synthetic??

Did you know that most of the vitamins and nutritional supplements you find on the shelves of drug stores are made synthetically through chemical processes, rather than derived directly from plants or other natural materials?

Some health authorities claim that these synthetic vitamins are useless and ineffective. If your body cannot absorb the nutrient, it becomes toxin in your body and later excreted. However, there are some orthodox doctors who claim that synthetic vitamins have a molecular chemical structure identical to the natural vitamin and that they are just as effective. So who’s telling the truth?

First of all, it is tricky to define what a “natural vitamin” is but it is usually defined as “a concentrated nutrient derived from a quality natural source. The key is maximum retention of the natural material; no artificial colors, sweeteners, or preservatives should be used. Nutrients are concentrated from its natural source as carefully as possible. (This is where the patented technology of each manufacturer will become a crucial factor!) No extreme heat, pressure, or possibly toxic solvents are used. There are no sugar or chemical tablet coatings. The nutrients are prepared from high quality raw ingredients and no artificial chemicals are added.” So, processing is limited in order for natural ingredients to be retained.

On the other hand, synthetic vitamins are made in a lab setting from coal tar derivatives. Most of the food supplements sold on the market today are synthetic and often cheaper to produce than natural vitamins. So the key issue here is…is the molecular structure of natural vitamins altered by the synthetic process or not?

My anti-aging advisor, Dr. Andrew, the other day revealed to me that our cells are pretty smart. Even if synthetic supplements have identical molecular structure as its natural counterparts, somehow our cells can detect the difference!! “They will reject anything synthetic…”, he says.

So are all so-called “natural vitamins” equally effective? The downside of “natural” supplements is in its lack of dose consistency. In nature, one orange might contain 100 mg of vitamin C and in another, only contain less than 20 mg. The retention of natural ingredients depends on various conditions like time of harvest, climate, storage conditions, etc. So the manufacturer will have to invest a lot of money to standardize and manage quality in such a volatile environment. This is really costly for the manufacturer and that is why most of the supplement products you see in the market are synthetic. We need more information on manufacturers that have R&D capabilities to provide quality vitamins at affordable price for consumers.
Quality in vitamins and nutrients is extremely hard to quantify especially when one cannot simply trust that what you find inside the bottle is what is written on the label. So what do I do? Well, supplements are called supplements because they are supposed to supplement the nutrients you gain from eating healthy food. However, with most of the vegetables and fruits (in Japan) made in hot houses these days, the amount of nutrients you find in there are much less than what were found decades ago, so I definitely think there is health benefit in taking supplements.

My anti-aging doctor recommends multi-vitamins from companies like Pharmanex. Otherwise, I would purchase supplements from pharmaceutical companies that are known for outstanding R&D technology. My recent health “fad” has been to eat lots of pistachio nuts and dried fruit because they are after all great “natural supplement sources.” Will talk about that in another post.