Abstract

It's not shameful to not be able to eat like you used to. Let's take care of ourselves, regardless of gender. This is a trial-and-error essay by food writer Atsushi Shirao, who writes about his daily cooking and eating while soothing the mind and body that change with age.

"Your stomach is no longer what it used to be." It was beef ribs that made me realize this.

I'm almost 50 years old. If I get carried away and eat too much, my stomach feels heavy. I feel full and uncomfortable. The amount I eat remains the same, but I can't lose weight at all... aren't you feeling more and more old?

As you reach the halfway point of your life, more and more things are not going as they used to. But there are just as many things that you will come to appreciate that you didn't understand when you were younger, like fried tofu, Japanese ginger, and grated daikon radish! Why not take a look at yourself and "renew" yourself now?

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It's not shameful to not be able to eat like you used to. Let's take care of yourself, regardless of gender. Aging happens to everyone, so if you don't start taking care of yourself as soon as possible and keep yourself in good condition, you're wasting your time. The number of times you can enjoy a meal in your life decreases every day. You mustn't make the same mistake of pushing yourself too hard when you don't need to, or getting carried away and eating and drinking too much, resulting in a nauseous stomach and suffering through the weekend. (Though even as I write this, I still make the same mistakes from time to time...) And it's not all bad. Changes in food preferences also mean that you can begin to appreciate deliciousness that you didn't appreciate when you were younger. Have you ever found yourself muttering to yourself at the dinner table, "I never used to like this food at all?" Just as there are many things that you no longer want to eat or that become difficult to eat, there are also many rich paths to discovering new favorite foods. (From the Introduction)

Author’s Information

Food writer and columnist. Born in 1975, graduated from Waseda University's School of Letters, Arts and Sciences. After working for a publishing company, he went freelance. He plans and writes mainly about Japanese regional cuisine and local food, easy ways to prepare and enjoy meals for modern people, and more relaxed approaches to cooking. His main theme is "life and food." His books include "Nippon no Onigiri" (Rironsha), "Japa Meshi" (Shueisha), "Jisyoku" (Kobunsha), "Kitchen Opening: A Collection of Hints to Free Yourself from the "Should" of Cooking" (Daiwa Shobo), and "Namanai Nabe, Kyo no Nabe" (Kobunsha).