As the plane taxied down the runway at 1:00 a.m. on the first day of my vacation a few weeks ago, I reached into my bag for my dark pink UltraMini. My husband, with a look of concern, asked why I was testing my blood glucose. I felt fine. I just wanted to know my body’s reaction to the stress of flight and time zone changes. My husband quietly asked me what I hoped to gain from that particular piece of information. Continue reading
Aizu Wakamatsu
Dinner by the river
I, my husband and a couple of friends from Tokyo who accompanied us to the race arrived at our ryokan in the town of Higashiyama Onsen in the late afternoon before the race. The train journey from Tokyo station to Aizu Wakamatsu station consisted of a Shinkansen ride, a local train ride and about half an hour of waiting time in between. From Aizu Wakamatsu station, our inn was a short taxi ride away. The journey was pleasant as I had great company and the May countryside landscapes outside the train window were lovely. We saw not just vibrant green mountains and late spring wild cherry trees (yamazakura), but also snow-capped mountain ranges (Mt. Bandai and the Azuma Mountain Range) in the distance. Continue reading
This is a much delayed report on my most recent half marathon. I was happily sidetracked by the Diabetes Blog Week and not so happily by work (work’s always there, isn’t it). Last week presented more work and much needed break from blogging. Although I’ve listed most of my initial thoughts before, after and especially during the race on my May 12 post, I thought this race deserved its own report. In fact, I may just start reporting on some of the races I’ll be joining. Continue reading
Tanzawako Lake
I completed the Tanzawako 10-K run last Sunday. It was my first road race since I broke my fibula in March. I was and still am so ecstatic that I finished it, and within the time limit.
What time limit?
Actually, I did not realize that there was a time limit until my confirmation notice arrived in the mail about two weeks ago. When I signed up, I was so eager to enter any 10-k race by November in time for Diabetes Awareness Month that I did not pay much attention to the details. During my training, I focused only on building my mileage, which I did so slowly. So, when I saw the time limit of 80 minutes, I panicked. My husband reminded me that I’ve run races before so 80 minutes for a 10-k run should not be a problem. Of course, I reminded him back that those races were before I broke my leg. The other thing I did not realize was that the course around Tanzawako was not flat. Another lapse on my part. So, not only did I not train for time, but I also did not train for uphill and down hill running, which would affect my performance and slow me down even further.
I was tempted to crank up my speed during my last few runs before the race. But experience has taught me that I would only be courting disaster. Hence, I resisted deviating from my training plan. After all, if I didn’t meet the cut-off time, the worst they could do was ask me to run on the pavement instead of the middle of the road.
Before the race
Last Sunday, hubby and I rose at around 5:00 and left at 5:30 in the morning. Please understand that for us 5 am, on a Sunday, is the middle of the night. It took all my efforts to rise from the bed.
It was still dark when we hit the road. The sun came up while we were on the way, and the light was in a fluid flow of changing hues of orange and yellow, until the darkness dissipated and the sky was a magnificent shade of blue. As we approached our destination, we were greeted by a pinkish Mt. Fuji looming large in front of us on the highway.
We arrived shortly before 8:00 and found the car park. When I got out of the car, I was shocked by how cold it was that morning. Another one of my lapses – I decided not to take jogging pants with me and wore only warm tights and shorts. Everyone else was wearing thick sweatpants. At that point, I noted to myself that I should finally draft my checklist of things to do and not do on race day. Luckily, the day turned out to be a warm one, and so as long as I stayed in the sun, I was not cold.
On the shuttle bus that took us from the car park to the race assembly area, an elderly Japanese man started chatting with us. He initially quizzed me about the camera hanging around my neck. When he found out that my husband was British, he proudly declared that he loved visiting England, especially London. He said that he was running his fifth Tanzawako race. I saw him again after I crossed the finish line. He came in 10 minutes after the cut-off time, but he was beaming with pride for finishing the race, even if in overtime.
Reception area
When we arrived at the assembly point, we quickly found the reception tables and picked up my bib and time chip. After pinning my bib on my shirt and attaching the time chip on my shoe, we wondered how we were going to spend the time waiting for the 11:00 am start of the 10-K race. We wandered about the small assembly area which was located at a school compound, but the place was so small that we found it hard to stretch the time by going in circles. Hubby finally found himself a small corner on a sofa inside a school building where he rested. I, however, couldn’t keep still and walked around with my camera.
Race staff
P.G.P. man (volunteer)
Some runners’ tent
I also inspected the food stalls. I made the mistake of buying amazake, which literally translates to English as sweet wine. It’s a low- or non-alcohol drink made from fermented rice. And yes, it was sweet. Obviously my brain was still asleep.
Somehow I managed to pass the time until the time came for the race to start.
Waiting
Quick reminder of Type 2 diabetes
While waiting, I realized that a number of runners were staring at my shirt which read “ジェーンです。わたしは糖尿病２型です。” Although the literal, direct translation is “I’m Jane. I’m Type 2 diabetes.” it actually means “I’m Jane. I have Type 2 diabetes.” (Don’t ask me about Japanese grammar, but that’s what it is.)
My shirt
Anyway, by the time of my race, I had forgotten about my shirt. A few weeks ago, I was sick and tired of the misconceptions, stereotyping, and judgmental attitudes vis a vis Type 2 diabetes in media, that I decided to have a shirt printed to tell the whole world that I have Type 2 diabetes. My objective was to show everyone that people with Type 2 diabetes come in different packages, much like ordinary people, and that you can’t tell if a person is diabetic or not just by looking at him or her.
No one approached me and asked me about it, though, so for a brief moment I was disappointed. Then I reminded myself that I was not there to engage people in conversations about Type 2 diabetes. I was there first to race, and second to show people that a diabetic, apart from the diabetes, is very much like them. So, if even one or two people got my message, then I’ve achieved that objective.
The Race
The route around the lake was beautiful. The autumn leaves were out in beautiful hues of brown, yellow, red and orange. Many parts of the lake were breathtaking.
Around Tanzawako 2
Autumn foliage
By kilometer 3, however, I put my small camera back inside my waist bag as I was getting tired of holding the camera and photo taking was slowing me down. Then I saw this:
Tanzawako’s Mt. Fuji
I take this opportunity to apologize to the several photographers with tripods and heavy lenses for stepping in front of their cameras to take quick photos of Mt. Fuji. Since they secured premier spots, they must have been there since sunrise, waiting for hours in the cold for the right Mt. Fuji photo moment. I hope their patience was not rewarded with perfect photos of the back of my head!
As the race progressed, I was getting annoyed with all the older, repeat older, people running past me. I mean, they could have been my grandparents but they were faster than me, and despite the inclines and declines. Actually, the hilly route wasn’t so bad, at least not for 10-K runners, although I can’t say what the half-marathoners thought.
Speaking of half-marathon runners, they sped past me, too. We 10-k runners shared some portions of the roads with them, although they started much later than we did. That tells you how fast these guys were running, or how slow I was. They were literally flying past me.
Hence, my biggest worry during the race was that I’d be the last one to finish. My specific goal and mantra last Sunday were “Do not be the last.” The thought that every single elderly person running the 10-k would finish ahead of me spurred me on.
Are you chasing me?
Well, I am happy to report that I wasn’t the last, and I was well within the time limit. More importantly, my fastest lap was the final kilometer. Somehow I found the energy and muscle strength to go faster. So, yeah, I was a happy finisher!
After the race
After I received my finisher’s certificate, I went to the free soup stall. Yes, they had free pork soup with mountain yam, radish and tofu. I devoured several bowls of the tasty soup before heading back to the car park.
While waiting for the shuttle bus, I noticed an elderly runner behind me holding what looked like a box with a trophy inside. It turned out that the man indeed won a trophy for being the fastest 10-K runner in the over-60 age group for men. I nearly fainted when I saw his time printed on his certificate. This man was a little over 20 years older than me, he was shorter than me, and his legs were much shorter than mine, yet he beat me by … a lot of minutes (I’m too embarrassed to admit by how much). I have a lot of training to do!
Today, my legs have recovered from delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). I read somewhere that older people have longer onset of DOMS, whereas younger people have it within 24 hours or so. So I was relieved that my DOMS set in on Monday morning, instead of Wednesday morning. This tells me that I’m not that old yet.
What’s next?
Now, I’m focusing on ski preparations while looking for my next road race.
A low carb member of a diabetes board I belong to asked whether she would be able to eat anything in Japan were she to visit this country, as she was under the impression that Japan is a high carb eating society focused on rice and noodles. Well, she didn’t quite put it that way, but that was what she imagined Japan to be. I’m sure many diabetics out there probably think the same way. I thought a post might be helpful to introduce how I see Japan from a carbs point of view. This post is a re-writing of my response to her.
Japan: more than rice and noodles
Yes, Japan is a rice- and noodles-eating country, as are many eastern Asian countries. But that doesn’t mean that a low carber will starve here. If you are not a rice and noodle eater, then I think you’ll survive. It is easier for a low carber, than it is for a vegetarian, to survive in Japan.
Foreigners who see only rice and noodles forget that Japan is a major fish eating country and that vegetables are a regular part of the diet. They may also not be aware that although meat may not have been a part of the traditional Japanese diet, the Japanese people have embraced it. For instance, when I organized a BBQ party for my husband’s recent birthday and checked with a Japanese friend whether she had dietary restrictions, she replied with “I am Japanese. Of course I eat meat.” Whether she’s just a meat-loving person, I don’t know, but meat restaurants are certainly popular here.
Who may have some difficulty?
If you are a strict very low carb eater, eating under 30 grams of carbs a day, then you are likely to have more difficulty than an ordinary low carber (that is, one whose carb allowance is higher than 30 grams), or a lower or moderate carber (that is, one whose carb allowance is somewhere between 100 to say 120 grams, or slightly higher). I strongly recommend very low carbers to do a massive amount of research as to what you can eat that will not tip you over your 30 grams of daily carb allowance. But I suspect you do that anyway.
If you are a rice and noodle eater, say you are from Southeast Asia, then you may find the abundance of rice and noodles tempting. But that would be no different from home.
Based on my limited observations, foreigners (and they may or may not be low carbers) often have difficulty with food in Japan for two general reasons:
(1) Serving sizes – Most foreigners are so used to huge food servings that it is not easy to cope with smaller servings. For me, though, the meal sizes here, even without the rice, are adequate.
(2) Lack of familiarity with the food – Many foreigners do not eat what Japanese people eat, such as fish (at least for breakfast), fermented beans (natto), squid that does not resemble a battered or deep fried Western-style calamari, gizzards, liver, chicken hearts and octopus, to name but a few. However, if you are adventurous and open to different types of food, you will not starve here.
Tourists have to pay attention as to whether their stay comes with breakfast. Most ryokan (Japanese style hotels) outside Tokyo serve Japanese style breakfasts, which usually come with natto, soft boiled or raw egg, fish, pickled veggies and miso soup. But if breakfast does not come with your stay, I suggest visiting the supermarket or department store the night before. Or, ask for the nearest “family restaurants” that may be open either 24 hours or at least from early morning. Normally, in addition to high carb breakfasts, you can get eggs, sausages and other meat dishes.
General advice
Except for a few dishes (like fried rice or omelette rice), rice is served separately, so you can ignore it and eat the meat or fish and vegetables that comprise the rest of a typical Japanese meal. You can also ask the server to hold the rice. I do this fairly often, and restaurant servers, though surprised, have no problem complying.
If you order a donburi, a rice bowl, eat the top and skip the rice at the bottom. That is easier than asking them to hold the rice, so I wouldn’t recommend asking the restaurant to do that.
Do not order fried or sautéed noodle dish because it’s not worth picking out just the few diced pieces of meat, seafood or vegetables.
What else to avoid
Avoid going to soba shops and ramen shops because they often do not serve anything but soba (for the soba shops), and ramen and gyoza or fried dumplings for ramen shops. But in some ramen shops, you can ask the waiters to hold off on the ramen and just serve the meat and soup (and add some other ingredients at a minimal cost). I’ve done this several times since I’ve learned that I miss the taste of the soup more than the ramen noodles. No ramen shop owner or staff has ever given me a hard time. Just do not ask that they give you a discount for choosing not to eat the noodles.
Avoid tempura and tonkatsu, unless you are good at removing the batter.
Avoid cha han or fried rice, and om rice or omelette rice (which is a lot of rice drenched in ketchup wrapped in egg).
Some Japanese dishes come with sweet thick sauces, like tonkatsu and yakisoba (which you wouldn’t be eating anyway) and a few fish dishes, but they are not the norm (at least, I don’t think so). Try to avoid them. And no, teriyaki anything is not popular here.
I find that most of the sauces or broth-like thin sauces in Japanese dishes are savory. Some sauces will probably have some sugar, but the addition is minute. In case of doubt, don’t eat too much of the sauce, and don’t forget to taste and test your blood glucose.
A few dishes may be salty, such as salted dried salmon, as they are meant to be eaten with rice. But there are many other dishes that are not that salty. If you find a dish too salty, you may want to ask for sliced cabbage, salad, or tofu, or drink more tea or water.
Where can you go?
One of the things I love about major Japanese cities are the department stores and their food floors (normally the basement) where you will find cooked dishes. Visiting the food floors of department stores is an experience in itself; therefore, you should do it anyway. In any case, food floors give you a lot more non-carb options than supermarkets and most definitely convenience stores, where low carb choices are very, very limited.
Lunch should not be a problem. Typical lunch, at least in Tokyo, is a set meal and usually comes with a small serving of green salad or pickled vegetables and miso soup, with rice on the side, and at reasonable prices. In most places, there will at least be one meat or fish dish on the menu.
For dinner, you can go to an izakaya (Japanese bar or drinking establishment) or similar style Japanese restaurant, and order yakitori (with salt or ta-re which tends to be sweet), fish, squid, octopus, gizzards, gyu suji (beef stew), tofu, edamame, broiled fish, and many other dishes. Many izakaya have picture menus. Japanese people do not usually eat carbs when they drink, so you’ll be safe.
If find yourself at a sushi restaurant, go for sashimi (raw fish without the rice).
There are also many shabu-shabu, yakitori (grilled chicken) and yakiniku (grill-the-meat-yourself restaurants) restaurants to choose from.
Many restaurants also offer hamburg (or hamburger steak), that is, a big patty without the bun. They come with a sweetish sauce, which you can just swipe off before eating.
Didn’t I tell you Japan is a meat loving country?
Of course you do not have to limit yourself to Japanese food. Tokyo is one of the best places (if not the best) to eat in the world. In most Italian restaurants (even if it calls itself a pasta house or pizzeria), you can find more than one non-pasta and non-pizza dish (although for economic reasons, that may not be the case at lunch; but certainly at dinner). In French bistros, you have meat and salad dishes to choose from. Just say no to the bread. Except for the very cheap Chinese restaurants, Chinese restaurants offer a combination of meat and vegetables, for lunch or dinner. I know of friends who have asked the kitchen to reduce the cornstarch. Brazilian barbecue places and the sprouting BBQ restaurants are additional choices.
If none of the foregoing appeals to you, you can always fall back on steak or a pork dish which many restaurants offer.
Some of you may be wondering about something called shirataki (called miracle noodles in the US), made from a yam called devil’s tongue yam, or elephant yam, or konyac yam (kon-nyaku). It’s low calorie, low carb and can be quite chewy (but the manufacturers are getting better at lessening the chewiness). Shiritaki is getting popular in Japan, so much so that sometimes the supermarkets run out of them. Unfortunately, I’ve only found them in supermarkets and not in restaurants.
Drinks
Teas, hot or cold, are ubiquitous here. Restaurants often offer them (usually oolong tea) for free with your lunch. And they do not have sugar or gum syrup in them, except for canned “royal” milk tea and Starbucks tea lattes (but Starbucks will gladly hold the syrup at your request).
At night, if you are not an alcohol drinker, oolong tea is always an option but diet coke (or coke zero) is usually not.
Sake is high in sugar compared to shochu, so I would suggest trying shochu. But of course if you don’t overindulge, then you should be fine with sake. As always, test. Oh, and decent wine is everywhere, at least in Tokyo.
Canned coffee may be a problem as a number of them are sweetened. Luckily, many have English descriptions, such as “black coffee”, to guide you.
For the lactose intolerant like myself, soy milk is usually unsweetened. A word of warning, though, some soy milk tastes like liquid tofu. My personal favorite is – http://www.k-tounyu.jp/03_lineup/02-002.html.
Words that can help you get by
Watashi wa tou-nyou-byou ga arimasu. I have diabetes.
Tan-sui-kabutsu ga tabenai. I do not eat carbohydrates.
Amai-mono ga tabenai. I do not eat sweet things.
Pan ga tabenai. I do not eat bread.
Men ga tabenai. I do not eat noodles.
Maybe you’ve noticed that tabenai means “(I do) not eat.”
Final words
I hope I’ve given a general guide to pique your interest in visiting Japan, and that this post will encourage low carb folks and diabetics to visit us.
Running Without Sugar 