This month we’ve had an awsome family holiday to Japan. The news of Emperor Akihito’s abdication has certainly caught my attention. After a 30-year reign and aged 85, he is the first Japanese monarch to abdicate in more than 200 years. His son, Crown Prince Narhuito will ascend the throne later this week.
Japan’s Golden Week holiday has been extended to ten days as a mark of celebration.
I had the absolute pleasure of visiting the stunning Imperial Palaces East Gardens with cherry blossom season in full bloom. I also managed a 6am run around the Imperial Palace. A cold morning with amazing blue skies and bright sunshine & being impeccably greeted by every Palace guard will live long in the memory…
At 85 the Emperor has already exceeded the average life expectancy in Japan. According to Wikipedia, the life expectancy for both male and female is 83.7, ranking number 1 in the world. The United Kingdom comes in 20th, with 81.2 and Latvia holds 36th position with an average life expectancy of 74.7 years old.
Japan’s top position in in the life expectancy charts is usually explained by diet. The healthy Japanese diet includes, among other things, plenty of fish, lots of protein, many green vegetables, and almost six times the amount of low-fat high-carb rice consumed in the United Kingdom.
With protein helping increase muscle mass, supporting healthy bones and helping reduce cravings, it’s pretty much a must have not just for the Japanese for many of our sports nutrition customers at Opalbond. We may not be able to promise long life but we can certainly provide great taste and convenience.
If you are interested in any protein based products – please get in touch at enquiries@opalbond.co.uk