Life in Fukuoka "English"

【Professional Baseball Day】
Baseball is a popular sport in Japan and February 5th is the day to commemorate it. That's because it was on this day in 1936 that the Nippon Professional Baseball Organization, as it is currently known, was formed and so this day is essentially the birthday for professional baseball in Japan. At that time, only 7 teams belonged to the organization. The very first contracted player was Osamu Mihara who had contracted with the Tokyo Giants at that time. The starting salary? It was 177 yen. That might not sound like much but at the time, the starting salary for college graduates was about 64 yen, so it was actually a pretty good salary for the time. Here in Fukuoka, our local team is the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks. Last year, they placed 4th in the league but this year there is a new coach. I'm sure he'll do his best to bring the team back to their former glory. It seems like training starts at the beginning of February and the game season will start in late March, so be sure to cheer on and support Fukuoka's very own Softbank Hawks!

【Life-style Related Disease Prevention Month】

February is Life-style related disease prevention month.

These are diseases that develop due to, as you may have guessed, our life-style. Life-style related diseases include diabetes, hypertension and heart attacks and are caused by a lack of regular exercise and by nutritionally imbalanced diets. Smoking, excessive drinking and stress can also cause life-style related diseases.

To maintain a healthy life-style, balanced and appropriately portioned meals, three times a day at regular times, is key.  Constantly eating nutritionally unbalanced foods, like instant meals or greasy foods, can cause obesity and diabetes. They also say that chewing your food properly is important in a healthy diet as it will reduce the burden on your digestive system and strengthen the muscles around the mouth. Taking your time to eat, spending at least 20 minutes enjoying your meal is suggested.

Regular exercise is also important as the loss of muscle mass due to a lack of exercise will affect your basal metabolic rate, which is the number of calories you burn as your body performs basic life-sustaining functions. If this rate decreases, it's more likely you'll gain weight. It also increases your risk of getting diseases such as diabetes. So make time to exercise to maintain your muscle strength and mass. Even if you don't have much time, aim to add on an additional 10 minutes of walking to your day. It will go a long way toward your health.

Sleep is also essential to your health. It plays an important role in our health as it allows us to get rid of mental and physical fatigue and boosts our immunity. And of course, immunity is what helps keep us from getting sick. But to maintain our immunity, it's important that we are getting enough sleep and that our sleep is good quality sleep. The best way to do this is to not use your smartphone before going to bed. You should also avoid watching TV or drinking caffeinated or alcoholic beverages before bed. They will all affect the quality of your sleep. Instead, find another way to relax, perhaps by taking a bath before bed, reading  book or spending some time meditating. It's important to live a stress-free life. Perhaps this is a chance to take a look at your own daily life-style.