It was summer of 2005 when kanten was completely disappearing from the Japanese supermarket shelf after one TV program reported on kanten’s effectiveness on losing weight.”  There was a sudden boom so called “Kanten diet” and it still continues today.

Macrobiotic has been promoting the use of kanten for the substitution of gelatin for such a long time.  Kanten is highly respectable Japanese traditional food which offers various possibilities and takes an active role in various fields in the world today.

“Why are more people suffering from sickness when medical science is advancing?” is a central question of the book published in Japan in 2006 which became a million seller.  This book is called “The Way of Living without Sickness” and the author is Hiromi Shinya. He is a world-class doctor who developed the technique of colonoscopic examination of the
gastrointestinal tract and the first one to succeed colonoscopic polypectomy.  The revolutionary 'Shinya Method' has become a standard in colonoscopy these days. And the sequel of this book is released early this year and is already sold more than 400,000 copies now.

By collecting vast amounts of data on patients’ eating and lifestyle habits while diagnosing stomachs and intestines of more than 300,000 people, Dr. Shinya came to realize that eating and lifestyle habits not only create good or bad gastrointestinal conditions but also are closely linked to various illness and chronic lifestyle-related diseases.

According to Dr. Shinya’s thinking, to maintain health, there needs to be a smooth communication flow between gene, enzyme, and microorganism.  He calls this “triangle communication.”  However, it is impossible for us to engage in this triangle communication physically and consciously.  Therefore, Dr. Shinya suggests the following health tips to enhance the flow of triangle communication.

1. Consuming right food to promote a good gastrointestinal flow.
2. Good quality water to promote a good body fluid flow, especially blood, lymph, and urine.
3. Right excretion to promote a good gastrointestinal flow and make blood and lymph flow well.
4. Right breathing to balance autonomic nervous system and balance blood flow which carries oxygen throughout the body.
5. Moderate exercise to promote a goof flow of blood and lymph.
6. Good rest and sleep to balance a good flow of Ki energy or life energy throughout the body.
7. Laughter and happiness to promote a good flow of Ki energy or life energy.

It is the first time in 50 years that macrobiotic is being acknowledged once again and becomes a sort of social phenomenon these days in Japan.  Or case of Dr. Shinya, not using a word macrobiotic directly, the message emphasized on the importance of whole grain and vegetable in diet and avoiding animal products and white sugar as much as possible in diet is delivered to the world out there.  If there are more doctors like Dr. Shinya, more people will surely find the true meaning of being healthy.

A new product, Nori Krinkles, has been added in our sea vegetable product line. “Convenience” and “taste” are two key selling points for this new product. According to the manufacturer, the production of Nori Krinkles just involves washing and immediate drying; therefore, they tend to retain more nutrients and more umami taste. Nori Krinkles have existed in our neighbor countries like China and Korea since a long time ago. However, there is no such a long history here in Japan. In Japan the nori farmers and fishermen have been consuming freshly harvested nori with the simple style of dipping them in shoyu or rice vinegar. In order to introduce plainness and freshness of nori to regular consumers, nori krinkles begun its commercialization in Japan about 25 years ago. Nori as a raw material has to be in a perfect condition, not too hard but not too soft. It took years of trial and error to merchandise Nori Krinkles. The uses of Nori Krincles are associated with convenience. They are not only used as a topping on salads, soups (miso soup and etc), noodles, and rice but also as snacks to go with the beer. Nori Krincles being toasted with sesame oil and coated with salt or sweetener is a staple snack in Korea. The manufacturer hopes to develop a healthy sea vegetable snack in the near future.