Traveling through Japan and Korea for 60 days in 2024 taught me valuable health lessons about diet and exercise. After eating out for two months, I quickly realized how much diet can impact my health. From making unhealthy food choices to overeating, the effects were more noticeable than I had expected. Here’s what I learned along the way and how it changed the way I approach food while traveling.
Health Lessons from My Shikoku Pilgrimage
When I traveled to Shikoku, Japan, I set out to do the pilgrimage, walking an average of 16 to 18 miles a day for 48 days. At first, I thought since I was in Japan, I would have easy access to healthy food. I tried my best to eat well, even though I didn’t always have control over what went into my meals. With all the walking and my goal to eat healthier, I really thought I would finish the pilgrimage feeling fit and healthy.
However, despite my efforts, I found that the food choices available weren’t always as healthy as I had hoped. I tried not to overeat, but many options were high in salt, sugar, or processed ingredients. With no control over the meals, it became harder to stick to the healthy eating I aimed for. This experience taught me valuable health lessons about how diet can impact my health, even when I’m staying active.
Food Options in Japan
During my time in Japan, I was surprised to find that many people, especially the younger generations, consume a lot of fried and fast food. This was different from what I had imagined, as I thought the traditional Japanese diet would still dominate.
Traditional Japanese meals typically include fresh ingredients that are healthy and full of natural flavors. However, I quickly realized that fast food and processed options have become much more common.
Chains like McDonald’s are everywhere, and convenience stores, or konbini, offer ready-to-eat meals like fried chicken and instant noodles. These foods cater to busy lifestyles but aren’t the healthiest choices.
Smaller portion sizes in Japan may help reduce some of the negative effects. However, the rise in processed foods has led to an increase in lifestyle-related diseases, such as diabetes and high cholesterol.
As someone committed to a healthy diet, I learned an important lesson about finding suitable options in Japan. Most grocery stores offered only a limited selection of vegan-ready meals, which sometimes forced me to make less healthy choices.
Food Choices on My Pilgrimage
During my pilgrimage journey, I made a strong effort to eat healthy whenever I could. I looked for fruits, vegetables, and whole foods to stay aligned with my diet. However, there were many times when healthy options just weren’t available, and I had to adjust. The limited food choices in some areas made it difficult to stick to my plan.
When healthy options weren’t an option, I had no choice but to eat whatever I could find to maintain my energy for the long daily walks. Whether it was rice, bread, or other processed foods, I had to fuel my body to keep going. This experience taught me valuable health lessons about flexibility and the challenges of sticking to a diet while traveling.
How My Diet Impacted My Health
During my trip, I ate more processed foods, sugary snacks, and fried meals than I normally do. When I returned home and received my lab results, I was shocked by how much my health had been affected. Despite all the walking and staying active, my cholesterol had risen significantly, and my sugar levels were also higher than usual.
The processed foods I consumed directly impacted my overall well-being. Even though I was physically active, these unhealthy food choices still had a major effect on my health.
It became clear that the food I ate during my trip was responsible for the rise in my cholesterol and sugar levels. Despite my physical efforts, the impact of my diet was evident in my lab results, proving just how much what I eat can influence my health.
Important Health Lessons
This experience taught me important health lessons about the connection between diet and exercise. While exercise is important for staying healthy, I now believe that diet plays an even more crucial role. Poor food choices can cancel out the benefits of even the most intense physical activity.
During my travels, I often had to choose convenience over nutrition, which led to a diet far from my usual healthy home-cooked meals. This reminded me how challenging it can be to maintain a balanced diet, especially when healthy options are limited. It also showed me how much diet affects overall health, even more than exercise alone.
When I returned home, I was more determined than ever to focus on my diet alongside my exercise routine. This experience reinforced my belief that what we eat is key to achieving optimal health. While staying active is important, a healthy diet is the foundation for good health, and this lesson will guide me moving forward.
