Why I Became a "Morning Fruit Person"

The reason I started eating fruit for breakfast was from reading something like, "Morning (from 4 AM to noon) is the time when the body expels waste, so consuming foods that take a long time to digest will waste the body's energy on digestion, leaving none for excretion." In other words, eating a lot of rice or bread forces the body into heavy labor from the morning. But since fruit is fine even in large quantities, I became a "morning fruit person."

This theory varies from person to person; some say, "Even too much fruit sugar isn't good," while others argue, "Morning is precisely when you should eat a hearty meal!" But when I read that book, I immediately agreed, recalling my own symptoms and thinking, "That makes sense!" Even before that, I tended to keep my breakfast light, but occasionally eating a substantial meal would leave me feeling drained and sleepy, dulling my mental acuity. A traditional Japanese inn breakfast would even make me angry, thinking, "Why do I have to eat so much in the morning!" (You might think, "Then don't eat it," but when it's served, I can't help myself...). Moreover, eating heartily in the morning seems to stimulate my stomach, leading me to snack throughout the day.

The further decision to make juice to aid digestion came about because my capacity to eat has recently decreased significantly. At a restaurant's course meal, I often find myself too full halfway through, to the point of tears (and I'm not exaggerating). Also, eating greasy food at night causes severe indigestion and makes it hard to fall asleep. The cause is likely simply that my digestive capacity has declined with age. Unlike the decline of muscles or flexibility, which can be countered with training, this is something I can't fight against. All I can do is reduce my intake and consume easily digestible foods to lessen the burden.

This decline in digestive capacity might have been a sad fact for me not long ago. But now, I welcome it. To confess, in the past, I ate a lot and ate quickly. My hands and feet would tremble if I got hungry, my face would pale, and I'd break out in a cold sweat. Furthermore, if hunger persisted, my tongue would even go numb. So, being hungry was impossible for me, and to avoid that state, I would end up eating a lot and quickly. When I went on location shoots, the staff often teased me, saying, "Fujiwara-san is always either 'I'm hungry!' or 'I'm full!'" Yes, my constitution was such that the window for my stomach to be in a 'just right' state was far too short.

Let's Aim to Be Satisfied with 70% Full!

Despite all this, or perhaps because of it, it's natural that I long to be someone who can be satisfied with a small amount and savor meals leisurely. And now, the opportunity has come to me without me even having to try. Why wouldn't I take advantage of this! I thought. Using this change in my constitution (aging!?) as a springboard, I immediately set one of my goals for this year as: "Let's aim to be satisfied with being 70% full!"

My strategy is to record my meals and the percentage of fullness in a notebook. This is what's known as the currently popular "recording diet." Simply being conscious of an action can bring about change, and by writing it down, I feel a sense of accomplishment and motivation, thinking, "Yes! I was at 70% fullness all day today!" However, for now, I can only control my intake in the morning and evening. Lunch and a late afternoon snack are still problematic; my appetite is still robust during these times. My family members admonish me, saying, "Why are you eating the same amount as me?" and "You ate so much at lunch, and you're hungry again? Are you okay?" For dinner, since I usually go to bed around 10 PM, I think, "Should I eat a little more? But I'll be sleeping soon, so it's fine," and I go to bed before I get hungry, so it's not an issue. However, the ideal eating window is said to be between 12 PM and 8 PM, so if I only consider the timing, I'm quite proud that it's almost ideal...

Oh, and about the morning fruit juice, I've discovered that drinking it in liquid form feels completely different in my stomach compared to eating it whole, even if the ingredients are the same. When consumed as juice, my stomach feels refreshed and light, which is pleasant. The downside is that I get hungry again quickly, but I even find that hunger pleasant. This might be the first time in my life that I find hunger agreeable. However, this feeling doesn't last long, so I eat fruit to satisfy my hunger after the juice. I hear people who only eat fruit are called fruitarians, but I am a fruitarian only in the morning.

The juice contents are about three kinds of seasonal fruits—For example, half an apple, one kiwi, and one banana (actually, it's said that acidic fruits shouldn't be consumed with bananas or dried fruits, but I like the taste...)—, one jujube date, a little kinako (roasted soybean flour), a little lemon juice, and an appropriate amount of soy milk and water. I add enough soy milk and water to make the consistency closer to a smoothie than a juice. It has a clean sweetness and is perfect for the first meal of the day. It's delicious, good for the body, and I highly recommend this fruit juice!