Asian and other developing countries seem to be the most vulnerable in the switch to a Western diet. Australians like myself have nothing but excuses for exercising. We have beaches to run along, few trains that require chasing, and a dry, cool climate climate to do this, in a plethora of greem grassy parks.
In Asia its not as easy. Living in Tokyo there are crowded streets, but in as much as you can choose where you live it is possible to select a place where you can get exercise. In Tokyo the best place is near a river. I lived in Sumiyoshi for a period, so I could ride my bike up the river. This is pretty well the only green precinct of any size in Tokyo aside from the Imperial Garden and a few other parks (like Harajuku). In the suburbs too there are no so many parks. You almost have to go to the rice padi areas to find open space.
In the Philippines it gets even worse. You are lucky if you can find trees in Metro Manila, and still rarer to see grass outside of the scarce golf clubs in the city. Its also hot, polluted and the streets are pretty disgusting in most parts of the city. Of course you can choose where you live. I recommend a city apartment because:
1. On the weekends and at night the streets are quieter
2. You can walk around the city late at night when there is no pollution.
But herein lies the problem. Filipinos generally have little discipline. They dont eat vegetables in their diet. If you go out you will be lucky if you get any vegetables, and you will get a lot of bone and fat in your meet. Their beef & pork is literally 1/3 bone, 1/3 fat and 1/3 protein. Well if you are aspiring to get out of the Philippines, you are in luck. There are plenty of jobs for graduates in the top rankings. The problem is if you eat this crap, you will end up in hospital with hypertension and severe cramps. Why? Hello! Because you eat crap and live a sedentary life in front of a computer screen. It is near impossible to get real juice in the Philippines. Its mostly sugar and water. I mean other than pineapple juice and imported grocery items.
Herein lies the problem. The Philippines is so impressed by Western junk food that it has abandoned traditional healthy food. In the provinces they still eat a better balance of food. There is still the franchise crap, but its the 'treat' rather than the norm. It is the middle class that is too busy to think, who have a narrow materialistic conception of success that they miss the point of life - the pursuit of value in every aspect of life. Middle class Asian aspirants are so befuddled with money and what it can do that they have a single focus - to use it. But what for? Nope, not long range goals like building a career or buying a house, but to buy flash brand name clothes, cars and phone to impress their friends or GF. Its all about perceptions. A huge fraud that makes them empty people. You might well say its the same in the West, but this is more extreme. There is no genuine pride in this pursuit.
These people might get the girl of their dreams, and they can show the world that they have a trophy, but they will soon realise the cost of that pursuit. They will have acquired another empty vessel in their life, a vessel that requires an unending flow of money. They might eventually realise or they might lower themselves further to retain this false pride, this delusion of achievement. And that really stupid comment she said last week will be forgotten. They will repress it. They might even conclude that was the first time she said something stupid, instead of realising that she has been repressing all personal thoughts since they met. Live and learn...
The Western diet is crap... eat it at your peril.
------------------------------------In Asia its not as easy. Living in Tokyo there are crowded streets, but in as much as you can choose where you live it is possible to select a place where you can get exercise. In Tokyo the best place is near a river. I lived in Sumiyoshi for a period, so I could ride my bike up the river. This is pretty well the only green precinct of any size in Tokyo aside from the Imperial Garden and a few other parks (like Harajuku). In the suburbs too there are no so many parks. You almost have to go to the rice padi areas to find open space.
In the Philippines it gets even worse. You are lucky if you can find trees in Metro Manila, and still rarer to see grass outside of the scarce golf clubs in the city. Its also hot, polluted and the streets are pretty disgusting in most parts of the city. Of course you can choose where you live. I recommend a city apartment because:
1. On the weekends and at night the streets are quieter
2. You can walk around the city late at night when there is no pollution.
But herein lies the problem. Filipinos generally have little discipline. They dont eat vegetables in their diet. If you go out you will be lucky if you get any vegetables, and you will get a lot of bone and fat in your meet. Their beef & pork is literally 1/3 bone, 1/3 fat and 1/3 protein. Well if you are aspiring to get out of the Philippines, you are in luck. There are plenty of jobs for graduates in the top rankings. The problem is if you eat this crap, you will end up in hospital with hypertension and severe cramps. Why? Hello! Because you eat crap and live a sedentary life in front of a computer screen. It is near impossible to get real juice in the Philippines. Its mostly sugar and water. I mean other than pineapple juice and imported grocery items.
Herein lies the problem. The Philippines is so impressed by Western junk food that it has abandoned traditional healthy food. In the provinces they still eat a better balance of food. There is still the franchise crap, but its the 'treat' rather than the norm. It is the middle class that is too busy to think, who have a narrow materialistic conception of success that they miss the point of life - the pursuit of value in every aspect of life. Middle class Asian aspirants are so befuddled with money and what it can do that they have a single focus - to use it. But what for? Nope, not long range goals like building a career or buying a house, but to buy flash brand name clothes, cars and phone to impress their friends or GF. Its all about perceptions. A huge fraud that makes them empty people. You might well say its the same in the West, but this is more extreme. There is no genuine pride in this pursuit.
These people might get the girl of their dreams, and they can show the world that they have a trophy, but they will soon realise the cost of that pursuit. They will have acquired another empty vessel in their life, a vessel that requires an unending flow of money. They might eventually realise or they might lower themselves further to retain this false pride, this delusion of achievement. And that really stupid comment she said last week will be forgotten. They will repress it. They might even conclude that was the first time she said something stupid, instead of realising that she has been repressing all personal thoughts since they met. Live and learn...
The Western diet is crap... eat it at your peril.
Andrew Sheldon www.sheldonthinks.com
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