Hara hachi bu 腹八分 In the United States 17 people per 100,000 population live to at least 100 years old. By contrast, the island of Okinawa has the highest concentration in the world at 35 per 100,000, more than double the United States. Gerontologists believe there are several factors that contribute to a population imbued with such longevity, with eating a healthy diet high on the list. Okinawans diets are high in fish, fruits and vegetables and they eschew [...]

Recently, I was waiting my turn to chow down for lunch in buffet line at a business function held in a nice hotel. The gentleman ahead of me, obviously agitated, turned and said, "I really hate buffets. I eat smart at home and in restaurants. But these things are killers. I'd rather wait on a static line about to jump out of a plane than stand on a buffet line." Wow, what a straight-man setup line to hand a [...]

Last week I watched an episode of Jeopardy and winced as a contestant blew a chance to secure his lead on a $2000 Double Jeopardy answer. Oh, he knew the right question, but couldn’t push the button fast enough. Too bad because during that one-tenth of a second pause, another contestant beat him to the punch and used the additional $2000 to ultimately win the match. Is there anything that you can do to amp up your reaction speed? [...]

Trainer Joe’s Top Ten Strategies For Dining Out When uttered with a smile, certain phrases have the ability to simultaneously strike fear or bring joy depending upon the listener’s state of mind. “I’m pregnant. We have tickets to the opera. It’s the police. And…We’re going out to dinner.” If dining out is your Achilles’ heel, read on. Like Q arming James Bond with a secret arsenal, allow me to equip you with my top ten strategies for dining out [...]