September 30, 2016　=========
☆ anaerobic 無酸素の
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Today’s word is the opposite of yesterday’s. Aerobic exercise is exercise that happens “with oxygen” and anaerobic exercise happens “without oxygen.” Of course, you are still getting oxygen, but not enough so it is hard to keep doing the exercise for a long time. For example, lifting heavy weights and sprinting. Actually all of the activities I mentioned yesterday could be anaerobic exercise too, if you do them at a very high intensity. So it isn’t really the type of exercise that makes something aerobic or anaerobic, it is actually the intensity that makes the difference.
Did you watch the Olympics last month? Watching Usain Bolt sprint the 100m and 200m it is hard to believe that he was doing anaerobic exercise then. He looked so comfortable and like he was having fun! Most of the other sprinters looked like they were in pain and that it was such hard work!
Bye,
Chris

September 29, 2016　=========
☆ aerobic 有酸素の
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There are two types of exercise, aerobic and anaerobic. Aerobic exercise strengthens your heart and lungs. It is sometimes called “cardio” exercise. For exercise to be classified as “aerobic” it requires the heartrate and breathing rate to increase in a way that the heart can continue to deliver oxygen to the muscles throughout the exercise session.
Some examples of aerobic exercises are cardio machines, spinning classes, running, swimming, walking, hiking, dancing, kickboxing and so on. Do you like doing aerobic exercise? We are coming up to spring and summer in Australia, so I’m looking forward to warmer weather so that I can do more aerobic exercise outside! How about you, how will you continue to exercise and stay in shape during the cooler autumn and winter months?
Bye,
Chris

September 28, 2016　=========
☆ obese 肥満の
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If you check your dictionary, then the meaning of “obese” is someone who is extremely fat. However, “obese” is actually a word that has a scientific definition too. To be classified as “obese” your Body Mass Index (BMI) has to be over 30. If your BMI is over 25 but less than 30, then you are overweight, not obese. This is the same classification all over the world, right? So even in Japan you need to have a BMI over 30 to be considered obese.
In America, 31.8% of the population is obese. Did you know that this makes it number 10 in the top ten obese countries? I thought for sure that America was number one! But in fact, Kuwait is number one, with 42.8% of the population classified as obese! That is crazy! The article I read suggested that the reason for this was that Kuwait has become a rich country thanks to oil, and American fast food is so popular, that everyone is getting fatter… wow, I had no idea! Even though I know I’m not overweight or obese, I suddenly feel the need to check my BMI…
http://gazettereview.com/2016/06/top-10-fattest-countries-in-world/
Bye,
Chris

September 27, 2016　=========
☆ fit 健康な
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Someone who is fit is healthy and physically strong. Do you think you are fit? I would say that I am fit and healthy, but I don’t think I am physically strong! I am fit because of running, but running doesn’t strengthen your arms, so I recently started doing yoga a few times a week – and this showed me how *unfit* I am!! Yoga is hard work!
Do you know any other words you can use instead of fit?
healthy
able-bodied
in good shape
robust
trim
well
When you are talking about old people that are fit and healthy, sometimes we use the word “hale” but this is a little bit old-fashioned. And of course, the opposite is “unfit.”
Bye,
Chris

September 26, 2016　=========
☆ telltale 紛れもない
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A “telltale” sign is a sign that gives away information about something bad that would not otherwise be noticed. Here are some examples:
The telltale redness around his eyes showed that he had not been sleeping well.
The telltale loudness of her voice made him realize she had been drinking with friends.
The empty packet was a telltale sign that the kids had eaten all the chocolate!
He said he had quit smoking but there was a telltale aroma of cigarette smoke on his clothes.
As you can see, the ‘telltale sign” points out the negative thing that you might not have noticed otherwise such as: lack of sleep, drinking too much, eating all the chocolate, and continuing to smoke.
Can you use telltale in a sentence?
Bye,
Chris

September 26, 2016　=========
☆ telltale 紛れもない
============================
A “telltale” sign is a sign that gives away information about something bad that would not otherwise be noticed. Here are some examples:
The telltale redness around his eyes showed that he had not been sleeping well.
The telltale loudness of her voice made him realize she had been drinking with friends.
The empty packet was a telltale sign that the kids had eaten all the chocolate!
He said he had quit smoking but there was a telltale aroma of cigarette smoke on his clothes.
As you can see, the ‘telltale sign” points out the negative thing that you might not have noticed otherwise such as: lack of sleep, drinking too much, eating all the chocolate, and continuing to smoke.
Can you use telltale in a sentence?
Bye,
Chris

September 25, 2016　=========
☆ meditation 瞑想
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When I was in university I studied Law, working as a lawyer is stressful, but so is studying law! So one day, when I saw an advert for a workshop on “mediation” I thought it would be a great idea to go – I could learn some techniques for relaxing and releasing stress…
Did you notice my mistake? The sign said “mediation” which is about “conflict resolution” … what I thought it said was “meditation”!! Oh dear! Just one extra “t” makes a big difference in meaning! Ha ha. Have you ever made a similar mistake where the word is almost the same but not quite the same? What happened?
Bye,
Chris

September 24, 2016　=========
☆ balance バランス
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We often hear about work-life balance, but what about finding balance between having a healthy diet and a diet with a few treats sometimes? Or finding balance between exercising too much and not enough.
Do you have balance in your life when it comes to your health? As I said in a previous email, I am an “all or nothing” type person when it comes to food – I either eat all the chocolate or none! Drink all the wine, or none! We imagine “balance” to be in the middle of “all or nothing” however, for me, it is hard to find this balance in the “middle.” How about you? Are you an all or nothing type, or is it easy for you to find balance with healthy eating habits?
Bye,
Chris

September 23, 2016　=========
☆ priority 優先事項
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Your “priority” is the most important thing that you have to do or deal with before doing anything else. Most self-help gurus suggest setting your priorities each day, using the “3 MIT” idea. Each day, you should have no more than three “Most Important Tasks (MIT).” Your MIT is your priority for the day.
Do you think that exercising or eating healthily should be an MIT each day? Of course it is a priority, right? We want to stay in shape, so exercising and eating well are priorities for us, but do you actually put these things on your To Do list? I sometimes do… I definitely put running on my To Do list three times a week, but I was wondering if other people do this? Do you? What are your priorities each day? Come and tell me on the English Now! Facebook page!
https://www.facebook.com/English-Now-501594796687899/
Bye,
Chris

September 22, 2016　 =========
☆ weight-loss 体重の減少
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Is weight-loss and how to be slim a popular topic in Japan? When I lived in Japan, I often saw advertising for weight-loss and gadgets or new exercise ideas that could help you lose weight. I always thought this was surprising, because most Japanese people are already slim anyway, so there is no need for weight-loss!
However, now that I have returned to Australia, there are so many overweight people, that weight-loss is actually really important – for health and to avoid diabetes for example. However, I don’t see that many advertisements for weight-loss. There are a few famous names such as “Weight Watchers” (a company selling food for weight-loss) and “Michelle Bridges” (an online personal trainer and TV personality) but otherwise, it seems that no one is really interested in weight-loss. I’m a bit worried about this, really…
Bye,
Chris

September 21, 2016　 =========
☆ digestion 消化
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The word, “digestion” can be used in two ways. Firstly, “digestion” is the process of digesting foods. For example, they say it is better not to drink when eating because the liquid can interfere with digestion. Also, although we think that digestion happens in the stomach, for many foods, digestion actually starts in the mouth.
The other meaning of “digestion” is that it is the name of the system in the human body that digests food. The mouth, stomach, intestines and other organs are all part of this digestion system.
Bye,
Chris

September 20, 2016　 =========
☆ mouthful 一口
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Continuing on from yesterday’s talk about temptations – I guess if I were a “strong” person, then I could just have a “mouthful” of the cake and leave the rest, right? One mouthful won’t hurt my diet… but I don’t know about you, personally I find it impossible to have just one mouthful!
In the book I talked about earlier in the month, “Better than Before” she talks about this idea – some people should just have a mouthful when they are trying to diet, and some people should have none at all because they cannot stop after just one mouthful. Are you the sort of person who can have just one mouthful of something – for example, one mouthful of cake or one mouthful of wine? I’m not… it’s all or nothing for me. Lol 🙂
Bye,
Chris

September 19, 2016　 =========
☆ temptation 誘惑
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Something that is a temptation for you is a thing that you want to have (or do). What kinds of temptations can be harmful to staying in shape?
For me, a cake with my latte is my biggest temptation! I love to have a latte at a café every Saturday morning while my boys go to Japanese school… unfortunately the café always has so many yummy looking cakes and other temptations! In English we say this kind of thing is “not good for my wallet or my waistline” – in other words it decreases the amount of money in my wallet and increases the inches on my waistline! Is there a similar saying in Japanese?
What is your biggest temptation when trying to stay in shape or get healthy?
Bye,
Chris

September 18, 2016　 =========
☆ vulnerable もろい
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Have you heard of today’s word? It is used to describe someone who is weak or without protection and therefore they are easily hurt physically or emotionally. It can describe something that is easily harmed or affected by something bad.
So how does today’s word relate to staying in shape? Here are some ways you could use today’s word:
People with high blood pressure are vulnerable to diabetes.
During pregnancy, the baby is vulnerable to toxins in the mother’s foods.
Using sunscreen can help protect vulnerable skin from the sun’s UV rays.
It’s a bit tricky, but can you use vulnerable in a sentence?
Bye,
Chris

September 17, 2016　 =========
☆ vital いきいきした
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If you describe someone as “vital” you mean that they are energetic and full of life. It is often used to describe older people, who you wouldn’t expect to be that lively. However, it can be used to describe young people too. For example, “Her new boyfriend is a very vital person, just like her.” Or “She is still so vital despite her age.”
Vital also has another meaning, which means that something is necessary or important. If something is vital to another thing, it is crucial. For example, “She gave vital information to the police about the robbery.”
The two words are quite different in meaning, don’t get them mixed up! 🙂
Bye,
Chris

September 16, 2016　 =========
☆ flexible 柔軟性のある
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Being flexible means that you are able to change and adapt easily to different conditions or circumstances. Do you think being flexible is important to staying in shape? I think it is really important! For me, with young kids it is not always easy to find time to exercise, so I need to be flexible with my plans – sometimes I plan to run in the morning at 5am for example, but if my child is sick or wakes up early, then of course I cannot go.
With eating too, I like to decide the menu for the week ahead because it makes dinner time much smoother and easier. However, sometimes when I can’t make what I had planned because we don’t have the right ingredients or work was too busy so I don’t have enough time. In those times I have to be flexible and change the menu – or buy takeout… 😉
Do you think you are flexible? In what way does being flexible help you?
Bye,
Chris

September 15, 2016　 =========
☆ bloated むくんだ
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There are two ways to use “bloated.” Firstly, it can mean that part of your body is larger than usual, because it has a lot of liquid or gas in it. Pregnant women often get bloated ankles and legs. Also some people experience bloated legs after flying in an airplane.
The second way to use “bloated” is to describe a feeling of a full stomach after eating too much. For example, “I ate too much at dinner and now I feel really bloated!” Or “Too much dairy always makes me feel bloated, so I try not to drink milk in my coffee.”
Bye,
Chris

September 14, 2016　 =========
☆ dehydrated 脱水の
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When you are “dehydrated” it means that you haven’t drunk enough and your body needs more water. Yesterday I talked about feeling “hangry,” I don’t usually get angry when I am hungry, but when I am dehydrated I do! I’m not sure why, but when I have not drunk enough water, and feel dehydrated that is when I can be very irritable.
Our bodies are amazing, aren’t they? If you pay attention to the signals, they can tell you a lot of things… mine tells me when I am dehydrated. How about your body? Does it let you know when you are dehydrated or hungry? What are the signals for you?
Bye,
Chris

September 13, 2016　 =========
☆ hungry 空腹の
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I’m sure you already know today’s word – it might be one of the first words you learn in school English maybe? If you are “hungry” you want to eat food because you have an empty or painful feeling in your stomach, right?
How about the word, “hangry”? Have you heard of this word? Basically change the “u” to an “a” and you have a recent new English word, “hangry” which is when you are feeling angry or irritable because you are hungry! The word is a blend of “angry” and “hungry”… do you ever feel “hangry”?
Bye,
Chris

September 12, 2016　 =========
☆ conscious 意識的な
============================
When we talk about staying in shape or getting healthy one of the important things we need to do is make a “conscious decision” to do it. When we make a conscious decision to do something, we do it with our full attention. If we just think vaguely about wanting to get healthy or now that we are healthy, wanting to stay in shape, then it probably won’t happen. We really need to be conscious and aware of our goal in order to reach it.
An example for me was that last year I had a training plan for my running from a running coach, and I made a conscious decision to take part in an ultra-marathon at the end of October. So I ran regularly, ate well, and reached most of my goals. This year, however, I didn’t make any conscious plans to run any events, and I have suddenly been “too busy” to run… strange! Even though I’m not really busier than last year – without the conscious decision to train and run, I cannot find the time to do it!
How about for you? Have you ever noticed the difference in your own life from making or not making a conscious decision to do something?
Bye,
Chris

September 11, 2016　 =========
☆ adopt 身につける
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When you adopt a new attitude, plan, or way of behaving, you begin to have that thing. It is common, for example, to talk about adopting new habits. In fact, if you do a Google search for “adopt a habit” you’ll get about 16 million results! Wow!
Last year I read a great book about adopting new habits, by Gretchen Rubin, called “Better than Before.” In this book she says that there are four main personalities that people fit into, and depending on which personality you are, then the method to adopt a new habit will be different. Do you find it easy or difficult to adopt new habits?
If it is difficult, maybe you should take a look at this book! At the moment though there is no Japanese translation – so you can learn about adopting new habits AND improve your English at the same time. 🙂
http://gretchenrubin.com/books/before-after/before-after/
Bye,
Chris

September 10, 2016　 =========
☆ nourish 栄養を与える
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When you “nourish” a person, animal, or even a plant, it means that you give them the food that is necessary for them to live, grow and be in good health. Here are some examples:
The food that a pregnant woman eats nourishes both her and the baby.
There are microbes in the soil that nourish the plant.
You can also use “nourish” to talk about feeding something emotionally not just physically. For example, “My mother nourished my dream of traveling to Europe.” And “Although the newspapers don’t create public opinion, they can help to nourish it.” (This means that the newspapers write stories that support the public opinion that they want people to have.)
Bye,
Chris

September 9, 2016　 =========
☆ slouch 前屈みになる
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When you slouch, it means that you sit or stand with your shoulders and head bent so that you look lazy and unattractive. Slouching is a sign of bad posture, but these days because everyone spends so much time on computers and smart phones, slouching is becoming more and more common.
How about in Japan? When I lived in Japan, I thought that most Japanese people had great posture and slouching was not that common – except for people sitting on the train, tired on their way home from work! Is slouching becoming more common? Do you do any exercises or stretches to make sure that you can maintain good posture?
Bye,
Chris

September 8, 2016　 =========
☆ loathe 嫌う
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Today’s word is the opposite of yesterday, and again, although it seems like a strong word, it is fine to use “loathe” when talking about foods you loathe, or the things you loathe doing.
I have a lot of friends that like to stay in shape, but they loathe running, so they go to the gym instead. Is there anything you loathe doing to stay fit? Even though you loathe doing it, do you still do it? I have a friend who loathes running, but still does it – only they complain about it all the time! They are not much fun to run with!
Another example from my life would be natto – even though I know it’s healthy, I still loathe it and cannot bear to eat it. Are there any foods you loathe?
Bye,
Chris

September 7, 2016　 =========
☆ love 愛する
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You’re probably used to using this word, “love” to talk about feelings towards people such as family and friends. However, in English we use “love” when talking about pretty much everything! For example, I love running. I love chocolate. Maybe I love running because I love chocolate? Ha ha…
Anyway, it is very common to talk about foods that you like, and it is fine to use the word “love” even though it might seem a little strong. So what kinds of foods do you love that help you stay in shape? What kinds of exercises do you love doing that help you stay in shape? I said running and chocolate… of course, I meant Lindt’s dark chocolate 99% cocoa…. Right?!
Bye,
Chris

September 6, 2016　 =========
☆ wolf down がつがつ食べる
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So yesterday we talked about chewing slowly and mindfully. Today’s word is the complete opposite… “Wolf down” is an informal word, which describes eating in a quick and greedy way. You can also just say, “wolf” but in my experience, “wolf down” is more common. Here are some example sentences:
He wolfed down the rest of the cheese.
She was in a rush for work so she bought a muffin and wolfed it down on the train.
He always wolfs down his food, so I’m trying to teach him to slow down.
I’ve never seen a wolf eat, but apparently this verb is based on the idea of “eating like a wolf” … so I guess wolves must get hungry and eat quickly when they find food!
Bye,
Chris

September 5, 2016　 =========
☆ chew かむ
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When you “chew” your food, you use your teeth to break up the food in your mouth so that it becomes easier to swallow. Many people say that for good health you should chew each piece of food that you eat 100 times! I have tried this – but I always end up forgetting what number I had counted to!
Do you chew your food slowly and thoroughly before swallowing? I must admit I’m not good at chewing and tend to eat more quickly than I should. However, my oldest son always chews his food sooooo slowly! It’s a great habit and very healthy so I don’t try to get him to hurry up, but sometimes dinner can take a long time to finish! Ha ha 🙂
Bye,
Chris

September 4, 2016　 =========
☆ blood pressure 血圧
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Do you know what your blood pressure is? Is it low? Normal? High?
I haven’t checked mine recently, but I do have a blood pressure monitor to use at home. When I run more than three times a week, I use it to check my blood pressure each morning, just to make sure I am not stressing my body too much. My blood pressure is usually low, so I check it to make sure that it isn’t too low after a heavy running schedule.
Do you ever check your blood pressure? When do you check it? Why do you check it?
Bye,
Chris

September 1, 2016　 =========
☆ fad 流行
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Sorry, sorry, sorry! I do not know what happened! Suddenly it is already 10pm on September 3rd and I haven’t sent out any Eigo Techo mails for September yet. As I said, I don’t know what happened, but I was so busy that I just totally forget to write to you! Sorry!!
So, let’s put September 1st, 2nd, and 3rd all together in this email, and get back on track in the daily emails tomorrow, OK?
September 1 – fad 流行
September 2 – nutrition栄養
September 3 – body image ボディーイメージ
This month’s topic is “Staying in Shape”. What does staying in shape mean to you?
Do you get caught up in the fitness fads that come up all the time? I don’t watch much TV, so I don’t get to see TV commercials advertising the latest “exercise gadget” but I do see a lot of ads on the Internet – many of them are about nutrition, for example, there are many different versions of this ad: “Five foods you should never eat if you want to lose weight.” Or, this one that says, “Dr. Oz says this one thing is more important than exercise.” When I clicked on the link, it was just a diet pill. A fad, and nothing healthy or good for you! Certainly not good nutrition!
How about “gluten free”? Is this a fad in Japan? It started as a fad here in Australia, but really now, it’s almost like a common thing for people to say they don’t eat gluten anymore.
And our third word, body image. This word has become more and more common in daily English and in fashion and health news. In Australia, people talk about body image a lot. Our “body image” is the way we feel about our own body. A lot of young people, girls and women in particular, compare their own body with the women that they see in magazines and on advertisements. This often leads to a negative body image, because the advertisement makes the woman look “perfect” and this is pretty impossible for the average person. In France and Israel, there are new laws that say that the advertisement must state if it has been altered using Photoshop or some other software. What do you think of this idea?
This is an interesting article on the topic of Photoshop and body image. It’s long – but even if you don’t want to read it, there are some interesting pictures showing Photoshop and how images can be changed.
https://www.pixelz.com/blog/photoshop-models-laws/
Anyway, that is all for today! Sorry for the long email and for missing the first few days! I’ll be back on track tomorrow. 🙂
Bye,
Chris