See that gooey, lumpy stuff right there? That's Mike's little secret weapon. It's called Natto. A Japanese, um ... not even sure what to call it ... food? Essentially it's fermented soy beans which have all kinds of healthy benefits. It's commonly eaten for breakfast in Japan and is a great source of protein and vitamin B2. Good for the skin, osteoporosis, and the prevention of heart attacks, strokes and blood clots.Still, I'm not feelin' it. You mix up the container of soy beans with this little packet of sticky stuff consisting of sesame oil and hot mustard ... stir it and stir it until it gets all gooey and glue-ish and then you slurp and suck it up really fast. Like, schluuuuuuuuup. That's right, schluuuuuuuuup. Apparently this is the way the Japanese eat it, with this sucking technique. And then Mike always makes a little finishing-up schlup-up-up sound, a la Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs: "... and with a nice little Chianti." Schlup-up-up.
Did I mention that Natto stinks to high heaven? It's so foul that I can't even think of a comparison but man, I cannot even be around when Mike is schluuuping. Straight from the vomitorium, seems to me. "Try it," he says. Uh, tempting-but-no.If anyone else is oh-so-brave and would like to try this nasty yet nutritious Natto, it can be found in Japanese specialty food stores. Look for this red label, the one with the bloated, rosy-cheeked geisha with the ... two bullet holes in her forehead?????
Need I say more?
P.S. We're almost halfway there!
12 comments:
Congrats on your success! Go easy on the soy, though. Unless it's organic, it's usually genetically modified. Plus it mimics estrogen in your body. I'm sure your hubby doesn't want a surplus of that! It's fine in moderation though :)
On a personal note, he must be really committed to his diet. I'm not brave enough to try anything that smells that early in the morning!
Girl you crack me up... feel like I'm on this journey with ya! You are doing great and it shows more each week!!! Moderation stops deprivation - great job!
Halfway there! I'm impressed and with with you on the Japanese delight. I can't eat just about anything, but I think I'd have to skip that.
Rock on- skinny girl.
Bullet holes? Girlfriend, those are "bonus nostrils"!!
I can't believe I've never heard of Natto. But there ya go. Your man is hardcore, that's for sure.
Oh GAWD, that looks awful. Is it natto or nasty? If it smells so bad, how can Mike stand it? I guess he's got the taste buds of experience now, huh?
Just a note, when I come out next for lunch or dinner, I'll just have a salad...
Congrats on the progress! You guys are really doing it! Can't wait to see it for myself. :)
Halfwzy is a great place to be at. Congratulations. You have great descriptive powers. You made me nauseated just reading your description of it. Did I tell you that you are also very very funny. I love the bullet hole remark. Keep on going but find something better to eat. rice cakes with low calorie cream cheese?
Hey, Michelle! Just because natto is very odiferous in nature, it doesn't mean it tastes bad! Yes, there's a handful of us who actually enjoy eating that nasty stuff! FYI, I just lost 13# by slowing down on the carbs. I was quite the battle...and now I'm struggling to keep it down. My downfall...chips & fries!
Max's Mom:
Another Natto fan! Mike will be thrilled to see this! And I'm thrilled to know that I have a fan of chips and fries, my favs too! Congrats on your 13 lbs. Keep it up! And thanks for reading our blog!
So, did you and Mike figure out who Max's mom is? After all these years, it still amuses me at how different the 2 bros. are. Yes, Terry has developed the self-preservative art of ignoring the smell of natto during the all-not-enough moments of my natto-festing! BTW, the #13 loss took 6 months...I can do it, ya'll can do it too! Terry thinks I'm crazy, but Mike looks like Dustin Hoffman in the photo with your very pretty daughter! Gumbate!
What! Max's Mom is my sister-in-law? Whadaya know! Hi Avis! So you eat that icky, er... I mean healthy Natto too? Mike will love this! I'm so, so proud of you for losing that 13 lbs.!! Good girl, you're stopping the runaway train too! You're not the first to say that Mike looks like Dustin Hoffman, he's been told that his whole life, but esp. when he was younger. We've had comments/emails about Dustin/Mike on the blog too! Hope all is well there, Max's Mom!
Yes, Michelle, I have joined the ranks of the middle-aged! With high bld. pressure, high cholesterol, sleep apnea, and restless leg syndrome, I HAD to do something about my weight-gain! I tried several times, only to re-gain what I had lost! I've always seen the resemblance between Dustin and Mike, but Terry can't see it at all! Just stick to your plan, and you will make your goals!
I found your blog from Midlife Job Hunter. Thank you for sharing the ups and downs of your journey -- I hope to have time to scroll through your postings in the weeks to come -- and congratulations on the progress you have made.
As for natto, it does taste better than it smells, but the smell can be difficult to get past. Just be glad it isn't durian fruit!
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