Half a year has gone by.

Since I wrote in July that “my health checkup results got me a little worried and I decided to try fermented foods,” I’ve kept at it. Today I want to take stock of the full six months.

The Numbers

Last month, I had my company’s annual health checkup.

The result: no abnormalities. Cholesterol levels are trending in the right direction, and all the metabolic syndrome markers came back healthy. My waistline isn’t a concern either.

Maybe I can’t call it a dramatic change — but getting a “nothing flagged” result made me genuinely happy. When you’re in your 50s, not getting worse is already worth something. Being just a little better than the version of yourself from last year feels like enough.

The Feeling in My Body

Honestly, what I feel physically has been more meaningful to me than the numbers.

Digestion: My gut is noticeably more regular. I can say that with confidence. What used to happen once every two or three days now happens almost every day. Indigestion has also decreased.

Morning wake-up: I have more mornings when I wake up naturally before my alarm. That gloomy “do I really have to get up…” feeling has eased.

Skin condition: My wife told me, “Your complexion looks better than it used to.” I can’t quite see it myself, but maybe my skin is a little less dry.

Stamina: This is the change that surprises me most. That “I’m absolutely wiped out” feeling by the end of the week has gotten less intense than before.

The Mind

What I didn’t expect was a change in how I feel.

Mixing the nukadoko every morning, making miso soup — I’ve realized that these small, hands-on acts are helping to settle my mood at the start of the day.

Making fermented foods means engaging with living things — bacteria you can’t rush and can’t control. Accepting that every day has given me a kind of ease, a “well, some things just don’t go as planned” attitude, that’s started to show up in my work and daily life too.

That might sound like a stretch, but I really do feel it.

Why I Was Able to Keep Going

If someone asked me the secret to sticking with this for six months, I’d say: “Because I didn’t do anything hard.”

No special supplements. No strict dietary restrictions. I simply set one rule for myself: be deliberate about eating fermented foods. Just that. And life changed, bit by bit.

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Next time: There’s no going back. The day came when I could say without hesitation that fermented foods have changed my life.

※ This article is based on personal experience and publicly available information. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease. If you have health concerns, please consult a doctor or registered dietitian. See our Disclaimer.