★ Author Yoshimi Ishihara is a medical doctor and a leading authority in natural medicine. His family served as physicians to the Shimazu lords of Tanegashima for generations. He graduated from Nagasaki University School of Medicine and completed his doctoral program there. He studied natural medicine and fasting therapy in Switzerland, Moscow, and the Caucasus. He has published over 350 books, 11 of which have sold more than 100,000 copies each, and over 100 titles have been translated in China and South Korea.
★ “After 65, try letting go of the belief that you must eat well.” With age, metabolism slows. If you continue eating the same amount as when you were younger, your body is forced to spend energy on digestion, leading to obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and dementia. The author argues that the key to health in later life lies not in “what you eat” but in “creating time for an empty stomach.”
★ The book offers fasting tips that even those with chronic conditions can start without overexertion, food choices that warm the body, and a Q&A answering questions such as “Can I fast with an illness?” No money or special equipment needed—you can start today.
★ One core idea: “The best doctor is fever and loss of appetite.” The author believes the body reduces appetite to concentrate energy on repair. For seniors over 65 and their families—rethinking the common belief that “older people must take in more nutrients” to extend active, energetic years.

After 65, try letting go of the belief that you must eat well.

With age, metabolism slows. If you continue eating the same amount as when you were younger, your body is forced to spend energy on digestion, leading to obesity, diabetes, hypertension, dementia, and other issues. The key to health in later life lies not in “what you eat” but in “creating time for an empty stomach”—

Medical doctor Yoshimi Ishihara, who has spent over 40 years warning against the harms of overeating and treating numerous patients, explains the reasons in plain language based on rich medical knowledge, domestic and international research, and extensive case studies.

The book covers everything from “why eating less extends lifespan,” “the unexpected relationship between dementia, lifestyle diseases, and fasting,” and “why those over 65 should reconsider their food intake,” to fasting tips that even those with chronic conditions can start without overexertion, food choices that warm the body, and lifestyle habits for self-managing one‘s condition. No money or special equipment needed—packed with health methods you can practice today.

Rethinking the common belief that “older people must take in more nutrients” and extending active, energetic years—this is a book for all seniors and their families.

Yoshimi Ishihara（石原結實）
Born in 1948 in Nagasaki City. Medical doctor. Graduated from Nagasaki University School of Medicine and completed the doctoral program at the same university. Conducted research on natural medicine, fasting therapy, and longevity diets at the Bircher-Benner Clinic in Switzerland, the fasting hospital in Moscow, and longevity villages in the Caucasus. Currently director of Ishihara Clinic and operates the health promotion facility “Hippocrates Rest House” in Izu Kogen. Author of over 350 books, 11 of which have sold more than 100,000 copies each. Over 100 titles have been translated in the United States, Germany, France, Russia, China, South Korea, and other countries.

Chapter 1: At 65, Is It Okay to Skip a Meal?
(The importance of creating time for an empty stomach / Eating less extends lifespan, etc.)

Chapter 2: Do Seniors Eat More or Less?
(How much do people aged 60–80 eat? / Changes in metabolism with age, etc.)

Chapter 3: Food Quality Matters Even More for Seniors
(Foods seniors should eat more of / Dr. Kenzo Niki’s age-specific dietary theory, etc.)

Chapter 4: Introducing Health Habits for More Vitality
(Be your own health manager: key points for body care / Lifestyle habits that invite disease: cold body, excessive water intake, etc.)

Appendix: Q&A on the Fasting Lifestyle