Wabi Sabi - The Perfectly Imperfect Podcast with Candice Kumai

The food, beauty routines, and Japanese practices behind more than 20 years of swimsuit modeling—and what I still turn to.

Apparently, you really wanted to know about the swimsuit modeling.

My recent piece about working with Victoria’s Secret, Calvin Klein Swim, and Roxy became one of my most popular Substack posts. For years, I barely talked about that part of my career. It was work I enjoyed, work I took seriously, and work that helped pay for my education at Le Cordon Bleu.

Between fittings, castings, and shoots, I was learning to cook professionally and figuring out how to pay my bills. Eventually, that career expanded into television, journalism, and seven cookbooks. Swimsuit modeling remained part of my life along the way.

And some of my most exciting bookings came in my thirties. Listen now & thank you for sharing this pod xx Candice

Beyond Good Genes: The Art of Aging Beautifully
New research suggests good genes are only about half the story of how long we live. This episode is all about the other half.
I was in the room when Martha Stewart celebrated the new Elemental Lip Serum from her skincare brand, Elm Biosciences, and shared some big news: she's writing her memoir, due out in October 2027. At 85, she still lifts weights, starts her days with a 7 AM garden crew and grows so much of her own food.
I dig into the science behind seven of her longevity habits, from a Harvard study linking five simple habits to about 14 extra years for women, to a major Japanese study on ikigai, your reason for getting up in the morning. You'll also hear why Martha chose a bonsai tree as the symbol of her Center for Living at Mount Sinai, why a medical school gave her a monogrammed white coat, and why retirement isn't in her plans.
The full research, with every study linked, plus my Dark Chocolate Cherry Super Smoothie, is waiting for you on my Substack. Thank you for listening. Share with two best friends. xx Candice

Fall is the perfect time to make your food feel warmer, more comforting and more nourishing. In this episode, I'll break down the real benefits of pumpkin, dark cocoa, leafy greens, kabocha squash and warming spices, plus how to use them in easy seasonal recipes like pumpkin spice smoothies, dark chocolate pumpkin smoothies, pumpkin pie pancakes and roasted kabocha.

You’ll learn how these foods can support healthy skin, digestion, satiety, steady energy and overall wellness, without turning fall into another season of restriction. This is about making cozy food work harder for you with more beauty benefits + fiber, carotenoids, polyphenols, vitamins and minerals, while still keeping everything delicious. Thank you for listening xx Candice

7 Japanese Superfoods for Beauty, Energy & Longevity
In this episode of Wabi Sabi, I’m sharing seven Japanese superfoods that have been part of my life, my family, and Japanese food culture for generations.
We’re talking about Japanese sweet potato, matcha, miso, sea vegetables, Japanese citrus, sesame seeds, and sesame oil, and why these traditional foods deserve a place in your everyday diet.
I’ll break down the benefits of each, from fiber, minerals, healthy fats, vitamin C and plant protein to polyphenols, antioxidants and compounds being studied for cardiovascular health, digestion, energy and healthy aging.
But this episode is about more than nutrition.
Before these foods were called “superfoods,” they were simply staple foods in Japan. They nourished our ancestors, supported families through difficult times, and became part of a way of eating built around simplicity, seasonality, balance and nourishment.
And when it comes to beauty, I still believe some of the most powerful tools are not found in a bottle. Healthy skin and healthy aging are supported from the inside out through nutrient-dense food, movement, sleep, hydration and the way we care for ourselves over time. Thank you for listening and please share this with two best friends. x Candice

This episode I interviewed OG Anunoby for ABC News. This is important recap on how to love what you love and stop caring about what others think! Thank you OG & thank you for listening! x Candice