Embrace Yourself: 2008

Having sleeping problems?

We wake up at sunrise and fall asleep in twilight.

All of us somehow knew that each of us has a sleeping pattern of our own. For example: your sleeping time, your sleeping hours and even what you do before your sleeping time.

Some may sleep after a good reading,
Some may sleep after listening to music,
Some may sleep after a cup of hot milk,
But some of us just could not fall asleep.

Counting stars outside your square-window or imaginary sheep over the fence were one of the ways to fall asleep when we were young.

The Cleveland Clinic Foundation categories insomnia into four:

Difficulty falling asleep,
Waking up too early and not being able to get back to sleep,
Frequent awakenings, and
Waking up feeling unrefreshed.

Insomnia was stated as:
A symptom of a sleep disorder or other medical, psychological or psychiatric problems. Often, insomnia can be treated. Symptoms should be discussed with a health care professional when those symptoms occur more than a few times a week and start to affect a person's daytime functioning.

Generally, what we do and eat 2 hours before our bedtime is important as it causes difficulty in falling asleep. According to Nutritionist Joy Bauer, caffeine, alcohol, large meal and stop liquid intake 90 minustes prior to bedtime should be considered to counter typical insomnia.

Caffeine can be found in drinks and food such as, coffee, tea, certain soft drinks and chocolate. Most people are sensitive to caffeine, thus caffeine should be avoided at least 8 hours before bedtime to ensure a good night sleep.

Alcohol caused dizziness and at times it was wrongly translated as sleepiness. Using alcohol to get a good night sleep is a big mistake. No doubt, falling asleep is not a big problem with alcohol consumption but the problem arise when the alcoholic effect wears off and you will find yourself waking up in the middle of the night. Moreover, your sleeps will be non other than restless sleeps with the presence of alcohol.

Consuming large meal before bedtime will cause discomfort. Your body takes time to digest thus it is advisable to consume your dinner at least 3 hours before your bedtime and meal of 600 calories and below for dinner.

Avoiding liquid 90 minutes before bedtime is merely to ensure that you need to wake up halfway for toilet trips. This will be useful for those who have difficulties falling asleep after awoke.

There a lot factors causing insomnia and there are more ways to counter insomnia.
Visit Sleep Doctor Michael Breus's blog for further specific information.

Watch it here:
How to make your bedroom a sleep sanctuary by Dr Breus on The Today Show.

Picture Courtesy of Medicine World. org

Thank you for reading.

Qi Gong, the Healing Sounds

In Chinese Lunar calendar, every year is run by different horoscope. As we know, 2008 is led by the head of the 12 zodiac, the mouse and the 'crown' will be passed to the cow by next Chinese New Year. As interesting as it sounds, do you know that in the next twelve years during the reign of the mouse, the mouse would not be the mouse? 2008 is reigned by the Earth mouse while 2020 will be reigned by either Wood, Fire, Water or Metal.

The five element theory which includes Fire, Wood, Water, Metal and Earth is rather an important theory in Chinese philosophy. These five elements are the source of energy.
Apart from the herbs, Qi Gong is one of the medical practice in Chinese medicine. Qi (means energy) and Gong (means work) rely on the Five Elements theory.

For your information, Tai Chi is often mistook as Qi Gong. In fact, both are inter-related as Qi Gong is the core of Tai Chi. The slight difference is, Tai Chi is a form of martial art also known as Kung Fu in Mandarin.

Have you heard of Drunken master and Praying-mantis style? Well, Tai Chi is one of them, it was known to be the calm, loose and relaxing form of martial arts.It focuses on the nature; the environment around oneself and the calmness of one's thoughts and emotions.

To master Tai Chi, you got to master Qi Gong.

According to Master Tan Soo Kong who is the founder of Wellness Medical Qi Gong (WMQ), Qi Gong is self-healing as the practice of Qi Gong can identify the core cause of your physical and mental health problems. This goes back to the Five Elements theory:

FIRE: Representing temper thus excess results hypertension and heartburn whereas deficiency results heart and digestive problems.

WOOD: Representing outward in nature. Excess results inflexibility, stubbornness and rigidity while deficiency results liver and gall bladder problems.

WATER: Representing downward in nature. Results from excess can be clearly seen from one's face (e.g pale) while deficiency results kidney and bladder dysfunction.

METAL: Representing inward in nature. Excess results introvert and self-centered personality whereas deficiency results problematic colon and reproductive system dysfunction.

EARTH: Representing the balance.

Within the Five Elements theory, there are 2 major cycles which are Cycle of Generation and Cycle of Destruction.

Cycle of Generation explained the origins of the five elements. It was understood that each element generate/produce the other; it is a form of keeping the energy in flow. It is a similar concept as one of the technique in farming, which is to farm different crops (in a cycle) to sustain the nutrients in soil. Wood produce Fire. Fire produce Earth.[Ashes returned to earth] Earth produce Metal. [Metal in earth] Metal produce Water. Water produce Wood. The whole cycle repeat itself again.

Cycle of Destruction occurs when each element is out of control; absorbing other elements. Consequently one is weaker than the other. Remember, Qi Gong is all about balancing the five elements.

How does Qi Gong works?

You may want to source from physician or consult expert advice.
For more information you may visit Dr Lam's website, who is a family physician in Tai Chi health program.

The reason behind this post is, I have been always curious of Tai Chi as a practice and martial arts. Thanks to an article written by Master Tan Soo Kong, I get to share this in my blog.

Pictures Courtesy of Google Images.

Thank you for reading.

Less meat to combat climate change

Over the years, the sun glares more strongly than ever. Within minutes, cumulonimbus casts a carpet over the bright sky. The room temperature seem to drop and increase drastically without warning. In fact, the earth is suffering with thinning layers of protective ozone. The climate is changing continuously.

According to Canadian researchers, climate change has impacts on our health state.

The common health problems are:

Illnesses caused by hot and cold syndrome
Respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses
Changed exposure to outdoor and indoor air pollutants and allergens
Asthma and other respiratory diseases
Heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular diseases
Cancer
Diarrheas and illnesses caused by chemical and biological contaminants
Changed patterns of diseases caused by bacteria, viruses and other pathogens carried by mosquitoes, ticks, animals and other vectors
Skin damage and skin cancer
Cataracts
Disturbed immune function

[Adopted from Health Canada at www.hc-sc.gc.ca]

As a matter of fact, according to an United Nation expert, cutting down meat consumption could help to reduce greenhouse gas emission. Eventually it will help to combat climate change.

"Diet change was important in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and environmental problems associated with rearing cattle and other animals," said Rajendra Pachauri, chairman of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Read the full article from AFP here.

Thank you for reading.

Do it the Chinese way

As quoted in the previous post, we see Western influences on food as detrimental. Whereas, the West see the Eastern (especially Chinese) diet as ridiculously fat according to Morris.

Japanese and Chinese shared one common value in food. The importance of rice! In fact, rice is the main staple food for most Asian countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and Korea.

From an article written by Sophie Morris, "Use your noodle: The real Chinese diet is so healthy it could solve the West's obesity crisis", it was stated that the truth is the opposite; Food expert Lorraine Clissold claimed that Chinese food is very fulfilling and healthy and it does not lead to obesity and heart disease (due to heavy amount of rice).

In fact, Chinese do consumed more calories. However, Chinese do not consume empty calories of sugary and nutrient-free food. For instance, One calories of coke and 340 calories in Avocado, which is worth consumed? "The avocado supplies you with monounsaturated fats and omega-6, which actually help increase metabolic rate." Thus, Stop counting calories and choose your food wisely.

Japanese consume more fish in general while Chinese consume more vegetables. The green is the source for many dishes in Chinese food menu, the list can go on and on. Western nutrition expert, Patrick Holford said "Vegetables should make up half of what's on your plate in any given meal, so this fits perfectly with the Chinese diet."
***Tips: It is best to cook raw vegetables lightly before consume despite the fact that raw vegetables contains the highest nutrients. Your body will absorb the nutrients easier if the vegetables are lightly cooked; more bio-available.

Having fruits[West] intake or liquid food such as soup[East] before main course is advisable. The reason is very simple, it helps to control your appetite and keep you from over-consume.

The above information are highlights from the Morris article at The Independent On Sunday. Interested to know more? Read the article here.

Feel free to comment.
Thank you for reading.

Centenarians in Okinawa

Okinawa, Japan

In my previous post, I highly praised Japanese diets as the root of their longevity. Apparently, most Japanese who have lived more than 80 years hail from a small yet famous island, Okinawa.

The legendary longevity island has caught many attentions from medical streamed experts and researchers. As the result, books entitled "The Okinawa Way: How to Improve Your Health and Longevity Dramatically" (2001) by Drs. Bradley and Craig Willcox, as well as "The Okinawa Diet Plan: Get Leaner, Live Longer and Never Feel Hungry" (2005) by Dr. Makoto Suzuki were published.

Related article entitled, "Super Centenarians: A Long Live on Island" by Erica Angyal published in The Japan Times expounded on the live of islanders through their simple lifestyle and healthy diets. The summary of this article is as followed:

Kamato Hongo hailed from one of the island next to Okinawa, Amami Island had seven children, 27 grandchildren, 57 great-grandchildren and 11 great-great-grandchildren when she passed way at age 116. She lived her days healthily with diets of fish, soy products, vegetables and green tea and practiced a traditional slow dance called Teodori.

The article also highlighted an issue of hazardous impact on Okinawa's residents as the west entered their food market. It was stated in a Time magazine on Aug. 30, 2004 that, "Okinawan male life expectancy used to be No. 1 in Japan. It started to decline at least 10 years ago and hit 26th out of 47 prefectures in the 2000 census. I expect it to decline even further in the next census." said Dr. Makoto Suzuki, a leader of research in Okinawan elderly and coauthor of "The Okinawa Way."

For instance, local residents consumed an average of 97.1 grams of seafood daily, which is higher than the national average of 92 grams. The seafood are made up by salmon(the famous one), mackerel and sardines. As mentioned beforehand, these are rich in omega 3 fatty acids helps in preventing heart disease, diabetics, stroke, asthma, cancer and rheumatoid arthritis.

In general, vegetables especially strong coloured ones are rich in antioxidants.
Antioxidants helps in functions that might sound trivial but it sums up to a major effect, such as improved breathing, eating and digesting could reduce aging process. How wonderful is that?

We can choose to adopt the same diets and lifestyle like Okinawa's residents as we have easy access to their choices of food in this mass-producing era.

The only draw back is, shipping unpolluted water, enrich with high minerals from Okinawa could be a problem.

Feel free to comment.
Thank you for reading.

Healthy Jap

Health and fitness come hand in hand. Active lifestyles create a way to physical and mental fitness whereas nutritional diets give a way to wholesome well-being.

According to World Health Organization, Japanese has the highest life expectancy which stands at 83. The research was carried out in 2006 and the result are as followed:

Japan
Andorra
Monaco
San Marino
Switzerland
Australia
Canada
Paris
Iceland
Israel
Italy
Spain
Sweden

On top of that, on August 7 sources from Japan Health Ministry showed that Japanese girls born in year 2007 are expected to be the longest survivors in the world at the age of 86.
Read article here.

The point is, Japanese has the highest lifespan in the world because of their wholesome diets.

There's a saying, "We live to eat or eat to live." In this case, the latter stands at better chance.

The wonders of Japanese Food are:

No to meat, yes to fish

Fish and meat do not belong to the same category. Meat especially red meat contains more saturated fats. In fact, almost half of the fat inside meat are saturated fats, which caused clogged artery. On the other hand, fish as the main source in Japanese cuisine is high in protein and omega 3-fatty acids. A research carried out by Harvard School of Health in 2006 showed that an average portion of fish included in diets thrice in a week (estimated 3 ounce of salmon and 6 ounce of mackeral) could reduce the risk of death from Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) by 36 percents.

Sushi/ Rice

Rice especially brown rice contains insoluble-fiber which helps to prevent several types of cancer such as, stomach, colon, rectum, breast, uterus, mouth, thyroid, and throat. "In the debate over whether dietary fat increases breast cancer risks, only one fact is indisputable: women in countries that consume high amounts of meat and dairy fat have a high risk of breast cancer, while women in countries that mostly consume rice, soy, vegetables, and fish (instead of dairy fat and meat) have a low risk of breast cancer" sourced from http://evitamins.com

Green Tea

Or rather called as Ocha? According to European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation, consumption of green tea rapidly reduce the risk of heart disease as it improves the function of (endothelial) cells lining the circulatory system. In the other words, green tea helps to maintain heart arteries in good condition. Read article here.

For more information on benefits of Green tea, please visit http://www.green-tea-expert.com/w.green-tea-expert.com/

Tofu

According to Foundation of Integrated Medicine, tofu is an inexpensive source of protein and rich in calcium. Studies has showed that tofu consumption helps in,

lower risk of heart disease
lower levels of cholestrol
increased bone density
lower risk of breast and colon cancer.

The above mentioned are few of the food choices in Japanese cuisine. Fish, rice and tofu are one of the main dishes while green tea the Japanese signature choice of nonalcoholic-drinks.

If you happen to like Japanese food then way to go!
If you don't, no worries. There are alternative choice food out there.

This post has not covered all aspects of Japanese food, if you would like to know more, please visit: http://www.japanese-food-for-health.com/index.htmll

Feel free to comment.
Thank you for reading.

Laugh out loud for good

As this blog is all about health and fitness, laughing does help to produce endorphins; one of the crucial elements to sustain the well-being of our health physically and mentally.

This video contains the message of being healthy and fit. It's a Thai Health Commercial and certainly will make you laugh your heart out!

Had a good laugh?
Spread it to your friends and family.

Thank you for your time.

Keep fit at 100

In my previous post, it was mentioned that high-intensity exercise such as running at the early stages of our life can extend our lifespan. However when we reach a certain age, we could not run as much as we used to. Does that mean that all we have done in the past 50 years is a waste?

No, less vigorous exercise should be continued as it is also a key to longevity!

I would like to share an inspiring article from BBC Health.

Exercise classes keep Flo fit at 100
By Jane Elliott Health reporter, BBC News

Flo Harmsworth is a good example of the old adage, "It's never too late to get fit."

At the age of 90 her doctor prescribed exercise classes to help combat the painful effects of peripheral vascular disease - narrowing of the arteries.

Her legs were aching and, despite having a very active life, she was starting to find it too painful to walk.

Now a decade later the centenarian is still taking part in the Royal Free Hospital weekly classes and loving them.

'Always active'

Daughter Eve Murfin feels the classes have been a key factor in her mother reaching her century.

"It has helped her longevity. Everyone is amazed by the fact that she got to 100 and that she was in an exercise class.

"She was always very active. She has always done plenty of walking and she reckons this has kept her fit.

Thank you for reading.

Picture Courtesy of BBC.

Great deals with running

The National Health Interview Survey 2006's report stated that out of 220,267 samples, 61.9 percents of them fell into the category of NEVER take part in vigorous physical exercise activities per week.

This survey was conducted by United States Department of Health and Human Service with the sample of age ranging 18 years old and above.

Only a small percentage of people had 5 or more times of vigorous exercise per week, which took up only 11 percents.

Running is the most simple and easy type of high-intensity physical exercise. The recent discovery by the researchers was, running can reduce chances of disability and pose an advantage on lifespan.
Apart from this, running can be viewed as a slender version of Santa Clause who comes with a lot of gifts!

Gift #1
Weight loss
Ladies cheers! Want to get rid of unpleasant sight of the bulges above your belt? Or rather tame some flabs around your tummy, arms and thigh? Start running. Approximately 60% of runners started running to shed off excess weights.
TIPS: Morning run has an advantage as stored fats from the previous day will be dissolved and turned into muscles.

Gift #2
War with aging
"Grow old gracefully." That's what everybody is saying. Minus some nip and tuck, get some real work here. This applies for both gender, running prevents muscle and bone loss. Solely depends on drinking high-calcium milk does not help to prevent osteoporosis. Of course, calcium build up strong bones but this comes in pairs. Running heighten your bone density. Higher bone density equals to stronger bone.

On top of that, it was proven that running promote human growth hormone. Apart from the well-brushed make-up, have you ever wondered why some natural look celebrities look fantastic? Envy Jennifer Garner and Kate Beckinsale? They are one of the hundreds great looking celebrities with the renown personal trainer, Valerie Waters! The main point is, they run a lot.

Gift #3
Go away disease
The doctors' prescription for early stages of osteoporosis, diabetes and hypertension is running.
Amazingly, running strengthened the heart and lungs. Eventually, it reduces the risk of heart attack and improve breathing difficulties. Since young, my doctor has been pushing me to run with care as it helps to build stronger lungs muscles. Unfortunately, I was adamant until I finally accepted the fact that running does not trigger asthma attack! What a waste. Running in general helps to maintain good health with higher good cholesterol, which aids in lowering the risk of having blood clots.

Gift #4
Stress relief
Stress is an inevitable psychological burden for most of us. At most the time, sleeping only temporary numbing the stress you have. In a long run, stress will accumulate and cause a major headaches or worse, migraine. Your brain has more than enough guests to entertain, let's not piling up the guests list.

When you take some time out to run, you take some time for yourself. Time apart from routines helps you to clear your mind and find a way-out or solutions to your problems. I too, run to get rid of stress! After a 20 minutes run, I always felt lighter and happier.
In addition, it is proven that running releases endorphins which will brighten up your mood. Endorphins is the key to euphoria! Basically, endorphins is used to treat depression and many kinds of psychological addictions.

Are the gifts satisfying to get you run?

Thank you for reading.

Picture courtesy of Getty Images.

"Run" for your life

On August 19 2008, an India national man, Habib Mian went to meet his creator. It made a news as he had lived for 130 years. See the article.

How long will we live? This question crossed my mind quite often. Looking at the age of deceased in the newspaper obituary section, 80 to 90 years old are the common figures. Yet, those are the Silent Generation where the ozone was still perfect; no holes and patches, the soil was still rich and the water was still clean and clear.

Fast forward to the next generation, the Baby Boomers who are our parents (considering that we are Generation Y) born right after the end of World War II. As a kid, I used to listened to my parents' childhood stories. Their childhood days and teenage lives were filled with outdoor activities. Basically, nothing like us with hours of sitting in front of television and computers.

Considering the less healthy lifestyle and diet we, the Generation X, Y and Z have, how long will we live? Does this matter to you?

Thanks to a group of researchers who are doctors as well, Eliza Chakravarty , Helen Hubert, Vijaya Lingala and James Fries, we the human race have a way to extend our lifespan. Of course, you reap what you sow. It is not about buying a bottle of supplements or injections. It is all about running!

The above mentioned group of researchers took 21 years long to complete the study. It was reported by the Archives of Internal Medicine that running can increase the lifespan as well as reduce the chances of disability.

Running is categorised as a type of vigorous exercise. One might doubts on one capability in running. Thinking of hard-core, speedy, time-oriented marathon? Need not to, according to Dr. George Sheehan, a best-selling author from the 1970's running boom, anyone can be a runner as long as you are motivated to run regardless of your speed.

There are 4 types of running:

Treadmill Running

The name speaks for itself. Treadmill is invented for convenience, you can run whenever you want despite the bad weather or inappropriate timing. Most gym goers fell into this category.

Trail Running

You run along the trails. The benefit of trail running is, you will be motivated by the change of environment. Neither typical park with circling paths nor static views from your treadmill. You will be in touch with the nature, natural environment and fresh air to breath. Personally, I've been to Gasing Hill in PJ area and I would like to take my next trip to Bukit Cahaya in Shah Alam and FRIM in Kepong.

Racing

If you have been running for a quite a while. Try racing with your group of friends as the thrill of competition can push you forward. Perhaps, increasing your speed?

Casual Running

Casual means no pressure and no rules. You can do it anywhere at any speed that suits your body. You can run along the promenade, beaches, condominium compound or park.

Do you run?
Want to live longer?
Why not tick running as one of your routine?

Weak is the antonym of Strong

One of my friends used to tease me, "Unlike us, this girl is one healthy person." I would roll my eyes over and stare at her blankly while she continued to give out details of my routine and food intake. The only thing she did not realise is, my medical report scores a 'C'!

I do not take carbonated drinks except 100 PLUS.

From the statement above, I must have given out an impression of stick-thin girl who is thinking about how much calories I would have consumed for one tin of coke right? Well, I'm not. Basically, I'm banned from taking carbonated drinks due to Asthma.

After 15 years of intense medication, my condition has improved. Recalling those days could give some laughters. Do not get me wrong, it is not fun when you could feel the oxygen travel through the thicken bronchiole ( airway in lung), which reluctantly allow it to pass through and it hurts for every inhale. I was so near to stepping into the red-light zone, which was Bronchitis! As a result, I grew up with getting fond of really warm drinks day by day. Yes, I only take iced drinks once in a blue moon. As iced drinks are like icicles jabbing right into my lung.

Laughters filled the air when my mother commented, " In old times, people believed that swallowing a newborn door mouse is an elixir for asthma."

Due to my health state, I grew up with the do's and don'ts in my daily routine. I wanted to be stronger and happier. Eventually, I become a health-watcher myself. Having asthma is not the only reason that made me who I am today. I will disclose them when it is necessary as I would share my experiences and lessons on health through this blog.

Thank you for reading.

To understand Bronchitis

Embrace Yourself