Pet animal and health

Do you keep any pets at home? Well, I have a pet Pomerian dog named Muffin. That's photographs of Muffin taken when he was 2 months old. He’s a really cute pet. Younger sis bought it when it was 2 months old, straight from the pet shop almost 15 years ago. Yes, you read it correctly; he’s been with the family for close to 15 years and those photos were taken 15 years ago; back then I was 29 years old and today I am past 43 years old. How time sure pass quickly isnt it?

It's hard to imagine that Muffin is almost 90 years old. Well, he’s less agile and less playful due to his age, much of his precious tooth are gone due to aging and he catches cold and cough easily. He’s still a healthy lot considered his age, and prayerfully and hopefully he will be around for another two years or more to come. Pomeranians are known to have life span between 14 to 17 years.

There are many health benefits to pet ownership. Researches and medical scientist found that children who have pet animals at home have stronger immune systems and less likely to fall sick easily. It seems that early childhood exposure to possible infections due to close contacts with pet animals boost the body immune system. Pet animal companionship can also help to reduce stress and improve one’s well being it seems.

Of course and certainly one must keep pet animals as clean and hygienic as possible. Regular annual pet animal appointment checkout with the veterinarian is a must not just to protect the children; pet animals wellbeing and health should be well taken care of too.
It is likely that if we have affection for animals, we will have compassion in our hearts.If we hate animals, how possible is it for us to love fellow mankind?

Menopause And Weight Gain

Talking to most women over 50 you will quickly find that menopause and weight gain are linked in their experience. It is very common to put on weight at this time and while some of this may be due to lifestyle changes, that does not explain why suddenly we develop a tendency to put on weight at different parts of the body, especially the abdomen, while any weight gained when we were younger tended to be centered on the hips.

The truth is that hormonal changes do have a part to play in this, although the process is not completely understood. At menopause a woman stops ovulating, her monthly menstruation periods end, and her body produces much lower levels of the female hormone estrogen which is responsible for the ovulation process. Low estrogen has been shown to cause weight gain in animals and it almost certainly is the reason why our bodies change shape. While women of childbearing age store fat in the lower body, after the menopause they store it on the abdomen instead, like men. This leads to a greater risk of heart disease.

At the same time, both men and women tend to find muscle turning to fat as they grow older, and the metabolism slows down. This means that if you do not adjust your eating habits you will probably find that your weight increases. A person of 60 just does not need as many calories as a person of 40.

Hormone therapy with estrogen is sometimes prescribed to control menopausal symptoms. Many women will be surprised to hear that studies have shown that hormone therapy does not cause weight gain. Some women experience bloating and water retention in the early stages of hormone therapy but this is usually temporary and they have not gained any fat. Hormone therapy can reduce the risk of heart disease by preventing the changes in storage of body fat around the abdomen and lowering cholesterol. However, hormone therapy has been linked to an increased risk of breast cancer in some studies.

If you find that you are gaining weight around the menopause, there are several things you can do.

- Eat a healthy, low fat diet with plenty of fiber, avoiding sugar.

- Take regular exercise. As people get older their physical activity levels naturally drop. Work often becomes less physically demanding, there are no kids to run around after, we take less active holidays and do things more slowly. 30 minutes of moderate physical activity every day will help to balance out the effect of this.

- Maintain your muscle strength and mass. Use weights for arm muscles and walking or cycling for legs.

- Accept the changes to the shape of your body. If you are not overweight, but simply have a thicker waist and slimmer legs, that is fine.

Consult with your doctor before starting any exercise program if you have any medical conditions or your fitness levels are low. Your doctor can also help with symptoms of the menopause and weight gain.

Chewing food

Most of the time we gulp and swallow our food down quickly. We hardly chew our food so to speak. The moment the food is in our mouth, we take a few bites and down it goes into our stomach. Chewing food properly before swallowing is important as it helps us digest our food more properly and put less strain on the stomach muscle. Food that is not broken properly could cause bacteria overgrowth thus resulting in flatulence and other types of indigestion related complications.

Chewing food properly contributes to proper weight management due the fact that fat digestions begin in our mouth. The secretion of the enzyme lingua lipase by the glands located under our tongue helps to break down triglycerides into fatty acids and monoglycerides. Fatty acid is essential in helping the regulate blood pressure and boosting our immune system. High level of triglycerides in our blood stream is dangerous as it could increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Thus try to make it a habit to chew the food in our mouth 30 times or so before we swallow it. Apart from the above reasons, we could enjoy our meals better when we take time to chew our food properly.

Feng shui & insomnia

Feng shui is an ancient Chinese practice that is believed to bring good luck and improvement in life. Today’s Feng shui emphasize on rearrangement and orientation of objects to achieve balance in one’s ‘Qi’ or energy so speak. The surrounding environment could affect the ‘Ying’ and the ‘Yang’ and thus determine the degree of harmonization to one’s life.

The ‘Ying’ and ‘Yang’ could be expressed in terms of elements of water, wood, fire and earth. Are there any elements of truth to Feng shui or is it just a bunch of ancient Chinese superstition ideas, teaching and outdated philosophy that is no longer relevant in today’s context?

Surprisingly though, some from the West believed that negative and positive energy impact the quality of one’s life. Doesn’t that sounds quite like ‘Ying’ and ‘Yang’ expressions of the Feng shui?
The term ‘Geopathic Stress’ could be coined very close to the Chinese ‘Qi’ or energy. Geopathic advocators believed that the earth energy system emanates radiation which is usually is in the balance state. The source of radiation comes from the earth energy, running subterranean water flow, certain minerals, fault lines, and many other combinations of sources yet unknown. Constant exposure to these energies and radiations could imbalance thus affect our health and life. The prolong exposure to the negative energy could compromise our body immune system.

There are those who swear that the reorientation of objects such as the bed help to solve and cure their insomnia problem. Avoiding negative energy flow through the body it seems could have tremendous impact to health.

So the next time if you feel that you are constantly having trouble sleeping at night, try to rearrange and reposition your bed. Who knows, perhaps, it might just help. There is no harm trying though.

Experiment with foot detoxification plaster.

Okay, there are many skeptics out there who think that the foot detoxification plaster is nothing more than a waste of money and no basis with regards to health benefit.
I have been using applying foot detoxification plaster for almost over 2 years and feel it helps in terms of improving my health.


To satisfy my curiosity, I decided to conduct a simple experiment to find out if there are any truths to doubts raised by some people. In particular the change of color in the plaster is due to oxidation of ferrous substance in the plaster.

I choose Takara foot plaster because 1) it is cheap (50 sheets) cost about 50 Singapore dollars and 2) it is effective in dispelling heavy metals and toxics from the body.

The content of Takara foot detoxification plaster are 1) Wood vinegar, 2) Bamboo Vinegar, 3) Vitamin C, 4) Chitin and Chitosan, 5) Dokudami, 6) Shokubutsuseni and 7) Loquat leaf. There is no presence of any ferrous substance as claimed by critics.

Chitosan is derived from the shell of crustaceans such as crabs and seashells. There are plenty of usages for Chitosan, among them as filtration to remove heavy minerals and oils from water. Similarly, Chitin is also derived from shell of crustaceans and used in water purification. Dokudami is a kind plant and has disinfectant and antimicrobial properties. It is used to treat skin disease. Shokubutsuseni has water retention properties.

I apply the plasters in several parts of the body namely, the arm, the knee, palm, neck, elbow, back and finally the sole of both feet. The plasters are applied for at least 8 hours and I turn on the air conditioner with temperature set to 23 degree to rule out perspiration from the experimental equation. The result? As I expect, there were very little colorization of the plasters with the exception of the plasters that were attach to the sole of my feet. Both underwent changed of colors, to dark pitch brown color.

The verdict? Your guess is as good as mine.

Detoxifcation

Are you experiencing constant indigestion, headaches, and allergies or recurring infections? Are you suffering from poor circulation, constant fatigue, acne and stiff joints? Are you suffering from bad breath and skin problems? If your answer is yes to one or more of the above, there is a possibility that you may be suffering from toxins accumulated in your body throughout the years and as a result your body defense and immune system become weak and succumb to gems.

Our body is constantly exposed to harmful toxins. The food that we eat, water that we drink and polluted air that we breathe contains contaminants. There is no way our body by itself is able to expel or get rid of all the harmful toxins and foreign substance accumulated in our body. The human organs such as kidney, liver and lymphatic system could only do so much with regards to expelling harmful waste and toxins from our body. Over time, the toxins accumulated in our body may get recirculated in the blood stream and this may pose serious health problem.

You could just imagine what its like for a clogged drain fill with filth and garbage do to the environment, much less the human body.

All machines needs to be service at one time or another and so is our human body. Our body needs cleansing from inside out to rid itself of harmful foreign substance, for instance mercury. Thus it is important for us to consider detoxification of the body to help expel harmful toxins and restore our health.

There are many ways to dispel waste product from body. Some of the methods are water fasting, medications, diet, and exercise to name a few. Some of the techniques involves are extreme in nature and may not be suitable for busy working people who hardly has times for health care. Furthermore, side effect and symptoms may occur during some of the detoxification process. This may include fever, headaches, fatigues and tight muscles to name a few.

One of the easiest and simples way to cleanse our body is via sole foot detoxification. The interesting thing is that we can even release and discharge harmful waster from our body while we are sleeping.
You can find various brands of foot detoxification plasters from off the shelf counter (OTC). The foot detoxification plasters and pads work based on the basis that tree trunks have numerous tiny tubes that are able to draw water and nutrients through the roots and up to all other part of the tree. Thus it is possible to draw toxins away from our body based on the above principle. Most of the foot detoxification plaster contains natural tree extract. Does foot detoxification works or is it just pure nonsense?


I am confident to say that foot detoxification is beneficial and works.
Of course there are those who thinks it is completely false and claim that the changing of the color of the plaster is due to oxidation of iron based particles. There are researches being conducted to determine the contents of the plaster after it undergoes change of color. Not surprising though, toxic substance such as mercury and other harmful substances were detected. These substances were never part of the plaster to begin with.


Consider the fact that Chinese medical doctors believe the body has over 60 reflexology meridian points on the soles of the foot. The Chinese Theory of Reflexology explained that every organ and system of our body is represented by a specific point of the soles of our feet. Known as the “second heart”, they are the reflective zones of our major internal organs. And, because gravity and our body’s own natural defense system that moves toxins away from vital organs, our feet become a “storage pit” for heavy metals and toxins.

In summary, there is no harm to try out foot detoxification. You’ve got nothing to loose though since it is convenient to use, less expensive and less risky as opposed to other detoxification techniques.

Skin care

1)Cleansing or washing face too frequently in a day.

It is not advisable to cleanse our face too often in a day. Unless our face is exposed to excessive pollution such as dust and other harsh environment, cleansing too often could unnecessary remove too much natural oil that is important to the skin. It is not the frequency of cleansing that really matters; rather how effective is the cleansing in getting rid and removing dirt and excessive oil from the facial skin pores.

Generally, cleansing three times a day will do, once in the morning, once in the afternoon and finally just before bedtime. Always wash hands before washing face.
Firstly use rinse your face with mild warm water to open up the facial skin pores, next apply the necessary cleanser and use circular motion to massage, and thereafter rinse off the cleanser from your face with cold water. If there is really a need to cleanse more than 3 times in day due to severe facial oily skin condition or environmental stress, use oil-blotting paper to remove excessive oil. Never use handkerchief to dry your face. Use soft clean tissue instead to dab your face. Let your face to dry naturally. If you prefer to dry your face with a towel, make sure it is clean. A dirty facial tower could cause more harm than any other factors put together!.


2)Do not use normal soap as facial cleanser

Never use normal soap on the facial skin. Rather, use the appropriate facial cleanser products suitable for your skin type. For instance, if you have oily facial skin condition, use cleanser that is formulated to get rid of excessive oils. If your facial skin is dry, use facial cleaner with conditioner and non-oil based moisturizer. In any case there is no shoe that fits all size. Thus you are your best doctor with regards to knowing which type of facial cleanser is best for your facial skin type. Check with the dermatologist or doctor if your skin condition is serious.


3)OTC Topical Treatment

Most acne can be easily treated with off the shelf counter topical creams. It is very important to follow the directions indicated in the package. If in doubt, apply the creams on small-infected acne areas for at least a day or two to check for allergy or any side effects. There are just too many brands of OTC topical creams, not all are suitable for acne sufferers. Some topical creams dry out skin unnecessary and could worsen the problem.

Getting acne free skin is a process that includes life style changes and knowledge regarding skin care. It is not necessary to waste huge amount of money seeking treatments from commercial skin care centers to solve your acne problems. Consult a qualified dermatologist or a doctor if you have severe acne condition.

Healthy complexion.

Cosmetic industry in particular those pertaining to facial skin treatment is a multi-billion dollar business. One of the main problems affecting many of us is outbreak of pimples and acne. Just go to any drug store such as the Guardian Pharmacy and you will find all sorts of facial skin treatment lotion cream , pimple and acne lotion products and etc.

There are multiple factors that cause acne and pimples. Hormone imbalance, menstruation, illness, drug or food allergy, vitamin and mineral deficiency, environmental condition such as stress and lack of sleep exacerbates skin problems.

Generally women are more prompt to facial skin problems as opposed to men. Part of the problem is due to the cosmetic make up products that women apply daily on their face. Barring any serious health problems, there is a simple way to reduce or even get rid of pimple acne effectively. The advice I am about to give couldn’t be simpler; it is however the golden rules that leads to a good facial complexion. It is common sense practice but hard to follow when your face itch though.

The 1st golden rule is that just before you call it off a day, rinse your face with warm water, apply facial foam or facial scrub and thereafter wash your face with cold water. Doing so would help you to get rid of the dirt and dust that clogged your skin pores throughout the day. Get facial cleaning foam and scrub that is appropriate to your facial condition type for e.g. oily, dry or normal skin type. Use a clean tower or facial tissue to dry your face.

The 2nd golden rule is that ensure your pillow is clean to prevent dirt and germs from infecting your face while you spend hours in contact with it. Many people tend to overlook this; no amount of facial treatment could help if your face is in contact with dirty and contaminated material throughout the nights. Change pillow case and bed sheet as often as you can.

The 3rd golden rule, which is probably the most important rules of them all, is that with the exception of bathing or washing our face, under no circumstances, and I repeat, under no circumstances should you ever touch your face with your fingers or hands. Reason being that your finger or hand contains plenty of gems and viruses that could easily aggravate facial acne you are experiencing. Sometimes your face itches so much that you could not control nor help but scratch it. One way to overcome this problem is by applying pimple or acne and itch relief lotion or cream on the affected part of your face to relief the itch.

That's so much to it today, I will be covering more secrets to healthy complexion in next coming blogs.

Cheers
Rich

More harm than good by too much water intake?

So we are finally told there is no evidence to support the notion that drinking at least 8 glasses of water everyday is good for health. On the contrary drinking too much water it seems could probably put a strain to our kidney. I wonder why it takes so long for the medical authorities to figure this one out. It seems strange though that no one question the recommended amount of water for drinking daily, why 8 glasses and not 10 glasses or 5 glasses? Apart from that the fluorine and chlorine added to the water for drinking is harmful to human and may probably cause serious side effects such as cancer. I wonder what’s next on the table? Perhaps we should avoid taking hot shower?

8 glasses a day?

Baoding

Baoding is a city with history dating back to thousands of years. The city is located between Hebei capital Shijiazhuang to the south and Beijing to the north. Like most major cities across China, Baoding enjoyed tremendous economic growth due to its close proximity to Beijing. More and more Beijing residents are moving and relocating to Baoding. It takes 2 hours train ride from Beijing to Baoding and roughly 3 hours ride by car. The train ticket cost less than a hundred Yuan while most Beijing cab drivers asking for 800 Yuan or above to go to Baoding.

It’s been almost a year and a half since I last visited Baoding. I will be traveling to Baoding this coming May.

The best time to visit Baoding though is September to October. Baoding has long cold winter and short autumn and spring. Lake Baiyangdian, better known as the Pearl of the North also the largest lake in Northern China and is within 2 hours drive from Baoding city. As usual, most of the China lakes and rivers are heavily polluted. Of late, the Hebei government has disembarked on an ambitious plan to clean up the lake, an important source of water catchments and source of fish for its northern regions.

Baoding is well known for its exercise balls, also better known as meditation health balls. It is believed that the Baoding balls, usually comes in a pair; when placed on the palm of one’s hand and rotated to orbit could help to improve one’s health. Baoding balls come in all sorts of colors, patterns and sizes. I am an avid collector of home decorators, the Baoding balls makes a nice gift to friends and families though. Attached are photo shots of some of the Baoding balls that I brought back home from mythe previous Baoding trip.





Below are links to Baoding Balls.
Enjoy reading and cheers!
http://www.baodingballs.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baoding_Balls

Health and Wealth

Healthier people are generally more productive and clock more total hours working in the weekdays because they don’t normally need to take as much sick leave. Furthermore the impact to the organization could be quite significant if there is no one else competent nor proficient enough to address urgent issues that arises in the company while the person is on medical leave. Critical project timeline may be affected as a result of this and this may cost the company loss of revenue or worst still the lost of important business deals altogether.

Apart of possible impact to the company, poor health also has direct impact on ourselves whereby if we belong to the category of those who earn linear income no work means no pay and no money. Our resources such as energy, time and money may be exhausted due to high cost of the medical treatment and the matter is further aggravated if we do not protect ourselves financially adequately with medical insurance coverage.

I am reminded of a fellow colleague who died of lung cancer about 15 years ago. He was a successful man in his early 30s and has everything going well for him, having being promoted to director of the mechanical engineering department. He has a wonderful family, a beautiful wife and a one-year adorable old baby. I guess no one would have expect a fine young man with such a promising career to be down with third stage lung cancer when everything was going so smooth sailing for him. As far as I could remember he neither smoke nor drink. He was approach by an insurance planner a few months before he found out he had contracted lung cancer. He believed that the company medical insurance coverage was adequate for him thus he was not convince he needed extra personal medical insurance coverage. He was hospitalized and on medical leave for over 6 months and when his expensive medical bill treatment exceeds the company medical insurance coverage, the department pulls together with donations (not much though) to ease his family financial burden. We were told that he went to as far as to San Diego for exploratory and experimental lung cancer treatment in one of the well-known cancer research hospital. His family were left financially burden with the heavy medical treatment. Eventually he lost the fight against the terminal disease and left his family burden with heavy medical bill debts.

So the next time do remember that as much as our eyes are fixed on wealth creation, we should always be mindful of our health for without health what is wealth if we can’t live to enjoy it? Do invest in your financial health as much as your financial wealth.
For a start do check out the following medical and health promoting equipment at
http://www.youthfountain.150m.com

Trust me, you will not regret owning on of these equipments. You have got nothing to loose.