Sunny Health

Respected Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew passed away peacefully on 23 March at the ripe old age of 91. He had been battling severe pneumonia since February.

MM Lee was world-renowned for his immense contributions to nation building and his influence over regional and international politics. However, he was also admired for his dedication to a fitness regime that kept him physically healthy and mentally alert even well into his 80s. At the age of 89, he was able to sit up and not rely on a walking stick.

Yet in his younger days, he was not by any means a health freak. Quite the opposite, he smoked and drank beer in his 30s. He even had a beer belly. Obviously, the challenges Singapore faced in his early days of leadership would not have afforded him much time to think about his health. Late nights and plenty of stress were undoubtedly part and parcel of the job. He quit smoking eventually to preserve his voice for election campaigns.

In his autobiography "One Man's View Of The World", published in 2013, he shared his fitness regime. He was dismayed by his beer belly showing up in press pictures, and hence took up golf to keep fit. He later switched to swimming and running as he found them to be more efficient in getting sufficient aerobic exercise.

At 89, he kept his fitness regime short and simple, but regular and effective. It consisted of walking on the treadmill three times a day - 12 minutes in the morning, 15 minutes after lunch and 15 minutes after dinner. Before dinner, he used to swim for 20 to 25 minutes.

To keep his mind healthy, he met people regularly. From old friends to businessmen to foreign dignitaries to ordinary folks, he spoke to them to obtain a wholesome account of the on-goings around the world. He also took Chinese lessons.

He certainly had not rest his laurels even after officially retiring from politics. All this he did on top of his daily reading of the newspapers, checking emails, giving interviews, writing speeches and articles and other work.

It will be difficult to emulate a man like MM Lee, who has been deemed special and one-of-a-kind by many country leaders. However, his fruitful silver age is a testament that the sky is the limits, and age should not be an excuse to voluntarily allow oneself to weaken physically or mentally. It is never too late to start looking out for your health. Late is better than never.

Here is something we all can follow in MM Lee's footsteps: Spare a few minutes after every meal to go for a walk around your estate. Observe the greenery around you and watch the other residents go about their business. It is a good opportunity to burn some calories, strengthen your muscles, enjoy the fresh air and learn to understand and appreciate more of the world you live in.

In the 9 pm Mediacorp Drama "Life is Beautiful", a 25-year-old man fell victim to stroke which paralysed half of his body. Almost everyone who knew was in disbelief. How is it possible for a strong, healthy youth who was not overweight, to be hit by an "old person's sickness"?

The sad truth is, many youths these days are no longer as healthy as their ancestors in their younger days were. Many of them lead stressful lifestyles, do not eat healthily, and do not get sufficient quality rest and sleep. The 25-year-old in question was a chef who worked irregular hours, had a penchant for sugary things and slept only two hours a day.

These days, the three highs, or 三高 as the Chinese call it - high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high sugar level, are no longer "privileges" of the elderly population. Heck, even young people are getting dementia these days, but we'll discuss this in the next post. The point is, age is not an immunity, and we must not take our youthful bodies for granted by ruining our health with poor lifestyle habits.

Age remains a risk factor for stroke, but around the world, there have been cases of stroke occurring in infants, children, adolescents and young adults. In fact, the rate of stroke has been increasing for young and middle-aged people between 20 and 54 years of age. In children, stroke is still rare and usually caused by underlying health problems like infections, trauma, heart disorders, sickle cell disease, and dehydration, according to everydayhealth.com

And while young people do take a shorter time to almost complete recovery, as compared to an elderly stroke patient, the effects are devastating and often life-changing. It could mean financial problems especially if the person is a breadwinner or has a family to support, major disruptions in life, be it in your career, social life etc. It is especially crushing for an independent adult to develop a long-term disability out of the blue.

Preventing strokes in young adults

Go for annual body check-ups to identify underlying health problems.

Exercise regularly and maintain a healthy weight. Obesity increases risk levels for stroke, along with high blood pressure and high cholesterol, all potential triggers for stroke. You should see a doctor for help with effective weight management.

Recognise symptoms of and control diabetes. It is important to go for regular check-ups if there's a history of diabetes in your family.

Eat lots of fruits, vegetables and whole grain foods. Avoid food high in saturated fat.

Stay away from drugs and smoking. Alcohol should only be consumed on an occasional basis, and in moderation. Yes, beer too. Beer contains lots of empty (useless) calories!

Get sufficient sleep, at least 6 to 8 hours a day.

Take it easy and don't let the stress get to you. Look at the bigger picture. Partial paralysis is a much more serious problem than a screaming customer.

Make time for your favourite past times that will help you relax. Yoga and meditation are tried and tested methods that help to empty the mind and calm your body, promoting overall wellness.


Good health management in your youth will lead to a healthier and more productive silver age. On the other hand, poor health management in your younger days, will snowball into much more serious issues in the old age. Would you rather spend the silver years enjoying fresh air and a walk in a park, or bed-ridden in a stale room? The choice is surely not hard to make.

Going abroad with the family for the March holidays? If you're travelling across significantly different timezones, to Europe or America perhaps, jet lag can be a common problem. And one week is really too short a time if you're going to spend the first few days of your holiday putting up with jet lag.

Jet lag arises when the body's biological clock is unable to adapt to the significant shifts in time zones. It is a problem that gives rise to much discomfort - you have difficulty falling asleep when it's night, staying awake when it's day, and it affects your overall well-being, including your mood and diet. It can be quite the wet blanket for your vacation, or worst, ruin a presentation that you were making at an international conference.

As travelling becomes more affordable, widespread and a necessity rather than a want, more studies are being done on jet lag and how to curb it. The University of Michigan released a smart phone app that promises to fight jet lag by helping you to micromanage your biological clock.

Humans are creatures by habit. Our biological clock gets inclined to sleeping and waking up at a certain time. Adapting to a new time zone disrupts this sleep cycle, which causes insomnia and fatigue. Dubbed Entrain, the app helps users adapt to new time zones and schedules by informing the body when to go outdoors in the sunlight, and when to remain in the dark, based in the current time zone. This controlled exposure to light and darkness makes your body think that it is on schedule and adapt to the current time zone faster.

How does this work? If you're awake, and the app prescribes "bright outdoor light" for you, you can turn on the lights indoors until the app says otherwise. Yes it sounds bizarre, but the app isn't merely helping you to fall asleep, more than that, it is guiding you to adjust your biological clock. If the app prescribes darkness in bright daylight, you can stay indoors, or wear sunglasses if you have to be outdoors.

The app sounds nice in theory, but of course, it still boils down to the user's willingness and self-discipline in following the prescription. You can download the app and find out more about it here: http://entrain.math.lsa.umich.edu/


Don't like micromanaging your schedule? Here are other ways to prevent jetlag:

Take a melatonin supplement before bedtime every night at your travel destination. Simulating melatonin production helps encourage you to go to sleep when you're still awake.

Proteins in the day, carbs at night. Protein-rich foods (fish, cheese, tofu, eggs, chicken breast, beans. nuts, milk) increase levels of amino acids which encourage alertness. Carbohydrates (potatoes, rice, dried foods like apples, prunes and dates, flour products - bread, cake, biscuits) stimulate the release of melatonin. So on the first few days, have more proteins for breakfast and lunch, and a carbohydrate-based dinner.

Eat healthy and full meals in the day at the local time, and encourage your children to do the same, so that they do not go to bed feeling hungry.

Get lots of sunlight. Get everyone up early in the morning, go outdoors and get as much sunlight as possible. At night, keep the lights out and drapes closed to encourage sleep.

Get physical. Engage in more physical activity such as walking and theme parks. This way, you have a fulfilling day and you go to bed more easily when tired.

Lavender helps to lull some people to sleep. Bring a fragrance pouch with you and put it under your pillow.

Sleep on the plane instead of watching movies or playing games. Sleep helps relieve fatigue and allows you to feel refreshed when you land.

Nevertheless, children are vulnerable to jet lag, so be prepared that it will take about four to five nights for your child to adapt to the new time zone. Plan your trip accordingly to avoid disappointment.

Sources:
http://health.yahoo.net/articles/sleep/could-body-hack-app-be-cure-jet-lag
http://health.yahoo.net/rodale/PVN/outsmart-jet-lag
http://health.yahoo.net/articles/sleep/how-prevent-jet-lag