Sunny Health

The fact that red meats like beef and processed meats like bacon and luncheon meat are not exactly the healthiest food products around has not been news to us. Health enthusiasts and doctors have harped about how fattening and threatening these delicacies are for our heart and weight. Nevertheless, many of us continue to indulge ourselves for their satisfying taste. For those who care about their health, it shouldn't be too difficult to get rid of the calories gained through a few trips to the gym, right?

But the recent announcement by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) - that there is a link between some types of meat and some forms of cancer - bowel cancer in particular, will likely prompt many meat lovers to revise their diets. After all, cancer is more challenging to manage than some extra pounds.

Before you panic and start swearing off meat completely due to this piece of news, which isn't a bad thing but could backfire if 1) you don't get sufficient nutrients 2) It's too torturous and you throw in the towel, let's get some facts right:

Red meat is meat that is dark red colour before cooking or processing. Common and obvious examples include beef and lamb. But perhaps unbeknownst to many, pork is also on the list. There are some causal links between red meat and increased risk of cancer, but the links are not definitive.

Processed meat is meat that is not sold fresh, but has undergone some form of processing like curing, canning, smoking and other forms of preservation methods to prolong its shelf life. This includes bacon, luncheon meat, sausages and ham. Frequent consumption is established to increase the risk of contracting cancer.

White meat, like chicken and fish, are not known to increase the risk of cancer and are safe alternatives. This should not be much of a surprise as they are often touted as healthier alternatives when it comes to calorie intake. So meat lovers, take heart!

As for tasty indulgences like processed meat, let them remain indulgences, but you don't have to avoid them like plague. Of course, you probably should for better health, but if that might make you go cold turkey, realise that just because you enjoy the occasional traditional English breakfast with sausages and bacon doesn't automatically make you a candidate for cancer.

Professor Phillips of Cancer Research UK has a layman analogy for it: "...think of banana skins. They definitely can cause accidents, but in practice this doesn’t happen very often. And the sort of harm you can come to from slipping on a banana skin isn’t generally as severe as, say, being in a car accident."

However, under a hazard identification system like IARC’s, both ‘banana skins’ and ‘cars’ would come under the same category – they both definitely do cause accidents.

Swollen calves are a challenge for the wardrobe; they look unflattering in mini skirts, shorts and leggings with funky prints, and that sucks if you're a fan of those. More importantly, they could be the cause or sign of underlying health problems. This is especially so if the rest of your body is average-sized or even slim.

Thick calves could be hereditary (check out your family members' pins). Usually this means that fat has a higher tendency to get stored in that area, which causes the area to become, well, fat. In fact, swollen calves tend to be more prominent in women because fat is more commonly stored in the lower body.

But swollen calves are also a sign of water retention or blood circulation problems. Sitting or standing too long is unhealthy, and a cause of swollen calves as well. Poor circulation problems can eventually lead to varicose veins, which is a much more unsightly and stubborn problem than swollen calves. Reducing swollen calves can consequently rectify some impending health issues, and of course, broaden your wardrobe choices.

Regardless the cause of your large calves, the following tips are designed to help you achieve better wellness overall and healthier legs:

Wear compression stockings

If you have a job that requires you to frequently stand or sit, these are a godsend. Used as a treatment device for varicose veins, they reduce the diameter of distended veins (veins that bulge out), causing an increase in blood flow in the veins and valve effectiveness. It is a safeguard measure against a variety of venous disorders like edema (severe water retention) with the benefit of relieving tired, aching legs. It should not be an excuse against being active.

Be active

Exercise is essential for overall well-being. Walking and long distance running are great ways to tone your legs while reducing body fat and improving circulation.Just look at the legs of marathon runners; they're muscly but slim. Certain types of exercises, especially high impact activities like sprinting, do build up calf muscles, which is probably not what you want if you're looking at this article. Low-impact activities that train your endurance are the way to go, and they're suitable for most age groups.

Walk correctly

We may have been walking since we were toddlers, but not everyone grows up walking in the correct manner. Poor posture when walking can lead to swollen ankles and calves along with a myriad of posture-related issues.

The right way to walk is to keep your back straight, head up. Looking down puts your head down, and your spin follows. This puts pressure on your back and neck, which can eventually cause pain in those areas. Yet another reason to put away your phones while walking!

When you walk, your knee should take the lead in putting your leg forward, not your foot. Leading with your foot causes the body to tilt backwards.

Here is a graphic on the correct way of walking:




Reduce amount of time in high heels

Sorry ladies, although high heels appear to elongate the legs when worn, constantly walking on the balls of your feet can build calf muscle, leading to thick calves. Furthermore, long-term wearing of high heels can cause many health problems, including permanent reshaping of leg muscles, causing pain when walking, and is therefore not much of a loss.


Use a foot pillow at night

Lie with your back on the bed (it's the best sleeping position!), and your feet on pillows 10 to 15 cm off the bed. If your knees feel uncomfortable, placing a bolster underneath helps. Elevating the feet above heart level helps to promote venous drainage and reduce swelling. If this sleeping position is impossible for you, just elevating your feet for 20 minutes is a great help.

However, this method is not suitable for people who have moderate to severe Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) who become short of breath when lying flat, or those with moderate to severe Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) who will experience pain in the feet when elevating their legs.


Daily Lymphatic massage

1. Starting from ankles working your way towards your knees, lightly massage legs. Avoid putting too much pressure into the massage, i.e. be gentle.
2. The back of your knees is where lymph ducts from legs (lymph node) accumulate, so apply pressure lightly in this area; it is sensitive.
3. Be sure to massage the area around your kneecap where swelling may be most prominent.

Repeat on both legs, 10 times for best results

If you have a bath tub, the best time to do this is during your bath time, when your blood circulation is best due to the warm water. If not, before bed time is good too when you're relaxed.

If your legs are visibly swollen, especially on one side, or if you experience pain and redness, you should seek a diagnosis from a doctor.

Saying things you don’t mean to, pulling up misconstrued facts and jumbling up words, agreeing to a challenge you’d never have agreed to in your right state of mind… why do we often seem to act out of character when angry?

When our body is under stressful situations, hormones are released to facilitate flight or fight. That would explain, why, when we’re confronted of danger, we would either run faster than we ever thought we were capable of doing so, or fight back with such strong punches without feeling the pain until later.

Our brain, too, goes into fight or flight mode when verbally confronted, but more often than not, it tends to work against us. Here are some of the effects arguments have on our brains:

Short-term memory loss
Increasing levels of the stress hormone cortisol causes this. That’s why you may sometimes find yourself tongue-tied, at a loss of words, or you may try to give an adage to support your argument but realise that you don’t really know how it goes. It is temporary and tends to affect less important memories, so don’t be surprised if the wife still brings up the issue of how you forgot her birthday ten years ago with great clarity.

Impaired judgment
When your brain is over-stressed, you lose the ability to manage complex situations. Never make a decision in a fit of anger or when you’re overwhelmed with emotions, as it may be a bad decision.

More ideas leading to innovation
During an argument, the outside layer of nerves is strengthened, facilitating the transmission of nerve impulses, thereby improving your thinking. Have you ever found yourself feel more wide awake and focused during an argument? This would be the reason for it. And the more you think, the more ideas you get. This could be the reason why some meetings tend to be explosive. It is certainly more productive than slouching in your chair and waiting for your turn to be over! Nevertheless, arguments are good for brainstorming, but refrain from making decisions as this could then lead to impaired judgment.

Increased heart rate and blood pressure
When you’re really angry, you may feel your heart beat real fast due to the release of adrenaline. This is when you really need to take a step back and calm down. People who have heart disease may succumb to heart attack under great pressure.

Heart disease is a result of pressure accumulated over time, so while one argument usually does not cause a healthy person to collapse, serious arguments accumulated over a period of time will burden the cardiovascular system. Hence it is much better for your health to take things easy.

Further more, words that come out of the mouth can never be taken back, no matter how much you don’t mean it. So if you can’t argue in a calm and collected manner, rather than adding fuel to the fire, take your leave by saying something to the effect of, “I feel too upset to talk, and I want to take a timeout. Let's meet back here in an hour when we're both feeling calmer.”

Walking away an argument when things heat up gives you a chance to analyse issues in a more rational state of mind. It should not be an opportunity for you to avoid problems. It is still important to eventually resolve the tension and come to a viable agreement between both parties.