Lose that tummy by lying down
Friday, November 01, 2013 - Posted by SunnyHealth - 0 comments
with just this...

Japan's pelvic pillow diet has in recent years gained much fame among busy women who desire to be slim. Despite being called a "diet", it does not require the user to control one's food intake (though like all fitness and slimming programmes, one is encouraged to eat healthily and exercise regularly). The basic premise is to lie down on a long, thin pillow and do a couple of simple (but strenuous) poses for no more than 3 minutes. You don't even perspire, so it is perfect for before bedtime, and before rushing off to work. It is thought that these exercises can correct pelvic distortion which is responsible for certain health problems. Users of this method have reported significant loss of inches of weight in as short a period as 2 weeks.

How pelvic distortion can lead to weight gain / flab:

- Tummy sticks out when internal organs are pulled downwards
- Constipation and poor metabolism due to poor position/functioning of organs
- Poor blood circulation
- Bad posture makes it easy to accumulate fat and difficult to use it in muscles that are rarely used.

There are many Japanese books published on the pelvic pillow diet that you can find in Kinokuniya, and many of them come with a deflatable pillow of the recommended dimensions. If you can't read Japanese, there are Chinese versions available from Taiwanese publishing companies that translate the books. Though most of them come with full-coloured pictures, there are crucial instructions to follow, such as the limit to how long and how many times you can do the exercise, so being able to understand such instructions is essential so you don't hurt yourself.

If you do not wish to buy a pillow (no, the ones you use in bed are usually too thick and bulky), you can try to DIY your own. Here is a post on how it can be done with bath towels and string.
Regardless of whether you use an inflatable pillow or DIY towel/cloth pillow, bear in mind that the pillow must be firm but not hard. If it's so hard that pressing down on it does not produce any dent, it may hurt your back.

For beginnings and basic correction of pelvic distortion, here is a fundamental set of exercises as recommended from the book "史上最長100CM骨盤枕" (The world's longest 100cm pelvic pillow)

As with all exercises that requires one to lie down, the exercise should be done on a firm surface that will not hurt your back. A firm mattress or yoga bed are suitable.

1) Position the pillow in a horizontal position. Sit up with your pelvis (the area right above your bottom) pressing against the middle point of it.

Like this:


2) Bend your knees so that they are angled 90 degrees from the ground.

3) Slowly lower your back to lie down. The pillow should be firmly etched under your pelvis. Place your palms on the pillow (beside your pelvis) for better support.

4) Without moving your upper body, turn your legs (still in 90 degrees angle) to the side until the leg facing downwards is against the ground. Hold your position for 30 seconds, breathing normally as you do so. You may experience a slight pull along the side of your body that is facing upwards.

5) Turn your legs to the other side and do the same.

One minute should do the trick, but if you want to do more sets, cap it to 3 minutes or you may strain yourself. Do this once every day and night and you should see some positive results soon. Results would be optimum if accompanied with a healthy diet and regular physical activity.

As with most DIY routines, results vary. If you aren't seeing any quick results despite all the raving reviews, don't give up. It's always good to give your body a daily stretch, and further more, it barely takes up time. If you're following a picture guide, have someone take a look to ensure that you've got the poses right. Above all, only do exercises/poses from legitimate sources, and within the recommended limits. Doing the wrong ones may cause more harm than good.


A world of constant strangers
Friday, October 11, 2013 - Posted by SunnyHealth - 0 comments
Imagine a world that looks like this to you.

“I’m not good with remembering faces” is an excuse we casually throw around in apologies to failing to recognise someone or match a name to a face.

But do you know that not being able to identify faces is a real medical condition? Known as Prosopagnosia, or face blindness, victims of this condition can see facial parts, but are unable to put them together as a whole face. They have difficulty recognising people they have encountered many times, even those who are close to them like family members and loved ones. 

There are two main causes of Prospopagnosia. Brain damage from head trauma, stroke, and degenerative diseases leads to acquired Prosopagnosia, while developmental Prosopagnosia is usually genetic, or due to brain damage and visual problems from childhood. Especially for those with development Prosopagnosia, it may be difficult even for the patient himself to detect this problem since it impacts on very specific areas of facial recognition.

For example, if one knows he has an appointment with his friend at a specific location, and he turns up finding his friend there, he would recognise said friend because he knows the friend is there. However, if he coincidentally meets the same friend on the streets and isn't aware that this friend would be there at that time, he would not recognise him at all!

In the case of acquired Prosopagnosia, the patient may confuse the image of a person with one that he had before he was stricken by the condition. In other words, his vision virtually time travels back, and in his mind is someone who has never aged or changed throughout the years.

People with this condition tend to cope by using other distinguishing cues like hairstyle, voice or body shape. Dr. Thomas Grüter of the Institute of Human Genetics in Münster shared that many tend to mask their dysfunction by avoiding places where they could unexpectedly run into someone they know, pretending to be lost in thought while walking down the street, or acting friendly to everyone--or to no one. As it can be expected, this condition causes a lot of problems for work and social life.

Don’t be too quick in judging someone you know for being stuck up if he ignores you; he might really not be able to recognise you. Brad Pitt too has this problem – it is not medically confirmed if he does have Prosopagnosia, but he admits that his poor memory for faces has been a point of frustration for him because people assume he is deliberately ignoring them on purpose.

Should you feel that you have such a hard time remembering faces that it is affecting your life, you might want to consider getting a diagnosis. There is no known cure for this condition as yet, but being frank about it and getting the support of loved ones can help greatly with coping.

And if you don't suffer from this dysfunction, then make good use of your ability instead of taking it for granted. 

Sources:

http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1211572,00.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-24385650
http://www.faceblind.org
http://www.cnn.com.sg/2013/05/23/showbiz/celebrity-news-gossip/brad-pitt-esquire-face-blindness/index.html


10 Common Mistakes by Health Fanatics
Friday, October 04, 2013 - Posted by SunnyHealth - 0 comments


Did you know that being too healthy for your own good can be a form of illness?

It sure sounds like a lame paradoxical excuse for those who preach indulgence as the way of life over abstinence, but in truth, there exists an eating disorder known as Orthorexia nervosa, whereby one is so obsessed with eating to improve one’s health that when they break abstinence over “prohibited” foods, they may suffer from similar kind of guilt pangs and depression that anorexics and bulimics do.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/13695.php

Orthorexia nervosa is a less-known radical example of being too healthy beyond wellness. Overall, most people are too unhealthy for their own good and could do with a bit more self-discipline. However, as the old saying goes, too much of a good thing can be bad. Here are some misconceptions that even wise, healthy people get wrong.

Obsessing over hygiene.

Clean-freaks are often joked about as eccentric, but there is good reason to be critical of them. According to the hygiene hypothesis, living in an overly sterile environment can be bad for your immune system as it makes you more vulnerable to illnesses. In addition, good bacteria can be vital to your health. Good bacteria exists in various parts of the body, such as the skin and digestive tract. You should practise good hygiene especially before eating and preparing food, and after a trip to the washroom, but don’t feel the need to sanitize your hands every time they touch something, or freak out when your child starts going on all fours.

Waking up too early.

Early to bed, early to rise is often touted as a model sleeping habit. However, most people need seven hours of sleep a night to be considered as having ample rest. Unless you’re sleeping as early as 9pm, waking up at the wee hours of the morning is not advisable. In addition, your lungs undergo repair from 3 to 5amin the morning. That is why some people with lung and respiratory issues are wakened to violent fits of coughing around this time. If possible, you should not disrupt the lung’s repair works by waking up at this time.

Restricting your diet or organic.

Organic food is produced by methods that do not involve modern synthetic inputs such as synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers. They are generally healthier than their non-organic counterparts, but it is not always the case, and the term “organic” can give a false sense of security. Organic eggs for example, are not much different from normal eggs, so one should not assume that it’s fine to eat more organic eggs. In addition, some cereals and fruit bars are touted as organic but in fact, contain many unhealthy elements like fats and sugars.

Consuming too many supplements.

Certain vitamins and minerals can be dangerous when taken in access. Too much calcium for example, can lead to calcium accumulations in the form of kidney stones. Excess vitamin D leads to Vitamin D toxicity and a myriad of problems including tiredness and constipation. Have a balanced diet, and only turn to vitamins to replenish what you’re short on. If you think you’re deficient in certain vitamins, you should consult a doctor instead of self-medicating.

Unnecessary checkups

The use of certain scans and medical equipment exposes one to radiation, and getting too much radiation is never a good thing. Some doctors are overly keen to encourage their patients to go for tests, and it is important to clarify your doubts, and understand the side effects before blindly adopting recommendations. You should not require regular tests for certain conditions if you’re not one of the at-risk people.

Constantly requesting for antibiotics.

Many people ask for antibiotics and anti-virals because they think it helps them get better faster. While this may be true, antibiotics not only kills off good bacteria in your body, but also develops drug resistance in the bad bacteria. Should you fall ill to the same condition again, the antibiotic may work less effectively.

Forgetting about sodium/salt
Many of us talk about watching calories and sugar levels, we tend to forget about sodium/salt when checking the nutritional contents of our food purchases. These days, many of us consume packaged and prepared foods for convenience, and most of these contain excess sodium. High sodium intake has been linked with increased risk of high blood pressure. In Singapore, the recommended maximum intake is 5g a day for adults.

Drinking too much water

 It sounds surprising, but drinking too much water can be a problem. This is especially so you down a huge amount of water before running a marathon or doing something that is physically vigorous. Drinking too much water leads to water intoxication, also known as hyponatremia, in which the other nutrients in the body become so diluted that they can’t function normally. In serious cases, it can lead to coma and death. This is why sports drinks contain electrolytes in addition to fluids. The presence of these electrolytes prevents the body fluids from being too diluted so that materials and nerve messages can move into and out of cells and throughout the body.

You should still get your eight glasses of water a day, but spread it out throughout the day, and never gulp it down in one sitting.

Assuming that all healthy claims equate to healthy food

 “Low fat” and “refuced fat” sound healthy enough, but this may be cancelled out by high sugar, high sodium etc… Don’t pounce on an item just because it makes such claims. Health Promotion Board has an extremely detailed guide on making sense of nutrition labels.

Skipping vaccines 

 HPV vaccinations, flu vaccinations (for elderly aged 65 years and above and people with low immunity due to certain treatments and diseases), Hepatitis B vaccination and travel-related vaccinations when you go abroad are examples of shots you should get. For further advice and support, do visit the Health Promotion Board website http://www.hpb.gov.sg/

Thinking that all you need is the internet 

While it is true that the internet is a wealth of useful information, self-diagnosis from what you read online is never a substitute for professional diagnosis in person by a doctor. Everybody’s constitution is different and what works for one may not work for another. Online resources are good for staying informed and general health information, but do seek a doctor’s advice if you have a medical concern.