Do you have high blood pressure?

One of the perks of being in the healthcare industry is that we often get free health tests provided by our suppliers or vendors. Before selling us anything, they are very obliging in giving us free demos or even supplying us with free test meters for self-monitoring. It is common to get glucose, uric acid, bone and cholesterol tests at local hospitals/labs but we normally need to wait a week or two for the blood test results. Thus, we are very happy if we do get the occasional self-run kits that can give you instant results. Imagine finding out your cholesterol, triglycerides, bad and good cholesterol levels with just a finger-prick and results in just under 3 minutes, within the comfort of your home.

I do encourage the 20 – 30 somethings to go for yearly blood check-up. More so for the elderly. From there, you can have an idea whether you are at risk of suffering from stroke, heart attacks, diabetes or even liver disorders. However, normal blood test does not include blood pressure monitoring. This, you can easily walk up to any local pharmacies and the health experts can do it for you for free (or a small fee).

Many people may experience high blood pressure (HBP) without realising it as most will not show any symptoms. The only way to know is through self-monitoring, or get some body to do the testing for you or when you start feeling dizzy, thinking that it may be due to your over-tight pants (I know of a person who is dear to me who thought just that and had all his pants altered!).

Blood pressure is recorded as two numbers:

a) Systolic pressure (the top number in a reading) denotes when the heart contracts and forces blood through the arteries.

b) Diastolic pressure (the bottom number) reflects when the heart relaxes.

Normal blood pressure is a reading of 120 over 80 (often written as 120/80) or lower (but not too low until you have low blood pressure). It is important to note that blood pressure fluctuates. It is highest in the morning and lowest at night. In some people with blood pressure that remain chronically high, this is then known as hypertension.

High blood pressure is defined as a systolic pressure at rest that averages 140mmHg or more, a diastolic pressure at rest that averages 90 mmHg or more, or both. Medical term is hypertension. Hypertension is defined as blood pressure averaging 140/90 or higher over at least three separate measurements.

Symptoms of high blood pressure may include headaches, bouts of dizzy spells, nausea and fatigue. Some people may even suffer from ringing of the ears. Common contributing factors for HBP include obesity, smoking, gender (men are twice likely to suffer from hypertension than women), a high-salt diet and family history. It is interesting to note that in 90% of people with hypertension, the cause is usually unknown.

High blood pressure is indeed a silent killer as it can increase the risk of stroke, heart failure and kidney failure.

High blood pressure can easily be maintained with diet and lifestyle changes. Same as sugar, we Malaysians tend to consume way too much salt. Therefore, cut back on salt intake. Diet should be high in fiber and complex carbohydrates but low in animal produce, animal fats, highly processed foods and refined carbohydrates. It is also important to cut back on caffeine and alcohol intake. Some people may need medication for extra help.

Quit smoking and to deal with stress, opt for relaxation techniques such as yoga and meditation. Last but not least, maintain an ideal body weight (especially if you are heavy around the waist). In addition, you may consider fish oil and antioxidants to help reduce blood pressure and to protect the heart and blood vessels.

It's the New Year! What is your NY resolution?

After days of partying and merry-making with family and friends, it is time to head back to planet Earth. Some of us may have packed on a few pounds during the festive seasons and watched in dismay as the number on the weighing scale went up a notch.

Since it is unheard of or rather impossible for many of us to exercise on a regular basis, here i am forwarding some tips on ways to keep yourself healthy and fit (no need to purposely dress up for the occasion), especially for all of us city folks, as I am sure many of us make health (or losing weight) as one of our NY resolutions.

1. Walking
Health experts recommend 10,000 steps a day for a healthier you. This is easily accomplished if you walk to work (many Singaporeans do) or walk to practically anywhere else. However, many of us in Malaysia, due to poor public transportation, rely heavily on self-driving. If this is the case, try parking further away from your destination and walk the rest of the way. Skip the elevators/lifts and use the stairs instead. Some people use a pedometer to ensure that the 10,000 steps/daily are achieved.

2. Juicing and salad days
Experiment with different types of vegetables and fruits when come to juicing. Vegetable juices are great as they contain fewer calories but they are hard to stomach (bland-tasting). Add some fruits such as beetroots, apples and oranges to make the juices more palatable. Try having salads on certain days rather than a fatty meal. Besides being low in calories, they also offer plenty of vitamins, minerals and fibre. You can be more creative by adding strips of salmon or grilled chicken for protein. Beware though, many of us use too much mayo/thousand island and these can offset the benefit. Remember, 1 tsp of the dressing contribute to about 45 - 50 kcal. If you are not careful, a wallop of thousand island in your salad can equal to a plain 'nasi lemak' bungkus.

3. Be mindful when socialising
Many of us consume the most calories when we are with family and friends. With plenty of 'makan' outings and drinking sessions, it is not surprising for one to consume extra 1000 - 2000 kcal a day. The best is to control portion size and limit number of drinks. Remember, alcohol has more calories than carbo. If you love clubbing, make sure that you dance more than you drink. This will at least burn off some of the excess calories from the hard liquor that you've just gulped down.

4. Snacking
We all love to snack and it is not wrong. Indeed many nutritionists/dietitians do encourage people to eat small frequent meals which include snackings rather than 3 big hearty meals. The thing is the choice of snacks. Chewing on fruits and vegetable sticks is better than chomping on crackers and biscuits. Drinking tea/coffee with less sugar is better than adding extra condensed milk. However, i will still advise on the occassional chocs and cakes as eating should be pleasurable, but do so in moderation.

5. Get physical.
This is ext from item (1). Get involved in hobbies that encourage you to be out and about. Rather than playing PSP the whole day, why not go jungle trekking with friends and enjoy the nature? Malaysia and Singapore have many nature spots that we could enjoy (e.g FRIM, KL and Hortpark, Singapore). It will definitely channel our minds away from food and also a sedentary lifestyle (especially important for those who are emotional eaters)

6. Cooking
Many of us do not have the time to cook these days. Eating out has become the norm. Thus, we do not have much say what goes into our bowl of curry mee or 'cheng teng'. Very often, the food handlers add a tad bit too much salt (including from soy sauce), sugar and oil but not enough vegetables. The same goes for beverages and convenience foods. We should exercise our rights as consumers by requesting for more greens, less sugar, less oil and even less rice the next time we order food. Cooking is still the best option as we are completely in control of what goes into our dish. Just remember to use salt, oil and sugar sparingly.

Recently, MOH reported that the average Malaysian consumes about 26 tsps of sugar, about 120g a day. Recommended intake is about 10 tsps = 50g. Try measuring that in a bowl and you will be shock to find out that we are consuming that much sugar. Where did the sugar come from?

It is hard to just put the blame on us, the consumers, as we are not made aware of all the hidden sugars found in processed foods (e.g cereals, soft drinks, desserts, foods from the hawker/mamak stalls). Say we go 'yum cha' with friends and the choice of drink is the usual 'teh tarik'. Teh tarik contains 6 tsps of sugar. Stay a while longer and you see most of us ordering another round of teh tarik. That is 12 tsps of sugar in total. The authority should work closely with food manufacturers/handlers on this matter. Reducing sugar subsidy is one way but is definitely not the solution.

7. Will-power
Nothing beats determination and self control when it comes to health. Many people do not have the determination neither the self control to do what is needed. Most people have a mental block when it comes to exercise (no time, no motivation and etc...) and may live to regret it later. Lifestyle and eating changes have to start from within and nobody can motivate you but yourself. Taking mini-steps today may result in big improvement in the future.

channelnewsasia.com - Party pooper After the fun, pain

channelnewsasia.com - Party pooper After the fun, pain

Had a Christmas dinner with my family. It was the first time we had a cook-out session and dressing of the Christmas tree.

Dinner was superb and we had sangria ( a Spanish cocktail) which had turned a few of us salmon-faced.

Hope you find the article above useful. I also would recommend liver tonics such as Milk thistle (herb) which is easily available at all major pharmacies.

This herbal supplement helps protect the liver, detox and may be beneficial for people who drinks........even if you don't, you can also try the herb if you are currently on medications as this taxes the liver as well.

Happy Holidays!

Below sourced from Singapore Straits Times

Nursing a hangover

Are you suffering from a festive hangover? A traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) physician, a bartender and a nutritionist give some tips on how to get rid of that morning-after feeling.

TCM physician

Grind 30g of dried orange skin, add a pinch of salt and mix with 250ml of drinking water.

Alternatively, break 250g of water chestnut (including the skin) into pieces.

Add 60g of sugar and boil both ingredients in 300ml of water. Filter the juice and consume accordingly.

'These recipes work by clearing the heat in our bodies. Heat arises when too much alcohol is consumed,' said senior TCM physician Yu Zhe Kai, who practises at Eu Yan Sang TCM Clinic.

Bartender

'Prevention is better than cure. Stick to just one spirit a night. As the alcohol content in spirits vary, you tend to get a hangover a lot faster if you mix your alcoholic drinks than if you were to stick with just one type,' said Mr Jeffrey Yap, a bartender at Home Club.

Nutritionist

'Mix a few teaspoons of lemon juice in water the day after the party. This helps stimulate the liver for it to detox the alcohol faster,' said Ms Sigrid Grobys, a nutritionist at An apple a day.

Fraser's Hill revisited

OK......this time i am going to blog away from the my usual theme as I am going to take all of you to Fraser's Hill. Since bird-watching is indeed a healthy and academic outdoor sport, I have no qualms blogging about my experience here (in Raub, not neccesarily has to be in KL).... i guess i am not too far off from my theme.

I am sure most of you have visited Fraser's Hill (FH) at least once in your life. I vaguely remember going up there with my family when I was only about 6-7 years old.....I could not remember much all that have happened and could only recall that my mom had to visit a clinic after stepping on a nail. Ouch!

So after 26 years.....here I am at Fraser's Hill again.

Two hours away from Kuala Lumpur and about an hour drive from the town of Kuala Kubu Baru, I finally reached the hill tops. It is quieter and less popular than the other 2 mountain destinations (Genting, as it is nearer to the city and Camerons for its many family-oriented activities and vegetations). There is basically nothing much to do in Fraser's hill except if you are into bird-watching (FH boasts over 250 species of birds, including some migratory birds from as far as Siberia) and jungle trekking (Fraser's Hill has about 10 trails).

If you attempt to visit this place, do take note of two important facts.

1) There's no petrol stations in Fraser's Hill. Thus, you would need to pump up at Kuala Kubu Baru before heading upwards.
2) Be mindful of the 'Gap' schedule as the journey up and down Fraser's Hill is only ONE WAY at any one time. So, you will need to find out what time you should be at the Gap if you want to head up or down the hill. Odd hours - Up, Even hours - down

Map of Fraser's Hill

Popular landmarks:
1) The clock tower at the center of the town
2) Post office
3) Fraser's Hill Golf Club (FHGC)

There are only two eateries (the rest are in the hotels) called Hill View Restaurant and Piccadilly Cafe (newly open) which are centrally located.....next to the clock tower. Since I cannot stomach spending RM 10 on a roti canai/prata for breakfast, my husband and I ate at the other alternative restaurant most of the time. Price is reasonable (KL price).

We stayed at Shahzan Inn for its location and also availability......most of the resorts and hotels are fully booked as it is the holiday season. It is a pity that many of the colonial-styled bungalows look as they have seen better days. The best time to visit FH would be in June, when the weather is good and the birds come out to play! A 3D2N trip is more than sufficient to see the whole of Fraser's Hill.

'Must' visit in FH:
1) Jeriau waterfall (see map attached)
Good picnic spot for the entire family. Spotted many birds along the trail


2) Bishop trail
I did not manage this as i've heard it is full of blood-sucking leeches during this time of the year, but highly recommended by the residents of Fraser's Hill (2 hours trek one-way)
3) Allan's water
A small lake next to the Abu Suradi trail (did this trail, got bitten by a leech)
4) The clock tower

In the month of June, international as well as local bird watchers gather at the hill resort to participate in the Fraser's Hill International Bird Race, a non-competitive event that requires bird watchers to race against time to spot as many bird species as possible within the routes in Fraser's Hill. The next race would be held on the 20-21 June 2010. Some of the common birds found in FH are barn swallows, minivets, drongo, Mountain fulvettas and Grey wagtails.

Pic above: Streaked spiderhunter

Pic above: Black-throated Sunbird

Pic above: Long-tailed Sibia

Pic above: Silver-eared Mesia (centre) and Spectacled Laughingthrush

If you love the tranquility of the nature, the cold and misty weather and birds.......this place comes highly recommended.

Eating to de-stress

I bet everyone is guilty of the above more than once in their life time or in my case........definitely more than I could remember....have a good read..

"When the going gets tough, the stressed-out eat. That about sums up what some people call "stress eating".

Put another way, it is the consumption of food in response to feelings of stress rather than hunger"

http://health.asiaone.com/Health/Eat%2BRight/Story/A1Story20091217-186548.html