27°C | Light rain
Jun 21, 2011
Liza Chan (dietitian)
Dr Ezra Chan (dentist, Bayley & Jackson Dental Surgeons) Gum disease is very common in Hong Kong, where there isn't a culture of flossing. Brushing alone doesn't clean in between the teeth, where germs are more likely to hide. Floss every day by leaning the floss on the side of the tooth and scraping up and down until it squeaks. Only when it squeaks does it show that all the plaque has been removed. Dr Tinny Ho (dermatologist, Skincentral)
It takes an excess or deficit of 7,000 kilocalories (kcal) to gain or lose one kilogram of weight. Simply changing from a small full-fat latte to a skimmed milk latte will save you 70kcal. In 10 days, that's 700kcal, and in three months that's 7,000kcal. Keep it up for a year, and you will lose 4kg. This applies to other foods: swap a can of Coke for Coke Zero/Light, or use two teaspoons less oil per day for the same results.
If you don't floss you can get gum disease, which can cause eventual tooth loss, but studies have also shown that those with gum disease are twice as likely to suffer from coronary artery disease.
single most preventable cause of skin ageing. Even if you are walking on the street you are exposed to it - and the damage is cumulative.
Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun increases the risk of skin cancers and is the
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Choose a sunscreen with good UV type-B protection (sun protection factor 30 or more) and UVA protection ("PPD" rating greater than 10 or "PA +++"). Just a blanket "UVB/UVA protection" on the bottle is not enough. The thickness of application is important too; you need at least half a teaspoonful for the face.
For outdoor activities, apply the sunscreen to clean skin with no moisturiser underneath so it can cling better. In a humid city like Hong Kong, sunscreens will provide more than enough moisture.
Sophie von Burg (physiotherapist, B.E.T. Pilates Centre)
- Have a posture and movement assessment
A British study found that 70 per cent of people in offices suffer from posture-related musculoskeletal problems. We have to learn to live with age-related changes to the body, but we can do something about niggly aches and pains, many of which come from poor posture. If you ignore the pain, the posture becomes habitual and joint changes start to happen, including tissue stress, cartilage wear and tear, and you will be more prone to osteoarthritis.Changing posture isn't about muscle strengthening; it's about relearning the way we are designed to hold ourselves. It just takes practice until it becomes habitual. You will start to feel better after three or four sessions, and should be pain free after three months.
Dr Victor Goh (cardiologist, Dr K.A. Goh & Partners)
- Get regular exercise that's appropriate for you
The American Heart Association has established that a sedentary lifestyle is a main risk factor for coronary heart disease. Exercise is particularly important if you have suffered from cardiovascular disease; it's routinely used as part of cardiac rehabilitation programmes. One hour a day is ideal - it can be performed all at once, or divided into segments.For heart disease sufferers it doesn't matter whether the exercise is walking, swimming or playing gentle sports, so long as it is done in a leisurely fashion over a prolonged period, rather than crammed into a short spell of intense exercise.
Dr Alfred Tam (paediatrician, Children at 818)
- Breastfeed your children
Breast milk is tailor-made for your baby and provides overall nutrition and immunity from disease. There is also ample evidence that early infant feeding relates to a person's future health. Babies who are not breastfed are more liable to allergies, eczema and obesity in the future.Rates of breastfeeding are not high in Hong Kong: about 40 per cent of mothers are breastfeeding when discharged from government hospitals, but after one month it is down to 15 per cent to 20 per cent. We recommend six months of exclusive breastfeeding plus a few more, because when solids are introduced the presence of breast milk helps the body to handle and digest them.
There are many things breast milk has that you can't get from formula. These include hormones, life cells, anti-inflammatory agents, enzymes and immunoglobulins, which are extremely important to the baby.
Nathan Solia (personal trainer, Hong Kong Bootcamp)
- Change to a wholefood diet
If you want more vitality and weight loss, change your diet first before introducing exercise. Eat foods made by mother earth; leave out processed ones. Eliminate as much sugar as possible and eat organic protein, vegetables and good fats (like olive oil, fish oils and nuts).Hydration is also important: most of us don't drink enough. A 60kg person should drink about two litres of water a day. This gives increased energy, promotes clear thinking and eliminates hunger pains.
Carla Bekker-Smith (integrative manual and craniosacral therapist, Balance Health)
- Go 100 per cent gluten-free
Gluten-free diets have historically been reserved for patients with coeliac disease, but the past 10 years of medical research has identified an emerging condition of gluten sensitivity, which affects a broader base of people. Eliminating this one protein can help with bloating, gas, constipation, diarrhoea, swelling, mental fatigue, low energy, irritability, low sex drive, and poor concentration - to name just a few.Michelle Law (Chinese medicine practitioner, Vitality Centre)
- Make your mental state as stable, calm and balanced as you can
Chinese medicine is about mind-body interaction and places great emphasis on our emotions. Each emotion, like anger or happiness, is related to one of the five organs - anger, for example, is related to the liver, and happiness to the heart.Being stressed can cause illness. Try to stay neutral to everything - not too happy nor too sad. Try to be satisfied with what you have and not to be greedy. If you are stressed, try an exercise like tai chi or qigong, because they combine the mental and the physical.
Karlyn Harfoot (chiropodist)
- Wear the right shoes for the occasion
There is a tendency in Hong Kong to wear backless sandals and flip-flops all the time, and they can be dangerous. Any sandal that does not have a back means you have to grip with your toes to keep it on - and that is not a natural way to walk. It means that other parts of the body can be out of alignment, and over time it can cause deformation of the toes and exacerbate problems in other areas such as the back or knees. Anything with a strap over the instep or where the foot is controlled in the sandal is much better for you.Aaron Smith (sports physiotherapist, Sports Performance)
- Warm up properly
There is a common misconception that warming up means stretching, but cold muscles are not receptive and you will be vulnerable to pulling a muscle. The idea of a warm-up is to prepare the body for exercise and to get blood into the parts of the body that will be working, normally our limbs. The speed at which most of us run is nothing more than a warm up, so if you are going out on a 10 kilometre jog, stretch at the end rather than beginning. You are not going to rip any muscles by jogging. If you are working out at a higher level, warm up first and then stretch.Catriona Rogers (counselling psychologist, Integrated Medicine Institute)
- Be more aware of your thoughts
Last year there were 11 million global hits a month on Google for stress, nine million for depression, 7.5 million for panic and five million for anxiety. In Hong Kong, depression led with about 16,000 hits a month, closely followed by stress with 11,000. These four key mental health issues are very real for people.Most people live their lives not conscious of the role their mind plays and how it contributes to mental disease. When we feel uncomfortable, we distract ourselves with alcohol, food and work. We have to develop awareness and learn to observe our thoughts and how they affect us. The first step in becoming aware is to practise. I have a reminder on my computer that rings randomly and tells me to slow down and observe what is happening in me. Pay attention to your breath, how you inhale and exhale. Notice your thoughts and feelings and connect with your whole being. Focus on positive thoughts that contribute to your well-being.
Dr Christopher Yu (opthamologist, Premier Medical Centre)
- Have your glasses checked regularly
Our eyesight deteriorates most in our late 30s and early 40s, when the eyes lose some of their focusing power. This is the time when patients complain of tired eyes headaches at the end of the day. We usually find their glasses are one or two dioptres more than they actually need because they have not changed their prescription for the past 10 years.