Nose Unblocking Exercise- Try it!

Breathing through the mouth causes blood vessels in the nose to become inflamed and enlarged. This, along with an increased secretion of mucus, creates the uncomfortable feeling of nasal stuffiness. When the nose become blocked, it is much more difficult to breath through it, thus perpetuating the habit of breathing through the mouth. Continued mouth breathing results in a more permanent state of nasal congestion, thus completing the vicious cycle.

Nasal obstruction is one of the man symptoms of rhinitis and affects many people on a daily basis. The most common treatments include the avoidance of triggers (such as pollen) and the use of decongestants, nasal steroid sprays, antihistamines or allergy shots, but while these offer symptomatic benefits, they are effective only as long as treatment continues.

Below is a useful breathing exercise to improve symptoms such as nasal stuffiness, poor sense of smell, snoring, trouble breathing through nose, trouble sleeping and having to breathe through the mouth. Please do not practice this exercise if you have pre-existing breathlessness, high blood pressure or other cardiovascular issues, diabetes, pregnant or having any serious health concerns. Like all breathing exercises, the Nose Unblocking Exercise should not be practiced right after eating.

• Take a small, silent breath in through your nose and a small, silent breath out through your nose.
• Pinch your nose with your fingers to hold your breath.
• Walk as many paces as possible with your breath held. Try to build up a medium to strong air shortage, without overdoing it.
• When you resume breathing, do so only through your nose. Try to calm your breathing immediately.
• After resuming your breathing, your first breath will probably be bigger than normal. Make sure that you calm your breathing as soon as possible by suppressing your second and third breaths.
• You should be able to recover normal breathing within two or three breaths. If your breathing is erratic or heavier than usual, you held your breath for too long.
• Wait for a minute or two before repeating the breath hold.
• In order to prepare yourself for the longer breath holds, go easy for the first few repetitions, increasing your paces each time.
• Repeat for a total of six breath holds, creating a fairly strong need for air.

Generally, this exercise will unblock the nose, even if you have a head cold. However, as soon as the effects of the breath hold wear off, the nose will likely feel block again. By gradually increasing the number of steps you can take with your breath held, you will find the results continue to improve. When you are able to walk a total of 80 paces with the breath held, your nose will remain decongested. Eighty paces is actually a very achievable goal, and you can expect to progress by an additional 10 paces per week.

Adapted from "The Oxygen Advantage" by Patrick McKeown

Reducing Gray Hair

Over time, our hair turns gray. Gray hair is a characteristic mark of aging, generally considered irreversible. Only the use of colour agents hides the gray hair away, but does nothing to treat the cause of the disorder. Graying hair is older, less healthy hair whose structure is altered.

Why does our hair turn gray?

Colour emerges in human hair by accumulation of a pigment called 'pheomelanin' in the hair follicle cells. Production of this dark pigment requires the presence of high levels of antioxidants and antioxidant precursors such as cysteine and amino acids like tyrosine. Low antioxidant levels give a free hand to free radicals. Unopposed free radicals interfere with pheomelanin production. They damage amino acids such as the cysteine and antioxidants necessary for the natural hair colour. Any drop in the concentration of cysteine at the hair roots will result in reduction of glutathione (a powerful antioxidant for hair). At excessive free radical levels, the tendency to form the gray eumelanin pigment is higher. Free radicals are molecules that contain oxygen, which is highly reactive and may injure surrounding tissues.

Gray hair, signs of wisdom or declining health?

By catching their first gray hair, individuals of age 40 and above my acquire a more imposing presence. We tend to consider them as wiser, more experienced, having something more serious in them. Their increase in wisdom might be true, but what is certainly true, is that the onset of gray hair, as well as the development of wrinkles is linked to a decline in health. Gray hair and wrinkles reflect the intensity of the attacks by free radicals. Having gray hair is not benign. It means that health is no longer optimal.

The Danish epidemiologist Schnohr and his team showed a reduction of 19% of deaths among people without gray hair compared to those of the same age whose hair is graying. The higher mortality of subjects with gray hair is mainly due to a higher incidence of myocardial infarction. People with patches of gray hair, the so-called 'salt and pepper' hair, present a 40% superior risk of heart attack (myocardial infarction). In subjects with completely gray hair, this risk doubles.

Dietary Changes That May Recolour Hair

Cereal elimination diets may recolour the hair. The first thing to do when gray hair appears is to stop eating foods based on (unsprouted) grains. Elimination of grains in diet is strict for patients with digestive disorders or suspicion of cereal intolerance (celiac disease). Anecdotal reports of gray hair reversal after stopping grains are reported in the scientific literature. Therefore, avoid bread, muesli, porridge (oat), pasta for 6 months to see its effects on the hair. Food allergy tests can also help to confirm allergy to grains, but not all types of cereal intolerance appear in these tests. So the best approach is to do a trial of total avoidance of all grains

Nutritional Therapies That May Recolour Hair

The second intervention to restore hair colour in graying hair is to try topical nutritional treatments. Several nutritional supplementation have been reported to moderately recolour gray hair.

• Oil rich in omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (linoleic, gamma-linoleic acid)
• Copper
• Zinc
• PABA (para-amino-benzoic acid)
• Vitamin B12
• Biotin
• Phenylalanine (contraindicated in patients with phenylketonuria)
• Tyrosine
• Cysteine
• Methionine

Hormone Therapies That May Recolour Hair

• MSH (melanocyte stimulating hormone)
• Thyroid hormone T3
• Testosterone
• Growth hormone

The above supplementation have been reported to slow down or reduce graying hair but in clinical practice the results are not convincing enough often due to genetics predisposition of the subjects. Nevertheless, by improving the nutritional and hormonal health of the person and enhancing scalp micro-circulation, we could at least eliminate factors which cause premature graying of the hair.

Men's health: The Prostate Gland

Are you experiencing these signs and symptoms?

• Difficulty in passing urine
  
• Dribbling, unable to stop urine completely towards the end of urination, wetting the underwear
• Increased frequency of urination
• Increased night urination
• Raised PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen; Normal levels <4ng/ml)
• Age group 51-60 years old (affects 1 in 2 men of this age group)
• Suffering silently, thinking that it is due to natural aging process
• Avoiding travelling and social functions

The prostate is not one big gland but a tissue containing some sparse gland embedded in abundant fibrous tissue and surrounded on the outside by a capsule mainly made of muscles.

On the outside, a robust muscular capsule surrounds the prostate. Its muscular fibres are nourished and maintained mainly by testosterone. When the levels of testosterone drop with aging, the deficiency allows the capsule to degenerate and its muscle fibres to be slowly replaced by fibrous tissue. The fibrosis prevents the prostate from contracting and propelling prostate liquid from the glands into the urethra during intercourse, an essential function of the prostate.

Inside the prostate, about 65% of the space is occupied by hard, fibrous tissue called stroma. The stroma increases depending on the levels of female hormone estradiol. When estradiol levels are too high, stroma overwhelms the inside of the prostate, occupying up to 95% of the space, while it should normally not exceed 65%.

The rest of the prostate is made of small glands that give the soft feeling to the healthy prostate upon digital rectal exam. These glands also depend on male hormones for their well-being, in particular on dihydrotestosterone (DHT). If levels of DHT decline, for example, with aging or by taking finasteride (Proscar®), which decreases dihydrotestosterone production by blocking the enzyme 5-alpha-reductase that converts testosterone to DHT, the glands atrophy and perish. A long term use of finasteride and other 5-alpha-reductase blockers can adversely affect the prostate.

Men who suffer from benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) have dysuria (difficulty urinating) and are often prescribed blockers of the production of DHT such as finasteride. The first few months of intake of a 5-alpha-reductase blocker, patients may feel relieved and experience urination improvement. The improvement is due to shrinkage of the small glands within the prostate, caused my the decreased level of DHT. Unfortunately, on long-term basis, the coexistence of low DHT and high estradiol levels stimulates wild proliferation of the stroma. The expansion of stroma considerably increases the size of the prostate, but, worse, it transforms it into a hard, fibrous mass that further blocks urine outflow through the urethra. Therefore, 5-alpha-reductase blockers are never a long-term answer for BPH.

The better treatment is to treat the high estradiol levels instead.

How to lower high estradiol levels in men?

Aging men often have elevated levels of estrogens in the blood, especially estradiol.One reason for this is that older men tend to have more body fat than younger men. Fat tissues is rich in aromatose that converts testosterone to estradiol. The fatter men become, the higher the estradiol levels usually are.

Prolonged exposure to high levels of estrogen is associated with various "old man" problems: gynaecomastia (breast development), impotence, benign prostate hypertrophy with urinary difficulties, and myocardial infarction. The benign prostate hypertrophy usually results form an excessive proliferation of stroma (fibrous tissue) in the prostate stimulated by the high estradiol levels. The increased stroma hardens and enlarges the prostate, and thereby compresses the urethra and decreases the urine flow. Studies have shown metaplasia (abnormal cell transformation) of the prostate glands in animals given estrogen treatment. Other studies have shown a direct correlation between estrogen levels and myocardial infarction. The higher the levels, the more severe the heart attack.

As testosterone (T) can convert into estradiol (E2) with the help of the enzyme aromatase (in fats), T treatment may increase the E2 levels. The reverse can also be true, namely that T treatment may reduce the E2 level through an inhibition aromatase enzyme and a stimulation of the 5-alpha-reductase, the enzyme that converts T to DHT. Careful observation can help the physician to predict which men will usually produce more E2 or DHT when given T therapy. Men with obesity, gynaecomastia and deficient body hair are rich in aromatase, and will generally make more E2 than DHT from the testosterone therapy.

 

In contrast, the reverse is true for men with higher-than-average body hair development, who are proportionately richer in the 5-alpha-reductase enzyme that produce DHT. These men have no or a low tendency to produce high E2 levels, are at low risk of developing breasts or obesity, but are inclined to lose hair at the top of the head, the typical form of male pattern baldness.

Various causes increase the levels of estradiol in men. The most common causes are heavy drinking of caffeinated beverages and alcohol, obesity (due to the abundant adipose tissue producing aromatase), and wearing tight underwear and trousers.

Tight underwear will compress the testicles' blood vessels.

The compression slows the blood flow, causing ischemia (a lack of fresh blood and oxygen) for the testosterone-producing Leydig cells. The Leydig cells suffer more from the asphyxia than the estradiol-producing Sertoli cells, which are able to compensate by overproducing E2. The correction of all these causes is often sufficient to normalize the level of E2. If a man presents one or more of these conditions, correcting them all together may lower the level of E2 by 20 to 70% and thus normalize it.

Obesity Explained by The Feast-Famine Cycle and Sleep Pattern

Our body is not designed for excessive eating and prolonged sedentary life!

The survival of the early human species was dependent on the constant search for food which necessitates regular physical activity. Unlike today, food supply was never consistent. Our hunter-gatherer ancestors had cycles of feast and famine, physical activity and rest. "Thrifty genes" evolved to ensure efficient intake and utilization of fuel (food). This ancient genome has not changed for the past 10,000 years and certainly has not changed over the past 40-100 years when electricity, refrigerator and convenient stores came into existence. Although the absolute caloric intake of the modern man is less compared to our hunter-gatherer ancestors, the modern man has a positive caloric balance due to our increasingly sedentary lifestyle. Our current situation of continuous food abundance and physical inactivity has caused chaos in our evolutionarily programmed biochemical cycles and ultimately resulting in metabolic derangement such as obesity and Type 2 diabetes. Therefore it is postulated that a certain threshold of physical activity is needed to ensure that that this cycling of metabolic processes continues. Manu V. Chakravarthy and Frank W Booth. Eating, exercise, and "thrifty" genotypes: connecting the dots toward an evolutionary understanding of modern chronic diseases. Journal of Applied Physiology.2004 96;3-10

You have to be "Metabolicaly Flexible" if you want to lose weight and stay healthy. God has gifted us with 4 different metabolic pathways for energy production. Our cells can produce energy from Carbohydrate, Fats, Ketone bodies and Proteins. Unfortunately, our society has been priming our bodies with predominately carbohydrate as the main source of energy. Being metabolically flexible or resilient means our body can switch to other alternative source of energy namely Fats and Ketone bodies. We do not want to cause our body to use proteins from our muscles as the source of energy because that literally means we are 'digesting' ourselves and this happens during severe famine or sickness.

EATING FATS WILL NOT MAKE YOU FAT! EATING EXCESSIVE CARBS WILL MAKE YOU FAT. 

• CARBOHYDRATES INCREASES BLOOD SUGAR LEVEL, RESULTING IN INCREASED INSULIN SECRETION FROM THE PANCREAS. 
• INSULIN WILL THEN INCREASES SECRETION OF LIPOPROTEIN LIPASE WHICH WILL INCREASE ABSORPTION OF FATS FROM YOUR BLOODSTREAM INTO FATS IN YOUR BODY CELLS. 

THEREFORE, EATING CARBOHYDRATES WILL CAUSE CONVERSION OF DIETARY CALORIES INTO FAT!

So a good strategy of loosing weight healthily would be:

1. Re-awaken fat burning (beta-oxidation) capacity
2. Use ketones as fuel
3. Avoid breaking down muscle tissues
4. Reset endocrine system
5. Maintain/regain normal weight
6. Reduce inflammation
7. Become metabolically more resilient

SO HOW DOES SLEEP AFFECT YOUR BODY FATS?

• Sleep deprivation will cause your cortisol hormone to increase. High cortisol level in blood will increase insulin secretion. Insulin will increase conversion of dietary calories into fat.
• People who slept more lost more fat than those who slept less. Yes, we literally burn fat during slept.
• Sleep deprivation cause the body to preserve body fats at the expense of the muscles (60% more muscles were lost by sleeping less).
• Those who slept for fewer hours had produced more of the appetite stimulating hormone ghrelin. They woke up hungrier!
• We may think that we burn more calories by staying awake longer, but that is not true at all! Less sleep causes our body to down-regulate metabolism to preserve energy to cope with the increased energy demand of staying awake.
• Bottom Line: If you want to burn fat, preserve muscle and wake up less hungry when you are dieting, sleep more...8.5 hours a night to be exact.

Click here to read the study

EAT A RAINBOW EVERY DAY

CONSUME FOODS WHICH REPRESENTS ALL 6 COLOUR GROUPS OF THE 'PHYTONUTRIENT SPECTRUM' EACH AND EVERY DAY!

RED FOODS

Beans (adzuki, kidney, red), Beetroot, Red peppers, Blood oranges, Cranberries, Cherries, Goji berries, Grapefruit (pink), Red apples, Red grapes, Red onions, Red plums, Pomegranate, Potatoes (red skin), Radiccho, Red cabbage, Red leaf lettuce, Radishes, Raspberries, Strawberries, Sweet red peppers, Rhubarb, Rooibos tea, Tomato, Watermelon

BENEFITS

Cancer protective, healthy inflammatory response, cell protection, gastrointestinal health, heart health, hormone balance, liver health

ORANGE FOODS

Appricots, Bell peppers (orange), Carrots, Grapefruit, Mango, Nectarine, Orange, Papaya, Pumpkin, Squash (Butternut/Acorn/Winter), Sweet potato, Tangerines, Turmeric root, Yams

BENEFITS

Cancer protective, immune health, cell protection, reduced all-cause mortality, immune health, reproductive health, skin health, source of pro-vitamin A

YELLOW FOODS

Apple, Banana, Bell peppers (yellow), Sweetcorn, Corn-on-the-cob, Chickpeas,Ginger root, Lemon, Millet, Pineapple

BENEFITS

Cancer protective, healthy inflammatory response, cell protection, cognition, skin health, eye health, heart/vascular health

GREEN FOODS

Apples (green), Artichoke, Asparagus, Avocado, Bamboo shoots, Bean sprouts, Bok Choy, Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Cabbage (beet leaves, chard, dandelion leaves, kale, lettuce, mustard leaves, spinach, rocket, etc.), Celery, Cucumbers, Edemame (soybeans), Beans, Peas (e.g. green, mangetout), Green tea, Lettuce, Limes, Okra, Olives (green), Rosemary, Spinach, Watercress

BENEFITS

Healthy inflammatory response, brain health, cell protection, skin health, hormone balance, heart health, liver health

WHITE/TAN/BROWN FOODS

Apples, Beans (butter, cannellini, etc), Cauliflower, Cinnamon, Clove, Coconut, Cocoa, Coffee, Dark Chocolate, Flaxseed, Garlic, Ginger, Hummus, Lentils, Peanuts, etc), Mushrooms, Nuts (almonds, cashew, macadamias, pecans, walnuts), Onions, Pears, Seeds (flax, hemp, pumpkin, sesame, sunflower, etc), Shallots, Tahini, Tea (black, white), Whole grains (amaranth, buckwheat, corn, millet, montina, oats, quinoa, rice,sorghum, teff- all naturally free of gluten)

BENEFITS

Cancer protective, anti-microbial, cell protection, gastrointestinal health, heart health, liver health, hormone balance

BLUE/PURPLE/BLACK FOODS

Aubergine, Berries (blue/black), Cabbage (purple), Carrots (purple), Cauliflower (purple), Figs, Grapes (purple), Kale (purple), Olives (black), Plums, Potatoes (purple), Prunes, Raisins, Rice (black/purple)

BENEFITS

Cancer protective, healthy inflammatory response, cell protection, cognitive health, heart health, liver health

Acknowledgement:

We would like to acknowledge the Institute for Functional Medicine (www.functionalmedicine.org) as the primary source of the above information on the 'phytonutrient spectrum'.

FOOD FOR HEALTH GUIDELINES

6 FOOD GROUPS EVERY DAY

(for adults and children over 6)

1. 40% VEGETABLES (UNPROCESSED)
2. 10% FRUITS (UNPROCESSED)
3. 10% GRAINS (GLUTEN-FREE WHOLE GRAINS)
4. 10% HIGH 'HEALTHY FAT' FOODS
5. 25% PROTEIN-RICH FOODS
6. 5% CONCENTRATED NUTRIENTS (E.G. NON-IRRADIATED HERBS, SPICES, TEAS, FOOD SUPPLEMENTS)

10 KEY POINTERS

1. Macronutrient composition by energy contribution (kcal or kJ) should be approximately 20% protein (4 kcal/g), 30% carbohydrates (4 kcal/g) and 50% fats (9 kcal/g)
2. Minimise consumption of highly processed food
3. Consume plenty of fresh, raw foods
4. Avoid high-temperature cooking methods (frying, grilling), unless brief. Minimise heat-damage to proteins, fats, vegetables, starches, and other carbs by using slow cooking methods
5. Healthy fats for cooking include extra virgin coconut oil, unfiltered extra virgin olive oil and butter (the latter assuming no lactose intolerance)
6. Consume plenty of fresh herbs and non-irradiated, preferably organic, spices
7. Avoid snacking and try to maintain 5 or more hours between meals
8. Consume at least 1.5 litres of spring or filtered water daily (more if exercising intensively), between meals
9. Avoid all foods which trigger intolerance or allergy (concentrated sources of nutrients)
10. Seek advice from a qualified and experienced health professional on the most appropriate supplements (concentrated sources of nutrients)

8 FOOD GROUPS FOR KIDS

EVERY DAY

(for young children aged 1-6)

1. 25% NON-STARCHY MULTI-COLOURED VEGETABLES
2. 5% STARCHY ROOT VEGETABLES
3. 10% FRUIT
4. 10% GRAINS (GLUTEN-FREE WHOLE GRAIN)
5. 15% HIGH 'HEALTHY FAT' FOODS
6. 25% HIGH PROTEIN FOODS
7. 7% DAIRY FOOD AND DRINK (OPTIONAL)
8. 3% CONCENTRATED NUTRIENTS

10 KEY POINTERS

1. Macronutrient composition by energy contribution (kJ or kcal) should be approximately 10% protein, 35% carbohydrates and 55% fats by energy contribution daily
2. Eat a 'rainbow' of different coloured vegetables and fruit every day
3. Avoid/minimize 'free' (added) sugars
4. Drink water, not soft drinks or fruit juices
5. Avoid drinks sweetened using non-nutritive sweeteners
6. Avoid all ultra-processed and refined foods
7. All whole grains should be gluten-free
8. Check for dairy intolerance and avoid dairy if intolerant
9. Avoid over-cooking or charring foods
10. Include supplements (concentrated nutrients) daily

You think you don't have enough varieties of food? Remember...

NATURE'S FOOD TROVE

(Source: Vietmeyer,N. 1990. The New Crops Era)

• 10,000 species of grasses (wheat, rice, maize, barley, sorghum, rye, oats)
• 3,000 species of tropical fruits (banana, mango, pineapple, papaya)
• 18,000 species of legumes (peas, beans, soybeans, peanuts, alfalfa, clover)
• 1,500 species of edible nuts
• 1,500 species of edible mushrooms
• 60,000 species of medicinal plants

Acknowlegement:

We would like to acknowledge the Alliance for Natural Health International (www.anhinternational.org) as the primary source of the above information on 'Food4Health and Food4Kids Guidelines'.

Integrative Medicine Kota Kinabalu

ASSOCIATION OF INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE MALAYSIA

Persatuan Perubatan Integratif Malaysia

It was a proud moment for the Association of Integrative Medicine Malaysia to achieve a remarkable milestone in successfully organizing the Inaugural International Integrative Medicine Conference on 11& 12 February 2018 with the support of our Minister of Health, Malaysia and Director General of Health Malaysia.

"This is a giant step forward in providing holistic and seamless approach towards patient management as well as the prevention of diseases within the community and this will benefit health care professionals as well as the community."

-YB Datuk Seri Dr. S. Subramaniam

This was something really different compared to other medical conference I have participated. Never before was it conceivable that medical specialists (Anaesthetist, O&G, Cardiologist, Oncologist), Biologist, Scientist, Osteopath, Psychoneuroimmunologist, Sports Therapists, Chiropractor, Hypnotherapist, Homeopath etc., are sitting under one roof to discuss patient treatment and well-being with mutual respect!

Topics discussed included alternative cancer care by Dr Vijaendreh (Gynae-oncologist), non-invasive cardiac rehabiliation (ECP) by Dr Wong Wee Teck (Interventional Cardiologist), Sexual Qi Gong by Dr Amir (Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist), acupuncture assisted anaethesia by Dr Kavita (Anaesthesiologist), Bioresonance therapy by Dr Sherman (Naturopath).

"Integrative Medicine, which is the judicious combination of mainstream medicine and other therapies, should be adequately studied and the proven ones can be promoted for the benefit of all. The Ministry of Health supports every effort to improve the delivery of health of the people, including the promotion of Integrative Medicine."

-Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah

Medical controversies were discussed openly and intellectually in a patient centered manner. It was an eye opening and refreshing weekend to attend such conference.

Ultimately, we all have a common goal towards sustainable healthcare with the patients' best interest in mind and these are its 10 hallmarks:

1. Minimize drug reliance
2. Prioritise non-pharmaceutical approach
3. Affordability to all parties and environmental sustainability
4. Patient-centred approach
5. Informed consent
6. Focus on root cause of disease(s) and prevention
7. Routine monitoring and screening
8. Personalised and guided
9. Empowered self-care
10. Healthy therapeutic partnerships

Dr Julian Lim is a member of the AIMM (Association of Integrative Medicine Malaysia)