Are you too lazy to live?: May 2013

Saturday, May 18, 2013

What's in your cosmetics and skin care products?

Couple days ago, someone just consulted me about a skin care product. "Is it safe to use?" she asked. "Can you help me look at the ingredients?" she asked again. Well, my answer to her isn't that promising and encouraging. She was dissapointed but yet, investment had been made and that would be the last bottle she would purchase ever again.

Today, I'm going to write a short post about some of the 'undesirable' ingredients used in most commercial as well as 'branded' skin care products and cosmetics. I will not reveal the brand of the skin care product in this post, but I will name it as SE. For whoever using this skin purifier before or is still using it, you may be familiar with the product. Anyhow, it is a branded, yet fairly expensive cosmetic product.

For whoever read my previous posts about cosmetics or skin care products before, you will realize and familiar with some of the harmful or bad ingredients used in most skin care/cosmetics products. Some of my friends asked me, "Which ingredient is the most dangerous?" Well, I do not know for sure. but, I have listed some of the ingredients below, which I would advise any consumer (especially women) to read the labels and ingredient list, before buying or investing something may cause more harm then good to your skin and health.

In average, women's body absorb approximately 5 lbs of skin care /cosmetics chemicals in a single year. If that's not shocking enough, there are a lot of estrogen mimickers(cancer causing agents) found in most skin care products which will elevate the total estrogen levels in the body, thus causing hormonal imbalance and higher risk of developing cancer as well as increase body weight and water retention. Other chemicals is shown to suppress nervous system functions and damage vital organs such as kidneys and also clogging the skin pores.

Always remember, no matter which skin care or cosmetic product you are going to buy, always read the ingredient list, and not the brand itself or whichever magazines or media that tells you this brand is good or that brand is a bestseller. Ask yourself, "Do you want to invest or pay for a cosmetic product which damages your skin and health in long run?"

Finally, I hereby provide you various references and studies for some of the chemicals to avoid in skin care/cosmetic products.

Rule of the thumb:

1) The most expensive skin care product doesn't mean it is the best for your skin

2) Read the ingredient list, and not be influenced by the advertising and brand of the product.

3) Always choose natural (plants based) ingredients (preferably organic), and minimal or zero chemicals.

Thursday, May 9, 2013

No one seemed to ask WHY? Chasing da symptoms! (Part 2)

Political stress is almost gone, election had passed and most people in my country get on with their daily lives as usual. I had to admit there are quite a lot of people who were tension high and stressed out with the big event and results of the election. As if our daily stressors are not bad enough, some of us brought themselves another layer of stressor, politically related this time around. I wish more people can let go of what happened, and get on with their lives and focus on much more important priorities such as diet, health, lifestyle, family and perhaps work too.

Now, drop politics, let's discuss about what health really is. Everyone heard of the word health, and in order to be healthy we need to eat balanced meals, exercise, sleep well, etc. Question is, is that what health is all about? Today, I'm going to reset your thinking of what health really is, as I will explain how the human body and mind are connected and how diseases and symptoms developed in each and every one of us.

Let me start off telling you guys one thing. Throughout my previous years, I've asked a few conventional doctors about health, what is health, and listen to what they have to say and understand. Because, I believe that in order to be able to diagnose and treat any patient, a health professional MUST know and understand how the body works, and how disease and symptoms came about, and health really is. But, diagnosing and treating symptoms based on drugs and even surgery, is definitely flawed medical paradigm. No matter how many pills or prescription drugs consumed or even surgeries which happened, the root cause, hidden stressors and malfunctions will never be identified, and the ability to help the body heal and bring it back to homeostasis or in the state of ease, look very slim, close to impossible.

Some of the conventional doctors whom i spoken to, don't look to be any healthier then most of my friends or relatives. The answers or explanation given to me about health, is barely any different then most people I know, normal average people. Health professionals @ doctors, doesn't even know how the body works, and hardwired into the paradigm of chasing/treating symptoms until the body stop responding or unable to cope any further. Are conventional doctors bad? Of course not. It's not entirely fair to accuse doctors for treating symptoms most of the time, and failed to identify the root cause and malfunctions in the body, but it is just the way how medical science are being taught to medical students in their faculty, primarily funded by pharmaceutical industries. You don't expect the grain industry owners to educate and endorse people to consume dairy products right?

Before I proceed further to discuss about how our body works and the perspective about health, diseases and symptoms, I'm providing you some of the questions you should be asking yourself, basically wisdom from our ancestors.

1) How did our ancestors generations ago, live longer, better quality of life and health, virtually drug free?

2) What our ancestors eat and how well do they sleep? What much stressors they had to cope, compared to the 21st century population?

3) How much do our ancestors move physically compared to most couch potatoes or sedentary people?

4) Did our ancestors generations ago, use prescription drugs or natural alternatives such as herbs, plants and foods to heal the body and cure illnesses suffered during those times?

All these questions, each and every one of us, should be asking ourselves to trigger more sense into our brains. We have been hardwired to a hugely flawed health and medical paradigm, for a long time, ever since possibly processed foods were introduced? Or maybe since pharmaceutical drugs were slowly blooming into our so called 'medication world' in most industrialized nations.

Now, let's have a look at the brain - body diagram below. I apologize for a poorly designed graphical diagram, but I will try my best to explain how our body actually works and a different way to look at health. First of all, our brain and body, which includes all our organs, glands, systems, tissues and cells communicate with each other every single second. Remember, our body doesn't work independently and in order for the body and all its primary organs and glands to work properly, certain components such as blood which consists of hormones and nutrients are vital. Energy, which is CHI as well as nervous systems like autonomic and somatic.

I will try not to get too technical to allow you to understand how disease and symptoms actually occurred amongst us, and how allopathic medicine such as drugs @ medication comes into the picture to so called aid or help certain conditions. As you can see down below the body component, there is function, which means, with brain and body communication and working together as a unit, function is expected in order to keep us alive and do what we do in our daily lives. From breathing to sleeping, physical movements to digestion and detoxification, everything our body perform, it doesn't matter what you think mentally or do physically, our body, strive to function 100%. In this case, it is considered normal function. To regard our body as function normally, it must be 100%. Make sense?

When our body in function normally, it will be in the state of ease. We can also call it homeostasis. I'm sure some of you might have heard this word before, it basically refers the body in a balance functional state. So, with the body functioning 100% and in the state of ease, there will be no symptom at all. What is symptoms? As you can see at the bottom of the page, there are a list of symptoms which most of them seem familiar to you. Of course there are much more other symptoms, but I'm just giving a random list of what most people are suffering from time to time, if not daily or regularly. I know, some of you might be asking, cancer and heart disease are also considered symptoms? As you can see in the diagram below, when the body function is no longer 100% and normal, malfunction will occur. What happen to the initial state of ease? Yes, it will become DIS-EASE. So, for whoever doesn't know how the word disease is derived? Now you know! And when the body is in dis-ease, symptoms will occur. So, whichever health conditions or so called diseases you are suffering or developed, it is your body telling you that it is no longer in the state of ease and function normally. Treating the particular disease itself, will mostly not fix what had broken or malfunctioned inside of your own body. We have to investigate and find out the root cause and hidden stressors which prevent the body from healing and responding to cure itself.

It is silly to take SSRI if you develop depression or mental disorders, or angiotensin inhibitors/ antihypertensive drugs for high blood pressure. And worst case ever, taking cholesterol lowering drug to prevent heart disease? In more common cases, taking antibiotics whenever we have sorethroat, cough and flu, is totally ridiculous. Antibiotics are meant only for vast majority of bacterial infections, that is if the doctor can truly confirm it is in fact bacteria infection. Else, taking that dose of antibiotics will wipe out the whole gut flora including beneficial bacterias, which is so important to our immune system. As I've mentioned before, our gut flora is close to 75-80% of our body immune system. When you often falls sick or ill, or develop various symptoms, your gut is the first place to investigate.

Always remember, allopathic medicine, primarily practiced by conventional doctors, are used to treat the symptoms and never meant to heal anything at all, nor address any root cause. Drugs @ medication, is meant to destroy, and not heal. That is why it has to be patented, because it is altered from nature and regard as poison. But, it is sometimes useful when it is needed to relief certain discomfort of symptoms, if you can ignore the side effects. Let's just consider prescription or over the counter drugs as last resort, which includes antibiotics.

Bottom line, in order to be healthy, we should be symptom, disease, pain and drug free, feeling happy and good and energetic most, if not all the time, and ensuring all our systems are functioning properly and achieving homeostasis.

Brain-Body Diagram

What are symptoms?

Migraines
Headaches
Sorethroat
Cough
Fever
Skin disorders (rashes, psoriasis, dermatitis, acne, dry skin, etc)
dry hair
Brain fog (inability to think and concentrate, poor cognitive performance)
Excess of body fat (overweight & obese)
Menstrual cramps
Fatigue
High estrogens levels
Joints pains and aches
Constipation & diarheaa
Bloating & Flatulence
Digestive issues/GI tract (heartburn, acid reflux, GERD, defficiency in digesting foods, etc)
Insomnia or sleeping difficulties
PMS
GOUT
Fungal & parasite infections
Memory loss / Poor memory
Low energy levels
Low sexual drive/libido
Bad breath
Mood swings / Depression
Asthma
High Blood Pressure/Hypertension
Diabetes
Cancer
Heart Disease
Autoimmunity
Gallstones, kidney stones
Palpitation

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

No one seemed to ask WHY? Chasing da symptoms! (Part 1)

As I was driving this morning, I listen to the local radio channel, and something just pop my brain and tell me "You got to blog about this!". What happen? Within just 15 mins of driving and trying to check out some news headlines, I realize there 4 advertisements about drugs,ailments and supplements. From diabetes-related to blood pressure drugs and cholesterol-lowering food supplement, the first thing that hit my mind is symptoms! Yes, chasing the symptoms. Although today's post is primarily about chasing the symptoms, but, I will also discuss why all this is happening and why so seldom we are diagnosing and finding out the root cause of the health illnesses or diseases.

The billion dollar question. Why no one seemed to ask why? Yes, I have been asking myself over a thousand times, why are we all not asked ourselves why, instead of just chasing and addressing the symptoms? Very few people only seemed to concern about the drugs prescribed by the doctor but most of us just don't question Mr. doctor and assume it is safe and the FDA can be trusted and all prescription drugs are safe and effective. Most important, almost everyone never seem to ask our self why do we have symptoms and why disease occur in the first place. In fact, all of us have been chasing and treating symptoms for as long as I could remember, decades ago, since pharmaceuticals have born.

Since many years back, before all of us are obsessed with prescription drugs @ medicine treatment, allopathic medicine/treatment has been dominating the so called 'conventional medical treatment'. Most of the medical diagnosis and treatment around the globe (especially industrialized nations), are very allopathic, meaning, diagnosing and treating symptoms. And today, the trend continue to bloom and expand, influenced by powerful pharmaceutical industry and help from doctors prescribing and selling the drugs. I guess we could call most of us as 'drug-addict', where we are drugs-dependant whenever we are sick or having the need to suppress symptoms.

Now, I've met many people including my own clients. Not many people know how the word 'disease' is derived. Today, I will discuss a little bit about how truly our body works, and how disease is triggered or developed. First of all, let me just let you know that our body doesn't work as a standalone unit, nor any system work separately. The mind(brain) and body, work together, all systems, glands, organs, tissues, cells communicate with each other and thrive to obtain homeostasis, meaning in the state of balance and ease. The body, wants to be healthy and will do whatever it takes to achieve optimum health.

I know some of you might be thinking, don't we have so many different specialized doctors in each and every hospitals? From cardiologists to neurologists to endocrinologists and orthopedic surgeons, we've got virtually all areas in the body covered, ain't we? Well, we may have specialized doctors who is presumably expert in their own 'field', with cardiologists being expert with cardiovascular systems and heart problems, endocrinologists tackling all glands and hormonal pathways, oncologists being an expert on so called 'treating' cancer. But, the question is, if a specialized doctor who only focus on a specific system in the body, would he or she be missing out diagnosing other systems that may be causing the symptoms? For example, a migraine sufferer, might be having episodes of attacks regularly, and getting diagnosis and treatment from a neurologists may not seem to be able to find out the root cause, due to other factors such atrophy of the villi or perhaps gluten sensitivity which is hurting the individual. In this case, it may not be the brain, but it's the gut. Or, it could even be estrogen dominance in women, which usually have increased water retention kept in the brain, causing the brain to 'swell and expand' pressing against the skull, which causes the migraine or headaches episodes.

Let's talk a bit about why do we have symptoms. Everyone, and I mean virtually everyone, have health symptoms. Unless you are super healthy and living a hollistic lifestyle with low stress, drug free, clean nutritious diet and regular exercise as well in tune circadian rhythm, I doubt you will be symptom free. With our hectic stressful lifestyle and toxic environment with contaminated yet chemically laden food supply, we are officially the most toxic human species of all time, in the history of mankind.

Each and everyone of us, MUST realize, that depending on prescription drugs @ medication, will not solve nor cure any of the root cause nor dysfunctions in the body. Drugs, are not meant to heal, they are meant to destroy, and I'm sure all of you readers out there know and heard of something called 'side effects'. As I mentioned before in my previous posts, having a headache, is not because of deficiency in paracetamol nor aspirin. Same goes with having constipation is not because of deficiency in laxatives. It would be absurd to think that developing hypertension/high blood pressure is due to deficiency in angiotensin inhibitors or antihypertensive drugs. My question to all of you, have you all lost your common sense?

Drugs @ medications, is meant to suppress symptoms temporarily, in addition with long list of adverse side effects, which will stack up overtime, causing more health problems then trying to fix anything at all. Please take note that symptoms and disease is totally different health problems. Not to mention hidden stressors or malfunctions in the body which most conventional diagnosis and tests end up checking the wrong bio-markers, or most hospitals and clinics are not equipped/capable to run functional lab tests. Whenever we are not feeling well or sick, or even catch a flu or cough, what do we do? Yes, go to a clinic, consult a doctor, get a prescription or medication, drive back home, take those pills or drugs, and monitor if your condition improves. How long does it take for each consultation? 5 mins!! Yes, you would be lucky if the doctor spend more then 5 mins with you in the consultation room. Have you ever wonder why the doctor very seldom or never ask you about your bowel movement, sleep wake cycles, stress levels, detoxification, diet and even exercise routines? Unless you consult naturopathic doctors (ND) or hollistic health practitioners, virtually none of conventional doctors know about the root cause of your disease and symptoms. Medical science graduates knowledge about health, nutrition, detoxification and exercise, is as good as you. I mean seriously!

But, I have to admit, allopathic medicine using prescription drugs or medication, could sometimes be quite useful, if you need some sort of symptoms relief, temporarily. If you could ignore the side effects and wants a quick relief, some of the drugs or medication can help to ease some of that symptoms. But still, we all have other choices to choose from, such as herbs, plants, flowers and even foods, instead of drugs. Ask yourself, our great grandparents, ancestors from few generations ago, before even processed foods were commercially introduced in our food chain, most of them barely even know what's paracetamol or cough syrup, and they tend to live longer, better quality of health and virtually drug free and minimal disease/symptoms.

In the next post, I will continue discussing about how our body actually works, a different perspective to look at health, and why do we need to start asking questions about conventional diagnosis and treatment and what can we all do anything about it. Stay tuned and Happy Labor Day.

Are you too lazy to live?