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Showing posts with label Brain. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brain. Show all posts

Monday 14 June 2021

Death by overwork

 


Working more than 55 hours a week is killing us through ischaemic heart disease and stroke.

THE Japanese call it karoshi or “death by overwork”.

The signs: a sudden stress-induced heart attack, stroke or extreme mental pressure leading to suicide.

After World War II, the Japanese struggled to cope with defeat and an insecure future, so they threw themselves into work, determined to advance economically and fuelled by an ingrained culture where collectivism is valued above individualism.

Annually, thousands of Japanese workers die from karoshi, but in recent years, China has overtaken Japan with an estimated 600,000 deaths from overworking in 2016.

A large number of deaths in China are coming from industries such as media, advertising, medical care and information technology.

With the Covid-19 pandemic, more people are working from home (WFH) and feeling the strain of being forced to take on additional work.

As businesses cut costs and struggle to stay afloat, it translates to more work and longer working hours for employees still on the payroll.

For some, it is either do the job or get the boot.

This certainly doesn’t bode well for our health.

In fact, even before the pandemic, a 2019 AIA Vitality survey revealed that workers in Malaysia are often overworked and sleep deprived, with 51% suffering from at least one dimension of work-related stress and 53% getting less than seven hours of sleep in a 24-hour period.

It was also reported that Malaysia had experienced a three-fold increase in mental health problems over the past two decades.

According to the latest estimates by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) published in the journal Environment International last month, long working hours led to 398,000 deaths from stroke and 347,000 deaths from ischaemic heart disease in 2016 – a 29% increase since 2000.

Most of the deaths recorded were among people living in the Western Pacific and South-East Asia regions, who had worked for 55 hours or more per week, when they were between the ages of 45 and 74 years.

Young and otherwise healthy people can be struck by a stroke due to long-term unbalanced lifestyles and stress. — 123rf.com Just because bosses send messages throughout the night doesn’t mean they expect you to respond or react immediately, says Dr Yong. — AFP

The heart has its limits

James (not his real name), a marketing director of a multinational company, had been WFH and logging in at least 60 hours of work weekly, including on weekends, ever since the pandemic began.

At 51, the father of two teenagers eats healthy, rarely gets sick, enjoys the occasional drink and lets off steam by waking up at 4.30am to cycle or run for an hour every day.

Two months ago, he was in a virtual meeting when he started sweating profusely and felt pain radiating down his left arm.

As it was an important meeting, he ignored the symptoms, which eventually disappeared.

He continued cycling the next morning without any problem.

“But the pain returned a week later, and this time, it was accompanied by chest discomfort and dizziness.

“My wife drove me to the hospital, and after doing some scans, I was told I had a heart attack, with three blocked arteries,” he recalls, still in disbelief.

James’ wife broke down. She had been telling him to slow down, but he wouldn’t listen, continuing to work and exercise hard.

He had to have two stents inserted to open up his arteries.

“Prior to that, I hadn’t taken leave in a year. These days, I’ve learnt to switch off and no longer answer calls after 6pm.

“The cycling has been replaced with meditation and long walks,” he shares.

It’s quite an adjustment to make, but work is no longer his number one priority.

Says consultant cardiologist Dr Kannan Pasamanickam: “All of us are guilty of overworking – yours truly included!

“We have to remind ourselves that we cannot take health for granted; if you become ill, you may never be able to work again.”

Many patients shun hospitals during this pandemic as they fear running an increased risk of contracting Covid-19.

However, this might result in them delaying getting much-needed treatment – James was lucky that his first episode was not fatal.

Signs of a unhealthy heart include increased breathlessness; getting tired more quickly during physical exertion; chest/jaw/upper abdominal/arm pains brought on by exertion and relieved by rest; leg swelling (although this can be due to several other causes as well); breathlessness when lying flat in bed; and unusual palpitations, among others.

“Do annual medical exams, especially when you cross the golden age of 40, or start younger if you have a family history of vascular disease,”advises Dr Kannan.

If you’re living alone and experience a heart attack, he suggests that after calling for help immediately, take one tablet of aspirin straight away (barring an aspirin allergy), keep calm, remain seated (preferably on a sofa) and wait for help.

“If you feel like fainting, start coughing.

“If the heart stops because of sudden, irregular beating of the heart called ventricular fibrillation or tachycardia, which can occur soon after a heart attack, or the blood pressure becomes very low, coughing can maintain an adequate blood pressure until help arrives,” he says.

A stroke in time

We often think that stroke only strikes old people and those with uncontrolled high blood pressure,but these are myths.

Stress has been identified as the most important causative factor for a stroke or so-called “brain attack”.

The warning sign of an imminent stroke is a transient ischaemic attack (TIA), also known as a mini stroke.

This can happen up to seven days before the actual stroke and last up to five minutes or so. Consultant neurosurgeon Datuk Dr Kantha Rasalingam explains: “There could be sudden numbness or weakness in the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body.

“Individuals may also experience sudden double vision, confusion, inability to talk or understand things, instability when walking, and problems with balance or coordination.

“The key term here is ‘sudden onset of any neurological deficit’. “If you recover within a few minutes, it is a warning sign of TIA. If it persists, then it is a stroke.”

Some healthy individuals in the 18-49 age group – males, in particular – are being struck by strokes as a result of unbalanced lifestyles and stress.

“This is quite sad. If you push the boundaries and the body becomes exhausted, there is a possibility of getting a stroke.

“It’s a wake-up call for everybody,” remarks Dr Kantha. He shares the case of a 41-yearold lady who came into his clinic last week as she had experienced sudden right-sided upper and lower limb weakness.

An MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) of the brain showed a left-sided cerebrovascular accident (i.e. stroke).

Her husband was devastated, angry and blamed her employer.

Dr Kantha elaborates: “The husband said his wife was WFH more than normal the last month as her boss was asking her to do more work or else she would be retrenched like her other colleagues.

“Stressed, she tried her best to keep up, and a few days ago, while going out to buy food, she passed out in the car.”

Unfortunately, she sought treatment too late and there wasn’t much the doctor could do as the brain cells controlling her right side were already dead.

“I don’t think she will be able to go back to work unless she drastically improves,” he says.

“But work should be the least of her priorities as she has a six-yearold daughter.

“Often, people just dismiss the weakness and wait till it’s very late to seek treatment.

“Some go to smaller clinics, then smaller hospitals, and by the time they come to a bigger hospital, time has lapsed and we can’t do much. 

“If a patient comes in early (within six hours of the onset of symptoms), we can do interventional therapy, e.g. embolism to break the clot.” He adds that a useful acronym to remember is FAST: if you experience a Facial droop, Arm weakness and Speech difficulty, it’s Time to call for help.

Note these symptoms

If you’re working long hours, it usually also means a more sedentary lifestyle, and reduced physical activity is a risk factor to getting a stroke.

Look out for symptoms such as a lack of concentration at work, lack of energy, irritability, forgetfulness and poor sleep.

Says consultant neurologist Dr Kok Chin Yong: “These symptoms are easily overlooked and frequently attributed to other factors.

“In fact, these symptoms may be correlated with each other to form a vicious cycle and may lead to depression and anxiety.

“Individuals should get medical help when the above symptoms start to disrupt daily activities, such as personal relationships or work.

“If we can prevent these symptoms from getting worse, we can prevent heart attacks and strokes.”

To address being overworked, he recommends following “SEMMS”.

“Sleep is key; Exercise regularly at least 40 minutes three times a week; practise Meditation, which has been proven to reduce the relapse rate in both depression and addiction; adopt a combination of the Mediterranean and DASH diets for neurodegenerative delay, consisting of green, leafy vegetables, whole grains, berries, olive oil, poultry and fish; and be Socially active,” he says.

Dealing with bosses

The Malaysian Employment Act defines the work week as 48 hours, with a maximum of eight working hours per day and six working days per week.

But many employers blatantly disregard these guidelines.

How can we deal with unreasonable employers and maintain sanity while WFH?

Clinical psychologist Dr Lynne Yong says: “Discuss with the human resources (HR) people on what your job scope really encompasses and know your rights.

“There are laws to protect employees against exploitation

“However, the first step would be to ask yourself if you are overthinking your employer’s expectations.”

While some employers might be demanding, they can also be reasonable.

She says: “Just because bosses send messages throughout the night doesn’t mean they expect you to answer immediately.

“Because of these uncertain times, people tend to see things in black and white, but the reality is more nuanced than they think.”

The president of the Malaysian Society of Clinical Psychology suggests these steps to help manage your workload:

> Are you looking at your job situation clearly and objectively? > Is it the bosses’ expectations or your own interpretation of your bosses’ expectations?

> If the boss is really unreasonable, can you discuss the issue with HR?

> Turn off notifications at a reasonable hour, perhaps two or three hours before bedtime.

Fellow clinical psychologist Prof Dr Alvin Ng Lai Oon adds that another helpful way is to affirm that you will be willing to do the expected task, but bring up problems at home that would need some mutual problem-solving between the boss and you.

“Say something like ‘Sure, boss, I can do that. But if I do, then there’s this other thing that becomes a problem, which I’m afraid would continue to persist if I do the task you just gave me.

“‘I’m concerned that this problem would affect my productivity in the long run. So, how?’” he suggests

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Monday 7 June 2021

Stroke Recovery: Qigong, 回春医疗保健操, 康復的秘訣, 中醫復健法, 膀胱經, 排毒

https://youtu.be/NtN6MB7sdDg 

A stroke occurs when a blood vessel, which is carrying oxygen and nutrients to the brain, bursts or is blocked by a clot. This causes an interruption of the blood supply to part of the brain. This can damage or destroy brain cells which will affect body functions. For example, if a stroke damages the part of the brain that controls limb movement, a person’s ability to move an arm or leg may be affected. A stroke can also affect mental processes such as how people feel, think, communicate, or learn. In the video on this page you'll learn some methods of Qigong for stroke recovery which can speed up the process, regardless of how long ago the stroke occurred.

Janice Tucker is a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Medical Qigong. She is also the founder of the Space To Relax online programme of Qigong video lessons (
https://spacetorelax.com/space-to-rel...).

Please don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel by clicking the red "Subscribe" button above so you don't miss my regular videos which are full of useful health enhancing tips. These videos will help you to enhance your health and prevent illness from arising in the first place. Also please give this video a "Like" if you found it informative.

Why Is Qigong Helpful in Stroke Recovery?

1. As I explained above, if you have a stroke, your brain is affected. Qigong helps you to form new connections in your brain as the movements involved are ones which the body isn't used to carrying out. These new movements promote new brain connections.

2. Qigong involves repetitive movements which, practised every day, over and over, help to reinforce the new neurological connections in the brain. Repetition is the key here. The more repetition, the more stable these new connections become.

3. Qigong is free and easily accessible. Unlike attending the gym, physiotherapist or swimming to help with recovery from stroke, Qigong methods, once you have learned them, can be performed in the comfort of your home for no cost. Other methods to help recovery may incur a cost or visit to a special facility which is not always practical. Qigong can also be performed from a standing, sitting or lying down position so can be adapted to the range of movement a person may have following a stroke.

4. Qigong can easily be integrated into daily activities. This makes the repetition aspect easy to carry out as you can do Qigong when you are standing in a queue, walking, driving, standing, reaching for things, etc.

5. Qigong Helps Balance The Whole Body. Working from a whole body perspective is very important subsequent to a stroke as this means that the parts of your body which may have been weakened by the stroke can be assisted by the stronger parts.

Where Can I Learn Qigong for Stroke Recovery?

If you would like to learn some Qigong for stroke recovery then there are a number of things you can do:

1. Head over to my Space To Relax homepage (
https://spacetorelax.com/). There you can sign up for a free 3 part video series of Qigong lessons. Once you've completed the free series you'll have the opportunity to join my Space To Relax online membership programme of Qigong video lessons. This will allow you to take your practice to a whole new level where you will learn many exercises to eliminate health issues before they become a major problem. I'll guide you step by step through many more effective Qigong methods, all which can be adapted for stroke recovery.

2. Subscribe to my YouTube channel by clicking the red "Subscribe" button. That way you won't miss my regular videos which are full of useful health enhancing tips. Also please give this video a "Like" and share with me in the comments box what you learned from this video.

3. Join my free Facebook group, "Space To Relax Free Group" (
https://www.facebook.com/groups/janic...) and leave any comments or questions for me there. I'll be happy to answer them. Also, by joining this group, you will receive regular posts of Qigong articles and videos with really useful tips about how to use Qigong to improve your state of health.

https://spacetorelax.com/

 

 N0tes: 

 
Online Qigong sessions. Each session will be 20-30 minutes long and will take place via Zoom.

Classes will take place at 4pm on Thursdays Irish time.
For time zone conversion click here.

I'll send you an email reminder the day before and 45 mins before each class with the link to the Zoom meeting. If you don't have the Zoom app downloaded on your computer, tablet or phone then please do that now. About 5-10 minutes before the class just click the link and then you're in! :-)


Qigong & Acupressure For Gallbladder Health | Qigong for Seniors | Qigong for Beginners


https://youtu.be/OYBUao3LQWg

This video is a replay of a live Qigong session taught by myself, Dr. Janice Tucker, the founder of the Space To Relax Programme of Qigong video lessons. It is my pleasure to offer my live Qigong classes via Zoom with follow-up replays of the classes.

If you find this class helpful and would like to donate by way of a thank you then 50% of your donation will go to the staff of the Intensive Care Unit in my local hospital. Please click here to donate:
https://spacetorelax.com/asp-products.... (The other 50% of your donation goes towards the upkeep of my website.)

I'm teaching live classes on Zoom every Thursday at 4pm Irish time. To join the live online sessions please go to
https://spacetorelax.com/qigong-onlin.... Classes are free of charge and suitable for both beginners and those with more Qigong experience.

INTRODUCTION

In Traditional Chinese Medicine the Gallbladder system is paired with the Liver and both are associated with the season of Spring. The Gallbladder pathway of Qi flow starts at the outside corner of each eye and zig-zags around the head, down the back of the neck to the shoulders, and then down the sides of the torso and legs to end at the outside corner of the 4th toe.

The healthy function of the Gallbladder include:
1. Good posture, flexibility, coordination and balance;
2. Storing bile for the healthy breakdown of fats;
3. Courage to follow through with decisions;
4. Physical and emotional clear vision (along with the Liver).

The unhealthy functions of the Gallbladder include:
1. Headaches and migraines;
2. Pains in the sides of the body (including gallbladder pain);
3. Nausea, vomiting, constipation;
4. Neck and shoulder pain;
5. Sciatic pain, pains and cramps in the legs;
6. Lack of courage and fighting spirit, no boldness to follow through with your decisions, low self-esteem.
7. Vertigo.

QIGONG EXERCISES

Any Qigong methods involving the stimulation and stretching of the Gallbladder channel along the sides of the body can be helpful. The three exercises in this video show you an example of the types of movements which can help create the conditions for open and unobstructed Qi flow in the Gallbladder channel.

1. Holding the Qi ball in the "Standing Like a Tree" posture (
https://spacetorelax.com/lesson-31-qi...) and turning the body from side to side.

2. Cross body stretch of the arms.

3. Supporting Heaven method with a pause when the arms are fully extended above your head to further extend and lean to the right and left.

ACUPRESSURE POINTS

1. Jianjing (Gallbladder 21). To help relieve pain and discomfort in the neck, shoulders and head. NOTE: CONTRAINDICATED IN PREGNANCY - DO NOT USE!

2. Yanglingquan (Gallbladder 34). For digestive issues, gallbladder pain, sciatic pain and leg cramps.

WHAT TO DO NEXT

1. You'll find a few other video class replays which can also be used to make up your own Qigong routine in conjunction with this one:

Standing Like a Tree posture is explained in greater detail here:
https://spacetorelax.com/lesson-31-qi....

Qigong Liver Cleansing to practice with the paired organ system of the Gallbladder:
https://spacetorelax.com/lesson-29-li....

Another very helpful twisting method which also benefits the Kidney system:
https://spacetorelax.com/lesson-41-th....

2. Previous live lesson replays are listed below and can be found on my blog page (
https://spacetorelax.com/blog/).

3. Join us for free Qigong classes live on Zoom every Thursday here:
https://spacetorelax.com/qigong-onlin....

4. To sign up for my free part video series of 3 Qigong lessons which will be delivered to you by email over the course of one week please go to
https://spacetorelax.com/free-qigong-....

5. Don't forget to click the red "subscribe" button to join my YouTube channel so that you don't miss any future Qigong lessons from me.

6. Click here to join me on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/janic....

https://spacetorelax.com/.  

 

Empowering the Mind to Heal the Brain for Stroke | Dr. Eric C. Leuthardt | TEDxGatewayArch

https://youtu.be/UYNVbem-7VY

 The capability to "decode the brain" now makes thought-controlled machines a reality. Even more fundamentally theses brain computer interfaces empower the mind to now heal the physical substance of the brain after stroke. Our laboratory has created brain computer interfaces that enable a person with a chronically paralyzed had to recover function by using brain signals from the uninjured side of their brain. With continued practice, while the patient's machine-empowered thoughts enable them to move their paralyzed hand, something extraordinary happens -- the patients begin to recover function.

Not one for idle time, Dr. Leuthardt is an Associate Professor of Neurological Surgery and Biomedical Engineering at Washington University School of Medicine, where he specializes in brain-mapping for patients with brain tumors and epilepsy; Director of Washington University’s Center for Innovation in Neuroscience and Technology, a collaborative collective for developing new technologies to improve neurosurgery; and a published author of the hit psychological thriller RedDevil_4.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at
http://ted.com/tedx

 

Related:

 

MOVE LEGS THIS WAY TO HELP SAVE LIFE

 
 
 

回春医疗保健操

 
 

中風康復的秘訣~加快復健速度

 
 

腦中風後遺症 『快速中醫復健法』 | 談古論今話中醫515

 
 

每天拿「它」泡水喝,降血壓、血管堵塞、腦中風全都不見了,它就是有這麼神奇的功效!

https://youtu.be/QIRsw1485MA 

急性中風之治療及預防/神經科蘇慧真醫師


 
 

生活智多星 第663集-中風復健並不難 這樣做就行

https://youtu.be/GvITEdgxuBs
 
 

腰背痛、 焦慮不安、失眠的人看過來,拍打這條經絡讓你跟病痛說bye!bye! |膀胱經|排毒 |談古論今話中醫(383)

 

>
鬼手武醫-提升自癒力,強化抵抗力,打通膀胱經【90%疾病靠它調理】捉鬼特功22


 

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  Happi妈妈: 低糖指数饮食让你轻松享瘦健康人生 6月5号下午4点30分🔉Happi妈妈直播频道, https://www.facebook.com/ HappiLim08 🔉教你一款低糖指数料理 家人, 朋友和你吃了轻松变得更健康 想了解更多请按链接, wa.me/+...
 
 
  Classic methods include physical exercise, breathing, meditation and eating properly. THESE are difficult times and thus, stress levels..
 
 

Tuesday 8 December 2015

Being constantly connected online has bad consequences: harming memory, make you stupid

How much is too much?: Studies have found that Internet is harming our memory, especially short-term or working memory

How Smart Phones Make You Stupid - Consumer Association of Penang (CAP)



Being constantly connected to the digital world has its consequences - setting the rules with social media

In order to have a more harmonious marriage, H and I have decided that we need some rules.

Recently, we came up with Rule No. 1: You can only repeat something once.

It’s been really helpful in keeping the nagging level of our marriage down. In the past, we would nag at each other quite a bit.

It has worked so well, we thought we should introduce more rules.

A few weeks back, he suggested Rule No. 2: No Googling and checking of e-mail at the dining table and just before we sleep.

I baulked.

What a ridiculous rule, I said. It’ll be impossible for me to agree to it and it’s not fair because it’s targeted at me.

How can I not be checking my e-mail all the time, I continued. I am a journalist. I must know what’s happening and I must be contactable 24/7. What if a story breaks? I need to know at once. I was, of course, exaggerating my own importance.

The world and the newsroom chug along just fine whether or not I am online. My bosses don’t expect me to be constantly connected (I think).

I was using work as an excuse. An excuse for an affliction I am finally coming around to acknowledging, but which H has noticed for some time: I have an addiction.

I have an addiction to Googling, to my smartphone, to my iPad, to being connected to the digital world.

My phone follows me everywhere I go. I sleep with it inches away from my pillow and my nights (as well as his) are punctuated with beeps, blips and pings from the many message notifications streaming in.

I check my phone goodness knows how many times a day, to look at my e-mail, WhatsApp, Telegram, Twitter, Facebook, Vine, Instagram and a few other apps.

When I’m at the cinema, I’m one of those irritating people whose phone screen lights up during a movie because I’m checking it.

I literally break out in a cold sweat when I misplace my phone.

At home, I walk around not only with my phone, but also my tablet.

I am addicted to Googling on my iPad. I can spend an entire day in bed just Googling (oh, bliss). Sometimes, when the Wi-Fi speed is acting up, I Google on both my phone and tablet at the same time, just in case one gets to the information I want quicker.

“You’re addicted,” H says.

“I’m not,” I say. “It’s my job. I am not addicted. I know when to stop.”

To prove my point, I went onto Google (of course) to try out some are-you-an-Internet-addict tests.

The most helpful article I came across was in Yahoo by Dr James Roberts, a professor of marketing at Baylor University in Texas in the United States.

He explained that anything that can produce pleasure in our brain has the potential of becoming addictive and what makes something an addiction is when we lose control.

Research, he said, has identified “six signs” of any type of substance or behavioural addiction.

These signs relate to issues connected to salience, mood modification, tolerance, withdrawal, conflict and relapse. I have a problem. But the situation isn’t that dire, I’d like to think.

Still, I shouldn’t be complacent. It can’t be pleasant living with someone who doesn’t give you her full attention because her nose is always stuck in a screen. It is also rude.

At work, I have got into the bad habit of not looking at colleagues I’m talking to because I’m also typing away on my phone or computer.

At meetings when I’m just the slightest bit bored, I find it hard to resist reaching for my phone and checking my e-mail, which is impolite to the person who’s speaking.

My attachment to my devices can be dangerous – I walk and text a lot. The intense and constant staring at screens is causing eye strain.

Studies have also found that the Internet is harming our memory, especially short-term or working memory.

Information overload and distractions – hallmarks of Internet surfing – make it harder to retain information in our brains.

When we know a digital device holds information for us, we are also less likely to remember it ourselves. It has been years since I memorised anyone’s telephone number. I’m not even sure I can do it now.

Having so much information at my fingertips has made my brain lazy and mushy.Google makes you feel clever when you really aren’t.

Also, while social media like Facebook have been praised for bringing people closer, they can in fact isolate us when we use them in place of face-to-face interactions.

As for H and me, I think I should agree to some version of Rule No. 2 if I want a happier marriage.

Totally no Googling and checking of e-mail at the dining table and just before we sleep might not be doable.

But I can live with “less” Googling and checking of e-mail. One step at a time

By Sumiko Tan The Straits Times/Asia News Network

Saturday 6 July 2013

A Brain-Food Surprise!

A familiar brain-food takes on yet another starring role! Fat-rich fish.


Fat-rich fish is loaded with vitamin D. Neuroscientists now believe that your brain is the biggest beneficiary of vitamin D.

Consider vitamin D a stealth substance.....it is all around us, but increasingly elusive. You get vit D from the sun. We are told to stay out of the sun or use a sun screen. This makes sense, because of potential skin damage and related cancer concerns. The result, though, is that many people are deficient in vit D. A lack of vit D in the brain is not good news.

Here is what we know:

Too little Vit D in the adult brain increases the risk of stroke and dementia.

Vit D thins blood and protects neurons in your brain. Mood disorders are linked to low levels of vitamin D.

A link has been discovered between inadequate levels of vit D and autism and schizophrenia.

I have started to include more of these vitamin D rich foods in my diet:salmon, mackerel, sardines, shrimp, milk, and eggs

Recipes that use these foods could be considered a day of sunshine!

I have become very aware that I have one brain and that it is involved in every thing I do. I am doing my best to look after it.

For more on the brain benefits of fish check out Brain Bulletins 26 and 33 in the Brain Bulletin Archive.
In the last Brain Bulletin I told you that I had just started reading an amazing book:The End of Overeating by David Kessler

It is an absolutely remarkable book in that it approaches eating as a brain behaviour. I saw myself on just about every page. I could not read it fast enough!

Many of the questions that I get asked in my live presentations relate to eating. Usually about eating too much, or continually eating the wrong foods. I have told people for 25 years that you eat with your brain, not your mouth. The End of Overeating really illuminates how your brain interacts with food. You will enjoy it and remember, I don't get a penny for recommeding it.

Last week I was in Barrie, Ontario keynoting the Aim Language Learning Conference. I met lots of great people and I got to celebrate Canada Day in downtown Barrie. It was lots of fun! This week our daughter and soon to be son-in-law, Taryn and Jeff, get married. I get to spend the rest of the month presenting seminars in beautiful Vancouver.

Everyday new horizons appear in your life and new doors open all around you. Train your brain to look for them and......

Remember: "You are a genius!"

By Terry Small.
Terry Small is a brain expert who resides in Canada and believes that anyone can learn how to learn easier, better, faster, and that learning to learn is the most important skill a person can acquire.
www.terrysmall.com

Saturday 8 June 2013

Malaysia needs re-engineering sports, not computer games, junk foods....

Re-engineering sports in schools

KHAIRY Jamaluddin, our Youth and Sports Minister, wants to transform our country into a sporting nation – he has a daunting task to achieve with many challenges along the path of success.

First and foremost, how much time is allocated to physical education in schools? With more children reportedly facing obesity, we wouldn’t even get to the starting block.

Also, our children are too engrossed with computer games and our fields are being hijacked for commercial development, making our children lazier. Let’s not forget too the unhealthy fast food eating culture.

Physical education classes are irregular in schools and disorganised. PE teachers lack the knowledge in sports science or health science.

Most teachers lack the capability to assess a potential athlete as they cannot even explain the percentage of fast and slow twitch muscle fibres and other aspects related to athletic performance such as physiology, physical ability, technical proficiency and psychological predisposition to performance.

Based on feedback, students are just given a ball to kick around without being given much guidance on ball skills. In many cases, students just laze around the field without proper attire.

The main focus of schools, teachers and parents seems to be for students to score the maximum number of “A’s” in the exams, with sports ranking low in priority among the stakeholders.

The million-dollar question now is how are we going to create a sports culture in schools and sell the idea to parents that sports offers great career progression?

Parents have seen that sports does not pay in the long run, except in a few cases like Datuk Nicol David (squash), Datuk Lee Chong Wei (badminton) and Pandelela Rinong (diving) who are positive role models.

There must be a firm commitment from the Government to prioritise school sports, facilities and space for competitive sports and play.

Khairy, our No.1 sports fan must work closely with the relevant stakeholders to promote a strong sports culture among our youths.

C. SATHASIVAM SITHERAVELLU Seremban

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Sunday 2 June 2013

Exercise for the brain

The therapeutic properties of exercise is well supported by a substantial amount of research.


Recent studies reported that an increase in the time dedicated to physical health-based activities is not associated with a decline in academic performance.
Recent studies reported that an increase in the time dedicated to physical health-based activities is not associated with a decline in academic performance.

THE benefits of exercise are well publicised. Exercise is associated with a reduction in physical illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, colon and breast cancer, obesity and mental illness (including depression and anxiety disorders) across the adult lifespan.

The National Health and Morbidity Survey 2011 revealed that about 64.3% of Malaysians were physically active. The level of physical activity gradually decreased with increasing age, and this was particularly apparent in senior citizens.

Despite evidence of the importance of exercise, the prevalence of overweight and obese Malaysians was 29.4% and 15.1% respectively based on the World Health Organization (1998) classification.

Although some are aware of the benefits of exercise, there are many who are unaware that exercise has considerable benefits for the brain. This is put aptly by John Ratey, author of A User’s Guide to the Brain.

“Exercise is really for the brain, not the body. It affects mood, vitality, alertness and feelings of well-being.”

There is increasing evidence that exercise can improve learning and memory, delay age-related cognitive decline, reduce risk of neurodegeneration and alleviate depression.

Exercise and brain function

Exercise improves brain function in different ways. It enhances learning and plasticity, is neuroprotective, and is therapeutic and protective against depression

Exercise enhances learning and plasticity, which is the capacity of the brain and nervous system to continuously alter neural pathways and synapses in response to experience or injury.

Although some are aware of the benefits of exercise, there are many who are unaware that exercise has considerable benefits for the brain.
Although some are aware of the benefits of exercise, there are many who are unaware that exercise has considerable benefits for the brain.

The effects of exercise have been demonstrated in ageing human populations in which sustained exercise has augmented learning and memory, improved executive functions, impeded age-related and disease-related mental decline, and protected against age-related atrophy in parts of the brain areas that are vital for higher cognitive processes.

Physical activity has a positive effect on cognition, which includes every mental process that may be described as an experience of knowing (including perceiving, recognising, conceiving, and reasoning).

There is a significant relationship between physical activity and improved cognition in normal adults as well as those with early signs of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), in which there is mild impairment of memory or cognition.

There is a dose-response relationship between exercise and health-related quality of life, with moderate exercise associated with the best outcomes.

The literature on the effects of exercise on cognition during children’s development is less substantial. However, a meta-analysis by Sibley & Etnier reported a positive correlation between physical activity and cognitive performance in children aged between four and 18 years in eight categories, i.e. perceptual skills, intelligence quotient, achievement, verbal tests, mathematic tests, memory, developmental level/academic readiness and others.

A beneficial relationship was found for all categories, with the exception of memory, which was unrelated to physical activity behaviour, and for all age groups, although it was stronger for children in the ages of four to seven and 11 to 13 years, compared with the ages of eight to 10 and 14 to 18 years.

Recent studies have reported that an increase in the time dedicated to physical health-based activities is not associated with a decline in academic performance.

The literature on the impact of exercise on cognition in young adults is limited, probably because cognition peaks during young adulthood and there is little room for exercise-related improvement at this stage of the lifespan.

Although there is considerable evidence that exercise can facilitate learning in humans and other animals, there are gaps in knowledge regarding the types of learning that are improved with exercise.

Therapeutic exercise programmes after a stroke accelerates functional rehabilitation. Therapeutic exercise programmes after a stroke accelerates functional rehabilitation.

Exercise protects the brain (neuroprotective). It reduces the impact of brain injury and delays the onset and decline in several neurodegenerative diseases. For example, therapeutic exercise programmes after a stroke accelerates functional rehabilitation.

Furthermore, physical activity delays the onset and reduces the risk for AD, Huntington’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, and can even slow functional decline after neurodegeneration has begun.

There is evidence that exercise is therapeutic and protective in depression, which is associated with a decline in cognition.

Depression is considered to be a health burden that is greater than that of ischaemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease or tuberculosis.

Clinical trials have reported the efficacy of aerobic or resistance training exercise in the treatment of depression in young and older patients, with benefits similar to that of antidepressant medicines. More exercise leads to greater improvements.

Trials have also reported improvement in depressive symptoms in AD compared to those non-exercising individuals whose depressive symptoms worsened.

Bipolar disorders do not appear to respond as well to exercise, but those with anxiety respond even faster.

There is a convergence of the concept that brain health and cognition are influenced by the interplay of various central and peripheral factors. Brain function is believed to be impaired by peripheral risk factors that lead to cognitive decline, including hypertension, hyperglycemia, insulin insensitivity and dyslipidemia, features that are commonly known as the “metabolic syndrome”.

Of these factors, hypertension and glucose intolerance play crucial roles. Exercise not only reduces all these peripheral risk factors but also improves cardiovascular health, lipid–cholesterol balance, energy metabolism, glucose use, insulin sensitivity and inflammation.

As such, exercise improves brain health and function by directly enhancing brain health and cognitive function, and indirectly, by reducing the peripheral risk factors for cognitive decline.

It is believed that exercise initiates an interactive cascade of growth factor signals which lead to the stimulation of plasticity, improvement of cognitive function, reduction of the mechanisms that drive depression, stimulation of neurogenesis and improvement of cerebrovascular perfusion.

Although much is known about the effects of exercise and physical activity on brain and cognition, there are many important questions that are unanswered.

They include questions like the design of exercise interventions which optimise the effects on cognition and brain health; when it is best to begin; what are the best varieties, intensities, frequencies and duration of exercise; is it ever too late to start an exercise programme; and can exercise be used to reduce the effects of neurodegenerative diseases.

Knowing the how

Exercise affects many sites in the nervous system and stimulates the secretion of chemicals like serotonin and dopamine, which make humans feel calm, happy, and euphoric. You do not have to wait for these feelings to occur – you can initiate them by exercising.

There is no shortage of advice on the various physical exercises that enhances cardiovascular health. Prior to embarking on exercise, a consultation with the doctor would be helpful, especially for senior citizens. This will help in choosing the appropriate exercise for one’s individual situation.

In general, what is good for the heart is also good for the brain.

The usual recommended minimum is half an hour of moderate exercise thrice a week. This can be walking, jogging, swimming, playing games, dancing etc.

The public is often reminded about a healthy lifestyle, which is focused on physical health. However, it is also important to exercise mentally and keep the brain healthy.

There are publications and activities available that can help you make a start and continue to improve cognition, memory, creativity and other brain functions.

Anyone at any age can do so, even senior citizens. It is moot to remember the adage: if you don’t use it, you lose it.

Malaysia Festival of the Mind 2013

The ninth Malaysia Festival of the Mind will be held from June 15-16, 2013, at Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) Perak Campus in Kampar, and June 22-23 at Tunku Abdul Rahman University College (TARC) Main Campus in Setapak, Kuala Lumpur.

It is open to the public from 9.30am - 4.30pm. Talks, workshops, exhibitions and competitions will be held to create awareness about the human mind and its unlimited potential; as well as ways of tapping into and developing one’s brainpower to the fullest.

For further information, visit www.utar.edu.my/mmlm or email mmlm@utar.edu.my or call (03) 7625 0328 (Justin/Sin Yee) or (05) 468 8888 (Wei See/Jamaliah).

By Dr MILTON LUM

> Dr Milton Lum is a member of the board of Medical Defence Malaysia. This article is not intended to replace, dictate or define evaluation by a qualified doctor. The views expressed do not represent that of any organisation the writer is associated with. For further information, e-mail starhealth@thestar.com.my. The information provided is for educational and communication purposes only and it should not be construed as personal medical advice. Information published in this article is not intended to replace, supplant or augment a consultation with a health professional regarding the reader’s own medical care. The Star does not give any warranty on accuracy, completeness, functionality, usefulness or other assurances as to the content appearing in this column. The Star disclaims all responsibility for any losses, damage to property or personal injury suffered directly or indirectly from reliance on such information.

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Tuesday 19 March 2013

Laws of attraction

Are men attracted to women who look like them?

THE next time you happen to be with your spouse or your partner, take a good look at their features. Do they look a bit familiar?

And no, I don’t mean familiar just because you’ve been with that person for a while. I mean familiar in the sense that you’ve seen those same features, or at least some of them, somewhere else. Like, in the mirror every morning.

If the results of a French study are anything to go by, men are most attracted to women who look like them. That being the case, my partner must have left his glasses at home the day we met. I mean to say, his eyes are blue, while mine are brown, his eyebrows are thick, while mine are thin (too much plucking back in the 70s), his nose is slender, while mine is more rounded, and he has full lips, while mine are lacking plumpness.

I can only conclude that he is more attracted to my wit, charm and personality than some narcissistic ideal. Either that or the female versions of him were a bit thin on the ground when he was looking for a partner.

According to another study, physically attractive people generally date other physically attractive people. Leaving the not-so-attractive people to date other not-so-attractive people. It’s almost like a caste system that’s difficult to break out of.

Right about now you might be asking, “How do these researchers account for those not-so-attractive, rich men who opt for a “trophy wife”? Shouldn’t Donald Trump, Rupert Murdoch and Woody Allen be seen around town with women who are more homely than the much younger, more attractive women who currently appear by their sides?”

It seems that attractive women who date someone below their level of attractiveness tend to justify their choices by saying something like, “He sure is ugly, and it’s kinda embarrassing to have to appear in public with gorilla man, but as long as I have access to his money, my life will be beautiful.”

However, such cases are the exceptions.
In a nutshell then, the so-called experts will have you believe that attractive people generally date other attractive people who look a bit like themselves; while ugly people generally date other ugly people who look a bit like themselves.

When the experts talk about people dating others who look like themselves, this concurs with yet another study that indicates that a woman often looks for a man who looks like her father, while a man often looks for a woman who looks like his mother.

Like, how creepy is all that? Fancy waking up in the morning to find someone resembling your mother or father snoring on the pillow next to you!

Researchers are quick to point out that there is nothing narcissistic about these attractions. We are attracted to people who look like ourselves (and possibly our parents as well) simply because of the comfort we get from familiarity.

I’m not disputing the results of the research, but they certainly don’t apply in my case. My father was an Irishman with light brown hair and green eyes, whereas my ex is a Chinese Malaysian. One of my sisters married a man of Italian origin, another married a Hispanic guy, and yet another married a blond-haired, blue-eyed Scottish man. None of our partners, past or present, look remotely like my father.

Of course, other researchers might tell me that my father was not a good role model and so we were all looking subconsciously for completely different men.

But who gives a toss, anyway?

All of this research into the laws of physical attraction really tells me just one thing: we are wasting a lot of money on studies that can’t be put to any practical use. Unless of course, you’re a fortune teller.

I can just imagine the scene in the fortune teller’s tent as she gazes into her crystal ball, with a young woman sitting opposite her: “Ah, I can see a man with blond hair and blue eyes in your life. He even looks a bit like you. Cross my palm with silver and I will reveal more.”

Most research costs money and is time consuming. As such, I think we ought to be more discerning about how we apply our research funds. Instead of focusing on who we might be attracted to and why, it might be better if the funding could be used to finance research on things like climate change, green energy, and how best to persuade newspaper editors that you really deserve a raise.

Perhaps I can get someone to fund a study on how much money has been wasted on useless studies.


But Then Again

By MARY SCHNEIDER 

Check out Mary on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mary.schneider.writer

Reader response can be directed to star2@thestar.com.my

Monday 16 April 2012

Teamwork made Man brainier, say scientists

Learning to work in teams may explain why humans evolved a bigger brain, according to a new study published on Wednesday.

Compared to his hominid predecessors, Homo sapiens is a cerebral giant, a riddle that scientists have long tried to solve.

The answer, according to researchers in Ireland and Scotland, may lie in .



Working with others helped Man to survive, but he had to develop a brain big enough to cope with all the social complexities, the experts believe. – Reuters Photo

In a , the team simulated the , allowing a network of to evolve in response to a series of .

There were two scenarios. The first entailed two partners in crime who had been caught by the police, each having to decide whether or not to inform on the other.

The second had two individuals trapped in a car in a snowdrift and having to weigh whether to cooperate to dig themselves out or just sit back and let the other do it.

In both cases, the individual would gain more from selfishness.

But the researchers were intrigued to find that as the brain evolved, the individual was likelier to choose to cooperate.


"We cooperate in large groups of unrelated individuals quite frequently, and that requires to keep track of who is doing what to you and change your behaviour accordingly," co-author Luke McNally of Dublin's Trinity College told AFP.

McNally pointed out, though, that cooperation has a calculating side. We do it out of .

"If you cooperate and I cheat, then next time we interact you could decide: 'Oh well, he cheated last time, so I won't cooperate with him.' So basically you have to cooperate in order to receive cooperation in the future."

McNally said teamwork and bigger brainpower fed off each other.

"Transitions to cooperative, complex societies can drive the evolution of a bigger brain," he said.
"Once greater levels of intelligence started to evolve, you saw cooperation going much higher."

The study appears in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, a journal published by Britain's de-facto academy of sciences.

Commenting on the paper, Robin Dunbar, an evolutionary anthropologist at Oxford University, said the findings were a valuable add to understanding brain evolution.

But he said there were physiological limits to cooperation.

Man would need a "house-sized brain" to take cooperation to a perfect level on a planet filled with humans.

"Our current brain size limits the community size that we can manage ... that we feel we belong to," he said.
Our comfortable "personal social network" is limited to about 150, and boosting that to 500 would require a doubling of the size of the .

"In order to create greater social integration, greater social cohesion even on the size of France, never mind the size of the EU, never mind the planet, we probably have to find other ways of doing it" than wait for evolution, said Dunbar.

By Mariette le Roux AFP