Category: Health

A Second Look at Osteoporosis

Posted on by jane

Last January, I wrote a post about why the issue of osteoporosis is close to my heart. I’m osteopenic — and all these years I have been trying to keep my body condition from deteriorating to the point where I would be at high risk of osteoporosis.

The background on why I think I became osteopenic and what I’m doing about it can be read HERE.

We really don’t think of it. I know I fail at that many times too. But we tend to overlook the health of our bones. We take in too much caffeine, sleep late, eat unhealthy and take in too little calcium. Many of us lead sedentary lives and hardly ever go out in the sun. I have to keep reminding myself that if I want to stay active well into my senior years, I just cannot afford to get a fracture – anywhere. A bad fall, a twisted limb, or any other sudden movement in the wrong way could really injure me if my bones are weak. And I really cannot imagine how my present active life can suddenly be curtailed if I can no longer be mobile due to fracture or worse, broken bones.

At a recent intimate gathering with the people behind Anlene, I learned more about osteoporosis and how it is affecting people worldwide as well as close to home – how many Filipinos are going about their daily lives without realizing they’re already at risk of becoming osteoporotic. From the pics below, what’s really important when it comes to bones is DENSITY. The denser the bones, the stronger these are. When bones have lots of gaping spaces, that is when fractures are more likely.

Once bones lose density, nothing can gain this back. At the very least, you can just arrest and delay its further deterioration. That is why once you know where you stand in the spectrum of osteoporotic risk, intervention is needed for those at risk while those still at low risk can also take supplements to ensure they stay in that category.

Left photos show healthy bones. Right ones show osteoporotic bones.

In this fight against osteoporosis, I am happy with how Anlene has been so active in coming up with products that help prevent osteoporosis or delay the deterioration of those who are osteopenic like me.

But more than just making these products, Anlene has taken the additional step of scanning 1 million Filipinos. Based on data gathered from people in all walks of life and from Luzon to Mindanao, they are reporting that 1 out of 2 Filipinos are at risk of osteoporosis. That is a whopping 50% of a population running into 100 million!
The people behind Anlene have allotted P100 million in the last 5 years to fund the campaign against osteoporosis. In 2011, it is once again pledging another P50 million for its Bone Health Check program. They began this program in 1999 till 2001 with just one machine – the GE Achilles Ultrasonometer – a portable bone scanning machine that harnesses the power of high frequency sound waves. They purchased another machine for use between 2002-04 but in 2005, they upped that to 11 machines and this year there are 36 bone scanning machines going all over the country.
They have been doing these in malls, offices and places where they can scan a good number of people of all ages. When you see the Anlene people in a Bone Health Check stall, take time to have yourself scanned. It only takes 3 minutes, is absolutely painless, and just requires a scan of the bone near the heel like this lady in the picture. Have your older family members scanned as well. If you are diagnosed to be low risk, celebrate! But if you are diagnosed as medium- to high-risk, at least you can take action immediately to change your lifestyle, diet and supplements like Anlene.
What I am excited about with the findings presented by the Anlene people is that a group of women in a study who were made to drink Anlene had reduced bone loss after 4 weeks.
Graph on left shows improvement in the women made to take Anlene
compared to those in the right who were non-Anlene drinkers.

Eating a balanced diet rich in calcium, protein and vitamin D; regular exercise especially weight-bearing ones; and a healthy lifestyle can all contribute to keeping bones healthy well into your senior years.

If you are a smoker, heavy caffeine drinker, leads a sedentary lifestyle, and not eating calcium-rich foods, you could be at risk. Make sure you get your bone health diagnosed as early as possible.

As for me, it’s going to be more of yoga (weight-bearing), earlier sleeping habits (my doctor told me already to do this) and a more conscious effort to eat calcium-rich foods. Anyway, I love dairy products. And of course, I’ve still got Anlene to help me.

Vote for the best Unilab Ideas Positive video and help make an idea a reality

Posted on by jane

Have you ever had an idea that would improve the quality of life and health of communities but you didn’t know how to make it a reality?

Unilab is trying to do just that. Now on its second year, Unilab once again sponsored a contest among university students that encourages them to come up with innovative ideas to address community concerns related to hygiene and sanitation, nutrition, disease prevention and intervention, and environment care and protection. From over 60 entries, the list was whittled down to 11 semi-finalists. This will be shortlisted again down to 3 finalists with the grand winner taking home a prize of PhP250,000 which will then serve as seed money for the winner’s project.

You can help one of these bright ideas take form and become a reality. By doing so, you are helping a health-related project grow and hopefully, bear fruit in the community where it will be implemented.

All you need to do is vote for the project of your choice. Your votes count towards one of the criteria for judging the winner – impact. Voting is done using your Facebook account. All you will need to do is authorize the Unilab app to recognize your account.

To learn all about Ideas Positive, click HERE.

To view the videos and vote, click HERE.

The 11 semi-finalists are the following:

1. The Cloud ++ Project – an integrated ecological waste management system sustained by water supply augmentation from its rainwater catching feature.
2. End Malnutrition: Be Healthy for You and Me – a feeding project directed at Bagong Silangan Elementary School where there are 2,600 malnourished kids.
3. Ecobiz Inc. for Sustainability – Baseco Compound project that aims to improve living conditions via garbage segregation, composting, greenhouse, medical and herbal plants, business incubator, entrepreneurial seminar
4. Maboteng Bahay, Mabuting Bahay – a project for Sitio Sto. Nino, Brgy. San Rafael, Rodriguez, Rizal involving the creation of a greenhouse made of plastic bottles
5. Hawak Kamay Sabay-Sabay 3B Laban sa TB – aims to fight TB in the GK-Ateneo Payatas Site in Quezon
6. Hitong Buhay, Hitong Buhay – aims to build a community fish pond in Brgy. Ibayo Tipas which will raise African catfish (hito)
7. Juan Community Uniting Values Realizing Hopes – a Payatas project that aims to empower the community through a rag doll making livelihood
8. KKK: Kalat, Kapaligiran, Kalusugan, Rebolusyon sa Malinis at Malusog na Kinabukasan – Philhealth sponsorship by letting Brgy 668 pay for their Philhealth through segregated waste
9. Deofer Solution (animal manure deodorizer & fertilizer in one) – for Batangas piggeries and poultry
10. Balsang Bulaklakan – Brgy. Sto. Rosario Kanluran in Pateros – use of water lilies tied together to provide place for holding soil and eventually, a planting area.
11. Pradyek Pa-sibol – a clean-up project for Sitio F. Carlos

Please do take some time out to vote for one of these videos. It takes very little time but can do a lot for a community in need.

A!life Nurtures the Nurturing Woman

Posted on by jane

Been there, done that!

I’ve led a very busy and fast-paced life as an IT auditor, IT consultant and banking executive for close to 20 years while trying to raise 4 kids. I almost lost our youngest child due to a threatened abortion while in the midst of a very stressful joint venture negotiation. When I quit working cold turkey to become a full-time homemaker, my busy day just shifted from work to home. I became busy attending to the needs of the children, making myself very visible as class officer, then parent council member.
My life is similar to those of other women out there who pursue a second career while still trying to be as nurturing as possible to children and to spouse. Our days are not over when we come home. We just exchange our corporate hat for our homemaker hat. This life can get very stressful when children and spouse get sick because we have a third hat – that of a caregiver.
The woman who takes care of everyone has to have someone (or something) take care of her as well so she can continue functioning the way she wants to. I know what it is like to be so busy that sometimes I forego a meal or forget to take my vitamins. And when I get sick, my family seems at a loss as to how to take care of me because I normally take care of them!
This is what Pascual Laboratories was thinking of when it created the A!life line just for women. The people behind Pascual Laboratories came up with 6 different supplements, with each one addressing a particular health concern of a woman to nurture the woman’s needs so she can continue to nurture her loved ones.

The products that they presented to us during the launch are the following:

a!life Protect – for healthy, radiant skin

Free radicals pose a health risk to people, making them ill, overweight and lethargic. These are released into the body by stress, pollution, poor diet, radiation, pesticides, etc. Constant sun exposure of skin to UV light also generates oxygen radicals which damage skin cells and connective tissues. a!life Protect is said to contain Pynogenol, a super antioxidant that helps to protect the immune system against the free radicals while inhibiting inflammation caused by UV exposure. 

a!life Posture – for stronger bones and better posture

For older women like me, the risk of osteoporosis is very real. a!life Posture contains Ostivone, a bone health nutrient that stimulates the formation of new bones and inhibits the loss of healthy bone cells. Scientifically known as ipriflavone, it significantly increases bone mineral density, especially when taken with calcium. Being found to be osteopenic for some time now, this is the supplement that I will start taking in hopes of reversing my condition to some extent.

a!life Trim – to manage blood sugar levels and for a trim figure

Our diet these days have a lot of processed sugars, starches and fats. a!life Trim contains ampalaya and banaba which lower blood sugar levels by controlling insulin levels. Proper management of sugar levels help in trimming one’s figure as well. This is a supplement that is also good for those at risk of diabetes.

a!life – for that extra energy boost

Women like me on the go cannot afford to be low on energy before the day is over. a!life Energy contains malunggay (moringga), an excellent source of nutrition and a natural energy booster.

a!life Restore – an anti-aging supplement

a!life Restore contains Injuv, a Hyaluronic Acid that is supposed to moisturize from within, erasing sings of wrinkles and fine lines.

a!life Control – controls weight and blood sugar levels

Phase 2, an all-natural white bean extract, is a main ingredient in a!life Control, to minimize the absorption of carbohydrates. This lower caloric impact, combined with a sensible diet and exercise, assists in controlling one’s weight.

a!life’s 5 Ambassadors were presented to media as well, each one representing one of the a!life products because her lifestyle complements the product. Lucy Torres, congresswoman and celebrity, represented a!life Control, Shawn Yao, a TV personality and pilates enthusiast, represented a!life Posture. Lorraine Lapus, athlete and business executive, represented a!life Energy. Lexi Schulze, TV personality and anti-cancer advocate, stood for a!life Protect and Patty Betita, model/image consultant, represented a!life Restore.

Malungai Life Oil

Posted on by jane
A few months ago, I was sent a box of Malungai Life Oil to try. 
I’ve been taking malunggay (moringa oleifera) in some form or other already. In fact, malunggay has been incorporated into a lot of products already — coffee, tea, lotion, body care or simply crushed versions of malunggay (taken in capsule form).
Malunggay is known to have many benefits:
  • increased energy
  • strengthened immune system
  • better-managed sugar levels
  • lower cholesterol levels
  • controlled blood pressure
  • cancer prevention
  • and more…
Last Christmas 2010, I got very sick. A virus was going around and I went from just colds and cough to flu to asthma. It took several weeks, well after New Year, before I started to feel better. Friends of ours told us about the malunggay capsules (powdered malunggay leaves) they were taking and we decided to try it out. So far so good. No cough or colds, no sluggish feelings, and I feel great overall.
Ok, I’m no medical practitioner and so, not qualified to categorically say that my body condition is due primarily to taking in malunggay. I can only say that since I started taking it, my immune system seems to stay up.
Malungai Life Oil looks different from the usual dried, powdered versions that I have been taking. This one is a green, soft gel in blister packs and I guess if I pricked it, I will get what its name says — oil!
Is the oil version better than the dried, powdered variety?
I went to their website and this is how they explain what they believe is the advantage of their processing (I am quoting their exact words):

Unlike other moringa products in the market, Malungai LifeOil is not crushed or pulverized malunggay leaves which, if harvested randomly, may contain sulfur from acid rain and carcinogens due to heavy metals like lead, chromium, and mercury. 

Malungai LifeOil soft gel capsules capture the benefits of malunggay in its purest and powerful form that effectively help increase energy, strengthen the immune system, manage diabetes / sugar levels, lower cholesterol levels, control blood pressure, and fight cancer. 

The Philippine-manufactured Malungai LifeOil is the only moringa oil product in the world. Each soft gel capsule contains 500mg of combined oil extract, which is equivalent to 1000 grams of malunggay leaves and seeds…

LIFE OIL is the world’s first and only product developed from pure Moringa Oliefera (Malunggay) Seeds and Leaves oil extract which provides the best dietary source. Life Oil is rich in Organic Chlorophyll, Essential Amino Acids, Vitamins, Minerals and Phytochemicals.

So it seems the difference is that most dried and pulverized varieties are sourced from malunggay leaves while Malungai Life Oil comes from malunggay seeds and leaves.

Malungai Life Oil comes in two variants: 60 capsules and 10 capsules. It can be taken twice daily or as recommended by a doctor/health professional.

Some precautions: pregnant women need to consult their doctor prior to taking this. It is NOT recommended also for children below 12 years of age.

For more information, contact:

Manila Nature’s Link Corp.
Unit 1606 Orient Square Bldg.
F. Ortigas Jr. Road, Ortigas Center
Pasig City 1605
Tel. 474-2499
Fax 687-5849
Website: www.malungailifeoil.ph

A Breakthrough in Hemorrhoid Surgery

Posted on by jane

I remember the pain and discomfort when I suffered from hemorrhoids after the normal delivery of my 4 kids. The extreme pushing during labor resulted in my hemorrhoids acting up for days. I could not sit normally and every bowel movement was excruciating. Thankfully, the situation would clear up after a couple of weeks.

But that got me thinking about the many other men and women who suffered daily from hemorrhoids. Some suffer the milder form – internal hemorrhoids. These are usually not painful although they may bleed. But others who are less fortunate suffer extreme pain from hemorrhoids where the veins are already outside the anus. These can be itchy or painful and sometimes crack and bleed.

Current Hemorrhoid Treatments

Often, lifestyle changes, topical medications and good hygiene are all that is needed to reduce the symptoms of hemorrhoids. In my case, after my normal deliveries, the pain just cleared up after a couple of weeks on its own. However, in a certain percentage of sufferers, surgery may be required. To-date, here are some invasive treatments done:

1. Rubber band ligation – this is performed on persons whose internal hemorrhoids have fallen outside the anus. It involves pulling the hemorrhoidal tissue into a double-sleeved cylinder to allow the placement of latex/rubber bands around the tissue. Over time, the tissue below the bands die off and is eliminated during bowel movement. This can be performed in the doctor’s office and requires little preparion.

2. Traditional hemorrhoidectomy – Excess tissue causing bleeding or protrusion is cut away under anesthesia. This requires hospitalization and absence from work for an average of 6 weeks. After-recovery is difficult due to discomfort and pain experienced by the patient. Employees usually lose about 20 days of work.

3. Cryotherapy (freezing the hemorrhoidal tissue) – This is a very painful procedure.

4. Bipolar Diathermy Coagulation (BICAP) and direct current – These techniques shrink the hemorrhoids and cause the tissue to die.

PPH: A Faster and Less Painful Option

Recently, Medical City announced the availability of a surgical option, developed by Dr. Antonio Longo of the St. Elizabeth Hospital in Vienna, which is modern, faster and less painful. It is called Procedure for Prolapse and Hemorrhoids or PPH.

Dr. Longo makes use of a stapling device that looks almost like some kind of weapon. This is inserted during surgery into the anus of the patient and “lifts up” and repositions the mucosa (or anal canal tissue) thereby reducing blood flow to the internal hemorrhoids. Within 4-6 weeks after the procedure, these hemorrhoids shrink. This procedure is less painful because it is performed ABOVE the “pain” line inside the anal canal, where there are few nerve endings. Traditional procedures are done BELOW the pain line where there are many sensitive nerve endings.

The result? The patient only spends 3-4 days of recuperation in the hospital and suffers less pain. He will also need less medication for the pain.
Not all hemorrhoidal patients will need PPH. But if surgery is required, and the patient is concerned about pain and losing inordinate amounts of work days, PPH is a prime advantage.
Here are some other info I gathered:
– The clips (or staples) used are made of titanium. Patients can still have MRI done with these staples inside them. These clips also will not trigger metal detectors.
– 70% of these clips are eventually excreted through regular bowel movement.
– While there are the usual risks in any surgical procedure, the doctors of Medical City say that these are considered low — about 1-5% only and usually involve post-operation bleeding or difficulty urinating.
– The chances of recurrence of hemorrhoids is about 4% within a 5-year period. In the conventional hemorrhoidal surgery, recurrence is about 15%.
– For those with HMOs, check with your HMO if PPH is already covered. HMOs usually cover surgery if physician determines it is necessary.
– While price was not really discussed in the presentation to us, I think that a patient considering PPH should be ready to pay something in the range of 100,000 pesos. The stapling device alone, which is good for one-time use only, runs into around 250 euros or about P15,000.

Your Healthy Palamantasan Pledge Can Win Kraft Gift Packs

Posted on by jane

Up to now, my Mom keeps reminding me that I was not much of a vegetable eater as a little girl. Thankfully, she knew how to cook and managed to provide me with healthy snacks incorporating the things that I would eat. Sometimes though, she would insist that I eat my veggies. So nowadays, she still gets surprised when she sees me eating lots of vegetables and in fact, go for it almost always before getting the meat dishes.

However, I see my young self in my youngest son now who sets aside anything green he sees on his plate. I’m just glad that my other 3 children are not so picky with vegetables, including our eldest girl who has grown to love them. How do I ensure that my children stay healthy during their crucial growing-up years? Here are some things I have done:

1. Junk food and softdrinks are no longer on my grocery list.
2. I choose lean meat over the regular meats available (they are pricier but healthier)
3. Fish is served up more often on the table.
4. Meat dishes, as often as possible, are cooked with vegetables in them.
5. Dairy products like milk and cheese are always present at home.

What about you? Would you be willing to make a Palamantasan Pledge to provide proper nutrition for your family?

CONTEST

Share your pledge with me and get a chance to be one of 10 winners of Kraft gift packs.

It’s simple. Here are the contest mechanics:


1. The contest is open to all Facebook users IN THE METRO MANILA AREA ONLY.

2. Go to the Facebook page of “Palamantasan ng Sarap, Sustansya at Saya“. Click “LIKE“.

3. On YOUR OWN Facebook page, create a pledge on how to keep provide proper nutrition for your family. Tag the Palamantasan page within your pledge message. Do this by first typing the “@” symbol followed by the word “Palamantasan”. A drop-down menu box will appear where you will see the entire phrase “Palamantasan ng Sarap, Sustansya at Saya”. Click that and you should see the “Palamantasan ng Sarap, Sustansya at Saya” become a blue link. Continue on by writing out your pledge.

4. After writing your pledge, click the attach link icon and paste the URL of this post (this is so that your entry is properly identified as having come from my blog post for judging purposes).

http://thephilippinebeat.blogspot.com/2010/09/your-healthy-palamantasan-pledge-can.html

5. Change the privacy restriction of your post to “Everyone” by clicking on the lock icon just left of the “Share” button.

6. See if your entry is valid by checking the Palamantasan Facebook fanpage.

7. Once your entry shows up on the Palamantasan page, leave a comment under my post so I can validate your entry.

8. Only ONE ENTRY PER PERSON.

9. I will choose 10 of the most creative answer from all entries linked to my blog post. The winners gets a Kraft gift pack each.

10. Prize can be claimed at the GeiserMaclang office by contacting Sam Sanchez at sam.sanchez@geisermaclang.com / 0918.823.4624

11. Winners will also be announced by me in this post.

This promo runs from the date of this post till September 15, 2010. Winners will be announced on September 18, 2010.

Prizes can be claimed beginning Sept. 20 to Sept. 30, 2010.

A Killer of Women – Cervical Cancer

Posted on by jane

Every 2 hours, a woman dies from its deathly grip.

Being a woman and having 2 girls of my own, a statistic like this is downright scary. It can hit any woman anywhere around the world. And it will strike unless preventive measures are taken.

CERVICAL CANCER.

It is considered by the Department of Health as the second most common female cancer in the Philippines today, with an estimated 7,277 new cases reported every year. What about unreported or still undiagnosed cases? That number could easily escalate simply because women do not know how to protect themselves from this disease.

Cervical cancer develops when normal cells of the cervix turn cancerous, usually caused by a chronic and persistent cancer-causing Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) infection that leads to pre-malignant lesions that eventually progress to cancer. This type of cancer takes decades to happen (from 10 to 30 years) so it is actually easy to prevent, screen, detect and diagnose before it turns malignant. Regular pap smears and visual inspection of the cervix with Acetic Acid (VIA) helps to screen for cervical cancer.

Rather than wait to be diagnosed with the presence of HPV, prevention is really the better strategy for us and that can be achieved by getting an effective vaccine that targets the cause of cervical cancer which are HPV types 16 and 18.

For me and my daughters, getting protection through a cervical cancer vaccine is a MUST. If you have daughters of your own, consider getting protection as soon as possible. Prices have already dropped considerably and cervical cancer protection is now affordable.

Here are some more statistics for you to consider.

Cervical Cancer by the Numbers

• 2                  Cervical Cancer is the second biggest cause of female mortality globally
• 510, 000        World Health Organization’s (WHO) estimate of new cervical cancer cases annually worldwide
• 288, 000        yearly deaths around the world because of cervical cancer, according to WHO
• 80                percent of cervical cancer cases found in developing countries in the world
• 245, 000        estimated number of new cervical cancer cases found in Asia every year
• 7, 277           estimated new cervical cancer cases every year in the Philippines according to survey                  done in Rizal, Cebu, and Davao by Department of Health (DOH)
• 12                estimated number of deaths (daily) in the Philippines due to cervical cancer
• 35                the age to start getting a Pap smear for women who have not engaged in vaginal intercourse
• 200              number of Human Papilloma Viruses (HPV) acknowledged to exist
• 15                number of HPV types said to be high-risk (cancer-causing)
• 16 & 18         HPV types which cause 70% of cervical cancer cases
• 45                3rd most common cancer-causing HPV types which is prevalent among Filipinas

The Del Monte Fit ‘n Right Weight Loss Face Off

Posted on by jane

8 Weeks.
 
2 deejays. 

3 servings of Del Monte Fit ‘n Right Fruit Snacks daily. 

1 goal.

The two deejays of Magic 89.9 — Joseph Paul Javier, aka Mojo Jojo, who co-hosts Goodtimes with Mo, and Eric Virata aka Slick Rick of Boys Night Out — gamely got into the challenge on who can lose more weight.

Slick and Mojo Continue reading “The Del Monte Fit ‘n Right Weight Loss Face Off” →