Varicose veins are visible, protruding veins that appear just under the skin. Varicose comes from the Latin root varix for “twisted”. They may occur in clusters that look like spider webs, or be large, single veins that are easily observed. They’re most often seen on people’s legs, especially their calves, and are made up of stretched, expanded, or twisted veins in which the flow of blood has been reversed. Varicose veins are the most common disorder in the lower part of the body. They affect 10-20% of the population, and appear between the ages of 30 and 70. They usually get progressively worse.

Varicose veins can’t be cured, but they can be treated with considerable success. Treatment concentrates on relieving pain and managing complications. People who have obvious spidery veins also often seek cosmetic treatment. Wearing lightweight compression hosiery can stop the pain from small, mild varicose veins altogether. Heavier elastic support stockings, knee-length or thigh-length, can also be worn by patients with advanced varicose veins. If these treatments don’t help, injections to “strip” the veins can stop the pain right away and make the veins less visible.

Sclerotherapy is a procedure that involves injecting a concentrated saline or chemical solution into the vein. The sclerosing (hardening) solution causes the vein to close up or collapse and become scar tissue. This causes blood to flow only to the non-varicose veins. It can be performed in a doctor’s office (usually a dermatologist or a vein specialist) and is associated with little discomfort. Many veins can be injected at a given time. Several injection sessions are usually required to effectively close a vein and it usually takes a few weeks for healing to occur after each injection. Allergic reactions to sclerotherapy are rare. Scarring can occur and a brown blemishing of the skin may appear. It usually fades but can be permanent. Some superficial varicose veins can be treated with a laser.

Varicose veins can also be treated by surgery. Your doctor may suggest surgery if you have extremely visible varicose veins or changes in your skin, or if you suffer from significant pain and constantly inflamed veins, a condition called recurrent phlebitis (thrombophlebitis). Physicians who recommend extensive surgery may “strip” deeper veins in the legs while removing as many of the swollen twisted varicose veins as possible. A few isolated varicose veins may continue to be bothersome after surgery, but these can usually be treated with injections.

There are some things people can do to help prevent varicose veins. They include:

• exercise - walking is a great way to increase blood flow in the legs
• weight control - shedding excess pounds takes unnecessary pressure off veins
  in the legs
• wearing compression stockings
• avoiding high heels - low-heeled shoes work calf muscles more, which is better for veins. Don’t wear tight clothes around your calves or groin. Tight panty-leg girdles, for instance, can limit blood circulation
• elevating legs - take three or four 10- to 15-minute breaks daily to elevate the legs above the level of the heart (e.g., lie down with legs resting on three or four pillows)
• avoiding long periods of sitting or standing - make a point to change position frequently to encourage blood flow

I went to the Y Fitness in Centro today and found a notice written that, “Y Fitness closed until further notice” or I would perceive it as, “What happened to Yogazone, happen to us”. We know Yogazone has closed down and has changed their management of the courts (in a word, they are closed), now this same issue would stike YFitness. There were an incident where a tour agent company closed down and the owner of the company flee off their customers money (who booked their tours or tour to no-where?). Now it looks like a trend, after charging the clients for an amount for a period of time and the company goes missing. I think membership that would cost for periods should not be allowed or the consumer should be protected in some way. It should not ask the customer to pay for the yearly fee in one short yet the member have not even enjoy the facilities for the time frame and the company just gone in a day.

This would certainly be a new experience and the last one to not believe those “pay first, enjoy later” type of products or services as you might not know what would happen next, like what happened to Y Fitness!

If you’re in the south-east area, you must have heard about the myth where durian and alcohol is a big no-no. However, it has no scientifically proven but nobody would have gone that far to know the result. However, without much hesitation, I went google about it to check if there is any source prove the believes.

There’s a section in durian’s wikipedia mentioning more than that, myth.

Southeast Asian folk beliefs, as well as traditional Chinese medicine, consider the durian fruit to have warming properties liable to cause excessive sweating. The traditional method to counteract this is to pour water into the empty shell of the fruit after the pulp has been consumed and drink it. An alternative method is to eat the durian in accompaniment with mangosteen, which is considered to have cooling properties. People with high blood pressure or pregnant women are traditionally advised not to consume durian.

Another common local belief is that the durian is harmful when eaten with coffee or alcoholic beverages. The latter belief can be traced back at least to the 18th century when Rumphius stated that one should not drink alcohol after eating durians as it will cause indigestion and bad breath. In 1929, J. D. Gimlette wrote in his Malay Poisons and Charm Cures that the durian fruit must not be eaten with brandy. In 1981, J. R. Croft wrote in his Bombacaceae: In Handbooks of the Flora of Papua New Guinea that a feeling of morbidity often follows the consumption of alcohol too soon after eating durian. Several medical investigations on the validity of this belief have been conducted with varying conclusions.

[…]A common saying is that a durian has eyes and can see where it is falling because the fruit allegedly never falls during daylight hours when people may be hurt.[…]

[…] A saying in Indonesian, ketiban durian runtuh, which translates to “getting a fallen durian”, means receiving an unexpected luck or fortune. […]

Wikipedia

It is really interesting to know there are so much stories or belief behind the “king of the fruit”.

Pity the poor beleaguered peanut. Long castigated for its fat content, recently the humble legume has faced even more flak on the health front. First school districts in Massachusetts instituted peanut-free areas in school cafeterias for students with allergies, and requested that parents not include peanut-butter sandwiches in their children’s lunch bags. Then the Department of Transportation called on airlines to create peanut-free zones for passengers with allergies. Most recently it was reported that breast-feeding moms who eat peanut butter may be setting up their children for future peanut allergies.

But the peanut isn’t all bad news. A growing body of research shows that nuts (peanuts are included in this class even though they are technically a legume) may be useful in improving cardiovascular health, preventing cancer, and providing essential nutrients.

The Skinny on Fat

Peanuts may contain a lot of fat–but it’s the right kind. Roughly 50 percent of the fat in peanuts is monounsaturated. Unsaturated fats can help lower LDL cholesterol (the “bad” cholesterol) levels in the blood without affecting the HDL cholesterol (”good” cholesterol). Research shows that people who eat a greater percentage of monounsaturated fats lower their risk of heart disease, asthma, Alzheimer’s disease, breast cancer, and even depression.

But what about the other not-so-healthy fats in peanuts? According to Nancy Clark, M.S., R.D., who offers nutrition consultations to active people out of her sports medicine office in Brookline, Massachusetts, eating large amounts of saturated fat may negate the benefits of a diet high in monounsaturates. However, Clark says that because of their nutritional content, peanuts are a healthy choice. “Peanuts have a high percentage of monounsaturated fats [Compared to other types of fats], and eating whole peanuts keeps that percentage high.”

A Hale Heart

Monounsaturated fat isn’t the only heart-healthy benefit peanuts provide. Research by the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows that peanuts pack a double punch against heart disease with resveratrol. Exactly how resveratrol improves health isn’t known, but it has been associated with reduced cardiovascular disease.

The link between nuts and a healthier heart may not be completely understood, but there’s no doubt that the link exists. A 1980 to 1990 study conducted by Frank B. Hu, of the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, showed that women who ate at least five ounces of nuts per week were only 65 percent as likely to suffer from coronary heart disease as women who avoided nuts.

Did we say peanuts are a double punch against heart disease? Make that a triple punch. One ounce of roasted peanuts provides 10 percent of the daily recommended amount of folic acid, a B vitamin recommended to lower the risk of heart disease.

Pump Up With Peanut Butter

Peanut butter is a good source of the healthy legume–and one that’s easy to swallow. After all, who can resist a peanut-butter sandwich or peanut-butter cookies?

According to Clark, peanut butter is a good source of energy for athletic women. “It’s an affordable source of calories,” she says. “If you are a hungry athlete who needs 3,000 or more calories a day, you can spend a significant amount of money fueling yourself. Peanut butter can do the job without breaking the bank. One hundred calories of peanut butter (about one tablespoon) costs about five cents, and you get four grams of protein.”

As tasty as peanut butter is, Melanie Polk, M.M.S.C., R.D., director of nutrition education at the American Institute for Cancer Research, warns that the process of making peanut butter makes it less healthful than unprocessed peanuts. “Peanut butter is typically not just peanuts,” Polk says. “Most commercial peanut butter has hydrogenated fat, which can make it less desirable.”

The process of creating hydrogenated fat produces trans-fatty acids, which are believed to behave the same way as saturated fats and possibly to increase the risk of heart disease when eaten to excess.

Don’t think this means you have to deny yourself the occasional peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich. “You can buy peanut butter that doesn’t have hydrogenated fat added, like the natural kind, or the type that’s just peanuts and salt,” Polk suggests. These types have oils that rise to the top. You can either mix this into the peanut butter or decrease the overall fat content by pouring it off.

The traditional sauna uses electric, wood or gas-fired heaters. The second type of sauna is the infrared sauna. The infrared sauna uses radiant heat which heats the occupants rather than the air. In the traditional sauna the air is heated but it is a dry heat. This is why the sauna is also called a dry hot-air bath.

In a steam bath it is moist heat. The steam bath uses a steam generator. The sauna has very low humidity, whereas the steam bath has high humidity. In a steam bath the steam builds up to create a humidity level of around 100%. Because of the humidity factor the heat in the sauna is far higher than that of the steam bath. The difference in temperature can be anywhere from 40°C to 60°C.

The health benefits of either depend upon what you want. Both steam baths and sauna are good to unwind and relax. They both help to cleanse by sweating. They are both good for blood circulation.

The dry heat of the sauna can make it uncomfortable for some people to breathe. Those with respiratory problems may prefer the moist heat of the steam bath. The inhalation of steam is often used for treating bronchitis and allergies. Therefore those who wish to treat respiratory problems will benefit more from steam baths.

A sauna detoxifies but it also refreshes and revitalizes your body. In general saunas are easier to build and require less material and labor than a steam bath. Both can be affordable and may add monetary value to your home.