World Health Day: Our Guide to Optimum Health
From nurturing our physical health to making sure we’re getting regular health check-ups, here are 5 ways to ensure holistic health
Text: Shin Yee Koh
This World Health Day ensure you take care of your overall wellbeing – from eating right to establishing a regular exercise routine; all of these are important if we want to live a long, healthy life with the ones we love. Here are some top tips to keep your health in check:
1. Reinvigorate your gut health
As outlandish as it sounds, it's true – your gut and brain are intertwined. We don't use phrases like 'gut-wrenching' and 'feeling butterflies in your stomach' on a whim; our gastrointestinal tract is sensitive to emotion. After all, the very thought of eating can prompt our stomach to release juices before we even consume anything, so it only makes sense that this connection goes both ways. Also known as the gut-health axis, a troubled intestine can send signals to the brain, leading to anxiety, stress, and depression.
To support our gut health, we need to ensure that our gut microbiome is diverse and balanced. Otherwise, gut inflammation can occur, triggering signals to the central nervous system (CNS) and leading to mood changes. Gut inflammation has also been linked to potential causes of mental illnesses like depression and anxiety. In addition, the food we're putting in our bodies determines the composition of microbes in our gut, so it's imperative that we're eating right.
Find out from UFIT's Fiona Chia how we can take better care of our gut health
Eat healthy, live healthy
2. Schedule regular medical check-ups
Breast cancer is an insidious thing – in fact, 1 in 16 women in Singapore will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. It is by far the most common type of cancer that affects women, followed by cervical cancer. Both of which can be effectively treated with either medicine or, in severe cases – chemotherapy – if detected early. That's why going for thorough annual health screenings are so important; it's an integral part of preventive care that many women are still unfortunately skimping out on.
There are many reasons people put off looking after their health – from fear of uncovering potential issues to concerns about the costs. Of course, uncertainty is a factor as well, but luckily, one that we can take out of the equation. We spoke to Dr Edwin Ong, Founder and Medical Director at RMDY Clinic, about essential medical checks for women. He commented that the frequency or interval of each type of screening test varies. Regardless, experts recommend that women (and men for that matter) go for an annual health screening from ages 18 and up.
Get checked for potential health problems
3. Keep your posture right
With WFH becoming likely to stay, we're no longer confined to the typical office desk and chair set-up – in fact, most of us end up doing work from the comfort of our cosy beds or the living room sofa. But is turning your bed into your new office really good for you?
The answer is no – both physically and psychologically. Bad posture is a natural side effect of doing work stretched out on your sheets, but doing so can lead to far-reaching consequences, some of which will be too painful for your aging body to handle. Your neck, back, hips and more are strained on a soft surface, encouraging you to slump or sprawl. These habits could result in simple headaches – innocuous enough, or even permanent stiffness in your back, arthritis and even cervical pain. Let's not even begin talking about the adverse effects it can have on your sleep habits.
We spoke to Dr Matt Kan, Founder, Senior Consultant and CEO of Chiropractic First Group of Clinics, on how to maintain a good posture as well as tips to soothe backaches and pains.
Sit properly for lumbar support
4. Invest in a fitness routine
If you're anything like me, it takes a pretty big push to begin the arduous journey of getting fit. It took hearing my friends talk about their gym sessions and feeling left out when I couldn't join in the conversation for me to get off my ass and go for my first ever spin class. And I've never looked back. There's just something about working out and the endorphin rush that makes you feel productive and ready to take on the world. Like gut health, keeping active and fit is inherently tied to our overall wellbeing. Of course, being active helps us reduce the risk of obesity-related risks such as heart disease and cholesterol issues.
However, the link between exercise and mental health is complicated. Inactivity can be both a cause and a consequence of mental illness, for example. But there's no denying the levels of chemicals in the brain, such as serotonin, stress hormones and endorphins, change when you exercise. Getting bored of your fitness routine or not knowing where to begin can be frustrating, of course, but here are some tips to motivate yourself and refresh your workout routine.
Keep yourself fighting fit
5. Make sure you're well-rested
I have a few insomniac friends, and as someone who knows them intimately, I can spot the oncoming signs of someone in need of a power nap a mile away. Being irritable and moody are just a few of the symptoms that come hand in hand with not getting enough sleep, but few experience sleep deprivation so intense they feel like they might actually die. It may sound insane, but you can, in fact, actually die from severe, chronic sleep deprivation. Sleep is an integral but oft-neglected component of our overall wellbeing. It's when your body goes through restorative processes such as repairing and repleting cellular components necessary for biological functions vital for our body.
We require a minimum of at least seven hours of sleep each night for proper cognitive and behavioural functions. However, many of us – 64% of Singaporeans, in fact, struggle to even hit an average of 6.5 hours nightly. It's a nagging but easily dismissible concern for most until they find that not getting enough sleep actually causes your brain to shrink. Also known as sleep atrophy, the American Academy of Neurology found that people who don't get their nightly z's experience a decrease in the size of their brain – particularly in the right superior frontal cortex region, which destroys the connections that help the brain cells communicate.
In our quest to switch off our brains and get better sleep, The Soothe has dedicated ourselves to trying a myriad of different ways to improve our quality of sleep. From Shakti Mats to yoga Nidra, here are our best tips to get the perfect nights' sleep.
Get your required hours of rest
Our body and mind are intrinsically linked - psychologists have even proved that by listening to our bodies' needs, we can become more aware of our emotions and desires. So of course, it’s imperative that we take good care of both so we can live life to the fullest without any worries.
