The Star Online: Lifestyle: Health
The Star Online: Lifestyle: Health |
| Posted: 16 Jul 2011 07:39 PM PDT Antioxidants and vitamins are required in the fight against electromagnetic radiation. RIGHT now, you're probably wondering what electromagnetic radiation means. Many people are not aware what electromagnetic radiation is. If you work on a computer or own a mobile phone, make sure you read this article. What you do not know may be a major cause of ill-health. Electromagnetic radiation (or EMF pollution) is a term given to all the man-made electromagnetic fields (EMF) of various frequencies, which fill our homes, workplace and public spaces. When we call something in our environment a pollutant, we are implying that it is somehow harmful to nature and to ourselves. The source of electromagnetic pollution in our environment has been growing exponentially for the past 30 years or so. From desktop computers to mobile phones, we have a potential crisis of sorts with the "pollutants" that come from these and other similar technologies. It's called electromagnetic pollution. You can't see them, taste them, touch them, hear them (most of the time), smell them, or even know how much and to what degree you are being affected by electromagnetic pollutants. This is another reason that we continue to emphasise the need for good nutrition and more antioxidant and vitamin support in the form of supplementation, considering most of us don't get enough in our diet. According to Camille Rees, an expert on the subject of electromagnetic pollution, "This is a species issue ... There is early evidence to link EMF (electromagnetic fields) exposures to autism ... We know radiation is affecting our DNA and jeopardising the health of future generations. There is research from many countries now showing dramatic decline in sperm count from exposure to such radiation ..." And that is just the beginning of what we are starting to learn about what could be a very widespread problem as we continue to utilise modern technologies, which translates into greater amounts of EMF around us. There is also a report that suggests the need for increasing awareness about the negative impact of electromagnetic pollution among children because it effects their normal, physical and mental growth. The report goes on to point out that electromagnetic pollution likely hampers proper growth of children, as well as the developing child in pregnant women. While it is important to be aware of these things, it may be difficult, if not impossible, to do anything to change how we are being affected. That is, unless we come up with better technology that will help us avoid so much exposure. But individually, there doesn't seem to be an easy solution, especially if you're using a mobile phone frequently, barring a move to a rural area where there is much less EMF exposure. That may not be practical for most people. Dr Andrew Weil, a well known US physician, author, professor and wellness advocate states, "Electromagnetic pollution may be the most significant form of pollution human activity has produced in this century!" How can we protect ourselves from this electromagnetic pollution? Well, the most important thing you can do is feed your body the proper nutrition that it demands for fighting the free radicals that come from any type of pollutant, from radiation to exposure to sun (UV rays) and cigarette smoke. While it may seem like using a slingshot on an elephant, the fact is that good nutrition and plenty of antioxidants from food sources (fruits, vegetables, grapes, and berries) are going to be the best way to take action and give your body the best chance for preventing sickness and disease. If you do not eat enough of those plant-based foods or if you have a poor diet, then it is highly recommended that you take a complete antioxidant supplement which includes standardised grape seed extract and alpha lipoic acid. Other important antioxidants and support nutrients include vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin E, selenium, zinc and manganese. Together, these synergistic nutrients work collectively to safeguard the body from the daily bombardment of free radicals generated from various sources, ie electromagnetic radiation, exercise and even stress. The active ingredients found in standardized extracts of grape seed are oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPCs). Research indicates that OPCs may be 20 to 50 times more potent as an antioxidant than vitamin C and E. This simply means that OPCs from grape seed extract are many times more efficient in fighting free radicals than either vitamin C or E. Alpha lipoic acid helps regenerate other antioxidants such as vitamin C, vitamin E and glutathione (an important antioxidant produced in the body). Alpha lipoic acid is the only antioxidant that can boost the level of intracellular glutathione. Besides being the body's primary water-soluble antioxidant and a major detoxification agent, glutathione is absolutely essential for the functioning of the immune system. > This article is courtesy of Live-well Nutraceuticals, for more information, please consult your pharmacist or call Live-well INFOline: 03-6140 7605 or e-mail info@live-well.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. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by USA Best Price. |
| Posted: 16 Jul 2011 07:38 PM PDT Dr Mary Cardosa takes off the MMA president's hat and talks about life and work. WHAT made you embark on a career in medicine? I have always wanted to work with people, and to help people, so I suppose medicine was quite a good choice. Initially (after I finished my A levels), I did not go straight to medical school. I went to the US for a couple of years to do "liberal arts" and to "find myself". But being interested in many different things at that time, I was not able to focus on any one thing in particular. After spending a couple of years in the US, I decided to come back home to do medicine because first, it would allow me to work with people, and second, I wanted to contribute to my own country (which is why I did not stay back in the US to do medicine). After over two decades of medical service, what do you think it means to be a doctor? This is a difficult question to answer. The one word that comes to mind is "service". As a doctor, my role is to serve my patients, and to be good in my work so that my patients can benefit. It is very tiring, stressful, sometimes frightening, but also rewarding. It's great. Doctors have a special position because we see people when they are most vulnerable and worried, anxious, etc. We have the knowledge and means to help them in their most needy time. Knowing this, we have to take our jobs seriously and do the best we can with the current knowledge, drugs and equipment available to us. Pain is a subject that is very painful and uncomfortable to many of us. What made you interested in it? I guess I like a challenge. Pain management was something that was not well developed in Malaysia when I went to Australia to complete my anaesthesia fellowship, so I learnt about acute pain management initially, then went on to learn about chronic pain management. My father, who is not a doctor but a teacher, was involved for many years in the hospice movement, because he is a cancer survivor. He always wanted me to do something about cancer pain but I resisted for a while, but in the end, I am doing that as well. As there are lots to develop in this area, it is very interesting – pioneering work is always challenging and interesting! All these years as an anaesthesiologist you have been helping people deal with pain. What does it teach you about life? Another difficult question! Life is short, I suppose. We need to take control of our lives and our pain rather than allow pain to control us (which is what happens to a lot of people with chronic pain). Is it stressful or depressing to help people deal with pain? If it is, how do you deal with the emotions? Of course, it is stressful sometimes. Not really depressing, because, when we are helping them when they are "down", we are helping them to get better. It's great when patients are able to turn around their lives just because they understand their pain better and are not fearful of their pain anymore, and are able to take control of their lives again. We have seen many people who achieve this. There are, of course, patients who refuse to listen to us, refuse to try out what we ask them to, and continue to suffer and be a burden on the health system. But we can't win them all. To be able to deal with the stress, we need to accept that we are not god, we cannot cure everyone, and we cannot change everyone; our role is to offer them information, alternative ways of managing pain, etc. It's then up to the patient to do the rest. We cannot do everything. You are also very passionate about social causes: you were once the president of the All Women's Action Movement (AWAM), and served for many years on the MMA executive committee on top of commitments to a pain clinic. How do you juggle your time? With great difficulty. I guess being single helps – I don't have a husband or children to look after! What does a normal working day look like for you? I work from 8am to 5pm, and have meetings about three days a week. Weekends are spent at workshops, conferences or meetings. I probably only have one weekend off per month on average. What kind of activities do you do outside of work? Play scrabble and Sudoku. I used to exercise regularly but now I don't do enough. I actually used to jog regularly but now can only do brisk walking, and only on weekends when I am free – so you see how little I do! If you were to advise a young person who wants to become a doctor about what to expect, what would be your words of wisdom? Firstly, please do medicine only if you really want to do it, not because your mother or father wants you to do it. Life as a doctor is tough and stressful, and you have to do it for yourself, not for someone else. Secondly, before you commit yourself to medical school, try to spend some time with a doctor so that you know what it's like in reality – so it won't be a shock to you when you start your career. Thirdly, keep up with your hobbies and non-medical pursuits even if you do medicine – you need to have some balance in life. Fourthly, be conscientious; study hard, keep up with the developments in your field, read, read, read and digest the information and apply it to the patients that you are seeing. And last but not least, when you are in a difficult situation, don't be afraid to call for help or consult your colleagues, even when you are a senior. Always put yourself in the position of the patient, especially when you feel that you don't want to get up in the middle of the night to attend to someone. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by USA Best Price. |
| Posted: 16 Jul 2011 07:38 PM PDT Dr Mary Suma Cardosa, who was recently installed as the first female president of the Malaysian Medical Association, talks about her new role, life and work. CONGRATULATIONS on your recent installation as the president of the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA). How do you feel about being the first female president of the MMA? Thank you. I feel happy that at long last a woman has been elected into this position. At the same time, I feel a little nervous, as it seems like a big responsibility. [It is] not just the responsibility of leading the association representing the largest number of doctors in the country (and therefore, representing the "voice of the medical profession" in Malaysia), but also being the first woman president, I feel that I have to do not just a good job, but a great job, as many people will be watching me closely. After having been registered for 51 years, only now does the MMA have a female president. Do you think that it is a significant milestone in terms of gender equality in Malaysian medicine? Is it still deemed a male-dominated field in Malaysia? Well, what I can say is better late than never! I think that medicine has previously been more male-dominated, but not anymore. In fact, a lot of medical schools have more female students than males now. When I was a medical student in the late 70s and early 80s, only about 30% of the class were females. I think the increasing number of women doctors is in parallel with the increase in the number of women professionals. In Malaysia, two of the major organisations that are involved in issues concerning medical practice are the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) and the MMA. How different is the role of the MMA compared to the MMC? The MMA is a non-governmental organisation, an association registered with the Registrar of Societies. Its membership is voluntary, and we have to continuously recruit new members and remind members to renew their membership. The MMC, on the other hand, is a council that is constituted by the law. The director general of Health chairs the council and its members are appointed as well as elected. The role of the MMC is a regulatory one: all doctors have to be registered with the MMC in order to practise medicine in Malaysia. What made you join MMA in the first place, and how long did you serve in the MMA executive committee? I joined the MMA when I was a medical student. In those days, as medical student members of the MMA, we were invited to attend talks on various medical-related topics, and these usually came with a nice dinner! We also had the facility to apply for loans and got news about what was happening in the medical fraternity through the newsletter of the MMA – Berita MMA (which is still published monthly today). When I became a doctor, I continued my membership, and soon converted it to a life membership. During my days as a house officer and medical officer, I was active in SCHOMOS (the Section Concerning House Officers, Medical Officers and Specialists in government service) in the MMA. We fought for better living conditions for doctors, more opportunities for training and continuing medical education (CME), and later on, better pay for doctors. I was the secretary of SCHOMOS in the late 80s, but then I stopped being active in MMA while I was pursuing my postgraduate education. In the late 1990s I became a member of the editorial board of the MMA (for the Berita MMA), and later I was appointed the honorary general secretary in 2007, and elected as the president elect in 2009. You once mentioned that the issue you wish to tackle the most during your tenure is engaging civil society in discussions concerning healthcare in Malaysia. Do you think a one-year tenure is enough to initiate changes? Obviously one year is not enough. However, in his tenure as president for the last two years, Dr David Quek has already started making statements on the MMA's views on healthcare reform in Malaysia, and has called for more open discussion on this. I hope that during my term, we will have more concrete discussion with all stakeholders and that the Ministry of Health (MOH) will take all parties' views into consideration. What is your vision for the MMA during your tenure? There are many things that need to be done, but I want to focus on improving communication, especially between the "centre" (KL) and the "periphery" (members in general– those "out-there"). We need to be more IT-based and we are going to have on-line registration and renewal of membership starting sometime in the second half of this year. We will therefore have easier and cheaper means of communication with our members via email, and we hope to convey more information to members in a timely fashion this way. There is a lot that is being done at various levels, but the information does not filter down to the "doctor on the street", so we need to try to improve this. For me personally, I would like to be able to get to know better what is happening at the branch level, by making regular visits to them, and to offer them whatever support the "centre" can give them. Other presidents and excos have already been doing this, but I will be putting a lot of time and energy into making these connections (work). Apart from that, I would like MMA to continue to engage with the MOH on issues affecting health and healthcare in this country, to continue to be the voice of the medical profession. Dr Quek has had a significant media presence during his tenure and I would like to be able to continue this. There are many issues to address, not just on healthcare reforms, but also more immediate issues like infectious diseases and non-communicable diseases, the large numbers of doctors being "produced" in Malaysia and overseas, the training of our young doctors, and environmental health issues, to name a few. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by USA Best Price. |
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