Welcome to Healthy Living in HK on The HK HUB!
We are partnering to bring you the best, tried and tested information on health and wellness in Hong Kong. I aim to give you real advice in real time that can be seamlessly introduced to make your current lifestyle better and healthier. By making small changes, step-by-step, Healthy Living will give you the knowledge, vitality and energy in your daily life to create a healthier version of yourself. You can look forward to articles on exercise, nutrition, eating out, travel and more.
Healthy Living in HK started three years ago in a quest to find a like-minded community that cared about living a healthy lifestyle on a daily basis. It has grown to a burgeoning 2,000+ member-forum in addition to the soon-to-be launched Healthy Living Magazine. The HK HUB readers and subscribers get to be on the cusp of this fantastic addition to the Healthy Living community.
My personal story began almost a decade ago when our first newborn had a dairy allergy. After enjoying daily lattes and consuming other dairy products everyday, I came out of the doctor’s office in shock. What was I going to eat? No more butter, cheese, milk, cream nor lattes, pizza, lasagna, mashed potatoes and many other foods I was used to eating – and that was just the beginning. I soon realised that foods I formerly thought were acceptable to eat also had milk products in them. My learning curve on the dairy-free lifestyle was exponential and overnight.
Out of this experience, however, came a gradual change in my own thoughts and knowledge on nutrition, health and wellbeing. When our second child was born, not only did this little one have a dairy allergy, but also a gluten allergy and other food sensitivities. At one point I couldn’t even eat a corn-fed chicken because of the high sensitivity to corn! Since that time, I have personally experimented with almost every lifestyle including vegetarian, vegan, paleo, and everything else in between. My family remains gluten free to this day and most of us are dairy-free, as well. I’ve realized healthy living is an ever-evolving journey that not only changes with knowledge, but also over time as we enter different stages of our lives.
I don’t suggest making such drastic changes if you can avoid it, but taking it day-by-day and focusing on small measureable improvements. I’m guessing right now you’ve been sitting at your desk for quite some time. This is your chance to make a fast improvement: straighten your spine whilst gently rolling your shoulders back and tightening your stomach. This small act of kindness to your body not only gives you more energy, but less pain in your neck, shoulders, back and increases blood flow. Furthermore, research has shown that slumping negatively affects hormone levels and gives poor impressions at work.
Are you curious how bad or good your posture is at this very moment? There are several apps that have been developed to help you analyse the best position for your body. Check out PostureScreen by PostureCo Inc. or the free PostureZone app, which both allow you to track, measure and analyse your posture over time. Don’t want to add more technology to your life? Consider putting a small sticker or tag at the top of your computer screen. This innocuous little step can remind you to tighten your core, roll your shoulders back and breath deeply whilst you adjust to sitting taller in your chair. For more information on the power of posture, check out Amy Cuddy’s Ted Talk on “power posing” here.
I look forward to sharing more articles like this one every week with you on The HK HUB – Healthy Living. See you next week!
Laura Paul is the Founder of Healthy Living in HK (a Hong Kong health and wellness Facebook forum with over 2,000 members) and Healthy Living Magazine (to be released in January 2015).
She has been the inspiration to a number of health and wellness businesses in Hong Kong and aims to bring healthier lifestyles to you through The HK HUB, Healthy Living in HK, Healthy Living Magazine and the community outreach programme Healthy Living Asia – Education. To find out more, join me on the Healthy Living in HK Facebook community by contacting me at [email protected] The HK HUB – Healthy Living welcomes your comments and suggestions.
Disclaimer: Any information provided in this or any subsequent article is for educational purposes only and is not advice or a prescription. All communications are accepted in good faith. Healthy Living in HK assumes no responsibility or liability for any claims, conditions, products, services, errors, and/or opinions expressed through articles on this website.
Copyright 2014 by Laura Paul. All Rights Reserved.
Add comment