Don’t laugh – it’s happened. It is becoming increasingly popular in China for women to travel to South Korea for cosmetic surgery. Many women go because they want a more “western look” that is attained by rounding out the eyes and slimming the chins. What one particular group of women didn’t count on though, was that when they came home, they didn’t look like themselves anymore.

According to news reports, they had to show the customs officers their scars and then were examined closely so the officers could match the non-retouched facial features with the old passport photos to verify their identity.

~~~

Source

Image: PhotoXpress.com

Post from: Healthbolt

In keeping with this theme, TripAdvisor has ‘coughed up’ a list what they think might be the world’s top ‘germiest’ attractions…

photo by ge'shmally (flickr)

1. The Blarney Stone in Ireland where ‘up to 400,000 mouths from all over the world touch the stone each year‘.

2. Seattle’s Wall of Gum where, since the 1990s people have been deposit their masticated gum while waiting in line for Theatresports

3. Oscar Wilde’s Tomb in Paris which is has a ‘rainbow of hundreds of visible kiss marks adorning the grave’.

4. St. Mark’s Square in Venice is full of hungry pigeons that are often touched and petted by tourists.

5. Forecourt of Grauman’s Chinese Theater in Hollywood where people get down on their hands and knees to place their fingers in the molds of their favorite stars.

I think I’ll steer clear of these attractions and settle for seeing them in youtube instead…

Post from: Healthbolt

To make life on the road easier for those dealing with celiac disease and gluten intolerance, Lisa A. Lundy, author of The Super Allergy Girl: Allergy & Celiac Cookbook -From A Mother Who Knows, has put together a short video full of useful tips and ideas.

Post from: Healthbolt

But I didn’t want to leave all you Healthbolt reader’s high and dry, so I’ve been doing some pre-posting to keep you informed and entertained while I’m away.

And to start it of, here’s a safety video from Air New Zealand with whom I‘ll be flying with tomorrow.

Can you spot what’s different from the usual safety videos?

.
.
Yep, you got it. They are not wearing any clothes.

It’s all body paint.

Thankfully, it’s just a video and all the real flight personnel on my flight will be wearing real clothes (I hope!)

(image source)

Post from: Healthbolt

I’m sure that the thousands of stranded travelers during the recent holiday season would say no.

But Health Magazine, having done some research into the safety measures, food options, cleanliness, delays, and overall traveler satisfaction of all the nations airports, says yes airports can be healthy and have come up with a list of America’s 10 Healthiest Airports.

They are:

1. Phoenix Sky Harbor International
2. Baltimore-Washington International Airport
3. Chicago’s O’Hare International
4. Detroit Metropolitan
5. Denver International
6. Washington National
7. Dallas/Fort Worth International
8. Boston’s Logan International
9. Portland International
10. Philadelphia International

I see that LAX and JFK didn’t make the grade. Not too surprising. Can’t say I felt any healthy vibes in either of those two airports last time I was there.

So, do you agree or disagree with Health Magazines list?

Have any healthy airport stories to share?

Post from: Healthbolt

Then check out this great Perfect Pushup Mobile Unit. It looks like it could really reinvigorate your pushup workout.

Using the latest advances in biomechanics, the Perfect Pushup Mobile Unit is designed to give you better results faster. Compact and easy to use, sounds like a great present for the traveling business person in your life. Or maybe you’d like to keep it all to yourself.

Here’s what you’ll get…

•    2 patent-pending pushup handles, in a travel-friendly size
•    Neoprene carrying case
•    Perfect Pushup Mobile workout cards

Want to know more? Then check out what Alden Mills, the inventor of Perfect Pushups, has to say about this product (yeah, I know it’s a sales promo. But it shows really clearly what the perfect pushup mobile unit is all about)

Interested?

Then leave a comment before 14th December 2008 as to why this should be yours and might just end up with one for Christmas.

It’s only open to US Residents.

The winner will be announced on 15th December and sent an email with the subject heading ‘Healthbolt Giveaway Winner’ with instructions on how to claim their prize.

And don’t forget it’s ‘everyday a giveaway’ this month at Healthbolt.

Post from: Healthbolt

Except for some, it’s not that easy. After months of intense dedication to the cause, suddenly it’s over and irregardless whether your candidate was the chosen one or not, there’s now a huge void in your life.

The ‘post election blues’ have struck.

You need a place to unwind…a place to relax…a place without television…without internet…without blackberry access.

Sounds like you need …  a meditation retreat.  It’s the perfect place to clear you mind, relax your body, commune with nature, and simply get away from it all.

Start reading this list of America’s top meditation retreats put together by Forbes Traveler and you’ll soon be wishing you could be there…

The Abbey of Gethsemani, Trappist, Ky – once the home of author and monk Thomas Merton, whose spiritual journey inspired millions, this old Trappist monastery (1848) is now a center for renewal and peace.

Kripalu Center, Stockbridge, Mass – set in the peaceful Berkshires, this retreat offers over 700 experiential workshops and has one of the world’s best yoga spas.

Menla Mountain Retreat, Phoenicia, N.Y – located in the Catskills, this retreat is popular with stressed-out New Yorkers.

Breitenbush Hot Springs, Detroit, Oregon – with over 154 acres of wildlife sanctuary, this retreat is the perfect place to escape from the connected world.

Shambhala Mountain Center, Red Feather Lakes, Colorado – even better, this Colorado retreat has 600 acres to get lost (in thought) in.

Mount Madonna, Santa Cruz, California – overlooking Monterey Bay, this retreat is home to a silent monk who hasn’t uttered a word since 1952, communicating by writing on a small chalkboard.

Omega Institute, Rhinebeck, N.Y. -this Hudson Valley retreat attracts people in search of inspiration and rejuvenation.

Ala Kukui, Hana, Maui, Hawaii – legend has it that this retreat is located in an area of Hana known as “the land where the heavens meet the earth.”

The Abode of the Message, New Lebanon, N.Y. – once a Shaker community, this retreat has historic Shaker buildings, an organic farm and gardens, abundant wildlife, hermitage huts, campgrounds, hiking trails and a swimming pond.

Esalen, Big Sur, California – this legendary new age retreat offers spectacular views as you open your mind.

Okay, so heading to a meditation retreat to get over the post election blues does seem a little over the top. But still, it was fun to dream…

(photo by Liz Lewis)

Post from: Healthbolt

Vagabondish has put together a list of the ‘10 Nastiest Travel Diseases: What They Are, What They Do and Why You Don’t Want Them’ to remind us that there is good reasons to do your research before you leave home and take the right precautions to protect yourself.

Here’s the Vagabondish list of what you want to avoid…

- cholera
- tetanus
- typhoid
- dengue fever
- hepatitis
- malaria
- yellow fever
- HIV/AIDs
- Japanese Encephalitis
- Meningitis

The CDC’s Traveler’s Health page and the Travel Doctor can tell you how to avoid them.

Post from: Healthbolt

But for a growing number of people, the only reason they are even going overseas is to get pregnant.

They are on ‘IVF Vacations’, heading for fertility clinics in places like the Czech Republic, Korea, Barbados, Israel, and Thailand.

Turns out that even when you add in the cost of travel and accommodation, the price of in-vitro fertilization (IVF) in many foreign countries is much cheaper than in the USA. Plus many of the women turned down for IVF therapy in the United States because of their advancing age are finding overseas clinics much more willing to treat them.

There are, however, some downsides as this interesting Wall Street Journal article points out…

“Treatments can take four to five weeks — too long for many couples to take a break from their regular lives. It might not be possible to find medical practitioners who speak fluent English, though some of the travel firms also provide translation services. And while medical standards are high in many countries, regulations can vary, including rules for screening egg donors, leaving it to patients to do due diligence. In the U.S., the Food and Drug Administration regulates egg-donor screening, though some states set stricter standards.”

But regardless of these problems, heading overseas for IVF therapy is becoming an increasingly popular option – so much so that specialized travel services are popping up to help people arrange these ‘IVF Vacations.’

Anyone considering this option really needs to do their research carefully. It’s important that the standards, practices, and success rates of any clinic they are considering are fully checked out (an important consideration wherever the clinic is – stateside or overseas). Make sure the hospital/clinic is accredited with the Joint Commission International or MEDEX. And it’s probably a good idea to get in contact with others who have gone through the process and get a personal account of the experience.

Hopefully, those who choose an ‘IVF Vacation’ will end up on a trip that lasts a lifetime.

Further reading:

U.S. Women Crossing Globe for Fertility Help
‘Baby Vacation’ Offers Alternative for Childless Couples.

Post from: Healthbolt

So I did a little checking and it seems that cars (especially new ones) might not be all that good for our health.

According to an article originally published in Men’s Health, we have numerous invisible hitchhikers inside our new cars. To be exact, there are chemicals lurking in the interior of the car. A study conducted by the Ecology Center found that the two prime suspects – phthalates and bromiated flame retardants (such as deca) – are toxins known to lead to liver, kidney, brain, and thyroid damage in rodents.

But wait, there’s more. The same year that the Ecology Center did their study, Japanese scientists…

‘…sampled the air inside 101 newer cars and found that each vehicle contained 241 different airborne toxins(also known as volatile organic compounds, or VOC’s), including a class of carcinogens called aromatic hydrocarbons.’

And the next year, Taiwanese scientists

‘…analyzed the air in 20 new vehicles, including coupes, compacts, sedans, and SUVs. Once again, the results revealed significantly elevated VOC levels in all of the cabins. Worse, one sedan contained 200 times more xylenes, toxic aromatic hydrocarbons, that human beings can safely inhale.’

So what does this mean to you?

None of the studies could provide conclusive evidence that these toxins would poison the car occupants.

But if I was thinking of buying a new car, I’d be heading over to HealthyCar.org first and read their The Consumer Guide to Toxic Chemicals in Cars. It’s got the fact not only on the cars but also on child car seats.

Post from: Healthbolt