Top Salud 25
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January 6th - January 19th 2016
Promising everything from better well being to preventing cancer, Kangen water is the latest health-fad to sweep the world. Swapping tap water for its alkaline equivalent, Rob Horgan goes in search of a new lease of life
Drink up J
Theatre music IT must go down as one of the most bizarre musical performances of all time. Spanish jazz musician Carlos Aguilera played his saxophone to 16 doctors during a 12-hour operation to remove a tumour from his brain. With a piece of his skull removed, doctors from Malaga’s Carlos Haya hospital instructed the 27-year-old to play his alto sax to help them ensured his musical ability was not hampered as a result of the operation. It was the first time this kind of surgeryhad taken place in Europe and surgeons say it was a success.
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www.theolivepress.es
APANESE hospitals pioneered it, Harley Street surgeons make their patients sign a contract to drink it and Hollywood actor Mark Wahlberg swears by it. Kangen water -- or alkaline water -- is the latest fad for healthfanatics looking for the next source of wellbeing. Replacing regular water with ‘live water’ has been linked with preventing everything from being bloated to leukemia. So when the LeveLuk R Kangen medical device turned up at Olive Press headquarters, it is fair to say I couldn’t wait to give it a go. But before enjoying a healthy lease on life, I was left stumped (and quite wet) by my attempts to install the device, which re-
FAN: Miranda Kerr
Dry eyes in the winter months Leighton Griffiths, Store Director, Specsavers Opticas Marbella
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ANUARY’S cold winds, wet weather and central heating can all play havoc with your eyes, leaving them feeling dry, gritty and bloodshot. Symptoms can lead to longer term problems if left unchecked, therefore this month, the team from Specsavers wanted to explain dry eye and offer a few hints to help prevent eye soreness over the coldest months of the year.
What is dry eye?
The term “dry eye” is used when we don’t produce enough tears or our tears evaporate too quickly. People with dry eyes often have plenty of water in their tears but not enough oil. Dry eyes can be caused by heating and air conditioning, windy and cold conditions and certain medications.
How can it be avoided or reduced?
Don’t get dehydrated - Cut back on the cof-
fee and drink more water, use eye drops and sprays to add extra lubrication. Wash your hands before touching your eyes to prevent cross infection from the viruses in coughs and sneezes which can inflame your conjunctiva – the clear membrane covering the whites of your eyes, leaving them feeling irritated. Reduce the setting on your central heating, avoid car heaters, especially at face level, and sit away from direct heat such as gas or electric heaters. Keep the sunglasses handy – As the sun is low in the sky at this time of year and can be uncomfortably bright for drivers and sunglasses reduce this and protect against UV radiation. Winter is a great time to get your eyes tested as poor light conditions can make you susceptible to eyestrain. There are Specsavers Opticas stores in Marbella and Fuengirola on the Costa del Sol, visit www.specsavers.es to find your nearest store and book an appointment.
HURRY
sembles an early R2-D2 model. But just one YouTube video later and I had (somewhat) successfully fixed up the device and was ready to drink my way to better health. And so for the next four weeks I replaced tap water with Kangen water in a bid to be revitalised. The theory is that maintaining a higher bodily PH level is key to better hydration, which leads to improved general health and can even prevent certain diseases. While most tap water has a neutral PH level, alkaline water has a PH of up to 9.5 bringing the body inline with the ‘perfect’ PH level of 7.4.
Champions
And while Kangen has its sceptics it also has its champions. Many of Harley Street’s top surgeons encourage their patients to use it in order to speed up recovery times. Equally, it is the only type of water readily available in Japanese hospitals. And alkaline water even has its celebrity fans, with Hollywood actor Mark Wahlberg and model Miranda Kerr refusing to go near anything that does not have a high PH level. And while four weeks was perhaps not long enough for me to feel completely revitalised I did feel slightly perkier. And if nothing else it tasted much better than Sabinillas tap water.
The LeveLuk R retails at €1,180, or can be bought on hire purchase from €50 a month. For more information contact Jacinta Hannon of Global Independent Enagic Distributor on 670628468 or jacinta@kangenrunningwater.com.
ends 10 ! t JAnUAR h Y
Please see red stickers in store indicating reduced frames. 1.5 scratch-resistant single vision lenses selected. Other lenses and Extra Options available at an additional charge. Cannot be used with other offers. One pair of complete glasses only. Excludes reglazes, contact lens products, non-presciption sunglasses and safety eyewear. Offer ends 10 January 2016. ©2016 Specsavers. All rights reserved.
OLIVE PRESS – 105mm x 256mm – Colour
6th January
WATER WORKS: For Wahlberg and (below) kangen machine
Painless pain relief MUSCULAR pain and tension can be a thing of the past without a single stretch required! Somatics is a way to release chronic muscular pain and tension by performing simple movements anyone can do. It is an active learning process allowing your body to move freely, creating new and improved movement patterns and natural posture. The Somatics movements re-produce the three natural stress reflex patterns our bodies ‘take hold of’ and help us to let go of them. They are corrective ‘exercises’ that retrain your brain to retain your muscles by gently working via the nervous system. Most chronic muscular pain is down to ‘sensory-motor amnesia’. What this means is that muscles have simply forgotten how to let go and relax to their full resting length due to the way we habitually sit, stand and move, or through accidents or injuries. Years of developing poor movement patterns start to take their toll and then we are often mistakenly told it’s down to getting old! In fact, we have merely subconsciously learnt to hold our bodies tight, which brings on back, neck, shoulder and hip pain. The good news is, these learned patterns can be reversed. Unfortunately no amount of stretching, rolling or massaging will get the muscle to remember where it used to be. Sure, these moves feel great to do but muscles are controlled by the brain so it is at the brain level that we need to teach them to let go. The moves are very easy and relaxing to do, you are in control of your movements guided by your coach. Group classes and private home visits are available at www.somaticsgibraltar.com
Request an eye test online at specsavers.es or by calling your local store.
Marbella 952 863 332 Avda. Ricardo Soriano 12 Fuengirola 952 467 837 Avda. Ramón y Cajal 6