Pelvic or lower abdomen pain can be related to reproductive system, digestive system or urinary system. The article Pelvic Pain: Some Possible Culprits lists down 8 possible causes. This article elaborates on another 9 more potential causes of pelvic pain.

1. Endometriosis

Endometriosis is when endometrial cells grow outside the uterus and form growths on the ovaries, bowel, rectum, bladder and lining of the pelvic area. The symptoms are:

• pain in the lower abdomen or lower back, before, during or after menstruation
• cramps and pain during or after sexual intercourse
• pain with bowel movements

In severe cases, surgery is carried out to remove all endometrial implants and scar tissue, or more drastically, to remove your uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries.

2. Vulvar Pain

Vulvodynia is chronic pain around the opening of the vagina. There is no known cause. The pain could be a burning, stinging or throbbing sensation. It may be there constantly or come and go. Certain activities like sexual intercourse or riding a bicycle may make the pain worse.

3. Interstitial Cystitis

This pain relates to long-term inflammation of the bladder wall. There is no known cause. The pain is felt:

• during urination. You may feel the need to urinate multiple times every hour throughout the day.
• during sex.
• as a sensation of pressure above the pubic area.

UTI is caused by bacteria getting into the urinary tract and causing infection to the urethra, bladder, ureters or the kidneys.

7. Kidney Stones

The size can range from a grain of sand to a golf ball. Symptoms include:

• pink or red color urine
• sudden sharp pain in the stomach or pelvic area.

Dear friends - all of us know some people who are suffering from cancer or have succumbed to this frightening disease. They may be our close family members, friends or even well-known corporate captains and famous celebrities. So, please take some time to read this article, and share with people you care..
--------------------------------------

Are you a coffee lover? Can your "engine" only crank up when the rich aroma of a freshly brewed cuppa tickles your nose? If you're drinking coffee every day, don't you agree it's very important to choose coffee that's healthy for you?

I highly recommend CEO Cafe coffee, for the special creamer used and the 2 big benefits of caffeine.

About Coconut Oil

Instead of the usual dairy creamer, CEO Cafe uses a natural, low-fat creamer derived from coconut oil. Some people are immediately wary at the mention of "coconut oil", as they think it contains cholesterol and may lead to cardiovascular diseases. But this is a Myth. In actual fact, coconut oil is plant-based, has low-calorie and is cholesterol-free - making it one of the best choices of food-grade saturated lipids.


The main component of coconut oil is made up of 65% plant-base saturated medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs), rather than the usual plant-base saturated long-chain fatty acids. As a cooking oil, coconut oil will remain stable even under high temperature. It does not produce harmful trans fat, nor become readily oxidized to form free radicals.

When MCFAs enter our body, they will be readily absorbed without going through such processes as enzymatic hydrolysis and bile salts emulsification. This means it does not have to stay in our stomach for long hours, waiting for its turn to be digested and absorbed. Moreover, the MCFAs will be directly delivered to the small intestines where they will be broken down and converted into energy. Hence, they will not build up in the body system or blood vessels nor turn into fatty cells to cause obesity. In other words, they will not bring about the formation of thrombus, which is the prime culprit behind cardiovascular diseases.

2 Big Health Benefits of Coffee

Numerous research papers have indicated the many health benefits of caffeine to our body. Here are 2 big ones:

1. Prevents Type 2 Diabetes

Research studies conducted in Europe, USA and Japan point to the discovery that for people who drink coffee on a daily basis, their levels of blood sugar in an empty stomach and after food are both markedly lower compared with people who do not drink coffee.

This leads to the conclusion that drinking a moderate amount of coffee can effectively help prevent diabetes. Research findings have also shown that the ability of coffee in preventing diabetes is attributed to the fact that coffee contains rich amounts of a powerful antioxidant called chlorogenic acid.

Chlorogenic acid is a form of organic acid capable of discouraging the absorption of sugar in the digestive tract. At the same time, through its ability to encourage rapid transportation and oxidation of glucose, it

a) speeds up the metabolism of glucose in our body,
b) controls the blood sugar concentration, and
c) prevents excessive elevation of the blood pressure.



2. Cuts Down the Risk of Liver Cancer

A study was conducted in 2011 by the Epidemiology Department of National University of Singapore on 63,000 male and female subjects, all Singaporean Chinese, with ages ranging from 45 to 74. The results indicated that:

a) Coffee beans contain 2 special types of oil, namely cafestol and kahweol, which exhibit an amazing effect in protecting the liver.

b) As coffee beans are rich in chlorogenic acid and various powerful antioxidants, they are very good in preventing oxidative stress and subduing the formation of carcinogens.

c) consuming 2 cups of coffee a day can help cut down the risk of contracting liver cancer by up to 43%.

CEO Cafe is recommended because it uses natural low-fat creamer. Further, premium grade coffee beans have been found to prevent diabetes and reduce the risk of liver cancer.

(Source: Shuang Hor Magazine Mar-Apr 2012)

If you like to drink coffee and you are health conscious, please email me at askfuiping@gmail.com to get a box of CEO Cafe. Click here to refer to Shuang Hor company website for Product Description and Price.

Have you ever experienced a sudden uncomfortable tingling sensation in your teeth when you're drinking ice-cold water or eating something sour? Ooouucchh.. What happened?

Our teeth are divided into the crown (the part we can see in our mouth) and the root (buried inside our gums). There are 3 segments:

(a) Enamel. It's the outer hard layer and doesn't have nerves. It cannot repair or heal itself.
(b) Dentine. It is covered by the enamel on the crown, and protected by the cementum in the root. It can register pain and can repair itself.
(c) Pulp. It contains the nerves and blood vessels. If in any way it is exposed to decay or injury, it will die and cause severe pain.

Our teeth can become sensitive in the dentine and pulp area. It is triggered by heat, cold, sweetness or sourness. It may be from food, drinks or even breathing in cold air. The pain can be sharp or a dull ache, it can be sudden or come on gradually. It can last for a little while or a long time.

Sensitive teeth occurs when our dentine is exposed. It's not a tooth cavity. It happens because of receding gum tissue. The root which are not covered by the enamel are exposed, resulting in the sensation reaching our teeth's nerves.

Causes of Teeth Sensitivity

• Brushing your teeth too hard and using a hard-bristled toothbrush, which wear down your enamel and recede your gums.
• If your tooth decays near the gum line, it exposes your dentine.
• If your gum moves away from your tooth as a result of disease such as gingivitis (inflammation of your gums). There may be loss of supporting ligaments of the gum, resulting in the root of your tooth being exposed.
• If you have cracked, broken or chipped teeth which may be filled with plaque. The bacteria will enter the pulp to cause inflammation.
• If you grind your teeth or clench your jaw very often, it can wear down the enamel.
• It you use too many tooth-whitening products or mouthwash that contains acids.
• If you like eating a lot of acid-containing foods like oranges, lemons, tomatoes and pickles.
• If you like to drink a lot of tea.
• If you recently had a dental procedure. But sensitivity caused by this usually disappears within 6 weeks.

The prostate gland is a walnut-sized gland that is located below the bladder and in front of the rectum, and surrounded by the urethra (urinary passage). The prostate gland produces fluid which forms part of the semen that carries the sperm on ejaculation. The gland starts to increase in size from puberty onwards, and there is a greater rate of increase from 40 years of age onwards.

Symptoms of Enlarged Prostate Gland

The reason for the enlargement of the prostate gland (benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)) is not very clear. Symptoms of enlarged prostate glands (generally classified as lower urinary tract symptoms), include:

• slowing down of the urinary stream
• straining to pass urine
• delayed start of the urinary stream
• dribbling at the end of micturition
• feeling of incomplete emptying of bladder
• inability to pass urine (urinary retention)
• incontinence of urine
• passing urine more frequently
• waking up at night to pass urine, usually more than twice a night
• strong and sudden urges to pass urine
• pain during urination
• blood in the urine

Do you prefer coffee or tea? For me, I always go for tea as it's easier and lighter on my palate, without leaving the strong lingering taste that coffee gives after swallowing.

Recently, I learnt something worrying about tea leaves. I was told that many unscrupulous tea plantation owners maximise their profits by making sure every leaf is used. How do they ensure that? By spraying a lot of pesticides on their plants so that none of the leaves are "lost" to the insects and pests. Regular consumption of such tea will definitely cause harm to our body and our liver.

You will be glad to know there is a tea formulation which is safe from such "crime". What is this tea? It's called Lu Chun Lingzhi Tea.


The base of this beverage is Oolong Tea, also called Camellia Sinensis. It gives off an aromatic scent and has a non-bitter taste with a golden tinge. Some benefits include:

• Increases mental alertness.
• Sharpens thinking ability.
• Manages obesity as it has the ability to bring out excessive oil.

This functional Tea also contains 3 other ingredients which together, give a uniquely rich flavour and are health-enhancing in their own ways. They are:

Semen Cassiae (a seed of Cassia Obtusifolia)

• Help expel pathogenic heat / remove "liver fire". When we take a lot of "acidic food", meat, or eat out regularly, it builds up a lot of "heat" in the body. This component helps to bring out excessive heat, so you don't feel so heaty inside.
• Enhance visual functions; very good to help with glaucoma problem by reducing blood pressure in the eyes and reducing redness and dryness of the eyes.
• Moisten gastrointestinal tract, improve digestion, bring out gas and improve bloatedness.
• Encourage smoother bowel movements.

General Benefits / Usage of Tea

• Excellent antioxidant.
• Deodorant - get rid of smell. Try putting a used sachet of tea-bag in your shoe cabinet, fridge, pillow etc.
• Anti-bacterial and anti-virus.
• Prevent tooth decay.
• Prevent rise on blood pressure, cholesterol and sugar level.
• Anti-cancer, radiation and UV rays.

This tea formulation has the ability to remove oils and break down the excessive build-up of fats in our digestive system. By getting rid of these greasy burden, the environment in our stomach and intestines will be cleaner.

How To Drink Luchun Lingzhi Tea?

For people who are always on the move, brew or boil 2-3 sachets of the tea-bags for 10 minutes, then put the tea in a flask which you can conveniently carry around, so you can drink it the whole day. Continuously add water onto the tea-bags whenever you have finished the flask.

You will find that your health improves a lot. Combine together with Lingzhi, you will find the effects are even better. It does enhance the effects compared to just taking Lingzhi alone. This is especially so for people who cannot afford to consume high dosage of Lingzhi.

Isn't this a fantastic drink? Quench your thirst with a drink that not only tastes good, but gives so many health benefits.

Please email me at askfuiping@gmail.com if you want to get a box of Lu chun Lingzhi Tea.
Click here to refer to Shuang Hor company website for Product Description and Price.

What are sinuses? They are hollow spaces in the skull located behind the nasal cavities and eyes. Under normal circumstances, mucous is able to drain out of these sinuses and air is able to circulate. When the sinus cavities around our nose is inflamed and swollen, this will interfere with the drainage, causing mucous build-up. This is called sinusitis.

Sinusitis is a common problem worldwide, and affects about 12.8% Malaysians.

Common Sinus Conditions

• Acute sinusitis - sinus infection that lasts between 7 and 10 days. Most often caused by the common cold.
• Chronic sinusitis - long term sinus inflammation lasting more than 12 weeks. Keeps recurring despite treatment.

Causes of Sinusitis

• viral, bacterial or fungal infection
• allergies eg. hay fever, food allergies, pollutants
• nasal polyps or tumours
• deviated nasal septum
• enlarged or infected adenoids in children
• tooth infection
• immune system disorders

Symptoms of Sinusitis
If a common cold worsens after 5 to 7 days, one may suffer from acute sinusitis. Symptoms include:

• bad breath or loss of sense of smell
• cough, often worse at night
• fatigue and generally not feeling well
• fever
• headache - pressure-like pain behind the eyes, toothache, facial tenderness
• nasal congestion and discharge
• sore throat and postnasal drip

Symptoms of chronic sinusitis are the same as above (no fever), but tend to be milder.

Complications Arising from Acute Sinusitis

• It can trigger an asthmatic attack or it could flare into chronic sinusitis. 
• It can occur with an ear infection.
• It can cause reduced vision or even blindness.
• It may cause infection of the brain. When the brain is infected by the invasion of anaerobic bacteria through the bones or blood vessels, it can cause abscesses, meningitis, and other life-threatening conditions.

How to Reduce the Risk of Getting Sinusitis