So many women just learn to live with constant knee pain without seeking any help for it. They just accept it as part of growing old. However, ignoring knee pain doesn't make it go away, it only makes it worse.

Do you know that research has shown that if you walk more slowly (for any reason), then you will also live a significantly shorter life? Yes. In an article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2011, researchers found that 87% of men at age 75 who walked fast lived another 10 years, whereas those who walked slowest had only a 19% chance of surviving 10 years.

The knee cap (patella) is actually a bone. The ligaments and tendons surrounding the kneecap protect the knee and prevent knee injuries from occurring. Ligaments hold our bones together and also bind our bones to cartilage. Tendons connect muscles to bones. Cartilage is a tough but flexible tissue that covers the ends of our bones in our joints. The cartilage in our knees degenerate due to wear and tear of the joints, causing pain in the knee cap.

Why does your knee hurt?

• A lot of daily walking, especially going up and down stairs cause the cartilage to wear out faster.
• Being overweight also wears down the knee cap faster. 
• Malformation of knee cap, where the bone rides too high or too low and may dislocate.
• As women have a wider pelvis than men do, it places more stress on the knee joint, leading to the degeneration of the cartilage.

Psoriasis is a common skin disease that causes our cells to build up rapidly on the surface of our skin, forming thick silvery scales, and itchy dry red patches that are sometimes painful. Normal skin cells mature and shed in an ongoing cycle of 28 to 30 days. In psoriasis, skin cells mature in just 3 or 4 days.

Psoriasis is a long-lasting, non-contagious and often misunderstood disease. Many psoriasis sufferers have low self-esteem and constantly hide their body under long sleeves, long pants and high-collar. They avoid social situations due to discomfort and embarrassment.

Psoriasis patients are also at increased risk for other diseases such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension and myocardial infarction (heart attack).

I will share briefly what are the causes and triggers of psoriasis.

What Causes Psoriasis?

Colby Evans, MD, a dermatologist in Texas, USA said that psoriasis was originally thought of as a hyperproliferative disease i.e. the skin making too much skin by proliferating rapidly. So, most of the treatments at that time were directed at that problem. We now know that psoriasis is a malfunction of the immune system, and T cells (a type of white blood cell) are the root of it. Normally, T cells travel throughout the body to detect and fight off viruses and bacteria. If you have psoriasis, the T cells will mistakenly attack healthy skin cells, as if to heal a wound or to fight an infection.

Overactive T cells trigger other immune responses. It results in an increased production of healthy skin cells, more T cells and other white blood cells. This causes an ongoing cycle in which dead skin can't be shed off quickly enough and hence build up in thick, scaly patches on the skin's surface.

What Triggers Psoriasis?

Researchers think genetics may be a cause of psoriasis. Apart from that, other triggers of a flare-up of psoriasis include:

1) Stress
2) Medications, including:

• Lithium, used to treat certain psychiatric disorders.
• Antimalarial medications.
• High blood pressure or heart medications such as inderal or quinidine.
• Indomethacin, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug.

3) Infections e.g. strep throat.
4) Injuries e.g. at scars from surgeries; from vaccinations, bug bites, sunburns or cuts.
5) Allergies.
6) Diet.
7) Dry and cold weather.
8) Smoking.
9) Heavy consumption of alcohol.

(Source: 
WebMD - http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/psoriasis-treatment-11/causes
Mayo Clinic - http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/psoriasis/DS00193/DSECTION=causes
New Biologic for Psoriasis, StarFit4Life 8 April 2012)

Solution for Psoriasis Sufferers

As you can see, the causes and triggers of psoriasis are many and varied. They are not easily identified and addressed.


The good news is, researches have proven that lingzhi / ganoderma is able to regulate our immune system. Specifically, Yung Kien Ganoderma is able to modulate the T cells functions such that they don't overgrow and mistakenly attack healthy skin cells. All the T cells will achieve an optimal balance and hence, avoid such immune disorder diseases.

Please click here for more information on How Ganoderma / Lingzhi Modulates Our Immune System or email me at laifuiping@gmail.com on how to purchase Yung Kien Ganoderma.
Click here to refer to Shuang Hor company's website for Product Description and Price. I am an Authorized Distributor of the company.

When one of the smaller blood vessels supplying oxygen to our brain gets blocked off, there is a temporary interruption of blood supply to part of our brain. It will lead to a "mini-stroke" or Transient Ischaemic Attack (TIA). This blockage is temporary (lasting a few minutes) and blood supply is restored soon after. This is unlike a stroke, in which the blockage lasts much longer.

However, TIA is a crucial warning that a stroke is on the way. Strokes are the 3rd most common cause of death in Malaysia. It is estimated that without treatment, the likelihood is 1 in 10 that a stroke will occur within 1 month after a TIA.

Causes of TIA

The brain's arteries are narrowed or blocked by cholesterol deposits on its inner lining. Everyone's arteries get narrower with age, but the process is hastened by factors like:

• high blood pressure
• poorly controlled diabetes
• raised blood cholesterol
• obesity
• smoking
• excessive alcohol intake
• family history of diabetes of heart disease.

What Happened

The occasion was a wonderful birthday party for a group of "April babies". Lots of sumptuous food paired with free-flowing delectable wines. Everyone was mingling and moving around. Then it happened. The full force from the sharp spike of a girlfriend's 4-inch stiletto landed on my big toe. I felt a shooting pain, then nothing. I thought, ok, I'm fine, it's only a little scrape. Until 30 seconds later. Aarrgghhh.. the searing pain...


I limped to my chair. Peered at the damage. OMG! Even in the semi-dimness of the restaurant, I could see it was much worse than I thought. The blood was starting to flow out. Tissues tissues... Ouch oucchh ooucchhh... I spent the remaining of the night with my foot resting on another chair. Despite the incident, it was still a lovely night. Must be the wine..


The Remedy

I thoroughly cleansed off the grime and blood the instant I got home. Then I spread a big dollop of Greenzhi Toothpaste on the wound, bandaged it and went to sleep. I changed the dressing the next morning then went about my daily activities. No more limping. In the evening, another change of dressing.

The Day After


Hey check out my toe! Isn't it fantastic? The wound pretty much healed in less than 2 days. I am so pleased! The Neem Extract in this toothpaste did a superb job of reducing the inflammation caused by the injury, prevent further bleeding and lessen the pain.

Neem plant

About 2 months ago, just before Chinese New Year, the very same Greenzhi Toothpaste "rescued" me from another problem - sore throat. Click here to read about it.

Or email me at laifuiping@gmail.com should you want to buy Greenzhi Toothpaste.
Click here to refer to Shuang Hor company website for Product Description and Price.