| Cover Story | january-february , 2021 | The Health
11 say the trend change would be generally correct .”
He credits it to patients who are becoming more aware and informed . They are doing their homework and searching for solutions that would give them more concrete answers to health problems .
“ And integrative and healing base systems have an essential role to play and integrate with existing health systems .
“ More doctors are also turning to such modalities for themselves and equipping themselves with that knowledge to help their patients . So , I do think this trend , not just for 2021 , is here to stay .”
When asked if conventional medicine was under threat from integrative medicine , Dr Vijaendran said it was essential to recognise they fulfilled different needs .
“ For instance , if we are talking about childbirth , obstetric care , there is no alternative .
The existing medical systems that are already highly-developed have made childbirth safe , both for mothers and babies , and alternative and complementary treatment is not going to replace that .
“ Similarly , in acute care and emergency care , and surgical fields , the preeminence of allopathic medicine is quite wellestablished . “ Where these alternative and
| Advertorial | complementary treatments will come in is in chronic diseases because we see a surge in non-communicable diseases .”
In conventional treatment , Dr Vijaendran explained often there was no cure for chronic diseases such as diabetes , hypertension and so on . Instead , they were only able to provide a control mechanism or control therapy .
“ In complementary and alternative treatments , there are more effective approaches which can reverse some of these diseases . So naturally , these things can go hand-in-hand . And for some patients , such intervention can be beneficial in overcoming the illnesses .
“ So , I don ’ t think we should see this as a threat to conventional medicine . It coexists , and it ’ s complementing conventional medicine .”
7
. RISING COSTS
According to Aon ’ s 2021 Global Medical Trend Reports , Malaysia ’ s healthcare cost is among the highest in the Asia-Pacific ( APAC ) region .
Gross Medical Inflation for Malaysia in 2020 was 14 per cent , and the same rate is carried forward into 2021 . Meanwhile , in 2018 and 2019 , the inflation rates were 15.3 per cent and 16.1 per cent .
The report also stated the most essential elements of medical cost in the APAC region was hospitalisations at 95 per cent , followed by clinics and labs ( 84 per cent ), prescription drugs ( 84 per cent ), physician services ( 74 per cent ), and maternity ( 47 per cent ).
Association of Private Hospitals of
Malaysia ( APHM ) President Dr Kuljit Singh said costs were rising as most products were purchased from abroad . He said there was hardly anything is manufactured in Malaysia , except for products like gloves and PPEs . But the rest of the stuff like medications and equipment are all from Europe and the US .
The costs abroad are also going higher , and with our exchange rate where US $ 1 is around RM4 , it has not been good .
He said it was complicated to go lower on private hospital costs than what was being charged now . “ Almost every private hospital is trying its level best to make it affordable .
“ But anything lesser than that , private hospitals may not be sustainable anymore to the point of having to close down ,” he said , adding it was not possible to cut corners as hospitals need to be maintained and be safe for patients .
Dr Kuljit said 2021 would be challenging not just for healthcare but other industries as well . They will encounter serious problems , and many may have to shut down .
“ Healthcare is expensive , so it is an important thing people practice a healthy lifestyle and get treated early . The more complications there are , the more expensive the treatment would be .”— The Health
The queen is here !
My name is Kale . Many people might not know me , but you must be quite familiar with my cousins - cabbage and broccoli , we are all from the Cruciferous family , and I am actually better looking and more outstanding than them !
Everyone praises me for being slim , tall and sturdy . I can stretch my arms to a width of 124cm . I am also rich in a comprehensive range of nutrition . As such , I have been favoured and selected by the Japanese experts , and they really take good care of me . The farmers concern about my wellbeing and never expose me to pesticides or chemical fertilizers . I am lucky enough to grow up completely on organic fertilizers , so my leaves are full of green and rich in nutritional values . My cousins are envious of me , and people love and respect me so much as to honour me with the title of “ Queen of Greens ”!
I am very diligent every day . I start my day before daybreak while the dewdrops are still rolling around . In the freshest and most nutritious state , I am harvested and immediately transformed into powder form in order to offer my best to the adults and children who consume little or no vegetables at all , as well as for those who love vegetables but are non-accessible to wholesome greens like me . In short , it is my mission to offer green leafy vegetables in the simplest and most convenient drinking form !
A “ super food ” with treasure in the whole plant
As the longest-living people in the world , the Japanese pay attention to this tenet : medicine and food come from the same source . The best medicine is none other than food . Therefore , their diet often contains “ super food ” that have positive effects on health improvement .
Why has Kale , a seemingly unremarkable vegetable , attracted the attention of the Japanese Yakult experts ?
The title of “ Queen of Greens ” is grand and befitting . Its leaves are rich in many important nutrients such as β-carotene , vitamin B6 , vitamin C , potassium , magnesium , calcium and chlorophyll . It is also a very effective antioxidant .
Now , you can “ drink vegetables ”, no longer have to worry about not eating ( or drinking ) enough good vegetables !
A caring agriculture of premium quality and purity
Green Kale is processed from selected premium Kale cultivated by designated and specially trained farmers in Oita , Japan . The farmers are required to manually get rid of pests , as well as for the process of harvesting . Not only the use of chemical additives and pesticides are disallowed , the time of harvest is crucially important too .
Special technology to “ lock ” the nutrition
According to research and development findings , Kale is the freshest and most nutritious if harvested in the early morning when there is still dew . It is then sent to the factory immediately and made into dry powder at a low temperature , with the freshness and most of the nutrients “ locked up ”. This form of Kale has a combination of rich and mild colour , texture and taste which are just right for most people .
An alternative healthcare solution for modern lifestyle
Everyone knows that a balanced diet is important , especially an adequate intake of vegetables .
Young people today pursue quality living , but they don ’ t have time or are too tired to cook because of their hectic lifestyle . They frequently eat out and often consume more meat than vegetables . If they have bought vegetables but don ’ t cook immediately , the greens turn yellowish after few days and most of them end up go to the garbage bin instead of the cooking pan . Coming back to the family ’ s dietary issues : the elder ones often have bad teeth and find it difficult to eat vegetables ; the children are picky eaters and don ’ t like vegetables ; even if they love vegetables , they can ’ t get the best every day .
Green Kale comes at the right time and offers an easy solution for the above problems . Now , vegetable consumption does not require you to wash , cut and cook anymore , because you can also “ drink ” it too !
According to nutritional recommendations , each person is advised to consume at least 2 servings of fruits and 3 servings of vegetables a day . A sachet of Green Kale a day takes only 30 seconds of preparation to ensure a good serving of vegetables . It is definitely good news either for persons who love vegetables or for persons who doesn ’ t eat vegetables . It is also an excellent companion for women who have to take care of a balanced diet for the whole family !
“ Being healthy and optimising living ” is actually not that difficult to achieve ! Starting today , make sure you have adequate green leafy vegetables consumption every day . Only with good health can you continue to pursue your ideal life .