​The need for new and healthy habits is dire as more and more studies are exposing the adverse effects using electronic devices frequently can have on us. According to data Apple collected, we touch our phones upwards of 80 times a day. Using electronics in such abundance can lead to physical problems and can result in things like lack of sleep.

A disrupted sleep cycle can cause weight gain, as can merely looking at your phone, as bright light reduces levels of melatonin (which regulates sleep) and decreases leptin, a hormone that makes you feel full, according to UCLA Chancellor Gene Block. It also increases ghrelin, which makes you feel hungry.

Regularly checking your electronics and the networks on them is not conducive to good mental health, either. The average person spends hours (1.72 to be exact) on their social networks in a single day, whether they are catching up with old friends, Facebook stalking new ones or scrolling through feeds of people they sometimes do not even know.

​This constant exposure undoubtedly takes a toll on our well-being, and one 2016 study by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine found that people who frequently used social media were 2.7 times more likely to be depressed than those who did not check it repeatedly. This constant exposure to technology may be the norm, but Digital Detox Asia hopes that participants will see that healthy digital detox practices are skills they can implement into their own daily lives afterwards and are not as difficult (or unenjoyable) as one may initially assume them to be.

Upon arrival to Digital Detox Asia, visitors will hand over their devices to the well-equipped staff and officially be electronic free. Then, throughout the 48-hour retreat, visitors will partake in some activities that are designed to help participants reconnect and find enjoyment without the use of an electronic.

Participants can partake in things like yoga, meditation, art and writing workshops, team-building activities, outdoor games, music creating sessions, reflective thinking activities, campfire hangouts and, of course, participants are given plenty of time to relax.

​The detox partnered with  Bonanza Resort  in Khao Yai, which is equipped with 16 pristine and private cabins that are both comfortable and accommodating. The resort has some facilities participants can take advantage of during their stay,and its prime location is undoubtedly what makes this retreat a memorable one. The mountainous terrain of Khao Yai acts as the retreat’s backdrop, and silence is a real luxury at Digital Detox Asia. Visitors will find it easy to step away from the digital, daily grind once they are nestled amongst the natural setting.

The three entrepreneurs plan to continue to build future digital detox retreats around the world once the Khao Yai location grows in success. “I feel satisfied, as I had been seeking a large new project to get involved in for a year or so before starting this,” Nathaniel said. “I feel excited about our future success.”

Whether you are a digital zombie or need a short, weekend escape from the city, Digital Detox Asia is the wellness retreat to frequent. Participants will not only return to Bangkok feeling refreshed but also with a new outlook on both their wellbeing and their devices they once held so near and dear, as well.

​Melt away those stress pains in your shoulders and lower back with the two-hour signature Salt Pot Muscles Melter treatment available for the special price of THB 3,500 (net) per person at Spa Cenvaree in Centara Grand at Central Plaza Ladprao Bangkok until 30 December 2018.
 
The Salt Pot Muscles Melter treatment is based on an ancient Thai remedy, and uses a pot containing a blend of coarse salt and medicinal herbs that is heated and then used as a compress to release tension in the shoulders and lower back muscles.
 
The full two-hour treatment starts with a 30-minute Siamese Herbal Loofah Body Scrub, followed by a 90-minute Salt Pot Muscle Melter treatment.
 
Valid from now until the 30th of December 2018, the price of THB 3,500 (net) per person.
 
Set in the hotel’s ground floor of Centara Grand at Central Plaza Ladprao Bangkok, Spa Cenvaree is a gentle retreat that has seven multi-function therapy rooms and a manicure and pedicure suite.

2. Nocturia. This is the frequent need to urinate during the night and typically affects older adults. The mild version happens at least twice during the night and in severe cases, a person may get up as many as five or six times. Nocturia may be a product of age, but could be a function of diabetes, an enlarged prostate, or medication (especially diuretics).

3. Kidney Disease. People with kidney disease can no longer eliminate liquid waste and keep electrolytes in balance as they once did when they were healthy. Kidney disease can cause a build up of waste product in the blood resulting in insomnia or symptoms of restless legs syndrome.

Dr. Wanviput recommends that people with sleep problems or insomnia may need a thorough medical evaluation to diagnose the source of the problem to assess if it is an issue related to poor sleep hygiene or a medical condition that may require the intervention of a specialist.

 What’s causing your insomnia? Five possible reasons. There is no doubt about it, when we don’t sleep well we suffer. Insomnia makes our brains foggy, impairs cognitive skills and plays havoc with mood. Typically, we tend to think about sleep only at night time, but the reality is we really should be moderating our behavior during the day in order to get the best quality sleep at night.

Research on sleep shows that we are sleeping less than we used to – 20% less than we did 100 years ago -- and its easy to see why. We live in large, noisy urban centers tethered to our phones and computers where we spend several hours a day playing on social media or catching up work; often at night before we go to bed.

“We just don’t know how to power down anymore,” says Dr. Wanviput “and that creates a real problem when it comes to sleeping. As a society we have become addicted to stimuli, and as individuals we have becoming undisciplined in our sleep hygiene.”

She points to several common mistakes people make that prevent them from having a good night’s rest. Here are the top five. Too much caffeine. With coffee shops now on every corner, we are beginning to abuse coffee in our diets. Coffee is no longer just a stimulant we use to get us going in the morning, it is now a social scene and a lubricant for social get gathering. Coffee itself is not bad, but drinking too much coffee or too late in the day will cause sleep problems for most of us.

Sleeping poorly? Your phone may be to blame. Only about 50% of 1,500 adults in the adults surveyed in the 2013 International Bedroom Poll conducted by National Sleep Foundation said they get a good night’s sleep on work nights.

Why? Well, it could be screen time.

The survey showed that 50% of respondents in the U.S., Canada and U.K., and 66% in Japan, used a computer, laptop or tablet in the hour before bed, and 66% in all countries surveyed watched TV in the hour before bed. Sleep is competing with screen time…and its losing.

It’s not just mobile phones — but iPads, TVs, laptops – and all the blinking lights and alerts they admit all the time. Phones are conditioning behavior and affecting sleep patterns in more people than ever before.

​Treating pre-diabetes can also be thought of as a prevention for the type 2 diabetes. If your doctor diagnoses you with pre-diabetes, they’ll recommend certain lifestyle changes. Studies showed that active lifestyle changes can reverse pre-diabetes and prevent the development of diabetes 2 even in genetically prone subject groups. Furthermore, active prevention is more successful in treating diabetes 2 patients than drugs, with a 58% lower risk of developing stroke heart disease and other illnesses including nerve damage, kidney damage, eye damage, foot damage where poor blood flow may lead to amputation, skin infections, trouble with hearing, and Alzheimer’s disease.

​Pre-diabetes is totally reversible. You can prevent or slow the development of pre-diabetes and diabetes through lifestyle changes. One study showed that a 5 to 7 percent weight loss greatly reduces the risk of diabetes.

​Eat more fibre-rich foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and talk to a nutritionist for personal guidance and nutrition education.

​You can reduce your risk of diabetes by being regularly active. Thirty minutes of any activity that raises your heartbeat to your target rate, such as walking, is recommended. Try to incorporate more physical activity into your daily lives include riding a bicycle to work, walking instead of taking the bus or driving, going to a gym regularly, or participating in recreational sports with friends and colleagues.

In addition to vitamin supplements, honey, ginger and chili pepper are all heavyweight immune builders that help fight off colds and flu. Honey is one of the strongest anti-bacterial agents found in nature and ginger and cayenne “warm” the body, stimulating circulation of energy and blood. Dr Kanin also says that we should never forget the importance of water and hydration as an immune boosting tool. Water is the “liquid of life” and hydration keeps cells healthy and strong to fight off bacteria and viruses. This is especially the case for athletes and office workers, who tend dehydrate easily.

02 066 8899. www.vitallifeintegratedhealth.com
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SCREENS have become so embedded in our daily lives that it’s hard to imagine turning them off for a whole week. Besides the fact that many, if not most, children use them for homework, they are also how we get work done, get questions answered, communicate, shop, and relax. For many families, they are also how they keep the children occupied. How do you go a day without all that — let alone a week?
    
According to the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood (CCFC), 8 to 18-year-olds spend an average of seven hours a day on screen media. Some of that is homework, but clearly, it’s not all homework. Pre-schoolers spend two to four hours, toddlers two hours, and a third of babies under a year are spending more than an hour watching videos or playing games every day.
    
It’s not all awful, of course. There is certainly high-quality educational content out there. However, children aren’t always watching that high-quality educational content. And even if they were, when you are watching a screen you are generally sedentary, not interacting with others, and relying on the screen to entertain or guide you rather than entertaining or guiding yourself.
    
This has implications for the health and development of children. Excessive screen time is associated with a higher risk of obesity. It can lead to poorer problem-solving and social skills and poorer grades. It’s been linked to Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and other behavioural problems.

By MAXMILIAN WECHSLER

A GLIMPSE of a mosquito circling me or hearing the buzz of its wings as it passes my ear always puts me on edge, especially during the day. I know how debilitating and even deadly the dengue fever virus can be, and I know that the mosquitoes that spread it normally only bite in the daytime.

In contrast to mosquitoes that strike after sundown, the bite from these mosquitoes usually goes unnoticed, but it can be infinitely more perilous.