Singapore women: Healthy, sexy, beautiful

Are Singapore women interested in being healthy and staying beautiful?

Going by the sales of Singapore's first ever guide to women's health, Beautiful Inside Out, the answer is a resounding "yes".

"Women in Singapore are definitely interested in both health and beauty. In fact, they see the two as intertwined — staying healthy helps keep you beautiful; and to get beautiful, you should focus on your health," says Kathryn Ng, director, Marketing Communications and Partnership Development, SingHealth.

"Proof is, we have already sold 2,000 copies of Beautiful Inside Out within the first year of launch." Within the past month alone, over 300 copies of the book have been sold through the website: healthxchange.com.sg/specials.

"Many women have told us they love the helpful tips dispersed throughout the book," adds Ms Ng. Key health issues covered in the 16-chapter reference guide include fertility and sexual health, oral health, heart matters, bones and joints, as well as skin conditions.

Helpful tips on sexual health

Do you have concerns related to menstruation, such as premenstrual syndrome (PMS), which affects about 75 per cent of women before the onset of their monthly period?

You can manage PMS by following these tips from this sample chapter of Beautiful Inside Out:

• Eat smaller meals more frequently

• Cut down on caffeine, high fat, sugary and salty foods

• Stay hydrated

• Manage your stress with activities such as tai chi and meditation

• Avoid alcohol and smoking which can aggravate breast tenderness and mood swings

Painful periods? Try the following to get some relief:

• Place a hot water bottle or heating pad on your lower abdomen

• Take a warm bath

• Gently massage your abdomen with your fingers in a circular movement

Going through menopause? These natural remedies from the chapter "Managing Menopause" will help you cope:

• Limit your intake of caffeine, alcohol and spicy foods

• Eat foods rich in phytoestrogens such as soybeans, tofu, oats, wheat, berries, lentil, apples, carrots, fennel, ginseng

• Exercise for 20 minutes three times a week

• Practise meditation and yoga to relax

• Try herbal remedies such as black cohosh root and sage tea

Boost your metabolism to maintain a healthy weight

Another key chapter in Beautiful Inside Out is "Healthy Digestion & Weight Management" (read the chapter online), which discusses everything from digestion to metabolism, healthy weight management, irritable bowel syndrome and gastroenteritis.

Struggling to lose weight? Here are some steps you can take to boost your metabolism:

• Build muscle mass by lifting weights — carry your groceries instead of using a trolley

• Get adequate sleep

• Eat enough protein which builds muscle

• Avoid skipping meals and eat three healthy meals a day

• Drink less alcohol — alcohol slows down the fat-burning process

Did you know that some foods and beverages can also boost your metabolism? Some of these include:

• Green tea

• Low-fat yogurt

• Grapefruit

• Apples and pears

• Broccoli

• Oats

• Chilli peppers

Interesting tidbits that provide food for thought

Just like knowledge is power, healthy is sexy. By taking charge of the health issues and challenges that uniquely face them, Singaporean women can forever stay healthy, sexy and beautiful. A few heart-warming points to ponder:

• "Exercise, extreme happiness, good food and orgasms release natural endorphins which can help make you feel happy and satisfied."

• "Women in Singapore tend to view menopause positively — a study of 1,000 Chinese, Malay and Indian women in Singapore between the ages of 45 to 60 indicates that menopausal symptoms seem to occur less and with lower severity in Asian women as compared to their Western counterparts."

• "Laughing can be a great workout for your heart. Whenever you laugh, the blood flow in your heart is increased which in turn improves heart health."

Beautiful Inside Out, a comprehensive 264-page book packed with useful information and advice from over 40 specialists across the SingHealth group, is on special offer at $18.00 (U.P. $24.90) till 31 May 2012. Hurry to order online now with free delivery at healthxchange.com.sg/specials.

This article was written by Anjana Motihar Chandra for Health Xchange.

Find more health-related tips and articles on HealthXchange.com.sg, Singapore's trusted health and lifestyle portal.

Health Xchange's articles are meant for informational purposes only and cannot replace professional surgical, medical or health advice, examination, diagnosis, or treatment.