20120807 health post

YOUR GUIDE TO LIVING WELL

TUESDAY, AUGUST 7, 2012

HEALTH POST

MAGNESIUM: MIRACLE MINERAL? >PAGE 8

BIG LOSER A WINNER ON THE TRAIL >PAGE 11

Take to the water and make your stand

>PAGE 6

Big dippers

2 NEWS APP OF THE WEEK

HEALTH BITES ......................................................

Thoughtful tuition puts yoga skills in your pocket

Jeanette Wang jeanette.wang@scmp.com Passing out parade If you find yourself fainting often, your parents might be to blame. New research published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, shows fainting appears to have a strong genetic component. Fainting is a brief loss of consciousness when the body reacts to certain triggers, such as emotional distress or the sight of blood. For the study, 51 sets of same-gender twins between the ages of nine and 69 – with at least one twin with a history of fainting – were surveyed by phone. Of the sets, 57 per cent reported having typical fainting triggers. Among twins where one fainted, those who were identical were both nearly twice as likely to faint compared with fraternal twins. The frequency of fainting in non-twin relatives was low, suggesting that the way fainting is inherited is usually not through a single gene.

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Abigail Collier abigail.collier@scmp.com Pocket Yoga 99 US cents Rating 8/10 Most yoga students do their downward dog in a plush studio surrounded by other acolytes. But when time is short, a podcast can do the trick. Finding the right one can be a chore because there are literally hundreds of them. One of the best is the no-nonsense Pocket Yoga.

Based on a modern-day form of classical Indian yoga called Ashtanga Vinyasa, the app is rooted in conscious language, focused attention and breath work.

An “iYoga” experience should be judged on three basic qualities: clear audio, visual guidance and variety.

Pocket Yoga does well in all three.

Audio can make or break any meditative experience. At times, the “inhale, exhale” instructions on the app sound a bit robotic. The tone was neither relaxing nor encouraging while I was panting on my hands and knees. But most of the time, vocals are subtle and neutral, as computers go.

The visuals provide clear guidance. The animated yogi is placed in a choice of three settings: desert, oasis or mountain. Her movements are clear, without venturing into eerie realism. It’s good enough to use without sound, which is the most controversial topic in the yoga app market.

Both instrumental and instructional audio can be turned off, leaving room for customisation.

The music itself is not bad, but its

simplicity can be tiring, especially if you’re practising daily. Users are free to tune in to their own Ravi Shankar playlist, with or without the app’s vocal accompaniment. This is a great feature, although providing compatible music would have been more convenient.

The variety of workouts is very good and does not sacrifice efficiency for quantity. Users can match cardio, power or flexibility with three levels of difficulty.

Sessions are 30, 45, or 60 minutes.

All sessions are logged, so it’s easy to track your progress. That can be a real confidence booster.

With no blocks, straps or inflatable balls required, Pocket Yoga provides what it promises: an approachable yoga app for any level.

For a low price, it can take you from being a beginner to a practitioner with dexterity and stamina.

ASK THE DOCTORS DR ANTHONY LUKE Q: My friend is receiving “cupping” treatments from his traditional Chinese medicine practitioner. His back looks terrible with all these red marks, but he feels it helps his headaches and back pain. Is this treatment legitimate?

A: Wet-cupping is defined as the use of a flame to heat air in a cup which is then put on the skin, creating a vacuum.

Sometimes a small incision is made to allow some bloodletting. The theoretical benefits are that the skin reflexes are stimulated and the body’s immune response activated. The Chinese interpretation of the benefits of cupping is that the yin and yang in the body are returned to a balanced state.

Cupping has been used in many treatments with anecdotal success. There is little research support for it, with papers typically coming from lessmainstream medical journals. One paper

suggested that severity of headaches for 70 sufferers was reduced by two-thirds by wet-cupping, and they also suffered fewer headaches. A Chinese study showed that needling, massage and cupping helped people with muscular back pain. Another paper demonstrated a decrease in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels after three weeks.

But as a plastic surgeon warned in the Journal of Burn Care & Research (2007), among the potential complications are blisters, blood collections (hematomas) and infections that make the value of the practice questionable until more definitive research is conducted.

Dr Anthony Luke is an associate professor of clinical orthopaedic surgery at the University of California, San Francisco.

Reprinted with permission of the American College of Sports Medicine’s ACSM Fit Society Page

> CONTACT US Deputy Culture Editor: Choong Tet Sieu tetsieu.choong@scmp.com Health Post Editor: Jeanette Wang jeanette.wang@scmp.com General inquiries: healthpost@scmp.com Advertising: tel: 2565 2435; e-mail advertising@scmp.com Printed and published by South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd, Morning Post Centre, 22 Dai Fat Street, Tai Po Industrial Estate, Tai Po, Hong Kong. Tel: 2680 8888.

Fit as a tiddler Which is the healthiest fish to eat? According to a study published in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, it’s eco-friendly fish. “If the fish is sustainable, then it is likely to be healthy to eat too,” says lead study author Leah Gerber, an associate professor and senior sustainability scientist at Arizona State University. Gerber and colleagues analysed existing literature on fish and compiled several types of sustainability rankings, along with species-specific health metrics, including omega-3 fatty acid and mercury content. “In general, larger longer-lived fish are more likely to have exposure to toxins due to the length of their lives and their place on the food chain. So you might be best served to stay away from them – like bluefin tuna or sturgeon,” explains Gerber. “Besides, these stocks have been depleted by fishing.” Safer choices might be Alaskan pollock or Atlantic mackerel.

Forget the flavouring The tempting buttery taste and aroma of microwave popcorn and other snacks come at price. The food flavouring ingredient used to produce the distinctive flavour and aroma has been found to intensify the damaging effects of an abnormal brain protein linked to Alzheimer’s disease, according to a new study published in the journal Chemical Research in Toxicology. The ingredient, diacetyl (DA), has been linked in previous studies to respiratory and other problems in workers at microwave popcorn and food-flavouring factories. DA also forms naturally in fermented beverages such as beer, and gives some chardonnay wines a buttery taste.

In this new study, researchers found that DA increased the level of clumping of brain proteins called betaamyloid, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s. Although consumers are unlikely to have chronic DA exposure, experts say no one has really looked into the possible impact on this group of people.

Getting beyond a choke Air pollution is here to stay – and will only get drastically worse, particularly in China, Northern India and the Middle East, according to the latest calculations of a research team led by scientist Andrea Pozzer of the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Mainz, Germany. In 2050, air quality worldwide will be as bad as it is now in urban areas of Southeast Asia, says Pozzer, if past emission trends continue and no new reduction measures are taken.

East Asia will be exposed to high levels of pollutants, such as nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide and fine particulate matter.

Northern India and the Arabian Gulf region will suffer a marked increase in ozone levels mainly due to population density and the expected increase in industrial production and transport. Air pollution in Europe and North America will also increase, but to a much lesser extent due to the effect of more than 20 years of mitigation policies. Urban outdoor air pollution causes an estimated 1.3 million deaths a year worldwide, according to the World Health Organisation.

NEWS 3 QUIZ

INFECTIOUS DISEASES

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Carriers of deadly virus fail to seek treatment

Jeanette Wang jeanette.wang@scmp.com Stress during pregnancy not only affects the mother, but also might make the child more vulnerable to metabolic and chronic conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes later in life.

But a new study by Cornell University researchers in the US suggests a simple way to protect the baby: eat more eggs.

The humble fry-up staple stands out for a particular nutrient called choline, which has been shown to play a vital role in fetal and infant brain development. It affects areas responsible for memory and learning. There are 125mg of choline per egg, all found in the yolk.

In the study, published in the Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, 24 women in the third trimester of pregnancy were randomly assigned to consume 480mg or 930mg of choline a day for 12 weeks up to delivery.

The women with the higher choline intake showed lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol in the placental cord and changes in cortisol-regulating genes in both the placental and fetal tissue.

“The study findings raise the exciting possibility that a higher maternal choline intake may counter some of the adverse effects of prenatal stress on behavioural, neuroendocrine and metabolic development in the offspring,” says Professor Marie Caudill, the study’s author.

Previous research showed women with diets low in choline have four times greater risk of having babies with neural tube defects, such as spina bifida.

Emerging research also shows choline might have other benefits such as breast cancer prevention;

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Elaine Yau elaine.yau@scmp.com

lowering the risk of inflammation linked with chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, bone loss, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

Test your knowledge about the little-known nutrient here.

1. Choline is found in fat molecules called phospholipids, which do what? a. inhibit excess serotonin b. stimulate nerve impulse transmission c. enable the clotting of blood 2. According to the US Institute of Medicine, the daily recommended intake of choline for an adult is: a. 700mg for men, 700mg for women b. 550mg for men, 425mg for women c. 300mg for men, 250mg for women 3. The best source of choline for vegans is: a. braised tofu b. toasted wheat germ c. broccoli 4. Excessive choline (10 to 16 grams per day) can cause: a. increased salivation b. fishy body odour c. you can never get too much Answers: 1. b; 2. b; 3. b (172mg per serving); 4. a or b.

FOOD

Benefits of eating your greens ......................................................

Jeanette Wang jeanette.wang@scmp.com Getting people to make healthier food choices could be as simple as repositioning and labelling food in office cafeterias and groceries.

A programme implemented in the cafeteria at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston boosted healthy food choices among more than 4,600 employees.

Hospital researchers reported their findings last week in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

They devised a two-phase plan that began with colour-coded labels on all food items in March 2010 – green signifying the healthiest items, such as fruits, vegetables and lean meats; yellow indicating less healthy items; and red for those with little or no nutritional value.

The second phase, which began three months later, involved rearranging refrigerators and racks of food and drink to place greenlabel products at eye level, and redor yellow-label products below.

The study was designed to measure changes in purchases by racial/ethnic categories and by job type during both phases of the programme. Data was recorded by cafeteria cash registers and matched to human resources information.

At the outset of the study, black and Latino employees and those in job categories associated with lower education purchased more red items and fewer green items than did white employees or those in higher-education job types. But at the end of both phases of the intervention, employees in all groups bought fewer red items and more green items.

A specific analysis of beverages – chosen because the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages is highest among black and lowincome people and strongly linked to obesity, diabetes and heart disease – found more people in all groups bought healthier drinks.

All elements of the overall programme remain in place at the university and the colour-coded labelling has been extended to all food services.

In startling findings revealed recently, more than half of 413 hepatitis B carriers identified through free tests in Hong Kong last year revealed that they knew of their status from previous blood donation drives or medical check-ups, but had not had any medical follow-ups.

Of these carriers, 27 per cent showed active levels of the virus, which makes them prone to cirrhosis, liver cancer and other complications. One in four chronic hepatitis B sufferers who do not receive prompt treatment will eventually die from complications, says Dr Nancy Leung Wai-yee, chairwoman of AsiaHep Hong Kong, a non-profit organisation that aims to raise awareness of the disease.

So, you’d think people would seek medical attention immediately upon knowing their condition. But perhaps it’s because hepatitis B does not exhibit obvious symptoms that patients often shrug off the disease.

“By the time they seek medical help, the condition has become severe,” says Leung.

On World Hepatitis Day on July 28, doctors and patients called

attention to what they termed a “hidden epidemic”.

More than 20 per cent of Hongkongers are hepatitis B carriers, according to the free tests conducted by AsiaHep on 1,942 people last year. This is more than double the reported incidence rate of 10 per cent.

The virus is spread through contact with the blood or body fluids of an infected person – such as from an infected mother to her baby at or after birth or through unprotected sex with a carrier.

Since the government started inoculating all newborns against the virus in 1988, most people under 24 have the required antibodies. But it is estimated that 500,000 people over 24 are virus carriers. The Centre

for Health Protection says 70 people contracted hepatitis B last year.

There are 350 million hepatitis B carriers globally, 75 per cent of them Asians. Hospital Authority figures show that 1,488 people died from liver cancer in 2009, about 85 per cent of whom had hepatitis B. The annual arrival of more than 10,000 mainlanders – who have no antibodies – has pushed up the rate of sufferers, say Michael Li Kin-kong, consultant physician and chief of the gastroenterology division at Tuen Mun Hospital.

Leung says having medical checks is the best way to prevent the development of serious liver problems. “Virus carriers need to pay more attention and have regular check-ups,” she says. “They should have a blood test every six months.”

The government introduced DNA testing at hospitals last year, so virus carriers can check the amount of hepatitis B virus in their blood.

Wong Tsz-ching, 31, credits the regular tests with helping him keep his condition in check.

Last week, AsiaHep launched an iPhone app developed by Wong called MyLiver. It records virus readings and sends reminders for check-ups. “The app helps me control my condition,” he says.

4 MEDICAL

CASE HISTORY

Home dry ......................................................

Eileen Aung-Thwin healthpost@scmp.com Annabelle Chen, 40, was feeling terrible. She was hung over and nursing a headache. Her boyfriend and family were upset about some text messages she had sent them.

But she couldn’t remember anything about it as she was drunk when she did it.

A family doctor referred her to a psychiatrist to help her overcome her drinking problem. It took her a year to make an appointment.

Chen, a teacher, didn’t think she had a drinking problem. The very idea of having to see a psychiatrist upset her. Sitting in the waiting room for her first appointment, she had scratched deep, bloody lines on her arm with a paper clip, shocking herself and the nurse.

Chen (whose name has been changed for patient confidentiality reasons) met Professor Munidasa Winslow, executive director and senior consultant psychiatrist at Promises health clinic, who began with treating the cuts on her arm.

Over the next few sessions with Winslow, Chen slowly revealed her feelings. She could not shake the belief that her life was miserable, and drinking helped ease the burden.

She had been drinking since her teens. Over the years, she drank more and more – half a bottle of wine a day and much more on weekends. The weekend drinking binges were starting to spiral out of control and led to other problems, like drunken arguments with her then-boyfriend, falls and even a car accident.

Winslow knew that for therapy to even begin, Chen needed to acknowledge that the drinking was a problem. He first had to find out her motivations and goals in life. He helped her see that drinking was an obstacle to achieving her dreams. Chen was now motivated to stop drinking.

Winslow arranged for her to undergo a five-day detoxification programme at a hospital. Sudden and complete withdrawal of alcohol by a person who drinks regularly can result in seizures. Alcohol depresses certain functions of the brain by stimulating an inhibitory neurotransmitter called gammaaminobutyric acid, so it inhibits neurons more effectively.

Therefore, long-term use of alcohol causes neurons to become hypersensitive to certain chemicals.

A sudden withdrawal of alcohol can cause tremors and seizures as the over-sensitised neurons overreact to those normal chemicals in the brain.

During detox, Chen was given sedatives or light hypnotics to help her sleep and to take the edge off her anxiety.

As she was weaned off alcohol, it became clear she was very depressed. Her persistently low mood, insomnia, sense of impending doom, high anxiety, panic attacks, isolation from friends and self-loathing were some of the signs.

Winslow explained that depression has biological and environmental components.

Serotonin is a type of neurotransmitter that is responsible for a lot of the positive feelings we experience. Consider it your body’s “happy hormone”.

When one’s environment creates a lot of stress and emotional strain for a prolonged period, serotonin levels can be depleted, and it may be physically difficult for the person to feel well.

During periods of stress, people might sleep and eat poorly and fail to exercise or look after themselves properly. This behaviour can also have an impact on serotonin production. Exercise, for example, can be as effective in raising mood as popping an antidepressant, Winslow explained.

Some people may also have a genetic predisposition to depression, which is sometimes linked to the body’s ability to produce or receive serotonin.

People might also fall into a cycle of negative thinking, which not only fuels the emotional strain on the body, but can also create other stressful situations, further draining serotonin stores.

Hence, Winslow said a threepronged approach was necessary to treat depression – medication, behaviour modification and cognitive therapy.

When Chen finally accepted that she had depression and needed help, Winslow put her on a particular antidepressant that would not interact with alcohol.

She did end up drinking again a few times and eventually joined Alcoholics Anonymous for group support.

Illustration: Angela Ho

and

As the antidepressant helped buoy and stabilise Chen’s mood, the real work could then begin.

Winslow worked on helping her take better physical care of herself, to boost self-esteem and mood.

He also helped her modify her thought patterns so that she learned to respond to people and situations in more positive and less selfdefeating ways.

During therapy, it also emerged that Chen had been sexually abused by her father when she was a teenager, resulting in the selfloathing that crippled her selfesteem and emotional health. It took her years of therapy to come to

She could not shake the belief that her life was miserable, and drinking helped ease the burden

terms with her childhood abuse and realise she was not at fault.

Slowly, Chen started to take a new interest in life: she started exercising, picked up new hobbies and made new friends. She also turned to religion and found strength in her new faith. She grew calmer and came to accept that she was not a bad person, but rather a sick person on the road to recovery.

Four years since her first appointment, she continues to take the antidepressant. But she has given up alcohol and is coping well with life. She sees Winslow once a month to review her progress.

MEDICAL 5 FROM THE EXPERTS

Train wrecks ......................................................

Jeanette Wang jeanette.wang@scmp.com Olympic athletes are usually the picture of health and well-being. But as a recent research paper published in the journal Sports Medicine notes, extensive training and environmental conditions can result in significant skin problems.

“Olympic athletes are vulnerable to traumatic, environmental and infectious skin conditions …

Common skin conditions can be harmful and even prohibitive for competition,” writes the research team, which was led by Dr Jacqueline DeLuca, of the University of Hawaii’s school of medicine in Honolulu. DeLuca was a member of the US women’s water polo team that won the bronze medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

The researchers reviewed all available studies on sports-related skin diseases among Olympic athletes up to January last year. They found that common causes of skin problems related to sports include infections, abnormal growths, inflammatory conditions, trauma and those brought on by environmental factors.

Pre-existing skin problems can also be aggravated by practice sessions and competitions. The researchers say this is especially problematic because the prevalence of eczema and atopy (a genetic predisposition to develop allergic diseases) are higher in the elite athlete population.

Skin conditions were most prevalent among the medical (noninjury) complaints at the 2004 Olympics, comprising 16 per cent of consultations.

In the report, the problems are grouped by the categories of Olympic sport. Here’s a list taken from their study of the most common problems that would apply to athletes, particularly marathon runners, triathletes and swimmers.

Friction blisters This is the most frequent complaint of marathon runners, affecting up to 39 per cent of them. Blisters usually occur in areas where the outer layer of skin is the thickest, such as the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. The most commonly affected sites are on the tips of the toes, balls of the feet and back of the heel.

Treatment: within the first 24 hours, a sterile incision and drainage at the edge of the blister, while carefully maintaining the blister roof, should be done. The blister roof acts as a dressing for quicker healing and lower infection rates. Moleskin padding may be used to minimise trauma and relieve discomfort.

Prevention: wear proper-fitting shoes and low-friction socks. Socks made of acrylic or polyester material are

great for wicking away sweat and reducing moisture.

Antiperspirants can also help, but may cause skin irritation.

Jogger’s nipple Up to 16 per cent of marathon runners experience this problem, which is usually caused by a tightfitting, coarse cotton shirt. Repetitive friction can lead to painful irritation, fissures and bleeding.

Treatment: application of petroleum jelly or a topical antibiotic called erythromycin.

Prevention: wear clothes that reduce irritation, such as supportive jogging bras for women, and lycra or silk shirts instead of cotton ones. Cotton absorbs water, keeping the area moist and creating more irritation.

Lubrication and protecting the nipples with surgical tape, bandages or breast shields can also help.

Hives The condition is especially common in athletes, particularly runners. The two most common types of hives are cholinergic (brought on by hypersensitive reaction to body heat) urticaria and exercise-induced anaphylaxis (EIA). Itchiness and spots of skin swelling are symptoms of both conditions, though EIA is potentially life-threatening.

Sometimes, EIA can be brought on by eating food within four hours before exercise; other causes may be atopy, aspirin or Nsaid use, exposure to pollen, insect stings, extreme weather, humidity and menses.

Treatment: initial treatment should consist of antihistamines. Other treatments include avoiding exercise and triggers. For serious cases, get medical attention immediately.

Prevention: identify and avoid any provoking factors to prevent recurrences.

Athlete’s foot Almost all athletes are at risk of this condition, but more so those involved in running, swimming, soccer, water polo and basketball.

Occlusive footwear is a major culprit as fungi thrive with sweat and wet, soft skin. For swimmers, the floor of swimming pool decks and locker rooms may be sources of infection.

Treatment: most cases are mild and can be treated at home with antifungal medication. Serious cases may require stronger medication prescribed by a doctor.

Prevention: wear moisture-wicking synthetic socks and change them regularly, keep the feet dry, wear well-ventilated shoes, use antifungal powder, and always wear sandals in the locker room and on the pool deck.

Skin cancer Long training hours in the sun expose athletes to high levels of ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which is believed to be the most significant

Wearing a hat like Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps can stop your hair from turning green. Photo: AFP

environmental risk factor for the development of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer. During an Ironman race in Hawaii, three triathletes were found to have an average personal UV measurement that exceeded the international exposure limits by more than 30 times. Six cyclists during the Tour of Switzerland race had a comparable measurement.

Sweating and sea or pool water can make matters worse: skin hydration, in general, increases its photosensitivity. Water and sweat can also wash away sunscreen and increase the risk of UV radiation.

Treatment: immediately seek doctor’s advice.

Prevention: wear water-resistant sunscreen and sun-protective clothing. Try to train when sun exposure is low. Visit a dermatologist regularly.

Green hair This is a problem for water sport athletes. Those with blond, grey or white hair are prone to pigmentation by copper ions in pools, which originate from the water’s source, the pipes or algaecides. Physical and chemical damage to the hair, including sunlight and chlorinated water, also cause hair to turn green.

Treatment: use a shampoo that contains penicillamine, or hydrogen peroxide (2-3 per cent), or chelating agents.

Prevention: wear a cap and use a chelating shampoo.

6 COVER STORY

A new type of paddle boarding is sweeping the world and Hongkongers are catching the wave, writes Rachel Jacqueline

“W

hen was the last time you tried something new?”

Robert Sheriff asks as he effortlessly balances a long board on his head that dwarfs his almost 1.8-metre frame.

“I’m excited,” I lie, albeit enthusiastically. Although eager to experiment with the world’s fastestgrowing water sport, I realise I have no idea what I’m doing.

Invented in the 1960s by Waikiki surfing instructors as a way to take photos of their clients, stand-up paddle boarding – or SUPing in surfer speak – has attracted a global following in recent years.

In the United States alone, 1.24 million people SUPed last year, up 18 per cent year on year, according to the Outdoor Industry Association. Lately, some have combined the sport with another hip activity: SUP yoga.

American surfing star Laird Hamilton is credited with taking the sport mainstream 10 years ago, when he started catching waves standing on an oversized surfboard that he propelled with a long outrigger kayak paddle. In recent years, the sport’s popularity has been boosted by a wave of celebrity SUPers including Jennifer Aniston, Pierce Brosnan, Matthew McConaughey, Nicole Scherzinger and Sting.

In Hong Kong, signs of the sport’s growth are clear: there are a handful of schools giving SUP lessons, with one, HK Aqua-bound Centre at Stanley Main Beach, recently offering a HK$149, two-hour SUP tour on deal website Groupon.

Sheriff, chief executive of a consumer goods company who turned 50 in June, says that in only six months he went from complete rookie to a three-day-a-week paddler and passionate advocate. A friend had suggested over a lunch in Stanley that they rent some boards; Sheriff fell in love with SUP after just 10 minutes. “This is it, I thought to myself. It was the sport I’d been looking for.”

He has a personal goal to introduce friends each week to his new-found passion. Today, I am Sheriff’s lucky subject.

SUP boards are like surfboards on steroids: three to 3.5 metres long and up to a metre wide, and flat and blunt – all the better for buoyancy and balance. Depending on price

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stand and purpose, they can be made in a range of materials – plastic, fibreglass, wood, carbon or even fabric (for inflatable boards) – and weigh up to 18kg. Paddles, resembling longer versions of canoe paddles at about two metres long, also vary in materials and weight.

The cost of a board and paddle ranges upward from US$1,000.

The board is rocky at first but I soon find my balance by kneeling in its centre. Some last-minute instructions, a light push and I’m off and gliding over the water.

At first I focus on the paddling motion to overcome my nerves: stroke, breathe, stroke. Next, I’m on my feet, holding my core tight like in yoga while propelling myself over the water using short strokes, and bending my knees to take in waves and other bumps in the water.

I survive my first few waves without falling off. It’s hard work, but it doesn’t feel like it. It’s said that the activity uses 90 per cent of the muscles in your body – which I can vouch for – even those in your fingers and little toes, as they grip the paddle and the board.

Propulsion comes not only from the arms but also the legs – pushing with the legs and using the full back muscles gives the upper body rotation and hence power.

Women are said to be better suited for SUP than men due to a lower centre of gravity. There must be truth in that, because I soon find myself chatting easily with my fellow paddlers. SUPing, indeed, is fun: what better way to soak up the scenery and catch the sun’s rays with a low-impact activity that won’t hurt your knees?

Sheriff says he’s in almost as good a shape as he was in his 20s. But

Rachel Jacqueline feels like an old hand at the sport after just an hour

With so many people enjoying the outdoors and endurance sports, I believe the move to low-impact SUP will be a healthy evolution ROBERT SHERIFF, PADDLER

apart from the fitness benefits, he’s attracted to SUP for its meditative qualities and the way it allows him to be close to water. “Plus, it’s so easy to learn. You take away the fear of water as you’re above it. If you fall off, you can easily get back on.”

So easy, in fact, that Sheriff was a key support crew member for American SUP pioneer Kevin Horgan’s 44-kilometre circumnavigation of Hong Kong island in May. “What other sports could you teach yourself in six months and then go and paddle with a world-class paddler?” he marvels.

Horgan, 47, has built up a reputation as the “Forrest Gump of paddling”, having done many longdistance SUP adventures, including circumnavigating Manhattan three times non-stop – about 137 kilometres in total – in 20 hours. He took up SUP to counter the summer doldrums over lousy waves at his home in Kauai, Hawaii.

Unlike its surfing cousin, “SUP doesn’t need any wind, any waves or a speedboat”, says Ken Choi, of X Game, who distributes SUP boards in Hong Kong. “It also doesn’t need expensive or complicated equipment, like kite surfing or windsurfing.” SUP can be done wherever there is water, and being surrounded by water, Hong Kong is a natural for the sport.

Nick Fung, a doctor, says he can go to places on his paddle board that he couldn’t get to by boat or swimming. Fung, 35, who was taught the sport three years ago by his uncle in Hawaii, uses SUP as a way to relax after a busy day at the hospital. He launches straight from Deep Water Bay into the ocean, sometimes taking a nap on his

board. “I love being out in the water, having the option to jump in any time,” he says.

Sheriff has high hopes for the growth of SUP. “With so many people enjoying the outdoors and endurance sports, I believe the move to low-impact SUP will be a healthy evolution. Your body can only take so much,” he says.

Allison Haworth-West agrees.

A business owner, she was left with a bad back after years of skiing and endurance training.

But with SUP, her back has improved. “It’s so good for your core strength,” she says. It has the added benefit of being social. She regularly catches up with girlfriends over SUP. Alternatively, if you like speed, racing is an option. Together with Choi and other SUP supporters, Sheriff is spearheading SUP racing in Hong Kong through the Victoria Recreation Club race series, which are usually dominated by kayaks, canoes and surf skis. Sheriff predicts some excellent paddlers will emerge from the big dragon boat community.

While there is a world of possibilities for SUP, for now I’m content with my progress in just an hour. As we head back towards shore, Sheriff makes some final adjustments to my paddling. A few more expert strokes and I feel like I’m getting the hang of it. I guess you could call it a SUPer feeling. healthpost@scmp.com

GO WITH THE FLOW Get lessons and rent stand-up paddle boards at these places: Blue Sky Sports Club, Sai Kung bluesky-sc.com, tel: 2792 4938 or 3502 1823 HK Aqua-bound Centre, Stanley Main Beach aquabound.com.hk, tel: 8211 3876 Kayak & Hike, Sai Kung kayak-and-hike.com, tel: 9300 5197 Palm Beach Watersport Centre, Lantau palmbeach.com.hk, tel: 2980 4822

COVER STORY 7

Participants in the Paddle for the Planet event at the Victoria Recreation Club in Deep Water Bay in June. Below: Bruce Seymour from Paddle for the Planet, a marine conservation organisation. Photos: Jonathan Wong

8 DIET NUTRITION

The element of surprise ......................................................

Nadine Bateman healthpost@scmp.com

There’s growing research to support claims that increasing magnesium intake can help a range of conditions. They include easing chronic pain, lowering blood pressure, relaxing muscles, boosting memory, reducing anxiety and alleviating constipation.

Magnesium is the eleventh most abundant element by mass in the human body and is essential to good health; it helps absorb calcium and plays a crucial role in forming bones and maintaining muscle function.

It’s also critical in cellular function and in ensuring electrolyte balance.

As the US Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics states: “Magnesium is an important part of the more than 300 enzymes found in your body.

Enzymes are body chemicals that help regulate many bodily functions, including the production of energy, body protein and muscle contractions. It also plays a role in maintaining healthy bones and a healthy heart.”

Food sources for magnesium include green leafy vegetables, nuts, beans, whole grains – such as brown rice – and wheat germ.

Natural medicine practitioners, including Hong Kong-based Dr Ardyce Yik, advocate magnesium supplements. Yik, a naturopathic physician with the Integrated Medicine Institute in Central and the OT&P medical clinic in Repulse Bay, sees many patients suffering from magnesium deficiency.

She says magnesium has been proven to be effective in alleviating and preventing migraines. She cites claims by the New York Headache Centre that “magnesium deficiency may be present in up to half of migraine patients”. More than 200 published clinical studies are said to have documented the need for more magnesium in diets.

Japanese researchers in the late 1990s found that magnesium supplements have a small but significant effect on lowering blood pressure by relaxing blood vessels.

Professor Liu Guosong, director of the Centre for Learning and Memory at Tsinghua University in Beijing, examined whether increased levels of magnesium – a key nutrient for the functioning of memory – boosted brain power in rats. The results of the study were published in 2010.

300 Magnesium is an important part of this many enzymes found in your body (US Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics)

“Our findings suggest that elevating brain magnesium content via increasing magnesium intake might be a useful new strategy to enhance cognitive abilities,” says Liu. “Moreover, half the population of industrialised countries has a magnesium deficit, which increases with ageing.

This may very well contribute to age-dependent memory decline; increasing magnesium intake might prevent or reduce such decline.”

This study is backed up by research from Tel Aviv University that suggests magnesium may be even more critical than previously thought for the neurons of children and healthy brain cells in adults.

Dr Inna Slutsky, who led the research, says her team used a special magnesium compound, claiming that over-the-counter supplements “don’t really work [because] they do not get into the brain”.

Slutsky’s advice is to get magnesium “the old-fashioned way” – from food – and that a “persistent change” in diet should help improve memory and delay the effects of dementia.

Although magnesium can be obtained from certain foods, there are concerns that environmental toxins, mineral depleted soil, preservatives and additives often prevent its proper absorption.

Yik says people could be deficient if they consume “excessive” alcohol, salt, coffee, phosphoric acid (from soft drinks), have prolonged or high levels of stress, or suffer from chronic diarrhoea. In addition, pharmaceutical diuretics, oral contraceptives, antibiotics and certain antidepressants deplete the body of magnesium.

Recently, Yik says a woman in her early 30s came to her complaining of anxiety, intense tight muscles in her neck and shoulders and insomnia caused by stress at work.

She prescribed magnesium capsules and at a follow-up visit two weeks later, the woman said she felt less on edge and was able to sleep better.

Yik’s prescribed dosage depends on individual needs and could be anything from 250 milligrams to 1,000mg daily.

Janelle Castle, a naturopath who works at the Absolute Sanctuary health retreat on Koh Samui, says magnesium supplements have had many benefits for her clients.

“The most common feedback I hear is an overall improvement in well-being and of feeling really relaxed and at ease. The sense of calm that people experience when taking magnesium supplementation is most noticeable. They also sleep much better, wake up less to go to the toilet and suffer less from the effects of stress and tension.”

Client Varanya Vanuspitaksakul says Castle advised her to try magnesium supplements to help

Almonds, granola and oats are rich sources of life-sustaining magnesium, especially for vegans with bowel movements and frequent urination, following the birth of her daughter a year ago.

“I’ve been taking 50mg twice a day for about three months and I noticed an effect within a few days,” she says. “I stopped taking them once and the symptoms gradually returned after about three days.”

The recommended daily magnesium intake in the US is 300mg for women and 400mg for men. The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations recommends 220mg for females and 260mg for males aged between 19 and 65.

The most common feedback I hear is an overall improvement in well-being and of feeling really relaxed JANELLE CASTLE, NATUROPATH

Although toxicity from excess magnesium is rare, some people, such as those with a kidney disease, might be at risk. Others can experience side effects such as diarrhoea and stomach aches.

If that’s the case, some practitioners advise rubbing magnesium “oil” on your skin or soaking in magnesium chloride bath salts.

In his book Transdermal Magnesium Therapy, Dr Mark Sircus, an American researcher in the field of natural medicine, claims that oral magnesium supplementation takes between six to 12 months to “restore

DIET 9 THE TASTE TEST BAGELS ......................................................

Jeanette Wang jeanette.wang@scmp.com

Thomas’ Bagel Thins Plain HK$68 for eight (369 grams), ThreeSixty If you’re watching your waistline, these skinny pre-sliced bagels are perfect. Certified by the American Heart Association for being low in saturated fat and cholesterol, each bagel has just 110 calories, one gram of fat, 25 grams of carbs and four grams of protein.

Verdict: because it’s so thin, it’s more crust than anything, so it has more crunch than chew. But I like crusty bread, so I loved this.

Alvarado St Bakery Sprouted Wheat Onion and Poppyseed Bagels HK$49 for six (567 grams), ThreeSixty These large bagels from Petaluma, California, are made with organic sprouted wheat, which is said to be richer in micronutrients than non-sprouted whole grains. Each bagel has 320 calories, two grams of fat, 64 grams of carbs and 11 grams of protein.

Verdict: smell heavenly in the oven, great with butter, and onion flavour doesn’t overpower – but a bit dry.

Bagels Forever Cinnamon-Raisin HK$26 for four (326 grams), City’super Boiled in water and hearth-baked a la New York-style, these pre-sliced bagels have been made in Madison, Wisconsin, since 1973.

Each bagel has 230 calories, one gram of fat, 47 grams of carbs and 10 grams of protein.

Verdict: crisp on the outside and fabulously soft and chewy on the inside. Could do with more raisins and cinnamon.

HEALTHY GOURMET

How a quest for the best is the source of Italian pride ......................................................

Andrea Oschetti healthpost@scmp.com

intracellular levels”, whereas magnesium directly applied to the skin “restores intracellular levels within four to six weeks”.

According to Dr Carolyn Dean, the author of The Miracle of Magnesium: “Of the 325 magnesium-dependent enzymes, the most important enzyme reaction involves the creation of energy by activating adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the fundamental energy storage molecule of the body. ATP may be what the Chinese refer to as qi, or life force … Without magnesium there is no energy, no movement, no life.”

Over the next month I will take you on a journey through Italy. I have just been there and discovered four places that excel when it comes to gourmet healthy eating.

This week we visit Bari, in the Puglia region in Italy’s heel. It is home to a stunning historical centre.

Life on the narrow streets is authentic and on display for all to see, a far cry from the many cold inner city reconstructions that aim to draw the tourist crowds.

When was the last time you knew exactly where the food you were eating came from? Pietro Conte, the owner of the restaurant Terranima, or “soul of the land”, can tell you where every ingredient is from. His menu speaks of the diversity of produce from Puglia, listing the origins of each dish. It is a guarantee of quality: cold cuts from the town of Martina Franca, black beans from Murgie, fish from the natural reserve of Torre Guaceto, goat cheese from Gargano, carrots from Locorotondo.

I asked Pietro about healthy eating. “It is about the ingredients you use and your love for them,” he says. “As a restaurant owner, if it is

only about profit, I would use wholesalers and wouldn’t invest my time in finding quality. This is the death of good food. It is because I love food that I wake up early every morning to meet farmers and producers and find the best ingredients to be served at night in my restaurant.”

Quality does not necessarily cost more, particularly in Hong Kong. As Pietro stresses: “Finding good food requires passion and dedicating time to it.”

Did you know that some of the best food importers that serve Michelin-star restaurants in Hong Kong also sell to the public?

Try The House of Fine Food (hoff.com.hk) for meat and fish or look up Ifood (tel: 3690 2771) for fruit and vegetables. Its prices are generally a fraction of the generic equivalent in supermarkets.

It is not just about taste; seasonal ingredients that list their specific origins are likely to be more nutritious and healthy. Be specific when you look: just choosing something from Italy is not enough.

With pride, Pietro serves me this appetiser. It is delicious and easy to make. Visit Pietro’s restaurant in Bari at www.terranima.com.

Black chickpeas with zucchini and carrot carpaccio Serves 4 200g black chickpeas Cold water Baking soda Salt and pepper 400g zucchini 200g carrots 60g sundried tomatoes 2 lemons A bunch of thyme Extra virgin olive oil 4 basil leaves

for two hours, adding salt and pepper after one hour. Refrigerate.

• Slice the zucchini, carrots and sundried tomatoes into thin strips.

• Sprinkle zucchini with the juice of one lemon, leaving to rest for 15 minutes so they become tender.

• Chop thyme finely, add juice of other lemon, olive oil, salt, pepper and two tablespoons of water. Mix sauce with fork for a few minutes.

• Combine zucchini, carrots, sundried tomatoes and cold chickpeas with the sauce. Garnish with a basil leaf and a slice of lemon.

• Put chickpeas in cold water with a spoon of baking soda for 24 hours, changing the water twice.

• Cook them in water on a very low heat

Healthy Gourmet is a recipe column by private chef Andrea Oschetti that runs in Health Post each week. He can be reached at andrea@fioreblu.com

10 HEALTH

ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE

Just add water Only one tiny pill mixed with water is taken each day under homeopathic treatment.

Photos: Corbis, Felix Wong

...................................................... undergraduate medical training Elaine Yau elaine.yau@scmp.com

Musician Emily Li Kit-yiu was struck with diarrhoea, chronic bronchitis and colds so often that she became exhausted with repeated visits to the doctor. She also suffered from chronic shoulder pain, fatigue and insomnia.

A chance encounter with homeopathy last year changed all that. “The chronic ailments that had afflicted me for years went away after three treatments by the homeopath,” she says.

Li, 43, is so taken with homeopathy that she took a course to learn about the alternative medicine. She has since become an armchair homeopath who prescribes remedies for herself and her friends. “I have not paid any visits to the doctor since I took up homeopathy,” she says.

Dramatic accounts of miraculous recoveries like Li’s are common among those who believe in the efficacy of homeopathy. But it is often regarded as quackery among the medical profession.

That’s because clinical studies do not prove the efficacy of the highly diluted substances that homeopaths say trigger internal healing processes.

Of the dozen systematic reviews of homeopathy published so far, most conclude the remedies are no different from a placebo.

In spite of the criticism, homeopathic medicine is the second most widely used therapeutic system in the world, according to the World Health Organisation. The practice commands a large following in India, Canada and Europe. In countries such as Britain and America, practitioners must have

before they specialise in homeopathy.

There are about five practising homeopaths in Hong Kong. One of them, Arden Wong Wai-tak, says that while mainstream doctors prescribe a cocktail of drugs to treat patients, homeopaths choose only one remedy. Their treatments are made from plants, animals and minerals.

“There are several hundred remedies in common use. How we choose a particular remedy out of hundreds is based on long discussions with the patients, who have to describe their condition in detail,” Wong says.

There are dozens of medicines for treating back pain, for example.

It depends on the individual: some back pain eases when the patient is standing and the weather is warm, while it worsens when sitting down or during winter. Pain can also be caused by hardened back muscles.

“The most difficult job is to find the one among the many remedies that suits the condition,” Wong says. “That’s why the first consultation lasts an hour. There might be the possibility that the patient fails to mention something in the initial consultations, and the right remedy is found later.”

The way the remedies are made draws the most vehement criticisms of homeopathy. The process involves serial dilution with water and intense shaking. Serial dilution removes the chemical toxicity of ingredients like arsenic used in remedies.

But critics of homeopathy say the remedies are so diluted there are hardly any molecules of the ingredient left. So they could not have any efficacy. Homeopaths counter that the process of intense shaking, which they term

We choose a remedy out of hundreds based on long discussions with the patients, who have to describe their condition in detail ARDEN WONG WAI-TAK, HOMEOPATH

“succession”, transfers the essence of the ingredients to the water, which retains a memory of the substance.

“We often use the analogy of a CD. Under the microscope, it is nothing more than a piece of plastic at the chemical level. But CDs actually contain different songs, be they classical or pop,” Wong, who was trained in Australia, says.

The way the remedy is taken also adds to the doubts of detractors. Only one tiny pill mixed with water is taken each day. Wong recommends an even smaller dosage – one pill mixed with 60 millilitres of water. The patient takes just one tablespoon of the solution in the morning and another at night.

Homeopathy, invented by German physician Samuel Hahnemann two centuries ago, revolves around the “like cures like” principle (“homeo” means “similar” in Greek).

The principle holds that if a substance causes a symptom (for instance, an onion makes my nose run), then that substance (allium cepa, or onion bulb extract) can cure a disease that is characterised by a runny nose (for example, a common cold).

Wong says this is similar to the concept of using toxic remedies to cure ailments caused by toxicity, which was embraced by ancient Chinese doctors: “If a perfectly healthy person takes the remedy, he will suffer from all the symptoms that afflict the patient who is taking the same remedy,” he claims.

Unlike TCM practitioners in Hong Kong, homeopaths in the city do not require accreditation. Dr Lo Wing- lok, an infectious-diseases specialist and People’s Health Action chairman, says anybody who applies for a business

registration can practise, and this can be risky for patients.

“The medical effects cited by patients and homeopaths are nothing more than claims,” he says.

“There are no medical guidelines regulating how the practice should be conducted. In cases of medical blunders or ineffective treatment, it’s difficult for patients to make complaints. They can only seek recompense through the civil court.

“Another problem is delayed treatment. Some patients who go to homeopaths are reluctant to seek medical help due to their aversion to drugs. They might miss out on the chance to get cured.”

But all the criticisms hardly dampen the enthusiasm of Crystal Lee Wai-ching, a lecturer at a tertiary institution. She was a doubter, but says many detractors have never tried homeopathy.

“I tried it myself and it works for me,” Lee says. “My two-year-old daughter had rashes recently. Our general practitioner misdiagnosed it as ringworm. But my homeopath treated it as eczema, and she healed quickly after taking the remedy.

There may be coincidences. But I have encountered so many coincidences regarding my homeopathy treatments that they could not all be fortuitous.”

For Emily Li, the care and time her homeopath dedicates to her well-being make her feel like she is in good hands. “My visit to doctors last only about a minute. They just ask general questions before prescribing a cocktail of drugs,” she says. “They never explain to me the underlying causes of my illnesses.”

Lo says such extensive discussions can produce a placebo effect. “The response from a compassionate clinician is in itself soothing and has therapeutic effects.”

WELL-BEING 11 FIT & FAB

How the other half lives ......................................................

P. Ramakrishnan and Jeanette Wang healthpost@scmp.com Being half the man you used to be tends not to be a good thing, unless you’re Andre Blumberg. Over the past two years, the 42-year-old Hong Kong-based German has shed so much weight that he literally looks half the obese, 100plus kilogram guy he was.

The impending 40s presented Blumberg with a mid-life crisis. “I didn’t want to buy a sports car or have a fling with the personal assistant, so I considered exercise,” says the information technology director of a power company. “I knew I wanted to take up running, but I was just too heavy and would have ruined my knees. So first of all I changed my diet.”

A few months before his 40th birthday, Blumberg turned his lifestyle on its head – overnight. He went cold turkey on alcohol for 18 months and cut out heavy latenight meals.

He made a couple of trips to a detox spa in Thailand, where for up two weeks each time he’d eat only herbs and teas. “I dropped a lot of weight and it stayed off since I changed my nutrition as well.

Then, I started exercising.”

In January 2010 Blumberg started riding the stationary bike in the gym, for 10 minutes at first, building up slowly to two hours.

Within six months he had lost 32 kilograms. Then he hit the treadmill, starting out slowly for 20 minutes, then 45, then 90.

“Eventually, I got tired of the gym and started to run outside and on Hong Kong’s fantastic country trails,” he says. “I was hooked on them. How could I have lived in Hong Kong for eight years without discovering the trails?”

In April 2010, he ran his first ultra, the annual 65 kilometre Round The Island race. Six months later he did his first 100 kilometre race, the North Face 100 in Singapore, finishing third overall.

“I knew I was on to something; it was rewarding,” he says.

But if there’s one thing that has remained constant through Blumberg’s transformation, it’s his penchant for indulgence.

In the past, this meant clubbing, fine dining and champagne brunches, the result being a suit size of 54 and a bad cholesterol level of about 200, double that of the ideal.

These days his indulgence is ultra-running. Last year he ran the Hong Kong 100 kilometre; completed the North Face 100 “Slam”, running all five 100 kilometre races in the global series; and finished a five-day 300 kilometre trail race in Germany, among others.

Over four days during this Lunar New Year, Blumberg ran all of Hong Kong’s four long-distance trails – the Hong Kong Trail (50 kilometres), Wilson Trail (78 kilometres), Lantau Trail (70 kilometres) and Maclehose Trail (100 kilometres) – one on each day, “just because the trails were

A transformed Andre Blumberg, and (below) the old Andre.

Photo: David Wong

there”. (He plans to turn this into an annual event called the Four Trails Ultra Challenge, starting next year.)

The result: he’s down to suit size 48, his cholesterol level is remarkably low at sub-80 and he says, “I feel better than in my 20s”.

Why ultra-running?

Endurance sports suit my nature. I like the mental challenges in addition to the physical. Running a 160 kilometre ultra-trail race for 30 hours or longer requires not just fitness but also a strong mind and the ability to manage any problems that may come along: physical pain, issues with digestion, the weather, getting lost on the course and so forth. There are a lot of similarities between running an ultra and life in general, and I enjoy the challenges.

What doesn’t work for you?

The treadmill. I really love being out in nature, so running on trails is my preference. Sometimes for

I was hooked. How could I have lived in Hong Kong for eight years without discovering the trails?

ANDRE BLUMBERG

practical reasons training on roads or even a treadmill is unavoidable, but it’s far less enjoyable.

How do you make time for exercise?

It’s all about priorities. We all have 24 hours a day, what matters is how we use the time. I find it is better to exercise in the morning before work; this way I get my runs out of the way and it sets me up for the day. Sure, it’s not easy getting up at 4.30am on a rainy, dark morning and running for two to three hours, but once you establish a regular schedule it’s doable. Sleep is important though to aid recovery; I try to get seven hours a night, more on weekends.

How has your diet changed?

I used to eat pretty much everything, lots of red meat, dairy, cheese, sweets and plenty of beer and wine. Now my nutrition is primarily plant-based. While not strictly vegan, I have mostly removed meat and dairy products from my nutrition. Instead I thrive

on whole foods such as vegetables, salads, fruits, nuts, seeds and legumes. Green vegetable smoothies mixed with superfoods such as chia seeds, goji berries, acai or spirulina are a major staple for me; I can go on those all day. I still have fresh salmon and enjoy good Japanese sashimi once in a while.

People are always hesitant to have a lifestyle overhaul. How did you do it?

If there’s the will, then there’s a way. Be inspired by someone whose achievements or lifestyle you admire. Listen to everyone, but follow no one. Find out what works for you personally. The rewards of feeling fit, healthy and full of energy motive me to continue.

What remains an indulgence?

The occasional cappuccino. I’ve tried soy and nut milk instead of dairy, but the taste is just not quite the same. Also, a glass or two of a good red wine is something I enjoy.

12 WELL-BEING OLYMPICS

Virtuous circles ......................................................

Rob Lilwall healthpost@scmp.com We were in Oxford the day the Olympic flame came through last month, so my wife and I joined the crowd lining the roads to watch.

Policemen on motorcycles zoomed by, and suddenly the torch appeared, borne by a smiling, middle-aged woman having the moment of her life, cheered on by the people of her city.

In the days before the London Games started, even in austeritywracked Britain, the atmosphere was buzzing. The daily news kept us updated on the latest heroes carrying the Olympic flame through their neighbourhoods – the old, the young, the war veteran amputee, the tireless servants of local communities.

I don’t usually get around to watching big, global sporting events, but we were in London as part of our summer holidays. And I have to say, we’ve been deeply inspired by the Olympics.

On the evening of the opening ceremony, as we walked to our local community hall to watch it on a big screen, the sky suddenly boomed

and the legendary Royal Air Force Red Arrow stunt planes streaked across the sky. This was new to me – the restricted fly-zone rules of London officially being broken.

And then in the ceremony – with the “queen” jumping out of a helicopter and Mr Bean messing up a London Symphony Orchestra performance – royal permission was given for us to leave our jadedness and cynicism behind and become children again, to join in the giant global celebration of life and nerve and muscle that was about to begin.

On the gloriously sunny first day of competition, we went to Richmond Park to watch the 250 kilometre men’s cycling road race.

Huge crowds lined the road as far as the eye could see. We did not realise quite how fast these Lycra-clad men would be going; all I can recall is a blurred flash of helmets shining in the sun when they went past.

We watched the women’s volleyball heats on day three, with the first match between China and Turkey. These women look tall, strong and dangerous in the flesh.

With some incredible blocking and smashing, the Chinese easily took the first two sets, and they only needed one more to win.

Then, Turkey – sensing their fate was so close – suddenly started to fight back. Their defence became tighter, their smashes more determined, their teamwork brilliant. The initially docile crowd now became a passionate throng on its feet, shouting out for the underdogs. Although I was ultimately supporting China, I joined in. The Turks took the third set, but in the fourth, the Chinese fought back hard and won. It was an epic battle.

We headed to Heathrow for our flight home to Hong Kong via Beijing. We were surprised to find a large contingent of the fabled Chinese swimming team on the flight. They said their events were over and the accommodation was too crowded so they had to go home. It seemed a shame they couldn’t stay and enjoy the Games.

We found out during this chance meeting that the Chinese athletes are mortals like you and I. They were polite, friendly and humble. Meeting them made me feel like I was not separated from the Olympics, but part of the same giant party.

I’ll continue to watch the Games on television at home, even if I am not familiar with most sports. I

The Chinese women’s volleyball team members celebrate after winning a point in their tough face-off with Turkey. Photo: EPA

Meeting the Chinese athletes made me feel like I was not separated from the Olympics, but part of the same giant party

know it will be inspiring to see the winners, but even more so the losers. For it reminds me of that great Teddy Roosevelt speech of 1910: “The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood… Who, at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who, at the worst, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”