Karada!

Following my recent post on having good posture to avoid stiff necks and shoulder pains, another way to relieve them is to get a good massage.  A few months ago my friends introduced me to Karada. 

 

I did a little bit of research and found out that Karada means Body in Japanese. It was founded by Mr. Koyasu Yuki. After he was successfully treated through Chiro following a car accident, Yuki-san decided to merge the science behind Chiro treatments with the relaxing nature of getting a massage . This resulted to what Karada is offering today.

 

What differs Karada from a regular Spa is that it does not only relax stiff muscles, hence providing temporary relief, but it also addresses the source of the problem which , in most cases, is improper bone alignment.  

 

My research convinced me enough to give it a shot. I visited the Greenbelt branch which was very easy to find and conveniently located at the ground floor of Greenbelt 1.

The place is clean and simple. Do not expect zen interiors and relaxing music. Karada claims that they are not a place for relaxation anyway but for revitalization.

Here is a list of services that Karada is offering. I opted for the AP (Atlas & Pelvis) Balance for 60 minutes which costs P1,195. This included assessment and 30 mins of muscle treament (a.k.a. massage) and another 30 mins of bone alignment.

Before the treatment, you will be asked to change into more comfortable clothing. It's basically a black shirt and drawstring pants available in various sizes.

They will also provide a large basket for your things which will be kept safely under your treatment bed.

So this is me in my Karada outfit. Oh, by the way, they also provided rubber slippers which I really hesitated to wear. But then again, my heels did not match well with the Karada uniform. Oh well.

The place has several office-like cubicles with treatment beds inside. It does not offer much privacy but everybody is busy with their own treatment so nobody is snooping around anyway.

The initial assessment proved that my bones were not aligned.  This reflected in uneven leg lengths which was corrected immediately after the treatment.  It was pretty cool to see results after only an hour.  But then again I also know that the results will not last long since I cannot commit to completely avoid bad habits that may result to poor bone alignment. My biggest ones are sitting cross-legged and frequently carrying shoulder bags.

My overall assessment of Karada is that the treatment felt great but was not long-lasting. The therapist told me that they usually advise regular treatments for the first few sessions (i.e. once or twice a week) and then longer intervals after that.

Try it and see if it works for you. A lot of my friends swear by it. Some of them experienced long-lasting releif even after only one session. That may happen to you too. Let me know how it goes, okay?

You can learn more about Karada through their site.
 

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LifeScience: Fitness Intolerance Test

"One man's food is another man's poison."

A couple of weeks ago, i got invited to try the Food Intolerance Test at LifeScience - a newly opened wellness center in Bonifacio Global City that focuses on anti-aging and preventive medicine.  I heard about LifeScience through Jennie Epperson's blog over a month ago and have been very interested to check it out since then. So when the invite came, i said yes in a heartbeat.

One of the more popular diagnostic tests at LifeScience is the Food Intolerance Test (FIT). A lot of people misconstrue food intolerance to food allergies.

Here is how the Mayo Clinic differentiates the two:

"A true food allergy causes an immune system reaction that affects numerous organs in the body. It can cause a range of symptoms. In some cases, an allergic food reaction can be severe or life-threatening. In contrast, food intolerance symptoms are generally less serious and are limited to digestive problems." 

Unlike food allergies, food intolerance symptoms generally come on gradually and don't involve an immune system reaction (ex. skin rash, instant swelling, shortness of breath or wheezing). Food intolerance may produce a variety of symptoms including bloating, constipation, chronic fatigue syndrome (like when you always feel sleepy after a meal), diarrhea, gastritis, headaches, hyper acidity, insomnia, water retention, weight control problems and even attention deficit disorder.

The doctors at LifeScience explained that people who frequently ate food that they are intolerant to usually complain of a general feeling of unwellness. Medical tests may show that they are fine so they would automatically assume that it's 'all in their mind'.

There are two kinds of Food Intolerance Test at the wellness center.  The first one is called Food Print which is a more thorough food intolerance test covering over 200 food items. This test is a bit more expensive and results are usually available within 10 working days. 

Blood Extraction

The other one called the Food Detective which is a quick test that can give you the results in just 40 minutes. This covers 46 common food items and costs P8,500 only. This is what i tried.

I booked an appointment prior to my visit. Upon arrival, i was asked to proceed to the extraction room where blood sample was taken by finger-pricking. Easy-peasy. Then i waited outside and was offered coffee/tea while i filled out the patient profile. The place felt like a Spa. So calm and relaxing.  And the fact that i was sitting on Kenneth Cobonpue furniture while sipping hot tea felt even more luxurious. 

After less than 40 minutes, i was ushered to the nutritionist's room where the results will be discussed with me. The nutritionist was not yet there so i was able to take some pictures while waiting. Check out the Herman Miller chair! They definitely did not scrimp on the furniture.
My results show that i am intolerant to 6 out of the 46 food items on the food detective card.

Rice was on the list and this made sense. I stopped eating rice over 20 years ago. The reason was not to diet.  I noticed that i often felt bloated and acidic after eating rice. This also resulted in constant hyper acidity and a false sense of hunger only an hour or so after my meals.

Wheat was a recent discovery for me. Early this year, i had several episodes of vomiting and diarrhea for no reason at all. My endoscopy and colonoscopy procedure show that i have a slow digestive system. I did my own research and learned about the negative effects of Gluten on digestion. So i decided to eliminate this from my diet as a test.  After a week or so, i noticed less bloating and no more recurring episodes of vomiting nor diarrhea. Since Gluten is a a protein composite found in wheat, eliminating Gluten meant eliminating wheat from my diet. Of course, i cannot cut wheat 100% of the time but i have significantly lowered my consumption after the Food Detective test confirmed my self experiment early this year. I have not had any vomiting or episodes of diarrhea for the past 6 months. Praise God!

Other food items that i was found to be intolerant to were Celery (surprise surprise!), Legume Mix, Mushroom (this is the hardest to cut from my diet), and Yeast.

You see, most of the above mentioned food are considered healthy.  However, they can be good food to one person but poison to another. This is why taking the Food Intolerance Test is very important to know your body's unique needs.

If you want to find out more about LifeScience and the other services that they offer, you may book an appointment or reach out to them through the following contact details: 

LifeScience
Tel: +632 828 LIFE (5433)
Mobile: +63917 535 LIFE (5433)
8th Floor ACCRA Law Tower
2nd Avenue corner 30th Street
Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
Philippines

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