TRAVEL BLOG

Advertorial The gorgeous sakura... So beautiful when it blossoms, that it was one of my dearest wishes to see it at least once before I die.... Many others also have the same wish unfortunately, which makes springtime flight tickets to Japan extra expensive due to Sakura season. Lying on a bed of sakura Luckily for me, I fulfilled my wish last year when I flew to Kyoto. I will never forget my first sakura experience. Bunches of countless flowers, so delicate and multi petaled, decked out in my favourite baby pink colour gently swaying in the breeze. As it was nearing the end of sakura season, the petals were falling from the trees like snowflakes, and the ground was littered with hundreds of thousands of soft petals. It was too pretty for words. Other than just being beautiful, sakura also has many uses... Have you tried sakura flavoured ice cream or chocolate? Not only in food, sakura is also used in skincare. Because we all want glowy, radiant skin with a rosy sheen,  as if flowers a

My 49th Birthday! What a gripping word that can literally take the wind out of our sails, right? We have all experienced some sort of fear in our lives and it does not discriminate with gender or age.   In my journey of life and health I have definitely felt and experienced fear on all levels, physical, emotional, relational, financial, and spiritual.   Of course, when going through such feelings, it can be difficult to see any light at the end of the tunnel, and sometimes, just staying put in the comfort of a warm bed until the storm blows over makes perfect sense at the time.   Facing a fear is one of the hardest things to do in life, and it does take courage, inner strength, and the physical will to force the body to go, when the mind says to freeze.   Emotional challenges and fears seem to be the most draining, at least in my experience, and take time to process through, and figure out the best way to persevere.   It does not matter how long anything takes to get resolved, the imp

When you take your shoes off, is there a pungent odor? Is the smell just so-so, or is it strong enough to clear the Serengeti from all wildlife? Do people faint who may be passing by, or just run in the opposite direction as fast as possible. When your socks come off after your shoes are removed, is the local Hazmat team called out? If so, then you may be a victim of foot odor. According to the American Academy of Podiatric Practice Management (AAPPM), the feet and hands contain more sweat glands than any other part of the body, with roughly 3,000 glands per square inch. Smelly feet are not only embarrassing, but can be physically uncomfortable as well. Feet smell for two reasons: 1) shoe wear, and 2) sweating of the feet. The interaction between the perspiration and the bacteria that thrive in shoes and socks generates the odor. Therefore, any attempt to reduce foot odor has to address both sweating and footwear. Smelly feet or excessive sweating can also be caused by an inherited con

Your vision is one of the most valuable assets you have. Being able to see clearly and without impediment is a huge advantage. Just ask someone who is blind or extremely vision impaired. Plus, there are several diseases of the eye that can be identified with a simple exam done by your optometrist or ophthalmologist. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), glaucoma is a group of diseases that can damage the eye's optic nerve. It is a leading cause of blindness in the United States. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), the most common type of glaucoma — called primary open-angle glaucoma — affects an estimated 2.2 million people in the United States, and that number is expected to increase to 3.3 million by 2020 as the U.S. population ages. Glaucoma usually happens when the fluid pressure inside the eyes slowly rises, damaging the optic nerve. Often there are no symptoms at first, according to the NIH. Without treatment, people with glaucoma will sl