Lifestyle - The Korea Times

(298) What did you dream for New Year?

By Janet Shin Did you have a lucky dream for the New Year? People are likely to put a special meaning on their dreams during the New Year’s Season. It is because they consider them to influence the whole year fortune. Quite many people, even the young generations, are wondering about the interpretation of their dreams.Dreams are usually absurd and inconsistent. They don’t make sense and furthermore people do not remember most parts once they wake up. Some even dramatize their dreams based on common beliefs. A familiar example is the dream of pigs, which is believed to bring wealth. There are some animals that bear fortunate meanings, such as a tiger, a dragon and carps. Other natural creatures or scenes like water, rainbow and fruits are also considered lucky. These faiths are formed by tradition or myth of their own culture and history but they also have many things in common across the world. Most recently established study shows that dreams divulge one’s subconscious, especially the suppressed feelings. They are also believed to reveal environmental fac

Jan 15, 2015

Daily habits good for healthy joint

By Song Sang-ho Many people begin their New Year with various new resolutions. The most frequent resolutions include themes on “health” including quitting smoking, dieting and exercising. In relations to the news of the extension of the average lifespan announced last year, the need for health care has been highlighted intensively, thereby placing importance on the quality of life and longevity with good health rather than simply living longer. Among these, much attention is focused on “healthy joints.”Joints can be kept healthy simply by practicing a minor daily life habit continuously. I recommend exercise, proper eating habits and regular medical examinations as key to keeping joints healthy.Firstly, continuous exercise is the most important practice. Degenerative arthritis is a natural phenomenon arising from aging. However, it is possible to slow down the pace of or prevent aging through exercising and management. Walking is an aerobic exercise that anyone can do easily without any particular preparation. Walking, which is known to help diets be effe

Jan 11, 2015

Kwang Dong adopts new management system

 Kwang Dong Pharmaceutical CEO Choi Sung-won activates a new enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. / Courtesy of Kwang Dong Pharmaceutical Kwang Dong Pharmaceutical adopted a new enterprise resource planning (ERP) system last week to better deal with global market fluctuations, the company said Thursday.The system is designed to foster interconnection among marketing, distribution, manufacturing, purchasing, management, accounting and human resources departments.“The nine-month research and development of the system since April has been successful,” the firm’s President and CEO Choi Sung-won said.He added the new ERP-based business process would enhance management efficiency.“The ERP-based system will help us revolutionize the existing information management system. It will allow us to better cope with rapid changes in the global market,” Choi said.The pharmaceutical company aims to increase brand awareness in the global market, with an aim of “2020 Triple 1,” which stands for 1 trillion won in company value, 1 trillion wo

Jan 11, 2015

Best treatment for your shoulder

By Lee Chang-sooIn many cases, shoulder muscles are well developed among people who are sturdy, and the deltoid, a muscle covering the shoulder, is most important for movement.Many people strengthen and enlarge their deltoid muscle by working out at gym or participating in outdoor activities.When discussing the shoulder muscle, the rotator cuff, which are four muscles supporting the deltoid muscle and facilitating smooth movement of the shoulder, should be paid attention to.The rotator cuff muscles are located in the inner part of the deltoid muscle, making them harder to reach and difficult to strengthen. Actually, they are frequently damaged through working out at gym or weight lifting.A frozen shoulder or other shoulder pains are usually due to rotator cuff damage. As the rotator cuff is located in between the joint, frequent use of the shoulder results in the muscles colliding with the joint, ultimately damaging them.As we are living in a world with an excess of information, the definition of “rotator cuff tear” can be easily found on the internet.Rather than going th

Jan 4, 2015

Falling accidents on icy roads

By Song Sang-hoThis winter has seen unusual heavy snowfalls and accidents on icy pavements, which mean people need to take extra precautions.As muscles, joints and ligaments shrink and body flexibility is reduced due to the low temperatures, the frequency of falling on icy roads is higher and the extent of injuries is more serious. Areas injured from falling are various, such as the wrist, the spine and the hip. By bracing the hands with excessive power when falling, wrists may get fractured and when falling backward, the spine or hip may easily get injured.Precaution is required as over 30 percent of falling accidents happen to the elderly in their 60s or over, and there is the potential danger of a compression fracture, which is a “sunken spine,” due to the impact of falling since the elderly have a higher risk of osteoporosis. Among the injuries, the most serious one is a hip fracture in the elderly. Comparing to the young, the elderly have weaker muscular strength, bones and sense of balance, and are relatively less able to cope with the complications o

Dec 28, 2014

When twins come down with cold

By Jane HanWinter used to be my favorite season. It’s now officially my worst.With two toddlers, the once romantic time of the year is now anything but romantic. It’s simply a dreadful couple months of very limited outdoor activity and constant exposure to the cold virus.I may sound a little too extreme, but this is where I am after barely surviving two weeks with my 18-month-old twins struck with their worst cold ever. I realized this time around that taking care of an ill child is when a mom is truly put to the test.Forget daily routines and schedules. When you have a sick baby, you work around her schedule no matter what time of the day it is.At first, I tried to stick to my regular routine just because I didn’t want to start a “bad habit.” But after seeing my girls stay up nights in pain with high fevers and stuffy noses, I realized that breakfast doesn’t always have to be at 8:30 a.m.I also realized that coming up with speedy remedies can really be a lifesaver.With all the indoor heating, I knew that dry air was a serious problem. Even I had t

Dec 28, 2014

(297) Life and death: relish ultimate freedom of life

By Janet Shin We, living in modern times, have been educated and fascinated mostly by the Western logic. It has apparently contributed to the development of civilization. It is, however, revealing various side effects nowadays causing serious disorders, such as poverty in the midst of plenty, comparative deprivation and the consequent feeling of lethargy.On the one hand, people are investigating factors within the existing paradigm. On the other hand they, whether in the West or in the East, are trying to seek alternative beliefs that can heal their wounded hearts. The purpose of this study is to help those who are confused and straying to enlighten their minds with priceless lessons from Eastern teachings. This will steer people to the “integrity of life” and help to find the truth of happiness.Zhuang Zhou (369 BC-286 BC), an ancient Chinese philosopher, who is credited with inheriting and promoting Taoism following the doctrines of Laozi, sheds some light with his ingenious perspectives toward the universe, particularly time and space. His writings prompt people to

Dec 25, 2014

(297) Life and death: relish ultimate freedom of life

Treating adolescent idiopathic scoliosis

By Kim Sang-hyuk Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis is one of the most frequently occurring spinal deformities. In adolescents, it can cause various problems related to growth and adversely impact their studies.There are various ways to adequately treat adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. Among the many methods of treatment, some are based on scientific evidence while others are not.Patients need to carefully examine the various types of treatment available in order to receive the safest and most effective. Causes Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis occurs between the ages of 10 and 18. The cause of this disease is not as clearly defined as that of other forms of scoliosis, but hormone imbalances, asymmetric growth and muscle imbalances are presumed to be possible reasons.In terms of hereditary factors, about 30 percent of patients have a previous family history. Many researchers have found some correlation with hereditary causes. However, they have not yet found any direct correlations.There is a laboratory in the United States that analyzes the genetic factors of adolescent id

Dec 21, 2014

Treating adolescent idiopathic scoliosis

High intensity interval training

By Lee Sung-hun Approximately 30 percent of the entire world population is overweight, ranging from mild to severe obesity, according to recent surveys. That is a staggering 2.1 billion people out of 7.2 billion.In comparison to 840 million folks with malnutrition issues, it’s about 2.5 times as much. Some economists have gone as far to suggest that the economic loss due to reduced productivity and social expenses to solve issues caused by obesity, and the actual health care cost attributed to obesity is more than $2 trillion worldwide.That is more than Korea’s annual GDP of $1.45 trillion, and matches the annual GDP of Italy and Russia.Obesity has become an issue that the government needs to take action against because of its high socio-economic cost.Losing weight and then keeping the ideal weight is generally a difficult process for most of us, but the essence is basically to reduce the input (consumed calories) and increase the output by burning calories with exercise.Many experts agree that the importance of diet and exercise should be at about a 7:3 ratio, where

Dec 21, 2014

Letter to readers

For the last edition of W this year, we chose “party” as the theme. We introduce the current party trends among Koreans and how to host a smart, private party at home.The making of W was a party for us, the staff, for the past six months. Printing this magazine every other week was an arduous, yet delightful task ― just like hosting a party is tough but rewarding when it’s over.W was an experiment. It wasn't a revolution, but it was a revolutionary evolution. Never has a lifestyle magazine, let alone a magazine, been published by a local English daily or has there been any attempt. W was the first of its kind.W started from the hope that news could be read in a livelier, reader-friendly format, breaking away from the rigid format of newspaper layout. We wanted the contents to please the eye as well as please the mind, which is why W put great emphasis on design and layout.W has so far covered a variety of themes such as redefining luxury, discovering modernity in tradition, and how office design can impact employees’ behavior, to name a few.Over the month

Dec 17, 2014

Others

Others

(298) What did you dream for New Year?

Daily habits good for healthy joint

Kwang Dong adopts new management system

Best treatment for your shoulder

Falling accidents on icy roads

When twins come down with cold

(297) Life and death: relish ultimate freedom of life

Treating adolescent idiopathic scoliosis

High intensity interval training

Letter to readers

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