Month: February 2020

As our manufacturers prepare for Industry 4.0, the healthcare system is also being empowered to modernize and become more efficient to meet the growing demand of the current population.

Problems such as the rise of chronic and novel diseases, high medical treatment costs and shortage of healthcare workers are imminent in the growing and ageing population in Singapore. To tackle this multi-faceted problem, other than increasing the number of brick-and-mortar clinics, a solution incorporating the latest technologies to optimize physician’s time, reducing patients’ waiting time, and providing better engagement between patients and physician is needed.

Singapore-based Smartfuture has integrated the latest health technology into one inter-connected platform for GP clinics. From a paperless clinic management system with self-registration and digital queue system to the remote treatment of chronic diseases, wearables tracking and telemedicine, physicians will be able to pick-and-choose the technologies on the modular platform. The platform can include modules such as a kiosk with self-registration and vitals taking that is installed in the clinic, take-home device kits for chronic disease patients, a telemedicine web portal for physician and a mobile app to connect to their regular patients.

“We are focused and determined on helping the primary care physicians ride on the latest trends in healthcare technology. The platform will collect and analyse patient data and present it to physicians alongside insights into patient’s medical needs, which will move diagnosis from symptom-based to data-based.”

“The kiosks in clinics will change how we see a doctor for routine problems, just like how ATMs have changed the way we do routine work in a bank. These kiosks will also offer Telemedicine when the physician is not in the clinic, encouraging patients to try telemedicine and realise its efficacy and practicality,” says Sumit Khemani, Chief Executive Officer of Smartfuture.

For media enquiries or further information, please contact Eleanor at eleanor@oursmartfuture.com.

About Smartfuture

Based in Singapore, Smartfuture develops IoT and AI-enabled healthcare solutions for healthcare providers and corporates in Asia. For more information about Smartfuture, visit: www.oursmartfuture.com

Don’t we all have the moment when after a great and sumptuous lunch break, drowsiness starts to sink in? The struggle to stay awake at the meeting scheduled at the untimely 2pm and before you know it, you are on your third cup of joe of the day. Food coma or postprandial somnolence is a real condition and it can happen to anyone of us. Generally, food coma occurs after you have a heavy meal that is high in calories follows by a sedentary lifestyle in the office.

Here are five essential tips to help curb that food coma, so you would not be nodding your head off the next meeting.

Taking smaller meals

Having a large meal packed with high fat and calories during your lunch break leaves you feeling like a slump and studies have shown that some food may cause further drowsiness much more than others. Dairy, oatmeal and your choice of tea are some of the culprits. Replacing them with a well-balanced diet such as grains, unsaturated fats and proteins are essential in your overall health as it helps you to preserve more energy throughout the day.

Drink a non-sweetened beverage after lunch

Ditch your cuppa of milo, 100% sugar bubble teas, and opt for water or tea at the pantry. While the sugar from the beverages will cause an initial surge to your glucose, the feeling of sluggishness will sure kick in after it wears off. Additionally, sugared beverages will lead to dehydration which causes fatigue.

Drinking plenty of fluids such as water throughout the day will fare much better for your system and your energy will not deplete as quickly.

Allowing sufficient rest the day before

Having sufficient rest is always vital for your health and despite your busy schedule, try to kick in 8-9 hours of sleep. Your food coma is also due to sleep debt and poor food choices such as having fast food regularly and meals with high unsaturated fat content. We usually set an alarm for work but another tip that you should adopt is to set an alarm for bedtime and switch your mobile device into silent/do not disturb mode to prevent interrupted sleep. With sufficient rest, you will feel more energised for work and it will boost your overall mood.

Engaging in light physical activity

No, you don’t have to sweat it out by joining a yoga class nor go for a run during your lunch break but a short 10 minutes stroll and stairs climbing will definitely help. Carrying out light stretches and short meditation can also be helpful as these activities keep you awake and enhance your muscular relaxation. Being mindful heightens your awareness and provides a better focus on your work.

Opt for complex carbohydrates 

Complex carbohydrates constitute of fibre and starch which takes a longer time to be digested hence making you feel fuller compared to your simple carbohydrates. Examples of complex carbohydrates are whole grains, oats, legumes, nuts, fruits and vegetables. Foods such as pasta, pizzas, packaged snacks and mainly white carbohydrates make up your simple carbohydrates and high intake of them will exacerbate sleepiness. Despite the popular diet trends such as ketogenic diet and intermittent fasting, carbohydrates should not be neglected and avoided completely. Carbohydrates, when broken down, give our body supplies of energy and the right carbohydrates aid in weight control and guard against chronic condition such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

With Christmas and Lunar New year exiting less than 2 months ago, the subconsciousness of being more conscious of what we are eating slowly creeps in. “Do I look fat in this?” “Am I eating too many calories?” “Trans fats? Saturated Fats? – If it is fats, it must be bad.”

Well, fret not! You will be surprised to find out that not all fats are bad. And in fact, fats are essential to our diet.

What are fats?

Fats are a type of macronutrient whose main functions are to provide energy for our body and provide body insulation. They also play a crucial role in protecting our internal organs and maintaining hormonal balance. While all types of fats share the common feature of being the most energy-dense macronutrient (9 calories per gram), not all fats are made to be equal in quality. Fats come in different forms and each type of fat is processed differently by our body. Here are some brief insights into the different types of fats.

The Good fats: Unsaturated fats

There are two main types of unsaturated fats: – Polyunsaturated (Omega 3 and Omega 6 fats) and Monounsaturated fats. Foods such as walnuts, chia seeds and salmon are very rich in omega 3 fats while foods such as avocado, olive oil and almonds have high amounts of monounsaturated fats. Incorporating high unsaturated fat foods in your diet will definitely do wonders to your health. Not only does it promote brain health and cell growth but they also aid in lowering Low-Density Lipoproteins (LDL aka the bad cholesterol) cholesterol levels, thereby reducing the risks of chronic diseases such as heart disease and stroke.

Healthy eating starts with a diet rich in whole foods, including sources of healthy fats like avocados, nuts, seeds, eggs, and olive oil. So the next time you reach out for those buttery biscuits, remind yourself that a handful of walnuts will do you and your heart a whole lot more good.

The Bad fats: Saturated fats and Trans fats

Chowing down a steak or tucking away that extra cookies can be self-gratifying or even rewarding after a long and stressful day at work but a high level of saturated fats in your diet has been proven to raise blood lipids which include LDL cholesterol levels and certain other heart disease risk factors, such as inflammation which is linked to heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and other chronic conditions.

Unlike unsaturated fats, Saturated fats and Trans fats do the exact opposite. The fats are not easily broken down and in the long run, build up in the body.

Eating Healthier

While diet fads are all the rage these days, it’s always good to read more about the health benefits. When making a choice, make sure to keep these tips in mind.

1. Know your food labels. – Many popular processed snack foods are high in fat so be sure to check food labels for saturated and trans fats or to just simplify, snack on whole fruits and vegetables instead.
2. Plant-based over Animal. – Just a move from animal-based fats such as butter to canola oil or olive oil will do your heart health a whole lot of good.
3. Limit the fats intake. – Consume no more than 5 to 6% of your total daily calories, or no more than 11 to 13g of saturated fat if you follow a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet and avoid Trans fats.

All in all, moderation is always key when it comes to our fat intake. Practice healthy habits by reading food labels and control the necessary food portions to keep you satiated and healthy.