22
7DAYS
WEDNESDAY MAY 13, 2009
Metrolife
www.7days.ae/metrolife
Health Check
We’re always going to be susceptible
to some illness or virus in the modern
Batteries included
world, but there are many simple
prevention measures we all can take to
BY PADDY SMITH
Is Murdoch losing his footing in the
ensure optimum health and wellness
least some reasons for
media world as the web edges in?
S
ince the first reported
cases of Swine Flu, people not picking up
governments, health an infection.
F
ree newspaper web sites are a flawed business model. authorities and just about We also know that when it
That’s according to Rupert Murdoch, the jowl-faced everybody else has had comes to the ‘soil’, a stronger
chairman of News Corporation, which counts The Sun, something to say about it. and healthier immune system
The Times and The New York Post among its colossal
newspaper empire. He’s wrong, of course, but nobody’s got
the guts to bring him up to date. Your way to
Opinions have been is far more likely to put a stop
extremely diverse, from those to an infection taking root.
expressing grave concern Let me offer some
The 78-year-old’s old-school approach to business may
have served him well in an old-school industry like print
publishing. But it is unlikely to survive in this digital
future. Murdoch’s willingness to steep his publications’
editorial in political slant to further his own business
wellness
over a potential global recommendations for
disaster, to others who are reducing your risk of
disgusted with the over- contracting infections. Keep
reaction to the whole thing. your hands away from your
What we do know about this face unless you have just
interests and ideologies were exactly the opportunity that ‘Franken-Virus’ so far, is that it washed them! Gargle with
impartial heavyweight bloggers needed to get off the is an unusual genetic mix of salt water each morning and
ground in the first place. Now they’re primed to take his bird, swine and human flu evening and always cover
candy. And offer it to the world for free. viruses, and that it does pose your face when coughing -
Unwittingly, the Australian businessman created his own a threat as it continues to studies show as many as
worst enemy: a truly free (in both senses) press spread across the globe. 20,000 viruses are expelled in
environment. Worse, he doesn’t own it. And it doesn’t But, for the most part, it an average cough, which may
matter how many of your sons you elevate to the top ranks appears to be causing less be sufficient to infect many
of the business, that is the model that will survive once the severe illness than had people. Also promote optimal
internet is taken seriously as a news provider. The been anticipated. immune function by eating
revolution is coming, and the publishing magnate is My reason for addressing this plenty of raw fruits and
ill-prepared for the switch. subject is to seize the vegetables along with adding
His counter is that he owns some of the world’s best- opportunity to consider this an immune boosting
known brands. But we already know that the unknown is and other topics like it from a supplement to your day.
no deterrent to internet success. Being a household name different perspective. I am not saying that this
offline does not grant you a map and key to the online French chemist Louis Pasteur Swine Flu or its proposed
treasure chest. once said, “The seed is conventional treatment be
Consider some of the biggest brands on the internet - nothing, the soil is disregarded, but that we think
Google, YouTube, Yahoo!, eBay, Amazon, Facebook - all everything”. What he was a little differently about this
born on the internet, not migrated to it. Twitter gets the implying was that the host, in kind of issue and place a
sort of press even Apple might envy, but a year ago it other words you and me, are greater emphasis on
occupied a niche space in the twin towns of Studentville more important to the disease prevention through living well.
and Tech West. process than the germ is. If this type of approach is of
Dwindling profits have been seen as a late call-to-arms Consider the following interest to you, or you would
for the print industry, which met the scenario. Ten people in a like to find out more about it,
arrival of the internet with a shrug, room are all exposed to a feel free to sign up for our
citing the failure of both radio virus and the result is that five ‘Swine Flu: How should we
and TV to undo its business get sick and five don’t. react?’ presentation at the
model. Now that same industry We then ‘treat’ the sick and Dubai Herbal and Treatment
is waist-deep in quicksand and attempt to learn as much as Centre on Saturday May 23.
can’t find the shovel. we can about the virus and All four TFC consultants will
Murdoch’s announcement that the disease process in order be present to discuss this
he could soon start charging to develop more ‘effective’ hot topic.
for online content is yet drug treatments and
another desperate flail vaccines. Now this is Please note that booking is
from the sand, grasping reasonable, but what do we essential and should be
for a tool handle that typically try to learn about the done via the ‘contact us’
isn’t there. five that don’t get sick? link on the TFC web site
Saddest of all is that The reality is not much at all. www.tfchange.com
there are plenty of I find that odd. Is it not
solutions to the print intuitively obvious that
industries woes, and understanding the details of
Doctor Ryan Penny is a
there will be more. But the five that didn’t get sick
homeopath, weight loss
they are risky strategies might be of equal if not more
and wellness consultant
and rely on catching a value? After all “an ounce of
at the Dubai Herbal
wave of almost entirely prevention is worth a pound
Treatment Centre.
democratic approval. of cure”.
For more information
That’s a frightening What we do know is that
about Doctor Penny’s
prospect for a man who’s good hygiene practices such
Time For Change (TFC)
spent his life fighting a as washing of hands and
wellness programme
very different battle. BE AWARE: Practice active avoidance of the virus
contact 04 336 0455.
‘The current days of the good personal hygiene by not kissing or shaking
Visit www.tfchange.com
internet will soon be over,’ hands when greeting, are at
Murdoch said last week.
But you could hardly hear
him over the noise of a Ask the Doctor
7DAYS HELPS ANSWER YOUR HEALTH QUESTIONS
world that says the days
of his realm will end This week’s question How much sleep do we This essential ‘down time’ we risk reduced performance
much earlier than that.
was answered by
need per night? allows us to recharge both in our daily activities,
Doctor Andrew Devine,
Does your age factor affect our body and mind so that particularly skilled tasks like
Paddy Smith is the
the number of hours of we are in a fit state to tackle driving (taxi drivers) and
at The City Hospital, shut-eye needed? anything that tomorrow concentrating on complex
Editor of Stuff for the
Middle East, a regional
Healthcare City
throws at us. jobs (air traffic control).
On average, each of us The body can cope with As we age our need for sleep
edition of the world’s
needs around eight hours some sleep deprivation, but if may increase or decrease,
biggest selling gadget
Got a medical question?
sleep per night, some people it continues for any length of again it will differ from person
magazine.
Send to letters@7days.ae
less, some more. time without slumber, then to person.
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