June 2024

Health

Newsletter

-Generali China Life

Historical Newsletters

Contents

P8

Sports and Health

Yoga Tips for Beginners

P13

Bone Health

Protect Your Spine Health

P19

Healthy Life Style

Sleep Disorders & Healthy Heart

P3

GCL Telemedicine Service

High-end Medical Insurance

P4

Disease Prevention

Understanding of Cataract

P23

Mental Health

Increase Your Emotional Value

GCL Telemedicine Service

Generali China has collaborated with Teladoc Health to

provide High-End Medical Insurance Members with

Telemedicine service ， which is include \"TALK TO A

DOCTOR\" and “EXPERT MEDICAL OPINION” service. The

Teladoc Health is an global renowned telemedicine service

provider.

No matter where you are, you can communicate with a team

of experienced physicians at the touch of a button from your

phone or other mobile device. Locally licensed & clinically

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Teladoc Health will not disclose private information to any

third party institution or individual without the permission

or authorization of the member.

The hot summer has arrived now and what awareness do

we need to pay attention to in addition to the sun

protection measure? As the most common blinding eye

disease induced blind, cataract is widely known. Data of

WHO shows that cataract accounts for about 33% of all

blind eye diseases. According to the statistics of the

Chinese Medical Association, the incidence of cataract

in people aged among 60 to 89 in China is about 80%.

This June 6 is the National Eye Care Day, here we will talk

about cataract.

Scientific understanding

of cataract

What is cataract?

Cataract is the eye disease caused

by the opacity of the lens of the

eye. The normal lens is clear and

transparent, and when the protein

in the lens becomes denaturated

and cloudy, it prevents the light

from passing through the lens and

light cannot focus on the retina.

Thereby, cataract will occur and

affect your vision. In fact, many

patients have cataract in both

eyes.

Congenital cataract: Some

babies are born with cataract,

and some will develop the

cataract in childhood, usually in

both eyes.

Secondary cataract: It usually

occur as the complication of the

original disease, such as diabetes,

and may also be associated with

application of steroid medicine.

Traumatic cataract: Trauma to

the eye can lead to traumatic

cataracts, typically occurring

years after an accident.

What are the risk factors of

cataract?

Aging、Smoking、Alcoholism、

Diabetes 、 Malnutrition 、

Excessive sunlight (ultraviolet)

exposure、Use of steroid drugs.

What are the symptoms of

cataract?

There is no significant change of

vision in the early stage of

cataract, and as the cataract gets

worse, vision will gradually

deteriorate. Some patients of

cataract also experience

temporary improvements in

myopia, but eventually the vision

loss gets worse.

What are the types of cataract?

Senile cataract: It’s the most

common type of cataract which is

associated with aging. The

prevalence of cataract will increase

significantly in people over 50 years

of age.

Proteins in the lens begin to break

down around age 40. Generally you

will not have apparent

symptoms until reaching the age of

60 or later. Certain conditions, such

as diabetes, may cause the cataract

related symptoms earlier:

? Blurred, cloudy or foggy vision

? Glare or halos around lights

? Reduced night vision

? Double vision

? Visual discoloration

? Increased myopia

? Brighter light is needed for daily

activities like reading

How do I know if I have cataracts?

If you have the cataract-related

symptoms above, your eye doctor

may order the following eye

exams, including:

Vision test: Use an eye chart to

measure your vision

Retinal examination: After the

eyes are dilated with eye drops,

the doctor will examine the retina

afterwards.

Slit-lamp examination: The

ophthalmologist uses a slit-lamp

to inspect the structures of the

front of the eyes.

Other test: such as eye pressure

test and ultrasonography

Health advice for the patients of

cataract unsuitable for surgery?

? Wear sunglasses to reduce glare

when the sunlight is strong

outdoors.

? Use a magnifying glass to help

reading.

? Reading under the circumstance

of stronger light.

? If headlights interfere with vision

or cause glare, try to avoid

driving at night.

? See your eye doctor regularly and

adjust your glasses as needed.

? Actively control and treat

diabetes.

How to treat cataracts?

Surgery is the only effective way

to treat cataracts, especially when

vision loss seriously interferes with

the patient's daily life and work,

surgery needs to be considered.

Surgery is usually performed with

a small incision to remove the

cataract (also known as

phacoemulsification) and

intraocular lens replacement. If

both eyes have cataracts, the

doctor will usually perform

cataract surgery on both eyes

separately.

Can the cataract be prevented?

While aging is inevitable, there are

still some positive steps you can

take to protect your eye health

and slow down the progression of

cataract:

Quit smoking as soon as possible:

Smoking and exposure to

secondhand smoke will increase

the risk of developing cataract.

Healthy diet: The healthy diet rich

in vitamins and minerals can

reduce the risks of cataract, and

some certain fruits and

vegetables have many proven

health benefits, such as citrus,

tomatoes, peppers, kiwi, nuts

Limit alcohol consumption:

Drinking too much alcohol will

increase the risks of cataract.

Avoid excessive UV exposure:

Wear the sunglass or UV

protective glasses during the

outdoor activities.

Treatment for diabetes: Actively

controlling blood sugar level can

help slow down the development

progress of cataract.

Regular eye examination: Regular

eye exams can help detect the

cataract and other eye problems

at an early stage.

Finding A Different

Yourself：

Yoga Tips for Beginners

Yoga is one of the most popular exercises around the world that

combines breathing, exercise and meditation. Since it was developed

from India more than 100 years ago, yoga quickly spread around the

world and has been revered for its numerous physical, mental and

spiritual benefits to the human body.

Studies have shown that yoga can be helpful with stress management,

alleviate depression and anxiety, improve the mood and sleep quality. In

addition, yoga has been shown to increase the flexibility, improve balance

and coordination of body as well as reduce pain, and increase strength. This

June 21st is the International Yoga Day, today let's talk about yoga.

How to get started with Yoga?

Yoga is an inclusive pattern of fitness

that allows you to find the suitable

type of yoga for you, regardless of

your physical condition, age, gender or

physical capability. Here are some tips

for your to get started well:

Understand Yoga: It is very important

to understand the origins, philosophy,

and different types of yoga before

starting to practice. You can read yoga

books or search for information on the

Internet to get a preliminary

understanding of yoga.

Find the right Yoga coach: It is very

important to find an experienced yoga

coach to guide your practice.

Yoga coach can help you understand

yoga postures and breathing properly

and avoid injury.

Start with Yoga Basics: As a beginner,

it is recommended to start with basic

yoga exercises such as yoga asanas,

breathing exercises, and meditation.

Gradually increase the difficulty and

challenge, improve their practice level.

Be consistent: Yoga is a consistent

practice instead of a quick reward.

Keep a certain amount of practice

duration every day, and gradually

improve your yoga level.

Choose the right style of yoga:

There are many styles of yoga, such

as Hatha yoga, Ashtanga Yoga,

Viniassa Yoga, etc. Beginners can

experiment with different styles and

find a practice that works for them.

Hatha yoga: It tends to be suitable

for beginners because of its slower

movements.

Vinyasa, Ashtanga and Power Yoga:

It may be more challenging,

depending on the level of teaching.

Iyengar Yoga: Great attention is paid

to proper alignment and props are

often used to help students perfect

their form.

Precautions in yoga practice:

Dress properly: When practicing

yoga, it is recommended to choose

comfortable and flexible sweatpants

or shorts, as well as close-fitting

tops or consider wearing

comfortable and sweat-wicking yoga

clothes. Shoes are not

recommended when practicing yoga,

as yoga is generally practiced

barefoot. You can also wear yoga

socks to prevent your feet from

slipping.

Kundalini Yoga: It means \"spiritual

energy or life force located at the

base of the spine\". In Kundalini yoga,

practitioners use breathing exercises,

body postures, chanting, and

meditation to release this energy.

Maintain an empty stomach when

practicing yoga: it is recommended

to practice on an empty stomach

when practicing yoga, to make the

body more comfortable and reduce

gastrointestinal discomfort. Being

Fasting can also lead to warm up to

yoga, improve your concentration,

ease your breathing and improve

meditation. In addition, drinking

water is not recommended during

yoga practice. Because drinking too

much water when practicing yoga

can also cause physical discomfort.

It is recommended to drink water

about 20 minutes after you finish

yoga practice.

Regulate breathing: Breathing is

very important during yoga practice.

Pay attention to the depth and

rhythm of the breath and match it

with the postures of the asana to

help relax and focus.

Pay attention to your body: Yoga

practice is a gradual progress, do

not force yourself to complete the

very challenging poses. Taking care

of your body and avoiding injury

are the priorities.

Meditation practice: Meditation is

an important part of yoga practice.

It helps to calm the mind and

improve concentration. Beginners

can try simple meditation exercises

and, as they get deeper, try more

advanced meditation techniques.

Keep practicing: Yoga is the

exercise that requires long-term

commitment. As long as you keep

practicing for a long period, you will

see the significant changes.

Pace yourself: Everyone's body and

receptivity are different, so don't try

too hard to be perfect. Instead,

make it with your own pace and

achieve the improving progress

gradually.

Important tips for yoga beginners?

Generally, beginner yoga classes will start with basic practices of

breathing and postures. These basic practices are very important for

beginners as they are the foundation for achieving a higher level of yoga

practice.

When you master the basic asanas and breathing methods of yoga, you

will feel positive changes in your body and mind. The following tips are

very important for beginners in yoga:

Mastering the correct breathing methods: Breathing is the soul of yoga,

and mastering correct methods of deep breathing and meditation can

help you better manage your emotions and relax your body and mind.

Master basic postures: Basic postures are the basis and prerequisite for

reaching a higher level of yoga.

Try to establish the philosophical mindset of yoga: Yoga is not only one

way of training your body, but also the philosophy of life and spiritual

cultivation. Try to establish the philosophical mindset of yoga to help

you reach the deeper understanding during yoga practice.

This June 16th is the Father's Day. Therefore, the whole month of June

is full of deep love for fathers, and Generali China want to give the

most sincerely blessings and greetings to all fathers. Currently,

cervical spondylosis, lumbar spondylosis and other spinal health

problems are quite common and highly prevalent. In this issue, we

talk to you about how to protect your spine health.

Protect Your Spine Health

Importance of the spine

If we think the head is the first lifeline for the human body, then the spine

is also known as the \"second lifeline of the human body\". The spine, as the

central axis bone of the human body, has multiple functions such as support,

protection and movement. It supports our head, internal organs and limbs,

and protects important structures such as the spinal cord and nerve roots.

At the same time, the spine is also involved in the movement of the body,

allowing us to bend, twist, walk, etc.

How to choose the right pillow

One-third of life is spent in bed,

the height of the pillow has a

direct impact on the cervical spine,

the best pillow should be able to

support the physiological curve of

the cervical spine and keep the

cervical spine straight. Pillow

should have elasticity and stability,

pillow core to heat compression

sponge pillow core is appropriate.

Common spine problems and suggestion

Cervical spondylosis:

How to choose the correct posture

The main cause of cervical

spondylosis is incorrect posture at

work and study. The best working

posture is to keep the neck

straight, slightly leaning forward,

do not twist, tilt; work more than

1 hour, should rest for a

few minutes, do some neck

exercises or massage; should not

head on the bed or sofa armrests

to read books, watch TV.

Looking downward at cell phones and computers for a long time can easily

lead to excessive fatigue of the cervical spine and cause cervical

spondylosis. It manifests itself as neck and shoulder pain, stiffness, hand

numbness, and even affects head rotation.

How to prevent lumbar disc

herniation?

First, pay attention to sitting

posture. Try to maintain an

upright posture, because when

you keep your back upright, the

lumbar spine is loaded with the

least force. For example, when

driving or sitting in the car for a

long time, stretch your spine, try

to avoid bending, so as not to

lead to the lumbar force increase.

It is recommended that you get

up about an hour to move

around, stretch your waist and

do stretching, which can relieve

the fatigue caused by long hours

of bending of the waist.

Secondly, try to avoid repeated

bending, and avoid repeatedly

bending to carry heavy things.

Because in the process of

bending, or bending to move

heavy things, bending leads to

lumbar spine further increase in

force. Therefore, when lifting

weight, you need to squat down

and straighten your back to lift it

and minimize the force on the

lumbar spine.

Herniated lumbar discs

Long-term sedentary, stooping and other bad postures will easily damage

the lumbar intervertebral discs, leading to lumbar intervertebral disc

herniation. It manifests itself in symptoms such as lumbar pain and

radiating pain in the lower limbs.

Caring your spine and stretching

your spine

Maintain the correct posture: When

you are standing, walking or sitting,

you should maintain the chest and

abdomen, back straight posture.

Avoiding prolonged bowing of the

head, stooping and other unhealthy

posture. At the same time, lying down

is also helpful for your lumbar spine

health.

Keep the right weight Obesity will

bring excessive load to the spine, and

at the same time, and the muscle can’t

support the spine due to the relaxation

of the abdominal muscles. Overweight

may cause deformation of the spine.

Choose the right sports Swimming is

an effective sport to strengthen the

strength of the lower back muscles,

which has good effect on cervical

spondylosis and lumbago. Exercises,

such as plank, flying swallow exercise,

five-points exercise, yoga, jogging and

so on, also help to enhance the

strength of the muscles around the

spine and improve the stability of the

spine.

Regular Checkup: Regular spinal

checkup is advised to be conducted to

understand your spine. Once the

abnormalities of spine are detected,

you should seek medical advice in time

to avoid the condition getting worse.

In conclusion, the spine, as an

important pillar of our body, needs to

be cared correctly. We can effectively

prevent spinal disorders and keep our

spine healthy and stable by

maintaining the correct posture,

keeping healthy body weight, having

the regular exercise and checkup.

Generali China will also organize

and provide customized spine

care programs according to the

needs of corporate customers,

please contact your employee

welfare account manager for

details. Let's take care of our

spine and stretch for the healthier

life!

VS SLEEP DISORDERS

VS

HEALTHY HEART

Getting enough sleep (7-9 hours for adults), and restful

sleep, is essential to good heart health. More than 80

different sleep disorders have been identified. The most

common are insomnia, narcolepsy and sleep apnea.

Research has shown they may increase the risk of

cardiovascular disease (CVD) and hurt heart health.

How sleep disorders hurt heart

health？

Poor sleep, often caused by sleep

disorders, contributes to risk factors

for CVD such as:

? Obesity, high blood pressure and

diabetes

? Stress

? Inflammation

? Depression

Insomnia

Insomnia keeps people awake or

sleeping fitfully, leading to daytime

drowsiness and causing memory and

cognitive problems.

About half of people in the U.S.

experience shortterm insomnia.

Chronic insomnia affects 6% to 10%

of the population. People with

insomnia may have:

? 45% higher risk of CVD

? 54% higher risk of stroke within 4

years

Narcolepsy

People with narcolepsy experience

excessive daytime sleepiness and

have trouble regulating their

sleepwake cycles.

Narcolepsy may affect more than

200,000 people in the U.S. They are

at greater risk for:

? High blood pressure

? Heart attack

? Heart failure

? Stroke

Sleep apnea

People with sleep apnea can’t breathe

normally during sleep. The stop-andstart breathing makes it hard to get

enough oxygen and disturbs slumber.

About 30 million people may have

sleep apnea, though far fewer are

diagnosed. Sleep apnea has been

linked to higher rates of:

? High blood pressure

? Stroke

? Coronary artery disease

? Heart failure

What to do now

If you think you have a sleep

disorder, consult with your doctor

promptly. If you’ve been

diagnosed with one, get with

your doctor about how to

address your risk of CVD.

EmotionalValue

Increase Your

Emotional Value

As the value metrics become

broader, emotional value has

gained more attention and

weight. In this article, we are

going to explore the concept

of emotional value and how

we can develop a deeper

understanding of our own

traits in order to increase

our emotional value.

When we talk about emotional value,

we are speaking in the context of

social interaction between people.

Emotional value means one’s ability

to influence or affect someone else’s

emotions in a positive way. To put it

simply, it is about an individual

communicating positive feelings to

another person and bring out

positive emotion of that person

through their interaction.

The Emotional Value

in Relationships

So what can we do to increase our

emotional value? The first step is to

have a good understanding of

ourselves and our dispositional

affect, our strengths and

weaknesses. This will help us better

manage and regulate our emotion.

On this basis, we then are able to

communicate positivity to the people

around us without projecting our

own emotion on to them.

Dispositional affect refers to a

personality trait or overall

tendency to respond to situations

in stable and predictable ways. It

determines how we interpret and

respond to different social

situations. It plays a big part on the

way we experience, regulate and

communicate our emotion.

Dispositional affect has different

dimensions and characteristics,

including but not limited to the

following:

Emotional stability is about an

individual’s emotional response to

stress and challenges. People with

higher level of emotional stability

tend to be able to stay calm and

emotionally stable when

experiencing stress whereas

people with lower level of

emotional stability experience

emotional turmoil more often.

Dispositional Affect

Emotional sensitivity is about an

individual’s sensitivity to emotion.

People who are sensitive to

emotion experience them more

intensely than those who are not

so sensitive. They are also good at

expressing and communicating

their feelings and emotion.

Emotional adaptivity is about an

individual’s ability to regulate and

communicate their emotion

according to the environment they

are in. People with a higher level of

emotional adaptivity are more

capable of manage their own

emotion regardless of the

situations and challenges.

Emotional character traits could be

inherent or develop later in life

influenced by an individual’s

upbringing, experiences, and social

environment, which means that

emotional character traits can be

adjusted and changed.

Once you have gained a good

understanding of your own

emotional character trait, you may

start consciously cultivating a

positive mentality within yourself.

This will help you enhance your

emotional stability and adaptivity,

and increase your emotional

sensitivity so you can bring

emotional value to the people

around you.

Cultivate Positive Mentality

Positive mentality is the mental

state in which an individual is

engaged and enjoys the present

moment. In such a state, the

individual experiences happiness,

satisfaction, content, and comfort,

and views the world through a

positive lens. It is about staying in the

present moment and experiencing

the here and now.

Below is some of the practices that

you may try to cultivate a positive

mentality:

Mindfulness: practice mindfulness

and meditation will help you stay in

the moment and connect with your

senses, and experience here and now.

Practice gratitude: spend a few

minutes a day to be grateful for the

lovely things, people, and

experiences in your life. This will

increase and reinforce the feeling of

positivity and happiness.

Stay positive: try to look at things

through a positive lens in your life.

This will help you regulate the

negative emotion.

Share with others: share your happy

moments with others will enhance

the feeling of happiness and joy and

also help build a positive and closer

connection with others.

Exercise: appropriate amount of

exercise will help your body release

endorphins and other hormones that

increase the feeling of happiness.

Self-care: keep a healthy diet and

routine, maintain quality sleep, and

stay connected with people will all

help regulate emotion and increase

self-positivity.

Hobbies: develop hobbies that you

enjoy and find interesting. This will

help you feel engaged in life and

have fun.

These practices may help you

gradually develop a positive mindset

and better regulate your emotion.

You may then bring your positive

presence to the people round you.

This will help increase happiness in

your relationships.

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