I’d like to discuss cyber-bullying. Though I am not an incredibly famous self-published author, I have enjoyed some success with my Amazon publications over the last two years. As an author, I love reading reader reviews, especially ones that provide constructive criticism. I’m not going to lie. Nothing strokes my ego more than reviews along the lines of “Kat, you’re my idol,” “Kat writes the bestest evr omg,” and “Maid for Me is sooo awesome!” Who doesn’t love dedicated fans?

Not everyone is a lover, however. With my publication readily available to the world, I have left myself open to haters. “You write like a stupid second grader,” “You obviously faked your good reviews,” “You suck donkey-balls,” and “You are to blame for childhood illiteracy.”

I’m not making this up. Though negative and bullying reviews sting, I’ve tried to ignore them. Protected by the First Amendment in America and the anonymity of the web, people openly attack others without a second thought. Flaming and trolling against an author is easy especially when sites like Amazon have lax guidelines for reviews. Besides, published authors aren’t people. They should be perfect like robots. Just like celebrities, authors shouldn’t have feelings and should be able to take any heat that burns their way.

Usually, I would agree the customer is always right. But not in this case when authors face inappropriate cyber bullying. Authors are humans too!

Earlier this December, I noticed a defamatory review on Maid for Me’s Amazon page. (See the “amended review” here: http://tinyurl.com/6no8pdd.) The reviewer openly accused me of faking all the good reviews on my ebook. Unable to understand how anyone would support or like my publication, she concluded I either had all my friends review the book or created forty-plus fake accounts to fake my reviews.

After my supporters told her off, she had her defamatory review removed, replacing it with an amended review. Her current review blames authors like me for promoting childhood illiteracy. Right… Review my book please. Don’t preach to me what you don’t practice.

I openly welcome reviewers to offer constructive criticism. I will even overlook rude comments stating I suck as a writer. But when someone falsely accuses me of something as serious as faking reviews, I will not tolerate that. When cyber bullying becomes defamatory and libelous, it crosses a serious line. Defamation is considered a crime in most civil law jurisdictions, especially Great Britain and Israel.  Even when not considered a crime, defamatory reviews could potentially tarnish an author’s reputation.

Readers and reviewers, I encourage you to avoid crossing the line. Before posting a review, consider the following:

o   Is your review about the book’s content or about the author?

o   Did you make a farfetched and/or false claim about the author out of spite?

o   Is your review helpful or hateful?

Authors often write with their hearts. We expose our souls in our writings. We’re happy when we have fans. Sad when we have haters. Angry when we’re defamed.

We are not perfect. Self-published authors usually do not have the luxury of assistance from a team of experienced editors. Still, we do our best. We work extra hard because we’re usually a team of one. When we’re victims of cyber bullying, sometimes we’re patient and silent. But it doesn’t mean we’re not hurting.

We don’t expect everyone to love our work. At the same time, we don’t need to be victims of cyber bullies. Hopefully this post resonates with other authors and reviewers. Spread love, not hate.

Though his column (which cracks me up usually) did not shock me, it makes me believe we’re becoming a spoiled-rotten, lost-cause nation. The petty things that upset us versus the life-events that no longer fazes us, shows me how spoiled our society has become. Joel starts his article with, “I always thought having money would mean not waiting in line. I assumed we would use our money to spend our time doing things we love, like accusing our housecleaners of stealing stuff.” Spoiled much?

The things people cry over feel so ridiculous. Maybe I shouldn’t question why Joel’s wife didn’t shed a tear after her grandmother had died, but to cry over not being able to fork out thousands of dollars a semester for her nose-picking two-year old to go to pre-school (an experience he would never remember or truly gain anything significant from)– COME ON.

Americans seriously need to re-prioritize. Our current generations are already spoiled. In the future, we can look forward to generations of whiny, annoying, and uselessly rotten folks who laugh at funerals and cry when they chip their fingernails.

BUY MY BOOK: Maid for Me

Women have significantly higher risks of developing breast cancer than men. According to the National Cancer Institute, more than 200,000 females developed breast cancer in 2010 in the US, as compared to 1970 males. A little less than 40,000 females died whereas only 390 men died.

Most of the men who develop breast cancer usually have larger breasts than other men.

Breast cancer develops when cancerous cells lump together in the breast, blocking lymphatic flow and can possibly form in the lymph nodes as well.

My theory is that because there is so little daily lymphatic fluid (drainage of toxins that may build up in the large breast tissues), cancer cells have a higher chance of lumping together and forming in the breast (mainly in the ducts and lobules). What exacerbates this may be the wearing of constrictive bras that further limit breast tissue movement, which can hinder lymphatic flow.

A remedy for this situation is to not wear bras when sleeping and when in the house (if the female is comfortable with not wearing a bra at home).

To improve lymphatic flow in the breast, females should be encouraged to touch their breasts more often, especially in the shower, to massage their breasts in circular motions.

Another great massage is to stimulate both the armpits, rubbing the area with lotion in circular motions 7-10 times daily, to facilitate lymphatic flow for the lymph nodes inside the armpits.

Adding to this, is massaging the hip junctions, right by the sides of the groin, also in circular motion to stimulate inguinal lymph nodes.

“Risk factors for breast cancer include older age, certain inherited genetic alterations, hormone therapy, having radiation therapy to the chest, drinking alcohol, and being obese. It may be possible to decrease the risk of breast cancer by getting exercise and maintaining a healthy weight. More information is available through the links on this page.”– The National Cancer Institute.

Please spread the word! Don’t be afraid to touch your own breasts, please!

I was excited to hear about Lady Gaga selling bracelets to support Japan after the recent disasters: the earthquakes, tsunamis, and impending nuclear meltdowns.

The mega star Lady Gaga is selling the bracelets for five dollars. All proceeds will go to Japan’s relief efforts. In addition, the buyer can opt to donate additional money.

It’s a pretty-looking bracelet. So far, in a day or so, her fans have raised over a quarter of a million dollars. I suggest Lady Gaga to tweet about donating to the American Red Cross to her millions of followers. 8 million fans who give a dollar each will amount to eight millions dollars added to the relief efforts.

Still, it’s great how influential people can make helping others fashionable and trendy. Shame on the other influential celebrities who are doing nada so far to help!

Foods that have white sugar, refined carbohydrates, starches. Examples: Cookies, cake, ice cream, soda, processed fruit juices, muffins, bagels, pasta, rice, crackers, etc…
These foods are made up of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates when ingested trigger the body to produce insulin, which in turn triggers the production of fat cells. These fat cells metabolize calories. When the fat cells are used up to expend the calories, the body doesn’t gain weight (or specifically gain fat).

Foods filled with carbohydrates make a person feel full slower than foods complete with fats or proteins. When this is the case, the person has to eat more to feel full. Eating more carbohydrates leads to more insulin in the body and in the end, more fat cells. Overeating carbs will lead to the retention of fat cells in the body. When fat cells get fat, they can become fatter and fatter.

Hence, to put it simply, when you eat a lot of carbohydrates, you can become fat. *unless you’re lucky*

Now, if you eat like a caveman, you can lose fat. You eat proteins and some fats. You feel fuller faster and you’re eating all the right foods. You’re expending all the calories you consume and your fat cells aren’t getting fatter.

Readjusting one’s diet does not mean she should starve herself. She just has to eat the right foods and eat better.

Find out more about weight loss myths, secrets and how to eat like a caveman to lose fat weight in my ebook!

(image :http://www.toonpool.com/cartoons/caveman%20invented%20leftovers_37804)

In the early eighties, my parents came to New York City, driving from Montreal, all the way to Brooklyn by reading a map, passing through Harlem and of course, getting lost along the way until they finally reached their destination: a small rented apartment infested with mice and roaches. I was in the car, a squealing chubby infant, the apple of my mother’s eyes. Her very first child was a beautiful baby with a head full of thick black hair. Everything seemed surreal to my mother. She looked forward to a new, wonderful life ahead of her in oh-so-wonderful America.

America’s roads aren’t gold-paved, my mother realized as her American Dream shattered like a thrown cheap vase. For years, my parents struggled to make a living. My father had recently graduated from college and he earned a little more than $30,000 a year pre-taxation. My mother helped him, toiling through the day as a seamstress an illegal Chinatown factory, then bringing bags filled with cloth back home to sew some more into the midnight hours.

My mother, was naturally cranky. She had to work, take care of me, do the chores at home (catching the mice, etc…) Growing up, I’ve been scolded and barely praised. I wasn’t allowed to go to sleep-overs, speak to boys unless academically necessary (or date until I turned 18, which is great because I never had to deal with teenage pregnancy or worry about STDs), or even hang out with the other kids in our neighborhood (we lived in the ghetto. The “western” girl who lived two houses away from us never graduated college and became a teenage mama). I remember I could recite the entire multiplication table by the age of five in Cantonese. (Nine times nine is 81. Six times five is 30). It’s true, Chinese kids are math whizzes (though I totally failed pre-cal and calculus, so I’m never that stereotypically Chinese after all.)

Truth in Amy Chua’s words: My mother had always been strict to my sister and me. We were expected to bring home good grades (90 and above), we were expected to excel in most subjects, and we weren’t lauded when we won awards or contests (in the fifth grade, I was the Spelling Bee and Story telling champion.) Wanting more praise, I always tried harder and harder in school.

But our mother wasn’t a Hitler-mom like Amy Chua, the exaggerating, hymning tiger. And I’m sure not all Chinese Mothers are like her. For one, my mother loved attending the school plays I was in, even though I was always a pumpkin or a background tree.

My mother allowed us to watch television (television was like a Robo-Nanny. It kept my hyper baby sister quiet and hypnotized in her playpen. It nurtured my creativity. Besides, watching TV was my mother’s only source of relaxation back then.) Thank god she allowed us to use computers, we’d be tech-unsavvy otherwise. My mother never threatened us or spied on us. Of course we would get punished for bad behavior, but we were never interrogated or insulted. (though tonight, my mother just called me a piece of shit, jokingly. She cutely says Sheeet instead of shit.)

My sister and I weren’t privileged enough to attend piano or violin lessons; however, both of us loved to draw and my mother encouraged us to be artistic.

Amy Chua writes, “By contrast, the Chinese believe that the best way to protect their children is by preparing them for the future, letting them see what they’re capable of, and arming them with skills, work habits and inner confidence that no one can ever take away.” True, but too much repression leads to uprisings and resentment. Amy Chua is successful, as are her daughters. I would like to hear her daughters’ thoughts and side of the story. Are they really confident and happy? Do they resent their mother?

And what about Chinese fathers? Are they superior? Usually, they are quieter, like mine. Sometimes, it’s like I’m talking to a wall when I have a “conversation” with my father… but that’s for another discussion. Anyway, congratulations on your bestseller Amy Chua. It’s great to have a prominent Asian-American voice out there. The Asian-American community, of course especially the Chinese, resent you for exaggerating the Hitler-ways of Chinese mothers. And for basically saying Chinese-American children aren’t naturally gifted, they are prisoners of their mothers’ tailored boot-camps, who through constant practice and drilling, develop great skills. (Chinese Americans are a funny bunch. They dislike successful, outspoken Chinese Americans who uglify the Chinese culture for recognition.)

Chinese Mothers are superior in that they cook very well. That’s a truth. My mother is superior. She is the gardener who provides the soil, sun, nutrients and water. She allowed our flowers to bloom naturally, with a little gentle pruning and plucking here and there, but never an uprooting or thunderstorms and pesticides as described by Amy Chua.

A man most world leaders want to see six feet under will soon grace the cover of TIME Magazine as a real-life dark hero. Julian Assange, founder of the now infamous whistleblowing site, Wikileaks.org, leads TIME Magizine’s Person of the Year polls. Arrested on December 7th, 2010 in London, Assange faces charges as a sex offender (possibly rapist). Some argue that the women who have accused him of rape and assault have plotted against him, exploiting his world wide influence and infamy.

Hey, just like TIME, kudos to you. I’m sure your sales for that issue will reach the skies.

Political leaders want Julian Assange’s head. Regular folks like you and I may be fascinated by his acts. Amazed by the shocking amount of classified documents and videos he and his group have been able to release to the world. Some Netizens have compared him to Blomkvist, the popular fictional hero in the Millennium Trilogy by Stieg Larsson. Assange will lead us to a Braver, New World, one where established governments can no longer keep deep, dark secrets from the common people. Big Brother, we’re watching you.

Thanks to Wikileaks.org (currently down but available in many mirror sites across the web) and Assange, we now have access to classified documents, leaked cables, a video of US soldiers killing innocent journalists and civilians in Iraq, and a bevy of other disturbing information otherwise kept secret from the public.

We are already full of disillusionment. The public is aware, with one eye opened and the other shut, that the world is a dark place full of corruption, secrets, cruelty, and unfairness. Our young nation, the United States, still has so much growing and learning to do. We blamed Bush for our failing economy, 9/11/2001 and the troubles in Iraq. Despite how free we are, we will always be oppressed. (TSA, anyone? What about the whole deal last year with hospitals mandating their workers to have flu shots or be forced to stop working?) We will always be kept in the dark about somethings, often shameful things no politician would want exposed.

So should Assange and Wikileaks be lauded for exposing “oppressive regimes?” Our society is too free in some aspects. Privacy issues: Celebrities have no privacy whatsoever. Every now and then, sex tapes are leaked. Careers are destroyed. Remember what had happened to Mel Gibson? Heath Ledger’s body bag made the news. TMZ never leaves the stars alone.

What was leaked by Wikileaks and Assange, however, have a bigger impact on not just one society, but the entire world. Leaders in smaller countries may clean up their acts, fearing revolts from the public when people learn of corruption and the failures of their government.

The impact with America, however, may be a deeper disillusionment, a decrease in morale, and the rise of radicals and anarchists, young people who become extremists, holding rallies and petitions to help free Assange.

Maybe.

Hacking becomes cool. If Assange/Wikileaks can hack into governments (who have hackers of their own), then others can hack into school files, hospital files, and even a household’s files.

Everything that has been revealed thus far by Assange and Wikileaks comes as a great shocker.

But wake up, people. Our government is flawed. Leaders are hypocrites and corrupted. Every one is involved in some sort of a cover up. As a regular, hardworking American though, I’d like to have a tiny bit of pride and love left for my country. I don’t want to be completely disillusioned. I want to believe in the promises Obama has made. I want to believe that my vote counts and that there is good left in our leaders.

Should we idolize Assange? Should he and Wikileaks continue to leak classified information? I think they should stop. They’ve already made enough of an impact to warn world leaders. Stop before there’s more chaos in the world. In nature, even animals have hierarchies and leadership. Look at ants. Look at lions. The public needs to have leaders and needs to have some faith in their government.

Thank you Assange for revealing the faults and darkness in our government. Conspiracies theories are now factual. Now please stop and let our government make amends. Let us have some faith again, so there’s order and peace in the world.

There has to be a happy medium. People like Assange but with some reserve.

the same shoes i had, sprained my ankle and I do not have legs like these

UPDATE: 9/28/11: FTC states: “Reebok to Pay $25 Million in Customer Refunds To Settle FTC Charges of Deceptive Advertising of EasyTone and RunTone Shoes”

Apply here for a refund if you had bought Reebok fitness apparel!

Summary: REEBOK EASY TONES: Nice looking shoes with a lot of unmentioned risks. The advertised benefits of these shoes are not worth the risks, especially for consumers with ankle instability and poor balance, and vestibular problems.

PROs: Sleek looking shoes, stylish. Affordable. Good advertising. Decreased stress on ankle joints. No heel, Achilles tendon pain or inflammation that occurred with other anti-gravity shoes like MBTs or Sketchers Shape Ups.

However…

CONs: Worn July 2010 to October 2010, the bottom of shoes wore out after three months of consistent usage.
Easy to sprain the ankle when wearing these shoes outdoors.

“Balance ball inspired technology with moving air creates micro-instability; toning and strengthening key leg muscles with every step.”—Reebok.com. The balance ball technology does not work as well as advertised because the ball-shaped soles are too hard, with little “bounce”. The “bridge” between the toe ball and the heel ball is too narrow. This narrow middle sole leads to “micro-instability” for the ankle inverters and everters, instead of challenging the dorsiflexors and plantarflexors, which most anti-gravity shoes strive to do. For people with ankle instability, Easy Tones can easily lead to ankle sprains or twisting. Chronic spraining and twisting of ankles may require surgery for the wounded ligaments to heal.

Compare a Sketcher’s Shape Up shoe and a Reebok’s Easy Tone shoe side by side. The Shape Up will rock forward and backward like a boat in water, where as the Easy Tone shoe will wobble side to side.

INJURY: Sustained two ankle inversion sprains of the right foot outdoors, leading to a permanent left knee scar from a fall on cement (late July 2010) and a grade two ankle sprain of right foot, torn ligaments in right foot (Early October 2010).
Over the span of two years, when I wore my MBTs, I had not once sprained my ankle.

NO WEIGHT LOSS:
No anti-gravity shoe should advertise that they can help consumers lose weight. This is a myth.

NO VISIBLE SIGNS OF TONING: My hamstrings were better-defined when I wore my pairs of MBTs.

FINAL GRADE: D-
Do not invest in a pair of Easy Tone Shoes. If you really want to try these shoes, try the Run Tones, which appear more stable because the middle sole is not as narrow as the soles of Easy Tones. These shoes are not recommended for people with ankle instability (people who often sprain or twist their ankles) or for people with bad balance and vestibular (inner ear) problems.

About every shoe company is hopping the bandwagon and mass-producing “anti-gravity” shoes. These shoes should be worn at your own discretion and they should not replace your regular sneakers. Don’t rely on them to lose weight. Chronic usage of these shoes can lead to problems like Achilles tendon inflammation and ankle sprains. All shoe companies should warn their consumers of the risks that come with wearing these shoes.

The first people who should warn women who have had any lymph nodes removed (for biopsies when they have breast cancer) about developing lymphedema are their doctors. Oncologists, nurse practitioners, radiologists and other doctors should be aware of the risks of their patients developing lymphedema in the arm or arms when any amount of lymph nodes are taken out of the armpit. Women with breast cancer who have radiation treatments also run the risk of having their lymph nodes damaged.

Lymphedema is a chronic type of swelling that isn’t fatal. But once a woman develops Stage II to Stage III and IV lymphedema, she can not be cured of the disease, only treated, and treatments require lifelong maintenance.

Once a woman who has breast cancer and had lymph nodes removed, she should be informed immediately about lymphedema risks, safety factors and prevention. Unfortunately, most specialists and doctors fail to even mention lymphedema to their patients with breast cancer. Most doctors know very little about lymphedema since the lymphatic system is one of the least studied systems in the body.

Now why should all airlines inform their patrons about lymphedema? Once in the air, the cabin pressure is low. People who run the risk of developing lymphedema may easily develop chronic swelling in their arms (or other limbs, depending on which lymph nodes or lymph vessels are affected) once in air. Most of my patients are women who develop lymphedema after they board airplanes without wearing compression sleeves and gloves/gauntlets. These women had had lymph nodes removed from their armpits for biopsies to rule out cancer in their nodes. They are breast cancer survivors.

As a rule of thumb, according to the National Lymphedema Network, anyone who has had any amount of lymph nodes removed, regardless of whether or not she has visible swelling, should wear compression garments when boarding a plane. Compression garments provide an external pressure that prevents lymph fluid from pooling in the skin, which leads to lymph swelling, otherwise known as lymphedema. For a woman who has had right armpit lymph nodes removed, she should wear a compression sleeve and a compression gauntlet or glove, pressure gradient of 20-30 mmhg. The garments should fit snugly but feel like second skin, so there shouldn’t be any bunching, wrinkles, or any tourniquet areas (too tight). For the legs, compression garments should have a starting pressure of 30-40 mmhg.

If a doctor can prescribe the compression garments, most surgical supply stores can fill the order and charge a patient’s insurance. With our health advances, it’s a shame so many women have to live with chronic lymphedema after they have combated breast cancer. I believe it’s not just the responsibility of health professionals to warn their patients about lymphedema prevention and safety factors. All airlines should do the same, because a majority of the cases of women developing lymphedema in the United States occurs after breast cancer survivors board airplanes without wearing the appropriate compression garments.

I am also surprised planes don’t warn people about DVTs (deep vein thrombosis) and risk reduction by just wearing compression stockings. I wonder if airlines are liable, should patrons die from developing DVTs and subsequently PEs, pulmonary embolisms, from prolonged plane rides. Or if women develop chronic lymphedema from the low cabin pressure. Hopefully, more health professionals and women become aware of lymphedema risks and prevention.

Kat Lieu, Doctor of Physical Therapy, Certified Lymphedema Therapist.

As an MBT fan for two years, it’s blasphemous for me to even consider switching to another “anti-gravity” tone-up shoe. My mom bought a pair of Champions sports shoes and Sketchers that is similar to the MBTs. According to her, the Sketchers isn’t as effective as the MBTs and I agree with her.

When I wore the MBTs, I had no ankle pain and my hamstrings were sculpted like marble legs– amazing. However, my calves also grew thicker thanks to the ankle pumping action increased with the plantarflexion my gastrocnemius and soleus muscles were constantly performing. In layman’s terminology: plantarflexion, pointing the toes down. With a rocker-bottom shoe like MBTs, Sketchers Shape Ups, your feet are constantly rocking back and forth.

I developed some sudden pain recently in the back of my left heel, having developed an extra talus bone. The MBTs and the constant rocking of my feet irritated the Achilles Tendon, leading to inflammation and more pain. Thus, if I continued to wear my MBTs, I would have chronic pain and inflammation. So I had to retire my favorite pair of shoes. Went through three jobs in a year with the same pair of shoes!

So I decided to give Easy Tones by Reebok a try. They are nice and slim, lighter, and more fashionable than the other rocker bottoms. Plus, technically, it’s not a rocker bottom without the soft, raised heel.

Problems with the shoe arose immediately. First of all, the sole is too narrow. For people with weak ankles, (inversion and eversion muscles) it’s very easy for them to twist or sprain their ankles while wearing these shoes. Happened to me about three weeks ago. I tripped and sprained my right ankle, leading to a fall on my left knee and a MRSA/Tetanus scare. But that’s another story.

I’ve worn my Easy Tones religiously for at least a month or two now. Have I noticed any weight loss changes? No. But I am dieting and exercising more and it’s been hot. So of course I’m losing some water and sweat weight.

But anyway, my heel hasn’t been hurting. My ankles don’t hurt. My calves don’t feel sore or tired. So are these shoes affective?

Let me just tell you this– shoes can not replace eating well and exercising. So they may help a little, but don’t be lazy, get out there, be active and eat well. Don’t depend on shoes because these shoes have more of a placebo affect on you than true long term affects.

Will I still wear them though? Sure, why not. After the ankle sprain, I have been rehabilitating myself to make sure my ankle isn’t as weak anymore!

Okay, until next time, hope this shoe review helps you!

~The Lady Shoe Expert, DPT/CLT Kat Lieu