Korean Job Discussion Forums

[sojourner1]

I knew I was feeling strange often in the past 4 months with my body processing food and water at a rate of speed and feeling tense inside with slight internal aches from time to time, particularly on the left side.

I had my blood pressure checked this morning and discovered 148/88 which is hypertension or high blood pressure. The Korean doctor told me there was no problems with my health, because I was only nervous. I know that is not correct. This scares me as I am only 35 and now at high risk for heart problems. Usually people don't get this until they are 55.

I know the weight increase, increased beer drinking, and increased fat from living on fried chicken, samgyeopsal, ramyeon noodles, fatty meats, too much dairy, and the significantly increased salt and chili spice in my diet. I have been eating mostly Korean food outside of fried foods and I know I eat too late at night after beer too often. The anxiety of hagwon teaching is adding to a dangerous lifestyle mix as well with worrying about contract fulfillment on the schools part as well as the office politics placing responsibility on me for the profitability performance of the school. This has been stressful as I didn't understand just want was expected of me, though I didn't suffered any student drops so that says I did a good job. The only drops I had were when a few kids moved away or took international trips.

I am cutting down on salt, alcohol, and dairy products big time starting today. I will have to start refusing to eat salty foods and drinking every night with my Korean friends as this is destroying my livelihood. I will be losing weight while I am at it, too.

I am very sure you can live a healthier lifestyle by making informed choices on diet, drink, rest, weight management, exercise, and type of employment. I don't fully blame Korea as I knew eating fat, fried junk, drinking beer most nights, lacking sleep, and consuming salt are not healthy choices. This is the big number one problem for Americans.

Any tips or facts or your experiences are greatly appreciated. I feel life as an expat is dangerously different in that there are no support groups and proper health care may be unavailable. Dave's is the only support group for foreign English teachers in Korea.

[crusher_of_heads]

Sorry to hear that-when I was sick with intestinal stuff up until 2002, I was a workout freak.


I'd say keep it simple and don't try to correct all your habits at once.


1) Beer-Have 2 on a Saturday night.

2) Hogwan politics-the market is in your favour.

3)-nervous teaching-I was nervous when I started high school teaching-you come first, remember-your students, whether children, adults or 45+ year old xenophobes who shush you like I had on Thursday on the bus to Gimpo know nothing.

4) Personal experience, but you tend not to fret as much over anything when you're grinding away in a 100+ minute high intensity cardio workout-specifically on a rowing machine.

[Bryan]

Eat properly and exercise frequently and your problem will be gone.

So simple it's almost patronizing, isn't it?

You don't need to go on a stupid diet either. More and more we're finding out the best diets include exactly what Mom told us was healthy: Higher vegetable and fruit content, and lean meats rather than fatty cuts. Issues of salt content and other things are only a problem when you're already fat, in which they push you over the edge into high blood pressure. You can have plenty of salt if you're slim and exercising.

And you don't have to do something you hate either. Don't start running if you hate it, because you'll never stick to it. Start playing soccer or a martial art or whatever.

[ella]

Welcome to Korea.

Remember your employer's problems are her or his problems, not yours. Never, ever let them make their problems your problems. Things like profitability and student turnover are not your responsibility as a teacher. Your job is to teach.

They need you far, far more than you need them. You have the advantage. Don't expect them to live up to everything in the contract but pick your battles. Remember you can leave and go back to your own country at any time. A job here is never worth sacrificing your health and - dare I say it? - well-being over.

Vigorous cardio exercise does wonders for reducing stress, both physical and mental. Spend a little time at the beginning and end of each day doing stretching and deep-breathing exercises, that will also help.

[cdninkorea]

I have high blood pressure too and I'm only 25! It runs in my family though and has nothing to do with my lifestyle, diet or exercise habits. I take water pills at a few dollars a month and that brings it down to a good level.

Stress in general though? Here's what I do:
- eat every three or four hours, and make them small, healthy meals. Treat yourself sometimes though too: I have a bit of chocolate a few times a week and a fantastic French-style chocolate croissant once a week. Yum!
- exercise at least every other day. Personally I love exercising, so I'm active for five days of the week.
- strong, healthy relationships. I have some great friends and a great girlfriend.
- find a job you like. Children are cute, but teaching them always stressed me out at least sometimes. I moved to an adult academy and find it much better.

[VanIslander]

I have had a lifetime of low blood pressure, below average, but in the five years I've been in Korea I now have high blood pressure! I somehow shot through the normal range without ever noticing it.

Unlike I do here, back in Canada I ate an apple every day because I loved the fresh varieties locally grown in the Okanagan valley, and I ate tomatoes in a lot of home cooking, with infrequent use of spices. And I exercised more.

[Mr Crowley]

I have the same thing as you. I am 37, and if I need to change my lifestyle. These cold evenings are not helping either.

[Mr Crowley]

If you are getting your bp checked on a electronic meter, they are not as dependable.

[Len8]

Your blood pressure is normal man. My family has high blood pressure, and I have always had it. I manage to keep it down though.

Hypertension is 160/100 not what you've got.

[Ilsanman]

I have great blood pressure, but high cholesterol. It's hereditary, not really my fault. But it has forced me to do something about it regardless.

As far as stress goes, I am much better off than I was. Also, I worked out 2-3 times a week at a gym until recently and I stopped eating Sam gyeop sal altogether. Also alcohol is almost nonexistant in my diet.

I guess I will have high blood pressure sometime in the future. All I can do is put it off for a while.

[Vicissitude]

[huck]

Stop eating Korean food, and cook chicken and vegetables at home...

And eat oatmeal every morning..

[spliff]

My BP is 120/80 sounds like you won't be able to work here again and that's probably a good thing.

[PGF]

the fried foods are killing you.

drinking every night is not bad unless you are consuming more than 5 drinks per night. Less than that and you are helping your blood pressure and cholesterol.

Chillis only help your BP and cholesterol.

Cut out fried foods and do some exercise everyday. If, in three months, your BP is still too high, get on meds.

Eat healthy. Korea has a wide variety of healthy foods to eat. Get a cholesterol check too.

Good luck.

[matthews_world]