Wise Answers to Old Wives' Tales

WebMD Feature from "Prevention" Magazine

Experts reveal the truth behind the most popular (and persistent) health rumors stressing you out

Does reading in low light really hurt your eyes? How about sitting too close to the TV? (No, and no.) Why are you better off drinking exactly eight glasses of water per day? (You're not.) Thanks to quack culture, the Internet, and well-intentioned but poorly informed relatives, it's become harder than ever to separate fact from fiction. Whatever its origin, misleading health information can cause unnecessary anxiety and distract you from wellness habits that truly deserve your energy and attention. Here's a dissection of six watercooler myths that will give you all the authority you need to refute your brother's latest forwarded e-mails.

CELL PHONES are dangerous to use in hospitals because they can interfere with medical equipment.

Verdict: JURY'S OUT. There's a chance that a cell phone call in the wrong spot can cause ventilators, syringe pumps, or even pacemakers to pulse incorrectly, according to a 2007 Dutch study. The researchers tested modern cell phones, including PDAs that use wireless Internet signals. After placing the phones just a few centimeters from devices, researchers found that 43% of the phones caused electromagnetic interference with critical care equipment--and a third of those instances could be potentially life-threatening to patients. But those findings countered a Mayo Clinic study a year prior that found no instances of "clinically important" interference between cell phones and medical machines. In fact, Mayo researchers advised hospitals to revise or drop their cell phone bans.

Bottom Line: Play it safe for now: Use a designated cell phone area at the hospital, which most now offer--or use a call as an excuse for a walk-and-talk outside for some fresh air and exercise. If you feel compelled to stay by a relative's side in the ER or recovery room, make sure to carry a good old-fashioned calling card to use at a pay phone.

IT'S SAFE to follow "the 5-second rule" for food dropped on the floor.

Verdict: FICTION. It's probably not even safe to follow a 1-second rule: The transfer of bacteria from a contaminated surface to food is almost instantaneous--or, at the very least, quicker than your reflexes. In a recent study, Clemson University food scientist Paul Dawson, PhD, and students contaminated several surfaces (ceramic tile, wood flooring, and carpet) with Salmonella. They then dropped pieces of bologna and slices of bread on the surfaces for as little as 5 seconds and as long as 60 seconds. After just 5 seconds, both food types had already picked up as many as 1,800 bacteria (more bad bugs adhered to the moisture-rich bologna than the bread); after a full minute, it was up to 10 times that amount.

Bottom Line: There are 76 million cases of foodborne illness annually in the United States, according to the CDC--so unless you're the only family on the block that sterilizes their floors on an hourly basis, you should refrain from eating dropped food. "Let's not forget what comes into contact with floors--people bring animal feces on their shoes into their homes," Dawson says. And don't assume that countertops are clean. Dawson's team also found that the Salmonella actually survived as long as 4 weeks on the test surfaces. As the recent tomato-related illnesses nationwide showed, "raw fruits and vegetables are as frequently the perpetrators of Salmonella transfer as poultry," Dawson says.

CRACKING your knuckles can cause arthritis.

Verdict: FICTION. If you're suffering from osteoarthritis in your hands, it certainly has nothing to do with this nervous tic. One study at the former Mount Carmel Mercy Hospital in Detroit compared 74 people (age 45 and older) who had been chronic knuckle crackers for decades with 226 who always left their hands alone; researchers found no difference in the incidence of osteoarthritis between the two groups. But there are reasons to stop this annoying habit: The same study found knuckle crackers to be far more likely to have weaker grip strength and greater hand swelling, both of which can limit dexterity. As for osteoarthritis, that's more likely due to genetics and increasing age.

Bottom Line: Try turning your nervous energy into a less harmful habit that occupies your hands (such as doodling). If a different activity doesn't get you to stop, try putting a large rubber band around your wrist and every time you catch yourself cracking your knuckles, pull it back and let it snap as a reminder that your habit really can be harmful. Most important, get to the bottom of what's causing your nervousness in the first place--you may crack your knuckles more often at work than at home, for example--and address those sources directly.

COLA-TYPE soft drinks can damage your kidneys.

Verdict: FACT. Despite their global popularity, there's nothing remotely healthy about cola beverages: Drinking 16 ounces or more daily (whether diet or regular) doubles your risk of chronic kidney disease, according to a recent NIH study of more than 900 people. The researchers already knew that consuming any type of soft drink--the average American adult guzzles 59 gallons' worth per year--is associated with several risk factors for kidney disease (hypertension, diabetes, and kidney stones), but the spike in the cola category was remarkable. Experts suspect that the ingredient phosphoric acid may be the culprit; it's been repeatedly linked to "urinary changes that promote kidney stones," say the study authors. Cola has an additional knock against it: Consumption is associated with significantly lower bone density in women, increasing the risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures, says a separate study.

Bottom Line: If you're going to indulge in an occasional soda, go for Sprite, 7-Up, ginger ale, and the like--the NIH study found that noncola drinks didn't have the same impact on the kidneys. But you'll be better off if you skip soda altogether, even the sugar-free varieties: Recent research showed an association between drinking diet soda and weight gain.

"DOUBLE-DIPPING" spreads germs from one chip to another.

Verdict: FACT. In a classic episode of Seinfeld, a partygoer accused George Costanza of spreading germs by "double-dipping"--swiping a chip into a bowl of dip, taking a bite, and then dipping the same chip again. Having settled the 5-second rule debate, Clemson University's Dawson decided to do the same recently with this alleged party faux pas. It turns out that George really was contaminating the other guests: Using Wheat Thins and various dips, Dawson found that a double-dip deposited thousands of saliva bacteria into the dip--and of those, 50 to 100 were later transferred through the dip to a clean cracker, presumably destined for another guest's mouth. Still unknown, however, is how long such bacteria can survive in the dip or if they can actually infect another dipper upon ingestion.

Bottom Line: You'd better be pretty comfy with your party guests. "Eating from a dip after someone has dipped twice is basically the same as kissing that person," Dawson says. Be especially wary of thin dips; the study found that the lower the dip's viscosity, the higher the rate of germ transfer from a double dip. For example, a chip's second plunge into a cheese dip is less cause for concern than a watery salsa--thicker dips apparently don't allow errant bacteria to travel as far as thinner varieties. Finally, think twice about digging into any dip at the end of the night; remnants on the sides or bottom of a bowl are most likely a highly concentrated mash of germs, Dawson says, akin to the last sip in a can of soda.

EATING locally produced honey can ease seasonal allergies.

Verdict: JURY'S OUT. The theory seems sound: Bees in your neighborhood feed on the same pollen that gives you itchy eyes and a runny nose. That pollen gets added to the hive's honey, and ingesting it helps you build a tolerance to those allergens--or so the thinking goes. But does this really work? "We don't know--there are no studies to support it, only testimonials," says Leonard Bielory, MD, director of the Asthma and Allergy Research Center at New Jersey Medical School. Of course, the same process could produce negative effects--bees may visit problem plants, such as poison ivy, and cause a rash in people ingesting the ivy-tainted honey. Yet anecdotal reports claim just the opposite: Some honey lovers insist that the sweetener has helped build an immunity to such reactions.

Bottom Line: Keep standard allergy remedies on hand, but feel free to enjoy local honey, too--it's a worthy replacement for other sweeteners and even has natural antibiotic properties.

Brain Power

A friend showed me a short video on mind telepathy yesterday and it was quite interesting. I tried it with my landlord and his family members and amazingly they all have the same result.
Try it and see what you get. Have fun.

Cancer-Fighting Foods

Found the following article on Prevention website. It's about cancer-fighting foods and how these foods helped the writer Dr. David Servan-Schreiber (a cancer-patient) live a longer and healthier life.


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How I fought my diagnosis
I was diagnosed with brain cancer about 16 years ago. I received chemotherapy and went into remission, but the cancer came back and I endured two surgeries and 13 months of chemotherapy. I asked my oncologist if I ought to change my diet to avoid another recurrence. His answer was perfectly stereotypical: "Eat what you like. It won't make much difference."

He was wrong.

The extensive research published in the last decade alone proves that what you eat can have a profound effect on your protection against cancer. But my doctor's answer was hardly surprising. It's a little-known fact that nutrition is barely taught in med schools, where the solution to most problems is a drug. And doctors don't trust patients to make lifestyle changes. I recall a conversation with a fellow physician at a conference after I spoke on the importance of a healthy diet in fighting disease. "You may be right, David, but people don't want to change," he said. "They just want to take a pill and forget about it." I don't know whether he's right, but after all the study I've done, I know it isn't true for me.


Discovering cancer-fighting foods


I spent months researching the healing powers of food before I fully grasped my own natural cancer-fighting potential. I met with a variety of researchers, scoured medical databases, and combed scientific publications. I traveled all over the world and consulted experts from nearly every continent.

In my quest, I discovered that the list of anticancer foods is actually quite long. Some foods block natural bodily processes such as inflammation that fuels cancer growth. Others force cancer cells to die through a process that specialists call apoptosis. Still other foods assist the body in detoxifying cancer-causing toxins or protecting against free radicals. But most of them attack the disease on a variety of fronts. And they do it every day, three times a day, without provoking any side effects. To avoid the disease, it's essential to take advantage of this natural protection, and nurture it.

I've learned that the anticancer diet is the exact opposite of the typical American meal: mostly colorful vegetables and legumes, plus unsaturated fats (olive, canola, or flaxseed oils), garlic, herbs, and spices. Meat and eggs are optional. Through extensive research, I devised a list of the most promising cancer fighters, along with recommendations on how to make the most of their potential. Include at least one, and preferably two, at every meal, to maximize your protection.

Anticancer Diet
Disease-proof your life


I've learned that the anticancer diet is the exact opposite of the typical American meal: mostly colorful vegetables and legumes, plus unsaturated fats (olive, canola, or flaxseed oils), garlic, herbs, and spices. Meat and eggs are optional. Through extensive research, I devised a list of the most promising cancer fighters, along with recommendations on how to make the most of their potential. Include at least one, and preferably two, at every meal, to maximize your protection.

A Health-Boosting Beverage
Best drinks for bettering your body
Green tea is rich in compounds called polyphenols, including catechins (and particularly EGCG), which reduce the growth of new blood vessels that feed tumors. It's also a powerful antioxidant and detoxifier (activating enzymes in the liver that eliminate toxins from the body), and it encourages cancer cell death. In the laboratory, it has even been shown to increase the effect of radiation on cancer cells.

Japanese green tea (sencha, gyokuro, matcha, etc.) contains more EGCG than common varieties of Chinese green tea, making it the most potent source on the market; look in Asian groceries and tea shops. Black and oolong teas, commonly used to produce popular tea blends such as Earl Grey, are less effective because they've been fermented, which destroys a large proportion of their polyphenols. Decaffeinated green teas, which retain the polyphenols despite the process of decaffeination, are also an option if you're sensitive to caffeine.

How to Drink It: Sip 2 to 3 cups a day within an hour of brewing. Green tea must be steeped for at least 5 to 8 minutes--ideally 10--to release its catechins, but it loses its beneficial polyphenols after an hour or two.

Pomegranate Juice


This juice, which tastes like raspberries, has been used in Persian medicine for thousands of years. Its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties are well confirmed; studies show it can substantially reduce the development of even the most aggressive prostate cancers (among others). In addition, drinking it daily slows the spread of an established prostate cancer by more than 50%.

How to Drink It: Have 8 ounces daily with breakfast.

Two Tumor-Tackling Spices
Season liberally for anti-inflammatory benefits


Fresh ginger, or gingerroot, is a powerful anti-inflammatory that combats certain cancer cells and helps slow tumor growth. A ginger infusion can also alleviate nausea from chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

How to Use It: Add grated fresh ginger to a vegetable stir-fry or fruit salad. Or, make an infusion by slicing a 1-inch piece of ginger and steeping it in boiling water for 10 to 15 minutes; drink hot or cold.

Turmeric
Found in curry powder, this spice is the most powerful natural anti-inflammatory available today. It encourages cancer cell death, inhibits tumor growth, and even enhances the effectiveness of chemotherapy. Some research shows that turmeric is most effective in humans when it's mixed with black pepper and dissolved in oil (olive or canola, preferably). In store-bought curry mixes, turmeric represents only 20% of the total, so it's better to obtain ground turmeric directly from a spice shop.

How to Use It: Mix a teaspoon of turmeric powder with a teaspoon of olive oil and a generous pinch of ground black pepper and add to vegetables, soups, and salad dressings. Use a tablespoon if you already have cancer.

Vital Veggies
Stock a cancer-fighting shopping cart


Brussels sprouts, bok choy, Chinese cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower all contain sulforaphane and indole-3-carbinols (I3Cs), two potent anticancer molecules. These molecules help the body detoxify certain carcinogenic substances and can help prevent precancerous cells from developing into malignant tumors. They also promote the suicide of cancer cells and block tumor growth.

How to Prepare Them: Cover and steam briefly or stir-fry rapidly with a little olive oil. Avoid boiling cabbage and broccoli, which destroys their cancer-fighting compounds.

Garlic, Onions, Leeks, Shallots, Chives
The sulfur compounds found in this group (the alliaceous family) promote the death of colon, breast, lung, and prostate cancer cells. Epidemiological studies also suggest a lower risk of kidney and prostate cancer in people who consume the most garlic.

How to Eat Them: The active compounds in garlic are released when you crush the clove, and they're much more easily absorbed if they're combined with a small amount of oil. Sauté chopped garlic and onions in a little olive oil, mix with steamed or stir-fried vegetables, and toss with black pepper and turmeric. They can also be consumed raw, mixed in salads, or layered on sandwiches.

Proteins for a Better Prognosis
Sub out chicken and meat to prevent disease


Compounds called isoflavones (including genistein, daidzein, and glycitein) prevent tumor growth and block the stimulation of cancer cells by sex hormones (such as estrogens and testosterone). There are significantly fewer breast cancer cases among Asian women who have eaten soy since adolescence, and when they do have breast cancer, their tumors are usually less aggressive with higher survival rates. Isoflavone supplements (in pill form) have been associated with an aggravation of certain breast cancers, but whole soy, eaten as food, has not.

How to Eat It: Replace conventional milk products with soy milk or soy yogurts for breakfast. Also, use tofu, tempeh, and miso in soups and stir-fries.

Fatty Fish
The risk of several cancers is significantly lower in people who eat fish at least twice a week. Several studies discovered that the anti-inflammatory long-chain omega-3s found in fatty fish (or in high-quality purified fish-oil supplements) can help slow cancer cell growth in a large number of tumors (lung, breast, colon, prostate, kidney, etc.).

How to Eat It: Have a seafood-based meal two or three times a week. Choose small fish, such as anchovies, small mackerel, and sardines (including canned sardines, provided they are preserved in olive oil and not in sunflower oil, which is too rich in pro-inflammatory omega-6 fats). Small fish contain fewer environmental toxins such as PCBs and mercury. Wild salmon is also a good source of omega-3 fats, and the level of contamination is still acceptable. Choose fresh over frozen whenever possible, because omega-3 content degrades over time.

Disease-Fighting Fruits
Fresh and frozen varieties provide year-round protection


Oranges, tangerines, lemons, and grapefruit contain anti-inflammatory compounds called flavonoids that stimulate the detoxification of carcinogens by the liver. Certain flavonoids in the skin of tangerines--tangeritin and nobiletin--can also help promote the death of brain cancer cells.

How to Eat It: Sprinkle grated citrus zest (from organic fruits) into salad dressings or breakfast cereals, or steep in tea or hot water. Eat whole fruits out of hand, toss with other fruits in a salad, or use in a salsa to season grilled fish.

Berries
Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, and cranberries contain ellagic acid and a large number of polyphenols, which inhibit tumor growth. Two polyphenols found in berries, anthocyanidins and proantho­cyanidins, promote cancer cell death.

How to Eat Them: At breakfast, mix fruit with soy milk and multigrain cereals. (The best cereal options combine oats, bran, flaxseed, rye, barley, spelt, and so on.) Frozen berries are just as potent as fresh.

Cure It with Dessert
Enjoy antioxidant-rich dark chocolate


Chocolates containing over 70% cocoa provide a number of antioxidants, proanthocyanidins, and many polyphenols. In fact, a square of dark chocolate contains twice as many as a glass of red wine and almost as many as a cup of green tea properly steeped. These molecules slow the growth of cancer cells and limit the blood vessels that feed them.

How to Eat It: Enjoy about one-fifth of a dark chocolate bar a day guilt free. Milk chocolate isn't a good alternative because dairy cancels out the cancer protection of the polyphenol compounds.

To date, there is no alternative approach that can cure cancer, and I believe that the best of conventional medicine--surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, and soon, molecular genetics--must be used to treat this disease. But to neglect your own natural cancer-fighting capacity is folly. I've kept cancer at bay for 8 years now, and I attribute my survival largely to the changes I've made in my diet and lifestyle. I exercise and meditate more and eat wholesome anticancer foods on a daily basis. Still, the medical establishment is slow to embrace this approach. After my last screening at the university's cancer center, I stopped at the cafeteria and discovered eight different types of tea: Darjeeling, Earl Grey, chamomile, and several fruit-flavored herbal teas. Sadly, there was not a single packet of green tea in the lot.

10 Surprising Health Benefits of Sex

An interesting piece of article I came across recently in WedMD.

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The health benefits of sex extend well beyond the bedroom. Turns out sex is good for you in ways you may never have imagined.

When you're in the mood, it's a sure bet that the last thing on your mind is boosting your immune system or maintaining a healthy weight. Yet good sex offers those health benefits and more.

That's a surprise to many people, says Joy Davidson, PhD, a New York psychologist and sex therapist. "Of course, sex is everywhere in the media," she says. "But the idea that we are vital, sexual creatures is still looked at in some cases with disgust or in other cases a bit of embarrassment. So to really take a look at how our sexuality adds to our life and enhances our life and our health, both physical and psychological, is eye-opening for many people."

Sex does a body good in a number of ways, according to Davidson and other experts. The benefits aren't just anecdotal or hearsay -- each of these 10 health benefits of sex is backed by scientific scrutiny.

Among the benefits of healthy loving in a relationship:

1. Sex Relieves Stress
A big health benefit of sex is lower blood pressure and overall stress reduction, according to researchers from Scotland who reported their findings in the journal Biological Psychology. They studied 24 women and 22 men who kept records of their sexual activity. Then the researchers subjected them to stressful situations -- such as speaking in public and doing verbal arithmetic -- and noted their blood pressure response to stress.

Those who had intercourse had better responses to stress than those who engaged in other sexual behaviors or abstained.

Another study published in the same journal found that frequent intercourse was associated with lower diastolic blood pressure in cohabiting participants. Yet other research found a link between partner hugs and lower blood pressure in women.

2. Sex Boosts Immunity
Good sexual health may mean better physical health. Having sex once or twice a week has been linked with higher levels of an antibody called immunoglobulin A or IgA, which can protect you from getting colds and other infections. Scientists at Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., took samples of saliva, which contain IgA, from 112 college students who reported the frequency of sex they had.

Those in the "frequent" group -- once or twice a week -- had higher levels of IgA than those in the other three groups -- who reported being abstinent, having sex less than once a week, or having it very often, three or more times weekly.

3. Sex Burns Calories
Thirty minutes of sex burns 85 calories or more. It may not sound like much, but it adds up: 42 half-hour sessions will burn 3,570 calories, more than enough to lose a pound. Doubling up, you could drop that pound in 21 hour-long sessions.

"Sex is a great mode of exercise," says Patti Britton, PhD, a Los Angeles sexologist and president of the American Association of Sexuality Educators and Therapists. It takes work, from both a physical and psychological perspective, to do it well, she says.

4. Sex Improves Cardiovascular Health
While some older folks may worry that the efforts expended during sex could cause a stroke, that's not so, according to researchers from England. In a study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, scientists found frequency of sex was not associated with stroke in the 914 men they followed for 20 years.

And the heart health benefits of sex don't end there. The researchers also found that having sex twice or more a week reduced the risk of fatal heart attack by half for the men, compared with those who had sex less than once a month.

5. Sex Boosts Self-Esteem
Boosting self-esteem was one of 237 reasons people have sex, collected by University of Texas researchers and published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior.

That finding makes sense to Gina Ogden, PhD, a sex therapist and marriage and family therapist in Cambridge, Mass., although she finds that those who already have self-esteem say they sometimes have sex to feel even better. "One of the reasons people say they have sex is to feel good about themselves," she tells WebMD. "Great sex begins with self-esteem, and it raises it. If the sex is loving, connected, and what you want, it raises it."

6. Sex Improves Intimacy
Having sex and orgasms increases levels of the hormone oxytocin, the so-called love hormone, which helps us bond and build trust. Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh and the University of North Carolina evaluated 59 premenopausal women before and after warm contact with their husbands and partners ending with hugs. They found that the more contact, the higher the oxytocin levels.

"Oxytocin allows us to feel the urge to nurture and to bond," Britton says.

Higher oxytocin has also been linked with a feeling of generosity. So if you're feeling suddenly more generous toward your partner than usual, credit the love hormone.

7. Sex Reduces Pain
As the hormone oxytocin surges, endorphins increase, and pain declines. So if your headache, arthritis pain, or PMS symptoms seem to improve after sex, you can thank those higher oxytocin levels.

In a study published in the Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine, 48 volunteers who inhaled oxytocin vapor and then had their fingers pricked lowered their pain threshold by more than half.

8. Sex Reduces Prostate Cancer Risk
Frequent ejaculations, especially in 20-something men, may reduce the risk of prostate cancer later in life, Australian researchers reported in the British Journal of Urology International. When they followed men diagnosed with prostate cancer and those without, they found no association of prostate cancer with the number of sexual partners as the men reached their 30s, 40s, and 50s.

But they found men who had five or more ejaculations weekly while in their 20s reduced their risk of getting prostate cancer later by a third.

Another study, reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that frequent ejaculations, 21 or more a month, were linked to lower prostate cancer risk in older men, as well, compared with less frequent ejaculations of four to seven monthly.

9. Sex Strengthens Pelvic Floor Muscles
For women, doing a few pelvic floor muscle exercises known as Kegels during sex offers a couple of benefits. You will enjoy more pleasure, and you'll also strengthen the area and help to minimize the risk of incontinence later in life.

To do a basic Kegel exercise, tighten the muscles of your pelvic floor, as if you're trying to stop the flow of urine. Count to three, then release.

10. Sex Helps You Sleep Better
The oxytocin released during orgasm also promotes sleep, according to research.

And getting enough sleep has been linked with a host of other good things, such as maintaining a healthy weight and blood pressure. Something to think about, especially if you've been wondering why your guy can be active one minute and snoring the next.

Cholesterol: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

I am getting very health conscious these days after my recent medical checkup. I will publish more information on health issues gathered from internet, magazines, newspapers etc. Today’s health topic is still on Cholesterol.

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For decades, news stories and TV ads have hammered it into our heads: Cholesterol is bad for you. (Got the message yet?)

High cholesterol levels lead to clogged arteries in a process called atherosclerosis. Lowering cholesterol lowers the risk of diseases caused by atherosclerosis, like heart attacks and strokes.

What makes cholesterol so bad for your arteries? And isn't there a "good" cholesterol? How does treating high cholesterol help?

In cholesterol and atherosclerosis, there are good guys and bad guys:

"Bad" cholesterol, also called low-density lipoprotein (LDL), has chemical properties that can damage arteries. Damaged areas allow more LDL to penetrate artery walls. The LDL gets stuck and accumulates in the artery's wall.

(Warning: chemistry lesson ahead!) Inside the artery wall, free radicals transform LDL from something bad to something worse: oxidized LDL. The cholesterol chemical spill attracts white blood cells and other cells to try to clean up the mess. The cells chew up and digest oxidized LDL.

Once begun, this whole process tends to continue. Over years, the deposit of "bad" cholesterol, cells, and debris grows larger, and it's called a plaque.

"Good" cholesterol, known as high-density lipoprotein (HDL), is the yin to LDL's yang. HDL is on your side: it circulates through your body, acting like a cholesterol magnet. HDL diverts and delivers cholesterol away from your arteries. Much of the cholesterol is either eliminated from the body, delivered to tissues such as the liver, or used to make hormones.

As cholesterol plaques form and grow inside arteries, they eventually can begin to block off blood flow. Here's where atherosclerosis gets ugly.

The LDL-rich center of the plaque can be stable, meaning it grows in a slow, controlled way. The plaque may eventually cause symptoms, but generally speaking, the body adapts. These blockages seldom cause heart attacks.

Plaques can instead be unstable. Remember the cells inside the plaque, digesting all the LDL? As they work, these cells release enzymes that dissolve some of the biological "duct tape" (collagen) holding the plaque together.

Unstable plaques are prone to tearing. If they rupture, they release material that causes a blood clot to form inside the artery. Within minutes, blood flow is cut off. The result: a heart attack or stroke.

Cholesterol Treatment: Down With the Bad, Up With the Good
The link between cholesterol and atherosclerosis led to treatments to improve cholesterol levels. Numerous medications, and changes in lifestyle, can improve cholesterol and reduce atherosclerosis.

Exercise with or without weight loss increases "good" HDL cholesterol and reduces the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

A diet high in fiber and reduced fats can lower "bad" LDL cholesterol. Plant-derived stanols used as fat substitutes also help lower cholesterol.

Statins are the most-often prescribed medicines for high cholesterol. Statins can dramatically lower "bad" LDL cholesterol, by up to 60% or more. They can also increase HDL modestly. In studies, statins reduce the rates of heart attacks, strokes, and death from atherosclerosis.

Prevention
Adoption of a healthier lifestyle, including aerobic exercise and a low-fat diet, should reduce the prevalence of obesity, high cholesterol, and, ultimately, the risk of coronary heart disease.

First, see your doctor. A simple blood test checks for high cholesterol. You may be asked to fast overnight before the test. Just knowing your total cholesterol level isn't enough. A complete lipid profile measures your LDL, total cholesterol, HDL (the good cholesterol), and triglycerides. The guidelines say healthy adults should have this analysis every 5 years.

Strive for daily intake of less than 7% of your calories from saturated fat and less than 200 mg of cholesterol from the food you eat.

You may eat up to 30% of your calories from total fat, but most should be from unsaturated fat, which doesn't raise cholesterol levels.

Add more soluble fiber (found in cereal grains, beans, peas, and many fruits and vegetables) and foods that contain plant stanols and sterols (included in certain margarines and salad dressings) to boost your LDL-lowering power. The best way to know what's in the foods you eat is to read the nutrition label.

Lower cholesterol levels start at the grocery store. Read food labels, and buy foods low in saturated fat and low in cholesterol. To help you know what to look for when grocery shopping, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute has a partial shopping list for you.

* Breads - Whole wheat, rye, pumpernickel, or white
* Soft tortillas - Corn or whole wheat
* Hot and cold cereals - Except granola or muesli
* Rice - White, brown, wild, basmati, or jasmine
* Grains - Bulgur, couscous, quinoa, barley, hominy, or millet
* Fruits - Any fresh, canned, dried, or frozen without added sugar
* Vegetables - Any fresh, frozen, or (low-salt) canned without cream or cheese sauce
* Fresh or frozen juices without added sugar
* Fat-free or 1% milk
* Cheese with 3 grams of fat or less per serving
* Low-fat or nonfat yogurt
* Lean cuts of meat - Eye of round beef, top round, sirloin, or pork tenderloin
* Lean or extra lean ground beef
* Chicken or turkey - White or light meat, skin removed
* Fish - Most white meat fish is very low in fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol.
* Tuna - Light meat canned in water
* Peanut butter, reduced fat
* Eggs, egg whites, egg substitutes
* Low-fat cookies or angel food cake
* Low-fat frozen yogurt, sorbet, sherbet
* Popcorn without butter or oil, pretzels, baked tortilla chips
* Margarine - Soft, diet, tub, or liquid
* Vegetable oil - Canola, olive, corn, peanut, or sunflower
* Nonstick cooking spray
* Sparkling water, tea, lemonade

Are you worried about your cholesterol levels?

Received my health screening test results yesterday. The cholesterol reading was rather high above the healthy range. Doctor gave some advice on diet and provided the following health tips to reduce cholesterol level.

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Has your doctor said you have high cholesterol (called hypercholesterolemia)? Then you know you need to change your diet and lifestyle to lower cholesterol and your risk of heart disease. Even if your doctor prescribed a cholesterol drug to bring levels down, you'll still need to change your diet and become more active for cardiovascular health. These simple tips can help you keep cholesterol levels in check.

Cholesterol, Good and Bad
Your body needs a small amount of cholesterol to function properly. But we may get too much saturated fat and cholesterol in our diet – and both raise levels of LDL "bad" cholesterol. LDL cholesterol can cause plaque to build up in arteries, leading to heart disease. HDL"good" cholesterol, on the other hand, helps clear bad cholesterol from your blood. You want to lower LDL cholesterol and raise HDL cholesterol, starting with your diet.

Give Yourself a Hand
Most Americans eat super-sized meals, with portions that are twice the size recommended for good health. That can contribute to weight gain and high cholesterol. Here's an easy way to practice portion control for a meal: Use your hand. One serving of meat or fish is about what fits in the palm of your hand. One serving of fresh fruit is about the size of your fist. And a serving of cooked vegetables, rice, or pasta should fit in your cupped hand.

Serve Up the Heart-Healthy Food
Watching what you eat doesn't mean going hungry. Load your plate with fruits and vegetables – five to nine servings a day. The more you eat, the more you'll lower LDL "bad" cholesterol. One theory is that the antioxidants in fruits and veggies help reduce cholesterol. Another theory is that when we eat more fruits and veggies, we eat less fat. Either way, you'll also help lower blood pressure and maintain a healthy weight.

For heart health, look to the sea
A heart-healthy diet has fish on the menu twice a week. Why? Fish is low in saturated fat and high in healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids help lower levels of trigylcerides, a type of fat in the blood. They may also help lower cholesterol, slowing the growth of plaque in arteries. Go for fatty fish, such as salmon, tuna, trout, and sardines. Just don't drop the filets in the deep fryer – you'll negate the health benefits.

Start Your Day With Whole Grains
A bowl of oatmeal or whole-grain cereal has benefits that last all day. The fiber and complex carbohydrates in whole grains help you feel fuller for longer, so you'll be less tempted to overeat at lunch. They also help reduce LDL "bad" cholesterol and can be an important part of your weight loss strategy. Other examples of whole grains include wild rice, popcorn, brown rice, barley, and whole-wheat flour.

Go Nuts for Cardiovascular Health
Need a snack? A handful of nuts is a tasty treat that helps in lowering cholesterol. Nuts are high in monounsaturated fat, which lowers LDL "bad" cholesterol while leaving HDL "good" cholesterol intact. Several studies show that people who eat about an ounce of nuts a day have lower risk of heart disease. Nuts are high in fat and calories, so only eat a handful. And make sure they're not covered in sugar or chocolate.

Unsaturated Fats Protect the Heart
We all need a little fat in our diet – about 25% to 35% of our daily calories. But the type of fat matters. Unsaturated fats -- like those found in canola, olive, and safflower oils – lower LDL "bad" cholesterol levels and may help raise HDL "good" cholesterol. Saturated fats – like those found in butter and palm oil – and trans fats raise LDL cholesterol. Even good fats have calories, so eat in moderation.

More Beans, Fewer Potatoes
You need carbohydrates for energy, but some do your body more good than others. Whole grains – such as brown rice or quinoa – whole-wheat pasta, and beans have more fiber and raise sugar levels less. They lower risk of diabetes and high cholesterol. Other carbs, like those found in white bread, white potatoes, white rice, and pastries, quickly boost blood sugar and may raise risk of type 2 diabetes.

Move It!
Even 30 minutes of physical activity five days a week (20 minutes three times a week for vigorous exercise, such as jogging) can help lower LDL cholesterol and raise HDL cholesterol – although more exercise is even better. It also helps you maintain an ideal weight, reducing your chance of developing clogged arteries. You don't have to exercise for 30 minutes straight – you can break it up into 10-minute increments.

Walk It Off
If you're not used to exercising – or hate the thought of going to a gym – just go for a walk. It's easy, healthy, and all you need is a good pair of shoes. Aerobic or cardiovascular exercise such as walking lowers risk of stroke and heart disease, helps you lose weight, and keeps bones strong. If you're just starting out, try a 10-minute walk and gradually build up from there.

Work Out Without Going to the Gym
If exercise sounds like a dirty word to you, here's some good news: You can boost your heart health by incorporating physical activity into your day. Any kind of cardiovascular activity counts – gardening, dancing, or taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Even housework can qualify as exercise – as long as you're doing serious cleaning that gets your heart rate up and not just light dusting.

Take Charge of Your Health
If you have high cholesterol, you and your doctor may be using a number of strategies to lower cholesterol levels. You may be working on your diet, losing weight, exercising more, and maybe taking cholesterol drugs. There are other actions you can take, too, to make sure you stay on the right track.

What to Do When Eating Out
If you're eating healthy food at home to keep cholesterol in check, don't blow it when you eat out. Restaurant food can be loaded with saturated fat, calories, and sodium. Even healthy choices may come in super-size portions. Try these tips to stay on track:
• Choose broiled, baked, steamed, and grilled foods – not fried.
• Get sauces on the side.
• Practice portion control by asking for half your meal to be boxed up before it's brought out.

Look for Hidden Traps
A close look at nutrition labels is essential for a low-cholesterol, heart-healthy diet. Try these tips:
• Check serving sizes. The nutrition info may look good, but does the package contain two servings instead of one?
• If it says "whole grain," read the ingredients. Whole wheat or whole grain should be the first one.
• A food with "0 grams cholesterol" could still raise your LDL cholesterol. Saturated fat is the other culprit to watch for.

Don't Stress Out
Chronic stress can raise blood pressure, adding to your risk of atherosclerosis, which occurs when plaque from cholesterol builds up in arteries. And research shows that for some people, stress might directly increase cholesterol levels. Reduce your stress levels with relaxation exercises, meditation, or biofeedback. Focus on your breathing and take deep, refreshing breaths. It's a simple stress-buster you can do anywhere.

When Losing Means Winning
Losing weight is one of the best things you can do to fight cardiovascular disease. Being overweight affects the lining of your arteries, making them more prone to collect plaque from cholesterol. Losing weight – especially belly fat, which is linked to hardening of the arteries – helps raise HDL "good" cholesterol and reduce LDL "bad" cholesterol. Aim to keep your body mass index (BMI), an indicator of body fat, under 25.

Follow Your Doctor's Advice
Managing your cholesterol is a lifelong process. See your doctor regularly to keep tabs on your health. Follow your doctor's recommendations on diet, exercise, and medication. Working together, you and your doctor can lower your cholesterol levels and keep your heart going strong.

Egypt's Pyramid

Just came back from Egypt recently. It was an incredible and wonderful experience that I will never forget in my life. My jaw almost dropped when I stood in front of the world wonder Pyramid and realized how small we are! We have seen lots of Pyramid in TV, internet, pictures, movies, magazines etc but nothing compares to actually being there standing in front of the structure and touch it and feel it with your own hands. It’s really unbelievable and you would be amazed how the Pyramids were built by the ancient Egyptians over 4500 years ago.
According to the locals, there are over 100 pyramids of various sizes in Egypt. However some are in bad condition and almost unrecognizable. Pyramid is one of the ancient wonders of world and till today its existence is still a mystery.

Durian Durian

A group of friends and myself would be going for a Durian feast in Subang Parade today. Durian is dubbed the King of fruits in Malaysia and also in Singapore. I have tasted the fruit a few times while staying in Singapore but frankly I have yet to fall in love with it. Nevertheless I would definitely be there.
This Durian fest is a charity event in aid of the Children's Wish Society of Malaysia. The response is expected to be overwhelming because from what I know almost every Malaysian loves durian. Besides durians, there would be lots of Mangosteens (Queen of fruits?) and Rambutans as well.

Please take a short break from the Olympic Games and come join in this charity event with your families and friends.

Beijing 2008 Olympic Games

The Beijing 2008 Olympic Games have finally arrived today 08-08-08. The time of the opening ceremony is 08:08PM. Eight is a lucky number to the Chinese.
Someone told me today is also the 8th day in the Chinese lunar calendar.
What a coincidence! The date and time of the games: 08-08-08/08:08PM.

Most people would be glued to TV (in whatever time zones) for the live telecast which is expected to showcase its 5000 years of Chinese history to the whole world. This is definitely not to be missed.

If you are somewhere without a TV but has broadband access, you can catch the live telecast using the P2P link at http://www1.myp2p.eu/channel.php. You need to go to the Software tab to download and install a client such as Sopcast, TVAnts, Media Player etc. Then go to Live Sports tab and proceed from there.

Got to go now, enjoy the Games.

First Post

My first post after moving to Malaysia. Took a while to settle down and finding a place with the necessary infrastructures to connect myself to the world wide web again.

I have a good and generous landlord who allows me access to his broadband or “streamyx” FOC!

Malaysia is a fascinating country in many aspects and I am taking my time to uncover and enjoy every single bit of it. However, the “politics” have overshadowed everything else since the recent General Election. I am catching up on the news with help from my landlord.

“Streamyx” is crawling right now and landlord says is normal. I hate to compare it with Singapore but can’t help it. Sigh. I have to get used to it fast!