Health and Wellness Today

DUBAI - Over 300 Filipino expatriates in Dubai and the Northern Emirates walked around the approximately 3.5 kilometre jogging track of the Safa Park from 7am to 10am on Friday for the third edition of “Walk For Your Health” event this year.

Initiated by Gawad Kalinga (“To Give Care”) and the Filipino Healthcare Providers in the Emirate, the event started with a discussion and demonstration by medical professionals of First Aid Procedures.

Medical volunteers from the public and private sectors checked the blood pressure of all participants.

Art Los Banos, overall organiser, said that “Walk For Your Health” was launched in 2007 to link Gawad Kalinga with the various Filipino Community (Filcom) organisations in Dubai and the Northern Emirates.

“Now, it has become a big annual gathering where Filcom leaders, group members, friends and acquaintances walk and exercise together,” he added.

The walk, which was designed to raise awareness on the importance of exercise and healthy lifestyle, ended with a dance exercise conducted by the Filipino Dance Sports and Social Club at the amphitheater.

Source article: Over 300 Filipino Expats Walk to Raise Awareness of Healthy Lifestyle

Many people think getting cancer is just the luck of the draw.

A new poll found 43 per cent of Canadians think this way, but new research shows one-quarter to one-third of all cancers can be prevented with a healthy lifestyle.

It’s this groundbreaking evidence that links diet, exercise, and weight management to preventing cancer which sparked an international symposium in Halifax starting today.

“What will come out of this is a change of thinking, it will be a new look and understanding of the evidence. It will be more compelling change opportunities,” said Theresa Marie Underhill, CEO of Cancer Care Nova Scotia.

“Just imagine the impact if we take what we know and apply it.”

More than 120 people from a number of sectors will ruminate on how to start a wave of societal change that will lead to fewer diagnoses of cancer. An estimated 74,000 Canadians die of some form of cancer every year.

Based on their own research in Nova Scotia, Underhill said most people — at around 72 per cent of those polled — think cancer is the greatest risk to their health. Getting the word out about how people can prevent this disease in the first place in crucial.

“Information is knowledge and knowledge is power. We’re putting the power with individuals to make a difference for themselves and change their luck, quite frankly,” she said.

“Not too many times you have the opportunity to change your luck.”


Source article: New study promotes healthy lifestyles to fight cancer

The very expression. cancer puts fear into the average person. It affects us all as we all know of friends or even family members that have been inflicted with this villain. This terrifying disease is predicted to soar worldwide through 2020 as the number of overweight and obese people also soars.

Our increasing sedentary lifestyles be favored with virtually removed total traces of manual labor or “work” as our ancestors knew it. We can easily get a feed or a roof over our heads on the outside of having to hardly lift a finger. This reduced level of activity makes it hard for us to maintain a healthy weight and increases our risks for developing a life impending disease such as cancer.

The link between cancer and overweight is becoming increasing obvious with research but only 25% of the public is aware of the connection. Removing our own personal fright of contracting this frightening disease is a simple as maintaining a wholesome weight and a good level of puissance in every part our lives with a proper exercise program.

Many of us lead increasingly busy lives, and we may feel we don’t have the time to devote to exercise. But just how of importance is our health? What happens if we neglect it and in some place down the track we get the dreaded cancer diagnosis? Will we at that time need to make time, actually a huge footing up of time for treatment and recovery? Is it worth the risk?

Surely common sense would indicate that it is far easier to spend a couple of hours a week taking direction of business (our health) and along with multiple hale condition benefits being free of the nagging worry - am I going to exist next!

We need to change our mindset and make the time for strength training and vigorous cardiovascular exercise as these are important lifestyle habits. It doesn’t make sense to remain until there is a enigma. Cancer would surely be the overpower problem you could be faced with in your life. Wouldn’privately it be plenteous in addition causative to prevent the problem in the first fort?

It has been proven people who exercise take down their cancer risk. But that task has to be the not oblique exercise. A casual walk in the park a couple times a week or taking the occasional flight of stairs won’t put a dent in your cancer risk. Anyone who says that low intensity exercise such as walking is enough doesn’privately know what they are talking about. After all we all have legs and we all walk. This is not considered a challenging exercise program.

Often overweight or inactive people have a huge test debt that needs to have being repaid. Six or other hours of ardent exercise one and the other week is needed to seriously reduce cancer risk. The amount and level of exercise sounds partiality a lot, and it is. You will definitely exigency to get stuck in. This means that this substance and type of exercise necessarily to planned as part of your weekly routine.

An exercise professional is the best person to guide you and set this program up. Your local gym or health middle point will offer a change of outfit to make your exercise program enjoyable and rewarding.

If remaining healthy and having a disease free future are high on your priority list, then exercise has to be an important component of your lifestyle. No ifs or buts! Allow plenty of time for the changes; give yourself several years for the changes to settle in. By giving yourself this time your body will adjust easily and you will be able to uphold this healthy lifestyle permanently. You can put the fear of any killer disease far from your mind and enjoy your life to the maximum.


Source article: You Have to Earn Reduced Cancer Risk By Gen Wright

Enough of those emo stuffs. It could cost you your life. Read more after the jump.

Washington: Severe depression among relatively healthy women can trigger heart attacks, often with a fatal outcome, according to a new study.

It`s important for women with depression to be aware of the possible association between depression and heart disease, and work with their healthcare providers to manage their risk for coronary heart disease,` said William Whang, cardiologist at Columbia University Medical Centre (CUMC) and lead investigator of the study.

The links between depressive symptoms and cardiac events were not always clear because they were mixed up with other risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and smoking, said the researchers. Whang and colleagues studied 63,469 women from the Nurses Health Study who had no evidence of prior heart disease or stroke.

Depression likely to emerge as killer disease worldwide

The study found that women with more severe depressive symptoms or those who reported taking anti-depressants were at a higher risk for sudden cardiac death (SCD) and fatal coronary heart disease (CHD).

In particular, women with clinical depression were more than twice as likely to experience sudden cardiac death. Surprisingly, this risk was associated more strongly with anti-depressant use than with depressive symptoms, said a CUMC statement.

These findings are scheduled for publication in the March 17 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Source Article: Severe depression can trigger heart attacks

Don't ignore this article. This is very alarming. Read after the jump.

A few months ago, there was an uproar in the United States over the presence of the Salmonella typhi bacteria, in some peanut butter products. Predictably, the news caused a ripple in the Philippines as some of the brands found to have bacteria are being sold in the local market. The issue however died down quickly after it was established that the batch of manufactured products contaminated with the bacteria are not widely available in the country.

Well, that was before the Bureau of Food and Drugs found salmonella in peanut butter brand Yummy just recently.

With this recent development, parents are again worried. What’s Salmonella and what can it do to people who ingest contaminated products? According to Dr. Shirley J.B. Pascual-Ong, a pediatrician at the Makati Medical Center and at the Asian Hospital, Salmonella is actually quite common in the Philippines with it being a tropical disease. In fact, we are constantly exposed to this bacteria.

“Salmonella was a big thing in the United States because they are not very familiar with the disease, which they classify as a tropical disease. Their citizens are not quite acquainted with it, whereas here in the Philippine setting, we encounter this salmonella strain quite often.”

One of the reasons why it is common is the proliferation of street foods, which do not follow any safety standards. You just cannot be sure whether the vendor is a carrier of the bacteria.

“Salmonella is easily transmitted through the fecal-oral route. Food and water may be contaminated by human waste or bowel. Bacteria can then be present in food that is not properly prepared, or one that is cooked by a person who already has the disease. A chronic carrier is a person who has been tested and treated, then gumaling, but the condition persisted for more than three months,” explains Ong.

Flies can also bring the bacteria with them as they land on your food or utensils. Eggs can also be contaminated if the chicken that laid them is infected.

At high risk

This is quite alarming because these bacteria were found to be in a kiddie baon fave— peanut butter. But parents must remember that Salmonella cannot be gotten from peanut butter alone. Kids can likewise get the germs by handling dirty things or playing in unclean surroundings. If they put their hands in their mouth after playing with soil or toys that has traces of fecal matter from an infected person or animal, they are going to get those microbes into their systems.

It is however far scarier for infants as they are still developing their immune systems. Infants can succumb to sepsis if they contract Salmonella. Older people, whose immune systems are compromised by diseases such as cancer are also more susceptible and more at risk.

The rule of thumb, then, is to watch what you put into your mouth, and to cook your food properly. Says Ong, “Do not think that just because your food has already reached the boiling point or the meat already looks done, it is already safe to eat. There is a specific temperature where you are sure that the bacteria have already been killed.” She adds that you have to be careful even with processed food, as what consumers have now learned. “That is because hindi mo naman alam yung pinagdaanan nung product You don’t know how it was prepared and packed or how clean its ingredients are.”

Symptoms and safety shots

The thing with these bacteria, the symptoms are very common and could even be mistaken for another illness. “It initially manifests as fever and vomiting, with enteritis or diarrhea,” says Ong. So a lot of parents may overlook Salmonella as the problem. That is until the condition becomes prolonged.

“With other types of diarrhea, the condition improves within three to four days, but with Salmonella, it persists for more than seven days. If left untreated, complications may develop including hemorrhage, and perforations in the intestines. The bacteria may even travel to other parts of the body such as the heart or the joints. You can see these complications after the 7th day.”

She advises parents to bring their children for a checkup after observing high-grade fever for 2-3 days, accompanied by a tummy ache, diarrhea and vomiting.
“If your child has fever and diarrhea, give them first aid such as fever medicine and keep him or her hydrated. If you suspect salmonella, bring your child to the doctor.”

The good news is that since this disease is quite widespread in the country, the vaccine is readily available. “There is a vaccine against typhoid that can be given through injections or through oral preparations. Even adults can - and should - be vaccinated as protection against this common disease.”

Coupled with this is the importance of teaching your kids proper hygiene such as frequent hand washing and as much as they can, not buying street food outside their schools.


Source article: The lowdown on Salmonella typhi and how you can keep your child from getting infected

I was surfing on the internet about peanut butter when I stumbled on this report from GMANews.TV:


MANILA, Philippines – The Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) found two batches of peanut spreads to be contaminated with Salmonella and warned the public not to be eat them.

In Advisory 2009-002 dated March 12, the BFAD ordered the immediate recall of the following products:

• Yummy Sweet and Creamy Peanut Spread 490 grams (Batch 11240810), with expiry date of May 24, 2009

• Yummy Sweet and Creamy Peanut Spread 224 grams (Batch 3040905), with expiry date Sept. 4, 2009

The spread was made by the Samuya Food Manufacturing Inc.

The advisory, signed by BFAD Director Leticia Gutierrez, was posted on Saturday at the BFAD Web site (www.bfad.gov.ph). Part of it reads:

"To date, the Bureau of Food and Drugs has not received any adverse events assocated with the consumption of the peanut spread products identified above. Further, the Bureau has directed the manufacturer to undertake immediate recall of the affected products identified above, is undertaking close monitoring on the establishment's action, comprhensive audit and inspection on the manufacturing practices of the establishment and pursuing appropriate actions to protect public health and welfare."

BFAD said those who think they might have become ill from eating the spread should consult a doctor.

"Do not eat the peanut spread products covered by the batch number identified [and] throw them away in a manner that prevents others from eating such products," it added.

It also advised distributors and retailers to stop selling the peanut spread batches and food service establishments to stop using them.

It also ordered the manufacturer to inform consumers where to return any of the unconsumed products and get a refund.


Peanut butter addicts take note of these products.

Source Article: BFAD orders recall of 2 batches of tainted peanut spread

Ruth Floresca

IT takes as short as several months to as long as a year or two before prices of household commodities rise. No matter the length of time, it is a given that families have to set aside a large portion of their budget for food and other necessities. In the Philippines, there are a lot of stores ranging from your friendly sari-sari store to huge supermarkets inside the malls and stand-alone warehouses where you can buy grocery items among other things. How do you get to save on these purchases without sacrificing time plus your family’s health?

We asked several shopping-savvy moms to share their most practical grocery buying tips. As you will read, saving begins even before you step into the supermarket.

Before leaving the house

Tip #1:
Create weekly menus. Knowing what you actually need to buy as compared to buying what you think you will need makes a big difference. “How many times did you have to throw away molding and wilted vegetables that sat in the refrigerator for more than two weeks because you bought it without having any idea yet what you’ll do with it?” asks Richelle Fabre, mom of four, who have learned her lessons well after experiencing such losses.

Tip #2:
Make a shopping list and stick to it. Based on your menu, list down everything you will need in the next week or so. Look at your pantry and see what needs to be replenished. “If I want to purchase something that is not on the list, I just remind myself that it may not be necessary for me to buy it,” admits Chris Iguidez, mom to seven- and three-year-old boys.

Tip #3:
Schedule your shopping. Angela Abella, an events coordinator and mom of three boys, and Jen Nancho, an executive with one child, both suggest, “Buy groceries once a month or every payday at the most so you can save time as well as parking fees, gas expenses, and tips for the bagboy.”

Tip #4:
Go shopping on a full stomach. Unless you really plan on eating out before or after buying groceries, eat first at home before going to the store. Banker Laarni Enriquez insists, “Shopping with a growling stomach means you are likely to crave stuff which are not originally part of your list of items to buy.”

Tip #5:
Don’t bring the children along. Unless there’s no one to leave your children with, avoid bringing them along to the grocery store as much as possible. “It’s difficult to turn them down when they beg you to buy them something, doubly hard if you have two or more children. If you give in to one request, you’re expected to give in to the others so they won’t think you’re playing favorites,” reasons Chris.

When shopping
Tip #6:
Select a store with a wide-variety of choices. This allows you to compare brands and prices better as well as saves you time from going from store to store to buy what was not available in the first one. “I now shop at Puregold or Unimart after comparing their prices with those of the supermarket chains found in malls,” reveals Jen. On the other hand, although Dee Choa shopped at SM Hypermart before for the reward points, she acknowledges that prices there are still higher, “Now I go to Metro Supermarket which is located along E. Rodriguez in front of the Quezon City Sports Club where goods are more affordable.”

Tip #7:
Go for generic. Faye Mesina, mom to a seven-year-old girl, advises, “Try buying items with the supermarket’s cheaper house brand and see which are comparable to the branded but higher-priced ones. At SM, I get BONUS for the generic products like dishwashing liquid, bathroom tissue, etc.” Also, always be on the lookout for branded items that are good but also reasonably priced.

Tip #8:
Know that more is not always cheaper. A common mistake shoppers make is assuming that they save more when they buy in bulk. Not necessarily. Bring a calculator along the next time you shop and you just might be surprised. As Angela maintains, “I always see to it that I compare prices based on product quantities like on a per liter or per kilogram basis or per piece basis against their total price.” For instance, why buy a pack of 12’s of bathroom tissues at P138.00 or P11.50 each when the individual items only go for P11.25?

Tip #9:
Compare prices between stores. There is no one store that carries everything at cheap prices. If you have the time and options, plus a sharp memory that remembers how much your regular purchases are sold in this and that store, consider buying from two different outlets. Work-at-home mom Rizza Flores, who lives in Alabang, says she shuttles between Shopwise and Save More Supermarkets at the Festival Mall to find the best deals.

Tip #10:
Check out the local palengke for cheaper fresh produce and other local products. If you don’t mind the smell and the heat, food items such as rice, eggs, vegetables, fruits, fish, and meat are way cheaper here than in any store with air-conditioning and well-paved aisles.

Tip #11:
Apply for a rewards card. A lot of supermarket chains now have loyalty cards that give rebates for accumulated purchases/points made by regular customers. At Shopwise for instance, you even get discount coupons for non-food products when you redeem your rebate in the form of gift certificates. If you shop frequently at a particular establishment, it would be wise to avail of one. Some cards even have tie-ups with other stores where you can use them to earn more points as well as get discounts on purchases. “I shop at SM because of the Advantage card. Recently I had a rebate worth P700+ which I used to purchase more grocery items,” says Faye.

Tip #12:
Be wise when buying items on sale. No matter how attractive the amount of money you might save, think thrice before buying a marked down item or packaged good with freebies. Ask yourself, “Can I consume them within the next two weeks?” According to Laarni, always check the expiry date because if you are not able to consume the product a week before it expires, avoid it. “I will not serve expired food to my family and throwing away expired items that were hastily bought which results in money lost in the long run,” she counsels.

Back at the house

Tip #13:
Store your purchases well. Follow storage instructions found on container labels. Immediately put frozen foods inside the freezer while shelf-stable foods such as canned goods should be kept at room temperature inside cool and dry pantries to maintain their quality.

Tip #14:
Protect food from moisture and pests. Transfer plastic or foil-wrapped foods into hard-plastic containers with tight lids and remember to use a dry spoon when scooping out powdered products. Keeping food in their original packaging may result to changes in color, texture, flavor, odor, and loss of nutrients.

Tip #15:
Practice the “first-in, first-out” principle. Position newly bought items behind old stock to ensure that you first use the ones with the nearest expiry dates.

The bottom line – where you buy your groceries will depend for the most part on your location and what you value more: high quality or low price. Some shoppers admittedly can’t compromise quality with price while others make do with what they have the funds for. The important thing is, whether you can afford a lot of expensive things or not, it is always a wise decision to look for the best value that your hard-earned money can buy.


Source article: 15 tips to save on groceries

Let your food be your medicine: let your medicine be your food - Hippocrates

As big meat eaters are dwindling, vegetarianism is on the rise, moving from the days of alfalfa sprouts and wheat germ to diet staples of wholegrains, complex carbohydrates, legumes, nuts and seeds. It is becoming more acceptable to be vegetarian.

Persons who switch to a vegetarian lifestyle do so out of some form of enlightenment that consuming animal products is unhealthy, anti-religious, against animal rights or to save the planet, Earth.

Besides religion, some persons choose to become vegetarian because of concern for the environment or for their own health issues. To impressionable young minds, vegetarianism sounds sensible, ethical and 'cool'. Children can get hooked to a vegetarian lifestyle and so care must be taken when feeding children a vegetarian diet, especially if dairy and egg products are not included.

Younger children are usually part of a family practice such as Seventh-day Adventists or vegan parents. It is best to discuss with young children the importance of having vegetarian diets and how to maintain them.

Vitamin deficiency

Since vegetarians do not eat meat, it means that they will miss out on vitamin B12, naturally available in animal products - meat, poultry, fish, eggs and milk. Vitamin B12 helps maintain healthy nerve cells and red blood cells.

It is also needed to help make DNA, the genetic material in all cells. Signs of deficiency associated with B12 include anaemia, fatigue, weakness, constipation, loss of appetite, and weight loss. Deficiency also can lead to neurological changes, such as numbness and tingling in the hands and feet. Additional symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency are difficulty in maintaining balance, depression, confusion, dementia, poor memory, and soreness of the mouth or tongue.

To prevent such deficiency, vegetarians are advised to eat fortified cereals which are one of the few sources of vitamin B12 from plant sources, and are an important dietary source of vitamin B12 for strict vegetarians and vegans. Strict vegetarians who do not consume foods that come from plants fortified with vitamin B12 need to take a dietary supplement that contains vitamin B12.

Read full article here: Healthy lifestyle - Enticing vegetarian virgins

By Rafe Arnott, The Times

With a multi-generational shift toward health consciousness in Canada - and British Columbia in particular - it's no wonder that the Abbotsford Total Health Show at Tradex this weekend is expected to attract thousands.

Canadians from all age groups - be it tweens or seniors - are sitting up and taking notice of what they are putting in their bodies.

People are actively pursuing how best to take care of both their minds, and their physical well being in an age when fast foods, diet pills, Viagra and Prozac are being pushed on them.

Looking at healthy lifestyle options outside the mainstream has been labelled many things over the years, first you had hippies and new-agers, now anyone who educates themselves to look at different ways to be fit is said to be seeking "alternative health," or "complimentary health."

Virginia Ritchie is the producer of the Total Health Show and said with all the choices available for a more holistic lifestyle, individuals have almost unlimited options in healthy lifestyle choices.

Ritchie said the show is much more than vitamins and supplements, it's everything and anything to do with health.

"It's fitness, fitness equipments, medical equipment, anti-aging, body workers, reflexology, teeth whitening, eco-friendly products, definitely all-natural food . . . we have people who can do a heart test on you and there are chiropractors on hand, cardio-core boot camp, you name it."

According to Ritchie, who has been doing the shows for five years, being healthy has picked up huge momentum in North America because it resonates with so many people.

"It's about being empowered. Ten years ago if a doctor told you 'you have gangrene, cut off your leg,' you would have probably listened. Today, any child can go on the Internet and find you four alternatives in 10 minutes," said Ritchie.

The show runs Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $8 for adults and $6 for students and seniors.

Source Article: Healthy living kicks in







Let's get physical, physical, I wanna get physical, let's get into physical...

Health and wellness is a privilege that everyone should be able to afford even in difficult economic times. With the right experience and know-how, anyone can make smart choices about healthy living while also being wallet wise.

Dr. Jennifer Trachtenberg has mastered the art of staying fit, while also being financially responsible. She is a busy mom of three, runs a private practice in New York City and serves as chief pediatric officer for RealAge.com – an informative Web site that helps people live healthier, longer lives. Through her extensive experience of balancing work, life and wellness, she has learned how to keep living a healthy lifestyle, while keeping out of the red.

Dr. Trachtenberg shares her top five tips for staying healthy on a budget:

Tip 1 – Buy Frozen for Good Nutrition
The fresh produce section at the grocery store can be a budgeter’s nightmare as pricey fresh foods can really add up. The budget-conscious can find much needed relief in the frozen food section. Frozen fruits and vegetables typically have the same levels of nutrients as their fresh counterparts, because the produce is frozen at the peak of its ripeness, locking in the maximum amount of nutrients .

Tip 2 – Get Fit in the Great Outdoors
No matter what the season, the outdoors is a great place to move your body and bond with family and friends without the confinement and encumbering expense of a gym membership. Calorie-shedding activities can be enjoyed year round:

* Winter – Ice skate at a local rink or work the biceps with some snow shoveling

* Spring – Get some friends together and form a softball league, or ride a bike on weekends

* Summer – Try to walk instead of driving short distances or take up swimming

* Fall – Get some cardio by raking leaves or challenge yourself to participate in a local road race

On rainy or chilly days, visit the local library and check out a workout video. It can be a lot of fun and doesn't cost a thing.

Tip 3 – Let the games begin!
Lately, board games are making a major comeback with the reinvention of the traditional Family Night. Flexing your mental muscle by opting to play cards, trivia games or parlor games of yesteryear can help cut costs on expensive movie rentals and excessive cable charges. Plus, leisure time spent with friends, family and neighbors is always a healthy and fun way to de-stress.

Tip 4 – Drink to your health!
Water is a necessity and getting the recommended eight glasses a day is important to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Switching from bottled water to tap can save hundreds of dollars (not to mention it also eliminates the amount of plastic bottles that get discarded!). To ensure tap water is healthy and clean, consider a PUR Water Filtration System, which could save up to $600 each year in comparison to bottled water. PUR is certified to reduce many unwanted contaminants to help ensure drinking water is clean and healthy. Visit www.purwater.com for more details.

Tip 5 – Sweet Dreams Getting much needed sleep no matter what your age is crucial to mental, emotional and physical health. You will feel better, be more productive at work, have increased levels of physical and mental alertness, and your body will get the rest it needs to fight off diseases. For these reasons, make a commitment to schedule your day so you get the recommended seven to eight hours of sleep. Children, depending on age, might require more.

You don't need to spend a lot to get yourself fit. Let's try the tips above.

Source Article: Living a Healthy Lifestyle on a Budget

By Karen Collins

Q. It seems overwhelming to think about what I can eat to address high cholesterol, high blood pressure and the need to lose weight. Where do I start?

A. Try not to think of this as three separate problems because many of the adjustments in your lifestyle that address one problem will end up helping your other concerns as well.

You might start by looking at your physical activity, since getting at least 30 minutes a day of moderate activity like brisk walking can bring improvements in all three areas. But don't let that seem like an excuse to allow unhealthy eating!

Focus on making relatively unprocessed plant foods the majority of your eating all through the day. Include vegetables, fruits and whole grains that are not loaded with sodium or fat in your meals and snacks. That will add potassium and limit sodium for your blood pressure, provide fiber with little unhealthy fat for your heart and let you fill up on fewer calories to make weight control easier.

If you are overweight, dropping even 15 or 20 pounds can improve blood pressure and blood cholesterol, so cutting a few hundred calories a day from soft drinks, sweets or excessive food portions can make a big difference. Start with basic changes like this and don't worry about other details ­- it's more important to keep focused on a few steps without getting sidetracked trying to eat perfectly.

The bonus: This lifestyle will lower your risk of cancer, too!

Q. How do you serve the fruit known as "star fruit"? Should it be peeled?

A. Star fruit is named for its shape: Five deep ridges that run the length of the fruit mean that when you slice it crosswise to serve, the slices are shaped like stars.

Star fruit don't require any peeling or seeding; just wash well with water and slice into those pretty stars, or eat out of hand. Sliced star fruit is terrific in fruit or vegetable salads or to accompany most seafood and poultry (either raw or quickly sauteed).

A small-sized fruit (about 3 inches long) gives about three-quarters of a cup of slices with only 25 calories, while serving as an excellent source of vitamin C (about 25 milligrams) and providing 2 grams of fiber.

Star fruit has a pleasant crisp texture and sweet-tart flavor. Narrow ribbed fruits tend to be more tart, while those with thick fleshy ribs tend to be sweeter.

If the fruit is green, let it ripen at room temperature until the skin is a glossy yellow and the fruit gives off the full floral-fruity aroma that lets you know the flavor is at its best. Once ripe, refrigerate if you plan to keep it more than another day or two.

Q. Do smoked salmon and other smoked fish pose the concern for cancer risk that smoked meats do?

A. Smoked meat, poultry and seafood are a concern because they may contain carcinogens called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). When wood or coal burns PAHs form, and food exposed to the smoke tends to absorb some of the PAHs. Awareness of this problem is growing, and processors are working on ways to decrease PAH exposure in smoking.

Several years ago, Europe instituted regulations limiting the PAH content in foods. Recent studies show that adjustments in the smoking process can reduce PAH content in smoked fish. However, these practices are not yet the norm.

Furthermore, the content of healthful omega-3 fat in fish like salmon is substantially lower when smoked than in the fresh product. Fish offers several nutritional advantages over red meats, but for now it would be wise to choose the smoked seafood only occasionally.

• This column is provided by the American Institute for Cancer Research, Send questions to 1759 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20009.


It's always never too late to change our lifestyle. Trust me. Been there, done that.


Source Article: Healthy lifestyle lowers risks

Health is Wealth. With the advent of busy schedule and life style many people do not take care of their health. Their unhealthy lifestyle increases the incidence of occurrence of many diseases. Adding some daily work can give a healthy life in the result. Following are the 10 ways to be healthy:

1. Exercise Regularly - Exercise burns an extra fat which is metabolized. Doctors prescribe a walk for 40 minutes everyday.

2. Maintain Weight - The focus should be on managing the weight, not looking slim. Increase physical activities and reduce caloric intake in a systematic manner will make a body healthy day by day. A body should have an ideal weight; ideal weight can be calculated by body mass index and height.

3. Avoid Saturated Fat - Avoiding oily food is must for a healthy body. Do not consume more than 1tbsp oil every day. Vegetable oils do not have cholesterol; cholesterol comes from food like animal fats, meat, eggs and shell fish. Foods high in saturated fat include whole milk, milk products, bakery products, ghee, butter etc.

4. Eat Vegetables and Fruits - Eating fresh vegetables and fruits are very important to be healthy. Antioxidants in fruits and vegetables cleanse the body from toxic substance.

5. Quit Smoking and Drinking - Smoking leads to fat deposit in the inner walls of the blood vessels, which gradually narrow and reduce the blood supply to the organ. Excessive drinking can damage the liver, where fat metabolism takes place.

6. Adapt Low-Cholesterol Diet - The body makes the cholesterol it needs. So choose foods like grain products that have less cholesterol. Prefer complex carbohydrates like brown rice to simple carbs. Eating nuts, almonds and walnuts are the best for health.

7. Prefer Less Salt - avoid extra salt in the diet. This means avoid pickles, papd, baked beans, canned soups and processed foods.

8. Eat frequently, smaller meals - Eating large meals tends to cause fat to deposit. The body is able to digest small meals faster.

9. Consume Isabgol - Isabgol provides a combination for soluble and insoluble fibers. Insoluble fibers increase the bulk of food within the intestine, aiding the contraction of the intestine.

10. Blood tests - People more the 30 and having blood pressure should get a blood test do determine cholesterol levels every three months. If healthy, go for a test every two years.


Source article: Health Care Tips for Healthy Lifestyle in Just 10 Steps

Now that you’ve retired, you have entered an entirely new phase of life, a life filled with new challenges, adventure and hopefully one that brings you complete and total satisfaction. However, if you’re like most people, change isn’t always easy and is sometimes stressful. This stress is completely normal but may be compounded if you don’t learn how to balance all the demands on your time. With this in mind, we’ve developed an innovative questionnaire and article to teach you how to determine how stress affects your life and how balancing it will lead to a more healthy and balanced lifestyle. Sound interesting? Well, sit back, grab a pencil and let’s access how stress is affecting your life.


Make sure that you answer these questions carefully and honestly:

1. I keep spending too much time on unappealing activities and less time doing things that I really want to do.
True False

2.I often feel I don’t have enough time for myself or for my priorities.
True False

3.No matter what I do, I can’t seem to get enough done and always feel stressed, tired, overcommitted, and/or exhausted.
True False

4.Since retirement, I don’t feel that I’m accomplishing my retirement goals.
True False

5.I often feel guilty when I can’t do the things that make me happy.
True False

If all of your answers were “false” then you’re on the right track. Congratulations, you’re leading a balanced life and have a very low stress level. If you answered “true” to 1 or more questions then you can really benefit from these 5 steps which will help you more effectively balance your life:

1.Find your purpose. First and foremost, you must take some time for soul searching. During stillness, you must determine what it is that you truly value and what are your priorities. List them from 1-10. Be very specific about what is important to you and how you plan to strengthen those priorities. For instance, let’s say that your first priority is to live a more purpose driven life. If so, what type of activities are you doing to help make your dreams a reality? Are you reading books or listening to purpose driven tapes? Are you attending seminars? The key here is to really hone in on what is most important.

2.Develop a workable plan. Second, now that you know what priorities are important to you, you must develop a workable plan to donate time to each one. To accomplish this, you should write them down and clarify how you can achieve each one. Decide now what steps you will take to fulfill your priorities.

3.Become committed. Third, you must become committed to your plan and realize that you can’t do everything. By being committed to achieving your most important priorities first and getting them done, you’ll enhance your self esteem tremendously and feel powerful.

4.Take care of yourself. Fourth, you must always factor in time to take care of yourself. By being focused on your health and developing a healthy lifestyle, you’ll make sure that you have the stamina to effectively balance your priorities. Therefore, take time to access your current health situation and if necessary, make any needed changes or improvements.

5.Enjoy this time. Fifth, you must be willing to enjoy this precious time. Be grateful that you are gaining control over your retirement goals and take pleasure in being able to live a balanced life.

In conclusion, you can have a healthy and balanced life by finding your purpose, developing a workable plan, becoming committed, taking care of yourself and enjoying yourself.

Source Article: How To Achieve A Balanced And Healthy Lifestyle In Retirement

By Institute for Policy Innovation

Dr. Merrill Matthews of the Institute for Policy Innovation says that some politicians think you will—if you have insurance...

Senators Edward Kennedy and Max Baucus published an article in the Wall Street Journal recently stating that once everyone has insurance, health care costs will go down. That’s because people will get the preventive care and timely treatments they need.

But 85 percent of the population already has health coverage, and yet a recent survey of large employers by Watson Wyatt found that:

Two-thirds of their insured employees have poor health habits and Forty-two percent under utilize preventive care.

In other words, people with good health coverage often engage in unhealthy or risky behavior, or avoid getting the preventive care they need.

Encouraging more prevention is good, but if the desire for a longer, healthier life won’t get you off the couch, don’t expect universal coverage to.

These weekly SoundBytes commentaries are produced by the Institute for Policy Innovation (IPI), a non-profit public policy think tank.

So please remember, we are what we eat.

Source Article: Are You Living a Healthy Lifestyle?