Sunday, November 28, 2010

Ingredients of 16-grain Japanese Zakkokumai 雑穀米 (奈美悦子ブレンド 健康で美人 (国内産十六種雑穀米 15g×25袋)


See also: http://www.healthy-good.net/categori/kenko-iji/namietuko-zakkoku25H.html (Added on 2014-06-27)

Picture Source: http://www.healthy-good.net/categori/kenko-iji/namietuko-zakkoku25H.html

Ingredients of 16-grain Japanese Zakkokumai 雑穀米
(奈美悦子ブレンド 健康で美人 (国内産十六種雑穀米 15g×25袋)



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Last update: 2014-06-27

Chinese十榖米/十谷米and Japanese Zakkokumai 雑穀米 [奈美悦子ブレンド 健 康で美人 (国内産十六種雑穀米)]

I would be writing blogs on multigrain rice: Chinese十榖米/十谷米and Japanese Zakkokumai 雑穀米.
Please come back again.
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Chinese 十榖米/十谷米


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Japanese Zakkokumai 雑穀米



Picture Source: http://www.healthy-good.net/categori/kenko-iji/namietuko-zakkoku25H.html

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Last Update: 2014-06-27


奈美悦子ブレンド 健康で美人 (国内産十六種雑穀米) 15g×25袋

What Is Anorexia? (by mamashealth.com)

Info Source: http://www.mamashealth.com/anorexia.asp

Anorexia is an eating disorder where people starve themselves. Anorexia usually begins in young people around the onset of puberty. Individuals suffering from anorexia have extreme weight loss. Weight loss is usually 15% below the person's normal body weight. People suffering from anorexia are very skinny but are convinced that they are overweight. Weight loss is obtained by many ways. Some of the common techniques used are excessive exercise, intake of laxatives and not eating.

Anorexics have an intense fear of becoming fat. Their dieting habits develop from this fear. Anorexia mainly affects adolescent girls.

People with anorexia continue to think they are overweight even after they become extremely thin, are very ill or near death. Often they will develop strange eating habits such as refusing to eat in front of other people. Sometimes the individuals will prepare big meals for others while refusing to eat any of it.

The disorder is thought to be most common among people of higher socioeconomic classes and people involved in activities where thinness is especially looked upon, such as dancing, theater, and distance running.

For more info, please visit http://www.mamashealth.com/anorexia.asp.

Anorexia -- Ballet teacher's remark started it

The following is from the Sunday Times dated 28 November 2010:

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Ballet teacher's remark started it

It was a throw-away remark from her ballet teacher that started Cheryl on a spiral of an eating disorder when she was just eight and in Primary 2.


Her dance instructor had remarked that the costume she had on was a tad too tight.


The girl, who used to enjoy the pancakes her mother made every weekend morning, stopped eating them, complaining of a stomach ache.


In school, she would give away her packed lunch from home to her friends and have only half a packet of apple juice.


This went on for three weeks until she fainted at home and had to be admitted to hospital, where she was force-fed.


Her mother, a housewife, said she was stunned when, after several sessions with the doctors, her daughter was diagnosed with anorexia.


'I couldn't believe it...not until I heard my girl talk about how she feels fat and how she will never make it in ballet,' said the mother.


Cheryl went from just over 30kg to under 25kg in a few weeks.


'She was all skin and bones. I broke down and cried,' her mother said.


The law graduate said she wondered if her daughter had inherited her own obsession with staying slim.


'I felt guilty because I am constantly on a diet,' said the 35-year-old, who admits that she works hard to keep her weight under 50kg, despite being 1.63m tall.


Her daughter, who was hospitalised early this year, is still undergoing therapy.


At home, her meal times have to be strictly monitored.


Said her mother: 'She has come up with a hundred different ways to hide her food. I have, on occasion, found food I had given her hidden behind the curtains or in the bushes in the garden.'
She also pulled her daughter out of ballet class, but not before telling off the ballet teacher for her insensitive remarks.


Now, she hopes the worst is over and her daughter is on the mend.


'At least she tells me when she is feeling anxious about eating or about her weight, which is a big step. So we try and talk about it. And she eats a little more these days and is slowly putting on some weight again.'


Her daughter, who still weighs below 30kg, maintains she is 'a little fat' compared with her friends.


Said the young girl: 'You should see my ballet classmates - they are super slim. But maybe I have to accept that I will never be as slim as them.'

Tweens starving for perfection (Anorexia) (by Sandra Davie)

The following is from the Sunday Times dated 28 November 2010:
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Tweens starving for perfection
Anorexia is on the rise among pre-teens as young as eight, reports senior writer Sandra Davie

When her eight-year-old daughter fainted in school last year, Mrs S. Ong thought it was because the Primary 2 pupil had missed her lunch as she was busy finishing her homework.

At least, that was what her daughter, who is from a top school, told her.

But Mrs Ong soon noticed that the girl would complain of a bloated stomach during meals and would stop eating.

She also became an exercise buff and would insist on taking her pet dog, a silky terrier, for several walks a day.

Once, when Mrs Ong went to check on her in the wee hours of the morning, she found her on the floor, doing sit-ups.

The girl fainted again in school a week later, after having refused to see a doctor the first time around.

She was hospitalised as her heart rate had dropped to a dangerously low level, and was put through a psychiatric assessment.

That was when Mrs Ong found out that her daughter suffered from anorexia nervosa.
Said Mrs Ong, a business development manager: 'I could not believe it. I remembered thinking, 'wait, isn't that something that hits 15-, 16-year-olds?' Not my Primary 2 girl.'

The doctor had news for her. Not only was anorexia nervosa on the rise among teens, it was also afflicting pre-teens as young as eight.

Doctors from three hospitals - Singapore General Hospital (SGH), National University Hospital (NUH) and KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH) - as well as three psychiatrists in private practice told The Sunday Times that this is true.

The figures they gave show that in 24 of an estimated 200 cases of anorexia, the patients were primary school pupils aged 12 and below.

Eight of them were aged between 8 and 10. The youngest, treated by a psychiatrist in private practice, was a six-year-old in Primary 1.

All were girls, except for a 12-year-old boy.

Anorexics and bulimics suffer from body-image distortion - an intense fear of weight gain. But while anorexics refuse to eat certain foods, make excuses to avoid meals and exercise excessively, bulimics binge-eat, then purge by vomiting or using laxatives.

Both eating disorders are 10 times more common in females than males. Doctors and psychiatrists interviewed say their younger patients are mostly girls and suffer from anorexia.
They cite several reasons for the increase in eating disorders in those as young as eight years old.

Dr Kumudhini Rajasegaran and Dr Oh Jean Yin, consultant doctors in paediatrics and adolescent medicine from KKH, say they have seen a sharp rise in teens and pre-teens suffering from anorexia nervosa. They believe the spike is caused by an increased awareness of the illness, which means more cases are being reported.

Parents, teachers and friends are learning to spot those who need help, and reach out to them earlier.

But they say it also has to do with the media idolising thin celebrities.

The usual symptoms that anorexia sufferers display include frequent weighing of themselves, excessive exercising and preoccupation with food and calories.

Dr Kumudhini notes that younger children with eating disorders tend to complain of physical ailments such as tummy bloatedness or gastric pains.

KKH admitted just over 20 teenagers and children last year for eating disorders. Three of them were primary school pupils, the youngest a nine-year-old.

Consultant psychiatrist Lee Huei Yen, who heads the eating disorders clinic at SGH, agrees that popular media is partly to blame.

Even tweens - children between eight and 12 years old - are being bombarded by product and media images of girls who are slim, svelte and pouty.

The pervasive message has given rise to a phenomenon she terms 'social obesity'.

A girl can be healthy in medical terms, that is, her body mass index (BMI) is within the healthy range of between 18.5 and 22.9. Yet by social measurements, she is deemed fat or obese.

'Society has moved the BMI several notches down, to between 17 and 21. This is the level that it considers healthy, when it is not,' said Dr Lee.

She has seen her fair share of truly challenging cases over the years, such as several teenagers with a BMI of nine who were so weak they could not speak or swallow.

Although the eating disorders clinic at her hospital admits only children who are 13 and above, she has seen an increasing number of parents asking the clinic to take in their 11- and 12-year-olds.

Five years ago, none of her patients was aged 14 and below. This year, of the 90 admitted from January to October, 18 patients - 20 per cent of the group - were below the age of 14.

Dr Geraldine Goh, a psychiatrist at the Child and Family Guidance Clinic at Gleneagles Medical Centre, has had a handful of patients in the eight to 10 age group. The girls have some common traits: They are perfectionists and overachievers with a near-compulsion for meticulousness. They often hail from top schools or elite families.

Dr John Wong, senior consultant at NUH Department of Psychological Medicine, said the hospital was in the process of collating data to study the trend, as it is seeing more nine- to 12-year-olds being admitted for eating disorders.

He estimated that there has been between one and two cases of children under 12 admitted to NUH for eating disorders every month.

Anorexia in young children can lead to serious problems - such as a smaller and weaker heart, damaged kidneys and loss of bone mass, he warned.

Treatment for the disorder is multi-disciplinary. If the patient's weight is too low, she has to be admitted to the hospital so doctors can bring her weight back to a healthy level.

As the problem is both psychological and physiological, the patient will have to undergo cognitive behavioural therapy with a psychologist as well as nutritional counselling with a dietician. The patient's family would also be offered family therapy to learn how to help a child modify her diet and exercise habits.

Mrs Ong is hopeful that her daughter will recover, although she has ended up in hospital twice this year.

'I have since realised that it's not just her, but her friends as well. Something's not right when you look at the online chats and eight-, nine-year-olds are discussing diet foods and how long they can go without food,' she said.

'I worry about our kids.'

Anorexia Tell-Tale signs (from the Sunday Times dated 28 November 2010)

The following is from the Sunday Times dated 28 November 2010:
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Tell-Tale signs

Teens suffering from anorexia go to extremes to reach and maintain a dangerously low body weight. But no matter how much weight is lost or how thin they become, it is never enough. The more the scale dips, the more obsessed they become with food, dieting, and weight loss, doctors say.

SIGNS TO LOOK OUT FOR

1 Dieting despite being thin. They follow a severely restricted diet by eating only certain low-calorie foods and banning 'bad' foods such as carbohydrates and fats.

2 Obsession with calories, fat and nutrition. They read food labels, measure and weigh portions, keep a food diary and read diet books.

3 Pretending to eat or lying about eating. They hide, play with, or throw away food to avoid eating. They make excuses to get out of meals, saying things like 'I had a huge lunch' or 'My stomach isn't feeling good'.

4 Preoccupation with food. They eat very little but constantly think about food. They may cook for others, collect recipes, read food magazines or make meal plans.

5 Strange or secretive food rituals. They often refuse to eat around others or in public places. They may eat in rigid, ritualistic ways, like chewing food 32 times or using a specific plate.

EFFECTS OF ANOREXIA

1 Loss of menstrual periods or, in the case of pre-teens, delayed onset of puberty

2 Lack of energy, weakness

3 Feeling cold all the time

4 Dry, yellowish skin

5 Constipation and abdominal pain

6 Restlessness and insomnia

7 Dizziness, fainting, and headaches

8 Growth of fine hair all over the body and face

Nutrition education that medical students receive is inadequate (from Academic Medicine September 2010)

According to the Nutrition Education in U.S. Medical Schools: Latest Update of a National Survey (from Academic Medicine September 2010), the amount of nutrition education that medical students receive continues to be inadequate.

Please visit
http://journals.lww.com/academicmedicine/Abstract/2010/09000/Nutrition_Education_in_U_S__Medical_Schools_.30.aspx

Note: Academic Medicine is a journal of The Association of American Medical Colleges

Nutrition Education in U.S. Medical Schools: Latest Update of a National Survey (from Academic Medicine September 2010)

Info Source: http://journals.lww.com/academicmedicine/Abstract/2010/09000/Nutrition_Education_in_U_S__Medical_Schools_.30.aspx

Academic Medicine:
September 2010 - Volume 85 - Issue 9 - pp 1537-1542
doi: 10.1097/ACM.0b013e3181eab71b
Nutrition Education


Note: Academic Medicine is a journal of The Association of American Medical Colleges

Nutrition Education in U.S. Medical Schools: Latest Update of a National Survey


Adams, Kelly M. MPH, RD; Kohlmeier, Martin MD; Zeisel, Steven H. MD, PhD
Abstract


Purpose: To quantify the number of required hours of nutrition education at U.S. medical schools and the types of courses in which the instruction was offered, and to compare these results with results from previous surveys.

Method: The authors distributed to all 127 accredited U.S. medical schools (that were matriculating students at the time of this study) a two-page online survey devised by the Nutrition in Medicine Project at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. From August 2008 through July 2009, the authors asked their contacts, most of whom were nutrition educators, to report the nutrition contact hours that were required for their medical students and whether those actual hours of nutrition education occurred in a designated nutrition course, within another course, or during clinical rotations.

Results: Respondents from 109 (86%) of the targeted medical schools completed some part of the survey. Most schools (103/109) required some form of nutrition education. Of the 105 schools answering questions about courses and contact hours, only 26 (25%) required a dedicated nutrition course; in 2004, 32 (30%) of 106 schools did. Overall, medical students received 19.6 contact hours of nutrition instruction during their medical school careers (range: 0–70 hours); the average in 2004 was 22.3 hours. Only 28 (27%) of the 105 schools met the minimum 25 required hours set by the National Academy of Sciences; in 2004, 40 (38%) of 104 schools did so.

Conclusions: The amount of nutrition education that medical students receive continues to be inadequate.


My Weight (Loss) Management from 2007-05-28 to 2010-11-28 (weight loss by Calories Restriction With Optimal Nutrition - CRON)

2007-05-28 morning, my weight = 65.0 kg, BMI = 23.588
2007-06-28 morning, my weight = 61.0 kg, BMI = 22.136
2007-07-28 morning, my weight = 59.0 kg, BMI = 21.410
2007-08-28 morning, my weight = 58.7 kg, BMI = 21.302
2007-09-28 morning, my weight = 57.5 kg, BMI = 20.866
2007-10-28 morning, my weight = 57.5 kg, BMI = 20.866
2007-11-28 morning, my weight = 56.2 kg, BMI = 20.394
2007-12-28 morning, my weight = 55.5 kg, BMI = 20.140
2008-01-28 morning, my weight = 54.8 kg, BMI = 19.886
2008-02-28 morning, my weight = 54.8 kg, BMI = 19.886
2008-03-28 morning, my weight = 54.5 kg, BMI = 19.777
2008-04-28 morning, my weight = 54.4 kg, BMI = 19.741
2008-05-28 morning, my weight = 54.1 kg, BMI = 19.632
2008-06-28 morning, my weight = 54.6 kg, BMI = 19.814
2008-07-28 morning, my weight = 54.5 kg, BMI = 19.777
2008-08-28 morning, my weight = 54.3 kg, BMI = 19.705
2008-09-28 morning, my weight = 54.9 kg, BMI = 19.923
2008-10-28 morning, my weight = 55.3 kg, BMI = 20.068
2008-11-28 morning, my weight = 54.5 kg, BMI = 19.777
2008-12-28 morning, my weight = 55.6 kg, BMI = 20.177
2009-01-28 morning, my weight = 54.8 kg, BMI = 19.886
2009-02-28 morning, my weight = 55.9 kg, BMI = 20.285
2009-03-28 morning, my weight = 54.8 kg, BMI = 19.886
2009-04-28 morning, my weight = 55.3 kg, BMI = 20.068
2009-05-28 morning, my weight = 55.4 kg, BMI = 20.104.
2009-06-28 morning, my weight = 55.2 kg, BMI = 20.031
2009-07-28 morning, my weight = 55.1 kg, BMI = 19.995
2009-08-28 morning, my weight = 55.2 kg, BMI = 20.031
2009-09-28 morning, my weight = 56.3 kg, BMI = 20.431
2009-10-28 morning, my weight = 55.8 kg, BMI = 20.249
2009-11-28 morning, my weight = 56.2 kg, BMI = 20.394
2009-12-28 morning, my weight = 56.1 kg, BMI = 20.358
2010-01-28 morning, my weight = 55.6 kg, BMI = 20.177
2010-02-28 morning, my weight = 56.5 kg, BMI = 20.503
2010-03-28 morning, my weight = 56.4 kg, BMI = 20.467
2010-04-28 morning, my weight = 55.7 kg, BMI = 20.213
2010-05-28 morning, my weight = 55.1 kg, BMI = 19.995
2010-06-28 morning, my weight = 56.4 kg, BMI = 20.467
2010-07-28 morning, my weight = 55.5 kg, BMI = 20.140
2010-08-28 morning, my weight = 55.8 kg, BMI = 20.249
2010-09-28 morning, my weight = 55.8 kg, BMI = 20.249
2010-10-28 morning, my weight = 55.4 kg, BMI = 20.104
2010-11-28 morning, my weight = 55.6 kg, BMI = 20.177

Note 1: On 2010-10-30, Tanita BC532 replaced watson Scale because the battery low too fast.

Note 2:

At 0800 hour of 2010-11-28. Tanita BC 532 Scale = 55.6 kg

At 0530 hour of 2010-10-28. Watson Scale = 54.9 kg + 500g = 55.4 kg. Tanita Scale = not used

At 0530 hour of 2010-09-28. Watson Scale = 55.3 kg + 500g = 55.8kg. Tanita Scale = not used

At 0730 hour of 2010-08-28. Watson Scale = 55.3 kg + 500g = 55.8kg. Tanita Scale = not used

At 0530 hour of 2010-07-28. Watson Scale = 55.0 kg + 500g = 55.5kg
But Tanita Scale = not used

At 0530 hour of 2010-06-28. Watson Scale = 55.9 kg + 500g = 56.4 kg
But Tanita Scale = 56.2 kg .

At 0650 hour of 2010-04-28. Watson Scale = 55.2 kg and
Tanita Scale = 55.7 kg which is the same as Watson reading (in kg) + 500g.

At 0630 hour of 2010-05-28. Watson Scale = 54.6 kg + 500g = 55.1 kg

At 0650 hour of 2010-04-28. Watson Scale = 55.2 kg and
Tanita Scale = 55.7 kg which is the same as Watson reading (in kg) + 500g.

Note 3: From 2010-02-01, Watson weighing scale had replaced Camry, which became faulty. In the past reading of Camry was about 500g more than that of Watson. To maintain consistency, so my weight =Watson reading (in kg) + 500g.

On 2010-03-28, at about 7.40 am, my weight by Camry = 55.9 kg + 500g = 56.4 kg. I also used Tanita BC-532 Body Composition Monitor to confirm that my weight was 56.4 kg.


My current BMI is within the healthy range of 18.5 to 22.9.

For me, the range of healthy weight is 50.9786 kg (BMI = 18.5) to 63.10324 kg (BMI = 22.9).

People with BMI values of 23 kg/m2 (or 25 kg/m2 according to some sources) and above have been found to be at risk of developing heart disease and diabetes.

To be healthy, I must have a healthy weight.

Be as lean as possible without being underweight, as recommended by World Cancer Prevention Foundation, United Kingdom.

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Making a case for alkaline water (by Kenneth Wong, Managing director, H2O Life Source (SEA) )

The following is a letter by Kenneth Wong to ST Forum of the Straits Times dated 25 November 2010, Thursday.

Making a case for alkaline water

ALKALINE water is a general marketing term for the scientific terminology alkaline ionised water, alkaline reduced water or electrolysed reduced water (Dr Yik Keng Yeong, 'Don't be taken in by 'benefits' of alkali water'; Nov 15).

The benefits have been documented, and in 2004, a Korean scientist researching on alkaline ionised water received the highest national science award, the Jang Young Shil Science and Culture Award, which is regarded as South Korea's Nobel prize.

Alkaline ionised water is more than simply adding an alkaline chemical, such as baking soda, to water.

Anyone who is considering a water ioniser should seek professional advice, which will help them understand the benefits of alkaline ionised water and avoid misrepresentations.

As in any growing industry, there may be concerns over dubious establishments or inappropriate marketing.

Such concerns are best addressed through the enforcement of advertising standards or the setting up of an industry-based self-regulating body.

Kenneth Wong
Managing director
H2O Life Source (SEA)

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Runaway cancer (by Dr Wong Seng Weng)

The following article by Dr Wong Seng Weng is from Mind Your Body of the Straits Times dated 25 November 2010

Runaway cancer

When Mr L came to see me, he had advanced cancer of the large intestines, or colon cancer.
Unfortunately, the cancer had spread and invaded a substantial part of his liver.

He came across a newspaper article which cited my description of sorafenib, a new form of targeted therapy for advanced liver cancer, and requested that I gave him the treatment.
Liver cancer is entirely different from colon cancer that has spread to the liver.

Where the cancer originated from determines many of its characteristics, behaviour as well as the types of drug that would be effective against it.

No matter where the cancer cells spread to, they retain these basic characteristics determined by the mother cell from which they are derived.

That liver cancer is a different cancer from colon cancer is easily apparent to most. However, what many people, like MrL, fail to understand is that colon cancer that has spread to the liver does not become liver cancer, which evolved from liver mother cells.

Sensing that Mr L was a little confused over the difference, I used the analogy of immigration.
I explained: 'We are Asians. Even if we were to immigrate to Europe, we do not become Caucasians.

'We become Asians living in Europe. Our skin colour remains the same and we retain many of our Asian cultural and dietary habits."

'So when colon cancer spreads to the liver, the type of cell remains the same and retains the behaviour typical of colon cancer. The best treatment is to use drugs directed against colon cancer."

I selected a different form of targeted therapy for him, cetuximab, in combination with chemotherapy targeted at colon cancer with a high likelihood of inducing remission.

You, too, may have come across acquaintances telling a typical story of a patient who was first diagnosed with a particular cancer, say, breast cancer, and subsequently developed lung cancer and bone cancer.

In all likelihood, this was a story of a patient with breast cancer that spread to the lung and bones.

The discovery of cancer spread, known as metastasis, is a major catastrophe.

If we look upon cancer cells as terrorists that harm the healthy cells of our body - much like the way real-life terrorists harm ordinary citizens - then cancer cells spreading beyond the original confines of where they started are terrorists who escaped from detention.

In most cases when cancer has spread to other organs, total and permanent eradication of the disease is very difficult to achieve.

Advanced cancer, even if brought under control, tends to come back to haunt us.
War against advanced cancer becomes like guerilla warfare - a long drawn-out struggle with the cancer treatment team and the patient fighting side by side, killing most of the 'terrorists'.
But inevitably, a few survivors will successfully evade the attack to hide in mountains and caves, to regroup and fight another day.

When we have an escaped terrorist, there is no end to our troubles.

As it turned out, Mr L fared very well after treatment and the tumour in the liver shrank dramatically.

Prior to his treatment, it had been too large to be removed by surgery. But after four months of treatment, surgery could be safely performed to completely excise the tumour, removing the last vestige of the cancer in his body.

He remained in good health after a period of surveillance and, in all likelihood, has been cured. So 'the terrorist' was caught before it could do more harm.

However, it is better to stay vigilant against cancer by going for regular checks to detect it early than to have to go after a runaway cancer. We may not be lucky every time.

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Dr Wong Seng Weng, medical director of Singapore Medical Group's The Cancer Centre, has been treating cancer patients for the past 14 years. He was a Lim Boon Keng and Tan Siak Kew scholar of National University of Singapore. He concurrently holds the appointment of adjunct clinician scientist in Agency for Science, Technology and Research.

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Collagen myths busted (by LEE HUI CHIEH )

The following article by LEE HUI CHIEH is from Mind Your Body of the Straits Times dated 25 November 2010


Collagen myths busted

Collagen injections may cause allergies while eating it does not translate into more collagen in the skin. LEE HUI CHIEH reports

How would you like your collagen? Injected? Applied as a cream? Popped as a pill, eaten as sweets and chocolate or slurped in drinks and ramen (Japanese noodle) soups?

You can have any of it, with the current craze over collagen - a group of proteins needed for healthy skin, connective tissues and bones.

Its popularity has evolved over the last four decades, starting with injections in the 1970s, then creams and lotions, and pills, beverages and food in the last decade.

But all this is much ado about nothing - not because collagen has no value but because most products cannot replicate it.

Essential to keeping the body healthy, collagen comes in 29 different types and constitutes 20 to 30 per cent of protein in the body.

Derived from the Greek word for glue, kolla, it holds connective tissues together and is the main component of skin, connective tissues, cartilage, ligaments, tendons and bones, said DrAnjali Jhingan, a clinical fellow from the National Skin Centre.

It is also required to create the 'scaffold' on which cells are laid, so it is vital in the development of organs, said Dr Eric Wee, associate consultant gastroenterologist from Khoo Teck Puat Hospital.
Collagen is produced by cells in connective tissues and skin. The cells assemble amino acids made by the body or absorbed from dietary protein into collagen and deposit it where needed, Dr Wee said.

Wear and tear

Collagen breaks down over time from wear and tear and has to be replaced, said Dr Ang Por, a dermatologist from a Paragon clinic.

The wear is accelerated by free radicals - toxic by-products of cells breaking down because of sun exposure, pollution, smoking, alcohol use, stress and ageing.

'As we age, the skin's ability to replace damaged collagen diminishes, so the collagen becomes of poorer quality over time,' she said.

The body can also no longer produce enough to compensate for what is damaged, she said. As a result, skin sags, wrinkles form and wounds heal poorly.

A lack of amino acids and vitamin C, needed to form collagen, can also affect its production, said Dr Jhingan.

But it would be unusual for a healthy person to make too little collagen, resulting in medical problems, if he gets good nutrition, said Dr Wee.

Some genetic conditions can cause production to be insufficient or defective, which could lead to heart, eye and skeletal problems.

These include Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome resulting in paper-thin skin; Marfan's syndrome, causing patients to have long limbs and fingers; and osteogenesis imperfecta or brittle bone disease.
These cannot be cured but patients are monitored and their symptoms treated.

Oral supplements not effective

Dr Ang said: 'One must have adequate nutrition for the protein building blocks. Otherwise there is no raw material for the skin to manufacture collagen.

'But eating collagen does not translate into more collagen in the skin.'

Collagen in or added to food, beverages and pills is digested into amino acids, absorbed by the cells in the small intestine and used to make proteins the body needs.

Some evidence shows that amino acids from digested collagen can be used to synthesise collagen in the human body, DrWee said.

But these amino acids can also be used to create proteins other than collagen, he said.

There is scant evidence that oral collagen supplementation is warranted for any medical condition, he added.

Can't be absorbed by skin

It seems logical that applying collagen to the skin would help supplement levels.

It does not.Dr Jhingan said: 'The collagen molecules in skin care products are simply too large to be absorbed by the skin. Most just sit on top of the skin, and do nothing to help collagen reproduction deep in the facial tissue.'

What is BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) & DCI (Daily Caloric Intake) ?

Info Source: http://www.tanita.com/es/faq/#Q:_What_is_BMR___DCI_

Basal Metabolic Rate is the minimum level of energy need at rest to function effectively.

A person with a high BMR can burn more calories at rest than a person with a low BMR.

BMR is based on the level of muscle mass.

Daily Caloric Intake (DCI) is the amount of calories you can consume within 24 hours and still maintain your current weight.

Our (Tanita) Ironman scales give the BMR feature and the Innerscan scales give DCI readings.

Bone mass Guidelines (Health assessment guidelines) (by usq.edu.au)

Info Source: http://www.usq.edu.au/hr/healthsafe/usqsafe/corphealth/corpassess (University of Southern Queensland )

Bone mass Guidelines (Health assessment guidelines)

Bone mass

Female:
On average if weight is less then 50kg this will be approx 1.95kg
On average if weight is 50kg - 75kg this will be approx 2.4kg
On average if weight is above 75kg then bone mass will be approx 2.95kg

Male:
On average if weight is less then 65kg this will be approx 2.65kg
On average if weight is 65kg - 95kg this will be approx 3.29kg
On average if weight is above 95kg then bone mass will be approx 3.69kg

Not everyone who has low bone mass will develop osteoporosis, everyone with a low bone mass is at a higher risk for the diseases and the resulting fractures.

You can take steps to slow down your bone loss and prevent osteoporosis in your future.

Your doctor will want you to develop, or keep, healthy habits such as eating foods high in calcium and Vitamin D, doing weight bearing exercise like walking, jogging or dancing.

Please talk to an instructor for further recommendations.

Does Tanita's InnerScan Monitors measure bone density?

Tanita's InnerScan Monitors do not directly measure bone density. Please consult a physician if you are concerned about osteoporosis.

The above info is from http://www.tanita.com/en/body-composition-monitors-for-home-use/

Tanita Body Composition Monitors for Home Use


Tanita was the first company to design and manufacture body fat monitoring scales for in-home use. The technology you get when you buy a home scale is based on the same advanced technology found in our professional body composition analyzers used by doctors, medical centers, professional athletic teams, fitness clubs and personal trainers. We continue to focus on meeting your needs with more styles, models and more personalized features.

Cleared by the FDA - all Tanita monitors have undergone a stringent review by the FDA to ensure that our customers receive the highest quality, and most accurate, products on the market. Your confidence is our priority.


InnerScan Monitors:

Weight
Body Fat %
Muscle Mass
DCI
Visceral Fat
Body Water %
Physique Rating
Metabolic Age
Bone Mass

Tanita revolutionary new InnerScan line provides information never before available from a consumer scale. Anyone who is serious about improving his or her total health and fitness will love InnerScan.

InnerScan body composition monitors provide information never before available from a consumer scale- essential information for staying healthy and living a more active, vital life.

InnerScan gives you greater control over monitoring and improving your health and fitness. It's exciting new technology from Tanita, the company that brought you the first body fat scales for in-home use. These products are also available in a co-branded Ironman and Iron Girl series.

InnerScan is for anyone who is serious about monitoring their health and fitness. It provides professional-quality body composition analysis in the comfort and privacy of your home.

Warning: Do not use the body fat reading feature of these products if you are pregnant or have a pacemaker or other internal electronic medical device.

* Tanita's InnerScan Monitors do not directly measure bone density. Please consult a physician if you are concerned about osteoporosis.


The above info is from http://www.tanita.com/en/body-composition-monitors-for-home-use/

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Build Bones in Your Youth 9Adequate daily calcium intakes by age)(by webmd.com)

Healthy habits as a child or teenager can pay off years later with stronger bones.

Young people can build their bones by eating calcium-rich foods, getting enough vitamin D (through sunshine or diet), and exercising regularly.

Adequate daily calcium intakes by age include:

Under 1 year: 210-270 mg

1-3 years: 500 mg

4-8 years: 800 mg

9-18 years: 1,300 mg

19-50 years : 1,000 mg

50+ years: 1,200 mg

By age 30, the average woman has built 98% of her peak bone mass.

Info Source: http://www.webmd.com/osteoporosis/slideshow-osteoporosis-overview?ecd=wnl_hbn_112210

Supplements for Healthy Bones (by webmd.com)

Most Americans get far less calcium from their diets than they need.

There are two main types of calcium supplements, calcium carbonate and calcium citrate, and both are equally beneficial.

Depending on your dose, your doctor may recommend splitting your dose -- taking half in the morning and half later in the day -- to improve absorption.

Experts also recommend vitamin D to aid the absorption of calcium.

Info Source: http://www.webmd.com/osteoporosis/slideshow-osteoporosis-overview?ecd=wnl_hbn_112210

Which Foods Have the Most Calcium? (by webmd.com)

Drinking a glass of vitamin D-fortified milk is one of the best ways to get your calcium.

Other dairy products vary in their calcium content.

Yogurt and cheese are better choices than ice cream or frozen yogurt.

Fish, such as sardines and salmon, are good sources.

Fortified foods, such as cereals and orange juice, can also provide a lot of calcium.

Info Source: http://www.webmd.com/osteoporosis/slideshow-osteoporosis-overview?ecd=wnl_hbn_112210

Foods That Are Bad to the Bone (by webmd.com)

Some foods can sap your body's calcium.

Minimize salty foods such as canned soups and processed meats.

Most Americans get much more sodium than they need.

Caffeine can decrease your body's absorption of calcium, but the effect is minimal unless you drink more than three cups of coffee a day.

Heavy alcohol use can also lead to bone loss.

Info Source: http://www.webmd.com/osteoporosis/slideshow-osteoporosis-overview?ecd=wnl_hbn_112210

Bone-Building Foods (by webmd.com)

Eating calcium-rich foods can help protect your bones no matter what your age.

You need the equivalent of about three and a half eight-ounce glasses of milk a day.

Fish such as salmon, tuna, and herring also contain vitamin D, which helps us absorb calcium, and leafy green vegetables also provide magnesium, which helps maintain good bone quality.

Some foods and drinks are also fortified with calcium and vitamin D.

Info Source: http://www.webmd.com/osteoporosis/slideshow-osteoporosis-overview?ecd=wnl_hbn_112210

Monday, November 22, 2010

Happiness is a decision.

Happiness is a decision.

be happy with what you are and have.

Or die from envy and jealousy of what you lack.

Source: Internet

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Smiling is contagious

Smiling is contagious.

you catch it like the flu.

When someone smiled at me today, I started smiling too.

I passed around the corner, and someone saw my grin.

When he smiled I realized, I'd passed it on to him.

I thought about that smile, then I realized its worth.

A single smile, just like mine,could travel round the earth.

So, if you feel a smile begin, don't leave it undetected.

Let's start an epidemic quickand get the world infected ! ! !

Author Unknown

Info Source: http://www.paradiseawaits.com/Smile.html

Don't be taken in by 'benefits' of alkali water (by Dr Yik Keng Yeong )

The following is a letter by Dr Yik Keng Yeong to the ST Forum of the Straits Times dated 15 November 2010.

=========================================================

Don't be taken in by 'benefits' of alkali water

OF LATE, more and more patients have been approaching family practitioners asking whether the ingestion of alkali water has a salutary effect on health.

Insofar as I know, no reputable scientific or medical journal has recorded any beneficiary effects of alkaline or ionised water. The structure of the human digestive system is such that the potent acids of the stomach will quickly neutralise whatever small amount - if any - of alkali water made in an ionising machine and ingested orally.

At any rate, these acidic contents from the stomach, once emptied into the intestines, encounter the strong alkaline digestive juices secreted by the pancreas, so the visceral contents turn naturally alkaline.

Adding either acid or alkali to the diet is therefore superfluous as the physiology of the human body just does not need such meddling - acid-base homeostasis being judiciously regulated by the lungs and the kidneys.

Makers of alkali/ionising water machines exploit credulous patients by proclaiming their nostrum as a panacea for curing everything from hair loss to osteoporosis to cancer. Sadly, unsuspecting patients are hoodwinked by their claims which are impressively supported by reams of gobbledegook masquerading as science.

The health authorities should come out against this practice and arrest this trend among the gullible.

Dr Yik Keng Yeong

Miracle water ? ( Alkaline water) by Nicholas Yong

This article is from the Lifestyle>Pulse of Sunday Times dated Nov 21, 2010.

===========================================================
Miracle water?
Those who drink alkaline water say they reap health benefits but doctors are cautious
By Nicholas Yong



Marketing manager Paul Wu paid $2,200 for an ionising machine more than a year ago.
Via a process called electrolysis, such machines convert tap water into what is variously called alkaline ionised water, alkali reduced water and, most popularly, alkali or alkaline water.
The makers of these gadgets say alkaline water is full of negative hydrogen ions and packed with minerals such as potassium and magnesium.

They help reduce excessive acidity in the body, the makers add, noting that excessive acidity can lead to increased production of fats and even degenerative diseases.

After doing some research, Mr Wu, 31, decided to give the machine a try as he had been suffering from gout for the past three years, often leaving him with swelling in his big toe and ankle.

He said he saw an improvement in his condition after drinking more than 2 litres of alkaline water a day for about five months. 'The intensity of the attacks is a lot milder now and they are also less frequent,' he notes.

'This is definitely due to the alkali water as my diet has not changed much and I have not changed my medication either.'

But in a recent letter to The Straits Times forum, Dr Yik Keng Yeong said 'no reputable scientific or medical journal has recorded any beneficiary effects of alkaline or ionised water'.
The general practitioner with 30 years' experience told LifeStyle that the whole notion of alkali water is just 'pseudo-science'.

He notes: 'The body already has a natural process by which it maintains a healthy pH range, so what is the point of putting in alkali water?'

In his forum letter, he had also urged health authorities to act against the makers of ionising machines so that unsuspecting patients would not be 'hoodwinked'. In response to queries from LifeStyle, the Health Ministry and the Health Sciences Authority said that these machines do not fall under their purview.

The Consumers Association of Singapore says it has not received any complaints in the last two years.

Ionising machines have been available here as early as 1988. A quick check revealed that there are at least three companies selling the contraption, at prices from more than $2,000 to about $3,000.

They claim that by connecting the machines to the water supply, the alkaline water helps with everything from weight management and improving the body's immunity to slowing down ageing and coping with chronic diseases such as gout and diabetes.

Consumers of alkali water say it tastes different from normal water, describing it as 'clear', 'softer' and 'easier to swallow'.

'My whole family has become so used to the taste and texture that we find water from other sources different and not as nice,' says housewife Daisy Choo, 62, who has been using the device for five years.

But she admits to not discerning any obvious health benefits from drinking the alkali water.
Other doctors whom LifeStyle spoke to echoed Dr Yik's point that the body already has a natural means of regulating pH, or acidic, levels.

Endocrinologist Dr Stanley Liew of Raffles Hospital says: 'Humans have a robust buffer system, which tightly controls the body's pH constant at around 7.4, so we usually don't have to meddle too much.'

The pH level is usually affected only when, for example, the person is ill, if he has experienced a drug overdose, has severe asthma or is hyperventilating.

'The amount of alkali present in ionised water is physiologically insignificant. Changing the pH of our drinking water would not even change the pH in our stomach, let alone the rest of the body.'
Dr Liew adds that there is no credible scientific evidence to support the benefits of alkali water.
According to the Public Utilities Board website, the pH level in Singapore's tap water is between seven and nine.

But former Member of Parliament Dr Koh Lam Son says the subject of alkaline ionised water has been widely researched in the last 50 years, mainly in Russia, Japan and South Korea.
He runs his own clinic specialising in age management and regenerative medicine.

He cites a clinical study at Kyoto Perfectural University of Medicine in 2008 that apparently shows proof of the beneficial effects of alkaline water in diabetic patients and people with insulin resistance.

Through the website of H2O LifeSource, a company which sells ionising machines, customers can pose questions to Dr Koh about alkaline water. The company's products are also on sale at his clinic.

H2O LifeSource's managing director Kenneth Wong says that since the 1990s, there have been 'more than 100 research papers in reputable journals and conference presentations' related to alkaline reduced water and their benefits.

Still, even as the debate over alkaline water draws a range of opinions, these appear to make little difference to consumers such as Madam Choo.

'Although there does not seem to be any hard scientific evidence supporting ionised water, it does not seem to pose any harm either. So we will continue to drink it,' she says.

Shedding light on a weighty problem (by Grace Chua )

Info Source: This article by Grace Chua is from the Sunday Times dated Nov 21, 2010.

=========================================================

Shedding light on a weighty problem
Health economist stresses need to make it easier for people to exercise and adopt better eating habits
By Grace Chua



Trying to lose weight? Forget conventional wisdom. When it comes to fighting obesity, willpower alone would not cut it.

Worldwide, technology and cheaper food production are making it much harder for people to eat healthily and get exercise, said Duke-National University of Singapore health economist Eric Finkelstein, at a recent health and biomedical conference on the economics of obesity.

'The deck is stacked against humans,' said Professor Finkelstein, who has been based in Singapore for just over a year.

Singapore is no exception, he added, with hawker and fast food easily available, and convenient public transport.

The island state faces the same growing obesity problem as other developed countries: One in 10 people is obese; this is 10.8 per cent of the population, up from 6.9 per cent in 2004. Half the population do not exercise at all.

Obesity has a specific medical definition: having a body mass index (BMI) - a measure of body density - that is greater than 30.

The obese are at greater risk of ailments such as diabetes and heart disease. Also, the life expectancy of those with a BMI of over 40 can be 10 years shorter than that of someone of healthy weight - with a BMI that is between 18.5 and 24.9.

The health consequences of obesity also put a strain on hospitals and health systems - in the form of more patients and higher medical bills - and on employers, as sick people miss more days of work.

Yet, Prof Finkelstein and other economists have found that conventional information campaigns about the impact of diet and lifestyle do not work.

For example, in studies, obese people recognised that carrying excess weight was bad for their health, but that did not translate into action.

'People discount future health effects and things that have very small probabilities, such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease,' Prof Finkelstein said. That is why new incentives are needed to get people to change their lifestyle - and for that change to be sustained, he added.

Some tactics can be sneaky and ingenious. For instance, those eating off a plate with a line around its rim, an inch from the edge, ate less than people eating off a solid-coloured plate. The line produced the visual illusion of a smaller plate.

Others are more straightforward - such as higher insurance premiums for the obese, and entering them into a lottery where they win prizes for losing weight.

But do such measures work in the long term? 'We can't get people to keep the weight off long enough,' Prof Finkelstein admitted.

He is helping to assess the effectiveness of the Singapore Armed Forces' weight management programme and has also proposed studies using pedometers and different types of incentives.

Other measures, like the junk food taxes being bandied around in the United States and Europe, may do much to raise tax revenue, but little to trim waistlines.

US health economists have found that if a particular food type, such as salty snacks or carbonated soft drinks, is taxed, people tend to replace it with an equally unhealthy but untaxed substitute.

Where there are no cheap substitutes, such 'sin taxes' do work. For instance, all tobacco products in Singapore bear high import duties, a move which has helped cut smoking rates from a quarter of the population in the 1970s to 14 per cent today.

The Health Promotion Board (HPB) recognises that new incentives and strategies are needed. Chairman Lucas Chow, in a speech at the health conference organised by the National Healthcare Group and the National University Health System, said the agency has to reach out to people via new media like Facebook and engage them through public consultations. For example, the HPB's Facebook page was 'liked' by 15,836 people at last check.

But a mouse click to 'like' something is very different from eating healthy food or exercising regularly. How many of these 15,836 people are making some sort of commitment to a healthy lifestyle?

Also, the HPB's healthy-meal discount coupons may be outdone by $3 char kway teow at hawker centres and a value meal at a fast-food restaurant.

Restaurants and fast-food chains may offer healthy options like salads, but such items do not sell well. In a US study published in the Journal of Consumer Research last year, researchers found that adding a healthy option to the menu did not encourage people to pick that item. Instead, it had the opposite effect, where people picked even unhealthier options.

So getting people to eat healthily and exercise regularly is an uphill struggle. But they matter more than weight - as inactive, unhealthy thin people are also at risk for disease and death.

Prof Finkelstein weighed in: 'If you really want to get people to make long-term behaviour changes, you have to make those changes easy. You need to provide easy access to physical activity spaces, safe walking trails, and make healthy foods more known and more available.'

=========================================================
A growing problem
Singapore faces the same growing obesity problem as other developed countries:
· One in 10 people, or 10.8 per cent of the population, is obese, up from 6.9 per cent in 2004.
· Half the population do not exercise at all.

=========================================================

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Vegan Coach --- Discover The Secrets To EASY Vegan Cooking and Nutrition

Learn how to create your very own YUMMY and HEALTHY vegan recipes in minutes from scratch. Plus, discover everyday vegan cooking and nutrition advice!

Please visit http://www.vegancoach.com/

Friday, November 19, 2010

Sending out the wrong signals (by Andy Ho, Senior Writer)

Info Source: The Straits Times dated 6 Nov 2010.

By: Andy Ho, Senior Writer

SEVERAL non-physicians are offering 'bioresonance' as a cure-all for ills ranging from allergies and addictions to autism and cancers.

All for $150 to $300 for one to 1-1/2 hours at a device that looks like any oscilloscope you might find in a physics lab.

Recently, a Bedok general practitioner called Dr Erwin Kay was censured by the Singapore Medical Council for 'treating' patients with the device. He was fined $5,000 for professional misconduct.

But while bioresonance is not accepted as a method of medical treatment that trained physicians may use, it is perfectly legal for non-physicians to offer it.

In the United States, by contrast, the extravagant claims that these operators make for bioresonance may see them hauled off to court.

For instance, in October 2002, a bogus cancer cure guru, David L. Walker, had to settle with the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The FTC, which works to prevent consumers from being defrauded, had taken him to court for claiming that he could cure cancer with his bioresonance machine.

What practitioners like Mr Walker claim their 'remedy' can do is based on the unproven premise that cells in the human body have a natural vibration or resonance. Hence, bio-resonance. That is, they vibrate or resonate at 'healthy frequencies' whereas unhealthy cells supposedly do so at different frequencies.

It follows, therefore, that healthy frequencies should be applied to ill bodies to bring them into balance once again. Such rebalancing apparently would free unhealthy cells of unspecified toxins accumulated in the course of ill health.

What is needed, then, is a device that can detect these differences in frequencies, determine which organs are ill and then deliver opposite waves to 'cancel out' the unhealthy frequencies. This is where the bioresonance device comes in.

In use, the electrodes linked to the device are applied to the patient's skin to supposedly diagnose one's conditions. The electrodes send out electrical signals that perform their 'wave interference' work adroitly, thus leading to a rebalancing of frequencies.

The stated frequency range at which rebalancing occurs is said to vary greatly from 10 Hz to 150,000 Hz. Computerised data recording goes on even as the electrodes emit their healing frequencies.

Computer power is also used to analyse the data and interpret the results to give an indication of the patient's health.

Signal intensity is then varied according to these analyses, which may also direct the practitioner to focus the electrodes on a specific part of the anatomy where treatment is particularly needed. Of course, several sessions are needed to achieve re-balancing and healing.

There is absolutely no credible scientific evidence to support this gobbledegook. The evidence that does exist utterly refutes its theory and practice.

In a randomised, double-blind trial involving children in Davos, Switzerland, who had an allergic skin condition called atopic dermatitis, bioresonance was found to have no curative effect at all.
In a separate trial, bioresonance electrodes were tested for accuracy in the diagnosis of allergies to house dust mites or cat dander. Their accuracy was compared to that of the standard skin-prick test used by dermatologists. There was absolutely no correlation between the two sets of results.

A similar trial published in the British Medical Journal in January 2001 also showed that the bioresonance machine failed to diagnose skin allergies.

Since these are not life-threatening conditions, perhaps the practice of bioresonance is quite harmless. Not so, however, when it is also claimed to cure cancer.

Though there have been no clinical trials to test this claim, it is based on completely erroneous science. Advocates argue that the bioresonance device can kill cancer cells by releasing tumour suppressor genes that have become 'suppressed'. Alternatively, or in addition, it is said to attenuate hyperactive oncogenes or genes that cause cancer.

Actually, cancer arises when mutations develop in these genes, not because they are suppressed or become hyperactive, respectively. Once mutations have developed in them, genes cannot be restored to their previously normal state.

The p53 gene helps to regulate when a particular type of cell will divide in two. It also leads defective cells to 'commit suicide'. But when p53 mutates, it can no longer do these things, so cancer develops.

But bioresonance advocates claim that p53 is 'suppressed', not mutated, in cancer cells. For this reason, it is argued, bioresonance can be used to reinvigorate p53, thus curing the cancer.
But genomics studies show p53 is mutated, not suppressed, in cancers.

In sum, bioresonance is junk science. Advocates may trot out testimonials from satisfied customers, but testimonials are not data. Its efficacy can be proven only with trustworthy data obtained from rigorous trials with blinded controls.

But since anyone may make and sell these devices - that is, the technology can no longer be patented since it is widely available - no one has any incentive to invest in such studies.
Be that as it may, unless and until such studies are done, one should stay away from this 'therapy'.

x------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HOW IT WORKS

The bioresonance device called the BICOM, can supposedly detect differences in frequencies, determine which organs are ill and then deliver opposite waves to 'cancel out' the unhealthy frequencies. Electrodes linked to the device send out electrical signals that perform their 'wave interference' work adroitly, thus leading to a re-balancing of frequencies, say advocates. Computerised data recording goes on, and computer power is used to analyse the data and interpret the results to give an indication of the patient's health.

Signal intensity is then varied according to these analyses, which may also direct the practitioner to focus the electrodes on a specific part of the anatomy where treatment is particularly needed. Several sessions are needed to achieve 're-balancing and healing'.
x----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Don't make cancer harder than it is (by Dr Choo Su Pin and Dr Toh Han Chong )

A letter by Dr Choo Su Pin and Dr Toh Han Chong to the Straits Times Forum dated 11Nov 2010 by

AS MEDICAL oncologists, we were heartened to read Dr Andy Ho's column last Saturday ('Sending out the wrong signals', 6th Nov).

It is a daily struggle trying to convince some desperate cancer patients that they are unwittingly giving away their time and money to mumbo jumbo like bioresonance therapy.

Earlier this year, a woman was referred to our centre after she was told by her bioresonance therapist that she had Stage 2 gastric cancer detected by bioresonance. In the end, she did not have any cancer but ended up with a needless CT scan, upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, blood tests and a lot of unnecessary anxiety.

More recently, another patient asked a colleague if she should go for bioresonance therapy at a popular bioresonance therapy centre. One cannot say that bioresonance therapy and similar unproven therapies are harmless, as they can lead to unnecessary investigations, wastage of money and resources, and worse, patients refusing conventionally proven therapy with evidence of real benefits.

We remember a patient with potentially curable lymphoma who refused curative chemotherapy and went on a strict diet based on its recommendation as anti-cancer therapy.

He was only 35 years old and almost died from renal failure and other electrolyte abnormalities caused by the diet before he eventually died from the lymphoma itself.

It is frustrating, especially when patients refuse conventional therapy which can potentially achieve good outcomes and even cures in favour of unproven alternative therapies.

It is easy to exploit vulnerable cancer patients, create fear and promise unsubstantiated hope. Cancer patients and their relatives may willingly pay for unproven therapies with little or no solid basis in science, common sense or evidence but solely based on hearsay, if there is even a glimmer of hope for their often terminal illness.

While most alternative treatments, like mangosteen juice and wheatgrass, have not shown anti-cancer effects in humans, others like chelation therapy, oxygen therapy, coffee enemas and various antioxidant therapies have been reported to cause dangerous effects in patients.

We respect that there may be some treatments and supplements that may indeed be proven beneficial one day, but these cannot be oversold beyond what is known about their true benefits.
It is our responsibility and that of the media to educate the public and point people in the right direction and away from baseless cancer-treatment claims.

Dr Choo Su Pin and Dr Toh Han Chong
National Cancer Centre Singapore

Mainstream doctors shouldn't be insensitive to alternative medicine (by Richard Seah)

A letter by Richard Seah to the Straits Times Forum dated 19 Nov 2010, Friday.


LAST week, National Cancer Centre oncologists Dr Choo Su Pin and Dr Toh Han Chong teed off their letter ('Don't make cancer harder than it is'; Nov 11) on a commentary by senior writer Dr Andy Ho which was critical of bioresonance therapy ('Sending out the wrong signals'; Nov 6).

Dr Ho, who has a Western medical degree, described bioresonance as 'gobbledegook' while Dr Choo and Dr Toh described bioresonance and alternative medicine in similar vein.

In his columns, Dr Ho also routinely uses the word 'quack' to describe practitioners of complementary and alternative medicine.

Recently, Dr Ho criticised Dr Christiane Northrup, a world-renowned doctor who advocates holistic medicine and has authored books on women's health. His comments also ridiculed the Chinese concept of qi which she advocates as a healing virtue.

Dr Ho made qi seem superstitious by linking it with cosmology when, in fact, qi is associated with Chinese culture and medicine.

Previously too, Dr Ang Peng Tiam, a columnist with Mind Your Body, the weekly health magazine that is distributed free every Thursday with a paid copy of The Straits Times, had dismissed alternative anti-cancer diets as 'old wives' tales'.

Such rudeness and insensitivity are a shame. Singapore, with its advanced medical technology and rich influences of Chinese, Indian and South-east Asian traditional medicine, has a rare opportunity to play a leading global role in studying how these health-care systems might complement each other.

But with close-minded doctors displaying a dismissive, I-know-better-than-you attitude towards health- care professionals from other schools of thought, the door to this great opportunity will remain unfortunately shut.

Richard Seah

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Happiness

It is the art of living, the purpose of our existence.

Happiness is the true index of quality of life.

Without happiness, life is dry and meaningless.

With happiness, life immediately becomes fulfilling and wonderful.

Happiness is an infectious feeling that immediately lifts the sagging spirits of people.

Happy people keep themselves happy because they know the little ways to appreciate themselves and to see the humour and magic in each moment.

Source: Thought for Today, info@thoughtfortoday.org.uk


Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Common Adult Skin Problems Slideshow: Shingles, Hives, Eczema, Psoriasis, and More (by webmd.com)

Please visit http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/slideshow-common-adult-skin-problems

Info Source: http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/slideshow-common-adult-skin-problems

Eczema
Eczema describes several non-contagious conditions where skin is inflamed, red, dry, and itchy. Stress, irritants (like soaps), allergens, and climate can trigger flare-ups though they're not eczema's cause, which is unknown. In adults, eczema often occurs on the elbows and hands, and in "bending" areas, such as inside the elbows. Treatments include topical or oral medications and shots.

Psoriasis
A non-contagious rash of thick red plaques covered with white or silvery scales, psoriasis usually affects the scalp, elbows, knees, and lower back. The rash can heal and recur throughout life. The cause of psoriasis is unknown, but the immune system triggers new skin cells to develop too quickly. Treatments include medications applied to the skin, light therapy, and medications taken by mouth, injection or infusion.

Hives (Urticaria)
A common allergic reaction that looks like welts, hives are often itchy, stinging, or burning. Hives vary in size and may join together to form larger areas. They may appear anywhere and last minutes or days. Medications, foods, food additives, temperature extremes, and infections like strep throat are some causes of hives. Antihistamines can provide relief.

Shingles (Herpes Zoster)
Shingles starts with burning, tingling, or very sensitive skin. A rash of raised dots develops into painful blisters that last about two weeks. Shingles often occurs on the trunk and buttocks, but can appear anywhere. Most people recover, but pain, numbness, and itching linger for many -- and may last for months, years, or the rest of their lives. Treatment with antiviral drugs, steroids, antidepressants, and topical agents can help.


Rosacea
Often beginning as a tendency to flush easily, rosacea causes redness on the nose, chin, cheeks, forehead, even the eyes. The redness may intensify over time, taking on a ruddy appearance with visible blood vessels. In some cases, thickened skin, bumps and pus-filled pimples can develop. Rosacea treatment includes medications as well as surgical procedures such as laser therapy, dermabrasion, and electrocautery to reshape affected areas.

Cold Sores (Fever Blisters)
Small, painful, fluid-filled blisters on the mouth or nose, cold sores are caused by the herpes simplex virus. Lasting about 10-14 days, cold sores are very contagious. Triggers can include fever, too much sun, stress, or hormonal changes such as menstruation. Antiviral pills or creams can be used as treatment, but call your doctor if sores contain pus, you have a fever greater than 100.5 degrees, or if your eyes become irritated.

Rash From Plants
Contact with the oily coating from poison ivy, oak, and sumac causes a rash in many people. It begins with redness and swelling at the contact site, then becomes intensely itchy with the development of blisters usually 12 to 72 hours after exposure. The typical rash is arranged as a red line on an exposed area, caused by the plant dragging across the skin. The rash usually lasts up to two weeks.

Soothe Itchy Plant Rashes
Prescription or over-the-counter medication may soothe the itching of mild rashes. Cool compresses and oatmeal baths may help with symptoms. For a severe rash, oral corticosteroid may be given. If the skin becomes infected, antibiotics may be necessary. Avoiding direct contact with the plants can prevent the rash, so learn to recognize poisonous plants. In general, poison oak grows west of the Rockies; poison ivy to the east.

Razor Bumps
Razor bumps are tiny, irritated bumps that develop after shaving. People with curly hair are most affected by them. The sharp edge of closely shaven hair can curl back and grow into the skin, causing irritation and pimples, and even scarring. To minimize razor bumps, take a hot shower before shaving, shave in the direction of hair growth, and don't stretch the skin while shaving. Rinse with cold water, then apply moisturizer.

Skin Tags
A skin tag is a small flap of flesh-colored or slightly darker tissue that hangs off the skin by a connecting stalk. They're usually found on the neck, chest, back, armpits, under the breasts, or in the groin area. Skin tags appear most often in women and elderly people. They are not dangerous and usually don't cause pain unless they become irritated by clothing or nearby skin rubbing against them. A doctor can remove a skin tag by cutting, freezing, or burning it off.

Acne
At the heart of acne lies a clogged pore from oil and dead skin cells that can become inflamed. When open, it is called a blackhead or open comedo; closed, a whitehead or closed comedo. Often seen on the face, chest, and back, acne can be triggered hormones and bacteria. To help control it, keep oily areas clean and don't squeeze pimples (it may cause infection and scars).

Athlete's Foot
A fungal skin infection that can cause peeling, redness, itching, burning, and sometimes blisters and sores, athlete's foot is contagious, passed by direct contact, sharing shoes worn by an infected person, or by walking barefoot in areas such as locker rooms or near pools. It's usually treated with topical antifungal lotions or oral medications for more severe cases. Keeping feet and the inside of shoes clean and dry is important in treatment.

Moles
Usually brown or black, moles can be anywhere on the body, alone or in groups, and generally appear before age 20. Some moles (not all) change slowly over the years, becoming raised, developing hair, and/or changing color. While most are non-cancerous, some moles have a higher risk of becoming cancerous. Have a dermatologist evaluate moles that change, have irregular borders, unusual or uneven color, bleed, or itch.

Age or Liver Spots
These pesky brown or gray spots are not really caused by aging, though they do become more common as people age. They're the result of sun exposure, which is why they tend to appear on areas that get a lot of sun, such as the face, hands, and arms. Bleaching creams, acid peels, and light-based treatments may lessen their appearance. To rule out serious skin conditions such as melanoma, see a dermatologist for proper identification.

Pityriasis Rosea
A harmless rash, pityriasis rosea usually begins with a single, scaly pink patch with a raised border. Days to weeks later, a scaly rash appears on the arms, legs, back, chest, and abdomen, and sometimes the neck. The rash may appear "Christmas tree" shaped across the body. The rash, whose cause is unknown, isn't believed to be contagious and can be itchy. It often goes away in 6-8 weeks without treatment. Pityriasis rosea is most often seen between the ages of 10 and 35.

Melasma ('Pregnancy Mask')
Melasma (chloasma) is characterized by tan or brown patches on the cheeks, nose, forehead, and chin. Although usually called the "pregnancy mask," men can also develop it. Melasma occurs in half of all women during pregnancy. It may go away after pregnancy but, if it persists, can be treated with prescription creams and over-the-counter products. Use a sunscreen at all times if you have melasma, as sunlight worsens the condition.

Warts
In most cases, common warts appear on the fingers or hands. Caused by contact with the contagious human papillomavirus, warts can spread from person to person or via contact with something used by a person with the virus. You can prevent spreading warts by not picking them, covering them with bandages, and keeping them dry. In most cases, warts are harmless, painless, and go away on their own. If they persist, treatments include freezing, surgery, lasers, and chemicals.

Seborrheic Keratoses
Noncancerous growths that may develop with age, seborrheic keratoses can appear on many areas of the skin either alone or in groups. They may be dark or multicolored, and they usually have a grainy surface, though they can be smooth and waxy. No treatment is necessary unless irritation develops or their appearance is a concern. Because seborrheic keratoses may be mistaken for moles or skin cancer, see a dermatologist for proper diagnosis.

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