Cow's milk are for cows.

As much as I love milk, I have been cutting down on fresh milk consumption for some time, because I want to reduce my protein intake. Trying to do the same for carbohydrates, but I am a carbo junkie - can't live without rice and noodles. =p

Anyway, if you google around for cow's milk, you may come across many articles that downplays the importance of cow's milk.

I will summarise some of the findings here.

(1) Any mucus-forming food, dairy being at the top of his list, is poison.

(2) A newborn's digestive system that is not yet developed is ill-equipped to handle milk protein. That's why many infants display many negative symptoms (eczema for example) after consumption of cow's milk.

(3) Scientists are finding correlations between milk and heart diseases, obesity and breast cancer (and people actually wonder why these diseases are so prevalent).

(4) While advertisements stress on how much more calcium their milk has, what they didn't tell you is the low bioavailability - cow's milk can have tons of calcium but they are in a form that is not easily absorbed by the human's body. So you should get your calcium by consuming leafy vegetables and beans (and supplements, if you are into it) instead.

(5) Cows eat grass. And ever wonder how some cows (and the grass) grow so fast and "healthy"? Steroids, stabilisers, hormones etc... Chemical milk, anyone?

And if you are still not convinced, someone written a book called "Don't drink your Milk! - New Frightening Medical Facts about the World's Most Overrated Nutrient".



All in all...
If you are a cow, then cow's milk are for you!

Else you might want to consider soya bean milk, which has no cholesterol and little saturated fats, contains isoflavones (which are antioxidants) and won't cause any milk allergy/lactose intolerance.

About the Author: Shingo T has nothing against cows, other than the enormous amount of greenhouse gases (methane) that cows produce when they fart.

Why you should not work all your life

This post is specially dedicated to my friend Wenny, who has recently posted an entry about deciding between retiring early or starting a business with a friend.

Singapore's reowned Lee Kwan Yew recently gave his opinion that there should be no retirement age. There was quite a buzz over the internet forums over this statement. To be fair to Mr Lee, I think his comments had good intentions, given how the old are generally snubbed by most companies in Singapore.

Anyway, this guy called Tan Kok Tim submitted his commentary to Today, Singapore's free newspapers. And he quoted 2 studies that showed that Mr Lee's comments are not advisable for health.

I have (shamelessly) copied an excerpt of the article to save myself from parahrasing them.

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Japanese Nobel Laureate Dr Leo Esaki once spoke on the relationship between longevity and retirement age. He revealed that the pension funds in many large companies such as AT&T, Boeing, Lockheed, Lucent, and so on, are overfunded as many who retire at the age of 65, usually die within two years of retirement.

Separately, Dr Ephrem Cheng of the University of Alberta did an actuarial study of lifespan versus age at retirement, based on the number of pension cheques sent to Boeing Aerospace retirees. It found that staff who retire at the age of 50 had an average lifespan of 86. Those who retire at the age of 65 live to an average age of just 66.8.

This study concludes that for every year a person works beyond the age of 55, he lives an average of two years less.

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Often, we hear people who want to work as long as possible to stay senile. Well, there are many ways to stay senile, like doing volunteer work, bonding with the family, or picking up new skills that does not cause stress.

If I had a choice, I will retire as early as I can. With the high inflation in Singapore, it's becoming increasingly impossible though. I used to joke that I want to buy a plot of land in Malaysia to grow crops when I get old. Maybe I should seriously consider that proposition!

And to my friend Wenny, I think you made the right choice. Enjoy life to the fullest, don't stress yourself out.

Source: TodayOnline: retire early, live longer

Early Birds versus Night Owls

As much as possible, I sleep by 12 midnight and wake up before 8am, not just for weekdays but also for weekends.

This isn't exactly early compared to the guys who sleep at 10pm and wake up by 6am, but I thought this is considered "early bird" by Singapore standards.

It's pretty amazing how everyone choose to be a night owl, and sleep in the wee hours (2-3am? it's crazy!) when it's well documented how bad for health it can be. From the traditional chinese medicine perspective, different parts of the organs rest at different time. And the all-important liver (one of the main detoxifying organ other than the kidney) needs to rest at 10-11pm.

Refuse to let your liver rest and see how slack it becomes when he needs to clear the sh*t in your body.

When I was young, I used to clubbed till the wee hours, come home and sleep for 8 hours (or more), and still feel lethargic after I get up, even when I consume minimal alcohol (I'm allergic). As some sleep experts argue, it's not how much you sleep, but rather how early you sleep that affects your quality of sleep.

Maybe I'm getting much older, I'm starting to feel half asleep before midnight. Sniff.

There's a big difference between day and night.

Early day is associated with aunties buying stuffs from the wet market. Or old people doing taiji in the park. Or old people taking their caged birds out for Chinese tea. One word to sum it - Slow.

Late Night on the other hand, is summarised using the word "Happening". The most popular primetime dramas are always slotted at night-time. Movie theatres screen midnight movies, in fact there are no movies in the early morning. There are 2 meals at night, namely dinner and supper, even though we know that SUPPER MAKES YOU FAT.

I say it's about time that night owls clean up their act, and look at the "bright side" of life. To be an early bird, you are less likely to snack at night, and more likely to have a better quality of life. There's way too many things to do at night, but most aren't value-adding to your life. TV, surfing porn Net, MSNing your friends, facebooking etc... You are more likely to be a sleep junkie, one who lost out on sleep because you are addicted to modern technology.

Translate your timetable, move everything forward by 1-2 hours. Sleep a little earlier, so you can wake up earlier, fresher and healthier. Record your TV shows if they are shown too late, you can watch them in the morning. The air in the morning is fresher, and with the lack of happenings to do in the morning, you are more likely to do something that has been neglected in the past - Jogging? Read the papers? Clean up your room? Communicate with your parents?

Some Night owls may argue that they sleep late so that they can do more of their own things before they sleep and begin the dreaded work the next day. I say that's myopic because when you wake up the next day, the FIRST few thing you gonna do is to work. And that sucks.

In contrast, an Early Bird wakes up early and do his own things BEFORE he goes to work. So that's an incentive to wake up early. He's less likely to reach work late, and may even avoid the morning traffic jam.

To each his own, but someday I will lead the Early Birds to kick the Night Owl's a** and take over the world. Muahahaha.

But that will mean me against 90% of the world. =(

About the Author: Shingo T will be hosting the Early Morning Show with Shingo T to combat the ratings for Late Night Show with David Letterman.

The 5 years gap

Wifey is 5 years younger than me.

Many years ago, she went to my ex-company for polytechnic attachment, and ended up getting "attached" (pun intended). Though I have left the company, my legacy as the legendary intern-killer lives on in the company. Hopefully, I have inspired the company to get more female interns, for the sake of the single man who are too caught up at work.

Before we realise it, Wifey and I have been together for 6+ years since we started dating. As I have learnt, there are pros and cons for a man to choose a gal who is 5 years younger than him.

Pros
(1) Savings gap
Since I have worked for 3-5 more years than her, it is natural for me to have much more savings than her. So compared to my peer couples with similar age as me, we have to settle for a cheaper flat. But compared to Wifey's peer couples with similar age as her, she could settle down and buy a flat earlier.

(2)Maturity Level
The typical girl matures earlier than the guy. There were 2 of us who were chasing Wifey at the same time. My love competitor was someone she knew in school, but wasn't as matured in mindset. And I triumphed. Till now, Wifey and I still share alot of common opinions, something I really loved. Also, as I have mentioned in my previous post, if you are a shrew, please get a older man to accept your nonsense.

(3)Aging
Woman age faster than man. So if your man is older, you won't look as old comparitively years down the road. But I believe this is trivial, especially if the gal starts taking care of her skin condition when young. Anti-ageing cream, or even botox (gosh!), anyone?

Cons
(1)Widowing
According to the latest United Nations Longeivity report, the average Singapore citizen dies at an average age of 80. Males are expected to live till average of 78, and woman till age 82. (Yes, the average Singaporean lives longer than Michael Jackson)
Women in Singapore lives an average of 4 years longer than Man.
So if a gal and her hubby are of the same age, it means that she is more likely to live beyond her hubby, and be a widow at the later point of her life. For a man like me who is 5 years older than her, the esimated length of her being a widow is likely to be much longer at about 5 + 4 = 9 years on average. That's really long for my poor Wifey. =(

My Conclusion
To the ladies:
Man are like red wine. They taste better with age. A matured man will give you a wonderful married life. Sure they can't be expected to be as happening as the younger guys, but as you grow older, you will appreciate why experience will beat romantism hands down. And nope, I don't mean those old rich man who are old enough to be your dad.

To the man:
Take care of your spouse's well-being, but pay GREATER attention to your health. For the sake of your loved ones, watch your diet, DON'T BLOODY SMOKE, and go for checkups every 1-2 years, and exercise. If you have time for TV, then you have time for exercise.
Live as long as you can, because you aren't expected to live as long as her.

Be aware of the presence of death, so every minute of your life has more meaning, and you will put better use to it.

Coca Cola is good

Do you know that Coca Cola contains 8 teaspoons worth of sugar? Carbonated drinks has to contain more sugar than non-carbonated ones to taste "just as sweet".

Do you even put 8 teaspoons of sugar in your coffee?

Enjoy your coke.

Getting a second opinion.

Read a really funny health post at Nino's.

Have shamelessly copied an excerpt below. Go read it, it's really funny.

"Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that’s it… don’t waste them on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer; that’s like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster.
Want to live longer? Take a nap."

Death and me

I have been to a few funerals in my life, but was fortunate enough not to have the chance of seeing VERY close people to me die.



Which gives me random thoughts of how am I going to face death of a closed family member or friend in the later parts of my life?

Obviously, I'm not cursing for something like this to happen soon. Touch wood! But it is still something that I should at least prepare myself for, lest I be left completely confused and devastated into the point of depression should something like this happen.

My Granny is the closest person, other than my Wifey and my mum, that have a strong family connection to me. She is about 90 years old this year, comparitively senile and healthy compared to her equally aged peers. She used to take care of me when I'm young (and tolerating my childishness and tantrums), and we were very very close.

With my parents working hard to ensure we get a proper education, my Grandma was left with the sacred task of looking after 2 brats. While illiterate, she taught me the importance of taking care of myself.

Now she lives with one of my uncles in Malaysia, and I seldom had the chance to go back to see her. I would be lying to say I am that busy. Pure laziness, there's no excuses about it.

We definitely visit her on 2 occassions every year, her birthday and Chinese New Year. And each time I see her, my joy will normally be tinged with sadness. How many more years do I get to talk to her, and make her laugh?

The thought of death makes me scared sometimes.


It is sometimes good to be conscious of the Reaper. As they always say, cherish the present because you won't know what will happen tomorrow. Don't make your beloved unhappy today, because you may never get the chance to say sorry tomorrow.

With Wifey, I have seen our relationship prosper from the stage of selfish fighting for our own beliefs, to the point of mutual consensus. And now I am so glad I make her my wife. I love her, and I want us to have no regrets when either of us depart first.

If I have to go first, I want my Wifey to remember that there was once a man who loves her so much. And I want her to move on with life bravely, knowing that I will be up there above taking care of her spiritually, and that she have my blessings to get a new man who can make her life happy and meaningful.

While being very conscious of death, it is very important to take a preventive action to delay the inevitable.

No one can cheat the Reaper, and there are 2 ways to die.
(1) Quick and relatively painless
(2) Slow and painful

The former occurs normally with unexpected death. Like dying in the sleep, or even unnatural deaths like plane crashes and murders.

The latter normally occurs with people with degenerative diseases. The lethal poison that slowly drains the burning soul out of your existence. Heart problems, cancers, stroke etc... are all "controllable" diseases that belong to this category, for those who are consciously in control of their diet.

When you get ill someday and have to hinder those that are dear to you, you unleash intangible misery to their daily lives. You create havoc!

So please take good care of your partner as well, because if their health deteriorate miserably because you keep buying their favourite Char Kway Teow (Unhealthy, oily, yet yummy fried noodles) and french fries, the 2 of you will pay for it "dearly" (pun intended).

Live life.
Love life.

And never forget that death lurks just around the corner.

The Butterfly Effect

I have made a little permanent change in my lifestyle.
Let me first begin by sharing a theory and 2 stories.

The Theory
Most of us know that sleeping early at night is bad. Traditional Chinese medicine theory speaks of the body organs resting at different times. The liver - the body's main detoxifying organ other than the kidney, needs to rest at 11pm after a long day at work. Without sufficient rest, the liver will not cleanse the body that well. Negligence of the liver will inevitably lead to other organs being unhealthy.

This explains why most of us, after the partying, sleeping late in the wee hours and then waking up the next day, will feel lethargic, even if you rested 8-10 hours. The whole idea is that it is not just how much you sleep, but how early you sleep.

A similar experiment was done with laboratory rats. Putting 1 group of mice on threadmills so that whenever they fall asleep, the threadmill will move and wake them up, making it impossible for them to sleep. After a few days of interrupted sleep, these mices are allowed to sleep for as long as they like, uninterrupted for the next 2-3 weeks (ie. let them catch up on rest). After which, this group of mice are put on the mice maze, and timed to see how long they take to leave the maze - a test of their memory and coordination. They took significantly longer than mice that are allowed to sleep on regular hours.

Story 1
During my stay in my ex-company, I have made many good friends. One of the friends I have made is a Muslim father, who sleep early at night and wake up at 4am+ everyday. And yes, that includes weekdays. I am not sure why he got up so early, but it should be safe to assume it should be for his prayers, knowing him as a devoted Muslim. Isn't it wonderful that he can do something he likes after he gets up, rather than prepare for work immediately?

Story 2
One of the greatest incentive for me to be rich, is for freedom. The freedom to wake up, do some jogging, read the papers, sip the coffee, and then slowly prepare for work. This freedom can also be achieved by not taking a 9 to 5pm job, like being an insurance agent or tuition teacher. But they don't provide the stable salary that I need, especially now that Wifey is back to being a taitai again.

So what I actually adjusted..
A mediocre life calls for a simple yet radical change. If sleeping late was so evil, then heck, I should sleep early.

If I have to enjoy my freedom in the morning, then I just have to wake up earlier. While the common folks out there wake up to go to work, I want to wake up and enjoy life first!

For the past few weeks, I have started this new lifestyle, sleeping early and waking up earlier. This is a complete overhaul of my sleeping habits, when I used to sleep between 12-1am and wake up just in time for work.

I have at least another 30 years of worklife, assuming no successful business ventures or lottery wins. The least I can do for myself is to make myself happier and healthier. Health is accumulative, its always easier to take precautions against a late sleeping habit than to live with the consequences later.

No more late night TV - wrestling shows can now be recorded.
No more late night gaming - gaming should never consume my life.
No late night mahjong - hey, it's not as if I do so in the first place.

In return, say yes to
- Doing serious Tae-bo workouts in the morning.
- Picking up Paso Doble (thats the Spanish bullfight dance), which is a really fierce looking matador dance
- Basic Jive.
- Sipping morning drinks while reading newspapers and articles, or even watching Primetime Morning on TV, without having the urgency to rush for work.

The Butterfly Effect theory states that a butterfly flapping its wings will create tiny changes in the atmosphere that will ultimately alter the path of a tornado.

I chose to flap my wings, now let me see what tornado I can create.

Pescetarian

According to Wikipedia, a pescetarian is a person who eats any combination of vegetables, fruit, nuts, beans and fish or invertebrate seafood.

And Limpeh is into my 2nd week of being one.
No chicken, no pork, no duck, no other funny animals in my diet.

So why the sudden change, you ask.
(1) I ate quite a lot of unhealthy food during my vacation in Hong Kong. Time to do a minor detox for the body.
(2) Some months back, I made a personal bet to myself to reach a particular target. Well, I didn’t make it and was supposed to go on a “meatless” diet of 1 month to punish myself. So here I am, living up to my end of the bargain.

So here I am, being a pescetarian for a period of one month. Will start consuming meat again at Chinese New Year’s Eve.

How’s life as a pescetarian you may wonder.
Painful. Not because I can’t consume poultry, but because of the lack of food choices.
going around the kopitiam, you realise that almost every stall sells meat. And only a few stalls for me to choose from.
No chicken rice, no loh mee, no curry chicken noodles, no fishball noodles (they have very small pork in it),

So I ended up eating “vegetable” rice (cai4 fan4) almost every meal, with the occasional carrot cake or vegetarian food.

A Pescetarianism diet is scientifically proven to help in memory problems, which is something Wifey can vouch that I need. This is due to the Omega-3 oil found in these food (not to be confused with Omega-6, which does the complete opposite).

So ya, Limpeh is less likely to develop Alzheimer’s and dementia for this month.
Haha.

Anyway, this challenge will start off my 2009 New Year Resolution, which I will share with you guys soon (so as to keep myself in track).
Life is an ever-learning process, and setting targets will make me realize my goals easier, and sooner.

Have a great new year, everyone!
May your life be blessed, and be kind to both animals and friends.

Cooking using handphone, as easy as 1-2-3

Yes its true!
The handphone is one step closer being a all-in-one tool.

The radiation is now strong enough to cook popcorns.



So the next time you upgrade your handphone, please ask if it supports cooking.

If pointing the phone at the popcorn makes it pop, I wonder what happens to those guys who love to put their phone in their pocket and have it pointing to the you-know-where.

Enjoy your handphone, everyone!

How to make French Fries less evil?

Momo and Squirtz were back from Thailand, and gave me and Wifey a shirt.
(They know how much I hate key chains as souvenirs)

So I got a shirt with the following picture.


And my naughty Wifey asked me to wear the shirt to McDonalds.
-_-''

Its common knowledge that fast food is way too evil.
FAST food are named that way because they make you grow unhealthy FAST, and probably die FASTER too.

Today, we shall take a little look at the French Fries, which fyi, does not really originate from France. Several countries (notably Belgium) has laid claims to be the grandfather of French Fries. Then the Belgians Army spoke French as an official language, and thus the name. At least this is how legend goes.

Why are French Fries evil?
- Too much sodium (and look at how much salt is added to make it "tastier")
- Saturated fats (never mind whatever "healthy" vegetable oil that they use)
- Trans fats (if there's anything more evil than saturated fats, this is it)
- Increases chance of breast cancer (gals who take them weekly had 27% more chance to get them as adults)
- Other types of cancer (after all, it increases free radicals capable of oxidising healthy cells)
- Potato is starch and have high glycermic index - making you harder to lose weight. And a killer for diabetic patients.



So how to make them less evil if you "die die" have to eat French Fries?
Here's a suggestion from Wifey. Ask for Fries with no salt. Especially if you are going to dip it in chilli or curry sauce.

Cut down on the sodium (aka kidney killer), thats the least you can do to make your body suffer less.

Chilli/Curry sauce already is salty, so you won't really need salt on french fries to make it taste better.

Just a less evil suggestion for those who can't live without fries.

If there's anything more sad than DYING YOUNG, its DYING SLOWLY AND PAINFULLY.


Enjoy your french fries, my friends.

Molly - Wonder Woman of Singapore

I first blogged about her 4 months ago in an entry called How Molly found out that she had ovarian cancer.

That was a blog post I did after discovering her site.
WeAreWonderWomen.Com

Quoting Molly:
My name is Molly. I'm 33 years old and I am an ovarian cancer survivor of 3 years.

She actually found out that I was blogging about her and commented.

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Hi Shingo T,

Thank you for adding a link to WeAreWonderWomen.Com and helping to spread cancer awareness to young women. =)

Wishing you a prosperous Lunar New Year!

Cheers and best regards,
Molly
WeAreWonderWomen.Com
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That was before she was that well-known.
A few months later, I read that she won a local award for her works at creating awareness.

I was really happy for her.

And suddenly my heart sank when I saw this.
Molly has left us this morning, on 29 May 2008 at 12:31am.



May you rest in peace, Molly.
Your fighting spirit and unselfish nature will spur those who are in pain.
And alert those who are in great health.

The world has one less Angel.
But before you left, you created many more.

Thank you for all the love you gave us.


A tribute to Molly Lee posted on Youtube

In God's name we pray.
Amen.

About the Author: Shingo T will like every reader to visit WeAreWonderWomen.Com. He promises it to be an enriching reading experience.

Bates Method - Have better vision the cheap way

Wifey and I were at the neighbourhood pharmacy over the weekends, when we stumbled upon something that caught our eyes.


A pair of plastic "glasses". If you see the picture clearly, there is a black filters to replace the glass, and therefore I shall officially name it the "Housefly Specs".

The accompanying advertisement sign prompted us to try it on after taking down our prescribed lenses, and try the new wonder that will help us improve our eyesight.

Like the good obedient boy (or MAN) that I am, I tried the "housefly specs" just to see how it feels like, and was amazed that I could see thing pretty clearly. Not as clear as the prescribed spectacles, of course, but I can make out the letters on signboards that my normal eyes could only envisioned blurly.

I asked Wifey to try, wanting to know how someone with thick glasses (her eye degree is damn high) will find the housefly specs.

Imagine my excitement when Wifey said that the housefly specs did help her to make out some words. For someone who is VERY visually challenged without specs, I was really tempted to buy it for her and myself.

The price was so much CHEAPER than a pair of prescribed glasses. Its only about S$40-S$50 (cannot remember), and I could get a second pair for S$29. Dirt cheap lor, and hopefully can potentially wear forever till the day I can see clearly with my 2 bare eyes.

If all goes well, there will be no need for expensive lasik nor the need for potentially infection-prone contact lenses.

Back home, I did a little research on this Bates' method.

The founder of the Bates Method is William Horatio Bates (and hence the name), who is a ophthalmologist by training.


The "housefly specs" work because they condition both your eyes to focuc on the centre, preventing you from having lazy eyesight and "wrong" visualisation techniques.

Some scary truths that many of us do not know.
(1) All glasses weaken our eyes instead of improving them! This is because they encourage us to use our eyes the wrong way. No wonder our eye degree go up year after year whenever we visit the optician. Glasses is machiam like heroin to the eyes - make you feel better but make you over-reliant and worse off than before. Because of focal point, glasses are just right for 6 metres. Glasses are supposedly too strong by 20 times when worn for reading, and that strains your eyes instead!

(2) Lasik only treats the symptoms, has some risk in it, is very expensive and since it only treats the symptoms of poor vision it can make your eyes malfunction in other ways later.

(3) Optical professionals know little or nothing about natural ways of improving the eyesight. Even if they do, they probably want to act blur and defensive too. No optician in their right mind will smash their own rice bowl. Thats why the pharmacy sell it - because they do not sell specs. Yes, those selfish b*tards.

Like all treatments, Bates Method is not without criticism. Critics have warned that this method may conveniently deter people with eye condition from seeking conventinal treatment. Yes people, please see your eyecare specialist if needed hor. Bates Method is no miracle pill.

My personal complain so far about the specs is that its hard to see things when its dark. But other than that, I'll give it a try when I am at home and let you guys know how it goes for me and Wifey.

Someday my eyesight will be good until I will pew pew laser.


About the Author: Shingo T is a housefly typing on his keyboard now.

Tomato and you

5 tomatoes a day keep the botox away.

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Eating tomatoes will not make you invincible in the sun, but the juicy fruits might be a useful addition to the sun protection toolbox.

A new study, carried out by researchers from Newcastle University and Manchester University, has revealed that eating five tomatoes everyday could help protect against sunburn and premature ageing.

According to the researchers, ultraviolet rays lead to excess production of harmful molecules called ‘reactive oxygen species’ which can damage skin structures and tomatoes contain an antioxidant called lycopene that neutralises them.

"You don't have to eat an excessive amount of tomatoes to experience the effect if you are already eating a tomato-based diet with plenty of things like spaghetti and pizza toppings.

"Eating tomatoes is going to have this benefit in the sun, but it is still important to use conventional methods of protecting yourself against the sun such as sunscreens, shade and clothing," lead researcher Professor Mar Birch-Machin was quoted by The Daily Telegraph as saying.

In their study, the researchers analysed the skin of 20 people, half of whom were given five tablespoons of (55g) standard tomato paste, the equivalent of five cooked tomatoes, with 10g of olive oil. The other half received only olive oil.

The experiment was carried out over 12 weeks and the group was exposed to ultraviolet light at the beginning and the end of the trial. Those who had eaten the paste had 33 per cent more protection against sunburn.

Analysis of skin samples from both groups also showed that the tomatoes had boosted the skin's procollagen levels, a molecule that gives skins its structure.

Losing procollagen leads to the skin ageing and losing its elasticity. The increased levels of lycopene reduced damage to mitochondrial DNA in the skin, which is also linked to ageing skin, found the researchers, who now hope to carry out further studies to establish whether tomatoes prevent skin cancer.

Smoking helps you lose weight?

Working in the city, one interesting observation that I made is that the office ladies who we see smokeing tends to be skinny, curvy and tasty.

So does smoking help to keep people in shape?

I did a brief search over Google, and realised that its actually a common myth. Smoking has no direct influence over burning the fats. In fact, it inhibits growth in teenagers.

What smoking does however, is to suppress your appetite because of nicotine. So yes, it does help you to lose weight in some sense.

Smoke, and you will be a skinny and SHORT chiobu.

About the Author: Shingo T likes to see chiobu in office attire, not chiobu in cancer centres.

Stroke this

Do you know that Stroke is the number 3 killer in Singapore?
The honour of Number 1 and 2 goes to cancer and heart disease (can't recall offhand which is 1st).

And how sure are you that you and and your close ones won't be part of the statistics? Knowing how much youngsters shun health seminars and forums. I thought it will be a great idea to share it on a lighter side, via the blog.

The Cause
Stroke is a type of cardiovascular disease, which occurs when a blood vessel that leads up to the brain is clot (aka Ischemic stroke) or burst (aka Hemorrhagic stroke). The former accounts for most of the stroke cases. Anyway, whichever the cause, part of the brain is unable to get the oxygen and nutrients (delivered via the blood) needed to keep it going. And it dies. And stroke comes next.

The Effects
The brain is a very chim organ that controls your body parts. And when parts of this control centre malfunction, the part of the body it controls will no longer work.
Left brain affects right side of body, speech, some form of retardness and memory loss.
Right Brain affects left side of body, vision and memory loss.
Either way, stroke sucks big time.

Prevention
Knowing the causes is a good way to start your prevention from today. Everyone knows what are the junk food that cause the thickening of blood arteries. The good thing is that if you choose not to be the kind of people who live day by day, you can actually drastically reduce the chances of getting it.

Some random statistics I got from the Singapore Medical Journal.
(1) Most people who kenna belong to 51-60 years of age. You will get to this age range someday, sooner than you expect.
(2) Every race has a good chance to get it, though Indians appear to have double the chances.
(3) Males are more likely to get it.
(4) People with hypertension were most likely to get it, followed by smokers and those with diabetes. Diabetes in fact, give rise to plenty of diseases.

There is this common saying among Singaporeans that this is a country where "you can afford to die but not afford to get sick". Just because the Government is trying to make healthcare affordable for the poor, and having those Medisave schemes does not guarantee that your fortune will be intact after paying the astronomical medical bills.

Stroke are a liability to the people around the sufferers. Besides financial pain, they also bring emotional pain to those who care and love them. A stroke victim is one who is soul drained. He thinks, but he may not get the chance to express them.

Don't be a liability to others because of your failure to prevent them. Watch your diet and think twice.

As my trademark saying goes..
You may not remember what you had for lunch last Friday, but your body remembers, for life.

Its too late to say sorry when you lose the chance to say it.

About the Author: Shingo T feels pain for the family members of stroke patients, but not the stroke patients.

Flu ain't no common cold

I used to think that the common cold and flu (aka influenza) means the same thing, until a doctor (who is also a Member of Parliment) explained to me the difference one day.

Unlike the common cold, flu can be a serious illness. 10% of person who suffer from common cold actually kenna the common flu.

Flu has complications, such as pneumonia and bronchitis. Tens of thousands of people die around the world each year as a result of flu. Bird flu also considered. It always pay to know more about it.

Flu is highly contagious, so stay away from inconsiderate people who cough and sneeze, as the virus travel airborne.

So what's the difference between flu and common cold.
I shall quote them from a brochure gotten from Roche Singapore.

(1) Flu is sudden, cold is gradual.
(2) Flu is associated with high fever (39-40 degrees), but fever for cold is rare.
(3) Flu has a high chance to give you headache, but cold rarely does so.
(4) Flu patients usually suffer muscle aches and pain, but it is only slight for cold.
(5) Flu makes you damn tired, but cold does not.
(6) Flu sometiems give stuffy nose, sneezing and sore throat, but cold normally has these syndromes.

Avoid self-medication and always see the doctor if you catch a flu.

Ok, class dismissed.

About the Author: Shingo T feels that if the common cold is bad, then flu is pure evil to the core.

How Molly found out that she had ovarian cancer.

Q: Why do things happen?
A: Because we think they won't.

The man who dashed across the road thinking it was safe.
The man who kenna AIDs because he thought he will not be that unlucky.

There is this blog I came across, written by a local called Molly.
Find out about how she found out about the silent killer - Ovarian Disease.
We are Wonder Women.

Things do happen.
It never kills to know more.

Some facts about Cancer

When I was young, I used to think we have no control over our health. Like what some people say "Enjoy life while you can."

But growing up and reading on all those health and disease related information, I ask myself, why "Enjoy life while you can" when you can "Enjoy life while staying healthy?"

It doesn't take alot of effort. You just need to be aware of some common health knowledge, and stick to it..

Below is some cancer updates from John Hopkins Research.
I have not verified the article, but some points are consistent to what I have read in other articles/journals/books.

It never hurts to know more.
Knowing less however might hurt, if you get the pun.

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1. Every person has cancer cells in the body. These cancer cells do not show up in the standard tests until they have multiplied to a few billion. When doctors tell cancer patients that there are no more cancer cells in their bodies after treatment, it just means the tests are unable to detect the cancer cells because they! have not reached the detectable size.

2. Cancer cells occur between 6 to more than 10 times in a person's lifetime.

3. When the person's immune system is strong the cancer cells will be destroyed and prevented from multiplying and forming tumours.

4. When a person has cancer it indicates the person has multiple nutritional deficiencies. These could be due to genetic, environmental, food and lifestyle factors.

5. To overcome the multiple nutritional deficiencies, changing diet and including supplements will strengthen the immune system.

6. Chemotherapy involves poisoning the rapidly-growing cancer cells and also destroys rapidly-growing healthy cells in the bone marrow, gastro-intestinal tract etc, and can! cause organ damage, like liver, kidneys, he art, lungs etc.

7. Radiation while destroying cancer cells also burns, scars and damages healthy cells, tissues and organs.

8. Initial treatment with chemotherapy and radiation will often reduce tumor size. However prolonged use of chemotherapy and radiation do not result in more tumor destruction.

9. When the body has too much toxic burden from chemotherapy and radiation the immune system is either compromised or destroyed, hence the person can succumb to various kinds of infections and complications.

10. Chemotherapy and radiation can cause cancer cells to mutate and become resistant and difficult to destroy. Surgery can also cause cancer cells to spread to other sites.

11. An effective way to battle cancer is to starve the cancer cells by not feeding it with the foods it needs to multiply.

CANCER CELLS FEED ON:
a. Sugar is a cancer-feeder. By cutting off sugar it cuts off one important food supply to the cancer cells. Sugar substitutes like NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, etc are made with Aspartame and it is harmful. A better natural substitute would be Manuka honey or molasses but only in very small amounts. Table salt has a chemical added to make it white in colour. Better alternative is Bragg's aminos or sea salt.

b. Milk causes the body to produce mucus, especially in the gastro-intestinal tract. Cancer feeds on mucus. By cutting off milk andsubstituting with unsweetened soya milk cancer cells are being starved.

c. Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment. A meat-based diet is acidic and it is best to eat fish, and a little chicken rather than beef or pork. Meat also contains livestock antibiotics, growth hormones and parasites,which are all harmful, especially to people with cancer.

d. A diet made of 80% fresh vegetables and juice, whole grains, seeds, nuts and a little fruits help put the body into an alkaline environment About 20% can be from cooked food including beans. Fresh vegetable juices provide live enzymes that are easily absorbed and reach down to cellular levels within 15 minutes to nourish and enhance growth of healthy cells. To obtain live enzymes for building healthy cells try and drink fresh vegetable juice (most vegetables including bean sprouts) and eat some raw vegetables 2 or 3 times a day. Enzymes are destroyed at temperatures of 104 degrees F (40 degrees C).

e. Avoid coffee, tea, and chocolate, which have high caffeine. Green tea is a better alternative and has cancer-fighting properties. Water- best to drink purified water, or filtered, to avoid known toxins and heavy metals in tap water. Distilled water is acidic, avoid it.

12. Meat protein is difficult to digest and requires a lot of digestive enzymes. Undigested meat remaining in the intestines become putrified and leads to more toxic buildup.

13. Cancer cell walls have a tough protein covering. By refraining from or eating less meat it frees more enzymes to attack the protein walls of cancer cells and allows the body's killer cells to destroy the cancer cells.

14. Some supplements build up the immune system (IP6, Florssence,Essiac, anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, EFAs etc.) to enable the body's own killer cells to destroy cancer cells. Other supplements like vitamin E are known to cause apoptosis, or programmed cell death, the body's normal method of disposing of damaged, unwanted, or unneeded cells.

15. Cancer is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit. A proactive and positive spirit will help the cancer warrior be a survivor. Anger, unforgiveness and bitterness put the body into a stressful and acidic environment. Learn to have a loving and forgiving spirit. Learn to relax and enjoy life.

16. Cancer cells cannot thrive in an oxygenated environment. Exercising daily, and deep breathing help to get more oxygen down to the cellular level. Oxygen therapy is another means employed to destroy cancer cells.

Five Worst Cancer Causing Foods

Forwarded email from a colleague about some of the most innocently-disguised evil food in the world.

If you are one of my close friends, you should know how anti I am abt some of these food.

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There are some foods that people who are at high risk for developing cancer should definitely avoid. Generally, says natural health researcher Mike Adams, they should avoid foods that contain ingredients known to cause cancer, such as refined sugars and grains , hydrogenated oils, and nitrates. But which foods are the absolute worst?

1. Hot dogs
Because they are high in nitrates, the Cancer Prevention Coalition advises that children eat no more than 12 hot dogs a month. If you can't live without hot dogs, buy those made without sodium nitrate..

2. Processed meats and bacon (hamburgers)
Also high in the same sodium nitrates found in hot dogs, bacon, and other processed meats raise the risk of heart disease. The saturated fat in bacon also contributes to cancer.

3. Doughnuts (Wifey, pls note)
Doughnuts are cancer-causing double trouble. First, they are made with white flour, sugar, and hydrogenated oils, then fried at high temperatures. Doughnuts, says Adams , may be the worst food you can possibly eat to raise your risk of cancer.

4. French fries
Like doughnuts, French fries are made with hydrogenated oils and then fried at high temperatures. They also contain cancer- causing acrylamides which occur during the frying process. They should be called cancer fries, not French fries, said Adams .

5. Chips, crackers, and cookies (Wifey, pls note)
All are usually made with white flour and sugar. Even the ones whose labels claim to be free of trans-fats generally contain small amounts of trans-fats.

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Pretty ironic why people join the "cancer queues" for doughnuts these days.

Quoting from the famous Shingo T
You may not remember what you ate for dinner last Friday.
But your body never forgets!