Banana Fritters Fried in Plastic!

This is a TRUE STORY ...and it happened in Perlis, the northern most state in Peninsula Malaysia, at a place called Titi Chai Kangar..the pasar malam (night market) area where goreng pisang (banana fritters) are sold in the afternoon...

This is a witness account of what happened:

"Mom said, my uncle saw the goreng pisang hawker adding plastic straw (for drinking water) into the hot oil (and it melted) before he fried the goreng pisang. That is why goreng pisang, ubi (sweet potato)...etc. all are very crispy for hours.... And when my uncle asked the hawker he just kept quite. Later when my uncle told my mom about what he saw they realized that this is how fried fritters are crispy for a while. My mom said that in Thailand they do the same thing to keep the fried food crispy e.g. ikan bilis (anchovies), fried onions ...which if you leave them in the open air for hours they will still stay crispy..."

Here's another one:

"I was with my family in Cameron Highlands recently and it was 3 pm when we were hanging around a market area. We saw many hawker stalls, and suddenly something attracted my attention...at one of the stalls, there was a big wok of boiling oil with a half 5-litre empty oil bottle in it. The plastic bottle melted slowly in the hot oil. At first I thought it was an unintentional act by a 7-year old girl...but when I looked closely, I saw she was holding a pair of chopsticks and stirring the bottle.. it appears the act was intentional...Oh! my God ... these people are using melted plastic to fry food...so that the tit bits will not go soft when it cooled due to plastic in it!"

So...DO NOT EAT CRISPY FRIED FOOD from the hawkers!..try leaving it in the open air for hours and see what happens...

Plastic when burnt or exposed to high tempertaure causes a very toxic and carginogenic substance, dioxin, to be released. So be cautious of the food that you buy from hawkers.

Recognize Early Stroke Symptoms - This Could Save A Life or Yours!

STROKE: Remember The 1st Three Letters... S.T.R.

My friend sent this to me and encouraged me to post it and spread the word. If everyone can remember something this simple, we could save some folks.

STROKE INCIDENT
During a BBQ, a friend stumbled and took a little fall. She assured everyone that she was fine and just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes (they offered to call ambulance). They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food. While she appeared a bit shaken up, Ingrid went about enjoying herself during the rest of the BBQ.

Ingrid's husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital. At 6:00pm, Ingrid passed away. She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ. Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Ingrid would be with us today.

Some don't die. They end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead. It only takes a minute to read this...

STROKE IDENTIFICATION
Neurologists suggest the most crucial piece is getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed and then getting the patient medically cared for as soon as possible.

RECOGNIZING A STROKE
Remember the 3 steps, STR . Read and Learn!

Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke.

Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions :

S * Ask the individual to SMILE.

T * = TALK. Ask the person to SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently) ( e.g. 'It is sunny today' ).

R * Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.

If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call an ambulance or medical emergency immediately!! and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

NOTE : Another 'sign' of a stroke is ...

Ask the person to 'stick' out their tongue. If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other that is also an indication of a stroke.

A prominent cardiologist says if everyone sends this message to 10 people; you can bet that at least one life will be saved ...

...and it could be your own!

PASS THIS ON.

Main Causes Of Liver Damage

The liver is an organ that is present in vertebrates and some other animals. It plays a major role in metabolism and has a number of functions in the body, including glycogen storage, decomposition of red blood cells, plasma protein synthesis, and detoxification. This organ is also the largest gland in the human body. It lies below the diaphragm in the thoracic region of the abdomen. It produces bile, an alkaline compound which aids in digestion, via the emulsification of lipids (fats).

Here are some of the factors that might played a role in damaging the liver and let's be wary of them:

1. Sleeping too late and waking up too late are main cause.

2. Not urinating in the morning.

3. Too much eating.

4. Skipping breakfast.

5. Consuming too much medication.

6. Consuming too much preservatives, additives, food coloring , and artificial sweetener.

7. Consuming unhealthy cooking oil. As much as possible reduce the usage of cooking oil when frying, which includes even the best cooking oils like olive oil. Do not consume fried foods when you are tired, except if the body is very fit.

8. Consuming raw (or overly done) food also adds to the burden of liver. Veggies should be eaten raw or cooked 3-5 parts. Fried veggies should be finished in one sitting, do not store.

We should prevent these without necessarily spending more. We just have to adopt a good daily lifestyle and eating habits. Maintaining good eating habits and time condition are very important for our bodies to absorb and get rid of unnecessary chemicals according to a "schedule."

Because :

Evening at 9 - 11 PM : is the time for eliminating unnecessary/toxic chemicals (detoxification) from the antibody system (lymph nodes). This time duration should be spent by relaxing or listening to music. If during this time a housewife is still in an unrelaxed state such as washing the dishes or monitoring children doing their homework, this will have a negative impact on health.

Evening at 11pm - 1 am : is the detoxification process in the liver, and ideally should be done in a deep sleep state.

Early morning 1 - 3 am : detoxification process in the gall, also ideally done in deep sleep state.

Early morning 3 - 5 am : detoxification in the lungs. Therefore there will sometimes be a severe cough for cough sufferers during this time. Since the detoxification process has reached the respiratory tract, there is no need to take cough medicine so as not to interfere with the toxin removal process.

Morning 5 - 7am : detoxification in the colon, you should empty your bowel.

Morning 7 - 9 am : absorption of nutrients in the small intestine, you should be having breakfast at this time. Breakfast should be earlier, before 6:30 am , for those who are sick. Breakfast before 7:30 am is very beneficial to those wanting to stay fit. Those who always skip breakfast, they should change their habits, and it is still better to eat breakfast late until 9 - 10 am rather than no meal at all.

Sleeping so late and waking up too late will disrupt the process of removing unnecessary chemicals (toxins) from the body. Aside from that, midnight to 4:00 am is the time when the bone marrow produces blood. Therefore, have a good night's sleep and don't sleep late.


DO TAKE CARE ABOUT YOUR HEALTH.....
AND PASS THIS TO ALL WHOM YOU LOVE & CARE FOR .....

Brain Damaging Habits

Here are some interesting facts that I came across recently and would like to share these with you. Hmm...guilty about some of these. Do Take Care of Your Health.

1. No Breakfast
People who do not take breakfast are going to have a lower blood sugar level. This leads to an insufficient supply of nutrients to the brain causing brain degeneration.

2. Overeating
It causes hardening of the brain arteries, leading to a decrease in mental power.

3. Smoking
It causes multiple brain shrinkage and may lead to Alzheimer disease.

4. High Sugar consumption
Too much sugar will interrupt the absorption of proteins and nutrients
causing malnutrition and may interfere with brain development.

5. Air Pollution
The brain is the largest oxygen consumer in our body. Inhaling polluted air decreases the supply of oxygen to the brain, bringing about a decrease in brain efficiency.

6. Sleep Deprivation
Sleep allows our brain to rest. Long term deprivation from sleep will
accelerate the death of brain cells.

7. Head covered while sleeping
Sleeping with the head covered, increases the concentration of carbon dioxide and decrease concentration of oxygen that may lead to brain damaging effects.

8. Working your brain during illness
Working hard or studying with sickness may lead to a decrease in effectiveness of the brain as well as damage the brain.

9. Lacking in stimulating thoughts
Thinking is the best way to train our brain, lacking in brain stimulation thoughts may cause brain shrinkage.

10. Talking Rarely
Intellectual conversations will promote the efficiency of the brain.

Heart Transplant at IJN - Patient Tee Hui Yi

I read with anxiety and happiness that Hui Yi's heart transplant was successfully executed on 5th October, 2007. And today the local news reported that she could now breathe mostly on her own without the ventilator.

What was miraculous about the whole episode was that she underwent two transplants within a span 48hrs! Apparently her body showed sign of rejection to the first heart and doctors were desparately looking for a solution, a new heart that is!. It was almost a mission impossible because for the whole year of 2006 not a single compatible donor heart could be found! But just when all hope was about to evaporate another heart was found from a young man who was pronounced brain dead in a Penang hospital. That leads to a decision by the team of doctors to perfom a second transplant! Wow! that was truly miraculous! Kudos to all those concerned in making the whole operation possible and successful. I believe Malaysia could one day be the leading heart transplant centre in the region.

From what I read it is certainly not an easy task to coordinate the whole exercise and all those involved from the police, air-force, hospital staff, doctors and others, who might have played a lesser role but nevertheless contributed to the success of the operation, deserve credit.

Perhaps one day in the distant future we could have organ spare-parts grown from stem cells and the question of body rejection to an alien organ would be a thing of the past. If that possibilty materialized one could imagine the tremedous benefits to medical science and mankind.

I recollect one doctor as saying that if you could live till 20 years from now then you could live for another 20 years more because of stem-cells organ.

In the last few few years, the science of heart disease has come a long way. Thanks to modern technology, your medical supplies questions can be answered very quickly. If you need info regarding Viagra for Women, we'll help you find what your looking for.

Precaution - Ladies' Period

It has been a traditional theory that ladies are not supposed to wash their hair during their period. But there is no medical evidence as to the question why? The victim will only realise at their later stage of their life, facing the symptoms of breast and ovary cancer. Today ladies still wash their hair during their period with the thinking that they will be safe if they blow dry their hair. But this will not prevent them from getting the cancer.

Apparently a well known Taiwanese medical professor specialising in cancer research based in a Japanese university did a survey on 30,000 cancer patients. She found that these patients are very choosy in their food, wash their hair during their period, carry heavy objects and drink cold drinks. This apparently would cause the incompletion of ovulation and the remaining menses would turn toxic. The resulting imbalance of hormone would lead to ovary and breast cancer. During the research she found a method of prevention to these cancers. The secrets are:-

1. One must change their lifestyle and eating habits.

2. Do not wash our hair while having period.

3. Excessive bleeding must be investigated by a gynae, do not wash your hair just for the cooling effect and contraction of ovary.

4. No cold drinks. If you feel drowsy, breast engorgement and constipated these could be the early symptoms of ovary or breast cancer.

To prevent use:
1. Brown sugar
2. Chinese lotus (lean ngau in Cantonese)
3. Carrot, and
4. Barley

Boil as a soup and drink.

Although not substantiated, I would like to think that there is no harm or cost you much by following this simple piece of advice. Anyway prevention is better than cure.

Heart Attacks and Drinking Warm Water

This is a very good article. Not only about the warm water after your meal, but about heart attacks. The Chinese and Japanese drink hot green tea with their meals, not cold water.

For those who like to drink cold water, this article is applicable to you. It is nice to have a cup of cold drink after a meal. However, the cold water will solidify the oily stuff that you have just consumed. It will slow down the digestion. Once this "sludge" reacts with the acid, it will break down and be absorbed by the intestine faster than the solid food. It will line the intestine. Very soon, this will turn into fats and may lead to cancer. It is best to drink hot soup or warm water after a meal.

A serious note about heart attacks - You should know that not every heart attack symptom is going to be the left arm hurting. Be aware of intense pain in the jaw line.

You may never have the first chest pain during the course of a heart attack. Nausea and intense sweating are also common symptoms. 60% of people who have a heart attack while they are asleep do not wake up. Pain in the jaw can wake you from a sound sleep. Let's be careful and be aware. The more we know, the better chance we could survive.

A cardiologist says if everyone who reads this message sends it to 10 people, you can be sure that we'll save at least one life. Read this and send the link to a friend. It could save a life. So, please be a true friend and send this article to all your friends you care about.

Some people say that it is just an old myth to drink warm water to prevent heart attacks. Although there is no research to support this theory, however, it is always better to be safe than to be sorry.

Bananas for Medical Uses

Never, put your banana in the refrigerator!!!
This is interesting. After reading this, you'll never look at a banana in the same way again.

Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.

Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes.

But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS: Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Anemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

Overweight and at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at wor k leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and crisps. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas as a "cooling" fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand , for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.

Smoking & Tobacco Use: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.

Strokes: According to research in The New England Journal of Medicine, eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!

Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape!

So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, "A banana a day keeps the doctor away".

p/s: Want a quick shine on our shoes?? Take the INSIDE of the banana skin, and rub directly on the shoe...polish with dry cloth. Amazing fruit !

Mangosteen Juice

Over the weekend I was invited to a health talk at a posh 5-star hotel in the city centre listening to someone talking about mangosteen juice! Mind you this is a Sunday and in the hot afternoon sun I had to cajole myself to go and listen to this supposedly interesting talk. The invitation was through an acquaintance whom I met 2 days earlier, and having revealed my interest in health and wellness he had casually asked me to attend.

And I was not disappointed because I gain so much of new information, though I found out later that some might need more evidence and research on what had been said. The talk was centred around some substances found in the rind of the fruit called xanthones. There are some 40 xanthones which are antioxidants, anti-inflammatory and antitumour agent. Video clips were shown on where the fruit was found and how an American gentleman did some research and a marketing genius to commercialise this queen of fruits found in abundance in South-East Asia. The juice was apparently made from the whole fruit, not just the white flesh.

The most interesting part was some life testimonial from a few people with various health problems, some being very serious like kidney failure and cancer!

A young gentleman aged around thirty with kidney failure and having on-going dialysis gave an account of how his lethargy after a dialysis session vanishes after drinking some of this mangosteen juice. He could hardly drive home without having to take a nap by the road-side but after consuming this wonderful juice he could drive all the way home and still left with some more energy - something he hadn't experience before.

Another middle-aged man who is suffering from nose cancer (nasopharyngeal cancer or NPC) gave an account of the devastating side-effects (hair loss) of chemotherapy that was banished after consuming a few bottles of the juice. From appearance this man certainly looked well and healthy until he gave his story. How amazing I thought!

Even a child with dengue fever was discharged from the hospital the next day after his mother made him drink some of this wonderful juice. Apparently this was the first case of its kind being shared.

Impressive testmonials! But take a look at this website www.mangosteen.com which gave a sceptical slant and a good account of what is science, non-science and non-sense about the product. Apparently, if the juice is made of the whole fruit it must be very dilute or chemically modified to mask the extremely bitter taste of the rind extract.

There are even booklets apparently written by a M.D. extolling the goodness of the product. But be wary of the hype that is going around this product. I think there is some goodness in this juice but the question is at what fair price?

Colon Cleansing and Detox

Previously, I used to get this colicky pain in my abdomen despite eating fruits almost everyday (we have been advised to balance our diet with fruits and vegetables). As I am approaching mid-fifties I noticed that my bowel movement is getting sluggish although I never did have any constipation problem.

One day, about a year and a half ago while doing marketing I saw this stall selling some health foodstuff and among them was psyllium husk. The stallowner suggested that I should try this.

Dutifully ever since then, I would drink this concoction first thing every morning:

1. A tablespoon of honey. For this I use unprocessed clover honey.


2. One or two tablespoon of apple cider vinegar. I use Bragg raw unfiltered organic apple cider vinegar for this.


3. One tablespoon of psyllium husk.

I mix them all in a glass-full of water and drink it immediately. Might not be exactly palatable stuff but it does wonders. Of course you may use fruit juices instead of plain water but I prefer non-sugary stuff.

Now I must say that my pain is gone and one unexpected beneficial side-effect I noticed was that my other gastrointestinal problem was gone as well! - that problem was the tendency to purge each time I eat some spicy food like curries.

Daniel Reid in his book entitled "The Tao of Detox" advocates that psyllium seed is one useful supplement in a detox diet. It is the most effective available natural fiber-bulking supplement for clearing bowels of impacted faeces, dry mucoid plaque, and putrefactive food residue. Because of its mucilaginous property it acts like a broom sweeping the entire digestive tract.

Everyday we would brush our teeth and washes our face. But for most of us we neglect to clean one important organ - the gastrointestinal tract !. Neglect it and we could be paying a price for that in later life - in terms of higher risk to colon cancer. So cleanse your colon now for a healthy YOU!

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High Blood Pressure

Recently, I attended an evening talk hosted by Novartis, a renowned drug manufacturer, for some of our medical centre's doctors. Although meant for medical professionals, I, nevertheless, took this opportunity to learn more about this common physiological anomaly as it is so prevalent in our modern society. The facts I gathered was startling!

The main focus of the talk was centred around a program for people who are hypertensive (high blood pressure). Novartis is one of the supporters in Malaysia for this program called "Blood Pressure Success Zone (BPSZ) Program" - the other being Malaysian Corporate Health Advisory Forum (MCHAF).

Basically, this program is a patient's support program designed to encourage them to take their medication everyday. This may sound simple but you will be amazed that a lot of patients do not take their medications as prescribed by their doctor. My mother is an example - she just forgets to take her daily medications to control her blood pressure, although just one tablet per day!

According to a study¹ done by some local medical researchers, here are some facts revealed on patients' non-compliance problem:

1. Non-compliance rate was 56% among patients and non-compliance results in wastage of RM20,261 worth of unused medication per year.


2. Patients in the older age group.


3. Those taking two or more drugs.


4. Patients' forgetfulness.


5. Inability to read instructions on drug labels.

Many people are unable to control their blood pressure because they do not take their medication every day. Most stop after a few months because they feel fine without seeing much symptoms and do not know that they could be prone to a heart attack or stroke at any moment resulting from uncontrolled blood pressure. The program aims to implement preventive measures to reduce risk of complications of uncontrolled high blood pressure which may leads to strokes, heart attacks, blindness or renal (kidney) failure.

Although, initially patients might not feel any different when they start taking their prescribed medication, they will later actually be doing their heart a whole lot of good.

By joining the program, the patient will receive:

• Monthly short messaging services (SMS) on medication reminders and lifestyle advice.


• Educational mailers to remind patient to take their medication regularly and provide health information on blood pressure.


• Learn and improve awareness of hypertension and take appropriate steps to better care of health.

To join the program one needs to just contact your doctor or Novartis.

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¹ Reference: Aziz A.M. and Ibrahim M.I. "Medication non-compliance - a thriving problem" Medical Journal of Malaysia. (1999) 54(2): 192-9.