Suspend-It

Did you know that molds can cause serious health problems? I was told by a friend that one of our office mates was hospitalized recently because of black molds. From the test done on him in the laboratory, he was diagnosed with severe parasite infestation in the blood which caused nose bleeding and other serious symptoms.

The black molds originated in their tiled kitchen sink, along the grout. To think that molds are just mere annoyance, this is alarming for those with tiled kitchens. Fortunately, our kitchen was build using copper kitchen sinks which are very much resistant to molds. Anyhow, in any area of the house, cleanliness is still the key to good health.

Okay, fine, cigarettes do not fall under the new weight loss pill category. Then again, did you know that in spite of the ads and laws being implemented on why smoking is bad for your health, smoking cigarettes actually do have benefits?

Yep. Because Nicotine is an appetite suppressant, one of the beneficial aspects of smoking is that it keeps the weight down. Cigarettes do this by:

• Keeping food in your stomach longer
• Suppressing your appetite
• Artificially speeding up your metabolism

Smoking burns up an extra 200-300 calories each day in a heavy smoker. Consequently, when you quit smoking, it’s normal to experience a gain of between 5 and 10 pounds during the first few months. However, if your eating habits have remained the same as when you smoked, you can easily shed this small gain with simple daily exercise such as a brisk, 30-minute walk.

So yeah, for those who want to quit smoking, you do not have “weight gain” as an excuse for not being able to. 0:p After all, knowing this benefit of smoking allows you replace the good side of smoking with things that are safer and healthier for you, while achieving similar results.

While most are busy reading diet pills and colon cleanser reviews, I think it’s high time we all should think of deworming as well. After all, the world is full of parasites that there are chances of acquiring them however clean you are. A simple negligence on your part to wash hands thoroughly before eating or preparing food or even just eating an unwashed salad or under cooked meat can get you the eggs of these parasites.

Makes you shiver, huh? It’ll make you shiver more when you find out that according to UNICEF, report of “The state of the world’s children 1998” says that about 1.5 billion people have roundworms, making it the third most common human infection in the world. It’s very clear; the chances of these parasites creeping inside us are very high.

With this information, I’m sure you’re now asking yourself this, “How often should I deworm myself and my family?” The answer to the question is that in most cases, deworming once every six months is sufficient. However, it can be done more frequently as deemed appropriate by your doctor. In any case, deworming the whole family twice a year is necessary.

The conventional drug of choice is Mebendazole/albendazole in suspension or chewable tablet. This is because the side effects are too few and those side effects that exist are not caused by the drug itself but by dead worms being expelled from the body. Before deworming though, it is still best to consult with your doctor to know the prevalence of parasites in your areas and consequently know the amount of dosage and frequency on taking the deworming drug.

Earlier I received an email from a friend of mine inviting me to join in her networking business. It’s sort of a franchise that sells herbal medicines and stuff like that. I am very interested in her products although right now, I don’t think I have the time to handle any business.

I told her, instead of being a partner; I’ll just be a client. I would love to try the colon cleanser capsules that she offers. According to colon cleanser reviews, it’s very safe to use and no need for a prescription. She even told me that it worked for her pretty well and that she has been taking the cleansing pills for 2 years now. She promised to deliver a month’s supply to me, at a fraction of a price. Cool deal huh.

I have a tendency to have breakouts when I’m very stressed or during PMS. But there was a time when I was at quite at a loss when acne started appearing on my chest and back as well!

I initially thought it was probably because I’m more stressed than usual. However, after calming down and spending some time off to relax, instead of going away, I kept getting one bump after another on my skin and it really bugged me.

I thought of getting one of those acne treatments just to go back to my normal skin… That was until my mom asked if I changed my shampoo or conditioner. I stared at her blankly for a few seconds. She was surprised at my blank stare and promptly relayed that Shampoo is something most of us use on a daily basis. It not only comes into contact with our hair, but also our skin. My mom furthered that there are shampoos AND conditioners which can actually cause chest and back acne.

In fact, did you know that the ingredient that gives shampoos that pearlized look can contribute to acne? Yep, they can! So, if you have longer hair and are experiencing breakouts on your chest, back and/or shoulders, try switching shampoos and/or conditioner.

A friend of mine was experiencing some pain in the back of the neck. At first she thought it was just muscle pain from the long hours of work in front of the PC. She took some pain relievers but the pain persisted. So, she got a check up and what turned out to be a minor problem became a major health concern.The neck pain she experienced was caused by high blood pressure – the doctor said. Because the back of the neck has lots of arteries, an increase in BP will give you an uncomfortable feeling or maybe pain in that area. The doctor suspects that she had high cholesterol and her weight is causing her hypertension.She was advised to have laboratory tests and stress test to determine the cause for the hypertension. For now she was given medications to lower her BP. She was also advised to get more exercise and to eat more vegetables as diet and no exercise also causes hypertension. She was asked to use diet pills with caution for it might have some effect with the meds she’s taking.

During a lunch buffet gathering of my department in celebration of the September birthday celebrants last September 25, I overheard one of them say, “Let’s go Green shopping!”

I was at a loss. Green shopping?! Huh?

Thanks to Google, I soon found that “Green shopping” actually refers to “shopping online”. The phrase originated from the result of the study conducted by the Green Design Institute of Carnegie Mellon University.

As you know, individual consumers generally drive by or commute via car from their homes to the nearest retail store to pick up the product and then return home. The Institute made a test wherein they discovered that you can decrease your impact on the environment by shopping online. In fact, “shopping online consumes less energy and reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 35 percent compared to shopping at traditional retail stores.” A good example of this is Buy.com wherein, “Buy.com’s model fared better in reducing carbon dioxide emissions and energy consumption with fewer steps in getting products from manufacturers’ warehouses to consumers’ homes.”

Amazing isn’t it? So next time you need to buy something, I suggest you opt for Green shopping!

My friend, Hazel, recently got a scholarship in the Netherlands and asked me to help her buy a laptop which she can carry around the campus and the country in general. She only has a CPU right now and it would be such a hassle, not to mention extra cost, to bring it all the way to the Netherlands.

I recommended to her the leveled up version of my current notebook computer – Lenovo IdeaPad S10 – which my friend Mark helped me research and purchase last October 14, 2008. I told her to go for either a Lenovo S10-2 or IdeaPad S12. Although the latter is half a pound heavier, it shares traits with the smaller S10-2, but its keyboard is also reminiscent of the larger IdeaPad Y450. This makes the S12 is a good netbook for touch typists like her.

The best part of getting the Lenovo IdeaPad S10-2 or S12 is that it is easy to carry with its 2lbs 11oz, 3lbs 5.4oz travel weight (3.4 pounds for S12). Having a small, easy to carry netbook is great because it does NOT scream out “laptop” to robbers.

However, we do suggest you use a backpack when carrying netbooks. By utilizing the age-old technology of carrying your load on your back, you’re not only hands free when walking; you also lessen the risk of straining your neck and shoulders. After all, compared to single-strapped bags and purses which can cause excess strain on your neck and shoulders (putting you at higher risk for spine and muscle problems as well as other injuries), backpacks are a much healthier way of transporting your things. This is because you’re spreading the weight over both shoulders when using a backpack.

After pointing out all these to Hazel, she immediately and unhesitatingly purchased the Lenovo S10-2 (which is lighter) AND a backpack that same day. ^_^ Hmmm… I should get paid for promoting Lenovo. Hehehe.

A healthy fat intake depends on your age and your lifestyle. The older and less active you are, the less fat you must eat. To lose weight, you must first have an idea on how much fat you take in, for this will be your basis on how much fat you need to lessen.

And now for the hardest part, before you think of using a weight loss product steer clear of your favorite pizza for a while. Burgers too are also very high in fat, from the buns, to the mayo, to the cheesy bacon mushroom melts. Choose healthy snacks like salads, fruit yogurts or corn chips. Choose white meat like chicken or turkey and remove the skin. For lean meat, it is better to grill it so that the fat will drip while cooking. Fish in olive oil is also great for loosing weight.

Always remember that low-fat food is may be low in fat, but if you eat too much, the effect is the same as eating fatty food of lesser volume. Try to dig in fruits and vegetables. These foods have no fat. So better have them in your diet.

The bad fat: Saturated fat

Foods high in this kind of fat include fatty meats, coconut oil, cakes, pastries, and our all time favorite burgers. These tend to raise cholesterol levels therefore must be reduced if not avoided. There is also the “trans fat” which is also Saturated fat, which can be found in dairy products and commercial frying oils.

The good fat: Unsaturated fats

Mono-unsaturated and Poly-unsaturated are basically the same in terms of benefits to the body. These particular types of fats are lower blood cholesterol and reduce the risk of blood clots, which is good. These fats come mostly from vegetable oils, peanut butter, and fish oils. The so famous Omega -3 fat is also unsaturated.

Big Fact:

Most people think that good fats don’t make them overweight. These people see these good fats as natural weight loss supplements. Wrong! Fats are still fats. Saturated or unsaturated, these fats will pile up in your body if not used. The body stores fat as energy reserves so if you don’t use your reserves, you’ll end up looking like a warehouse in no time.