HEALTH SENTINEL
Early Cancer Detection
October 22, 2010
The ideal strategy against any form of cancer is prevention. To complement this, one must be armed with current information, most of which are available on the internet, for the early detection of the malignancy before it develops into a more serious stage or becomes incurable. Continue reading
The “Food Supplements” Scam
October 15, 2010
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a public alert on May 1, 2009, warning consumers to “stop using Hydroxycut Products, dietary supplements used for weight loss as fat burners, as energy-enhancers, as low carb diet aids, and for water loss under the Lovate and MuscleTech brand names.” Continue reading
Food Children Eat
October 8, 2010
What children eat greatly determines their growth and development, the integrity of their immune system, their body’s ability to ward off infections and diseases, and their morbidity and longevity. The other essential factors are their daily physical activities, abstinence from harmful substances, like tobacco and illegal drugs, and disciplined intake of alcoholic beverages. While genetics play a role in all this, it has been proven that a healthy lifestyle can significantly benefit even those individuals with some of the so-called « bad » genetic trait. Continue reading
Dieting Starts From The Crib
October 1, 2010
As we have written in this column before, in our culture, a chubby kid is somehow considered a healthy child. Most TV commercials today use plump and rotund children in their food and vitamin ads. This sends a wrong and dangerous message, and a disservice to the public, especially to our youngsters. Nothing is farther from the truth. Overweight children, as shown by countless studies, are more likely to develop a cluster of health problems and their complications, compared to their peers with normal weight. The greater the weight excess —the higher a child’s body mass index (BMI), a measure of weight in relation to height — the greater the risk of acquiring the so-called metabolic syndrome early in life, which includes type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and other cardiovascular diseases. Obesity, in children or in adult, is pandemic and a significant health danger. Continue reading
Bamboo Bikes
Sept 24, 2010
Did you know that bamboo is stronger than steel? Technically a type of grass, bamboo, called the poor man’s timber, may be the greatest and greenest raw material on the planet.
As a plant, bamboo can grow as fast as a meter a day. It produces 35% more oxygen for the atmosphere than other grasses, and more effectively binds soil to prevent corrosion. Considered the strongest stuff on earth, with greater tensile strength (resistance to being pulled apart) compared to steel, and which stands compression better than concrete, bamboo is highly promoted today by environmental organizations as a superior building material. Continue reading
Minimally Invasive Surgery
Sept 18, 2010
The trend in surgery today is towards minimally in vasive techniques, all geared for patient comfort, lesser blood loss, lesser pain, lesser morbidity, shorter hospital stay, faster recovery, less obvious scars. These procedures are performed by surgeons specially trained in robotic surgery and/or minimally invasive surgery.
For example: while standard open cholescystectomy (surgical removal of the gall bladder) requires a 5-8 inch incision in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen, all laparoscopic cholecystectomy needs are four small one-inch ports (thumb-size incisional holes), which post-operatively are smaller and much lesser painful compared to the large incision in the open technique. Continue reading
Skin Care: A Must For All
Sept 12, 2010
Wrinkles, also known as rhytides, are folds or creases in the skin, resulting from loss of elasticity and skin turgor associated with aging and with years of daily exposure to the ultraviolet rays of the sun. But a major factor is the lack of proper skin care, which should include the frequent use of skin moisturizers. Continue reading
Oral Sex and Throat Cancer
Sept 3, 2010
The recent revelation of movie actor Michael Douglas that he has throat cancer put the spotlight on this dreaded malignancy. The rate of throat cancer in the United States has not declined, compared to most head and neck malignancies. I suspect that the statistics could also be true, when extrapolated, for other … Continue reading
Coconut Oil: Good or bad?
Aug 27, 2010
The controversy about the health effects of coconut oil has been going on for decades.
The question still remains: Is coconut oil ingestion beneficial or harmful to our body? The Philippines is the world’s largest exporter of coconut oil, accounting for 7% of its total export income. Those who are promoting the sale of… Continue reading
Human Bar Code
Aug 20, 2010
(Miniaturized Implantable Micro-Chip)
Bar codes for commercial products and services are today a standard arma mentarium of the business world. Its use has transformed daily transactions, inventory, record-keeping, accounting, auditing, budgeting, projections, etc. into simpler,more accurate, faster, more efficient, and timesaving endeavors. A very impressive example on how the use of bar codes … Continue reading