The 7 Stages Of Disease (Part 6)

It has been some time since I blogged about The 7 Stages Of Disease.

According to Harvey Diamond, author of the bestselling book Fit For Life : A New Beginning, disease never ever sneaks up on you and strikes you down. It takes a long time and a great deal of neglect and abuse of the body for disease to finally occur.

From the 1st stage of disease to the 7th stage (ie. cancer stage), many years may elapse. At any stage you can stop the disease from progressing by doing the right thing.

Before I talk about Stage 5, you may want to take some time to read up on the previous stages or simply refresh your memory by clicking the links below.

Stage 1 : Enervation
Stage 2 : Toxemia
Stage 3 : Irritation
Stage 4 : Inflammation

OK, now that you are familiar with what happens in each of the stages from 1 to 4, let's move on to the next stage which is...

Stage 5 : Ulceration

At this stage, the body has been under assault for such a long time that massive amount of cells and tissues are being destroyed. Lesions and ulcers begin to occur. This condition is extremely painful because of the exposed nerves.


Mouth ulcer image courtesy of Wikipedia

Some examples of ulcers are stomach ulcer, mouth ulcer and open sore on the arm and leg. The body is actually using ulcer as an outlet to rid itself of toxins. If the level of toxemia is sufficiently lowered, the ulcers will heal by itself.

However, if you continue to add toxins into your body, the body will be forced to go to the next stage to heal the ulcers.

That... is the 6th stage, the pre-cancer stage called Induration, which I shall talk about next!

FIRST COMMENTER

5 Reasons To Stay Away From Instant Noodles!

I love instant noodles! Do you?

It's delicious, convenient, easy to cook, and cheap! What's not to love about instant noodles?

Unfortunately, instant noodles are just not healthy for us and here are 5 reasons why.

1. In order to create noodles that cook very fast, it's deep fried in oil resulting in a product that is high in saturated fat and trans fat. What is of greater concern is whether the oil is maintained at the proper temperature and whether it is changed as often as necessary. If not, it will result in the production of oxidised fat which poses serious health problems!


Image courtesy of Sopiadas.net

2. Instant noodles are coated with wax to prevent the noodles from sticking together. If you do not believe this, simply add boiling water to the noodles and after some time, you will see wax floating in the water. The wax is toxic and it will take about 4-5 days to excrete them from the body.

There is however, a way to eat the noodles without consuming the wax as well. First, boil the noodles in a pot of water. Once it's cooked, drain the water and transfer the noodles to another pot of boiling water before adding the powder to make the soup base. Although not all the wax will be removed this way (unless you boil the noodles and drain the water a few times, which will make the noodles too soggy to be eaten!) it is still better than eating the noodles from the first pot!

3. The use of sodium additives in the soup powder makes instant noodles a food that is excessively high in salt. High sodium intake is linked to hypertension, heart disease, stroke and kidney damage.


Image courtesy of Travel-Korea.net

4. The chemical propylene glycol is used as humectants to prevent the noodles from drying. This chemical is readily absorbed and it accumulates in the heart, liver and kidneys causing abnormalities and damage.

5. The instant soup mix also contains MSG (monosodium glutamate), colouring, preservatives, acid regulators, flour treatment agents, stabilisers, and flavour enhancers - all of which are unhealthy.


My bowl of instant asam laksa

With the 5 reasons above, does that mean you should not eat instant noodles at all?

Well, I don't believe in completely avoiding unhealthy food - we need to satisfy our cravings once in a while. But since instant noodles is a highly processed food that is low in fibre and essential nutrients but high in carbohydrates, sodium and food additives, it should not be eaten on a regular basis.

Why I Drink Coffee

To be honest, I am not a coffee drinker. I prefer hot chocolate or even Milo, but recently I am learning to drink more coffee.

But it's not the expensive Starbucks coffee I'm after. Neither is it the cheaper OldTown white coffee.

No, I am really trying to drink more brewed black coffee that has no added sugar or milk. Yes, just plain coffee beans + water. It's hard to drink because it's bitter but I think I am getting used to the bitter taste now.


Image courtesy of DietAdvices.com

You see, coffee is beneficial to health ONLY if you drink it without adding in the sugar, milk and cream. Once you added those stuffs, your cup of coffee is a passport to weight gain, higher diabetes risk, and other health problems.

But if you drink coffee the proper way, you may benefit from the following...

1. Lowers your risk of getting Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Research shows that those who drink coffee have a 35% lower risk of suffering from Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus compared to those who don't. This could be due to the rich antioxidants in coffee that protects the cells from free radicals. Also, coffee contains magnesium and chromium, which improve the functions of insulin, the hormone that controls blood sugar.

2. Improves brain function
The caffeine in coffee improves alertness and enhance brain functions. Those who habitually drink coffee are less likely to develop Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.

3. Increases weight loss
Coffee is known to boost your body's metabolic rate which helps you to lose weight. Drinking a cup of coffee for breakfast will raise your metabolic rate and help you to burn your food intake throughout the day especially if combined with exercise.

4. Protects cardiovascular functions
Coffee contains powerful antioxidants that can slow down the oxidation of bad LDL cholesterol, and prevent the formation of blood clots in the arteries. People who drink coffee have lower risk of strokes and heart problems.

5. Promotes digestion and prevents constipation
The caffeine in coffee has the ability to excite the sympathetic nerve and promote peristalsis movement in the digestive system thereby preventing constipation and improves digestion.

6. Increases urination
Caffeine is a mild diuretic. It causes the kidneys to produce more urine which helps to flush out toxins from the body. This will also help to improve the condition of bloated stomach.

7. Works as an antidepressant
Since coffee can improve mental alertness and promote a more cheerful frame of mind, it is helpful to relieve the symptoms of depression. In a way, coffee also acts as a stress reliever.

8. Reduce the risk of certain cancers
Due to the high antioxidant content in coffee, regular drinkers have a lower risk of certain cancers, namely breast, colon, prostate and liver cancers.



CAUTION : Before you start heading to the nearest Starbucks or your local coffee shop, let me tell you that coffee is NOT all "good"! Drink only in moderation.

Here are the adverse health effects of drinking too much coffee...

1. Addictive
Caffeine is addictive. Anything that is addictive (like smoking) is never good. Quitting coffee can cause severe withdrawal symptoms like headaches, fatigues and depression.

2. Increases stress and anxiety
Too much caffeine can over-stimulate the central nervous system causing one to feel jittery and restless. It can also exhaust the adrenal glands, leading to less resistance to stress and more susceptible to diseases.

3. Worsens a heartburn
Since coffee can trigger the secretion of stomach acids which improve digestion, over stimulation can instead lead to indigestion and heartburn.

4. Risk of miscarriage
Pregnant ladies take note! Too much coffee can increase risk of miscarriage and even known to increase infertility.

5. Increases risk of osteoporosis
Excessive intake of coffee interferes with the absorption of nutrients and minerals by the bones, thus increasing the risk of osteoporosis.

6. Increases aging effects
Coffee is a diuretic and over consumption of coffee therefore leads to dehydration. Dehydration can dry out the skin, causing wrinkles and making you look older than you actually are!

7. Weight gain
Although coffee can increase your metabolic rate and burn more fat, it also stimulates the appetite and increases the craving for high calorie food. Too much coffee therefore will make you eat more and gain weight in the long run!


My cup of roasted almond cappuccino from Coffee Chemistry Cafe

TIPS : HOW TO DRINK COFFEE AND STILL LOSE WEIGHT!

Drink only black coffee without sugar and milk. And definitely without cream! A cup of black coffee contains only 5-7 calories. A teaspoon of sugar will add about 23 calories which is still quite OK if you really cannot take the bitterness.

But try drinking those lavish Starbucks coffee like their Caffe Mocha - it contains 360 calories! Or their Frappuccino Blended Coffee with whipped cream - that will set you back by a whopping 430 calories!

High-Intensity Interval Training : 5 Reasons Why I Like It!

Have you heard of High-Intensity Interval Training or HIIT?

It is a specialized form of exercise that involves short intervals of maximum intensity exercise separated by similar or longer intervals of moderate or low intensity exercise.

I first learn about HIIT from Dr. Al Sears, author of The Doctor's Heart Cure and later from Dr Mercola, who owns the world's No.1 natural health website, Mercola.com.


Image courtesy of Top News Health

You can do any exercise using HIIT - skip rope, jog, cycle, swim or even use the elliptical trainer, treadmill or stair-stepper in the gym. For me, I prefer to jog.

This is how I use HIIT in my jogging. Start by sprinting as fast as you can for 1 minute. Then jog moderately or walk for 3 minutes. Repeat the high intensity (sprinting) alternating with the low intensity (jogging or walking) for another 6 or 7 times. Because it is such a demanding exercise, I can only perform HIIT 2-3 times a week.

Of course you should warm up for 3-5 minutes before doing the exercise and cool down for another 3-5 minutes after you are done with it.

So why do I like HIIT? Here are my 5 reasons...


Image courtesy of diptacoolness.tumblr.com

1. It saves time!
While the normal aerobic exercises like jogging takes about one hour, I am done with HIIT in about 30 minutes. Or even less, if you are fitter. You can sprint for 1 minute and jog moderately for another 1 minute instead of 3 minutes like what I did. Repeat this 7 times, and your total exercise time is only 14 minutes!! Add in 3 minutes of warm up in the beginning and another 3 minutes to cool down at the end, and your whole workout time is only 20 minutes! What a time saver!


Image courtesy of Gymboss

2. It strengthens the heart
Contrary to popular belief, the conventional jogging at a fixed speed over long distance and for long periods of time actually weakens the heart. That explains why some marathon runners, who are supposedly fit, die from heart attacks.

Aerobic exercises which stress your heart for long periods of time have been proven to increase your heart endurance power. But heart attacks do not happen because your heart lacks endurance. Instead, it happens during times of stress when your heart needs more energy and pumping capacity but does not have it.

High-intensity interval training which involves short bursts of intense workout followed by periods of rest or more relaxing workout makes the heart stronger and more effective in preventing a heart attack.


Image courtesy of Ab Workout Videos

3. It helps you lose fat more effectively
Cardio and aerobic exercises have been proven to burn body fat during exercise. Also the longer you exercise, the more fat you burn. But do you know this actually sends the wrong signal to the body?

Burning fat doing prolonged exercise makes your body think it needs fat and so it will try and adapt by storing more fat for your next workout! Your body becomes more efficient at preserving the fats and if you stop exercising, you will put on those pounds much faster than before!

On the contrary, HIIT tells your body that storing energy as fat is inefficient, since you never exercise long enough to utilize the fat during each session.

Also, high intensity workout increases your resting metabolic rate, which means you will burn fat long after you have finished exercising! So while normal aerobic exercise will burn more fat during the exercise itself, but stop burning fat after your exercise, HIIT actually burns less fat during exercise but continues to burn fat for the rest of the day!

Overall, you end up losing more fat using HIIT with less exercise time!


Image courtesy of shahtraining.com

4. It makes you look younger
A major advantage of intensive training is that it will stimulate your body to produce human growth hormones (HGH). What does HGH do? Well, it is clinically proven to build muscle, burn fat, improve bone density, raise your good cholesterol (HDL) and reverse the negative effects of aging.

Intensive training also helps to reduce age-related telomere shortening. It'll take too long for me to explain what is telomere and how it relates to looking younger, so it's better you read about it HERE.

For your information, traditional aerobic exercise has no effect on HGH and telomere shortening.


Image courtesy of picpu.com

5. It helps you build a better looking body
Who do you think have a better looking body - a marathon runner or a 100-metre sprinter? It's not surprising since a sprinter uses HIIT in his training whereas a marathon runner does not.

The reason is simple. HIIT raises your testosterone level which helps build muscles, whereas long duration aerobic exercises actually makes you lose lean muscle mass. That is why if you do normal aerobics exercise, you will lose both fat and muscle making you look thin but not toned, just like a marathon runner.


Image courtesy of Sports Club

Now with these 5 reasons, will you be willing to try high-intensity interval training?

Note : HIIT is a very demanding exercise. If you have underlying medical conditions like asthma, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart diseases etc, proceed with caution. Get a clearance from your doctor or physician before starting HIIT.

For more info on HIIT, get a copy of Dr Al Sears' PACE e-book, or learn more from Dr Mercola's PEAK8 program.

Random Notes 16

1. I have not been coming out with a new post since last Thursday. Some of you may be wondering what happened to me. Nothing really, I was simply too busy and then when I was about to write a new post, I fell sick!

2. I had fever with abdominal discomfort, headaches and nausea. I hate being sick!

3. During my sickness, I slept most of the time. Yes, I think in the last two days, I have replaced all my sleep debts over the months. Haha!!

4. But during those time that I was awake, I spent it catching up on my storybooks, and watching TVB dramas. Currently I am watching No Regrets. Have you watched this series? It is really an exciting and engrossing drama!

5. I ate Jacobs biscuits and drank Milo for lunch and dinner for the past two days. They were the only things I could eat without throwing up!


Picture taken with my iPhone

6. I have been listening to Mariah Carey's new Christmas album called "Merry Christmas II You" since last week. It is an incredible album! I love all the songs in it! If you like Mariah Carey of the 90's when she belted out power ballads, then you will like this album! It's full of lush string orchestration that really evokes the Christmas mood in me!

7. Which is your favourite Malaysian radio station? I normally listen to Fly FM. I love their selection of songs and the funny DJs.

8. I visited the newly refurbished McDonalds outlet at Bandar Utama next to Centrepoint last week. At first, I thought they were going to build a third storey but I was wrong. It is still a 2-storey building, but with more trendy designs.



9. I wonder why McDonalds had these stools without the back rest. Perhaps they don't want people to sit all day in the restaurant?



10. I know some of you are waiting for my Contest results. OK, I already have the winners with me. Will reveal it in the next post soon! : )

FIRST COMMENTER

The 7 Stages Of Disease (Part 5)

According to Harvey Diamond, bestselling author of the book Fit For Life : A New Beginning, it is not easy to get cancer. One has to go through 6 stages before cancer strikes.

From our original vibrant health state, we had continuously abused our body by ingesting toxins and accumulating them in our body. The body is infinitely smart and tries to eliminate the toxins and even warn us with symptoms and irritations by making us go through 6 stages before reaching the 7th which is the Cancer Stage.

So far, I have talked about Stage 1 (Enervation), Stage 2 (Toxemia) and Stage 3 (Irritation). At any of these stages, if we take action to remove the cause of our health problems, the disease process will stop and good health returns.

But when we continue to ignore these 3 stages, the body will inevitably progress to the next stage which is....

Stage 4 : Inflammation

Inflammation is the body's most intense effort to cleanse and restore itself. When this process occurs, you become keenly aware that a problem exists for it involves pain.

None of us like pain. But believe it or not, pain is our friend! It has a purpose and that is to warn us something is wrong somewhere.

Imagine if you can't feel pain. What happens when you rest your hand on a hot stove without feeling pain? What happens when you step on broken glass without feeling pain? So you see, pain is the body's most effective warning signal.

If the last 3 stages gave you irritations and minor discomfort, you may chose to ignore them. But will you still choose to ignore pain?


Image courtesy of Derby Sports Injuries

When pain is chronic and unrelenting, it is a sign that the body is desperately attempting to get rid of the ever increasing level of toxemia before it causes devastating damage. With inflammation, the toxins in the system have usually been concentrated at a particular organ or a particular area of the body for a massive elimination effort. The area becomes inflamed due to the constant irritation from toxic material.

When inflammation exists, we are diagnosed with words that end with "itis".

Ever heard of tonsillitis? It's the inflammation of the tonsils.

How about appendicitis? It's inflammation of the appendix.

Hepatitis? Inflammation of the liver.

Arthritis? Inflammation of the joints.

Colitis? Inflammation of the colon.

Nephritis? Inflammation of the kidneys.

Sinusitis? Inflammation of the sinus.

Dermatitis? Inflammation of the skin.

OK, I'm sure you get the idea. But what do most people do when they feel pain? Off they go to see the doctor in search for relief. And what does the doctor do? Prescribe drugs to take away the pain.


Image courtesy of HealthJockey.com

Unfortunately, the drugs do nothing to remove the cause of the problem. They only serve to lessen the pain temporarily. Worse, the drugs are adding to the body's level of toxemia which the body is desperately trying to get rid of!

Stage 4 is crucial for it is in the middle of the 7 stages and actions taken at this point will determine whether or not you are going to recover your health and return to a state of vibrancy, or fall deeper into the diseased state.

If you do not start to detoxify your body at this stage, you will most likely progress to Stage 5 : Ulceration, which I shall talk about next!

FIRST COMMENTER

The 7 Stages Of Disease (Part 4)

I wrote a series of posts about The 7 Stages Of Disease last year and somehow, due to some reason or other, I did not complete the series.

Two nights ago, I accidentally came across one of the posts and decided I must not let my readers wait forever for the remaining posts. So today I would like to resume this health series.

By now most of you must have forgotten what this series of posts are all about, so for your benefit and for the benefit of those who are new to my blog, kindly read the following posts before you proceed.

The 7 Stages Of Disease (Part 1)
The 7 Stages Of Disease (Part 2)
The 7 Stages Of Disease (Part 3)

OK, now that you have read the above 3 posts, let's move on to the next stage, shall we?

By the way, whatever that is written here and in the above 3 posts are not something that I simply cooked up but are based on the book Fit For Life : A New Beginning by bestselling author Harvey Diamond.

We learnt that disease does not appear out of the blue but gradually. In Stage 1 (Enervation), the symptoms are tiredness and loss of appetite. In Stage 2 (Toxemia), the symptom is fever. Now if you continue to ignore these warning signs, you will progress to...

Stage 3 : Irritation

Irritation is a condition in which the body sets its defensive mechanism in motion and speeds up its internal activities in order to unload stored-up toxins. This process can happen at various points in the body.

An example of irritation is the urge to urinate or defecate. This is probably the best way to eliminate toxins from your body.

However, one of the common symptoms of irritation due to toxemia is itchiness. Perhaps you are not aware, but the skin is the not only the body's largest organ but also an organ of elimination. When toxins in your body are removed via the skin, they cause itchiness on the surface areas of your skin.


Image courtesy of fasting.ws

This is in fact, your body's way of getting your attention. It is not serious unless you ignore it and do nothing, in which case, you will progress to Stage 4 - The Inflammation Stage.

Not everyone will experience itchiness however. You may feel queasy or nauseated for no apparent reason. Some people will feel that persistent tickling sensation in the nose. Yet others experience nervousness, depression and anxiety.

Other classic symptoms of irritation includes headaches, difficulty falling asleep, putting on weight easily, bad temper, coated tongue, bad breath, body odour, dark circles under the eyes, and for women, out of the ordinary menstrual problems.


Image courtesy of Harbor Family

You might be thinking - don't everyone experience these symptoms one time or the other? You are correct. Unfortunately, some people live for years in this state of irritation they even learn how to adapt and live with it!

This is because the discomfort they experience is not serious enough for them to go for a medical check up or for treatment.

But here's the problem. When the effects of enervation, toxemia and irritation are ignored long enough, and the toxic residue in the body that started all these builds up to an even higher concentration, the 4th stage of disease ultimately, and inevitably, results.

Stay tuned for Part 5 where I will talk about Stage 4 : Inflammation

FIRST COMMENTER

My Top 5 Recreational Parks

Since returning from my holidays in Cambodia and Redang, I discovered to my horror that I have put on some weight.

This is rather unusual because every time I go on a long holiday, I normally lose weight!

Oh well, maybe I just had too much to eat this time around. Haha!

It did not help that during this Raya holiday weekend, I did nothing but eat!

Anyway, I have got to do some jogging again this week to start shedding those unwanted fats! Walking on a treadmill in the gym is just too plain boring for me. I prefer jogging in the outdoors and be close to nature, especially in the parks!

So today I would like to share with you my Top 5 favourite parks in the Klang Valley.

1. FRIM


Photo courtesy of Window To The Soul

Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) located 16km northwest of Kuala Lumpur in Kepong is one of my favourite jogging spots. It offers 1,528 hectares of forest ecosystems, gardens, arboreta and wetlands with various trails (both tarmac and nature) scattered all around the Institute. It also has a 200m long canopy walkway that is built 30m above ground.

2. Taman Lembah Kiara



Taman Lembah Kiara Recreational Park is located in Taman Tun Dr Ismail in KL. It is a popular recreational spot for nearby residents. There is a beautiful man-made lake complete with fountains, a suspension bridge and a well-paved jogging path that absorbs the impact from running or jogging. One interesting thing you can see here is monkeys that roam freely all around the park.

3. Lake Gardens



Also known as Taman Tasik Perdana, the Lake Gardens is located off Jalan Parlimen in KL. As the more popular green lung in KL, it encompasses about 92 hectares of greenery, which also include a lake, bird park, butterfly park, deer park, orchid and hibiscus garden, Tun Abdul Razak Memorial and National Planetarium.

4. Taman Pertanian Bukit Cahaya


Image courtesy of wikimapia.org

Malaysia's first Agriculture Park is located in Shah Alam, Selangor. The area, which is also known as Bukit Cherakah, covering 1,295 hectares of virgin jungle is the world's first agro-forestry park. There is a jogging track around a lake and a four-season house which showcases the four different seasons.

5. Desa Park City



Although not a park but a gated housing estate, Desa Park City is not only one of the best spots in KL to live, but also a great place to jog around its large beautiful lake! Besides jogging, you can also fly kites and go fishing. Or do some shopping at its Waterfront shops.

There you have it, my top 5 recreational parks in the Klang Valley. Do you like jogging in the parks and which is your favourite park?

FIRST COMMENTER

Random Notes 10

1. There is a strange phenomena happening in my bedroom. I am a subscriber to Readers Digest magazines and I keep them in my room so that I can read them before I go to sleep.

Recently, I noticed that the older magazines started to curl up at the edges. Take a look.



The magazine on the left is the November 2009 issue whereas on the right is the more recent March 2010 issue.

Can you see how curled up the magazine is on the left? The one on the right is already showing signs of curling up! And no, it has nothing to do with how I handle the magazines, if that's what you think.

Why do I say that? Well, the much older Readers Digest magazines (2008 issues) that I have in my collection never did curl up no matter how badly I handled them! But then again, those issues were not placed in my bedroom. They are all in the store room after spending like one whole year in my bedroom.

So why are these Readers Digest magazines curling up in my bedroom? Anyone of you have any good theory on this? Or is it time for me to call Agent Mulder and Scully?

2. Recently, I was down with a migraine attack. It was a shock to me as I rarely have migraines. I would say this is the second time in my life suffering from migraine, my first time being 2 years ago!


Image courtesy of healthjockey.com

It all started late one morning when I experienced vision disturbances. I had difficulty reading as I was seeing black patches and dark spots! Any pictures I saw appeared to be pixelled or blurred. Straight lines seemed crooked to me!

Having experienced this unusual symptoms before the onset of my migraine attack 2 years ago, I quickly went to my bedroom and laid down. The first time I had this experience, I thought I was going to die! Now I knew better.

Minutes later, the throbbing on one side of my head started. I felt nauseated and wanted to vomit. Lying down and sleeping provided no relief whatsoever. I went to the doctor and he prescribed me anti-migraine drugs.

I never really like to take any form of drugs but this migraine was paralyzing me to the point where I could do nothing but lie down the whole day! There goes my revenues for that one day!

The doctor advised me against sleeping late at night and drinking too much coffee. Well, I don't drink much coffee but I have to admit I sleep pretty late at night! I am a night owl if you don't already know me! Haha! But I guess I would have to sleep earlier from now on!

By the way, I learnt to massage some acupressure points in relieving migraines, and they really helped to give me some relief! For more details, read HERE.

3. I hate to touch anything after washing my hands in a public toilet! Like turning off the tap, or pulling down the roll of tissue to wipe my hands, or turning the door knob to open the toilet door.

It defeats the whole purpose of washing my hands! That's why I simply love taps and tissue roll with auto sensors! Like this one in the Gardens Mall.



Just place your hand in front of the sensor machine and the tissue paper will roll out from below. Love it! : )

4. Last year, I and my friend went for lunch at Prego, an Italian restaurant in Westin Hotel KL. Now, you may be wondering why I am blogging about something that happened last year.

Well, I just realized I have forgotten to blog about this and as I happened to come across these photos, I thought why not include them in my random notes today? Haha!



The above is the complimentary bread given to us as an appetizer before our main meals. The bread was huge and I was already half full eating it! What I really like was the slightly spicy sauce that came with it! Eating the bread dipped into that sauce was heavenly!

We shared the pizza...



...and the pasta.



And we were so full by the end of it! Gosh! I guess I am NOT such a big eater after all! Haha!



I don't mind going to Prego again, even if it's just for that complimentary bread alone! LOL!

FIRST COMMENTER

All About Fast Food

1. I don't like fast food. So don't ask me to eat McDonalds, KFC, PizzaHut, A&W, Dunkin Donuts, etc. etc. Well, I can still eat them once in a while since I'm a pretty flexible person, haha! But not every week please!

2. I have not eaten KFC for the past 10 years, believe it or not! Then that day, I broke my record and went to KFC for lunch! And I still didn't like it. I mean, their fried chickens were so small and simply not nice at all! I don't think I'll ever go there again!

3. Talking about fast food, I think I still prefer McDonalds although I hardly eat there. Well, I do like their curly fries and delicious sundae cone. And if I ever eat their fries, I always dip the fries NOT into the chili or tomato sauce....but into the sundae ice cream! If you have not tried my method of eating McD french fries, try it and tell me what you think! Just don't blame me if you get addicted to it! Haha!

4. By the way, do you know the six worst fast food burgers in the USA? McD is not in the list, thank goodness! Anyway, read about it here.

5. The only thing I like about A&W is their root beer and their ice cream waffles. Absolutely nothing else! Their coney dogs are fit for dogs, not humans! (Sorry for my sarcasm!)

6. I don't fancy donuts. And that's a huge surprise cos I have sweet tooth! I am simply not impressed with J Co or Krispy Kreme and I totally hate Dunkin Donuts! I wonder why Dunkin Donuts are still around! Give me cakes or toast with butter and kaya anytime! By the way, eat more Krispy Kreme if you fancy getting diabetes.

7. Cupcake chic? They are nice and delicious but totally not for those looking to lose weight! Although I'm not one of them but still, no thanks!

8. Pizza Hut is totally overrated. I don't really fancy pizza by the way, and they are so calorie laden they do absolutely nothing to reduce your waistline. Between Pizza Hut, Domino and Shakeys, I think I rather choose Domino. What about you? By the way, go for Shakeys if you want to increase your sodium intake and your blood pressure as well.

9. Would you dare to eat nothing but fast food for the next 30 days? A guy actually did it and was featured in the award winning documentary Super Size Me. As a result, he gained weight, increased his cholesterol levels, and experienced mood swings and sexual dysfunction! After that, he took 14 months to lose all the weight he gained from his experiment! Read all about it here.

10. I know a lot of people will hate me for this post especially the fast food industry people! But this is my blog and I think I have the right to say what I feel! You may not agree but please respect my right to express my opinion. Well, I used to like fast food when I was younger. Maybe, just maybe, it's because I am getting older. Either that, or I'm more health conscious nowadays. Oh well.... ; )

FIRST COMMENTER

3 Common Myths On Diabetes

November 14 was World Diabetes Day and I would like to take this opportunity to counter some myths on diabetes.


World Diabetes Day Logo

Here are 3 common myths regarding diabetes.

1. Diabetes is caused by high consumption of sugar.

This is only partly true. There are people who do not consume much sugar yet they get diabetes. Besides, all food once digested turn into sugar in your body. It's not just sugar that you must control, but the amount of food and the portion that you must be aware of.

To be on the safe side, avoid all refined sugar and processed food. Add to that you must also practise a healthy lifestyle like exercise on a regular basis, sleep early and manage stress.

This is not an advice for diabetics only. It holds true for non diabetics as well that is, if you want to avoid becoming part of the statistics.

2. Diabetes is not a very serious disease as it can be controlled by medication and insulin.

This is a very dangerous myth because I notice a lot of diabetics still eat like they normally do thinking the insulin and medication is enough to help them control their blood sugar. Take note that diabetes is an incurable disease. Once you have it, you have it for life.

With diabetes, you will eventually suffer from stroke, heart disease, kidney problems, and eye problems. It's what you must do NOW to slow down the effects so that you can delay these problems from happening too soon.

To do this, you would have to change your lifestyle. Eat low GI (glycemic index) food, control your portion, do exercise and manage your stress well. In this way, the medication and insulin you take in do not have to work that extra hard to control your blood sugar.

3. Diabetes can be spread or inherited.

Diabetes definitely cannot be spread from one person to the other like the common flu. But it can be inherited. However, not everyone who gets diabetes inherits it.

You are considered at high risk of developing Type 2 diabetes if any of your first-degree relatives have diabetes. So if you are one of the unfortunate ones, all the more you must take really good care of your health. Do not wait - start the healthy lifestyle right now!

I remember I have blogged a little about diabetes before I left for my China trip. To refresh your memory, read it here. I had put up a list of popular food and asked you, my readers to guess the amount of sugar in each of them.

So here are the answers.


Mc Donald's sundae ice cream (180ml) - 10.3 teaspoons or 28.7% sugar


A&W Root Beer (325ml) - 7.6 teaspoons or 11.8% sugar


Coca Cola (325ml) - 6.5 teaspoons or 9.9% sugar


Ribena (500ml) - 65 teaspoons or 64.6% sugar


Kellogg's Corn Frosties (275g) - 19.3 teaspoons or 35.1% sugar


Uncle Tobys Muesli Bars (125g) - 16.8 teaspoons or 59.9% sugar


100 Plus (100ml) - 5.7 teaspoons or 8.8% sugar


Chipsmore Cookies (180g) - 13.3 teaspoons or 36.9% sugar

*Source : CAP Guide "How Much Sugar Is Hidden In Your Food"

How much sugar are you eating daily? According to American Heart Association, women should not take in more than 6 teaspoons of sugar a day, whereas men should limit to 9 teaspoons a day. (This however do not apply to natural sugar found in fruits). Read the report here.

Based on their recommendation, it looks like by eating that McDonalds sundae ice cream, you would have exceeded your daily limit!

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