Eating Healthy for Asthma

Fad diets and supposed “miracle foods” may come and go, but when it comes to food, some things will never change. We’re all very busy people, so let me break it all down into some simple equations. Lots of fat in your diet = bad. Lots of fiber in your diet = good. A low-fat, high-fiber diet does wonders for your health: it cuts down significantly on GI problems like constipation and hemorrhoids, contributes to a healthy weight, and can even prevent some types of cancer. And now, new research has uncovered yet another way that this eating plan can help make people’s lives better. A study at the University of Newcastle in Australia has found a link between fiber/fat intake and airway inflammation (which contributes significantly to asthma); the research indicates that the more fat an asthma sufferer consumes, the greater severity in their symptoms – and thus, the more times they need to reach for the inhaler or nebulizer.

The researchers monitored 137 asthmatics, as well as 65 people without the condition. Using a combination of dietary questionnaires and blood tests, they sought to examine the relationship between participants’ diets and the severity of their symptoms. On average, severe asthmatics consumed five grams more of fat daily, and five grams less of fiber daily, than individuals without the condition. Additionally, for every 10-gram increase in daily fat consumption, the odds of having severe asthma jumped up by 48 percent, marking a significant correlation. It’s important to note that these results indicate an association, rather than a cause-effect relationship. In other words, eating a slice of pizza now and again won’t trigger an asthma attack ­– although previous studies have indicated that too much fat in one’s diet can exacerbate symptoms. 

So there’s the science. What’s the solution? The Gastrointestinal Associates and Endoscopy Center recommends that people cut down their fat consumption to no more than 20 to 30% of their daily diet (35 to 50 grams of fat for the average female, 45 to 70 grams for the average male), and that they consume 20 to 30 grams of fiber every day. Here are some low-fat, high-fiber foods that can help you cut down on inflammation, feel better, and stay happy and healthy!

·         Beans – Beans, beans, the glorious fruit…ok, all jokes aside, beans are one of the best high-fiber options out there ­– just 1 cup of boiled black beans has 15 grams! ­­– and they come chock-full of protein and B vitamins. What they don’t have is fat - the United States Department of Agriculture estimates that there’s only 1g per 100g of beans. 

·         Fruits & Vegetables ­­­– The idea that fruits and veggies are good for you isn’t exactly ground-breaking, but the fact remains that they contain tons of water, fiber and vitamins, and virtually no fat. Plus, some fruits, such as apples, have been singled out as asthma-fighting juggernauts. A homemade smoothie is a terrific way to get all the good stuff; throw some raspberries, blueberries, bananas, and apples into a blender with some ice or low-fat yogurt, and you’ve got yourself a delicious inflammation-buster.

·         Whole Grains – Dietary guidelines recommend at least 3 servings of whole grains a day to aid digestion, lower blood cholesterol, and help control hunger. Low-fat and high in fiber, whole grains are especially great because there are so many varieties – if it’s bready, it’s probably available in a whole-grain version. If you find bread boring, you might want to try quinoa, barley, or bulgur.

So there you have it – cut down on the fat, amp up the fiber, and you just might find your asthmatic woes on the decline! Not that being healthy is too shabby, either.

Zoe Camp is an avid blogger for http://justnebulizers.com/ and a student at Columbia University who spends her time researching and writing about health, especially respiratory health.

Flesh-Eating Disease in Pangasinan

As reported by Jasmin Romero of  Bandila, ABS-CBN, a mysterious disease occurred in Pangasinan. 
A disease that seems to eat alleged human skin and flesh.

As Jesus Ministries founder Sadhu Sundar Selvaraj's prophecy that a mystery disease will spread in Philippines, particularly in Pangasinan.

“The Lord says there is a place called Pangasinan. 

The Lord says it is in the northernmost part in your land. 

From there a grievous disease will spread all over the world. 

That will consume the flesh of men; all their upper skin will begin to decay. 

It will pierce through the bones.

The fear of this disease will spread all over the world. 

The Lord said that this will begin from the Philippines.”

~Sadhu Sundar Selvaraj

The said Prophet visited Philippines last April 2013 at the 24th National Prayer Gathering at Cuneta Astrodome.

The Department of Health has no confirmation of what kind of illness that is now spreading in the said  Province.  Let us just all offer a prayer for our country Philippines especially that the Lenten Season in coming. Let us all pray to Jesus the Divine Mercy, and put our full trust in Him. "Jezu, Ufam Tobie."

UPDATE  The Provincial Health officer of Pangasinan Dr. Anna Marie de Guzman personally check the rumored mysterious flesh-eating illness, and according to the Health officer  that the sickness of the two patients who were earlier reported to be carrying a flesh-eating disease were diagnosed with leprosy and psoriasis.  She also assured that both disease are not contagious. Source: TV PATROL see Chaplet of Mercy here --> http://goo.gl/vn2gZC 

Dead Bodies everywhere after Super Typhoon Yolanda in Philippines

Photo By Noel Celis

It's been almost a week after the super-typhoon Yalanda (with international name Haiyan) hits the central Philippines, medical experts said that Health risks from dead bodies are negligible. According to World Health Organization (WHO) 

 "The widespread belief that corpses pose a major health risk is inaccurate. Especially if death resulted from trauma, bodies are very unlikely to cause outbreaks of diseases such as typhoid fever, cholera or plague though they may transmit gastroenteritis or food poisoning syndrome for survivors if they contaminate streams, wells or other water sources." 

But the rotten smell could be unbearable for some survivors who are starving for foods for almost a week, still others complain and asking the government for a slow response of help and of the proper burial. 

Dr. Emmanuel M. Bueno, a surgeon who is a medical center director in Manila for the Philippines Department of Health and is helping to oversee medical care in Tacloban City, Philippines, said in an interview that the authorities there planned to dig three mass graves on Wednesday(November 13, 2013), putting layers of bodies side by side with a plastic tarpaulin sprinkled with lime on top of each layer. “We will give them at least a decent burial, with a blessing by a priest,” [1]

[1] The New York Times

10 Health Benefits of drinking Beer

By Lisa Collier Cool

Source: Yahoo Health

1. Stronger Bones

Beer contains high levels of silicon, which is linked to bone health. In a 2009 study at Tufts University and other centers, older men and women who swigged one or two drinks daily had higher bone density, with the greatest benefits found in those who favored beer or wine. However, downing more than two drinks was linked to increased risk for fractures.

For the best bone-building benefits, reach for pale ale, since a 2010 study of 100 types of beer from around the word identified these brews as richest in silicon, while light lagers and non-alcoholic beers contained the least.

2. A Stronger Heart 

A 2011 analysis of 16 earlier studies involving more than 200,000 people, conducted by researchers at Italy’s Fondazion di Ricerca e Cura, found a 31 percent reduced risk of heart disease in those who quaffed about a pint of beer daily, while risk surged in those who guzzled higher amounts of alcohol, whether beer, wine, or spirits.

More than 100 studies also show that moderate drinking trims risk of heart attacks and dying from cardiovascular disease by 25 to 40 percent, Harvard reports. A beer or two a day can help raise levels of HDL, the “good” cholesterol that helps keep arteries from getting clogged.

3. Healthier Kidneys

A study in Finland singled out beer among other alcoholic drinks, finding that each bottle of beer men drank daily lowered their risk of developing kidney stones by 40 percent. One theory is that beer’s high water content helped keep kidneys working, since dehydration increases kidney stone risk.

It’s also possible that the hops in beer help curb leeching of calcium from bones; that “lost” calcium also could end up in the kidneys as stones.

4. Boosting Brain Health 

A beer a day may help keep Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia at bay, researchers say.

A 2005 study tracking the health of 11,000 older women showed that moderate drinkers (those who consumed about one drink a day) lowered their risk of mental decline by as much as 20 percent, compared to non-drinkers. In addition, older women who downed a drink a day scored as about 18 months “younger,” on average, on tests of mental skills than the non-drinkers.

5. Reduced Cancer Risk 

A Portuguese study found that marinating steak in beer eliminates almost 70 percent of the carcinogens, called heterocyclic amines (HCAs) produced when the meat is pan-fried. Researchers theorize that beer’s sugars help block HCAs from forming.

Scientists also have found that beer and wine contain about the same levels of antioxidants, but the antioxidants are different because the flavonoids found in hops and grapes are different.

6. Boosting Vitamin Levels 

A Dutch study, performed at the TNO Nutrition and Food Research Institute, found that beer-drinking participants had 30 percent higher levels of vitamin B6 levels in their blood than their non-drinking counterparts, and twice as much as wine drinkers. Beer also contains vitamin B12 and folic acid.

7. Guarding Against Stroke 

Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health found that moderate amounts of alcohol, including beer, help prevent blood clots that block blood flow to the heart, neck and brain—the clots that cause ischemic stroke, the most common type.

8. Reduced Risk for Diabetes 

Drink up: A 2011 Harvard study of about 38,000 middle-aged men found that when those who only drank occasionally raised their alcohol intake to one to two beers or other drinks daily, their risk of developing type 2 diabetes dropped by 25 percent. The researchers found no benefit to quaffing more than two drinks. The researchers found that alcohol increases insulin sensitivity, thus helping protect against diabetes.

9. Lower Blood Pressure 

Wine is fine for your heart, but beer may be even better: A Harvard study of 70,000 women ages 25 to 40 found that moderate beer drinkers were less likely to develop high blood pressure—a major risk factor for heart attack—than women who sipped wine or spirits. 

10. Longer Life 

In a 2005 review of 50 studies, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported that moderate drinkers live longer. The USDA also estimates that moderate drinking prevents about 26,000 deaths a year, due to lower rates of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.

These benefits appear to apply in other countries as well, with an earlier study reporting that, “if European beer drinkers stopped imbibing, there would be a decrease in life expectancy of two years—and much unhappiness.”