How to Prevent a Sore Throat from Progressing to a Cold

Before I share a great little tip on how to stop a sore throat from progressing into a week-long cold, please know that periodically experiencing a cold or the flu can actually be helpful to your health. If you have no idea why this is, please view the following popular article that I wrote on this topic:

What Most Doctors Won't Tell You About Colds and Flues?

You just won't get this information on why colds and flues can help you stay healthy over the long run from medical textbooks and mainstream media - please consider sharing it with family and friends.

Although experiencing a cold or the flu once in a while can help rid your body of your weakest cells, I'm willing to bet that there are times when you would really prefer to delay such a period of cleansing and malaise.

Here's how you can stand a good chance of preventing a cold from developing:

As soon as you experience that sore, tickly feeling in your throat that precedes a full-blown cold, gargle with warm salt water.

And when I say gargle, I mean really gargle; take in a mouthful of warm salt water, look up at the ceiling, and gargle aggressively. You may want to tap at your throat (the Adam's apple region) with your fingers while you gargle to encourage the warm salt water to trickle deeply into your throat.

Gargle like this several times with a glass of warm salt water, and repeat as often as possible throughout the day.

Warm salt water can remove viruses from the tonsils and adenoids that line the back of your throat region. Viruses that cause colds and flues typically get caught by your tonsils and adenoids before they spread through your body. Your tonsils and adenoids are important parts of your immune system because they are located near the entrance of your breathing passages, and they serve as a first line of defense against undesirable airborne microorganisms and substances.

This, by the way, is why it is best not to remove tonsils and adenoids from your throat region. Chronic swelling of tonsils and adenoids is best addressed by reducing sugar intake, adopting a minimally processed diet that is rich in fresh plant foods, and supporting immune system health by getting plenty of rest, exercise, and exposure to sunlight and fresh air.

Cold salt water may also help to remove viruses from your tonsils and adenoids, but warm salt water tends to be more effective. Warm water may help to melt the fatty coating that protects viruses that cause the cold and flu.

What if you gargle for all you're worth but still end up developing a full-blown cold?

Get lots of rest, drink plenty of fluids, and take comfort in knowing that countless viruses are at work destroying your weakest cells. And don't forget to blow your nose as often as it runs; help your body get rid of what it wants to get rid of.

Something2Share:

I have been suffering from coughing and from the past one month. Each time there is itchiness on my throat, I tend to cough with a lot of phlegm coming out.

I have been taking cough mixture and lozenges, but it doesn't work.

After reading this article forwarded to me by my friend yesterday, I tried gargling with warm salt water last night. I feel much better this morning. The irritation on my throat seems to have disappeared.

For those who are suffering the same problem, I suggest to follow this treatment as recommended by Dr. Ben Kim.

Good Visibility - Driving In The Rain

We are not sure how effective it is; just try this method when it rains heavily. This method was told by a Police friend who had experienced and confirmed it. It is useful, even driving at night.

Most of the motorists would turn on HIGH or FASTEST SPEED of the wipers during heavy downpour, yet the visibility in front of the windscreen is still bad.

Thus, in the event you face such situation, just try your SUN GLASSES (any model will do). All of a sudden, your visibility in front of your windscreen is perfectly clear, as if there is no rain.

Try it yourself.

Make sure you have a pair of SUN GLASSES in your car. You are not only helping yourself to drive safely with good vision, but also you might save your friend's life when driving in the rain.

Please tell all your friends!

Something2Share:

I have tried it and it works.

Suggest you put on yellow glasses for brighter visibility for night driving.

Share this with your friends.

10 foods that make people happier

While food gives people energy, it can also make people happier. Usually when people are feeling depressed, they go see a psychologist, but food can also lift people’s spirits. Scientific studies show that foods such as deep sea fish, bananas, grapefruits, all wheat bread, spinach, cherries, garlic, pumpkins, low fat milk and chicken can help fight against depression. Read on to find out more.

1 Deep sea fish
Studies show that people living by the sea appear much happier than those living inland, partly because the fresh sea air helps them clear their minds and partly because people by the sea eat a lot of deep sea fish. A study by Harvard University points out that the Omega-3 fatty acid contained in deep sea fish functions the same as anti-depression drugs in that helps calm nerves and increases the secretion of serotonin.

2 Banana
Banana contains a natural chemical compound called alkaloid, which gives people a boost increases their confidence. Bananas are also a source of tryptophan and vitamin B6; both help the brain to manufacture serotonin.

3 Grapefruit
Grapefruit is rich in vitamin C, which improves the body’s resistance by maintaining the density of red blood cells and is also a good combatant against stress. What’s more important is that vitamin C is an indispensable element in making dopamine and adrenalin, both chemicals that can stimulate excitement.

4 All-wheat bread
Carbohydrate increases the secretion of serotonin. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) researchers say it makes good sense that some people eat desserts and food made with flour as anti-depression drugs.

5 Spinach
Researchers find that lack of folic acid leads directly to a decrease in serotonin which could lead to depression. Spinach is well known for its abundance in folic acid.

6 Cherry
Western doctors call cherry a natural aspirin because this fruit contains a material called anthocyanin which can make people happy. Researchers at the University of Michigan point out that eating 20 cherries is more effective than medicines that relieve depression.

7 Garlic
Garlic gives people a bad smell yet a good mood. German researchers conducted a study on garlic and found out that when people who are highly strung eat garlic, they show less of a tendency to be anxious and angry.

8 Pumpkin
Eating pumpkin can help get people into a good mood because it is rich in vitamin B6 and Iron, which both transform the sugar stored in the body to glucose, which fuels the brain.

9 Low fat milk
Studies find that after taking calcium pills for three months, those women with pre-menstrual syndrome have a less stressful time and are less likely to feel nervous or anxious. Milk, yogurt and cheese are a major source of calcium. Low fat or skim milk contain the most calcium.

10 Chicken
After some British psychologists feed their subjects 100mg of selenium, they found that their subjects all felt happier. Chicken is a major source of selenium.

Egg Yolks Are Good For You

The truth about egg yolks.

Many people throw away the egg yolk because they think that's where all the nasty fat and cholesterol is. This is a perfect example of how confused most people are about nutrition. In a world full of misinformation, somehow most people now mistakenly think that the egg yolk is the worst part of the egg, when in fact, the YOLK IS THE HEALTHIEST PART OF THE EGG!

By throwing out the yolk and only eating egg whites, you're essentially throwing out the most nutrient dense, antioxidant- rich, vitamin and mineral loaded portion of the egg. The yolks contain so many B-vitamins, trace minerals, vitamin A, folate, choline, lutein, and other powerful nutrients... it's not even worth trying to list them all.

In fact, the egg whites are almost devoid of nutrition compared to the yolk. Even the protein in egg whites isn't as powerful without the yolks to balance out the amino acid profile and make the protein more bio-available. Not to even mention that the egg yolks from free range chickens are loaded with omega-3 fatty acids.

Yolks contain more than 90% of the calcium, iron, phosphorus, zinc, thiamin, B6, folate, and B12, and panthothenic acid of the egg. In addition, the yolks contain all of the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K in the egg, as well as all of the essential fatty acids.

And now the common objection I get all the time when I say that the yolks are the most nutritious part of the egg..."But I heard that whole eggs will skyrocket my cholesterol through the roof ." No, this is FALSE! First of all, when you eat a food that contains a high amount of dietary cholesterol such as eggs, your body down-regulates it's internal production of cholesterol to balance things out. On the other hand, if you don't eat enough cholesterol, your body simply produces more since cholesterol has tons of important functions in the body.

And here's where it gets even more interesting. ..There are indications that eating whole eggs actually raises your good HDL cholesterol to a higher degree than LDL cholesterol, thereby improving your overall cholesterol ratio and blood chemistry.

And 3rd... High cholesterol is NOT a disease! Heart disease is a disease...but high cholesterol is NOT.

You can read the following article about why trying to attack cholesterol is a mistake, and what the REAL deadly risk factors actually are...

http://www.truthaboutabs.com/cholesterol-myths.html

So I hope we've established that whole eggs are not some evil food that will wreck your body... Instead whole eggs are FAR superior to egg whites. Also, your normal supermarket eggs coming from mass factory farming just don't compare nutritionally with organic free range eggs from healthy chickens that are allowed to roam freely and eat a more natural diet. I recently compared eggs I bought at the grocery store with a batch of eggs I got at a farm stand where the chickens were free roaming and healthy. Most people don't realize that there's a major difference because they've never bought real eggs from healthy chickens... The eggs from the grocery store had pale yellow yolks. On the other hand, the healthier free range eggs had deep orange colored yolks indicating much higher nutrition levels and carotenoids.

So next time a health or fitness professional tells you that egg whites are superior, you can quietly ignore their advice knowing that you understand the REAL deal about egg yolks.

One more thing about eggs... I read a study recently that compared groups of people that ate egg breakfasts vs groups of people that ate cereal or bagel based breakfasts. The results of the study showed that the egg eaters lost or maintained a healthier bodyweight, while the cereal/bagel eaters gained weight.

It was hypothesized that the egg eaters actually ate less calories during the remainder of the day because their appetite was more satisfied compared to the cereal/bagel eaters who would have been more prone to wild blood sugar swings and food cravings.

SOMETHING2SHARE:

I once also threw away the egg yorks and consumed egg whites only as I was then worried about high cholesterol. After reading "Rahasia Umur Panjang" (Secret of Long Life) by Dr. Elizabeth Subrata, an Indonesian Christian doctor, then I realised that I had threw away the best part of the whole egg. She also recommended to consume free-range/ayam kampung eggs.

She also mentioned that Jesus refered egg as "Good Gift" in Luke 11:12-13. So we shouldn't be worried of eating eggs including the best part, egg yorks.

As written in Job 6:6,"Is there flavour in the white of an egg?" So don't throw away egg yorks if you want to enjoy the favour of eggs.

Health Tips On Eating Rice

Eat Less Rice!
The human body was never meant to consume rice! You see, our genes have hardly changed in more than 30,000 years. However, our food choices and lifestyle have changed dramatically. The caveman would hardly recognise our food or way of life.

Caveman food was never cooked as fire was not yet tamed. Thus, he ate only those foods that you can eat without treatment with or by fire. He ate fruits, vegetables, fish (sushi anyone?), eggs, nuts and meat. Yes, even meat. You can even eat meat raw if you were starving in the forest. You have the necessary enzymes to digest meat.

However, rice, like wheat and corn, cannot be eaten raw. It must be cooked. Even if you were starving in the desert, you cannot eat rice in the raw form. This is because we do not have the system of enzymes to break rice down. You were never meant to eat rice. To make matters worse, you not only eat rice, but also make it the bulk of your food.

In some parts of Asia, rice forms up to 85% of the plate. Even if you take rice, keep it to a minimum. Remember, it is only for your tongue - not your body. Actually, rice and other grains like wheat and corn are actually worse than sugar. There are many reasons:

Rice becomes sugar - lots of it!

This is a fact that no nutritionist can deny: rice is chemically no different from sugar. One bowl of cooked rice is the caloric equal of 10 teaspoons of sugar. This does not matter whether it is white, brown or herbal rice. Brown rice is richer in fibre, some B vitamins and minerals but it is still the caloric equal of 10 teaspoons of sugar. To get the same 10 teaspoons of sugar, you need to consume lots of kangkong-10 bowls of it.

Rice is digested to become sugar.

Rice cannot be digested before it is thoroughly cooked. However, when thoroughly cooked, it becomes sugar and spikes circulating blood sugar within half an hour-almost as quickly as it would if you took a sugar candy. Rice is very low in the 'rainbow of anti-oxidants.

‘This complete anti-oxidant rainbow is necessary for the effective and safe utilisation of sugar." Fruits come with a sugar called fructose. However, they are not empty calories as the fruit is packed with a whole host of other nutrients that help its proper assimilation and digestion.

Rice has no fibre.

The fibre of the kangkong fills you up long before your blood sugar spikes. This is because the fibre bulks and fills up your stomach. Since white rice has no fibre, you end up eating lots of 'calorie dense' food before you get filled up. Brown rice has more fibre but still the same amount of sugar.

Rice is tasteless-sugar is sweet.

There is only so much that you can eat at one sitting. How many teaspoons of sugar can you eat before you feel like throwing up? Could you imagine eating 10 teaspoons of sugar in one seating?

Rice is always the main part of the meal. While sugar may fill your dessert or sweeten your coffee, it will never be the main part of any meal. You could eat maybe two to three teaspoons of sugar at one meal. However, you could easily eat the equal value of two to three bowls (20-30 teaspoons) of sugar in one meal. I am always amused when I see someone eat sometimes five bowls of rice (equals 50 teaspoons of sugar) and then asks for tea tarik kurang manis!

There is no real 'built in' mechanism for us to prevent overeating of rice:

How much kangkong can you eat?
How much fried chicken can you eat?
How much steamed fish can you eat?
Think about that!

In one seating, you cannot take lots of chicken, fish or cucumber, but you can take lots of rice. Eating rice causes you to eat more salt.

As rice is tasteless, you tend to consume more salt-another villain when it comes to high blood pressure. You tend to take more curry that has salt to help flavor rice. We also tend to consume more ketchup and soy sauce which are also rich in salt.

Eating rice causes you to drink less water. The more rice you eat, the less water you will drink as there is no mechanism to prevent the overeating of rice. Rice, wheat and corn come hidden in our daily food. As rice is tasteless, it tends to end up in other foods that substitute rice like rice flour, noodles and bread. We tend to eat the hidden forms which still get digested into sugar. Rice, even when cooked, is difficult to digest.

Can't eat raw rice? Try eating rice half cooked. Contrary to popular belief, rice is very difficult to digest. It is 'heavy stuff'. If you have problems with digestion, try skipping rice for a few days. You will be amazed at how the problem will just go away.

Rice prevents the absorption of several vitamins and minerals. Rice when taken in bulk will reduce the absorption of vital nutrients like zinc, iron and the B vitamins.

Are you a rice addict? Going riceless may not be easy but you can go rice-less. Eating less rice could be lot easier than you think. Here are some strategies that you can pursue in your quest to eat less rice:

Eat less rice-cut your rice by half. Barry Sears, author of the Zone Diet, advises 'eating rice like spice'.

Instead, increase your fruits and vegetables.
Take more lean meats and fish.
You can even take more eggs and nuts.

Have 'riceless' meals. Take no rice or wheat at say, breakfast. Go for eggs instead.

Go on 'riceless' days-Go 'western' once a week.

Take no rice and breads for one day every week. That can't be too difficult. Appreciate the richness of your food. Go for taste, colours and smells. Make eating a culinary delight. Enjoy your food in the original flavours.

Avoid the salt shaker or ketchup. You will automatically eat less rice.

Eat your fruit dessert before (Yes! No printing error) your meals.The fibre rich fruits will 'bulk up' in your stomach. Thus, you will eat less rice and more fruits.

It's your life. Decide what you want to eat!

SOMETHING2SHARE:

It's up to you to believe it or not. Anyway, I have cut down my rice, how about you, my dear friends?

I have fruit juice (green apple, celery, bitter guard, English gourd, green pepper) in the mornings, eat more fruits and vegetables nowaday, and prefer steamed fish.

Stay healthy and keep fit. GBU

Holding Hands

I was sitting on a beach one summer day, watching two children, a boy and a girl, playing in the sand.

They were hard at work building an elaborate sandcastle by the water's edge with gates and towers and moats and internal passages.

Just when they had nearly finished their project, a big wave came along and knocked it down, reducing it to a heap of wet sand.

I expected the children to burst into tears, devastated by what had happened to all their hard work. But they surprised me.

Instead, they ran up the shore away from the water, laughing and holding hands, and sat down to build another castle.

I realized that they had taught me an important lesson. All the things in our lives, all the complicated structures we spend so much time and energy creating, are built on sand.

Only our relationships to other people endure. Sooner or later, the wave will come along and knock down what we have worked so hard to build up.

When that happens, only the person who has somebody's hand to hold will be able to laugh.

SOMETHING2SHARE:

When I offer my hand, I can see the smile on the other person's face and I can feel the warmness when we hold our hands for a little bit longer than just shaking hands.

When I hold my wife's hand or she holds my hand as we walk together especially during an excursion, we can feel a closer relationship between us full of love, happiness and laughters.

When I bought my first Long Play Record of The Beatles in the 60s, one of their songs that I liked most was "I Wanna Hold Your Hand". I still remember the beautiful parts of the lyrics the Beatles sang in this song: And when I touch you , I feel happy, inside. It´s such a feeling, That my love, I can't hide, I can't hide, I can't hide.

How true it is that we just can't hide our feeling deep inside our hearts when we touch the hand of our loved one. That's true love, how wonderful it is!