The hidden killer in your junk food

The hidden killer in your junk food

The sight of French fries, aloo tikkis and samosa's are bound to tickle the taste buds of any Indian. But have you ever wondered the kind of oil that is used to cook these delectable items? In all likelihood the oil that is used contains a high amount of harmful fat called transfat.

Transfats are as bad as smoking, claim scientists, who along with consumer groups are demanding regulations for limiting its use in food items.

Though small amounts of transfats are naturally present in dairy foods and animal products, the most common source of artificial transfat is vanaspati, which has 40 per cent transfat.

Food manufacturers frequently use vanaspati oil because it can be preserved longer, gives food items such as tikki s a solid shape and texture, and is a cheap substitute for ghee.

'A two per cent increase in the daily intake of transfats - which can be achieved by regular consumption of small- sized French fries or two- and- a- half samosa s or one plate of bhatura for about a year - is associated with a 23 per cent increase in risk of heart disease. This has been indicated by many studies,' Prof Anoop Misra, president of the National Diabetes Obesity and Cholesterol Foundation ( N- DOC), said.

Transfats are also associated with risk of diabetes, infertility and certain types of cancers.

However, most restaurants are not willing to disclose the kind of cooking medium they use.

In an ongoing research being carried out by the foundation, out of 25 known restaurants, including a few multinational ones, 21 did not disclose information on the type of oil being used for cooking and frying, while five claimed to be using refined oil.

Five out of 11 roadside vendors openly admitted using vanaspati oil for frying food items like aloo tikki and aloo chaat , four did not reveal any information and two said they use refined oil.

The study also found out that among 150 educated women, only 28 per cent actually know about transfats.

Thirty eight per cent women believe transfats do not cause any harm while only 12 per cent were fully aware of their adverse effects.

Among Indian foods, bhatura, poori, samosa, fried aloo chat, halwa, aloo tikki, matthi, namakpara, kachori, fried namkeen and others are rich in transfats.

Examples of western food rich in transfats are patty, cake, pastry, cookies, pizza and rusks.

A committee led by the National Institute of Nutrition, an organisation under the Indian Council of Medical Research, has come out with recommendations to regulate the amount of transfats in oil.

It has argued that the amount of transfats should not exceed 10 per cent of the total fat content in vanaspati oil besides phasing out transfats 'as early as possible'. Other recommendations include mentioning of transfat content along with that of saturated and unsaturated fat on the labels of all food items and edible oils.

The recommendations have been submitted to the Food Safety and Standard Organisation. The N- DOC has also come out with similar recommendations.

The organisation is also demanding that the amount of transfats should not exceed five per cent in soft spreadable margarine or bakery fats and wants transfats to be eliminated from our diet within a period of two years.

'If transfat content is restricted to less than 10 per cent in vanaspati, it would decrease the risk of heart disease in approximately 20 lakh people,' Misra said.

Many more people will benefit from lower cholesterol and blood pressure, he added.

The Story of "Little Mermaid" Girl

Milagros Cerron was born wit a birth defect.
Her legs were joined together like a mermaid's tail.
After three surgeries in the last five years she has normal legs and is learning to walk.
Brave little girl.

World’s Toughest Rehab Clinic

World’s Toughest Rehab Clinic

Hidden away in a forest, 140 km north of Bankok, Thailand, the Buddhist Monastery of Thamkrabok takes in alcoholics and drug users from all over the world. Unlinke famous detox clinics like Betty Ford (California) , or Priory (London), this Thai monastery doesn’t have paparazzi lurking around, and it’s a lot cheaper. One month at Betty Ford Clinic costs $23,000, while just one week at Priory amounts to 5,000 pounds. At Thamkrabok Monastery, all you need is $3 for food, because treatment and accomodations are supported by donations.

The rehab treatment at Thamkrabok lasts 10 days, and only those who come of their own free will, are willing to follow all instructions, and are comitted to kicking their habit for good, are welcome. When they decide to go to Thamkrabok Monastery, patients must realize they are in for a rude awakening. No matter their social status or wealth, patients will have to sleep in a mass dormitory, wake up very early and take every medicine given by the monks.

That might sound bearable, but most of the herbal treatments at Thamkrabok will have anyone puking out their insides, almost instantly. Apart from the black herbal pills, disgusting herbal drinks, and tons of herbal teas, addicts also have to sweat out their habit in herbal saunas.

After the 10 day program is completed, patients have the option of staying a while longer, to meditate and do chores around the monastery. When they leave Thamkrabok, people must realize they will never get the chance to get treated again. If they leave, and they’re yet cured, they won’t be able to return.

CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME (for every computer user)

CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME (for every computer user)

For everyone who works daily on a computer. The mistakes daily mouse and keyboard usage will result in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome! Use the mouse and keyboard correctly. View below for the surgery of a patient suffering from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome followed by the
RIGHT TECHNIQUES for usage....

Correct way to work on the Computer





Hand Exercises for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome :

KINDLY SEND THIS TO EVERYONE YOU DON'T WANT TO SUFFER FROM THIS!

Ostrich born

Ostrich born

Ostrich...

Phew: It's not like breaking into a chocolate Easter egg - it's a lot tougher and requires a sheer muscle power

...and after a short rest, it's off to explore. After all, no good having one's head in the sand

Titled 'Escape Into Life', the series records the first moments of a newborn chick, the young of the African penguin (whose eggs are laid in caves padded with feathers and bits of wood), the ostrich (which breaks the shell not by pecking, but expanding the muscles of its throat) and, finally, the red footed tortoise (seen here popping out of its shell with mouth wide open as if in astonished rapture at what it can see).

The work of husband and wife team Heidi and Hans-Juergen Koch from Germany (who have specialised in animal photography for the past 20 years) they are the result of many days and weeks of patient observation - and provide a fascinating pictoral record of four creatures arriving into the world.

African penguin...

Cracked it: My approach is to peck the shell into tiny pieces - from the inside out

...so that I'm soon ready for action in anyone's book. Penguin books, even

Tortoise...

Escape claws: 150 days after the egg is laid, a scaly red foot emerges

...and after being buried in the sand for so long, it's clearly turtley exciting to be here!

Chicken...

Hen-pecked: Domestic chickens chip around the shell to remove the cap

Still wet: I may look bedraggled, but within minutes I'll look like your classic fluffy chick

Baby Wombat Cared By Humans

Meet orphaned Karmann, the waving wombat nursed back to health by humans

Mail Foreign Service
Last updated at 11:26 AM on 03rd April 2010

She may only have a tiny heart - but luckily for Karmann the orphaned wombat, she was rescued by an animal lover with a large one.

The helpless little creature owes her life to a driver who rescued her from the pouch of her dying mother, who had been run over in East Gippsland, Australia in early March.

Karmann was rushed to the Warrandyte Wildlife Shelter in Melbourne, where she is to spend the next three months of her life being cared for in their state-of-the- art intensive care unit.

Hi Karmann! The tiny baby wombat appears to give a wave for the camera as she nestles in the palm of a veterinarian' s hand at the Warrandyte Wildlife Shelther in Melbourne

Blanky: Karmann, whose whiskers and eyelashes seem to represent the only hair on her body, will spend the next three months in the ICU

Here her temperature is carefully monitored and she is steadily putting on weight thanks to being fed six times a day.

The equipment to care for Karmann, who is now three-and-a- half-months old, was purchased thanks to a government grant and generous donations from the public following Australia's devastating wildfires last year.

Unlike kangaroos, wombats have a pouch on their backs instead of their stomachs.

This ensures that as they dig their burrows with their front paws and strong, rodent-like teeth, they do not cover their newborns with dirt.

Baby wombats are not supposed to leave the pouch until they are about seven months old - which is why Karmann is being kept in an incubator and cared for so carefully.

Cosy: Karmann looks sleepy as she is bundled up inside a nest a blankets in the incubator

Lucky to be alive: Karmann was saved by a driver after her mother was run over by a car

Foods that Keep Your Arteries Clean

 

Foods that Keep Your Arteries Clean

10 Foods that Keep Your Arteries Clean
Your arteries are blood vessels that transport oxygen and nutrients from your heart to the rest of your body. In order for this important process to occur, your arteries should be flexible, strong, elastic and clear of any deposits.
All fruits and vegetables are said to help prevent heart disease, but certain varieties (like apples) pack a particularly powerful punch.
However, over time deposits of fatty substances, cholesterol, cellular waste products, calcium and other substances can build up in your arteries. These plaques can severely restrict blood flow and, even more seriously, they can cause your arteries to rupture, leading to blood clots. Blood clots can then block your blood flow entirely, leading to heart attack and stroke. a build-up of plaques in your arteries, known as atherosclerosis, is the main underlying cause of heart disease.keeping your arteries clean is not only a key part of your heart health, it's a key to your health overall.While exercising on most days of the week is an excellent way to keep your arteries healthy, your diet also plays a major role. Here we've identified 10 foods that are especially adept at helping to keep your arteries clean.
1. Grapefruit: It contains a type of fiber called pectin, which has been shown in animal studies to slow down the progression of atherosclerosis.
2. Green Tea: This healthy beverage contains procyanidins, which have been found to help prevent blood clots and promote healthy endothelium (the tissues that lines blood vessels and your heart).
3. Apples: Apples (particularly Red Delicious and Granny Smith) are also rich in procyanidins.
4. Garbanzo beans: Garbanzo beans contain both soluble and insoluble dietary fiber, which help to remove cholesterol- containing bile from your body. They are also known to help prevent heart disease.
5. Olive oil: Using olive oil as your exclusive source of oil may cut your risk of coronary heart disease almost in half, according to the CARDIO2000 case-control study, published in Clinical Cardiology. Meanwhile, studies show that particles of LDL (bad) cholesterol that contain monounsaturated fats (found in olive oil) are less likely to become oxidized. This is important because only oxidized cholesterol is able to stick to your artery walls and form plaques.
6. Spinach: This leafy green contains both vitamin C and vitamin A, which team up to prevent cholesterol from becoming oxidized (and thereby helping to prevent plaques from forming in your arteries).
7. Salmon: Salmon is rich in omega-3 fats, which make blood less likely to clot inside arteries and prevent cholesterol from becoming damaged or oxidized. Choose wild-caught salmon (instead of farm-raised) for the most benefits.
8. Tomatoes: Tomatoes are rich in lycopene, an antioxidant that may make LDL cholesterol much less susceptible to becoming oxidized -- again, this is the first step in the formation of plaque formation and is a major risk factor for heart disease.
9. Swiss Chard: Swiss chard is an excellent source of the antioxidant vitamin E, which helps prevent free radicals from oxidizing cholesterol. Eating a diet rich in vitamin E has been shown to significantly reduce the risk of developing atherosclerosis.
10. Garlic: Garlic helps your heart and arteries in numerous ways, including:
o Stimulating the production of nitric oxide in the lining of blood vessels, which may help them to relax
o Inhibiting coronary artery calcification, which serves as a marker for plaque formation
o Preventing the oxidation of cholesterol
o Reducing the formation of nanoplaque (the first building blocks of plaque) by up to 40% and reducing the size of the nanoplaque that has already formed by up to 20%, according to a study by German scientist Professor Güautnter Siegel, M.D., from the University of Medicine in Berlin

Liver damage.don't always sleep late

Liver damage.don't always sleep late

Liver damage.don't always sleep late !
Take note...don't always sleep late!!
Good rest and sound sleep is very
Important... if u don't sleep well,
The toxic in your body will accumulate..
Affecting your health and your mood...
The main causes of liver damage are:
1. Sleeping too late and waking up too late are the main cause.
2. Not urinating in the morning.
3. Too much eating.
4. Skipping breakfast.
5. Consuming too much medication.
6. Consuming too much preservatives, additives, food coloring, and artificial sweetener.
7. Consuming unhealthy cooking oil. As much as possible reduce cooking oil use when frying, which includes even the best cooking oils like olive oil. Do not consume fried foods when you are tired, except if the body is very fit.
8. Consuming overly done foods also add to the burden of liver. Veggies should be eaten raw or cooked 3-5 parts. Fried veggies should be finished in one sitting, do not store.
We just have to adopt a good daily lifestyle and eating habits. Maintaining good eating habits and time condition are very important for our body to absorb and get rid of unnecessary chemicals according to 'schedule.'
Because: Evening at 9 - 11pm : is the time for eliminating unnecessary/ toxic chemicals (de-toxification) from the antibody system (lymph nodes). This time duration should be spent by relaxing or listening to music. If during this time a housewife is still in an unrelaxed state such as washing the dishes or monitoring children doing their homework, this will have a negative impact on her health.
Evening at 11pm - 1am : The de-toxification process in the liver, and ideally should be done in a deep sleep state. Early morning 1 - 3am : de-toxification process in the gall, also ideally done in a deep sleep state.
Early morning 3 - 5am : de-toxification in the lungs. Therefore there will sometimes be a severe cough for cough sufferers during this time. Since the de-toxification process had reached the respiratory tract, there is no need to take cough medicine so as not to interfere with toxin removal process.
Morning 5 - 7am : de-toxification in the colon, you should empty your bowel.
Morning 7 - 9am : Absorption of nutrients in the small intestine, you should be having breakfast at this time. Breakfast should be earlier, before 6:30am, for those who are sick. Breakfast before 7:30am is very beneficial to those wanting to stay fit. Those who always skip breakfast, they should change their habits, and it is still better to eat breakfast late until 9 -10am rather than no meal at all. Sleeping so late and waking up too late will disrupt the process of removing unnecessary chemicals. Aside from that, midnight to 4am is the time when the bone marrow produces blood.
Therefore, have a good sleep and don't sleep late

How to Stop The HEART Attack

How to Stop The HEART Attack

What we eat makes a massive difference to the health of our hearts. Eating lots of fruit, vegetables and dietary fiber plays a big part in helping us to avoid heart disease and other horrible illnesses. But what about the foods we should avoid if we want to stay heart healthy?
Following a diet that is high in fat and salt can greatly increase cholesterol levels and put you at risk of heart attacks, stroke and other cardiovascular conditions. We look at some of the foods you should definitely avoid if you want to keep your ticker healthy.
Butter: Packed with dietary cholesterol and saturated fat, eating too much butter is a one way ticket to high cholesterol. Make the changes now - eat margarine (margarine is a plant-based product and therefore doesn't contain the dietary cholesterol in animal-based butter) and cook with olive oil instead.
Red Meat: While there is no reason why red meat, when eaten in moderation, can not be eaten as part of a healthy, balanced diet, experts recommend that we do not eat too much of it. Red meat contains fat which is converted to 'bad' cholesterol - so make sure you only eat it occasionally and try and go for the leaner cuts.
Cream: It may taste absolutely delicious, but cream is full of saturated fat, which increases blood cholesterol levels and puts you at risk of coronary heart disease. Try using low-fat yoghurt or fromage frais instead.
Cake Or Biscuits: Very few foods have no nutritional benefit, but trans fats (hydrogenated vegetable oils) are one of them. Used to extend the shelf-life of products, they are found in cakes and biscuits and other unhealthy snacks. Avoid like the plague unless you want to put your heart under unnecessary pressure.
Coconut Oil: Avoid any dishes made with coconut oil, which is full of undesirable saturated fats. Go for olive oil, corn oil or rapeseed oil instead.