Why REM sleep is predominant in babies?

In mammals, there are two types of sleep — rapid eye movement (REM) and non-REM (NREM). They are defined in terms of electrophysiological signs that are detected with a combination of electroencephalography (EEG), electroculography (EOG) and electromyography (EMG), the measurement of which in humans is collectively termed polysomnography.

Researchers find that sleep involves five distinct patterns - four stages of successively deeper sleep known as non-rapid eye movement sleep (or NREM sleep), and a fifth stage known as rapid eye movement, or REM, sleep. NREM sleep is divided into four stages, corresponding to increasing depth of sleep, as indicated by progressive dominance of the EEG by high-voltage, low-frequency ('synchronized') wave activity. Such low-frequency waves dominate the deepest stages of NREM (stages III and IV, also termed slow-wave sleep).

During NREM sleep, the brain waves tend to become slow and more regular, and the people lies fairly still and breathes slowly and regularly. Any snoring that takes place will be during NREM sleep. The four levels of NREM sleep are known as stages 1, 2, 3 and 4. It is in stage 4, the deepest level of sleep, that the electrical activity is slowest.

REM sleep is a much lighter sleep. Its distinguishing feature is that the eyes intermittently dart about under closed eyelids; hence the term "rapid eye movement". At the onset of REM sleep, any snoring ceases, breathing becomes irregular, and both the flow of cerebral blood and brain temperature increase. There are also more body movements. The electrical activity of the brain is similar to that in stage 1 sleep. During this stage your brain waves are almost the same as when you were awake. But it makes sense that your mind needs to process, resolve, or let go of thoughts, impressions, and feelings (charges).

During our sleep we go into REM stage several times. Research indicates the importance of REM sleep. The more REM sleep you get, the more likely you will get up feeling refreshed, positive, and energetic. When you sleep 7 to 8 hours you will probably experience 4 to 5 REM sleep episodes. However, the first REM period doesn’t last very long.

The person will progress through these five stages in cycles, each cycle lasting about 90 minutes. After falling asleep, a healthy adult will slip into stage 1 sleep, which gives way to 2, to 3 to 4; then the sequence goes into reverse. After the second period of stage 1 sleep, the cycle is completed by between 5 and 15 minutes of REM sleep. The sequence is repeated four or five times, with the portion of REM sleep increasing in each cycle while the NREM portion (especially stages 3 and 4) decreases. A person sleeping for around 8 hours will spend about two hours in REM sleep, and the remainder in NREM sleep.

This pattern of NREM and REM sleep, especially the 90 minute cycle, is remarkably similar from one human to another. For example, people with a condition called narcolepsy suffer an uncontrollable urge to fall asleep. No matter where they are or what they are doing, sleepiness will suddenly overtake them.

Young mammals experience a much greater proportion of REM sleep than normal adults. A newborn baby who sleeps around 16 hours a day will spend at least half of that in REM sleep. With premature babies, the percentage of REM sleep is even higher - around 75 per cent. A newborn kitten, puppy, rat or hamster experiences only REM sleep.

Some researchers believe that REM sleep is essential for the human brain to mature before and after birth, and that this explains why babies need so much sleep. The small amount of time that the newborn guinea pig spends in REM sleep supports this hypothesis: compared with a helpless kitten or puppy, a guinea pig is "mature" at birth.

Alpha waves
The rhythm of the brain waves are measured in cycles per second (CPS). When you are awake and alert, the CPS of your brain waves are 14 and up. We call these waves Beta waves.

When you relax deeply, your brain waves have about 7 to 14 CPS. These waves are called Alpha waves. This stage occurs naturally when you are about to fall asleep and when you wake up but are not quite there yet. When you learn how to fully relax and meditate you will enter the Alpha state as well. To go into Alpha is very rejuvenating for mind and body. The mind loses its rigidity. Knowledge and experiences are more easily integrated. Thinking becomes more creative. And insights spontaneously occur. Go into Alpha when you need to problem solve or when you want to make important decisions, relax, energize, center and focus. For example, alpha waves are generated by the relaxed brain, so that you have vivid memories, aha moments, and you feel at peace with the world.

For a restful sleep it is important that your serotonin level (neurotransmitter) is as high as possible. Serotonin increases a feeling of well-being, which helps to slow down and to initiate a calm peaceful sleep. Directly related to the production of serotonin is the production of melatonin, a hormone which is known for its sleep-inducing effect. Serotonin and melatonin use the same building blocks: tryptophan. Basically everything that we have discussed, and will be discussing relating to feeling good, is applicable to helping you improve your sleep cycle as well.
Brain-wave activity ranges from fully awake to deep dreamless sleep. This activity is categorized into five primary groups: Delta, Theta, Alpha, and Beta.

Delta 0.1-3 Hz deep sleep, lucid dreaming, increased immune functions
Theta 3-8 Hz deep relaxation, meditation, increased memory, focus, creativity, lucid dreaming, trance state, hypnosis
Alpha 8-12 Hz light relaxation, "super learning", positive thinking, light trance, hypnosis
Beta >18 Hz fully awake, normal state of alertness, stress and anxiety

At your peak performances your mind is energized by the highest brain waves – called beta waves. Start to daydream during a lecture, or boring committee meeting, and your brain waves shift down a gear to alpha brain waves. You’re still awake but your waves would register lower on an EEG which is a reading that measures brain waves by hooking electrodes to several points on your head.

Move down one further level – to theta waves and your body relaxes, heart rate and respiration lower slightly, and your mind tends to move back and forth between creative energy and deep relaxation. Eventually, the lowest brain waves, called delta waves, kick in, and for awhile the brain moves back and forth between delta and theta movement.

In the first stage of sleep, EEGs show the brain waves slowing down progressively through a thirty minute period. Your brain at that point shifts into REM or rapid eye movement sleep.

Nathaniel Kleitman, discovered in the 1950s, that is REM sleep a person’s eyes flutter rapidly in all directions. In REM stages of sleep people dream, and when woken in that stage you may feel like a truck hit you – but you will likely remember your dreams. Interestingly brain waves at the deepest sleep speed up again – even though the brain remains dormant to conscious thought.

Serotonin chemicals are released which is characterized by high performance and researchers tell us that when some people begin to move from alpha waves into theta movement, sleep soon follows. People who practice meditation can train their minds to enter meditative states, much as those practiced by monks or devote Zen followers.

In contrast, the stress hormone cortisol is release in dangerous doses in people who sustain stress in the lives. This can be caused by poor diet, lack of priorities, too little sleep, habits such as meta messages which generate poor relationships, and lack of reflection that helps you grow and progress in daily doses.

Oil Pulling Therapy –Potential benefits and No harm trying.

"That sounds ridiculous," "It will never work. It doesn't make any sense."

Oil pulling has its origins in oil gargling practiced in Ayurvedic medicine, which dates back thousands of years, this modern version is relatively new, at least in the United States.

Oil pulling is very simple. Basically all you do is rinse your mouth out with vegetable oil, much like you would with a mouthwash. As simple as it sounds, if done correctly it has a very powerful cleansing and healing effect not only on the mouth and sinuses but the entire body.

Testimonial

"I was skeptical at first," says Lee. "I couldn't see how swishing oil in my mouth could help with my arthritis. I haven't felt this good in along time!" I sleep better at night too, so I have more energy during the day. I no longer need my mid-day naps. I have so much energy I almost feel like a teenager again. My periods have become more regular with less cramping and less mood swings. Also, my teeth, gums, and tongue are cleaner than they've ever been. Some people think I'm crazy when I tell them that oil pulling can help those with asthma, allergies, chronic fatigue, diabetes, migraine headaches, PMS and chronic skin problems, chronic sinusitis.

Oil pulling works by detoxifying or cleansing the body. In this way, disease promoting toxins are removed, thus allowing the body to heal itself. As a consequence, health problems of all types improve.

"The first thing that most people notice when they start oil pulling is an improvement in their oral health. Teeth become whiter, breath becomes fresher, and the tongue and gums take on a healthy pink color. Even problems such as bleeding gums, tooth decay, and gum disease are greatly diminished or completely healed.

The Technique of oil Pulling

Oil pulling as we know it today, was introduced in 1992 by Dr. F. Karach, MD. Dr. Karach claimed that oil pulling could cure a variety of illnesses ranging from heart disease and digestive troubles to hormonal disorders. Dr. Karach's method of oil pulling consists of swishing, not gargling, vegetable oil in the mouth. The oil is "worked" in the mouth by pushing, pulling, and drawing it through the teeth for a period of 15 to 20 minutes.

It is done one to three times a day on an empty stomach. The best time is in the morning before eating breakfast, but can be done before any meal. The used oil is discarded and the mouth rinsed out with water. The oil is never swallowed because it is loaded with bacteria, toxins, pus, and mucous.

Sunflower and sesame seed oils are the most commonly used for oil pulling, but any vegetable oil will work. People have had success with olive, coconut, almond and other oils. I prefer to use virgin coconut oil because of its many health benefits. If you use a mild flavored coconut oil it is very pleasant in the mouth.

The scientific mechanism for its beneficial effect

The oil acts like a cleanser. When you put it in your mouth and work it around your teeth and gums it "pulls" out bacteria and other debris. It acts much like the oil you put in your car engine. The oil picks up dirt and grime.

The central pathophysiologic event in the natural history of periodontal disease is chronic exposure to pathogenic oral flora. Our mouths are the home to billions of bacteria, viruses, fungi and other parasites and their toxins. Candida and Streptococcus are common residents in our mouths. Etiologic bacteria that have been implicated in periodontitis include Porphyromonas gingivalis, Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Bacteroides forsythus, and Treponema denticola.

It is these types of germs and their toxic waste products that cause gum disease and tooth decay. Our immune system is constantly fighting these microbes. Prostaglandins cause oxidative stress, oxidation of lowdensity lipoprotein, and contraction of smooth muscle. Similarly, cytokines can stimulate endothelial adhesion, metabolic wasting, hyperlipidemia, connective tissue catabolism, and release of acute-phase proteins." Many of these have been implicated in systemic diseases. The spillage of immune factors (cytokines) from the vigorous fighting will trigger off immune hyperactiveness with the accompanying side effects of fatigue, insomnia and autoimmune diseases. A number of recent studies have provided evidence suggesting that periodontitis may increase the risk for systemic disorders such as cardiovascular diseases and premature birth of low weight infants.

If our immune system becomes overloaded or burdened by excessive stress, poor diet, environmental toxins and such, these organisms can spread throughout the body causing secondary infections and chronic inflammation, leading to health problems such as endocarditis (heart valves infection), atherosclerosis, autoimmune diseases (arthritis, diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, milk allergy etc), atopic diseases (rhinitis, asthma, eczema).


Oil pulling should become a regular part of your daily schedule, like brushing your teeth. Oil pulling is incredibly effective in brightening teeth, healing gums, preventing bad breath, quenching inflammation, and healing oral infections.

Oil pulling is cheap; the only expense is for the oil you use. It is very easy; you simply swish oil in your mouth. Compared to other forms of detoxification it is relatively effortless. It doesn't require dieting, fasting, or consuming unpleasant, and often bowel loosening, mixes of herbs and pills. And it is completely harmless. All you are doing is rinsing your mouth out with vegetable oil-a food. You're not even swallowing the oil. What can be more benign than that? Nearly anyone can do it, regardless of their level of health.

In Summary

1. Every morning, before eating anything, consume 1 tbspoon of cold pressed oil, but DO NOT actually swallow the oil! Slowly swish the oil in your mouth, sipping and sucking it through your teeth for up to 25 mins. Use a lot of saliva, and mix the two together often. Make sure the oil isn't swallowed.

2. Continue swishing. As you continue swishing the oil, it eventually gets much more thin, and even turns white. Spit out a little into the sink. If the color is not white, it means you are not done. So continue oil pulling until the color of the oil is white.


References
1. Manila K, Neiminen M, Valtonen V, et al: Association between dental health and acute myocardial infarction. Br Med J 1989; 298: 779-82.
2. DeStefano F, Anda RF, Kahn HS, et al: Dental disease and risk of coronary heart disease and mortality. Br Med J 1993; 306: 688-91.
3. Beck J, Garcia R, Heiss G, et al: Periodontal disease and cardiovascular disease. J Periodontol 1996; 67: 1123-37.
4. Offenbacher S, Katz V, Fertile G, et al: Periodontal infection as a possible risk factor for preterm low birth weight. J Periodontol 1996; 67: 1103-13.

Hypnosis and SEX

Clinical Hypnosis and Psychosexual Disorders


“Many sexual problems are the result of performance anxiety and can be compounded by associations or behavioural responses which are not longer appropriate” Hypnotherapy can be used as a method to reduce anxiety and to help the patient develop new more useful habits and responses.

Sexual dysfunction can be divided loosely into two categories, those caused by physical conditions such as a hormonal dysfunction, diabetes, physical problems, medication or aging. The first step to treatment is to identify secondary causes by visiting a medical specialist or doctor. On the other hand, sexual dysfunction has a significant psychological component with issues of intimacy, self worth, performance anxiety or fear of sexual relations.

Clinical hypnosis is a therapeutic approach used with a wide variety of anxiety-based and behavioural conditions. The therapy is safe and there are no serious side effects although all experts agree that you should visit a qualified and accredited hypnotherapist.

A significant number of patients suffer from psycho-sexual conditions. Research in 1995 in both Britain and Scandinavian indicate that hypnosis is at least 75% successful in treating erectile dysfunction (ED) which cannot be linked to physical cause. One of the problems is that the patient is self conscious and focusing on the problem. They have a deep seated expectation of failure and eventually that takes over and they cannot perform. This can result in a self-fulfilling prophesy and the feeling of failure and shame can cause the patient to avoid sexual relations. It is a highly distressing condition and one that responds well to hypnotherapy.

“Most psycho-sexual problems have a significant component of performance anxiety. I usually start by reducing the general anxiety levels and re-building the patient’s sense of self-esteem. Sometimes we go into the details that triggered the ED”. This can be a humiliating experience, guilt, sometimes even a trauma. But most patients also experience a deep sense of personal failure. For example, patient failed to have sex with his wife but not a prostitute because he felt a failure in their marriage.

Part of the hypnotherapy involves using metaphor and embedded suggestion. This method allows for a subtle build up of suggestions for successful erection without triggering the anxiety. Therapist will use the power of the imagination to create a future where the patient is successful. This creates a neural pathway towards an expectation of success. Similarly, patients are taught to imagine themselves at a future time where they are waking up next to a satisfied wife, or feeling proud and sexually successful. Sometimes we use metaphor and focus the imagination onto images of strong wild horses or other symbols that are meaningful to the patient. These imagined associations are also useful because they allow the hypnotherapist to connect the patient to associations and feelings of success.

It takes considerable skill and experience to be able to talk sensitively and directly to a patient suffering from a psycho-sexual dysfunction. When a couple can work together and support each other the therapeutic process is made easier. Couples can practice at home, activities which are enjoyable and reinforces their success and intimacy.

Admitting to a sexual problem can be embarrassing and many people develop low self-esteem. They feel as if something is wrong with them and become isolated within their marriage or relationship and sometimes avoiding friends and peer group. In Malaysian society patients may go the other extreme and involve the whole family when there are marriage problems. Frustrated wife eager to start a family and may discussed the problem with the other family members. This entrenched the feelings of humiliation and failure the husband was experiencing. Husband may be unable to cope with the extended family knowing his problem.

Premature ejaculation affects approximately 30% of men suffering from psycho-sexual problems, world wide. There are a number of contributors (sometimes post traumatic stress and occasionally medication). Clinical hypnosis can be used along with other treatments for trauma. Hypnotherapy is also effective where the patient has a conditioned response to ejaculating quickly. This is a habit which can develop in adolescents who are exploring sexually but also need to avoid detection by parents or other siblings. It becomes a dysfunction when it persists into adult life and is made worse by anxiety. There are a number of clinical hypnosis techniques which can help to prolong the erection, by reducing anxiety, focusing the patient’s attention onto his partner, encouraging a new more adult behaviour and confirming a sense of personal and sexual confidence.

Contributors are often socio-cultural factors which interfere with the normal sexual response. Hypnosis is used to create an emotionally safe place from which the patient can explore their feelings. As they develop confidence hypnosis can also help the patient imagine social and sexual situations whilst at the same time remaining in their mental “safe place”. This is a useful method for patients with limited knowledge about sex and sexuality or who have had very controlling parents. This mental role play allows the patient to develop social and emotional skills and explore how to cope with rejection and acceptance without the fear of humiliation. This method called is called “in vitro” and it provides a mental dress rehearsal. This technique can be useful for a patient who has little experience of sex or a patient who has a sexual problem such as ED and needs to come to terms with their own responses and feelings.

Sexuality is much more than just sexual practice. For both men and women sexuality encompasses a very broad range of physical activities and psychological experiences. These activities define how people see themselves within society and affect their sense of self-esteem and purpose. A clinical hypnotherapist must work with all these different levels of complex personal and social relationship because the sexual experience fulfils an important human desire for physical and emotional closeness and intimacy. The hypnosis session often includes how the patient sees himself, how he or he relates to others, the patient’s attitude towards sex and previous sexual experiences and the patient’s generalized identity as a sexual person. In addition, feelings about one’s partner and relationship may also affect sexual satisfaction.

Dr Wong is a graduate of the London College of Clinical Hypnosis Asia (LCCH). For more information of Clinical Hypnosis or hypnotherapy contact the London College of Clinical Hypnosis on www.hypnosis-malaysia.com

Sudden cardiac death is preventable

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is a sudden, unexpected death caused by loss of heart function (sudden cardiac arrest). About 95% of people who experience a cardiac arrest die before reaching the hospital. Overall, about 1,000 cardiac arrests occur each day in the United States. SCD is responsible for half of all heart disease deaths. The cause of SCD is fatal abnormal heart rhythm called arrthymia (usually ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation).

Despite dramatic TV portrayals of patients being revived from cardiac arrest, the chances of survival in real life are slim. Most patients die instantly without much suffering. If basic and advance life support management by trained family members can be administer immediately, chances of survival is better. Onset of brain damage starts at 10 minutes after the heart stops. Therefore some patients may survive but remain in vegetative state if resuscitation was delayed.


How Is Sudden Cardiac Arrest Different from a Heart Attack?
Sudden cardiac arrest is not a heart attack (myocardial infarction) but can occur during a heart attack. In general, a cardiac arrest is much more dangerous than a heart attack.
Heart attacks occur when there is a blockage in one or more of the arteries to the heart, preventing the heart from receiving enough oxygen-rich blood. If the oxygen in the blood cannot reach the heart muscle, the heart becomes damaged.

In contrast, sudden cardiac arrest occurs when the electrical system to the heart malfunctions and suddenly becomes very fast and unproductive. The ventricles may flutter or quiver (ventricular fibrillation), the heart actually stops beating and quivers with uncoordinated contractions and blood is not delivered to the body. In the first few minutes, blood flow to the brain will be reduced so drastically that a person will lose consciousness. Death follows unless emergency treatment is begun immediately.

Emergency treatment includes cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillation. CPR is a manual technique using repetitive pressing to the chest and breathing into the person's airways that keeps enough oxygen and blood flowing to the brain until the normal heart rhythm is restored with an electric shock to the chest, called defibrillation.


What Are the Risk Factors of Sudden Cardiac Arrest?
There are many factors that can increase a person's risk of sudden cardiac arrest and sudden cardiac death, including the following:

Previous heart attack with a large area of the heart damaged
A person's risk of SCD is higher during the first six months after a heart attack.
Prior episode of sudden cardiac arrest.
Family history of sudden cardiac arrest or SCD.
Heart failure: a condition in which the heart's pumping power is weaker than normal.
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: a thickened heart muscle that especially affects the ventricles.

Can Sudden Cardiac Death Be Prevented?
If you have any of the above listed risk factors for SCD, it is important that you speak with your doctor about possible steps to reduce your risk.

Keeping regular follow-up appointments with your doctor, making certain lifestyle changes, taking medications as prescribed, and having interventional procedures or surgery (as recommended) are ways you can reduce your risk.

To prevent future episodes of sudden cardiac arrest, your doctor will want to perform diagnostic tests to determine what caused the cardiac event. Tests may include electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG), ambulatory Holter monitoring, echocardiogram, cardiac catheterization and electrophysiology studies.

Medications: To help reduce the risk of sudden cardiac arrest, doctors may prescribe medications to people who have had heart attacks or who have heart failure or arrhythmias such as irregular heart rhythms. These medications may include ACE inhibitors, beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, and other antiarrhythmics. For patients with high cholesterol and coronary artery disease, statin medications may be prescribed. Many good quality researches have shown that beta blockers reduce the risk of SCD.


For patients with coronary artery disease, an angiogram and interventional procedure such as angioplasty (blood vessel repair) or bypass surgery may be needed to improve blood flow to the hibernating or ischemic heart muscle. This should be performed first before considering ICD.

Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) is indicated for people whose risk factors put them at great risk for sudden cardiac death, an ICD may be inserted as a preventive treatment. An ICD is a small machine similar to a pacemaker that is designed to correct arrhythmias. It constantly monitors the heart rhythm and treats dangerous arrthymia. When it detects a very fast or slow heart rhythm, it delivers energy (a small, but powerful shock) to the heart muscle to cause the heart to beat in a normal rhythm again.
The ICD may be used in patients who have survived sudden cardiac arrest and need their heart rhythms constantly monitored. It may also be combined with a pacemaker to treat other underlying irregular heart rhythms or heart failure.

Educate your family members: If you are at risk for SCD, talk to your family members so they understand your condition and the importance of seeking immediate care in the event of an emergency. Family members and friends of those at risk for SCD should know how to perform CPR.

Warning Signs of Serious Cardiovascular Diseases

Delay Can Be Deadly

Our body sends signals when the organs are malfunctioning. Symptoms do not always relate to the seriousness of your disease. You may have no symptoms at all and have severe heart disease, requiring prompt treatment. People often take a wait-and-see approach, delaying because they think that what they are feeling is due to something else. They are in denial, afraid to admit that their symptoms could be serious. They are embarrassed about "causing a scene," or going to the hospital and finding out it is a false alarm.

Today heart attack and stroke victims can benefit from new medications and treatments unavailable to patients in the past. For example, clot-busting drugs can stop some heart attacks and strokes in progress, reducing disability and saving lives. But to be effective, these drugs must be given relatively quickly after heart attack or stroke symptoms first appear.

Warning signs for the precursor of cardiovascular disease

Many people know that hypertension, diabetes mellitus and high cholesterol predispose to cardiovascular diseases but not many are aware of its symptoms. Most patients with these risk factors have no symptoms at all and they were detected incidentally during medical checkup. By the time it was detected it was too late, causing irreversible complications. Risk of death for diabetic persons is equivalent to a person who has heart attack and it can be easily diagnosed by fasting sugar level. Thirst, frequent urination, fatigue and losing weight are some of the warning signs of diabetes.

What are the warning signs of a heart disease?

The most common symptom is angina. Angina is an alarm from the heart muscle that it isn't getting enough oxygen because of reduced blood supply. Angina felt like a chest discomfort, particularly while exercising. The pain generally goes away when you stop exerting yourself. Uncomfortable pressure may occur at the upper abdomen, neck, jaw, or inside the arms.

A small group of people have a heart attack without any symptoms. A “silent heart attack” occurs more often among diabetics. During a typical heart attack, symptoms last 30 minutes or longer and are not relieved by rest. Initial symptoms can start as a mild discomfort that progress to significant pain. Chest discomfort may be associated with lightheadedness, sweating, nausea, shortness of breath, cold, sweaty skin, paleness and feeling of impending doom. Some patients experienced palpitations, a feeling of skipped heart beats, fluttering or pounding in the heart. Not all of these signs occur in every attack. Even those who have had a heart attack may not recognize their symptoms, because the next attack can feel entirely different. Most heart attack victims wait 2 hours or more before they seek medical help. This delay can result in death or permanent heart damage that can greatly reduce the ability to do everyday activities.


What are the warning signs of a stroke?

Stroke is a medical emergency. Stroke or “brain attack” is caused by blockage in the brain's arteries that completely cut off the blood supply to a portion of the brain. Different areas of the brain manifest differently. Some complained of numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body. Confusion, trouble speaking or understanding, trouble seeing in one or both eyes, trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination, and sudden, severe headache with no known cause are signs of stroke.

Conclusion

Fast action can save lives. Call your doctor if you have new symptoms or if they become more frequent or severe. Learn the signs and steps to take; you can save a life, maybe your own. Even if you're not sure it's a heart attack, have it checked out. Many people experienced some of the symptoms mentioned above at some stage and disregard it as part of ageing.

This cardiologist uses LOGIC in healthy diet But no scientific LOGIC

I love this Anonymous Cardiologist Doctor who appeared on my junk mail

Q: Doctor, I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life; is this true?
A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that's it... don't waste them on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer; that's like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap.


Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?
A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a cow eat? Hay and corn. And what are these? Vegetables. So a steak is nothing more than an efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system. Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef is also a good source of field grass (green leafy vegetable). And a pork chop can give you 100% of your recommended daily allowance of vegetable products.

Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake?
A: No, not at all. Wine is made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine, that means they take the water out of the fruity bit so you get even more of the goodness that way. Beer is also made out of grain. Bottoms up!

Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?
A: Well, if you have a body and you have fat, your ratio is one to one.... If you have two bodies, your ratio is two to one, etc.


Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program?
A: Can't think of a single one, sorry. My philosophy is: No Pain...Good!

Q: Aren't fried foods bad for you?
A: YOU'RE NOT LISTENING!!! .... Foods are fried these days in vegetable oil. In fact, they're permeated in it. How could getting more vegetables be bad for you?

Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle?
A: Definitely not! When you exercise a muscle, it gets bigger. You should only be doing sit-ups if you want a bigger stomach.


Q: Is chocolate bad for me?
A: Are you crazy? HELLO Cocoa beans! Another vegetable!!! It's the best! feel-good food around!

Q: Is swimming good for your figure?
A: If swimming is good for your figure, explain whales to me.

Q: Is getting in-shape important for my lifestyle?
A: Hey! ! 'Round' is a shape!


Well, I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had about food and diets. And remember:

'Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - Chardonnay in one hand - chocolate in the other - body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming 'WOO HOO, What a Ride'

AND.....

For those of you who watch what you eat, here's the final word on nutrition and health. It's a relief to know the truth after all those conflicting nutritional studies.

1. The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

3. The Chinese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

4. The Italians drink a lot of red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

5. The Germans drink a lot of beers and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

CONCLUSION

Eat and drink what you like.
Speaking English is apparently what kills you.

Differences between caring for elderly and young patients

Dr. Wong Teck Wee speaks at BFM about the differences between caring for elderly patients and young people. What basic observations must a care giver have? Does the environment have an impact on the cardiovascular function of older people?