Alternative to Angioplasty or By Pass Surgery

There is a new therapy in the market which is known as:- Chelation Therapy. Or Calation Therapy. According to this therapy any patient who has to undergo by-pass need not undergo the same. The patient is given approx. 18 bottles of blood wherein some medicines are injected alongwith it. The blood cleans the system and removes all the blockages from the heart. The no. of bottles may increase depending upon the age factor and health of the patient. The cost of the blood per bottle would be approx. Rs. 2,500/-. The treatment takes approx. 1 month of time. There are only 4 doctors in India and one of them is Dr. Dhananjay Shah at Malad (Mumbai) another at Karnataka. He has a list of patients who had to undergo by-pass from Lilavati, Hinduja and other major hospitals but after undergoing the above treatment they are absolutely fine and leading a normal life. I give below the Doctors details for your info:- Dr. Dhananjay Shah. (Disp) : 2889 2089 Mob: 98194 39657 shahdhananjay@ rediffmail. com.

If you have found the above information useful, feel free to make a small payment of US$ 1 to my paypal account rmillwala@hotmail.com as a token of your appreciation and to enable me to devote more time to this blog.

Healthy Heart - Cholesterol, Eggs and Oils

Q1. Are eggs bad for health?

Ans. If you have normal cholesterol and if you are leading an active healthy lifestyle, you can eat one egg 4 times a week without worrying about its cholesterol content. Eggs are rich in nutrients and are highly beneficial to health. Eggs are rich in nutrient and are highly beneficial to health. There are innumerable studies, which show that eggs do not increase the risk for heart disease. They have the best quality protein and help to even out blood sugar. Eggs are therefore highly beneficial for those suffering from hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). When egg is taken with a high fiber cereal like whole wheat bread or a chappati (whole wheat) the patient does not experience hypoglycemia from breakfast to lunch. Eggs are also beneficial to those suffering from anemia and are full of all-essential amino acids and minerals.However if you have a family history of high cholesterol or if you have high cholesterol then it is wise to either avoid eggs completely or stick to egg whites only.Cholesterol existing in food is safe by it self. It only becomes harmful when it gets oxidized as in dried eggs found in cake mixes, and processed foods. Dehydrated milk, processed meats are harmful as the cholesterol in them is oxidized and it is likely to clog arteries. It is interesting to note that consumption of animal products containing cholesterol like red meat, shrimps, lobsters, eggs has been reduced significantly as compared to 50 years ago. Yet, the incidence of heart disease has increased almost ten-fold. This is because our bodies today are unable to handle the cholesterol in food correctly due to increased intake of refined foods, sugar, processed foods, soft-drinks, lack of physical activity, stress, all of which leads to increased production of free radicals resulting in degenerative diseases.

Q2. What are the different types of oils and which are healthier.

Ans : Oils - Fatty acids are of 2 main types Satuarated Fatty Acids ( SFA ) and Unsatuarated Fatty Acids ( USFA ). Of these two, USFA's are healthier than SFA's. USFA's are of two types Monounsaturated fatty acid ( MUFA ) and Polyunsaturated fatty acid ( PUFA ). Of these two MUFA's are more healthier.

Q 3. What should I do to increase my HDL (good cholesterol) and decrease my LDL (bad cholesterol) ?

Ans. Good cholesterol (HDL) can be increased by eating fats that are beneficial to our health. These beneficial fats are rich in omega-3 fatty acid found in walnuts, soyabeans, fish like mackeral (Bangada), tuna & olive oil. Garlic and onions are also very useful in raising HDL levels. Almonds, most whole pulses, fruits like Apples, Oranges and Vegetables like Capsicum, pimentos, broccoli, leafy Vegetables are beneficial. Olives and Avocados contain beneficial MUFA (monounsaturated fatty acid) which helps increase the good cholesterol.You can reduce your LDL (bad cholesterol levels) by cutting off your intake of saturated fats found in milk cheese, chicken, red meat, maida and junk food. Avoid oils containing PUFA (polyunsaturated fatty acid ) such as corn oil, oil from sunflower seeds, Safflower seeds as they promote the oxidation of LDL that causes artery damage. Use oils rich in MUFA such as olive oil, flaxseed oil, canola oil etc. Increase your intake of fruits and vegetables to at least 4-5 servings a day. Take vitamin E supplements as it prevents oxidation LDL. If you have high blood pressure, you must avoid vitamin E supplementation as it may cause slight increase in blood pressure. Vitamin E also thins the blood so if you are on blood thinning medication you should take vitamin E only under medical supervision. Eating foods rich in soluble fiber as in oatbran and whole pulses helps reduce total cholesterol.

Subprime Lending

Subprime lending, also known as 'B-paper', 'near-prime' or 'second chance lending', is a term that refers to the practice of making loans to borrowers who do not qualify for market interest rates because of problems with their credit history. Subprime loans or mortgages are risky for both creditor and debtors because of the combination of high interest rates, bad credit history, and the murky financial situations often associated with subprime applicants.
A subprime loan, which could be a mortgage, car loan or even a credit card debt, is, by definition, made to someone who could not qualify for a more favourable rate. Subprime borrowers typically have low credit scores and either a limited credit history, or histories of payment delinquencies, charges-offs or bankruptcies. Because of the risks associated with this form of lending, a subprime loan may come with higher interest rates, regular fees or an up-front charge.
Generally, subprime borrowers will display a range of credit risk characteristics that may include:
Two or more loan repayments paid past 30 days due in the last 12 months, or one or more loan payments paid past 60 days due in the last 36 months;
Judgment, foreclosure, repossession, or non-payment of a loan in the prior 24 months;
Bankruptcy in the last 5 years;
A relatively high default probability as evidenced by a low credit bureau risk score.
Some subprime lenders have increased their loan production and servicing income by securitizing and selling the loans they originate in the asset-backed securities market. Strong demand from investors (fund managers, investment banks, insurers, hedge funds, etc) and favourable accounting rules often allow securitization pools to be sold at a gain, providing further incentive for lenders to expand their subprime lending program. However, the securitization of subprime loans carries inherent risks, including interim credit risk and liquidity risk, that are potentially greater than those for securitizing prime loans. Accounting for the sale of subprime pools requires assumptions that can be difficult to quantify, and erroneous assumptions could lead to the significant overstatement of an institution's assets.
The recent turmoil in the financial markets illustrates the volatility of the secondary market for subprime loans and the significant liquidity risk incurred when originating a large volume of loans intended for securitization and sale. Investors can quickly lose their appetite for risk in an economic downturn or when financial markets become volatile. As a result, institutions that have originated, but not yet sold, pools of subprime loans may be forced to sell the pools at deep discount (and there may be no takers). And institutions that have acquired the assets via a securitization may find that the pool is difficult to value, and that liquidity disappears in the event that pools need to be sold.

COLOSTOMY BAGS

'Investment Dealers are excited to announce the newest structured finance product – Constant Obligation Leveraged Originated Structured Oscillating Money Bridged Asset Guarantees, or COLOSTOMY BAGS.
Designed to accommodate the most sophisticated investment strategies, Colostomy Bags contain the equity tranches of Structured High Interest Taxable Derivatives, or SHIT, and are leveraged an infinite amount of times through the innovative use of derivatives.
'Its an actively managed, unlimited liability, open ended investment with no maturity date, which pays LIBOR plus 5,000 and has no correlation to traditional investments' said a spokesman for the Investment Dealer who engineered the product. 'It's based on a CDO structure, but it's designed to default BEFORE the first coupon payment, which you'll agree has no correlation with stodgy traditional investments and is a perfect fit for portable alpha strategies'. Following the default, each month more leverage is added to the structure to pay for the coupon and the Dealer's fees which are set at 80%. 'We feel the fees are reasonable, given the adrenaline rush you'll get each month attempting to mark these'.
The Colostomy Bags carry a AAAA rating, based on the rating agencies opinion that they are even safer than Treasuries. 'You can't use traditional credit analysis to value these babies, no sir-ree', said a spokesman for a rating agency. 'Just like Icelandic Banks, we give them the highest rating because you just know that the Fed will bail out all the hedgies who buy these things. And the best part is, the beauty of this structure is that the loss given default is NEGATIVE, so by extension we feel that the CDS will trade through Treasuries'. Inhaling deeply on a fatty, he continued, 'We've been tinkering with our model, which served us well for Enron and the Telecoms in '02, and our stress testing shows that the probability of loss in the senior tranche is close to zero'.
A real money investor, huddled high-up on a windowsill outside his office, said he remained optimistic about holding the Colostomy Bags, but was a bit concerned with the 95% decline in value on the first day they traded. 'We've taken a bit of a haircut on these but I'm waiting to see the first servicer report, which should arrive in a few months. At first I was annoyed that the dealer who sold them to me refused to make a market in them, but that makes my job easier since I'm not tempted to sell'.
We located a hedge fund manager at a due diligence meeting in the VIP room at Score's. He said he was skeptical of the structure at first, but was dared into buying it by a fixed income salesman. "He said to me, 'what's wrong with you, its quadruple A-rated, just buy it, what are you a pussy?' He also said it was going into 'an index' (although he didn't say which one). But that was good enough for me, bro, as most our funds belong to clients anyway'.

TANKER (Tamilnadu Kidney Research Foundation)

There is a foundation called TANKER (Tamilnadu Kidney Research Foundation), where they treat all kidney related problems free of cost. They even do Dialysis free of cost.

For further details, please visit http://www.tankerfoundation.com or contact:

Tamilnad Kidney Research Foundation
17, Wheatcrofts Road,
Nungambakkam,
Chennai - 600 034.
Phone: +91-44-2827 3407 / 2824 1635
E-Mail: tankerfoundation@ tankerfoundation .com

Food as Medicine

HEADACHE? EAT FISH!
Eat plenty of fish -- fish oil helps prevent headaches. So does ginger, which reduces inflammation and pain.

HAY FEVER? EAT YOGURT!
Eat lots of yogurt before pollen season. Also eat honey from your area (local region) daily.

TO PREVENT STROKE DRINK TEA!
Prevent buildup of fatty deposits on artery walls with regular doses of tea. (actually, tea suppresses my appetite and keeps the pounds from invading....Green tea is great for our immune system)!

INSOMNIA (CAN'T SLEEP?)
HONEY! Use honey as a tranquilizer and sedative.

ASTHMA? EAT ONIONS!!!!
Eating onions helps ease constriction of bronchial tubes. (when I was young, my mother would make onion packs to place on our chest, helped the respiratory ailments and actually made us breathe better).

ARTHRITIS? EAT FISH, TOO!!
Salmon, tuna, mackerel and sardines actually prevent arthritis. (fish has omega oils, good for our immune system)

UPSET STOMACH? BANANAS - GINGER!!!!!
Bananas will settle an upset stomach. Ginger will cure morning sickness and nausea.

BLADDER INFECTION? DRINK CRANBERRY JUICE!!!!
High-acid cranberry juice controls harmful bacteria.

BONE PROBLEMS? EAT PINEAPPLE!!!
Bone fractures and osteoporosis can be prevented by the manganese in pineapple.

MEMORY PROBLEMS? EAT OYSTERS!
Oysters help improve your mental functioning by supplying much-needed zinc.

COLDS? EAT GARLIC!
Clear up that stuffy head with garlic. (remember, garlic lowers cholesterol, too.)

COUGHING? USE RED PEPPERS!!
A substance similar to that found in the cough syrups is found in hot red pepper. Use red (cayenne) pepper with caution-it can irritate your tummy.

BREAST CANCER? EAT Wheat, bran and cabbage
Helps to maintain estrogen at healthy levels.

LUNG CANCER? EAT DARK GREEN AND ORANGE AND VEGGIES!!!
A good antidote is beta carotene, a form of Vitamin A found in dark green and orange vegetables.

ULCERS? EAT CABBAGE ALSO!!!
Cabbage contains chemicals that help heal both gastric and duodenal ulcers.

DIARRHEA? EAT APPLES!
Grate an apple with its skin, let it turn brown and eat it to cure this condition. (Bananas are good for this ailment)

CLOGGED ARTERIES? EAT AVOCADO!
Mono unsaturated fat in avocados lowers cholesterol.

HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE? EAT CELERY AND OLIVE OIL!!!
Olive oil has been shown to lower blood pressure. Celery contains a chemical that lowers pressure too.

BLOOD SUGAR IMBALANCE? EAT BROCCOLI AND PEANUTS!!!
The chromium in broccoli and peanuts helps regulate insulin and blood sugar.

Kiwi: Tiny but mighty. This is a good source of potassium, magnesium, Vitamin E &fiber. It's Vitamin C content is twice that of an orange.

Apple: An apple a day keeps the doctor away? Although an apple has a low Vitamin C content, it has antioxidants; flavonoids which enhances the activity of Vitamin C thereby helping to lower the risks of colon cancer, heart attack & stroke.

Strawberry: Protective fruit. Strawberries have the highest total antioxidant power among major fruits; protects the body from cancer causing, blood vessels clogging free radicals. (Actually, any berry is good for you..they're high in anti-oxidants and they actually keep us young.........blueberries are the best and very versatile in the health field........they get rid of all the free-radicals that invade our bodies)

Orange: Sweetest medicine. Taking 2 - 4 oranges a day may help keep colds away, lower cholesterol, prevent & dissolve kidney stones as well as lessen the risk of colon cancer.

Watermelon: Coolest Thirst Quencher. Composed of 92% water, it is also packed with a giant dose of glutathione which helps boost our immune system. They are also a key source of lycopene - the cancer fighting oxidant. Other nutrients found in watermelon are Vitamin C; Potassium. (watermelon also has natural substances [natural SPF sources] that keep our skin healthy, protecting our skin from those darn suv rays)

Guava; Papaya: Top awards for Vitamin C. They are the clear winners for their high Vitamin C content. Guava is also rich in fiber which helps prevent constipation. Papaya is rich in carotene, this is good for your eyes. (also good for gas and indigestion)

Tomatoes: are very good as a preventative measure for men, keeps those prostrate problems from invading their bodies.

Warm water and heart attacks

This is an article about the warm water we have after after our meals, and about heart attacks. This makes sense.. the Chinese and Japanese drink hot tea with their meals...not cold water...maybe it is time we adopt their drinking habit while eating!!!

Nothing to lose, everything to gain... For those who like to drink cold water, this article is applicable to you. It is nice to have a cup of cold drink after a meal. However, the cold water will solidify the oily stuff that you have just consumed. It will slow down the digestion. Once this "sludge" reacts with the acid, it will break down and be absorbed by the intestine faster than the solid food. It will line the intestine. Very soon, this will turn into fats and lead to cancer. It is best to drink hot soup or warm water after a meal.

A serious note about heart attacks: You should know that not every heart attack symptom is going to be the left arm hurting. Be aware of intense pain in the jaw line. You may never have the first chest pain during the course of a heart attack. Nausea and intense sweating are also common symptoms. 60% of people who have a heart attack while they are asleep do not wake up.

Pain in the jaw can wake you from a sound sleep. Let's be careful and be aware. The more we know, the better chance we could survive.

FIZZY SOFT DRINKS AND YOUR TEETH

A lot has been said and written about the harmful effects of Fizzy carbonated soft drinks on the teeth and body, but is this really true or is it just a media hype?

INGREDIENTS OF FIZZY DRINKS:

Most colas contain 90% water, sugar, carbon dioxide, phosphoric acid, citric acid, caffeine and other additives & preservatives. The acid level (pH) of colas has been measured at around 2.5 (1 being most acidic and 7 is for tap water). Citric acid is more acidic and this is found more in non-cola drinks like 7-up, Sprite etc.

EFFECT OF FIZZY DRINKS ON TEETH:

There is a two-fold effect. Each time you take a drink of a soda you get 20 seconds of acid attack on your teeth. The second effect is because of sugar that causes mouth bacteria to release more acids. These acids strip the natural protective layer on your teeth (pellicle) and the enamel begins to slowly lose its natural minerals and therefore breakdown and lead to decay.You can feel the damage done to the tooth surface by passing your tongue along the front teeth after having a drink. You will feel that the surface has become rough. This is because the acid has etched the enamel. Soft drinks also lead to gradual staining of teeth.

WILL A TOOTH LEFT IN A GLASS OF COKE DISSOLVE OVERNIGHT?

This is a very common "Urban Legend" that is often discussed on the Internet, but very misleading. A 2004 study by the University of Maryland Dental School, in the US, submerged extracted teeth in glasses of water, cola, non-cola, coffee, iced tea, Nesquik, orange juice & drain cleaner. It was found that after 14 days the teeth hadn’t disappeared, but there was considerable damage done to all the teeth. Non-cola drinks caused the most tooth erosion followed by cola drinks. According to this study, two weeks of total immersion in a soft drink is the equivalent of about 13 years of actual drinking. After 4 weeks, the tooth submerged in cola had become brown and sticky. The other glasses showed milder disintegration of teeth. The tooth in the drain cleaner was pearly white (because of bleaching effect) and had split into two.One must remember that these were dead teeth while the teeth in our mouth are alive. Also this study doesn’t take into effect the protection offered by saliva. This study doesn't duplicate life exactly, but it shows how the enamel is definitely dissolving off the teeth.

WHAT DO COLA COMPANIES HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THIS?

Coca Cola’s website states that "Almost all foods naturally contain a small amount of acid, including fruit juices & buttermilk. Phosphoric acid provides phosphorus, which is an essential element of bones and tissues. None of these foods are acidic enough to harm our body tissues. Our own natural stomach acid is stronger. Insufficient calcium intake, hormonal imbalances, lack of physical activity, and normal aging processes are the primary causes of weak bones."

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO PREVENT THIS DAMAGE:

Use a straw to sip, as this reduces the contact to the teeth. Swishing with water after having a drink can neutralize the acid. One way to reduce the effect of acid is to drink it only during meals. Adding ice to the drink dilutes the acid. Regular tooth brushing, especially at night, helps remove the damaging acids. Finish drinking soon instead of sipping it gradually. Regular Professional Dental Cleaning is advised to maintain teeth.

CONCLUSION:

Drinking any type of soft drinks- cola, non-cola or fruit juices can cause varying degrees of harm to your teeth. They all contain acids that cause teeth erosion. They contain sugar, which causes decay. But there are no vitamins or minerals in fizzy drinks unlike fruit juices and other natural foods, and hence we don’t derive any benefits from them.We don’t need to stop drinking fizzy drinks. We just need to understand what’s going on and take the appropriate preventative steps to reduce the problem.