Health Alert – Guides for your Health

I cooked pansit canton last Christmas for a change.  I usually cooked spaghetti during Christmas.  I find it easy to cook and delicious.  This is my pansit canton recipe.

Ingredients:

1 lb. pansit canton noodles
1 breast chicken, cooked and shredded
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup pork, cut into strips
1 cup shrimps, peeled
1 medium size carrot, cut into strips
1 cup celery, sliced
1 cup cauliflower, cut into serving size
1 cup cabbage, shredded
1/2 cup onion, chopped
3 tablespoon cooking oil
3 gloves garlic, cloves
2 cups sitsaro (snow peas)
3 tablespoon soy sauce
1 red bell pepper, sliced
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparations:

1. In a big pan, saute garlic and onion in a cooking oil.  Add sliced pork until cooked or tender.
2. Add chicken broth and add the chicken, shrimps, sitsaro, cabbage, celery, carrot.  Simmer until cooked or for about 10 minutes.
3. Put soy sauce and bring to boil.  Remove vegetables from the pan and leave the broth.
4. Add pansit canton noodles.  Simmer until noodles are soft.
5. Add back the vegetables and mix.
6. Add salt and pepper to taste.
7. Remove from heat and serve hot.

January 4th, 2010 | Tags: pansit canton | Category: Daily Menu and Recipe | Leave a comment

Some women did not know that they had an infection until after pap smear examination has done. I am one of them, I have been busy and I never notice that I had an infection until the result of my pap smear had arrived. Some may have bacterial infection but no symptoms presents.

A typical symptom of bacterial infection is an excessive vaginal discharge, itching, burning during urination, discomfort or pain during sexual intercourse and an unpleasant odor.  Usually the discharge is thin and grayish white or sometimes a yellowish or brownish discharge.

Vaginal infection is caused by imbalance in the bacterial present in the vagina. Vagina maintains a healthy balance of good and bad bacteria.  For some reason, it seems that a combination of a multiple bad bacteria begin to outnumber the good bacterial and probably get some form of vaginal infection. Some factors that may increase the risk of having bacterial infection are new sexual partners, vaginal douching and cigarette smoking. However, bacterial vaginosis can be developing in some women who had not been sexually active. Others factors include direct exposure to bad bacteria or hormonal changes, pregnancy, STD’s, pregnancy, menopause, stress and illness.

Treatment is quick and easy so if you think that you have a vaginal infection, visit your physician to find out.  In my case, my obgyne prescribed me antibiotic, doxycycline taken twice a day for one week and vaginal suppository, neo-penotran for one week.

December 29th, 2009 | Tags: bacterial infection, bacterial vaginosis, vaginal infection | Category: Womens Health | Comments (2)

I decided to cook chicken afritada for lunch.  Surely, my daughter will like it.

Ingredients:

1 kilo chicken, cut into serving pieces
6 pcs. hotdog, sliced
3 pcs. medium size potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
2 pcs. medium size carrots, peeled and cut into cubes
1 head garlic, minced
1 medium size red onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, sliced into strips
1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips
2 cups chicken stock (broth)
1 cup tomato sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons of cooking oil

Preparations:

1. Saute onion and garlic into pan.
2. Add hotdog and chicken.
3. Pour water and bring to boil. Add tomato sauce and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the chicken is almost cooked.
4. Add potatoes and carrots.  Continue to cook for 10 minutes.
5. Put green and red bell peppers, simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Salt and pepper to taste.

December 16th, 2009 | Tags: chicken afritada | Category: Daily Menu and Recipe | Leave a comment

After my D&C was performed last week, I always wondered why this thing happens to me. However I learned the there are number of causes why there is miscarriage. By the way, miscarriage is a loss of pregnancy.

• Chromosomal abnormalities. It is also called Chromosomes Disorder in which there is a problem that exists in the genetic structure of the baby’s chromosomes.  It is caused by the problem in the development in the sperm or egg cell.

• Collagen vascular disease. These diseases include lupus, diabetes and antiphospholipid antibody syndrome which can be potential causes of miscarriage since as they cause a woman to make antibodies to her own body’s tissues.

• Maternal Infection. Example of maternal infection that could lead to miscarriage are Listeria monocytogenes, Toxoplasma gondii, parvovirus B19, rubell, herpex simplex, cytomegalovirus and lymphocytic choriomeningities virus.

• Luteal Phase Defect or Low Progesterone. It is inadequate amount of progesterone hormone production during the menstrual cycle.  This makes the inner lining of the womb unable to support a pregnancy.

• Structural abnormalities. This includes fibroid tumors and uterine septum.  Fibroid tumors are benign growth of muscle cells in the uterus which interfere with the embryo implantation and the embryo’s blood supply causing miscarriage.

• Hormonal factors. It is associated with an increased risk of miscarriage such as curhing’s syndrome, thyroid disease and polycystic ovary syndrome.

After miscarriage, allow yourselves to grieve.  Give yourselves enough time to recover emotionally before conceiving again.

November 25th, 2009 | Tags: miscarriage causes | Category: Pregnancy | Leave a comment

Everyone wants to enjoy life to the fullest.  The following are some ways to live a good life.

• Get some form of exercise. Enjoy a stroll after sunrise or dinner when the ambiance is better. Also, exercise during the early part of the day to help raise your body temperature.

• Read books. Keep growing by continuously learning.

• Take a Break. Everyone needs a break whether after work, once a week or once a month. Why not purchase a Direct TV Packages wherein you can enjoy watching various channel.  There are different Direct TV Offers available such as Premier, Plus HD DVR, Plus DVR, Choice Xtra, Choice and Family. In addition, there are also a  Direct TV Deals wherein you can save as much money as you can.  In this way you and your family enjoys watching together.

• Travel without worries. Go vacation where there’s a long weekend.

• Forget past and live today. Today is the best day so make the most of it.  Future will always be uncertain and past cannot bring back.

• Count your blessings. Make an effort to recognize those blessings.

• Pamper yourself. Take time to be alone. You can have a long leisurely bath.

• Visit some place you have never been. This will make you discover and learn more things in your life.

• Balance time. Always have time between work and family.

• Love yourself. Take care of yourself.

• Eat more vegetables. Eat real foods such as fresh vegetables salad to prevent certain disease.

• Decrease fat. Fat consumption are always associated with heart attacks, kidney disease, diabetes, gallbladder, etc.

• Sleep well. Get enough sleep.

• Leave your worries. Don’t entertain worries because you can miss the greatness of life.  Worries will never give real answer just asking “What ifs?

• Laugh often and smile. Be happy always regardless of anything.

November 19th, 2009 | Tags: Direct TV deals, Direct TV offers, Direct TV packages, good life tips | Category: Healthy Lifestyle | Leave a comment

Last September, I have a brown discharge,  I thought that this could be part of my menstruation such as old blood.  It was lasted for 10 days.  I decided to have a pregnancy test kit and I found out positive.  I worried about the brown discharge so I went to my Ob-gyne.  She advised me to have an early pregnancy ultrasound  such as transvaginal ultrasound.  Transvaginal ultrasound is a pelvic examination which used to look at a woman’s reproductive organs such as uterus, ovaries, cervix and vagina.

The transvaginal shows irregular GS with macro yolk sac and fetal pole without cardiac activity.  It means that my baby has no heartbeat. It also shows that there is a 4.2 cm equal to 9 weeks old.  So, my ob-gyne said that I have to undergone D&C (dilation and curettage).  D&C is the procedure is the process of enlarging the entrance of a woman’s uterus and sharp instrument scrape or suction away the lining of the uterus and take tissue.

My ob-gyne gave me request memo in order for me to admit in the hospital once I have a bright red blood discharge.  After one week of waiting, I have a little red blood discharge so I went to my ob-gyne.  After check up, I admitted in the hospital and undergone D&C.  Thanks God, everything is okay.  Before I really scared but my ob-gyne assured me that I don’t feel any pain while doing D&C because of anesthesia.

For those women who have abnormal discharge, please go to your ob-gyne for check up to know the possible cause.  For some pregnant women, brown discharge can be normal because it can be implantation bleeding during pregnancy or just an old blood so better check to avoid worries and to make sure that everything is alright.

November 9th, 2009 | Tags: brown discharge, D&C, Pregnancy, transvaginal ultrasound | Category: Pregnancy | Comments (2)

Holidays are approaching and everyone wants to give the best gift for their love ones. I can smell the Christmas season because I can see people who shops for their relatives and friends. For me, one of the best gifts I want to receive is something that I can use it.

I suggest that you purchase through internet because it saves time and effort because no traveling, no walking involved, just sit in front of the your computer screen and search the best item want to buy. There are various sites offer various products for any occasions. Most of these sites offer products for every occasion such as Christmas, birthday, Halloween, valentines, etc.

One of the best gifts you can give for your family and friends are health and beauty products, mineral and cosmetics products, personal care products, men’s grooming products, hair care products, bath and body products,  skin care products, cosmetics and beauty tools products, and organic health and beauty products.

Your mother, sister or female friend may want to receive a make up kit which includes lipsticks, eyeshadow, brush and liners, make up palette, make up tools, cosmetics case as well as make up books. For your father, brother or male friends, you can give them grooming kits which includes shaving, skin care, hair care and fragrance.

Give your family with a gift that will make them looks good.  Health and beauty products always benefit our body as part of personal grooming from head to foot.  So hurry now, purchase fashioned lipsticks, fragrance products, and personal care products for our family and give them as showing that we care for them.

October 23rd, 2009 | Tags: gift ideas, gift suggestion tips | Category: Healthy Lifestyle | Leave a comment

Leptospirosis cases here in the Philippines continued to rise due to exposure to the urine of rats and other infected animals in floodwaters.  It is a bacterial disease that affects both human and animals.  Some symptoms of leptospirosis are high fever, headache, chills, muscle pain, vomiting, yellow skin and eyes, abdominal pain, diarrhea or rash.  Severe cases could lead to kidney damage, meningitis, liver failure and respiratory distress.

A person becomes infected when contact with water, food, or soil containing urine from infected animals.  It is usually happen by swallowing contaminated food or water or through skin contact with a broken skin.  The incubation period is 2 days to 4 weeks before the appearance of the symptoms.  It is usually occurs in two phases. After the first phase, the patient has fever, chills, headache, muscle pain, vomiting or diarrhea while the second phase occurs, it is more severe because the person may have kidney or liver failure or meningitis. Leptospirosis is treated with antibiotics as the early course of the disease  If a person has symptoms of leptospirosis should contact a physician as soon as possible.

Leptospirosis can be prevented by wearing clothing or footwear by those exposed in contaminated soil or water because of their job or activities. Avoid swimming or wading in water that might contaminated with animal urine such as floodwater.

October 19th, 2009 | Tags: Leptospirosis symptoms | Category: Healthy Lifestyle | Leave a comment

My father-in-law has been hospitalize for 3 days due to trapped gas in his stomach.  It started with a stomach cramps.  He is complaining for stomach cramps for 3 days and we thought that it is just a simple stomach pain.  But he is started vomiting; we decided to go to the doctor for evaluation. The doctor told us that is may be indigestion, so he recommended taking medicine for stomach pain and indigestion.  But he still suffering from severe stomach pain and massive vomiting, so we take him to the ER and the doctor took x-ray and found out intestinal inflammation due to trap gas in the large and small intestine.  The doctor placed a tube though his nose into the stomach in order to pass the trap gas.

Of course, there are lifestyle modification to avoid excess gas and gas pain. Some of these modifications include; eat small meal or eat several small meals throughout the day instead of three or four large meals, avoid smoking, eat food slowly, and don’t eat while anxious or upset.

Some causes of excessive gas in the digestive tract are constipation, food intolerances, laxatives, antibiotics and other health condition such as diverticulitis or inflammatory bowel disease.  Thanks to God that Daddy has no serious condition, it is just a simple gas pain.

October 4th, 2009 | Tags: gas causes, gas pain, stomach pain | Category: Healthy Lifestyle | Leave a comment