Nice Teeth = Good Heart?

People who forget to clean their teeth regularly are more likely to suffer a heart attack, scientists have found.

Around 700 types of bacteria attack bleeding gums which are a side effect of bad dental hygiene.

The bacteria go straight to the bloodstream and are now known to be “independent factors” in causing heart disease - even if the person is fit and healthy.

Professor Howard Jenkinson from the University of Bristol, working with the Royal College of Surgeons, made the discovery after examining how blood cells are affected by harmful bacteria.

Professor Jenkinson said: “Cardiovascular disease is currently the biggest killer in the Western world. 

“Oral bacteria such as Streptococcus gordonii and Streptococcus sanguinis are common infecting agents, and we now recognise that bacterial infections are an independent risk factor for heart diseases.

“In other words it doesn’t matter how fit, slim or healthy you are, you’re adding to your chances of getting heart disease by having bad teeth.”

The findings suggest why antibiotics do not always work in the treatment of infectious heart disease.

Professor Jenkinson’s team are working with Dr Steve Kerrigan of Ireland’s Royal College to develop new and improved therapies.

Tummy Tumbler

If you are carrying a few extra pounds — whether in the form of belly fat, love handles, a beer gut or potbelly — you’re not alone. In recent years, the number of people who are overweight has increased dramatically worldwide. Two-thirds of American men are overweight or obese. But this is one case where following the crowd is not the best idea, because extra weight — especially belly fat — can be downright risky. And while women often put on extra pounds in the hips, thighs and legs, men are much more likely to gain belly fat.

Michael Jensen, M.D., an endocrinology specialist at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn., answers common questions regarding belly fat and what you can do about it.

How can you tell if you have too much belly fat?

Not surprisingly, how big around you are at the waist is a good indicator of whether you have too much belly fat. Although measurements that compare your hip and waist circumference (waist-to-hip ratio) or compare your height and weight (body mass index) are more precise and can be useful for research, your waist size alone can give you a pretty good idea of how much belly fat you have.

For most men, the risk factors for heart disease and other diseases increase with a waist size over 40 inches (102 centimeters).

To accurately measure your waist:

• Place a tape measure around your bare abdomen just above your hipbone.
• The tape measure should be snug — but not so tight it pushes into your skin.
• Check to make sure the tape measure is level all the way around.
• Relax, and measure your waist after you breathe out — no sucking in your belly!

Can you reduce belly fat with sit-ups?

Sit-ups will make your abdominal muscles stronger, sure. And, you may look thinner by building your abdominal muscles because you can hold in your belly fat better. But strengthening your stomach muscles alone will not specifically reduce belly fat.

There are no particular "spot" exercises that are best at reducing belly fat. But most people do lose belly fat before losing fat in other parts of their body when they get more exercise of any kind.

Is belly fat inherited?

While some men are more likely to put on extra pounds because of their genes, for the vast majority of men, the problem has a lot more to do with lifestyle than inherited traits. Simply put, when you take in more calories than you burn — the excess calories are stored as fat.

We’ve had a huge change in our environment. Men — and women — used to have much more active lifestyles. But our lifestyles today allow us to live and work with virtually no opportunity for physical activity. About 60 percent of American adults get no vigorous exercise in their leisure time at all. We are also eating larger amounts of high-calorie foods than we used to, such as "fast food" that is high in fat and carbohydrates. People are responding to this change in the way you’d expect — by gaining weight. Men need to be more active — to get out and keep moving.

Can you really get a beer belly from drinking?

We do know that there is a link between drinking excess alcohol and gaining belly fat — the "beer belly." However, it isn’t just beer that can increase belly fat. Drinking too much of any kind of alcohol can have that effect. We know that alcohol is high in calories and increases appetite, but still aren’t exactly sure why drinking too much causes increased belly fat in particular.

If you drink, the key is to drink in moderation. While increased belly fat is most noticeable in people who drink to excess, keeping it to less than two drinks a day will reduce the amount of calories you consume and help you avoid putting on belly fat. It is also better for your overall health.

Eat To Lose

The Prevention Reshape Your Body plan incorporates easy food strategies you can follow for life. "Women succeed at weight loss when they get a handle on their portions and eat in a balanced way," says nutritionist Lisa Young, PhD, RD, who dished out the dietary advice for our program. Her three key tips:

Get your protein.
Research shows that protein-rich foods such as fish, chicken, low-fat dairy, and lean meats can increase satiety, meaning they help you feel full longer. "Eat them with every meal, especially breakfast, to curb the urge to snack all day long," says Young.

Get a "hand-le" on portions.
"Most of us eat too much—period. To lose weight, you have to eat proper portions," says Young. Use your hand to measure.

	Food	How to measure
	Meat, fish, poultry		3 ounces = palm of hand
	Mixed nuts		1/4 cup = 1 layer on palm
	Cereal/popcorn		1 cup = 2 cupped hands
	Cooked pasta		1/2 cup = 1 rounded handful
	Cheese		1 ounce = 1 thumb
	Butter/oil		1/2 teaspoon = 1 fingertip

Internet Addiction

Alcohol, drugs, food, sex, and even shopping are all candidates for medical treatment and are recognized as genuine mental disorders, so what about the Internet? Internet addiction -defined as "excessive gaming, sexual pre-occupations, and email/text messaging" - is becoming so common that at least one psychiatrist says it merits inclusion in psychiatry’s official handbook of mental illness, the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders."

Dr. Jerald Block of the Oregon Health and Science University is the latest voice pushing for this inclusion, noting that tech junkies display genuinely debilitating behavior, including drug-like cravings, withdrawal, and a constant need for more and better gear - just like a substance addict might exhibit.

But other doctors comment that Internet addiction, while it may be real, is too new of a condition and needs further study before being medically classified. There might be something to this: No one wants people being medicated or institutionalized if they aren’t genuinely ill.

The "Manual of Mental Disorders" won’t be published again until 2012, but an early draft will arrive for public comment in 2009. Meanwhile, mind docs say the problem is growing, now possibly affecting up to 10 percent of Internet users. Recent studies are surprising, indicating the problem is worst not among game-obsessed teens, but rather among middle-aged women who stay at home, constantly on the computer as a way of connecting to the outside world.

Is computer use (or computer downtime) causing a problem in your life? If so, you might be an addict. But you’ll have to wait a few more years to find out for sure.

source: Yahoo! News

Lost iPOD

To the sucker who thought that finders keepers is a valid rule of life, may God have mercy on your soul, you sick bastard.

This Blog is back up.. Whew!

After such a long time, I finally got back.. will reconstruct this blog and get things going… but for now, this:

Running Away

A new fave aside from  Hinders' Lips of An Angel (previous post). Featured on Ghost Whisperer EP 9, I guess (they are the band Neil Hopkins was playing with on the end part)

Lips Of An Angel

Deny Me

Sharing a song by a friend. Played with the video editor & placed the music on an online RPG game. Enjoy… more works on http://leukemia.multiply.com

Music Player Meme

I hardly understand why….   

Instructions
1. Put your music player on shuffle or whatever that music player is that you are using.
2. Press forward for each question.
3. Use the song title as the answer to the question even if it doesn't make sense. 
NO CHEATING!

How are you feeling today?
The Employment Pages - Death Cab For Cutie 

Storyteller’s Creed

I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge.
That myth is more potent than history.
That dreams are more powerful than facts.
That hope always triumphs over experience.
That laughter is the only cure for grief.
And I believe that love is stronger than death.

Can I have them please?

My wish list for 2007:

• a 250gb SATA HD
  
• To pass my TOEFL
• Complete my papers
• A Toshiba Satellite A105-S4344 Notebook with these on it: Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T5500, 1.66GHz, with Centrino Technology, 2GB RAM, 200GB Hard Drive, 15.4-inch WSXGA TFT Display, 8X DVD+/-RW Drive, Windows XP Media Center

And I would be happy…

Continuum

No, I am not broken hearted. But I really love how this song was made. John Mayer is a great songwriter. Might be one of the best for our times.. You can hear more of Mr. Mayer on my multiply music page.

When you're dreaming with a broken heart
The waking up is the hardest part
You roll outta bed and down on your knees
And for the moment you can hardly breathe
Wondering was she really here?
Is she standing in my room?

– John Mayer, Dreaming with a Broken Heart (Continuum)

Nipple of The Day

"In 2000 everyone wanted to fuck the Olsen twins, in 2007, they finally show a little nipple. They are billionaires so the chances of seeing their cunts is slim to none, but a little nipple’s better than a kick in the face."

imulat ng maigi ang inyong mga mata… !(o.O)!

TeLeX

Released February 1995, "Planet Xerox" was this song's original title, but because Xerox was a copyrighted name, Radiohead changed it to "Planet Telex." The only song written in the studio during the Bends sessions, it was recorded one night when the band returned to the studio after drinking a lot of wine. Thom did the vocals lying down, completely drunk. This is the most frequent remixed song in Radiohead's roster.

You can force it but it will not come
You can taste it but it will not form
You can crush it but it's always here
You can crush it but it's always near
Chasing you home saying
Everything is broken
Everyone is broken

Why can't you forget?
Why can't you forget?
Why can't you forget?

Busted?

 
Really had a smile on my face when I saw this photo of a friend — His so-call self-portrait. Hehehe.

NO! Don't take it as what it is. It was a shot taken just for the heck of it. Edited on PhotoShop and, VOILA! Like he was really in a Police Line-Up! Hehehehe

This December 26, This guy together with his wife will be on their way to a new challenge and a new chapter in their lives.

Bon Voyage! 

Thought

Have you ever noticed that strangers become uneasy when silence comes between them? For they immediately start worrying what the other is thinking for we usually need to know someone very well, Before we can feel comfortable with their silence…

Me on Failure

"Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up."

See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil

"HEAR NO EVIL, SPEAK NO EVIL, SEE NO EVIL
–"

…Said of people who don't want to be involved. The origin of the
proverb is unknown. The proverb is often represented by three monkeys
covering their eyes, ears, and mouth respectively with their hands. The seventeenth century legend related to 'The Three Wise Monkeys ' is said
to have read, 'Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil.' The saying
was carved over the door of Sacred Stable, Nikko, Japan…"

A fascinating study of
the superstitions, customs, and strange habits that influence our daily
lives" by R. Brash (Pocket Book, New York, 1969) : "It is a fallacy
that the Three Wise Monkeys, who hear no evil, see no evil and speak no
evil, are indigenously Japanese. It is true that they have had their
domicile there for many centuries. But originally they came from China
and were introduced into Japan by a Buddhist monk of the Tendai sect,
probably in the 8th century A.D. The monkeys were at first always
associated with the blue-faced deity Vadjra, a fearsome god with three
eyes and numerous hands. Their characteristic gestures of covering
their ears, eyes and mouths with their paws were a dramatic pictorial
way of conveying the command of the god. This shows an early realization of the psychological fact that a striking picture is more
impressive and lasting more than a spoken message. Nevertheless, the
story has been told in various traditions in prose and poetry. It dates
back to at least the 7th century and is part of the teaching of the
Vadjra cult that if we do not hear, see or talk evil, we ourselves shall be spared all evil. In the folk etymology and by a play on words
the very names of the three monkeys - Mizaru, Kikazaru and Iwazaru -
express their three gestures and thus anyone by merely referring to
them immediately proclaims their message."

(more…)

Things to think of

For those who love the philosophy
of hypocrisy and ambiguity. Also for those of us that are old (ehem!)
enough to understand George Carlin! A few statements to ponder…George Carlin
quotes:

- Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things.
- One tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor.
- Atheism is a non-prophet organization.
- If man evolved from monkeys and apes, why do we still have monkeys and apes?
- The main reason Santa is so jolly is because he knows where all the bad girls
live.
- I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman, "Where's the self help
section?" She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose.
- What if there were no hypothetical questions?
- If a deaf person swears, does his mother wash his hands with soap?
- If a man is standing in the middle of the forest speaking and there is no
woman around to hear him … is he still wrong?
- If someone with multiple personalities threatens to kill himself, is it
considered a hostage situation?
- Is there another word for synonym?
- Isn't it a bit unnerving that doctors call what they do
"practice"?
- What do you do when you see an endangered animal eating an endangered plant?

- If a parsley farmer is sued,
can they garnish his wages?
- Would a fly without wings be called a walk?