What are the differences between bacteria and virus?

Do you know how to differentiate bacteria from virus?

Bacteria - are much bigger than viruses. Most bacteria measure from 0.1 microns to 10 microns (a micron is one millionth of a meter).

Viruses - usually range from 0.02 microns to 0.2 microns. If you take average virus to assume the size of a human being, the average bacteria would be as large as ten-story building! Viruses are so tiny that they can only be seen through an electron microscope.

Bacteria - are more complex organisms. They are living entities and have all the necessary genetic machinery to reproduce by themselves. They do this by splitting into 2 cells once every 20-30mins.

Viruses - are often classified as non-living and cannot reproduce by themselves. A virus only has a protein coat and a limited amount of genetic material, which is either DNA or RNA.

The virus reproduces by invading a host cell and hijacking the host's machinery. The host then becomes a virus-making machine, churning out new viruses that infect other host cells. Some viruses can stay dormant inside host cells for long periods of time, causing no visible changes until they are stimulated.

How do Bacteria and Viruses spread?

The main routes for bacterial infections are usually through food sources or fecal-oral contact (such as Salmonella poisoning), water (cholera), sexual (gonorrhea) and respiratory transmission.

As for viral infections, respiratory transmissions are a very common route for viruses. Most often, viruses that cause upper respiratory distress, such as influenza, travel via tiny respiratory droplets - the minute amounts of fluid that exit your nose and mouth while you cough or sneeze. 

Some viruses, such as Ebola virus, may move widely through the air. In any circumstances, viral infections such as HIV, which causes AIDS, may be transmitted through the blood or through sexual intercourse. 

Many bacterial and viral infections are transmitted through close and direct contact, such as through contaminated hands, which pass the virus and bacteria to the nose, mouth and eyes. In fact, everyday actions like touching door handles and tabletops can cause our hands to become contaminated with these germs.

Some examples of Bacterial and Viral infections:

Bacteria cause:
Food Poisoning
Peptic ulcers
Most ear infections
Strep throat
Gum diseases
Urinary Tract infections...
Skin boils and abscesses
Anthrax
Pneumonia
Tuberculosis
Tetanus
Cholera
Gonorrhea
Botulism

Viruses cause:

Influenza
Most coughs
Most sore throats
Measles
Hong Kong Bird Flu
Taiwan Intestinal Flu
Dengue fever
Chicken Pox
Small pox
Polio
Hepatitis
AIDS
SARS
A link to certain cancers

Do Antibiotics Kill Viruses?

Antibiotics CANNOT kill viruses! Therefore they do not work against the flu, SARS, and other viral infections.

Antibiotics are drugs that kill bacteria and so can be used to treat pneumonia and other bacterial infections. Most antibiotics work by destroying a bacterium's cell wall. This stops the bacterium's ability to reproduce. However, viruses don't even have a cell wall.

Most people tend to take antibiotics for viral infections, not realizing that antibiotics can actually make infection WORSE. By killing the beneficial bacteria, antibiotics create a more conducive environment for viruses. In this case, taking antibiotics is not only INEFFECTIVE but also produces NEGATIVE side effects, some mild, some deadly including bone marrow toxicitym siezures, anaphylactic shock and even death.

The US FDA has warned against misuse of antibiotics, stating that "bacteria and other microorganisms that cause infections are remarkably resilient and can develop ways to survive the drugs meant to kill or weaken them. This antibiotic resistance is due largely to the increasing use of antibiotics."

The super-strains of infectious microorganisms will no longer be killed by antibiotics alone, we may require more toxic experimental drugs to overcome them. So when we really need it, the once powerful antibiotics may be useless.

What Treatments are Available for Viral Infections? 

Only a small amount of antiviral medications exist and their effectiveness is limited. Of bigger concern is the adverse side effects of some antiviral drugs. Delirium, agitation, elevated cholesterol and triglyceride levels, bronchitis and seizures are some of the reported side effects.

Scientists from University of Leicester caution against the use of antiviral drugs as they may cause severe toxicity, which is especially dangerous for pregnant women as these drugs may produce birth defects.

There is nothing like IMMUNE SYSTEM to fight viruses. A properly NOURISHED IMMUNE SYSTEM has all the ammunition necessary to defend the body against infections!

Read more: 

Why IMMUNE SYSTEM is the best doctor in the world?

https://healthywholesomefood.blogspot.sg/2013/08/immune-system-best-doctor-in-world.html


Best Regards, 
Joselyne
Nutritional Immunology Consultant & Ultimate Freedom Coach
+65-9090 9942

How to Prevent Diabetes?

DIABETES

Diabetes is a complex, serious, costly and increasingly common disease.

"In Singapore, one out of 9 people aged 18 to 69 has diabetes. That’s about 11.3% of our population or more than 400,000 people!

Diabetes is the fifth most common medical condition diagnosed and one of the six top killer diseases in the country.

Diabetes is a chronic disease and, if not managed well, can deteriorate steadily to cause devastating complications such as blindness, nerve damage, kidney failure, heart disease and limb amputation. Studies show that about half of patients already have diabetes-related complications at the time of diagnosis."

The above statistic's reference: http://www.diabetes.org.sg/

To understand the complexity of diabetes, we must first learn how the body processes food. 

Most of the food we eat is turned into glucose (sugar) that the body uses for energy. 

• The pancreas, an organ which lies near the stomach, produces a hormone called insulin. 

• Operating much like a key, insulin opens up each individual cell's door, letting in glucose.  After the cells receive this sugar, energy is produced.

• Diabetes is a condition where the body makes little or no insulin, or does not properly use the insulin it does produce. 

• Thus, when the sugars are unable to enter the cells, they begin to build up in the blood becoming very harmful to the body.

Diabetes can adversely affect nearly every organ system. 

Complications of diabetes include heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, blindness, kidney disease, nervous system disease, amputation, dental disease and difficulties with pregnancy. 

And people with diabetes are more susceptible to many other illnesses - studies have found that diabetics are more likely to die of pneumonia or influenza tha people who do not have this disease.

There are 3 types of diabetes:

1) Gestational Diabetes - is a form of glucose intolerance that is diagnosed in some pregnant women: the cause is unknown. 

• During pregnancy, some forms of treatment are required to normalize maternal blood glucose level to avoid complications with the infant. 

• Immediately following pregnancy, 5-10% of women with gestational diabetes are found to develop type 2 diabetes. 

• Women with gestational diabetes who do not develop type 2 diabetes immediately after delivery have a 20-50% chance of developing type 2 diabetes during the following 5-10 years.

2) Type 1 Diabetes accounts for about 5% of all diagnosed causes of diabetes. 

• It's a form of auto immune disease, usually strikes children and young adults. 

• Causes are complex, cells within the pancreas are destroyed and eventually insulin is no longer produced.

• The patients need to take insulin injection a day to survive.

3) Type 2 Diabetes the most common form, accounting for about 90-95% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes.

Causes are due to:

1. Overweight

2. Older Age

3. Family-history of diabetes

4. prior history of gestational diabetes (during pregnancy)

5. Impaired glucose intolerance

6. Physical inactivity

7. Race/ ethnicity

How to Prevent Diabetes

While people diabetes can take insulin to keep blood glucose levels close to the normal, preventing or delaying the development of diabetes in the first place is EVEN BETTER.

There are some precautions that can be taken to lower the risk of developing diabetes.

1. Following a nutritious diet - must learn how specific foods affect their blood sugar level and what foods they should avoid in order to achieve a healthy balance.

Should diabetics just avoid foods that taste sweet? 

The answer is NO. The sweetness is not a good indication of its sugar content. Even bland foods break down into sugars once they are digested.

There are several types of sugars, including sucrose (cane sugar or table sugar), lactose (found in dairy products), glucose and fructose (occurring naturally in sweet fruits and honey) and maltose (malt sugar). Most of the food we eat is converted to glucose to provide the body with energy.

Diabetics should compare the Glycemic Index (GI) of food to know which foods are beneficial for them. 

GI is the rate at which sugar levels increase in the blood. 

For eg. glucose has a GI of 100 because when we eat glucose, it raises our blood sugar level right away. 

Most foods eventually turn into glucose. But if eat rice or bread for instance, it takes longer for the body's system to turn into sugar and thus raise the blood sugar level.

The lower the GI, the more ideal the food is as a source of nutrition for diabetics.

Below is a list of foods and their GI as a useful reference for diabetics when selecting the appropriate foods.

You can also refer to the below for GI of some Chinese Food:

(Reference from: http://www.ibestdiet.com/gi-diet-food-chinese-food.html)

The glycemic index of Chinese food chart1

2. Consistent exercise program and losing excessive weight. 

According to the Diabetes Prevention Program which studied 3234 people who were at high risk for diabetes and have participated in a moderate diet and exercise program, the results were a 5-7% weight loss which delayed or prevented type 2 diabetes by 58%.

For more info, can WA/ SMS me. 

Thanks and regards,

Joselyne

Nutritional Immunology Consultant

+65-90909942

How to Choose Glucosamine supplements?

Why NOT I get Glucosamine pills for my parents?

1. There is also an article about glucosamine and chondroitin from The Straits Times dated 18-Sep-2010. 

Please see below:

• "Glucosamine and chondroitin, two supplements taken by millions of people around the world for joint pain, DO NOT work, says a study of Swiss scientists."

• "Compared with placebo, glucosamine, chondroitin and their combination DO NOT reduce joint pain or have an impact on narrowing of joint space."

2. Also, click the below link which tells new research has revealed that high doses and extended use of the popular dietary supplement glucosamine can kill off pancreatic cells .

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/news/2010/Oct/link-found-between-glucosamine-and-risk-of-diabetes-93721404.html

3. The below table explains clearly on the SOURCES of most of the glucosamine supplements in the market:

• Animal -> Shells of crabs, lobsters, shrimps
• Man-Made -> chemicals

4. What are the dangers of these glucosamine tablets?

Be A Wise Consumer

Are your parents taking such glucosamine pills? 

Please help them check the ingredient label. 

Some products may be marketed as plant glucosamine product, do note that it may only mean it's shellfish-free glucosamine products, the main ingredient of non-animal glucosamine is the lab-made glucosamine: Glucosamine Hydrochloride/ Glucosamine Sulfate/ Condroitin Sulfate.

Don't risk our parents' health especially after we learn about the possible side effects from these chemically synthesized glucosamine pills.

How to have a better and safer solution to joint health? 

It's always wiser to get the nutrients required for joint health through wholesome plant foods as they are natural and wouldn't give us any side effects.

• Do you know that our human body can self-make glucosamine from glucose and glutamine? We don't have to rely on replacement glucosamine pills.

See the below chart:

•  By consuming plant food rich in glutamine and antioxidants, this will provide the body with material to self-produce glucosamine, hence prevent or delay the effects of arthritis!! 

• Check out what plants rich in glutamine and antioxidants!
• Plant sources rich in glutamine: Brown algae, Parsley and Spinach
• Plant sources rich in antioxidants: Acerola cherry, Parsley, Spinach and Cactus
• More info of these super foods:

http://healthywholesomefood.blogspot.sg/2013/08/get-glucosamine-production-from.html

Warmest Regards,
Joselyne
90909942

Health maintenance after a sumptuous steamboat

Had a great steamboat gathering with ex-housemates today! A sumptuous meal with a great spread prepared by them - ranging from meatballs, fishballs, vegetables, mushrooms, fried Old Chang Kee's food, fish meat, scallop, prawns etc!! A very filling and satisfying dinner!

After reaching home, I had a bottle of Millennium sparkling drink to aid my digestion after eating too many delicious meals especially meat. Cactus ingredient in Millennium Sparkling drink is very good at neutralizing animal hormones from meat to prevent harming our health. Felt very refreshing also after taking this healthy soft drink! ;)

Millennium Sparkling drink is definitely the best replacement of sweet and unhealthy soft drinks as it is:

• Natural botanical ingredients: Cactus, Lime, Stevia
• No added preservatives
• Low in calorie (only 50 calorie per can)

Testimonial from my friend - on his mother after taking Orchestra



My friend bought 2 boxes of Orchestra and let his mom to take. See below for his mom's feedback on Orchestra. 

I am currently taking Orchestra too - there are 8 flavors all together! Love strawberry, Peach and Peppermint flavors!

Orchestra is made of 2 Japanese plants which are well-known for longevity - Kumazasa and Ashitaba.

You can read more about the ingredients of Orchestra also from the below entry:
http://eehealthyfastfood.blogspot.sg/2013/08/longevity-herbs-kumazasa-ashitaba.html

E.Excel Testimonial from senior citizen, Ms Wong

Healthy Fast Food from E.Excel has benefited Ms Wong who is 86 years old now!

"Thank you E.Excel, I still enjoy mobility despite my age."