~Konnichiwa~

~Konnichiwa~
HiHi Everyone! Thanks for being here!

Friday, June 12, 2009

Choose Olive Oil! It is damn healthy!

I am sure most of you have ever heard of olive oil.
And, I also believe many people are currently using it also.
Indeed, olive oil brings manifold advantages to us.

To those of you who might not know it clearly enough,
I will briefly introduce it to you here.
Olive

Olive oil has the greatest exponent of monounsaturated fat.
It is a prime component of Mediterranean Diet.
Olive oil is known as a natural juice which preserves the
taste, aroma , vitamins and properties of the olive fruit.
Olive oil is the only vegetable oil which can be consumed
as it is freshly pressed from the fruit.

Olive oil

Why would we say it is beneficial to our health? =)
Of course there are reasons:
1) High content of monounsaturated fatty acids
2) High content of antioxidative substances
3) Offers protection against heart disease
4) Well tolerated by stomach
5) Has a beneficial function on ulcers and gastritis
6) Activates the secretion of bile and pancreatic hormones
7) Lowers the incidence of gallstone formation

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Generally, there are several types of olive oil.
It depends on the amount of processing involved.
Varieties include:
1) Extra virgin
2) Virgin
3) Pure
4) Extra light

Extra virgin
considered the best, lease processed,
comprising the oil from the first pressing of the olives.

Virgin
from the second pressing.

Pure
undergoes some processing, such as filtering and refining.

Extra light
undergoes considerable processing and only retains a very mild olive flavor.

Studies have shown that people who consumed
25 milliliters (mL) of virgin olive oil daily for 1 week
showed less oxidation of LDL cholesterol and
higher levels of antioxidant compounds,
particularly phenols, in the blood.

But while all types of olive oil are sources of
monounsaturated fat, extra virgin olive oil,
from the first pressing of the olives,
contains higher levels of antioxidant,
particularly vitamin E and phenols,
because it is less processed.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Olive oil is clearly one of the good oils,
one of the healing fats.
Most people do quite well with it
since it does not upset the
critical omega 6 to omega 3 ratio
and most of the fatty acids in olive oil
are actually an omega-9 oil which is monounsaturated.

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Fat composition of olive oil

Saturated Fats:
Palmitic acid - 7.5%-20%, Stearic acid - 0.5%-5.0%, Arachidic acid - <0.8%,>
Unsaturated Fats
Monounsaturated Fats: Oleic acid - 55.0%-83.0%, Palmitoleic acid - 0.3%-3.5% Polyunsaturated Fats: Linoleic acid - 3.5%-21.0%, Linolenic acid - <1.5%>

Properties

Food Energy: per 100g, 3700 kJ (880 kcal) Melting Point: -6°C Boiling Point: 300°C Smoke Point: 190°C (virgin) 210°C (refined)

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So, what do you think?
How do you find it?
Of course good lar! xD
Try it out. Really.
Although it might be a little costly,
it is worth for everything it gives. =)

References:
http://www.healingdaily.com/detoxification-diet/olive-oil.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olive_oil






Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Arh! Your mouth smells disgusting! Stay away from me!

Have you guys ever found out your mouth actually smells putrid
but you did not know it?
This is serious especially when you are talking with others.
I lol-ed when I'm typing this sentence because it triggers me to recall one of my secondary school friends who was actually having this kinda problem.
He was a very talkative fellow but, his mouth smells all the time!
I did not wanna hurt him so I decided not to tell him. =X

Argh! I'm having a bad breath!

Well, having a bad breath is not really comfortable, whether to the patient himself/herself or to whom he/she is talking. Bad breath or halitosis can actually be fixed
with simple bad-breath home remedies.
Bad breath is caused by odor-causing bacteria that live in your mouth. However, there are some other possible factors that could affect the odor of our mouth aside from dry mouth, like tooth decay, gum disease,
throat and/or tonsil infection and many more.
If you find your bad breath problem very serious,
consulting a doctor would be a better choice
since this kinda problem can be a sign of a health problem.


We definitely don't wanna become like this!

Amongst sooooo many choices for remedy, I personally choose to use Listerine,
which is a brand name for antiseptic mouthwash. The reason I opt for it is because IT REALLY WORKS. (Not to me, but to my friend in real life. I wasn't encountering the problem.
So, don't get misunderstood! =S)
The product is marketed under the slogan "Kills germs that cause bad breath". There are various Listerine antiseptic mouthwash products which have been released in the market. Over here I will show you some of them. Here you go!

Original Listerine Antiseptic Mouthwash
(It's a little intense, but no other mouthwash can compete
with its impressive germ-killing career.)

Cool Mint Listerine Antiseptic Mouthwash
(It's not only a germ killer but a people pleaser.
It's been America's favorite for years.
)

Natural Citrus Listerine Antiseptic Mouthwash
(It has all the germ-killing pow
er of LISTERINE® Antiseptic,
but in a smooth, less-intense flavor.)

FreshBurst Listerine Antiseptic Mouthwash
(A refreshing
way to fight germs in spearmint stlye.)

Advanced Listerine Antiseptic Mouthwash With Tartar Protection
(Its invigorating arctic mint flavor will keep you rinsing.)


Vanilla Mint Listerine Antiseptic Mouthwash
(100% of the germ-killing power of regular Listerine antiseptic,

plus a smooth, less-intense flavor.)


Composition of the mouthwash products:

The active ingredients listed on Listeri
ne bottles include menthol, thymol, methyl salicylate and eucalyptol. Ehtanol is present in concentrations of 21.6% in the flavored product and 26.9% in the original gold Listerine Antiseptic.
Thymol is a
n antiseptic, methyl salicylate is cleaning agent, and menthol is local anesthetic. At this concentration, the ethanol serves to dissolve the active ingredients.

Menthol:Menthol is an organic compound that is made synthetically or obtained from peppermint or other mint oils. It is an waxy, crystalline substance, clear or white in color. It is solid at room temperature and melts slightly above. The main form of menthol occurring naturally is (−)-menthol, which is assigned the (1R, 2S, 5R) configuration.

Thymol:

Thymol, also known as 2-isopropyl-5-methylphenol, (IPMP) is a monoterpene phenol derivative of cymene, C10H14OH, isomeric with carvacoal, found in oil of thyme, and extracted as a white crystalline substance of a pleasant aromatic odor and strong antiseptic properties. Thymol is slightly soluble in water, but is extremely soluble in alcohols and other organic solvents.

Methyl Sal
icylate:Methyl salicylate (chemical formula C6H4(OH)COOCH3) is a natural product of many species of plants. Some of the plants producing it are called wintergreens, hence the common name.

Eucalyptol
:Eucalyptol is a natural organic compound which is a colorless liquid. It is a cycloc ether and a monoterpenoid. Eucalyptol is also known by a variety of synonyms, 1,8-cineole, limonene oxide, cajeputol, 1,8-epoxy-p-menthane, 1,8-oxido-p-menthane, eucalyptol, eucalyptole, 1,3,3-trimethyl-2-oxabicyclo[2,2,2]octane, cineol, cineole.
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After so much of "chemistry lesson" above,
apart from knowing the chemicals in Listerine mouthwash,
I believe you should already have confidence in Listerine as well. =)
On the other hand, using mouthwash only is not the most appropriate way to taking care of your mouth and teeth though.
You should always brush your teeth, brush your tongue, use dental floss (optional) and drink plenty of water.
Don't just rely on antiseptic mouthwash.
I have ever tried that last time,
and.. well I don't wanna recall that again. =.=

It is very important to keep your mouth breath fresh all the time so it does not cause embarrassing social situations and damage your self-esteem.
Fresh breath! Good image! High confidence!
You can definitely make it too!

p/s: If you could not see some of the images of the chemical structures above, click the particular image and you will then be linked to the webpage showing you the clear image there. Sorry for any inconveniences caused. =P

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Listerine
http://www.listerine.com/products.jsp