How would you differentiate between a heart attack and heart burn ? Dr Harold Gunethilake This is something that every householder must be aware of. I had the experience recently when my wife at 2 am complained of chest pain and also burning sensation in the chest after returning from a dinner party at a friend’s home. She said, for the first time she had two glasses of white wine. Having had stents in the coronary vessels, anyone would suspect a recurrent heart attack due to blockage of one or more coronary vessels. I was about to call the ambulance, but then when I questioned further she said, she had bloating of the stomach, but she was not breathless. Remember, any person having a heart attack will be breathless, and not in heartburn. It is unlikely that heart attack will present with bloating or belching of the stomach. This ...
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Eating bacon and eggs for longevity Written by Dr harold Gunatillake-health writer You have been told that less than 7 percent of your total daily calorie intake should come from saturated fat. From a daily intake of 2000 calories it amounts to 140 calories. Saturated fat seems to raise the bad cholesterol LDL in your blood which raises the risk of heart disease and stroke. On the other hand you are supposed to eat between 25 and 35 percent of your daily calories as unsaturated fats from foods like fish, nuts and vegetables. For good health, the majority of fats you eat should be mono or polyunsaturated fats, and less than ’02 per cent should come from trans-fats. Such guidelines have been given by the American Heart Association and practiced by most health conscious people round the world for decades. Once it was saturated fats that were demonised, then ...
Read More →Health and views November 1st issue – Health Education for Sri Lankans & others ...
Read More →Alcoholic Drinks When Having Diabetes by Dr. Harold Gunatillake – Health writer Yes, true, people having raised blood sugar need to be careful drinking alcohol. They still can enjoy a drink or two without guilt, but intelligent drinking is the solution. Men with diabetes can still enjoy two drinks a day, just like the non-diabetics and women too can have just one drink a day. A sugary drink like a cocktail can raise your blood sugar, and if you are on insulin medication you could whack small insulin shot to maintain a steady blood sugar level. Those on anti-diabetic tablets unfortunately may not have this flexibility. If you drink on empty stomach, on the other hand a strong alcohol drink will bring your blood sugar level too low. ...
Read More →Do Sri Lankans need to change their traditional diet for healthier living? Written by harold Gunatillake-Health writer “My concern is that when I visit Sri Lanka annually to avoid winter in Australia, my wife is obliged to purchase reluctantly processed food ingredients from the local super-market. Foods from eateries and restaurants are also cooked mainly from processed grains. Incidentally, whole grain foods like brown and red rice, gain less weight than those who fill up on refined grains like white rice. Though added sugars are considered ‘unhealthy’ world-wide, Sri Lankans add at least 4 teaspoons of sugar in their cup of tea or coffee. People indulge in sweetmeat most pleasurably, and obesity among the old, young, school children, and among saree clad ladies seems to be more visible”. ...
Read More →Biriyani rice is quite suitable for Diabetics Written by Dr harold Gunatillake-health writer Any variety of white processed boiled rice when consumed gets digested and absorbed fast into the body. You tend to get hungry sooner than you expect. Unprocessed brown, red or wild rice when digested will be suitable for those having diabetes. Eating white boiled rice may cause sugar spikes in your blood, and may cause more insulin resistance among diabetes. ...
Read More →How do cholesterol and Saturated fats affect your health? Written by Dr harold Gunatillake –Health writer Cholesterol is a fat and waxy to the touch. It participates in the cell structures of the body, and in many other functions like making hormones: cortisol, testosterone and oestradiol, vitamin D, bile acids: also prevalent in the liver, brain and other organs in high concentrations may be as stores. In the blood stream the larger cholesterol particles combined with a protein is called Very low Density Lipoproteins (VLDL): intermediate size particles are called Low Density Lipoproteins (LDL) and these are the culprits you need to watch in your blood stream. The smallest particles are beneficial-is called High Density Lipoproteins that protects your heart by carrying the bad cholesterol back into the liver and destroyed thus reducing the numbers in your blood stream. ...
Read More →High Fibre Foods Written by Dr harold Gunatillake – Health writer Fibre is essential for your gut movements. It is recommended that you aim for 38 grams of fibre per day, and women 25 grams per day. Dietary fibres are carbohydrates in the food you eat the humans haven’t got the enzymes to digest. They are found in all plant foods, like fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and grains. There are two varieties if dietary fibre- the soluble and the insoluble. The soluble ones do absorb water in the gut and forms gel-like paste which slows down the digestion of food. ...
Read More →Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) ad low FODMAP diet by Dr Harold Gunatillake There is no proper medicine to cure chronic irritable bowel syndrome, other than by dietetic discipline. This is a very common malady among Asians including Sri Lankans due to spicy carb varieties of food they eat, and silently suffer with the condition. In this syndrome you suffer with abdominal pain and cramping, a bloating feeling, gaseous embarrassing moments, constipation, followed by diarrhoea and mucus in your stools, with bleeding and with progressing weight loss. These symptoms are present in any chronic abdominal dysfunction, and may take time to suspect IBS through evaluation process. It is a chronic recurrent progressive condition and all investigations prove negative and the diagnosis is made on having a typical history through trial and error. The causes are not known, but many factors can play a part. The walls of the small and large ...
Read More →Health and views August 3rd issue – Health Education for Sri Lankans & others ...
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