Yes, broccoli and strawberry, for instance, have been tagged as colon-cancer lowering foods. Fish, vegetables and fruits in general are wholesome food, compared to red meats (like pork and beef), eggs and butter, which are high in cholesterol and can cause arteriosclerosis (hardening of the artery), leading to arterial blockages in the heart and brain, etc. The high fiber content of fruits and vegetables, especially the green-leafy ones, have a "brushing" and "cleansing" mechanical action on the colon walls, besides the beneficial antioxidant and healthy nutrient effects of fish, fruits and vegetables. Other high fiber foods include bran and wheat cereals, and oatmeal. The other breakfast cereal "flakes" on the market are not as healthy and nutritional as those three.

Yes, very. And they are medically recommended for those people where diet alone is not enough to normalize the blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels. The best way to prevent abnormally high level of cholesterol and triglyceride is by proper dieting (staying away from red meat and eggs, and from too much carbohydrates, like rice, potato, pop drinks, and sweets in general) and concentrating on meals of fish, vegetables, nuts and grains), and doing daily physical exercises. If after doing this regimen religiously, in earnest, and the cholesterol level still remains high, then the physician has the option to use medications to control cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

Yes, without a doubt, chronic and prolonged sun exposure can cause skin cancer. Filipinas and other oriental women are a butt of jokes in the US when they carry an umbrella on the beach. While this may look funny to Americans, who sunbathe and expose as much of their skin to sunlight as possible, the practice of getting under the shades even on the beach is a healthy one that also prevents skin wrinkles and skin aging. American dermatologists agree. Skin cancer is more prevalent in countries were people frequently expose themselves for hours to the rays of the sun. While sun-blocker skin cream perhaps helps, it is no guarantee to prevent skin cancer. As a matter of fact, some of them contain chemicals (one of them benzophenone) that are themselves suspected to cause skin cancer. Having a chest X-Ray once is year, of even more often, if medically needed, is safer than a prolonged and chronic exposure to the sunlight.

Yes, on top of its good cardiovascular effect by lowering the incidence of heart attack and stroke, aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid), the popular old fashioned home remedy for headaches and pains, has been found to be beneficial also in lowering the chances of cancer of the colon. Many physicians themselves take aspirin (80 mg, as in baby aspirin) once a day for prophylaxis against heart attack and stroke. Since aspirin, like any drug, have possible serious side effects, like stomach bleeding, etc., it is prudent for everyone to do this under the guidance and supervision of a physician.

No, most of those products advertised are not necessary to attain good health. As long as the economic incentive is there, opportunists will be abound with their bank accounts open, for us, the public, to transfer our money to. And without any laws in the book on this matter to protect Mr. and Ms Juan dela Cruz, it behooves all of us to take extreme caution against rampant fraud.

To have a healthy body and mind, all we have to do is to (1) eat right (fish, fruits and vegetables, and, as much as possible, staying away from red meat and eggs; (2) take a regular inexpensive one-a-day multivitamin supplement manufactured by a reputable company; (3) have 6-8 glasses of filtered water a day, two or more glasses of which could be skim milk;(4) have at least 6-8 hours of sleep a day; (5) quit smoking; (6) exercise daily, like ballroom dancing and/or aerobics and/or walking; and, (7) manage stress by lightening up, enjoying yourself, listening to soothing music, reading a good book, listening to good jokes, going out with family members or friends on weekend outings or regular vacations. This is not only a more inexpensive therapy, but the most scientific, most rational, most effective, and the safest path to take to reach your goal of a healthy body and a sound mind.

No. Venereal diseases (like gonorrhea, syphilis, HIV, chlamydia, etc.) are sexually transmitted diseases (STD) and are spread through sexual intercourse. Men have used the toilet-seat excuse in the past, but wives and girlfriends are now smarter.

Most definitely not. That’s an old wives’ tale. Going to bed at night without a shower or a bath and taking one in the morning is not the preferred and most hygienic way. Since our body gets "dirty" during the day, at work or at play, taking a shower or a bath in the late afternoon or evening makes more hygienic sense. But, of course, personal preferences and situations vary.

Yes. Pulmonary Tuberculosis does not always present itself with a cough. While cough is a most common symptom, majority of patients do not any symptom at all except perhaps a complaint of "not feeling well." This is true even when the chest x-ray already shows distinct signs of tuberculosis. Before the effective drugs against tuberculosis were discovered, the disease behaved almost like cancer, spreading throughout the body, killing the patient. Today, pulmonary tuberculosis is curable. In the past decades, there have been reports of serious drug-resistant forms of tuberculosis, called MDR TB or Multiple Drug Resistant TB. For prophylaxis and health maintenance, it is a good practice to have a regular annual medical check-up, or sooner, if you have some concerns about your well-being.