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Trichinosis or Trichiniasis is a "worm" infestation caused by eating poorly cooked or uncooked pork, boars, bears, etc., where the Trichinella spiralis larvae from these animals invade the muscles of persons who ate their meat. The larvae become adults in 6-8 days and migrate to other muscles, including the eyelids, heart, etc. These larvae could remain in the body for many years. The symptoms at the first week of infestation could be abdominal cramps, diarrhea, nausea, followed a week or so later with swelling of the face or eyelids, muscles pains, fever, eye pains, photophobia (visual sensitivity to light) and even subconjunctival (eye) hemorrhage. In more severe cases, these larvae could invade the muscles of the heart and cause myocarditis (inflammation of the cardiac muscles), pneumonitis (inflammation of the lungs). Encephalitis and meningitis could also complicate the picture.

Trichinosis can be prevented simply by cooking meat thoroughly at 55 degrees Centigrade (140 degrees Fahrenheit) throughout. Freezing meat at minus 15 degrees Centigrade (5 degrees F) for three weeks, or minus 18 degrees C (0 degrees F) for one day, can kill the larvae also. The best way to stave off this possibly fatal infestation is by cooking meat fully well, especially with barbeque (ihaw-ihaw) pork, which is a most common source of Trichinosis.

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If bottled water, filtered and purified by Reverse Osmosis plus UV light exposure, is not available or feasible, boiled tap water has been found to be tolerated and safe, even for visitors from other countries. In this situation, the tap water must be kept boiling for at least 15 minutes. This kills the bacteria and fungi and at the same time allows the mineral sediments to precipitate (as white crystals that look like salt or sugar) and settle at the bottom of the pot, which are to be discarded.

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One of the best and lesser expensive skin moisturizers, even for adults, is the commonly popular "Baby Oil" used for infants and children. It is gentle and soothing to the skin, albeit "oily," but does the job of preventing dryness and itchiness of the skin. It is mostly hypoallergenic and also provides a thin "shield" to protect the skin. This is best used after a shower.

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Undisciplined television watching and computer game playing among school children have been shown to result in lower scores and poorer academic performance among them. Watching educational programs, especially those related to school work, resulted in better grades. While toddlers and young children greatly benefit from watching children’s educational TV shows, those who are in front of the television anytime they desire, viewing "junk" shows, sacrificing their homework time, were also found to be so distracted from their studies that their mind becomes programmed to be indifferent to their scholastic pursuits. Their interest shifts to the "more entertaining, no-chore" TV. A home rule my wife and I adopted for our five children when they were young – "No TV before a school day, TV only on Fridays and Saturdays" – seemed to have worked well. While this rule alone was obviously not the main reason why all five of them became physicians, strict parental supervision in this area, and in anything that could distract children from their education, and providing them inspiration, are essential for their future.

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Salad, made with mayonnaise, and dishes with tomatoes, spoil very fast, and will cause gastroenteritis, characterized by abdominal cramps and diarrhea. These food items are better kept refrigerated before they are served, and it is safer to consume them the same day, or no more than two days, after they are prepared. While organic lettuce and other vegetables are better, they, and any vegetables and fruits, must nonetheless be washed thoroughly because bacterial contamination are not uncommon in uncooked vegetables, if not properly washed and handled. For visitors from other countries, avoiding raw vegetables (as in salad) would be prudent.

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I have received several email questions asking if taking a cholesterol-lowering drug would protect people who continue to eat eggs, pork, beef, coconut products, and other foods high in fats and cholesterol. from heart attack, stroke, cancer, etc. The obvious reply could be summed up in two letters, or, with a bit of exaggeration for emphasis, by this question, "Would taking an antidote for a specific deadly poison make it a wise and safe practice to drink or ingest the known poison, even once?" A fatty food for thought!