Sleep More, Stress Less and Lose Weight!

Most of us are getting less than 7 hours of uninterrupted sleep a night, which experts say is the minimum amount that a person needs to maintain a healthy weight. Most of us also face high amounts of stress as well.

Now a group of researchers reports that these 2 factors--not enough sleep and too much stress--could be one of the main culprits sabotaging our weight-management goals.

Increased sleep + reduced stress = more successful weight loss?

A study just published in the International Journal of Obesity shows that getting 6 to 8 hours of sleep a night, while at the same time managing stress effectively, may double your chances of winning at the weight-loss game.

The study, from the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, involved almost 500 overweight men and women who volunteered to participate in a 26-week intervention looking at their diets and lifestyles. Here are the results:

• The average study subject lost 14 pounds.
• Sixty percent of participants lost at least 10 pounds.
• Those who slept at least 6 to 8 hours every night and reported having the least stress were twice as likely to lose at least 10 pounds, compared to those who reported being sleep-deprived and experiencing the most stress.

How to get more sleep and reduce stress

While it might be easier said than done to implement this program, here are a few tips I give to my patients:

• Check in with your stress throughout the day. Is your breathing deep or shallow? This is important to note because shallow breathing can often accompany stress. I'm a big fan of deep breathing, and sometimes use my training as a registered yoga teacher to demonstrate deep-breathing techniques to my clients. (Here are some deep-breathing exercises from the American Lung Association.) You might also consider gentle yoga, meditation, or Tai chi to help manage your stress.

• Get to bed earlier. If you have a hard time getting to bed at a decent hour, think about buying an automatic light timer for your main light source in your living room (or wherever you hang out during the later hours). If you program this device to turn off your light at least 30 minutes before you want to get to sleep, you'll have no trouble "remembering" when you need to start heading p to bed.
• Make your bedroom a calm and restful place. First, keep TVs, cell phones, and computers out of the bedroom. Next, block out bright lights that might keep you awake by hanging dark curtains on bedroom windows--or consider wearing an eye mask while in bed.
• Avoid eating before bedtime. Avoid eating large meals within a few hours of bed time; this will not only help you to avoid gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), but might help you cut down on calories as well.
• Don't exercise too close to bedtime. Exercise is a wonderful way to tire yourself out, true, but it also generates endorphins and adrenaline--2 biochemicals that disrupt sleep.
• Consider getting checked for sleep apnea. If you keep waking up tired, no matter how much sleep you get, you might have sleep apnea--especially if your weight could be healthier. Treatment for this disorder could help you lose weight, as well as feel a whole lot more refreshed when you wake up.

The bottom line

If you're working on weight loss but at the same time you're living through some high-stress times and aren't getting enough sleep, why not give this "sleep-more-stress-less" plan a try?

To less stress and more sleep, dear readers!

Source : Yahoo Health

Sleep More, Stress Less and Lose Weight!

Most of us are getting less than 7 hours of uninterrupted sleep a night, which experts say is the minimum amount that a person needs to maintain a healthy weight. Most of us also face high amounts of stress as well.

Now a group of researchers reports that these 2 factors--not enough sleep and too much stress--could be one of the main culprits sabotaging our weight-management goals.

Increased sleep + reduced stress = more successful weight loss?

A study just published in the International Journal of Obesity shows that getting 6 to 8 hours of sleep a night, while at the same time managing stress effectively, may double your chances of winning at the weight-loss game.

The study, from the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, involved almost 500 overweight men and women who volunteered to participate in a 26-week intervention looking at their diets and lifestyles. Here are the results:

• The average study subject lost 14 pounds.
• Sixty percent of participants lost at least 10 pounds.
• Those who slept at least 6 to 8 hours every night and reported having the least stress were twice as likely to lose at least 10 pounds, compared to those who reported being sleep-deprived and experiencing the most stress.

How to get more sleep and reduce stress

While it might be easier said than done to implement this program, here are a few tips I give to my patients:

• Check in with your stress throughout the day. Is your breathing deep or shallow? This is important to note because shallow breathing can often accompany stress. I'm a big fan of deep breathing, and sometimes use my training as a registered yoga teacher to demonstrate deep-breathing techniques to my clients. (Here are some deep-breathing exercises from the American Lung Association.) You might also consider gentle yoga, meditation, or Tai chi to help manage your stress.

• Get to bed earlier. If you have a hard time getting to bed at a decent hour, think about buying an automatic light timer for your main light source in your living room (or wherever you hang out during the later hours). If you program this device to turn off your light at least 30 minutes before you want to get to sleep, you'll have no trouble "remembering" when you need to start heading p to bed.
• Make your bedroom a calm and restful place. First, keep TVs, cell phones, and computers out of the bedroom. Next, block out bright lights that might keep you awake by hanging dark curtains on bedroom windows--or consider wearing an eye mask while in bed.
• Avoid eating before bedtime. Avoid eating large meals within a few hours of bed time; this will not only help you to avoid gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), but might help you cut down on calories as well.
• Don't exercise too close to bedtime. Exercise is a wonderful way to tire yourself out, true, but it also generates endorphins and adrenaline--2 biochemicals that disrupt sleep.
• Consider getting checked for sleep apnea. If you keep waking up tired, no matter how much sleep you get, you might have sleep apnea--especially if your weight could be healthier. Treatment for this disorder could help you lose weight, as well as feel a whole lot more refreshed when you wake up.

The bottom line

If you're working on weight loss but at the same time you're living through some high-stress times and aren't getting enough sleep, why not give this "sleep-more-stress-less" plan a try?

To less stress and more sleep, dear readers!

How long can you freeze food?

When it comes to preparing healthy meals at home, don't underestimate the value of your freezer. A well-stocked freezer can save you a trip to the store when you're pressed for time, which could mean the difference between making dinner and ordering in. It also lets you save meals that you prepare in big batches ahead of time, take advantage of discounts at the grocery store, and keep food that might otherwise go to waste.

Freezing is also an easy way to preserve local, in-season, fruits, and veggies that you buy at farmers markets or grow in your garden. If you want to eat delicious tomatoes in the dead of winter, for example, but are intimidated by canning, freezing is worth considering.

But just how long will that casserole or whole chicken last in the freezer? According to the Food Safety and Inspection Service, food stored in a freezer set at 0 degrees Fahrenheit will stay safe indefinitely. But that doesn't mean the taste and texture will remain the same.

Here is a guide to how long you can freeze foods before you sacrifice quality. Keep in mind that quality does deteriorate the longer food sits in your freezer, so aim to defrost sooner rather than later.

• Bacon: 1 to 2 months
• Breads: 2 to 3 months
• Casseroles: 2 to 3 months
• Cooked beef and pork: 2 to 3 months
• Cooked poultry: 4 months
• Cookie dough: 3 months
• Fruit: 8 to 12 months
• Frozen dinners: 3 to 4 months
• Hot dogs: 1 to 2 months
• Lunch meats: 1 to 2 months
• Sausage: 1 to 2 months
• Soups and stews: 2 to 3 months
• Uncooked chicken (parts): 9 months
• Uncooked chicken (whole): 1 year
• Uncooked steaks, chops, or roasts: 4 to 12 months
• Uncooked ground meat: 3 to 4 months
• Vegetables: 8 to 12 months

Basic tips for freezing food:

• Freeze foods as close to purchase (or harvest if you have a garden) as possible. The fresher food is when you freeze it, the better the quality when you defrost it.
• While most foods can be frozen, there are some foods you should keep out of the freezer. Don't freezecanned foods or eggs in shells (which can crack and allow bacteria to enter). Technically you can freeze mayonnaise, cream sauce, and lettuce, but the quality takes a big hit. Here's a list of foods that don't freeze well with details on their condition after thawing.
• Cool cooked foods down before freezing so they freeze faster, which helps preserve quality.
• Packaging matters and varies depending on what you're freezing. If you choose glass over plastic containers, wrap, or bags, you'll need to make sure it's tempered so it doesn't break.
• You can freeze meat in its original packaging, but if you want to store it for long periods of time, add an additional layer of packaging, such as plastic wrap or bags.
• It's always a good idea to label items so you know what they are and how long they've been in the freezer.
• Resist the temptation to defrost foods on your countertop. The three safest ways to thaw foods are in your fridge, in cold water, and in the microwave.

How to freeze fresh produce:

• The key to freezing fresh fruit is to spread out the cleaned, dried, and prepared (cut up) pieces of fruit on cookie sheets. Once the individual pieces of fruit are frozen, you can combine and put in freezer bags. Some people prefer to pack fruits in sugar or sugar syrup to help preserve texture and flavor. The National Center for Home Food Preservation has tips on how to freeze specific fruits such as strawberries,tomatoes, peaches, and many more.
• Vegetables usually need to be blanched (boiled or steamed for a short time) before freezing to maintain flavor, color, and texture. Blanching times vary depending on the vegetable. The National Center for Home Food Preservation has a chart with blanching times for everything from corn to collard greens and simple instructions for how to freeze a large variety of vegetables.

Source : Yahoo Green

Hadkan pengambilan garam

Garam berlebihan bawa pelbagai penyakit

TANPA garam makanan berasa tawar. Bagaimanapun, pengambilan garam yang tinggi dalam pemakanan, sebaliknya mendedahkan kepada risiko tekanan darah tinggi, angin ahmar, barah perut dan masalah pada ginjal.

Ini disebabkan tahap garam yang terlalu tinggi menyebabkan tubuh menyimpan jumlah air yang banyak, sekali gus meningkatkan jumlah cecair dalam badan.

Garam ialah nama umum untuk sodium klorida. Tidak dinafikan, sejumlah kecil sodium penting untuk kesihatan kerana kesemua cecair tubuh mengandung sodium, termasuk darah.

Namun, berapa banyakkah garam yang diperlukan? Jika mengikut diet umum, pengambilan garam mestilah antara 9 - 10 gram termasuk yang dikenali sebagai ‘garam tersembunyi.’ Ini merujuk kepada garam yang ada dalam bahan makanan seperti kicap, sos, mayonis, keju, ikan masin, penambah perisa dan kiub perasa.

Makanan yang siap diproses seperti sosej dan makanan dalam tin juga tidak terkecuali mengandungi garam tersembunyi ini.

Selain penambah perisa makanan, tidak ramai yang tahu fungsi sebenar garam bagi badan ini. Hakikatnya, ia berfungsi menyeimbangkan cecair dalam tubuh.

Dalam konteks ini, penting untuk tubuh menyeimbangkan tahap sodium dalam darah. Sodium juga penting dalam membantu mengekalkan konsentrasi cecair tubuh pada tahap yang tepat.

Dengan kata mudah, garam berfungsi sebagai rangsangan elektrik dalam saraf dan otot selain menyeimbangkan tekanan darah normal.

Tetapi awas, terlalu banyak mengambil garam akan menyebabkan peningkatan cecair dalam tubuh. Jika cecair yang berlebihan itu berada di otak, ia mungkin menjadi faktor risiko salur darah otak pecah yang menyebabkan angin ahmar.

Bagi jantung pula, ia mungkin menjadi penyebab masalah koronari arteri dan tekanan darah tinggi. Bagi dewasa yang sihat, garam boleh disingkir dari tubuh melalui ginjal menerusi air kencing.

Bagaimanapun, bayi yang mengambil makanan dewasa mungkin tidak berupaya menyingkirkan sodium yang terkumpul di badan. Ia mungkin menjadi punca masalah ginjal, kerosakan hati dan otak serta berkemungkinan menyebabkan maut. Ini kerana, bayi tidak memiliki keupayaan untuk memproses kuantiti garam yang banyak kerana ginjal yang belum sempurna pembentukannya.

INFO: Tip kawal pengambilan garam

Gunakan ramuan semula jadi seperti jus limau atau rempah

Kurangkan penggunaan garam dan bahan diawet

Kurangkan pengambilan kiub, makanan segera, sos, mayonis dalam masakan

Kurangkan pengambilan makanan dalam tin seperti sosej, burger , kekacang

Kurangkan mengambil makanan diawet, ikan masing, udang kering, jeruk.

Makanan tinggi garam

Sos berperisa seperti kicap, sos cili/tomato dan sos tiram - 1,000 hingga 5,000 miligram garam

Stok/kiub makanan - 3,000 mg garam. Setiap kiub 700 mg

Sos salad seperti mayonis - lebih 1,000 mg

Makanan dalam tin - 500 hingga 1,500 mg.

Makanan diawet :

Telur masin - 500 mg

Ikan masin - 1,500 mg

Buah-buahan jeruk (masin) - 1,000 mg

Udang kering - 4, 000 mg

Belacan - 1, 000 mg.

Sumber : Berita Harian

Mermaid Found in North coast of Sabah, Malaysia

Al-Azhar haram purdah

Ulama Mesir dakwa amalan bukan kehendak Islam

KAHERAH: Imam al-Azhar, Muhammad Sayyed Tantawi, bercadang mengharamkan penuntut wanita memakai purdah ketika berada di dalam kampus dengan memberikan alasan keselamatan.

Akhbar al-Masry al-Youm melaporkan, cadangan Muhammad tercetus ketika dia melawat sebuah sekolah menengah awal minggu ini.

Melawat sekolah itu pada permulaan sesi akademik bagi mengekang penularan selesema babi, dia berang melihat pelajar berpurdah dan mengarahkan ia dibuka.

“Purdah tidak ada kena mengena dengan Islam, sebaliknya hanya budaya,” katanya.

Muhammad kemudian mengumumkan akan mengeluarkan arahan melarang penuntut wanita memasuki Universiti al-Azhar jika mengenakan purdah.

“Purdah bukan ajaran Islam. Saya lebih tahu mengenai agama berbanding ibu bapa kamu,” katanya.

Sementara itu, sumber berkata, polis menerima arahan lisan melarang pelajar wanita memasuki al-Azhar, selain menguatkuasakan arahan sama di sekolah menengah dan beberapa dormitori universiti di Kaherah.

Arahan itu dilihat sebahagian daripada kempen kerajaan membanteras pengaruh golongan konservatif tegar di Mesir.

Seorang ulama, Abdel Moati Bayoumi, berkata ulama al-Azhar akan menyokong Muhammad jika dia mengeluarkan perintah itu.

“Kami sependapat purdah bukan kehendak agama.

“Taliban memaksa wanita memakai purdah dan fenomena itu semakin menular.

“Kini sampai masanya ia dibanteras,” katanya. - AP

Sumber : Harian Metro

09/09/09

WELCOME
09-09-09

... Once in a life time ...

H1N1 merebak ke burung pula

SANTIAGO 22 Ogos - Chile semalam menyatakan ujian menunjukkan selesema babi (H1N1) kini menjangkiti burung sekali gus membuka bab baru dalam epidemik global.

Pakar mengenai wabak selesema dan kesihatan haiwan Pertubuhan Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu (PBB) di Rom dan Pusat Kawalan dan Pencegahan Penyakit Amerika Syarikat (AS) di Atlanta sedang memantau situasi tersebut.

Bagaimanapun, mereka menjelaskan bahawa ayam belanda yang dijangkiti hanya mengalami selesema ringan, seterusnya mengurangkan kebimbangan mengenai perkembangan buruk mengenainya.

Pemilik ladang ternakan ayam belanda Chile Sopraval SA berkata, daging ayam belanda negara ini masih selamat dimakan dan setakat ini belum ada tanda-tanda mutasi berbahaya kerana tidak ada seekor pun ternakannya mati akibat selesema babi.

Influanza selsema babi (H1N1)

Kementerian Kesihatan Chile semalam telah mengarahkan dua ladang ayam belanda di luar bandar pelabuhan Valparasiso dikuarantin selepas ujian genetik mengesahkan ternakan yang sakit dijangkiti virus sama yang telah mencetuskan pandemik kepada manusia.

Pemilik ladang ternakan berkata, ayam belanda yang dijangkiti telah dipindahkan ke bangunan kosong untuk mengelakkan penyebaran kepada unggas liar.

Setakat ini, virus yang merupakan campuran genetik manusia, babi dan unggas itu terbukti sangat mudah berjangkit namun tidak meragut banyak nyawa seperti selesema bermusim.

Bagaimanapun pakar virus bimbang jenis selesema baru mungkin muncul sekiranya ia bergabung dengan selesema burung (H5N1) yang lebih berbahaya namun sukar berjangkit.

Katakan tidak pada virus H1N1

Sopraval melaporkan keadaan yang berlaku kepada Kementerian Pertanian selepas penghasilan telur berkurangan bulan ini dan selepas ujian awal ke atas empat sampel mengesahkan jenis kecil A/H1N1 2009.

"Apa yang menjangkiti ayam belanda itu adalah virus selesema manusia, tiada mutasi berlaku," kata Timbalan Menteri Kesihatan, Jeannette Vega kepada Radio Cooperativa semalam.

Hal tersebut juga telah dilaporkan kepada Pertubuhan Kesihatan Sedunia. Sementara itu, Pertubuhan Makanan dan Pertanian (FAO) pula sedang bekerjasama dengan saintis Chile. - AP



Sumber : Utusan Malaysia

'Mini-Laptop' From Nokia To Compete with Netbooks

By Jennifer LeClaire, newsfactor.com - Mon Aug 24, 2009 3:16PM EDT

Nokia is getting into the netbook game. The mobile-phone maker announced Monday the Nokia Booklet 3G, a Windows-based netbook with an Intel Atom processor that is set to compete in a crowded, but growing, market.

As Nokia sees it, more people want the computing power of a PC with the full benefits of mobility. Kai Oistamo, Nokia's executive vice president for devices, said the Booklet 3G is a natural evolution for a company in the business of connecting people.

"Nokia has a long and rich heritage in mobility and with the outstanding battery life, premium design, and all-day, always-on connectivity, we will create something quite compelling," Oistamo said. "In doing so we will make the personal computer more social, more helpful, and more personal."

Connecting Nokia Products

The Booklet 3G uses Intel's Atom processor and offers up to 12 hours of battery life. Nokia promises its latest innovation will deliver the experience of a full-function PC in an ultraportable box with a 10-inch glass high-definition-ready display.

Nokia isn't calling the Booklet 3G a netbook. The company has labeled it a mini-laptop. It weighs 1.25 kilograms, is about two centimeters thin, and has a variety of connectivity options. Users can choose to connect via 3G/HSPA or Wi-Fi to get high-speed Internet access.

The mini-laptop is also equipped with an HDMI port for HD video out, a front-facing camera for video calling, integrated Bluetooth, and a SD card reader. The Booklet 3G even comes with integrated A-GPS which, working with the Ovi Maps gadget, can pinpoint a user's position and create a personal map.

The Booklet 3G aims to bring Ovi experiences to life, whether it's access to song tracks through the Nokia Music Store or using Ovi Suite to sync from a Nokia smartphone to the mini-laptop to the cloud. Ovi is Nokia's suite of Internet services, which includes games, maps, media, messaging and music.

Will Carriers Pick Up the Booklet 3G?

Although the Booklet 3G appears to be an attractive device, Nokia is late to the netbook market, according to Michael Gartenberg, a vice president at Interpret. Nokia is going head-to-head with PC vendors who know the space well.

"While consumers are used to buying Nokia phones, will they be interested in buying computers from them?" Gartenberg pondered. "Certainly, Nokia's tablets haven't fared well in the marketplace. But a lot of Nokia's success here is going to depend upon what it can leverage in terms of distribution, branding and marketing."

If the Booklet 3G is an expensive unlocked device that's only sold in Nokia stores, it's going to get a different reception than if it's carrier-subsidized, Gartenberg said. Carriers seem to be somewhat interested in picking up netbooks, he continued, so Nokia may do well if the carriers are willing to sell the device.

Nokia said it will offer detailed specifications, market availability, and pricing at Nokia World on Sept. 2.

Source : Yahoo Tech News

Kelebihan buah kurma

Oleh Rohaniza Idris
roha@bharian.com.my

Ia baik untuk diet, malah kandungan zatnya dapat membantu dalam perubatan

RAMADAN datang lagi. Buah kurma atau tamar pastinya menjadi pilihan umat Islam di seluruh dunia sebagai juadah untuk berbuka puasa.

Populariti kurma mengatasi hidangan lain ketika berbuka puasa dan buah ini menjadi makanan utama Nabi Muhammad SAW yang diteladani umat Islam zaman berzaman.

Umat Islam dianjurkan berbuka puasa dengan buah kurma sebaik terbenamnya matahari kerana ia perkara yang disunatkan.

Selain bulan puasa, biasanya masyarakat Melayu Islam sering dihadiahkan kurma oleh jemaah yang baru pulang dari mengerjakan ibadat haji di Makkah.

Menjadi makanan wajib di Asia Barat, kurma menurut ensiklopedia Wikipedia dipercayai berasal di sekitar Teluk Parsi dan ditanam sejak zaman kuno dari Mesopotamia hingga prasejarah Mesir, kira-kira 4,000 tahun Sebelum Masihi. Bukti arkeologi pula menunjukkan kurma mungkin berasal dari timur Arab dalam 6,000 tahun Sebelum Masihi.

Buah ini kemudian dibawa pedagang Arab ke Asia Selatan, Asia Tenggara, utara Afrika dan Sepanyol yang mana orang Sepanyol memperkenalkan buah ini ke Mexico dan California pada 1765.

Tarikh sebenar kurma dibawa ke Malaysia tidak diketahui tetapi ia dipercayai diperkenalkan pedagang Arab yang datang berniaga dan berdakwah ketika zaman kerajaan Kesultanan Melayu Melaka.

Pengusaha kurma terkemuka di negara ini, Datuk Yusuf Taiyoob, berkata setiap tahun permintaan terhadap kurma meningkat dan biasanya syarikatnya membawa masuk kira-kira 3,000 hingga 4,000 tan dari beberapa negara seperti Iran, Iraq, Mesir, Tunisia, Emiriah Arab Bersatu (UAE) dan Afrika Selatan.

Beliau yang juga pemilik dan Pengarah Urusan Yusuf Taiyoob Sdn Bhd, berkata biasanya stok dibawa masuk dua bulan sebelum Ramadan bagi memudahkan urusan pemasaran dan pengagihan kepada pemborong dan wakil jualan di seluruh negara.

“Syarikat kami bukan hanya membawa masuk kurma untuk pasaran tempatan, tetapi juga menjadi pembekal utama untuk pasaran di Singapura, Thailand, Indonesia dan Brunei.

Tahun ini, gudang kami yang lebih besar baru dibuka, jadi jumlah stok lebih banyak berbanding pada tahun sebelumnya,” katanya.

Beliau menjelaskan harga kurma bagi sambutan Ramadan kali ini meningkat sedikit, namun beliau masih mengekalkan harga untuk pasaran tempatan dengan kadar lama.

“Ada beberapa negara pembekal kurma menjual lebih mahal dari tahun lalu tetapi untuk pasaran Malaysia kita masih mengekalkan harganya.

Namun, beberapa bekalan kurma segar yang banyak dijual seperti tahun lalu tidak dapat dipasarkan tahun ini kerana bekalan berkurangan.

“Musim menuai kurma biasanya pada September dan Oktober. Jadi, tahun ini kita kurangkan membawa masuk kurma segar kerana kos membawanya menggunakan kargo udara mahal. Kita jangka stok baru yang lebih segar akan sampai awal September nanti,” katanya yang menguasai 50 peratus pasaran kurma di negara ini.

Penolong Pengarah, Bahagian Zat Makanan, Bahagian Pembangunan Kesihatan Keluarga, Kementerian Kesihatan, Surainee Wahab, berkata kurma atau nama botani Phoenix dactylifera mengandungi zat besi, kalsium, fosforus, sodium, potasium, kalsium, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, beta karotena serta niasin.

“Buah kurma amat sesuai untuk dijadikan hidangan berbuka puasa kerana kandungan tenaganya yang tinggi dapat mengembalikan paras gula yang rendah dalam darah kepada paras yang normal.

“Amalan berbuka puasa yang baik ialah dengan mengambil tiga biji kurma yang kaya dengan tenaga, serat, vitamin dan mineral.

Kemudian diikuti dengan setengah cawan jus buah-buahan. Selepas itu bolehlah mengambil satu mangkuk kecil sup sayur berserta dengan satu atau dua keping roti.

“Bagi mereka yang menghidapi kencing manis, buah kurma boleh diambil sebagai makanan pertama untuk berbuka puasa. Namun begitu, mereka perlu mengawal pengambilannya. Mereka boleh mengambil tiga biji kurma tetapi perlu mengehadkan pengambilan makanan serta minuman manis yang lain,” katanya.

Kurma baik untuk diet pemakanan, malah, kandungan zatnya dapat membantu dalam perubatan (mempunyai tenaga pembersihan) dan estringen pada masalah usus yang dapat mengatasi masalah sembelit dan gangguan usus kronik.

Ia juga dapat digunakan dalam masalah sakit kerongkong, selesema dan demam, juga dikatakan penawar mujarab dalam perubatan tradisional untuk mengatasi masalah insomnia, selain mempunyai pelbagai khasiat lain.

Oleh kerana kurma kaya dengan unsur zat besi dan kalsium, ia sesuai untuk wanita sama ada ketika hamil atau selepas bersalin. Jus kurma dapat mengurangkan tumpah darah, menguatkan rahim serta berkesan meredakan tekanan darah tinggi.

Kandungan zat besi yang terkandung pada buah berkenaan juga menyebabkan wanita berpantang sesuai mengambilnya sebagai hidangan tanpa keraguan. Bagi ibu yang mempunyai masalah kekurangan susu, ia dapat diatasi dengan memakan buah kurma sekali gus menggalakkan pertambahan kandungan susu.

Kurma juga membantu melancarkan perjalanan darah, menghindari barah, merawat buah pinggang, mencuci hati dan membantu mengurangkan pengaliran darah ketika kelahiran. Berperanan dalam pertumbuhan kanak-kanak, pembentukan darah dan sum-sum tulang.

Antara kajian lain dijalankan membuktikan kurma antara makanan paling pantas diproses sebagai bekalan tenaga, selain berkhasiat membantu memanaskan badan, mencergaskan otak dan tubuh badan, mencergaskan minda kanak-kanak. Justeru, ia sangat sesuai untuk perut kosong, memberikan tenaga dan menyegarkan kisaran penghadaman.

Dilaporkan 100 gram kurma segar mengandungi sumber vitamin C yang diperlukan badan dan membekalkan 230 kalori untuk tenaga (960 kJ). Oleh kerana kurma mengandungi sedikit air, ia masih pekat walaupun sudah kering.

Bermakna dengan memakan kurma, badan mendapat tenaga mencukupi walaupun hanya dimakan sebiji dan segelas air. Oleh sebab itulah ada individu yang memilih berbuka puasa dengan hanya sebiji kurma dan badan sudah berupaya mendapat tenaga kembali selepas sehari suntuk berpuasa.

Kini, kurma bukan hanya dimakan umat Islam tetapi menjadi pilihan pelbagai masyarakat dunia yang hidangkan dalam pelbagai resipi serta juadah. Dengan ada reka cipta dalam dunia masakan, kurma boleh dinikmati pelbagai cara dan tidak lagi hanya dimakan sebagai buah semata-mata. Pakar masakan mula menjadikan kurma sebagai bahan pilihan dalam resipi yang dicipta.

Selain digabungkan dengan coklat, manisan dan agar-agar, kurma menjadi ramuan dalam kek, biskut dan jem yang menjadi menu tidak kira bagi sarapan, makan tengah hari, minum petang dan makan malam. Peniaga juga memberi wajah baru kepada kurma dengan membuang biji dan digantikan dengan badam, dipakej dengan cara yang menarik dan kemas.

Malah, kini kurma menjadi bahan utama dalam hamper yang dihadiahkan kepada kawan-kawan, kenalan, saudara mara serta rakan niaga terutama menjelang Ramadan.

Sumber : Berita Harian

Why Do Shells Sound Like the Ocean?

by Matt Soniak

Kevin in Bentonville, Arkansas, wrote in to ask this question: “Why do you hear the ocean when you put a seashell up to your ear?”


All right, first things first: no matter what your mom or dad or grandparents told you, and no matter how much it may sound like the rolling waves, it’s not actually the ocean you’re hearing in a shell.

Now that we’ve got that out of the way, what exactly is it that you’re hearing? In a word, noise; the ambient noise that’s being produced all around and inside you, which you normally don’t hear or pay attention to because it’s too quiet.

To amplify this noise so you can hear it clearly, you need a resonator. Want to make one on the cheap? Form an O shape with your mouth and flick your finger against your throat or cheek. You should hear a note. Make a smaller or larger O, or change the shape of your mouth, and you’ll get different notes. Sort of like this. What you’re doing here is letting your mouth fulfill its potential as a Helmholtz resonator, where sound is produced by air vibrating in a cavity with one opening. Different pitches can be coaxed out by changing the shape of the resonating cavity.

The seashell you’re listening to—the inside of which has many hard, curved surfaces great for reflecting sound—is essentially doing the same thing you just did with your mouth. The ambient noise mentioned before—the air moving past and within the shell, the blood flowing through your head, the conversation going on in the next room—is resonating inside the cavity of the shell, being amplified and becoming clear enough for us to notice. Just like the various shapes we make with our mouths will produce different pitches, different sizes and shapes of shell sound different because different resonant chambers will amplify different frequencies.

The fact that all shells sound just a little bit like the ocean is purely coincidental. Holding any sort of Helmholtz resonator to your ear will produce a similar effect, whether that object is associated with the ocean or not. Put an empty glass over your ear or even cup your hand over it, and the sound you hear will be just about the same.


Source : Mental_Floss Blog

Ketika Bulan Terbelah - Tafsir Surat Al Qomar (54) ayat 1

Ada sebuah ayat di dalam al Qur'an yang menyatakan bahwa bulan [pernah/akan] terbelah ketika jaman telah mendekati kiamat. Sengaja kata pernah dan akan saya beri kurung karena ada beberapa penafsiran tentang ayat ini. Selengkapnya arti ayat tersebut adalah sebagai berikut:

Telah dekat datangnya saat itu dan telah terbelah bulan.

Dalam catatan kaki dari terjemahan al Qur'an Departemen Agama RI, ditulis: Yang dimaksud dengan saat di sini ialah terjadinya hari kiamat atau saat kehancuran kaum musyrikin, dan "terbelahnya bulan" ialah suatu mukjizat Nabi Muhammad SAW.

Memang ada hadits yang meriwayatkan peristiwa terbelahnya bulan di masa Nabi ini. Hal ini terjadi ketika kaum musyrikin 'menantang' Nabi untuk menunjukkan bukti kenabiannya dengan meminta membelah bulan. Keshahihan riwayat hadits ini saya tidak terlalu ketahui.

Sejak cukup lama, telah beredar melalui internet sebuah gambar permukaan bulan yang diklaim sebagai bukti pernah terbelahnya bulan sekaligus bukti 'kebenaran' ayat di atas. Gambar aslinya dapat dilihat pada situs Badan Antariksa Amerika (NASA).> Lihat

Di sana terlihat sebuah ngarai (semacam kanal kering) besar yang lurus membentang, dan mengesankan sebuah bekas patahan atau belahan yang tersambung kembali. Tetapi, jika kita bersedia membaca lebih jauh keterangan dari NASA mengenai gambar tersebut, orang akan berpikir ulang untuk menyatakan bahwa ngarai tersebut merupakan bekas terbelahnya bulan.

Beberapa fakta tentang bentukan alam di bulan tersebut:

1. 1. Ilmuwan menyebutnya sebagai RILLE. Meskipun ada banyak spekulasi tentang asal muasal kejadiannya, tetapi pendapat terkuat menyatakan bahwa ia merupakan bekas kanal atau saluran lava yang keluar dari perut bulan di masa lampau. Khusus yang berbentuk lurus, diduga merupakan patahan tanah yang turun di antara 2 sesar (> Lihat) kerak bulan yang sejajar.
2. 2. RILLE mempunyai berbagai macam bentuk. Lurus dan panjang seperti gambar di atas adalah salah satunya. Sisanya ada yang seperti aliran sungai sebagaimana di bumi (> Lihat). Mereka ditemukan di hampir semua titik di permukaan bulan. (contoh)
3. 3. RILLE tidaklah sepanjang yang diperkirakan. Meskipun ada yang mencapai ratusan kilometer (sekitar 300 km seperti Rille pada gambar di atas, lihat tampak atas), tetapi tidak ditemukan RILLE yang mengelilingi seluruh permukaan bulan. Kalau bulan pernah terbelah dua dan RILLE tersebut adalah bukti bekas belahannya, tentunya kita bisa harapkan bahwa RILLE tersebut membentuk garis yang mengelilingi bulan.

Jadi, tidak tepat menjadikan gambar di atas sebagai bukti bahwa bulan pernah terbelah.

Bagi kita, yang mengimani Allah, ayat tersebut harus dipercayai. Allah Maha Kuasa untuk membelah bulan. Dan Ia pun kuasa untuk menyatukannya kembali, dengan atau tanpa bekas. Semuanya mudah bagi Allah.

Sumber : Al-Habib Info

Symbolism and the $1 Bill

by Ethan Trex

Crack open your wallet, pull out everyone’s favorite portrait of George Washington, and be prepared to learn about some odd symbolism that probably seemed perfectly normal in the 18th century. Here are the explanations behind some of the more baffling parts of our nation’s smallest bills.

What’s that weird pyramid drawing on the reverse of the bill?

The two circular drawings on the reverse of the bill are actually parts of the two-sided Great Seal of the United States. Although we don’t see the entire seal outside of our wallets too often, the notion of having a great seal is actually as old as the country itself. The Continental Congress passed a resolution on July 4, 1776, to create a committee to design a great seal for the fledgling nation, and heavy hitters John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson got the first crack at creating the seal.

Congress wasn’t so keen on the design these big names brought back, though, and it took nearly six years and several drafts to finally find a suitable seal. Congress finally approved of a design on June 20, 1782.

What’s the story behind the Great Seal of the United States?

According to the State Department, which has been the official trustee of the seal since 1789, both the obverse (front) and reverse (back) of the seal are rich with symbolism. The obverse picturing the eagle is a bit easier to explain. The bird holds 13 arrows to show the nation’s strength in war, but it also grasps an olive branch with 13 leaves and 13 olives that symbolize the importance of peace. (The recurring number 13, which also appears in the stripes on the eagle’s shield and the constellation of stars over its head, is a nod to the original 13 states.) The shield floats unsupported over the eagle as a reminder that Americans should rely on their own virtue and strength.

The symbolism of the pyramid on the seal’s reverse is trickier. The pyramid has 13 steps – the designers apparently never got tired of the 13 motif – and the Roman numeral for 1776 is emblazoned across the bottom. The all-seeing Eye of Providence at the top of the pyramid symbolizes the divine help the early Americans needed in establishing the new country. The pyramid itself symbolizes strength and durability.

The divine overtones don’t stop with the unblinking eye, though. The Latin motto Annuit Ceptis appears over the pyramid; it translates into “He [God] has favored our undertaking.” The scroll underneath the pyramid reads Novus Ordo Seclorum, or “A new order of the ages,” which was meant to signify the dawn of the new American era.

How did the seal end up on our dollar bill?

We can thank former Secretary of State Cordell Hull’s busy schedule for that one. Secretary of Agriculture Henry A. Wallace had to wait for a meeting with Hull in 1934 and decided to kill time by thumbing through a State Department pamphlet on the Great Seal. The pamphlet contained an illustration of the reverse side of the seal with the pyramid, and Wallace was quite taken with the drawing. He took the seal to President Franklin Roosevelt and suggested the country mint a coin using the two sides of the seal.

FDR liked the seal, too. (Roosevelt and Wallace were both Masons and loved the all-seeing eye part of the reverse design, which echoed the concept of the Great Architect of the Universe.) He thought the seal should be on the reverse of the dollar bill rather than a coin, but he was worried the mystical imagery would offend Catholics. After Postmaster General James Farley assured FDR he didn’t think his fellow Catholics would have any problem with the design, Roosevelt approved a new dollar bill design that first appeared in 1935.

Did the Founding Fathers swipe any ideas from a magazine?

Possibly. The familiar E Pluribus Unum motto that the eagle holds in its beak underscores the union and togetherness of the 13 colonies. It might also underscore early Americans’ love of periodicals.

According to the State Department, recent historical research has indicated that this Latin motto may have been borrowed from Gentlemen’s Magazine, a London publication that ran from 1732 to 1922.

The magazine was popular in the colonies, and its title page always carried the E Pluribus Unum motto.

Why don’t the dates on the front of the bills change that often?

At the lower right of the portrait on the bill’s obverse you’ll see the word “Series” and a year. You might notice that these don’t change each year the way the numbers on minted coins do. Why not?

According to the Treasury, the series date only changes when there’s a new design for a bill, a new Treasurer of the United States, or a new Secretary of the Treasury. (These are the two officials whose signatures appear on either side of the portrait.) The series year itself changes when the Secretary of the Treasury changes, while a change in the Treasurer of the United States means that the series year remains the same, but a suffix letter gets tacked onto the end of the year.

What are the various other numbers on the obverse of the bill?

The bill’s serial number is the most prominently displayed set of digits on the dollar, but they’re not alone. If you take out a dollar, you’ll notice there are four large numbers in the corners of the bill’s open space. Like the encircled letter to the left of Washington’s portrait, these numbers tell which Federal Reserve Bank issued the note. (Each Fed’s number corresponds the letter of the alphabet assigned to the bank, with A=1, B=2, and so on.)

The tiny letters and numbers that appear on the top left and bottom right of the bill’s obverse indicate the position of the note on the Treasury’s printing plates. If your dollar bill has a tiny “FW” before this code, those letters indicate that it was printed at the Treasury’s facility in Fort Worth, Texas, rather than in Washington, D.C.

Source : Mental_Floss

Jangan abaikan simptom lenguh

MENGANGKAT beban berat jarang dapat dilakukan penghidap sindrom bahu beku.

SELAIN bahu beku, sindrom bahu lenguh merupakan keadaan yang sering dialami oleh semua orang terutama individu yang bekerja di pejabat atau kilang.

"Ramai menganggap bahu lenguh seperti perkara biasa namun apabila ia dibiarkan tanpa sebarang terapi dan rawatan, ia mampu memberi kesan sakit yang membebankan," kata Siti Farah Aini Jamaludin.

Sindrom yang membabitkan tengkuk dan bahu ini mampu merebak ke dada bagi lelaki manakala golongan perempuan akan terasa ngilu di bahagian atas payu dara.

"Berdiri atau menghadap komputer dengan postur yang salah selama beberapa jam akan memberi tekanan kepada otot.

"Sebab itu, berehat selama lima minit pada setiap setengah jam mampu memberikan rehat kepada otot dan sendi.

"Walaupun begitu ramai orang tidak mengetahuinya. Selalunya, pesakit akan memberitahu doktor yang dia sakit tulang belikat atau sakit urat sedangkan ia sebenarnya merujuk pada sindrom bahu lenguh," katanya.

Menurut Siti Farah, lenguh bahu dan tengkuk akan berulang walaupun pesakit menjalani terapi atau pembedahan.

"Dengan lapan hingga 10 sesi rawatan terapi, lenguh tengkuk dan bahu boleh dipulihkan dengan syarat pesakit rajin bersenam dan mengelak daripada menggunakan bahagian tubuh pada postur yang salah," katanya.

Sindrom ini lebih berisiko pada perempuan kerana kebanyakan wanita tidak duduk dengan posisi yang betul.

Selain wanita, golongan yang berisiko diserang sindrom tengkuk dan bahu lenguh adalah mereka yang banyak menggunakan pergerakan tangan seperti atlet dan mereka yang suka tidur mengiring.

Sumber : Kosmo

Hurricane Bill on Atlantic track toward Bermuda

By Jim Loney Jim Loney – 1 hr 2 mins ago

Reuters – Hurricane Bill is pictured moving through the Atlantic Ocean, more than 1,160 miles (1,870 km) east of …

MIAMI (Reuters) – Hurricane Bill, the first hurricane of the 2009 Atlantic season, gained strength quickly as it churned across open ocean on Monday in the direction of Bermuda, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.

Two other tropical cyclones, Ana and Claudette, were fading; Ana in the Caribbean Sea just south of Puerto Rico, and Claudette in the southern United States after slogging ashore on the Florida panhandle.

Bill's top winds reached 90 miles per hour (145 kilometers per hour), just below Category 2 on the Saffir-Simpson scale of hurricane intensity, the Miami-based hurricane center said. Forecasters expected it to hit Category 3, with winds of more than 110 mph by late Tuesday or early Wednesday.

Category 3, 4 and 5 storms are considered "major" hurricanes, the most destructive type.

Bill was about 1,080 miles east of the Lesser Antilles at 11 a.m. EDT (1500 GMT) and was charging to the west-northwest at 16 mph, the hurricane center said.

On its most likely track, Bill would move well north of the northernmost Caribbean islands toward the U.S. East Coast, forecasters said. The hurricane center's long-range track showed it southwest of Bermuda by Saturday morning.

Tropical Storm Claudette hit the U.S. Gulf of Mexico coast near Fort Walton Beach in the Florida panhandle early on Monday and quickly weakened to a tropical depression as it moved over southern Alabama.

Florida emergency managers reported sporadic power outages but no widespread damage. They cautioned residents to watch for rising rivers and flooding in low-lying areas.

CLAUDETTE MISSES ENERGY FACILITIES

Claudette, which sprouted with surprising speed on Sunday in the eastern Gulf of Mexico, missed the largest concentration of U.S. oil and gas production platforms, which stretch along the coast from Mobile Bay, Alabama, to Brownsville, Texas.

The Gulf is home to almost half of U.S. refinery capacity, a quarter of oil production and 15 percent of natural gas output.

Tropical Depression Ana doused Puerto Rico with heavy rain on Monday as it charged through the Caribbean Sea to the west-northwest at a brisk 28 mph, the hurricane center said.

It was located about 75 miles south of San Juan Puerto Rico and had top winds of 35 mph, forecasters said.

A tropical storm watch was in effect for Puerto Rico, the U.S. and British Virgin Islands and parts of the Dominican Republic, although forecasters said Ana could degenerate further on Monday.

NHC website: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

(Additional reporting by Scott DiSavino in New York; editing by Pascal Fletcher and Phil Stewart)

Source : Yahoo News (Reuters)

Telefon bimbit punca pengguna mudah lupa

Melbourne - Satu kajian mendapati pengguna muda telefon bimbit kerap mempunyai ingatan kurang baik, tindak balas yang perlahan terhadap masa dan membuat banyak kesilapan.

Satu kajian di kalangan 300 pelajar berumur 12 hingga 14 tahun dari 20 sekolah swasta dan negeri di Melbourne baru-baru ini menunjukkan kanak-kanak yang banyak menggunakan telefon bimbit kemungkinan mengorbankan ketepatan bagi mencapai kelajuan.

Kajian oleh penyelidik dari Monash University itu menunjukkan kanak-kanak disifatkan sebagai pengguna telefon bimbit yang tinggi kemungkinan besar mempunyai kurang ingatan, bertindak perlahan terhadap sesuatu tanggungjawab dan melakukan lebih banyak kesilapan daripada para pelajar yang kurang menggunakan telefon bimbit.

Sumber : Kosmo

Are Eggs Healthy for Weight Loss?

By Margaret Furtado, M.S., R.D. - Posted Fri, Jul 17, 2009, 2:26 pm PDT

A new study in the online journal entitled Risk Analysis reports that eating one egg a day accounts for less than 1 percent of the risk of heart disease, the leading killer of American men and women. This, in my opinion, helps deflate the myth that all eggs are always bad for you and can never be included in a heart-healthy meal plan.

The researchers cited lifestyle factors, such as a poor diet, smoking, obesity, and a sedentary lifestyle as chief contributors (30 to 40 percent) of someone's heart disease risk, with men having higher risks than women. Risk factors that could be potentially treated, such as high blood pressure and diabetes, accounted for a whopping 60 to 70 percent of the risk. In this light, a single egg doesn't seem so big a threat.

Eggs have gotten a lot of bad press of late. There seems to be a constant drumbeat, perhaps in the media, about eggs being off-limits if you want to keep your heart healthy. (Just today, I was seeing a patient of mine with young children and, coincidentally, one of his daughters asked me, "Are eggs bad for you?")

Instead of worrying about an egg a day, I think we should turn our attention to the potential risks of stress (especially chronic stress), physical inactivity, and poor overall diet choices (like diets high in junk foods and low in fruits and vegetables).

This research, which was (full disclosure) funded by the Egg Nutrition Center, serves to further substantiate the premise that healthy adults really can eat (whole) eggs without upping their heart disease risk significantly. And what's more, the authors noted that their analysis did not adjust for all the health-promoting benefits of eggs, which might decrease some heart disease risk.

What is it about eggs that could actually help your heart?

• Eggs are high in choline, an organic, water-soluble nutrient that's usually grouped in with the B vitamins. They are also high in betaine, a nutrient related to choline. Together these 2 are associated with lower levels of homocysteine (an amino acid that studies has shown to be related to a higher risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease). It's good to keep homocysteine levels under control because high homocysteine levels usually suggest chronic inflammation, a process that has been linked with heart disease, as well as to Alzheimer's disease and dementia. Treatment of a high homocysteine level usually involves supplementation of the B vitamin folic acid—but don't take more than 1,000 micrograms—1 gram—a day, or it can mask a vitamin B12 deficiency.
• Eggs are a great source of high-quality (or high biological value, HBV) protein; in fact, they are considered to be the best overall source of protein.
• Eggs provide 13 essential vitamins/minerals, including riboflavin, an important B vitamin needed to help your body get energy from food. Eggs also contain vitamin D, a fat-soluble vitamin lacking in the diet of many Americans. People who are overweight and/or have diabetes are at a higher risk for vitamin D deficiency.

• 

  Eggs also help you feel full, since your body produces a hormone called PYY when you eat high-protein foods. PYY tells your brain you're no longer hungry, so if you're trying to lose some pounds, opting for a high-protein snack like a boiled egg can really help you feel full (and it's only 75 calories). I personally like the organic eggs high in omega 3 fatty acids (the healthy fats), from chickens raised without hormones or chemicals. These eggs are higher in omega 3s because of the healthier feed given to the chickens. The high-omega-3 eggs add another possible benefit to a balanced diet.

However, if, for whatever reason, you want to keep the fat and cholesterol content in your diet low, eat the egg whites and skip the yolk, since all the protein (and virtually none of the fat) is in the whites. There are even cartons of pure egg whites in the grocery store that make it easy. Or you could separate the eggs at home by discarding the yolks, or at least a few of them. This study, however, seems to be suggesting that even the egg yolk isn't anywhere near the health risk people have perceived it to be for all these years. They're also a very affordable source of protein, a big plus in today's economy!

Bottom line: If you really like whole eggs, and your doctor or dietitian thinks they're fine for you, then go ahead and enjoy them, yolks and all!

Source : Yahoo Health