Oh dear! I'd not posted in ages; so here's some useful health information. AND I need to take some Vitamins B12 and so do the rest of you ... *wink*
Vitamin B12, a nutrient found in meat, fish and milk, may protect against brain volume loss in older people, according to a study published in the September 9, 2008, issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Yeah - I'm back in Kuching and back to the grind after looking at the crystal clear beautiful waters of Fiji ... I'd also made a brief stopover in Sydney but did not have time to look up Simon Lim Poon Kiat. Next time perhaps. As is with most things in life; there had been a lot of changes since my last visit to Sydney years ago. Sydney is a most beautiful city and definitely warrants a visit.
Anyway here's something that I came across that may be of interest to most of us I think. (Except perhaps for the "Trying to get Pregnant" one!) So happy eating but eat right!
Best to eat: Warm fluids, plus garlic
Why: Liquids help by thinning mucus, easing a dry cough, and fending off dehydration due to fever, Heller says. “Garlic has disease-fighting compounds that can give your body a little boost,” she adds.
Try: A soup that has garlic or onions. Either can easily be added to chicken or vegetable broth.
Best to eat: Whole grains with protein
Why: If you toss and turn in bed, the right snack can help you unwind. Whole grains have carbohydrates that will increase the serotonin in your brain. Eating a meal with carbs, along with proteins that have the amino acid tryptophan, can help insomnia.
Try: A half-cup of whole-grain cereal with skim milk about an hour and a half before sleep. Other picks: hummus on a whole-wheat pita or a rice cake topped with tomato and a slice of turkey breast.
Best to eat: Complex carbs and protein, plus folic acid
Why: The carb-protein duo keeps insulin levels stable, and that helps fertility, says Jeremy Groll, MD, coauthor of Fertility Foods. “High insulin levels prohibit normal ovulation,” he says. Take a prenatal vitamin (ask your doctor), Dr. Groll advises, and fill up on foods rich in folic acid to reduce the risk of spinal-cord defects.
Try: A fruit smoothie with yogurt and protein powder. For folic acid, eat more asparagus, leafy greens, oranges, and fortified cereals.
Best to eat: Light snack with carbs and water
Why: A small bite a half-hour to an hour before a workout will give you staying power but won’t weigh you down. “It takes the edge off hunger and gives your body some calories,” says Judith J. Wurtman, PhD, author of Managing Your Mind and Mood Through Food.
Try: Yogurt and a few whole-grain crackers if you have an hour or more before the workout; half a banana or 6 ounces of orange juice if you have less time, because they turn into energy (glucose) faster.
Best to eat: A low-calorie meal that travels well
Why: Since you’ll probably be sitting for hours in a car or plane, you don’t need a lot of calories. You may not be able to keep foods fresh either, so nonperishable, portable foods are also a smart bet. And a healthy snack will keep you away from fat-filled fast foods.
Try: A prepackaged green salad with chicken at the airport, or soup and a whole-wheat roll. For a short flight, shoot for a protein bar with about 15 grams of protein, Wurtman says. For a long road trip, Heller suggests trail mix made with whole-grain cereal, nuts, and dried fruit.
Best to eat: Lean protein and whole grains, plus caffeine
Why: You want to be alert and upbeat when you’re hitting up the boss. Protein foods have an amino acid, tyrosine, that helps increase mental alertness, and whole grains have been shown to improve energy, says nutritionist Samantha Heller, MS, RD. Also, caffeine improves attention and short-term memory. The effect is strongest if you down one to two 8-ounce cups at least 20 minutes (but no more than an hour) before your sit-down with the boss.
Try: An egg-white and spinach omelet, or a whole-wheat bagel with low-fat cream cheese and java.
Best to eat: A high-protein, low-fat meal
Why: It’s the perfect combo to help concentration and keep those butterflies in check. “Amino acids from the protein will not only help you with the ability to learn and recall information, but they’ll also enhance your ability to concentrate and stay alert,” Moore says. Combine chicken, fish, beef, or tofu with some veggies or whole grains, but go easy on the greens, which have fiber that can make you feel gassy or bloated.
Try: A lightly dressed tuna salad with whole-wheat bread or grilled chicken on a small bed of greens.
By Ziba Kashef; Photos by James Worrell
27th May 2008
Dear fellow Thomian,
RE: Old Thomian Association Dinner: 160th Anniversary of St. Thomas' School on Saturday,19th July 2008, Crowne Plaza Riverside at 6.30 pm, RM80 per pax
Dr William Voon (who is organising the above dinner) sold me some tickets for the above. He requested me to disseminate this information to as many old Thomians as possible to make this a viable occasion. May be Francis Ho can also put it on the blog site. For further information and purchase of tickets, his contact is as follows:
Dr William Voon
Klinik Rakyat
No. 8, Jalan Petanak
93100 Kuching
Tel: 082-248416
e-mail: wehvoon@yahoo.com
He can arrange for the tickets to be delivered.
I look forward to seeing some of you at the dinner.
Yours sincerely
DR CLARENCE LEI CHANG MOH
Moroccan Jewish farmer Jean-Yves Yoel Chriqui at his farm in Agadir.Shunned by most Muslim countries where pork consumption is a religious taboo, pig farming is booming in Morocco thanks to a growing tourist industry and pragmatic breeders.
"If there's tourism, it would be better to have pigs," said Said Samouk, 39, who raises 250 porkers at his farm 28 kilometres (17 miles) from the seaside town of Agadir.
After being battered by a wave of bird flu, he launched a pig operation 20 years ago in partnership with an elderly Frenchman.
Today, Samouk spins dreams of doubling his production within three years to help meet the demands of some 10 million tourists expected to visit Morocco in 2010 - up from 7.5 million who flocked to the north African country in 2007.
"I'm a practising Muslim. I don't eat pork and I don't drink alcohol but it's just a breeding operation like any other and no imam has ever reprimanded me for it," he said of raising pigs -- whose consumption is prohibited in both Islam and Judaism.
Outlawed in Algeria, Mauritania and Libya, pig farming is nonetheless authorised in Tunisia as in Morocco, to cater to the flocks of European and other non-Muslim tourists who head to north Africa's spectacular beaches and deserts.
"Our clientele is 98 percent European. They want bacon for breakfast, ham for lunch and pork chops for dinner," said Ahmad Bartoul, a buyer for a large Agadir hotel. Signs are posted on buffet tables to avoid any confusion about the meat's origin.
Morocco's swine industry comprises some 5,000 pigs raised on seven farms located near Agadir, Casablanca and the north-central city of Taza. The breeders include a Christian, two Jews and four Muslims.
Annual production is currently estimated at 270 tonnes of meat, bringing in some 12 million dirhams (1.6 million dollars) in revenue.
The breeders include Jean Yves Yoel Chriquia, a 32-year-old Jew who owns the country's main pork processing factory along with a farm of 1000 pigs. Chriquia also buys pigs from Samouk and another local farmer at 22 dirhams a kilo.
Four times a month, he goes to the slaughter house in Agadir -- but must enter from a door other than that used for deliveries of meat that is halal, or authorised under Islam.
"We have a special place for this sort of slaughter. After cutting up the meat and getting the veterinarian's stamp, we transport it to the factory and put it in cold storage," Yoel said.
Almost 80 percent of his products are earmarked for hotels in Agadir and Marrakech. The rest heads to supermarkets and butchers -- and to feed some 220 Chinese workers building a nearby motorway.
"My wife was certain we would never find pork because we were in a Muslim country," said French retiree Bernard Samoyeau, as he ordered pork at a butcher in Agadir. "We have been pleasantly surprised."
Yoel is also pleased.
"We have more than doubled our sales in three years and it's starting to snowball. But since we rely on tourism, we must be careful," he said.
The Moroccan farmer speaks from experience: the 1990 Gulf war, the 2001 attacks on New York and Washington, and the 2003 invasion of Iraq ultimately forced him to shutter his last business burdened by 2.8 million dirhams of unpaid bills.
Three years ago, he opened up a new company that employs 31 people.
"Hotels all over Morocco are calling me up for deliveries, but for the time being I can't respond to all the demands. We're getting there, little by little," Yoel said.
Nor does he see a conflict between his job and his Jewish faith.
"Religion is a private matter. What I do is just another way to earn a living and my rabbi has never said anything about it," he said.
AFP
Dr Mahathir Mohamad our former Prime Minister has started his blog - www.chedet.com on 1st May 2008. Chedet is his 'pen name'.
FH2o in his element @ beautiful Lake Toba - largest volcanic lake in the world. 24th March 2008. Photo by Mindy (talented Singaporean photographer)
Holding up our paddles and me the flag for Malaysia on this Kayaking Expedition. I'm fourth from the right.
And a fine vacation we had indeed when on the first day of kayaking we were on the waters for more than 15 hours and were caught up in a fierce storm in the middle of the lake in the middle of the night! That was the ‘highlight’ of our trip although we would gladly forsake such ‘highlights’ in future …
Anyway here are some photos of my ‘kayaking vacation’ for the contemplation of those who think ‘oldies’ like us should be snug up in bed reading novels or at the most on the bowling green instead of messing around in the lake in the middle of the night! I don't think we are ever "too old" or "too busy" for anything - it's just our mindset and attitude. We only have one life - Live It, NOW. Be Well.
It was Elections Day in Malaysia on Saturday, 8th March 2008. Barisan Nasional, the ruling coalition (as usual) was returned to power BUT with a greatly reduced majority (no more two thirds majority) this time. The winds of change was finally blowing this time round. *sigh*
And like any typical, responsible, tax-paying loyal citizen of Malaysia who wants to make himself happy on that fateful day .... I went kayaking!
On a boat ride to the island on my last day in Fiji.
I'd never thought that I would visit Fiji one day but I did! On a business trip from the 13th to the 20th February 2008 flying from Kuching to KL then to Sydney where we change plane for another 3 1/2 hours flight to Nadi, Fiji. Suva is the capital city but most international flights land in Nadi about a 3 to 4 hours drive away - figure that out!
Magical islands and beautiful waters abound in Fiji.
I had a great time and here are a few photos - I had posted more at my personal blog. Coups or no coup - Fiji is a most beautiful island replubic. Cheers.
With such beautiful waters - naturally I went kayaking. Corals are just at the beach's edge. Amazing.
Chinese New Year is on Thursday, 7th February 2008 and here's wishing all the Monkeys all the Best in the Year of the Rat.There are so many credit card scams going on all the time, so when a friend emailed this to me (and quite a few other people as well), I thought this might be of interest to all.
Christmas is over (no 12 days of christmas?) and now the new year is just around the corner. Another year older and hopefully happier and wiser! 2007 has gone by in a flash for me and I'm planning on dragging my feet in 2008 to slow it down! Here's wishing you all the best for 2008 and more sharing/contributions from all of you. I'm just as busy as all of you but if we want to - we can make time and put in the effort to keep in touch. And much thanks and appreciation to all those who supported this blog and let's keep it going in 2008! Thanks for visiting on us.
A man breaks into a house to look for money and guns.
Inside, he finds a young couple in bed. He orders the guy out of bed and ties him to a chair. While tying the homeowner's wife to the bed the convict gets on top of her, kisses her neck, then gets up and goes into the bathroom.
While he's in there, the husband whispers over to his wife:" Listen, this guy is an escaped convict. Look at his clothes! He's probably spent a lot of time in jail and hasn't seen a woman in years. I saw how he kissed your neck. If he wants sex, don't resist, don't complain . . . Do whatever he tells you. Satisfy him no matter how much he nauseates you. This guy is obviously very dangerous. If he gets angry, he'll kill us both. Be strong, honey. I love you!"
His wife responds: "He wasn't kissing my neck. He was whispering in my ear. He told me that he's gay, thinks you're cute, and asked if we had any Vaseline. I told him it was in the bathroom. Be strong honey. I love you too."
Hmm ... it's December already and Christmas will soon be upon us and yet no one is posting ... *sigh*
So I might as well post something BIG!
And I wonder what the food bill would be like keeping one of these!
Woof, woof!
PR: 
LD: 
I: 
C: 
SD: 
