by Penny on September 15, 2009
There are plenty of reasons why you should listen to your mum – because mums always think they’re right, and because mums always want nothing but the best for their children. The second reason is good enough for us to listen to our mums, agree? But of course, these days we all think we know better than our mums, don’t we?
But for those of you who never listened to your mum’s naggings on why you must finish your veges, you should now take notice and listen to her. We all know vegetables are a must in a balanced diet to provide the fiber and vitamins our bodies need. If you don’t know better, vegetables do more than that for our health.
Different kinds of vegetables are needed in our diet, preferably vegetables made up of all sorts of colours, green, orange, red and yellow. Well purple for aubergine too if you’d like!
On a more serious note, below are some of the important nutrients that we need and they can be obtained simply by eating different types of vegetables.
1. Fiber – One of the main benefits of a high fiber diet includes decreased risk of coronary artery disease.
Excellent vegetable sources for fiber: navy beans, kidney beans, black beans, pinto beans, lima beans, white beans, soybeans, split peas, chick peas, black eyed peas, lentils, artichokes.
Continue reading this article →
by Sandie on September 15, 2009
Who can resist these lovely cupcakes?
Babies cry when they are hungry and once they are fed and have had enough they stop. As they grow up, they are exposed to unhealthy fast food diets blasting on TV screens. “bribery’ food (or reward food), etc, many of them unlearn this natural balanced way of eating and begin to overeat.
There are ways to curb eating over eating. Simple yet effective.
Eat slowly. Remember all those familiar naggings and reminders from our grandparents and parents of “eat slowly, chew your food,” “chew thoroughly before swallowing”? These were all aimed at slowing us down when we eat. Research has shown it takes 12 or more minutes for food satisfaction signals to reach the brain of a thin person, but 20 or more minutes for an obese person. Eating slowly ensures that these important messages have time to reach the brain
Be aware. Be mindful about the whole eating process. When you are eating while rushing through some documents or doing computer work or even driving (when you are hurried or distracted), the food you eat will not register well with your brain. Give your meal the full attention and notice when you have had enough.
Use a smaller plate. The smaller the plate, the smaller the portion.
Choose your food wisely. Steer way from foods that give you loads of calories for very little volume. Go for a high fiber, protein meal.
by Sandie on September 14, 2009
I am an advocate to anything that is natural – from remedies to therapies, foodstuff to drinking water. I try to go on as organic as I can without getting paranoid over what is in my food. At home enzyme is widely used; from soaking vegetables to using it in cooking and a dash is always added to the home water dispenser.
Our kitchen larder is in fact a first aid kit but of course many of us fail to realise this. Whenever an onset of cough hits us, we will make a line to the pharmacy to get some expectorants or lozenges that we believe will help cure or relieve our ailment.
Here are some herbal remedies. I am sure most of us have used some of these herbs at one time or another and can vouch for its goodness.
Continue reading this article →
by Penny on September 11, 2009
Everybody wants to grow old and age gracefully. It’s not something that’s easily achievable, given that we have so many things to deal and cope with in life. And who knows, as we move from one stage of life to another, we may even be saddled with more matters that stress us further.
Wasn’t life so much more carefree and happy back when we were children right up to the end of our schooling days? Wasn’t life a lot of fun when we first started out in the workforce? Then we got more and more stress coming our way from financial obligations, family commitments, personal fulfillment, etc. So I do believe that as we move from one phase of life to another, we may not necessarily be moving away from stress but likely to invite more!
Having said that, I think we should all strive to age gracefully, personality and appearance wise. We should learn to let go of grudges and perhaps some unfulfilled dreams so that we don’t hold on to bitterness and regrets. Perhaps build new dreams which you think are more achievable rather than keep those that are going down the drains anyway.
Does it get you down talking about this topic of aging? Well if it does I’m sorry to have brought it up. But there’s something I wish to end this conversation with, which I think will bring a smile to your face. Maybe, just maybe, you will laugh heartily at them too. Enjoy these marvelous images!
How do you like Barbie at age 50, obese and all?
Continue reading this article →
by Sandie on September 9, 2009
How often have we taken note of our body parts? They are so much a part of us that we hardly notice if this finger is longer than the other or whether our hands or legs are within the “healthy” length.
1. Finger length
According to British researchers, women who have shorter index fingers than their ring fingers are more prone to osteoarthritis in the knees. They tend to have lower levels of estrogen, which may also play a role in the development of osteoarthritis.
Precautionary measure: Strengthen the muscles surrounding your knees. Add such exercises to your daily stretching routine.
2. Leg length
If you have stocky legs, do take better care of your liver. In a 2008 study, British researchers found that women with legs between 20 and 29 inches long tended to have higher levels of four enzymes that indicate liver disease.
Precautionary measure: Take supplements to tone your liver. Limit or omit alcohol intake
3. Arm length
Can you touch your toes while standing in upright position (even though you are flexible)? Women with shorter arms are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease than those with longer reaches. Spread your arms on the floor and have someone measure fingertips to fingertips; the shortest spans were less than 60 inches.)
Precautionary measure: Get involved with a hobby such as painting or pottery. A 5-year study from the Alzheimer’s Disease Center at Rush University Medical Center found that adults who spent the most time engaged in stimulating leisure activities were more than 2.5 times less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease than those who spent less time challenging their brains.
4. Earlobe crease
Linear wrinkles in one or both lobes may predict future cardiovascular events (heart attack, bypass surgery, or cardiac death). A crease on one lobe raises the risk by 33%; a crease on both lobes increases it by 77%, even after adjusting for other known risk factors. Though experts aren’t exactly sure, they suspect a loss of elastic fibers may cause both the crease and the hardening of arteries.
Precautionary measure: Diet and lifestyle is the key factor to a healthy heart.
5. Calf size
Women with small calves (13 inches or less around) tended to develop more carotid plaques, a known risk factor for stroke. The subcutaneous fat in larger calves may pull fatty acids from the bloodstream and store them where they are less of a risk factor, say researchers.
Precautionary measure: No need to bulk up your legs, but sip green tea to stay healthy. In a study of more than 40,500 Japanese men and women, those who drank five or more cups of green tea every day had the lowest risk of dying of heart disease and stroke. Here again, diet and lifestyle is very important
