Sofa

Just last couple of weeks, my sofas have been infested by bugs. And I thought by living in an apartment I will not be having this problem. I even can't remember to be having this problem when I was young. Nor when I was staying in a rented house during my university years. The frustration is beyond imagination. I tried, believe me  I did tried to fight it. But it is still there. Making a colony of their own in my sofas. Well, I might sound a bit melodramatic but that's how I am.
Until one day I was down with flu and one night I'm having difficulties in breathing. I went to see a doctor and he said this is due to allergies and he started asking me asking whether I'm allergic to anything. Never have been and hope won't be in future. Cause we will never know, with all this modern engineered food that we have been consuming nowadays, we might be having allergies that we ourselves do not know of.
Well to cut the story short, I went back home after getting jab to reduce the allergy because I couldn't breathe. Took a nap for 1/2 hour then I called up a mover and got rid of the sofas.
And by evening, it's gone!! My lovely dark brown velvety sofas are gone together with the bugs!!

Predict or not to predict!!

Heard about the shocking news. Not sure how to react. Sometimes, we thought we have done the best we could. We thought we are on the right path, we follow right way until one fine day,  lightning struck and it left us in awe. Life is never predictable. Or maybe we shouldn't be predicting matters are out of our hand.
Just for the best and pray it will turn out good.

To Kill a Mocking Bird - Harper Lee

This is such an interesting and powerful book. The author did a great job in portraying extreme prejudice through the eyes of an innocent child where adults see it as a common issue and tend to take it lightly.

I believe that this book is one of the most insightful, truthful and interesting books of all time. The real sense of community spirit shines through right from the start, and you feel by the end as if you know each and every neighbour like you'd known them your whole life.

Catcher in The Rye - J.D. Salinger

There are so many negatives vibe I can feel from the main character, Holden. On how he perceived the worlds with his cynical view and how he thinks the world is filled with hypocrites and how he despised such act. But sometimes truth can hurt.
When we are honest we can see within ourselves suppressed elements of the forces operating within this main character, and because of that I would recommend this thought provoking novel as a fascinating and enlightening description of our human condition. However, beware... for that very reason it is not comfortable reading.

Oh what was it??

Did you ever had this feeling where you feel that you have loads to say or  going through your mind but when you tried to write it down, the word just seems to disappeared!.
I loves reading blog and I loves blogging but I can't seem to find the right word at the moment. Everything seems to vanished the moment I started pressing this keyboard.
Oh well....perhaps some other times....

Quotes by Charlotte Bronte

Memory in youth is active and easily impressible; in old age it is comparatively callous to new impressions, but still retains vividly those of earlier years.


~ Charlotte Bronte

Long Overdue Exercise

It has been one month since I last exercise, including jumping around in the house, trying to break some sweat!. I did some simple workout in the first week of Ramadhan because I do not want my body to feel too pampered. But I think I pushed myself a bit too hard that time until my body aching all over afterwards....yikess. It wasn't a good feeling like the normal feeling we have after breaking some sweats and feels the energy pumping in. It is more like "tired to the bones and please can I sleep the whole day" feeling. Guess what, I stop exercising from that day onwards.
Well, after resting for a month, I finally went for a jog at Desa Park City. It started with simple walk, then a bit of jogging thereafter. I just went around two circle and the park is full with people exercising. Darn!!!
The next day, I got blister between my toes because my trainers are in bad shape. Hence I didn't go for a jog on Sunday as I intended to.

Bookstore in the land of down under

During the two weeks of school holiday in June 2010, I finally managed to visit my sister in the land of down under. Before I reached there, I told my sister that my main purpose is to visit the art gallery which I did but I forgot to bring my camera.
On top of that, my biggest interest would be in books or anything that is related to books. Of all the bookstores that I went to, I managed to capture two pictures. I was so captivated and overwhelming with the varieties of books that they have, especially the price that they gave. It is so much cheaper even after I've converted to MYR.
I bought so many books until my sister practically have to drag me away from entering any bookstore as my baggage is overloaded with books.
Well, I have actually exceeded 20 kg of the free weight given. What can I do, I'm totally into books.



Books sold at the flea market are freakishly cheap. It can go as low as AUD1 each and I was having a difficult time to choose which book I want as I can get loads of books by british author here.

Another discount bookstore in town area. I went gaga over the price and choice of books they have.

In The Shadow of Lady Jane by Edward Charles.

I bought this book because I love the illustration. It has the classic look though the lady looks a bit mysterious because she was facing the other way. In another way, it's actually linked to Lady Jane character which is a bit mysterious in her own way.

My verdict is the story is not entirely about Lady Jane. It is more revolving around Richard Stoker, who have the opportunity to upgrade himself to next level in his life after saving the life of Lord Henry Grey, Marquess of Dorset's daughter. Well the ending is kinda sad for Lady Jane herself.
Overall, this book is not bad since I don't really know the historical event in Britain, I'm not able to compare between truth and fiction character in this book.But it does give me some insight of the tudor time in Britain.

More review on this book in below link:

http://historicaltapestry.blogspot.com/2007/08/in-shadow-of-lady-jane-edward-charles.html

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Shadow-Lady-Jane-Edward-Charles/dp/0330451898

Portrait of an Unknown Woman - Vanora Bennet

Initially, the storyline is a bit mundane. About love, family and all the obstacles that they have to face in order to be together.Though I thought after they got married, they will live happily ever after but I was mistaken as I was dragged into another phase of life filled with secrets and how this woman has to handle it. Accepting a truth was never easy, trying to forgive and forget is another thing. Would it be easy to look into a person face whom she love and adored without any prejudice of the mistakes that he has done.Life is always full of surprises and sometimes we thought that we know who we are, yet we are still capable of doing things that we thought we are incapable of.

The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde

Dorian Gray is a symbolic idea of people who wishes to cheat the natural process of aging. Yes, he got what he wanted but the price that he has to pay for it is nonetheless very demeaning and evil.Would you rather stay young forever but live in pool of guilt and damnation.I guess it is true what people said about being careful of what you wishes for it might comes true and in the end you will regret it for the rest of your life.....

The Deep End of the Ocean - Jacquelyn Mitchard

The Deep End of the Ocean - Jacquelyn Mitchard

A very heart warming storyline. Two different perspectives on how people dealt with incident happen in their life. From a mother who feels that she has failed her lost son and her family. She was suppose to protect him but yet it happened while he was under her care. She feels suffocated from the attention that she received from people around her, yet without them she could never face the world again and try to move on. From a son who feels neglected because his family focus is only on the lost son. Naturally by portraying a rebellious act, he will received some attention from his parents. Sometimes we tried so hard to make things happen the way we think it should be, until we didn't realize that we hurt people around us. It is not easy to deal with emotion and tried to erase the guilt of failure in protecting her own child. This is a good book to read.

Quotation in Persuasion by Jane Austen

"Dare not say that man forgets sooner than woman, that his love has an earlier death. I have loved none but you. Unjust I may have been, weak and resentful I have been, but never inconstant. You alone have brought me to Bath. For you alone, I think and plan. Have you not seen this? Can you fail to have understood my wishes?"
Captain Wentworth's letter to Anne, in the Musgrove's room at the White Hart in Bath
- Persuasion, volume 2, chapter 11

Rupert Penry-Jones played Captain Wentworth in Persuasion version 2007.


I am a bit obsessed with Jane Austen books. Eventhough I have read all the books that was written by her still I could read again her book couple of times and yet I will not be able to remember the exact plot of her book.

Persuasion - Jane Austen

"I can listen no longer in silence. I must speak to you by such means as are within my reach. You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone forever."
Captain Wentworth's letter to Anne, in the Musgrove's room at the White Hart in Bath
Persuasion, volume 2, chapter 11

Ciarán Hinds as Capt. Wentworth in Persuasion 1995

It is funny how most of Jane Austen's male character likes to explain themselves via letter. I find it somehow romantic in a certain way.

Living in fairytale world?

My friend : I live in a fairytale

Me : Aren't we all? Until we are woken up by a rude awakening that will snap us back into reality

My friend : Don't you dare wake me up

Me : ahahhahahah...How can I when I myself is drowning in it too!!!

Memories - Wilson Rawls

"It's strange indeed how memories can lie dormant in a man's mind for so many years. Yet those memories can be awakened and brought forth fresh and new, just by something you've seen, or something you've heard, or the sight of an old familiar face." - Wilson Rawls, Where the Red Fern Grows, Ch. 1

Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte

"Life appears to me too short to be spent in nursing animosity or registering wrongs." - Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre

Quotation by Betty Smith

"Look at everything as though you were seeing it either for the first or last time."

Jane Austen Quotation

Run mad as often as you choose but do not faint"- Jane Austen

Quotation by Datuk Dr Maznah

Datuk Dr Maznah said, "Being a mother & wife, we must have at least 2 hours a day for ourselves for our own health and beauty. Don`t discard the dreams inside us away because at the end of the day, we shall regret."

Virginia Woolf's Quotation

I can only note that the past is beautiful because one never realises an emotion at the time. It expands later, and thus we don't have complete emotions about the present, only about the past.

Quotation - Virginia Woolf

Each has his past shut in him like the leaves of a book known to him by his heart, and his friends can only read the title.

How Exercise Helps Quickly Lower Blood Pressure

An article was published in the Journal Circulation in 2000. Researchers wanted to know the effects of habitual exercise on arterial distensibility. Researchers concluded that regular aerobic-endurance exercise reduced age-related arterial stiffness.

Sedentary healthy middle-aged and older men were able to restore arterial distensibility by regularly working out. The researchers concluded that this may be one mechanism by which habitual exercise lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Researchers reviewed the effects of exercising on the distensibility of large arteries. The review was published in the Exercise and Sports Sciences Reviews in 2003. The author reviewed the findings of a number of studies. According to the author, recent findings show that regular aerobic exercise can modulate age-related increase in arterial stiffness.

Another study was published in the American Journal of Hypertension in 2006. The study was conducted on post-menopausal women. The researchers concluded that both moderate and vigorous physical activities have favorable effects on central arterial stiffness in postmenopausal women.

Physical Activity is the Answer
One can very quickly lower blood pressure with commitment to working out. Commit yourself to work out for 3 months. You will be amazed at the results. Research has shown that working out can effectively make your arteries more distensible. Distensible arteries can very quickly lower blood pressure.

Garden Cafe @ The Curve

Last weekend, I went to Garden Cafe at the Curve for a gathering with my ex officemates of whom I haven't met for about 7 or 8 years. The food is presentable. And the quality is not bad. The ambience is excellent, it is indeed a place for gathering be it for family or friends. Here goes some of the dishes that we had picked for the afternoon :

Appetizer

Ceasar Salad











Fried Calamari

Pasta Marinara


Chicken Chop - Excellent food arrangement, taste wise not bad indeed!


Pasta Vongole - Pesto is used for the pasta sauce and it does taste nice.


Turkey and Pineapple Sandwich


Prawn Olio - Not up to my expectation. A bit bland for my liking.

Desserts : Chocolate Cake and Apple Sorbet



Well, I don't mind coming back for another round of lunch or dinner as some of the food served is quite good.

Carbohydrates, Protein and Fat for Correct Weight Loss

Carbohydrates, protein and fat are known as macro-nutrients. Macro-nutrients make up the bulk of our everyday calorie intake. Not all carbohydrates and fats are created equally. Choosing macro-nutrients wisely could help one’s weight loss efforts tremendously. It also allows one to sustain a healthy lifestyle without deprivation.

Carbohydrates for Correct Weight Loss
The bulk of our calories come from carbohydrates. Eat carbohydrates wisely. Understand the concept of glycemic index and glycemic load. Choose low glycemic carbohydrates. Understand the difference between complex and refined carbohydrates.
Ensure that there is minimum refined carbohydrates in your daily diet. Taper the amount of carbohydrates that you eat in the day. Breakfast should have the largest amount of carbohydrates and dinner the smallest.

While a low or totally “no” carbohydrate diet could produce faster weight loss, the results are not sustainable unless you exercise. Very few people are able to sustain a low carbohydrate diet for long. The weight comes back with a vengeance when one starts consuming carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates equals to refined carbohydrates.This especially so if one starts indulging in refined carbohydrates.






Avoid going on diets that you cannot sustain for a lifetime. Educate yourself instead. Learn to identify and eat complex carbohydrates. Totally eradicate refined carbohydrates from your diet. This is the secret to sustainable weight loss without a self deprivation low carbohydrate diet.

Protein for Correct Weight Loss
The digestion of protein requires the most amount of energy. When 100 calories of protein are consumed, 30% of it is used to process the food. This is the energy required to bite, chew, swallow, digest, transport, metabolize and store the food that is consumed. As such, the conversion efficiency of protein is approximately 70%. C0mpare this in contrast to the 93% conversion efficiency of carbohydrates and 97% conversion efficiency of fat.

Most people do not eat enough protein. Anyone trying to lose weight should try to consume protein in every meal. It is highly advisable to consume protein for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Protein often comes packaged together with fat. For this reason, choose lean meat as your main protein source. Eggs are an excellent source of protein. To reduce the amount of saturated fat from eggs, consume egg whites. Whenever consuming eggs, use 1 whole egg with 1 egg white as a general rule.

Fat for Correct Weight Loss
Most people are terrified of eating fat. This is understandable as people relate fat to the blubber that they carry in their bodies. This unconscious programming causes people to misunderstand fat. One should be able to differentiate between healthy fats and unhealthy fats. Unhealthy fats are essentially trans fatty acids, hydrogenated oils and margarine. Saturated fats should also be avoided.

People should instead eat healthy fats such as olive oil and grape seed oil. Omega fats available from cold water fish also have tremendous health benefits. These fats benefit the process of weight loss. Ensure that you use extra virgin olive oil. This is they healthiest type of olive oil.

Olive oil is unsuitable for Asian style high heat cooking. Grape seed oil is the best choice for use in high heat cooking. Olive oil should be eaten unheated.

Understand Your Macro-nutrients
Understanding macro-nutrients is the secret to healthy, sustainable and correct weight loss. Ultimately, weight loss is a journey and not a destination. Forget about diets. Learn healthy eating habits that you can sustain as a lifestyle. Choose a diet that you can live with for the rest of your life. The side effect of such a diet would be permanent weight loss.

8 Activities That Are Sabotaging Your Weight Loss Efforts

A lot of people find that they cannot lose weight continuously. The primary reason for this could be mental blocks that are getting in the way of one’s weight loss efforts. Once these mental blocks have been addressed, one has to further identify daily activities that could be sabotaging one’s weight loss progress. Most people may not even be aware of these saboteurs.

Here are 8 daily activities that could be affecting your weight loss progress ;

1. Calories Consumed are More than Calories Expanded
Most of the time, people who cannot lose weight are breaking this fundamental law. You may not even realize that you are consuming excess calories. Your daily meal consumption starts becoming all to familiar. To create awareness, you can start keeping a food diary. Writing everything that you eat in a food journal for a month will allow you to identify areas where there is excess calorie consumption.

2. Fad Diets
Fad diets may allow you to lose weight temporarily but the results are never sustainable. Fad diets just don’t work. The weight loss usually comes from muscle and water loss and will eventually result in rebound weight gain. The main reason for someone to try a fad diet is because he or she lacks of basic weight loss knowledge. Basic knowledge about losing weight correctly is essential so that you do not waste time and energy on programs that are not able to give sustainable weight loss.

3. Starvation Response Initiated
Some people cannot lose weight because they have initiated their starvation response. The starvation response is initiated when you go on an extreme calorie reduction. The body fears that it is starving and holds on to its fat reserves harder than ever. Once the starvation response has been initiated, no amount of dieting or exercising will yield in any extra weight loss. You have to make sure that the calorie reduction is gradual. The calorie reduction should not be more than 10% of your regular day to day calorie consumption.

4. Weekend Weight Gain
Another reason that you cannot lose weight is weekend weight gain. It would be interesting to note that most people are disciplined on the weekdays. It’s the weekend that sets them back in their weight loss efforts.

5. Alcohol Consumption
Alcohol consumption has been known to completely halt fat burning. It also increases appetite. Most people who drink alcohol cannot lose weight. It would make sense to abstain from alcohol until you have reached your weight loss goals.

6. No Strength Training
Strength training is essential to lose fat and build muscles. Women should not be too concerned about building big muscles. This is because they have very low levels of testosterone. What ever effort goes into strength training yields compact muscles and a shapely body.

7. Too Much of Steady State Cardio
Most people do steady state cardio as their main form of exercise to lose weight. Steady state cardio provides results but its effectiveness reduces with time. Depending on your fitness level, you should gradually start doing high intensity interval training. This provides rapid weight loss. Do note that this type of training can be very intense and strenuous so do proceed with caution.

8. Same Exercise Routine
Some people do the same exercise routine day in and day out, The body is highly adaptive. As the body adapts to an exercise routine, it becomes more and more efficient at doing it. Changing the structure of the program and the exercises will keep the body guessing. This helps provides continuous results.

9. Missing Breakfast
People who skip breakfast have been shown to carry more abdominal fat. Skipping breakfast is harmful to your weight loss efforts. It is the most important meal of the day.

10. Increasing Calories Instead of Tapering Calories
Effective weight loss is achieved by tapering calories consumed in any given day. This essentially means that breakfast should be the largest meal and dinner the smallest. This allows the body to more effectively use calories across the day.

CLEAN YOUR KIDNEYS WITH LESS THAN RM1.00

Years pass by and our kidneys are filtering the blood by removing salt, poison and any unwanted entering our body. With time, the salt accumulates and this needs to undergo cleaning treatments. How are we going to do this?

It is very easy, first take a bunch of parsley and wash it clean Then cut it in small pieces and put it in a pot and pour clean water and boil it for ten minutes and let it cool down and then filter it and pour in a clean bottle and keep it inside refrigerator to cool.

Drink one glass daily and you will notice all salt and other accumulated poison coming out of your kidney by urination. Also you will be able to notice the difference which you never felt before.

Parsley is known as best cleaning treatment for kidneys and it is natural!

Hugging is healthy

Hugging is healthy — try it out for yourself!

When was the last time you hugged your parents?

Can’t remember? Well, blame it on the culture that we grow up in, where the display of child-parent affection should be at its minimum, and most preferably subtle – such as a pat on the shoulder or a gentle touch on the hand.

The irony is that we find it easier to hug outsiders, such as when we wish a person bon voyage, or hug a girl to wish her a happy birthday, or even hugging a total stranger in a congratulatory gesture.

Why is it that hugging a stranger can be as easy and effortless as smiling, and yet when it comes to a parent, it can be difficult and awkward, maybe even the equivalent of having to sing on stage in a fluorescent bikini?

I have always wondered if parents and children were genetically created with the same magnetic field, therefore repelling each other.

During an English class when I was in Form Two, my teacher touched on the topic of showing affection for one’s parents. She asked when I last hugged my parents.

Startled by her sudden focus on me, I merely stared back at her partly because I wasn’t paying attention. She repeated her question.

I shook my head and said, “Don’t know.”

“Don’t know?” she asked me, as in “I can’t believe it!”

Another question from her: “When was the last time you kissed your parents?”

I shook my head. “Can’t remember,” I said.

She fixed her gaze on me for a few seconds before smiling knowingly.

My teacher said that this was the result of our upbringing and culture – that we weren’t accustomed to showing affection for our own parents. My teacher urged all of us to give our parents a hug as soon as they came home from work that day. She said not to be embarrassed to show our emotions.



If you look at photos in the newspapers a day or two after the SPM or STPM examination results are out, it’s common to see parents kissing and hugging their top-scoring children, and that’s when you notice the awkward faces of those students and their parents as affections flow for the camera. Sometimes you can even see them blushing.

A friend of mine, like many of us, wasn’t comfortable with hugging his parents.

But his perception changed after moving to another state to take up a job. He now makes it a point to give his parents a bear hug as soon as he gets home for a holiday, and doing the same before leaving home.

A simple piece of advice a friend gave was: “Each time you hug, it gets easier.”

Not only that, hugging is also therapeutic, and good for the body.

“Hugging is healthy! We need to be touched – and often,” says Andrew Matthews in his book, Making Friends. “You don’t have to hug everyone, but you have to get your share of hugs from somewhere.

“It also seems that as we become less self-conscious, we warm to the idea of being hugged.”

I remember reading somewhere that a good, genuine hug should never be less than three seconds.

For those people who are troubled by hugging their own parents, perhaps out of awkwardness and embarrassment, wait no more and do it now. After all, you were hugged by them when you were a kid!

And with Mother’s and Father’s Days just weeks away, surely these will be the best opportunities and occasions to hug it out.

Source: Courtesy of The Star

The Lakehouse

"There could have been no two hearts so open, no tastes so similar, no feelings so in unison...."...The Lakehouse

Water

What is the relationship between drinking water and weight loss. Can something as simple as being adequately hydrated actually affect weight loss? Preliminary research is showing that adequate hydration has a tremendous effect on cell function and metabolism. This in turn greatly affects fat burning and weight loss. Hopefully this article gives you an insight on the water and weight loss connection.

Our bodies are largely composed of fluids. Approximately 55-60% of our body weight is made up of fluids. It helps with many tasks including temperature regulation, cardiovascular function, waste product removal and metabolism.

Water and Fat Burning
The amount of fluid content in a cell relates to the cell-volume. A cell will expand in volume as its water content increases. It will deflate when the water content decreases. This expansion or swelling of the cell relates to how well hydrated it is.

A study published in the Journal Metabolism investigated the effects of cellular hydration on fat burning. The researchers found that increased cellular volume lead to an increase in fat burning. According to another study published in the Journal Lancet, researchers suggested that increased cellular hydration actually increased the activity of enzymes that facilitated fat burning.

Another related study was published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. This study reaffirmed the effects of hydration on fat burning and prevention of muscle break down. The authors concluded that when the body was adequately hydrated, fat burning increased and muscle break down was reduced. This is essentially what produces sustainable weight loss. Drinking water and weight loss were closely related at the cellular level.

Water and Weight Loss
Researchers conducted a study on 5785 Chinese and published the findings in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. They searched for correlations between energy intake and weight status with nutrient intake. Nutrients here referred to fat, protein, carbohydrates and water. The researchers concluded that higher hydration levels were correlated with lower calorie intake and lower body weight. The researchers also concluded that higher hydration levels resulted in people eating lower calorie density food.

Cell Hydration Affects Its Function
Researchers of a study published in the American Journal of Physiology suggested that cell hydration has a major effect on its metabolism and overall functioning. This in turn also affects fat burning. A cell that is properly hydrated can function at optimum levels. This includes transport of nutrients into the cell and transport of waste out.

Role of Water in Preventing Muscle Loss
Anyone wanting to lose weight should attempt to hold on to their muscles. In fact attempts should be made to increase muscle mass as this helps in maintaining weight loss. A lot of diet programs result in massive muscle loss. This is one of the main reason for rebound weight gain.

A group of German researchers investigated the effects of cellular hydration on muscle break down. The finding of this study were published in the Journal Lancet. The researchers suggested that muscle breakdown was greatly reduced when cells were adequately hydrated. Another article in Ital J Gastroenterol reaffirms the importance of cellular hydration and the role it plays in muscle-building and breakdown.

Hydration and Growth Hormone Release
The Human Growth Hormone (HGH) is a hormone released by the pituitary gland. It greatly facilitates fat burning and muscle-building. HGH also has some amazing anti-aging properties.

Weight training exercises and high intensity cardio exercises induce the greatest release of growth hormones. This is one of the main reasons why these exercises are effective for weight loss. An article published in the European Journal of Endocrinology found that exercise induced growth hormone release was effected by hydration levels. Low levels of hydration resulted in a reduced release of growth hormones during exercise.

This was another way in which inadequate hydration levels could be working against weight loss efforts.

Eating Water Rich Food and the Effect on Weight Loss
A study was conducted that examined the effects of consuming high water containing foods on calories intake. The findings of the study were published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Researchers concluded that consuming foods with a high fluid content more effectively reduced subsequent food consumption than just drinking water with food.

Water Before a Meal
Researchers studied the effects of drinking water and weight loss when the water was consumed before a meal. The participants were also on a reduced calorie diet. The findings were published in the Journal Obesity. The researchers concluded that drinking 500 ml of water when on a reduced calorie diet produced greater weight loss.

Water Aids Your Weight Loss Efforts
Most of the preliminary research on water and weight loss has yielded positive results. Water and weight loss are closely connected. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by being adequately hydrated. Adequate hydration has been shown to aid fat burning, affect exercise induced growth hormone release and satiety. A lot of people neglect the importance of water on their weight loss efforts. Hopefully after reading this article, anyone wanting to lose weight will better understand the water and weight loss connection.

Motivation To Lose Weight

Everyone wants to lose weight but very few people are serious about it. Most people have not found the real motivation to lose weight. Weight loss is going to challenge the core of your character. You are going to need to cultivate habits that may be the exact opposite of your current habits. Without a strong enough “why”, it is very unlikely that you will continue the journey when the going gets tough.

Here are 5 common drivers for most people to lose weight.

1. Losing Weight for Vanity
This is the main reason for many people to lose weight. People want to look good. Carrying excess weight makes one feel miserable and depressed.

Unfortunately, this is the weakest motivation to lose weight unless there is a deep enough desire. Most people who try to lose weight for vanity have to go through a lot of pain. They have to cross a threshold where they can’t take the mental of physical pain anymore. Its only when they cross this threshold that they decide to do something serious about their weight.

2. Losing Weight to Impress the Opposite Sex
This can be a strong motivation for younger people and for those who are looking for partners. Whether one likes it or not, physical appearance does play an important role when trying to woo someone. A lot of people who lose weight to impress the opposite sex do succeed because the desire can be very strong.

3. Losing Weight to Keep up With Spouse
This can be a strong motivation to lose weight for someone whose spouse does not have a weight problem. This desire gets even greater as the couple age. The overweight person tends to age faster than the slim spouse. The slimmer spouse gets more attention from the opposite sex. This can be a very strong motivation for the other spouse to lose weight.

Spouses who try to keep up with each other do end up living very healthy lives. They are able to maintain healthy weight levels as they are constantly competing to keep up with one another.

There are times when the overweight spouse tries to sabotage the slimmer spouse. It is easier for the overweight spouse to drag the other down to his or her level rather than rise up to the challenge and lose weight.

4. Losing Weight for an Occasion
This is an extremely powerful motivation to lose weight. One could be preparing for a wedding, a reunion or a holiday.

People who have such goals almost always achieve them. Setting specific and measurable goals yield unbelievable results. The only downside to this type of motivation is that it is a short term goal. Once the occasion has passed, there are no follow up efforts or concrete steps to maintain the weight loss.

5. Losing Weight for Health
This is another strong motivation to lose weight. Health is something that you do not miss until you start losing it. Most of the time, an increased appreciation for health comes from a wake-up call. This wake-up call could be the sudden death of a friend in the same age group. It could also be attributed to a doctor’s visit.

Increased awareness about health need not come in the form of a health calamity. It could also come from increased awareness via education. People who are lucky enough to have this awareness are the ones who end up having healthy and sustainable weight loss.

Identify Your Motivation to Lose Weight
Find out why you want to lose weight. Make sure that the reasons are not superficial. An example of a superficial reason is trying to lose weight because your friends are doing it. Another superficial reason could be because your spouse wants you to lose weight. Unless there is a deep desire within, you would quit at the first obstacle that comes your way.

William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), Romeo and Juliet

The sweetest honey is loathsome in his own deliciousness. And in the taste confounds the appetite.

Chow Hor Fun

Ingredients :
Flat Noodle
Prawns
Fishcakes
Fishballs
Chicken slices
Choy Sum
Chicken stock - 2 cups
Eggs - 2 nos
Dark soy sauce - 1 tablespoon
Light soy sauce - 1 tablespoon
Sesame Oil - 1 tablespoon
Cornflour - 3 tablespoon to 2 tablespoon water
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in wok
Add flat noodle, dark soy sauce and light sauce
Stir until noodles are covered with the soy sauces
Remove and place in a bowl
Heat oil in wok
Fry prawns, chicken, fishcake and fishball.
Add chicken stock
Once boiled add in choy sum.
Add in sesame oil, salt and pepper to taste.
Add in cornflour mixture.
Switch off heat then add in eggs while constantly stirring the gravy.

Memory and Food

As we get older, we found that our memory has started to abandon us. No matter how hard we tried, sometimes we just couldn't remember the keys that we left on the kitchen sink that particular evening or the items that we want to buy when we go to 7 Eleven that afternoon. Admit it, some of us if not most of us are having that kind of problem. Well, I do believe that food we consumed does contribute in boosting our memory.

Here are ten foods that may improve your memory, if you can remember to eat them. You might notice that many of the foods on this list are red or purple in color. That's because the phytochemical that colors them, anthocyanin, is the same phytochemical that's good for your brain.

Blueberries
Blueberries have been shown in numerous studies to do wonderful things for memory and the brain in general. Old rats that were fed blueberries scored the same as young rats on memory tests. Blueberries contain anthocyanin, a known memory-boosting phytochemical. They also contain many other phytochemicals that may contribute to healthy brain function.

Apples
Apples contain high levels of quercetin, an antioxidant that has been shown in recent studies to protect against Alzheimer's disease. Although it is also present in the flesh, the most quercetin is found in the skin. Red apples also contain anthocyanin in their skins.

Spinach
One study found that feeding rats spinach prevented and even reversed memory loss. This may be due in part to its high folic acid content, a nutrient that is believed to be protective against Alzheimer's disease and age-related memory loss. Just a half-cup of cooked spinach provides two-thirds your daily requirement of folic acid.

Onions
Red onions contain anthocyanin and quercetin. Yellow and white onions also contain good levels of quercetin. In India, where onions are an important staple, onions have been used as a folk remedy to boost memory for centuries.

Broccoli
Broccoli contains quercetin. It's also a good source of folic acid.

Red Beets
Beets are a good source of anthocyanin and folic acid.

Grapes
Red, purple, and black grapes all contain quercetin and anthocyanin. Red wine also contains good levels of these phytochemicals, but overindulging in red wine may negate the benefits so keeping consumption to one glass per day may be wise.

Cherries
Another red food that is a good source of anthocyanin.

Eggplant
Eggplant is a great source of anthocyanin. It also contains nasunin, an antioxidant that protects the lipids in brain cell membranes.

Rosemary
Researchers have found that the carnosic acid in rosemary is neuroprotective and may play a role in the prevention of Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative brain disorders. One study even found that just the scent of rosemary improved the memories of office workers.

Ironically, there are times when we want to forget certain memory, yet it came crawling back into our mind like it just happen yesterday. Just like Kate Morton's quoted in her book titled The Forgotten Garden, "Memory is a cruel mistress with whom we all must learn to dance".We got to embraced it and let it passed us by like a wind blowing in cold windy night.

Care to dance?

Dancercise has become the new craze among fitness freaks. Right from helping you lose weight and tone muscles to inculcating grace and poise, dance is an inexpensive and fun way to keep fit. Here’s how:

• Burns calories: Dance, unlike any other exercise form, involves movements that are isolator and coordinate almost every part of the body. In fact studies show that, dancing can burn up to 300 calories per hour.

• Stress buster: Dancing feels like fun rather than exercise, which is good thing since exercise can become a chore after some time. Moreover, dances such as the rumba or jazz are as aerobically challenging as jogging, and the tango can work your heart harder than a game of squash. Those with hectic schedules often look to dance as a stress buster. Experts say, relaxing and de-stressing dancing releases tons of good endorphins, which simply keep you happy and put you in a positive frame of mind.

• Inner massage: Dancing rejuvenates the internal organs. If internal exercises such as vigorous sport, weight training, aerobic classes, running, etc, are not balanced by internal exercises, the organs will be depleted and result in premature ageing. Dancing harness vital energies to rejuvenate the internal organs that produce hormones and thus replenish the overall hormonal balance in the body. It energizes the body and heals the internal organs at the same time.

• Mental stimulation: Trying to remember each move and step not only ensures a good physical workout, but a sound mental state as well. Researchers have found that dancing also reduces the risk of developing Alzheimer’s.

• Grace and poise: Dancing helps you to develop grace and poise. Dancing has the power to change your body language and makes you stand out in a crowd. It teaches you to stand taller with your shoulders held back, your tummy in and your chin held high. So if you’re yearning to add grace to your carriage, fit into trendy designer wear and stays stress free, try adding dance to your fitness routine and feel the difference.

• Muscle power: Dancing is a form of weight bearing exercise and helps to strengthen the weight bearing bones.

• Healthy heart: Dance boosts your cardiovascular system by getting your heart pumping as you keep up with the moves, swinging and swaying from hips to shoulders. It is also a great way to build endurance and energy levels.

You don’t have to be Madonna or a Shakira to get your body grooving. All you need to do is put on your dancing shoes and whirl away not just your blues, but the extra kilos as well.
Well, it would be more fun if you have someone to dance with you...wink!

Courtesy of maxabout.com

10 Common Weight Loss Mistakes Everyone Should Be Aware Of

A lot of people make some very common mistakes that keeps them on a downward spiral in their weight loss journey. They eventually get frustrated and give up on weight loss all together or spend all their time and money on one weight loss gimmick after another.

Here are a list of 10 weight loss mistakes that could be holding back your weight loss success;

1. Unrealistic Goals
This is one of the main weight loss mistakes. People are more optimistic about their weight loss goals than they are about other goals. They are conservative about their financial goals but set ridiculous targets for the amount of weight they want to lose. They pick a number out of nowhere and set it as their goal. One must remember that with a proper diet and exercise regimen, typical weight loss of 1 to 2 pounds per week is possible. Hoping for anything more than this is going to lead to frustration and disappointment.

2. No Exercise
This is another one of the very common weight loss mistakes. A lot of people look for all kinds of diets and weight loss programs that do not need any exercise. It is not common to try to starve all day than exercise for an hour. Any regime or program that does not include exercise, will not be able to give sustainable weight loss.

3. Starvation Diets
It seems logical that if we consume less food, we should lose weight. Unfortunately our bodies do not work in a logical way. Trying to cut calories drastically could cause your body to shut down fat burning. Do not cut your calorie consumption to more than 10% of your daily requirements.

4. Very Strict Diets
Do not attempt to go on very strict diets unless you are looking for temporary results. Do not waste your time with diets that you could not practice for the rest of your life. A lot of athletes and models go through extreme dieting for that one occasion where they need to be lean. They are not able to sustain that physique for a prolonged period. If you are going to go on a diet which you are going to eventually come off, don’t bother going through it unless you need momentary results such as preparing for a wedding or another occasion. Instead, choose a healthy lifestyle that includes exercise and a healthy diet which will help you lose weight and keep the weight off.

5. Lack of Foundational Weight Loss Knowledge
There is no excuse for being ignorant in the information age. Information is available at your finger tips via the internet. One has to educate him or herself about the basics of weight loss. One should be aware of the basics of weight loss such as starvation diets, rate of healthy weight loss, building muscles to lose fat and other useful information. When you educate yourself, you will less likely fall for weight loss gimmicks that can cause psychological stress and financial strain.

6. Looking for Quick Fix Solutions
Some people spend their entire lives going from one quick fix solution after another. They keep thinking that the next gimmick would give them the weight loss that they want. This is no different from a gambler who keeps thinking that the next roll of the dice will go his way. The only way to attain sustainable weight loss is via dedication, perseverance and hard work. If there was a quick fix for weight loss, Oprah would had found it by now. This type of weight loss mistakes stem from a lack of foundational weight loss knowledge.

7. Lack of Social Support
Social support is essential for weight loss. Ideally, you should be getting this from your immediate family. If you are not able to get support from the people who are close to you, find a friend who wants to go down the same road as you. Support each other and see each other through until the finish line.

8. Lack of Time
This is another one of the common weight loss mistakes which can be overcome easily by prioritization. Weight loss will need time and effort. Most people want weight loss but do not set activities such as exercise as a high priority. They try to do exercise if they can find the time. Obama found time for exercise during the run-up to the presidential elections. It just shows that you can get anything done once you set it as a high priority.

9. Weight Loss as a Destination and Not a Journey
Most people see weight loss as a destination. It’s a number on the scale that they want to achieve. They fail to realize that weight loss is a journey. You need to always work at sustaining a beautiful and well-defined body. Once you hit your target, set a new goal so that you are continuously in pursuit of a goal. Set goals to become fitter, stronger and leaner. As the saying goes, you cannot be rich enough or lean enough.

10. Not Losing Weight Correctly
Correct weight loss essentially means weight loss that comes from losing fat. You should maintain or build on your muscle stores. Correct weight loss is sustainable in the long run. Unfortunately or fortunately, it requires discipline, perseverance and effort. Be aware of these common weight loss mistakes so that you could avoid them.


Image courtesy of stock.xchng

Fruit for Thoughts....

EATING FRUIT

This is informative!

We all think eating fruit means just buying fruit, cutting it up and popping it into our mouths.

It's not that easy. It's important to know how and when to eat fruit.

What's the correct way to eat fruit?

IT MEANS NOT EATING FRUIT AFTER A MEAL!



FRUIT SHOULD BE EATEN ON AN EMPTY STOMACH.

Eating fruit like that plays a major role in detoxifying your system,

supplying you with a great deal of energy for weight loss and other life activities..

FRUIT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FOOD.

Let's say you eat two slices of bread, then a slice of fruit. The slice of fruit is ready to go straight through the stomach into the intestines, but it's prevented from doing so. In the meantime, the whole meal rots and ferments, and turns to acid. The minute the fruit comes into contact with the food in the stomach, and digestive juices, the entire mass of food begins to spoil.



Eat your fruit on an empty stomach, or before your meal!



You've heard people complain: Every time I eat watermelon I burp, when I eat durian my stomach bloats,

when I eat a banana I feel like running to the toilet, etc. This will not happen if you eat the fruit on an empty stomach.

Fruit mixes with the putrefying other food and produces gas. Hence, you bloat!

Graying hair, balding, nervous outburst, and dark circles under the eyes

all of these will NOT happen if you eat fruit on an empty stomach.

There's no such thing as some fruits, like orange and lemon are acidic, because all fruit becomes alkaline in our body,

according to Dr. Herbert Shelton who did research on this matter.

If you have mastered the correct way of eating fruit, you have the Secret of

Beauty, Longevity, Health, Energy, Happiness and normal weight.


When you need to drink fruit juice drink only fresh fruit juice, NOT from the cans.

Don't drink juice that has been heated. Don't eat cooked fruit; you don't get the nutrients at all.

You get only the taste. Cooking destroys all of the vitamins..

Eating a whole fruit is better than drinking the juice.

If you should drink the juice, drink it mouthful by mouthful slowly,

because you must let it mix with your saliva before swallowing it.



You can go on a 3-day fruit-fast to cleanse your body.

Eat fruit and drink fruit juice for just 3 days, and you will be surprised when your friends say how radiant you look!

KIWI: Tiny but mighty, and a good source of potassium, magnesium, vitamin E & fiber. Its vitamin C content is twice that of an orange!

AN APPLE a day keeps the doctor away? Although an apple has a low vitamin C content, it has antioxidants & flavonoids which enhances the activity of vitamin C, thereby helping to lower the risk of colon cancer, heart attack & stroke.

STRAWBERRY: Protective Fruit. Strawberries have the highest total antioxidant power among major fruits & protect the body from cancer-causing, blood vessel-clogging free radicals.

2 - 4 ORANGES oranges a day may help keep colds away, lower cholesterol, prevent & dissolve kidney stones, and reduce the risk of colon cancer.

WATERMELON: Coolest thirst quencher. Composed of 92% water, it is also packed with a giant dose of glutathione, which helps boost our immune system. Also a key source of lycopene, the cancer-fighting oxidant. Also found in watermelon: Vitamin C & Potassium.

GUAVA & PAPAYA: Top awards for vitamin C. They are the clear winners for their high vitamin C content. Guava is also rich in fiber, which helps prevent constipation. Papaya is rich in carotene, good for your eyes.

Drinking Cold water after a meal = Cancer!

Can u believe this? For those who like to drink cold water, this applies to you. It's nice to have a cold drink after a meal, however, the cold water will solidify the oily stuff that you've just consumed, which slows digestion. Once this 'sludge' reacts with the acid, it will break down and be absorbed by the intestine faster than the solid food. It will line the intestine. Very soon, this will turn into fats and lead to cancer It is best to drink hot soup or warm water after a meal.

10 Principles to Cooking Healthier

I guess most of us already knows the basic principle of eating or cooking healthily. But if you’re ready for just a bit more guidance, our 10 principles of healthy cooking will get you started:





1. Use smart fats.
Not all fat is bad. Opt for unsaturated (e.g., olive oil) over saturated fats such as butter. But still use them in moderation because all fats are loaded with calories.


2. Go unrefined.
Pick whole grains over refined grains. Whole grains like brown rice and bulgur have their bran intact and thus have more fiber, B vitamins, magnesium, zinc and other nutrients.


3. Eat more fruits and vegetables.
Most people don’t get enough! Aim for 5 to 13 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Pick produce in a variety of colors to get a range of antioxidants and vitamins. A serving size is 1⁄2 to 1 cup depending on the fruit or vegetable.


4. It’s not all about the meat.
Meat is a great source of protein but it’s also a big source of saturated fat in many people’s diets. So eat small amounts of lean meat, fish and poultry. Fill up the rest of your plate with healthy vegetables and whole grains.


5. Choose low-fat dairy.
Dairy products like milk, sour cream and yogurt are a good source of calcium. Replacing whole-milk dairy products with low-fat or nonfat is an easy way to cut saturated fat in your diet.


6. Keep portions reasonable.
Even though we would all like a magic bullet for weight control, it really boils down to calories. One of the easiest ways to manage calorie intake is by eating healthy portions.


7. Use sweeteners judiciously.
Sugars of any kind, whether corn syrup, white sugar, brown sugar, honey or maple syrup, add significant calories without any nutritive value.


8. Keep an eye on sodium.
Whether you have high blood pressure or not, it’s wise to watch your sodium intake. The USDA’s dietary guidelines for Americans recommend consuming less than 2,300 mg (about 1 teaspoon salt) daily.


9. Go for the flavor.
Enhance food with bold flavors from healthy ingredients like fresh herbs, spices and citrus. When your food has great flavor, there’s no reason to feel deprived.



10. Be mindful and enjoy.
Make conscious food decisions rather than grabbing for what is most convenient. Make sure it is something delicious and savor it. When you enjoy what you eat, you feel satisfied

Tips on Losing Weight

I browse the internet last last few days to search for some healthy food recipe but instead I stumbled upon few tips on losing weights. Well, I guess sharing is caring.

You know the drill when it comes to losing weight--take in fewer calories, burn more calories. But you also know that most diets and quick weight-loss plans have about as much substance as a politician's campaign pledges. You're better off finding several simple things you can do on a daily basis--along with following the cardinal rules of eating more vegetables and less fat and getting more physical activity. Together, they should send the scale numbers in the right direction: down.

1. Once a week, indulge in a highcalorie-tasting, but low-calorie, treat.
This should help keep you from feeling deprived and binging on higher calorie foods. For instance:

Lobster. Just 83 calories in 3 ounces.
Shrimp. Just 60 calories in 12 large.
Smoked salmon. Just 66 calories in two ounces. Sprinkle with capers for an even more elegant treat.
Whipped cream. Just 8 calories in one tablespoon. Drop a dollop over a bowl of fresh fruit for dessert.

2. Treat high-calorie foods as jewels in the crown.
Make a spoonful of ice cream the jewel and a bowl of fruit the crown. Cut down on the chips by pairing each bite with lots of chunky, filling fresh salsa, suggests Jeff Novick, director of nutrition at the Pritikin Longevity Center & Spa in Florida. Balance a little cheese with a lot of salad.


3. After breakfast, make water your primary drink.
At breakfast, go ahead and drink orange juice. But throughout the rest of the day, focus on water instead of juice or soda. The average American consumes an extra 245 calories a day from soft drinks. That's nearly 90,000 calories a year--or 25 pounds! And research shows that despite the calories, sugary drinks don't trigger a sense of fullness the way that food does.

4. Carry a palm-size notebook everywhere you go for one week.
Write down every single morsel that enters your lips--even water. Studies have found that people who maintain food diaries wind up eating about 15 percent less food than those who don't.

5. Buy a pedometer, clip it to your belt, and aim for an extra 1,000 steps a day.
On average, sedentary people take only 2,000 to 3,000 steps a day. Adding 2,000 steps will help you maintain your current weight and stop gaining weight; adding more than that will help you lose weight.

6. Add 10 percent to the amount of daily calories you think you're eating, then adjust your eating habits accordingly.
If you think you're consuming 1,700 calories a day and don't understand why you're not losing weight, add another 170 calories to your guesstimate. Chances are, the new number is more accurate.

7. Eat five or six small meals or snacks a day instead of three large meals.
A 1999 South African study found that when men ate parts of their morning meal at intervals over five hours, they consumed almost 30 percent fewer calories at lunch than when they ate a single breakfast. Other studies show that even if you eat the same number of calories distributed this way, your body releases less insulin, which keeps blood sugar steady and helps control hunger.

8. Walk for 45 minutes a day.
The reason we're suggesting 45 minutes instead of the typical 30 is that a Duke University study found that while 30 minutes of daily walking is enough to prevent weight gain in most relatively sedentary people, exercise beyond 30 minutes results in weight and fat loss. Burning an additional 300 calories a day with three miles of brisk walking (45 minutes should do it) could help you lose 30 pounds in a year without even changing how much you're eating.

9. Find an online weight-loss buddy.
A University of Vermont study found that online weight-loss buddies help you keep the weight off. The researchers followed volunteers for 18 months. Those assigned to an Internet-based weight maintenance program sustained their weight loss better than those who met face-to-face in a support group.

10. Bring the color blue into your life more often.
There's a good reason you won't see many fast-food restaurants decorated in blue: Believe it or not, the color blue functions as an appetite suppressant. So serve up dinner on blue plates, dress in blue while you eat, and cover your table with a blue tablecloth. Conversely, avoid red, yellow, and orange in your dining areas. Studies find they encourage eating.

Courtesy of Reader's Digest Stealth Health.

Quotes by William Osler

We are all dietetic sinners; only a small percent of what we eat nourishes us; the balance goes to waste and loss of energy. ~William Osler