I came to realize that all my problems, dislikes and emotions comes from me. My perception of things happening around me and my mental habits derived my experiences, influence and wisdoms that I have acquired. How we see a thing or perceive and event will trigger our re-action and emotions. If we see a thing that we don't like, our sight will sent an image to our mind and the mind will search for an experience which will justify and support our unhappy emotions. This is an automatic and hidden process and it occurs so fast that we do not realized it.
I had a friend who do not like to eat fish and even if I offered him a very good cooked fish, he would not touch it. I was wondering why and after much persuasion, he told me that in the past, he had eaten a rotten fish. Another friend also do not like to eat fish and his reason is that a fish bone poke through his cheek and he have to go through an operation to remove it. These bad experience was kept deep into their mind. So, when they see fish, the bad experience quickly surface and warn them not to eat the fish.
So, the perception is much influence by our past experiences which is archive deep in our mind. So, the older we are, the more of such experiences either likes or dislikes and we are influence by the years of experiences we have encountered. If you are 10 years old, you have 10 years of experiences you can fall back on and if you are 60, you have 60 years of experience to fall back on. So, the older, we get, the more restrictive is our perception. To our loved ones, we can become more stubborn or unreasonable. This process happens so fast and is not transparent from the naked eye. So, sometimes people question us that why we think we are right, it is only our perception.
Our perception is based on our experience and knowledge. If we have the wrong experience, we make the wrong perception and we make the wrong decisions. This link is very strong and binding.
So, we have to analyse our perception from a fair and balance view and away from the influence of our experience and knowledge. If we read widely and acquire much wisdom, our perception will change. If we are aware of our experiences , we will also see things differently. In some cases, we can neutralized the experience and erase the memory so that we can see clearly and make the right judgement. So, to change my friends' dislike for fish, I must convince them to eat good fish and after that experience, they may change their mind about fishes.
Looking at my findings and realization, when we look at a stranger, our perception of him will draw out the good and bad points from our experience. We will match him with somebody similar in our library of experiences and if he resembles our loving father or mother, we will automatically have good feelings for her or otherwise, if he or she resembles a bad person, we will automatically find reasons to dislike him or her.
The influence of Hong Kong TV series have much influence on the way we judge a person because our mind capture the good characters and bad characters from the movies and stored them in our mind. Such experiences will surface when we see a similar character in our daily life.
From this realization, everything is depends ourself and if we are aware, we can handle the events happening around us much better and more balanced. The Chinese sage already knows this connections and they have advise his followers to "think three times" before we make a decision. This action will break the automatic link of perception to our experience and knowledge and this pause will make us see more clearly and objectively. Finally, it is ourself to blame if we based our judgement on our experience and knowledge alone without been aware that there is an element of biasness. Hence, there is a very good advice "to unlearn and learn" and with this process, we can see clearly and fairly.
Namaste.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Third day of my dharma test.
This is the third day of not talking to my sister after our verbal entanglement. This is another test of my kind compassion to living beings. Even if she was my sister for so many years and each time we quarrel, we make up after a few days. But, the hurt this round was seem to be deeper and more hurtful. Maybe this is because of my age, I am becoming more unforgiving. But, my re-action to this test was cool. Abit uncomfortable but cool. When I am cool, I became more worried. This situation is because I have no urgency to make up and I would like to test my patience and tolerance. If I prolong the silence, it may become permanent silence and the relationship will be finished.
Life has come to a stage of flatness and the ego is getting more and more prefixed. Who makes the first move and it is just like driving a car head-on with another car and who turn at the last minute will lose. It is a risky game and it is a test of nerves. Is it the excitement I looking for or keeping my plight or ego and test to see who will win. It is really meaningless and dangerous but the challenge could be exciting.
If we don't care less or there is no urgency, it could mean that the relationship is at the tail end. The sparks have gone and the fire is dimming. If we can get by as happy as ever and living like before, it does not matter anymore.
A strong relationship must be able to stand the heat and the blows. There should be a deep understanding of each other and we can restrain our verbal or physical response. When at the heat of the moment, we should be aware of what we are saying or doing. If we lost control and let our feeling explore, the consequences could be unbearable and this could spell the end of the relationship. Sometimes, madness over ran us and we lost control and if this
happens, the one who do wrong must be the first to apologize. This is usually the manner of a good relationship. The give and take must be there.
Well, this time around, my dharma have been tested and the outcome is not known as yet. I have to think hard to manage myself and the situation. As llong as everybody is happy including myself, it is okay to agree to disagree. There is no need to force other people to agree with us but let us stay disagreed and yet be best of friends. We should not live within the confinement and limits set by ourself. We should learn and understand that there should not be a constrain to disagree. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. If we are upset with someone who disagree with us and you want to force to agree with us, it will be a childish and silly act. The constrain is imposed by ourself.
Namaste.
Life has come to a stage of flatness and the ego is getting more and more prefixed. Who makes the first move and it is just like driving a car head-on with another car and who turn at the last minute will lose. It is a risky game and it is a test of nerves. Is it the excitement I looking for or keeping my plight or ego and test to see who will win. It is really meaningless and dangerous but the challenge could be exciting.
If we don't care less or there is no urgency, it could mean that the relationship is at the tail end. The sparks have gone and the fire is dimming. If we can get by as happy as ever and living like before, it does not matter anymore.
A strong relationship must be able to stand the heat and the blows. There should be a deep understanding of each other and we can restrain our verbal or physical response. When at the heat of the moment, we should be aware of what we are saying or doing. If we lost control and let our feeling explore, the consequences could be unbearable and this could spell the end of the relationship. Sometimes, madness over ran us and we lost control and if this
happens, the one who do wrong must be the first to apologize. This is usually the manner of a good relationship. The give and take must be there.
Well, this time around, my dharma have been tested and the outcome is not known as yet. I have to think hard to manage myself and the situation. As llong as everybody is happy including myself, it is okay to agree to disagree. There is no need to force other people to agree with us but let us stay disagreed and yet be best of friends. We should not live within the confinement and limits set by ourself. We should learn and understand that there should not be a constrain to disagree. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. If we are upset with someone who disagree with us and you want to force to agree with us, it will be a childish and silly act. The constrain is imposed by ourself.
Namaste.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Be happy - Earl nightingale
A man in debt is so far a slave.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson -
Be Happy
"Learn to enjoy every minute of your life. Be happy now. Don't wait for
something outside of yourself to make you happy in the future. Think how
really precious is the time you have to spend, whether it's at work or with
your family. Every minute should be enjoyed and savored."
Earl Nightingale
1921-1989, Radio Annoucer, Author and Speaker
Be Happy
"Learn to enjoy every minute of your life. Be happy now. Don't wait for
something outside of yourself to make you happy in the future. Think how
really precious is the time you have to spend, whether it's at work or with
your family. Every minute should be enjoyed and savored."
Earl Nightingale
1921-1989, Radio Annoucer, Author and Speaker
A test on my dharma.
I woke up very early this morning disturbed by the howling cry of a sick dog. It crying have been for the past three days and nights and I have written a mail to the Penang SPCA, a centre to handle cruelty to animals. I told myself I have to take action as the howling cry is suffering by another living being. I am wondering why people can be so cruel and hurtful. I am more surprise because the crying sound came for an illegal Indian temple in my vicinity. How can religious people caused suffering to living beings? I wonder how strange people can be.
My focus continued to shift to the howling sick dog as I recite the dharma " loving kindness to all living beings". I search for the peace internally as I swith my focus to the silent space inside me but my focus continued to shift back to the attention of the dog. Suddenly, I remembered the teaching of a great Buddhist monk which taught us that we have a choice. The howling cry disturb us because we focus on it and there is a choice but you chose to focus on it. The great monk told us a story to illustrate his point. One day, a novice monk was meditating and a church bell in the distance start to ring and he was disturbed by the sound of the bell and could not meditate. So, he ran to his Master and complaint about the ring bell. The Master told the novice monk, the problem is you and not the bell. You have chosen to focus on the ringing of the bell, so it is you who disturb yourself and not the bell. Well said and this is a result of our uncontrolled mind.
Sleep was peaceful but after waking up, my mind start to wonder and thoughts start to come to my head. Maybe, I could have slept too early last night after a long talk with my sister, Jo. I had a misunderstanding with my 2nd sister, Chee. It was out of my outspoken talk about my displeasure with the way she pamper my niece. It was actually non of my business but I wanted to be hero and expressed my opinion on the selfish act of my highly educated niece but do not know simple human ethics and compassion. It started with my simple expression of my dislike and the reaction from my sister was fiece and unpleasant. I did not expect to be blown in the fact with such intensity but it did. I could have hurt a sore point or my sister's ego. Gracefuly , I retreated from the arguement and get out of her sightn to avoid further blows from her. It was a wise move but I was upset. Upset at the unpleasantness and I was trying control my emotions and cut out the negative thoughts in my head.
Well, it has been two days now and I have been controlling the negative thoughts in my head. It is not about getting back at her but to try to tell her that she have over-acted to the situation and spoilt our perfect relationship with each other. It is a fight against our ego to try to speak to her after the verbal warfare. This experience is another test of my understanding of the dharma and make me understand the fragility of a relationship. If we do not build the foundation of a high rise building properly, the building will collapse easily. Every strong relationship needs a strong base and that base should be sincere and without taking advantage of each another. Otherwise, if the benefits is gone, the relationship will collapse.
It is sad that I cannot make myself to be humble and start the conversation with my sister despite I have read so many great books on Buddhism. I know I have to control myself instead of letting my emotions or self rules me. There is abit of revengeful intention as everyone wants justice. An eye for an eye and finally, we will both blind. Yes, the hurting is mutual and it is a test on both parties' understanding and practice of the dharma. It is better to pull out the torns fast and make a reconciliation which otherwise, will be hurting both parties for the wrong reasons.
I understand the situation well and it will need the extra effort for me to take the first step. It was to be taken fast and it does not matter who is right or wrong. It is the best solution for both parties. The fight within myself internally is a fiece struggle against my ego and I have to break it with a karate chop and kick it into pieces. I have to be myself again.
Lets learn something from my experience.
Namaste.
My focus continued to shift to the howling sick dog as I recite the dharma " loving kindness to all living beings". I search for the peace internally as I swith my focus to the silent space inside me but my focus continued to shift back to the attention of the dog. Suddenly, I remembered the teaching of a great Buddhist monk which taught us that we have a choice. The howling cry disturb us because we focus on it and there is a choice but you chose to focus on it. The great monk told us a story to illustrate his point. One day, a novice monk was meditating and a church bell in the distance start to ring and he was disturbed by the sound of the bell and could not meditate. So, he ran to his Master and complaint about the ring bell. The Master told the novice monk, the problem is you and not the bell. You have chosen to focus on the ringing of the bell, so it is you who disturb yourself and not the bell. Well said and this is a result of our uncontrolled mind.
Sleep was peaceful but after waking up, my mind start to wonder and thoughts start to come to my head. Maybe, I could have slept too early last night after a long talk with my sister, Jo. I had a misunderstanding with my 2nd sister, Chee. It was out of my outspoken talk about my displeasure with the way she pamper my niece. It was actually non of my business but I wanted to be hero and expressed my opinion on the selfish act of my highly educated niece but do not know simple human ethics and compassion. It started with my simple expression of my dislike and the reaction from my sister was fiece and unpleasant. I did not expect to be blown in the fact with such intensity but it did. I could have hurt a sore point or my sister's ego. Gracefuly , I retreated from the arguement and get out of her sightn to avoid further blows from her. It was a wise move but I was upset. Upset at the unpleasantness and I was trying control my emotions and cut out the negative thoughts in my head.
Well, it has been two days now and I have been controlling the negative thoughts in my head. It is not about getting back at her but to try to tell her that she have over-acted to the situation and spoilt our perfect relationship with each other. It is a fight against our ego to try to speak to her after the verbal warfare. This experience is another test of my understanding of the dharma and make me understand the fragility of a relationship. If we do not build the foundation of a high rise building properly, the building will collapse easily. Every strong relationship needs a strong base and that base should be sincere and without taking advantage of each another. Otherwise, if the benefits is gone, the relationship will collapse.
It is sad that I cannot make myself to be humble and start the conversation with my sister despite I have read so many great books on Buddhism. I know I have to control myself instead of letting my emotions or self rules me. There is abit of revengeful intention as everyone wants justice. An eye for an eye and finally, we will both blind. Yes, the hurting is mutual and it is a test on both parties' understanding and practice of the dharma. It is better to pull out the torns fast and make a reconciliation which otherwise, will be hurting both parties for the wrong reasons.
I understand the situation well and it will need the extra effort for me to take the first step. It was to be taken fast and it does not matter who is right or wrong. It is the best solution for both parties. The fight within myself internally is a fiece struggle against my ego and I have to break it with a karate chop and kick it into pieces. I have to be myself again.
Lets learn something from my experience.
Namaste.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Direct confrontation or suppression - which is better?
Today is not the day for kind compassion while I stood up for justice. Being righteous and outspoken can be cruel and crude as people used to say " the truth is always ugly". Why should truth be ugly? Why can't it be true and beautiful? I think it is partly depending on the way we deliver the truth and also the timing of the delivery. But, most of all, the party receiving the message must have an open heart and accepting the truth. With all these conditions, then the truth could be beautiful after all.
When I say the person receiving the truth must be receptive and open, it also depends a lot on the person's ego. Letting off their ego and accept they have been wrong is difficult and will caused a loss of face and self humilating. Humility is a very difficult thing to do and it needs a lot of wisdom and effort to go down on one's kness to peg for forgiveness. So, in Christianity, the Pope have to go down on their knees to kiss the ground or the followers have to kiss the feet of the Pope.
Sometimes, we are undecided which of the two options is better? Can the uneasy calm stay forever ? I believe that a direct confrontation will clear the air and will be less damaging than suppressed feelings. The choice of suppression have a long tern damaging effect of harm and hurt if the confronation erupts in the future. But again, the faced off by the relevant parties can be hurting and ugly as well and it could have a irreversible damage on the relationship. To keep peace, the choice of suppressed feelings until there is a trigger for the explosion is another available option and it could be harmful as well depending on the feeling and understanding of the parties concern. We cannot managed the outcome of human inter-action as human nature is basically very unpredictable.
As I mentioned before, anger is like picking up a burning charcoal and throw at your enemy. It will first burn your own hand before you hurt the others. In the end, everybody is hurt and that is the reason why people choose to the suppression of their feeling to preserve the peace. But, we have to find ways to release the pressure from the suppression and nullify the impact. Otherwise, it would be like a boiling pot and we have to take off the cover to release the pressure which otherwise, it will blow off the cover.
Namaste.
When I say the person receiving the truth must be receptive and open, it also depends a lot on the person's ego. Letting off their ego and accept they have been wrong is difficult and will caused a loss of face and self humilating. Humility is a very difficult thing to do and it needs a lot of wisdom and effort to go down on one's kness to peg for forgiveness. So, in Christianity, the Pope have to go down on their knees to kiss the ground or the followers have to kiss the feet of the Pope.
Sometimes, we are undecided which of the two options is better? Can the uneasy calm stay forever ? I believe that a direct confrontation will clear the air and will be less damaging than suppressed feelings. The choice of suppression have a long tern damaging effect of harm and hurt if the confronation erupts in the future. But again, the faced off by the relevant parties can be hurting and ugly as well and it could have a irreversible damage on the relationship. To keep peace, the choice of suppressed feelings until there is a trigger for the explosion is another available option and it could be harmful as well depending on the feeling and understanding of the parties concern. We cannot managed the outcome of human inter-action as human nature is basically very unpredictable.
As I mentioned before, anger is like picking up a burning charcoal and throw at your enemy. It will first burn your own hand before you hurt the others. In the end, everybody is hurt and that is the reason why people choose to the suppression of their feeling to preserve the peace. But, we have to find ways to release the pressure from the suppression and nullify the impact. Otherwise, it would be like a boiling pot and we have to take off the cover to release the pressure which otherwise, it will blow off the cover.
Namaste.
The room at the top of the stairs
It is the name of a beautiful love song and in one part, it is a stairways to heaven as the room is used as a lover's hunt and why it is heaven because the feeling is great and it is like floating in heaven. Sorry to be frank as I believe we should be open and be accepting as well.
Well, this room I talking about is a room at my sister's house which once belongs to my eldest brother. He have passed away from many years ago due a heart attack. Since, my sister-in-law moved out on her own after buying her own house, it has be vacant. Many times, the room was offered to my youngest sister or our guest but it was turned down because it was occupied by a dead man before. There is a lot of stigma which is linked to room and it was turned into a store room. Why are people so scare to live in the room? Do they think that the spirit is still occupying the room ? Or it will bring bad luck to stay in the room? It is so silly but such belief have already become our mental habits because since young, we are influence by books, stories and movies linking negative things to the dead. But, if we do not know ,what had happen,it would be okay. How sure are we that we are not using things which have been owned or used by the dead? Do we need ot get a "a special machine " to test the things we used? Well, it would be just like the movies.
In Asian cultures, people are so superstitous as we are so god and devil fearing. It is just so rediculously silly. I have seen people who is so scare of touching coffin or look the face of dead people when they are place in the coffin. They see these things a bad lucks and touching it will bring them bad luck. These people is so lack in confidence that they depend on luck to live in this world. I don't mean to offend anyone but I would like to ask the readers to be logical and have more self confident instead of forming thier opinion from based on self imposed fear or influence by our friends, peers and parent. Lets live in world free of fear and make each moment real and good.
Namaste.
Well, this room I talking about is a room at my sister's house which once belongs to my eldest brother. He have passed away from many years ago due a heart attack. Since, my sister-in-law moved out on her own after buying her own house, it has be vacant. Many times, the room was offered to my youngest sister or our guest but it was turned down because it was occupied by a dead man before. There is a lot of stigma which is linked to room and it was turned into a store room. Why are people so scare to live in the room? Do they think that the spirit is still occupying the room ? Or it will bring bad luck to stay in the room? It is so silly but such belief have already become our mental habits because since young, we are influence by books, stories and movies linking negative things to the dead. But, if we do not know ,what had happen,it would be okay. How sure are we that we are not using things which have been owned or used by the dead? Do we need ot get a "a special machine " to test the things we used? Well, it would be just like the movies.
In Asian cultures, people are so superstitous as we are so god and devil fearing. It is just so rediculously silly. I have seen people who is so scare of touching coffin or look the face of dead people when they are place in the coffin. They see these things a bad lucks and touching it will bring them bad luck. These people is so lack in confidence that they depend on luck to live in this world. I don't mean to offend anyone but I would like to ask the readers to be logical and have more self confident instead of forming thier opinion from based on self imposed fear or influence by our friends, peers and parent. Lets live in world free of fear and make each moment real and good.
Namaste.
Dog waggling morning
I was awaken by a pitiful cry of a neighbour's dog. The cry was so disturbing and the dog is either sick or wounded. I look out of my belcony and look around but I could only heard the cry coming from park oppersite my house. I wonder whether I should call the SPCA to report to the authority to investigate what is actually happening. It would relieve the pain inflict on the surrounding neighbourhood or on the dog.
I believe there are dog lovers who can take good care of the animals and I also know that there could be people who rear dogs for the sake of rearing it or just to let get the dog guard their homes and do not know or care about their well beings. Some bad fellas could be causing cruelty to the animals.
My advise for those selfish people who do not know how to take care of themselves to avoid rearing dogs because it is better they spend their time to take care of themselves first before taking care of the dogs. There is a saying "we should not try to hear a hat too big for our head" and in short, it means that we should do things that within our ability. We should not just follow the "Jones" blindly and spend beyond our means or do things beyond our ability. We should be realistic and practical.
Sometimes, I could see people carrying their poodles or pekingnese dogs to restaurant or hawkers's centres and I think it is very unfair to the people in these places because this action could be deemed as infringement on the rights of the people. Just like not taking care of your sick dog and letting them cry in pain when they are wounded. This is also an infringement in the rights of your neighbours who is entitle to live in peace and silence or entitled to their peaceful sleep. For those who bring their dogs around or hugged them like babies, there are people besides you who are allergy to the dog's hair and such hair of dogs could be harmful to those suffering from ashma.
In the US and Europe, those people who are disturbed by the sound of dogs or harmed by dog's hair could be sued for damages or attracted public liabilities. The culture in the US and EU observed human rights very strictly and the people in Asia is gradually getting aware of such issues as well. So, for those people who is not aware of human rights issue to be careful and be conscious of your actions on other people.
I believe everybody can do anything as long as they respect the rights of other people and not not inflict harm on them. Live and lets live but live in harmony and respect for other people.
Namaste.
I believe there are dog lovers who can take good care of the animals and I also know that there could be people who rear dogs for the sake of rearing it or just to let get the dog guard their homes and do not know or care about their well beings. Some bad fellas could be causing cruelty to the animals.
My advise for those selfish people who do not know how to take care of themselves to avoid rearing dogs because it is better they spend their time to take care of themselves first before taking care of the dogs. There is a saying "we should not try to hear a hat too big for our head" and in short, it means that we should do things that within our ability. We should not just follow the "Jones" blindly and spend beyond our means or do things beyond our ability. We should be realistic and practical.
Sometimes, I could see people carrying their poodles or pekingnese dogs to restaurant or hawkers's centres and I think it is very unfair to the people in these places because this action could be deemed as infringement on the rights of the people. Just like not taking care of your sick dog and letting them cry in pain when they are wounded. This is also an infringement in the rights of your neighbours who is entitle to live in peace and silence or entitled to their peaceful sleep. For those who bring their dogs around or hugged them like babies, there are people besides you who are allergy to the dog's hair and such hair of dogs could be harmful to those suffering from ashma.
In the US and Europe, those people who are disturbed by the sound of dogs or harmed by dog's hair could be sued for damages or attracted public liabilities. The culture in the US and EU observed human rights very strictly and the people in Asia is gradually getting aware of such issues as well. So, for those people who is not aware of human rights issue to be careful and be conscious of your actions on other people.
I believe everybody can do anything as long as they respect the rights of other people and not not inflict harm on them. Live and lets live but live in harmony and respect for other people.
Namaste.
Proper timing for drinking water - benefits ( news)
*
**I knew water is important but I never knew about the special times to
drink it.**
**Did you?? **
[image: cid:X.MA1.1311280901@aol.com] **Drinking water at the correct
time
Maximizes its effectiveness on the Human body :**
**
1 glasses of water after waking up - helps activate internal organs
1 glass of water 30 minutes before a meal - helps digestion
1 glass of water before taking a bath - helps lower blood pressure
1 glass of water before going to bed - avoids stroke or heart attack
**I knew water is important but I never knew about the special times to
drink it.**
**Did you?? **
[image: cid:X.MA1.1311280901@aol.com] **Drinking water at the correct
time
Maximizes its effectiveness on the Human body :**
**
1 glasses of water after waking up - helps activate internal organs
1 glass of water 30 minutes before a meal - helps digestion
1 glass of water before taking a bath - helps lower blood pressure
1 glass of water before going to bed - avoids stroke or heart attack
Cucumber juice - general facts & benefits
Cucumber is VERY Alkaline.*
- *Cucumber Juice is EXTREMELY good for your Hair, Skin and Nails. It
Really is True.*
- *Cucumber Juice is High In Potassium. Cucumber Juice can Lower Your
Blood Pressure.*
- *Cucumber is a wonderful source for Silica. Silica is important for
healthy connective tissue, ligaments, cartilage, muscles, tendons, and bone.
- *Cucumber Juice has Molybdenem, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Manganese,
Tryotophan, Magnesium, and Chlorophyll. *
- *Cucumbers are a GREAT way to Cool Down Your Body.*
- *Cucumber is Anti-Cancer in that it is VERY high in Alkaline Minerals
and Cancer cannot Live in an Alkaline Body. *
- *Cucumber Juices is also used to heal and cure issues with Acne, Water
Retention, Arthritis, Kidneys, Eczema, Psoriasis, Weight Loss and Hair
Loss. *
- *Cucumber Juice is a useful Anti-Flam agent. Drinking Cucumber Juice
can get Your Bodies Inflammation Down. *
- *Cucumber Juice is a Diuretic and therefore has wonderful Cleansing
Powers.*
In Conclusion, Juicing Cucumbers** is a quick way to lead a pain free live,
to Prevent and Reverse Cancer – High Blood Pressure and other Disease.**
Benefits of Cucumber Juice **
Although most people are familiar with cucumbers since they typically
appear on salads, few are aware that cucumber juice proves to be highly
beneficial for a wide variety of health related issues. Eating cucumbers may
decrease the appearance of blemishes** such as pimples and blackheads,
making it an effective and an often-referred remedy for acne**. However, it
is essential to understand the full potential of the cucumber by examining
the benefits of drinking cucumber juice to combat everything from high
blood pressure and constipation to cancer.
Along with healthier skin, cucumbers contain a lot of water making it ideal
for a variety of common issues. For those wishing to decrease** their blood
pressure**, drinking this fruit in the form of juice, may provide a
noticeable amount of relief as the blood pressure slowly declines.
Furthermore, anyone dealing with the pains of constipation **will also
benefit from this fruit due to its high levels of alkaline and increased
amounts of water. In terms of dieting and diabetes, cucumbers are ideal for
an afternoon snack to rebuke hunger for those wishing to lose weight**.**
Another great factor with this fruit includes its high percentage of sulfur
and silicone. For this reason, cucumber juice may aid those wishing to
increase the growth of hair**. The high amounts of sulfur and silicone also
make cucumbers particularly good for growing healthier nails**.
Furthermore, cucumbers contain Silica, which is ideal for healthier
ligaments, tendons, and muscles, making it perfect for people seeking
relief of rheumatoid problems such as arthritis**. Now for what may be the
most important of all, cucumbers are extremely high in alkaline levels
making it difficult for cancer to live in a high alkaline environment;
therefore, cucumbers may prove beneficial in avoiding cancer of all types.**
**
This fruit’s benefits range from beauty remedies such as removing bags,
restoring hair, and promoting healthy development of skin and nails to
serious concerns such as potentially decreasing the risk of cancer
development. Regardless of if you need a natural laxative, acne remedy.
There are a variety of ways to prepare cucumber juice**, including simply
running a freshly washed cucumber through a juicer. However, you may also
combine this great, refreshing fruit drink with other juices such as carrot
juice**. Try adding sugar and honey to your cucumber beverage to sweeten
it to taste. Many people prefer to add ginger to the drink mix for a
spark of flavor. Regardless of which cucumber juice mix you use, drinking
and eating these healthy cucumbers will definitely help you maintain a
health and proving to be highly beneficial for all.*
- *Cucumber Juice is EXTREMELY good for your Hair, Skin and Nails. It
Really is True.*
- *Cucumber Juice is High In Potassium. Cucumber Juice can Lower Your
Blood Pressure.*
- *Cucumber is a wonderful source for Silica. Silica is important for
healthy connective tissue, ligaments, cartilage, muscles, tendons, and bone.
- *Cucumber Juice has Molybdenem, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Manganese,
Tryotophan, Magnesium, and Chlorophyll. *
- *Cucumbers are a GREAT way to Cool Down Your Body.*
- *Cucumber is Anti-Cancer in that it is VERY high in Alkaline Minerals
and Cancer cannot Live in an Alkaline Body. *
- *Cucumber Juices is also used to heal and cure issues with Acne, Water
Retention, Arthritis, Kidneys, Eczema, Psoriasis, Weight Loss and Hair
Loss. *
- *Cucumber Juice is a useful Anti-Flam agent. Drinking Cucumber Juice
can get Your Bodies Inflammation Down. *
- *Cucumber Juice is a Diuretic and therefore has wonderful Cleansing
Powers.*
In Conclusion, Juicing Cucumbers** is a quick way to lead a pain free live,
to Prevent and Reverse Cancer – High Blood Pressure and other Disease.**
Benefits of Cucumber Juice **
Although most people are familiar with cucumbers since they typically
appear on salads, few are aware that cucumber juice proves to be highly
beneficial for a wide variety of health related issues. Eating cucumbers may
decrease the appearance of blemishes** such as pimples and blackheads,
making it an effective and an often-referred remedy for acne**. However, it
is essential to understand the full potential of the cucumber by examining
the benefits of drinking cucumber juice to combat everything from high
blood pressure and constipation to cancer.
Along with healthier skin, cucumbers contain a lot of water making it ideal
for a variety of common issues. For those wishing to decrease** their blood
pressure**, drinking this fruit in the form of juice, may provide a
noticeable amount of relief as the blood pressure slowly declines.
Furthermore, anyone dealing with the pains of constipation **will also
benefit from this fruit due to its high levels of alkaline and increased
amounts of water. In terms of dieting and diabetes, cucumbers are ideal for
an afternoon snack to rebuke hunger for those wishing to lose weight**.**
Another great factor with this fruit includes its high percentage of sulfur
and silicone. For this reason, cucumber juice may aid those wishing to
increase the growth of hair**. The high amounts of sulfur and silicone also
make cucumbers particularly good for growing healthier nails**.
Furthermore, cucumbers contain Silica, which is ideal for healthier
ligaments, tendons, and muscles, making it perfect for people seeking
relief of rheumatoid problems such as arthritis**. Now for what may be the
most important of all, cucumbers are extremely high in alkaline levels
making it difficult for cancer to live in a high alkaline environment;
therefore, cucumbers may prove beneficial in avoiding cancer of all types.**
**
This fruit’s benefits range from beauty remedies such as removing bags,
restoring hair, and promoting healthy development of skin and nails to
serious concerns such as potentially decreasing the risk of cancer
development. Regardless of if you need a natural laxative, acne remedy.
There are a variety of ways to prepare cucumber juice**, including simply
running a freshly washed cucumber through a juicer. However, you may also
combine this great, refreshing fruit drink with other juices such as carrot
juice**. Try adding sugar and honey to your cucumber beverage to sweeten
it to taste. Many people prefer to add ginger to the drink mix for a
spark of flavor. Regardless of which cucumber juice mix you use, drinking
and eating these healthy cucumbers will definitely help you maintain a
health and proving to be highly beneficial for all.*
The irony of life - talk with "SunTzi"
During the lunch meeting with SunTzi a few days ago, some words said by him keep floating up my thoughts. I have read it from one of the emails send by my friends and I believe I have forgotten about it until this was repeated by Mr SunTzi.
He told me that during his training sessions, there are often incidents of meeting young female trainees and inter-action with him. He told me that there are irony in life. When we are young, we have energy and good looks but no money. When we reach our mid age, we have energy, money but no time. But,when we are successful and at retirement age, we have the money, time but no energy. So, we are not able to have the good looks, money, time and energy at the same time unless we are able make lots of money in a young age or the fortune fell from the sky.
There is a saying that life is fair. WE cannot have all the things at the same time unless we are able to control our desires and gave priority to the things we want to do.
Like I have said in one of my article, when you have an empty jar, what do you to put in the jar first, sand or pebbles. If we fill up the jar with sand first, then you are filling up your life with all the small things in life and keeping your proirity behind. If you choose to put the pebbles in the jar, then you should put the big pebbles first before the small ones. In this way, we are able to attain more in our life and complete all our priorities first and can achieve more in life.
There are many ironies in life , like we spend most of our time earning money and using money to cure our ill health. If we look clearly,we are actually moving in circles. We have good health but we throw away our good health to earn money and return with money to take care of our health. I have seen this actual case and before we are aware of this cruel reality, it will be too late and for the lucky ones, they enjoy the good moments in their life.
This is the message which i wanted to spread as Mr SunTzi told me that any message we write or spread comes from the Creator. Knowledge or wisdom not spread is a waste and comes to nothing. I am the conduit of these good messages and wisdom and if it is your time and fate to receive and understand it, it will come to you. Accept it, understands it and let it work for you.
Namaste.
He told me that during his training sessions, there are often incidents of meeting young female trainees and inter-action with him. He told me that there are irony in life. When we are young, we have energy and good looks but no money. When we reach our mid age, we have energy, money but no time. But,when we are successful and at retirement age, we have the money, time but no energy. So, we are not able to have the good looks, money, time and energy at the same time unless we are able make lots of money in a young age or the fortune fell from the sky.
There is a saying that life is fair. WE cannot have all the things at the same time unless we are able to control our desires and gave priority to the things we want to do.
Like I have said in one of my article, when you have an empty jar, what do you to put in the jar first, sand or pebbles. If we fill up the jar with sand first, then you are filling up your life with all the small things in life and keeping your proirity behind. If you choose to put the pebbles in the jar, then you should put the big pebbles first before the small ones. In this way, we are able to attain more in our life and complete all our priorities first and can achieve more in life.
There are many ironies in life , like we spend most of our time earning money and using money to cure our ill health. If we look clearly,we are actually moving in circles. We have good health but we throw away our good health to earn money and return with money to take care of our health. I have seen this actual case and before we are aware of this cruel reality, it will be too late and for the lucky ones, they enjoy the good moments in their life.
This is the message which i wanted to spread as Mr SunTzi told me that any message we write or spread comes from the Creator. Knowledge or wisdom not spread is a waste and comes to nothing. I am the conduit of these good messages and wisdom and if it is your time and fate to receive and understand it, it will come to you. Accept it, understands it and let it work for you.
Namaste.
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Buffet lunch at E&O Hotel, Penang
We had a birthday Buffet lunch for my wife at the famous E&O Hotel and it has been rated as the best buffet lunch in town for sometime now. I was told that it had been fully booked for three consecutive days from yesterday to Monday due to the long weekend holidays. Yes, I cannot agreed more judging from the heavy traffic in Georgetown yesterday and today. It had in the past reported that about 100,000 cars have came into the island causing massive jams at the malls and eateries especially at the hawker centers. Penang has changed very much and it is not what it used to be, a relaxing and leisure island with slow pace life.
Okey, come back to the lunch at the famous E&O. There are so many variety of spread and the grilled fish head, baby lobsters, the baked oysters, sashimi, the so many types of cakes really attracts me apart from the so many more type of food. The Peking duck was also one of the attractions. Even there is a huge crowd at each session, the foods are well managed and there is no feeling of food running out and it is really a classy act. I have been eating at the Sikkes restuarant where the buffet is held for 6 times and each time was a pleasant experience for me. It is well managed and enjoying.
For those people who have not been there , please take note that for senior citizen more than 55, there is a special rate and there is a membership experience ranging from 50% to 25% depending on the number of guest you brink and for those having citibank , HSBC and RHB credit cards, the joint give a discount of 10 to 15%. I am not promoting the joint but I want to share the experience with all of you and we can enjoy a good lunch at an affordable rate.
There is a choice for us either we eat to live or live to eat. For those of you who can afford it, you have a choice to eat healthy or simple and ocassionally at the best. Good food at a wonderful setting is one of the enjoyment in life. So, enjoy your life.
Namaste.
Friday, November 25, 2011
Are you happy?
It is nonsensical for me to ask this question? Definitely, you should be happy. Why not? It is human nature to search for happiness and to avoid unhappiness. We should be happy all the time, shouldn't we ? Then, why not? Put aside Buddha's teaching of the middle path,a space of non-happiness and non-saddness. A point of nothngness because when there is happiness, there is saddness unless you can always maintain the highest point of happiness when you attain enlightenment. For the layman, we always look for happiness.
Happiness is only a feeling, our own feeling. Then, when it is our own feeling, then why we choose to be unhappy? It our decision and our choice. We can determine to be happy all the time. Yes, you are right. It is within ourself and we can decide. We can decide when we are aware of the choice and power of our mind. Many a times, we ae unaware of our existence and the power of our mind. We do not know that it exist and we can control it. For some people, they believe their mind controls them. Sorry to say, these are the walking deads. They blame everything on their mind. All the miseries and wrong doings come from their mind and they play no part in it. Either these people are too clever or too stupid.
For example, I have been having a disturbing thought troubling me the whole of yesterday. It came into my mind several times and caused me unhappy feelings. It was a disturbing words said by someone to me at lunch time yesterday. I am aware of this thought coming into poking my mind and I try not to do anything about it. I told myself, I should not be disturb by this thought. I brushed it aside and it came back a few times and I brushed it off. I did not forcefully bring the thought in my mind and shout at it or punch it, I just do nothing about it and focus on the beautiful thoughts. I did not force it out and simply acknowledge its unpleasantness and shift my thoughts and told myself I am the master of my own mind. If we shoose to be the slave of our own mind and behave like the walking deads, then so be it. This is also your choice.
An untrained mind is like wild monkeys have a wild banana party jumping around and breaking things in their path. The wildness is like our mental habits which runs our life and creating all the anger, unhappiness, saddness,etc. It makes the decision for us and drive us to the wall. If we are aware of these habits in us, we should acknowledge there are many wild monkeys and their behaviour and habits. Once, we get this awareness and mindful about it, we will be able to control it.
Just like when a beautiful women or a handsome man walks by, our eyes will automatically moved to their direction. It is natural because we are trained to appreciate beauty. During we are going up, we are taught to appreciate beautiful things and we are taught what is the defination of beautiful. The decision to see could land us in trouble when we are not focusing. But, our mind push us to see, it is not our decision but we automatically turn to watch the women or man. It is the work of hte wild monkeys or our mental habits. The mind has taken over the control of you.
LIke I say, happiness is a just a feeling and it is within us. This consistent awareness and consciousness will train our mind to follow our thoughts and decision. It is just like a blind man seeing the light and shouting " I see it now and I am aware of it".
Congratulations.... you have broken free from your mental habits if you understand this meaning of happiness.
Namaste.
Happiness is only a feeling, our own feeling. Then, when it is our own feeling, then why we choose to be unhappy? It our decision and our choice. We can determine to be happy all the time. Yes, you are right. It is within ourself and we can decide. We can decide when we are aware of the choice and power of our mind. Many a times, we ae unaware of our existence and the power of our mind. We do not know that it exist and we can control it. For some people, they believe their mind controls them. Sorry to say, these are the walking deads. They blame everything on their mind. All the miseries and wrong doings come from their mind and they play no part in it. Either these people are too clever or too stupid.
For example, I have been having a disturbing thought troubling me the whole of yesterday. It came into my mind several times and caused me unhappy feelings. It was a disturbing words said by someone to me at lunch time yesterday. I am aware of this thought coming into poking my mind and I try not to do anything about it. I told myself, I should not be disturb by this thought. I brushed it aside and it came back a few times and I brushed it off. I did not forcefully bring the thought in my mind and shout at it or punch it, I just do nothing about it and focus on the beautiful thoughts. I did not force it out and simply acknowledge its unpleasantness and shift my thoughts and told myself I am the master of my own mind. If we shoose to be the slave of our own mind and behave like the walking deads, then so be it. This is also your choice.
An untrained mind is like wild monkeys have a wild banana party jumping around and breaking things in their path. The wildness is like our mental habits which runs our life and creating all the anger, unhappiness, saddness,etc. It makes the decision for us and drive us to the wall. If we are aware of these habits in us, we should acknowledge there are many wild monkeys and their behaviour and habits. Once, we get this awareness and mindful about it, we will be able to control it.
Just like when a beautiful women or a handsome man walks by, our eyes will automatically moved to their direction. It is natural because we are trained to appreciate beauty. During we are going up, we are taught to appreciate beautiful things and we are taught what is the defination of beautiful. The decision to see could land us in trouble when we are not focusing. But, our mind push us to see, it is not our decision but we automatically turn to watch the women or man. It is the work of hte wild monkeys or our mental habits. The mind has taken over the control of you.
LIke I say, happiness is a just a feeling and it is within us. This consistent awareness and consciousness will train our mind to follow our thoughts and decision. It is just like a blind man seeing the light and shouting " I see it now and I am aware of it".
Congratulations.... you have broken free from your mental habits if you understand this meaning of happiness.
Namaste.
A meaningful thought - forwarded by SF
>
> It's been 18 years since I joined Volvo, a Swedish company. Working for them has proven to be an interesting experience. Any project here takes 2 years to be finalized, even if the idea is simple and brilliant. It's a rule.
>
> Globalized processes have caused in us (all over the world) a general sense of searching for immediate results.. Therefore, we have come to possess a need to see immediate results.
>
> This contrasts greatly with the slow movements of the Swedish. They, on the other hand, debate, debate, debate, hold x quantity of meetings and work with a slowdown scheme. At the end, this always yields better results.
>
> 1. Sweden has 2 million inhabitants.
> 2. Stockholm has 500,000 people.
> 3. Volvo, Escania, Ericsson, Electrolux, are some of its renowned companies. Volvo even supplies NASA.
>
> The first time I was in Sweden , one of my colleagues picked me up at the hotel every morning. It was September, bit cold and snowy. We would arrive early at the company and he would park far away from the entrance (2000 employees drive their car to work).
>
> The first day, I didn't say anything, neither the second or third days. One morning I asked him, "Do you have a fixed parking space? I've noticed we park far from the entrance even when there are no other cars in the lot."
>
> To which he replied, "Since we're here early we'll have time to walk, don't you think that whoever gets in late will need a place closer to the door?" Imagine my face.
>
> Nowadays, there's a movement in Europe named Slow Food. This movement establishes that people should eat and drink slowly, with enough time to taste their food, spend time with the family, friends, without rushing.
>
> Slow Food is against its counterpart, Fast Food and what it stands for as a lifestyle. Slow Food is the basis for a bigger movement called Slow Europe, as mentioned by Business Week.
>
> Basically, the movement questions the sense of "hurry" and "craziness" generated by globalization, fuelled by the desire of "having in quantity" (life status) versus "having with quality", "life quality" or the "quality of being".
>
> French people, even though they work 35 hours per week, are more productive than Americans or British. Germans have established 28.8 hour workweeks and have seen their productivity driven up by 20%..
>
> This slow attitude has come to the notice of USA , the pupils of the fast and "do it now" brigade.
>
> This no-rush attitude doesn't represent doing less or having a lower productivity.
>
> It means working and doing things with greater quality, productivity, perfection, with attention to detail and less stress. It means re-establishing family values, friends, free and leisure time.. Taking the "now", present and concrete, versus the "global", undefined and anonymous.
>
> It means taking humans' essential values, the simplicity of living. It stands for a less coercive work environment, more happy, lighter and more productive work place where humans enjoy doing what they know best how to do.
>
> It's time to stop and think on how companies need to develop serious quality with no-rush that will increase productivity and the quality of products and services, without losing the essence.
>
> In the movie, 'Scent of a Woman', there's a scene where Al Pacino asks a girl to dance and she replies, "I can't, my boyfriend will be here any minute now". To which Al Pacino responds, "A life is lived in an instant" . Then they dance the tango!
>
> Many of us live our lives running behind time, but we only reach it when we die of a heart attack or in a car accident rushing to be on time. Others are so anxious to live for the future that they forget to live the present, which is the only time that truly exists.
>
> We all have equal time throughout the world. No one has more or less.
>
> The difference lies in how each one of us does with our time. We need to live each moment.
>
> Congratulations for reading this till the end of this message.
>
> There are many who will have stopped in the middle so as not to waste time in this "Globalized" world...... !!!
>
(See attached
> It's been 18 years since I joined Volvo, a Swedish company. Working for them has proven to be an interesting experience. Any project here takes 2 years to be finalized, even if the idea is simple and brilliant. It's a rule.
>
> Globalized processes have caused in us (all over the world) a general sense of searching for immediate results.. Therefore, we have come to possess a need to see immediate results.
>
> This contrasts greatly with the slow movements of the Swedish. They, on the other hand, debate, debate, debate, hold x quantity of meetings and work with a slowdown scheme. At the end, this always yields better results.
>
> 1. Sweden has 2 million inhabitants.
> 2. Stockholm has 500,000 people.
> 3. Volvo, Escania, Ericsson, Electrolux, are some of its renowned companies. Volvo even supplies NASA.
>
> The first time I was in Sweden , one of my colleagues picked me up at the hotel every morning. It was September, bit cold and snowy. We would arrive early at the company and he would park far away from the entrance (2000 employees drive their car to work).
>
> The first day, I didn't say anything, neither the second or third days. One morning I asked him, "Do you have a fixed parking space? I've noticed we park far from the entrance even when there are no other cars in the lot."
>
> To which he replied, "Since we're here early we'll have time to walk, don't you think that whoever gets in late will need a place closer to the door?" Imagine my face.
>
> Nowadays, there's a movement in Europe named Slow Food. This movement establishes that people should eat and drink slowly, with enough time to taste their food, spend time with the family, friends, without rushing.
>
> Slow Food is against its counterpart, Fast Food and what it stands for as a lifestyle. Slow Food is the basis for a bigger movement called Slow Europe, as mentioned by Business Week.
>
> Basically, the movement questions the sense of "hurry" and "craziness" generated by globalization, fuelled by the desire of "having in quantity" (life status) versus "having with quality", "life quality" or the "quality of being".
>
> French people, even though they work 35 hours per week, are more productive than Americans or British. Germans have established 28.8 hour workweeks and have seen their productivity driven up by 20%..
>
> This slow attitude has come to the notice of USA , the pupils of the fast and "do it now" brigade.
>
> This no-rush attitude doesn't represent doing less or having a lower productivity.
>
> It means working and doing things with greater quality, productivity, perfection, with attention to detail and less stress. It means re-establishing family values, friends, free and leisure time.. Taking the "now", present and concrete, versus the "global", undefined and anonymous.
>
> It means taking humans' essential values, the simplicity of living. It stands for a less coercive work environment, more happy, lighter and more productive work place where humans enjoy doing what they know best how to do.
>
> It's time to stop and think on how companies need to develop serious quality with no-rush that will increase productivity and the quality of products and services, without losing the essence.
>
> In the movie, 'Scent of a Woman', there's a scene where Al Pacino asks a girl to dance and she replies, "I can't, my boyfriend will be here any minute now". To which Al Pacino responds, "A life is lived in an instant" . Then they dance the tango!
>
> Many of us live our lives running behind time, but we only reach it when we die of a heart attack or in a car accident rushing to be on time. Others are so anxious to live for the future that they forget to live the present, which is the only time that truly exists.
>
> We all have equal time throughout the world. No one has more or less.
>
> The difference lies in how each one of us does with our time. We need to live each moment.
>
> Congratulations for reading this till the end of this message.
>
> There are many who will have stopped in the middle so as not to waste time in this "Globalized" world...... !!!
>
(See attached
Why is women more sexy than man ?
From the picture, you can see how accidents can occur when a beautiful women walks by. The women is the catalyst and the man is the hunter. There is a Chinese saying " On top of the word "sex" , there is a knife ", so beware. Can you see the knife ?
.... The barber is holding it and it is at the throat of the man....
Namaste.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Foods that improve memory -study
Choline-rich diet tied to sharper memory
Wed Nov 23, 2011 5:32PM EST
By Amy Norton
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People who get plenty of choline in their diets may perform better on memory tests, and be less likely to show brain changes associated with dementia, a new study suggests.
The study can only point to a correlation between memory and dietary choline -- a nutrient found in foods like saltwater fish, eggs, liver, chicken, milk and certain legumes, including soy and kidney beans.
The findings, researchers say, do not mean that choline is the answer to staving off Alzheimer's disease -- the memory-robbing disease that affects 26 million people globally.
But the findings do add to evidence that your lifetime diet may make a difference in how your brain ages, said senior researcher Rhoda Au, of Boston University School of Medicine.
A number of studies, though not all, have found links between diet and Alzheimer's risk. Some suggest that Mediterranean-style eating, for instance, might be protective; that typically means a diet high in fish, vegetables and fruit, whole grains and unsaturated fats like those in olive oil.
Because of these broad associations, Au cautioned against looking to any one nutrient as a magic bullet against dementia. "I think the message is that eating a healthy, balanced diet in mid-life is important," she told Reuters Health.
For their study, Au's team combed through data from a long-running heart health study. Nearly 1,400 adults ages 36 to 83 answered dietary questionnaires between 1991 and 1995. Then, between 1998 and 2001, they underwent tests of memory and other cognitive abilities, and had MRI brain scans.
In general, the study found, men and women in the top quarter for choline intake performed better on the memory tests than those in the bottom quarter.
The differences in test performance were small. "As far as your day-to-day functioning, it would not be an appreciable difference," Au said.
However, she added, the findings suggest that people with lower choline intakes were more likely to be on a "pathway" toward mental decline than their counterparts with higher intakes.
The researchers were able to account for some other factors -- such as education, and people's intake of calories, fat and certain vitamins, like B6 and B12. And choline itself was still linked to participants' memory test performance.
In addition, people with higher choline intake at the outset were less likely to show areas of "white-matter hyperintensity" in their MRI brain scans. Those areas are thought to be a sign of blood vessel disease in the brain, which may signal a heightened risk of stroke or, eventually, dementia.
None of that proves that choline, per se, protects memory or wards off unhealthy brain changes. One possibility, Au noted, is that some other nutrients present along with choline are responsible.
But there's also reason to believe that choline matters. The nutrient is a precursor to the brain chemical acetylcholine, which plays a key role in memory and other cognitive functions; low acetylcholine levels are associated with Alzheimer's.
Experts generally recommend that men get 550 milligrams of choline per day, while women should get 425 milligrams.
And research in rats has found that choline supplements tend to improve memory, Au pointed out.
But rats are rats. And more studies in humans are needed to back up the current findings, Au said. That, she added, should include studies that follow changes in people's cognitive abilities over time -- which the current study did not.
For now, Au said people concerned about brain health should pay attention to overall lifestyle, which includes a healthy diet, regular exercise and not smoking.
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/rIg1Xf American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, online November 9, 2011.
Wed Nov 23, 2011 5:32PM EST
By Amy Norton
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People who get plenty of choline in their diets may perform better on memory tests, and be less likely to show brain changes associated with dementia, a new study suggests.
The study can only point to a correlation between memory and dietary choline -- a nutrient found in foods like saltwater fish, eggs, liver, chicken, milk and certain legumes, including soy and kidney beans.
The findings, researchers say, do not mean that choline is the answer to staving off Alzheimer's disease -- the memory-robbing disease that affects 26 million people globally.
But the findings do add to evidence that your lifetime diet may make a difference in how your brain ages, said senior researcher Rhoda Au, of Boston University School of Medicine.
A number of studies, though not all, have found links between diet and Alzheimer's risk. Some suggest that Mediterranean-style eating, for instance, might be protective; that typically means a diet high in fish, vegetables and fruit, whole grains and unsaturated fats like those in olive oil.
Because of these broad associations, Au cautioned against looking to any one nutrient as a magic bullet against dementia. "I think the message is that eating a healthy, balanced diet in mid-life is important," she told Reuters Health.
For their study, Au's team combed through data from a long-running heart health study. Nearly 1,400 adults ages 36 to 83 answered dietary questionnaires between 1991 and 1995. Then, between 1998 and 2001, they underwent tests of memory and other cognitive abilities, and had MRI brain scans.
In general, the study found, men and women in the top quarter for choline intake performed better on the memory tests than those in the bottom quarter.
The differences in test performance were small. "As far as your day-to-day functioning, it would not be an appreciable difference," Au said.
However, she added, the findings suggest that people with lower choline intakes were more likely to be on a "pathway" toward mental decline than their counterparts with higher intakes.
The researchers were able to account for some other factors -- such as education, and people's intake of calories, fat and certain vitamins, like B6 and B12. And choline itself was still linked to participants' memory test performance.
In addition, people with higher choline intake at the outset were less likely to show areas of "white-matter hyperintensity" in their MRI brain scans. Those areas are thought to be a sign of blood vessel disease in the brain, which may signal a heightened risk of stroke or, eventually, dementia.
None of that proves that choline, per se, protects memory or wards off unhealthy brain changes. One possibility, Au noted, is that some other nutrients present along with choline are responsible.
But there's also reason to believe that choline matters. The nutrient is a precursor to the brain chemical acetylcholine, which plays a key role in memory and other cognitive functions; low acetylcholine levels are associated with Alzheimer's.
Experts generally recommend that men get 550 milligrams of choline per day, while women should get 425 milligrams.
And research in rats has found that choline supplements tend to improve memory, Au pointed out.
But rats are rats. And more studies in humans are needed to back up the current findings, Au said. That, she added, should include studies that follow changes in people's cognitive abilities over time -- which the current study did not.
For now, Au said people concerned about brain health should pay attention to overall lifestyle, which includes a healthy diet, regular exercise and not smoking.
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/rIg1Xf American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, online November 9, 2011.
Have you seen it before?
Am I going crazy or have I seen it before. There are occasions that I have done such things before or been to a place before or I have encountered aperson in the past. These feelings came up once awhile and I search deep into my memory when has it happen before. I have just paste a picture of many green leaves in one of my teasing article and to test your awareness and it dwell in me that I have done it before. This is only one of my many experiences.
Sometime in my dreams or while I am in a light sleep, my mind will wonder and images of places and people will come up during my drifting sleep. I think it could be this experience that leave an impression in my mind that I have been a place or have met a certain person or have done a such act before.
One of my yoga teacher,Alex teaches universal yoga which believes in re-incarnation and re-birth. During his sessions, he will asked us to go deep into our mind or draw energy from the Universe to bring us positive energy or chi.As we meditate we could dwell into our past lives and see images of our past including places and image of people. HIs theory is that at times, you feel very close to a stranger or have an instant liking on a person or dislike for a person, this people could have been in your past lives and could be your family member. Therefore, you like him or her very much. YOur path cross each other again. This experience could have result in my having this strange experience of doing or seeing a certain thing.
Nevertheless, the experience is real and it will happen again. I have to be ready for it and enjoy the feeling of suspense and accepting the experience. Many of you could have the same experience as me and would be wondering what is happening to you. This sixth sense feeling is like magic and it will strike when you are unaware. Enjoy it.
Namaste.
Sometime in my dreams or while I am in a light sleep, my mind will wonder and images of places and people will come up during my drifting sleep. I think it could be this experience that leave an impression in my mind that I have been a place or have met a certain person or have done a such act before.
One of my yoga teacher,Alex teaches universal yoga which believes in re-incarnation and re-birth. During his sessions, he will asked us to go deep into our mind or draw energy from the Universe to bring us positive energy or chi.As we meditate we could dwell into our past lives and see images of our past including places and image of people. HIs theory is that at times, you feel very close to a stranger or have an instant liking on a person or dislike for a person, this people could have been in your past lives and could be your family member. Therefore, you like him or her very much. YOur path cross each other again. This experience could have result in my having this strange experience of doing or seeing a certain thing.
Nevertheless, the experience is real and it will happen again. I have to be ready for it and enjoy the feeling of suspense and accepting the experience. Many of you could have the same experience as me and would be wondering what is happening to you. This sixth sense feeling is like magic and it will strike when you are unaware. Enjoy it.
Namaste.
Lunch with Mr Sun Tze
I had lunch with Mr KH Khoo,nickname " Mr SunTze" . He is a lecturer in the " Art of War ".The Art of War is a set of war strategy developed during the era of the Three Kingdoms in China. SunTze is a very clever general who lays down a strategic principles to fight and win wars. Later, some smart fellas used the strategy to conduct their business. So, people liken business to war. One of the very famous principle is " to know your yourself and your opponent, a thousand wars will be won".
In my articles, I have wrote about several lunch with him and each lunch encounter with him , I will get a book from him. He is also a writer and he has several books to his credit. He wrote frictions and real life stories esepcially about gangsters and the Police. He wears white as a mourning for his wife who have passed away for two years and he always say to me that he is waiting for GOD to take him away so that he can see his wife.
We talk about several topics during the lunch with me and my boss. He has become a dear friend to my boss and both of us have attended several of his lectures. He told me his recent experience with a customer in Kl. He seldom have meeting with his clients.
During the business interview, his client say that his fees is too expensive and wish to have a discount. He counter back by saying that good things never cheap and cheap things never good. He asked his client whether he is wearing a " rolex watch" and his client's answer is affirmative. He told that those people who wear rolex watches cannot repair their watches in any other watch shops as it is a quality watch. A good lecturer is like a quality watch which command a price. If he wants an elba watch, it has different values. Finally, the interview was an open end with the customer still considering his lecture.
In my experience, he is a good presenter and a skillful orator. He knows his stuff and he speak with passion and humor. I would like to say that his lecturer is never a dull moment.
We moved on to his latest book which he talks about Police work. He co=author with a very high ranking Police General who related his achievement in his book. In the book, he discourage road blocks conducted by police and Police hiding behind trees, pillars , drains to catch traffic offenders. In the book, he also highlight the latest development where the Police established umbrella squads , mobile squads which respond to any incident within minutes. It is a book which talks about Police work in Malaysia.
He also talks about the Politics in Malaysia and also the 13 General ELections and the possible outcome. He also talks about possible consequences after the 13th GE and the on-going scandals in the country. Well, he expressed his opinion with passion in these subjects and he finally thank us for taking time to meet and eat.
We say " see you again" amd we moved on with our lives. The experience after each meeting left deep impressions on me and how many more meetings with him in the future I do not know. I believe we should manage use of each moment to enjoy the company of each other and make it a useful interaction. Enjoy the present moment and live it meaningfully.
I would like to say thank you to him for making that one hour of lunch meaningful and passionate. Wishing him all the best and see him the next time.
Namaste.
In my articles, I have wrote about several lunch with him and each lunch encounter with him , I will get a book from him. He is also a writer and he has several books to his credit. He wrote frictions and real life stories esepcially about gangsters and the Police. He wears white as a mourning for his wife who have passed away for two years and he always say to me that he is waiting for GOD to take him away so that he can see his wife.
We talk about several topics during the lunch with me and my boss. He has become a dear friend to my boss and both of us have attended several of his lectures. He told me his recent experience with a customer in Kl. He seldom have meeting with his clients.
During the business interview, his client say that his fees is too expensive and wish to have a discount. He counter back by saying that good things never cheap and cheap things never good. He asked his client whether he is wearing a " rolex watch" and his client's answer is affirmative. He told that those people who wear rolex watches cannot repair their watches in any other watch shops as it is a quality watch. A good lecturer is like a quality watch which command a price. If he wants an elba watch, it has different values. Finally, the interview was an open end with the customer still considering his lecture.
In my experience, he is a good presenter and a skillful orator. He knows his stuff and he speak with passion and humor. I would like to say that his lecturer is never a dull moment.
We moved on to his latest book which he talks about Police work. He co=author with a very high ranking Police General who related his achievement in his book. In the book, he discourage road blocks conducted by police and Police hiding behind trees, pillars , drains to catch traffic offenders. In the book, he also highlight the latest development where the Police established umbrella squads , mobile squads which respond to any incident within minutes. It is a book which talks about Police work in Malaysia.
He also talks about the Politics in Malaysia and also the 13 General ELections and the possible outcome. He also talks about possible consequences after the 13th GE and the on-going scandals in the country. Well, he expressed his opinion with passion in these subjects and he finally thank us for taking time to meet and eat.
We say " see you again" amd we moved on with our lives. The experience after each meeting left deep impressions on me and how many more meetings with him in the future I do not know. I believe we should manage use of each moment to enjoy the company of each other and make it a useful interaction. Enjoy the present moment and live it meaningfully.
I would like to say thank you to him for making that one hour of lunch meaningful and passionate. Wishing him all the best and see him the next time.
Namaste.
Beautiful quotes - 23/11
If you are right then there is no need to get angry
And if you are wrong then you don't have any right to get angry.
Patience with family is love,
Patience with others is respect,
Patience with self is confidence and
Patience with GOD is faith.
Never Think Hard about PAST, It brings Tears...
Don't Think more about FUTURE, It brings Fears...
Live this Moment with a Smile, It brings Cheers.!!!!
Every test in our life makes us bitter or better,
Every problem comes to make us or break us,
Choice is ours whether we become victim or victorious !!!
Search a beautiful heart not a beautiful face.
Beautiful things are not always good
but good things are always beautiful
And if you are wrong then you don't have any right to get angry.
Patience with family is love,
Patience with others is respect,
Patience with self is confidence and
Patience with GOD is faith.
Never Think Hard about PAST, It brings Tears...
Don't Think more about FUTURE, It brings Fears...
Live this Moment with a Smile, It brings Cheers.!!!!
Every test in our life makes us bitter or better,
Every problem comes to make us or break us,
Choice is ours whether we become victim or victorious !!!
Search a beautiful heart not a beautiful face.
Beautiful things are not always good
but good things are always beautiful
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Money, what is so funny ?
Money can get the world go round
Money can buy you diamonds
Money can give you status and class
But , money cannot buy you time.
We run in a rat race to earn more money
While the bees work very hard for honey
There are funny bears and honey bears
All have to work for honey or money
It is so funny people look for money
Then use the money to buy their health
In ill health ,they use money to buy time
Eventually, they have to go with regrets
All of us are either asleep or hopeful
That money can buy us hope and love
Life is a dream or dream is our life
Which is which , we have to live in full
Stop dreaming now and wake up alert
For life is a journey and destination not
In life , every moment and feeling counts
On we go in a speed of lightning or sound
Never regret as the curtain falls
Life is beautiful and rich after all
Don’t spend your time chasing money
For honey or money , only time that is all.
Money can buy you diamonds
Money can give you status and class
But , money cannot buy you time.
We run in a rat race to earn more money
While the bees work very hard for honey
There are funny bears and honey bears
All have to work for honey or money
It is so funny people look for money
Then use the money to buy their health
In ill health ,they use money to buy time
Eventually, they have to go with regrets
All of us are either asleep or hopeful
That money can buy us hope and love
Life is a dream or dream is our life
Which is which , we have to live in full
Stop dreaming now and wake up alert
For life is a journey and destination not
In life , every moment and feeling counts
On we go in a speed of lightning or sound
Never regret as the curtain falls
Life is beautiful and rich after all
Don’t spend your time chasing money
For honey or money , only time that is all.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Here comes the pouring rain ...
It comes as it likes
Signals are in the sky
Gloomy and angry as it strikes
Raining cats and dogs from the sky
The dampness we despise
Wet , sticky and uncomfortable
Feel like wanna hide
Away from the angry sky
Temper rose and anger fly
Too disturb by the falling rain
Noisy as the car hit the rain
On the way home under the angry sky
Never like the rain since young
Always like to be a sunshine man
When the temperature gets steaming hot
Hope to get in the cooling rain
Human nature is like this
Too much or too little of each
Makes our mind fickle and quick
Curse and swear all in a mix
Hold, hold. hold the bloody rain
Like a wet duck I am suffering in pain
From now,don't know how I can sustain
On a life journey through this worldy plain
Many a times come the pouring rain
Going through this story again
Yelling, cursing and unbecoming
What else can I do except to complain
Namaste.
Signals are in the sky
Gloomy and angry as it strikes
Raining cats and dogs from the sky
The dampness we despise
Wet , sticky and uncomfortable
Feel like wanna hide
Away from the angry sky
Temper rose and anger fly
Too disturb by the falling rain
Noisy as the car hit the rain
On the way home under the angry sky
Never like the rain since young
Always like to be a sunshine man
When the temperature gets steaming hot
Hope to get in the cooling rain
Human nature is like this
Too much or too little of each
Makes our mind fickle and quick
Curse and swear all in a mix
Hold, hold. hold the bloody rain
Like a wet duck I am suffering in pain
From now,don't know how I can sustain
On a life journey through this worldy plain
Many a times come the pouring rain
Going through this story again
Yelling, cursing and unbecoming
What else can I do except to complain
Namaste.
Feng Shui outlook for Malaysia 2012
Feng shui experts: Politics and global economy unstable in 2012
KUALA LUMPUR: The Dragon year of 2012 will prove to be a volatile year for the global economy, but Malaysia will be spared the worse aspects of it, Malaysian environology experts predicted.
Master David Koh (pic), a renowned feng shui master and founder of the Malaysian Institute of Geomancy Sciences (MINGS), predicted that 2012 will be a tough year for Malaysian politicians from either side of the divide as they face an imminent general election.
“We also predict the eventual winners will only win marginally,” he told a press conference during the MINGS 2012 outlook talk here yesterday.
Koh said the global economy will be volatile because of the poor economic performance of the United States and also the Euro currency.
“This will affect Southeast Asia, but Malaysia will be the more stable country among the others,” said the 65-year-old, who studied geomancy since the age of five.
He noted that Malaysia was still able to experience growth despite the global recession this year.
“However, 2012 will still be an improved year than 2011 globally as it slowly recovers from the recession,” he added.
Koh also said investors need to be more wary when putting their money in property in 2012.
MINGS president Joe Choo said forecast showed that properties located in the east and southeast will be the best to invest in.
“Property sector in East Malaysia, especially Sabah, is booming. In the Klang Valley, areas like Semenyih, Kajang and Seri Kembangan will see good returns,” he said, adding that there will not likely be a burst in the property bubble in 2012.
“Property prices will not see much increase in the high-end sector.
“The best growth will be in mid-range properties,” he said.
MINGS was founded by Koh in 1998 and promotes awareness in the ancient art and science of environology, which is also known as geomancy or feng shui.
KUALA LUMPUR: The Dragon year of 2012 will prove to be a volatile year for the global economy, but Malaysia will be spared the worse aspects of it, Malaysian environology experts predicted.
Master David Koh (pic), a renowned feng shui master and founder of the Malaysian Institute of Geomancy Sciences (MINGS), predicted that 2012 will be a tough year for Malaysian politicians from either side of the divide as they face an imminent general election.
“We also predict the eventual winners will only win marginally,” he told a press conference during the MINGS 2012 outlook talk here yesterday.
Koh said the global economy will be volatile because of the poor economic performance of the United States and also the Euro currency.
“This will affect Southeast Asia, but Malaysia will be the more stable country among the others,” said the 65-year-old, who studied geomancy since the age of five.
He noted that Malaysia was still able to experience growth despite the global recession this year.
“However, 2012 will still be an improved year than 2011 globally as it slowly recovers from the recession,” he added.
Koh also said investors need to be more wary when putting their money in property in 2012.
MINGS president Joe Choo said forecast showed that properties located in the east and southeast will be the best to invest in.
“Property sector in East Malaysia, especially Sabah, is booming. In the Klang Valley, areas like Semenyih, Kajang and Seri Kembangan will see good returns,” he said, adding that there will not likely be a burst in the property bubble in 2012.
“Property prices will not see much increase in the high-end sector.
“The best growth will be in mid-range properties,” he said.
MINGS was founded by Koh in 1998 and promotes awareness in the ancient art and science of environology, which is also known as geomancy or feng shui.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Take a day at a time.
We are always thinking ahead of time and what shall we do in a month or one year later and we are fill with hopes and plan to spend the time ahead. We think that tomorrow will always come and many more tomorrows will follow. We are optimistic of living forever and we will be always be healthy. There is nothing wrong with this think . It is a bright and positive thinking and to live pro-actively.
While living with this belief, we have to take a day at a time, so that our mind would not be fill up with too many hopes and plans. If we care thinking about the future all the time, we do not only used up our energy to live and we will also neglect our present. In other words, we are living with illusions and expectations and we forget to live in the present moment.
There is small antidote “ if we do not expect anything out of something, then we would not be disappointed “. To live positively, we should have hope and love but we must manage the hope well and do not rely on the hope absolutely. If these hopes fail to realize , then we are not hurt by it. If we place our hopes very high or place our hope on other people’s commitment , then we could be hurt seriously and would never recover from such non-fulfillments.
Just like the wisdom of “ treating praise as a passing breath of perfume” , enjoy the fragrance when it is still there but do not hold on it and expecting it to last. The same thing is will hope. If it happens so be it and accept it but if it never come, it is another non-event and do not feel hurt or sad about it.
We have to constantly remind ourselves of such wisdom and philosophy. If we train our mind well then, peace and calm will decent on us and we will live without disappointments and hurts.
Namaste
While living with this belief, we have to take a day at a time, so that our mind would not be fill up with too many hopes and plans. If we care thinking about the future all the time, we do not only used up our energy to live and we will also neglect our present. In other words, we are living with illusions and expectations and we forget to live in the present moment.
There is small antidote “ if we do not expect anything out of something, then we would not be disappointed “. To live positively, we should have hope and love but we must manage the hope well and do not rely on the hope absolutely. If these hopes fail to realize , then we are not hurt by it. If we place our hopes very high or place our hope on other people’s commitment , then we could be hurt seriously and would never recover from such non-fulfillments.
Just like the wisdom of “ treating praise as a passing breath of perfume” , enjoy the fragrance when it is still there but do not hold on it and expecting it to last. The same thing is will hope. If it happens so be it and accept it but if it never come, it is another non-event and do not feel hurt or sad about it.
We have to constantly remind ourselves of such wisdom and philosophy. If we train our mind well then, peace and calm will decent on us and we will live without disappointments and hurts.
Namaste
Less meals a day caused weight gain - news
Overweight people eat fewer meals than others
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Normal weight adults, including those who had lost a lot of weight and kept it off, ate more often than overweight people in a new study looking at factors that may help in preventing weight gain.
Researchers following about 250 people for a year found that overweight individuals ate fewer snacks in addition to meals than people in the normal body weight range, but the overweight still took in more calories and they were less active over the course of the day.
"Most of the research has shown that people who eat more frequently have a lower weight," said lead researcher Jessica Bachman, assistant professor in the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics at Marywood University in Scranton, Pennsylvania. "But no one knows why."
In particular, Bachman told Reuters Health, she wanted to understand what people who have lost significant amounts of weight do to maintain their weight loss, as a first step to helping guide others in losing weight and keeping it off.
More than 60 percent of Americans are obese or overweight, but the relationship between the number of meals people eat each day and the ability to maintain weight loss has remained unclear, she said.
Bachman and her team analyzed data collected in two large studies sponsored by the National Institutes of Health. One looked at the eating habits of people with a body mass index (a measure of weight relative to height) between 25 and 47, which is considered overweight to obese.
The other study looked at adult men and women who were normal weight (BMI of 19-24.9), about half of whom had lost at least 30 pounds and maintained their lower weight for more than five years.
The researchers found that, on average, the normal weight subjects ate three meals and a little over two snacks each day, whereas the overweight group averaged three meals and just over one snack a day.
Generally, though, "weight loss maintainers" consumed the fewest calories, at about 1,800 a day, compared with the normal weight and overweight subjects, who took in 1,900 and more than 2,000 calories a day, respectively.
Weight loss maintainers also were the most physically active of the three groups, Bachman said, burning off about 3,000 calories a week through exercise and other activities, compared to 2,000 calories a week among the normal weight subjects and 800 calories a week in the overweight group.
The results, published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, suggest that weight loss maintainers intentionally do more to keep from regaining extra pounds, Bachman said.
"It appears that being extremely physically active and eating more often helps them keep the weight off," she said. "Most commonly, they were walking at least 60 minutes a day seven days a week."
Bachman believes her study is the first to compare eating frequencies among successful weight loss maintainers, other normal weight people and those who are overweight.
She speculates that snacking might help prevent weight gain by staving off intense hunger.
"If you eat more often, it stops you from getting too hungry," Bachman said. "If you wait 10 hours after you've last eaten, you end up eating a lot more food. If you sit down and you're really hungry, you also tend to eat more calories."
More research is needed, Bachman added, because the reasons that eating more often tends to be associated with having a lower BMI are still unclear.
"This is kind of research as a baseline, and from there we can develop some hypotheses," Bachman said. "Weight loss maintainers are a new group that really is starting to get a lot of attention. The idea is to find out what they are doing, and get other people to do the same thing."
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Normal weight adults, including those who had lost a lot of weight and kept it off, ate more often than overweight people in a new study looking at factors that may help in preventing weight gain.
Researchers following about 250 people for a year found that overweight individuals ate fewer snacks in addition to meals than people in the normal body weight range, but the overweight still took in more calories and they were less active over the course of the day.
"Most of the research has shown that people who eat more frequently have a lower weight," said lead researcher Jessica Bachman, assistant professor in the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics at Marywood University in Scranton, Pennsylvania. "But no one knows why."
In particular, Bachman told Reuters Health, she wanted to understand what people who have lost significant amounts of weight do to maintain their weight loss, as a first step to helping guide others in losing weight and keeping it off.
More than 60 percent of Americans are obese or overweight, but the relationship between the number of meals people eat each day and the ability to maintain weight loss has remained unclear, she said.
Bachman and her team analyzed data collected in two large studies sponsored by the National Institutes of Health. One looked at the eating habits of people with a body mass index (a measure of weight relative to height) between 25 and 47, which is considered overweight to obese.
The other study looked at adult men and women who were normal weight (BMI of 19-24.9), about half of whom had lost at least 30 pounds and maintained their lower weight for more than five years.
The researchers found that, on average, the normal weight subjects ate three meals and a little over two snacks each day, whereas the overweight group averaged three meals and just over one snack a day.
Generally, though, "weight loss maintainers" consumed the fewest calories, at about 1,800 a day, compared with the normal weight and overweight subjects, who took in 1,900 and more than 2,000 calories a day, respectively.
Weight loss maintainers also were the most physically active of the three groups, Bachman said, burning off about 3,000 calories a week through exercise and other activities, compared to 2,000 calories a week among the normal weight subjects and 800 calories a week in the overweight group.
The results, published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, suggest that weight loss maintainers intentionally do more to keep from regaining extra pounds, Bachman said.
"It appears that being extremely physically active and eating more often helps them keep the weight off," she said. "Most commonly, they were walking at least 60 minutes a day seven days a week."
Bachman believes her study is the first to compare eating frequencies among successful weight loss maintainers, other normal weight people and those who are overweight.
She speculates that snacking might help prevent weight gain by staving off intense hunger.
"If you eat more often, it stops you from getting too hungry," Bachman said. "If you wait 10 hours after you've last eaten, you end up eating a lot more food. If you sit down and you're really hungry, you also tend to eat more calories."
More research is needed, Bachman added, because the reasons that eating more often tends to be associated with having a lower BMI are still unclear.
"This is kind of research as a baseline, and from there we can develop some hypotheses," Bachman said. "Weight loss maintainers are a new group that really is starting to get a lot of attention. The idea is to find out what they are doing, and get other people to do the same thing."
Beware of a high possibility of global recession - news
China's vice-premier sees chronic global recession
BEIJING (REUTERS) - A long-term global recession is certain to happen and China must focus on domestic problems, Chinese vice-premier Wang Qishan has said.
'The one thing that we can be certain of, among all the uncertainties, is that the global economic recession caused by the international financial crisis will be chronic,' Mr Wang was quoted by the official Xinhua news agency as saying at the weekend.
Mr Wang's comments were the most bearish forecast ever by a top Chinese decision-maker about the world economy, and Beijing's worry about a worsening global environment could translate into an impetus for pro-growth policies at home.
China launched a massive fiscal stimulus package with a price tag of 4 trillion yuan (S$844 billion) in late 2008 to avert a big impact from the global financial turmoil.
BEIJING (REUTERS) - A long-term global recession is certain to happen and China must focus on domestic problems, Chinese vice-premier Wang Qishan has said.
'The one thing that we can be certain of, among all the uncertainties, is that the global economic recession caused by the international financial crisis will be chronic,' Mr Wang was quoted by the official Xinhua news agency as saying at the weekend.
Mr Wang's comments were the most bearish forecast ever by a top Chinese decision-maker about the world economy, and Beijing's worry about a worsening global environment could translate into an impetus for pro-growth policies at home.
China launched a massive fiscal stimulus package with a price tag of 4 trillion yuan (S$844 billion) in late 2008 to avert a big impact from the global financial turmoil.
An afternoon with SIL, G
I had a high tea with my SIL,G at the Sikkes restuarant at E&O Hotel today and she was still in a daze over the passing of BIL James. I have heard her stories many times about the chemo treatement and the chemical imbalance which have reverse effect on her husband. The Doctors in Penang have questioned the chemo treatment and the medication used by the Thai Doctors. Who is right or wrong is not important anymore but the initial treatment by the Thai Doctors have actually prolong the life of James from one month to one half year. This treatment I think I should ocnsider as successful despite the end result. It is a deadly and aggressive disease.
During the titilating, she keeps repeating the last months with her husband especially the day before he die. At the stage of the disesse, all the vital organs have started to fail until he suffers a heart failure on his final day. BIL Jamaes have been vomitting the excess fluid in his body including the medications and the steriod. She told us that the sight and the memory of such incidents have drilled in deeply into her memory and it would take a long time before this impact will become less burdenful.
As I have mentioned before, our mind registered all the events and experiences deep in our mind and iwll play it over and over again. If long enough, it will become back of its mental habit to revisit such events or experience. It is natural unless you have a strong trained mind to suppress or filter or ease such images in our mind. It is never an easy process and allowing her to repeat her experiences is good for her and this way will reduce the pain and suffering.
According to my SIL G, the chemo treatment have caused her husband a fortune and it is using money to buy time in this world. SHe have noted that during the treatment, BIL James have been having an amazing fighting spirit and really he fight to the end and hoping to live longer in this world. As I have mentioned before it is more difficult to leave our earthly procession than to die.
Now his ashes is thrown into the sea and like I have said he just vanished from this world. Perhaps, this is a better way. We come with nothing and we go away with nothing. All the things we acquire or possess on earth is only temporary and Buddha called it " impermanence".
Namaste.
"
During the titilating, she keeps repeating the last months with her husband especially the day before he die. At the stage of the disesse, all the vital organs have started to fail until he suffers a heart failure on his final day. BIL Jamaes have been vomitting the excess fluid in his body including the medications and the steriod. She told us that the sight and the memory of such incidents have drilled in deeply into her memory and it would take a long time before this impact will become less burdenful.
As I have mentioned before, our mind registered all the events and experiences deep in our mind and iwll play it over and over again. If long enough, it will become back of its mental habit to revisit such events or experience. It is natural unless you have a strong trained mind to suppress or filter or ease such images in our mind. It is never an easy process and allowing her to repeat her experiences is good for her and this way will reduce the pain and suffering.
According to my SIL G, the chemo treatment have caused her husband a fortune and it is using money to buy time in this world. SHe have noted that during the treatment, BIL James have been having an amazing fighting spirit and really he fight to the end and hoping to live longer in this world. As I have mentioned before it is more difficult to leave our earthly procession than to die.
Now his ashes is thrown into the sea and like I have said he just vanished from this world. Perhaps, this is a better way. We come with nothing and we go away with nothing. All the things we acquire or possess on earth is only temporary and Buddha called it " impermanence".
Namaste.
"
Saturday, November 19, 2011
The morning has broken - a free verse
From darkness to light
The waking of a morning
A fresh soul have awaken
For just another day
The silence and the freshness dwell
Giving a new hope for the day
Yes, it is a Sunday, a day of rest
It would be better if it is a Friday
Why so? Yeah, the ending of a work week
And the starting of a weekend
To rest our body, mind and soul
So, thank God, its a Friday, so we say
Looking at the gold fish in the tank
Swimming freely and without worries
Don't understand and don't mind which day
For them, it is a restday in everyday
Why are we so up tied with which day
Can't we live and swim like them everyday
It is our uprising and thinking from young
Make us a slave to us and time
It is not too late to think
Unlearn and learn to see everything
And know the choice is ours to do a thing
Wake up as the morning sing
To another day, another time, another choice
Start living like the fishes in the sink
Come what may,I teach the world to sing
Clear our thoughts and start living
Time waits for no one as you live
No regrets and remain forward looking
For you know at day end we are going
No matter what we do there is no stopping
For Creator GOD is waiting in another morning
To give you new life and set you going
A different time and a different journey
With freshness like a broken morning
Start now and have a wonderful life
Instead of waking up and start mourning
It is you, it is you that matters
Wishing you a new found day and a good living
Namaste.
The waking of a morning
A fresh soul have awaken
For just another day
The silence and the freshness dwell
Giving a new hope for the day
Yes, it is a Sunday, a day of rest
It would be better if it is a Friday
Why so? Yeah, the ending of a work week
And the starting of a weekend
To rest our body, mind and soul
So, thank God, its a Friday, so we say
Looking at the gold fish in the tank
Swimming freely and without worries
Don't understand and don't mind which day
For them, it is a restday in everyday
Why are we so up tied with which day
Can't we live and swim like them everyday
It is our uprising and thinking from young
Make us a slave to us and time
It is not too late to think
Unlearn and learn to see everything
And know the choice is ours to do a thing
Wake up as the morning sing
To another day, another time, another choice
Start living like the fishes in the sink
Come what may,I teach the world to sing
Clear our thoughts and start living
Time waits for no one as you live
No regrets and remain forward looking
For you know at day end we are going
No matter what we do there is no stopping
For Creator GOD is waiting in another morning
To give you new life and set you going
A different time and a different journey
With freshness like a broken morning
Start now and have a wonderful life
Instead of waking up and start mourning
It is you, it is you that matters
Wishing you a new found day and a good living
Namaste.
An afternoon with my sister, Chee
This is the 1st saturday with my 2nd sister,Chee after she came back from her holiday trip to Hong Kong, Shenzen and Macao. I asked her about her feelings on the trip and she told me that it could have been better. Before, her trip,I told her to not to exert herself too much especially taking enough rest and not b over eagar to visit as many places as possible. It turns out right as she feel very tired due to her over walking. But, she has lots of story to tell me.
In Hong kong, she spend her time walking the shopping malls and eating the hawkers' food and she told me that she really enjoy the food. But, on her way to Shenzen, she was trap at the immigration point at the China border for more than 3 hours. SHe told me that there was a green lane for senior citizens about 65 but the youngsters travelling with her have to wait in the long quene at the immigraton check point.
When in Shenzen, she visited the inature world muzium and the largest shopping mall in the City. Her impression was that there were too many people in the City and it is over crowded making life very congested and pressurized. According to her, the City is for young people who are interested in the latest gagets on Iphone, Ipad , laptop and electronic gagets. As for the tood in the City, it was not her taste compared to the food in Malaysia and especially in Penang.
In Macao, she also enjoyed the food and the local special delicacies. In this island, she visited the largest Mall and historical venues. She quite enjoy the tourist spots and have hoped to stay longer but time wss not only her side.
Her advise is to have enough rest and not to be too ambitious to cover as many places as possible. It would be better if the trip was only to two places for the 9 days and there could be enough time to move around and enjoy the local cultures and living life styles. Her most valuable advise for the readers is to travel when you are young as there will be a lot of walking and for people, who plan ot travel only after retirement, it is a grave mistake. By that time, you will be too old or weak to enjoy the travelling and the journey.
So, plan your travel and live for the day and enjoy moments when you are able and capable. Doing the right thing at the right time.
Namaste.
In Hong kong, she spend her time walking the shopping malls and eating the hawkers' food and she told me that she really enjoy the food. But, on her way to Shenzen, she was trap at the immigration point at the China border for more than 3 hours. SHe told me that there was a green lane for senior citizens about 65 but the youngsters travelling with her have to wait in the long quene at the immigraton check point.
When in Shenzen, she visited the inature world muzium and the largest shopping mall in the City. Her impression was that there were too many people in the City and it is over crowded making life very congested and pressurized. According to her, the City is for young people who are interested in the latest gagets on Iphone, Ipad , laptop and electronic gagets. As for the tood in the City, it was not her taste compared to the food in Malaysia and especially in Penang.
In Macao, she also enjoyed the food and the local special delicacies. In this island, she visited the largest Mall and historical venues. She quite enjoy the tourist spots and have hoped to stay longer but time wss not only her side.
Her advise is to have enough rest and not to be too ambitious to cover as many places as possible. It would be better if the trip was only to two places for the 9 days and there could be enough time to move around and enjoy the local cultures and living life styles. Her most valuable advise for the readers is to travel when you are young as there will be a lot of walking and for people, who plan ot travel only after retirement, it is a grave mistake. By that time, you will be too old or weak to enjoy the travelling and the journey.
So, plan your travel and live for the day and enjoy moments when you are able and capable. Doing the right thing at the right time.
Namaste.
Friday, November 18, 2011
In the late of the night
Tired are my wondering eyes
Staring at the bright lights
My mind is wondering restlessly
Yet a moment ago,I fell asleep
The struggle between the two senses
Sleep now or wonder around
My mind stretch the day
My eyes called for a closure
The choice is my but remained fragile
Sleep I will lose a day
Keep awake, I still have today
The tug of war is stressing me up
What is that additional hour
Sleep less or keep awake for awhile
Is it so difficult to decide
It does not matter so much anymore
Time is the master and it will keep flowing
To sleep or not, you have to decide
In both, an hour is lost and gone
So, why does it bothers you so much ?
The battle is meaningless and cruel
Both hurting the body and soul
So shut you mind and close your eyes
As calm decent and make you drift
Sleep, my friend sleep
If not the mind keep wondering deep
Brings more thoughts to a peaceful night
So, sleep my friend sleep ...
Staring at the bright lights
My mind is wondering restlessly
Yet a moment ago,I fell asleep
The struggle between the two senses
Sleep now or wonder around
My mind stretch the day
My eyes called for a closure
The choice is my but remained fragile
Sleep I will lose a day
Keep awake, I still have today
The tug of war is stressing me up
What is that additional hour
Sleep less or keep awake for awhile
Is it so difficult to decide
It does not matter so much anymore
Time is the master and it will keep flowing
To sleep or not, you have to decide
In both, an hour is lost and gone
So, why does it bothers you so much ?
The battle is meaningless and cruel
Both hurting the body and soul
So shut you mind and close your eyes
As calm decent and make you drift
Sleep, my friend sleep
If not the mind keep wondering deep
Brings more thoughts to a peaceful night
So, sleep my friend sleep ...
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Are we living or a walking dead ?
If we look around today, there are many articles telling us to be conscious of our health and we should take care of our blood pressure,our cholestrol level, our food intake and the need of regular exercise, etc. There are also alot of supplements to regulate, balance and control these vital points of preserving and prolonging life. We should de-stress, we should meditate and we should slow down. So many things that we should do and again, it is for preserving life. LOts of attention is focus in these areas and it became a multi billion business world wide.
There are several re-actions to these awareness and consciousness. some people became fitness freaks. Jogging,running and walking for hours on the jogging tracks or on the roads. They prepare themselves to run marathons and climb high mountains, building up their muscles and stamina along the way. Half the day is spend on exercise to face these challenges. Is this way of life what they want? If it is affirmative, then they are living in enjoymnet. It becomes meaningful and with a purpose. All the pains and discomfort that comes with it is worthwhile and they accept the pricing of a monotonous life doing the same routine day in and day out.
For those with a different purpose, for example, the objective to preserve and prolong their life,these are the walking deads. Why? It is very simple and it is because they do like it and do not enjoy the exercise. They are forcing themselves to go through the routine, just to keep healthy. The exercise routines are torturing to them and they sacrifice their purpose in life or something they enjoy to go through these nasty routines. When they are runing on the orad or the tracks, they are cursing all the way and hope that the exercise could finished soon. It is like wanting the torture to end soon.Every step is a torture. In their mind, they frequently asking themselves whether it is worth it. Such thoughts is more stressful and harmful to their health and the conswquences of such exercise routine could be damaging in the long run.
There is a famous wisdom " if you choose the work you love, you will never work another single day ". Yes, some people say that they need a job to survive yoand do not have the option to choose. I totally agree but if ocme to exercise and the way to maintain your health, the choice is yours. Totally yours to choose. You want a shorter and more meaningful life or a longer plain and simple life? You want an adventurous and exciting life or a life of simple routines? What you want to keep yourself happy and joyful and not torturing yourself everyday to preseve your life.
Don't blame the media or those articles which ask you to forgo fatty foods or fast foods because you are what you eat. You are the master of your own destiny and you are given the choice to balance what you eat or a total abstain from these food. Are you becoming a vegetrian to live longer or a vegetarian with a purpose or a belief.
Thinking of the options and strike a middle path to enjoy your life. Strike a balance in your food and exercise and your life will become more meaningful. You could choose to eat and exercise or exercise to eat.
Namaste.
There are several re-actions to these awareness and consciousness. some people became fitness freaks. Jogging,running and walking for hours on the jogging tracks or on the roads. They prepare themselves to run marathons and climb high mountains, building up their muscles and stamina along the way. Half the day is spend on exercise to face these challenges. Is this way of life what they want? If it is affirmative, then they are living in enjoymnet. It becomes meaningful and with a purpose. All the pains and discomfort that comes with it is worthwhile and they accept the pricing of a monotonous life doing the same routine day in and day out.
For those with a different purpose, for example, the objective to preserve and prolong their life,these are the walking deads. Why? It is very simple and it is because they do like it and do not enjoy the exercise. They are forcing themselves to go through the routine, just to keep healthy. The exercise routines are torturing to them and they sacrifice their purpose in life or something they enjoy to go through these nasty routines. When they are runing on the orad or the tracks, they are cursing all the way and hope that the exercise could finished soon. It is like wanting the torture to end soon.Every step is a torture. In their mind, they frequently asking themselves whether it is worth it. Such thoughts is more stressful and harmful to their health and the conswquences of such exercise routine could be damaging in the long run.
There is a famous wisdom " if you choose the work you love, you will never work another single day ". Yes, some people say that they need a job to survive yoand do not have the option to choose. I totally agree but if ocme to exercise and the way to maintain your health, the choice is yours. Totally yours to choose. You want a shorter and more meaningful life or a longer plain and simple life? You want an adventurous and exciting life or a life of simple routines? What you want to keep yourself happy and joyful and not torturing yourself everyday to preseve your life.
Don't blame the media or those articles which ask you to forgo fatty foods or fast foods because you are what you eat. You are the master of your own destiny and you are given the choice to balance what you eat or a total abstain from these food. Are you becoming a vegetrian to live longer or a vegetarian with a purpose or a belief.
Thinking of the options and strike a middle path to enjoy your life. Strike a balance in your food and exercise and your life will become more meaningful. You could choose to eat and exercise or exercise to eat.
Namaste.
A ghostly conversation....
I had lunch at e-gate Tsyuroya Japanese restaurant. It was newly moved from another area to e-gate and my host was two bankers, caroline and derrel from KL. I was with two colleagues of mine and we settle down to order our food. I ordered a few types maki and some main ramen courses to fill our stomach as it was a late lunch.
The lunch started with some light greetings and "thank you for your business stuff" and so on. We turn to the topic of staying in Hotels while we are on business trevel and the weird things that we had encountered. I told carol and derrel that there was a house along green lance which was recently renovated and is still available for rental after a brief rental to a tuition center. The house has glass walls and transparent glass panels and we could see from the front to the back. It is so strange for the house to remained vacant especially it is located in a busy business area and it is nicely done up. I told them that the location was a second hand car sales room. One night, some robbers enter into the premise and rob six very expensive cars and burn the sales manager alive. Finaly, the Police caught the robbers and they were sentence to jail. The house was badly burn and it was to be torn down and rebuild massively with the walls replaced by glass and it was brightly lighten up and hope that this set up could drive the ghost or spirit away. Looks like that the remedial action have failed badly.
I am not advocating that there are ghost in this world. But, sometimes, the things that happen or we feel, bring massive fears to us. Modern studies explains that such feeling is the work of the mind. So, ghost actually the work of the mind. I have several experience of not getting proper sleep in some hotels while travelling. Some encounters let me feel that someone is watching me for the whole night. I advised caroline that if the hotel which we want to stay is fully occupied, we should not insist to get a room. IF we push too hard, the Hotel staff will release those rooms wich is uninhabitable or disturbing.
The unreal became real if our mind is weak and our mood is down. We would start to imagine and our past experience will play a havoc on our mind and " we could frighten our ownself " and become suspicious as if someone is watching over us. We should be the master of our own mind but if our mind takes over, we will become the slave and would not be able to control our thoughts and feelings. If this happens, we should breath heavily three times and slow down our breathing to re-focus and get hold of our awareness.
Namaste.
The lunch started with some light greetings and "thank you for your business stuff" and so on. We turn to the topic of staying in Hotels while we are on business trevel and the weird things that we had encountered. I told carol and derrel that there was a house along green lance which was recently renovated and is still available for rental after a brief rental to a tuition center. The house has glass walls and transparent glass panels and we could see from the front to the back. It is so strange for the house to remained vacant especially it is located in a busy business area and it is nicely done up. I told them that the location was a second hand car sales room. One night, some robbers enter into the premise and rob six very expensive cars and burn the sales manager alive. Finaly, the Police caught the robbers and they were sentence to jail. The house was badly burn and it was to be torn down and rebuild massively with the walls replaced by glass and it was brightly lighten up and hope that this set up could drive the ghost or spirit away. Looks like that the remedial action have failed badly.
I am not advocating that there are ghost in this world. But, sometimes, the things that happen or we feel, bring massive fears to us. Modern studies explains that such feeling is the work of the mind. So, ghost actually the work of the mind. I have several experience of not getting proper sleep in some hotels while travelling. Some encounters let me feel that someone is watching me for the whole night. I advised caroline that if the hotel which we want to stay is fully occupied, we should not insist to get a room. IF we push too hard, the Hotel staff will release those rooms wich is uninhabitable or disturbing.
The unreal became real if our mind is weak and our mood is down. We would start to imagine and our past experience will play a havoc on our mind and " we could frighten our ownself " and become suspicious as if someone is watching over us. We should be the master of our own mind but if our mind takes over, we will become the slave and would not be able to control our thoughts and feelings. If this happens, we should breath heavily three times and slow down our breathing to re-focus and get hold of our awareness.
Namaste.
Green tea good for health - news
Green tea may trim "bad" cholesterol: study
Wed Nov 16, 2011 10:53PM EST
(Reuters) - Green tea, taken in a capsule or drunk in a cup, may shave a few points off "bad" cholesterol readings, according to a U.S. study involving more than a thousand people.
The findings, published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, showed that green tea trimmed 5 to 6 points more from people's total cholesterol and "bad" LDL cholesterol levels than dummy capsules or other treatments.
The trials tested either green tea itself or capsules containing green-tea compounds called catechins, which are thought to decrease cholesterol absorption in the gut.
Green tea in a cup was more consistently effective than capsules, though the benefits overall were fairly small, noted senior researcher Olivia Phung, an assistant professor of pharmacy at Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, California.
"If someone is already taking medication for their cholesterol, they should stick with it and not try to trade it for green tea, either capsules or the beverage," she told Reuters Health in an email.
But adding green tea to your diet could be one way to further improve cholesterol numbers, she said.
The researchers, however, found no strong evidence that green tea boosted "good" HDL cholesterol, or cut triglycerides, another type of blood fat.
Phung's team pooled the results of 20 clinical trials that involved a total of 1,415 adults.
Participants were randomly assigned to either use green tea every day, as a beverage or capsule, or be part of "control" groups that took placebo capsules, drank a low-catechin tea or downed water.
The trials lasted anywhere from three weeks to six months and the benefits seemed to be limited to people who already had high cholesterol when they entered the study.
Overall, tea seemed more effective than capsules, though Phung said there isn't enough data to be sure that the beverage is better than the extract.
A number of clinical trials that examined whether green tea, or its extracts, can benefit people's cholesterol levels have reached mixed conclusions. Most of the trials have been small, making them less reliable.
There are other questions too, including what dose of green tea catechins is ideal.
In the trials Phung's team studied, the researchers were unable to test for a "dose-response" effect, which would have shown whether the cholesterol benefits increase as the catechin dose goes up.
"We would really need to have some head-to-head studies comparing the different forms of green tea in order to show which ones work more effectively," Phung said.
As for side effects, green tea is considered safe in moderate amounts, though the drink and the extracts contain caffeine, which some people may need to avoid.
There have also been a few dozen cases of liver damage reported among people using green tea extracts, but it's not certain that the supplements are to blame. SOURCE: http://bit.ly/rujlW7
Wed Nov 16, 2011 10:53PM EST
(Reuters) - Green tea, taken in a capsule or drunk in a cup, may shave a few points off "bad" cholesterol readings, according to a U.S. study involving more than a thousand people.
The findings, published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, showed that green tea trimmed 5 to 6 points more from people's total cholesterol and "bad" LDL cholesterol levels than dummy capsules or other treatments.
The trials tested either green tea itself or capsules containing green-tea compounds called catechins, which are thought to decrease cholesterol absorption in the gut.
Green tea in a cup was more consistently effective than capsules, though the benefits overall were fairly small, noted senior researcher Olivia Phung, an assistant professor of pharmacy at Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, California.
"If someone is already taking medication for their cholesterol, they should stick with it and not try to trade it for green tea, either capsules or the beverage," she told Reuters Health in an email.
But adding green tea to your diet could be one way to further improve cholesterol numbers, she said.
The researchers, however, found no strong evidence that green tea boosted "good" HDL cholesterol, or cut triglycerides, another type of blood fat.
Phung's team pooled the results of 20 clinical trials that involved a total of 1,415 adults.
Participants were randomly assigned to either use green tea every day, as a beverage or capsule, or be part of "control" groups that took placebo capsules, drank a low-catechin tea or downed water.
The trials lasted anywhere from three weeks to six months and the benefits seemed to be limited to people who already had high cholesterol when they entered the study.
Overall, tea seemed more effective than capsules, though Phung said there isn't enough data to be sure that the beverage is better than the extract.
A number of clinical trials that examined whether green tea, or its extracts, can benefit people's cholesterol levels have reached mixed conclusions. Most of the trials have been small, making them less reliable.
There are other questions too, including what dose of green tea catechins is ideal.
In the trials Phung's team studied, the researchers were unable to test for a "dose-response" effect, which would have shown whether the cholesterol benefits increase as the catechin dose goes up.
"We would really need to have some head-to-head studies comparing the different forms of green tea in order to show which ones work more effectively," Phung said.
As for side effects, green tea is considered safe in moderate amounts, though the drink and the extracts contain caffeine, which some people may need to avoid.
There have also been a few dozen cases of liver damage reported among people using green tea extracts, but it's not certain that the supplements are to blame. SOURCE: http://bit.ly/rujlW7
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Saying " good bye"
I have came to see you the last time
My heart is full of grief and sorrow
Seeing lying in the wake
You seem to look but see not
I join in the prayer with sadness
Following the beat of the temple stick
As the Nun chant out Buddhist verse
To open the way for you to nirvana
The people is a few but close
Maybe we have know you long but a short time
The few of your last days which we treasure
Coming to know how you feel about life
We see you suffer in pain and anger
Though you want to live longer
But fate have decided your time to go
YOu know that the time have come
It is your time to go
As the saying, if you have to go, you have to go
Not a minute more and you pack to go
Hope GOD have open the path for you to go
Until the last moment before the burning chamber
It was a mix feeling in a state of confusion
From the next moment you will vanish
Your remains will be with the fishes
Round and round the world you go
Back to the eco and evolution world
So good bye, James , my brother
Only your image remained in our heart
Back to the Universe to wait your return
Maybe back as a friend or an enemy or a family
No one can tell and predict the future
So long, farewell, good bye and see you again.
My heart is full of grief and sorrow
Seeing lying in the wake
You seem to look but see not
I join in the prayer with sadness
Following the beat of the temple stick
As the Nun chant out Buddhist verse
To open the way for you to nirvana
The people is a few but close
Maybe we have know you long but a short time
The few of your last days which we treasure
Coming to know how you feel about life
We see you suffer in pain and anger
Though you want to live longer
But fate have decided your time to go
YOu know that the time have come
It is your time to go
As the saying, if you have to go, you have to go
Not a minute more and you pack to go
Hope GOD have open the path for you to go
Until the last moment before the burning chamber
It was a mix feeling in a state of confusion
From the next moment you will vanish
Your remains will be with the fishes
Round and round the world you go
Back to the eco and evolution world
So good bye, James , my brother
Only your image remained in our heart
Back to the Universe to wait your return
Maybe back as a friend or an enemy or a family
No one can tell and predict the future
So long, farewell, good bye and see you again.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Buddhify website to calm your nerves.- news
Buddhify web app promotes calmer urban experience
Mon Nov 14, 2011 10:21AM EST
By Julie Mollins
LONDON (Reuters) - For a lot of people the day begins amid the chaos of a transit pressure-cooker. Agitated workers wedge onto trains or buses to make the stressful commute to work and arrive feeling frazzled, a state that only worsens as the day wears on.
Now, a Glasgow-based entrepreneur and digital innovator has launched a new web application for iPhone and Android smart phones intended to help people on the go learn to cope better with some of the struggles of city life.
The Buddhify app introduces users to restful mindfulness meditation practices by allowing them to select from 32 audio tracks to hear instruction from either a male or female voice.
Although its name makes reference to Buddhism, a religion in which meditation plays a key role, the app is intended for use by anybody interested in mental wellbeing.
"The only prerequisite is having a mind," Rohan Gunatillake said. "Its origins are in the Buddhist tradition, but it's totally independent. It's a way of training your attention in such a way that it develops positive qualities in your mind."
The app also has a two-player mode allowing friends to meditate together.
The traditional ways meditation instruction is delivered seem somewhat outdated to Gunatillake, who has been meditating since 2003.
"The perception of the aesthetic wasn't quite right -- it felt too hippy, the baggage of lotus flowers and incense still comes with the meditation scene, but that's always been like wrapping paper rather than the actual thing," Gunatillake said.
"It's a cultural effect because of the boomer generation who came across it and who are teachers now."
Buddhify is also meant to help people who may not have time to take meditation courses in real life.
One audio track provides instruction on how to meditate while walking and another on how to mentally wish others peace and happiness - how "to take a break from our own personal soap opera" by choosing a random person to focus on.
"When traveling around have you ever noticed that despite being among so many people we're often just stuck in our own little stories?" Gunatillake's recorded voice asks.
"If it's the start of the day it's all about things we have to do, if it's the end, it's all about the drama of the day's events. Exhausting stuff really."
The trick is to spread kindness to become happier and more generous, the recording says.
(Writing by Julie Mollins, editing by Paul Casciato)
Mon Nov 14, 2011 10:21AM EST
By Julie Mollins
LONDON (Reuters) - For a lot of people the day begins amid the chaos of a transit pressure-cooker. Agitated workers wedge onto trains or buses to make the stressful commute to work and arrive feeling frazzled, a state that only worsens as the day wears on.
Now, a Glasgow-based entrepreneur and digital innovator has launched a new web application for iPhone and Android smart phones intended to help people on the go learn to cope better with some of the struggles of city life.
The Buddhify app introduces users to restful mindfulness meditation practices by allowing them to select from 32 audio tracks to hear instruction from either a male or female voice.
Although its name makes reference to Buddhism, a religion in which meditation plays a key role, the app is intended for use by anybody interested in mental wellbeing.
"The only prerequisite is having a mind," Rohan Gunatillake said. "Its origins are in the Buddhist tradition, but it's totally independent. It's a way of training your attention in such a way that it develops positive qualities in your mind."
The app also has a two-player mode allowing friends to meditate together.
The traditional ways meditation instruction is delivered seem somewhat outdated to Gunatillake, who has been meditating since 2003.
"The perception of the aesthetic wasn't quite right -- it felt too hippy, the baggage of lotus flowers and incense still comes with the meditation scene, but that's always been like wrapping paper rather than the actual thing," Gunatillake said.
"It's a cultural effect because of the boomer generation who came across it and who are teachers now."
Buddhify is also meant to help people who may not have time to take meditation courses in real life.
One audio track provides instruction on how to meditate while walking and another on how to mentally wish others peace and happiness - how "to take a break from our own personal soap opera" by choosing a random person to focus on.
"When traveling around have you ever noticed that despite being among so many people we're often just stuck in our own little stories?" Gunatillake's recorded voice asks.
"If it's the start of the day it's all about things we have to do, if it's the end, it's all about the drama of the day's events. Exhausting stuff really."
The trick is to spread kindness to become happier and more generous, the recording says.
(Writing by Julie Mollins, editing by Paul Casciato)
The frog leg porridge at 8 row Penang.
Frogs' legs are one of the better-known delicacies of French and Cantonese cuisine. They are also eaten in other regions, such as Thailand, Vietnam, the region of Alentejo in Portugal, Spain, Slovenia, northwest Greece, and the Piemonte region in Italy, as well as the Southern regions of the United States. Currently the world's largest exporter of frogs is Indonesia, also a large consumer. In regions such as Brazil, Mexico and the Caribbean many frogs are still caught wild.
A type of frog called the edible frog is most often used for this dish. Frog legs are rich in protein, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin a and potassium.[1] They are often said to taste like chicken[2] because of their mild flavor, with a texture most similar to chicken wings.[3]
The taste and texture of frog meat approximately between chicken and fish, there was a slight fishiness that some might perceived it tastes mildly like fish.[4] Frogs are raised commercially in certain countries, e.g. Vietnam. Frog muscle does not resolve rigor mortis as quickly as warm-blooded muscle (chicken, for example), so heat from cooking can cause fresh frog legs to twitch.
Monday, November 14, 2011
FInal episode - BIL J is dead
The final curtain came down for BIL J. He lost his battle against cancer this early morning.My wife and me went to see him last night after hearing about his condition turning bad. He was at his bed side with all the machines hooked up to his body and he was having difficulty breathing. Intermittently, his eyes will suddenly close but he was aware of all the people around him and he constantly asked them to go home to rest. After more than an hour with him and his wife G, we bid him good night and the usual " see you tomorrow" wish. Before leaving, I hold his hands and he gave me a very firm grip and he just wave his hand to say good bye, Yes, that was his final good bye. In the next two hours after we left him, he was gone.
I was at his wake to-night and everything look so meaningless at that particular moment. He was a successful businessman and have been very careful with his health and he was gone well before his time at early sixties. Looking back, why are we so caught up with the rat race and runing in a marathon thinking that we would live forever? We should stop and re-focus our priorities. Are we running for the sake of running or with a purpose? Do we know where we are going to or just running round in circles wasting our effort and time.
What is our purpose in life? Just to make money, eat good food, have all the material wealth or the best thing in life? However, money can really make the world go round but at the end of the day is emptiness. Everything is so self centered and self glorifing.We always want to prove that we are better than the others or more successful than others. Does it really matter when you are always the best ? Of course, personal perfection is a good thing but are you happy or still feeling empty ? Try giving or sharing, the experience could be different and you could end up finding back your long lost self. In the process of growing up, you lost your innocense and it blurs your awareness.
Our lives are inter-conected. If other people are happy, we are happy or vice versa.By taking care of others and makin gsure that they are happy can have positive effect on our health and happiness. Take little steps by yourself and check your inner feeling about such activities and if your are happy then move on jn that direction.
The end can be here but the memories of your good work and the influence you have in other people's life will live on through generations to come. It does not just end with death.
Namaste.
I was at his wake to-night and everything look so meaningless at that particular moment. He was a successful businessman and have been very careful with his health and he was gone well before his time at early sixties. Looking back, why are we so caught up with the rat race and runing in a marathon thinking that we would live forever? We should stop and re-focus our priorities. Are we running for the sake of running or with a purpose? Do we know where we are going to or just running round in circles wasting our effort and time.
What is our purpose in life? Just to make money, eat good food, have all the material wealth or the best thing in life? However, money can really make the world go round but at the end of the day is emptiness. Everything is so self centered and self glorifing.We always want to prove that we are better than the others or more successful than others. Does it really matter when you are always the best ? Of course, personal perfection is a good thing but are you happy or still feeling empty ? Try giving or sharing, the experience could be different and you could end up finding back your long lost self. In the process of growing up, you lost your innocense and it blurs your awareness.
Our lives are inter-conected. If other people are happy, we are happy or vice versa.By taking care of others and makin gsure that they are happy can have positive effect on our health and happiness. Take little steps by yourself and check your inner feeling about such activities and if your are happy then move on jn that direction.
The end can be here but the memories of your good work and the influence you have in other people's life will live on through generations to come. It does not just end with death.
Namaste.
Saturday, November 12, 2011
The 8 row in Penang
The name sounds like "egg roll" and perhaps, the promoters want it to sound it this way to the place as an eatery. It actually represents a row of 8 pre-war houses and it comprises of food, drinks and entertainment outlet. In this row of houses, it has a recently open Taiwanese restuarant, a frog leg porridge shop, a steam boat outlet, other food serving outlets and two pubs. The 8 row is located right in the middle of Georgetown,Penang and there are a whole lot of restuarants and entertainment outlets nearby and it is a stone throw away from the Red Rock Hotel located in Macalister Road..
I had dinner the Taiwanese outlet last night with my family and the name of the shop is called "Old Road". It is a very simple food joint and it only offers a few tables and the main decoration is a huge picture of a old road on its main wall, I think the place in the picture is a famous road in China for food and entertainment. It resembles the old roads in China.
The menu is also simple with rice, noodles, small delicacies and food but it is prepared in original Taiwanese style. A kind of small food joints in Taiwan. The drik menu is simple but they offered me their special drink all "Wu tea" and the taste was thick and bitter. The first sip could make you throw out but it gets more acceptable as you continue the drinking. As for the good menu, I ordered a hand maked noodle with soup while my daughter May ordered a pork rice. We ordered side dishes like the fried chicken, bean curb and their special"pau". The most outstanding food is their "pau" with a little bit of fatty pork and egg with some special souce. The whole main was good and in reasonable portion. It cost me only RM65 for the dinner with my family. It is not about the money but the amount you pay and the food we get is value for money. Good,simple and reasonable priced.
I am not a food critic but a food lover. The question we often encounter is that whether we eat to live or live to eat. I think I am a " live to eat" person and I enjoy good food. There is nothing wrong, right? On our journey through life, good food should be one o fhe enjoyment in life. We should eat as many type of good food as possible before we lost all our teeth or our appetite We should learn how to dance in the Sun and the rain.For your information, the TV ABC Food channel is getting very popular and for those of you good lovers, it should be an interesting explore for you.
"Eat little but many types". Act like the Chefs.
Namaste.
I had dinner the Taiwanese outlet last night with my family and the name of the shop is called "Old Road". It is a very simple food joint and it only offers a few tables and the main decoration is a huge picture of a old road on its main wall, I think the place in the picture is a famous road in China for food and entertainment. It resembles the old roads in China.
The menu is also simple with rice, noodles, small delicacies and food but it is prepared in original Taiwanese style. A kind of small food joints in Taiwan. The drik menu is simple but they offered me their special drink all "Wu tea" and the taste was thick and bitter. The first sip could make you throw out but it gets more acceptable as you continue the drinking. As for the good menu, I ordered a hand maked noodle with soup while my daughter May ordered a pork rice. We ordered side dishes like the fried chicken, bean curb and their special"pau". The most outstanding food is their "pau" with a little bit of fatty pork and egg with some special souce. The whole main was good and in reasonable portion. It cost me only RM65 for the dinner with my family. It is not about the money but the amount you pay and the food we get is value for money. Good,simple and reasonable priced.
I am not a food critic but a food lover. The question we often encounter is that whether we eat to live or live to eat. I think I am a " live to eat" person and I enjoy good food. There is nothing wrong, right? On our journey through life, good food should be one o fhe enjoyment in life. We should eat as many type of good food as possible before we lost all our teeth or our appetite We should learn how to dance in the Sun and the rain.For your information, the TV ABC Food channel is getting very popular and for those of you good lovers, it should be an interesting explore for you.
"Eat little but many types". Act like the Chefs.
Namaste.
Facing with reality
My BIL j from Thailand is in town to escape the flood and he is now in Penang hospita fighting his Cancer. The chips are down and his chance is slim. I was with him a short while ago and the Doctors have told his wife that she have to be prepared for any eventuality. Anything can happen anytime now.
Looking at him brings back recent memories of my FIL J. The symptoms at the last stage of Cancer is the same. The patient could hardly drink and eat and they have ulcers on the mouth and tongue. The worst thing is that they havea lot of mucus and it got stuck in the throat as the Cancer spreads. Gradually, heir appetite and energy gets leas and weak. The Doctors will give them pain killers and eventually, they will switch to morphine and the dosage will increase as their illness intensify. The patient will see illusions or hallucinations because of the heavy dosage of the drug. Finally, they will stop eating and drinking and their major organs will shut down one by one. Their blood pressure will fall and they will gradually slip into Coma and die.
If you think that the patient is suffering, then their loved ones seeing them slipping away and cannot do anything about it will suffering more intensely. The stress , pain and hurts gets deep into their emotions and life. Their life will never be the same again and the memory runs deep and will re-surface regularly for the remaining life of the loved ones. It would be many times more painful.
The situation is beyond any one's control. It takes a strong mind and strong heart to live through this ordeal. Before the patient die, everyone have to face the reality and bite the bullet and live through this difficult period of time. In Asia, the culture promotes family values and ties and this relationship networking helps hte loved ones to coup with the situation tremedously. In the West, the people handles it differently as from young, the people live quite independently and their bond with each other is not so close as in Asia. In such case, the pains and hurts is less as the matter is often left to the professionals.
In my BIL J case, the DOctors in Penang found out that the treatment offered by the Thai Doctors was wrong and the chemcial imbalance in his body was serious and lacking or excess in certain chemicals could kill the patient or put them in coma.At this stage, there is no much one can do but as a hindsight, it is recommendable for the patient to have second opinion regularly to ensure that there is no slip ups.
It is in the interest of the patient that he should be allowed to close his relationship with his friends and relatves and give instructions for his funeral arrangements and help him to put his affairs into proper arrangements. Going is tough but these final steps is just as important so that the patient can go peacefully and lighter. Death is nver an option, so learn to dance in the rain.
Namaste.
Looking at him brings back recent memories of my FIL J. The symptoms at the last stage of Cancer is the same. The patient could hardly drink and eat and they have ulcers on the mouth and tongue. The worst thing is that they havea lot of mucus and it got stuck in the throat as the Cancer spreads. Gradually, heir appetite and energy gets leas and weak. The Doctors will give them pain killers and eventually, they will switch to morphine and the dosage will increase as their illness intensify. The patient will see illusions or hallucinations because of the heavy dosage of the drug. Finally, they will stop eating and drinking and their major organs will shut down one by one. Their blood pressure will fall and they will gradually slip into Coma and die.
If you think that the patient is suffering, then their loved ones seeing them slipping away and cannot do anything about it will suffering more intensely. The stress , pain and hurts gets deep into their emotions and life. Their life will never be the same again and the memory runs deep and will re-surface regularly for the remaining life of the loved ones. It would be many times more painful.
The situation is beyond any one's control. It takes a strong mind and strong heart to live through this ordeal. Before the patient die, everyone have to face the reality and bite the bullet and live through this difficult period of time. In Asia, the culture promotes family values and ties and this relationship networking helps hte loved ones to coup with the situation tremedously. In the West, the people handles it differently as from young, the people live quite independently and their bond with each other is not so close as in Asia. In such case, the pains and hurts is less as the matter is often left to the professionals.
In my BIL J case, the DOctors in Penang found out that the treatment offered by the Thai Doctors was wrong and the chemcial imbalance in his body was serious and lacking or excess in certain chemicals could kill the patient or put them in coma.At this stage, there is no much one can do but as a hindsight, it is recommendable for the patient to have second opinion regularly to ensure that there is no slip ups.
It is in the interest of the patient that he should be allowed to close his relationship with his friends and relatves and give instructions for his funeral arrangements and help him to put his affairs into proper arrangements. Going is tough but these final steps is just as important so that the patient can go peacefully and lighter. Death is nver an option, so learn to dance in the rain.
Namaste.
Florence Phyllis - Brain hurting bad (ext)
What would you like me to be?
I’m trying real hard to be myself
And you don’t like it.
Lest I should forget that all my words
Too hard to swallow
Are the only things that tell me in all the lost of
North or South or West or East,
That I still am
And still am somewhere
That I don’t mind being at all.
What is the difference if you like it or not?
I picked a life to become
And you said you wanted me but now you’re making me
Chili-tied, wide-eyed, brain hurting mad.
I don’t want a single thing
that’s so brain hurting mad.
And especially why
Would I twist and try
To be less of what I only know
of who I simply am
For a simple man
with an embarrassing shortage
of a half simple plan.
Posted by Caitlin Carr at 3:35 AM
I’m trying real hard to be myself
And you don’t like it.
Lest I should forget that all my words
Too hard to swallow
Are the only things that tell me in all the lost of
North or South or West or East,
That I still am
And still am somewhere
That I don’t mind being at all.
What is the difference if you like it or not?
I picked a life to become
And you said you wanted me but now you’re making me
Chili-tied, wide-eyed, brain hurting mad.
I don’t want a single thing
that’s so brain hurting mad.
And especially why
Would I twist and try
To be less of what I only know
of who I simply am
For a simple man
with an embarrassing shortage
of a half simple plan.
Posted by Caitlin Carr at 3:35 AM
A long wait for my Dentist.
Once, I watch a canto Chinese series and there was a question posted at the end of the series - which is a better profession : An optician or a dentist? What would you think? Don't be shy. Write down your answer and keep it in your pocket and continue to enjoy my writing.
When I step into his clinic, there were only 3 patient and I gave my name to the nurse and I sat on the sofa to wait for my turn thinking that it will be very fast. Then, more and more people came in after me and I supposed that I am third in line. So. I waited comfortably and listen to the sentimental music which was already on when I get there. The nurse started to call the patients by their full name but she did not call my name after the fifth patient. By then,I know that I have fallen into a trap. Those people who came after me, have actually came before me to give their name.I was scheduled to be the eighth patient. What the heck ? The wait was long and I dozed off a few times due to the cool gloomy sky outside and the soothing sentimental music.
When I saw my Dentist, I told him that the wait have been very long and he told me that he hasn't eaten yet. woh! another person sacrifying his life for money. It was not so healthy for him to skip his meals or eat irregularly. But , this is his choice and finally, I got my treatment done.
For Dental treatment, the wait is often more nerve wrecking than the actual treatment. All of us want to get it and get out as fast as we can. If we can avoid it, we would never choose to see a Dentist.
Coming back to the teaser earlier on, the answer is Dentist! Of course , it is only common sense. There is only one pair of eyes and we have 36 tooths and there are more chances and occasions for any of the 36 of them suffering a pain or for extractions compared to two eyes having problems. By numbers, it has already won hands down.
One extraction or treatment is RM30 to RM50 and just imagine for 15 minutes and it a day, if there is 30 patients a day and it should bring in a revenue of RM1,500 per day and if the Dentist worked 20 days in a month, it should bring in RM30,000 a month. What job is better paid than a Dentist ? Getting paid while inflicting pain on his patient. I think if they work long enough as a Debtust , they could become a sadist. Otherwise, it won't work, right?
Namaste.
When I step into his clinic, there were only 3 patient and I gave my name to the nurse and I sat on the sofa to wait for my turn thinking that it will be very fast. Then, more and more people came in after me and I supposed that I am third in line. So. I waited comfortably and listen to the sentimental music which was already on when I get there. The nurse started to call the patients by their full name but she did not call my name after the fifth patient. By then,I know that I have fallen into a trap. Those people who came after me, have actually came before me to give their name.I was scheduled to be the eighth patient. What the heck ? The wait was long and I dozed off a few times due to the cool gloomy sky outside and the soothing sentimental music.
When I saw my Dentist, I told him that the wait have been very long and he told me that he hasn't eaten yet. woh! another person sacrifying his life for money. It was not so healthy for him to skip his meals or eat irregularly. But , this is his choice and finally, I got my treatment done.
For Dental treatment, the wait is often more nerve wrecking than the actual treatment. All of us want to get it and get out as fast as we can. If we can avoid it, we would never choose to see a Dentist.
Coming back to the teaser earlier on, the answer is Dentist! Of course , it is only common sense. There is only one pair of eyes and we have 36 tooths and there are more chances and occasions for any of the 36 of them suffering a pain or for extractions compared to two eyes having problems. By numbers, it has already won hands down.
One extraction or treatment is RM30 to RM50 and just imagine for 15 minutes and it a day, if there is 30 patients a day and it should bring in a revenue of RM1,500 per day and if the Dentist worked 20 days in a month, it should bring in RM30,000 a month. What job is better paid than a Dentist ? Getting paid while inflicting pain on his patient. I think if they work long enough as a Debtust , they could become a sadist. Otherwise, it won't work, right?
Namaste.
Friday, November 11, 2011
Less exercise too much TV lead to depression.
Fri Nov 11, 2011 8:41PM EST
By Genevra Pittman
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Women who exercised frequently and didn't watch much TV were least likely be diagnosed with depression in a new study of middle-aged Americans.
Researchers found that women who reported exercising the most in recent years were about 20 percent less likely to get depression than those who rarely got their blood moving. On the other hand, the more hours they spent watching TV each week, the more their risk of depression crept up -- but the effect was smaller than it was for physical activity.
The finding "adds to the growing body of evidence that physical activity is important to maintain brain health," Dr. Gillian Mead, who studies geriatric medicine at Edinburgh's Royal Infirmary but wasn't involved in the new research, told Reuters Health in an email.
The study can't prove that watching too much TV and avoiding exercise causes depression. But more time spent off the couch and being active could boost self-esteem and women's sense of control, as well as endorphins in their blood, researchers wrote in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
The report included close to 50,000 women who filled out surveys every couple of years as part of the U.S. Nurses' Health Study. Participants recorded the amount of time they spent watching TV each week in 1992, and also answered questions about how often they walked, biked, ran and swam between 1992 and 2000.
On the same questionnaires, women reported any new diagnosis of clinical depression or medication they were taking to treat depression.
The analysis only included women who didn't have depression in 1996, when they were an average of 63 to 64 years old.
Over the next decade, there were 6,500 new cases of depression.
After the researchers accounted for aspects of health and lifestyle linked to depression, including weight, smoking and a range of diseases, exercising the most -- 90 minutes or more each day -- meant women were 20 percent less likely to be diagnosed with depression than those who exercised 10 minutes or less daily.
And the intensity of that physical activity was important as well. Walking was the most common type of exercise reported, but only women who said they walked at a brisk or very brisk pace had lower depression rates than couch potatoes.
"If you walk at an easy pace and slow pace, probably you will not get the benefits people have when they walk at a brisk or very brisk pace," study author Michel Lucas, from the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, told Reuters Health.
Women who watched three hours of TV per day or more were 13 percent more likely to be diagnosed with depression than those who hardly ever tuned in -- but the researchers couldn't be sure that finding wasn't due to chance.
Lucas said that at least part of the link between TV and depression -- but not all of it -- is probably because some women replace time they could be exercising with TV-watching.
The report is not the first to link exercise to a mental health boost.
"Previous studies have suggested that physical activity is associated with a lower risk of depressive symptoms," Mead said, but this study adds to that research by looking for full-fledged depression diagnoses. Still, "it cannot prove a causal relationship between low physical activity and depression," she added.
One alternative explanation the researchers brought up is that women might have been experiencing some symptoms of depression before they were diagnosed, leading them to exercise less and watch more TV. Then, a formal diagnosis could have come later.
Still, the message should be that replacing some couch time with exercise time could lower your chances of getting depression, Lucas said.
SOURCE: American Journal of Epidemiology, online October 7, 2011.
By Genevra Pittman
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Women who exercised frequently and didn't watch much TV were least likely be diagnosed with depression in a new study of middle-aged Americans.
Researchers found that women who reported exercising the most in recent years were about 20 percent less likely to get depression than those who rarely got their blood moving. On the other hand, the more hours they spent watching TV each week, the more their risk of depression crept up -- but the effect was smaller than it was for physical activity.
The finding "adds to the growing body of evidence that physical activity is important to maintain brain health," Dr. Gillian Mead, who studies geriatric medicine at Edinburgh's Royal Infirmary but wasn't involved in the new research, told Reuters Health in an email.
The study can't prove that watching too much TV and avoiding exercise causes depression. But more time spent off the couch and being active could boost self-esteem and women's sense of control, as well as endorphins in their blood, researchers wrote in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
The report included close to 50,000 women who filled out surveys every couple of years as part of the U.S. Nurses' Health Study. Participants recorded the amount of time they spent watching TV each week in 1992, and also answered questions about how often they walked, biked, ran and swam between 1992 and 2000.
On the same questionnaires, women reported any new diagnosis of clinical depression or medication they were taking to treat depression.
The analysis only included women who didn't have depression in 1996, when they were an average of 63 to 64 years old.
Over the next decade, there were 6,500 new cases of depression.
After the researchers accounted for aspects of health and lifestyle linked to depression, including weight, smoking and a range of diseases, exercising the most -- 90 minutes or more each day -- meant women were 20 percent less likely to be diagnosed with depression than those who exercised 10 minutes or less daily.
And the intensity of that physical activity was important as well. Walking was the most common type of exercise reported, but only women who said they walked at a brisk or very brisk pace had lower depression rates than couch potatoes.
"If you walk at an easy pace and slow pace, probably you will not get the benefits people have when they walk at a brisk or very brisk pace," study author Michel Lucas, from the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, told Reuters Health.
Women who watched three hours of TV per day or more were 13 percent more likely to be diagnosed with depression than those who hardly ever tuned in -- but the researchers couldn't be sure that finding wasn't due to chance.
Lucas said that at least part of the link between TV and depression -- but not all of it -- is probably because some women replace time they could be exercising with TV-watching.
The report is not the first to link exercise to a mental health boost.
"Previous studies have suggested that physical activity is associated with a lower risk of depressive symptoms," Mead said, but this study adds to that research by looking for full-fledged depression diagnoses. Still, "it cannot prove a causal relationship between low physical activity and depression," she added.
One alternative explanation the researchers brought up is that women might have been experiencing some symptoms of depression before they were diagnosed, leading them to exercise less and watch more TV. Then, a formal diagnosis could have come later.
Still, the message should be that replacing some couch time with exercise time could lower your chances of getting depression, Lucas said.
SOURCE: American Journal of Epidemiology, online October 7, 2011.
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