FDA Approves Heart-Healthy Labeling For Brown Rice

White rice that most of us consume everyday is the result of the milling of brown rice, during which the kernels are stripped of the bran layer and then polished by removing the subaleurone layer.

This milling and polishing destroys up to 67 percent of vitamin B3, 80 percent of vitamin B1, 90 of vitamin B6, 50 percent of manganese and phosphorus, virtually all of its fiber, and 100 percent of essential fatty acids.

The health benefits of high fiber content foods are numerous, it reduces the possibility of heart diseases, helps avoid abrupt spikes in sugar levels, helps digestion and reduces constipation etc.

The American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in May 2008 approved a heart-healthy label to be placed on most whole grain products, including brown rice. These whole grain products contain soluble fiber, which binds cholesterol and prevents it from being absorbed by the intestine and into the bloodstream. This binding lowers cholesterol and can help decrease your risk of coronary heart disease. You can read about this new ruling on the FDA's website.

Nutritionists and dieticians are now increasingly recommending brown rice as an excellent source of all-round nutrition.

Picture source

TOKOTRIENOL : PERLINDUNGAN SARAF

Tokotrienol adalah salah satu dari keluarga vitamin E. Nutrisi yang diperlukan oleh tubuh, vitamin E terdiri dari empat tokoferol(alfa, beta, gamma, delta) dan empat tokotrienol (alfa, beta, gamma, delta).

Kekurangan vitamin E menyebabkan gangguan pada fungsi neurologikal. Otak sangat mudah teroksida sehingga rosak disebabkan pengambilan oksigen yang terlalu tinggi.Tambahan pula kandungan lipid yang tinggi dalam otak menjadikannya lebih mudah teroksida dalam persekitaran yang kurang antioksidan.

Merupakan antioksidan yang 40 hingga 60 kali lebih poten, tokotrienol lebih efektif dari tokoferol dalam melindungi sel otak dari kerosakan oksidatif (37).

Tokotrienol memiliki keupayaan melindungi saraf secara berkesan seperti yang dibuktikan dalam sejumlah kajian yang ditaja oleh NIH (38-40). Kajian secara in-vitro menunjukkan bahawa alfa-tokotrienol, bukan alfa-tokoferol, mencegah kematian saraf pada konsentrasi yang sangat ekstrem rendah. (nanomolar, 10-9)

Saraf yang dirawat dengan tokotrienol kekal tumbuh sihat dan berkembang walaupun dalam kehadiran agen neurotoksik yang berlebihan. Sifat pelindung saraf dapat dilihat pada konsentrasi tokotrienol yang rendah, tidak bergantung kepada aktiviti antioksidan kerana tokotrienol tidak menghalang sifat antioksidan pada kepekatan nanomolar. Tokotrienol hanya mula menunjukkan efek antioksidan pada konsentrasi micromolar (41).

Kajian yang sama di Ohio State Medical Center menunjukkan bahawa tokotrienol secara oral sampai pada otak tikus dalam konsentrasi yang boleh mencegah strok. Disini terjadi penurunan jumlah infark cerebral dalam pengambilan tokotrienol pada tikus berbanding pada kawalan yang sepadan (40).

Kajian selanjutnya menunjukkan bahawa suplemen tokotrienol pada wanita sihat mencapai tahap plasma tokotrienol 12 hingga 30 kali lebih tinggi berbanding kepekatan yang diperlukan untuk perlindungan saraf.

Kajian terhadap manusia secara rawak “double blind” plasebo, mengarah kepada merekrut 400 pesakit selama lima tahun untuk mengkaji efek perlindungan saraf dari tokotrienol dengan melihat perubahan yang berlaku menggunakan Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)(43). Ini membolehkan penyelidik melihat perubahan awal pada otak tanpa perlu menunggu keputusan klinikal akhir yang nyata seperti strok klinikal.

Keputusan dari percubaan klinikal ini akan memberikan lebih tumpuan pada kelebihan kejayaan kompleks tokotrienol dalam kedua-dua gangguan neurologikal akut, contohnya : strok, dan gangguan neurodegeneratif kronik, contohnya penyakit Alzheimer dan penyakit Parkinson.

Kertas kajian yang digunakan dalam presentasi ini terdapat di sini

The Old Banana Poem

My nookie days are over,
My pilot light is out.
What used to be my sex appeal,
Is now my water spout.

Time was when, on its own accord,
From my trousers it would spring.
But now I've got a full time job,
To find the bloody thing.

It used to be embarrassing,
The way it would behave.
For every single morning,
It would stand and watch me shave.

Now as old age approaches,
It sure gives me the blues.
To see it hang its little head,
And watch me tie my shoes!!

Author unknown

Don't despair!

CLICK HERE

for the successful Banana story.
Picture source

Renaming the HYMEN

A Swedish sexual rights group unilaterally proclaimed a new English term for what it considers one of the most misunderstood parts of the female anatomy.

Etymologically, the term hymen comes from the Greek word for membrane.

According to the Swedish Association for Sexuality Education, the hymen is a set of mucous tissue, located 1-2 cm inside the vaginal opening. Rather than a fragile membrane or curtain that breaks, however, the hymen is actually multiple folds of mucous membrane; a vaginal corona, in other words.

The first time the hymen is stretched – whether by a tampon, through penetrative sex or masturbation – there might be some pain, and minor ruptures in the mucous folds may lead to a little bleeding. However, fewer than half of women experience pain or bleeding the first time they have penetrative sex. Some women experience pain and/or bleeding even if they have had penetrative sex many times before.

It introduced a booklet that describes what the female genitals look like and what the vaginal corona actually is. The authors aim is to dispel many of the myths surrounding female sexuality and the misconceptions concerning the hymen and virginity. Source

Be amongst the first five to write a response to this article “Renaming the Hymen” and receive a set of Zestz Moisturising Gel and Zestz DeO Spray FREE.

Hurry! This offer expires 10 days from today.

Diabetes : High Risk of Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation is characterized by a lack of coordinated atrial activity, and this loss of organized atrial contraction can lead to a myriad of clinical scenarios that include decompensated congestive heart failure (CHF), embolic cerebrovascular accident (CVA), ischemia, dizziness/weakness, and even asymptomatic patients with tachycardia.

Diabetes was associated with higher risk of developing atrial fibrillation.

Now a population-based case-control study led by Dr. Susan Heckbert involving 1,410 people with newly-recognized atrial fibrillation and 2,203 controls without atrial fibrillation over a three year period has found the following:

1. Patients with diabetes were 40 percent more likely to be diagnosed with atrial fibrillation than were people without diabetes.
2. The risk of atrial fibrillation rose by 3 percent for each additional year that patients had diabetes.
3. For patients with high blood sugar (glycosylated hemoglobin, also known as HBA1c more than 9 percent), the risk of atrial fibrillation was twice that for people without diabetes.
4. But patients with well-controlled diabetes (HBA1c 7 percent or less) were about equally likely to have atrial fibrillation as people without diabetes.
   

Unlike most prior studies, this one also adjusted for patients' weight, which is important because both diabetes and atrial fibrillation are more common in heavier people.

About one in 100 Americans -- and nearly nine in 100 over age 80 -- have atrial fibrillation, according to Dr. Heckbert, a professor of epidemiology and scientific investigator in the Cardiovascular Health Research Unit at the University of Washington (UW).

In many cases, atrial fibrillation has no symptoms, and it is not necessarily life threatening.

But it can cause palpitations, fainting, fatigue, or congestive heart failure. Atrial fibrillation can also make blood pool -- and sometimes clot -- in the atria. When parts of clots break off and leave the atria, they can lead to embolic strokes, as happens in more than 70,000 Americans a year.

Journal Reference:

Dublin S, Glazer NL, Smith NL, Psaty BM, Lumley T, Wiggins KL, Page RL, Heckbert SR. Diabetes Mellitus, Glycemic Control, and Risk of Atrial Fibrillation. J Gen Intern Med. 2010 Apr 20. [Epub ahead of print]

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Tocotrienols : NEUROPROTECTION

PROTECTION AGAINST STROKE-INDUCED INJURIES

Tocotrienols are members of the vitamin E family. An essential nutrient for the body, vitamin E is made up of four tocopherols (alpha, beta, gamma, delta) and four tocotrienols (alpha, beta, gamma, delta).

Deficiency of vitamin E is a cause of neurological dysfunction. The brain is highly susceptible to oxidative damage due to its high oxygen consumption. Furthermore, the high lipid content of the brain makes it susceptible to lipid peroxidation in an antioxidant poor environment.

40-60 times more potent an antioxidant, tocotrienols are more effective than tocopherols in protecting brain cells from oxidative damage (37).

Tocotrienols exert potent neuroprotective property as proven in a number of NIH-sponsored studies (38-40). In vitro study showed that alpha-tocotrienol, not alpha-tocopherol, prevented neuron’s death at extremely low concentration (nanomolar, 10-9).

Tocotrienol-treated neurons maintained healthy growth and motility even in the presence of excess neurotoxic agent. The neuroprotective property seen at such low concentration of tocotrienol is independent of its antioxidant activity, as tocotrienols do not exhibit antioxidant properties at nanomolar concentrations. Tocotrienol only begins to show its antioxidant effects at micromolar concentrations (41).

The same researchers at the Ohio State Medical Center went on to demonstrate that oral tocotrienols reaches rats’ brain in concentration that protected against stroke. There is reduced volume of cerebral infarct in tocotrienol supplemented rats compared with matched controls (40).

A further study showed that tocotrienol supplementation in healthy women achieved plasma levels of tocotrienols 12 to 30 times more than the required neuroprotective concentration (42).

A randomized double blind placebo controlled human study, is on course to recruit some 400 participants over the next few years to study the neuroprotective effects of tocotrienols by looking at white matter changes using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (43). This allows the researchers to look into early changes of the brain without having to wait for an overt clinical endpoint such as a clinical stroke.

The results of this clinical trial will shed more light on the benefits of palm tocotrienol complex in both acute neurological disorders, e.g. stroke, and chronic neurodegerative disorders, e.g. Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease.

The research papers used in this presentation are listed at Carotech.

Zestz for LAUGHS : The Generation Chasm

We dedicate Zestzfulness to helping Baby Boomers and Gen Xs realize the zest of life

Which are you?

Baby Boomers are people born between 1946 and 1959.

Generation X are people born between 1960 and 1979.

Thus those born between 1980 and 2010 should be Generation Y.

More eloquently...

Picture 1; picture 2; picture 3

Zestz JAZZ : Cucu Alfonso Soliano

Rachel Guerzo bakal muncul di Dewan Filharmonik Petronas pada 27 April

DIIKUTKAN pengalamannya, wanita yang dilahirkan dengan nama Rachel Guerzo ini sebenarnya sudah kira-kira dua dekad menghambakan dirinya pada dunia seni. Begitupun, namanya tidaklah mekar di arus perdana kerana wanita berbakat ini lebih senang meneruskan minatnya dalam dunia persembahan berskala lebih kecil seperti majlis makan malam korporat mahupun di hotel serta kelab.

Namun, sejak tiga tahun lalu, dia mula memberikan tumpuan kepada muzik jazz untuk membawa karier seninya ke peringkat lebih jauh lagi. Penghujung tahun lalu, dia berjaya menghasilkan sebuah album berjudul Just Friends, yang memuatkan tiga lagu Melayu dan tiga Inggeris. Diterbitkan hasil titik peluhnya sendiri, album yang mengetengahkan muzik jazz tulen itu menjadi buah tangan paling berharga buat Rachel kerana ia memberikannya peluang untuk bekerja dengan pemuzik ternama, termasuk bapanya sendiri, Salvador Guerzo.

"Peminat sudah lama menyarankan saya merakamkan suara ke album. Namun, sebelum ini saya agak terikat dengan beberapa hal lain. Lagipun, saya tidak perlu tergesa-gesa dalam menghasilkan album ini.

"Selain memenuhi impian peminat, album ini juga membolehkan saya menunaikan hasrat bekerja dengan bapa sendiri. Di samping itu, saya turut berupaya untuk merakamkan lagu ciptaan datuk saya, Alfonso Soliano, menerusi album ini," kata Rachel ketika berkunjung ke Balai Berita, baru-baru ini.

Lebih membuatkan dirinya terharu, Just Friends memberikannya ruang untuk bekerjasama dengan pemuzik handalan termasuk pemain genderang dari Brazil, Valtinho Anastacio.
"Komuniti muzik jazz ini sebenarnya tidaklah besar sangat. Saya sendiri diperkenalkan kepada Valtinho ketika dia mengadakan persembahan di Kuala Lumpur. Dari situ, saya memaklumkan mengenai projek album terbabit dan dia bersetuju untuk menjadi sebahagian daripada projek istimewa ini," kata Rachel.

Bercerita mengenai pembabitannya dengan muzik jazz, penyanyi yang juga pemain piano kelahiran Kuala Lumpur ini memberitahu, semuanya bermula apabila pemuzik Farid Ali mencadangkan dirinya berhenti menyanyi di hotel, sebaliknya memilih satu genre muzik yang digemari, yang seterusnya mampu membawa dirinya ke peringkat lebih tinggi.

"Jika diikutkan, kepuasan yang dicapai ketika mengadakan persembahan di kelab atau hotel sebenarnya lebih tinggi. Namun, demi membawa karier saya ke peringkat lebih jauh, saya memilih untuk menghasilkan album dan memperjuangkan muzik nuasa jazz ini," katanya yang teringin untuk bekerjasama dengan lebih ramai pemuzik antarabangsa dalam projek album akan datang.

Katanya, jika album pertama mendapat sambutan membanggakan, dia merancang untuk merakamkan lebih banyak lagu Melayu klasik, yang akan disuntik dengan elemen muzik antarabangsa.

Boleh didapati di kebanyakan kedai muzik ternama, secara online, serta di No Black Tie, album berharga RM35 yang mengambil masa kira-kira setahun untuk disiapkan itu juga boleh dibeli peminat pada lokasi persembahan penyanyi ini, termasuk pada persembahannya di Dewan Filharmonik Petronas (DFP), 27 April ini.

Janjikan persembahan terbaik di DFP

SELEPAS Mia Palencia dan Noryn Aziz, kini tibalah pula giliran Rachel untuk menaiki pentas berprestij DFP menerusi siri persembahan DFP Spotlight: Jazz, bagi musim 2009/2010. Dijadualkan bermula jam 9 malam, penyanyi wanita berusia 35 tahun ini akan tampil bersama lima pemuzik.

Selain dirinya sendiri yang menyanyi dan bermain piano, persembahan yang memakan masa kira-kira satu jam 15 minit itu turut menampilkan Steve Thornton yang bermain genderang, Ruslan Imam (gitar bes), Nik Khair (gitar), Salvador Guerzo (saksofon) dan Rizal Soliano (dram). Rizal ialah bapa saudara kepada penyanyi yang sememangnya dilahirkan dalam keluarga seni ini.

Pada malam berkenaan, Rachel bukan sekadar bakal menyanyikan lagu petikan album Just Friends, seperti Jauh Jauh dan Gadis Idamanku, dia juga akan mendendangkan lagu jazz popular seperti It Don’t Mean A Thing If It Ain’t Got That Swing, Easy To Love dan Just In Time.

"Berbeza dengan persembahan saya di beberapa kelab seperti Alexis dan No Black Tie, yang menyaksikan saya beraksi secara kuartet, kemunculan di DFP nanti akan dimeriahkan juga dengan permainan muzik gitar dan perkusi," katanya yang muncul buat julung kali di DFP.

Menurut wanita yang mula bermain piano sejak usianya lima tahun ini, sudah tentu dia akan memberikan persembahan terbaiknya pada kemunculan sulung di dewan berprestij berkenaan. Ketika yang sama, dia ingin berseronok, seterusnya meninggalkan kenangan indah buat peminat yang datang.

KLIK DI SINI : Tiket menyaksikan persembahan Rachel dijual pada harga RM40. Maklumat lanjut boleh didapati dengan menghubungi 03-20517007.

Oleh Nurulhisham Abdul Latiff Berita Harina 2010/04/16

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Mindfulness Meditation

What is Mindfulness Meditation?

We’ll let Cathy Wong from http://www.about.com/ present a brief introduction to this non-religious practice of touching life deeply in every moment of daily life…. to be truly alive and present with those around you and with what you are doing.

Mindfulness is a type of meditation that essentially involves focusing your mind on the present.

To be mindful is to be aware of your thoughts and actions in the present, without judging yourself.

Research suggests that mindfulness meditation may improve mood, decrease stress, and boost immune function.

How to Try Mindfulness Meditation

1. Find a quiet and comfortable place. Sit in a chair or on the floor with your head, neck and back straight but not stiff.
   
2. Try to put aside all thoughts of the past and the future and stay in the present.
   
3. Become aware of your breathing, focusing on the sensation of air moving in and out of your body as you breathe. Feel your belly rise and fall, the air enter your nostrils and leave your mouth. Pay attention to the way each breath changes and is different.
   
4. Watch every thought come and go, whether it be a worry, fear, anxiety or hope. When thoughts come up in your mind, don't ignore or suppress them but simply note them, remain calm and use your breathing as an anchor.
   
5. If you find yourself getting carried away in your thoughts, observe where your mind went off to, without judging, and simply return to your breathing. Remember not to be hard on yourself if this happens.
   
6. As the time comes to a close, sit for a minute or two, becoming aware of where you are. Get up gradually.

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Brief Meditative Exercise Improves Cognition

While past research using neuroimaging technology has shown that Meditation techniques do promote significant changes in brain areas associated with concentration, it has always been assumed that extensive training was required to achieve this effect.

New research suggests that even very brief training in mindfulness meditation had a positive impact on our cognitive processing -- most importantly in the ability to sustain attention and vigilance.

After four sessions of either meditation training or listening to a recorded book (J.R.R. Tolkein's The Hobbit), participants with no prior meditation experience were assessed with measures of mood, verbal fluency, visual coding, and working memory.

Both interventions were effective at improving mood but only brief meditation training reduced fatigue, anxiety, and increased mindfulness. Moreover, brief mindfulness training significantly improved visuo-spatial processing, working memory, and executive functioning.

The findings suggest that only four days of meditation training for only 20 minutes each day can enhance the ability to sustain attention; benefits that have previously been reported with long-term meditators.

Lead researcher, Fadel Zeidan, PhD, likens the brief training the participants received to a kind of mental calisthenics that prepared their minds for cognitive activity.

"The simple process of focusing on the breath in a relaxed manner, in a way that teaches you to regulate your emotions by raising one's awareness of mental processes as they're happening is like working out a bicep, but you are doing it to your brain. Mindfulness meditation teaches you to release sensory events that would easily distract, whether it is your own thoughts or an external noise, in an emotion-regulating fashion. This can lead to better, more efficient performance on the intended task."

"This kind of training seems to prepare the mind for activity, but it's not necessarily permanent," Zeidan cautions. "This doesn't mean that you meditate for four days and you're done -- you need to keep practicing."

Journal Reference:

Zeidan F, Johnson SK, Diamond BJ, David Z, Goolkasian P. Mindfulness meditation improves cognition: Evidence of brief mental training. Conscious Cogn. 2010 Apr 2.

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Langkah-langkah Pencegahan Kanser

Sesiapapun boleh mendapat kanser. Satu dari faktor utama yang menyebabkan seseorang boleh mendapat kanser ialah umur: 3 dari 4 pesakit kanser berumur 55 tahun atau lebih. Tetapi ada lebih banyak faktor lain yang mempengaruhi risiko kanser dan beberapa diantaranya boleh diubah.

Empat puluh peratus dari kanser boleh dicegah dengan mengamalkan gaya hidup sihat, menurut laporan yang dipelopori oleh penyelidik dari organisasi International Union Against Cancer (UICC).

BERTINDAK SEKARANG!!

1. Berhenti merokok sekarang juga.

Merokok adalah satu-satunya penyebab utama kanser yang boleh dicegah. Perokok pasif kedua dan ketiga juga boleh merosakkan kesihatan.

2. Makan pelbagai jenis makanan berkhasiat.

Seimbangkan pengambilan kalori dengan aktiviti fizikal. Sayur-sayuran penting seperti brokoli, kubis bunga, kubis, kubis Brussels dan khailan dipercayai menjadi bahan semulajadi terbaik melawan kanser. Pastikan makanan tinggi antioksidan dalam diet anda – seperti tomato, teh ( terutama teh hijau), wain merah, coklat hitam, kekacang, kekeras dan banyak lagi makanan lain.

Pilih bijirin yang diproses (refined). Diet tinggi fiber terlarut dan rendah lemak bukan sahaja membantu anda mengurangkan berat atau mengekalkan berat badan, ia juga mempunyai kaitan untuk menurunkan risiko kanser kolon, esofagus, paru-paru dan perut. Kawal pengambilan makanan yang diproses, daging merah dan juga alkohol.

3. Tetap aktif dan kekalkan berat ideal.

30 minit senaman sederhana setiap hari boleh membantu mencegah kanser melalui mekanisma berikut:

• Meningkatkan sistem imun anda.
• Mencegah kegemukan
• Menurunkan kadar estrogen
• Menurunkan kadar Faktor Pertumbuhan Insulin (FPI). Kadar FPI yang tinggi akan meningkatkan risiko pembentukan kanser payudara, kolon, dan rektum.

Di USA, 16% kes kanser usus pada lelaki dan 17% kes kanser payudara pada wanita boleh dicegah hanya dengan memastikan mereka berada dalam julat berat ideal.

4. Lindungi diri dari matahari

Lebih dari 90% semua kanser kulit disebabkan pendedahan secara berlebihan terhadap radiasi matahari, termasuk melanoma dimana ia boleh mengancam nyawa.

5. Dapatkan imunisasi

Setengah kanser berkaitan dengan infeksi virus yang boleh dicegah melalui imunisasi. Bincang dengan doktor anda tentang imunisasi melawan Hepatitis B dan Human Papillomavirus (HPV).

6. Hindari Tabiat berbahaya

Semua tahu bahan karsinogen terdapat dalam persekitaran hidup kita, di rumah dan di tempat kerja. Hindari atau kurangkan pendedahan pada bahan-bahan yang diketahui mengandungi bahan kimia berbahaya. Hindari perbuatan berbahaya yang mendedahkan anda pada HPV, HIV dan jangkitan Hepatitis B dan C yang diketahui penyebab kanser.

7. Lakukan pemeriksaan

Ujian secara teratur dan pemeriksaan sendiri untuk sesetengah kanser mungkin tidak mencegah kanser, tetapi ia boleh meningkatkan peluang penemuan awal kanser – dimana rawatan awal kejayaannya lebih tinggi.

8. Kurangkan tekanan

Kita tahu bahawa kanser menyebabkan kita tertekan, tetapi adakah tekanan juga menyebabkan kanser?

Kajian pada sel biologi dan biokimia menunjukkan bahawa sesetengah molekul yang diberi tekanan secara berkala mempunyai kaitan dengan beberapa penyakit termasuk kanser.

Saluran yang radang akibat tertekan mengakibatkan pembentukan tumor, metastasis tumor, dan resistan kepada kemoterapi.

Adalah amat penting untuk mengetahui dan menangani tekanan, samaada ada atau tidak sebarang efek atas pembentukan atau perkembangan kanser, dengan melakukannya akan meningkatkan kualiti hidup anda.

Selain itu, jangan menyesali perkara yang lepas, jangan berspekulasi terhadap masa depan. Fokus pada waktu sekarang dan nikmati saat ini...

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Proper Dental Hygiene and Heart Disease

The health of our blood vessels could be hanging by the proverbial thread: dental floss.

It has been long suspected that atherosclerosis is an inflammatory process, and that periodontal disease plays a role in atherosclerosis. A new research study by Italian and U.K. scientists examined the carotid arteries of 35 otherwise healthy people (median age 46) with mild to moderate periodontal disease before and after having their periodontal disease treated. One year after treatment, the scientists observed a reduction in oral bacteria, immune inflammation and the thickening of the blood vessels associated with atherosclerosis.

This finding can't be simply brushed aside. Proper dental hygiene can reduce the risk of atherosclerosis, stroke and heart disease independently of other measures, such as managing cholesterol.

Piconi, S., Trabattoni, D., Luraghi, C., Perilli, E., Borelli, M., Pacei, M., Rizzardini, G., Lattuada, A., Bray, D. H., Catalano, M., Sparaco, A., Clerici, M. (2009). Treatment of periodontal disease results in improvements in endothelial dysfunction and reduction of the carotid intima-media thickness. FASEB J. 23: 1196-1204

Zestz : Celebrating the PRESENT

"The Future Depends on What We Do in the Present" Gandhi

Did you ever feel like someone, something, is just holding you back? Keeping you in a place from where you are ready to move on? And you find you asking yourself "Self? What is that? Why is that?" Most of the time my Self answers "I don't know, you're the one not moving your feet! LET'S GO!" And you know what, she's right! She has moved on, she's the one who initiated the feeling of being ready to move on! She said to me first, "hey, we've done what we can or what we wanted to do here, let's see what else this wonderful thing called life has to do!" but sometimes venturing out into the unknown can be a bit scary or maybe we're just 'comfortable' where we are and don't want to rock the boat - as they say... hmmm

WHERE'S THE FUN IN THAT?!! Aren't the best stories always about things like that time funny ol Jack was up to his pranks again & started yelling for the fish to jump in his boat because he was tired of waiting & then he got that boat to rocking back & forth & back & forth until finally that little boat tipped over and in went Jack with a big splash & got everyone soaked & then we all laughed and laughed and laughed!!

Much more fun than watching ol Jack sit quietly and fish because it's safer that way, the sure way to catch a fish... ho hum..

The reason I bring this up - well, since you asked ;) - I had a similar experience recently - no, I didn't go fishing, but if anyone's got a boat, I've got a rod! - seriously though, I was 'comfortable' with my job but my Self said she was ready to move on, ready for more. She wanted to learn, and grow. She wanted fun, excitement, a challenge! When she learned about this place, she was so happy and took off running! Running so fast... until her body (yes that would be mine) stopped her like a little girl running through the mall & just got her ponytails caught in the revolving door! eeeerrrrrrrrrrrtt!! (that's my screeching sound ;) But that wasn't 'comfortable' apparently... I found reason after reason to slow my own progress and you know what? I regret every second of it. I didn't realize I was doing it, "but I had to work", "but I wasn't at home to get on the call", "but I'm in a really bad mood today & not feeling very "Bodhi"... Boy do I regret those! Because I always feel so energized after a call, so pumped after meeting someone & chatting Balance with them! I really love this place & all who I have met.

I guess what this blog is all about is simply to say please don't hesitate, listen to your inner guide, listen to your Self. Trust me, trust your Self. Don't waste precious time, get on that call, get out there & meet & do & talk & Be. Enjoy! Enjoy always!

Namaste!

Posted by Siddhartha (Sydnii)

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Zestz for LAUGHS

A doctor is to give a speech at the local MMA dinner. He jots down notes for his speech. Unfortunately, when he stands in front of his colleagues later that night, he finds that he can't read his notes. So he asks, "Is there a pharmacist in the house?"

Fathers Can Help Reduce Teenage Smoking

Fathers, who talked with their kids often, reduced the risk of their child's experimentation with smoking in early adolescence, research shows.

James White from Cardiff University's School of Medicine undertook a three-year-study, involving about 3,500 11-15 year-olds, as part of the British Youth Panel Survey -- a self report study of children in the British Household Panel survey.

The children were asked about the frequency of parental communication, arguments with family members and the frequency of family meals.

Recognised risk factors for smoking, such as age, participant sex, household income, parental monitoring and parental smoking, were all taken into account during analysis of the study's findings.

After three years, the responses of children who had remained non-smokers were compared to those who said they had experimented with smoking at some point.

Results indicated that one of the strongest protective factors for reducing the risk of experimenting with smoking in early adolescence was how often fathers talked with their children, both boys and girls, about 'things that mattered'.

The frequency of family arguments and family meals did not have a significant effect.

White presented his findings to the British Psychological Society's Annual Conference, 14-16 April 2010.

CLICK HERE Communication with Your Teens

Photo : http://images.rednet.cn/articleimage/2007%5C10%5C10%5C92044945.jpg

Zestz JAZZ remembers Jimmy Boyle

James W Boyle 1922- 1971

Penang has always boasted a long list of music greats with the likes of Tan Sri P. Ramlee, Jimmy Boyle, Joe Rozells and Larry Rodrigues. Not to miss out on the old charms of Penang, The Little Penang Street Market is proud to have the Rozells, with a tribute to the great Jimmy Boyle.

Jimmy Boyle was born in Penang in 1922. He was a well-known Malaysian Jazz musician who developed his own style.

His compositions and piano playing have been played throughout the world and won the hearts of top jazz critics like Jerry Muchigan and International jazz musicians like Charles Lloyd and Jack Teagarden.

Jimmy composed the first Malaysian Jamboree song "Kemegahan Negara Ku" which was played at midnight on the birth of Malaysia in 1963.

Among his notable compositions were: "Putera Puteri", "Ingat Ingat", "Jauh Jauh", "Rayuan Mesra", or "Melody Of Love", "Api Dan Air", "Bunga Negara", "Ke-Hulu Ke-Hilir", "Pantun Melayu", "Gemaran Bulan", "Bertugas", and "Sungai Pahang".

Jimmy Boyle had always been proud of being a Malaysian and through his music he had hoped to perpetuate the soul and spirit of his country and its people.

The late Jimmy Boyle has made a huge contribution to the music scene of Malaysia.

Website: http://www.rozells.com.my

CLICK HERE "Kemegahan Negara Ku" adopted by the Malaysian Armed Forces

IN CASE YOU HAVE FORGOTTEN:

Tue 27 April 2010, 9.00pm

Rachel Guerzo at the Dewan Filharmonik PETRONAS

CLICK HERE : Tickets at RM40 each for all seats

Set to be A Nation of Fatties

The rate of obesity* is expected to soar with the proposed lowering of the World Health Organisation's body mass index (BMI, body weight/height²) reading.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said Malaysia's overweight and obesity problems may be more serious compared with other countries in the region.

Based on the current WHO cut-off points of BMI 25 for overweight and BMI 30 for obesity, the National Health & Morbidity Survey conducted by the Ministry of Health in 1996 reported that 16.6% of Malaysian adults were overweight and another 4.4% were obese; that is, 1 in 5 adults were either overweight or obese. The report also revealed a disturbing scenario where there was little difference in prevalence between the urban and rural populations.

Ten years later, the National Health & Morbidity Survey of 2006 involving 33,465 eligible individuals, revealed that some 29% of adult Malaysians were overweight. Among the ethnic groups, Indians had the highest prevalence of overweight, followed by Malays and Chinese.

The 2006 study also identified 14% of the adult population as obese. In short, 43% of adult Malaysians, or 2 in 5, were now either overweight or obese.

In recent years, reports are emerging to suggest the need to lower the WHO BMI cut-off points for obesity to 23 and 27.5 respectively for Asian populations. This is because of their higher risk of obesity-related diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure and abnormal cholesterol at lower BMIs.

With this recommendation the rate of obesity is expected to soar putting the country on par with the United States and some European Union countries.

Wow, Malaysia Boleh!

In reality, obesity has significant detrimental effects on just about every major organ and is associated with significant morbidity, mortality and health care costs. In addition obesity can have a negative impact on your quality of life.

Potential concerns with obesity
Organ system	Health effects
Cancers	Men: oesophageal, stomach, coorectal, liver, gallbladder, pancreatic, prostate, kidney, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, multiple lymphoma, leukemia
	Women: uterine, cervical, ovarian, breast, colorectal, liver, gallbladder, kidney, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, multiple lymphoma, leukemia
Cardiovascular	Atherosclerosis, myocardial infaction, stroke
Dermatologic	Acanthosis nigricans (hyperpigmentation), skin tags, acne, boils, hirsutism, gynoid lipodystrophy (cellulite), stretch marks, varicose veins.
Endocrine	Insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes mellitus
Gastrointestinal	Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, gallbladder disease
Musculoskeletal	Osteoarthritis and degenerative foot disease
Pulmonary	Obstructive sleep apnoea
Reproductive	Men: Premature teststerone decline, erectile dysfunction
	Women: polycystic ovary syndrome

If you do not want to be part of this dubious Malaysian record, here’s what you can do:

CLICK HERE to calculate your BMI and adjust for your age

If you’re overweight, set a six months target to bring down your weight by 10%, i.e. if you are 165cm tall and weighing 70kg, you should try to shed 7kg in that period.

You do this by eating wisely and putting in a minimum 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical exercise, eg brisk walking, 5 times a week....and enjoying it!

* Obesity is described as an excessive amount of adipose tissue, which is defined in young adults as body fat > 25% in males and > 32% in females. The percentage of body fat can be directly measured by a number of methods including underwater weighing, deuterium dilution, dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA), and skinfold thickness measurements; however, the applications of these direct methods are limited to laboratory settings or small samples.

However these direct approaches are time-consuming, expensive, and not generally available. Thus, the body mass index (BMI) has been adopted to evaluate body composition by measuring the individual's body weight/height² (kg/m²).

Reference:

The Star 10/4/2010

Nutritional Status of Adults Aged 18 Years and Above http://www.nih.gov.my/NHMS/abstracts_12.html

Brown WV, Fujioka K, Wilson PW, Wood KA. Obesity: why be concerned? Am J Med. 2009 Apr;122(4 Suppl 1):S4-11

Picture:http://meetinthelobby.com/

Apabila Anda Berhenti Merokok

Salah satu penyebab utama sukarnya berhenti merokok ialah kerana kebaikan berhenti merokok dan keburukan meneruskannya tidak diketahui dengan jelas.

Jadi, di sini diterangkan perubahan yang berlaku berdasarkan waktu selepas berhenti merokok dan bagaimana ia memberi efek pada tubuh anda serta merta.

• Dalam 20 minit – tekanan darah anda akan kembali normal.
• Dalam 8 jam – paras karbon monoksida ( gas toksik) dalam aliran darah akan turun separuh dan paras oksigen akan kembali normal.
• Dalam 48 jam – peluang mendapat serangan jantung akan menurun. Semua nikotin akan hilang dari badan anda. Deria rasa dan bau akan kembali ke paras normal.
• Dalam 72 jam – saluran bronkial dalam keadaan rehat dan paras tenaga anda akan meningkat.
• Dalam 2 minggu - pengaliran darah akan meningkat, dan ia akan terus meningkat menjadi lebih baik untuk 10 minggu berikutnya.
• Dalam 3 hingga 9 bulan – batuk, masalah pernafasan dan tercungap-cungap akan hilang kerana kapasiti paru-paru meningkat sebanyak 10%.
• Dalam 1 tahun – risiko mendapat serangan jantung turun menjadi separuh.
• Dalam 5 tahun - risiko mendapat strok kembali seperti orang yang tidak merokok.
• Dalam 10 tahun – risiko kanser paru-paru akan kembali seperti orang yang tidak merokok.
• Dalam 15 tahun – risiko serangan jantung akan kembali seperti orang yang tidak merokok.

Jadi, anda mempunyai lebih banyak perkara penting untuk diperhatikan jika anda berhenti sekarang daripada hanya berasa ganjil bila tidak dapat merokok.Berhenti sekarang!

Perokok pasif kedua dan ketiga akan memerlukan biaya yang tinggi dalam penjagaan kesihatan untuk orang tersayang.

Kaedah 'Cold Turkey' adalah percuma, dan anda boleh lakukannya pada bila-bila masa. Kenapa tidak hari ini?

Fikiran positif, makanan berkhasiat, senaman secara teratur dan luangan waktu bersama keluarga dan teman-teman adalah mudah, jadikan ia rutin harian yang berguna untuk diamalkan.

Makanan tambahan yang perlu seperti kalsium, vitamin B dan antioksidan membantu mengekalkan kesihatan optimum. Centrum® Silver mungkin merupakan multivitamin yang sesuai untuk anda.

Gambar: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/

Cold Sore - 2

Cold sores are a common, recurrent skin condition.

A recurrence typically lasts 7–10 days. People who are prone to recurrent outbreaks tend to get them 3–4 times per year.

A recurrent cold sore usually develops as follows:

• Most people experience localised itching and tingling a day or two before the cold sore appears.

• After the tingle, small, painful, fluid-filled blisters appear on a raised, red, painful area of skin. The blisters can last for a few days.

• The blisters open and fluid weeps out. The virus can easily be spread to other people at this stage.

• The cold sore dries up and forms a scab, which can be itchy and painful. This heals in about seven days without leaving a scar.
  

Stop cold sores spreading

After you have been infected with the virus, there is no sure way to prevent more cold sores. But there are some things you can do to reduce your number of outbreaks and prevent spreading the virus.

• Make sure to wash your hands often, including after applying a cold sore medicine
• Avoid picking at the sores as this can spread the virus to virus to your eyes or genital area or to other people, delay healing and increase the risk of bacterial infection.
• Avoid close contact with others while you have a cold sore.
• Do not share eating or drinking utensils, toothbrushes, towels, face cloths, razors or lipstick

What can be done to prevent recurrence?

The body's defences can be strengthened by a healthy lifestyle.

• Learn and practice relaxation techniques to relieve stress.
• Eat regular, healthy meals, including fruit, vegetables and whole grains. Limit foods high in fat, sugar or salt.
• Get enough sleep.
• Exercise at a moderate level for at least 30 minutes on all or most days of the week.
• Wear a wide brimmed hat and at least SPF 15+ sunscreen on your lips and face when in the sun. Sun protection will help prevent cold sores recurring.

Cold sores are a common infection that can be treated with medicines available from a pharmacist, see below.

However, you should consult a doctor promptly if you

• Have a cold sore that has not healed after 14 days
• Have a severe cold sore
• Have sores that spread rapidly or are widespread
• Get cold sores frequently
• Develop a high fever
• Also have another illness
• Take medicine which weakens your immune system
• Develop a painful, red, watery eye that is sensitive to light – Herpes simplex virus can cause a very serious eye infection
• Develop sores in the genital area.

Cold Sore - Medication

Treatment is aciclovir 5 per cent cream (eg Decolvir*), applied thinly to the cold sore five times a day for five days, at approximately four-hourly intervals, for five to ten days.

Aciclovir is most effective if treatment is started as soon as the first signs of the infection (a tingling sensation), begin to appear, though treatment can also be started after the blisters have appeared. It can often reduce the number of cold sores you get and may get rid of the cold sores only 1 to 2 days faster. It can also help ease painful blisters or other uncomfortable symptoms.

Here's How it Works

Aciclovir works by stopping the herpes simplex virus from reproducing and infecting more cells. Inside cells of the body that are infected with herpes simplex, aciclovir works by blocking the action of a viral enzyme called DNA polymerase. Without DNA polymerase enzyme the herpes virus is unable to copy its genetic material from RNA to DNA. This process is necessary for the virus to multiply and continue to survive.

* Decolvir contains additonal cooling and pain-relieving Menthol and Tea Tree Oil which is especially welcome during the early painful blistering stage of the disease.

Talk to your pharmacist today!

Cold Sores - 1

Recognize the small, blistering sore that occur on or next to the lips?

It is a cold sore. Occasionally cold sores occur on the nostrils, on the chin or in the mouth.

Cold sores are typically caused by Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV1). Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV2) usually affects the genital area. It is possible to transfer the different viruses to other areas of the body. HSV1 (or cold sores) can be transferred to the genitals through oral sex. In the same way, HSV2 (or genital herpes) can be transferred to the mouth.

Cold sores are very common. They occur in people of all races, of all ages, and of both sexes. It is estimated that 80% of Americans will have been infected by the time they are adults.

Most people get cold sores as children, through contact with a friend or family member who is already infected with HSV. It can be spread (transmitted) by kissing, sharing eating utensils or drinking vessels, or by using the same towel.

An interesting fact is that some people may not display the symptoms of infection because their immune systems have the ability to completely suppress the virus.

The virus usually enters the body through a break in the skin around or inside the mouth. It is usually spread when a person touches a cold sore or touches infected fluid-such as from sharing eating utensils or razors, kissing an infected person, or touching that person's saliva. A parent who has a cold sore often spreads the infection to his or her child in this way. Cold sores can also be spread to other areas of the body.

Once a person has been infected with the cold sore virus, they have it for life. After the initial infection, the virus hides in a nearby nerve sheath, lying dormant and causing no symptoms.

However, in some people the virus becomes 'active' from time to time. When activated, the virus multiplies and travels down the nerve sheath to cause cold sore blisters around the s. Some people have cold sores often, others only now and then. It is not clear what causes the dormant virus to become active.

A range of triggers can reactivate the virus to cause a cold sore:

1. Emotional and physical stress may alter or lower the immune system allowing the virus to awaken or reactivate.
2. Colds or other upper respiratory tract infection may also reactivate the virus.
3. Sun or wind exposure without protection, especially on the lips, may reduce the immune activity in the skin leading to a recurrence of cold sores.
4. Hormone changes such as those seen during menstruation.
5. Local trauma or injury to the skin around the lips including dry cracked lips and injury to the skin following cosmetic surgery, chemical peels or laser therapy.

There is no permanent cure for cold sores, but treatment with medicines available from a doctor or pharmacist can reduce the number of cold sores you get and may get rid of the cold sores only 1 to 2 days faster. It can also help ease painful blisters or other uncomfortable symptoms.

Photo: http://www.microbiologybytes.com

More info on cold cores tomorrow or call any of our pharmacists today

Zestz: Celebrating the PRESENT

Keep A Positive Outlook On Life

You must begin to understand that your life that you are living is nothing more than a mirror image of what is going on in your inside world. If you are a negative person and always feeling sad, depressed, worried, bored, frustrated then that is what your outside world is experiencing. However if you are feeling always feeling positive; happy, inspired, grateful, loving...etc then that is what your outside world is experiencing.

In order for you to continue experiencing a positive outlook on your outside world; you must begin to notice how you feel on the inside. Your inside world world creates your outside world. Every single thing in the world operates by the rules of the law of attraction: wealth, success, happiness, love, prosperity, health, you name it. In order to maintain a positive outlook on life you must work on your mental transformation techniques to assist you to make all your wildest dreams come true. You can not accomplish anything worthwhile in life if you are negative.

So if your outside world is in chaos; you must possess a goal that has become an obsession. This will help you keep motivated to keep striving for the life you desire. It will also help you pay attention to your thoughts and emotions and keep them positive. Unfortunately people who are not striving for a goal that they truly desire; are most likely to focus on the negative, this is how most people have been conditioned. They complain about lack, pain, and things that are not going the way they would like them to. You can choose to live anyway you desire; if you want to complain you are free to complain. If you choose to live with a positive outlook on life; you are free to do that as well.

However you choose to live the law of attraction is always listening to you. This law is non-judgmental, it does not care about whether your thoughts are negative or positive. It is simply bringing you what your thoughts are focused on.

When you learn how to keep a positive outlook on life regardless of what you are experiencing; you will begin to notice things changing in your life. You can be happy and grateful even if things are not going so well in your life. Practice on keeping your thoughts in check and begin focusing them on what you wish to experience rather than what you are currently experiencing. As you continue to do this on a daily basis your thoughts and emotions will emit a energy that will attract opportunities that will help you achieve the life you desire.

Always remember you are a magnet; you are attracting to you the same energy you are putting out. To make the law of attraction work for you; get rid of all your negative thoughts and spend most of your time focusing on thoughts that empower you and make you feel good. Quit complaining about things that you have already brought into your life; your complaining will not change anything.

Susan Velez http://susanvlz.blogspot.com/

Zestz for LAUGHS?

CEILING MURAL IN A SMOKER'S LOUNGE

Source :http://www.breathing.com/