Getting Rid of Tiny Ants at Home

Recently I saw many tiny ants roaming around my kitchen top; and then  I saw these ants also around my working table. At first I tried using lemon juice mixed with water and spray it on the area frequent by the ants. This method worked for a few days and then the ants came back again.

Baygon Ant Baits

So I decided to get some ant baits and I bought the Bagyon Ant Baits. I put it at the kitchen top and table where the tiny ants were frequently found. From my observation, I noticed that the ants were still there but it was not attracted to the baits. The tiny ants simply walk around the plastic frame of the baits and not getting inside to feed. After a few days, with the ants still roaming around, the Baygon Ant Baits was simply not effective at all for getting rid of these tiny ants.

Baygon Ant Baits.
Baygon Ant Baits.
Baygon Ant Baits. It still can be used for tiny cockroaches.
Baygon Ant Baits. It still can be used for tiny cockroaches.

My next step was to buy boric acid powder which I saw at the supermarket shelf. I put some of this powder on a container, add sugar ( brown and white ) and water. You can used any type of sugar; 2 teaspoon of sugar and small amount of water. Then I stirred it until it became a paste. I placed this sticky paste on the kitchen top and table. An hour later, I saw many tiny ants eating the baits of this boric powder paste. Thereafter there were more and more ants roaming around and it was attracted to this bait. I believe the sweet sugar added to the boric acid powder must have attracted these tiny ants to a frenzy feed.

The very tiny ants that were annoying.
The very tiny ants that were annoying.

The next morning, all the tiny ants on the kitchen top and table were gone. There were ants lying dead on the table. I remove the boric acid paste and the dead ants using a damp cloth. For more than a week now, there was no sight of these tiny ants in my home.

The boric acid paste with added sugar eliminates these tiny ants.
The boric acid paste with added sugar eliminates these tiny ants.

Skechers Terrainer Sandals

I bought a new sandals from Skechers – the Terrainer – also known as Skechers Men’s Gander – Rayler. The leather on top of the sandals are comfortable and smooth. It covers the top portion of my feet with the fisherman design overlay and stitching style.

The shoe box of Skechers Terrainer.
The shoe box of Skechers Terrainer.

When I put on this sandals, it has a very comfortable. I tried it out walking on sand, dirt road and slope; and it provides excellent level of comfort for my feet. I think the strong and thick rubber sole protects the feet against impact from the ground. It is also non slip when I walked on slippery ground and marble floor. There is an adjustable strap at the back of the sandals to aid my feet to fit into the sandals. There is a strong rubber bumper in front of the sandals to protect your toes as well.

Skechers Terrainer - also known as Men;s Gander - Rayler
Skechers Terrainer – also known as Men;s Gander – Rayler

The only issue about the Skechers Terrainer sandals is that my feet feel slightly warmer when I wear it as compared to other open style sandals. But it is a minor issue as this pair of sandals is still well ventilated. The price of this sandals is about US$70 when I purchased it. It is definitely worth it – it is well designed and provides good level of comfort when I wear it.

Skechers Terrainer - very strong rubber sole and anti slip as well.
Skechers Terrainer – very strong rubber sole and anti slip as well.

 

Skechers Terrainer - total comfort when wearing it.
Skechers Terrainer – total comfort when wearing it.

 

Fishermen design
Fishermen design

 

Rubber toe bumper front.
Rubber toe bumper front.

 

 

 

Uniden Cordless Phone – Model AS1002

I bought a new cordless phone recently and it cost only slightly above US$40. The brand is Uniden which is a Japanese company that manufactures wireless communication products. The cordless phone model is AS1002 and it is available in 2 colors – Pearl white or Metallic Grey. This product is made in Vietnam and there is a one year warranty against defects. Despite its budget price, I think this cordless phone is value for money and it comes with the standard features of  more expensive cordless phone.

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The Uniden AS1002 cordless phone is DECT digital and the voice clarity is good. When I pressed the number buttons, the back light automatically lights up ( orange color ) which is useful when you are using it in a dim or dark room. The LCD display screen is also orange in color and I felt that the numbers and words display on the LCD screen was rather small. I would prefer a bigger font display. This cordless phone also has a handset speaker phone. The voice coming from the speaker phone was nice and clear without much distortion. Speaker phones are very useful when I called up  bank or companies which normally put you on hold for a long time; and yet telling you that your calls are important to them.

Uniden Cordless Phone
Uniden Cordless Phone

Other features in this cordless phone includes Caller ID, Call waiting, 30 Number call memory, 70 number phone book, Redial button, Message/Mute button and a time display on the LCD screen. This cordless phone uses a rechargeable battery ( provided) and a charger. First charge before using is about 15 hours.  A good feature is that you can always increase/decrease the volume of the earpiece, speaker and ringing volume by just pressing the up/down buttons. The handset is slim and non slip; and the function buttons on the handset are clearly visible and neatly arranged.

Uniden Cordless Phone
Uniden Cordless Phone

I think this Uniden cordless phone is great considering the price that I have paid for it – it is worth the money.

Tao Suan / Mung Beans Desert

Tao Suan or Mung beans desert is one of my favorite desert. This desert is served hot and with slices of fried fritters or You Tiao. It is commonly available in hawker centers, food courts and some Chinese restaurants in Singapore and Malaysia. Eating Tao Suan is quite similar to eating porridge as the beans are soaked in sticky liquid. You can eat this anytime of the day or even night.

 

A bowl of Tao Suan with fried fritters.

 

According to Chinese beliefs, Tao Suan is a cooling food, it helps to keep the body cool and it is nutritious too. Mung beans is low in saturated fats and it contains lots of protein, dietary fibers, magnesium and vitamins. When I am hungry in the mid afternoon, a bowl of Tao Suan would keep hunger away for a few hours; and gives me the energy to work throughout the day. I prefer to eat this desert with less sugar and more mung beans – so I go for desert stall selling it with less sugar and sometimes I would order extra fried fritters to top it up.

This peanut porridge is also a common food for breakfast. The texture of porridge is almost similar to Tao Suan.

 

The cost of a bowl of Tao Suan is quite cheap, normally less than US$2, unless you are having it in some fancy Chinese restaurant.It is nutritious and delicious; and I would order it 2 or 3 times every month.

 

Tiger Balm Joint Rub

Recently saw this product called Tiger Balm Joint Rub on the shelf of a pharmacy store and decided to buy it to try out and then review it. On the box of this product it is stated that it is effective for the relief of muscle sprains, stiffness, backaches and minor pains associated with Arthritis. It also stated that this product contains Glucosamine, Camphor, Methol, Cajuput oil, Chondroitin, Methylsulfonnylmethane. Other ingredients includes Clove oil, Cinnamon oil, Mint oil, Urea, etc.

The Tiger Balm Joint Rub comes in a bottle form with a pump. It is easy to use and you have to shake it well before applying it on your skin. The net content is 4 FL OZ or 113 ml. The color of  this medicine is white and non sticky when you rub it on your joints. The instruction is that you have to rub it until it is completely absorbed onto the skin. However, take note that it should not be rubbed on open wound or damaged skin and it may cause allergy to some people.

 

Tiger Balm Joint Rub

 

The first thing that I noticed was the strong and heavy medicated smell once I applied it onto my skin. I think the smell is really a turn off but I got used to it after a couple of days. I tried it on my knee caps which is causing some aching pains whenever I exercise too vigorously. It is very easy to apply and I applied sufficient amount around my knee caps. After a few minutes, I felt the heating sensation around the knee caps and this hot sensation lasted more than 10 minutes. The warmth sensation was in fact quite pleasant and it does gave me relief from the aching pain on the affective area.

 

Tiger Balm Joint Rub

 

I had tried the Tiger Balm Joint Rub for almost 3 weeks and I liked this product. I did not apply it daily but only when there is aching pain on my knee caps. It does effectively remove the aching pain quickly; and prevent recurring pain for the next couple of days even without application. The only thing that I do not like is the smell of this cream; it has a very strong pungent smell of herbal medicine.

Notebook Cooler from Cool Master

After buying a new Lenovo Notebook, I noticed that the notebook tends to get quite warm around the keypad area after few hours of usage. I know that there are cooler fans inside the laptop but I wondered whether it is effective enough to cool this laptop. So I decided to buy a notebook cooler from Cool Master. There are many brands of cooler fans in the market – from the cheap and no frills type to the very expensive designer version. After going through the various cooler fans on the shelves, I decided on Cool Master.

This model that I had bought is called the Notebook U2 which is 14″ and can accommodate up to 17″ notebook. It is very light weight and is made of aluminum wire mesh. The exact dimension is 343 x 266 x  58.6mm and the weight is 725gm. It has 2 fans that are removable and adjustable to mount on any location within the aluminum wire mesh. The fan dimension is 80 x 80 x 10 mm.  One good feature is that when you put the laptop on the wire mesh, it actually prop it up to an ergonomic angle so that it is now easily to type and view the screen on the notebook.

Cooler Fans for Notebook

Another good feature is that you can actually remove the 2 fans; and thereafter placed the notebook within the secured slot and then secured it with a elastic belt which is provided. This means that you can carry your notebook and the cooler fan at the same time. Is the cooler fans effective to cool down my notebook? I felt that the wire mesh and the 2 cooler fans does help to dissipate the hot air quickly. This is especially good if you are using the notebook at room temperature in a hot tropical country where the heat can really intense.

Notebook Cooler fans from Cool Master

The notebook cooler from Cool Master is a good product and is doing a good job in dissipating heat from notebook. It is very quiet when it is in operation. This cooler fan runs on power – there is a USB plug that is provided for you to plug it to the notebook. The USB plug provided by Cool Master also have a secondary USB slot provided – that means that it is giving back one USB slot for me to use it – really good.

Notebook Cooler from Cool Master

Seven Seas Joint Care Glucosamine Cream

Last week I saw this Seven Seas Joint Care Transdermal Glucosamine cream on the shelf of a local pharmacy. This seems to be a new product from Seven Seas as I had not seen this product before. It is printed on the box that this glucosamine cream is good for maintaining healthy joints, rebuild joint cartilage, relieves joint pain and lubricates the joints. So I decided to buy one box to try it out for myself.

 

Seven Seas Joint Care Glucosamine Cream

 

The tube contains 45 gm of high concentration glucosamine cream. As the glucosamine in the cream is derived from seafood, this cream is not suitable for those who are allergy to seafood. It also contains emu oil. I understand that emu oil is commonly used for relief Arthritis, wrinkles, pain relief, stretch marks and muscle pain – and pure emu oil is quite expensive to buy. After taking my shower, I apply the glucosamine cream on my knee cap – as sometimes I have knee ache and pain whenever I complete a 5km brisk walk. The cream is yellow orange color and it is quite thick liked toothpaste. When I applied the cream on my knees, the color did not stain my skin and it is relatively easy to apply. After a while, I could felt a cool and warm sensation on my knee. I felt rather strange to have a cool and warm sensation at the same time; but overall it was a pleasant sensation.

Seven Seas Joint Care Glucosamine Cream

 

Though the instruction on the box stated that the recommended application is 2 times per day, I apply the cream only once a day. The important question is whether are there any positive results from applying this glucosamine cream. Well, I felt that the ache and pain on my knees are slightly less intense than before. I think it would take about one month of daily application of this cream to see any dramatic result. The thing is that if this Seven Seas Joint Care Glucosamine cream actually work for me, than I don’t need to take any glucosamine tablets any more. I think one tube of this cream should be able to last for at least one month.

5 in 1 Tongkat Ali and Ginseng Coffee

I saw this 5 in 1 coffee that was on sale while I was in Melaka, Malaysia. I have seen 4 in 1 coffee; but 5 in 1 coffee is something refreshing to me. The brand is Meet U and printed on the pack was that it contained  20 stick packs of 30gm coffee. The 5 ingredients that made up this coffee are 1) White Coffee 2) Tongkat Ali extract 3 ) Ginseng extract 4) Sugar 5) Non diary creamer. And the instruction was to pour all the contents into a cup and add 180ml to enjoy a delicious cup of coffee. This coffee is manufactured in Melaka, Malaysia.

5 in 1 Tongkat Ali & Ginseng Coffee

So I decided to buy this coffee and bring it back home to try out the taste. Tongkat Ali herbs is commonly consumed in Asia by men who want to enhance their sexual performance and to improve their health. It is almost perceived to be liked Viagra in Malaysia and Indonesia. And Ginseng is a health tonic that improves our health and vitality. But I guess the amount of Tongkat Ali and Ginseng added onto this coffee should be very marginal to have any significant impact on our body. So I don’t expect any enhancement in my overall well being after drinking this coffee.

5 in 1 Tongkat Ali & Ginseng Coffee

After adding hot boiling water into the coffee cup, I could smell the strong aroma of coffee emitting from the cup. I stirred it thoroughly to make sure that the contents are properly dissolved. My verdict is that the 5 in 1 Tongkat Ali with Ginseng coffee taste good. It is not too sweet nor was there any strange taste of herbs in it. In fact, it tasted just liked the normal instant coffee. But the taste and smell was nice and it is quite creamy too.

5 in 1 Tongkat Ali & Ginseng Coffee

I told my friend that I felt no special effect or POWER on my body after drinking it. No increased in sexual desire, no extra vitality or strength – just as I expected. But I do feel more alert and less sleepy. I normally take a short nap in the afternoon; but after drinking this coffee – I was alert throughout the whole afternoon. Anyway it is a nice cup of coffee, do buy a pack and try it out if it is available in your country.

Skechers Shape Ups Trainer Shoes

I bought another pair of shoes from Skechers and it is the Skechers Shape Ups Trainer Shoes. I bought my first pair of Skechers shoes early this year which is a Tone-Ups shoes and I liked it. Looking at the 2 different pair of shoes in my home – the Tone-Ups and Shape-Ups, I don’t really see the difference visually. But when I wear it, the Shape-Ups shoes has thicker pads in sole and that makes it more comfortable. If you are interested in reading more about the Tone-Ups Trainer shoes on my previous blog, the link is below –

Skechers Tone-Ups Trainer Shoes Review

 

 

The thing I liked about Skechers shoes is that it is very comfortable – as the thick pads on the sole protects my feet against impact from the ground. I can stand and walk for a longer period of time without feeling stress on my feet and legs. And the prices for these shoes are reasonable – costing an average of US$100/- per pair depending on models. My exercise routine each week is basically brisk walking for 5 km and some weight lifting. So far the Skechers shoes that I having been wearing serve me well on these 2 activities.

 

The sole of the Skechers Shape-Up Trainer Shoes is curve.

 

Does the Skechers shoes really help in burning more calories and losing the extra weight? I don’t think so. Does it help in toning up my muscles as I walked and strengthen my feet and legs? I am quite skeptical about this too. My reason is this – even if you wear any pair of shoes, you can lose weight if you are discipline in your diet and perform daily exercise. I have seen some people brisk walking without shoes and they seems to enjoy it. The reason why I bought Skechers shoes is that it is very comfortable to wear and it does help me to go about performing my daily routine activities in comfort. Besides, I liked their design as well.

 

 

One thing to note about the Skechers Shape Ups Trainer shoes is that the sole is not flat. It takes some time to get use to walking in this pair of shoes. Some people find this instability on the shoes rather uncomfortable. But most people will get used to it after a few days.  It is just liked learning how to walk in a new way and after a while, it is easy to do brisk walking or running even with this in built instability pods on the shoes.

 

 

 

Car with Naruto Anime Paintwork

I was in a shopping mall in Johor Bahru Malaysia; and saw a car with a beautiful paintwork of the Japanese manga character Naruto. The Naruto character was beautifully done on this car and indeed it attracted the attention of many shoppers including myself. For those who have no idea who is Naruto, it is a Japanese manga character created by Masashi Kisimoto. It is one of the best selling manga in Japan and was adapted into anime.

The interior of the car was also well decorated and it looked cool. My friend commented that the overall feel of this car is too overwhelming and loud – and he would not want to own such a car. Well, we all have different views and taste – so long as we are happy with it, then all is good. I do not know how much money it cost for the owner to transform this ordinary car into a Naruto painted car with a flashy interior cabin. But I am sure he is happy with it and it is worth all the time and money. Here are the photographs that I took on this car; plus photos of another sport car – so enjoy the artwork of Naruto’s car.

 

 

 

Golden Pears Helps to Relieve Cough

Whenever I have a flu, the cough symptom would also accompany it. For most cases, the cough would disappear a few days after the flu is gone. However there would be a few occasions whereby the cough stayed on even when I have recovered from the flu. Sometimes I think it is the cold air from the air-conditioned office that makes it worse. The throat would be itchy and dry; and drinking lots of water does give temporary relief. Also I would avoid eating fried, barbecue, spicy and oily food and take lots of vegetables and fruits.

One of the best fruit to eat for relieving a cough is to eat a golden pear. This is a method that I have learned from a colleague of mine. Most of the golden pear sold in the supermarkets originate either from Korea or China. The Korean golden pear taste nicer but it is more expensive. I would normally buy some golden pears and eat it in the office or at home. You can also turn them into pear juice and drink it straight from the cup. Golden pears does help to relieve the cough and also get rid of the irritating phlegm in your body. It is very cooling and refreshing and it helps to dispel the heat in the body. The golden pear is an alkaline fruit  and it contains lots of minerals, vitamins and fiber. Whenever I am thirsty, eating one golden pear would immediately quench my thirst as the fruit is very juicy and it contains lot of water. It is very suitable for those people having fever, as it is a cooling fruit.

 

Golden Pear

 

The golden pears are round in shape and are much larger than the European pears. Personally, I prefer to eat golden pears as it is much more juicer and sweeter. I have seen some people peeling the skin of the golden pear before eating it, this is just a personal preference. My friend also recommends another method to relieve cough – cut the pears into pieces and placed it in a pot of water; add some almonds and honey – boiled it for about 1 hour either using a double boiler or a slow cooker. When it is ready, simply serve it warm in a bowl. This is a remedy used by the Chinese traditional medicine to relieve cough and getting rid of the phlegm.

 

Golden Pear

 

Desktop PC Have No Screen Display – How I fixed it.

There was one incident when I turned on my desktop PC and there was no display on my LCD monitor. The desktop was turned on and LED button on the PC was lighted up but the LCD monitor screen was blank. I proceed to check all the cables to make sure that it were firmly slotted into the respective slots at the back of my desktop. Then I checked the LCD monitor to make sure that it was working well. After that, I turned on the PC again and there was power but the PC was not booted up – there was the absence of the normal single beep sound.

 

Desktop PC does not boot and there is Blank Screen on LCD Monitor

 

I opened up the casing of the PC and then turn off and on the PC again. The desktop PC turned on, I saw the cooling fan moving and the power supply box was also functioning well. Everything seems to work well except that the PC did not boot up – again there was no beep sound. I have previously encountered this problem years ago on my old PC and the technician told me at that time that the memory card ( RAM ) was faulty. He replaced the RAM and the PC worked perfectly thereafter. My current desktop is using 4GB DDR2 memory – there are 2 memory cards in the slot.

 

My Old RAM card from my previous old computer

 

What I did was to turn off the power on the desktop, and remove the 2 RAM cards from the slot. Remember to unhook the catch on the left and right side first before you can remove the RAM card. I took off the 2 RAM cards and then slot one of it in; then I turn on the PC – again there was no beep sound. I turned off the power of the desktop and remove the RAM card; then I slot the other RAM in and turn on the desktop again – again failed. Then I remembered that I still have a old RAM card from my previous old PC. Though this RAM card is not suitable for this current desktop; I wanted to try to see whether it can work.

Remember to turn off the power of the computer when you are putting in or taking out the memory cards. I put the old memory card into the slot and turned on the PC, there was a beep sound but there was no image on the LCD monitor. I turned off the power and turn it on again – again there was a clear beep sound but no image. So I took off the old memory card and then slot the two existing RAM cards into the slot again. I turned on the power and viola there was a clear beep sound; the Windows 7 icon appeared on my LCD screen; and the PC was back to normal again. What I was doing is simply to flash the memory module or reset the computer memory. So if you have an old PC, do remember to keep the RAM card; as you may need it in future to reset or flash the memory module in your desktop.

 

RAM Cards and Slots in my Desktop PC

 

When your desktop PC have no display but there is power, do check the all the cables and power supply first before attempting to open up the PC. When you are opening up the casing of your PC, do remember to turn off the power before touching anything inside – remember safety is paramount.

 

 

Cannot Start Up or Boot Windows 7 – How I fixed it.

Recently I have encountered a problem on my desktop PC. When I turned on the PC, the Windows 7 remains stagnant and refused to start up / boot. All that I saw on my LCD screen was the Windows 7 icon being frozen. I tried to restart my PC and also used the Windows repair option as provided in this operating system, but it did not work. I am no computer expert – in fact I am almost a complete idiot when it comes to repairing my desktop PC. My first thought was perhaps it was time to buy a new desktop PC – as this PC was around 2 years already. My desktop is a Intel 2 Core Quad with a 4 GB DDR2 memory – it is a very fast desktop and I could do many tasks simultaneously easily. So it would be such a waste simply to discard this desktop.

 

Windows 7 hang on the screen - unable to proceed further.

 

My next step was to called up a PC repair store and I told them the problem over the phone. The person told me that the charges to fix the problem was approximately US$200 and it could be up and going in about 4 hours – meaning that I could collect it on the same day. He mentioned that he would have to a diagnostic test on my desktop and most likely to replace my existing hard disk with a new one. The warranty period after the repair was one month. I felt that the repair cost quoted was expensive  and was hoping to find another repair store which can do it at better rate.

While I was watching the TV in the evening, I suddenly recalled that I have a hard disk which I had removed from my previous old desktop PC. I took it out from my store room and saw that it was a Hitachi brand hard disk. I opened up my desktop and remove the current hard disk from the slot. Before removing it, I had to pulled out the 2 cables that were attached to the hard disk. It was quite difficult to pull out the hard disk from the steel slot as it was a tight fit – the trick is to do it slowly with a firm grip. After removing the hard disk, insert the new hard disk into the slot; again do it slowly and push it in with a firm grip. Thereafter reconnect the 2 cables to the new hard disk.

 

Hard disk

 

The next step is to insert the Windows 7 boot up disk into your CD slot and the Windows 7 would automatically prompt you to install the operating system into the new hard disk. If there is no prompt, just off the PC and then turn it on again. – remember the Windows 7 boot up disk should be in the CD slot. Just follow the instructions as given and install Windows 7 – it took about less than 30 minutes to install Windows 7 for my desktop PC.

 

Original Hard Disk

 

Now my desktop PC is able to function normally again. I believe the cause of the problem ( in my case ) was that the hard disk was corrupted. I am not sure whether there are any other reasons that cause the Windows 7 unable to boot or start up; but if you have a spare hard disk on hand, perhaps you can try out this method. Remember the hard disk that you are going to replace need not be the same size (GB) as the existing one in your PC. In fact I used a lesser GB hard disk to replace the current one in my desktop and it still work perfectly. You can increase the memory size in your desktop later by buying a new hard disk later and adding it to your PC.

 

Hard Disk Slot in the Desktop PC

 

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Skechers Tone-Ups Trainer Shoes

Recently I had bought a Skechers Tone-Ups Trainer shoes which is supposed to give me a better muscles workout, a higher calorie burn level and a reduction of joint stress.  The small leaflet in the shoe box mentioned that the Skechers Tone-Ups trainer shoes is constructed with Tr-Density technology, that is – Progressive Suspension Midsole, Kinetic Core Midsole and high density rubber outsole. My first impression of this new shoes is that it is well constructed and design. There are lots of trainer shoes in the market that are selling at a high price but looked cheap on design and using cheap materials.

Skechers Tone-Ups Trainer Review

When I put on the Skechers tone-ups trainer shoes, my feet felt comfortable. I could also feel that there is a durometer cradle that balance the weight of my front and back feet. Other shoes that I have would put the weight mainly on the back of my feet; which can be stressful for my feet if I stand or walk for a long period of time. I felt strange when I first put on this trainer shoes due to this cradle, but after a few days, I got used to it and I liked the feel of it. The sole of the shoes are very strong and thick, so even when I am walking on uneven surface, my feet are well protected from impact and stress.

Skechers Tone-Ups Trainer

I am not sure whether I have burned higher calories as a  result of wearing Skechers tone-up trainer shoes – this is difficult to prove. I have used this pair of shoes for long walk in the park ( about 8km) on uneven and rocky surface and my feet felt comfortable and protected. There is no tiredness or sore feeling on my feet and knees. Whether it gives me a more efficient workout because it is a tone up trainer shoes is subjective. The real benefit is the comfort on my feet and knees that it has provided when I am wearing it.

Skechers Tone-Ups Trainer

Another thing is that this trainer shoes provides a good grip during raining days or on wet slippery floor. If you take a look at the photos of the sole of the shoes, you can see that it is well designed for this purpose. I do not know how long the rubber soles of this shoes would wear out if I used it for long walk all the time. For my previous trainer shoes, the rubber soles was worn out after one year of continuous workout exercise.

Skechers Tone-Ups Trainer

One of the best way to relieve a tired feet is to soak them on salt – it helps to deodorize and relieve stress on your feet. Whether you are using ordinary salt or espsom salt ( magnesium sulfate ) it is fine. My preference is using Epsom salt as I find it very effective in relieving ache and stress; also it really does a good job in cleaning my feet.

Skechers Tone-Ups Trainer

 

 

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Glucosamine from Seven Seas

I know many friends and colleagues who have been taking Glucosamine supplements and most of them are in age forties to seventies. It seems that taking Glucosamine supplements is a new trend for older folks. It is supposed to  help you to maintain joint flexibility and mobility by keeping them strong and supple. Some of my friends even take calcium tablets in addition to glucosamine. When I intend to start taking Glucosamine tablets – to see the effect it has on my knees, I saw that there are so many brands of this supplement on the shelves of the pharmacy store.

After going through countless brand of glucosamine supplements, I decided to buy the Seven Seas Joint Max Care supplment. There are 2 capsules that I am required to take – one cod liver oil capsule and one glucosamine capsule. The cod liver oil capsule has Omega 3 and collagen in it; and the glucosamine capsule is a high strength type – same level of Glucosamine Sulphate 2KCI ( 1500 mg). The size of the capsule is really big; so I am not sure whether most people are able to swallow it whole. But on the instruction stated on the box, it says that you can actually break the glucosamine pill in smaller pieces to ease swallowing.

 

Glucosamine from Seven Seas

 

According to dosage instruction, I should take it on a daily basis. But what I did was to take it on alternative days instead. This is because I wanted to see whether there are any side effects on my body after taking it. After consuming it for 2 weeks, I did not experience any positive or negative effect on my body. Perhaps it was due to the fact that I took it on an alternative day basis instead of daily basis. Finally after 2 months, I have completed the whole course of supplement in the box ( normal daily dosage would be one month ). My experience is that I am not sure whether I am better off after consuming the glucosamine supplements. But the positive side is that the cod fish capsule contains cod liver oil and collagen which I think is good and beneficial for my health.  For the effects on my knees, I used to have some aching pain on my knees on a random basis; but now it less frequent. I do brisk walk regularly for about 4.5 km in the evening. So I think taking the glucosamine supplement may help to relieve the ache and maintain my knees and joints in good condition.

 

Seven Seas Joint Max Care

 

So the final question is this – will I continue buying the Seven Seas Joint Max Care supplement?  The answer is yes. I think the Seven Seas supplement is the only one in the market that has a separate cod fish oil capsule and a glucosamine capsule. So by taking it, I am having complete benefits for my joints and body.

 

 

Boh Camerion Tea from Malaysia

I always drink tea in the morning when I have my breakfast. I am not the guy that have traditional breakfast every morning – that is eating bread, eggs with cheese, butter or jam. I enjoy eating a different type of food in the morning.  In Malaysia and Singapore, I can enjoy having Chinese, Malay, Indian or Continental breakfast – so my breakfast can consists of Indian roti prata, Malay nasi lemak, Chinese century egg porridge or simply toast bread with kaya. One thing will always be consistent; and that is I will always have a cup of English tea every morning. A good cup of tea can really lift up my spirit for the day.

Most of the time when we think of tea, we would think Lipton or  Earl Grey tea. Both are good quality tea which I have them in my home. Recently while I was at the supermarket doing my shopping, I notice a tea which I have not tried before and it is the Boh Camerion Tea. So I decided to buy this pack of tea which consists of 25 tea bags; and each tea bag is packed individually in a sealed foil which will preserve the freshness of each tea bag. I have drank the normal Boh Cameron Highlands tea before and it is the tea that I drank when I was young. As I grew older and hopefully wiser, I switched to Lipton adn Earl Grey tea.

 

Boh Camerion Tea from Malaysia

 

On the box of the Boh Camerion Tea it states that “only the tender shoots of the Manipuri and Rajghur jats are picked to ensure excellence of quality.” I have no idea what this is all about but the real test is the taste. So I took out one foil, cut it open and took out the tea bag. I placed the tea bag close to my nose and smell it – it has the fragrance and fresh smell. I put the tea bag in a cup and add hot boiling water and let it brew for about 5 minutes. I did not add any sugar or milk in it as that will mask or change the taste and smell of the tea. My verdict after drinking it is that the Boh Camerion Tea is a great tea. It has a very nice aroma and smooth lingering feeling in my mouth. Then I add one sachet of sugar to the tea and the taste of Boh Camerion Tea is seems to be enhanced by this sachet of sugar.

Boh Camerion Tea - Each tea bag is packed in individual foil

 

I am a little surprised that Malaysia can produce such wonderful tea. The Boh Camerion Tea cost more and I think it is worth the price. It is a premium tea which I enjoy drinking and will definitely be a part of my morning cup of tea in the future.

 

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Get Rid of Lizards and Cockroaches

Recently I noticed there is an increase of lizards activities in my home. When I get up in the morning at about 5-30 in the morning, I saw adult and small lizards scrambling away from my kitchen and also in the living room. Normally these lizards will hide in the PVC casing that covered up the electrical wires, the cupboards, behind doors and any small gaps that it can squeeze itself inside. My friend told me that perhaps there may be cockroches in my home. I do spray insecticide formulated for cockroaches once every 2 months in my home. I would sprayed the insecticide in the morning, leave the house for work and then see the results when I am back in the evening. I would normally see one or two dead cockroaches on the floor. I also pour generous portion of liquid clorox ( bleach ) into the floor trap of the bathroom once every 2 weeks; as cockroaches loves to stay inside the floor trap – as it is wet, dark and dirty. After pouring the clorox into the floor trap, do not use the bathroom until 4 hours later. That works quite well, as I no longer see small cockroaches coming out from the floor trap in the bathroom during the night.

 

Trap for Lizards and Cockroaches

 

It is rather difficult to catch a lizard as it normally scramble to safety very fast when I turned on the light in the night. I tried chasing it away with a broom, of course it didn’t work but I done it to test it out. So I did the next best thing – I bought a trap specifically for lizards and roach from the supermarket. It is a simple do it yourself insect trap that you can assemble within minutes. Just remove the protective paper from the sticky surface in one quick motion – the base is very sticky. Then pour the bait that is provided in individual sachet onto the centre of the sticky surface. Lastly fold the trap according to the instruction shown and it is good to use. The box stated that the trap is effective for a period of one month. Throw away the trap once it is full with roaches and lizards.

 

Trap for Lizards and Cockroaches

 

I tested it out in my home. I placed 3 traps – one in the kitchen, one in the living and one in the bedroom. Placed them in the location where the lizards or roaches are spotted. Normally these insects have the tendency to visit the same place again. I placed them in the morning and check on it during the evening when I came back home. There was no insect in the 3 traps – I was expecting at least one roach or lizard trapped inside the trap. Nevetheless, I just left it there in the evening and carry on with my usual routine. The next morning, I checked on the trap again – I saw a large lizard inside the trap ( kitchen ), a medium size lizard inside another trap ( living room ) and a small lizard in the last trap ( in the bedroom ). The lizards were firmly stuck onto the sticky pad and appeared to be dead. There wasn’t any cockroaches found inside the 3 traps.

So the conclusion is that the insect trap is effective. If you placed the trap in a location and see no results, you can change it by placing in another location. You can placed it inside your kitchen cabinet or on the floor, and near any dark or moist areas in the home. I still do regular spraying of insecticide once every 2 months and the insect trap is an additional measure to get rid of lizards and cockroaches in my home.

 

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Sliced Fish Curry

When I asked my friend whether she would liked to join me to have a meal – the main course would be the Sliced Fish Curry, my friend have the impression that we would be going to an Indian restaurant. It is a common impression that Indians cook the best curry dish and generally I have to agree to it. I told her that we are going to a Chinese restaurant to try out the Sliced Fish in Curry gravy. Many Chinese restaurants who offer curry dishes in their menu would make it less spicy and hot. The most common curry dishes in the menu would be – curry fish head, curry chicken, curry beef and curry mixed vegetables.

 

Sliced Fish Curry

 

I ordered this Sliced Fish Curry when I was in a Malaysia and the taste was really good. The sliced fish and vegetables that goes into the curry was very fresh and the curry gravy was thick and not too spicy and hot. I am thinking that I want to try cooking this curry dish at home. Nowadays I could buy read mixed curry paste from the local supermarket. All you need to do is to add water and coconut milk to the ready mixed curry mixture. Then you add in all your ingredients liked sliced fish and vegetables. I enjoy eating curry especially during the cold weather months or raining day as this meal will keep my body warm. Besides that, eating curry is also beneficial to health – as tumeric which belongs to the ginger family and used in the making of curry has antioxidant properties. It helps to prevent cancer and gives relief to the inflammation of joints.

 

Sliced Fish Curry. Add vegetables and potatoes for great tasting Curry dish.

 

My friend told me that the Sliced Fish Curry tasted very good and she would tried to cook it at home. The cost of this Sliced Fish Curry was US$8 for a serving of 2 persons – very reasonable in price. I think what makes it stand out is the fresh fish and vegetables – well cooked but not overcooked and the thick curry gravy. If you are going to try preparing this dish, remember not to overcooked the fish; otherwise the sliced fish would taste hard and dry. Adding in potatoes and lady fingers can make the Sliced Fish Curry taste better.

How Effective is Slimming Tea for Weigh Loss

I have seen many variety of slimming tea being sold in the retail stores, supermarkets and in pharmacies.  Even in the newspapers and magazines, it is common to see an advertisement on slimming tea – proclaiming how effective it is in helping people to lose weight. I think it is important to take all these claims with a pinch of salt and be more conservative in our approach on this matter. Some of the slimming tea contains different herbs combined together in a tea bag for consumption. The issue I have with herbs is that we may have an adverse effect if we consumed it excessively. Normally the side effects are hunger spams, allergy, constipation, diarrhea, headache, etc.

Personally I do take 2 types of Chinese tea which have traditionally known to assist people in weight loss; and they are Oolong and Iron Buddha tea. Both of these Chinese tea have been known to be beneficial for our body as it contains Polyphenol which helps to remove free radicals and prevent cancer. Studies have also shown that Oolong tea helps to burn calories in our body faster than drinking green tea. There are companies which sell slimming tea and they claimed that their tea would helped to reduce your craving for carbohydrates; and would also prevent you from constant snacking. Personally I think carbohydrates are important to us, it is however important to choose the right food – whole grains, fruits and vegetables are good source of carbohydrates. We should avoid carbohydrates derived from unhealthy food such as white rice, pastries, sugared sodas, etc as these food would contribute to weight gain.

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Iron Buddha and Oolong Tea

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I have been drinking both Oolong and Iron Buddha tea for more than 20 years – as I started drinking Chinese tea when I was just a young kid. My parents would normally brewed either Oolong or Iron Buddha in a big traditional Chinese tea pot; and you just add hot water to top it up when the pot was empty. Let me also explain the difference between Oolong and Iron Buddha tea. Both are similar in the sense that they are Oolong tea. Many tea analyst would rank Iron Buddha as the No. 1 Oolong tea as it has a unique fresh aroma. Iron Buddha tea are much darker in color; whereas Oolong tea is lighter in color and also in taste. Does Oolong and Iron Buddha tea helped me in maintaining my weight or effective in weigh loss? Yes I believe it does, because my body weight has been quite consistent most of the time. The problem of weight gain for me is when I started to eat much more for about one month or more. So if I overeat, then drinking Chinese tea would not help me to reduce my weight at all. In fact the most effective method for me to lose weight is a combination of actions which I would do daily – exercise, eat less, sleep more, drink more Oolong and Iron Buddha tea and less stress.

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Iron Buddha and Oolong Tea

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My view of Oolong and Iron Buddha as a slimming tea is that they does help you to keep your weight in check to a certain level. But you still need to moderate on food consumption and go for daily exercise. Both of these teas are good for health and definitely I can attest that there are no side effects at all even if you drink it daily for many years. I have been drinking Oolong and Iron Buddha tea daily for more than 20 years. The photo in this blog show the exact brand of Oolong and Iron Buddha tea which I am drinking right now. On the left is Iron Buddha Tea ( Ti Kuan Yin ) and on the right is Oolong Tea. The brand name is Ten Ren and it is made in Taiwan. There are 20 teabags in each box and each tea bag is individually sealed in a small packaging bag. I liked the quality and the taste of Ten Ren brand of Chinese tea. The price is higher than some other brands of similar tea, but to me it is worth it.

 

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Making Money from Online Surveys

Someone send me a email and asked me whether you can make money from doing online surveys. I would liked to share my experience about online surveys in this blog. Many people are wary about online surveys and see them as nothing but scams. If you do a search on this topic, you will find many websites offering attractive payments for online surveys. Most of these websites would asked you to pay a membership fee or a joining fee first before you are given surveys. They claimed that their members had earned hundreds of dollars just working few hours each day taking part in surveys. Please beware and avoid such websites – because they are basically scams.

Can you actually make money from online surveys? The answer is Yes. There are legitimate survey companies that actually pay you for taking part in their online surveys. But please take note that it is quite time consuming and the money earned is not much. You may have to take about 20 surveys or more just to receive US$50. In each survey that you are going to participate, the survey company will inform you of the number of points or the value in terms of dollars on this survey; and also the approximate time needed to complete the survey. Once you have completed the survey, the survey companies may take a few days to verify the information in the survey that you have taken. If the information are valid and correct, they will credit the points or dollars into your account. There is a minimum cash out value or points that you need to achieve before you can cash out.  You will receive your money the following methods – 1) by cheque through post to your mailing address 2) through your Paypal account 3) direct credit into your bank account and other methods stipulated by these companies.

There are two survey companies which I have personally participated. They are free to join and are legitimate survey companies.

Globaltestmarket.com

Surveyhead.com

For Globaltestmarket, I have joined this survey company for about 2 years now, and have been receiving quite a number of cheques by mail to my home. It takes about 2 months to receive the money if you are staying in Asia. For every 1000 points that you have, you can convert it into US$50. Don’t worry about the currency conversion rate, so if you are staying in Singapore, Malaysia or Indonesia, they will convert it into the local currencies for you. As for Surveyhead, I have not cash out yet as I have yet to reach the minimum cash out sum. I would say that I received many surveys from Globaltestmarket on a monthly basis but very few surveys from Surveyhead.

There are other legitimate companies as well in the market. Remember if a survey company request payment from you before they allow you to join them, just skip and ignore such companies. Legitimate survey companies are definitely free to join but you have to be patient for them to send surveys to you via email. Taking part in surveys is definitely not going to make you rich and it is not a good full time home business model. It does give you some fun, the opportunity to provide feedback on products and services and some pocket money to buy something nice for yourself.

 

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Best Home Insurance Policy

It is the time of the year to review and renew my home insurance policy again. My insurance company would send a letter of notice telling me that my home insurance  is up for renewal and indicate the dateline to pay the premium before it expired. Normally during this period I would assessed and see whether I need to upgrade or stick to the existing coverage for my home. Of course I would also looked around to see whether other insurance companies can offer better coverage at more competitive rates. Let me share with you how on I assess and choose my home insurance policy to ensure that I get the best coverage at a competitive price.

The first thing I looked into is the profile of the insurance company that I am interested in doing business with them. I would try to find out about this company as much as I could. I would check their records especially when it comes to claims. I would asked people whom have dealings with this insurance company as well as read up on any news, discussions or forums in the internet about them. I would also take time to drop into their office and speak to their customer service officer about the home insurance. Specifically I would direct my questions on claims – how long does it take to file a claim and for them to service a claim from a customer?

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Best Home Insurance Policy

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When it comes to replacement cost due to loss or damage to home and renovation, do not choose the most basic plan. I always make sure that the replacement cost or the reinstatement of my property to the same condition as if it is new must be fully covered. I also make sure that I get proper coverage for all major perils such as floods, earthquakes, windstorm, bursting of water piples, strikes, malicious acts, theft or force entry, etc. In other words, I go for deep coverage protection for my home. How do I determine the amount of replacement cost to sufficiently cover my home? I would looked at the construction and renovation cost that I have done for my home and add up about 15% for inflation and other additional minor works. Alternatively if you know a builder or a real estate agent, you could seek some advice from them.

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Home Insurance Protects Your Precious Home

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My home insurance policy also provides me with other benefits such as loss of rental income, hotel expenses in the event that the home being uninhabitable, Worldwide liability for the family from claims from third parties, Worldwide personal accident for the family, medical expense, loss or damage of contents, the cost of removing debris after the destruction or damage done to the house, compensation to the servant’s loss or damage personal effect, indemnify for the replacement of locks and keys, payment to the policyholder a sum of money as emergency cash allowance, indemnify for the loss of ATM/credit cards and even stress payment.

I know that some of the benefits may seems to be irrelevant to the home insurance policy, but if I could add these benefits to my current home insurance policy, I see it as a bonus. Of course additional benefits normally give rise to additional premium being paid, but I would weigh the benefits and costs to see its value. In other words, if something really bad happened and the home was destroyed, what sort of benefits would I liked to see being given to me immediately, to reduce my burden and stress of rebuilding my home; and at the same time maintain my quality of life during this transition period. So benefits such as an allowance or payment given to secure alternative accommodation during this transition period is important, the payment of cash for emotional stress and emergency cash allowance are also important. Surely seeing a home being destroyed by fire or flood is a very stressful experience and money is a good stress reliever. Such compensation would ensured that a person can continue to have a quality of life while he handle the task of rebuilding and repair works for his home.

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Home Insurance Protects Your Precious Home

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Some people looked at home insurance as an unnecessary expense and try to avoid by not buying it, or buying it without sufficient coverage or compensation. I looked at home insurance as something very important and a necessity. The home insurance policy must have deep and wide coverage to ensure that my home and my quality of life is well protected.

 

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Best Method to Relief Stress

There are lots of articles out there in the internet and magazines telling us about how to relieve stress in our life.  Some of the advice are to take life easy, learn yoga, exercise, go for a holiday, learn to accept our limitation, be grateful, stay healthy, meditation, pray to God, learning to breath correctly, eat, sleep and so on.  So with so many methods to choose, which one is the most effective and the best in relieving stress?  Well I guess you have to take your pick and decide which method will work for you. Normally you will end up with a combination of methods – which is fine so long as it effective.

Personally the best stress relief method is to relax and do nothing. It may sound very strange when most of the advice that you get is to do is or that – then your stress will be gone. There are many problems in life such as money problems, poor health, relationship breakup, loss of job, loss of status, etc and I will not go in detail to discuss about it. We cannot prevent problems from coming into our life but we can take necessary actions to manage it properly. But there will be certain problems or issues take cannot be resolved so easily despite our best effort and we must accept this reality. So long as we have use our best ability and method to manage such problems, then everything else we just have to let go. In other words, after doing everything we can, we should stop, relax and do nothing. Let the events played out in the future and it will determine its own results.  Most of the time the stress that we are facing is the result of our belief that we can always resolve and find solutions to all our problems.; which is not true.

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Swimming is a Good Method to Relief Stress

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So I mentioned earlier that my best method to relief stress is to relax and do nothing. That is after I have put in the best effort to resolve the problem at hand. To relieve stress, I enjoy swimming in the pool and just lying down on the deck chair beside the pool and do nothing. I would just look at the pool, the garden and the sky, listen to some music, eat some fruits and just relax. Sometimes if my friend is beside me, we would chat and swim together. In many occasions, when I am relaxing, a thought or suggestion will suddenly appear in my mind telling me that I should look at the problem in a totally different perspective; or manage it using another method. It is strange but sometimes the best solution will appear in my mind when I am relaxed and when I least expected it.

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To Relief Stress - Just Relax

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Since stress will always be part of our life, we should find the best method to relief it. It does not matter which method or combination of methods we choose to use – the key is to make it work for you.

 

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Bananas is a Slimming Fruit

I have been trying to lose some weight for the past few months.  If you have read my previous blog – Lose Weight By Walking, I am targeting a weight reduction of about 7 to10 kg in 3 months. Now that I have started on a exercise program of walking about 4 km everyday, I have also change my diet to complement this weight loss program than I have started. During lunchtime, I have switch from the normal meal of rice, meat and vegetables to bananas, plain biscuits and oranges.

Bananas is a tropical fruit that is easily available in the supermarkets. I would normally buy the green unripe bananas from the supermarket and it will be good for eating the next day. I would normally leave the bananas hanging on the window frame of the kitchen window. I try not to eat fully ripe yellow bananas as it is too soft and taste very sweet. A bunch of six bananas would normally last 2 days – eating 3 bananas per day. Some people says that bananas will make you fat because of the carbohydrate / starch content in this fruit. That is why when you eat bananas you will feel full and not feel hungry for hours. But bananas contains less carbohydrate and fats compared to rice, beef burgers and pizza. Also bananas has very little fat content – in fact it is almost fat free. There are lots of minerals and potassium found in bananas which helps to maintain healthy blood pressure. When I eat bananas daily, I noticed that I have good regular bowel movements due to the high fiber content in this fruit.

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Bananas is a Slimming Fruit

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Eating bananas, plain biscuits and an orange for lunch has helped me to cut down on the heavy lunch that I normally take – such as rice, noodles or fast food meals. My stomach does not feel so heavy and I don’t have the sleepy feeling that is associated after taking a heavy meal. Though my lunch is lighter, I feel more energetic and continue with my daily walking exercise in the evening – without the feeling of hunger or tiredness. Of course it is not easy to replace your normal lunch meal with bananas everyday. There are days when I just feel like having a normal lunch and I just proceed with having my meal at the food courts or restaurant. Bananas is also good as a healthy snack whenever I feel hungry in between meals.  Previously, I used to eat potato chips or peanut butter bread during snack; but now it is bananas and fruits.

Tongkat Ali for Men

I have just met up with an old friend of mine in Malaysia; and he had told me that he feels more energetic and stronger these days. He revealed his secret – he had started takes Tongkat Ali supplement regularly. My friend is in his forties, slightly bald and overweight. He told me that he had been taking this health supplement for the past 2 months and he did not experience any side effects. In fact, he said that Tongkat Ali had helped him to build up more muscles, it gives him more energy to do exercise, better mental focus on his daily work and his sex life had also improved slightly. He said that he suffered from mild erectile dysfunction just liked so many men in his age group. He said that his erectile strength is now much stronger than before.

I read many reviews on the internet that Tongkat Ali helps in production of more testosterone in men. Typically men in their forties onwards will have low testosterone level. An increase of testosterone level will assist these middle age men to build up muscle mass, reduce weight, decrease body fat and improve in sexual performance. I heard from quite a number of my male friends in Malaysia and Indonesia that Tongkat Ali in fact does work; but you have to consume it for a considerable period of time for it to be effective. I think that before taking any health supplement, it would be advisable to consult your doctor first; especially if you are suffering from illness such as high blood pressure, diabetics, high cholesterol level, hypertension, etc. Because all these herbs can also have a negative effect or cause damage to our health if we consume them without proper supervision.

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Tongkat Ali for Men

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My friend told me that he does not consume the Tongkat Ali daily. In fact he take them on a one day on/one day off basis, that is on alternative day. Even though the recommended dosage on the bottle was to take 2 pills in the morning and 2 pills in the night, he said that he only takes one pill in the morning and one pill at night. He bought the Rainforest brand of Tongkat Ali as he felt that it is safer; as it has been approved by the Malaysia Health Authority. Anyway, you can buy this supplement from any pharmacy such as Guardian or Watsons store in Malaysia. I am glad that he takes general precaution to prevent overdose of this herbal supplement. In fact I saw Tongkat Ali coffee bags being sold in supermarket, which I think would not have much effect due to its low herbal content.

From what I gathered from my male friends in Malaysia and Indonesia, Tongkat Ali does in fact helps men to regain their energy and sexual desire and performance. I understand that quite a number of bodybuilders consume this herbal supplement to gain muscle mass. But we must not see it as a miracle or performance herbal supplement. I always hold the view that any herbs or drugs will definitely have side effects and so Tongkat Ali is of no exception. So long as we buy reputable brand of Tongkat Ali and consume it with the advice from our doctors, we should have a piece of mind.

 

 

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Lose Weight By Walking

I have been putting a considerable amount of weight for the past 3 months – 9 kg to be exact. This is due to the lack of daily exercise and also by eating too much during meals. I noticed that whenever I eat more than usual even during my normal lunch or dinner, I would put on weight easily after one week. After a few months of continuous eating, I have a big round tummy around my waist. My friends have noticed the change and told me that I am getting fat; and occasionally make jokes out of it – I am fat, and that is a fact. I told myself that this has to stop and began to devise an exercise regiment to get rid of the excess fat around my waist.

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Lose Weight By Walking

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My plan is simple. To reduce 8 kg in 3 months and the method is to walk about 4 km everyday. I choose walking because it is the easiest exercise to do. All I need to do is to put on my jogging shoes and start walking around the park or on the treadmill. But to do it everyday, now that requires much discipline from me. When I first started on this walking exercise program, the first 3 days was fine. But I felt a little tired and lazy after the fourth day. I wanted to rest as my body and legs were slightly aching from the daily walking exercise. Luckily I pushed myself to get out of my house and start walking in the park. I noticed that after 2 weeks, I began to feel slightly lighter and stronger. In fact I could walked faster throughout the 4 km without the feeling of lost of breath or tired. And strangely enough I also do not feel so hungry or tired throughout the day – there was no lethargic feeling inside me. I drink more water and a bottle of isotonic drink daily to make up for the sweat loss. And the additional benefit was I actually felt that I slept better during the night.

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Lose Weight By Walking

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After one month of walking exercise, it was result time. Before I put myself on the weighing scale, I knew that I had lost weight. Very simple to figure out. It was because my pants that I was wearing daily felt loose around my waist. I stepped on the weighing scale and I saw that my weight had in fact gone down by 2 kg. I was so happy with the result and I knew so long as I continued with the walking program, I would eventually lose 7 to 10 kg in 3 months. Throughout the one month, I did not go on dieting program or change my habits of eating. But I became more conscious of what I eat and chose to eat more fruits, mushrooms and vegetables daily. I still go to fast food restaurants during weekend because I love MacDonalds, KFC, Pizza Hut, Long John Silver – yes it is junk food but absolutely delicious.

Nowadays, I feel more energetic and I have started to lift some weights as well during my exercise. The fats around my tummy must be getter smaller because my pants are getting loose on my hip. I hope to wear back all my old pants of size 32 after 6 months. I guess in life if you have make a firm stand on getting what you want, you will do all it takes to get the results. I have a few tips for those who wants to start losing weight by walking. Here it is –

1) take a calender and start marking a tick on each day you have completed the walking exercise. No excuse of not exercising unless you are sick, bad weather or have to attend to something very urgent on that day.

2) it does not matter whether you want to walk in the morning or evening. Just make sure that you do it.

3) wear a pair of comfortable jogging or walking shoes.

4) wear comfortable clothes – I normally wear a loose T-shirt and shorts.

5) bring a small towel because you will sweat alot.

6) drink some isotonic drink or water about one hour before the exercise.

7) bring a bottle of water along if you need it. Some of us can feel thirsty after walking for 2 km. I always bring a water bottle along.

8) do some stretching exercise before the walk and after the walk. Start by walking slowly and increase the pace when you are comfortable.

9) open up your feet when you walk, increase the pace of walking when ready and slow down the pace when you are tired – feel your rhythm.

10) eat more fruits, mushrooms and vegetables daily.

Losing weight by walking is by far the easiest way to trim the fats around your waist, staying fit and healthy. It is also very cost effective too because I don’t need to pay crazy amount of money on dieting programs and exercise equipments. All I need is a good pair of jogging shoes and a comfortable t-shirt and shorts. Do remember not to over exert yourself especially if you are doing brisk walking. If you feel that you can only walk 1 or 2 km during the first week, it is all right. The key to success here is Discipline. You have to make sure that you do it everyday.  They say that life is a journey, so keep walking.

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Lose Weight By Walking

 

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A personal view about things and life