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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Recently I noticed that I have some dark patches and small reddish rash around my armpit area. This is quite common and had happened to me before. So when I went to see a doctor, he would normally prescribed anti-fungal cream and sometimes anti fungal pills to be taken orally as well. Normally fungal infection and white spots would appeared on my skin about once every 2 to 3 years. I think it is because I am staying in the tropical country and also I do exercise a lot. Whenever I go for my jog which is 3 times a week, I would sweat profusely and I was told to cool down first before taking a shower. A Chinese physician told me that if I take a shower without cooling down after jogging, it would be bad for my health and skin.
Fungal infection and white spots can spread if it is untreated. Though it is not a deadly disease, it does bring about itchiness and discomfort to the sufferer. The doctor told me to apply the anti-fungal cream 2 times a day and not to use other people’s towels or wear their clothes. This is prevent the spread of fungal infection to others; or perhaps preventing myself from getting it from other people as well. So I applied the anti-fungal cream around my armpit area after taking a shower. I avoid all those anti-deodorant stick or lotion as the chemicals in these products may irritate my skin. However I do apply baby powder if I know that I need to do some manual work for the day; and baby powder would keep my skin dry.
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Anti-Fungal Cream
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Normally after one week of applying the anti-fungal cream, the rash on my skin would be less visible. The doctor advised me to keep applying the anti-fungal cream for another one week so as to get rid of it totally. The problem is that sometimes I do forget to apply especially when my skin is no longer itchy and that is wrong. So I would normally end up applying the anti-fungal cream for 3 weeks; just to make up for the time which I forgot to apply. I don’t know whether I am doing is right or wrong; but anyway so long as the rash or white spots are gone – I am fine with it.
My friend told me that the Tea Tree oil or (Melaleuca alternifolia) can also help to get rid of fungal infection on the skin. So far I have not tried it but I think it should work because I have also heard of it before. She had also given me some Aloe Vera and told me to apply it on my skin. Aloe Vera has a very cooling effect when I apply it on my skin; and besides I loved to drink Aloe Vera juice as well. I think personal hygiene is very important. I do not share my towel or clothes with anyone. I have to keep my bed and pillow clean and dry. I have to make sure I change my socks every day and keep my feet dry. So keeping fungal and white spots away does required discipline on my part on a daily basis.
The recent outbreak of E.coli in Germany, UK, Denmark, Sweden and now moving to United States is a concern especially for those who travel frequently. Food poisoning and diarrhoea are quite common illness that could happened to anyone when traveling. I feel that having this sickness is even worse than having flu. Because if I am having flu, I still could go about doing my normal activities; though there will be so discomfort such as coughing or breathing. When we are on holidays normally we are in a relaxed and off guard mood; and would liked to eat different exotic food or food prepared in many different ways. But there are steps that we can take to prevent food poisoning and diarrhoea from happening to us when traveling in a foreign country.
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Fried Noodles with seafood that is well cooked
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I remembered vividly an incident of bad food poisoning happened to me. I was down and out with vomiting, abdominal cramps and diarrhoea when I was in Jakarta. I remembered passing out liquid stools 3 times within one hour and vomiting till I have nothing left in my stomach. It was hell and at that time I thought I would collapsed from exhaustion in the hotel room. But I knew what to do as I had previous experience of food poisoning and diarrhoea before. I took the medication which is Smecta and replacement fluid – Pocari which is an isotonic drink throughout the day and night and it worked again. I was well again the next day though still in recovery mode.
Since then, I have stick to a process or best practises with regard to eating food whenever I travel; whether it is for work or leisure. I have listed the important ones here.
a) never to eat raw food – whether it is meat, seafood or vegetables ( salad ).
b) not to drink water from the tap.
c) buy bottled water or beverages only from established supermarkets and never buy water from street vendors.
d) eat food that is hot and cooked on the spot when ordered. If I am eating steak or meat, it must be well done.
f) when eating fruits, I would normally choose fruits with skin which I have to peel or cut off like bananas, oranges, mangoes, mangosteen or even durians. I would avoid eating water melons and papayas.
g) always wash you hands and cutlery especially when handling and eating fruits.
h) if I have a feeling that the food or drink that I am about to consume is unclean, I will not eat it – period. I would not compromise even if I have to offend that person who offered this food to me for free.
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Well cooked Fried Eggs added with prawns, mushrooms and vegetables.
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Some of my friends told me that eating fresh vegetables is safe so long as you take the steps to wash and rinse it properly. They recommended that the raw vegetables should be wash and then soak in a water added with white vinegar and salt for at least 30 minutes. Thereafter simply rinse the vegetables again with clean water. This would killed the bacteria that are in the raw vegetables. I have not tried this method yet and I am not sure whether it works. But I know that white vinegar and salt can kill bacteria – but can vinegar and salt eliminate all types of bacteria found in the vegetables – that is still questionable. Well, since this is how my friends prepare their vegetables salads all the time – I think this method should work and the raw vegetables should be safe to eat.
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Smecta Medicine
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I understand that there is no 100% fool proof way to prevent food poisoning and diarrhoea; which is why I always bring along medicine with me when I traveling. In case of acute diarrhoea, I would opened up 2 sachets of Smecta, mixed it with mineral water and consumed it. If the diarrhoea still persist after 4 hours, I would consumed another 2 sachets of Smecta medicine again; otherwise I would normally take this medicine in a 6 hours interval throughout the day. Then I would drink Pocari or any isotonic drink throughout the day/night and take only small amount of dry food such as biscuits – strictly no milk, alcohol or spicy food. Drinking lots of isotonic drink would helped to prevent dehydration in our body. Taking hot rice porridge can also helped to relieve the aching pain in the stomach. Normally this method would work for me and I would recovered the next day. However, if the condition get worse, then the best option is to see the doctor. For those who are less frequent travelers or traveling with kids, it is best to consult your doctor before the overseas trips; they would normally give you the necessary advice and medicine to bring along.
I bought the Hazeline Snow Moisturising cream while shopping for other toiletries in a Watson store in Malaysia. I remembered clearly that this is the cream that my mum used to apply on her face every day many years ago. In fact, the Hazeline Snow cream was the most popular cream during my mum’s generation. The size and packing that I have bought was 100mg and if I could recalled correctly, it cost about RM$14. My friend who is a lady asked me why do a guy like me want to use the Hazeline Snow cream? Well, I have dry skin around legs and arms and it tend to get itchy when it becomes very dry. Doctors have recommended to me a few brands of moisturising cream; but these tend to have a oily effect on my skin after application. And so I decided to give Hazeline Snow cream a try and see the effect. After all, I reckon that if my mum had used it on her face daily years ago, then I could also used it on my arms and legs.
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Hazeline Snow Moisturising Cream
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The new Hazeline Snow cream now comes in a round glass bottle. When I opened the cap of the bottle and used my finger to feel the cream, there was a cooling and wet feeling around my fingers. I apply the cream around my legs and arms and felt that it was relatively easy to apply and spread it around my body. The best part of it was that there was no oily effect on my skin, unlike many other moisturising cream. According to the information on the box, this cream is water based and 100% oil free. The cream has a light talcum powder smell but the smell was soon gone about half an hour after application.
After applying Hazeline Snow Cream for more than a week, the effect was that my skin around my legs and arms were well mositurised without the oily feeling unliked the previous moisturising cream which I have used. This means that immediately after applying Hazeline Snow cream I could put on my clothes; as there was no oil residual on my skin. There was no rash or irritation effect on my skin as well – so it means that this cream is suitable for me. I cannot feel whether my skin is now more smooth or supple ( as stated on the box ) – maybe I have thick skin. But I can ascertained that my skin no longer feel dry and itchy even in a dry and cold environment. By the way, the Hazeline Snow cream also have a whitening moisturising cream which is more expensive in price. I didn’t buy it as I don’t need my skin to be lighten or whiten – more suitable for ladies.
So my assessment of Hazeline Snow Moisturising Cream is that it is a effective moisturising cream, it is very reasonable in price, it is totally water based which is good for me and it is very easy to apply. Accordingly to the instruction on the box – need to place it in a cool dry place and apply twice a day. My friend told me to put it in the fridge, I just leave it on the table. No time to apply twice a day, so just apply once a day. And I have also decided to ditch the oil based moisturising cream and used the Hazeline Snow Cream in future.
A friend of mine bought a treadmill recently and was excited about the benefits of having a treadmill in his home. He felt that it would bring the benefits of exercise irregardless of the weather. A treadmill is an investment if it add considerable value to your exercise regimen and overall health. After all, the cost of buying a good treadmill is not cheap unlike buying a bicycle. A reasonable quality treadmill with all its gadgets could easily cost more than US$1000 and this is not the top of the range. I have seen treadmill with TV mounted on it at the Gym Club and it can also monitor heart beat and measure calories. I wonder what is the price of this treadmill – should be expensive.
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Walking on Treadmill
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The good thing about having a treadmill at home is that you can exercise any day irregardless of the weather outside. You can do it anytime of the day or night safely in your home. And if it is good treadmill, it allows you to keep track of your exercise performance daily with measurements on the hours, speed, distance and calories. But it takes good amount of discipline to keep track of your performance and even to exercise on the treadmill daily. I know for sure that I would not be able to do it every day because it looks more like work than having fun. I noticed that the treadmill in my friend’s home seems to take up quite a lot of space in his room; making the room looked rather cramped.
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Outdoor Walking and Treadmill
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Personally, I would prefer outdoor walking than walking on a treadmill. Outdoor walking is more fun and you get to see many things along the way. It is an activity that is not so rigid and confined like walking on a treadmill; and you get to breath the outdoor fresh air as well. I could easily complete a 10km walk happily without feeling that I am working or exercising to keep fit. At the end of the walk, I would normally sit on a bench and look at the trees and pond in the park; which I find it very relaxing. If I want to walk on the treadmill, I prefer to do it at the Gym rather than in my home. In a Gym, I can see many people exercising on different machines, and this gives me the spur or motivation to walk on treadmill without feeling bored. If I am walking on a treadmill at home, I would turn on the TV or the music so that it would not be so bored.
So at this moment, I would not be following my friend to buy a treadmill. It is because I know that I would not be discipline enough to use it every day or even once a week. It might end up sitting there in the room for years till I get rid of it. Outdoor walking is definitely my type of exercise which I truly enjoy.
Many people nowadays are spending more time watching television. With cable networks, there are hundreds of programs, movies, reality TV, music videos, etc etc that a person can watch every week. In fact with this unlimited choice of programs, there are hardly enough time to watch them all. Many parents complained that their children watch too much television nowadays. Sometimes kids or even adults will spend considerable time watching television that it becomes seemingly addictive in nature. Surveys conducted have found that the average person watch about 4 hours of TV everyday. So how do we get rid of this bad behavior of watching mindless TV programs on the tube?
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First of all, we need to choose our programs on TV carefully. This involves planning your schedules with the help of a TV guide. Choose the particular programs that you want to watch and not mindlessly switching channels on the TV. Once you have selected a particular TV program, enjoy the watching it, and thereafter turn off the TV immediately thereafter. So you need to plan and monitor your TV schedules and programs on a daily basis. Doing this involves lots of discipline and it will definitely cut the amount of hours per week watching TV.
Secondly, take time off every day to engage in some form of physical activity. It can be a walk in the park, a ball game, an organized outdoor activity with friends or simply engaging in other hobbies. This will help to focus the mind and body on physical task or exercise and reinforce the right values of time and priority. For example if a person is overweight, he could make a commitment to go for a walk in the park and work out his body for 45 minutes before he is allowed to watch TV. So discipline and commitment is essential.
There is a direct link between obesity and watching TV. Many people who are obese spend hours sitting on the couch watching TV. Watching TV is a passive activity. So eating your favorite snacks while watching TV is a natural thing to do, both of these activities compliment each other perfectly. Many TV addicts find it hard to resist watching TV while in their living or bedroom. So the best way is to get themselves out of the rooms where there is TV to a place where there is no TV. I know a friend who took a part time job so that he could get rid of his TV addiction. Frankly I think it is a smart move. Not only is he getting rid of his TV addiction, he is also putting more money into his bank account every month. He told me that he is now more engaged physically and mentally with people, responsibilities and the real world. So for adults who have TV addiction, you could follow his method.
A friend of mine who is overweight had told me that he wanted to try a new diet to reduce his weight. He says that he will eat only fruits for lunch everyday. His daily meal will consists of a light breakfast, a selection of fruits for lunch and a normal dinner. Normal dinner for him consists of chicken, fish, vegetables and soup. Due to the long hours of work, he has hardly time for exercise. So does eating fruits only during lunch time for purpose of weight loss work?
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Eating Fruits for Weight Loss
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I think that eating fruits as a replacement meal may not work for the purpose of weight loss. My reason is because many fruits contains a high level of sugar content Even though some people may argue that the sugar found in fruits are natural sugar, it is still basically sugar. Common fruits like water melon, papayas, honey dew, durians, etc have a high level of sugar content. My method will be to have a vegetable soup and a small slices of fruits for lunch if I want to lose weight. Of course, I believe that it is important to exercise everyday for at least 3 times a week. In our quest to reduce weight, we should not go overboard with one particular type of food but to look at variety of food that can bring a wholesome benefit to our overall health.
Anyway, after one month of experiment with his new method of dieting, there is hardly any reduction in weight loss, even though he claimed that he is now more healthy. Perhaps it will take many more months before he can see progress in his weight loss program; but eating fruits does bring benefits to his health so long as it is done in moderation. I did advice him to eat more vegetables, mushrooms and nuts; and eat less of fried chicken and curry. One thing I am sure is that eating too much of chicken rice, fried chicken and curry does make us fat and put on more weight. Because it happen to me about a year, and my weight increase by 5 kg because of all these delicious food. Daily exercise has helped me tremendously to maintain my optimal weight and also strengthen my muscles and body. In fact, I have found that daily exercise had helped me to become more alert and less fatigue.
I was at a exhibition in Malaysia and noticed a interesting booth selling health product. It was selling a health supplement drink which consists of extract from the Moringa tree. For those who are unsure what on earth is Moringa, it is sometimes known as the Miracle tree. The Moringa tree is commonly found in Asia and its entire parts of the tree can be used for different purposes. The leaves of the Moringa tree are highly nutritious and is high in vitamin c, potassium, iron and protein. The roots of the Moringa tree can be used to treat fevers, epilepsy, rheumatism, etc. In traditional medicine the Moringa tree is also used to treat erectile dysfunction in men and increase sexual virility in men and women.
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Moringa Beverage
I took the opportunity to understand more about this health supplement by asking some questions. The health supplement is sold like a beverage in a large bottle. The brand name is Lactovida and there is basically 2 types – the normal and the premium. There are many photos of current Malaysian Prime Minister and the former Prime Minister Badawi visiting the booth being displayed. Since this health beverage is so well marketed in Malaysia, I decided to try and asked for a sample drink. I was given a small cup of Moringa beverage and the smell of the beverage is like herbal. The color of this Moringa beverage is dark and after I put into my mouth and drank it, the instant response was that I dislike the taste of this herbal beverage. It has a strong herbal and sour taste. Immediately I took a bottle of mineral water from my backpack and try to flush down the awful taste from my mouth. The person at the booth told me to not to do it and to refrain from drinking any water for 10 minutes. He told me that the smell of this beverage will disappear from my mouth after 10 minutes; and thereafter my mouth will be fresh and without any bad breath. In fact, one of the useful remedy that this Moringa beverage is to remove bad breath from our mouth. So after 15 minutes later, I discovered that the awful taste in my mouth was really gone. I even asked my friend whether there was any bad breath on my mouth and the answer was No.
I believe Moringa is a good food supplement and it does help our body Bto be stronger and healthy. I will find out more about this wonder tree and see what other Moringa products that I can buy in the stores.
