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Showing posts from July, 2011

Fasting, Detoxification & secrets of sahur

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This post is labeled under book review because I'm sharing some points I took from an interesting book that I've read, however this is only a partial review of the book as I am only sharing the points of fasting, detox and sahur (Due to the upcoming Ramadhan),  InsyaAllah if given the chance I'll cover on other topics in this book. This is the book: Quran saintifik (Scientific Quran) by Dr. Danial Zainal Abidin. A worthy book to read, revealing much of The Quran's wonders that probably are unknown to the majority of Muslims, including me. It's in malay, I've no idea if it comes in an english edition, anyway for all malays if you're looking for a good book to read, try this. The Blessings of Fasting Fasting is one of the five 'pillars of Islam'. The other four are;- Faith or belief in the Oneness of God and the finality of the prophethood of Muhammad. Establishment of the daily prayers. Concern for and almsgiving to the needy. The pilgrimag

Ramadhan Tips: Staying fit & healthy

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The holy month of Ramadhan is actually the best time to improve your well being. it's the best time to train your inner self to embrace positivity, patience and gratitude.  It's the best time to detoxify your body systems. It is the best month we all have been waiting for. Some people are more potent towards illness in the month of Ramadhan, and they think that fasting has cause them to fall sick. No. Totally no. Fasting brings all the good things and cures many ailments, causing an illness is very unlikely. But you must remember, you are what you eat. And in the month of Ramadhan, our body is given rest from consumption for the whole day, it has become empty and ready to absorb anything that goes into it later on. This is why it is best we break our fast with nutritious food, the best choice is dates and a glass of water. As our body will instantly absorb what it is being fed. So, if you give it something deep fried or fast food you are feeding yourself toxin. Take advantage

Ramadhan Tips: Breastfeeding while Fasting

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Pregnant women & breastfeeding mothers are allowed to break fast or exempted from fasting if they feel that their health or their baby's health is negatively altered due to fasting. However, for those who are capable of doing so, it's highly recommended that you do fast and you are allowed to fast. If you really have the strength you are required to fast. Many of us tend to think that when we are fasting our milk supply decreases in volume and quality. But really, it does not. Milk production is not affected, but you might get a little bit dehydrated. So, less chores to avoid this problem. In fact, even if a women goes on a day up till 24 hours with no food, milk is still produced as it normally would. Ramadhan fasting is only a few hours from the break of dawn till sunset, I met many lactating mom's survived the month of ramadhan while fasting just as a non-breastfeeding mum would. However, if your body feels funny and unwell, do break your fast as your health may be

Benefits of Cranberries, Cranberry juice & Dried Cranberries.

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These tiny red berries are adorable aren't they. I don't think anyone has the will to resist them, or maybe some do. Let me share on this particular fruit, so the next time you encounter a meeting with it, you'll have a reason to eat it.Check out it's marvelous benefits for our health:- Hydrating, contains up to 90% of water. Packed with vitamins A, B, C and D. Full of minerals; Carbohydrate( provides energy ), potassium( balances the nervous system ), Calcium( Healthy bones ), phosphorus( also for bones ), protein( makes up cells) and iron( for blood ). Considered a therapeutic remedy for fever, diarrhea, scurvy and edema(due to heart.kidney problem). Contains anti-oxidants that strengthen immunity. Filled with antiviral components(naturally occurring) that's useful in gut health and retards proliferation of viruses. Cranberry juice My first experience with cranberry juice was a shocker, I never expected the sourness, but as time goes by it's really n

Coconut Water- Love the taste, Love the Health Benefits.

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When I was a little girl, I used to go back to my grandparents place for the holidays. They lived in the village and was surrounded by many plants and trees which were a delightful sight, as we don't see much of those in the middle of KL. Among those trees stood tall palms, some were tilted some were straight, it's coconuts! (Cocos nucifera) Yeah! My grandfather would gather up young coconuts and holes on top of the fruit to pour out its water, once the water is all out we would continue with the process of scooping out its flesh for further consumption. Ah, yummy~ Now that I've unearthed it's benefits, I have more reasons to consume even more of its water, and just to let you know, that, you should probably do the same. Health Benefits of Coconut Water Low in carbohydrate & sugar. Cools the body to maintain a balanced body temperature. Hydrates the body-a natural isotonic water (replenish nutrients effectively after an exercise regime) , beats gaseous isoto

Ramadhan Fasting-The perfect time for cleansing & healing

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As Ramadhan is approaching, I think it's fair enough that I write an article on fasting as it is the month Muslims have been waiting for. Every year, Muslims fasts for the whole month of Ramadhan, depends,it can either be 29 days or 30 days, exception is permitted for those who falls under several circumstances. Fasting means to abstain one self [1] from all kinds of temptations and to be patient dealing with it through out the month of Ramadhan, every day from the break of dawn until sunset, in between sunset and the next dawn, these prohibitions are not applicable, for Allah S.W.T, The Most Gracious, Most Merciful surely knows that we humans can't restrain ourselves for a much longer duration . The temptations I mentioned includes drinking, eating, smoking, intercourse, emotions(anger, etc..) and whatever that may pollute the state of fast, as when we are fasting, we are meant to be calm and sensible. Fasting is a shield [2] .The month is Ramadhan serves a purpose, it is to

Coffee For Headaches

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When you're head is pounding really bad and you don't want to go for the drug cabinet( or you already have and no improvement is felt), why not go for a cup of coffee? Never thought of it? I recommend it! Coffee is now popularly advertised as a health drink. How true can the claims be? Well, some are reliable, however beware of frauds, they see this opportunity to con people with their so-called healthy coffee. If you get the right kind of coffee, health benefits are gained, landing your hands on the wrong ones and you get more than just a waste of money, it may be dangerous. A friend of mine once told me about his uncle who was given a 'health coffee' that costs a ridiculous pricing, and just after a cup of it, sent him to the hospital bed. He fainted after that cup of coffee, and swore to never again drink coffee with health claims. Well, his bad luck made him look at any  types of coffee nastily, but he was always an avid coffee drinker,so he just went back drinkin

Coconut macaroons-making it sugarless

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French; macaron , Italian; maccarone ,here; macaroon. So, what;s up with this confectionery that's causing a craze in the society lately. Could it be due to it's astonishing vibrant colors and it's extreme sweetness? Personally I don't think macaroons are suitable for all ages, and totally should be consumed not more than once a month. Those are macaroons, coconut macaroons looks less appealing and safer. This recipe I'm sharing, sugar-less, doesn't it sounds a lot better? Maybe not, but make it a yes. I think macaroons are great, but as a mum, I prefer something milder for my kid. And when you're mixing the batter in your own kitchen, you're more likely to prepare a healthier meal for the family, and you are the one with the upper hand of what goes in and what does not into your meals. This is one of the reasons why home cooking should not be neglected. Coconut macaroon, even without sugar tastes great, and with all the extra sugar we are already co

The digestive system (part 2)

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Villi What's this? Villi is plural, in singular term it's villus. This is tiny  finger-like projections protruding out of the small intestinal walls that plays a very important role in nutrient absorption, and on each vilus lies many even more minute microvilli. It's tiny appearance increases the intestinal surface area and a larger surface area means better absorption. The absorbed nutrient will then go into the bloodstream for distribution throughout the body. The colon The large intestines. After food is processed along the small intestines, they are now ready to enter the caecum, the first part of the large intestine A.K.A. the colon. Our colon is divide into 7 short parts: caecum, ascending colon, transverse colon, descending colon,sigmoid colon, rectum and the anus. It stands at a wider diameter compared to the small intestines but it's only 1.5m in length. The colon's main function is to reabsorb water, certain type of vitamins ,process undigested materi

The digestive system (part 1)

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When we talk about digestion, we think of the stomach, well most of us does. Did you know that the digestive system starts from outside the body and ends, well almost outside of the body. True enough, digestion starts at the point where food comes in contact with your hands (different story when you're using fork and spoon), the fingers release enzymes that assist digestion, isn't this just flabbergasting, the fingers, releasing digestive enzymes? Whoa. Eat with your hands, it helps digestion. (1)mouth, (2)pharynx, (3)tongue, (4)esophagus, (5)pancreas, (6)gallbladder, (7)stomach, (8)duodenum, (9)ascending colon, (10) transverse and descending colon, (11)jejunum, (12)sigmoid colon, (13)ileum, (14)rectum, (15)anus. The mouth (1)parotid, (2)submandibluar and  (3)sublingual Okay then, the next step of digestion involves the mouth, teeth and all the saliva production. There are three salivary glands responsible of producing saliva: parotid, sublingual and submandibular. S

Licorice & skin health

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What's your first thought when you read the word 'licorice'? For me, all I can think of is this.... (yumm..yumm..) : Okay, so I am a big fan of these licorice treats, and all I can relate to licorice is this, but I'm absolutely in the wrong, because there is the licorice plant that is more than a bunch of sweet stuff. Here's what it looks like.. (and it's what I'll be writing about, not the deliciously looking , drool catalysts as we have seen above..).. R-L: The root, the plant, again, the root. This is the licorice plant and it's root. Now that we know that such thing exists, let's learn it's benefits, and in this particular post, I'm going to emphasize on it's values for the skin. It turns out that licorice roots has been used in traditional medication for ages in the case of diabetes, digestive disorders, eczema, psoriasis, coughs and much more. Today, licorice extracts are used in ointments and gels for the following purpose: