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Orange Juice - Immunity

2009-12-11T06:12:00.000-08:00

Orange Juice and the Immune System Cycle

Knowing how your immune system works is key to understanding how you can help fight disease and infection. During cold and flu season, your immune system is at greater risk. Yet, you can take steps to support your health by making nutritious choices and by including important lifestyle additions. Exercising regularly, consuming nutrient-rich foods and beverages from all the basic food groups, receiving a flu shot, and getting plenty of sleep, all help support a healthy immune system.

Nutrient-rich foods can help support a healthy immune system and unhealthy foods may weaken it by promoting inflammation or resulting in a shortfall of nutrients that the immune system needs on an ongoing basis to stay healthy. That's why it is important to choose healthy foods: doing so may increase the likelihood of short-term benefits, including helping the body fight colds and flu, and long-term benefits, potentially helping in the fight against diseases like cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer's.

A healthy lifestyle, starting with diet, is one of the best ways to help the body fight colds and certain diseases. These eight steps will help support the immune system to promote good health throughout cold and flu season and a lifetime of better health.

1. Choose nutrient-rich foods: Drinking one glass of 100 percent orange juice, as part of a well-balanced diet, will provide your body with several essential nutrients including folate, vitamin C, potassium and thiamin, as well as naturally-occurring flavonoids which can help provide health benefits.

Folate: Folate is needed to make new cells. Since the immune system needs a constant supply of new cells, folate is essential for a healthy immune system. Folate may help lower homocysteine levels in the blood. Homocysteine may contribute to inflammation and some studies suggest it may be related to coronary heart disease and cognitive impairment associated with Alzheimer's disease, when high levels exist 1. Also, lower intake of folate as an adult has been associated with a higher risk for certain types of cancer 1.

Vitamin C: One of the most powerful antioxidants, vitamin C is a key nutrient to help the body maintain a healthy immune system and has been associated with modestly reducing the severity or duration of a cold when taken before the onset of illness. Vitamin C also may help neutralize free radicals that can cause cell and tissue damage that could lead to diseases, including cancer and heart disease. Fruits and vegetables, especially citrus fruits, are primary contributors of vitamin C in the diet. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables may help reduce the risk of various types of cancer, such as esophageal cancer.

Vitamin B6: The immune system needs vitamin B6 to function effectively. It helps maintain the health of lymphoid organs that make white blood cells, which fight infections. Orange juice provides 7% of the Daily Value for vitamin B6.
Carotenoids: Some carotenoids are precursors to vitamin A, which is important for making new cells and is therefore essential in the maintenance of immune function. Carotenoids also may have anti-inflammatory activities.
Potassium and Magnesium: According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s High Blood Pressure Education Program, potassium plays an important role in our cardiovascular health. Higher potassium and magnesium intake has been associated with lower blood pressure. Diets containing foods that are a good source of potassium and that are low in sodium may reduce the risk of high blood pressure and stroke. Orange juice provides 14% of the Daily Value for potassium and 7% of the Daily Value for magnesium.
Flavonoids: Flavonoids are substances that occur in certain plant foods and developing research suggests that they may have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, or anti-cancer activities.

2. Get a shot: Visit your doctor or local pharmacy to discuss receiving a flu shot before cold and flu season begins.

3. Be active: It is important to get some fresh air because the body is more vulnerable to cold and flu viruses if constantly indoors. Also, regular exercise can contribute to overall good health making it more likely that your immune system stays healthy to stave off colds and flu.

4. Stay clean: Germs are everywhere, and once we come in contact, it only takes a moment for it to spread to the rest of the body. Offices and schools are breeding ground for infectious germs, so wash hands frequently and disinfect as often as possible.

5. Sleep well: Quality of sleep can affect what happens to the body once it comes into contact with the flu virus. Although the recommended daily amount is eight hours, most Americans get less.

6. Manage stress: Reduce stress by getting out of the situation, resting and relaxing. Stress may have negative effects on the health of the immune system which may increase the chance of getting infections.

7. Detect disease early: When disease is detected in its beginning stages through check-ups and exams, the body stands a greater chance of survival.

2009-12-11T06:08:00.000-08:00

Chocolate has all but been elevated to superfood status. And the good news keeps rolling in.
So here are three more reasons why you may not want to be too quick to break that chocolate habit. (As long as you're hitting the dark stuff.)
Chocolate makes you smarter. Ample research suggests that the flavonols in dark chocolate increase cerebral blood flow, which in turn may trigger the creation of new blood vessels and brain cells. And a new study showed that older adults performed better on cognitive tests after eating small portions of the sweet stuff. Talk about a nourished noggin! (Here's why opting for semisweet or unsweetened chocolate may be even better for your brain.)
Chocolate weakens heart attacks. Although more research is needed to confirm this one, a new study showed that regular chocolate eaters who had heart disease were less likely to die following a heart attack compared with the people who didn't treat themselves to the dark and dreamy stuff. (Here's more on chocolate's heart-smart qualities.)
Chocolate has a cavity-fighting compound. Okay, so you don't necessarily want to trade in your toothbrush for a chocolate bar. But some interesting new research shows a compound in chocolate -- theobromine -- may be just as good as fluoride at hardening tooth enamel. So the compound could find its way into toothpastes and mouthwashes one day. Until then, keep in mind that most commercially prepared chocolate has lots of sugar in it. Get healthier teeth and gums with these three easy dental tricks.
Don't Go OverboardDespite chocolate's benefits, you don't want to o.d. on it lest you do your waist and blood sugar more harm than good. Learn why just one Hershey's Kiss worth of chocolate may be all you need to lower your blood pressure.

Probiotics for Weight Loss?

2009-12-01T00:10:00.000-08:00

Believe it or not, the human body contains more bacteria living inside than individual cells: 100 trillion microorganisms live in our gastrointestinal tract as compared with a "mere" 10 trillion human cells in our body. And one of the best kinds of microorganisms we can have flourishing inside our bodies are the probiotics, the healthy bacteria that live in our intestines or gut. Now, new research from the Stanford University School of Medicine and Stanford Hospital and Clinics suggests probiotics might even enhance weight-loss programs.
The Stanford researchers first noticed the beneficial effects of probiotics on weight when working with extremely obese patients who've had gastric-bypass surgery. But studies are showing that the benefits of probiotics are not limited to those who've had this medical procedure.
So why are probiotics assisting with weight loss? Several studies have suggested that the guts of normal-weight people contain a different mix or balance of the types and amounts of bacteria that are found in the intestines of overweight folks. One study even found these same imbalances among the microorganisms in 7-year-old kids who were overweight.
Could it be that bad bacteria are causing at least some of our weight issues? Is it possible that one day we'll just ingest a dollop of "weight-friendly" bacteria to bring our body size under control?
It's too soon to know exactly where this discovery will lead, so here are my recommendations:
Be sure to include foods in your diet that contain probiotics, such as yogurt.
Avoid brands of yogurt that have the "fruit" at the bottom and instead go with low-fat, low-sugar varieties that contain plenty of protein and calcium. A cup of yogurt is a great snack to hold you over in between meals or after a workout. Greek yogurts are especially high in protein.
Make prebiotics part of your regular diet as well. Prebiotics--tiny fibers found in some fruits and vegetables--just happen to be what probiotics and other good bacteria eat. Good sources of prebiotics include wheat, bananas, onions, garlic, and leeks. (Europeans eat far more prebiotics than do people in the U.S--might this explain part of the weight discrepancy between the U.S. and European populations?)
If you have digestive issues, be sure to talk with your doctor or dietitian about "pharmaceutical-grade" probiotics, which are the equivalent of prescription-strength good bacteria.
Last, a caveat: Don't even think about starting to load up on probiotics so that you can slack off on exercise or ignore your healthy eating plan. There is no miracle probiotic cure in the pipeline!

2009-08-10T09:11:00.001-07:00

Quick! Tell Us What KUTGW Means

2009-08-06T19:03:00.000-07:00

By STEPHANIE RAPOSO

Kate Washburn didn’t know what to make of the email a friend sent to her office with the abbreviation “NSFW” written at the bottom. Then she clicked through the attached sideshow, titled “Awkward Family Photos.” It included shots of a family in furry “nude” suits and of another family alongside a male walrus in a revealing pose.
After looking up NSFW on NetLingo.com—a Web site that provides definitions of Internet and texting terms—she discovered what it stood for: “Not safe for work.”
Ellen Weinstein
Say What?
A sampling of some popular shorthand texting terms.

These are few abbreviations in PAS:
PAPP . . . . . . . . . Pejabat Agung PAS Pusat
JRL . . . . . . . . . . . Jalan Raja Laut
ISA . . . . . . . . . . . Ikut Suka Aku
KBSM . . . . . . . . . . Kahwin Bersalin Sakit Mati
MOSWA . . . . . . . . Miskin OKU Sakit Warga Emas Armalah

UG2BK . . . . . . . You got to be kidding
GBTW. . . . . . . . Get back to work
NMP . . . . . . . . . Not my problem
PIR . . . . . . . . . . Parent in room
GFTD. . . . . . . . . Gone for the day
FYEO. . . . . . . . . For your eyes only
BI5 . . . . . . . . . . Back in five minutes
DEGT . . . . . . . . Don’t even go there
BIL . . . . . Boss is listening
PAW. . . . Parents are watching
99 . . . . . . Parents are no longer watching
PCM . . . . Please call me
IMS. . . . . I am sorry
TOY. . . . . Thinking of you
KUTGW. . Keep up the good work
CID . . . . . Consider it done
FWIW. . . For what it’s worth
HAND . . . Have a nice day
IAT . . . . . I am tired
NRN . . . . No response necessary
4COL. . . . For crying out loud
WRUD. . . What are you doing
LMIRL. . . Let’s meet in real life
^5 . . . . . . High five
“If I would have known it wasn’t safe for work, I wouldn’t have taken the chance of being inappropriate,” says Ms. Washburn, 37 years old, a media consultant in Grand Rapids, Mich.
As text-messaging shorthand becomes increasingly widespread in emails, text messages and Tweets, people like Ms. Washburn are scrambling to decode it. In many offices, a working knowledge of text-speak is becoming de rigueur. And at home, parents need to know the lingo in order to keep up with—and sometimes police—their children.
One reason for the surge in texting abbreviations—more than 2,000 and counting, according to NetLingo—is the boom in social-media sites like Twitter, where messages are limited to 140 characters. Text messages, too, are limited in length, so users have developed an alphabet soup of shorthand abbreviations to save time, and their thumbs.
Taking time to learn the jargon may seem like a WOMBAT (“Waste of money, brains and time”). But with over one trillion text messages sent and received in the U.S. last year, according to CTIA-The Wireless Association, an industry trade group, you run the risk of feeling out of it if you don’t.
“If a CEO does not appear to be tech-savvy, people may start to wonder, ‘Is the company not plugged into today’s technologies also?’” says Stephanie Grayson, a corporate speech and media trainer based in New York.
Translation Sites
The confusion has given rise to a number of resources that provide English translations for terms like WRUD (“What are you doing?”) and TTYL (“Talk to you later”)—among them independent Web sites like NetLingo.com and

2009-08-06T17:56:00.000-07:00

10 HABITS THAT BOSSES LOVE

2008-12-05T07:13:00.000-08:00

Every boss wants employees who do their jobs well. But even among highly competent employees, there are distinctions. Here are 10 tips for making sure you're on the boss's A-list:

1. Communicate, communicate, communicate. Especially at the beginning of your relationship -- that is, when either you or the boss is new to the job -- err on the side of giving your boss too much information and asking too many questions.
"There's no such thing as a dumb question," says Marianne Adoradio, a Silicon Valley recruiter and career counselor. "Look at it as information gathering."
Don't keep up the constant stream of communication unless your boss likes it, though. It's best to ask directly whether you're giving the boss enough information or too much.

2. Acknowledge what the boss says. Bosses appreciate "responsive listening," says John Farner, principal of Russell Employee Management Consulting. When your boss asks you to do something or suggests ways for you to improve your work, let her know you heard.

3. Collaborate. When your boss has a new idea, respond to it in a constructive way instead of throwing up roadblocks.
"Be willing to brainstorm ways to get something done," says Michael Beasley, principal of Career-Crossings and a leadership and career development coach.

4. Build relationships. You'll make your boss look good if you establish a good rapport with your department's customers, whether they're inside the company or outside. Bring back what you learn -- about ways to offer better customer service, for example -- to your boss. This is also helpful for your own career development.
"Everybody wins in the long run," Adoradio says.

5. Understand how you fit in. Is your boss detail-oriented, or someone who keeps his head in the clouds?
"The boss's personality is just incredibly important," says Norm Meshriy, a career counselor and principal of Career Insights.
Equally important is understanding what your boss wants in an employee. It may be, for example, that a boss who is detail-oriented will expect his employees to be as well. But a boss who has no time for details may actually appreciate an employee who does.

6. Learn the boss's pet peeves. If your manager has said repeatedly that she hates being interrupted first thing in the morning, don't run to her office to give her a project update when you first get in.

7. Anticipate the boss's needs. Once you have worked with your boss for a while, you should be able to guess what information he will want before approving your purchase order, for example.
If you provide it ahead of time, "that's a gold star," Farner adds.

8. Think one level up. You still need to do your own job, of course. But when managers consider who deserves a promotion, they look for people who understand the issues that their bosses face.

9. Open yourself to new ways of doing things. When your boss comes to you with a new idea, don't simply dismiss it. If you don't think it will work, offer to discuss it further in "a mature, responsible, adult-like way," Beasley says.

10. Be engaged in your work. Arguing with your boss over every request is not a good strategy, but neither is simply shrugging your shoulders and agreeing with everything your boss says. "The manager would like to see an engaged individual," Beasley says. That means both showing enthusiasm for your work and speaking up when you see room for improvement.

PERHEBAT TARBIYAH

2008-08-25T05:32:00.000-07:00

Menemui Pembaca Budiman,

Muktamar lalu masih lagi teriang-iang di sudut kotak pemikiran bagi yang sempat menghadiri dan mengikutinya. Para pimpinan dan perwakilan yang berhujjah, berbahas sambil mengeluarkan fakta-fakta yang bersifat ilmiah atau pangalaman yang dilalui dalam mengharungi titk-titik perjuangan semuanya menjadi inti-pati para hadirin yang hadir di sidang Muktamar lalu.

Apa yang lebih penting ialah setiap yang hadir perlu menjadikan Muktamar sebagai landasan Muhasabah dan seterusnya mengambil inti-pati, arahan dan rumusan serta menjadikan text Ucapan Dasar Presiden dan Ucapan Muktamar Dewan-dewan yang disampaikan oleh ketua-ketua dewan sebagai Manual Rujukan yang pelu diterjemah dalam bentuk program-program yang praktikal dan tindakan yang bersesuaian.

Sehubungan itu, Dewan Muslimat ingin mengucapkan Jutaan Terima Kasih kepada Panitia Muktamar yang telah menjalankan kerja dan tugas yang diberikan tanpa mengenal erti penat. Lebih-labih lagi Panitia Muktamar Dewan Muslimat yang telah memulakan tugas penuh secara rasmi bermula 14hb Ogos, awal sehari daripada Muktamar Pusat.

Namun, mereka tetap bekerja dengan senyuman sehingga ke hari terakhir Muktamar Pusat. Tahniah atas kejayaan Puan-Puan dan saudari-saudari yang mampu mengendalikan diri-diri anda sehingga begitu menyenangkan hati-hati setiap yang hadir. Napoleon Hill, penulis Buku ’Think and Grow Rich’ menyebut ‘The man who cannot control himself can never control others’. Bukan mudah bersikap ’natural’ dalam suasana penat dan letih, sambil melayan karenah ratusan atau mungkin ribuan yang mendekati petugas bertanyakan ‘begitu’, ‘begini’. Tetapi Universiti PAS telah berjaya memberikan tarbiyah kepada setiap ahlinya. Apa ganjarannya? Hanya Allah swt yang akan membalasnya.

Mengimbau Muktamar Dewan Muslimat PAS Pusat yang telah berlansung di Hotel Hillcity, Alhamdulillah, Muslimat PAS tidak ketandusan kepimpinan Muslimat dan suara kepimpinan akan datang. Dilihat daripada partisipasi perwakilan Muslimat, dari kalangan remaja dan veteran kesemuanya, saban tahun masih memiliki ciri-ciri kepimpinan yang bersesuaian dengan fitrah semasa.

Tema Ucapan Muktamar Dewan Muslimat kali ini ’Mengisi Kemenangan, Melestari Kebajikan’ adalah usaha untuk mempertegaskan sikap dan komitmen Muslimat untuk terjun ke dalam masyarakat.

Merentasi bidang kerjaya, budaya dan sektor-sektor pekerjaan wanita di Malaysia, Dewan Muslimat akan berusaha sedaya upaya untuk menceburkan diri berganding bahu bersama wanita Malaysia melusuri sudut-sudut yang boleh dimanafa’atkan dan
mempraktikkan mana-mana bahagian yang termampu.

Ini sebagai persiapan untuk berdepan dengan situasi yang akan memberi ’political mileage’ untuk mempertahankan kemenangan PAS di lima Negeri Pakatan Rakyat. Pada masa yang sama, ini akan dapat mencetus semarak sokongan terhadap PAS di negeri-negeri lain. Kesemua ini menuntut Muslimat di setiap peringkat Dewan dan cawangan agar memperkuatkan saf-saf organisasi.

Kemantapan dan kejayaan sesuatu organisasi adalah apabila seluruh ahlinya diperlengkap dan dibekalkan dengan Tarbiyah yang jitu. Mahu tidak mahu, ahli PAS terutama Muslimat PAS mesti berbalik kepada ’basic’ iaitu memperkukuhkan sistem tarbiyah di semua peringkat.

PAS adalah sebuah gerakan dakwah dan siasah. Dalam segala jurusan amal kita adalah dilingkari dengan dakwah. Dalam berpolitik kita berdakwah. Dalam berorganisasi, kita berdakwah. Dalam berkomunikasi, kita berdakwah. Jadi, ’core business’ PAS adalah dakwah. Oleh itu, DAKWAH PAS mesti bersekali dengan TARBIYAH. Dan tarbiyah Universiti PAS tidak sama dengan lain-lain jama’ah.

Sesetengah ahli mungkin merasa jemu untuk ditarbiyah, (mungkin kerana telah lama berorganisasi), tetapi hakikatnya, Tarbiyah adalah senjata penting untuk menguatkan dan memantapkan diri mengikut acuan dan kehendak amal-jama’ie. Mungkin ada juga di kalangan ahli merasa ’telah kuat dan mempunyai semangat yang tidak pernah luntur’ dalam definasi yang difahami oleh segelintir kecil, tetapi dalam makna yang lebih luas, ia adalah kegagalan menggarap tarbiyah.

Jangan ada di kalangan ahli PAS yang merasa dirinya telah mantap, tetapi hendaklah dengan rasa rendah diri mahukan dirinya ditarbiyah. Dan setiap yang menyertai prgram-program Tarbiyah mestilah mengikuti dengan sepenuhnya dari awal mula hingga akhir agar dapat menjiwai program yang dijalankan. Juga hendaklah memasukkan dirinya ke dalam program Tarbiyah sebagai peserta dan membuang sementara apa jua jawatan yang dipegang agar dapat merasa ’duduk sama rendah, berdiri sama tinggi’.

Kemungkinan-kemungkinan, sekiranya ada yang merasai dirinya lebih hebat dan lebih baik dari yang lain, ini hanya akan mencacatkan dirinya sendiri untuk merasai nikmat ditarbiyah. Apa salahnya, apalah ruginya kita merendah diri di kalangan ahli jama’ah kita? Bukankah Peribahasa Melayu menyebut ’Ular yang menyusur semak tidak akan hilang bisanya’? Ayat Al Quran juga menyebut dengan maksudnya orang Mukmin itu ’Merendah diri sesama mukmin dan bersikap keras terhadap orang kafir’.

Sesungguhnya, apa yang kita harapkan hasil dari tarbiyah ini ialah ahli yang komited, yang mempunyai rasa ’On Call’ terhadapa tugas jamaah pada setiap masa. Ahli yang boleh mendepani masyarakat berbilang bangsa di Malaysia, yang bersedia diprogram dan memprogramkan ahli dan masyarakat ke arah memperjuangkan agenda besar Parti PAS.

Yang tidak kita mahu hasil Tarbiyah ialah: ahli yang mengikuti tarbiyah ini akhirnya menjadi ahli yang ’tawadhuk’ yang disalah ertikan sehingga menyelimuti potensi yang ada pada dirinya yang tidak lansung menunjukkan potensi keupayaan kaliber dan kepimpinan, apalagi kebolehan berdepan dengan massa.

Oleh itu, ahli dan kepimpinan Muslimat di semua peringkat adalah diharap memulakan sessi baru ini dengan keazaman yang kuat untuk memperkukuhkan jama’ah dengan tarbiyah yang mantap. Tarbiyah yang mantap tidak akan ’dilute’ dalam apa keadaan sekalipun, Insya-Allah. Ayuh Bangun !
Wassalam.