How To Monitor Your Organs Health

Chew food well to aid digestion

OUR internal organs — lungs, heart, kidneys, liver, stomach and digestive tract —  are  concealed within our body, from view. In fact, many do not know exactly where they are located, much less their functions and steps to protect them.
Sime Darby Medical Centre Ara Damansara emergency room physician Dr Syed Azhar Syed Ibrahim says there are simple steps that can be taken to monitor organs.
“It is better to screen for health rather than diseases. And screening for health can be done by understanding the organs and looking for signs that spell trouble. When you notice the signs early, before the disease sets in, chances are you will be able to prevent problems.”
Dr Syed Azhar explain ways to monitor them.

LUNGS
Many things can turn the lungs dirty due to the air that we breathe.
“It is not wrong to say that your lungs are as clean as the air where you live.  So if you want clean lungs, you should breathe in clean air. Lungs can be damaged by anything in the air — poisonous gas, bacteria and virus. But the body has a natural way of cleansing the organ.”
If you fall sick due to infection from bacteria and viruses, they are trapped in the lungs. To get rid of them, the lungs produce a mucus-like phlegm. The phlegm that has absorbed the germs will then be discharged through coughing.
“When you cough out phlegm, it will cleanse your lungs. Usually doctors will prescribe medicine to increase phlegm.” Running or brisk walking in a clean park will help you breathe in fresh air. “When you are running, you will breathe faster which means more air is sucked into the lungs. If you are running in a clean environment, it means you are breathing more clean air which  will purify the lungs.”

HEART
“The heart is a sturdy and tough organ. The only weakness it will face is if there is disruption to blood flow. If the blood flow to the heart is compromised, you will suffer a heart attack. Almost 90 per cent of people die due to coronary heart disease.”
Dr Syed Azhar says there are tests to determine if the blood vessels in the heart have narrowed such as angioplasty and stress test. Unfortunately, blockage to the heart can happen anytime. Even if the test does not show positive results, it does not mean the blockage won’t happen next week.
Since you can’t be doing angioplasty and stress tests every week, he suggests a much simpler way to monitor your heart condition — again by exercising. “You can monitor your heart rate when you are running.  The heart rate of a person depends on age. For example, if you are 40,  your heart rate should be at 140 when you are running. To know if your heart is healthy, try running for 15 minutes while maintaining the heart rate at 140. If you don’t have any chest pain, then it is an indication that the blood vessels are working properly.
“However, if within five minutes, you start to feel chest pains or you can hardly breathe, you need to go for a medical check-up. That is the sign that the blood flow to your heart is obstructed.”
Dr Syed Azhar says unfortunately in some cases, the symptoms of heart attack are difficult to diagnose as the heart will send signals  to other organs.
“The heart is a silent organ which does not have ways to tell of the problems. Instead it uses other organs such as the lungs, chest muscle and arms. It uses the lungs — that is why people suffer from shortness of breath when they have a heart attack. It  also uses the pectoralis muscle in your chest (hence the chest pain),  your left arm will go weak or you have pain in the neck.
Sometimes the patient is thirsty and has a dry throat, which could indicate a heart attack.  It is not easy to diagnose coronary heart disease because of these many symptoms.
Coronary heart disease is a result of plaque build-up in the arteries, which blocks blood flow and increases the risks of heart attack and stroke.

KIDNEYS
The two bean-shaped organs work as a filter to remove waste from the blood as well as excess water from the body. Dr Syed Azhar says like any filtration system, most of the breakdown of the kidney is caused by contaminated items in the blood.
“If the blood is contaminated, it is likely the kidneys will get damaged or worse, fail to function. Although we can live with one kidney, it will only do half of the work.”
To detect kidney disease, a blood test is done for urea nitrogen and serum creatinine. Urea is a byproduct of protein breakdown, and creatinine is a byproduct of normal muscle functioning. In kidney disease, these substances are not excreted normally, and can be detected on blood tests.
However, the test will show positive results when the damage to the kidney is already at 80 per cent, says Dr Syed Azhar.  When it is at an early stage or even at 60 per cent, the tests cannot detect any abnormality in the urea or serum creatinine levels.
A simple and easy way to monitor the health of the kidneys is through urine, as damage to the kidneys results in leakage of protein.
“To detect if there is protein in your urine, look at your urine and see if there are any bubbles. Wait for 30 seconds to see if the bubbles break away. If they do not, there is a presence of protein in the urine. Observe the urine at least three consecutive times, just to make sure. If they continue to be there, you need to see a doctor.”
Diabetes and hypertension are among the main causes of kidney disease. Other causes include autoimmune diseases such as lupus, genetic diseases such as polycystic kidney disease as well as long-term use of certain medications such as aspirin and ibuprofen.

LIVER
The  liver has the capability to regenerate itself and withstand attacks from viruses or bacteria, says Dr Syed Azhar.
“The liver is a strong organ and has regeneration capability. If you had a transplant and take a bit off, it would grow back. However, there are few things that can damage the liver, and even then, it would take years of abuse before the organ succumbs to damage.”
One of them is infection with the  hepatitis virus. Over time, the virus can cause severe damage to the liver. Binge alcohol drinking, too much fast food, excessive exercise, pain killers and antibiotics can also damage the liver.
“The only way to know if your liver is damaged is through ultrasound. If it is damaged, it will be filled with dead cells  known as fatty liver.
“Somebody with fatty liver needs to change his lifestyle —  reduce excessive eating and drinking,  and exercise.  If he stops before the damage gets worse, the liver will be able to recover by itself.”

PANCREAS
Dr Syed Azhar says the pancreas is rarely afflicted with diseases. However, it is susceptible to acute pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer, both can be fatal. Diabetes mellitus is a systemic disorder of sugar metabolism and therefore not the fault of the pancreas on its own.
“In acute pancreatitis, the victim has the misfortune of both his bile duct and pancreatic duct sharing a common outlet, so the gallbladder becomes loaded with gallstones and deposits them into the common outlet. There is a risk that the stones will obstruct both the bile and the pancreatic duct.
“This obstruction will cause a back flow of both bile and pancreatic juices into the pancreas which is the lower of the two. Both of these juices will then ‘digest’ the pancreas and may spill into the abdominal cavity and affect every organ in the abdominal cavity causing untold damage. This translates into severe pain and, more often then not, death in mere days.”
As for pancreatic cancer, it is rare and there  are not enough studies to determine the cause. For pancreatic cancer patients, there is an operative procedure named Whipple’s operation which is long and often carries with it high risks. Pancreatic cancer has proven to be resistant and hard to eradicate with chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
Patients are afflicted with extreme nausea and often struggle just to keep down a few spoonfuls of a meal but yet they are hungry. In a matter of months, their bodies will waste away because of starvation and finally became very weak.

STOMACH
This is the organ that people pay least attention to or even know how it works. The stomach, which contains acid as high as 5.5pH, works as a reactor that turns food into microscopic pieces before they are pushed into the small intestine.
Dr Syed Azhar says the most important part in the stomach is the lining which produces mucus that protect it from being penetrated by the acid. If the acid penetrates the lining, a person will suffer from ulcer within 20 minutes.
“If a person does not chew food properly and just swallow big chunks, the stomach has to do the work of the teeth by processing food. It has to  digest food using acid.  If this happens often, the acid will eventually destroy the lining.
If a person eats late at night, the stomach will not be able to digest food properly. “If you eat at 9pm and go to bed at 10pm, the stomach does not have enough time to digest food and push it through to the small intestine as you are already lying down.
“On average, we eat about 0.5kg of food in a meal. The stomach will produce about 3kg of juices to digest the food. So you have nearly 4kg of weight in your stomach. The stomach needs gravity to push this weight to the intestine.”

LOWER GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT
Part of the digestive tract — a twisting tube about 9m long — it runs from the esophagus to the stomach and the bowels, and ends at the anus. The bowels comprise  small and large intestine.  The small intestine is usually disease-free while 80 per cent of injury to the digestive system happen in the large intestine or colon.
People usually assume they have healthy bowel movement if they go to the toilet every day. However, the frequency of  the toilet visits should not be the indication as it can depend on the length of the colon. If the  colon is small, it is likely there are bowel movements every day or even twice a day. This is not a sign that everything is good. The best way to determine if your colon is healthy is to look at the shape of your faeces.
“If your colon is healthy, your faeces will be in a banana shape. If you eat good food but your colon is not healthy, you don’t have good faeces. And if you don’t eat good food, but you have healthy intestine, you won’t have good faeces too. When you have perfect faeces, it means you are eating good food and your colon is healthy.  People don’t want to know this because they say it is disgusting, but is so important to check faeces every day.”
Dr Syed Azhar says  the top three killer diseases — heart attack, lung and colon cancer — can be detected early by monitoring the digestive system.
Problems with digestive system will increase cholesterol level, resulting in problems with the liver and kidney and leading to a heart attack. People with diabetes have problems with colon movement because of the high blood sugar level that affects bowel movements. It could also indicate colon cancer.


Care for your body
• Exercise in a clean park to purify lungs.
•  Maintain 15 minutes of running with a heart rate which corresponds with your age. If you feel chest pain, see a doctor.
• Watch for bubbles in your urine. If they do not dissolve within 30 seconds, it could mean kidney problems.
• Binge alcohol drinking, too much fast food, excessive exercise, pain killers and antibiotics  can damage the liver.
• Don’t lie down after eating. Your stomach needs the gravity to push food down.

Edited from: http://www.nst.com.my

Sup Labu Kuning "Spicy" Untuk Menghalang Kanser

Sup Labu Kuning spicy;
Foto: thesundaily.com

Labu kuning adalah sumber yang kaya dengan antioksidan, vitamin dan mineral, termasuk vitamin E, A, C dan Vitamin B seperti folates, vitamin B6, thiamine.potassium, copper, fosforus dan magnesium.

Bahan rahsia dalam sup ini adalah labu kuning yang penuh dengan antioksidan. Beta-karotena boleh  menyekat pertumbuhan sel-sel kanser.

Sup ini juga boleh menjadi 'base' yang baik bagi mi ayam atau makanan laut. Hanya tambah makanan laut yang dimasak atau filet ayam (atau ketulan ayam) dan mi atau pasta, untuk snek yang lebih lazat dan mengenyangkan.

► Bahan-bahan:

2 cawan labu, potong kiub
1 biji bawang merah
1 sudu teh bawang putih cincang
1 sudu teh cili merah, dipotong halus (atau pes cili)
1 sudu teh serbuk kari (2 sudu kecil jika anda mahu ia lebih spicy)
1 cawan susu sejat (rendah lemak untuk mementingkan kesihatan, atau krim jika anda mahu menikmati dan membuat sup yang lebih pekat)
3 cawan air rebusan ayam
½ sudu teh garam, atau secukup rasa
2 sudu besar minyak masak

► Cara-cara membuatnya:

1. Panaskan minyak di dalam periuk dan tumis bawang, bawang putih, cili merah dan serbuk kari.
2. Tambah labu dan air rebusan ayam. Masak hingga mendidih dan reneh selama 15-20 minit.
3. Apabila labu lembut, kisar sup dalam pengisar letrik atau pengisar tangan, sehingga labu sekata dihaluskan.
4. Tambah garam dan susu, dan didihkan selama beberapa minit.
5. Sendukkan sup ke dalam mangkuk untuk dihidang.
6. Anda boleh hiaskan dengan sedikit ketumbar cincang, daun bawang atau croutons. Atau hidang dengan beberapa keping roti bakar bawang putih (garlic bread).

Diedit  dari: The sun

Alahan Gluten Pada Kanak-kanak

Tidak semua roti mengandungi gluten, ada juga roti yang bebas gluten, biasanya ia diperbuat dari tepung jagung.

Alahan atau intoleransi terhadap gluten adalah tindakbalas imun pada usus. Gluten adalah sejenis protin yang di dapati dalam endosperma gandum, rye, barli dan oat.

Alahan gluten boleh berlaku sebaik saja mereka mengambil makanan bijirin untuk kali pertama, biasanya ketika berumur 6 bulan atau setelah mereka mula bersekolah atau bila mereka dewasa.

Jika kanak-kanak mengalami cirit-birit dan kembung perut yang kronik, kurang selera makan dan sukar menambah berat badan mereka mungkin menghidap penyakit coeliac (sistem imun bertindak-balas luar biasa terhadap gluten). Penyakit coeliac menyebabkan keradangan pada usus yang merosakkan lapisan villi yang berupa seperti rerambut halus yang berfungsi menyerap zat makanan. 

Organ-organ lain seperti kulit, sistem saraf, buah pinggang, jantung dan hati juga boleh dijangkiti. 

Satu-satunya cara berkesan untuk menyembuhkan penyakit alahan gluten ini adalah mengelakkan makanan yang mengandungi gluten seperti roti, kek, pai, biskut, confectioneries, makanan dalam tin, beberapa jenis sosej dan keju.

Gluten mungkin juga terdapat dalam agen penstabil, emulsifier, penambah perisa, rempah-ratus, agen pemisah dan selalu juga digunakan untuk memekatkan jus buah-buahan.

Kanak-kanak yang mengamalkan diet bebas gluten akan beransur-ansur pulih dalam masa 6 hingga 12 bulan. Cirit-birit akan pulih semula dan mereka akan mengatasi semula pembesaran yang telah terencat dan kembali membesar secara normal.

Setelah semua simpton penyakit hilang kanak-kanak perlu meneruskan diet bebas gluten jika tidak ada kemungkinan mereka akan menghidap kanser usus.

Tip Jimatkan Air

Amalkan tip penjimatan air untuk penggunaan air yang lebih berhemah

1. Baiki paip yang bocor. Jika dibiarkan kita akan membazir sehingga 90 liter air sehari.
2. Tutup paip air sewaktu memberus gigi atau bercukur. Kita boleh menjimatkan hampir lima liter air seminit.
3. Sebelum membeli peralatan air, kita perlu memeriksa kadar penggunaan air peralatan tersebut.
4. Gunakan pancuran air daripada mencedok air dari takungan. Kita boleh menjimatkan dua pertiga daripada jumlah air yang digunakan. 
5. Kumpul air hujan untuk menyiram bunga. 1000 liter air sejam akan digunakan sekiranya kita memakai air pancutan untuk tujuan yang sama.
6. Gunakan air di dalam baldi untuk membersihkan kenderaan.
7. Gunakan penyiram ketika menyiram pokok bunga.
8. Gunakan air di dalam gelas ketika memberus gigi dan berkumur. 
9. Gunakan tadahan air hujan untuk kegunaan harian.
10. Pastikan pakaian penuh ketika menggunakan mesin basuh.
11. Gunakan bekas ketika membersihkan sayur-sayuran

Sumber: http://pmr.penerangan.gov.my

Tip Membeli-belah Secara Lestari

Membeli-belah secara lestari dapat mengelakkan pencemaran alam dan menjimatkan wang

Dalam era peningkatan harga barangan harian, pengguna perlu mengawal tabiat penggunaan. Amalan pengunaan lestari memainkan peranan yang lebih baik di mana mereka dapat menyelamatkan alam sekitar dan mengawal  perbelanjaan mereka.

1. Beli barangan tempatan

Penggunaan bahan api fosil dan pencemaran dapat dikurangkan sekiranya masyarakat mengamalkan membeli barangan  tempatan. Ini  kerana proses penghantaran barangan ini melibatkan penggunaan bahan api fosil yang banyak dan seterusnya akan berlaku pencemaran. Selain itu barangan tempatan juga lebih murah daripada barangan luar negara.

2. Kurangkan membeli buah-buahan dalam tin

Membeli barangan dalam tin dan sejuk beku perlu dikurangkan kerana barangan ini dibungkus secara berlebih-lebihan untuk menjaga keadaan barangan tersebut. Selain itu, ia juga mengandungi bahan perisa tambahan seperti garam, gula, pewarna dan perasa tiruan. Pada masa yang sama, barangan segar jauh lebih murah.

3. Beli produk yang segar dan di tanam secara organik

Amalan kaedah berkebun secara organik (ataupun pertanian lestari melalui Amalan Pertanian Baik  (Good Agriculture Practice) menngurangkan kesan yang baik kepada alam sekitar. Walaupun harganya lebih mahal sedikit tetapi lebih mesra alam.

4. Susu dan telur

Beli susu yang dibungkus dengan pembungkusan yangboleh dikitar semula (karton atau botol kaca) dan telur yang dibungkus menggunakan pembungkusan yang di kitar semula. Belilah susu dan telur yang dihasilkan secara organik kerana mereka tidak menggunakan hormon-hormon daripada haiwan yang di ternak secara genetik untuk memberikan hasil yang banyak.

5. Pembungkus / kotak Bijirin

Beli kotak yang dibungkus dengan bahan yang boleh dikitar semula atau bahan yang telah dikitar semula. Elakkan daripada membeli barangan berpek kecil (lebih banyak sisa), beli pembungkusan yang besar dan simpan dalam bekas dengan betul.bagi mengelakkan pembaziran.

6. Minuman botol, jus kotak dan lain-lain


Ada di antara minuman ini boleh dibuat sendiri di rumah. Ia lebih murah dan memberikan impak yang sangat kecil kepada alam sekitar berbanding industri pemprosesan minuman.

7. Pasta, bijirin, serbuk kari


Beli produk yang diperolehi daripada pertanian lestari menggunakan Amalan Pertanian Baik. Pilihan pengguna terhadap barangan ini dapat mewujudkan perubahan yang ketara kerana ia adalah barangan yang digunakan oleh kebanyakan rakyat Malaysia.

8. Daging (Ayam, Lembu, Kambing, Khinzir)

P e n g u r a n g a n   d a l a m   m e m a k a n   d a g i n g   a k a n mengurangkan sisa penternakan kerana permintaan yang rendah. Juga kos bahan makanan daging semakin tinggi.

9. Barangan berasaskan kertas

Beli produk yang dibungkus dengan kertas dan juga kertas yang telah dikitar semula. Jangan lupa untuk menggunakan kedua-dua belah kertas sebelum dikitar s e m u l a .   K i t a r   s e m u l a   j u g a   a k a n   m e n j a n a   s e d i k i t pendapatan.

10. “Styrofoam”

E l a k k a n   p e n g g u n a a n   S t y r o f o a m.   B e n z i n   y a n g merupakan bahan yang digunakan untuk menghasilkan styrofoam merupakan bahan tambahan (ia merupakan bahan karsinogen – boleh menyebabkan kanser). Ia tidak boleh   dibiodegrasi   dan boleh berada dalam tapak pelupusan untuk jangkamasa yang panjang.

11. Bahan pencuci

Kebanyakan bahan pencuci sangat bertoksik dan mengandungi bahan kimia yang berbahaya. Beli satu jenis bahan pencuci yang mempunyai pelbagai fungsi. Jika terdapat bahan pencuci mesra alam atau isi-semula, belilah barangan ini. Ini bagi mengurankan kos pembelian pelbagai jenis pencuci.

12. Bawa beg sendiri

Penggunaan beg sendiri semasa membeli belah dapat mengurangkan penggunaan beg plastik. Ia juga dapat menghadkan pembelian kita.

Sumber: http://kpdnkk.skali.my

How To Be Happy?

Most people have it wrong. Most folks think that by gathering more stuff, they'll finally find happiness.

But often, you can find true happiness RIGHT NOW, in this moment, simply by letting go.

Here are 4 things that you can let go of that will make you a happier, more peaceful person by the time you hit the sack tonight:

1) Let go of the need to impress others. 

If you're a human being, chances are you care about what other people think of you.
After all - we are naturally social creatures! But if you find yourself spending too much of your time, money or energy trying to impress other people and get their approval, you're not being true to YOU.

There's no need to try and be something you're not, because who you are right now is FABULOUS! Focus instead on living the most authentic version of yourself. When you fully embrace who you are and share it with others, you'll find that people will appreciate how REAL you are and will flock to you effortlessly. :)

2) Let go of the need to be right.

Sometimes when we feel we've been mistreated or misunderstood by someone, we can get caught up into wanting that person to admit they've wronged us. And we want an apology! Or at least acknowledgement that we are right and they're wrong. :)

The problem is that not all human beings see things from the same perspective. In your world, you're right… but in their world, so are they. There are definitely times where an apology is necessary. But most other times, rather than allowing feelings of negativity to take root inside you and start spilling over into other areas of your life, it may be best to ask yourself this:

"Do I want to be right? Or do I want to be happy?" Often it's just our ego that keeps us holding on to past resentments and upsets. Instead, consider letting go of  the desire to be right and you'll find you'll instantly restore happiness and contentment in your life.

3) Let go of the desire to gossip.

I've heard it said that gossip is just a cheap way to make yourself feel good, and I have to agree. We all know that gossiping about other people is… well, not so good. But when the people around you are doing it, it can be easy to slip into doing it too! Consider though that the quality of your life depends on the quality of the conversations you have.

If you want to live a more fulfilling life, start by embracing the power of your word. Your voice is powerful! And what you have to say makes a difference. Be committed to having more positive conversations about things that matter… not people… and you'll be surprised how quickly you'll brighten your outlook on life.

4) Let go of the past. 

It's easy to dwell on the past, especially when the future is so unknown! Looking to the past can feel safe… we know what has happened and we know what we could do to change things… if only we had the chance.

The truth is though that you never will have the chance to change the past. Not unless scientists finally invent a time machine. ;) Your past has served its purpose - its brought you to the place you are today and made you the person you are now. And who you are right now is absolutely perfect.

Be grateful for your experiences, but know that NOW is all
you have. So do your best to enjoy each moment. Give yourself the gift of being present!

To your everlasting happiness,

Edited from: Natalie, Mind Movies. https://www.facebook.com/mindmovies

How To Be Lucky?

Why do some people lead happy successful lives whilst other face repeated failure? Why are some people are so lucky & others are not?  In short, why some people seem to live charmed lives full of lucky breaks and chance encounters, while others experience one disaster after another.

After 10 years of research, the 4 main principles of luck, explained how lucky people used these to create good fortune in their lives, and described simple techniques designed to help them think and behave like a lucky person.

You also can be lucky it you follow what the lucky people always do. Without realizing it, lucky people tend to:

1. use various techniques to create chance opportunities that surround them. The harder they looked, the less they saw.  And so it is with luck – unlucky people miss chance opportunities because they are too focused on looking for something else.  They go to parties intent on finding their perfect partner and so miss opportunities to make good friends.  They look through newspapers determined to find certain type of job advertisements and as a result miss other types of jobs.  Lucky people are more relaxed and open, and therefore see what is there rather than just what they are looking for.
2. how to break daily routines.  Introduce variety and do some changes from the routine in your life. For example: constantly alter the route to work. A participant use a special technique to meet different types of people.  He had noticed that whenever he went to a party, he tended to talk to the same type of people.  To help disrupt this routine, and make life more fun, he thinks of a color before he arrives at the party and then chooses to only speak to people wearing that color of clothing at the party!  At some parties he only spoke to women in red, at another he chatted exclusively to men in black.
3. how to deal more effectively with bad luck by imagining how things could have been worse. In the study lucky and unlucky people are asked to imagine that they were waiting to be served in a bank. Suddenly, an armed robber enters the bank, fires a shot, and the bullet hits them in the arm.  Would this event be lucky or unlucky?  Unlucky people tended to say that this would be enormously unlucky and it would be just their bad luck to be in the bank during the robbery.  In contrast, lucky people viewed the scenario as being far luckier, and often spontaneously commented on how the situation could have been far worse.  As one lucky participant commented, “It’s lucky because you could have been shot in the head – also, you could sell your story to the newspapers and make some money".
5. make lucky decisions by listening to their 
6. intuition. Just do what you think right when in doubt.

So do what lucky people do to be a lucky.

Edited from: http://richardwiseman.files.wordpress.com