Saturday, August 22, 2009

Exercise and Fasting

Exercise should be kept to a minimum during times of fasting. However, you can still actively assist your metabolism


1 Understand that fasting is a time for the body to repair itself internally, and that exercise can distract your body's attention from the inside to the outside.


2 During fasting your body lacks many of the nutrients and calories necessary for a workout to be beneficial to your body, and therefore exercise can be detrimental during a fast.


3 Avoid strenuous workouts during fasting. If you have a normal regimen you can't stand to quit for a few days, cut it down by more than half.


4 Do light, low-impact exercise: walking, gardening, or light work.


5 Do simple stretching exercises like pilates, yoga etc to help balance and stimulate your inner organs.


6 Stretch and breathe. Do not underestimate the healing power of deep, conscious breathing.


7 Develop and maintain a regular exercise schedule after completing your fast. Exercise is essential to proper nutrient absorption and triggers endorphins that help you feel good.

Friday, August 21, 2009

Resist Aging

"Studies show that a sedentary lifestyle is a bigger factor in decreasing flexibility than aging." If you stay active aerobically and use stretching to maintain your flexibility, you will look and feel younger because of the way you move.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Diet during Ramadhan

An article i came across and would like to share with you.

During the holy month of Ramadan, our diet should not differ very much from our normal diet and should be as simple as possible. The diet should be such that we maintain our normal weight, neither losing nor gaining. However, if one is over-weight, Ramadan is an ideal time to normalize one's weight.

In view of the long hours of fasting, we should consume slow digesting foods including fiber containing-foods rather than fast-digesting foods. Slow digesting foods last up to 8 hours, while fast-digesting foods last for only 3 to 4 hours.

Slow-digesting foods are foods that contain grains and seeds like barely, wheat, oats, millet, semolina, beans, lentils, whole meal flour, unpolished rice, etc. (called complex carbohydrates).

Fast-burning foods are foods that contain sugar, white flour, etc. (called refined carbohydrates).

Fiber-containing foods are bran-containing foods, whole wheat, grains and seeds, vegetables like green beans, peas, spinach, and fruit with skin, dried fruit especially dried kurma, apricots, figs and prunes, almonds, etc.

The foods eaten should be well balanced, containing foods from each food group, i.e., fruits, vegetables, meat/chicken/fish, bread/cereals and dairy products. Fried foods are unhealthy and should be limited. They cause indigestion, heartburn, and weight problems.

AVOID:

Fried and fatty foods.

Foods containing too much sugar.

Over-eating

Too much tea makes you pass more urine taking with it valuable mineral salts that your body would need during the day.

Smoking cigarettes: If you cannot give up smoking, cut down gradually starting a few weeks before Ramadan. Smoking is unhealthy and one should stop completely.


EAT:

Complex carbohydrates so that the food lasts longer making you less hungry. Almonds are rich in protein and fiber with less fat. Bananas are a good source of potassium, magnesium and carbohydrates.

DRINK:

As much water or fruit juices as possible before bedtime so that your body may adjust fluid levels in time.

CONSTIPATION:

Constipation can cause piles (hemorrhoids), fissures (painful cracks in anal canal) and indigestion with a bloated feeling.

Causes: Too much refined foods, too little water and not enough fiber in the diet.

Remedy: Avoid excessive refined foods, increase water intake.


INDIGESTION AND WIND:

Causes: Over-eating. Too much fried and fatty foods, spicy foods, and foods that produce wind e.g. eggs, cabbage, lentils, carbonated drinks like Cola also produce gas.

Remedy: Do not over-eat, drink fruit juices or better still drink water. Avoid fried foods

LETHARGY (low blood pressure)
Excessive sweating, weakness, tiredness, lack of energy, dizziness, especially on getting up from sitting position, pale appearance and feeling faint are symptoms associated with "low blood pressure". This tends to occur towards the afternoon.

Causes: Too little fluid intake decreased salt intake.

Remedy: Keep cool, increase fluid and salt intake.

Caution: Low blood pressure should be confirmed by taking a blood pressure reading when symptoms are present. People with high blood pressure may need their medication adjusted during Ramadan. They should consult their doctor.

HEADACHE:

Causes: Caffeine and tobacco-withdrawal, doing too much in one day, lack of sleep, hunger usually occurs as the day goes by and worsens at the end of the day. When associated with "low blood pressure", the headache can be quite severe and can also cause nausea.

Remedy: Cut down caffeine and tobacco slowly starting a week or two before Ramadan. Herbal and caffeine-free teas may be substituted. Reorganize your schedule during the Ramadan so as to have adequate sleep.

LOW BLOOD SUGAR:

Weakness, dizziness, tiredness, poor concentration, perspiring easily, feeling shaky (tremor), unable to perform physical activities, headache, palpitations are symptoms of low blood sugar.

Causes in non-diabetics: Having too much sugar i.e., refined carbohydrates especially at suhur. The body produces too much insulin causing the blood glucose to drop.

Remedy: Eat something at sahur and limit sugar-contaning foods or drinks.

Caution: Diabetics may need to adjust their medication in Ramadan, consult your doctor.

MUSCLE CRAMPS:

Causes: Inadequate intake of calcium, magnesium and potassium foods.

Remedy: Eat foods rich in the above minerals e.g. vegetables, fruits, dairy products, meat and dates.

Caution: Those on high blood pressure medication and with kidney stone problems should consult their doctor.

PEPTIC ULCERS, HEART BURN, GASTRITIS

Increase acid levels in the empty stomach in Ramadan aggravate the above conditions. It presents as a burning feeling in the stomach area under the ribs and can extend up to the throat. Spicy foods, coffee, and Cola drinks worsen these conditions.
Medications are available to control acid levels in the stomach. People with proven peptic ulcers and hiatus hernia should consult their doctor well before Ramadan.

KIDNEY STONES:

Kidney stones may occur in people who have less liquid to drink. Therefore, it is essential to drink extra liquids so as to prevent stone formation.

JOINT PAINS:

Causes: during Ramadan, when extra solat are performed the pressure on the knee joints increases. In the elderly and those with arthritis this may result in pain, stiffness, swelling and discomfort.

Remedy: Lose weight so that the knees do not have to carry any extra load. Exercise the lower limbs before Ramadan so that they can be prepared for the additional strain. Before physically fit allows greater fulfillment, thus enabling one to be able to perform solat with ease.

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Toloongg...tolong.... (eh ngigau yeh) Bad Dreams

What Are The Causes Of Bad Dreams

We all have nightmares but what are the causes of bad dreams?

A nightmare is just a dream although a dream that incorporates danger and fear. The most frightening aspect of any nightmare is the absence of any form of control and that's a strong reason to find out what that causes of bad dreams are in the first place.

About 5% of the population have regular nightmares. All dreaming occurs during the REM sleep - rapid eye movement.

Nightmares, can produce very real physical effects. The dream's pulse rate can increase and one can display physical characteristics that are only apparent during stress. Even though there are many theories about it we really do not know for certain how to identify the causes of bad dreams. A popular view of dreaming suggests that the causes of bad dreams lie in the need to release stresses from the day. Some say repressed or suppressed fears were the causes of bad dreams and they could be stopped through psychotherapy.

Traumatic life experiences can often be a key factor in the causes of bad dreams. Another thing that is often associated with the causes of bad dreams is illness. While the body attempts to repair itself and fight the infection or disease nightmares become more common. This can often be exaggerated by medication, which can be a key factor in the causes of bad dreams. The causes of bad dreams that lead them to be more vivid than normal dreams is not known. One possible explanation may be that we remember a nightmare more quickly than a normal dream due to its upsetting nature.

Nightmares can become problematic if they are recurring. It has been suggested that sensitively emotional people can have nightmares more readily than everyone else. What the causes of bad dreams in these people are is still unknown. But the fact that they are more vulnerable to emotional upset means they more likely get emotionally upset which can be one of the causes of bad dreams

A negative attitude can be another one of the causes of bad dreams being more frequent and vivid. By holding on to negative thoughts or feelings you are instructing your mind to process this data. This is one of the causes of bad dreams. When the subconscious mind tries to deal with this negative data it in dreams, so that it can process it, it creates frightening images.

To eliminate nightmares you can do a few things. Do not watch violent or scary shows for a few hours before bed. Avoid the news late at night as a negative images are often the causes of bad dreams. You can control every aspect of any dream, even a nightmare! Find something inspiring to do a few hours before bedtime. Watch a fun film or read a light-hearted book. You can also visualize your perfect scene or think of some peaceful place you love as you drift off to sleep.

Remember one of the biggest causes of bad dreams is bombarding your senses with negativity just before you sleep.

Sepatah kate orang tua tua,sebelum tido, cuci kaki , bace Fathihah, 4 Qul dan ayatul Kursi. Sweet Dreams...dont let the bed bug bite!