Rememberance..

Abu Hurayra said, "When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, died and Abu Bakr was khalifa and those of the Arabs who were going to reject rejected, 'Umar said, 'How can we fight people when the Messenger of Allah said, "I am commanded to fight people until they say, 'There is no god but Allah.' Whoever says that, his property and life are protected from me, except when there is a legal right to them, and his reckoning is up to Allah."?' Abu Bakr said, 'By Allah, I will fight anyone who makes a distinction between prayer and zakat! Zakat is the right which is due on wealth. By Allah, if they refuse me a nose-rope which they used to pay to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, I will fight them for refusing it!' 'Umar said, 'By Allah, then I realised that Allah had expanded Abu Bakr's breast in respect of the decision to fight and I recognised that it was the truth." [Agreed upon]

Abu Ayyub reported that a man said to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, "Tell me an action which will ensure my entrance into the Garden." He said, "Worship Allah and do not associate anything else with him. Establish the prayer and pay the zakat and maintain ties of kinship." [Agreed upon]


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Kuey Teow

Teringin nak makan kuey teow goreng tapi nak buat rice noodlenya sendiri. Google2 akhirnya jumpa resepi&video kat internet ttg how to make rice noodle aka kuey teow.

Bahan:
1cup@250g tepung beras/rice flour
1/3cup@ 84g tepung jagung/corn flour
1/2teaspoon @ 2.5g garam
350ml air sejuk

caranya:
Masukkan semua bahan dalam bekas & sebatikan campuran. Sapukan minyak sikit@mentega@majerin pada tudung periuk yg leper@bekas leper yg tahan haba, dan tuangkan sedikit campuran tepung ke atasnya dan stimkan/kukuskan. macam buat lempeng tp tak sama..Bila dah masak dlm 2-3 minit kalau api kuat, gulungkan lempeng tersebut. Ulang& buat sehingga larutan tepung habis. Pastu gunting rice noodle tu dan masukkan ke dalam kuali untuk digoreng. Goreng la macam nak masak nasi goreng@bihun goreng@ mee goreng @ maggi goreng.
P/S: Halalnya kuey teow @ rice noodle bergantung kpd bahan dan minyak yg digunakan semasa membuatnya. Biasanya orang cine suka menggunakan lemak babi utk menggantikan majerin@ minyak. Sebab lemak babi sedap bagi dorang. Jangan salahkan dorang sebab guna lemak babi sebab dorang yg masak, suka hati dorang la kan. Kita? cari la yang halal.











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Studies Show Fajr Prayer is Healthy

 

 

By Karima Burns, MH, ND

"And He it is Who made the night a covering for you, and the sleep a rest, and He made the day to rise up again" (Qur’an 25:47).

Certainly sleep is one of the blessings from Allah. At the end of a busy day a person looks forward to sleeping and regaining enough energy for the next day. Sleep is also important for good health and safety reasons. However, studies vary as to how much sleep is enough. Some studies claim 8-10 hours is a requirement for everyone. However, the Prophet Mohammad (saws) used to sleep very few hours in the night and used part of the night for prayer. Recent studies confirm that this may actually be healthier for some people.

Sleep is important for health and safety reasons. Lack of sleep can lead to mental illness, relationship problems, absence from work and even traffic accidents.

Researchers have found that people with chronic insomnia are more likely than others to develop several kinds of psychiatric problems, and are also likely to make greater use of healthcare services (Yang). Lost productivity due to sleepiness has been estimated to cost the national economy as much as $100 billion annually and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has estimated more than 100,000 auto crashes annually may be fatigue related (Yang). Because of this, some studies claim that 8-10 hours should be required for everyone. However, recent studies have confirmed what the prophet Muhammad did may be healthy for some people.

"…the Prophet slept for a part of the night, (See Fateh-al-Bari page 249, Vol. 1), and late in the night, he got up and performed ablution from a hanging water skin, a light (perfect) ablution and stood up for the prayer (Bukhari)."

Modern studies show that this may actually be the best advice for many people. In fact, many studies are showing that less sleep or even lack of sleep can be healthier in some cases.

A six-year study of more than a million Americans shows that a good night's sleep lasts seven hours. It also showed that people who sleep for eight hours or more tend to die a bit sooner. Study leader Daniel F. Kripke, MD, says,"You really don't have to sleep for eight hours and you don't have to worry about it. It is evidently very safe to sleep only seven, six, or even five hours a night (DeNoon)."

Kripke and co-workers analyzed data from an American Cancer Society study conducted between 1982 and 1988. The study gathered information on people's sleep habits and health, and then followed them for six years. Study participants ranged in age from 30 to 102 years, with an average starting age of 57 years for women and 58 years for men. In the study the death risk for people with too much sleep was 34% as compared to only 12% for those who slept 8 hours and only 22% for those who had too little sleep.

These findings are similar to those in the dietary realm that show that eating too much food is much more harmful than not eating enough (of course massive extremes such as starvation and not sleeping at all are not included in this discussion). Kripke even noted that, "For 10-hour sleepers, the increased risk of death was about the same as that for moderate obesity."

Some studies have even experimented with sleep deprivation to cure depression. Up to 60% of depressed people will show a 30% improvement after just one night awake, according to a review article published in the January 1990 issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry. People who feel the most depressed in the morning and improve later in the day seem to benefit the most from a night without sleep (Yang). However, keeping people up all night is not a long-term solution and researchers often found a relapse in people once they went back to "normal" sleeping hours.

Further research showed that one reason staying up all night worked was because sleep inhibits the thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) that helps control our metabolism and, indirectly, our levels of energy. An estimated 25% to 35% of depressed patients have low TSH levels. Recent research has shown that while sleep inhibits the release of TSH, staying awake through the night and the early morning hours boosts it. This "new" scientific research is completely in accordance with the habit of the prophet (saws), which was to sleep shortly after Eisha prayer (earlier than most people sleep nowadays), and wake in the very early morning hours (sometimes as early as midnight) again to pray.

Ibn 'Abbas said, "The Prophet slept till he snored and then prayed (or probably lay till his breath sounds were heard and then got up and prayed)." Ibn 'Abbas added: "I stayed overnight in the house of my aunt, Maimuna, the Prophet slept for a part of the night, (See Fateh-al-Bari page 249, Vol. 1), and late in the night, he got up and performed ablution from a hanging water skin, a light (perfect) ablution and stood up for the prayer. I, too, performed a similar ablution, then I went and stood on his left. He drew me to his right and prayed as much as Allah wished, and again lay and slept till his breath sounds were heard. "

This is similar to the therapy given to depressed patients in Europe who are told to sleep early for a week, awake at midnight and then ease back into a "normal" sleeping schedule by waking a bit later each morning, but no later than sunrise (Yang).

If you already feel you don’t have enough sleep you may wonder, though how less sleep can make you feel better. Oftentimes sleep problems are related to sleep quality rather than length of sleep. Things a person can do to improve their sleep quality is: eat at least two hours before bedtime, change to healthier dietary habits, check with a doctor about possible sleep apnea, snoring issues, or TMJ, sleep on your side, avoid alcohol and sedatives, lose weight and find a comfortable mattress.

So how do you know how much sleep you need? Many people instinctively feel what is right for them. If you feel great after 7 hours, but feel tired if you get five hours or nine hours then you know that seven is your "ideal sleep" time. However, sleep requirements may also vary with life events. During travel or personal trauma or illness sleep requirements may increase.

John McDougal, author of several dietary books, offers a further distinction between people who need more or less sleep. He says in his book The Quick McDougal Cookbook, that healthy people usually need only 5-7 hours of sleep a night. This, in fact may be the reason many people think they need more sleep. Bad dietary habits can cause sleepiness. One such example is the heavy feeling one gets after eating a large meal or the drug-induced state that bread causes in some people. Dr. McDougal says that as long as a person is healthy they should need less than 8-hours of sleep. Medical science seems to be saying that if you need more that 8 hours of sleep you need to work on some dietary issues and strive to need less sleep. Even the prophet (saws) spoke against extremes in sleep deprivation and told men who stayed up all night for days on end praying, that they needed to moderate their habits and also get some sleep.

Sources:

• www.webmd.com

• Yang, Sarah. "Staying Up to Beat the Blues."

• DeNoon, Daniel. "Are you Sleeping Enough – Or Too Much?"

• Durgan, Amy. "Tips to Sleep More Soundly."

Doa Haikal

 

Mushrooms & The Vitamin D Link

For one of the sunniest, most temperate countries in the world, Australia has an increasingly high rate of Vitamin D deficiency. A shortage of this important fat soluble vitamin has been linked to a number of health issues such as diabetes, arthritis, hypertension, depression and certain cancers. While the warnings of excess sunshine have been well and truly heeded, many Australians are going so far to slip, slop, slap that we are actually blocking benefits of regular time spent outdoors. According to research, 41 per cent of people in South East Queensland, 67 per cent of Tasmanian women and 58 per cent of aged care residents in Melbourne were Vitamin D deficient, not to mention 83 per cent of dermatologists in the winter time!

The good news is that the sunshine is not the only way to receive Vitamin D - it may be the major source but we must still look to food to supply any extra the body may require. Surveyed Australians consume around 25 per cent of the recommended 10 mcg of Vitamin D per day - and by the time we reach age seventy the body needs 15 mcg per day, so it's important that good habits are put in place now.

Calcium and Vitamin D are also linked - Glenn Cardwell, an Accredited Practising Dietitian with 30 years in clinical and public health nutrition says "If there is not enough calcium and Vitamin D in the diet or, in the case of vitamin D, insufficient sunlight exposure, then not enough skeletal bone is created [in childhood]. Our bones reach peak mass by the age of 30 years and thereafter decline. The rate of the decline is greatly dampened if adequate calcium is consumed, you remain active, don't smoke and get all your vitamin D needs through diet or sunshine. Cardwell also notes that "a greater calcium intake slows down the rate of bone loss in the later decades, while the kidneys become less able to activate vitamin D so more D is needed."

Mushrooms and Vitamin D

The humble mushroom has the potential to provide the daily Vitamin D requirements in a single serve, along with a host of other health benefits. Research has shown that mushrooms growing naturally in the wild contain Vitamin D, with the action of sunlight on their surface converting ergosterol to Vitamin D2. Commercially grown mushrooms, however, have little Vitamin D as they tend to grow well in darkness and extra light increases running costs and growing temperature.

As a result of these findings, the Australian Mushroom Industry began a small trial in Dubbo in 2007 "to test the effect of UV lights during the growing stage. The University of Western Sydney also did a trial using light exposure and found that mushrooms can easily reach the Adequate Intake levels of vitamin D in a single serve. They also showed that the vitamin D is stable and well absorbed from the mushroom (Koyyalamudi 2009)." The stability of the vitamin means that mushrooms can be used particularly in the catering sector to hospitals and nursing homes where deficiency is rife.

The resulting mushrooms in the study had Vitamin D levels at least ten times greater than the recommended 10mcg per day for adults less than 70 years. The University of Western Sydney is conducting further studies to refine the process for commercial application. "In the US, mushrooms providing the daily needs for vitamin D have been now available on the market since 2008."

Very few foods naturally contain Vitamin D - mainly oily fish and some fortified foods such as margarine, various milks, juices and cereals. We look forward to new and improved mushrooms in the future!


Reference: www.mushroomsforlife.net
By: Amy Dusseldorp, Nutritionist

Apple Review 2009

An apple a day really can keep the doctor away - yet most of us are missing out on the health benefits with new consumer research showing that only 21 per cent of Australians are eating an apple a day, and nearly half of us only eat them once a week, less often or never.

In the latest scientific review on apples, apples are shown to be protective for cancer - particularly cancers of the colon, lung, and breast - as well as to reduce the risk of heart disease, asthma and type 2 diabetes. The high antioxidant capacity of apples is believed to be one of the reasons for their impressive disease fighting potential.

In the past year the protective role apples may play in cardiovascular disease has been built upon by new research. French scientists showed atherosclerotic lesions (fatty build-up) in the blood vessels of mice were reduced by 38 per cent following dietary supplementation with apple extracts rich in polyphenols and or fibre.

Two papers out of Cornell University show apple extracts can suppress the growth of human breast cancer cells in the test tube and reduce tumour size in rats. The team at Cornell University also isolated six flavonoid and three phenolic compounds from apple peels with potent antioxidant an antiproliferative activity in human cancer cell lines.

Apples and Asthma
Australian research in young adults found that eating whole apples was protective against asthma where total fruit and vegetable intake was not. The link between apples and asthma has also been observed by European researchers, where a Dutch investigation found that mothers who eat apples during their pregnancy may protect their children against developing asthma in later life. Apples have also been linked with better lung health in older adults, particularly among those consuming more than five apples a week.

Diabetes, Weight Loss and Apples
Consumption of apples has been associated with a reduction in Type 2 diabetes risk in research carried out in America and Finland. The US study on 38 000 women showed a 28 per cent reduction of diabetes risk with eating an apple a day or more. Eating an apple before a meal may also lead to savings in kilojoules, as the apple helps to fill the stomach and provide satiety, leading to a weight reduction over time.

Emerging areas of study
Research published by scientists in Japan has shown that apple phytochemicals may play a role in the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

Antioxidant Action of Apples
Apple phytochemicals have the greatest total antioxidant capacity of Australia's most commonly consumed fruits, as measured using ORAC, a technique adopted by the US Department of Agriculture to measure antioxidant levels.

However, the new research shows that while almost all Australians have heard of antioxidants (98%), and two thirds of the population (63%) feel that they know why it is important to eat foods rich in antioxidants, we are still confused about which foods contain antioxidants.

According to accredited practising dietitian Karen Kingham, apples are one of the best and cheapest fruit sources of antioxidants.

"An apple has more antioxidants than half a punnet of blueberries or a cup of strawberries, more than twice the antioxidants of a cup of tea, about three times the antioxidants of an orange or a cup of grapes, and almost eight times the antioxidants of a banana," said Ms Kingham.

Yet only 3 per cent of Australians correctly identified an apple as having more antioxidants than any of these fruits or a cup of tea.

The table below shows the high ranking antioxidant value of apples as compared to other commonly consumed fruits or beverages in Australia:

Food	Antioxidant Capacity
Apples (1 whole)	6669
Strawberries (1 cup)	5187
Blueberries (1/2 punnet)	4914
Brewed Tea (1 cup)	2820
Oranges (1 whole)	2219
Mandarins (2 whole)	1944
Grapes (1 cup)	1901
Bananas (1 whole)	879

"Australians just don't realise that the humble apple really is a superfood. The science suggests that regular apple consumption - an apple a day or at least several apples a week - can make a significant difference to health," said Ms Kingham.

The research found that 36 per cent of Australian people are most likely to mistakenly believe that half a punnet of blueberries has the highest amount of antioxidants, slightly ahead of a cup of tea - both strongly marketed for their antioxidant content but both lower in antioxidants than an apple.

"The concern is that Australians are missing out on an affordable, convenient source of antioxidants. You have to pay around seven times more to get the same antioxidant capacity from blueberries and around four times more to get the same antioxidants from strawberries," said Karen Kingham.

Apples are an inexpensive and super convenient superfood. And just one a day can keep the doctor away.



References:
1. Newspoll (March, 2009). Study conducted by telephone in March 2009 among a representative sample of n=1201 adults aged 18+ nationally.
2. Kingham, K. (2009) The Apple Review.
3. Landon, S. (2008) The Apple Report: A Nutrition and Health Review.