Saturday, August 22, 2009

doa untuk eyann



salam. hye. mmg bz 2-3hari ni. x sempat on9 lame2. sedara mara bertandang. jadual sy jg penuh. lebih - lebih lg dah masuk bulan Ramadan. pagi ni, ya, few minutes ago, baru sy berkesempatan on9 dan tgk blog. Ya Allah, bertapa terkejutnya sy membaca perkhabaran yanie & iqah di ruangan 'chatbox' di sebelah. eyann. kwn blog sy yg sy rapat, syg, hormat, dah tiada. ya, tiada meninggalkan dunia ni... terus mengalir air mata sy. dan terus dikhabarkan kpd kak lyne, yg jg rapat dgn arwah...

arwah, sungguh sy sdeyh. di fb arwah eyann [clickable], sudah penuh dgn ucapan takziah. sunguh... terlalu ramai di sekeliling diri ni meninggalkan diri... rasa, sedih. tetapi. perlu teruskan hidup, utk berdoa utk mereka. sy mengenali arwah melalui dunia blogger. tp, sungguh, arwah seorg gadis biasa yg mempunyai hati yg sgt luar biasa. sdeyh... tetapi tak apa, sy akan ingt semua pesanan dan semangat arwah yg pernah ditulis di dalam blognya.

sejak beberapa minggu lalu, mmg arwah sering menulis ttg sakit kepala yg dialaminya. post terakhir, arwah berada di hosp. memandangkan blog arwah private, sy hanya copy paste post terakhirnya... sungguh. sy sdeyh... arwah pergi selepas beberapa hari koma selepas melakukan pembedahan pendarahan di otak.

18 AUGUST 2009

Pray For My Healthy.

Salam guys..~
Hmm.. there's lots of thing i wanna tell ya.
N for sure.
It is about myself n i.
Teda cerita lain lg. eheh.
Sorry kalau membosankan..
=)

N fyi, now i'm in clinic Rafflesia, Kepayan.
I dunno what is the specific name for this clinic.
Tp mmg one of medical center d Sabah ni la.
Wanna know why i stuck here?
Hmm.. actually, i'm having a really bad headache
since 2 or 3 weeks ago.
Sgt2 sakit!
Smpai kdg2 if dari baring n mo b'diri.
Aku mesti kena pegang something supaya aku
x rebah.
Dalam tidur pun aku leh rasa kepala b'denyut2.
Uhuu.. tp selama 2 minggu tu.
Aku just telan panadol jak.
Tp langsung x bg papa effect. aihh..
N malam sabtu hari tu.
My parents ask me to go to policlinic.
N guess what? my BP is 160/105.
Huwaaa! sgt tinggi ok. tskk~
Then doc juz bagi ubat migrain n tahan sakit.
Tapi sama juga.
Still kepala aku ni sakit sgt2.
Sampai la malam minggu tu tetiba aku rasa sgt2 x tahan.
I felt my heart beat faster.
N i cried a lot.
Suda gitu, my parents bawa la aku pi HQE.
Takut plak aku jd apa2 mlm tu kan.
Tapi tau2 jak la klu pi hospital ni.
Layanan pun lambattttttttttttt sgt2.
Duhh! sampai jam 1.30 pagi aku tunggu.
Dorg just bg injection jak d lengan.

Pastu, pagi hari Isnin i have 3 class to attend.
Kunun2 mo paksa jak diri pi class.
Sampai jak d class, aku rasa pening ku makin m'jadi2 plak.
I can't even focus what lecturer says.
Waaaa! then i texted my mum.
Mo minta bawa pi specialist.
Kebetulan mmg dorg ada plan jg mo bwa
aku pi specialist.
Tp kira2 mo pi hari Selasa jak.
Which is today.
Aku x mo ponteng class bah. uhh.
Tapi dek kerana aku x tahan langsung.
My parents bwa la aku kelmarin.
Trus gitu, kena tahan la aku d wad.
Doctor cek BP aku 150/95.
N dia ckp migrain aku sgt2 teruk.
Huk3.. apala nasib.
Jadi, masuk hari ni..
Da 2 hari aku b'malam d wad.
Sakit pun x kurang2.
Even nurse da balik2 bg injection.
Huuu..

Ni nasib ada lappy n broadband.
Kalau nda, mati kebosanan aku sini.
LOL.
K la, that's all guys.
Ku maw rehat dlu.
=(
Pray for me ok?

more in4mation, sy baca dr blog yanie... kwn baik arwah.

al-fatihah

English Breakfast


Sausage with toasted bread, tomatoes slices and hashbrown. Hot chocolate hotdrink (Cadbury) tasted way better than Milo.



Vacation and new job.

Vacation was great! A much needed time to relax and see part of the country we had never seen before. We ended up visiting 5 different states while we were out there; Utah, Wyoming, Arizona, Nevada and Idaho. Very beautiful part of the country, I would love to go out there again and spend some time in Wyoming and possibly Colorado and Montana.

Our trip back went well till we got to my car at the airport. The battery was completely dead. So dead that AAA had to leave it hooked up for 5 minutes before it started! So we didn't get home till 2:30am and I had to get up at 6:30am to be at my open house for my new job at 8:30am! So needless to say, I was pretty tired Monday night. I got sick later in the week, probably from not a lot of sleep.

My new job is going well. I love being in charge of what I do more. I have two school districts both of which are 5 to 15 minutes from my house. This pass week I worked mostly from home because all of the schools are on a internet computer system so I can get all my files from online and get organized from home. Next week I am going to the schools to get schedules set for each kid and get my room organized. One of the schools gave me a whole classroom to work with, which surprised me!

So now it's out of vacation mode and back to the daily grind.

Pasta: check!

Now...that pasta. It had been something I'd been toying with for months and months now. It's not that it seemed all that difficult, or that I was worried it wouldn't turn out. I just always felt it would take so long. All that rolling and cutting...especially without a pasta maker. Which I think is still a valid point after my first attempt.

But anyway, it was delicious. I had a friend comment that homemade pasta didn't really seem to be worth the effort (without a pasta maker anyway) compared to storebought fresh pasta. I would disagree, but this could be mainly because I rarely buy the stuff. Most of the time I feel fresh pasta is ridiculously expensive when in THEORY I could make it myself for a mere fraction of the cost. I really only buy fresh ravioli or tortellini - basically only stuffed pastas that I reason would take a lot MORE work to make at home. So I'm not sure how this compares to say, storebought linguine. But still...it was good. Soft, chewy, and delicious even just eaten plain, coated with some butter, salt and pepper (I did this before adding the sauce and couldn't stop picking out strands after dinner) I would admit that it wasn't exactly an immediate revelation, but it tasted better with each bite. YUM.

To be fair, it was quite a bit of work without a pasta machine. It took awhile to roll the dough out thin enough (especially considering my limited counter space) and cutting it into thin strips felt like AGES. But really, it was probably only twenty minutes. And I remembered after the first batch that you can roll the dough into a flattened log (floured) and cut that into strips instead. The strands from the first batch did look nicer but the second process took considerably less time, so I'll do this in the future.

Also...the recipe below makes enough pasta for two, with some leftovers. Being relentlessly gluttonous, I doubled it even though there WERE only two of us because I wanted to be sure there would be enough leftovers. So it was a LOT of pasta. We were eating it for a few days...not that I was exactly complaining! Just saying...you probably don't need to unless you really want a LOT of leftovers.


Homemade Pasta
adapted from Pastor Ryan's Homemade Pasta, which is basically the 3:2 Pasta ratio

1 cup flour
2 eggs
dash of salt

1. Measure out flour into a medium-sized bowl and mix in salt. Make a well in the centre and add eggs (as you can see from the pictures above, the eggs didn't exactly stay in the well but it didn't seem to make a huge difference)

2. Slow swirl eggs with your fingers and incorporate the flour. Make sure you don't do this too quickly or else you'll get clumps. Continue until all the flour has been blended in and you have a shaggy looking dough.

3. Dump out onto a slightly floured countertop and knead for about 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and pliable. Let it rest now for a few minutes; this will make it easier to roll out.

4. Roll out the dough on a floured surface as thinly as you can get it. The pasta will plump up as it cooks, so get it as thin as you can. Then using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut pasta into thin strips (again as thin as you can get it). Alternatively, you can also flour the pasta and fold into a flat "log" and cut the roll into thin strips, then unroll.

5. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and cook for about two or three minutes. I actually probably cooked it about four to five minutes, but I tend to like my pasta somewhat overcooked and not a lot of people seem to share my opinion. Serve with Ryan's Bolognese sauce, or just some butter and parmesan. De-lish!

Nutrition Hodgepodge

It's been a busy week. I attended a Conversation MAPS training by Merck for diabetes education on Tuesday night. I got my own set of 5 maps and I'm going to start facilitating sessions next month with my patients. These maps are AWESOME! Check out HealthyI for training sessions near you. If you work with a diabetic population, or just want an awesome set of educational tools free of cost, attend one of these sessions -- it was so rewarding!

Because there's so much I want to blog about today, consider this a hodgepodge of nutrition-related news. Here we go!

First up: cholesterol-lowering supplements [1]
Of course there's a TON of supplements on the market touting to be the ultimate cholesterol-lowering aid. Please note, supplements are meant to be used
in addition to healthy diet and regular exercise regimens! Additionally, what works for one individual may not work for the next. Please consider the role an unconscious change in diet and/or a placebo affect can alter results of supplement-taking persons [1].

1. Artichoke leaf extract (also known as Cynara scolymus).

  • The good: In 2000, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial including 150 "high risk" adults (cholesterol > 280) was performed. The trial lasted 6 weeks and LDL-cholesterol (the bad) dropped 23% compared to the placebo group.
  • The bad: The results are yet to be replicated. Similar studies show a decrease in cholesterol (-4%), but no major impacts on LDL or HDL have been found.
  • The bottom line: Few studies conducted, mixed results, don't expect miracles.
2. Fenugreek.

  • The good: Studies from the 1990's show a drop in total cholesterol and LDL, and in some cases, significant drops (as much as -38% in LDL). Fenugreek contains20-50% fiber and thus cholesterol-lowering effects may be attributable to this fact, if nothing else.
  • The bad: The studies were small and poor quality questioning the validity of results noted above.
  • The bottom line: Not enough evidence to support the cholesterol-lowering effects of this supplement.
3. Fiber (soluble - found in oats, barley, bran, peas, citrus fruits, and dietary supplements).

  • The good: A 1999 meta-analysis performed by Harvard Medical School researchers contained nearly 70 clinical trials assessing the effectiveness of soluble fiber in cholesterol reduction. High soluble fiber intake was associated with reducing in both total and LDL cholesterol in 60-70% of the studies examined. For each gram of soluble fiber added to participant diets, and overall reduction in LDL was estimated at 2 points (in an average of 7 weeks).
  • The bad: That's a lot of fiber. The current recommended guidelines state 25 grams of dietary fiber and the typical intake is comprised of a mere 20% soluble fiber. For example, 3 bowls of oatmeal will provide a measly 3 grams of soluble fiber. Supplements? Fine, but many experience GI upset and some prescription interferences.
  • The bottom line: A diet high in soluble fiber can lower LDL-cholesterol, however, the drop in LDL will be relatively modest.
4. Fish oil (this is the one I was most interested in reading about!) - also known as omega-3's or EPA and DHA.

  • The good: In clinical trials assessing dosing of 3 or more grams, fish oils have been shown to lower triglyceride levels by 10-30%.
  • The bad: While fish oils do not lower LDL, they have been shown to sometimes cause the opposite: a small rise in LDL-cholesterol.
  • The bottom line: Fish oils do lower triglycerides, especially in individuals with high triglycerides. The American Heart Association recommends those with high triglycerides consume 2-4 grams of fish oil a day. Those with heart disease should consume approximately 1 grams a day of EPA and DHA (combined), preferably through the diet and the consumption of fatty fish, such as salmon.
5. Garlic (oil, extract, pill, or natural state).

  • The good: A 2000 report on garlic's impact on cardiovascular risk factors showed a small (but measurable) drop in LDL and total cholesterol.
  • The bad: Studies to follow showed less encouraging results. A well-executed study performed in 2007 compared raw garlic and commercial garlic supplements over a 6 month period and found no measurable effects in total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, or triglycerides versus the placebo.
  • The bottom line: Garlic may lower LDL temporarily but its meaningful effect on cholesterol long-term is questionable.
6. Red yeast rice - a fungus that grows on rice and contains a small amount of lovastatin (a type of statin found in prescription meds).

  • The good: Compared to most supplements, evidence in support of red yeast rice is strong. Several high-quality trials have shown red yeast rice to lower LDL-cholesterol by 20-30%, comparable to a statin drug. A 2009 trial performed on patients discontinuing the use of statin drugs, red yeast rice showed a 15% and 21% decrease in total cholesterol and LDL, respectively. Cool.
  • The bad: The amount of lovastatin in the supplements vary widely across brands.
  • The bottom line: Red yeast rice is a potentially effective way to lower cholesterol, but its potency varies dramatically. Due to safety concerns with statin use, experts discourage the use of off-the-shelf red yeast rice.
The cliff notes version of the rest...

7. Ginseng

  • The bottom line: There is not enough evidence to support the use of ginseng for lowering cholesterol.
8. Guggul

  • The bottom line: More research is needed; there is not enough evidence to justify the cholesterol-lowering effects of guggul.
9. Niacin
  • The bottom line: Niacin boosts HDL (the good), but you should NOT take it without consulting a doctor. Niacin should not be used in lieu of a prescription due to potentially serious side effects.
10. Soy protein

  • The bottom line: Soy protein lowers LDL slightly.

Next up, mercury found in ALL fish caught in US streams (!)
The government tested fish caught from 300 streams in the US. All the streams contained fish contaminated with mercury and thus the U.S. Geological Survey's research launches a comprehensive examination of mercury contamination [2]. Should this worry us? Maybe so. It was shown that 27% of the fish contaminated contained levels of mercury deemed unsafe by the Environmental Protection Agency for the average fish eater, consuming fish twice weekly. Mercury is a neurotoxin which is especially dangerous to neurological development in infants and fetuses [2]. The waters in urban areas, surprisingly, were less contaminated than those in costal plain streams fed by wetlands and forests, especially in North and South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and Louisiana. The fish most highly contaminated included bass while the lowest levels of mercury were found in brown, rainbow-cutthroat trout and channel catfish [2]. To check for fish consumption advisories in your area, go here [2].

And up last, some reading material to leave you with. Is saturated fat being falsely accused? Read more!

I had planned to talk about myths surrounding egg consumption, but I'm out of time... it's off to the dog park.
Hope Lily get some energy on the ride over! Have a wonderful weekend!

[1]. Hainer, Ryan. Cholesterol-Lowering Supplements: What Works, What Doesn't. CNN Health. August 20, 2009.
[2]. Weise, Elizabeth. Mercury Found In All Fish Caught in U.S.-Tested Streams. USA Today. August 22, 2009.