My Last Sunday

“Hello… I’m still sleeping, ok, see you then”. I was awakened by a phone call at 8.50am despite setting the alarm at 9am. Since moving to my new job, which works every Saturday half a day, Sunday is the only day I can sleep late. Friends, I will turn off my phone next weekend, so don’t call me so early in the morning!

Catching a movie on Sunday is my routine weekend activity. At 10am, I have reached 1 U for Get Smart at noon. Surprisingly, all the “favourite” parking has been taken up, so there are more kiasu people than me.

We had our breakfast at Delicious. My friend had scramble eggs, sautéed mushroom, hash browns, chicken sausages and a cup of llly Affogato. “Order so much, regret buying you breakfast”, whispered in my heart. I just had scramble eggs, hash brown and a cup of hot honey lemon tea to start of my day. It was a perfect breakfast with the food as well as the small talk with friends. The meal was feeling enough for me so that I could skip lunch, worth my RM 60.

The movie was as funny as I expected. D row is the best seat we can get although the movie has been shown for almost a month. If you all want to know more about the movie, can visit http://fliktalk.blogspot.com

Celebrity fitness is the first place I headed after the movie. Intend to burn off calories after heavy breakfast and well prepared for my “free dinner” later. I managed to cycle for 30 minutes and do weights for 15 minutes.

I was joined in dinner with my brother family in La La Chong. We (6 of us) ordered steam fish, black pepper crab, vegetable, squid, steam “la la” and salad prawn. I hardly moved from my seat after the dinner, that was a superb dinner. (Thanks brother!)

I then watched DVD at my friend’s place to round off a packed Sunday. Although it was a simple Sunday, I enjoyed myself….. great breakfast and movie with friends, managed to do my workout and great dinner with brother, especially my cute cute niece.

Looking forward to next weekend…..

Do Cough and Cold Medicine Work????

One of my friends forwarded me an article this morning published in New Straits Times (25 Oct 2007), which I would like to share. The article quoted:

“ Too many people, I think, rush to take cough mixture at the slightest irritation of a cough. And too many parents find it the easiest way of ridding themselves of the agony of watching their child suffer cough and cold, particularly if it's a baby or toddler.

One study done in the United States showed that more than 100 children died due to the improper use of decongestants and antihistamines between 1996 and 2006.

Another report, from the Center for Disease Control, said 1,519 toddlers in the US were treated for side effects associated with the use of cough and cold medicines, including overdoses between 2004 and 2005.

One of the more prominent cases is that involving the Henderson sisters of Colorado, US. Five-year-old Killian and Rhapsody, 4, were given several teaspoons of cherry-flavoured cough syrup before they went to bed in February 2003. They never woke up. Their father, Robert, was later charged with negligent homicide for giving them an overdose of the generic cough mixture.

There is no evidence, an independent expert panel in the United States concluded on Oct 18, to show that cough and cold medicines are effective.

In fact, the advisory panel to the US Food and Drug Administration recommended against giving such medicine to children below 6”

To avoid the cough and cold medicine, here are some recipes for homemade cough and cold remedies

(a) Ginger Tea

- 1 inch or so fresh ginger root, sliced thin or grated
- 1/2 a fresh lemon, sliced (peel & all)
- 1 clove garlic, mashed
- ~2 cup of water
- Very generous spoonful of honey

Place water, ginger, lemon, & garlic in saucepan; bring to boil, then turn down heat and simmer gently for 20 min. Strain into mugs and add lots of honey.

(b) Simple Cough Syrup

- 3 table spoon lemon juice
- 1 cup honey
- 1/4 cup warm water

Combine lemon juice and honey in a bowl. Slowly stir in the water. Store in a covered jar in the refrigerator - take 1-2 table spoon as needed for cough.

To soothe a sore throat, add 1 table spoon of mixture to a cup of comfrey root, chamomile or rosemary tea.

To prevent the people around you from getting the germs, here are the steps:

So, why wait... throw away the medicine and try the homemade recipes!!!!

Diarrhea... Not Again...

“Auntie! Faster we are going to miss the plane, why you so long in the toilet”.. shouted my niece on the Tuesday morning.

Diarrhea is almost second nature to me as it happened again on Tuesday morning which is caused by infections that either lead to excess production of fluids or prevent absorption of fluids. Fever and abdominal pain were the symptoms which I had.

Dr. Emmah’s Clinic was the first place I headed the moment I reached KL. An injection in the bum was given as expected and got my MC. Apparently, the injection had suppressed the diarrhea leaving the toxins in my system to torture me. The abdominal pain came back again around 6pm and I headed to the Dr. Chin’s clinic (old town) where second injection (bum again) and strong antibiotic was given.

The doc stopped the diarrhea medicines and after an extremely uncomfortable night of tummy ache and cramps. Thank goodness the pain relieved in the morning (although on and off the pain came back)…

The World Health Organization (WHO) has provided easy recipe for home preparation which to be taken in frequent sips to prevent dehydrated:

· ¾ tsp of table salt
· 1 tsp of baking powder
· 1 cup of orange juice
· 1 quarter of water

Here are my remedies (through my vast experience):

Food to be avoid during diarrhea:
· Whole grain breads and cereals
· Fresh or frozen fruits
· Dried fruits
· Fruit juices with pulp and prune juice
· Raw vegetable
· Corn, olives
· Fatty foods
· Milk and milk products
· Alcohol and caffeinated coffee and tea

Recommended food and drink to be taken during diarrhea:
· Bananas
· Boiled white rice
· White bread
· Plain pasta
· Eggs
· Mashed or baked potatoes
· Fish
· Chicken or turkey without skin

Worldwide acute infectious diarrhea causing over five million deaths per year mostly among children under age five years. 250,000 people are admitted to hospital in US each year. Do you know??? Surprised??

Of course, the prevention is the best cure. Always wash your hands before you eat, watch out for foods that may be bad or going bad (such as chilis and sambal at foodstalls) and dirty eateries (hmmm.. that probably eliminates 90% of the makean places in Malaysia….ok forget about that).

Diarrhea is a serious matter which it can lead to dehydration and death. So if it continues, go to see a doc immediately.

I’ve Started Training…Have You??

"Come on… you can do it!”….. Just left 5 minutes to finish my workout! As usual, I was motivating myself to complete 50 minutes of workout session in the gym on last Sunday (after finished my shopping in 1 Utama and Subang Parade). Running on the treadmill is the least exercise I will do compared to the stepping machine. I am thinking of participating in Ipoh’s 10km run which was the reason treadmill being chosen.

200 calories burnt after 50 minutes RUNNING on the treadmill with an average speed of 6.5km/hr. I was totally exhausted after the workout and I realized that “ I felt my knee is PAINFUL!”… So can I still go for the Ipoh run?? That was my first thought.. My Second thought, not sure whether 200 calories is equal to a plate of “Spaghetti Meatballs”.. Try to burn off my dinner…hehehe..

Since my leg is painful, no more exercise (especially running) for me these 2 days.. but don’t worry friend, I will join u all training at Subang Jaya’s track this week Thursday.. Hopefully this time we can make it! (finger cross)..

Last night, I came across this article “Will A Few Cocktails A Week Make You Fat?” It is an interesting topic which I would like to share with you all (since that we will be having more and more parties and manggis wine at USJ 11/3L). “Do you know how cocktail calories add up???” “ What do you think could a margarita really do as much diet damage as a slice of chocolate cake??’’.. Here, some calorie counts for popular drinks (applies to alcoholics only :)

Light beer 103 calories

Champagne 105 calories

Red wine or white wine 124 calories

Mojito 150 calories

Regular beer 153 calories

Martini 175 calories

OUT OF SIGHT!!!

Pina colada 462 calories

Frozen Margarita 740 calories

Long Island Iced Tea 780 calories

So Virgin Margarita, anybody???