Came accross this topic so thought of sharing it with you all...

Drinking cranberry juice can lower your blood pressure, according to a new research.

The study conducted by Roger Corder, professor at Queen Mary University of London, has appeared January 28 in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry.

The Independent quoted Corder, the author of The Red Wine Diet, as saying, "...cranberry juice is a very promising alcohol-free alternative.

We have now identified oligomeric procyanidins as the specific compound in cranberries that can boost the health of blood vessels, helping to prevent blood vessel constriction - a leading cause of high blood pressure".

Chamomile’s power as a stress-buster has been around for years. And now, two researchers are trying to find how much truth is there behind the old wives' tale.

In an evaluation for Faculty of 1000, Michael Van Ameringen and Beth Patterson have discussed the first randomized controlled trial of chamomile for the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).

Published in the Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology , the study reports that "chamomile extract therapy was found to be efficacious for mild-moderate GAD".

Patients with mild-moderate GAD were included in the study and received either chamomile or placebo. Those that received the chamomile treatment were found to have a significant change in the severity of their GAD.

Van Amerigen and Patterson comment on the results of the study, saying that they "suggest that chamomile may have modest [anti-panic] activity in patients with mild-moderate GAD and may potentially be used in those who are averse to traditional pharmacotherapy".

Boredom is the biggest evil when it comes to exercise. Those who have had enough of the treadmill running, cross training, rowing, tend to get away from exercise.

But some people have found respite in a new, more interesting form of workout. Says HR manager, Shruti Malhotra, “I was fed up of the same gymming routine and gradually I had stopped going to the gym. Then someone told me about spinning and today I am totally addicted to it. I have healthily lost 2 kilos in a month.”

What is spinning?
Spinning has got nothing to do with the usual spinning, instead it is a relatively new phenomenon, which is performed on a specialised cycling machine. The classes take place in a fitness studio with specialised lights and music that create an upbeat atmosphere. “It is basically a cardio workout, which seems like regular cycling, but works on all your body parts with various control resistant movements on the bike. An hour of workout burns a lot of calories and gives a nice shape, especially to your thighs,”

Have a full glass of water or iced tea or a beverage that’s not very sweet, before you order .
It’ll help digest your meal and also fill you up a bit, so you don’t feel as hungry.

Before your main course, order a soup, and try to have a salad for your main course.
When ordering soup, remember that a cream-based soup is more fattening than a clear soup. Ask for that instead. The same way, cream based-sauces, used in pasta or other dishes, are higher in calories than tomato-based ones.

Try to order before other people do, and if you’re not having a salad for your main course, try and split it with someone.

Have breadsticks instead of bread – they help you avoid oil and butter.

Have a big lunch.

A new research suggests that caffeine and alcohol taken together can have dangerous repercussions.

The growing popularity of mixed drinks like the "Jager Bomb" (Jagermeister and Red Bull) or "Vodka and Red Bull" can have implications on road safety, according to the study.

The field study of over 800 young drinkers by the University of Florida found that those who consumed caffeine-alcohol mixed drinks were often in a drunker state when they left the bar than those who consumed only alcohol-based drinks.

Those who had caffeine-alcohol mixed drinks were also much more likely to say they intended to drive home.

The problem arises from consuming a stimulant alongside an intoxicant, which, clinical studies show, can reduce the perception of being drunk but not the impairment.

For the study, researchers wandered on the streets outside bars and clubs, from 10pm to 3am, to quiz young drinkers on what they had been drinking and assess their sobriety, reports News.com.au.

Just wanna share a bit regards to my younger daughter's bad Eczema that pestered her for the past 3 years....

In fact, the Eczema started from my elder daughter four years ago that last for a year before she outgrown it....

After that, it was 很無奈的傳給了 to my younger daughter without anyone knowing about it...Till one day, my younger daughter complaint the unbearable itchy that falls on her every hour especially during night time that makes her unable to sleep/ even fall asleep already also unable to sleep well..

This happen 3 years ago till this year...I have been sending her to different hospital & even skin centre to have her being treat by different doctors till it was really out of hand & Skin centre tested her blood & told me she was only allergy to furs (Soft toys & nuts) But can eat seafood as mentioned by doctors....

Boy, 5, is 21st to die from H1N1. 

As I read this headline from last week, I knew I should pen this down for the benefits of all parents with young children.

When did this happened?  It was most untimely, it was end-October 2009, when I just got a fresh maid from Myanmar. Both my boy and me were hit by the H1N1 strain of virus. We did not know it.

For the very first time, I went home and heard news that my boy was running a fever.  I was a little shock, as since birth, he never gets fever.  He, has a special ability to release the 'heat' though his skin, i.e. heat rash.  Each time I explain this observation, daddy will scream and think I imagined too much.  Heat rash is heat rash, don't 'over-cloth' him, weather too hot.  But, hey, every child is different.Anyway, I did not think much and started feeding him paracetamol, which I stocked in the fridge. 

I was at the pantry on Monday and ran into a colleague.  She was busy preparing her bread spread when I spotted this japanese label on the bottle that she was holding.  What's that, I asked her.  She told me it is black seasame paste spread.  Then she went on to spread that black thingy onto her bread.

For a long time, I had heard the goodness of black seasame to dark shiny hair. In my heart, I was already thinking, how on earth she found this interesting stuff.  My hubby has been so sick of the magarine each morning and I had been searching for ages for a better alternative.