Haze is on the way ...

The burning in Indonesia seems to be affecting Miri now. We noticed high altitude haze since two days ago. I just hope that this haze will not descend to low level or we will be choked once again.

This photo was taken this morning and it is clear that even the sun has lost it glorious ray!

The return of cicadas

We take the noisy cicadas for granted but do you know their life story? Watch this video and surely you will learn something!

You made Miri proud!

These young people from Miri really made Sarawak, or rather Miri proud.

Billy Lau from Miri and his team from Korea and China has found a way to crack open Apple's iOS with ease with his custom-built charger! Read more here. So, as a precaution, don't ever lost your charger in future. You can never tell what the manufacturer put in there.

Then we have SmartWard, which is another Apps that aims to reduce hospital paperwork has won a competition to find the best new business ideas. This idea is from Dr Michelle Teo who is the daughter of YB Mr Michael Teo of Miri.

Read more of the SmartWard news here.

Congratulations to both of them and team. Miri boleh! I am proud of your achievement.

Empurau Fish

This video is actually very educational, especially for those who have never heard of the Empurau fish (or Unforgettable in Chinese), from Sibu, Sarawak, which I think is probably the world most expensive, at RM800/kg (or almost US$270/kg). Anyone knew of any other fish that is costing more?
This video was made by a Taiwanese travel channel 世界第一等. It shows how the fish was caught and finally how it was being cooked.
I just realised that this fish loves to eat seed and the scale is also edible! This reminded me of my childhood days when we use rubber seed to catch cat fish in the wild.
A little more information can be found here.

飯前香蕉 百病消!太厲害了! Eat banana b4 meal!

日本東京大學教授山崎正利利用動物試驗，比較了香蕉、葡萄、蘋果、西瓜、菠蘿、梨子、柿子等多種水果的免疫活性，結果證實其中以香蕉的效果最好，能夠增加白血球，改善免疫系統的功能，還會產生攻擊異常細胞的物質 TNF 山崎教授的試驗也發現，香蕉愈成熟即表皮上黑斑愈多，它的免疫活性也就愈高。所以從現在開始要吃熟一點的香蕉唷！香蕉不會使白血球盲目增長只有在數量少的時候才會大幅度加。因此，專家們研究認為，香蕉具有的免疫激活作用比較溫和 , 在人體狀態健康時並不會使免疫力異常升高。但對病人、老人和抵抗力差的體弱者則很有效果。 
在日常生活中，我們不妨每天吃１∼２根香蕉，透過提升身體的抗病能力來預防感染，特別是預防感冒和流感等病毒的侵襲。山崎教授指出，在黃色表皮上出現黑色斑點的香蕉，其增加白血球的能力要比表皮發青綠的香蕉強８倍。 
 研究顯示，兩條香蕉，可以提供足夠能量維持 90 分鐘劇烈的運動。但是，香蕉不單隻提供能量。還可以幫我們克服或治療好多病症和身體狀況，所以我們必需把香蕉加進每天的餐單。1.  抑鬱症：患抑鬱症的人，在吃過香蕉後，感覺好好多。因為香蕉含胺基酸，會轉化成血清促進素，令人鬆馳、提升情緒。2.   貧血：香蕉鐵質含量高，能刺激血液內的血色素。3.   血壓高：香蕉含極高量的鉀，但鹽份低，最理想是降血壓。最近，美國食品及藥物管理局宣佈，允許香蕉業宣傳：香蕉能降低血壓高和中風機會。4.   腦力：在英國  Twickenha就有 200 名學生，為了要提升腦力，幫助考試，在學期開始，於早餐、小休和午飯，都吃適量香蕉。研究顯示，含豐富鉀質的香蕉，能提高學生的專注力，對他們讀書有所幫助。5.   便泌：香蕉的纖 維 質很高，可幫助回覆腸胃正常活動，消除便泌，無需服用輕瀉劑。6.   宿醉：香蕉奶色加蜜糖可以即時解酒。香蕉鬆馳胃部，蜜糖提升血糖水平，抒緩精神和製做炭水化合物。7.   心絞痛：香蕉對身體有一種天然的制酸性，有鎮痛作用。8.   早上無精打彩：早餐後午飯前，吃少量香蕉可保持血糖水平。9.   蚊釘蟲咬：用香蕉皮內部輕擦患處，可退腫消炎。10.   緊張：香蕉的 維 生素 B含量高，可幫助抒緩神經系統。11.   超重：澳地利心理學學校研究發現，工作壓力大，使員工會不斷進食巧力克和薯片去抒緩情緒。研究員對5000 名醫院的病人做研究，發體型肥胖的，通常都是司職壓力非常大的工作。研究總結認為，要避免引起對抒緩情緒食物的欲念，就應該約每兩小時吃一點高炭水化合物的食物，以降低身體內的血糖水平。12.   胃潰瘍：香蕉是調理腸胃失調的食方，因為香蕉有著柔軟的纖維而且柔滑。對於長期患者來說，香蕉是唯一可以進食的未煮熟食物，而不會有不良反應。香蕉還可以中和胃酸和減少疼痛。13.   體溫控制：在不同國家、地區和文化中，都有把香蕉作為一種「降溫」的果物，可以用作降低身、心的熱度。在泰國，孕婦為了使嬰兒出生時有較為涼快的環境，臨盆時就會吃香蕉。14.   戒菸：香蕉可以幫助戒菸。香蕉含維生素 B6 和 B12，也含鉀和鎂，可以複元戒菸者，因為沒有了尼古丁刺激的影響。15.   壓力：香蕉所含的鉀，可以調節心跳使之正常化，從而將氧氣順利送到大腦，與及調節身體的水份。當受到壓力緊張時，我們的新 陳代謝就會加快，因而使鉀的水平一降。鉀含量高的香蕉，正好作補充。16.  中風：據著名醫學雜誌"The New England Journal of Medicine" 的研究指出，長期吃香蕉，中風死亡的機會率大大降低 40%。香蕉的確可以治療許多疾病。如果跟蘋果比較，香蕉多四倍蛋白質、多兩倍碳水化合物、多三倍磷質、多五倍 維 生素 A 和鐵質、多兩倍其他維生素和礦物質。香蕉也含豐富的鉀，是最有益的食物。所以，應該把那句老句子改為：「一日一香蕉，醫生遠離我。」猴子經常都情緒高漲和開心，應該是吃得多香蕉的原因。還有，想皮鞋潔亮如新？嘗試用香蕉皮的裡面，直接擦到皮鞋，然後用乾布擦淨，效果立見。真神奇的生果！17.   香蕉緩解眼睛干澀避免其過早衰老 :
在電腦前工作的人常常會覺得眼睛干澀或紅腫、疼痛，如果每天吃一根香蕉，就能起到一定的緩解作用。這是台灣番薯藤健康網站的一篇文章日前告訴讀者的。文章中指出，香蕉保護眼睛的功能：首先和其中含量豐富的鉀有關。人體攝入鹽份過多，會導致細胞中存留大量的水分，引起眼睛紅腫。香蕉中的鉀可以幫助人體排出這些多余的鹽分，讓身體達到鉀鈉平衡，緩解眼睛的不適症狀。此外，香蕉中含有大量的胡蘿素。當人體缺乏這種物質時，眼睛就會變得疼痛、干澀、眼珠無光、失水少神，多吃香蕉不僅可減輕這些症狀，還可在一定程度上緩解眼睛疲勞，避免其過早衰老。

10 Common Habits That Damage the Kidneys

My friend just got a kidney failure and is now on dialysis. No one know what is happening or why it happen. But did you realise that kidney disease is usually found out too late resulting in dialysis? Here is a summary of 10 most common habits which will give kidney problem. However, if you want to read the whole article, click here.

1. Not emptying your bladder early
2. Not drinking enough water
3. Taking too much salt
4. Not treating common infections quickly and properly
5. Eating too much meat
6. Not eating enough
7. Painkiller abuse
8. Missing your drugs
9. Drinking too much alcohol
10. Not resting enough