Remember 31 May NO NO NO

FOOD POISONING

Watch out for food poisoning

30 May 2010

POSITIVE PARENTING
By Prof Dr CHRISTOPHER BOEY CHIONG MENG

AHMAD arrived home from school looking pale and feeling weak. Holding his hurting tummy, he told his mother that he vomited in school and had had diarrhoea three times.

His mother brought him to the doctor and found that Ahmad was suffering from food poisoning.
 

Most food poisoning cases in Malaysia are caused by eating food contaminated with infectious agents.

Food poisoning happens when there is inflammation of the stomach and/or intestines caused by eating contaminated foods. Usually, symptoms present themselves within two to 24 hours after eating.

Depending on the severity, sufferers of food poisoning may also experience fever and chills, bloody stools, and dehydration.

Although food poisoning is usually a common and mild illness, it can sometimes be deadly, especially in children.

Infectious bacteria are to blame

Food poisoning is usually due to either toxic agents or infectious agents. Toxic agents are pesticides on fruits and vegetables, improperly prepared exotic foods (such as shellfish or barracuda), or poisonous mushrooms.
 

To reduce the risk of food poisoning, never leave cooked food at room temperature for more than two hours.
Most food poisoning cases in Malaysia however, are caused by eating food contaminated with infectious agents. This means that the food contains harmful viruses, bacteria, and parasites.

These bacteria release poison that causes inflammation of the lining of the intestines. E. coli, salmonella, shigella, and staphylococci are common infectious bacteria which cause food poisoning.

Hygiene keeps contamination at bay

Poor sanitation and improper food preparation are usually to blame for food contamination.

Food handlers should practise good personal hygiene and ensure the food preparation area is clean.

Contamination is also likely to occur when food is not properly stored, or kept at the wrong temperature.

Here are some good food preparation practices to help you prevent food contamination:

1. Prepare food with care

Wash all fruits and vegetables thoroughly.

Do not prepare foods with bare hands if you have wounds.

For raw and cooked foods, separate utensils (knives/cutting boards) should be used.

Defrost foods completely before cooking. Thaw food under clean running water.

Cook foods (meat, poultry, egg and seafood) thoroughly.

Reheat cooked food thoroughly. Bring foods like soups and stews to boil.

2. Serve food well

Serve cooked foods as soon as possible in clean crockery.

Never leave cooked food at room temperature for more than two hours.

3. Store food properly

Separate raw food from cooked food in different packages when storing them in the refrigerator.

Cooked food should be properly packaged and stored in the refrigerator within two hours.

It is not advisable to give your child cooked food that has been prepared longer than two days previously.

When to see the doctor

Food poisoning should not be taken lightly as severe diarrhoea and vomiting can cause dehydration, which is very dangerous, especially if it happens in young children. Here’s when to see the doctor:

Your child is very young (age two years and below:

* Persistent vomiting

* Altered level of consciouness

* Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhoea lasts for more than two days

* Your child also has fever, chills, or bloody stools

* Other family members or friends who ate the same thing are also sick

* Your child cannot keep any liquids down

* Your child does not improve within two days even though he’s drinking large amounts of fluids

* Your child has other immune related disease or illness

* Your child experiences slurred speech, muscle weakness, double vision, or difficulty swallowing

Managing food poisoning

If your child is suffering from mild food poisoning, in which he experiences short episodes of vomiting and minimal diarrhoea, symptoms will usually go away on its own in two to three days.

You can help your child feel better by trying these home care tips:

Do not let your child have solid food until he stops vomiting.

Offer your child water frequently in small amounts to prevent dehydration. You can also add a special oral electrolyte solution (found in pharmacies).

Once vomiting has stopped, slowly reintroduce easy-to-digest foods. You may offer him rice, wheat, breads, potatoes, bananas, or low-sugar cereals.

It is not recommended to give children over-the-counter medicines to stop diarrhoea.

Check what your child has eaten over the pass twenty-four hours.

If in any doubt, seek medical help early.

Prof Dr Christopher Boey Chiong Meng is a professor of paediatrics and consultant paediatric gastroenterologist. This article is not in any way intended as a substitute for medical attention. When in doubt, please consult your doctor. This article is courtesy of the Malaysian Paediatric Association’s Positive Parenting Digestive Health Initiative and the Malaysian Society of Gastroenterology & Hepatology that is supported by an educational grant from Vitagen Healthy Tummies Programme. For further information, please visit www.mypositiveparenting.org. To know more about children’s digestive health, please contact 03-56211408 or 03-56323301 for a free digestive health booklet by the Malaysian Paediatric Association’s Positive Parenting in collaboration with the Malaysian Society of Gastroenterology & Hepatology.

BRUSH TEETH TWICE A DAY AGAINST HEART DISEASE

By Emma Wilkinson Health reporter, BBC News  

 

Dentists recommend brushing twice a day

People who fail to brush their teeth twice a day are putting themselves at risk of heart disease, say researchers.

A Scottish study of more than 11,000 adults found those with poor oral hygiene had a 70% increased risk of heart disease compared with those who brushed twice a day.
The British Medical Journal study backs previous work showing a link between gum disease and heart problems.
But a charity said oral health was just one factor in good heart health.
It is known that inflammation in the body, including in the mouth and gums, has an important role in the build up of clogged arteries, which can lead to a heart attack.
But this is the first time that researchers have looked at whether the frequency of teeth brushing has any bearing on the risk of developing heart disease.

If you don't brush your teeth, your mouth can become infected with bacteria which can cause inflammation

Judy O'Sullivan British Heart Foundation

Data was collected on lifestyle behaviours, such as smoking, physical activity and oral health routines.

Participants were also asked how often they visited the dentist and how often they brushed their teeth.
Then nurses collected information on medical history and family history of heart disease, took blood pressure and blood samples.
Overall, six out of 10 people said they visited the dentist every six months and seven out 10 reported brushing their teeth twice a day.
Over the eight-year study there were 555 "cardiovascular events" such as heart attacks, 170 of which were fatal.
Taking into account factors that affect heart disease risk, such as social class, obesity, smoking and family history, the researchers found those who brushed twice a day were at a lower risk.
Those with poor oral hygiene also tested positive in blood samples for proteins which are suggestive of inflammation.
Cause and effect Study leader Professor Richard Watt, from University College London, said future studies will be needed to confirm whether the link between oral health behaviour and cardiovascular disease "is in fact causal or merely a risk marker".
Judy O'Sullivan, senior cardiac nurse at British Heart Foundation, said: "If you don't brush your teeth, your mouth can become infected with bacteria which can cause inflammation.
"However, it is complicated by the fact that poor oral hygiene is often associated with other well known risk factors for heart disease, such as smoking and poor diet."
She added: "Good personal hygiene is a basic element of a healthy lifestyle.
"But if you want to help your heart, you should eat a balanced diet, avoid smoking and take part in regular physical activity."
Professor Damien Walmsley, scientific adviser to the British Dental Association, added it was still unclear whether there was a definite cause and effect between oral hygiene and heart disease.
"Whatever the true position is, we can say with certainty that if people brush teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, visit the dentist regularly and restrict sugary snacks to mealtimes; that this will go a long way towards keeping the teeth and gums in a healthy state for life."

SUKAN MASUM 2010

Sifu berada di Sukan Catur Masum 2010 di USIM, Nilai, sifu lihat ramai kenalan menjadi jurulatih berada di sana.  Norazmi Mohd Noor dengan pasukan UiTM,  NWM Khairulnissa Wahiduddin dengan UMP, Hasidin Abdul Rashid dengan  UPM, Nik Ahmad Farouqi dengan IIUM, Shamsuddin Md Isa dengan UKM, Fadli Stonemaster dengan USIM dan merupakan tuan rumah bersama pasukan teknikal nya bersama  Cikgu Suhairi sebagai Ketua Arbiter. Hebat betul siapa yang akan jadi juara agak IIUM, UM, UPM, UiTM atau USIM !!  Tapi buat ketika ini nampak pasukan UM terlalu gagah untuk pasukan lelaki dan wanita. Kedudukan terkini: Pasukan Lelaki 1 UM 17   2 UiTM 15   3 UTM 14.5 4 UIAM 14 5 UPSI 14 6 USM 13.5 7 UKM 12.5 8 UMP 12 9 UPM 12 10 UDM 11 11 UUM 10.5 12 UPNM 10 13 UTHM 9 14 USIM 3   Pasukan Wanita MASUM 1 UM 18.5  2 UTM 14.5   3 UIAM 14.5 4 UMP 14.5 5 UPM 13.5 6 UiTM 13.5 7 UKM 13 8 UPSI 13 9 USM 10.5 10 USIM 10.5  11 UDM 8 12 UUM 0

TRAGEDI CATUR

Bila di lihat di Chess Overboard, Lim Chong imbas kembali masa silam dengan  Rosazman Mat Rosley, seorang prodigi catur tapi hilang ....NWM Khairulnissa ada cerita di blog nya..

TAPI SABENARNYA INI BUKAN CERITA TAPI PERISTIWA SEDIH TRAGEDI CATUR TERUTAMA UNTUK ANAK MELAYU TERMASUK TRAGEDI PCMM DI HARAMKAN !!!

Mengapa tragedi ?
Tragedi saperti ini berulang dan berulang bagi pemain berbakat tapi mereka yang menjadi pemimpin tidak berubah hanya menukar topi, atau memakai terlalu banyak topi dan tersilap topi selalu atau terlupa topi berlaku.... ini lah punca tragedi nya.
Sifu berada di Kejohanan CaturMASUM di USIM, Nilai dan perbincangan ini di timbulkan.

Sifu sudah berperanan dengan bangga nya untuk menyumbang 10 butir Emas Catur Paralimpik untuk negara di dua Paralimpik Sukan Asean Korat dan Kuala Lumpur serta 8 butir Pingat Perak serta Gangsa.
Serta dapat bersama beberapa jurulatih nasional terkemuka saperti Fadli Stonemaster, Rizal Ahmad Kamal, Shamsuddin Mat Isa, Hashim Jusuh, Asmah Hambadley Ahmad, Abdul Haq Mohamad dan Roslina Marmono.
Kata mereka dengan OKU bolehlah tapi bekerja dengan OKU tidak boleh kaya, tidak banyak duit...tapi bekerja  dengan ikhlas bersama mereka lebih mulia dari cemohan yang di hadapi kini yang tiada hasil nya untuk di banggakan mungkin bertambah IM tapi GM nampak jauh lagi di lautan....
Pemain OKU lebih menyerlah saperti Nur Fique Halil, Norain Yusof, Atirah, Aqilah, Tham Siew Foong, Choo Min Wang, Shaharuddin Sidek dan Mah Hassan Omar yang telah mencipta sejarah Emas Negara. Ini semua adalah perancanga teliti sejak sepuluh tahun lalu 1990 antara sifu dan Rizal Ahmad Kamal bersama MPM dan MSN, sifu tidak mahu tragedi catur able bodies berulang di OKU Paralimpik.
Balik pada tragedi...
PCMM ketika itu persatuan catur harapan orang Melayu dengan Kejohanan Terbuka Melayu, Masters Melayu, Hari Buruh, Allegro Bank Pertanian, Terbuka Rank Raayat dan Catur Merdeka...tapi bila tidak tahu memakai topi oleh beberapa pemimpin kanan, Mula merampas satu persatu bermula dengan Merdeka untuk masuk kantung MCF, tapi kantung MCF tetap kosong hingga kini.
Merdeka selalu memberi nafas untuk PCMM untuk menganjur Terbuka Melayu dan Masters Melayu, sabelum di bantu oleh Bank Pertanian.
Zaman gemilang PCMM ini melahirkan banyak harapan dan prodigi catur di bantu oleh Persatuan Catur Dan Dam Shah Alam, Persatuan Catur Kelantan, Persatuan Catur Terengganu, Pesatuan Catur Kedah dan Persatuan Catur Perlis ketika itu.
Kejohanan demi kejohanan tanpa berhenti  untuk melahirkan prodigi catur...mula dengan Rosazman Mat Rosley,

Jusjefri Ahmar,

Mas hafizul Helmi Agus,

keluarga Wahiduddin dengan Nurul Huda, Kamal Ariffin serta Khairulnisa,

keluarga Saranon dengan Norfatitah,

keluarga Ibrahim dengan Haliza Hanum dan Haliza Hanim,

keluarga Hussain dengan Hazuin dan Hazril,

keluarga Zakaria dengan Fadli dan Fairn,

keluarga Che Hassan dengan Abdullah,

keluarga Kamsah ,

keluarga Ustaz Ali,

keluarga Nik dengan Nik Ahmad Faruki,

keluarga Ishak dengan Nursafawati Ishak,

keluarga Effa....dan banyak lagi yang mungkin sifu tertinggal termasuk keluarga sifu sendiri.

Tapi  Rosazman, anak seorang penoroka Felda Jengka 2 setiap kali datang ke Kejohanan PCMM di bawa oleh bapa nya Mat Rosley bersama seorang rakan ia itu Jusjefri menaiki bas dari Temerloh dan tinggal di rumah sifu  kalau beliau tidak menang mungkin perjalanan mereka menjadi lebih perit sebagai anak peneroka dan perancangan untuk kejohanan seterus nya akan terjejas.  Rosazman ini adalah anak didik CikGu Robil, dan Rosazman bermain di peringkat MSSM sejak berumur 9 tahun lagi dan permainan nya terserlah di MSSP dan MSSM sahaja sehingga beliau memasuki ITM Jengka.
Sifu bersama beberapa rakan telah cuba menempatkan Rosazman di sebuah sekolah terkemuka berasrama dan diambil sebagai anak angkat oleh seorang ahli koperat, malang nya beliau tidak mahu tinggalkan keluarga nya dan memberi syarat agar di ambil Jusjefri sekali, tapi peruntukkan itu untuk seorang sahaja maka ...hilanglah Rosazman dari dunia catur mungkin sebab kepahitan hidup sebagai anak peneroka.
Khairulnissa ada pernah berjumpa dengan Rosazman tapi dunia catur nya sudah ditinggalkan...


Seorang lagi trajedi ialah Norsafawati Ishak dari Kampung Kandang Lembu di Kedah, beliau amat menyerlah diantara pemain wanita dan di peringkat MSSK dan MSSM, untuk memastikan kejayaan nya,  beliau diminta belajar dan tinggal  dengan se angkatan nya Hazuin, pemain catur handalan Shah Alam atas permintaan keluarga Hussain di Shah Alam, malang nya permintaan di tolak dan Norsafawati, anak seorang perniaga warung kopi di kampung hilang.. tapi Hazril masih gagah bermain baru ini di UiTM Terbuka dan adik nya Hazuin, bakal menjadi doktor. 


Lain tragedi ialah kehilangan anak anak keluarga Effa, yang semua menerima pendidikan di sekolah Cina maka pakar berhasa Cina dan dunia catur, satelah mengkuasi dunia catur tempatan satu ketika dahulu merka hilang ......Baru ini sifu ada berjumpa dengan tiga Effa ini yang sedang belajar di UiTM Shah Alam, mereka masih mempunyai sengat dan bisa catur tapi mereka bermain setakat di kampus sahaja sebab nya.....
Ini adalah tiga tragedi catur dan PCMM yang sifu amat rasakan silap utama ialah tiada pembangunan catur di peringkat negara hanya kejohanan dan kejohanan sahaja.  Bila menyerlah maka habis di situ sahaja, nak pergi jauh di peringkat antarabangsa jangan harap dengan MCF, semua pemain negara kena bayar tambang sendiri sambil menyumbang untuk membawa pagawai MCF pula...inilah realiti hingga kini
tragedi  PCMM adalah satu bab yang lain.....
satu lagi  realiti yang sedih adalah penglibatan beberapa pemain dalam kancah dadah yang telah turut menghancurkan beberapa pemain...sifu amat menyokong peraturan FIDE untuk memilih cara rambang pemain untuk di uji untuk dadah terutama pemain pemain terkemuka yang nampak pelik atau yang 'gila'.
Realiti nya kejayaan hanya untuk keluarga yang mampu dan perihatin sahaja akan menyerlah saperti keluarga Zulkafli, Azhar, Saleh aka Gilocatur, dll
tapi ingat kalau setakat mengantar pemain di kejohanan tanpa persediaan awal,sokongan moral dan perhatian jurulatih jangan jangan...lihat sahaja Anand menjadi juara Dunia kali ke 4 sokongan nya amat menyerlah sehingga Kasparov pun dalam pasukan sokongan nya... jadi nak main di peringkat nasional dan antarabangsa, pemain kena bersedia dan di sokong dengan wang...... adakah MCF mampu......???
Mungkin dengan tiada nya PCMM maka akan berkubur juga Terbuka Melayu dan Masters Melayu...
nak di harap dengan MCF jauh sekali tengok sahaja kelahiran FIA sejak terakhir nya dengan Ismail Ahmad (bukan Ismail polis).....pada 1990  tragedi tragedi.....tragedi catur di Tanah Melayu untuk Melayu oleh Melayu.......atau kita patut kaji dan cari punca mengapa ini semua berlaku di antara anak Melayu !!

[NOTA: sifu ingin mencari dan menulis berkenaan perkembangan anak Malayu dan penglibatan keluarga untuk meraih kejayaan catur dan kejayaan masa hadapan. 
Soalan nya adakah penglibatan dengan catur telah membawa kejayaan ?  Adakah catur membantu menjadikan pemain jadi pelajar cemerlang atau pelajar A ?

Jawapan email kapada sifu.mycatur@gmail.com]

Be kind: Text, don’t call

For sometime, sifu found it irritating having to listen to unwanted conversations of mobile users in trains, buses or in restaurants, either they are showing off or would not care attitudes of the surroundings and this article and findings is for all to take note...

 

Be kind: Text, don’t call

May 24, 2010

Hearing only one side of a conversation irritates and distracts people within earshot. — Picture by Dmitriy Shironosov

WASHINGTON, May 24 — Do you often have the urge to chat with a friend while stuck on a train, subway or waiting on a never-ending line? In a new study researchers from Cornell University are saying you should resist the urge to dial as it irritates and distracts all the people around you — yes, even if you whisper.
For those stuck by a chatty Kathy feeling frustrated and annoyed with the distraction, well that is completely normal according to Michael Goldstein, assistant professor of psychology at Cornell University and Lauren Emberson, PhD candidate in psychology at Cornell University in their research to be published in the June edition of the journal Psychological Science.
Eavesdropping cannot be avoided and someone else’s very important minutia or hot gossip becomes an irritant not because the person is loud but rather because only half the conversation or “halfalogue”, can be heard and understood. This rattles the brain coupled with the inability to ignore the chatter.
Apparently even your meditation mantra won’t do the trick. Emberson explained, “Hearing half a conversation is distracting because we are unable to predict the succession of speech. We believe this finding helps reveal how we understand language in conversation: We actively predict what the person is going to say next and this reduces the difficulty of language comprehension.”
“People are often more irritated by nearby cell phone conversations rather than conversations between two people who are physically present. Since halfalogues really are more distracting and you can’t tune them out, this could explain why people are irritated.”
So be kind, text don’t call, or read, take photos, play a game, surf the web, catch-up on emails — there are so many ways to keep you distracted with your smartphone’s applications that you do not need to distract everyone in your vicinity.
Also the results of the Interphone study, a multi-centre international control case study, published their findings in the advance online edition of International Journal of Epidemiology on May 17.
The researchers concluded that there is not enough conclusive research to support that cell phone use causes or doesn’t cause brain cancer — why not err on the side of caution since the participants of the study were not classified as long-term heavy-use mobile phone users. — AFP/Relaxnews

RAFFLESIA BUKAN BUNGA HATI

Rawatan guna Rafflesia sebabkan kegagalan hati, limpa

23/05/2010 5:03pm

KUALA LUMPUR 23 Mei - Ujian klinikal ke atas tikus menunjukkan bahawa perubatan tradisional yang menggunakan bunga Rafflesia boleh menyebabkan kesan serius ke atas hati dan limpa, dakwa seorang pensyarah kanan Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM).
Dr. Nazlina Ibrahim dari pusat pengajian Biosains dan Bioteknologi universiti itu berkata, penyelidikan pelajar sarjana Khairunnadwa Jemon mendapati, organ dalaman tikus putih yang telah melahirkan anak dan diberikan beberapa sebatian tunas Rafflesia selama 14 hari telah menjadi kecil.
Katanya, perubatan tradisional menggunakan bunga itu biasanya diambil oleh wanita yang baru lepas bersalin untuk mengecutkan rahim dan oleh lelaki dikatakan untuk kekuatan seksual.
Dr. Nazlina berkata, dalam satu artikel portal berita universiti itu bahawa penyelidikan oleh Khairunnadwa di bawah penyeliaannya mendapati, limpa itu mampu mendetoksifikasi bahan dari tunas Rafflesia azlanii.
"Tetapi proses ini juga mengecutkan limpa daripada saiz asalnya. Dengan itu ujian itu mengesahkan keupayaan tunas bunga itu. Tetapi risiko yang memberi kesan ke atas organ penting lain juga wujud, iaitu limpa,” katanya.
Beliau berkata, wanita yang mengamalkan meminum air dimasak dengan tunas Rafflesia selepas rawatan kelahiran perlu menimbangkan dengan serius keburukan dan kesan berbahaya ini.
Katanya lagi, kadar ketoksikan dalam kajin ini perlu menjadi amaran kepada orang yang mengambil “jamu” seperti ini memandangkan penggunaan bahagian Rafflesia azlanii sebagai sumber ubatan tradisional adalah tidak selamat. - Bernama
Kenali Bunga Rafflesia ini:

Rafflesia arnoldii is a member of the genus Rafflesia. It is noted for producing the largest individual flower on earth, and a strong odor of decaying flesh - the latter point earning it the nickname of "corpse flower". It occurs only in the rainforests of Sumatra and Borneo in the Indonesian Archipelago. Although there are some plants with larger flowering organs like the Titan Arum and Talipot palm, those are technically clusters of many flowers.