to beat the afternoon slump 1: Start right

Oddly, your mid-afternoon slump can be the result of what you get up to in the morning. If you didn’t make time for breakfast then you will be more likely to feel sleepy during the latter stages of you work day. Make sure you eat a breakfast that is full of protein and wholegrains, such as scrambled eggs on wholegrain toast, porridge with almonds and apple or a fresh, fruit smoothie.

If you don’t have much time in the morning or don’t feel like eating first thing you could always have a breakfast you can eat on the move, such as a wholegrain bagel filled with reduced fat cream cheese and salmon or make a little pot of fruit, natural yoghurt, honey and almonds.

Way to beat the afternoon slump 2: Put down the fries

Carbs and fat fuel the afternoon slump. If you love to eat fries or sandwiches as big as houses then your energy levels will plummet come mid-afternoon. However, you don’t need to cut out carbohydrates and fat altogether to avoid the slump and can instead simply reduce your portions.

For example, you should eat no more than a fist-sized helping of your favourite carbohydrate and limit your fat intake. This is because fat takes a long time to digest and leaves you feeling overly full and consequently rather sluggish. So you could eat a salad with egg, turkey or some chickpeas. Other good, slump-fighting lunches include wholewheat pasta or rice, served with a tomato and olive oil sauce with some salad, or some chicken soup for chilly days.

Way to beat the afternoon slump 3: Take a break

Your boss may not agree, but you need to take a break. Studies have found that taking regular breaks does in fact lead to increased productivity when at work and taking between five to 15 minutes can really help to combat your afternoon slump.

Try to get up and walk around at least once every hour throughout the day. Then, during your break do a few stretches and take a few deep breaths to invigorate and refresh you and your body. When you return to your desk you should feel much more alert and you can wave goodbye to that slump.

Way to beat the afternoon slump 4: Grab a glass

When you’ve got a lot on it can be easy to forget to drink, but your afternoon slump might be caused by a lack of water. Dehydration can make you feel tired, so when you next feel the yawns and the fuzzy thinking associated with the afternoon slump creep in, go grab yourself a glass and get yourself some cold, fresh water.

If you don’t really like the taste of water, you could add some lemon juice to the water. This makes a really zingy, refreshing drink that will wake you up instantly. Alternatively you could soak some pineapple chunks in a jug of water at lunch and then when your slump hits pour a glass of your pineapple-infused drink.

Way to beat the afternoon slump 5: Use your head

When an afternoon slump strikes the last thing you want to do is engage your brain. However, do a fun, quick task and give those brain cells a blast. Do a puzzle, a series of mental arithmetic questions or try to write a rhyming poem or limerick. Crosswords, lateral thinking puzzles or even a quick game of snap with cards can help you beat the afternoon slump.

Playing a game with others is best, but if you’re at work just quietly take five minutes to do one of these tasks. Engaging your brain in an activity like this will rouse your slacking concentration levels and reengage you in whatever activity you need to be focused on

Fit for the palate

By LIM WEY WEN 
starhealth@thestar.com.my

Dodging potential poisons on the plate

FOOD safety – the connection between health and food – used to be simple: we are, to a great extent, what we eat. But in the 21st century, with global travel, food technology, and profit-driven restaurant chains, it has become more complicated.

These days, it’s not just about what we eat. It’s also about how we eat, how much we eat, what we put in what we eat, and where did what we eat come from.

Do you know what else you are putting in your food without even trying? By being aware of the ways food can get contaminated, we can employ simple prevention measures to avoid getting food poisoning

“I’m afraid we have to accept the fact that in a globalised economy, the food we eat today contains ingredients and additives from many parts of the world,” says president of the Malaysian Institute of Food Technology (MIFT) Dr Nik Ismail Nik Daud.

“And because it has to travel great distances, the food will have to be processed to make it last longer, and be made available to more people,” he adds.

Food additives in processed food are not the only concern. Even fresh food – things like raw vegetables, meat, poultry and seafood – are not spared. In the past decade, we’ve heard news about contaminated tomatoes, peanut butter, chicken, eggs, pork, and beef (and the list goes on) that have caused food poisoning worldwide, both in developed and developing countries.

Making things worse is the fact that many of us do not know, or practise, the simple prevention measures that can protect us from such contamination.

Unwanted extras

After spending years managing a hospital kitchen with food safety standards in place, it has become increasingly difficult for dietitian Mary Easaw-John come to terms with the conditions of many dining areas she comes across in the country.

Ketagih hidu gam boleh maut
Oleh Faizatul Farhana Farush Khan
bhnews@bharian.com.my
2011/06/27

Gejala semakin berleluasa babitkan remaja seawal umur 14 tahun

KUALA LUMPUR: Kesukaran melakukan tugasan mudah seperti tidak mampu mengikat tali kasut dan memakai sendiri pakaian, gagal dalam pelajaran terutama subjek mengira, seakan-akan mengelamun, percakapan kurang jelas dan keupayaan mendengar terhad adalah antara kesan negatif akibat ketagihan menghidu gam.

Lebih parah lagi, ketagihan menghidu gam juga akan mengehadkan pergerakan fizikal, melemahkan daya pemikiran, membantutkan kebolehan berkomunikasi, menjejaskan pembelajaran serta boleh membawa maut

ATE is a mechanism fisiologik hunger, according to most scholars. It is not for fun, go-go, much as the social demands for a celebration. Eating is a function of survival.

If what you eat nor drink or a meal is the correct menu, naturally, of course, all the properties and essence are also available for various needs and functions of the body. Thus, the true claim to eat because hunger is a parallel to the natural or biological life.


The question is, is it true that the present eating practices to meet the biological demands of life? How many people eat because of hunger and how many meals for nutritional value in the 'things' we eat? Gastronomic world is too much highlight aesthetics, diversity of taste, art and style dining, creative cuisine and many more. Until the meaning of eating far away from its original meaning. The values ​​are not the substances and nutrients, but rather a full, delicious and satisfied. Not surprisingly, the statistics of illness and death due to excess eating that up. Medical facts are too numerous to confirm this phenomenon.

The concept of eating for health has been further isolated from the community agenda. If But, beyond the discussion in academic discourse.