Friday, March 31, 2006

Benefits of Honey


Health Benefits Of Honey

"And your Lord revealed to the bee saying: Make hives in the mountains and in the trees and in what they build: Then eat of all the fruits and walk in the ways of your Lord submissively. There comes forth from within it a beverage of many colours, in which there is healing for men; most surely there is a sign in this for a people who reflect. (Surat an-Nahl, 68-69)

Honey is a sweet treat. In fact, it is man's oldest sweetener. It can be a good substitute for sugar in our drinks and food. But it is also good for many other things and treating many other conditions. Reliance on commercialized medicines which contains too much chemicals can become hazardous to our health. Alhamdullilah, Allah has given us the knowledge that Mother Nature can at least help to ease the pain we are suffering from.
Honey is composed of sugars like glucose and fructose and minerals like magnesium, potassium, calcium, sodium chlorine, sulphur, iron and phosphate. It contains vitamins B1, B2, C, B6, B5 and B3 all of which change according to the qualities of the nectar and pollen. Besides the above, copper, iodine, and zinc exist in it in small quantities. Several kinds of hormones are also present in it.
Approximately one half of the human diet is derived directly or indirectly from crops pollinated by bees. Today honeybees are an essential part of a healthy agriculture economy. If you have allergies, honey can be beneficial. If you eat honey that is local to your area, it may prevent your seasonal allergies. Bees use the pollen from local plants and eventually it ends up in your honey.
Honey may also be good for your skin. It has the ability to attract water. You can use honey instead of alpha hydroxy masks because of its high content of the acid. It is also safe for sensitive skin.
You can also use it as a moisturizing mask for your skin as well as your hair. To use it as a conditioner, mix the honey with olive oil. Be sure to wash your hair thoroughly before you go outside.
If you have a sore throat, take some honey.Due to its natural anti-inflammatory effect, it will help to heal the wounds more quickly.It also has different phytochemicals--chemicals found in plants and different foods--that kill viruses, bacteria, and fungus making it a good substitute for wound dressings. The taste may also take your mind off the pain.
There is evidence that honey diluted in water will help with your stomachaches and dehydration.
Germ-Fighting Properties
Do you have a cut? Honey is a natural antiseptic. Medical journals cite more than 600 cases in which honey was employed to treat wounds.By applying honey to your wounds, you prevent infections. Honey contains antimicrobial agents, which prevents infections by killing the bacteria in and around your wounds. When using honey it may help to heat it up before putting it on your wound (caution test the heat before you place it on the wound).Many types of bacteria can’t survive in honey, so wounds heal, swelling eases, and tissue can grow back.
Honey may also be effective in the treatment of your ulcers.In Europe, honey has been used internally to help cure ulcers, particularly stomach ulcers.
Burns, too, heal better with honey, studies show. The advantage of honey is that it not only prevents infections from occurring, it actually accelerates skin healing.. Since the sugar in honey absorbs water it helps to trap some of the moisture so that the bacteria and other microbes can’t grow as easily as in other food.
How Does It Help In Healing Wounds?
When honey comes into contact with body moisture, the glucose oxidase enzyme introduced to the honey by the bee slowly releases the antiseptic hydrogen peroxide at a sufficient level to be effective against bacteria but not tissue damaging. Not only is honey anti-bacterial, it also draws body fluids and nutrients to the area and so assists cell growth and prevents a scar forming by drying out of the wound.
The osmotic action of the honey draws out and provides a film of liquid between the tissues and the dressing, allowing the dressing to be removed painlessly, without tearing of the re-growing cells. There are reports in medical journals of large bed sores, otherwise needing skin grafts, that have healed without scarring after honey treatment.
In treating diarrhea, honey promotes the rehydration of the body and more quickly clears up the diarrhea and any vomiting and stomach upsets. The anti-bacterial properties of honey, both the peroxide and non-peroxide, are effective in the laboratory against MRSA strains of bacteria which are notoriously resistant to antibiotics and are sometimes responsible for the closing of hospital wards.
Other Benefits of Honey
Easily digested: Because sugar molecules in honey can convert into other sugars (e.g. fructose to glucose), honey is easily digested by the most sensitive stomachs, despite its high acid content. It helps kidneys and intestines to function better.
Good source of antioxidants: It plays a big role in the prevention of cancer as well as heart disease.
Has a low calorie level: Another quality of honey is that, when it is compared with the same amount of sugar, it gives 40% less calories to the body. Although it gives great energy to the body, it does not add weight.
Rapidly diffuses through the blood: When accompanied by mild water, honey diffuses into the bloodstream in 7 minutes. Its free sugar molecules make the brain function better since the brain is the largest consumer of sugar, thus, reduces fatigue.
Supports blood formation: Honey provides an important part of the energy needed by the body for blood formation. In addition, it helps in cleansing the blood. It has some positive effects in regulating and facilitating blood circulation. It also functions as a protection against capillary problems and arteriosclerosis.
Does not accommodate bacteria: This bactericide (bacteria-killing) property of honey is named "the inhibition effect". Experiments conducted on honey show that its bactericide properties increase twofold when diluted with water. It is very interesting to note that newly born bees in the colony are nourished with diluted honey by the bees responsible for their supervision - as if they know this feature of the honey.
Royal Jelly: Royal jelly is a substance produced by worker bees inside the beehive. Inside this nutritious substance are sugar, proteins, fats and many vitamins. It is used in problems caused by tissue deficiency or body frailty.
It is obvious that honey, which is produced in much higher amounts than the requirements of the bees, is made for the benefit of man. And it is also obvious that bees cannot perform such an unbelievable task "on their own."

Sunday, March 26, 2006

Dates -Boosts stamina




Description
The date is one of the most nourishing fruits. It is a food of great importance and is called the bread of the Sahara. But its use is now universal. It is included in the categories of both dry and fresh fruit. The date is a cylindrical fruit of yellow to reddish brown color. It has fleshy pericarp surrounding a single seed containing 60 to 70 per cent sugar. The tree-ripe fresh date is delicious fruit. It, however, undergoes fermentation very rapidly. It is, therefore, dried in the sun. The fruit looses about 35 per cent of its weight in the process of drying.
Origin and Distribution
The date is held in high esteem from ancient times and is one of the earliest fruits cultivated by man. In Mesopotamia, more than 5,000 years old bricks have been found to contain instructions for growing date palms. The ancient monuments of Egypt have been found to contain carved figures of date palms. There are numerous references to the palm and its fruit in the Bible, testifying to its manifold virtues Prophet Mohammed believed that the first date palm was made from the tempered dust which remained after the formation of Adam.
The original home of date is believed to be in the Persian Gulf area or in Mesopotamia. It is now classed as one of the standard crops of world agriculture and is widely grown in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Spain, Italy, China and U.S.A.
Food Value
The date is a food of high nutritional value. It provides natural sugar in the form of glucose and fructose. This sugar is ready for immediate absorption and is, therefore, infinitely superior to cane‑sugar. It is usually taken raw or with milk, which makes it highly nutritious in most respects. Taking it with curdled milk is also common. In Sahara, rich people take it
Date*
Food Value

Minerals and Vitamins

Moisture 15.3% Calcium 120 mg
Protein 2.5% Phosphorus 50 mg
Fat 0.4% Iron 7.3 mg
Minerals 2.1% Vitamin C 3 mg
Fibre 3.9 %
carbohydrates 75.8%

Little amounts of Vitamin B Complex



Calorific Value - 317

*
Values per 100 gms edible portion

with butter by removing the seed and filling the cavity with butter. It is a scientific way of taking fat. It is also taken in several cooked forms. The seeds of the fruit, roasted and ground into powder makes a beverage like coffee, called 'date coffee'. The date palm yields a sweet juice of high food value. It can be taken fresh with great advantage or make into a tasty country sugar. The juice can also be allowed to ferment and made into alcohol
Natural Benefits and Curative Properties
Dates are valuable as medicine for their tonic effect. Being easily digested, they are very useful for supplying energy and repairing waste. Milk in which clean and fresh dates have been boiled is a very nourishing and restorative drink to children and adults alike, especially during convalescence.
Intestinal Disturbances
The nicotinic content in dates is an excellent remedy for intestinal disturbances. According to Metchnikoff, the great Russian scientist, liberal use of dates keeps in check the growth of pathological organisms and helps to establish a colony of friendly bacteria in the intestines.
Constipation
The date is a laxative food. It is highly beneficial in the treatment of constipation as the roughage provided by it stimulates sluggish bowels. They should be immersed in water at night and taken after making them into a fine syrup the next morning to secure laxative effect.
Intoxication
Dates are an excellent remedy for alcoholic intoxication. In such cases, drinking water in which fresh dates have been rubbed or soaked will bring quick relief.
Weak Heart
Dates are an effective remedy for weak heart. Dates soaked overnight in water and crushed in the same water in the morning after removing the seeds should be taken at least twice a week in this condition. It will strengthen the heart.
Children's Diseases
According to Dr. Aman, a date tied to the wrist of the baby and allowed to be sucked by him during teething time hardens the gums and prevents other complaints like fretfulness and diarrhoea. A teaspoonful of paste of the date prepared with honey is an effective medicine for diarrhoea and dysentery during teething. It should be given three times a day.
Precautions
The dates require great care for selection. The sticky surface of the date attracts dust and impurities of the air to settle there. It is, therefore, advisable to purchase the best varieties in good packing condition and to wash them thoroughly before use.

Friday, March 24, 2006

Health benefits of Olive oil





Olive oil's health benefits
The greatest exponent of monounsaturated fat is olive oil, and it is a prime component of the Mediterranean Diet. Olive oil is a natural juice which preserves the taste, aroma, vitamins and properties of the olive fruit. Olive oil is the only vegetable oil that can be consumed as it is - freshly pressed from the fruit.
The beneficial health effects of olive oil are due to both its high content of monounsaturated
fatty acids and its high content of antioxidative substances. Studies have shown that olive oil offers protection against heart disease by controlling LDL ("bad") cholesterol levels while raising HDL (the "good" cholesterol) levels. (1-3) No other naturally produced oil has as large an amount of monounsaturated as olive oil -mainly oleic acid.
Olive oil is very well tolerated by the stomach. In fact, olive oil's protective function has a beneficial effect on ulcers and gastritis. Olive oil activates the secretion of bile and pancreatic hormones much more naturally than
prescribed drugs. Consequently, it lowers the incidence of gallstone formation.
Olive oil and heart disease
Studies have shown that people who consumed 25 milliliters (mL) - about 2 tablespoons - of virgin olive oil daily for 1 week showed less oxidation of LDL cholesterol and higher levels of antioxidant compounds, particularly phenols, in the blood.(4)
But while all types of olive oil are sources of monounsaturated fat, EXTRA VIRGIN olive oil, from the first pressing of the olives, contains higher levels of antioxidants, particularly
vitamin E and phenols, because it is less processed.
Olive oil is clearly one of the good oils, one of the
healing fats. Most people do quite well with it since it does not upset the critical omega 6 to omega 3 ratio and most of the fatty acids in olive oil are actually an omega-9 oil which is monounsaturated.
Olive oil and colon cancer
Spanish researchers suggest that including olive oil in your diet may also offer benefits in terms of
colon cancer prevention (5). Their study results showed that rats fed diet supplemented with olive oil had a lower risk of colon cancer than those fed safflower oil-supplemented diets. In fact, the rats that received olive oil had colon cancer rates almost as low as those fed fish oil, which several studies have already linked to a reduction in colon cancer risk.

Types of olive oil
Generally, olive oil is extracted by pressing or crushing olives. Olive oil comes in different varieties, depending on the amount of processing involved. Varieties include:
Extra virgin - considered the best, least processed, comprising the oil from the first pressing of the olives.Virgin - from the second pressing.Pure - undergoes some processing, such as filtering and refining.Extra light - undergoes considerable processing and only retains a very mild olive flavour.
When buying olive oil you will want to obtain a high quality EXTRA VIRGIN oil. The oil that comes from the first "pressing" of the olive, is extracted without using heat (a cold press) or chemicals, and has no "off" flavors is awarded "extra virgin" status. The less the olive oil is handled, the closer to its natural state, the better the oil. If the olive oil meets all the criteria, it can be designated as "extra virgin".
What is pure and light olive oil? "Pure" olive oil is made by adding a little extra virgin olive oil to refined olive oil. It is a lesser grade oil that is also labeled as just "olive oil" in the U.S.
"Light" olive oil is a marketing concept and not a classification of olive oil grades. It is completely unregulated by any certification organizations and therefore has no real precedent to what its content should be. Sometimes, the olive oil is cut with other vegetable oils.
How to care for your olive oil
Resist the temptation to place your beautiful bottle of olive oil on the windowsill. Light and heat are the #1 enemy of oil. Keep olive oil in a cool and dark place, tightly sealed. Oxygen promotes rancidity. Olive oil is like other oils and can easily go rancid when exposed to air, light or high temperatures. There is a device called the PumpNseal which allows you to vacuum seal your olive oil in any jar, removing all the air. This makes it possible to store the olive oil without having its quality affected from air. You can find out more about the PumpNseal at
http://www.vacusealit.com/.
You can of course buy extra virgin olive oil in any grocery store. One of my favorite sources on the internet for extra virgin olive oil and other more exotic foods is
here.
Olive oil versus canola oil
Do not fall into the hype which is put out by traditional medicine regarding the promotion of canola oil (rapeseed) as superior due to its concentration of monounsaturated fatty acids. Olive oil is far superior and has been around for thousands of years. Canola oil is a relatively recent development and the original crops were unfit for human consumption due to their high content of a dangerous fatty acid called euric acid.
If the taste of olive oil is a problem, or if you are frying or sautéing food, then you should consider
coconut oil. Many nutritionally misinformed people would consider this unwise due to coconut oil's nearly exclusive content of saturated fat. However, this is just not the case. Because it has mostly saturated fat, it is much less dangerous to heat. The heat will not tend to cause the oil to transition into dangerous trans fatty acids.

Sunday, March 19, 2006

what is blue tooth?


What Is Bluetooth?
Well it isn't some strange form of tooth decay as you might initially imagine. Bluetooth is the name of a new technology that is now becoming commercially available. It promises to change significantly the way we use machines.

1 Take a look around
Look around you at the moment, you have your keyboard connected to the computer, as well as a printer, mouse, monitor and so on. What (literally) joins all of these together?, they are connected by cables. Cables have become the bane of many offices, homes etc. Most of us have experienced the 'joys' of trying to figure out what cable goes where, and getting tangled up in the details. Bluetooth essentially aims to fix this, it is a cable-replacement technology

2 How?
Conceived initially by Ericsson, before being adopted by a myriad of other companies, Bluetooth is a standard for a small , cheap radio chip to be plugged into computers, printers, mobile phones, etc.A Bluetooth chip is designed to replace cables by taking the information normally carried by the cable, and transmitting it at a special frequency to a receiver Bluetooth chip, which will then give the information received to the computer, phone whatever.

3 How about ?
That was the original idea, but the originators of the original idea soon realised that a lot more was possible. If you can transmit information between a computer and a printer, why not transmit data from a mobile phone to a printer, or even a printer to a printer?. The projected low cost of a Bluetooth chip (~$5), and its low power consumption, means you could literally place one anywhere.

4 Ideas, ideas...
With this viewpoint interest in Bluetooth is soaring, lots of ideas are constantly emerging, some practical and feasible e.g.: Bluetooth chips in freight containers to identify cargo when a lorry drives into a storage depot, or a headset that communicates with a mobile phone in your pocket, or even in the other room, other ideas not so feasible: Refrigerator communicating with your Bluetooth-enabled computer, informing it that food supply is low, and to inform the retailer over the internet.

5 The future, this website
Whatever the ideas, Bluetooth is set to take off. To be honest it's going to be forced down the consumers necks, whether they want it or not, as too many companies have invested in it. This website is generally geared towards the technical issues surrounding Bluetooth, and its implementation in real life. But free feel to have a look around anyway, and see why this technology will have such a big impact on our lives. If you're a complete beginner & you want to know more go to the other pages on the website: the
Tutorial has a reasonably in-depth guide to Bluetooth (can be quite technical in parts though), our members-only Download** page has some more general introductions to Bluetooth to download. Also check out the Resource Center, Articles, Glossary & Knowledge Base to further enhance your Bluetooth education. There are also related Resource Centers on IEEE 802.11 WiFi Wireless LANs, HomeRF, GPS, SyncML, ZigBee and other mobile and wireless technologies. Enjoy!
** Note that although many sections of this web site are freely available, some require a
free membership and others are available only to paid members.

6 Looking after your teeth
By the way if, you're wondering where the Bluetooth name originally came from, it named after a Danish Viking and King, Harald Blåtand (translated as Bluetooth in English), who lived in the latter part of the 10th century. Harald Blåtand united and controlled Denmark and Norway (hence the inspiration on the name: uniting devices through Bluetooth). He got his name from his very dark hair which was unusual for Vikings, Blåtand means dark complexion. However a more popular, (but less likely reason), was that Old Harald had a inclination towards eating Blueberries , so much so his teeth became stained with the colour, leaving Harald with a rather unique set of molars. And you thought your teeth were bad...

blue tooth basics


Blue Tooth Technology - Blue tooth has been regarded as a new wave in the IT sector from the day of its origin. Blue tooth is continuing its success story. Toshiba introduced blue tooth in September 2000 to consumers for $ 199. The new technology is supported by SIG (Special Interest Group). SIG founded in 1998 consists of 2000 members who have access to the Blue tooth specifications (information needed to make a blue tooth product). The SIG works to promote the Blue tooth technology and consists of members like IBM, Inet, Microsoft, and Nokia.
The benefit of Blue Tooth Technology
When put in simple terms blue tooth device comprises of a base band processor, a radio and an antenna. The base-band processor converts the data into signals, which radios can decipher. These signals are changed into a frequency of 2.4 giga hertz, which the radio transmits through the antenna. The antenna of another blue tooth device, within at least 30 feet distance, receives a transmitted signal in the air. The signals are processed in the reverse order.
Blue tooth specification is a de facto standard, which contains the information needed to ensure that the devices supporting the Blue tooth wireless technology can communicate with each other worldwide. Volume I - Core and Volume II - Profiles are the two parts of the document, in which the Core part specifies components like the radio, base-band, link manager, service discovery protocol, and the Profiles part consists of the protocol and procedures needed for various types of blue tooth operations.
Faster connectivity and Speed
The Blue Tooth Technology facilitates fast low-power microwave wireless link technology. It is moulded to connect phones, laptops, PDA's and other portable equipment with less effort. Support speeds are of 1-2 Mbps today, but are capable of offering higher speeds in future.
Cost effective
Blue tooth technology makes use of inexpensive and small sized, modified version of LAN techniques. The present manufacturing cost of $20, is expected to fall in the coming years.
Multi-Point link
Connections from a blue tooth device can be made point-to-point or multi-point. The range of the device can be raised to 100 meters from 10 meters by using power.
No line of sight is needed
The Blue Tooth technology makes use of invisible radio waves (2.4 GHz band), which creates instantaneous automatic radio link. This eliminates, the use of numerous and inconvenient cable attachments.
Saves Power
Blue tooth device utilizes a hold mode consuming 30 micro amps to the active transmitting range of 8-30 milliamps. The radio chip needs, 3% less power used by standard mobile phone (0.3 ma in stand by mode). And based on traffic volume, the chips automatically shift to low power mode; thereby saving power. Based on power, the blue tooth devices are classified as three power class 100mw, 2.5mw, and 1mw whose maximum outputs are 20dBM, 4dBM, and 0dBM respectively.
Universal link
Blue tooth radio makes its link robust in a noisy radio frequency environment through its fast acknowledgment and frequency - hopping scheme. Blue tooth needs shorter packets and hops faster. It also offers a global bridge to the prevailing data networks, a peripheral interface, and a mechanism to form small private ad hocs grouping of connected devices away from the fixed network infrastructures.
Secure data and safe transmission
Blue tooth radio transmissions confirm to safety standards, in matters relating to its effects on human body. It does not cause any nuisance to other telecommunication networks

Friday, March 10, 2006

benefits of olive oil- siraj


Anyone coming from the Mediterranean region of the world would tell you about the health benefits, as well as the wonderful flavor, of a good dose of olive oil on salads, pasta, fish and almost anything else. Fortunately, it is available throughout the year to satisfy taste buds and promote good health.
Olive oil is made from the crushing and then subsequent pressing of olives. The fact that olives are rich in oil is reflected in the botanical name of the olive tree - Olea europaea as oleas means oil in Latin. Extra virgin olive oil is derived from the first pressing of the olives and has the most delicate flavor.

Information… This concept today means a lot more than it did even a half century ago. Scientists are developing theories to define information. Social scientists speak of "the information age." Information is becoming a very important concept for humanity. The discovery of information in the origin of both the universe and life itself is what makes this concept so important in the modern world. Scientists today are realizing that the universe is formed by "matter, energy and information," and this is replacing the materialistic philosophy of the nineteenth century that defined the universe as being made up entirely of "matter and energy."So, what does this all mean?Let's explain through an example, that of DNA. All living cells function according to the [color]genetic information in the double helix structure of DNA. Our bodies are also formed by trillions of cells each with its own DNA, and all the functions of our bodies are registered in this giant molecule. Our cells use protein codes inscribed in the DNA to produce new proteins. The information that our DNA possesses is so large that if you wanted to write it down, it would fill up 900 volumes of encyclopedias, cover-to-cover!