Our wonderful mind!

Recently I read some articles on placebos and how patients have got well on pills that contained nothing but plain water or syrup. When it happens all the time in all the researches conducted every now and then, those researchers have no alternative but to admit that placebos do have the same effect as the drugs being tested when those in the programme do get well when they believe that the pills given do contain the drugs being tested although they were not as they were merely placebos.

Upon reading the above information I instantly went back to my beloved teachers such as Napoleon Hill, Dale Carnegie and Norman Vincent Peale. These are the first few teachers who taught me through their books that whatever the mind of mind can conceive and believe, he will achieve. Then, later, I went through a seminar in Kuala Lumpur in the early seventies with Lawrence Chan of Malaysia. All of them taught me to believe in whatever I set my mind to and since then I had proved them right.

For me, I have always believed that happiness is my ultimate goal in life and so whatever I do I do it for the pleasure and joy I can derive from it. That, I know, is what draws the friends I have to me. And it is what causes me to smile in my mirror the first thing in the morning and confirm to myself my health, my fitness, my youthfulness and my happiness. And this sixty-five year old has proved beyond a doubt that it happens when you believe. Well, I still run, jump and climb up that hill as fast and flexibly as any forty-year old! (Egoistic, ain't I but when it comes to this, I just have to be.)

That was exactly what I did this very morning despite a cold drizzle that greeted me as I enthusiastically dressed up for a trek up the hill. No drizzle can ever dampen the desire to enjoy the walk up the hill. Thus, I drove to the foot of the hill and found my car the only vehicle in the area. After a drink of water, I got out into the rain. I have an umbrella in the car but i did not use it. It is such moments that I look forward to walking in the rain, getting soaking wet without a care in the world, just enjoying the coolness of the morning and the refreshing cleansing of raindrops. You know, I also believe I would not catch cold, and although I have walked in the rain a good number of days the last two weeks, the cold could not catch up with me.

You know, I still wish for the pure rainwater that God pours upon us giving us the best liquid we can ever obtain. Yes, pure rainwater contains hydrogen peroxide which helps our body to absorb more oxygen. Unfortunately, today's rain has to go through a lot of chemical pollution as it descends to us and what we get is acid rain. You see, when humans are careless with the wastes manufactured we destroy something which is so important to us and the plants. Yes, plants for plants given pure rainwater containing hydrogen peroxide would thrive even better. Sometimes, I wondered if rainwater that reaches us after a few hours of rain could possibly not have to be contaminated by the impurities in the air and so contain hydrogen peroxide. It is at such times, I drink some of the rainwater and hope to enjoy its benefits. Well, I could have been able to enjoy those benefits as I am certainly extremely fit and healthy still.

Yes, since I have read about how powerful our mind is, I have practised it on my health, strength and happiness and thank God, I am appreciative of the mind He has given me, it has been found to be true. Thus, without a doubt, I certainly agree with those researchers that the mind can perform wonders if you really believe in it and work at it. Well, all things are possible to him or her who would put his mind to it.

Our back is weak.

This is the dumbbell I use for my rowing exercise. It is also being done to prepare myself for the next kayak competition that is sometime in October this year.
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No matter how big you are or how strong you appear to be, your back is one of the weakest part of your body.

As a masseur, I have come across numerous strong persons who suffer from a weak back. This weakness could be due to insufficient exercise for the back. Very few people seem to bother about muscles in the back, except for those professional or aspiring body-builders.

When we think of a beautifully, muscled body, we first think of the arms; big biceps, not even triceps, big forearms, chest muscles, and abdominal muscles. Well, man is an egoistic being and those are the parts he can exposed for others to appreciate most often. Of course, those who visit the beach and wear swimming costumes also think of their legs. But the back! Who looks at it? Even the guy himself hardly sees that part of his body. So, not much effort is put in to improve the back.

Imagine a front that has strong, taut muscled chest and stomach and a back that has hardly any developed muscles. A strong front and a weak back. no wonder we see quite a number of the body-building people forever arched forward for two reasons; compressing the front muscles to show them off or the back too weak to straighten the body. So we have a unbalanced body.

A weak back would mean no strong enough muscles holding up the vertebrae. The spinal column is not well supported by strong enough muscles. Therefore, if there is strain upon the spine, something may give way. It could be the weak muscles or the spine. Whichever it might be, there would be pain.

So most people suffer from pain due to twisting or turning the body too fast for the muscles to perform that movement well. So we have a twisted back. See how easy it is to hurt the back? Even picking up something from the floor can hurt the back if the back is weak and the action is wrongly carried out. Wrongly carried out? What do I mean? Well, there are two ways to pick or lift up something; the correct way is to bend the legs at the knees to go down and the wrong way is to bend the back to stretch down. The wrong way with a weak back can bring pain to the lower back. And once a part of the spine has been weakened, the problem can return again and again unless, we do systematic strengthening of the back. Improper method of strengthening can hurt the back. It has to be a slow gradual process and I believe yoga is the best way.

Even bending too long at a certain task can lead to back problems. There are those who sit at computers should get up every hour or so to stretch and straighten their backs. And it is important that we try to sit with a correct posture. There are people who slant their bodies or the angle of their necks as they work away at the computer. To prevent a painful back in future such people have to do something about their posture, straightening their backs or getting a better chair which would not cause them to slouch.

And how many people slouch in their chairs every evening as they relax in front of their television. That curved lower back will with time weaken and be the cause of pain. Why, some people even slouch as they drive around. Imagine their poor cramped lower back and they wonder why their backbone is tight and stiff.

So, the way we sit, move and pick or carry things are important in the prevention of pain to our back. Just as important is developing a stronger back. One simple exercise I use is a rowing action with weights. I choose a dumbbell that I can comfortable row with for at least fifty times. Choose a weight that is right for you without straining too much. Hold the dumbbell with both hands and turn it in a rowing action with your body straight, turning only as and when required just as you would in rowing a boat. The aim is not to build muscles but to strengthen the back. Even when the back is strengthened, use the right action to pick or lift up things and hold the body in a good posture always.

A healthy excretory system is necessary.

Besides the skin which helps us to dispose of our toxic wastes, there is our excretory system which takes out what our body does not need, such as excess liquids and food.

When it comes to food, it goes into our stomach, the food is digested and the remainder that has not been used goes down to the colon either to stay there for a short while or a day or even two or three days, sometimes a week or more before it is eliminated from the body.

How long the food stays in the colon depends upon a number of factors. One is the habit of flushing all the feces down every morning, afternoon or evening. Another is the amount of fibres in your diet.

If you have a habit of visiting your 'pleasure chamber' first thing in the morning,then you have not much of a problem.But there are people who are not in the habit of going to the toilet everyday. Some of them can even last for a week without having to bother about flushing waste down.

If that is the case, have we ever thought what could possibly be happening to the waste accumulated there in the colon, rotting there, emitting all kind of gas and multiplying all kind of bacteria and increasing the amount of toxins as a result. Would the toxins leach back into the body through the walls of the colon into the bloodstream into our body? Would not that add problems to the immune system and our health. That is exactly the reason why we have to remove waste as soon as it reaches its terminal point.

So as to avoid such a terrible occurrence, the best move is to eliminate all waste at the earliest possible, just before or after the next meal. Then, there would be no possible contamination of our body with unnecessary toxins. I believe three times a day is best and I have been able to achieve that with the amount of raw greens that I take together with my major meals.

Excess liquids which are not too much can help dissolve some of the waste to be removed through the kidneys and the liver through the urinary organs. However it is up to us to prevent our oprgans from deteriorating by taking clean water and nutritional liquids which do not tax our organs too much.

When it comes to the kidneys, there are a number of sicknesses that can cause renal failure. Other than those illnesses, we should ensure that there is sufficient blood flow as it is through good blood flow that toxins and wastes are brought to the kidneys for elimination from the body. Poor blood flow could be due to dehydration. It could, of course come about as a result of serious injury, burns, bleeding or even through blood loss from surgery. Therefore we should drink sufficient water.

The liver is another eliminating organ of importance. Yet we never think if its health. It's always heart, heart and heart but never the liver. And because of that the drinkers would take as much alcoholic drinks as they feel they can withstand. What about the amount our liver can withstand? What about the amount that can cause what is known as a fat liver? What if the amount we can stand is enough to burn the liver?

Well, I admit I was an egoistic drinker once during my heady young days. Challenging others just because I was clever enough to know how high I can go and stupid enough to think that I could beat them by secretly drinking some water and urinating out the alcohol. I thought i was great until God showed me how wrong I was. Thank God for that! One day, while I was at the hospital I met a middle-aged policeman who was observing his own shaking outstretched hand with tear-drops in his eyes. I was so moved that i just had to ask him what the problem was. He had a burnt liver from drinking alcohol drinks every evening. Since then I understood that was not the way I intended to go. So, I stopped drinking. But stopping is not as easily done as said. It took me a lot of determination and fighting off the "I know you can drink." that my well-intentioned friends constantly urged. Glad to say I won that round.

Sugar can be also a problem when it comes to a fatty liver. Since a fatty liver can lead to many problems and diabetes, we have to be careful about using too much sugar in our food and fruit juices. Why add sugar to fruit juices anyway? Furthermore, sugar looks like such an unhealthy food. Of course, not all kinds of sugar are bad as research seems to find certain kinds of sugar such as cane sugar and sugar from berries good. Whatever it is, limiting sugar intake is apparently a good move.

Well, obviously, looking after our body and its organs is just as important as the type of food, exercise and rest that we are so aware of.

Sweating for health.

When I was young and desired greatly the company of beautiful girls, sweating was my worst problem as there just wasn't any way I could overcome it. So I faced it by remaining in the coolest places available and cooling down every now and then to remain dry.

Then I got married and my beloved wife accepted this wet guy with so much love that I forgot about the sweat and enjoyed ourselves. Sweating just became a part of me and was accepted. I just had to bathe and change clothes often besides using up lots of handkerchiefs. I also realised that my friends also accepted this hot sweating person as I was and am.

Looking back, I believe one of the reasons I have remained as healthy as I am is my ability to lose litres of water every day. In removing that amount of water, so much more toxic substances from the body is also expelled. And I think it is the largest 'removal organisation' in our body. Well, the skin has the largest surface to perform such a task. The more we sweat, the more we drink. And the more we drink, we either sweat more or create more urine. And the urinary tract with the help of the kidneys is another disposal unit we surely need to rid our body of those undesirable toxic substances.

Ah, before I go on, the man who drank too much water came to mind. There was this man who had kidney stones and went through an operation to remove the stones. The doctor advised him to henceforth drink more water. So, wherever he went he carried his bottles of water and, like the good patient he was, drank the litres of water throughout the day. He drank too much, urinated too much and landed in hospital. According to the doctor he was lucky to survive as too much essential minerals, especially potassium, have leached out in his urine. Without potassium, his heart could have stopped beating and that would mean the end of him. So, be careful! Drink enough water but not too much. Too much of a good thing can be, well, too much.

So those we sweat too much like me should include some dehydration salts in their water. However, I have read that sports drinks, those isotonic drinks may not be the best drink for us. What is suggested is sea salt or Himalayan salt. (I have been trying Himalayan salt but to this day I have yet to know how genuine are the Himalayan salts I have bought. I take it but cautiously. I am still reading up on it and hoping to find a brand in Malaysia which provides genuine Himalayan salt.) Sea salt and Himalayan salt are the natural salts found in the sea or in the Himalayans and are not processed like our white table salt.

Thus far, sweating has helped my body remove most of the dissolved toxic substances and through this I have remained healthy. Thank god for that. Of course, sweating is not the only way and so I will be returning to this removal of toxins in a future posting.

How much food is enough?

There was a time in my youth when I would have a heavy breakfast, lunch, dinner and supper. Of course, i was quite hefty then, weighing something like 130 lbs for a five feet, five inches. Perhaps, that was due to the muscles on my body as I did take up body-building. Although I was thick, a little stout but never fat.

In fact I did try to put on a little once with about eight to ten eggs as well as a plate of noodles for a short period of a month but it got me nowhere. In a way i was lucky that it did not change my body shape as some lovely ladies did mention that I ought to wear T-shirts more often as it emphasises my good shape. Well, like most youngster I was obviously a little egoistic.

Perhaps because of my active life-style, no matter how much i eat, my weight always creeps back to 120 pounds. Light and somewhat slim perhaps but certainly healthy. Realising how important health was, I actually reduce my meals by one; no more supper.

How often I have read that as one grows older, the body gets fatter. With me, that is not the truth at all. In fact I got slimmer! I got so much thinner that some friends even asked me whether I was facing a health problem. This brought me to the realisation that i could possibly be eating too little; perhaps insufficient food. so, I went to two-times breakfast, a heavy lunch and dinner as well as a light supper. My weight stabilised somewhat although my waist remained one inch smaller than usual.

So how much is enough? Perhaps, I have been doing too much exercise, as one hill companion suggested. This could be true as exercise burns up calories and even more calories as the muscles continue stretching and twitching the whole day even when resting. I also produce bodily heat a little too easily and this could burn some calories too.

To ensure I am perfectly alright I checked and discovered I had no diabetes or heart problems to worry about. Since that put my mind to rest, I continue eating everything that I could enjoy besides taking apple cider vinegar, coconut oil and olive oil. So much oil, yet as slim as any girl would want to be.

So I believe I am just blessed. As someone once said, "You must be doing all the right things." So the question of 'how much is enough?' does not arise. It depends upon one's life-style, one's activities and one's metabolism. Everyone of us is different. And that is why no one diet or slimming programme works for everybody. If you come to me, I would look into your life-style, your activities and your metabolism before I make any recommendations. You can do the same for yourself. Think about that, my friend.

Fear alone is not enough.

The other day I met this friend who told me of a guy who had diabetes and heart problems.
"So what did you advise him?" I wanted to know.
"I told him to join me for evening walks."
"That's good. With his heart problem, he certainly cannot take on strenuous activity.
"Yeah but what's the use? The guy says he has sufficient exercise already."
"Well, if he really has enough exercise, that's good enough." I pacified him.
"Well, do you consider strolling to the nearest sundry shop which is a hundred metres away exercise?" he wanted to know.
"Of course not! Any activity can only be considered exercise if the heart gets to beat faster than normal and the lungs are forced to take in greater gasps of air," I explained. "Perhaps you ought to explain that to him," I suggested.
"I did but he was adamant that that was sufficient for him," he ended that with an expression of hopelessness.
"Well, sometimes, there's just nothing much more that you can do. You have done your part. The rest is his choice."

Well, every now and then, we meet individuals like the guy with health problems. They find it difficult to get out of their comfort zone and refuses to put out some effort to overcome their problems. And sometimes it is only when the problem has reached the critical stage that these people would want to act which might be too late.

Well, if things worsen and the guy dies, then all his problems could be over. But, sometimes, life is not that easy. A stroke may put them down and life is limited to a bed and four walls. And if funds are limited, with no help to turn the body, bed sores come to create greater misery. The disgusting smell, the fear of gangrene and losing limbs makes life frightening.

Unfortunately for these people fear alone is insufficient to drive them to move towards recovery at the earlier stage. At the later stage, when movement is too restricted to bring about any change, there is only prayer and hope.

Prayer? Talking of prayer, I remember these words: God helps those who help themselves. Of course, there are miracles but they are only for unbelievable occasions. That's the reason they are termed miracles. And hope is only there as long as there is enough energy and strength to find a means to get out of the situation; otherwise it is hopeless. And there can only be pain and suffering.

Is that what we want? That is a most important thought. And this thought ought to be voiced early, and action taken accordingly.

Almost impossible to be clean. And that is why he is sick.

"He's sick again. He's had fever since yesterday and he does not like to take medicine. He's so difficult when he is down with fever! And, obviously, we are all very worried about his health."

Who, among us, has no fear of sickness? Who is most unconcerned about bacteria and knows nothing about them and the threat that they post? A child, of course! And so it is that unless the child has sufficient natural immunity, which he seldom possesses, he is bound to fall sick so many times unless he has parents who consistently look into his cleanliness.

In his curiosity, the child explores the appearance, the textures, the sounds, the smell and the taste of everything in his environment. And all those actions are good for in such a manner he learns and knows everything he comes into contact with. It is knowledge that he acquires.

However, whenever he puts something into his mouth, along goes the bacteria which moves in fast to multiply and increase in number to invade his body. To the body's defence comes the white blood cells and this 'war' activity against the invaders causes the body to heat up bringing fear to the parents.

Actually, we should not get the child immediately to a doctor unless the temperate is very high. If the child's immune system is strong enough, it can destroy the invaders and learn from experience how to tackle such invaders in future. However, should the temperature goes too high and a doctor is unavailable,we can bring the temperature down by swabbing the body, especially the head, around the ears, the face and the forehead with a wet towel.

Not allowing fever to go too high is important as fever has often affect the brains of children. It is so important that I do not sleep but control the temperature throughout the night, should a child of mine comes down with high fever. Twice had I found that fever went away after a night of swabbing.

In fact, parents should be more careful and ensure that toys or things that the child comes into contact with are clean. And if it is something that cannot be cleaned, never allow it to enter the mouth. Of course, if the child touches such an object, make sure that the hands are washed at the earliest possible moment.

I never said having to be so cautious is easy because it is indeed a lot of work. Fortunately, love makes light such precautions that we have to take for the safety of our child.

Shaking hands can never be still.

"He could not hold his hands steady at any time of the day. It was shaking the whole day as if he had been handling a drill for so many hours. So whenever he is at the shop for a drink, the drink would spill out, shaken out by a constantly shivering hand," my friend told me.

And when he told me he was a drinker, an alcoholic, I knew it must be the visual symptom of a badly burnt liver. However, the guy did not realise his problem as he was stubborn and refused to see a doctor about his hand. Finally, the guy died of a stroke and so to the end of his days he did not understand that he ought not to have drunk that much.

According to this friend of mine, Shaking Hands drank everyday and would urge others to join him in his habit. His friends knew it was not a healthy habit avoided him at such times.

My friend told me he once went out with the guy and he drank so much that by the time he was driven home he could hardly recognise his own home.Upon being asked whether the building beside their vehicle was his home, he said it most probably was. The friend had to dig his keys out of his pocket and see if one of them fit the lock to get it opened before helping him to the door and carrying him in.

For those, who drink they must first understand what an alcoholic drink can do to them. They must be able to control themselves and their drinking to safeguard their health and their dignity. I know what can possibly happen because I was one of those egoistic young men who enjoyed the thrill of beating other drinkers and the alcohol. I knew the high that it could bring. Fortunately, I also knew how to control it by lowering it each time with a big glass of water and a visit to the bathroom to have it passed out. Through this method I managed to stay sober enough to beat other drinkers. I also knew when I had to stop. But be careful, arrogance can meet a drink whose kick comes all of a sudden later when it is least expected. And it could be a knockout kick at a time when you are not safely home and opened to self-indignity or disgrace.

However, before any unfortunate incident could materialise, I learned how alcohol can affect our liver and having seen and understand its effects I stopped that stupid egoistic part of me from taking me from my path of good health. Furthermore, there was nothing great about beating others and the alcohol. We kid ourselves when we presume we could do those things. The minute we succumb to alcohol, we ourselves are already one step into a pothole. And the people you beat would never think you any better. As for myself, I am always aware that I could remain the last man standing because I cheated with the cups of water. So what is so great about that?

A healthy lifestyle.

Yesterday I had stated that it has been raining almost every evening and there were times i was caught in the rain. While some catch cold I got nothing to show for it. This is one instance when getting nothing is most welcome. I may like to catch a falling star or a girl but not for me the miserable cold.

Thinking back, it is not luck but a healthy lifestyle which keep me strong, fit and healthy. And it all starts with minimal stress. Stress can be good as it comes sometimes with excitement and joy but too much of it had once upon a time robbed me of much needed sleep and rest.

Then, I am grateful for the early morning hike up the hill where, at the level path at the top, I could run at speed, rest and run again, bringing forth the pails of sweat through the pores of my body. And because of this, my body smells good as the outpouring sweat removes dirt and gives me a good cleanse. By the time I skip and hop down the slope to the foot of the hill I am always drenched as one who has gone through a shower.

As for food which many doctors and researchers will tell you can either bring sickness or health to the body, i choose, most of the time anyway, those that give me health. At most meals, I either take rice or fruits and vegetables with some meat.

Through knowledge from researchers, I understand that fast food, food that is processed, most saturated fats and too well-cooked food are bad for our health. Therefore, my food consists of rice, some fish, raw vegetables, some steamed or lightly cooked vegetables, beans, healthy oils and a little meat with lots of spices.

At this point, there may be someone who would point out that meat and/or fish are not healthy. Going vegetarian, according to some, is the way to healthy eating. To these people, I wish to point to the four sharp, Dracula-type of teeth in our mouth. The teeth in our mouth indicate otherwise. Our ancestors did hunt for animals as food though the faster and bigger ones were not within their reach. Another thing that keeps me from going 100% vegan is the fact that our body needs vitamin B12 badly and a totally vegetable diet can never give our body sufficient amount of this vitamin. And as far as I am concerned vitamin supplement is a last resort.

Of course, when it comes to the rules of a religion, those who belong to it must follow for they are believers. I have no argument regarding such matter for we have to respect what a religion requires its members to do. For them, there are still some where B12 can be available in small amounts, especially in fermented food. Of course, some of them need to resort to supplements to avoid B12 deficiency.

Water is another important factor in our health. So often we forget to replenish the water in our body. sometimes, especially the women, it is not due to forgetfulness but the hope that they do not have to embarrassed themselves with visits to the washrooms or the toilets, mostly when they go shopping. For them it is better to dehydrate the body than to search for places to lighten the bladder.

Most times, we only search for water when we are really thirsty. Thirst actually is the emergency call for water by our body. When there is insufficient water in our body, blood thickens and slows down circulation, slowing the supply of oxygen to the lungs, the organs and the rest of the body, affecting the efficiency of every important part; the waste movement slows down in the liver, the kidneys and the skin while those at the big intestines hardens. From this, it is obvious the importance of water to our health.

Of course, without air, there can be no life. But what kind of air do we breathe each day? What is its quality? At the hill, for at least an hour, I get to empty the stale air and suffuse my lungs with fresh morning air from among the trees there. I try not to be near smoke although nowadays that seem to be practically impossible. So, whenever I can, my friends and I escape to the green areas, to some places far away from vehicles, factories and smokers where trees, streams and waterfalls bring serenity and healthy joy.

Strength and health.

Well, same types of topics seem to crop up at particular times. Only the other day, I was asked where I went for my morning exercise by a friend. When I told him about my daily daily trek up the hill and down again, he was shocked that I would do such a thing at my age. According to him, it is an activity I should no longer take part in.

Immediately, I thought of those words that had been thrown at me since age forty-five. At that time, I was merely jogging through rubber estates. "What? You think you are still young, don't you. You will suffer pain in your joints soon unless you stop," my well-intentioned friends used to advise. If I had been unfortunate enough to follow that advice, today I would most probably be shuffling my feet slowly to move.

Instead, I got bored with jogging and went on to trekking hills where I could sometimes jog and skip along unknown paths. As for pains, I did have some but with greater strengthening of the leg muscles, I managed to send those pains packing. Today, all I ever suffer from are some tired muscles. Oh, yes! I did almost get cramps in my thighs the other Sunday when I trekked about thirteen kilometres at Penang's National Park. But I recovered fast enough to trek up the little hill at Taman Semarak the next morning.

In fact, fitness and health is mine today because of the exercise on that hill. It gave me sufficient exercise to keep my muscles toned and enough perspiration to remove some of the toxins. I also get the chance to empty my lungs of any stagnant foul air to be replaced by truly fresh air from among the trees. Of course, it is only a part of my health programme. Nutrition is just as important.

So, as I age, I have to maintain my health with this kind of programme to ensure, I can enjoy life as much as any healthy person.

A trip to Penang National Park.

Sometimes, things just go wrong but that does not mean happiness cannot be ours. Tough no doubt but there are still times and places in between which makes life interesting.

Yesterday, a Sunday, after trekking round Bukit Semarak for an hour, I felt an urge to go somewhere and make the day different. So, I phoned a friend and asked her what plans she had for the day. She had none but was eager to join me if I had any intention to go anywhere. Then, all of a sudden, she suggest Gunung Jerai or Kedah Peak, a mountain in the central part of Kedah State. Why not! So we decided to meet at nine-thirty that morning. I packed an extra set of clothing so that I could have a change of dry clothes at the end of the day. Then some water and food, and I was ready for the trip. However, when it came to mu camera I found that the shutter had been damaged. What a clumsy fellow I am!

Unfortunately, she discovered that it was raining at Kedah Peak. So, we changed our plans and headed for Penang National Park at Batu Ferringgi, Penang Island. When we reached the place at about 11 o'clock we had to register ourselves. We were asked whether we were there for trekking or camping.

From the starting point we could choose one of two paths. We chose the one leading to Pantai Kerachut and Teluk Trampi. The path to Pantai Kerachut was straight-forward and there was no way anyone could get lost. There was a lake and according to the information given on a signboard it is one of a small number of such lakes where the higher density sea water is below while the lower density fresh water is above the sea water. It was a beautiful lake and it was then that I wished I had my camera with me. My dear friend pacified me and said one camera was enough. (She di have her camera with her.) There was at least two places marked as turtle crossing. Further along that beautiful beautiful of soft, beige coloured sand was a turtle sanctuary with nets and a white stick stuck in the sand to indicate where the eggs were. There was also a long jetty for boats to take any exhausted tourists back to the starting point.

As it was still early, we decided to head towards Teluk Trampi. The path was not as clear as the previous one bit we managed to reach the place after slightly more than an hour. There were no tourist met along the way, only found a few boatmen having some food. Nothing much of interest there, so we made our way through the forest. Then as we reached the top of the hill, we were lost. But we could hear the waves crashing onto the rocks. So we made our way towards those rocks. Oh, no! The tide was coming in and Teluk Trampi beach was a little distance away. So we were forced to climb from one rock to another to reach the beach. It was precarious but that was where I had my thrill of overcoming the obstacles.

Again, we headed up the path towards Pantai Kerachut. And of all things I experienced pain in both my legs, both thigh muscles threatening to cramp. I knew it must never happen. So I slowed down, massaged my legs while my poor friend, Boey, had wait. When my legs recovered slightly, I used the better leg to carry the weight of my body, allowing the weaker leg to trail behind. After some time, I had to give the stronger leg a rest while I put more weight on the weaker leg. It was quite a torture having to bear the pain, yet move along up the slope. Again, we lost our way and this time we went on taking a new direction from the previous path. Well, we have never gone through many thorns and vines; yes, vines that held onto our legs and body, entangling us with such strength that I could not break apart any of them. They made us stumble and fall a number of times. Fortunately, again by heading towards the sound of waves, we managed to reach Pantai Kerachut again. Then it was back to the starting point, the Penang National Park's office. It was already closed by then as it was about six o'clock in the evening.

Luckily, Boey could drive as the minute I stopped moving and sat down on the car seat, my muscles cramped. As boey drove us back to Sungai Petani, I massaged my legs and got the muscles to stop pulling and cramping.

We ended the evening with a bath and then to Chennai for banana leaf vegetable rice, fruits and watermelon juice. The food, fruits and juice were tasty and it was a happy ending to an adventurous day. What an experience. It is most memorable.

Immunity among children.

First of all, I have to make myself clear that I am not advocating that our children drink dirty water or eat dirty food. What I am going to tell you might lead you to misunderstand me. Although there is a lot of truth in what a teacher told me, we need not resort to such drastic measures to achieve good immunity from sickness.

There was a time this lady was in Sarawak teaching the students in a very rural district. She told me that the students would drink unfiltered water. At the beginning, she was aghast to see that happen and, of course, she told them they would be sick drinking such dirty water. They laughed at her fears and told her that they had been drinking that kind of water since they were very young.

From the adults she gathered that that was true. Those who were weak did not survive but those who could reach the age of seven were already safe as they had achieved a kind a immunity against whatever bacteria that was found in the water.

I would not know whether medical people would agree that such immunity could be reached and is sufficient to prevent illness. What this lady did know was that those children hardly ever fall sick. They were tough, according to her.

When she related to me the story, I remembered a time during my childhood when I observed that Chinese children caught the cold so easily while Indian kids in the same area I lived in, Market Street, Penang, hardly sneezed or suffer from pneumonia. As I was then already interested in the subject of health, I watched those Chinese and Indian children regularly.

I noticed that at the slightest hint of rain, the Chinese parents would rush their children indoors and dressed them up in thicker clothing while the Indian children would play around in the rain and miraculously escape catching any cold virus. Perhaps the virus was washed or drained off by the falling rain. No, I believe they did managed to have their immune system destroy the virus. (In my earlier posting, I had written how I allowed my children to play in the rain after a few minutes rain had started to avoid acid rain. And until this day, as young adults, they seldom catch cold.) The sudden change in weather and temperature which they were used to did not affect them as it did the Chinese children.

Well, as you can see, I am a strong believer in the immune system and how it can prevent many sicknesses.

Thinking about those Sarawak children, there could have been some unnecessary deaths among some of the weaker children. They death toll could be too high. The way they achieve their immunity was a little too extreme. Moderation and understanding ought to be the the guideline for success in health. Thus, we ought not to purposely endanger our health but then a little weak bacteria, just as medical science inoculate weaker bacteria into our body, could be helpful to stimulate our immunity. Then again, we have to understand that if our constitution is weak, even a little bacteria can bring us down. So, it does not work for everyone. Perhaps, good hygiene must be practised at all times.

How about those who rush their children to a doctor the second the little one has a fever? Should we not allow the body the opportunity to gather its forces to fight the enemy, and in the process strengthen the body's own fighters? Most times, unless the fever was very high which necessitates the services of a doctor, I wet my children's face, especially the forehead, and sometimes the body, throughout the night and day to keep the temperature down. I have succeeded in bringing the temperature down this way. Of course, it will be a sleepless night for the parent but if we do not want our children to consume too much medicine this is one of the ways to overcome fever. However, I must warn that unless that is done for fever, the child has to be given medicine as fever can be dangerous; dangerous enough to affect the brain.

Of course, in making decisions of this nature, knowing and understanding the child and his/her state of health is important.

For some, where is the will to be healthy?

Ask people what they want and I can bet you there are lots of things they want; some of those things already out of their reach.

Take health for example and we find that there are people who do not think of safeguarding their health when problems have not emerged. After all, as far as these people can see, problems can never come to them. However, those people who care not for their health inadvertently fall sick sooner or later and when they do, then only do they think of ways to stay healthy which although possible can be more difficult.

Well, when a car breaks down and its parts need replacement, spare parts are just ringgits away. Where there is money, there will be spare parts. Unfortunately, should a human body break down, the parts for replacement might not be available or human capability has not reached that level. Kidneys and livers, for example may be replaced, but only if donors are around and parts are found. For some, the parts may come a little too late.

There was this man who was advised to do a little exercise each day to improve his poor health. He agreed to it but then at home he felt too lazy to do his part to lift himself out of his weakness. If a person is not interested enough to recover, even God will give up on him for as the Christians would say, "God help those who help themselves."

These people forget that the responsibility for their own health rests with them. Nobody can do anything for them unless they put in some kind of effort on their part.

Look at the number of people with kidney failure. Of course, some may be suffering through no fault of theirs but a good number of these people suffer through abuse of their poor kidneys. Some drink excessively, taking in so much toxic substances that they strain their livers and kidneys until these organ break down and could no longer function as they should. And the sad thing is that some are educated enough to understand their problems. Yet, statistics show that education just isn't enough. But then, what is?

The Wonderful Papaya Tree.

There is a book 'Papaya, the medicine tree by Harold W. Tietze in which the author tells about the enzyme 'papain' from the green papaya, how nutritious the whole fruit is, especially when it is still green, turning a little yellow and on the verge of becoming ripe. Just as nutritious are the leaves which I have been eating for the last one year after I have read the book which I borrowed from our local library. Of course since I eat it green or raw, I choose only the young leaves. I have also blended the leaves with fruits so that it does not taste as bitter. I must admit not everyone would find the leaves or the blended drink to their taste. None of my sons like it.

I have also eaten the green papaya together with the seeds and skin when it is a little bit yellow and the inside flesh lightly red. Obviously the fruit is not as sweet as the usual ripe fruit. Well, the skin is not a problem although a little somewhat tough. As for the seeds, they are a little hot, a little bit like mild pepper. At the beginning it was a bit difficult to eat but now it is no longer a problem.

One interesting fact from the book was that it could be used to help cancer patients. Well, it looks like I am not the only one who has read that book for i have just received an email in which the person writes about the author's claim. I have also talked to other people about this claim and some older friends remarked that this has been known for many years.
"Why is it that people have not resorted to such a cure?" I asked one of the friends.
His reply was,"It could be because the papaya leaves are so bitter."
"Well, it certainly is better than chemotherapy," I thought to myself. "No, it could be very few people know about this except for those people mentioned by the author."

Whatever it is, it is knowledge we should help to spread. So, I am putting the email down below for you to read. And those people who have experience with the papaya leaf, please write about it in your comments.
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Papaya Leaf Papaya Tree

Papaya/Pawpaw apaya (Carica papaya) originates from tropical American countries. Today Papaya is cultivated in most tropical countries around the world. The Papaya with the Latin name carica papaya is called Paw Paw in Australia and New Zealand . This is in no way related to the Paw Paw in North America that has the Latin name asimina tribola, though both are medicinal plants.

Papaya leaf juice is claimed to have reversed cancer in many people living on the Gold Coast in Australia . Harold W. Tietze in his book Papaya The Medicine Tree, describes how to make the juice and tells the stories of many cancer survivors who reportedly used the juice to get rid of their cancer.

The book contains the the following report that was published in the Gold Coast Bulletin. "PawPaw Cancer Plea Bears Fruit". Gold coast gardeners have responded to an appeal by cancer victims desperate to find supplies of pawpaw leaves. And the Gold Coast man who, 14 years ago, first exposed the leaves as a possible cure for cancer has been tracked down to a Labrador (Gold Coast) nursing home. The story of how Stan Sheldon cured himself of cancer by drinking the boiled extract of pawpaw leaves was first told in the Gold Coast Bulletin in 1978.

Now research in the United States has given scientific support to his claim, isolating a chemical compound in the pawpaw tree which is reported to be a million times stronger than the strongest anti-cancer drug.

Mr Sheldon, says the discovery does not surprise him. "I was dying from cancer in both lungs when it was suggested to me as an old Aboriginal remedy" he said. "I tried it for two months and then I was required to have a chest x-ray during those compulsory TB checks they used to have. They told me both lungs were clear." "I told my specialists and they didn't believe me until they had carried out their own tests." "Then they scratched their heads and recommended I carry on drinking the extract I boiled out of the papaw leaves."

That was in 1962. The cancer never recurred. Since then Mrs Sheldon has passed the recipe onto other cancer victims. "Sixteen of them were cured," he said. Mr Sheldon's involves boiling and simmering fresh pawpaw leaves and stems in a pan for two hours before draining and bottling the extract. He said the mixture could be kept in a refrigerator though it may ferment after three or four days."

"One man has been growing papaws and giving away the leaves to cancer victims ever since he read the Bulletin's original 1978 story about Mr Sheldon. "I have no doubt that it works," he said. "I know people walking around now who should have been dead according to their original cancer diagnosis. But the pawpaw treatment helped them to beat the cancer."

The recipe is as follows:

Wash and partly dry several medium-size papaya leaves. Cut them up like cabbage and place them in a saucepan with 2 quarts / litres of water. Bring the water and leaves to the boil and simmer without a lid until the water is reduced by half. Strain the liquid and bottle in glass containers. The concentrate will keep in the refrigerator for three to four days. If it becomes cloudy, it should be discarded.

The recommended dosage in the original recipe is 3 Tablespoons/ 50ml three times a day. It is recommended to read Papaya The Medicine Tree for the interesting stories of "incurable" people who have used this extract to beat their cancer, and for other medicinal uses of papaya.

That's life!

This morning I was told that one of the trekkers of Semarak Hill has passed away. They said he had lungs problems with phlegm consistently being dispelled from the body by coughing and spitting.

I think he was about seventy years old and his condition was with him for quite some time before he succumbed to it. Well, time has caught up with him or it is time for him to return from where he came from. At least, his demise was expected and his family and friends were prepared for the time to come.

There were those who exit life unexpectedly, some too young and too tragic. There was this friend whose son phoned the father as he reached Ipoh where he was working. About half an hour later, the shocking sad news that he had been killed in a road accident reached the father's ears.

When we are told of such cases we think of life at least for a while. Life is so unpredictable and what is here this minute may be gone in the next. I have thought of this before, as a result of which I live my life to its fullest possible. Sometimes there just isn't anyway I could squeeze anything more out of it. However, more often than not, twenty-four hours just isn't enough. Almost everyday I have to remind myself that rest and sleep is just as important and essential to a full life.

Of course, though i live as if this day may be my last, I do not simply throw my life anyway but live with the expectancy of having another tomorrow. With that in mind I take care of my health and my finances so that should God say, "Sorry, man. You still have lots to do down there," i would not be left stranded on earth with no more cash or fitness to see me through for no matter how long life may take.

With this philosophy towards life, I have been happy and healthy in spirit, body and mind. Thank God for opening my eyes and mind towards all these.

Never retire from life.

Looking back, there were those who upon retirement decided to rest from work for the rest of their lives and those people are no longer around today to tell their stories.

There was one man who liked to eat a lot although he had diabetes. Fortunately, when there was work to be done each day; when he had to climb stairs and move from classroom to classroom or back to the staffroom there was movement and the use of energy taking away excess sugar from his body, his diabetes was still under control.

However, the day he retired, he fixed Astro, a private broadcasting station's programmes and soon he was sitting the whole day in front of the television, watching captivating programmes and enjoying some tit-bits perhaps. "That's life!' some would exclaim but soon the television was watching this elderly man instead as he napped in the comfortable chair in front of the entertaining box. And it's my turn to protest,"What kind of life is that?"

Without some form of activity to use up energy and the sugar that is required for it, the body suffering from diabetes was fighting a losing battle with no assistance from the body's owner. A few months later, God sympathetically removed him from the boredom that must have been his.

Many people forget, perhaps conveniently dismissed, that we have a body that needs proper care and cleanliness to have it in tip-top condition, failing which, we may have to suffer some kind of illness or weakness, both of them inconveniencing us in movement and enjoyment of life.

For me, to be able to enjoy life to my fullest possible, I must be able to be painless, flexible, able to enjoy with all my senses, walk and run. When I am unable to enjoy life any longer, I would pray for the journey from this life.

Now, my wish I believe is every other person's wish. The only difference is how much effort or discipline would anyone put in to ensure his/her body would be in such a desirable health. Does the person exercise? Are the exercises the right type? Is it sufficient? Is the body given the best possible nutrients for it to maintain its capability? What about the senses? Is the mind and all the other senses given the necessary stimulation to work well. Reading? Thinking? When was the last time deep breathing was done using the diaphragm to suck in fresh, untainted air to the deepest part of the lungs? Unless we do all these things, is it fair to expect our body and its organs to function at its optimum level?

There is too much life ahead to retire from it yet. Retirement from life ought to be the second we breathe our last.

It's wonderful to be healthy and strong.

Being acutely aware that I am alone in this world especially since my poor wife passed away and despite the great number of friend I have, I have always looked after my health.

Actually this concern for my own health has been with me since the day I realised the poor condition of my health at the age of nine when I almost died of measles or smallpox; I am now not sure which it was. I was skinny then and with such weakness there were always someone ready to take me on to show his strength.

Having experienced all those sadistic streaks in other people and being aware that parents and big brother are not all the time around to protect the weak child, I knew everything in the long run depends upon me and me alone. Since that day I had gathered knowledge and ways to strengthen and build a healthy body. In other postings I have already written about how I overcome other weaknesses and sicknesses. Today I am still much involved in ensuring my mobility till the day I bade this world farewell.

But all that had been achieved this far could have ended yesterday morning when as i ran and jumped down the Semarak Hill, at a steep portion my foot slipped on a patch of loose sand causing me to slide forward with the body twisting to one side and out of control. I dropped onto my left hip and knocked the side of a knee against a rock. Fortunately, I somehow managed to see the rock and put out my hands towards it just as my body rolled against it. Painfully, I got up but found nothing broken. My shirt at the left shoulder and the back was brown with the soil. Other than the pain at my hip and knee, everything else seem to be fine. I thank God for that. But then, I believed that had I not been exercising my body, jumping, leaping and running on that hill all these years, my bones could have been weaker, more brittle perhaps at sixty-three years of age. Fortunately, I was still agile enough to avoid the rock.

I suppose I would not be as appreciative of the daily exercise I had been putting in if I do not realise that my being not hurt much was the result of it. This morning I was up the hill as usual, again skipping, jumping, leaping, running and walking, treasuring every moment of sweaty movement, knowing how precious being able to be active and agile is. Again, life and God has shown me the value of exercise and health.

Enjoy our fruits.

At the morning market today, I saw a crowd of mostly ladies and took a closer look to see all of them looking at and choosing some dukong. A few new-comers and I asked for the price and was told it was only two ringgit a kilo. That was really cheap! This made one or two persons wonder if what was being sold was actually langsat or dukong. The seller quickly explained that the langst has a thinner skin while the dukung has a thicker skin although both may look similar. Still wondering why the price was that cheap, one lady tasted one of the fruits and exclaimed, "Oh, it's not sweet!". As the dukung is reputed to be sweet, everyone looked in her direction and saw the size of the dukung she had taken. It was small. So, another lady told her, "Aiyah, the one you took is too small, lah. It's not ripe enough, mah. Let me try a bigger one." And she split the skin of one rounded fruit to taste the whitish flesh. "Ah! This is sweet," she beamed to the others. Most of them went on choosing while some uncertain ones decided not to buy and went off. As for me, I took home a kilogram of that fruit.

For me, it was not so much the sweetness of the fruit that counts. It was a fruit I like because it is a local fruit which usually meant no preservative needed to lengthen its shelf-life or to keep it fresh. Of course it is definitely more fresh, possibly plucked from the tree just a day ago and certainly not needing any preservative while imported fruits could be at least a few days after plucking before they could reach the consumers. Commercially, those imported fruits have to be preserved one way or the other.

Furthermore, fruits such as the dukung hardly needs any pesticides as they grow. Insects hardly are a problem, probably because the skin of the fruit is so thick.

Of course, there are those who believe the apple, kiwi fruit or grapes are better than local fruits. Certainly, research has placed the apple, the kiwi fruit and the grapes and berries high up the ladder of nutrition. Lately, so much researchers have found grapes with their resveratrol and apple juice so high in fighting sicknesses. Not only that, researchers discovered that the powerful antioxidant, resveratrol, which is found naturally in the red skin of grapes, can activate genes and prolong the life of cells without having to go on a starving diet which was what scientist found was the only way to prolong cell life once upon a time.

But then with the apples and the grapes, we are always troubled with the decision: to remove the skin or not. Is there too much toxic chemicals in the skin? Unfortunately, for these two fruits, the skin contains the more important and most necessary nutrients for better health. Of course, according to some, enzymes can be used to wash and remove most of the toxic chemicals. Still, is it safe to eat the skin? Anyone who have read of any research papers on the use of enzymes, please be kind enough to give the information.

Since local organic fruits and vegetable have their nutrients too, I reach out to local fruits and vegetables more than imported fruits because I think we should eat imported fruits too so as to supply our body with as many of the necessary nutrients as possible.

I hasten to add that not all the skin of local fruits are safe to be consumed. Bananas, for example, unless bought straight from a plant or while it is still green, usually go through the process of heat through the use of a kind of chemical which could be harmful. Some may be wondering what I am talking about, eating banana skin which almost everyone discard. Well, not me if it comes from mu plant or straight from another person's plant. I put flesh and skin in the blender. The powerful blades of my blender soon mashed up everything and all I need to do is to just pour it in to a cup and drink it. You see, I believe, where possible, it is better to make the drink from the whole fruit with non of the nutrients missing.

Papayas are also taken the same way as the bananas as the skin contains lots of nutrients. However, commercial papayas do seem to have some kind of powder on its skin. And most of them are plucked too young and green from the plant.

In a world where fruits and vegetables are still easily available, we can consider ourselves lucky. And even luckier are those who have a little bit of land, a small garden to plant them. Then we can be assured of organic food in a world where more and more chemicals are used in commercial production of fruits and vegetables.

Be active forever.

"Nowadays, there are people who are so weak. And this neighbour of mine passed away at the age of fifty-seven years. Imagine that! When you think of this old uncle from Old Town (Pekan Lama) who could cycle so well at the age of ninety years. He came to our coffee-shop, his body erect and steady, not swerving or bending to the left or right; still so strong and healthy. Wow! Wish I could be like that," the lady told us.

"What was the old man's work?: I enquired.
"He was an ice-cream seller who would pedal his tricycle with the rectangular insulated box of of ice-cream to every corner of the town from late morning to evening with just an umbrella to protect him from the heat and rain."

Yeah, a fellow living a tough life with hardly any time for leisure and entertainment is compensated with a longer healthy life so that when his responsibility to his family is done he still has the strength and energy to enjoy his life, I thought. God has certainly been very fair to the guy.

However, that does not mean that those who have an easier life cannot find the strength and energy to enjoy his life when he eventually retires. I have known many people who live an enjoyable life after retirement, still having the ability to move around with ease. Of course, such people have been aware and do at least some of the things that are required for a person to be healthy and strong.

As I am one of these people, I discovered that muscles, tendons and tissues are constantly regenerated. In fact, according to my son, my muscles are still growing, especially the left arm which was not used as much as it is now. The muscles are still firm and strong due to constant use and exercise. My strides are just as long as before as I do run at speed and walk as fast as ever in my daily morning trek up the hill. Of course, I sometimes, in my enthusiasm as well as poor judgement, overdo it and strain certain tendons but a rest does put things right. Nevertheless, with consistent stretching of the tendons and muscles, they do not shorten even as I age.

Thus, it is not strange that a ninety year old man could still move around just as steadily as any forty year old. I strongly believe that with regular movement and stretching of every part of the body, the body will remain as flexible and strong as long as it is given the opportunity to remain so.

Count our blessings.

Yesterday, a friend told me to go and get a longan plant from her house. So, I took my son along to have the fairly big plant removed from its huge pot so that it would be light enough for her husband to take it to my house in the evening.

As the time draws near to transport the plant to my house, it rained and a telephone call informed me it would be brought in the morning at half past seven. That would mean no hill-trekking for me at that time. By the time the plant would be planted, it would be too late to go. So I had to miss that.

Well, we cannot have everything, can we? Whatever needs to be done has to be carried out. Furthermore, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise for I had strained myself a little the last few days, exerting a little too much to improve my strength and flexibility more. The Achilles tendon was somewhat sore. But then, like a stubborn old coot, I had ignored it and perhaps would have continued to aggravate the situation had not the opportunity come for me to rest it for a day. For good health, sufficient rest is just as important.

Sometimes we are our own enemies by ignoring our body's call to slow down or take a rest. Our ego can egg us on even when we ought not to. In the process, we hurt ourselves. So, usually I take it as God's work. In His own mysterious ways, He knows what ought to be done. Thus, interruptions and unforeseen circumstances in our lives become much-needed changes to our routine.

Thus, instead of having one blessing, being presented a beautiful ready to fruit plant; I had two, the second blessing being the chance to rest my Achilles tendon and reduce the pain.

So, most things is life has a positive side to it. Look out for the positive and it will appear.