PANTUN MERDEKA

Indah sungguh bunga seri pagi,

Disimbah mentari kembanglah ia;

Terasa bertuah diri ini,

Karna dilahirkan di bumi Malaysia.

 

Tersusun tari lemah gemalai,

Mengikut irama chuk chuk kendung;

Bumi Malaysia aman dan damai,

Sehingga menggamit ramai pelancung.

 

Lincah si gadis menganyam ketupat,

Bersama rendang enak dicicah;

Merdeka negara lebih setengah abad,

Minda dan tingkahlaku masih terjajah.

 

Megah mentari memayungi bumi,

Tumbuh tumbuhan hijau melata,

Sumber rezki kepada insan;

Wahai generasi masa kini,

Usah hanya sambut merdeka,

Hayati jua sejarah kemerdekaan.

 

Manis dara berbaju kebaya,

Keronsang emas menjadi hiasan;

Kepada semua rakyat Malaysia,

Salam merdeka hamba hulurkan.

Koleksi Photo Raya

Lihatlah wajah-wajah ceria di hari raya.

 

Bersambung

RAYA 2012 DALAM KENANGAN

Seperti juga tahun-tahun lalu, selagi hayat kedua ibu bapa kami dikandung badan, selagi kami diberi rezki, Inshaallah kami tetap pulang beraya bersama mereka.  Paling tidak, dengan kepulangan kami, dapat menambah nilai dalam keselesaan mereka menyambut Aidil Fitri.

 

Alhamdulillah, perjalanan pulang ke kampung kali ini, dengan keizinan Allah, segalanya lancar dan selamat.

 

Kali ini, kami memilih keretapi Tanah Melayu sebagai transport untuk pulang ke Gemas,  kampung suamiku.

 

Kami mula meninggalkan Kuala Lumpur ke Gemas, pada 17, Ogos, bersamaan Jumaat pagi.  Kami bermukim di sana selama 3 malam, 4 hari.

 

Bagi aku, moment yang paling berharga di hari raya,  ialah di pagi raya, ketika seluruh keluarga bersalam-salaman dan  bersarapan ramai-ramai.    Saat inilah, terasa sungguh bahagia.

 

Setelah 3 hari bergaul mesra dengan keluarga belah suamiku,  20 Ogos, bersamaan 2 syawal, aku sekeluarga mula melangkah meninggalkan kampung halaman suamiku.  Maklumlah, nun di timur semenanjung,  kedua ibu bapaku sedang menunggu kepulangan aku.

 

bersambung

RAYA 2012 DALAM KENANGAN

Seperti juga tahun-tahun lalu, selagi hayat kedua ibu bapa kami dikandung badan, selagi kami diberi rezki, Inshaallah kami tetap pulang beraya bersama mereka.  Paling tidak, dengan kepulangan kami, dapat menambah nilai dalam keselesaan mereka menyambut Aidil Fitri.

 

Alhamdulillah, perjalanan pulang ke kampung kali ini, dengan keizinan Allah, segalanya lancar dan selamat.

 

Kali ini, kami memilih keretapi Tanah Melayu sebagai transport untuk pulang ke Gemas,  kampung suamiku.

 

Kami mula meninggalkan Kuala Lumpur ke Gemas, pada 17, Ogos, bersamaan Jumaat pagi.  Kami bermukim di sana selama 3 malam, 4 hari.

 

Bagi aku, moment yang paling berharga di hari raya,  ialah di pagi raya, ketika seluruh keluarga bersalam-salaman dan  bersarapan ramai-ramai.    Saat inilah, terasa sungguh bahagia.

 

Setelah 3 hari bergaul mesra dengan keluarga belah suamiku,  20 Ogos, bersamaan 2 syawal, aku sekeluarga mula melangkah meninggalkan kampung halaman suamiku.  Maklumlah, nun di timur semenanjung,  kedua ibu bapaku sedang menunggu kepulangan aku.

 

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Healthy Food

Does orange juice from concentrate (without additional ingredients) have the same benefits as fresh orange juice?

 

The more processing that a food undergoes, the more potential there is for nutrient loss. Any juice will have fewer benefits than an equivalent amount of the whole food from which it is made (provided that there are whole food parts-such as pulp-never making it into the final juice). For example, whole, organic oranges always provide better nutrition than freshly squeezed organic orange juice, unless all of the pulp that would have been eaten with the whole orange was also consumed in the freshly squeezed juice.

 

Freshly squeezed organic orange juice provides better nutrition than organic orange juice made from concentrate because it takes processing to manufacture orange juice concentrate. However, the differences here may not be very dramatic. One cup of orange juice from concentrate, for example, contains about 100 milligrams of vitamin C and 40 micrograms of beta-carotene (according to the USDA's SR19 nutrient database). The same cup of freshly squeezed orange juice contains about 125 milligrams of vitamin C and 80 micrograms of beta-carotene.

 

I haven't seen data for other phytonutrients contained in fresh orange juice compared to orange juice from concentrate, but I suspect that cryptoxanthin, hesperidin, limonene, and other phytonutrients found in the orange are found in decreasing amounts as the processing of the orange increases and therefore that the orange juice concentrate would have less of these phytonutrients.

 

Even though processing does have an impact on the nutritional value of whole oranges, I do not believe that organic orange juice from concentrate is a bad dietary choice. Many supermarkets do carry cartons of fresh, organic orange juice that is not made from concentrate. If that is not available, I think that an organic orange juice made from concentrate is still a very high quality drink compared to dozens of other choices (such as fruit drinks and soda pop), and it provides a very significant and worthwhile amount of many nutrients.

 

With all fruit juices, you do need to be more careful about the amount you consume than you do with whole fruits. Many people wanting a snack would naturally eat one whole orange and then stop. In that one medium-sized orange, they would get about 100 calories and 18 grams of sugar. On the other hand, it's not hard to find a 16-ounce bottle of orange juice in many stores, which will provide about 225 calories and 42 grams of sugar!

 

 

Source:  WhFood

SALAM LEBARAN

Masih belum terlambat kiranya untuk saya mengucapkan salam aidil fitri buat sahabat pengunjung budiman.

Semoga apa yang kita pelajari dalam madrasah Ramadhan lalu, terus istiqamah dalam diri kita, Inshaallah.

Mudah-mudahan kita terus menjadi insan terbaik di bumi Allah ini.

Terbenam mentari berakhir Ramadhan,

Syawal membawa seribu kegembiraan;

Ramadhan menguji kekuatan iman,

Lebaran dirai penuh kesyukuran.

CUCUMBER

The Latest News About Cucumbers

 

Next to tomatoes, cabbage, and onions, cucumbers are the fourth most widely cultivated vegetable in the world. They are enjoyed on virtually all continents and you will find them being incorporated into all types of cuisine.

 

Cucumbers are scientifically known as Cucumis sativus and belong to the same botanical family as melons (including watermelon and cantaloupe) and squashes (including summer squash, winter squash, zucchini and pumpkin). Commercial production of cucumbers is usually divided into two types. "Slicing cucumbers" are produced for fresh consumption. "Pickling cucumbers" are produced for eventual processing into pickles. Slicing cucumbers are usually larger and have thicker skins, while pickling cucumbers are usually smaller and have thinner skins.

 

What's New and Beneficial About Cucumbers

 

·                     Researchers have long been familiar with the presence of unique polyphenols in plants called lignans, and these health-benefiting substances have been studied extensively in cruciferous vegetables (like broccoli or cabbage) and allium vegetables (like onion or garlic). Recent studies, however, have begun to pay more attention to the lignan content of other vegetables, including cucumbers. Cucumbers are now known to contain lariciresinol, pinoresinol, and secoisolariciresinol--three lignans that have a strong history of research in connection with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease as well as several cancer types, including breast, uterine, ovarian, and prostate cancers.

·                     Fresh extracts from cucumbers have recently been show to have both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. While research in this area must still be considered preliminary--since it's only been conducted on animals in a lab setting--the findings are clear and consistent. Substances in fresh cucumber extracts help scavenge free radicals, help improve antioxidant status, inhibit the activity of pro-inflammatory enzymes like cyclo-oxygenase 2 (COX-2), and prevent overproduction of nitric oxide in situations where it could pose health risks. It's highly likely that cucumber phytonutrients play a key role in providing these antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits, supporting health alongside of the conventional antioxidant nutrients--including vitamin C, beta-carotene, and manganeseâ€"of which cucumbers are an important source.

·                     As a member of the Cucurbitaceae family of plants, cucumbers are a rich source of triterpene phytonutrients called cucurbitacins. Cucurbitacins A, B, C, D and E are all contained in fresh cucumber. They have been the subject of active and ongoing research to determine the extent and nature of their anti-cancer properties. Scientists have already determined that several different signaling pathways (for example, the JAK-STAT and MAPK pathways) required for cancer cell development and survival can be blocked by activity of cucurbitacins. We expect to see human studies that confirm the anti-cancer benefits of cucumbers in the everyday diet.

 

It is important to remember that the skins and seeds of cucumbers are both rich in nutrients. In fact, the nutrient richness of both plant parts is significantly higher than the flesh. For this reason, consumption of both skins and seeds is desirable from a nutritional standpoint.

 

Both conventionally grown and organically grown cucumbers may have been waxed. However, the only waxes that can be used on organically grown cucumbers are non-synthetic waxes, and these waxes must be free of all chemical contaminants that are prohibited under organic regulations. Conventionally grown cucumbers may be waxed with synthetic waxes that contain unwanted chemical contaminants. For these reasons, we recommend leaving the skin of organically grown cucumbers intact regardless of whether the organically grown cucumber has been waxed. For conventionally grown cucumbers, we recommend removal of the waxed skin. For conventionally grown cucumbers that have not been waxed, we don't have a good research basis for recommending either removal or non-removal of the skin. However, if you do decide to consume the skin of a non-waxed, conventionally grown cucumber, we recommend thorough washing of the whole cucumber under cool running water while gently scrubbing with a natural bristle brush.

 

Some people have a personal preference for removal of cucumber seeds, and we respect this preference. The seeds can easily be removed from a cucumber if it's cut lengthwise and the tip of a spoon is used to gently scoop out the seeds. Our general recommendation, however, is to keep and consume the seeds, since they are an unusually rich source of nutrients.

 

Health Benefits of Eating Cucumbers

 

Cucumbers provide numerous health benefits including:

 

·                     Antioxidant protection

·                     Anti-inflammatory support

·                     Anti-cancer benefits

·                      

 

Copyright © 2012 The George Mateljan Foundation, All Rights Reserved

George Mateljan Foundation, PO Box 25801, Seattle, Washington 98165