Friday, February 27, 2009

Bananas, The New Health Fruit!

Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose. Combined with fiber, a banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout.

But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression:
According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS:
Forget the pills -- eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Stress:
Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.

Anemia:
High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure:
This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it the perfect way to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

These are just some of the benefits a banana gives. So why not give them a try and see the changes in your health?

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Upkeeping Your Engagement Ring


You've been happily engaged for several days/weeks/months/years (take your pick!) and that ring has been sparkling on your hand ever since you said yes. Or is it really sparkling? Regular wear and tear does take the sparkle out of a gal's best friend. Here's how to keep it looking as good as the day it was slipped on your finger.


1. Avoid contact with hand creams and perfumes.
Hand creams, soap and perfumes will discolour the metal of your ring due to the chemicals in them. Soap bars may leave some residue on the gaps and ridges of your ring as well. Take care to remove your ring before doing any housework or retiring for the night.

2. Getting dirt out of the crevices.
Some rings may have elaborate designs or gaps in the ring, this encourages dirt and other stuffs to accumulate and generally give the ring a worn and dull look. Use a soft bristle or small toothbrush to get these dirt out before washing the ring.

3. Clean in soap water.
You can clean your rings occassionally in mild soap water and leaving them out to dry. Some jewelers may give you the cleaning cloth to wipe your rings with. If you do not have that, use a soft cloth to wipe it clean.

4. Bring it back to the jeweler's.
Most jewellery shops will offer a free cleaning service for your rings and other various jewellery. They do recommend that you drop by their shop once every 6 months to get your rings cleaned and polished. Also, they do offer re-plating services where they will thinly coat your ring with another layer of gold (or white gold) to restore the shine and reduce the looks of scratches on the rings.

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Bridal House Review Candidate #4 : France Taipei Bridal House, Penang

We visited the France Taipei branch in Butterworth, which is located behind Pacific Megamall. You can find it by turning off the first exit after the Penang Bridge. Or alternatively, you can visit their shop on the island itself, it is located near Pulau Tikus area.

We had a good impression of the shop when we walked in as the decor was made out of wood. It gave a very nice effect and you can imagine taking your indoor pictures with the woody background. However, the drawback is that you can't take any outdoor shots without needing to go out on location as the branch is located in a shoplot, unlike DeSantia which had pools and their attached garden to give a more outdoorsy feel.

The sales assistant started us off with looking at their samples. The main differentiation in France Taipei is that they finish off their wedding albums with a lace edging around each page. This is supposedly to prevent that pages from sticking together in storage. Also, it gives a more feminine finish to the wedding album. We then toured the gowns that they offered. They had some good gowns on display and again there was a special France Taipei Collection, which comes at extra cost.

The package that was offered by the sales assistant was RM3199, which comes with 6 gowns and 40 poses. The saleslady did not offer any freebies, the package was stripped to the bare minimum - the gowns for the photoshoot, 1 bridal gown, 1 evening gown, 1 photo frame for the bride and groom. Thank you cards, photo DVD, photo frames for parents, etc - these were all not included. It would only be provided if we signed up on the spot and the amount of "freebies" would be given according to the percentage of what we pay. Paying 30% of the package price would only entitle you to 20 thank you cards. If you pay 50%, you will get an additional DVD. If you pay 100%, you will get photo frames in addition. Errr, seems a bit ridiculous to me.

Of course, I presume that one can further bargain and try to get a fairer offer. However, after being to several shops that gave a better offer at a cheaper price, I did not feel so inclined. Perhaps the branch in Penang will give a better offer, does anyone know?

Friday, February 20, 2009

15 Romantic Things To Do....


1. Watch the sunset together.

2. Whisper to each other.

3. Cook for each other.

4. Walk in the rain.

5. Hold hands.

6. Buy gifts for each other.

7. Roses. Roses. Roses.

8. Look into each other's eyes.

9. Go for a long walk down the beach at midnight.

10. Write poetry for each other.

11. Hugs are the universal medicine.

12. Say I LOVE YOU only when you mean it and make sure they know you mean it.

13. Give random gifts of flowers/candy/poetry etc.

14. Put love notes in their pockets when they aren't looking.

15. Spend every second possible together.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Bridal House Review Candidate #3 : Milan Bridal House, Penang

Our next stop was to Milan Bridal House - located along Bagan Jermal Road, it is hard to miss because of the huge signboard outside. Not to mention that it's also nearby to other bridal shops (which will be featured in upcoming articles).

We walked in quite late in the evening as we had been scoping out other bridal shops. The saleslady was not quite keen for us to tour the dresses as she wanted to push her sales package. We had a quick look around the place, Milan is another bridal house that has a 3-tier gown package, the lowest tier being the standard gowns, followed by more deluxe gowns and the highest tier being the Milan Collection. The Milan Collection (or MC, as she called it) is supposed to be dresses that are designed by the Milan designers exclusively for them. However, we spotted a dress in the MC that was also featured in the DeSantia collection. *GASP* So, a word of advice to those who are considering forking out a load of cash for the MC, make sure you get a gown that isn't already in other bridal shops as a gown in the MC will cost you a cool additional RM600 to your bill!

Also, the package offered by Milan is not that cheap - the standard package that we were shown was around the range of RM2888! They threw in the standard stuffs (see my previous posting) as well as some musical box (a musical box that they decorate with your photos) and a funky photo frame. But forking out so much for a funky photo frame and a musical box? Try getting those at Living Cabin or S&J.

So it was a "No Way, Jose!" for Milan. On to the next shop!

Wednesday, February 11, 2009