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Paving the Way for Memory Lane
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Health Expert Blogs > Dr. Mao's Secrets of Longevity > Paving the Way for Memory Lane

Dr. Mao's Secrets of Longevity

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Paving the Way for Memory Lane

Posted by Dr. Maoshing Ni

on Tue, Mar 20, 2007, 8:18 am PDT

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Feeling like the absent-minded professor lately? Here are some memory-improving strategies to keep your brain sharp.

Ginkgo to Think

Ginkgo, the oldest surviving species of tree, has been traced back 300 million years and is one of the most widely studied plants. The leaf of the ginkgo tree is shaped like a human brain, and some believe this is why, in Asia, it has always had a reputation of benefiting the mental processes.

A dwindling memory and decreased concentration is largely caused by decreased blood flow to the brain and loss of brain cells; ginkgo has been confirmed to boost circulation to the brain and other organs, improving memory and cognitive functions. Additionally, ginkgo is used far and wide as a longevity tonic in Asia and Europe.

The best-known and most commonly available form of ginkgo is as teas and herbal extracts, but ginkgo nut, used in the culinary traditions of Asian cultures, also has therapeutic properties and is also said to strengthen lung function.

Mental Gymnastics Keep Your Mind Nimble

It is normal to become more absent-minded as we age, and in fact, most people over the age of 40 experience some memory loss. The most likely causes of a forgetful memory include poor concentration due to brain-chemical imbalance, tiredness, depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders.

If you find you are more forgetful than usual, try these steps and see if there isn't some improvement in your cognitive clarity:

1. Get an uninterrupted eight hours of sleep each night.
2. Do a half an hour of cardiovascular exercise every day, such as brisk walking, slow jogging, biking, or swimming. This will improve circulation and increase blood flow to the brain.
3. Turn yourself upside down for a couple of minutes daily.
4. Mental fitness activities are imperative to prevent age-related cognitive decline. Read and learn new things, find new hobbies, do crossword puzzles, add up your bill in your head while shopping, memorize a set of phone numbers forward and backwards; all these can stimulate brain cell activities and in some cases even grow new brain pathways.
5. Work with your physician to find a supplemental regimen that helps improve your cognitive capabilities. Memory-enhancing supplements and herbs include B-complex vitamins, magnesium, CoQ10, alpha-lipoic acid, fish oil, flax seed oil, Chinese club moss, ginkgo, and ginseng. A supplement that has been well-documented in Europe for reversing age-related dementia and memory loss is phosphatidylserine (PS), a compound made by the body from the amino acid serine. Taken in supplement form, PS lowers stress response and promotes the release of neurotransmitters in the brain that facilitate thought, reasoning, and concentration.

I hope you find your days more memorable for many years to come! I invite you to visit often and share your own personal health and longevity tips with me.

May you live long, live strong, and live happy!

-Dr. Mao

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To learn more about Dr. Mao and other natural health tips, go to askdrmao.com.

To purchase Dr. Mao's book, "Secrets of Longevity," click here.

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Keunikan seseorang

Keunikan seseorang

Setiap orang adalah unik. Setiap orang ada kelebihan dan kekekurangannya yang tertentu. Tidak ada manusia yang sempurna kecuali Rasululluh s.a.w kerana baginda telah ditentukan maksum. Selebihnya tidak terkecuali daripada sifat lemah, buruk, hina, sakit dan bermacam-macam perkara lagi.

Anda tidak perlu berasa susah hati lantaran gemuk, tidak menarik, terlalu rendah malah cacat. Biar bagaimana keadaan anda, anda tetap unik dan tanpa anda alam ini tidak sempurna.

Memang ALLAH menjadikan manusia pelbagai rupa dan gaya. Disitulah berkuasanya ALLAH. Dia berhak dan mampu berbuat apa saja mengikut kehendak-Nya. Kita memang tidak ada pilihan untuk mempersoal itu ini, mempertikai itu ini.

Anda mungkin berasa rendah hati melihat kekurangan-kekurangan yang ada pada diri anda. Nah, anggap ia satu kelebihan. Jika anda sangka anda buruk, ia satu kelebihan yang tiada pada orang cantik. Anda sangka kecantikan sentiasa membawa untung? Tidak, tidak selalunya begitu. Kadang-kadang kecantikan memusnahkan. Setelah anda dikenali sebagai cantik, ketakutan anda terhadap keburukan lebih besar daripada jika anda semulajadinya buruk.

Orang cantik fobia menjadi buruk. Setiap kedutan diwajah akan dirawat dan setiap kedutan begitu menyusahkan dirinya. Saat menjadi buruk pasti tiba, bagaimanakah perasan si cantik meghadapi hari tua mereka. Bukankah rasa susah yang tiada kesudahan ?

Kadang-kadang seekor semut diberikan sayap oleh ALLAH supaya dia boleh terbang dan menerjah api. Samalah halnya, kadang-kadang seseorang manusia itu diberikan kecantikan supaya dengan kecantikan itu dia boleh berbuat sebanyak-banyak mungkar untuk diberikan balasan setimpal di Akhirat.

Tontonlah filem atau drama-drama di TV. Kisah hidup orang cantik selalunya penuh duri. Jika anda buruk setidak-tidaknya anda bebas rasa riak dan takbur.

Penghuni neraka kebanyakkannya wanita sebagaimana disabdakan Rasullah s.a.w wanita itu tentu yang cantik tapi gagal memahami untuk apa kecantikan itu diberikan ALLAH kepadanya. Dan wanita itu tidak terkecuali juga yang buruk sebab dia berterus-terusan saja mempertikaikan kerja TUHAN.

Siapakah wanita penghuni syurga itu, barangkali yang cantik dan dia sentiasa faham kecantikan itu ukuran manusia. Cantik pada pandangan ALLAH adalah ketaatannya terhadap semua perintah dan laragan ALLAH. Barangkali juga yang buruk tapi dia faham ALLAH tidak memandang rupa paras tapi apa yang ada di dalam hatinya.

Wahai orang cantik, orang buruk, orang rendah, orang cacat, semuanya itu hanyalah ukuran manusia dan ukuran manuisa selalunya sasar. Hargai diri anda sebab kewujudan anda mambuktikan kekuasaan ALLAH !

Merancang perjalanan kita

Merancang perjalanan kita

Sekiranya kita ingin mengembara atau pergi ke mana-mana destinasi yang kita inginkan, perancangan adalah sesuatu yang penting. Jika kita teringin untuk mengikuti pelayaran melalui laut, kita perlu membuat tinjauan atau research, dengan pergi mencari agen perlancongan untuk menentukan kapal apakah yang terbaik, kos yang dikenakan dan lain-lain. Kita juga perlu merancang apakah pakaian yang paling sesuai untuk dbawa dan lain-lain keperluan lagi. Begitu juga sekiranya kita merancang untuk menggunakan cara pengangkutan yang lain.

Dalam erti kata lain, jika kita mempunyai pengalaman, kita dapat menjangkakan setiap keadaan yang bakal kita hadapi dan bersedia untuk menghadapinya. Begitu juga sekiranya anda merancang mencipta sesuatu kejayaan untuk diri anda, anda perlu bersedia dan merancang perjalanan ke arah kejayaan. Sekiranya anda masih belum memiliki ilmu tentang apa yang anda rancangkan, berusahalah untuk mendapatkan ilmu dan maklumat, supaya anda sentiasa bersedia dengan sebarang kemungkinan. Sediakan diri anda sebaiknya, sentiasalah berfikiran positif dan yakin tentang kebolehan diri anda sendiri.Insya ALLAH kejayaan menjadi milik anda.

Usaha dan terus usaha

Usaha dan terus usaha

Tidak semua apa yang kita inginkan kita akan memperolehinya dengan mudah. Adakalanya kita akan diuji dan terus diuji sebelum kita benar-benar mencapai apa yang kita inginkan. Ada yang diuji dengan kepayahan dan kesusahan, ada yang diuji dengan kehilangan orang yang tersayang. Ada juga yang diberikan apa yang kita pinta tetapi diambil balik sesuatu yang kita sayang dan menjadi milik kita selama ini. Setiap ujian yang diberikan ada hikmahnya. Mungkin ada sesuatu yang tersirat tidak anda ketahui, tetapi mempunyai hikmah yang amat besar, di mana hanya ALLAH yang mengetahui rahsia disebaliknya.

Kadangkala kita tidak pernah tahu apa kelebihan yang dimiliki oleh diri kita sendiri. Kita hanya menyedari apabila diuji dan terus diuji dengan dugaan yang bertimpa-timpa, Apabila kita berjaya mengharungi dan melepasi semua dugaan tersebut, ketika itulah kita akan sedar, betapa tabah dan sabarnya kita dalam mengharungi ujian tersebut. Betapa kita bersemangat kental dalam melawan arus dugaan dalam kehidupan kita. Apa yang penulis perkatakan di atas, bukan sekadar leteran atau omongan kosong. Semuanya dicoret berdasarkan pengalaman yang telah penulis tempuhi selama ini. Pengalaman yang benar-benar mengajarnya sebuah kehidupan dan mematangkan untuk terus mengharungi kehidupan yang akan datang dan sentiasa bersedia untuk menghadapi dugaan ALLAH samada diduga dengan kesenangan atau kesusahan.

Peringatan! Dugaan ALLAH bukan hanya diuji dengan kesengsaraan tetapi juga dengan kesenangan.

Renung kembali kehidupan kita ketika ini, senangkah kita? atau susahkah kita? Sekiranya ketika ini, kita sudah memiliki apa yang kita inginkan, bersyukurlah kita dengan nikmat ALLAH. Sentiasalah berusaha untuk terus hidup dalam keredhaan ALLAH. Sekiranya ketika ini kita masih bertungkus lumus untuk mengubah kehidupan kita, teruskanlah berusaha di samping berdoa kepada ALLAH, kerana hanya kepadanya tempat kita meminta. Kejayaan atau kegagalan bukanlah satu destinasi, tetapi ianya adalah satu pengembaraan yang amat panjang dan kita tidak pernah tahu bilakah kita akan mencapai destinasi tersebut. Oleh itu, selagi kita hidup, teruskanlah berusaha. Semaikan ketabahan dan kesabaran yang tinggi dalam hidup. InsyaALLAH kejayaan akan menjadi milik kita.

Fwd: Fadli memerlukan keprihatinanmu !

Forwarded from email.

Minta pihak yang tertentu hulurkan bantuan kpd adik Muhd Fadli [8tahun] yg kini terlantar sakit di rumah setelah berkali2 menjalani pembedahan di kepala akibat penyakit "kepala berair @ conginital hydrocephalus". Kini beliau tidak boleh melihat mahupun bercakap. Sebelum ini banyak pihak yg ingin membantu tapi yang kami kesali kebanyakkannya hanya janji kosong dan sebab itu saya sebagai anak yang sulung ingin minta bantuan pada pihak metro utk siarkan. Kami sekeluarga mohon agar pihak2 tertentu dapat hulurkan bantuan. Kos yang kami perlukan adalah untuk menampung perbelanjaan perubatan, susu, pampers utk adik fadli.- (seperti yang dipaparkan di Harian Metro ruangan IM pada 20/11/2006)

http://imetro.hmetro.com.my/IMLapor/MMSLapor/tabid/2535/Default.aspx

Penulis sebagai mewakili ahli keluarga adik Fadli, merayu kepada sesiapa yang perihatin agar dapat membantu meringankan beban keluarga adik Fadli. Jika tidak berkemampuan dari segi wang ringgit sekalipun, cukuplah dengan memanjangkan email ini kepada saudara2 yang lain. Semoga usaha kita ini mendapat limpah berkat dari Allah swt....Wassalam!

Hulurkan bantuan anda kepada :
Cik.Norzahila Bt Kamarul Zaman (kakak adik Fadli)
Alamat : No.1, Jalan Teratai 2C, Taman Puchong Perdana, 47100 Puchong, Selangor.
Maybank Acc. : 164 164 821 295

Hari ini dia susah, kita senang... esok lusa tak mustahil jadi sebaliknya dengan kehendakNYA !
Wallahua'lam...

Fwd: Where will you will be when you're 64?

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From:
Date: Mar 19, 2007 4:11 PM
Subject: Where will you will be when you're 64?
To:

NST 12 March 2007

Where will you will be when you're 64?
Get a head start for twilight years

12 Mar 2007

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A life of comfort and good health in retirement is not beyond the average Malaysian executive despite cases of some who ended penniless after wasting their Employees' Provident Fund savings in poor investments. Financial experts say prudent investments in sound financial instruments can yield handsome returns in old age. ANIS IBRAHIM, SUGANTHI SUPARMANIAM, HEIDI FOO and PRESENNA NAMBIAR have the stories.

CAN a 35-year-old Malaysian executive earning about RM4,000 a month afford a comfortable lifestyle after retirement at 55?

This is a question often on the minds of those on the threshold of middle age but which seldom yields a definite answer.

Yes, it is possible to live the same lifestyle in 20 years' time but it is going to cost a bomb.

One will need to have between RM1.4 million and RM2.8 million at retirement to maintain the same lifestyle depending on which financial planner one talks to.

Besides inflation, which will reduce the amount of items one can buy in 20 years with the same amount of money available today, there is also the astronomical cost of medical treatment in old age.

Malaysians will have to bear much higher medical costs in the twilight of their lives, especially so in the light of the longer life expectancy of Malaysian men and women of 72 and 76 respectively.

Despite the frightening prospect of not having enough money in old age, there is still good news for most: Good financial planning can ensure a problem-free retirement.

The first step to take is to realistically identify the lifestyle one wants at retirement and work towards attaining it.

The next is to identify the financial instruments to be used to accumulate between RM1.4 million and RM2.8 million by 2027.

Integral to this would be the savings one accumulates with the Employees' Provident Fund — about RM500,000 for the person earning about RM4,000 at 35 years of age.

Financial planners suggest several ways of going about this including investing in the stock market, unit trusts and property, saving money in the bank and buying an endowment insurance policy.

But how much should one invest to live comfortably after retirement?

Some financial planners say one should put aside a third of the monthly income — or RM1,300 for a person taking home RM4,000 a month — for investments.

Others say 20 per cent would suffice if one cannot afford more.

While these may hold promise of a rosy future, there are unexpected pitfalls for the unwary, including the vagaries of the stock and property markets and the general economic condition of the nation.

For those who cannot expect as much monthly after retirement as they did while working, the EPF suggests that they work on estimated monthly financial returns of 40 per cent of their salaries.

This is based on the International Labour Organisation's (ILO) "replacement rate" for salaries after retirement.

EPF officials say that while 75 per cent would come from their EPF savings, Malaysians would still have to depend on other sources of income for the rest.

Developed countries like the United Kingdom and the United States apply a replacement rate of between 60 and 75 per cent of the average monthly salary.
All told, the average 30-something Malaysian in the private sector cannot depend on his EPF savings to ensure a comfortable lifestyle in retirement.

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