The Value and Types of Yemeni Honey

Honey is a tasty pleasant-smelling sticky syrup with many advantages. It has a tonic quality to the human body and cures diseases. The religion of Islam has given special interest in honey and its advantages for curing many kinds of diseases. Prophet Mohammed said: "Seek cure from honey and Qur'an". So, honey was made next to the Qur'an in curing diseases. There is even one Chapter in the Qur'an named "Al-Nahl" meaning bees. Moreover, in another Hadith, Prophet Mohammed said: "He who has a spoonful of (honey) in the morning, three times a month, shall catch have no serious disease". Eating honey three times a month could safeguard you against so many diseases and strengthen your immunity system. It is said that the Pophet was used to have honey diluted with water the first thing in the morning.

Types of Honey

There are two major types of honey: a) Flowers' honey: which is dependent on flower nectar sucked by bees , and this is divided into two main categories: 1- Mono-flower honey: produced the nectar of one type of flowers 2- Multi-flower honey: produced from the nectar of more than one type of flowers. b) Stone honey: This honey is produced by undomesticated bees that live among stones. It has a great taste and a pleasant smell. Some people believe that light-colored honey is the best whereas many others believe that the dark-colored honey is of better quality because it contains more mineral salts like iron, magnesium and copper. As in regard to its odor, some types of honey bear good smell while other types, which are extracted from certain trees, have unpleasant odor.

Component elements of Honey

Honey is composed of sugar, water, vitamins, mineral salts along with some proteins, enzymes, yeasts and other substances- 18% water, 40% fructose, 34% glucose, 4% sucrose and maltose and many other types of sugar. Sugar is thus the main ingredient of honey, constituting about 75% to 80% of it. Therefore honey tastes sweeter than sugar and nevertheless it is good for treating diabetes and good for liver. In addition, honey is used to cure peptic and intestines ulcer, digestion problems, eyes diseases, sinusitis, flu and the inflammation of the urinary canal.

Yemen possesses many of the best kinds of honey. The most famous ones are: "Al-Dawa'ani" that is found in Dawa'an, Hadramout, "Al-Jardani" in Shabwa, "Al-Jawahi" in Awash, Dhamar and there are also some good kinds of honey found in Al-Kibbayta, Al-Dimna, and Maweyah in Taiz. "Al-Dawa'ani" is the most expensive kind of honey in Yemen and the best in quality. Honey has become one of the most precious gifts that are presented to Sheiks, ministers or well known social personalities. Therefore, many people prefer buying Yemeni honey to low-quality foreign honey which is usually mixed with water.

The Yemen Times has interviewed Mr. Abdullah Hassan Ahmed Al-Shara'abi, Technical Manager of the Apiculture Development Project, who has told us about the types of Yemeni honey, their properties, where are they found and which are the best one's: "Apiculture is one of the very ancient jobs in the history of Yemen. The history of honey goes back to the 10th century B.C. Then, Yemen was known as the nation of perfume and honey and honey trade was ranked 4th in importance to the country's economy.

Al-Elb "Al-Sededi" honey is the best quality honey because of its preferable qualities to consumers. Therefore, apiarists compete to satisfy consumers inside and outside the country by producing better quality honey. As for the different kinds of Yemeni honey, our country has many different kinds that vary as the available farms in each district vary. Some of the finest kinds of honey is Al-Elb "Al-Sededi" (Ziziphus spina chisti), Al- Silm (A cacia ehrenbergiana), Al-Asak (A cacia asak), Al-Sal (Eiaphorbia), Al-Dobbah (A cacia menthfera), Al-Sommor (A cacia mellifera), Al-Mara'aee and Al-Tonb (cordia abbess). Al-Elb, the finest type of Yemeni honey, has many local names according the district for example Dawa'ani, Bogiah, Osabi, Dimna and many others. Other types are found in different area of the country: Dimna (Taiz, Hadramout, Shabwa, Tihama, Osab, Ibb and Abyan), Al-Silm (Al-Zaydiah, Tihama and Shabwa), Al-Asak (Taiz, Ibb, Hajja, Al-Mahweet, Sana'a and Lahj), Al-Sommor (Hadramout, Shabwa, Tihama and Abyan), Al-Dobbah (Taiz, Tihama, Al-Mahweet, Hajja and Lahj) and Al-Mara'aee which is found in summer in all the districts.

The Yemeni honey has special properties in comparison with other Arab and foreign kinds. It has different taste, odor, color and density. For example, Al-Elb honey has a golden coloured, with an aroma and flavour like that of the Elb flower and a thickness property unique to this kind of honey.

Each kind of honey has its different season. For instance, Al-Elb is available in (August, September, October and November), Al-Silm in (January and February), Al-Dobbah (January and February), Al-Asak (May and July), Al-Sal (January and February), Al-Sommor (January, February and March) and Al-Mara'aee (July, August and September). The Yemeni environment is fit for these kinds of honey to be stored and kept for long periods of time, sometimes reaches 2 years if the honey was appropriately separated and stored.

To prevent excess weight it's not only what, but how you eat

10:21AM Monday February 16, 2009

Wolfing down your meal may double your risk of being overweight. Drinking just the right amount of alcohol is the key to staying lean.

It is not just what you eat but how you eat that can make all the difference.

Eating fast causes obesity. A Japanese study looking at eating speed and feelings of fullness showed that 84 per cent of men who eat fast are more likely to become overweight and 50 per cent of women are likely to suffer the same fate.

The study also showed that people who ate fast and waited until they felt full were over three times more likely to become overweight.

This is because the signals to the brain from your stomach to tell you when to stop eating, are slow. If you eat too fast your stomach will fill before you can register that it is full.

This problem may have been caused by people learning in childhood to eat more and quickly. It could also be an evolutionary advantage - grab more food while it is available.

Studies have shown that the old wives' tale to chew your food 20 times before swallowing is true - this way you will never overfill yourself before the signal to stop eating reaches your brain.

How about those of you who only eat when you are hungry?

If you wish to maintain your weight this is not a good idea because if you wait until you are hungry you will eat the handiest thing available which may well be a poor choice.

The hunger messenger in your brain - called ghrelin activates centres - form part of a primitive reward system that is involved in addictive behaviours. So you see "a reward" more when you are hungry.

This leads to more desperate food behaviour - you will grasp the nearest and quickest thing available, rather than making a wise food choice.

It is best for you to eat regularly and not allow yourself to become hungry.

When it comes to alcohol, anything over four alcohol drinks a day, or binge drinking, increases obesity.

It is best to drink less than five drinks a week if you want to maintain your weight.

Also watch out for that drink before a meal because this increases your appetite and you eat more.

Eating in front of the TV certainly leads to obesity because you don't notice how much you are eating.

Studies have shown that women who watch three hours of television eat 1.9 times more than those watching one hour of television.

In men the figure is 2.2 times more.

So, eating is an art. If you want to manage your weight smartly, you need to think about the way you eat, not just what you eat.

- Dr Frances Pitsilis

Pictured above: Eating healthy food is a start, but to really tackle excess weight, you need to think about how you eat. Photo / Wairarapa Times-Age

How to Increase Memory and Exercise your Brain

Everyone can take steps to improve their memory, and with time and practice most people can gain the ability to memorize seemingly impossible amounts of information. Whether you want to win the World Memory Championships, ace your history test, or simply remember where you put your keys, this article can get you started. Scientists believe that exercising your brain can create a 'cognitive reserve' that will help you stay sharp as you age.

1. Convince yourself that you do have a good memory that will improve. Too many people get stuck here and convince themselves that their memory is bad, that they are just not good with names, that numbers just slip out of their minds for some reason. Erase those thoughts and vow to improve your memory. Commit yourself to the task and bask in your achievements — it's hard to keep motivated if you beat yourself down every time you make a little bit of progress.

2. Keep your brain active. The brain is not a muscle, but regularly "exercising" the brain actually does keep it growing and spurs the development of new nerve connections that can help improve memory. By developing new mental skills—especially complex ones such as learning a new language or learning to play a new musical instrument—and challenging your brain with puzzles and games you can keep your brain active and improve its physiological functioning.

 

3. Exercise daily. Regular aerobic exercise improves circulation and efficiency throughout the body, including in the brain, and can help ward off the memory loss that comes with aging. Exercise also makes you more alert and relaxed, and can thereby improve your memory uptake, allowing you to take better mental "pictures."

 

4. Reduce stress. Chronic stress, although it does not physically damage the brain, can make remembering much more difficult. Even temporary stresses can make it more difficult to effectively focus on concepts and observe things. Try to relax, regularly practice yoga or other stretching exercises, and see a doctor if you have severe chronic stress.

 

5. Eat well and eat right. There are a lot of herbal supplements on the market that claim to improve memory, but none have yet been shown to be effective in clinical tests (although small studies have shown some promising results for ginkgo biloba and phosphatidylserine). A healthy diet, however, contributes to a healthy brain, and foods containing antioxidants—broccoli, blueberries, spinach, and berries, for example—and Omega-3 fatty acids appear to promote healthy brain functioning. Feed your brain with such supplements as Thiamine, Vitamin E, Niacin and Vitamin B-6. Grazing, eating 5 or 6 small meals throughout the day instead of 3 large meals, also seems to improve mental functioning (including memory) by limiting dips in blood sugar, which may negatively affect the brain.
 

 
6. Take better pictures. Often we forget things not because our memory is bad, but rather because our observational skills need work. One common situation where this occurs (and which almost everyone can relate to) is meeting new people. Often we don't really learn people's names at first because we aren't really concentrating on remembering them. You'll find that if you make a conscious effort to remember such things, you'll do much better. One way to train yourself to be more observant is to look at an unfamiliar photograph for a few seconds and then turn the photograph over and describe or write down as many details as you can about the photograph. Try closing your eyes and picturing the photo in your mind. Use a new photograph each time you try this exercise, and with regular practice you will find you're able to remember more details with even shorter glimpses of the photos.

 

7. Give yourself time to form a memory. Memories are very fragile in the short-term, and distractions can make you quickly forget something as simple as a phone number. The key to avoid losing memories before you can even form them is to be able to focus on the thing to be remembered for a while without thinking about other things, so when you're trying to remember something, avoid distractions and complicated tasks for a few minutes.

8. Create vivid, memorable images. You remember information more easily if you can visualize it. If you want to associate a child with a book, try not to visualize the child reading the book – that's too simple and forgettable. Instead, come up with something more jarring, something that sticks, like the book chasing the child, or the child eating the book. It's your mind – make the images as shocking and emotional as possible to keep the associations strong.

9. Repeat things you need to learn. The more times you hear, see, or think about something, the more surely you'll remember it, right? It's a no-brainer. When you want to remember something, be it your new coworker's name or your best friend's birthday, repeat it, either out loud or silently. Try writing it down; think about it.

10. Group things you need to remember. Random lists of things (a shopping list, for example) can be especially difficult to remember. To make it easier, try categorizing the individual things from the list. If you can remember that, among other things, you wanted to buy four different kinds of vegetables, you'll find it easier to remember all four.

11. Organize your life. Keep items that you frequently need, such as keys and eyeglasses, in the same place every time. Use an electronic organizer or daily planner to keep track of appointments, due dates for bills, and other tasks. Keep phone numbers and addresses in an address book or enter them into your computer or cell phone. Improved organization can help free up your powers of concentration so that you can remember less routine things. Even if being organized doesn't improve your memory, you'll receive a lot of the same benefits (i.e. you won't have to search for your keys anymore).

12. Try meditation. Research now suggests that people who regularly practice "mindfulness" meditation are able to focus better and may have better memories. Mindfulness (also known as awareness or insight meditation) is the type commonly practiced in Western countries and is easy to learn. Studies at Massachusetts General Hospital show that regular meditation thickens the cerebral cortex in the brain by increasing the blood flow to that region. Some researchers believe this can enhance attention span, focus, and memory.

13. Sleep well. The amount of sleep we get affects the brain's ability to recall recently learned information. Getting a good night's sleep – a minimum of seven hours a night – may improve your short-term memory and long-term relational memory, according to recent studies conducted at the Harvard Medical School.

14. Build your memorization arsenal. Learn pegs, memory palaces, and the Dominic System. These techniques form the foundation for mnemonic techniques, and will visibly improve your memory.

15. Venture out and learn from your mistakes. Go ahead and take a stab at memorizing the first one hundred digits of pi, or, if you've done that already, the first one thousand. Memorize the monarchs of England through your memory palaces, or your grocery list through visualization. Through diligent effort you will eventually master the art of memorization.

Tips to Reduce Overweight

Physical activity: Determine the type of physical activity that suits your life style. Regular aerobic exercise like brisk walking, jogging or swimming, is a key factor in achieving permanent weight loss and improving health Health experts recommend exercising 30 minutes or more on all, days of the week for maximum benefits. The exercises should be moderately vigorous to be most effective but not exhausting. Incorporate few simple measures to burn calories effectively. Like- taking an after dinner walk, using stairs instead of escalators or elevators, parking the car farther away to have a longer walk etc. Exercises also improve sense of well being ,decreases stress and decreases appetite in some. To decrease weight and get rid of obesity three things must be kept in mind: Controlling eating habits. Regular exercise. Avoiding the causes of weight gain   Diet recommended to lose weight Early morning Juice of half a lemon mixed in a glass of warm water and a teaspoon of honey.   Breakfast Wheat or Mung bean sprouts and a cup of skimmed milk.   Midmorning A glass of orange, pineapple or carrot juice.   Lunch Salad of raw vegetables such as carrot, beet, cucumber, cabbage, tomatoes. Steamed or boiled vegetables Whole grain bread or whole wheat chapatis (Indian bread) and a glass of buttermilk. Roasted cumin seeds, green coriander leaves, a little salt and some grated ginger mixed in the buttermilk.   Mid-afternoon Coconut water Dry fruits Lemon tea Fresh vegetable soup   Dinner Whole grain bread or chapatis Steamed vegetables Seasonal fruits except banana and apple. Home Remedies for Losing Weight Increase the quantity of fruits and vegetables and low calorie foods. Avoid intake of too much salt as it may be a factor for increasing body weight. Milk products like cheese, butter etc. and non-vegetarian foods should be avoided as they are rich in fat. Mint is very beneficial in losing weight. A chutney of green mint with some simple spices can be taken with meals. Mint tea also helps. Spices like dry ginger, cinnamon, black pepper etc. are good for loosing weight and can be used in a number of ways. Regular intake of carrot juice. Avoid rice and potato, which contain a lot of carbohydrates. Among cereals wheat is good. Vegetables like bitter gourd (Karela), and bitter variety of drumstick are useful in loosing weight. Honey is an excellent home remedy for obesity. It mobilizes the extra deposited fat in the body allowing it to be utilized as energy for normal functions. Dosage: One should start with small quantity of about 10 grams or a tablespoon, taken with hot water early in the morning. A teaspoonful of fresh lemon juice may also be added. Fasting on honey and lime- juice is highly beneficial in the treatment of obesity without the loss of energy and appetite. For this, mix one teaspoon of fresh honey with the juice of half a lime in a glass of lukewarm water. Dosage: Take several times a day at regular intervals. Raw or cooked cabbage inhibits the conversion of sugar and other carbohydrates into fat. Hence, it is of great value in weight reduction. Exercise is an important part of any weight reduction plan. It helps to use up calories stored in body as fat. Walking is the best exercise to begin with and may be followed by running, swimming or rowing. The gum of Commiphora Mukul called 'guggulu' is the drug of choice for the treatment of obesity

5 Happiness Secrets For Tough Times

By Chandni Jhunjhunwala

Expert tips to help you cope with a bad economy, and increase your bursts of happiness throughout the day.

 

Sonja Lyubomirsky, author of The How of Happiness: A Scientific Approach to Getting the Life You Want (Penguin Press, 2008) has researched the science of happiness for years. Her book -- not your typical self-help manual -- offers feel-good strategies grounded in research.

1. Avoid Overthinking

"You could spend a lot of time ruminating," says Lyubomirsky. "But that just makes you feel even more pessimistic, more out of control, and effects your self esteem. Your relationships will suffer and your job performance will suffer."

Get rid of pessimism. One of the most effective ways to cope when things are difficult is to adopt a positive thinking strategy. "What can I learn from this? Times are tough, I've been furloughed at work, but I can spend more time with the kids, adopt a new hobby, or learn a new set of skills."

2. Practice Acts of Kindness

Now more than ever we need each other to survive. Lyubomirsky found that doing good things for friends, family, or strangers can make you happier. Think of practical, everyday gestures that can make someone's life a little bit easier.

For example, Lyubomirsky says, "Maybe now many of us can't afford to take a cab to the airport, so offer to give a friend a ride."

3. Focus on Your Relationships

You don't need an expert to tell you that relationships are critical to happiness. Not being the bread-winner anymore or not being able to fulfill your kid's needs can weighh down hard on your family life. But the trick is to stop feeling guilty and focus on nurturing your loved ones.

"I was at a psychology conference where an expert was talking about the effects of this economy on families and how parents can't afford to buy their kids luxuries like toys anymore," says Lyubomirsky. "But what they don't realize is that kids don't care about toys -- what they care about is parents being grumpy and taking it out on them."

4. Pick a Goal

"If you find a happy person you will find a project," says Lyubomirsky. "Happy people all have goals they care about."

Commit yourself to a project – whether it is a business you want to start or a dance you want to learn. But it's also important to remember to be flexible in these times. Don't get frustrated if circumstances are stopping you from meeting your goals. Adopt and change!

"If your spouse has lost their job you might have to change your goal," says Lyubomirsky. "Or you might have to learn a whole new skill for a new job."

5. Take Care of Your Body

When times are tough, it's easy to get skip your regular workouts in favor of moping in front of the TV and eating a bag of chips. Your thinking is "I have more important things to worry about right now than looking good."

But carve out a small part of your day to give your body some TLC. It will go a long way in boosting your happiness. "Even if you can't afford to go to the gym," Lyubomirsky says, "take time out to exercise at home or meditate."

Now, tattoo can watch your blood sugar level

Washington: Massachusettsbased Draper Laboratories is trying to develop a special tattoo ink that changes colour based on glucose levels inside the skin.
Nanotechnology researchers associated with the project believe that the injectable ink may one day prove helpful in freeing diabetics from painful blood glucose tests. "It doesn't have to be a large, overthe-shoulder kind of tattoo. It would only have to be a few millimetres in size and wouldn't have to go as deep as a normal tattoo", Discovery News quoted Heather Clark, a scientist at Draper, as saying.
She has revealed that her team did not actually set out to create a glucose-detecting ink. "At first I didn't even think it was possible", she said.
Clark said she and her colleagues originally created a sodium-sensitive ink to monitor heart health, advancing basic knowledge of electrolytes in the body, or to ensure athletes are properly hydrated. It was only after talking to a colleague that she decided to give glucose detection a try, and modified the system to detect glucose. The ink particles are tiny spheres about 120 nanometers across, inside which are three parts: the glucose detecting molecule, a colour-changing dye, and a molecule that mimics glucose.
    If the molecules mostly latch onto glucose, the ink appears yellow. If glucose levels are low, the molecule latches onto the glucose mimic, turning the ink purple. A healthy level of glucose has a "funny orangey" colour. According to Clark, the sampling process repeats itself every few milliseconds.
    The tattoo would let diabetics know if an abnormally high or low reading was either returning to a normal level or getting worse. ANI

INKY INDICATOR: The special tattoo ink will turn yellow if there are excess sugar molecules under your skin

Apinch ’o salt!

Conflicting research on beauty and fitness often makes the mind boggle. How much of it should we take seriously, wonders Kalpana Sharma as she goes myth busting

 FOR years now, the eight glasses of water a day mantra has been touted as a powerful health fact! If you've blindly followed that rule, you just may have been on the wrong track. Contradictory findings state that there's no scientific evidence to prove decisively that drinking eight glasses of water is good for your system. Even, drinking tea isn't all that therapeutic. Myth busting is becoming the favourite pastime of researchers. But in the process, how do we, the consumers and ardent fans of all 'proven research' distinguish between what's valid and what's not? Some health myths are further reinforced thanks to Bollywood stars who consistently maintain that drinking 'lots' of water, for instance, plays a pivotal role in their beauty regimen. Actor Neha Dhupia swears by the benefits of water saying, "I guzzle at least three litres per day to get rid of toxins."
    So what about the theory that one should follow body signals or thirst when it comes to water consumption? On the contrary, excess water induces water intoxication in people leading a sedentary lifestyle. Fitness guru Leena Mogre says, "If you're into heavy workouts, drink ample water to replenish lost fluids."
    Rahul Murada, consultant psychiatrist at Sitaram Bhartia and North Point Hospital, Delhi, also breaks the myth of tea being beneficial in curing cancer and heart strokes. He states, "Green tea helps fight cancer. Not our regular Indian black tea boiled with ample amounts of sugar and
milk." Honey Shah, a dietician at Max Healthcare, Delhi explains, "New researches keep cropping up, one day claiming something and the other day refuting it. It's best not to consult a specialist. Don't blindly follow research."
    Breaking another popular Indian health myth that acne is caused due to impure blood or constipation, Dr Alok Agarwal, a senior consultant at Indraprasta Apollo Hospital, Delhi clears the air, "Acne's caused by excessive secretion of sebaceous glands, hormonal imbalances and stress."
    There's also good news for all bookworms. The conventional belief that reading in poor light ruins one's eyesight, is nothing but an old wives' tale. "Reading in dim light merely strains the eyes temporarily causing headaches and not damaging or making it prone to eye infections," he adds.
    Our favourite indulgence chocolate is often blamed for poor teeth. But, chocoholics can now rejoice as he adds, "Chocolate has no reason to make your teeth bad. In fact, a sticky cheesy pizza is likely to damage your teeth more than a harmless bar of chocolate. Anything that sticks to your teeth needs to be cleaned as it causes tooth decay." So, bust the health fads and hit the treadmill instead as the latest medical research states that it's not necessary to sweat profusely while working out. Sweating has nothing to do with weight loss. Fitness guru Rahul Dev says, "You sweat as your body gets heated due to workouts. Sweating or perspiration cools the body down. The level of perspiration varies according to one's age, sex and the environment one is working out."
    So, the next time you want to dig into some sinfully irrestible chocolate or read that book under the covers before you shut your eyes — go easy on the guilt trip!
    (With inputs by Raja Rymbai Sharma)