Superfood: Hot chocolate!

So I had recently bought raw organic cacao powder and had been meaning to post up the great benefits of this superfood. Not only does it make hot chocolate extra chocolaty compared to the processed ones, but it is full of antioxidents! Now, who wouldn't say no to a cup of hot chocolate full of antioxidants! So these are the benefits which I have read about regarding raw organic cacao powder. Let me know if you know of any which I haven't mentioned! Benefits:

• More antioxident flavonoids than blueberries, red wine, black and green teas! Can you believe that it has 4 times more antioxidants than green tea! I guess its time to ditch the green tea and stock up on cacao powder!
• It promotes cardiovascular health.
• Protect from environmental and metabolic toxins.
  
• It promotes a positive outlook.
• It raises levels of serotonin, thus acting as an antidepressant and reduce PMS symptoms (YAY!),
• It stimulates the secretion of endorphins, which we all know produces a pleasurable feeling especially after exercise!
  
• It contains phenylethylamine, which is a mood elevatorand antidepressant, as well as promoting focus and alertness. Interesting fact: Phenylethylamine is also created within the brain, and is released when we are...in Lurrrrrrveee !
• It increases the levels of anandamide, which promotes relaxation and the feeling of wellbeing.
• It also contains essential minerals such as magnesium (balances brain chemistry, builds strong bones, and helps regulate heartbeat and blood pressure), sulfur ( sulfur builds strong nails and hair, promotes beautiful skin, detoxifies the liver, and supports healthy pancreas functioning!), calcium, iron, zinc, copper, potassium and manganese.

Now, for those who haven't ever made hot chocolate, here is my own hot chocolate recipe using the raw organic cacao powder:

2 teaspoons raw organic cacao powder.
2 teaspoons sugar or sweetner (or to taste).
200 ml milk (I use whole milk, but low fat milk will taste just as great!).

Now just add the cacao powder and sugar, stir in milk and heat in the microwave for 1.30 mins to 2 mins depending on the power of your microwave. Then once its done stir it and you've got a healthy, full of antioxident cup of hot chocolate! Also, although I haven't tried this, you can also heat the milk up first then add the cacao powder and sugar...which ever suits you!!!

Your weightloss/fitness method!

I've recently downloaded an application on my iphone called "fitness pal". In just two weeks of using it, I have lost 3kg!! It has a large food database comprising of over a millions different foods, so you just type in what you ate, and it will search for a matching food with the amount of calories (its a calorie counting type application). You also write in what exercises you did for the day and the calories you had burnt. It also provides you with how many calories to eat per day-depending on your height, weight, and how many kgs or pounds you aim to lose per week! I absolutely love this application! My goal weight is 55kg (I am 162cm tall), and I've got 5kg to go until I'm done! I go to the gym as often as I could, as I really enjoy working out, and doing group classes, especially Zumba! ! I'd like to know how important diet and fitness is to you, and if you had at any time lost weight, and would like to share your method and the types of exercises you do?

The Story of Cosmetics (2010)

We all might be toxicated by daily skin care and cosmetics we use everyday! Makes us wonder what the difference is between consuming alcohol / drugs with that of skin care!

Why choose organic health and beauty?

These days, people are becoming increasingly aware of the food they consume and skin products they use. People are now starting to buy organic foods from direct outlets, fresh fruits and vegetables directly from farmers, and skin/personal care containing more natural organic elements. But the question is, why?

In the world we are living in, pollution and free radicals (radicals react with the DNA and the cell membrane, which in turn causes the cell to die) surround us, and there is little we can do to control this. Fruits and vegetables are being sprayed with various chemicals such as pesticides, chickens are pumped with growth hormones to fatten them up, one third of all personal care products contain one of more ingredients classified as possible carcinogens! 89% of the 10,500 skin/personal care we use have not even been evaluated for safety! Which means that we may be consuming and using products which may be even classified as possible carcinogens..linking to various types of cancer!

So why organic?

• It is good for the soil!
• Good for the environment-depending on non renewable resources
• Good for people-organic based ingredients have been showen in a number of studies to contain more vitamins, nutrients and cancer fighting antioxidents as compared to non organic.
• No synthetic chemicals-prohibits the use of artificial chemicals, pesticides and fertilisers.
• No genetically modified organisms (GMO).

Thinking of introducing an organic lifestyle into your life?

At some supermarkets, you may find organic foods such as organic sugar, organic fruits and vegetables etc. You can search online for retailers who sell organic products, and those farmers who grow their crops organically. And for the skin/ personal care use, I recommend Miessence!

What is Miessence?

First of all, Miessence is the worlds first extensive range of internationally certified organic skin, hair, body, cosmetic, oral and nutritional products. I myself have been using it after seeing the result of my sisters beautiful complexion and healthy appearance. Since then, I have joined this Miessence business and hope to educate others of the foods, and products they are using daily.

If you would like more information about organic products, or if you would like to browse around the website, feel free to visit my online shop at:

http://superiororganics.mionegroup.com/

In there you will find a vast amount of information regarding organics, and various products. They even have a mother-baby range, cosmetics such as foundation, mascara etc containing organic ingredients and much more!

Have fun looking around at the hundreds of products!

The subconscious mind..an unlimited potential! Part 2

As discussed in the first article of the subconcious mind, it is crucial to constantly feed our subconscious mind with positive, harmonious thoughts. The subconscious mind perceives through intuition, or what is also known to be the "sixth sense". Although we hear and see with our usual senses, and the conscious mind understands material images and worldy facts we are faced with daily, the true intepretation and perception of the hidden meanings behind the entire creation can be understood by our internal instinct, which does not necessarily have to be things we have learnt or experienced. This internal instinct which Allah has created for us is a Divine Gift. This internal instinct, if used properly, will guide us to Allah's true Path. For example, many of the Companions of the Prophet (saw) experienced this gift. They had devoted themselves to Allah, and had deep faith, thus through their purification of their bodies and soul, they could free their minds and their intuition.

Allah states in the Quran:

"And surely, We have destined many of the jinns and humans for Hell. They have hearts with which they do not understand, they have eyes with which they do not see, and they have ears with which they do not hear (the truth). They are like cattle, nay even more astray:those, they are the heedless ones!" (Quran 7:179).

Our subconscious mind is sensitive to suggestions, not being able to negotiate or differentiate or barter, it merely acccepts messages of the conscious mind. This is the only route any information can reach the subconscious mind. What does this mean? This means that with our will, we have the ability to filter the suggesstion received, stored and executed by our subconscious.

A good example of this that Ayad (2008) had provided in her book "Healing Body and Soul" was her ability to learn how to drive. She had urged her parents to teach her, and although she had lessons for weeks, she could not control the car, being too scared. When she sat down and really thought about it, she realized that no female members of her family could drive, having all failed. Hence, without realizing it she subconsciously thought that since she was a female member of the family, she too won't be able to learn how to drive. It took her a while to erase this negative attitude from her mind and replace it with a powerful belief that she was capable of doing it. Thus once she was able to mentally accept this new suggesstion, her subconscious powers began to act accordingly, and she soon got her license.

This article will be continued...

The subconcious mind... An unlimited potential!

It has been a while since I have written in my blog...and I have finally found some spare time! I have recently been reading the book "Healing Body and Soul" by Amira Ayad, and it had a vast amount of tips for getting the best out of your body and soul. It covers topics such as diet and nutrition, stress, detoxification, exercise, Lifestyle changes, neurolinguistic programming and many others while implementing Islamic practices in this lifestyle change. One of the topics I found interesting was "The subconcious mind". How often do we really stop and think of our brains/mind potential, especially in times of distress or difficult challenges. Do we usually try to tackle the situation straight away or do we just stress about it..waiting for a light bulb to light up and give us the answers. What about when we are sick? How do we act? How do we recover? Do we teach our minds to think positively to help with the recovery, or do we carry on with our crankiness and let the pills do its job? In this book, Ayad explains about the two levels of the mind:

• The Concious level- which is our perception of what happens around us, our rational thinking as well as our behaviours.

• The Subconcious level-described as our back up system, the storage unit of our emotions. Positive thoughts produce prosperity and bliss, while negative thoughts result in troubles and distress.

In our daily life, we have numerous thoughts and emotions, all which affect our physical body, as cells cannot differentiate between true or false suggestions sent to them by our mind, whether conscious or subconcious. Now, what is the key point here?

Belief!

Whatever you believe in, your subconcious mind will take this on board and your physical body, health and emotion will undoubtedly act upon this belief. Hence, your own mind can either lift you to happiness, or be your own downfall. The subconcious mind does not subject to logical thinking, it brings into being whatever you have true faith and belief in. This is why it is vital to give your mind positive and harmonious thoughts.


A prime example of this "positive thinking" could be seen in the way the Prophet (SAW) had address his daughter Fatima when she and her husband Ali ( May peace be upon them) had asked the Prophet (SAW) for a servant as their housework was becoming unbearable. The Prophet (SAW) sat gently beside them and taught them the Zhikr- Subhanallah 33 times, Alhamdulillah 33 times and Allahu Akbar 34 times, to be read every night before bedtime. He then further said " The following morning, you will find within yourself the strength to perform all the needed work". Fatima and Ali both practiced this with total faith and had felt they no longer needed a servant. (Abd al-Kafy, 2005-2006).

This article is to be continued....

Are we practicing Muslims really fundamentalists?

First of all, what is a fundamentalist?

Fundamentalist is derived from the word fundamentals. A person that follows the fundamentals of anything, be it a doctor following the fundamentals of medicine in order to treat the physical body, or a person following the fundamentals of Islam, or a robber following the fundamentals of robbing techniques are all known as fundamentalist.

Are some Muslims fundamentalists?

Yes.

Does this mean that those Muslims are bad?

No. If a Muslim is following the correct fundamentals of Islam, they are on the right path. There is not a single verse of the Glorious Quran which cause any harm to humanity. Examples of verses of the Quran are as below:

Regarding Charity:

"And be steadfast in prayer: practice regular charity." (Qur'an 2:43)

"And be regular in prayer, and regular charity: And whatever good you send forth for your souls before you (from this life), you shall find it with Allah: Surely, Allah sees well all that you do." (Qur'an 2.110)

Regarding treatment of women:

"Do not give away the property, which Allah has made as a means of support for (all of) you, to those weak of understanding (and the unwise), but feed and clothe them with it, and speak to them words of kindness and justice." (Quran 4:5)

Regarding polygamy and justice between wives:

"If you fear you will not be able to act justly with the orphan (girls), then marry other women of your choice, two, or three, or four; But if you fear that you will not be able to deal justly (with them), then marry only one, or (a captive) that your right hand possess. That will be more suitable, to prevent you from doing injustice." (Quran 4:3)

Regarding parents/ kinship/neighbours:

"Serve Allah, and do not join any partners with Him; and do good to parents, (relatives) kinfolk, orphans, those in need, neighbours who are near to you in kin, neighbours who are strangers, the companion by your side, the way farer (you meet), and what your right hand possess: For Allah does not love the arrogant, the boasters" (Quran 4:36)

Regarding justice:

"O' you who believe! Stand out firmly for Allah, as witnesses to fair dealing, and do not let the hatred of others to make your swerve to wrong and depart from justice. Be just: that is next to Piety: and fear Allah. For Allah is well acquainted with all that you do."(Qur'an 5:8)

"...Whenever you speak, speak justly, even if a near relative is concerned..." (Quran 6:152)

Regarding gossip:

"...Nor speak ill of each other behind their back. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? Nay, you would abhor it. But fear Allah, for Allah is oft Returning, Most Merciful." (Qur'an 49:12)

These are but a few verses out of the thousands of holy verses of the Qur'an. Now tell me, if all humanity followed these simple guidelines, would humanity be what it is today?