Michelin ratings head south

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Michelin ratings head south

lifestyle May 17, 2018 11:57

By The Nation

After the debut of Michelin Guide Bangkok late last year, the little red guide has announced that its star ratings will be extended to cover best dining venues in the Southern provinces of Phuket and Phang Nga for its second edition.

The 2019 edition to be released at the end of this year will feature Thailand’s vibrant food scene along with a wealth of accommodation. Bangkok’s inner zone and its neighbouring provinces of Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Nakhon Pathom, Samut Sakhon and Samut Prakan will also be substantially covered in this new edition.

“Thrilled by the culinary and hospitality scene of Phuket, which offers unique and fascinating characteristics with its blend of various different cultural influences, Michelin inspectors are excited to discover and reveal the best dining and lodging experiences,” says Michael Ellis, the international director in charge of the Michelin Guides.

In addition to being the melting pot of cultural cuisine, Phuket is well known for excellent seafood. Similar to the food scene in Bangkok, the Pearl of Andaman offers ultimate culinary experience of both traditional and inventive creations, across all price ranges from sophisticated restaurants to street vendors. As popular tourist destinations, Phuket and Phang Nga have a range of accommodation options on offer to visitors to suit all budgets and preferences, from international-standard hotels to simple guesthouses.

“The local cuisine in Phuket is distinctive and flavourful with a wonderful blend of influences from India, Malaysia, China, and the Peranakan ethnic group. Basically, it truly offers an infinite variety of flavours worth discovering,” adds Segsarn Trai-Ukos, country director of Michelin Siam Co and secretary general of Michelin East Asia and Australia.

Yuthasak Supasorn, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), also expects that the guidebook will help promote the country as an international gastronomic destination.

The Michelin Guide Bangkok, Phuket, and Phang Nga 2019 will be available in a bilingual edition of Thai and English, in both print and digital versions.

In the inaugural edition, three luxury establishments – Gaggan, Le Normandie and Mezzaluna – earned two stars while 14 restaurants got one star. Seven of them – street food eatery Jay Fai, Bo.lan, Nahm, Saneh Jaan, Chim by Siam Wisdom, Sra Bua by Kiin Kiin and Paste offer Thai food.

The other one-starred restaurants are Japanese eatery Ginza Sushi ichi, French establishments L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon, J’Aime by Jean-Michel Lorrain and Savelberg – as well as Suhring, Elements and Upstairs at Mikkeller. No restaurant has achieved the coveted highest three-star rating.

Learn more at http://www.Guide.Michelin.com/th/bangkok

Helping Phuket youngsters establish a career

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Phuket Hotels Association president Anthony Lark, third left, and Phuket Hotels Association Development Director Sumi Soorian, third right, welcome Phuket Vice Governor Sanit Sriwihok and his wife to PHAB 2 annual fundraising event.
Phuket Hotels Association president Anthony Lark, third left, and Phuket Hotels Association Development Director Sumi Soorian, third right, welcome Phuket Vice Governor Sanit Sriwihok and his wife to PHAB 2 annual fundraising event.

Helping Phuket youngsters establish a career

lifestyle May 17, 2018 11:45

By THE NATION

The Phuket Hotels Association recently hosted a hugely successful benefit evening and raised a total of Bt4.5 million for young hospitality professionals in Phuket.

The “Glam, Glitz and Glitter” event was held at Latitude Laguna on the island’s golden west coast.

The benefit’s funds will finance 20 hospitality scholarships and traineeships for talented young Phuket residents whose parents cannot afford to pay for their education.

Phuket Vice Governor Phuket Sanit Sriwihok presided over the opening of PHAB 2, along with other senior officials and VIPs.

The glamorous Great Gatsby-themed event attracted more than 300 guests who created a fantastic spectacle with their dazzling costumes. Attendees were treated to an evening of fine dining and fabulous entertainment, including live music from Mark Zitti and the Fratelli Coltelli.

“The Phuket Hotels Association is proud to support the development of local communities, and our annual benefits are a vitally important part of our fundraising activities,” commented Phuket Hotels Association’s president, Anthony Lark. “I would like to thank all of our supporters, sponsors and guests for creating such a memorable occasion.

“This year, the money raised from the PHAB will pay for scholarships for 20 local youngsters to embark on careers in the hospitality industry. This is a wonderful way of creating income for local people and families, creating multi-generational benefits for communities, and supporting our member hotels by developing exciting new industry talent,” Lark added.

The PHAB has quickly become a catalyst for unity in the Phuket hospitality sector – a rallying call for the industry to focus on reinvestment into the island. Phuket Hotels Association members donated an array of travel and tourism prizes which were auctioned at the event, ranging from amazing international holidays to local experiences in and around Phuket.

To date, PHAB events have raised more than Bt4.5 million for charitable causes, including the 20 local hospitality scholarships. As well as the auction, funds were raised through ticket sales and generous donations.

The third annual Phuket Hotels Association Benefit, PHAB 3, will take place on April 27, 2019, with further details to be announced at a later date.

To learn more, visit http://www.PhuketHotelsAssociation.com.

Yanny or Laurel? Soundbite sparks internet din

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Yanny or Laurel? Soundbite sparks internet din

lifestyle May 17, 2018 07:47

By Agence France-Presse
Washington

An audio snippet with just two syllables has ignited an internet meltdown, dividing social media users into staunchly opposed camps: do you hear “Yanny” or “Laurel?”

The collective sensory experiment causing a Twitter tizzy mushroomed from a short audio clip originally published by a high school student on Reddit, The New York Times said Wednesday.

Roland Szabo, 18, said he recorded the seemingly innocuous audio from a vocabulary website while doing a project for his school in the US state of Georgia.

He played it for his peers, who disagreed over whether the syllables formed “Yanny” or “Laurel.”

Intrigued, Szabo sent it to a friend who posted the clip on Instagram and created a poll that quickly went viral, triggering a mass debate that has spread internationally.

Input from celebrities has inflamed the frenzy: “It’s Yanny,” horror writer Stephen King said in a deadpan tweet.

“It’s so clearly laurel,” quipped supermodel Chrissy Teigen. “I can’t figure out how one would hear yanny.”

In perhaps the most vexing element of the debate, the majority of listeners hear beyond doubt one of the two words, with few waffling between the two.

Others hear only laughter.

The US Department of Defense made light of the controversy on its Twitter account, with a photo of a US Marine Corps instructor berating a recruit: “I said it’s #Yanny, recruit, not #Laurel!”

Circulating elsewhere on the internet was the line: “Man Calls Girlfriend ‘Yanny’ During Sex, Swears He Said ‘Laurel’.”

A straw poll carried out among staff in AFP’s Washington bureau counted 17 for Yanny, and 14 for Laurel. Just three were caught in between — hearing first one, then the other when played again, or a mix of the two sounds.

– Brain game –

Poppy Crum, chief scientist at Dolby Labs in San Francisco, said the environment in which one listens, including whether headphones or a speaker are used, affects the intensity of the frequencies, and hence what one hears.

“When there is more energy towards the mid and higher frequencies, people tend to hear ‘Yanny’. When the low frequencies are more emphasized, people will hear ‘Laurel’,” Crum said.

She added that our brains want to “categorize” the elements of speech when they are ambiguous, as in this case passing them either into the “Laurel” box or “Yanny” box.

In addition, perception can be influenced by multiple factors such as age, sex or native language of the listener, she explained.

“There really isn’t a true reality, there is only our perceptual reality,” Crum said.

Jody Kreiman, Professor of Head and Neck Surgery and Linguistics at UCLA, said listeners would normally have “semantic context” to interpret what they are hearing.

“But in this case we have an isolated sound with no context,” forcing people to rely on a variety of other factors such as voices they’ve listened to recently.

The controversy recalls the similarly impassioned debate that broke out over the #TheDress: in 2015 a photo of a two-toned frock had social media users tearing their hair out over whether its colors were white and gold, or black and blue.

The audio clip causing internet dissonance can be heard here:

Exercise does not delay decline in people with dementia:study

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Exercise does not delay decline in people with dementia:study

lifestyle May 17, 2018 06:48

By Agence France-Presse
Paris

While physical exercise may stave off dementia, it does not delay mental decline in people after they’ve been diagnosed, a study in nearly 500 people with the condition reported Thursday.

While a fitness regime improved physical fitness in people with mild to moderate dementia, it “does not slow cognitive impairment,” researchers reported in The BMJ medical journal.

It is generally accepted that exercise can delay the onset of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.

But whether or not it can slow symptoms after the onset of mental decline, has been the subject of much debate.

For the latest study, researchers took 494 people in England who had been diagnosed with dementia, and assigned 329 of them to an exercise programme.

They took part in 60-90-minute group sessions in a gym twice a week for four months, and home exercises for an additional hour per week.

The average age of the group was 77.

Participants were assessed at six and 12 months after starting the programme.

The researchers noted that cognition had declined in both the exercise and non-exercise groups.

In the exercise group, the decline was steeper, “however, the average difference was small and clinical relevance was uncertain,” said a press statement.

Commenting on the study, Brendon Stubbs of King’s College London’s Institute of Psychiatry, said its findings was “enormously important” for the care of people with Alzheimer’s disease.

“Whilst previous smaller studies have suggested that exercise can prevent or improve cognitive decline in people with Alzheimer’s disease, this robust and very large study provides the most definitive answer we have on the role of exercise in mild-moderate Alzheimer’s disease,” he said via the Science Media Centre.

“The search for effective lifestyle interventions that can delay cognitive decline in dementia must continue.”

A separate study, published in the journal Jama Psychiatry, among English people aged 65 and older, said people with fewer financial resources appeared to be at higher risk of dementia.

According to the UN’s World Health Organization, about 50 million people worldwide suffer from dementia, including Alzheimer’s Disease — the most common form with about two-thirds of cases.

There are about 10 million new dementia cases each year.

Royal wedding turmoil as doubts swirl over Markle’s father

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Students at Immaculate Heart High School and Middle school dance and sing with US and British flags during a program on May 15, 2018 in Los Angeles to honor alumna Meghan Markle, who is engaged to Marry Britain's Prince Harry./AFP
Students at Immaculate Heart High School and Middle school dance and sing with US and British flags during a program on May 15, 2018 in Los Angeles to honor alumna Meghan Markle, who is engaged to Marry Britain’s Prince Harry./AFP

Royal wedding turmoil as doubts swirl over Markle’s father

lifestyle May 16, 2018 07:00

By Agence France-Presse
Windsor, United Kingdom

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding was in turmoil on Tuesday after a reported string of U-turns from her father over whether he will attend, just four days before the big occasion.

Thomas Markle had been due to walk his daughter down the aisle during the meticulously-planned ceremony at Windsor Castle’s St. George’s Chapel on Saturday.

He had decided against travelling from his home in Mexico to accompany his daughter due to his health — and to spare her further embarrassment after a paparazzi scandal where he posed for staged pictures, according to celebrity news website TMZ.

Then on Tuesday, the site initially reported an about-face from Markle, who said he would try to attend after he had been contacted by his daughter via text — before he revealed once more that his health was preventing him from attending.

“I hate the idea of missing one of the greatest moments in history and walking my daughter down the aisle,” he told TMZ from hospital, where he was suffering chest pains, a week after reportedly suffering a heart attack.

The site later said Markle could not make the trip after all, thanks to a major operation scheduled for Wednesday to clear a blocked artery, repair coronary damage and put a stent in his heart to help keep the artery open.

Harry’s Kensington Palace office issued a brief statement that did not mention Markle’s heart drama, but said: “This is a deeply personal moment for Ms Markle in the days before her wedding.

“She and Prince Harry ask again for understanding and respect to be extended to Mr Markle in this difficult situation.”

The palace could not be reached for further comment.

‘Positive photos’

Thomas Markle told TMZ he had agreed to pose for a paparazzi photo shoot in a bid to rehabilitate his image, rather than for money, but that he now regretted the move.

The pictures — in which he was being measured for a suit and admiring a photo of the future royal couple on his computer — sold for $100,000 (83,000 euros), according to British tabloid the Daily Mirror.

TMZ said he had suffered a heart attack last week due to stress and that he was continuing to suffer from chest pains.

Markle senior said his ex-wife Doria Ragland would be a good choice to walk their daughter down the aisle in his place, according to the website.

Meanwhile, Meghan Markle’s half-sister Samantha Grant, who has criticised the bride-to-be’s relationship with her father’s side of the family, revealed her dad was feeling “quite depressed” and had indeed suffered a heart attack.

“I don’t know as of today what his plans are, but there’s a very real concern,” she told Britain’s ITV television.

Whether he attends the wedding will be based on “whether or not it’s safe” for him to go, said Grant.

She said her father had “suffered at the hands of the media” who had presented him “in the most horrible ways”.

Staging the photos was intended to counter the way he had been “so unfairly presented in the media as being sort of shabby”.

– ‘Circus’ in town –

Kensington Palace’s attempts to project a sense of serenity around the wedding preparations have been clouded by Markle’s relatives, who have not been invited to Saturday’s nuptials following stories of bust-ups, heavy drinking and an arrest.

Meghan’s half-brother Thomas Markle Junior accused her of shunning the family in an open letter last month.

In what The Daily Telegraph newspaper called “the circus” surrounding the wedding, Tom Junior’s ex-wife Tracy Dooley — also not invited to the wedding — rolled into London with her two sons Tyler and Thomas.

“We’re here! Yay!” she said, posting pictures of London landmarks, after they were spotted pushing luggage through Heathrow Airport.

The Dooleys are reportedly appearing on ITV’s Good Morning Britain programme as part of their royal wedding coverage.

US actress Markle, 36, grew up in Los Angeles and remains close with her parents, who divorced three decades ago.

Her 73-year-old father is an Emmy-winning Hollywood lighting director who retired to Mexico, while her mother, 61, is a yoga instructor and clinical therapist.

‘Not so awful’

Ragland, who has reportedly already arrived in Britain, is expected to spend Friday night with her daughter in a plush hotel before travelling with her by car to Windsor Castle.

On Tuesday, Americans already in Windsor ahead of the wedding were sympathetic to their compatriot.

“It’s disappointing for her,” said Jean Rice, 48, from Orlando.

“But things happen. I hope they’re happy.”

Karen Yaney, 64, from Chicago, said she hoped Markle’s father would attend.

“Staging those photos, that didn’t seem so awful. I imagine she’s on the phone with him trying to persuade him to come,” she added.

Tick tock: Study links body clock to mood disorders

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Tick tock: Study links body clock to mood disorders

lifestyle May 16, 2018 06:48

By Agence France-Presse
Paris

Messing with the natural rhythm of one’s internal clock may boost the risk of developing mood problems ranging from garden-variety loneliness to severe depression and bipolar disorder, researchers said Wednesday.

The largest study of its kind, involving more than 91,000 people, also linked interference with the body’s “circadian rhythm” to a decline in cognitive functions such as memory and attention span.

The brain’s hard-wired circadian timekeeper governs day-night cycles, influencing sleep patterns, the release of hormones and even body temperature.

Earlier research had suggested that disrupting these rhythms can adversely affect mental health, but was inconclusive: most data was self-reported, participant groups were small, and potentially data-skewing factors were not ruled out.

For the new study, an international team led by University of Glasgow psychologist Laura Lyall analysed data — taken from the UK Biobank, one of the most complete long-term health surveys ever done — on 91,105 people aged 37 to 73.

The volunteers wore accelerometers that measured patterns of rest and activity and had this record compared to their mental history, also taken from the UK Biobank.

Individuals with a history of disrupting their body’s natural rhythm — working night shifts, for example, or suffering repeated jetlag — also tended to have a higher lifetime risk of mood disorders, feelings of unhappiness, and cognitive problems, the researchers found.

‘Owls’ and ‘Larks’

The results held true even when the potential impact of factors such as old age, unhealthy lifestyle, obesity, and childhood trauma were taken into account, they reported in The Lancet Psychiatry, a medical journal.

The study cannot say conclusively that body clock disturbances are what caused the mental risk, instead of the other way round.

But the findings “reinforce the idea that mood disorders are associated with disturbed circadian rhythms,” said Lyall.

Measurements of people’s rest-work cycles could be a useful tool for flagging and treating people at risk of major depression or bipolar disorders, the researchers concluded.

One limitation of the study was the average age of the trial participants — 62.

“Seventy-five percent of [mental] disorders start before the age of 24 years,” said University of Oxford researcher Aiden Doherty, commenting on the paper.

“The circadian system undergoes developmental changes during adolescence, which is also a common time for the onset of mood disorders,” he added.

Humans have been shown to be either “owls” or “larks”, corresponding to so-called genetic “chronotypes” that determine whether we function better at night or during the day.

Last year, the Nobel Prize for medicine was awarded to three US scientists who pioneered our understanding of how the circadian clock ticks.

Prince Harry commands your presence

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Prince Harry commands your presence

lifestyle May 16, 2018 01:00

By The Nation

2,414 Viewed

Siam Paragon celebrates the royal wedding with historic photos, cakes, diamonds and a Rolls Royce

The British Embassy and Bangkok shopping mall Siam Paragon are mounting an exhibition of photos of Prince Harry and the lady he’s marrying on Saturday (May 19), Meghan Markle, and offering a chance to sign a best-wishes book that will be presented to the couple.

Unless you’ve been invited to the wedding at St George’s Chapel within Windsor Castle, drop by Siam Paragon to witness a photographic paean to royal romance and a history of British royal nuptials. The exhibition will be in the mall’s Hall of Fame on M Floor from May 18 through 21.

And Parc Paragon will be fitted with large video screens on Saturday carrying the wedding live from 5 to 7pm.

British Ambassador Brian John Davidson says the exhibition will “re-emphasise” the warm relationship that Thailand and Britain have enjoyed for hundreds of years, as have the two countries’ royal families.

Siam Paragon executive Chadatip Chutrakul says tourists from around the world shop at the mall, so it hosts activities and events of interest to them, and the royal wedding has global appeal.

“The exhibition will also impress visitors with the story of love it shares, and they can write a congratulatory message to Prince Harry and Meghan in a wedding blessing book that the embassy is providing, which will be presented to the couple at Kensington Palace.”

Also on view at the event will be a 1.5-metre-tall wedding cake from Harrods department store, decorated in the Wedgewood style with motifs referring to events over the course of 250 years of history.

As well, wedding cakes representing other famous British brands, such as Jo Malone, Rolls Royce, Jaguar, Aston Martin, Mini and Johnnie Walker – and Thai fashion brands with British followings such as Milin, Patinya and Vickteerut – will be on display.

“I lived in England for five years, so I feel a bond to it,” says Milin designer-owner Milin Yuvacharuskul.

“My wedding cake is inspired by fireworks, symbolising celebration. The lines modern in their styling, as is the Milin brand, and so is the royal wedding, which is veering away from tradition.

“I love the fact that the bride is a commoner who was married before. The British royal family’s acceptance of Meghan shows that they’re open-minded, which is very interesting.”

Patinya owner-designer Patinya Kiewkong also spent several years in London and marvelled at the art and culture on view all around the city. The cake she’s contributed focuses on Harry and Meghan’s unusual but sublime romance, using white, gold and pale blue to elegant, luxurious effect.

“The shape is feminine, which reflects the brand’s approach, and decorated with our signature floral garland. You see our four elements all represented – minimalist, feminine, romantic and classic.”

Visitors can drool over a Rolls Royce Phantom VII Series 1, one of a line of superb rides from a brand long favoured by British royalty. Princess Elizabeth, the future queen, and her husband Prince Philip were already riding in a Phantom IV in 1950.

The exhibition will be absolutely glowing with sample jewellery from 16 diamond shops at Siam Paragon. Le Beau, Gems Pavilion, Dermond, Bijioux de Louis, Karat, Xavier, Blue River, Sette, Rajadamri Gems, Mikimoto, Siam Tiara, Premiera-Exquisite Jewelry, Trez Jewelry, Prima Gems, ST Diamond Design, Marseille and Scintialla will show pieces inspired by romance and made for weddings. The display is collectively valued at Bt200 million.

Sex bias kills 240,000 infant girls in India yearly: study

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Sex bias kills 240,000 infant girls in India yearly: study

lifestyle May 15, 2018 06:59

By Agence France-Presse
Paris

Almost a quarter-of-a-million girls younger than five die in India every year due to neglect resulting from society’s preference for sons, a gender discrimination study found on Tuesday.

This was over and above those aborted simply for being female, researchers wrote in The Lancet medical journal.

“Gender-based discrimination towards girls doesn’t simply prevent them from being born, it may also precipitate the death of those who are born,” said study co-author Christophe Guilmoto of the Paris Descartes University.

“Gender equity is not only about rights to education, employment or political representation, it is also about care, vaccination, and nutrition of girls, and ultimately survival.”

Guilmoto and a team used population data from 46 countries to calculate how many infant girls would have died in a society where there was no discrimination impact, and how many died in reality.

The difference, about 19 deaths out of every 1,000 girls born between 2000 and 2005, was ascribed to the effects of gender bias.

This amounted to about 239,000 deaths per year, or 2.4 million over a decade.

“Around 22 percent of the overall mortality burden of females under five (in India) is therefore due to gender bias,” the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) a research institute based in Austria, said in a statement.

The problem was most pronounced in northern India, the researchers found, with states Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh, accounting for two-thirds of the excess deaths.

Hardest hit were poor, rural, farming regions with low education levels, high population densities, and high birth rates.

“As the regional estimates of excess deaths of girls demonstrate, any intervention to reduce the discrimination against girls in food and healthcare allocation should therefore target in priority regions… where poverty, low social development, and patriarchal institutions persist and investments (in) girls are limited,” said co-author Nandita Saikia of IIASA.

Dampening down the poisons

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Dampening down the poisons

lifestyle May 15, 2018 01:00

By Special to The Nation

How toxins affect your immunity and what you can do about it

It’s no secret that we urban dwellers are constantly exposed to toxins, ranging from pesticides in our food, gases emanating from paints and carpet in the office, and chemicals used to treat drinking water. Current studies estimate that up to 300,000 new chemicals are added into the environment each year.

Dr Kanin Tripipitsitiwat, a

physician at the Vitallife Wellness Centre of Bangkok’s Bumrungrad International Hospital, says that both the volume of toxins and the type of toxins used in manufacturing are especially worrying.

“Many of the products we commonly use in everyday life are made from petrochemicals, and these chemicals are classified as xenoestrogens,” he says. “This means they mimic oestrogen in the body and disrupt hormonal balance and immune function.”

While our bodies naturally detoxify, they cannot compete against the onslaught and complexity of chemical poisoning that’s happening today.

“Petrochemicals are fat-soluble so they soak through our skin and the skin of the fruits and vegetables we eat,” Dr Kanin continues. “It’s a little scary to realise, but we are constantly bombarded by chemicals that have the potential to alter our biology.”

The industrially produced compound bisphenol A (BPA) is the most insidious of them all. BPA is commonly used in the manufacture of plastics, especially drink packaging for bottled water. BPA is a known endocrine disruptor and may pose a significant risk to pregnant women and a child’s prenatal and early postnatal development.

Fortunately, many of the toxins are flushed from our body through normal metabolic processes, but long-term exposure increases the risk of life-threatening diseases like cancer, and can also trigger a host of immune related problems, like allergies, skin rashes, asthma and inflammation.

While acknowledging that it is virtually impossible to avoid chemical exposure, Dr Kanin says avoiding over-exposure is the best defence. He suggests:

>> Limiting use of plastic particularly water bottles exposure to heat and sunlight.

>> Washing all produce, and if possible purchase organic options when possible

>> Avoiding products with the term “fragrance” as these are chemical additives

>> Don’t smoke.

>> Keeping plenty of plants in the home to help clean the air

If toxin exposure is especially worrying for you, then Dr Kanin suggests you consider a blood and urine test to assess toxin levels in your body. Toxins can be removed from the body through various methods, including chelation.

Those worried about their immune systems tend to go wild for vitamins and other supplements. Dr Kanin, however, advises caution.

“If you serious about building a strong immune system,” he says, “then supplements can help, but understand that supplements support a healthy lifestyle, not replace it.”

In the world of supplements, there are a few key players that pack a powerful punch in boosting immune function and fighting off illness.

Glutamine is a non-essential amino acid vital to maintaining a healthy gut lining and boosting overall immunity. Glutamine levels decline in the body after training, and so does the body’s ability to fight off infections. Ensuring steady glutamine levels can enhance recovery and reduce susceptibility to colds and flu.

Vitamin C is another key nutrient that researchers know has a strong impact on our immune system as well as being a powerful antioxidant that prevents the formation of free radicals. Studies show that vitamin C supplementation increases the response of neutrophils and lymphocytes, the “front-line soldiers” of the immune system.

Vitamin A is not only essential for maintaining healthy mucous membranes in the body, but it helps fight off infection too. Researchers have discovered that vitamin A deficiency impairs mucosal immunity and leaves the body more prone to respiratory infections. Dry mucous membranes in our nose and throat, often causes by air conditioning, also make it easier for bacteria and viruses to penetrate our immune defences.

Zinc is another heavyweight associated with more than 300 different functions in the body, including immune function. Zinc is an important fuel for the thymus gland, which produces special T-lymphocyte white blood cells that come to the fore once the invaders have penetrated our first line of defence.

In addition to vitamin supplements, honey, ginger and chillies are all heavyweight immunity builders that help fight off colds and flu. Honey is one of the strongest anti-bacterial agents found in nature and ginger and cayenne “warm” the body, stimulating circulation of energy and blood. Dr Kanin also says that we should never forget the importance of water and hydration as an immunity-boosting tool. Water is the “liquid of life” and hydration keeps cells healthy and strong to fight off bacteria and viruses. This is especially the case for athletes and office workers, who tend to dehydrate easily.

We all know the benefits exercise has on our bodies. People who exercise regularly typically have better cardiovascular function, a stronger musculoskeletal system (bone, muscles and joints) and a stronger immune response system to fight against germs and diseases.

But like all things, exercise is best done in moderation and too much can actually put excessive strain on the body and immune system, leading to fatigue, injuries and susceptibility to colds and flu.

The best way to boost your immunity is to make exercise a “healthy ritual” along with adequate rest, a balanced diet and supplementation with key nutrients. “The formula to staying well and maintaining a strong immune system is not complicated, but it does require discipline to make it stick.

The correct exercise regimen involves alternating intensity and duration of workouts. This improves resistance to upper respiratory tract infection – primarily colds and flu. If you overdo it, however, and over-train or stick to one type of exercise only, then the body is more susceptible to infection.

Current research shows that excessive aerobic endurance training, like running marathons or triathlons, is harder on the immune system than anaerobic training, like yoga. Thirty minutes of moderate exercise will boost immune response and lessen the duration and severity of a mild infection.

Make it part of your life today.

Conch every which way

ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation

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Conch every which way

lifestyle May 15, 2018 01:00

By The Nation

Dynasty Chinese Restaurant at the Centara Grand, Central Plaza Ladprao Bangkok, goes wild for conch this month, with a Conch Shellfish Feast created and prepared by Hong Kong Master Chef Kam.

Enjoy your conch steamed with soya sauce, sauteed with chilli Sichuan style or with XO sauce, as well as with double-boiled black chicken and ginseng. Prices start at Bt600-plus. Book your table at (02) 541 1234 extension 4151

Dining under the blossoms

Zen Restaurant celebrates the “Hanami Festival” inviting lovers of Japanese food to experience a happy time with their loved ones under the cherry blossom while enjoying delicious fish dishes meticulously prepared by expert chefs. Eight dishes are discounted by up to 50 per cent and include Spicy Salmon Roll and Crunchy Spicy Tuna Roll. The promotion is available at 21 CPN branches from now until June 15. To find out more, check out Facebook: Zenjapaneserestaurant or Instagram: @Zen_restaurant.

Fire in the sky

Watch the sky explode with colour as the Pattaya International Fireworks Festival returns to the seaside resort from June 8 to 10.

You can stay in style too by booking an Avani Pattaya Garden-view room for Bt4,500-plus including breakfast for 2 persons. Book early by calling (038) 412 120.

Back to the future

Dress up in a vintage outfit and bring your camera to Thailand’s first Period Fair at Museum Siam this Saturday starting at 3pm. You’ll have fun learning in the Reenactment & Living history groups, posing outside a neoclassical building, discussing history with new friends, dancing and listening to swing jazz as well as shopping for vintage clothing.

For more information, visit http://www.MuseumSiam.org

The finest cuts

Be among the first in Thailand to enjoy the incredible taste of Japanese Sirloin Bone-in at the Rib Room & Bar, Landmark Hotel.

A remarkable culinary speciality featuring highly rated Haga Takumi Wagyu crossbred with Holstein from Tochigi prefecture, the steak is priced at Bt2,900-plus for 300g and is being served through June 30. Book your table at (02) 254 0404 extension 777.