First Pregnancy Q&A
Since this is the first baby for both my wife and I, we both have a lot of learning to do ... and I of course need to know as much as possible about how to jaga my beautiful wife and our baby (rafa?). Following are some of the questions I had and what I found out:
How much to eat?
Hahah since I am in health and fitness, thats the first question I had. So based on what I read here, she needs some 200-300 extra calories per day but most importantly these should NOT come from junk food. A balanced diet is always the way to go. She would normally need some 1700 calories per day so now its roughly around 2000 calories per day.
What to eat? A balanced diet. We are aiming for a 55:30:15 ratio of carbs, protein and fats. For supplements it is recommended to look up the following: Folic acid , iron, zinc and calcium.
What to drink?
They say stick to water, milk, juices, vegetable juice. Chocolate milk is ok as well.
Avoid drinking alcohol, soft drinks, sport drinks, herbal teas and go easy on caffeine.
What foods to avoid when you are pregnant?
Ok I am new to this as well but this is what I found out to AVOID
- Large Fish: Swordfish, shark etc due to higher levels of methylymercury, a metal detrimental to a growing child's brain and nervous system.
- Fish caught in rivers: Something to do with recreational anglers may hook fish contaminated with bacteria or chemicals.
- Raw or undercooked meat, poultry, seafood and eggs: Due to possible bacteria etc
- Hot dogs and luncheon meats: also coz of some bacterias
- Alcohol: well obviously as it robs developing cells of oxygen, making normal development impossible.
What about exercise?
My dad said to avoid excessive movements around her pelvic as the embryo needs time to properly position and stabilize during the first trimester. But generally stretching and walking are good and encouraged but we ought to consult our gynie terlebih dahulu.
What she can and cannot do?
Its commonsense for smoking and other vices. Hmm what else?
What about sex? According to this article, yeah sex is ok as long as there are no complications of course. Most sexual positions are OK. But by the third trimester, weight gain, back pain etc "may dampen your enthusiasm for sex".
How much does a pregnancy cost?
Couldn't find much about actual costs in Malaysia and I sure it depends on the kind of treatments, hospitals, gynie that you choose. Based on some estimates, probably around RM10,000 - RM15,000 or more depending on complications if any.
...in the US, the costs of raising a baby to age 18 costs between $125,000-$250,000 and that's not including college tuition!...
Can we still travel?
According to this website, it is generally ok to travel but best during the 2nd trimester.
Thats it for now kot! :)
A Baby Is On The Way .... Insyallah
I am very excited to tell everyone that my wife and I are expecting a baby :).
Well we have not been to the gynecologist yet but we took a couple pregnancy tests and both turned out "hamil".
We got an appointment for next week and hopefully everything will go well. My wife and I are super excited!
Akad Nikah at Masjid Taman Tar Ampang
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETwtpeKMRHw
This post is about three weeks overdue but as most of you know, my wife and I were away on our super romantic and fun honeymoon (details soon).
So here it is, the beginning of my new journey, my akad nikah on the morning of the 3rd April 2010 at Masjid Taman Tun Abdul Razak, Ampang, Selangor.
The night before
Wow. I definitely couldn't sleep. My mind of occupied with bucketload of emotions. Super exited to marry the girl of my dreams but also nervous, anxious, worried hahah and everything else. I spent the night reading up on "rukun2 islam, iman, sembahyang etc" .... hahah coz you never know what they may ask.
oh and yeah ... not to forget the lazaf nikah that I kept repeating over and over in my head
Akad Nikah at Masid Taman Tar
The morning on my wedding day was not all that bad. Surprisingly, I wasn't that nervous .... until we got the "GO" from the masjid that our rombongan to move in ... hahahaha .... dup dap dup dap ... When we arrived, we didn't really salam with everyone, didn't my my wife-to-be ... I was very focused on where I was supposed to sit etc but alamak!!!!!! ..... I sat on the cushion terbalik ... this obviously caused some reaction from the crowd but oh well.
So, it started with an opening from the imam masjid, followed by doa and a pre-wedding khutbah where I fought hard to sit up straight, keep my composure and focused on my lazaf which I kept repeating in my head hahaha "Aku terima ....
After our cool imam cracked a few jokes here and there, he tricked my father-in-law to be the kadi nikah (is that the right word) ... hahah. I was relieved that there was no soal-jawap. By now, the lafaz was coming up .... my heart definitely jumped. I pretty much blocked out everything else, including what was said to me .... I was waiting for my cue to say ....
... Aku terima nikah Rio Elani binto Rio Kamal Yuyha dengan mas kahwinnya sebanyak tiga ratus ringgit ... tunaaaaaaai ...
Kadi, imam and saksi's looked at each other for a couple seconds and wham baam I was married! Hahaha single lazaf is what the wife wanted and that's what I errrrrr brought hahaha. Things got a lil emotional after that but pictures speak louder than words ;)
To be continued ....
My Wedding SlideShows - Part 1
Following are 2 slideshows from my wedding last Sunday.
Kevin and Rio - The Beginning
This is a slideshow that I made myself showing how we met, our beginning and leading up to the wedding
[youtube width="600" height="486"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMkvSFfNNag[/youtube]
Kevin and Rio - Pre-Wed Pictures and Nikah
This slideshow was done by PrettyPeektures
[youtube width="600" height="486"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETwtpeKMRHw[/youtube]
I am getting married ... tomorrow!
New baju melayu? Slideshows? Well will be done tomorrow..Hantaran pun is ready .... Everything is ready... The day has finally come ... wow! Can't quite believe that I am taking the plunge tomorrow after some 31 years!
How do I feel? Obviously super excited but like anyone else I have to admit that I am feeling rather anxious, nervous and all kinds of feelings. Tomorrow is a big day. A day where a 31year old chapter will close and another opens.
Am I ready? Yeah! Definitely ready to commit myself and share everything ... no more "you" and "me" ... just "us" and "we". Took me a while to get to this point ... I remember in my mid 20s, marriage was the furthest on my mind .... but slowly as I hit my late 20s, the idea of starting a family didn't seem so bad after all ... being a husband and a father is something I can see myself doing .... and I wanna do it well!
Lets hope tomorrow goes well and that it marks the beginning of my family life with the women of my dreams :) ... insyallah
More updates tomorrow.
Health Talk with Skin Nutrition and AMEX (Maybank)
Just came back from a great event at Darby Park organized by Emma Lizs (Skin Nutrition Malaysia) and AMEX (Maybank). Following are some photos from the event.
Topic Everything about FATS.
Duration: 30min
More info?: View my various health talks here.
Skin Nutrition - Pre and Post Workout Shake
Through my collaboration with Skin Nutrition Malaysia, I would like to introduce a shake that I have been using as an in-between mean and also as a pre- and post-workout meal.
Skin Nutrition's Omega 3 shake
Skin Nutrition's Omega 3 shake is a whole food meal supplement designed to optimally support cellular nutrition to promote beautiful skin, hair, and nails as well as a beautiful lean body. Most meal supplement shakes on the market are nothing more than 'junk food'. Skin Nutrition's Omega Shake is rich in Omega 3 essential fats, fiber, protein, vitamins & minerals, anti-oxidants, and skin enhancing ingredients. It is also contains whole grain complex carbohydrates for sustained energy, is low glycemic so it will not spike your blood sugar, which causes inflammation, and contains 100% natural flavours and no sugar or artificial sweeteners . Best of all, it's absolutely delicious!
Get RM50 Store Credit When You Register Online
For everyone that registers online at Skin Nutrition Malaysia website, you will automatically get RM50 FREE that you can use for any order that you place on the website. Oh ya, you will also get FREE express shipping throughout Malaysia.
You buy the Skin Nutrition's Omega 3 shake online for RM380 here
New laptop, Gmail, Google Docs & Cloud Computing
Cloud computing is supposed to be the in-thing for 2010. Well it has been around for a while but surely will replace conventional desktop applications in the near future. I have made the switch and have never been happier.
What is cloud computing? For me it simply means having all my files, emails, pictures and other stuff online via web based applications that make them accessible globally at any time from any PC or Laptop.
I always found it difficult to move away from the traditional office apps like Microsoft office (especially outlook) ... until I got my new Dell laptop (finally after a long wait).
Goodbye Microsoft Outlook - Hello Gmail!
This was the hardest decision for me but proved to be golden. For years I have been archiving emails in Outlook which was really handy but working with gigabyte of emails/archives became a pain. Not really sure why I keep all these old messages anyhow! .... I had been using my Gmail account for a while but never made use of its POP3 account features and I was stuck on Outlook.
I gave Thunderbird a try but still dreamed about having all my emails online which would keep them safe (I hope) and does not burden my laptop resources. So finally I GMail another shot but this time I took the time to import all the emails, setup the POP accounts, created filters, label and etc .... so far it has been 3-4days and I am in love with GMail! It is so simple and very user-friendly. With GBuzz I will never look back. Goodbye Microsft Outlook.
so far it has been 3-4days and I am in love with GMail! It is so simple and very user-friendly. With GBuzz I will never look back. Goodbye Microsft Outlook.
Office2010 No More - Hello Google Docs
When I got my new laptop ... I did come with Microsoft 2007 trial and got my hands on tha upcoming Office2010 trial CD but damn .... I had been using Google Docs for a while but not that extensively. By comparison, of course Office2007 has a lot more features but I never really use any of them .... I use Excel for simple tables, use Word for simple docs and yeah PowerPoint for rather simplistic slideshows. All this can be done at Google Docs with ease.
I have been fulltime on Google Docs every since. It does everything I need it to do and helps me keep my docs accessible wherever I am. I'm lovin it!
How to Lose 5kg In 5 Weeks eBook
This will be the title of my upcoming eBook which I target to release in May 2010. Basically it will be a step-by-step guide.
The ebook will guide you based on the following:
- Step 1: Understand what 5kg actually is
- Step 2: How many calories do you need to lose per day?
- Step 3: What and how much do you need to eat?
- Step 4: 5 Week Exercise Plan
- Step 5: Review, Supplements and quick tips
Stay tuned for the eBook release this May. For early bird announcements and discounts, join me on twitter or facebook.
If you have any other title suggestions, do let me know. BTW, I am also looking to do a Malay version after that.
24 Questions eBook
If you are looking for a guide right now, check out my "24 Questions" eBook for only RM20 which addresses the 24 most commonly asked questions on health, weight loss, dietings, exercise, supplements and more.
Laptop or Desktop or both? Mac or Windows?
Since I am getting married in April and am in my spending zone, I am in need to replace my current laptop, which honestly was a huge mistake buying in the first place. Don't buy a Sony - looks good but thats about it.
So as my fiancee may tell you .... I have been bugging her with this for a while .... I need to definitely get a new laptop but also wouldn't mind the additional juices of a desktop ... or both?! And Windows or Mac?
I basically do a lot of web development work - work on Dreamweaver, Photoshop, some video editing, I dont play games ever (I have my xBox for that) and definitely a lot of multi-tasking.
Options: Desktop, Laptop or both?
So here is what I have for options.
- Laptop Only: I would be looking at another multimedia laptop with at least 15+ inch monster. Downside is that I'd be stuck with another big laptop
- Laptop + External Monitor: I was thinking buy a decent (13-14inch) laptop that carries some punch and when working at home, hock it up to an external wide screen monitor. I kinda like this option.
- Desktop Only: Well no brainer but i'd be stuck with my hopeless Sony laptop when moving around.
- Laptop + Desktop: Means I would have a mid-range laptop and a decent desktop to work at home. Problem I foresee are two - 1. File/email synchronization would be a pain (would working with an external hard-drive fix this?) and 2. I am very mobile (not really a problem, just a fact)
OS: Windows or Mac
Macs are cool but been on Windows for so long. Am a lil hesitant about the switch. Had power supply issues with Macs before and service parts cost a bomb!
Its Panas!! How to stay hydrated?
Wow it definitely has been extremely hot and humid these days in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Heat and humidity is definitely not a good combination when it comes for sports and exercise.
I should know, I have been playing a lot of tennis these last couple of days and the sun, heat and humidity is pushing me to the limits.
How the heat effects your body?
Now if you are like me and exercise or compete outdoors in these extreme conditions, you must take care of your body's hydration needs. Our bodies contain about 60% water. Give it too little or too much, and you are in trouble.
Studies have found that a loss of two or more percent of one's body weight due to sweating is linked to a drop in blood volume. When this occurs, the heart works harder to move blood through the bloodstream.
In hot and humid conditions, one looses a lot of fluids through sweat - sweat helps to cool the body through condensation but once temperatures reach the 30-35 degrees Celsius like here in Malaysia couple with high humidity, sweat will accumulate on the skin - here, there is no condensation and your body does not cool down. Now add if you don't compensate your fluid loss with water intake, this will leave you in heat distress - leads to cramping, heat exhaustion or heat stroke.
Heat stroke occurs when the body is exposed to an excessive amount of heat and becomes unable dissipate the heat through sweating. When heat stroke happens, the body’s temperature rises rapidly, the body loses its ability to sweat, and it is unable to cool down.
Body temperature can rise to 106°F or higher within 10 to 15 minutes, and at 106°F brain death begins.If emergency treatment is not provided, heat stroke can cause death or permanent disability in humans and animals.
Simple Urine Test
Monitoring urine volume output and color. A large amount of light colored, diluted urine probably means you are hydrated; dark colored, concentrated urine probably means you are dehydrated.
Hydration During Exercise Guidelines
Now since hydration needs vary from person to person, there is no one solution for everyone. Your thirst your bodies way of telling you what it needs. So listen to it.
But according to some research I did, following are some simple guidelines for you:
Hydration Before Exercise
* Drink about 400-500ml, 2-3 hours before exercise
* Drink 200-300ml, 10-15 min before exercise
Hydration During Exercise
* Drink 200-300ml, every 10-15 min during exercise
* If exercising longer than 90 minutes, drink 200-300ml of a sports drink (with no more than 8 percent carbohydrate) every 15 - 30 minutes.
Hydration After Exercise
* Weigh yourself before and after exercise and replace fluid losses.
* Drink 400-500ml water for every 1 lb lost.
* Consume a 4:1 ratio of carbohydrate to protein within the 2 hours after exercise to replenish glycogen stores.
TheStar - e-Commerce initiative aimed at SMEs
Following article features my latest project - EmbunWeb.
Original Article from theStar
KUALA LUMPUR: e-Business specialist Skali Sdn Bhd hopes to consolidate 8,000 small- and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) and entrepreneurs nationwide by year-end through its newly launched e-commerce service, EmbunWeb.
EmbunWeb offers web-hosting services, Internet marketing strategies and courses on developing websites, creating blogs and setting up e-stores.
Skali already has 4,000 SME clients and plans to get another 4,000 more SMEs onto this initiative through discussions with SME Corp, an agency set up to spur the development of SMEs in the country.
Kevin Zahri, co-founder of EmbunWeb.com, said a lot of people out there have good products to push to local and overseas markets but don’t know how to go about it.
“For less than RM500, we can sit down with them for five to six hours and build a website together,” he said.
He said SMEs and entrepreneurs that sign up for EmbunWeb will also be shown how to get a high ranking in Google searches, how to integrate their business with Twitter and other social networking tools, and more.
“There will be monthly seminars on search engine optimisation, some of which will be free of charge,” he said.
It is very easy to set up a website, he said, but businesses need to know what they hope to achieve with the site and how to make their site stand out in an ocean of webpages.
“That is where EmbunWeb comes in,” he added.
Saiful Zainuddin, executive chairman of Skali Managed e-Business (SMeB), said EmbunWeb will help SMEs compete with the bigger and more established players. For more information, go to www.embunweb.com.