Kisah Dan Bagaimana CEO Amazon Berjaya Menjadi Manusia Kedua Terkaya Dunia

Akhirnya Jeff Bezos boleh menghembus nafas lega selepas syarikat yang dibangunkannya pada 22 tahun lepas telah berjaya mencatat keuntungan yang konsisten selepas mengalami detik yang sukar pada sedekad pertama penubuhan. Lebih manis apabila beliau sendiri pada minggu ini berjaya menjadi manusia kedua terkaya dunia.



Antara faktor terbesar dalam peningkatan kekayaan Jeff Bezos adalah disebabkan peningkatan saham Amazon yang melonjak sehingga 50% sejak beberapa tahun yang lepas. Ditambah pula dengan kekayaan yang sedia ada serta inovasi terbaru daripada beliau sendiri, tidak hairanlah tempat Warren Buffett kini diganti dengan nama yang baru.

Jika anda fikirkan bisnes Amazon sekadar menjual barangan secara online anda mungkin silap. Berdasarkan beberapa tahun yang lepas sahaja, Jeff Bezos telah menambah pelbagai lagi model bisnes buat Amazon termasuk sistem cloud computing Amazon yang dinamakan sebagai AWS.
Amazon juga dikhabarkan telah mengubah tabiat pembelian pengguna mendapatkan barangan runcit dengan perkenalan Amazon Go. Konsepnya mudah. Pengguna tidak lagi perlu  beratur dan membayar di kaunter. Hanya ambil dan go! Segala pembayaran bakal diselesaikan sejurus anda keluar daripada Amazon Go Store.

Kebergantungan Amazon Online Store tidak hanya tertakluk kepada servis kurier sedia ada, Jeff Bezos turut memperkenalkan sistem penghantaran menggunakan dron.
Alasannya mudah, bagi membolehkan pengguna menerima 30 minit selepas pesanan dibuat. Tiada lagi penantian sehingga hari esok. Saya fikir kalau sistem bisnes seperti ini ada di Malaysia mesti kaki shopping online yang paling excited. Anda boleh ikuti kisah dron Amazon Prime ini di sini.




Terbaru, Jeff Bezos bakal membuka sebuah lagi cabang bisnes terbaru beliau dibawah kendalian syarikat Blue Origin. Bisnes terbaru beliau yang bakal bermula 2018 ini membolehkan orang ramai untuk ke angkasa lepas bagi merasai sendiri pengalaman berada di tempat zero gravity. Dianggarkan harga bagi seorang penumpang bakal mula ditawarkan dengan harga bermula $250,000 USD (~RM1.1 juta). 



Begitulah sedikit sebanyak mengenai individu yang berjaya menduduki tempat kedua sebagai manusia terkaya dunia. Berjaya mengoptimasikan sesebuah bisnes, cipta lagi sebuah bisnes yang baru. Soal modal, gunakan prinsip ‘money make money‘ atau kongsikan share syarikat kepada orang kepentingan syarikat agar syarikat dapat terus maju dan berkembang.

Berdasarkan laporan daripada Blomberg, kekayaan Jeff Bezos kini dinilai pada anggaran $75.6 billion mengatasi dua pencabar terdekat iaitu Warren Buffett dan Amancio Ortega yang masing-masing dinilai pada dengan kekayaan $75.5 bilion dan $74.1 billion. Bill Gates terus kekal sebagai manusia terkaya dunia dengan nilai kekayaan $86 billion meskipun sudah melepaskan pecahan saham yang besar di dalam Microsoft

@the vocket

Apabila Tony Fernandes, pengasas AIR ASIA berkongsi resepi kejayaam.. mengagumkan

10 TIPS USAHAWAN DARI OWNER AIRASIA, TONY FERNANDES
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1. TAK PERLU TAHU

Saya berasal dari industri musik. Saya langsung tak tahu tentang kapal terbang. Kepada usahawan diluar sana, anda tak perlu tahu semua perkara tentang apa yang anda ingin buat. Ia berkaitan idea, semangat dan juga berkaitan mengambil tindakan.
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2. JUST DO IT!
Jangan biarkan sesiapa beritahu anda bahawa anda tak boleh buat. Kita hanya ada satu sahaja kehidupan, jadi anda tidak boleh nak undur atau kata “Alangkah bagus kalau dulu saya buat begitu”.
Oleh sebab itu, saya nasihatkan anda semua diluar sana, JUST DO IT. Hidup setinggi yang mungkin, sentiasa positif. Kalau anda jatuh, sekurang-kurangnya anda telah cuba.
Saya pernah gagal teruk dalam bidang Formula One, tapi saya tidak ada penyesalan sebab saya dah duduk level tinggi dengan kehebatan Ferrari, McLaren dan lain-lain
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3. SEMANGAT ADALAH KUNCI PENYELESAIAN MASALAH
Impian memang akan jadi impian. Jangan risau tentang kegagalan. Buat sehabis baik. 9 dari 10, sekiranya anda bersemangat, anda akan jumpa jalan penyelesaiannya.


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4. LABUR DALAM MARKETING
Sekiranya anda ada idea yang paling hebat dalam dunia, tolong, tolong, tolong bajetkan kewangan anda pada marketing. Jika anda tak laburkan duit anda pada marketing, tidak ada siapa pun yang akan dengar idea hebat anda.
Di luar sana, terlalu banyak idea yang hebat, tapi tidak terlaksana kerana kurangnya marketing.
Marketing bukan untuk keuntungan, tapi ia adalah hubungan (Public Relation, PR). Dalam AirAsia, kami tidak ada kewangan. Jadi, saya ke mana-mana sahaja mesti dengan cap merah saya dan selalu beri statement yang kontrovesi pada media supaya media selalu mengambil gambar saya. Itu marketing AirAsia pada peringkat awal.
Kita dah alami pelbagai isu dan marketing memainkan peranan penting dalam mengatasi isu-isu tersebut.
Masih ingat lagi tentang penyakit SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome)? Ketika itu, tidak ada siapa yang ingin terbang. Kami sangka ketika itu bisnes kami akan mati.
Semua orang kurangkan bajet marketing, tapi saya beritahu pada team saya supaya jangan kurangkan bajet marketing sebab inilah masa paling sesuai untuk naikkan jenama kami. Kami tingkatkan bajet marketing kami 3x ganda ketika itu dan ramai kata pada saya “Kau ambil dadah?”. Saya jawab tidak, waktu ini waktu paling sesuai sebab orang lain tidak buat iklan mereka.
Masa pengeboman Bali berlaku, semua orang ketika itu cancelkan penerbangan mereka. Saya kata dengan team, kita tak boleh matikan route Bali. Kita mesti teruskan penerbangan ke sana.
Jadi, kami buat satu kempen ‘LOVE BALI’, kami berikan 10,000 seat percuma dan hasilnya sangat berkesan. Kesemua 10,000 seat habis diambil orang dalam masa seminit. Dan mereka yang dapat seat percuma hebahkan pada kawan mereka melalui media sosial. Iklan yang paling baik adalah dari pelanggan anda.



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5. LEVERAGE SOCIAL MEDIA
Orang Malaysia, bila dapat tawaran baik, mereka akan hebahkan pada satu dunia tentang tawaran itu. Jadi masa 10,000 yang pergi ke Bali beritahu 10,000 lain yang mereka seronok di Bali. Itulah peringkat awal bagaimana AirAsia boleh masuk ke media sosial.
Jadi kami sedar tentang kehebatan media sosial pada peringkat awal. Selepas Facebook & Twitter datang, kami segera gunakan medium tersebut. Sekarang ini, kami dah ada 32 juta orang dalam beberapa platform media sosial dan 7% jualan bisnes kami datang direct dari media sosial.
Kempen ‘LOVE BALI’ mengajar kami iklan yang paling baik adalah dari pelanggan kami.
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6. JANGAN TAKUT DENGAN KOMPLEN
Komplen @ feedback sebenarnya penyelidikan marketing secara percuma. Pelanggan sanggup menghabiskan masa untuk menulis beritahu apa masalah dan bagaimana nak selesaikannya. Biasa diluar sana, kebanyakan syarikat bayar mahal pada consultant untuk beritahu perkara yang sama
Sebab itu kami sangat menghargai setiap emel dan melayani mereka dengan baik.



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7. FOKUS PADA 1 IMEJ DALAM BRANDING
Ketika peringkat awal, AirAsia mempunya logo burung dalam branding.
Sekiranya anda lihat jenama terkemuka dunia, mereka hanya ada satu imej sahaja yang masuk dalam kepala kita. Bila kita sebut ’Shell’, kita fikir tentang logo Shell. Bila sebut “Coca-Cola”, anda fikir perkataan “Coke” dalam italic. Bila sebut tentang “Nike”, anda fikir tentang ‘tanda betul’.
Jadi, masa peringkat awal, kami tukarkan logo burung kepada ‘AirAsia’ sebagai logo kami. Hanya satu imej. Kenapa perlu belanja 2x ganda untuk 2 logo branding?
Kami juga hilangkan warna biru dan hijau. Saya berusaha untuk tak gunakan warna merah, sebab semua akan fikir saya nak jadi seperti Richard Branson (Founder Virgin Group & Frenandes former boss), tapi merah adalah warna terbaik, jadi kami pun pilih merah.
Jadi, ianya berjaya, pemilihan warna menyebabkan segalanya berubah.
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8. TURUN KE BAWAH
Apa yang saya selalu buat adalah, sebulan sekali saya akan bawa beg, saya jadi crew cabin dan kadang-kadang jaga kaunter ‘check-in’.
Saya buat perkara ini ada 2 sebab; Yang pertama adalah anda tidak boleh jadi CEO yang efektif selagi anda belum pernah merasai pengalaman kerja bawah secara betul-betul.
Ada satu kisah benar. Team handle beg bagasi beritahu saya yang mereka perlukan tali loaders untuk handle beg bagasi. Saya beritahu mereka “Tidak, kita tak boleh beli, terlalu mahal”.
Jadi ada suatu hari, saya ditugaskan untuk bawa beg bagasi dan ditempatkan pada penerbangan ke Indonesia. Kebiasaan orang yang terbang bersama kami secara umumnya bawa barang seperti seluruh isi rumah, tapi orang yang terbang ke Indonesia biasanya bawa barang rumah sendiri beserta rumah jiran sekali.
Terllu banyak bagasi yang perlu diuruskan. Dalam proses handle bagasi, tulang belakang saya patah dan saya beritahu team saya, mereka betul dan saya salah dan kami putuskan untuk beli tali loader tersebut.
Sekiranya saya tak turun bawah dan merasai kerja tadi, duduk dengan selesa dan nyaman di ofis sahaja, saya akan buat keputusan yang salah dan sebabkan banyak bagasi rosak dan pekerja mungkin mulakan union.
Sebab kedua adalah untuk mencari bakat. Saya bukan mencari bakat yang datang dari Oxford @ Cambridge, saya cari jenis individu yang keputusannya hanya SPM Pangkat 3 yang perlukan peluang kedua.


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9. JANGAN PANDANG RENDAH TEAM ANDA

Saya langgar semua peraturan dalam mencari team. Bagi saya, selagi anda punyai impian, anda boleh buat apa sahaja.
Ada seorang seorang ex-krew cabin, dia datang pada saya suatu hari dan beritahu saya impian dia adalah ingin menjadi pilot. Saya beritahu dia, “go for it”.
Pada suatu hari, dia hubungi saya dan tanya saya yang dia ingin menyertai pertandingan Ratu Cantik Thailand, dan saya beritahu dia “ok” tapi dengan syarat kami boleh gunakan gambar dia dalam marketing kami.
Dia menang pertandingan Ratu Cantin Thailand dan baru-baru ini telah menjadi kapten. Kami merupakan satu-satunya syarikat penerbangan dalam dunia yang pilotnya adalah Ratu Cantik.
Pengajaran disini adalah kami adalah struktur yang membolehkan beliau hubungi saya sendiri dan beritahu apa impian beliau dan kami dapat asah bakat beliau kepada permata.
Satu lagi kisah dalam team kami ada seorang budak muda, bertugas sebagai tukang handle bagasi di Kuching beritahu saya yang dia ingin jadi pilot, dan saya pun benarkan untuk dia kejar impian dia. Akhirnya dia telah lulus kesemua ujian peperiksaan dan mendapat result yang paling tinggi dalam akademi penerbangan. Sekarang, beliau adalah kapten / pilot.
Kami ada banyak kisah sebegini dalam AirAsia.
Aset paling berharga selain idea adalah team anda sebab pengakhirannya adalah team anda yang akan bawa idea anda.
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10. DATA IS KING

Kami ada sejumlah database yang sangat banyak dan kami tak tahu nak buat apa dengannya tapi orang lain sangat berminat dengan database yang kami ada. Jadi, kami fikirkan database yang kami ada ini sangat bernilai pada orang lain, mesti ada peluang yang kami boleh gunakan.
Sekarang, kami sedang teroka suatu yang baru. Kami bercadang untuk lancarkan TripAdvisor versi kami sendiri, alat travel, saluran media baru seperti YouTube dan banyak lagi. Database memainkan peranan penting dalam bidang baru yang kami ingin terokai. Data will be king!

@FB Nazrin Faiz... TQ Bro

Jumlah Km yang perlu anda berlari bagi menghilangkan kalori makanan ini... aduh

haha letihlah kalian nak menghapuskan kalori setelah makan makanan di atas..

@FB SEPAT

10 tip tangani GST- Dr Azizan

Anda ingin pelajari cara-cara pantas menguruskan masalah kewangan?

Apabila merenung kembali di saat saya kanak-kanak dahulu, dengan hanya wang 50 sen saya mampu membeli sebungkus nasi lemak beserta teh panas. Kini dengan jumlah yang sama, jika saya membeli sebungkus nasi lemak, mungkin saya hanya dapat bekas pembalutnya sahaja. Nampak sangat nilai matawang kita semakin lama semakin sikit nilainya. Perkara ini terjadi akibat daripada kenaikkan kos sara hidup tanpa henti setiap tahun.

Hari ini, rakyat Malaysia telah dikejutkan dengan pertambahan kos sara hidup yang baru iaitu cukai GST. 1 haribulan April 2015 merupakan tarikh bersejarah bagi negara ini, kerana tarikh ini merupakan bermulanya kuatkuasa GST. Terus terang saya katakan ramai di kalangan rakyat negara ini runsing akan wujudnya GST. Mereka masih belum bersedia untuk menghadapi cabaran baru ini. Golongan berpendapatan rendah dan sederhana antara golongan yang paling gelisah dan golongan ini jugalah yang kini tengah sibuk-sibuk memikirkan pencarian pendapatan baru bagi menampung kos sara hidup GST.

“Jangan bazirkan tenaga fokus kepada masalah, lebih baik fokus seluruh tenaga bagi mencari jalan penyelesaiannya.”

Bila difikirkan semula, memang tidak dinafikan orang ramai akan menjadi marah? dengan GST ini. Lagi-lagi jika kerajaan boros dan tidak uruskan kewangan dengan baik melalui cukai yang diterima dari rakyat jelatanya. Bagi saya, GST wujud atau tidak bukanlah perkara utama memberi lesen untuk anda membebel cerita masalah kewangan diri serata negara. Bukankah lebih baik masa membebel ini digunakan untuk membina satu pelan kontingensi bagi menangani masalah GST sebelum ianya memudaratkan anda dalam jangka masa yang panjang.

Saya amat peduli dengan keharmonian ekonomi keluarga orang ramai, terutamanya mereka yang tidak pernah didedahkan dengan ilmu-ilmu kekayaan dan kejayaan. Bagi mengurangkan kerunsingan, saya bercadang untuk berkongsi beberapa tip-tip peribadi yang berkesan ke atas diri saya dan saya berharap ia juga dapat memberi kesan positif terhadap sesiapa yang membacanya.

Tip GST #1 : Akaun Kewangan Peribadi 

Sebelum anda mencari pendapatan baru, apa kata anda cek dahulu akaun kewangan peribadi anda. Cuba teliti perbelanjaan-perbelanjaan bulanan anda sebelum ini, kemudian bandingkannya dengan anggaran perbelanjaan yang bakal dikenakan GST. Adakah berlaku peningkatan kos? Bagaimana pula dengan pendapatan bulanan apatah lagi jika anda bergaji tetap, adakah ia masih mampu menampung peningkatan kos ini?

Jika tidak, mulalah anda memotong kos-kos yang tidak memberi manfaat diri seperti kos perbelanjaan hiburan. Sebelum anda sibuk menjaga kewangan negara, lebih baik anda sibuk uruskan kewangan keluarga terdahulu.

Tip GST #2 : Jangan Bakar Duit

Ini isu yang paling sensitif, kalau cakap ni mesti confirm ada yang marah. Hentikan aktiviti-aktiviti bakar duit, dalam bahasa lain beli rokok, apatah lagi jika ia merosakkan kesihatan. Kos bagi merawat kesihatan bukanlah murah. Saya pernah terbaca satu papan tanda di Jakarta yang bertulis “Jika anda miskin, anda jangan jatuh sakit sebab kos merawat kesihatan itu tidak murah."

Anda faham ker tak faham apa yang diperkatakan oleh papan tanda itu? Tak kisahlah anda tuan kepada medical card takaful atau tidak, sebab bila dah sakit teruk nanti anda akan tetap tafakur walau ada takaful.

Tip GST #3 : Buat Perbandingan

Jangan berbelanja 'memkhinzir' buta. Rajinkan sikit diri itu, pilih di mana tempat hendak berbelanja dan bandingkan harga dengan kedai lain. Pilih dan beli barang harga yang paling menjimatkan kos. Berhati-hati dengan peniaga yang tamak, ini kerana terdapat peniaga yang sesuka hati menaikkan harga barang atau servis tanpa mempunyai pendaftaran cukai GST yang sah. Jika jumpa peniaga macam ni, jangan bagi peluang, pergi lakukan report ke pihak berkuasa berkenaan peniaga itu. Bak kata pepatah orang Melaka, “memang hawau peniaga ni”.

Tip GST #4 : Memasak

Siapa yang rajin ke dapur sahaja faham bahawa makan di rumah lebih murah kosnya dari makan di kedai. Sepatutnya, makan di rumah lebih kos efektif dan sihat kecuali anda penggemar makan mee segera yang akan memutuskan urat perut serta gugurkan rambut. Alang-alang dah memasak, lebih baik jadikan ia bekal ke tempat kerja atau sekolah.

Tip GST #5 : Pengangkutan

Masih ingat lagi satu ketika dulu, TV ada mengeluarkan iklan “Jom berkongsi kereta." Mungkin jika iklan ini dikeluarkan pada hari ini, pasti ramai yang akan mengikutnya. Kira kos perbelanjaan pengangkutan bulanan anda, jika anda memandu kereta sendiri dan rasa kosnya terlalu mahal maka ajak rakan sepejabat join naik satu kereta dengan anda. Pakat-pakat dengan rakan, kongsi kos petrol kereta. Kalau anda tidak mempunyai rakan, belajarlah pergi ke tempat kerja dengan menaiki pengangkutan awam.

Tip GST #6 : Jangan Tambah Hutang

Sudah-sudahlah dengan perangai lagak berbarang baru seperti berhutang duit membeli kereta baru sekadar untuk ditayangkan orang sekeliling. Jangan tambah hutang yang tidak mendatangkan hasil.

Tip GST #7 : Tambah Ilmu

Belajar membina kewangan. Bersedia untuk laburkan sedikit wang dalam pencarian ilmu yang boleh meningkatkan pendapatan bulanan anda. Anda boleh dapatkan ilmu ini menerusi bahan bacaan seperti buku, majalah, internet dan media sosial. Jika ada pulus lebih, cuba lapangkan masa untuk hadiri seminar-seminar dari mentor yang berjaya. Hanya dengan ilmu yang tepat sahaja anda mampu menangani GST.

Tip GST #8 : Jom Berniaga

Bermulalah berniaga dengan modal yang rendah, nak lagi best belajar niaga tanpa modal. Berniaga itu mudah. Ramai anak didik saya berniaga secara online atau menjadi ejen dapat hasilkan pendapatan RM20,000 hingga RM50,000 sebulan.

Tip GST #9 : Tingkatkan Sedekah

Sedekah memilik kuasa dan impak yang besar terhadap kehidupan. Melaluinya, Allah SWT mampu datangkan anda rezeki tidak disangka melalui cara aturanNya yang cukup luarbiasa. Dengan bersedekah juga, Allah SWT akan lapangkan setiap rezeki kita. Lagi banyak anda bersedekah, Insya Allah lagi banyak anda akan menerimanya kemudian.

Tip GST #10 : Tingkatkan Pergantungan Kepada Allah SWT

Dari kesemua tip-tip diatas, tip terakhir inilah yang paling penting dan utama yang wajib anda lakukan. Tingkatkan lagi pergantungan diri kepada Allah SWT. Percaya di setiap kesusahan yang diterima pasti ada kesenangan yang menjelma. Tidak akan bergerak satu zarah pun jika Allah SWT tidak mengizinkannya.

GST bukanlah punca sebenar masalah kewangan kita, diri kita sendiri merupakan punca utama kenapa wujudnya masalah kewangan diri dan keluarga. Uruskan kewangan dengan cara yang terbaik bagi mencipta kebebasan dari masalah kewangan di masa hadapan.

Bagi anda yang ingin pelajari Live bersama saya bagaimana anda boleh merubah hidup dan tahap kewangan anda, daftar dan hadir ke Seminar Hidup Luar Biasa. Saya akan berkongsi dengan anda ilmu dan pengalaman saya sendiri bagaimana saya merubah hidup saya menjadi luar biasa hari ini.

TIPS: 12 Best Fat Burning Foods

12 Best Fat Burning Foods 

These 12 foods will start narrowing your waist the minute they leave your fork and enter your mouth!  Make sure these are added to your shopping list on your next trip.

Grapefruit

Vitamin C helps with the proper metabolism of fat, foods rich in it make great choices for burning fat. Eating half a grapefruit for breakfast or about thirty minutes before eating meals will help you feel more full and prevent overeating.

Black Pepper

Piperine, the important substance in Black Pepper, has shown signs of reducing the formation of fat cells in your body. Black pepper also helps to increase your metabolism. This is great news for those Ssck of eating bland food and looking for an easy way to shed some pounds!

Cinnamon

Cinnamon is known to lower blood sugar levels; this can help in suppressing monster appetites. Adding cinnamon to teas, coffee, and yogurt (plain!!) are some easy ways to get it in your system.

Note** Try your best to purchase Ceylon cinnamon; the ingredient Coumarin, found in high amounts in Cassia Cinnamon, is known to have harmful effects on the liver.

Eggs

The beauty of eggs is that they are low in calorie and contain 7 grams of protein, as well as other beneficial nutrients. Studies have shown that eating eggs for breakfast will significantly lower the amount of calories you may want to consume later in the day. Although the yolk is high in cholesterol, it does hold its benefits – consuming inmoderation is advised.

Apples (and of course fruits in general)

Fruits are your friends when it comes to losing weight; they offer countless benefits and still satisfy your tastes buds. The beauty of fruit is that it’ll satisfy your sweet tooth and does not harm the body the same way processed sugars do (sugar is the reason people accumulate fat). Apples, when eaten with skin, hold a good amount of fiber and water and help you feel full.

Green Tea

The importance of green tea in battling body fat could not be stressed enough; the phytochemical catechins, found in green tea, is known to speed metabolisms. It is better to consume green tea hot because it will help you lengthen the experience and increase the benefits. Adding honey and lemon to your green tea will not only add to the health factor, but will make the tea incredibly delicious.

Blueberries

If you have been getting your blueberry intake through muffins and pancaks, then you’ve been doing blueberries wrong. Not only are blueberries high in insoluble fiber, antioxidants, and tasty goodness, a half cup worth of them are only worth 40 calories. For something different try blueberries on salads or in smoothies.

Almonds

Although nuts in general will aid in body fat loss, almonds are the best for your wallet.  They are packed with protein, fiber, and heart healthy fats. One serving of almonds (about 23) will help you stay full. The best thing about almonds is they’re portable. A serving is easy to carry with you wherever you go so incorporating them in your routine should be easy.

http://newszoom.com/

Do Coffee and Caffeine Help Manage Diabetes and Six Important Facts

By Clara Schneider MS, RD, RN, CDE, LDN

Morning coffee-it is the only way to get the day started for many people all over the world. Recently many articles about coffee have been released in the news. Many people are asking, what’s the story-is coffee a good choice for people trying to prevent diabetes? Is there information about the effects of caffeine and coffee if one has diabetes? We’ll discuss six interesting studies and facts about coffee and caffeine. 

Fact 1: Caffeine and memory - A recent small study carried and published in 2014  at Johns Hopkins University with 73 subjects concluded that as little as 200 milligrams of caffeine enhances a special type of memory called pattern separation for up to 24 hours. When a person distinguishes the differences between two similar items that are not identical, they are exercising pattern discrimination. (1,2,3)

The Mayo Clinic has an interesting graph depicting the amounts of caffeine in many popular drinks. 

Fact 2: Preventing type 2 diabetes - In both men and women, increased caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee consumption is strongly associated with a reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Researchers at The Harvard School of Public Health just released an evaluation (in 2014) of twenty-eight studies from around the world. The risk of developing diabetes with drinking no coffee or coffee at different amounts was reviewed. Studies took place with a total of 1,109,272 subjects with outcome risk for diabetes type 2 of which there were 45,335 cases of diabetes. The studies followed the participants from 10 months to 20 years. 

There was a 33 percent drop in associated risk of developing type 2 diabetes when six cups of coffee (caffeinated or decaffeinated) was consumed per day.  The researchers did not find significance between the relative risks of developing diabetes by drinking one cup/day caffeinated coffee (9 percent reduction) vs. decaffeinated coffee (6 percent reduction). The risk reduction is significant however, when comparing these individuals to non-coffee drinkers. It was concluded that people who are sensitive to caffeine may enjoy the health benefits of coffee with decaffeinated options. The researchers also stated that drinking coffee should be only one part of a strategy to prevent diabetes. People also need to be mindful of their weight and keep physically active. (4,5)

Fact 3: Coffee drinking and mortality - A large study of more than 40,000 men and women between the ages of 20 and 87 years of age, published in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings (2013), found that people who drank more than 28 cups of coffee per week have a 21 percent increase in mortality from death from all causes. Subjects younger than 55 years of age drinking this amount of coffee, have a 50 percent increase in mortality from all causes. This increased rate of death was not found in people over the age of 55 years. Very importantly however, the researchers could not claim evidence of causality. Subjects who consumed more coffee were also likely to smoke and had lower levels of cardiac fitness. The study team found that the evidence “suggests that heavy coffee drinkers may experience additional mortality risk through potential genetic mechanisms or because of confounding through the deleterious effects of other risk factors with which coffee drinking is associated.” While the research team warns younger people to avoid heavy coffee consumption of more than four cups per day, they also note further studies are needed on the long term effects of coffee consumption. (6)

Fact 4: Athletes with type 1 diabetes - A very small study of adult athletes with type 1 diabetes was presented in 2010 at the American Diabetes Association conference. This study involved five athletes with type 1 diabetes (mean age 38 years of age) who needed multiple, daily injections of insulin. In the study, the athletes had insulin with a meal. Two hours after their meal they consumed five mg/kg of caffeine or a placebo in a drink followed by a 30 minute rest period. This was followed by 40 minutes of measured exercise. The experiment was repeated so all the subjects had data measuring their response to both the placebo and the caffeine to study their need for supplemental glucose to cover the exercise. 

The research team found that on the days the subjects had caffeine, they did not need any supplemental glucose. When the placebo was given, their blood glucose values fell and glucose was needed.

This is a very small study and the research team argues for a large scale study to take place. The team also noted that the amount of caffeine used was high. They plan another study with a lower dose of caffeine. The authors mentioned that when a person with type 1 diabetes has unplanned exercise and cannot reduce their insulin dose, caffeine may reduce the extra calories needed to treat hypoglycemia. Please note again, more research needs to be done in this intriguing area. (7)

Fact 5: Coffee and type 2 diabetes - A small study of brewed coffee drinkers (five men and five women) mean age 63 years with type 2 diabetes was conducted at Duke University (2007) to evaluate the effect of caffeine on blood glucose. The participants' diabetes was managed with diet, exercise and oral agents. Their A1c values were approximately 6.4 percent. None of the participants required insulin as a medication, smoked or used psychotropic medications. The study compared the effects of 500 mg/day of caffeine with a cross over placebo control conducted on different days. The dose of caffeine or placebo was given divided between breakfast and lunch. A continuous blood glucose monitoring device was worn on study days. The results showed that when the participants consumed caffeine, their daytime blood glucose concentrations were higher and they had an exaggerated postprandial glucose response. It was also interesting to note that the subjects exhibited reduced overnight glucose levels when the caffeine was given compared to the placebo.  Future studies need to be done. (8)

Fact 6: Coffee consumption during pregnancy - The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists recommends pregnant women consume, no more than 300 mg of caffeine (approximately three cups of coffee) per day. This amount is generally not associated with miscarriage and stillbirth which has an association with consuming caffeine in large quantities. (9)

These studies are interesting to read. As you can see, more research needs to be performed on coffee consumption in people with diabetes. Most studies done with people diagnosed with diabetes are small. Make sure to ask your medical team if coffee is for you and if you have any limits for your particular case. Negative effects from drinking coffee can include sleeplessness, nervousness, a fast heart rate, and muscle tremors. (10) For people with diabetes, from the studies listed it can also cause changes in your blood glucose.

http://www.diabetescare.net/

Tips & Sharing: 7 Reasons Your Metabolism is Slow And You Gain Weight

 Is your metabolism like a snail? Do you blame the workings of a slow metabolism in your weight gain? Metabolism is the process by which your body converts what you eat and drink into energy. Even when you are resting, your body needs energy for breathing, circulating blood and repairing cells. The number of calories that your body is using for these basic functions is known as your basal metabolic rate. Lots of factors determine your basal metabolic rate:

1. Body size and composition- overweight people with more muscle mass burn more calories, even during the rest, so they are more likely to have a faster metabolic rate not a slower one.

2. Sex- men probably have less body fat and more muscle mass than does women of the same age that is the reason they burn more calories.

3. Age – when you get older, your muscle mass decreases, which cuts down the rate at which you burn calories.

While many people believe that their extra pounds are charged in a not active metabolism, in most cases the problem arises from taking more calories than are burned off. Even those people who exercise regularly compensate for their increased activity by overeating. They are sure that they burned off more calories than they did in reality. However, in some cases, a low metabolic rate can play a great role in weight gain. Let’s have a look on the most common causes of a slow metabolism.

4. Eating too many calories - when people receive calories more than they burn off it leads to increasing blood sugar. Tissues can’t assimilate partly divided glucose. It accumulates in cells and causes slowing down of metabolism.

Even though there are some marked lifestyle habits and things you can’t control like your advancing age that can cause a slow metabolism, a decreased metabolic rate is usually the result of an underlying hormonal disorder.

5. Cushing’s Syndrome - a disorder that develops when your tissues are exposed to cortisol- a hormone responsible for maintaining the metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates and fats- for an extended period of time. This prolonged exposure slows down metabolism, which can result in obesity, increased fat around the neck and a rounded face.

6. Hypothyroidism - a disorder which is characterized by an underactive thyroid gland. When this gland does not produce enough thyroid hormones all of the processes taking place in our body including metabolism slow down.

7. Diabetes - It is not yet completely clear why diabetics have slow metabolisms, but they seem to have more trouble with taking off weight than non-diabetics. This fact may be related to their higher blood sugar levels which fools the body into believing there is lots of energy around, resulting in a slowing down in metabolism.

 Genetics- First reason cause of a slow metabolism is one that can’t be directly controlled – genetics. Some gifted people are blessed with a fast metabolism, but that certainly does not mean that genetics always is destiny. A regular exercise program that includes both aerobic activity and resistance exercise to build lean body mass can do much to speed up a slow metabolism.

 Muscles – it is known that lean muscle mass burns more calories than fat tissue. When you have a higher percentage of muscle mass, your metabolism is faster. As you get aged, the percentage of lean muscle mass you have naturally decreases and is slowing down your metabolism. Training is important for any age group, but it is especially important for adults after the age of 25.

 Lifestyle factors can be the cause of a slow metabolism. Some medications, particularly those which are used to treat depression, may cause the slowing of metabolism. The same can do skipping meals and fasting. If you skip a meal, your body goes into a survival or resting mode. When in this state, your body responds to a lack of food by slowing down your metabolism in an effort to store calories. This leads to a decreased metabolic rate and probably weight gain. To prevent the body from entering this starvation mode and keep your metabolism running effectively- eat small meal or snack every two to three hours.

@http://www.fitnea.com/

Napping Can Dramatically Increase Learning, Memory, Awareness, and More

In some places, towns essentially shut down in the afternoon while everyone goes home for a siesta. Unfortunately, in the U.S.—more bound to our corporate lifestyles than our health—a mid-day nap is seen as a luxury and, in some cases, a sign of pure laziness. But before you feel guilty about that weekend snooze or falling asleep during a movie, rest assured that napping is actually good for you and a completely natural phenomena in the circadian (sleep-wake cycle) rhythm.

As our day wears on, even when we get enough sleep at night, our focus and alertness degrade. While this can be a minor inconvenience in modern times, it may have meant life or death for our ancestors. Whether you are finishing up a project for work or hunting for your livelihood, a nap can rekindle your alertness and have your neurons back up and firing on high in as little as 15 to 20 minutes.

Big name (and high-dollar) companies recognize this. Google and Apple are just a few that allow employees to have nap time. Studies have affirmed that short naps can improve awareness and productivity. Plus, who wouldn’t love a boss that lets you get a little shut-eye before the afternoon push?

A study from the University of Colorado Boulder found that children who missed their afternoon nap showed less joy and interest, more anxiety, and poorer problem solving skills than other children. The same can be seen in adults that benefit from napping.

Researchers with Berkeley found an hour nap to dramatically increase learning ability and memory. Naps sort of provide a reboot, where the short term memory is cleared out and our brain becomes refreshed with new defragged space.

So how long should you nap?

Experts say a 10 to 20 minute “power nap” is best for refreshing your mind and increasing energy and alertness. The sleep isn’t as deep as longer naps, which allows you to get right back at your day upon waking.

A 30 minute nap can lead to 30 minutes of grogginess, as you are often waking just as your body enters the deeper stages of sleep. You’ll experience some of that same fogginess if you sleep for an hour, but 60 minute naps are good for memory boosting.

The longest naps—around 90 minutes—are good for those people who just don’t get enough sleep at night. It’s a complete sleep cycle and can improve emotional memory and creativity. via naturalsociety

@http://www.eyeopening.info

admin: Dalam Islam inilah yang dikatakan Kailullah iaitu tidur sekejap sebelum waktu Zuhur dan ini adalah sunnah Nabi SAW. Sememangnya telah terbukti setiap Sunnah Nabi SAW apabila dibuat kajian secara saintifik telah terpukti hebat dan dan memberi kesan yang baik pada tubuh dan minda. Manfaat yang paling besar adalah ia seumpama recharge kepada tubuh badan bagi memberi tenaga tambahan untuk ber qiamullail atau beribadat malam.

Amalan ini kini banyak diamalkan di pusat-pusat tahfiz bagi memberi rehat kepada pelajar buat seketika. Dan amalan ini juga telah diamalkan di Jepun di mana banyak syarikat korporat di sana menyediakan ruang khas untuk tidur seketika bagi memberi rangsangan dan tenaga baru sebelum kembali bertugas.

Begitulah hebatnya Sunnah

TIPS: Creative Ways to Earn Money from Your Home

It’s always a great idea to look for additional sources of income, but if your full-time job makes it difficult for you to get a part-time job, then your options for added revenue seem to be limited at best. It’s a fortunate thing that, given the connectivity provided to us by the Internet and other resources available nowadays, we can actually achieve a lot of things professionally without having to leave your home. These potential jobs are arguably more enjoyable than typical employment, which means that aside from earning additional money, you can also develop a potentially fulfilling pastime to help you mentally and socially. Here are some creative ideas you may want to consider if you want to work out of your own home:

Freelance Writer

With online marketing and content writing, as well as search engine optimisation (SEO) skills being more in demand, freelance writing has become a rather lucrative side job. With only a stable internet connection and a willingness to unleash your creative side mixed in with a mind for business, it’s easy to make freelance writing a financially sound part-time career that can potentially become full-time, depending on your skills.

Trainer

If you’ve made it a point to take care of your health and even have a knack when it comes to teaching and motivating others, then maybe you’d want to explore the possibilities of working as a personal trainer on the side. Many people desire to work out and generally improve their health and looks but have reservations about actually going to the gym. After all, it’s a little hard to go to the gym and see all the healthy and buff people working out. Personal trainers that can provide training at home is the usual preference for those who still have a long way to go to becoming fit.

Product Tester

Being a product tester is a really cool job particularly because you get to try out new products even before they hit the market. Companies are always looking for input from the general public when it comes to launching new products, and that’s why product testers exist. These jobs pay a decent amount of money (depending on the company producing the product for testing) and a lot of times, you get to keep the product for yourself. Most of all, you really don’t need to exert that much effort into it. Just use the product as instructed. When it comes to part-time jobs you can do in your home, product testing is perhaps on top of the list of easiest jobs to do.

Tutor

Not as lucrative as freelance writing, nor as glamorous as a personal trainer position and not quite as fun as product testing, but being a tutor is definitely the most rewarding job you can do out of your own home. While the pay is usually dependent on the number of students you have, imparting knowledge is emotionally fulfilling and mentality stimulating. Essentially, teaching keeps you sharp, and this kind of mental sharpness can help you with your main job as well.

Medical Transcriptionist

Albeit not as exciting as the other jobs mentioned, if you’re a budding med student or someone who has a knack for—and a genuine interest in—medicine, then being a medical transcriptionist will work for you. A medical transcriptionist transcribes the recordings doctors make, as they interact with patients.  What’s cool about this job is that not only do you get some extra money in your pocket, but you also get a chance to expand your network if ever you are on the lookout for a career in the medical industry.

There are always more ways to make more money. All it takes is a little extra effort and creativity, and, even if you do have a limited amount of free time, you can make it work. Working from your own home is ideal because it allows you to earn money on the terms of your existing schedule and even opens up the door to new, more rewarding employment opportunities. Let these jobs help you become a generally better professional and your career and finances will certainly flourish.

CompareHero is the leading Malaysian financial comparison platform, aimed at helping Malaysians save time and money. Visit CompareHero here.

TIPS FINANCIAL: This is Why You’ll Never Be Rich

While the title seems kind of harsh, maybe it’s time for a little brutal honesty. If you’re at a certain age and you’re not rich yet, then chances are, if all things remain constant, you’ll never be rich. The operative phrase there is “if all things remain constant.” Have you ever had those days when you’d look at yourself in the mirror and see you for who you are: a smart, talented individual who should be rich but isn’t? Don’t fret, because everyone has had those days. The thing here to keep in mind is that there are things you need to change if you do want to be rich. If you’re happy with your finances the way they are, then by all means, keep on doing what you’ve been doing, but remember, things can always get better.

There are plenty of things you could improve on in order to achieve that next financial level, and here are some of them:

Horrendous Spending Habits

If you spend impulsively as though you’re already rolling in the big bucks, then chances are, you’re going to be stuck in a financial rut for a long time. Personal finance management is what separates the financially successful from the monetarily mediocre, and it’s high time you took a good, long, hard look at your spending habits. If you spend more money than you make on a regular basis, then chances are you’ll be living from paycheck to paycheck for a very long time. Wisening up and controlling your spending would go a long way in determining whether or not the possibility of you ever becoming rich.

Lack of Financial Goals/ Planning

A plan always has two integral parts: a goal and the steps to be taken to achieve that goal. It’s hard to craft any workable plan without a specific goal, and it’s impossible to achieve any goal without a logical plan. If you claim to be sick and tired of waiting for your next paycheck, a salary that’s going to be spent almost entirely on bills and debt payments, then what specifically do you want instead? And don’t just say you want to be rich? Vague goals are impossible to plan for. Think about the specific state you want your financial life to be (be it being debt-free, or having a promising retirement fund, or just being able to afford that new car that’s coming out next year) and then work towards getting it. What’s the most effective way of reaching that goal? Is that course of action possible given your current circumstances? If so, go for it. If not, revise the plan. Basically, a plan gives you direction. Not having a plan means you’re directionless, and in personal finances, a lack of direction means either your finances stay in place, or they just get worse.

Prioritising the Image of Being Rich to Actually Getting Rich

Putting up the image of success is indeed required to actually attaining success, particularly if you have a business or investment and you’re looking for people to back you. However, there’s a big difference in conveying an image of success to creating the illusion of being wealthy—the biggest one being that the latter is actually going to stop you from being rich. Maintaining an image of wealth is going to take a whole lot of money. Ditch the need to look rich, roll up your sleeves and start working harder and smarter for your wealth, and with consistency, prudence and a minimal amount of luck, you wouldn’t need to put up an image of being rich at all.

Choosing Easy Over Right

Financial success is always tied into professional success, unless you win the lottery. If you don’t have that kind of luck, then you might have to have a more focused look on your career. People who tend to do things the easy way (taking shortcuts, procrastinating, putting in the bare minimum of effort) are going to have to get used to getting by on their basic wages. Drive yourself to be better at your job in order for you to be truly successful. Always strive to be the best at what you do. Constantly improve yourself. Set a higher standard for yourself and your employers would find it difficult not to notice you.

Summing all of this up, the reason you’re not rich, and the possible reason you’ll never be rich, lies with you. It all begins with a distinct choice of improving yourself and your life, followed up by action consistent to those goals, and your dreams of financial supremacy would become a glaring reality.

CompareHero is the leading Malaysian financial comparison platform, aimed at helping Malaysians save time and money. Visit CompareHero here.