February 29, 2008!!!!!!

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Hi everyone,

Today is 29 February 2008! Time flies so fast!

How's your 2008 been this far? Any significant changes from the previous year? Any achievement? My life - I mean my working life - has been a bit hectic the past one and half month. But I am not complaining! So many things to do and to achieve in my new job. Once things are in place, my life should be back to 'normal' .... IF I can define what normal means.

I am also hoping that my new condo to be ready by April! Another aspect in my life that needs planning! Arghhhhh! Isn't this one of the excuse why you need man in your life? . Anyway, I think I'll just move in when the condo is ready and will plan of the interior decoration later .... Too many things to think, it hurts my brain! But then the expert says we only use 10% of our brain!!!

Anyway, have a wonderful day/night my friends!

I'll be thinking of weekend which is just around the corner!

Love - Larra

February 27, 2008

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Another loooooong day for me today!

3 meetings in a row!

That's the disadvantage when you're in a position to overseeing academic

and operations divisions!

You ended up having to attend both divisions' meeting.

Feeling too tired now.

Not sure if I can sleep ... but will give it a try.

Maybe I'll just reading my slide presentation that I've printed

- I have presentation to all Heads of Department tomorrow morning -

Wish me luck for tomorrow!

"Good night people!"

love - larra

February 25, 2008: emptiness

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February 24, 2008: What do you see?

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what do you see?

February 22, 2008: TGIF!

Hoooray! It's Friday!

It has been a long week for me!

BUT I am feeling like a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulder after the draft of Quality Assurance strategy planning that I've been working on the last few weeks was given a green light by the President yesterday! I went home feeling happy yesterday ..... smiling at everyone on the train .... AND fall asleep on the sofa from 9.30 pm till 5.30 am! ..... with all the lights on, the fan on! (luckily I've locked the front door )

So, this weekend I shall treat myself ..... not sure of what yet.... Any suggestions?

Hope you have wonderful day/night!

Love - Larra

February 20, 2008: Eat Your Berries!

Berries Good for the Heart

Eating Moderate Amounts of Berries Every Day May Lower Blood Pressure and Raise Good Cholesterol, Study Shows

So says a study backing up berries' status as a super food. The small Finnish study suggests that eating a moderate amount of berries may increase HDL (good) cholesterol and reduce blood pressure.

For the study, researchers recruited 72 middle-aged men and women with some risk factors for heart disease -- including mild hypertension (high blood pressure), elevated LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, and low HDL cholestrol.

Half of the volunteers ate two portions, totaling about 150 grams, of berries every day for eight weeks. The volunteers ate an assortment of berries either whole, pureed, or in juice form, including bilberries, lingonberries, black currants, strawberries, chokeberries, and raspberries.

After eight weeks, HDL cholesterol levels of the berry eaters increased an average of 5.2%. Systolic blood pressure (the top number on a blood pressure reading) decreased by an average of 1.5 points, but the greatest decrease was seen in those with the highest blood pressures initially. There was no change in diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number). It did not affect body weight.

Berries: Packed With Polyphenols

Fruits and vegetables are high in antioxidants, but berries contain particularly high levels of antioxidants known as polyphenols. The researchers estimate that the berry eaters in the study consumed about three times the amount of polyphenols as the nonberry eaters and had higher levels of polyphenols in their blood.

Other polyphenol-rich foods include chocolate, tea, and red wine (ops, I know someone who will love to read this fact! ), which also have been linked to lower heart disease risk.

[By Elisabeth Bergman, WebMD Medical News]

[The findings appear in the February issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.]

February 18, 2008

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good night people .....