Saturday, August 17, 2013

WWF: You May Be The Orang-Utan's Last Hope

The orang-utan is the largest arboreal (tree-living) animal in the world. They spend most of their time in trees - feeding, sheltering and travelling through the forest canopy.

Fossil records show that orang-utans have been on this earth for more than 800,000 years and populations once spread from China to as far as Sulawesi. Today, Borneo and Sumatra are the only two islands in the world that are supporting natural orang-utan populations numbering about 55,000.

Maintaining natural forests with viable wild breeding populations and restoring degraded forests is vital for the continued survival of orang-utans in Malaysia.

Facing threats such as logging, forest fires, degradations; orang-utans may suffer further decline due to poor habitat.

Hence, the Sabah's government's initiative to retain the largest orang-utan population in Ulu Segama-Malue Forest Reserves under protection status deserves a worthy acknowledgement and support.

Wednesday, August 07, 2013

NKF: Eat to gain enough energy

Patients on dialysis are advised to restrict their intake of phosphorus, potassium and salt. However, sometimes, these restrictions may result in them not getting adequate nutrition each day, thereby affecting their daily activities and in the long run. Without enough energy can lead to fatigue, weight loss and higher risks of infection.

Kidney-friendly fats and energy

Fats supply the body with energy too. Besides giving us energy, fats keep the body warm and help in using up certain vitamins. . However, the body needs only a small amount of fat, but consuming too much of it will raise the cholesterol in the blood, leading thus to heart diseases. It is, therefore, important to know the types of dietary fats: healthy fat and unhealthy fat.

There are two types of unhealthy fat: saturated and trans. The saturated fat, also known as bad fat, is found in greatest amounts in food derived from animals, is solid at room temperature, can raise cholesterol levels and increase risk of heart disease. Some examples include fatty cuts of meat, lard, butter, whole milk dairy and processed meat. Saturated fat is also found in some vegetables oils such as coconut oil and palm oil.