Less Sleep Linked to Weight Gain (Jialat!)

... so if I stay up to late night supper I put on DOUBLE the weight?!? Jialat; How can!!!!

Less Sleep Linked to Weight Gain
Source: American
Thoracic Society (ATS)


Women who sleep 5 hours or less per night weigh more on average than
those who sleep 7 hours, according to a study to be presented at the American
Thoracic Society International Conference on May 23rd. Press Briefing10:15 a.m.
(PDT).


Newswise — Women who sleep 5 hours or less per night weigh more on average
than those who sleep 7 hours, according to a study to be presented at the
American Thoracic Society International Conference on May 23rd.


The study found that women who slept for 5 hours per night were 32% more
likely to experience major weight gain (defined as an increase of 33 pounds or
more) and 15% more likely to become obese over the course of the 16-year study
compared with women who slept 7 hours. Women who slept for 6 hours were 12% more
likely to have major weight gain and 6% more likely to become obese compared
with women who slept 7 hours a night.
The study included 68,183 middle-aged
women who were enrolled in the Nurses Health Study. They were asked in 1986
about their typical night’s sleep, and were then asked to report their weight
every 2 years for 16 years.


On average, women who slept 5 hours or less per night weighed 5.4 pounds
more at the beginning of the study than those sleeping 7 hours and gained an
additional 1.6 pounds more over the next 10 years.“That may not sound like much,
but it is an average amount—some women gained much more than that, and even a
small difference in weight can increase a person’s risk of health problems such
as diabetes and hypertension,” said lead researcher Sanjay Patel, M.D.,
Assistant Professor of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland,
OH.
Dr. Patel noted that this is by far the largest study to track the effect
of sleep habits on weight gain over time. “There have been a number of studies
that have shown that at one point in time, people who sleep less weigh more, but
this is one of the first studies to show reduced sleep increases the risk of
gaining weight over time.”


The researchers looked at the women’s diets and exercise habits to see if
they could account for part of the findings. “Prior studies have shown that
after just a few days of sleep restriction, the hormones that control appetite
cause people to become hungrier, so we thought that women who slept less might
eat more. But in fact they ate less,” Dr. Patel said. “That suggests that
appetite and diet are not accounting for the weight gain in women who sleep
less.”
The researchers also asked women about how much they participated in
exercise activities such as running, jogging or playing tennis. But they didn’t
find any differences in physical activity that could explain why women who slept
less weighed more.


“We don’t have an answer from this study about why reduced sleep causes
weight gain, but there are some possibilities that deserve further study,” Dr.
Patel said. “Sleeping less may affect changes in a person’s basal metabolic rate
(the number of calories you burn when you rest). Another contributor to weight
regulation that has recently been discovered is called non-exercise associated
thermogenesis, or NEAT, which refers to involuntary activity, such as fidgeting
or standing instead of sitting. It may be that if you sleep less, you move
around less, too, and therefore burn up fewer calories.”

Pray - with Thanksgiving!!!

Excerpts of an msn conversation with a friend about how to pray...


pray with a confidence n understanding that we serve a God who wants to bless

Pray according to His Will. Pray with Expectation that God will answer.

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of sound mind." 2 Timothy 1: 7

"be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and mind through Jesus Christ"- Philippians 4;6-7

PureLoveClue: Chastity Q&A

I came across this website PURE Love CLUB by accident. To be honest, I only paid attention to the pop up window because I was amused by the name... forgive me, but for some reason pure love club sounds really cheesy. Thinking that the site might be a satire on a la aunt agony columns, I read on for comic relief. I did get a dose of humour reading the Q rave about her 'perfect' man, but had least expected to be impressed by the simple, concise and relevant response to a prevalent basic dilemma.

It is so simple to read the Q. and raise an incredulous eyebrow at the poor girl - what is she thinking?! But, it when friends are mired in the same quandary, it is not so simple. While I am rightfully sympathetic, I also have to be objective and prod friend to confront basic truths. This article is useful for 'prodders' and 'to-be-proddeds"

_________________
Chastity Q&A

Q. I told my boyfriend that I wanted to stop having sex until I was married, and he's made that compromise for me. At first, he got distant and then mad at me for making the decision to be abstinent because he said that we should have talked about it. We have been fighting more since we stopped having sex, but he is a nice guy, we go to church (even though he complains I mother him about that), and he really wants for us to end up together. But, I just don't know what to do here, because I definitely don't want to lose him. I don't want you to get the wrong idea about him. He really is perfect, but what should I tell him?

______
A. Step number one is to ask God the same question you just asked me. Sometimes we're so busy running around and listening to music, watching the TV, talking to friends, and messing around on the computer that we never take time to sit still and pray. If we do not make time for that silence in our souls, we'll have a very difficult time hearing God speak to us. So, for starters, set a regular prayer time and stick to it. We can't expect to grow spiritually if we think that prayer times will just happen. My favorite place to pray is before the Blessed Sacrament at church. Wherever we choose to pray, we must be disciplined, and we will reap what we sow. When you begin to pray, invite the Holy Spirit to bless your prayer time. Spend some time reading the Bible, because the Lord often uses that to talk to our hearts. Also, ask our Lady to help you pray. If you do this, I know you will see where you should go with this relationship. After all, you want a guy who will lead you spiritually, not a guy who will take from you sexually everything that you are willing to give him. Your boyfriend is not doing you an immeasurable favor by not having sex with you. It is his duty as a Christian man, and you owe him nothing for doing what he ought to do. If he is trying to make you feel guilty, then he's manipulating you. Your relationship is in God's hands, and he must learn to trust the Lord instead of grabbing on to whatever he wants to make sure he gets it. God's will is our happiness, and if the Lord wants the two of you together, then waiting until you're married to live like you're married will not ruin this. If it does, then it was never meant to be. You mentioned that he got upset and said that it wasn't fair for you to just make that decision and you should have talked about it first. Well, you don't need a permission slip to care about yourself. He may be whining as you said about you mothering him, but the reason why this is happening is because he is failing to be the spiritual head in the relationship. So, someone has to wear the pants. It should be a big warning sign to you that you have argued more since you told him of your decision for purity. He should be honored, not pouty. You did what was right, and if he is mad, so be it. It is better that he be mad than you lower your standards. Women today are so timid and afraid to hurt a guy's feelings that they often end up causing themselves immeasurable harm. Listen to you heart and follow your conscience. You said that you don't want to break up with him because he is so perfect. But I ask you, is this your idea of a perfect guy? One who throws a tantrum because you won't sleep with him? One who gives you the silent treatment when you make a vow of purity? One who questions your decision to live by God's standards instead of his? Really pray about this. You want a man who will spiritually lead you, one who would set you straight if you wanted to sleep with him. Do not be afraid that love will pass you by if you leave this relationship. It just may open up the door for the kind of love you've wanted all long.

Be Coherent and Relevant?!

I have been told that I have a tendency to be incoherent, especially over MSN.

In exasperation, a friend sent me this:-

Grice's Conversational Maxims

Maxim of Quantity:

1. Make your contribution to the conversation as informative as necessary.

2. Do not make your contribution to the conversation more informative than necessary.

Maxim of Quality:

1. Do not say what you believe to be false.

2. Do not say that for which you lack adequate evidence.

Maxim of Relevance:
Be relevant (i.e., say things related to the current topic of the conversation).

Maxim of Manner:

1. Avoid obscurity of expression.

2. Avoid ambiguity.

3. Be brief (avoid unnecessary wordiness).

4. Be orderly



My dear friend… I try to make my contribution to conversation as informative as possible, and I do not say what I believe to be false. BUT, try as I might, I am simply not genetically inclined to achieve the rest ;P Apologies; cannot lah!

Tolkien and the defense of his faith

Tolkien - a writer I deeply esteem, expounds on his faith as a Catholic, in a letter to his son. He describes his reverence for the Blessed Sacrament and exhorts the necessity for the spiritual staple. Enjoy :)

J.R.R. Tolkien on Church Scandal

Excerpted from a letter to Tolkien's son Michael written on November 1, 1962 (Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien, Humphrey Carpenter, ed., Houghton Mifflin Co. [1981], pp. 337-9).

In the last resort faith is an act of the will, inspired by love. Our love may be chilled and our will eroded by the spectacle of the shortcomings, folly, and even sins of the Church and its ministers, but I do not think that one who has once had faith goes back over the line for these reasons (least of all anyone with any historical knowledge). "Scandal" at most is an occasion of temptation-as indecency is to lust, which it does not make but arouses. It is convenient because it turns our eyes away from ourselves and our own faults to find a scapegoat. . . .

The temptation to "unbelief" (which really means rejection of our Lord and his claims) is always there within us. Part of us longs to find an excuse for it outside us. The stronger the inner temptation the more readily shall we be "scandalized" by others. I think I am as sensitive as you (or any other Christian) to the "scandals," both of clergy and laity. I have suffered grievously in my life from stupid, tired, dimmed, and even bad priests; but I now know enough about myself to be aware that I should not leave the Church (which for me would mean leaving the allegiance of our Lord) for any such reasons: I should leave because I did not believe. . . . I should deny the Blessed Sacrament, that is: call our Lord a fraud to his face.

If he is a fraud and the Gospels fraudulent-that is: garbled accounts of a demented megalomaniac (which is the only alternative), then of course the spectacle exhibited by the Church . . . in history and today is simply evidence of a gigantic fraud. If not, however, then this spectacle is alas! only what was to be expected: it began before the first Easter, and it does not affect faith at all-except that we may and should be deeply grieved. But we should grieve on our Lord's behalf and for him, associating ourselves with the scandalizers not with the saints, not crying out that we cannot "take" Judas Iscariot, or even the absurd and cowardly Simon Peter, or the silly women like James' mother, trying to push her sons.

It takes a fantastic will to unbelief to suppose that Jesus never really "happened," and more to suppose that he did not say the things recorded of him-so incapable of being "invented" by anyone in the world at that time: such as "before Abraham came to be I am" (John 8:58); "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father" (John 14:9); or the promulgation of the Blessed Sacrament in John 6: "He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life." We must therefore either believe in him and in what he said and take the consequences; or reject him and take the consequences. I find it for myself difficult to believe that anyone who has ever been to Communion, even once, with at least right intention, can ever again reject him without grave blame. (However, God alone knows each unique soul and its circumstances.)

The only cure for sagging or fainting faith is Communion. Though always itself perfect and complete and inviolate, the Blessed Sacrament does not operate completely and once for all in any of us. Like the act of faith it must be continuous and grow by exercise. Frequency is of the highest effect. Seven times a week is more nourishing than seven times at intervals. . . .

I myself am convinced by the Petrine claims, nor looking around the world does there seem much doubt which (if Christianity is true) is the True Church, the temple of the Spirit dying but living, corrupt but holy, self-reforming and re-arising. But for me that Church of which the pope is the acknowledged head on earth has as chief claim that it is the one that has (and still does) ever defended the Blessed Sacrament, given it most honor, and put it (as Christ plainly intended) in the prime place. "Feed my sheep" was his last charge to Peter; and since his words are always first to be understood literally, I suppose them to refer primarily to the bread of life. It was against this that the W. European revolt (or Reformation) was really launched-"the blasphemous fable of the Mass"-and faith/works a mere red herring.

Praises... sing praises

How beautiful!

C.S. Lewis - A Grief Obeserved

C.S. Lewis started documenting his grief in little notes, just after his wife, H. died.
This passage describes his introspection on his notes as he looks back and reads them.

The notes have been about myself, and about H., and about God. In that order. The order and the proportions exactly what they ought not to have been. And I see that I have nowhere fallen into that mode of thinking about either which we call praising them. Yet that would have been best for me. Praise is the mode of love which always has some element of joy in it. Praise in due order; of Him as the giver, of her as the gift. Don't we in praise somehow enjoy what we praise, however far we are from it? I must do more of this. I have lost the fruition I once had of H. And I am far, far away in the valley of my unlikeness, for the fruition which, if His mercies are infinite, I may some time have of God. But by praising I can still, in some degree, enjoy her, and already, in some degree, enjoy Him. Better than nothing.

Spiralling up and down

More on A Grief Observed...

Each time I open the book and flip to a random page, I am thoroughly engaged.
I think all of us, at one time or another, can identify with Lewis's description of his sense of grief and loss.

Loss and grief are profound emotions - thoroughly pervasive and penetrating, yet so unqualified, so absolute, so Unknown. A person in grief, flounders through - somehow. Through the ups, and up the downs - over and over... such is the process of grief. Over and over, but onwards and forwards, over and over.

of Grief

An admirable programme. Unfortunately it can't be carried out. Tonight all the hells of young grief have opened again; the mad words, the bitter resentment, the fluttering in the stomach, the nightmare unreality, the wallowed-in tears. For in grief nothing 'stays put'. One keeps on emerging from a phase, but it always recurs. Round and round. Everything repeats. Am I going in circles, or dare I hope I am on a spiral?

But if a spiral, am I going up or down it?

How often- will it be for always? - how often will the vast emptiness astonish me like a complete novelty and make me say, 'I never realised my loss till this moment'? The same leg is cut off time after time. The first plunge of the knife into the flesh is felt again and again.

C.S. Lewis - A Grief Obeserved

I wonder how the disciples felt as Jesus died on the cross...

of Loss...

Did you ever know, dear, how much you took away with you when you left? You have stripped me even of my past, even of things we never shared. I was wrong to say the stump was recovering from the pain of the amputation. I was deceived because it has so many ways to hurt me that I discover them only one by one.

C.S. Lewis - A Grief Obeserved

Love Actually is...

Love Actually premiered on TV on Sunday. My assiduous housemates, in a rare moment of sanity, blew careless abandon to a slew of looming deadlines, and switched on the television set.

I love Love Actually, for the warm and fuzzy feelings (WAFF(s)) it brings on whenever I watch it. I am touched the portrayal of the possibilities, the freedom and the bitterness of Love. In short, love actually inspires us to hope; always.

A Waffy quote, at the beginning of the movie...

Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion's starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don't see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often it's not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it's always there - fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge - they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I've got a sneaky feeling you'll find that love actually is all around

MJ & MSN

Its been a poignant week for some of us.

One only has to start up MSN to encounter the palpable cry of broken hearts. Along the MSN nics of friends, were personal messages that ranged from "Hand over my heart", to "Love is nothing but a game of Lies and Deceit", to "Stabbed in the Heart", and "Love knows not its own depth, till the hour of separation".

Tired out from peering at lighted pixels and Frustrated by the drought of words, I tear myself away from my laptop and blasted the radio.

A familiar song aired. It is a Michael Jackson number; a ballad that has not graced the airwaves for eons.

"She's out of my life
She's out of my life
And I don't know whether to laugh or cry
I don't know whether to live or die
And it cuts like a knife
She's out of my life..."

*Shivers* his voice...!! Ok I confess I am a closet fan of MJ. I love the timbre of his voice on old ballads like "Ben", and lesser known "One day in your life". He executes the perfect balance of soothing timbre and heart-wrenching emotions in this song - She's out of my Life. The tune is lovely, (if only the lyrics werent so morose!).

Dedicating the above verse to all whose msn nics I have qouted. Its like that one lah! Take heart, at the universal nature of your pain. It is a necessary process, but you Will emerge from it, and at the end of it all, you realise one day that you are fine.

She's Out of My Life
Michael Jackson
Lyrics & Midi - http://www.walkthroughlife.com/midis/othermidis/shesoutomylife.htm

I yearn...

I yearn...
to beautify my Soul.

to abide in you oh Lord
to be a fruitful vine..

I am unravelling
before You.
I found you,
looking for me.

I yearn...
for you to abide in me,
and whisper;
promises foretold
while I slumbered,
in my mothers womb

whisper them to me once more.
what seeds have you sown?
Have I grown as you would have me be?


I yearn.

A place I can't avoid

This post is especially for a friend who slept with her hand over heart...

Its over. But I know you grieve.
If you must suffer, at least suffer gracefully :)

"At first I was very afraid of going places where H. and I had been happy - our favourite pub, our favourite wood. But I decided do it at once - like sending a pilot up again as soon as possible after he's had a crash. Unexpectedly, it makes no difference. Her absence is no more emphatic in those places than anywhere else. It's not local at all. I suppose that if one were forbidden all salt one wouldn't notice it much more in any one food than in another. Eating in general would be different, every day, at every meal. It is like that. The act of living is different all through. Her absence is like the sky, spread over everything.

But no, that is not quite accurate. There is no one place where her absences comes locally home to me, and it is a place I can't avoid. I mean my own body. It had such a different importance while it was the body of H's lover. Now it's like an empty house. But don't let me deceive myself. This body would become important to me again and pretty quickly, if I thought there was anything wrong with it."

C.S Lewis
A Grief Observed

Not for Anything (pt II): Love Language

Not for anything... that seems like a romantic but obstacle-ridden, arduous endeavour. I think it pertinent to question what exactly should we attend to and how can we execute this care?

Coincidentally, my housemates today were talking and a particular phrase caught my attention “Love language”. It triggered the memory of a conversation with a little friend, who was explaining that we all have own love language – a familiar and particular way of communicating our love and receiving it.

In summary, there are 5 different ways through which we communicate our love for others and perceive love from others; 1) Words, 2) Touch, 3) Service, 4) Quality time, and 5) Gifts (simple description of terms below).

An awareness of each others love language is a move away from the abstractness of “love” and the associated emotions. It is a practical step to address the common problem of mismatched expectations or unfulfilled needs in relationships. While the concept is appears simple enough to comprehend, it is only prudent to anticipate and acknowledge sacrifices involved in realising the concept. Knowing that everyone has a unique way of wanting to be loved, and communicating their love for us, correspondingly requires the questioning/bending of our ideals on occasion – to step out of our comfort zone in communicating our care in the manner which our loved ones would like to receive it, or to learn to appreciate and accept the way we are loved by others.

On another note, if occurred to me that the concept of Love Language also encapsulates how I can take my daily walk with God. It is a succinct, palpable and efficient structure to grow and renew my little faith daily – to maintain my relationship with God. Words to and Quality time in prayer and contemplation; Service and Touch to brethren, sacrifices I can offer as Gifts to Him and others.

So, lets all be open to each other’s love language and exercise beyond mere cognition. Please remind me when I fail to attend yeah?

_________________________________________


Brief description of Love Language

Usually the way a person communicates love is the way that he/she perceives and prefers to receive it (eg: someone may feel loved by receiving little notes, and he/she leaves little notes for others to show love, or someone feels loved when showered with gifts, and returns the love by showering gifts to others). However, that is not a hard and fast rule, the preferred expression of love language may be dissimilar from the preferred language to be loved. To illustrate, think of our fathers who hail from a more traditional era. They convey their love by service of provision but would appreciate receiving love from us through quality time spent with them or touch/words to express our gratefulness, instead of a reciprocal provision of service.

Words: communicating through Words in speech, or writing. Eg: communicating/feeling loved by little notes of affection or hearing words of affection.

Touch: physical affection

Service: performing services for loved ones, eg: doing housework, being the breadwinner, running errands. Having help for daily needs.

Quality time: time put aside especially for the other for bonding (not as simple as merely watching a movie, which can be a rather individualistic activity)

Gifts: giving things or making things for others. Receiving presents.

Not For Anything (ptI): Cura Personalis

The month of May brought forth great upheaval and great joy. Dear friends are getting engaged/married (Congratulations!!! and many blessings!!!! Hugzzzz), or are confronting crisis in their present relationships with loved ones/people around them (Hugzz too).

At mass this week, I was captured by a simple article reminding me what caring for the people around me translates to in daily living - to be faithful in attention, to constantly watch out for, through the inevitable ups and the downs.

I dedicate this article to all friends and the first two paras. especially to newly weds and about-to-weds, and searching-to-weds :)

NOT FOR ANYTHING

In Sydney last Saturday to celebrate a wedding, I read a piece entitled
“two of us” in Good Weekend. The last paragraph caught my attention and moved
me. Speaking about her marriage of 53 years with eminent medical scientist,
Derek Denton, Dame Margaret Scott, founder of the Australian ballet school, had
this to say: “I’ve always wanted to be with Dick. Of course, marriage is such a
constant change every day; sometimes it’s boring, sometimes its exciting,
sometimes it’s joyful, sometimes it’s awful. Who knows? I’ve never ever taken my
wedding ring off, not for anything, not even for repairs.”

When I read these words, I was remained of the true story some years ago when divers located a 400-year-old ship off the coast of Northern Ireland. Among the
treasures found on the sunken ship was a man’s wedding ring. When it was cleaned
up, the divers noticed that it had an inscription on it. Engraved on the wide
band was a hand holding a heart. Under the engraving was the inscription: “I
have nothing more to give you.”

Not for anything. I have nothing
more to give you. Stories of enduring love like this set the scene for this
weekend’s gospel of the Good Shepherd. If you have ever had the privilege and
good fortune to visit the Holy Land and see a shepherd in action, you would
surely have been struck by his constant care and watchfulness. Not for anything
would he abandon any one of this sheep and expose them to danger or loss. They
are his lifeblood. He knows and calls each one by name.

We speak a good deal these days about pastoral care. Indeed we even have pastoral councils advising us on the affairs of our parishes. That little word ‘care’ comes from
the Latin meaning ‘attention to’, ‘watching out for’, honouring the symptoms
before rushing to find a cure. Cure without proper care, as Peter Van Breeman
once said, is meaningless. We need to befriend problems before we can find a
proper solution to them.

To the extent that we watch out for others, we are all pastors. While we might not resonate with the rural connection here, we all have the responsibility of shepherding others, of attending to their welfare. In the Ignatian tradition, we call this cura personalis, watching out for and caring for the individual. For someone like
Ignatius, who was captivated by the fact that God knows us intimately and loves
us passionately as individual people, cura personalis was an essential
ingredient in his teaching. Good shepherding is about being watchful and
faithful in our care for others. Sometimes frustrated and disappointed, good
shepherds are ever hopeful and never walk away. Not for anything.

Fr Chris Gleeson SJ
Parish of St Ignatius
(Toowong)
Forth Sunday of Easter

A Grief Observed

I picked up a thin, clothe bound, tattered little book that looked so incongruent amongst the thick shiny new textbooks belonging to my housemates, currently studying a course on counseling. The title of the book had long worn away. From the remaining slivers of silver dancing on a burgundy red spine, a faint “LEWIS” appeared. Could it be C.S Lewis? Intrigued, I flipped to the first page… and I suddenly found myself seated down, facing a man telling me his experience of his grief of loss…

No one told me that grief felt so like fear. I am not afraid, but the sensation is like being afraid. The same fluttering in the stomach, the same restlessness, the yawning. I keep on swallowing.

At other times it feels like being mildly drunk, or concussed. There is a sort of invisible blanket between the world and me. I find it hard to take in what anyone says. Or perhaps, hard to want to take it in. It is so uninteresting. Yet I want others to be about me. I dread the moments when the house is empty. If only they would talk to one another and not to me.

There are moments, most unexpectedly, when something inside me tries to assure me that I don’t really mind so much, not so very much, after all. Love is not the whole of a man’s life. I was happy before I ever met H. I’ve plenty of what are called ‘resources’. People get over these things. Come, I shan’t do so badly. One is ashamed to listen to this voice but it seems for a little to be making out a good case. Then comes a sudden jab of red-hot memory and all this ‘commonsense’ vanishes like an ant in the mouth of a furnace.”

A Grief Observed
C.S. Lewis(first 3 paragraphs)


I was mesmerized by the very first paragraph - the surreal tangibility of his honesty. Lewis also describes the tussles and convictions of his faith. Profoundly moving (Go get the book!). You may also be interested in reading about his marriage (it was a marriage of convenience, but they ended up falling in love). Would be good if someone can recommend me a reliable link to the life of C.S Lewis. Thanks! :)