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Walking is a good way to get fit and stay healthy. Post your steps, miles or kilometers. Please don't compare yourself to others. If you haven't been walking regularly, start with five minutes and try to do a little more each day. If you don't have a pedometer, google the distance you walked and compare to this chart: [Mod Note: Broken image of chart was removed,]

Salam aleykum, I have heard from different hadiths that the earth/dust of Karbala cures every aliment except deadly ones and I do believe that every earth/place has its own energy which affects the people living there. Well, I had an idea in mind and I wanted to see if its advisable or something that should be refrained from. I think all of my turbahs are from Karbala soil and after I have used them for some time they get dirty, I usually take a knife and scrape off the dirty top layer of the turbah, the "dirty" layer is still mixed with large amounts of Karbala soil. So I was thinking: is it allowed to mix this earth with planting earth in a pot and then for example grow herbs or vegetables from that mixed earth? That way the fruit of such earth is grown on/from Karbala soil and should contain the blessings of it the way I see it. Is it okay to do this and has anyone done it before/know if the fruits has the benefits of the earth?

I know many of us (believers) have been through this, and I personally experienced my boat sinking and I know it is tough getting it back up. But if you won't understand why you have to get back up then you're definitely going to drown. My point of bringing this topic up is not to scare you away by telling you about the torment of hellfire or the agony in the grave, surely I'll do that by the end of our short exchange, but before everything else I want you to know what benefits and positive change prayers can bring to your life! BENEFITS OF PRAYING There are actually a lot; me and you could go on and on about how practicing Islam can benefit you and the people around you, but this once, let me just mention a few of those that I experienced first-hand. Health Prayer can be a source of exercise for most people. It keeps check on your physical fitness. All the obligatory acts in prayers benefit greatly to ones health. For example, going to ruku and sajda and tash'had saves one from back pain and knee-joints pain. Prayer also wards off many illnesses. Down to Earth When you go down in sujood, it gives you a feeling of how small and insignificant you are in front of all the blessings and creations of Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى. He made so much, and still blesses you and showers upon you from good. Prayer kills your ego and brings you closer to Allah and the reality. Focusing on how you're alone in this world, and how only Allah is your supporter and benefactor even in the time of adversity. Strengthens the heart and the belief Prayer gives you the strength that you are lacking when facing adversity. It becomes a driving force when met with a lot of short-comings. It strengthens ones resolve to keep moving forward and facing new challenges while knowing that Allah never burdens a soul more than what it can bear. Closeness to Allah When we recite the verses sent down to us Humans by Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى, we naturally feel close to Him. His words are the reflection upon our own-selves. When we make dua to Him and kneel down to Him, it shows that we are ready to give in our desires for pleasing Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى. And that: He is the only "one" we can turn to in the time of adversity... There's nobody else, is there? Countenance and Spiritual Pleasantness Did you know that prayers make your face and spirit brighter? Who wouldn't want their face glowing with happiness and zeal. This not only allows others to look at you in good light but also brings a smile to their faces (especially your family). And it takes off a lot of tension from their shoulders (for some reason). Keeps you away from sins and keeps sins away form you Now this is note-worthy, because both sound just about the same. So where lies the difference? The difference is that there in you will come a sense of responsibility and a sense of accountability once you start praying. You will become more aware of your performance near Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى, and you'd want to please him more and more. Who wouldn't want beautiful reward from Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى?And alternatively, Allah will keep you away from sins with his authority over you if he finds your actions pleasing. And no doubt, he is the most merciful and the most benevolent. Along with oft-forgiving. Gets rid of laziness and grooms punctuality Most of the time we are extremely lazy when it comes to our responsibilities and obligations. But once we start being punctual in prayers habitually, we (Insha'Allah) will become more aware of the limited time we have and the utilization of it. Prayer somewhat grooms the instinct of time within you. When you start praying five times a day, you'll begin to realize if you're spending the remaining time the right way. You will have thoughts like: Am I fulfilling my religious obligations correctly? Is Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى going to be pleased enough with the current me? Have I been listening to every words my parents say? Have I done the job that I must in time? Sense of Accountability I know I am kinda repeating myself here, but I couldn't just skip this point. Because this one is very significant when it comes to prayers. In our daily life, if we skip a prayer, do you know how many things go wrong then? How many times we attempt sins and bad acts? Have you ever reflected upon them?Prayer gives you a chance of reflection. And in the future it keeps you intact and in-check that you don't fall astray to bad acts from Satan. Keeps you pure and clean Before going to prayer, you remember, that you have to be Tahir (pure from any impurity). Thus this single remembrance can keep you more than enough clean and pure. Also, performing ablution three-to-five or more so times a day, protects you from Satan and his devilish whispers. Takes away nightmares and bad dreams I am sure many of us had nightmares or dreams that were bad, something you wish you'd never seen. But if you sleep after doing a wudu, and with faith that Allah and His angels will protect you from such dreams (that come from Satan), you'll be protected. WHAT DOES THE QURAN SAY ABOUT PRAYERS? I hope this thread will open your eyes to the importance of prayers and will bring you closer to Allah. If I made a mistake somewhere in the text, then it is solely from me. Forgive me, as I am only human. P.s. Thanks to my brothers and sisters here, they gave me confidence enough to post my material here. lol. I have some serious confidence issues. :P Anyways, thanks to everybody for reading and supporting! Jazak Allah Khair. Hope it will be helpful to at least a single soul!

Scientists replay movie encoded in DNA “Molecular Recorder” would reveal secrets of brain development. For the first time, a primitive movie has been encoded in — and then played back from — DNA in living cells. Scientists funded by the National Institutes of Health say it is a major step toward a “molecular recorder” that may someday make it possible to get read-outs, for example, of the changing internal states of neurons as they develop. “We want to turn cells into historians,” explained neuroscientist Seth Shipman, Ph.D.(link is external), a post-doctoral fellow at Harvard Medical School, Boston. “We envision a biological memory system that’s much smaller and more versatile than today’s technologies, which will track many events non-intrusively over time.” Shipman, Harvard’s Drs. George Church(link is external), Jeffrey Macklis(link is external) and Jeff Nivala(link is external)report on their proof-of-concept for a futuristic “molecular ticker tape” online July 12, in the journal Nature. The work was funded by NIH’s National Institute of Mental Health, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, and the National Human Genome Research Institute. The ability to record such sequential events like a movie at the molecular level is key to the idea of reinventing the very concept of recording using molecular engineering, say the researchers. In this scheme, cells themselves could be induced to record molecular events – such as changes in gene expression over time – in their own genomes. Then the information could be retrieved simply by sequencing the genomes of the cells it is stored in. “If we had those transcriptional steps, we could potentially use them like a recipe to engineer similar cells,” added Shipman. “These could be used to model disease – or even in therapies.” For starters, the researchers had to show that DNA can be used to encode not just genetic information, but any arbitrary sequential information into a genome. For this they turned to the cutting-edge, NIH-funded gene editing technology CRISPR. They first demonstrated that they could encode and retrieve an image of the human hand in DNA inserted into bacteria. They then similarly encoded and reconstructed frames from a classic 1870s race horse in motion(link is external) sequence of photos – an early forerunner of moving pictures. The researchers had previously shown that they could use CRISPR to store sequences of DNA in bacteria. CRISPR is a group of proteins and DNA that act as an immune system in some bacteria, vaccinating them with genetic memories of viral infections. When a virus infects a bacterium, CRISPR cuts out part of the foreign DNA and stores it in the bacteria’s own genome. The bacterium then uses the stored DNA to recognize the virus and defend against future attacks. “The sequential nature of CRISPR makes it an appealing system for recording events over time,” explained Shipman. The researchers then similarly translated five frames from the race horse in motion photo sequence into DNA. Over the course of five days, they sequentially treated bacteria with a frame of translated DNA. Afterwards, they were able to reconstruct the movie with 90 percent accuracy by sequencing the bacterial DNA. Although this technology could be used in a variety of ways, the researchers ultimately hope to use it to study the brain. “We want to use neurons to record a molecular history of the brain through development,” said Shipman. “Such a molecular recorder will allow us to eventually collect data from every cell in the brain at once, without the need to gain access, to observe the cells directly, or disrupt the system to extract genetic material or proteins.” GRANTS: MH103910, NS045523, HG005550 About the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH): The mission of the NIMH is to transform the understanding and treatment of mental illnesses through basic and clinical research, paving the way for prevention, recovery and cure. For more information, visit the NIMH website. About the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke: NINDS is the nation’s leading funder of research on the brain and nervous system. The mission of NINDS is to seek fundamental knowledge about the brain and nervous system and to use that knowledge to reduce the burden of neurological disease. About the National Human Genome Research Institute: NHGRI is one of the 27 institutes and centers at the National Institutes of Health. The NHGRI Extramural Research Program supports grants for research, and training and career development at sites nationwide. Additional information about NHGRI can be found at www.genome.gov. About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov. NIH…Turning Discovery Into Health® Reference Shipman SL, Nivala J, Macklis JD, Church GM. CRISPR-Cas encoding of a digital movie into the genomes of a population of living bacteria. Nature, July 12, 2017, DOI:10.1038/nature23017(link is external). https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/scientists-replay-movie-encoded-dna

Al Salamu Alaikum, I'm 16 years old, I'm a foreigner, my problem is stupid, others have it worse - but I am struggling and I don't have anyone that can help me. A few years back, when I was around 12/13 years old, I found myself barely eating anything and when I did I'd vomit it. I always felt like a stranger, and I'd look at the people around me and see that they were capable of enjoying food, cable of not counting calories, of not breaking down at the sight of their reflection, of not starving to feel happy, of not crying all day, and of socialising. So, in an effort to be 'normal' and to show my gratitude to Allah for providing me with enough food, I started eating. But the guilt that came with eating ripped me apart, and then I took it to extremes: I started binge eating. Somehow somewhere among the lines, I learned to accept my body and I tried to stop binge eating by going to the gym and eating healthily. I made progress. I learned to write, draw, photograph, and exercise to express my thoughts and feelings. However, starving, vomiting and self harming, as irrational as this sounds, comfort me more than anything - and I am stuck. I've read online that vomiting releases endorphins, chemicals which make you feel good. I've read about the damages vomiting causes to my body but I don't think that the damage I cause is great enough to kill me so I should be fine. Also, when I self harm I am careful not to cut too deep. I do realise that I do not have the right to damage my body, but the damage I cause is temporary and minimal as even the scars fade with time. I'm an only child. When I was younger I reached out for my parents so that they can help me, but then I told them I stopped doing the things mentioned above because they cannot deal with it; it breaks them. I'm on my own. At the moment, I can do most of the things the 'normal' people do (enjoy my food..etc.) but I still feel fat. I believe in Allah, in his mercy, and I'm content with the life he has chosen for me. Question is, do I even have a problem? Is there an explanation to what I've been doing? Is it a choice? Is it a phase? Am I just another attention seeking teenager? Please advise me. Criticise me if you have to; I want to change.

Salam Alaikum, We have heard many times from the media and medical practitioner that it is good to bathe ourselves beginning with the bottom of the leg up to the head. They say this method is beneficial to prevent stroke. One question emerges in mind. What about the ritual bath taught by Islam. We learn that it should start from the head down to the bottom and not the other way around. It is impossible for Islam to prescribe any method which may be harm to our body isn't it. Any comment on this would be highly appreciated. It is said that the best time to take our bath in the morning is before Fajr, around 4.30. It helps to reduce cholestrol. Afterwards stay awake till Fajr by Quranic recitation or performing Salatul Layl. Then go out to have fresh air to invigorate the body and soul. This is one of the healthy morning routines one should practise, InshaAllah https://www.facebook.com/Sisters-In-Islam-Ahlulbayt-School-of-Thought-385767358246015/

So I have consuming sugar. Its been 2 days I haven't consumed anything with sugar. Life is so tough without sugar. Have you guys ever tried no sugar or no carb diet?

Since the beginning of time, women have always been exploited. Known for our gentleness, delicateness, and beauty, women are often used as mere objects to attract men or sell products and services. Unfortunately, today a woman’s physical beauty is likened to a man’s trophy, to be shown off to the whole world. In an interview with former rapper “Napoleon” from Tupac Shakur’s band, the OutLawz, revert Mutah Beale said, “The music industry is where they really exploit and degrade women. We’d pay them a hundred bucks to strip for our music videos, and they’d do it!” Sadly, women have become well accustomed to this routine and also take pride in displaying their beauty. But what Muslim women realize is that our beauty is sacred and certainly not for any random man to gawk at for pleasure. A research, conducted by Dr Viren Swami from the University of Westminster and colleagues looked at body image issues amongst British Muslim women. Dr Swami explained: “In the West anxiety about body image, for women, is so prevalent it’s considered normal. This study aimed to explore how these attitudes differ within a British Muslim community.” A total of 587 Muslim women aged from 18 to 70 years from London participated in a number of tests. From this group 218 women stated they never used the hijab and 369 women said they used some form of the hijab at least now and then. Participants undertook a number of questionnaires that asked them to rate their own feelings of body dissatisfaction, how much pressure the media put on them to be attractive and how religious they were. They were also asked to match their own figure to a set of female silhouette images that ranged from emaciated to obese. The results showed that women who wore the hijab generally had a more positive body image, were less influenced by the media’s beauty ideals and placed less importance on appearance. Dr Swami said: “Although the results showed only a small difference between those who wear or don’t wear the hijab it does suggest the hijab offers Muslim women a small protective effect in terms of feeling positive about their body image. It appears that those who choose to wear it are better able to distance themselves from the Western thin ideal. “These results may have useful implications for intervention programmes aimed at promoting healthier body image among Muslim women in the West. For example, by identifying those aspects of hijab use that are associated with more positive body appreciation in future studies, it might be possible to isolate factors that can be targeted in intervention programmes.” The journal, entitled “Is the Hijab Protective? An Investigation of Body Image and Related Constructs Among British Muslim Women”, can be accessed here. The Society publishes 11 academic journal titles in conjunction with our publishing partner Wiley-Blackwell. The British Journal of Health Psychology publishes original research on all aspects of psychology related to health, health-related behaviour and illness across the lifespan. Visit the Wiley online library for more information. — Source: BPS http://www.aimislam.com/study-we... Why Wear the Hijab?

Salam guys !!!!! I am 17 years old and I am facing very difficult days of my life here I tell you from start. A week ago one of my classmate has told me he is atheist and he doesn't believe on God but he wants some proves so he can start believing on God but I didn't had any prove to tell him but I told him our traditional dialogues for the prove of God but he didn't believed and that conversation also made me confused and made a doubt about god in my heart and here I tell you guys that I pray 5 times a day and a little bit active in other religious stuff so thats why it was very important for me to know about the existence of God because I almost depend my life on God and I had strong hope and I felt sprituality in my worship but now ..... so I started overthinking about the existence of God and how he was made and I also admit my mistake here that I start thinking about the existence of God and the doubt become stronger and the doubt still exist in my heart but I stop thinking about it but that doubt brought me to this disorder of depersonalisation and derealization . And I m not sure that do I have the exact same disorder but most of symptoms are similar to it and some one who knows about it and if someone can help me then plz give me some response but please do not response if you don't know about this disorder because my condition has also related to this confusion ..... so please help me it's getting worse and if someone can help me ,can also ask everything from me in detail because my confusion so complex and cannot be understood easily. So please help me I beg you guys I don't have any hope I only pray from my god for my forgiveness and mercy I am the only son of my parents and I love them so much and I chose this forum because this is very compatible for my both confusions so please answer me if someone can help me and wait for my response. Please understand me I have lots of goals and dreams but .......

AS I have told you all before, I have panic disorder and autism....my psychologist suggested something called a paleo diet, where I stop eating grains, dairy, and vegetables that were not around at the time of cavemen or other early humans.........i have heard about grain free diets before, and my special ed teacher of the past and my psychologist have said that research shows that dairy causes autism....is there any proof to back this up? i need help right away, as i had a panic attack at school on wednesday, the last day of school for that week, (no school for thursday or friday) and i lost many points on my points sheet (i go to alternative school) because i tried listening to ruqyah for social anxiety, and when my parapro told me to turn it down, i got into an argument and when he said it was bothering others i told him they could go to hell.....also, i kept asking to leave class and call my mother, and lost more points......i have already dropped from level 4 to level 3, and i am borderline dropping from level 3 to level 2, as i can earn a possible 108 points in 3 days, and already lost 14, and need 85 percent to stay on level 3....i need to stay on level 4 and have 5 or less incidents in my target behaviors in the last 6 weeks to leave alternative school, and my dad says i can't go to turkey to visit relatives until i've been out of alternative school for a whole year......im in 11th grade now..but anyway, does this diet help, and how do i control my behaviors?

I am 16, and a brother, and ever since I was in the 8th grade I've been suffering from panic attacks......my eyes start to hurt intensely, and they feel like they are rolling into my head......I also feel a sense of impending doom, the greatest fear anyone can feel, and my speech gets slurred, and i lose balance....I have tried taking psychiatric pills, but they dont work all the time...i even had to start taking heavy supplements......in the 9th grade, it was so bad i kept trying to escape school, and once even made terroristic threats out of frustration, and had to go to alternative school.....they have ruined and debilitated my life, and made me afraid of going places, as they can happen at any time.....i was wondering if Allah swt is punishing me or testing me, and what I can do to stop it.... Also, ever since I was 13, I have lusted after pre pubescent children.....I know it is wrong, and i feel guilty, but sometimes i dont feel guilty, though I have never acted on it, and don't plan to, since it would ruin a child's life, and I would be behind bars (and probably get killed behind bars), I thought this was just an adolescent phase but it wasn't, it still persists, and I am, about to turn 17.....i have prayed for a cure, but nothing....i take heavy doses of antidepressants (which is used to lower libido) but no luck..... I have tried therapy, but no luck..... I have even tried relieving my frustrations by masturbating, but it only made it worse.... and I realized it was haram and felt even more guilty.... The pedophilia seems to be wearing off though, and my feelings seem to have faded to admiration for children (which is still sick, in this context) But the panic attacks are what really worry me.... i have tried ruqyah but it has not helped...i have tried black magic cures, reciting sakinah dua, but no luck...i have tried black seed oil, but no luck....what should I do?

Another reason for men to grow beards (other than it being wajib, and looking cool) ... Are beards good for your health? http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-35350886 ... In this study, published in the Journal of Hospital Infection, they swabbed the faces of 408 hospital staff with and without facial hair. They had good reasons for doing so. We know that hospital-acquired infections are a major cause of disease and death in hospitals, with many patients acquiring an infection they didn't have when they went in. Hands, white coats, ties and equipment have all been blamed, but what about beards? Well, the researchers were surprised to find that it was the clean-shaven staff, and not the beardies, who were more likely to be carrying something unpleasant on their faces. The beardless group were more than three times as likely to be harbouring a species known as methicillin-resistant staph aureus on their freshly shaven cheeks. MRSA is a particularly common and troublesome source of hospital-acquired infections because it is resistant to so many of our current antibiotics. Far more interesting, in a few of the petri dishes he noticed that something was clearly killing the other bacteria. The most obvious suspect was a fellow microbe. We see microbes as our enemy, but they clearly don't see us that way. Down at their level bacteria and fungi spend their time competing with each other. They fight for food, resources and space. By doing so, over millennia, they have evolved some of the most sophisticated weapons known to microbe-kind - antibiotics. Penicillin was originally extracted from Penicillium notatum, a species of fungus. The microbe-killing properties of this fungus were discovered by Alexander Fleming when he noticed that a fungus spore, which had accidently blown into his lab from researchers further down the corridor, had killed some bacteria he was growing on a petri dish. continues.. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-35350886

One of the reasons why people are not always able to translate their intentions into actions is that they haven't made a precise plan as to when, where and how they will implement their intention. For example, I may intend or be motivated to eat extra fruit and vegetables, but if i don't make a plan as to how to do so in advance, I will be less likely to carry out my intended behaviour. A strategy that can bridge the gap between motivation/intention (pre-doing) and behaviour (doing) is the Implementation Intention (II) in the form of 'If-then' plans. You link the 'If' (a situational cue) with the 'Then' (a response to that cue). An example of an If-then plan or an II would be: If: it is 8 am on Monday morning. (Situation) Then: I will start writing my essay (Action/response) To: be able to finish it before the deadline (Goal) It is not a goal intention where I may just say "I intend to eat extra fruit and vegetables". Of course there are some barriers to this strategy, such as forgetting or getting distracted. However, research suggests that implementation intentions increase a person's commitment to their decision as well as their likelihood of carrying out the intended action, and therefore fulfilling their goal. It works for reducing procrastination too! http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0195666310005325

Asalamalikum, I know this isn't a therapy website, but I just want to know if this happens to anyone else? I have these weird thoughts/voices in my head that are not nice. I don't like them, and sometimes I feel suicidal and I roll up in a ball and cry. I don't like to explain what exactly happens inside my head because I don't like thinking about. But basically it's nothing nasty or dirty. It's all about God and other religious stuff. Just imagine literally hearing the Shaytan talking to you, and telling you bad stuff about God..and etc.. The thoughts or voices don't tell me to do anything bad, just bad stuff about my creator. These weird things cause me to sometimes pray faster to keep my mind just moving, sometimes I have to sleep with The Quran hugged to my chest. I mean they aren't nice. I have no doubt in Allah, his messenger, Islam, or Ahulbayet. Of course I am always sending my sallam to The Holy Prophet and HIs Pure Family. And always saying "asgafurallah rabi" or "a'thubilAllah min alshaydan rajam" Literally ALL the time. It gets annoying because I wish to say these for the sake of remembering Allah. But no, I have to say them because to get these thoughts out of my mind, which half the time doesn't work. My mom wants me to see a therapist but I don't want to. Does this happen to anyone else?I always fear Allah will hate me, or I will go to hell. I don't know what to do? What in the world could it be?My biggest fear which causes me to sometimes commit self harm, cry, etc.,is the fact that Allah might not forgive me, that he hates me because of these thoughts or voices. (I can't tell the difference) Thanks so much for taking the time to read and answer. May Allah Bless you all Duniya w Akira.

Salam alakum, I would like to direct any brothers and sisters with illnesses or loved ones with illnesses to research about black seed oil. It is a real miracle cure which is backed by scientific evidence. www.nabiblackseedoil.com for further information. Ali

(bismillah) Salam, everybody. This is an absolutely fantastic speech by Shaykh Hamza Yusuf on food and our attitudes towards it. I sincerely recommend all of you to watch it and implement some of what he says in your own lives and witness the change! I speak to myself first. Enjoy! Take care. Mithrandir. ws.

http://imhussain.com/e_index.php?ac=news&id=32 Harvard School of Public Health states that consuming fast food increases your risk of obesity-related conditions. Giving up fast food seems intimidating, as you can sacrifice both convenience and indulgence; however, eating healthful alternatives will improve your health, and eventually, your cravings for fast food will diminish. Breakfast fast-food breakfasts such as breakfast burritos, sausage and cheese sandwiches, syrup-soaked pancakes and oily waffles aren-t the way to start your day. Alternatives such as lettuce wraps, tofu scrambles, egg and toast and oatmeal pancakes are healthier choices to give your body energy and nutrition. Compare the 450 calories and 31 grams of fat in a fast-food biscuit with egg and bacon to the 130 calories and 5 grams of fat in a scramble with four egg whites and 1 ounce of cooked turkey bacon. Time’s often an issue for breakfast, but you can prepare many alternative breakfasts in advance and heat them during a busy morning. For example, make a batch of breakfast burritos from black beans, egg whites, chopped bell peppers and corn tortillas and freeze them individually wrapped. Alternately, have a smoothie made from fresh fruit, a sliced apple with peanut butter or strawberries with almond butter for an energy boost. Lunch fast-food lunches like cheeseburgers, french fries or fish and chips can cause fatigue rather than giving you energy. Alternatives such as baked sweet potato fries, tuna salad or a stuffed pita are much healthier. A fast-food double burger has more than 942 calories and 58 grams of fat; to compare, a 3-ounce turkey burger on a whole-wheat pita has 169 calories and 2 grams of fat. While it’s undeniably less indulgent, it’s far better for your health. Other lunch options include a butterhead lettuce and tomato salad with balsamic vinegar, tomato soup, steamed fish with spinach or a chicken breast lettuce wrap with avocado. If you need lunch to-go, bring it in an insulated lunch box with ice packs to keep your food cold or a thermos to keep soup warm. Dinner Fast-food dinners are not an ideal way to end your day. Instead of greasy pizza, create a homemade Margherita pizza, swap fried chicken for oven-baked chicken and have a salad with whole-grain bread instead of a deli sandwich. Other choices for dinner include homemade soup, vegetable stir-fry, steamed lean meat or whole-wheat pasta. Replacing two pieces of fast-food fried chicken, which has more than 431 calories and 26 grams of fat, with 3 ounces of chicken breast for less than 100 calories and around 2 grams of fat instantly makes dinner healthier. If you need dinner quickly, prepare a large batch of soup, salad or sandwich filling at the beginning of the week or use a slow cooker to prepare lean meats and stews while you’re away for the day. Snacks and Desserts Chips, french fries, popcorn chicken, pie, ice cream shakes and other unhealthy snacks and desserts do not nourish your body. Fresh fruit is an ideal replacement; it doubles as both a delicious snack and healthful dessert, and there’s multiple types from which to choose. Smoothies are excellent replacements for fast-food shakes. To compare, a large strawberry shake has more than 550 calories and 13 grams of fat; replace it with a smoothie made from 1 cup of plain, fat-free yogurt and 1 cup of fresh strawberries for 186 calories and 1 gram of fat. Fruit salads, fruit pudding made with silken tofu and fruit dipped in chocolate are other tasty dessert choices. For savory snacks, vegetables sticks, whole-grain crackers or roasted chickpeas are tasty choices. Source: healthyeating.sfgate.com Note: We are the International Media Unit in the holy shrine of Imam Hussain. Our main aim is to spread the message of Ahlul-Bayt worldwide. Please join our Facebook group at (Hussein Revivalism) and follow our Twitter account @ImamHusainMedia and Instagram @imamhussainmedia Thank you, may Allah and the Ahlul-Bayt bless you.

Salam alaikum, Trying to bring my community members' attention towards this important issue: Is convenience more important than our children’s health?Today, I am kind of furious and sad. Sad to see how our laziness can, and is affecting our children’s health. I have a sincere question to all of you. Do you think, a working mother or as busy parents we have the right to feed our children, our future generation, anything we like? I really want to use my emotions today, and probably transfer a bit of that energy to my readers. The time is gone when we were in the dark and didn’t know what we were eating. We were being fooled by the food industry eating chemical laden ‘so called’ food. Tell me a house that doesn’t have bread, mayonnaise, ketchup, pancake/waffle/cake/cookie mixes, noodles, crackers, pasta, biscuits, sauces, processed cheese, sausages, burgers, nuggets, boxed juice/milk and whole lot more. They all have chemical preservatives and additives to prolong their shelf life and lots of sugar to enhance their taste. I get sad when I hear mothers and caretakers saying: ‘Just give them a peanut butter jelly sandwich.’ or cheerios or other [Edited Out]py cereals. That too for breakfast which is technically the most important meal of the day. Why? Is our leisure more important than our children? It’s time we understood there is no such thing as kid’s food or kid’s snack. They eat what we eat and we all should be eating plain simple food. Not to forget: Please check the ingredients on your peanut butter (and jelly too!). Why? Because peanut butter should contain ............ Read the complete article here: https://medium.com/@adeelajaffery/is-convenience-more-important-than-our-childrens-health-17de23d2e956

(salam) I am new to cooking and all I really want cook is chicken. When it comes to food, all I can do are oats, eggs, cereal and chicken roasted in oven. I really need to start cooking my chicken in the microwave in order to save time and work. I found many links on how to cook chicken in the microwave but each is different; some say you need to fill the pyrex half way up with water, some say you have to close with a lid, others don't. Have any of you cooked chicken in the microwave before? If so, please help me out on this. The chicken I want to cook is still with it's bones and I will probably cook a thigh, breast and wing each time (basically half a chicken). (salam)

Hi! Everyone! Sorry to be a bother but I really need help. :cry: Hello! :) My name is Kathleen Taylor. :) I am a third year student from the School of Psychology at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan). For my dissertation project I am undertaking a study looking at emotion focused and problem focused coping in the Christian and Islamic religions in regards to stress. I was wondering if anyone would be able to take part. :) It would mean a lot to me because not many people are taking part in my study. :( It’s an online study which should take 5 minutes to complete. Here is the link to the study. http://eSurv.org?s=OBHNNF_b81e4405 I understand if you don’t want to but I would really appreciate it! :) Questions are more than welcome! :) Thank you for reading! Have a nice day! Take care, Kat :)

(salam) I received this email today and I wanted to share it with all of you. What are you to do if you have a heart attack while you are alone. Let's say it's 6:15 p.m. And you're driving home (alone of course), after an usually hard day on the job. You're really tired, upset and frustrated. Suddenly you start experiencing severe pain in your chest that starts to radiate out Into your arm and up into your jaw. You are only about five miles from the hospital nearest your home. Unfortunately you don't know if you'll be able to make it that far. What can you do? You've been trained in CPR but the guy that taught the course didn't tell you what to do if it happened to yourself. Since many people are alone when they suffer a heart attack, this article seemed to be in order. Without help, the person whose heart is beating improperly and who begins to feel faint, has only about 10 seconds left before losing consciousness. However, these victims can help themselves by coughing repeatedly and very vigorously. A deep breath should be taken before each cough, and the cough must be deep and prolonged, as when producing sputum from deep inside the chest. A breath and a cough must be repeated about every two seconds without let up until help arrives, or until the heart is felt to be beating normally again. Deep breaths get oxygen into the lungs and coughing movements squeeze the heart and keep the blood circulating. The squeezing pressure on the heart also helps it regain normal rhythm. In this way, heart attack victims can get to a hospital. Source: From Health Cares, Rochester General Hospital via Chapter 240s newsletter 'AND THE BEAT GOES ON ' OHHHH!!! I did not capitalize CPR. I am such a loser. :(

New study looking at the health outcomes of meat eaters vs vegetarians: http://www.plosone.org/article/fetchObject.action?uri=info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0088278&representation=PDF

(salam) all A dear friend's mom was diagnosed with cancer (a brain tumor) last week. Today we found out that it's stage III. Does anyone know of any Dua that cures Cancer? I've already checked duas.org, and I've googled but haven't been able to find anything relevant. Also, they don't live close to where I live, so the Duas that require you to blow on the patient, or on food or water for the patient won't work. Please help! Thanks.

Salam Alikum everyone, I was wondering whether there is any good islamic books/ lectures that will help in positive thinking. Whenever I face a trial (employment problems or breaking up with fiancé) I go into depression. I know everything happens for a reason and its for the best. Not only do I know it but I have seen it with my own eyes and experienced it numerous times. After the hardship I have always got something much better than what I had. I keep the management of my affairs with Allah (swt) and it gives me peace of mind. Yet, I can not stop thinking about what happened and feeling upset and depressed. I know that what comes in the future will be better than what I lost inshalla but I continue to be heart broken. Maybe because I am a very impulsive person and too emotional. I always have a negative state of mind and freak out. Is it lack of faith? I have has so many trials that taught me patience and yet I still get unbearably emotional and negative. How do I become patient in the sense that anything I face will not affect me? Being quiet about it and not complaining is not called patience right?