Cranberry Juice

Drinking one glass of cranberry juice a day has proven to significantly reduce the risk of infections and help prevent cystitis.

According to studies, cranberries helps with urinary tract infection (UTI) and gum problems. The cranberry has this enzyme called proanthocyanidins that prevents harmful bacteria from sticking on the urinary tract wall. It flushes out toxins and bacteria. Many drink cranberry juice as a prevention to UTI but it may help curing as well. You won't see instant improvements and be cured after a few drinks, it will take time as once a glider has UTI, their urinary tract is inflamed, swollen and it takes time and anti-biotics to heal the infection.

The enzymes also helps clean teeth. Strange but true. It flushes out bacteria from the gums. Since we can't brush our glider's teeth, we should give them some cranberry juice to help with dental care.

Cranberry juice is known to have various health benefits including:

• Cranberry juice contains phytochemicals, which may help prevent cancer and cardiovascular disease.

• Cranberry juice may help prevent and relieve the symptoms of uninary tract infections by primary and secondary means. The primary means works on the bacteria directly by altering the molecular structure of the fimbriae on the pathogenic strains of the bacteria that cause the infections. The secondary means works indirectly on the bacteria by changing the intravesical pH (the pH of the bladder's contents) making it more acidic.

• Cranberry juice is high in oxalate, and has been suggested to increase the risk for developing kidney stones, although more recent studies have indicated it may lower the risk.

Unit Trust (Unit Amanah) Pilihan Menarik untuk Menyimpan

Skim unit amanah atau 'unit trust' (UT) merupakan suatu bentuk pelaburan kolektif yang membolehkan pelabur-pelabur yang mempunyai ojektif pelaburan yang sama mengumpulkan wang mereka, dan kemudian dilaburkan ke dalam portfolio sekuriti atau aset lain yang diuruskan oleh pengurus pelaburan professional.

Pulangan (return) pelaburan adalah gabungan pembayaran pendapatan tetap dipanggil agihan/dividen (cash distribution) dan tambahan nilai modal (capital gains) melalui pecahan unit (unit split).

Cara pelaburan atau pembelian boleh dilakukan dengan cara pembelian tunai di kaunter-kaunter unit amanah. Selain itu, pelabur boleh mengeluarkan caruman KWSP daripada Akuan 1.

Pelaburan boleh dibuat tidak melebihi 20% daripada jumlah simpanan yang melebihi Simpanan Asas dalam Akaun 1. Pelaburan ini boleh dibuat setiap 3 bulan sekali dan jumlah minimum pelaburan ialah RM1,000.00.

Jumlah Simpanan Asas Dalam Akaun 1

Umur (Tahun)	Simpanan Asas (RM)	Umur (Tahun)	Simpanan Asas (RM)
18	1,000	37	34,000
19	2,000	38	37,000
20	3,000	39	41,000
21	4,000	40	44,000
22	5,000	41	48,000
23	7,000	42	51,000
24	8,000	43	55,000
25	9,000	44	59,000
26	11,000	45	64,000
27	12,000	46	68,000
28	14,000	47	73,000
29	16,000	48	78,000
30	18,000	49	84,000
31	20,000	50	90,000
32	22,000	51	96,000
33	24,000	52	102,000
34	26,000	53	109,000
35	29,000	54	116,000
36	32,000	55	120,000

Contoh Pengiraan Kelayakan

Ahli	Umur	Simpanan di dalam Akaun 1 (RM)	Simpanan Asas (RM)	Pengiraaan: Simpanan Akaun 1 - Simpanan Asas x 20%	Kelayakan Ahli
A	22	4,000	5,000	-	Ahli tidak layak memohon. Simpanan di Akaun 1 kurang daripada simpanan asas.
B	22	8,000	5,000	(8,000 - 5,000) x 20% = RM600	Ahli tidak layak memohon. Amaun kelayakan minimum kurang RM1,000.
C	25	20,000	9,000	(20,000 - 9,000) x 20% = RM2,200	Ahli layak memohon. Amaun kelayakan minimum RM1,000 dan maksimum RM2,200.
D	40	40,000	44,000	-	Ahli tidak layak memohon. Simpanan di Akaun 1 kurang daripada simpanan asas.
E	45	100,000	64,000	(100,000 - 64,000) x 20% = RM7,200	Ahli layak memohon. Amaun kelayakan minimum RM1,000 dan maksimum RM7,200.

Unit Trust halal ke unit amanah ni? Ramai yang tertanya-tanya samada UT ini halal atau tidak. Islamic Unit Trust yang telah diluluskan dan disenarai oleh Suruhanjaya Sekuriti adalah halal untuk dilabur. Syarikat Pengurusan Unit Amanah perlu melantik Syariah Advisor untuk mengawalselia aktiviti setiap UT yang ditawarkan. Setakat 31 Julai 2010 ini, terdapat 577 produk UT di Malaysia, jadi pilihlah UT yang berlandaskan syariah. Jadi, adakah pelaburan ASB/ASM termasuk di dalam senarai patuh syariah? Jawapannya TIDAK. Ini buktinya:

Sebagai alternatif, Alliance Dana Adib memberi pulangan yang menarik untuk pelaburan jangka panjang.

Sumber: Bloomberg

iPhone 4 is here

Maxis and Digi has launched the much-awaited iPhone 4 for Malaysian market today. I am owning iPod classic and iPod touch. Knowing all its function and features, I won't change my BB to iPhone 4. Here is the package from Maxis (iPhone4-Maxis) and its rival, Digi (iphone4-Digi)