Natural Laundry Detergents

Its so difficult to find a mild laundry detergent in Malaysia that i am seriously considering making my own or just using water except for tough stains. I recently tried a locally manufactured     "natural" laundry detergent and found my clothes laden with soap residue after every wash cycle.

Apart from the local detergent above, the only other product available in stores, actually just one store (Village Grocer) in the city is Earth Choice. This product comes from Australia and it cost close to RM18 or USD5 a bottle approximately. It lasts a month (for one person) hence needless to say you will be spending a lot if you have a family! A 750 ml bottle of Earth Choice can rinse up to 21 washes or so they say.

I have been using it for 6 months and have no complains so far.  The label says its a plant based formula. Readiliy Biodegradable Surfactants. No petrochemical Surfactants, Phosphate, Ammonia or Chlorine. Reduces Chemical Waste & Pollutants. Low Sodium (6%). Septic Safe. No added Phosphorus.

For more information please visit www.natureorganics.com.au. I know some of my friends use just a little bit of Dettol to wash clothes instead of detergents and fabric softeners. Perhaps I should experiment with making my own detergents and see how that works out.

E2 Energy Saver

I came across an interesting gadget at a Home Dec exhibition last month. The gadget in question is called E2 Saver. This gadget claims to be able to reduce your utility bill by 40%. You simply need to plug into any 13A 3-pin power outlet nearest to your distribution box.

The friendly salesman also highlighted that E2 Energy saver will
- Stabilise the flow of current into the building
- Improve power efficiency
- Reduce temperature of wire and risk of fire
- Prolong the lifespan of electrical appliances

Would love to hear from anyone who has actually purchased the E2 Saver and get some feedback/reviews in this product. It cost between RM300 to RM400 approximately and is available Handy Fix Sdn Bhd, Houz Depot Sdn Bhd, Ace Hardware Sdn Bhd, Home-Fix (M) Sdn Bhd.

The salesman also showed me a reduction in utility bills as a result of E2 Saver but that could be due to a variety of reason. I also googled E2 Saver Scam to see if anything came up from other websites or blogs. What I found was this product has been in the market for couple of years and has been getting mixed reviews from customers.

At one of the forums a user pointed out how E2 Saver works:
1. Inside all of these boxes are just industrial non polar capacitors. You can get it at electronics shop for ~RM5 each.
2. The capacitors will indeed filter out the noise in electrical current, and thus making your total power reduced. This is because:
Total Power = Real Power + Reactive Power
The cap reduces reactive power.
3. Old TNB meters (those with spinning discs, measures TOTAL POWER), so if your house is still using that type of meter, using the caps will help to reduce your bill to a certain point. (especially if you use a lot of aircons/washing machines)
4. The NEW DIGITAL TNB meters is already designed to measure REAL POWER ONLY. So, TNB does not charge you for any reactive power that you use anymore (true for houses only, but for factories, tnb still charge for reactive power under a certain level of Power Factor).

I am not sure if the above explanation is true and frankly i didn't know we had something called reactive power. Finally, E2 Saver does have a credible websites as more often than not these gadgets appear on website that look rather suspicious. I am rather skeptical about the whole gadget thats sounds too good to be true and you know what they say when things are too good to be true...

Favourite Robin Sharma Quotes

Always remember the key principle to the quality of life is the quality of communicatiom. This means the way you communicate with others and more importantly the way you communicate with yourself. What you focus on is what you get. If you look for the positive this is what you get. This is the fundamental law of nature.

Stress is simply a response you create in the interpretation of an event. Understand that the perceived negative effect of an event or task may be mentally manipulated and conditioned towards the positive.

Remember that forgiveness is a virtue that few develop, but one that is most important to maintaining peace of mind. By using emotional forgiveness muscles more regularly, petty wrongs, remarks and slights will not touch you and nothing will penetrate your concentrated self.

Never argue with the person you work for you will lose more than the argument

Two of the fundamentals for a happy joyful life is balance and moderation. One must maintain a balance of all activities and do nothing to extreme

Remember that effective time management makes you more rather than less flexible. It allows you to do the things you really want to do rather than the things you have to do.

Spend time with Nature. It has a powerful effect on your senses which will lead to a sense of renewal, refreshment and peacefulness. Cultivate a friendship in Nature and you will find more serenity, contentment and richness in your life.

Sound body rest a sound mind. Feed it the finest fuel, exercise daily and care for as you would your prized possession.

Remember an ancient Indian proverb: "If you conquer your mind, you conquer the world"
Keep your words soft and arguments hard

When you look for something you will find it. If you constantly expect exceptional success you will surely have it. Peak performers attract success. You must keep the goals you desire to achieve at the forefront of your mind throughout the day.

Get deep into the habit of personal introspection. Spend ten minutes every night before you go to bed in self-examination. Think about the good things you did during the day and the bad actions you may have taken which you must change in order to excel and grow.

Remember the power of prayer

When the breath is still and strong, so is the mind

Fill your home with bright fresh flowers. This is one of the best investment you can make. Let the sound of great music, laughter and good fun fill the oasis of your home

The mind is like a garden-as you sow, so shall you reap. When you cultivate it and nurture it, it will blossom beyond your wildest expectation. But if you let the weeds take over, you will never reach your potential. What you put in is what you get out.

List of Organic Farmers In Malaysia as at May 2012

I thought it might be useful to list all certified organic farmers under Skim Organic Malaysia. This will help you identify certified organic farmers amongst the rest when grocery shopping. The names below were extracted from the SOM website. I also noticed a lot of organic farmers had not renewed their certification. As such the list here are farmers/suppliers with valid certification only

1. DQ Farm Products - Durian
2. Zenxin Agri Organic - Vegetables
3. Nasaha Enterprise Sdn Bhd - Herbs
4. Golden Meridien Sdn Bhd - Local Fruits
5. Hatiku Agrikultur- Vegetables
6. Yu Hao Enterprise - Vegetables
7. Jin Teik Organic Health Foods - Mushrooms and Vegetables
8. Berjaya Hill Berhad - Local Vegetables
9. Ng Kok Weng - Vegetables
10. Ganofarm Sdn Bhd - Mushrooms
11. Vita Agrotech Sdn Bhd - Mushrooms
12. C&C Mushroom Cultivation Farm - Mushroom
13. Leo Kim Ong - Leavy Greens
14. Jerum Organic Farms - Mushrooms
15. Today Mushroom Industry - Mushrooms
16. Sri Ain D Herbs - Herbs
17. Nas Agro Farm - Mushrooms
18. Borneo Highland Resort - Vegetables
19. Mazlina Karim - Mushroom
20. Aloe Vera International - Aloe Vera

I have a hunch that most of the farmers/supplier who have not renewed their certification  still display the certification seal on their website and labels. To renew your certification you will be subject to an on-site inspection according to SOM guidelines. The list continues below.

21. Choo Ling Hock - Vegetables
22. Chay Yee Yong- Vegetables
23. Lee Ong Sing  - Vegetables
24. Go Green - Vegetables
25. Kahar bin Abdul Rahman - Mushrooms
26. Suan Mokkh Garden - Fruits
27. Lee Sek Weng - Vegetables
28. J-Biotech Eco First Agro - Vegetables
29. D'Lonek Sdn Bhd - Vegetables
30. Elegant Green Trading - Vegetables
31. Highlang Sprout - Taugeh
32. Bin Florikulture - Vegetables
33. Ng Tzu Ting - Mushroom
34. Green Oasis Resource - Leafy Greens
35. Tan Soo Kiaw - Vegetables
36. Kop Pembangunan Desa

I buy organic produce from a local store called Jaya Grocer and as you know organic vegetables comes with a markup price. So i checked the names of suppliers on my greens with the list above. My organic vegetables come from MJ Sunrise which is part of Golden Meridian and  Agri Village. Agri Village buys fresh fruits and vegetables from local growers and businesses that subscribe to SOM standard in order to supply safe, fresh produce to retailers, wholesalers and foodservice operators nationwide and overseas.

Lemon Water

One of the things I have been incorporating into my list of daily must-dos is to drink lemon water. I first became aware of lemon water when i was diagnosed with cancer and my aunt suggested I have a cup of lemon juice at least once a week. Now I cut a few slices of lemon on throw it into my drinking water . It taste strange at first but you get accustom to it after awhile.

So why lemons? Lemons mixed with water creates a beverage when imbibed, helps raise the body's PH level. Lemon juice when metabolised, is alkalizing and therefore can balance out the acidic body. You don't want to be acidic as this makes you susceptible to falling ill, feeling fatigue, etc

Lemon water also stimulates digestion and relieves heartburn and bloating. I suffer from bloating if i have eaten food that is acidic. Now i sip lemon water after a meal and it has helped to alleviate bloating.

Drinking freshly made fruit juice or lemon water first thing in the morning is a great habit to incalculate. Please do not drink lemon juice in its concentrate form as i tried this once and got a tummy ache. So always dilute in water!

A word of caution as lemon is alkaline when metabolised but acidic in the mouth hence its good practice to rinse your mouth after drinking to eliminate residual acid. I have read that some find drinking lemon water regularly helps to reduce sugar cravings and calms digestion.

Suggest you keep a couple of lemon slices in the fridge so you can add it into your drinking water daily.

I recently received an e-mail message that read " Lemon Kills Cancer Cells - Surprising Benefits of Lemon" allegedly from Institute of Health Sciences In Baltimore. This is a hoax e-mail. The Institute of Health Sciences has issued a statement to say the content and information did not come from them. Although there are beneficial effects to lemon water this e-mail contained unproven, unsupported and significantly exaggerated claims as a cancer remedy and should not be considered a valid scientific report.

Scientific studies (2005 Science Daily and Medicinal use of Citrus published by University of Florida) however do indicate compounds in citrus, including lemon, have potential as anti- cancer agent. However it is not yet clear exactly how citrus will prove to be in preventing or fighting against cancer. It is also not accurate to say lemon is a viable alternative to traditional treatments like chemotheraphy. To be useful health advice needs to be valid, accurate and supported by credible medical sources. (www.hoax-slayer.com)

Giving from the Heart

The giving of charity can often be just as rewarding to the giver as to the receiver. However to select one charity is difficult hence my advice is to follow your heart and find one that appeals most to you. Here are a couple of organizations worthy of consideration.

The Truly Loving Company (TLC)

Buy bath and body products, floor, kitchen and bathroom cleaners. All dividends declared by TLC goes to five charitable causes such as Shelter Home for Children, National Stroke Association of Malaysia, The Handicapped and Mentally Disabled Children Association Johor, Rumah Aman and Hospis Malaysia. To ensure the money is distributed effectively the company has constituted a council to oversee the admission and review of selected charities as well as allocation of dividend. They also have a green-product range!
www.thetrulylovingcompany.com

Hospis Malaysia

Organisation provides palliative care and medicine at no cost to anyone with life limiting illness in Klang Valley. Services encompass both homecare and day care. Cash donations or/and medical equipment are appreciated.
www.hospismalaysia.org.my

The Handicapped and Mentally Disabled Children Association of Johor

A home for mentally disabled children who suffer from cerebral palsy,hyperactivity, autism and others. There are also children who have been abandoned or abused. Cash donations or buying items on their wish list are welcomed.
www.handicabjb.org.my

Epic Homes

Founded to build sustainable housing for underprivileged Malaysian communities, particularly indigenous people or Orang Asli. Homes are built and repaired by volunteers. One can donate to purchase building material or spend a weekend building a home.
www.epichome.org.my

Kiva

A San Francisco based non-profit organization that facilitates interest free lending to alleviate poverty. Donors loan to low-income entrepreneurs of their choice around the world and repayment are remitted back to the donor via Paypal. Kiva works with microfinance institutions in five continents to provide loans to people without access to banking system. I have been a member of KIVA for 4 years now and have lent to a number of single mothers who would like to start a small business to support their families in Asia and Africa. So far I have been paid in full which I then lend out again to another individual. You will find KIVA’s website organised and user friendly.
www.kiva.org

All of us can have a profound influence on the lives of others through the act of giving – Bill Clinton

Giving frees us from the familiar territory of our own needs by opening our mind to the unexplained worlds occupied by the needs of others.” – Barbara Bush

Top Documentary Films

I came across an amazing website that shares a number of good documentaries. Browse and discover the wide array of insightful films. http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/