Latest news with #southeastAsia
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Why ginger is a lot better for your health than you may realize
There's a reason ginger has been a staple for thousands of years in both kitchens and medicine cabinets alike. It may appear like little more than a humble root, but it packs plenty of benefits that extend beyond a unique flavor profile. 'Ginger is well known for its ability to reduce nausea, but it also improves digestion and reduces inflammation, pain and can lower blood sugar,' says Kate Donelan, a registered dietitian with Stanford Health Care. While such benefits have helped ginger earn a place as one of the most scientifically backed superfoods, it's still possible to eat too much of it, and there are several adverse outcomes associated with doing so. Here's what ginger is, what it's good for and how much you'll want to actually consume. What is ginger? Ginger is a flowering plant that originated in southeast Asia but is now grown in many warm climates across the world. The root is the part of the plant most commonly eaten, which is also called the rhizome. 'Ginger is cultivated by digging up the rhizome from the soil, cleaning it, then using it fresh, dried or ground,' explains Erin Palinski-Wade, a New Jersey-based registered dietitian and author of "2-Day Diabetes Diet." Its warm, peppery flavor makes it a favorite in both sweet and savory dishes. 'As a fresh ingredient, ginger can be used in marinades or added into salads, baked goods, sauces, glazes, soup, or main dishes," explains Palinski-Wade, "but it is more commonly dried and ground and used as a spice." Ginger can also be crystallized to be used as a syrup in cocktails or sodas or turned into a chewy, candy-like treat. And for those seeking a concentrated dose, ginger supplements are also available and come in capsule, powder, oil or tincture form. Mocktails are on the rise. But are they actually better for you than alcoholic beverages? What is ginger good for? What does ginger do for the body? No matter which kind of ginger you enjoy, the spice has a long history of therapeutic uses, most of which are supported by high-quality research. One of its best-known benefits is aiding digestion. 'Ginger stimulates gastric emptying and increases the movement of food through the digestive tract, which can help relieve stomach pain and bloating,' notes Palinski-Wade. In part for these reasons, meta-analysis shows ginger being especially effective in treating nausea related to motion sickness, chemotherapy or pregnancy. Another major benefit lies in ginger's anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that may help prevent chronic illnesses like arthritis, heart disease and neurodegenerative diseases. These benefits are primarily due to the main bioactive compound in ginger known as gingerol, explains Palinski-Wade. Research also shows that ginger plays a role in blood sugar regulation and lowering cholesterol levels; and it can help bolster the body's defenses against viruses and bacteria – which is one reason ginger tea is a popular go-to remedy for colds and flu. Ginger also provides small but beneficial amounts of vitamin C, magnesium and potassium – all of which play key roles in immune function, muscle activity and blood pressure regulation, says Donelan. Great question: What is magnesium good for? Can I have ginger every day? Despite so many benefits, it's still best to enjoy ginger in moderation. Most adults can safely consume 3 to 4 grams of it daily, notes UCLA Health, which is about 1 to 2 teaspoons of fresh ginger. For pregnant women, the recommended maximum is closer to 1 gram per day. Consuming too much ginger "can cause acid reflux, mouth or throat discomfort or diarrhea,' says Donelan. 'And as a supplement, ginger can interact negatively with blood thinners." For such reasons, Donelan says, anyone with bleeding disorders or those taking medications for high blood pressure or diabetes "should discuss ginger use with their doctor.' Ditto for pregnant women, adds Palinski-Wade. And while allergic reactions to ginger are rare, they can occur and typically manifest as mouth irritation or skin rashes. 'So long as you're not overdoing it though," says Donelan, "ginger can be a helpful and healing addition to your diet." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What is ginger beneficial for?
The Guardian
12-07-2025
- General
- The Guardian
‘Delicious, affordable everyday eating': supermarket free-range eggs, tasted and rate
On a recent farm tour of one of the country's most prestigious organic operations, an agricultural scientist made a point that opened my eyes to better farming standards: free-range chickens, he explained, need cover. Chickens descend from the red jungle fowl of south-east Asia, so it's no surprise they feel safer under a canopy. Trees provide shade from the sun, shelter from rain and protection from predators, but, more than that, they also encourage birds to roam and express natural behaviour and reduce welfare issues such as feather pecking, resulting in genuinely healthier, happier hens. The Guardian's journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. When it comes to welfare, forest-reared chickens are the gold standard, so when an egg packer commits to planting trees or providing meaningful canopy cover, as several UK egg brands do, I know the quality is likely to be superior. It's also worth noting that, while free-range chickens gain outdoor access at only 21 weeks, organic hens are allowed out from 12 weeks – an important distinction in their welfare. This was one of the toughest taste tests I've done so far. When judging egg quality, I look at shell strength, the viscosity of the whites and the richness of the yolk, but freshness affects the albumen, and yolk colour is now largely engineered through beta carotene-rich feeds such as maize, paprika and marigold. Interestingly, the organic options all had classic sunshine-yellow yolks, in contrast to the vivid orange seen in several non-organic brands. A bold, marigold-orange yolk might be striking, but ultimately it doesn't tell us all that much about the egg's flavour. With freshness varying by the box, I boiled all the eggs and scored them instead on what truly counts: taste, provenance and welfare. If you want the best flavour and nutrition, choose eggs with the longest sell-by date in the store. Just be warned, the fresher the egg, the more stubborn it is to peel when boiled. To overcome this, cool it under running water and peel immediately. £3.20 for six at Ocado (53p each)£3.20 for six at Tesco (53p each)★★★★☆ Speckled brown shells and deep orange yolks give these Cornish eggs a strong visual appeal. The taste is subtle, savoury and well balanced. St Ewe leads in provenance, sharing producer stories on its website and becoming the EU's first B Corp-certified egg packer, which means it must meet rigorous social and environmental standards. A premium ethical splurge with rich flavour and standout transparency. £1.80 for six at Waitrose (30p each)★★★★☆ One of the more economical, yet the eggs are high quality. Classic brown shells with rich, orange yolks that are sweet, jammy and full of flavour. Laid by British blacktail hens, these eggs have a loyal following. The Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare ranks Waitrose as a tier-two leader, and while no specific farm origin is listed, the breed itself is impressive. Outstanding value with premium taste and trusted sourcing. £1.80 for six at Ocado (30p each)★★★★☆ Thick, deep brown, speckled shells with glowing orange yolks and the most layered flavour in the bunch – rich, savoury and complex. RSPCA Assured, M&S's egg range consistently offers quality at an accessible price. Its farming standards and welfare credentials are good, and this egg proves it. Delicious, affordable and my top pick for everyday eating. £3.45 for six at Sainsbury's (58p each)£3.75 for six at Ocado (63p each)★★★★☆ A handsome box of varied eggs, from speckled beige to classic tan, with rich, golden yolks. The flavour is simple but satisfying, with subtle, grassy notes. Certified organic for more than 20 years and Soil Association approved, their maize-enriched feed is completely GMO-free – a key organic standard and a reminder that maize and soya bean feeds are frequently genetically modified. Though on the pricier side, these eggs offer dependable quality with strong sustainability credentials. A solid organic choice. £3.48 for 10 at Asda (35p each)£4.10 for 10 at Sainsbury's (41p each)★★★★☆ Classic brown shells with a few paler ones in the mix. The yolks are a deep orange-red, thanks to natural feed. Rich, sweet and satisfying flavour, and great for a soft boil or a showy scramble. RSPCA Assured and a two-star winner at the 2024 Great Taste Awards. Freshlay works with independent British farms and makes clear its commitments to higher welfare and free-range standards. Sign up to The Filter Get the best shopping advice from the Filter team straight to your inbox. The Guardian's journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. after newsletter promotion £4.78 for 10 at Asda (48p each) £5.10 for 10 at Tesco (51p each)★★★★☆ A naturally varied box, with shells ranging from white and mottled to classic brown. The yolks are a soft sunflower yellow with a clean, sweet flavour. Purely Organic is the UK's first organic egg brand to be certified carbon neutral. Its farms include forested areas for enriched hen welfare, with clear transparency around its organic and sustainability commitments. £2.20 for six at Sainsbury's (37p each)£2.20 for six at Tesco (37p each)★★★★☆ Classic speckled brown shells and golden yolks with a lovely, well-rounded flavour. These eggs come from farms that go well beyond the basics, with four times the tree cover required by RSPCA Assured standards and daily enrichment kits for the hens. The UK-made feed is formulated to boost vitamin D, and just two eggs provide roughly 94% of your daily intake. An intriguing initiative. £2.85 for six at Sainsbury's (48p each)★★★☆☆ Classic, dark brown shells with the palest yolks in the test group – sunflower yellow, but still rich and sweet. RSPCA Assured, with a unique tree-planting initiative: Sainsbury's donates 1p from every dozen sold to the Woodland Trust. A thoughtful, ethical touch, and a product I trust thanks to the Soil Association Organic Certification, which has high standards and rigorous implementation. £1.89 for six at Aldi (32p each)★★★☆☆ Uniform, dark beige shells with deep, rich orange yolks that look and taste luxurious. The flavour is sweet and full, thanks to the extra-rich yolk. Limited provenance details beyond being British, free-range and RSPCA Assured, though they carry a Great Taste Award. Aldi is known for strong sustainability credentials, giving this affordable option added appeal. Great value for rich-tasting, good-looking eggs. £1.75 for six at Tesco (29p each)★★☆☆☆ Classic brown shells with a pale yellow yolk (the palest in the test) and a fairly plain flavour. RSPCA Assured and sourced from Northern Irish farms. Customer reviews are mixed, with several complaints about shell colour changes, though the eggs themselves seem consistent. Affordable, but unremarkable.
SBS Australia
11-07-2025
- Sport
- SBS Australia
SBS News in Filipino, Friday 11 July 2025
Australia to strengthen its trade relationships in south-east Asia. Australia's new ambassador to the Philippines, Ambassador-designate Marc Innes-Brown PSM, has been announced by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Filipino-Australian football player Sarina Bolden, of Team Filipinas, is recovering from surgery for an ACL injury and hopes to play in the AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026. LISTEN TO THE PODCAST SBS Filipino 11/07/2025 06:41 Filipino 📢 Where to Catch SBS Filipino 📲 Catch up episodes and stories – Visit or stream on Spotify , Apple Podcasts , Youtube Podcasts , and SBS Audio app.
Daily Mail
07-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Indonesian volcano erupts with 63,000 ft toxic ash cloud
Indonesia's rumbling Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki, a 5,197ft-high volcano on the tourist island of Flores, has erupted yet again this morning. In astonishing new footage, the giant volcano spews a toxic column of ash measuring around 63,000 feet into the sky. Locals filmed the billowing cloud from a distance – as an official issues an urgent warning for people to stay away. The cloud has deposited ash on villages, forcing the evacuation of dozens of residents and cancelling several flights. Volcanic clouds are made up of fine fragments of rock, mineral crystals, volcanic glass and gas, which is mostly harmless water vapor. However, significant amounts of potentially hazardous gases can be released too, including carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and hydrogen sulfide. Muhammad Wafid, head of Indonesia's geology agency, said the activity level at the volcano is 'very high, marked by explosive eruptions and continuous tremors'. He also urged residents to stay at least 3.7 miles (6 km) away from the volcano and to wear face masks to protect themselves from volcanic ash. Lewotobi is a twin volcano in the southeastern part of the island of Flores, Indonesia with two peaks, called Lewotobi Laki-laki ('male') and Lewotobi Perempuan ('female'). Lewotobi Laki-laki, which is the more active of the two, is about 1.3 miles (2.1 km) northwest of the taller Lewotobi Perempuan. Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki erupted on Monday at 11:05 am local time (03:05 GMT), Indonesia's volcanology agency said in a statement. 'An eruption of Lewotobi Laki-Laki volcano occurred... with the observed ash column height reaching approximately 18,000 m above the summit,' the agency said. 'This eruption was accompanied by a strong booming sound and hot clouds with a maximum glide distance of 5 km [3 miles] to the north and northeast.' Fortunately, there have been no immediate reports of damage or casualties. But the agency warned of the possibility of hazardous lahar floods, which are known to be extremely destructive and deadly if heavy rain occurs. This mixture of water and rock fragments flows down the slopes of a volcano and typically enters a river valley, which poses a hazard for nearby communities. Several flights from Australia to Bali, a province of Indonesia and a popular tourist destination for Australians, have been cancelled, ABC reports. Affected carriers include Qantas and Virgin Australia and further delays on Tuesday are possible depending on the movement of the ash cloud through the night, it adds. A customer service agent of airport operator InJourney Airports told AFP that Bali's Ngurah Rai international airport was still operating normally despite the eruption, but Indonesia's transport ministry and airport operator did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Activity has been ongoing at Lewotobi Laki-laki for the last few months; in June, dozens of flights to and from Bali were cancelled after the volcano erupted. Volcanic ash rained down on several communities around the volcano and forced the evacuation of at least one village. Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki erupted multiple times in November, killing nine people and forcing thousands to evacuate, as well as the cancellation of scores of international flights to Bali. Monday's eruption was one of Indonesia's largest volcano eruptions since 2010 when Mount Merapi, the country's most volatile volcano, erupted on the densely populated island of Java. The eruption 15 years ago killed 353 people and forced over 350,000 people to evacuate the affected areas. Indonesia, north of Australia, is a vast archipelago nation of more than 280 million people with frequent seismic activity. It is positioned at the boundary of three major tectonic plates – Indian-Australian, Eurasian and Pacific – making it prone to earthquakes. It has 120 active volcanoes and sits along the 'Ring of Fire', a horseshoe-shaped series of seismic fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin. Somewhere between 80 to 90 per cent of the world's earthquakes occur along the Ring of Fire, which also spans the eastern US coast, Japan and New Zealand.
Daily Mail
07-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Astonishing footage shows giant volcano erupting with 63,000 ft of toxic ash cloud - as urgent warning issued
Indonesia 's rumbling Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki, a 5,197ft-high volcano on the tourist island of Flores, has erupted yet again this morning. In astonishing new footage, the giant volcano spews a toxic column of ash measuring around 63,000 feet into the sky. Locals filmed the billowing cloud from a distance – as an official issues an urgent warning for people to stay away. The cloud has deposited ash on villages, forcing the evacuation of dozens of residents and cancelling several flights. Volcanic clouds are made up of fine fragments of rock, mineral crystals, volcanic glass and gas, which is mostly harmless water vapour. However, significant amounts of potentially hazardous gases can be released too, including carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and hydrogen sulfide. Muhammad Wafid, head of Indonesia's geology agency, said the activity level at the volcano is 'very high, marked by explosive eruptions and continuous tremors'. He also urged residents to stay at least 3.7 miles (6 km) away from the volcano and to wear face masks to protect themselves from volcanic ash. Lewotobi is a twin volcano in the southeastern part of the island of Flores, Indonesia with two peaks, called Lewotobi Laki-laki ('male') and Lewotobi Perempuan ('female'). Lewotobi Laki-laki, which is the more active of the two, is about 1.3 miles (2.1 km) northwest of the taller Lewotobi Perempuan. Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki erupted on Monday at 11:05 am local time (03:05 GMT), Indonesia's volcanology agency said in a statement. 'An eruption of Lewotobi Laki-Laki volcano occurred... with the observed ash column height reaching approximately 18,000 m above the summit,' the agency said. 'This eruption was accompanied by a strong booming sound and hot clouds with a maximum glide distance of 5 km [3 miles] to the north and northeast.' Fortunately, there have been no immediate reports of damages or casualties. But the agency warned of the possibility of hazardous lahar floods, which are known to be especially extremely destructive and deadly if heavy rain occurs. This mixture of water and rock fragments flows down the slopes of a volcano and typically enters a river valley, which poses a hazard for nearby communities. Several flights from Australia to Bali, a province of Indonesia and popular tourist destination for Australians, have been cancelled, ABC reports. Affected carriers include Qantas and Virgin Australia and further delays on Tuesday are possible depending on the movement of the ash cloud through the night, it adds. A customer service agent of airport operator InJourney Airports told AFP that Bali's Ngurah Rai international airport was still operating normally despite the eruption, but Indonesia's transport ministry and airport operator did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Activity has been ongoing at Lewotobi Laki-laki for the last few months; in June, dozens of flights to and from Bali were cancelled after the volcano erupted. Volcanic ash rained down on several communities around the volcano and forced the evacuation of at least one village. Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki erupted multiple times in November, killing nine people and forcing thousands to evacuate, as well as the cancellation of scores of international flights to Bali. Monday´s eruption was one of Indonesia´s largest volcano eruptions since 2010 when Mount Merapi, the country´s most volatile volcano, erupted on the densely populated island of Java. The eruption 15 years ago killed 353 people and forced over 350,000 people to evacuate affected areas. Somewhere between 80 to 90 per cent of the world's earthquakes occur along an area commonly known as the 'Ring of Fire' Indonesia, north of Australia, is a vast archipelago nation of more than 280 million people with frequent seismic activity. It is positioned at the boundary of three major tectonic plates – Indian-Australian, Eurasian and Pacific – making it prone to earthquakes. It has 120 active volcanoes and sits along the 'Ring of Fire', a horseshoe-shaped series of seismic fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin. Somewhere between 80 to 90 per cent of the world's earthquakes occur along the Ring of Fire, which also spans the eastern US coast, Japan and New Zealand. The Earth is moving under our feet: Tectonic plates move through the mantle and produce Earthquakes as they scrape against each other Tectonic plates are composed of Earth's crust and the uppermost portion of the mantle. Below is the asthenosphere: the warm, viscous conveyor belt of rock on which tectonic plates ride. Earthquakes typically occur at the boundaries of tectonic plates, where one plate dips below another, thrusts another upward, or where plate edges scrape alongside each other. Earthquakes rarely occur in the middle of plates, but they can happen when ancient faults or rifts far below the surface reactivate.
