Sunny Health

The Chinese saying 休息是为了走更长远的路 (Taking a rest allows one to walk further) exists for good reason. People perform best under conditions when their basic needs are satisfied, which includes emotional satisfaction and physical conditions. Yet some are still doing overtime and working their butts off during the holiday season, not because they have been unfortunate enough to land a mandatory shift during the holidays, but because they want to earn more money, or believe that’s the way to show that they are productive. Nothing wrong with diligence, but your health is important too, and in times of stress and unhappiness, taking a well-deserved break can be an effective treatment. Furthermore, it can actually help to boost productivity at work.

How can you become more productive when not working? Well, one would turn to finish up all important work before the vacation to avoid a pre-vacation or post-vacation meltdown. You certainly wouldn’t want to be called up in the middle of your vacation to be questioned for shoddy work. You would thus be motivated to eliminate all distractions and focus on your work. The vacation becomes like a carrot that prompts you to run faster.

Vacations are the closest things to true freedom – waking up and going to bed at whatever time you want, choosing where to go and what to eat, not having to do actual work. By letting your hair down and doing things you really like, you ease inward tension, depression and tiredness. If you’re with family, friends and loved ones, this is a good opportunity for you to boost your relationships and social life, and this does wonders to your mood as well.

Going on vacations may also bring out the innovator and explorer in you! Often times, we are used to a monotonous routine in our daily lives. On a vacation, one would tend to live a little differently, especially if you’re overseas. You would be in a different environment from your office, you might eat different meals from what you originally ate. You might be planning a vastly different schedule from your usual ones to get the most out of your vacation. By thinking differently, you invite inspiration. You may even get new ideas for work!

Don’t short-sell yourself, and then bemoan that you’re being overworked and underpaid. If you don’t clear your paid leave, you are essentially working for free, Even our labour laws protect workers who have been made to work without adequate rest.

Vacations don’t necessarily have to be taken overseas. Lounging around your house, booking a chalet or local hotel room and planning an itinerary to visit the best local attractions and sourcing out all the best recommendations from food bloggers (if you’re a foodie) are relaxing and affordable ways to take a break.

Be sure to rest and relax this long weekend so that you can welcome the new year with renewed vigour! Have a great 2016 ahead!

Yummy but potentially deadly. Source

Source: Zeenews

The fact that red meats like beef and processed meats like bacon and luncheon meat are not exactly the healthiest food products around has not been news to us. Health enthusiasts and doctors have harped about how fattening and threatening these delicacies are for our heart and weight. Nevertheless, many of us continue to indulge ourselves for their satisfying taste. For those who care about their health, it shouldn't be too difficult to get rid of the calories gained through a few trips to the gym, right?

But the recent announcement by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) - that there is a link between some types of meat and some forms of cancer - bowel cancer in particular, will likely prompt many meat lovers to revise their diets. After all, cancer is more challenging to manage than some extra pounds.

Before you panic and start swearing off meat completely due to this piece of news, which isn't a bad thing but could backfire if 1) you don't get sufficient nutrients 2) It's too torturous and you throw in the towel, let's get some facts right:

Red meat is meat that is dark red colour before cooking or processing. Common and obvious examples include beef and lamb. But perhaps unbeknownst to many, pork is also on the list. There are some causal links between red meat and increased risk of cancer, but the links are not definitive.

Processed meat is meat that is not sold fresh, but has undergone some form of processing like curing, canning, smoking and other forms of preservation methods to prolong its shelf life. This includes bacon, luncheon meat, sausages and ham. Frequent consumption is established to increase the risk of contracting cancer.

White meat, like chicken and fish, are not known to increase the risk of cancer and are safe alternatives. This should not be much of a surprise as they are often touted as healthier alternatives when it comes to calorie intake. So meat lovers, take heart!

As for tasty indulgences like processed meat, let them remain indulgences, but you don't have to avoid them like plague. Of course, you probably should for better health, but if that might make you go cold turkey, realise that just because you enjoy the occasional traditional English breakfast with sausages and bacon doesn't automatically make you a candidate for cancer.

Professor Phillips of Cancer Research UK has a layman analogy for it: "...think of banana skins. They definitely can cause accidents, but in practice this doesn’t happen very often. And the sort of harm you can come to from slipping on a banana skin isn’t generally as severe as, say, being in a car accident."

However, under a hazard identification system like IARC’s, both ‘banana skins’ and ‘cars’ would come under the same category – they both definitely do cause accidents.

Swollen calves are a challenge for the wardrobe; they look unflattering in mini skirts, shorts and leggings with funky prints, and that sucks if you're a fan of those. More importantly, they could be the cause or sign of underlying health problems. This is especially so if the rest of your body is average-sized or even slim.

Thick calves could be hereditary (check out your family members' pins). Usually this means that fat has a higher tendency to get stored in that area, which causes the area to become, well, fat. In fact, swollen calves tend to be more prominent in women because fat is more commonly stored in the lower body.

But swollen calves are also a sign of water retention or blood circulation problems. Sitting or standing too long is unhealthy, and a cause of swollen calves as well. Poor circulation problems can eventually lead to varicose veins, which is a much more unsightly and stubborn problem than swollen calves. Reducing swollen calves can consequently rectify some impending health issues, and of course, broaden your wardrobe choices.

Regardless the cause of your large calves, the following tips are designed to help you achieve better wellness overall and healthier legs:

Wear compression stockings

If you have a job that requires you to frequently stand or sit, these are a godsend. Used as a treatment device for varicose veins, they reduce the diameter of distended veins (veins that bulge out), causing an increase in blood flow in the veins and valve effectiveness. It is a safeguard measure against a variety of venous disorders like edema (severe water retention) with the benefit of relieving tired, aching legs. It should not be an excuse against being active.

Be active

Exercise is essential for overall well-being. Walking and long distance running are great ways to tone your legs while reducing body fat and improving circulation.Just look at the legs of marathon runners; they're muscly but slim. Certain types of exercises, especially high impact activities like sprinting, do build up calf muscles, which is probably not what you want if you're looking at this article. Low-impact activities that train your endurance are the way to go, and they're suitable for most age groups.

Walk correctly

We may have been walking since we were toddlers, but not everyone grows up walking in the correct manner. Poor posture when walking can lead to swollen ankles and calves along with a myriad of posture-related issues.

The right way to walk is to keep your back straight, head up. Looking down puts your head down, and your spin follows. This puts pressure on your back and neck, which can eventually cause pain in those areas. Yet another reason to put away your phones while walking!

When you walk, your knee should take the lead in putting your leg forward, not your foot. Leading with your foot causes the body to tilt backwards.

Here is a graphic on the correct way of walking:




Reduce amount of time in high heels

Sorry ladies, although high heels appear to elongate the legs when worn, constantly walking on the balls of your feet can build calf muscle, leading to thick calves. Furthermore, long-term wearing of high heels can cause many health problems, including permanent reshaping of leg muscles, causing pain when walking, and is therefore not much of a loss.


Use a foot pillow at night

Lie with your back on the bed (it's the best sleeping position!), and your feet on pillows 10 to 15 cm off the bed. If your knees feel uncomfortable, placing a bolster underneath helps. Elevating the feet above heart level helps to promote venous drainage and reduce swelling. If this sleeping position is impossible for you, just elevating your feet for 20 minutes is a great help.

However, this method is not suitable for people who have moderate to severe Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) who become short of breath when lying flat, or those with moderate to severe Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) who will experience pain in the feet when elevating their legs.


Daily Lymphatic massage

1. Starting from ankles working your way towards your knees, lightly massage legs. Avoid putting too much pressure into the massage, i.e. be gentle.
2. The back of your knees is where lymph ducts from legs (lymph node) accumulate, so apply pressure lightly in this area; it is sensitive.
3. Be sure to massage the area around your kneecap where swelling may be most prominent.

Repeat on both legs, 10 times for best results

If you have a bath tub, the best time to do this is during your bath time, when your blood circulation is best due to the warm water. If not, before bed time is good too when you're relaxed.

If your legs are visibly swollen, especially on one side, or if you experience pain and redness, you should seek a diagnosis from a doctor.

Saying things you don’t mean to, pulling up misconstrued facts and jumbling up words, agreeing to a challenge you’d never have agreed to in your right state of mind… why do we often seem to act out of character when angry?

When our body is under stressful situations, hormones are released to facilitate flight or fight. That would explain, why, when we’re confronted of danger, we would either run faster than we ever thought we were capable of doing so, or fight back with such strong punches without feeling the pain until later.

Our brain, too, goes into fight or flight mode when verbally confronted, but more often than not, it tends to work against us. Here are some of the effects arguments have on our brains:

Short-term memory loss
Increasing levels of the stress hormone cortisol causes this. That’s why you may sometimes find yourself tongue-tied, at a loss of words, or you may try to give an adage to support your argument but realise that you don’t really know how it goes. It is temporary and tends to affect less important memories, so don’t be surprised if the wife still brings up the issue of how you forgot her birthday ten years ago with great clarity.

Impaired judgment
When your brain is over-stressed, you lose the ability to manage complex situations. Never make a decision in a fit of anger or when you’re overwhelmed with emotions, as it may be a bad decision.

More ideas leading to innovation
During an argument, the outside layer of nerves is strengthened, facilitating the transmission of nerve impulses, thereby improving your thinking. Have you ever found yourself feel more wide awake and focused during an argument? This would be the reason for it. And the more you think, the more ideas you get. This could be the reason why some meetings tend to be explosive. It is certainly more productive than slouching in your chair and waiting for your turn to be over! Nevertheless, arguments are good for brainstorming, but refrain from making decisions as this could then lead to impaired judgment.

Increased heart rate and blood pressure
When you’re really angry, you may feel your heart beat real fast due to the release of adrenaline. This is when you really need to take a step back and calm down. People who have heart disease may succumb to heart attack under great pressure.

Heart disease is a result of pressure accumulated over time, so while one argument usually does not cause a healthy person to collapse, serious arguments accumulated over a period of time will burden the cardiovascular system. Hence it is much better for your health to take things easy.

Further more, words that come out of the mouth can never be taken back, no matter how much you don’t mean it. So if you can’t argue in a calm and collected manner, rather than adding fuel to the fire, take your leave by saying something to the effect of, “I feel too upset to talk, and I want to take a timeout. Let's meet back here in an hour when we're both feeling calmer.”

Walking away an argument when things heat up gives you a chance to analyse issues in a more rational state of mind. It should not be an opportunity for you to avoid problems. It is still important to eventually resolve the tension and come to a viable agreement between both parties.

Haze conditions in Singapore have reached the Very Unhealthy range, occasionally crossing over into the Hazardous range. It is time to don the N95 mask when you're out and about to reduce the inhalation of harmful particles.

You can purchase masks from major pharmacies like Unity, Watsons and Guardian as well as major supermarkets like Cold Storage and Fairprice. Please do not launch into panic buying and attempt to stockpile large quantities as that is unfair for others who are also in need.

You are also advised against buying N95 masks from non-reputable vendors as those may not be the authentic N95 masks and would not have the same preventive functions.

N95 masks are reusable if you keep them in shape and unsoiled. To prolong their lifespan, be sure to fold them back into the shape they came in after use. Use clean tissue to wipe the mask for better hygiene. For those who wear make-up, your makeup may come off onto the mask so be sure to clean up those patches of makeup as well. Wipe your mouth clean after eating before putting on your mask. If you have a cold/flu, you will unfortunately have to change your mask regularly as it is unhealthy to wear a germs-infested mask. Do not share a used N95 mask with other people.


Free N95 mask distribution for the elderly and low-income

People’s Association (PA) is distributing N95 masks on Friday, 25 September 2015, from 10am to 10pm at all 108 Community Clubs islandwide.

Who qualifies:
Singaporeans and PRs with blue CHAS card or Pioneer Generation card
ComCare recipients above 62 or with longer term medical issues

If they can't queue in person:
Someone can queue and sign off on their behalf with their card
PA Grassroots Volunteers will organise home visits to residents who are immobile or sick and elderly with medical conditions and living alone.

Know someone who needs masks but can't go for the distribution? Please help them to queue if they will give you their card, or inform the volunteers at the CCs so they can organise the home visit.

Some Residents’ Committees (RC) may have masks, according to a PA volunteer who answered my query on Facebook. Those who live far from your nearest CCs may consider approaching your RC first to ask.


Limitations of the N95 mask

The N95 mask is not for everyone. It decreases the volume of air intake in a bid to block out the harmful particles, and thus makes breathing harder. It is not suitable for people with respiratory problems. Some pregnant women may also feel unwell wearing it. There are no child-sized masks recommended by MOH. If you're not suited for wearing an N95 mask, do refrain from going outdoors.

Stay indoors with your windows closed and the fans or air-conditioner/air-cooler switched on. If you have neither of these, the PA is opening its air-conditioned rooms in its CCs and RCs to members of the public. Other free facilities with air-conditioning include public libraries and shopping malls. 14 Libraries will operate from 9am instead of the usual 10am. The list of libraries is available here.

Drink lots of water to flush out the toxins, have a healthy diet and sufficient sleep to keep your immune system strong against this awful weather. Don't forget about the ways you can keep your body grooving through a list of indoor fitness activities listed in this post.

Last but not least, spread the messages to your neighbours, friends, elderly people on the streets... anyone whom you know may lack the awareness! Help the authorities and volunteers to effectively reach out to everyone in need!

Technician Mr Tan Whee Boon made headlines last month when all his limbs had to be removed after he contracted gangrene from the medical complications. He had been hospitalised after consuming raw fish.

Less than a month later, gardener Mr Chew went through the same symptoms and had to undergo amputations for his left hand and legs. However, he had not consumed raw fish, but merely had a packet of rice.

Alarming as it sounds, and tempting as it seems to put the blame on unscrupulous food handlers serving up unfresh food, we are all carriers of GBS, the bacteria that had caused the poisoning. Quoting the Ministry of Health, “GBS is a common bacterium that colonises the human gut and urinary tract. While GBS does not usually cause disease in healthy individuals, it may occasionally cause infections of the bloodstream, skin and soft tissue, joints, lungs and brain. The risk factors for GBS infection include underlying chronic or co-morbid conditions.”

Additionally, GBS or any sort of bacterium are not the direct cause of gangrene or warrants the need for amputation. Rather, complications of an infection causes the toxins to initiate a full-body inflammatory response, a situation known as Septic shock. This problem often occurs in the elderly or people with a weakened immune system due to age or chronic diseases. During septic shock, blood clots form, blocking oxygen and nutrients from reaching the vital organs. When the organs start failing, this could lead to a vast drop in blood pressure resulting in death. The blood clots can also cause gangrene, or tissue death, in the limbs, fingers and toes.

It is therefore not at all practical to swear off raw fish or get paranoid about eating out. To prevent infections and food poisoning, good hygiene is always a must.

Wash your hands before and after handling food.

Maintain cleanliness of your kitchen area and utensils

Use separate chop boards for raw and ready-to-eat foods

Do not wash raw chicken. Raw chicken contains Campylobacter, a common cause of food poisoning that is potentially fatal. Splashing water from washing chicken can spread the bacteria. This is because water droplets travel more than 50cm in every direction
Cook food thoroughly. Leave preparation of rare and medium-rare foods in the hands of the experts.

Do not consume food past their expiry date.

Handling leftovers: Cool leftovers within 90 minutes, cover and refrigerate. Leftovers should be reheated till steaming hot for consumption within the next two days. Leftovers should not be reheated more than once.

Do not leave cooked food or raw meat outside for more than two hours. In light of our hot weather, food turns bad very easily.

Above all, take care of your health, and always seek medical treatment when you're unwell, and make sure your doctor is thorough with his diagnosis. Mr Matthew Ames, who lost all his limbs when he was diagnosed with Strep A resulting in toxic shock syndrome, felt that the tragedy would have been prevented if his five doctors had not misdiagnosed him with the flu. Indeed, the initial symptoms for flu and infection are rather similar for viral and bacterial infections often have similar symptoms. Vomiting, diarrhea, rash and swelling and weakness of limbs are also possible follow-up symptoms as demonstrated in the cases of Mr Ames, Mr Tan and Mr Chew.

Misdiagnoses sometimes happens due to lack of awareness, especially in the case of rare medical conditions. In the case of Mr Tan and Mr Chew, many Singaporeans were in disbelief or misunderstood the cause of the problem simply due to lack of awareness. Share your knowledge, and don't be afraid to press your doctor, for doctors are not necessarily all-knowing.

Sources:
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/homehygiene/Pages/Washing-chicken-can-cause-campylobacter-food-poisoning.aspx
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/homehygiene/Pages/Foodhygiene.aspx
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/homehygiene/Pages/food-leftovers-safety.aspx

The skies have been grayer these days, no thanks to the seventh-month burnings and hot spots in the forests in Sumatra. Are the hazy days giving you an excuse to stay home for health purposes? Well, don’t let the calories from all the heavy party food seek permanent residency in you! Here are some simple exercises that do not require much space, time or fancy equipment. All you'll need is your usual exercise outfit and good sports shoes.

Do the Hula

Equipment required: Hula hoop. You can easily buy this at shops selling gym and exercise equipment. Toy stores like Toys “r” us sell basic hoops for under $10.

Hooping encourages your whole body to work out, especially your stomach and torso muscles. Even if you’re not adept at the hula, practice makes perfect and you'll soon discover the satisfaction  of keeping the hoop on your waist for minutes! It's a fun game to play at parties too.


Stair Climbing

Do you live in a HDB flat or high-rise apartment? Give your leg muscles a good work out by climbing from the very top floor to the lowest floor, and back up! It is good training for your stamina. Eventually, you'll find yourself reflexively choosing the stairs over the elevator or escalator in your daily life, an excellent practice that keeps obesity at bay. Start slow, and add on a few more flights of steps with each try.

Skipping

Equipment required: Skipping rope. Again, you can get this from exercise equipment or toys shop. You can even make your own rope out of lots of rubber bands.

Skipping is a high-intensity exercise that makes you burn a lot of calories and perspire a lot. It is also a full-body work out and really puts your arm and leg muscles to hard work! However, it would be intimidating for beginners, who may have to stop early out of exhaustion. You may wish to combine this exercise with stair climbing or jogging to strengthen your stamina and leg muscles so that you can lengthen your skipping duration in a shorter period of time.

If you don’t have a rope, try “ghost jumping,” rotating your wrists and jumping on your toes like you would in skipping, but without the actual rope. For beginners who find their feet constantly tangling with the rope, this may be a more effective way of skipping.

Be sure to wear proper exercise foot wear, and use the correct jumping technique. Jump on your toes (not your whole foot), and don’t jump more than an inch off the floor or you may hurt your feet. Keep the work out interesting by skipping to your favourite songs.

Abdominal crunches

Equipment required: An exercise mat, or a mattress that doesn’t sag.

This is similar to sit-ups but more advanced. It is great for tauter stomach muscles and slim waists!

Lie on the mat with your feet and knees together, and pull your legs in so that your calves are almost vertical. Put your hands on your chest or behind your head. Take a deep breath, then pull your torso up slowly towards your knees. Raise your head off the ground, then your neck and finally your chest. The small of your back should still be against the mat. When your chest is raised, hold yourself there for a count of one, then lower yourself back in a slow and controlled movement. Repeat this and you should soon feel a satisfying burn in your stomach muscles.

Push-ups

Push-ups aren’t just for men! They’re perfect for ridding those stubborn flab in the upper arms, and they help to maintain stronger chest muscles. Start off by lying down on your stomach. Your toes should be towards the floor, ready to lift your lower body off. Your palms should be flat on the floor parallel to your chest. While keeping your back straight and your head parallel to the floor, push against the floor and slowly raise yourself up until your arms are straight. Focus solely on using your chest and upper arm muscles. Lower yourself to the ground slowly (starting position), and repeat.

Tricep Dips 

Equipment: Some form of support that is about as high as your thighs e.g. bed, chair, bench

Triceps are the muscles in your upper arms, and once again, working out these muscles can prevent unsightly “butterfly” arms!

With your back facing the support, places your hands on the edge, fingers facing forward, and bend your knees at a 90 degree angle. You should seem like you are sitting on an invisible chair with your arms stretched backwards, hands pointing forward.  Slowly lower your body, keeping your back straight, then just as slowly, raise yourself back up. If done right, you will feel the strain in your upper arms.

Calf raises

Stand on the edge of a stair step, or a low raised platform. Your heel should be facing outward facing from the step, with only your toes balancing on the edge, while the rest of your foot is suspended in mid air, but parallel to the ground. For stability, place yourself next to a wall or a counter that you can hold on to when you feel like stepping off. Raise your body up on tip toes, hold for a count of one, then lower yourself so that your feet are parallel to the ground again. Concentrate efforts on your calf muscle, not your toes or knees. If done right, you'll get toner and sexier calf muscles in the long run!

Jog on the spot

You don’t need a treadmill to jog at home. Put on clean, running shoes (so you don’t dirty your floor), turn on the telly or your ipod, and start jogging. If you have a smart phone, and wish for those treadmill features that keep track on things like heart beat and speed, you can download some for free. A search for jogging apps should turn up quite a few good ones that you can select from based on your need.

Aerobics, yoga and other workouts from an exercise video

Thanks to Youtube, you don’t even have to purchase exercise videos. Choose one for your favourite type of workout. Read the reviews, and watch it to ensure that it’s something you can do and would like to do, then get started! If you do not have prior experience, choose a simpler workout for beginners. Without the presence of a professional instructor, you may hurt yourself if you perform advanced moves inappropriately.

Alternate, or combine the above, and you will have a fun and effective indoor routine come rain, haze or shine!

http://www.whatclinic.com/dentists/singapore/bad-breath



Change toothbrushes often – Well-worn brushes host bacteria and yeast associated with stomach ulcers, strep throat, upset stomach and diarrhoea.

Ah no, don't take it the wrong way. This article about the type of sleep where you go 'zzz', and yes, it is a key to success! How so?



Many people think that by working a lot, they can achieve success. This is of course, true. But it also depends on the manner you work. As you know, too much of a good thing can backfire. In Singapore, many people are finding it so difficult to get sufficient sleep that some wellness companies have set up spaces in the CBD where customers canget a power nap of thirty minutes during lunch hour. Unfortunately, Singaporeans are such workaholics that some people skip lunch, let alone sleep!


But far from raising productivity, staying up to get more work done actually does the opposite, by affect your learning and memory power negatively. Sleep helps the brain grasp new information and direct it to memory. The process is called “memory consolidation”. Lack of sleep interrupts this process, thus weakening the memory.  Sleep deprivation contributes to falling asleep during the daytime, because it makes you tired and unable to focus.

Insufficient amount of sleep may result in mood swings characterised by impatience, irritability, inability to concentrate and moodiness. Hypertension and increased levels of stress are a fall out of chronic sleep loss. If you lose your temper at your boss or a client due to lack of sleep, no amount of extra work you put in could possible remedy that mistake!

Far more serious, long term sleep deprivation can result in weakening of the immune system, reducing the body’s ability to fight diseases. Falling ill means poorer work performance and the need to leave your work post for sometime while you recover!

Therefore, to improve your work productivity, good health and ample rest is really important!

And here’s a bit of good news to those who really have no choice but to turn in late. Eight hours of sleep is the ideal amount of time you need, but if you cannot achieve that, at least make sure that the amount of time you spend sleeping is quality time!

Simple ways to improve your quality of sleep:

Maintain a consistent sleep schedule, going to bed at night and waking up in the morning. Even if you slept really late the night before, you should still wake up in the morning as usual. Sleeping until noon will not give you sufficient sleep. (In fact, late nights are basically irreversible and you can’t just make up for it by sleeping in on weekends)

Sleep with an excellent supportive and comfortable pillow so that you will have an easier time falling asleep, and will not wake up with aches and pains.

Avoid meals and any liquids, especially alcohol and soft drinks, for at least two to three hours before your bedtime. Absolutely no snacking!

Wind down at least two hours before bedtime. Television, computers and other stimulation can alter your time clock, making it difficult to fall asleep. If you must do work, try the primitive method of writing and reading off paper instead, and transfer your work to the computer when you get up early in the morning!

Building new habits takes time. What is important is your desire and mindset to change the way you are sleeping. Sleep is essential for the body to remain healthy. Think of how an improved health and work productivity may cinch you a promotion, just by having ample rest! Remember the popular Chinese adage: 休息是为了走更长远的路 Rest is the first step to a long journey ahead!

Having a good relationship with your family is important. Not only does it make life at home more interesting and fun, it is also good for health. If you have people close to you whom you can depend on in times of trouble and sickness, you can cope with your problems more easily, and are less likely to fall into depression. You also tend to be happier, and as we all know, happiness is a solution to longevity and good health.

Yet these days, the youngsters tend to prefer spending holidays with their friends and significant others. They would do dinners and count down parties outside of home, while parents consider the holiday a well-earned rest. But the holiday season is the best time for family get-togethers as it is a rare time when everybody gets time off work or school. It would be such a waste not to spend this precious free time together!

Parents may perhaps attribute this lack of interest to celebrate holidays with family to generation gaps and differing interests. Indeed, few parents would like to go to the foam party or clubbing with their children. But regardless of generation gap, family members should enjoy their time together and have strong bonds with each other. If you find yourself leading your life separately from your children, the problem may be more of a lack of communication than an age gap, and you should consider ways to mend the gap.

Here are some ideas to get you started!

1.      Studies have shown that children who regularly eat dinner with their parents have bigger vocabularies, earn better grades, are less likely to do drugs and less likely to be overweight than children who don’t. This is because they adopt interaction skills from their parents, as well as enjoy their parents' attention. Start making once-weekly family dinners compulsory!

2.      The family that plays together stays together. If dinner is usually followed by the television, laptop and telephone, it’s time to pull the plug. There are board games and card games for every age and temperament, as well as creative games like charades and active games like Twister. Teenagers may groan, but which are they more likely to look back on nostalgically, the time spent staring at the television or the time spent defeating mum overwhelmingly at Monopoly?

3.       There is one common saying that every parent knows, "time flies". The baby you held yesterday has become an adolescent, and will be on his/ her own before you know it. You can’t catch time in a bottle, but you can watch it go. Don't spend all your time at work, or all your time in the kitchen. Set aside some time every night to interact with your child.    

4.        Give yourselves the gift of time. While all sorts of entertainment are available these days, from movies to theme parks, it is often time spent relaxing at home and doing activities together that we remember most fondly. Set aside some regular time with each other. Just one day per week or per month when the entire family says no to other commitments and just hang out together.

This SG50, arrange a fun-filled weekend visiting all the attractions and events that are just free for the Jubilee weekend. Don't like crowds? Have a movie marathon at home, play card games and board games, game together as a family. Have your own hotpot party at home - who says hot pots are only for Chinese New Year? If you failed to get tickets to the parade, and don't want to splurge on an expensive hotel room with a view, you can head to Marina Bay, lay out your picnic mats, and catch the fire works, just to name a few. Time passes quickly, and it helps to retain beautiful memories whenever you can.

Happy SG50 and happy holidays!

Have a sweet tooth and finding it hard to steer clear of sugar? Don't berate yourself for lack of willpower. It could boil down to genetic influences, according to a new study from the Monell Centre, published in Twin Research and Human Genetics.

Well, at least you now have a good excuse when mum nags you about your unhealthy diet. But that does not resolve the dilemma of cutting back on this sweet toxic. Too much sugar is bad, and here are  some reasons to remind you why that should not be an excuse to go on a sugar binge:

• Sugar is empty calories that causes one to put on weight yet provides no essential nutrients. As such, sugar is a leading contributor to obesity in children and adults as well as a myriad of diseases related to high cholesterol and obesity. Large amounts of fructose raise triglycerides, small, dense LDL and oxidized LDL, which are culprits of obesity.

• Excess sugar cannot be converted into energy, instead, it turns into liver fat which leads to chronic metabolic diseases including diabetes and heart disease, according to the Telegraph.

• Sugar can alter your mood. The phrase 'sugar-high' is not a product of fantasy or exaggeration. Eating a lot of sweet things does make you feel 'high' but when you go off it, you get anxious, moody and eventually exhausted. Gwyneth Paltrow quit sugar for this very reason. Unfortunately, because of its addictive nature, some sugar lovers find it very hard to lay off it despite the potential health problems it causes.

• Sugar can cause insulin resistance, and as insulin is a key hormone involved in the growth and multiplication of cells, studies suggest that too much sugar has a harmful impact of metabolism, contributing to cancer.

• Sugar provides easily digestible energy for bad bacteria in the mouth, which explains cavities from sweets.

100% abstinence is not practical and not necessary. A small amount of sugar to provide texture and flavour to a balanced, healthy diet is all right. Here are some more tips on consuming sugar healthily:

• Take sugar with foods rich in soluble fibre, because fibre slows down the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream. When high levels of sugar enter the bloodstream, it causes insulin levels to spike. When blood sugar levels and insulin levels go up and down at extreme rates, it causes inflammation and consequently, diseases.

• Keep it out of your drinks. You may add a packet of sugar to your tea, but steer away from soda and supposedly healthy fruit drinks that are really 95% syrup in disguise. Drinks are very convenient and quick to consume, more so than a meal. It's easy to go overboard chugging down a few glasses of refreshingly cold and sweet but unhealthy drinks!

• Use honey to flavour your food and drinks in place of sugar. Honey is filled with fructose and as with grapes, one should not assume it is healthy to consume frequently. However, honey has perks like antioxidants and antibacterial benefits, so it's much better than sugar!

Other 'natural' sugars like raw brown sugar and cane sugar are not healthier alternatives to white sugar. They have slightly more minerals than white sugar does, but the difference is not significant. Instead, the best thing to do, when baking or cooking, is really to cut down on your sugar usage. We have more than sweet receptors on our taste buds for a good reason. By cutting back on the sweet stuff, you are exposing your taste buds to a greater variety of authentic tastes, and you'll soon find that even when life is less sweet, you're not missing much.

https://www.yahoo.com/health/why-some-have-a-sweet-tooth-and-others-dont-124607382552.html
https://www.yahoo.com/health/yes-you-can-eat-sugar-5-nutritionist-hacks-to-122348329057.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/healthyeating/9987825/Sweet-poison-why-sugar-is-ruining-our-health.html

Our bedroom is where we recuperate our bodies, so it only makes sense that it should be healthy and promote quality sleep. Before worrying about diets and exercise, start off the year with a fundamental and highly achievable goal of making your bedroom hygienic and comfortable!

Keep the rubbish out of your room

Many of us are fond of snacking while watching our favourite Youtube videos in our room, blowing our noses and throwing it into the waste paper basket out of convenience. Junk in the room breeds germs and insects. Make it a regular practice to clear your waste paper basket or rubbish bag on a daily basis, morning and night. Move that waste paper basket to the kitchen and walk out to throw your rubbish. You get more exercise this way too.

Clean your mattress

Many of us change our mattress sheets, but we don’t do anything about the mattress, which is unhygienic as the mattress can absorb perspiration and be a potential home to dust mites and toxins.
If you live in an apartment block, it is quite impossible to give it some strong sunlight, the best way to eradicate germs. However, vacuuming it frequently can get rid of dust, while using a dry cleaning product like Febreze to spray the mattress whenever you change the sheets helps to reduce the toxics and gives your mattress a fresh smell.

Sun your sheets

If it is a sunny day, sun your sheets instead of popping them into the drier. Sunning your sheets not only dries them but also gets rid of bacteria.

Don’t sleep with the air-conditioning

If your air conditioner is not cleaned or maintained regularly, bacteria can build up easily within the aircon units, causing you to fall ill. In addition, the air conditioner is drying on skin. Switch to the fan on a warm day; it is a greener and cheaper way to stay cool.

No lights at night

Sleeping with the light switched on can impair a person's body clock. Our body sleeps more restfully in the dark. If there is light, the body will assume it is day time, a time to be awake and alert. This can affect the quality of sleep. A pitch dark room is most conducive for restful sleep. If your bedroom window faces a well-lit corridor, cover it with curtains. For those who have night blindness or do not feel comfortable without lights, sleeping with some dim night lights is fine.

Trade mothballs for lavender

Put lavender sachets in your storage boxes and cupboard in place of mothballs. Lavender is a natural moth and mite repellent, and smells great too. You can make them yourself by buying dried lavender and sewing them in a little pillow. Place one next to your pillow. Lavender has sedative qualities that help to induce sleep.

Stair climbing is a great form of exercise as it provides an effective workout. It is also often the recommended alternative to taking the elevator or escalator in daily life to promote an active lifestyle. It is also convenient for HDB dwellers as you can simply climb up and down your stairwell. Yet as with all good stuff, and high intensity exercises, inappropriate and excessive stair climbing can hurt your knees and cause pain and swelling. In the long run, knee injuries can become chronic, and especially painful and inconvenient in old age!

However, by utilising the following tips, you can still go about your daily stair climbing while keeping your knees in healthy, painless state.

Adopt the correct posture when climbing up or down stairs. The key is to engage the whole body when climbing the stairs, rather than allowing your weight to drop into your legs. Place your foot flat on the step, putting weight on the inner side of your foot and big toe. Putting too much weight on the outside, something which we may be more inclined to do so, can move the knee out of alignment. Bend your knees slightly.

Pull your stomach in, back straight, shoulders over hips. Avoid leaning or bending forward as that forces one to put extra stress on the knees to stabilise the body.

Wear knee guards to absorb shock. Hold on to the railings for greater stability.

Strengthen the muscles that support your knees. Work on the quadriceps in the front of your tie - lie on your back with your torso propped up on your arms, left leg bent and right leg straight out in front. Lift your right leg off the floor a few cm, feel your thigh muscles as you hold for five seconds, then switch legs. Do two sets of 10 repetitions. Stretch the quadriceps by standing behind a chair, place your left hand on the chair for support, then grab the right ankle with your right hand and gently pull it toward your back, hold the stretch for 30 seconds, then switch legs.

Work on your hamstrings, which are the group of muscles in the back of your thigh. Stand behind a chair with legs together, hold onto the back of the chair of support, then raise a foot up toward your buttock in a right angle. Hold for five seconds, switch legs, and do 2 sets of 10 repetitions per leg. Stretch the hamstrings - sit on the floor with legs straight out in front, slide your hands down your legs as far as you can go. When you feel the stretch, hold for 30 seconds, then slowly return to position.

If you're obese, high impact activities like stair climbing is bad for your knees. Make a point to lose extra weight with recommended exercises from the doctor before you embark on regular stair climbing.

Cross-train. Rather than climb the stairs everyday, alternate it with other exercises, like yoga, aerobics or swimming for example.

If necessary, use aids like crutches or walking stick.

Sources:

http://www.healthline.com/health-blogs/fitness-fixer/better-exercise-stairs
http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/knee-pain/features/why-you-must-protect-your-knees
http://www.livestrong.com/article/546772-how-to-climb-stairs-to-minimize-knee-strain/
http://www.livestrong.com/article/333409-the-proper-posture-when-climbing-down-the-stairs/
http://www.livestrong.com/article/458015-stair-climbing-knee-health/

Regardless whether you're working out at home or out doors, functional work out clothes that will complement your activity rather than hinder you are a must. If you don't wear appropriate clothes and shoes, you may even risk hurting yourself.

Clothes -

Make sure they fit well. They should be comfortable and loose but not get in your way. Exceptions are some activities like yoga and pilates where stretchy, fitted fabrics that wick away sweat are a favourite choice.  and are not too tight or lose. Pants that are too tight or lose may cause scuffing around the groin area which is extremely uncomfortable. Ladies may wish to consider getting exercise bras or yoga bras for comfort and easier movement. Do some stretches in your new outfit to verify its functionality before you head off outdoors or to the gym.

Wear clothes of the right material. You don't have to run out to the sports shops and buy pricey jerseys and sportswear, but if you're going to grab t-shirts from home, make sure they are suitable. In hot weather, the right clothing will help prevent the risk of heat-related illnesses like heat stroke and fatigue. Go for light colours like white and pastels instead of black to reflect the sun rays from your body.

Avoid fabrics that are not airy, such as rubber-based and plastic-based materials. These prevent your perspiration from evaporating, which can cause heat-related problems.

If you love exercising outdoors, don't let winter stop you. I've seen people jog around topless when I was in the States during the winter. While it is true that one heats up during physical activity, it's also not really encouraged, especially if you're just starting to exercise in cold weather and you're not so accustomed to the cold. Go for layered outfits, which you can remove layer by layer if it does get hot. Go for polypropylene thermal underwear, which absorbs sweat so you don't become chilled to the bone when the sweat evaporates.

One tends to breathe harder during exercise and in cold weather, so wear a face mask or wrap a scarf over your mouth to protect your lungs from the rush of cold air. Your hands, feet and head tend to experience the cold first, so gloves, wool socks and a wool beanie will help to provide insulation.

Footwear -

Never scrimp on quality footwear as you can incur serious injuries if you don't wear the right type of shoes. Running and walking shoes are generally fine for weight training and low impact activities like aerobics and jogging. If you're training for marathons, definitely get running shoes with plenty of support. If you're playing specific sports like tennis, basketball, football etc, get sport-specific shoes.

Wear a pair of good socks too which helps absorb the perspiration, while providing added comfort by preventing blisters and scuffing.

The past week has been an adrenaline-rushed week for Singapore! Our athletes certainly have performed admirably at the SEA Games, breaking record after record, and hauling in medal after medal. It was wonderful watching them unleash their passion and strength at their favourite sports.
I think their toned bodies give much to envy about, don't you think?

Fortunately, it's not just our athletes who have been working hard and sweating it out, but more Singaporeans are taking to active route to lead a healthy lifestyle. In recent years there has been an increase in the number of marathons, both local and regional and even international. There have also been more fitness facilities like exercise corners, which are in frequent use. Under HPB's Get Active, Anywhere, Anywhere programme, free workouts are available for the community and workplace. In the residential estates, it is a common sight in the mornings and evenings to see people jogging and exercising.

However, many Singaporeans still lead a sedentary life at the workplace, spending hours on their chair tapping away in front of their computers. You might spend an hour working out after or before office hours, but that's not going to make up for the hours of inactivity in between. Inactivity not only leads to weight gain, it also leads to aches and pains especially in the back and shoulders, as sitting is not a natural position for the body to be in, and contorting the body as such for hours on end is frankly cruel.

While sitting may not directly lead to weight gain, research does indicate that it leads to a bigger, fatter bum! The research came from a scientist who was researching on bed-ridden patients. He found that muscles at their buttocks shrink and break due to lack of exercise. Additionally, it was discovered that fat cells thrive on the inactivity and would infiltrate the muscle, causing fat to accumulate.

This is not only restricted to the bum, but other parts of the body. Examining the MRI scans of muscle tissues of paralysed patients show that lines of fat cells invade the major muscles throughout the body. According to Dailymail, researchers discovered that preadipocyte cells, the precursors to fat cells, turn into fat cells and produce even more fat when subject to prolonged periods of 'mechanical stretching loads' - referring to the weight we put on our body tissues when we sit or lie down.

The solution is honestly really simple. Get up and walk from time to time!

Set an hourly alarm, and when it goes off, get up, have a good stretch (you'll feel so much better), walk to the pantry to get some water or go to the washroom. Let your body enjoy at least 5 minutes of freedom in the normal upright position before heading back to work.

We know it's rather distracting to your colleagues to do complete workouts in the office, but you can still do something discrete like butt clenches to reduce inactivity in your bum. These are very simple to do and you can do them even when seated.

To do a butt clench, just clench your butt muscles as tight as possible (in the outwards direction). For maximum effectiveness, hold for at least 30 seconds while breathing normally, but this can be challenging for beginners, so do what you can, each time lengthening the duration and you'll eventually get better. Complete several repetitions throughout the day. Butt clenches may not help you to lose weight, but they prevent inactivity and consequently fat deposits.

In this globalised era, it doesn't matter whether the disease originated from or where it is currently wrecking havoc in. People of diverse backgrounds cross borders all the time, being potential carriers of other viruses. Banning travel is obviously not a practical solution. We should not let our guards down, but we should not panic unduly either.

Preventing MERS is very similar to protecting yourself from flu. It all boils down to good sanitation practices and personal responsibility.

Observe good hygiene

Wash your hands frequently, especially before and after handling food, after going to the toilet, after touching shared surfaces that get plenty of human contact everyday, such as the handle bars and grab poles on the public transport and before coming in contact with the vulnerable such as babies and elderly.

If you have to cough, sneeze or spit, do so into a tissue, then throw the tissue into the bin. Wear a surgical mask if you are coughing and sneezing intermittently.

Avoid close contact with people who have influenza or respiratory problems. Avoid contact with stray animals, especially camels and bats, which are thought to be the original carriers of the disease. If contact has been made, sanitise your hands thoroughly with soap.

Go to the doctor if you exhibit symptoms

Symptoms are somewhat similar to the flu and you may be tempted to dismiss them, but considering that MERS has an almost 50% fatality rate, it would be unwise to be careless. Fever, cough and breathing difficulties are common symptoms.

The incubation period of the MERS virus is up to 14 days. If within 14 days you return from a MERS affected country and experience the symptoms, go to the hospital immediately. It is better to be safe than sorry.

Get vaccinated if you are in the high-risk group 

People in this group include frequent travellers, those aged 65 above and/or have chronic medical conditions. There is no vaccination against MERS. However, the influenza vaccination will help to protect against various flu strains which have the potential to cause serious pneumococcal infections. Many clinics offer influenza vaccinations, including the polyclinics. Those in the high-risk group may use their medisave to pay for the vaccination. Do not wait till the eleventh hour to get vaccinated if you’re travelling, as it takes 2 weeks for protection to develop after vaccination. Children who have not been vaccinated previously against influenza will require 2 doses with the interval of 4 weeks. For adults, only 1 dose is required.

In popular culture, zombies have always been associated with undead man-eating monsters that can induce fear alone with their rotting, bloody visage. Of course, they are also regarded as subjects of fantasy by most sane people. Although zealous fans would make themselves up as zombies and participate in zombie walks, organized public gatherings of people who dress up in zombie costumes for good, clean (subject to debate) fun.

On the other hand, there is a group of people who may not only move like zombies, but think they are somewhere between life and death. Before you laugh them off as maniacs, their condition is a real psychiatric problem known as the Cotard’s Syndrome, or the “Walking Corpse Syndrome”.

In 2003 report in the journal Neurology states that this condition is marked by “the fixed and unshakable belief that one has lost organs, blood or body parts” or has no soul.

In an interview with New Scientist , Graham, a victim of this condition, shared about his condition. He felt that he had lost his sense of smell and taste. He did not eat, and he rarely spoke as he felt that anything he did was meaningless. His teeth had turned black because he did not brush them, further convincing him that he was dead. Life became a nightmare as he struggled to find pleasure in life.

Graham was lucky to live to tell the tale. Victims of Cotard’s syndrome have reportedly died of starvation as they did not realise the need to eat. Others tried to use acid to get rid of their bodies in a bid to break free of their zombified state. They are indeed left for dead if they do not receive medical and social support.

It is not known how one ends up in such a state of mind, but some of the symptoms sufferers exhibit, such as lack of appetite, losing interest in things that used to pleasure them, and feeling that life is meaningless, do seem heavily associated with depression. Graham himself had been suffering from depression and attempted suicide by bringing an electrical appliance into the bath with him. The suicide attempt failed, but eight months later, he believed he had fried his brain in the bath.

PET scans of his brain activity were equally befuddling for the doctors, as they resembled that of someone who has been anaesthetised or is asleep.

Fortunately, the condition is not fatal if medical attention is received early. With plenty of psychotherapy and drug treatment, as well as attention from his brother and carers, Graham is on his way to recovery and no longer thinks he is dead. Cotard’s Syndrome is not at all common, but depression, which is far more common, has the potential to lead to fatal problems like Cotard’s Syndrome, and should be addressed early. Never underestimate the complexity and bizarreness of the human mind.

The next time someone tells you, without any tinge of humour, that they feel they are better off dead, don’t be too quick to brush them off.