Sunny Health

This is a strange resolution to make, but in 2017, I have decided that I want to be more prudent with the cleanliness of my smart phone. After all, smart phones are more contaminated than an office toilet seat, and even tablets, even more so than smart phones! According to the study by British company Which, one particularly dirty tablet was found to have 600 units of Staphylococcus aureus, commonly referred to as staph infection. This bacteria can cause a variety of diseases, including food poisoning and toxic infection. 600 units is a risky amount and would have been prohibited on a food handler. Yet many of us dine with our dirty phones at our finger tips!

Each day, our hands touch many surfaces that numerous people have also touched, leading to an exchange of germs. Some of us may clean our hands, but we don't think of cleaning our phones, and when we touch them, our hands get dirty again. Furthermore, bacteria thrive in warm places. Our phones are warm, and we keep them in warm, dark places like in our bags or pockets. Little wonder that they are a hotbed for bacteria.

Japanese mobile giant NTT Docomo recognises the potential severity of the situation, and has sponsored toilet paper at the Narita International Airport which can be used to disinfect your phone. If you visit the airport from now until March next year, you will see it installed in seven bathrooms.

But of course, maintaining the cleanliness of your phone should not stop at a one-time wipe in the bathroom.
To prevent your phone from turning into a further health hazard (as if all that talk about radiation isn't bad enough), you should clean it everyday, and if you're a heavy user, then a few times a day.

You can use a soft, slightly damp/moisturised lint-free cloth to wipe your phone, then use a dry lint-free cloth to dry it. Be careful not to get water or dampness into the openings on your phone. Alternatively, you can also purchase screen wipes made for phones. Alcohol-based cleaners, though effective for general hygiene, are not recommended, particularly for Apple products, as Apple has said that iPads and iPhones are susceptible to damage by alcohol.

Aside from cleaning your phone, practise good personal hygiene by not using your phone while on the potty. Surely you aren't going to miss much during those few minutes that are not spent looking at your phone. Refrain from touching your phone when eating. It's bad manners to do so anyway if you're eating with someone. If you must look at your phone, then be sure to have tissue or hand sanitiser with you, which you can use to clean your hands after touching your phone.

Good sanitation habits go a long way. Make them a part of your life as you start the new year.

Have a healthy 2017!

The end of the year is just round the corner. There is so much to do and so many appointments to tend to! If you have a poor memory or poor organisational skills, this will be a trying time as you try to remember all your appointments, meetings, names of new people you meet, to-do lists for the year end holidays and Christmas shopping lists!

Having a good memory is not just crucial for Christmas. The ability to store, retain and recall information is one of the most important aspects of success. If you can’t even remember to do something or how to do something, you may unintentionally miss many opportunities, which would be a great pity.

Poor memory isn't something that can be quickly treated by medicines, but you can improve your memory and focus by making some dietary and lifestyle alterations.
Having sufficient sleep are crucial to allow your brain cells to rest and repair. Regular exercise increases oxygen to your brain and reduces the risk for disorders that lead to memory loss, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Whether you’re studying, working or trying to juggle life’s many demands, sleep deprivation is a recipe for disaster. Make sure you get at least seven hours of sleep daily to promote learning and memory consolidation.

Six types of food that can boost your brain power:

• Salmon: A great source of healthy fats that is rich in omega-3 fatty acids. It is expensive, but for good reason. Not only is it good for your brain, it also improves your mood, fights depression and gives you glowing radiant skin!
• Olive oil: This healthy oil is rich in vitamins A, D, E and K. It has a compound called oleocanthal, which helps your synapses function smoothly, preventing nerve cell damage often associated with Alzheimer’s.
• Berries: Both blueberries and blackberries are rich in antioxidant polyphenols that help boost brain cell function and prevent memory loss. They increase brain energy production and keeps your brain youthful!
• Greens: Vegetables such as celery contain luteolin, an antioxidant that helps tame brain inflammation. Broccoli is rich in folic acid, which contributes to better memory and faster information processing.
• Whole grains: They’re full of fiber and antioxidants, especially Vitamins B to E. Whole grain cereal are also rich in folic acid.
• Chocolate: This sweet treat comes with antioxidants known as polyphenols, which increases blood flow to your brain, hence triggering growth of new blood vessels and brain cells.

As the year-end draws near, your social media feed will likely be filled with pictures of happy couples, families and groups of friends enjoying the festivities, parties, travels plans and pictures, new purchases and so forth. On the other hand, some people will be having a quiet holiday, by choice or not, and that can also be very pleasant and enjoyable. But when comparison kicks in and the green-eyed monster rears its head, it is difficult to shake off feelings of jealousy and unhappiness. And stewing in such negative thoughts can be unhealthy for your emotional wellness and ruin your holiday.

This problem is so real that looking up Facebook and depression will bring up many articles, both personal and scientific. An article on Forbes referred to a new study in the Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, which indicates that Facebook and depressive symptoms go hand-in-hand, and this is due to Social comparison.

Social comparison is by no means a new phenomenon. Contentment is the crux to being happy, but people are never content because they compare. Social media is not quite the main reason here, because as long as you exposed yourself to others and had the tendency to draw comparisons, you might find something to feel inadequate about. Of course, social media makes it easier because it gives you more exposure about other people’s lives.

Ceasing the use of social media is a popular recommendation, but in these days when social media is becoming increasingly relevant for other important things aside from just social interaction, it is difficult to simply cut off usage of it. Moreover, learning to cope with these feelings of jealousy would take one further than simply cutting away the source.

First of all, it is human nature for one to present to others the “highlights” of their lives. Just like how they would only post their best moments of their life on social media. They may be dealing with other problems, problems worst than yours, that you would not know about unless you’re very close to said person. They posted about their successful party, but you never knew how much effort they put into, how many weekends they burnt, to achieve the right to brag about it. They posted lovey dovey couple pictures, but they don’t tell you about the arguments they had, the hard work they invested to keep their relationship smooth-sailing. They posted their latest travel pictures, but they skipped the part about their falling out with the travel buddy.  There are multiple sides to a person, and you are often just shown the side they want you to believe about them. And therefore, this leaves your comparisons and concerns with little basis.


On a related note, Facebook has altered its algorithm such that the most popular posts are higher up on your feed. Instagram has announced plans to do this as well and is integrating this function in gradual changes. Twitter has long had the function to toggle between top posts and all posts. That would be the answer to why some of your social media friends may have more likes on their posts than you do. In fact, there are countless other posts with no likes buried at the bottom of the feed.

Next, think about why this person is your friend, on Facebook and in real life. Think about their redeeming qualities. Perhaps they are really pleasant and generous, and that’s why they have so many friends and their posts get an insane amount of likes. Perhaps they work really hard, and that’s how they afford all those new purchases. If this person is friend or family, then you should be happy for their achievements. However, if you have no idea why this person is your friend, or you don’t actually like that person and their existence on your social media feed only causes you misery, well, the “unfollow” button is just one click away. (On facebook, you can stop seeing someone on your feed without unfriending them). Being able to walk away from toxic people in your life is an invaluable ability too.



Appreciate the things you already have. Yes this is clichéd, but it is one of the best ways to counter envy, and it is often neglected. You might envy your friend for having the means to spend Christmas in Europe, while you’ll be spending it alone at home. Now think about the homeless people in Europe who will be spending what could possibly be their last Christmas out in the freezing streets.

That is not to say that you should strive for something you deem to be better. But if any comparison should be done, then make it against your old self, and think about how you can improve. Did I save more money than last year? I want to buy that new gadget, what can I do to get enough funds for it? I want to have a boyfriend/girlfriend. I should go out and join some interest groups instead of stewing in misery in front of my computer screen wondering why no one wants to date me.

And if you’re in fact, happy with what you already have, before making comparisons, then ask yourself what makes you happy about your situation, and recall these reasons when you start feeling jealous about someone else’s situation. As Theodore Roosevelt said, “Comparison is the thief of joy.”

Social media broadens your world, but ironically, it also narrows your perspectives. So don’t stalk your friends online all the time. Empower yourself with knowledge about what’s going on around you and far beyond. Pick up some new skills – knowing something new is always a confidence booster. Read more. Empower yourself with knowledge. As your world gets bigger, you will soon realise that in the grand scheme of things, your jealousy is unfounded.

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 family dinners compulsory from the start of the holidays!

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 their playstation or 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 year, arrange an interesting family activity for countdown night. Have a movie marathon at home, play card games and board games, game together as a family, go to Marina Bay to catch the fire works, just to name a few. Time passes quickly, and it helps to retain beautiful memories whenever you can.