10 Simple Health Practices: 8. Take Good Care of Your Fingernails

Merry Christmas everyone! Enjoy yourself tomorrow! Here is something you can do after all your wild parties, take care of your nails.

This is one area of our body that most people, especially the men, tend to neglect and take for granted. However, just like the way you dress and the disposition you portray, fingernails also tell a lot about one’s personality. Clean and trimmed fingernails give others the impression that the particular individual is someone who is neat and meticulous, always paying attention to the smallest details. On the other hand, having dirty and jagged fingernails tends to put others off. Just like asking for a cup of coffee from an air steward or stewardess on the plane, have you seen them with dirty fingernails? Well, you don’t, do you? Here’s how to keep your fingernails looking their best:

1. Never bite your fingernails
Never ever bite your fingernails. Kick this bad habit if you are guilty of it. Biting your fingernails may damage the nail bed and invite unnecessary and harmful bacteria into your body. Moreover, biting fingernails is an awful act and it hurts your beautiful image.

2. Never use your fingernails to poke or pry things
To prevent damaging your fingernails, never expose your fingernails to potential harm. Poking and prying can cause damage to your nail beds as well.

3. Protect your nails from harsh chemicals
When washing the dishes, it is best to wear gloves to protect your fingernails from the washing chemicals.

4. Trim and clean your fingernails regularly
Always make an effort to trim and clean under the fingernails regularly. After trimming, it is good to use an emery board to smooth the nail edges for an enhanced look.

5. Moisturise your fingernails frequently
When applying moisturiser to your hands, rub some lotion into your fingernails as well. Just like your skin, fingernails need moisture too. For ladies, always remember to apply moisturising lotion to your fingernails after removing nail polish.

6. Do not use nail polish remover more than twice a month (for ladies)
Try touching up the nail polish instead of removing it. However, if you really have to, avoid using those nail polish removers that use acetone, which dries up fingernails.

Now, you might not need to spend more money on a manicure.

10 Simple Health Practices: Getting Sufficient Sunlight Exposure

You are surprised isn’t it? Yes, I am serious. Getting enough sunlight exposure is important to for good health. Sufficient sunlight exposure provides us with our Vitamin D needs. Have you wondered why the word ‘sunny’ means vibrancy and cheerfulness? Sunlight actually activates our mind and body giving us more energy.

That is why parents always draw the curtains open when they are trying to wake their children in the morning. Research has shown that exposing depressed people to more sunlight actually helps alleviate their depression. Of course, if you are an avid beach visitor, this may not be applicable to you. However as most average adult lifestyle tends to be hectic due to heavy work responsibilities, most of us actually spend more time facing the computer screen and not getting the necessary amount of sunlight.

Here are some ways on how we can get more sunlight exposure without being excessive:

1. Play More Outdoor Activities
An active person tends to be healthier than the less active one. Most outgoing active people who enjoy more outdoor activities which include sports and exercise are improving not only their health and fitness; they are also getting the necessary amount of sunlight exposure. Not to mention they also manage to get themselves a nice glowing tan, which makes them the envy of others.

2. Take A Walk Out During Breaks
During lunch breaks, some of us may have more time left after our lunches. Most of the time, you will prefer to sit down with your colleagues at the food court and chat till break time is over before heading back to work. How about encouraging your colleagues to take a short walk with you after lunch when there is still time instead of sitting down? By walking we are actually aiding our digestion, which actually makes us less sleepy after a meal. In this way, we are also getting the necessary amount of sunlight needed.

3. Waking Up Earlier During Weekends
Make a point to wake up 15 minutes earlier during weekends. With this extra time, you can actually take a nice stroll when the sun is rising. Feel the sunlight, basking and flowing into you while the sun is still young. The feeling is great and it will give you great energy for your weekend activities.

4. Convert Your Indoor Activities to Outdoor Activities
If you exercise regularly (which you should), there are many opportunities for you to get more sunlight exposure. For instance, instead of doing aerobics in your room or gym, go out to the park in the morning or in the late afternoon, and do your aerobics there instead. Not only will you sweat and workout more due to the heat (which optimizes your exercise’s effectiveness), you also get more sunlight exposure.

Getting a sufficient amount of sunlight actually helps not just in our Vitamin D intake; it also helps in regulating our mood and energy. Love the sun and have a sunny smile everyday!

10 Simple Health Practices: 7. Having Quality Sleep

Ever woke up in the morning to be frightened by that hideous dark-ringed image inside the mirror? Well, I bet most of us would have experienced that during some time or another given our hectic and stressful lifestyles. With Christmas round the corner, and all the parties and such, sleep is going to be scarce indeed.

Sleeping disorders and not having enough sleep is always a major cause of concern among city dwellers like us. So, want to have a good night’s sleep? Here’s how you can do it:

1. Start and stick to a bedtime routine
Sticking to a bedtime routine will help your body get into a sleep rhythm and you’ll find it easier to fall asleep and wake up in the morning. Try not to change your bedtime even if it’s the weekends. This is to avoid any disruption in your sleep rhythm and save you the effort of starting a new bedtime routine all over again.
2. Sleep in complete darkness

There should be as little light as possible when sleeping. This is so because having light in your bedroom when sleeping can disrupt your cardiac rhythm inhibit your pineal gland’s production of melatonin. Always switch off all lights and draw the curtains at night before going to sleep. Whenever possible, wear an eye mask or blindfold yourself when sleeping to block out the remaining light coming from the lamps outside your window.

3. Avoid having supper
It is best not to eat anything at night before you sleep. The reason is that sugary food raises your blood sugar, hence making it difficult for you to fall asleep. Also, another side-effect is that later in the night when your blood sugar drops too low, you might wake up and not be able to go back to sleep. Caffeine and alcohol should also be avoided.

4. Listen to relaxing music or sounds of nature
Try listening to soothing music or sounds of nature before going to sleep. It gives your mind a chance to unwind so that you can go to sleep easier, feeling calm and relaxed.

5. Keep your bed for sleeping purpose
Lastly, avoid doing your work, watching television or surfing the internet on your bed. You might be so used to doing those activities on your bed that you’ll find it difficult to relax and think of the bed as a place to sleep.

Having enough sleep is not sufficient to make up for a healthy mind and body. Quality of sleep also plays an integral part. It is only by keeping both quantity and quality in balance then can we confidently attribute a good night’s sleep to one-third of our lives.

10 Simple Health Practices: 6. Shampoo Your Hair Regularly

I suppose I missed this out on my previous post of “Bathing Properly”. Now here’s a make-up for it. As we all know, shampoo is simply the action of rubbing or massaging your head with your hands with the addition of liquid shampoo. Sounds simple right? Well, maybe this list below will give you some additional insights to shampooing your hair.

1. For oily hair, mix some lemon juice with water
If your hair is oily, try using some lemon juice for better results. Squeeze some lemon juice into a tub or pail of water and rinse this water on your hair at the end after you have shampooed your hair. Lemon juice helps to get rid of the oily sebum in your hair.

2. Do not rub your hair too hard
Always treat and massage your hair gently. Do not rub your hair too hard when shampooing or squeeze your hair dry after washing. Instead, use a towel to dry your hair. But then again, do not rub the towel onto your hair. Leave the towel wrapped onto your hair for a little while before removing it and letting your hair dry naturally. This is to prevent weakening the roots of your hair.

3. Use the correct shampoo
It is important to always use the correct shampoo that is suited to your hair type. It makes a lot of difference to your hair and addresses your hair problems effectively. For instance, go for the shampoo that is meant for oily hair and nothing else if your hair is oily.

4. Apply conditioner if your hair is dry or normal
It is good to apply conditioner to give your hair a shiny and smooth finish. However, if your hair is oily, try not to use conditioners. It may make your hair look even more oily. For better results, try using the conditioner which has the same brand as your shampoo.

5. Apply shampoo twice if your hair is oily
Speaking from experience, for oily hair, always apply shampoo twice to your hair to remove the oil in your hair completely. Applying once is usually not enough. Your hair will still look unclean and oily despite the first shampoo.

So, have you got all that down? I certainly hope you’ve gained some insights to shampooing like I did!

10 Simple Health Practices: 5. Change Your Clothes Daily

I’m sure since young as a kid, we have all been taught by our mothers to change our clothes every day. Just like brushing your teeth and bathing, it has become a habitual routine that all of us have been inculcated to do. However, ironically as we grow older, we tend to defy those habits and practices that our parents have instilled in us. I myself know of some people who wear the same clothes for the whole of a week and others maybe once every few days. Don’t ask me whether they stink or not, thankfully, I’ve never got a chance to get near them. Anyway, I wouldn’t want to either. Do you? Unless you’re also in that gaggle, which I hope not, then that’s another story.

Well, as far as I’m concerned, I’ve compiled my reasons for changing clothes every day:

1. Free yourself of germs and bacteria
Changing clothes on a daily basis keeps you free of germs and bacteria that may be lingering on your clothes as a result of exposure to the environment. This is especially so if you are working at a typical construction site where there are millions and billions of dust particles floating about in the surrounding atmosphere. Even for those of you working in air-conditioned rooms don’t ever think that you’re safe. No matter where we are, there is still bound to be dust in the air.

2. Free yourself of unpleasant body odour
The beads of sweat and perspiration accumulated and absorbed by your garments will give off a pungent smell over time. Therefore wearing the same piece of garment repeatedly for long periods of time is likely to cause body odour. You wouldn’t want people to shun and practise “ostracism” against you, would you?

3. Chance to showcase your wardrobe
On a personal note, changing clothes everyday is a good chance for me to showcase my wardrobe. It tells people about my fashion sense and personality. Moreover, wearing different set of clothes everyday increases my self-confidence as well. Calling out to the ladies out there, I’m sure you’d agree to this point, don’t you?

10 Simple Health Practices: 4. Bathing Properly

Living in such a humid country as Singapore, it would be most refreshing to soak oneself in the bathtub after a hard day’s work. There is always the temptation, which I believe, for most of us to soak in the water for a couple more minutes before we eventually persuade ourselves out of it by reminding ourselves of that month end utility bill. So then, you may ask: Should we sacrifice our hygiene and cleanliness at the expense of our money? Well, of course not! It is not the amount of time that we spend in the bathroom that matters, but the necessary, proper procedures of bathing that is important. Below are some tips to ensure efficient and effective body cleaning:

1. Instead of soaking yourself in the bathtub, use the shower faucet
The tendency to spend longer time soaking in the bathtub is usually much greater given the luxury of sitting and lying in the bathtub. Moreover, isn’t it a hassle having to fill your bathtub with water first before you can bathe? Using the shower faucet is certainly the quicker and more convenient option.
2. Try not to bring in your rubber ducks with you when bathing
This is to avoid distracting yourself from your main objective of cleaning your body. Anyway, those rubber duckies are meant for kids, aren’t they? As far as I am concerned, those bathing toys are meant to cajole and distract the kids so that adults can have an easier time bathing them.

3. Bathe with soap or shower gel
I’m sure most of you would have known by now that rinsing yourself with only water is not adequate to have a clean body. After the initial rinse, it is always best to soap yourself thoroughly before rinsing yourself with water again. Well, the reason for using soap or shower gel is that when either of them is applied onto your body, a bubbly mixture will be formed and the dirt on your body will be stuck to that mixture. Upon rinsing your body, the dirt on your body will be carried away with the bubbly mixture, which then leaves your body with a fragrant scent. Note that some modern cleaning gels are “soap free”, but that is another issue.

4. Have a brush with you to scrub your body
For areas like your back where you have difficulty reaching, it is always good to have a brush with you to lend you a helping hand. Easily dirtied areas like your kneecaps and elbows can also be scrubbed clean with the brush. Scrubbing is best done after soaping of the body. It helps to remove the dirt on your body more effectively.

So, how about an economical and refreshing bath starting from today?

10 Simple Health Practices: 3. Keeping Hands Clean in the Absence of Water

Ever since the outbreak of SARS six years ago and the recent H1N1 epidemic, the practice of washing hands has been emphasised once again. In many restrooms, we see posters of hand washing procedures. For more details on proper hand washing procedures, you can go to here.

Washing our hands often is the best way to stop germs and bacteria from spreading. The medical purpose is to cleanse the hands of pathogens which can cause the next potential disease to break out. However, the question is, how often can we wash our hands? Don’t tell me you have the liberty of running to the restroom from your office every now and then to wash your hands? Well, here are three easy ways that you can reduce the risk of contracting hand-transmitted diseases in spite of the absence of water:

1. Carry waterless hand sanitizers
This is a good way to kill germs on your hands when the nearest restroom or water is beyond your reach. You can practically use it on the go whenever you want and wherever you are. It is just so convenient. Such waterless hand sanitizers are readily available from the shelves of supermarkets and convenience stores.

2. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth
It is advisable not to touch these sensitive areas of your body especially after touching your computer keyboards, doorknobs or even stationery like pens and pencils. It is also best not to hold onto the railings and poles when taking public transport. These items and places are where germs and bacteria are frequently found. So touching your eyes after being in contact with such items exist a risk of catching an eye infection. Likewise for touching your nose and mouth, germs and bacteria can enter your body and upset your health especially if your immune system is exceptionally low on that particular day.

3. Wear gloves
I guess this is the last resort or option that you’ll want to take, especially for those working in offices. Wearing gloves might prove to be too extreme and paranoid for your bosses and clients. But then again, you can’t deny the fact that it is an effective way to prevent diseases from spreading, do you?

Well, I hope the above list helps. Making sure and keeping your hands clean at all times is certainly the first line of defence against contracting infections and diseases.

10 Simple Health Practices: 1. Sensible Eating

Well, I’m pretty sure that the phrase “you are what you eat” rings a bell to all, if not, most of you. What makes a body perfect or less than perfect is what we put into it. If taken care of properly, our bodies will serve us faithfully for more than a century. But on the other hand, if we were to shove all sorts of junk into it, it is with no doubt that our bodies will not function as well as it otherwise would.

So now, what is it exactly that we should put into our bodies to ensure sustained functionality of our organs and limbs? For those looking for an answer to that, you may want to read on.

1. Eat less fat
Various research and studies have shown that obese people are more susceptible to diabetes and heart related diseases. As high fat content in an obese body is likely to accumulate and clog up arteries and veins, it will actually trigger the next potential cardiovascular disease. Moreover, fat people are also generally perceived to be lazy and intellectually challenged, which diminishes their chances of landing good jobs. So, instead of spending tons of money on slimming products or therapy, why not start by preventing obesity in the first place?

2. Eat less sugar
Sugar – another major culprit of obesity and diabetes. For those who do not know, too much sugar intake can also cause cancer and impair the structure of our DNA. It also interferes with the absorption of protein. In any case, too much sugar is also bad for your teeth. You wouldn’t want to become a regular patron of that dental clinic down the street, do you?

3. Eat less salt
In addition to contributing to commonly known hypertension and cardiac failure, excessive salt intake also causes constipation and renal diseases. The drawing of water by salt interferes with the normal absorption of water during the digestion process leads to the accumulation of toxins in the intestinal tract. A natural antibiotic, salt also kills living bacteria including the good ones in the body.

4. Eat more fibre
Calling out to those of you who are in the midst of your weight loss programme, don’t forget to take more fibre. As fibrous foods occupy a large space in your stomach, thus it actually makes you feel full and preventing you from overeating. Fibre also helps in preventing constipation by keeping your bowel movements smooth. It lowers the blood pressure and regulates the blood sugar as well by removing bile acids that digest fats.

5. Eat more fruits and vegetables
This is certainly the umpteenth time you are seeing or hearing this I’m sure. But still, I find it hard to leave this out of the list, so, just bear with me for at least the next 10 seconds or so. Well, fruits and vegetables are especially important in preventing chronic diseases. They have the minerals, antioxidants and vitamins in the correct combination that help to build up the immune system. Eating fruits and vegetables of different colours gives your body a wide range of nutrients such as potassium and vitamins A and C. So the next time you visit that grocery store or supermarket, be sure to fill your shopping basket with rainbow colours!

Sensible eating is undoubtedly the first prerequisite for a strong and healthy body. It is not the wide variety of food available that you owe it to but your own self-discipline to eat carefully and to balance your own diet. Cultivating a sensible eating habit that is tailored-made to your lifestyle as early as possible is definitely one big step towards longevity. Don’t you think so?