What is in the bubble tea?
A cup of bubble tea to quench your thirst and you are loading your body with calories, fats and sugars! Bubble tea contains flavourants, sugars, with minimal nutritional value. The chewy black pearls are made from tapioca and sugar. With one added serving of the pearls, the calories of your bubble tea boosts up another 100kcal. Prefer the milky taste? It adds another 70kcal. For a calorie-sensible treat, get plain bubble tea without milk and choose Nata de Coco instead of the pearls. Best of all, head to the nearest convenient store for a low-sugar soy milk instead! |
Omega-3 fortified foods for health?
Research shows omega-3 fats help keeping heart, joints and brain healthy. The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for omega-3 fats in the UK is 450mg for adults and 200mg for children. Recognizing the health benefits of omega-3, a lot of foods are now fortified with this healthy fat. But, are they sufficient to supply the need? To reach the recommended daily amounts, an adult needs to eat 5 omega-3 enriched eggs daily! A 6-ounce salmon has 100 times higher omega-3 content compared with fortified yoghurt. So, go get the salmon or tuna instead! |
For makeup that stays:
Start with a clean, moisturized face. It is important to exfoliate regularly to remove dead skin cells, to minimize a blotchy or flaky appearance. For naturally radiant, healthy looking skin, ensure a sufficient intake of collagen in your diet. Collagen is an important protein that is an important building block for healthy skin. A quality collagen formula like Collagen Beauty helps skin regeneration and improves skin clarity for a more youthful appearance. |
Water for Beauty.
70% of our body is made up of water. Water is necessary for metabolic activities and regulating the moisture content in skin. With aging, the skin’s water binding ability is significantly reduced. For hydration from within, try Hyaluronic Acid, a skin nutrient that locks up to 6,000 times its weight to retain moisture, smoothen wrinkles, and stimulate repair of damaged skin. |
Choose whole grain breads.
Choose wholegrain breads over white breads. White bread is made from white flour is refined to remove the bran and germ, which carry the most nutrients and fiber. Look out for food labels that list the first ingredient as whole wheat, whole meal, or whole corn. If you can, choose whole grain breads with intact grains, seeds, oats or nuts. These will help regulate blood sugar level and maximize the benefits of carbohydrates. |
Cultivate stronger relationships.
Spending too much time isolated and alone can be detrimental to your mental and social well-being. Long term isolation or a lack of community interaction is proven to result in emotional issues like anxiety. Sharing your feelings and thoughts with your family and/or close friends can foster a sense of belonging and reduce negative emotions. You’ll be amazed that even a simple short message can brighten up your day! |
Simple foods for a healthy liver.
A poorly functioning liver leads to fatigue, weakness, abdominal pain and loss of appetite. The easiest way to protect your liver is to eat right! Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage contain glucosinolates which help the liver produce enzymes for detoxification. Green leafy vegetables and fruits contain antioxidants that protect the liver from free radical damage. Garlic contains Allicin, which helps rinse out heavy metals such as mercury and lead from the liver. Add these foods into your daily diet to keep your liver healthy! |
Forgot where you left the keys?
If you are finding it harder to remember the little things, your brain may be deteriorating faster than you age. Ginkgo has a long history as the “memory herb”. Ginkgo leaf extract enhances blood flow to the brain, thus improving concentration and memory. The best quality markers come with 24% Total Flavonoids and 6% Terpene Lactones. Pick only standardized ginkgo leaf extract to ensure optimal efficacy to support memory and improve circulation. |
Hand foot mouth disease (HFMD).
HFMD is caused by a viral infection. Children aged 2 weeks to 5 years old are most susceptible to the disease. It can transmit via direct contact through saliva, nasal discharge and feces. Boosting your child’s immunity can help reduce the chances of contracting HFMD. Therefore, parents should ensure their child eats a balanced diet with more vegetables and fruit for the vitamins, minerals and antioxidant-rich content. For picky eaters, try CHAKARI Fruits or CHAKARI Vegetables. Each sachet of the delicious fine powder is equivalent to 20 cherries or 3 cups of broccoli! |
Laugh to better health!
The easiest and simplest way to boost your immunity is to laugh out loud. Laughing helps to decrease stress hormones and increases immune cells and strengthens your internal defence system to resist colds better. Having a positive attitude, and a sense of humor helps you relax and feel more upbeat. |
Caffeine and pregnancy.
Excess caffeine may lead to low birth weight and miscarriage. Caffeine may affect baby’s growth as it may constrict blood vessels and limit the nutrient supplies to baby. Also, caffeine inhibits iron absorption. The low iron stores at fetal stage causes higher risk of iron deficiency anemia during infant development. Yet, pregnant mothers need not avoid caffeine totally. American Dietetic Association suggests 300mg daily (equals to 3 cups of coffee) as the upper limit of caffeine intake for pregnant women. Other sources of Caffeine include tea, soda, chocolates and energy drink! |
Down with PMS!
Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) includes irritability, mood swings, water retention, bloating, and headaches. Interestingly, PMS can account for more than 50% of the sick leave women take at work. Research by National Institute of Health shows that women currently under stress have moderate to severe symptoms during menstruation. Solutions? Pick a sport - running, tennis, aerobic dancing, any kind of intensive exercise is helpful to boost serotonin levels (the ‘happy’ hormone). This helps to reduce or even prevent PMS. Plus, exercise is a good stress buster too! |
Healthy diet for healthy hair.
Nuts supply zinc that promotes stronger hair and stimulate healthy hair growth. Don’t forget the greens, they are loaded with Vitamin A to relieve itching or dryness of scalp and Vitamin C which may retard hair loss. Whole grains supply the silicon which prevents brittle hairs. Vitamin Bs from meat and mushrooms help delay the onset of gray hair. Keep your diet low in unhealthy fats, as excess fats consumption leads to oily hair. Beauty starts within, begins with a healthy natural diet for your nutrients need! |
Moisturize dry scalp.
We put in a lot of efforts to make sure that our skin is well-moisturized and tend to forget the layer of skins underneath the hair. If we have dry skin, most likely will have a dry scalp too. Dry skin is the most common cause of itchy and flaking scalp. Scalp oil moisturizes scalp better than the cream or lotion as it stays longer on the scalp. Jojoba oil is most commonly used. Others include almond, flax seed, or olive oil. Apply the scalp oil on wet hair, it prevents oil getting into hair. Choose shampoo with citrus oil, tea tree oil or chamomile oil as they rinse out oil treatment effectively. |
Sensitive teeth? Pick the right brush for pain-free brushing
For those with sensitive teeth and bleeding gum, brushing and cleaning interdental spaces can create pain and discomfort. Tooth sensitivity occurs as a result of receding gum and exposed dentin. Many factors lead to sensitivity. Brushing too hard, over time, can damage enamel and cause recession of gum. The build-up of plaque, may cause gum disease, leading to bleeding gum and sensitivity. Pick a soft brush with fine bristles to reduce abrasive on tooth structure and to cleanse the gum line better. A toothbrush with compact brush head allows you to brush hard-to-reach areas, like back teeth, which can be easily missed while brushing with normal-sized brush head. |
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