Tips of the day

Karaoke therapy

2008-07-07T16:22:00.001+08:00

Ever since the first karaoke bar appeared in Kobe, Japan, in the 1960s, salary men have understood the calming effects of singing (usually badly) along to a bouncing ball. Only recently, however, have researchers begun to explore karaokes therapeutic benefits.

"Even the shy and socially inhibited, like many Chinese and Japanese, become less restrained when singing karaoke," say Dr. Authur Dun-ping Mak, a psychiatrist at the Prince of Wales Hospital in Hong Kong. The Hospital's psychiatric department has been using karaoke as therapy since 1990, and Mak says the combination of images and singing helps people focus on positive thoughts.

Mak has found that relax by vocalizing their pent-up grievances through the lyrics of popular songs.People can identify with the characters and moods pictured on the screen while projecting their own feelings through their performance. "Karaoke tends to bolster self image, decrease stage anxiety and encourage social interactions," Mak says.

QA (1)

2008-07-07T16:20:00.000+08:00

Question :Why, when we twist and turn in our sleep so much, is it rare that we fall of bed?
Answer: Even when you're asleep,your brains is still rare of its surroundings to some extent. It will have remembered how big your bed is and how far your body can safely turn. Should you get too close to the edge, your brain will tell your muscles, and you'll roll backward. Be warned, though: Your brain will often lose its bearing if you've been drinking or if you're in an unfamiliar bed.

Question: Why do we call illegal activity "bootlegging"?
Answer: The Oxford English Dictionary defines a "bootleg" as, perhaps obviously, the leg of a tall boot and says that from this arose the term "bootlegger" to describe someone who carries liquor in his boot-legs. It quotes a New York publication that printed, in 1980, "The 'Bot-legger' is a grim spectra. He is a man who wears boots in whose tops are concealed a flask or two of liquor."
The first reference to "bootleg" actually appeared a year earlier, when the Ohama Herald wrote, " There is as much whiskey consumed in Iowa now as there was before 'for medical purpose only,' and on the bootleg plan."
Today, the term refers to any item that is illicitly transported or produced, such as CDs.

Question: How do ancient ruins gets covered in so much earth?
Answer: You'd be surprised at how quickly earth can form. A neglected garden path become hidden in only a decade, so it's little wonder that archaeologists often have to dig metres down to find very old buildings. Earth is created as rocks in the ground are broken into smaller particles by weathering and erosion. The process is continued by plant decay and by worms, which convert organic matter to soil via their digestive systems. If a ruin is in a river valley or a typical field, where there are lots of plants and eroding water, soil could cover it in as little as a few hundred years.

Go home earlier

2008-07-07T16:19:00.002+08:00

The pressure to work longer hours never seems to end. "Companies would take 24-hours a day if they could," says Laura Stack, author of Leave the Office Earlier. Some ricks to reclaims your life:

Nix last-minute interruptions
Close your door ten minutes before quiting, so co-worker with ,"emergencies" won't drop by. Cubicle-round? Turn on voice mail and put bag and coat in visible spot.

Map out tomorrow
Before you leave, priorities the next day. Plan important tasks for morning so you won't buy yourself a late night.

Schedule personal time
Blockout "appointments" with your family, your gym or yourself. If someone asks to meet at six o'clock, you can honestly say you're booked.

Minimise meeting time
If only part of meeting is relevant to you, arrange to go first. Say you have another appointment you couldn't reschedule or a pressing deadline.

Ten ways to boost your energy

2008-07-07T16:19:00.001+08:00

1.Exercise
2.Eat light
3....but don't skip meals
4.Go easyon caffine
5.Drink plenty of water
6.Cut down the booze
7.Learn to power nap
8.Sitting comfortably?
9.Think positive
10.Relax

Pacifier advice for parent

2008-07-05T01:25:00.001+08:00

According to Professor George Haycock, scientific adviser to the Foundation for the Study of Infant Death (FSID), "A number of research studies have suggested that babies who are regularly given a pacifier when put down to sleep, even for a nap, are less likely to die suddenly and unexpectedly than those who are not."

The advise from FSID is: if breastfeeding, do not begin to give a pacifier until your baby is one month old. Don't worry if the pacifier falls out when your baby is asleep and don't ever force your baby to take a pacifier. And never coat the pacifier in anything sweet.

Bad day or burnout?

2008-07-05T01:24:00.002+08:00

Everyone has periods when work piles up, the boss is ticked and stress is high. But there's a difference between a bad day or week at the office and burnout, according to Dr Micheal Leiter, who heads the center for Organization Reserach and Development at Acadia University in Nova Scotia and is the co-author of Banish Truth About Burnout. He identifies three components to burnout:

Your general well-being
Do you feel exhausted?

Your relationship with work.
Do you feel apathetic or that you can't concentrate, like you're "going through the motions?"

Your self-evaluation.
Do you doubt that you're doing important work and that you're good at it?

Having nay one of these feeling doesn't constitute burnout. The accumulation and frequency of symptoms should be a warning sign.

Step to finding the right kindergarten

2008-07-05T01:24:00.001+08:00

Sending your child to a kindergarten can be a very anxious experience. Kindergarten gives your child a head start in learning nit just ABC's, but life skills, too. The following tips can be great help in your search and evaluation

It helps to begin your research by asking other parents on their experiences, and nothing beats a site visit for peace of mind. The first thing to watch out for is the professional and teachers.

Small classes are good for learning, so there shouldn't be too many students in one class. Fifteen is a reasonable number. There should be one teacher plus one teaching assistant per class.

An insight into the syllabus is also useful. Ask to see the teaching materials to check their quality, as well as samples of students' work. If you can, watch how the children behave in class and conduct themselves toward the teacher.

Factor some non-academic criteria in your decision as well: make sure the kindergarten is clean and serves nutritious meals. Look whether toilet are designed for children's size and height. See how it pays attention to health and safety both inside and outside class,

Yee gives this lesser-known tips: If car are allowed to park in the premises, check whether they park tail in; this lets drivers look ahead when they leave and avoid accidents.

Pen up your veggie diet

2008-07-05T01:23:00.001+08:00

1. Introduce low-fat, high-fiber beans and pulse (such as lentils and chickpeas), which provide essential amino acids.

2. Iron is available from beans, lentils, dried fruit, nuts and fortified breakfast cereal, but is less easily absorbed from plants than from meat. Drinking orange juice or eating vitamin C-rich foods such as citrus fruits or lightly cooked vegetables at meal times helps improve absorption.

3. Vegetarians should eat lower-fat dairy product daily for calcium. Vegan sources include tofu, nuts, grains, white bread, dried fruit and green vegetables.

4. Dairy products, eggs and fortified yeast extracts provide vitamin B12. Vegan can get B12 from vitamin supplements and fortified cereals.

5. Vegetarians usually have ample protein sources, but vegans need to obtain protein from cereals, pulses, nut and seeds.

Myth busters: Cosmetic surgery.

2008-07-05T01:22:00.000+08:00

Hair transplants are only for men (Myth)
Hair-transplant surgery is performed more frequently on men, but many women suffer hair loss or thining due to age, disease or surgery: and they, too, can undergo hair-transplant procedures.

If you have breast implants, you cannot breastfeed (Myth)
In general, breast implants do not change your ability to breastfeed. Having said that, some surgeons do avoid making incisions near the nipple to prevent damage to the milk ducts.

Liposuction eliminates fat permanently. You'll never have to exercise or diet again (Myth)
Liposuction does permanently remove a percentage of the fat cells from an area. But the remaining fat cells can increase in size. And they're still sensitive to our bad habits. In short, liposuction cannot substitute for good health and exercise.

Boy and girl racers start young

2008-07-05T01:21:00.000+08:00

Want your kids to grow into responsible drivers? Watch how you drive when they're in the back seat. Research at Bar-Ilan University, Israel, shows that, not only do young children absorb your driving style, but they are most influenced by parents of the same sex: So, fathers should be most careful with son in the back, and mothers with daughter. Depressingly, by age 11, gender stereotypes are already emerging, with boys drawn to speed and likelier to condone traffic violations.

Keep your car clean

2008-07-04T15:33:00.001+08:00

Washing your car is not just about appearances: it can extend your vehicle's life.

First rinse off surface dirt> Then wash using a car shampoo. Don't use household detergent, which can corrode the paintwork. Clear drain holes and guttering of debris. Considers investing in a pressure washer to reach undesired and wheel arches. Dry off with a towel or chamois. Don't wash your car when it's hot or the water may just evaporate leaving marks.

Two to four times a year, apply a wax after washing. This adds a barrier to keep water out.

If there's no handy water supply (or you just want to save water) look for products that clean and polish one go, without water.

Health and diet for children

2008-07-04T15:32:00.000+08:00

Ensure proper nutrition for your toddler. We all need a balanced diet throughout or lives; it goes without saying that toddlers need it even more. You can find all the nutrients your toddler needs in many everyday sources.

The feeding challenge begins when he turns one and needs a diet emphasizing solids.

That's also when his appetite becomes unpredictable, but his body is constantly developing behind the scenes, so insist on your diet plan! A child who doesn't eat properly will catch one bug after another. A balanced diet ensures correct height and weight development and builds body resistance. This way, your child will not miss his important development milestones. Healthy body, healthy mind--mental strength will follow.

Essential elements :
Calcium and iron are vital to a child's growth. Calcium builds healthy bones and teeth. You child should have three portions of dairy product like milk, cheese and yogurt daily to satisfy his calcium needs. Don't skimp on fat-- growing children need the energy it contains.

Iron is vital to supprt brain development and a health bloodstream. Insufficient iron may lead to anemia, which can be discerned from a child's weak and listless look. Serve enough red meat regularly; if red meat doesn't figure on your family's menu, subtitue spinach, beans, pears or bread and cereals fortified with iron.

Complex carbohydrates in food like rice, noodles, cereals, bread, pasta and potatoes provide the energy to fuel his day, which is especially important once he starts walking. You can get needed protein from meat, poultry, fish, eggs, beans and lentils. Fatty acids like DHA found in oily fish and selected milk formulas are important building blocks for brain development.

Don't forget to give five portions of fruit and vegetables daily, whether fresh, frozen or dried. They contain important vitamins and minerals which have many beneficial function. These can range from enabling growth, to strengthening the body's internal system, to purifying the blood.

Fruit and vegetables also contain fiber, which helps proper functioning of the intestinal tract.

Keep in mind that quantity of food is important. Many toddlers can't manage large amounts in one setting. Three small snacks and three small meals should get him through the day.

Now for things you toddler doesn't need; avoid processed food, extra salt and too much sugar. Avoid fruit juices-- they contain a lot of sugar that is bad for the teeth. Offer him water at mealtimes instead.

Tips tips tips

2008-07-04T15:29:00.001+08:00

1) Answer the phone by LEFT ear.
2) Do not drink coffee TWICE a day.
3) Do not take pills with COOL water.
4) Do not have HUGE meals after 5pm.
5) Reduce the amount of OILY food you consume.
6) Drink more WATER in the morning, less at night.
7) Keep your distance from hand phone CHARGERS.
8) Do not use headphones/earphone for LONG period of time.
9) Best sleeping time is from 10pm at night to 6am in the morning.
10) Do not lie down immediately after taking medicine before sleeping.
11) When battery is down to the LAST grid/bar, do not answer the Phone as the radiation is 1000 times.
12) Forward this to those whom you CARE about!

Children life skills.

2008-07-03T17:50:00.000+08:00

Teach simple task to build self-esteem. Building confidence and inculcating life skills should start from the day your child is born so that he learns independence early on. There are many opportunities and stages for nurturing the right attitude.

Begin with giving the love, encouragement and praise your child need when he is just a baby. Provide a strong and stable domestic environment for him to grow up in, and he'll develop the self-esteem needed to tackle the challenges of middle childhood.

Your child will start wanting a substantial degree of freedom from upper primary school. His challenges here will consist of mastering the skill necessary to get through each day. You role is in preparing him to deal with this independence.

First, he need to know how to survive. He should be taking responsibility for his nutrition and knowing all about safety in kitchen. Start with teaching how to make a simple meal and go with him when he buys his own ingredients.

Home task:
Job around the house can be fun and make your child feel valuable; there are many things you can do together here. Washing the car, planting the garden, and sorting the laundry are activities that will give your child a sense of environment accountability and appreciation of teamwork. He'll doing all these on his own before long.

Dealing with school is a vital life skill. Starting school and seeing all the new faces is never easy, with the myriad of personalities in a class and all the potential emotional health risk. Make sure you're there to lend an ear and support him through the early days, even if you feel he is confident enough.

Homework is the next challenge, where your child learns the importance of deadlines. Organization skill is important here, so encourage him to study when he gets home and relax only after he is finished. He should learn to sort his books and accessories, and responsible for his own meals.

Personal hygiene is important. At this age, it's often an uphill task to get your child into the bathroom. Make him clean his teeth morning and evening and see to it that he gets in the shower once a day.

Encourage your child to take the initiative. Resist the temptation to make his decisions for him. If you do that, he will never feel confident that when faced with a problem, he can solve it correctly. Offer him choices. Ask him what he would like- whether it's films at the cinema or choosing his birthday party programme.

Don't forget practical reward for completed jobs.Children will often start a job and stop when the novelty wear off. You'll encourage him to see a challenge through if you hand out small reward at the end.

Money talks (How you handle money matters can rub off on your kids)

2008-07-03T17:49:00.000+08:00

Sound money management habits can form a strong foundation for how children deal with other when they grow up. "As you teach children about money, they also begin to learn other important lessons such as decision making, priorities, responsibility and goal setting," says Brian Goh, senior vice-president of ipac financial planning (Singapore). Here are some money lessons in daily activities :

When at the ATM or when using your credit card.
To appreciate the value of money, kids need to know where it comes from. Explain that hard-earned money has to first be deposited into the bank before it come outs out of the ATM, and that purchases made on credit cards have to be paid for, in full, at the end of the month.

When grocery shopping
This is the best time to teach them how to make sound buying decisions. Have them help you look for items on your grocery list, and compare prices among different items. If you choose one brand of milk over another because it's on sale, explain the decision.

When giving them an allowance
Paying out allowances on schedule (like the first of every month) teaches children the value of honoring agreements. Help them put away a portion into savings even before they start spending it, and assist them in setting savings goals, like buying a new toy.

When shopping
Spending indiscriminately sends out a dangerous signal that we can get whatever we want, when we want. Instead, teach your kids the difference between needs and wants. For instance, when checking out the latest Plasma TV, explain that while it might be nice to have a new TV, it's not a necessity because the one at home is working just fine.

When planning a holiday
This is a great time to bring together concepts like budgeting, saving, price comparison, and balancing needs and wants. Money lessons are best absorbed when they are put to practical use, so do involve your kids in the decision-making processes of holiday planning- from picking a destination to scouting for deals

mum for daughter tips

2008-07-03T17:46:00.000+08:00

Here are some simple dos and don'ts for mothers raising daughter

DO:
-Plan a fun outing for just the two of you . She's more likely to open up with no-one else around. Choose an activity that allows you interact, such as pedicres and lunch.
-Offer to help, even if you're rebuffed. The more often you let her know you're available-whether for homework or hair-styling- the more likely she is to take you up on it... eventually
- share some of the same hobbies- and use them as a reason to spend time together.

DON'T:
-Take it personally when she shuts you out. And don't give up trying for fear of being rejected: you never know when you'll catch her at time when she's open to your advice
-Try to be her best friend. This will lead her to expect a life without limits.
-dress like teenagers yourself. Nothing is less cool than a 42-year-old woman dressed like a 15-year-old. Especially when that woman's your mother.

Sharpen your brain

2008-06-27T21:39:00.003+08:00

Improve your memory
Learn by heart a "to do" list of ten or more jobs for the day that incorporates a route-it could be your stroll to work, say, or the walk to the gym- and try to mentally link each jon with one location: buying a newspaper at the shops, dropping off dry-cleaning in the high street, calling home outside th cafe, etc.Then ask yourself the following question:
-What task follows buying the newspaper?
-What job precedes phoning home?
-The second job on the list is?
-Where on the list is the dry-cleaner's?
The next day, come up with new list and increase the number of items to 20.

Boost your spatial awareness
Navigate you way round the house blindfold (best not done alone!) Then sit in a chair and mentally walk round your house, visualizing your every move. Or put 12 object on a tray memories their location, then get someone to move a few about. Guess which have moved.

Crunch more numbers
Do these exercise everyday: add up your shopping in the queue before you pay:devide up bills when they come in: estimate quantities of thing you pass, such as people in a group or trees in a garden. Keeping your mind nimble and always on the move with numerical teasers will improve your mathematical acuity.

Widen you word power
Go for as many of these as possible: watch and play along with countdown; learn a new word every day and use it often; make up anagrams of words; spend a day playing devil's advocate in every situation you come across. These will improve your understanding of the true meaning of words.

New ways to sleep so it counts

2008-06-27T21:38:00.001+08:00

With recent research linking lack of sleep to health problem from hypertension to weight gain, there's more reason more ever to make over your sleep habit. But how? Here, expert offer some snooze tips you may not have heard before:

Let go out your worries.
Anxieties often seem magnified in the still of the night. Dealing with them can help you sleep. Just writing down worries, deadlines or to-dos before hitting the pillow can make them feel more manageable. Do whatever helps you relax.Ask your partner to give you massage. Or have sensual, not-too-athletic sex. Deep-breathing exercise, in which you focus on taking long, deep abdominal breaths, may help relieve pent-up tension (and the yawns).

Redo your bedroom
Make your bedroom more sleep-friendly. If noise from an adjacent room keeps you up, move your bed to another wall. Replace a sagging mattress and deflated pillows. And adjust the thermostat: The best sleeping temperature for most people is comfortably coll but not cold. Micheal Breus, PhD, author's 4-weeks Program to Better Sleep and Better Health, recommends 20 to 22 degree celcius.

Cut the light at nigh
Avoid bright light, which signals the brain to be alert, within two to three hours of bedtime or if you wake up during the night. Breus suggest aiming for no more than 45 to 60 watts of the light in the room when winding down before bedtime, and no more than 30 to 40 watts of indirect light when you're trying to sleep.

Follow the 20-minutes rule
If you can't fall asleep in about 20 minutes, whether at bedtime or after awakening in the night, go into another room and do something else until you get drowsy. Avoid thing required concentration such as video games, stimulation activities like cleaning. Try light reading or listening to music.

New ways to live longer.

2008-06-27T21:37:00.001+08:00

The world's average life expectancy is about 67 years. But we may son increase that greatly. And we will not be frail and senile at age 150. "In addition to eliminating a lot of diseases of aging, we'll maintain function, vitality, cognition and all the other thing we value in terms of quality of life," says former National Institute on Aging researches George s. Roth, PhD, author of The Truth abouts Aging. Here, a few steps to take towards a longer, healthier life:

Eat a lot less
Slimming down can help prevent disease, and cutting way back on the amount you eat may even slow the aging process. When rodent eat a very low calorie diet, few get cancer, and they don't develop diabetis or obesity. In a study, people cut calories by 25 percent, they had less DNA damage than did those not in the diet.They also had lower fasting insulin levels and body temperature , both of which are linked longevity.

Make friend, get married, adopt dog
Social support, in the form of friend, family, neighbors and colleagues, can prevent the age-related spike in blood pressure that raises your risk of stroke and heart attack. Trying the knot is another anti-ager: Married can add about seven years to a man's life and three to a woman's. Pet can help reduce stress and lower blood pressure, and may even help heart attack survivors live longer.

Get moving
You may live longer, but if you're sick or disable, it won't be much fun. Luckily, exercise can help you attain a better quality of life as you age. You don't need to run or jog.Just walking at brisk pace translates into major health benefits. Aim for 30m minutes a day.

Reach for red.
Revesveratrol, an ingredient in red wine, seems to have powerful anti aging effect. Research suggest that it offers the same life-lengthening benefits as calorie restriction-without the hunger pangs.

Sleepy driver may as well be drunk (part 2)

2008-06-27T11:09:00.000+08:00

Signs that you're too tired to drive:
-Yawning
-Poor concentration
-Tired or sore eyhes
-Restlessness
-Drowsiness
-Slow reactions
-Boredom and irritability
-Missing road signs
-Making fewer and larger steering corrections
-Finding it hard to stay in the lane

Tips to stay alert at wheel
-Make sure that you've had adequate sleep before you set off
-Plan to drive during day, not during normal sleeping hours
-Have a rest break at least once every two hours, more often if you find yourself getting sleepy
-If you do begin feel sleepy or notice any of the telltale signs we've listed, stop and nap for up to 40 minutes.
-Use caffine judiciously: keep it for when tiredness sets in but dont rely on it.
-Eat sensibly during the journey and avoid large meals.
-Where possible, share the driving load
-Avoid consuming alcohol immediately before and during your journey.

Sleepy driver may as well be drunk

2008-06-27T11:07:00.000+08:00

Sleepy driver may as well be drunk, and possibly even more so, because they oftan dont realise that they are impaired. Driving for eight hours straight more than double your risk of crashing- making you as dangerous as a driver with a blood alcohol count of 0.05%.

The human body is programmed for two sleepy periods. The primary one is between midnight and 6am. The other is early to mid-afternoon. Most people will attribute this afternoon sleepiness to what or how much they ate for lunch.

"You start to lose attention because you're bored," says Professor Narelle Haworth, a specialist in prevention and rehabilation at Autralia Queensland University of Technology.

Fatigue can affect anyone on the road, but some are a higher risk for fatigue crashes: people who work long hours (working 60 hours a week increases you risk by 40 percent), shift worker (the human body never fully adjust to shift work), young people ( particulay vulnerable to the effect of their circadian rhythms), males (althought both ganders are equally sleep-deprived, males are responsible for approximately three out of four fall-asleep crashes), people with sleep disorder.

Loud music might help for awhile to avoid dowsy, but not for long. Loud music may also distract you from the road. Coffee (caffeine is only a short-term solutio and will less effect the more often you use it. Plenty of fresh air through the window may give give you boost and help for a while, as might turning the air-cond on to cold, But if you are tired, sleep is the only solution.

Think hypnosis is all hocus-focus

2008-06-27T11:05:00.000+08:00

"Self-hypnosis is form of deep relaxation that helps you focus, solve problem and relieve anxiety about presentations and deadlines."

Here's how to try it:
Step 1: Close your eyes, and breathe slowly and deeply.
Step 2: State a secific goal such as "I'll feel confident about presenting my market analysis."
Step 3: Eyes still closed count from one to 100 then back to one.
Step 4: Repetitive staements will focus your mind on achieving your goal. When you open your eyes, you'll feel refreshed and ready to work.

Study tips for kids and parents.

2008-06-27T11:03:00.000+08:00

Here tips from Oxford Learning to get your kids through school and dreaded exams.

KIDS;

1. Listen and hear.-Pay attention in class. Jot notes on the main ideas. Make a note and ask someone to explain it to you if you don't understand something

2. Ace your homework.-Use a planner to enter homework as soon as it's assigned. Pick to do homework and study.

3. Study effectively-Divide material into units and assign each unit a day. Give yourself a three-day break before the test. Study in short bursts- 15 minutes at a time - take a five minute breater to exercise and refocus.

Use Oxford's SQRCRC method to study:

Survey introductions, heading and summaries for main idea.

Question: What do I hope to learn by reading this?"

Read for details.

Cover the work

Recite what you've just read

Check how well you have done.

PARENTS;

1. Help your child prepare a study schedule, and review it together every morning.

2. Create a special work enviroment that courages best effort and makes it easier for your child to get into study mode.

3. Get involved. Your interest show them that school is important