Read and Learn!

#1 - It is a skill to say 'No' in a nice way

#2 - Most people are sensitive!

Winsome introduced this really really COOL site. Check it out!

Musicovery.com

Labels: Music, Technology

Men, read and you may understand your partner better! Following are some explanations taken from different sources.

The term, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) covers a group of symptoms that can affect a woman, emotionally and physically. The most common PMS are headache, bloating, back pain, mood swings, fatigue, irritability, anxiety, food cravings, acne and sore breasts.

While not all women have PMS, it’s estimated that 70% to 90% of women who menstruate experience PMS. And another 3% to 8% have emotional symptoms severe enough to disrupt their lives, a condition known as Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD). Women with PMDD suffer from many of the physical symptoms of PMS, but more severely. In addition, they experience debilitating emotional symptoms such as feelings of hopelessness, isolation and extreme mood swings.

The PMDD symptoms are sometimes serious enough to interfere with relationships, hamper a person's ability to function at work/school, or even keep you from performing daily tasks. Diagnostic Criteria for PMDD - 5 or more of the following symptoms must be present:

• Feeling of sadness or hopelessness, possible suicidal thoughts
• Feeling of tension or anxiety (Panic attacks etc)
• Mood swings marked by periods of teariness
• Persistent irritability or anger that affects other people
• Disinterest in daily activities and relationships
• Trouble concentrating
• Fatigue or low energy
• Food cravings or bingeing
• Sleep disturbances
• Feeling out of control
• Physical symptoms, such as bloating, breast tenderness, headaches, joint/muscle pain

Many things have been tried to ease the symptoms of PMS. No treatment works for every woman, so we may need to try different ones to see what works. Below are some lifestyle changes that may help ease symptoms.

• Take a multivitamin every day that includes 400 mg of folic acid. A calcium supplement with vitamin D can help keep bones strong and may help ease some PMS symptoms
• Do a moderate exercise of 30 mins for 3-5 times a week. Steady exercising causes a release of feel-good endorphins which helps alter the mood
• Eat healthy foods, including fruits, vegetables, and whole grains
• Avoid salt, sugary foods, caffeine, and alcohol, especially when you are having PMS
• Get enough sleep. Try to get 8 hours of sleep each night
• Find healthy ways to cope with stress. Talk to your friends, exercise, or write in a journal.
  

If the lifestyle changes does not help, seek medical advice!

Labels: Health

This morning, Joyce and I attended a 'Beauty' workshop at California Fitness. Well basically, they collaborated with Loreal and Redken to conduct this free workshop, and to promote their products and services.

We had a light tea reception before the workshop commenced. It started with the Loreal makeover session. The key take away is that there are 3 main skin tones: warm, neutral, cool. Foundation is not = base = moisturiser. When putting on liquid foundation, do not dab the dots on the different corners of the face as it will dry by the time you get to the last dot and may leave a patch. When putting powder/blusher, it has to be in a circular and outward direction so as not to clog pores. Putting a blusher/eyeshadow alone without a base/foundation may cause blemishes in a long run as they get absorbed into the skin.

For the haircare talk, it was just basic introduction of their different haircare products which are available only in the salon. And one thing to note is that when it is a shampoo for the hair, do not use it on the scalp. It is also important to get water soluble products so that the chemicals do not build on your hair. (Joyce, bring a brolly :) ) Hair loss is most of the time related to hormonal changes and is best to seek medical advise. And to test if your scalp is healthy, put your 10 fingers on your scalp and massage your head. If the head of hairs moved with each movement, it means you have a healthy scalp. If it doesn't move, you may want to go to one of those Redken salons to do a scalp analysis to determine the scalp problem.

After the talk, there was a demo ABT session which we did not participate. The whole event lasted about 2.5 hrs. Well, I guess we gained some knowledge in the session, even though it may be a sales talk!

Labels: Beauty

A long time ago, according to a famous Chinese legend, the earth had 10 suns circling it, each taking its turn to illuminate and warm it. One day, all 10 suns appeared together, and the combined heat resulted in a terrible drought. To save the world from imminent destruction, China's famous archer, Hou Yi, shot down 9 of the suns. He became a hero and the Emperor presented him with the most beautiful woman in the land, Chang Er, to whom he married. The Emperor also rewarded him with a magic pill containing the elixir of immortality.

Labels: Food

For many women, it's tough to get a good night's sleep. Studies show that women may be 20 percent to 50 percent more likely to have insomnia than men. And there are reasons for this.One culprit behind women's sleep difficulties can be fluctuating hormone levels. With optimal levels of estrogen and progesterone in your system, the time it takes to fall asleep and the number of awakenings during the night decrease. But hormone fluctuations occur for many reasons, including monthly menstrual cycles, use of birth control pills, pregnancy, and perimenopause -- the five to 10 years before and up to one year after menstrual periods end.

If you find yourself tossing and turning at night, simple changes in your daily and nightly habits may result in better sleep. The Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource offers these suggestions:

* Caffeine: Limit it. In addition to the usual sources -- coffee, tea and soda -- be aware of caffeine in chocolate and in medications used to treat headaches, colds and sinus congestion.

* Nicotine: Nicotine impairs the ability to fall asleep and stay asleep.

* Alcohol: Even though drinking alcohol may make it easier to fall asleep, as few as one or two drinks within two hours of bedtime tend to disrupt your sleep and lead to more frequent awakening in the latter half of the night.

* Inactivity: Lack of physical activity during the day is associated with increased sleep problems. But strenuous exercise too close to bedtime may make it more difficult to fall asleep.

* Large meals: Eating too much close to bedtime may make falling asleep and staying asleep more difficult.

* Naps: Naps can make it harder to fall asleep at night. If you can't get by without one, limit it to less than 30 minutes.

If self-treatment strategies don't help, ask your doctor for help. Sleep difficulties can be related to a number of medical conditions.

By Health Bites 93.8Live.sg

Labels: Health

Attended the Adult First Aid course at St John's Ambulance HQ on Beach Road in the last three days. I have learnt various life saving skills, and hope I remember and could apply them.

The class was taught to handle casualties with the following conditions: Shock, Asphyxia, Wounds & Bleeds, Burns & Scalds, Bone, Joint & Muscle Injuries, Heat Exhaustion & Heatstroke, Respiratory problem, Heart Attack, Stroke, Drowning, Epilepsy, Hyperventilation etc. We also learnt some practical skills: Recovery position, bandages/arm slings (for Fractures and Wounds), Abdominal Thrust and Chest Thrust (for choke victims), and most important of all, CPR.

CPR is a temporary intervention before the victim is attended to by medical professionals. Following are important steps to follow:

D - Danger. Ensure that the scene is safe for victim and self
R - Response. Establish responsiveness of victim. If no response, get someone to call 995
A - Airway. Open victim's Airway by Head-Tilt Chin-lift. Check Airway and remove foreign body
B - Breathing. Check for breathing by Look, Listen and Feel (up to 10 secs). If NO breathing, give 2 breaths (1 sec/breath).
C - Circulation. Check for signs of life/circulation. Check carotid pulse (up to 10 secs). If NO pulse, start CPR

CRP
- Do chest compression two fingers above sternum
- Compress vertically 4-5 cm downwards with 30 compressions: 2 ventilations ratio.
- Give 5 cycles of 30 chest compressions followed by 2 breaths
- If pulse is absent, continue with CPR cycle

Rescue Breathing
- If pulse is present, but breathing is absent, perform rescue breathing
- Give 12 rescue breathing in 5 secs interval for 1 min
- If breathing is absent, continue with Rescue Breathing

Recovery Position
- If breathing and pulse returns, stop CPR
- Place victim in recovery position if still unconscious
- Ensure there is no neck or other trauma (secondary survey)

Learning first aid knowledge reminds me of my late Godma Liley, who passed away 6 yrs ago. She was a nurse, and a very caring and altruistic one. I may never become like her, but I am a little closer to her mission, which is to save lives, physically and spiritually. After today's theory and practical exam, I am now a certified First Aider. Yeah! :)

Labels: Health