6 Benefits of Coconut Water for Pregnant Women
Posted by Editor on Dec 1st, 2015 in Pregnancy and Health | 0 commentsApart from being healthy and fat-free, coconut water is also a refreshing drink that aids in keeping the body hydrated by replenishing the natural salts that we lose every time we perspire. The drink is also widely known for its versatility and unconditional nutritional benefits, particularly for pregnant women and here’s why.
- It Improves the Kidney Functions. Apart from helping in quenching one’s thirst, coconut water simply acts as a diuretic, which aids in increasing urine production due to its magnesium, mineral and potassium contents. All of which are vital to pregnancy. The drink also increases the flow of urine to keep the urinary tract clean, which aids in maintaining the health of the kidney, and preventing kidney and urinary tract infections from occurring.
- It Aids in Combatting Dehydration and Exhaustion. Not only does coconut water replenishes the lost electrolytes, it also aids in fighting off the exhaustion and dehydration that most pregnant women experiences. Aside from that, coconut water is also an ideal drink for treating diarrhoea since it refuels the body with essential nutrients. Being properly hydrated is what increases skin elasticity and reduces the chances of stretch marks from occurring.
- It Provides Essential Electrolytes. What makes this drink the best option for pregnant women is that it supplies the body with the essential electrolytes that the body usually loses through diarrhoea, severe vomiting and strenuous exercise. Coconut water contains nutrients like calcium, phosphorus and potassium, which carries the electrical charge throughout the body.
- It Prevents Constipation and Heartburn. Drinking coconut water is one of the best and simplest ways that you can help you in improving your metabolism and detoxifying your body. Simply drinking it is also enough to improve your digestion, strengthen your digestive system, prevent constipation, and maintain your pH levels. Since it’s a natural acid neutralizer, coconut water also aids in preventing and soothing heartburn during pregnancy.
- It Helps Fight Infections. Aside from electrolytes, coconut water is also rich in antioxidants, essential minerals and vitamins that helps in boosting the immune system, thus protecting the mother and child from any form of diseases. The drink is also rich in lauric acid that’s responsible for producing a disease-fighting acid known as “monolaurin” that combats diseases like HIV and flu.
- It Promotes Weight Loss. Unlike the other drinks, coconut water is free of cholesterol, which aids in increasing the good cholesterols in the body while slowly eradicating the bad ones. So ditch your go-to sugar-sweetened drinks now and get your hands on this awesome replacement to ensure that you’ll maintain a healthy body for you and your child.
Even if it’s rich in nutrients, moderation is still essential when drinking coconut water. Just make sure that you pick and drink fresh coconuts so that you’ll really get the most out of the drink.
Essential Skin Care Rules One Should Never Break
Posted by Editor on Nov 10th, 2015 in Skin Care Guru | 0 comments
Taking excellent care of our skin is an aspect to beauty that everybody should practice. Being the body’s largest organ, the skin needs special care, especially because it is largely exposed to the elements. When we determine the kind of care our skin needs, we are then rewarded with great-looking skin and a healthy dose of self-confidence.
Here are five essential skin care commandments a person should never break in order to achieve healthy and younger-looking skin.
Thou shall take care of one’s neck.
Most of us take good care of the skin on our face by delicately removing makeup, cleansing, moisturizing and exfoliating. Unfortunately, we often neglect to do these things to our neck, which like our face, is also vulnerable to acne and sun damage.
When cleansing our face, it is also vital to cleanse and remove makeup in our neck and décolletage. Using your daily exfoliant, extend the application to the neck area and use a cleansing brush to gently remove dirt, makeup and dead skin.
Moreover, applying sunscreen to the neck area is necessary since it is also exposed to the sun. A great tip is to use a much stronger sunscreen in this area since the skin is thin and delicate.
Thou shall not wash using hot water.
Using hot water when washing your strips the skin of its natural oils, leaving the skin dry and prone to irritation. If you are the type of person who cannot shower without using hot water, see to it that the water does not touch your face. You can cleanse your skin using the tap water from the sink or lukewarm water.
Furthermore, using hot water when washing your face opens up the pores and can rupture blood vessels, causing red veins to be visible on your face. Exposing the skin to extremely hot temperature can irritate the skin.
Thou shall not exercise with makeup on.
Yes, you feel naked and exposed when you go out in public without makeup but when you workout with a ton of makeup on, these cosmetics can clog the pores when you sweat. Clogged pores result in skin blemishes like acne and blackheads.
When the pores are open, the skin needs to breathe and relax therefore, the presence of sludgy makeup on the skin can suffocate it, causing irritation.
Thou shall take full-body skin examination yearly.
An annual full body examination of the skin keeps track of suspicious looking formations in the skin area. It also examines the moles in our body, which can seldom signal the presence of skin cancer.
Thou shall update makeup products.
Cosmetics, like food, have an expiration date. When a beauty product is past its shelf life, you must throw these out and replace them. Constant usage of old makeup can irritate the skin and cause irritation. Here are some products and their shelf life:
- Mascara- 3 months
- Anti-aging products- 3 months to 1 year
- Lipstick- 2 years
- Lip gloss- 1 year
- Concealer and liquid foundation- 6 months to 1 year
- Face powder, blush and eye shadow- 2 years
- Lotion- 2 years
A Warning for Travellers
Posted by Editor on Oct 18th, 2015 in Vacation and Relaxation | 0 comments
If we are a passenger, we are allowed to use the amenities of the airport – after all, we paid for that. We are also free to wander around the airport whilst waiting for our next flight. If we are waiting for the next flight here in Singapore, Changi airport is a nice place to wait and kill time.
We will not get bored in Changi airport because it has the best amenities an airport can offer. It cannot be the world’s number one airport if the airport is mediocre, right? We have to be warned though. The police issued an advisory on September 27, 2015. The advisory warns travellers of the Protected Areas and Protected Places Act.
What is this “Protected Areas and Protected Places Act”? The Protected Areas Act is a special measure taken to control the movements as well as the behaviour of persons in the area. The Protected Places Act on the other hand refers to the provisions taken to prevent the entry of persons into unauthorized premises.
In the case of Changi airport, there are many transit areas that are tagged as Protected Places. Travellers should only use these transit halls for travelling not for meeting friends and celebrities. According to the police force, there have been nine reports of these offences. There are indeed people who abuse their boarding passes and enter the transit areas for their benefit.
If proven guilty, the person will pay a fine of S$1,000 or two years jail term. The worse thing is that it could be both. So, the next time we see transit areas tagged as “protected”, we have to stay away from it before we are caught.
The QS University Ranking: Asia Edition
Posted by Editor on Oct 14th, 2015 in Education Worldwide | 0 comments
In the latest world ranking released by a London-based education consultancy agency – Quacquarelly Symonds (QS), Singapore’s two universities rose. Somehow this is not surprising because universities here are included in almost all university rankings.
This year, the National University of Singapore (NUS) seized the 12th spot up from 22nd last year. On the other hand, the National Technological University (NTU) seized the 13th spot up from 39th last year. The world is now recognizing our quality education and that is something to be proud of.
If we speak regionally, QS also released its university rankings. The universities included in the list are:
1.NUS
2.The University of Hong Kong
3.KAIST – Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology
4.NTU
5.The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
6.The Chinese University of Hong Kong
7.Peking University
8.Seoul National University
9.City University of Hong Kong
10.Pohang University of Science and Technology
11.Tsinghua University
12.The University of Tokyo
13.Osaka University
14.Kyoto University
15.Tokyo Institute of Technology
16.Fudan University
17.Sungkyunkwan University
18.Yonsei University
19.Tohoku University
20.Tohoku University
The list goes on but the fact remains that one of our schools are considered the best not only in the region but the world. This is a proof that we value learning and knowledge here. If we are in the point of deciding where to go in college, we can start from this list and then choose.
We have to remember that education is our key to the future – cliché it may sound but it makes sense.
How do we know if the Baby is Getting Enough Milk?
Posted by Editor on Sep 21st, 2015 in Baby Care | 0 comments
Being new to breastfeeding and motherhood in general, we are constantly worried whether our infants are getting enough milk. It is important that they get enough milk for their optimal development.
According to La Leche League, regardless of the methods we consider, we will know if our baby is getting enough milk with the following indicators:
- Average feedings: The average feeding should be at least eight to twelve feedings for twenty four hours.
- Duration of the feeding: If the baby is not sucking for more than ten to twenty minutes, we should be concerned. In average the baby will feed ten to twenty minutes per breast or longer – not shorter.
- Swallowing sounds: We will know if the baby is getting enough milk if we hear swallowing sounds. Of course, that also means our baby is enjoying the milk.
- Weight gain: After our babies fourth week, it is expected that he/she will gain weight. The weight should be at least four to seven ounces per week and if our baby fell short, we have to consult a paediatrician.
- Other physical signs: If our baby is active and appears healthy, that is the greatest indication that he/she is getting enough milk. As an addition, we should determine if our baby has a god color and firm skin. More importantly, our baby should grow in length.
To help the baby get enough milk, the position is crucial. We have to know the right position for babies to latch on. If we position the baby correctly, it can also help us avoid nipple soreness.
How Much Does it Cost to be Pregnant in Singapore?
Posted by Editor on Sep 18th, 2015 in All About Singapore, Women's Health | 0 commentsPregnancy is indeed a blessing especially for couples who tried so hard. While being pregnant brings a lot of joy to the soon-to-be mother, the cost is another thing. Once we have confirmed our pregnancy, it is crucial that we determine our course of action throughout our pregnancy.
The cost of pregnancy here in Singapore is not fixed since everything depends on our choices of specialists and hospitals. For example, at a public hospital the cost of antenatal consultations (which includes check-ups, screening and tests) cost at least $400. At a private hospital, the cost of antenatal consultations starts at $150 not to mention the separate fees for ultrasound that can cost at least $180.
Many Singaporeans think that private hospitals will give them better service and care. That is their prerogative. For those who have money setbacks, public hospitals will do. We have to try; we might have a positive experience.
The good news is that the government subsidizes some of our screenings and tests during pregnancy. In fact, the government can subsidize antenatal expenses up to $450. We only need to claim it from Medisave. Now that we know the cost of tests and check-ups alone, we should consider baby things like clothing, bottles, toys and other accessories. Baby clothes start from $5 for example.
When we are about to give birth, we have to decide the room. For example, a delivery room can cost from $2000 to $3000 – granting that we have a normal delivery. If there are complications, caesarean is a must and it costs from $3000 up.
The point here is to be prepared. Pregnancy is serious so we need a plan.
