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Healing and Recovery Timelines for Sports Injuries

Posted on by Posted in Health, Lifestyle, Sports .

Most sports injuries will heal over time and give the athlete a chance to get back into action. There are, however, several factors that will affect the healing process besides the person’s overall health before the injury.

Let’s look at some of the common sports injuries and how long it takes to recover from them.

Ankle Sprain – This may be caused by accidents like rolling the foot or walking or running on an uneven ground. This can take 6 to 12 weeks to heal with rest and ice compress. Surgery will only be required if there is a ligament tear.

Shin Splint – A shin splint should heal within 2 to 6 weeks, but the person must not put more stress on the bones. Intense workouts that caused the injury should be avoided, and surgery will be required if there is a fracture.

Whiplash or Neck Strain – This is common in sports that require tackling another person. To fully recover, rest and rehabilitation are required for 6 weeks.

Calf Strain – If the injury is mild, 2 weeks should be enough but more severe injuries will take 3 months for recovery.

Hamstring Pull – This injury can take 6 to 12 weeks to heal. It may be caused by sudden movements especially in sports that require jumping and running. To hasten the healing process, the person will require rest and therapy, but surgery is a must if there is a tear that won’t heal.

Simple Fractures – Simple bone fractures will need a minimum of 6 weeks to heal, but this depends on the location of the fracture.

Compound Fractures – If there are broken bones in more than one area, a surgery may be scheduled by the doctor. To fully recover, the person must rest and undergo therapy for a minimum of 8 months.

Fractured Fingers/Toes – With rest, this injury will take between 3 to 5 weeks to completely heal.

Fractured Neck – With a neck brace and plenty of rest, this injury will take a minimum of 6 weeks to fully heal. This applies to injury on any of the seven neck vertebrae.

Fractured Ribs – This injury will require painkillers and exercises that target breathing. It can take at least 6 weeks for a person to fully recover.

Fractured Collarbone – An injury to the clavicle can take between 5 to 10 weeks to fully heal, which will require therapy that ensure there is arm movement.

Mild Contusion – The injury is caused by broken blood vessels. Bruises should disappear within a week.

Concussion – This is a brain injury and will take several weeks to heal depending on the evaluation of the doctors. A person should be cleared by a certified physician before getting back into action.

 

ACL Tears – Sudden stops or changes in the direction or running can cause a tear. Even with surgery and rehabilitation, this can take more than 6 months to fully heal.

Shoulder Separations – With rest and rehabilitation, it will take a minimum of 2 weeks to recover.

Tennis Elbow – Repetitive motions on the arms can cause this injury. With rest and stretches, this can take about 3 to 12 months to heal completely.

Positive Effects of Social Media

Posted on by Posted in Culture and Society, Lifestyle, Social Media .

Nowadays, all we hear about social media is that it’s generally bad for us in many aspects. But actually, we should think about social media as something that’s between positive and negative. Of course, social media has a lot of positive effects just as well. Instead of only focusing on the negative, here are good things about social media to take into account.

It allows for better communication

If you have a friend who’s leaving Singapore, for example, probably the best way for you to stay in touch is through social media platforms. Today, you’ll see more and more people communicate through social media instead of using text messages and telephones. That’s simply because it’s very fast and convenient.

It becomes easier to make friends

In connection to the point about communication, another positive effect of social media is that it becomes way easier to get to know more people. Before, we wouldn’t even know people who lived in the neighborhood beside us. But with social media, it’s become very possible to do that. You can even connect with people in other countries, right? Sometimes you even become good friends with people online even without seeing them in person.

You get to find people with the same interests as you

Again, because you can communicate with so many people on social media, it’s highly likely that you will also meet some who share the same interests with you. For example, if you’re interested in traveling to another country and you actually find a friend on Facebook living there, then you already have someone who can show you around. Or maybe you play sports and meet some people through social media so that you can have a few games for fun.

It encourages empathy

One of the best advantages of social media is that it fosters sympathy. Today you’ll see videos around Facebook and Twitter showing different stories of life, from people who succeed to those who are already suffering. Some people raise awareness through social media as well. You might see informative posts about animals on the brink of extinction or the environment slowly being destroyed. All of these things can awaken empathy in people and cause solidarity or even a call for change.

It gives one the opportunity to showcase creativity

Probably one of the best examples of this is vlogging. A lot of people make videos and it really showcases their creativity through the content they make. This is why trends usually happen in popular culture. More and more people show their originality and creativity by constantly producing different content. Even artists, painters, and music producers have an easier time promoting their talents because of social media.

6 Ways to Promote Healthy Aging

Posted on by Posted in Health, Health and Wellness, Lifestyle .

To put it simply, healthy aging is the process of maintaining your functional abilities even as you grow older. Promoting healthy aging enables one to do the things he/she values even in older age. If one wants to live long and healthy, he should start considering these different things as early as possible.

Be physically active

One of the best ways we can take care of physical and even our mental health is to exercise regularly. For one, regular exercise can help you maintain or achieve your ideal weight. This can have many positive effects on your skeletal and muscular health in the long-term. Being physically active also helps us keep our hearts and minds healthy.

Eat healthily

One problem in our time today is that we eat too much food that’s high in sodium. The recommended daily intake of sodium is only 2300 milligrams but because of junk food or processed food, we even hit as high as 3400 milligrams. If this is done every day, this can be very harmful to our health since it leads to high blood pressure and eventually cardiovascular diseases. So try to limit sugary food, processed food, and other items that are unhealthy.

Get enough sleep

For many Singaporeans, the lack of sleep is a real issue. If you don’t know, humans can actually go longer without eating than without sleeping. Not having enough sleep can affect the body in different aspects. You’re not giving your brain time to rest. You’re also not giving your body time to recover and store energy. These things, of course, can build up and will not be a positive thing as you grow old.

Look for ways to relieve stress

Stress can be a major cause of cognitive decline that comes with age. It can cause hormonal changes, memory loss, lower immunity, and etc. That’s why it is also important for you to find ways to relieve stress. Exercising is already a given. You can also find a hobby or certain activities that you simply enjoy and find relaxing.

Constantly challenge your brain

Another common problem that comes with aging is Alzheimer’s or dementia. Fortunately, there are ways for us to avoid or at least delay memory loss over time. That’s by constantly challenging your brain. Do crossword puzzles, sudokus, learn a new language, and many more. Just like your body, your brain also needs regular exercise to stay sharp and healthy!

Interact with others

Lastly, you should remember to always maintain your relationships with others. Isolation is the most probable cause of depression in older people. Interacting with others can help one feel fulfilled even as he/she grows old. Social interactions are something we innately need as humans.

Spice Up Your Space

Posted on by Posted in Home Decor, Lifestyle .

5 Budget-Friendly Ways to Freshen Up Your Home

 

Just like your closet, your home also needs to be refreshed every once in a while. However, home décor and furniture tend to be way more expensive than clothes – it often takes a lot of cash to run out and fully redecorate one’s space. Fortunately, there are some excellent ways to spruce up your home even when you’re on a shoestring budget. Here are a few suggestions for when you’re redecorating itch strikes.

1. Paint a Wall

A fresh coat of paint is a good way of freshening up your place, and depending on the scope of your redecorating project, could be completed immediately in the afternoon or during the weekend. You can spray paint a particular design to increase the glam factor of your niche, or if you’re feeling a bit ambitious, paint a whole accent room or wall.

2. Swap Some Household Hardware

Sick of your boring switch plates and cabinet knobs? If so, switch them up with some quirky, decorative handles and hardware available in the nearest home depot in your place. These pieces often vary in price, so be sure to choose something that’s inexpensive but unique at the same time.

3. Spice Up Your Gallery Wall

Going the DIY route and displaying images from your favourite magazine is one of the best ways to freshen up your gallery wall, and eventually your entire space. You can simply hang them on the wall using a washi tape or display them using a clipboard. Have a hat or necklace you no longer use? Pin them in your gallery wall too. The possibilities are just endless when it comes to freshening up your gallery wall.

4. Add Flowers or Any Kind of Plant

Make it a habit to include purchasing fresh flowers every time you go out to buy groceries. A bouquet of flowers will likely cost you less than five dollars, and that’s already enough to brighten up your space. Air plants and succulents are a good option too, since not only are they trendy, they’re quite easy to care for as well.

5. Redesign Your Shelves

Another great way to spice up your space is to restyle your shelves by changing the items that will be displayed. Candles, pretty books and other decorative objects can all be rearranged to create a completely new look. You can simply relocate your favourite candle on your nightstand or arrange your books based on their colour.

Freshening up your space doesn’t have to cost that much. Simply putting these tips to work is already enough to update the way your home looks even if you’re redecorating on a shoestring budget.

3 Surprising Ways Shea Butter Can Be Good For You

Posted on by Posted in Lifestyle .

As long as people have been around, there have been many natural and synthetic products used to keep the skin in peak condition, and shea butter is among many of these products that has now stuck around.

Also known as the cream-colored fat derived from the nut of the African Shea tree, shea butter is used primarily as an ingredient in both food and cosmetics. Its structure as a fatty oil allows it to be melted down, which can be easily absorbed by the skin.

While shea butter for men and women is the same thing, it has a whole host of different health benefits that make it a necessary staple for both men and women alike aside from just skin and hair care. Some of these benefits include the following:

1. Shea butter can be used as an analgesic.
Traditionally, shea butter has been used to treat rheumatism, and many studies have even shown that it has certain medical properties that allow it to alleviate the symptoms of certain conditions such as arthritis, lower cholesterol, or even diarrhea.

Pure, unscented, and organically-made shea butter can even be applied on baby skin as it is both gentle and non-toxic enough that it can be used instead of olive oil. This is because of its higher stearic acid content, which puts it at a closer composition to the fat you can find in human skin.

2. Shea butter is great as a natural remedy for various skin maladies.
When mixed with essential oils such as lavender or roman chamomile, shea butter works as an anti-inflammatory balm (muscle soreness from exercise, aching joints, insect bites, etc.) and is often used to treat various conditions that affect the skin, such as the following:

• dryness/rashes/peeling/itchy skin
• sunburn
• minor cuts and wounds
• eczema
• dermatitis
• stretch marks

Shea butter also has a high moisturizing value, which is what makes it a crucial ingredient in many commercial shaving products (i.e. shaving butter, aftershave) that men use every day.

However, even though shea butter is naturally hypoallergenic, you should still test it on a small surface on your skin before proceeding to use it. If you have any allergies, consider seeing a dermatologist or a doctor to know if shea butter is really the cosmetic product for you.

3. Shea butter possesses certain anti-aging properties.
Unprocessed shea butter helps the skin to regenerate on a cellular level and allows the skin to retain its elasticity and softness, which in turn reduces the onset of wrinkles that can be brought about by various factors. With the pairing of a healthy lifestyle and diet, it can even help your body boost collagen production.

5 Efficient Ways for you to Quit Smoking

Posted on by Posted in Lifestyle .

Resisting the urge to smoke can be difficult to overcome, especially when you are not in control of these cravings. A lot of countries across the world has put up tobacco-control regulations to limit the cigarette count of their citizens. While most couldn’t help to give in to nicotine temptation by themselves, they have no choice but to follow since the law requires them to do so.

Singapore, for instance, has been battling tobacco use for almost 40 years now. This led to one of the lowest smoking rates of adults in the world at 13.3 %, yet efforts on prevention and cessation still remain urgent. Increased vigilance is needed, regardless of relatively low smoking rates, for cigarettes have a wide-range of negative impact on the society.

This article will present 5 efficient ways for you to stop smoking. Keep in mind that making changes to your lifestyle will help you in resisting the temptation to light up a cigarette, regardless of how small or big these changes are.

Set a quit date
A quit date is something you might as well think as the deadline. Say goodbye to your unhealthy smoking habits by setting up a definite date you’d finally free yourself of the nicotine content. When you’ve finally decided to stop smoking when Monday comes — then stick to this plan! Your lungs will thank you for this in the long run, if you follow your self-imposed restriction, that is.

Remind yourself of the reasons of your quit
May it be because of personal health issues or that your smoking habits harm the people around you, keep in mind the reasons behind why you’re quitting. Use them as your fuel for motivation. You are more likely to be determined in your nicotine-free endeavors when you remind yourself of the reasons why you’re doing it in the first place.

Find alternatives
Sure, there might be nothing quite like cigarette smoking that could provide you the same bliss and comfort that tobacco brings to the self, but you can get by with distractions. Friendly suggestions include: taking your pet to a walk, cleaning out your room, or giving your car the long overdue wash it needs. Even chewing a piece of gum will keep yourself distracted. Don’t give in to the temptation!

Save your cigarette money
Cigarette sold in boxes cost quite a fortune. When you decide to finally stop smoking, not only is it beneficial to your health but it is also economical considering you’d be saving dollars for doing so. You can use the money to buy something worthwhile instead, like books.

Snack on healthy food
Why not switch your cigarette habit for a trail mix habit? Eat four pieces of the delicious treat for every cigarette stick you are craving to smoke. Other healthy options include: sunflower seeds, sugar-free gum, carrot and celery sticks. Munching on these snacks provides the same physical and oral sensation smoking brings.

5 Things You Should Never Order At a Restaurant

Posted on by Posted in Gourmet World, Lifestyle .

 

Every restaurant has its own specialties—dishes that they do really well and are known for. And while there are some obvious things you should not order from certain restaurants—such as a cheese burger in a Chinese restaurant or a lobster roll in a fast food chain—there are things that you should never order from any restaurant, ever, for outrageous mark-ups, germ minefields, food poisoning and many more reason. Here’s a few of them:

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  1. Tap Water

Bottled water may be a bit more expensive, but water left sitting out at room temperature can be a breeding ground for bacteria. And if you ordered water served directly from the tap, you never know how clean the tap (and pipes) are.

  1. Meat With Bone In

Small cuts of meat with the bones in, like chicken breasts or bone-in pork, take more time to cook thoroughly because the outsides easily char. Therefore, this translates to crispy on the outside and raw on the inside. Unlike undercooked beef, such as a steak tartare or a rare beef patty—undercooked chicked and pork are dangerous and can cause food-borne illnesses. Not to mention that bone-in means lesser meat.

  1. Free Bar Snacks

Since these pretzels, nuts and other munchies are free of charge, bars and restaurants often do not set out fresh serving for each order, It is like eating out of a stranger’s hand. At closing time, many of these free snacks are dumped back into containers, to be re-served to customers the next day.

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  1. Iceberg Lettuce

Iceberg wedge salad is one of the F&B industry’s major rip-offs. Take into consideration that iceberg lettuce is 98 percent water, and it is priced at least 20 times its worth. Plus, germs and bacteria can hide in the lettuce’s crack, edges and corners. Even if restaurants wash their greens, these lettuces are often served soggy, which is a red flag—natural water content mixed with room temperature mayo-based dressing is a recipe for a food disaster.

  1. Saucy Recipes

For restaurants to avoid running out of ingredients, they purposely purchase more ingredients than they need. At the end of the day, excess ingredients that have not yet expired can be used for tomorrow’s specials, disguised in sauce. Be careful with meats that have been braised, cut and disguised in stews, pastas or soup dishes.

While some of these dishes sound alluring, they are included in this list for a reason. Some menu items just ridiculously priced while others carry a higher risk of food-borne illnesses. Order smarter the next time you dine out by keeping these not-to-order foods in mind.

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Qualities of Excellent Restaurants in Singapore

Posted on by Posted in Gourmet World, Life in Singapore, Lifestyle .

 

Are you in search of a restaurant in Singapore? Singaporean food might not be as popular as those in its neighboring nations, but there are points why you have to go give it a try. Whenever you wish to try something new today that would not dissatisfy the picky eater within you, you then must consider travelling to a Singaporean restaurant. If you wish to delight someone, this would help to take them to the best restaurant Singapore situated.

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How would you find out when a Singaporean restaurant is surely worth visiting? Here are a couple points you must look into.

  1. Easy online reservations

You may have found out about a number of Singaporean dining places. It is now time to go see them out and know regarding them by searching the Internet. If you’re after the frequently-visited restaurants, then they’ll likely also have online booking options for their client convenience. While you are with it, bear in mind your experience navigating their website. A Singaporean diner that is popular around town will try to make bookings a lot simpler for their clients.

  1. Different food selection

If you are from Singapore or have visited the country before, it is likely you are longing for its famous food. Or you may want to make certain that all your dining companions would have a dish to order according to their own choices. Check if the Singaporean restaurant has a wide selection of meals you can select from. You may be searching for a specific dish. In this regard, it will be worth it to ensure the diner serves it.

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  1. Positive customer reviews

You want anyone you are bringing to the restaurant to enjoy their meals and the entire dining experience. One way you could make sure that you’re set for an incredible experience is by looking into customer assessments. Find out what everyone has to say on the dishes and the crew. Your enjoyment of the dish may be affected by the quality of assistance the cafe staff delivers. It is only fitting to ensure that the staff does a great job accommodating the demands of their customers.

  1. First-class dining experience

Aside from the food, the decoration and atmosphere in the restaurant also contribute to the entire dining experience. The best restaurant Singapore based takes their clients to a trip to Singapore with their style theme. From the furnishings up to the style patterns, the place should keep up to the expectation they have established on the food list. The cafe have to express class and provide convenience to their clients.

  1. Finally, convenient takeaway service

Seek for a Singaporean restaurant that features reputable takeaway service. It is so you can enjoy Singaporean cuisine even if you’re too occupied to go out.

Don’t forget to review these factors as you determine which Singaporean restaurant to visit. All are evenly significant in your search for you to enjoy this cuisine you’ve always been craving to eat. And when you did like the meals and service, make sure you relay among your friends.

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Prepping for Diving  

Posted on by Posted in Lifestyle .

 

For divers out there, we do not need to go overseas just to experience the best dive sites and feel the diversity. Diving is just a few minutes away from us because the Sisters’ Islands Marine Park already opened. The dives will start next month actually but they are inviting the public to register now.

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Before the dive, divers are required to submit to certification from international training organizations and they must record at least twenty dives. This is not something for the amateur since the marine biodiversity needs to be protected. After securing the Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus (SCUBA) certification, what other preparations should we consider?

Here are some tips on prepping for diving:

  • On selecting location: In this case, we already know where to head but what if we are overseas? How will we determine and select the right location? We have to determine the variables first before making the decision. Variables include attraction which refers to choosing a site based on assortment of animals and plants as well as caves and shipwrecks. The next variable will be depth. For recreational divers, they are advised not to dive below 130 feet. Another variable is visibility. This is important so we can see where we are going. The visibility will depend on the weather and other sea conditions. We need to consider clear waters so we can see whatever treasure it is hiding. Temperature should also be considered. Divers use wet suits to protect us from the cold. Other places might not require wet suits. We have to know if we need one or not so our body will not be surprised.

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  • On gears: Diving has a lot of risk than swimming. We have to prepare our gears before the big journey down under. The crucial part here is to select and endure that our gears are operational. The success of our dive will depend on the condition of our gears. We have to look for wetsuits (thickness will depend on the water’s temperature), fins (we have to choose fins that provide wide channels), buoyancy compensator device (this kind of equipment will permit us to attain neutral buoyancy whenever we are underwater), regulator (a gear that controls and maintains the air), snorkel and mask, knife and more importantly the SCUBA tank.

Now it is time to head to Sisters’ Island. The National Parks granted six licensed operators to lead the dive sites. For interested divers, we can simply sign up with licensed operators and for the list, we have to refer to the Sisters’ Islands Marine Park website.

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