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How to Pick the Right Mattress for Your Bed

Posted on by Posted in Home Decor .

When it’s time to ditch your old bed and find a new replacement for your bed, you’ll quickly find that doing so is not easy task.

A little over a third of your whole life is spent asleep, so when you get the chance, you want to make sure that time is spent as comfortably as possible – and here’s how you can find the right bed to get a good night’s sleep in:

1. Consider quality.
Mattresses are expensive, so don’t skimp out on them! Going with the cheapest option you find might just be something that will disappoint you once your bed starts sagging and no longer supports your weight.

While quality mattresses aren’t exactly cheap, they don’t have to be too expensive either. Aside from finding the right size for your bed, you want to consider the brand as and give it an actual test by lying down on it if possible.

2. Factor in your weight and sleeping position.
Weight has more to do with choosing a mattress than you think: support, feel, and the mattress’s cooling all depends on how heavy you are.

Here’s how you can choose the best firmness level depending on your weight:

• Light (less than 68 kilograms) – If you belong in this weight category, it’s best to get a bed with medium firmness to make sure it doesn’t sink too much.
• Average (68-90 kilograms) – Most beds are made for the average sleeper, so you can choose the industry standard of medium firmness to give you the best support and comfort.
• Heavy (90+ kilograms) – Firmer beds help to provide better support, and heavier spring beds allow for better cooling.

Different people have different ways of sleeping, whether you sleep on your side, back, or stomach, or even switching between different positions throughout the night:

• Side-sleepers experience a lot of discomfort and pain on their hip joints and their shoulders, so a medium soft bed allows for the equal distribution of pressure.
• Stomach sleepers need equal weight distribution to keep the spine from curving. Medium firm beds are a great choice here.
• Back sleepers benefit best from medium firm beds provide the best amount of support and contouring for the spine, and allow for proper support and structure.

3. Choose the right type and material.
This is where your personal preference and experience comes in when choosing the right bed. Different mattresses come with different types and materials, such as the following:

• Inner-spring – Springs are one of the most affordable options out there and are extremely durable. They also allow for greater air circulation.
• Latex – Great cooling and comfort, with a good bounce, responsiveness, and without any off-gassing and odors.
• Memory foam – Memory foam conforms to every inch of the body, but tends to retain heat.
• Hybrid – A combination of the three types, providing all-around support, bounce, and cooling, but easily the most expensive.

The Don’ts of Taking Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted on by Posted in Health and Wellness .

You’ve probably heard about the many benefits of apple cider vinegar (ACV), such as how it aids weight loss and helps improve your complexion. With almost every article saying all of the amazing things about ACV, it almost sounds too good to be true. To kill all your doubts and ensure you get the most benefits from your ACV concoction, knowing the don’ts of taking it are just as worth knowing as its dos.

1. Drinking it straight
On one hand, it can do wonders for your health—from improving your heart health to losing weight. On the other, it smells and tastes awful. That is why many would prefer to take it in one, quick, undiluted shot, and then eat something else immediately to mask its awful taste. If this is how you prefer to take your ACV, it may do more harm than good to you due to its high acidity content. Do yourself a little favor and dilute your ACV with water. Not only will it be a lot gentler for your throat, it’ll make it more palatable, too.

2. Sipping directly from the glass
Even if it’s diluted, ACV is still extremely acidic. Because of its very high acidity level, it can damage your teeth. To keep ACV from thinning your tooth enamel, do not sip it directly from the glass. Drink it through a straw to minimize contact with your choppers.

3. Starting out strong
If ACV is miraculously good, the more you consume the better, right? Well, think again. Too much of good stuff is bad stuff—and ACV is no exception to that. Especially if you’ve just started ACV, make sure you’re not drinking too much of it. Ease into it. This helps you gauge how your body will react to it. The safest, don’t go more than two tablespoons at a time.

4. Drinking it right before bed
While drinking ACV before a meal is a good idea, drinking it just before hitting the sack is not. Taking it before going to bed is not advisable because it can creep back up your esophagus, even if it is diluted in water. Regardless what time of the day, remain upright at least for half an hour after drinking your ACV concoction.

5. Applying it directly on the skin
Drinking ACV isn’t the only way to enjoy its benefits: you can also banish acne and get clearer skin by applying it on to your face. But just like drinking it, there is a right and wrong way to do it. Stick to one part ACV to eight parts water for gentle cleansing with apple cider vinegar.

Apple cider vinegar could be the answer to your health needs, but only if you use it correctly. So, heed these advices to guarantee the most benefits from this miracle ingredient.

5 Hygiene Habits That Are Actually Bad For You

Posted on by Posted in Hygiene .

You probably think you’re doing the right things to improve your health and your appearance, like taking a bath everyday, using a hand sanitizer and brushing your teeth after every meal. As harmless as they may seem, some of these habits can either have short or long-term effects on your health. Be the judge of your own habits and find out if you really need to do such stuff or you can go moderate with it to minimize its negative effects to your overall health.

1. Brushing your teeth after a meal
Those who are extremely conscious of their oral hygiene often goes brushing their teeth right after every meal, but it isn’t healthy for your choppers. That is because some foods, especially those that has citric acid in it, can weaken your tooth enamel, and brushing your teeth right after eating can damage the enamel in it already weakened enable. Dentists suggests waiting for at least half an hour, so the saliva can neutralize the acidity level of your mouth before brushing.

2. Washing your hair every single day
Although many of us have been trained to wash our hair every day, your locks could be paying the toll. Shampooing your hair every day strips away your strands natural oil, leading to dry and brittle locks. Instead, wash your hair every other day to allow your scalp to produce oil and naturally condition your hair with it.

3. Taking bubble baths
Soaking yourself in scented suds in the tub could be a relaxing way to unwind after a busy day, but doing so regularly can leave you with irritated skin and even yeast infection. The harsh detergent and artificial fragrances in your favorite bath bombs can strip your skin of its natural oil and can mess with the pH level of your private parts. It’s okay to reward yourself with relaxing bath, but only do so occasionally.

4. Covering your sneeze with your hands
Covering a sneeze with your hands is better than sneezing in the open, isn’t it? Nope. Sneezing into your hands and then touching other things later on is a recipe for contamination. Know that the most serious respiratory diseases are spread through objects touched by contaminated hands. For the sake of the people around you, sneeze into your elbow.

5. Moisturizing too much
If your skin feels itchy and dry, it seems a natural reaction to slather some lotion. However, it may not be the best solution. According to dermatologists, excessive moisturizing can create tolerance, which trains your skin to produce less natural oil and making it drier in eventually. To avoid this problem, apply a single thin coat of lotion or try using an oil-free moisturizer instead.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to keep your hygiene in check, but make sure you’re doing it correctly. Too much of everything isn’t good, so keep everything in moderation for a balanced health and well-being.

Everyday Things That Can Cause Acne

Posted on by Posted in Beauty Tips .

Having pimples can be a big problem for many. Sometimes it can even negatively affect self-esteem and confidence. Acne can be unavoidable, but there are also ways to mitigate its development. Hence, it is important for us to know what things are our breakouts.

Genetics
One of the main reasons that we get acne is because of our genetics. If your parents have a history of acne, the chances of you getting some will also be very likely. Your hormones will determine how sensitive you are to acne, or how oily your skin can be, and etc.

Stress
Another big reason why we get acne and have breakouts is stress. When we are stressed, our hormones can fluctuate in an unusual manner, affecting our skin negatively. This results to an influx of sebum, which then leads to frequent and more severe acne.

Your pillowcase
One may disregard his/her pillowcase, but unchanged pillowcases can house dirt and bacteria that can influence the presence of acne. Naturally, we are always shedding dead skin cells, especially when we are asleep. Thereby, try to change your pillowcases frequently.

Smoke
Smoke from cars and cigarettes can also be bad for the skin. When we are exposed to smoke from vehicles, some toxins can attach to the skin causing inflammation and flare-ups that can lead to more acne. This is the same case with smoke from cigarettes. But when you do the smoking yourself, it dries out your skin and prevents proper distribution of collagen. When this happens, your pores become irritated and you may get more wrinkles.

Hair products
Hair products like shampoo, hair wax, and even conditioners can cause acne. This is because when they are not rinsed properly, they can enter the pores. This results to clogging, which eventually leads to pimples, and even acne on your chest, back, and hairline.

Touching your pimples
Don’t touch your pimples! No matter how tempting it may be, poking or pressing on your pimples can be very bad for your face. If you pick on a pimple, you’re either spreading the bacteria or pushing it deeper. Acne scars are also the result of a wound caused by forcibly picking a pimple.

Not washing your face (well)
If you want to get rid of, or avoid getting acne, you should wash your face as you get home or before going to bed. All the sweat, dirt, and oil that’s been built up in your face the whole day will settle into your pores and cause more acne and pimples if you don’t wash it away. The takeaway here is to simply implement proper hygiene, it can give you more benefits than you would imagine.

Eating too much junk food
Obviously, these things are called ‘junk food’ for a reason. Junk foods have no proper nutritional value, in addition to being produced in nasty oil. They contain too much carbs that can lead to inflammation all around our body.

The Power of Hugging

Posted on by Posted in Health and Wellness .

From the moment we were born, we’ve been feeling tactile sensations through others’ affections. These instances naturally connect us to others, hence making us feel better as people. As we grow old, hugging can be a great way for us to feel those sensations again and even bring us more benefits. So go out and get a hug! Remember though, in Singapore, “hugging without permission” has fines!

Lowers stress
Hugging helps reduce the tension in our muscles, helping us become calmer and more relaxed. It also reduces the amounts of the stress hormone, cortisol, that the body produces. If someone you know is in a stressful situation, give them a hug. Not only will they feel better, it will also reduce the stress that you have, even as the one who is doing the comforting.

Strengthens our immune system
Hugs have been found to enhance the immune system through the maintenance and control of our white blood cells. Enough increase of white blood cells in our system can give us better immunity, therefore keeping us healthy overall. Lower levels of cortisol also contribute to a strong immune system, all the while, serving as an aid to keep us generally healthy.

Strengthen relationships
Hugging can promote more trust and help solidify your bond with your family, partner, and even friends. Hugging induces oxytocin, sometimes considered the “love hormone”, which also governs our social interactions and our compassion towards others. Additionally, we come in contact with whoever we are hugging and make a physical connection strongly felt by both parties.

Pain reliever
Hugs have also been found to help ease pain through the emotional bonds we get through the sense of touch. This might also be because hugging increases the production of serotonin, which improves our mood and the circulation of blood around our body’s tissues. Of course, it can’t easily replace painkillers, but hugging can definitely help you feel a lot better.

Promotes happiness
Aside from serotonin and oxytocin, both of which improve our mood, hugging can also induce dopamine. Dopamine triggers our brain’s reward and pleasure centers. This means that we feel happier because of the pleasure we get emotionally and physically when hugging. Even with those three “happiness hormones”, the simple notion of touching and coming in contact with others can make us feel more positive.

Boosts self-esteem
Ever since we were young, we were already marked with the feeling of love, expressed through acts like cuddling, hugging, and kissing by our parents. So, as we grow older, we naturally desire a constant feeling of touch. When we hug, we can establish our self-image in connection to those sensations that we crave for. It also helps us recognize and mitigate the fear of death.

What’s in a Snack: 5 Tips and Tricks to Make the Ultimate Sandwich

Posted on by Posted in Uncategorized .

While the sandwich is arguably one of the simplest and most versatile foods you can make in your own time, there’s still a good chance that you can mess it up. Fortunately, there’s a fix to that.

Follow these five tips and tricks to make an amazing sandwich every time:  

1. Use the right bread.

The bread is arguably the backbone of the sandwich, and having a great bread for the sandwich is half the battle won. You can make even bad bread taste better by toasting it or griddling it with butter.

However, even the best of breads can be tricky to useif they’re not used properly. Keep this in mind the next time you want to makeyour own sandwich: moist filling calls for drier and denser bread with a thickcrust.

2. Make sure you get the right vegetables for the job – and treat them right.

Vegetables need to be washed to bring them back to life, even if they’re already clean. You also shouldn’t think twice about seasoning them –

Some go-to toppings you can use are lettuce and tomatobecause of their crunch and freshness, but in their place, you could also useother alternatives that aren’t made up of mostly water, such as shreddedcabbage, spinach, or even sliced fennel.

3. Get more and better condiments.

Condiments are extremely underrated in the world of sandwich-making, and not putting enough spreads can often ruin the experience of taste.

The next time you make a sandwich, be sure to generously spread the sauce evenly throughout each slice. Spreading it this way will not only waterproof it from other wetter ingredients, but also add a little more moisture in just the right places.

4. Remember the Do’s and Don’ts of protein.

You’ll be surprised by how much the sandwich will improve when you decide to heat up or cook the protein, as it brings out the natural sweetness and flavor locked inside the meat. Do this well and you’ll be sure to incorporate this protein into your sandwich every time.

When you’re planning on using deli meats for yoursandwich, remember to have the meat sliced thinly – but not too thin.

5. Think layers.

The sequence of adding layers to a sandwich is crucial – there’s nothing worse to eat than something that burns the roof of your mouth and freezes your tongue at the same time.

Another thing you should keep in mind is to not stack two slick ingredients on top of one another. For instance, stacking two onions could end up with your sandwich shooting across the room or sliding off the bread slices, which is the last thing you want to happen.

Why You Should Be Reading Books Every Day (And What it Does to Your Brain)

Posted on by Posted in Self-Improvement .

Bored and looking for something to do? Don’t have enough free time? Or do you just feel like not going outside for a while?

Pick up a book! It’s easy, cheap, and a fun hobby that gives you so much more than what you put into it.
In fact, here’s why you should start reading a book every day:

1. Fiction makes you nicer.
One study made in 2013 found that participants who read even just the first chapter of a story were found to have a significant increase in empathy a week later, while those who didn’t did not.

Developing emotional intelligence leads to more human interaction, and this increase in emotional intelligence can be aided by taking in “secondhand experiences”, i.e. reading stories about people.

Doing this more lets you relate to people better, and the more you’ll want to keep reading – perhaps the best available “vicious cycle” out there.

2. It builds up cognitive reserve.
Reading pretty much anything that exposes you to new words, phrases, and facts can lead to a mind that’s more resilient and adaptive to damage.

This is what’s known as “cognitive reserve”, and a robust one developed throughout your lifetime can really delay the onset of mental decline. This is why it’s been told that the best preventive measure for Alzheimer’s is simply picking up a book.

3. You learn about more things.
While this is the most obvious reason why you should start doing it, it’s still worth mentioning that reading will give you valuable knowledge and insight you never knew possible, and widen your horizons.

Another joy of reading is learning that you’re not alone in your thoughts and you can literally read what other people all over the world have written down. In many cases, these thoughts have already been penned centuries before you were born.

4. Your conversations will get more interesting.
If you’re looking for a great way for a conversation to last until 2 in the morning, start stocking up on books (though there’s really no need to burn the midnight oil for this).

People who read tend to be better friends and better conversation starters for a few reasons: they’re more willing to listen to you speak, and that they tend to be better at expressing their thoughts.

Aside from not having to talk constantly over one another, you’ll also be clear of any confusion, which will let you keep the conversation flow much better and more smoothly from one topic to the next.

If you have the time to go through your nearest bookstore today, be sure to do it and pick up a book – any book. Sit through it and let yourself take in the words, and you’ll be glad you did.

(Disclaimer: this list is compiled in no particular order.)

5 Quick Repair Tips to Make Your Furniture Last Longer

Posted on by Posted in Lifestyle Techniques .

Furniture that’s older than six months will need fixing, but the good news is that there are basic ways of repairing that allow you to maintain the wooden furniture in your home and make them last a long time.

In fact, you can even save furniture that’s hanging on its last legs – and here are a few tips on how you can do just that:

1. Shimming Hinges
Doors that won’t close or align with the catch might be solved by simply cutting out one or more playing cards to fit the recess of the door hinge. This is called a “shim”, and will kick out the lower or upper part of the door depending on which hinge you reinforce.

You can punch screw holes in the cards by using a small Philips screwdriver, after which you can mount the door hinge and attach the screws.

2. Adding Support Braces
When left alone, sagging shelves will further droop and eventually cause stress to the nails and joints to crack and wear down. While you can simply flip the shelves over, they will still droop again after some time.
A more permanent (and aesthetically pleasing) solution is to add wooden stair treads that have a rounded front edge. You can cut and paint them according to your shelves’ color and size.

3. Fixing Wobbly Chair and Tables
Wobbly chairs and tables are easy to fix by adding support braces, which are usually more reliable than L-brackets.
Tables can also be wobbly because of uneven legs. If this is the case, jamming something underneath is only a temporary solution – your best option is drill holes for nail-on glides and slip as many washers as your table leg needs to feel more stable.

4. Repairing Drawers
Drawer fronts that come loose or fall off completely can be saved and reinforced by adding a backer to its front. Make sure the backer is about the size of the drawer so that it fits tightly and ¾-inch holes for the handle screws.

For ready-to-assemble furniture that uses particleboard, reinforcing with screws might be the better option. No need to use the original fasteners when they can’t. You can bypass them instead and fasten the screws from the outside.

5. Filling Screw Holes
Filling epoxy putty for screw holes in handles is a more permanent fix if they keep falling or unscrewing off of drawers. Instead of using a larger-sized screw (which can also come loose), just cut off the amount of putty you need and knead it together to plug the hole.

When doing this, be sure to scrape off the excess before it hardens, and then you will be able to drill a new hole into the drawer handle once it does.

(Disclaimer: this list is compiled in no particular order.)

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.