How to make healthier food choices?

February 3, 2010 in Lessons by Dickson | No comments


Pack your lunch to work.

“I would recommend that people bring food from home whenever they can, because then they have more control over what they eat”, says Ms Grobys.

“It takes two minutes to make a healthy sandwich on wholewheat bread. Marks & Spencer provides some healthy spreads such as a green pesto or sundried tomatoes that can easily be combined with grilled chicken for a nutritious and tasty sandwich.”


Choose wholegrain carbohydrates

“Restaurants and food courts tend to serve very large portions that have the wrong ratios of food groups when it comes to health,” observes Ms Grobys.

“There is usually a large helping of carbohydrates (e.g. rice, bread, pasta) and too little vegetables. It is better to ask for extra vegetables and leave some of the carbohydrates aside, as too many refined carbohydrates in the diet can lead to a number of chronic illnesses.”


“Choose wholegrain starches instead of the refined ‘white’ starches,” advises Ms Grobys.

She recommends cooking brown rice instead of white rice at home. Another alternative is wholewheat pasta, which can be combined with ready-made sauces such as tomato and herb sauce (above) or green pesto from Marks & Spencer.


Choose your snacks wisely

“When buying convenience foods, whether for lunch or for snacks, make sure to read food labels,” urges Ms Grobys. “If there is a long list of chemical names you don’t recognize or many codes such as ‘E202′, opt for another food.” She notes that artificial flavours and colourings are linked to an increasing number of health problems, particularly in children.

If you need to munch on something, Ms Grobys recommends choosing treats that are free of such synthetic additives, such as Marks & Spencer’s ‘Eat Well’ Cranberry & Orange cookies (above) or Marks & Spencer’s ‘Eat Well’ Ginger Snaps.

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Firm your neck using face yoga techniques

January 29, 2010 in Lessons by Dickson | No comments

Tell us if it works!

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Face looking old? Don’t blame your genes

December 26, 2009 in Uncategorized by Dickson | No comments

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Don’t blame genes for aging facial skin. A new study of twins suggests you can blame those coarse wrinkles, brown or pink spots, and dilated blood vessels on too much time in the sun, smoking, and being overweight.

Because twins share genes, but may have different exposures to environmental factors, studying twins allows an, “opportunity to control for genetic susceptibility,” Dr. Elma D. Baron, at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine inCleveland, Ohio, and colleagues explain in the latest issue of Archives of Dermatology.

Their analysis of environmental skin-damaging factors in 65 pairs of twins hints that skin aging is related more to environment and lifestyle than genetic factors.

But when it comes to skin cancer, the researchers say their findings support previous reports that both environment and genes affect skin cancer risk.

Baron’s team examined facial skin of 130 twins, 18 to 77 years old, who lived mostly in the northern Midwest and Eastern regions of the U.S. who were attending the Twins Days Festival in Ohio in August 2002.

At this time, each of the twins also separately reported how their skin burned or tanned without sunscreen, their weight, and their history of skin cancer, smoking, and alcohol drinking.

The study group consisted of 52 fraternal and 10 identical twin pairs, plus 3 pairs who were unsure of their twin status. Identical twins share all of their genes andfraternal twins share only about half.

From these data, the researchers noted strong ties, outside of twin status, between smoking, older age, and being overweight, and having facial skin with evidence of environmental damage.

By contrast, sunscreen use and drinking alcohol appeared correlated with lesser skin damage.

Baron and colleagues say the current findings, which highlight ties between facial aging and potentially avoidable environmental factors — such as smoking, being overweight, and unprotected overexposure to the sun’s damaging rays — may help motivate people to minimize these risky behaviors.

Top tips to prevent colors from fading

November 10, 2009 in Lessons by Dickson | No comments

1. Read the Care Label

It takes a few seconds, but reading the care labels may save a lot of heartache when your clothes come out of the wash. Check for instructions that may say to wash only in cold, or with like colors. Don’t forget to check for drying instructions as well. The label may indicate that the clothing needs to be dried on low, or drip dried.

2. Wash Dark Colors Together

Sorting clothes is a great opportunity to check the care label, and place your clothing in the correct pile. Anyone who has ever washed one red sock with an entire load of whites, knows the pain that can happen when colors fade away. To prevent dark colors from fading, keep like colors together.

3. Turn Clothes Inside Out

Some of the wear and tear that happens on your clothing can be prevented by turning your clothing inside out before washing and drying. Washing and drying clothing is rough on the outside of your clothing. Turning garments inside out will reduce pilling which dulls the look of the fabric. Don’t forget to turn clothing inside out when you hang clothes outside to dry. While the sun is an excellent and efficient drying tool, it will zap the color right out of your clothing.

4. Don’t Stuff the Washer

Stuffing the washer is tempting. It will help us save time, right? Well, actually stuffing the washer can cost us quite a bit. It makes the machine work harder and it is tougher on our clothes. Clothing can’t come clean or have soap evenly deposited when it is packed into a washing machine. Similarly clothing takes a lot longer to dry when a dryer is stuffed with wet cloths. Clothes need to move freely.

5. Wash in Cold

Colors in cold. This was the unofficial motto of my home growing up. If there is one thing I learned about laundry from my mother, it is that colors get washed in cold. If you want to prevent fading from your colored clothing, wash them in cold water. Detergents have come a long way in the last several years, and most do as well in cold water as the do in hot or warm.

6. Don’t Over Dry

It’s easy to let our clothing over. While this is bad for all of our laundry, it is particularly bad for our bright and dark colors. Over drying will cause your colors to fade. Set a timer and don’t forget about your clothes. Clothes should be slightly damp when they are pulled from the dryer.

7. Add Vinegar

Vinegar doesn’t have the most pleasant smell, but adding a cup to your washing machine will not only give you a natural fabric softener, but also help prevent colors from fading. The good news? The vinegar smell goes away in the wash.

8. Use the Gentle Cycle or a Gentle Detergent

If you still want to make sure your colors last as long as possible, you can wash on your machine’s gentle cycle or hand wash your special clothing. There are several detergents on the market that are formulated to prevent fading and color loss.


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8 habits that can shorten your life

November 5, 2009 in Lessons by Dickson | No comments

1. Not visiting the doctor when ill

Professor Wong said that viruses from certain illnesses can wreck havoc on the heart and may stimulate a heart attack.

2. Not sleeping enough

Insufficient sleep can lower your immunity, rendering you more susceptibile to illness.

3. Irregular meals

Having erratic meal times can cause blood sugar to dip and cause problems with the endocrine system.

4. Lack of communication with family members.

Professor Wong said that mental well-being is important for a happy life.

5. Sitting for prolonged periods of time

Sitting in one position for too long a time does not stimulate blood circulation and is bad for the joints.

6. Staring at the computer screen for too long

It is one of the reasons why people develop spine and neck problems, he says.

7. Not eating breakfast

Skipping the first meal of the day can cause irregular blood sugar and insulin levels. Abnormal insulin levels maintained over a prolonged period can cause diabetes. People who eat irregular meals are prone to kidney stones.

8. Not going for full body checkups

Ignorance can be a bane because it makes one unaware of what goes on in one’s body, says Professor Wong.

Spring 2010 runway show, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week

October 21, 2009 in Fashion by Dickson | No comments

Over 60 designers showcased their collections =)

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