Merry Christmas!

So very busy! So very joyous!

Everyone have a safe and wonderful Christmas! 

Merry Christmas!

Tip of the day for the rest of your days...

Don't you hate it when you nick yourself while you shave whether it be your face or legs? Do little bits of tissue do nothing for the nicks? Well, this might help with the bleeding and get you out of the house for your special date immediately!

Try a little bit of lip chap on your nicks to stop the bleeding instantly.

Lip chap acts as a coagulant that stops bleeding quite immediately. If you don't have lip chap, you can also use Vaseline. If you don't have Vaseline, you can use masking clay and if you don't have that either, then good ole' ice will do, except a little slower.

Tip of the day for the rest of your days...

Here's another way to beat the cold this winter:

Instead of using a hand-dryer in a public bathroom opt for the paper towel.

Many public restrooms use hand-dryers these days to reduce waste and increase sanitation. However, in a recent study hand-dryers were found to leave your hands covered in germ whereas paper towels were able to wipe away residual germs. So make sure to wash your hands after every trip to the restroom with soap and water and dry them using paper towels, not your pants. 

If you're using a restroom that only has hand-dryers, you can kill most of the germs by leaving it steady under the dryer for at least 30 seconds.

Tip of the day for the rest of your days...

The holiday season is pretty much here and most of us are probably rushing to finish our last minute Christmas shopping. Busy malls, packed parking lots and long line ups usually don't give us enough time to eat healthy, especially at a mall. But you possibly cannot continue to shop without eating. So what do you do? Mall's don't offer the healthiest of meals, but when you really, really don't have a choice here's a list of the best of the worst a food court can offer:

McDonald's

Chicken McNuggets (4 pieces without fries and soda)

Calories 190

Fat 12g

Saturated Fat 2g

Cholesterol 30g

Protein 10g

Carbohydrates 11g

Sodium 400mg

Egg McMuffin

Calories 300

Fat 12g

Saturated Fat 5g

Cholesterol 260g

Protein 18g

Carbohydrates 30g

Fiber 2g

Sugars 3mg

Sodium 820mg

Premium Caesar Salad without Chicken

Calories90

Fat 4g

Saturated Fat 3g

Cholesterol 10g

Protein 7g

Carbohydrates 9g

Fiber 3g

Sugars 4mg

Sodium 180mg

Quiznos

Honey Bourbon Chicken Sub (Small)

Calories 280

Fat 4g

Saturated Fat 1g

Cholesterol 35g

Protein 22g

Carbohydrates 41g

Fiber 3g

Sugars 3mg

Sodium 760mg

Mesquite Chicken with Bacon Sub (Small)

Calories 360

Fat 10g

Saturated Fat 3g

Cholesterol 45g

Protein 26g

Carbohydrates 41g

Fiber 3g

Sugars 1mg

Sodium 940mg

Chicken Sammie

Calories 190

Fat 4g

Saturated Fat 1g

Cholesterol 20g

Protein 12g

Carbohydrates 26g

Fiber 2g

Sugars 1mg

Sodium 400mg

Subway

Roast Beef Sub (Small with cheese)

Calories 190

Fat 4g

Saturated Fat 2g

Cholesterol 15g

Protein 13g

Carbohydrates30g

Fiber 4g

Sugars 5mg

Sodium 600mg

Turkey Breast Sub (Small with cheese)

Calories 190

Fat 3g

Saturated Fat 1g

Cholesterol 15g

Protein 12g

Carbohydrates 30g

Fiber 4g

Sugars 5mg

Sodium 670mg

Taco Bell

Beef Soft Taco

Calories 170

Fat 10g

Saturated Fat 4g

Cholesterol 25g

Protein 8g

Carbohydrates 13g

Fiber 3g

Sugars 1mg

Sodium 350mg

Chicken Burrito Supreme

Calories 400

Fat 13g

Saturated Fat 6g

Cholesterol 45g

Protein 20g

Carbohydrates 49g

Fiber 6g

Sugars 5mg

Sodium 160mg

Wendy's

Chicken Caesar Salad

Calories 180

Fat 4g

Saturated Fat 2g

Cholesterol 75g

Protein 28g

Carbohydrates 8g

Fiber 3g

Sugars 3mg

Sodium 690mg

Jr. Hamburger

Calories 220

Fat 8g

Saturated Fat 3g

Cholesterol 30g

Protein 13g

Carbohydrates 26g

Fiber 1g

Sugars 5mg

Sodium 490mg

Mandarin Chicken Salad

Calories 180

Fat 2g

Saturated Fat 1g

Cholesterol 65g

Protein 24g

Carbohydrates 16g

Fiber 2g

Sugars 12mg

Sodium 630mg

This is obviously a very short list of the many fast food chains you see in a mall and the nutritional value may vary at locations. Just be smart eaters and make sure you know what you're putting into your body!

Sorry!

Sorry, no tip of the day! I've been swamped with exam studying lately and haven't had time to complete research for my next tip. During my finals week, I'll have tips every now and then. I'll return to posting daily tips after my finals!

Tip of the day for the rest of your days...

Organic produce seems to be the big thing these days and genetically modified produce seems to be a no no. Differentiate the difference by looking at the labels more carefully. 

Instead of looking at labels for just the title and whether it says "organic", check out the UPC code on the labels. UPC codes beginning with the number "4" means the produce is conventionally grown using pesticide and other preservatives. Codes beginning with the number "8" means the produce has been genetically modified and codes beginning with "9" means the produce is organically grown. 

However, be weary of what you buy because "organic" doesn't always mean organic. The best produce is Ontario grown produce and whatever is in season. Less chemicals and preservatives are used on your produce if it is Ontario grown and in season.

Tip of the day for the rest of your days...

Thinking of reaching a buffet tonight? Don't skip your meals throughout the day thinking you'll make space for that buffet.

Most people know that skipping meals will result in stomach shrinkage. But some people believe that starving themselves before a buffet will give them more room in their stomach for more food. When you skip meals before a buffet, you're forcing a lot of food into a stomach that cannot retain its original amount. Therefore, you're also forcing your stomach to not only stretch out again but put in double the effort to digest the food. But the havoc doesn't stop there. Overworking your stomach forces your liver and spleen to overwork as well to produce the bile and blood needed to aid in digestion.

Some of the symptoms with a weakened and overworked spleen and liver are gasiness, chronic fatigue, lowered immune system, higher cholesterol levels, vision problems, dizziness, nausea, tendon and muscle problems, spasms, poor concentration and memory and the list goes on and on and on.

Many of these symptoms may occur over time so it's best to eat every meal in proper proportions for healthy organs. It all starts from the inside out, so take care of your insides!

Tip of the day for the rest of your days...

Here comes a little Chinese medicine knowledge for you today (and also common sense)! Protect yourself from catching the flu/cold this winter by wearing a scarf.

In Chinese medicine, it is believed that there is a point in the back of your neck called the "Gate of Wind" point located under the C7 of your spine. It is here where the body is most vulnerable to "Wind Cold". Wind cold in Chinese medicine can be best translated as a cause for catching the common cold/flu. When this Wind cold enters the body through the Gate of Wind, your body experiences chills as the first symptom of the cold. When your lungs begin to feel that "chill", it immediately responds by closing up the pores of your body resulting in body heat eventually building up and getting trapped in your body. When this happens, you experience a fever which means you have the flu. And from there, things tend to go downhill a little as your body is trying to fight off the flu and this is when most of us will experience headaches, aching muscles, thirst, coughing, vomiting etc. 

So this winter, don't underestimate the power of the scarf. If you're not much of a scarf wearer to begin with or cannot understand the benefits of wearing a simple piece of clothing try going out without one, one day and wearing it another and you will truly notice the difference!

THANN PRIZE PACK WINNER

The winner of the blog's first contest is...

SARAH KIM

Congratulations Sarah! 

Thank you all who participated. As long as we all live a healthy lifestyle, we're all winners. Keep your eyes open for the next upcoming draw!

Tip of the day for the rest of your days...

Do you sometimes wake up in the morning with aching teeth and jaws? Perhaps you grind your teeth overnight in your sleep. If you're a teeth grinder try eating more leafy greens. 

In Chinese medicine, teeth grinding is caused by excess "heat" in the stomach. What that means is the stomach is constantly working, unable to rest even in your sleep. And in Chinese medicine, the mouth and the stomach are connected as one unit. Therefore, because of the unrest of the stomach, your mouth, teeth and jaws also cannot rest. In Western terms, it is believed that grinding comes from stress, anxiety, uneasiness etc. So it's possible your stomach is uneasy. 

Leafy greens such as lettuce, romaine lettuce and celery help "cool" the stomach. Also, try not to eat too late at night and stay away from spicy food. If the teeth grinding continues, it's best to see a traditional medicine doctor because the causes may be more deeply rooted in other organs. Teeth grinding is not only annoying for others, but you may eventually develop jaw problems and more. 

Click here for today's ballot entry!

Ps. Today is the last day to submit your entries for the draw!
Also, beginning today blog entries will only be made during the weekdays. The reason for this is that I require the weekends to further research and study these tips so I can develop better solutions! Thanks for your understanding! =)

Tip of the day for the rest of your days...

Stress. Everybody experiences it and everybody hates it. How do you deal with it right at the moment? In an earlier post, I wrote about a type of ear massage to relieve stress. But here's another solution that you can combine with your ear massage. Deep breathing will calm the nerves and clear the mind. 

Yes, it may sound simple and many people tend to overlook it. But are you breathing properly? Ever notice when you are stressing out or having an anxiety attack, your breathing gets shallower? You begin to feel tightness in your chest and back. Instead, take 5 minutes. Stand still with your arms to your sides. Loosen your shoulders, unlock your knees, close your eyes gently and breathe deep into your diaphragm. Breathe in through your nose with your tongue touching the roof of your mouth and breathe out with your mouth. Repeat deep breathes until you can you breathe at a steady and slow rate. It is extremely important to breathe down into your diaphragm at a steady rate. 

As a student of Chinese medicine and acupuncture, I'm also required to learn the art of Taichi. In Taichi, not only do we learn movements that most of you have probably seen in school fields and parks, but it teaches you how to listen to your body. It teaches you how to breathe. Taichi brings every part of your body together to work together. If anyone is interested in learning Taichi, you can message me! =)

Tip of the day for the rest of your day...

Today's tip may not seem like the usual, however, this tip may not only help you, but it may help someone else. Also, this blog entry is geared more towards Torontonians, but don't let geography stop you. Do it wherever you live!

In a recent study and survey conducted by the Canadian Centre for the Study of Living Standards, Toronto was rated the saddest city in Canada. Some of the factors that affected one's happiness was stress, the feeling of belonging, married vs. never married and immigrant status. 

So your mid-week goal today is to give a warm "hello" and "have a nice day" to a total stranger. You never know, you may have brightened up their day a little and lifted a burden off their shoulder. At the same time, you'll feel good as well!