kindlybeautiful.comd-whysel.org

Author: Samantha Man

  • Good Hygiene is Extremely Important

    Why is Good Hygiene Important?

    Hygiene is an important component to reducing disease, according to the World Bank. Good hand, face and body hygiene is important. It helps keep the germs at bay for everyone involved. If we don’t like getting sick, we must keep ourselves clean. But, what areas of hygiene are there?

    What Areas of Hygiene are There?

    There is a plethora of hygiene that we have to maintain. Hand hygiene, for one, is one of the different areas of hygiene that we are taught earliest. Face and body hygiene are also important areas of hygiene. Face and body hygiene also goes beyond the simple act of showering. Covering coughs and sneezes are also a form of hygiene

    Hand Hygiene

    Death by diarrheal bacteria is not a nice thing to imagine. It is extremely preventable though. All you have to do is wash your hands. Contaminated hands cause a large percentage of foodborne disease outbreaks and respiratory diseases. It is best to not touch your eyes, nose, mouth, and prep food with dirty hands. Don’t know when to wash your hands? Here are some tips. Effectively washing your hands is very simple.

    • With warm or cold running water, wet your hands. Then turn off the tap (don’t waste water) and apply soap.
    • Now that you have soap in a palm, bring both hands together and rub every single square inch together. Make sure to get between your fingers, the backs of your hands and under your nails.
    • You should keep scrubbing with soap until you’ve counted twenty seconds. Do not count to just twenty. Count twenty legitimate seconds as they would happen on a stopwatch.
    • After those twenty seconds are up, rinse your hands really well under running water until all the soap is off.
    • With a clean towel, rub your hands dry. If you don’t have anything clean to dry your hands with, let them air dry.

    Remember, keep them your hands clean.

    Facial Hygiene

    According to the CDC, the average person touches their face a total of 23 times per hour. Your face is where most diseases can enter easily through your eyes, mouth, nose and ears. Keeping your face facial area clean can prevent germs from entering your body. Also, remember discussing washing our hands in the above section, well, washing your hands can also prevent germs from reaching your face. Facial hygiene includes washing your face, cleaning your teeth, mouth, eyes, contact lenses and ears.

    Some diseases that can be prevented by washing ones face include:

    • Cold
    • Flu
    • Pinkeye
    • Trachoma (the number one leading cause of preventable blindness in the world)

    Effectively Showering

    Effectively showering your body includes washing every crevice of your body, especially parts of your body covered in hair, which brings us to hair hygiene.

    Hair Washing

    Hair hygiene means finding a shampoo that’s good for your hair type, applying an appropriate amount, and then scrubbing away at the extra sebum(oil you produce naturally, but too much is not good) and nasty things you collected throughout your day. Did you know that washing your hair can help prevent scalp related ringworm and head-lice? Neither of those sound pleasant to have right? Well, you can wash your hair.

    Feet Washing

    Please keep those grippers clean. They are nasty at the end of a sock and shoe wearing day. They need to be washed individually and thoroughly. The whole foot needs to be lathered, especially between the toes. Trim your toe nails, too, bacteria can gather underneath. Don’t wear your socks for more than one day and if you do happen to go to a salon, pick on that is clean and licensed. You don’t want athlete’s foot, now do you? Nor would you want fungal nail infections or hookworm. Keep your grippers clean.

    Keep Your Hands and Body Clean

    That being said, keep yourself clean. Wash your hands, take thorough showers, keep your nails trimmed, cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze, etc. This will help prevent you from getting and spreading germs. Do you part to respect yourself and others.

  • Yikes, Who Would Actually Wear This?

    How Do I Dress Myself Again?

    I genuinely don’t know how to dress myself, and that’s fine. It is fun though, to imagine how I can dress myself without actually having to do it. What I do know is that pink, white and black go together. That’s what I think, anyways. This outfit also just felt right. It is simple, not flashy, so it should work on a random trip to the grocery store, a nice walk, or hanging out at a dessert store with friends. If anyone feels up to it, they can purchase these items at a relatively cheap price, too. These items came from Old Navy, Marshalls and Walmart.

    White Tank Top

    $8.00

    The price was rounded up, but even then, eight dollars for 3 tank tops is really cheap in todays economy. These tank tops are from Old Navy. It is of great comfort to wear a light sleeveless shirt. White tank tops are also plain, so they’re very versatile. You could wear these as undershirts or with almost anything else in your closet. For the cost and versatility, this is a great piece to have in your closet.

    Black Cardigan

    $36.00

    This cardigan from Old Navy looks very warm, ideal for when Winter hits. It will also protect your bare arms underneath. Cardigans are loose, very comfortable in general. This is also a versatile piece to have in your closet because black also goes with nearly anything. Black and white together is especially cool. The color will also slim you down a bit so wear it with confidence!

    Pink Pants

    $30.00

    The last piece in this outfit recommendation is also from Old Navy and it is a really nice and light colored pink. It is loose fitting so it will be very comfortable. Pink goes really well with black and white so if you have clothing items in these shades, feel free to throw in this pair, too. Versatility makes for a cheaper closet.

    Black Socks

    $8.00

    Do you know what is better than one pair of socks? Two pairs of socks! We all like buying things that come in multiples for a small price. It isn’t a one and done situation either. These socks can be worn with many other outfits because they’re just socks. Black socks and pink pants might look nice. They will also look nice with black pants. Sometimes, you can’t even see your socks because of the length of your pants. You just need to wear socks to prevent your shoes from smelling rotten too fast.

    White Shoes

    $53.00

    At Walmart, you can get a pair of white shoes for cheap. White, pink and black look really nice together. These shoes, like every other piece of clothing item can be very versatile. You can wear these pairs of shoes with almost anything and everything.

    Total Cost

    $135.00

    For a grand total of $135.00, you have yourself a whole outfit. And that might even be a couple of cents more because I rounded a few of these items to a whole dollar. It’s not bad, this price. And it’s not even that you have to wear these items with each other only. For this price, you may have opened your entire closet to a whole bunch of other mix-and-match options. Remember folks, this is just a blog post about an outfit idea. You can like it. Or, you can not. Doesn’t matter, really. Have fun styling yourself!

  • Sun Safety is Very Important

    We need the sun. The sun aids our body in producing vitamin D, which is essential for calcium absorption of the bones to keep them strong. But there are downsides to unprotected exposure to the sun. The sun gives off UV (ultraviolet) rays, which can damage skin cells. In the long run, it can cause premature aging and even skin cancer.

    When Do You Need Sunscreen?

    Sunscreen is essential all year round, even if it is the middle of Winter and cloudy. The sun’s rays are most harmful during mid-morning to mid-afternoon, so be sure to apply sunscreen then. You can even consult your phone’s weather app to see how high the UV Index is.

    How Often Do You Need to Reapply Sunscreen?

    Most sunscreen’s you purchase will tell you that you need to reapply your sunscreen once every two hours. It may be more often if you have been sweating or swimming.

    Mineral or Chemical Sunscreen?

    Mineral sunscreen contains zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. Chemical sunscreen contains avobenzone, octisalate, octocrylene, homosalate and others. Both sunscreens essentially act the same, taking the energy produced by UV rays and turning the heat negligible. If you have sensitive skin though, chemical sunscreen can sting, so mineral sunscreen can be an option. But the downside to mineral sunscreen is that it can often leave a visible layer of white. Depending on your skin and your personal preferences, pick the sunscreen that works best for you.

    Sunscreen is Key

    Whichever sunscreen serves you best, remember to apply and reapply, even when it is cloudy outside. The negative effects of too much UV radiation can cause harm to your skin over time, so it is best to prevent it. Use that sunscreen, seek shade when you can, and stay safe!

  • I See Warmth in Snowfall

    I don’t think I know how to celebrate Christmas. The little snippets I get of this specific holiday is through television, and it always looked like such a gentle holiday. There’s a pine tree adorned with ornaments, a wreath (not reef), hot chocolate, sweaters, friends, family and a big meal. Sounds nice, doesn’t it? Like all the good things in the world and nothing hurts. I would love to celebrate the holiday when I’m older, gather my two best friends and experience that golden warm feel. Maybe it could go something like this:

    There Would Be A Tree in Our Living Room

    There would be a tree in our living room. It would be the most perfect tree, meticulously picked out. It would smell like pine and there would be shiny baubles and bright lights. A star would sit at the very top of the branches. Under the tree would be presents wrapped in pretty paper with bows on top.

    And There Would Be Hot Chocolate

    And there would be hot chocolate. We would heat up some milk and pour it over pieces of chocolate. Then we would add marshmallows and whipped cream and cinnamon sticks. It would taste sweet on our tongues and settle warm in our bellies. The smell of chocolate would linger in the air, a steady reminder of gentle times.

    There Would Be Sweaters

    There would be sweaters. They would wrap us up in softness and warmth. The cold would be left outside and we would be without a care in the world. I can almost feel the yarn against my skin. I can almost feel the fuzzy fibers wrapping gently around me. And we would be in sweatpants and fuzzy socks. I can almost feel Christmas, all comforting and serene.

    And There Would Be Three

    And there would be three. There would be three girls and three mugs. There would be three chairs at the table and three plates. Three sets of utensils and three voices.

    This is what Christmas would look like to me. It would be cold outside, but so very warm inside.

    Happy Holidays

    Remember to be with your loved ones. Or you could give them a call. Write them a letter, I guess.

    And, Merry Christmas.

  • A Guide on How To Curb Cravings

    Let’s Get Real: Cravings Are Annoying

    Cravings are very annoying. Extraordinarily annoying. We don’t like them, we most certainly don’t want to experience them, but, they come and they’re successful in getting us to give in. Then it results in a horrible snack turned almost meal. We might finish an entire family-sized bag of chips, a whole row of cookies, or have three slices of cake. At that moment, in the bliss of the wonderful flavors. we might not care about how much we have consumed. Afterwards, though, when the horrible craving monster exorcises itself from our minds, we feel nasty and regretful. We all know that this won’t be the last time we give in, too.

    Why Do We Get Cravings?

    There are many reasons why cravings come upon us and wreak havoc. Some of us are emotional eaters and food can be extremely comforting. Some of us eat when we get bored. Sometimes that meal we had wasn’t filling or we have to wait too long for another meal. Other times, we just have a really poor relationship with food. Whatever the reason though, that we give into our cravings, there are ways to help you easier curb them. Now, this isn’t saying that you should never have the foods that you want, it’s just that we don’t need to have them all the time. Ugly cycles start when we give into our cravings all the time.

    What Can We Do To Curb Our Cravings?

    There’s a whole lot we can do to curb our cravings. Here are eleven things you can try!

    1. If you find yourself craving sweets or salty foods, have a drink of water and wait a couple of minutes. If the craving passes, you might have just been thirsty. Good job on not giving in!
    2. Including more protein into your diet helps reduce appetite, keeps you from overeating, and keeps you satiated for longer. Eating more protein reduces cravings by up to 60% and reduces night snacking by 50%. You’re doing great on keeping that craving at bay!
    3. The feeling of craving doesn’t last forever, so, remove yourself from where the food is. Go take a shower, take a walk, do another activity away from the source. Your feeling of craving will subdue. Don’t give up!
    4. Not knowing what to eat for your meals might not go well. Planning your meals in advance will help keep you on track. Knowing what you’re going to have means you don’t have to have a whole plethora of options to choose from in spontaneity. Look at you go, keeping those cravings away!
    5. If we get hungry, we want to eat. If we get extremely hungry, cravings start happening. Hunger makes food seem even more appealing than it already is so avoid getting too hungry. Eat at the start of your hunger when you can and listen to your body when it tells you that it’s full. It’s hard to tell when you’re full though, so eat slowly and chew thoroughly, it helps.
    6. Stress eating is real. Find ways to alleviate that stress, and no, we can’t do that through food all the time. It’s not a healthy cycle to fall into. The modern day person is constantly stressed, so if we stress ate, we would probably never stop eating. Step away from the stressor for a bit, meditate, find an activity you enjoy to help with fighting the stress.

    Don’t Give In! Don’t Give Up! You Can Conquer!

    Cravings will always be there. It will always sneak up on you and you will want to give in! And, sometimes it’s okay to give in! Just remember, there are ways to help you with keeping your cravings at bay. You don’t have to let them rule you. For more information you can visit this website.

    Eat good meals. Eat wisely. Do your best out there. Stay safe!

  • Pack The Right Items for Your Travels

    A very important part of traveling is packing, and let me tell you something. ShenZhen is very hot. The humid sort of hot. Not one day will go by during the Summer months where you won’t sweat. The moment you step outside, whether it be sunny or cloudy, you will almost immediately start to perspire. Of course, that’s an exaggeration, but it will be very hot, so dress lightly. Pack your lightest shirts and pants. Pack with intent. Ask yourself how many days are you staying and pack clothing items accordingly. Don’t forget to pack a sun hat because you do not want those UV rays hitting your face and eyes. Make sure you bring sunscreen, it gets harsh in the afternoons. Don’t forget the essentials like medications and toiletries. Those should follow along with you in your carry on in case you need them right away. And if you get periods, bring your period products in your carry on luggage. Just be sure to store them in a clear zip lock bag. If anything, check the guidelines of whichever airline you would by flying with. 

    Wisely Pack Please

      Of course, while there are things that you should, need and are legally able to pack for your trip, there are also illegal things that airlines do not allow or are allowed under certain limits, under special instructions and are designated to be in your checked bag or carry on bag. So, therefore, take a good look at the items you have in your luggage. Then, you hop onto this handy website: https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/whatcanibring/all and look up your items. If you’ve never been on a flight before, it’s better to be safe than sorry because you don’t want to end up on a list. 

    Get Out There!

         Luggage is an important thing when traveling. Make sure you are carrying legal items though. When you are sure you’ve got your bag packed properly, hustle to that airport! Safe travels!

  • The Musings of a Girl for a Far-Away Place

    Once upon a time there was a little Chinese girl who ate dinner at a big table surrounded by red plastic chairs and many pairs of chopsticks. She played with her cousins and then got scared by a really big dog. And, she danced in the square with the older ladies and the taller pieces of grass tickled her feet in her little white sandals. She gets a happy meal toy from McDonald’s, but loses it on a paddle boat ride. And just like that in ShenZhen, China, in her grandmother’s house, she spends her Summers until the weather gives way to Fall and she gets brought back to the West, even though she wishes she could have stayed.

    Regular Summer Days

    All of this sounds like regular days of ordinary Summers with nothing special in particular. There’s no hotels or rushing here and there. There’s no tour groups or time limits. It was just a girl living her life in a different part of the world. Odd thing was, she belonged there better than she does where she was born. 

    The Smells of Airconditioning and Durian

    The stores are freezing cold, the air conditioner blasting. The smell of durian mixed with AC smell suddenly got associated with home and in the West, when the first time I smelled that exact same smell, I ached for Summer to come again and for my Grandmother’s house. 

    Recommendations

    This is my far-off place. And maybe you could take this as a recommendation for a place to go during vacation. Or, maybe not. There’s a whole ton of other places you could travel to if you’ve got the means to do so. ShenZhen is a great little place to be for just a short while, y’know, if you want to and can do so.

    In Conclusion

    Go out there, find a place in the world out there that will bring you an absurd amount of joy. Of course, not all of us can afford to go on a trip, or have the means to drop whatever they are doing just to go on vacation, but we can still dream. For all we know, it might come true. Persistence and hard work are key. It sounds really optimistic, but a bit of optimism just might make life feel easier. 

         Remember, work hard, persist, dream of a better future, and just try your best.

  • Rockabye Baby, Go to Sleep

     Sleep is that wonderful thing that keeps you wanting more in the morning when you inevitably have to crawl out of bed before you’re late for wherever you have to be. That feeling when you wake up in the middle of the night and check the time to find that it’s still only 2:03AM is one of the best. Warm and drowsy, you shut your eyes and feel at ease, knowing you don’t have to face the world for a few more hours. Sleep is important. 

         Good quality sleep provides numerous benefits. It improves brain performance, mood and health. 

        Not getting good quality sleep consistently increases your risk of many diseases, like heart disease, stroke, obesity and dementia. Good quality sleep consists of three major components: the hours of sleep, sleep quality and a consistent sleep schedule.

         Sleep aids in your brain being ready to face a new day. Your brain works while you sleep, preparing itself to learn, remember and create.The brain also removes toxins as you sleep, functioning almost like a kidney, and some things removed include proteins linked with Alzheimer’s disease. Sleep is vital for a healthy body. Your immune system is better able to repair you when you are sleeping. Sleep helps get you back into tip top shape when you’re sick and keeps you in tip top shape when you’re not.

         Sleep most definitely does not look the same for everyone. Get yours however you can. Make a schedule and stick to it. Exercise, but don’t exercise close to bedtime. Get natural sunlight for at least thirty minutes a day. Cut out the caffeine. Don’t nap after mid-afternoon.. Avoid eating large meals before bed. Step away from your electronics before bed. Create an environment that best aids your sleep. That’s a long list of things that may help you get consistent quality sleep. Of course, sleep isn’t easy to come by for everyone. If you find nothing helps you sleep, talk to your healthcare provider. Sleep the best as you can in the way that you find best.

  • Being Physically Active Is Good For You

    There you have it folks. It’s written in big bold letters. Move. Moving your body is vital to keeping it in tip top shape. And that’s not only referencing physique, it’s also referring to your health. Moving is an important part of life for both adults and kids. It improves brain health, helps you to manage your weight, strengthens your bones and muscles, reduces your risk of functional limitations and reduces your risk to certain diseases. 

    Improves Brain Health 

         There are multitudes of hormones and chemicals that your brain needs to function well. Exercising helps keep these hormones and chemicals in check.

    • Insulin: Insulin is a peptide hormone and is important for your brain because it regulates cognitive functions. Neurodegenerative disorders may be one of the effects of insulin resistance. Dementia states may also be a result of damaged cognitive systems due to insulin resistance. Moving your body and keeping active can help reduce insulin resistance. Therefore, get active. 

    Weight Management

         Consuming more calories, through eating and drinking, than you can burn, causes weight gain. Of course, even while being active, you will gain weight as long as you consume more calories than the calories burned throughout the day along with physical activity. That is why you have to get active while also watching the calories you consume. 

    • Maintaining weight: You can maintain your weight with at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity a week. You can split it up to 30 minutes everyday for five days a week. There are a plethora of things you can do to get active. Go on a walk with someone, go jogging, hiking, biking, teach yourself a dance, play a sport. Moving can be fun. 

    Strengthens Bones and Muscles

          None of us get younger with each passing day. Our age only continues to climb, but the strength in our muscles and bones decline. 

    Reduces Your Risk of Functional Limitations

         Think about all the things you are able to do now. And then think about getting older and not being able to do any of the simple daily tasks you could. Imagine not being able to climb the stairs at 70. Imagine not being able to go for a walk without aches and pains. If we make it to old age without any serious illnesses, shouldn’t we try to keep our bodies as mobile as possible? Quality of life would be so much better than achy and creaky joints. 

     Reduces Your Risk to Certain Diseases

         Getting moving keeps you healthy. It’s a known fact. Being healthy plays a part in preventing diseases. That is also a known fact. Moving even reduces the risk of getting certain types of cancers. Even thinking about cancer fills every fiber of my being with dread. Moving is a simple preventative measure that might keep you from facing certain diseases. 

     Move

         In the gentlest manner, in the kindest manner, in the manner which I wish with all my might for each and everyone of us to be the healthiest we can, to be the kindest we can to each other, I ask that you take care of yourself. Love yourself, respect others, and move. 

  • Stretch, It’s Good For You

      Our bodies, when young, in most cases, are kind of really great. With minimal aches and pains, we can get up and out of bed easily (though reluctantly), sit and stand without assistance, and we can get through the day without assistance needed physically. But, that can change. 

    Bodies Grow Weary

         Like with most things, with time, we will wear out. We will grow old and tired and sore because our vessels can only hold us up for so long. In time, our joints will begin to ache, and we will begin to lose our ability to perform daily tasks. We won’t ever be as nimble as we were in our youth, but there are things that we can do to prevent us from losing too much of our abilities to do things. We can stretch to maintain muscle health and flexibility. These are important factors to preventing aches and pains and preserving independence. 

    Our Bodies as we Age

         As we age, we lose flexibility in our muscles and tendons as they shorten and stiffen and stop functioning properly. Our range of motion will decrease and pain will increase. Even bending down to tie our shoes will become difficult and maybe put our backs out of commission for days. Muscle cramps and pain and damage, strains, joint pain and falling are some of the things we’ll be at risk for if we don’t take care of our bodies now, but we most certainly can take care of our bodies now. We can stretch. Stretching helps maintain flexibility which then increases our range of motion. For example, the distance from fingers to shoelaces is not only a far distance away, it also requires multiple muscle groups to be put to work. Stretching allows for our backs to bend and knees to fold and fingers to tie our shoelaces. 

    Now What?

         So, what do we do with this information? We take it with a grain of salt and then we go stretch. Start gentle with easy repetitive motions like marching in place. Then we start stretching our muscles, holding positions that stretch out calves, hamstrings, hip flexors, quadriceps, shoulders, neck and lower back. Just don’t push it into pain because your muscles will tighten and your stretching then will become counterproductive. 

    To Conclude

         Do things to try to keep your bodies as healthy as possible, because while we can’t deny the fact that sometimes, we get really unlucky, but what if we do get that lucky? What if we do get to grow old? We wouldn’t want to be in pain. Now remember, I’m a random person on the internet, you’ve got a brain, try your best out there, and good luck.