6 Ways to Enjoy Holiday Feast Without Going Overboard

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‘Tis the time of the year when families get together, people share their blessings and indulge in high-caloric Christmas dinner. Celebrating Christmas without gaining a few pounds seems impossible, especially with that glorious turkey and all those treats on the table. But before you totally abandon your fitness goals, know that there’s hope.

It’s still possible to lose weight or at least maintain your fitness level this time of the year with these smart-eating tips.

1. Do not starve yourself
Thinking of skipping breakfast or lunch so you can go to town on Christmas dinner? Before saying yes to this idea, know that starving yourself can only lead to overeating and giving in to cravings. Fill yourself up with protein-packed breakfast, so you’ll feel full for longer hours and won’t starve yourself by the time you get to the next meal.

2. Control your portions
It’s impossible not to try every single dish on the table during the Christmas Eve, so this is where portion control comes in handy. Before digging in, take the time to look at every option and choose which dish to pass on and which to get. Once you have decided, take smaller portions of your choices instead of stocking your plate with so much of one food.

3. Start with some greens
Your instinct might say to attack the turkey right away, but starting up with some healthy greens will keep you satisfied longer and much faster. After finishing your greens, you can then have some meats and sweets, but you will likely find yourself eating less of those since you’re partially full with the healthy salad.

4. Go for red
We’re not talking about your outfit. Picking red wine over white wine or sparklers will give the body an extra boost of resveratrol, an antioxidant that protects the body from heart disease and cancer. This beverage is definitely much healthier than beer, cocktails or softdrinks.

5. Have some tea after meal
Drinking a cup of tea as a substitute to dessert will save you calories that would otherwise be spent on a slice of cake or pie. Green tea is also loaded with antioxidants and is a great help for your digestion.

6. Say ‘no’ to leftovers
Let the feast begin and end at the Christmas dinner table. Your mom will likely be hounding you with holiday leftovers for days, but you will have to say no to all of that. Consuming Christmas leftovers can only add up to unnecessary calories you will have during the season.

Although these tips require some discipline, they are not impossible to achieve. Other than the obvious portion control, pick the healthier food substitute all the time. After all, you don’t want to punish yourself too much at the gym after the holiday season.

3 Money Management Apps for Spenders and Savers

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Singapore continues to top the charts as the most expensive city in the world, so it’s especially important for us to keep track of our expenses on a regular basis. However, manually budgeting our expenses can be too much of a hassle; it can take too much of our time, the chances of forgetting an item are too large. Thankfully, technology can come to our rescue. Here are some of the apps on the market today that can help you manage your expenses.

1. Wally
One of the best things about Wally is it’s easy to use, friendly interface. With Wally, it’s easy to track both your expenses and income. It even allows you to organize your expenses into different categories. You can even add labels to your entries to help you remember what it was exactly you were spending on.

Wally can even track your savings, and project your budget for the day. If you have spent beyond your daily budget, Wally notifies you and tells you how much you have overspent. Additionally, Wally can scan your receipts, add a passcode, and record the location of each entry. As a bonus, Wally is completely free and is great for people who need to be able to track their expenses. It is available in both the App Store and the Play Store.

2. Expensify
Although a bit more complicated than Wally, Expensify is an app that is great for both personal and business use. Since businesses deal with a lot of receipts, Expensify allows you to record, track, and label your receipts. It even lets you add details like date and merchant’s name, should you need to include those details. It even lets you categorize these receipts into a category for reimbursements, to remove the anxiety of losing receipts.

Expensify has a lot more nifty features, like time tracking, which is great for people who are paid on an hourly basis. For those who love to travel, Expensify also allows you to enter expenses in any currency. It is available for both Android and Apple users.

3. Pocket Expense
Pocket Expense is a great app for people whose expenses are a little more complicated than the average spender. This app lets you track a more detailed version of your personal financial status, including things like debt, cleared debt, and overall net worth. It even has a cash flow feature that allows you to track how much money you’re earning and losing, a feature that can prove to be both handy and invaluable for business owners.

Like other finance apps, Pocket Expense also allows you to create multiple budgets, set a limit for each budget, and even has a feature that alerts you whenever you have a bill due. Pocket Expense is available for free on both the App Store and the Play Store.

Why Competition is Good for You

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Your family and friends often counsel you to stop comparing yourself to others, because after all, there will always be more fortunate and better people than you. No one wants to feel inadequate and a loser in the face of a much better competition, but is it better to avoid it altogether?

Competition Means Growth
There are valid reasons to stop unhealthy comparison with other people, but if you lose the desire to compete, you’re also limiting self-growth. If you didn’t have rivals at school for example, would you try harder to win those contests or top the exams? They can also serve as your inspiration or as a goal that you need to surpass to make yourself a better person.

Competition Means More Opinions
In the business world, competition is essential, especially if you use your rivals as a reference for ideal customer service. Companies will strive to outdo each other if they see a business strategy that is working. This in turn will lead to more creativity when it comes to business models, making it possible to come up with different ideas that are unique. Savvy entrepreneurs will always question common knowledge and improvise.

Competition Brings Out the Best
Not only do you see healthy competition at work, school, and business, but in almost all aspects of life, too. People always strive to outdo each other for various reasons, but you shouldn’t see this as selfish and jealous. As long as rivalry can lead to a lot of good things, then it’s not something that should be discouraged. If you look at history, most of the ideas, inventions, and creations that advanced civilization were also products of competition.

Competition Creates Experience
There will always be winners and losers, but that does not mean you should stop striving to become better. The growth that comes with competition comes from turning losses into a positive learning experience. That is why parents who shelter their kids from a competitive environment at school are also taking away opportunities for the child to grow and learn. Doing that will make them less prepared for the real world, after all, competition also gives the child an opportunity to exercise emotional control and cooperation.

Competition Creates a Goal
If you’re striving to make yourself better, you’re also more likely to take chances because you have a goal in mind. You will be inspired to work harder if you know you’re working for something or someone. More chances mean more opportunities to live life to the fullest. Take competition away and people will become lazy, because they don’t have any reason to grow and learn.

Living with Asthma as an Adult

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Adult-onset asthma can be a hassle for people who need to keep up with the demands in the office and at home. In most cases, it is also triggered by workplace irritants or an unhealthy environment at home. The treatment process is more complicated as a result because not only does the affected individual have to handle pressure in the office, but must also manage the symptoms.

Diagnosis and Symptoms
Most cases of adult-onset asthma, sometimes called occupational asthma, also have complaints about allergies and irritants. Add to that the stress, unhealthy working environment, hormonal changes, and a poor lifestyle, a worker will most likely be vulnerable to asthma. You should schedule a checkup with your doctor as soon as possible if you see any of the following symptoms: frequent coughing, wheezing, tightness in the chest, breathing difficulties, and shortness of breath.

Childhood and Adult-Onset Asthma
Although the symptoms are quite similar, asthma attacks are more common among children because their bodies are more sensitive than the adults’. However, most asthma-related deaths are more common among adults, especially the elderly. The treatment process is also different, because childhood asthma is not often caused by allergies or triggers.

Triggers and Medication
Generally, the triggers for adult-onset asthma are the same as those for childhood asthma. Your doctor will advise you to avoid smoke, dust mites, mold and mildew, feather bedding, animal dander, dry air, cold temperature, and anything that can trigger an attack. You will also be given one of the two asthma medications, such as the bronchodilators and the anti-inflammatories. These can be taken by inhaling or swallowing. It’s also important to determine if your asthma is triggered by specific allergies, which can also be treated with other medications. The goal of the treatment is to reduce the severity of the symptoms so that you can still perform your tasks regularly.

Diet and Exercise
Proper diet and exercise will reduce some of the symptoms of asthma, but you need to consult your doctor before starting any program. While there are no convincing studies that link nutrient deficiency to asthma, you will be advised to eat a complete, healthy meal everyday to improve your overall health. Reduce your consumption of trans fat, omega-6 fats, and processed food. Avoid food that will trigger allergies as they can cause life-threatening attacks. Excess weight is often linked to adult-onset asthma, that is why you will also be advised to maintain an ideal weight through doctor- approved exercises and workout routines such as walking, swimming, yoga, biking, and others.

Asthma Attacks
You should also have a plan ready in case you have an asthma attack at the office. Always take your medication with you and get treated as soon as you see the signs. Look out for the following symptoms and get to the nearest clinic or hospital for treatment: shortness of breath, tight chest, bluish lips, inability to speak, confusion, lack of concentration, breathlessness, strained muscles, and hunched shoulders.