What are Cosmetic Eye Procedures?

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Cosmetic eye surgery refers to procedures that improve or alter the appearance of the eyes. The procedures are usually done to reduce the signs of aging or to create a double eyelid. Let’s look at these procedures more closely.

Blepharoplasty

Also called the eye lift, blepharoplasty, is sometimes performed alongside other procedures, such as, Botox injections, facial or dermal filler, and facelift to reduce the signs of aging. These procedures will remove the wrinkles and lines around the eyes, eye bags, and drooping eyelids.

Blepharoplasty can be performed in the lower lids, upper lids, and both to remove the fatty deposits in the eyelids, bags under the eyes, sagging or loose skin in the upper eyelids, and the wrinkles and excess skin on the lower eyelids.

  • Upper Blepharoplasty is done to address issues with the upper eyelids, such as puffiness, wrinkling, and droopiness. The sagging eyelids not only make you look older, but they can also diminish your vision. The procedure includes making incisions on the creases of the eyelids, the tightening of the eye muscles, and the removal and repositioning of the fat.
  • Lower Blepharoplasty addresses the issue of the fat below the eyes and the dark circles around it called eye bags. Some of these fats also accumulate in the lower cheek and are called troughs. The procedure includes incisions in the fat deposits and the correcting of loose skin to create a younger appearance.
  • Combination Blepharoplasty will reduce the appearance of the loose fat deposits around the eyes. The procedure includes incisions on the eye creases, the tightening of the skin, adjustment of fat deposits, brow lift, and contouring of the eye muscles.

Asian Eyelid Surgery

There is another popular type of eyelid procedure called the Asian eyelid surgery that creates a double eyelid for individuals who have minimal creases on the upper eyelids. The Asian term comes the type of customers who usually undergo the procedure, because a lot of Asians are born with the single eyelid. There is no problem with having minimal upper eyelid folds, so this procedure is done mainly on the assumption that single eyelids are less attractive than double eyelids.

The procedure removes some skin, fat, and tissues from the eyelid skin and an incision is made to create creases. Some individuals need to have both lower and upper eyelids altered to achieve the desired look.

Other Cosmetic Eye Procedures

There are other cosmetic eye procedures that are less known, such as the removal of the pterygium and the pinguecuela and the eye whitening surgery or the procedure designed to make the sclera whiter.

Although most the procedures, such as blepharoplasty, are considered safe, it’s still important to ask about the complications and risks of cosmetic eye surgery. Talk to experienced doctors about these procedures, because mistakes and revisions can be costly.

3 Chard Recipes for Picky Eaters

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Chard or Swiss chard may not look palatable but it is high in vitamins and minerals similar to those found in beets. If you want to prepare this healthy veggie for picky eaters at home, here are some fantastic ideas for you.

Chard, Chickpeas and Poached Eggs

  • Ingredients: 2 bunches chard (separate stems and ribs), 1 cup soaked and dried chickpeas, 8 eggs, ¼ cup and 2 tablespoons olive oil, ½ lemon, 3 onions, 2 bay leaves, 6 smashed garlic cloves, 1 fresno chile, 1 teaspoon baharat, 3 tablespoons dried and unsweetened cranberries, 1 tablespoon marjoram leaves, labneh, 2 teaspoons salt, and ground black pepper
  • Preparation: In a pan over medium heat, hear 2 tablespoons oil and cook 1 onion, lemon, and 2 garlic cloves for 4 minutes. Stir in chickpeas, bay leaves, and water until covered. Bring mixture to a boil, making sure to skim the surface, then reduce to a simmer while covered to cook for 30 minutes. Next, add 2 teaspoons salt and simmer for another 10 to 20 minutes. Remove bay leaves, onion, and lemon. In another pan, heat ¼ cup oil over medium heat and cook 1 onion, chile, 4 garlic cloves, salt, and baharat for 8 to 10 minutes. Next, add chard ribs and stems to cook for 5 to 8 minutes. Add the chickpeas and some water until mixture is covered, then bring to a simmer. Add the chard leaves and cranberries then cook for 5 to 8 minutes. Next, crack eggs in indentations and simmer for 10 minutes. Season then cover and cook for another 2 minutes. Serve in a bowl with labneh, marjoram, and pepper.

Sautéed Chard

  • Ingredients: 2 large chard bunches, 3 garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 1 onion, ½ teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar, dried thyme, dried nutmeg, and ground black pepper
  • Preparation: Separate the stems from the leaves of the chard then place the latter in a salad spinner. Fill spinner with water, then wash, drain, and dry. Do the same with the stems. Meanwhile, heat oil in a skillet over medium heat and cook onion, garlic, thyme, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Stir in the chard stems first to cook for 6 to 8 minutes, then add the chard leaves. Stir in 2 tablespoons water then cover skillet to cook for 2 to 4 minutes. Remove cover then stir until cooked for another 1 to 3 minutes. Serve with a sprinkling of balsamic vinegar.

Chard and Tahini Dip

  • Ingredients: 1 ½ pounds chard, 5 garlic cloves, 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, ½ cup tahini, 1/3 cup lemon juice, salt, lemon wedges, and toasted flatbread
  • Preparation: While toasting the flatbread, trim the stems and ribs of the chard and tear leaves into bite-sized pieces. Next, heat 1/3 cup olive oil in a pot over medium heat then cook the chard stems and ribs first for 5 to 7 minutes. Add a teaspoon of water to avoid burning the stems if necessary. Then, stir in garlic to cook for 1 minute before adding the chard leaves. Cook while stirring for 10 to 12 minutes. When done, squeeze out excess liquid into a clean glass. Transfer the mixture into a food processor with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, lemon juice, tahini, salt, and 1/3 cup olive oil. Process until creamy. Add more of the cooking liquid you squeezed out if necessary. To serve, pour into a bowl then drizzle with olive oil. Serve with the flatbread and lemon wedges.

Introduction to the 6th Generation of Video Game Consoles

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By this time in gaming history, the competitors are narrowed down to fewer companies willing to take risk in the industry. But this was also the time when focus shifted to overall gaming experience and graphics. If you are a beginner, you can still find the consoles and most of the games in retro game shops in Singapore from this generation.

Dreamcast

Sega’s Dreamcast was its last major console, which is a shame because the system is now appreciated for its impressive games. It has a SuperH SH-4 CPU which clocks in at 200 MHz, 16 MB SDRAM, 8 MB video RA, and 2 MB sound RAM. If you want to plug in the system, remember that is supports VGA, SCART, s-video, and composite. It also had its own online service but was not backwards compatible with previous Sega systems. The bestselling title for Dreamcast was Sonic Adventure, but the system has a lot of great games to collect.

PlayStation 2

Currently the bestselling console of all time, the PS2 killed it with its lineup of excellent first-party and third-party games one of which, GTA: San Andreas was its bestseller. The PS2 has MIPS engine which runs at 294 MHz, 32 MB RDRAM, 4 MB video RAM, and 3 MB sound RAM. It supports both DVDs and CDs and is backwards compatible with all original PlayStation games.

GameCube

This cute little box has a PowerPC Gekko which runs at 485 MHz, 24 MB 1T-SRAM, 16 MB DRAM, 3 MB 1t-SRAM, and is backwards compatible with Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance Games. Its bestselling title was Super Smash Bros. Melee.

Xbox

The most powerful console in this generation, the Xbox has an Intel Celeron/PIII custom hybrid which runs at an impressive 733 MHz and a custom NVIDIA NV2A GPU. It also has 64 MB unified DDR SDRAM and great online service. Its bestselling title was Halo 2.

Nokia N-Gage

Not many people remember the N-Gage but it is collectible today because of its rarity. It supports a multimedia card, runs with s Symbian S60 OS, had its online service, and a CPU of 32-bit RISC which runs at 104 MHz. It can support up to 176 x 208 resolution and has a 3.4 MB internal storage.

Game Boy Advance

The Game Boy variations continued into the sixth generation, attesting to its lasting legacy. The variations included the Game Boy Advance SP and Game Boy Micro if you want to complete the set. GBA had overall better hardware than its predecessors with an ARM7TDMI CPU which runs at 16.8 MHz, 32 KB plus 96 KB VRAM, 240 x 160 resolution, and backwards compatibility with pervious Game Boys.

There were four other handhelds released during this period including SwanCrystal, Tapwave Zodiac, Neo Geo Pocket Color, and GP32.

What are the Treatments for Skin Cancer?

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Treatment of different types of skin cancer will depend on the location of the cancer cells and the progress of the condition. Among the most common skin cancers, such as squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma and melanoma, treatment is often more effective with early detection. Some treatments might include surgery, laser therapy, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, topical treatments, biological therapy, and photodynamic therapy.

If left untreated, the cancer cells can affect the surrounding tissue and metastasize, especially if the individual has chronic inflammatory skin issues.

Squamous and Basal Cell Carcinomas

The recommended treatments for squamous and basal cell carcinomas include the following:

  • Excision is the removal of the abnormal growth so that the sample can be sent to a laboratory to confirm that it is cancerous. Scarring is also treated after the procedure depending on the size of the removed tumor.
  • Topical Medications such as imiquimod and 5-flourouracil may be recommended, but the side-effects are considered before the doctor can hand a prescription.
  • Mohs Surgery is the removal of the visible tumor and the thin layer of tissue surrounding it. The procedure is repeated if there are cancer cells in the surrounding tissue, making sure to leave as many healthy tissues as possible.
  • Cryosurgery is the destruction of the tumor using frozen liquid nitrogen without cutting the lesion. However, it’s not recommended for invasive-type squamous cell cancer and will need several sessions before the patient is declared free from cancer.
  • Curettage and Electrodessication is recommended for small lesions by scraping off the tumor with a curette then burning the affected area with a needle.
  • Radiation is a therapy that uses X-ray beams on the tumors to destroy the cancer cells.
  • Photodynamic Therapy is recommended on growths found on the scalp or the face. The light will destroy only the cancer cells without damaging healthy tissue.
  • Targeted Therapy is recommended for advanced stages of basal cell carcinomas if it can’t be treated with radiation therapy and surgery. The patient is given targeted drugs such as sonidegib and vismodegib so that the abnormal growths will shrink.

Melanomas

Treatment of melanoma will usually depend on the stage and location of the cancer.

  • Stage 0 melanomas often require wide excision surgery or if it’s not possible, radiation therapy and the application of imiquimod cream.
  • Stage 1 melanoma is also treated with wide excision surgery on the affected area, as well as sentinel lymph node biopsy and dissection and adjuvant treatment after the procedure.
  • Stage 2 melanoma is also treated with wide excision surgery, sentinel lymph node biopsy and dissection, interferon treatment after surgery, and other medications.
  • Stage 3 melanoma requires wide excision surgery, lymph node dissection, interferon therapy, radiation therapy, removal of lymph vessels, vaccines and other medications, isolated limb perfusion, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and chemotherapy.
  • Stage 4 melanoma will require removal of affected areas such as enlarged lymph nodes and skin tumors. If some organs are already affected, the individual will need radiation, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, or chemotherapy.

Diet Guide for Diabetics

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One of the most difficult experiences of a diabetic is choosing the right food to eat. There are so many restrictions to the diet that some patients feel deprived of the good stuff. However, once you understand what you are getting from your food, it will be easier to choose the ingredients and to prepare the food.

Healthy Eating Tips

  • Consult your team of doctors if you’re planning to start a new diet or if you need a new diet plan
  • Don’t skip meals if you’re trying to lose weight, instead, eat regular meals evenly spaced out everyday
  • You might need snacks in between meals if you are taking insulin
  • Generally, you are advised to eat avoid meals that are high in fats and sodium
  • No single diet plan will work for everyone, and even children and adults with diabetes have different needs
  • Remember these three nutrients that will impact your blood glucose levels: proteins, fats, and carbohydrates
  • Always choose non-starchy vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, and lean meat, poultry, and fish

Counting Carbohydrates

One of the most important considerations to keep in mind is the amount of energy that you will burn and the matching amount of food taken daily. The effect of carbohydrates on your body will depend on the type and the amount of carbohydrates.

That doesn’t mean, however, that you should avoid carbohydrates completely, but you should maintain your energy levels with the right amount of carbohydrates. Doctors will usually advise you to pick food that have low glycemic index (or the duration of the digestion of carbohydrates to glucose), but are high in fiber content.

Fats

You will be advised to limit your fat intake, because it increases the chances of gaining weight even if it will not directly affect your blood sugar level. You’re not supposed to go for a fat-free diet either, because fats can help you to control the feeling of hunger. You will be advised to avoid animal fat, and pick monounsaturated fats instead.

Protein

Your body needs protein to repair itself, so don’t worry about avoiding your favorite cheese or meat, because proteins can’t break down into glucose and affect your blood sugar level. As long as you don’t have allergies and food intolerances, you can still eat eggs, fish, tofu, seeds and nuts, milk, lentils, legumes, and yoghurt.

Sugar

You don’t necessarily need to avoid sugar, but you need to be careful about its sources, such as added sugars and alternative sweeteners. You can occasionally have high-sugar food, but you should limit these snacks to not more than 3 times a week.

Alcohol and Sweet Drinks

You can still drink alcoholic beverages and sweet drinks as long as your doctor permits it. Limit alcohol to not more than 2 glasses per day and your sweet drinks to low joule or diet types. Beverages such as coffee, tea, herbal tea, and soda water are okay as long as you don’t use artificial sweeteners.

How to Care for Herbivorous Aquarium Fish

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Nutritional deficiencies and failure to keep a stable water condition in the tank are two of the most common causes of fish mortality. Even when you’re keeping a tank of herbivorous aquarium fish, it is important to monitor how often and how much they eat, and the quality of the water.

  1. Get to Know the Species

When purchasing aquarium fish, you need to consider the care requirements for each particular species by asking or researching about their feeding habits, territoriality, mating, and tolerance to different water conditions. With those things in mind, it will be easier to build a tank that will create the most ideal conditions for the fish. Herbivorous fish for example, have elongated guts but no stomach, therefore making them incapable of digesting large amounts of meat. There isn’t a true herbivore fish, but its daily protein intake should be limited to no more than 5%.

  1. Get to Know the Feeding Habits

It’s not only important to distinguish which are carnivores, omnivores, and herbivores, but you also have to determine which fish are surface feeders, bottom feeders, and mid-water feeders. This is crucial when you’re planning to place different species within a single tank, because some of your pets might not get enough nutrition they need during feeding. That is also why there are different forms of fish food in pet shops to accommodate these various feeding habits.

  1. Diet Requirements

A herbivore will require vitamins and minerals, proteins, fiber, and fat just like the carnivores and omnivores, but there is a difference in the amounts needed for each. A herbivorous aquarium fish will need 15% to 30% protein, 2% to 6% fiber, and 1% to 3% fat to be healthy. Adult fish need less protein than younger fish, because they cannot utilize the excess and will only be excreted as ammonia. Other fish that can thrive in cool water temperatures also need less protein, because they have slower metabolism.

  1. Fish Food Options

Herbivorous fish can get the right amount of nutrients with flake and pellet food made specifically for them, but these are usually low in fiber, which is why you should not rely solely on commercial fish food. Freeze-dried food can provide nutrients not found in pellets and flakes and are also safe from diseases. Frozen food for fish are also good substitutes and are safe because they are not processed like commercial fish food.

You can also feed your pet algae wafers or Spirulina, Sushi Nori, cucumber, iceberg lettuce, zucchini, tinned peas, blanched curly lettuce, carrots, and sweet potato. Some species also need wood in their diet, that is why item #1 in this article is important. Finally, the key to keeping herbivorous fish healthy is variety in the food they eat, therefore, complement their usual diet with other plant matter and micro food.

How to Care for Carnivorous Aquarium Fish

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Keeping carnivorous fish can be challenging, because they can develop health problems if their feeding requirements and exercise needs are not met. There is even a difference in feeding requirements between solitary carnivores and species that are more intelligent, as well as among saltwater and freshwater fish.

What can you do as a responsible pet owner to keep your fish healthy and happy?

Research About the Species

Before you even purchase a carnivorous aquarium fish, you need to thoroughly research about its feeding and housing requirements. That wolf fish might look impressive to you, but are you certain that you can take care of it properly? How many fish can you place in the same tank with it? What type of food does it eat and how often? How big should a tank be for that species? Once you’ve found the right one for you, stick to one species first if it’s your first time with a carnivorous aquarium fish.

Necessary Diet Components

A carnivorous fish primarily eats other fish, crustacean, insects, and insect larvae. They need more protein than the omnivores and herbivores to be healthy; specifically, their diet should consist of a minimum of 40% protein and some plant-based food. Other essential diet components should include fats, vitamins (vitamin B1, B2, B6, and C), minerals (phosphorus and calcium), and a limited amount of carbohydrates.

Gut-Loading of Live Food

Gut-loading simply means feeding live food with healthy food. The live food for your carnivorous fish consists of feeder fish and insects, that you will need to raise to feed your pet fish, so that whatever vitamins and minerals are ingested by the live food will be ingested by your pet as well. Some of the food you can feed to insects and feeder fish include algae wafers, vegetables, and spirulina flakes.

Proper Amount of Food

How much and how often you feed your pet fish will also affect its health. Remember that these types of fish have short digestive tracts and do not need to eat often like humans do. Overfeeding can result to obesity and substrate buildup in the aquarium. Ideally, you should not feed your fish with food that’s more than 3% of their total weight, but to be doubly sure, feed them only the amount they can consume within 5 minutes.

Types of Food for Carnivorous Fish

These are some of the healthy food for your carnivorous fish:

  • Fish: goldfish and guppy
  • Shrimp: brine shrimp and shrimp meal from cull shrimp
  • Insects: small crustaceans, mosquito larvae, white worms, bloodworms, micro worms, and tubifex worms
  • Fish Meal: anchovies, Pollack, and herring

Sometimes, you can also feed your fish with cooked beef, lamb, ham, poultry, and venison. Never feed these as raw, because they carry diseases, and avoid salted, processed, flavored, and fatty meat like bacon. Then there is also a difference between freshwater and saltwater fish eating habits, that is why it’s not a good idea to offer freshwater feeder fish to saltwater fish because of the risk of developing health problems.

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.