Singapore Consumer Interest Group

If you’re like most people, chances are that you don’t think about your own brain very much – but when you find yourself stuck doing things that need more “brain power”, you find yourself wondering what you can do. Well, worry no more.

Studies have recently found that your brain can change depending on what you choose to do out of habit. Like the muscles in your body, your brain needs to be used and trained in order for you to be intelligent in one particular area.

Here are a few simple habits you can take up that will help you increase your thinking capacity to do more tasks better:

1. Let your curiosity roam.
Instead of taking things at face value, keep asking questions. From the answer, you can ask another question to explain why the answer is the way that it is. Start questioning things you encounter every day, such as products and services that you come into contact with.

By forcing yourself to do this, you also force your brain to start thinking of answers “outside the box”.

2. Ditch the calculator.
The best and worst part about the calculator is that it makes it too easy for us to figure out sums, products, quotients, and so on, and frees us up to make big transactions faster.

While this is great for a lot of daily transactions and saves up time by clearing out a lot of disputes, a calculator can just as easily be a crutch that could limit you from using your brain to answer simple Math questions.

3. Read a book.
Reading a book is perhaps the best way for you to challenge your mind. Not only does it relieve tension and stress after a long day, but you also train your ability to focus, especially when you’re reading a difficult text.

Using your imagination also lets you train your brain to visualize or “picture out” what you’re reading.

4. Get enough sleep.
Your brain’s processing capacity is at its best when you’ve had the appropriate amount of sleep your body needs. For children, adolescents, and teenagers, that number may be up to nine hours a day, while adults need between seven and eight hours of sleep on average.

Even though you think you can function normally with only four hours of sleep (or even less), not getting enough sleep can have negative effects on your whole body, not just your brain.

At the end of the day, keep in mind that a sharp brain comes from small steps, hard work, and a determination to improve – you don’t need to try to do or be everything at once.

However, you do need to commit yourself to making progress. And that’s what matters.

There’s a good chance that you haven’t had a good night’s sleep – and when you’re already working, this becomes something to deal with on a regular basis. And if the coffee machine is down at work and there’s no access to coffee anytime soon, you’ll be stuck looking for ways to stay awake without feeling groggy and dozing off.

Here are a few easy steps you can take to keep yourself from falling asleep, especially if you can’t get access to a sip of your much-needed energy-boosting coffee:

1. Increase your visual stimulation
The first thing you can do to keep yourself from falling asleep is by not letting your body produce melatonin, which is the chemical neurotransmitter that signals your brain that it’s time to go to sleep.

Melatonin is produced even more in dim environments with low light, which means that to avoid falling asleep, you need to keep your environment as bright as possible.

You can do this by letting as much natural light into the room as possible, such as opening the windows in the morning or turning on the lights at work to make things brighter and easier to see.

2. Drink lots of water
Dehydration is another factor that can leave you feeling even more sluggish and sleepy throughout the day, so be sure to have a bottle of water within reach.

Having some snacks can also help to give you the energy to coast through, as long as you don’t eat too much in one sitting.

Avoid foods that are high in carbohydrates and sugar – they may give you a short-term burst of energy, but once it subsides, you will start to feel even more drained than before you consumed them. Instead, stick to healthy snacks, such as nuts and fruits.

3. Splash cold water on your face
Exposure to different temperatures makes your body adjust to regulate its own. For instance, when it’s hot outside, your body responds by sweating to keep cool. In the same way, when your body encounters something cold, it responds by raising its temperature.

You can do this to improve your mood and make you more alert during the day, and all you need is a quick bathroom break to get you back in action.

4. Go for a walk
Moving around distributes the lactic acids in your muscles, raises your internal temperature, and gets your blood moving.

If all else fails, you can always try stretching or going out of your cubicle for a short walk. If you can’t do that, you can move more discreetly by wiggling your feet, scrunching your toes, or crossing your legs.

In Singapore, taking care of your air conditioning system is very important especially because of the hot and humid climate. Even so, many of us tend to neglect or forget to take care of our aircon units. Whether at home or in the office, a faulty air conditioning system will be a great inconvenience. That’s why we should pay more attention to aircon maintenance and care.

Here, then, are two important reasons why you should consider having regular aircon servicing:

To avoid damage

Having issues because of defective compressor? Getting annoyed with your air conditioner not cooling? Many problems will arise if you don’t contact a technician from Singapore for regular aircon servicing. To better explain, here are some parts of an AC and how it will affect the unit if they are damaged:

• Compressor – The compressor is responsible for pushing warm air into the condenser coil and also pushing the cold air out from the aircon. You can already imagine how having a defective compressor will negatively affect the whole functionality of your aircon.

• Coils – The coils and the compressor function together. The evaporator and condenser coils make it possible for the heat exchange process to complete. Hence, you can be sure that dirty coils will interfere with this process.

• Coolant – Coolant, as the name suggests, is the substance that actually creates and regulates the cool air. Usually, you won’t need to change the coolant of your aircon. There are times, though, when leakages can occur. Having insufficient coolant will, of course, mean that your unit will not be able to produce cold air.

• Thermostat – A faulty thermostat can be annoying to deal with, especially if your office in Singapore utilizes a shared air cooling system. The thermostat is basically the device that controls your centralized aircon system. You use the thermostat to turn the AC ON or OFF, to adjust the temperatures, and etc. So, if there’s trouble with your thermostat and you must fix your cooling system, call only a professional aircon repair man.

You’ll save money

When we say regular servicing, that doesn’t mean you have to do it every month. A lot of people assume it’s like this and they end up thinking that regular air conditioning services will be costlier. At least once every three months should be good enough, that’s about 4 times a year. Keeping an upkeep AC will save you a lot of money in the long-term. You’ll also cut the cost of aircon servicing if you know how to keep your AC units in good shape.

You can even do air conditioner cleaning on your own if you want to save a bit more money. Just make sure you know how to do it the right way. Otherwise, you could call for home AC repair and maintenance services.

All in all, keeping a clean AC is key to increasing an air conditioning system’s lifespan. Although there can be unpredictable circumstances that can damage your AC, don’t worry and call for aircon servicing. Doesn’t matter if it’s to install, maintain, or fix cooling system, they’ll be able to do it for you.

Using a lot of appliances and gadgets at home make us forget that we need a safe and constant power supply. Unless something goes wrong, we take for granted even basic maintenance of our electric lines and fixtures. If you are willing to invest in high-tech appliances and gadgets, then you should also contact a trusted electrician services company to guarantee the safety of your home.

• Undergrounded or Old Electrical Outlets. Have you noticed that a lot of modern gadgets have three-prong plugs? That is because a three-prong outlet is a grounded outlet that minimizes fire hazards. Although there are still a lot of appliances that use a two-prong outlet, it is not advised to use ungrounded outlets that are not protected from power surges. You should have your outlets upgraded by a licensed electrician if this is the case.

• Outdated or Faulty Wiring. Old apartments and buildings in Singapore can have outdated electrical service and wiring that cannot sustain the needs of modern equipment. An indication of this is constant power failure due to frequent circuit break trips. Your appliances are also giving off excessive heat whenever you use them, or you experience shocks or see sparks whenever you plug one in. Do not attempt to upgrade the electrical sources yourself; call a power voltage engineer in Singapore instead. While you may have been taught some basic electrician lessons in school, upgrading outlets and your main power source require proper knowledge and experience.

• Extension Cords. If you do not have enough outlets in your apartment, do not rely too much on the use of extension cords. This can cause overloading in the circuit. A safe and permanent solution would be to contact a cabling technician who can safely re-wire and install power point switches and outlets.

• Light Fixtures Misuse. Even the failure to understand the differences between the outlet capacity and the light bulb wattage can cause fires. If you notice that you have been replacing dimming bulbs more frequently, then you should call a licensed electrician to inspect the wiring. Maybe the problem is not the new bulb you just placed but faulty wiring. If you notice similar problems in other areas of the apartment complex, chances are, the building has not been inspected by a commercial electrical contractor for years. Talk to your landlord about an inspection and upgrade.

• Outlet Overloading. Do you know how many gadgets you can plug into your electrical outlets before it overloads? You should, because overloading can lead to office electrical problems but, more importantly, it is also a common cause of fires. Always check the current rating of the gadget before using it and have a licensed electrician in Singapore check your premise for lay office wires and malfunctioning electrical sockets. Never tamper with the electrical works yourself if you think you need more wiring and power outlets.

• Warm Outlets and Switches. If you notice that your electrical outlets or switches are warm to the touch, it could be a result of four different problems: one, plug or charger of the gadget itself isn’t working and needs to be replaced. Second, maybe there are a lot of appliance used at the same time. If this is the case, call a home electric handyman to upgrade your electric wiring. Third, maybe the wiring itself is damaged. Unplug all the appliances and call a 24 hour electrician, because this is considered an emergency. Fourth, maybe there is a lot of demand on the circuit or you are using the incorrect breaker or fuse size. Call your trusted electrician services company have it inspected.

The use of contraception in Singapore is legal as long as you have a prescription from your doctor and you’re over 16 years old. Emergency contraception is likewise legal as long as you’re also of legal age and you have a prescription. But, do you know the difference between contraception and emergency contraception, and what are the different birth control methods available for you and your partner?

1. Male Condom. These are usually made of latex, but if one of you is allergic to the material, there are other options such as condoms made from polyurethane. The condom is the cheapest contraceptive device and it’s also easy to use because you just have to unroll it over the penis. You don’t need to get a prescription from your doctor unlike the other contraceptive devices listed below.
2. Spermicide. This is a chemical designed to kill off the sperms and must be used along with other contraceptive devices such as the male condom, the diaphragm, and the cervical cap.
3. Diaphragm. This is a dome-shaped device that is placed in the vagina to cover the cervix. It is inconvenient to use, because you will also need a spermicide for this to be effective, plus you are also at risk of getting infections and toxic shock.

4. Cervical Cap. Like the diaphragm, you will also need a spermicide if you’re planning to use a cervical cap, which is a thimble-shaped cap placed over the cervix.
5. Birth Control Pill. There are two types of oral contraceptives available, such as the progestin-only, oestrogen, and a combination of the two. Some women suffer from side-effects such as mood swings, nausea, and headaches. It’s also not effective if you forget to take the pills everyday.
6. Intra-Uterine Device. The IUD is a T-shaped device that must be implanted in the uterus, which can last for up to 10 years. However, it can cause menstrual cramps and is only recommended for women who have already given birth.

7. Hormone Implants. This is a rod that needs to be implanted in your upper arm so that the hormone progestin is released to affect the cervical mucus. It is not recommended, however, for women who are overweight, those who are suffering from other medical conditions, and women who are on medication.
8. Female Condom. This condom looks like a pouch that must be placed in the vagina. Some women might experience irritation, so it’s better for the male to use a male condom instead.
9. Emergency Contraception. Also called the “morning after pill,” this is taken to prevent pregnancy and is effective for 3 to 5 days after an unprotected intimate encounter.

Some doctors also advice abstinence or withdrawal as safer options if you and your partner are averse to using the devices listed above. Remember that both of you must decide and to not force the other to use contraceptives if the person will not agree.

Diabetes is a chronic illness that has no cure to date, and often results in other medical complications that are life-threatening. However, the disease manifests differently in some patients as type 1 or type 2 diabetes.

Causes and Symptoms of Type 1 Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is not like type 2 diabetes, because the latter results in the destruction of the beta cells (found in the pancreas) that produce insulin. Type 2 diabetes isn’t an autoimmune disease, but the body will lose the ability to respond to insulin in a condition known as insulin resistance. Over time, the body will try to produce more insulin and destroy the cells in the pancreas that produce the hormone. In short, type 1 diabetics cannot produce insulin, while type 2 diabetics can produce insulin but don’t respond to or utilize it.

Symptoms of diabetes include the following: excessive thirst and hunger, slow-healing wounds, blurred vision, lethargy, passing more urine, leg cramps, changes in weight, headaches, and dizziness.

Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes Differences
Both types of diabetes are marked by the high sugar levels in the bloodstream, but the causes and the progression of the disease are different. The public usually perceives a diabetic as overweight and inactive, but according to studies, most people with diabetes are not overweight although it can be a factor in the development of the disease. Doctors are still unclear about the causes of diabetes, but there are ways to distinguish which diabetes type a person has.

These are the differences between types 1 and 2 diabetes.

• Type 2 diabetes is usually diagnosed in patients older than 30 years, but there are always exceptions.
• Type 2 diabetes is usually associated with being overweight, although that is not the only determining factor.
• Type 2 diabetes is often associated with high cholesterol levels and high blood pressure.
• Type 2 diabetics usually do not need medication during the initial treatment, and it is also possible to stop medicating.
• Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in childhood, but adults can have it too.
• Type 1 diabetes is not tied to excess body weight.
• Type 1 diabetes is connected to high levels of ketone.
• Type 1 diabetes must be treated with insulin pump or injections for life.
• Type 1 diabetes will need medication because the person might not survive without insulin.

Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is treated with oral medications to make the insulin in the body more effective. Some people will need insulin injections if the body has low sensitivity to insulin and if there is beta cell failure.

The doctor will discuss with you how to control your blood glucose level so that it doesn’t fall too low or get too high and to avoid complications as well. You must come up with a diet and exercise plan to keep the blood glucose steady, and make changes in your lifestyle in general.

It’s an open secret for girls geographically anywhere to have a certain knack for shopping. And what better way to give in to that almost primal inkling than to shop for clothes?

If you’re basically able to have that handsome dough to burn, then that’s more than okay. But what’s next in this almost knee-jerk reflex is the space to contain them in our homes. If your shopping habits require a walk-in wardrobe you don’t have, then you have a tiny problem on the verge of bursting.

So before you fill your household with items you just can’t help but purchasing, and clothes you have yet to wear, here are a few tips to help you keep those treasures right where you can conveniently find them:

1. Tie your scarves using a hanger
Whenever the air grows chilly or you just simply need a back-up source of warmth if you’re out for a long night, scarves are always a go-to option. You may have a myriad of options from color to type of material, but what is more important is you know where to find them when you need them.

However, since they’re a bit irregular in shape, you just can’t mix them with the usual items in your closet, making them lost in the jumble of your outfits. So to remedy this, you can tie them according to color or type of material around a hanger, for four or five pieces per hanger.

2. Organize your outfits in advance
If you spend excruciating and unnecessary time figuring out your OOTD whether at work or at school, then you just have to save those precious minutes. After hopping out of the bath, each minute counts. So to help you save time, organize your clothes ahead of time whether it be a few days before or at least a night before school or work.
Hang your clothes with labels for each day, that way you won’t have to rummage into each one of your clothes every single morning. You might want to get ahead in the OOTD department but your performance says otherwise. So keep your game up, both in terms of OOTD and punctuality.

3. Hang your shorts using shower rings
When the summer heat starts to creep in, those jeans might want to take a backseat in your closet. Unless your itinerary for the day includes formal appointments, shorts are indeed a good option to beat the heat.
However, sometimes your options just aren’t organized the way you want them to be, narrowing down your choices to a few select, easy-to-reach-for shorts. So to save your OOTDs, hang your shorts in your closet using shower rings. That way, you can see each one of them as you scan your closet.

4. Maximize hanger space
For outfits extra-sensitive to creases, you might want to just hang them instead of folding them in your closet. The catch here is that your rack might just run out of space for them. So to save space, use those tabs from soda cans (originally used to hold straws) and slip them along the neck of the hanger. That way you’d have two or three hangers dangling from the same corner of your rail.

Sometimes you can’t help but give in to your impulse of purchasing just one more blouse, one more pair of shoes or yet another shade of nail polish in a shade you honestly don’t have (nude is different from old rose right?) so don’t be surprised to find your room a little bit out of space. Your belongings just tend to grow more and more every time you come home from the store.

So to help you tidy up your room and of course to finally get to use those items you’ve bought months ago, here are a few tips to organize your closet:

1. Stack shirts upright
Most of our shirts don’t necessarily need any hanging up when stowed inside our closets. It’s a given that since they don’t crease that much, they could readily go to drawers. A good way to stack them is to do so upright. This way, you get to see which shirts are available for use and you won’t have to rummage deep inside those stacks. This method also minimizes creases for those shirts with material hoarding inevitable wrinkles. So to save time when you’re in a rush to dress up, this arrangement will surely help you get to your appointment in no time.

2. Organize your underwear drawer with shoe boxes
There are clothing items too tiny to mix with our usual outfits. So to avoid them getting lost in all the tangle, make sure to place them in separate drawers for easy access. But even inside those drawers they could somehow get lost too. To save time and effort, use shoe boxes to separate your undies from each kind, color or even material. Straps won’t get tangled, garters won’t get stretched once you struggle to pull them out. This is a handy trick to get to see those undies with just a single open of your chest drawers.

3. Roll-up is still in the loop
So if you’ve heard of the rolling up method for packing your suitcases, this also does the same trick for your drawers. It effectively saves up space for your clothes and it’s also easy to find where each item is. You can organize your clothes by color if you’d like, to make them easy on the eyes to every time you open your drawers.

4. Organize gift boxes for your socks
If you’ve tried losing at least one pair of your socks then welcome to the club. It’s always an agony when you can’t find the other pair of your favorite socks. So to save yourself from the hassle, place those gift boxes you’ve received over the holidays or birthdays and put those sock where you can easily find them. No more forever-alone socks.

In today’s world, the delivery of goods has evolved to be quite the industry. With international freight and shipments being delivered around Singapore and worldwide, it’s very easy to move things from one place to another. Or is it? Not exactly! There are a lot of documentation requirements, you might find damaged cargo, there may even be lost containers. These are only some of the problems one may encounter. Fortunately for us, there’s something called freight forwarding.

So, what is a freight forwarding service?

A freight forwarder is a person or company that arranges storage and organise shipment of products for their clients. They also provide other services like tracking cargo, negotiating shipping fees and other charges, and overall managing import and export goods. It is important to note, though, that they are not the ones who do the delivery of goods themselves. They, instead are the ones who transact with carriers in your behalf.

A freight forwarding agent in Singapore has a sharp understanding and broad knowledge about how to ship goods overseas, which includes the shipping regulations, delivery charges and important requirements. He/she will organize the cargo handling and act as a mediator between their clients and different transportation services. They can settle with a transportation carrier for the best prices and the best route for the transfer of goods, to ensure a quick and cost-efficient delivery.

There are also many ways freight can be delivered.

Air freight

The delivery of time-sensitive cargo which require fast and easy transport is made possible through air freight. The logistics service offered by a forwarding company is also involved here because they are able to track the cargo and give you updates on it.

Sea freight

Transporting large shipping containers or even general cargo may also be done with freight by sea. Well, oversized cargo can only really be transported through the sea, obviously because planes won’t be able to carry them.

For land, of course, there are also other modes of freight transport: rail freight and road freight.

Why should you employ a forwarding service?

First of all, there is a document called the bill of lading. It is a legal document in the form of a receipt between the shipper and carrier, which contains a detailed list of the shipment of goods. This is important for security and proper transport of your goods.

Forwarders also set relationships with carriers they trust, so cargo handling should not be much of a worry for you as a client. And like what was said earlier, forwarders will always negotiate with these carriers regarding the best things you can take for a safe, cost effective, and fast transport.

A freight forwarding company may also be involved as (or with) a logistics company, meaning it has the ability to track your cargo and update you on its location.

Employing the aid of freight forwarding services can easily help you save time and unnecessary stress. A good freight forwarder will assist you with everything you need to know for the efficient transportation of your goods.