Vitamin A –

Powerful antioxidant that helps combat effects of aging, illness and other stresses on the body. It also plays a key role in keeping your eyes healthy (especially preventing night blindness).

Vitamin B1 –

Helpful in healing/treating anemia, heart disease, diabetes and some neurological disorders. Also sharpens the mind to some extent.

Vitamin B2 –

Very important to athletes, as B2 is an important antioxidant that fights the free radicals created during intense exercise. It is also believed to have certain cancer-preventive qualities.

Vitamin B3 –

Preserves and protects the skin, nervous system, cardiovascular system and digestive system. Works as an all-around pollutant-fighter and may help diabetes sufferers.

Vitamin B5 –

Like this article? Click the ‘Share’ below and share it with your friends. Vitamins A, C and E are known as antioxidants that can help prevent cancer. But taking excessive amounts of vitamin C can cause diarrhoea, or worse, kidney stones. Similarly, too much vitamin A can lead to serious health risks, including damage to the liver.

This is because the body absorbs some vitamins – such as A and E – and minerals only slowly. Taking more than the daily recommended levels can lead to a steady buildup of these substances in the liver and fatty tissues which increase the risk of amounts reaching toxic levels. Water-soluble vitamin C is flushed out of the body when too much is consumed.

The next time you’re having a bad day (or week or month) take heart: you can perk up your mood quickly and simply. According to experts, life circumstances account for only 10% of happiness. Half depends on your genetic “set point,” which is kind of like the weight your body bounces back to after a crash diet. And about 40% of your happiness is influenced by what you do deliberately to make yourself. Here are a few easy tricks to try:

1. Flip through Old Photos

When you’re feeling down, break out your kids’ baby albums or pics from your favorite vacation. It may actually make you feel happier than a square of chocolate would! That’s what researchers at the United Kingdom’s Open University found after they examined how much people’s moods rose after eating a chocolate snack, sipping an alcoholic drink, watching TV, listening to music, or looking at personal photos.

You’ve spent the last 4 hours sat at your desk staring at a spreadsheet and rushing to meet a tight deadline. You’ve forgotten to take your morning break or even wander over to the water cooler to grab a drink. You do have a half drunk cup of coffee on your desk but you can’t remember making it so can only assume it is from last night when you were working late. Although you fancy a drink, you’re not yet that desperate. Ok, so this may be a little extreme but does any of it sound familiar?

If you work in an office chances are that at some point you’ve found yourself feeling drained and tired, even though all you’ve done all day is sit at your desk. Here you’ll find some great tips to help you stay alert and working to maximum capacity.

Like this article? Click the ‘Share’ below and share it with your friends. If you are pregnant and have diabetes, whether type 1, 2 or gestational diabetes, there are risks to you and your baby, according to Dr Abel Soh, Associate Consultant, Department of Endocrinology, SGH.

You may be at risk of:

• having a large baby (weighing more than 4kg), which could mean a difficult delivery, or delivery by Caesarean section
• having a miscarriage (if you have pre-existing diabetes) or stillbirth
• aggravating existing diabetes-related problems of the eyes and kidneys developing high blood pressure and excess protein in the urine, a condition known as pre-eclampsia, in the later half of pregnancy
• developing type 2 diabetes (two to three times more likely than other women) after pregnancy