We eat comfort food to make ourselves feel better and to get some instant gratification. However, this gratification is only temporary, and will often leave you tempted for more. Worse, comfort foods (like chocolate and cookies) tend to be high in sugar, starch and fat, and can be bad for your health.

Convinced enough to want to avoid comfort food? Here are some tips:

Tip #1 — Question yourself before eating

The next time you find yourself reaching for some comfort food, ask yourself whether you are truly hungry. Think about what exactly it is that you feel — is it hunger, or is it something else like boredom or anger? If you realize that you don't actually feel hungry, accept it and address the issue at hand instead, such as the cause of your anger or unhappiness.

Try going for a walk or a jog to kill boredom or to release your emotions. Not only is this a healthier way to get rid of the negative emotions you feel, it is also a good exercise that will leave you feeling satisfied and

Does calcium really build strong bones? (Getty Images)

Would you agree that one of the things that makes ladies different from men is that they are, in general, better listeners?

This is a wonderful character trait. However, it can be taken advantage of by the media to sell methods and products that may be more hype than useful information.

One of the fallacies that is often spread is that calcium is the sole key to bone health, especially for ladies and especially as they age. Supplement and dairy producers have made millions on this assumption.

While calcium is an important mineral, there are many factors that can affect it's effectiveness, and how much calcium you eat is just one of them.

You can take in all the calcium supplements in the world, but if the rest of the system is not in balance it won't help your bone strength much.

First, you want to avoid loss of calcium.

One major factor in calcium loss from bone is excessive acidity. This comes in many forms, usually from carbonated drinks (its the phosphoric acid!), excessive

Your office photocopier is not devoid of health risks (Thinkstock photo)

Photocopiers are oh-so-essential in the modern office. But as we focus on the machines' sleek design, high-performance functionality and good quality printing, we neglect to consider how potentially risky they can be — to our health.

"Workers are using these office machines every single day. Yet not many realise that, under certain circumstances, they can bring on health problems, especially in those with pre-existing respiratory conditions" observes Dr Chew Huck Chin, Associate Consultant, Department of Respiratory and Critical Care, Singapore General Hospital (SGH).

Photocopiers create ozone gas

Ozone, a form of oxygen, is a normal constituent of the earth's atmosphere. It's a highly reactive, unstable, colourless gas with a distinctive odour.

"Photocopiers create ozone through their "corona wires" that apply a charge to the paper so the ink will cling to it," explains Chew. "As ozone is highly reactive, any adverse health effects will be found essentially at the sites of initial

Tips to help you embark on your healthy eating plan (Getty Images)

The first and most important step to getting healthy is to understand and accept that you have to make a change to your lifestyle and eating habits. Once you realize you are ready to make changes to your lifestyle, the next step is to create a plan to follow. This plan should be based on your personal fitness goals.

Creating a plan is an important step in your journey towards fitness and health, and will allow you to be aware of how much sugar and fat you are consuming. Also by making your goals concrete, it will help you be more motivated to stick to the plan. This article gives you some tips to create a personal eating plan.

Tip #1 — Set realistic goals

It a common mistake to set unreasonable goals for yourself, possibly while you are in a moment of inspiration and motivation, or perhaps after hearing about others people's success stories. Doing this can be a huge mistake, as once you find yourself unable to reach the goals you set, you will feel discouraged and might even give up

A balanced diet can provide all of the nutrients you need, but supplements are good options as well. (Getty images)
There are dozens of different supplements on the market today, each produced by numerous different companies. With so many options, how can you tell which supplements are really helpful and which ones are just a waste of money?

In this article, you will read about the vitamin and mineral supplements that can really make a difference in your health.

1. Calcium

Many people around the world do not get enough calcium in their diets. Important for bone development and strength, dental health, muscle contractions and fluid balance, calcium is an essential part of any person's diet. Without proper calcium, bones can be deformed or become easily breakable, leading to osteoporosis and low bone density.

Because calcium is only really found in milk, sardines and other fish containing small edible bones, taking supplements can be very helpful.  It is recommended that children consume at least 1,300 mg calcium per day and adults need at least 1,000 mg calcium per day. Taking a 500 mg supplement

Why it's important to maintain a healthy diet (Getty Images)

If you're one of those people who do not put on weight easily, you're probably the subject of envy of your less-fortunate friends. You might not think twice about eating a bag or two of chips or bars of chocolate as they don't show up on the scale anyway.

But there are other reasons for maintaining a healthy diet apart from weight-loss. Even if you have a naturally high metabolic rate, unhealthy foods you eat now can still affect your health later in life. For example, even if you are not overweight, eating large amounts of saturated fat can increase your risk for heart disease.

Maintaining healthy eating habits is essential to a stronger body and sharper mind. This article discusses how anyone can benefit from switching to a healthier diet.

You are what you eat

The old adage holds true in the long run. Eating healthy food leads to a healthy heart, brain, digestive system and overall body wellness. Furthermore, the human body houses extremely complex processes that require a wide

Young adults are constantly connected to the mobile devices, even while walking. (Thinkstock photo)

Move over, "BlackBerry Thumb". There's a new tech-induced health hazard in town — "text neck" or "iNeck pain".

A term coined by U.S. chiropractor Dr Dean L. Fishman, "text neck" refers to an overuse syndrome or a repetitive stress injury, where you have your head hung forward and down looking at your mobile electronic device for extended periods of time.

Indeed, as mobile technology becomes more widespread, people are spending more and more time with handheld devices like smartphones, e-readers and computer tablets. And "text neck", which can potentially affect millions worldwide, is a growing health concern.

Symptoms of "text neck"

When users are stuck in the unnatural posture of looking down for a prolonged period of time, it can lead to tightness across the shoulders, soreness in the neck and even chronic headaches.

Related video: Advice & tips for neck pain relief

That's because the more you crane your neck, the more weight it has to carry.

Dr Tan Kian Hian, director at the

How unhealthy people can get insured (Getty Images)

Underwriting in the context of insurance refers to the process where insurers assess the risk of an individual applying to take up insurance cover by looking at his medical history and health condition. Unhealthy people will naturally complicate the process, leading to a lot of added paperwork, trouble and complexities.

I am not sure whether Singaporeans are really unhealthy, or it is just through self-selection that I encounter many of such people who only look for insurance when they have health problems. Surprisingly, many of such clients are relatively young people who are supposed to be in the pink of health.

Difficulties in getting insurance coverage

Since I recommend my insurance planning clients to take up beneficial forms of coverage which typically represent less profits and more risk for the insurers, the underwriting process becomes more tedious. Often, a great deal of work is done only for the insurer to decline the case or impose harsh special terms such that it becomes