Wellness

“You are young, you’re happy, and you’re full of life, but being overweight you are a ticking bomb.”

written by Jazzy

“You are young, you’re happy, and you’re full of life, but being overweight you are a ticking bomb.”

Big is Gorgeous founder Sharmilah Begum was offended. She had come to meet Xndo founder Lars Brittsjo to talk about how the Singaporean weight and health management company could collaborate with BIG. At the end of the discussion he had challenged her about the health implications of her own weight.

“When he said that I was a bit upset with him, because I felt that he judged me like everyone else,” Sharmilah said.

“Just because you’re overweight you would always be unhealthy, right? I didn’t tell him I was upset with him, but I felt why is he telling me I’m a ticking bomb, you know? I don’t think I’ll be a ticking bomb, because I’m so active right? I love to eat, but I do exercise.”

Sharmilah dismissed the challenge. Eight years later, the ticking stopped and the explosions began.

A diagnosed diabetic, Sharmilah became sick; very sick. Small infirmities compounded and grew to become major problems. She was hospitalized several times and fought a constant battle with fatigue. The young, happy life she was living gradually disappeared beneath a cloud of pain and infirmity.

“I was going from bad to worse. I was coming out with a lot of things, and all of it was diabetes related,” she said.

“I had a carbuncle on my head that gave me a face stroke. I put a headband on and I wore big glasses. Everyone thought I was looking so diva, but actually I was going through head surgery. Underneath that headband was a bandage and behind those big glasses was a face that had melted down.”

Against doctor’s predictions Sharmilah’s face recovered and movement returned. She remained positive and upbeat, but the sickness continued. She had a second operation on her head, then one on her toe, then her hand. All the while her energy level was diminishing. A sugar and carbohydrate lover, her blood sugar level was three times the healthy range, and her blood pressure was up to a dangerous 200.

She pushed on but the normal demands of life and business often became too much and she’d fall sick again. Friends became worried, and business opportunities were lost. A seemingly continual stream of health conditions embattled her.

Eventually, with diabetes threatening her eyesight and doctors telling her she would go blind, Sharmilah saw Lars on Facebook and contacted him again. When they met, she reminded him of his words.

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To supplement or not to supplement?

written by bigisgorgeous

We have always been told since young that vitamins were good for us, but this knowledge wasn’t always commonly held. It all began in 1912, when the world’s first vitamin was identified and introduced as Thiamine (vitamin B1). Since then, scientists have thoroughly investigated vitamins and nutrients found in fruits, vegetables, meats, whole grains, and dairy.

In the 100 years since then, our understanding of the correlation between vitamins and healthy living has increased dramatically. However, many people do not eat all of the foods that provide them with the vitamins needed for a healthy lifestyle.

In 2010, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a decrease in fruit and vegetable consumption between 2000 and 2009 (CDC 2010). The report showed less than one third of Americans are consuming the recommended two servings of fruit per day, and three servings of vegetables per day. A study published in the August 2012 issue of the British Journal of Nutrition reported vitamins that were poorly consumed in three European countries included vitamins A, D, E, and folic acid (Troesch 2012).

We simply aren’t eating enough fruits and vegetables, one of our primary sources of vitamins and minerals. That is not surprising given that World Health Organization (WHO) recommends at least 5 servings of fruit and vegetables. Given our hectic schedules, it becomes even more challenging for most of us to fulfill the minimum requirement. Even if we do, it might not be enough as we still need to eat a variety of foods in different colors as they each have different nutrients and antioxidants.

When hectic lifestyles make it difficult to consume adequate fruits and vegetables on a consistent basis, a well-formulated dietary supplement can provide “nutritional insurance” to fill the gap in our diets. Supplements should not replace a healthy diet. However, a properly formulated nutritional supplement delivers an important and measurable benefit to human nutrition and health.

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Ups and Downs in Your Mood

written by bigisgorgeous

Brought to you by – DR CHONG YEANG CHERN

Have you received a promotion and pay rise recently? Have you lost your family member, friend or pet? All of us have our good days and bad days. Small mood swings are common and part and parcel of our lives. Mood swing is a noticeable change in one’s mood or emotional state. If the mood swing is extreme and severe, it can interfere with a person’s life.

Mood swings can be due to psychiatric or non psychiatric causes.

Non psychiatric causes

1) Life events – During different phases in our lives such as puberty, pregnancy and menopause, there are hormonal changes and stressors. This can contribute to mood changes. Other forms of life events which can be stressful include relationship problems, marriage, divorce, loss of loved one, financial problems and career changes.

2) Premenstrual syndrome – This is common among ladies in the reproductive age group. It comprises of a multitude of emotional symptoms such as mood swings,
crying spells, irritability, fatigue, poor concentration, food cravings and physical symptoms such as headache, bloatedness, breast tenderness and acne. This may be caused by cyclical changes in hormones and chemical changes in the brain.

3) Medications – Some medicines may cause mood changes for example steroids, anticonvulsants, antidepressants, thyroid medications, hormone replacement therapy.

4) Alcohol – Alcohol is a powerful ‘drug’ that has impact on one’s mood and feelings.

5) Brain Problems – Stroke, brain tumour, dementia and head injury can lead to personality changes and intense mood swings.

6) Thyroid Disease – Hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid gland with excess thyroid hormones) can lead to anxiety and irritability. Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid gland with insufficient thyroid hormones) can lead to fatigue and depression.

7) Chronic medical illnesses – Chronic medical problems can affect a person’s lifestyle, independence, mobility and the person’s self esteem and self perception. Rate of depression associated with chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, Parkinson’s and cancer is substantial.

Psychiatric causes

1) Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

2) Bipolar Disorder

3) Depression

4) Personality Disorder

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Juicy Joints! – Moving Freely Matters

written by bigisgorgeous

By Jenny Loke – Ageless Grace® Educator

When Sharmilah suggested that I write an article for Big Is Gorgeous members about fitness, I was a little overwhelmed because there was so much I could tell! Finally, I settled on looking at what I truly want in a good fitness or exercise program myself. There are two things I look for; one for my joints to get revitalised and pain-free, and two, something that makes me alert, makes my heart joyful, and that puts me on top of the world!

Joints are very “Unforgiving.”

Joints can be very painful and refuse to cooperate, which can make walking, running, jumping, and dancing a major problem. Try sitting cross legged for 1 hour. Now stand and feel your knee, ankle, and foot. Or try typing for an hour and notice how your shoulder, fingers and wrists get creaky and stiff. Have you got friends who have major knee or feet injuries after a high impact dance or workout?

The Heart of Fitness – Our Nerves

Stress, major anxiety, poor diet, drug overdose, smoking, alcohol and lack of sleep affect the entire nervous system. Think about it, all the major mental and health issues, like depression, chronic stress, poor digestive issues, lymphatic systems, ADD and ADHD, MS, eating disorders, and mental declines like Dementia and Parkinson’s, etc. are due to a lack of concern for our nervous system and the brain functions. So a good fitness program should address the whole person, not just the body. It should take care of you overall and should be more than just muscle shaping, slimming and toning. It must offer healing wellness for our nerves.

Ageless Grace® 21 Fun Functional Fitness

Ageless Grace® is a brain and body fitness and wellness approach based on the science of neuroplasticity (Neural pathways that are composed of numbers of neurons (nerve cells) that communicate with one another through special junctions called synapses.) It is a fundamental characteristic of the human brain that makes learning and memory possible. It’s the plasticity; the ability of the neurons to change their connections and form, that makes certain neural circuits more efficient.

This is useful in total fitness because it helps the body to prevent, restore and develop efficiently to meet the changes and demands of our environment effectively. For example, a person may be using their left hand to reach for things most of the time. When neural pathways have been opened, their right hand becomes more proactive. Or when a person encounters a drastic life change, with the neurons working properly, they will be able to recover and bounce back quicker with a positive mind and attitude. Similarly, when a person takes up learning a dance or sport, they will have better body functions and coordination when their neurons are fired up and connected.

Seven years of research went into this program by the founder Denise Medved, along with a top US hospital, on anti-aging solutions through movement. Currently, it is in Australia, Canada, US, South Africa, Europe, England, New Zealand and in Singapore. You can see how over 700 educators is making a positive impact on people’s lives at www.agelessgrace.com.

It is for all ages who are interested in a fitness approach that works the whole body and the mind, instead of one at a time. Ageless Grace® is user friendly especially for baby boomers, seniors, and people who cannot do conventional standing fitness and dancing due to physical conditions that make them feel breathless, exhausted and their joints swelling with pain.

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New Year, New Me…!

written by bigisgorgeous

by Dr Taufiq

How to make a New Year’s resolution and stick to it

The year 2013 has come and gone. For some it was an amazing year and for others maybe not so much. Most of us will start reflecting on the past year and think of how 2014 can be even better than 2013. That’s when we start to set our New Year’s resolutions. The most common of all resolutions: to lose weight. Many of us have been there, myself included, and the majority of us usually fail to achieve it especially when it’s set in the New Year. Let’s put an end to all of that and finally see through that New Year’s resolution.

Let me list the steps on to how to make that resolution stick:

Make that resolution your own

Resolutions usually don’t work because most of the time, it is not our own. People usually make them because of several reasons other than because they really want to achieve them. So before you even set that resolution of yours, make sure that it is something you really want to achieve and not just because someone told you to. Once you’ve decided for certain that it is what you want to do, you have to be clear about the reason you are doing it. This clarity is very important because if this is not a strong enough motivating factor for you, you can easily give up and go back to your usual habits. Everyone has their own reasons for losing weight. So make sure you find your real reason for doing it.

Tell everyone

One of the best ways to make your resolution stick is to tell everyone about it. I know you must be scared to do this in case it fails but by telling people your New Year resolution, you make a self-commitment to that goal. Since everyone around you knows about it, there will be a lower chance of you giving up as you might be embarrassed in front of others.

Make a plan with a timeline

There is no point saying “I want to lose weight in 2014”. You’ll be setting yourself up for failure. From this statement, it can mean you have a whole year to do it and you can start anytime. There is no time commitment to this resolution and so you will not know when to start and when to achieve it by. Set a timeline with specific targets. For example, I want to lose 5 kg by 30 April 2014 just in time for my sister’s wedding in May. With this goal, it becomes very clear how much you need to lose and by when. You can also include your motivating factor as well. After setting the timeline, you need to have a plan in place as to how to achieve it. Your plan may include: I will change my diet by cutting down on oily food and eliminating fast food from my diet. I will also have a regular exercise regime 3 times a week and I will try to walk around as much as possible.

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