Tag: Health

Self-care starts with food.

The picture shown here is a typical dinner for me at home. I eat predominately a plant-based diet these days. It usually contains good extra virgin oils such as Spanish olive oil and Kiwi avocado oil, lots of herbs, fresh veggies, natural nuts and 100% whole grain crispbreads. My only vice is shaved Parmesan cheese.

After dinner, I always like having a piece of fruit. Sometimes I also grab a handful of sweetened cranberries. It’s good for digestion.

Believe it or not, I actually eat a dessert first, not last. A bowl of Greek natural yogurt topped with berries in season and French jams. It’s my all-time guilty pleasure. You’ve gotta have a weakness for something, or you aren’t a human.

Why a plant-based diet? It just goes well with my metabolism. I found it quick and easy to digest and kinder to my system. I don’t like the idea of labeling myself or putting myself into a particular dietary category, that’s why I’ve never called or considered myself as a vegetarian, vegan or whatever in between. I eat food that feels natural for my body and that’s enough to say, no need to explain it further.

Food can cure (so can it hurt). I’m a firm believer in food as medicine.

When I’m going through a hard time or feeling a bit overwhelmed, one thing that I tell myself is, hang in there, at least I have my dinner to look forward to tonight. It really helps put things in perspective. I can stop dwelling on the bad stuff going on in my life. Having food that’s delicious and full of nutrition is a surefire way to finishing your day on a good note.

Now dinner is served. Food is king. The rest? I’ll deal with it when I’m full. This time next day or next week or next month or next year, it’ll be history. I can sleep on it.

Bon appétit!

Living in the the Western world means food scarcity is hardly an issue. The abundance of food we have, we can easily take it for granted.

We buy food, we consume food and we dispose of food. This is a typical cycle of a food journey in many households.

The majority of people I know eat three meals a day. I used to be one of them, too. When I still lived at home with mum and dad over a decade ago, I never had to worry about cooking. All I did was turning up at meal times.

Then one day my lifestyle changed. I bought a place, I moved out, I had a mortgage to pay, I had to do my own grocery shopping and all that. Say hello to crunch time! For a year or two, I still managed to eat three meals a day, but as life got tougher, it became increasingly difficult for me to keep up with all the logistics that came along with it.

So, I decided to make things easier – Why don’t I just skip one meal and only eat two meals a day? – lunch and dinner or breakfast and dinner, whichever suits me that day.

I admit, it was purely out of laziness why I made this change. Some of my colleague noticed that I wasn’t eating at work and asked me why, my answer was always the same – I just can’t be bothered.

It’s amazing how our bodies can quickly adapt and adjust to a new routine if we persist long enough. Of course, I did feel hungry at times especially in the very beginning when I was trying it out but somehow I managed to work around it. It’s funny how laziness can also work for you, rather than against you in some rare cases. This is definitely one of them.

The reason why I continue my two-meals-per-day eating plan is because it fits into my lifestyle well. I don’t need to shop as often, I don’t spend as much time and money on food preparations as often. I know this is not for everyone but as a time poor person, I’m loving it.

What about health? Has my health been impacted upon as a result of it? Well, none of tests and checks I have done suggest I need to increase food consumption. So, I’m happy to leave it at that.

Nowadays I stay at home a lot more, the amount of calories I will require on a daily basis is probably less than when I was a full time employee working in the corporate world. I don’t know why it is but every time after breakfast, my energy begins to wane rapidly. I simply sit there and can’t stop yawning. It annoys me when I am not productive.

Lately, by that I means in the last two weeks, I started to make a further change on my diet – something even more drastic – skipping breakfast every other day. That is to say, one day I will only have one meal – dinner, the next day I will have two meals – breakfast and dinner.

Since putting this plan into practice, I’ve seen an increase on my energy level.

I don’t need medical evidence to tell me why I no longer feel too tired or too lethargic to do anything. Giving it time, a human body will present itself as a living proof. As I write this, I have only drunk water since I woke up today. Well into the night, I feel I’m still at my peak – my thinking is clear, my mind is responsive and my body is active.

The benefits of fasting are well documented. Everyone has different dietary needs depending on their own situations or personal preferences. There’s no one size fits all. As a grown adult, fasting is a choice I made for myself.

As I am about to wrap up this post, it’s also about time to finish fasting. I am very much looking forward to my dinner time tonight and when I have it, I know I will be full of gratitude and appreciation…

It’s hard to say No except when you say it to yourself.

In the past two weeks we had a few good days of rain. The upside was that it made staying home extra appealing. The downside was that it could derail your usual routine, for example, in my case it was the morning exercise routine.

I was having one of those days – my motivation was running low. I just didn’t feel like doing it. The excuse I gave myself was: it’s raining outside. Of course, weather permitting or not, there’s a way around it. Not all forms of exercise require you to venture outside or use gym equipment. There’re plenty of other choices. Use imagination and creativity. That’s why they’re there for.

I nearly succeeded in talking myself out of it. But I stepped back, took a brief moment to ask myself this: Why did I even do it in the first place and why have I kept it up since? The answer was short and sweet: For the health benefits.

A simple act of asking myself why set the next trajectory in motion. I no longer needed motivation or any convincing evidence to exercise. I got the answer of why I’ve continued up to that point.

Before I knew it, I was walking out the door, jumping straight into doing my daily stretching routine in the rain! Well, it wasn’t too bad. I only got slightly wet. I didn’t care if it was a stupid thing to do. There’s something about rain that is quite romantic – it cleanses you. It raises your game.

That’s the thing, when you’ve formed a good habit of doing something regularly like exercise, it’ll become automatic going forward, your body needs it like fish needs water. You don’t question it again and again. But life isn’t always smooth sailing. There’ll be a time when don’t feel like it. Missing once or twice is no big deal. No one is keeping score anyway. Be aware! Soon enough, it’ll be a downward spiral or a vicious cycle. A bad habit is waving at you, luring you to the other end.

What do you value most at this stage of life? I’m someone who takes pride in self care and good health. To maintain it is non-negotiable. I like what someone said on a podcast the other day: When you don’t make a decision yourself, your body will make it for you. It can’t be more true!

I admit I’m not always on the right track. Every now and then, I’ll come up with some excuses of not doing it. A quick Q an A time with self can help turn things around. By asking yourself why, it leads you to knowing why, by knowing why, it leads you to doing why…

Two weeks ago I had a need to go to the city CBD. It was the first time since I left my job in March. I was there for a potential employment opportunity so it was hard to say No.

A few days before taking the trip, I was at home feeling quite anxious and worried. I didn’t know what to expect. The once familiar bus commute now comes with a new twist – social distancing and wearing a mask.

Normally I would say hello to a bus driver as soon as I get on, but that day this guy on duty seemed indifferent and not interested so I said no words instead. I must stress I am not complaining here. Imagine a day in the life of a bus driver during the pandemic. Let’s try to put ourselves in their shoes and show some understanding and empathy.

Carefully I looked around, there were a few people at the back but none of them was too close to me. I guess I just wanted to make sure my own safety along the way.

A few stops later, the bus started to have more passengers coming in, those empty seats nearby were then quickly taken. As the bus was getting close to its allowable capacity, I could feel my stress level going up. The fear of contamination caused my body to react, in a subtle way – my posture became a bit rigid and stiff while my whole body began to tense up. When the short 20 minute trip was finished, a sense of relief was written all over my face. When I got off, it was “a breath of fresh air” the 2020 edition.

What can I say? All aboard, welcome to the new world order today!

While some cities or countries are still on lockdown, banning their residents from going out, I won’t be surprised if many people in our community simply choose not to go out themselves. Mental health has taken a hit. We all need to be kinder and more patient to ourselves and towards others.

By now we are all used to the new hygiene practice against the spread of coronavirus – social distancing, use hand sanitiser, check body temperature, wear a mask upon entering a store. Just the other day when I was doing grocery shopping at a local supermarket, I noticed something interesting but a slightly outrageous scene – a female shopper carrying a trolley full of items, all were wrapped in individual plastic bags.

Being an OCD person, I could understand why she was doing what she was doing – to protect and prevent contamination of germs and viruses. But even to me it was a bit overkill.

Part of me wanted to wear a badge of environmentalist and tell her off, hey you should not be using so many plastic bags unnecessarily. But I gave up the idea. Why? I didn’t know her. I didn’t know her life. I didn’t know what was going through her mind.

Everyone reacts differently to this pandemic. Different age groups have different risk factors and concerns associated with it. Some people’s coping mechanisms may look rather odd, weird, out of ordinary or over the top. But let’s not be too quick to judge others. Cut them some slack.

No doubt coronavirus is highly contagious and spreading fast across the globe, but so can we make kindness…

At tough times like this, it’s writing that has kept me going.

In between, my heartfelt thanks to friends who have phoned or messaged me. Some have read or commented on my posts to show their care. If you’re reading this, I wanted you to know that your support has been amazing!

Two weeks ago while I was home I received a call from Steve, my ex reporting manager in the last workplace. Likewise, he wanted to find out if I’m doing OK.

Before I picked up his call, I was in a middle of shredding papers. Honestly, they’d been sitting in the cupboard for years. From memories, never had I once gone back to look at them again. That afternoon I noticed the joints in the cupboard looking a bit too loose, I thought if I don’t do anything about it now, soon the whole unit will collapse.

Getting rid of those old documents (tax invoices/receipts over 7 years old and some marketing materials/ads) was the major achievement of the day. I don’t know how to explain it but it was indeed very therapeutic. I’d recommend it to everyone. If you’re bored at home, why not go over the stacks of papers and throw some out today.

Anyway, in the beginning of our conversation, I was telling him about life after redundancy and all that. Because Steve and I were both in the same boat, he could understand why I said I’m taking a break, not looking for jobs at the moment.

Well, job loss, been there, done that, I can handle it, but what’s been affecting me most more than anything else is the passing of my dog Jamie. Since he asked, I told him that creating a little shrine at home in honour of Jamie has given me a great sense of comfort but most importantly it was something I wanted to do to make sure that when life returns to “normal” and when things start to get busier again, I don’t forget about how much he meant to me and what we’d gone through together all those years.

Lastly, surprise surprise we were talking about the coronavirus pandemic. I was somewhat cynical about how it has brought out the worst in human nature. People have become so selfish and acted so irrationally. Behaviours like panic buying and hoarding stuff like toilet papers and facial tissues, leaving absolutely nothing in the shelves for other shoppers. It’s been so crazy. Just unbelievable some people.

Interestingly, Steve had a different take on the pandemic. Certainly more positive than mine. Like those front-line health workers in the hospitals, risking their lives helping cornonavirus patients fighting their lives. He did have a good point.

Scary but true, what we hold dear today can be taken away from us in a flash, faster than you can prepare for. The thing is, amid this cronoavirus crisis, people have started to take a step back and re-evaluate what’s really important in their life, it’s like pressing the reset button.

Pressing the reset button? Huh? Twice Steve mentioned this very same phrase during our conversation. What was he on about?

Sure, it’s time to press the reset button.

But what is it supposed to mean? For me, it’s about going back to the drawing board and starting all over again.

Nice try! It sounds a bit too vague. Am I bullshitting myself? I decided to walk away from writing for a day or two and see what I’d come up with.

So, a little less than 24 hours later, now I got it.

Pressing the reset button on your life is not about adding more stuff into life, instead, by going back to the beginning of this post about paper shredding and why I felt good about it, I realized…

It’s about removing stuff that no longer serves you…

Ted

Yesterday I went back to the local park again, just to take some photos for my blog. If you are into social distancing, a park like this is quite a nice spot to be alone by yourself, gather some thoughts or just do nothing.

As a long term OCD sufferer, social distancing is part of lifestyle. But lately it’s been very fascinating to watch how the world has gone crazy about hygiene, cleanliness and anti-bacteria during the coronavirus outbreak, and started to do those things that I have been doing for decades – disinfecting stuff.

I went to seek medical help for my OCD conditions in the mid 2000’s and I was told by the shrink that there was a chemical imbalance in my brain that one way to curbing my OCD thoughts was taking medicine – the antidepressants. If I remember correctly, I was on that shit for 2 years before I decided to withdraw from it. At the peak, I was taking the highest allowable dosage – 4 tablets a day. The results? The OCD conditions never left me. I was still the same OCD person.

The real relief came when I started to accept myself – I was born this way. Also, when I had Jamie. If you are scared of dirt, forgetting about having a dog. Luckily, my love for Jamie outweighed my fear of contamination. The rest is history.

I admit my OCD conditions are driven largely by anxiety I experience. Those rituals I perform look ridiculous from outsiders but they are my coping mechanism, my safe haven – to help me stay in control when the world around me gets out of control.

Funnily enough, during the coronavirus pandemic, I have been surprisingly calm. So calm that I haven’t done anything extra to complement my fixated cleaning rituals. It is business as usual for me. I still go to shops and still take public transport like any other day. I don’t wear a mask when I go out and I rarely carry a hand sanitiser and if I do I only use it occasionally.

Early this week, I had a dry throat and also a bit mucus build up in my nose so I went to see my GP just to be sure. After he did a few checks here and there, he told me I did not have any flu-like symptoms which I already knew – no sore throat, no running nose, no sneezing, no coughing, no fever. Amid the spread of coronavirus everywhere in the world, he said the best defence is nothing but your immune system. Eat well, rest well, sleep well, take exercise, drink lots of water. That’s it.

I did exactly what the doctor ordered. I began to recover in a matter of 2 days.

On the subject of OCD, I don’t know whether I should laugh or cry. All the time I thought there was something wrong with me but as the number of people that have contracted coronavirus continues to increase worldwide, each day it passes, I am led to believe that I have been doing the right thing – to keep the germs and viruses at bay.

I admit life as an OCD sufferer is not easy and those rituals I do to keep things in order drain me completely but I must also say, I have “toned down” a bit.

What now? Stay healthy. No panic about pandemic! When it comes to disinfecting, my challenge is to give my OCD a break and do only what’s necessary and sensible. House work, as they say, it will always be there tomorrow…

Ted

Following my recent health scare, all I wanted was some normality to return to my life.

I guess it’s always easier to write about this kind of experience after the event has passed, not when you’re still in the middle of it. For me, a lesson can only be learnt after it’s taught, agree?

One check-up after another, a blood test, a brain scan, next a consultation with an oral and maxillofacial surgeon, when is it going to end?

I was over it. At times, it felt like forever, my patience was once again put to the test. Why me? I don’t smoke, I don’t drink… What if I have a cancer?

At one point, I became this stoic and cold person. I could shrug it off and carry on another day no problems. But other times, I was a complete opposite to the guy 24 hours ago. I watched myself going from one extreme to another – from feeling carefree and careless to feeling anxious and powerless.

Waiting is the hardest thing to do yet there’s nothing you can do about it. You can only hope that one day that time will be on your side. It’s not a big ask, is it? Apparently it is if you don’t do your homework!

Finally, 4 weeks later, I got some breathing space I desperately needed. I was given the all clear by the doctor and the specialist. To finish it on a positive note, it felt like someone had handed me a second chance in life. I couldn’t be more grateful.

Typically, men don’t care enough about their health, compared with women. In many cases, men have that ego thing going on, stopping us from reaching out. In a short term, it may help save our face but in the long run, will it save our life?

What does it take to be a real man? For me, a real man is someone who knows himself inside out including strengths, weaknesses and vulnerability, someone who takes care of his health including physical health and mental health.

Sometimes we just can’t be bothered. Sometimes we are in denial. Sometimes we think problems will go away themselves. All these are convenient excuses. What we need is a gentle push, to go out of our way to do the “inconvenient thing” like getting our health checked. It’ll put us in a better position to do the rule-in and the rule-out thing, instead of just guessing what it might be.

Looking back, this health scare has re-affirmed to me one thing – life is unpredictable. I could’ve got totally different results. I could’ve come out of it a crashed man. But I didn’t. Why not? Older and wiser, I checked the facts. Don’t freak out until you know the facts! I was prepared for it – come what may. Good or bad, it’s better to know and do something about it, than not know and do nothing about it.

That’s what a real man is all about…

As you get older, your body starts to have a mind of its own. It can do all sorts of funny things without you realizing it. The best thing you can do is get yourself checked. The worst thing you can do is do nothing about it.

I’ve always been this person who doesn’t like hassle. But when it comes to health, it’s worth the hassle. It sounds very much counter-intuitive but excuses won’t help you find the truth.

I wouldn’t have imagined that one day this week that I’d see myself lying on the table of a scanner to have a CT scan of my brain. It was quite an unnerving experience, but the two medical staff there did an excellent job of calming me down.

When the machine started to turn, a few things were running through my head – Some childhood memories but nothing about external stuff like more money, more validation, more love, more happiness, more this more that.

I intentionally kept my eyes open during the process. Why? I didn’t want to miss anything. I wanted to see it, feel it and just get on with it, come what may.

How did I get through the next 24 hours? Was it hard? You bet. To put my mind at ease, I was listening to lots of my favourite songs and also singing along. It worked.

Not that I’m a superstitious person but I didn’t want to temp fate by posting this too early. So I waited till the result came out the following day.

And? I’m normal. Gee, I’ve never been called normal in my life and to see that word “normal” appear several times on the report, it felt great. A sense of relief was written all over my face.

It’s funny every day we celebrate when life goes well but rarely do we celebrate for just being alive. Isn’t it about time to go back to basics?

The health scare will always be there for as long as we live. That’s life! But life is to be taken care of, not to be scared of.

The mental health conditions we experience like fight or flight, anxiety and depressions, are our brain’s way of coping uncertainty. It’s just doing its job to alert us about possible dangers ahead. The fears and hopelessness we dread to face derive from brain’s primal instincts. Its main purpose is trying to protect us and keep us alive. Our brain sometimes can get it all wrong by misinterpreting or overreacting, but hey don’t be too hard on it! It’s still learning!

To be able to see first hand what my brain looks like, it’s quite something. As a side effect, I’ve never been more accepting of myself than now. I also understand why I am the way I am. Good, bad, beautiful and ugly, I’m taking all in. As for the past self critics that stuck in my head? They are forgiven and forgotten in no time…