Fruit and Veggie Lovers

Our girls have been trained to eat lots of vegetables and fruits since young. As such, they have no problem eating a wide variety of vegetables and fruits every day. These are important to us, just as how water is to us. They’ve also been trained to eat raw greens and funnily though, they prefer their raw greens without any salad dressing, which is healthier.

Of the three girls, Cass is the most health conscious. She’s a fruit and veggie monster and can really scarf down a LOT of veggies and fruits every day, which hurts my wallet *ouch*.

Alycia is grazing on her plate of raw Mizuna leaves here. This semester (short semester), most of her classes are in the evening, so she joins us for lunch at home on most days.

Alycia chomping down her plate of Mizuna leaves sans any dressing. She loves it this way.

I get at least two punnets of Mizuna salad from the supermarket each week, on top of the regular veggies like cabbage, broccoli, spinach, cucumber, beans, etc.

This superstar green is high in nutrients yet low in calories and boasts a long list of benefits to your health. Mizuna provides a megadose of nutrients, including antioxidants. Antioxidants are compounds that work by neutralizing harmful free radicals, preventing damage to cells and reducing the risk of chronic disease.

Credit: Dr Axe

No. of times viewed = 12

Peek Inside My Fridge

Curiosity often leads me to peek inside someone’s refrigerator, and what’s inside can reveal a lot about a person’s lifestyle, preferences, and approach to nutrition.

I’ll take you on a virtual tour inside my two refrigerators to uncover the assortment of foods that not only reflect my family’s health-conscious choices but also make meal preparation a breeze.

The Essentials:

Eggs: A staple in our refrigerator, eggs are a versatile and protein-packed ingredient. Whether scrambled, boiled, or used in baking, they are a quick and easy source of nutrition.

Green Veggies and Triple-Washed Salads: Maintaining a supply of pre-washed salads and green veggies is a strategic move to encourage my girls to indulge in healthy snacking. The convenience of having triple-washed salads readily available means my daughters can enjoy their daily dose of veggies without the hassle of washing and chopping.

Shimeji mushrooms, broccoli and sweet potatoes – these items are always available in our fridge. Sherilyn likes to air-fry Shimeji mushrooms and chicken chop to put in her lunch box for college. Sometimes she’ll bring steamed sweet potatoes to go with air-fried chicken chops.

Sherilyn’s typical lunch box for college.
Today she air-fried salmon, which I marinated yesterday. Beneath the salmon is a bed of blanched broccoli layered with triple-washed salad and avocado.

Loads of Fruits: Fruits, nature’s candy, take a prominent place in my refrigerator. From berries to apples, citrus, persimmons, pear, and local fruits, my daughters can take their pick.

Blueberries and avocado – the girls’ favorite fruits.

Dark Chocolate: Indulgence meets health with dark chocolate, rich in antioxidants. It’s the perfect solution for satisfying sweet cravings without compromising on nutritional value. Like me, my girls prefer dark bitter chocolate. Our favorite is Lindt 90% dark chocolate. I recently discovered another cheaper option – Benns 99.9% dark chocolate which tastes just as good as Lindt’s dark chocolate, at a fraction of the price.

Benns 99.9% dark chocolate – my latest guilt-free and healthy snack. A pack costs less than RM30 and is available at Jaya Grocer @ The Gardens Mall.


Lots of Nuts and Seeds: Nuts provide a satisfying crunch and a dose of healthy fats. They serve as a convenient and nutritious snack for those moments when hunger strikes. There’s always a stash of walnuts, Brazil nuts, almonds, pistachios, pecans, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, melon seeds, sunflower seeds, and macadamia in our fridge and freezer.

Lurpak Lighter butter is slightly salted and less greasy. I bought this for myself and for Cass who loves butter so much that she slathers big chunks of it on her bread or crackers.

Greek Yogurt and Low Fat Yogurt: I love both Greek yogurt and low fat regular yogurt. I started consuming low fat and sugar-free regular yogurt but am now hooked on imported Greek yogurt (sugar-free ones), such as Farmer’s Union, Gippsland, Koukakis and Brownes. But imported Greek yogurt is frigging expensive now as our Ringgit has shrunk to an all-time low. A 1kg tub can cost anywhere between RM29.90 onwards. Cass and Sherilyn are Greek yogurt fans.

Brownes Greek Style yogurt (sugar-free) is super creamy, smooth and milky…. and darn expensive too.

Frozen Goodies:

Frozen Marinated Chicken Chops: For a quick and protein-packed meal, frozen marinated chicken chops are a lifesaver in our household. They eliminate the need for extensive meal preparation and ensure a delicious and healthy option is always on hand. Sherilyn likes to air fry these chicken chops to bring to college for lunch. She usually pairs them with salad.

Beacon chicken breast – for making soups, stir fries or grilled.

Beacon marinated chicken chops.

Frozen Dumplings (Kau Ji): A delightful addition to the freezer, frozen dumplings offer a tasty and convenient alternative for days when cooking from scratch is not an option. These Kau Jis are a complete meal comprising of meat, veggies, fiber and carbs. I have a very good supplier of homemade Taiwanese dumplings made by a Taiwanese lady. Her Kau Jis are the best in the world.

Beacon Frozen Chicken Soup Packs: Warm, comforting, and nourishing, Beacon frozen chicken soup packs are a go-to solution for busy days or when a comforting bowl of soup is needed. Just thaw, heat up in the pot, add veggies, fish balls, or meat and carbohydrate of choice and a delicious meal is ready in a jiffy.

Frozen Beacon chicken soup packs. Very delicious and tastes as good as freshly boiled chicken soup.

Beacon Antibiotic and Hormone-Free Chicken and Chicken Products: Opting for chicken products free from antibiotics and hormones aligns with a commitment to quality and health. Beacon seaweed chicken products take a prominent place in my refrigerator, ensuring that the meat we consume are free from all the nasties.

Beacon chicken wantan – I add these into Beacon frozen chicken soup, add some veggies and some meat or fish balls and eat it with noodles or rice.

Frozen fish patties and beef patties: Though more expensive, I only buy patties without preservatives and other food additives. Our favorite fish burger patties is Shucked, available at BIG (Ben’s Independent Grocer) at RM12 a piece and it’s super delicious.

Uncle Jacques Black Angus beef burger patties are made with 100% ground beef with zero seasoning and additives.

Air fried Black Angus beef pattie with cheese and mayo on a bed of pesticide-free Romaine lettuce.

From the basics like eggs and green veggies to the indulgent dark chocolate and nuts, every item is carefully selected to support a balanced and nutritious lifestyle of my loved ones. The frozen options further streamline meal preparation, ensuring that my daughters can rustle up a quick and wholesome meal without compromising on quality. So, what’s in your fridge?

No. of times viewed = 37

Simple Steamed Vegetables For Dinner

Tomorrow is Sunday, aka Cheat Day / Refeed Day / Treat Day! 🤩

Thus, today I had a really clean diet, almost meat-free and ate mostly fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds.

This is my dinner today – steamed organic pumpkin and radish and seasoned with olive oil and ground black pepper, with a tablespoon of toasted sunflower seeds. No salt and no sugar added.

In addition to my steamed vegetables, I pinched a few slices of fish and vegetables from my daughters’ lunch of economy rice with dishes.

Speaking of economy rice, it is no longer economical. I paid RM27 for my 3 daughters’ dishes today with no rice. I usually cook my own healthy black and red rice, Ponni rice, Basmati rice or parboiled rice. But today the girls had a treat of sushi rice since it’s a Saturday.

I also had an orange, bananas, a wedge of avocado, red dragon fruit, guavas, brazil nuts, ground nuts, organic almond milk with ground flax seeds and oats, a piece of organic millet + pumpkin seeds + seaweed cracker, a handful of crispy vacuum fried shiitake mushrooms, low fat yogurt with sunflower seeds, and a few cups of matcha green tea (from matcha powder) and my must-have decaf coffee with milk in the morning. This is what I usually eat on weekdays. I’m now a flexitarian and my food is about 90% plant-based, though avoiding soy products.

No. of times viewed = 38

Seaberry Crunch

What is Seaberry?
Seaberry, also known as Sea Buckthorn comes from sea buckthorn berries. These berries are found in the mountains and coastal areas of Europe and Asia. It’s a potent omega-7 oil, which has been used in history to treat everything from cracked, dry skin and eczema to coughs and digestive problems.

Goodness and health benefits
Sea buckthorn oil is rich in various vitamins, minerals and beneficial plant compounds.  It is naturally full of antioxidants, which helps protect your body against aging and illnesses like cancer and heart disease.  The seeds and leaves are also rich in quercetin, a flavonoid linked to lower blood pressure, a reduced risk of heart disease and diabetes.

Seaberry is rich in potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron and phosphorus. It also contains good amounts of folate, biotin and vitamins B1, B2, B6, C and E.  More than half of the fat found in sea buckthorn oil is mono- and polyunsaturated fat, which are two types of healthy fats.

One interesting fact about seaberry oil is it may also be one of the only plant foods known to provide all four omega fatty acids — omega-3, omega-6, omega-7 and omega-9. Very impressive indeed!

Other health benefits of seaberry include supporting a healthy liver, may help fight cancer cells,  may improve digestion, may reduce symptoms of menopause, may lower inflammation and a whole lot of benefits.

Seaberry has been quite under the radar until it started appearing on TV and news articles being touted as the ultimate superfood. Dr. Oz has appeared on Oprah to promote it as the all-in-one superfood and dozens of articles worldwide has appeared before and after to sing its praise.  Just google seaberry and the search results would yield hundreds if not thousands of research papers on its benefits for the human health.

Seaberry Crunch supplement
In the past, Seaberry in the form of supplement is not widely sold. However, in recent years, these supplements have started to appear on the shelves of pharmacies and online stores.  One such brand is Seaberry Crunch, a natural organic supplement made from only two ingredients, i.e. Seaberry and honey.

SHOP-Product-Slider-Image-1

In the wake of the recent global health pandemic, I have been stocking up on several types of immune boosting vitamins and supplements to boost the health of my loved ones. One of it is Seaberry Crunch.   Research has found that people who are deficient in one or more nutrients are generally more susceptible to infections, and these infections are more severe and last longer. And when given supplements to rebalance their deficiencies, people tend to see improvements in the functionality of their immune systems and they become more resistant to infections, and cope better if they get infected.

Seaberry Crunch is made from 100% organic seaberry and Australia honey and nothing else. It’s the tasty organic multivitamin packed with over 200 bioactive nutrients to boost your kid’s immune system and brain development. It’s even suitable for adults as we adults too need a lot of brain power and a strong immune system to deal with the stress of everyday lives.

My box of Seaberry Crunch, with a personalized handwritten thank you message from the seller /owner ❤️

That’s how we love to eat our Seaberry Crunch, by sprinkling it on a bowl of sugar-free low fat yoghurt, topped with bananas, blueberries, red dragon fruit, cashew nuts and granola.

Seaberry Crunch has an  interesting sweet and sour taste.  It has the taste of honey with a mild tinge of herb flavor.

Seaberry Crunch can be purchased online from boonyandco.com.

 

No. of times viewed = 112

Simple Secrets To A Svelte Figure – Portion Control

For the past two months, I have brought almost ten of my old skirts and pants to the tailor to have the waist part tightened. I know that I’ve lost about 2kg since early this year.  But what I didn’t realize was how much my waist has shrunk. It’s a frigging 3cm! No wonder my pants and skirts kept dropping off my waist and I thought that they  have shrunk in our rather new washing machine that seems to spin rather wildly.

For the record, my waist is now 68cm, down from 71cm!  This means I’m almost back to my pre-pre-pre-pregnancy waist and weight!  I used to be 42~43kg before I became a mother.

Besides ramping up my 5-day a week exercise duration and intensity, I am back at cutting down bread and noodles. Another secret is portion control on food.

I share EVERYTHING that I eat with my daughters, hubs and mil. They are happy too as everyone is very, very cautious on their weight and sugar level at their age now!

In the trunk of my car, I have a tiffin carrier and multiple stainless steel food containers in various sizes.  Whenever I eat out, I stash a food container in my tote bag or lug the 2-tier tiffin carrier along. When my dish arrives, I place half or three quarter of the food in the food container first before I dig into my portion.  Thus, I only eat a quarter or half of what I’ve ordered. This way, I always leave the eatery feeling half full and without guilt!

This is what I had for lunch with the hubs at LDG yesterday ~ chicken chop.

Before digging into it, I quickly kept three quarter of it in a food container for Sherilyn who’s waiting for her lunch at home:

My lunch at PappaRich with Sherilyn earlier this week:

And I kept three quarter of the food in a food container, for Cass’ lunch later.

I don’t really snack in between meals and if I have to, my go-to snacks are always nuts, seeds, sugar-free skinny yoghurt, nut butters, organic milk kefir or organic almond milk with oat bran.

But I’m no angel, I still indulge in sinful carbs and my kryptonite is kuih-muih! 😆  But instead of stuffing the entire kuih into my mouth, I share half of it with my daughters.

Sahara is my current favorite brand of organic milk kefir, imported from Australia.  It has assisted me greatly in my evacuation job every morning! Love the taste too.

No. of times viewed = 43

Keto Coconut Bread

I love bread but have for the past few months started to consume bread sparingly, as part of my low-carb diet for better health and for a trimmer bod.  I only choose whole grain breads made with wholemeal flour and occasionally buy flour-free sprouted wheat bread.

I was really excited when I found out that my friend, Cynthia is selling keto coconut bread at her kopitiam. I sent in an order immediately and collected the delish bread the following week. The keto bread is pre-order and will only be made by the baker when there are orders.

To get the record straight, I am not on a keto diet. I don’t think I am disciplined enough to stick to a 100% keto-compliant diet nor can I stomach a 100% keto diet.  Too much fats and meat make me feel sick. Rather, I am more towards adopting the Mediterranean Diet and I think that this flexible diet suits me rather well. I eat healthy carbs and still indulge in the occasional sinful fast carbs.

OK, back to the keto coconut bread!  It’s made with coconut butter (Mana), eggs, Madagascar vanilla beans and Himalayan pink salt.

Price is RM20 a loaf (8 inch)


Texture of the coconut bread is like cake and best eaten when toasted.

I like to pair the toasted coconut bread with homemade pandan kaya or homemade peanut butter (salt, sugar and oil-free) with a small wedge of Whittaker’s almond chocolate toasted together. So lip-smacking good!

If you’re  keen to order this keto coconut bread, do Whatsapp Cynthia at 016-229 1429 or drop by at her kopitiam at Kedai Makanan Kuen You.  She makes keto pandan kaya and serves keto-compliant meals at her kopitiam too.

No. of times viewed = 66

Aunty Nutty Homemade Walnut Milk

The health benefits of walnuts are manifold and include reduction of LDL (bad) cholesterol, prevention of inflammation, improvement in metabolism, improvement in heart health, boost bone health, weight management, and diabetes control. Walnuts also benefit brain health and act as a mood booster.

Walnuts rank second on the list of ‘antioxidant-rich’ foods, just under blackberries!  The rare, powerful antioxidants such as quinone juglone, the tannin tellimagrandin, and the flavonol morin present in walnuts have remarkable free-radical scavenging power. These antioxidants also help prevent liver damage due to chemicals.

There’s so much interest in walnut that for the past 50 years, scientists and industry experts have gathered annually at the University of California, Davis, for a walnut conference discussing the latest walnut health research!

According to the USDA Nutrition Data, walnuts are a rich source of vitamin C, B vitamins (vitamin B6, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, and folate), vitamin E, as well as minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, sodium, and zinc.

Have you ever tried homemade activated walnut milk? Last weekend I tried it and love it!  It’s very refreshing and nutty, is vegan (dairy -free), gluten-free and paleo-friendly. Walnut milk is a great milk substitute for those who are lactose-intolerant and healthy beverage to beat hunger pangs.

I have never seen fresh walnut milk in the market before. Last week, I stumbled upon Aunty Nutty’s homemade walnut milk on my friend’s Facebook page. It piqued my interest right away and I messaged her immediately and got 8 bottles to try!

Information on Aunty Nutty homemade activated walnut milk 
1.  Only walnuts from USA are used.
2.  The walnuts are activated for at least 24 hours in a controlled temperature environment to avoid nuts turning rancid.
3.  Walnuts are very delicate nuts. Activation is required and crucial to neutralize enzyme inhibitors and anti-nutrients removed to activate the walnut’s full nutrient potentials.
4.  No direct hand contact. Food grade gloves are worn at all times while handling and cleaning the nuts to avoid contamination.
5.  Aunty Nutty processing facility and utensils used are segregated mainly for this purpose to avoid contamination.
6.  Cold pressed nut milk using hydraulic press. This method protects and preserves the nutrients in the walnut as no heat is involve as how blending does.
7.  Nut milk is suitable for the young and old but NOT for toddlers below the age of 2 and those with tree nut allergies.

Benefits of activating nuts

Activating nuts and seeds is the process of soaking raw nuts and seeds in salt water for a period of time that is long enough to start the nuts and seeds germinating.  This process is believed to breakdown the Phytic Acid in the nuts and seeds and in turn you get what raw foodies call a “live” nut full of accessible nutrients that beforehand where bonded up in the Phytic Acid.

Activating nuts and seeds also seems to make them a lot more digestible. There are many reports of people who couldn’t eat nuts before, but who can now tolerate eating nuts and seeds that have been activated.

Aunty Nutty’s fresh activated walnut milk comes in 2 flavors: lightly sweetened with coconut nectar and unsweetened.

I love the coconut nectar flavor. It has a nutty and creamy texture (tastes a little like soy bean but NO soy is used) and the taste reminds me of Cendol!   The Cendol taste comes from the extra virgin coconut oil and coconut nectar.


The one sweetened with coconut nectar has a brownish hue.


One with no coconut nectar added. It has a mild nutty taste and right level of creaminess.


As no preservative and stabilizer are used, the walnut milk is best consumed within 3 days from date of production. I drank it on the 4th day and still tasted good.


The ingredients.

Even Cass, my very very finical daughter loves the walnut milk. On the day Shereen delivered the walnut milk to me, Cass quaffed down the entire bottle herself!

If you’d like to try Aunty Nutty’s homemade walnut milk, you can get in touch with Shereen either through:
PM at Aunty Nutty
OR
Whatsapp at +60 12-921 6892

No. of times viewed = 142

Healthy Grub

This week is another NO REST WEEK for me!! I can’t believe it!  I just got to know from Alycia that she still has to go to school this Saturday to wrap up a project that she and her team mates are working on though it’s a school off-day this Saturday. Guess who’s going to be the Grab driver?  It’s not the hubs as this week is another full-house week for him.  And on Sunday, Alycia has to leave the house at 6:30 a.m. for a marathon! For Sunday’s marathon, I am going to tai-chi the driver’s chore to him!  I need my sleep!😴

Ok to be fair, these are my responsibilities as a mother.  I shouldn’t complain too much.  Before I know it, the girls will blow the coop and I will be longing to be their driver again.  But I really need  that 3-4 extra hours over the weekend to stack some Z’s before a new crazy week starts again.  I just need to blow off steam here coz I feel so sleep deprived the past one week. I’ve been waking up with a nagging headache the past two days and feeling really zombified in the morning.

Not getting enough sleep is just as bad as eating junk and it’s impacting my cholesterol level that’s quite high as I have familial hypercholesterolaemia (genetic high cholesterol).  Researches have found that sleep loss leads to changes in genes that are responsible for regulating cholesterol levels and sleep deprivation may have a negative impact on cholesterol levels.  I’m already not getting enough sleep, so I should eat healthily to prevent my cholesterol level from skyrocketing.

Here’s what I’ve been eating lately..


Breakfast of low-fat sugar-free yoghurt with Brazil nuts, pistachios, organic goji berries, pomelo and seasoned Korean seaweed.


Dinner of blanched organic ferns with peanut sauce from hubby’s kitchen. His Indonesian cook makes the best peanut sauce!


Dinner of organic traditional rolled oats with beef bolognese sauce, while the girls had Penne pasta.


Sunday night dinner of organic red bell pepper with peanut sauce and sauteed assortment of organic shrooms.


Cooked organic rolled oats with low-fat sugar-free yoghurt and fresh pomegranate.  Sherilyn made this for breakfast.

As a result of eating clean with an intensified workout session five times a week, all my pants and skirts have been dropping off my waist! 😬

No. of times viewed = 17

No Sugar Cravings Anymore

I’m trying to put on a just a teeny weeny bit of weight back. Just before CNY, my weight went down to 44.1 kg. That’s almost my weight when I was a teenager!

It’s a surprise that after my fibroid removal 1.5 years ago, my body just does not crave for anything sweet anymore.  Foods that are greasy turn me off.  It’s as if my body knows that these are toxins which could potentially cause another fibroid to grow in my uterus.

Would you believe me if I told you that I don’t have much food cravings? I used to be a durian lover but not anymore. My throat would sting each time something terribly sweet touches it.  My throat has transformed into a hyper state, where if I eat anything that’s overly sweet or fried with recycled oil, it would burn!  Guess this is a blessing in disguise as I don’t touch sweet and fried foods  as often as I used to. I hardly eat them these days. This is also why I lost some weight when I removed considerable amount of sweet and greasy foods from my diet, but not completely.  We still need a little sugar and oil in our body.

I now have a better ‘allowance’ to work around, meaning I can afford to pop in a few cookies (reduced sugar ones) or a miniscule piece of almond chocolate in the morning 🤗

For breakfast today, I had a small piece of wholemeal bread with organic butter and some cookies, followed by half a packet of organic roasted Korean seaweed.

I recently stumbled upon this Korean brand of organic seaweed at D’ Market supermarket and I’m so glad that it’s sugar-free and low in sodium and oil.  Super happy that the seaweed slices are not salty and oily which our girls and I can munch on guiltlessly! 😊

No. of times viewed = 139

JoyMix Concentrated Beetroot Juice Powder

The beautiful and bright colour of beetroots can make anyone fall in love with it, yet it is often ignored, perhaps because of its distinctive earthy taste.  Beetroot has been gaining amazing popularity as the new superfood around the world. It’s low in fat, full of powerful antioxidants, rich in Vitamin C, and helps in the absorption of iron.  Both the leaves and the roots can be eaten. While the pink root is sweet, the dark green leaves are bitter but very rich in calcium, iron and Vitamin A.

Beetroots are best enjoyed raw and uncooked as cooking may destroy most of its nutrients. You can add them in salads or easier to just juice them up.

I love eating beetroot, in all forms, whether it’s beetroot juice, salad, roast or soup.  I started to eat beetroot frequently when I was severely anemic before my fibroid removal surgery 1.5 years ago.  Beet root is rich in iron.

Preparing beetroot can be a major turnoff and hassle for some as the uneven and rough skin is a tad hard to peel off even with a fruit peeler. And the red juice splatters can be pretty messy. Busy people who are always on the go and rush may not have the time to prepare beet root for juicing, salad or soup. And this includes yours truly.  The solution to this is beet root  powder.  With beet root powder, you can include this superfood into your diet at anytime, hassle-free.

I found a good brand of concentrated beet root juice powder  from https://www.joypremix.com/ and I am so in love with it!  With such convenience, I can now drink beetroot juice whenever I feel like it and it takes just a minute to prep a refreshing beetroot beverage.

The best part is JoyMix’s red beetroot powder is odor-less, unlike red beet juice that has an earthy smell. It is easy to drink, making it ideal for children and even some adults who find the smell of beetroot distasteful.

Even Cass who does not like the taste of raw beetroot loves JoyMix beetroot powder.  She says it tastes like Ribena! I think so too.  This, you got to try it to verify it!

We like our beetroot powder mixed with Korean fruit vinegar.  I add one heap teaspoon of JoyMix beetroot juice powder and 2 tablespoons of Korean fruit vinegar into 200 ml of water and top up with lots of ice cubes to make a super refreshing and delightful drink to chillax when I feel hot after cooking in the evening.  Alycia loves to guzzle down this refreshing drink to quench thirst after working out in the gym or when she’s back from kickboxing / Muay Thai class.

I love the au naturel maroon color of the beetroot powder from JoyMix!

Excellent Mixability – The red beetroot powder from JoyMix has a very fine texture and excellent flowability to prevent caking and lump formation. It will easily dissolve in water and other liquids alike and won’t curdle. You can even mix it in flours for baking cakes and pastries.

I will surely restock my beetroot powder from JoyMix when the existing stock runs low.

JoyMix’s health food products are ISO22OOO/ HACCP certified. Muslim consumers can safely consume their products as they are HALAL CERTIFIED.

Here are some of the health benefits of beetroot:

Conditions Liver – Beetroot contains betaine that conditions liver and stimulates the production of enzymes. It detoxifies the body and makes you feel fresh and rejuvenated.

Lowers cholesterol – A 2011 study on rats found that beetroot extract lowered total cholesterol and triglycerides and increased HDL (good) cholesterol. It also reduced oxidative stress on the liver.

Lowers blood glucose – Though high in sugar, beetroot actually helps in regulating your blood sugar levels. Studies have shown that it does not lead to high glucose concentration in the blood. This simply means that the natural sugars in beetroot are released very slowly in the body and thus, prevents sudden spikes. In the form of the juice, it may actually help diabetics.

Rich in Folate – Joymix’s red beetroot powder is rich in folate that is necessary for production and differentiation of cells as well as maintenance of DNA structure. The high folate content makes it a great option for young children, teenagers, and pregnant women alike.

Reduces Blood Pressure – Betaine in beetroots reduces blood pressure by lowering homocysteine levels in the body. Joymix red beetroot powder contains high amounts of betaine that reduces the chances of high blood pressure, heart attacks, and strokes.

Great For Older Adults – Various studies have found beetroot to prevent and halt the progress of dementia in older adults. Regularly consuming beetroot juice can assist in keeping dementia at bay.

Sharpens Minds of Students – The high nutrient content of beetroot and its effect on blood flow enhances the cognitive functioning of the brain making it beneficial for students and teenagers.

Ideal For Keto and Vegetarian Diets – People who are following a keto or a vegetarian diet will find it easy to incorporate red beetroot powder to their diets as it has low calories.

Boosts Sports Performance – Beetroots have betaine which improves cardiovascular health and blood flow. It increases the rate at which oxygen reaches cells and boosts the performance of athletes and sportspersons.

May Prevent Cancer – The antioxidant betaine which is present in rich amounts in Joymix’s red beetroot powder has been found to protect the body against different types of cancer. It protects DNA structure in cells against damage, which is a primary cause of cancer.

Improves Digestive Health – Beetroot improves digestive health by stimulating the production of enzymes and HCL in the stomach. It also aids in the absorption of specific vitamins, minerals, and proteins.

Excellent for Weight Management – Joymix red beetroot powder is excellent for individuals who are focused on weight management as it contains low calories while being nutritionally dense.

Sharing is caring  😘 Read below to get a discount on your beetroot powder!

JoyMix is now having a promotion on their health products from organic soy powder to collagen, Bentong ginger powder, macha latte powder, chia seeds, diabetic foods and of course beetroot powder.  Just key in discount code: JOYLOVE during checkout to enjoy a 10% discount on their products!

The promotion is valid from 1 January 2019 ~ 31 March 2019, so hurry and get your beetroot powder or any health products before this offer expires!

For more information on JoyMix health food products, kindly visit:
www.joypremix.com
www.facebook.com/joypremix
www.instagram.com/joymix9

No. of times viewed = 192

Wednesday, 2 May 2018

Today Cass my forgetful girl forgot to bring her purse to school again! I only realized that she had left her purse behind at around 8 a.m.  On the spur of the moment, I wanted to drive to school right away to save her before her recess starts. Just last week, she had forgotten to put money into her purse and had to borrow money from her class teacher.

But wait a minute…

If I keep popping up at her side like her 24-hour guardian angel at the onset of a problem whether it’s due to her negligence or not, am I helping her? Would my cosseting parenting do more damage than good to her?  She would then think that mummy will always magically pop out like a genie in the bottle to solve all her problems, thus she would never use her logic and interpersonal skill to think of a solution.

So I decided to just let her be and wait patiently for my baby girl to come home at 4 p.m. to find out from her how she dealt with her negligence. Today is CoCo day in school. I was super anxious to find out from Cass what she ate for lunch without a single sen in her pocket!  I knew she wouldn’t be thick faced enough to borrow money from her class teacher again. Tak malu ke? 🤨

While waiting patiently for my baby girl to be home, I went grocery shopping. Today’s damage is RM153.95, spent on a quarter head of organic cabbage for my salad, organic tomatoes, pineapple and oranges for the girls’ smoothie of the day,  honey mandarin oranges, avocado, sesame seed oil, kampung chicken eggs, lemon water kefir, baking soda for my DIY toiletries and cleaning, cha soba from Japan, etc. etc

My salad today is composed of organic cabbage, organic tomato, cilantro omelette and a small piece of pork chop; drizzled with sesame seed dressing. Super love the crisp and crunch of the raw cabbage. I could eat this everyday!

Cabbage is a rockstar vegetable: it’s cheap, versatile and packs a seriously healthy punch. If you’re trying to save money, cabbage is practically a steal at only a few Ringgit for a medium size head of non-organic cabbage. Organic ones are about double the price.  I spent RM4.49 on a quarter head of organic cabbage. It’s still way cheaper than imported organic alfalfa sprouts, kale or hydroponic vegetables.

Cass was lucky that today a few of her classmates brought junk food  snacks to school for a joint birthday celebration in the class.  So she had junk food  snacks for her recess at 10 a.m. and saved the small parmesan cheese bun that I gave her for lunch at 1:15 p.m..  She also had some free ‘chap fan’ (economy rice) from C, her bestie.  C’s mum orders catered food from the canteen just so she has a place to sit comfortably in the canteen during recess and lunch. But C doesn’t eat the food from the canteen. Her driver and helper would bring food for her on most days.

So that was how Cass managed to go by today in school without a sen in her pocket ~ with junk food, pecking on her friend’s lunch (which was also shared with another classmate) and a small parmesan bun. And a packet of Izumio hydrogen water (her antioxidant water) on top of 1,ooo ml of water in her tumbler.

My ever optimistic baby girl with a humongous appetite quipped: “mum, I don’t know why but I am not hungry though I didn’t have a proper lunch. And the good thing is I get to save the RM4 that you gave me for lunch!” ❤

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Colorful Meals

Eating colours is always a very good idea and I take great pains to ensure that my girls and I do.  Even on super busy days, I include an organic raw tomato into their fruit box.  I prep a fruit box or a smoothie  for the girls every day. In fact raw tomatoes are a staple in our fridge and the girls and I eat them every other day.

Yesterday was a very colorful day for us.  Each and every meal that we had was colorful 🌈

As it is often said, eat the rainbow to ensure that you are feeding your body super nutrients that equip your cells like defense weapons against every day stressors and aging. Eating a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables will maximize the body’s ability to heal daily and prevent against all forms of diseases and cancers.

The first meal of the day at 5:15 a.m. for Cass was a  slice of wholemeal bread with butter and avocado. Half a banana. Bananas are good and inexpensive prebiotics to include in our diet.  Prebiotics are food for probiotics, the good bacteria in our guts.  Lunch box for recess for Cass was organic buckwheat noodles seasoned with sesame seed oil, sesame seeds, organic soy sauce and Korean seaweed.

Alycia had a wholewheat English muffin with butter and avocado for breakfast.

Fruit of the day was smoothie ~ a blend of apples, oranges, organic New Zealand spinach, juice from one lemon, Manuka honey and a powerful shot of Ningxia Red from Young Living.  NingXia Red is a powerful juice drink that contains whole Ningxia wolfberry puree — a super blend of blueberry, aronia, cherry, pomegranate, and plum juices, natural stevia extract, grape seed extract, pure vanilla extract, and orange, yuzu, lemon, and tangerine essential oils.

Let me know if you want me to help you buy Ningxia Red at wholesale price (email shireenyong@gmail.com).

Tea time for me was boiled purple sweet potato and a bowl of red soup of beet root and carrots.

Dinner was yet another traffic light colors meal consisting of sauteed organic NZ spinach, onion egg omelette and Tomyam fish with colorful vegetables (brinjal, tomatoes, ladies fingers).

I love everything colorful, including my meals. Just looking at these bright colors set me in a good mood.

Eat the rainbow 🌈:
It’s no secret that eating the rainbow can help you succeed with your weight loss goals, not to mention the array of nutrients you feed your body. And coat your body with the nutrients it needs. These colorful benefits can strengthen your immune system, promote a healthy heart, create radiant skin, and even help you live longer.

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Vitacare’s ‘Food For The Soul’ Event @ The Gardens Mall, 20 April 2018

I love attending Vitacare Pharmacy’s events and always look forward to receiving invites for its events which focus on healthy eating and living. I never fail to learn something new at each of its event.

The latest Vitacare event that I attended was held on 20 April 2018 at The Gardens Mall. Titled ‘Food For The Soul’, we were given tips on the preparation of easy yet wholesome meals using only natural and healthy ingredients. We  were also introduced to several healthy beverages made from superfoods carefully designed for the health of our guts and overall health of our body.

Good Morning brand range of nutritious beverages from V Grains 18 Grains purple beverage, V Halia 18 Grains ginger beverage, V Quinoa healthy snack and Amazin’ Graze granola (my absolute favorite brand of granola!) :

There was a demo  on how to use  V Grains purple powder to blitz up a delish snack / dessert, which provides so much sustenance that it can be eaten per se as a meal replacement for those on a diet.

Everyone was given a cup of  V Grains power-packed snack concocted by the team from Good Morning to bring home, together with a recipe book and CD. I was amazed to see how V Grains 18 grains powder can be used in so many creative ways to whip up an endless list of mouth-watering desserts and dishes.

VGrains 18 Grains is made up of 18 types of premium whole grains with 5 colours of phytonutrients. It is also added with 7 unique ingredients including purple sweet potato, blueberry, lutein, calcium, soya lecithin, prebiotic inulin and water soluble fibre.

A speaker explaining the importance of incorporating plant protein into our diet:

Beans, peas, nuts, seeds, soy and lentils are some of nature’s treasures. They are a powerhouse of good nutrition, a good source of plant protein, loaded with disease fighting phytonutrients, cholesterol-lowering fiber and naturally low in cholesterol and sodium.  A diet focusing on plant-based protein sources can be beneficial for helping to prevent diabetes, cardiovascular disease and mortality.

This nutritionist concocted a delish smoothie composed of plant protein powder + organic rolled oats + green leafy vegetables + a pinch of salt (blitzed together), flavored with raw cacao powder and raw nuts.

I was given the privilege to try the smoothie, right out of the blender. Though it’s thick and some thought it would taste yucky but surprise surprise, it was pretty good!  Nutty, oaty, chocolaty, milky and refreshing from the raw vegetables. This is a balanced cup of meal complete with carbs, protein and fiber, all in one.  And it’s super low in calories and fat too.  I had a cup of this and it  filled me up pretty well, so much that I wasn’t even hungry when it was time for lunch.

This V Quinoa 18 grains crunchy bars healthy snack from Good Morning got everyone raving about how delish it is. We were passing the bag of snack around and everyone just couldn’t get enough of it.  This product will only be officially available at selected supermarkets and pharmacies in June 2018.  It’s made from healthy legumes and grains and tastes like pop corn.  Our girls were fighting for the snack and it sure isn’t enough for the 3 piranhas haha!

Fibre Cleanse and Actizyme from New Morning ~ something for the health of your guts.

“You are what you eat”  Agree with me on this popular adage?

Yes and no.

It’s actually “you are what you digest and absorb”.  And this means you need to have healthy guts for good digestion, absorption and elimination. This is something that I learnt at the event from the nutritionist.

ActiZyme from New Morning is a premium, all-encompassing blend of digestive enzymes formulated to optimize the digestion of carbohydrates, proteins, fat, dairy, legumes, cruciferous vegetables, cereal grains and other foods.  ActiZyme is an advanced digestion supplement that combines DigeSEB with a proprietary blend of 22 natural and bioactive fruits and vegetables and concentrates.  This product is recommended for those who suffer from weakened or inflamed stomachs, pancreas or GI tract, the elderly who face declined digestive and absorption functions and for those who need the extra help to promote digestive and gut health and overall wellbeing.  If you’ve had a very heavy meal and need aid in digesting your food, ActiZyme might just be the solution 😉

For those of you who need a little nudge in your bowel movements, New Morning FibreCleanse Forte might just be the answer.  It helps to promote bowel regularity, promote healthy gut microbiata balance, healthy GI tract, better gut health and is 100% laxative with no laxative.  Made from 11 fruits, 11 vegetables and Moringa Oleifera extract, FibreCleanse Forte also helps to promote internal cleansing and detoxification.

Celebs and bloggers taking part in an experiment with ActiZyme:

It’s amazing to see that with ActiZyme added into a thick oat paste, the paste gradually melted and liquefied. That’s how the enzyme in ActiZyme digests food in our guts.

A group picture to conclude the Vitacare event. Can you spot me? 😆

VIPs at the event include Sarah Lian, a local and international actress and other celebs.

As with previous events, Vitacare is extremely generous with their goodie bags.  I always look forward to receiving it.  All the products promoted at the event were included in the goodie bag, yippee!   And an awesome bottle of high grade MGO 250+ Manuka honey from New Zealand too, which costs over RM100 a bottle!

 

 

Thank you very much once again Vitacare for having me at the event. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it and can’t wait to attend the next event 🤗

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Nutrition Geared to Your Needs

Today there’s a quiet revolution going on, and it’s a revolution that has to do with restoring people to a perfect state of health. This healthy way of living, feeling and behaving isn’t about taking daily doses of medications and following a rote set of rules. It’s about living well in the perfect state of health we deserve, by eating food that is nutritional and delicious, and that feeds us in a way we are meant to be fed.

There are plenty of diets available today to anyone who is interested in signing up for an expensive fad that doesn’t really get them on the road to great health. What many nutritional experts (like a colorado nutrition consultant who has been making breakthroughs in helping people achieve perfect health) are talking about is getting healthy by eating what’s naturally good for us. We live in a world that’s filled with plenty of processed, prepackaged foods that are loaded with preservatives, added sugar and empty calories. These foods are causing many people to put on extra weights, lose their natural energy, and add extra stress to their heart and other vital organs. What’s the answer? Top nutritional consultants today say that the answer is to take advantage of all the great natural food that is inexpensive and easily available to us.

In generations past, people lived on farms and ate the food that grew naturally all around them. Today, we have too much access to food that is poor in real nutrients, but high in calories. We need to get back to a more natural way of living and eat fresh food on a daily basis. A diet that includes fresh fruit, vegetables, legumes, grains and nuts will supply a body all the nutrition they need to be well and to stay active.

Good health shouldn’t be a secret. By embracing all the natural abundance that surrounds us, we can enjoy vitality and energy, without sacrificing great taste and the enjoyment of a delicious meal.

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How Safe Is Your Family In Your Own Hands?

Nothing matters more to me in this world than the health and safety of my family members. I’d do anything to keep my family members in the pinkest of health. Some of the things that I do now to keep my children healthy is to give them a good brand of health supplements and ensure that they have healthy meals. I try to go organic as much as I can. I also buy toiletries and household cleaners that contain no harsh chemicals as much as I can.

I am fortunate that I stay in a place where I can buy organic food and other healthy food stuff conveniently.  From time to time, I have  blog readers emailing me to ask me where I get my organic food stuff as their location makes it very difficult for them to get hold of such items.

For those of you who have been desiring to purchase healthy food stuff, organic food, healthy personal care products and supplements but have no easy access to them, you can now shop for these items online at Green Wellness.

Green Wellness is an online retailer that focuses on healthy groceries and preventive healthcare products through distribution of toxic-free and chemical-free premium products sourced from all over the world, conveniently delivered to your door step.

What I like about Green Wellness is that they carry an impressive panoply of healthy products. I could find organic spirulina capsules, organic oat noodles, organic sauerkraut,  healthy snacks for my girls  and much more interesting healthy items.

I have already placed an online order for some healthy food items and can’t wait to receive them soon!

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Did you know that apricot kernels contain Vitamin B17 which many cancer patients eat to fight cancer cells?

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Something Special For Health Freak Mommy’s Readers!

To celebrate Health Freak Mommy’s 10th year anniversary, I am pleased to announce that all Health Freak Mommy blog readers are entitled to a 10% discount off their first purchase at Green Wellness!  Just key in discount code SHIREENYONG2017 during checkout to enjoy the 10% discount.  This unique discount code will be effective 18 April 2017 and expire on 27 July 2017

How to shop at Green Wellness? -You can read it here- http://www.greenwellness.my/pages/shop—greenwellness

Please check out http://www.greenwellness.my/pages/faq or contact their Sales and Customer Service team at sales@greenwellness.my or enquiry@greenwellness.my should you have any question on placing an order.

Happy shopping and stay healthy always 🙂

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Treating High Fever Naturally

On Thursday morning, Cass woke up at 3:45 a.m. to look for me.  She complained that it was very hot. Her cheeks were flushed and lips were redder than usual. It is not a norm for her to wake up at this ungoldly  hour to look for me and when she does, she is normally unwell. I gave her some water and got her to pee.  She had complained of leg pain and slight headache the night before. Now, that got me very worried. Could she be having a UTI attack? One of Cass’ initial symptoms of a UTI attack are headache and leg / body pain.

At 5:30 a.m. when I woke Cass up to get her ready for school, her body felt like a piece of burning charcoal. I was even more worried. I kept asking her if she felt OK and if she felt any pain at the bladder and kidney region. She said she felt fine but have developed a slight cough. Worries quelled. If she has cough / runny nose, I can safely rule out a UTI.  And I asked her many questions on what she did the day before. It was after questioning her that I found out that when she stayed back for extra co-curricular activities the day before, they were made to run in the 2pm hot sun for about half an hour!  With a sizzling temperature of almost 38C, kids can easily get sick from being grilled by the unforgiving sun or get a heat stroke. Even we adults may not be able to tolerate running round the track in the burning 2pm sun. I will surely have a headache if I am exposed to the hot sun for half an hour.  Crazy teacher!

I gave Cass her usual packet of hydrogen water the first thing when she woke up on Thursday morning. Then gave her another packet to bring to school. I told her to down the packet of hydrogen infused water when she reached school. And to call me from school should she feel unwell and want to go home to rest. When she got home that afternoon, her insatiable appetite seemed to have gone. She could not even finish her bowl of porridge. Her body was warm. After a shower, she asked for an ‘ice cap’ for her head and took a nap.  An ‘ice cap’ which we both aptly named, is a frozen wet towel that I put on her head whenever she has fever.

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The next morning, Cass’ body got hotter. I took her temperature and got a shock with the 41 degrees Celsius  reading on the thermometer. Thoughts of brain damage, febrile fits and hallucination raced through my mind coz a fever of 41C is really high.  I continued to give her hydrogen infused water and her supplements containing carotenoids.  But the hubs wasn’t happy that with such shockingly high temperature, I wasn’t giving his princess any fever medicine and pressed me to bring Cass to the doctor. I gave in under pressure, though I knew that I could bring the fever down the natural way.

As I had already predicted, the medical officer on duty was super quick to prescribe Cass with antibiotics without even doing any test on her.  I told him straight that I wanted no antibiotics and even wanted to tell him that I didn’t want any other oral medicine too. But I just paid for the prescribed flu meds to please everyone at home that I had brought Cass to the doctor and had brought medicine home. But I didn’t give Cass the flu meds.  Except for the Volren suppository that the MO insisted to give Cass to bring down the high fever, I gave Cass hydrogen water (every 4 hourly), carotenoids supplements (3 capsules a day), raw honey with bee propolis (3 times a day) and showered her body many times throughout the day and night.

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Cass was really disappointed that she could not participate in her school jogathon today. But at least she has something to look forward to now – the school’s jogathon next year 🙂

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Today (Saturday) Cass woke up with no more fever.  Though she has thick goo and a slight cough, her ravenous appetite has returned, yay!  When a sick child still has a good appetite, you can be rest assured that she is recovering and nothing major is brewing inside. No doubt, I was worried sick when Cass’ temperature kept hovering at 40 – 41 degrees Celsius the entire Friday.  I always believe in healing the feverish body naturally and with lots of rest and not overload it with medicine.

 

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HEALTH FREAK MOMMY