Sunny Health

It’s well and good to want to challenge an undesirable fate, but there’s a fine line between having a strong will and being stubborn. When it’s time to let go, it’s time to let go. Clinging on relentlessly will only break your support, just like how the poor lady broke her family’s hearts when she spent her last months flying around instead of spending quality time with them. Worst, they even had to pick up the pieces for her.

Anyway, this episode inspired me to write about coping with death. Morbid stuff.

I can’t claim to be an expert because, well, because truthfully I’ve been fortunate enough not to experience it myself.

What, you’re still here?

Fine.

This is going to be awkward. But I’ll try. So as I was saying, when it’s time to go, it’s time to go. Just have to take it on the chin and deal with it. So how can you deal with death, be it yours or anyone close to you?

Well here are some ways:

1. Face the facts. Ok you’re dying. You just got the news. You’ll need some time to get over the initial shock. Most important thing is not to go in a state of denial.

2. Get help for you and your family. Chances are, despite getting over your death, you’ll experience the occasional urge to tear at your hair and scream “It’s the end of the world!” Now it’s perfectly normal to be upset, but don’t let yourself slip into depression. In NCCS, there are cancer support groups that cancer patients and their caregivers can turn to for help. Support groups are usually formed by a bunch of nice and knowledgeable people who’ve shared your woes, understand your fears and will have the relevant resources to help you with your doubts.

3. Leave your job. It would be sad having to work on your last day on Earth. Not to mention, you wouldn’t want your colleagues cursing you for dumping a pile of unfinished work on them. If you’re the sole breadwinner, arrange for your family to seek financial help. Support groups, as mentioned in point 2, will be able to give you relevant advice for this.

4. Trim off the loose ends. Nobody likes to pick up after someone else’s mess. Settle all outstanding issues like mortgage, rent, bills and other stuff. If you have to go, you’d rather do it with peace of mind. Likewise, don’t create unnecessary debts for them. It’s one thing if you’re seeking legitimate medical treatment for your condition, but a waste of time and money if you’re experimenting with alternative medicines. Why not spend the money on something nice, like a holiday for yourself and your family?

5. Writing your will. This can be in a form of an official document signed by a lawyer or even a video. Anyone that has helped you in a way, don’t forget to mention them.

6. Religion. Some of you may cringe at this but it’s ok if you don’t believe in an unseen power. For most of you, if ever there was a time to get close to your maker, now would be a pretty good time. Often meeting up with your local priest, Imam, monk will put your mind at ease better than most activities so it’s definitely worth a try.

7. Family/Friends This is often the most important but unfortunately the hardest part. Most of the time they’ll take it much harder than you. Maybe you don’t think too much of yourself but there are people who look up to you in more ways than you’ll ever know. So remember to show your love and appreciation for them as often as you can before it’s too late to do so!

Ok. That’s enough doom and gloom for a day. All this talk about death isn’t doing anything to keep my SPIRITS up? See what I did there? OK fine I’ll shut up now.

But seriously, make peace with this world. Tell the people who you’ve never had the courage to talk to what you think of them. After all, you wouldn’t want any regrets in your final moments would you?

OK so it’s the 4^th day of Eid Al-Fitr/Hari Raya Aidilfitri. By the time you read this, chances are hearty servings of Rendang, Sambal Goreng, Sayur Lodeh, Ketupat and my biggest weakness (cue drumroll) FRIED CHICKEN WINGS have already found its way into my digestive system (and possibly yours too, yes?). It doesn’t help when I have aunts who are excellent cooks and constantly shoving things onto my plate. (No really, I couldn’t eat another bite, but what’s that Auntie? Chicken wings? Aw, you shouldn’t have.) It’s really hard to resist chowing down on Ketupat (glutinous rice dumplings wrapped in woven banana leaves) best eaten with chunks of Beef or Chicken Rendang (dry curry cooked in sinful amounts of coconut milk)

However being the caring netizen that I am (but mostly because I believe strongly in the benefits of a healthy lifestyle) here are some tips to fight the calories without compromising on the festive spirit.

1. When it comes to crunch time, moderation is the key. I know, I know it’s easier said than done when you’re faced with mountains of delicious food and overzealous aunties but try to eat in limited quantity and don’t overstuff your tummy. Overeating causes acidity imbalance (Eno anyone?) and digestive related issues.
   
   
2. Skip the finger food – generally these are your typical kueh lapis, tapioca chips, pineapple tarts and so forth. (I’ll stick to my chicken wings thank you)
   
   
3. Eat slowly and concentrate on enjoying the flavours of different foods. Eating slowly will help you not to overeat.
   
   
4. Remember to keep drinking lots of water. Ensure you drink lots of water as it not only provides numerous health benefits but also prevents overindulgence on unhealthy foods.
   
   
5. Did you know that you tend to overeat when you’re tired? Exhaustion makes you overeat to restore energy.
   
   
6. If you find it difficult to continue with your normal weight loss over the festive season, at least try to maintain your weight at where it is now and start putting in more effort again as soon as you are back to your normal routine.

With that in mind, I'm not asking you to abandon meat and go vegan for this festive season. Instead, just be mindful of what you eat and things should work out fine. After all I only tend to overwork my arteries during Hari Raya, right?

RIGHT?!

We all know that eating well is as important as breathing. Ok maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but you get the point. Eating the right food can do wonders for our bodies, making us feel and look good. BUT, there is a fine line between eating well, and eating too well.

In fact, nutritionists have constantly urged us to eat as many as five meals a day. This method of eating keeps our bodies constantly fed, so that it’ll never get into an angry fit with us and refuse to work to break down all those calories. In busy Singapore, many of us are guilty of skipping meals like breakfast or lunch and replacing them with a grande Starbucks Mocha Frappe or the like, but we can still do way better than that. There is really no reason to substitute a proper nutritious meal with caffeine. On the other hand, there are some of us who simply can never stop munching. 24/7, and our mouths are gnawing endlessly at a bag of chips, or fries and the list goes on.

But sometimes, when an illness like cancer looms over us, the appetite for food no matter how alluring the aroma, may no longer be whet. Nonetheless, it is important to note that food during this time is crucial. When undergoing treatment or chemotherapy, the energy to sustain the procedure shouldn’t be underestimated. Many patients return feeling tired and worn out, and it has been proven that 30% of all cancers are linked to poor diet. This is because, cancer strikes when a cell or a DNA gets damaged. The damaged cell grows unchecked, and turns into a tumor that spreads and grows uncontrollably. Now, during any one of these steps, a lack of certain nutrients, or an excess of some other factor can affect what happens next. That’s why there is never-ending emphasis on eating right. Like the American Cancer Society says, “While genes influence your risk of cancer, diet and physical activities are the most important lifestyle factors that contribute to cancer.” Yes, it is definitely no easy task, but eating the right kinds of food, a little each time, can make a huge difference in making one stronger and emotionally, mentally, and physically fulfilled.

Here’s a sample cancer fighting diet taken off the Diet Channel. They have very thoughtfully incorporated the top 10 anti-cancer foods, to get you started on a healthier, invigorating food journey.

Cancer Fighting Diet

Breakfast
Yogurt smoothie with mixed berries and soy milk

Morning Snack
Apple with peanut butter
Green Tea

Lunch
Spinach wrap with mandarin oranges and broccoli sprouts
Cottage cheese and pineapple
Tomato Juice

Dinner
Baked wild salmon with caramelized onion and garlic
Stewed Tomatoes
Pumpkin soup or baked sweet potato
Black Tea

Happy Eating guys!