The Ex-Stroke Patient Who Changed His Life

Have you ever seen a stroke patient getting better?

All around me (my extended family members included), I've seen people who have suffered and are suffering from stroke. Not only does stroke paralyses the body, it paralyses your life in a way as well. I've heard of stroke patients who actually expressed regret of not taking care of their health while they still could.

Stroke came as a surprise to most of them.

And this man, an ex-stroke patient, shared his story on the struggle he went through while he was suffering from stroke.

This is Firdaus. He was only 30, and was working in a public listed marine company when he first got stroke. That was in year 2011. He had his first child at the age of 30.

When he was admitted into hospital for stroke, he was told that one of his veins almost burst. He almost died.

For one and a half months, he was bedridden in the hospital. The doctor told him it will take him 2 years to be back on his feet. He was wheelchair-bound by then. For two years, he suffered with memory loss, energy loss and it affected his bedroom activities. His daughter was 11 months old then, and his wife was 30 years old.

Ever wondered how such a young man could have suffered from stroke?

He shared his daily diet. 3 servings of rice, 3 servings of chicken, 3 cans of coca-cola, and macdonald's meals for at least 3 times a week.

He thought he was fine, big and happy until stroke hit him. He said, "you won't realise until you actually get it".

On his route to recovery, he said he has tried various means and ways, including one of the fad "orange drink" from a certain company. All the methods didn't work nor improved his condition, until he sought the help of our health consultants on one fateful day.

He went under our weight management programme. He was taught the right way to take care of his diet. To supplement his route to recovery from stroke, he took our supplements which aided in the blood flow, cell renewal, building up of immune system and many other areas in his health.

On his recent quarterly health check up, his doctor commented that he's getting better. In fact, he took less than the estimated 2 years to get back on his own two feet!

At the end of his sharing, he said "I hope my story will guide you to better yourself".

Are you going to better yourself? 

No more waiting. Your life and health is too precious. Start now.

Do You Feel Tired All The Time?

There are days where we feel extremely tired and lazy to get out of bed. We snooze our alarms and sleep in till 12noon. After waking up, half of the day is already wasted. Have you ever wondered why you feel tired all the time?

Let's rewind to the night before. What were you doing about 3 hours before you slept?
Texting, watching the television, doing work in your laptop?
Exercised too much before bedtime?

How about your mental, emotional and physical health?
Stressed, or under-stressed?
Did you drink enough water the whole day?
Did you eat the required amount of fruits, vegetables, protein and carbohydrates?

There are many reasons why you might be feeling tired every morning. The activities that you do and the food that you eat the day before and before you sleep does play a part in your quality of sleep at night.

So how do you feel fresh every morning? Here are 9 great tips to wake up fresh!

1. Avoid caffeinated or sugar-loaded drinks at night, before you sleep. These types of drinks can disturb anyone's sleep.


2. Go to bed happy. Do something that makes you happy before you sleep. Never bring any unresolved problems to bed.


3. Pray and meditate. Have a 30 minutes quiet time before bed. Let go of all worriesand avoid over-thinking about tthe next day or the future. Have faith that things will get better.


4. Avoid eating dinner right before bed. If you want to feel light and fresh in the morning, avoid heavy meals after 6pm.


5. Sleep in a well-ventilated area. The level of carbon-dioxide is higher at night. Letting in oxygen and allowing carbon-dioxide to flow out easily will be beneficial for your health.


6. In the morning, drink a glass of water. The water will start your metabolism, making you feel awake and fresh.


7. Exercise. Exercising will make you feel more energetic. Even simple stretches helps!


8. Have something to be excited about. If you love your job or class, then congratulations! That's something to look forward to! However if you find yourself dreading whatever that you're doing now, make a change. Never live your life in regrets.


9. Wake up straight away. Staying in bed even for "just a few minutes" after waking up will most probably make you want to stay in bed longer. Get out of bed immediately after you wake and start your day.

Hope this helps you to start your day right!

Medicines Are Drugs

Have you ever suffered from a really bad flu? Or other illnesses?
What's the first thing that you'd do? Pop the doctor's pills or maybe self-medicate with panadols?
They're the fastest, most effective way to handle any kinds of health issues, no? Well, there's something that you need to know about medicines.

These "medicines" that we perceive as our "life savers" are in fact, drugs. Drugs treat and/or prevent a disease or symptom. They target the effects and symptoms of diseases and/or illnesses, and not the source of the problem. In some instances, these drugs can also contribute to other diseases that affects our organs. One of the main organ in our body that would be affected is our liver.

When it comes to medicines and drugs, directions for consumption must be followed carefully and correctly. The right dose for you may be different than the dose for your friend or family member.

After all is cured, what's next?

Have you ever thought how you can prevent yourself from getting sick too often and having to eat medicines all the time? 

This is the solution.

We should always take preventive measures to protect ourselves. The source of being frequently ill is most often a bad diet. And also, a weak immune system. One way to tackle this issue is to take supplements regularly to ensure that our immunity level is always ready for an attack. Skip the drugs and take a safer approach. You can't go wrong with our supplements.


Like and share our facebook page!
http://www.facebook.com/RechargeWithZ

Aspire To Change Your Life!

Last Sunday (15th Oct 2013), there was a training on how to become a better leader. It was led by people who are already successful in their business, and are still aspiring to be more successful as well as to help others to become successful.

The sharing sessions were all inspirational and we even had a local celebrity there with us!

Haryani Othman, local celebrity from Suria Channel's Yakult Klinik Kita Makeover

This is Haryani Othman, one of the participants in Suria Channel's Yakult Klinik Kita Makeover. It's a total health makeover for the celebrities involved, under our weight management programme. Haryani was under our weight management programme (which was featured in The Straits' Times on 3rd Oct 2013), as well as our latest body shaping programme, called TR90 during the recent Limited Time Offer (LTO) period in September 2013. She had lost 10kg in total so far and still continuing to lose more! She's striving really hard to attain her ideal weight and to gain back her health. Furthermore, she's motivating more of her friends to join our weight management programme because our weight management programme is very easy to follow, and we have consultants to track your progress periodically. So there'll be guaranteed fat loss!

Another inspirational speaker was an engineer (soon to be ex-engineer).



Nur, soon-to-be full time business woman.

Nur is a soft-spoken lady but when she delivered her sharing, it was so inspirational that it really made me feel that it is possible for everyone to achieve success in life. One of her opening sentences on self-introduction was: "I'm not as clever as both of my sisters and brother because they graduated from university but I graduated from polytechnic."

However, despite the difference in education level, she's doing quite well in the business! After the recent LTO period for TR90, she had accumulated a five-figure income! Just with determination, discipline and belief! She did share that when she first started on the business, her husband wasn't supportive of her and asked her to quit on a number of occasions. Her reaction to the rejections: "Because of my belief, I said I would not stop. Believe in yourself, put in action and work towards it. Prove to those around you that you can do it and they'll eventually join you."

And now, her husband supports her while she's doing the business!

Isn't this wonderful? Housewives, people with any level of education, and anyone can do well in this business! Just ask yourself, how much effort are you willing to put in now, to get the life that you've always wanted? Do you want the money, the health, beauty and a great team to work with?

Join us!

Like and share our facebook page, PM us and we'll contact you right away!
http://www.facebook.com/RechargeWithZ

TR90 Gives Me Hope!

The ageLOC TR90 system is our latest breakthrough weight management and body shaping program. It's based on highly innovative gene expression science, that unifies your mind and body for a healthier, leaner, younger looking you in just 90 days!

Me and the ageLOC TR90 set!

Our ageLOC TR90 system was on a Limited Time Offer (LTO) in the period between 9-18 September. (It'll be back for another LTO in 2014, don't worry). My dad was one of the lucky ones who managed to grab their sets during that LTO. He's losing all the fats alright, albeit the challenges that he faced.

The challenges: a wife who feeds him too well, the confusion between the idea of "almost full" and "too full and bloated", and a family of unhealthy diet.

Seeing him transform and overcome all these challenges really gives me hope on helping more and more people out there to gain back their health, youth and body shape. I'm really proud of my dad. He lost about 4kg in 3 weeks, and about 2kg are fats!

I blurred out his face to protect his identity. Look at his tummy!
It's shrinking and it took him only 3 weeks
to see such a great change! And his posture is more upright now.

His tummy is shrinking and look at the love handles!

He'll get his V-shaped body real soon,
just like in his younger days!

If you would like to gain back your health, youth and body shape, contact us right away! We'll be glad to provide our service to you.

Like and share our facebook page! http://www.facebook.com/RechargeWithZ

Too Busy To Exercise?

After a long hiatus, Recharge is back on the tracks! (pun intended). We've all heard of people coming up with reasons on why they are unable to exercise regularly or even once in a week. Well, truth to be told, it's really all up in the head - your mindset. Which brings us to today's topic: How do you motivate yourself to exercise?

 

Need a run to work?

Exercising should be as important as self-grooming. We groom ourselves every day (and maybe every night as well) to look presentable; to look our best. Exercising on the other hand, makes us feel great inside out and makes us look better as well. So, shouldn't exercising and grooming be placed side by side?

Due to packed, busy schedules that we all have in this day and time, it is not uncommon for some of us to "let go" of exercising. After time, this becomes a habit and we all know, to start back on something from where we've left off is quite an arduous task. The commitment, discipline and effort.

So here comes the big question (again): How do you motivate yourself to exercise?

1. Set one easy, specific, measurable goal. Set a goal that is very easy to achieve. E.g. Five minutes of exercise a day, or 5 push ups a day. Then slowly increase the number every week. The easier the goal, the easier it is to get started and the easier it'll be to build your habit and to gradually increase.
   
   Also, be specific. What kind of exercise? Where? At what time? Make it an important appointment that you can't miss.
   
   Stick to this goal for one month, or two months if you can. Start a second goal ONLY after you've achieved the first goal. Most importantly, write it down, post it up, look at it every single day. Preferably before you sleep and right after you wake up in the morning. Not writing it down means it's not important to you. Seeing is believing.



2. Keep track of your progress. It's best if you have an exercise diary. After every workout, make it a point to pen down in specific detail on what exercises you've done for that day. Date, time, and what you did. This will serve as a motivation to keep going and to reach your goal!



3. Visualise how you're going to look. We all want a perfect body, depending on your own definition of a perfect body. Just make sure "fit and healthy" is part of your definition.



4. How you'll feel after workout. Working out gives us so much benefits, including our emotional well-being! That euphoria and sense of accomplishment that you feel after every "tough" work-out. Let that push you on! You know you want to feel great and confident!



5. Success stories and pictures. You know pictures, articles and videos of fit men and women being shared all over facebook and the internet? Let those inspire you, and make sure you succeed.



6. Your before picture. This, is important. This should probably be the first thing that you should do. We can rarely see the changes in us because we see ourselves in the mirror every single day. There's no such thing as an overnight change. It'll take time, and a picture can show you how you've progressed over time. Sharper chin, no flabs, toned arms, toned legs, flat tummy, etc. Take a new picture weekly.



7. Someone to report to. Get someone to report your progress to. This will give you a sense of responsibility over your own progress and to show someone the progress you've made. If you have trouble finding someone, don't worry! Iuventus Aeterna provides free consultations and follow ups! We can even help you to keep track of your progress.

These tips will only work when you make the effort to set aside quality time for yourself. Quality time to make yourself look good. No matter how busy you are, remember that your job won't be able to save your life. Your health will.

Unhealthy Vs Healthy Weight Loss Methods

Illustration 3: Pills or Meals?

Obesity is currently a trend among the old, young, men and women, especially in developed countries. The lack of education with regards to health and proper nutrition is one of the causes of obesity. Also, with the ease of getting our food ready within minutes from shops and stalls situated at every corner of the street, it would require an extraordinary amount of willpower to control our food intake. 

Alongside the increase in the number of obese people, the popularity of weight management and weight loss programmes are also increasing. With such a great market base for a lucrative business in the weight management and weight loss industry, we would undeniably be excessively exposed to the different types and methods for weight loss and weight management by a myriad of companies.

Our task now, is to unravel the types of methods used in some of the programmes and to question their effectiveness and safety for our consumption. 

Here, we have the common unhealthy ways to shed off those extra kilos.

1. No calorie diet. 

Illustration 4: Low-Calorie Diet

Our bodies need fat, especially healthy fats to burn the unwanted fats. Sadly, the zero-calorie trend is one of the most popular, leasing people to consume artificial sweeteners in the name of health and losing weight. Also, diet cokes can actually make you gain more weight.

2. Drugs and pills

Illustration 5: Diet Pill

We all know that there is no magic pill that will make you lose weight drastically overnight. Illicit and legal drugs have been used for weight loss for years. Drugs like cocaine are also often used as a quick fix for weight loss. What is common to all drugs is that when they are discontinued, the body no longer receives the effects of the drug. The consumer will also suffer from the side effects of the drug (e.g. severely damaging your heart and brain). The effect of discontinuing the drugs can lead to withdrawal symptoms and most likely regaining the weight lost while taking the drug. 

3. Fad diets

Illustration 6: Fad diets

Ever heard of weight loss or weight management programmes that restrict your diet to only certain types of food? There are a few programmes out there that promise guaranteed weight loss just by drinking meal replacement shakes everyday for at least 2 meals, or drinking just cabbage soup for a week  or to undergo the tapeworm diet. The consumers of these programmes would definitely lose weight, but they do so unhealthily. When they are off the diet, they would gain back those kilos as fast as they had lost them, resulting in a yo-yo weight loss effect.

4. Laxatives

Illustration 7: Laxatives

Laxatives are foods, compounds, drugs or supplements which induce bowel movements or loosen the stool. They come in the form of pills, powders suppositories and teas. Excessive use of laxatives in weight loss is not a new concept. Some people have been led on to believe that by detoxing and churning out excessive waste from the body means losing weight faster. In actual fact, continuous use will weaken your digestive system and can cause abdomen related complications. Short-term problems associated with laxative abuse include dehydration and hemorrhoids. Long term effects include intestinal paralysis, renal failure, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and even pancreatitis. 

5. Saunas and sweatsuits 

Illustration 8: Melt all those fats away in saunas

Saunas have been used for many years as a weight loss method. The weight lost by using saunas is entirely water weight. Saunas or sweat suits can cause deadly problems. The least dangerous effects of dehydration and increased body temperature can both become deadly if they get out of control. One extreme example of unhealthy ways to lose weight was a high school wrestler who used multiple unhealthy ways to lose weight in preparation for a wrestling meet. He took the dangerous diet supplement ephedrine while he ran stadium steps in a sweat suit in order to make weight for the next day’s competition. He was found dead the next day. Even though he had been dead for over 8 hours, his body temperature was still over 100 degrees.

As you can see, well-known weight loss methods might not be the safest and healthiest way to lose weight. We should take into consideration our daily nutritional needs as well. There are healthy ways to lose weight such as eating the right proportion of the different food groups, regular exercise, and a good night's sleep. Sometimes, the simplest and most natural method works well and is safer in the long run.

If you are interested to know more about weight management and how to start, you can contact us!

What Are We Losing When We Lose Weight?

"Losing weight" is a term that has been widely misused by many. What does "losing weight" actually means? There are a lot of substance in our body and all of them contribute to our overall weight. In order to lose weight, it is important to know which "substance" in our body we are losing.

Hence, losing weight can mean:

1. Losing muscle mass. Muscles are important in helping us do work, move around and play. Muscles also help us to burn off energy and fats in our body. If you lose your muscle mass, then there wouldn't be enough muscles to help you burn off those fats, isn't it?


2. Losing water. Have you been going to saunas to sweat it all out? Yes you do lose weight, but all that you are losing is just water. This weight can be gained back when you drink water, causing a yo-yo weight loss effect. Losing too much water too fast and too often will leave you dehydrated and can even be fatal.
    
3. Losing large amounts of stool. Some may know this type of process as "detoxification. Detox (short for detoxification) diets are extreme weight loss diet plans that claim to flush toxic chemicals from your body. Some people turn to laxatives to detox as well. This will disrupt the digestive system and can cause abdomen related complications. Short-term problems associated with laxative abuse include dehydration and hemorrhoids. Long term effects include intestinal paralysis, renal failure, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and even pancreatitis.


4. Losing fats. Of course, losing fats (especially visceral fats) is the most ideal and healthiest way to lose weight. Unwanted fats are harmful to our body and that should be the main target for effective weight loss. 

With the connotations of weight loss listed above, which one do you think you are losing? If you are unsure, we are here to provide a detailed health analysis for you with our in-house consultants. 

Visit us at http://www.facebook.com/RechargeWithZ.




Next article: Unhealthy vs Healthy weight loss methods

Visceral Fats? What's that?

Illustration 1. Visceral Fats surrounding the organs

Have you heard of visceral fats before? They are the internal fatty tissue which surrounds the vital organs such as the heart, liver, kidneys and pancreas. Visceral fats accumulate actively in an inactive body and they will increase your risk of getting health problems which might prove fatal.

Other than accumulating around the vital organs in our tummy, visceral fats can also inhibit the functioning of vital organs. This toxic fat is known to release dangerous levels of chemicals (including hormones) into the body. As such, excess toxic fat can lead to health problems namely: heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers (including cancers of the oesophagus, pancreas, bowel and breast). 

Illustration 2. Statistics of obese people in Singapore

The rate of overweight and obese people in Singapore (and possibly all over the world) are increasing as years go by. This is due to the availability of food, typically fast food and junk food, in almost every corner of the street. 

There are methods to reduce and limit the accumulation of visceral fats in your tummy for example, exercising well and having proper meals and nutrition. If you are looking into weight loss programmes, ensure that you do a research beforehand on what you will actually lose throughout the programme. 

Next article: What are we losing when we lose weight?

A Healthy Start

Hello new friends!

Welcome to our online blog. Here, you'll find various health and beauty tips which you can use for your whole family and for your whole life!

Stay tuned for more updates!