February 13th, 2020
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Health Benefits of Overnight Soaked Cooked Rice / Fermented Rice

What do you do with your unfinished takeout rice? Or if you have just a few tablespoons of unfinished rice from dinner and do not feel like keeping it in the fridge? Most people would just bin the unfinished rice. But wait, don’t throw the unfinished rice just yet!  You can squeeze out a lot more nutrients and health benefits from the unfinished rice by soaking it overnight and it’s scientifically proven.

Source : berrychik.com

For centuries, it has been a practice to consume overnight soaked rice in many South Indian families. Having known the health benefits of the soaked rice, the practice of consuming this dish for breakfast continued for generations.  However, due to globalization and increased wealth, this healthy breakfast has been replaced with modernized / processed breakfast foods like cereals, pancakes, bread, cakes, deli meat, just to name a few.

Soaked rice / fermented rice is rich in B6, B12 vitamins and is a source of beneficial gut-friendly bacteria which helps in digestion and boosts immunity. In a study, the given samples of normal cooked rice and overnight soaked cooked rice are tested for carbohydrate, crude protein, fat/oil and fibre content. The rice which was overnight soaked cooked rice was found to have more nutrient content than unsoaked cooked rice. There is an increase in energy, protein, fat, carbohydrate, fibre content and minerals.



Soaked overnight cooked rice used to be a pauper’s food, unfit to be offered to guests, and reserved to be given off to the house maid. At a time when refrigerators were uncommon, soaked rice was an inevitable item. Every night, some water would be poured over leftover rice and would be kept aside till the next day. This would get slightly fermented overnight and nutritionally rich with gut-friendly bacteria. In this modern day and age, this practice is almost nonexistent as every house is equipped with a refrigerator.

Adding 3 cups of water, fenugreek seeds and salt to the cooked rice

Source: vidhyashomecooking.com

Fermented rice provides immense health benefits such as:

1.  provides energy
2.  provides beneficial guts-friendly bacteria in abundance
3.  helps with allergies and skin related problems
4.  may prevent stomach ulcers and other digestive issues
5.  provides rich source of vitamin B12 for vegans
6.  prevents constipation
7.  may help alleviate blood pressure

Fermented rice can be eaten plain or added with yoghurt, buttermilk, raw onions, chopped cilantro and spring onions, tomatoes or just about any condiments as you would for rice congee. I like to pair my fermented rice with fried shallots, pepper and a dash of organic soy sauce.



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Healthy Snacks, Interesting Information
January 11th, 2020
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Drinking Tea May Boost Brain Health

Fans of green tea, black tea, or oolong tea can now rejoice and enjoy their cuppa tea more.  Besides the various health benefits that one can reap from drinking this aromatic beverage, a new study conducted by the National University of Singapore (NUS) along with the University of Essex and University of Cambridge, UK, showed that regular tea drinkers have better organised brain regions compared to non-tea drinkers.

Better organised brain regions are associated with healthy cognitive function, which protects against age-related decline.

“Our results offer the first evidence of positive contribution of tea drinking to brain structure, and suggest that drinking tea regularly has a protective effect against age-related decline in brain organisation” said Feng Lei, team leader and assistant professor in the Department of Psychological Medicine at the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine.

A previous study by Feng Lei also showed that daily tea drinking appears to reduce the risk of cognitive decline in older adults by 50%.

A cup of green tea with two different types of tea leaves on spoons

Some studies have identified certain associations between tea drinking and mental health. For instance, one study found that depressive symptoms were less common in older adults who drank tea consistently and frequently.

In addition to brain health, tea consumption, especially of green tea, has been linked to a lower risk of heart disease, cancer and diabetes, according to Harvard Medical School.



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Interesting Information
January 11th, 2020
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Cardamom Health Benefits

I developed a liking for cardamom when I tasted it in a Punjabi tea / Indian Masala Chai at a North India cuisine restaurant recently. The  aroma of this spice is complex and hard to describe. It’s citrusy, almost menthol-like, spicy, and herbal all at the same time, and it’s highly fragrant, too. The flavor of cardamom makes me ecstatic and feel like I can’t get enough of it.

Elaichi or cardamom is one of the most common spices seen in an Indian household. Not only is it added to sweet and savoury dishes it is also used as a natural mouth freshener. But the humble green pod has a lot more to offer.

8 health benefits of elaichi or cardamom

What Is Cardamom?
Cardamom is a spice made from the seed pods of various plants in the ginger family. Cardamom pods are spindle-shaped and have a triangular cross-section. The pods contain a number of seeds, but the entire cardamom pod can be used whole or ground. The seeds are small and black, while the pods differ in color and size by species.

Researchers have conducted several small studies on cardamom, the findings of which suggest that it has some health benefits. Although these studies are promising, large and controlled human studies are necessary before healthcare professionals can recommend cardamom to treat medical problems.

1. Antimicrobial ability
The oil from cardamom seeds may be able to kill bacteria and fungi.
One study found that cardamom essential oil was effective in killing several different types of bacteria and fungi. The researchers suggested that the oil’s antibacterial activity may be due to its ability to damage the cell membrane of certain bacteria.

Cardamom essential oil showed “antimicrobial activity against almost all test microorganisms” in other research, while another study concluded that this oil could be a component in new antimicrobial drugs.

People should not ingest cardamom essential oil, however, and they should always speak to a doctor before using any new herbal remedy. Some products can interact with existing medication or cause side effects.



2. Metabolic syndrome and diabetes

Some studies suggest that cardamom could help with some aspects of metabolic syndrome.

Metabolic syndrome is a group of health conditions that can lead to heart disease and type 2 diabetes. It includes:

  • obesity
  • high blood sugar
  • hypertension
  • high triglycerides
  • high cholesterol
  • low levels of “good” cholesterol

In one animal study, in which the researchers fed rats a diet high in carbohydrate and fat, the rodents that also consumed cardamom powder had a lower weight and better cholesterol than those that did not receive this supplement.

3. Digestive issues
Cardamom is great for curing and preventing digestive issues. Other than this, it is also good for boosting digestive health. The cooling effects of cardamom, despite being a spice, can help in relieving acidity. Along with this, cardamom can also help in treating gastrointestinal issues like indigestion, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain and spasms.

4. Bad breath
Cardamom has anti-bacterial properties that can neutralize dental bacteria, thus gets rid of bad breath.

5. Depression
Due to the aromatic properties it holds, cardamom has the added benefit of helping those going through mental stress, depression or any other mental health issue. You can boil cardamom in water or simply have it added to your favorite tea to enjoy the pleasant aroma of cardamom.

6. Expectorant action
Those suffering from asthma and bronchitis, cardamom is a wonder spice for you. This is because cardamom can help improve blood circulation in the lungs by blood thinning action.

7.  Improves digestion
Cardamom is carminative in nature and helps speed up digestion, reduces inflammation of the stomach lining, fights heart burn and nausea. It is known to soothe the mucous membranes, making it function better thereby relieving the symptoms of acidity and an upset stomach. Moreover, according to Ayurvedic texts it also reduces the water and air properties in the stomach making it more capable of digesting food efficiently.

This is my cup of matcha tea with cardamom pods. Crush the pods when they are softened by hot water for the aroma to be released from the seeds.

Cardamom is known to be one of the healthiest herbs on the planet. Studies have shown it to be cancer preventive and heart protective, and can improve blood circulation and kill harmful H. pylori bacteria. It’s been used to treat dental diseases, urinary tract infections, ease gastrointestinal disorders, and cure gonorrhea and impotency.

Cardamom is available in ground form, but for the entire pod, open it to release the tiny black seeds inside for fresh grinding. The seeds offer the most intense, spicy-sweet, and completely unique flavor.



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Nutritional Information On Seeds
December 16th, 2019
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Very Low-Calorie Diets May Disrupt Women’s Hormones

Some time back, I was on a low calorie diet to shed off the remaining post-baby fat I’d gained after 3 kids. While I felt very much lighter and fitter and had to send all my skirts and pants to the tailor to have the waist part tightened, something else also happened. My hormones were disrupted. My period was delayed.  I felt hungry all the time and despite eating more than usual after my weight dropped rapidly, I was still hungry.  My body was screaming for more nutrients to repair and regenerate cells. I knew that I had to stop the calorie-restricted eating and increase my calories (with nutritious foods) to stabilize my wacky hormones.

Your hormones are regulated by three major glands:

  • Hypothalamus: located in the brain
  • Pituitary: located in the brain
  • Adrenals: located at the top of the kidneys

All three glands interact in complex ways to keep your hormones in balance. This is known as the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis.

The HPA axis is responsible for regulating your stress levels, mood, emotions, digestion, immune system, sex drive, metabolism, energy levels and more.



The glands are sensitive to things like calorie intake, stress and exercise levels.

A woman standing on bathroom weighing scales

Long-term stress can cause you to overproduce the hormones cortisol and norepinephrine, creating an imbalance that increases pressure on the hypothalamus, pituitary and adrenal glands.

This ongoing pressure may eventually lead to HPA axis dysfunction, sometimes controversially referred to as “adrenal fatigue”.  Symptoms include fatigue, a weakened immune system and greater risk of long-term health problems such as hypothyroidism, inflammation, diabetes and mood disorders.

Many sources suggest that a diet too low in calories or carbs can also act as a stressor, causing HPA dysfunction.

In addition, some evidence suggests that low-carb diets can cause increased production of cortisol (“the stress hormone”), making the problem worse .

One study found that, regardless of weight loss, a low-carb diet increased cortisol levels compared to a moderate-fat, moderate-carb diet.

As I’ve never bothered to know how many calories I should be eating a day for my age, weight and height, I started to track my calories at https://www.myfitnesspal.com/

MyFitnessPal is a smartphone app and website that tracks diet and exercise to determine optimal caloric intake and nutrients for the users’ goals and uses gamification elements to motivate users.

Consuming too many or too few calories can lead to hormonal imbalances. Consuming nutritious foods, exercising on a regular basis and engaging in other healthy behaviors can go a long way toward improving your hormonal health. Eating within your own personal calorie range can help you maintain hormonal balance and a healthy weight.



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Diet and losing weight, Health Issues
November 19th, 2019
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Circadian Rhythm Intermittent Fasting

I’ve been practising intermittent fasting based on my circadian rhythm for almost a year now. On most days, I have a 12-hour fast.  On some days, it’s only 10 hours of fast.  At our home, the kids and I eat our dinner very early. On some days, we have our dinner at 4 p.m. when the two older girls are back from school.  On other days, we have our dinner at 5ish p.m and other days latest by 7 p.m.  With a circadian rhythm fast, I don’t need to torture myself with not eating during my waking hours.  We stop eating by 5 p.m. or 7 p.m. and from that time until the next morning, we only drink plain water.  This is safe for bigger kids with no health issues.  My 3 daughters aged 11 years old, 14 years old and 16 years old are practising circadian rhythm intermittent fasting as well.  And the most surprising thing is that they do not complain of feeling hungry anymore when they wake up in the morning.  In view of their dinner time (between 4 – 7 p.m.) and recess time in school the next day (at 10 a.m.), my eldest and youngest daughters have more than 12 hours of fasting during school days.

During the building phase or the time when I’m allowed to eat, I eat what I want, in small portions, keeping to a low-carb low-sugar diet. When it comes to food, less is more. You don’t need to eat a lot even if you’re eating healthy food. Eating too much of anything, whether it’s fruits, nuts and seeds will still have negative consequences. If you’re not hungry, don’t eat. It’s pretty simple.

By aligning your food with your circadian rhythm, you can help maximize weight loss, energy, get better skin, get rejuvenated and see overall better health. And it’s proven. I now wake up at 4:30 a.m. on school days without the zombified feeling like I used to, though I only get 5 or 6 hours of sleep. And I have the energy to exercise an hour a day from 6:30 am till 7:30 am and then keep myself busy with house chores, chauffeuring, running errands, computer work and much more.

When it comes to eating healthy, most people talk about what’s on their plate, but not what’s on the clock. The latest science is showing that when we eat is as important as what we eat. That’s because our metabolism actually changes throughout the day because of our circadian rhythm (your body’s clock, which tells your body to do the right thing at the right time).

Eating out of sync with your circadian rhythm can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, being overweight and even cancer. But by aligning your food with your circadian rhythm, you can help maximize weight loss, energy and overall health.

How do you do it?

It all starts with the sun, which is what sets our circadian rhythm. That rhythm expects us to eat during the day when the sun is shining (because for long periods in past history we also didn’t have electricity and light bulbs) and fast during the night. In fact, some fascinating research has found that calories eaten in the morning might not actually count as much as those eaten at night. Human studies have shown that in dieters, people who eat most of their calories before 3 p.m. tend to lose more weight than people who eat most of their calories later.


Eat with the sun

Most of us typically eat over a 15-hour window. Instead, eat only when the sun is up, since this is when your body wants you to eat. Ideally, that’s 12 hours between your last meal of the day and the first of the next day.  This is a form of intermittent fasting, which appears to have important health benefits for longevity. If you can stretch this “fasting” window out to 14 or 16 hours, that’s even better. Since you’re asleep for most of it, it’s actually not that hard.

Daylight Savings food craft on kixcereal.com

How can simply changing the times when you eat have such dramatic health benefits? According to new research, the secret lies in the effects of Intermittent Fasting (IF) and Time Restricted Feeding (TRF) on the body’s internal clocks.

Recently, IF as well as TRF have emerged as potential strategies for avoiding major dietary changes while achieving strong effects not just for one diseases risk factor but for an array of factors that constitutes the foundation for metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and possibly neurodegenerative diseases.


To see results in IF and TRF, there must be consistency in the time that it’s being carried out. Do not keep changing the frequency and time of the IF and TRF.  If you start at 6 p.m., stick to 6 p.m. and not have different times each day. Our biological clock aligns with nature – sunset and sunrise. Try to practise this for 5 days a week. You can have a break during the weekend, if you wish.

Jump start your health by embracing this simple 12-hour fast based on your circadian rhythm.  The number of fasting hours can be gradually increased to 13, 14, 15 and 16 hours based on how well your  body copes. If you are not hungry, extend the fast.  You don’t have to follow what other people are doing and stress yourself out. Every body is different. Stick to a number that your body feels comfortable with. On days that you use more brain power and energy, you can shorten the fast. On days that you are more sedentary, increase the fasting hours. Keep it simple. It’s not a game or a competition.  Listen to your body and follow an IF and TRF based on your own lifestyle. Do not compare with what other people are doing and make yourself miserable.

IF and TRF help tremendously with your digestive system and repair your cells more effectively. Our human body is not designed to break down food after 7 p.m.


IF and TRF are not an excuse to practise an unhealthy lifestyle. It does not mean that if you fast, you can binge, drink alcohol excessively and eat junk food. IF and TRF won’t work if you have an unhealthy lifestyle.  Fasting for longer hours of time to make up for your bad lifestyle does not work. You may stress your body even more.

Fasting is essential for everyone for better health.  If you’re new to IF and TRF, start with 10 hours based on your circadian rhythm and gradually increase the numbers. Listen to your body.  Have your dinner by sunset and break your fast at sun rise. Break your fast with water, fruits or dates followed by a simple breakfast.

Give this a try for a week and see how you feel — the results may surprise you!


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Diet and losing weight, Health and Fitness
October 23rd, 2019
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Why You Should Have Early Dinners

I’m a firm believer of having early dinners and hardly ever indulge in suppers.   Our current dinner time is very early as two of my children are back from school at 4 p.m.  Instead of giving them the opportunity to have snacks and then only have dinner at 7-ish p.m., I make sure that by the time they are home at 4 p.m., home-cooked dinner is ready on the dining table. Thus, I have my dinner at 4 p.m. as well, on most days. On other days, we have our dinner before 7 p.m.  By bedtime around 10:30 p.m., my tummy would already feel empty but I am fine with it and only have my first meal of apple cider vinegar with raw honey and psyllium husk at around 5 or 6 a.m. the next day. That’s a 12-hour fast I have here.

Having your last meal of the day early (at least 4-5 hours before bedtime) and only eating your first meal of the day at least 12 hours apart is a form of intermittent fasting, aka time-restricted feeding.

Intermittent fasting involves entirely or partially abstaining from eating for a set amount of time, before eating regularly again.  Some studies suggest that this way of eating may offer benefits such as fat loss, better overall health, and increased longevity. Proponents claim that an intermittent fasting program is easier to maintain than traditional, calorie-controlled diets.

The easiest way to do the 12-hour fast is to include the period of sleep in the fasting window. It works pretty well for me.

Align your eating routine with your circadian rhythm, eating during the day and fasting at night. This will be different for each person, but generally it just means that you stop eating after dinner around 5 to 7 p.m. and you begin eating again at breakfast between 5 to 7 a.m. Simple as that!

If you sleep just after having dinner or don’t eat it early, you risk having health issues in the long run. Heartburn, acidity, gas, weight gain and other digestive problems could be a consequence as the digestive track fails to work its best. Most problems can be fixed with an early and light dinner.

Studies typically have shown that when calories get consumed later at night, the body tends to store them as fat rather than burn them as energy. Some studies done with animals found that food is processed by the body in different ways depending on what time of day it’s consumed. This might be because of physical activity, hormone levels, changes in body temperature, biochemical reactions and absorption and digestion of food

If you’re trying to lose weight, you may want to consider eating dinner very early or making a late lunch your last meal of the day.



In a 2018 study, researchers found that meal timing has an impact on human metabolism. They studied a small group of people carrying extra weight and found that those who ate their last meal by mid-afternoon had reduced daily hunger swings and increased fat burning at night.

In another research, eating dinner earlier in the day could help lower your risk of developing cancer.

Benefits of eating dinner early:
1. Better weight control
2. Better digestion
3. Ensures better sleep
4. May reduce risk of cancer
5. Good for heart health
6. Better overall health

Having my dinner early and having only a light one make me feel better and healthier. I used to have an uncomfortable feeling in my tummy after having a heavy dinner in the evening. I’ve never felt better with a better digestive system ever since I started making dinner the lightest meal of the day and eating at least 4 hours before bedtime.

It’s all about taking the effort to make a change in your lifestyle. If you work late, you can have light snacks like sandwiches at your desk or grab a quick bite after an evening meeting. My staple in the office pantry used to be sprouted wheat bread, peanut butter or cheese, which will be my go-to quick dinner whenever I needed to work late.

Start eating a healthy and light dinner at least 3 hours before bedtime for a week and see for yourself the positive changes it would bring to your health, physically and mentally!



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Health and Fitness
October 11th, 2019
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Does Lack of Sleep Cause Cancer?

An increasing amount of research has found links between poor sleep and several cancers.  Getting regular and sufficient sleep are an essential part of your overall health. If that period of time when the body is busy rebooting and fortifying its defenses is chronically shortened or disrupted, this could eventually have serious repercussions for cancer risk down the road.

While sleep itself has not been deemed a causal factor for cancers, researchers have associated certain sleep disorders with an increased risk of cancer. The three main sleep issues correlated with cancer are chronic sleep deprivation, sleep apnea, and shift work sleep disorder.

Anyone who has missed a night’s sleep understands the reality of sleep deprivation. When I get fewer than 5 hours of sleep for a few days consecutively, I would feel enervated, lack stamina when I exercise, easily agitated and find it hard to concentrate and remember things. I would constantly doze off throughout the day.

When we don’t get enough sleep, when we’re chronically sleep-deprived,  that can lead to chronic inflammation and insulin resistance. Chronic inflammation has been associated with several kinds of cancer, and insulin resistance is a precursor to diabetes that occurs when your cells don’t respond appropriately to the insulin the pancreas makes to help your cells take up glucose from your blood. Inflammation and insulin resistance can both set the stage for cancer by contributing to DNA damage.

Chronic sleep deprivation (getting less than sufficient sleep over a sustained period of time, usually 7 to 8 hours for adults) is associated with:

1. Poorer memory and cognitive processing skills
2. Weakened immune system
3. Weight loss or weight gain
4. Increased irritability and higher risk for depression
5. Poorer judgment

Close-Up Photography of Woman Sleeping

Many people do not give priority to sleep. With the advent of electronic devices and social media, many people are losing sleep to these ‘vices’ without realizing the negative effects this has on their health.

Sad but true, multiple studies have linked sleep deprivation with increased cancer risk.

1. Men with insomnia were twice as likely to develop prostate cancer, according to a 2014 study that followed more than 2,000 men over a five-year time frame.

2. Individuals who averaged fewer than 6 hours of sleep per night (below the recommended amount of 7 to 8 hours) had a 50 percent increased risk of colorectal cancer, according to a 2010 study.

3. Lack of sleep is correlated with more aggressive forms of breast cancer, according to a 2012 study of postmenopausal women. They found that breast cancer patients who regularly slept fewer hours of sleep tended to have more aggressive forms than women who slept longer.

White Alarm Clock on Bed

Researchers suspect that a disruption in the circadian rhythm could pose a risk for developing cancer, since the body’s internal clock affects so many biological functions. One theory is that the suppression of melatonin at night (which comes from exposure to bright light) could be partly responsible.  Indeed, scientists have seen this link in animal studies; for example, when they manipulate the sleep/wake cycles of rodents for an extended time, cancers grow faster.

The bottom line is whether you’re worried about your risk of developing cancer or not, good sleep is fundamental to so many things.

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Health Issues, Interesting Information
October 3rd, 2019
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Benefits of Napping

For those who do not get sufficient sleep at night, a nap can often be the perfect solution. I need a 20-30 minutes nap by 10 a.m. on most week days as I am already up at 4:30 a.m.  After 1.5 hours of doing house chores, I spend another 45 minutes exercising after the girls have gone to school. I am exhausted by 7:30 a.m. on most school-going days.  If I am severely sleep deprived for weeks on end, I need two half-hour naps in a day – one in the morning and one in the afternoon to recharge my batteries.

I realized how important a nap is to me when I once dozed off while driving. I was on the way home after picking up my second daughter from school in the afternoon. I had felt very sleepy before I left home but didn’t have the time to prioritize on a 15-20 minute power nap.  Thankfully my car only veered to the road shoulder and the wheels grazed the curb. I was jolted up by the loud crash on the curb.

Many people sacrifice sleep for other pursuits, but what they don’t always realize is that sleep facilitates learning, memory, creativity, problem-solving and productivity.

Even a 15-20 minute cat nap can do wonders on my mood and ability to concentrate in my work.  With a 15-20 power nap, you get to reset your system and a burst of alertness and increased motor performance.

The length of your nap determines the benefits. A 20-minute snooze—called a stage two nap—is ideal to enhance motor skills and attention, while an hour to 90 minutes of napping brings Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep, which helps make new connections in the brain and can aid in solving creative problems.

In Japan, inemuri, which means ‘sleeping whilst present’, is the term given to those who nap at their desks Getty 

Sleep Fun Facts

~ Sir Winston Churchill managed on just four hours sleep a night during World War Two — but insisted on a two hour nap in the afternoon.

~  Albert Einstein reportedly slept for 10 hours a night, plus daytime naps.

~  Scientists have shown that a 60- to 90-minute siesta can charge up the brain’s batteries as much as eight hours tucked up in bed!

~  In recent years, Google, NASA, Uber, Zappos and Nike all offer some form of napping benefits at the workplace!

The Benefits of Napping

1.  Increases alertness.

2.  Improves learning and working memory.

3.  Prevents burnout and reverses information overload.

4.  Heightens your senses, creativity and boosts your mood.

5.  Improves health.

When you sleep, you release growth hormone, the antidote to cortisol which which boosts your immune system, primes your sexual function, reduces stress and anxiety, and aids in muscle repair and weight loss. Napping gives your brain a chance to rest and your body a chance to heal.

Scientific proof

A study done with Greeks found that those that took a 30 minute nap at least three times a week had 37% less risk of dying from a heart-related condition. Among working men their risk of death was reduced 64%!

If you’re sleep deprived, all you need to do is to steal 20 minutes somewhere in your day. One study showed that even a 6 minute cat nap improves memory function. So you can even sneak one in during lunch time or when your boss is out 😉

Learn to embrace the nap and the napping of others. Napping is not a character defect! Many great men have taken advantage of the benefits of napping. It is a wonderful way to improve your quality of life.

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Interesting Information
September 18th, 2019
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Aging And Reading Glasses

It came with no warning like many other unwelcome signs of aging the year I turned 40. Apart from the slower metabolism, smaller appetite and crow’s feet, I found myself squinting at the newspapers and books with smaller prints. I thought that my eye power had increased, so I went to the optician to have my eyes checked.  It turned out that my optical power was pretty good but I have Presbyopia.

Presbyopia is a condition associated with the aging of the eye that results in progressively worsening ability to focus clearly on close objects. Symptoms include difficulty reading small print, having to hold reading material farther away, headaches, and eyestrain. Different people will have different degrees of problems.  Other types of refractive errors may exist at the same time as presbyopia.

Pair of reading spectacles looking at book

Presbyopia happens to everyone at some point and sadly cannot be prevented, but not everyone wants to wear reading glasses or bifocals which can make even the youngest looking person feel old.  I didn’t get myself a pair of reading glasses for six years until recently when it got really annoying whenever I read the newspapers.

Even those who have never worn glasses may suddenly find they cannot read small print without it being at arm’s length when they reach age 40+. When this point is reached, denial is useless, like in my case; you need to consider reading glasses!  Those who have never needed glasses before will usually opt for a pair of reading glasses rather than bifocals or progressive lenses. These are necessary for those who need glasses to aid with distance as well as a near correction.

Signs of presbyopia include:

1. Holding reading materials at arm’s length
2. Blurred vision at normal reading distance
3. Eye fatigue
4. Headaches when doing close work

It’s true that the older we get, the more likely we are to need reading glasses, but not everyone does. Even those who have had Lasik surgery for nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism may still need reading glasses as time goes by. Wearing reading glasses over contact lenses is also possible. Wearing contacts can correct Myopia, Hyperopia, Astigmatism and some Presbyopia, but reading glasses may still be necessary for close work.

There’s no need to let the onset of presbyopia get you down. It happens to everyone and there are several options for correcting the issue without ever having to wear “readers” or bifocals. If you’re wondering if you have presbyopia and are interested in trying multifocal contact lenses to correct it, schedule an appointment with your eye doctor.

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Eye health
September 15th, 2019
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SENSENIQUE NATURAL “BETAINE, SULFATE & SILICONE FREE” HAIR & BODY WASH

I wash my hair twice a day and sometimes even thrice a day as I exercise, cook and walk under the sun (thus sweat buckets!) almost every day. Thus, I have to use a mild shampoo that will not dry or irritate my scalp. I also have mild folliculitis on a few hair follicles on my scalp that will get inflamed if they are aggravated. If you have this condition, you’ll know how annoying this condition is and one of the nasty side effects is hair loss. So, using a shampoo that’s mild and contains as few harsh chemicals as possible is key to treating the condition.

Recently I tried Sensenique’s range of natural shampoo and body wash infused with essential oils, Argan oil, Olive oil, Jojoba seed oil, Macadamia seed oil and a host of other natural plant extracts and have fallen in love with them!

I have the complete range of hair shampoo and body shampoo from Sensenique and love each one of them!

Product variant (priced at RM39 for each variant):
Ginger Orange – Shampoo, Conditioner & Body Wash
Peppermint Lime – Shampoo, Conditioner & Body Wash

Every bottle of hair care product comes with a little note on what users can expect when they switch to betaine, sulfate and silicone free shampoo.

How Do I Feel After Using Betaine, Sulfate & Silicone Free Hair & Body Wash?

1. Hair and scalp
Hair feel a little dry after shampooing ( that’s because it does not contain silicone) but after applying Sensenique’s silicone-free conditioner, it feels smooth. Previous synthetic conditioners I’ve used always give my hair that slippery and creamy feel and makes my hair super smooth and ‘conditioned’. Even the bathroom floor has a slippery coat that is hard to wash off (major turn-off for me!) Turns out this is the work of silicones – which aren’t found in organic hair care as they cannot be classified as organic. Silicones coat the hair, giving it an artificial, slippery feel that can cause build up on the hair and scalp. Sensenique’s conditioner does not give me that ‘stubborn’ waxy feel on my hair and bathroom floor ?

With Sensenique’s natural sulfate free shampoo, you won’t get a rich lather, like with most mainstream shampoos. This is because your bog-standard shampoo will contain sulfates like sodium laurel sulfate. Sulfates are used in shampoos as a foaming agent. Not only are sulfates irritants, but over time they can dehydrate the hair and scalp. Traditional sulfate-based shampoos can leave you with a more a “squeaky clean feel” and so you may experience less bubbles and a more “creamy” lather.

Natural and sulfate-free shampoos like Sensenique’s hair care range that are made with natural plant oils and herb extracts have the ability to promote new hair growth by naturally stimulating the hair follicles, maintaining the moisture and improving the overall condition of your hair and scalp,

2.  Skin (body and face)
The natural scent of peppermint, lime, ginger and orange is really invigorating and wakes up my senses early in the morning and at the end of a long and tiring day. I apply the body wash on my face and body. What I like about Sensenique’s body wash is that I do not get the dry and tight feeling that I usually get from most brands of body wash and face wash yet the gentle formula is efficient enough to wash off all my make-up with just one pump. The body wash comes off easily with rinsing and does not have the slimy feel you get from some brands of body wash. Super love it!

Ingredients
Sensenique Natural products are made with the following soothing, calming and conditioning herbal extracts for skin, hair and scalp (include anti-hair loss, anti-oxidant and anti-inflammation properties):

Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract*
Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract*
Aesculus Hippocastanum (Horse Chestnut) Seed Extract
Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf Extract
Equisetum Arvense Extract (Horsetail)
Tussilago Farfara (Coltsfoot) Leaf Extract
Urtica Dioica (Nettle) Extract
Melissa Officinalis Leaf Extract (Lemon Balm)
Centella Asiatica Extract* (Centella)
Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract* (Japanese Knotweed)
Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract* (Baikal Skullcap)
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract* (Tea)
Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract*
Organic Aloe Barbadensis Leaf juice *

*ECOCERT natural plant extracts

Why I Choose Sensenique’s Shampoo and Bodywash?
As a health freak mom, I get a peace of mind when my girls use Sensenique’s premium blend of safe, toxin-free, gentle yet effective glucose, amino acid & fatty acid based surfactants that make them perfect for everyday use. They are scented with pure essential oils and consistent usage leaves us with healthier skin, hair and scalp.

Their formula does not contain any sulfate or betaine surfactants such as Cocamidopropyl Betaine , Coco Betaine, Sodium Laureth Sulfate(SLES), Sodium Lauryl Sulfate(SLS) and Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate (ALS). Thus, the formula is suitable for all hair types including color treated hair and all skin types, especially sensitive, dry and problematic skin like eczema.

Lastly, the products are priced reasonably at RM39 a bottle. No doubt it is costlier than bog-standard brands of shampoo and body wash. However, if I were to compare Sensenique with other premium brands of shampoo and body wash with similar premium formula, Sensenique is priced at a fraction of the price of its competitors.

Where Can You Find Sensenique Natural range of products?

SENSENIQUE NATURAL is available at:-

Home & Bath Department at
> ROBINSONS -GARDENS -2nd floor
> ROBINSONS – FOUR SEASONS KL – 3flr
> SOGO KL – 5th flr
> SOGO CENTRAL ICITY – 3rd flr

Healthlane Pharmacy @ the following shopping malls:- KLCC, NU SENTRAL, THE GARDENS, BANGSAR SHOPPING COMPLEX, HOCK CHOON(AMPANG)

Healthlane Pharmacy @ ARDENCE LABS, ARDENCE SETIA ALAM, SETIA ALAM TOWN CENTER, KEPUNG MALURI, ARA DAMANSARA, MUTIARA TROPICANA, SETAPAK CENTRAL MALL, PUCHONG TAMAN KINRARA, RAHMAN PUTRA, TAMAN DESA JAYA, SRI DAMANSARA

Organic Shop – Matahari Organic at Taman SEA

If you prefer to shop online, hop over to www.senseniquenatural.com and register to enjoy membership benefits of
– Immediate 15% discount on all your purchases
– Free Delivery for nett purchases above RM100

 

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