Baby Photography

Being Grateful

It has been amazing how quickly time passes by. I sincerely apologise for not updating my blog. There has been some changes going on in my life and I'm taking some time to get used to it.

I have settled down in a pr company as an intern and is enjoying the things that I have been doing. Though it may be tough at times and there are so much things that I have to understand, i know that i can make it through.

I have started reading this book by Nick Vujicic called Living without Limits. I did not expect myself to feel so strongly with him throughout the book. The struggles he went through emotionally, the negative thoughts he tried umpteen times to push away, and coupled with tribulations which seemed to stubbornly stay on with him during his growing up years.

Somehow, what he had gone through just reminded me poignantly of the struggles I had encountered when I had serious dry eyes then. It was hard for people, even my friends, to understand what i was going through. Some would just give sweeping remarks, such as "Why can't you just use eye drops?" Duh, of course, i have tried eye drops, medications and everyhing. They werent working for me. What i need is just some kind considerations on your part. Nonetheless, through this ordeal, I always wanted to feel angry with them but I guess it is a waste of energy to be angry with them. I constantly remind myself to be cool about it, and hopefully, forgive them.

In my third week of work, I am truly thankful to have met many interesting people.
For example, during an event, I had the chance to meet a photographer. He told me lots of things about photography, such as the lenses and how I could improve my phorography skills. This includes practising taking photographs with a DSLR in its manual mode. Most importantly, constantly imagine how the scenes would be like.

On the next day, I was reading Living without Limits on the train. A lady spoke to me about how inspiring the stories are and where I can read for such stories.

It is truly an amazing experience to meet such nice people. And I hope to meet many more such people in my life to come.

Beautiful Days of My Life: I'm grateful to any experiences that I have received, and any strangers that I have met. 

R.E.F.L.E.C.T.I.O.N.S

http://www.christinehassler.com/2012/11/wondering-if-your-dreams-will-ever-come-true/

 This past week has been happening, like the whirlwind. Sweeping me off from the land of rejection to the heaven of acceptance.  Faced with utmost rejection and losing hopes of pursuing my dreams, i wonder whether have i really reached the point, where suddenly things start to work in my favour?

I have finally gotten my internship in a good PR agency. Why am i still on an internship after graduation? Reason being that I do not have adequate experience in public relations which make me inadequate to try for a full time job. I'm not sad at all. In fact, I'm entirely over the moon! A deciding factor is the corporate culture of the company. I love it when company directors are down to earth and willing to know each other better, regardless of who you are. I am confident that my future environment will be conducive for me to learn the ropes of PR.

I feel very honoured and privileged to have met nice directors throughout the past two weeks. Despite their amicable personalities, i know that they have high expectations on the work requirements. I would do my best to achieve that!

Joining the workforce in the future means that I now have to make adjustments to my life. This includes figuring out how to bring my chrysanthemum tea (with goji berries) to the office, ensuring that my eyes are in optimum health, keeping myself from occupational hazards. At the age that we are living in, it is always important to engage in preventive measures rather than healing oneself (for the recovery journey is not easy).
It took me almost 2 years to figure out the solution for dry eyes and the emotional burden which comes along with the physical illness is not light at all.

I will be sharing with everyone my daily food routine to help in my dry eye recovery soon.

Till then,
Josephine

Beautiful Days of My Life: I hold onto my dreams.

Blessing in Disguise

Today, for once, I would like to bring the focus to a significant meeting that I had yesterday. How should i describe it? Can I say, that after the meeting, I feel that there has been a reason for everything. And that things just feel that things might go positively well from today onwards. Previously, there have been moments where I have felt that things were not going my way. The amalgamation of negative feelings set in. Frustration, anxiety, sadness - you name it. However, I have been reminding myself of the need to stay positive, for fear of the negative feelings culminating into a self-fulfilling prophecy. Not forgetting another important reason, I strongly believe that emotions have an intimate relationships with your health. Therefore, it is very important that we keep our health in check.

I feel very honoured to have met this guy (Director of Mulberry Marketing Communications Singapore). What was truly unforgettable when he introduced me as a friend to his friends. His friends were busy preparing for the launch of their restaurants at Marina Square. I shall not disclose too much. We had very wonderful conversations and he offered great advice to me - which type of PR companies i should look out for, how I should prepare myself for interviews and steps that i should undertake. At times, I do have doubts about myself. I feel encouraged after the meeting and strive to put in all efforts to achieve my dreams. The chase is still not over yet. I know i have much to work on, and I know it is not time for me to give up yet.

I recalled what my primary school teacher has just told me, " there are times where you seem to be going through a rough patch, but once you reach the ultimatum, good things will start to come your way. of course, you need to put in some efforts."

Beautiful Days of My Life: I have the courage to go overcome any limitations, including limitations of myself.

Fennel Tea



Image Credit: Britanie Faith


Get ready to leave your green tea leaves on the self & embark on this new love of mine! Fennel tea! Yes, I have started falling in love with this new fennel tea. Having drank consistently for the past 1 month, I have noticed some improvements in my overall health, especially my eyes. This drink was recommended by my naturopathy practician and i bought it from him in fact.

Fennel has been historically used for medical & culinary purposes. Recognising the benefits of fennel tea, it is not surprising to see fennel seeds still being used in culinary dishes such as Malay & Indian cuisines in Asia. For Chinese cuisine, I rarely see my mother prepareing her dishes using fennel.  Fennel has this slightly sweet & savoury taste when you sip it, with a slight bitter aftertaste.


Benefits of Fennel Tea

• Neutralises stomach acid, prevent heartburn.
• Ease digestion especially when you have a full meal
• Alkaline the blood
• Improves eye conditions (something which i can strongly attest to. I have not experienced bloodshot eyes for a long time)
• Anti-inflammatory
• Menstrual cramps

There are also countless benefits if you do a google search on the internet. Some benefits include "promoting lactation etc" which I, unfortunately, am unable to attest to that (young adult with no kids, unmarried). Therefore, I did not list them down on

When do i usually drink it?
For the past 1 month, I have been drinking fennel tea first thing in the morning. It awakens my liver and kick starts my bowel system in the morning. A common ritual done by many people has been to drink a warm glass of warm water with half the lemon. I find it harder to start my day with half the lemon. Just like any ordinary human being, I always wake up with my eyes half-opened. Groggily, i would walk to the kitchen, grab the sharp menacing knife & try to cut the lemon into half. Having realised the risk involved, i decide to search for the alternative. It has been recommended for fennel tea to be drank on an empty stomach. What good timing it would be to start drinking in the morning where your stomach is grumbling, hungry & empty? Simmer the tea bag/seeds into the cup of water while you shower & get ready for the day!

I would also drink the tea before i sleep. It helps to ease my digestion & helps my liver to function & heal well for the night. According to TCM, the liver and your eyes have a close relationship. Therefore, caring for your liver is the utmost important thing to do.

Of course, too much of a good thing may do you harm. Therefore, though i drink two cups of fennel tea a day, coupled with my chrysanthemum tea in the afternoon (how did i do that? i will explain next time), i will at times take a break. Some days, i will reduce my consumption. Or perhaps on one single day, i would not drink fennel tea at all. It takes some time to figure out what is best for you!

I got my organic fennel seeds (grinded i think) from Sebestian Liew Centre (naturopathic & phytotherapy centre). I forgot the price, unfortunately (Sorry!).

Hope that this post inspires you to start drinking fennel tea. Get going!

Do let me know if you have found other good benefits of drinking fennel tea!

Beautiful Day of My Life: Each day, I take positive step to improve my life.

This week at a glance (Haze & Job Hunting)

I apologise for not actively posting lately for I have been busy with my job interviews and preparations. I have planned entries such as posting a recipe on osmanthus jelly, updates on my eye health, fennel tea etc. I will post them soon over the next few weeks. Do bear with me.



Taken from my bedroom window

 


Image credits: Channel NewsAsia



These few days, the smokey haze situation in Singapore has been really bad. The Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) exceeds 100, which is considered unhealthy, at certain times of the day in different parts of Singapore. This is partly a result of forest fires, caused by deforestation, in Indonesia. Burning the forest fire is known as the quickest way to clear the land for agricultural or commerical purposes.
Of course, though i mention that my eyes are still healed, it is always on the road to recovery as i can feel my eyes irritated by the haze very easily. I am still taking note of the things i eat. Will definitely share more once i found the perfect formula.

Tips on how YOU can cope with haze:

1. Drink more herbal tea such as chrysanthemum tea/honeysuckle flower tea/green tea when you feel dryness at the eyes, nose & throat
2. Boil herbal soups for detoxification (green bean soup, radish soup, watercress soup)
3. Eat more vegetables to build up your immune system.
4. If necessary, wear a mask when you head outdoors. (if it is really bad)
5. Cut down on outdoor activities for now.Good time to invest in more yoga or pilates activities.
6. If your eyes are irritated, wash your eyes with Optrex Eye Bath often. If not convenient, just grab a bottle of eye drops.

Recently, I have been preparing my job interviews to get into my dream industry. I was almost so close to getting it when i received a rejection email yesterday. It was kinda sad for me as I was the final 2 candidates shortlisted but eventually they chose the other candidate over me. I guess it was all right. Every moment has its ups and downs. I know it is never easy to get it but i will still try. All hope is not lost yet. Various interviews have taught me what and how to prepare for interviews and i am truly grateful for the experiences different interviews have offered me.

I also noticed that there are many silent viewers on my blog page over the past weeks. If you have any eye concern (especially dry eyes/red/itchy), i welcome you to talk to me. I have gone through the emotional turmoil with this chronic eye problem and I cannot again emphasise the importance of talking about your struggles with your loved ones and friends. You can email me at josieeprt@gmail.com if you have any issues. I look forward to reading your emails.

Beautiful Day of my Life: I have the courage to climb up again with every failure/rejection i receive. 

Eye Health Assessment

My Happy Purchase of Contacts! (Have regained optimal health for eyes!)

I went for an eye checkup a few days ago, but I did not have the time to write down my experience and the results of my eye health assessment on that day.

I constantly experience a slight stinging feeling when i insert my Acuvue Trueye into my eyes (oh yes, have recently started wearing contact lenses). After reflecting my concern to Acuvue, a kind lady from their Professional Affairs Department contacted me very soon via phone and email. They asked me some questions and recommended that I go for an eye examination to check my eyes. It is definitely a logical step to check one's eyes to exclude the possibility that my eye condition influence the comfort of wearing contact lenses.

The eye health examination was quite long. I am truly grateful for the extensive examiniation procedure provided by the optometrist - measured the curvature of my eyes, my overall eye health using the instruments & tried ways to wear contact lens comfortably. Alas, I managed to find out the way of wearing contact lens comfortably into my eyes.

Results of everything:

1. My eyes are in perfect health!
2. The possible reason for contact lens discomfort is due to the strong buffered saline solution Acuvue used to store their dailies. Therefore, people whose eyes are sensitive (like mine), will likely to experience some discomfort.  A solution to cope with the possible discomfort was to always rinse my contact lenses with fresh contact lens solution before inserting into the eyes.

I was truly over the moon when i heard that my eyes are in good health! I will continue to maintain my myopia degree and make sure my eye health does not deteriorate! Happily purchased another 2 boxes of Acuvue Trueye since my current supply is ending soon. The optometrist was very kind to insert extra pairs of contact lenses for me, with a small sample bottle of Opti Free Pure Moist.  They also allow this flexibility for me to change my contact lense boxes if my eyesight were to improve or deteriorate. In the meantime, i also vow to myself that i would go for annual eye-checkup.

Note: Today, I have tried wearing contact lenses for 9 hours. It feels all right. But i did not have any mirror to check my eye health. My friends say my eyes do look slightly tired, with slight redness. I guess it takes time for my eyes to be completely healed. I look forward to that day!

Beautiful Day of My Life: I feel excited living a fresh new life.

Holding onto my dreams

Have you ever felt like giving up something when you firmly believed that you could achieve it somehow? Have you ever experienced the feeling of worthlessness - that nothing you do seems to go your way?

Have you ever felt that you were drifting far from your dreams?

Dreams - they always seem so near, but when you take a step forward, it seems to drift further than you can imagine.

I caught myself brooding over these questions, wondering what is beyond my life.  Sometimes, I realise I have lost the ability to appreciate the present.

Perhaps, there are many factors in place - friends who have found a job and it makes me want to get a job too, friends who travel to many countries & you wonder why is your life so pathetic, friends who find purpose in life yet you seem to be wallowing in self-pity & living life aimlessly ... the list goes on. You start to have self-doubt on your ability and that nothing seems to go your way.  Life totally sucks isnt it?

The feeling of envy made me lose my directions and even my dreams. For example, the eagerness to get a job may just made me eager to grab any job that comes along the way. However, in my heart, I know pretty well what I hope to achieve. I have paced myself, took deep breaths, and put myself back on the right track. Everyone lives his/her life differently. Our lives are defined strongly, by ourselves. Therefore, there is not a need to get on the bandwagon and follow what everyone is doing. What matters most is that you enjoy the present moment and know that what you are doing is the right thing, regardless of what others say.

I have caught up with the politics of envy which is something I strongly abhorred (yet i am now circumscribing to it). I have been training myself to do the followings things to deal with envy:

• Start writing 5 things that you are grateful for or blessed with each night.
• Appreciate the notion of living in the present
• Embrace the negative feelings with a pinch of salt (part of life, dont keep harping on it)

Recently, I have been busy preparing for job interviews for my ideal job industry. I mean, I could have just applied for any government jobs and be settled with it.  No matter how much time it takes, I hope to pursue my dream industry.  I always remember this quote, " the slow & steady wins the race".


Beautiful Day of My Life: My dreams are important and are coming true.

Friends or Foes?

I decide to list down the type of medications that I have used to cope with my dry eyes. Though these medications may be seem as friends to some, unfortunately, they are my foes. 

• Zylet
  "Zylet is a topical anti-inflammatory corticosteroid and antibiotic combination for ophthalmic use. It is indicated for treatment of steroid-responsive inflammatory ocular conditions for which a corticosteroid is indicated and where superficial bacterial ocular infection or a risk of bacterial ocular infection exists." (Bausch & Lomb) Long sentences blah blah blah. In other words, it is an antibiotic and you can use it whenever you have sore eyes, conjunctivitis etc. I was prescribed this medication when I told the doctor I had itchy eyes feeling which wouldnt go away. Sometimes, I would have red eyes and this was meant to make them go away. However, after using for one week (the recommended period of treatment), the itch/redness returned with more gusto. I would have dry eyes which would get worse at night.


 
• Refresh Eye Drops
  "Instantly moisturises and relieves dry, irritated eyes with a fast acting, long-lasting formula for sensitive eyes." (Refresh)
  Refresh Eye Drops did provide temporary relief. However, when my dry eyes got worst in 2012, this did not help at all. In fact, my dry eyes got worst. I recalled one TCM lecture which I attended in school, the TCM professor highlighted how we should not always wash our body or with soap more than once a day. He highlighted how it would strip the body of its natural ability to produce the natural layer of oil to protect our skin. Similarly, upon my research on TCM treatment on dry eyes, it is commonly recommended by the TCM doctors to use less conventional eye drops less. A common risk is that you will strip the eyes of its ability to produce oil & tears to moisturise your eyes, and it will take a longer time for your eyes to heal itself.

• Genteal Eye Gel
  "Genteal Gel is a long acting eye gel for lubricating the surface of the eye for all patients with ocular discomfort." (Full information here)I have used this for quite a few times. It did moisturise my eyes for a longer time but my eye conditions did not improve. Same philosophy as TCM. Each morning as I wake up, I would encounter itchy eyes.

• Hialid Eye Drops
  "Relief of burning sensation, irritation & discomfort due to dry eyes & to enhance wound healing of ocular surface (Sjogren's & sicca syndrome)."  (Hialiad) This offers the best relief among other eye drops. After a few drops, my eyes are nearly moisturised. However, the healing capacity of my eyes is not as great as experienced during food therapy.


Beautiful Day of My Life: I am truly thankful to the blessings I receive each day.

Dry Eyes Recovery Updates

(decide to include the word 'recovery' into my title. Sounds more apt!)

Ever since I have started drinking Chrysanthemum tea (with Goji Berries) about 3-4 months ago, I have noticed improvements in my eyes. There were occasional downfalls (swollen lower eyelids) which I attributed to the high stress level and intensive computer work during my last lap of school!

Improvements:

• Eyes no longer itch in the morning (when i wake up)
• Slight dryness in the morning (considered remarkable if I were to compare with last time)
• Eyes are definitely brighter than before
• No signs of random red eyes
• Ability to wear contact lenses with slightly more comfort than before
• All eye-related medications have been thrown away. Except Optrex Eyewash solution (which contains witch hazel extract)

Look how bright and healthy my left eye is! (Pardon my small eyes)


If you look at the picture above,  it is a picture of my left eye (obvious, I know). This was the eye that had been through various sorts of inflammation (dry, sore, red, and itchy). I have no idea how it spreads to the right eye though my gut feelings tell me it is because of my itchy hands.  Regardless of the conditions, i could tell my right eye was always much better than my left eye, for it heals much faster than the left eye. From then on, I know that my left eye would always have a weaker immune system than the right eye. But, look at my left eye, so bright and healthy! I am happy with my recovery process. Looking forward to times where I can wear contact lenses comfortably as before!

Do take note I did make some changes to my food diet and lifestyle during this period. That might have hasten the recovery process. I'm still in the midst of experimenting, but once things work out, i will share with you without hesitation!



On a sidenote:

I HAVE FINALLY GRADUATED!

ISN'T LIFE BEAUTIFUL?


Beautiful Day of My Life:  I feel much more positive than ever.



Infographics (Organic Beauty FTW!)

I knew I have to upload this picture and share with everyone. It is highly relevant to my earlier post on beauty products.

For better viewing, please click on THIS LINK.

Beautiful Day of My Life: I make efforts to promote goodness & health with everyone.

Lasting Beauty & Health with Organic Ingredients

I have been reading up books to cleanse my body for optimal health.

I'm currently reading CLEAN by Doc Alejando Junger. I will share more about what I have learnt after I have finished reading the whole book.  Nonetheless, I came across one section of the book which I would like to bring your attention to.  In Chapter 3 Global Toxicity: An Inconvenient Truth, it highlighted where toxins are located at in the Four Skins. The first skin refers to our physical layer of skin which serves as a barrier between our inner body and the outside world. In this case, I would like to place emphasis on the epithelial cells which we, in layman's terms, call it plainly as skin.  According to Dr Junger, we should think of cosmetics or anything that we layer onto our skin as food. It is because cosmetics serve the same function as food, which is to circulate in our blood stream. Alot of products in the marts which we used contain lots of chemicals which are harzardous to our body. Food ingested usually get filtered out of the body by the liver, but chemical products we put on our skin etc entered the bloodstream with immediate effect.

It was not the first time I have heard/read about the importance of using organic products on our body. However, this book has offered clear reasons on why we should strive to live a clean and healthy life, avoiding the chemicals that we are always exposed to, unconsciously. Commonly known toxic ingredients include Sulphates, Parabens, Disodium EDTA and many more. I promise to collate a highly informative post in the future.

One way to ensure that the products we use are highly organic and natural is to look at the ingredient list.
For example - 100% Pure Burdock & Neem Healthy Scalp Shampoo IngredientsLeaf Juice*, Rosa Centifolia Flower Water (Organic Rose Hydrosol)*, Sodium Cocoate (Saponified Coconut) Oil, Vegetarian Glycerin, Extracts of Melia Azadirachta (Neem), Arctium Lappa (Burdock) Root and Fucus Vesiculosus (Kelp), Vegetal Cellulose, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Panthenol, Extracts of Camellia Sinensis (Organic Green Tea) Leaf*, Urtica Dioica (Nettle), Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf and Calendula Officinalis (Calendula) Flower, Cocos Nucifera (Virgin Coconut) Oil, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Leaf Extract, Salt (French Sea Salt), Extracts of Origanum Vulgare (Oregano) Leaf, Thymus Vulgaris (Thyme) Flower/ Leaf and Lonicera Caprifolium (Japanese Honeysuckle), Eucalyptus Globulus (Eucalyptus) Leaf Essential Oil, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Essential Oil (Ingredient list extracted from Budcosmetics.com).

You can see that the ingredients used in the shampoo are clearly derived from nature, which is all clearly recognisable. There is no sign of highly complicated or technical names. Don't you feel comfortable and pleasant just using this organic shampoo, knowing that every single ingredient used in the shampoo is highly beneficial to you in some ways?

A second way is to refer to the original website of these organic brands such as 100% Pure, Mukti etc and see their certifications. Some organic products may be pricey than typical brands we see in the supermarkets due to the organic certifications. Nonetheless, some of the organic products are considered cheaper or about the same price as the high-end commercial skincare brands.

It took me some efforts to throw these toxic products away as I have spent quite some amount of money on them. However, i think the effort to cleanse my cupboard is truly worth it as I know I would save more money in the near future (good health and beauty, no need to see doctor/dermotologist etc!). Once I have a job, I would start to invest more in organic products :)

(though I have already started using organic cleanser,toner & shampoo)

Have you taken any steps to cleanse your dresser/cupboard?

Beautiful Day of my Life: I take great courage in breaking a bad habit.



Travel Essentials (to upkeep a healthy life)

Taken from the plane

I was away the past week to Hong Kong and Macau for my grad trip. I fell sick during the second day of the trip, which taught me the importance of packing the essential travelling kit for optimal health (I did pack some, but regret not packing to the fullest).

The health kit which I have packed to Hong Kong:

• Spirulina capsules (to detox and cleanse your body)
• Organic/Cold-pressed flaxseed oil capsules (for greater immune system boost)
• Walnut & Goji Berries (healthy nuts & berries to curb your hunger pangs on the flight)

Nonetheless, i fell sick. I guess it was because I have overworked myself before travelling such as helping my family with intense housework (as my mother took one week's off from her domestic duties to travel). I also did not have adequate rest on the day before the flight (as we flew off in the morning). The accumulation of sleep debt just led to the collapse of the body.

Throughout my trip in Hong Kong, I did not succumb to using medical pills such as panadol for quick solution. I relied heavily on drinking water, flushing toxins water out of my body. I increased my intake of the spirulina and flaxseed oil to cleanse my body.

Apart from that, I also bought Nin Jiom Pei Pa Kao (Fritillaria Loquat Sore Throat Syrup). It is highly effective when your body is overheated due to exhaustion and working during late nights. It is said to nourish your lungs with moisture and clears phlegm in your body. It has helped greatly in soothing my dry throat after the flight. Apart from that, my symptoms of sore throat subsided after a day. I drank the herbal syrup on its own without any water, and let it flow down my throat.

Lastly, a travel essential would definitely be to pack Chrysanthemum tea bags. I usually get this brand as you dont need hot water to make the tea and the powder will dissolve into chrysanthemum tea. Unfortunately, i forgot to take it along on my recent travel trip. >.< so i'm truly thankful when there are countless herbal tea shops in Hong Kong for me to buy hot and warm tea to build up my immune system.

I look forward to more travel trips in the future and to discover more travel essentials for healthy life.

Beautiful Day of My Life: I take steps to improve my life. My life is becoming truly meaningful, every minute.

Rethinking Life

This picture was taken outside my house as I embark on my evening walk. The walk has been meaningful as it allows me to rethink my life & how I have lived it. It has been a long while since I last walked around my neighbourhood and to admire the natural beauty of the forest. I am truly thankful to have lived close to nature ( without the occasional bees and bats flying into my house).

I have completed my studies and is going to embark on the next stage of life which is to join the working force - a typical route that many people has walked through. I know, sooner or later, i would be joining that path. But in the mean time, during this break, I realise I have to reshift my priorities, with a strong focus on living a holistic and healthy lifestyle.   

I realise my body has beeen tired - from studies, from social gatherings, from meeting the expectations of others, from saying too many yes and not having the courage to say no etc. I have not stopped to listen to my body when I have recurrent cough, sore throats and headaches and allergies. This break is the break to recharge my life, reach further into my inner self and listen to my body.

I'm looking forward to my energised body and health in the long term! (in the midst of plannign my own health journal).

Chrysanthemum Tea Recipe

Chrysanthemum Tea with Goji Berries

I have been drinking Chrysanthemum Tea with Goji Berries for 3 months and I have noticed the improvements in my eyes. Chrysanthemum tea has potential benefits. 

 However, do note that those who are prone to diarrhea or experience constant coldness in the hands & feet, kindly refrain from drinking this tea. If you really want to drink, drink just abit with more Goji Berries.

Ingredients (1.5 cup for 1 pax)

• 1 tbsl of Chrysanthemum flowers (8-10 flowers) 
• 1 tbsl of Goji Berries (8-10 berries)
• 1.5 cup of boiling water

Steps

1. Put one table spoon of Chrysanthemum flowers into a teacup/pot which is filled with boiling water
2.  Let the tea brew for 15-20mins (depending on the heat. if the water is too hot, the flowers may brew faster.) Try not to brew for too long if not the tea would be bitter.
3. Pour the hot tea into a cup and add the Goji berries inside. This would ensure that the taste and nutrients of the Goji berries are still within the berries. Tastes better too!



It looks more as I have made the tea for 2-3 people.

4. Once slightly cool, enjoy the tea. If you love to drink it cool during the hot weather, feel free to add some ice!

Enjoy!

Beautiful Day of My Life: I believe that the small positive change I have made now, would bring me greater goodness.

Cats. They are wiser than you think.

As a lover of cats, I was so happy to see this cat's video on guide to life! I hope that you enjoy watching it as much as I do!

BRETON'S GUIDE TO LIFE (in 10 steps) from Ariel Belziti on Vimeo.


Beautiful Day of my Life:  I have the ability to seek inner peace with myself, to be comfortable with stillness at this moment.

What's the big deal with Dry Eyes? Stress, Anxiety & Quality of Life

All we need is your listening ear and support

 

Many people may wonder, "What's the big deal with dry eyes? If your eyes feel uncomfortable, just use eyedrops." Usually, that is what any individual would do, including me.  Life will go on as usual. But that did not happen to me even after I have used the eye drops. 

It took quite some time for my loved ones to understand what i have been going through becuase of the mindset that dry eyes is no big deal. Yes, it is definitely nothing when you have minor dry eyes. But if your eyes started tearing the whole time, redness, coupled with the constant eye strain, your eyes definitely need your tender loving care.

I recalled the struggles I had with work and my life, when my dry eyes syndrome got worst. During that time, I was still using antibiotics for my red eyes which, according to the opthamologist, is a symptom of conjunctivitis. Everytime my eyes began to tear, i constantly put the drops. The symptoms abade for 1-2 days and they returned after that. Having dry eyes during the period of study was not helpful at all. As I constantly have to write essays, it is necessary to use the computer. Presentation slides have to use the computer. These continuous usage were not helping me. Given the high level of discomfort, my work productivity had gone down. I used to be able to handle many tasks at one time, with the computer. However, it all went down. 

 

I was irritated and disappointed with myself. It just did not feel like me. But i did not tell anyone about it. I was embarrased by this condition. I don't smoke, I don't drink alcohol ALOT, I don't club etc. So why had this happened to me? I could not understand why at that time. This affected my relationships with my friends too. I cut down my social gatherings with my friends, using "busy" as an excuse. But in fact, all I wanted was to rest at home and cuddle up. I would cry at home silently.  I slowly redrew from school activities. My self-esteem was affected by my health. Though I looked comfortable to my friends, i was actually struggling inside. It was hard to tell people that I have dry eyes and difficulties because i was too proud to admit it and i dont think anyone would really understand me.

There has been a correlation between anxiety,depression and dry eye syndrome. There are research to support this point. (Though I have only use one article here to support my point, I believe you can understand my point. Any chronic illness, if not cared for, will affect one's quality of life. Don't you think so? Would you be happy to have this chronic illness to be with you for life? N.O NO! )

I was truly disappointed in the amount of support the local health system has provided for patients with dry eyes. Treatments are given but not adequate support to the patient. If no institution could offer me support, I have to seek my strength and support from other sources. (will share about that in future post). My life has been improving daily and I never regret the steps that I have taken.

Point to take away from this blog entry:
Do offer a good listening ear and support to your friend who may be suffering from some things. You can never imagine how your support, no matter how minute it can be, can mean alot to your friend. 

Beautiful fact of my life: I am truly happy that I have taken steps to embrace one of my fears openly. I am looking forward to more positive changes in my life.

 

Food for the Dry Eyes (Yes, they need moisture. duh)

Dry eyes can be burdensome, if you have the problem for quite some time, from days to years.  I have been dealing with dry eyes for 1.5 years. Some doctors told me it is eye allergy and this problem can never be treated which kinda make me sad. However, after listening to a TCM lecture in school, the problem in fact be solved. After changing the way I eat for the past few months, my eye conditions have improved a lot.  I'm looking forward to the time where my eyes are completely healed so that I can wear contact lense comfortably. 

What to Eat:

• Chrysanthemum Tea with Goji Berries (1-2 cups a day)
•  It is your daily dose of Vitamin C and A.
• Given its cooling properties, it can help to reduce headache, giddiness and eyestrains
• Sore, itchy and red eyes. 
• Caffeine Free - feel free to drink at anytime of the day!
• Note that if you constantly have cold hands, include more Goji berries and do not drink Chrysanthemum tea as intensely. Take a break in drinking the tea once in a while.
• Carrots
• Source of Vitamin A
• Consume once every 2-3 days would suffice. If not, too much Vit A will be reflected in the colour of your skin such as too yellowish.
• Goji Berries ( A handful each day, on an empty stomach. Before Meals)
• Mulberry leaf tea
• Cassia Seed Tea (For red sore eyes)

What to Avoid:

• Spicy food.
  It is very important. This is difficult if you stay in Asia such as Singapore where spicy food is almost part of your life. I love curry,Laksa, Otah etc. but one really has to stop eating to help your eyes. If your body is too heaty internally, the heat will travel up to your body (I know it sounds stranges..but this is some concept my mom has told me which I think it is quite true. If you eat too much spicy food, you will tend to have headache.)  

The list will constantly be updated as I read and find out more.

My Dry Eye Journey

it has been a long journey, since 2011, that i have been dealing with my eye condition.

I have took my eyes condition for granted through the period I was wearing contact lenses.

June 2011:

The itchiness in my eyes started in June 2011 (the period of my first internship). I was bogged down by some commitments such as internships and outside school activities. During the busy period, i actually lost appetite.

I stopped wearing contact lenses immediately, because of the discomfort. But I was not aware of the importance of wearing dailies then.

The itchiness continued for months and i decided to see a professional opthamologist. He said that I have allergic conjunctivitis that is why there is constant itchiniess. I was offered antibiotics. The antibiotics were great, the itchiness stopped after that. I thought that was the end. Unfortunately, my eyes became worst than ever. 

2012:
For the whole year of 2012, I been going through periods of dry eyes, unexplained red/sore eyes, waking up with red eye (especially on the left eye), and constant itchiness (although it gets less mild). The only period it stopped was when i came back from Hong Kong after my second internship. It was all right! After that, it returned for no good reason.

It is hard to describe how I feel. There are times when i really feel sad about my eye condition. I enjoy the comfort wearing contact lenses because I can see things clearly at all range. With my spectacles on, I could only see things that are in front of me. There are times i feel insecure about myself too (feeling embarrassed about it as i'm writing this >.<)

Every morning when I wake up, my left eye will be red and both eyes actually itch with dryness. no serious eye discharge that I used to have (mmm, yellow eye discharge). Basically, it is just the typical minute white discharge that we have. However, the morning eye dryness and redness left so uncomfortable that it affects my mood (Don't laugh!). Actually, during this period, i resumed my contact lens wear after a 1.5yr hiatus. But it is not helping in any ways.

So last semester in school, I took an elective module on Traditional Chinese Medicine aka TCM! I love TCM. It has taught me to live a life, in a holistic manner. I paid great attention to the lecture and would continue to share these goodness to my mother. I guess, TCM taught me the importance of caring for my life really on my own.

But it took me some time to approach TCM for help. About 2 months later when I lost patience with the itchiness, I went to the nearest TCM clinic near my house. Well, the TCM doc said my eyes were not exactly serious. In fact, it can be rect
 So I do not have to do acupuncture. He gave me some herbs and recommended me to drink chrysanthemum with goji berries daily. It costs me about $32 plus i think (including TCM herbs).  After his advice, i started drinking tea for the first time - the time i introduced tea into my daily drink regime. 

2013:

My eye conditions have definitely improved, but not completely cured. No more itchiness and sore eyes for 3 months! Just the dryness. The intensive work has not allowed me to rest my eyes properly! But i'm trying! I love it when i wake up each morning with clear eyes, with minor dryness.

I was discouraged deeply by what previous doctors have diagnosed. Some said i have eye allergy. Yes, I do seem to reflect the symptoms earlier. Allergies are supposed to be with you for a lifetime. It has left me. And in fact, everything has just been an issue of dry eyes. If only I have sought the right treatment earlier...

Nonetheless, nothing is ever late. The step that I have taken to improve my life has made me feel much better about myself than ever.  

What is beautiful in my life : I know that each single day I wake up, I am healing.

(The purpose of writing is not to tell you to ditch your professional GP or specialist for alternative treatments, if you understand, western medicine are able to solve alot of emergency cases. TCM or alternative complemetary medicine aims to promote holistic health and prevent. So if your bodies are working fine or you sense any minordiscomfort, do aim to achieve the holistic health early and not wait till it is too late like me! For emergency cases, of course, approach western medical science!)