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).