Moved to melfann.com

Hi guys,

As my title states, I've moved my blog to www.melfann.com and since blogspot doesn't allow me to map this domain to it, I have no choice but to write this as a post instead.

Please head onto my new blogsite for updates (which I've been doing regularly)!

Thanks!

Join Me At Global Wellness Day 2016

If you've been following me on Instagram or Facebook, you'll probably know that I'm now on a #30DaysChallenge as part of the campaign for Global Wellness Day that's happening on 11 June. How I came about this is because, well, I am one of the organisers for Global Wellness Day and it is something that I wanted to do after talking to Tomoka, the director of ESPA, last December. This year, we reconnected after I sent her my proposal for Global Wellness Day and voila, this is now what it is.

With the slogan “One day can change your whole life,” Global Wellness Day (GWD) is celebrated on the second Saturday of June every year as an international day dedicated to living well. First introduced in 2012 by Belgin Aksoy, owner of Turkey’s only destination spa and herself a cancer survivor, with the mind to promote good physical and mental health to the public by providing complimentary, educational and experiential wellness activities. By 2015, GWD had the support of more than 600 properties in 73 countries for the year’s event, and this year, 85 countries are now onboard.

#ISAYYES to #GlobalWellnessDaySG! Be like Richard Branson and @belnua! Say yes to healthier living. Take the first step! #30dayschallange starts in May! Check out www.globalwellnessday.sg and join us @sauceink this June 11th at #ResortWorldSentosa for a full day of exciting events! Need more information? Email us at hello@globalwellnessday.sg. #style #stylemagazine #sgevent #womensday #womenpower #sgwomen #sauceinkinsider #sauceinsider #saucewomen #social #Singapore #sgcommunity #GlobalWellnessDay

A photo posted by Global Wellness Day Singapore (@globalwellnessdaysg) on Apr 30, 2016 at 5:21am PDT

Global Wellness Day is an entirely not-for-profit day, a social project created by volunteers dedicated to living well. The purpose of Global Wellness Day is to ask the question, even if for just one day, “How can I live a healthier and better life?”, to direct the thoughts of both individuals and society towards “living well” and to raise awareness.

In Singapore, this will be the first year SAUCEink, together with SUGO and Resorts World Sentosa, has organised Global Wellness Day to be held at RWS Equarius Hotel. With over 70 booths booked till date, attendees can expect to get exposed to individuals and organisations from the wellness related industries will be present to share and educate the public on the importance on being well physically and mentally.

This is not restricted to just wellness industries but also food, lifestyle, retail and many more. This year’s lineup include sponsors and partners such as Strala Yoga, KFIT, Beyond Pictures, ANJE, PRINCESSA, Euforia, Hottest500, Eat Play Surf, Pilates BodyTree, Fabulous Aesthetics, Paramedics Aesthetics, Scryp, Look Good Feel Great Always, and many more. With more potential partners coming in, you can expect a day full of fun while at the same time, gaining more insights as to how one can maintain their wellness.

To find out more about Global Wellness Day Singapore on June 11, 2016, visit www.globalwellnessday.sg. Hope to see you there!

Launch of Starker Volt For Local Musicians

Was invited down to the launch of "Starker Volt" which is an initiative started by Starker Music to promote local musicians and talents. Every Monday, it is where local musicians take the stage and showcase their talents and perhaps get spotted by producers!

The evening was opened by local celebrity, Edmund Chen, who is the spokesperson for Starker Volt.

The ambience of the place is really relaxing as the pub overlooks a small field located at Zhongshan Park (near Balestier). I can already imagine chilling after work here with friends, sipping beer and eating chips while enjoying acoustic performances by our local boys and girls.

The opening speech was followed by great music from local bands as well as Edmund Chen hammering the tap into a barrel of Starker Beer together with the boss of Starker himself.

SAUCEink team with Edmund Chen

It was great meeting with Edmund Chen and getting to know him as a person, not just as someone whom I've seen on TV growing up. I also met Anthony Png, my ex-vocal coach back when he was still with Lee Wei Song School of Music. Yes...I'm starting to tell my age.

Do note that there are live performances everyday at Starker Pub, just that the VOLT programme is only on Mondays. Do lend our local musicians your ears and time!

Starker Pub
1 Jalan Rajah
#01-03 Zhongshan Park
Singapore 329133

Celebrate Mothers' Day In Style

When Sabrina and I were thinking of how to celebrate Mothers' Day this year for the company, we didn't want to do something typical where it's obviously a commercial gimmick where we ply you with marketing messages to buy a particular gift for your mother.

Being daughters, we recognise that there is a special bond that we have with our mothers and when we were younger, we were often compared to our mothers. Does the line, "Ooh...you're looking more and more like your mum!" sound familiar to you?

This year, let us be the judge of that join our fun Mother-Daughter Look Alike Contest! We'll let the public vote and then the pairs who get into the Top 10 will get a special photoshoot with my friend Ashley Low of Ashley Low Photography.

Moreover, the winners will get a makeover as well as a family portrait with Ashley. The runner-ups will still be pampered with an awesome Anti-oxidant facial with TOUCHE Elite!

Join us and be part of this fun contest while celebrating the women we love! To register, visit www.sauceink.com/mothersday2016. Do note that you will need to sign up as a member of SAUCEink to complete the registration but registration is completely free!

Learn About Effortless Beauty On the Inside Out

Together with wellness coach, Chong Su Lee, and consultant, Natalie Turner, I've organised a luncheon entitled "Effortless Beauty On The Inside Out". During this workshop, we'll touch on the following:

• What to eat to get better skin
• How to portion size according to your lifestyle
• New technologies in skincare
• Proper skincare regime
• Demonstration on 2 volunteers

Attendees will get the chance to see this make-up essential to say 'bye bye' to wrinkles and eye bags!

To add, all attendees will stand the chance to win a D'Arts Jewellery box which is handmade from chicken eggs! Each unique box is worth $80 and is a piece of art on its own.

The ticket price is to cover the cost of lunch and we're not making any profits from this but we're just sharing our knowledge to like-minded ladies. After all, it is a journey to look good and feel great!

To register, click here: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/effortless-beauty-from-the-inside-out-tickets-22978324788?aff=melfann

Philip Kingsley - Another European Hair Loss Solution

In my quest for more hair, I was given the chance to try out Philip Kingsley's treatment for all hair related issues. The store at Palais Renaissance is the only one in Singapore and is fronted by their trichologist, Lornica.

Trichologist, Lornica, giving us a tour of the salon

Philip Kingsley uses hair products manufactured in the UK and is based on trichological remedies.  They were established in London, with over 40 years of history treating hair health in the most customised approach. What I liked about them is that all new customers will have a consultation with the trichologist in order to get a personalised treatment. This is important because every individual is different and you definitely need some form of consultation and process to keep track of your progress.

Similar to the new hair treatment centres, Philip Kingsley is salon-based and it is quite a cosy corner where busy clients can relax and even request for additional service such as pedicures (at an additional cost).

I was given the general treatment and two of the attendants separated my hair and applied a cream which was supposed to help cleanse the scalp and invigorate the blood circulation through the mint inside. After the cream was applied directly onto the scalp, they sprayed another type of solution onto the hair and it is supposed to help with the elasticity of the hair strands.

I was pleasantly surprised that one of the attendants actually knew what HairMax is! I've mentioned this many times to a lot of other salons but none of them did not seem to have heard of it or of cold laser helping with hair loss.

Next, it was steaming my whole head. I do notice a pattern here. Most hair treatments I get seem to make me feel like a steamed chicken and I bet that there'll be some roasting going on later.

After steaming, it was onto the wash area to rinse off the products and next was...see...roasting. Ok, it's not a roasting per se but it's infra-red lamps that help to kill off any bacteria and it's also supposed to help with the blood circulation to the scalp.

After the infra red session was the blow dry and I had the best blow dry ever! She seemed to know exactly why my hairdresser gave me a fringe and how to blow it such that it covers all my thinning areas.

The whole process seemed quite usual but the more important matter should be the products' efficacy. I liked that when the products were applied, there wasn't any strong smells but oddly, after the blow dry, my hair smelt as if I just coloured by hair. You know what I mean? That very strong chemical smell. Furthermore, my hair did not feel soft but a bit stiff and towards the end of the day, I could feel a bit of tangles starting to happen plus my scalp was slightly itchy. Nevertheless, my scalp was slightly less oily the next day, so I think the cream did do its job in eliminating the oil.

Would I go back to Philip Kingsley again for more treatments? Perhaps not. Especially when I do know better and slightly less expensive alternative solutions.

Philip Kingsley
390 Orchard Road
#03-08/09 Palais Renaissance

Website: http://www.philipkingsley.com.sg
Tel no: +65 6834 0988

What's The Fuss Over Detox and Cleansing? - webinar

Are you curious to learn about the body's detoxification process? Find out how what we consume and how our lifestyles affect the way our bodies get rid of toxins. Also, learn about the recent popular detox and cleansing programmes to understand what really works and what doesn't.

Come and join us for this webinar on Wed, 23 Mar at 8pm to hear from our wellness coach, Chong Su Lee of Look Good Feel Great Always, to learn about how the body's natural detoxification process and how our modern lifestyles and food habits are affecting this. Register below! https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6801776114998311940

5 Tips on how to slow down the signs of aging - webinar

Ever wondered why aging occurs and how it happens on a cellular level? Want to know how you can prolong the aging process through cutting edge technology in skincare?

Come join us in this webinar on Wed, 16 Mar at 8pm as we share with you the science behind aging and how you can slow it down so that you remain beautiful and younger, longer.

Register today at: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/190339029921911044

Chin Filler Experience With Prive Clinic

I was invited last week to a Beauty themed event at Palais Renaissance meant for bloggers and one of the places that hosted us was Privé Clinic. Privé is one of Singapore's trusted medical aesthetic clinics and was founded by Dr. Karen Soh.

I was lucky to be chosen as the model for the live demonstration to get either a nose or a chin filler by Dr Chua, Aesthetics Doctor of Privé Vitale Clinic. If you're interested to get a filler, a single treatment would normally cost S$963 (incl. GST).

Walking in for the prep, I saw the chair and it was slightly intimidating but the nurses and Dr Chua helped to make me feel comfortable. I had a consultation with Dr Chua on whether to do the nose or chin filler. We had a bit of a difficulty with this because he said that my face was quite proportionate so there really isn't a very pressing need for a filler. However, the filler on my nose bridge would make my nose seem thinner/smaller while a chin filler may help make my face look slimmer. I naturally went for the chin filler as I want to look like a lost 1 kg!

Dr Chua prepping to do the chin filler

Before the demonstration, I was led to a smaller room to take some 'before' photos and also given some numbing cream on my chin. While waiting for the numbing cream to take effect, Dr Chua then explained why fillers are gaining popularity over plastic surgery (mainly due to the fact that it is less invasive and people like how it isn't permanent nor damages any muscles). He introduced 2 types of fillers used - Hyaluronic Acid (HA) and Radiesse.

Why do people do fillers? Besides wrinkles, some people look as if they have double chins when it actually is a shorter recessed chin and this is where fillers can be used to elongate the chin while making the face more proportionate. Asians also tend to have a very low nose bridge and fillers can also be used to make the nose bridge a lot more defined so that the face looks sharper.

I'm sure that most of you ladies would've heard of Hyaluronic Acid as it's the current popular ingredient in most moisturisers and facial masks. Why it is so popular is because HA occurs naturally in the body and it attracts water molecules of up to 1,000 times it's size and weight. That is why it goes into your moisturisers and facial masks because it naturally boosts your skin's moisture levels. As a filler, the body does not reject it and if the patient does not like the results, the doctor is able to remove it easily. The other filler used is Radiesse, which is made of synthetic calcium hydroxyapatite, a similar compound that can be found in bones and teeth. As such, it's slightly harder than HA and harder to remove if the patient isn't happy with the results. Nonetheless, unlike most other fillers, Radiesse expands upon injection and stimulates collagen production. Thus, a lot of people who get Radiesse filler will see drastically smoother skin (bye bye wrinkles) and a lot of people love it as the effect lasts for about a year. Do note that this filler is not recommended for the lips as it may cause lumps.

Pop goes the needle

For this demonstration, Dr Chua used a syringe of Radiesse. Although I can't stand needles, I was not nervous about the procedure because I knew that I was under expert hands. In order to make me feel more comfortable, Dr Chua even used a cold compress to further ensure that my chin was numb and that the procedure would be painless.

Nevertheless, I could still feel the needle going into my chin and the filler being injected inside. Dr Chua made 3 injections and he pressed my chin to mould it to the place where he wanted it to go. It felt a little strange because it felt a little bit like play-doh in my chin and there was a bit of swelling (natural since there was an injection). There was a bit of bleeding from the 3 insertion points but that stopped when the nurse applied anti-bacterial cream on them.

They told me not to smile for the photos so that's why I look sombre in the 'After' photo. But...I've got a new chin! And don't you agree that my face looks slimmer? Everyone else at the event commented that they could immediately see the difference and that my face looks slimmer!

With Dr Chua of Privé Vitale Clinic

I'm really thankful to Dr Chua and the nurses at Privé for making me feel comfortable and for doing such a great job on my chin! Not to mention the cool swag that every one of us received after the session. I did not experience any bruising (this happens with some patients) and as for aftercare, I just needed to be very careful not to lean my chin on anything as well as not to purse my lips or pout as I do get a lot of dimpling on my chin whenever I do that.

Goodies from the event

It has been a week and my chin feels almost natural, with only a very small lump at the bottom of my chin which isn't visibly noticeable and I only notice it when I touch it. I'm very impressed with the follow up service of Privé when I received text messages from them asking about my chin 2 days after the procedure. When I told them that there was a bit of swelling, they even asked me to take photos to send to them via WhatsApp so that Dr Chua could look and evaluate! Talk about combining service with technology! Now...would they be interested in listing on SWAG Guide? Hahaha.

Privé also has other aesthetic treatments such as facials and Elite Eyes (bye bye eye bags), which I will be going back o Privé for. I'm quite excited to tell you, dear readers, that you can get 10% discount when you quote "Blogger Melissa" for any of their aesthetic treatments. This discount is valid from now till 30 March 2016!

Book your appointment today at:

Prive Aesthetics
390 Orchard Road
#03-02
Singapore 238871
Tel: +65 6737 0755
Website: http://www.priveaesthetics.com

Expert Hair Care With Trichologist

Ms Pooja Chhabra - Trichologist at Trichokare

Meet Pooja, one of the trichologists at TK TrichoKare. I was very lucky to be able to have a consultation with her during my last appointment with TrichoKare and I was very happy to finally have an expert examine and advise me on my hair loss issue from a more scientific and biological point of view.

As per usual, the consultation began with a scan of my scalp and she was very happy that my scalp was very clean (compared to the previous appointment). I was happy that my twice-a-day shampoo habit has paid off. She also pointed out that she could see that my veins were quite close to the scalp, indicating that I have sensitive scalp/skin. That is true, which is also why I'm quite particular about what products I use. Nevertheless, I am still suffering from hair loss.

What causes hair loss?
A variety of reasons cause hair loss, including:

• hormones
• stress
• genetics
• scalp infections
• certain hairstyles
• oily scalp with clogged hair follicles

In my case, it was a combination of both genetic and hormonal issues. Pooja explained that chemically speaking, the main culprit for baldness is DHT (Dihydrotestosterone), a derivative of the male hormone testosterone which can be found in the oil glands of every hair follicle. As women's hormones change every month and even more drastically during pregnancy, DHT is triggered more so with us because the balance of hormones keep changing. We all know how a teeny tiny bit of hormone change can really wreak havoc in our bodies and (now we know) hair. This DHT is also the cause of hair loss in men but it is often a lot easier to treat because men's hormone levels do not fluctuate as often as women's.

Pooja told me not to give up hope as my clean scalp has shown that there is still a chance to work on the follicles to ensure that they get more nutrients required for healthy hair growth. When she saw that I was taking Minoxidil (5%) and using Hair Max while also taking Biotin with Multi-vitamins, she said that I was definitely someone who "has been there and done that when it comes to hair loss!"

It was good to hear from a trichologist's point of view that Regaine/Rogaine (brand differs depending on which country you buy it from) foam for both men and women are exactly the same and the different packaging is mainly due to marketing purposes. 5% is normally prescribed to men while 3% to women. However, women with serious hair loss can be prescribed with 5% minoxidil. She did warn me not to stop using minoxidil as it is the only thing that is preventing the DHT from being formed. Once I stop, as my hormones are still sending the same signals to the hair follicles, I may experience a very sudden severe hair loss.

Pooja then customised the treatment for me and explained that I was going to get a hair mask to soothe the sensitive skin while also balancing it so that it will be less oily. After that, I will get their ampoule which contains extracts from herbs that clinically show improvement in hair growth and to nourish the hair follicles will be applied onto my scalp. It's as if I'm going for a facial but instead of my face, I'm treating my scalp!

Too much white hair!

Another problem plaguing me is the amount of white hair that I have on my head. Lucky me, I was given a preview of their colouring services before it launches in April! My hair was coloured before the hair mask and since TrichoKare is the hair care experts, naturally the hair dye that they use did not contain ammonia and uses natural ingredients.

Indeed, no nasty chemical smells while my head was smothered with the dye. I did not experience any itching on my scalp while waiting for it to set either! During the wash, my consultant switched from their usual conditioner to another one which was more moisturising and targeted at grey hair. This was simply because she realised that although my scalp was oily, the ends of my hair were very dry. I've got to say that I love the personalised treatment.

Ampoule used for the treatment

The ampoule was sprayed onto my scalp with something that reminded me of an air-spray gun. It felt really cool on the scalp and the massage that followed after was amazing! Besides being very relaxing, the head massage is also meant to promote blood circulation to the scalp and therefore, encourage nutrients to reach the follicles. Pretty similar to what my cold laser is supposed to do.

After the blow dry, my head was given the infra-red treatment by what I'd like to call the 'octopus' and Pooja explained that this is to kill off any bacteria on the scalp as this too would affect the health of your hair.

After colouring

I'm also glad that the hair colour covered all my grey hair! The consultant then added some of their Hair Coat which immediately added shine to my hair without it feeling oily. I also noticed that it helped with the frizziness too! When I touched my hair, it was really soft and a far cry from how it was when I walked into the salon.

At the end of the treatment, it was back into the consultation room for a review scan. The hair colouring has helped to show where there are empty hair follicles and Pooja was optimistic that new hair can grow back from them.

Unfortunately, I could not get the hair growth treatment straightaway. Pooja explained that the herbal extracts used for hair growth would be rendered useless if the scalp and hair follicle were still clogged with oil and toxins as the growth factor would not be absorbed. Which is why it is normally recommended for clients to do 6 to 8 cleansing Trichological Scalp Treatments before going onto the hair growth treatments. Hair growth also differs from person to person because of our natural hair cycles as well as the cause(s) of each individual's hair loss.

I decided to buy some of Trichokare's fabulous hair care products so that I can continue having great hair after leaving the salon. I was so grateful that Pooja was around because what went into my bag was also per her recommendation. My shampoo (it's called Purifying Bath) is meant to be strong enough to wash off oil from my scalp so that I no longer need to wash my hair twice a day. In my bag also went the Hair Coat and Black Shine, both contain proteins and nutrients that were blended by trichologists to repair damaged hair while moisturising it. I also got an ampoule for at-home treatment.

I must say that I really enjoyed this treatment and it's mostly due to the good advice of the trichologist who customised the treatment from start to finish. With so much stress, pollution and diet issues  (not to mention how some of us change hair colour like we change clothes) nowadays, it is important to take better care of your scalp like how one takes care of our face.

Which is why, if you have hair problems but do not know where to start, do make an appointment with TrichoKare's trichologist for your first time consultation. If you just want to try out TrichoKare's Scalp Treatment, SWAG Guide is happy to say that we've managed to get a special price for you!

Book your trial Scalp Treatment for only S$48 (w/ GST) instead of S$138 here.
You can also book your appointment with the trichologist at S$91.60 here.

It's free to join SWAG Guide as a member to enjoy these promotions and say 'YES' to healthy, beautiful hair!

First Time To Singapore's Natural Hot Spring

Did you know that Singapore has a natural hot spring which is open the public? I didn't know that either until a Japanese acquaintance (trust the Japanese to find out about hot springs) wanted to go there. I merely tagged along.

Apparently, my parents knew about this place too but they've never been there nor did they bring me and brother there when we were younger. Looks like I'm the only one in the family who loves hot springs and soaking my feet in warm water. Yup...no wonder I'm into spas, right?

Located at Sembawang, this hot spring is very nondescript and this is the only sign indicating where it is. I find it hilarious that there's a sign telling you that you're not permitted to wash your laundry there! LOL. Hmm...would washing clothes with water from a hot spring make it cleaner?

Path towards the hot spring

The land is owned by the Ministry of Defence, which comes as no surprise since there is an army camp right next to it. You can tell that they really do not want this place to be some crowded public spot because there are really no signs and when we consulted Google Maps on how to walk there, it told us to walk beyond this gate and to make a huge turn. Hmm. Thank goodness we trusted our instincts instead.

Interesting fact: the hot spring is natural and was discovered in 1908! It was even bottled and sold under several names, even F&N had procured the rights to bottle and sell this water. Again, trust the Japanese to build onsens in this area during WW2 but they were destroyed by the Allied Forces' bombing. Otherwise, we'd probably have lovely working spas here.

Walking towards the taps, we could smell the distinct scent of sulphur. Yup, this was a legit hot spring. My friends and I were wondering how the heck does Singapore have a hot spring when we're so far away from volcanoes? Is the land here particularly shallow, which is why whoever discovered it need not have to dig very far to get to the hot spring?

The hot spring water flowing out from taps

Foot soak anyone?

There are 3 areas with 4 taps each and visitors can bring stools and pails to fill the water up and soak your feet or other appendages. If you didn't bring either, there are some lying around the area which you can grab and use but if it's all taken up, then...too bad.

Do not turn off the taps - By order

The water from the taps are really hot. One of the visitors there told us that it's nearly boiling point. It was quite funny how the 3 of us suddenly went very Japanese and said, "Oh...we should've brought eggs to cook onsen tamago!"

In order to fulfil our need (yes, need) to soak our feet, we had to tarik our water from one pail to the next to cool it down sufficiently.

We only managed to take this one shot before a nice army boy came in to round us out as he wanted to lock the place up. Yes, they are quite strict with the closing hours at 7pm.

On the way to our dinner, I couldn't help but start thinking of what else we could cook in the hot spring water besides eggs. I reckon anything that can be cooked sous vide style would work, wouldn't it? Hmm...salmon, beef...veg...yum!

Needless to say, I'm thinking of another trip to Sembawang Hot Springs for a full on picnic with family and friends! I'm also thankful that this place is free and hasn't been commercialised because although it looks a bit shabby, I like that there are parts of Singapore that aren't that manicured.

How to get there:

1. Take the MRT to Yishun station. 
2. From the bus stop just in front (facing Northpoint Shopping Centre), take bus service 858/ 969/ 811/ 965 and alight on the 4th stop (Blk 118 or opp Blk 115B). 
3. Walk straight ahead, along Sembawang Road towards Gambas Ave.
4. Turn left onto Gambas Ave until you see that nondescript gate on your left.

30 Days After Parasite Cleanse

I have finally ended my parasite cleanse! I can't believe that it has been a month since I've started on this cleanse and it is amazing how many things have happened to my body since then. Nothing significant has happened since last week but I do realise now that alcohol hits my system a lot faster than before. Chilli also tastes a bit spicier. What is 'worse' is that my body now rejects junk food and makes me pay for it the next day by depositing the junk in the harshest manner. Not diarrhoea. Just whoosh....plus cramps. I can feel my intestines doing it's job.

There was an interesting conversation that I had with someone over Facebook though. I was tagged by a mutual friend on this lady's (let's call her OC) post because he knew that I had gone on this cleanse and OC is quite sure that she has parasites because her boyfriend was diagnosed with it. She and her boyfriend were losing a lot of weight suddenly while feeling fatigued, which led her boyfriend to go see the doctor and he was finally diagnosed with having parasites.

OC was a bit conflicted because although she knew that she had parasites, she wanted to get rid of all of them but the prescribed medication from the doctors only killed a few types. Moreover, the testing required for all the parasites plus the medication would be a very hefty sum. Some of her friends advised her to do natural healing and herbal remedies.

What's my take? I told her that since it's quite obvious to her that she has parasites, she should go to the doctor and get those medication quick. Kill them fast and then use herbal detox to cleanse out all the endotoxins built up by those parasites as well as caused when the parasites die.

Hearing her story made me more convinced that even in our clean society, these little buggers are still around and surviving well. Thus, I will do this parasite cleanse once a year. In the meanwhile, I also happen to receive a free bottle of garlic supplements so I'll eat those from now so as to prevent more parasites from growing before my next cleanse. Yup...those critters hate loads of garlic!

To learn more about the 30-day ClearStart or Paraway Plus, go to: https://shop.passhen.com/collections/unicity.

Are You Gluten-sensitive?

I've been talking to a lot of people about how I found out that I'm slightly gluten sensitive and why a lot of people probably are but simply do not know about it. After every such conversation, most of them would ask me to blog about it and so here I am! I must stress that I'm no expert and this is only my opinion. You should always consult your doctor and do more proper research before you embark on any crazy experiments with your diet.

First of, let's find out what gluten really is. According to www.livescience.com, gluten refers to the proteins found in wheat grain but it can also be found in other cereal grains such as rye and barley. It is what makes breads and cake have that elastic texture.

Is Gluten Bad?
If you're gluten-intolerant, then yes...you can't eat any gluten and some severe cases of gluten-intolerance have met with death. The most well-known form of gluten intolerance is celiac disease and when someone with this disease consumes gluten, it will trigger an immune response that damages their intestines, preventing them from absorbing vital nutrients.

Another form of gluten intolerance, although quite rare, is wheat allergy and the reaction is normally through skin, respiratory or gastrointestinal. It is in recent years that scientists have found another form of gluten intolerance where patients may experience many celiac disease symptoms, such as diarrhoea, fatigue and joint pain, but do not appear to have damaged intestines. This is when doctors would recommend the patients to go on a gluten-free diet.

Why the trend to go gluten-free?
There is a perception that going gluten-free is healthier because some articles have written that the human stomach does not digest wheat that well, therefore causing a lot of gas in the stomach and intestines. In addition, the publication of Karyn Seroussi’s "Unraveling the Mystery of Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorder: A Mother’s Story of Research and Recovery" in 2000, and actress Jenny McCarthy’s books and activism, prompted many parents of autistic children to try a diet free of gluten and casein, a protein in milk. As some parents reported success with the diet, scientists devised studies to try to pin down the diet’s impact on behavior. So far, however, these studies haven’t convinced scientists of the diet’s effectiveness.

Nonetheless, this 'health' craze doesn't seem to be ending any time soon especially with celebrities such as Miley Cyrus and Lady Gaga going on a complete gluten-free diet and claiming that they lose weight in the process. Gluten-free is now big business and the marketing folks at each of these health food companies aren't going to stop churning out them gluten-free labels. Yay for those with celiac while the rest of us had better make more informed choices.

Why I went gluten-free
As I was researching about endometriosis and other autoimmune diseases, I read about how researchers have seen that there's non-celiac gluten sensitivity (as mentioned earlier) and that people with this gluten sensitivity tend to have other autoimmune diseases or symptoms. I too often felt fatigued and bloated, but I blamed it all on the endometriosis plus stress at work. However, those articles that linked gluten sensitivity to the symptoms of endometriosis made me want to test out this theory.

Thus, I went a full month without eating a lot of gluten. I can't say that I went totally cold turkey because the sad thing about food these days is that there are a lot of gluten traces during the processing of food...even for soy sauce. What I did do was cut out pasta, breads, pizza, wraps, cakes and donuts. However, I did not cut out carbs. I merely chose alternatives such as rice and potato.

I was never a huge fan of cakes, bread and donuts so it was not that hard the first week into this diet. However, lunch was a tough choice because I could not eat pasta, wraps or pizza. I had to stick to potato and rice...which limited the variety of meals. Sometimes, I had no choice but to succumb to eating gluten as I could not be too fussy about my meals when dining with my (now ex) colleagues. Nonetheless, I pressed on.

The result? I lost the bloat but in terms of weight loss, it was about 0.5kg overall but what I liked most of all was that I no longer had that uncomfortable bloating. Moreover, the lack of fatigue was more significant and my energy levels were higher during the day.

When I went back to my regular diet, I experimented again. I took my weight every morning to see whether what I ate the day before would affect my weight the next day. I found out that I could eat gluten at any time of the day except for dinner. If I ate a plate of pasta or even a nice sandwich, I would put on 0.5 to 0.8kg the next day.

Is it all in our heads?
A couple of researchers who studied self-diagnosed gluten-sensitive patients found that that NONE of them were actually gluten sensitive. The study also revealed that these patients were experiencing a "nocebo" effect, where they thought they'd feel worse when given gluten and therefore would really feel worse when given gluten. In other words, it's all psychological.

Another study also states that people who go on gluten-free diets often make other lifestyle changes which contribute to their weight loss or better skin. For example, someone might cook more meals at home rather than eating fast food as they go on this gluten-free diet. They may eat more vegetables and less fatty foods as a result as well.

For me, that was not true because I was still working full time at a 9 to 5 job and although I wasn't eating pizzas and pasta, I was still eating my chye png and rice noodles etc. I was also actively  recording down the calorie intake each day and it hardly changed from my gluten-laden days. That is why my conclusion is that I'm slightly sensitive to gluten and it has been helping me control the bloat better than all the other 'solutions' that I get from therapists at the spas.

Many dieticians do not recommend going on a gluten-free diet because grains that contain gluten often contain other essential nutrients such as vitamin B6. Moreover, some manufacturers add in fat into gluten-free products in order to enhance the taste or to improve the texture. I've also seen some gluten-free products containing white rice flour, which means that it has been processed twice, making me wonder how much nutrients would've been stripped away before it became noodles or pasta sheets.

Nevertheless, please do not take my word for it. Go see the doctor, get yourself tested and then experiment a little with your diet. We are unique individuals and our diets should be customised for our current lifestyles too.

Get Fit In Style with Rumi Yoga Wear

We've teamed up with Rumi Yoga Wear to give Pásshen members great discounts! We looove Rumi's  eco-friendly shorts, capris and leggings are made 100% of recycled plastic bottles and are super stretchy. They even have a maternity range with an expandable waistband that can be folded down when baby is born!

Comfy and with excellent wicking, you'll remain cool and dry even after an hour's hot yoga session. We should know as we passed a couple over to Amanda Koh, a yoga instructor, and she used them during her pilates AND hot yoga sessions.

To get your hands on a lovely pair of leggings, head onto http://www.rumiyogawear.com/ and don't forget to use the promo code "PASSHEN" to get your 10% off!

Quite loving these colourful capris from Rumi Yoga wear... made from recycled plastic bottles! Meanwhile my cheapo ikea rug makes excellent padding for headstanding hahaha! @rumiyogawear @passhensg #rumilove #sgyoga #singaporeyogis #yogacapris #cny2016 #inversion #headstand #sirsasana #iloveyoga #yogaeverydamnday #practicepracticepractice

A photo posted by Amanda Koh (@amandakohkalariyoga) on Feb 8, 2016 at 5:25am PST