You can probably remember my post on the Roasted Buckwheat Green Tea published a few months back where I highlighted the health benefits of buckwheat (or soba in Japanese). Many diabetic and cancer patients, upon my recommendation, have tried either the green tea or the coffee to incredible results. It had even astounded and piqued the interest of a doctor who had noticed the consistently healthy blood pressure level in a diabetic patient ever since she started including at least two cups of freshly brewed Roasted Buckwheat Coffee in her daily diet. The last time she met her doctor, he also enquired about how he could get his hands on the coffee too!
In fact, one of the co-founders of the Buckwheat Healthcare Products (BHP) is also testimony of the effectiveness of buckwheat in bringing about health changes. Being a serious diabetes, liver cancer and kidney disease sufferer previously himself, not even the maximum dosage of insulin prescribed by his doctor at the Singapore General Hospital was able to help his condition. He was delivered the bad news that he would not be able to make it past 3 months in May 2007 by several experienced doctors he consulted. But instead of resigning to his fate, he remained optimistic and continued to seek alternative solutions. Then one day, he stumbled upon an article about buckwheat and decided to give Buckwheat Roasted Green Tea a shot. Even though he is still on medication for his kidney failure today, his other damaged organs have reverted to normal conditions, much to the amazement of his doctors. That’s right, he managed to fully recoverfrom liver cancer and diabetes without undergoing chemotherapy!
Due to its unsweetened and slightly bitter taste, many, especially children however, may find it hard to adjust their taste buds. That’s why BHP had come up with other variations like coffee and honey, as well as in cans. Now, it has also come in cookie form! So cookie lovers, REJOICE!
Buckwheat Chia Seed Cookies
Apart from buckwheat, the powehouse cookies are also packed with the wholesomeness of chia seeds, one of the most nutritious foods on the planet that’s loaded with fiber, protein, antioxidants, Omega-3 fatty acids and various micronutrients (source).
Store in a cool dry place. Contains wheat, gluten, eggs, milk. Processed in a facility that uses nuts.
Buckwheat Chia Seed Cookies
The adorable golden-brown heart-shaped cookies are baked in bite-sized pieces that melt in your mouth. They are crunchy to the bite (you can even hear the satisfying crunch of the chia seeds in your mouth, no joke!) and are absolutely flavourful – a little like Suji cookies. Not only is it a great choice of snacks for in between meals (hear ye, hear ye, office workers!), it’s also a very healthy nibble for your kids. Who said cookies can’t be delicious and nutricious at the same time, eh? With the buckwheat chia seed cookies, you can now turn your guilty pleasure into a guiltless one! 🙂
Buckwheat Chia Seed Cookies
Buckwheat Chia Seed Cookies
Buckwheat Chia Seed Cookies
As these cookies are still at the trial stage to gather more feedback on the taste, each packet is only limited to 25g with 5 pieces of cookies. Plans to have more quantity (40-60 pieces) in a bigger, better-designed packaging (200-300g in a heart-shaped tin) are well under way. I will update this post again when the time comes.
Buckwheat Chia Seed Cookies (S$3.50/pkt)
Buckwheat Chia Seed Cookies
Feeling the munchies? You can now order the all-new Buckwheat Chia Seed Cookiesfrom BHP! Click here to be directed to the product page.
Click image to be directed to product page
Or, you could join my giveaway! 😉
** SECOND BHP GIVEAWAY **
From now ’til 15 November 2015, I will be selecting 10 lucky winners to receive FIVE packets of the Buckwheat Chia Seed Cookies. On top of that, I will also be giving away TWO boxes of Roasted Buckwheat Green Tea (25 sachets each) and TWO boxes of Buckwheat Black Coffee (30 sachets each). How does that sound?
TL;DR
WIN5 x Buckwheat Chia Seed Cookies+2 x Roasted Buckwheat Green Tea (25 sachets)+2 x Buckwheat Black Coffee (30 sachets)
To join this giveaway:
Simply share this post on Facebook. Your privacy settings must be set to “public”.
Then, comment here with your e-mail address or or e-mail me at askme@fionaseah.com with “I want Roasted Buckwheat Green Tea!” as your subject. Alternatively, you can use the contact form below if you’d like to maintain your privacy 🙂
As product is bulky, self-collection is advised at the following MRT stations: Choa Chu Kang, Bukit Gombak, Bukit Batok, Jurong East, Serangoon, Orchard and Dhoby Ghaut. All are welcome to participate in this giveaway (even those who have won the first giveaway) as long as you’re able to meet me at any of the above-mentioned locations! 🙂
Remember, contest closes on 15 November 2015 or earlier if response is overwhelming. Share this with your family and friends whom you think will benefit from these products! Good luck and I look forward to meeting some of you when you collect your prizes! 🙂
Giveaway has ended on 15 November 2015! Thank you for your e-mails and comments. Winners have been notified via e-mail! Do check your inbox/junk to see if you’ve won the giveaway! 🙂
Together, let’s all work towards a diabetes-free nation!
What comes to your mind when you think of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)? Having relied mostly on Western medicine to treat my illnesses all my life, I admit my perception of TCM had always been pretty warped and shallow even as a Chinese myself. Apart from the unusually bitter herbal tea my Mom occasionally makes to nourish the family (and I’d always have to pinch my nose while forcing the tea down my throat so as to avoid tasting the bitterness), I had also personally seen how cupping works at a makeshift sinseh’s stall. Although the man being cupped never showed any signs of distress (he probably was already accustomed to the pain. Who knows?), it still looked scarily painful enough for me to generalise that all TCM modalities of healing are a form of torture.
The various types of treatment available in TCM, chosen based on what’s most suitable for your body. Do note that foot reflexology is a part of acupuncture but it’s not a treatment used in TCM.
But after an excruciating session of facial extraction last month, that kinda got me thinking again. If people are actually willing to undergo the process of extraction despite the pain, surely there must be some benefits to it. Likewise, the same for TCM treatments, except that they are a lot less painful, perhaps causing only brief discomfort or tingling sensation which will go away before you know it.
(ADV) Do you know that turmeric is great for helping both your body and your brain? Check out which 10 turmeric supplement made the cut on MonicasHealthMag.com!
There are many TCM practitioners in Singapore whom you can seek medical help from but Eu Yan Sang is unarguably one of the most trusted and reputable clinics (more on this later!) around given their long history in the business of TCM and large customer base.
Luckily for me, I was given the golden opportunity to consult one of their physicians with regards to my health concerns at their Novena Specialist Centre outlet and I’m very excited to share my experience with you guys!
Getting to know Eu Yan Sang (余仁生)
Contrary to popular belief, the household brand isn’t homegrown nor was it from Hong Kong. It was actually founded in Perak, Malaysia by Eu Kong in 1879 to nurse tin miners battered by illnesses and poor living conditions back to health. Currently managing the enterprise is Eu Kong’s great grandson, Singaporean Richard Eu, who wanted to keep the last family business alive.
The Eu Tong Sen street along Chinatown was named after Eu Kong’s eldest son in recognition of his generous contributions in World War I to further the British efforts, as well as in social causes. After his death, Eu Yan Sang continues to be actively involved in community works under the helm of his successor.
Health screening at Eu Yan Sang Wellness Clinic
That’s right, besides the many stores which stock up raw and packed herbs islandwide, Eu Yan Sang also has its own chain of clinics! I honestly didn’t know about that until I was invited to a one-on-one health consultation with Physician Neo Min Jun. I’ve been seriously living under a rock -_-
Eu Yan Sang TCM Wellness Clinic at Novena Specialist Centre
As I was running a little late for the appointment at 6pm (due to work), I hastened my pace from Novena MRT to Novena Specialist Centre, which is fortunately just a stone’s throw away from each other. As a result, my temperature and blood pressure skyrocketed and kinda puzzled the clinic assistant who took the readings for me a little. Hahaha!
Physician Neo is effectively bilingual. Upon entering her room, she asked if I was comfortable with conversing in Mandarin or English, to which I chose the latter because I jiak kantang (or rather, I wouldn’t be able to understand all the TCM terms that she’d most likely bring up). Following that, she went on to seek more information about my sleeping habits, eating habits, lifestyle and so on. I could see the subtle shock in her eyes (the only facial features visible on her partially masked face) when I told her that I had been sleeping at 6am for the past 2 months. On top of that, she also checked my pulse and tongue.
As she was busy punching the keys on her computer keyboard, I was silently enjoying the soothing sound of the trickling fountain water in the background. Soon after, my first TCM health report was printed!
Physician Neo Min Jun
My TCM health report from Eu Yan Sang
My TCM health report
My folder consists of a 4-page introductory section that explains the purpose and features of TCM, and a 9-page customised health report (with my full name and NRIC number indicated on every single page) detailing the healthy living do’s and don’ts in both English and Chinese languages.
TCM health report
Name and NRIC on cover page
For those not well-versed in TCM terms like me, basically everything in the universe – including our body – has both Yin (feminine) and Yang (masculine) attributes which are opposites and interdependent of each other. The example my physician gave me was the presence of “water” (yin, our bloody and bodily fluids) and “fire” (yang, our Qi or energy) elements in our body. We have to keep both in balance because failure to do so will either extinguish the fire or evaporate the water (水能灭火，火能烧干水). When one of these energies diminishes (阴阳失调), the body suffers and becomes more susceptible to falling ill.
The 5 elements of TCM are Mu, Huo, Tu, Jin and Shui. The cyclical of the 5 phases tells you what the preceding elements are (e.g. Mu gives rise to Huo, Huo gives rise to Tu and so on. More info here). Each element represents a part of our body. For example, Mu represents our liver and Huo represents our heart. The direction of each line of the star in the middle links two opposing elements
And because of all the late nights, my “fire” has been constantly drying out my “water” to keep my body going (and it’s not easy to replenish these Yin and Yang energies). Therefore, Physician Neo had diagnosed a Yin-deficiency in me, based on my physical characteristics and what she had derived from my pulse rate, tongue texture and possibly other factors. Many general characteristics of a Yin-deficient individual resonated with me. Having too little bodily fluid, for instance, is one because I hardly drink up. I also have yellow urine, hard and dry stools and feel constipated. Most importantly, I am very easily agitated! My poor boyfriend and loved ones are often on the receiving end of my bad temper 😐
Physician Neo also went through the report with me and gave valuable advice on how to turn my health around at the same time. I learnt that TCM studies the body as an organic whole. In other words, an external problem (e.g. red eyes) may be of internal origin (e.g. liver issues). TCM doesn’t just treat the symptoms – it actually gets to the root of the problem. However, some people (especially youths like myself) may not notice these symptoms because prior to that, conditions have not yet developed into diseases. Even if they do experience certain discomfort such as chronic fatigue, headaches and poor quality of sleep, these sub-health issues are often neglected or overlooked.
Watch the video to learn more about sub-health issues!
In my case, I don’t present any symptoms on the surface due to my young age. But through the hassle-free health screening, my physician was able to identify my problem, which was a Yin-deficiency caused by my late nights. To resolve this issue, I’ve got to sleep early, preferably by 11pm, or 1pm latest because that’s when the liver (the organ with the most stressful job because it monitors all our 7 emotions) detoxes. Once I’ve missed the organ’s repair timing, I will have to wait til the next day!
The healing power of sleep Organ’s daily repair/maintenance schedule
♦ 11pm – 1am: Gall bladder – time to sleep ♦ 1am – 3am: Liver ♦ 3am – 5am: Lungs ♦ 5am – 7am: Large intestines (or colon) – wake up and poop! ♦ 7am – 9am: Stomach – have breakfast ♦ 9am – 11am: Spleen ♦ 11am – 1pm: Heart ♦ 1pm – 3pm: Small intestines ♦ 3pm – 7pm: Kidneys and Bladder ♦ 7pm – 9pm: Pancreas ♦ 9pm – 11pm: Blood vessels and Arteries
Note: The human body functions according to the meridian clock, not the body clock! So don’t have the silly thinking like me that the body would grow accustomed to your unhealthy sleeping habits XD
It’s gonna be tough resetting my body clock but for the sake of my health, I’ll try. *fingers crossed* I definitely don’t want to look older than my peers 10 years down the road and be menopausal earlier than anyone else!
Do you know?
Women age faster than men.
In the olden days, females underwent puberty at 14. However, with GMO foods embedded in our food system these days, the age has been lowered significantly over the years. The child-bearing years for women is between 21 and 35 years old. Thereafter, female fertility deteriorates and women start to age and subsequently go through menopause after 49 years old (7×7). Men only experience andropause after the age of 64 (8×8).
Another thing I was told to avoid was overly warming and drying food such as glutinous rice (an exception for me), chili, garlic, leek, cinnamon, dried ginger and mutton because they deplete my bodily fluids. Adding on to the list are fried food (which I’d be permissible to eat – in moderation – so long as I sleep early *sigh*) and *drums roll*…. my favourite BREWED GREEN TEA because it’s too cooling for my body system 😥 I should instead consume food such as lotus roots, black fungus, sugar cane, pear, wolfberry and red dates because they are more moisturising in nature.
Omg…… so much sacrifice to make. I’m not going to lie. I need time to get used to this lifestyle. I will certainly cheat a little, for now. Haha!
Get your own TCM health report!
After my session with Physician Neo, the ignoramus in me was tremendously enlightened. The purpose of TCM is to protect us from illnesses and it’s advisable to take care of our health now while we’re still young. Internal problems that arise now can still be reversed but it will be too late by the time symptoms start to emerge.
The best way to prevent these sub-health issues from developing and becoming emergencies is early discovery and of course, to treat them at the root before they worsen. You can begin by getting your health screened at Eu Yan Sang and obtaining your very own TCM health report… at a special rate!
That’s right, it’s not gonna burn a hole in your pocket! 🙂
SPECIAL OFFER FOR READERS OF FIONASEAH.COM
Get your own TCM Health Report at Eu Yan Sang. Simply call the clinic to make an appointment and quote “My TCM Health Report” to enjoy Health Report service at $38 (Usual price: $48), until 31 Dec 2015.
For more information on the availability of the service and clinic numbers,
click here.
How do you find TCM in general? Have you consulted any TCM physician? Do share your experience with me in the comments below!
After a satisfying first purchase from ColourPop, I’ve been following their social media feeds for updates on their upcoming launches. But as I delved deeply into their catalogue, I find myself amazed at how quickly a relatively new set-up is able to grind out a wide variety of decent-quality products in so many inspiring shades and finishes at such affordable prices. Apart from liquid lipsticks, they also boast an array of regular lipsticks, lip pencils, eye shadows, bronzers, highlighters and blush. With gel liners already in the works, their offerings seem to be almost on par with that of the largest cosmetics companies around, don’t you think?
But as a lip junkie, I am more riveted by their selection of lip products. For their Fall collection released in late August, 6 new shades namely Contempo, Dazed, Grunge, Nevermind, Poison and Oh Snap were added to the lipstick (lippie stix) and lip liner (lippie pencil) range. The low cost enabled me to buy more of their products without feeling much of a pinch, so I got myself 4 matte lipsticks – 3 with their complementary lip pencil and 1 standalone shade. That’s 7 items in total for just US$30 (after discount)! And after conversion to Sing dollars, each item is still about S$6 (or around S$8 after shipping). Mad cheap. I don’t think any local drugstore cosmetics of similar quality has a price that close.
I noticed the disparity in the colour of the “ferrule” and the tip. I was hoping that the colours on the lips would turn out to be the one on the ferrule because they seem more vibrant and saturated.
I’m not really fond of the name “Lippie” or anything that has unnecessary suffix as a matter of fact. The same goes for “Stix”. ColourPop is probably trying to be different by coming up with a unique-sounding name for their products but they just look, I don’t know, juvenile? Or twittish in Singaporean context.
Also, if you have little kids, you may want to keep your Lippie Stix away from them because much as I find the packaging of the lipstick and lip pencils really distinctive and perhaps handy, they bear a really strong resemblance to real colour pencils and crayons. The Lippie Stix, for instance, reminded me of those twistable crayons I was absolutely crazy about in my primary school days. So yeah, just a precaution lol.
A quick overview: The swatch of the Lippie Stix and their complementary shades look largely identical
The lipsticks and lip pencils are packed in white plastic packaging which I felt was extremely prone to becoming dirty, especially at the area near the cap. Already some of my lip pencils are stained with the product even when I had tried to put the cap back on really carefully.
#1 Oh Snap Lippie Stix and Lippie Pencil
Oh Snap Lippie Stix (US$5)
Oh Snap Lippie Stix
Oh Snap Lippie Stix
Oh Snap Lippie Pencil (US$5)
Oh Snap Lippie Pencil
Oh Snap Lippie Pencil
Oh Snap Lippie Stix and Lippie Pencil
Oh Snap Lippie Stix and Lippie Pencil
Oh Snap Lippie Stix and Lippie Pencil
Oh Snap Lippie Stix and Lippie Pencil
Oh Snap is described as a pale dirty nude pink with a matte finish. It’s a shade that would probably show better on lighter skin tone. While the swatch of both lipstick and lip pencil appeared to be similar on my hand, it differed slightly when applied on my lips. The colour from the lip pencil actually seemed darker. It’s good in the sense that it may add a little more depth to the colour but the difference isn’t stark enough to be noticeable at all.
The lipstick has mostly opaque pigmentation with a natural shine in a single swipe and like the other lipsticks I bought, it smells like chocolate. It has a slippery consistency which helps to spread the lipstick around easily. However, it felt fairly streaky on the lips and I didn’t like how it tended to settle into my lip lines.
Oh Snap Lippie Stix – swatch comparison with other brands
#2 Poison Lippie Stix and Lippie Pencil
Poison Lippie Stix (US$5)
Poison Lippie Stix
Poison Lippie Stix
Poison Lippie Pencil (US$5)
Poison Lippie Pencil
Poison Lippie Pencil
Poison Lippie Stix and Lippie Pencil
Poison Lippie Stix and Lippie Pencil
Poison Lippie Stix and Lippie Pencil
Poison Lippie Stix and Lippie Pencil
Poison is described as a deep brown red with a matte finish. The lip pencil colour is exactly that of the lipstick and it follows the natural curves of the lips to enhance its appearance even more.
The lipstick has a rich, smooth and velvety texture with an intense pigmentation that gives a comfortable and long-lasting wear. It provides an even coverage with a relatively lightweight feel. The added shine at the end also helps to plump up the lips a little to give them a more sultry look 😉
#3 Grunge Lippie Stix and Lippie Pencil
Grunge Lippie Stix (US$5)
Grunge Lippie Stix
Grunge Lippie Stix
Grunge Lippie Pencil (US$5)
Grunge Lippie Pencil
Grunge Lippie Pencil
Grunge Lippie Stix and Lippie Pencil
Grunge Lippie Stix and Lippie Pencil
Grunge Lippie Stix and Lippie Pencil
Grunge Lippie Stix and Lippie Pencil
Grunge is described as a cool-toned plum brown with a matte finish. Like the other Lippie Pencils mentioned earlier, the lip liner delivers a flatter and drier texture which helps to prevent the lipstick from bleeding over the lip line.
But if you only need another US$5 in your order to fulfill the requirement for free delivery, you can drop the lip pencil and go with just the lipstick because it is able to stay in place on its own. The lipstick offers a semi-opaque coverage with a creamy texture and a slightly luminous sheen that lasts all day. It glided on very smoothly without tugging the lips and I didn’t have to apply many coats of the lipstick to get an even coverage.
Grunge Lippie Stix – swatch comparison with other brands
Notice how similar in terms of colour and finish Grunge is to MAC’s Paramount, which has a satin finish. ColourPop’s matte lipsticks don’t possess the qualities of a traditional matte lipstick, which often appear drying and chalky like Whirl on the extreme right.
Grunge, Oh Snap and Poison Lippie Pencils – swatch comparison with MAC lip pencils I own
Interestingly, the texture of the lip pencils do not contrast much with my MAC lip pencils. The darker shades appear denser and more pigmented while the lighter shades have a thinner consistency.
#4 Dazed Lippie Stix
Dazed Lippie Stix
Dazed Lippie Stix (US$5)
Dazed Lippie Stix
Dazed Lippie Stix
Dazed Lippie Stix
Dazed Lippie Stix
Dazed Lippie Stix
Dazed is described as a berry red with a matte finish. It is the only Lippie Stix I got without an accompanying Lippie Pencil because.. yeah, you probably guessed it. I had hit my minimum spending requirement for free shipping 😆
This lipstick applied fairly evenly on my lips and has a lightweight and slightly chalkier consistency as compared to the other Lippie Stix. It isn’t entirely opaque because my natural lip colour could be seen peeking through the lipstick. However, I prefer this to Poison because of its cool/pink undertones. It’s so gorgeous and it doesn’t come across gaudy unlike Poison which may seem a little too heavy for me. I would recommend Dazed if you’re looking for a more muted red to wear on a regular basis.
Poison and Dazed Lippie Stix – swatch comparison with other brands
All in all, each shade of the matte Lippie Stix is richly pigmented with great colour payoff. They reflect light to create a fuller appearance and are hydrating on the lips. They are long-lasting (no doubt about this) but can be quite difficult to remove fully. I don’t think it’s necessary to purchase the complementary lip pencil unless (you can’t line your lips properly, of course) because the lipsticks are quite static on their own, so chances of feathering is pretty low.
Having said that, I must say that ColourPop has once again surpassed my expectations of a low-cost cosmetics brand with their excellent quality. It’s like the poor man’s version of MAC with its wide spectrum of lipstick shades to choose from.
What do you think about their Lippie Stix and Lippie Pencil? Do you agree with my views? Let me know in the comments below! 🙂
Thanks for reading!
ColourPop Lippie Stix and Lippie Pencils are now available on ColourPop.com at US$5 each.
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