Team WASP (Willie, Alastaire and Samuel Pound Pros) conducted our joint Pound session over the weekend. Due to my really busy schedule (of juggling so many different activities, and also the managing of Wellaholic, I had to find time in the wee hours of the night to practice and rehearse for the song/track, which was My Songs Knew What You Did In The Dark by Fall Out Boy.
All in all, it was a great outing by Team WASP, and I have to thank both Samuel and Alastaire for the great partnership, as well as the participants for joining us. We are planning more sessions for the weekends, as well as inserting one session on this Friday evening to see the response. Do join us if you are free!
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International Women’s Day (on March 8) has been observed since the 1900’s – at a time where there was great expansion and turbulence in the industrialised world that saw booming population growth, and with it, the rise of radical ideologies. This day was formed to call for unity, celebration, reflection, advocacy and equal rights to all genders. The theme for this year is #BeBoldForChange.
In a similar fashion, Wellaholic was also created to empower every possible person, whether male or female, young or old, rich or poor, to make a positive change to improve his or her wellness, and in the process, empower others as well. Hence, our motto #livethechange is synonymous with IWD’s #BeBoldForChange. This March, Wellaholic pledges our support for this worthy cause, and we invite you to make the pledge towards gender parity and equality, and in return, we are offering an Instant Win for your pledge. We hope that through your influence, you will help share this good message and make the world a better place. Make the pledge at http://woobox.com/8paex4 Big thanks to Alastaire for the filming, Louis for the coordination, and Joyce and Patricia for being willing models, we have our SHR video. As Wellaholic is still a young start-up, it means that we have to manage costs, and as a result of that, we have to resort to self-help. In spite of this, I would say that the output is a fantastic one. Kudo to the brilliant team for making this happen! =)
And the description that goes with the video? Let me paste it below: ★★★★★ " I have decided to replace my hair removal laser, which is very effective but painful, with the painless Super Hair Removal (SHR)." Suitable for the face and body, SHR removes unwanted hair permanently and painlessly giving you the confidence to flaunt your body. Smooth fuzz-free skin, without the need to shave and wax, is now within everybody’s reach. SHR is not quite an Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) and it is definitely not a laser. It is built upon the technological breakthrough where broad-spectrum light is used to warm up and destroy the hair follicles. Because it is not an IPL treatment, it can be used on darker skin. Because it is not a laser, the treatment is not painful. Book your SHR at Wellaholic, located just 5 minutes by foot from Lavender MRT station. Make a booking at bit.ly/elight-facial Find out about Wellaholic's SHR at bit.ly/elight-one If you are starting to plan your vacation for 2017, you might want to take a look at this cheat sheet for 2017 long weekends. Courtesy of "pohtecktoes", all the public holidays for 2017 provided by the Ministry of Manpower at denoted together with the dates that you might want to apply, and the long weekends that you would get to enjoy.
At a quick glance, you will notice the following attractive stretches that will help you extend your long weekend and get a good long holiday or vacation break for 2017.
Happy planning! =) The end of the year often makes us reflect upon the passing of the year. This is also the time where we set resolutions for the coming year. For instance, I endeavour to burn off all the extra calories and kilos that I have accumulated from the December birthday bingeing. It can be daunting, though, when your list of New Year's Resolutions is as long as your Xmas shopping list (!) In addition to the post-holiday slump, not starting your resolutions early in the year makes it even harder to keep to them. Notwithstanding, it is important to remember that the New Year is not meant to be a catalyst for sweeping character changes. It is really a time for us to reflect on our past year's progress, as well as our behaviour (or lack of it), and then decide on specific positive lifestyle changes. Setting small, attainable goals can help us reach whatever that we strive for. In a way, it is not the extend of the change that matters, but rather the recognition that we want to make a change, and then working towards it, one step at a time. Hence, here are FIVE steps or tips to make you with your resolutions. Start SmallTry to make resolutions that you can keep. For example, if you aim to exercise more regularly, schedule three or four days a week at the gym instead of seven. If you would like to eat healthier, try replacing dessert with something that you enjoy, such as a piece of fruit. In this way, you will be able to ease into your resolution without seeing it as a form of a punishment or a disincentive. One at a TimeUndesirable behaviours develop over time. Therefore, replacing such habits with healthier ones requires time and effort. Do not get overwhelmed and that you have to reassess everything in your life. In fact, try to work towards changing one thing at a time, and perhaps choose the one that matters the most. ArticulateShare your intent with your family and friends. Consider joining a movement (like Wellaholic) as a form of a support to help you reach your goals. This is especially so for fitness goals, such as workouts and exercise regimes. Having someone to share your struggles and succeses with, makes your journey to a healthier lifestyle much easier. \ Don't be afraid to StumblePerfection is unattainable. remember that the minor stumbles and missteps that you face in the attempt to reach your goals are completely normal and alright. Do not give up completely just because you ate a tub of Ben and Jerry's and broke your diet. Resolve to recover from your mistakes and then bounce back. Ask for SupportGetting help from those who are behind you will help strengthen your resilience. Try to be open to seeking professional help when needed. Knowing when to ask for help takes a great deal of courage and strength. In any case, making resolutions in the new year is better than not making any resolutions at all. I strongly encourage you to take some time to run through what you would like to achieve in 2017! Don't let the year zoom past without a set of goals or targets!! Deenise’s post made me feel that it is about time for me to share a bit more about Wellaholic™. It is never easy to start something unique and differentiated. It begets curious stares and understandable reactions like: - is it a hobby? - is it a MLM? - is it a social gathering? Let me clear the air. Wellaholic™ was started, or rather soft-launched in October together with a bunch of like-minded individuals. Wellaholic™ was founded on a H-A-B-I-T mindset. H stands for Have Your Supplements. This is premised on the fact that supplements can help us with our nutrition gaps, and at Wellaholic™, we manufacture our own brand of supplements in a FDA-certified facility in USA and ship it to Singapore. The supplements range from multi-vitamins and probiotics to joint care, and was designed together with my in-house pharmacist and doctor team. We wanted good quality supplements with a good history of value, as opposed to pseudo-supplements with dubious claims. A stands for Activities. We believe that good health must be augmented by good fitness, and an active lifestyle is essential. Hence, at Wellaholic™, we created a platform, which we call the Wellness Marketplace, where we work with passionate fitness proprietors to offer low-cost classes for our customers and everyone else. So far, we have worked with Wildfire Expeditions for Yoga, Ed Chow and Meygan Cheng for KpopX Fitness, Hardpress for Massage, amongst others. We have conducted HIIT, Tabata, Meditation classes, and they are sometimes free, sometimes only $10 for customers and $15 for the public. The idea is simple: purchase a product from Wellaholic™ and enjoy a good discount off the classes. This allows us to combine both H and A of HABIT. We are now working with Benny Lam, a National Discus Thrower to offer Core Training session starting this Sunday, and we will continue to include and work with the community to offer more classes. B stands for Boost. Boost here is associated with skincare and skin treatments. Good health and fitness would be further enhanced with good skin care for greater confidence, and here comes the complexity. We wanted Wellaholic™ to also offer skin care and skin treatments. We then formulated a skin care range with our OEM based on a retinol-based range (which received very good reviews from dermatologists) and registered it with HSA. For skin treatments, we hired our own aesthetic specialists to offer both IPL (for hair removal) as well as Elight (a IPL and Radio Frequency combo). This lies the complexity of Wellaholic™’s business model of bringing together Supplements, Skin Care, Skin Treatments and Fitness Classes. For every product purchase, the customers receive 10 complimentary Elight facial shots (which at market rate would have cost $30), as well as discounted wellness activities. For a $59 purchase, you get $30 worth of treatments back, $5 or more off from classes. In addition to that, you also have access to our in-house pharmacist, doctor and dietician who is always on standby to answer to your supplementation questions (and yes we have received queries on product usages, drug interactions etc.). This forms the I which stands for Interact with Experts. But the most important part of HABIT is really the T, which stands for Thrive with Community. Because health or fitness goals are more reachable when you DO IT WITH A TEAM. And this is the reason to why Deenise’s post made me realise that she has succinctly put across what Wellaholic™ is trying to do – to form a community where we can thrive together, pursuing our health, fitness and beauty goals, to make the change, and then live the change.
As we group together as Wellaholics – whether you are a customer, a fitness enthusiast or even an instructor or a facilitator, we can then through the power of network and social media help to spread positive change. It is not a hobby, nor MLM, nor a social gathering – it is about connecting individuals and to realise the power of network to offer value to the community. If we can bring about goodness and positive change, let’s do it, and I urge you to do the same too. Insights, everyone has them. but not everyone shares them. With every insight is an intention; an intention to be better, for that is the essence in the action. we hope that you can share with us your insights, for what is knowledge and what good is it if you do not pass it on? 7 Reasons why Radio Frequency Facial Treatments will Slow Ageing and make You Feel More Confident4/12/2016 Radio Frequency (RF) energy treatment is technology for non-surgical tightening of the early signs of loose or sagging skin; ideal for those people who either don’t want, or don’t believe they are old enough to have a surgical procedure. Pure RF energy alone (such as the Accent™, Pelleve™, Thermage™ and Tripollar™ devices) is primarily used to treat skin laxity by facial tightening, and is best suited to patients with mild to moderate sagging of facial tissues, usually those in their mid 30s to 50s, with any skin colour. It is commonly used to treat the forehead, under the eyes, cheeks, mid-face, jaw line, and neck. Based on current RF technologies, most people should see at least a mild improvement in their skin tightness, with minimal risks and downtime compared to surgery. Here are 7 simple reasons to why Radio Frequency Facial Treatments will Slow Ageing and make You Feel More Confident Reason 1 Radio Frequency (RF) treatments will help your skin generate new collagen, increase the oxygenation and improve your blood circulation. This will provide your skin the benefit of looking younger. Reason 2 Radio Frequency (RF) treatments will help tighten the skin but also help burn fats and make the skin more elastic. Reason 3 Radio Frequency (RF) treatments provides additional benefits including skin lifting, wrinkle removal, skin lightening as well as to help remove blemishes and fine lines. Reason 4 Radio Frequency (RF) treatments, with the high frequencies, helps flabby skin become firmer. Radio Frequency treatments may help remove blemishes and fine lines. Reason 5 Radio Frequency (RF) treatments, as compared to other skin care treaments, are relatively painless with no or low downtime. Notably, since the skin surface is preserved, the downtime after the procedure is relatively short. Reason 6 Radio Frequency (RF) treatments helps to enable the skin to easily absorb any creams and nutrition. This enhances the efficacy of your use of skin care products as part of your skin care regime. Reason 7 Radio Frequency (RF) treatments do not require any post-treatment. No special care is required after treatment. However, light application of soothing or moisturising lotions would be ideal. At Wellaholic's Facial Studio, our treatment therapists will help to apply our W+ Protective Day Cream with SPF 50++ after the RF (Elight) treatment in order to protect your treated skin for the harmful effects of the sun, when you step out of our office. In a study conducted at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University, Dr. Sadick and co-workers treated 108 patient using bipolar RF plus IPL version of ELOS technology, overall skin improvement was rated at 75.3% In a study conducted at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University (pub. Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2005), Dr. Sadick and co-workers treated 108 patient using bipolar RF plus IPL version of ELOS technology [Refirme]. Each patient received five full-face treatments spread 3 weeks apart; each treatment consisted of 1 to 8 full-face and segmental passes. The researchers reported the following results:
"Overall skin improvement was rated at 75.3%. Overall average wrinkle improvement was 41.2%, with an average Class 1 wrinkle improvement of 64.7%, Class 2 wrinkle improvement of 38.6%, and Class 3 wrinkle improvement of 20.4%. Improvement in skin laxity was rated at 62.9%. Skin texture was reported to improve 74.1%. Improvement in the appearance of pore size was rated at 65.1%. Average improvement in erythema and telangiectasia was 68.4%. Average improvement in hyperpigmentation and dyschromia was 79.3%. Overall patient satisfaction was 92%. The overall minor complication rate, including blistering, crusting, and stripping was 8.3%, and the major complication rate was less than 1%. One small, depressed nasal scar was observed in one patient." (Source: http://www.smartskincare.com/treatments/noninvasive/radiofrequency_bipolar_plus_laser_light.html) At Wellaholic, we offer facial rejuvenation treatments at our 16M Penhas Road facial studio using Elight - which is a triple combination of Radio Frequency, IPL as well as Epidermis Cooling, equivalent to the ELOS technology featured above. This is a skin treatment that uses intense pulsed light, or photo-dynamic therapy to treat skin conditions and remove effects of photo-ageing such as wrinkles, spots, and textures. 1. You have no idea what Retinol is.
A retinoid should not make your skin any more vulnerable to UV rays. 4. You forget the rest of the other steps.Make sure that the rest of your skincare routine is soothing and gentle. Use a gentle cleanser, and a hydrating toner (such as our W+ Tightening Toner, which contains Azeloglicinia®, Salicylic Acid Complex, Aloe Vera Extract and Hyaluronic Acid that clears and control sebum while hydrating the skin), a day dream with SPF 50++ during the day, and add on a face serum in the evening and a night cream before going to bed. 5. You worry that you skin will initially look worse before it gets better.While retinoids might cause dryness or redness, you can help by easing in. Try applying it every other night to allow your skin to adjust to the effects of the retinoid. It is exactly why Wellaholic uses retinyl palmitate instead of retinol, as retinyl palmitate is relatively gentler and does the same effects and retinol (i.e. breaking down into retinoic acid) but without the irritation. 6. You believe you cannot afford it.We did a quick scout of retinol-based creams in the market and found these: a. Youth Corridor by Dr Gerald Imber (50ml) at $854 b. Perricone MD OVM Serum (30ml) at $217 c. NaturaBisse Intense Retinol Fluid (30ml) at $147 d. Redermic R Anti-Ageing Dermatological Corrector Intensive at (30ml) $79.90 e. SkinCeuticals Retinol 1.0 (30ml) at $99 f. W+ Flawless Face Serum (30ml) at $79 g. W+ Rejuvenating Night Cream (50ml) at $79 Hence you will realise that while there is a wide range of retinoids in the market, they all work the same, i.e. they require retinoids to break down to retinoic acid to do the work. At Wellaholic, we believe in a two-step treatment. Step 1 is the application of the face serum. Face Serums leave out occlusive, or airtight, moisturising ingredients that keep water from evaporating. Serums are made of very small molecules, so the skin absorbs them quickly and deeply. As most of the fluid is eliminated, what you are left with is a high concentration of active ingredients. However, this leaves the face dry and in need of hydration. This is also why we have recommended Step 2, which is the application of a Night Cream before going to bed. The night cream also contains retinyl palmitate as well as moisturising ingredients so as to keep your face moist and hydrated throughout the night while letting the retinoid do its magic. 7. You are not maximising your IPL or Elight treatments.Retinoids actually work very well with IPL and Elight treatments. While Elight treatments help boost the skins’ collagen beneath the skin’s surface, retinoids will help the exfoliating process, working in tandem with the Elight treatment for a more radiant skin with less lines and spots. A 2006 study (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17177 749) investigated the combined use of IPL and a retinyl-based cream and discovered an improvement in skin smoothness and the skin ultrasounds confirmed an increase in the deposition of collagen. During an 8-month follow-up, 67% responded having the same or improved results.
Making a stew is not really as difficult as it seemsSo sometimes, when I feel like having an alternative to having a salad for lunch, or when I have excess leftover vegetables, I would make a vegetable stew. The stew is not difficult to make; and at times, a savory home-cooked stew of vegetables and chicken warms the heart on a rainy weekend (especially if you have the air-conditioning on). I would use whatever vegetables that I have had left in the fridge. For this case, I chopped up all the celery and carrots, as well as the broccoli. This time round, I decided to add some baby potatoes for the carbohydrates. Rather than to add the potatoes whole into the stew, I decided to slice them into quarters, so that they will cook more easily. Instead of adding oil, I added some butter as well as a vegetable stock cube to give the stew the necessary flavour. For a natural sweetness to the stew, I added a whole onion. As the onion would disintegrate in the simmering waters, you wouldn't find much of it whole in the stew. For onion varieties, yellow onions have a complex flavor, and a firm texture that can survive long cooking. Red onions are good for raw salads, but you could also add them to the stew if there are no other options available. In this case, white onions are especially good with stews and soups. To add some colour to the stew, I added a few red chillies to the pot. Prior to cooking, the colours of the vegetables are bright and cheery, but usually their colours would fade away, from the continuous cooking and boiling, However, the redness of the chilli stays, and hence provides not only a nice colour but also the spiciness to the stew. The diced chicken would be microwaved separately first to cook them a bit longer, and then I would add the half-cooked chicken cubes together with some oregano, nutmeg and black pepper, and 3 cups of water with a dissolved vegetable stock cube. Then it is simmer and simmer away before the stew is ready. If you have a bay leaf, you could try adding it for an enhanced flavour. The stew could be eaten on its own (this is probably enough for a full main course, or shared with two to three persons), or as an accompaniment to a main dish with rice. Enjoy! I have been, occasionally, posting the end-results of my (simple) salad creations, but I have never shown the behind-the-scenes of how my salads were done. Making salads is not exactly an exciting affair - I would rummage through the fridge to see what I have bought (and what was left over from the previous week). I would defrost the frozen chicken breast. I would then do all the chopping and slicing, before putting everything together with a salad sauce of the day. Frozen chicken and celeryMost of the chicken that we can find in the local supermarkets are of the frozen variety, and mainly imported from Brazil. I used to purchase "fresh" thawed frozen chicken from Sheng Siong at $2.50 per piece, but I have since switched to packed frozen chicken breasts. Why so? Because it is not ideal to refreeze thawed chicken. With the right package of frozen chicken breasts readily available in most of the major supermarket chains, I find this a cheaper and more convenient option. I would almost always choose chicken breast over any other meats (with the rare occasion of Atlantic salmon, which is delicious but out of my budget). With so many damaging reports about red meats, I reckoned that it would be better to stick with poultry. For the evening, I also sliced the celery into small bits, but only after tearing the edges off, together with its fiber. Chop chopAfter I have defrosted the chicken in the microwave (about 6 minutes or slightly longer), I would then slice them into cubes. Chicken pieces cubed are easier to mix and easier to eat. One big tip about eating salad lunches on a regular basis is to find a good variety of salad sauces. This evening, I would use the Bibigo Korean BBQ Sauce. I marinated the chicken cubes with a spoonful of the sauce and then cook it for about 4 minutes in the microwave. Kale and ChilliesWhile the chicken is cooking in the microwave, I added the kale leaves (which I prepared the day before. I added salt, massaged the leaves and then left them in a plastic bag overnight in the fridge, and it should keep for a few days) as well as sliced the red chillies. Again, in recent years, there has been studies touting the incredible health benefits of red chillies, and how they can help with weight management as well as with inflammation. I would use a chopper (my favourite type of knife), to slice the chillies into small bits, and then remove the seeds before adding them into the salad bowl. Coriander or Cilantro!While kale is a super vegetable and looks nice and green, it's pretty tough and difficult to eat. Hence, by adding some cilantro into the salad mix, it imbues a touch of freshness, brought about by the awesome flavours of the cilantro. Cilantro herb is very low in calories and contains no cholesterol. However, its deep-green leaves possess good amounts of antioxidants, essential oils, vitamins, and dietary fiber, which may help reduce LDL or "bad cholesterol" levels in the blood. Cooling off the chickenMake sure that the cooked chicken is really cooked (as sometimes the chicken might not be well spread out, and hence parts of it might not cook well). Make sure that the marination is absorbed into the chicken. I would add another half spoonful of the Korean sauce and mix it with the salads to ensure that it will have some flavour too. Depends on whether you prefer to have your salads "dry" or your salads "wet", you can decide whether to drain the juices from the chicken away or to keep it as part of the salad sauce. The awesome chicken salad!And there you go! A really colourful salad that looks fresh and appetising!
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AuthorI am MrWildy and I am trying to journal more about my life and also my travels. Find out more about me here. Categories
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