How My Children go Medicine-Free for One Year and still counting ( Oxyginberry and Millennium review )

Yes as shown on the title of this post, my 2 years old and 4 years old boys have already been free from doctors and medicine prescription for one year..and still counting. Yes they haven't been seeing a doctor (except for vaccination) for one whole year! That's a good record to break! No they are neither little Superman nor Ironman who never fall sick. They still have their occasional coughs, flu and fever, but ever since I replaced all the doctors' prescribed-medicine and over-counter drugs with good immunity food, their recovery rate has been so much faster and the frequency of them falling sick again has reduced tremendously. 

(My two cheeky boys! Staying healthy means they don't need to skip school and are in good health to celebrate the coming festive season!)

My first child was born prematurely and has rather weak health ever since he was a baby. I can never forget the first two years of his life filled with the tedious waiting time at KK hospital and all the colourful bottles syrups that filled up our entire fridge and cabinet. It became worse when we put him in nursery school because that was when cough , flu and fever took turns to attack him almost every week! He was so weak and vulnerable to all these viruses and often in a drowsy state because of all the prescribed drugs that we have to force-feed him.We understand that it is common and natural for a child to fall sick as it's also part of their growing up. I always believe that they become stronger each time they recover. However isn't it better if the kids fall sick lesser, recover faster and suffer less? 

Finally I made the decision to embark the journey of enriching myself with the knowledge of what is really beneficial to my children and how to improve their health. It was then I came to understand that

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Medicine for kids DON'T cure sickness. The drugs are used to temporary relieve the symptoms from the sickness but they DON'T cure. 

Your own immune system is your body's only best doctor. 

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When the child is having fever, the medicine that you feed the child (such as Ibrupofen) DON'T cure the fever. How it works is that it only temporary removes the symptoms of the fever (high temperature, flu, shivering) to make your child feel better for a while, but in this way it also PROLONGS the fever and drags their recovery time. During fever, the high body temperature is a sign that your body is doing its job by trying to "burn" away the virus inside. It is the child's body, their own immune system that is helping with the recovery. There are many truths that doctors didn't want you to know but I decided not to bored you with all the research and details here. I've given you the facts, go read up yourself if you wish to understand more. 

Now I'm going to share with you the ways how I improve my child's health and how I successfully go medicine-free for the past year. My belief is that sickness is prevented with good nutrients and strong immunity.

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Nourishing our body is necessary so our immune system is well-equipped to fight and recover from any viruses that came their way.

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(Oxyginberry and Millennium, the super immunity powder beverage )

Few months back I met a mom who shared her experience with Oxyginberry and Millennium from E.excel , to support her children's health. I'm the kind of mom who always approach new ideas and suggestions from others with an open mind, especially when it comes to something which I feel is beneficial to my children. Oxyginberry and Millennium are powder beverages that are recommended as premium superfood for kids. That's because they contain cactus, a premium ingredient which has 10,000 types of phytonutrients and is excellent in its healing, antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties.

(I used to feed them with a large syringe but now they have got used to drinking right from the cup.)

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 Oxyginberry helps to nourish their skin and body organs and its high anti-oxidant and super immune ingredients work well to support a child's health. Millennium is my MUST-USE powder beverage whenever my kids are fighting a fever. It helps to prevent the fever from spiking and increase their recovery rate so much faster than before. It also seems to reduce the effects of the fever because after the use of Millennium, my kids somehow eat well and play well, showing no much signs of discomfort even when they are burning close to 39 degree Celsius. And since they don't suffer much from the symptoms of the fever, I am more at ease allowing them to self-heal naturally without the use of medicine. Most importantly, I noticed that with the use of Millennium, it seems to speed up their recovery rate. They used to suffer from prolong fever for up to 7-10 days, but now it takes only around 2 days for my child to recover from a fever. So now I believe that their body's fast recovery rate is due to the reduced usage of prescribed and over-counter drugs over the months. Which means that their body have been trained not to depend on medicine but to depend on their own immune system to naturally helps them to recover. 

Of course you also have to trust your mother's instinct and common sense. Eg.If the child is throwing a fit from over 40 degrees Celsius high fever then you gonna send the child to the A&E duhh !
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To maintain my kids' health, below are some of the health food , protocols or natural home remedies that I follow as well.
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Organic cold-pressed coconut oil - boost immune system, fights flu virus and helps body to better absorb vitamins from food.

Manuka Honey - contains amino acids which benefits a child's growing body, treats respiratory infections, protects liver and heal wounds faster. (But take note that no honey should be given to babies)

Green bean soup - relieve inner heatiness and clear body's toxin. 

Probiotics - helps digestion, reduce diarrhea and eczema and prevent gastrointestinal problems.

Homemade chicken essence (will share recipe soon)- high protein and nutrients to combat tiredness, improves concentration , support health and boost energy especially when child is sick and lost appetite. 

Epsom salt bath - to increase magnesium level, flush out toxic and promote sleep. I prepare this detox bath for my kids whenever they are not feeling well. 

Young Living Essential oils - apply Thieves oil under their feet before they go to school to form a protective barrier against germs and viruses. Apply Immupower oil under their feet or along their spine for immunity boost when they are falling sick. Diffuse Frankincense oil or apply on child to calm cough or generate body cells.

Taking care of our children and improving their health is always the top duty of a mom. There are so many other ways to boost their wellness, such as introducing more fruits and vegetables, engaging them in more physical activities, practicing good hygiene and the list goes on.  If you have any of your own special health remedy for kids, do share with me too!

(One last cute photo of my boys "yum-senging" with each other with their power beverage)

 

My Post-natal Weight Lost Transformation (Before & After Photos)

After two pregnancies, my body has certainly gone through a tremendous and unbelievable physical change. At my 2nd pregnancy, I gained 27kg and unlike most moms who managed to lose all of their post-pregnancy weight by their baby's full month, I actually gained more kilos during my confinement period which added up to nearly a total of 30kg of weight gain. I had reached almost a horrendous weight of 80kg for my petite height.

Without warning, I had transformed into the "3 Os" ; Obese, Overweight, Oversize.

During that time I was depressed that I let myself go. With all my time and energy trying to adjust my new role being a new mom of two, I really didn't think of what I want to do with my weight. I started wearing oversize tee-shirts, my hubby's boxers, baggy pants... anything that could hide my chunky frame and bulging tummy. I couldn't make my fats disappear so I attempt to hide them...but it didn't work that well. I only turned myself into an overweight woman suffering major wardrobe malfunction.

To cut the story short, it took me slightly more than a year to transform myself back to my "original state" and finally as promised to many who are still questioning me on how I do it,  I'm here to share my very own weight lost journey in this blog entry.

Before & After Photos

During my "heaviest" time, I didn't really take many photographs because I hate the camera. I hate to face the reality that I was FAT. I hate to find my "best angle" because there wasn't any! So it took me some time to dig out those past "fat" photographs of myself for this post.
To make it more interesting, I took extra effort to wear exactly the same outfit for my "before and after" photos.

(The "before transformation" photos are taken between the year 2014-2015. The "after transformation" photos are all taken early this year 2016. )

This photo below was taken either when I was still pregnant or I've just given birth to my second one. Very sad indeed that I cant even tell the difference whether I was still pregnant or not in this photo. Anyway this was at my friend's daughter's 1st year birthday party. I remembered that day I had something on and couldn't attend the party but since I was near the birthday venue, I decided to drop by to pass her girl a birthday present. That day I was dressed rather shabbily without makeup and so was not prepared to have any photos taken. However before I can leave, the host requested for a birthday photo together and I had to be gracious to accept it. Still I was glad that this photo was taken because I managed to find this black dress again in my wardrobe! I even attempt to tie my hair the same way in the "before" photo. One advantages of losing weight is... it lifts off ages to your looks. The years melt away with the pounds! I look less haggard and much younger after my weight lost.

I'm glad that this tee-shirt is still around as it has already been used as a rag (That explains the stains on it) Here you go, another good comparison.

 My mom took this photo and saved it in her handphone because she was amused that I was so fat and refused to let me delete it.

I don't have much to say, the photo shows it all.

This photo was taken during my god-son's 2nd birthday party which was held around six months after my second birth. In my "before" photo, I was in the midst of my weight-lost journey and had already lost quite a few pounds, but was still chunky & chubby looking. It took me almost another 6 more months to reach my "after" photo here.

The Motivation

As pathetic as it sounds, one of the things that really motivates me to begin my weight lost journey was looking at my old photos when I was the slimmest and comparing myself in front of a mirror. My pre-pregnancy weight hovered around the 50kg range. I was not very skinny but at least I was pretty far from the obese range unlike then. Then next, I cry my eyes out in disbelief and asked myself "what I've done???" This includes trying to visualise people around me secretly mocking over my looks and body and displaying sympathy to my hubby, pitying him for marrying a wrinkled hippo. Basically I put myself in an extreme depressing state and finally asked myself the golden question, "Do you want to stay like this forever or do you want a change?" And finally I made the decision to become a good role model for my kids by making health and fitness a priority in our family.

The Method - How I did it

I'm sorry that's no instant magic here. I didn't lose that 30kg overnight....it took me at least the whole damn year to succeed. I do not have any magical product or slimming treatment to advertise either. Everything still goes back to the two dreadful words that you hear every single time when you are in the battle of losing weight; DIET and EXCERCISE. Believe me that during my ultimate desperate state, I've already tried like 101 types of weight lost methods and the only "magic" I can offer you now is by sharing what really works for me.

DIET- Most of the diets do work...and that's unless you stick to it. Soup diet, apples diet, juice diet, carbo-less diet...you name it and I've tried it. It is not about which diet works, instead it is HOW LONG you can last with that diet if you're looking at long-term weight lost. You can go for 3 days on that particular diet and you'll definitely witness that weight lost on your scale, but by 4th day you are tortured by hunger and self-pity, and compensate your body with the appetite of a dinosaur. 5th day, you gained back everything you lost, lost all motivation and started hating yourself. You just get yourself stuck in that repeated vicious cycle. Sounds so familiar isn't it? I'm sick of trying to control what I eat and counting the calories of every meal. I can't be deprive of the food I love for long and it always takes over my desire to lose weight. Therefore instead of controlling the food that I eat....I play with the TIMING that I consume my food.

So my golden rule number 1 is, eat only from 8am to 5pm. NO FOOD INTAKE after the cut-off timing at 5pm. This gives the body a longer time to burn the calories. I continue to eat the food I love, fries, pasta, ice-cream , bubble tea, waffles...but everything in moderation of course. If I want to see better result, I would restrict or reduce my carbohydrates (rice, noodle, pasta..etc) intake during the daytime too. As long by 5pm, I fast till the next morning. It wasn't easy in the beginning, considering I was an late night owl and I've the habit of having suppers. By night falls, my tummy was already crying out in hunger. When that happens, I cheat a little by chewing on some nuts. drinking hot honey or tea , or even sucking on a candy. It doesn't totally take away my hunger but it helps to take my mind off and last through the night easier. It is a new habit that the body takes time to be accustomed to. This new diet routine is  not as difficult and complicated comparing to the daily counting of calories and restricting myself to the food I love. Most importantly, it worked very well in erasing the first 10kg off my weighing scale in a couple of months, solely by this method.

EXERCISE - Changing your eating habits is a good start to begin your weight lost journey. However soon you realize that the pound-dropping begin to slow down. This is when exercise has to come in.

With a baby and a toddler to care for, squeezing exercise into a busy schedule is a challenge for any mom. As a result, exercise is often the first thing to get scratched off from the daily routine. Furthermore, the kids need so much of my attention everyday and I do feel guilty taking time away from them just to do a structured workout myself.

The first discipline you need is the constant mental battle with all your excuses! Here are my 3 tips on how a busy mom can find time to keep fit.

1) Combine your workout with the kids' playtime.

Every children indoor playground, swimming pool, parks and beaches became my bootcamp where I do my workout. I took the boys out without stroller, play with them, chase after them, carry them, carry loads of their stuffs, scream at them, laugh with them...all these little burst of energy do add up the burning of calories! On some nights I blast my favourite Kpop music and made my boys dance together with me. The key is getting your kids involved in your workout. It is obviously a win-win, I had my "gym session" and the boys have a great time!

2) Enroll in classes

If you cannot get away from the kids, lack the perseverance or are not consistent enough to have an exercise routine, then just join workout classes that require you to attend with your child. Sometimes paying "school fees" is also a way to force yourself to do your workout. During babyK's first year, I enrolled ourselves in "mom and baby" classes, such as Zumba catered to mothers and kids. Babies are strapped on carrier, and together we enjoy the high energy and motivating music with fun dance moves that can be done together. The mommies achieved their high intensity workout and babies get to have fun together with their mom and other babies too!

(7 months old babyK in our Zumba class)

Other classes that I joined during my post-natal weight lost journey were baby swimming class and baby gym class. Dancing, swimming and gym...these were my exercise almost every week and I get to bond with my baby at the same time! Everything still comes down to whether you're willing to place exercise as your priority and making the right choices.

3) Home exercise equipment

If you spend most of the time at home, consider investing in some home exercise equipment that you can use when your kids are taking their nap or go to bed at night. While you're having your "me-time", eg. watching TV, playing the iPad or using the phone, you can continue to do so by involving some workout such as leg treading, jump rope or using the dumbbells. The Kayla Fitness is one of the workout highly recommended and many have seen very good result after completing the routine. I've tried to attempt the Kayla Fitness but wasn't very consistent with it, instead I came out with my own night exercise routine instead.

I'll spend at least 45 minutes on this home exercise equipment called the "Wonder Core". Please take note that I don't mean to advertise this and it is not a sponsored item either. I paid this with my hubby's cold hard cash ok.

What I like about this equipment is the ability to do various of exercise such as sit ups, bicycling, forearms/biceps , scissor kicks.....all these workout while chasing after my Chinese drama series on TV.  It fulfilled my three requirements for an exercise home equipment; small and takes up less space in the house, easy and convenient to use, and lastly very effective for body toning.

There are lots of moments we can squeeze in exercise. It does not have to be long hours of workout at one go. Most importantly is getting our butt off to start doing it and turned it into a habit/routine.

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 All women have their pre-baby bodies that may have changed after the birth of our beautiful children. A sacrifice that we made in exchange for our honourable battle scar that we earned through pregnancy. The early goals that I set during my weight lost journey have changed gradually. I no longer focus on the numbers I lost or struggle to work towards getting my dream body. My goals became health and strength-related instead. 

Now my aim is to become a fit mom for my kids, taking pride in my transformation ,maintaining discipline to overcome excuses, and placing health and fitness as the top few priorities in my life. I have grown to learn that if you want to be a great wife and a great mom to give your love ones the best care ever, the first person you need to take care of is ....yourself.

Last but not least, I wish my postpartum journey and weight lost motivation is inspiring enough to bring hope and encouragement to other moms on the same journey as mine.  There will be moments of failure but these are also part of the journey to success. What's most important is that we don't allow the setbacks to overcome us and lose sight of our bigger goals.

  

Let us all strive to be a beautiful, healthy and fit mom for our love ones and ourselves.