The humble Moringa tree is a super magic food.

Feeling the toll

Many moons ago, I was faced with two choices – either I resign and start my own business, or I continue building my career. I loved my job but after being in it for almost three decades, I was beginning to feel the physical toll of the work. However, I decided then that until I found a business that I am passionate about, I would stay on in my 9-to-5 job.

So, I continued to plough ahead at work. The long hours left me no time for myself or my family. Some weeks, I hardly had a proper conversation with my children. They were still in bed when I left for work in the morning and asleep by the time I returned. If it were in the midst of bidding for a contract, I would spend the weekends pouring over paperwork or entertaining clients.

I called in sick

Then one morning, I woke up to an unfamiliar feeling of despondence. Just the thought of going to work seemed suffocating. For the first time in my career, I called in sick, pulled the covers over my head and went back to sleep. This was to be the first of such mornings.

One morning, when I balked at the thought of going to work for the umpteenth time, my wife Yu Min suggested, “You should just leave. Resign.” I did. I resigned. I was 48. I also found a new interest. Health!

An open mind

Being healthy is more than just not visiting a doctor.  It is about approaching life with energy, happiness and passion. It is when you stop dragging yourself out of bed, when you do not need a caffeine fix to stay awake and when you can end the day feeling refreshed and not burned out.

I owe my appreciation of health to what I would say an open mind. I often ask these questions of myself:

• How can I understand my body better?
• What is my body trying to tell me?
• What can I do to better myself – mind, body and soul?
• Who can I learn from?
• Where do I go for inspiration?

For me, when I began asking questions, I am led on a journey to discover the answers. This led me on a wellness philosophy to explore, nurture and cultivate total health.

The 7 Pillars of Excellent Health

As I put my knowledge and awareness into practice, I found that my body became healthier and my mind became clearer.

I listened to what my body was telling me and this was when I established the concept of SEED. Where ‘S’ stands for ‘Sleep Sufficiently’, ‘E’ for ‘Exercise Adequately’, ‘E’ for ‘Emotionally Balanced’ and ‘D’ for ‘Good Diet and Supplementation’.

I also formed a deep gratitude for the gifts of nature i.e. the sun, water and air. I began to understand that in order for one to achieve excellent health, one needs the benefits of SEED plus the gifts of nature. This became the impetus for a philosophy of total wellness which I call the ‘7 Pillars of Excellent Health’.

The Health Investment

Realising the pillars of excellent health enabled me to start with small steps: nurturing better eating habits, being mindful about what time I go to bed,  exercising at least for half an hour a day and keeping abreast with health updates.

I also now see my own backyard in a whole new different light. For example, the humble moringa tree is a superfood that has helped me manage my sugar levels. In fact, let me share with you here a simple recipe on how I make my own moringa tea. This is just one of the many different health hacks I have discovered.

My Moringa Tea Recipe:-

• Pick 1 kg of fresh moringa leaves
• Spread them on a pan and oven bake at 120⁰F for 40 mins
• Put 1.5 gms in a tumbler with 500 ml hot water (about 85^OC) and steep for 10 mins
• Add honey or anything else, depending on your flavour
• Have it from morning and take some with you to work or wherever you are going

Note: If you are unable to make your Moringa tea from scratch, it is absolutely fine to get it from reliable vendors.

Our health is our entitlement, but we must have the discipline to make  our lives healthy. We are responsible for ‘investing’ in our own health and passing it over to be inherited by future generations.

I hope to share with you more of my thoughts and practises on health as we go through the year. Do drop me a comment, I look forward to hearing your views on the same.

Have a good week ahead.

Dr Sim Quan Seng

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