Sunday 19 May 2013

Musings: Health and Strength

 I had an asthma attack for no apparent reason these last couple of days and have been trying really hard to maintain a normal functioning day yesterday with the minimum of medication.  It wasn't really particularly bad, but the wheezing got worse when I tried to move around a little bit.

There must have been something in the air, that caused an allergic reaction, certainly not something I ate, as I have been very careful about my food intake, lately.  I really have to find that something, and remove it from my environment.

That's the thing about food allergies that can become a matter of life and death.  I had required hospitalisation several times when I first came back to Malaysia for eating things that I wasn't supposed to.  Shellfish, beef, most types of preserved fish, and of course belacan.

Now I must avoid belacan at all costs, because even a little bit of that stuff would immediately within minutes create problems for me.  Same thing with the fish sauce normally used in Thai cooking.  Just a tiny bit would land me in hospital.  I don't care much for not being able to eat Thai food, but I do feel a bit annoyed having to avoid belacan as that is used so extensively in Malay cuisine, that avoiding it is almost like avoiding my Malay heritage.

To make matters worse, I am also photo-sensitive, so I have to slap on sunscreen every time I leave the house, which makes me look a bit sickly pale in the process.  I wish I could acquire that beautiful and glowing brown skin that people who spend time outdoors usually have, but alas, spending time outdoors without sunscreen would just give me severe sunburn.

And that is something I don't get, Asians' obsession with acquiring pale white skin.  I would seriously switch to a different channel whenever a skin-lightening product advertisement comes up on TV as I strongly believe such ads give all the wrong impression of what is beautiful and what is not.  

Girl, it doesn't matter if you have dark skin, as long as it is glowing with health, you don't need to lighten it.  

Eat well, exercise regularly, drink lots of plain water, utilise your brain fully, always think positive and when all else fails, have faith in the Almighty.  For me that's the key to health and strength, which are far more resilient than external shallow interpretation of feminine beauty that will fade with age.

16 comments:

  1. Hope you are feeling better. Take care.

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  2. Love the closing paragraph. Great advice. Do take care.

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  3. Bigcat for your kind you need to get a special kind of doctor..the vet..and i want to share with you a tips on how to avoid your asthma attack..when you start walking do the catwalk.. with grace and finesse..slowly and gently..control your breathing hopefully it will strengthen your lung and leg..and just keep in mind that cat do have 9 lives..so be positive..go out and play..they say comedy is the best remedy..laughter can cure harder..hope you get it.;)

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    1. LOL. Maybe that's why I have been having breathing difficulties, the walking style. I'm more of the "graceless, rush into things" kind of person, so the catwalk thing would be something to acquire.

      Thanks for the tip :P

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  4. Feel for you BC, eventhough never having an asthma in my whole life.

    My mom jokingly told everyone, I have a strong lung becouse I'm a certified crying diva when I was a child. If I start cying it can last up to an hour hahahaha.

    But I have bad allergy. It's anighmare to me. But gradually after painfully monitoring my food intake (for 5 years actually) and eat a lot of ulam-ulaman (but never got a taste for petai and jering) as a staples diet, I am getting better now. But the fight to get it was painful girlz. I have to forget a lot of my beloved foods and detox my body before gradually introduce it bact to my body. Know what? I also avoid a places where there are a lot of flowers or ferns. The spores can increase a chance of my ellergy attact.

    Hope it can give you and ideas BC. Stay healty okay...

    :| sarah

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    1. Yes, the reason why I find having allergies a nuisance is because I love flowers but have to remind people to give me palms and cactus for special occasions.

      The ulam-ulam was fun, but without the sambal belacan, I can imagine how the goats and cows feel.

      Thanks, and you take care too, Sarah.

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  5. BC,
    2 of my kids suffered fm Asthma.. I suffered too with sleepless nights etc;
    They were allergic to dust..
    - hired extra part time to ensure cleanliness spotless
    - Toys eg teddy bears a no no
    - Change all curtains using light materials, easy to wash often
    - Daily change new beddings (pcases/bsheets and pillows air in the morning sun daily)
    - Threw out all carpets

    Hard work, however finally what I feel really helped was RADISH (food as home health remedies). I read it has some cleansing properties (esp saluran penafasan) and I diligently followed this tip by including small amounts daily in their diets;
    - Fruit juice, mix with other fruits to disguise the pungent taste (apples/carrot/oranges/starfruit etc)
    - Soups or lightly fried veges
    - Finely chop and include in fried rice etc...

    One advice is not to take any medication an hour before or after consuming Radish as it will wash away all the medicines (cleansing properties).

    Alhamdulillah, been 6years now, no more attacks. Recenly for med check-up, no traces

    TRY

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    1. Thank you, Anon.

      I love radish, so including radish in my diet should not be a major problem. I will definitely try it. Thanks again.

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    2. Heiii...thanks to that tip. I have allergy to dust, so i dont really like to clean up dusty places, as I will bersin a lot, and get feverish the next day...i will ask my wife to include radish in our daily meals.

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    3. Additional notes:
      - when you feel your body begins to ache esp the onset of flu, start taking radish.
      - For dry cough, radish juices taken fresh will instantly create wet phlegms and relieve clogged noses (kids will get a good night sleep) hence easing the coughing bouts.

      In the meanwhile ensure you visit your doctors for regular checks and to get the right medication.

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  6. Asthma?

    Stay away from cats

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  7. People with allergies in the US used to move to Nevada as the air was pure. Listening to your symptoms I would suggest a stay in the UK for your ailments. Why? You are more likely to be killed by a comet than come into contact with belacan or fish sauce, and even the summers there would struggle to inflict a sun burn on an albino. If that doesn't suit I hope that your plans and the advice above makes you healthy and strong again.

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    1. LOL. Ah, but then in the UK I would be suffering from pollen-related allergies in spring and early summer, which would be harder to avoid. And I would still have to use sunscreen outdoors.

      Actually, I used to live in the UK, but I wanted to be here in Malaysia, so I sold off everything and came back here the first chance I got. I haven't regretted that decision.

      Insya Allah, I will be fine .. thanks. :)

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  8. My son has sinus problem and it's really bad. When we were to travel to New Zealand, I had to pack all sorts of medications for him in case his sinus worsened there. But guess what.. he was fine the whole time we were there.. for about 3 weeks. He didn't sneeze at all.. no red eyes, no clogged nose, no sniffing ! It's just like he's totally cured!! I guess it must be the weather, or the air...clean and pure. But alas..the moment he stepped back out of the airplane in our tanahair tercinta.. Achooomm!!! 8 times... oh well..

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