I lost 300 grams in one treatment at Slimming 101!

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Few days ago, I had the opportunity to try out the slimming treatment at Slimming 101.

I fell in love with the centre as soon as I stepped my foot in. Look at the girlish decoration, they are so pretty.
I was greeted by the friendly therapist, Nittha.

This slimming centre is quite new, I understand from Nittha that this slimming centre was launched end of 2012. 
Slimming 101 is the sister company of Beijing 101, the renowned hair care treatment centre.

What is interesting from this slimming centre is the combination of both modern and tradtional chinese medicine (TCM) method. 
Slimming 101 the first slimming centre in Singapore that combine the use of TCM with modern method.
I always believe in integrating modern western and Chinese medicine. I myself have been practicing this for a while. I have vitamin and mineral supplements daily and take western medicine when I am sick. On the other hand, I do visit TCM regularly when I feel 'weak' or tired and need to boost up my energy.
Therefore, my eyes lit up immediately when I heard about this integration method to treat weight problem inside out.

I was first led to a cozy and comfortable consultation room and asked to fill a form with some questionnaires for the therapist to fully understand my body condition and my main concerns which are flabby tummy and thighs. I believe this is a common problem faced by a number of girls. 

I was then led to do a body assessment.
According to Nittha, my body weight and fat percentage are kind of ideal :D
My body fat percentage is 29.6% where the ideal percentage for my age and height is in between 21 to 34.9%
However, my total body water percentage is on the high side, which is 48.7% 
The ideal percentage for me will be 30%. I have exceeded 50% of the ideal percentage *facepalm*

I finally got to understand from Nittha about the culprit of my water retention problem. 
Firstly it is because I don't sweat much, not even after a 5 km run. Therefore, the toxins are not flushed out of my body. Accumulation of toxins in body cause poor blood circulation and water retention. Our body system will find a way to protect us from toxins by diluting them and store them in water and fat storage. This is the main reason that we gain weight.
The second reason is my bad habit of drinking excessive water before bed time. 

After the body assessment with Nittha, I met up with the Chinese physician for another round of consultation. 

The physician ran through a diagnostic process with me which included understanding my medical history and lifestyle, observation of my skin and tongue, and pulse taking on both wrists. TCM practitioners believe in six pulse aspects which correlate with body organs and functions. 

Photo courtesy of Slimming 101 website

Nittha then suggested to do a detoxification treatment for me, which included sauna, sea salt scrub and hot blanket, followed by acupuncture.

First of all, I was asked to change into a robe and took a shower to remove the oils and impurities off the body. Before showering, I did another body weight measurement with wearing only the robe. My weight was 53.1 kg (after deducting 400 grams of the robe weight).

I was then guided to the sauna room with temperature at 50°C.
I was initially imagining a closed dark sauna room when Nittha mentioned about going into the sauna. Little did I know that it actually has a bright light and a see through glass door which really help for the claustrophobic me, and I was given magazines to read in the sauna room. This was the first time I felt comfortable sitting in a sauna room. 

I headed to another treatment room for the sea salt scrub treatment and massage. The massage technique was a lymphatic drainage massage for the improvement of body circulation and for toxin drainage in the body. The toxins are then removed via kidney as urine. This massage is useful for combating water retention issue.

After the massage, a hot blanket was used to cover my body. I felt so good sleeping in this warm blanket and bed. I started to sweat after 10 minutes. I cant believe I sweated so much, I felt like I have done one hour intensive workout. I cooled down a bit after the hot blanket treatment and went for a shower. 

I did another body measurement after showering. My after treatment weight was 52.80 kg (after deducting 400 gram of the robe). 
I lost 300 grams after the treatment :D

Here comes the second part of the treatment.
After showering, I went back to the treatment room for the TCM acupuncture. 
I was initially worried about the pain because I have a fear of needles and injections.
However, the physician's skill was really amazing that I only felt a slight tinge sensation when the needles were poked in. 

The physician explained the purpose of acupuncture points along the stomach was to aid digestion, increase blood production and cure gas problem. From the pulse taking, she could tell that I have poor digestion. This explained the bloatedness I experienced after a meal.

The last acupuncture points are on the feet to combat liver blood deficiency. This also explained why I have constant dizziness, dry eyes and insomnia.

I felt rejuvenated and refreshed at the end of the treatment. I was completely satisfied.
I would say that I do not have serious body fat issue but my main problems are the flabby tummy and thighs. 
I have tried to lose weight. However, it wasn't easy to tone down the flabby parts.
What I am really glad from this treatment is also I get to understand the cause of my main concern. 
It never crossed my mind that water retention is the culprit that cause the accumulation of toxins and results in weight gain.

And most importantly, the combination of western and TCM method is what I think makes Slimming 101 stands out. The acupuncture treatment was not only combating my flabby parts issue but also help treating my problem from inside, such as strengthening my digestive system and restoring water balance system. 
Therefore, the integration method of treating weight problem inside out will be able to show the result faster and lasting for longer term.

Kudos to the therapists too. They were so friendly, knowledgeable and experienced. They explained to me every single steps that they did and the reason behind. I did ask a lot of questions and they answered them patiently. My therapist, Nittha did a very good job to ensure that I felt comfortable throughout the whole treatment.

Now the good news is... There is a promotion for my readers. 
You will get to enjoy 3 Weight Loss Therapies @ SGD 38
Call 67373101 and quote "Henny" when you make appointment to enjoy the promotion.
Good things are meant to be shared right :D

Alternatively, you may click on the banner below for online registration to enjoy the promotion.

Slimming 101 is located conveniently at 
109 North Bridge Road,
#04-07, Funan DigitaLife Mall, 
Singapore 179097
Telp: 67373 101

Mie Kangkung Belacan

This is my first recipe post. Therefore, I am gonna post the specialty food from my hometown, Medan (Indonesia), which is Mie Kangkung Belacan.
This noodle is always in my 'must eat' list whenever I go back to Medan.

The recipe is adapted from whattocooktoday

Ingredients (serves: 2)
200 gram of yellow noodle
Two handful of beansprouts
100 gram of kangkung
3 big prawns (deveined and shelled)
6 fish balls (sliced half)
2 tomatoes (quartered)
2 teaspoon of belacan
4 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
2 eggs
3 tablespoon of red chili paste
2 tablespoon of sweet soy sauce
3 tablespoon of canola oil
1/4 cup of water

Method:
1. Soak the yellow noodle in cold water for a while to get rid of the smell and oil coated on the noodle.

2. Heat canola oil in wok. Saute chopped garlic until fragrant. 

3. Add in prawns and fish ball. Saute until half-cooked, then push to the side of the wok and crack the eggs. Break the yolk a bit and leave it. Let the egg settle for a bit and then mix everything up in the wok

4. Add in red chili paste and belacan. Stir fry

5. Add in water and tomatoes, let it simmer for about 1 minute

6. Add in beansprouts, kangkung, yellow noodles, and sweet soy sauce. Mix well. Cover the wok with lid and let it simmer for 1 minute

7. Remove from heat and serve hot

Tips:

Below is my favorite noodle. I always get my noodles, kway teow and hor fun from this brand. There are no particular reasons on why I love this brand. I first bought it because of the cute monkey logo. Okay, I know I am sucker for cute packaging :p I find them quite nice and the noodles don't have the fishy odor, so i continue buying them. You can find them from either Cold Storage or NTUC Fair Price. I can't remember the exact price but it is around SGD 1 dollar plus.

For the chili paste, you may do it yourself by grinding red chili with a little bit of water in food processor. However, I bought my ready chili paste from Sing Long brand. Unfortunately, I don't have the picture of the chili paste but it is packed in a plastic packet.

ReFa Carat Platinum Electronic Roller

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I believe it is almost all girls' dream to have firmed and lifted face skin.
However, it is not easy to achieve this non surgically.
I have tried several types of roller and face lifting cream before I took the prewedding photo-shoot. Unfortunately, none of these impressed me much.
Therefore, I was kinda thrilled to be invited to ReFa CARAT Platinum Electronic Roller workshop at Ikeda Spa, which is located conveniently at Bukit TImah. I have been wanting to visit this first Japanese spa in Singapore for a long time.

I really love the Japanese style Tatami Zen area. I felt so relaxed sitting here.

The wide selection of high quality skin care products from Japan.

The Japanese rock garden

and the manicure & pedicure treatment area

Now I am gonna introduce the number 1 best seller beauty roller in Japan, ReFa CARAT Platinum Electronic Roller. Taaadaaaa....

and other products by the company

So what is ReFa CARAT?

It is a double lymphatic drainage roller that provides the appearance of beautiful and firmed skin. It is developed on the concept of aesthetic kneading, strongly squeezed and work the skin, through wonderfully deep and smooth motion.
ReFa CARAT absorbs light through a solar panel and generates a weak electrical “microcurrent” that is very similar to the body’s own current.
Human skin normally has weak electrical current flowing through it to begin with. This current is thought to be one of the elements that keeps skin appearance firm, resilient and beautiful.
Daily treatment with the roller on the surface of your skin affects skin texture, making its appearance supple, shiny and firm.

Illustration of microcurrents

Ms.Jasmine Tham, the gorgeous product trainer for ReFa, was doing product demonstration on the right side of my face for a slim face line.

 On my flabby arm :p for firming

and my neck for a beautiful neckline.

These are the after treatment results.

My right eyebag is less obvious after the treatment and my jawline is slightly firmer.  

I had the opportunity to try ReFa CARAT at home for 2 weeks.
I used the roller every night after applying moisturizer and roll 30 times on each of the following areas: cheekbones, jawlines and under eyes.

I would say that I am pretty satisfied and amazed with this product.

What I really like about ReFa CARAT are:
- The curvy design of the roller makes is so comfortable to hold and easy to roll any parts of the face and body without any awkward or uncomfortable position.
- Platinum coating on the roller. Platinum is hypoallergenic metal and safe for all skin types. Therefore, in spite of my sensitive skin, I did not encounter any rashes, redness or itchiness.
- It helps to combat the puffiness of my eyes. My eyes look fresher right after the application.
- The easy maintenance. I only need to clean the roller with a damp cloth after the application and pat it dry with the clean cloth provided and keep it in the pouch that comes together with the roller set.

Below are the results after two weeks of treatment. It can be seen that my jawlines are more defined after the treatment and visible reduce of under eye bag puffiness.
Disclaimer: There is no photoshop work done in the pictures

Two weeks trial might be too short to show the dramatic improvement but it has convinced me that this is the product that I am soooo gonna put in the wish list for my beauty product purchase :D
Main reason is because it helps to reduce my under eyebag, which has been my main concern for a long long time.

The price of ReFA CARAT is SGD 540 and you may purchase it from the outlets below:
- Clariancy retail outlets
- Hide & Seek (72 Bussorah Street)
- Superberry (Orchard Central #03-29)
- WhatHeWants (Orchard Central #03-30)
- Phillip Wain (United Square #04-10/19)
- Ikeda Spa (787 Bukit Timah Road)

You may also check their facebook page for more information: http://www.facebook.com/ReFaSingapore

Happy 7 Months

It has been exactly 7 months since WY and I tied the knot.
I still miss my wedding whenever I browsed back our pre-wedding and wedding day pictures.

Here are some of my fave pictures that always put a smile on my face :)
Prewedding pictures from My Dream Wedding, Hongkong








Prewedding pictures from Destino Bridal, Malaysia












Actual Day pictures from New Chapter Photography, Malaysia

Spring Cleaning

OMG. This is the longest time ever I left this space unattended.
Time to do a spring cleaning and clear the dust and spiderweb :p

I am adjusting my life as a married woman and trying hard to be a good wife.
I still find it tough to wake up early and prepare breakkie for my beloved hubby as I am not a morning person. Hahaha
Nonetheless, I think I am coping it quite well. Teehee.

I have picked up new hobbies too along the way.
Still remember when I left home for the first time for studying abroad 13 years ago, I didn't even know how to prepare a simple meal except cooking instant noodle :p
It is until recently when I have my own kitchen and time to experiment cooking different types of dishes that I realized I have hidden talent.
So proud of myself that I am able to satisfy hubby's tummy most of the time :)

I also remember how I envy my friends who can bake well.
It never occurred in my mind that I can do it too until few months back when one of my friends bought a voucher for a cupcake baking class.

I am now trying to cook and bake healthy stuff for myself and hubby whenever it is possible.
Thanks to the technology, it is so convenient to learn cooking and baking nowadays.
There are like thousands of recipes and video tutorial available in the world wide web.

Gotta go now, catching up with my girls before they are leaving for a month holiday.
I promise to update my space more often now that I have more or less settled down now.