I once cooked with Nyonya homecook Pearly Kee in Penang and she took me through her garden – a true testament and labour of love. What I learned from Pearly, is that Superfoods have been in the diets of our ancestors for as long as one can trace. If you’re a Penang Assam Laksa fan, you’d be delighted to know that the dish itself is made up of some amazing ingredients, many of which fall under the superfoods category.
Superfoods aren’t that elusive after all, and you certainly won’t need to buy imported goodness from the Andes if you’re in fact living in Asia. Go local, go to the markets and speak to the traders. Superfoods are foods with the essential nutrients, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, good fats, healthy enzymes and are mostly plant-based. But yes, for the omnivorous – fish like salmon, lean meats and dairy also join the fray.
1. Turmeric root or powder
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The turmeric root is a common sight in Asian markets. You’ll find it in curry recipes, and is bright yellow because it contains curcumin. Commonly used for ailments such as arthritis, joint or stomach pain, the spice is also used for centuries to sooth intestinal gas, loss of appetite, Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection, stomach ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), high cholesterol, skin condition lichen planus, skin inflammation from radiation treatment, and fatigue. There are side effects too, so if you have diabetes or going in for surgery, do check with your MD as “medications that slow blood clotting (Anticoagulant / Antiplatelet drugs) interacts with TURMERIC”. Source: WebMD
2. Eggs
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Eggs are the most efficient superfoods that offer a compact source of calcium, vitamin-D and protein. It’s one of the most inexpensive high quality protein packed with vitamin B2. The egg whites are also rich sources of selenium, vitamin D, B6, B12 and minerals such as zinc, iron and copper. Source: LiveStrong and BBCGoodFood
One of my favourite breakfast combinations, is having two eggs scrambled or poached with a splatter of turmeric powder, pepper and a pinch of salt.
3. Chick peas (Garbanzo beans)
Trying to lose weight? These “slimming beans” are a great source of fibre, protein, and healthy fats. You can boil it with some salt for flavouring and eat it like popcorn, or have it in a broth or soup. The South Indians make a great curry while the Middle Eastern community make hummus out of the chickpeas, or an amazing chicken and chickpea stew, or serve it in their salads. Rich in calcium, iron, manganese, phosphorous, potassium and folic acid, chick peas also contain folates which help in reducing amino acid and homocysteine, has a low glycemic index and are gluten-free! On that note, I’m off now to try out a chick-pea salad recipe!
MURFEST aims to awaken the Urban Spirit within every individual to live
a balanced and harmonious lifestyle will continue on its objective to provide
a platform and space for self-discovery, self-mastery and knowledge through
a variety of wellness practices through workshops & a dance fitness party.
“MURFEST has come a long way in establishing the mindset of healthy living
through wellness activities and we are continuing this effort to further
implement this through MURFEST. This year, we are proud to collaborate with
industry experts to further enhance the festival content,” said Shobie Malani,
MURFEST founder.
The 3-Day Festival provides participants the journey to explore and
experience various wellness related workshops, certification programs,
marketplace and other wellness related activations. Another highlight to look
out for at MURFEST would be the GloKL | Dance Fitness Party featuring top
Salsation trainers in the region including its founder Alejandro Angulo through
the collaboration with 360 Active Studio and will take place at The Plaza,
LimKokWing University, Cyberjaya.
Participants to MURFEST 2017 can also expect other new introduction into the
programs including Master Classes workshops and free for all community
based activities. JustBe Markets is a one-stop health and
wellness market-space which showcases the best in organic, homemade and homegrown wellness products.
Families with children can enjoy the KIDZ CLUB treats for children, a haven
that not just harnesses their boundless energy but also caters to their
sensitive, growing emotional and mental needs.
At MURFEST 2017, the Association of Malaysian Spas (AMSPA) will host a 1-Day AMSPA Wellness Convention and the Women Empowerment Festival will host a 1-Day Women Empowerment conference.
Festival tickets are now on sale starting from RM 69.00 to RM 399.00 at www.murfest.com.
Sounds like an awesome weekend, that’s not to be missed!
AsiaFitnessToday Fitness Events division provides event services to clients who wish to create their own events. We have produced fitness, sports, outdoor and adventure programs, team building and family day events. Besides designing programs, AsiaFitnessToday will also look into improving the well-being of employees in the company.
AsiaFitnessToday is committed to creating awareness about fitness, and the importance of physical movement in our daily lives. Ayuh, kawan-kawan, let’s MOVE Asia together!
One of the programs we’ve rolled out, is the MOVE ASIA community campaign. And YOU can be a part of it too!
What is Fun Fit Friday? Every Friday, get a group of work colleagues, friends or family together to move, walk, run, hike or cycle for 45-minutes. Then, share the photos on our social media walls to encourage others.
Living sedentary lifestyles, working in an office environment with minimal movement, eating unbalanced meals or erratic meal times. Sounds familiar? Obesity is one of Asia’s biggest concerns, but we can each make a difference starting at the workplace.
Did you know, that over a third of the world’s population resides in Asia, and they are now more obese than ever. These figures are alarming and a huge concern for governments and employers because obesity can lead to preventable non-communicable diseases (NCDs), illnesses and absenteeism thus affecting national productivity and mental health of a country’s citizens. At AsiaFitnessToday, we believe that if we start by moving people at the workplace, it’ll create a ripple effect back home and soon, people will use that awareness and be more conscious about how they move, breathe, eat and live.
Adult obesity prevalence in Asia – image copyright Deakin Uni. Australia
The problem is that more people in Asia sit for long hours at work, more people are living sedentary lifestyles and not moving as we are built to… health problems will keep rising unless some major disruption occurs!
Image copyright: www.healthbuzzasia.com
So let’s focus on what CAN be done. And it honestly starts with ourselves.
Be a fitness advocate and get your team mates engaged and inspired to get fit and healthy!
It’s always a good time to inspire change starting from within the company itself. So it’s a good time today to consider speaking to our event planners about what you need to enhance team bonding, motivationand leadership. We work closely with local and international program partners, so that we can identify solutions that work best for each unique organisation. At the end of the activity, or series of activities, you will be able to assess each individual staff, the departments and what motivates them.
in partnership with
Group Training Programs:
AFT 100-Day Mindset Change Program. Packages start from RM99* per person.
AFT 30-Day Movement Program. Packages start from RM39* per person.
Other programs: F2F training, boot camp, weight loss competitions, cigarette cessation or just purely improving internal communication and team bonding.
Research has shown more C-level executives are incentivising their teams with a sustainable and regular workplace wellness program
Convincing C-level executives on launching and sustaining a workplace wellness program may be an uphill battle if you’re not armed with facts*. However, it should be relatively easy to convince your fellow colleagues especially if it’s centred around wellness!
Our program directors have spent a collective of 40 years designing team building events, personal development coaching and corporate events. So we understand what it takes to keep teams motivated, inspired and loyal to a company. Often, it’s not what you give your staff once a year. It’s the care and empathy shown on a daily basis.
Some of our customised wellness programs include:
Workplace Massage
Workplace Manicure & Pedicure
Workplace Relaxation Breathing Workshops
in partnership with
Sign up for the AFT Fitness Wellness Program for corporate executives. We’ve designed programs for team rewards, team motivation or team bonding. Book a free consultation at: bookings@asiafitnesstoday.com or register your company today!
*Need help with some facts on why Corporate Wellness Programs are effective? Email our sales consultants for some tips!
-China’s oldest TCM brand to sponsor rising fashion star in unprecedented collaboration with tech giant Tencent
— Oldest TCM brand in China, with a history of nearly 500 years
— Guo Jiaxue, Chairman of the Board of GuangYuYuan: “Very few companies in the world boast a heritage as long as ours. For GuangYuYuan, the preservation of traditional culture and encouraging innovation are two of the pillars our company is built on.”
BEIJING, Sept. 27, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — The oldest of the “Big 4” Traditional Chinese Medicine brands, GuangYuYuan, will be making its global debut at Paris Fashion Week on 1 October 2017.
Chinese designer Big-King sketches a GuangYuYuan inspired design for his Paris Fashion Week Debut
At an event organized by tech giant Tencent, during the finale of the biannual international “Big 4” fashion weeks, GuangYuYuan will sponsor an innovative runway show by up-and-coming Chinese designer Liu Qing, also known as Big-King, in what will be his first Paris runway show.
Guo Jiaxue, Chairman of the Board of GuangYuYuan Chinese Herbal Medicine Co., Ltd. explained the motivation behind this unique collaboration: “Very few companies in the world boast a heritage as long as ours. For GuangYuYuan, the preservation of traditional culture and encouraging innovation are two of the pillars our company is built on. We are excited to see how Big-King is able to incorporate distinctly Chinese elements into his designs, as well as some elements that reflect our own history of nearly 500 years.”
The GuangYuYuan-sponsored show received special permission to be held in the magnificent Musee Jacquemart-Andre, the first runway Paris Fashion Week show ever held in the museum. GuangYuYuan will also have highlights from its brand culture and design aesthetics on display during its Paris debut.
About GuangYuYuan
GuangYuYuan was founded in 1541. In 2003 it was acquired by a leading Chinese pharmaceutical conglomerate, Xi’an Dongsheng Group, and is listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange under the name GuangYuYuan Chinese Herbal Medicine Co. Ltd., stock number 600771. In 2006, GuangYuYuan was honored by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, receiving its “Time-Honored Brand” appellation. Two of GuangYuYuan’s oldest products, GuilingJi and Dingkun Dan, have been declared to be part of China’s intangible cultural heritage and their formulas have been named national secrets.
-The Opening Ceremony of the Fourth World Nobel Prize Laureate Summit
GUIYANG, China, Sept. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — On September 14th, the three-day Fourth World Nobel Prize Laureate Summit 2017 was kicked off at the Guiyang International Eco-conference Center. Five Nobel Prize laureates, more than ten academicians from China and the United States, over 2,000 prestigious experts, as well as domestic and overseas pioneering enterprises and senior investors in the biomedical industry all gathered in Guiyang to discuss issues concerning the innovations in China’s medical science and technology with a focus on the theme – “Science: Fact and Fiction”.
The Opening Ceremony of the 4th WNPLS (PRNewsfoto/Nobel Prize Laureate Summit)
5 Nobel Prize laureates in Summit Dialogue: “Science: Fact and Fiction” (PRNewsfoto/Nobel Prize Laureate Summit)
With the strong support from Guizhou provincial government and Guiyang municipal government, the Summit was jointly held by China Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine (CATCM), China High-tech Industrialization Association (CHIA), China Centre for International Science and Technology Exchange (CCISTE), China Pharmaceutical Industry Association (CPIA), and International Society of Scientific Communications for Nobel Prize Laureates (ISSCNL), in a bid to build a platform for in-depth dialogues among top medical experts from home and abroad in the era of “mass entrepreneurship and innovation”, foster innovative ways of thinking, and provide more solutions for cooperation and challenges in the medical science field.
The Summit is, without doubt, the highest-level meeting in the bio-science sector, which has brought together the world’s most eminent scientists, including five Nobel Prize recipients (Richard J. Roberts, Steven Chu, Barry J. Marshall, Robert C. Merton, and Aaron Ciechanover), more than ten academicians, and a hundred medical experts, to examine the facts about the globally neglected big issues concerning the climate change and genetically modified organisms. They would also harvest collective wisdom and support to brainstorm the wisest ideas, and conduct in-depth discussions and exchanges on such topics as integration of Chinese traditional medicine (TCM) and western medicine, precision medicine, and industrial upgrading driven by innovations. The epoch-making dialogues among these experts and scientists during the meeting have attracted dozens of leading media from home and abroad to cover the whole event, including CCTV, People’s Daily, Reuters, Phoenix TV and Xinhua news agency.
Congratulation from Guizhou province government (PRNewsfoto/Nobel Prize Laureate Summit)
The secretary of provincial party committee of Guizhou province Sun Zhigang and the acting governor of Guizhou province Chen Yiqin sent a congratulations, the vice director of National health and family planning commission issued a written address, raising the Summit’s stimulation of communication between traditional Chinese medicine and western medicine, urging the Summit to continue to contribute to creative transformation and innovative development.
The Summit set up four key forums and multiple project investment sessions: Chinese Medicine Industry Innovation Development Forum to encourage academic discussions and industrial development; International Precision Medicine Summit Forum; World Youth Innovation Forum to inspire new thinking; and International Bio-medicine Industry Forum to promote capital investment and practical operations. Besides, it introduced many more activities, such as innovation and entrepreneurship competitions, and exhibitions for innovative products and technologies.
Keynote speaker: 1997 Nobel prize laureate in physics Steven Chu (PRNewsfoto/Nobel Prize Laureate Summit)
As the highlight of this year’s summit, the world youth innovation forum brought today’s top Scientific leaders and tomorrow’sstars together. The “dream team”, consisting of 1997 Nobel prize laureate in physics Steven Chu, 1993 Nobel prize laureate in physiology or medicine Richard J. Roberts, 2005 Nobel prize laureate in physiology or medicine Barry J. Marshall, 1997 Nobel Prize laureate in economics Robert C. Merton, with young Chinese scientists and students, they had a deep and interesting exchange and discussion of the issues onglobal climate change, the truth of GMOs, etc. Young people cherished such a rare and valuable opportunity of contact with the Nobel laureates. The role model effects, technology celebrity guide effects and inspirational effects greatly aroused the enthusiasm for innovative and creative thinking, promoting positive values guide. On the forum, the excellent keynote speech of Chinese young scientists has also delivered the voice of Chinese youth to the world. We see the enthusiasm of China’s young people who are actively concerned about the issue of global development, and the goal of global sustainable development has attracted the attention of Chinese youth and even the world’s young people.
Academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering, director of Peking University Medicine Center Zhan Qimin in Precision Medicine Forum (PRNewsfoto/Nobel Prize Laureate Summit)
Recently, the necessity and significance of precision medicine has been attached with great importance to it by the healthcare industry and governments of different countries; and it has become one of the world’s hottest topics and has triggered the burgeoning growth of the healthcare market. Focusing on the development direction and strategy of precision medicine in China, the cross-field and interdisciplinary cooperation modes in precision medicine projects, and the future project implementation in different cities and provinces, the Precision Medicine Forum has summoned a number of renowned medical experts, scientists, policy-makers, and industrial leaders to study the field thoroughly from various dimensions, and has achieved remarkable results. Mr. Zhan Qimin, director of the PKU Health Science Center, said that precision is not only the ultimate goal of medical scientists, but the inexorable process of medicine development, during which the fundamental rule is innovations in scientific research. To this end, we should not just put emphasis on individual demands or simply regard it as part of genomics and big data. In fact, precision medicine is a diagnosis and treatment concept that focuses more on integration of different disciplines and takes proper consideration into the patients’ physical and mental conditions.
The future precision medicine should involve multiple disciplines – big data, genomics, molecular images, and molecular pathology, and make personalized and customized treatment plans based on patients’ conditions, living environment and lifestyle. In face of the historic opportunity of precision medicine – an area in which Chinese medicine may take the lead, this Forum explored the way of thinking across different disciplines and dimensions, and exhibited a new and comprehensive picture of precision medicine to the industry and the public.
Written address from Chinese medicine master Zhang Daning (PRNewsfoto/Nobel Prize Laureate Summit)
In recent years, the “Preventive Treatment of Disease” concept of traditional Chinese medicine and its strengths in preventing and curing modern diseases have been recognized by more and more countries and medical scientists, particularly after the State Council issued the Outline of the Strategic Plan on Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine (2016-2030) in 2016, which regards the development of Chinese medicines as a “national strategy” and opens a landmark chapter for the revival of traditional Chinese medicine in a great effort to rejuvenate the Chinese nation as a whole. In this sense, accelerating the development of traditional Chinese medicine has become a strategic issue concerning national confidence, national security and international competition. To meet the trend, Chinese Medicine Industry Innovation Development Forum, which is based in Guiyang– a city well-known for its leadership in the “Chinese medicine industry”, has solicited opinions and strategies from the participants on various issues including the development of Chinese medicine culture and healthcare services, inheritance and innovation of traditional Chinese medicine and folk medicines of ethnic minorities, new services of traditional Chinese medicine, and overseas development of traditional Chinese medicines (folk medicines and medical treatment of Miao minority in particular) from the global point of view and on the national strategic level. During the meeting, TCM master Mr. Zhang Daning, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering Mr. Wu Yiling, along with other representatives from political and business circles, have reviewed and analyzed from various angles the advantages of traditional Chinese medicine and the challenges it is now facing.
They have strived to encourage the combination of traditional Chinese medicine’s philosophical thinking and modern technologies so as to yield original and innovative results. In addition, they have made significant achievements in reviving traditional medicines worldwide, promoting the standard establishment, property intellectual rights, and future market of traditional Chinese medicine, and guiding the advances of life sciences – achievements that not only enhance the industrial development of traditional Chinese medicine itself, but make it a vehicle to carry forward China’s splendid culture across the world and effectively improve the cultural exchange and mutual learning among different countries.
Scientific and technologic development needs to be applied to practice – with this aim, in the International Bio-pharmaceutical forum, scientists, business leaders, investors, and entrepreneurs, led by three Nobel Prize laureates, have conducted effective discussions from various dimensions on the internationalization of traditional Chinese medicine, particularly trending issues regarding the development of Chinese medicine industry after China joined the International Council for Harmonisation (ICH), the vigorous investment and mergers & acquisitions in the medicine sector worldwide, and the “last mile” of technological innovation and industrialization, triggering the “brainstorming” of the participants. Relying on the platform of Nobel Prize International Innovation Center, communication meetings between governments and enterprises, and closed-door business discussions were successfully held to promote the cooperation on numerous international cutting-edge technologies and products in China.
The platform is also designed to create many business incubators in China and other countries (e.g. the United States, Israel, European countries, and Japan) by borrowing the experiences from the United States’ Silicon Valley and China’s Beijing Zhongguancun Life Science Park, in an effort to capitalize the energies from the “brainstorming” and the intellectual accomplishments through profound academic exchanges. The Forum made accurate forecasts of the development trends in the medicine industry and gave an impetus to the resources integration of different regions and around the world as well as the cultivation, exchange and reserve of talented experts – a move that will make active contributions to China’s healthcare causes and provoke tremendous responses from the industry and all walks of life.
The “Nobel Prize Star Award” will also be granted during this Summit. The previous Star Award winners who have completed their studies in a workshop established by some renowned Nobel Prize laureates will come back to the opening ceremony to share with us their learning experiences.
Meanwhile, a rich series of activities will also be conducted on the sideline of the Summit in the next three days, including the “Nobel Laureates’ China Tour” to various science parks, research institutes, hospitals, medical universities, enterprises, middle and primary schools in Guiyang.
The World Nobel Prize Laureate Summit (WNPLS) is a high-profile annual event hosted by the International Society of Scientific Communications for Nobel Prize Laureates (ISSCNL). The Summit was first initiated in 2014 and it was held in Beijing, Tianjin and Chengdu for the past three years. From the capital of China to the deep inland, from Nobel Prize winners, academic elites to prominent scientists from home and abroad, to a new generation of young students and scholars, the Summit has brought together the world’s most advanced medical and technological achievements and has received globally broad support and cooperation from the medical industry.
The vision of the meeting is to carry forward the heritage of the medical world and spread the knowledge among all countries. We expect that this year’s Summit will bring more excitement to the entire medical industry and the Chinese people.
Dr. Marisa López-Teijón, director of Institut Marquès, Dr. Àlex García-Faura, scientific director of the center, and Lluís Pallarés, creator of the Babypod, accept their IG Nobel award.
Their work, published in the prestigious scientific magazine Ultrasound, has discovered how fetal hearing works, showing that fetuses hear from week 16 (when they measure 11 cm / 4 inches), as long as the sound comes to them from the mother’s vagina.
Dr. Marisa López-Teijón, director of Institut Marquès, Dr. Àlex García-Faura, scientific director of the center, and Lluís Pallarés, creator of the Babypod vaginal device, explained the conclusions of the study at MIT. Dr. Alberto Prats, Professor of Anatomy and Human Embryology of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Barcelona, is also part of the research team.
This session at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is part of the Ig Nobel Awards Ceremony, which recognize the most surprising and innovative scientific researches of the year.
Ig Nobel Prize for Medicine
Dr. Marisa López-Teijón has been awarded the Ig Nobel Prize for Medicine, the first one in Obstetrics in the 27-year history of the award.
The Ig Nobel ceremony is held at Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, hosting prestigious scientists from around the world to present their studies to the public in a fun and enjoyable way.
At the ceremony, Dr. Marisa López-Teijón explained: “Institut Marquès is carrying out state-of-the-art research on how music impacts embryonic and fetal development.
We have improved in vitro fertilization by applying musical vibrations inside the incubators in all our fertility clinics.
By inserting a speaker in the vagina of thousands of patients for the first time we have been able to communicate with the fetus. To achieve this we have created the Babypod. This is an FDA approved vaginal speaker that connects to the mobile phone.
Thanks to the Babypod, we have discovered how fetal hearing works: fetuses can barely hear noise outside the womb. The fetal ability to hear starts when the fetus only measures 4 inches or 11cm. Until now medical literature could only confirm that fetuses heard from week 26 onwards.Fetuses responds just like babies, with speech and movements because they are learning to communicate. The myth of talking to your belly is over.”
According to Institut Marquès’ studies, we can now communicate with the fetus and neurologically stimulate it. Any kind of sensory stimulation is good,-and the earlier the better.
Music stimulates language learning. And as we see, learning can begin in the womb.
The Ig Nobel Prize represents a recognition by these prestigious universities for the research of Institut Marquès to improve assisted reproduction treatments.
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