by joanna on February 11, 2010
An Indian medical tradition dating back to the 1st century B.C.
As part of the Health & Wellness 2010 Series
Ayurveda always seemed to me to be to be a bit like horoscopes – you have your doshas (type of person). And your dosha describes your body type, temperament, personality, sleeping habits, what you should eat, etc….and then treatments are geared around your dosha. Given that there are 3 doshas it seemed simplistically convenient that everyone fit into one type or another. I loved the idea of it, but struggled to make it work in my logicial, Western mind. However, recently I spent some time undertaking Asian Holistic Therapies at Kamalaya Koh Samui and revised my previous skepticism of Ayurveda. [keep reading…]
by joanna on February 5, 2010
Yoga is more than just meditation and twisting your self into a pretzel
As part of the Health & Wellness 2010 Series
(above pictures courtesy of Lyan’lex Bernales – Giveitashot)
I got into yoga about 12 years ago in New York. I’ll admit it, I did it because it was trendy…celebs were raving about it and it was starting to evolve from a crunchy tree-hugger kind of activity to something more mainstream. I have never been very flexible so even from the beginning (and even though I was younger) I was not as bendy as the rest of the class, but I loved the sense of calm it brought me and I became addicted to that 2-inches taller feeling I had when I left class. My yoga involvement has come and gone in phases, but today, I am more convinced than ever yoga has an integral part to play in a healthy lifestyle. Here’s why… [keep reading…]
by joanna on February 2, 2010
A minimalist urban sanctuary on the Bund
I had read about the Evian Spa several times over the last couple of years, but somehow never found the time to visit. I often go to Shanghai for work, but it is all rushing around to meetings and work dinners…so while I have often had the opportunity to dine luxuriously, it was always harder to find time to relax. But one of my New Year’s resolutions this year is to create balance in my life. Yes, I work hard…a lot of us do…but I made a commitment to carve out time for self care in 2010 and so on my most recent trip to Shanghai I made a point to visit the Evian Spa in Shanghai. [keep reading…]
by joanna on January 22, 2010
An ancient medical practice focused on health and prevention
As part of our Health & Wellness 2010 Series
“And while TCM can treat illness, say a common cold, it is more about going to the underlying issue, the weakened immune system that allowed you to get the cold.”
I experienced insomnia for over a year when I was living in the US. I tried common remedies (herbal relaxation teas) and more extreme solutions (a sleep therapist, sleeping pills, installing expensive black out curtains). And then I moved to Bangkok… insomnia prevailed. A friend suggested acupuncture, but I immediately rejected the idea as I often faint when it comes to needles. But after 6 more months of sleepless torture, I relented. Accupuncture was a last ditch effort – fear of needles seemed minor when compared to the size of the dark circles under my eyes and my perpetual crankiness. Something had to give…I had little hope it would actually work, but you know what, it did! Turns out the needles didn’t hurt at all, and after my first session I slept soundly for 7 whole hours – a miracle in those days. This was my initial exposure to one area of Traditional Chinese Medicine, also known as TCM. Today I know there is so much more to TCM than acupuncture and I continue to be amazed at its ability to complement and at times even surpass Western medicine. [keep reading…]
by joanna on January 14, 2010
An endless array of holistic therapies at this tranquil island spa
I generally have a rule of not visiting the same place twice. I prefer to expand my horizons and challenge myself to see and do new things. However, I recently returned to Kamalaya in Koh Samui. Our more dedicated readers may remember I went to Kamalaya last year to do a detox program. Well, this year when the time came to take a break after a seriously demanding year, I could think of no better place to do it than Kamalaya Koh Samui. In fact, Kamalaya wellness retreat is of such a high standard of excellence that I can foresee returning again and again. [keep reading…]
by Paul on January 13, 2010
Hey all,
As you may or may not be able to tell from my various postings, I’m very interested in the current food movement in the US. The trends towards eating locally, sustainably, etc is heading, I believe, in a positive direction that takes us away from processed, quick meals. For the paradigm to truly shift however, we need to retrain the way we think about food. The best way to do that is to start with the younger generations. Alice Waters and others have pioneered the concept of public school gardens and sustainable cafeteria programs. To me it’s a no-brainer. Teach the kids where they’re food comes from, how to cook it, and everyone benefits.
A journalist at The Atlantic disagrees. I found her article way off the mark… as if she missed the point completely (like complaining there were no touchdowns at a baseball game). She seems to insist that manual labor teaches us nothing and a connection to our food, healthy diet, and return to the family table isn’t as valuable as studying towards standardized testing.
Thankfully someone more articulate than I wrote a great response on Civil Eats. Kurt Michael Friese eloquently answers and provides the correct window (I feel) through which to view this argument.
What do you think? Is sustainability a silly trend? Should we keep pumping processed corn products, colas, and fried foods into our ever expanding youth? Where do you line up in this debate? Could something like this program work in Asia?
The Atlantic Article on Alice Waters
Civil Eats’ Response
Paul
by joanna on January 12, 2010
A modern oasis of calm on bustling Petchaburi Road
I have said it before, but will say it again….I believe spa treatments are not a luxury, but rather an integral part of taking care of oneself. Not only do they promote relaxation, but depending on the treatment one has it can stimulate circulation, release knotted muscles, condition and rejuvenate the skin, reduce local muscle and joint inflammation and more… To that end, there is no shortage of spas in Bangkok, but my experience is there are a lot of places in Bangkok where massage are spa treatments are offered where the aestheticians are not so skilled and perhaps not appropriately trained. This is why word of mouth counts for everything in Bangkok and why we would like to tell you about the Sivara Spa. [keep reading…]
by joanna on January 8, 2010
A series about small changes we can make daily to keep ourselves healthy and happy
What is it about the New Year that makes us all crave change and personal betterment? I for one have quite a lot to “correct”….working 12 -14 hours a day, extensive international travel, living out of hotels and dining out for 80% of my meals have not been friendly habits for my health (or my waistline!). I know we’ve heard it a thousand times (and it’s kind of boring and certainly is no magic bullet), but balance really is the key. Sure you can have the foie gras and Cabernet, but be prepared to exercise and / or have a salad tomorrow. And as we at Accidental Epicurean were thinking about the idea of balance, we have decided to bring you a series on health and wellness. Once a week, a new feature will attempt to inspire and enlighten on ways to bring balance into our lives.
We will be spending time with experts on a variety of topics ranging from Traditional Chinese Medicine, Indian Ayurveda and Naturopathy to Healthy Cuisine, Yoga, Holistic Retreats, Spas (and more!). All with a focus on making us more balanced and healthy….because we are not getting any younger and the best possible thing we can do for ourselves is try to integrate into our lifestyle some good habits that are intentionally preventative. We are not talking about extremes here…sure there are people who only eat raw foods and fast and practice yoga 4 hours a day. We are not those people (but kudos to you if you are!). What we mean by preventative is taking care of ourselves in small ways every day that will stave off bigger health issues and keep us healthy and happy.
So please come back and join us on our exploration of health and wellness in 2010. We look forward to bringing you lots of rich information from inspirational experts on how to live better in 2010.
If you have any topics you’d like to hear about, please comment and let us know.
by joanna on January 4, 2010
A leisurely trail hike in the rainforest of Singapore
If you are looking for a day out in nature in Singapore, MacRitchie might be just the ticket. Slightly outside of the city center lies this nature reserve that will help any city dweller retreat the chaos of Orchard Road for an escape into nature. [keep reading…]
by joanna on October 21, 2009
I’ve previously documented my wonderful experiences at Cayen in a three part series (pt 1, pt2, pt3). And so we were so excited that Cayen’s owner Carol is taking on a new project – Dolce Diva.
The launch event is Wed, 4 Nov and sounds like tons of fun for our female readers. Called Looking Good and Feeling Great it will celebrate beauty, wellness and fashion – at the Fusionopolis Sky Lounge. Along with makeovers, free flow drinks, canapes and great advice, the event features a Cayen fashion show which will have some wonderful new designs with the focus on looking your very best, whether you are working or playing. And it’ll have Jaymee Ong as gorgeous Diva MC! [keep reading…]
