Exploring Our Children’s Potentials

Let me start by saying this : No one would imagine themselves being frail, sick or unhealthy.

Because naturally, everyone of us wishes to be healthy.

Question is, do WE have full control over our health condition?

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Here’s sharing with you a little about me.

When I was in my teens and early twenties, I was into all sorts of sports. I was the most active in the family. Volleyball, basketball, softball, rollerblading, and even picking up skiing and snowboarding just before Wilson and I got married.

(And went snowboarding at Coronet Peak in New Zealand for our honeymoon! What a GREAT and refreshing 2 weeks it was!)

But.

What do you know?

One week after our honeymoon, my right knee was swollen, and it hurt so bad that I couldn’t even half-squat!

I was twenty-five at the time, and that was when I found out about my potential problems with my ligaments, joints and bones.

(My family and I were like, ‘Huh? Seriously? At that age? Isn’t that something that happens to ‘old people’?’)

 

 

And you know what’s the possible explanation for my condition?

Well, it’s highly possible that it’s due to my family.

My maternal grandpa has problems with his legs and joints (but then, I thought it’s because of old age?)

My mom has problems with her legs too. They’re now so weak that she gets from one point to another mostly supported by a helper or she’d be on her wheelchair.

Now.

I sure never imagined that out of the four kids she had, I’d be the one with higher potentials to have bone, ligament and joint problems!

(Btw, by now I’m all okay, but as advised by my Doc since 2001, I must avoid exercises / activities that will place too much impact on my feet and knees. Plus, it’s best if I consume enough calcium daily, and other essential nutrients, like Vitamin D, Magnesium, etc, that will strengthen my bones)
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Well.

NO ONE KNOWS WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE INSIDE OF OUR BODY.

We could assume we’re all healthy and well, and suddenly, WHAM! We discover there’s something not quite right inside.

And hey, such problems don’t just happen to ‘old people’, do they?

It can strike anyone, at anytime.

(So, if you’re all healthy and all, really … it’s totally because of God’s grace!)

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Anyway.

Is there anything that we can do?

If you ask me, well … we can always try to :

> keep an active life
> eat a well-balanced diet
> and make sure we get all the necessary vitamins (including essential ‘bone strengthening nutrients’!) everyday

I mean, THOSE are the least that we can do?

 

 

Adding to the list above, I feel reading up and knowing more about what’s happening in our body at different stages of our life is also equally important.

 

Like, for example, when I was pregnant with my three kids (and breastfeeding all three of them afterwards), I did wonder if my babies were ‘sucking up’ all my calcium, making my bones all frail later in life!

(I remember thinking, I MUST consume extra Calcium and other good nutrients when another human being is growing inside and feeding on me, right?)

Because seriously, did you know that if a mom does not get sufficient intake of calcium during pregnancy (and breastfeeding phase), calcium needed for the baby will be drawn from the mom’s bones instead!

AND, of course, not to forget the big M for ‘Menopause’ that all women will have to go through (a phase that I still have yet to read more about).

Well, I don’t know how much YOU know about Menopause and what happens to our bodies when it takes place, but anyway, check out this article excerpt, from womentowomen.com:

Our bones naturally break down and rebuild themselves on a daily basis, and until women reach the age of 30, the building of bone outweighs breakdown. Shortly after peak bone mass is reached — somewhere around our 29th birthday — we begin to lose bone density. This loss seems to accelerate in many women during the menopause transition.

(When I read it, I thought, if we cannot stop our bone density loss, then we can at least consume and do things that can ‘slow down’ the process, yes?)

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Anyway, here’s more important info to share with you:

> Our bones are living tissues which are renewed daily.

>  Our body loses calcium through daily functions, BUT it is also replenished from calcium-rich food we consume everyday. If we don’t consume enough for our body to replenish itself,  our body will draw calcium from our bones.

(Click HERE to read more on bone health, pregnancy and breastfeeding)

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In our quest to find out more about Calcium, here’s a quick summary of our kids’ conversation with each other =)

 

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When it comes to calcium or anything that’s good for the bones, somehow there’s one brand that comes to my mind almost immediately. And it’s Anlene.

And you know why?

Because since a couple of decades ago, I’ve already seen a tin of Anlene on the breakfast table, at my mom’s place! =)

It’s just such a familiar name at home. My grandparents would drink a glass of it every morning (They still do till today! They’re btw 88yo and 92yo, and are still actively traveling around the world!)

 

 

The other day, as the kids and I walked down the supermarket aisles, doing our usual grocery shopping, they stopped by the Anlene shelves and took a closer look.

And Anya, our 9.5yo, spotted a pack of four ‘Anlene Concentrate‘, and said, ‘So Mommy, can I drink this once a day?’

Well, one is never too young to start consuming good stuff? =)

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INFO:
Each packet of Anlene Concentrate contains:
> 4x Calcium than regular milk
> Essential bone strengthening nutrients like Calcium, Vitamin D, Magnesum and Zinc
> And oh, it’s recommended to have two packets a day

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Now, before I end this post, I’d like to highlight to you this upcoming event – ANLENE 1 MILLION STEPS CHALLENGE!

 

Here’s more info:

On this year’s World Osteoporosis Day, Anlene is challenging all Singaporeans to take 1 million steps to stronger bone health!

It’ll be a national exercise and there’ll be stepper machines for everyone to participate in, at 4 Anlene Carnivals held island-wide.

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Also, when you post a photo of your feet taking steps on Instagram, with a “#anlenesteps”, you’ll contribute 50 steps directly to the count too!

In the end, upon achieving 1 million steps target, Anlene will donate $20,000 in cash and kind, to Family Life Centre, to help the less fortunate families in Singapore stay strong and mobile with healthy bones!

So there, your ‘steps’ do count and can make a difference in other people’s lives!

 

And and and.

You can grab a set of Adidas sports merchandise worth $59 with every accumulated spend of $59 on Anlene products!

*Whoopeee*

Read more about it HERE!

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Have a great week, everyone!

And here’s to healthier families! Cheers!