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Healthy habits for healthier expats
The next time you see a one-baht coin on the ground and
you think to yourself that it is not worth the effort to bend down to pick
it up, make the effort! It will make you healthier. That was one of the
messages from PCEC member Roger Fox when he spoke at the Sunday, March 23
meeting of the Pattaya City Expats Club on the topic of “Healthy Habits for
Healthier Expats.”
 Member
Roger Fox spoke at the Sunday, March 23 meeting of the Pattaya City Expats
Club, on the topic of “Healthy Habits for Healthier Expats.”
Roger is a retired Army Helicopter Instructor Pilot. He
holds a Bachelors degree in Aeronautics and a Masters degree in Theology. He
has taught school to various ages in a variety of venues including the
Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) course here in Pattaya. He is
a father of four and a gramps of nine.
Life expectancy today for the average American male is 78 years of age Roger
said; but since he had already reached 70, his life expectancy today is
projected to 83. “Whichever way you look at it, 90% of my life is history,”
he said. “So naturally I am eager that for my remaining years I should
remain as healthy as possible.”
Roger pointed out that the information he was presenting is what he thinks
people need to do to be healthy. He emphasised that he was not a doctor and
was not prescribing anything. He encouraged people to do their own research.
He explained that he personally is a reluctant visitor to a doctor’s office
or hospital, and that he distrusts most manufactured drugs. Roger said that
the best defence against sickness is a healthy body. In his talk, Roger
identified and described six habits to better health.
 Former
PCEC Chair Richard Smith advises members & guests of upcoming activities,
including the Smartphone groups and the Volunteer English Teaching for
Government & Tourism workers.
The first is to drink lots of water as it is even more important than food.
Roger further said a person can live 30 days without food, but only seven
days without water. Also, it is estimated that 50% of the world population
is dehydrated (for Americans it is 75%) and that dehydration is the leading
cause of daytime fatigue. Roger said that water is the best liquid because
other liquids can be diuretic (i.e. can increase the amount of urine you
excrete). He then described the benefits to the body of drinking water.
How much water or other liquids do we need to consume each day? The (U.S.)
Institute of Medicine says that men need 3.0 litres (about 13 cups) a day,
and women 2.2 litres (about 9 cups). Consuming that much water (or other
beverages) every day is not as easy as it sounds, Roger said. He suggested
that people drink some water when they get up and then make a habit of
sipping water throughout the day. One way to do this is carry a water bottle
with you wherever you go.
The second healthy habit is to eat lots of fruit because it is generally
high in fibre, provides enzymes lacking in other foods, lowers cholesterol
levels and precludes you from eating unhealthy sweets. Further, fruit should
be eaten at the beginning of a meal rather than at the end. The natural
sugars in fruits are preferable to refined sugar, he added.
The third is to physically move around on a daily basis. Being physically
active can help you live longer, feel better about yourself, sleep well at
night, and move around more easily. People who are not physically active are
more likely to get heart disease, have a stroke, get type 2 diabetes, have
high blood pressure and have high cholesterol.
The fourth is to rest often and when your body says it needs it. Getting
enough rest is essential, Roger said. It gives the body time to make repairs
and clean itself out. It allows organs to rest. It triggers hormone
production and bolsters the immune system. Also, it is important to develop
good sleep habits, including sleeping or napping when your body is telling
you that’s what it needs.
Fifth on his list of healthy habits is to replenish lost natural oils,
minerals, and enzymes. Roger said that there are some minerals, oils and
enzymes that your body runs out of and that need to be replenished. He
mentioned that flax seeds and flaxseed oil are particularly beneficial
because they improve digestive and joint health, promote weight loss and are
rich in antioxidants. He also recommended virgin coconut oil which has a
number of health benefits, including strengthening hair, promoting weight
loss and improving diabetes. Further, unrefined sea salt is much healthier
than the refined salt most of us eat; it helps regulate heartbeats, boosts
one’s immune system and minimises the effects of stress. Finally, Roger
suggested that sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) can help counteract the
acidity in your body.
The sixth healthy habit is to minimise use of manufactured drugs, alcohol,
refined sugars or processed foods. Roger said that people should reduce the
intake of things that are “not their friends” such as excessive use of
man-made drugs, alcohol and other intoxicants. He said that, wherever
possible, natural solutions were preferable to drugs and hospitals. In
regard to avoiding hospitals, Roger pointed out that it is estimated that
each year in the USA there are 1.7 million people that become infected with
something they encounter while staying in a hospital.
After Roger concluded his presentation, Master of Ceremonies Richard
Silverberg brought everyone up to date on upcoming events and called on Roy
Albiston to conduct the always interesting and informative Open Forum where
questions about Expat living in Thailand are asked and answered.
For more information about the Pattaya City Expats Club, visit their website
at www.pcecclub.org. (Photos by Urasin Khantaraphan)
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Jesters and Women With a Mission assist
Khao Baisri Special Education Centre
Jesters Care for Kids Charity Drive 2014
(L to R) Boonchoo, Rosanne, baby
Plai and Bernie.
Bernie Tuppin
Women With a Mission (WWM) recently approached Jesters Care for Kids for
financial assistance to continue a training programme at Khao Baisri Special
Education Centre (KBS). Although KBS has staff and teachers to provide a safe
environment and a structured education for the children, they also require
special training needed to work with children afflicted by autism, Down’s
syndrome and cerebral palsy. This training is available to the teachers but, of
course, it comes at a cost. However, the Jesters readily agreed to fund this
session once again.
The funding enabled teachers to attend specialized training workshops organized
by the Autistic Centre in Bangkok. The result of these activities see the
children’s education become more individualized and give them more opportunities
to enter into the Thai public school system. Besides the session that recently
took place in Sattahip, there will also be more of the same in Chonburi and
Bangkok over the next few months.
Karuna Piromtan (right, with
microphone), seen here with two teachers and an autistic child, is a supervisor
of therapy education from the Ministry of Education in Chonburi.
I was fortunate to attend one of these training sessions at KBS, where Miss
Karuna Piromtan, who is a supervisor of therapy education from the Ministry of
Education in Chonburi, and several therapists from the Queen Sawang Wattana
Hospital in Sriracha, displayed various techniques to the assembled teachers and
volunteers. The therapists under the guidance of Miss Karuna used actual
sufferers of various disabilities as models to give greater authenticity for the
observers to note. The following day’s session was conducted by therapist Laurie
Bastilles from the US.
Jesters Care for Kids has been a long time supporter of KBS Special Education
Centre and were only too happy to support this programme, which was introduced
by Women With a Mission in 2012. Any initiative to improve the conditions and
opportunities of children with special needs will always be applauded by Jesters
Care for Kids and financially supported as much as possible.
Well done to Roseanne Diamente and her group from the Women With a Mission and
all who participated.
For more info about Jesters Care for Kids, please visit www.care4kids.info and
www. facebook.com/jesterscare.kids.
Events: Children’s Fair is Sunday, September 7th at Regents (RISP) and GPN is
Saturday, September 20th at Amari Orchid Pattaya.
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Miss Thai Lovely comes to Pattaya
(L to R) Liezel Mascara, Marcus
Goehrt, Dr. William van Ewijk, David Strachan and Craig Muldoon.
Paul Strachan
Beauty, brains and a global attitude were the criteria for the 20 semi-finalists
in first Miss Thai Lovely pageant.
 Resident
DJ Diva of the Centara Grand Pratamnak Resort Pattaya.
A day before the March 18 final round in Bangkok, the beauty contestants
ventured to Pattaya for a photo shoot at Ruffino, the Centara Grand Phratamnak’s
rooftop restaurant and pool.
Before the shoot, the women visited the Sunuk Nursery, meeting with children of
the construction workers. Entertainer Dr. Penguin also made a surprise
appearance to create his usual mayhem with the kids.
After which the girls made their way back to the rooftop of Centara Grand
Phratamnak for a bikini shoot with the sun setting across the bay as a stunning
backdrop.
As the contestants changed into evening wear, guests arrived for a cocktail
reception that included cold beer and wine with the house deejay spinning tunes
in the background.
The guest list was made up of local businesspeople, social groups and the media.
William Vaughan, who runs Saffron Asia Media and has been an event organizer for
many years in Thailand, organized it.
Vaughan said he wanted to bring new faces to the scene, but not solely focus on
beauty like so many other pageants. Instead, judges would be looking for depth
in the finalists.
The event allowed Facebook users to vote for their favorite contestants. Their
votes shaped first 50 finalists and the semi-finals were held in Pattaya. <https://www.facebook.com/pages/Miss-Thai-Lovely/590281297681306>
Supparatch “Amy” Piyawatcharapun
(left), F&B Sales and Marketing Manager of the Centara Grand Pratamnak Resort
Pattaya and Peter Schonherr.
Lovely contestant against a lovely
background sunset.
Contestants pick up their robes
after the photo shoot.
(L to R) Carl Duggan, Executive
Assistant Manager, Food and Beverage for Centara Grand, and Billy Brundon, GM of
the Bull & Bush Bangkok.
(L to R) Craig Muldoon from
Platinum Financial Ltd., David Strachan from Pattaya Property Auctions, Earl
Brown, Samuel Jones and David Callick.
Leonard Stokes (center), Op.
Director for A Farang Affair Co. Ltd., poses with the lovely ladies.
(L to R) Nigel Quennell, President
of the Rotary Club Eastern Seaboard Thailand, Craig Muldoon from Platinum
Financial Ltd., and David Strachan from Pattaya Property Auctions.
Miss Thai Lovely 2014 gather for a
bikini clad group photo.
Tony Barchetti (2nd left) from
Siam Bungy Jump poses with 3 contestants of the Miss Thai Lovely 2014.
(L to R) Earl Brown, Paul Strachan
and Samuel Jones.
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