Let’s talk about those little bumps on our skin that we could all wish away.. Some people are more prone to cellulites than others (🙋 who is with me on this one?), we can only blame genetics for that…
I’ve learnt to not obsess over it and I’ve learnt to accept that it’s alright to have them. It’s funny how when you’re not intentional about something, everything just falls into place. And that’s my story with them cellulites.
I noticed the change and the reduction when I started adopting these habits. The sole purpose of incorporating them into my lifestyle was to take better care of my body and my health; cellulites reducing was just the cherry on top. I enjoy many other benefits from these habits that are far more important than that.
Habit #1: Eat Real Food
No joke, but as I started eating whole food and less processed food many years back, I’ve seen a tremendous change in my skin and those dimples. One thing I’ve learnt over the years when it comes to anything is, there’s never a shortcut worth taking. I’ve gone down that path of shortcuts one too many times and this is what I’ve learnt 👇
“Shortcuts may work, but the results are never here to stay”
And don’t we all already know this: the beauty is always in its journey, not the outcome.
I’ve touched a little about eating “real food” or whole food in my previous write up here. I thought today I’ll get into it a little more. Many get confused with the word “whole food”. It just means food that is not processed and in its original form. They are mostly not in a packet. Anything you see in the “FRESH” section of the supermarket is the whole food.
“Whole food = The food itself is the ingredient, and the ingredient itself is the food.”
Eg: sweet potato, orange, pink Himalayan salt, salmon, etc. No adulteration of any kind on them!
You can enjoy delicious meals just by using whole food or food that has only whole food in its ingredient list (yes, check those ingredient lists people!). For those of you who aren’t used to cooking, it is definitely not a daunting task, don’t sweat it. Here are some of my favourite recipes that you can try if you have no idea where to begin…
This habit is a little more current to me, but oh boy do I see the difference! You know when they say dry brushing is for detoxification? Whoever they are, they got it right… When I explored wellness a little more last year (yep, I did all that homemade scrub, homemade mask, and even DIY facial steam!), that’s when I got onto the whole “Dry Brushing” wagon. These are some of the health benefits I found when I looked it up:
👉 Clean pores and minimize pores
👉 Get rid of dead skin cells (exfoliation)
👉 Lymphatic support (detoxifies!)
👉 Energy Boost
I mean, how can anyone resist that? 😅
I started doing it daily before a shower and the reduction of cellulite happen pretty quickly with this one. Check out how to dry brush effectively and go try it out y’all, you can thank me later 😆
Tip: Always lather up with moisturizer after a shower if you’re dry brushing to keep skin moist and smooth.
There you go, the 2 habits I’ve adopted that has helped in reducing my cellulite over time. I hope they will help you with yours too. But remember, don’t obsess over it. Take care of your health first, and everything else will fall into place. Cellulite or not, you’re just the way you should be, nothing more and nothing less. #perfectimperfections #loveyourdimples 😉
Have a good week ahead! As always, remember tolove, share, encourage, listen and give 😘
Now, I’m sure we are all dying to know the secret to achieve guilt-free eating because seriously, who is not struggling with it? At least, everyone I know does…
I have personally struggled with it my whole life, in fact, more than the average person would, due to my extreme tendencies. It has led me to much emotional distress in the past. But before this becomes a sob story, there’s a silver lining to it!
It took me a long time (all through my schooling years and adulthood) to get to where I am today with food and at a place where I’m comfortable around food; not overthinking my choices or guilt-stricken after I thought I made a “bad” choice.
But before I go rambling on about all the craziness that goes on in my head, let’s drill into the topic of the day:
“How can we all eat whatever we like and not feel guilty about our choices, especially when they are deemed “sinful” or “unhealthy”?
Everyone’s unique and different in their own ways, so there’s no one size that fits all. This is something that has worked well for me so I thought I would share it with you.
Tip #1: The 80:20 Lifestyle
80:20 is something I live by that I believe is not restrictive and definitely sustainable. It basically means eating wholesome food 80% of the time and the other 20% you let loose and have whatever you fancy. Don’t get me wrong, you do not need to be weighing out this ratio to the tee because that’ll just be stressful (and that’s not the point, eating healthy should not be stressful!). Here’s how I typically do it;
I would cook more at home and eat out less. For my schedule, it would normally be lunches and dinners at home on weekdays and dine out on the weekends. I love making nourishing meals (my recipes) with wholesome ingredients. So when I dine out, I’ll just order whatever I fancy; if it’s burger and fries on that day, then burger and fries it is!
Since I’ve started adopting this, I enjoy my food guilt-free. I do not have thoughts of wanting to work out more or eating less the next day just because I’ve overindulged that night. When I noticed myself feeling that way, I knew I had broken free from my unhealthy relationship with food.
Tip #2: Set your mind to 👉 “It’s about what you eat, not what you can’t eat”
With all these elimination diets going around (you know those that preaches no carbs, no fats, no sugar….), I personally think it’s more important to focus on what you are nourishing your body instead of what you want to eliminate from your plate.
I mean, eating well is just all about eating your greens, proteins, fats, and carbs from whole food. Since when has it become so complicated? #eatrealfood guys, that’s all you need to remember about eating well.
My take on balanced eating and having a healthy relationship with food is if I’m nourishing my body well enough on a daily basis, what’s an indulgent chocolate cake going to do with it… Our body is so wonderfully created to do amazing things (such as cleansing and detoxing); it is smarter than we think! So, go ahead and enjoy your cake; at the same time make sure to also nourish your body with lots of good stuff and real food.
Enjoy your food, nourish your body, have a good week ahead guys! And remember to always love, share, encourage, listen and give 😘
The Malaysia Website Awards Presentation Ceremony 2017
MALAYSIA, DECEMBER 4, 2017 – The Exabytes Group, the organizer of the prestigious Malaysia Website Awards 2017 (MWA 2017) today officially announces the date and venue of the upcoming Award Presentation Ceremony of Malaysia Website Awards 2017, which is slated to reward over 720 immensely talented local website designers with over 39 awards in 3 award categories.
The Malaysia Website Awards 2017 is the third in the series, seeking to recognize and reward the outstanding performance, talent and effort of the best web developers, web designers and web agencies, and at the same time encourage creativity, sharing and improvement of overall web design quality in the country.
Organized by Exabytes Group and sponsored by eGHL, MYNIC, Frambie, CO3 Social Office and among others, the Malaysia Website Awards 2017 features 3 award categories, namely personal, commercial and E-Commerce, and several awards, such as the Site of the Month Award, the Public’s Favourite Website Award, and the grand prize, Site of the Year.
The much anticipated award ceremony of Malaysia Website Awards 2017 will be witnessed by several highly regarded industry experts, veterans and honorable judges, such as Mr. Leong Wai Khong, Head of Multimedia Design Department of The One Academy Penang, Ms Rachel Tan, Marketing Lead of Shopee Malaysia, Muid Latif, Lead Project of Creative Commons Malaysia and Susilan Kesavan, Senior Manager Social Media of Webe Digital.
Event details of the exciting night are as follows:
Date : 27 January 2018 (Sat)
Venue : CO3 Social Office @ Puchong
Time : 1800 to 2200
Admission : Free
Attire : Smart Casual
According to the group CEO of the Exabytes Group, Mr. Chan Kee Siak, the Malaysia Website Awards 2017 is highly competitive, with the organizer receiving over 500 website submissions each month. In order to choose the best among numerous immensely talented website designers, MWA 2017 required all website submissions to be approved prior becoming qualified to participate. The judging criteria of Malaysia Website Awards 2017 range from Design, SEO, Accessibility, Performance and Content
For further information on Malaysia Website Awards 2017,visit:
The Exabytes group, made up of Exabytes Capital Group and Exabytes Ecommerce group is a leading website and ECommerce hosting provider in Southeast Asia. Besides providing topnotch and highly reliable website hosting, server hosting and server management services etc. to more than 75,000 customers in over 121 countries, the group’s ECommerce arm that consists of Easyparcel and Easystore have in the past years worked seamlessly together to create value for ECommerce sellers in terms of knowledge and skills, ECommerce solutions, and business competitiveness.
For partner benefits and details of other promotions and products of the Exabytes Group, which include shared web hosting, cloud hosting, dedicated server hosting, reseller hosting, SSL web certificate, Virtual Private Servers (VPS), Content Delivery Network (CDN), server management, EBuzz Email Marketing, server co-location, student hosting, charity hosting, domain registrations, hosted ECommerce platform, integrated courier service platform (Easyparcel) and more, visit www.exabytes.my, www.exabytes.sg, http://usonyx.net/, http://www.signetique.com, https://www.easystore.co/ and http://easyparcel.my/
Autocrats vs The People: Authoritarian Populism in Malaysia
About The Book
Anne’s 1993 PhD thesis, ‘Authoritarian Populism in Malaysia’, published in 1996 by Macmillan was ahead of its time in its theoretical and political conceptualization of this current world-wide phenomenon. She has updated her thesis as a reminder of this Malaysian variant of authoritarian populism and its consequences. Apart from the toxic effects of populism on ethnic relations, authoritarianism has cost the country billions through financial scandals including the current 1MDB losses. Clearly, good governance and populism cannot coexist.
This book demonstrates how populism in Malaysia is long established and has been sustained ever since the New Economic Policy that came into force in the post-May 13, 1969 period. The Malaysian variant is a populism that is based on a call for ethnic entitlement (‘Bumiputeraism’) and one that has become increasingly Islamic in recent years. Anne’s thesis also contains one of the most thorough expositions of the politics surrounding detention without trial and other repressive laws in Malaysia.
Contents
Introduction
The Colonial Roots of Authoritarian Populism
The Post-Colonial State
Suppression of Political Opposition
Restructuring the State and Society
State Repression in the Seventies
Authoritarian Populism Under Mahathir
Class Contradictions and Popular Protest
Authoritarian Populism Entrenched
Conclusion
About The Author
Anne Munro-Kua received her BA in political science from the University of Sussex (1978) and her PhD from the Faculty of Economics & Social Studies, University of Manchester, UK (1993). She has taught in schools, colleges and universities in the UK and Malaysia and has also edited several publications including ‘Women’s rights as Human Rights’ and ‘Women and New Technology in Asia’. Since 2007 she has been leading her training and coaching consultancy, AMK Transformations.
What The Readers Say
Professor Edmund Terence Gomez, University of Malaya
‘Anne Munro-Kua’s analysis of authoritarian populism and its evolution in Malaysia is different, yet equally compelling, carefully traced against the grain of official history… a timely reminder that we need to be aware that this continuous process of constructing and reconstructing populist rhetoric is a tool employed by the ruling elite to perpetuate authoritarian rule.’
Gareth Richards, writer, editor, bookseller
‘Anne’s conceptualisation of ‘authoritarian populism’ has helped crystallise the defining features of the postcolonial Malaysian political economy.’
Gayathry Venkiteswaran, Lecturer at Nottingham University
‘This book is highly recommended for anyone wishing to understand how and why the Malaysian authoritarian state has been able to survive this long.’
Patrick Goi is a man of many talents. As the founder and managing PANGOI, Goi is also an accomplished chef and a ballroom dancer. He too is a recognised sommelier.
After nine years of working in a fashion and beauty retail industry, Goi decided that the time has come for him to set out on his own.
Known for his infectious energy, the affable Goi set up PANGOI Group Sdn Bhd in 2014 with the aim to redefine the world of fashion via its flagship brand name ‘PANGOI’.
As the founder of PANGOI, Goi’s primary responsibility is to expand the group’s market in Malaysia and beyond particularly the Asia Pacific and Middle-East.
‘Specifically, I make sure that we maintain a good rapport with our existing and potential clients and principle. I also head the research team, where we look into the demands and needs of our customers. Besides that, I guide and train my marketing team.”
Managing a new company in a highly competitive environment may sound daunting to some but Goi embraces all these head-on.
He noted that the toughest part of managing PANGOI is the fact that the industry itself is highly competitive.
“New products are being launched almost on a day-to-day basis, which means I have to be on my toes all the time in order to be updated on the latest trends, which will help me reach out to the customers more effectively,” he explained.
Goi has been working very hard in the past to learn more about the inner dealings of the industry so much so he has picked communication and networking skills.
“It helps with my confidence and I am now very motivated to make it big for my brand. Working in the marketing line has also taught me to be creative and innovative to reach out to the customers. Most importantly, it has taught me that the key to success is always to have a good attitude,” he acknowledged.
Born in Bukit Mertajam, Goi made the bold decision to leave the comforts of home for Kuala Lumpur at the tender age of 17 despite objections from his family.
“It wasn’t easy and I knew that. So even though I started from the very bottom of the ladder, I was still optimistic and motivated,” he recalled.
He reminisced the long hours he spent as a part-time promoter for different beauty products.
“It was tiring working and studying for my Diploma at the same time but it was worth it. As soon as I completed my studies, I began working at a department store,’ said Goi.
It was not long before he was promoted to a department manager position and Goi was only 21 years old.
“And I did not stop there. I knew that I had to do more so when I chose to continue my studies, I moved to the beauty and cosmetics industry as an assistant marketing manager for Total Image,” he shared.
This decision, he explained, did not only offer better career prospects but allowed him to work during the day and attend his classes in the evening.
When he completed his double degree in Economics and Business Management from the University of Greenwich, Goi found himself already in love with the fashion industry.
That was how his relationship with Alfio Raldo began.
“My first week on the job at Alfio Raldo was the longest and most tiring week of my life. I felt nervous to start a new chapter but at the same time, motivated to hold such a great responsibility in the company,’ he said.
Despite being new, his driven personality soon proved him to be a fast learner.
“It has always been about the end results for me and I make sure to put my skills to great use.”
The strategy proved to be fruitful. Within the first three months working for the company, Goi succeeded in getting the products listed on permanent counters in several department stores. How did he achieve the feat in such a short span of time?
“Persistence, persistence and persistence,” he shared with a laugh.
On a personal note, Goi still finds time to pursue his other interests.
“I love to cook and even participated in a cooking show on 8TV entitled Hot Chef. I am also a Latin dancer and have taken part in international ballroom competition overseas representing Malaysia!”
“When I am not cooking or dancing, I like to watch movies and listen to music. When I feel like breaking into a sweat, I find squash a great way to keep healthy.”
That certainly doesn’t mean that he is at the height of his potentials.
With a prospective MBA and a successful local fashion brand slowly making its way into the international market within the next five years, he has quite a journey of self-discovery waiting for him.
Key values that the company promotes include honesty, passion, results-driven, effective communication and sharing of knowledge and expertise.
“It is essential for our staff to uphold these values in order for us to achieve our collective goal.”
PANGOI Group Sdn Bhd was established in 2014 by Patrick Goi, who is also its managing director.
Riding on its founder’s vast experience in the retail industry, the company dabbles primarily in leather lifestyle products and merchandises.
Although a new player, the company strives to maintain the highest standards of materials and workmanship. PANGOI remains committed to carefully upholding the principles of quality and integrity that define the company.
The company’s products represent the unique combination of Malaysian culture and attitude, and superior product quality and durability as well as its commitment to world class customer service.
Today, the company is carrying its own brand, PANGOI, which aims to fulfil women’s desires to own a high quality yet affordably priced handbags, wallets and purses.
For that, PANGOI creates fresh new looks to appeal to modern women not only in Malaysia but also across the region from Australia to the Middle East.
Goi is engaging designers from Australia, Indonesia and Dubai to design and produce PANGOI handbags and purses where rich details are paired with high technical innovation.
Today, PANGOI products are available at its six outlets in Malaysia. It also is opening its first international outlet in Istanbul soon. Plans are afoot to have more outlets in Malaysia and abroad.
To ensure that all will be able to enjoy his handbags, Goi has also introduced PG for PANGOI, a much more affordable line that encapsulates PANGOI’s elegant and upscale designs.
The intention of this line was to make inexpensive fashion available for all.
