"The Great Illusion about Health"
By James

Hi I am James.  I am only 44 years old and yet I am already a diabetic. I always considered myself health conscience. I limited my meals to three a day with no snacking in between. When I ate meat, I avoided red meat and ate mainly chicken without skin which was the healthier choice. I ate my share of vegetables and made sure that my meals were as balanced as possible. For exercise, I skipped ropes and took up running until my knees gave in and then I had to switch to walking. 

As my age progressed so did my weight. I looked around and saw that all my friends were putting on weight too. "It is part of ageing," they told me. At 40, my blood pressure was high, and so was my cholesterol level. One day I experienced very painful swelling in the leg which was so bad that I could not walk and it was then that I learnt what gout was. I took a blood test and found out that my uric acid was high. They told me not to worry as we have the best health care system in the region and our doctors have all sorts of pills to take care of my problems. "It is part of ageing," they told me.

During a health check I found that my blood sugar was high. I was told to lose weight and exercise. I changed to a healthier diet, steamed my chicken instead of frying them, ate more fish and increased my exercise but still my blood sugar was high during the second test to reconfirm the earlier result. The doctor then told me to try a new type of medicine that was effective for early stage diabetes.

The memories of my mother filled my thoughts. She was also a diabetic and suffered several paralyzing strokes in the ten years that she was wheel chair bound. It was a financial strain on the family but it was nothing compared to the emotional burden the disease placed on my mom. We were glad to contribute financially and gave her the best medical care but it did not make her happy. It was then that I found out that money could not buy health. What she wanted was her health back, something we felt helplessly beyond our knowledge or ability. We left her to be treated by the medical doctor and it was slowly down hill all the way.  

About 1 in 8 Singaporean will get diabetes and 1 in 3 will have cancer. I do not want to take medicine like my mom for the rest of my life or spend my hard earn money paying for medication which has long term side effects. I needed an alternative to long term drugs to control my condition.

When I met Ray Kent and Siok Khoon, I discovered something very unusual. Where everybody had something to sell, they sold nothing except the idea that our bodies can heal itself without costly medical care if only we give it a chance. They showed me the great illusion of our health care and food supply system. What I thought was healthy living was indeed most unhealthy and our health statistics proved them right. They taught body care and independent health. They changed my basic health myths which I was hopelessly clinging to even as an increasing number of my friends and relatives become sick at an ever younger age. They have also generously put their knowledge onto their website www.ourplaceinternational.com to make it as a resource centre for people who are looking for solutions in their struggle to regain their health.  If you find that the health information from our health experts madding and contradictory and not working for you, I strongly encourage you to visit to this website. Learn more about the work that Ray and Siok Khoon is doing and the activities they are conducting.

When it comes to health, there is a general sense of loss and resignation. We accept that as we age we will eventually become disabled and immobile. Our government is building so many ramps for wheel chairs that I am truly worried for all Singaporean. Now is the time to learn how to truly take responsibility for your own health.

I am organizing this talk on Rethinking Health Views, to be conducted by Siok Khoon, mainly for friends and loved ones because your health is as important to me as my own. Siok Khoon graduated from NUS and has for the past 5 years been assisting Ray Kent around the world, conducting numerous health camps, helping thousands of people regain their health. She has seen and experienced first hand how miraculous the body is. A buffet will be served for you for have a sense of what we mean when we talk about eating healthier. ~ Oct 2006■