Wellness Tips- Be In Your Best Health Ever

Get inspired by these everyday women who are living life to the fullest and are in their best health ever.

- Low Jat Leng

“A cancer scare switched up my health and life forever”

MARIE CHOO, 39, dog behaviourist and trainer, and part-time lecturer at Lasalle College of the Arts.

You would not have recognised Marie a few years ago. She was working long hours, running a successful PR agency, entertaining clients, hosting media events, drinking, smoking and eating rich food. She hardly slept and the only exercise she did was walking her two dogs.

“From the outside, I had an enviably glamorous lifestyle, and I threw my heart and soul into it,” she says. “I didn’t give a second thought to my health and well-being. I was young and took pride in the fact that I rarely needed sick leave.”

Then, five years ago, while planning for her wedding, Marie had a scare. The results of a Pap smear showed she was on her way to developing cervical cancer.

“I had CIN 2-3, which is not cancer or life-threatening at that stage, but if I continued with my work-hard, party hard routine, there was a good chance the disease would develop.”

Marie’s doctor advised her to start taking care of her health and managing her stress levels. She also opted for preventative surgery to remove any abnormal cells after her wedding. “For the first time, I took a real look at how I was treating my body, mind and soul. I had to make changes.”

To start, she left her job and cut off some toxic relationships. She also took a course on mindfulness to learn how to deal with stress. Her diet underwent an overhaul, too – now, she avoids processed food and eats organic produce whenever possible.

“I made slow, realistic changes, so I didn’t feel too overwhelmed and could keep up the momentum. Today, I feel mentally and physically better than I did in my 20s.