Acupuncture, airports, and aging in reverse

I’d been feeling some discomfort in my throat, so I went to the clinic for what I assumed would be a simple routine checkup - blood pressure, heartbeat, avoid hot/cold drinks and the usual “drink more water” lecture.

Instead, after hearing my symptoms, the doctor did a short acupuncture session. Before I could ask whether it works, he handed me medication for three days and told me to return in a week. Mind you, this was my first time doing acupuncture! 

Fast forward to the next appointment. I walked in feeling better and ready for my follow‑up. The doctor looked at his computer, then at me… then back at the computer… then at me again. I was about to ask if my file had been mixed up with someone else’s when he leaned in and said:

“Patience… you don’t look your age at all.”

(Mind you, I’ll be hitting 50 in a few years.)

Then he added, “You look like someone in their late 20s.”

I just smiled and said, “Thank you doctor, I hear that all the time. For some years now, I practice intermittent fasting and OMAD—one meal a day.”

He looked genuinely impressed. We went ahead with another acupuncture session, and he asked me to return in a week.

In my opinion, some people are simply born into the “looks younger than their age” category—and I’m pretty sure I’m one of them. My proof? A string of similar compliments and one unforgettable airport incident from my early days in the Foreign Service. Even now, every time I pass through that airport, the memory hits me like a sitcom rerun I never asked for but still laugh about. 

At 23, I’d just come back from my first work trip abroad, attempting to carry my diplomatic passport with humility instead of the dramatic flair it clearly deserved. I handed it to the customs officer, expecting a routine identity check. She examined it… then examined me… then examined it again as if conducting a full forensic investigation. Finally, she asked, with the seriousness of someone solving a mystery: “Are you the diplomat… or is it your father?”

Perplexed, I leaned in gently and said, with all the calmness I could garner:

“Madam, please take another look at the passport - does it say diplomat, or ‘child of a diplomat’ ?”

She glanced at me one last time. Then without a word - she slid my passport back across the counter. No questions. No apologies. Not even the courtesy of a reluctant smile. Just the cold, silent acknowledgment that the math, indeed, was mathing.

And that’s how I learned that looking like a teenager while holding a diplomatic passport can confuse airport officials. 

There was another time I was out with friends, heading into a bar that required ID at the door. You know - the kind of place where the rules around alcohol are strictly adhered to. I stepped up confidently… only to be denied entry because I didn’t have my ID on me.

The bouncer took one look at my face, decided I was roughly twelve years old, and that was that. I stood there in disbelief, realizing my baby face had just sabotaged my night out!

Looking younger can be influenced by many factors: healthy habits and lifestyle choices, low stress, good environments, and - let’s be honest  - pure genetics. People often tell my parents that they look forever young, and I’m convinced I inherited those youth-preserving superpowers. With some luck, I’ll pass them on to my children too. (You’re welcome, future youthful generation!)

As for my personal “anti‑ageing toolkit,” it’s nothing dramatic. I read and listen to spiritual literature, keep my inner peace intact, practice mindfulness and gratitude, meditate, and stretch with yoga. Apparently, a calm mind, flexible muscles, and a healthy dose of laughter work better than any expensive face cream. 

In 2007, I created a Yahoo group to share jokes with friends and family. Ten years later, social media took over and I upgraded to a WhatsApp group viz Fun. Indeed, laughter feeds the soul, and honestly, it may be the closest thing we have to reverse ageing.

Who knew tranquility and laughter could double as a beauty regimen?

Would you like to share your own anti-ageing toolkit? I’d love to hear from you!

The Message That Lit Her Spiritual Journey

One evening after work, I remembered a message from a friend I’ve been guiding on her spiritual journey. I sent her an audio note, sharing a simple truth: creation unfolds in three levels—thought, word, and action.

When you think of something negative or unwanted, avoid speaking about it. Words give thoughts more energy, and once you’ve thought and spoken them, you’ve already advanced two stages of creation, making them more likely to manifest. Instead, let unwanted thoughts fade by replacing them with positive ones—because nature doesn’t allow a vacuum.

It’s true that in quiet or lonely moments, negative thoughts often creep in. But remember, there is always a time gap between thought and manifestation. That gap exists so you can change or redirect your thinking. The easiest way to avoid negative thoughts is to intentionally fill your mind with positivity - listen to positive affirmations, read uplifting material, and surround yourself with encouraging messages and people.

As the saying goes, rubbish in, rubbish out. The subconscious mind reproduces whatever it receives, without judgment. Feed it negativity, and negativity will shape your reality; feed it positivity, and positivity will flourish in your life.

Improving your circumstances begins with gratitude, self-belief, and the awareness that you deserve happiness and fulfillment.

Each of us came to earth with a mission. However, when we are born, we forget the mission we came to fulfill. We must learn everything anew - how to talk, how to walk, and eventually how to rediscover the path that leads us back to our original purpose.

True fulfillment often comes when we reconnect with that mission. Yet it is important to remember: some people will pass through life without ever knowing why they are here, and that is perfectly okay. What matters is knowing that every day offers a chance to become a better version of ourselves.

Know that you have a right to be here. Keep seeking, keep learning, and trust that the Universe will align to bring you the answers. Believe in yourself, and your choices today will shape the person you become tomorrow.

The friend replied with heartfelt gratitude for the inspired support and guidance I had offered. In her response, she recognized the power of gratitude and the role of positive living as essential companions for the next steps of her spiritual journey.

Q&A: what is my life purpose?

Question: How can one know their purpose in life?

Answer: Thank you for your question, Rosequeen. I will begin by commending you for asking this pertinent question at this stage in your life. Not everyone will reach this stage, congratulations! To have the awareness of finding your life purpose is a big milestone. Know that only you can decipher and determine what your great truth is: your purpose or mission on earth. You alone will eventually figure out what you came here at this time to do. You alone, with Divine guidance, will be able to remember what you promised yourself to come and fulfill as your life purpose during this temporary earthly experience. Once born, everyone forgets what they came here to do. They must learn to walk, talk, read and write, etc. Finding one’s purpose is one of the things you must  learn how to do.

Knowing your purpose could help provide direction and give you a sense of meaning. It could also influence your behaviour and determine how you prioritize your time.

Your purpose is not static. It evolves over time. Even when you think you finally know what it is, that revelation keeps evolving because we are fundamentally here on earth to learn, evolve and grow. We could eventually become Highly Evolved Beings when we are clear on what our life purpose is.

One of the easiest ways to know what your purpose is, is to know what you are passionate about. When you identify that thing which makes you feel good and you exploit it to help others grow, help them find their own mission, that could be a starting point.  

God created you for a purpose. When you find that purpose and its related sub-purposes, you could find more meaning in life and live a more fulfilled life. Here are some tips to finding your purpose in life.

You can begin to find your purpose in the little things of everyday life. It is important to start small and then grow bigger with time. Your mission may not necessarily be something big like eradicating poverty in the world. However, you can co-create with God the circumstances of your life, by using your skills and competencies to support communities with activities that will boost their income.

Explore your interests. What are your hobbies? What brings you joy? It is important to focus on the small daily things you do that bring you joy. Is it cleaning your home, is it farming, is it talking to people, is it sending kind messages to them, is it teaching and sharing knowledge, is it singing, is it art?

Link those interests to service for others. One of the easiest ways to experience something is to cause another to experience it. Purpose and fulfilment come when you have the satisfaction that you have used your skills and talents to make a difference that adds meaning to the lives of other people.

Learning from your experiences is also a great way to know your purpose. There is a saying, “Learn from the experiences of others because you may not live long enough to make your own mistakes and learn from them”. Some experiences such as exposure to injustice can propel you to become an activist for a better world. Watch, listen to the subtle messages that come to you when you undergo both pleasant and unpleasant experiences. Always question yourself to know the lesson the universe is trying to impart on you, then act on it.

Your circle matters. The people you surround yourself with can either make or mar your life purpose. It is expedient to surround yourself with people who help you to grow and who can contribute towards your experience of a meaningful life purpose. These are people who can also help you identify what you are good at. They notice some things you may not be aware of. I share with you a personal experience in high school in 1995. Mid-year, the school authorities launched campaigns for the election of student representatives. I was not keen on applying. One of my friends, Edna, encouraged me to apply. She told me that I have the qualities to become the girls’ Senior Students’ Officer. She took out a pen and paper and drafted the application for me. Her assurance motivated me to review the application which I deposited  in time. I prepared a campaign speech with the help of an incumbent student officer, and I won the elections by a landslide majority due to the well written speech. Your immediate circle can help you find purpose. In this case, I was steered by Edna to realize I could contribute to the student government through my leadership skills. Thank you, Edna.

Volunteering is another great way to avail of your skills and competencies to achieve purpose in life. Being a volunteer gives you the opportunity to try out new things that contribute towards making a positive difference in your community and the world at large.  This is also an opportunity to meet people who share your passions and inspire you to feel that you are contributing towards a higher purpose of helping others. Note that a volunteer is moved by passion and enthusiasm, and not recompense (money).

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There are some universal laws that can help you fast-track understanding your purpose in life. Gratitude is one of the greatest tools which is tied to fulfilment and satisfaction for what we have and who we are, and it is directly linked to well-being. Grateful people are happy people. You can operationalize gratitude by keeping a gratitude journal or by having a vision board. A gratitude journal is a notebook in which you put daily entries of what you are grateful for, both visible and invisible. We are spiritual beings in physical bodies. The body is something we have, not who we are. A vision board is a collection of words and pictures that depict your gratitude for what you have and what you hope to achieve.

Nothing has a meaning except the meaning you give it. Even though I suggest a few examples of life purpose here, it is meant to provide you guidance. As already mentioned, focusing on the small things in life will lead you to find other ‘purposes’ such as showing total dedication in daily tasks, mentoring other people on career development, having a passion for karaoke and entertaining others during home and public events, becoming a researcher to contribute to better health, having a family and giving the best example to your children, learning from a good or bad experience to help others avoid them.

In line with finding and achieving your purpose, recall this popular phrase from one of the greatest masters that ever lived, Jesus: “You are the light of the world”. You are like a light that when lit, cannot be hidden under a table. A light must shine so that others may benefit from it. By discovering your purpose, you help others discover theirs. There is fulfilment in supporting others to live a beautiful and harmonious life.

Know that your life purpose is independent of other people’s freewill. For example, it would be naïve to think that your purpose is to make someone happy. You cannot control someone’s life and you cannot make them do something against their freewill. We all came into this world alone and will leave alone. No one is responsible for another person’s happiness.

To crown it all, each morning, affirm the following: I am always in the right place at the right time, doing the right thing. This powerful affirmation sends out vibrations into the Universe so that things and events will reorganize themselves to bring the right people into your life at the right time, under the right circumstances, to participate in the realization of your life purpose. Life’s purpose is simply that which gives you the fulfilment of having contributed to a greater agenda that is of help to you and other people. When you do this, you do it with joy. Not constrain. Not because someone is asking you to do it. Not because you are afraid to go to a place called ‘hell’. You do it out of pure joy and the awareness that the raison d’être of life is to have joy in it.

Type 2 diabetes is reversible: exercise, intermittent fasting, dieting: two testimonies

There is a saying: you are what you eat. People who have experienced improved health and healthy weight loss through better meal choices can attest to this.

Mba is a friend who stopped taking insulin in 2023 after three (3) weeks of controlled dieting (eating foods very low in carbohydrates), intermittent fasting (spacing out his meals), and exercise (walking). He'd been taking insulin shots everyday for over 30 years to control type 2 diabetes. Despite no longer taking the shots, the family doctor advised him to continue monitoring his blood sugar to determine the precise quantity to eat. It may sound straightforward, but it takes a lot of self-discipline.

Ever since Mba was diagnosed in 1984, Mba sought help from diabetes specialists, but none revealed this simple therapy. They all focused on medication. It is thought-provoking how we grew up believing that we can medicate our way to health; to the point of taking medication and slimming teas to lose weight! Big Pharma comes across as your best friend…. It isn’t!

A friend once observed that you cannot empty a bottle (lose weight) by filling it up (eating something). If you want to lose weight, consider fasting rather than eating things that will ‘cause’ you to lose weight. Intermittent fasting has been proven to be one of the easiest weight loss techniques. Again, that is a story for another day.

To successfully reverse type 2 diabetes, Mba lived with his daughter who doesn't have a medical background but who was diagnosed with gestational diabetes a few years prior and put on insulin during her pregnancy and on medication (Metformin), after the baby was born. She could not imagine herself on medication for the rest of her life. She asked her doctor to take her off the meds because she decided to used diet and other means to control her insulin resistance. Her doctor agreed and gave her one month off the meds. She carried out extensive online research on how to regulate blood sugar. She modified her diet (very little or no carbohydrates), introduced an exercise routine (mostly walking) and spaced out her meals (intermittent fasting). As agreed, she returned to her doctor after one month and was permanently put off medication.

She credits her success to Dr. Jason Fung, a nephrologist and functional medicine advocate who promotes a low-carbohydrate high-fat diet and intermittent fasting to reverse type 2 diabetes. After watching some of his YouTube videos on reversing type two diabetes with therapeutic fasting, she began her journey and continued her research which led her to Dr. Eric Berg and Dr Mindy Pelz who are all advocates of intermittent fasting. Their YouTube channels carry short videos with a wealth of information you can benefit from. Indeed, type 2 diabetes is reversible to the point of no longer taking medicine! These two people are living testimonies.

Do u know that a simple headache could be resolved through rehydration? We ignore water and then we're surprised by these simple regular health challenges.

Do you know that the ear, just like the vagina, is a self-cleaning organ? Discard those cotton buds. They rather push germs into your ears to cause bacterial infections. Your pediatrician or family doctor will tell you same.

Enough rambling. Let’s keep sharing these practical health tips. We are here on earth to help each other. If you can’t help someone, at least don’t hurt them by suggesting dangerous health practices that don’t have evidence. The moment you begin searching how to improve your health both online and from similar success stories, you will live a healthier life.

PS: the caveat for online research is to always double-check with a medical specialist just like Mba did.

Blessings always, all ways💐. 

Breakfast: the most important meal of the day…it’s a myth!

Definitions are the beginning of wisdom. A myth is a widely held but false belief or idea. Breakfast is the first meal of the day and the word self-explanatory… to break your fast means you have been asleep all night (not eating/fasting) and whatever you eat after waking up constitutes breaking that fasting period, thus, breakfast, irrespective of the time of day.

I woke up on the morning of 25 February 2024 with gratitude in my heart and feeling delightful that God has given me an additional day to live. My mind was full of random thoughts about health, self-healing, fasting and our role in the process. The night prior, I had a WhatsApp group discussion with some friends about the role of fasting in the healing process. Digestion is an energy-consuming activity and our bodies ‘rest’ when they are not performing this task. Besides, long fasting periods deprive ‘diseased’ body cells of food, thereby causing them to die faster and let the healthier ones live on. Some health experts recommend a gap of at least 8 hours between meals. 

During our WhatsApp discussion, one of the group members made the famous statement, ‘Breakfast is the most important meal of the day’. That got me thinking. For over five years now, I practice OMAD (One Meal A Day) and this meal is always in the evening. If that statement is true, how come I am doing just fine? According to the above definition of breakfast, I take my breakfast in the evening because that is when I have my first meal after waking up. I decided to Google the origin of that famous phrase! Do you know that the phrase is nothing but a marketing slogan coined by John Harvey Kellogg’s cereal company in the 19^th century? It was meant to encourage people to buy and eat cereal!

Back to my thoughts… Water is the most important meal of the day. Fasting is the most wonderful gift you can offer your body. The ability to afford food isn't a passport to eat as we wish. Several diseases can be controlled through nutrition and intermittent fasting (google the last two words).

Bottomline, do not believe everything you hear. Do your research. Question the mainstream ideas and general thought patterns you have grown up paying attention to. Humans are rewarded for using their brains, not for having it. Your ‘truth’ will set you free. Unless you enjoy being caught in the processes of what other people think. Find your own truth and live it.

Blessings always, all ways 💐.