By Errol Lim, Physiotherapist
A year ago, I blogged about being able to maintain my weight whilst on holiday in Korea. It involved mindful eating and a whole lot of exercise.
In the blogs since then, I have successfully achieved my target weight whilst also living a healthier life with a stronger immune system, attributed to improved sleep routines, much healthier eating habits with an appreciation for soy products, legumes and lentils as well as regular exercise.
A year on, I’m back in Korea, still at the same weight but this time having caught an almighty flu.
A few weeks ago, I was fit as a fiddle – exercising daily and eating healthily. In fact, I had managed to eat my own special blend of muesli 50 days in a row as part of my quest to win BJC’s Healthy Living challenge. As they say, I was on a roll.
Then came the start of my holiday, a few late nights lead to some sleep deprivation coupled with non-muesli, low fibre, high GI meals. This was exactly what my immune system didn’t need. Viruses are definitely opportunistic and the gentleman sneezing and coughing repeatedly on my flight to Korea was just the medium they needed to attack my depleted defences.
This experience has again emphasised the fact that, at least for me, my “beauty” sleep is a definite requirement. Even though I have eaten healthily in Seoul with the vast amounts of vegetables in the Korean diet and muesli and soy being back on the breakfast menu, it was all too late. On this occasion, the flu was the victor – Flu 1, Errol 0.
Lesson learnt and perhaps, I’ll be a smarter traveller next time……or not.
