Elixir Botanica

Today I drank orange juice! It was the last drink I had before I had stroke in June 2024, and I thought I had food poisoning when I threw up.

The experience was so traumatic I stopped drinking orange juice until today! So I just need to post this milestone.

Time heals if we are also willing to let go of painful and traumatic experiences. 👍❤️🙏

Dear EB Community,

*INDOLE-3-CARBINOL (I3C)*

_A proactive approach to women’s health_

I have been wanting to write about I3C for some time, and the timing couldn’t be better because yesterday I received a wonderful testimony from a client related to I3C and I got her permission to share.

I personally, first started taking I3C (Indole-3-Carbinol) in 2015 when I was going through menopause and experiencing hot flushes, breast tenderness and irregular periods.

My gynaecologist did a D&C, which thankfully was all clear. I told him I was taking I3C and felt it was helping my symptoms, and he was comfortable for me to continue.

My transition through menopause thereafter was remarkably smooth. I did not require hormone therapy and experienced very few of the other common menopausal problems. (I still from time to time take I3C and have started again to take proactive actions after seeing the rise in breast cancers.)

My initial experience with menopause symptoms (or lack of), made me very interested in I3C and I began studying the research behind it.

*WHAT IS I3C?*

I3C is a compound formed naturally from substances found in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale and Brussels sprouts.

What particularly interests me is its role in estrogen metabolism and the research into abnormal cervical cells.

In a small placebo-controlled human study involving women with CIN II–III (precancerous cervical changes), some women taking I3C experienced regression of these abnormal cells, while none in the placebo group had complete regression.

It was a small preliminary study, so this certainly does not mean I3C treats or cures cancer. But it provides an interesting scientific basis for further research into I3C and women’s health. And I am happy to say many readers of this post, have seen the benefits of I3C in their own health journey with me.

For me, the purpose of taking I3C is about being proactive rather than reactive — supporting our health while we are well, not waiting until disease develops.

And then yesterday I received this wonderful update.

*FROM SC, AGE 48*

SC developed irregular periods in 2024 and was referred to SGH Gynaecology.

Her February 2025 ultrasound found a 1.6 cm polyp and 4.0 cm ovarian cyst.

She began taking one I3C capsule daily in March 2025 while continuing six-monthly medical follow-ups.

Subsequent scans showed that the cyst continued growing. By January 2026, the polyp had also increased in size and a new 2 cm fibroid was detected.

In February 2026, she increased her I3C to two capsules daily, after she consulted me and I told her to take two.

Her latest ultrasound was in August.

Yesterday she wrote:

“Dear Rosemary, today I went for my review. The polyp is all gone. There is no sign of any polyp in this report.

The cyst on my left o***y has shrunk from 4.1 cm to 2.9 cm.

Praise the Lord! All Glory to the Lord! I am now given an open date. No need to do any six-monthly scans.”

What a wonderful report!

What makes her story especially encouraging is that the changes were documented through her medical ultrasound follow-ups.

I3C is not a substitute for medical care, nor do I recommend it as a cancer treatment.

My interest has always been prevention, nutritional support and being proactive about our health.

Continue your screenings.
Continue your medical follow-ups.
Eat your cruciferous vegetables.
Take care of your weight and metabolic health.
Exercise.
And supplement wisely.

Don’t wait for disease to rear its head.
Start while you are well.

If you haven't start on I3C yet, I greatly recommend you look into this and find out more.

*EAT WELL. LIVE WELL. SUPPLEMENT WISELY.*

🌿 *GROW OLD STRONG*

Hi EB Community!

Sometime in August, I saw a senior at a coffee shop, who was not able to carry his coffee to his table. This made me take a really hard look at my own life and how I see myself growing old? So I started this ‘Grow Old Strong’ campaign for myself and anyone else who like to join in.


GROW OLD STRONG

I decided to open my campaign with today's lesson on taking care of our body when young, because in recent weeks, some clients have approached me to discuss health matters that surfaced as they aged - osteoporosis, bad eyesight and conditions, cancers even.

Hope this helps us understand the importance of starting to look after our health when young. I started 20 years ago, what about you?

*LESSON 1: BEFORE DISEASE REARS ITS HEAD*

*Take Care of Tomorrow’s Body TODAY*

Why wait until something goes wrong before we start taking care of our health?

Many chronic diseases and age-related problems develop quietly over decades — often beginning when we are younger and seemingly coping well.

Cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and metabolic disease don’t usually appear overnight. Neither do osteoporosis, muscle loss, declining eyesight or cognitive decline.

By the time symptoms appear, changes may have been developing for years.

So the first lesson of GROW OLD STRONG is simple:

*Don’t wait for disease. Start while you are well.*

Poor diet, inactivity, smoking, excess alcohol, chronic stress and inadequate sleep can contribute over time to oxidative stress, inflammation and poor metabolic health.

Prevention starts TODAY — not after disease has occurred.

*PROTECT YOUR BONES*

Bone loss can happen silently. You don’t feel your bones becoming thinner.

This is particularly important for women during and after menopause, when declining estrogen can accelerate bone loss. Certain breast cancer treatments, including aromatase inhibitors such as letrozole, can also increase bone loss.

Don’t wait for a fracture or osteoporosis diagnosis.

Eat adequate protein and calcium-rich foods, maintain sufficient vitamin D and use your bones. Walking, resistance training and weight-bearing exercise help preserve bone and muscle.

Vitamin K2 also plays an important role in normal bone metabolism and works alongside vitamin D and calcium in supporting bone health.

*PROTECT YOUR EYES*

Our eyes age too.

Look after your blood pressure and blood sugar, don’t smoke, protect your eyes from excessive UV exposure and have regular eye examinations.

Eat plenty of colourful vegetables and fruits too. They provide carotenoids, polyphenols and other nutrients that support overall eye health.

Don’t wait until your eyesight deteriorates before thinking about your eyes.

*PROTECT YOUR MUSCLES*

Muscle is one of our greatest assets as we grow older.

Age-related muscle loss affects strength, balance, mobility, metabolism and ultimately our independence.

So MOVE.

Walk. Climb stairs. Carry your groceries. Do resistance exercises. Eat adequate protein.

_*Strong muscles help carry us into old age._*

*PROTECT YOUR BRAIN & HEART*

Keep moving. Keep learning. Stay socially connected. Sleep well.

And know your numbers — blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol.

Healthy blood vessels matter not only to your heart, but also to your brain, kidneys and eyes.

*SUPPORT YOUR ANTIOXIDANT DEFENCES*

Our bodies have sophisticated antioxidant defence systems, and good nutrition provides many of the nutrients and plant compounds that support them.

This is why antioxidants have always been an important part of my approach to everyday nutrition.

I don’t see antioxidants as miracle cures.

I see them as one part of supporting the body consistently, long before trouble appears.

Carefully selected supplements can complement — but never replace — good food and a healthy lifestyle.

*DON’T WAIT FOR THE DIAGNOSIS*

Don’t wait until you cannot walk as far.

Don’t wait until your bones become fragile.

Don’t wait until your eyesight begins to fail.

Don’t wait until your memory worries you.

Don’t wait until your blood sugar or blood pressure becomes a problem.

Start taking care of yourself while you are well.

The goal isn’t simply to live longer.

It is to *SEE, THINK, WALK, MOVE and LIVE* independently for as long as possible.

That is what it means to:

*GROW OLD STRONG*

EAT WELL.
LIVE WELL.
SUPPLEMENT WISELY.

Keep It Super Simple (remember KISS your life to better heath).









To read more health insights and topics, please checkout my website.

LESSON 1: BEFORE DISEASE REARS ITS HEAD — VigourCells™ 2 September 2026 GROW OLD STRONG I decided to open my campaign with today's lesson on taking care of our body when young, because in recent weeks, some clients have approached me to discuss health matters that surfaced as they aged - osteoporosis, bad eyesight and conditions, cancers even. Ho

Dear Friends,

Grow Old Strong 🌿

How it began…

Recently, I was getting coffee at my regular coffee shop when the lady serving me asked me to wait for a moment.

She was helping an elderly gentleman carry two cups of coffee back to his table, where his wife was waiting for him.

It was such a simple, everyday moment — but it made me think more deeply about how I see myself growing old.

Following my recovery from a stroke, I am even more aware of what I hope my future will look like.

I want to be able to walk and move well, think clearly, enjoy my food, have coffee with the people I love, laugh, travel, remain independent and continue enjoying life.

In other words, I want to:

GROW OLD STRONG.

And that’s how this little campaign began.

Next month, I’ll be sharing more about what we can do now to give ourselves a better chance of growing old strong.

We’ll talk about maintaining mobility, muscle and bone health; eating well; staying active; managing stress; sleeping and resting well; nurturing relationships and happiness; and taking care of our health from the inside too.

My approach remains very simple (in order of priority):

EAT WELL.
LIVE WELL.
SUPPLEMENT WISELY.

And my mantra to better health?

KISS — Keep It Super Simple.

There is so much talk today about longevity and anti-ageing. But rather than chasing vague promises of living longer or every new health trend, I want to focus on something much more tangible:

How can we stay strong enough to enjoy the years we are given?

We cannot prevent 100% of illnesses or unexpected things from happening.

But we can work on building a stronger body and a healthier foundation. And if illness or setbacks do come, being stronger and healthier may put us in a better position to cope, rehabilitate and recover.

Grow Old Strong isn’t about trying not to grow old.

It’s about preparing ourselves to grow older well.

And it doesn’t begin at 70.

It begins right now — at whatever age we are.

Follow me next month as we explore how, one simple step at a time. 💜🌿

GROW OLD STRONG.

Start now. At whatever age you are.

🙏❤️🙏

Interesting!

Play, joy, and love are biological necessities, and the science is unambiguous. 🧬

Laughter lowers cortisol and epinephrine, crying releases built-up nervous system tension, hugging shifts you out of fight-or-flight and into calm, singing stimulates the vagus nerve (which governs your heart rate, digestion, and immune response) and dancing actually promotes the growth of new brain cells.

These aren’t fringe concepts, this is your physiology responding to joy in real time.

We’ve built entire industries around optimizing food, sleep, and exercise, and those things matter deeply, but joy, play, and love belong in that same conversation.

Think of them as part of your health stack — non-negotiable, not optional, and available to you right now.

Joy IS health.