COMMUNICATION - YOU’RE ONLY HALF WAY THERE

EAT RIGHT THIS FESTIVE SEASONTEACH YOUR BODY NEW TRICKS

MEET OUR SUPER CREATIVE TERRARIUM WINNERS

+ 5 MUST-DOS BEFORETHE YEAR IS OVER

NOV-DEC 2011

NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2011

5 MUST-DOS BEFORE THE YEAR IS OVERIt’s a great time to be out and about

EAT, SHINE, LOVEHere’s the foods that will keep you looking and feeling fab this festive season

THE MAGIC OF LISTENINGBuild better relationships with these tips from our guest writer Alan Yip

THANKS FOR THE MEMORIESListen to your body and it will be your friend for life.

BACK PAGEMeet our creative terrarium winners!

CONTENTS

WELCOME

Cerebos Pacific Limited18 Cross Street,#12-01/08China Square Central, S048423

Careline: 1800 732 4748(Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm, excluding Public Holidays)customercare@cerebos.com.sg

to our first online-only issue of BRAND’S®World

When we sat down to discuss about what would go into the inaugural online issue, we decided it should be about living well. By that, we don’t mean making more money or having bigger or better things. Living well is about treasuring the things that are truly important in life. Our health and relationships and, of course, the well-being of our loved ones.

In essence, treasuring time which flies by too quickly and living well through enjoying good health, to make the most of every precious moment.

Speaking of how quickly time flies, sadly this is my last foreword as editor of BRAND’S®World. It has been my privilege to head the dedicated and talented team at BRAND’S® for almost four years. Through healthy communication, it’s important to not only speak, but also to listen, and I’ve enjoyed getting to know, understand and respond to the concerns of our valued customers and loyalty members. Our guest writer Alan Yip talks about this in his article “The Magic of Listening” on page 6 of this issue.

I hope you’ll make my replacement, Ms Isabella Tan, as welcome as you’ve made me feel. Isabella has been a driving force behind BRAND’S® for many years and I’m sure she’ll see her passion reflected on these pages in future issues.

As always, we’d love your feedback on the content of this issue, or anything on your mind. Do drop us an email if you’ve got something to say. We’re always listening.

For those who are keen to participate in our ‘It Pays to be Alert’ spot-the-difference competition, entries close on 15 November 2011. There are details on doubling your chances of winning on our Blur or Not Facebook page. Good luck!

Goodbye & all the best!

Yours in Health,

Geetha K. BalakrishnaGeneral ManagerSingapore

Welcome

© 2011 Cerebos Pacific Limited.

CONTACT US

www.facebook.com/blurornotwww.facebook.com/BrandsInnerShineSG

Get out into the sunshine with family or friends before the manic festive season sets in and try something new.

With the Circle Line officially opening on October 8, great destinations for a day out are now at your doorstep. Get off at Botanic Gardens for a walk through Singapore’s most beautiful garden, check out the sunset at Labrador Park or stroll a circuit of the new Marina Bay Promontory and admire the public art and the changes to the city skyline.PIC: Breathe by Edwin Chong @ Promontory

Train to Relax

If you cook, you know the best meals always start with fresh ingredients, and they don’t get much fresher than at Farmer’s Market. You’ll find gourmet meats, wines, organic vegetables, cheeses, breads, and lots of tempting homemade baked goods. Bring your shopping basket along to Loewen Gardens, 75 Loewen Rd, on Nov 5 and 19 or Dec 3 and 10.http://thepantrycookeryschool.com/wp/farmers-market/

Don’t Forget The SourceIf you need proof that vegetarian cuisine can be divine, just join the crowds that have discovered the Peranakan-Thai deliciousness at Whole Earth. Our favourites include the Assam Pedas, made with tamarind, galangal and ginger flower, and the Sambal Long Beans with Tempeh. No MSG is used here, and it’s a big menu with plenty to choose from. Bookings recommended, it gets crowded.76 Peck Seah Street, 6323 3308www.wholeearth.com.sg

Whole Lot Of Flavour

Looking for a day out that’s educational and entertaining? Dinosaurs - Live! has just opened at The Annexe, Science Center, and is only on until Feb 26, 2012. It’s just an 8 minute walk from Jurong East MRT station, but you’ll feel like you’ve travelled back millions of years, and it features the latest animatronics and a chance to ride a dinosaur.http://www.dinosaurs-live.com

No Bones About It

As the year draws to a close, Orchard Road gets busy, and it’s tempting to hide away at home and try to stay away from the shops. But the Orchard Road Christmas Light Up is November 20 and this year’s theme is A Starlit Christmas. An evening out with your family is sure to be a magical event they won’t forget. So, grab your loved ones and your camera and head into town to capture the spirit of Christmas.

Get The Festive Moodv

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BRANDS®WorldNov-Dec 20113

SWEETS FOR MY SWEET

The festive season. It’s the season for all kinds of eating and drinking temptations to be placed in your path, but it’s also the season when you want to be looking and feeling your best. So, how do you decide when to indulge?

The good news is that if you make some smart choices along the way, some festive treats might even be good for you.

If you’ve ever done any home baking you already know the bad news about cake.

Even the so-called “healthy” ones like Carrot Cake and Wholemeal Muffins have a lot of refined sugar in them.

There are links between excessive sugar intake and high cholesterol, diabetes, cardiovasular diseases and osteoporosis, and our bodies change it into 2 to 5 times more fat in our bloodstream than starch.

TCM teaches us that sweetness is one of the six tastes we need to stimulate our taste sensations. Don’t deny your tastebuds, but remember, everything in moderation.

Sugar and spice and all things nice. Is there anything harder to resist than all those yummy Christmas and New Year treats?

BRAND’S® Sesamin with Schisandra ExtractSesamin cleans the body of harmful substances for healthy liver function and Schisandra is beneficial to liver protection and liver health.

InnerShine® Capsaicin + Green Tea Extract with Essence of Chicken (Added with HCA)Burn more calories and turn fat into energy.

Pack these BRAND’S® products in your festive survival kit to keep you looking and feeling great.

Too much to eat?Too much

to drink?

A recent study found that 8 in 10 Singaporeans take too much salt, and that on average our daily intake is 60% above recommended levels.

Why is that bad? It can upset your stomach, and it increases calcium loss in the kidneys, and the risk of high blood pressure. It also contributes to water retention in the body and it increases appetite, tempting you to overeat and

overdrink. Why do you think they put free salty snacks out at bars?

Salt is already hidden in so many of our foods, from bread to yoghurt. So if you see snacks that are obviously salty, don’t even have the first one.

Festive drinking is about quality, not quantity. If you’re choosing the venue, consider one of the new generation of cocktail bars, where drinks may be a little pricey but combine exciting taste combinations and artful technique. Just have one or two. Nothing destroys a youthful complexion faster than a hangover.

Or better yet, skip the alcohol altogether. Fruit juices might not have all the benefits of fruit, but they’ll certainly leave you sweet-breathed, hydrated and feeling great the next day.

A GLASS WITH CLASS

CAN’T STOP AT ONE

Dark chocolate is packed with nearly 8 times as many antioxidants as you’ll find in strawberries. It balances hormones and produces small amounts of nitric oxide that relaxes blood pressure.

The latest research also tells us that the flavonoids in chocolate lower LDL cholesterol (the “bad” cholesterol) levels.

The aphrodisiac properties of chocolate are still unproven, but any romantic knows that it can’t hurt to try.

BRANDS®WorldNov-Dec 20115

You’re good at expressing yourself. You’re clear with your words, and everyone understands what you mean and how you feel about things. You get your point across and you think you’re a good communicator. What if I told you that you might be wrong?

T here’s an old saying, “we have two ears and one mouth, so we should listen twice as much as we speak”. Old sayings don’t get to be old by being useless, and there’s a

lot of truth in this one.

We all want healthy relationships in our lives, and happy relationships are built on communication. Of course that means being able to express ourselves clearly, but communication flows two ways. The things you say are only going to be valuable when you hear, understand and value the things that are said to you.

That means being mentally alert and staying focused. It also means truly hearing what’s being said. It’s trickier than it sounds, but fortunately Dr Jerry R. Day has two excellent tips in his book How to Raise Kids You Want To Keep.

Rule #1 Listen to Understand

Edgar Watson Howe once joked, “No man would listen to you talk if he didn’t know it was his turn next.” It’s a trap we all fall into, but it doesn’t have to be. Dr Day has a couple of simple steps to make sure the other person feels like they’re being heard, and that you truly understand what’s being said:

a. Listen without interruption. When we interrupt anyone, including children, they feel like what they’re saying is not

important to us. We don’t always have to agree with what’s being said, but it shows that we value the other person and what they have to share.

b. Listen non-defensively. If you get emotionally charged while you’re listening, your understanding drops by around 15% and your judgement becomes clouded. By listening without defending or correcting, the other person feels respect and validation by you.

Rule #2 Listen to Reflect

How can we be sure we fully understand the other person’s point of view? Reflect it back to them. Summarise in your own words what you think the other person said. If they think something needs clarifying or correcting, they’ll tell you.

You don’t have to be a parrot. Show that you’re really interested in understanding what’s being said.

For example, if your child says “I don’t know how to do these equations. They’re dumb.”, you might say something like “It sounds like you’re having problems and getting frustrated?” You’re opening up a channel of communication with that question, and you’ve just invited your child to express their problem areas and anxieties.

Just think how much a skill like this could improve your relationships. Master this tool and it will keep you on target, less emotional and more receptive to ideas for problem-solving.

We all have a tendency to zone out a little while people are talking to us, but it pays to be alert. Make an effort to truly listen, and you might be surprised by what is being said to you.

This is adapted from bestselling book FUNtastic® Parenting by Alan Yip, founder and CEO of Mind Edge Pte Ltd. For more information contact Mind Edge at 6345 1618 or www.mindedge.com.sg

BRANDS®WorldNov-Dec 20116

The way our bodies move is just as habitual as everything else we do. The body learns neuromuscular patterns and then sticks with them. It frees our mind up to deal with other things, and that’s OK when the habits are good, but unfortunately that’s not always the case.

Repeated stress on any part of your body can lead to a whole range of problems, from decreased sensitivity to chronic muscle pain.

What can you do to improve your own body’s habits? Here are four tips to help you teach your body new tricks.

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JOIN THE FUN ON FACEBOOKBlur moments - we’ve all had them! Enjoy our community’s blur moments and share your own. There’s weekly quizzes, prizes and surprises.

IT PAYS TO BE ALERTDon’t forget, our spot-the-difference competition on specially marked BRAND’S® Essence of Chicken ‘It Pays To Be Alert’ Packs ends 15 November 2011. You could win a Subaru Impreza 2.0MT Sedan and over $20,000 in cash and prizes. Check our Facebook page for details of how you could DOUBLE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING!

Visit www.facebook.com/blurornot or call 1800 732 4748 for more details.

As we always like to say, “keep your mind switched on”. Your

body will give you all kinds of early warning signs if you listen to it.

Pioneers in body-mind studies, like Frederick Matthias Alexander

and Moshé Feldenkrais, believed that the body could be taught new movements to replace those doing harm. This could be much more effective than bodywork like physiotherapy for dealing with your

body’s complaints. You can replace bad habits with good ones if you focus on them.

Help your body by keeping an eye on your diet. Glucosamine

stimulates the production of proteoglycans and collagen, vital for healthy cartilage, Tangkwei, Ginkgo Biloba and Sesamin assist in the maintenance of healthy circulation and Zinc helps the body recover from

wounds and other damage. Modern lives are full of free radicals, so make sure your diet is rich in antioxidants, or consider taking supplements.

If your exercise isolates specific muscle groups to improve tone,

mass and power then it may not be helping your body as much as you think it is. Consider switching to coordinated whole-body movements, like yoga or pilates.

By improving your physical or postural habits, particularly those that have become ingrained and conditioned responses, you’re giving your body freedom of movement, along with many benefits that go with that. And, isn’t freedom something we all want?

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Habits. We’ve all got them. Some we’re aware of, while others are so deeply ingrained that we don’t even know they’re there.

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BRANDS®WorldNov-Dec 20117

All our winners receive a pair of weekend child

tickets to Universal Studios Singapore

LEFT TO RIGHT:Judith EvangelineAlan Tam Wen Jie

Janeen LeeLim Wan JinLim Yu You

There’s no shortage of creative kids in Singapore! Last issue we

invited entries for our BRANDS® DIY Mini Terrarium Competition and they all looked fantastic. It was hard to pick the winners, but here are our five favourites.