About The Blogger

My name is Tammy Lim and I am an award winning blogger from Top 10 Malaysia Magazine and Cleo Malaysia Magazine. I have been blogging since 2008 and I am also the founder of a local Malaysian beauty & lifestyle community called The Butterfly Project. People often tell me that I'm a wonder woman, but in reality - if it's something you love, you can do wonders.

When I'm not wondering, I'll be on my computer searching for the next fountain of youth or hunting down a fantastic deal. I'm also a shopaholic, wanderluster, spa enthusiast and proud hipster who loves planning special occasions and surprises for her loved ones.
  • Top 10 Female Bloggers in Malaysia Award
  • Cleo's Next Top Blogger Malaysia Award
  • Founder of The Butterfly Project Malaysia



  • Diabetes Type II : Start with the Right Duo

    10.19.2016

    Let's Talk About Diabetes
    (source: hwww.thewalkingencyclopedia.com/diabetes-mellitus)

    Today I have decided to again go cold turkey on Coca-Cola. I can't keep track of how many times I have tried to quit. The longest was one year (2014-2015) where I changed my eating habits, got on a weight loss program and lost 20kg. Then I fell in love, worked for a start-up company, juggle between a community I started and dabble in party planning. That's when the tiny voice, started calling me back. From there I lost control and was again back to square one.

    There are three types of Diabetes
     (source: www.patiadiabetes.com/en/patia/diabetes)

    Sigh, long story cut short. Reasons why again I need to cut Coca-Cola and reduce the intake of soft drinks because I take too much sugar into my body and that is a risk for Type II Diabetes.  People who love me are worried about my health and my obsession with soft drinks, particularly my Coca-Cola (insert Gollum's voice over). It would make me feel better if my family's medical history cross off Diabetes but no both my parents have a family medical history of Type II Diabetes. There are three types of Diabetes - Type I, Type II and the one you get during pregnancy.

    Three Types of Diabetes:
    (source : https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/types)
    Type 1 Diabetes  
    Type 1 diabetes, which used to be called juvenile diabetes, develops most often in young people; however, type 1 diabetes can also develop in adults. In type 1 diabetes, your body no longer makes insulin or enough insulin because the body’s immune system, which normally protects you from infection by getting rid of bacteria, viruses, and other harmful substances, has attacked and destroyed the cells that make insulin.
    Treatment for type 1 diabetes includes:
    • taking shots, also called injections, of insulin.
    • sometimes taking medicines by mouth.
    • making healthy food choices.
    • being physically active.
    • controlling your blood pressure levels. 
      Blood pressure is the force of blood flow inside your blood vessels.
    • controlling your cholesterol levels. 
      Cholesterol is a type of fat in your body’s cells, in your blood, and in many foods.

    Type 2 Diabetes
    Type 2 diabetes, which used to be called adult-onset diabetes, can affect people at any age, even children. However, type 2 diabetes develops most often in middle-aged and older people. People who are overweight and inactive are also more likely to develop type 2 diabetes.
    Type 2 diabetes usually begins with insulin resistance—a condition that occurs when fat, muscle, and liver cells do not use insulin to carry glucose into the body’s cells to use for energy. As a result, the body needs more insulin to help glucose enter cells. At first, the pancreas keeps up with the added demand by making more insulin. Over time, the pancreas doesn’t make enough insulin when blood sugar levels increase, such as after meals. If your pancreas can no longer make enough insulin, you will need to treat your type 2 diabetes.
    Treatment for type 2 diabetes includes:
    • using diabetes medicines
    • making healthy food choices
    • being physically active
    • controlling your blood pressure levels
    • controlling your cholesterol levels

    Gestational Diabetes
    Gestational diabetes can develop when a woman is pregnant. Pregnant women make hormones that can lead to insulin resistance. All women have insulin resistance late in their pregnancy. If the pancreas doesn’t make enough insulin during pregnancy, a woman develops gestational diabetes. Overweight or obese women have a higher chance of gestational diabetes. Also, gaining too much weight during pregnancy may increase your likelihood of developing gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes most often goes away after the baby is born. However, a woman who has had gestational diabetes is more likely to develop type 2 diabetes later in life. Babies born to mothers who had gestational diabetes are also more likely to develop obesity and type 2 diabetes.

    The Health Risks of Type II Diabetes

    Both my grandparents from mom and dad's side are diabetic but my Kong Kong's (grandpa) story is something I remembered followed by a sad incident that happened to my family. I thought I could share this as a personal story on how Diabetes can be a silent killer.

    My Kong Kong - Gone Too Soon

    Kong Kong (grandfather) left us early due to a what seemed to be a harmless accident getting cut by a nail. I was only 15 years old. It seemed that the infection became worst because he was also diabetic. His leg was amputated but things took a turn for the worst when he suddenly passed away due to blood poisoning (sepsis).

    My Daddy - Stroke Before Christmas
    My dad had a stroke back in late 2013 just before Christmas. He was diabetic and was having hypertension as well. My dad was a single father trying to feed three children, and a family back then. His lifestyle choices weren't great - smoking, drinking, eating + overweight.

    Thankfully, my dad survived post-stroke. His motor skills were affected and he wasn't able to walk or stand by himself. His speech impaired, signals were getting mixed up. He tried his best to talk to us but nothing could be formed in words. When he wrote on a paper, it meant something else instead of what he was trying to say. E.g lemons can be "cat". My sister just graduated then and decided to put off finding work to care for our father. She put him on a strict diet and brought him to physiotherapy. Within a year, my dad was recovering and soon he was making plans to travel (omg). His speech might be still a woozy now and then. The amount of medications he's on, his determination to be better was admirable. All this happened and he still was taking care of my siblings financially.

    When I brought my boyfriend, Baby G back home for Chinese New Year reunion dinner, my dad smiled at him and said (with gestures) sorry if he couldn't converse well due to stroke and gave Baby G a big angpow. You gotta give my dad a thumbs up for breaking the ice there.

    found this interesting poster from #sodakills

    All this sounds too scary, and yet I am still not scared enough to take my health seriously. I battle against my desire to drink sugary drinks (a bad lifestyle habit) and eat carbs (rice is my favorite). Already it's bad that I don't exercise due to injury reasons + work + tired + lazy. That's why the first thing I should do is cut down on the sugary drinks and drink more water. I particularly like cold lemon water so I'm just going to substitute my soft drinks for this (if I can).

    so you have Type II Diabetes, what's next?

    What happens if you already have Type II Diabetes like my family members and my dad? Then monitoring and controlling your blood sugar level is important to ensure you do not fall into any serious health risks e.g stroke. To do this, change your lifestyle - exercise 30mins a day and eat healthily (avoid sugar, and food that cause blood sugar level to go up!). The doctor would prescribe treatment and management of Diabetes if lifestyle modifications do not help.

    My dad is currently on a lot of medications that he has to take on a daily basis. When I look at his pillbox, I start to get confused with all the different pills he's taking. If there is a solution to the number of pills he takes that could help his condition (Diabetes + high blood pressure) as reducing side effects of taking so many meds that would be good.

    Start with Right Duo
    I recently learnt of a recent breakthrough for the innovative management of Type II diabetes that I would like to share with you.

    AstraZeneca Sdn Bhd (AstraZeneca) recently launched and made available in Malaysia a new combination drug called the once-daily xigduo™ XR (Forxiga + Metformin XR). Combining two anti-hyperglycaemic agents, Forxiga (dapagliflozin) and Metformin XR, xigduo™ XR helps to reduce glucose levels in the bloodstream and promote early glycemic control among Malaysians with Type 2 Diabetes (reference AstraZeneca Sdn Bhd Press Release on XIGDUOTM XR launch NO SIRI KELULUSAN KKLIU: 1473/2016). 

    Panel answering media queries during the Official Launch of xigduo™ XR
    From L-R: Professor Dr. Mark E Cooper (Deputy Director & Chief Scientific Officer Baker IDI Heart & Diabetes Institute Australia),Professor Dr. Chan Siew Pheng (Senior Consultant Endocrinologist), Dr. Viraj Rajadhyaksha (Medical Director AstraZeneca Malaysia) & Mr. Allen Patino (Country President AstraZeneca Malaysia)

    "The launch of XIGDUOTM XR in Malaysia today is yet another step forward in improving the lives of those affected by this disease. It reflects our unceasing efforts in availing innovative and effective management solutions to address chronic diseases such as diabetes. 

    I hope this serves as an encouragement for both Health Care Professionals (HCPs) and Malaysians living with Type 2 Diabetes to ‘Start with the Right Duo’, XIGDUO XR, for early management of glucose levels, as well as weight and hypertension. In doing so, we may then be able to ultimately reverse the alarming prevalence of diabetes in the country," Allen Patino, Country President of AstraZeneca Malaysia.

    I hope my sharing of this new Diabetes medication would help you. If you need more information about xigduo™ XR tablet, please contact your local Health Care Professional who may be able to advise you more professionally.

    xigduo™ XR is available in Malaysia in three different dosages - 10/1000 mg, 5/1000mg and 10/500mg. Each xigduo™ XR tablet contains the following active ingredients:
    • xigduo™ XR 10/500 (MAL16045044ACRZ) - dapagliflozin 10 mg metformin XR 500mg
    • xigduo™ XR 10/1000 (MAL16045040ACRZ) - dapagliflozin 10 mg metformin XR 1000mg
    • xigduo™ XR 5/1000 ((MAL16045043ACRZ) - dapagliflozin 5 mg & metformin XR1000mg

    4 comments:

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