Jean Ang TCM

25/09/2025

Baby steps, in your own time. When you are ready.

Some things in life cannot be hurried. A baby’s first step is never the same for every child. Some are eager to walk before their first birthday, while others take their time, waiting until their parents begin to wonder when the moment will eventually come. In the end, each child finds their own way when they are ready.

It is the same with us. When you are ready, take that first step. It might be leaving the house, moving your body again, beginning the search for a new role, or daring to try something unfamiliar. Taking the first step may carry risks, but when you are ready, just go, and let each step guide the one that follows. The first step may feel uncertain, yet it does not have to be perfect. What matters is that it is yours.

Do not be afraid. There will be people around you, ready to give support when you need it. And you may be surprised by the strength and potential you already hold. When you are ready, move forward, and you will see the path begin to open before you.


Meet the resident cat at Active SG Clementi, and yes, the gym has Blippi on the TV for us.

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24/09/2025

Filter what you cannot remove.

Social media, especially from the West, often tells us to cut out toxic people. But what if that is not an option?


The liver cannot choose what enters the body. It breaks down harmful substances, filters blood, and neutralises toxins so they do not overwhelm us. In the same way, we sometimes cannot cut off difficult people, but we can learn how to lessen their effect.

The first step is not to take it personally. Their behaviour reflects their struggles, not your worth. From there, coping becomes a matter of filtering what you allow in. This might mean setting small boundaries, managing how much time you give, staying calm instead of reacting, or choosing which behaviours to ignore. Balancing this with support from positive people and a steady habit of self-care strengthens your resilience.

Just as the liver keeps working quietly in the background, we too can develop the discipline to filter negativity. We may not be able to remove toxic people completely, but we can stop their influence from taking root in us.

Facing a toxic person? WebMD outlines key signs and offers advice on setting boundaries or cutting ties to take care for your mental health.

23/09/2025

What do Korean dramas, running on the treadmill, and carrying the ache of something left behind have in common?

They are all the processes I found myself going through this morning.

With Korean dramas, I often watch the first few episodes, then skip ahead to the finale. I am too impatient to sit through the in-between. I need to know how it ends. Sometimes I circle back to the episodes I missed, but the feeling is never the same. The story has already leapt forward in my mind, and it is difficult to experience it with fresh eyes again.

Running is another process altogether. I honestly hate it. I would much rather play a sport, skip rope, or jump on a trampoline. But running is the most efficient way for me to train my heart and lungs. Being Singaporean, efficiency matters, so the treadmill has become my frenemy. I watch the numbers on the screen tick down, hoping time will move faster, grimacing through each passing second. To ease the torture, I balance my phone on the treadmill and lose myself in a K-drama, letting the story soften the grind of the run.

And then, there is the weight of absence. This process cuts the deepest. I know that things come and go in different phases of our lives, yet it is still painful. Tears welled as I ran, grief mixing with sweat. C’est la vie. I remind myself to learn from this, to hold on more carefully, and to carry forward what I can.

Processes. Some are to be savoured, like taking in the full beauty of a drama rather than skipping ahead. Some are to be endured, like running, with its soreness and discipline that strengthen me for the long run. Some, like loss, must simply be lived through, even when they are heavy.

Healing too is a process. It asks for patience, for time, for gentleness toward oneself. And though it may not come quickly, it does come. Like the closing scene of a drama or the final seconds of a run, there will be a moment when I look back and realise I have moved further than I thought. There will be lightness again, and with it, the strength to begin anew.

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Photo by Henry Be on Unsplash

22/09/2025

Temperature: 31°C (radio says)
Real feel: Chilli crab in the wok
Humidity: 267%
UV index: Dangerous, max
Wind: What wind?

On a serious note, the heat is no joke. Remember to drink up and look after yourself.

21/09/2025

"It’s one of many unanswered questions about perimenopause—including what it really is and how it differs from menopause despite sharing signature traits. Perimenopause also has at least a hundred different associated symptoms, ranging from the debilitating—major depression—to the bizarre—itchy ear canals. Some women barely experience anything, while up to a third may endure years of escalating problems."

The transitional phase leading up to menopause is more than just a physical event; it's a dynamic period driven by fluctuating hormones that can affect the entire body. While perimenopause was once widely misunderstood, a surge in public discussion is now fueling scientific inquiry as researchers explore how these hormonal shifts inform a surprising range of symptoms, including changes in the brain.

Uncover the science behind perimenopause: https://on.natgeo.com/4px1D8g

21/09/2025

The short answer is “No.”

The long answer is “Unless your blood tests say so, still no.”

Nutritional experts cautioned against self-prescribing health or dietary supplements, highlighting risks of "megadosing" and interactions with medication.

21/09/2025

Each time patients bring me gifts, my heart and stomach get a little fuller.

Thank you.

19/09/2025

A little post for new readers (and long-time ones too).

Most of you who follow this page already have some interest in TCM, or perhaps you are curious about health and wellness in general. In that sense, you probably have a fair idea of what I do in clinic, but here are a few random things I have noticed over the years that you may not know (or may find interesting).

- Some patients are so talkative they speak non-stop for an hour. Others refuse to say one more word to me after answering the first question. A handful of patients have even become our personal friends over time.

- We also see patients, straight out of an old historical show, who offer their wrists and expect us to know everything that is wrong with them.

- Acupuncture often surprises people. Some expect it to be painful, but many tell me they feel calmer or even fall asleep while the needles are in.

- TCM medications are not as fixed as people imagine. They are often adjusted from week to week, and month to month, depending on how the body responds.

- Teenagers can be incredibly brave with acupuncture. Sometimes they are calmer than adults.

- There are patients who come in for physical issues like back pain, migraines or digestive problems, but often we end up speaking about stress, sleep, emotions, life stories, and supermarket food prices.

- I am always amazed by how unique each pulse feels. No two are alike, even in patients with the same diagnosis.

- Wednesdays are usually a little lighter, which gives me space to catch my breath and reflect.

- I am not allowed to say, in Singlish, "Wah, no patients today ah!"

Just for fun:

Meet my little nurse stressball. It only manages to “stand” when upside down, which somehow feels like a reminder that even the tiniest things can keep us balanced in their own funny way.

And lastly, sometimes, the insignificant details make the biggest difference in healing.

18/09/2025

If today were weather, it would be hot, scorching, and humid. Just standing still felt like a workout, and even my 23:26-minute run/jog/crawl was heavier than usual. Maybe the weather and my mood were running together this morning.

Feeling: Lobstered.

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17/09/2025

Life is not a racetrack. Why are we all driving like it is?

At this year’s National Day Rally, our PM recently called to mind that Singapore must continue to “move faster, adapt quicker and innovate smarter” to stay ahead, and that "we cannot afford to take our foot off the gas"*. It is an important directive, especially in a world that never seems to slow down. Yet alongside this, I often wonder how we can keep our own pace calm enough to protect our health and wellbeing.

Life here is lived on a tight schedule. Crowded trains, hurried meals, packed workdays and endless notifications can leave little room to pause. It is no wonder that “no time” has become one of the most common phrases we hear. Efficiency is celebrated, but the cost of living at full throttle often shows up in our health.

Physically, the rush takes its toll. Skipped meals or eating in a hurry can strain digestion. Eating on the go is even worse, as the body cannot process food properly when it is in motion. The body’s stress hormones remain high when the day rarely slows, making it harder to rest and recover. Sleep is often disrupted, and many people find themselves tired even after what seems like a full night in bed.

Mentally, the effects are just as real. Constant deadlines and the pressure to achieve fuel anxiety and burnout. Even leisure can feel like another item to tick off the list rather than a true chance to recharge. In a society where productivity is prized, the space for stillness becomes harder to defend. The modern demand for instant gratification also plays a part. Quick results and quick fixes are often expected, yet some processes in life cannot be rushed. Healing, deep learning, building relationships, or even reading books take time.

I often see this pace in a very real way during the morning school run. Cars zoom past as though the roads were racetracks, each driver desperate to gain a few seconds. Just this morning, one sped at more than 90 km/h across a wide, busy junction near schools simply to avoid waiting at the red lights. It is hard not to absorb that pressure myself. More than once, I have felt my pulse quicken and my blood pressure rise, pulled along by the sheer speed of others.

On a more personal note, I often think about the name my father gave me: 缓均. It carries the meanings of slowing down and keeping balance (缓慢 and 均匀). There is a story behind my name, though his choice was also deeply insightful. He probably never imagined how fast the world would become. Each time someone calls me Huanjun, I am reminded to live up to my name, to decelerate and keep my balance, or else I might just 'pengsan' (Singlish for pass out).

This does not mean that speed and health must be at odds. It is possible to live in a fast society without letting it consume us. Small changes matter. Eating one meal (with conscious chewing) without haste, taking a short walk outdoors, or keeping to a regular sleep routine can help restore equilibrium. These are not grand acts of resistance but simple reminders that the body and mind need pauses to function well.

Singapore’s drive to move faster is part of what built its success. Yet for individuals, moving faster all the time is not sustainable. Health thrives not just on efficiency but on rhythm, rest and recovery. When everything is pushed into overdrive, even conditions such as unexplained infertility may be linked to the constant strain. By recognising the impact of pace on wellbeing, we can choose to keep up with the city without running ourselves into the ground.

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

*https://www.channelnewsasia.com/commentary/singapore-national-day-rally-message-lawrence-wong-exceptional-nation-building-5296536

17/09/2025

I was reminded by my second sister (yes, I am blessed enough to have three, so the order is important) that I missed a key point in my last post about what to do if you suspect you have insulin resistance.

The answer is actually simple and familiar: eat a healthy diet, get regular exercise, and make sure you are sleeping well and at the right timings.

Insulin resistance is reversible!

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16/09/2025

Is Your Body Ignoring Insulin… and You Are Ignoring the Signs?

Your cells stop responding well to insulin, so sugar lingers in the blood and the body has to push harder without producing enough usable energy. Insulin resistance usually does not arrive with alarms. It slips in with everyday symptoms that are easy to miss:

- Tiredness after meals
- Stubborn belly fat
- Brain fog or forgetfulness
- Cravings, mood dips, or energy crashes
- Dark, velvety patches of skin often found in body folds such as the armpits, back of the neck, or groin, or skin tags

It may feel like “just life”, but often it is your body waving flags in silence. Insulin resistance is better seen as an early signal. The earlier the clues are noticed, the easier it is to act before bigger problems set in.

Insulin resistance sits at the centre of many long-term health conditions. Rather than being a single issue, it often sparks a chain reaction that disrupts the body’s metabolism and changes how sugar and fat are handled. Over time, this can set the stage for problems such as metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, polycystic o***y syndrome, obesity, and even some cancers.

This subject has always fascinated me, especially as I was once involved in a research project on insulin resistance. Even though the grant proposal was eventually turned down by the Board, the experience deepened my understanding of how much this hidden condition can impact health.

The lesson is clear: do not dismiss those small, everyday signs. They might be pointing to something important long before a diagnosis ever arrives. In the end, insulin resistance is not only about sugar, it is about the bigger story of how your body runs as a whole.

Photo by Myriam Zilles on Unsplash