If I had the chance to live life over, I’d probably go back to my twenties, give myself a few hard slaps, and toss away the soft drink and cake in my hand. Back then, I lived like a walking sugar jar; there was no dietary restrictions in my life, only “one more serving.”
My daily life was meticulously woven with sugar. Breakfast was a sugar laced coffee with cakes and kuihs, and the afternoon were filled with several cups of sweet milk tea from the coffee machine. My go-to for binge-watching was chips and ice cream. My motto was: “Life’s too short, let me finish the bottle of Coke.” At the time, I truly believed sugar gave me happiness.
However, all shortcuts eventually lead to a detour. My body started acting like an overloaded old machine, setting off all sorts of alarms. At first, they were small signals: the numbers on the scale were like wild horses, impossible to rein in; my colleagues often caught me panting after taking the stairs. I laughed it off and I did not take it seriously.
Until one year, I was admitted to the hospital twice. My medical report read like a criminal record. The trifecta of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high blood sugar descended upon me one after another like three enormous mountains. It was at that moment I realized with a jolt that I hadn’t been enjoying life; I had been ruining it with recklessly.
From then on, my world of vibrant candy colours turned into the monotonous shades of medicine pills. Snacks were pills and tablets of various sizes; my frequent bubble tea orders were replaced by regular hospital appointments. I had completely transformed from a “sugar jar” into a “medicine jar.” Taking my pills became more punctual than any alarm clock.
This might sound like a sad story, but for me, it’s a hard lesson. I took my health for granted, only after losing it did I realize it’s more precious than any wealth.
So, as someone who’s “been there, done that,” I want to use my personal experience to tell you: don’t take your youth for granted. Every bite of high-fat, high-sugar, high-salt, high-fat food you eat and every sip of sugary drink you take today could become the pain you can’t escape tomorrow. Please be kind to your body. Eat more vegetables, drink more water, and exercise more. Don’t wait until you turn from a “sugar jar” into a “medicine jar” to remember me, your living cautionary tale.
After all, no matter how colourful a medicine pill is, it never tastes sweet.
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