Purifyne “The Number 1’ fan, Grace Ker, has transformed her life by becoming a Zumba instructor. From an administrative assistant for a small DVD firm to a passionate Zumba devotee, Grace shares her story of becoming fit and healthy with Zumba classes and Purifyne Cleanse.
What
made you start Zumba?
I am
trained as a dancer and I got into the whole fitness thing in a big way. I was
going to the gym daily to do some running and sometimes to take a class. I
noticed posters advertising Zumba classes in the ladies bathroom, and I thought
that it looked like fun. As it turned out, not only was it fun, we all worked
up a sweat and the music was wonderful. Then the rest is pretty much history.
How
has running Zumba classes impacted upon you personally and professionally?
I
think that it did wonders for my confidence. After I got trained and did a
course on Exercise to Music, I started offering my service as a cover
instructor for when the instructors are unavailable. The positive feedbacks and
the smiles on the faces of the clients really boosted my confidence. I have
always liked making people laugh, but I simply cannot conceive of the idea of
doing stand up comedy. This way, not only do I get to make them smile and feel
better, I can also help in what little way I can in their health and fitness
levels. It's been quite a wonderful journey of laughs, new friends and
self-discovery.
You are
very much health-orientated? Does it come naturally to you or you are that way
for a specific reason?
My
father is a doctor, so I am always very aware of the right foods to eat. Though
it was never something that I really followed. I was overweight- very much so-
as a teenager. I had not physical awareness as I did absolutely nothing in
terms of fitness and sports. Once when I went back to Taiwan to visit my
parents, my appearance really shocked my mother. Right next morning after I
landed, my father woke me up gently at 6 a.m. and took me to the local
athletics track. He told me to run at my own speed, never mind how slowly as
long as I kept going for an hour. So I did. I ran as he walked alongside me and
kept up a constant chatter to keep my mind off how tired I might be feeling.
After 3 weeks holiday at home with parents, I came back to England and back to
my life at the boarding school. The next morning, my alarm sounded at 6 a.m. I
was going to turn it off and carry on sleeping. Then I remembered myself and what
potential that I might have so I threw the duvet off and headed out in my Extra
Large sweatshirt and tracksuit bottoms and ran round after round on the field.
It was a moment that could be termed as life-changing. That single moment
taught me much about myself. The fact that I wouldn't give up, that I would
start to discover everything about my own potential, of which I was completely
unaware previously.
Tell
us about your first cleanse, what was the experience like and the reason behind
it?
My
first cleanse came about after one of my best friends Irina, told me of the
detox that she experienced in Thailand. It was the most incredible thing that I
had ever heard. She mentioned the benefits not just in the physical appearance
but also mentally. Then I started doing the cleanse myself. The first time that
I did the cleanse, I did it for three weeks. Primarily it was because Irina
told me that her thoughts became very clear and her reactions and reflexes even
quicker than they already were. I was not actually thinking of the potential to
lose weight, I simply wished for a clear head and faster reactions in
everything that I did. The experience was so wonderful and so difficult at
times that it was almost like a dream. After the first week, the weight started
to drop off. A bit of weight was lost almost all the time. And thoughts did
become amazingly clear. It was like seeing things for the first time almost.
The
care from the Purifyne was incredible. The Team’s constant
calls to enquire after my wellbeing and the team’s quick response to all my
emails and questions – it was most reassuring. At no point did I feel like I
was not supported or was left on my own.
What
are the key benefits? Emotional as well as physical?
On a
most surface level, the weight loss naturally put me in a much more confident,
happy frame of mind. But that was only the surface. Ultimately, it is a detox
program and not a weight loss program. This extreme detox truly detoxed not
just the body but the mind for me also. My thoughts became crystal clear and my
observation sharp.
Emotionally
I was stabilised. Weight had always been a constant cause of pain and anxiety
and worry, and suddenly it was no longer an issue, and this was very important
for me. I wished for health and fitness and peace, and this program gave me
that.
What
is your philosophy for a healthy and happy life, and how intrinsic is detoxing
to this?
Health
is the fundament of everything in life. Money means nothing if one suffers from
terrible state of health, and money cannot buy back loved ones who left us from
ill health. As for happiness, that is such an abstract concept. At times, I
find myself miserable because I don't have the money for that dress and that
skirt and that bag, and yet at other times, there is no place that I rather be
when I lay next to my boyfriend in the sunshine, reading a good book, all of
which costs nothing, apart from the cost of the book. Or when I am having a
lovely chat with my boyfriend or my dear friends, again, something that costs
nothing. I think that people don't actually need so very much at all in life to
be happy, but at some point we find ourselves forgetting all that and become
far too removed from the fundaments of life, from what are truly important.
Detoxifying
allows this deep cleanse that washes out not only the outside- your skin
becomes clear for one, but also like a very deep cleanse from the insides, from
the mind. The mind suddenly becomes quiet, calm, and meditation becomes easy
and enlightening. All of which are very necessary for a happy, healthy life and
mind. Junk food plays havoc on the body- sugar high, great thirst from too much
salt etc. etc., none of which helps to calm the body and the mind.
How
has cleansing changed your attitude to food? Are there now foods you don’t eat?
I
would say that cleansing makes me become more aware of what I put into my body.
It doesn't necessarily make me over think it and become an annoying party
guest, but it does make me become more aware. Though I still do eat all kinds
of food-including some junk food- I am more aware again of what goes into my
body, and I know how to monitor myself and to ensure that everything is in
moderation. Gradually, I am sure that I would wean myself off the junk food
even further.
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