Jeff Lin, 27
Chiropractor
It is hard work sticking to a healthy lifestyle. Even doctors who should know better smoke, drink and have the occasional binge because, well, “life is short”. But that is why Jeff Lin of Chiropractic First insists otherwise. Down-to-earth and somewhat bashful, he is a strong advocate for the paleolithic (paleo for short) diet. Also the caveman diet, it’s one that embraces gluten and grain-free organic produce, something the rest of us might look at in dismay. Here, he talks about his one month of strict paleo, and his time spent educating the kids on good posture and better eating habits.
Do you usually follow the paleo diet?
Yeah I do, but not as strict as I have done so for this challenge. It’s made me feel more energised actually. You know, once I was done with one month of strict paleo, I decided to celebrate with pizza, and I felt really horrible because my body had adjusted and become more sensitive to junk, like gluten and wheat. I felt hungover the next day even though I didn’t drink. No kidding.
Is paleo really all that delicious?
Definitely, I enjoyed making the recipes and I’m surprised how well most of them turned out. I’m a sucker for gooey and chocolatey cake, so my favourite was an easy moist chocolate cake made with dates and cashews. It’s good for you, but in moderation of course.
What is your favourite part of the challenge?
Most definitely the clinic visit by the kids. I really enjoyed educating the kids on the importance of a healthy spine and nervous system, and teaching them a few tips on how to start improving their postures.
How do you think the checkup at your clinic and Posture Ray had impact on the students?
The checkup was aimed to help teach the kids more about their spines and the importance of it. I hope through this experience, it can help inspire the children to start taking care of their posture and adopt some better lifestyle choices.
You took the kids grocery shopping, didn’t you?
I don’t think I’ve ever led such a big group of people, including a camera crew, around a crowded supermarket to try find some of the things the kids had never heard of. (laughs)
What was it like, managing an army of teenagers in a kitchen?
I remember before I first met them at the laser tag session, I wasn’t really sure if they were going to be rowdy or not. Will they listen to instructions? And all that. But no, they are a great bunch of kids. No doubt about that. Each of them wanted to help out and be involved with the cooking which made the whole ordeal a lot easier.
Did you face any difficulties? Was it why you roped your girlfriend in?
(laughs) An extra pair of hands will always come in handy, and my girlfriend Nora was more than willing to help out. The only difficulty I faced was trying to get the laksa soup to taste just right, having never made such a large pot before. But in the end I think it worked out well, despite it being a bit spicy.
Were you pleased with the outcome?
Most definitely! The food turned out great and more importantly, the kids loved it. It was so great to see the kids enjoy helping out.
Did the kids appreciate the paleo diet?
I think so! They were asking me a lot of questions about the paleo diet and hopefully by getting hands on with the preparation and cooking process it will give them enough interest to continue learning about how to eat healthier.
After spending a lot of time with the kids, did you learn anything about them?
I’ve learnt a lot about the kids as individuals, their dreams and aspirations as well as their personalities. Some of the kids really loved cooking and were genuinely enjoying the learning experience. One girl told me she’s going to start cooking more and learn it the healthy way, while a few other kids were quite shy. But once we started to interact and got hands on with the cooking, it really brought out the confidence in them.
