Magical Moments With Cynthea Lam

This year’s festive theme at Bynd Artisan is “Magical Moments”.

In celebration of the wonders and joy of life this holiday season, we partnered up with someone who not only believes in magic but creates magic through her work and her community to add her special spark to our holiday gift collection.

Meet Cynthea Lam, Founder and Head of Nutrition of Super Farmers — a wellness company whose mission is to transform the way we eat and live through nutritional education with products and programmes that are inspired by nature's abundance of healing powers and wisdom. We had the pleasure of chatting with Cynthea who shares the magical moments she has experienced in her life, in 2023, and in our festive collaboration.

1. Hi Cynthea, thank you for taking time to speak with us, and of course for being our gifting partner for this year’s holiday season. The theme is “Magical Moments”, so let’s start there.
What is a magical moment to you?

Cynthea Lam: To me, serendipity is magical. I don't believe in coincidences; I believe every serendipitous encounter is arranged by the universe to show us something. For instance, my friends know that I speak about numbers a lot, especially 1111. I've learnt to catch myself mid-thought when I am faced with the appearance of 1111. It's often while driving, and sometimes, while waiting for the lift and both lifts are at Level 11. The sightings have gotten so frequent, I've started questioning their appearances and I now understand these are the ways the universe communicates with us.  

2. Can you share one magical moment you have experienced in your life, and one in 2023 that was particularly memorable for you?

CL: This isn't a heart-warming story, but rather, one of clarity. To be honest, 2023 hasn't been an easy year for many businesses, but like the saying goes, there isn't light without darkness, no rainbows without storms. It's through very dark, lonely moments of being an entrepreneur that I am able to now see with clarity. I think as entrepreneurs, we're often seeking alliance and camaraderie to go on because the loneliness hits hard. But we may forget to question: Are they relationships of convenience or of mutual respect? Relationships of convenience will never last, and are energetically-draining. So, my magical moment is the realisation that running a business alone need not be lonely at all.

3. How Super Farmers began, and the journey that has unfolded since, sounds nothing short of magical to us. Could you take us back: Why and how did you start Super Farmers?

CL: My daughter was three years old when she nearly lost her life to a food allergy. Thankfully, the SARS team and a long stay in the hospital saved her life, but it also raised many questions about food safety and nutrition. That made me leave my corporate job to dive deep into the world of nutrition and wellness. In doing so, I also started being in therapy myself — I reckon I couldn't nurture my children if I was still so unhealed, evident from my chronic insomnia and my 30-year bout of eczema at that time.

A decade into my own therapy journey, I've healed my eczema and insomnia. To me, that's magic because even the doctors have long given up on me. When I first shared my story, I didn't expect so many people to come forward to tell me they too have been ill, or their kids have chronic conditions, and that motivated me to want to start something for my people, a platform for me to share the knowledge I've learnt through life's predicaments. Nine years on, Super Farmers is still a platform for that.

4. When you look back on this journey, what would you say have been the greatest lessons in the growth of your business and your person?

CL: There were many times I thought, how come I'm not as successful as the next business. And to be honest, that's happened a lot of times, and it made me doubt myself and I started feeling so lousy. Then my therapist said, "you've got to put your blinders on!”, and I realised I should be making my business my style. Once I stopped caring what others were doing or saying, I stopped having FOMO, and in doing so, I'm gaining more and more clarity about what I should and should not be doing. So, put your blinders on!

Personally, the greatest growth of me as a person is being okay with more silence and less banter. I feel less influenced by others' fears and worries, especially when they talk about the future of the world in a grim tone. My purpose on earth is to live with hope, not in fear — and I totally believe that when we all live hopefully, Mother Earth is fully capable of rejuvenating herself. And I will keep plodding on to share this hope, because there is so much to live for, and one lifetime isn't enough to experience the beautiful serendipities life brings on this beautiful planet! 


5. What does it mean to you to (1) eat well, (2) live well. How have eating and living with more awareness and mindfulness changed you and how you experience each day that makes up your life at present?

CL: (1) Eating well = eating everything we love in moderation and without guilt. I'm totally against fear-mongering tactics and I think the world has had enough of it. I think a scoop of ice cream is not going to cause diabetes, a nice slice of chocolate cake should not warrant a 10km run. In my honest opinion, food limitations will only bring deprivation, and deprivation leads to misery, and misery manifests into physical illness. Live a little!

(2) Live well = having consistent and regular sessions at therapy. To me, nothing is more important than my state of mind. Like the saying goes, the mind can move mountains, and it can totally give you the changes you've been wishing for, including good health and wealth! But beware of promises of quick fixes usually wrapped in hype and distraction. Because hype is fluff and isn't real, your problems will still persist.

For instance, if you're suffering from worsening insomnia, going to the spa for a massage is not going to solve it. It's a great escape, but the problem will persist. Instead, understanding the energies blocking your body's natural rhythm of rest is of utmost importance.

My daily life is a never-ending flow of slowly discovering what needs to be faced, to be resolved, in life and at work.

6. It’s not easy to change one’s eating and living habits. It often takes a wake-up call for us to see, review and then un-learn and un-choose the unhealthy choices we’ve been making and possibly passing on to the children. How nice if more people could wake up to a healthier way of treating our body, mind and soul before drastic wake-up calls. What are some simple first steps one could take to start making a positive change in their daily habits?

CL: I think it's a misnomer to say that there're “unhealthy food choices” because all food has value, including deep fried chicken wings or a bag of potato chips. Clients who work with me will know that I place more importance on their paradigms than their actual eating habits. Their eating habits give us a clue as to what deeper issue needs to be looked at, not blamed, like typical nutritionists would. The mind and body must be managed holistically, never apart.

For instance, I will never look at a diabetic person and suggest “oh, you'd need to definitely cut down on sugar!", because it isn't so much the sugar they've consumed that has gotten them here. Instead, I'd suggest to those who often crave sweet treats to dig deeper at what sweetness in life they might be seeking, and oftentimes they should be treated with understanding and respect, not like they've over snacked on sugary treats. That's too shallow, and humans are more complex than that!

7. This is our first collaboration, and we have curated two gift sets — the Miracle Box and the Wellness Box for the holiday season this year. Could you share with our readers what they can expect in these gift boxes?

CL: Both are wellness gifts for the betterment of your mind and body. In the Miracle Box, we've included our signature Microgreens Growing Kit that grows using Bynd Artisan's Enviro Pot Bag, perfect for nurturing a pot of Sweet Italian Basil in your home, adding a touch of style and greens to your home decor.

In the Wellness Box, our Clarity tea is paired perfectly with Bynd Artisan's double-wall glass tea flask, adding a touch of class to your work desk. As you can tell by now, the magic I've been talking about so far has been seeking life's clarity, so this combo is my wish for everyone this Christmas: To seek and see life's clarity.

I formulated the Clarity blend with mind-defogging ingredients, Hawthorn Leaves and Bay Leaves. Both herbs have been used since medieval times for people seeking answers and wisdom. The addition of Holy Basil (Tulsi) and Goji Berry further enhances our brain's functions. This tisane is great before an important presentation, or just an alone time to think and find answers in life.

8. What kind of gifts do you like to (1) give, and (2) to receive?

CL: Wow, nobody has ever asked me these questions! Haha, you guys are so thoughtful!

(1) Honestly, I will be gifting my closest and nearest the Miracle and Wellness Boxes, and a set of my Easeful cards that help guide everyday life with nuggets of wisdom I have gleaned on my 10-year therapy journey.

(2) I would love to receive gifts of experience, something that involves tea and slowing down to appreciate a craft.

9. How will you be celebrating the festive season this year?

CL: As usual, with family with the smells of fresh pines, watching our favourite Christmas movies and falling asleep on the sofa.

And my must-do is to drive us down Orchard Road in our PJs with Christmas songs blasting through the car stereo and us singing along. I just love Christmas so much!

10. Finally, what is (1) one thing you would like to say to your 2023 self, (2) one wish / intention / message you have for your 2024 self, and (3) one message / wish / advice for our readers and communities for the new year ahead?

CL: (1) A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.
(2) Navigate the turbulent seas with the skills and mental strength I've gleaned as a sailor in 2023.
(3) Learn to find clarity in alone moments and stay the course with your blinders on!

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you, Cynthea, for sharing your magical moments and stories with us. #byndartisan #somethingsworthsharing

Explore the Super Farmers with Bynd Artisan Collection here.