DATUK D. J. DAVE
BEING under the limelight does not mean that one has to succumb to the pressure of looking good by adopting cosmetic procedures with questionable content.
For popular veteran celebrities, what’s more important is to feel comfortable in one’s own skin.
Veteran singer Datuk Irwan Shah Abdullah, better known as D.J. Dave (pic), will turn 69 next month.
Having just returned from his holiday abroad, he was shocked to learn about the popularity of intravenous beauty therapy procedures among local celebrities.
“For as long as I can remember, my advice to them has always been no, no, no,” said the veteran artiste who is also Yayasan Artis 1Malaysia chairman.
“To me, there is nothing like having a healthy lifestyle. It all boils down to doing your daily exercises and eating enough fruits and vegetables. Of course, as you grow older you also require daily supplements.”
The singer, known for the hits Ingin Bersua and Maafkanlah, said there were no shortcuts to good health.
“I have seen people who had undergone such intravenous procedures and I can say that the results were less than stellar.
“They still look and feel the same after some time, other than having foreign and potentially harmful toxins in their bodies.
“However, out of curiosity, I asked my doctor about this. I asked him ‘please tell me frankly, do these Vitamin C jabs work?’ His answer was ‘no’.”
He said a family member learnt the harmful effects of such false “medical miracles” the hard way.
“I actually have a family member with impaired kidney functions all because of slimming pills.”
For D.J. Dave, being in the limelight as celebrities means “looking after ourselves for as much as we can”.
“At the end of the day, it is God’s decision when to take us.
“All we can do is be a responsible human being... responsible to our bodies and our health, for all the blessings that God has given us.
“There is no way you can look the way you did in your 20s, but what you can is do the right thing,” said the singer who can still do 50 reps of push-ups and sit-ups each, and plays badminton three times a week.
On tips to stay healthy, he said: “Cut down on rice and don’t smoke. I also take yoghurt and nuts daily, other than daily servings of fruits and vegetables.”
DATUK NANCIE FOO
DATUK Nancie Foo , a popular actress, singer and television producer, said she believed in the safe and “old school” method to look good by staying healthy.
“Being in the entertainment industry, it is understandable that women especially feel pressured to look good. This is more so for those who appear regularly on TV, so I can understand the need for them to always look beautiful.
“And even though I work mostly behind the scenes now, I am a woman, after all, and I do want to look good.
“And to do this I believe in going for regular facials while maintaining a healthy diet and exercising regularly.”
The 1979 Miss Malaysia International said she played golf once or twice weekly, and tried to take at least 10,000 steps daily.
She said all women wanted to look young and beautiful but warned them against using “cheap and fast” options to achieve instant beauty.
“You don't have to go through extreme measures to look beautiful. Don’t put yourself at risk by using products with harmful substances or using unproven methods by so-called beauty practitioners.
“There are no shortcuts to beauty because it all starts from you,” she said, adding growing old was part of the natural process.
“You must not deny the fact that you are aging. However, to help you feel good, exercising and eating right can help you age gracefully,” said Foo who is approaching her late 50s.
DATUK KHADIJAH TAN
VETERAN singer-turned-restaurateur Datuk Khadijah Ibrahim (pic), 57, owes her timeless beauty to natural cosmetic products and a healthy lifestyle.
The singer, known for the hit songs Ku Pendam Sebuah Duka and Ku Sangka Siang Kiranya Malam said she dranks plenty of coconut water, ate ulam-ulaman (herbal salad), as well as fruits.
“I lead a very simple lifestyle and I don’t go beyond my budget.
“I also spend 20 minutes to walk around my (housing) area, and I do this three times a week. I used to exercise but my knees aren’t as strong as they used to be,” she added.
Khatijah said it was important to first believe one was beautiful from within, to work to be a better person overall and “everything else would just fall into place”.
“Once our inner self is clean, everything will be beautiful.”
She said those who resorted to unscrupulous methods of being beautiful only wanted fast results, and stressed that any beauty procedure should be done by a certified professional.