Ontario South Asian Health Magazine featuring The Golf Singh

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REKHALAFORTY REKHALAFORTY

Rekha was born and raised in Ontario, Canada to parents who immigrated independently and met here in Canada. She obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in biology from the University of Western Ontario, and then proceeded to become a Registered Nurse.

Rekha has been a nurse for 24 years and she’s a consultant with a B-Corp company that specializes in clean, vegan skincare, nutrition and cosmetics.

She recently graduated from Jay Shetty’s Certication School and is now a Certied Life Coach. Rekha is a twice-divorced mom of 6 and a domestic-abuse survivor.

After her second divorce, she felt a lot of shame and humiliation. Not only shame for being divorced twice, but also shame around her husband cheating on her. He tried to make me believe that something was wrong with her. After being in a very dark place for quite some time, she nally decided to take control over her life and emotions. Rekha realized that narcissists are very good at making themselves look good, even when they are doing bad things. She realized that she is an amazing person and am much stronger than she thought.

She has created a free resource online fordivorced moms called "5 Tips To Help You Get Unstuck After Your Divorce".

Rekha started sharing her story onsocial media in hopes of helping other women who were feeling unworthy after their divorce. Instagram account grew to over 30,000 followers, however she had to stop using that account because of the amount ofSouth Asian men who were attacking her for speaking up for women. It was then that she realized the huge need, especially in the South Asian community, for women to be courageous and stand up for themselves. They need a voice. Rekha has made it her mission to help other moms gain the condence and skills needed to overcome the shame and stigma that comes with being a divorced mom, so that they can hold their heads high and be proud of who they are.

Dear Readers,

Welcome to another issue of the Ontario South Asian Health Magazine. In this issue, we are thrilled to bring you an array of informative articles, captivating stories, and exciting features that are sure to keep you engaged. As always, our mission is to provide our readers with valuable insights and resources to enhance their overall well-being and empower them to make informed choices for a healthier lifestyle. The Ontario South Asian Health Magazine brings you a wide range of content covering various aspects of health. We have curated content that addresses the unique health concerns and challenges faced by the South Asian community.

The feature cover story for this issue highlights Sukhbir Jawandha, widely known as “The Golf Singh.” His journey with golf began at the remarkable age of two, when his father first introduced him to the sport in their backyard. Over the years, his passion and dedication to the game have grown tremendously, shaping him into a respected golfer and coach. Today, he shares his knowledge and experiences with young athletes, inspiring the next generation through mentorship and positive influence. His story is one of perseverance, family inspiration, and a deep love for the game. Be sure to read more about his inspiring journey and accomplishments inside this issue.

With mental health issues consistently on the rise, we are also sharing an article on Salima Jadavji, founder of Dare To Heal. Salima realized early in life that when she sought counselling, it was often difficult to find professionals who truly understood the cultural nuances and experiences she was navigating. This realization inspired her to pursue a career in counselling so she could help others facing similar challenges. Today, she runs her own private counselling clinic and also offers online courses through her website, providing accessible resources and support for those seeking guidance on their healing journey.

We are also featuring an article on Nature’s Source, a well-known name in the natural health industry founded by Sanjiv and Mona Jagota. Celebrating 25 years in business, Nature’s Source has grown into a trusted destination for natural health products, with several locations across the Greater Toronto Area. Their commitment to promoting natural wellness, educating customers, and supporting healthier lifestyles has helped them build a strong presence in the community. Learn more about their journey, philosophy, and the evolving role of natural health products in today’s wellness landscape.

Hope everyone enjoys the success stories we are celebrating and sharing within the South Asian community across Canada. We have a few exciting initiatives coming up within the next few months and will be making big announcements in future issues. Stay tuned.

CHEERS TO GOOD HEALTH!

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“[As a coach], I’m able to share my own experiences, and what I’ve learned and pass it on. I love the idea of being able to teach and plant seeds in kids’ minds and positively influence how they think or react to certain things and situations.”

SUKHBIR

Sukhbir Jawandha’s interest in golf started at the age of two when his father began teaching him how to swing in their backyard. His passion for the sport grew even more between the ages of five and ten when the father-son duo would go to the driving range to play at least once or twice a month.

Eventually, Jawandha’s father, who played field hockey back in India, got him enrolled in this sport and consequently, golf temporarily took a back seat for the next five years. While listening to Jawandha’s story, it becomes evident that as a young boy, his interests mirrored those of his father. When asked to reflect on this assertion, Jawandha explains that his father discovered golf while he was playing field hockey back in India.

Sukhbir

Jawandha’s interest in golf started at the age of two when his father began teaching him how to swing in their backyard

“The only people that played golf in India during that time were army people and their golf course used to be right beside the field where my father and his teammates played field hockey and sometimes [the golfers] would hit like an errand shot and it would come into the field and [my dad and his teammates] would get upset because it would slow their field hockey game down.

GOLF SINGH

SUKHBIR JAWANDHA

Later, when he was gone on a vacation, he and his friend encountered a golf course and eventually, my dad really started enjoying the game,” explains Jawandha.

At age 15, Jawandha, who has always been an athletic individual, got back into golf – and since then – there’s been no looking back for the 29-yearold BC native. At 16, Jawandha joined a performance golf academy where he enrolled in a full season training program and fell in love with practicing to improve his game. In the following 1.5 years, Jawandha lowered his handicap by 28 strokesfrom breaking 100 for the first time ever to shooting even par 15 months later.

“I would wait for my mom to come home from work so she could drop me off at the golf course so I could practice for 2-4 hours after school every day. In the summertime, I would practice 8-12 hours a day,” explains Jawandha, who injured his back as a junior golfer.

Although the work ethic helped him achieve great success in a short period of time, the pain forced him to take a year off.

While he obtained treatments from various physical therapists and chiropractors, it was to no avail as his back problems persisted. Eventually, Jawandha realized that his back was hurting due to an incorrect manner in which he was swinging his golf club.

After consulting and learning about a few different ways to swing correctly from a close friend, Jawandha and this friend took a threemonth trip down to California and learned a slew of golf tips and tricks from some seasoned coaches. It was this trip and the knowledge that he obtained during it that inspired him to become a golf coach.

At age 15, Jawandha, who has always been an athletic individual, got back into golf – and since then – there’s been no looking back for the 29-year-old BC native

“About four to five years ago, when I wanted to start to coach, I didn’t see many people from the South Asian community playing golf. Then, just before COVID, I started to notice that a lot more people from our community were getting into it. And then as soon as COVID hit, a lot of people had nothing else to do, so they all tried golf and now so many people play it,” explains Jawandha.

Despite their interest in the game, many South Asian individuals needed and wanted golf lessons as well as guidance but were unsure of where to turn.

This changed “as soon as they saw [Jawandha] because they were more inclined to come and learn as much as they could” from someone they could relate to.

Asked to explain what he enjoys about being a coach, Jawandha says that he likes watching people learn and improve. As someone who knows “what it feels like to hit a great golf shot”, Jawandha, who currently resides in Ontario, adds that he wants others to experience similar feelings. “There are also a lot of health benefits linked to golf. For example, you’re outdoors and in nature and you tend to do a lot of walking. It’s also great for any type of relationship-building, whether that is between parents and kids or spouses,” says Jawandha.

He adds that unlike many other sports, golf is an individual sport in which one aims to hit great shots with precision. Besides this, it enables individuals to develop skills based around hard work and patience. Interestingly, Jawandha likens golf to real life because “if you hit one bad shot and get upset over it actually impacts the rest of your shots.” He adds, “if you get emotionally unstable after one or two bad shots, it’s like a domino effect where it messes up your next shot, so it’s kind of like your day. If you start off your day with one or two things that upset you, the rest of your day is most likely ruined. So, [golf] really has a lot of parallels with life and how you deal with problems.”

Talking about the changes that the sport has gone through, Jawandha explains that unlike before, golf is becoming more accessible and diversified than earlier when it was considered to be “a rich man’s game.”

Indeed, unlike before, when private golf clubs ruled the roost, there are now plenty of familyowned courses where individuals are not expected to adhere to a particular dress code. Jawandha credits Tiger Woods as someone who was able to shine a light on the sport and likewise influence a lot of the positive changes that we are seeing today.

“Tiger Woods came on to the golfing scene in 1997 and played in the PGA Tour and he just won every tournament he played, and people were shocked.”

In the same year, a new project called the First Tee Program took birth. With an aim to make golf more accessible to more people, including marginalized communities, former PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Fenchon inaugurated the program with the support of various golf organizations.

According to Jawandha, after Tiger Woods came in and ruled the game, there was a realization that expanding the reach of golf as a sport could not only help give opportunities to a variety of individuals, but it could also help in finding more great talents. Despite its increased popularity, Jawandha admits that the sport can still be misunderstood, labelled and stereotyped.

“I

When it comes to golf, it seems like a lot of people mistakenly assume that it is not an action-oriented sport, unlike soccer and basketball, which are the typical sports that people want their kids to play. Golf might be different, but it does require movement and athleticism as well

think golf can easily be overlooked or labelled as an old person’s game or a slower game. I’ve interacted with athletes in our community who are like ‘hey man, I’ve been great at all these other sports and I was always a star player, but now I’m trying to play [golf] and I’m frustrated because I can’t figure it out’ so it’s important to remember that playing golf is not as easy as it looks,” explains Jawandha.

Asked about what excites him currently, Jawandha explains that he is “getting a lot more into performance coaching for juniors” as he aims to help and coach kids from the South Asian community to be able to play golf at a high level.

Expanding on the benefits of golf for kids, Jawandha explains that kids learn skills like patience, strength and discipline while also using their mental skills to figure out how to hit the golf ball in the best way possible.

“When it comes to golf, it seems like a lot of people mistakenly assume that it is not an actionoriented sport, unlike soccer and basketball, which are the typical sports that people want their kids to play. Golf might be different, but it does require movement and athleticism as well.”

Elaborating on this idea, Jawandha says, “Basically whenever someone wants to hit a golf ball, they want to hit it far and to be able to do that, you have to use the rotational speed of your body.”

In other words, an individual has to be able to properly engage their shoulders, legs, and core in order to make a respectable shot.

Talking about his current clientele, Jawandha says that he works with a lot of beginner adults and also high-performance kids between the ages of 7-18. According to Jawandha, the kids in the group are those that want to go on and compete in tournaments. Working with these kids within the capacity of a sport like golf is beneficial to both Jawandha and his students as he is able to connect and communicate with them on an individual basis. While he is able to ask them questions about their everyday life and school, he is also able to teach them how certain ways of thinking or particular emotions can have an effect not only on their game, but on their school life as well.

“I love the idea of being able to teach and plant seeds in kids’ minds and positively influence how they think or react to certain things and situations.”

“[As a coach], I’m able to share my own experiences, and what I’ve learned and pass it on.”

Evidently, this is one of the many rewarding parts of Jawandha’s job.

“The goal is to have these kids get better and compete, but I think if you can also become a better person through playing the game, that’s even better. It’s even more fulfilling for me, regardless of the outcome of their competitions.

thegolfsingh @brownboysgolf.co

Youtube: Golf Made Easy

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the Natural Health Industry

Nature’s Source, a traditional health food store founded by Sanjiv and Mona Jagota, is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. It has three standalone locations in the greater Toronto area. Additionally, Sanjiv owns and operates 13 Nature’s Signature stores, all located inside Metro grocery stores, spread from east to west across southern Ontario.

1)Tell us about both of your backgrounds and what inspired you to start Nature’s Source?

Sanjiv – I studied Health Sciences in both University and College and worked in the pharmaceutical industry. From there, I transitioned into the Health Food Industry where my passion was.

Mona – I studied Commerce and have worked with Nature’s Source from day one. I oversee the finance department.

2)Over the past 25 years in the natural foods industry, what are some of the key observations, challenges and how have things progressed?

We have seen more emphasis on research and more awareness to natural health. One of the most pressing issues is pricing. Some health food store owners don’t have business expertise, and they think everything is about offering product at a low price. We spend too much time competing against discounters. Low pricing doesn’t get us anywhere. Margins continue to be an issue for retailers, he adds, along with finding ways to keep staff in the industry. Attracting and keeping clients is also an everevolving quandary. I also believe the future for health food retailers is based on the exchanges taking place between customers and store staff. I think if retailers are going to exist in the marketplace, we have to get stronger in customer service, in how we do things in the retail selling space. We have to offer more on the retail floor than we do today. We have to give people a reason to shop in our stores, and not seek other methods or destinations to buy their supplements.”

3)How is Nature’s Source different from other natural health stores?

Our approach has been to carry evidence-based products that are therapeutic and free of artificial colours and flavours. The vast majority of our store staff are health professionals, such as registered nutritionists, naturopathic doctors, and sports nutritionists.

4)What supplements are most important for children, men, women, and seniors in general?

To begin with, the basics should be Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Magnesium and a Vitamin B Complex. The supplements needed by people change as their nutritional needs change as we go through various stages of life: childhood, adolescence, adulthood, pregnancy, post-partum, middle age, and elderly.

5)What are some of the common health issues the South Asian community is dealing with and which products do you recommend?

Our community is generally concerned with diabetes, cholesterol, blood pressure and mental illness. It is best to speak with our in-store experts

to ensure the correct mix of natural health products and to avoid conflicts with medications, which is often underplayed.

6)Food lacks nutritional value, so (in your opinion) which supplements are most required in today’s environment, based on the western diet?

Probiotics and digestive enzymes are very important. Probiotics help maintain the correct microbiome for efficient digestion, supporting immune functions, and making vitamins B and K available for the rest of the body. Digestive enzymes help break down various foods of lower nutritive value, and make the nutrients available to be absorbed by the intestines.

7)What is the most common/ popular supplement sold in your stores and why?

Plant-based protein has recently become very popular among all age groups. Many people use it to make sure they get enough energy and protein in the diets. Some people find it easier to digest than whey protein.

8)In your opinion, what is the greatest factor to determine good health beyond supplements?

Avoiding white sugar, white flour, and pop! Exercise and good sleep go a long way to promoting better health. Working closely with a practitioner is a big bonus!

9)As a husband-wife team working together in business, are there any tips you can share with our readers?

We stay out of each other’s lanes; Mona is much smarter than me in many areas of the business which I try to stay out of and vice versa.

10)What are your future plans/goals for the company?

We will continue to serve the communities we are in the best we can and continue to grow into new communities across Ontario.

11)What are your thoughts on the www.saveoursupplements.ca campaign?

Health Canada is purposing new regulations which will have a negative impact on the availability of natural health products in Canada. I am not sure our vendors will be able to keep up with the costs of adapting. With their costs going up, consumers will be impacted, making their health journey that much more expensive. One thing for sure is that we will lose the depth of range of products.

Introducing a legacy of wellness and a tradition of purity - our Indian family-owned business in natural health products. Since 1998, Nature’s Source has been in health food business serving our communities across Ontario with our 15 Locations and growing. We have partnered with in creating full store within stores across Ontario as Nature’s Signature.

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