Sheeba: It Is Never Too Late to Begin Again

Singapore became our new home in 2004 when my husband’s job brought him here on a transfer.

Back in India, I grew up in a family where food, family and togetherness were very much intertwined. Some of my earliest memories are connected to food and cooking, although I certainly wouldn't have imagined then that food would eventually become such an important part of my professional life.

My early career took me through customer service and engineering, which gave me experiences in communication, problem-solving and working with people—skills that have unexpectedly come full circle in what I do today.

Moving to Singapore brought a completely new chapter. I found myself adapting to a new environment while building a home and raising a family. Over the years, Singapore became not just the place where I lived, but home.

Today, my life brings together several things I have grown to value deeply: family, food, learning, nutrition and helping people make healthier choices in ways that are realistic and enjoyable.

When we moved to Singapore, my son was in Primary 6 and my daughter was just two. I knew very little about the Singapore education system then—and certainly didn’t understand why my son was initially offered a place only in Primary 5 despite having good grades!

We eventually chose a neighbourhood school for him, and he thrived with the support of his teachers. He went on to study at NUS High School of Mathematics and Science and later Medicine at NTU. Today, he is a practising doctor with aspirations of specialising in rheumatology.

My daughter’s journey was very different. She grew up in Singapore and, while she did well academically, she was always drawn towards Art and Design rather than the traditional Maths and Science path. We were hesitant at first but eventually learned to trust her instincts. She is now completing her final year in Art, Design and Media and hopes to build a career in creative design and branding.

Interestingly, neither child followed the path we initially imagined for them. My son wanted to be a doctor when we thought engineering might suit him better; my daughter chose design when we had envisioned a more conventional academic route. They taught us an important lesson: our role as parents is not to decide who our children should become, but to give them the confidence, support and values to discover it for themselves.

I tried to give my children independence while being there when they needed guidance. We encouraged them to seek help from their teachers rather than relying heavily on tuition. I also ensured that they had time for sports and activities outside academics.

Today, I hope I have prepared them for the road ahead and given them the confidence to walk it themselves. I like to think I walk behind them—close enough that they know I’m there, but far enough for them to find their own way. If they ever need my hand, they know where to find it.

I always knew I wanted to do something of my own, but while my children were young, my priority was being there for them. Once I crossed that phase of life, I felt ready to explore what came next.

I first tried my hand at financial planning because the flexible hours seemed ideal for a mother. I enjoyed the work and did quite well, but I soon discovered that “flexible” often meant giving up my weekends—the very time I wanted to spend with my family. So, I decided to move on.

Then, quite unexpectedly, I found my next direction in a library. I came across Blogging for Dummies and remembered my husband suggesting that I start a blog because I loved experimenting in the kitchen. I spent a couple of hours reading, taking notes and figuring out how to build a website. I went home and did exactly that.

That was how Go Healthy Ever After was born.

What started as a food blog became much more than a collection of recipes. I began taking familiar comfort foods and rethinking the ingredients and cooking techniques to make them more nourishing without sacrificing flavour. Singapore’s incredible food culture and access to ingredients from around the world made it an exciting place to experiment.

Looking back, I realise I didn’t really “start over.” Each chapter—from motherhood to financial planning, cooking and blogging—gave me skills and experiences that eventually came together to shape what I do today.

Cooking started very simply for me. After marriage, I had to learn my way around the kitchen, often relying on calls to my mother and whatever cookbooks I could get my hands on.

Over time, cooking became something I genuinely enjoyed.

I started Go Healthy Ever After because I wanted to share recipes that reflected the way I liked to cook: wholesome, practical food made with everyday ingredients, without making healthy eating feel complicated.

What began as a passion gradually became much more.

I learned about food photography, recipe testing, writing, search engine optimisation, digital marketing and building an online community—largely by doing it myself. Over time, recipe development led me to the science behind nutrition and how food and lifestyle influence the way we feel.

The website has also given me something I consider extremely valuable: the opportunity to understand what real people struggle with in their kitchens. Over the years, I've heard from readers about busy schedules, picky families, difficulty planning meals and the challenge of eating well while still enjoying food.

That experience has influenced the way I now think about nutrition. Knowing what is theoretically healthy is one thing. Helping someone make it practically work in everyday life is another.

Today, my work sits at an interesting intersection of nutrition science, practical cooking and personalised behaviour change.

I was—and still am—loving this avatar of mine as a food creator. But over time, I realised I wanted to do more than just create recipes and cook. I wanted to understand the why behind the food.

Whenever I looked for information about nutrition and wellbeing, I found an overwhelming amount of advice online. Much of it was generic, contradictory and, at times, even misleading.

The more I searched, the more I realised how easy it was to follow nutrition advice without really understanding the science behind it.

That was the turning point for me. I decided that if nutrition was going to become an important part of what I do, I wanted to learn it properly rather than simply repeat what I read online.

My own experiences with food and weight gain after childbirth had already made me curious about the connection between what we eat and how we feel. As I learned more, I also realised that good nutrition is not about constantly counting calories or following restrictive diets. Food should nourish us, give us pleasure and fit into real life.

One of the things I discovered rather late—but came to appreciate enormously—was Singapore’s culture of lifelong learning. When I first explored the MySkillsFuture portal, I was amazed by the range of courses available. I remember thinking, why didn’t I discover this earlier?

For Singapore Citizens aged 40 and above, SkillsFuture provides enhanced support for eligible courses, including subsidies of up to 90% of course fees, alongside SkillsFuture Credit that can be used towards eligible training. For someone looking to reinvent herself in midlife, that support can make continuing education much more accessible.

My first formal step was an Advanced Certificate in Nutrition and Wellness at Singapore Management University, where I studied areas including the relationship between diet and disease, weight management, mental wellness and mindfulness.

But finishing the course only made me realise how much more there was to learn. I subsequently pursued a Specialist Diploma in Nutrition Science at Nanyang Polytechnic, which gave me a much deeper grounding in nutrition science. I was fortunate to learn from practising dietitians, nutritionists and food scientists, and to gain exposure to areas such as nutrition research, food analysis and public health communication.

The experience also taught me an important lesson: the more you learn, the more you appreciate what you don’t know. It made me more careful about making nutrition claims and more determined to base my work on sound evidence rather than trends or information circulating online.

I’m continuing to build on that foundation by learning more about health coaching, behaviour change and lifestyle medicine.

What began as a desire to become better informed for my food website has therefore evolved into something much more meaningful: using my knowledge of food, nutrition and real-life cooking, together with coaching skills, to help people make sustainable changes for a healthier lifestyle.

For me, lifelong learning has been one of the most rewarding aspects of living in Singapore. It is not about just collecting qualifications but continually becoming better at what I genuinely care about.

If there is one thing my journey has taught me, it is that it is never too late to begin again.

For women in midlife who are thinking about starting something new, I would share three things:

1. Go from 1% to infinity.You don't have to have the whole journey figured out before you begin. Take one small step towards something that matters to you—a course, a conversation, a new skill, a hobby, or simply an idea you've been putting off. Small actions, repeated consistently, can take you surprisingly far. It is a cliché but always works.

2. Keep learning.Be curious and never stop investing in yourself. Learning doesn't always have to lead to a new career. My own journey from homemaker to food blogger to nutrition and wellness professional happened because I kept following my curiosity. Sometimes the winding road turns out to be the most rewarding one.

3. Make yourself a priority too.Women often spend years putting everyone else's needs first. Taking care of your physical and mental wellbeing isn't selfish—it is an investment in your future and in the people who depend on you. Being healthy, confident and independent gives you more freedom to enjoy whatever comes next.

Most importantly, I would tell women not to think of their earlier years as time lost. Raising children, running a home, managing competing priorities, solving everyday problems and navigating life's unexpected turns teach you skills that no classroom can fully replicate. The experiences we accumulate along the way become the very things that prepare us for our next chapter.

Looking back, my engineering degree, MBA, years of work, motherhood, cooking, blogging and nutrition studies may seem like completely different chapters. But together, they have given me a perspective and a skill set that I could never have planned at the beginning.

Absolutely. Go Healthy Ever After is where my journey began, and it remains the best place to find me. I share nutritious, flavourful recipes and practical ideas for making healthy eating easier—and enjoyable—in everyday life.

As my work has evolved, I have also begun developing my practice in nutrition and wellness coaching.

My programme, “From Tired to Vibrant”, is a practical approach to helping women in midlife who want more energy, healthy weight and a better relationship with food (no restrictive diets or short-term fixes here).

For nutrition and wellness coaching enquiries, readers can email me at: sheeba@gohealthyeverafter.com

Readers can find my recipes and nutrition-focused content at:

Website: https://www.gohealthyeverafter.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gohealthyeverafter/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sheeba_gohealthy/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/gohealthyeverafter/

Note: My work focuses on nutrition education, healthy eating and lifestyle behaviour change. Where someone has a medical condition or requires a therapeutic diet, I believe in working alongside the appropriate healthcare professional rather than trying to replace that expertise.