Ushering in the Year of the Rooster with a healthy start (and heart)!

Today is the eve of the Golden Rooster Year, in preparation for this joyful festive season, Nestlé Omega Plus hosted a special cooking workshop and reunion dinner at The Cooking House, Bangsar for the media to usher in the Year of the Fire Rooster with a healthy take on Chinese New Year dishes not long ago.

L-R - Cher Siew Wei, Corporate Wellness Marketing Manager of Nestle Malaysia;  Linora Low, Fitness Personality; Chef Roy;  Wong Chui Ling, TV Host and Dato Dr. Rajbans Singh, Consultant Physician and Geriatrician at Pantai Medical Centre, Bangsar.

Led by Dato’ Dr. Rajbans Singh, Consultant Physician and Geriatrician at Pantai Medical Centre, TV host – Wong Chui Ling and fitness personality – Linora Low, the workshop aimed to educate participants on tips to adopt healthier eating habits. The evening also presented members of the media with an opportunity to recreate nutritious versions of delectable Chinese dishes in the workshop.

L-R- Wong Chui Ling, TV Host; Linora Low, Fitness Personality;  Dato Dr. Rajbans Singh, Consultant Physician and Geriatrician at Pantai Medical Centre, Bangsar  and Cher Siew Wei, Corporate Wellness Marketing Manager of Nestle Malaysia

As an advocate of heart health, Nestlé Omega Plus is empowering Malaysians to lead longer, healthier lives by enabling them to take steps that can help improve their heart health, such as practicing healthy eating habits or getting into the routine of regular exercise. Additionally, regular consumption of Nestlé Omega Plus milk aids in cholesterol management as it contains Acticol® - plant sterols which help block bad cholesterol from entering the body.

“During festive seasons such as the Chinese New Year, we have the tendency of over-indulging in good food whilst celebrating with our loved ones without realising the consequences it can have on our overall heart health. This is why it is important to practice moderation during the festivities, not only by consuming cleaner and healthier foods, but also by complementing it with daily exercise, and two servings of Nestlé Omega Plus each day,” Cher Siew Wei, Corporate Wellness Marketing Manager of Nestlé Malaysia shared during the workshop.

Chef Roy (C) preparing the dishes

The workshop showcased simple approaches of preparing healthful meals for the New Year, such as opting for grilling or steaming techniques instead of deep frying, or using more vegetables or protein-based ingredients, which can keep diners fuller for a longer period. The live cooking demo also gave the participants an option to try out the suggested techniques simultaneously.

During the workshop, Dato’ Dr Rajbans Singh spoke about the importance of taking care of one’s health during all stages in in lives. He said, “One of the major contributing risk factors to heart disease nowadays is high cholesterol, due to the intake of too much fatty foods in the body. The issue of cholesterol is prevalent amongst Malaysians, with 1 in 2 Malaysian adults suffering from high cholesterol . From that figure, we also found that young Malaysians below the age of 40 are exposed to the risk of suffering heart attacks due to unhealthy lifestyles and stress.”

“Taking care of your heart health from a young age will benefit in the long run, reducing the risks of heart failure or strokes. Preventive measures such as taking care of your diet by eating foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids (i.e. salmon, nuts), and increasing your fibre intake found in vegetables, beans, lentils, supplemented with a regular exercise routine also helps to improve cholesterol levels,” he added.

Participants creating nutritious Chinese dishes

The workshop ended with an interactive session on other useful tips to maintain a healthy lifestyle keeping in mind the stressful lives of people in current times. 

Ushering in the Year of the Rooster with a healthy heart

Nestlé Omega Plus continuously initiates activities that will trigger a change of heart and mind set among Malaysians on heart health. On a larger scale, it wants to particularly address the general lack of awareness as to how to manage heart health holistically.