NATTOME UNVEILS NEW LOOK WITH BRAND AMBASSADORS

Nattome recently launched its new brand identity and packaging, partnering with Hong Kong actress Michelle Yim and YB Syed Saddiq as brand ambassadors.

 
Invited guests comprising media, customers and business partners witnessed Nattome unveiling its new look and packaging for its Digestive Health and Digestive Remedy product range, with both brand ambassadors in attendance.

Nattome’s founder Jon Lai shared how his own search to overcome acid reflux led him to focus on the importance of gut health, and how Nattome has transcended from a natural gut care solution to being a proponent of digestive health in Malaysia.
 
According to a World Health Organization 2021 report, 1 in 3 people suffer from digestive disorders, and gut-related diseases cited is the fourth leading cause of hospitalisation in Malaysia.

 
According to Associate Professor Dr. Tan Chung Keat of UCSI University, Nattome has been clinically proven to provide relief for acid reflux, bloating, and overall digestive discomfort issues in addition to helping to improve digestive immunity.

 
Member of Parliament YB Syed Saddiq along with Hong Kong actress Michelle Yim also shared their personal experiences on how Nattome proved effective against their digestive health concerns. Now both brand ambassadors are actively involved in raising more awareness about the importance of gut health through natural solutions proffered by Nattome.

The vibrant new look and modern packaging by Nattome reflect the brand’s determination in making digestive health care more accessible and enjoyable for everyone.

Available from Caring and BIG pharmacies, Lai announced Watsons will follow suit on carrying Nattome products. For more information, visit: https://nattome.com.my/

CNY GIFT BOXES WITH A HEART FROM SDB

The popular adage ‘Health is wealth’ becomes increasingly significant with the advent of each Chinese New Year (CNY). 

When I received the two CNY Gift Boxes from Selangor Dredging Berhad (SDB) to welcome the Year of the Tiger, I found the thoughtfully packed contents: packets of Chinese herbs and soup ingredients, and herbal tea bags for the improvement of general wellness, a welcome change from the usual stash of sweet confectionery and festive treats.

This unique CNY Gift Box is derived from SDB’s One-Two-Boost programme created back in 2020 – a collaboration between SDB and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) physicians, to develop a variety of prescribed herbal drinks and soups for healthier lifestyles.

In sync with the company’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) mission in creating employment opportunities for people with disabilities, CSR participants who comprise young adults – are coached and supervised throughout the packing process of the SDB CNY gift boxes.

Hence when you buy or receive an SDB CNY gift box, every single gift box is a testament of the careful handling, packing skills and coordination put in by this group of special CSR participants. This notable CSR initiative revolves around offering support to those young adults with disabilities while creating opportunities for them to acquire skills, to lead an independent life.

 Each Chinese New Year Gift Box (RM98 per box) features:

·       1 packet Digestion Soup

·       7 Throat Soothing Tea Bags

·       2 packs Goji Berries

·       2 packs Longan

·       2 packs Red Dates

·       2 packs Chrysanthemum

·       6 pieces Tiger Ang Pow packets

Also available are Chinese New Year Herbal Gifts priced at RM30 each; consisting of ingredients to make Emperor Herbal Chicken and Taxillus Sweet Soup, together with Red Dates and Luo Han Guo. Each set includes 6 pieces of Tiger Ang Pow packets.

 Other series of herbal soups and tea bags include:

•       Immune Booster soup series and drink packs for boosting immune system by strengthening the digestion system
•        Nourishing ‘bazhen soup’ series to enhance immunity, increase metabolic rate and improve blood circulation.
•       The Green series with a range of fat loss tea, beauty tea bag, heat relief easy tea bag and heat relief family pack to maintain good liver functionality and detoxification purpose.
•       The Red series to maintain a healthy heart with a selection of calming soup and calming tea bags.
•       The Yellow series comprising ingredients for digestion soup, energy booster soup, and spleen purification soup, together with energy booster tea bags
•        The White series for healthier lung functions with a selection of ingredients for lung nourishing soup and throat soothing teabags.
•       The Black series comprising revitalizing tea bag and ingredients for Taxillus sweet soup, to strengthen the kidney and liver.

To buy the SDB Chinese New Year Gift Boxes, hand-made soap and anti-epidemic brick soaps, call hp: 018-2201865 or email:  csr@sdb.com.my or visit the One Two Boost Store:  https://12boost.com.my

 

5 EASY HEALTHY YET TASTY DINING OUT TIPS & TRICKS

 

Now that dine-in restrictions have been lifted, we can patronize our fave restaurants again while maintaining new norm SOPs. Since most of us are mindful about eating healthier these days, whatever effort we make counts: be it opting for keto-friendly meals, eating more greens or cutting down on sugar. Personally, I use these easy tips & tricks when dining out all the time for healthy yet tasty meals:

1.      Choose wisely. Be selective. Look for healthier options.

Regardless of whatever cuisine you choose, restaurants will always have healthy options available. Look for dishes with more vegetables, prepared with less oil, vegetarian or keto-friendly options.

For example, An Viet serves GỎI CUỐN – fresh spring rolls with tiger prawns (which can be vegetarian with the prawns omitted). Another favourite of mine is BIBIMBAP – Korean rice bowl ‘mixed’ with assorted sautéed and seasoned vegetables, meat, a sunny side egg, and gojuchang sauce from Daorae Korean BBQ.

2.      Drink lots of water. Eat your greens. Make smart swaps.

Drinking water before your meal helps to reduce your appetite and prevent overeating. Try lemon-infused water, freshly squeezed juices or unsweetened vegetable/fruit smoothie. Enjoy fizzy drinks? Kombucha or kefir is a good alternative to soft drinks.

Have salads to start with but go easy on the dressing. You can also make smart substitutions like ordering baked sweet potato wedges or hummus with vegetable crudites instead of French fries and deep-fried appetisers. Many restaurants such as myBurgerlab and An Viet are willing to replace their burger buns and rice or noodle servings with leafy greens, making their offerings keto-friendly.

3.      Fresh & natural is best. Good food takes time.

Use common sense when it comes to selecting your food choices. Fresh, natural food is best. Also, good food is worth waiting for so do allocate realistic waiting time for your food to be prepared and served.

Dislike raw salads? No matter. Nowadays organic food and vegetarian restos such as Simple Life and BMS Organics offer plenty of healthy choices to tempt you. An Viet even uses free-range chicken for its PHỞ GÀ – Vietnamese rice noodle soup with chicken to amp up the goodness quotient. Even the homely Oriental Cravings resto at One Utama is particular about sourcing ingredients for their house specialities. Hence some of the specialities: POMELO SALAD and NYONYA SEAFOOD CURRY IN CLAYPOT are only served as and when the ingredients meet the owners’ exacting standards.

4.      Stay focused. Take it slow. 

Eating should be pleasurable. In these days of hyper-social connectivity when the phone cameras need to ‘eat’ first, make it a point to focus on what you’re eating and the sensorial pleasure it evokes. Eat slowly, savour every bite. Avoid rushing through your meal or from being too distracted as mindless eating will make you crave for food later.

A small portion of good food can be satisfying when you’re focused on the dining experience. Train and awaken your tastebuds to appreciate subtler nuances and various textures. Start by experimenting with An Viet’s VÁNG ĐẬU CUỘN CHAY – Bean Curd Skin Rolled with Tofu in Mushroom Sauce (pix above). Although the different components look deceptively bland, learn to discern the delicate accents first before jazzing the serving up with fresh herbs or house sauces available.

5.      Eat, play, laugh. You are what you eat.

Instead of depriving yourself of certain food, choose to share a serving with someone or opt for a smaller portion. Alternatively, look for healthier options. For example, dessert lovers can enjoy An Viet’s LIME & LEMONGRASS SORBET as a cool treat to wrap up their meal. Most restaurants will have sorbets or yoghurt or you can settle for a smaller scoop of ice cream and take your time to enjoy every spoonful.

Stay active, laugh and live life to the fullest. Remember, the old adage you are what you eat holds true. Just remember these easy healthy and tasty dining out tips on your next outing in the city.

 

NORWEGIAN FJORD TROUT FOR A HEALTHY HEART

Rich in Omega-3 fatty acids – an essential nutrient for a healthy heart – the Norwegian Fjord Trout made a big splash among AEON customers when Her Excellency Gunn Jorid Roset (pix below), the Norwegian Ambassador to Malaysia launched a month-long ‘Norwegian Fjord Trout for a Healthy Heart’ campaign at AEON 1 Utama recently.

Also present at the launch event were Asbjørn Warvik Rørtveit (2nd from left), Norwegian Seafood Council’s Regional Director, South-East Asia; Masashi Iwasaki (left), AEON's Assistant GM, Foodline Merchandising; CVS CEO Anwar Anis (2nd from right) and Sandeep Kumar (right) of Healthify Me. Consultant dietitian Indra Balaratnam then demonstrated two simple recipes on how to cook the Norwegian Fjord Trout. (refer recipes below)

Scheduled from 27 September to 27 October, the Norwegian Seafood Council in collaboration with AEON throughout the country will feature cooking demos on simple and wholesome Norwegian Fjord Trout dishes to shoppers at AEON in 1 Utama.

Surrounded by ice-cold waters with fjords stretching deep into its coastline, Norway has the perfect living conditions for Fjord Trout. Farmed in the pure, cold waters of Norwegian fjords where seawater meets fresh meltwater of glaciers and snow, the Norwegian Fjord Trout is bred and raised following the highest environment and sustainability standards.

Asbjorn Warvik Rortveit, Norwegian Seafood Council’s Regional Director, South-East Asia said: “From our annual Seafood Consumer Insights, Norway is the preferred country of origin for Malaysians for Fjord Trout purchases. Malaysians also choose Norwegian Fjord Trout for its health and nutritional benefits.”

 

Other partners for the Healthy Heart campaign include Hospital Cardiac Vascular Sentral Kuala Lumpur (CVS) and HealthifyMe App. Among the the launch weekend activities were HealthifyMe dietician Mitra Prasad’s creation of a 7-Day Meal Plan with Norwegian Fjord Trout, health talks by cardiologist consultant, dietician and fitness experts, coupled with free health checks, dietician advice and fitness advice.

Giveaways with purchases of Norwegian Fjord Trout and health screening packages by CVS and Premium Access promotion by HealthifyMe App will also be featured throughout the month at AEON outlets.

About Norwegian Fjord Trout

The Norwegian Fjord Trout is popular in Malaysia for its unique taste, health benefits and appealing red colour. Its similar appearance to salmon leads consumers to mistakenly associate it as a type of salmon but the Fjord Trout is a whole different specie.

Growing to a weight of 2-5 kilos, the Fjord Trout is slightly smaller than salmon with a lustrous and silvery skin. The meat is a deep red-orange colour with white marbling, giving the fish fillets a luxurious feel. Look for fish with a healthy sheen and feels firm, yet tender and mellow to touch. Fjord Trout has a remarkably rich flavour with a pure aftertaste.

Refer to the recipes below for delicious ideas on how to cook the Fjord Trout. For more information on Norwegian Seafood Council, please visit www.fromnorway.com.

 FJORD TROUT RASA ASAM PEDAS

Serves: 3 to 4

Ingredients:

500g Fjord Trout fillet – cut into chunks 

8 ladies fingers

3 stalks lemongrass

1 torch ginger flower 

2 medium tomatoes

Few sprigs daun kesom  (Vietnamese mint leaves)

2 tablespoons sugar

4 tablespoons tamarind pulp (asam jawa) + 3 cups of water - strained

2 tablespoons olive oil

Ingredients for the spice paste to be blended together:

15 dried chillies – soak in water (remove seeds to reduce chilli heat)

1 medium red onion

4 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

1 teaspoon-size square belacan (shrimp paste)

1/3 teaspoon turmeric powder

 

Methods:

Gently heat the olive oil in non-stick wok. Sauté the blended spice paste for about 8 minutes until fragrant.

Add in lemongrass and torch ginger flower. Stir in spice paste.

Add in tamarind pulp water and bring to a slight simmer.

Add in daun kesom and bring to boil.

Add sugar to season and taste.

Add in ladies fingers and tomatoes. Cook for 2 minutes.

Add in Fjord Trout and cook for 2 more minutes until fish is gently cooked.

Serve immediately with rice and vegetables.

EASY FJORD TROUT SEAFOOD PASTA

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS:

200 g spaghettini pasta – cooked al dente as per packaged instructions

300 g Fjord Trout – cut into cubes

200 g prawns – peeled

8 cloves garlic – minced

100 g cherry tomatoes – halved

80 g yellow capsicum – deseeded and finely sliced

Bunch of parsley -- chopped

250 ml prawn stock

3 tablespoons olive oil

Salt & crushed black pepper to taste

Sweet paprika

Chili flakes (optional)

Methods:

Marinate Fjord Trout and prawns with paprika, salt and crushed

black pepper for 10 minutes.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a non-stick pan.

Sauté half of the minced garlic, Fjord Trout and prawns until lightly pink. Remove from pan and set aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and sauté remainder of the minced garlic.

Add in cherry tomatoes and sliced yellow capsicum. Stir-fry for 2 minutes till slightly tender.  

Toss in spaghettini and mix well. Add in prawn stock and simmer.

Mix in the cooked Fjord Trout and prawns with the spaghettini. Season with crushed black pepper, salt and paprika to taste.

Toss in chopped parsley.

Serve with extra chili flakes and wedge of lemon (optional).