For years, Pauline and I thought feeling sluggish, tired, and heavier than we should was simply part of getting older. We followed conventional advice, tried the usual diets, and even dabbled in the latest wellness trends — but nothing seemed to bring lasting vitality.
Deep down, we knew this wasn’t the life we were meant to live.
Our turning point came when we decided to take responsibility for our health and rebuild from the inside out. Through years of trial, learning, and lived experience, we discovered a framework that didn’t just stop decline — it reversed it. We regained energy, clarity, and strength we hadn’t felt in decades.
Little did we know that an impromptu getaway to a lovely organic farm in Kluang would lead us to one of the most heartwarming stories of 2023. And the discovery of Han Tze Soh and her loving family from Batu Pahat.
We met Roy Chan and his wife, So-En at Talula Hills and hit it off straight away. From the get go, we chatted like we have been best friends for decades. We instantly forged a bond of similar mindsets and interests.
Grass fed beef refers to the cows feeding on just grass as their diet, and it will yield a more leaner meat and a lesser fat content.
Grass fed beef will also have more nutritional content when compared to grain fed beef.
It can have as much as five times more omega-3 fatty acids to the grain fed ones.
Why not all calories are the same, and why we should pay less attention to calories and focus more on what is the actual food we are eating.
According to Dr Giles Yeo, who is a renowned researcher on obesity at the university of Cambridge, every calorie count you see is wrong.
Take protein. Only 70 percent of 100 calories of protein that we consume will be used as fuel inside us for energy. The other 30 calories are actually used to metabolise the protein to enter our bloodstream.
Why insulin resistance may be the root of our chronic diseases. And sugar is the main trigger.
People usually say we get obese first before we get chronic illnesses. But, is that really the case?
Insulin resistance may answer this and we will use a supermarket analogy to explain.
Let’s assume the cash register is a cell in our body, the cashier and the bar code reader is insulin and the grocery items that need to be scanned is glucose.
Lard oil may not be unhealthy, and can actually be good for you.
For years, we have been told that natural saturated fats like lard can contribute to heart issues. We were told to change to polyunsaturated fats in vegetable and seed oils. Recent studies have shown that this may not longer hold true.
Lard is actually one of the best sources of vitamin D, second only to cod liver oil. One tablespoon of lard oil (from pasteurised pigs) can contain up to 1000IU of vitamin D, which is more than the required amount for a day.
Andrew is a stage 4 cancer survivor, and has a lot to share on his cancer experience.
Today, he’s the man behind our favourite Bak Chor Mee soup at Soon Heng Pork Noodles, but it is his backstory that deserves equal attention.
Prior to being a hawker, Andrew was working a stressful corporate life that involved weekly overseas trips and ghastly working hours due to time differences. He was also a heavy smoker.
Have you ever wondered why whole foods like fresh fruits, vegetables, meat and seafood don’t need to carry nutrition labelling on them?
It’s because they are very minimally processed and do not contain any added ingredients. Whole foods also come “complete”. All the vitamins, nutrients and fibre are kept intact.
They have not been blended, broken down or dehydrated and in the process, they do not lose their nutritional value. Unlike ultra processed food.
Yeonjeoyukjjim, which is Korean for double cooked pork belly with nuts is a royal Korean Joseon dish.
Start by cutting the beancurd into rectangular sized chunks. Pan fry them in a little oil until they are lightly golden brown. Remove and cut them into smaller 2cm cubes and set aside.
Make a sauce mixture by mixing 50ml light soya sauce, 1.5 cups water, 1 tbsp mirin, 1 tbsp honey and white parts from 1 stalk spring onion. Stir well and set aside.
Tteokgalbi has to be one of our favourite beef dishes and recipes. It may require some effort to pull it off but when you do, it is so worth it.
Make the mother sauce first by blending 1 yellow pear, 1 medium onion, 40g peeled garlic, 2 stalks leek, 180ml light soy sauce, 1/4 honey and 1 tsp black pepper into a saucy paste. Store in a glass jar and refrigerate for 1 day.
Steam 16 peeled chestnuts for around 45 minutes until they are soft enough to be mashed. Use a spoon to mash the chestnuts into a sieve to get chestnut powder.
Jjimdak or Korean Braised Chicken as done in a more elegant and refined manner.
Make the mother sauce first by blending 1 yellow pear, 1 medium onion, 40g peeled garlic, 2 stalks leek, 180ml light soy sauce, 1/4 honey and 1 tsp black pepper into a saucy paste. Store in a glass jar and refrigerate for 1 day.
To make the Jjimdak, sauté a handful of spinach with some perilla seed oil and a pinch of salt in pan until the vegetables are lightly cooked.
Jeonbokjuk, or Korean abalone porridge is one of the most delicious and comforting porridge that there is.
Soak 1/2 rice cup of glutinous rice in 4 rice cups of water for 1 hour. After an hour, strain the rice and retain the rice water.
If you prefer to have a thicker consistency, simply reduce the amount of rice water used to 2 or 3 cups instead. We prefer our Jeonbokjuk to be more broth like and not too starchy.
Add 1 tbsp lard oil in a wok or pan and turn on flame. Fry 3 cloves of minced garlic and the white bits of scallion in the lard oil until fragrant . Tilt the wok one end so that the garlic can immerse deeply in oil.
Add 1 sliced Chinese sausage or lup cheong to add to the fragrance. Then add 1 cup of beansprouts followed by kway teow for 2 servings. You can add some yellow noodles as well. Stir and mix well.
Gungjung Tteokbokki, a royal court vegetarian dish fit for a Joseon king.
Make the mother sauce first by blending 1 yellow pear ,1 medium onion, 40g peeled garlic, 2 stalks of leek, 180ml light soy sauce, 1/4 honey and 1 tsp black pepper into a saucy paste. Store in a glass jar and refrigerate for 1 day.
Soak 200g joraengi tteokbokki from @jongga_global in water for 30 minutes before cooking. Fry 3 cloves of thinly sliced garlic chips and set aside.
Cook 2 rice cups of Japanese short grain rice in the rice cooker.
Marinate 200g of sliced beef with 2 cloves of minced garlic, 2 tsp light soy sauce, 1 tsp honey, 2 tsp sesame oil and some sesame seeds.
Slice 1 carrot into very thin strips. Cut 6 shiitake mushrooms into strips. Blanch a handful of Chinese spinach in wok of boiling water for a minute and remove. Squeeze out any excess water.
Our first Barilla professional series recipe video features an Italian classic, Tagliatelle Alfredo as cooked by Chef Andrea Tranchero. This recipe serves 4 persons.
Start by salting a pot of boiling water with 2 tsp salt until it tastes like saltwater. Boil 250g of tagliatelle pasta from Barilla in the salted water for 7 minutes. After 5 minutes, use a pair of tongs to stir the softened noodles to prevent sticking.
For the Alfredo sauce, use 80g unsalted butter and 160g grated parmigano reggiano. Cut the butter into small cubes and grate the parmigano into a cup to be used later.
Chop 400g of boneless chicken into squarish chunks. Make some pandan juice by blending a bunch of pandan leaves with some water. Strain the mixture to get the pandan juice.
Then marinate the chicken with the pandan juice, 2 cloves of minced garlic, 1 tsp coriander powder, 1/2 tsp Sarawak white pepper, 1/2 tbsp fish sauce, 1/2 tbsp light soya, 1.5 tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tsp sugar and 1 tsp sesame oil. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
