A NATURECARE.LIFE reflection on change

The international public relations director cum artiste manager for Chinese actress Fan Bingbing, Jersey Chong Xin Ling - who is also focusing her efforts on helping people along a sustainable wellness journey in harmony with nature - reflects on life and work over the past few months.

What was it like working with Fan Bingbing for the past decade?
Our schedule was hectic and there was no average day. Basically we work 24 hours a day and our phones will be ringing all the while. In this line of work, I had to be reachable at any time.

There are no scheduled meal breaks, so I often have cereal bars stashed away in my handbag, or in the car, because sometimes it’s just hectic non-stop.

But we’ve all gotten used to this tempo and I enjoyed working with her. She’s fun, very easygoing, sweet, professional and respectful. You’d be surprised at how humble she is.

How has COVID-19 affected your industry?
The impact is unprecedented. Most countries have shut down all movie theatres and events in an effort to deter the spread of Covid-19. Major events have been cancelled or postponed, resulting in significant losses to the companies involved. This is a huge blow to the prominent players of the global entertainment industry, including Warner Bros, Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group, Walt Disney Studios, Universal Pictures, 20th Century Fox, Paramount Pictures, China Film Group Corp., etc. Production companies have been forced to alter schedules, shift locations, or shut down entirely. Be it Hollywood or Bollywood, even if we were to take a conservative estimate the losses would be in terms of billions of dollars.

What do you think the new normal is going to be like for the international showbiz industry post-Covid-19?
The pandemic is a crippling blow to the industry and no one is certain about the time it will take to recover. It has also changed the way people consume entertainment. Staying locked at home has resulted in people being glued to television screens, leading to a great rise in the viewership of online streaming services.

Entertainment will always be needed, only the medium might change. Online content creators, makers, as well as distributors, will see the current pandemic as a great revenue stream, people will eventually learn to adopt and adapt around it.

What positive experiences did you have during the Covid-19 lockdown?
Since the Covid-19 outbreak, I’ve been working from home and developed richer connections with my family, especially with my father. We exchanged ideas about our work and life.

Above all, Covid-19 should be a wake-up call that our well-being is closely tied to the health of Mother Earth. The lockdowns we see around the world are forcing us to slow down, take stock and start thinking about our future.

From a series of reported drastic improvement in air pollution levels in various parts of the world, to the water in canals of some urban areas said to clearing for the first time in decades, from wild animals appearing in and around big cities, to the sweet sound of birdsong in areas where there was none, the fact is crystal clear: nature is enjoying this small break from us, our daily grind and environmental footprint.

The virus has given us a good lesson: if we start taking steps to reduce our negative impact on Mother Nature, she will return the favour with fresh air, clean water and bountiful ecosystem services.

Besides that, about three months ago, I started being actively involved in my father’s health food company NATURECARE.LIFE. With a passion to promote a lifestyle and eating habits that help protect Mother Nature, my goal is to help people find the most creative, natural, convenient and yet non-invasive dietary solutions to improve our well-being.

Where did your passion for nutrition and wellness come from?
There’s a famous quote by Hippocrates: “Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food.”

My father always reminds me that when your diet is wrong, medicine is of no use. When your diet is correct, there is no need for medicine.

Food matters a lot in terms of our health and well-being, as well as both physical and mental health. Unfortunately, we live in such a fast-paced society that traditional meal preparations can get lost in the busy shuffle during the week.

It’s only natural that we turn to food production industries to provide food packed and ready for consumption. As a result, the general public are being fed lots of junk foods that are produced by food producers that care very little about our health.

With guidance from my father, I have seen some amazing results on my nutrition journey and it makes me passionate to share and help others achieve the same.

Tell us more about your father. What do you admire most about him?
When my father was a child, he was malnourished due to family poverty. Later in life, he developed multiple health problems that almost barred him from work and he had to be on long term medication.

Knowing that he had to seek a permanent and holistic solution, he dove into nutrition and embraced a wellness philosophy. It was a life-changing journey. He went from being sick and frail, to feeling strong and healthy today, without any medical intervention.

It was incredible and that’s what I admire most about him. This experience led him to an understanding of the importance of practicing a healthy diet and lifestyle in accordance with law of nature, which is a core belief that NATURECARE.LIFE was built on.

Can you share a bit more about NATURECARE.LIFE’s products and philosophies?
Sure. At NATURECARE.LIFE, we believe all biological beings are naturally gifted. Given proper nutrition coupled with the right lifestyle, our body is able to maintain itself in an optimal condition. In some cases, it is even capable of self-healing.

Drawing inspiration from how Mother Nature keeps everything in harmony for billions of years, my father never stops researching and developing the most direct, convenient and natural dietary solutions possible for modern people.

All our products are “wholefoods” and not a mixture of extracted nutrients. We use a strict and precise way to freeze-dry food without applying high heat, so when you introduce moisture back to our freeze-dried products, it will have the same flavour, texture and taste of fresh food.

You can enjoy a nutrient-dense product, enjoying its full flavour, full profile of enzymes and phytonutrients, which can be stored for months at room temperature without rotting. It’s also easy to carry and can be eaten anywhere - no heat, binders, extractions, fortifications, preservatives, added sugar, colourings and flavourings whatsoever.

From our delicious chia blends to soy-free plant-based protein blends, we are certain that our wholefood supplements are next to what Mother Nature can offer.

Can you briefly tell us what NATURECARE.LIFE products you have been using since the MCO began?
Definitely Ananas (pineapple chia blend), Berrynice (mixed berry chia blend), Frunergy (fruit powder of 16-fruits) and Greenergy (vegetable powder of 12-vegetables). They are 100% natural, made from real foods only – completely free of synthetic nutrients. My personal favourite is an Ananas plus Berrynice combo, super refreshing and delicious! And recently, we’ve launched PlantPro, a plant-based protein powder that gives you 19g of protein per serving. To help our body fully digest and absorb the protein, I consume it with Ananas, our pineapple chia blend rich in bromelain, a natural protein-digesting enzyme that breaks down protein into amino acids, making it more readily absorbed for our bodies.

On top of that, Ananas also helps relieve muscle soreness, joint pain, bruising and redness after an intense workout. And of course, all of our products are formulated by my dear father.

Where can our readers find NATURECARE.LIFE products?
Through our official website, or online platforms such as Shopee and Lazada. Customers can also reach out to us via our social media @naturecare.life (on Instagram and Facebook) or our WhatsApp hotline 017-3306938 if they have any questions regarding our wholefoods or any specific dietary concerns. Our customer service team and in-house nutritionists are always happy to assist.

About Jersey Chong:
Jersey Chong Xin Ling who hails from Johor graduated with a master’s degree in Communications Management from the University of South Australia (UniSA).

In the early days of her career, she was a model and film producer. She founded J-Link Management Sdn Bhd in 2002, which was involved in talent and model management, event management, and media relations. In 2005, she was appointed the Organizing Director of Broadway Events & Marketing, franchise holder of Miss Malaysia Chinatown/International 2005.

A two-year stint as an artiste manager with Harmonic Studios Sdn Bhd since 2007 saw her active involvement in film production, film distribution, and artiste management. Among her clients were artistes of Mediacorp Pte. Ltd., including Wayne Chua, Moo Yan Yee, William San, and Cathryn Lee.

In 2009, she collaborated with the Shaolin Monastery of Songshan, and the director Zhan Xiaonan of the film “Thousand-Hand Guanyin” to bring fourteen shows of choreographed theatrical performance — “Happy Shaolin Legend”—to Genting Highlands, Malaysia. She was also involved in producing a 2012 Singaporean movie ‘My Dog Dou Dou’, and a 2015 Malaysian movie ‘Wira Wah’ headlined by singer-actor Auguste Kwan.

Jersey joined Fan Bingbing Studio in 2010 when the actress made her debut at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival, and has since been acting as Fan’s international spokesperson and manager.

In 2019, she was appointed as the Special Officer of International Affairs to a member of the Johor State Legislative Assembly — YB Dr. Chong Fat Full — who is currently the Executive Councillor (Unity, Trade and Consumer Affairs).

Jersey’s father is F. E. Chong (MSc Holistic Nutrition, United States), the founder of NATURECARE.LIFE

To connect with Jersey, readers can reach out to her on Instagram (@jerseychong) or Facebook (facebook.com/jersey.chong).

Readers can also reach out to Jersey’s father, Mr. F.E. Chong via Instagram or Facebook.

More information about NATURECARE.LIFE is available on:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/naturecare.life/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/naturecare.life/