Spring into health this CNY

ALL my children are very different. They look different, they behave differently, they have different temperaments, but they all have something in common: A family history of all the noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) that you can possibly imagine – diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, hypercholesterolemia and cancers. While I cannot change my children’s genes, I can change the way we live and the way we eat to reduce and eventually minimise their risks of developing these NCDs.

As a mother and a public health doctor, eating healthy has always been a priority but a constant struggle, especially during festivities. We celebrate almost all the major festivities in our family. Yes, we are muhibbah Malaysians like that. For this Chinese New Year, we will not be making our rounds to our friends and neighbours’ homes dressed in our best reds, but instead, we are trying to have our own little reunion dinner and celebration at home.