Chong (centre) with Fan Bingbing (right) and Hong Kong actor Andy Lau. Photo: Jersey Chong Xin Ling
Jersey Chong Xin Ling – international PR director-cum-artiste manager for Chinese actress Fan Bingbing, and 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.
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 non-invasive dietary solutions to improve our well-being.
Chong hopes to help people find the most creative, natural, convenient and non-invasive dietary solutions to improve our well-being. Photo: Jersey Chong Xin Ling
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.
Chong (right) with her family. Photo: Jersey Chong Xin Ling
Tell us 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 practising a healthy diet and lifestyle in accordance with law of nature, which is a core belief that NatureCare.Life was built on.
NatureCare.Life founder FE Chong graduated with an MSc Holistic Nutrition in the US. Photo: Jersey Chong Xin Ling
What are the qualities you learned from your father?
My father had a huge impact on the person I am today. He’s irreplaceable. He’s creative, adventurous, highly-intelligent, ambitious, affectionate and compassionate. He’s a workaholic who never runs out of energy. I’ve learned so much from him, and he's my pillar of strength, support and discipline. He’s the biggest reason for my passion in nutrition and wellness.
My father is a true practitioner of a natural plant-based whole food diet and lifestyle. I’ve witnessed him bounce back to life and energy every day and help many others to achieve the same. As a daughter, I feel that it is only right to share some of his passion, while helping him to sustain his company.
What can you share about NatureCare.Life and its key philosophies?
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 “whole foods” 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, colouring and flavourings whatsoever. From our delicious chia blends to soy-free plant-based protein blends, we are certain that our whole food supplements are next to what Mother Nature can offer.
Chong’s personal favourite is the Ananas plus Berrynice combo, which she says is refreshing and delicious. Photo: Jersey Chong Xin Ling
What are your must-have NatureCare.Life products?
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 made of 100% natural whole food ingredients and completely free of synthetic nutrients. My personal favourite is the Ananas plus Berrynice combo, which is 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, we recommend consuming 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. All of our products are formulated by my dear father.
All NatureCare.Life products are “whole foods” and not a mixture of extracted nutrients. Photo: Jersey Chong Xin Ling
Where can we find NatureCare.Life products?
Through our official website naturecare.life, 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 at (017) 330-6938, if they have any questions regarding our whole foods or any specific dietary concerns. Our customer service team and in-house nutritionists are always happy to assist.
About Jersey Chong
In 2005, she was appointed the organising director of Broadway Events & Marketing, the 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 14 shows of choreographed theatrical performance, Happy Shaolin Legend, to Genting Highlands. She was also involved in producing the 2012 Singaporean movie My Dog Dou Dou, and the 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, acting as Fan’s international spokesperson and manager. In 2019, she was appointed as the international affairs special officer to Johor state legislative assembly member Dr Chong Fat Full, currently the executive councillor for unity, trade and consumer affairs. Jersey’s father is FE Chong (MSc Holistic Nutrition, US), 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, FE Chong via Instagram (@chongfe) or Facebook (facebook.com/feng.chong.16). More information about NatureCare.Life is available on instagram.com/naturecare.life and facebook.com/naturecare.life.
