Preventative heart care needs to be a top-of-mind consideration for Malaysians.
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Aug. 8, 2016 /PRNewswire/ — To encourage Malaysians to take action for their heart health now instead of much later when the symptoms of heart disease have already manifested, brands such as Nestle Omega Plus have made it their mission to be Malaysia’s heart health advocate. Saturday Sept 3 rd will see Malaysians young and old converge on Lake Gardens (Perdana Botanical Gardens) for Walk-A-Mile, Malaysia’s longest running walk for heart health advocacy, jointly organised by Nestle Omega Plus and Yayasan Jantung Malaysia (YJM).
“For the past 14 years, Nestle Omega Plus has reached out to Malaysians to take charge and care for their heart through Walk-A-Mile in collaboration with YJM and we look forward with great excitement to sharing heart healthy activities with everyone at Walk-A-Mile. Caring for your heart does need to be a big monumental step, simply taking the stairs or swapping sugary treats with fresh fruits and drinking two glasses of Nestle Omega Plus with added plant sterols daily to manage cholesterol can improve your heart health,” said Ng Su Yen , Business Executive Manager, Milks of Nestle Malaysia.
For single parent, Linda Chan , 57, long working hours in her younger years coupled with regular seafood feasts now with her family when eating out pose a challenge for her to manage her heart health. To balance it up, she will try to be more vigilant with her diet the next day, such as opting for steamed dishes at home and drinking milk with added plant sterols to block cholesterol.
“I’ve had friends who passed away at the age of 37 from heart health issues, just gone in their sleep,” she recall ed . “Don’t think that heart disease or fatalities only happen to people at my age, cholesterol and heart problems don’t develop overnight and I would definitely urge my daughter to look into ways of managing her heart health as early on as possible.”
The 2015 National Health and Morbidity Survey revealed that nearly 20 million Malaysians above the age of 18 years are at risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which may in turn lead to the development of heart disease. One out of two Malaysians are suffering from high cholesterol. Heart disease manifests itself in many different forms — a heart attack, narrowing of arteries, abnormal heart rhythms, breaking down of the heart valve or heart muscle and degeneration of blood vessels, amongst others. Collectively they are known as cardiovascular heart disease, or CHD.
There are 3 key factors to manage your heart health holistically. Aim to get some form of physical activity every day — the American Heart Association suggests a combination of moderate and vigorous activity thirty minutes a day, five times a week. Anything that makes your body move and burn calories is considered physical activity. Walking more is a great way to improve heart health.
Even if you don’t have any heart issues, it’s important to not miss your heart health check-ups with your doctor. Ask questions about your numbers: blood pressure, cholesterol, heart rate, blood glucose and weight. These numbers will help to provide a benchmark for upcoming check-ups.
Eat a balanced diet – at the dining table, aim to fill half your plate with vegetables and fruits, consume milk with added plant sterols to block the absorption of cholesterol into the bloodstream. Plant sterols are especially effective in lowering cholesterol levels — according to Heart UK, the Cholesterol Charity, plant sterols can reduce cholesterol levels by up to 10% when taken at optimal doses and as part of a diet low in saturated fat in just over 3 weeks. They are considered to be the most effective single food that can lower cholesterol as part of a healthy diet and lifestyle. Plant sterols can be found in small amounts in many grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, and seeds. However you may have to eat very large amounts of these items to have an effect on your cholesterol, with Nestle Omega Plus, you only need to drink two glasses a day to manage cholesterol levels.
Take charge of your heart health now, register at https://mro.myraceonline.com/w
| 1 Caring For The Heart. Prof Datuk Paduka Dr Wan Azman Wan Ahmad, Professor of Medicine and Cardiology. 21-Dec-15 17:10 Retrieved from http://www.bfm.my/wan-azman-wa |
| 2 Renganayar, C. (2016, April 24). Young people, ageing arteries. New Straits Times Online. Retrieved from http://www.nst.com.my/news/201 |
ABOUT NESTLE OMEGA PLUS®
NESTLE OMEGA PLUS® is the only milk that has ACTICOL®, plant sterols that help lower cholesterol by blocking the absorption of cholesterol into the bloodstream. NESTLE OMEGA PLUS® Milk also contains high calcium to keep bones strong. Just 2 servings of NESTLE OMEGA PLUS® each day has been scientifically proven to lower cholesterol levels*. It is available in 150g, 600g and 1kg powder format, and ready-to-drink UHT format of 200ml six-pack cluster. For more information, visitwww.facebook.com/NestleOmegaPl
| *Thomsen AB, et al. Eur J Clin Nutr 2004; 58:860-870 |
About Nestle Malaysia
Nestle, the world’s largest food and beverage manufacturer and a leader in Nutrition, Health and Wellness, is headquartered in Switzerland. Since 1866, Nestle has been committed to providing high quality, tasty, safe and nutritious products to our consumers, in line with our promise of Good Food, Good Life. Nourishing Malaysians since 1912, Nestle has earned the trust of our consumers through our quality brands and products, as well as our commitment to improve the lives of the communities in which we operate. At Nestle, our consumers are at the heart of everything we do. We aim to delight our consumers by offering the best quality products; staying true to our Swiss roots while maintaining our Halal excellence and integrity. To learn more about how we have been nourishing Malaysians for over a century, do visit www.nestle.com.my or our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/Nestle
