Unique cocktail and delicious pizzas in KL | Naked Restaurant KL Review

This is such a striking name- Naked Restaurant. But rest assure that no one is actually naked in the restaurant. But it is an apt name because the food and drinks are presented in the 'naked' manner-- the freshest and well presented.

Naked Restaurant
Located in: Hartamas Shopping Centre
Address: Block E-0-2 & E-1-2 Plaza Damas, 6, Block E-0-2 & E-1-2 Plaza Damas & Jalan Sri Hartamas 1, Taman Sri Hartamas, 50480 Kuala Lumpur
Hours: Mondays- Sundays 11am–12am
Phone: 03-6206 1623
Official website
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Naked Restaurant is perhaps one of the most popular hangout place as a sports bar. But it is also great for families with young children, especially for lunches and dinners.

The outdoor sitting has comfortable couches for people to lounge on and to relax during the day.

The indoor sitting is air-conditioned with a huge TV screening the latest soccer match. We love the cool antique motorcycle in the dining area as well as the striking red couch.

Or choose to sit at a proper table with lovely decoration by the bar. Smoking is allowed on the premise because the kitchen is located upstairs.

Naked has an interesting list of alcoholic and non alcoholic beverages to choose from. They do take making a good drink very seriously.

Happy Juice is a good and healthy choice, especially for children. This is a smoothie made from
fresh banana,  yoghurt drink, honey and milk. It's not sweet and in fact tasted a bit soury and fizzy.

The cocktail list in the Naked Restaurant is a must try especially for the two following cocktails.

Tea for Mojitwo is an interesting pot of rum, passion fruit, mint leaves and lime juice. This combination is refreshing and fruity. I could not discern the amount of alcohol in the cocktail until I felt the alcohol kicking into my system.

Pina Colada is a classic cocktail. Besides rum, coconut liquor,  coco milk and pineapple juice are also part of the fun mixture. This makes a slightly stronger tasting liquor which goes well with the fresh coconut flesh.

The food at the Naked Restaurant is also commendable. I love their pan fried red snapper which is cripsy on the outside and still tender on the inside with a splash of fresh lemon juice. A salad consisting of blanched brocolli, carrots, French beans and rocket leaves is well balanced in terms of texture and flavour.  Mashed potato is made with high quality imported potatoes that's fluffy in texture. Some lemon cream sauce is nicely served separately to allow one to choose the amount of sauce to enhance the palate which really brings the whole dish together.

Carbonara is another comfort food and children's all-time favourite. A thick creamy sauce with cripsy fried beef bacon slices and parsley to enhance the flavors.

Pizzas are also a huge hit here. It's the classic thin crust.  Not only is it great for soccer fans to enjoy watching a match with slices of pizza,  it's also now possible to enjoy their freshly baked pizza via food panda.

Carnivore pizza
This is an interesting combination of beef pepperoni,  roasted Cajun chicken,  chicken ham,  minced lamb,  beef bacon,  mushrooms,  garlic and  herbs. It has so much meat and topping that I just couldn't stop eating.

The signature Naked house pizza
Roasted Cajun chicken breast,  pickled jalapeno, onions and mushrooms make this pizza a fairly Mexican flavor.  But the spiciness was not overpowering.

Pepperoni is a great classic. With beef pepperoni and oregano, it's a great comfort food. 

These hot wings used to be marinated and fried in the chili sauce.  But many could not take the spiciness. So the chef decided to separate the two so the customer can choose how spicy they want the chicken wings to be.  To me,  it's just the right level of spiciness.

After a hearty meal,  it's always great to have a cup of cappucino to ease digestion.

Not to forget to round it up with a chocolate fondant. This is a rich chocolate brownies slightly crispy on the outside with a runny centre served warm and with a scoop of smooth vanilla ice cream.

That was a great Sunday late lunch and a chance to hang out with mr husband,  mom and our two children!  Our verdict is 8/10! Great food and drink,  cosy atmosphere at s reasonable price tag.

Benefits of consuming honey | Honey Hub Life Elixir review

Honey offers a wide range of health benefits. I have summarised this article from The Star about regular honey consumption. Besides carbohydrate and protein, honey also contains various minerals,  vitamins and phytonutrients that are essential to maintain health.

Honey has shown promising results in treating mouth ulcers,  lowering cholesterol, killing bacteria especially in wounds and killing cancer cells. It's also a healthier alternative to sugar as the glycemic index is much lower. As the taste of sweetness is also greater,  less is needed to enhance the flavour.

Honey Hub only produces the most premium quality of tualang honey. Tualang honey is abundant in the north-western region of peninsular Malaysia, a jungle honey produced by rock bees with hives on the Tualang trees. It is the Manuka honey of the East.

Do you know that many grades of honey available in the market? This includes commercial honey (farm honey ), reprocessed honey and raw wild honey. Of which raw honey is the best.

Raw honey is then divided into 5 grades
o above 25% moisture grade D
o 22% moisture grade C
o above 20.5% moisture grade B
o below 20% moisture grade A
o below 18% moisture premium honey

100% premium raw Tualang honey is the main ingredient in Honey Hub Life Elixir. Besides that,  it also contains

o American ginseng
o Astragalus
o Black curmin
o 100% Royal Jelly

These ingredients are rich in antioxidants, vitamins,  minerals and phytonutrients which are essential in fighting the ageing process and maintaining youthful skin. Some smaller studies also suggest possible benefits in retarding dementia.

Those who are interested can read more about Honey Hub's honey research here.

How to consume Honey Hub Life Elixir?

1) Take 1 tablespoon in the morning before breakfast
2) Take 1 tablespoon at night before sleep
2) Avoid using metal spoon
3) Don’t mix with water
4) It's also advised to avoid cold drinks and food

There's an interesting myth that the acidity of honey would corrode a metal spoon used to eat it. In actual fact,  the corrosive effect is fairly negligible. However, plastic, ceramic or wooden spoons can be used instead.

What does Dr Yingzangel think?

Honey Hub, when consumed in moderation,  may help to boost energy level and improve suppleness of the skin.  As with any other supplements, please consult your healthcare professionals before trying. Avoid if you have kidney, liver or heart failure. Life Elixir has quite a strong flavour though.  It may take a few tries to get one familiar with the taste. But you know what? the best medicine is often less palatable.

Honey Hub Life Elixir
Testimonials

Disclaimer: the opinion given is merely a personal experience and does not constitute formal medical advice. Please seek your medical professional's advice before any complementary therapy. Always ask for certified professionals before proceeding with treatment and stop if discomfort or side effect ensues.

Managing type 2 diabetes mellitus in older people 乐龄糖尿病护理 | Jasper Lodge East (Kuantan关丹）

Malaysia boleh! We are officially the most obesed country in South East Asia and this is nothing that we should be proud of. With age, obesity brings about many health issues, particularly in areas of what doctors call metabolic syndrome which includes insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes mellitus. The mainstay of treatment remains a healthy lifestyle which has been shown in a recent study which can totally reverse the diabetic state.

Diet

A healthy diet is for everyone. There  is no such thing as a diabetic diet. Cut back on simple refined sugar and carbohydrate such as white rice, white bread, white flour, cake, sweetened beverage and cookies. No sugar is more superior than another because it is still broken down in the same manner in the body. Follow the Suku Suku Separuh principle and fill your plate with a quarter of carbohydrate, a quarter of lean meat/fish/chicken, half with fruits and vegetables. Snack on nuts such as cashew, almond, sunflower seeds instead of sweet pastries. Read here to get how certain ingredients can be swapped in popular recipes for a healthier alternative. The occasional indulgence is fine as long as it's in moderation. 

Exercise

I have previously written how much and how frequently exercise should be done here. It should include both endurance/aerobic and resistance training. For weight loss,  aerobic exercises such as jogging, swimming and zumba are the way to go. A modest weight loss of 5-10% over 6 months is more than adequate. Cutting down the waistline also directly reduce the amount of visceral fat (fat around important organs) which predict the risk of having a heart attack. Even if your BMI is ideal, exercise can improve fitness, prevent frailty and reduce fall risk. 

Oral medication

For an older person, the treatment regime should be simple. The target for sugar control is individualised and more lenient for those who are frail, who has limited life expectancy or who already has multiple other illnesses such as kidney failure and heart disease as these patients may have significant complications from having low blood sugar. Certain oral medications has dose adjustments for those who have kidney failure. Some cannot be used at all if the kidney disease reaches certain severity. Most oral medications can reduce the Hba1c by about 1.

Injectables

For those whose Hba1c remains uncontrolled or when oral medications are not suitable, insulin injections may be necessary. There are multiple ways in which insulin injections can be combined with or without oral medications to achieve a good level of sugar control. Insulin is nevertheless the most effective medications in treating diabetes but it comes with the side effect of weight gain and low blood sugar. There is another new injectable medications called the GLP1-RA which acts to achieve weight loss and is great for those who has kidney and heart problems. 

Want to know how to manage your diabetes well? Talk to one of the healthcare professionals at Jasper Lodge now to get an individualised plan for your diabetes. If you have no time to prepare a healthy meal and do not know how much exercise is enough, head on to one of our centres to try our daycare service. We have dedicated nurses to monitor your food intake, monitor sugar and physiotherapist to teach you how to exercise correctly. Jasper Lodge East is coming to Kuantan soon as well. 

Jasper Lodge 

Official website 

Facebook page

End of Life care 临终看护| Jasper Lodge East（Kuantan 关丹）

Life is short. It will come to an end eventually. How it ends is very important though. This is particularly true for those we love. We would love them to pass away peacefully with minimal suffering.

Advance directive is important, especially for those who have severe chronic organ failures and terminal cancer. As a doctor, I often ask myself the surprise question when I come across with these patients-- will I be surprised if they pass away within the next 6 months? If not, then I will start exploring about their wishes. Many people simply do not think about the inevitable. But it is important to plan beforehand how you want to be treated in the last moments of your lives. It can be extremely difficult for your next of kin to make decisions if it comes unexpectedly and abruptly. Because they want the best effort to be done to avoid losing you. And this may not reflect your true wishes. Many of these aspects differs with your upbringing, cultural and religious practices. There is often no right or wrong to choose a Do Not Resuscitate Order, or to choose withdrawal of life support to allow the dying process out of the hospital.

End of life should not be painful. Terminal illness can be associated with significant pain and breathlessness due to spreading of the cancer to bones and lungs or the gradual deterioration of the functions of the vital organs. It can be distressing to both the patient and the family to go through this suffering. There are many ways, both using or not using medications such as morphine to help relieving the discomfort. However, some times, patients may have side effects and reservations about using morphine which can be managed successfully with an experienced medical team.

End of life should not be lacking privacy and dignity. A person who is being palliated should be offered a comfortable environment with peace and quietness. If wished so, accompanied by their loved ones and spiritual community. There should be minimal interruption from the medical team and unnecessary medications and treatments should be ceased. For example, in most cases, medications to treat high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes can be stopped in the last moments. Because it does not help to prevent the passing. In fact, the pill burden can prove unwelcoming for those who does not have much appetite or has problems swallowing.

At our nursing homes under Jasper Lodge, we have healthcare professionals who will guide you through this last precious moments in life. So you can leave the world behind in comfort and without regrets. Your loved ones will also be assisted in the grieving process. Jasper Lodge East is also opening soon to serve the Kuantan community.

Want to know more about our service? Give us a call or contact us at our website 24/7 to find out what's best for your loved one.

Jasper Lodge 

Official website 

Facebook page

Elderly living solutions 乐龄生活辅助 | Jasper Lodge East (Kuantan 关丹）

Our parents have spent their life caring for us.  So it's only natural that we would want the best care for them.  Studies have shown that half of those over 60years old need some form of assistance in daily living. How do you know what help do your elderly parents need?

There are a few simple tests to try.

1. The FRAIL scale 衰弱量表

Those who scored 1-3 is likely to need some help in managing basic necessities and can consider home help or assisted living.  A score of 4-5 almost always mean that person needs round the clock assistance or supervision in a Aged Care facility run by professionals rapidly especially for those with many sickness and complex medication regimes.

2. The timed up and go test (TUG)

This short YouTube video shows how the test is performed.  You can try it with your parents at home.

Those who need more than 12 seconds to complete the task will need intensive rehabilitation which includes a comprehensive and tailored physiotherapy program and good dietary plan. This may mean a medium term stay in an Aged Care facility with a dedicated rehabilitation team.

3. The abbreviated mental test 失智测量

Ask the aged the following questions:
Their age? Date of birth? Current year? Where they are now?

If they can't answer one of the questions,  they will need to be assessed by a geriatrician for possible dementia. Moderate to severe dementia makes living without full-time supervision and assistance unsafe because they may leave the stove on, take medications twice or wander out of home without knowing their way back.

Jasper Lodge East offers a comprehensive range of living solutions for the elderly.  Home care can be arranged.  Daycare programs are run in the Jasper Lodge centre. Full-time Nursing Home residency is also available for those who need.

Give us a call or contact us at our website 24/7 to find out what's best for the aged.

Jasper Lodge 

Official website 

Facebook page

Criteria for choosing a Nursing Home 怎样选疗养院 | Jasper Lodge East (Kuantan 关丹）

Do you know that our Malaysian population is ageing so rapidly that almost a quarter is 60 years and above? Unfortunately, as we age, we become more frail and may suffer from sickness so that at some point we will become dependent on the others to care for us. When the time comes, how do we choose the correct place to spend the rest of our life in?

1. Find a nursing home run by professionals.

The reason why you or your parents need help with activities of daily living means you cannot cope at home anymore. An example is an elderly parent who has just been discharged from the hospital after suffering from a stroke. He or she may not be able to move one side of the body freely-- this may make toilet trips and feeding self impossible. Besides getting professional nurses to assist in these basic necessities, recovery from stroke also needs months of daily intensive and guided physiotherapy to regain maximal strength and function of the muscles. Risk factors for developing another stroke should be minimized by treating risk factors such as diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure and high cholesterol by an experienced doctor who is trained in caring for the old called geriatrician. Another lay person will need a lot of training and experience to care for the elderly. 

2. Find a nursing home which has a good dietary plan.

Getting older does not mean that one can ignore having a good diet because there are just very few years left to live. As we age, our body loses the capacity to absorb nutrients and many bodily functions also deteriorate with wear and tear. This is why a healthy diet is extremely important. A biscuit and tea diet, very commonly found in elderlies who have no means to cook for themselves, can jeopardize their health. A healthy meal can be planned using the Suku Suku Separuh plate. Everyone should have 3 main meals and 2 teatimes during the day. This means a quarter of the plate should be filled with rice/grain/bread, a quarter with meat/chicken/fish, a quarter with fruits and the last quarter with vegetables. 

3. Find a nursing home which offers an attractive social program.

Many old people are lonely. Their adult children are busy with work and caring for their own family. The parents do not want to appear needy by demanding their children for regular visit. After all, the grandchildren need more time with the parents, no? But this means many elderly suffers from loneliness and depression. They long for companionship and a good support network from others. So it's very important to have social activities such as support group, religious fellowship, art and craft, as well as gardening activities in the center. 

Jasper Lodge East is coming to Kuantan soon. Its nursing home fulfills all the criteria listed above. And it's a subsidiary from Jasper Lodge-- a trusted elderly living solution led by qualified doctors and nurses, as well as physiotherapists and social workers experienced in caring for the elderly and the needed. It's not just a place to live in, but it offers all the help that one can possibly need after losing independence. Jasper Lodge also aims for our residents to live in privacy, dignity and respect. 

We know you want the best for your elderly parents. Send in your enquiries now. Jasper Lodge has a 24 hours hotline to answer all your burning questions.

Jasper Lodge 

Official website 

Facebook page

Artistic DIY home painting | Nippon Paint Momento Special Effect Paint Review

I have always wanted to repaint this wall in the master bedroom. The paint 4years back has started to crack and peel.

The workmanship of that particular wall sadly was also rough and uneven.  So i thought this pot of Nippon Paint Momento Special Effect Paint  from the Home tester club came just in time.

Each set came with 1L of primer and 1L of special effect paint. I chose ultraviolet not just because purple is my favorite color but also because it matches the rest of the bedroom. This special effect paint is made for interior walls. It also came with a set of brush,  spatula and ruler.

Furthermore,  this Nippon Paint series has low VOC, low odour and does not contain heavy metals such as mercury,  lead and chrome. I could hardly smell the paint a few hours afterwards.

How to apply?

This is a short YouTube video about how to paint using the Momento Special Effect Paint.

Paint primer using roller.
Paint two layers of the special effect paint in a crisscross manner.
Wait for 15mins.
Use the spatula to create more texture when the paint is still semidry.
Leave air dry for at least an hour.

What does Dr Yingzangel think?

On the left is the old paint. The right panel is Nippon Momento.

I used to hate the rough workmanship on this wall in my bedroom.  And the old paint has started to bubble and peel off now. But now it's become so artistic after I painted it using Nippon Moment Special Effect Paint. It gave such a textured appearance to the wall and concealed the uneven and rough surface so well.

It's also very easy to apply. For a person who rarely does any paintwork nor artwork, it's incredibly easy to paint. The color is shimmering and paint at just the right consistency because it did not drip to the floor at all even though i didn't cover it with any protective surface.

Want to try it yourself? 

Nippon Momento Special Effect Paint website