A survey done by the World Health Organisation (WHO) showed that Malaysia is unfortunately one of the fattest countries in South-East Asia. In Malaysia, you can find different kinds of cuisines because the population consists of diverse cultures. That being said, overeating is inevitable for Malaysians because they are just never lacking in terms of options and variety. Having Nasi Lemak for breakfast with Teh Tarik, then Char Koey Teow for lunch, and then Roti Canai or even Mee Goreng as a late night treat should be a norm for some.
If this kind of unhealthy diet turns into a long term habit, you won’t only gain weight and grow horizontally; obesity is also strongly linked to diabetes, heart problems and stroke.
The Mastermind Behind This
Justin Leung, a former risk and control compliance from Citibank in Hong Kong, had the same thought when he was transferred to Kuala Lumpur to work for six months. Born in Canada, raised in Canada and Hong Kong, he started to seriously consider the side effects of what our eating habits would do to our bodies after experiencing the rich flavours of the local Malaysian cuisine.
Since Justin has always wanted to be an entrepreneur, he saw a great opportunity in the unsaturated health market in Malaysia. “This is the time for me to follow my heart. We want to help stir up a health movement here in Malaysia which can ultimately lead to a change to the Malaysian Lifestyle — a healthier lifestyle,” said Justin. As a result, Wellness INC was born.
Wellness INC is a juicing company, founded by Justin, Eliza and Hua Jing. Three of them understand that having a steady healthy diet can be difficult for people who live a hectic lifestyle. Therefore, their goal is to come up with an efficient solution: to produce freshly made cold-pressed juices sent directly to consumers’ doorstep. Wellness INC’s goal is to create a platform for consumers to obtain top quality health products with low mark ups by encouraging the health community to say no to operational markups.
Looking At The Bigger Picture
Before founding Wellness INC, Justin was working in the corporate field where most corporate employees are blessed with seemingly limitless funding and resources. Therefore, like most startups, there were a few glitches during the journey of entrepreneurship.
In terms of being his own boss, Justin mentioned that staying focused is one of the obstacles, “I’m no longer being told what to do, how to do it and why to do it (can sometimes feel like a headless chicken), so what I needed was clarity over the company’s direction and how I envisioned to fulfill these goals in the next 5, 10, 20 years. Once I understand where I’m headed then I can prioritise.” He further mentioned that the obstacles he faced made him realise that the importance of handling cost scrutiny and settling problems with innovative solutions.
Apart from that, sometimes, to quit a stable desk job for bootstrapping a startup can be seen as ridiculous. According to Justin, while making this decision, he gets asked many times about this choice. “The two most frequent questions I get asked are, why did you leave a stable bank job to do juicing and why didn’t you keep your day job and work on this company on the side, doesn’t that make more sense?”
However he did not get affected by these uncertainties that people have about him. “We look at the bigger picture, it can be seen as a long term investment in myself, believing in my own capabilities and living without regrets. And of course, a constant positive state of mind and the encouragement of a few trusted mentors, friends and family wouldn’t hurt as well.”
Therefore, don’t hesitate to start your own startup, just do it. As Justin described, “I would suggest anyone interested to start early before there are too many commitments (house, car, family) and try to overlook the short term disadvantages. The key is to be patient and look at it in a bigger picture.”
The Products
Wellness INC comprises of two different juice cleanse programs: Skin Cleanse and Juice Detox (New Beginning). “New Beginning is our signature detox cleanse program which is a meal Replacement, whereas Skin Cleanse is a Supplement to your daily meals. We would also recommend which cleanse to do based on the requirements of our customers,” Justin described. Each bottle comes with a specific indicated time so that you know when to consume each bottle.
When going through the first few days of cleansing, it is common to feel tired and exhausted because carbohydrates are not included in our daily meal. Therefore for beginners who have never experienced fasting, Justin suggests that small portions of clean food (not processed, oily, greasy, with preservatives) throughout the process of cleansing if you are feeling uncomfortable. “The key fact to take away is that there is no miracle health product out there and how important it is to incorporate healthy choices into your lifestyle,” Justin said.
The ingredients of Wellness INC are sourced upon receiving an order to ensure that all of the fruits and vegetables are fresh and this is also to reduce wastage. On top of that, the juices are free from add-ons and preservatives. In terms of creating the recipes, they consult the advice of nutritionists and dieticians.
In addition, Justin and his team also rope in customers to test their own products regularly and ask them for feedback to see if there is any room for improvement. “We encourage feedback from our customers and we believe customer service is what would set us apart from our competitors,” Justin explained.
Health trends such as organic juice detox have taken the health world by storm as people are striving to achieve a healthier lifestyle. On future goals and hopes, Wellness INC hopes to be the fastest growing health and detox company in Malaysia for 2015 and continue to educate Malaysians the importance of a healthy lifestyle.
The one-day program of Skin Cleanse costs RM59 whereas Juice Detox costs RM99. You can get to enjoy free delivery if you order two-days treatments and above. At the moment, they deliver to areas within the Klang Valley.
The juicing trend is so popular and it is still going strong. Nevertheless, learning and understanding the pros of this trend could help you to lead a more nutritious and energised lifestyle.
