Singapore’s first live food and nutritional dementia care demonstration for holistic well-being

Singapore, 17 August 2024 – The MasterChef Experience organised by The Salvation Army’s Peacehaven Nursing Home, supported by The City of Glasgow College aims to raise awareness about dementia prevention and management through the power of nutrition and an active lifestyle. The free community event and carnival will be taking place on 17th August at Waterway Point, The Plaza.

The event will feature a special guest, Chef Gary Maclean, who won MasterChef: The Professionals in 2016, Scotland’s first national chef, and an ardent educator as a faculty member of the City of Glasgow College for almost 30 years. The live demonstrations provides an engaging way to educate families and caregivers on how nutrition can make a lasting impact on the health of the family and maintain mental acuity.

Singapore’s unique challenge with dementia

Singapore faces a growing challenge with dementia with a projected 152,000 people living with the condition by 2030. Unlike the global trend where Alzheimer’s disease is identified as the most common type, vascular dementia accounts for almost half of dementia cases in Singapore. Research has shown that this is largely attributable to the high prevalence of high blood pressure in the population, a significant risk factor for stroke and subsequently, vascular dementia.

“It’s crucial to understand that while age poses universally as the greatest risk factor, lifestyle factors like diet, exercise, and blood pressure management are key in preventing or delaying the onset of dementia,” said Dr Katie Charlene Avery, Director of Education, The Salvation Army’s Peacehaven (Jade Circle). “The MasterChef Experience offers a platform to educate the public about making positive changes to their daily lives.”

In Singapore, 1 in 4 people aged 30 – 69 has high blood pressure which is a predominant precursor when considering the risk of stroke. This is supported by a recent study suggesting that 90% of Singaporeans have excessive salt intake in their regular diets is prevalent both across the young and old. The worrying trend that can be managed through early and sustained intervention with nutrition and exercise.

“A healthy diet earlier in life could reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and slow age-related cognitive decline. Healthy eating patterns can also help manage heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and hypertension – conditions associated with increasing the risk of vascular dementia.” said Ms Marsha Tan, Dietitian at The Salvation Army’s Peacehaven Nursing Home. She suggested that “a well-balanced diet as a whole with different nutrients would provide the best benefits”.

Creative approach to nutrition and cooking

The sentiments are also echoed by Chef Gary Maclean on the strong need for the public to understand its debilitating effects of dementia and their precursor and tackle the increasing trend of dementia through simple and creative means.

He believes that “Dementia and brain health is an increasingly hot topic amongst the academia and the public, with trends pointing to its increasing prevalence in society today. The more we learn about it, the more understand the impact that it has on the majority of families at one point or another.” He further adds “Above and beyond nutrition, I believe that the smell of home cooking stimulates the mind of a person living with dementia, and can take them back to their childhood memories“.

Chef Gary Maclean, will headline the event with three inspiring cooking demonstrations focused on superfoods, brain-boosting meals, and family-friendly nutrition.

Beyond the culinary delights, attendees can participate in a variety of interactive activities, including an intergenerational crafting station, a dementia awareness VR experience, and fitness sessions like chair Zumba and line dancing.

“Nutrition is a powerful tool in both preventing and managing dementia,” said Chef Gary Maclean. “By making informed choices about what we eat, we can significantly improve our brain health and overall well-being.”

Event Highlights:

• Live cooking demonstrations by Chef Gary Maclean
• Interactive stations on physical and cognitive health
• VR Experience on dementia awareness
• Intergenerational craft activities
• Chair Zumba and Line Dancing
• Free admission and goodie bags for the first 500 attendees

Event details:

Date: 17 August 2024 (Saturday)
Time: 10:00AM – 3:30PM
Venue: Waterway Point, The Plaza (Basement 1)

About The Salvation Army Peacehaven Nursing Home

The Salvation Army has been touching lives in Singapore since 1935 and we remain committed in serving the underprivileged in the community without discrimination. To us, every life is precious and we actively help those in need regardless of age, race or religion. Throughout the years, we have established a comprehensive network of social services to meet a wide range of needs in our community. Our diverse programmes reach out to vulnerable children and youth, frail elderly, struggling families, isolated migrant workers, and other needy segments in our society. For more information about the work we do, please visit our website at https://www.salvationarmy.org.sg

Peacehaven Nursing Home provides professional care and a comprehensive range of services for individuals with physical or mental disabilities, and minimal or no appropriate caregiver support at home. From personalised nursing care plans to therapy and dietetics services, including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and dietetic consultations, we strive to improve the health and well-being of our residents.

For more information, please visit the website at https://www.salvationarmy.org.sg/wwd-peacehaven-nursing-home/

About Chef Gary Maclean

Gary holds executive chef positions at two of Scotland’s biggest independent operators and his current role as Senior Lecturer at City of Glasgow College is what really drives his passion for mentoring other young chefs and creative cooking.

In December 2016 he was crowned MasterChef: The Professionals Champion 2016, after taking on 47 other professional chefs in the pursuit of gastronomic glory. He battled through seven weeks of fierce competition on our TV screens and extra-ordinary cooking in the culinary challenges. There was only one king of the kitchen and he touched the hearts and passions of the UK TV audience.

For more information, please visit the website at https://garymacchef.com/

For media queries, please contact

Marc Lee, The Salvation Army
Email: marc.lee@smm.salvationarmy.org