The health magazine Mind Your Body may have seen its last issue go to print but the health fair it started is bigger and better than ever, with more than 100,000 people thronging the two-day event last weekend.
Among the early birds at the Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre on Saturday was housewife Liew Keok Fong, 63, who came prepared with a trolley bag to snap up good deals.
She was spotted packing five cans of collagen supplements into her trolley bag. One of them was given to her free with her purchase.
For at least the last five years, she has visited the annual health and wellness exhibition as soon as it opened at 9am on the first day.
"Rather than wait for my husband to drive me to the store every half a year to get my supply, I come here to buy what I need at better deals," she said.
Now in its 11th year with close to 100 exhibitors, Health & You is jointly organised by Mind & Body and Lianhe Zaobao Lohas.
Mr David Moses, managing director of The Rosehip Specialists, was one of several exhibitors who said they marked down their prices for consumers at Health & You. His pain relief supplements made from patented rosehip powder were sold at 70 per cent off their retail price, he said. Mr Moses, a first-time exhibitor, said sales were "phenomenal" over the weekend.
Another first-time exhibitor, Beste, the distributor of Kuvings Whole Slow Juicer, introduced its wide-mouthed juicers which accommodate whole fruit such as apples, oranges and cucumbers.
Ms Angela Lim, assistant brand manager at Beste, said not cutting fruit before juicing retains more nutrients, minerals and enzymes.
Construction supervisor Foo Jong Wee, 56, spent close to $500 on products such as toothpaste and joint supplements for himself and his wife.
Others like retiree Yvonne Soh, 61, went to the exhibition for their dose of exercise. The grey-haired grandmother of three sweated it out at the Zumba Fitness and Kpop Aerobics sessions, each an hour long. With beads of perspiration trickling down her forehead, she said: "I came here to have fun and enjoy myself through exercise. What's more, I love music."
In the healthy sandwich-making competition on Saturday, Mrs Chia Poh Choo came up tops. Her sandwich comprised a pan-fried fish patty made from yellow tail fusillier fillet seasoned with tapioca flour, salt and pepper. The Sunshine sprouted wholemeal bread also contained grilled pineapple slices.
The 52-year-old housewife said she was so nervous that her hands trembled during the 15 minutes that participants had to assemble their sandwiches for the judges.
Chef Ho Yeow Soon, owner of Waterloo Times, was impressed by the participants' efforts, but said they needed to understand their ingre-dients better in order to serve up healthy food that is also tasty.
He advised people to substitute the mayonnaise in sandwiches with healthier dressings, such as yogurt mixed with lemon juice, honey and a dash of salt and pepper.
