My Life, My Story
Born in Brunei to parents who were deeply spiritual and grounded in faith, my early life was shaped by a sense of inner connection and cultural richness.
My passion for food began in my mother’s kitchen, where her creativity and skill inspired my love for nourishing, flavourful dishes. From childhood into my late teens, I struggled with severe respiratory issues and chronic asthma, challenges that continued throughout my singing career.
Over time, I discovered that meaningful changes in diet, lifestyle, and daily rituals could transform my health. This personal journey from illness to vitality now underpins the work I do, guiding others toward sustainable, life‑enhancing wellbeing.
Transformational foods & their impact on my health. Why it matters.
Before the pandemic, I was travelling and working abroad for my job. While it was exhilarating to be paid for doing what I love, the experience wasn't without its challenges. I went with the flow, following the lead of my fellow musicians and associates, but it took a toll on my health. I often felt terrible the day after, and it was clear that changes needed to be made.
As I grew to understand how foods have the potential to heal or harm, and can be one person’s elixir and another person’s poison, it set a path for me to explore all the options of foods and their nutritional benefits so I can utilise the information and apply it to my symptoms and in my self-care processes. It has been through trial and error that I eventually worked out that nutritional synergy and its benefits can transform my health issues into positive outcomes with manageable and sustainable lifestyle practices for my health and well-being.
My passion is deeply rooted in all my creative endeavours by honing and expanding my knowledge and skills in various areas of interest in health, wellbeing and wellness and among these, I find great joy in creating foods that ignite all my senses as I craft tasty and healthy dishes that have delighted family and friends at spontaneous gatherings like dinner parties, Christmas celebrations, and birthdays.
I still have to overcome some of my health issues, but in comparison to what it was and to what it is now, I feel more in control of how I care for myself to meet my health and well-being needs and not to take it for granted. You can read more about my journey to overcoming my health issues in ‘Aging As A Woman’.
Every day is a new day, with a few set routines that are non-negotiable, and I explore new and wonderful ways to nourish my mind, body, and soul.
My aim is to empower women of all ages, especially those aged 50 and above, to navigate the natural changes of ageing with confidence and vitality. Through simple, natural self-care practices, I guide them to take charge of their health and well-being. With informed diet and lifestyle choices, they can rebuild inner strength, vitality, and self-assurance.
Chocolates for
the Health Conscious
During the pandemic, I found a wealth of creative inspiration and discovered innovative methods to create healthy treats that maintain taste and flavour. Over the course of a year, I refined my skills as a chocolatier and launched my business, inDolgence UK.
Chocolates used to be my favourite treat, however, after discovering my allergy to refined ingredients, especially sugar, and realising that my sweet tooth cravings were causing my health problems, I chose to craft my own healthy chocolates with my methods and processes, and by using organic cacao and natural ingredients, my dehydrated fruits and berries and their powders, along with sweetening alternatives like coconut sugar, Agave, and carob syrup.
The result was plant-based chocolates, naturally flavoured home-made granola with cacao nibs, and high protein treats that were suitable for the health-conscious and especially those with dairy, refined sugar and gluten intolerances.
BBC Good Food Show 2022
Our customers come from all walks of life, with dietary requirements, and place their orders through direct sales or on the website.
All products were created, designed and packaged by inDolgence UK, where the packaging was either recyclable or biodegradable.
The business was voted Food Champion and was invited to exhibit at the BBC Good Food Show in 2022.
“Best Vegan Chocolates that I have tasted.” Customer feedback from those who were converted when visiting our stall.
inDolgence UK will be re-launching with new products for inDolgence-Wellbeing, and I hope that you will be able to join me for this special event.
Mighty Mint & Orange Burst Cacao Chocolate Bars
The Mighty Mint has caramelised peppermint and mint herbs in peppermint flavoured cacao ‘milk’ chocolate with cacao nibs for that extra crunchy goodness.
The Orange Burst is an intensely, citrusy, dark cacao orange chocolate with added flavour from the zest and powder from our dried oranges.
Cacao Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownie Bars
The first range of cacao chocolate products, the Chunky Brownie, is packed with peanut butter-granola and superfood ingredients. Oats, nuts and seeds, encased in dark cacao chocolate with a hint of caramel from the sweetening ingredient, coconut blossom sugar.
Promotional Spring Event 2023 @ Buttercrumble HQ
It was a pleasure supplying Buttercrumble, an innovative, design and branding company my Cacao Treat boxes for their clients.
Their Spring Event was held at the beautiful stately home, Bowcliffe Hall near Wetherby, West Yorkshire.
It's All About Cacao ~ The Raw Superfood
Here is a little insight into why I have started my plant-based chocolate company.
CACAO! This wonderful, magical healing food that has been around since 460 AD and staple food to the Aztec, Mayans, Peruvians, Incas throughout the centuries to energise, heal and strengthen because of its healing properties.
Cacao is packed with incredibly powerful antioxidants that support cellular health, as well as essential vitamins and minerals like magnesium, calcium, and iron, making it a true “miracle food.” It surpasses even dark chocolate, kale, and blueberries in health benefits.
Cacao also contains anandamide, a chemical compound known as the 'Bliss Molecule,' which promotes feelings of happiness. Its softer flavour compared to traditional dark chocolate makes it a delightful daily indulgence. This versatile ingredient can be used in both savoury and sweet dishes, bringing a touch of healthy indulgence to a variety of recipes. I shall continue creating innovative recipes for my 'inDOLgence' chocolate range for next year's relaunch, and I hope you can share my enthusiasm for cacao.
My Other Passions....
Music has always been part of my life and continues to bring me joy through creating, performing, and collaborating. My love for music remains steadfast and ever-evolving in my professional life.
While I am still actively engaged in music to this day, I have scaled back on distant travel and international performances.
Being a transformational food enthusiast has been a game-changer for me! It's like having a secret weapon against surprise health hiccups from respiratory health issues, hormonal changes, age-related issues, compromised wellbeing, inability to use my voice fully and low physical stamina, when I was touring and being on the road constantly.
Here is a brief overview of the different musical projects I have pursued.
Jazz
Jazz came into my life when my dad cranked up the tunes and I fondly recall his rendition of "Mack the Knife" that he sang when I was just a seven-year-old, surrounded by his musical buddies jamming away.
It wasn't until later that I discovered his hidden Louis Armstrong-like talent. Jazz to me became a genre as diverse as a mixed tape, blending soul, RnB, and funk, drawing from the greats like Billie Holliday, Ella Fitzgerald, and Sarah Vaughan, to modern muses ranging from Diana Krall, Esperanza Spalding to Candace Springs.
These legends sparked my musical journey, shaping my take on classic tunes to my very own creations.
Tribute
My tribute journey commenced with an all-female musical group at an event in New Orleans in the mid-nineties, performing to audiences at the Ford International Convention singing "Simply the Best". Subsequently, I was signed up with an agency named Stars in Their Eyes, a name that was also a national television talent show in the UK.
I found myself working nationally and traveling the world, delivering high-energy performances for over twenty years. Tina Turner has been my idol and an inspiration to me and the opportunity to celebrate her music and her dynamic performances is a privilege that I will always treasure.
Singer-Songwriter
At eleven, inspired by soulful singers like Aretha Franklin and Gladys Knight, I began writing songs and lyrics and much later on, acquired music publishing deals with A&M and Sony Music. Registering with a music agency led to touring with Simply Red and James Taylor Quartet, as well as recording sessions with Van Morrison and Mike Oldfield, shaping my diverse musical career.
I still enjoy dedicating my free time to collaborating on song ideas whenever the opportunity arises. Despite my busy schedule, I make sure to carve out time for these musical and creative projects to bring some joy into my life.