Nicola Cheung may have retired as a television and film actress in 2005, but she continues to play multiple roles. In addition to being a devoted mother of four, she is also co\u2011founder of LoCoFarms, a social enterprise that aims to revitalise Hong Kong\u2019s agricultural heritage by connecting local growers with food artisans.<\/p>\n
Cheung describes herself as a \u201cslasher\u201d \u2013 a person with multiple identities. Although her acting career helped develop her confidence and creativity, she believes becoming a mother was her true turning point.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I was a daughter, I only had to take care of myself, and now I have to look at the whole situation, the whole family,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
At home, she avoids the \u201ctop\u2011down\u201d parenting style, regarding it as outdated. \u201cI chat and talk things through with my kids. With my 17\u2011year\u2011old, I talk to her like an older sister or a friend,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s definitely not that kind of \u2018Mum says so, so do it\u2019 relationship.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Nicola](\"https:\/\/img.i-scmp.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto\/sites\/default\/files\/d8\/images\/canvas\/2026\/07\/15\/12c35103-3003-48f2-9616-17b8febab1e9_f91d7dfd.jpg\" "\\"Nicola")
<\/div>Cheung loves coming up with plans, but at the same time she also understands that life can be highly unpredictable. \u201cWe can\u2019t control what happens in this world, or in our lives. But we can get ourselves prepared, so that when something does happen, we\u2019ll have more options,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
That mindset of being prepared for the unexpected was solidified when her eldest daughter became seriously ill three years ago. \u201cThrough that whole process, I realised that life is not something you can control at every moment, and that within just 24 hours, many things can change,\u201d Cheung says.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n \u201cAfter that, I started actively looking for more preventive ways to care for my own health and my family\u2019s health.\u201d<\/p>\n She has learned to gather information and guidance from those with expertise. \u201cI don\u2019t have a lot of professional medical knowledge myself, so I feel it\u2019s very important to seek advice from professionals. They help me understand better and give me more information. Then I can make more of the right choices, and plan my life and my family\u2019s health better.\u201d<\/p>\n Like many people, Cheung has bought insurance policies to be future-ready. \u201c[My husband and I] focused on life protection and other financial tools that help fund things such as our children\u2019s education,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n She also has critical illness insurance, having learned to be prepared for the unexpected in life. Once plans are in place, she says, the healthiest thing to do is stop worrying. \u201cI think longevity is about not worrying, and having nothing weighing on you. If you worry, you get sick. If you don\u2019t, you are less likely to be.\u201d<\/p>\n Another lesson Cheung has learned is that small habits can bring about great benefits when it comes to one\u2019s health.<\/p>\n She says: \u201cI go out into nature more, because that\u2019s really good for both your mind and your body. And most importantly, one needs to sleep more. With more sleep, you get your mind more relaxed.\u201d<\/p>\n With a well-rested mind, Cheung finds that she has enough energy not only for her family and personal health, but also for her agri-food business aimed at making the world a healthier place.<\/p>\n \u201cI wanted it to be a seed for sustainable development and for helping local farmers in Hong Kong \u2013 something that would grow into greater awareness and recognition of these issues,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know how big [the business] will become, but this is something I\u2019ve planted a seed and done my part for. That\u2019s what I see as being proactive \u2013 doing something for our society, for the Hong Kong community.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"As](\"https:\/\/img.i-scmp.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto\/sites\/default\/files\/d8\/images\/canvas\/2026\/07\/15\/d6b092d0-1ee6-43d2-ba86-566d71881e1b_8a253ba8.jpg\" "\\"As")
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