The Health met up with some participants from the Palm Oil Nutrition School program to find out their thoughts on keeping healthy
The school program organised by the Malaysian Palm Oil Board have impacted several families in keeping healthy. The Health talked to a few mothers and their children who were a part of the program, and most of them agreed that the use of palm oil is immensely beneficial, not to mention more cost-efficient. The Health managed to catch up with three of the families during our meet and greet.
Karate and healthy food
Bawani a/p Ponnusamy, mother to Madhushaa Kalithass
“I came to know of the program from my daughter’s school, SJKT Puchong (Batu 14). Before I joined this program, I was using another type of oil. Back then, I did not know what health benefits my oil provided – it was simply a word of mouth thing. However after joining this program, I learnt the many benefits of palm oil so I quickly made the switch. I also make it a habit to not reuse the oil. Plus, palm oil gives the food extra flavour so it’s tasty!” notes Bawani encouragingly.
“My daily routine involves waking up at five in the morning every day, cooking, heading to work – I make it a point to cook on a daily basis. I make sure my children have a healthy lifestyle by sending them to karate classes on the weekend,” she adds.
Pizza dinner fun
Crystal Chong,mother to Cheryl Ong and son, Joshua Ong
Graphic designer Crystal actually came to learn about palm oil from YB Teresa Kok. However after attending the Palm Oil Nutrition School program at her son’s school, she came to know of the various benefits of palm oil.
“I prefer cooking and since I am part of my son’s school’s Parent-Teacher Association, I took the initiative to attend this program. Then I understood how palm oil plays an essential role to our heart. Plus, if you use palm oil to fry chicken, it’s crispier,” she says.
The mother of two reserves the weekends to eat out so she makes sure the food she serves her children are healthy and fun at the same time. “I make homemade pizzas because my children love cheese – so I hide the vegetables under the cheese. I also teach my kids how to make their own pasta sauce instead of buying the canned ones. Not only is it healthy, but we get to have fun as a family,” smiles Crystal.
Proper diet plus yoga
Juliana binti Megat, mother to Ilham Shah
“I use palm oil in my cooking and frying because it is more stable at high temperatures when compared to other vegetable oils which tend to release free radicals which are toxic to the body. Palm oil also possesses beta carotene which has numerous health benefits for our hair, eyes and skin, “comments Juliana.
Other than having a deep understanding of the nutritional values of palm oil, Juliana also adopts a non-sedentary lifestyle.
“I also enjoy exercising, and I go for yoga classes three times a week. However exercise is only 20 percent, the leftover 80 percent of healthy living comes from a healthy diet.” She believes that a healthy lifestyle doesn’t just consist of proper diet and exercise, but to also do it together as a family. — The Health Plus
