Fit India Mission: Expert session on healthy eating a hit among CBSE students

The daily sessions on various topics were started by the board on Wednesday under the Fit India Mission with the aim to help the students stay fit and adopt a sustainable and active lifestyle at a young age

The 41-minute YouTube talk on healthy eating by dietician and nutritionist, Pooja Makhija, was a big hit with over 62,000 students from Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) schools tuning in on Thursday for the session.

The board started holding such sessions under the Fit India Mission from Wednesday to help students remain physically, mentally and emotionally fit during the lockdown.

Referring to the Greek physician, Hippocrates, Makhija said, “Our food should be our medicine and our medicine should be our food.” She added that this practice will help students fight any disease.

The expert also told the students to follow the five-finger rule of nutrition: Every child must eat food enriched with carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals. She further advised them to follow five habits for good health -- have breakfast on time, drinking adequate amount of water, sleep well, exercise for 60 minutes everyday and reduce the intake of junk food and sugar.

Most students agreed with the suggestions and prepared tables for a healthy diet.

Ashish Verma, 16, a Class 12 student of Nankana Sahib Public School, Gill Road, said, “Due to pressure of studies, I did not take a balanced diet during the exams. But after this session, I feel motivated to make a healthy change. I will have a proper breakfast daily and drink water after every 60 minutes.”

“For the last two months, I have not worked on my fitness. But now, I will exercise daily and avoid consuming junk food,” he added.

Srishti Verma, a Class 12 student of BCM Senior Secondary School, Basant Avenue, Dugri, said, “The session proved to be informative as the expert advised the students to consume food items that boost the immunity. She also told us to take a diet which has adequate amounts of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals. Her suggestion to have breakfast daily is right as it boosts our metabolism, helps burn calories, and gives us the energy to remain active throughout the day. I will also increase my water intake as suggested by the dietician.”

A Class 9 student of Nankana Sahib Public School, Gill Road, Simran Verma, said, “It is essential to take a balanced diet and work out daily to stay healthy. This will enhance our mood and energy. Everyone must sleep for about nine hours every day to improve their concentration and productivity.”

NEXT SESSION ON EMOTIONAL WELLNESS

The next live session on emotional wellness will be given at 9.30am by Dr Jitendra Nagpal on Friday. Students can access the link https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQtxCmXhApXDBfV59_JNagA?view_as=subscriber to attend the session.