NewZNew (S A S Nagar) : As many as 135 students from Tricity schools took part in a ‘Slogan Writing Competition’ to mark National Nutrition Week (September 1 – September 7), at Fortis Hospital Mohali, here today. The students belonged to Bhavan Vidyalaya Chandigarh, Bhavan Vidyalaya Panchkula, St Xavier’s School Panchkula, Shemrock School Mohali, Saupin’s School Mohali, The Learning Paths School Mohali, Manav Mangal Smart School Mohali, Mt. Carmel Chandigarh, and YPS Mohali. The students were from classes V and VI and they gave slogans on the theme ‘More Colours, More Nutrition’.
The winning slogan was ‘Eat and Rainbow Everyday’ by Parisha Handa of Manav Mangal Smart School. Mohali. The second position went to Manshu Dhiman of Mount Carmel School, Zirakpur for the slogan, ‘If it came from a plant, eat it. If it was made in a plant, don’t’ while third position went to Riddhi of Mount Carmel School Chandigarh for her slogan, ‘In the distance of black and white, there is colour of health’.
Dr. Parvinder Chawla (Internal Medicine Consultant) and Dr. Swati Gupta (Paediatrician) judged the entries and declared the winners.
Dr. Sonia Gandhi, Head – Nutrition & Dietetics, said, “Children respond well when you explain the reason behind healthy habits. Through this contest today, we want to explain to them why adding different coloured food items in the diet is essential. Food derives its colour from phytochemicals, which occur naturally in plants and provide health benefits beyond those that essential nutrients provide. Phytochemicals are natural antioxidants, protect and regenerate essential nutrients and are also said to work to deactivate cancer-causing substances, though studies are still on in this regard.”
Food can be colour-coded into 7 categories: red, red/purple, orange, orange/yellow, yellow/green, green and white/green.
“We need to add these colours to our plate every day for the different health benefits they provide. Blue, purple and deep-red fruits and vegetables are full of anthocyanins and proanthocyanins, antioxidants associated with keeping the heart healthy and the brain functioning optimally. Cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, green cabbage and cauliflower, provide compounds called indoles and isothiocyanates, which may help prevent cancer by amping up the production of enzymes that clear toxins from the body.
Many yellow and green vegetables are good sources of lutein and zeaxanthin, phytochemicals that accumulate in the eyes and help prevent age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness in older people. Leafy greens are also rich in beta carotene. Alpha and beta carotene make foods like carrots and sweet potatoes orange. The body converts these compounds into the active form of vitamin A, which helps keep your eyes, bones and immune system healthy. These phytochemicals also operate as antioxidants, sweeping up disease-promoting free radicals. Red foods, such as tomatoes and watermelon, contain lycopene, a phytochemical that may help protect against prostate and breast cancers,” Dt Sonia added.
Dr GBS Kang, Medical Director, said, “As part of School Buddies Programme, we do a lot of events and workshops with school children to take forward our belief in ‘Starting them young’. Children are receptive, and adopt healthier habits quickly. They also lead the way for healthy habits at home.”