| Halal Health |
JUNE-JULY , 2021 | THE HEALTH
17
We expose our children early about the sources of halal food and drinks . But how many would point out that Islam also commands us to choose foods that are toyyib ( good , wholesome )? Nowadays , we are very particular in reminding our children to purchase products with a halal logo , but are we asking them to check the nutrition label ?”
gave advice to one of his stepsons living with him :
Dear child , mention Allah ’ s name , eat with your right hand , and eat from what is next to you . [ al-Bukhari and Muslim ]
School as the intervention hub
While intervention could be done in various settings , no other institution is ideal as a school to promote healthy dietary habits . Children , for instance , spend countless hours in school ; they eat at least one time at school ( at least before the Covid-19 pandemic !).
Schools provide opportunities for children to systematically obtain the much-needed knowledge for them to consciously select halalan toyyiban food and beverages .
The environment , policies , and school facilities , the all-in-all combination , makes it the perfect hub for appropriate eating behaviours intervention .
There are few ways to integrate the halalan toyyiban diet as part of a faithbased intervention to promote healthy eating in school . For instance , the halalan toyyiban diet can be taught as part of the school curriculum or health programme . Campaigns ( e . g . posters ) and school policies that encourage healthy behaviour ( e . g . portion control , fasting ) can be infused with Islamic-based tailored
Without proper intervention , it is predicted that 1.65 million Malaysian children would be overweight or obese in less than four years . messages or Islamic narratives . Healthy food choices ( e . g . fruit and vegetable ) can be popularised as halalan toyyiban selection . In addition , teachers can be trained as agents to model healthy behaviours .
These faith-based intervention strategies could also complement non-faith-based methods , including nutritional literacy , healthy recipes , social media , and physical activity interventions . The possibilities are indeed endless .
More than a tool in faith-based intervention
Nevertheless , the halalan toyyiban diet is more than a tool in faith-based intervention . Advocating it is certainly not a mere act of leveraging religiousbased messages to promote health and well-being .
Most importantly , embracing the halalan toyyiban diet reflects our commitment to fulfilling the command of God - to consume food and beverages that are both halal and toyyib . A means to manifest Islam as a universal way of life .
It will take a long road for us to finally reverse the obesity ( and overweight ) epidemic . So what better way to start the transformation than nurturing a healthy generation of children via halalan toyyiban ?
These children are , after all , our future legacy . — The Health
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