Mrs. ... Hanan Al-Majdoub, an activist in a women's association (Al-Rahma Mosque) and a successful Arab female role model who has managed to integrate into Canadian society and leave a clear mark on Canadian life in general.

Q: Happy to host you today in the "Eye on the Community" segment as a successful Arab female role model who managed to integrate into Canadian society and leave a clear mark on Canadian life in general. Please introduce yourself to the Arab community.
Hanan Al-Majdoub, Tunisian Canadian, wife and mother of three children, holding a Bachelor's degree in Biological Sciences and Geological Sciences (Earth Sciences), activist in a women's association (at Al-Rahma Mosque).

Q: Surely you and your family had certain ambitions when you came to Canada, what challenges did you face, and how did you overcome the difficulties?
In fact, I joined my dear husband to live with him in Canada, and like every family, we have an ambition to continuously build a better society.
As for the challenges, they were very great due to being far from the extended family that could clearly help in contributing to the success of the path, whether on the level of the small family or the projects that you dream of establishing and sharing with the Arab community and society as a whole..

Q: Tell us about your professional experience and how you turned to the field of healthy recipes?
Since childhood, my nature has been that I love nature, colors, trees, vegetables, flowers, fruits, and nature in all its components of mountains, seas, and places.
Whenever I looked at vegetables, seeds, and fruits, I longed to know their nutritional elements and hoped to learn about their benefits... This knowledge developed with me until I savored every time I mastered a healthy recipe that could help in maintaining health, skin, and hair. At the same time, I seized opportunities to help close friends by raising their awareness to maintain health and pay attention to the future before it's too late.
I was and still am affected when I hear that someone has diabetes, cholesterol, or hypertension, and this was the reason for my deeper research in this field.
My vision has become how to help others recover by changing lifestyle in an educational way and delicious meals at the same time without feeling sadness, pain, or helplessness... Then I continued research and experimentation until I had many delicious healthy recipes that surpass the taste of known sweets and usual foods that make those who eat them enjoy the food without regret while being in good health.

Q: Arab recipes differ from others in that they are rich and have high calories compared to foods from other cultures. What is the reason for this, and does the nature of the place affect the dietary system of the society?
The blending of civilizations and taking from the cultural heritage makes the difference clear in all recipes, but we always find a point or points of intersection among all dishes which may suggest new recipes with blended cultures.
The nature of the place makes a person urgently need a certain amount of energy, either high or low, and also depend on the nature of work, which defines dishes in many cultures according to the availability of food products.
For example, someone working in agriculture naturally consumes a lot of energy compared to someone working in an office, and an athlete needs more energy compared to an average person.. So it is the duty of a person to be wise and aware, care about their health and physical needs, and always link happiness to living a healthy, productive life rather than gaining extra calories..

Q: Some excuse that healthy recipes are often unappetizing, which is why people avoid eating healthy meals and turn to unhealthy fast food despite its consequences on health as a cause of obesity. How can we tempt people to eat healthy meals and adopt a healthy diet to prevent obesity and similar diseases?
In fact, a person tends to take life easily in its usual way even if it is negative and feels tired from the thinking and work involved in changing for the better.
In my opinion, all healthy food may be more expensive, but from my experience, a person does not need large quantities to be full; it is a balance and equation in eating, and thinking before filling the stomach with the desires of the self and the eyes, as the eyes love visual beauty and the mind loves the structural and explanatory beauty of nutritional elements.
Healthy food is very beautiful and delicious, and the way it is presented increases its beauty... It is essential to understand and be aware that healthy food benefits the skin, hair, eyes, body structure, and the health of all its organs.
Instead of going and looking for medicines to help with the beauty of skin, hair, and body, healthy eating shortens the path to the peak of beauty, and it is a lifestyle that must be reconciled with and understood by the self and mind regarding all these concepts. In short, the mind must be activated, then looked at by the eyes, then inclined to choose the type of food that satisfies the desire and ambition to reach a better life. I also note that drinking water is very important in all cases.

Q: What are your interests besides healthy cooking, and what are your future projects?
Firstly, regarding my experience with healthy eating, I found that most people need to be educated and taught about how the body deals with food scientifically, so I aim to establish an awareness and educational association to teach children and adults how to deal with the body, what each body's needs are based on its structure and size, and how to link body needs with food and what are the best ways to choose the correct methods to build the body properly.. as well as how to buy provisions and smart choice. Currently, I own my project for making healthy Tunisian sweets based on nuts.
I am also thinking about several other projects open for discussion. (Tunisian House Delights) and I have a Facebook page.

Q: Many members of the Arab community fear integration into Canadian society, but it is clear that you are one of the models that succeeded in integrating into society and made a mark of success. What do you say to the members of the community regarding integration?
Honestly, integration is necessary for every person.. but integration does not mean abandoning your origins, habits, and traditions; rather, integration means taking the positive from every culture that aligns with your goals and nature to create your new mark.. So it is a blend of what you have gained from the positives of your culture, habits, beliefs, and the positives of the society you live in, thus achieving success through perseverance, giving, helping, and confidence that you are on the right path, endowed with high morals in dealing with all segments of society.

Q: What advice do you give to the new arrivals from the Arab community based on your experience, and what do you say specifically to Arab women?
I welcome new arrivals and advise them to persevere, work continuously and diligently, deal with sophistication, and hold on to good morals.
As for Arab women, I advise them to hold on to their morals and traditions and try to adapt to the society in all its positive aspects. Be yourself and not an imitation of anyone. Put your new, distinctive, giving, flexible, nurturing, productive, joyful, and ethical mark that maintains building her family with all the tools and methods she has.

Q: Finally, I would like to know your opinion on the Arab press in Canada, whether you follow Arab Canada newspaper, and if you have any suggestions that can contribute to serving the community through our newspaper?
I would like to thank the Arab press in Canada, especially Arab Canada newspaper, which helps cover many topics, serve the community, and contribute to building a constructive society.
My suggestion today is that the newspaper activates the publication of healthy recipes.. My goal is to help provide recipes for these delicious dishes suitable for all ages to maintain health and enjoy life, as well as provide natural recipes for hair and skin and traditional recipes in a new and healthy way.
I conclude with sincere thanks to Arab Canada newspaper for its distinguished topics that serve our Arab community in a beautiful and wonderful way. I thank them for hosting me and giving me the opportunity to speak in this interview. Thank you very much.