Malfrid Olsen was born 1930 and is 91 years young. She has lived in Ballstad all her life. She is mother to 5, grandmother to 12 and great grandmother to 5 children. She has worked all her adult life alongside her husband and children in their shop in Ballstad, which was established in 1959.
Mrs. Olsen enjoys retirement, but the program is busy and she is very active. She lives alone and drives her car to go where she wants.
We had some questions to her about how Omega 3 has been a part of her life.
Do you use omega 3
Yes, every day, I have used it more or less my whole life. In addition to having a lot of fish in my diet, I use liquid Omega 3, since that is what I have been used to from childhood.
When did you first hear about Omega 3?
I have known about Omega 3 as far back as I can remember. Everyone in my family had to drink Omega 3 every day. People close to the cost in Norway, where the main source of food was fish, have known about Omega 3 and its benefits for as far back as we know, and it was a very normal part of our lifestyle.
When did you learn that it was important to use and why
It was good for your health, and people called it humorous as an “energy drink” that gave you “super powers”. People knew that you stayed healthier, and they said it was especially good for resistance the flu, and the liquid Omega 3 that we drank had vitamins. They did not have vitamin supplements back then, and this was the way to get it your vitamins in the north.
Do you have any good stories about Omega 3
During the war (1940-1945) the government organized so everyone had to drink omega3 in the school, due to the rationing of certain types of foods. This was to make sure that all the children had good immune system during that difficult time.
The liquid Omega 3 then had a very strong taste back then; they did not have the purification methods as today. In lunch time the teacher had the bottle, and the student had to bring the spoon from home, and one by on the student had to come up to the teacher and get one spoon of Omega 3
Another thing I remember during this period was stories from people that lived in the middle of Norway which did not have access to fish, where several where subject to goiter (abnormally enlarged thyroid gland) because of lack of fish and Omega 3 in their diet which in turn did not provide them with enough of iodine.
Did you give your children omega3
Yes, all children got a spoon of Omega 3 every morning before school. In addition they eat fish 5 days pr week. We had maximum 2 days where they eat meat pr week. In the winter time when the cod comes from the Barents Sea to Lofoten to spawn, we eat only fish the whole week.
Fish is an amazing raw material to make food with. The amount of different types of dishes that can be made with fish is really amazing. I cannot imagen another raw material that we can make so many things with and at the same time be so healthy
What would you advice to young people about omega3
I believe that everyone should take it; it secures your future, and helps you stay healthier and have a long life.
