Connect with us

Health

DOH reminds public: Eat healthy this holiday season

Published

on

DOH Undersecretary and Public Health Service Team officer-in-charge Myrna Cabotaje said most Filipino families serve unhealthy food during the holidays, which could cause high blood pressure and diabetes. (File photo by Kath Haboc-Lee/Flickr, CC BY-NC 2.0)

MANILA — Overindulgence in food during this time of the year is an inevitable part of the festive season but an official of the Department of Health (DOH) has reminded the public to prepare and eat healthy food.

DOH Undersecretary and Public Health Service Team officer-in-charge Myrna Cabotaje said most Filipino families serve unhealthy food during the holidays, which could cause high blood pressure and diabetes.

Kapag holidays, wala man tayong maipakitang statistics, napapansin ng mga emergency room doctors maraming kumukonsulta dahil sa cardiac diseases, hypertension, stroke dahil sa pag-inom ng alak at pagkain ng matataba at maaalat (During the holidays, even though we don’t have the statistics, emergency room doctors notice that many [patients] consult them for cardiac diseases, hypertension, stroke, due to drinking alcohol and eating of fatty and salty food),” Cabotaje said in an interview.

Cabotaje said one can still enjoy the food prepared during the season but advised to do so in moderation, especially sugary food.  “I advise that both kids and adults refrain from eating too much sweets. I cannot say totally prohibited because it’s the holidays, so I suggest prepare a lot of vegetables and fruits in your Christmas parties, but if you’re already diabetic, be careful about eating unlimited fruits,” she said.

Cabotaje also reminded parents to include exercise or physical activities in their children’s daily schedule even if it’s already vacation time.

Ang pag-iingat sa pagkain at pag-ehersisyo, mali isipin na para sa mga matatanda lang sila kung hindi para sa mga bata din dapat para manataling malusog ngayong kapaskuhan (Being careful with food and exercising, it is wrong to think that they’re only for the old. It is also for the young, so they’ll remain healthy during the holidays),” she said.

Thirty-year-old vendor, Ryan Andes, usually cooks his children’s favorite food for noche buena without thinking whether or not these are healthy to eat.

Naghahanda kami ng iyong pangkaraniwan lang na spaghetti, mga hotdog saka siyempre iyong soft drinks at cake(We prepare the typical spaghetti, hotdogs and of course soft drinks and cake),” Andes said.

While it is recommended to prepare health food such as vegetable and fruits during Christmas season, Andes admitted that he doesn’t prepare vegetable dishes for noche buena.

“Hindi kami naghahanda ng gulay kasi walang kakain, ito nga lang anak ko hindi mahilig sa gulay ito. Kapag pang-party ang fried chicken ang gusto nila (We don’t prepare vegetables because nobody will eat them, my daughter doesn’t like vegetables. They like to eat fried chicken during parties),” he said.

Even if both sides of his family have diabetes and heart problems, Andes said he is not scared about acquiring or inheriting the same diseases.  “Wala pa naman akong sakit ngayon kaya kahit ano na munang kainin namin sa ngayon. Siyempre kapag may sakit ka, hinay-hinay sa pagkain, ‘di ba (Since I’m not suffering from any illness yet, so we can eat anything now. Of course, if you’re sick, you eat in moderation, right?),” he said.

In an earlier interview, DOH Undersecretary Eric Domingo said most Filipinos make the holidays an excuse to drink a lot of alcohol and eat fatty and sugary food.

“We make it an excuse that families get together only on Christmas Day, we also want to remind everyone to celebrate the holidays in moderation,” he added.

Domingo added that it is best to have a meal plan to control your cholesterol, blood pressure, and sugar levels during the holidays whether you have or do not have diabetes and hypertension yet.

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest

Tesla Tesla
Business and Economy15 hours ago

Since Tesla recalled its vehicles in 2023, there have been 20 accidents and investigators are asking why

Tesla is yet again undergoing scrutiny from federal regulators in the United States. The issue at hand now is whether...

man using laptop man using laptop
Canada News15 hours ago

Fractured futures: Upward mobility for immigrants is a myth as their health declines

Immigrant health research frequently refers to the notion that immigrants are generally healthier than people born in Canada but that...

students at university students at university
Canada News15 hours ago

Setting the record straight on refugee claims by international students

The Canadian government placed a cap on the number of study permits granted to international students earlier this year. The...

Environment & Nature15 hours ago

The scaling back of Saudi Arabia’s proposed urban mega-project sends a clear warning to other would-be utopias

There is a long history of planned city building by both governments and the private sector from Brasilia to Islamabad....

man wearing red polo man wearing red polo
Health16 hours ago

Can an organ transplant really change someone’s personality?

Changes in personality following a heart transplant have been noted pretty much ever since transplants began. In one case, a...

plastic bottles plastic bottles
Environment & Nature16 hours ago

Plastic is climate change in a bottle – so let’s put a cap on it

Plastic pollution and climate change have common culprits – and similar solutions. The penultimate round of negotiations for a global...

News16 hours ago

Four major threats to press freedom in the UK

Just five years ago, the UK took the bold step of setting up a Media Freedom Coalition of 50 countries...

President Joe Biden President Joe Biden
News16 hours ago

New Delhi rejects US president’s remarks that India is ‘xenophobic’

NEW DELHI – India on Saturday dismissed recent remarks by US President Joe Biden, who called India and other Asian nations...

United Nations United Nations
News16 hours ago

UN demands better protection of environmental journalists

NEW YORK – Marking the World Press Freedom Day on Friday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres highlighted an uptick in violence against...

PBBM PBBM
News16 hours ago

PBBM cites rich Filipino cuisine as PH tourism ‘entrée’

MANILA – Aside from captivating islands and beaches, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. honored the rich diversity of the Philippines’ culinary...

WordPress Ads