Eat healthy during holidays, public told

CEBU, Philippines - The Department of Health (DOH) 7 is urging the public to be careful of what they eat this Christmas season to avoid ending up with cardiovascular diseases.

Historically, incidence of cardiovascular diseases usually goes up right after the holidays.

DOH-7 Director Dr. Susana Madarieta urged the public to regulate food intake and not to each too much fatty foods such as roasted pig or lechon and ham, as well as too much sweets. Foods like these are the usual culprits that cause blood pressure to rise.

“We have observed that the incidence of cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension is usually on an upward trend after Christmas and New Year based on the number of admissions to hospitals due to high blood pressure,” Madarieta said.

Madarieta said cardiovascular diseases are the top cause of mortality rate among Filipinos.

Eating too much sweet foods is also not good especially among those with diabetes, the DOH-7 official said.

Madarieta said that while it has been a culture among Filipinos to have plenty of food during major celebrations like Christmas and New Year, it always pays to be careful.

“It is okay to eat foods we seldom prepare during ordinary days such as ‘lechon’ and ‘ham’ but that we must not eat this almost everyday. And also to eat plenty of vegetables and a variety of fruits,” she added. – (FREEMAN)