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Doctors' reminder: Mind your diet during the holidays

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Michael Joe Delizo, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Jam Sta. Rosa, AFP" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/afp/12/07/20221207-lechon-manila-afp-1.jpg"/><figcaption>A man sits behind roasted suckling pigs on display by a street in Manila on December 7, 2022. Lechon, or roasted suckling pig, is a popular dish in the Philippines especially during the holiday season. <em>Jam Sta. Rosa, AFP</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA – Cardiologists on Wednesday advised the public of mindful eating during the holiday season as patients with heart complications usually swell in hospitals in this time of the year.</p><p>In an online media forum organized by the Philippine Heart Association, UST Hospital Emergency Room Services head Dr. Robespierre Reyes said there is usually about a 50-percent increase in Emergency Room (ER) admissions due to hypertension and heart attack from December to January.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/09/28/22/more-young-filipinos-develop-heart-diseases-doh-says">More young Filipinos develop cardiovascular diseases, DOH says</a></li></ul><p>He added, some patients die in hospitals because of late admission.</p><p>“Dine-delay. Nandoon po ‘yung kultura ng Pilipino na hangga’t kaya mo pang tiisin para lang hindi masira ‘yung selebrasyon ng Kapaskuhan, eh parang, ‘Sige, hangga’t kaya ko pa.’ Kaya kadalasan po, karamihan sa mga itinatakbo sa ospital, napansin din namin, madami ‘yung dumarating sa amin na dead-on-arrival, ‘yung nag-cardiac arrest na,” Reyes said. </p><p>Dr. Richard Henry Tiongco II of the Philippine General Hospital and Dr. Luigi Pierre Segundo of The Medical City also noted the increase of patients with heart problems supposedly due to excessive intake of alcoholic beverage and unhealthful food, although no official data has been released from their respective hospitals as yet.</p><p>“’Yung mga procedure para sa puso, sa Cath Lab (Catheterization Laboratory) po ginagawa… mas mahirap mag-schedule. Medyo mas marami po talagang procedures na nangyayari sa Disyembre. At ang tingin ko, may kinalaman sa holidays ‘to,” said Segundo.</p><p>“’Yung pagkain na masarap, kung sunod-sunod, lalo kapag mataba’t puro alcohol, makikita natin ‘yung pagdagdag ng mga stroke at heart attack. So, bilang isang interventionist or &#x27;tubero,&#x27; ginigising po kami no’n eh, ‘yun ang pinaka-frequent time na magbukas ng mga ugat,” added Tiongco.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/12/14/22/presyo-ng-karneng-baboy-manok-tumaas-sa-ilang-pamilihan">Presyo ng karneng baboy, manok tumaas sa ilang pamilihan</a></li></ul><div><strong>MINDFUL EATING</strong></div><p>Chef Myke “Tatung” Sarthou advised the public of mindful eating during parties and do away with the tradition of serving enormous amount of foods that are sometimes only left as a “burden” to consume.</p><p>“May burden tayo [na ubusin iyong pagkain] kundi ‘Matatapon ‘yung food, masasayang, kainin na lang natin ‘to’ even if it’s not good for you,” Sarthou said.</p><p>“It’s really to be very mindful kasi not only it is unhealthy but it’s also very wasteful… let’s have a more mindful way of celebrating na hindi nakatutok lahat sa food.”</p><p>Sarthou said there should also be a change of thinking in having ham, crispy pata, or lechon as the “star of Noche Buena.”</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/12/05/22/presyo-ng-lechon-inaasahang-tataas-pa">Presyo ng lechon inaasahang tataas pa habang papalapit ang Pasko</a></li></ul><p>He also suggested toning down seasoning by using lemons or calamansi, dried mushrooms, umami, vegetables, and herbs to add flavors.</p><p>“Ang problema kasi natin, we’re so hung up on the idea of masarap, malinamnam. And sometimes, you have to reframe your way of thinking, ‘How do I eat na mabuti para sa akin?’ So, we have to redefine what delicious is,” Sarthou said.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/video/life/11/23/22/winning-moment-paano-gumawa-ng-homemade-atsara">Winning Moment: Homemade atsara, puwedeng iregalo</a></li></ul><p>He continued, &quot;Mga crispy pata, mga sisig, ‘yun talaga ang naka-condition sa utak natin bilang Pilipino, ‘yun ang masarap. Pero if you look at the Mediterranean diet, ‘di ba it’s a very healthy diet pero it isn’t less flavorful and satisfying.&quot;</p><div><strong>DRINKING IN MODERATION</strong></div><p>Citing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Segundo said drinking in moderation for women is one standard drink or less in a day, while two standard drinks or less in a day for men.</p><p>He said there is a risk of high blood pressure for someone who exceeded the recommended amount of alcohol drink per day.</p><p>“Kung meron na po kayong sakit sa puso…’yun pong pag exceed, pag-binge ninyo, sudden spike po ‘yan ng blood pressure, pati ‘yung heart rate. ‘Yun po ‘yung puwedeng trigger sa mga may block na, may bara sa artery ng puso para ma-heart attack. So, stick po doon sa ating recommended amount at huwag po tayong mag-walwal,” Segundo said.</p><p>Reyes said excessive drinking may damage body organs.</p><p>“Beyond this amount, hindi na po kaya ng katawan natin i-metabolize, ‘yung sistema natin is no longer enough to deal with the excess alcohol so nagkakaroon na po ng damage ‘yan. If you’re gonna do that every day, magkakaroon na po ng maliliit na damage ang ating atay, puso, kidney, and elsewhere in the body,” he said.</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2380177" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

Cardiologists advised the public of mindful eating during the holiday season.

Doctors' reminder: Mind your diet during the holidays

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Doctors' reminder: Mind your diet during the holidays

Michael Joe Delizo,

ABS-CBN News

Published December 14, 2022 08:29 PM PHT

|

Updated December 15, 2022 03:47 PM PHT

Read More:

noche buena

heart disease

heart attack

heart failure

lechon

holiday season

healthy food

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