Christmas season is the time where family members are gathered to celebrate the holidays, exchange presents, and sit down to eat dinner. Most of the time, Filipinos tend to order or cook oily and fatty foods such as the famous lechon, onion rings, calamares, fried chicken and other deep-fried foods. While they can be an enjoyable treat during the holidays and special occasions, greasy foods negatively affect your body and health in both short and long terms.
Greasy foods may cause weight gain due to their high calorie count. This is because they are cooked in large amounts of fat. In return, high intake of fried foods increased risk of weight gain and obesity which is associated with many negative health benefits such as heart diseases, stroke, and diabetes. Moreover, greasy food spends more time in your stomach, which can cause bloating, nausea, and stomach pain. In people with certain digestive conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), these foods may trigger stomach pain, cramping, and diarrhea.
In addition to those mentioned above, greasy foods may impair brain function. The weight gain, high blood pressure, and metabolic syndrome caused by eating greasy fatty foods could damage the brain’s structure, tissues and activity. These foods will also affect one’s learning ability and memory and may increase the risk of dementia.
Truly, it is easier and faster to cook deep-fried food, especially this upcoming Christmas season when all you want to do is spend more time with your family and less time cooking in the kitchen. However, you should try to limit your intake of greasy fatty foods and choose healthier alternatives as part of your balanced diet and your family as well. Let us keep in mind that these foods may shorten one’s life if not avoided or controlled. During this season, let us enjoy the quality moment with our family while being healthy!
AA VI Cielo Katrina M. Mabalot
References:
1. “7 effects of greasy food on your body” from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/greasy-food#3.-May-lead-to-weight-gain-and-obesity
2. “5 reasons why greasy foods are not good for the body” from https://www.medicaldaily.com/5-reasons-why-greasy-foods-are-not-good-body-449007
