It’s holiday season once again and for most Filipinos, it may be dubbed as the most joyous and wonderful time of the year, but not often thought as the most nutritious time of the year. Along with family gatherings, surely, the season is filled with delicious and high caloric foods where every family’s table is full of lechon, hamon, pancit, all types of salads, cakes and decadent drinks, which are guarantees at every Christmas (Noche Buena) and New Year’s Eve (Media Noche) celebrations. In short, this season is equated with lots of eating followed by weight gain because it is indeed hard to resist with their favorite foods. Though, we don’t really have to get rid of the traditional Christmas food treats, there are still several ways to enjoy the season by having healthy food options.
Instead of letting yourself being overly indulge with the festive lifestyle this season just because it’s there, why not make this instead a worthwhile opportunity to make necessary changes in your diet plan to focus more on what you should and shouldn’t eat?
With the overwhelming get together parties, one can still eat well and enjoy these tasty treats and your favorite occasional indulgences without really depriving yourself by being mindful with what you eat in proper balance and moderation. Hence, awareness is always the key in mindful eating.
According to recent studies, our current generation’s unhealthy eating habits have given the rise of acquiring cardiovascular problems, diabetes, hypertension, renal problems, obesity and cancers.
Thus, it is still best to get back to the simplest and reliable guide in choosing and maintaining healthy diet to slash out unwanted calories to avoid these food-related illnesses which follows the Pinggang Pinoy--a healthy food plate model that would meet any adult Filipino’s body energy and nutrient requirements developed by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) in collaboration with the World Health Organization, the Department of Health, and the National Nutrition Council (NNC).
Pinggang Pinoy aims to serve as a guide for a balanced meal by showing how much to consume of the various types of food recommended in the Daily Nutritional Guide (DNG) Pyramid. This tool is also very much useful especially this Holiday season which serves as a reminder on how to properly fill up a plate with the right kind and amount of food in order not to be derailed of being nutritious from one meal to another.
As illustrated in the DNG Pyramid, we should eat more fruits, vegetables and whole grains and less meat, fats and oils. Fruits and vegetables will not only add nutrients, color and flavor in your holiday favorites but will also keep you feel full for a longer span of time that will help you to avoid the tendencies of overeating.
In addition, aside from too much eating, inactivity is one of the contributing factors to unwanted weight gain during holiday season. DOH also recommends to really find ample time to be physically active at least two and a half hours a week which is beneficial for weight control. Keep in mind message number nine of 10 Kumainments – “Panatilihin ang Tamang Timbang”.
Above all, everyone must bear in mind that maintaining a healthy lifestyle is of paramount importance in keeping our well-being this Christmas season.
NNC XII wishes you a NUTRITIOUS and Happy Holidays!(DPAurel/AMFlores)
