Cebu City - Dr. Joseph Al L. Alesna, a volunteer pandemic doctor of the DOH CV CHD calls on Nutrition Action Officers to be nutrition resilient in the new normal. He made this call during the 17th Regional Congress of NAOs held on 16 September 2022.
According to him, “as the pandemic changed and affected the normal lives we once used to live in and as it devastated many countries around the world. One must be resilient to prevent the spread of the virus, keep self physically and emotionally healthy, and live a quality life”.
He further shared that life is the net gain of time, space, and circumstances to enjoy to the fullest. The new normal embraces the present, contemporary space, and circumstances of the ecosystem. How the ecosystem or social environment influences the mind and how it dictates to orchestrate the physical body, results in eventual adjustments to the new normal or maladjustment of the same. Laying down the foundation of the individual human well-being, and focusing on nutrition, its values, and food intake per individual needs, over time, is a logical approach to unlocking the secret of the resilience of present-day living - a domain of the mind not the physical body.
Dr. Alesna also showed in his presentation an infographic of “Kinsa Ako” and Capsule of Life”, his guide to obtaining a quality life that he himself created. He also opined that in order to be resilient and become a COVID-19 warrior one must achieve 4 goals, namely: (1) Ultimate goal of a healthy society, (2) Target the unseen enemy's Achilles tendon, (3) Act and fight professionally, and (4) Know thyself.
In closing, the speaker taught the participants that the new normal should be defined in the context of a balancing act for a nutritious healthy lifestyle which means assimilating just what is enough, no more no less. In doing so, the empowered individual considers the following: (1) Sun, (2) Air, (3) Water, (4) Food, (5) Plan-pray-meditate, (6) Move and exercise, (7) Rest, sleep, (8) Awareness, (9) Positive attitude, and (10) Peace of mind.
For more updates on ongoing nutrition activities in the region don’t forget to like, follow, and share the National Nutrition Council Region 7 official Facebook page and other social media platforms. // ND II James Aaron S. Perez, RND
