THE Philippine College of Physicians (PCP) shared healthy living tips for this year’s holiday season and beyond.
“We can still make Christmas happy. Just follow the minimum health standards, ”said Dr. Ma. Encarnita B. Limpin, president of the Philippine College of Physicians, vernacular in a December 21 webinar.
Here are some tips for the holiday season:
Sit-down meals are better than buffet meals.
The advantage of sitting noche buena (the traditional holiday of Christmas Eve) is that there is no need to queue to eat, thus promoting physical distancing. The other benefit is that since you don’t have to help yourself with a serving, fewer hands touch the serving spoons for each dish.
For air circulation, an outdoor location is also preferable to an enclosed area.
Do not remove your mask until you are about to eat.
“I want to grab the attention of shopping center owners,” Dr. Limpin said. “And daming tao sa mga Restaurant na hindi pa kumakain e wala ng suot na mask [There are so many people in restaurants who take off their masks even before they start eating.]“The masks don’t need to be taken off during the conversation,” she added.
The reason COVID-19 cases are on the rise again in other countries is because people have stopped following health protocols after being vaccinated and after seeing the initial decline in cases in their area.
The Philippines is doing it well by continuing to encourage mask wear, hand washing and physical distancing, Dr Limpin said.
Pay attention to your portions, especially if you have diabetes.
Feeling deprived of a specific type of food can cause an individual to binge on it later. One way to quell cravings is to eat in moderation.
Diabetics in particular need to be careful with their portions, Dr Limpin said. Diabetes is a disease that occurs when the body’s blood sugar is too high.
She recommended the following servings for diabetic patients: a mango cheek, seven grapes, and half a large apple or orange.
Diabetics with controlled sugar levels who crave Filipino Christmas staples like leche flan and fruit salad can have one teaspoon and three teaspoons of desserts, respectively. “Para lang matikman mo [Just so you can have a taste of it], “she added.
Keep moving throughout the day.
Prioritizing physical movement during this festive season helps burn off energy from food consumed at social gatherings. It also helps to keep the body in great shape.
Pencil pushers are advised to take regular breaks away from their desks to stretch and walk. Dr Limpin said the PCP will recommend the Department of Labor and Employment to make it an office policy for workers to take a break every hour for commuting. “You can achieve the ideal 10,000 steps per day if you do this [in addition to your] other regular activities, ”she said. – Patricia B. Mirasol
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