Without the White Coat
Eating unhealthy this Christmas
Perhaps you may agree with me that our very own lechon (roasted pig) normally takes center stage this holiday season. Parties celebrated by companies, businesses, associations and organizations can never be complete without that roasted pig. We may feel a little bit dizzy after a plate of roasted pig's skin but we don't mind it, anyway Christmas only happens once a year. We may not have statistics to show it, but most of illnesses manifest after the holiday season. A piece of that roasted pig for the holiday celebration may be acceptable, but a whole lot of it or just too many would be "fatal". I hope in the future some nutritionist will come up with a "healthy and nutritious lechon." How about a lechon baboy which is very high on fiber, grease-free and cholesterol-free?
Nevertheless, we can have an alternative for this cholesterol-rich feast like serving greens for Christmas or an alternative white meat like turkey, or some cholesterol-free meat. What really counts is the spirit of the celebration of Christmas which is "sharing and giving", and making changes in some other people's lives. Roasted chicken is a healthy alternative. It's white meat minus the skin can suffice for the holiday season.
In this holiday season what really counts is the cholesterol content of the foods that we eat. We may say it seldom happens, but it's deadly outcome may no longer let us do it again. Believe me, at this time a lot of requests on lipid profile line up all the medical and diagnostic laboratories. As Filipinos we never learn on the preventive aspects of health. We normally make some change if a tragedy takes place.
Prevention can never be on top of the list the Filipino's strategy for a healthy life, looking at it as a costly exercise with no further benefit in the future. For every peso that the Filipino worker will earn he will always set aside a large chunk or portion of his earnings on alcohol, cigarettes, food, and clothes and a mere 1 to 2% of his total earnings on health awareness or medical care. It may be a familiar sight, but the "Filipino" will always wait for that "severe" state of the disease or illness to consult his doctor or physician. Health will always fall short or will be the last priority for the Filipino family.
Traditions may render us as a unique race, but when it becomes detrimental to our health then it is time for us to make a move for the better and the healthy. Hopefully, the "lechon baboy " will just become a sight in the future, a decoration on top of the feast table to fulfill our salivating sight, not our palate.
At the start of the year 2007, incidentally the year of the pig, we will try to dwell on the insights and some foresights on the medical practice in metro Iloilo and the whole country in general. I am looking forward for a prosperous New Year for all.