Nutritional guidelines issued

CEBU, Philippines - A technical working group headed by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute-Department of Science and Technology has come up with nutritional guidelines for Filipinos to help in further promoting the health and wellness of the public.

Included in the guidelines are the common practices that have been taught like regular washing of the hands with soap and eating the right kind of food. The group urged parents to inculcate these habits among their children starting at a very young age.

According to the institute, it is especially important to wash the hands before, during and after the preparation and the eating of the food as well as if the person has handled or touched any animal, and especially if there is someone in their homes who is sick.

FNRI also reiterated the need for people to wash their hands thoroughly after using the bathroom after finding out that one out of three people do not wash their hands after using the restrooms.

FNRI encourages start of the practice in washing hands in respective homes and that parents should be the role models to their children. According to the group “children will only be observing proper hygienic practices like being good hand washers if they see their parents doing so.”

Aside from this, FNRI pointed out that since the country is going through a financial crisis together with the rest of the world, the saying “health is wealth” should always be put in mind.

This is why the group included in the guidelines healthy lifestyle practices such as not smoking, drinking alcoholic beverages moderately, increasing the consumption of fruits with at least two to three servings a day and also the intake of leafy and yellow vegetables, more fluids in order to stay well hydrated, and exercising daily.

The guidelines emphasized on never starting on the habit of smoking since it would be a hard habit to break; moderate alcohol consumption which means that one bottle a day for women is enough and two for the men. If this would be religiously practiced, FNRI said that chronic degenerative diseases would be prevented like diabetes, heart diseases, and cancer which according to them are becoming “significant public health problems.”

Based on the 2003-2004 National Nutrition Health Survey of the FNRI, together with 14 medical societies, it was learned that nine out of 10 Filipino adults have at least one risk factor to cardiovascular diseases. This includes hypertension, hypercholesterolemia and diabetes. — AJ de la Torre/MEEV (THE FREEMAN)