RAWALPINDI, Apr 15 (APP): The nutrition experts of the National University of Medical Sciences (NUMS) have called on Friday for a cultural shift from junk food to traditional unprocessed Pakistani cuisines and drinks for ensuring a healthy diet and avoid gaining weight during the month of Ramazan.
They said that lack of awareness about “mindful eating” among people residing both in urban and rural areas, reduce the life span of their families while increasing the risk of non-communicable diseases like hypertension, diabetes, heart problem and obesity. The month of fasting provides them an opportunity to ponder over their unhealthy eating habits and switch to healthy life style, said Head of NUMS Department of Nutrition and Dietetic Dr Sehar Iqbal PhD in Public Health and Nutrition and Assistant Prof and consultant Dietitian Dr Abdul Momin, PhD in Food and Nutrition while dilating on benefits of nutritious diet.
“Cultural shift is required to use healthy diets and drinks through reverting people choices to organic products, fruits and vegetables and use of traditional Pakistani drinks like lemon and “lassi” by abandoning the consumption junk food and fizzy drinks”, said Dr Sehar Iqbal. The role of the media is critical in promoting a balanced diet which will help to lessen disease burden on health facilities of the country.
Olive oil is the best option for cooking while “Desi Ghee”, (clarified butter) being non-processed, is far better than other cooking oils available in the market. People could use vegetables, fruits, pulses and salads for a healthy life style and keep at bay many health problems.
“We do not realize our eating habits have a medical cost and we compromise our health by consuming fried, junk and processed food”, so it is necessary to create awareness in the society about a nutritious diet, said Dr Sehar.
She added those who wanted to reduce weight during Ramazan “must avoid refined sugar, limit sodium intake, add fiber rich foods in their diets, plan physical activity for at least 30-45 minutes per day and control their portion size.”
Hydration is another important factor in relation to weight loss during Ramazan, she added hence people should “drink plenty of water at least 8-10 glasses per day. To reduce the content of refined sugar, they should consume food which is rich in natural sugar such as fruits, dried fruits, and honey,” said Dr Sehar.
Dr Abdul Momin consultant nutritionist said clinical nutrition plays a key role in improving any medical condition by modifying and managing one’s diet. He said diabetic patients and those suffering from hypertension could fast but only after consulting their doctor. The communicable and non-communicable diseases can be prevented or managed well by adopting the preventive approach.
“Education and awareness are two key approaches to prevent diseases by giving health the top priority and enhancing allocation of resources for the purpose,” said Momin. He emphasized the need for including health, prevention and nutrition in the single national curriculum. Health is the state of physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease, he added.
Dr Momin said, for instance, it was necessary to accord top priority to the health at the national level for creating awareness about diabetes. Diabetes had already burdened the health facilities which would further increase if requisite steps were not taken to reverse its graph as its current estimated 25 per cent diabetic patients of the population, are expected to double in the country by 2050, he added.
