Healthy nutrition practices first line of defense against diseases

Healthy nutrition practices first line of defense against diseases - The importance of adopting healthy nutrition practices can be gauged from the fact that seminars and workshops were devoted to the subject by Jeddah’s King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center and the 1st GCC symposium on clinical nutrition held at Arrayan Hospital in Riyadh recently. Dr. Sulaiman Al Habib Medical Group, which organized the event in the capital, sought to promote nutrition as first line of defense against today’s diseases.

“Exercise, good nutrition and food safety practices are best for preventing diseases. In other words, remaining healthy includes a balanced diet, staying clean, getting plenty of exercise as well as keeping your heart healthy and free of medical treatment,” says Dr. Khaled A. Madani of University of Dammam’s King Fahd Hospital whose College of Medicine is organizing its third symposium on clinical nutrition update in the Eastern Province from Oct. 19-20.

All of these events involve clinical dietitians, health educators, pharmacists and nurses as delegates and participants. They maintain that the awareness of the subject just isn’t there.

“Given the pressures of day-to-day life and the fast pace of today’s working families, we simply don’t have the time to eat as well as we should. Taking that time, however, is imperative to give our children a good start in nutritional awareness and prevent the obesity, which is so rampant in our society today,” a nutritionist at New Jeddah Clinic Hospital says.

Eating for weight loss and weight control takes a bit more planning, and some research into the right foods to eat at the right times during the course of the day. Children should be taught as they grow about basic good eating habits in order to prevent the continuation of the obese parents obese children cycle, she adds.

Fast foods do have a place and can be used as they are necessary but that necessity should be once in a while, not every day. Taking the time to research which fast foods will be less fatty and more healthful is needed, since most places that offer fast foods now also offer low fat, lower calorie answers for the health conscious consumer, says a dietician who was a delegate at the GCC symposium in Riyadh.

“Taking into account the necessary foods to include in our diets to remain healthy and keep our weight within acceptable limits while planning meals is something that we all need to do, yet find difficult due to time constraints,” she says.

It is high time that it is analyzed which specific foods assure a healthy way of life. Certain aspects of foods such as antioxidants are known to help in the fight against cancer, heart disease, hypertension and diabetes. Many of these such as heart disease are largely preventable given the right type of foods. “We can assess our risk for these health issues taking into account factors such as age, body type and heredity, and plan for their prevention using less fatty foods, leaner meats and more fiber and vegetables to prevent the development of such health issues as arteriosclerosis and atherosclerosis,” Dr. Ahmed Bazubair, a physician-delegate at the Jeddah symposium says.

Maintaining a healthy weight isn’t enough since other factors enter into play along with that weight such as family history of heart related or diabetic illnesses. For the diabetic child, it is imperative to follow a careful regimen of diet and exercise to prevent the onset of diabetes related issues such as retinopathy.

Specific dietary needs will enter into play dependent upon factors such as age, health and nutritional status and special cases such as pregnancy or lactation. The diabetic will, of course, require some considerations in the diet due to the lack of insulin production in the body. Preparing foods for this type of disease process requires research and planning to keep fat intake as low as possible, while providing for the overall nutritional health, particularly in a diabetic child, a pediatrician at Bugshan Hospital says. The woman who is pregnant or lactating will require additional intake of proteins and iron as well as minerals to assure not only her own health but also of the child.

Providing for the safety of foods is more than just ensuring that things are properly stored and put away in a timely manner after meals, although those things too are important aspects of providing for the good nutrition of families. Today’s food safety means being aware of those things which have been recalled, or are considered unsafe to consume, using such means as the Internet, TV or specific websites which are geared toward disseminating information that the health conscious consumer will need.

According to Health Canada, seniors are more vulnerable to food-borne illness. “As we age, our immune system tends to deteriorate. The immune system is one of the most important mechanisms for fighting disease and preserving health, so a decrease in the level of disease-fighting cells is a significant factor in the number of infections that may occur. In addition, undergoing major surgery also affects the body’s ability to fight off infections.”

Malnutrition also makes one more susceptible to food-borne illness. It leads to increased incidence of infections including those that result from food-borne bacteria. There are many reasons why malnutrition occurs in old people. There may be a decrease in the pleasure of eating. Medication, digestive disorders, chronic illnesses, physical disabilities or depression may result in a loss of appetite. Good nutrition is therefore an important factor in maintaining a healthy immune system, says the medical fraternity.

Finally, the safe preparation, cooking and storage of food is very important due to greater risk of contracting food-borne diseases while aging. “For example, you can reduce the risk of bacterial illness by always washing your hands thoroughly before and after handling raw meat, poultry, fish and seafood; using separate cutting boards and utensils for raw and cooked products,; cooking ground beef to the appropriate temperature; avoid eating ground beef that is still pink inside if a thermometer is not available; using a clean utensil to move burgers to a clean plate when ready to serve and refrigerating foods promptly,” says a head nurse at Erfan and Bagedo Hospitals.

More than half of all child deaths are associated with malnutrition, which weakens the body’s resistance to illness. Poor diet, frequent illness and inadequate or inattentive care of young children can lead to malnutrition. After all, children have the right to a caring, protective environment and to nutritious food and basic health care for protecting them from illness and promoting growth and development.

Here is a sample of children’s menu: Bread, cereal, rice, pasta, fruit, vegetables, milk, yogurt, cheese, meats and fish. The right amounts of servings of these in combination depend on age, sex, body size and activity level. Children should remain physically active every day, or most days, and make healthy food choices themselves.

Variety, balance and moderation are the three basic rules for a healthy diet. Variety means many different foods that should be included because no single food can supply all of the nutrients that the growing body needs on a daily basis. Balance means one must eat the right amounts of foods to get all the calories and nutrients one needs for proper growth and development. Moderation means one should not eat too much of any one type of food.

The medical fraternity recommends that people who practice good nutrition, hygiene and exercise patterns develop a lifetime of habits that will keep them healthy for many years, especially when they are older.

Says Monther bin Trad Al-Harthi, CEO, Al Rabie Saudi Foods, which sponsored the Riyadh event: “Proper nutrition is the first line of defense against common diseases and can also help people suffering from heart disease, kidney disorders and diabetes regain the strength their bodies need.” ( arabnews.com )