I know, I know. You may think I have lost my mind wanting to outlaw the Filipinos’ favorite food, the roasted pig.
But maybe we should not stop there, and continue on by outlawing cigarettes. Oh, while we’re at it, let’s do away with sugar. Yep, anything that has sugar, we don’t need!
I could probably add some other items but your blood pressure is high right about now just thinking about not having that delicious skin of the roasted pig. Well, don’t worry. You will still be able to enjoy your lechon, sugar, or that next puff of smoke from that cigarette in your hand.
Why do I make such a bold statement about what we consume? I was reading an article written by our publisher Alex Pal, under a new column called Matters of the Heart (Feb. 27, MetroPost), where he recounted going through an expensive medical procedure to unblock a build-up of cholesterol plaque in his artery that had reduced his blood flow of up to 70 percent. Although he had maintained a regular lifestyle of physical exercise, his eating habits left him at health risks.
My wife was a cardiac nurse at the prestigious Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Ohio, and na Cath Lab nurse manager of Cleveland Clinic Fort Lauderdale in Florida. At times, I was able to watch the doctors and nurses through a glass window perform different diagnostic and interventional cardiac procedures. Although I was in a separate room, I could watch on video monitors what was happening as they performed their duties. What was interesting is that I could actually see on the screen the narrowing of the arteries. A determination was made on how severe the blockage was, and how they would proceed.
I believe that seeing all these played an important part in my own life. Although I really have never stopped exercising since I was a child, I started researching what else I needed to do to maintain my health. One of the first actions I took was to reduce my dependence on sugar. I cut out all soft drinks and fruit juices — which are nothing more than sugar water. I still struggle with sweets but have greatly reduced my addiction to it. I now rely on stevia but only consume the healthy stevia, meaning no added maltodextrin — which is worse than sugar.
Although I was never addicted to lechon, I have eaten it occasionally. But now, I can say I am free of the dreaded lechon.
Ever wonder why most Jews continue to refrain from eating pork to this day? God had told the Israelites to refrain from eating pork. To God, pigs are unclean, and by all accounts, pigs really are unclean. Just read up on how they live their daily lives. The New Testament in 1 Corinthians 10 even states, “Everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial.” So, you can eat what you want, but is it good for your health?
So in this time of CoViD-19, as Alex wrote, heart disease-related deaths have been double that caused by the coronavirus. And yet, so much attention is given to the coronavirus. People have suffered, the economy has suffered. Children are least affected by the virus but look, still no face-to-face classes!
But don’t tell me the children are still able to learn through different means. I’ve spoken to so many parents, and I get the same response: “My children are not learning anything new.” And yet, the children are out playing with no social distancing, and the dreaded face masks.
True, more people die of heart diseases, but do we hear of programs aimed at those who are at risk? Hello, the silence is deafening. Where are all the doctors? Oh, that’s right, a number of them may not be living such healthy lives either. So how can they better inform the public and lead by example?
As Alex had informed us, the list of his once-favorite food goes on — dairy, leche flan, red meat, Spam, chicharon, etc. Oh, and let me not forget, the paborito ng bayan, the lechon.
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Author’s email: [email protected]
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