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| The portrait of Dr. dr. Meddy Setiawan, Sp. PD, FINASIM, the Dean of UMM Medical Faculty. (Photo: Istimewa) |
The moment of Eid is the time to gather with extended family. At the same time, we will see various foods. Even after a week of Eid al-Fitr, those foods still exist and are tantalizing. One of them is those full of fat and cholesterol, such as rendang, chicken curry, and other curry menus.
This garnered the attention of the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Muhammadiyah Malang (UMM), Dr. dr. Meddy Setiawan, Sp. PD, FINASIM. He emphasizes that those suffering from hypertension, diabetes, cholesterol, and uric acid must be more selective in choosing food, notably if the food contains high coconut milk, fat, and sugar. Albeit the moment is still Eid, it’s necessary to maintain a healthy lifestyle, particularly for those who are elderly.
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Elderly people need special attention in food selection because, psychologically, they have experienced changes in function. One of them is the change in the immune system, which is not as optimal as when young. Older people are vulnerable to metabolic and generative diseases, such as hypertension, diabetes, cholesterol, uric acid, and cancer, so they need special treatment. Whereas one of the factors that cause those diseases is food intake.
The man known as Meddy mentions that healthy food can be seen from its type, like food with a low glycemic index or sugar content. “During Eid, there are definitely a lot of sweet cakes, foods made from processed flour, and syrups that certainly have high sugar level. It must be addressed by choosing foods from processed wheat or flour from sweet potatoes. Those foods have lower sugar levels,” he explains.
He also recommends avoiding fritter consumption, especially fried ones using the deep-frying technique. If consuming them excessively, the foods can cause cholesterol. Then, it can be avoided by consuming baked or steamed food to be healthier.
The Dean of the Faculty of Medicine of UMM says that consuming fruits and vegetables during Eid isn’t wrong, especially those with high anti-oxidant like pomegranates, dragon fruits, and purple yams. “Wheteher we want it or not, we have to be smart and choosing what goes into the body. Mainly, those who have already been elderly. Avoid ‘bad’ foods as much as possible even if it’s just a little bit. Because a little can often cause a disease,” he adds.
Last but not least, Meddy encourages us to continue a healthy lifestyle. It’s not only about food consumption but also about exercising, reducing strenuous activity, and increasing the quality of worship.
“If analyzed deeply, performing salah is a modest exercise. The intention is, of course, for worshipping, but it can benefit the body. Besides, one of good exercises for elderly people is taking a walk in the morning,” he ends. (imh/sep/wil)
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