Eid al-Fitr; Nutrition Specialist Says Don't Fret Cholesterol in Food
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19 April 2023 11:41 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Nutrition specialist Dr. Tan Shot Yen asks the public not to worry to consume foods that contain cholesterol during Eid al-Fitr celebrations so long they can measure portions properly.
“Cholesterol is not an enemy. Cholesterol is good, so don't make an enemy of it as long as you can control it,” Tan said in a discussion on how to maintain a healthy body during the religious holiday, on Tuesday, April 18, 2023.
She emphasizes that people having low cholesterol will be easy to stress and has difficulties in thinking. Cholesterol helps the body deal with it. At least 80 percent of the cholesterol in the body comes from the liver, so diseases related to cholesterol are not formed only during Eid.
“Eating incredibly full for one day won't cause you sickness. What's wrong is that at this time, many people have failed since day one,” said Tan who obtained her doctoral degree at the University of Indonesia.
According to her, the habit of breaking the fast together is one of the triggers for diseases caused by excess cholesterol considering foods with coconut milk and other high-cholesterol meals are often presented in such events.
“In the past, people only ate rendang and opor during Eid. Now, it's easy to find these foods when breaking the fast. As a result, cholesterol has accumulated since the beginning of the fasting month,” she assessed.
Tan thus suggests dividing meal portions into half a plate of vegetables and fruit, a quarter of a plate of rice, and a quarter of a plate of side dishes without gravy so that people can still enjoy their meals while paying attention to their health during Eid al-Fitr.
It is also advisable to have a different meal when visiting relatives' homes to maintain a balanced nutritional intake. “Indonesian food is safe as long as it's not consumed excessively and served according to balanced nutrition,” Dr. Tan Shot Yen concluded.
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