Nothing can stop Christmas—not even 2020.
Filipinos will continue to celebrate the holiday season with merrymaking, Christmas carols, exchanging of gifts, virtual get-togethers with family and friends and,of course, enjoy NocheBuena and Media Nochewith a delectable holiday spread.
While it is tempting to consume all that delicious food prepared by the family or gifted by well-meaning friends, not all meals are healthy, especially for people living with diabetes.
To raise awareness about the critical connection between diabetes and cardiovascular disease, the “For Your SweetHeart” campaign, spearheaded by Boehringer Ingelheim (Philippines), Inc. in partnership with medical societies, and campaign ambassador Kuya Kim Atienza are presenting special recipes this holiday season for people living with diabetes.
Mommy Beng, Kuya Kim’s mom and a type 2 diabetes patient, joins him in preparing heart-healthy and diabetes-friendly Christmas meals.
The mother-son duo has gamely prepared two recipes – a main dish and a dessert – that Filipinos can enjoy without worrying about their impact on the sugar level and the heart. The main dish is Chicken Teriyaki with Sweet Potatoes and Shiitake Mushrooms,while the after-meal treat is Fruit Salad with Healthy Honey Yogurt Sauce.
Being a type-2 diabetes patient, Mommy Bengknows the important role that a family member plays in keeping a patient healthy.
“Gaya nang ginawa ng anak ko, malaki po ang kinalaman ng pamilya, mahal sa buhay at tagapag-alaga para maalagaan namin ang aming kalusugan lalo na ngayong Christmas season na madaming pagkaing nakahanda,” she said.
Kuya Kim readily agreed on this.
“Tama ka dyan, Ma. So to all the carers and family members, partner with your loved ones in making healthy decisions kagaya na lamang sa tamang pagkain at wastong nutrisyon this Christmas and beyond,” Kuya Kim stressed.
Watch the Christmas cooking demo here:
Aside from encouraging the public to prepare healthy meals this Yuletide season for family members with diabetes, Kuya Kim and Mommy Beng also shared the most important tip of all: to always consult one’s doctor.
Besides the cooking demo, the website foryoursweetheart.ph was also introduced where patients can learn more about the campaign. The website includes helpful articles on diabetes and heart disease management, including a heart-healthy diet for patients with diabetes. The site also contains an assessment tool based on the Framingham 10-year Heart Disease Risk Test, which requires details of the patient’s total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and systolic blood pressure.
The “For Your SweetHeart” campaign is supported by the Philippine Heart Association (PHA), Institute for Studies on Diabetes Foundation Inc. (ISDFI), American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE), Philippine Society of Endocrinology Diabetes and Metabolism (PSEDM), Diabetes Philippines (DP), Philippine Association of Diabetes Educators (PADE), Association of Diabetes Nurse Educators of the Philippines, Inc. (ADNEP), and Philippine Alliance of Patient Organizations (PAPO).