Ms. Bushra Al-Rabeeah, a Specialist in Therapeutic Nutrition at the National Center for Media and Health Awareness at the Ministry of Health (MOH), said that basic nutrition requirements must not be changed or replaced in the summer contrary to what some people think, and that a common rule should be followed in all seasons provided that the daily diets must be of a high nutritional value and compatible to everyone's requirements.
This comes as part of the MOH interactive health-awareness activities launched on Sunday June 8, 2014 to provide apt answers to the questions and queries put forth by citizens and residents via the center's toll free number: 8002494444, as well as the MOH's Twitter account: @saudimoh.
The campaign is intended to raise people's health awareness and change their attitudes towards the unhealthy habits and practices usually associated to the summer vacation. It also aims to make people more inclined to adopt healthy behaviors during this season. In doing so, the campaign underscores the importance of adopting healthy lifestyles, based on healthy food and exercise, in addition to avoiding the spread of diseases and infections, particularly food poisoning common in summer.
Al-Rabeeah was quoted as saying: "We have to adjust our food habits so as to fit with the body requirements in the summer by taking small, nutritional, fresh and easy to prepare meals with moderate calories and low in fats, sugar and salts. Besides, we have to drink sufficient water and liquids and avoid delaying breakfast."
She added that the best food for summer includes also light confectioneries, macaroni, fresh vegetables, white meats and cold or other fat-free foods, which give sense of cold including chicken and fish. She described these meals as sound and healthy choices compared to heavy meals which are full of fat and spices causing indigestion. Ms. Al-Rabeeah recommended also having different types of salads and replacing fatty Mayonnaise sauce with herbs, vinegar, lemon, fresh dairy products and yoghurt. She also referred to fresh fruit salad mixed with little honey and fresh juices as an alternative to ice cream, sweets, canned juices, pies, cakes and beverages, which increase body temperature and calories, causing thirstiness.
In a similar fashion, Ms. Al-Rabeeah also encouraged making use of summer products, such as vegetables and fresh fruits containing salts, vitamins and liquids to compensate fluid loss in the body, provide it with energy and strengthen the immune system necessary for resisting infections and food poisoning common in the summer. She attributed food poisoning in the summer to frequent exposure of food to contaminants, high temperature, rapid growth of bacteria, the abundance of insects, frequent eating of food in restaurants, which serve frozen or rapid polluted food such as mayonnaise and exposed, grilled and uncooked meat.
Ms. Al-Rabeeah wrapped up saying that it is very useful to have herbs and foods, which help in cleansing the digestive system and fighting microbes such as raw garlic, lemon, orange, mint, licorice, tamarind and hibiscus.