Health experts cautioned the public against consuming food with too much sodium and sugar.
In the 31 March edition of the Philippine Heart Association (PHA)'s Usapang Puso sa Puso, cardiologist Dr. Liberty Yaneza reminded that only half a teaspoon of salt should be consumed per day.
"When cooking a dish, add around half a teaspoon only. So, the food should be quite bland," Yaneza said.
Meanwhile, PHA Director Dr. Jun Aventura further explained that too much salt intake can cause hypertension and possible heart failure.
"Many people think that too much salt doesn't cause hypertension. But hypertension is a traitor. Too much salt intake is one of the causes of heart failure. So, we suggest that we decrease our salt intake," Aventura added.
Too much sugar intake, on the other hand, is dangerous, especially for those with uncontrolled diabetes or sustained high blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia) or frequent low blood sugars (hypoglycemia).
"If we are diabetic, especially if it is uncontrolled, then eventually we will have something called diabetic cardiomyopathy," Yaneza explained.
"We also need to minimize carbohydrates and sugar. Sugar per se is not that bad; however, don't consume too much of it because too much sugar is also calories," she added.
In a day, Yaneza said, one only has an allowable calorie intake to avoid gaining weight: 1,600 calories for women and 2,000 for men.
"So, for each food that we eat, there's an equivalent calorie. For example, one cup of rice is around 180 to 200 calories. So, if you estimate that, you can figure out how many calories you're eating per day," the cardiologist explained.
"So, some people think, like [biscuits], they eat three biscuits in a pack, and they think they can lose weight, but they don't know it is equivalent to 2/3 of a cup of rice already," she further explained.
Yaneza also advised the public to eat less pork, beef, sunny-side-up eggs, butter, margarine, mayonnaise, croissants, and donuts.
"Because they are trans fats. They taste good, but be careful. Because when our cholesterol increases, it will stick to the lining of our arteries," she added.
Meanwhile, in using cooking oil, Yaneza advised choosing canola oil or olive oil.
"It's okay to consume salt and sugar in moderation. Remember that too much of it is bad," Aventura added.