Avoid Christmas ‘coronary,’ New Year ‘heart attack’

Health advocates and plant-based nutritionists call the holiday season binges as the “Merry Christmas coronary” and “Happy New Year heart attack” because the combination of eating cholesterol-rich foods, excessive imbibing of alcoholic beverages, and all-night partying (lack of proper sleep) have become the routine from December to January.

By themselves, these three factors have already been proven to cause adverse effects on health. Done together—and repeatedly, at that—they can prove deadly quite quickly.

Animal products (beef, pork, poultry, chicken, dairy-rich desserts) contain saturated fat, which causes the liver to produce more cholesterol. Beef, chicken and most other animal products contain substantial amounts of saturated fat. A few vegetable oils are also high in saturated fats.

Dietary preference

Filipinos’ dietary preference for fat-rich foods and low consumption of fruits and vegetables may very well explain the results of the National Nutrition and Health Survey data showing that 90 percent of Filipino adults have at least one risk factor for arteriosclerosis (the thickening of the walls of the artery as a result of the accumulation of fatty materials), which can lead to heart disease, organ failure, stroke and a host of other so-called lifestyle diseases. It also explains why the Philippines has a high mortality rate for cardiovascular diseases.

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine says “every 4-ounce serving of beef or chicken contains 100 [milligrams] of cholesterol. Also, most shellfish are very high in cholesterol. All animal products should be avoided for this reason. By contrast, no foods from plants contain cholesterol.”

Meat-free versions

Last year, the Inquirer featured healthy, cholesterol-free-yet-tasty alternatives to the usual heart-attack-inducing Christmas feast. Here are some meat-free versions of the traditional meat-based favorites:

Vegetarian ham, shiitake mushroom and tofu embutido, tofu sisig, no-meat spaghetti, whole-wheat shiitake mushroom siopao and the like are now more accessible to the public with the increasing number of vegetarian stores sprouting all over the country.

Taiwan-made smoked veggie meats sold at the Daily Veggies store on St. Domingo Street, Quezon City (near Sienna College), not only taste like the real thing but carry the ISO 9001 quality assurance stamp. The Taiwanese, according to Daily Veggies proprietress Susan Chua, are encouraged to submit to government-accredited laboratories any suspicious food products and report them to health authorities. Concerned citizens are rewarded part of the cash from the penalties paid by erring manufacturers.

Other versions of veggie hams, as well as the restaurant’s best-selling crispy tao pao (bean curd) and sweet-and-sour lemon nuggets are also available.

Vegan lifestyle advocate Nona Andaya Castillo offers her own recipe of vegetarian kaldereta, a mix of tomato sauce, coconut milk and fried or baked tofu; tofu stroganoff, which consists of tofu, shiitake mushroom (dried or fresh) and nondairy cream sauce—cashew nut with blended tofu.

The tofu sisig is a specialty of Greens Vegetarian Café (Scout Castor in Quezon City) and Blissful Belly (Llanar Building on Xavierville Avenue in Quezon City), which also serves arguably the best-tasting no-meat menudo.

Veggie burgers in Metro Manila include those offered at Corner Tree Café (Jupiter Street in Makati) and Agico Vegetarian Café (Araullo Street in San Juan).

One can also check out recipes for vegan lasagna and other treats at https://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2005/12/es-kid-friendly-recipes.html.

Oscar Anne’s vegetarian store on Leveriza Street, Pasay  (the road near the Caltex station in Buendia near LRT Taft station), offers recipes for vegetarian noche buena, including fresh greens, nuts, organic condiments as well as veggie meat from non-GMO products such as veggie strips.

The www.happycow.net online site lists down the addresses and contact numbers of all vegetarian and vegetarian-friendly restaurants and food stores, and includes short descriptions of the establishments.