KATHMANDU: Physicians have urged the people to maintain their healthy eating habit during the festive occasions.

Dr Bharat Rawat, a cardiologist and executive director at the Norvic International Hospital has urged the people not to forget ‘MADE’ mantra - mental relaxation, avoiding alcohol and tobacco, balance diet and exercise — to protect from various diseases. “People tend to eat too much and forget their regular exercise during the week-long festival,” said Rawat.“This may increase heart disease and other ailments.”

He said that the consumption of tobacco, alcohol and unhealthy diet are the main culprits behind heart disease. “The main symptoms seen are high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, physical inactivity, stress and diabetes,” he said. He urged people for consuming minimum amount of red meat and appealed for not practising any culture that promotes unhealthy life style. He asked people to give fruit gift rather than sweets.

Dr Arun Maskey, acting director of Shahid Gangalal National Heart Centre asked people not to consume saturated fats that are found in red meat, butter, sausage etc. He said that the saturated fat will block the vein of heart that may result into heart stroke and high blood pressure.

He urged the consumers to prefer white meat and vegetable oil to be healthy and warned against eating food that are fried excessively. Consuming high amount of salt and sugar also increases high blood pressure and diabetes. A regular exercise for around 45 minutes everyday and eating healthy diet, will help reduce those risks, according to Maskey. “Our record shows that diarrhoea and dysentery are two most common illness during the festivals,” Dr Saroj Prasad Rajendra, director of Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital (STIDH), said.

Overeating in Dashain and other festive occasions causes indigestion, diarrhoea, dysentery and even typhoid, warned Geeta Gurung, matron at STIDH. She also urged the people not to consume stale food. She also cautioned against drinking unsafe water.

Gurung has urged the government to maintain quality control over consumer goods. She has also urged the people to visit hospitals in case of health problems.