Bethlehem- Muslims are preparing to welcome Eid Al-Adha, during which meat occupies an essential place in the diet, and has many benefits for the body due to its mineral and protein content, but there are controls when consuming it so that it does not cause some health problems.
During the Eid al-Adha period, some people may make mistakes that lead to problems related to eating large amounts of meat over a short period, the method of cooking meat, and the types of meat. What problems may occur and how to avoid them?
Consultant internal medicine and gastroenterologist Dr. Amir Al-Qadi says that during the holidays, especially Eid Al-Adha, people tend to eat sweets and meat in larger quantities than usual, which may have a negative impact on their health in terms of weight gain, lethargy, intestinal confusion, stomach pain and gastroesophageal reflux, which leads to It leads to irregular blood sugar, especially in diabetics, and increased cholesterol, especially in smokers and heart patients, which leads to angina pectoris and symptoms of heart failure. The doctor stresses the necessity of eating meat in moderation.
The judge explains, in special statements to Tel Aviv Tribune Seha, that one of the common mistakes during Eid al-Adha is not putting fresh meat in the refrigerator during the first and second hours after preparing and cutting it, which leads to its spoilage.
Signs of spoilage of sacrificial meat
He adds that signs of spoilage of meat are an unpleasant odor, its color turning brown, and its loss of softness, as the pressure of the finger leaves a mark like a hole, and the meat is covered with a sticky substance.
For his part, general physician Waseem Abu Dawoud points out that health problems during Eid al-Adha include food poisoning, bloating, indigestion, and high levels of cholesterol in the body along with weight gain.
Abu Daoud added – in exclusive statements to Tel Aviv Tribune Seha – that children constitute about 15-20% of those exposed to food poisoning, due to a weak immune system and difficulty distinguishing between safe and unsafe foods, while the elderly make up about 20-25%, due to a weak immune system and problems. Chronic health conditions increase their susceptibility to food poisoning.
While the probability of elderly people being exposed to symptoms of bloating and indigestion increases to about 30%, due to changes in the digestive system with age and difficulty digesting fatty foods, as well as their exposure to high levels of cholesterol, compared to children, whose percentage barely reaches 5%.
As for the groups that suffer from health problems due to lack of physical activity, the elderly constitute about 25% due to the tendency to stay at home and not practice sufficient physical activity.
How to avoid health problems
Nutritionist Maysa Abu Maria stated that eating fried meat should be avoided and replaced with boiled, low-fat meat, with the importance of drinking plenty of water during the day, trying not to eat too much of the internal parts of the carcass such as the liver, and the necessity of exercising and reducing sweets and caffeine.
Abu Maria said – in exclusive statements to Tel Aviv Tribune Seha – that people who suffer from chronic diseases such as diabetes and high cholesterol levels must divide meal periods into more than 3 meals, and that the last meal should be at least two hours before sleep, and it is important that the size of a piece does not exceed 3 meals. Meat should be less than 100 grams per day, be sure to choose the part with the least fat, and exercise enough.
What is the appropriate way to preserve meat?
Abu Maria pointed out a mistake people make during Eid al-Adha, which is cooking meat immediately after slaughter and without performing the appropriate cooling process. In contrast, the meat must be placed in the refrigerator after cutting it at a temperature ranging from 1-5 degrees Celsius, for a period of time not exceeding 1 -2 hours, then cook.
If you do not want to cook it, then it is frozen for a maximum period of 12 hours at a temperature between 18-35 degrees Celsius below zero.
Abu Maria added that children during the Eid period eat a lot of sweets, which leads to obesity, as sweets contain a lot of calories and enhance the feeling of hunger, because sugar contributes to the secretion of the hormone insulin in the body.
She advised that the amount of sugar that children consume should not exceed 35 grams per day, and to avoid soft drinks with meals.