HMC workshop underscores link between dietary choices and disease prevention

(MENAFN- Gulf Times) More than 120 specialists from Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) attended a workshop organised by the Department of Clinical Nutrition for nutritionists on the Qatar Dietary Guidelines, introduced to provide the public with parameters for healthy eating and physical activity.
Reem al-Saadi, director of the Department of Dietetics and Nutrition at HMC, said the workshop was organised as part of the completion of the work plan to implement the Qatar
Dietary Guidelines.
The Guidelines were introduced by the Ministry of Public Health in 2015 and ever since, the ministry has held a number of training workshops for nutrition specialists from various hospitals in the country, including staff from HMC.
Sahar al-Shammari, a therapeutic dietitian with HMC's Department of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, reviewed the Guideline's main recommendations at the workshop. They include eating a diet with foods from the six food groups, maintaining a healthy weight, limiting the intake of sugar, salt, and fat, being physically active, drinking plenty of water, and adopting safe and clean food preparation methods. She also discussed the importance of breastfeeding for at least the first six months of a child's life.
Ayman Alawneh, a senior clinical dietitian with HMC's Department of Dietetics and Nutrition, a panellist at the workshop, said the Guidelines have put a focus on the link between healthy eating and disease prevention.
He said dietary choices play an important role in the prevention and management of non-communicable chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer.
He said the Guidelines provide members of the public with information on the foods that should be eaten, avoided, and limited. They also provide other tips such as increasing one's intake of legumes and other plant-based foods and eating fish twice a week.
Hayam al-Hajjaji, a dietitian at HMC's Paediatrics Department, also stressed the importance of eating a diet rich in plant-based foods such as vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds.
She said that many research studies support eating a whole food, plant-based diet as a strategy to prevent cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and some cancers.
While meat and fish contribute to a healthy diet, she said moderation is key and mentioned the importance of making healthy choices such as selecting whole wheat bread and grains in place of white bread, white rice, and pasta made from white flour.

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