[Asia Economy Reporter Hyun-ui Cho] The Lunar New Year holiday is a challenge for those who have resolved to diet for the new year. Just one bowl of rice cake soup with braised short ribs and jeon can provide the recommended daily calorie intake in one sitting.
Most holiday foods are high in sugar and calories. These foods are high in fat and cholesterol, which can cause hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, coronary artery disease due to arteriosclerosis, and cerebrovascular disease. Especially, patients with chronic diseases such as hypertension or diabetes should be particularly cautious.
According to the "Lunar New Year Ancestral Table Calorie Composition Chart" from Ewha Mokdong Hospital, eating a meal with braised short ribs (531 kcal), rice cake soup (440 kcal), seasoned vegetables (397 kcal), beef radish soup (266 kcal), japchae (191 kcal), drinking a cup each of sikhye (250 kcal) and cheongju (65 kcal), and having pear (160 kcal), apple (140 kcal), and sweet persimmon (75 kcal) for dessert results in a total intake of 2,515 kcal. This exceeds the recommended daily calorie intake for adults (2,500 kcal for men, 2,000 kcal for women).
High-calorie intake can lead to increased triglycerides, worsening cholesterol levels, so caution is necessary. Professor Do-seon Lim of the Cardiology Department at Korea University Anam Hospital warned, "An increase in triglycerides can lead to arteriosclerosis," adding, "This can cause or worsen cardiovascular disease due to thickening of the inner walls of blood vessels."
It can also increase insulin resistance, so those with diabetes or metabolic syndrome should be even more careful. Professor Yang-hyun Kim of the Family Medicine Department at Korea University Anam Hospital said, "After eating Lunar New Year foods, increasing physical activity through games like Yutnori or Jegichagi to burn the consumed calories helps improve blood sugar levels, cholesterol, and insulin resistance."
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