Kabita Maharjan

WHO declared Covid-19 as a pandemic in 2019. It encountered a second wave that affects socio-economic sectors, and forecast a third wave too. Lockdown has been imposed as a precautionary and preventive measure  such as wearing mask, hand wash and social distance to reduce transmission and to fight against different variants of “CORONA VIRUS”. Despite the lockdown, sociocultural & ritual ceremonies have been done carefully. However, people should think of the right time of enjoyment and celebration. Blaming each other is raising problems rather than finding a solution. Nutrition and diet are important in the weather on normal, functional, festival , or Covid days. Transcultural nutrition adds a different taste in regular diet as well as chances of over nutrition too. People would like to adopt the various food patterns such as veg and non-veg food commodities. Foodstuff is loaded with essential nutrients regulating bioactive functions. There are various formulated diets such as Keto Diet, Mediterranean Diet, Paleo Diet and so on but is there any special diet for natural disasters and pandemic crisis? However, a balanced and therapeutic diet is the importance of human proper growth, development and maintenance along with building the immune system.

In this modern era people live with rush life, knowledge of many things but inadequacy in practices. Therefore, scenarios of various nutritional  health issues arise. Several studies show that there is a health risk if the foods consume  higher amounts. Education empowered the women, at the same time insufficient quality time for families too.

Different Prospects

Family Structure: Patriarchal society domain in Nepal and still most of the family belongs to joint and extended family type. Migration within and outside the country for the sake of fulfilling survival needs as: education, job opportunities, health facilities and many more changes in lifestyle. So, most of the families are nuclear. However, it does not matter where we are either joint or nuclear family should be determined in goal achievement. It is the society structure. After marriage, the female has to go husband’s house and start a new life. In this way, the generation creates one after another. In a family there are various age groups such as child, children, adolescence, adult male and female, pregnant and lactation women and old ages. These different age groups need balanced nutrition for a healthy life. The food stuff is the same for all age groups with only variation in cooking procedure and quantity that fulfill daily nutritional requirements, says nutrition science.

Food Pattern: Nature has provided the food with major nutrients required for the human body. The food management is considerable to improve the health status of every individual. The use of food in the human body is scientifically proven. There are multiple impacting factors of food such as socio- economic, food behavior, food availability, food acceptance, culture, religion, education, self-interest. Nepal Government has generalized ten Mantras of Good Nutrition as:  i) eat a variety of foods every day, ii) eat four times a day, iii) promote nutritionally important traditional foods, iv) always use iodized salt, v) exclusively breast feed the infants up to six months, start solid foods after six  months, vi) pregnant and lactating mothers eat extra and nutritious foods, vii) always eat safe and clean food, viii) drink enough clean and pure water, ix) Avoid alcoholic  beverages  and x) always be physically active. Among the various types of non-communicable disease: cardiovascular diseases (such as heart attacks and stroke), cancers, chronic respiratory diseases (such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma) and diabetes tends to be with genetic, physiological, environmental and behavioral factors, accounting more than three quarters of global NCD deaths – 31.4 million in low- and middle-income countries.

Geo-Structure: Nepal has a unique identity of multi-cultural and religious with versatile geo- structure. Usually, the geographical structure is divided into 3 major regions as Himalayan, Hilly and Terai and a total of 7 provinces. The weather and climate differ among major regions. So, there is diversity in food availability. The total population of Nepal is 30,339,155.Nepal is an agricultural country and most of the hills and Terai region is well known for agriculture. In another, it can be said as agriculture is a major livelihood prospect. Nepal Government has improved the nutritional status, making support for multi sectors such as agriculture, health, education, economy. In these classified regions various crops are produced. In Himalayan Region, the major raw foods available are buckwheat, amaranth, naked barley, proso millet, foxtail millet, finger millet, common bean, and high altitude rice.Besides these, potato, wheat, barley and oats are also available in upper Mustang.Similarly, in Hilly Region different types of cereals, pulses & legumes, fruits & vegetables and non-vegetarian foods are available. Finally, Terai Region is famous as the food basket of Nepal. Most of the crop production is higher here compared to the other regions. However, nature has gifted different types of survival foods. So, these foods should be handled based on nutrition science.

Impression of Good Food Behavior: Well said, “We are what we eat”. The gene and nutrients are interrelated to depict bio functions that occur unknowingly, but results physically, meaning health problems can be seen in the long run. Initial, metabolic changes are: raising blood pressure, overweight/ obesity, hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia. Lockdown period is a good opportunity to establish good food habits among family members. It is an opportunity to teach and learn good food habits. Health needs to be the first priority and wealth of every individual.Nepal Government should launch life sustainable  and economic sustainability programs. We should learn from the Corona virus for life sustaining, and independence. It is crucial that everyone has to make an effort for survival rather than country development, no one knows the third wave scenario.Nevertheless, every parent should feed natural and well cooked food in-order to strengthen the immune system. Every macro and micro nutrients play a vital role in body regulation. So, it has to be emphasized on a balanced diet.

Formulation of Balance Diet: Balance diet, which is important for human life, can be formulated whether in Himalayan, Hilly and or Terai region. The nutritional requirement of Nepalese population has been mentioned in “Food Composition Table, Nepal 2017”. To fight against coronavirus formulation of balanced diet in any region following these values helps a lot. The nutritional daily requirement differs regarding age, sex, occupation, climate, physiological condition.So, the nutrition knowledge had to be implemented everywhere.This time the regular consumable food stuff is available in the urban market, and in rural areas special provision should be planned to minimized food scarcity.

( Maharjan is the Head and Consultant Dietician at Nepal Cancer Hospital and Research Center)