When Occupational Medicine Specialist Ryan Raymond Y. Bautista, MD recommends you go on a DIET, he is not making a subtle dig at your weight. Rather, it is a suggestion that benefits everybody, regardless of size or shape.
For the Head of the Makati Medical Center WellnessHub, DIET is an acronym for four (4) simple but doable eating habits that leave long-term positive effects on your health.
“D” stands for Diversify or Divide
“Instead of eating 1-kilo lechon (roast pig), maybe you can eat half of it. Or you can remove unhealthy food and try eating foods that are healthy but delicious,” Dr. Bautista said.
This means replacing fatty pork and beef with lean protein like chicken and fish and choosing brown or red rice instead of white rice, which quickly converts into glucose that spikes blood sugar levels. Sugar-laden cakes and ice cream can be enjoyed sparingly or skipped altogether for the natural sweetness of fresh fruits.
“I” stands for Individualize or follow a diet that suits you
“Cooking at home is one way of individualizing your meals. It is economical, plus you know what ingredients go into what you eat, so you know it is healthy,” shares Dr. Bautista. Convenient and delicious as they are, fast-food meals are prepared using unhealthy fats, refined carbohydrates, and excess salt and sugar. Consume them on a regular basis and you put your blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol levels, and weight out of whack.
“E” means Eat with a purpose
“Most Filipinos eat because they are bored or do not have anything to do. If they see something delicious, they will eat it even if they are not hungry,” says the MakatiMed doctor. This so-called “see-food” diet (“When I see food, I eat it”) and a preference for processed foods and beverages and restaurants that promote unlimited eating explain why close to 4 in 10 adults and 1 in 10 children in the Philippines are overweight or obese. Stick to small, frequent meals throughout the day, or if you need to nibble, pick healthier alternatives like chopped fruits and veggies, or nuts.
“T” means Time your meals appropriately
Dr. Bautista adds that it’s not only about what you eat, but when you eat. “Avoid grazing or snacking throughout the day. Give your body enough time between meals—typically 3 to 5 hours—so insulin levels can go down, and your body can use stored energy,” the doctor recommends. “If appropriate for your health, a simple 12-hour overnight fast, such as finishing dinner by 7 PM and eating breakfast at 7 AM, is a safe starting point for many adults. Avoid heavy meals late at night, as our metabolism is less efficient while we sleep.”
However, Dr. Bautista also notes that fasting is not for everyone like pregnant women, people with diabetes, people with certain medications, or medical conditions that can aggravate their condition.
Practicing Dr. Bautista’s DIET is crucial as non-communicable diseases are forever on the rise and have become among the leading causes of mortality among Filipinos. Per the latest statistics by the International Diabetes Federation, more than 4.7 million Filipino adults are living with diabetes, while the World Health Organization says that 16.8 million Filipino adults (or 1 in 3) are diagnosed with high blood pressure.
The numbers are suspected to be higher, as both diabetes and hypertension are notoriously “silent diseases”—medical conditions that do not show symptoms until they are in their advanced stages. This means that at this given moment, millions of Filipinos have no clue that their blood sugar levels or blood pressure are at dangerously elevated levels.
Though nothing can be done about genetics and age, two risk factors of diabetes and hypertension, these diseases are not totally beyond your control. Regular moderate exercise, giving up smoking and drinking, seeing a doctor for an annual executive checkup, maintaining your ideal weight, taking your prescribed maintenance medicines, and following Dr. Bautista’s DIET can keep blood pressure and blood sugar numbers within normal range. This allows you to live your best life for many years to come.
“Filipinos think that healthy food is expensive, but they do not realize that it is more expensive to be sick,” he says. “In my opinion, prevention, by way of seeing your doctor and taking your prescribed medicines, is more cost-efficient. You maintain a healthy body and because of that, you can live a good life.”
Article based on “Say ni Doc: Risk ng pagkakaroon ng diabetes hypertension, tumataas nga ba pagkatapos ng holiday season?” guesting of Ryan Raymond Y. Bautista, MD, last June 2025.
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