Replace tea and coffee with clean drinking water, unboiled fruits and vegetables during official review meetings and training programmes. Sweets, biscuits, and fried snacks should be completely avoided, along with biryani, fried rice, ghee rice, and parotta. Fruits, either cut or in full, are better than ‘payasam’ or ice cream as desserts.These are among the guidelines issued recently by the District Medical Officer (DMO), Kozhikode, for primary health centres and community health centres and other institutions under the department to combat lifestyle diseases caused mainly by food habits. They come against the backdrop of World Heart Day, which was observed on September 29.The guidelines say that self-help groups or Kudumbashree units can be approached for providing the fruits and vegetables. Unsalted groundnuts, cashew nuts, ash guard seeds, pistachio, dates, and almond nuts can be given in a limited quantity along with tea. Boiled eggs or steamed delicacies are the other options. If meat or fish is served along with rice, they should not be fried in oil.The DMO says that cake should not be distributed for birthday celebrations. Other sweets, too, should be avoided. Boards should be installed in labour wards, barring the distribution of sweets after deliveries. Fruits or dates can replace them. However, during New Year celebrations from December 20 to January 10, cake can be used. In paediatric wards, cake can be distributed up to a maximum of six times. ‘Prasadam’ from temples can be given not more than two spoons.Local bodies and other government departments can be persuaded to take similar steps. Staff in hostels should ensure that unboiled fruits and vegetables are included in the menu. The DMO says that oil and sugar should be avoided as far as possible, along with quitting smoking and liquor consumption. The staff should also devote at least 20 minutes a day to physical exercise, he says.Published - October 04, 2025 07:59 pm IST