"Hypertension is a silent killer": We hear it all the time, but many people especially those living with the disease, take it for granted. So today on World Hypertension Day the Ministry of Health hosted a seminar for food vendors to show them how they can help reduce cases of hypertension. Courtney Weatherburne has more.
Usually when that mid-morning or late afternoon craving hits – a bowl of fruits wouldn't be the first pick to satisfy that hunger.
Many Belizeans would grab a serving of chips or chicharon among other salty or sweat treats.
Well nutritionist Robyn Daly says all that salt is killing you.
Robyn Daly - Nutritionist, Ministry of Health
"As you know the risk factor for hypertension is having a diet that has a lot of salt and sodium in it. The deaths associated with hypertension is very high for the country, we are looking at over 200 deaths per year, well last year alone based on hypertension and related causes which could be kidney failure, it could be stroke, different things are associated with high blood pressure."
And it goes beyond just salty snacks, it's about watching the salt-intake in our favorite foods.
So the Ministry of Health invited Belize City food vendors to get some tips on how to cut back on the salt.
Robyn Daly
"Many of the vendors that prepare food, sometimes they have to get some advice on how to prepare foods using less salt and sodium."
And just so the vendors get the most out of this experience, Executive Chef Eva Longsworth cooked …
Eva Longsworth - Executive Chef
"What I prepared for you guys today is a simple recipe of grilled shrimp that was seasoned in cumin and black pepper and it was marinated in a little coconut oil now you can feel free to use whatever seasonings you have at home that is salt free. To reduce sodium in your food there is 5 tricks that you can do, it is the same 5 taste buds that we have that is sweet, salt, bitter and Umami also acid, those are the 5 taste buds so if you when you are reducing salt you want to activate the other flavors so you want to look for ingredients that are bitter, coffee, chocolate adding that in you want to look for ingredients that are sour which is acid lime, oranges."
One Mahogany Street vendor who has been cooking for 17 years says she already knew about some of these tips because she too suffers from hypertension.
Courtney Weatherburne
"So tell us about this experience, is this the first time you've come to a training like this?"
Yolanda Cain - Mahogany Street Food Vendor
"No it's not the first time but I had to go through a session in my life where I had to cut down on the salt and all the stuff from the store - the shelf seasoning and I had to turn to my own way to season thing and that's the way I do it at the shop"
Courtney Weatherburne
"Because you have hypertension as well?"
Yolanda Cain
"Yes."
But ultimately this seminar is all about being conscious about the foods we eat and being more involved in our health - all to avoid life threatening complications like high blood pressure
Robyn Daly - Nutritionist, Ministry of Health
"As you know hypertension is a silent killer so your blood pressure can be very high and you have no idea so we wanted people to be aware of that and some of the effects that high blood pressure can cause and another way is also managing weight. Obesity and overweight is affecting a lot of our population and it is a risk factor for high blood pressure so having people know where they stand in terms of their body mass index, where they stand in terms of their blood pressure reading is an important step as well because we can actually look at ways to reduce those numbers."
This is the first seminar of its kind. The Ministry plans to host several others for more food vendors.
Hypertension is one of the leading causes of death in Belize, especially for those between the ages of 50 and 59.
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