By Dr. Raffy Castillo

When my patient proudly told me, “Doc, I’ve stopped eating lechon to lower my cholesterol,” I congratulated him. Then he whispered, “Pero adobo naman araw-araw.”

That’s the Pinoy way — give up one guilty pleasure, only to replace it with another. Adobo may not look as sinful as lechon, but when cooked in oil-heavy sauce and eaten thrice daily with extra rice, it becomes just as tricky for the arteries.

I told him, “Okay lang ang adobo, but let’s make it once or twice a week, with more chicken than pork, less oil, and paired with vegetables.” He sighed, then smiled. “So Doc, pwede pa rin akong kumain… basta hindi ‘all-you-can-adobo?’”

Health is about balance, not deprivation. And sometimes, the healthiest prescription is laughter at our own quirks — like realizing cholesterol doesn’t only come from fiestas, but from our everyday comfort foods.

So yes, you can still enjoy adobo. Just not in buffet portions… and definitely not as your national anthem.