This week I feature an amaz­ing writer as we take a break from the discussion on Nu­trition. After reading the article I just had to share.

Diet tips nauseate many peo­ple, they just do not want to hear them. Often, they say, now that they can afford food; they are being asked not to eat. These comments make us dieticians feel unwanted by such persons.

We do know that people who make excuses to be able to eat just any how do lack the neces­sary understanding of how food can damage their health and ruin their lives. To them, food is just meant to be enjoyed as a reward for their hard work. This is a sorry situation, I must admit. Not ev­erything you can afford is good for your health.

On the contrary, I have come across some persons who can even afford all the food in the world but exercise a lot of restraints, just so they eat only what is healthy and safe for them. They are well informed about the fact that eating just anyhow can make them sick. This is good and anyone who falls under this category is encour­aged to continue being who they are.

The food you eat determines how healthy you become in the medium to long term. Non-commu­nicable diseases i.e. diabetes, hyperten­sion, obesity, heart diseases, etc can be brought upon you just because you eat just anything food in the wrong quanti­ties and at the wrong times.

And so, eating the right foods can also make it possible for you to avoid these lifelong diseases.

Pay attention to what you eat, let what you eat be in your plans for the day. Then plan for the food to be available, so you eat on time. Do not be like those who just start their day and only know about food when hunger strikes; such people always end up eating any food that comes their way.

If possible, cook your own food, and even take some along for lunch when going to work. If you must buy food and you can talk to your catering service pro­vider, talk to them about the need to go low on oil, salt and frying.

Get the ca­tering service provider of your company trained on healthy cooking meth­ods by a qualified dietician so that whatever they churn out for your consumption at work is healthy. On the contrary, when you leave them to do their own thing, you are sure to be eating unhealthy foods. They will only serve you what is delicious and appealing, not what is healthy.

The question is are those nice smell­ing and nice tasting foods healthy for you? Remem­ber that repeated intake of the wrong foods at work means a lifelong habit of eating bad foods which is a sure way to developing non-communicable diseases.

Do not join those who care-less about what they eat; such people are planning a future of misery with bad diseases. Get it done right and eat the right foods in the right proportions and at the right time.

Get a dietician’s advice on how best to cook and eat your food; you will thank me later!!!

The writer is a Dietician with LETS Consult (Dieticians, Diet foods, Diet books) & Author of the following books;

1. Eating to prevent and man­age lifestyle diseases.

2. Live long by eating well – Vol. 1

3. Be your own dietician – Vol. 1

Tel/WhatsApp: 0595667197, Email: letsconsult@gmail.com, Website: www.letsabooks.com

AS ALWAYS LAUGH OFTEN, EN­SURE HYGIENE, WALK AND PRAY EVERYDAY AND REMEMBER IT’S A PRICELESS GIFT TO KNOW YOUR NUMBERS (blood sug­ar, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, BMI)

Dr Kojo Cobba Essel

Health Essentials Ltd (HE&W Group)

(dressel@healthes­sentialsgh.com)

*Dr. Essel is a Medical Doctor with a keen in­terest in Lifestyle Med­icine, He holds an MBA and is an ISSA Specialist in Exercise Therapy, Fitness Nutrition and Corrective Exercise. He is the author of the award-winning book, ‘Unravelling The Essentials of Health & Wealth.’

Thought for the week – “The majority of us need to Eat Less and remember that one cannot exercise or medicate himself out of a bad diet.”

By Wise Chukwudi Letsa

“The day is near at hand when the doctor will no longer be engaged to patch up the sick man, but to prevent him from getting sick. He will VISIT FAMILIES, EXAMINE THE PREMISES, inspect factories and shops and give instruction to his patients how to keep from getting sick…….”- 1908 article.

A very accurate prediction I must say as health and wellness continues to evolve.

Safety in our homes is an extreme­ly important issue since preventable injuries and deaths continue to rise in homes and communities. To make a significant impact, we need to be aware of the hazards around us and change our behaviour. One little change at a time could lead to great results.

It is frightening to learn that in some countries, up to 70 per cent of all unintentional-injury deaths occur in the home or community. In plain language you are more likely to be injured at home than anywhere else. Each year thousands of people are off work for more than a week as a result of a fall at home, and this has a big effect on businesses and organ­isations.

The leading causes of unintention­al injury in the home and community include:

1. Poisoning

2. Falls

3. Choking

4. Drowning

5. Fires/flames

WATCH THESE AREAS

• Kitchen and cooking areas

o A no-go area for children. Everyone working in the accident and emergency department of a hospital will tell you that on Saturdays and Sunday afternoons when most people do their weekly cooking, many chil­dren suffer from severe burns.

o Appropriate way of using the burners on a stove. Avoid handles of cooking pots facing your work area. The gas cylinder should be in a very well-ventilated area outdoors

o Care of spills. Clean them as soon as they occur to avoid slips.

• Electrical Appliances

o All appliances switched off after use and plug removed from socket

o Avoid touching of an electri­cal appliance with wet hands

o Electrical cords should be out of the way to avoid tripping people.

• Bathroom

o Children should never be left alone in a bathroom

o The use of mats in a bath especially for children and the elderly

o The elderly (above 65 years but could be younger depending on the health status) should use showers with support bars and stools instead of bathtubs.

• Other areas

o Avoid making a mess since they can cause one to trip sometimes with grave consequences. Children should be taught to pick up their toys after use.

o Adults should avoid drinking from bottles since children copy this habit and may harm themselves in the process. In our setting many chil­dren tend to drink kerosene stored in “soft” drink bottles. We then worsen the condition by forcing them to drink palm oil and inducing vomiting and often get­ting this concoction into their lungs. Who really “instituted” this criminal sentence?

o All medications, chemicals, small substances etc should be kept out of the reach of children

OTHER GENERAL STEPS TO AVOIDING HAZARDS

1. Look around for anything that may cause an accident. Make use of the different senses, sight, smell, hearing, touch. May not be a smart idea to try taste.

2. Decide who is most at risk. This helps you to make appropriate changes

3. Take preventive measures. After reading this piece make the changes necessary. Do not wait to “learn from experience” it may not always be wise to learn from the best teacher.

4. Keep a record of what you have changed

5. Continually check your living space – please do not think that making a one–time attempt is all that you need. Do this every day or every week.

COMMON CAUSES OF ACCIDENTS IN THE HOME

1. Poorly organised and clut­tered walkway

2. Inadequate or unsuitable lighting

3. Moving or handling a load incorrectly – remember that waist or back pain?

4. Rushing around with careless abandon. Most of the time we end up losing time.

5. Tiredness. We commit errors when tired. Do not try to cheat nature, get some rest.

6. Lack of balance or appropri­ate mobility.

7. Poor eyesight and/or inappro­priate corrective lenses.

8. Medication that may lead to dizziness. The elderly for instance who are on several medication have an increased risk of falling.

ECONOMIC COSTS OF ACCIDENTS AT HOME

The cost of home accidents is high in terms of the number of lives lost and resulting permanent disabil­ities. Several working days are lost, which translates into lost productiv­ity. Huge sums of money may be lost seeking medical care and the quality of life is also poor.

The benefits of prevention of in­juries at home are clear and quantifi­able in terms of health and economic costs:

• Potential to save lives

• Improved quality of life

• Reduction in cost of hospital care

• Improved productivity through people’s contribution to the economy.

With all these benefits that we can chalk from keeping our home safe, one wonders why very little is heard about bringing safety home. Hope­fully this will be the beginning of a nationwide drive.

Let us all pledge to “reduce the number of accidental deaths and injuries in our homes.” A home should be a place where we are absolutely SAFE.

AS ALWAYS LAUGH OFTEN, ENSURE HYGIENE, WALK AND PRAY EVERYDAY AND REMEMBER IT’S A PRICELESS GIFT TO KNOW YOUR NUMBERS (blood sugar, blood pres­sure, blood cholesterol, BMI)

Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel

Health Essentials Ltd (HE&W Group)

(dressel@healthessentialsgh. com)

*Dr Essel is a Medical Doctor with a keen interest in Lifestyle Medicine, He holds an MBA and is an ISSA Specialist in Exercise Therapy, Fitness Nutrition and Corrective Exercise. He is the author of the award-winning book, ‘Unravelling The Essentials of Health & Wealth.’

Thought for the week – “Whatev­er you practice GROWS STRONGER! What are you practicing?”

References:

1. www.nsc.org (national safe­ty council)

2. www.homesafety.co.nz

3. www.injuryobservatory.net

4. www.webmd.com

By Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel