News
Staying stress-free with our diet
Whole grains can reduce stress and weight gain
Everyone experiences stress sometimes; having to speak in public, taking an important test, or going on a first date may trigger it.
Stress can also come from your job, bills, and family. What causes stress for you may not be stressful for someone else.
But when stress strikes, you know it. Adrenaline starts pumping, and the body revs up to handle the crisis; the heart may pound, the hands may sweat, or the mouth may feel dry.
Although stress may push us to meet a deadline or get things done, long-term stress can take its toll on the body and health in general.
Chronic stress may weaken the immune system; research has linked stress to Type 2 Diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome, cancer, high blood pressure, heart disease, and depression.
If you have chronic stress, the best way to deal with it is to take care of the underlying problem. Counseling, stress-relieving strategies like getting a massage, taking a vacation, or listening to music, and certain medications may also help. Notwithstanding, adequate nutrition plays a crucial role in the management of stress.
Foods to include
* Complex carbohydrate rich foods such as oatmeal, whole-grain bread, brown rice.
* Folate rich foods such as spinach, cabbage, asparagus, and black beans.
* Tryptophan rich foods such as crab, eggs, milk, and shrimp.
* Vitamin B-12 rich foods such as salmon, tuna, turkey, and crab.
* Vitamin C rich foods such as lemons, oranges, tangerines, sweet bell peppers, and pineapples.
Foods to avoid
*Added sugar and refined carbohydrates.
*Caffeine rich foods such as coffee, tea, energy drinks, and chocolates.
*Fried foods such as French fries and donuts.
*Salty snacks such as salted nuts and potato chips.
*Processed foods high in trans fat such as cakes, cookies, pies, and crackers.
Lifestyle modification
* Adequate rest and enough sleep of at least 6 to 8 hours.
* Avoid cigarette smoking.
* Moderation of alcohol
* Reduce excessive screen time.
* Adequate self-care by engaging in exercises and recreational hobbies.
* Embarking on vacations and fun trips.
In conclusion, whatever avenue stress tried to take to wreck our peace of mind, let’s always remember the options on our plate; with the inclusion of the foods and lifestyle changes noted above, we will surely be able to lay down and float away on a stress free cloud.
The writer Dr Bernice Asare Korkor is the CEO of Holistic Health Consult.
“Your diet your health, your health your wealth”
E-mail: holistichealthconsultgh@gmail.com
News
Craze for x’mas shopping: Crowded markets, low patronage
Vendors of food and other wares associated with the Christmas celebration have expressed surprise at the low patronage despite the increased number of visitors to some of the major markets across the capital.
Four days to the celebration(Christmas), the markets are filled with various products ranging from food, clothing, livestock and many other stuff, but according to the vendors, patrons are doing more ‘window’ shopping.
The Spectator on visits to some of the markets in the capital, notably the Odawna, Makola, Accra Central Business District, New Town and others made similar observations as shoppers crowd them but did little in terms of purchases.
The paper also observed that majority of vendors, originally selling other wares have switched to product related to the festive season.
What it means is that there are a lot more clothes, food and vegetables, livestock and poultry, toys, firecrackers, drinks of different types and many others on display.
The markets have also stretched to the pedestrian pavement, leaving very narrow spaces for commuters to move about freely.
That, in addition to a few of the female vendors dressed in coloured attires to reflect the occasion, has heightened the euphoria, leaving the low sales as the only headache for the vendors.
Speaking with this paper, they sounded very optimistic, believing that sales would improve in the last few days to the yuletide.
According to them, there was the opportunity to sell beyond Christmas as the New Year celebration offers similar opportunity to trade the same wares.
They urged patrons to throng the markets to shop since prices were quite moderate and products affordable for all.
News
Retirement service for Elder John Ackom-Asante,3 others
Retired Deputy Editor of The Spectator, Elder John Ackom-Asante, was last Sunday honoured by the Church of Pentecost Windy Hills District in Kasoa in the Central Region, with a retirement thanksgiving service, after serving for 26 year as an Elder of the church.
He was honoured with a citation and certificate of service along with three other elders who served in the capacity for various years.
Elder Ackom-Asante was baptised at the Darkuman Central Assembly in 1979 and ordained as an Elder in 1997.
The citation read “Your selfless service, zeal, willingness to relate wholeheartedly and your desire to effect change has gone a long way to shape the lives of many people in the church and the nation over the 26 years of your dedication to the service of the Lord.”
Elder Ackom- Asante held many positions at the Darkuman Central Assembly, Obuasi in the Ashanti Region and Tema, serving in various capacities as youth and evangelism ministry leader and marriage counsellor.
He was the founding member of the Darkuman Christian Fellowship, a member of the Greater Accra Christian Fellowship; member of Bible Society of Ghana; founding member Obuasi Chapter Full Gospel Businessmen Fellowship International and founding member of New Times Corporation Christian Fellowship and Chaplain, Methodist University Tema Campus 2009- 2010.
As a professional journalist, Elder Ackom-Asante combined effectively and efficiently his duty as a member and elder of the church and the demands of his profession, with admiration from the church, kith and kin, till his retirement on December
From Alhaji Salifu Abdul-Rahaman, Kasoa
