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DIET RESOLUTIONS FOR 2011

Wed, 05 Jan 2011 07:40:05 +0100

As we begin 2011, I wish you health, wealth, peace, discipline and other good things you wish yourself. During the festivities and holidays how guilty or innocent were we of eating well? We have an opportunity to correct the nutritional wrongs we committed during the holidays.

Diet and lifestyle diseases are non-communicable and are chronic meaning once acquired; they can’t be treated but only managed. Some of these diseases include diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure and various heart diseases. By adopting a healthy eating habit and lifestyle, many of these diseases may be prevented or delayed.

I have 14 resolutions for the year 2011 which would definitely improve our health and prevent, delay or help manage diet and lifestyle-related diseases;

1. I resolve to make time to exercise at least 30 minutes each day and more on weekends.

2. I resolve to do at least one medical check-up and to investigate my blood sugar level, cholesterol level, kidney function test (BUE+CREAT)

3. I resolve to eat a fruit each and everyday

4. I resolve to eat more vegetables this year.

5. I resolve in terms of my protein intake to eat fish more often during the week.

6. I resolve to introduce more plant proteins such as beans, agushie and soy in place of animal proteins.

7. I resolve to make olive, soy, corn and sunflower oils the oils of choice in food preparation

8. I also resolve to use as little oil as possible in preparation of food.

9. I resolve not to eat my supper late.

10. I resolve to drink as little alcohol as possible during the year.

11. I also resolve to minimize the soft drinks, fruit juices, energy drinks, pastries, biscuits, chocolate, toffee, ice cream I take in 2011.

12. I resolve to use as little salt in food preparation and to stop using ‘cubes’.

13. I resolve to drink at least 6 small bottles of water daily.

14. I resolve to manage my stress better.

your lifestyle can kill you

Tue, 19 Oct 2010 11:03:49 +0100

Good morning colleagues,

I pray all is well with you. I am well except that I am very sad this morning.

I was just informed that a friend/patient had died. He had high blood pressure which had damaged his kidneys. His cholesterol levels were also high and he had suffered a minor heart attack when I met him. Can you guess his age? 25 years

When discussing his diet history, he spoke about drinking alcohol with ‘boys boys’ weekly, not exercising and taking a lot of junk food. He initially recovered and was discharged a month ago. he had promised never to drink alcohol and to exercise daily and I never knew death would lay its icy hands on him.

There are many simple things we can do to prolong a quality life and prevent early death;

· EXERCISE AT LEAST 30 MINUTES DAILY

· REDUCE ALCOHOL INTAKE TO THE BAREST MINIMUM OR ABSTAIN

· RESTRICT SOFT DRINKS, JUICES AND OTHER BEVERAGES HIGH IN SUGAR

· USE AS LITTLE OIL IN FOOD PREPARATION AS POSSIBLE

· CHOOSE HEALTHY OILS SUCH AS OLIVE OIL, SOY OIL ETC

· AMONG THE ANIMAL PROTEINS, CHOOSE MORE FISH THAN CHICKEN AND RED MEAT

· EAT A LOT OF GREEN VEGETABLES

· DO AN ANNUAL MEDICAL CHECK UP AND KNOW YOUR SUGAR LEVELS, CHOLESTEROL LEVELS, BLOOD PRESSURE AND HOW WELL YOUR KIDNEY, LIVER AND HEART ARE WORKING

Let’s take control of our lives by eating well and living well.

do you know your health numbers?

Wed, 29 Sep 2010 13:19:32 +0100

some health numbers are essential to know.
these include;         your blood pressure
                             your blood sugar levels
                             your cholesterol levels
                            HIV status
                            hepatitis b status
                            sickling status

for men above 45, you need to do a prostate specific antigen (PSA) test to screen for prostate cancer.