Good health is a very precious gift, a blessing never appreciated until it is lost. One look into the society and it becomes very evident that diverse forms of ill health and diseases are wide spread. These desperately sick persons are moving to all sorts of places to seek the very health they took for granted until they lost it in the vain pursuit of pleasure and fame. These individuals are mostly taken advantage of by some unscrupulous persons who promise some quick fix method for their health problems.
It is crystal clear from both experience and research that the lifestyle choices we make have a telling effect on our long term health status. Hence anyone who wishes to enjoy vibrant health must endeavour to make informed and prudent lifestyle choices to make such a wish a reality.
Diet is the single most influential lifestyle factor that impacts our health and our dietary habits must be tailored to ensure optimum health. It is the recognition of this fact that culminated in the saying “you are what you eat”. This is also buttressed by the famous saying by Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, thus “let your food be your medicine and your medicine be your food”
This article is looking into the health implications of our dietary habits and how we can enhance our health by adopting appropriate and healthy dietary habits. Our dietary habits tell of the upbringing and training we received as individuals from diverse cultural and social backgrounds.
In modern times, the typical African or local dietary habits and delicacies are being abandoned in favour of the western diets and lifestyle and this has resulted in the increasing prevalence of the lifestyle induced diseases such as obesity, diabetes, cancer, hypertension, stroke among others.
The following dietary habits are taking a serious toll on our health and must therefore be changed in order to remedy our numerous health problems.
SUGAR: refined sugar is devoid of all dietary fibre and vitamins and minerals. This makes it very dangerous to our health by exerting undue strain the vitamin and mineral store of the body. Because refined sugar is also calorie dense, it promotes obesity when consumed in large quantities. These sugars do not refer to only the table sugar added to our foods at meal times but those ones that are hidden in several processed foods such as soft drinks, pastries, beverages and snacks.
REFINED FOODS: people used to think that refinement was good because it got rid of useless dietary fibre. Now research has clearly demonstrated how necessary roughage (fibre) is in protecting us from certain cancers, stabilizing blood sugar, controlling weight and preventing gastrointestinal problems such as gallstones, haemorrhoids, diverticulitis and constipation. Foods made from refined flour and oil such as bread, pastries should be avoided to promote good health. Brown unpolished rice should also be preferred to the polished perfumed rice (which is expensive any way) to enhance optimum nutrition.
SALT: Many people on daily basis consume about two to four teaspoons full of salt. This is several times more than the recommended daily intake. Excess salt intake contributes prominently to high blood pressure, heart failure, and kidney disease among others. Apart from table salt, most of our salt intake is in the hidden form in processed foods and snacks. Few examples are potato chips, popcorn, tomato sauce, corned beef, etc.
FAT: Ghanaians tend to love their foods with an extra layer of oil. We virtually drink oils with our foods and this has serious consequences for our health. Frying foods increase their caloric content and hence can lead to obesity and other forms of diseases. A high-fat diet also contributes to adult on-set diabetes and certain cancers.
PROTEIN: A diet heavy in meat and animal products provide more protein, fat, and cholesterol than the body can use and thereby contributes to diseases such as gout, arthritis, osteoporosis, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and renal/kidney failure. It is now widely recognised in the scientific community that a diet low in protein, fat and cholesterol is essential for improved health and longevity.
BEVERAGES (CAFFEINE &ALCOHOL): People are increasingly replacing water in their lives with several beverages such as soda, energy drinks, beer, coffee, tea, and soft drinks. Because most of these drinks are loaded with calories from sugar and alcohol, they can play havoc with blood sugar levels and sabotage weight-control efforts. Caffeine poses serious health risk to those who consume it regularly by poisoning the system and causing cancers of the stomach, lungs, kidney and oesophagus. Caffeine is gotten from the following beverages; coffee, tea, chocolate, and soft drinks. Alcohol also has several health risks for those who consume it in their beverages. Its long term usage results in damage to brain cells and causes stomach cancer, liver cirrhosis and has been implicated in most of the road traffic accidents on our roads.
SNACKS: Most of the food items that are used as snacks are rich in salt, sugar, and fats. This results in the consumption of excess calories which consequently leads to overweight, diabetes, and hypertension. Snacking interrupts digestion resulting in several health problems.
These dietary habits discussed above have real implications for our health and all efforts must be made to avoid them for a healthy life. I pose the question, is what you are eating, eating you? Before you put anything into your diet pause and ask yourself this same question.
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Written By: Austin Gideon Adobasom-Anane For GhanaCelebrities.Com
Executive Director, Optimum Nutrition and Health Consult
Adobasom-Anane holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Community Nutrition from the University for Development Studies. He is currently the Head of Department of the Public Health and Nutrition Department and Chairman of the Public Health Committee at the Seventh-day Adventist Hospital in Tamale.
He is also a candidate for a master of philosophy degree in Community Health and Development at the University for Development Studies.
He doubles as the Executive Director of the Optimum Nutrition and Health Consult. A private consultancy firm on health and nutrition issues for identified groups of people such churches, mosques, organisations and also individuals who require timely and professional guidance in solving their health challenges.
Contact: Email: [email protected]
Food for thought!!!