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It is very harassing to hear several people who are around your age are dying. Too blunt? Well it is the sad and unfortunate truth. There are many health scares going around. It almost seems impossible to keep up with the stuff which is healthy for us and what is not. Since I am not a health professional, I cannot give technical details on what you must do to live long. I disagree strongly with people who say Kofi was a health freak and died at 40. Ama was always exercising and died at 35. There are so many more people who have died young, who did a lot of things which were harmful to their health.
There are four and a half things I think we can do to try and stay healthy and possibly have a long life. These are in no particular order as follows:
4 ½. Reduce stress
Eating healthy means moderation in what we eat. There are various diets for different people, different blood groups and different age groups. If you can find what is good for you and live by it, then you are in good business. If not, be moderate in all you eat. Reduce sugar, salt and fatty stuff intake as the health professionals say. Try more vegetables and fruits. In our jurisdiction, these are relatively more expensive, however fruits in season are usually inexpensive. We also must avoid eating late. The last meal of the day should be as early as possible. Remember that the more colourful the stuff in your plate which is fresh, the healthier it is likely to be!
Exercising reasonably and regularly requires that we do not take up an exercise regime that will bog us down. A news item on an international news channel stated that “tread mills are a multi-million dollar clothes hanger industry.” A tread mill in your bedroom has the ability first to take a shirt on one handle, a bag on the other and then a pile of documents when you arrive home tired! Walk. Climb stairs. Park at the furthest point possible in your office or when shopping (once it is safe). Do not send someone to bring you water. Do your photocopies yourself. Walk to the hair dresser or barber 5 blocks away. If you have a garden or flowers, tend them yourself once a week. At least once a month, or even weekly, wash your car. A good time sweating doing these things keep you healthy. A side benefit is that children learn that these are activities they can also undertake. Other activities like swimming, tennis, aerobics, walking, golf, going to the gym etc. regularly adds to healthy lifestyle.
A good rest usually means less television. Avoid the temptation of the television going on for news at 7pm and staying on till 10pm daily. A good workout facilitates a good rest. A minimum of 6 hours sleep with no telephone buzzing in the background or television watching you keeps the body healthy. Weekend naps of about 2 hours either on a Saturday on Sunday afternoon does a lot of good. Sitting and relaxing while chatting with family members, especially children, listening to their experiences and tactfully guiding them instead of yelling at every mistake is an excellent relaxation technique which benefits the whole family.
Giving back to society involves active work in your church, old students’ association, social club or general community work. This involves active use of time and resources to help the group achieve its aims and objectives. It is important not to be an armchair member, but one who participates in all activities especially those which involve physical activity.
Reducing stress is important. Life style decisions and choices help us to reduce stress. Plan your life. Avoid too many adhoc stuff which take your time. Prioritise what needs to be done. Never procrastinate. Do not let social media, television and long meaningless chats take away valuable time which can be used more profitably and which leaves important work undone.
Additionally, undertake periodic check-ups. Know your Body Mass Index, your Blood Pressure and your Blood Sugar Level. Know what the good ranges are and act immediately there are changes. You are needed alive for this generation to make our world a better place.
*Ing Harold Esseku is a Public Health Engineer, Council member, Ghana Institution of Engineers.
He has over 20 years work experience in environmental sanitation in Ghana and the sub region.
AS ALWAYS LAUGH OFTEN, WALK AND PRAY EVERYDAY AND REMEMBER IT’S A PRICELESS GIFT TO KNOW YOUR NUMBERS (blood sugar, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, BMI)
