In our dear land we had healthy fast food long before we “imported” fried rice and fried chicken, beef burgers and the like. Yes good old kenkey with fish and pepper could set records any day if the serving time is compared to any other meal in a fast food challenge. Whoever said only hard drugs are addictive? Well your body responds to some of these fast foods “by producing a sort of “high”, if you will, with stimulation of portions of the brain” says Vance Civille. “what happens is the body then continues to seek out that hit and continues to crave the types of foods and food sensory impressions that make you happy.” How different is this from a drug addiction?

If you are a fan of fast food then you certainly must have met the unhealthy triad: high fat, sugar and salt. This unhappy and unhealthy triad can be found in almost all the foods and drinks we enjoy; from your delicious fried chicken to your cereals advertised as “healthy” and even your baked goods and beverages have not been spared. The undisputable truth is that these foods are extremely addictive and will let you return for more over and over again. So though you may be targeting a relatively cheap meal you end up being classified as a “return customer” and you continue to torment your pocket till you have no money left at all. Who wins this battle of “cost saving” certainly not the one that eats but he who sells remains supreme. That is not the end of the story, these foods in addition to relieving you of your hard earned money will visit life style diseases such as obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol on you. This means you will make the doctor’s consulting room and the pharmacy your recreational grounds and woe betide you if these professionals after playing an extremely important role in society are deprived of their rights including a respectable pension, they may be withholding their services and it can spell doom for you.

We just can’t stop eating, yet cutting back on these mouth-watering death traps will do our bodies a world of good. Change does not take too long to become a habit. We can all re-train out tongues. Within a month of cutting back on sugar for instance your food will now taste okay. Certainly you will crave for the sweet things in life especially in your first week of deprivation.

I can promise you two things today; I will go straight to the point and my extremely brief tips on eating well will not require calculation in any form:

1. Organize your kitchen

a. Out of sight in some cases may lead to out of mind. If it is easy to spot a particular food, you will eat it. Organize your kitchen to have healthy foods in sight.

2. Use small plates to eat

a. It will amaze you how easily you can fool your own brain. When you eat out of small plates you tend to eat less food.

3. Always serve your meals

a. Eating out of a package is not a good idea. Dish up the food and see yourself eat less.

4. Mind your glass

a. Short and fat glasses mean drinking more juice or alcohol while the converse holds for tall thin glasses. When it comes to drinking good old zero-calorie water then and only then, is more better for majority of us.

5. No extra visuals or great music at meals

a. Watching television while you eat or listening to great music with meals rewards you with mindless eating. Anything that engages your attention other than the food may cause you to eat more than you bargained for. I guess this time round we can refer to that as “biting more than you SHOULD chew.”

6. “Discard” your family and friends

a. Company, especially if it’s good may mean eating longer and paying less attention to what you are doing. This certainly sounds like a recipe for overeating. Fortunately overeating will not land you at the Supreme Court but a disease such as high blood pressure will charge you and without giving you a fair trial pass a life sentence on you – time to spend more money on medication, tests and hospital visits.

7. it’s all in the EVIDENCE

a. You are probably on the right path if you always eat with a side-plate within reach. Keep left-over such as bones within sight. Clearing your plate makes you forget how much you have eaten.

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 – “People with diabetes can vary what they eat as long as their meals are balanced and healthy. – Schutter.

Reference:

1. Diabetes – Your Take Control Guide (2012) by the American Diabetes Association.