Matters Health & Lifestyle

A healthy lifestyle is better than a lifestyle popping pills.

It is strange that in these days when humanity’s life expectancy is higher than it ever has been in the history of mankind Anno Domini, we seem to have more life-threatening diseases than ever before. Today we have what feels like an explosion of lifestyle diseases, and an upsurge of traditionally low-frequency diseases into the high frequency range. Again, twenty years ago, you probably knew two people to have cancer.

And you would probably have heard of three more. Today, you cannot count the cancer victims you personally know of with the fingers of your two hands. Ditto diabetes and High Blood Pressure. In this issue, we are concerned with this phenomenon of latter day illnesses that seem to have what should be an abnormal prevalence, but one that is quickly becoming part of every family’s life.

They have even endeared themselves to daily lingo, as to earn the beautiful name “Lifestyle” diseases. Seeing how quickly we like to pander to the farleft political correctness in language, it will not be long before we are compelled to stop calling them “diseases.” They will shortly become “Lifestyle Disadvantages.” Before we get there, let us ponder together. What in our daily lifestyle are the main contributors to bad health? Health experts are unanimous that the Number one on the list is habit, and it is exemplified by FOUR distinct habits:

1. Smoking
2. Alcohol & Drugs
3. Nutrition
4. Lack of Physical Activity

Number two on the list is mainly environmental, some of which can and are significantly modified by human conduct:

• Heredity – Genetic predisposition
• Environment – Pollution, use of protective equipment
• Health care – Availability of health services (or health seeking behavior)
• Individual Factors – Stress and its Management

HABIT (LIFESTYLE) Do You Smoke?

Cigarettes are the only legal product in the world that kills the customer, when the customer is using them as prescribed.

• A single cigarette contains over 4,800 chemicals, 69 o f which are known to directly cause cancer.
• Smoking alone is known to cut 13 years from your life expectancy.
• Aside from lung cancer, smoking contributes to other cancers such as bladder, blood, bone marrow, cervix, colon, esophageal, kidney, larynx, liver, mouth, pancreas, rectum, stomach, and throat.
• Over 30% of cancers could be prevented by avoiding tobacco and alcohol, having a healthy diet and physical activity

Are You An Alcohol Drinker?

We’d have you know this – If you are consuming more than Two normal beers (600ml) (not the concentrated volumes), or Two glasses of normal wine (125ml) or a double shot of legit whiskey/gin/hot drinks (60ml) per day, then you’re drinking too much.

• Substance abuse (use of alcohol & other drugs) has been linked to many lifestyle diseases including Liver disease, CVD, DM, Stroke, Cancer e.t.c.
• Other effects include poor work productivity, social problems & mental health issues
• 50% of the RTAs worldwide are caused by drunk drivers.

Are You Obese?

• You can achieve a healthy diet through nourishing your body with the right proportion of foods.
• Monitor your salt and sugar intake. In fact, stop taking sugar. T has no nutritional value, and it is downright unhealthy.
• Think of your body as a car – would you fuel your petrol car with diesel on purpose?
• Eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and fibre, while reducing on calorific foods, and cutting down on sugar and wheat.

Fruits and vegetables, especially, are good for the following reasons:

• They’re a great source of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals
• Makes a good healthy, handy and affordable snack
• Help to prevent ailments e.g. constipation due to their high dietary fibre content
• Reduces the risk of cancer, heart disease and stroke

Physical exercise is important in building muscle, cutting down on non-essential fats, moderating the heart rate, getting your breathing routine in good stead, and giving your body cardiovascular health. You need to target thirty minutes (30) of moderate exercise (5 days a week)

• Take a Brisk walk
• Take to Gardening/ housework

Physical exercise is important in building muscle, cutting down on non-essential fats, moderating the heart rate, getting your breathing routine in good stead, and giving your body cardiovascular health.

You need to target thirty minutes (30) of moderate exercise (5 days a week)

• Take a Brisk walk
• Take to Gardening/ housework
• Commit to twenty minutes of vigorous exercise (3 days a week)
• Join a gym and do aerobics, weight training
• Take to cycling in the estate, to work, on weekends, to errands
• Take to jogging
• If it gets you slightly out of breath and a bit sweaty it’s working!

The benefits of exercise vary in individuals depending on various factors e.g. age, gender, race & heredity but overall, exercise is good for everybody’s health. In addition to boosting good overall health, it is an excellent method of shedding excess weight, but only when you are not hogging on bad food. You must moderate your food for exercise to be meaningful.

In summary, to have a decent shot at avoiding lifestyle diseases, it is important to do the following:

1. Examine your current health habits

2. Choose an achievable target behavior

• Quit smoking
• Quit or cut down on alcohol consumption
• Walk more. Take the stairs rather than the lift. Tire your body physically.
• Disdain a sedentary life. Look for opportunities to sweat.
• Stop eating wheat products/ fried foods, sugar, artificial foods, sweeteners
• Stop taking sodas / soft drinks and increase your water drinking instead.

3. Obtain useful information about your target behavior.

4. Stop excusing yourself. Start exercising. Start eating natural, unsweetened foods.

5. Improve yourself.

When you take control of your health, you will feel good about yourself, and you will translate your progress into other areas of your life, at work, in familial relationships, friendships, and you’ll live a longer, happier life. Above all. Don’t do drugs. At all. Down that road, you only stop when you crash.