Health Essentials
A dietician overnight? – Impossible!!!
The internet may make one feel you can become an expert in a field overnight BUT DO NOT be fooled. It is impossible! Even getting the right source for the information can be dicey. At best you end up with information that gives the impression that one cap fits all. Yes, by all means read as much as you can but at least once in your lifetime consult a registered dietician.
I realise my eating habits are poor and I have pledged to do a total overhaul but certainly at a sensible pace. Poor nutrition appears to be a major limiting factor in our quest to improve our health. I believe it will be worth our while if we go on this journey together. Anthony Robbins, a motivational speaker always teaches that IF YOU THINK YOU CAN OR THINK YOU CAN’T, YOU ARE RIGHT. We definitely determine what we make out of life.
Over the past year or so I have lost quite a lot of body fat, well except for my stubborn abdominal fat. It struck me last night that the only consistent thing I have done over the past year or two is to drink pure cocoa (bitter cocoa) and eat in SMALL COLOURFULL (your brain thinks it’s a lot of food because the plate is full) plates. So that may be something to add to your arsenal if fat loss is one of your goals.
We will start off with basic tips that affect what we eat, how much we eat and the timing of what we eat.
- Drink plenty of water
- About two litres a day is a fair approximation. Start gradually even if it means five glasses a day.
- When we drink a significant amount of water, we get full after eating only a little food. Forget all the tales about not drinking water at meals. The enzymes that digest our food work best in water.
- Eat several small meals
- I know this may offer some challenges but we can work round it. We are all convinced about eating three main meals a day. Put two healthy snacks between every two meals and hey presto we have five SMALL meals. This is also very important in those of us who want to lose weight.
- Add a protein to each meal, even the “snacks”. If you are on a restricted protein diet, this may not apply to you.
- Spice your food up; it may make you feel full with less food. It appears some spices may also kick start our metabolism
- Limit Alcohol
- The drill is the same; if you do not drink alcohol already there is no need to start. If you do reduce it. My plan is to drink a glass of wine over the weekend. What is yours?
- Get enough sleep
- Every shift worker will tell you, inadequate sleep is a “disease” We all have experienced inadequate sleep for various reasons.
- We tend to get restless, anxious, have low energy levels and a host of other negatives when we do not have enough sleep. We end up seeking solace in food.
- Stock kitchen with healthy convenient foods
- I can assure you that no matter how good your intentions of keeping “killer foods” in your kitchen may be, you will end up eating it yourself one day. No matter how many chocolate biscuits I have in my kitchen, I have “restless leg syndrome” until I dispatch them all into my belly.
- Keep a food diary
- Humans always have a difficulty “recollecting” the bad foods we eat. Spend the next week or two to write out everything that finds its way into your mouth and it will amaze you what you manage to gulp down and conveniently forget. I tried it and I was shocked to the bone.
- Watch snacks eaten at night
- I hate to go to bed hungry and many of you may feel the same. Hmmm that 2am abdominal pain that feels like you have a full blown ulcer? Cut up some vegetables and gulp them down; garden eggs, kontomire, cabbage, lettuce. Carrots are also great since they have very low sugar content.
- Enjoy your favourite foods
- DO NOT MISQUOTE me! We are only starting a “makeover” and stopping everything cold turkey may reduce the number of converts we have. If you love fufu beyond redemption that is no crime, but if you could eat enough to feed a small army, kindly reduce the amount and eat it at lunch not 8pm
- If chocolate is the apple of your eye go ahead and grab an occasional CUBE. This will prevent huge cravings that will totally disrupt our battle. The darker the chocolate the better but hey……
- Eat more fruits and vegetables
- This point has been hammered home many times. The cost still frightens some of us and others are turned off by the large quantities we require each day.
- Try it for a month and you will feel so energised you may not be willing to quit
- Focus more on the vegetables since they contain fewer calories
- Always eat breakfast
- When people leave home as early as 4am so that they can make it to work, choosing an appropriate breakfast can be challenging. The downsides of not eating breakfast are many and include; poor weight management, fatigue and reduced performance in all areas. So with these at the back of your mind, it may be a great idea to prepare some food the night before so that you can eat in the morning if that is what it takes to break the fast.
- Get help from family and friends
- “Show me your friends and I will show you……..” I first heard this in primary school and it sure is true. New research is confirming the fact that our social support system is crucial when it comes to behaviour/habit change.
- If all those close to you are still drinking four bottles of beer every night or sipping grease in the form of beef or kelewele (a weakness that I am gradually controlling) then you certainly have an enormous task ahead. You are in the majority though. Get some of these people on your side or create another “social group” of people with similar goals.
- Celebrate success but not with food
- Success certainly is sweet but you need not celebrate with food.
- If you meet your targets, watch a movie, buy a new dress or send me an email, I may give you a free wellness consult.
Today I will start “living” the steps above and I believe you will do the same. Next month we will look at practical steps to healthy eating.
AS 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/Mobissel
dressel@healthessentialsgh.com
*Dr. Essel is a medical doctor, holds an MBA and is ISSA certified in exercise therapy, fitness nutrition and corrective exercise.
Thought for the week – “Without a doubt HE OR SHE WHO GIVES BLOOD GIVES LIFE!!!!”
Reference:
- Nutrition: The Complete Guide – Ryan Berardi, PhD, Ryan Andrews, MS/MA, RD
- www.webmd.com
Health Essentials
Stop the silent killer: Breaking myths to prevent sudden deaths from high blood pressure
Every week in Ghana, a life is cut short, sometimes in the middle of traffic, sometimes at a desk, sometimes in the quiet of sleep. A father doesn’t come home. A sister doesn’t wake up.
A colleague slumps at work and never gets back up. Families are left asking why and you will hear statements like what happened? Was he sick? I just saw him, he has not shown signs of ailment, what a shock and so on.
Behind many of these sudden tragedies is a quiet, invisible force: high blood pressure, or hypertension. It doesn’t scream for attention. It doesn’t always show symptoms. But it tightens its grip silently on hearts, on brains, on lives.
This is not just a medical issue. It is a human one, it is about behaviour, it is about ignorance and it is about lifestyle. It is the grandmother who never got her blood pressure checked because she felt “fine.”
It is the taxi driver, the statistician, the nurse who ignored his pounding headaches, thinking it was just stress. It is the young lady who was so vibrant at church and no one suspected she could fall and die. Because it shows no symptoms.
The alarming numbers we cannot ignore
The Ghana’s 2023 STEPS Survey on Non-Communicable Diseases conducted by The World Health Organisation, Ghana Health Service and Ghana Statistical Service has revealed findings that should push for action.
According to the report, 21.7 per cent of adults aged 18 to 69 in Ghana are living with high blood pressure. Even more alarming is that 51.1 per cent of those with hypertension are not aware of their condition.
This means that more than half of the people with dangerously high blood pressure are walking around without knowing it until tragedy strikes. That is the real danger of this silent killer.
Literature has shown that hypertension is preventable and manageable. But only if we treat it like the threat, it is. That means regular checkups; that means understanding the risks and that means talking about it openly, urgently, and with compassion.
The deadly power of myths
Why are so many Ghanaians untested or untreated? Is it out of ignorance, or the pervasive myths about hypertension and its treatment?
• Some believe blood pressure medicine “weakens the body” or “shortens life.”
• Some believe blood pressure medicine “weakens the penis and kills sexual drive”
• Others think once you start taking medication, you are “dependent for life.”
• Many say, “I feel fine, so I must be fine.”
These beliefs are not only false, but they are also deadly. The truth, according to the World Health Organisation, is that effective treatment can reduce the risk of stroke by up to 40 per cent and heart attack by 25 per cent. Avoiding treatment does not prevent dependence rather, it accelerates death.
As Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, former Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, has noted, “Hypertension is preventable and treatable, but our biggest battle is misinformation and late detection.”
A national conversation we must have
This is not just a health issue it is a national emergency. Sudden deaths rob families of breadwinners, communities of leaders, and the country of its productivity. In every obituary notice caused by hypertension, there is a story of loss that could have been prevented with a simple blood pressure check and treatment.
Behind every life saved is a moment of awareness, a decision to act, therefore, the media must rise to the challenge.
Radio and television programmes should dedicate regular airtime to demystify hypertension. Newspapers should carry survivor stories, expert interviews, and practical lifestyle advice.
Social media influencers should spread awareness in local languages, reaching young people who assume they are safe.
Public health experts also have a responsibility. Screening must move beyond hospitals into churches, mosques, markets, schools, and workplaces. People should not have to wait for illness to know their BP status.
What we can do together
To stop the silent killer, we need a collective response:
• Check your blood pressure regularly, even if you feel healthy.
• Follow medical advice faithfully if diagnosed because treatment saves lives.
• For healthy lifestyle, eat less salt, reduce alcohol, reduce starchy, fat and oil intake, avoid smoking, and exercise at least 30 minutes daily.
• Encourage one another talk about blood pressure in families, communities, and workplaces.
Conclusion: Silence is killing us
What kills is not just the disease, but the silence, fear, and myths that surround it. The STEPS 2023 report has sounded the alarm: nearly one in five Ghanaian adults has high blood pressure, and more than half don’t even know it.
This is the time for bold conversation, public education, and decisive action. The media, health professionals, policymakers, and ordinary citizens must join forces to expose the myths, spread the facts, and save lives. Let us not wait for another headline.
Let us make blood pressure a national conversation before it becomes a personal tragedy. With awareness, treatment, and collective will, Ghana can stop the silence and stop the sudden deaths from the silent killer.
Written by: Ansah Moses Teye-Akam – Senior Statistician, Sociologist/Scientific Research Organisational Expert.
Email: moses.ansah@ statsghana.gov.gh/ansahmosesteyeakam@ gmail.com.gh Contact: 0244539034 / 0204359034
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On September 29 of each year since 2000, we mark World Heart Day without fail but it appears we find a comfortable place to doze off after that, leaving the world’s number one killer to continue its havoc.
This year, the theme “Don’t Miss a Beat” focuses on “the importance of heart and blood vessel (cardiovascular) health by emphasizing how losing someone to heart disease also means losing irreplaceable moments in life. It encourages individuals to prioritise heart health, not to miss important life events, and supports building a world with fewer deaths and more healthy hearts.”
Together with its members, the World Heart Federation spreads the news that at least 80 per cent of premature deaths from heart disease and stroke could be avoided if the main risk factors, tobacco, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity, are controlled.
Stop smoking and prevent others from smoking
a. Once upon a time, puffing the smoke of death was fashionable (maybe from a lack of adequate knowledge?) but certainly in 2025, a healthy lifestyle is in vogue. If you do not smoke, why should you inhale smoke from others (passive smoking)?
Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables
a. In Ghana and other developing countries, we often want something that will fill our stomach and stay there for as long as possible. Why do you think “concrete” is so revered in this great land of ours? Start the day with a hefty dose and top it up with frequent gulps of water. We always come up with 1001 reasons why eating fruits could lead to instant “pocketitis” and may signal the beginning of a third world war in many homes. We love to get into unnecessary arguments about whether fruits should be eaten before or after meals etc., just eat them!
b. We probably should consider buying fruits when they are in season since they are much cheaper at the time
c. Kontomire, cassava leaves and garden eggs, are great vegetables that will not cost you an arm and a leg. You also have the option of cabbage, lettuce etc.
d. The option of having a small garden is great but many of us do not have the luxury of space to do that.
Eat a healthy diet
a. LOW in saturated fats
i. Saturated fats can be found in animal products such as meat, milk, cheese and butter but be careful about plant products such as palm oil. Moderation is ALWAYS key.
b. LOW in refined carbohydrates
i. Our tongues have the power to make or unmake us – talking and eating are two examples of paths that can spell doom. We love sugar, perfumed rice (white), white flour, pasta (macaroni) and white bread and will make excuses to skip brown rice for instance.
c. LOW in salt
i.This is as simple as it is stated. Reduce the salt you put in food. Avoid adding salt to already cooked food. Flee from salted snacks and watch artificial flavouring.
Increase levels of physical activity
a. This is no drill on exercising but sitting on the sofa all evening or sitting at your desk for hours on end has not yet produced a healthy being. Household chores, gardening, walking even if it means while on the phone, using the stairs instead of the elevator all add up. The more you move the better for you. Dear friend, moving the TV remote does not account for much but maybe if you could walk to the TV to change channels or make other modifications then you would be on the right path.
Regular medical examinations to assess heart health
a. Beware of the modifiable risk factors for heart and blood vessels and check them often
i. Uncontrolled hypertension, uncontrolled diabetes, abnormal cholesterol, obesity, physical inactivity and smoking
ii. Get evaluated for sleep apnoea especially if your snore could bring the walls down
Manage Stress
• Check the quality and quantity (duration) of your sleep and rest
• Be happy
• Spend time with people who make you laugh and those who have positive vibes. The pessimists will drain your energy.
Changing these habits and behaviours is possible but we need to be committed. Whatever we are today is by the grace of God and the choices we made before today. Make healthy choices that will protect your heart, and it will continue to perform well for many years to come.
Today many people have died from a heart disease, and others have gained HEART HEALTH, which group would you rather join? Wouldn’t you spend quality time with family and friends for many years rather than being bedridden or spend precious endless hours in hospitals trying to fix our heart and blood vessels.
We have the power to make the right choice and stick to it.
AS 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/Medics Clinic
(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 – “You have the opportunity to have a Heart Health Assessment at The Medics Clinic, Tse Addo from now through Saturday 4th October. Call 055-341- 1221 to set up an appointment or simply walk-in.”
References:
1. World Heart Federation Website
2. The Ten Commandments for A Healthy & Enjoyable Life: Dr Kojo Essel
By Dr Kojo Essel
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