Nutrition
Dietary management of diabetes mellitus
In this new chapter, we will be discussing how we can manage diabetes with our diet.
Diabetes is part of the top five killer diseases in Ghana. There is genetic component in the development of diabetes. Notwithstanding, the role of diet and lifestylecannot be over-emphasised.
Signs and symptoms of diabetes:Excessive thirst and hunger, frequent urination both during the day and at night and profuse sweating among others.
In this week’s episode, we will be talking about how we can maximise our health against diabetes with staple foods.
Choose whole foods such as unripe plantain, wheat, brown rice, oats, yam, corn, cassava, etc. over processed foods like white rice, fufu flour, banku flour, polished corn, and polished kenkey.
Whole foods are rich in fibre, and contain less sugar and complex carbohydrates which have lower propensity to increase our blood sugar.
On the other hand, processed foods have little or no fibre, contain high amount of sugar and simple carbohydrates, which have a higher propensity to cause rapid increase in blood sugar, leading to diabetes. For this reason, these refined foods should be avoided completely in people with diabetes.
In summary too much of everything is bad. Although it is appetising, much easier and tastier to consume processed foods and refined foods, we must strive to reduce their intake so that we can prevent diabetes as much possible.
The writer is a Dietician and CEO of Holistic Health Consult
“Your diet your health, your health your wealth”
E-mail:
info@holistichealthconsult.org
Nutrition
Nourishing Ghana Starts with Us: The role of citizens
The success of Ghana’s fight against malnutrition does not rest solely in the hands of the government or donors. It depends on us, the citizens. Nutrition is not just a technical issue. It is a societal one, and every Ghanaian has a role to play in ensuring that no child goes hungry, no mother is left unsupported, and no community is forgotten.
As citizens, we must shift how we see nutrition: not as a private family concern, but as a collective national responsibility. Here’s how we can act:
1. Demand accountability
Every citizen has the right and responsibility to ask how public funds are being used to support nutrition. Are local clinics stocked with supplements? Are school feeding programmes working in your district? Are maternal health services adequately funded? Ask questions. Engage assembly members. Attend town hall meetings. Make your voice count.
2. Speak up, Speak out
Silence has a cost. When we fail to speak out against malnutrition, we normalise it. Use your platform, whether it is WhatsApp group, a radio show, a church gathering, or social media, to raise awareness. Normalise conversations about child feeding, food quality, and maternal health. Silence keeps systems broken. Voices drive change.
3. Support local solutions
Support or join community nutrition initiatives. Volunteer. Share what you know. Help spread accurate information about breastfeeding, healthy diets, and hygiene. If you are a farmer, teacher, trader, or youth leader, your knowledge and effort can make a difference. Change starts in our homes and neighbourhoods.
4. Protect the first 1,000 days
Whether you are a father, grandmother, neighbor, or employer, support pregnant women and caregivers during this crucial period. Encourage antenatal care. Help with child care. Prioritise nutritious foods. The first 1,000 days of a child’s life lay the foundation for everything that follows.
When citizens care, ask questions, take action, and show solidarity, we create the conditions for lasting change. Malnutrition is not inevitable. It is a symptom of neglect, and neglect ends when citizens choose to act.
Feature article by Women, Media and Change under its Nourish Ghana: Advocating for Increased Leadership to Combat Malnutrition Project
Nutrition
Ga Kenkey
Ga kenkey, a staple in Ghanaian cuisine, is prepared with fermenting corn dough, then cooking a portion of it to create ‘aflata’ or ‘banku’. It is a popular food in the southern part of Ghana.
Ingredients:
-8 cups of dried corn
-Dried corn leaves (for wrapping)
-2 tablespoonful of stew
Preparation
-Soak corn in water overnight
-Grind corn into a powder form
-Mix the ground corn with water (dough)
-Mix part of the dough with water and put it on fire to cook
-Take the pot off the fire and mix in the remaining dough .
– When ready shape mixture into balls and set every prepared ball on a corn leaf.
– Cover each ball by wrapping the corn leaf around it
– Put water on fire. Add wrapped kenkey to boil for 45 minutes.
– When ready take them out carefully and serve them along with shito, ground pepper and fish.
