Health Essentials
A new year and a fresh start@ 2025
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In 2025 nothing new will happen in terms of New Year Resolutions. Even a change in government will not impact our resolutions. As has been the practice in years gone by, about 50 per cent of the resolutions will be based on a healthy lifestyle.
We all know them: Exercise more, lose weight, get a medical checkup, quit smoking and drinking. Almost invariably we give up by the end of the first quarter and for some as soon as the holiday season is over. Do not despair if this scenario sounds all too familiar – YOU ARE IN THE MAJORITY!
Definitely behavioural change is difficult and since we are not adequately prepared for the change, we have actually set ourselves up for failure even before we started.
As far as humans know, there is no magic wand to ensure you stick to your NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS be it health, spiritual, moral etc. but together we will work on a blueprint that may help our new choices become habits eventually. The worst thing that can happen is for you not to have tried. January 1, 2025 can be a fresh start, and you have the power to make a difference in your life and that of many others.
Over the past few years my New Year Message has remained the same and I will continue along the same path till we can all benefit.
1. Prepare, Prepare, Prepare
How true it is that “when we fail to prepare, we prepare to FAIL”. 1ST of January is no fairytale day. If we wish to make changes from that day we have to work at it.
• We have to psyche ourselves up that we will hang in there no matter what
• You cannot keep healthy if you don’t even have the right attire to exercise. If you plan to use a gym, get your clothes, trainers, towel and water bottle and pack them in a bag ready for the action. Even if you plan to walk, get a good pair of footwear. It is worthwhile to invest some money in your basic requirements
• Knowledge definitely is power – we have to know well ahead of time what we plan to do and why. If it’s walking, map out your route before the 1st of January. If you intend to sweat it out in a gym, choose one before December 31. It is still not late.
• It is vital to get a professional to help you sometimes. The plan is to improve your health and not to harm yourself and learning to do things right is essential.
• Choose the time and days you plan to exercise. You may not be able to have a single stretch of thirty minutes at a time, so do the next best thing, put in ten (10) – minute sessions thrice a day. Yes, you can “snack” on exercise.
• If eating well is a problem for you, seek help. Even if you think you are in control of your meals that may be a good reason to seek professional help so that you can show off.
• If you are forty (40) years and above, pregnant, have multiple disease states, get tired easily or have not exercised in more than one (1) year get clearance from a healthcare professional well before the last day of the year. We want to hit the New Year with a blast.
• Find an ACCOUNTABILITY partner; someone with similar goals who will check in or you will update periodically. Most times we do not want to let that person down, so we go the extra mile to keep our lifestyle resolutions on track.
2. Be Patient
Patience, my dear reader is a virtue. It can move even mountains so improving your health or flattening the mound around your midsection is not beyond its capability.
• Start slowly. No need to squeeze all that you should have done over the past five years in your first workout
• Pushing yourself too hard may end up causing you so much pain that like many people I have interacted with you spend the next few days-weeks nursing injuries. That could be the end of your new year resolution
• No need complicating matters with “I will lose 50kg by December 31” The risk? You may lose focus by mid-April. What if we say “…..1kg by February 28” (I hope you know by now that I am not a big fan of the scale, this example is purely to explain the point). Better still we could do something as fuzzy as “I should be able to go up two flights of stairs without stopping to catch my breath by March 1.
Dear sisters, trying to run up the stairs in high heels may make life uncomfortable for your knees. Unfortunately, there are no spares for your knees. I am a great fan of wedge shoes-excellent for the back and knees.
• Finally, you are a unique individual. You may start your health quest on the same day with someone else who will appear to be making faster progress. Remember we are all different. The important factor in this case is to keep breaking your own records.
3. Write it down
The smart people in research have discovered that whenever we write down our goals, we are more likely to succeed. No need re-inventing the wheel, lets write down our goals and go a step further, discuss your goals with someone whom you will hate to disappoint.
This person may check up on you during the year and the “fear of losing face” will keep you on track long after the NEW YEAR tunes have died down.
Your written goals should be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time bound (SMART) and they act as a blueprint to follow throughout the year.
Log or write down what you do each fitness day e.g. I ran for 10 minutes and had to stop twice to catch my breath. My thighs and calves ached so badly I had to get a cold compress and take some painkillers (not a smart thing to do). Imagine what you do to your ego when three weeks later you run at an even faster pace for 30 minutes, do some strength training and take a quick shower so that you can get to work before 8am. Hmmm no pain at all.
Logging your workout is good. It boosts your ego, alerts you when you slack and if you hit a plateau your instructor may be able to help you by simply analyzing your logbook.
For your meals don’t forget to chart when (time), where (location), who you ate with, your mood during the meal and whether you ate with or without alcohol. You will have to include two weekend days in the recommended 4-day initial Diet Log.
4. Choice Is King
“Variety is the spice of life” It is the rule of thumb that you pick exercises, sports or fitness quests that you love or enjoy. When we love something, we tend to keep doing it. Always remember though that we need to spice up things a bit and sometimes challenge ourselves with those we may dislike at first sight.
You may love walking. Keep walking but vary it: use weights sometimes or even resistance bands. Intersperse brisk walking with short bursts of jogging (interval training). Walk in a hilly area and sometimes on level ground. Occasionally ride a bike, swim, play tennis or even join an aerobic class.
5. Identify the limiting factors
A limiting factor is that demon that prevents you from getting the result you expect or should achieve because you are doing everything else right.
• Nutrition is often our enemy numero uno. You will be short-changing yourself if you do not get your nutrition right. Seek professional help.
• Motivation Sometimes we need to have an exercise buddy. We tend to workout longer as we chat or make more effort to go to the gym or meet outside to walk together. We just hate to disappoint our buddies.
• Time If only we could set aside a few minutes a day to take care of our health. “Time and tide wait for no man” but how true it is that by failing to invest in our health now, we may be hit by an illness that may leave us like the river bird “…… sitting all day long……” A Stroke for instance may leave us in this state. Time is scarce, if you have to use the gym, do not go there more than five days a week. You will only be setting yourself up for gym fatigue/burn out and alas a lost dream
6. Reward Yourself
No matter how little you may think your achievement is, give yourself a pat on the shoulder. Buy yourself a smaller size dress or belt. Go out with your exercise buddy to celebrate. Make a big fuss. Your brain just recognized your excitement and will help you attain more milestones.
If through sheer coincidence you find that in June you are back to your old ways, this is no time for blame games. You need not wait till January; your new calendar starts on that day.
You have what it takes to make it. Get going NOW!!!!
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 (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 – “drinking bitter (pure) Cocoa daily as part of a healthy lifestyle may reduce your risk of a stroke by improving blood circulation”
SOURCES:
• Random thoughts of kojo essel
• www.healthessentialsgh.com
• Webmd.com
• Abcnews.com
By Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel
I have over the past two decades looked beyond mainstream medicine to assess other options that lead to holistic health, and I must say it’s been exciting and revealing but it’s not an easy path.
As I matured and my knowledge expanded, I have changed my opinion on some aspects of wellness and many findings have been humbling. We all continue to learn each day.
I will share some of the life-changing skills that we take for granted. In our quest for wellness there appears to be more questions than answers, but moderation still remains key in our daily lives.
The power of prayer, praise and worship of God cannot be taken out of the equation.
Ready. Set. Let us do this together.
- Strength training is a must for ALL of us
- Yes, we all need to dig into the various aspects of exercise; strength training, cardiovascular training, stretches or flexibility training and balance training. If you asked me about a decade ago to pick the king of all exercises, I would naively have answered cardiovascular such as walking, cycling etc. but I am certain now that strength training trumps all and we need to incorporate at least a bit of that in our exercise programme.
- Take a short walk after each meal
- Many of us (your truly included) after dinner barely get to wash our hands before the miracle of the Lotus Eaters sends us to dreamland. Our fingers will be signaling to rats and cockroaches to come out and party.
- Walking a few minutes after eating may hold the key to helping control our blood sugar levels and reduce the spikes in insulin that come with a myriad of issues. At the very least the short walks after eating will add up to increase the energy you expend daily.
- Eating your vegetables and proteins before your carbohydrates may be helpful
- Well, how true may this be? I suggest it is worth trying. I am not saying clear your plate of all protein before you even take a spoonful of carbohydrate. The fibre will slow the absorption of the sugar for hours and even better, you may feel full after the vegetables and protein and not be able to gobble down the mounds of carbohydrates you had planned to dismantle.
- Eat slowly but do not get your boss angry
- Eating slowly does not mean spending hours at lunch and courting the displeasure of your superiors. It takes about 20 minutes for your brain to realise you are full so dear friend, take your time to chew and enjoy your food. A meal “downed” in less than 20 minutes may cause you to virtually suffocate when you top up with water. This is a message to myself and all those who like me eat so quickly that Usain Bolt will envy our speed.
- Eat from small, colourful plates
- Small colourful plates make an impression on our brains. Since the little food appears loaded on a small plate our brains tend to “believe” it’s a lot of food and we feel full for a strange reason. Put the same amount in a large plate and you are likely to be asking for second servings.
- By all means make friends
- The power of social wellness and its role in longevity and an enviable health span is no longer in doubt. By all means make a few good friends and enjoy life! Thank me later.
- Sleep!
- Yes, I do agree there are at least seven forms of rest, and they are all equally important BUT start off with sleep and we will gradually rope in all others.
- Keep your eyes on your numbers
- I have written and spoken about the miracle of knowing our numbers and keeping them in check; blood pressure, blood sugar, lipids and BMI. Today I suggest you look at your heart rate closely. A low heart rate may be an indicator for staying here on planet earth for a long time. Also keeping glycated haemoglobin (long term blood sugar) low is another feather in the cap of longevity.
- Appropriate supplementation
- The golden rule is to get all your nutrients from your food but for many of us that may not be possible hence the need to supplement ( note that supplement overdose does exist)
- It is ideal to discuss supplementation with your healthcare professional and your discussion should look at probiotics, magnesium glycinate, Vit D3 + K2, a good multivitamin and in some instances creatine or whey Protein. I am in no way suggesting you take all these, each individual is unique and that is why it is crucial to discuss your options with a professional.
- Make a conscious effort to be HAPPY
- Happiness affects our entire being in positive ways; smile, say a kind word to someone, be grateful, surround yourself with people who make you happy and not ones who sap your energy, volunteer to support people and by all means get a hobby eg gardening, playing a game etc and the best get news yet; you don’t even have to be good at your hobby to benefit.
We are not waiting for a magical or ideal day to start working on our Health and Wellness, we start today bearing in mind that “the most efficient way to reach our realistic health and wellness goals is to make small healthy choices daily.
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 – “WHERE YOU LIVE SHOULD NOT DETERMINE IF YOU LIVE.”- WHO
Very often we leave the doctor’s office only to remember that we left out a major complaint. Some patients immediately rush back to the consulting room totally oblivious of the privacy that the next patient is entitled to.
They expect that as they walk in, the doctor should ignore the seated or positioned patient and attend to them. That is totally outrageous. Others go home and continue to live with the condition hoping to be healed miraculously.
Most of us will be extremely lucky to spend 15 minutes with our doctor and this time is often much shorter in countries/communities where the doctor-patient ratio is so low that at best it can be described as criminal.
We are now in the second half of 2026, and I highly recommend that you see a doctor not only when you are unwell but as a means to assess your state of wellbeing and take the needed precautions. It is critical that you find a good primary care doctor who is knowledgeable and proactive and will also be able to coordinate specialist care that you may require.
To make the most out of our time with the doctor we need to PREPARE. If your condition is an emergency, then you do not have the benefit of time to prepare.
A must do!
Kindly ensure your personal hygiene is excellent.
- Take a good bath and brush your teeth
- Wear clean clothes that also make undressing easy, especially if you need to expose some areas for inspection/examination.
This may sound ridiculous, but the opposite does happen in real life.
Remember that doctors are human and when you are unkempt you may not get adequate contact with your doctor.
Research on the symptoms
If you have access to the internet or a book worth its salt you may read about your symptoms or wait to read after your doctor tells you your diagnosis.
Remember that if you need to research on the internet, it is essential that you use a reputable site.
In tune with your complaints
- Write down your complaints/symptoms if you think you may forget.
- If you have had a similar problem and have the results of any investigations e.g. Laboratory tests, x-rays, CT scans etc kindly carry them along
- Let your doctor know if you react to any drugs.
- Be truthful about any medications you have taken for the condition, if you do not remember the names make sure you go with the containers.
- If you have any other medical conditions (and medication) make the doctor aware.
- Remember to make a note of the following
- When did the symptoms/complaint begin?
- How long have you had these symptoms?
- Is it getting worse?
- Does anything make the condition worse?
- What makes you feel better?
- Is anything related to their onset?
- How often does it occur?
- How long does it last e.g. in pain conditions as well as rash, allergies etc.
- Does anyone else in your family have them?
- How do they affect your daily life?
- Is it related to work or home?
You may need to modify these slightly when you have skin lesions, swellings etc. This list is by no means exhaustive, and you may not need to find answers to all of them before getting help, but they will definitely help you ace the visit to your doctor.
If your doctor books you for surgery, do not leave his presence without finding out the following:
- Will you go home on the same day of the surgery?
- Will you need assistance to go home or can you drive unsupervised for instance
- What form of anaesthesia will you be given?
Then, if your visit is for a medical examination, do remember that also being aware of disease conditions in your family will help your doctor select the appropriate tests and make the whole experience and time useful.
Finally do not leave your doctor without finding out:
- How much physical activity/exercise you require; the Almighty “FITT” prescription
- What you need to eat or avoid.
- Some basic information regarding SLEEP.
See you in the consulting room soon.
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 (HE&W Group)/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 – “The next big thing in Healthcare in Ghana is the Medics Clinic. Visit https://medicsgroupgh.com/ for more information.”
References:
