Health Essentials
A new year and a fresh start@ 2025
- /home/u249204778/domains/spectator.com.gh/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mvp-social-buttons/mvp-social-buttons.php on line 27
Warning: Trying to access array offset on false in /home/u249204778/domains/spectator.com.gh/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mvp-social-buttons/mvp-social-buttons.php on line 27
&description=A new year and a fresh start@ 2025', 'pinterestShare', 'width=750,height=350'); return false;" title="Pin This Post">
- Share
- Tweet /home/u249204778/domains/spectator.com.gh/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mvp-social-buttons/mvp-social-buttons.php on line 72
Warning: Trying to access array offset on false in /home/u249204778/domains/spectator.com.gh/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mvp-social-buttons/mvp-social-buttons.php on line 72
&description=A new year and a fresh start@ 2025', 'pinterestShare', 'width=750,height=350'); return false;" title="Pin This Post">
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
It appears I am stuck in sleep mode; last week we discussed sleep hygiene and now it’s napping. Could it be my brain doing its best to make me understand it needs more sleep?
Many of us developed a love for afternoon naps while in school because it was mandatory to “sleep” after lunch. It may have been a luxury to get restful sleep in one’s junior years but our brains got the message: sleep after lunch to get a boost in energy to prepare you for the rest of the day.
As the years rolled by sleeping after lunch, for instance, has become a mirage but everyone loves a “power nap”. The French do a great job when it comes to their afternoon break.
If you enjoy your naps, you may have experienced that feeling of extending your sleep once you go beyond half an hour. It’s that feeling of no turning back. On the other hand, if you nap for just about 30 minutes you seem to have a new lease of energy.
I love naps whenever I get a chance to squeeze one in, but school had siestas that lasted about an hour so sometimes I love to revisit the days of old. A new research finding is, however, about to trample on that glorious time spent hitting on the snooze button and being at peace with the sheets, chair or even bench or floor in some instances.
We all appreciate that getting enough sleep is key to good health but this study suggests that long daytime naps may not be in your best interest.
The researchers found that long naps in excess of 40 minutes and excessive daytime sleepiness were associated with an increased risk for conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and high cholesterol; collectively referred to as metabolic syndrome.
The research showed that people who napped for less than 40 minutes were not at increased risk for metabolic syndrome. In fact, those who napped less than 30 minutes had a slight decrease in risk.
The findings seem to point accusing fingers at those of us who nap for over 40 minutes; that is when the problems seem to begin. I am sure you can confidently guess what happens when people nap for over 90 minutes; the risk of developing metabolic syndrome increased by as much as 50%.
“The review also found that napping for more than an hour or being overly tired during the day were both linked with a 50 percent higher risk for type 2 diabetes.”
“However, the study only found an association between these factors, and did not prove that excessive sleepiness and long naps actually cause metabolic syndrome or diabetes.”
Is it possible that those of us who nap for long periods of time also avoid physical activity and probably over-indulge in comfort foods, hence increasing the risk for these lifestyle diseases?
One thing is certain, you cannot go wrong with a short nap; it can be extremely satisfying. So while the scientists continue to explain and maybe confirm these findings, let us limit our naps to 30 minutes. If you have extra time take a walk or get some work done.
This may be a reminder that too much of even a good thing may be harmful. Sleeping has great benefits including reducing our risks for developing heart and blood vessel diseases such as stroke, it improves our immunity and also enhances our performance in all spheres of life.
Just as sleeping in excess of 9 hours at a time has been linked with bad outcomes, excessive daytime napping is now getting its “day in court”. Moderation in all things must be key!!
A nap is essential for every individual
A 20-minute nap in the early afternoon may:
• Ease your stress
• Sharpen your memory
• Help you react faster
• Improve your job performance
• Boost your energy
• Lift your mood
• Make you more alert
How long did you nap today?
AS ALWAYS LAUGH OFTEN, ENSURE HYGIENE, WALK AND PRAY EVERY DAY 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 Life Style Medicine, 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 – “Sleep is an important component of our healthy lifestyle, as well as diet and exercise,” says Dr. Tomohide Yamada. “Short naps might have a beneficial effect on our health, but we don’t yet know the strength of that effect or the mechanism by which it works.”
References:
- WebMD News from HealthDay by Robert Preidt
- Extract from “The Importance of Obtaining Adequate Sleep” by Dr. Obo Addy
Your Weekend Companion
www.spectator.com.gh
SKIP THE QUEUE, TAP THE NEWS
You can now read the Ghanaian Times and The Spectator newspapers from the comfort of your device via TimesNewsPlus.
Join our WhatsApp Channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
Sleep comes in different shades. There are those who sleep pretty and hardly move an inch in bed. Then we have those who are virtually at war when in bed and may turn a whole 360 degrees several times in the land of the unknown. Woe betide you if you find yourself in the same “sleep ring” with such a fighter. The most “decorated” ones bring music to sleep and the noise that exudes from their throats, nostrils and mouth could compete with any orchestra except that harmony is often thrown to the wind; those of us who belong to this category know ourselves.
Inspite of all the above, when I am hard pressed to pick one thing that has the greatest impact on one’s health, I will say SLEEP reigns. Too many challenges spring up when we fail to get enough sleep and it’s no wonder that at the doctor’s office we hear many complaints of not being able to sleep.
Most of the time the solution is not in popping pills but the Sleep Hygiene Tips below will go a long way to make a difference in your sleep and subsequently your health.
Sleep hygiene tips
- Create darkness in the room
- Sleep is easier when your room is dark. A bright room may be a challenge especially if you already have a bunter with sleep.
- Have a Regular sleep plan
- Keep to the safe time you go to bed and also time you wake up. Regularity is key.
- Ensure room is cool and well ventilated
- An extremely hot or cold room may keep you awake just tossing and turning. A nice breeze makes sleep even better.
- Wind down or unplug about an hour to bedtime
- Rushing throughout the day and then diving into bed may not be the best remedy for sleep. Slow down, start putting off lights, stop working and maybe spend about 5 minutes meditating or speaking to God.
- Avoid phones, laptops, work in bed/bedroom
- These have no business in your sleep area and should not be in your bed for sure. The glare from lights, the vibrations or sounds from messages and even calls may keep you awake and give you a nightmare with your eyes wide open.
- Exercise
- Exercise and laugh and you will be preparing yourself for a sound sleep. You may exercise anytime of the day but when you struggle a lot with sleep the ideal time may be four to six hours before bedtime. Exercising an hour or two before you sleep may rather keep you alert and awake.
- Watch your food intake; don’t overeat, avoid spicy food and lots of oil
- Gluttony is definitely “sinful” and one of the instant punishments is discomfort and difficulty sleeping. A full stomach at bedtime makes one wish for daybreak. The spices can also cause havoc especially when eaten late. That heartburn will wake you up and keep you sitting and cursing all night.
- Watch what you drink; stimulants may affect your sleep e.g. caffeine, fizzy drinks, alcohol and energy drinks
- If you have trouble with sleep or you do not want your sleep to be disturbed in any way, avoid these 4 clear hours or more before sleep time. ACOHOL deceives you into thinking you will sleep only to wake up early, feeling unrested or making dashes to the washroom.
- Discuss with your doctor when to take some of your prescribed medication
- Sometimes some medications we are on may cause us to wake up several times to urinate and should preferably be taken much earlier in the day. Others keep us alert over several hours.
- Writing your TO DO LIST for the next day relaxes the brain
- The brain sometimes will keep “working” in an attempt not to forget what you need to do the following day. Hack your brain by writing down or typing out your To Do List for the following day and you will be blessed with good sleep.
- Get professional care to diagnose and manage medical conditions
- Sometimes it’s a medical condition that is directly or indirectly depriving us of good sleep and our health professional can help us find and treat this so we can once more enjoy the bliss of the Lotus Eaters. Maybe it could be a medication that is just not right for you.
Popping pills to sleep in most cases will not solve the challenge and should never be our first line of correcting our sleep wars. Adopt these hygiene tips today even if you sleep well and your health will be on the right path. Not even the decorated bedroom trumpeter or the sleep fighter can take your sleep away from you.
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
(www.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 – “ A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor’s book.” – Irish Proverb
SKIP THE QUEUE, TAP THE NEWS
You can now read the Ghanaian Times and The Spectator newspapers from the comfort of your device via TimesNewsPlus.
Join our WhatsApp Channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
