Health Essentials
Aging is magic
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About half a decade ago, many of my friends hit that “magical age” and it’s extremely exciting. I have clients who have lived in excess of four scores and are still doing extremely well.
We are all aware of the risks that many people also face as they age; family, friends and neighbours may treat them badly and some are even branded as witches and wizards. How unfortunate!! A ripe old age should be celebrated daily.
For many of us years of cigarette smoking, excessive use of alcohol, too little exercise and too much food especially fats and sugars do physical damage that is often wrongly attributed to age.
I think we are always in a hurry to give age a bad name and hang it. There are many misconceptions about aging that tend to let many people “give up” as they celebrate several birthdays.
The arguments continue; humans can live for three-scores and ten as stated in the Bible, others say 120 years is the magic ceiling. Many people will resist spending a day on earth past their seventieth birthday till they are sixty-nine years old and realise that there is really no need to hurry.
With all apologies to Methuselah, Abraham and their age-mates but currently the longest well-documented life on record belongs to Jeanne Calment who died in France in August 1997 at the ripe age of 122 years (I stand to be corrected).
Are we all destined or programmed to live that long? I doubt that but we can do much more than we have been made to believe at ages even in excess of 70 years. I know many people will start challenging the 122 years I have put out but please hold your horses; my grand-aunt is alleged to have died after spending over 130 years on earth. Do I believe that? Well, that is another story.
1. “To be old is to be sick”
a. If you are like 99.9 per cent of us, you will have major issues with your health if you do not take the right steps to protect yourself but if you adopt the right lifestyle, you will rake in several years yet feel well.
b. You can age gracefully and remain independent for several years. Many elderly people especially women can easily perform activities of daily living and beyond with ease well past their 80th birthdays.
2. “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks”
a. You must have heard this several times over. It has forced footballers who could salvage the country’s ego to retire prematurely, politicians have bade goodbye at the peak of their career and many adults even in churches have taken a backseat all because of the erroneous impression that they will not be able to learn the new trends in their trade.
Surely, if you spend all day watching television and avoid even reading and basic walking then you are setting the stage for major deterioration otherwise you have all it takes to continue serving the world in various categories.
I am not encouraging elderly people to stay indefinitely in positions at the detriment of young minds, far from that; I believe we often allow people to fall into the shadows too soon.
b. The belief among the young and the old that the elderly can’t sharpen or broaden their minds creates a disturbing cycle of mental inactivity and decay. The less people are challenged the less they can perform. The limits of learning and especially the pace of learning are more restricted in the aged than in the youth but research shows that older people can and do learn new things and they learn them well.
3. “Your horse is out of the barn”
a. We need to dispel the false and discouraging claim that old age is too late for efforts to reduce risk and promote health. Many adults feel that what they have lost is gone forever, but that is not exactly true. It is better to start healthy habits early and sustain them for a lifetime but for those of us who have strayed there is good news; we happen to be in the majority and nature is remarkably forgiving.
b. All too often when I ask patients with lifestyle diseases to start exercising I hear “I am too old to exercise.” Few things can be further from the truth than that, no matter how late you start exercising or modifying your life, you will be better off. The important point to note is to start slowly and avoid competing with people much younger than yourself. Regular and appropriate exercise for your age, gender and level of fitness is the way to go.
4. “Your secret to successful aging is to choose your parents wisely”
a. Some countries would probably be empty if this were possible. How easy it would be for people to say “everyone in my family dies of a heart attack by age 30 so I will not bother to work hard. Fortunately for us life does not work that way.
b. The role of genetics in aging is important but it has been exaggerated. We should be able to distinguish familial habits and experiences from genes. So if all members of a family enjoy eating large loaves of bread, several balls of kenkey, greasy fast foods and spend long hours in couches watching television, it has to be habits we have picked up as a family and has nothing to do with our genes.
c. We know that diet, exercise and even medications may delay or completely eliminate the emergence of disease. Genes play a key role in promoting disease, but they are certainly less than half the story.
I believe I have made it crystal clear that you have more control over what you can do or not do as you age than you ever thought. Beyond the exercises, healthy eating and avoiding excesses, it is important that you ensure active mental stimulation (solving puzzles, reading), keeping up relationships with friends and relatives (relationships where there is mutual respect can be priceless) , putting your finances in order and do not downplay spirituality.
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/St. Andrews Clinic
(www.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 – “Aging is not lost youth but a new stage of opportunity and strength.” –B Friedan
Reference:
1. “Successful Aging” by John W. Rowe, MD and Robert L. Kahn, Ph.D.
• Many people face risks as they age
• Talking to God has a way of calming nerves
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
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These last few months of 2026, I am embarking on a new journey. Over the past several months I have tried out some aspects of my “new way of life” but not in the manner I am doing now and I am sure you are doing same too. Draft your own points based on what is important to you and let us begin the journey together. It is never too late.
Many of the things I am working on now are guided by years of interaction with different people, what may be my purpose in my opinion, great family and friends and the type of wisdom that comes only with years.
- Self-Care
Quite often we try to take care of everything and everyone without ensuring we are appropriately “charged”. There is nothing to give out if you are empty. Self-care is NOT a luxury and it has taken me years to appreciate this;
- I will add a new hobby I have been toying with.
- Surrounding myself with like-minded people who energise me, make me laugh and be the best version of myself. Building Social capital pays.
- I am spending quality time with God daily
- Spending time in nature is key and I ensure that I take much needed breaks
- Spending a few minutes a day to meditate, exercise and spoil myself sometimes
- I will have some hours each day that will be blocked out as “no phone time”
- Keeping a Goal Diary
Many people have described ways of putting down your goals and seeing them happen. My coach taught me the power of VISUALISATION but over the years I went off that golden path. It’s time to get back. This is what I am doing now;
- In a diary I am writing everything I want to be or do as long as I have breath. No pressure.
- I am writing in the present tense; “I am spending an amazing week in a 7-Star resort with the people I love the most”
- I will look at this list everyday
- Start a Gratitude Bank
I listened to this recently and though it was not referred to as a Gratitude Bank, I believe that is exactly what it is
- I picked a diary to write in but others choose a transparent container to drop in written points. Choose what you are comfortable with.
- At the end of each week I will write something(s) I am grateful for and put in the container.
- Whenever I feel “ungrateful” I will read through them to remind myself how blessed I am and surely I will be holding the “evidence”
- On December 31, I will go through the list irrespective of my mood.
- Practice. Practice. Practice
This is exactly as it is – whatever you have written out in your diary to do from self-care through your goals etc. prioritise or focus on a few at a time. As you practice e.g. meditating, exercising, eating right and the many great things you want to do, these will all GROW. Whatever you practice GROWS.
- Make the world a better place
I believe that we can make a difference in our corner no matter the challenges.
- That smile will change someone’s life
- An act of kindness is contagious and the giver, receiver and all those observing benefit immensely. Let us spread kindness.
- The Blood Bank on my mind for this year and beyond.
What are you focusing on, what are you practicing?
Do share your list with me via email.
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 –“Never change your originality for the sake of others because no one can play your role better than you. So be yourself. You are the best.” – Unknown
References:
- Unravelling the Essentials of Health & Wealth; Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel
