Health Essentials
Christmas is here again; let your hair down responsibly
When you are lucky enough to have those who make your heart tick close by do make the best out of the time especially now that it’s proven that enjoying life does benefit the heart. At the same time act responsibly at all times; if you have to meet with family who do not live with you, let us do it outdoors. Encourage everyone you know to get vaccinated against COVID-19 so that life can return to what we knew only a few years ago.
Like all other years, a lot has happened in 2021; COVID-19 continues to ask more questions than we can answer but the world has come a long way, many businesses are slowly getting back to pre-COVID levels but others could not make it. Many lives have been lost through heart and blood vessel diseases, economies of most countries including our motherland continue to struggle yet the world moves on and we still have smiles on our faces. No matter what life will go on so never assume life will grind to a halt without you.
Our roads are in a big mess. The traffic continues to amaze me and roads not worthy of cars still exist. Do our taxes mean anything at all? We have our country to develop and we just do not have time. Anyway it’s Christmas so I should not digress, let us make merry.
During holiday seasons there is always talk of watching what one eats and getting in some physical activity. Yes these are very important but a healthy life is not just about getting one’s numbers right (very important though), it also involves making time to relax, play, have fun, love and laugh like you have no cares in the world.
Enjoying life, however, should not be reserved for Christmas only. Plan your life such that you can have fun throughout the year, and it does not have to cost you loads of money. Start off this Christmas and make a conscious effort to enjoy life often knowing that your heart will be singing a melodious tune.
This Christmas and beyond I plan to tackle the areas below in addition to getting my numbers right;
- I will strengthen my social support network
- I will spend more time doing volunteer work. Touching more lives in a positive way
- I will join a new club or participate more in club activities
- I will spend more time with church and church-related activities
- I will learn to be a better listener and show more appreciation
- I will relax and have fun often
- I have a number of novels I have not read, this is the time to schedule reading time every week. You may choose another way to relax such as listening to music or dancing. Even a five-minute break a day as “me-time” can be life changing
- Practising relaxation techniques such as deep breathing exercise will be part of my life and I hope to squeeze in some good massage often. What about you?
- Laughter will be a priority in my life. Hello to comedy shows, funny movies and sharing jokes with friends. I will learn to laugh even if it means forcing it. I aim to laugh no matter what for the first two hours of my wakeful hours and I believe it will carry me through the day. I will not be bothered by the careless driving on the streets of Accra neither will the early morning traffic spoil my morning; I will laugh no matter what. Will you do the same?
- I will aim at reducing stress
- Stress is consistently being blamed for many disease conditions. We seem to be rushing in life every day and I am no exception. Time to scale back and sniff the morning air.
- I will get fitter so I can do more in less time and be able to do more of the things I love also.
- I will organise my time and avoid being caught up in social media excesses when it’s not time to engage in that.
- I will plan ahead, that will save me a lot of time
- I will be flexible and set realistic goals
- If I am unable to achieve all my health, spiritual, professional and relationship goals, I will not consider myself a failure. Life is not an all or nothing game neither is achieving heart-health.
Enjoy yourself but avoid excesses while you keep an eye on your numbers. Do not forget it is Christ’s Birthday not yours so share the fun with Him.
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 – “Studies have shown that intense and unresolved anger increases the risk of heart attack .The good news: Laughing has been found to be beneficial for your heart.”
References:
- Mayo Clinic “Essential Heart Guide’ 2012
By Dr Kojo Cobba Essel
THE past few years I have been thinking a lot about how to make the life of elderly parents fulfilling and with less stress on our lives. How we should also prepare adequately for our golden years while we provide guidance to our children and grandchildren.
These thoughts have on several occasions shifted to peri-menopause and menopause, and the role of finance and wellness in all this cannot be taken for granted.
As Christmas draws closer, thoughts of people being “so busy” we neglect the elderly keeps flooding my mind. Age does creep up on us. One minute you are a toddler, then a teen, with neither fears nor cares, and in a blink of an eye you are a parent of teens who will remind you that being around for over half a century is old.
Is 50 that old? I do not think so, but a lot depends on what we have been doing for most of the 50 years. It is never too late to make changes.
As we trudge through life most of us never think about the challenges that our elderly parents may face, and we are just not prepared when reality stares us in the face. Every age bracket has its unique issues and between 40 to 65 years we often have quite a lot on our plate; supporting our elderly parents, putting our own lives in order and guiding our young ones.
Necessary steps to enhance life of elderly
- Never boss or try to “parent” your parents
- Think about this; we unconsciously start “ordering” our parents. Telling them what to do without finding their preferences etc. Parenting our parents is one of the challenges many elderly parents endure silently. Stop It!
- Ask for their opinion
- Being old does not mean one no longer has opinions. Ask. Argue in love, discuss issues such as exercise, medication, hospital visits, food, friends, religion, and politics. Everything. By all means seek their opinion.
- Do not over treat them medically
- Not every change you see in an elderly person requires medical intervention. Be careful what you buy medicines for and stay away from unnecessary tests. Make sure you speak to a knowledgeable health professional.
- Hospital stays should be as brief as possible
- Plan hospital or clinic visits to make them as short and convenient as possible. If possible, get tests and consultations done on the same day. If it is not an emergency find out if the medical facility has special arrangements for the elderly and also check the time of days with the shortest wait time. Many elderly people do not like the stress of hospital environments and why should they?
- When admitted for an illness, work together with the medical team to ensure they are home as soon as possible. Most of them do best in familiar surroundings and home is numero uno.
- Have them stay at home for as long as possible
- Sometimes children are in a hurry to send parents off to homes that care for the elderly. People often ask where they could get such support. I think we should all plan to keep parents at home for as long as humanly possible. Sometimes we do not have the option of having them at home, but we need to explore all our options.
- Help them to socialise
- Organise time with friends etc. at home and out of home. This brings a breath of fresh air to everyone including our elderly parents. This makes them happier, healthier and they live longer.
- …and the more time we spend with our elderly parents, the longer they live.
- Ensure physical activity
- No matter one’s age and medical condition, there is always a form of physical activity to engage in. It may be as simple as making fists or moving arms, but every movement goes a long way to make life better
- Sunlight is a must. Do whatever it takes to ensure at least one gets a few minutes of sunlight a day.
- The presence or chance to see beautiful plants is a bonus worth going the extra mile for.
- Spend quality time with the elderly this Christmas
- We are already in December and the world is already preparing for Christmas. Spending time with the elderly during the season is PRICELESS!! Yes, you can make some time for that.
Steps to prepare for our own golden years
- Start a wellness plan or continue if you already have one
- It is a must!! Learn to breathe, build muscle, move to ensure your heart is happy and even more important parts of your brain that protect you from dementia will grow.
- Keep in touch with your classmates
- They have known you for years and a phone call or occasional visit or gathering definitely ignites memories and it brings “warmth” beyond your wildest imagination
- Surround yourself with younger people
- They can support you in many ways and their visits brighten your day while your advice is priceless to them. It is a win-win situation.
- Avoid loneliness at all costs
- You are not an island. Even if you think you are better off on your own and with your thoughts, nature does not agree with that. Kindly make a few good friends.
- Protect your brain / memory
- Dementia is a matter of when and not if; exercise will enlarge the part of the brain that controls memory. Having a larger hippocampus means it takes longer for dementia to show up.
Age will definitely catch up with each of us if we hang around Earth long enough. It is a matter of when and not if so we should take steps to make our golden years and those of our loved ones happy and fulfilling. I will choose SUCCESSFUL ageing over USUAL ageing any day.
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 (1) – “Ageing comes with Psychosocial challenges such as neglect, abuse, sexual adjustment, emotional disorders, other mental health challenges, issues with living arrangement and several others. Let us all help to make life easier and more enjoyable for the elderly”-Kojo Cobba Essel
BY Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel
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“Me nyare n’anso me nti ap)” is a popular Akan saying that can be translated into English as “I am not ill, yet I feel unwell.” It is that feeling when you just can’t place a finger on what is not right with you.
Today, I can confidently inform you that if you have felt this way in the past, you certainly had a point. Medical science has come a long way, and we know that health and wellness go far beyond the physical aspects such as pain, heart disease, or infections.
Other equally important aspects of wellness exist, and these may be classified as Social, Mental, Spiritual, Financial, and Digital Health and Wellness.
Do not be surprised when your doctor begins to ask you questions about your social network, such as those you have close ties with—family, friends, or both. Longevity depends to a large extent on one’s social support system or network.
As the American Heart Association notes, “lack of SOCIAL CONNECTION is associated with increased risk of premature death from all causes, especially among men.”
This is no open ticket to spend all of one’s after-work hours hanging out with friends under the disguise that you are prolonging your life. Moderation is key in all things, and your strong social ties need not be a whole village. All you need is a handful of loyal friends or family who know you inside out and have your wellbeing at heart.
If you are stressed out or have any mental health challenges, you should be able to speak to a close friend. Sharing your challenge may just be enough, or this friend may be able to advise you appropriately. It is easy to laugh with such friends and not be worried about being judged. Laughter, as you know, is medicine.
Close contacts may prompt you to take your physical health seriously, but even if they don’t, that bond you share produces feel-good hormones that protect you and prolong your health span.
I prefer health span to lifespan simply because lifespan refers to just being alive, but one may not be “living”—you could be bedridden, in a coma, or have multiple organ challenges. We should all aim for a long health span.
The art of building strong social connections is one reason we need to work on getting our children away from their phones and other gadgets that deprive them of the opportunity to talk to peers, share physical contact, and form lifelong relationships.
Dear friend, choose your friends wisely if you want to live a long, healthy, and happy life.
While you work on your social connections, let us breathe our way to great health by following the steps below. Repeat these steps daily:
- Sit in a quiet place.
- Avoid tight clothing (loosen your belt, necktie, or other constricting clothing).
- Take deep breaths through your nostril and exhale slowly through partially closed lips.
- At the peak of your initial inhale, take in another breath and hold for a count of 4 before exhaling.
- Expand your belly as you breathe in.
- Focus on your breathing and forget about everything else.
- When your focus drifts off (and it will about 50% of the time), acknowledge the thought but quickly return to your breathing.
- Continue breathing in and exhaling for five minutes.
- Increase the duration of this breathing/mindfulness over time.
…and remember to teach your friends to breathe too. After all, together you will live a long, healthy, and enjoyable life.
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 (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 (1): “Lack of sleep may predispose you to many diseases including a STROKE. Jump into bed an hour earlier and sleep a stroke away.”
Thought for the week (2): “There is no magic formula to being happy, but making a conscious effort to be happy goes a long way.”
Join us at the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel for our end-of-year Wellness Festival on Saturday, 29th November 2025, from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. You should not miss this event. All six pillars of wellness will be at play.
By Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel
