Editorial
Laugh often to reduce stress
Stress and its associated issues are partially to blame for the high occurrence of unexpected deaths.
Many people experience a variety of circumstances, including poor health, the death of a loved one or the illness of a loved one, fear of dying or losing their work, difficulties with money, and restricted access to necessities.
Though each person handles the circumstance differently, they always result in annoyance, stress, perplexity, and depression, among other negative emotions.
Stress is frequently brought on by novel or unexpected experiences that undermine our sense of self or by situations over which we feel powerless.
While everyone handles stress differently, failing to learn healthy coping mechanisms can result in a host of illnesses, including hypertension, which can cause a heart attack, stroke, or even death.
Many people fail to manage their stress and concern throughout the day, which has an adverse effect on their emotional, psychological, physical, social, and mental wellbeing.
The Spectator expresses concern over the trend, but Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel, a physician with a specialisation in lifestyle medicine, suggests “setting aside 10 minutes each day to worry instead of allowing worry to eat you up all day.”
“Write down any worries you have as soon as they arise. This calms you down because it acknowledges that the “object of worry” will be handled,” he advised.
According to Dr. Essel, who also specialises in fitness nutrition, remedial exercise, and exercise therapy, “If at WORRY TIME the point listed is no longer an issue, GOOD. Go on and live your life. If the issue continues, try to think about your options; you might be able to handle it alone, with help, or there might be nothing you can do. Accept each decision that you make.”
In addition, it is advisable to keep a daily routine, take regular breaks from work, and engage in activities like reading, learning a new skill, playing an instrument, or gardening to avoid stress and its related problems.
Moreover, utilise every resource at your disposal, such as phone calls, emails, messages, and videos, to stay in touch with loved ones.
In order to stay in the greatest possible shape, it is also advised that you get enough sleep and rest, exercise frequently (try deep breathing, stretching, or brisk walking), eat a balanced diet, and drink lots of water.
To help your brain relax, stay away from excessive alcohol consumption and enjoy some nice music. Engaging in leisure pursuits like touring tourist destinations to experience the essence of nature can also aid in de-stressing.
Above all, remember to recognise your blessings and express thanks to others, as thankfulness frequently serves as a magnet drawing wonderful things into our lives.
As advised by Dr. Essel, “remember it is a priceless gift to know your numbers; blood sugar, blood pressure, and blood cholesterol (BMI) and always laugh often, ensure hygiene, walk and pray everyday.”
Editorial
Don’t use polythene bags to store hot, oily foods
Ghanaians have been advised to refrain from putting hot or oily foods in plastic bags because it poses major health risks.
The warning states that storing hot foods in polythene bags, especially ones that are not made for food storage can cause dangerous chemicals to leak into the food, which could be dangerous for one’s health.
Professor Esther Sakyi-Dawson, an Associate Professor of Food Science at the University of Ghana, gave this warning at a World Food Safety Day celebration in Accra on Tuesday.
With the theme “Food Safety: Science in Action,” this year’s World Food Safety Day focused on the critical role that scientific knowledge plays in guaranteeing food safety and fostering confidence in the food supply.
According to Prof. Sakyi-Dawson, when plastics are heated, toxic substances can seep into the food, contaminating it and raising the risk of several chronic illnesses, including hormone imbalances, reproductive problems, and even some types of cancer, which are on the rise in the nation.
According to estimates from the World Health Organisation (WHO), food contamination causes over 400,000 deaths annually and 600 million foodborne illness cases.
Also, a third of all deaths worldwide are caused by foodborne illnesses, which affect at least 91 million people in Africa each year. Of these, 40 percent are in children under the age of five.
Given the concerning statistics, there is an urgent need to raise awareness that eating hot foods like banku, rice, waakye, or “koko” (porridge) wrapped in plastic is extremely harmful to one’s health.
It is more important to avoid putting food in black plastics, which are not food quality and are typically used for carrying items. Similarly, white polythene should not come into close contact with food.
Despite the warning, Ghanaians have been urged to watch out for food-grade plastics, which are frequently thick, to use for food packing and storage as needed
Since “to be forewarned is to be forearmed” The Spectator advises consumers to put their health first by making the appropriate choices about what they put into their bodies for their own safety.
Editorial
Ensure safety of children during rainy seasonfacilities
Dear Editor,
I write to express concern about the safety of school-going children during these unpredictable weather conditions.
Many children walk long distances to get to school on roads which are mostly poorly drained.
Also, the combination of low visibility, slippery surfaces, and increased vehicular traffic during rains presents real risks to their health and safety.
While I urge local authorities to improve road infrastructure and pedestrian protections around schools, I wish to especially appeal to parents and guardians to take proactive steps in safeguarding their children during this season.
Parents should ensure their children are dressed properly in waterproof or warm clothing, including raincoats, boots, and umbrellas where possible.
Also, parents should accompany younger children to school when it is raining or overly windy, or arrange for responsible adults to do so.
Again, I urge parents to teach their children basic road safety and help them identify the safest routes to school.
In my view, I think it will be prudent to delay leaving the house when rain is heavy or visibility is poor, even if it means arriving at school later and safer.
It is important to remember that safety begins at home. While schools and government agencies have a role to play, parents and caregivers, must not leave the protection of our children to chance.
I believe that with shared responsibility between the state and the family, avoidable accidents could be prevented and ensure every child makes it to school and back home safely.
Abui, Korle Gonno
