Health Essentials
Listen to your gut in 2023; it makes absolute sense
Many of us are beginning to cheat on sleep through no fault of ours. As the year draws to a close and it dawns on you that you have spent more money than you should have, and as the extremely “long” January stares at you, a myriad of things happen to your gut, blood pressure and stress levels but be rest assured that whatever your gut feeling is at this moment is likely to be the truth.
You surely have come across the phrase “go with your gut feeling” and many times we consider that to be our instincts, but the gut, which is the full path that swallowed food travels may be much smarter than we think. It has even been referred to as the “second brain” in some instances.
That uncomfortable feeling in your stomach when you are running late yet stuck in traffic, butterflies in your stomach when you meet that special someone or as you get ready for a critical presentation. We can’t leave out the burning sensation in your chest when you realise you left out a whole examination question just five minutes to time. Our guts have a way of reflecting our moods or emotions sometimes long before we are aware of what is going on.
Our guts call the shots when we are under stress or even feel depressed; the reaction varies in people though. Some people may eat a lot while under stress and others may just shy away from even water. So the next time you find yourself consistently eating more or less than you normally do, take a step back and find out if you have more on your plate than you can handle. Prioritise and manage your time better and you may be able to relieve yourself of undue stress.
That sharp hunger pang you experience is a warning from your gut that your blood sugar is running low. You either listen to your gut or soon you may be sweating, shaking, feeling dizzy and even collapse. You may even lose your life if appropriate help does not come soon. This scenario is aggravated in diabetics on certain medication.
Many people with peptic ulcer disease will tell you of their struggles with or without meals. Some will also enlighten you on factors that make their pain worse such as certain pain medication, spices, caffeine, fizzy drinks and acidic fruits. The list is endless.
Healthy bacteria even exist naturally in the gut and are protective but when these good bacteria are reduced because of a poor diet or inappropriate use of antibiotics, our gut health and general well-being plummet. This is a warning from our gut to check our health. Diarrhoea is one of the numerous ways it will react till we give it the attention it deserves. Stop self-medication!!
I have read very little on appropriate diet for people of different blood groups. I am not a proponent of this trend because I have not read adequately on the subject but also for the simple reason that our GUT is very smart and if we listen to it closely it will react appropriately whenever we take the “wrong” foods and overtime we can exclude foods our bodies cannot tolerate. Remember we are all unique. For now stick to a balanced diet with variety and moderation and definitely watch your portions and meal and snack times. Snacking in itself is not bad, it’s what we snack on that causes all the trouble. Snacking on a fruit or vegetable salad for instance is not in the same league with a snack of butter cookies laced with milk chocolate.
When your gut is unhappy with what you load it with, it may warn you in several ways including;
• “Heart Burns”
• Bloating
• Gas
• Constipation
• Diarrhoea
In diarrhoea, the body may be reacting to a virus, parasite or bacteria in contaminated food or water but diarrhoea that is long standing may be pointing to something that requires a closer look.
In general for good gut health, eat well with a focus on plant based foods with fibre, drink adequate amount of water, get regular exercise to enhance movement of food through the digestive system, make time to relax and de-stress and sometimes together with your doctor you may decide to add a probiotic.
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
(dressel@healthessentialsgh. com)
*Dr. Essel is a medical doctor, holds an MBA and is ISSA certified 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 –“Christmas will come and go every year, but indulging in excesses may have long-term effects on your health and pocket.”
References:
1. Unravelling the Essentials of Health & Wealth; Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel
2. Remedy’s Healthy Living: “should you trust your gut?”
By Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel
A good relationship with your boss is critical for job success and career development. Supervisors have a great influence on your stress level, your team and company culture, and ultimately, whether you succeed or fail in a role.
They are also your best resource for support, problem-solving, and personal development. Building a strong relationship with them can be transformative for your work experience and professional growth, but navigating this connection can be complex.
Here are some key values and characteristics that will help you along the way.
- Be authentic
It is important to be yourself when building any new relationship. Do not be over-the-top trying to impress or kiss up to a manager. Be authentic and try to build a genuine connection with them instead. This will be incredibly helpful when it comes to dealing with personal issues, having difficult conversations, and building trust.
- Be empathetic and respectful
Bosses are human beings with their own professional pressures and personal lives, so it is important to maintain empathy toward them. Strive to get to know them on a personal level; you do not need to be best friends, but knowing the basics, like their family and hobbies, can be meaningful.
Also, help your supervisor look good. Every leader wants a high-performing and successful team. By developing trust, understanding, and excellent communication, you can help your boss achieve their goals.
- Build trust and add value
Showing initiative will win you big points with almost any boss. Whether setting up regular one-on-ones, volunteering for new projects, or offering help, the benefits of this dedication are twofold.
Proactivity makes leaders feel supported-like you are looking out for them. It also provides opportunities for your individual growth.
Whenever possible, add value beyond the limitations of your job description. Whether you have a special interest or extra capacity, find ways to support your team and relieve pressure. – Source:careers.vikingservice.com
..To be continued
This week I bumped into Deborah, one of my avid readers and I promised her I will be writing this weekend. So Deborah, this is for your reading pleasure and to pick some golden nuggets for the future.
The quest to find the best way to make one’s golden years, happy, exciting, healthy and a time most people look forward to continues unabated. One factor that keeps popping up is the need to grow friendships with people more than 20 years younger than yourself.
Do not take this for granted. It is a form of “social security” since these close friends who are much younger than you will step in to support you in more ways than you can ever imagine.
Some conditions may make life challenging for older adults but knowing these Geriatric Giants helps us to take the necessary steps to reduce our risk.
“Geriatric Giants” refers to a group of chronic health conditions that are common in the elderly, typically 65-year-olds and older.
These conditions quite often co-occur and can impact on the independence, dignity and overall wellbeing and quality of life of an elderly person.
These Geriatric Giants include:
- Impaired Intellect/ Memory (e.g. Dementia)
- one of the major battles we need to deal with is challenges with memory
- Exercise, adopt the Mind Diet, build a great social network and enjoy time outdoors
- Keep reading and solving puzzles for as long as possible
- Instability – leading to much feared falls
- A good reason to indulge in Balance Training and Core Strengthening exercises from today
- Ensure your home is safe; avoid clutter such as cables crisscrossing floors, toys etc. These are all trip hazards and should be avoided
- Many healthy, happy and fun-loving older adults have died soon after a fall with its attendant complications.
- Do whatever it takes to avoid falling
- Immobility (opening the doors to pressure sores, joint stiffness)
- Even when you are unable to move about on your own it is important to get support to change positions as often as possible or get an appropriate mattress or bed that prevents prolonged pressure over any single point.
- Make sure you passively or actively move joints daily.
- Incontinence (urine, faeces or both)
- This is one of the reasons older adults prefer to stay at home and avoid going out to meet friends etc.
- Iatrogenic Disorders – adverse effect of medication
- Quite often most older adults are on several medications and some side effects such as drowsiness may seem to cause more unhappiness and may even lead to falls.
- Inappetite – this may result in poor nutrition
- This may also be linked to loss of teeth thus making chewing very difficult or limited.
- The loss of smell and taste may also reduce the amount of food one may willingly eat.
The power to reduce the impact of the Geriatric Giants starts now and should be a lifetime commitment. It is never too early to start making the appropriate lifestyle modifications, nor is it too late to reduce the impact of the giants on one’s life.
Other conditions that significantly impact on the lives especially of the elderly are:
- Sleep Disorders
- Good sleep has the power to give us energy, improve our thought pattern and even helps us to make good choices.
- Good sleep sets the tone for a healthy life
- Constipation
- This is a challenge that confronts quite a number of older adults.
- Movement, fibre and lots of water go a long way to reduce the stress that frequent constipation generates.
- Fraility
- Muscle loss is real and as we age, we lose a significant percentage of our muscle plus our bones also become brittle.
- Make sure strength training is part of your exercise schedule
- Polypharmacy
- Another headache that needs to be confronted head-on
- Everyone especially older adults need a good primary care physician or a general practitioner who can coordinate all medicines from the different Specialists who may be attending to an elderly person. This ensures that unnecessary medicines are dropped
The goal of care at all times is to optimise the quality of life. As family, professional caregivers and friends we should always show respect so that the dignity of the elderly is preserved at all times. For those of us who are not yet in the age group with such challenges, we need to start the conversation about the type of care we will prefer and take steps to stay healthy and independent for as long as possible. The goal should be a long Healthspan and not just a long Lifespan.
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 – “There is no magic formula to being happy but making a conscious effort to be happy goes a long way.” – Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel
By Dr. Kojo Cobba Esse
