Health Essentials
The salt wars will never end!
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Salt is useful when taken in moderation
IS SALT ENEMY NUMERO UNO?
I do not have a precise answer to this question but salt is definitely revered in the company of killers.
When heart and blood vessel diseases claim about 18 million lives each year worldwide and hypertension is one of the leading modifiable risk factors (the other factors are uncontrolled diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity, lack of adequate physical activity and cigarette smoking) for heart and blood vessel disease then I leave you to work the math since added salt is very often associated with hypertension.
Not everyone reacts to salt in the same way but for the majority of us anything more than half a teaspoon of salt a day (includes what we cook with, those in our snacks and processed food).
No one is born with a craving for salt, we learn this as we grow and keep eating more salt by the day. Many of us eat much more salt than we need and we are “rewarded” with high blood pressure, heart failure and other inconveniences related to fluid retention.
Do you add extra salt to cooked food? Do meals prepared at home come out of a box or can? Do you eat out of home often? A yes answer to any of the questions could mean you may be having too much salt.
Is it not time to shake off this salt habit? You are probably counting your calories to lose weight and exercising as well so why not watch your salt intake? It could be the cause of your difficulty to control blood pressure.
Salt like many other things is only useful when taken in moderation; we cannot live without it but too much brings a host of troubles. Salt may be obvious as in what we cook with but often times it is hidden. Who would have thought that many processed foods including canned foods such as corned beef, ketchup and some salad dressings contain loads of salt?
Two elements; Sodium and Chlorine make up salt and the sodium is often the centre of controversy. Excess sodium stays in body tissues and holds extra water causing swelling and raising blood pressure.
The elevated blood pressure then puts a strain on the heart. You may be aware that increased blood pressure affects almost all organs and this includes: the eyes, the brain, the kidneys and even the blood vessels.
Invariably people who eat a lot of salt have a high probability of developing hypertension and that may also be another reason for having high blood pressure running through some families.
The answer may be quite simple; most family members have similar eating patterns or tastes so everyone may be prone to an increased-salt diet leading to elevated blood pressure over time.
Many artificial flavours that we use in cooking also contain sodium, so imagine the harm you do when you add some of these flavours to food that you have already added your usual amount of “salt”.
The salt story does not end here. Excess salt intake has been linked with osteoporosis, dementia/forgetfulness and even Alzheimer’s.
It is interesting to watch people eat in restaurants and at home; some people will actually sprinkle salt over their food after almost every bite. People eating in restaurants will use the salt on the table aggressively probably making sure they are recouping every pesewa spent on the meal. Be careful you may be paying more on medication soon.
If your food tastes like there is a salt shortage, thank God and eat as-is. It is an outright CRIME to add salt to already cooked food no matter how bland it may taste. This last statement lays the fact bare; all restaurants that leave extra salt on a dining table are involved in crimes against humanity.
You are not a killer only when you draw a gun or knife to kill, you may use a “slow poison” such as a daily dose of extra salt. We will probably need some human rights activists to help us fight this war. I am really looking forward to the day that salt on restaurant tables will be banned.
No matter how particular you are about the salt content of the food you cook, if food manufacturers and restaurants are not regulated when it comes to the allowed salt content then the battle is only half won.
If we are able to reduce our salt intake to less than half a teaspoon a day (including all the hidden salt), it will be enough to significantly reduce the new cases of hypertension and by extension other heart diseases and complications of hypertension will also be reduced.
This simple act will save our country millions if not billions of Ghana cedis each year.
Reducing Salt Consumption
• Never add salt to cooked food
• Read food labels and avoid those with salt or high salt content (watch sodium)
• Eat a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables; they do not need added salt and they also contain potassium that lowers blood pressure.
• If you need snacks, choose unsalted ones.
• Flavour foods with garlic, onions, fresh herbs and lemon instead of salt
• If you have to add salt to food while cooking, add only sparingly.
Excess salt does not only cause diseases, it also drains our pockets as well as the national coffers as we try to control the damage it has caused. Winning the war against salt needs us to be more proactive; before you put anything in your mouth think about the salt (Sodium) content and make a smart decision.
You could be saving your life and that of others as well as creating wealth just by controlling salt intake.
Now I throw the question back to you; is salt ENEMY NUMERO UNO?
(*salt in this context refers to common salt / table salt etc. Other types of salts MAY have added benefits)
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
*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 – “The taste for salt is not inborn. Saltiness is something we’ve learned and eating salty foods fuels the craving”.
Reference:
1. Health by Choice Not Chance – Aileen Ludington & Hans Diehl
2. Shaking the Salt Habit – Jennifer Nelson & Katherine Zeratsky
By Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel
I have over the past two decades looked beyond mainstream medicine to assess other options that lead to holistic health, and I must say it’s been exciting and revealing but it’s not an easy path.
As I matured and my knowledge expanded, I have changed my opinion on some aspects of wellness and many findings have been humbling. We all continue to learn each day.
I will share some of the life-changing skills that we take for granted. In our quest for wellness there appears to be more questions than answers, but moderation still remains key in our daily lives.
The power of prayer, praise and worship of God cannot be taken out of the equation.
Ready. Set. Let us do this together.
- Strength training is a must for ALL of us
- Yes, we all need to dig into the various aspects of exercise; strength training, cardiovascular training, stretches or flexibility training and balance training. If you asked me about a decade ago to pick the king of all exercises, I would naively have answered cardiovascular such as walking, cycling etc. but I am certain now that strength training trumps all and we need to incorporate at least a bit of that in our exercise programme.
- Take a short walk after each meal
- Many of us (your truly included) after dinner barely get to wash our hands before the miracle of the Lotus Eaters sends us to dreamland. Our fingers will be signaling to rats and cockroaches to come out and party.
- Walking a few minutes after eating may hold the key to helping control our blood sugar levels and reduce the spikes in insulin that come with a myriad of issues. At the very least the short walks after eating will add up to increase the energy you expend daily.
- Eating your vegetables and proteins before your carbohydrates may be helpful
- Well, how true may this be? I suggest it is worth trying. I am not saying clear your plate of all protein before you even take a spoonful of carbohydrate. The fibre will slow the absorption of the sugar for hours and even better, you may feel full after the vegetables and protein and not be able to gobble down the mounds of carbohydrates you had planned to dismantle.
- Eat slowly but do not get your boss angry
- Eating slowly does not mean spending hours at lunch and courting the displeasure of your superiors. It takes about 20 minutes for your brain to realise you are full so dear friend, take your time to chew and enjoy your food. A meal “downed” in less than 20 minutes may cause you to virtually suffocate when you top up with water. This is a message to myself and all those who like me eat so quickly that Usain Bolt will envy our speed.
- Eat from small, colourful plates
- Small colourful plates make an impression on our brains. Since the little food appears loaded on a small plate our brains tend to “believe” it’s a lot of food and we feel full for a strange reason. Put the same amount in a large plate and you are likely to be asking for second servings.
- By all means make friends
- The power of social wellness and its role in longevity and an enviable health span is no longer in doubt. By all means make a few good friends and enjoy life! Thank me later.
- Sleep!
- Yes, I do agree there are at least seven forms of rest, and they are all equally important BUT start off with sleep and we will gradually rope in all others.
- Keep your eyes on your numbers
- I have written and spoken about the miracle of knowing our numbers and keeping them in check; blood pressure, blood sugar, lipids and BMI. Today I suggest you look at your heart rate closely. A low heart rate may be an indicator for staying here on planet earth for a long time. Also keeping glycated haemoglobin (long term blood sugar) low is another feather in the cap of longevity.
- Appropriate supplementation
- The golden rule is to get all your nutrients from your food but for many of us that may not be possible hence the need to supplement ( note that supplement overdose does exist)
- It is ideal to discuss supplementation with your healthcare professional and your discussion should look at probiotics, magnesium glycinate, Vit D3 + K2, a good multivitamin and in some instances creatine or whey Protein. I am in no way suggesting you take all these, each individual is unique and that is why it is crucial to discuss your options with a professional.
- Make a conscious effort to be HAPPY
- Happiness affects our entire being in positive ways; smile, say a kind word to someone, be grateful, surround yourself with people who make you happy and not ones who sap your energy, volunteer to support people and by all means get a hobby eg gardening, playing a game etc and the best get news yet; you don’t even have to be good at your hobby to benefit.
We are not waiting for a magical or ideal day to start working on our Health and Wellness, we start today bearing in mind that “the most efficient way to reach our realistic health and wellness goals is to make small healthy choices daily.
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 – “WHERE YOU LIVE SHOULD NOT DETERMINE IF YOU LIVE.”- WHO
Very often we leave the doctor’s office only to remember that we left out a major complaint. Some patients immediately rush back to the consulting room totally oblivious of the privacy that the next patient is entitled to.
They expect that as they walk in, the doctor should ignore the seated or positioned patient and attend to them. That is totally outrageous. Others go home and continue to live with the condition hoping to be healed miraculously.
Most of us will be extremely lucky to spend 15 minutes with our doctor and this time is often much shorter in countries/communities where the doctor-patient ratio is so low that at best it can be described as criminal.
We are now in the second half of 2026, and I highly recommend that you see a doctor not only when you are unwell but as a means to assess your state of wellbeing and take the needed precautions. It is critical that you find a good primary care doctor who is knowledgeable and proactive and will also be able to coordinate specialist care that you may require.
To make the most out of our time with the doctor we need to PREPARE. If your condition is an emergency, then you do not have the benefit of time to prepare.
A must do!
Kindly ensure your personal hygiene is excellent.
- Take a good bath and brush your teeth
- Wear clean clothes that also make undressing easy, especially if you need to expose some areas for inspection/examination.
This may sound ridiculous, but the opposite does happen in real life.
Remember that doctors are human and when you are unkempt you may not get adequate contact with your doctor.
Research on the symptoms
If you have access to the internet or a book worth its salt you may read about your symptoms or wait to read after your doctor tells you your diagnosis.
Remember that if you need to research on the internet, it is essential that you use a reputable site.
In tune with your complaints
- Write down your complaints/symptoms if you think you may forget.
- If you have had a similar problem and have the results of any investigations e.g. Laboratory tests, x-rays, CT scans etc kindly carry them along
- Let your doctor know if you react to any drugs.
- Be truthful about any medications you have taken for the condition, if you do not remember the names make sure you go with the containers.
- If you have any other medical conditions (and medication) make the doctor aware.
- Remember to make a note of the following
- When did the symptoms/complaint begin?
- How long have you had these symptoms?
- Is it getting worse?
- Does anything make the condition worse?
- What makes you feel better?
- Is anything related to their onset?
- How often does it occur?
- How long does it last e.g. in pain conditions as well as rash, allergies etc.
- Does anyone else in your family have them?
- How do they affect your daily life?
- Is it related to work or home?
You may need to modify these slightly when you have skin lesions, swellings etc. This list is by no means exhaustive, and you may not need to find answers to all of them before getting help, but they will definitely help you ace the visit to your doctor.
If your doctor books you for surgery, do not leave his presence without finding out the following:
- Will you go home on the same day of the surgery?
- Will you need assistance to go home or can you drive unsupervised for instance
- What form of anaesthesia will you be given?
Then, if your visit is for a medical examination, do remember that also being aware of disease conditions in your family will help your doctor select the appropriate tests and make the whole experience and time useful.
Finally do not leave your doctor without finding out:
- How much physical activity/exercise you require; the Almighty “FITT” prescription
- What you need to eat or avoid.
- Some basic information regarding SLEEP.
See you in the consulting room soon.
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)/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 – “The next big thing in Healthcare in Ghana is the Medics Clinic. Visit https://medicsgroupgh.com/ for more information.”
References:
