Health Essentials
Weight loss and nutrition: How do I go about it?
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Variety is definitely the spice of life and this year we will read from different professionals who will provide us with priceless nuggets to enhance our health and wellness. In our quest for weight loss, FAT LOSS should be the goal so even if your scale reads the same but your clothes fit better, you may have lost fat and gained healthy muscle that generally weighs more (3x) than fat of the same size.
I introduce Salomey Kokoro, a Registered Dietitian who contributes to www.healthessentialsgh.com. You will pick a line or two even if this is a path you have taken several times. Salomey writes; In this day and era, where we get everything at the click of a button, Technology has made life very easy and convenient but unfortunately it has rendered us busy, inactive and prone to numerous health conditions. People in their late 20s, 30s and 40s are now susceptible to many lifestyle diseases like Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, High Blood Cholesterol, Heart Problems etc. which were earlier considered to affect people above 50yrs of age. Obesity and overweight has been ranked as the leading cause of many of these lifestyle diseases. The alarming fact is that majority of people do not know their weight status (whether obese or overweight), they reach this sad realisation only when the complications of obesity begin to set in. It is important that each individual makes a conscious step to know their weight status and begin to make positive efforts towards losing or maintaining weight. Our weight loss goals may come in various forms: losing that tummy pouch/pot belly, losing the baby fat after delivery, dropping down a few dress sizes, losing those flabby arms, get that hourglass figure or build up some muscle. Regardless of how little the goal may seem it will require conscious and active efforts to successfully achieve this, unfortunately there is no quick fix, magic pill or tummy shrinking belt, to make this happen. “If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude. Don’t complain.” –Maya Angelou Ever wondered what life is going to be like in the next five years? The limitations that your current weight may pose on your lifestyle? The possible health complications that may arise? The strain it may put on your marriage/sex life? The possible reduction in your energy levels and productivity? The possible joint associated pain it may pose during old age? These and many more questions should be a source of motivation during our quest to lose weight. The mere act of contemplating starting the weight loss journey means you have taken the first step towards change. The next step is to seek the right professional advice on what the process entails and how to go about it. The World Wide Web is loaded with a lot of information but unfortunately about 70 per cent of this information are either diluted truths or mere fallacies. Again information out there are not individualised, usually written to suit the general public so following such advice may not give you the best possible outcomes. “Don’t wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions. So what. Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more self-confident and more and more successful.” – Mark Victor Hansen In the human body, weight loss and weight gain has everything to do with eating. This is because food gives us energy (calories) needed for living and going about our daily activities. This calorie needs to be expended but due to the sedentary nature of our 21st century jobs and general daily lifestyle, a bulk part of the energy we consume is stored in the body in the form of fat simply because we are not physically active or we consume more energy than our body requires. Basically: we lose weight when we eat less calories than we expend. Conversely, we gain weight when we eat more calories than we expend. So to successfully lose weight or maintain your current weight, you need a proper and accurate understanding of calorie and nutrient content of common foods, appropriate meals for weight loss, meals and practices that hinder weight loss, best cooking methods, appropriate times during the day to eat, quantity of food to eat at a sitting and so on. 4 Common meals that hinder weight loss – Soda drinks – Oily soups/stews e.g. palmnut soup, groundnut soup, palava sauce etc. – Fried food and snacks e.g. fried meat, chips, kelewele etc. – Excessive intake of fruits A Registered Dietitian is your best shot at receiving professional advice tailored to suit your body requirements and lifestyle. A detailed nutrition assessment coupled with evidence based research information is the basis of advice meted out by the Dietitian. Book an appointment with a dietitian now and start making the change you have always wanted to make. “There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them.” –Dr. Denis Waitley Written by: Salomey Kokoro, RD Founder: RdSali Nutrition RdSali is a for – purpose company looking to better the lives of individuals, families and communities by providing credible and relatable healthy eating services.
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.
Thought for the week – “Keeping our surroundings clean and ensuring personal hygiene with an emphasis on washing our hands regularly and properly with running water and soap will get rid of most of the diarrhoeal and respiratory diseases that we suffer from!”
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.”
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