Nutrition
Winning battle against high cholesterol using diet
Eat healthy
In this week’s edition, we will be looking at certain diets and lifestyles that influence our body cholesterol, and how we can modify them.
Cholesterol is a “fatty” substance which accumulates in our blood from usually years of consuming high fat meals, and also from a lifestyle devoid of physical activity. There are two variants of cholesterol; high-density lipoprotein (HDL), which is good for the body, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and triglyceride, which are bad for the body and can lead to hypertension, stroke, heart diseases, among other diseases.
Foods to avoid
To reduce the bad cholesterols, foods like red meat, deep fried foods, cheese, butterhigh processed foods like white bread, pastriesand pizza should be reduced to a minimum in our diet.
Foods to consume
It will benefit us greatly to include foods like;
Oats and barley
Low fat diet like fish, skinless chicken or turkey and lean meats
Nuts and seeds
Beans and lentils
Fruits and vegetablesregularly in our diet. These increase the good cholesterol, and thus help to fight against the conditions mentioned above.
Lifestyle modification
Modifying our lifestyle from a predominantly sedentary lifestyle to incorporating exercises like going for walks, jogging, and riding bicycles, as well as avoiding late-night high-calorie meals, excessive alcohol intake, and cigarette smoking will serve to prolong our healthy life and prevent high cholesterol from being our burden.
In summary, dietary and lifestyle management plays a pivotal role in controlling high cholesterol levels. By focusing on whole foods, reducing saturated fats, and embracing heart-healthy choices, we can take vital steps towards improving our cardiovascular health. Making these simple yet impactful changes can lead to a healthier, cholesterol-friendly lifestyle.
The writer is a Dietitian and CEO of Holistic Health Consult E-mail: info@holistichealthconsult.org
By Bernice Korkor Asare
Soya beans is a highly nutritious plant-based food with several health benefits:
-Rich source of protein
-Contains all nine essential amino acids, making it a complete protein.
-Helpful for vegetarians and vegans as an alternative to animal protein.
-Supports muscle growth and repair.
– Heart Health
-Helps lower cholesterol levels
-Contains healthy unsaturated fats and fibre that support cardiovascular health
-Can be part of a heart-friendly diet
-Bone health
-Provides calcium (in fortified soy products), magnesium, and protein
-Soy isoflavones may help maintain bone density, especially in postmenopausal women
– May help manage menopausal symptoms
-Contains natural compounds called isoflavones (phytoestrogens)
-Some women experience reduced hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms with soy consumption
-Supports weight management
-High protein and fibre content can increase fullness and reduce hunger
-May help with maintaining a healthy weight
-Good for blood sugar control
-Has a low glycemic index
-Protein and fibre can help stabilise blood sugar levels
Ghana has nutrition policies. Ghana has nutrition targets. Ghana has nutrition programmes spread across multiple ministries and dozens of implementing partners.
What Ghana does not have is a single, empowered body responsible for leading, coordinating, and holding all this together. That is the gap a National Nutrition Council would fill, and stakeholders are calling for one now.
The case for a council
At a stakeholder engagement convened under the Nourish Ghana project in 2025, participants proposed the establishment of a National Nutrition Council to provide effective leadership and a governance framework for addressing malnutrition in Ghana. The meeting, which brought together policymakers, development partners, civil society organisations, and the media, highlighted a fundamental problem: nutrition responsibilities are fragmented across various ministries. Without a dedicated coordination body, efforts are duplicated, accountability is diffuse, and nutrition consistently loses out when budgets are tight.
The proposal echoes a model used in several countries that have made the fastest progress against malnutrition. Nigeria’s National Council on Nutrition, for example, recently pledged $107 million at the 2025 N4G Summit, a level of coordinated ambition that Ghana has struggled to match.
Ghana does have existing coordination structures worth acknowledging. The Scaling Up Nutrition Cross-Sectoral Planning Group (CSPG), established in 2012, was set up to harmonise planning, implementation, and monitoring of nutrition actions across sectors. It has produced real gains. But the challenge has been institutionalising those gains beyond project cycles, and analysts have called for an elevated national coordination body with presidential oversight to ensure genuine cross-sector accountability. A National Nutrition Council would go further, providing the dedicated financing and convening authority that the CSPG, as currently structured, does not have.
What a Council would do
A National Nutrition Council would provide political oversight and coordination across all sectors involved in nutrition, health, agriculture, education, social protection, and finance. It would track Ghana’s nutrition commitments, hold ministries accountable for delivery, and ensure that nutrition budgets are protected and spent effectively. Most importantly, it would give nutrition a permanent seat at the table where national development decisions are made.
The Time Is Now
Ghana made 10 commitments at the 2025 N4G Paris Summit. Translating those commitments into results requires a governance structure that does not currently exist. Establishing a National Nutrition Council is not a bureaucratic exercise. It is the institutional foundation without which Ghana’s nutrition ambitions will remain promises on paper. Leaders must act on this proposal without delay.
Feature article by Women, Media and Change under its Nourish Ghana: Advocating for Increased Leadership to Combat Malnutrition project
