A few days ago saw a picture of another young woman in her 30’s who died from complications of high blood pressure. There’s a growing number of deaths of young people linked to this disease as I have seen as young as 30 years olds die from this complication and it’s quite sad.
The last few years I became fascinated about nutrition (not just eating foods but giving attention to the quality of what I consume) and I have realized that the statement attributed to Hippocrates “Let thy food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food” is one of the most powerful quotes on the power of your nutrition.
You can literally change your life on so many different levels by changing the way you eat and giving top priority to the quality of foods you eat. I know that family history predisposes many people to this illness but there’s an abundance of research that proves that a healthy lifestyle can manage and in some cases reverse this illness as well.
I know many people have stocked up on foods with the coronavirus threatening a total lockdown in Nigeria but I hope you have stocked up on a variety of foods. Our Nigerian diet is rich in fat, we consume a lot of meat and also high amounts of salt and all these contribute to this illness. Let’s be mindful of our diets in these times especially as there’s a need to stay home which can quickly deteriorate into a sedentary lifestyle.
A healthy lifestyle covers a variety of behaviors but I am going to focus on nutrition and exercise in this post. I also know that most gyms are closed but that’s not an excuse not to exercise, there are home workouts to help you stay fit. If you live in an estate it’s a great time to take long walks and it’s always a good time to pay attention to what you will be eating during self-isolation. If you haven’t bought fruits and vegetables, it is a good time to stock up on those as well. The idea is not to deprive yourself of all the foods you love but it is to consider the importance of a varied diet with nutrition at the center of your food choices. As we prepare for a statewide lockdown from Friday the 24th of March, let’s also plan to keep our bodies in top conditions and adhere to some of the tips mentioned here.
Stay safe and stay healthy.