Over the weekend, my family decided to have kenkey for breakfast. As a dutiful husband, I went on the journey to find the best cranky joint in the area. I finally found it, and bought a few balls of kenkey and a ton of fish.<\/p>\n
On my way home, I bought a few eggs to add to the meal and when I got home, I pulled a tin of sardine from the kitchen cabinet to top it up. My wife was bemused, because I am not one who indulges in excess protein. When she asked me what the occasion was, I instinctively replied, \u201cIt\u2019s the Christmas season.\u201d Then it dawned on me, a lot of people will be saying and doing the same.<\/p>\n
The hypertensive, who is supposed to be on a low-salt diet, will indulge in the salty pork and corned beef. The diabetic, who is supposed to keep off refined sugars, will glut on the sweetness of confectionery and fruit juice that claims to be sugar free (impossible).<\/p>\n
The gout patient, who must tone down on meat, will chew all the beef and mutton he hasn\u2019t eaten during the year, of course, along with beer. The lady trying to lose weight will also go on a break in the month of December. People on long term medication will forget to or decide not to take them and some will fail to turn up for their hospital appointments. Worst of all, in the excitement of the season, some exuberant young adults will incur avoidable injuries, some life threatening.<\/p>\n
So in January what do we see? Mr. M comes with his blood pressure through the roof and his diabetic wife follows with poorly controlled blood sugar. Miss. V will also come and beg for a drug that will \u201cburn all the fat\u201d when she accompanies her dad to the hospital because his gout is acting up again. Some don\u2019t even live to see January: some young men drink their heads silly, end up in a brawl and are stabbed to death; sometimes there is no brawl or stabbing, it\u2019s just the alcohol. Others die from complications of their poorly managed chronic illnesses.<\/p>\n
In our attempt at spoiling ourselves during the yuletide, we end up doing just that. We erode all the gains made during the year in just 4 weeks. The Christmas is a time for merry making and unwinding, but some take it overboard. There are a few things you can do if you feel this article is directed at you;<\/p>\n
\u2022 Go for grilled instead of fried chicken.<\/p>\n
\u2022 More fish, less meat.<\/p>\n
\u2022 If you want to try something new, try a new vegetable salad<\/p>\n
\u2022 Boil your sausages, sometimes, instead of frying them all the time<\/p>\n
\u2022 Go for diet soda, not regular soda (and limit it to the barest minimum)<\/p>\n
\u2022 For every bottle of beer you buy, buy two bottles of water<\/p>\n
\u2022 Have a fruit challenge, instead of a drink challenge<\/p>\n
\u2022 Never go to a party hungry; the temptation will be to eat any and everything that comes your way<\/p>\n
\u2022 If you seem to be missing out on your regular exercise because of parties, then dance more at these parties (dancing is great cardio exercise)<\/p>\n
\u2022 If you intend to go out having fun a lot, try swimming; it is fun and counts as exercise (but please avoid the deep end if you can\u2019t swim)<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s an interesting fact I learnt recently; According to researchers in the USA, more people die on Christmas day and New Year\u2019s Day than any other days during the year. The exact reason is not known and the causes of death don\u2019t give us any clue as to why that is the case. But if you do what is right and don\u2019t overindulge, at least if you should die, you know it is not because of a disordered lifestyle.<\/p>\n
I hope January doesn\u2019t come with a cloud of guilt over your head. Let\u2019s enjoy the season in a safe, healthy manner; no room for regrets. Tis the season to be jolly. Happy holidays.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
By: Kojo Nimako<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Over the weekend, my family decided to have kenkey for breakfast. As a dutiful husband, I went on the journey to find the best cranky joint in the area. I finally found it, and bought a few balls of kenkey and a ton of fish. On my way home, I bought a few eggs to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":69253,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[],"tags":[8,15],"yoast_head":"\n