Whoever coined the phrase, “the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach” may have been
onto something bigger than he or she had intended. We can now authoritatively state that this
pathway applies to women and children as well and it may just not be what you are thinking. The
kitchen may not only get you a life-partner, it may also determine your heart health.
This year we are discussing heart health from January so that together we can modify what we
eat in the month that most people are very proactive about resolutions with health at the fore. Just as charity begins at home so does heart health and to be more precise; “Heart Health Begins in the Kitchen.”
Heart diseases affect as many women as men
Cardiovascular diseases affect as many women as men, but the risk among women is seriously
underestimated. Heart disease is actually the number one killer of women in the world, causing 1
in 3 female deaths. Cardiovascular diseases claims over 17.5million lives each year and is the
WORLD’S BIGGEST KILLER. This killer boasts of being responsible for 31% of all deaths
globally. Contrary to popular belief 4 out of 5 of these deaths occur in low and middle income
countries and men and women were equally affected. Why? The high income countries often
have the skill and technology to keep the victims alive.
Children are also at risk of developing heart diseases
Children are vulnerable too. Their risk for these diseases can begin before birth, during foetal
development and may even increase exponentially during childhood with exposure to unhealthy
diets, lack of exercise, smoking and alcohol consumption. Poor children, they have no control
over their mother’s eating habits yet they start paying for this even before they can catch a
glimpse of what this world looks like. An undernourished mother and an over nourished one both
place their unborn child at risk of cardiovascular disease. The mother is also at risk from this
poor eating pattern. It is becoming increasing clear that the food you prepare in your kitchen or
fail to prepare may not only kill you, it may be the cause of the woes of your yet to be born child.
I hate to think that we put such a strain on children; not only do they have to cope with the
emotional burden of living with a parent suffering from a cardiovascular disease; they may also
lose a parent or even both from this evil. Then they will also have to deal with cardiovascular
disease of their own. We compete to feed our children with diets with useless calories (sugar
laden) and diets high in bad fats. In addition to “cooking” cardiovascular diseases in our kitchens
we have also created a society where it is fashionable to avoid physical activity; computer games
reign supreme and children sit for hours behind a desk supposedly studying. We finally complete
the kill by filling our environment with secondhand tobacco smoke.
We all know the risk factors for heart disease and strokes but I will list them once again:
- HYPERTENSION
- DIABETES
- HIGH CHOLESTEROL
- SMOKING & EXCESSIVE ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION
- OVERWEIGHT OR OBESITY
- INADEQUATE INTAKE OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES
- INADEQUATE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY (lack of exercise)
- EXCESSIVE SALT INTAKE (salt like sugar is something we learn to take. We are not
born with a appetite for salt. Let is teach the right things to our young ones) - Genetics??
Ways to avoid Heart Diseases
There is certainly good news, 80% of premature heart attacks and strokes are preventable.
Healthy diet, regular exercises and not using tobacco products (includes passive smoking) are the
keys to prevention.
Let’s protect our children from heart disease; encourage the introduction of daily physical
activity sessions in school, let’s discourage the sale or even the presence of coloured water laden
with sugar and being paraded as nutritious drinks. Encourage children to eat less salt and oil but
rather more fruits and vegetables. Beware of the danger “hiding” in many snacks. We will face
resistance from the little ones but if we are serious about reducing the death toll especially in
developing countries then we have no option but to adopt these measures.
Always strive to Make your KITCHEN HEART FRIENDLY
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. He is the author of the award-winning book, ‘Unravelling The
Essentials of Health & Wealth.’
Thought for the week – “Heart disease does NOT discriminate. It can hit anyone regardless of
age, gender, race, social class or economic status BUT you have far more control over your
heart health than you may realize.”
Reference:
- World-heart-federation.org
- WHO website
- Mayo Clinic – Essential Heart Guide 2012.
