PART 4
THE ACRONYMS TO ALWAYS HAVE IN MIND IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE GOOD HEALTH
For easy assimilation, we are going to talk about general wellbeing by the acronym “NEWSTART.’’ With this, you will find out that you will be dealing with the ten commandments of good health and general wellbeing.
The first N stands for Nutrition. We had early on the series, reminded ourselves that the food we eat accounts for a big portion of our wellbeing. Good food will amount to good health while bad food will amount to bad health. Good food would mean that such will contain all the necessary nutrients for the body, not only to grow but to function properly as well as wade off the infections that will be there whether we like it or not.
We are surrounded by organisms that cause ill health. So what we eat is very important in order to help us build up what is referred to as immunity.
The quantity of food we eat depends on our age, functional status and the kind of work we do.
For instance, the kind of food we give to a child will not be the same as the one you would want to give to a footballer who is actively involved in a lot of energy sapping processes or the same food you give to a lactating mother.
Good food is not necessarily when you eat rice with chicken because that is what people usually refer to as enjoyment. Please always contact your food and nutrition specialist including your healthcare providers, they will tell you what is good for you and what is not.
The E stands for Exercise. Exercise means when one makes sure that one’s bones, joints, muscles are functioning with the flexibility that is required for your age, gender, the kind of work one does and the kind of body shape one has as well.
Exercise does not necessarily mean that you have to walk very long distances rather it means one should be able to get a basic level of activity and exercise has been known to contribute to good mood, blood vessels dilation and contraction such that blood is supplied to all parts of the body. It also gives away simple problems like cold, it improves appetite, improves memory and so on.
Always seek assistance from a fitness expert in order to know the kind of exercise that is good for you. Don’t just jump to the gym unaided to avoid complications that can lead to death. As a general rule, anything that keeps you active from 30 to 40 minutes in a day will help to keep you fit and functional.
The W stands for Water. The same way we use water to wash our external body parts is the same way, the inner body needs water. 65%-75% of the human being is water. Every chemical reaction in the body takes place in the presence of water. One needs to drink enough water and also the right quality. Something as simple as water can take care of headaches, mood swings and so on. Water is one of the fundamental necessities of life.
The S stands for Sunshine. Our bodies require a certain amount of sunshine from which we get certain types of vitamins. Persons who live in some countries where they lack adequate sunshine will have some types of diseases associated with sunshine deficiency. However, if one is coming out from the sunny tropics, remember to always cover your hair/head. This is because the heat causes the protein in the brain to get destroyed and the women are mostly affected because most times, men cover their heads more.
The T stands for Temperature. There should be an ambience temperature wherever you are. If you go to some factories, you will see that it is either very hot or very cold and in those places they will give you the appropriate shoes and clothes to wear to ensure that you are in good shape. Temperature is very essential, likewise, the temperature of the water you drink, the food you eat are very important.
The A stands for Air. Air pollution is becoming a very big problem especially for those in Rivers state and other places where the air has been polluted to the extent that when you wake up in the morning, your skin, your car has black soot, even when you breathe in and you use a white handkerchief to clean your nostrils, you see black particles.
Air has to be of the right quality, temperature and we must avoid breathing-in only superficial air. When you breathe in fresh unpolluted air, the lungs take in the air, extract the oxygen from it and then send it to the blood and the necessary organs in the system.
The R has to do with Rest. Africans are the only ones who do not know that rest is necessary. God created the world and he rested on the seventh day. Incidentally, when Africans work and are asked to go on leave, some start complaining thinking that someone else wants to take their place forgetting that the body must rest on a daily basis.
This is why at the end of the day if you don’t rest properly, you will notice that you will not coordinate properly or to be as sharp as you are supposed to be.
On a daily basis, an adult is supposed to get at least 8 hours of sleep daily and these hours must include 12 midnight and 4 am in the morning.
The last T stands for Temperance. This means moderation in everything you do. Religious leaders say that in all things we must exercise moderation. If you are eating, learn to eat in moderation, even if you are drinking, laughing, talking or reading, do it in moderation.
Anything that is not done in moderation, becomes a problem to the body.
This is what NEWSTART is all about. Always have it at the back of your mind in whatever you are doing that concerns your heart.
