Newstart-for-health, a non-governmental organisation, as part of its nationwide campaign to educate the general public on their eating habits as a way of treating ailments, took the campaign trail to Tema over the weekend.
Thousands of people thronged to the Tema Community Centre where they were screened for various diseases such as hepatitis B, diabetes and hypertension, among others. Local herbal medicines were also exhibited.Speaking on the topic �Eating Habits In Ghana Today � A form of Suicide�, the chief executive officer of Newstart-for-Health, Oheneba Ntim-Barima, noted that most diseases found today in Ghana did not exist some years ago. He said the health situation over the past 60 years is regrettable.
According to him, Ghanaians and, for that matter, Africans enjoyed better health and longevity in the 20th Century. He, however, regretted that the situation is quite different today. Quoting names and ages to support his argument, Ntim-Barimah noted that Ghanaians yesterday enjoyed good health and long life because they lived on natural vegetables, fruits, legumes and ate less meat.
He said the past generations chose their foods carefully to provide themselves with curative and preventive substances in addition to nutrients. Besides they had good social network and strong social support. These factors, he added, were well-known to be significant in helping longevity.
African foods, according to the NGO boss, were natural and not contaminated with chemicals neither were they fibred nor refined. �the food we eat in Ghana today is devitalized and denatured. We eat high fat, high sugar and high cholesterol food. The type of food we eat is low in fibre. Instead of eating food that, apart from nourishing will maintain our health and prevent diseases; we eat what causes disorders.�
The CEO said, instead of Ghanaians eating to live, are rather living to eat. He described the eating habit of most Ghanaians as suicidal and called for the eating of more plant-based foods since they eliminate numerous prejudicial substances that are by-products of metabolisms, such as uric and urea.
A Chiropractor at the Spinal Clinic here in Accra, Dr Bryan Cox, speaking on the topic �Chiropractic and the Spine,� said symptoms such as the inability to take a full deep breath, unable to crack your neck, inability to twist or turn one�s head or hip to either side easily and equally; fatigued, low resistance to disease are all symptoms that give indications that one has a spinal problem.
He said failure to treat spinal diseases can cause other internal diseases such as diabetes, heart diseases and impotency. He cautioned that the body was not made to sit down for long hours and advised, especially, clerical workers that they should get up from their seats every one hour and walk about to release tension. Dr Cox explained that research has shown that those who regularly do these types of exercise perform better than those who sit long hours without getting up.
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