Follow us

Tag

Nutrition

Nutrition

6 ways to improve food security

October 12, 2022
Food security

This has been a long time coming. I promised to return and share how we can improve food security but I had gone away a little bit to fill my cup and I am happy to be back.

As previously mentioned in the last article, food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. 

Here are 6 ways I believe food security can be improved

  1. Let us respect nature

Human civilization which shouldn’t be a bad thing carried with it global warming whose effects are biting hard and have caused food insecurity. Bill Bryson wrote “You are totally at the mercy of nature in this country, mate. It’s just a fact of life”, and I couldn’t agree more so each time you participate in environmental degradation, know that is at your hands we will suffer as a nation. Environmental degradation which includes the depletion of natural resources, destruction of ecosystems, name it, have caused climate change. This in turn has increased the number of weather-related disasters such as floods and droughts consequently making food supply chains to be more vulnerable. We need to respect mother nature for it to support us. Start from where you are, plant those trees, leave the swamps alone, cut the forests some slack and there shall we be able to improve food security. There is power in working with nature.

To our leaders, kindly prioritize ecosystem monitoring and assessment programs that will provide integrated, high-quality information for better and timely decision-making.

2. Agriculture needs its lost glory back

There is a need for agriculture to be made profitable and attractive once again. Agriculture is very frustrating lately which leaves it to a handful of people to feed the nation as well as export to the many nations that we feed. Agriculture is the backbone of our economy and matter of fact, growing up, being a farmer was one of the most honorable things one could be. Income was almost always guaranteed but this has since changed as farmers continue to suffer from countless losses due to climate negative effects, and monopolistic tendencies from some people who want to control the market. Many young people are shying away from agriculture and resorting to other fields or remaining in agriculture as middlemen. Young people who are the future of this nation need to be involved in the planning, design, and implementation of agricultural policies. The government ought to spend on reducing real and perceived agribusiness risks, enabling financing, and improving infrastructure. Rural agribusinesses can thrive when they have access to finances and are well-connected to local communities and markets. Let us not devalue this food basket, please.

3. Prioritize healthy diets

There is a tendency for consumers to resort to changing their consumption habits or purchasing less nutritious foods, which are often cheaper when food prices go up. We all know what happens when we abuse our diets. Let us learn creative ways to have fresh food all year round, support farmers, prioritize citizens over exports, and encourage urban farming. We need to sensitize the masses that their health ought to be guarded jealously even when food prices for fresh food skyrockets. At all times but especially in the hard times, governments should also encourage producers of fresh food and provide them the needed incentive to stay in business and access to markets while ensuring their protection and food safety.

4. Disseminate information

Sir Francis Bacon quoted “scientia potentia est” translated as “Knowledge is power”. This means the more one knows, the more one will be able to control events. Sometimes or many times, we suffer from a lack of knowledge and in that case, we do not know where and who to ask or even do to make certain situations better. Can we begin by shining the light on what is going on and how bad it is without sugarcoating it? Sensitized people will always be in a position to make better-informed decisions, take good care of their families, and also know how to support them in relation to food access, sustainability, and availability. The custodians of this knowledge need to devise creative ways of disseminating this information through channels that are easily accessible and in formats that are easily understandable. Let us take advantage of educational materials and research. With this, we can instill a sense of solidarity in citizens.

 

5. Can we bring back food silos?

A Silo is a structure for storing bulk materials. They are essential in food processing and used in agriculture to store grain or fermented feed known as silage. They are usually tall and cylindrical, but can also be constructed in the form of warehouses, domes, or large elongated bags.

There is a need to use food reserves wisely if we are going to do anything about improving food security. Many farmers struggle with post-harvest handling so food goes to waste simply because they do not the resources to do it safely. We used to have government food silos in this country which supported farmers to store their produce until a time it is needed but these have since been privatized or abandoned. What this means is that food is being consumed quickly not to go to waste thereby leaving us without enough food reserves for times of crisis.  Farmer groups need to be supported to construct food silos or the government returns the food silos which were a very good buffer for the country. Food silos will enable governments to monitor prices and release food from these reserves if prices spike but without food reserves, we remain exposed.

6. Help those in need

The government ought not to hesitate to distribute or request assistance from businesses or international and national organizations to distribute food to those in need. Appropriate targeting should be ensured to avoid the political exclusion of certain groups and elites. Women heads of households, orphans, widows, refugees, internally displaced people, senior citizens, the poor, and other vulnerable people should be the principal target of food distribution in times of crisis like the recent situation in Karamoja. School feeding programs should be maintained or modified to enable children who depend on those meals to continue to have access.

Karamoja, Uganda: When climate change intersects with conflict and poverty | Land Portal

I don’t know what came into your mind as you read this however this is just the tip of the iceberg. You can share your mind with me and our readers about the things you think can improve food security that I have not included here. We appreciate you.

Until next time, see you next Wednesday.

View more
2
Share:
Nutrition

Gut health

September 14, 2022

The term gut health has gained popularity in recent years and I am sure you have heard it being thrown around, if you have not, you are surely living under a rock. But never the less I am here for you. First things first the term gut refers to your gastrointestinal tract that is, the passageway of the digestive system that leads from the mouth to the anus.

So what is gut health exactly?

If you are still wondering what we refer to when we talk about gut health, a healthy gut is just one that digests your food effectively. Did you know you have microorganisms living in your intestines? yes, you heard me, microorganisms also referred to as the gut microbiome.  Each person has over 200 different species of bacteria, viruses, and fungi in their digestive tract at any one time. Some microorganisms are harmful to our health, but many are incredibly beneficial and even necessary for a healthy body. Everyone’s gut microbiome is unique, which explains why foods that help one person to thrive may cause irritation in others. Therefore good gut health occurs when you have a balance between the good (helpful) and bad (potentially harmful) bacteria and yeast in your gut.

Alright now that I know what gut health is, why is it important?

Good question! Our gut breaks down the food we eat into a functional form that can enter the bloodstream and go where it is required in the body. Unfortunately, things can go wrong at several stages in this process, from serious digestive diseases to food intolerances causing problems with how our body extracts nutrients from food.

The gut is very important for immune function with the gut wall providing a barrier that, when functioning properly, prevents viruses, fungi, and ‘bad’ bacteria from entering the bloodstream. Your gut is the foundation of everything remember, it aids in the digestion of the foods you eat, absorbs nutrients, and uses it to fuel and maintain your body to thrive. Aside from its role in immune function, your gut is also where your body gets rid of metabolic waste and toxins. An unhealthy gut will put a strain on your body to get rid itself of those toxins. If this occurs, it can cause many issues, including chronic fatigue, chronic illnesses, and inflammation throughout the body. This explains why people experience symptoms such as brain fog, diarrhea, constipation, gas, joint pain, to mention but a few.

Gut Health Screening | Personalize Your Nutrition and Supplements

What are the signs of reduced gut health then?

The symptoms you may experience that could be an indicator include but notwithstanding

  • Stomach upset including bloating, diarrhea, heartburn, constipation
  • Unintentional weight fluctuations
  • Constant fatigue or sleep disturbances
  • Food intolerances
  • Autoimmune conditions
  • Skin irritations
  • Low immunity
  • Bad breath

Are you wondering about some of the things you can do for your gut health?

I will list some of the things you may need to do to support your gut health.

  1. Hydrate as much as possible, remember water makes up almost 60% of our body composition. It has also been linked to increased bacteria in the gut
  2. Clock in enough hours of sleep
  3. Check your diet. Eat for your gut health.
  4. Listen to your body for any food intolerances
  5. Lower your stress levels as much as you want

Support your gut to support your health, and find yourself a professional to support you on this journey if you have no idea.

See you next Wednesday

 

View more
2
Share:
Nutrition

How important is nutrition in sports?

September 7, 2022

Nutrition can make or break a sportsman or woman, discuss. (20 marks). This reminds me of debates at school the famous ones being ‘daddy is better than mummy‘ or ‘water is better than fire’ and we would have proposers on one side and opposers on the other. These debates made us more confident and taught us how to have healthy competition and need I say the command of English it groomed? Yes, the topics got better as we advanced in class but the excitement and competitiveness it carried never grew thin. But this is not why I am here. We are here for sports.

We shall delve into the role nutrition plays in the life of sports given the fact that many out there are gym enthusiasts or even sportsmen and women but struggle to support their bodies through these intense activities. Years ago, I got the privilege to lodge at one of these expensive hotels in our country for 5 nights, the kind that comes with all-inclusive packages so residents have the privilege of enjoying every facility that the hotel has, gym inclusive. At this time of my life, I did not engage in any kind of active physical activity but because the “cheese” was on the table, I decided why not. Donned in my provisional gym wear, I matched to the gym and did all kinds of sets. I had so much energy for some reason and went through many of the activities. Friend if I tell you by the end of the day I could not feel my legs and my whole body was sore you will not believe me. I wanted to stay in bed and do everything there yet I had to show up for work. For the remaining 3 days that I was there, everything was a drag and everything ached. Why? Your guess is as good as mine, I did not prepare my body for this strenuous exercise. Both pre-workout and post-workout and I paid the price.

Nutrition for Athletes: Gaining an Understanding of Sports Nutrition

Nutrition is essential for supporting an athlete’s general health and training needs. Having a suitable diet provides a person with enough energy and nutrients to meet the demands of training and exercise. In addition to helping a person perform optimally, it facilitates recovery. (Had I paid attention to this, I would not have suffered as I did). Nutrition and hydration are key for performance in any sports activity. Just like you put petrol in your car, having the right fuel is key. You wouldn’t put diesel in your petrol car lest it jams, likewise your body needs fuel to move, and the right one at that. Staying hydrated reduces the risk of injury and muscle fatigue which is key in sports performance.

Nutrition in sports hinges on three main principles although these may look different for everyone depending on their goal. The principles include;

  1. Fueling – giving the body food that enhances stamina, strength and clarity.
  2. Hydration – preventing dehydration and fatigue, whilst optimizing muscle performance.
  3. Recovery – aiding the recovery of the body after exercise

An average gym goer will have needs very different from the Cheptegeis of this world. Just to give an example, for the average gym goer, the aim could be to have at least two liters of fluid per day. You will be advised to have a high carbohydrate snack an hour or so before the session especially if you haven’t eaten for over three hours. After the workout, you will be advised to have a full meal (usually lunch or dinner) within two hours, containing a mix of carbohydrates and protein to help the body recover. The carbohydrate will restock spent energy stores and the protein will help repair damaged muscle fibers. Your meal composition could look somewhere like 50% carbs, 30% fat, and 20% protein. Not forgetting fruits and vegetables.

An elite marathon runner, will need to eat more calories in general, as they will be training more often and potentially at a higher intensity. They need to have a higher carbohydrate intake to increase carbohydrate stores to have more available energy. More fluids are required to avoid muscle fatigue and increased injury risk, as they risk losing more fluids through sweat. Recovery strategies during the post-workout are even more important for marathon runners, as they usually have less time between sessions, meaning less time to recover. They are advised to have a carbohydrate/protein-rich snack within 30 minutes of finishing a training session, such as a banana with a protein shake. The composition of their diet may look somewhere like 65% carbs, 20% fat, and 15% protein. Not forgetting fruits and vegetables.

Healthy Tips and the ABC's of Sports Nutrition

Everyone has different fitness levels, diets, goals, and activities and one size doesn’t fit all. It is advisable to have an interaction with a  sports nutritionist with whom you work to discuss your goals and current status and devise a tailored nutrition plan to maximize your performance.

Whether your goal is training for a specific event or more general enhancements such as weight management, improving concentration, or energy levels, a sports nutritionist will assess your whole-body health, daily habits, supplements, and regular medication needs to get you at your highest potential.

Do kindly share some of the strategies you employ or those embracing stories like the one I shared earlier.

See you next Wednesday

View more
2
Share:
Nutrition

The frustrating cycle of dieting

August 24, 2022

“I am on a diet” should be one of the most misunderstood statements. Being on a diet translates to a weight loss program for many yet a diet simply refers to nutritional and lifestyle changes that a person makes to improve their health. We have many diets prescribed for medical reasons, like the DASH diet to control diabetes, a gluten-free diet for those with celiac disease, or a dairy-free diet for lactose intolerant people, to mention but a few.

Why most diets do not seem to work?

A friend of mine asked me an interesting question just days ago. “Why do I diet, lose weight only for it to come back?” I bet many out there keep wondering the same. Have you ever tried to lose weight by following a diet plan, focusing on certain foods while avoiding others, and had trouble sticking with it? Have you succumbed to your cravings by eating forbidden food or having a “cheat day”? Did you feel like you blew it or failed, which then led you to eat all of the foods your diet restricted?

While most weight-loss diets can help you lose weight, they may be unsuccessful over the long run for a number of reasons. Some people don’t follow their diets carefully and don’t lose much weight even from the start. Others may go off the diet entirely after a while because it’s too restrictive or the foods aren’t appealing. Some may engage in less physical activity as they consume fewer calories. But who hasn’t heard of someone doing everything right and still losing minimal weight, or regaining lost weight over time? Perhaps that someone is you.

A while ago I wrote an article titled “Weight is not an indicator of health” and many of the answers for this are in there but the long and short of it, if your diet is not building habits, you will find yourself in a frustrating cycle which will leave you feeling like a failure. Did you know that your weight is contributed by fat, bone density, and muscle? It is important to understand your body composition before focusing on the number on the scale. It is very possible to have two people  who weigh exactly the same weight yet one of them has a healthy weight and the other doesn’t.

For the longest time in my practice, I am against restrictive diets and I always focus on building habits for my clients because I have proved beyond doubt that this approach is always a slow fix but a lasting one. What is a restrictive diet you may ask?

Restrictive dieting requires individuals to follow a specific set of rules regarding what they can eat and what they can’t eat. That may mean giving up carbs or fats, including healthy fats like those found in avocado or fish, attempting to never eat sweets or drink alcohol again, etc. it’s a diet that lures you into unhealthy habits in hopes it results in. Although it seems like a quick way to lose weight, it actually provides more harm than benefit. Starving yourself, eating less, and not consuming the correct amount of calories could result in more negative side effects that you were not prepared for.

10 Tips for Overcoming Setbacks | MyFoodDiary

Throw out the restrictive dieting and adopt a healthy lifestyle

A quick fix will give you results but not for long

People tend to lose weight quickly when they start a restrictive diet, which is why they are so popular. When entire food groups are eliminated, it typically results in overall decreased calorie consumption as the dieter figures out what they can actually eat, and anyone who burns more calories than they consume will lose weight. While fad diets might seem like the quick-fix solution to lose weight, they won’t help you get healthy in the long run. Individuals who commit to healthy, sustainable lifestyle changes may lose weight more slowly, but are more likely to keep it off. Learning how to eat well and taking the time to understand appropriate portions and the science of exercise is ideal and better; it may take some time, but with practice, you’ll internalize information and skills that will stay with you the rest of your life ensuring that even if you fall off, you’ll know what to do to get back up and keep going.

The focus should be on health other than the number on the scale

Commit to a well-rounded, healthy lifestyle, your nutrition, and exercise to help your body function at its best. A lot of restrictive diets focus on the aesthetic benefits of weight loss rather than the health benefits. When you cut out entire food groups or restrict calories too much, your body may not get enough of the essential nutrients it requires, which can result in things like headaches, fatigue, depression, or even lead to more serious health conditions. Should you begin experiencing any of I would advise you to talk to your consultant.

Remember a healthy lifestyle plan is all about achieving a sustainable balance that allows you to fuel your body to meet the demands of your life, build strength and achieve a physical appearance that you feel good about it. Do it with ease, there is no need for a crash course.

It is not about the Dos and don’ts

A set of dos and don’ts usually characterizes restrictive dieting. Do you ever wonder why our human nature is so much against rules or the law? We are hell-bent to break them all the time and the same thing happens to restrictive diets. It will always work as long as you are adhering and once you break them, you back slide and this has a way it works on your brain making you feel like a failure thereby plugging you into a state of depression for some. Other than following rules we need to understand or educate ourselves on why we are doing what we are doing. Attaching reason will help you appreciate a particular withdrawal of a particular food or addition and thereby cultivating a healthy habit in the long run.

In conclusion

BE REALISTIC!!! Let's face it extreme and restrictive diets are frustrating. The ultimate goal is t... BE REALISTIC!!! Let's fac… | Diet mindset, Food, Workout food

As you diet, remember to be realistic and always work with an experienced professional. Ask as many questions as possible and do your own research before hopping onto some random diet. You are the only person who can have your best interests.

See you next Wednesday

View more
2
Share:
Nutrition

Is emotional eating an addiction?

August 17, 2022

Drugs and alcohol will come first in people’s minds most of the time if not all the time when we talk about addiction but did you know one can quickly become a food addict? An addiction is a chronic dysfunction of the brain system that involves reward, motivation, and memory. It’s about how your body craves a substance or behavior, especially if it causes a compulsive or obsessive pursuit of “reward” and a lack of concern over consequences. Food can be one of those substances.

We all know that eating is a basic need and safe to say, it is a pleasurable experience. Over time eating as an experience has evolved from relative food scarcity to an overabundance of food in many areas now, no longer just a response to hunger but a form of social engagement and unfortunately in the era of the double burden of malnutrition, a source of disease too.

If you ever find yourself eating beyond nutritional necessity, using food to self-soothe, know that yours is tending towards an addiction. A good thing is starting to get misused. Instead of eating for physical reasons, you are beginning to eat for emotional reasons.  Food is becoming a source of emotional comfort, and you are becoming dependent on this comfort as means of coping. This now has a name; emotional eating.

Addiction

What is emotional eating?

Emotional eating is eating as a way to suppress or soothe negative emotions, such as stress, anger, fear, boredom, sadness, and loneliness. In short, a response to negative emotions rather than to physical hunger. Just like an addiction, emotional eaters find it difficult to stop overeating, despite the negative consequences, such as weight gain, diabetes, or even social isolation. The crux of emotional eating is that emotions, not food, are the primary reason for eating.

Emotional eating is characterized by not feeling, carrying internal shame, and not seeking help because often you do not know you are battling a legitimate problem. Emotional eating is rarely fixed by diet as it is more to the mind than it is to the food. Behavioral changes come first and go a long way before the diet changes. Binging on anything, work, shopping, sex, or in this case food, is the malnutrition of your emotions that needs to be attended to. There is no external fix for this internal problem, it is an inside out job. There is a need to review the way we use food as a way to cope with life. Questions like, what was the problem that made food your solution? are a good way to start this journey, the healing one that is. If you can not ask yourself, a professional like a therapist can be better placed to help. Awareness, understanding, and compassionate approach is the path I would wish every emotional eater to hop on.

Emotional eating is not about being weak or not having willpower, you are strong because it takes a lot to do what you do consistently. You are warriors and fighters and that can work for you instead of against you. You are loved and seeking help is not an indicator for failure. Extreme diets will treat the ‘symptoms’ and you will get results that will make you feel good for just a while. Unless you identify the root cause will you see permanency in your solutions? Whatever is going on inside, feel it before you feed it.

Addiction

It is not a too late friend, we can still do something and set you up for a better life lived. I wish you the best and I look forward to hearing from you.

See you next Wednesday

View more
Leave a comment
Share: