HEALTH AND WELLNESS

  Worms and Intestinal Parasites in Ghana: What You Should Know Good food, clean water and good sanitation would keep you safe  YOUR FOOD, YOUR HEALTH Your stomach may be quiet, but that doesn't always mean everything inside is quiet. For generations, Ghanaians have heard about "worms in the stomach." In the olden days, children played barefoot, people worked closely with the soil, and some communities depended on streams, wells and other natural water sources. Our grandparents had many healthy lifestyle practices, but closer to nature did not always mean closer to perfect health. Today, we understand better how intestinal worms and other parasites spread—and how to prevent and treat them. 🪱 How Do You Get Intestinal Worms? Worms don't knock before entering. Certain intestinal worms can spread through contaminated soil, food, water and dirty hands.  Hookworm can even enter the body through the skin when someone walks barefoot on contaminated soil. That makes simple h...

  Lemon or Lime Water in Ghana: Does It Really Detox the Body? Hydrated naturally   YOUR FOOD, YOUR HEALTH In the old days, life in Ghana was much simpler. Our parents and grandparents relied heavily on fresh, locally available foods and plain water rather than the many bottled soft drinks and sweetened beverages we have today. One simple habit that many people enjoy today is adding fresh lemon or lime to water. It is refreshing, inexpensive and easy to prepare. But there is a popular claim that lemon or lime water can “ detox ” or flush toxins from the body.                   Is this actually true? The Truth About Lemon and Lime Water Detox The answer is no —not in the way the claim suggests. Your body already has its own natural detoxification system. The liver and kidneys continuously process substances and remove waste from your body. Health publications, including  Medicine and Healthline , have addressed the popular lemo...

  Natural   Reduce Salt in Your Meals:  Protect Your Kidneys and Improve Your Health the Ghanaian Way YOUR FOOD, YOUR HEALTH In many Ghanaian homes today, salt is an essential ingredient in almost every kitchen.  From preparing light soup, palm nut soup, groundnut soup, kontomire stew, beans stew, and garden egg stew to seasoning fish, meat, and other traditional dishes, salt helps bring out the taste we love. But the question is: Are we eating too much salt? Excessive salt intake can contribute to health problems, especially high blood pressure, which can put extra strain on the kidneys and increase the risk of kidney disease over time. This is why reducing the amount of salt in our meals is an important part of healthy eating and kidney health. Flavor that nourishes How Our Ancestors Ate: Less Processed, More Natural If we look back at the lifestyle of many Ghanaians in the olden days, we may notice an important difference in the way food was prepared. Our grandpar...

  Nature heals Cut Down on Seasoning Cubes: Rediscover the Flavours of Traditional Ghanaian Cooking In many Ghanaian kitchens today, seasoning cubes have become a regular part of cooking. From soups and stews to rice dishes and beans, a cube or two is often added to enhance flavour.  But while seasoning cubes can make meals taste delicious, using too much of them may contribute significantly to our daily sodium intake. Before seasoning cubes became common in Ghanaian households, our mothers and grandmothers relied more on natural ingredients to bring out the rich flavours in traditional meals.  Ingredients such as onions, garlic, ginger, pepper, prekese, dawadawa, garden herbs, fresh tomatoes, and local spices were carefully combined to create delicious meals without depending heavily on processed seasonings. How Did Our Ancestors Season Their Food? Traditional Ghanaian cooking was largely based on what was available locally. Fresh ingredients were pounded, ground, blen...

  Use Less Palm Oil When Preparing Soups and Stews Ghana   Palm oil is a treasured ingredient in many Ghanaian kitchens. From palm nut soup and light soup to kontomire stew and beans stew, its rich flavour and vibrant colour make our meals enjoyable.  However, using less palm oil in everyday cooking is one of the simplest ways to support a healthier lifestyle. Interestingly, this isn't a new idea. Our grandparents in olden-day Ghana naturally used palm oil in moderation, proving that healthy eating has always been part of our culture. How Our Elders Cooked in the Old Days In many Ghanaian villages decades ago, palm oil was not poured generously into every pot. It was often carefully measured because it was valuable and sometimes difficult to produce. Instead, our grandparents relied on: Please don't ignore every olden lifestyle   Fresh garden eggs, tomatoes, onions, and peppers for flavour. Smoked fish, dried fish, or local mushrooms to enrich soups. Fresh herbs su...

  🇬🇭  Eat Healthy Fats Like Avocado:  Consume it fresh  A Lesson from Olden Ghanaian Living YOUR FOOD YOUR HEALTH  Many people still believe that all fats are bad for the body. The truth is that our bodies need healthy fats to function well. The key is choosing the right kinds of fats. One of the best examples is avocado , known in many parts of Ghana as pear. It is rich in healthy fats that support the heart, brain, eyes, and skin. Avocados also provide fibre, vitamins, and minerals that help keep the body strong. Add it to any choice of food  Our grandparents may not have known the scientific names for nutrients, but they understood the value of natural foods. In olden Ghanaian communities, meals were prepared from fresh ingredients harvested from farms. People enjoyed avocados with roasted plantain, boiled yam, cocoyam, or bread without worrying about calories or unhealthy oils. Their diets contained fewer processed foods and more natural nourishment...

  Healthy Eating Today Protects Your Kidneys and Liver Tomorrow Life for ages " YOUR FOOD, YOUR HEALTH" There was a time in Ghana when many families rarely counted calories or followed special diets. Yet, our grandparents lived on simple, wholesome meals that nourished the body naturally.  Their food came straight from the farm, not from packets. Their drinks were mostly water, fresh coconut water, or homemade beverages—not sugary soft drinks. A typical meal might have been ampesi with kontomire stew, abomu, nkontomire, beans, garden eggs, fresh fish, millet, guinea corn, or local fruits picked from nearby trees. These foods were rich in nutrients and low in excessive salt, sugar, and unhealthy fats. Today , life has changed. Fast foods, instant noodles, processed meats, sugary drinks, and heavy use of seasoning cubes have become common in many Ghanaian homes. While convenient, eating these foods too often puts extra strain on two of the body's hardest-working organs—the ...