Following up from my last post, where I mentioned having had a hysterectomy in 2011, here is the article I wrote for SHE Caribbean (is that magazine still published?).
If I had thought about this earlier, I would have had the operation from in my late 30’s and it would have saved me a LOT OF STRESS!!! But maybe Dr Michael Abrahams would not have agreed then, to take out the whole ‘kit and caboodle,’ because I had not had children. But I was 100% certain I did not want any kids.
Please excuse the lean photos. The publisher had sent me a magazine, I loaned it to someone, don’t remember who, and they never gave me back. This was from a poor scan I had done.
In this Jamaica Observer article, Jamaica’s Minister for Health & Wellness Hon. Dr Christopher Tufton advocates for more focus to be placed on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs).
Dr Tufton cited the most recent Jamaica Health and Lifestyle Survey (JHLS III) revealed that one in three Jamaicans has hypertension, one in two is overweight or obese, and one in eight has diabetes.”
This statistic is likely the same for some, and perhaps all, other Caribbean countries.
The article goes on to state that “”The minister contended that this points to an NCD crisis and asserted that “as a matter of urgency, we must drive the NCD agenda forward… we must challenge systems and approaches that do not yield results and be willing to think outside the box”.”
The economic problem is real. The burden placed on healthcare, as well as expenses patients face to treat these preventable (in most cases) diseases is real, and utilizes scarce resources.
What if more of the Ministry’s resources, plus some from the Education Ministry, were used to develop and institute a better education programme to tackle all areas of health and wellness? Education should also include food manufacturers. I heard one CEO of a baking company refer to one of their new products as “healthy.” The nutrition data would prove that to be incorrect, given the amount of sugar it contains.
I harp on education because of my own experience. About 2 decades ago, I was very obese and decided to do something about it. A rigorous exercise programme and modification to my diet, led to a 38 pound weight loss in 8 months. At the time, I was very pleased with that result, but having better educated myself since 2016 about food and its effect on hormones and physiology, I realize I could have lost twice the amount of weight. The mistake was thinking that the big bowl of fruit and low fat yogurt, or oats I was eating for breakfast back then, was healthy. I repeat what I said in the previous paragraph: the nutrition data would prove that to be incorrect, given the amount of sugar it contains.
Steel cut oats with ripe banana and walnuts
So Minister Tufton, let’s have a rethink about an education programme, with a strong nutrition component, to tackle NCDs and get Jamaicans off their medications. And be sure to include educating our doctors and nurses. When I hear stories if some doctors giving their diabetic patients more insulin, rather than directing them to remove from their diet, what causes their glucose levels to rise, then I know that they need education too.
Implementing a sugar tax on companies who manufacture and/or sell unhealthy foods, is for another post.
Boy, did I need this today! No entry yesterday meant it was a rest day of sorts. I did a few swim strokes in the ocean but nothing much.
We had determined that Monday was going to be a cardio day and I would be working on my own. I knew I wouldn’t have felt like exercising afer work so decided to go in the morning when the gym was empty. Without any confirmation from the Trainer, I had determined that 30 minutes was enough. I was to later learn otherwise.
It was not working for me. I just did not feel like working out. And it wasn’t like it was early. I got there minutes to 8. I am SO NOT A MORNING PERSON! But, I am on a mission, ent? Hopped on the bike for 20 minutes. Evidence….
