DIET TO BE RIGHT
Over the years, these are words that never cease to surprise
me especially when my cousin says, “Eiii, the person who brought hygiene to
this world was killed by cholera” or a friend utters, “the person who brought
hygiene to Ghana was killed by a ‘Borla car’ (a vehicle used to collect
rubbish) or the recent one, which my colleague at work laughs about saying, “Madam,
the person who brought hygiene to this world was killed by germs”. These are
comments used by some people to suggest that someone is unnecessarily trying to
be conscious of their hygiene. But is it not worth the conscious effort to be
mindful of one’s hygiene? I really don’t know which angle exactly to take this
from because this is a very broad topic, which needs to be considered with some
specificity, in other to facilitate an appreciation of every single detail. Since
I want to share my very disgusting experience with you, I guess I might just
have to start with food hygiene. These are basic tips we all know but
unfortunately take for granted.
One Saturday morning, as I alighted from a bus at the Kwame
Nkrumah circle where I had to meet some friends to go to a pre production
meeting, I could smell the sweet aroma of different soups and stews coming from
all directions. For a second I was impressed at how food vendors at Circle
could try so hard to attract customers just with the aroma of their dishes,
until I saw this beautiful young lady squatting beside one of the vendors.
Passing through, I wondered what she was doing down there (it’s not what you
are thinking) then I realized she was working. Guess what! The aromatic okro
stew was all over the ground which I think mistakenly poured. With a plastic
bowl in her right hand, she was collecting the okro stew back into a bowl,
which I strongly believe was meant to be used to serve customers, judging from
the way she was carefully collecting the stew from the ground. Don’t forget the
sand, pieces of stone, dung, spit, urine, vomit (I’m sorry if that is a bit too
detailed) and the hundreds of people who walk all over the place daily. Then I swore
never to eat outside again. But I lied, cos I just can’t run away from it.
It is very disturbing the manner in which people handle food
in the country. This starts right from the farming methods to market places
where ingredients are kept and sold, to the kitchens and cooking conditions. I’m
sure you must have experienced a situation where you go into a restaurant or a
chop bar, raise you head over the counter, and then you are welcomed with an
unpleasant sight of dirty dishes, wet floor among other discouraging views in
the kitchen, which magically makes you lose appetite. You are taken aback but
cannot refuse the food since you have ordered it already. Now I can imagine
that look on your face and the rate at which you were eating the food.
In modern times, the responsibility of women especially in
the world of work considerably reduces the rigid perception that the work of
the woman ends in the kitchen. Women used to be the custodians of what we eat
in our homes, determining the diet of most African households. But today, the
chefs of our time include people we have not met before, machines of some unknown
origin (for ready to eat and ready to serve foods especially) and farmers who
use the best possible means to make returns from their farms regardless of how
poisonous these chemicals may be.
Since we have less control on the farming methods and the
life threatening activities by some farmers to produce food crops, it is only
prudent that we are mindful of the quality of food we eat. The working class of
today especially hardly make time to relish homemade meals during the course of
the week and are compelled to eat outside, from restaurants, chop bars and
other food joints. However the issue is, if you get the opportunity to cook any
food at home, cook it safe and healthy. You may want to work to make life
better, but don’t forget the quality of food you eat determines how long you
live to enjoy those conditions you create for yourself. I happened to be in the
kitchen with a friend to prepare something to eat, and when she realized how
cautious I was about the conditions of preparation, she blurted out, “Even food
in restaurants and chop bars you eat! Which chop bar cook will find a big fat
rat in their soup and pour it away? You eat cockroaches and peoples sweat
everyday”. So I said, if I eat cockroaches in chop bars, it doesn’t mean I
should eat cockroaches my entire life. This is just to say, find time to cook
some healthy meals at home, even if it means preparing your soups and stews
over the weekend to make things easier.
After all the numerous issues about the healthy nature of
our diets, it is important to note that hand washing before and after meals is
magical and can save you a great deal of stress and illness. This is basic
knowledge that I perhaps should be preaching to primary one pupils, but it is a
common concern among people of all ages. When you step out of your door, you
touch a lot of items, shake a lot of hands, and handle door knobs among others.
Maybe you washed you hands with soap and water or perhaps used a sanitizer, but
what happened to the person whom you gave a handshake? They may have touched
certain things especially when they used the bathroom or sneezed in their palm without
cleaning his hands. This is where those germs are transferred to you and you
smile at them in return.
Still on hand washing, let me share my reckless adventure with
you. One evening in Senior Secondary School, after taking a meal of kenkey with
fried fish (I did dinner really late, which is a bad thing) I was chatting with
my friends in my room to the extent I fell asleep without washing my hands. The
next morning I was feeling pains at my finger tips, which I ignored. The pain
was becoming so unbearable, and then I decided to check my fingers to see what
was wrong. Good Lord, my fingers were chipped by a mouse (unfortunately there
were mice in that part of the dormitory). What on earth could mice be doing
with my fingers while I was asleep? (I’ll spare you the details). But the
morale behind this ‘escapade’ of mine is, never take hand washing for granted. Washing
your hands when handling food rids you of bacteria or any unwanted substances
and ensures that food contamination and poisoning is avoided.
One thing that is also really convenient but to an extent
unhealthy is the intake of packed foods. Ready to serve and ready to eat foods
on the market range from different manufacturers. Some manufacturers are able
to sell their brand, which gives the impression that those products are healthy
and therefore are preferred to others. This may not be true. Too much
consumption of ready to eat foods is not advisable because there are always
chemicals and preservatives which sometimes kill the nutrients in the food or
otherwise reduce the amount of nutrients required by the body. In as much as we
cannot avoid these can foods, great care should be taken in treating them
before consumption. Most Ghanaians buy can foods for instance in the market without
checking the expiry date, storage processes and or even the state of the
container of the food. Some metallic cans containing food may be rusted, which
makes it extremely dangerous to consume with the risk of being contaminated.
Since they are intended to be eaten as they are, most ready
to eat foods have storage instructions which must be read and understood in other
to avoid contamination. These items are usually sterile packed and can be
heated to make them more tasty. However, do not over heat ready to eat foods
since they are meant to be eaten right on opening and may lose nutrients. Do
not eat foods left overnight without preservation. Don’t feel lazy to check the
expiry date of a product, because you risk the chance of buying a contaminated
product. I must also add that, it is not advisable to buy can products which
have been displayed in the sun. This may affect the color, taste and quality of
the food.
These are simple rules to enhancing a healthy life which can
never be done for an individual by any doctor or a dietician. Therefore it is a
choice to abide by these basic rules. Who knows, that may be the secret for you
celebrating a centenary on Earth.
EAT RIGHT TO LIVE RIGHT
