1. food and drink
2. food
3. grains and pasta

HOW TO FIGHT
THE MAJOR
DISEASES IN
NIGERIA WITH
WHAT YOU EAT
BY
DOMINIC UWAJEH
CONTENT
INTRODUCTION ………………………………………………………………….... 2
HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE …………………………………………………….…. 4
DIABETES …………………………………………………………………..……………6
HEART RELATED DISEASES ……………………………………………………9
KIDNEY RELATED DISEASES …………………………………………………..11
HEPATITIS B ……………………………………………………………………………13
CANCER …………………………………………………………………………………..14
FIBROID …………………………………………………………………………………..16
SUMMARY/CONCLUSION………………………………………………………..17
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INTRODUCTION
Presently in the world today there are various forms of diseases with
different funny names but very deadly killing people every second most of
which are actually caused by humans often unknowingly. In the world
today with 7 billion people and Nigeria with over 160 million present in it,
doing the mathematics involved Nigeria occupy 2.29% in the world’s
population while Africa has the poorest healthcare system in the world. As
said there are different diseases in the world today particularly present are
those more common with the old (age 40+).
One thing people fail to realize is that even with the present economic
situation in the country one can still live a peaceful life no matter the
disease diagnosed by your doctors with what you eat. Not all diseases can
be treated or cured but one thing is sure and that is all diseases can be
managed and one may end up living longer than another who wasn’t
diagnosed with any of this through what you eat. Your regular food intake
and diet helps in most cases fight away that sickness of yours. One may say
you don’t have money, you can’t afford the sort of food forgetting that the
sorts of food are what you eat daily is still what you will be eating the only
difference is that now their intake may be modified planned or reduced.
Through this course of this book we will go through some common diseases
diet plans present in Nigeria and the world such as High Blood Pressure,
Diabetes, Hepatitis B, Colorectal Cancer and other cancer, fibroid etc. most
of which have no cure or a particular drugs that will make them go away but
one thing that can happen is that it can actually be managed and you
yourself will not even know that you have this when you follow the diet
plans. If there is any food or foodstuff that may be difficult for you to get or
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prepare it, go for a substitute and I am optimistic that all will be well with
you.
NOTE: The information present in this article is not intended to replace
the advice of a doctor rather it is meant for the individual to know and
understand more. The author hereby disclaims any liability for the
decisions you make based on this information.
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HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
High blood pressure or mostly known as High B. P. it is caused by a number
of reasons and it depends upon the individual some of which includes; your
daily stress, lack of exercise, weighing too much or being obese etc. one way
to fight this is by reducing your salt intake as well as sodium in your diet,
limit alcohol intake, be physically more active, cut down your carbohydrate
intake, try not to think too much or make yourself get worried. Some signs
of High B. P. include; unable to sleep at night, excessive sweating, swelling
of the legs, excessive tiredness, itching of the body, constant headache at
one part of the brain, feeling irritated easily etc.
I call this the root of all sickness because if not properly managed (it has no
cure) it could lead to more severe disease like diabetes, kidney failure, heart
attack, hypertension etc. here is a good diet plan that will help fight against
high blood pressure.
Days of the week
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Breakfast
Boiled Yam/Egg
or stew
(2 – 3 pieces)
Bread and hot
beverage(with
less sugar
(2-4 slices))
Moin Moin and a
hot beverage
(1/2 – 1)
Wednesday
Bread and hot
beverage(1-3
pieces)
Thursday
Breakfast Cereal
and hot beverage
Lunch
Coconut rice
(3- 4 table
spoons)
White rice and
stew with
vegetable and
beef (2-4 spoons)
Yam and
vegetable sauce
and fish
(2-5 pieces)
Edikang Ikong/
Wheat
meal/Semolina
(1 and half cup)
Vegetable yam
pottage
( 2- 4 spoons)
Dinner
Spaghetti and
stew/ fish
(1-3 spoons)
Fried yam
plantain(chips)
Fried yam
plantain(chips)
Spaghetti and
stew or pepper
soup
Goat meat
pepper soup
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Days of the week
Friday
Saturday
Breakfast
Boiled
potatoes/stew/
vegetable sauce
(1-3 pieces)
Akara / boiled
oat
Lunch
Edikang Ikong/
Wheat
meal/Semolina
Vegetable yam
pottage
Dinner
Moin Moin /
Steamed
vegetable/ Pap/
Custard
Potatoes and
Dodo
You may want to alternate the days it doesn’t matter so far you don’t
alternate the routine, and you need to adhere strictly to the instruction
listed on the introduction page on what to avoid. It is always advisable to
always take the fruit in the season rather than taking the processed one in
form of juice and you need to take them in moderate quantity and not in a
lot so as to watch your sugar level against “diabetes”. In general take a
dietary approach to stop hypertension (DASH) eating plan, always make
sure you check your blood pressure at least 3 times in a week with 140/90
being for normal blood pressure.
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DIABETES
Diabetes is a condition whereby the body fails to utilize its ingested glucose
properly. It is a disease in which the person has high blood glucose (blood
sugar) which is due it insulin production in the body either the person does
not produce insulin at all or the insulin production in the person’s body is
not enough for it, there are three types of which the first two happens to be
the most common and favours this book. Type 1 are those who their body
don’t produce insulin at all, which account in general for less than 20% of
people with diabetes while Type 2 are those people which their body
produce insulin but the insulin produced is not enough for the body and
over 70% diabetes patients are Type 2 and it’s on the rise by the day.
Diabetes is more prone to be hereditary and people are more prone to Type
2 as they get older, the most common symptom for it is if sore fails to heal
or it takes more time for it to heal. Foods to avoid when one has diabetes
include all Soft drinks, malt, Quinine, confectionary products like chinchin, Doughnuts, Cakes, Meat pie, Beverages like Milo, Ovaltine, Bournvita,
Hollicks, other includes Lucozade, Sugar, Glucose, Sweet, Chocolate,
Candy, Ice cream, any form of alcoholic drinks etc. Food and drinks that are
allowed includes all form of protein and low fat all form of edible vegetable
present to man, tea, coffee, herbs and spices (should be in limited quantity).
A perfect diet time table for one who has diabetes is given below
Day of the week
Sunday
Breakfast
Bread/Egg
(2 – 4 slice)
Lunch
Beans/ Beans
family
(2 cups)
Monday
Potato and
Stew/fish/Tea
(3-5 small sizes)
Moin Moin/ pap
(1 wrap)
Tuesday
Bread/low fat
cheese/ Tea
Semolina/ Ugu
soup/Skimmed
fish
(1 and half cup)
Dinner
White rice and
stew with
Steamed
vegetable(2-4
spoons)
Eko/Agidi and
Bitterleaf soup
and Snail
(2 wraps)
Akara and pap( 4
balls)
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Days of the week
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Breakfast
Boiled plantain
partially ripe and
vegetable sauce
Bread/Egg and
Tea
(1-3 slices)
Moin Moin and
Tea
(half or one
wrap)
Akara and
pap/custard
(4 balls)
Lunch
Beans or Beans
family
(1 cup)
Pounded yam
and vegetable
soup
(1-2 wraps)
Rice and stew/
skimmed fish
(1-4 spoons)
Dinner
Eko/Agidi and
vegetable soup
(1 wrap)
Pasta or pasta
family
(1-3 spoons)
Rice and stew
with steamed
vegetable and
white meat
(1-4 spoons)
Boiled potatoes
and vegetable
sauce
(1-3)
Vegetable salad
and/or pepper
soup
Fruits present in the season can be taken but they need to be half ripe and
not fully ripe, patient can always eat crackers biscuits and cucumber. For
patients newly diagnosed with diabetes they should always check their
blood sugar with their blood sugar glucose meter (BGSM) every day before
and after meals in addition to their blood pressure and they should always
make sure that both are normal or moderate at any condition, while those
who have been on it for quite some time should check it at least twice in a
day. Some patients with diabetes Type 2 may check their blood sugar level
and find out that it is lower than expected in situations like this it is
advisable to take a sugary substance, because it is better for your blood
sugar to be high (in which you can bring it to normal) than for it to be low
because low blood sugar level can lead to coma which eventually leads to
death in most cases in a matter of minutes (LOW BLOOD SUGAR KILLS
FASTER THAN HIGH BLOOD SUGAR).
In general people suffering from diabetes can undergo lifestyle modification
because diabetes cannot be cured but it can be managed in fact the previous
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statement is what most doctor would tell you to do in addition to you taking
whatever drugs that is been prescribed for you.
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HEART RELATED DISEASES
There are various forms of heart related diseases in the world today, most
of which has common symptoms as that of diabetes and high blood
pressure but the most common of them is heart failure. Heart failure does
not mean that your heart is no longer working rather it simply means that
your heart is unable to pump enough blood for it. In addition diabetes and
high blood pressure causes are also the cause of heart related disease while
others include Obesity, Smoking, Anemia, Faulty heart valves, Myocarditis
(inflammation of the heart muscles) etc.
Some of the food that can be used as preventive measure include food rich
in Vitamin E such as vegetable oils, such as soya, Green oils, vegetables,
Garlic, unrefined vegetables such as, whole grain, cereals, some yellow label
tea, such as Lipton, Toptea, etc. fish that contains oil such as Sardine,
Mackerel, Tuna. One cannot really have a schedule diet for one suffering
from heart related disease, what is usually prescribed is the above listed
food and a diet for the person to follow and most especially for the person
to undergo regular exercise.
Those suffering from heart failure tend to have an increase need for
nutrition and should consume food more in carbohydrate and fat because
poor health tend to affect food choices. Most people suffering from heart
failure tend to have loss of appetite thereby proving it more difficult for one
to have a diet timetable, so whoever it is that is preparing the food should
make sure that the food is appetizing in whatever means available for the
patient. There may be some salt restriction on the food which depends
mainly on the extent in which the heart failure has gotten, those whose
conditions are severe need to take less compared to those whose own are
mild.
Some people may find their food tasteless which will in general have a bad
effect on their diet one way to add flavor to the food is with the use of some
herbs and spices like ginger and garlic which should also be limited
depending on what the doctor has to say about what to take and not to take.
In conclusion try in whatever way possible to ensure that patients should
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have appetite and the feeling of hunger by whatever means available to the
person.
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KIDNEY RELATED DISEASES
Kidney related disease accounts for one of the world’s biggest killers and it
is also very common in Nigeria. In most cases kidney diseases are outcome
of ill-treated diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure and they also
share common causes as well as symptoms, some common causes include,
taking much sugar, salt, eating too many processed foods, taking foods high
in potassium in addition to those common to both diabetes and high blood
pressure. Some common symptoms includes; little urine when you urinate,
lack of appetite, swelling of the legs, itching at the back, Nausea, always
restless, tired and sleepy.
A major form of kidney disease is kidney failure which simply means that
your kidney can no longer remove waste product and balance the required
mineral content present for the body to perform its required function, for
those whose situation is quite bad they will need to be on dialysis
(purification of the blood) for those within stage 1 of kidney failure can get
their kidney back to its shape by eating the right food at adequate
proportion following the timetable below.
Days of the week
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Breakfast
Moin Moin and
Pap
(1 – 2 wraps)
Bread and egg
(2 slices)
Bread and stew
(2 slices)
Wednesday
Pancake/
sauce/Tea
Thursday
Dodo / baked
veggie and Tea
Breakfast cereal
and Tea
Akara and
Friday
Saturday
Lunch
Amala and
Gbegiri
(2 wraps)
Fruit salad
(moderate)
White rice and
stew/ vegetable
sauce
(1-4 spoons)
Beans/beans
product
(1 cup)
Boiled yam /Efo
Riro
Beans pottage
Pounded yam
Dinner
Bitterleaf soup
and fish
Dodo and
vegetable sauce
Pepper soup
Noodles and
sauce
Fish pepper soup
Spaghetti and
stew / fish
Rice and stew/
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pap/custard
and banga soup
fish
Depending on the extend of the kidney disease and the kind of drugs that
are prescribed one may be advised not to eat meat, fish, egg or any of it
sort. It is always advisable to stay away from salt. One may take food rich in
calcium and iron which also depends on the extent of the disease and
exercising will not be a bad idea as well.
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HEPATITIS B
In Nigeria presently there is an ever growing case of hepatitis with little
knowledge and awareness given to the public, there are various forms of
hepatitis A, B, C, E but hepatitis B is most common in Nigeria. Hepatitis B
is a virus which causes the inflammation of the liver. It can be caused by a
number of ways most of which is similar to Human Immunodeficiency
Virus (HIV) in fact hepatitis C kills faster than Acquired Immune
Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). One can come in contact with the virus by
having unprotected sex, born to a mother with hepatitis B, using needles or
blades already used by someone with hepatitis B etc. some of the symptoms
of hepatitis B includes tiredness, upset stomach, fever, loss of appetite,
yellow urine, pains in the joints, jaundice( yellowing of the skin and eye).
Presently there is no cure for hepatitis B, but it goes away on its own after a
while with a vaccine which has proven to be successful. As long as the
hepatitis B has not caused severe damage to the liver there is no need for a
special diet all the patient have to do is reduce the level of strenuous
activities, drink a lot of water and avoid drugs (illegal or unprescribed) or
alcohol otherwise matters might only get worse. One way to fight against
hepatitis B is with multivitamin you need to have enough multivitamins
present in the body. Studies show that they help go a long way in releasing
antibodies which fight for the body. So vegetables and fruit are highly
essential and its usefulness cannot be overemphasized.
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CANCER
Cancer is one of Nigeria’s major problems now, with various forms and part
that it occurs in the body. Cancer cases has risen quite high to a large extent
with the common ones include breast and cervical cancer for women while
colorectal cancer is common for men, liver cancer is common for both
sexes. Depending on the stage in which the cancer was detected it can be
cured and such a person can go on living with his life, but most times it is
usually detected late where the conditions would have gone far worse. One
cannot really point out the particular cause of cancer that is why a healthy
diet and regular checkup is always advisable in addition to a good lifestyle
would be the best way to stay clear from cancer. Although some form of
hepatitis (A and C) can lead to cancer, in fact hepatitis C if not properly
taken care of can lead to cancer of the liver.
Some cancer fighting food include Cabbage, Broccoli, green vegetables they
contain enzymes which help fight cancer especially breast cancer, Cabbage
helps to fight against lung and prostrate cancer. There is need for the
individual to have the presence of vitamins in the body such as vitamin C
which is an antioxidant. It is most times advisable for people to eat food
rich in vitamin C than getting vitamin C tablets, also multivitamins rich
food such as vegetables( okra and ugu) would help and avoid taking too
much alcohol (more details on this at the conclusion).
Most patient suffering from cancer tend to have lack of appetite try in
whatever means to make sure they eat food rich in vitamins and
multivitamins than for them to take drugs that do this because it is still the
kidney that will do the work when drugs are taken. Ginger and Garlic are
supplement that are useful for making the food tantalizing, they also go a
long way in fight cancer especially those who go for chemotherapy, they
help reduce nausea and vomiting to a large extend, generally ginger helps to
reduce vomiting and spitting by over 60%. Beans help to fight cancer also
especially colorectal cancer it contain vitamin B and it is also protein which
is generally necessary for fighting cancer. Water and other drinks (not soft
drinks) are essentially good for people with cancer as a result of
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dehydration. In fact depending on the cancer and its extent some doctor
would actually prescribe some energy drink like Lucozade.
Yogurt is generally good for the body. It helps to regulate a good bowel
movement as well as stomach upset, studies also show that in other to
prevent and fight colorectal cancer yogurt is generally needed. Spinach is a
good source of vitamin A, E and K which contain antibodies that help fight
against breast, cervical and liver cancer. Milk and Milkshakes provides the
body with iron and calcium which provides antibodies which helps fight
against the growth of cancer cells in the body. Some other fruits which
contain antibodies include carrot, cucumber, tomato, pepper (red and
green), bitter leaf, vegetable and the fruit in the season. Depending on the
type of cancer food high in calories (energy) may be required as well as
those low on fibre.
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FIBROID
Presently in Nigeria 9 out of every 10 woman has fibroid. Fibroid is a
noncancerous growth present in the uterus or womb of a woman. Fibroid in
most cases occurs naturally, a woman may only need to worry about fibroid
depending upon its position, size and number of growth found in the pelvic.
Most women don’t usually know that they have fibroid and doctors also say
that it is not necessary to bother unless it is causing pains in stomach, pains
during menstruation or other pains. Doctor says it is best advised to do
nothing because it naturally comes and goes naturally. Fibroid in most
cases tend to vanish or disappear after menopause that is why doctors say it
is best to do nothing unless it is causing pains. One way to fight against it is
by eating fresh fruits and food. Fruits should be properly washed before
been eaten so as to avoid germs which in most cases causes the growth of
the disease.
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SUMMARY/CONCLUSION
So far we have discussed about the major diseases present in Nigeria, ways
to prevent them and how to fight them with what you eat one thing I must
point out in this case in which I have left for the last is alcohol
consumption, you see most disease which I talked about in this book the
severity can actually be reduced with a reduction in alcohol consumption, if
you don’t consume alcohol forget about the next few thing I would be
saying. Your alcohol intake as well as drugs used has an adverse effect on
your liver, kidney and heart so in most cases doctors don’t actually tell you
to stop your alcohol intake because they know it will be impossible to do so
suddenly what they say is reduce it gradually until you finally stop, this also
goes to those who smoke as well because it also has the same effect.
Nigerians tend to eat a lot of fried foods such as meat, fish eggs, stew, soup,
they fry their food before or as they prepare it which kills some useful
antibodies that could help fight against some diseases and also eating too
many fried substance is one of the major cause of high cholesterol level in
Nigerians, try and cut it down rather than you frying it is better to boil. The
use of spice(s) should be reduced. Unless those who suffer from lack of
appetite adding too many spice at once to a food is dangerous to the kidney,
eating of red meat is also not advisable and it should be minimized rather
than eating red meat it is better to go for fish or chicken, otherwise it could
to the blockage of the heart.
Nigerians most times don’t go for quality they go for quantity thereby
making most of their meals lacking one form of nutrient or another most
especially calcium and iron, so it is advisable to take adequate milk and
food rich in calcium and iron.
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Regards
Dominic Uwajeh
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