Life is bitter-sweet; so should your diet

A lot of us go through life longing for a bed of roses, but life was never designed that way (unless you were born into a royal family perhaps).

However, even if life deals you such a great hand that you do not have to worry about money (or the lack of it) or family, there will be times when your health suffers due to a variety of reasons.

This could be in form of pain, aches, or general feelings of unwellness. From the numerous books I have read, and documentaries I have watched over time, I find that every ache or pain ever felt in any part of the body has inflammation as its common denominator.

What is inflammation?

Inflammation refers to your body’s process of fighting against things that harm it, like infections, injuries, and toxins, in an attempt to heal itself.

As with everything in life, there are opposites; inflammation is no different. For inflammation, there is anti-inflammation! If inflammation causes pain, anti-inflammation reduces pain. If inflammation causes ageing, anti-inflammation slows down the process.

Therefore, whenever you feel pain and go to a doctor, there’s a likelihood that the drugs you will be given will have anti-inflammatory functions which help reduce the pain.

However, it would interest you to know that there are natural foods that have these anti-inflammatory properties (and boost immunity), which when consumed could lead you to live a less painful life, which in my layman's opinion is mostly caused by artificial foods (and stress).

What to eat

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food” — Hippocrates

As a Christian, I find Genesis 1:29 quite instructive. It clearly states what sort of foods are ideal for man. A plant-based diet.

Plant-based diets are nutritional, medicinal, and anti-inflammatory in nature. Beans, cowpea, groundnuts, bitterleaf, cassava, pepper, tomatoes, onions, ginger, plantains, bananas, dates, tigernuts, rice, guavas, mangoes, bitter kola, honey (which is a derivative of plants), watermelons, pineapples, and others too numerous to mention.

So many herbs, seeds, and plants too numerous to quantify are excellent sources of protein, carbohydrates, and vitamins that are enough to sustain the body.

However, in a world full of bread, fish, beef, and chicken (and family and friends who love to eat them), it is almost impossible (as an African) to be fully vegan without looking out of place in society.

However, if you desire to be ageless and live an almost pain-free life, some sacrifices will need to be made.

Health tips

1. Sleep early and wake up early (preferably from 9 pm to 5 am). Groundnuts, tigernuts, and hot cocoa (with no sugar or honey) can be used to aid sleep.

2. Eat oranges (and their seeds) in the morning for quick bursts of energy.

3. Get as much sunlight as possible.

3. Eat breakfast (hot food is preferable for all meals of the day).

4. Get some exercise (mental and body). Have something you are planning for and have something you are working towards.

5. Eat lunch. Remember life is bittersweet, so should your food be. Eating bitter foods revitalizes your internal organs and keeps things flowing.

6. Don’t overly fret about things outside of your control. When you worry, you breathe less, when you breathe less, your body becomes inflamed.

7. Plan a light dinner in preparation for a good night’s rest. Remember, worry keeps you up at night.

9. Don’t complain and be grateful.

Things to note

1. Fruits, dates, and bitters are best taken on an empty stomach (before meals).

2. Ginger tea or raw ginger is best taken after meals.