The beginning of each year has a way of making us all feel we have turned over a new page and can have a fresh start. It does not take too long for most of us to realize that the same and sometimes even fresh challenges await us. If in your quiet moments you feel the New Year is over-rated then do realize that you are not in the minority.
Almost all sane people do enjoy great news and the feeling is trebled when the news is at the beginning of the year. Contrast such a scenario with what happens when terrible news is given centre stage. I am not sure which of the two scenarios is the lesser of two evils?;being faced with an increase in utility prices even before your Christmas décor is down or when taxes seem to have found a way of making pain palpable.
I do believe taxes ensure our development but that is only and only if ones tax money is put to obvious good use. How annoying can it be when you have man-holes right at the point where you pay road tolls or you come out of your front gate to see potholes competing for prominence? Why do we have to continue to work under such strain when our hospitals have little to save our lives when it matters most yet some privileged few seem to enjoy the fruits of our sweat? As much as you would have liked to sleep through this New Year gift of pain and a seeming lack of empathy on the part of the powers that be, your ever pounding heart and the sweat that constantly drips from your forward when you are awakened from a nightmare will just not allow you to be. I keep on increasing my number of sleep hours hoping that one of these days I will wake up to finally realize that the unthinkable acts of increasing taxes, increasing cost of utilities and fuel while we maintain salaries or only marginally increase salaries have nothing to do with REM sleep.
Maintaining good health does not depend on only positive lifestyle modifications but also a lot has to do with our mental frame of mind and when we are constantly bombarded with news that always appears to clearly erode our coffers then my dear reader we will also be eroding the gains we have made on our health.
This form of psychological torture is certainly not healthy. It has a tendency to end up increasing health bills as we become prone to more diseases. This same stress also reduces our burning desire to continue on the path that keeps us healthy. To combat such stress many of us may indulge in comfort foods and drinks that negatively impact on our health. So that act of increasing earnings for Government especially when citizens over the years have not seen a positive impact in their lives may end up causing the government more in terms of the need to pump additional money to treat diseases that are easily preventable.
From where I “stand” it appears that the timing of these measures and the quantum of change may end up causing more harm to us than may have been envisaged. I may be wrong though but the health economists should kindly help me out.


AS ALWAYS LAUGH OFTEN, WALK AND PRAY EVERYDAY AND REMEMBER IT’S A PRICELESS GIFT TO KNOW YOUR NUMBERS (blood sugar, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, BMI)

Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel
Moms’ Health Club/Health Essentials
(www.healthclubsgh.com)

Dr. Essel is a medical doctor, holds an MBA and is ISSA certified in exercise therapy and fitness nutrition.
Thought for the week – “For heart health you need to relax and have fun as well; schedule time for leisure, laugh often, learn to breathe deeply and maybe get a pet.”