Former Opposition Leader, the Most Honourable Edward Seaga (centre) with his wife Carla and Ed Bartlett, Member of Parliament for East Central St. James at the Jamaica Labour Party's testimonial banquet in honour of Mr. Seaga held at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, Knutsford Boulevard, New Kingston last Friday night. In the background is Opposition Leader Bruce Golding. - WINSTON SILL/FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHERYESTERDAY, MAY 28, I was 75 years old, a chronological milestone in anyone's life. But it is also a biological milestone for me, because at this age, signs of wear and tear on body parts and body functions should be showing up or in some advanced stage. Those signs have not yet arrived in my case.
My health records from a full series of tests which I do three times per year, leave my doctor somewhat puzzled. The result of every test is in the normal band. This is not by accident. It is planned. I eat and drink with great care as if I am a diabetic, prone to heart disease, cancer and other killers. My wife has taught me the secrets of taking care of myself. I decided to make my health programme public in this column in the hope that it might help others.
I begin with diabetes which runs in my family. Although I am not a diabetic, I subject myself to the rigours of a preventative lifestyle. This means:
Substituting Splenda for sugar. This has opened up a whole new world to me and my fondness for sweet things because there is no shortage of sweet products which can be obtained without creating the damage of sugar:
Ice-cream, as good as the best.
Chocolates in various forms. Last week I got a pack of Choice chocolate biscuits filled with crushed peanuts made with Splenda, no sugar.
Various puddings.
Custard.
Drinks. I particularly like the flavoured waters produced by Bigga which also is a Splenda product with the usual soft drink flavours. You would never know that they are sugar free.
Swiss Miss cocoa, is a daily pick-me-up, again with Splenda, no sugar.
Starches or carbohydrates eventually end up as sugar after processing in the body. These are yellow yams, potato, rice and, of course, breads of all kinds. But here again there are alternatives which provide the same type of product without damage. Basmati rice has a low glycemic index which means that it converts to sugar more slowly thereby reducing the damage. Professor Errol Morrison, Pro Vice Chancellor and Dean of Graduate Studies at the University of the West Indies, and Jamaica's leading expert on diabetes, tells me that it has now been found that yam has exceptional qualities to lower blood sugar and cholesterol. I eat it crushed, when I can get it. But my wife, also whips cauliflower with milk producing a product which tastes exactly like mashed potato. As for bread, there are several whole grain breads which, like basmati rice, beat the carbohydrate trap with a low glycemic index. The Seven Grain bread is the best but often unavailable.
Fats are not a problem for me. Avoid fatty meats to begin with. I eat meat maybe twice, maximum three times, weekly. Mostly, my meat kind is chicken, other days it is fish, crab backs or shrimps. Vegetable oils avoid the
dangers of a build up of
cholesterol which results from the use of oils derived from animal fats. The body does need some fat, particularly for the brain. I have reinstated coconut water (a glass daily) and hope to return to my four o'clock coconut jelly because of the fatty content, now that the coconut is back on the list of health foods.
Soya milk is my substitute for whole milk. Whip it with a fruit (banana, mango, papaya) and it is both delicious and very healthy.
Calcium is a necessity to replace bone loss. I take calcium pills daily, aided by FOS
AMAX to improve bone mass.
I used to go light on eggs because of the cholesterol content but I have now read that the choline content of eggs is good for the memory and three eggs per week are in order. That helps to fill out the dull breakfast routine.
Supplements are necessary. I take vitamins, beta carotene, cod
liver oil, baby aspirin and calcium. These are taken each morning with a glass of pure orange juice rich in vitamin D. One or two glasses of red wine before dinner is my other indulgence, but the cost is too high to keep this up as a regular pattern. Red wine is known to be beneficial to the heart.
I am not a rigorous follower of the regime, since I do not have any of these ailments. My regime is simply preventative. So once in a while I 'bus out' without over-doing it, because there are always dinner invitations to contend with.
The end result of this regime which I adhere to as much as possible is a loss of 30 pounds in weight over two years, without the strain of any dietary regime which denies you the pleasure of many tasty foods. At the same time, the result is also a clean bill of health.
This brings me to exercising which I am very poor at doing because of my life style, and besides, its boring. But I have worked out a plan for a good walk three times weekly because I know that I am tempting fate by avoiding aerobic exercise. The only problem is that while with the weight loss I don't have a problem getting into my clothes, my suits have a problem hanging on me. So what is going to happen when exercising peels off more weight ? It's a good thing that I kept some of my old college suits !
I am making my lifestyle public in the hope that the information will help some of my juniors to improve their health and life span. But there is another sound reason. Poor people have no such information nor is there any programme to assist them on learning how to eat. Their diet is heavy in starches and mostly it is packed into one heavy evening meal. This is a prescription for diabetes and heart ailments.
The result of these unhealthy practices is widespread cases of 'sugar' and 'heart'. So many poor people lose their sight and limbs to say nothing of life.
There is so much that can be done by way of public education regarding proper diets. Better yet, the school curriculum is where to start by introducing nutrition as a curriculum subject along with other lifestyle subjects which play a vital role in future health. HIV/AIDS, Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) come readily to mind.
It would cost far less, I believe, to provide a solid programme of public education (TV, radio, lectures) than it is at present costing to deal with blindness, loss of limbs, strokes, paralysis and the crippling effects of arthritis.
Then there is the mind. I marvel at how the poor cope with the terrible pressures of poverty, particularly when in somewhat more than half the cases these burdens fall to women. Their burdens should at least be lightened by helping them to be more healthy.
Finally, I am constantly encouraged by those who on greeting me marvel at how well I look. Well, I feel younger too and my mind is even sharper without having to deal with political issues, so I have decided to change my age by deed poll to 70 to start this new journey into a continued future of good health. God's willing.
Edward Seaga is a former prime minister. He is now a Distinguished Fellow at the UWI. E-mail: veritasja@lycos.com
