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Healthy living tips for the New Year
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By Francesca Hangeior
What have we not talked about in our quest to live a healthy lifestyle on this platform? There is almost nothing that can aid the achievement of optimal health that we have not discussed.
We have talked about hydration, the role of nutrition in achieving optimal well-being, how not to live a sedentary lifestyle, diseases and how to manage them, spices and their benefits, probiotics, fermented foods, and lots more.
On this note, I just felt that since it is the beginning of a new year, we should remind ourselves of what we already know but may have lost guard on, before and during the Yuletide celebrations, especially because there was so much to eat.
It is a new year; we need to start on a clean slate.
Let us look at some healthy living tips:
Stay hydrated
Hydration is an important and often overlooked marker of health.
Drinking water is the best way to stay hydrated, as it is free of calories, sugar and additives.
Water is life. Do not wait until you are thirsty; this is the best way to beat dehydration.
Eat well
Margaret Mead rightly said, “It is easier to change a man’s religion than to change his diet.” For most of us, changing unhealthy eating habits is a Herculean task.
The truth is, you cannot fix your health until you fix your diet.
Good nutrition is tied to good health, as well as to the prevention and treatment of many health conditions.
By making conscious choices about what you eat and maintaining a balanced diet, you can boost your overall well-being, reduce the risk of chronic diseases and enjoy a longer, more fulfilling life.
That health challenge you are going through may not be hereditary but dietary. Remember that nutrition is not just about what you eat today, but an investment in your future health and vitality.
The cornerstone of a healthy diet should be to replace processed food with real food. Eating foods that are as close as possible to the way nature made them can make a huge difference to our health.
Be active
A sedentary lifestyle, characterised by prolonged sitting or lying down and little activity, significantly increases the risk of chronic diseases.
To avoid a sedentary lifestyle, break up long sitting periods with short bursts of movement, such as walking or stretching every 30 minutes. Use stairs instead of elevators. Find enjoyable activities such as cycling, swimming or dancing to meet weekly exercise goals.
Instead of using the car for short trips, walk. If you use public transportation, consider getting off one or two stops earlier and walking the remaining route. Invite someone to keep you company on a morning walk.
Get enough sleep
The importance of getting enough quality sleep cannot be overstated.
Poor sleep can drive insulin resistance, disrupt appetite hormones and reduce physical and mental performance.
What’s more, poor sleep is one of the strongest individual risk factors for weight gain and obesity. People who do not get enough sleep tend to make food choices that are higher in fat, sugar and calories, potentially leading to unwanted weight gain.
Feed your gut bacteria
The bacteria in your gut, collectively called the gut microbiota, are incredibly important for overall health.
A disruption in gut bacteria is linked to some chronic diseases, including obesity and a myriad of digestive problems.
Good ways to improve gut health include eating fermented foods and probiotic-rich foods such as yoghurt, sauerkraut, locust beans, ogiri, and others.
Incorporate spices into your diet
Spices are very good for you. They are packed with antioxidants, anti-inflammatory compounds and phytonutrients, offering benefits such as boosting immunity, improving heart health, managing blood sugar and fighting cell damage, while also adding flavour to food. Examples of spices include turmeric, ginger and cinnamon.
Eat the rainbow
The colours of fruits and vegetables are indicators of the nutrients they provide; your plate should always be a rainbow.
However, do not forget that some fruits can cause blood sugar spikes, so people with diabetes are reminded that not all fruits are safe for them.
Let me seize this opportunity to announce that African star apple, known as agbalumo in Yoruba and udara in Igbo, is in season. Remember that it has 100 times more vitamin C than oranges.
Use your medications
If you are already on medications, continue taking them. As you take them, also change your diet to a healthy one.
Limit sugary foods and drinks
While it is expected to find added sugars in the bakery section of supermarkets, you might be surprised to find hidden sugars even in the “health foods” aisle.
For instance, some brands of zero-calorie sweeteners, foods and drinks still contain added sugar.
Reduce the consumption of store-bought fruit juices and soft drinks. Stick to healthier options such as water, unsweetened tea, homemade tepache and zobo drink.
Stick to homemade meals. That processed food may be the reason behind your constant blood sugar spikes.
Try gardening
Get vegetable seeds and plant them. You can raise your desired vegetable species or varieties in plastic containers around your home if you do not have land to plant them.
Have regular check-ups
Regular check-ups can help find health problems before they start.
Health professionals can help find and diagnose health issues early, when your chances for treatment and cure are better. Visit your nearest health facility to check out the health services, screenings and treatments accessible to you.
Nurture your social relationships
We have talked about socialising and its benefits. Social relationships with friends, family and loved ones you care about are important not only for your mental well-being but also your physical health.
Studies show that people who have close friends and family are healthier and live much longer than those who do not.
Do not neglect your mental health
Mental health includes our emotional, psychological and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others and make choices.
True emotional and mental health requires one to accept, process and respond to things that are not always pleasant or positive.
What many refer to as “negative” emotions are part of the human experience; running away from them simply because they do not feel good does not support true well-being.
Having good mental health does not mean that you never go through bad times or experience emotional problems.
We all go through disappointment, loss and change. While these are normal parts of life, they can still cause sadness, anxiety and stress. Just as physically healthy people are better able to bounce back from illness or injury, people with strong mental health are better able to recover from adversity, trauma and stress. This ability is called resilience.
Whatever life throws at you, you must have high self-esteem, self-confidence and a zest for living.
Oyo State Governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, has hailed his Osun State counterpart, Senator Ademola Nurudeen Jackson Adeleke, on his re-election, describing the victory as a triumph for democracy and the people of Osun State.
Makinde, who is also Vice Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, said Adeleke’s victory was a reward for his commitment to serving the people and delivering good governance.
In a statement issued on Sunday by his Special Adviser on Media, Dr Sulaimon Olanrewaju, the governor commended Osun voters for demonstrating courage and determination in exercising their franchise despite what he described as violence and the use of federal power.
He urged Adeleke to see his re-election as an opportunity and encouragement to consolidate his achievements and deliver more development to the people of Osun State.
Makinde said the outcome of the election had once again demonstrated that power ultimately belongs to the people in a democracy.
“The results of the election proved again that the people reserve the absolute power in a democracy and that their movement will always triumph over all other considerations,” he said.
The governor also commended the people of Osun State for voting for their preferred candidate, saying their action demonstrated that the will of the electorate could prevail over political manoeuvring.
Osun State Governor and candidate of the Accord Party, Ademola Adeleke, has thanked God and the people of the state following his victory in the governorship election, saying he expects the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, to call and congratulate him.
Adeleke, speaking after the declaration of the election result, described his victory as a triumph for democracy and a reward from the people of Osun State for his administration’s achievements.
He thanked God for what he described as a successful election, saying the outcome reflected the people’s appreciation of his administration’s efforts in infrastructure, healthcare, security and other areas.
“I thank God Almighty for this victory. It’s a victory for democracy. Victory for Osun election,” Adeleke said.
According to him, the result was also a way for the people of Osun to repay his administration for its efforts in improving infrastructure, healthcare and security across the state.
He said: “The victory is a way Osun people is repaying me for the infrastructural developments, health, security and other things I have delivered for my people.”
Adeleke, who adopted a conciliatory tone after the election, said there was no victor and no vanquished, while expressing optimism that his main challenger would accept the outcome.
It’s no victor, no vanquish. I am expecting for the APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, to call me and congratulate me,” he said.
The governor also attributed his victory to his faith in God, saying, “I have a God who never fails.”
Adeleke further thanked President Bola Tinubu for what he described as a successful election.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Adeleke the winner of the election after he polled 511,067 votes, defeating Oyebamiji of the APC, who scored 444,815 votes.
Adeleke won in 19 of the state’s 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji won 11, giving the incumbent a 66,252-vote margin.
. 70-year-old grandpa nabbed, large consignments of opioids, others seized in Kano, Kwara, Edo, Plateau, Oyo, Delta sweeps
A 48-year-old businessman Nwankwo Innocent Onyebuchi who liquidated all his assets to chase a dream of quick riches in the illicit drug trade has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja Lagos, while heading to New Delhi, India, with 1.550 kilograms of cocaine cleverly concealed within the side walls and railings of his bag.
Nwankwo who deals in marbles in Lagos was arrested at the departure hall of terminal II of the Lagos airport while attempting to board a Qatar Airways flight to New Delhi, India.
A search of his check-in bag uncovered 1.550 kilograms of cocaine factory-fitted in the walls and railings of his bag.
In a candid confession that lays bare the desperation that fuels the drug trade, Nwankwo said he had sold off his marble business and every asset he owned to raise the ₦23 million he paid for the consignment, with the expectation of selling it in India for as much as N100 million.
With his assets gone, and Nwankwo’s dream of transiting from a marble trader to a drug kingpin effectively shattered following his arrest, the suspect remains in custody awaiting prosecution and likely time in jail.
In another operation, NDLEA operatives acting on credible intelligence raided a warehouse within a residential compound at 20 Hakeem Dosumu street Ago Palace area of Okota, Lagos, where a massive stockpile of codeine-based syrup was discovered.
A total of 3,776 cartons, comprising 377,600 bottles of the controlled substance, valued at over N2.6 billion, were recovered between Friday 7th and Saturday 8th August 2026.
In yet another intelligence-led operation, NDLEA operatives on Wednesday 14th August raided the residence of a 55-year-old kingpin Shoremi Kayode, at 37 Ogundare street, Ipaja estate, Ipaja area of Lagos, recovering 324 kilograms of Colorado, a synthetic strain of cannabis, with a street value of Nine Hundred and Seventy-Two Million Naira (N972,000,000).
Also recovered from the suspect were a Mercedes-Benz car and a Toyota Corolla car.
In Kwara, two suspects: Abubakar Adamu, 50, and Bilyaminu Nuhu, 30, were on Thursday 13th August arrested at Kam Wire area of Ilorin with 55.96kg skunk in a truck marked DKA 350 XL recovered, while two other suspects: 70-year-old grandpa Abdulfatai Oyelaran and Abdulrauf Ajadi, 50, were nabbed by NDLEA officers on patrol along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, Ibadan, Oyo state on Wednesday 12th August. Recovered from their Toyota Sienna vehicle marked FFA-115KA, include: 52,000 ampoules of pentazocine injection and 6,000 ampoules of tramadol injection.
A total of 124,100 pills of tramadol; 786 bottles of codeine syrup; 2,598 tablets of rohypnol;
4,800 tablets of diazepam; 470 ampoules of pentazocine injection and 200 ampoules of tramadol injection were recovered from two suspects: Osaro Ikpoba, 43, and Samuel Godbless, 18, along Onitsha/Asaba expressway on Thursday 13th August, while another suspect, Emeka Tony, 50, was nabbed with 1,244 pieces of cartridges and monetary exhibit of eight million naira (N8,000,000) only along Kwale/Ozoro expressway on Wednesday 12th August.
A Toyota Corolla car with registration number MKD 341 EA was intercepted by NDLEA operatives along Riyom/Jos road, Jos Plateau state where 239,490 caps of tramaforce, a brand of tramadol were recovered and a suspect Kasum Sherif arrested.
In Kano, six suspects were arrested on Monday 10th August by NDLEA operatives on patrol along Zaria-Kano road.
They include: Okodili Ibeabuchi, 60; Onyeka Vincent, 47; Nwanko Wisdom, 36; Success Chigozie, 30; Emmanuel Jude, 27; and Chinedu Peter, 39. Large consignments of opioids were recovered from them include 728,958 pills of tramadol, rohypnol, and others as well as 360 grams of cocaine, 99.8 grams of methamphetamine, 50 bottles of codeine syrup and and 2.7 kilograms of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis.
Also in Kano, NDLEA operatives on Friday 14th August raided the Zawaciki Gida Dubu, Kumbotso LGA, where they recovered 171 blocks of skunk weighing 106.8kg and arrested two suspects: Mustapha Iliya, 30, and Abdulwahab Abdulrashid, 24 in connection with the seizure.
A total of 4,628.9775kg skunk was destroyed on two cannabis farms that measured 1.851591 hectares at Ugboku/Igbanke forest, Orhionmwon LGA, Edo state where a suspect Agholor Elebojie, 40, was arrested in one of the farms during a raid by NDLEA operatives on Wednesday 12th August. Another suspect, Kingsley Anigala, 28, was nabbed with 25.857kg Loud and 93 grams of meth during a raid of drug joints at Oluku area of Benin city on Friday 14th August.
The War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy activities by NDLEA Commands equally continued across the country in the past week. Some of them include: WADA sensitization lecture delivered to students and staff of Madarasatu Sheikh Muhammad Rabi’u Arabic School, Kano and Olomu Junior Secondary School, Ajah, Lagos state, among others.
While commending the officers, men and women of MMIA, Lagos, Kano, Kwara, Edo, Plateau, Oyo and Delta Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) also praised their counterparts in all the commands across the country for pursuing a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.
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