My Journey

                                     “The secret to weight loss? –

                                                 eat less, move more.

                                                          It’s not rocket science”.

I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve had people say that to me in the past, either unsolicited, or when (for no other reason than a masochist streak I must have been unaware of) I decided to login to a weight loss website or pick up one of those weight loss books that have become so common these days.

What I just could never understand is – if it’s not rocket science, then why are there so many people out there longing or struggling to lose weight, but getting more unsuccessful and discouraged with each attempt. Currently, in the USA, obesity has been declared an epidemic and my home country (as in so many other things) is following hard in the steps of “big brother”, much to our detriment.

It’s amazing that in a developing country such as mine, one of those listed by the United Nations as requiring intervention in the fight against world hunger, there are so many that seem to be having the opposite problem – they seem to be suffering from surfeit!

I’m not here to discuss the reason why in a country where many are not sure of their next meal, some seem to be suffering the result of many more meals than necessary. No. In fact, just a few years ago I too was one of the later.

What I really would like, is to take a critical look at the ‘what’s’,’hows’, ‘why’s’ and ‘why nots’ of overweight and obesity. It’s a subject that is very close to my heart for various reasons, one of which is the fact that a couple of years ago it was -quite literarily- very close to my heart. Too close for comfort in fact. I had started experiencing obesity related symptoms which were being unmasked because of my then pregnant state. Thankfully I never was anything more than mildly obese before I chose to do something definitive about it.

The thing is, many of us (and trust me I can relate) are suffering not from chronic back, chest or knee pains, nor from early morning tiredness and very disturbing (at least to our partners) snoring or low libidos, we’re suffering from O.B.E.S.I.T.Y.

Surprised? The truth is that all the things I just listed are symptoms of obesity; not to mention the associated hypertension, diabetes, arthritis, heart disease (which often results in what is commonly called a heart attack) and myriad other non-specific signs and symptoms. I suffered from my own share of these until I lost 25kg (a little bit more than 50pounds). I didn’t just lose the excess weight, I also lost a good many aches and pains, as well as other symptoms that I never knew had anything to do with my size. I think what I found most startling was the fact that after I lost the last 10kg I dropped a shoe size. That was something I never expected to happen. Dress size and ring size – yes, but shoe size?! – Wait a minute!

I discovered many things along the way  that I never knew, and probably never would have known had I not started this journey. Not just about weight loss, but about myself, about healthy living, about relationships and about food in general. Now I can hear someone ask – “what in the blue blazes does weight loss have to do with relationships?” A lot, my friend. But that is a story for another day.

Like I said – for me, getting to where I am now was a journey. It’s a journey that I’m still on and I cannot claim to have “arrived” so to speak. I have so much more to discover. Still I also have a lot to share I think. So I’m going to request, in all humility, that you come alongside me in this journey and let’s discover all that there is to be discovered, about food, about life and about ourselves. Till we meet on these pages again (as the French would say) – Au revoir.

Eating on a budget in Boston

             CASH ONLY PLEASE

That's the first thing you see as you reach for the door knob at the entrance of Vietnamese Sandwich, an Asian fast-food place that serves everything from the most fantastic subs, to curried and barbecued chicken on rice, shrimp spring rolls, and  a host of other things. Down right unfriendly was my first impression. I mean you should at least wait for me to get a foot in the door right?

I'd been in Chinatown for more than six months before my friend Oni dragged me there one afternoon in between classes to grab a sandwich. My first surprise was the number of people we saw there. Hmm...m, I thought to myself as I got in line, you'd think that a place with a welcome greeting like that on the front door should be less busy at lunch time. Almost before I could complete the thought it was our turn to order. My next thought was - Wow that was fast. And things just kept getting better after that. Our server was quick but friendly and -Oh joy!- for the first time since I stepped into the USA I finally had a choice to order a sandwich that really did have some kick to it. But my greatest (and perhaps the most heart warming) surprise was still to come. Each sandwich we ordered was no more than $2.75! Loaded with chicken and chock full of veggies on an eight inch long roll, with peppers that made my tongue sing and my heart heavy for home. I was sure there must be some mistake.

My friend assured me there was none. "Seriously", she said, "Why do you think they're so busy at lunchtime? They'll be out of sandwiches before 4pm."

 She was right about that. I found this out to my dismay a few days later when I decided to work late and strolled down from school to grab a sandwich. It was just a few minutes past four when I swung the door open, trying very hard to ignore the unfriendly 'welcome' sign. Unfortunately they were all out of sandwiches and the curried chicken and rice which I'd enjoyed so much the last time I came. I would have been sad and mad had it not been for the attitude of the lady behind the counter. She kept apologizing so profusely and repeatedly that I started feeling bad on her behalf. Since I was in no hurry and they were cleaning up preparatory to closing, this time I had an opportunity to really look around and chat with the lady.

Vietnamese Sandwich is really a tiny shop that, besides the kitchen behind the counter, only boasts 3 tables and six chairs. With its light green walls and  glaring fluorescent lighting it's not exactly the place for a romantic night out. Still if you're looking to grab a quick meal or meet up with a friend while you eat something healthy that actually tastes great, Vietnamese Sandwich is the place for you. Not to mention that as prices go it's really easy on the pocket. I'd wondered how they managed to pay rent and keep the place open while still making a profit. I mean, I hardly thought it'd be a non-profit venture. I addressed my concerns to my new friend behind the counter, and she assured me that were indeed doing quite well for themselves. Most of the produce they use is sourced from nearby Haymarket, which allows them to obtain the materials they need at very low cost and sell their products at such cheap prices.

I thanked her for her time and patience and left, resolving to be there well before 4pm anytime I wanted to grab lunch on the go.

The Girl Effect

Someone -a guest lecturer at one of my international nutrition classes actually- once asked me: "If you could have one wish granted towards solving the problem of hunger in the world, what would it be?" Almost without thinking I blurted out - "Education for every girl". He didn't seem very impressed with my answer (apparently that wasn't quite where he was going) but I really didn't care. I felt very strongly then (and still do) that until we are able to offer that to the world, everything else we do is simply just a waste of precious time and resources. Okay I take that back; maybe not a total waste, but perhaps not the most prudent use of available resources. I have nothing against short term interventions towards ending hunger (afterall we don't want the girl to die of malnutrition while we're busy trying to educate her). Still my grouse against food aid, and all other measures like it, is that they shift focus and energy from long term, sustainable solutions to things that haven't exactly gotten us anywhere. Most of us are familiar with the saying - give a man a fish and you've fed him for a day; teach him to fish, and you've fed him for a lifetime.

Actually what I'm advocating here is not teaching men to fish, but teaching girls to read and write. 

Some weeks after I was served that question, I stumbled on this website on facebook - 'The Girl Effect'. Apparently there are other humans as wise as I who walk this earth. What a relief. Seriously though, if you've never heard of The Girl Effect It's a move started by probably some of the wisest people in the world. The central idea is to ensure education for every girl child and thus educate every nation, thereby reducing the problem of world hunger to almost nil.

If you're like some friends of mine and you're wondering what the heck girl education or women empowerment has to do with hunger, just click here to learn more.

When you're done educating yourself about the topic, go out there and do whatever little you can to educate a girl; any girl.

Just because you can.

Ever since my last piece on the issue of overweight and obesity in children, I've been besieged by questions on the subject, so I thought it only fair to come back here and attempt to answer some (if not all) of the questions.

Since the most common questions have been - "How do I prevent this in my kids?" or "What can I do about my overweight kid?" these are the two questions I'm going to address.

As always, the answer is almost annoying in its simplicity: let your kid be a kid.

Have you ever stood at the entrance of a play group for toddlers at closing time? I have and I'll tell you a secret - I've never seen a kid walk out sedately to a waiting car. They always come out at a run and then get to the car and hop or wiggle from one foot to the other until the car is opened (what we the adults would call fidgeting). If you stop to think about it you'll realize that most adults often find themselves shouting - "Don't run or you'll fall" (or some such equivalent) at these times.

I'd always wondered why kids do this, and decided to ask my then three-year-old niece. Her answer was short and sweet - "Because I can"
My adult brain just didn't get it (at least not at the time). She's eight years old now and still runs and hops "for no good reason", turns cartwheels on impulse (of course always closely imitated by her baby brother) and loves to swim, swing, and bike 'just because she can'. I know I must have been that way at some point in my life. What I just don't remember exactly is when and why I stopped running, hopping, and jumping, just for the heck of it. What happened to me? Again the answer is very simple - I grew up.

The thing is, if we allow or create circumstances that allow a kid to be a kid then, all things being equal, it's rare that you'll ever have an obese child on your hands.

The USDA recommends that the average child engage in active play (what my adult mind thinks of as exercise) for at least 1 hour every day. If you asked my four year old for an opinion, you can bet he would strongly agree with the USDA. The USDA also recommends that every child aged 2 and above consume a a varied diet consisting of foods from each food group, with emphasis on whole milk (or other dairy equivalent) for children under five. 100% fruit juices are the preferred drink instead of sodas, but should be limited to no more than half to one cup/serving to avoid robbing the child of her appetite at a later meal, as children fill up very easily. Other than that, healthful family meals rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, calcium and vitamin D (from oily fish) should suffice.

Most experts would recommend  that a total of 5-6 meals be offered in the course of the day - usually 3 main meals and 2 snacks. Depending on how picky your child is or other prevailing circumstances, your health care giver may recommend that you start your child on some multivitamin or the other. Still, if a child  does not suffer from any known health constraints and has a healthy appetite, ideally he/she would best obtain all the nutrients needed from their diet. Studies have proven again and again that most children who are offered these kind of choices will self-regulate and have almost no risk of overweight or obesity.

In these days when time, space and issues of security have become real challenges, the onus lies on the child's primary caregiver to deliberately create/ make time for opportunities for active play. Nowadays many gyms offer play space for children so that they get to 'play' while mum and dad 'work out' (Oh why did I ever grow up?).

Most good schools should usually have a large enough play ground with slides, swings, twisty towers and ladders (what the adults would consider brightly colored work-out equipment). The thing is to encourage your kid to spend less time infront of the computer or TV and more time on the playground/park; always accompanied by a capable adult of course. One woman I know actually bought a work-out dance video and had her kids work-out with her every day for one hour. They loved spending time with their mum and she found ready work-out partners that would never let her slide with her work-out program; a win-win situation if you ask me. Another good friend of mine makes it a point to hit the biking trail near her house with her whole family at least twice a week.

The issue is one of leading by example. Your kid will copy what she sees you do, so be what you want your child to become, just because you can.

In praise of motherhood.

What is it with us mothers? Yep. Today I'm focusing on all my sisters out there. Whatever your age or race, whatever the size of your pay packet, and whatever your vocation in life; if you're a mother, I'm talking to you. What is it with us? Why is it that even the most practical, shrewd, professional, loses all objectivity and capacity for rational thought when it comes to (what she perceives as) criticism of her child.

I was thinking this very thought a couple of weeks ago while I watched the mother of a very popular Hollywood teen idol (now infamous for her numerous run-ins with the law, and countless check-ins for re-hab). On being asked what her thoughts were as to her daughter's most recent escapade -theft at a department store- the said mother replied that she was sure that her daughter "...just forgot to return the item". Sure. How about I walk into Cartier's and just 'forget to return' that diamond necklace I've been dreaming about for ages?

But then I got to thinking about how each of us at different times has done the exact same thing when confronted with issues about our kids, the child's age regardless. Whether the child is 2 or 62, that gut reaction is almost always the same.

It was the issue of childhood obesity that got me thinking about this. True, first lady Michelle Obama has started a good thing with her School food campaigns and physical activity programs, but what good does that do if there is absolutely no support for this venture at home where it actually matters most? In fact several surveys have reported cases of parents who wouldn't even allow their kids to have a nutritional assessment done because it would involve weighing the child. As if somehow not having the figures in black and white would in any way alter the facts.

As a parent, I understand the fear of not wanting your child to be stigmatized for that kind of thing, especially since at the back of every parents mind is that tiny horrible voice saying that if there's something wrong with your kid's nutrition, it's got to be your fault somehow. There, I've said it. And therein lies the problem. We don't want to hear criticism of our kids, because even though it is not spoken and probably isn't even intended, what we hear is that WE must have done something wrong for our kid to have turned out this way. In other words - It's our fault. Let's face it: who likes to be blamed for anything? Not me.

The good news is - there is hope. Recent studies published in the Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics have shown, in children of various ethnicity and backgrounds, that it is possible for children to lose weight and maintain the weight-loss in a healthy manner over a long term period. To do this however requires commitment, particularly on the part of the parents and other care-givers in the home setting. To get to this point though, each of those parents had to take that very difficult first step - admitting that there was a problem. Only then could anything be done about it. My mum always said - "A problem acknowledged is nothing but a challenge with a solution in sight." The older I get, the wiser my mum appears in my eyes.

So, are you going to be the mother of the woman who walks into Cartier's and 'forgets to return' the diamond necklace? Or are you going to step up to the plate (pun not intended), acknowledge that there is a problem and be one of those strong women who help to turn the tide of the obesity epidemic in America? The choice is yours.

Time

Fourteen hours. Eight hundred and forty minutes. 50,400seconds...........

Some may say they're the same duration of time, but I say – it depends on the way you look at it.

Fourteen hours. That's the length of time my best friend labored before the doctors decided to do a C-section and get the baby out. When I finally got to see her that day, she told me it felt more like 50,400 seconds. Fifty thousand, four hundred seconds of grueling pain, wasted, since she still had to be sectioned at the end of the day. Well, I finally got to find out for myself what it felt like barely four months later. At exactly 4.28pm, when they placed my son in my arms at last, the hours fell away and seemed to meld into that one moment in time when I gazed at him, drinking in every detail of his tiny features. At that point I felt I could have done it all over again if I had to, and no, even though the nurse assured me that according to her charts I'd been in labor for twelve hours, it didn’t feel like 43,200 seconds.

Fast forward three years and 11months. I'm on board a Boeing 747 aircraft bound for America, with my eighteen-month-old nephew in tow. Fourteen hours later I'm staggering out of the immigration checkpoint into my sister's outstretched arms and I feel as if every one of the 50,400 seconds in that fourteen-hour flight had somehow developed feet and come to dance a jig all over me. By this time my nephew, who if the truth were known had probably handed out heavy boots to each of those seconds as they swung into action, was sleeping like a little angel - which he wasn’t.

Funny thing about time. I still remember way back when I was little. Whenever we had an aunt visiting and she would go on and on about how I was growing at the speed of light and “wasn’t it just the other day you were blowing out your first birthday candle?” I remember thinking - “What is she talking about? Time is crawling. Why can't I just hurry up and be sixteen already?” Now I'm the one who is amazed at the way my niece and nephew seem to be racing toward the sky, and exclaiming each time I get to see them. This, as you may well expect, is much to my niece's irritation.

Ten business days. Twelve days. Two hundred and eighty eight hours. 17,280 minutes. That's how long I've been waiting to get the debit card that goes with the checking account I opened when I arrived in Massachusetts. When I stormed into the bank two days ago to complain that I'd waited for more than two weeks, the nice-looking lady at the counter assured me that there really was nothing amiss and that I'd only been waiting eight days. I of course, being the reasonable person that I am, refrained from telling her that it felt more like 17,280 minutes.

If I'm honest, I'll admit that it's been only a couple of months since I left Nigeria for the USA. Months without sunshine that is so intense, you feel it before you see it. Hot, moist, still air that reaches for you and caresses your skin as you step out of the comfort of an air conditioned room. Heat and sunshine twelve months a year, three sixty five days every year. Months without that blistering heat. I swore that I wouldn’t miss it. It's funny how you begin to miss the things you never particularly cared for once they're out of your reach. Another thing I miss – pepper. Not the kind you sprinkle on your salad to give it some flavor, but eye-watering, “tongues-on-fire” pepper. The kind that has you reaching for your glass of water with each mouthful.

Time. Your doctor tells you you have to be on a particular medication for three days and you heave a sigh of relief. Three days of medication seems like nothing compared to the one month of treatment you had last year. But again, it depends on how you look at it - or who's looking at it. This point really came home to me when I had to explain to my four year old that he would have to be on that nasty medicine the doctor had prescribed for his throat infection for five days. Since he had not quite mastered the concept of days and times, I had to explain to him that five days meant “when we sleep and wake up five times.” With a voice that quavered with tears, he fixed those beautiful brown eyes of his on me and said - “but that is a very long time.” Looking at it from his point of view, I realized that five days is indeed a long time.

Speaking of time. Three hours. One hundred and eighty minutes. 10,800 seconds - that's how long I've spent writing this piece.

The true meaning of 'Nutrition'

Nutrition: 

                 1) The science or practice of taking in or utilizing foods 

                 2) A nourishing substance...

                                                                 (Webmaster's Medical Dictionary)

                 3) The act or process of nourishing or being nourished; 
                      specifically - the sum of  the processes by which an 
                      animal or plant takes in  and utilizes food...

                                                                                       (The Merriam Webster Dictionary)

Nourish:

                 1) to provide with food

                 2) to foster the development of.

Antonym :

                    (abandon, deprive, neglect, starve)

As much as it has become commonplace to use the word “nutrition” in the sense that the Webmaster's Medical dictionary interprets it, on further consideration it becomes obvious that the Merriam Webster Dictionary interpretation more closely approximates what nutrition truly is, in a holistic sense.

The subject of nutrition is indeed about food, but the first definition given above can be very misleading if one is led to assume that nutrition is only about the consumption of food. The second definition on the other hand presents the subject in a much broader sense which can be considered from two main viewpoints : 

1) That nutrition is a process. Not one action, but a series of actions among which food intake (or consumption) is just one small step. In other words, the process of nutrition straddles an entire series of events involving legislation, production (agriculture), distribution (storage, quality control, transportation, marketing), consumption, and the short and long term effects of food and physical activity choices on the health of the individual and in consequence the overall productivity of a nation.

To neglect or ignore any of these crucial steps in the process that is nutrition, is to do so at the expense of the achievement of the primary goal – the provision of high quality and readily available food to every individual in such a way as to bring about the optimum health and productivity of every citizen.

2) That nutrition in its most fundamental sense, is about development and growth.This too may be considered on two broad platforms: 

       a) Development of the individual and

       b) Socioeconomic development. In other words - development of the nation.

Development of the individual

A common ideology of many faiths is that man consists of more than just a physical body and that beyond this tangible physical body, man is also made up of a soul and a spirit. The soul, they claim, is the seat of the mind or man's intellect; from where our thought processes derive. If that is the case, then nutrition (beyond how we have come to view it) should cover the nurturing and development of the human body with food and regular, substantial, physical activity, as well as development of the mind and the human spirit.

Proponents of this ideology generally are agreed on the fact that the acquisition of knowledge and healthy interactions with other human beings constitute the “food” that the soul needs to thrive. It is perhaps on the issue of the ways that the human spirit can be nourished that opinions become divergent. Be that as it may, on the subject of the necessity of nourishing ones spirit (whatever the means employed) there is no dissension.

Some argue that it is the neglect of this very important (but much overlooked) aspect of nutrition and the consequent deprivation felt by individuals at a subconscious level that has contributed in no small way to the epidemic of obesity. Whether for reasons of loneliness, economic hardship, relationship failures or work related issues, stress is a normal part of life, something we all face daily. It attacks the mind and spirit and the individual senses it at a much deeper level than just the physical. Where there is no other known means of nurturing (defending) himself, he turns to what he is familiar with – food, to meet that need.

Development of the Nation

The importance of sound nutrition to the overall health and progress of a nation is another issue that is generally agreed upon; even in nations where little or nothing is done by governments to implement policies and programs that will ensure that the primary goal of proper nutrition is achieved.

In general, societies where malnutrition is prevalent, whether due to insufficient intake or excessive intake, are societies that experience considerable loss of manpower and productivity with consequent socioeconomic decline. Nutrition, and those involved in all its many processes, seeks to address this problem of lack on the one hand and surfeit on the other, which results in deprivation in the face of plenty.

Nutrition therefore is the sum total of all the processes that culminate in the physical, mental and spiritual health and well being of the individual and society as a whole. That's what nutrition means to me. So now the question is - What does the word 'nutrition' mean to you?