Know the benefits of eating breakfast but unable to eat? Here are 7 tips.

In a day, it is recommended for an individual to eat three meals; breakfast, lunch and supper. This ensures that we supply our body with its fuel, food. Among these three meals, breakfast is considered the most important. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day because the energy stores of the body needs refill after embarking on an involuntary fasting during the night. Starting the day on low energy can make us to easily lose concentration, lethargic, irritable etc. Breakfast also provides us the energy to sustain us till lunch reducing the number of times we will go for snacks. Additionally, eating breakfast will help not to make an individual desperately hungry to eat just anything, consequently helping the individual to make the right food choices during the day.

Unfortunately, people miss out on the benefits derived from breakfast due to reasons such as not having an appetite for breakfast, not having enough time, not having food around, not knowing what to eat, forgetting to eat breakfast, to save cost and wanting to lose weight. If you experience any of these barriers, below are tips to help you overcome them.

1. Develop an appetite for breakfast by starting with light bite such as a finger of banana each morning. Overtime, your appetite for breakfast will increase.

2. Prepare and/or pack your breakfast the previous night, if your mornings are usually busy and you do not have time for preparing or eating breakfast in the morning. The prepared or packed breakfast can thus be eaten at home or at the workplace.

3. Stock your stores at home and at the office with easy to grab foods such (fruits, nuts) or a box of cereals, respectively. This way, you are assured of having food available  in the morning.

4. Include any food; fruits, vegetable, cereals, grains, other starchy food, milk, meat, egg etc. as well as eat any dish for breakfast. The key thing is to eat something in the morning and not to eat specialised food or dishes in the morning. So choose the breakfast that works for you but make sure you do not eat more than you have to eat. A simple way to know this is that you should feel hungry after 4 or 5 hours of eating a meal. If you do not feel hungry after hours of eating, it could mean you over ate or are your food consumption is above your energy usage.

5. Go for cheaper breakfast options as you can include any food or eat any dish for breakfast. Additionally, spending a part of the lunch budget on breakfast will ensure that one does not overeat during lunch time.

6. Put breakfast on your to-do list or as a reminder, if you are one who forgets to eat breakfast. This way, you have something to remind you to eat.

7. Eating breakfast as mentioned above helps us to make healthier food and eating choices in the day. This thus makes it important for one seeking to lose weight.

Photo (above) credit: tvnz.co.nz

Get more tips from the book, Become A Healthier You.

About contributor

Irene Danquah, ANutr holds a BSc Biochemistry from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Ghana and an MSc Public Health Nutrition from the University of Southampton, UK. Irene is member of the UK Association for Nutrition (AfN) and the Ghana Nutrition Association. She is on the UK Voluntary Register of Nutritionists (UKVRN) as an Associate Nutritionist. Irene is the author of the book, Become A Healthier You. Like the World Bank, Irene also believes "Nutrition is an investment issue and improved nutrition is one of the major drivers of economic growth - World Bank, 2006". 

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Feeling tired and looking for an energy booster? Here are 7.

We are six months into 2015 and fatigue might be setting in so where do we get an energy booster?

It is mostly believed that consuming energy drinks, taking vitamins supplements, detoxing or eating special foods mostly termed as superfoods will boost or help us to regain energy but these are not the best  ways to do so.

While manufacturers of energy drinks claim that energy drinks boost energy, what the consumer may not be told is the fact that  the energy drink is most likely to contain high amount of caffeine and sugar. Consuming more caffeine is associated with nervousness, abdominal pain, irritability, anxiety, stomach upsets and consuming high amount of sugar is mostly likely to lead to weight gain, which is a high risk factor for Type 2 Diabetes and heart diseases.

Also, eating variety of food will provide us with adequate nutrients and hence there be will no requirement for additional supplements unless recommended by a health professional. Additionally, there is no single food (superfood) that can provide our bodies, all the nutrients, it requires perhaps except breastmilk, which is meant for babies. Consequently, there is no need to eat high amounts of these "superfoods' but rather sticking to eating variety. Our bodies are constantly getting rid of toxins form our bodies through urine, sweat etc. hence there is no need for a special detox treatment.

So what then should be the best ways to regain energy and/or boost it? Here are tips to help you.

1. Eat a healthy diet, rich in fruits and vegetables, grains, cereals and other starchy foods. Also have some milk, other dairy products, meat and at least one portion of oily fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel) in the week. Cut down on foods high in sugar, fat and salt. An unhealthy diet is associated with weight gain, which can contributes to fatigue. Get tips to cut down on fat, sugar and salt.

2. Cut down on your alcohol consumption, if you drink. Alcohol especially when consumed in the evening can disturb your sleeping pattern, preventing you from having a good sleep and the result, fatigue. Get tips to cut down on alcohol here.

3. Become physically active and let it be regular. This will help you to maintain a good weight. An unhealthy weight can contribute to tiredness. Also staying active can also help you to sleep better. Get tips to stay active here.

4. Take breaks during task, take your leave at work as well as get more sleep. It is recommended that an individual 18+ years gets between 6 - 8 hours of sleep.

5. Organise your work and learn to manage your time very well to reduce the stress that arises from poor organisation and time management. Stress can contribute to fatigue.

6. Cut down on caffeine containing drinks especially energy drinks as explained above and drink more water instead. NB: Children are very sensitive to caffeine.

7. Contact your health professional to rule out any diseases as some conditions such as anaemia, thyroid problems, food intolerance, sleep apnoea, depression, diabetes etc. may contribute to tiredness.

Above Photo credit: www.health.com

Get more tips from the book, Become A Healthier You.

About contributor

Irene Danquah, ANutr holds a BSc Biochemistry from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Ghana and an MSc Public Health Nutrition from the University of Southampton, UK. Irene is member of the UK Association for Nutrition (AfN) and the Ghana Nutrition Association. She is on the UK Voluntary Register of Nutritionists (UKVRN) as an Associate Nutritionist. Irene is the author of the book, Become A Healthier You. Like the World Bank, Irene also believes "Nutrition is an investment issue and improved nutrition is one of the major drivers of economic growth - World Bank, 2006". 

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Stomach discomfort as result of milk? Here are 5 tips to reduce it.

Do you experience stomach discomfort (diarrhea, bloating, abdominal pains and flatulence)  and are sometimes nauseous few hours after taking milk, other dairy products or any drink that contains lactose? Then you could be Lactose Intolerant. Lactose Intolerance refers to a condition where the lactose, a type of sugar mostly found in milk and other dairy products cannot be digested by the body.

Lactose Intolerance is caused by the body's inability to produce enough of the Enzyme Lactase to aid in the breakdown of lactose in the food consumed. Consequently, not all lactose in the food consumed is digested for absorption and hence passed on to the colon where bacteria (these are not harmful and is not in your colon as a result of infections) ferment it to produce fatty acids and a mixture of gases like hydrogen, methane and carbon dioxide to cause stomach discomfort.

The underlying reason why the body is unable to produce the Enzyme Lactase could be due to gastrointestinal diseases that disrupt the production of lactase, genetic defects that prevent the production of lactase, use of certain medication or overload of lactose intake.

It is advisable to visit your health centre for diagnosis but go with a record of what happens when you consume milk and other dairy products as well as what happens when you do not consume milk and other dairy products. This will help with diagnosis.

 Lactose Intolerance can develop at any age but the risk of people of African, Asia, African-Caribbean descent is very high. It can be temporal or permanent and there is no cure for it. However, a person who has been diagnosed as Lactose Intolerant can use these tips to minimise the effects, stomach discomfort.


1. Avoid dairy products as well as products with lactose additives or consume in small quantities.

2. Choose dairy products which have less lactose content or lactofree by reading the food label.

3. Traditionally fermented dairy products such as cheese, sour milk and yoghurt can serve as substitute for the use of non-fermented ones. The lactose intolerant should however watch out when buying these fermented dairy products as some of them (especially the modern processed) have a good amount of lactose content.





4.  Lactase substitute, a digestive aid could be prescribed to be taken with meals.

5. Consult a dietitian or nutritionist for further advice as removing or reducing milk and other diary products from diet could reduce Calcium and Vitamin D in your diet.


Get more tips from the book, Become A Healthier You.

About contributor

Irene Danquah, ANutr holds a BSc Biochemistry from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Ghana and an MSc Public Health Nutrition from the University of Southampton, UK. Irene is member of the UK Association for Nutrition (AfN) and the Ghana Nutrition Association. She is on the UK Voluntary Register of Nutritionists (UKVRN) as an Associate Nutritionist. Irene is the author of the book, Become A Healthier You. Like the World Bank, Irene also believes "Nutrition is an investment issue and improved nutrition is one of the major drivers of economic growth - World Bank, 2006". 

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Become a Healthier You; 10 tips to cut down on fat intake

Diets high in calories, that is high in fat or high in sugar are among the contributing factors of overweight and obesity, which are risk factors for Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, some cancers and cardiovascular diseases like heart disease and stroke.

To reduce the risk of overweight and obesity and its associated diseases, we need to cut down on fat intake. Below are tips to help cut down on fat intake.

1. During shopping, read food labels to buy less or no food high in saturated fat. A food product that contains 5g of saturated fat or more  per 100g of the product is high in fat.

2. Foods high in fat should be used sparingly and occasionally. These foods include;  butter, margarine, other spreading fats and low-fat spreads, cooking oils, oil-based salad dressings, mayonnaise, cream, chocolate, crisps, biscuits, pastries, cakes,puddings, ice cream, rich sauces, and gravies.

3. Opt for fat spreads rich in monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats and cooking oils high in monounsaturates, such as soya, rapeseed or olive oils.

4. Always measure oil with a spoon instead of pouring it directly into your cooking utensil to prevent you from adding more oil than necessary.

5. Before cooking, trim visible fat from meat as it will prevent you from having too much fat in your diet. Additionally, buy lean meat and chicken from the butcher's.

6. Add fish such as salmon, sardines and mackerel to your diet. At least one portion of these types of fish per week as they are rich in essential fatty acid, Omega-3.

7. Use cooking methods such as roasting, grilling, baking for foods such as chicken, meat, chips to prevent you from using too much oil in your food.

8. Should you want to garnish your food, use fruits and vegetables and not oil as using oil it is likely to increase your fat intake. Additionally, skim the oil on top of a prepared food before serving.

9. Do you like pizza? If you do, try to choose pizza with lower fat toppings to help you cut down on fat intake. Also decide the number of times in a week or month you will eat pizza. This way you do not eat pizza every day as this is an unhealthy habit.

10. Reduce the number of times you eat outside or take-aways and if you do go out to eat or buy takeaways, go for low fat choices.

Get more tips from the book, Become A Healthier You.

Photo (above) credit: www.sphil.nhs.uk

About contributor

Irene Danquah, ANutr holds a BSc Biochemistry from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Ghana and an MSc Public Health Nutrition from the University of Southampton, UK. Irene is member of the UK Association for Nutrition (AfN) and the Ghana Nutrition Association. She is on the UK Voluntary Register of Nutritionists (UKVRN) as an Associate Nutritionist. Irene is the author of the book, Become A Healthier You. Like the World Bank, Irene also believes "Nutrition is an investment issue and improved nutrition is one of the major drivers of economic growth - World Bank, 2006". 

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You can now order Become a healthier you by Irene Danquah, ANutr

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What people are saying about the book.

If healthy living could be explained like a simple formula, Become A Healthier You will be the formula book   ~ Newaccra Magazine.

I find the book as very informative and educative in the health sector. One will definitely learn new and exciting details about him/herself.
She listed so many practical examples in her explanations and the “try your hands on”, which is extremely good for people who may be lost at a point as to what she is implying to while reading.
The arrangements of tables are also very easy to comprehend. ~ Samuela Bello (BA English student)


Generally a good book, easy to read and very educative . I enjoyed reading through it as it is concise and to the point. ~ Daniel Mensah (Senior Marine Pipeline Engineer).

About the Author 

Irene Danquah is an Associate Nutritionist registered on both the UK and Ghana’s nutrition associations. She has spoken on health issues on The United Nations' World Food programme’s discussions, radio, and other platforms. She is the Team Lead of Olime Health, a total health brand that specialises in health and nutrition consultancy, research and advocacy. She holds BSc  Biochemistry(Ghana) and MSc Public Health Nutrition (UK).

What Newaccra.com published about the book
Source: Newaccra.com

It doesn’t matter how you look physically. It doesn’t matter if you have a known condition or not. This new book says anyone can become healthier just by modifying five areas of their life – eating, activeness, sleeping, alcohol and smoking.

So exactly how do you make those changes to become healthier?

According to Become A Healthier You, written by associate nutritionist Irene Danquah, you have to embark on a healthy lifestyle journey. Everyday, you make it a point to achieve specific targets on healthy eating, restful sleeping, physical activeness, alcohol safety and no smoking.

The informative book explains and provides plenty examples of how to achieve each of those five elements. It clears common myths about alcohol, and shows people different ways to get a rough idea of how healthy they are without visiting a hospital. Some of those techniques are so simple that all you need is a tape measure!

People who want their information fast and hot will like the book. It quickly introduces what is essentially a formula for healthy living and provides a chapter full of tips – 101 tips actually. There are several ideas of healthy things people can do individually or together with their colleagues, family or faith group.

Some of the tips in the book are fun- like families organizing skipping rope competitions at home, and other tips are interesting – like people slicing bananas into their porridge instead of adding sugar!

Newaccra.com previewed the book and praised the work saying;

“If healthy living could be explained like a simple formula, Become A Healthier You will be the formula book.”

What the Author wants to tell you.

Hi, you have just made a big investment in your health by choosing to buy this book. By the time you finish reading this book, you will be challenged to begin a healthy lifestyle journey. Kindly share the good news of good health with your family, friends, colleagues and loved ones. 

You are now part of the mission to create a healthier world.

I thank you.

- Irene

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