October 14, 2014, I was in my small office at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), attending to patients at the fee paying section of the pharmacy department.
I attended to a 75 year old retired army officer; I gave him vital information about his health and informed him that the FREE paying pharmacy provides free drugs for people above 60 years. Therefore, he could get some of his anti-hypertensives and anti-diabetics for free at the free paying pharmacy anytime.
I think he was pretty impressed with my professionalism and caring when he said, “Young man, with your attitude, my prayer for you is long life in good health. I know that it’s just a matter of time for you to get good things of life, but the most important one is long life in good health to enjoy them, I was a military officer and I retired as a captain, I fought in wars across Africa, I used to be a strong warrior, but since the last 9 years, I have been battling with co-morbidity of hypertension and diabetes, a strong warrior is no longer his old self anymore. I realized that the most important thing in life is good health, when you have good health, you have everything. So, I always advise young people to be mindful of their health at early ages”. Immediately he said that, my mind flashed back to Dalai Lama’s thoughts, when asked what surprised him most about humanity. He answered, “Man, because he sacrifices his health in order to make money, then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health, and then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present, the result being that he does not live in the present or the future, he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived”.
Sincerely, I was quite informed of what he said before our meeting as a health professional, but on that particular day, the message sunk wholly. As a pharmacist who practiced in a community pharmacy for some years, I have helped many individuals turn sickness into good health not just by prescribing some over the counter medications, but through lifestyle modifications and healthy lifestyle tips. I had received calls in the middle of nights from mothers whose babies were very sick and I needed to do something immediately without resorting to drugs to relieve the situation. I have attended to patients who have had years of painful constipation episodes, who had tried so many pharmacological options, all to no avail, but with a few healthy lifestyle strategies, their health challenges became a thing of the past.
As a stress management, optimum wellness and healthy lifestyle facilitator and trainer for multinationals and small medium enterprises, I share strategies that give results that stick both with executives as well as drivers, so this book is a combination of evidence-based strategies that work. I know if you can be more conscious of your lifestyle choices, you can live the rest of your life healthily. It’s not rocket science to age with grace; it’s a product of having useful information on healthy living and applying them day in-day out. Additionally, I decided to come up with this book because of high demands from participants at our trainings. More often than not, many of our trainees will approach us for a book that will guide them to achieving sound health beyond few hours training. Hence, I decided to bridge the gap.
In my humble effort to drive home the message of this book in a clear, precise and concise manner, I have divided it into 6 chapters, these are:
- The Meaning of Health
- The 8 Dimensions of Wellness
- Know Your Numbers
- Honor Your Body
- Respect Your Mind
- Savor your Spirit
The secret behind the “secrets of great health” is that there is no secret that is quite new to our world about good health. Adam lived 930 years, Noah lived 950 years, Enoch (Idris) lived 356 years, Zachariah lived 207 years, Abraham lived 195 years and Moses lived 125 years, but today, most people in the world hardly reach the 100-year mark and those who are privileged rarely do that in good health. The real question behind the question is “what are the differences between the long life in good health of ancient people compared to low life expectancy and a myriad of health challenges characterized by the modern life?” The answer is mainly “lifestyle”.
As I did in my previous books (The Secrets of a fulfilled life, With patience you are a winner, life is short, but is really worth it, Grab your destiny and Maximize your life) I will share with you insights, clarity and facts on how to live a healthy life for the rest of your days, as long as you act on the information contained in this book. I will inform you about various proven strategies to stay healthy, live healthy and be healthy. Let me quickly say here that the essence of this book is not to increase longevity, its main focus is to enjoy all the days of our lives in good health, and if you are fortunate based on your heredity, you can experience an excellent health with all its benefits.
This book will help you to have a new thinking about your lifestyle; it will allow you to have a shift in your mindset about the true meaning of health. The message of this book will always grow wiser as you grow wiser. The more you apply it, the better you will fall in love with the new life and the new you, you are experiencing.
My prime goal of writing this book at this period in history is to support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3,targets 4; “ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all ages, by 2030, reduce by one third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and wellbeing.” I truly believe with all fiber of my being that if the program elucidated in this book for a great health and optimum well-being is fully applied, anyone, rich or poor, young or old, abled or disabled, tall or short, white or black, can live a healthy life and achieve optimum well-being.
It is pertinent for me to say here, that for you to get optimum results from the strategies contained in this book, you need to apply them on a daily basis. In fact, they should be your new way of life.
Your Excellency, until you apply the principles on a regular basis for at least six months without getting positive or expected results then you can prove me wrong. However, I am sure that if you apply them utterly for at least half a year, you will get lasting results, for the essence of this book is not just to get results (be healthy, be happy, be strong) but to get results that are lasting.
I’m ready! Are you ready? If yes, let’s start this adventure of healthy lifestyle that leads to a healthier, better, productive and happy you.
Culled from The Secrets of Great Health
