Should I cut out wheat, sugar from my diet?

Fitness

It is better to take complex starches (like cassava, yams among others) than processed sugars.

Photo credit: Fotosearch

What you need to know:

  • The general exercise recommendation for adults is 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity per week
  • Or 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week
  • Moderate intensity exercise includes walking fast, riding a bike, dancing, hiking, playing tennis and manual chores
  • Vigorous activity makes you breath fast and hard and it is difficult to talk when doing the activity

Dr Flo,
How many days should one exercise weekly and should one stop taking wheat products and sugar to achieve fitness targets?
Kemboi

Dear Kemboi,
The general exercise recommendation for adults is 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity per week or 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week. Moderate intensity exercise includes walking fast, riding a bike, dancing, hiking, playing tennis and manual chores. Vigorous activity makes you breath fast and hard and it is difficult to talk when doing the activity such as aerobics, skipping rope, riding a bike fast or up a hill, climbing stairs fast, swimming fast, martial arts, playing football, basketball, rugby among others.
In addition, reduce time spent sitting or lying down, and add strengthening activities for your muscles (upper and lower limbs, back, chest and abdomen).
Unless you are allergic to wheat or you have problems controlling your blood sugar levels, it is not necessary to completely cut out either from your diet. The problem is the amount consumed and the level of refinement. If you can get whole meal wheat products, they are as good as any other cereal. It is better to take complex starches (like cassava, yams among others) than processed sugars because the processed sugars raise the blood sugar level much faster than the complex starches, but both provide glucose to the body.

Dr Flo,
What are the causes of recurrent, bad smelling tonsil stones that only come out if poked with an earbud? What is the remedy?
AB

Dear AB,
The tonsils are lymphatic glands at the throat and they have an irregular surface. Bacteria, mucous, dead cells, and food particles can become trapped in the folds on the surface of the tonsils. The trapped substances then coalesce to form the bad-smelling chunks. If these chunks harden, they are called tonsil stones or tonsiloliths. Tonsil stones are more common in people with chronic tonsillitis, or sinusitis and post-nasal drip.
These stones may cause bad breath, bad taste in the mouth, throat discomfort, difficulty swallowing or ear pain. Other than this discomfort, tonsil stones are usually not dangerous.
To manage them, observe good oral hygiene by brushing your teeth after meals, gargle using salty water or a mouth wash to reduce the bad breath, or you can have the stones removed by the doctor. Before brushing your teeth, remove food particles from your mouth by drinking water and by swishing water in your mouth and spitting out. It would be advisable to visit an ENT specialist so that any underlying problem such as sinusitis can be treated .

Dr Flo,
I get a severe headache especially when I use a jiko and whenever I am overexcited. The pain is in the middle of my head. After using a jiko in the evening, I usually have a headache the whole night and wake up in pain. Whenever I am in pain, I cannot walk straight and I have to lie still on my back because if try to walk I can even pass out. I sought medical attention a few years ago. The doctor recommended spectacles, which I did not get because I do not have eye problems. Kindly refer me to a head specialist. I have a feeling there might be serious underlying issues.
Kate

Dear Kate,
A headache triggered by a jiko is usually a symptom of carbon monoxide poisoning. Other symptoms include weakness, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, confusion and difficulty in breathing. If severe, there is loss of consciousness and death. A jiko produces carbon monoxide as the charcoal burns, and when it is being used indoors, the carbon monoxide levels build up and cause problems to the person breathing it in. If the levels are low, the most common symptom is a headache. If the levels are very high, it can cause brain and heart damage, convulsions, loss of consciousness and death. If you are exposed to low levels of carbon monoxide poisoning for a long time, it can cause difficulty in concentrating and making decisions and emotional instability. If you are pregnant, it also causes damage to the unborn baby.
It is not advisable to use a jiko indoors, even when windows and doors are open. If possible, use cleaner fuel such as gas or electricity. If you have to use a jiko, use it outside. Carbon monoxide does not have a smell and you cannot tell that it is building up in the house until you experience the symptoms.
When you experience mild symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning, go outside where there is fresh air, and the symptoms usually clear by themselves with time. If the symptoms are severe, you need oxygen therapy urgently, so you have to go to hospital immediately.
When you get a headache because you are excited, you are likely to be having a tension headache or a migraine headache. Carbon monoxide can also trigger a migraine headache. With a tension headache, it may feel as though there is a tight band around the head. It occurs due to tightening of the muscles around the neck and the scalp. It will usually resolve within an hour or so, with or without painkillers. To prevent it, try and remain as calm as possible whenever you experience strong emotions and reduce stress. Sometimes taking a warm bath may also reduce the headache.
Migraine headaches are severe headaches that usually affect one side of the head, and may be accompanied by increased sensitivity to light and sound, nausea and vomiting. The exact cause of migraines is not known.
Some medications can relieve the pain when it starts. Some medicines also prevent headaches. Avoid headache triggers as much as possible, do not use a jiko indoors and manage stress. You may also benefit from being reviewed by a neurologist at any of the public or private referral hospitals in Nakuru,  where you live.