I recently came across a video clip of the View ladies on youtube talking about women leaving their husbands in old age and how these women should have left when they could no longer take their husband’s heat and should not wait until Omugwo time to abandon them. While all of their arguments were great, Nyma made a great point by talking about the culture and patriarchal nature of the Nigerian society, where a married woman is expected to swallow everything from her master – her husband. Lol. Yes, that was the reality of women then and it still looks like that in some households today.
I started reflecting not on the problem of the woman rather the lifestyle of the man that can deteriorate his health to make him become the victim or even care Case at his older age. I traced the problem to behavior, culture and lifestyle – from meeting and sharing meat with Umunna to drinking at the Igwe’s palace and of course for the modern guys – “hanging out with the guys in a bar.” Want to know more about this? Read on –
Below are lifestyles that can affect a Nigerian man’s health and making him a “Care case” in his old age.
Gender
Being a man. Your Biological makeup puts you at risk of some chronic diseases like hypertension, heart disease and stroke. According a scientific study, Higher testosterone levels are linked to increased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in men with cardiovascular disease. For example – You see Uchechi and all your thoughts is how to devour Uchechi. At that time your libido is in war zone, your blood level is also increasing.
What to do? Self-Control and make do with what you have at Home. Leave Uchechi alone.
Eating too much meat
Pepper soup, Nkwobi, Isi-ewu, have you ever seen a Sunday evening hangout in a bar in Nigeria? If you have, you know what I am talking about.
And all these meat and spicy delicacies go in combi with lots of Drinking. Oil, meat with fats are main contents of this food and both are Bad and have higher risk of putting someone to becoming a medical Care Case. I am not condemning these delicacies; I am rather saying that adding a little discipline by taking smaller quantity and not making it a habit will at least help one to maintain a good Health.
Excessive Drinking
Hot drinks, beer, palm wine to name but a few are what so many men in Nigeria drink on a daily basis and not just one bottle. Of All the Countries I have lived in, I consider Nigeria as a country with the largest consumption of alcohol. Alcohol is a bad companion and when abuse it you put yourself at risk of High blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, liver disease, digestive problems, cancer, Organs damages like liver and kidney issues. Why do you think that a moment of fun would lead you to moments of extreme pain and suffering which will last you for a whole life time?
Thinking that putting on weight is evidence of good living
Hmm, Papa Uchechi puts on weight in the belly and he thinks is evidence of good living because everyone around him said so. Papa Uchechi, go and check yourself for series of issues like cholesterol level, High Blood pressure, Fats in your blood – these are symptoms that cannot be noticed just looking at someone but if your belly is growing more, then is time to see the Doctor.
Men don’t go for check-ups
if you live in Nigeria, you know is a patriarchal society. The woman is always the one with the illness, even in reproductive issues, the woman is the problem. In Germany, so many Nigerian men did not take the Covid Shots, according to them their immune system is super and no illness can affect them. Whoever gave us this idea? No matter how strong your immune system is, if you don’t take care of it, it will fail one day. Immune system does not prevent one from chronic diseases like the ones mentioned above if you don’t do the needful, like getting a balanced diet, staying fit, getting enough sleep.
Regular visit to the doctor will do you lots of good and also protect you from ´getting an illness. Most of these chronic illnesses are said to be silent killers because it could start before, we even know it. Regular check-up can detect some weird things before is gets severe.
Men don’t have so much Physical Activities
Nigerian men are naturally strongly built men and that could be dependent on genetics, upbringing and diets. Our Food is great. But all those food without activities can put you at risk of Chronic diseases already mentioned. An example is, Papa Uchechi has two cars, and he has a driver who drives him around. He only has to walk from his house to the front of his house to enter the vehicle. He gets to his office and he walks into his office just few steps. In his office he has a secretary who he could call in by ringing a bell. When he comes home, Mama Uchechi serves him excessive food and takes his shower and next he goes to bed. This is a typical routine of an average Nigerian man. Less physical activities.
Side Chic-king
Going to have sex or spend time with your side chic is not a physical activity, of course sex is a form of physical activity, when you are the one on the top. But when you lay down there like a log of wood, you are as good as not doing anything. Instead of going to see that side Chic, engage in some physical activities like Sports. Check out my blogpost on sports for older Adults. In that way you are building strength and preventing nyama nyama illness from getting to you.
In Summary, when we dictate the root of a problem, the solution is halfway solved. Our problem is centered on Behavior, Culture and Lifestyle. Is a time of reflection. Can this illness be prevented; the answer is YES. Can it be cured? The answer is NO. But you can prevent it. You don’t have to wait to have those illnesses and become a care case before you change your lifestyle, you can prevent these problems by modifying some basic things that you do which could put you at risk.
You don’t want to become a Victim or a Care Case, be nice to Mama Uchechi. make little changes on lifestyle like reducing the intake of alcohol, stay fit by practicing sports at spare time and not side Chic-king, eating a well-balanced diet, drinking more water instead of processed Drinks and enjoy your old Age in bliss with Mama Uchechi.
