Mr Samuel Atuahene Antwi, a Nutritionist at the Tema Metropolitan Health Directorate, has described excessive oil intake as dangerous to the human body and associated with health complications including stroke, diabetes, and weight gain.
The body requires only four tablespoons of oil per day.
He encouraged vegetable fat for humans rather than animal fat, saying it provided omega-three fatty acids that were essential for body development and growth.
Mr Antwi said groundnut and palm fruit, had too much oil and should not be consumed frequently; “as a dietician, I am always careful with the oily foods I consume every day.”
He urged people to develop good eating habits, such as consuming green leafy vegetables, foods with high fibre, cereals, and drinking a lot of water, which will aid in easy digestion and metabolism.
Mr Antwi stated at the weekly “Your Health! Our Collective Responsibility,” a Ghana News Agency Tema Regional Office initiative, to improve health literacy, which in turn would influence individual health decisions, by encouraging communication on health-related topics.
In addition to being an advocacy platform for public health, it was also designed to investigate the boundaries of the four health communication modalities—informative, educational, persuasive, and prompting.
He mentioned that everyone should take at least eight glasses of water a day because water formed 80 per cent of the human blood and aided in the easy digestion of food.
He cautioned the public against skipping breakfast as it was the most important meal of the day, adding that breakfast intake boosted the energy level of an individual and reduces the risk of illness.
Mr. Antwi also advocated the preservation of food through traditional methods, promoting healthier eating habits.
He underscored the nutritional benefits and cultural importance of these age-old methods like sun-drying, salting, smoking, and fermenting, which had been handed down through generations and remained prevalent in practice today.
Mr. Antwi stated that the traditional food preservation methods helped to extend the shelf life of perishable foods while also helping to retain the nutritional value of the food and ensuring that essential vitamins and minerals are preserved.
He added that the methods also promoted sustainability by reducing food waste and relying on modern preservation techniques.
“These are good food preservation practices that we have to still continue if we have the means to do them and get them done well,” he said.
Mr. Antwi emphasised that traditional food preservation methods were safe but should be approached with caution when modern alternatives are also available.
He expressed concern that, due to adulteration, it could be challenging to distinguish between correct and incorrect traditional methods.
He said people sometimes introduced other, potentially harmful preservatives to food, and therefore it is important to strike a balance between food safety and the use of additives in our daily eating practices.
Mr. Antwi reiterated that to combat food spoilage, it is important to educate ourselves about proper storage techniques and the signs of spoilage.
“Understanding expiration dates, practising good hygiene in the kitchen, and utilising appropriate preservation methods can significantly reduce food waste,” he said.
He encouraged those who can confidently and skilfully employ traditional methods to continue doing so.