Every man’s healthy body needs

By Dennis D. Muhumuza

In Uganda, the man is the leader and provider in the home. Even the emancipation of women has not changed that status quo as most men confess they do not know how their working wives spend their salaries.
The women go on the defensive, saying a woman’s money is a woman’s money and the man has no business poking his nose into how she spends it. But that’s a story for another day. For today, the focus is on the healthy choices the man must make to live long and strong to fulfill his roles in society.

Good health and wealth is God’s will for man: “Dear friends, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well” (3 John 1:2).
 
But how can it be well with your body, soul and mind when you feed poorly, have inadequate rest, and rarely do exercises? And if it’s not well with you in body, soul and mind, how will you be able to lead and provide for your family efficiently and sufficiently?

At a recent Men’s Conference organised by the Men’s Ministry of Makerere Full Gospel Church, the key presenter, Dr Joseph Mwebe, told men that despite advances in research and the glut of accessible information, people are more unwell than before: “Because of poor healthy choices, many men have been hit by an epidemic of diabetes, high blood pressure, arthritis, allergies and asthma, obesity, low immunity, ulcers, infertility, dehydration, stress and other illnesses that could have been prevented with better health choices.”
Dr Mwebe proposed healthy choices that will keep some common diseases at bay, help in better blood circulation, and keep the mind alert, helping the man to stay vibrant physically and mentally.

Know your health
First, every man who values life should go for a health screening. Test for HIV, blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol and blood fats, know your waist circumference, body mass index, do a liver function test especially if you drink alcohol, screen for cancer (testicular and prostate for men) and visit a dentist. Prevention is better than cure and a timely health screening can prevent all sorts of diseases.

Secondly, most men focus on making money at the expense of their health. They often catch a quick late lunch washed down with soda before they rush back to their desks.

But Heather Morgan, a nutrition expert, says, “Every time you eat or drink, you are either feeding a disease or fighting it.” It is important for men to feed on a balanced diet.

What your body needs
“Ninety per cent of our diet must be based on plant foods because plants have complete protein and more protein per calorie than animals,” says Dr Mwebe, “and 50 per cent of our foods must be eaten raw. Foods must ideally be eaten ‘whole’ - unrefined and unprocessed; preferably with their seeds and skins.”

Health benefits of eating vegetables such as spinach, nakati, dodo, sukamawiki, cabbages, cucumber, carrots, not forgetting tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, garlic are well known. Even the Bible vouches for vegetables. Daniel, Meshach, Shadrach and Abednego refused King Nebuchadnezzar’s choice delicacies and wine in favour of vegetables and water.

And in 10 days they were healthier than those who were eating the king’s delicacies (Daniel 1:5-16). So forget chips and sausages. According to Dr Mwebe, sausages cause cancer and are as dangerous as cigarettes. Also, ditch red meat in preference to white meat (fish and poultry - preferably local chicken).

It is important to have enough rest to relax the mind and body after a good day’s work. Doctors recommend at least eight hours of sleep for a reason. That is when the body recharges ready to take on another day. A well-rested body and mind can hardly be stressed. MPs doze in parliament because most of them are unfit and rarely have adequate rest. Realise how important sufficient sleep is and do not stay out late with the boys drinking alcohol or watching soccer.

A man who applies the above healthy living principles will live long and strong.

Must-haves
Drinking lots of water is also a great healthy choice because water is the “single most important nutrient for our bodies.” Dr Mwebe says we are 65 per cent water, our brains are 75 per cent water and our lungs 80 per cent water.

Basically we would be doomed without water. So men, we must drink at least two litres of water each day; room temperature - not hot nor cold.

Also, do not drink while eating, rather drink thirty minutes before and two hours after your meals. Some of the signs that you are not drinking enough water include headaches, backache, constipation, joint pains, fatigue, memory loss and weight problems.

To the workaholic men who rarely have time for exercises you’re unknowingly committing suicide. As Dr Mwebe said succinctly, “Money and insurance can’t make us healthy!” So it’s better to rise from that swivel chair and engage in some sweat-breaking physical activity.

Jog, lift weights, punch a sand bag and achieve maximum fitness. Before you know it you’ll be walking as if on springs like Okonkwo and will become superman to your wife and children.

--Sunday Monitor, June 12, 2016

From campus all roads lead to the rolex village

When the sun sets to give way to the twinkling city lights, trickles of excited freshers with their purses and handbags swarm the rolex maker in Wandegeya. For the uninitiated, the rolex isn't a wristwatch. Rather it is a delicious chapatti sandwich containing fried eggs mixed with cabbage, tomatoes and onions.

My first taste of this culinary masterpiece was an awesome experience. It reminded me of that nursery tale about a stupid dog, which after swallowing a hot juicy piece of roasted meat was torn between spitting its already delicious scooped flesh or swallowing this hell-like beef until it choked to death. Well, the rolex can choke your pockets or make you chew your school fees.

By 6 p.m., the congestion tightens at the small gate of University Hall [commonly known as UH] overlooking Wandegeya. The chic, young, old and the jobless enjoy this Wandegeya specialty. Which is why I'm convinced there must be some golden ingredient in the rolex which must have derived its name in the fact that a chapatti is rolled in order to make the sandwich.

What makes this unique is that people from all walks of life come to taste the rolex. Lecturers, the job hunters, mechanics, taxi drivers, street kids, wheelbarrow pushers, conmen, kanyamas and many of the affluent city dwellers park their sleek cars nearby and come to order for a rolex. And the Wandegeya lads are minting money each day.

Since they know where to find the hungry men, the ladies of the night have also joined in the queue ostensibly to buy a rolex. By 10 p.m., they spot you looking lonely because you did not have the nerve to join the scramble for the rolex. They seek you out. After joining you, the woman will whisper in your ear something to the effect that "since you are a fresher the price is negotiable!"

Dressed in skimpy attire, they send your mind reeling as to whether some of them could be fellow Makerereans, as rumour holds. "Jjangu tugende," [come let’s go] the lady tempts you further. The cowardly likes of us will then bolt –and then weigh the scales back in your room on whether this was the right decision. But then, you open your rolex pack and all your misgivings evaporate as you relish the delicious sandwich. Long live the rolex!

Published in Daily Monitor, Thursday, October 9, 2003

Are you drinking enough water?

"Water is life," you have always heard. But few people take this phrase seriously. In fact, given between a soda and glass of water, many go for the former. Many people do not drink enough water and the consequences of this can be severe. People often think that drinking cups of tea, coffee or even alcohol makes up for not drinking water. Experts say this is wrong. Instead of quenching your thirst, these drinks can actually make you feel more thirsty.

And you don't have to wait to get thirsty to drink water. Water it actually your lifeblood. Nutritionists have now and then stressed the importance of water. Doctors have since established that many people don't take enough water even when they have been advised to drink at least 7 to 8 relative glasses of water a day.

Water makes up about two-thirds of our body weight, doctors say. That accounts to 60 percent to percent of water in your body. If that doesn't explain how vital water is to your health, what does?

Eight glasses?
Some nutritional experts say: "For years, we have been told that we should drink a "minimum" of eight litre glasses of water each day. If one's goal is to maintain a "minimum" level of health this "eight glass" rule is correct.
If our goal is to achieve an enhanced level of health, we must consume some level of water above our minimum daily needs."

The experts continue to say that the world we live in today is much different than it was 70 years ago when this rule was first published in medical journals. Each day, we are exposed to a multitude of toxic chemicals and environmental pollutants that didn't exist 70 years ago. We live more hectic and stressful lifestyles. We consume processed and preserved foods. All of these factors require an increased intake of healthy water to offset the damage.

Is there a thing as too much water? "Yes," doctors say. And that it is called hyponatremiaToo much water might distress your body's fluid stability. Drinking more that your kidney can contain will cause your body cells to swell, and you may feel drowsy, weak and suffer convulsions.

The Dietitians Association of Australia recommends the average adult drinks at least eight glasses (2 L) of fluid per day, and more during hot weather and physical activity. This however, doesn't mean drinking glass after glass of plain water. There are plenty of other sources of water in your diet though your daily ration should be made of plenty of water.

What is too little?
There are dangers if you persistently drink too little. You will get dehydrated and before you know, you will be crying out in pain when you visit the toilet due to constipation.

"It takes only small changes in your overall fluid levels to destabilise your system and bring about the symptoms of dehydration - as little as 1-2 percent of your body weight can do it. If you were 20 percent or more dehydrated, you would die," reads one website. Signs that you are drinking little include headaches, fatigue, loss of appetite, flushed skin, heat intolerance, a dry mouth and eyes, a burning sensation in the stomach and dark urine with a strong odour.

How to tell you're not drinking enough
A simple way to check is to keep an eye on the colour of your urine. It will be yellow in the morning, but should become paler by mid-morning. If it doesn't, you are not drinking enough.

When you should drink a lotSome of the circumstances that call for drinking a lot of water are: being exposed to high temperatures and air conditioning, physical activity, pregnancy, breastfeeding, when you have fever, diarrhea or have been vomiting. The body loses so much water which needs to be replaced to keep fit.

Keeping a bottle for water with you when you are working, travelling or exercising is essential. Unlike juice, it is polite for one to easily get out a bottle of mineral water and drink in public. Nutritionists say that if you get bored with plain water, add a bit of lemon or lime for a touch of flavour.

"There are some brands of flavoured water available, but some of them have sugar or artificial sweeteners, which you don't need," they say.

Water is the fuel of our bodies and chemical reactions going on in our cells need it. It is also common for people to complain about hangovers after a hectic weekend. Unknown to these people, it's because their bodies are not watered well. Yet just a good glass of water before sleep, is enough cure for hangovers.
The good news for the ladies is that drinking enough water will give you the spotless smooth skin you so crave, as well as leave you with a lithe, sexy body. This applies to men who would rather do without potbellies.

Drinking enough water keeps you fresh; in fact doctors say it's rare for a person who drinks enough water to have bad breath. It's even more important for sports people and whoever exercises to drink enough water every time they are playing. You probably have seen Arsenal striker Thiery Henry running to the sideline to sip on his bottle of water as the match goes on.

Doctors also advise that those who take alcohol should drink at least an equal amount of water. Pure, boiled plain water is the best water for drinking. Soft drinks like sodas contain a lot of sugar while tea increases the discharge of urine and urine is mainly made up of water.

Having looked at all this, it is prudent to keep a bottle of drinking water nearby. But don’t drink glass after glass, remember, we also get some fluid from the food we eat. Really, isn't this enough to prove that water is life?

Compiled with additional information from the Internet. Published in Sunday Monitor, December 2, 2006

Rolex is proudly Ugandan

UGANDAN FAST-FOOD: In Uganda rolex, doesn't refer to the prestigious Swiss chronometer. It is simply a chapatti with omelette, tomatoes and cabbage rolled into it, and it's a popular delicacy.

Every single evening, when the sun has dipped low, hordes of people outmanoeuvre the congested streets and pay call to trusted rolex makers around the city. The rolex is a fast-food delicacy made out of fried eggs, cabbage, tomatoes, onions, green pepper and rolled in a chapatti; ingredients that make it tastier and most fulfilling.

How it came to be called so remains a mystery. Dennis Mulindwa, a rolex maker in Kibuuli connects the name to the fact that a rolex is rolled, adding that the 'ex' must surely refer to the extra health derived from eating this delicious sandwich.

But Daniel Byamugisha who 'holds the trophy for the number one rolex eater around town' reasons that whoever came up with the name wanted something as attractive as a Rolex watch.

"If you are wearing a Rolex, then you know you are wearing something prestigious," he says. "The Rolex watch is special because it's made out of the finest materials, to withstand time. In the same way, the rolex contains golden ingredients with basic food nutrients that give whoever tastes it bull power."

The science behind the rolex
Almost three years ago, on the maiden day I was acquainted with the rolex, I was completely impressed by the way it was made. With one nimble movement, the maker would flick the mixed ingredients over in the shallow pan on a hot sigiri and keep nibbling at the round edges with his big spoon, as the finished product began to take shape. He would then drop the ready rolex in its kaveera without ever touching it.

Today, every Tom, Dick, Musiramu and Mulokole have killed the spark in rolex making. Apart from using too much oil, they seem to like the loathsome habit of touching the rolex with their bare hands while making and packing it. Surely, it does not take a mathematician to estimate the number of times one shakes other people's hands. Or the many times one pulls out his 'thing' to pee. Still, how many people wash their hands after visiting the toilet? To think of a rolex maker fondling your rolex with his hands is most revolting.

Nevertheless, there are still ingenuous rolex makers whose science while making the rolex incites the clients' desire to maul the roll with feeling. To prepare a rolex, cabbage, tomatoes, beaten eggs, green pepper, a little salt and onions chopped in their finery are used. The 'chef' puts the contents into an empty container (nice plastic cups are mostly used) and stirs deeply with a spoon before pouring the contents in the hot shallow pan. He keeps turning it up and down -a minute or three and the delicious recipe will be ready. It is then rolled into a chapatti, mostly with hands or a spoon, depending on the expertise of the maker and finally dropped in kaveera ready to be chewed steaming hot.

Sometimes, improper ingredients and excess oil cause stomach complications, and of course the dirty, sometimes dusty roadside spots where the rolex is made have compromised the taste of this culinary masterpiece.

Although the rolex remains a superior source of protein and all other food nutrients as it is a mixture of various ingredients, it is also a source of unbridled fat and cholesterol, both of which are found in the yolk, and the oils dabbed all over the chapattis. Few people have misgivings on the way the rolex is prepared, but the majority don't really care. One such is Ibanda, who says that the rolex is not for the faint of heart.

"Every dirty thing can make you a rolex but you have to be a man who lives by faith. Even your mama can be dirty, so you only have to get it into your mind that the rolex is great for your body and nothing can happen to you," he articulates.

Jared Ombui, a university student, however wants health authorities to intervene and throw out dirty rolex dealers.

"My buddies have complained about running stomachs after eating the rolex," he says.

But Ivan Wolusobozi laughs at Ombui's spite towards rolex makers: "I've eaten rolex for three years now. I've never died. I don't even have cholesterol," he laughs. "It's okay as long as you eat it hot. And if it is cold, eat it with chai -hot chai and germs will die before they make you sick."

Many faces
The juicy rolex was born in 2000. Sula (that's the only name you will get), is considered the father of the rolex. Accordingly, he established his first rolex-making centre behind Wandegeya mosque. At the time, this speciality merely contained a pair of fried eggs rolled in chapatti. Five years down the bend and rolex makers have masterminded the science of making a variety, leading to unique rolex makes named after the Titanic and Millennium, to mention a few.

The Titanic rolex is very popular among the 'loaded.' An embodiment of sausage, five eggs, chap, three chapattis and the usual bigendelako such as tomatoes, onions, green pepper, and cabbage, this rolex costs Shs3000. Those who have heard the story of the Titanic ship that sunk in 1912 on her voyage to New York relish this rolex, perhaps it reminds them of the sad, fascinating movie shot in rememberence of the unlucky ship.

As for the Millennium rolex, it is said that at the click of 2000, some bright babe strolled down to Wandegeya and asked Sula to make her a special rolex to celebrate the millennium. Well, the name stuck. The millennium rolex is a combination of minced meat, three eggs, a sausage, two chapattis, an omelette and the spices. It also has symbolic overtone; that it is said to be as mouth-watering as the vegetables prepared at Millennium Restaurant in San Francisco, the 2005 award winning vegetarian hotel. This rolex costs Shs2,500.
This brings us to the Super Millennium rolex. This is a mixture of five eggs, two chapattis, beef, a chap, and it goes for a whooping Shs4,000. It is the most expensive rolex, which Furugensio Kintu, a rolex maker, says is a favourite for MP Guma Gumisiriza and local singer Mesach Ssemakula.

In tow is the Beef rolex. As the name suggests, it is mostly made from beef and two chapattis and it is a bit cheaper, going for Shs1200. Not forgetting Super rolex -three eggs, and two chapattis at Shs1000. Others include Mixed Burger rolex that consists of a chap, onion slices, three eggs and two chapattis to cost Shs1500.

There is Double Face, also known as Double Remix rolex, which combines two eggs, minced meat, salads and a chapatti and is sold at Shs1000. You just have to make your pick depending on the weight of your pocket. With a fat wallet, you take home a fat rolex.

Notably, as Moses Ibanda, an Internet café operator in Wandegeya says, 'the rolex is but the quintessential meal and the simultaneous source of our greatest strength.'

Boundless love
Only about three out of some many people interviewed didn't like the taste of a rolex. Julius Mutabazi, a university student, wonders what the rolex excitement is all about.

"I got prompted to buy a rolex after I heard too much talk glorifying it. To my disappointment, I never found it as delicious as it is depicted to be. I've never bought another. I don't know why my colleagues are deeply intimate with it honestly," he says.

"My love for the rolex is boundless," says Ms Alice Busingye of Stanbic Bank. "It's tasty and highly satisfying."

"The rolex is trendy," quips Martin Tarengwa. "It has surpassed chips and chaps. It's the thing to go for."

Renee Mc (Richard Tumukunde), a gospel hip-hop artiste, and radio presenter on Campus FM commends the rolex for his great voice. "You can hear my voice. I don't do vocals 'cause the rollex makes it for me. I spit lyrics, 'cause I got a rolex, know what I'm sayin... been eating rolex from day one," he enthuses. "When I'm bankrupt and don't go to ma swank hotel, I hit the rolex joint, I love the rolex man."

Interestingly, booze lovers believe that eating a rolex before and after a drunken spree is a remedy for the hangover. "From Silk," says James Walubi, "We make a stop at Wandegeya, grab a rolex and let it chill off all the hangover."

He adds that the rolex doesn't stress: "You don't need a plate to chew a rolex; you don't even need tomato sauce. All you need is to grab your thing and let it down."

Such views remind one of Steve Elbert who equated fast foods (the rolex inclusive conceivably) to "pornography, nutritionally speaking."

It’s a man's world
Most intriguing is that this business is completely a man's affair. From Wandegeya to Kalerwe and other hubs for the booming lucrative rolex, you will rarely find a woman frying a rolex. Why?

"I think Ugandan women are more enlightened," argues Ms Nancy Adega a Kenyan. She reflects and states that in her country, it's women who cook across the roads, not men. Ugandan men tend to do mediocre jobs while the women seem to aim much higher and maybe they don't think getting into the rolex business is the way to go."

"This is a man's business. It's like a franchise. Women do the kikumi-kikumi, men do the rolex. It's kind of a silent agreement they have -an unwritten law," observes Obadiah Taremwa, a young business man in Wandegeya.

Could it be that most guys act like hooligans and could therefore bully women into giving them a free rolex? Maybe the business is difficult and no husband will accept that his woman be away up to midnight in the name of rolex making!

Whatever the case, Olivia does not agree that the best chefs in the world are men insisting: "It's just that women haven't woken up. Our city hasn't tasted the best rolex until women join the business."

Buckets of bucks
One cannot deny that the lads are minting buckets of bucks selling the rolex. Kintu, one of the rolex makers says life has been much better for him since he joined the business. On a good night, he retires with Shs40,000 in profits.

"We get big profits but experience losses sometimes," says Farouk Mutakaya, an employee at Sula's Rolex near Lumumba hall.

Accordingly, the business gets a boost when they are hired to fry rolexes for guests at weddings and graduation functions. Sometimes, they make rolexes for builders at construction sites. One man who has reaped lots from the business is Sula who is considering opening a school that might train those interested in learning how to make the fast meal.

Though there is fear that urbanites are "becoming culinary nitwits, dependent upon fast foods and mass kitchens and megavitamins for our basically rotten nourishment," as exactly put by famous food writer M.F.K. Fisher, should Sula's rolex school opens, we might end up getting professional rolex chefs to emulate Heston Blumenthal, the world's best chef since April 2005!

Published in Daily Monitor, Friday, August 23, 2007

Roadside Snacks May Be a Bad Idea

While most of these bites are a great source of vitamins, minerals and fibre, according to foodfitness.org, there is the risk of getting diseased because most of the snacks are not prepared in a hygienic environment, writes Dennis D.Muhumuza

In the beginning, God made man and gave him a stomach. He said to man to eat fruits from the trees in the garden but not to eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden. But when the “woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.”
Thanks to temptation.

This little story as in Genesis 3 best tells the history of man and his belly. Humankind has since creation toiled to meet the eternal demands of the stomach. In fact, nutritionists recommend three meals a day: breakfast, lunch and supper, and a snack in between.

In Uganda, people with an eye for business are minting fine shillings selling roadside snacks. As to how hygienic they are, is but a big debate.

Nyama choma
Anyone who has not heard of mchomo or nyama choma must not be Ugandan. We are talking specifically of roast beef but we could also include pork, mutton, chicken, dry fish or anything fleshy that contains animal protein.

Arguably, the oldest type of snack food, meat snacks are most delicious. In Mbizinya and Lukaya along the Kampala-Masaka highway, buses must stop to allow passengers time to grab skewers of roast meat, chicken thighs, liver, gizzard, name it, which they munch as they journey on.

It has been rumoured that dealers even take advantage of travellers’ abiding love for flesh snacks to roast or fry kaloli (Marabou stork) and some wild animals, which they sell as chicken or beef.

In Kampala, the business of roadside meat snacks gets brisk as dusk sets in. After work as men chill in bufunda to drink beer and talk politics and women, snack peddlers step in with skewers of roast this and that.

“Pork goes well with a cold beer,” said Ian Mugizi, a regular at Kampala bufunda. “You cannot get easily drunk and those boys prepare it very well.”

Meat is sliced into small pieces, washed in salted water, roasted on charcoal stoves, and served hot. Salt, according to science books, is an important factor in the preparation of meat snacks because it adds flavour.

Nsenene
With the Christmas period approaching, the nsenene are about to become the hottest roadside snack around the country. The wings and legs are removed and the insects are fried and sold. The good news is that these delicacies are very rich in protein, fat, and carbohydrates and have a higher energy value than soybeans, maize, beef and fish. Now you know.

‘Rolex’
While you might be thinking of a fine Swiss watch, this particular rolex is simply a popular fast food prepared and sold along roads during evening hours. In Kampala, the rolex is loved mostly by the youths. Mr Gregory Tweheyo, a postgraduate student at Makerere University, calls it the “quintessential meal for the campuser”.

It is made with fried eggs, cabbage, tomatoes, onions and green pepper and rolled in a chapatti. The thing about the rolex is that it is tastier than most snacks and highly satisfying. For Shs500, you will return home highly satisfied. However, some people are troubled about the cleanliness of the rolex maker as well as the ways in which the cholesterol and oil contained in the rolex might affect them.

Are we safe?
There are definitely more types of roadside snacks that include fruit, samosas, chapatti, popcorn, gonja, boiled and roast maize, groundnuts, and others. While most of these bites are a great source of vitamins, minerals and fibre, according to foodfitness.org, there is the risk of getting diseased because most of the snacks are not prepared in a hygienic environment.

Mr Gaston Tumuhimbise, a nutritionist, said snacking is good for the body but advises that people should avoid snacks that contain high amounts of fat and sugar -they are dangerous to the human body.

Also, majority snack sellers are dirty children, men and women who join the business for bare survival. Out of ignorance, they place their snacks in open places, sometimes near drainage systems where they are exposed to hazardous particles.

Put in light containers
Roadside snacks must be covered to keep away air and dust, said Dr Archeleo Kaaya of the Department of Food Science and Technology at Makerere University. He said that bushera (porridge) and other fermented products must be put in light containers. Although he appreciates they are cheap, Kaaya is bothered that the fruits and roast groundnuts are often not fresh, contaminated and containing micro-toxins.

“We are not very safe,” said Kaaya, whose speciality is micro-toxins in food. “The recommended methods of preparation and packing of these snacks in safe and hygienic environment should be followed.”

Urban health authorities are required to ensure that the right standards of hygiene are kept. In the meantime, those in the business of roadside snacks toil on - perhaps to fulfil God’s punishment to man for betraying Him by eating the forbidden fruit. The Bible says, “By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground.”

Published by Sunday Monitor on September 10, 2006