20 HEALTH TIPS FOR CORPS MEMBERS AND YOUTH'S


 Proper grooming and healthy personal habits can help you ward off illnesses and feel good about yourself which is very important for your mental and physical health while on camp and after camp. It also keeps you free of bacteria, viruses and disease causing micro-organisms. In this article I will give you 20 personal hygiene and nutritional tips that you are encouraged to follow routinely.

Take you regularly at least twice a day with soap and sponge to prevent body odour that might arise from dried sweat on the skin.

Bath with antiseptic soap or antiseptic treated water to avoid skin reactions or disease caused by microorganisms.

Do not drink untreated tap, river or untreated water; drink only sachet or bottled water to prevent illnesses that are water-borne such as cholera and typhoid.

Get plenty of rest 6-8hrs a day to stay refreshed and ready to start a new day activity because lack of sleep can leave you feeling down and can compromise your natural body defenses i.e., immune system.

Wash your hands properly with soap and use hand sanitizer before preparing or eating food, after going to the bathrooms, toilet, after coughing or sneezing and after handling garbage, this goes a long way towards preventing spread of bacteria and viruses.

Ideally you should brush your teeth after every meal or at least twice a day (morning and night) to minimize the accumulation of bacteria in your mouth which can cause tooth decay, gum disease, mouth odour and bad breath.

Always endeavor to make use of liquid germicide disinfectant either in bathing water or poured around your bathing area before having your bath to avoid germs and other harmful microorganisms contamination which can cause skin disease and other sicknesses or infections.

Ladies especially should always make sure the rest rooms or toilets are kept clean, neat and dry to avoid being infected with disease causing microorganisms which are the major cause of vaginal infections.

Ensure you keep the toilets neat and well flushed immediately after use to avoid bad odour and keep it free from germs.

Do not share your personal properties such as sponge, towel, tooth brush, razor blade, clipper, handkerchiefs and other sharp objects to avoid being infected with infectious diseases especially the blood infections.

Always endeavor to put on boot all the time especially while walking at night to keep you safe from dangerous bites, insects, reptiles such as scorpion or snake.

Ensure sleeping under a treated mosquito net at night to avoid mosquito bite which are the carriers of plasmodium; the causative agent of malaria fever.

 Ensure keeping the house, room and environment clean, tidy and dry always to avoid smell from stagnant water and decayed organic matter e.g. food. Also stagnant waters are breeding zones for mosquito larvae.

Dispose all refuse such as sanitary pads, nylons, papers, used cans and bottles and every other disposable properly into a waste bin or trash can nearest to you to avoid lithering the environment with these materials.

Don’t drink excess sugar calories in form of drinks which are the major cause of obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart diseases and all sorts of health problems.

 Avoid eating junk foods (instead eat real or fresh food)  which are low in fiber, protein, and nutrients but high in unhealthy ingredients like added sugar which are the initiator of the growth of cancerous or dead cells.

Drink enough water especially after meal and during the day but less at night which have numerous health benefits.

Eat more of fresh vegetables and fruits because they are rich sources of minerals, vitamins and all sorts of antioxidants which have potent biological effects such as reducing the risk of cancer, type 2 diabetes, heart diseases and all sorts of diseases.

 Engage yourself with some aerobic exercise to improve your mental, physical and metabolic health and reduce stored fat around the organs.

Don’t smoke or do drugs and if you drink alcohol, do so in moderation in order to avoid causing damage to your vital organs such as the kidneys, liver and lungs.

Conclusion

 As the saying goes “health is wealth”. The extent of your existence depends partly on how you maintain and sustain it. You are what you eat and do and what you eat and do define you physically, mentally and health wise. As corp members being called to service to our great nation in different geopolitical zones of the country should endeavor to familiarize and adapt to such environment  and make it suitable and comfortable hygienically for us by always practicing the above outlined basic health tips to stay healthy through the service year.

…………….Eat and do Rightly…………Live well and Healthy……………



Edom Chibuike Valentine is a Corps member serving in Alimosho LGA, Lagos, his also a member of Creative Writing Academy