Mind, Body & Soul
It’s a slow Friday and I want to take a break from bashing Raila (but of course, if he starts his domo, domo, domo, I’ll have to reverse this policy and relaunch the attacks).
Anyway, I want to talk about health today. Why? because I’ve noticed that when I get together with my friends, they are usually three general topics that always come up:
However, I want to focus on the health topic today because so many people seem to be struggling with their weight. I’m always bewildered when I see those MP’s in Kenya. They’re making all this money, they have access to a gym in parliament, they can afford cooks and trainers, but yet, a lot of them are overweight and they just look worn out and wasted.
I’d just assume if you were operating at that level where you know that the press is going to be taking your picture all the time or you are going to be on tv a lot, you’d really make an extra effort to trim down and look fresh and rejuvinated (it has to be all that drinking and smoking; that’ll eventually do a number on you).
Then of course, this idea of organic food in Kenya. Why do Kenyans believe that their food is organic?? My grand-mother had a farm in Limuru and boy let me tell you…those potatoes were sprayed with chemicals and pesticides! and I’m sure the goats and cows that go to the KMC for slaughter are also injected with all sorts of hormones, but for some strange reason, Kenyans believe that they are eating “organically” pure food. Why?
Although I will admt that I’ve become a sucker for this organic food craze myself. I now buy non-hormone injected, vegetarian feed chickens. I’ve given up a whole series of fish that I’ve read are full of mercury. I was at a friends house recently and saw a pack of “organic” milk {is that milk from a hormone-free, vegetarian feed cow?}.
Then, I saw a pack of “natural” cigarettes? is that an oxymoron? Aren’t you better off just giving up smoking ? I must say that the anti-smoking campaign in America has been very effective (only about 20% of the population still smokes on a regular basis) and when I think about it, very few people I know actually smoke. I’m glad I never picked up that habit. I think smoking is about one of the worst things you can do to your body.
So, how do you keep your mind, body and soul in one piece? (especially if you don’t want to end up looking like those MP’s in your 50’s or 60’s).
Boring nonesense.
Lol KE..
Go vegetarian like me & train daily doing cardio & weights…oh yeah & don’t forget yoga too!
Training the body is the hardest thing on earth. I mean real physical, rough training that’ll leave you sweating and wasted. The kind of training that takes care of the whole body, cadio, abs, etc. If it was easy, all those big bellied young MP’s would do it. Look at Balala. He is 39 but did you see how he struggled to get into his Mercedes when he was being tear-gassed by the police? His pouch was getting in the way. Ruto is 43 but he’s stout and big bellied too. Raila is 62 but I was impressed by his soccer skills and he doesn’t look unfit but I doubt if he can withstand the rigors of guerrilla warfare that Balala is calling.
Aside from Odemers, other politicians are also overweight and unfit. Beer and food is their ruin. Money, their curse.
Generally, it’s very important to master the art of exercising early in life. Burning up extra cabs is good for the heart. Some folks who are as thin as beanstalks are surprised when the doctor tells them they need to reduce their cholesterol levels especially those who reside outside Kenya and can afford to buy any type of food.
KENYANGUY,
R u a vegan ama you take stuff like milk, eggs, etc ?
KE,
What’s up with this Ababu guy? this guys has steam and he was the one kissing raila’s ass in parliament when being sworn in ?
and why is RUTO still not in jail ?
Mzeiya,
I’m a vegetarian not vegan. I eat all dairy products except eggs cos its poultry & bad for health..I train daily & I reckon it keeps me totally fit.
Kaangumu,
Balala is just a gasbag..that mwarabu needs some good beats along with kina Ruto. He just domo tu..no action & totally unfit. I agree with u guys that our politicians [some] are unfit – yes money is their curse. But what about Uhuru? I reckon the guy is doing okay – looks good.
Uhuru looks good?
The man looks like a matatu tout strung up on cheap bangi!
Annon,
Lol!!!
Well I don’t know why the hell people don’t like Uhuru – I do. There is something about this guy that is appealing as a politician no matter what anyone says. For starters, he’s not ur average Mr.overweight politician, liked the way he came out in Kikuyu – takes some guts especially when the heat was high in Kenya at the time.
Hi…
Most people in Kenya still feel “being fat” is a sign of sucess… hence all the fat mp’s with thier fat tumbos uugghhh The whole concept of health eating..going to the gym just hasn’t hit kenya yet. The opposite to that is all the super skinny people (majority) who earn their living by Manual labor..and eat super healthy..skuma..ugali..beans…
So the wealthy who have meat every night..and a beer..are just expanding. BTW, Raila i a regular at the Karen Club..runs the treadmill…
There i something really messed up with American food. I was just in Kenya for 2 months..went down to my high school weight. without trying…despite ice cream..nyam chom..chapos… come to states…and after a week…cannot fit into my jeans!!!!!
hormones hormones in the food….no wonder people here are so obese and can’t loose the weight….
I concur…am in this dinky little town now.. but as soon as I move to to a bigger city next week..its off to whole foods and Trader Joe I go!!!
I like Uhuru too but he should stop smoking and start proper workouts. The journey is only beginning for him. He’ll need grit, gut, muscle and wit to make it in today’s Kenyan terrain. I’m not surprised that Raila works out. At his age, he doesn’t appear unfit except when he pits his mental faculties against Kibaki, who can play mind games better than any politician we have around. He can drive you nuts.
“Being fat” has truly its place among the Kenyan rich but its lack of proper “edukasion”. They need to understand their bodies better. Staffing their bellies with food with no exercises ain’t the way to enjoy. That’ll only make them “pregnant”.
pnkatha
Work out! If you don’t you’ll have trouble with the kind of food they sell to us out here. Get on the treadmill and run not walk. Run babe!
KAANGUMU..lol..ati Raila is totally fit apart from mentally…
It’s true, when I was in kenya, the moment someone started getting “fat” or getting a ” pot belly ” it was actually a sign of success.
I think it just reflects our poverty to say that when one looks as if they eat regularly abd gain some weight, then they are noticed for how “well” they are doing. This basically means the majority of us are so poor that we just remain skinny.
PNKATHA..Ati u lost weight in 2 mths but re-gained ina week in the U.S.
For those in the U.S. Have u ever considered exactly how little u walk? I mean, in kenya if you’re going to towm you’d WALK to the mat/bus stop and get a mat to tao, then you’d WALK thru town, get done with ur biz, get a mat home, WALK from the stage to your house.
When going to buy minor groceries, you’d WALK to the kiosk, au sio
Now all that walking definitely has an effect on your calories and metabolism. U burn alot of calories in the process.
Coming to America is differnt, yu DRIVE everywhere, when u go to McDonalds, there’s drive thru, if u are a cofee person and go to Dunkin Donuts, There’s drive thru. Even when yu go to the pharmacy it’s still drive thru.
Plus the fact that food is cheap, so damn cheap in the U.S. It’s very hard to go hungry in the U.S..You’re more likely to lack a place to sleep than to lack food, even if things are thick u can always go get those $1.00 burger meals @ Burger King
Funny thing is how cheap chicken is in america, I think It’s the cheapest meat so people eat those ingohoz properly.
But I’ve seen a number of kenyans who are really just too fat, yaani overweight.
I saw raila play soccer and he didn’t look too bad for his age.I don’t k now why you guys can’t see this, BUT according to me the most fit politician, albeit retired was MOI himself.
Forget his recent stay in hospital but recall how this guy’s body structure was. He was not fat, he did not have those pot bellys and he just looked lean and trim. I suspect this guy had a suprb diet and a work out program.
He also looks energetic. I mean, Kibaki is younger than Moi, but Moi looks more energetic.
Uhuru’s eyes are suspect…..for real, he should at least get some Vizine for them eyes, he can afford it, it won’t cost him much.
But even this kanyotu was a super Big guy
Kenyanguy:
It’s interestin you mentioned yoga. Vanity Fair had an issue sometime back dedicated to people who practiced yoga for 20 years or more and they all looked amazing (I believe the singer Sting was featured and he looks great for his age). They also had a couple of yoga masters from India. One in his 80’s and one in his 90’s, but they both looked 30 years younger.
On vegetarianism:
The reason I brought up this issue of vegetarianism and organic food in Kenya is because I was listening to this woman who was visiting and as we were busy munching on pork filled sausages, she told us how she only eats natural food and no meat (eats fish, but that’s it). Anyway, as I was looking at her, I kind of became skeptical because frankly, she was fat. So, this idea that eating vegetarian food is healthier for you is not true if you your vegetarianism consists of foods like french fries, fried bajia’s, muffins, etc, etc. This woman sure as hell wasn’t eating salads!
Even the Indian vegetarian dishes can be heavy when you add in all that ghee and heavy cream (what indian dishes are on the lighter side?)
Pnkatha:
That is very interesting. Are you sure you weren’t more active when you were in Kenya? swimming, walking, etc, etc?
The one politician in Kenya who I think looks good for her age is Beth Mugo (this woman is in her 70’s and she looks 20 years younger).
Hehehe ati Vizine…..that might do his eyes good. But i’ve noticed that all dem politicians eyes look scary except Kalonzo’s. His look nice.
KE i hope you’ll not find the following link out of place. I had to post it just to remind those calling for foreigners to come and sort our mess to think twice. Jamaica’s case is a very sad one. It makes me salute Mwai Kibaki for standing up for Kenya. Remember Tosh’s song Fools Die………
http://video.google.com/videop.....6195828118
KAANGUMU,
I’d watched that documentary some time back and it really opened my eyes as to these institutions such as IMF and WB.
I look foward to the day that World Bank’s office in nairobi will temporarily relocate due to lack of business…
Jamaica’s is a sad story and it refelcts what goes around in most poor third world countries.
I’ve talked to jamaican friends and i get Kenya and jamaica have alot of similarities. But there’s more jamaicans in the diaspora than in JA itself, imagina that ?
I’m not surprised though coz JA is so close to the US and the western world. U see in kenya, when pple in the 60’s came to America and the west , kina Obama’s father, etc, most of them went back home to work becoz there were massive opportunities for them and really, the government needed every colege educated kenyan out there.
Up thru the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s, Life in kenya was “good”. The economy was doing okay and all.at that time, the cold war was still on and as u know Kenya was an ally to the U.S. So we really did not have to worry much about budegt shortfalls.
However, when the cold war came to an end, the U.S. did not see the need of funding it’s third world allies coz they supported and practised capitalism as opposed to communism/socialism.
It’s like your Dad subsidising your living expenses for over 20 years then all of a sudden he stops, and you are forced to fend for yourself.
That’s what happneed (partly) to kenya in the early 90’s after the collapse of cold war.Plus kenya had no resources at all.
Offourse corruption and deals had been going on but the west turned a blind eye.
as we were forced to go to the IMF and WB For funding, is when they started giving us conditions tied to our AID.
Moi kept the country at peace but he was not a visionary, he was pre occupied with staying in power.
That’s why yu see kibaki’s gvt so anti-western and they are always quick to tell these guys in their faces the now famous quote “We’re no one’s colony”
Plus we’ved proved them wrong. example, look at KWS. The guy at the helm is called Kipng’etich. he’s done an exceptional job giving KWS profits of over kshs2billion last year. yes, he a kenyan has done it.
Remember all those expensive World bank funded Junguz kina David Western who did nothing but complain about how “bad things were”
this guy proved the critics wrong.
so , let’s not be deceived into thinking that we should listen to someone coz she’s condi rice, who just shuttles in, gives her advise and shutles out..No way… we are the ones with answers to ourn solutions…eg putting RUTO behind bars as a matter of priority
Well spoken Mzeiya. The likes of Ruto ought to be behind bars but his day is coming. Kibor then Ruto and Kosgey. The so called Pentagon should be dismantled as a matter of priority number two.
That Kenya can export stuff especially compete with SA is an achievement we should relish and support. Jamaica can neither export nor find market for it’s very own local products. Robbed of its own dignity by the mighty US and EU. In the film they discuss about the Banana Wars. Chiquita and Dole dominate about 95% of the global market. Jamaica scrapes by with its sales to Britain under the Lome Agreement but US is fighting that too. They want Jamaica to be totally a consumer market depriving millions of Jamaicans of rightful livelihood. One other item they discuss is IMF’s demand that the government of Jamaica can only subsidize by giving loans to its struggling farmers but ONLY if they charge them 23% Interest on a loan they get with 12%! Otherwise No Deal. Dictators!
Talking to many folks from Caribbean you get to see how much they look upto Africa despite our struggles too. Somehow they’re hopeful because there’s an Africa that struggles with them. Our gains and losses become theirs too.
That’s why those calling for Mass Destruction should be dealt with seriously. Now.
Mzeiya and Kaangumu
True the guys behind the violence in the RV need to be brought to book, but that western interference rhetoric is just too shallow.
You forget to mention that when things were ‘good’ under the largesses of western countries Kibaki was there as VP and Finance minister. We didn’t hear of western interference then did we?
and this maneno of blaming the IMF and World bank is getting old. You forget to mention the corruption the bedevils countries with failed policies. South Korea got loans from the world bank and IMF from the 1960s, They invested well in themselves and their countries and happily handed over a final payment for the loans taken in the mid 90s and are now a loaning nation not a debtor nation.
By the way do you know who is the head of state of Jamaica…The Queen of England. Read the book’ The Coyaba Chronicles ‘ by peter Abrahams.
http://www.amazon.com/Coyaba-C.....038;sr=1-1
It goes into details of what ails Jamaica beyond IMF and World bank.Incidentally, he talks about the years of Kenyatta, Nkurumah et al spent in the UK.
Here is another article on a Kenyans recent visit to Jamaica
http://216.180.252.4/news/?id=.....38;cid=190
We need to stop blaming ‘outsiders’ and get our house in order,i.e. stop corruption, stop fudging elections results and turning to violence whenever things do not go our way…we might not like it but if things do not work out, we all lose. Ask the Ivorians who wasted 8 years fighting each other only to agree to compromise on the very same issues they needlessly fought each other for.
Don’t want outsiders interference…then get it together.
Man D,
I beg to differ on a number of issues here. First, Kibaki was Finance minister from 1970 to 1983. He was a VP for 10 years from 78 to 88. What stands out during this period, is his handling of the economy. He was able to balance things out very well and that’s what makes him the grand old guru of global economics. Looking at what the old man did in 5 short years, it’s easy to see that.
No matter what anyone thinks, Kibaki is the man when it comes to handling global economics. We as Kenyans need him now before he expires.
They say you dont miss the water till the well runs dry.
D,
Thx for that link to the kenyan guy who was in JA. I Learnt a few things I ‘d assumed wrong.
I did not knwo Jamaica was a middle income country and that their economy was 4 yimes as big as ours..WOW!
THE party official in Jamaica atributed their success to their past leaders who had foresight. It’s always about leadership.
In kenya we’ve really come along way in 5 yrs BUT there are so many challenges and so much that needs to be done.
D, I’ll also check out those books on kenya and jamaica.
KE,
yeah Indian vegetarian food can be heavy if not eaten in small proportions though scientifically it is claimed to be a balanced diet. Light foods are chappattis, ndengu [lentils], spinach dishes, mboga dishes – anything thats fried like them bhajiyas, man ur asking for more trouble & gas..
Yoga is good – its done me wonders as I’m more flexible, toned than ever before. Limbs look leaner & toned with yoga – you relax also so the skin too breathes better. That way u look young & feel young also.
I have been training for more than 6 years now & never miss my daily jog of 12kms followed by weight training. Also, those of you guys out in USA, try to eat opposite – good breakfast in morning, light lunch & soup only at night. You’ll see the weight fall while your jeans come back on! Change your diets – eat more fruits, drink more water & include more veg in ur diets – you’ll find that way your digestion is better also.
Kenyanguy:
Very interesting. I am thinking of taking up yoga and I know they are different kinds. What is the name of the yoga you do?
Annon,
I do Ashtanga Yoga. Start off with some very plain Yoga moves and then build up your flexibilty. Don’t force your muscles at all – let your body do it for you.