ROJOH NutriCare

13/07/2023

We believe every child and family has the right to nutritious food for a healthy life! How? 👇🏾

✨ Where markets are available, but food is unaffordable, we work with shopkeepers, banks and telecommunication providers to deliver cash transfers and food vouchers.

✨ Where students drop out of school in search for food or work, we (with local partners) implement school feeding programmes.

✨ When babies are acutely malnourished or people are living with severe illnesses, we work to provide extra nutritional supplements.

Read more :https://bit.ly/4449ijl

30/05/2023

Our very own President and CEO, Andrew Morley visited a health and nutrition outreach programme in Turkana County, led by our team in and the World Food Programme.

"I have seen a child die from hunger." - Andrew Morley

"I feel furious when I think about how his death was preventable!"

💡 Did You Know ...

➡️ and are found in most countries of the world.
➡️ These issues can co-exist in the same communities and even household.
➡️ Both undernutrition and over nutrition are examples of malnutrition
➡️ Malnutrition is one of the leading causes of death for children.

Read the article written by Andrew Morley: https://bit.ly/437oz1R

15/05/2022

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04/10/2021

A new drug called tirzepatide that combines GLP-1 receptor agonists & GIP, given as a once-a-week jab, can put type 2 diabetes patients ‘into remission’, slashing blood sugar to normal levels, cutting cholesterol and blood pressure, and helping patients lose weight.

Tirzepatide combines an existing form of medication called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, and a new, similar drug, known as a glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide, or GIP.

Given alongside other diabetes medicine, such as metformin, they work by mimicking naturally occurring hormones involved in digestion and help patients who find they can’t lose weight through diet and exercise alone.

Tirzepatide is so effective it may offer patients an alternative to weight-loss surgery, which is the most effective treatment method for those who need to lose weight to bring their type 2 diabetes into remission.

02/10/2021

WATCH OUT! - A STAGGERING 8-10 MILLION KENYANS SHOW EARLY SIGNS OF DIABETES!

If you have been gaining weight, eating a lot of high-fat and high-sugar foods, and/or not getting much exercise, I’m afraid that you’re already in danger of getting diabetes!

A staggering 5 - 8 million Kenyans show early signs of diabetes (“prediabetes”) but don’t know that they are at risk of developing the full-blown disease. This alarming trend is due, in part, to the ever-increasing number of Kenyans who are overweight, which sharply increases diabetes risk and eating of junk and sugary foods and less exercising activities. Coronavirus and its effect on the economy have made most people more stressed, leading to a poor self-care lifestyle.

Even though this is a frightening scenario, there is some good news. If you identify the warning signs early enough, you can prevent diabetes from developing. If you already have diabetes, proper monitoring and healthful eating can help you control your glucose levels and avoid many of the disease’s serious complications, such as heart failure, stroke, kidney failure, eye disease, nerve damage, and/or amputation.

Prediabetes (impaired glucose tolerance) develops for the same reasons as type 2 diabetes. They are the same risk factors as those for type 2 diabetes. Various things can increase your risk of developing prediabetes. They include:

Being overweight or obese (most people with prediabetes are overweight or obese).
2. Having a family history of diabetes. This refers to a close family member with diabetes - a mother, father, brother or sister.
3. Doing little or no physical activity.
4. Having other risk factors for cardiovascular disease such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol levels.
5. If a woman has polycystic o***y syndrome and is also overweight.
6. If you developed diabetes during pregnancy (called gestational diabetes).

What to Do If You Have Prediabetes
If you have prediabetes, you are more likely to be overweight, to have high triglyceride levels, to have low HDL levels, and to have high blood pressure. These put you at increased risk for heart disease.
If you have prediabetes, go back to your doctor at least once a year to test your blood glucose. In the meantime, there are a few things you can do to return your blood glucose levels to normal and decrease your other risk factors:

1. Lose weight (if you are overweight). A weight loss of 7% (if you weigh 90 Kgs that’s a weight loss of 6-7 Kgs) will improve your blood glucose levels.
2. Lower your triglyceride and LDL cholesterol levels (if they are high).
3. Lower your blood pressure (if it is high).
4. Exercise or increase your activity. 150 minutes of exercise a week (or about 20 minutes per day) will lower your risk for diabetes.
5. Eat healthy foods. Healthy eating for diabetes is the same as healthy eating for anyone: low fat, high-fiber grains, beans, fruits, and vegetables; small portions of low-fat meat and protein foods; and limited amounts of fats, sweets, and alcohol.

We already have more than 2.5 million Kenyans who have been diagnosed with diabetes. Would you mind doing whatever it takes not to develop full-blown diabetes

15/09/2021

"Unexpected/Silent" warning signs of hypertension

HIGH blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is a common but concerning health condition which, if left untreated, can result in fatal illness.

There aren’t many warning signs of hypertension, as the symptoms appear after hypertension has been severe for an extended period of time

High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, can often lead to you experiencing some unexpected symptoms that commonly occur from other illnesses such as;

-Difficulty breathing
-Chest pains
-Irregular heartbeat
-Vision problems
-Fatigue
-Nosebleeds
-Dizziness
-Headaches

Hypertension is often known as the silent killer, as many don’t realise that they’re suffering with it until it’s too late. Make sure you check your blood pressure regularly.

16/08/2021

Types of cholesterol

High cholesterol doesn’t show any symptoms. You need a blood test to find out if you have it. The blood test will tell you the levels of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ cholesterol in your blood.

Cholesterol is carried around the body by different ‘carriers’ (also called lipoproteins). The two most common are:
• Low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol: the ‘bad’ cholesterol. LDL cholesterol is ‘bad’ because if you have too much it gets stuck to the walls of your arteries
• High density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol: the ‘good’ cholesterol. HDL cholesterol is ‘good’ because it gets rid of ‘bad’ cholesterol from your blood vessels.

Triglycerides are the most common form of fat in your body and store and transport fat in the blood. Any extra energy from food that your body doesn’t need is turned into triglycerides.
High total blood cholesterol is a measure of all the cholesterol and triglycerides in your blood and is a risk factor for developing heart disease.

what role does diet help in my cholesterol?
Eating certain foods can help improve your cholesterol and overall heart health.
The best place to start is to eat a wide variety of plant foods. These include:
• vegetables
• fruit
• legumes
• whole grains
• nut
• seeds.
Eating plant foods will help you get a range of nutrients, heart-healthy fats and fibre. These all promote optimal heart health.

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER

11/02/2021

ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION AND DIABETES... DID YOU KNOW!

The hormone insulin, which is produced in the pancreas, is an important regulator of blood sugar levels. In people with diabetes, the pancreas does not produce sufficient insulin (type 1 diabetes) or the body does not respond appropriately to the insulin (type 2 diabetes).

Alcohol consumption by diabetics can worsen blood sugar control in those patients. For example, long-term alcohol use in well-nourished diabetics can result in excessive blood sugar levels. Conversely, long-term alcohol ingestion in diabetics who are not adequately nourished can lead to dangerously low blood sugar levels.

Heavy drinking, particularly in diabetics, also can cause the accumulation of certain acids in the blood that may result in severe health consequences.

Finally, alcohol consumption can worsen diabetes-related medical complications, such as disturbances in fat metabolism, nerve damage, and eye disease.

10/02/2021

How can you avoid diabetes complications?

Avoiding diabetes complications is simple, you just need to do the following

-Monitor your blood sugars regularly
-Exercise, make it a habit of exercising daily
-You need to visit your doctor regularly to screen for any complications. Foot screening, nerve, kidney, and liver test will be crucial
-Incorporate a healthy diet
-Take drugs as prescribed by your doctor
-Loose weight if need be
-Manage stress
-Get enough sleep
-Stop smoking
-Regularly check your feet and take care of bruises early enough

Have we forgotten anything? Feel free to add

09/02/2021

DO YOU UNDERSTAND YOUR SUGAR READINGS?🤔🤔

We know we always tell you to own a glucometer and monitor your sugar reading
but now how concern is
Do you understand those readings?
Can you tell whether they are low, normal, or high?✋
And on that note, do you guys own an afya diary?

27/01/2021

CKD and diabetes. Is there a link?

Diabetes has been stated to be the leading cause of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Of kidney failure cases, diabetes accounts for 44%. There is an even greater risk when one has diabetes and high blood pressure.

How is diabetes linked to CDK?

Kidneys are important organs with tiny blood vessels that act as filters. Their role is to get rid of waste products from the body. When our bodies digest proteins, it produces waste products. The kidneys have millions of blood vessels that have tiny holes which act as filters. When blood passes through the vessels, tiny molecules such as waste squeeze through the holes and become part of urine. Bigger and useful substances such as protein and red blood cells stay in the blood because they cannot pass through the hole.
However, poor diabetes control, over a prolonged period leads to the damage of blood vessels throughout the body. This includes the filters in the kidneys. With further damage, more fluid and waste remains in the blood stream instead of being removed. If left untreated, it leads to kidney failure and calls for dialysis to purify the blood. Kidney disease is a slow and progressive condition. You may have it and not know until the kidneys fail to work well. Therefore, we recommend that you get your kidneys checked by doing Kidney Function tests.

Symptoms of CDK

Protein in Urine
Swelling of legs and cramping
Upset stomach
Increased need to urinate
Weakness
Nausea and vomiting
Difficult concentrating

Prevention
Not everyone with diabetes will get kidney disease, it all depends on how well one controls diabetes and blood pressure. To prevent it, do the following.
Control sugars
Lower your blood pressure0- you can lower blood pressure though exercise, losing weight, and avoiding alcohol and to***co.
Reduce protein intake because they increase how hard the kidney works

19/01/2021

Intermittent fasting (IF). Is it safe for people with diabetes?

IF has has become a popular health fitness trend. According to research, it is used to manage weight and control/reverse some conditions. But can anyone practice intermittent fasting?

What is intermittent fasting?

Intermittent fasting entails when you eat, it is all about time. This is a cycle where one switches between fasting and eating.

The most popular one is the 16/8 program. This is a schedule where one fasts for 16 hours and restricts eating to 8 hours. It has to be a regular plan for it to yield results. An example is where one skips breakfast and eats between 1-9 p.m. The fasting window starts from this time up to 1 p. m the following day.

There is also another method of intermittent fasting known as the 5.2 approach. In this approach, one eats regularly for five days in a week. For the remaining two days of the week, one restricts to eating a 500-600 calorie meal, once a day.

Another plan is called eat-stop-eat. This is where you fast for 24 hours once or twice a week. During the eating days, one should eat normally and regularly.
It is not advisable to fast for longer periods such as 24, 48 and 72 hours. It is dangerous and may lead to health concerns and your body storing fats.

Finally, there is alternate day fasting where one fasts every other day. However, this plan may not be sustainable since you will be fating for several days in a week.

Intermittent fasting is believed to work in that when the body exhausts its sugar stores, it begins to use stored fat. Using fat burns up calories. On the other hand, if you eat three times a day and not exercise, your body will run on calories and fail to burn fats. It will take you 2-4 weeks to get used to intermittent fasting.

When you are not eating, you can take water and tea. During the eating period, maintain healthy foods, avoid junk and high calorie foods. Always eat the right portions, do not fill the plate because you have not eaten for a long period.

Benefits of intermittent fasting

-It helps in preventing obesity hence lowering the risk of getting type 2 diabetes
-It leads to improved blood pressure and heart rates
-It boosts memory
-It reduces tissue damage and leads to better performance

Is intermittent fasting for everyone?

As much as it has several benefits, this fasting is not safe for everyone. It is advisable to consult your doctor before you start any fasting plan because people react differently to this plan.

-If you have diabetes, especially type 1, it is not advisable to fast. If you have type 2, kindly talk to your doctor, who will check your readings and advise accordingly
-Children and teens below 18 years should not fast
-If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, you are not supposed to fast
-People with a history of eating disorders should not fast

Risks of intermittent fasting to people with diabetes

-One risk of this type of fasting is that your sugar levels may go dangerously low, causing a hypo. It is for this case that people on insulin should not fast.

-Skipping meals may lead to poor glucose control. One of the recommended ways of controlling sugars is having regular meals, in recommended portions. Hunger may lead to poor diet choices when one breaks the fast.

-It could lead to increased hunger hence increased cravings. As a result, you could suffer from hyperglycemia when you break the fast.

-Finally, it puts people with diabetes at a high risk of diabetic ketoacidosis. This condition is dangerous because it could lead to a coma or death. Also, cutting out whole food groups may cause nutritional deficiency and loss of muscle mass

Negative effects of fasting

-Weakness
-Increased irritability
-Difficult concentrating
-Dizziness
-Constipation

Bottom line, if you have type 1 diabetes, fasting is not recommended. If you have type 2, do not try intermittent fasting on your own without having consulted your doctor. You could experience episodes of highs and dips, which are not good for diabetes management. Effective diabetes control means having stable and balance sugars throughout.

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