Temperance: The secret to good health

As we go through this series of interesting health factors that we often ignore, AKOSSA MPHEPO outlines the benefits of temperance and how we can use it as a tool to keep our bodies healthy, as articulated at a health day held at College of Medicine last earlier this year.

A balanced life

A simple definition of temperance is “moderation.” Good things are used intelligently and harmful things are not used at all. The goal of temperate living is peak physical, mental and emotional well-being. Temperance does not just involve alcohol, tobacco and drug use. It refers to all aspects of our lifestyles, whether it be overrating, overworking, too much pay or too little /much of anything. Such unbalanced living robs men and women of a rich, healthy and satisfying life.

Alcohol

Millions consume alcoholic beverages. Advertisements portray people who drink alcohol as being happy, congenial and fun-loving. They fail to show the millions of people who are alcoholics. They fail to tell about all the motor accidents, assaults, sexual abuse, murders and suicides caused by people who have been under the influence of alcohol.

Every drink of alcohol irreparably destroys brain cells. Alcohol promotes high blood pressure and is directly toxic to heart muscle. Alcohol increases the risk of stroke, heart failure, stomach ulcers and cancer. One or two drinks can produce spasm of the coronary arteries, decreasing the oxygen supply to the heart. Liver cirrhosis is common in alcohol users. Alcohol robs the body of vitamins and minerals.

Perhaps the saddest statistics are those of damaged babies who are permanently retarded due to their parents’ alcohol use.

Drugs

Despite all the education about illegal drugs, we continue seeing an increase in their use and abuse. Many begin using drugs out of curiosity, to please friends, to provide an escape from reality or to avoid dealing with problems. Repeated used of certain drugs can result in drug dependence, physical or psychological. Someone who is dependent on a drug uses it to avoid the illness and discomfort associated with stopping it.

Tobacco

One of the most addictive of all substances used by humans. It kills a lot of people everyday. Besides lung cancer that everybody knows about, tobaccos also is causative in many other cancers. Its mixture of over 20 poisons leads to disease, emphysema, stomach ulcers, heart disease, diabetes and low birth weight babies; the list is endless.

Remember, common sense in your lifestyle can add years, perhaps decades to your life. What’s more, your quality of life can vastly improve. Plan right now to enjoy filling the years ahead with a balanced high quality life!