Healthy foods can really save your life

Just over three months ago my aunt passed away due to diabetes and heart disease. When she passed away, my father (her brother) was in hospital. His legs and waist were swollen and he was coughing and struggling to breathe. The doctor said he suffered from severe heart failure. I was devastated to see him in that condition. I was afraid he was going to die, but fortunately he didn’t.

A few months earlier, he had struggled to do small tasks such as carrying a  plastic bag with just two loaves of bread. He would start panting after walking just a few meters and was no longer able to use the stairs. Seeing my father’s condition deteriorate, I cried and prayed. I wondered what was wrong with him. He was born in 1959 so I didn’t expect him to have serious heart problems although he has had diabetes for a while now. I felt that it was too early for him to leave.

I decided to do some research on healthy foods for diabetics and heart patients. I searched information using Google and read as much as I could about diabetes and heart disease on Wikipedia. After reading about these conditions, I was sure that the problem was with his diet and lifestyle.

My father used to spend hours eating and never exercised.  He didn’t mind spending two hours on the couch eating. He would start by eating about ten slices of bread, quarter chicken and drink a 500ml soft drink can. Just after that he would follow up with another huge meal. I even felt angry at him for eating too much. So I warned him about it. Stubborn as always, he wouldn’t listen to me. He continued eating all kinds of foods, until he got severely ill. He nearly passed away. The doctor warned him about his lifestyle and gave him almost exactly the same advice I had given him a few weeks earlier, that he should exercise a little bit and watch his diet.

After staying in hospital for two weeks, he started changing his diet and walked to the shops. He even bought himself a glucose meter. That was one of the best decisions he ever took. Now he is able to carefully monitor his blood sugar level without having to go to the doctor. He stopped eating salty and sugary foods and started eating sugar-free stuff, vegetables, fruits, fish, chicken, etc. He also stopped frying his food and boiled it. Three months later, he fully regained his strength. He is now able to run and lift heavy stuff like car tyres and batteries. After witnessing this, I realized that many people die young because of the way they live their lives, eating unhealthy foods and not exercising. It is important for all of us to familiarize ourselves with the kinds of foods that diabetics and heart patients should eat. At some point in life, that information may save someone’s life.