Introduction:
Ever since the dreaded HIV virus was made known, it has been panic all the way. In this edition, we shall take a careful look at useful hints on how to manage the dreaded virus through exercise, relaxation and diet intake.
Again, I would advise we shouldn’t be too worried about HIV/AIDS. Rather, we should all look out for how to manage this disease through prophylactics and convalescence, that is, prevention and recovery approaches respectively.
Being HIV-positive presents major challenges. One’s mind and body need careful attention, if you and your loved ones are to stay healthy.
With a few precautions and changes in lifestyle, you will be able to live a relatively normal life.
VARIOUS APPROACHES
1. HIV & Exercise: There is the tendency that you would lose weight; so, get involved in a walk, aerobics, light weight-lifting, thread mill, etc.
·Exercise would help avoid breathlessness HIV patients often experience. Make sure you stay and exercise in a well-ventilated room.
·Exercise would help reduce anger, worry or depression; stress and worry are part of everybody’s life. It is normal that you will have time of stress that you can learn to cope with.
2. HIV & Relaxation: This is a peculiar way of managing stress and worry. Learn as much as you can about HIV to be able to understand and manage the illness.
· Feelings of sadness, anger and fear are normal. They will come and go. Help yourself by enjoying activities family or friends. These put together will make you feel happy.
· Meditate on positive things; go to places of worship. It would do you a whole lot of good.
·Avoid smoking and drinking alcohol as well as use of hard drugs like marijuana and cocaine; they further weaken your health.
· Develop the power of positive thinking, believe that you will live a long; expect that each infection will be treated as it comes.
· Join a suitable support group.
3. HIV & Food: A good diet will help you stay strong and fight off other infections. Try to eat nourishing meals regularly. Here are some common foods for HIV patients.
(a.) PROTEIN: Protein builds and repairs the body. It is found in eggs, meat, fish, beans, milk, soya beans and groundnuts.
(b.) Carbohydrates: It gives energy to the body. It is found in rice, yam, cassava, millet, potatoes, bread and corn.
(c.) Fats and Oils: It gives extra energy to the body and keeps the body warm. It is found in Oil and butter.
(d.) Vitamins & Minerals: These help protect the body from diseases. They are found in vegetables like cabbage, pumpkin leaves, spinach, tomatoes, and in fruits like oranges, banana, paw-paw, avocado, apples, garden eggs, pineapples and guavas.
(e.) Community and detoxification: Take garlic, ginger, aloe Vera drink, grape, scent leaf (called nchanwu in Igbo), bitter leaf, and water leaf
(f.) Multivitamin Tablets: Vitamin C & A, Omega H3, Vitamin E and others that could be recommended by your physician. For instance, Vitamin A, if taken adequately, would work on the red blood cells, fight nose bleeding, abdominal cramps, nausea, diarrhoea, weight loss, blurred vision, irritability, loss of appetite, bone pain dry skin, rashes, hair loss, cessation, of menstruation, synonymous with HIV.
Your body and mind need exercise and rest to stay strong. Exercise can improve.
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