The greatest wealth is your health

BEING a dentist can be challenging, but Dr Mehar Angez said she enjoyed every moment for almost 40 years with Ministry of Health and Medical Services.
The veteran dentist says her passion in promoting good oral health and general health to people was a beautiful journey.
“Being living a simple and healthy life style, I took life as a test and a challenge,” said Dr Angez.
“My aunty Nisha Buksh and mother had been my greatest strength and I had taken both success and failure in a balanced manner. I’m a mother of four children and four grandsons, I’ve always taught them to be loving, simple and caring and to be disciplined where health is concerned.
The greatest wealth is health. The ground work of all happiness is good oral health and general health. Our body holds deep wisdom. Trust in it, learn from, nourish your life, transform and be healthy.”
Dr Angez said Fiji we had the wealth of local fruits and vegetables and shopper should take advantage.
“This means food with plenty of fibre, vitamins and minerals that our body needs should be the choice,” she said.
“I love shopping in a clean environment and where there’s friendly staff are welcoming and smile to their customers at all times.
Dr Angez said NewWorld Supermarket was her choice for specials because it offered high quality foods that include fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, nuts, legumes such as beans, peas, lentils, eggs and more.
She said she shopped fortnightly and at New World everything she needed was all under one roof. She always carries a list of items and keeps a keen eye out for specials she may need.
“I prefer that my shopping budget is always with local fresh fruits and vegetables at all time because healthy diet is balanced of foods, general idea of the types of food that maintains a healthy body and prevents illness,” said Dr Angez.
“Believe in and submit to the will of God are the most essential parts of good health. Attention to diet and nutrition is a part of holistic health system. The struggle is really in the area of life style choices and life style changes so a choice and adapt becomes keywords in social subject like eating and drinking. Many of the most chronic illness today derive from unhealthy eating habits and lifestyle that NCDs are on the rise, diabetes, hypertension, heart diseases, obesity and depression have all been linked to unhealthy eating habits and lack of physical activity. Good nutrition, healthy eating habits with physical activities together will keep a healthy weight too.”
Her advise to shoppers is to have a backyard garden and spend a good 30 minutes of quality time with children.
She said one should involve children them to dig weed and plant vegetables to be chemical free, fresh and healthy. This routine, she adds, will help one to keep active, improve daily life, sleep and help in maintaining healthy weight and not forgetting your 10 to 12 glasses of water daily.
“Throughout my shopping experience I’ve learnt to check on quality of food, expiry dates specially items on special, always remain within your budget,” she said.
“If we want to live a healthy life, we must follow healthy nutritional diet at all times because according to my faith as a complete way of life, stresses that being physical, mental, social and spiritual are the importance of good health and offers the ways and means to cope with ill health.”
Her favourite recipe is grilled or baked fish with steamed vegetables
Steps
* Clean and cut fish
* Marinate with lemon, salt, garlic, chilli and pepper
* Keep aside for 30 minutes
* Heat your fry pan, coat with oil
* Set your marinated fish , 10 minutes each side, grate cheese on top
* Remove from pan, put the baked fish on platter with your steamed vegetables: long beans, ota, spinach, carrot, cauliflower
* Goes well with kumala/breadfruit
* Don’t forget your fresh lemon juice of water