Zambia Air Force (ZAF) instructor and fitness trainer Joseph Mtonga has suggested that Nshima should be eaten once in a while, if possible people should eliminate it from their diet.
According to a research conducted by Lilongwe University of Agriculture (Luanar), Nshima cooked using maize flours and recipes would continue to raise blood sugar levels in the long-term considering high glycaemic load figures recorded.
The report also revealed that food that increases blood glucose level faster after consuming it, is said to have a high glycaemic index.
Glycaemic index is a system that ranks foods on a scale from 1 to 100 based on their effect on blood-sugar levels.
In an exclusive interview with the Zambian Bussiness Times -ZBT, Mtonga noted that In Zambia Nshima is the reason there are lot of diabetic cases.
He alleged that
too much Nshima is also the reason most people have all these potbelly’s around.
He added that in Zambia, cases of diabetes are very high because of people incorporating unhealthy foods in their diet.
Mtonga said in villages it’s rare to find cases of diabetes because people in rural areas don’t only concentrate on Nshima and fast foods but incorporate health foods in their diet and that one way of overcoming diabetes is by having a shift in diet.
He alleged that for farmers, farming is not about the health of the nation but bussiness.
He said cultivating health foods should not be left to farmers alone but people should take it upon themselves and plant health foods for there own benefits.
Meanwhile, Mtonga expressed concern on the culture of exercising in Zambia which he termed as being very poor.
He alleged that in Zambia people hate exercising and feel it’s a waste of time.
He added that in most cases people who exercise are mostly teased by neighbors and friends.
“Sometimes when you jogging, your friends and neighbors will be teasing you and asking you questions like why you are punishing yourself or what are you chasing that you will never catch?. ” it’s because they don’t understand the importance of exercising, ” said Mtonga.
He added that his heart bleeds when he sees people gaining weight but not incoperating exercises in their daily routine.