Nutritionist warns against ‘Dead Water’, urges Nigerians to embrace natural foods

By Oguadimma Chisom

A principal physiotherapist, nutritherapist consultant and coach, Courage Jason Morgan, has urged Nigerians to pay greater attention to the nutritional value of what they consume, warning against excessive intake of processed and artificially flavoured foods and drinks.

Morgan, a graduate of physiotherapy and nutritherapy from Alberta University, Canada, and consultant at Cojam Fitness and Wellness, Maitama, Abuja, advised while speaking on healthy living, nutrition and the importance of combining modern knowledge with traditional approaches to food and wellness.

According to him, the human body requires nourishment from nutrients rather than merely consuming food, noting that what people eat should contribute to building and nurturing the body.

“The body needs nutrients. So, what does the body really require? If we give it to them, sickness is out of the way,” he told The Lagos Voice.

Morgan cited locally available foods such as ugu and moringa as examples of nutrient-rich foods that could contribute to better nourishment.

He said moringa contains nutrients including protein, carbohydrates, fibre, calcium, potassium and magnesium, adding that such natural foods could help replenish and nourish the body.

Explaining his distinction between food and nourishment, Morgan said, “Food is anything you put into your mouth, either bad or good. But the question is, what we are chewing to swallow, is it nourishing your body?”

He further described foods and drinks that do not provide meaningful nourishment as “dead food” and “dead water,” urging Nigerians to reduce their dependence on artificially flavoured and sugary drinks.

“As a nutritionist, we have only two foods, dead food and living food, dead water and living water. Now those coloured, flavoured drinks you take, they are dead waters because they have nothing positive on your body,” he said.

Morgan recommended natural sources of sugar such as dates, sugarcane and oranges as alternatives to some processed sugary drinks.

He also cautioned Nigerians against the use of artificial additives in locally prepared drinks such as zobo, advising consumers to examine the ingredients contained in the sachets and other additives they use.

“When you are doing zobo, your hibiscus drink, why do we go buy those sachet chemicals?” he asked, urging Nigerians to pay closer attention to what they add to their food and drinks.

The consultant also advocated a return to some traditional methods of food preparation, saying Nigerians could combine modern knowledge with practices used by previous generations.

He encouraged the use of natural materials such as clay pots and wooden utensils, arguing that they could help preserve the nutritional quality of food.

According to him, cooking with clay pots can tenderise food faster while helping to preserve its nutrient content.

“Now when you use clay to cook food, it tenderises the food faster, and then it preserves the nutrient content,” he said.

Morgan also encouraged Nigerians to reduce their dependence on plastic containers for storing and drinking water, recommending natural or ceramic alternatives.

He said he avoids drinking water directly from plastic bottles and instead transfers the water into ceramic containers.

The consultant further advised Nigerians to prioritise adequate rest, particularly in Lagos, where he said many people continue using their phones while in bed.

“Eat well, rest well. A lot of us, we don’t rest, especially in Lagos. Even some of us are in bed, and we are pressing our phones. The brain is still working. You are taxing the brain,” he said.

Morgan urged people to keep their phones away from their bedrooms and create an environment conducive to proper rest.

He stressed the importance of preventive health practices, saying people should not wait until they become ill before paying attention to their health.

According to him, traditional knowledge about food, cooking and healthy living should not be completely abandoned, but rather combined with contemporary understanding of nutrition and wellness.

Morgan concluded by urging Nigerians to make their kitchens centres of healthy living.

“Turn your kitchen to a pharmacist and turn your food to medicine. One wise man said, ‘If you don’t eat your food as medicine, you begin to eat medicine as food.’”