Inspiration: Dr Bertha Kaimenyi

I am met by a familiar smile as I walk towards Dr Bertha Kaimenyi. It’s 4:00pm and therefore what would be nearly the end of a long day for many. Yet, she is radiant, bright-eyed and full of energy! Her reputation precedes her and there is no doubt that she is a phenomenal woman in her capacity as a nutritionist, a lecturer at Daystar University, a Reverend as well as an author.

Dr Kaimenyi is the first person who inspired me to pursue a healthy lifestyle several years ago. As I watched the wonderful positive impact that this lifestyle choice had on Bertha over the next few years, I knew that this would be one of the best life decisions I would ever make! I am honoured and very grateful that she accepted my invitation for an interview which also turned out be a chance for me to share my experience and learn much more from her. I hope that you find inspiration from her experience as I have!

Who inspires you?

Changing people’s lives is my greatest inspiration. I am very encouraged when I see the effect of lifestyle changes in people I meet after months or years. That is one of my greatest joys.

Why is caring for our health important?

Taking care of your health enables you to be who you are. It enables you to do everything else – to work, take care of your family, to grow as a leader… This is because when you eat energy foods such as fruits and vegetables, you feel energetic. On the other hand, if you eat dead food such as mandazi and samosas, you will feel dead! I tell my students that you may even chase potential suitors away because of how you feel on the inside which is a result of the foods that you eat! If people hang around you and feel energetic then they will enjoy being in your company.

“When you eat energy foods, you will feel energetic. When you eat dead foods, you will feel dead!”

 

Which leaders are an example of the benefits of healthy living?

I love giving the example of the Obama family. Michelle Obama says that the White House only prepares meals from organic foods. Many people don’t know that during President Obama’s inauguration, he was diagnosed with high cholesterol yet he is not overweight. You don’t have to be overweight to be unhealthy. You can be very slim yet unhealthy because of the foods that you are eating. By being health conscious, their family is more energetic and is therefore admired by many which is very important. As a leader, you have to constantly think about what you’re eating.

What is the source of your principles on health? 

My approach to health and wellness was first shaped while I was at Baraton University. The university is founded on Seventh-day Adventist principles and therefore we hardly ate meat. Since then I rarely eat meat apart from fish. A lot of research is now also revealing that meat such as chicken contains hormones to increase their growth which are cancerous and therefore harmful to our bodies.

How important is ‘when’ we eat in comparison to ‘what we eat’?

When you eat in the course of your day is just as important as what you eat. You should eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and supper like a pauper. You actually don’t need to eat supper because you don’t need that much energy at night. Instead, you should have just have fresh juice or fruits. I advice many people that following this guideline can actually lead to greater weight loss.

The quantity of different foods is also crucial; our plates should consist of 3/4 of fruits and vegetables and only a 1/4 of protein and starch. Many people believe that this is not adequate. I simply ask them to think about which is the strongest animal in a game park. Its undoubtedly the elephant! Yet, it is a herbivore!

“The strongest animal in the game park is the elephant; which is a herbivore!”

 

What are your typical meals in a day?

My day begins at 4:00am when I have my daily devotion for one and a half hours. I then go jogging for 45 minutes. When I get back to the house, I drink two glasses of water with lemon. I then eat a bowl of at least four types of fruits before having a shower. Fruits need to be eaten 30 minutes before eating a meal to benefit from their nutritional value.

Breakfast: Githeri which usually also includes vegetables like spinach, broccoli. It is actually more vegetables than gather because vegetables give me a lot of energy. I also vary this daily with mûkimû, brown chapati with vegetables or healthy ugali.

Lunch: I carry my lunch in a hot pot such as healthy rice with vegetables.

Snack: Fruits such as apples, tangerines, sugarcane, roasted maize. I also drink at least 8 hours of water a day which really helps to prevent fatigue.

Supper: Fruits or fruit juice.

In your opinion, what is the current state of health and lifestyle in Nairobi?

Unfortunately, we are not doing well in Nairobi. We need to have a revelation of how important our health is. A recent study by the Ministry of Health that was featured in the Daily Nation newspaper revealed that ¾ of men in Nairobi are overweight and ¼ of women in Nairobi are obese. Many people then try to go on diets which actually makes the situation worse or shape their bodies forcefully rather than simply changing their eating habits. The Kenyan cuisine is generally very healthy but all around us, eating habits are changing especially in major cities such as through many new fast food outlets. We need to make an effort to retain our good eating habits despite this. However, the increase in choices of organic fruits and vegetables in our stores is very encouraging because it indicates that more people are learning and appreciating the importance of

“We need to have a revelation of how important our health is.”

Tell us about your training philosophy…

Keeping fit is very important in addition to eating healthy. I have exercised since I was at university in my early 20s. My sister and I would jog in our neighbourhood in Kathera, Meru and the villagers around could not understand our rationale. For almost 30 years I have exercised consistently 4 to 5 times every week. My favourite exercise is jogging for 30 to 45 minutes. Your exercise choice should be one that you enjoy so instead of jogging you may take a walk, swim or go to the gym.

When we exercise, our bodies produce chemicals called endorphins or happy hormones which make us happier and more energetic. Today, we sit a lot in our offices and in our cars yet being active is very helpful in releasing toxins from our bodies and therefore improving our overall wellbeing.

What is the appropriate age to be health conscious?

We need to start as early as possible. The consequences of our lifestyles tend to become evident many years later which may be misleading. Eating junk food and preserved foods containing chemicals such as MSG from an early age eventually catches up with us later in life especially through preventive diseases. Our health is more than HIV and Malaria. Health education needs to be expanded to include advice on how to keep fit and eat nutritious foods.

How else do you stay healthy and happy?

I get plenty of sleep every night because I believe that our bodies need at least 7 hours of sleep daily. I also detoxify my body at least twice a year by taking fruit and vegetable juices and water only for a week. This really improves my overall well-being.

You have such a youthful appearance. What is your beauty routine? 

My favourite beauty product is a smile! That’s the best toner for your skin and makes you look younger and beautiful. Other than that I keep it very simple because most beauty products have a lot of harmful chemicals which end up being stored in our bodies. This contributes to the increasing number of lifestyle diseases in our society. Less is more! I use vaseline on my skin as a moisturiser. Before I sleep, I also cut pieces of cucumber and rub its juices on my face. I also apply coconut oil or olive oil at night on my face and then wash my face in the morning with natural olive soap. This is very good for moisturising my skin naturally.

“Less is more!”