You got these habits for free.

What are your best healthy eating habits?

“ You are what you eat.”

Growing up with a mother who was a food vendor, I believe I developed a good taste for food, cooking and eating. My childhood did not necessarily teach me formal nutrition or a particular diet, especially considering my parents’ economic circumstances, but it certainly gave me a foundation.

My mother’s food business was mostly built around starchy foods and proteins. Like many Nigerian families, we grew up eating rice, beans, plantain, yam, soups and pounded yam.

As children, we ate freshly prepared food, and hunger was rarely a major concern because there was usually something available before or after school. I also remember my father preparing medicinal herbs for us to drink. I honestly don’t know everything that went into those mixtures, but they were part of our childhood.

Perhaps that background explains my long-standing relationship with rice.

I still enjoy rice, although certainly not as much as I did when I was younger.

A habit is simply a pattern of behaviour repeated frequently, sometimes until it becomes almost subconscious. As I have grown older, I have developed a few personal rituals around food, exercise, reading and thinking—although, honestly, keeping up with the last one can be challenging.

There is an old saying: “You are what you eat.”

I don’t know if it is literally true, but I do believe what we regularly eat matters.

I am quite particular about my food. Some people may mistake that for pride, but I don’t really see it that way. I simply know what I like.

I love grains and nuts. Muesli, sunflower seeds, almonds, groundnuts, cashews, carrots and milk are some of my favourites. Anyone who knows me well can probably confirm this.

I normally have some combination of these foods several times a week.

Then there is my salad.

I have my own way of preparing it, and I call it my “special salad.” My children love it too.

I combine finely sliced white and red cabbage with cucumber, carrots, sweet corn, olives and sardine or mackerel fillets in olive oil. Sometimes I add avocado and almond seeds.

Honestly, you don’t want to miss it.

Over time, I have developed these eating habits and paid attention to how different foods make me feel. For me, the attraction isn’t only the taste. I also enjoy knowing that I’m eating a variety of foods that provide nutrients, protein, fibre, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals.

And there is something else I love about these meals:

They are simple.

They don’t require hours in the kitchen. Depending on the meal, I can have them in the morning, afternoon or evening, including around my exercise routine.

I’ve been away from my family for a while, and one of the things my daughter keeps reminding me about is how much she misses my salad and some of the other food I prepare.

Sometimes, food is more than food.

It becomes a memory.

It becomes home.

It becomes something your children remember about you.

When it comes to drinks, I also have a few homemade combinations I enjoy. I sometimes prepare a mixture using ingredients such as ginger, garlic, lime, cloves and cinnamon, usually by boiling them together and storing the mixture.

I don’t consider it a miracle drink, and I wouldn’t tell anyone that it can cure illness. For me, it’s simply something I enjoy as part of my personal routine.

I also avoid sugary soft drinks most of the time and rarely drink alcohol.

I do, however, smoke socially—a habit I have been trying so hard to quit of which my last puff was nine months ago. I know isn’t exactly something I should put on my list of healthy choices.

So, these are some of my eating and drinking habits.

They aren’t a perfect diet, and they aren’t rules everyone should follow. They are simply habits I’ve developed from my upbringing, my experiences and what I have personally come to enjoy.

And yes, I am writing all of this after just finishing a plate of rice.

You got these habits for free.

You’re welcome.

The salary that disappears!

Why your mind isn’t with you.

We’re only a few days into the new month, and work has been extremely busy recently.

There is barely enough time for anything else. Simply focus on the task at hand and complete it.

We had already been told to prepare for extra shifts, and holidays were temporarily restricted.

Then payday arrived, and you could see the difference right away.

Most of my coworkers walked around with their shoulders high, looking happy and ready to tackle whatever came next.

All of us had been paid for the previous month’s work. The salaries seemed to give new life to the tired faces I had seen during the third week of the month. Everyone started smiling again. They appeared to have won the lottery, and I understood why.

Yes, money is blood.

It gives people energy, choices, and something to look forward to. But something strange occurred to me.

“How are you doing, Uju?”

“Is everything okay?”

I was asked the same question for the third time that day, and I had no idea why.

I kept answering the same way.

“Good.” “Yes, I am fine.”

Until the final person asked.

During our break, I approached him and we sat down at the same table. Because we seemed so close, I decided to ask him directly.

“You have asked me several times today if everything is okay. Why?” His response sent me straight to the restroom.

He said:

“Your face does not appear happy. You appear sad. You aren’t laughing or smiling. And you rarely talk to your coworkers, even when they speak to you.”

Really?

I hadn’t noticed it myself; I assumed I was responding normally to everyone.

I quickly apologized and assured him that everything was fine. “It’s just that my thoughts are somewhere else.”

“I understand,” he replied. “Take it easy, brother.”

After my meal, I went straight to the bathroom and stared at myself in the mirror for quite some time.

And I realized something I’d never considered before:

I had no idea the journey of my mind was written on my face.

People could see what I was carrying, even though I hadn’t told them.

Most of my coworkers were single. Those who were married frequently worked alongside their spouses. My situation was different. I have a family that relies on me, and this alters the meaning of a salary.

For many people, payday can bring relief.

For me, payday can sometimes mean watching money disappear before it reaches my hands.

Bills are waiting.

Food is waiting.

Responsibility is waiting.

And before I even receive my salary, the majority of it has already been spent, and I’ve been doing this for years.

I work and wait for payday. Receive your salary.

Pay what you owe and then restart.

There’s something painful about working your muscles day after day, week after week, month after month, only to end up with almost nothing left over.

Sometimes it’s not enough to buy yourself a small item. Sometimes it’s not enough to buy your kids a simple treat.

You can see the joy on your coworkers’ faces when they get paid. You want to feel the same way.

You want to feel renewed. You want your salary to provide you with the motivation to continue.

But what happens when the salary that is supposed to revitalize you turns into another reminder of how much you still owe?

That salary, which appeared to energize everyone around me, had the opposite effect on me. It became the reason my mind was elsewhere. The reason why my smile vanished. Why did someone look at me and ask

“Uju, are you alright?”

Yes.

I was working, earning, and receiving pay. But mentally, I was somewhere else, because sometimes the most difficult part is not working hard.

It is hard work knowing that the money you are working for has already vanished.

Perhaps this is one of the realities that people fail to see.

They see the job, the salary, and you coming in every morning, but they don’t see the bills waiting at home. They don’t see the responsibilities that come with each euro, or how quickly the money disappears.

And they don’t see the exhaustion of starting another month knowing you’ll have to do it all over again.

The salary arrived.

But before I could sense its arrival,

It had already vanished.

I Thought Hard Work Would Solve Everything

Until my body started telling me otherwise!

My head was spinning as I fought to stay focused, careful not to let anyone see what was really going on with me. I hauled twenty-kilogram boxes off a roller that flowed like an unending river, responsible for sorting and placing not one but four or more destinations correctly. At logistics, we build pallet castles, box after box — this is not a lazy man’s job.

I had worked nonstop for four years, taking only the occasional weekend shift off.

Until recently, I believed I could manage everything alone. It started with a slight fever and headache — symptoms I assumed would pass in a few days. I was wrong, but I carried on working anyway.

Here’s the thing about working as a parent with young children, without savings or a side business, especially when you’re not directly employed: missing a single day feels impossible. With so many people looking for work, you could be replaced within the hour, no matter how hard you’d worked. So I kept going, sick as I was.

Eclipse of the sun, could be of your health!

Eventually it became undeniable. The dizziness and fog in my head grew so severe they blurred my vision. I struggled to think clearly, but I kept working anyway. I couldn’t get to the hospital after a shift — too exhausted, too little time — and I caught myself looking at my own reflection with pity, a feeling I’ve never been able to stand.

I worked from sunset to sunrise, through summer and winter, in sickness and in health, and still the pay barely covered the basics. It’s never a child’s fault that their parent falls ill, and it’s harder still to explain that to a wife and children a million miles away. When your kids are hungry, they have to eat — and being sick is no excuse for them to go without. So you’re told: work hard.

Most parents spend the better part of their lives working to provide, missing their children’s most precious moments, only to realize too late that hard work alone doesn’t solve everything — it can quietly rob you of the joy of parenthood. Fortunately, I’m not too old to have learned that now. So I kept working, but I started paying closer attention.

When my health kept declining, I finally went straight to my doctor instead of collapsing into sleep after a morning shift. She wasn’t pleased with what she found and, after running some tests, ordered a week of rest at home. I followed her instructions, mostly, seeking the emergency care she recommended and taking the medication she prescribed. But against her warning — and against my own better judgment — I went back to work the very next evening. My contract was about to expire, and I was determined to get it renewed. If I didn’t, how would I send my family what they needed to get by?

That final shift, the one I was supposed to spend at home recovering, turned out to be one of the worst decisions I’ve made recently. I felt miserable, in and out of clarity, and for the first time I was truly frightened — regretting that I hadn’t listened to my body, my doctor, or the quiet warnings I’d chosen to ignore. And on the last day of that contract, despite everything I’d given, my supervisor informed me it would not be renewed.

I went home feeling neither happy nor sad, just thinking about my children and their welfare in the months ahead — knowing I’d be out of work exactly when I needed the rest my doctor had advised, if I was ever going to keep providing for them.

What I’ve learned from all this: as a parent, taking care of your health matters. Listen when your body asks for rest, and when your doctor tells you something important. It’s wiser to work smart and build something — a side income, a cushion — that supports you beyond your labor. Hard work alone does not make life easy.

I thought working hard would solve everything!

Then my body started telling me otherwise!

My head was spinning as I struggled to stay focused on my task and not let anyone else know what was going on with me . Carrying a 20kg box I picked from the roller, which flows like an unending river, and I am in charge of not just one, but four if not more,all need to be sorted and place rightly for different locations . At logistics we build pallet castles with boxes one after another ; this is not a lazy man’s job.

I’ve worked nonstop for the past four years, with the exception of weekends, when I occasionally took shifts.

Up until recently, I believed that I could manage everything on my own.

It began with a slight fever and headache, which I assumed were common symptoms that would go away in a few days, but I was mistaken. I carried on with my work.

It’s interesting to know that ;Without savings or a side business, it is difficult to miss a day of work as a parent with young children , especially if you are not directly employed . Also, given the number of people looking for work, it would not take an hour to be replaced, no matter how hard you worked, so I continued to work despite my illness.

At this point, it was clear that my health had deteriorated because the dizziness and fog in my head were so severe that they impair my vision,. I had trouble studying, but I kept working anyways.the fact that

I could not go to the hospital. ; after work due to fatigue and tight schedule made me look at my self pitifully which I never liked.

Despite working from sunset to sunrise, summer to winter, in good health or bad, the salary barely cover basic expenses.

It’s never the children’s fault that you’re sick; and even more difficult to explain to your family (wife) that lives a million miles apart. When your kids are hungry, they must eat. And being sick is no excuse for them to go hungry. So you must work hard they say!

Most parents spend the majority of their lives working, trying to provide for the family even missing the most memorable moments of their children only to find out too late that working hard doesn’t solve everything, instead it ruins the joy of parenthood.luckily i am that old old. So I continued working.

Eclipse of the sun, could be of the health!

But as my health deteriorated, I decided to go straight to my doctor instead of sleeping when I got home one morning. She was not happy with the condition of my health and suggested that I spend a week at home after some analysis . With the exception of a few things, I followed the instructions of the doctor to seek emergency care and was prescribed a ton of medication. Then, despite the doctor’s warning and my poor health, I returned to work the next evening because my contract was about to expire and I was trying my hardest to get it renewed. If not how will I send my family the token for their upkeep?. But after the my last day of the shift of which I was supposed to stay home;.

I realized it was one of my worst recent mistakes because, I felt miserable, in and out that I became scared and regretted not heeding to warnings by my body, Doctor and God.However on the last day of my contract despite being hard working and all the struggles I was informed that my contract will not be renewed by the overall jefe. I went home not happy and not sad, but thinking on my kids and family welfare the rest of the months.knowing that I will be out of work even though I needed the rest as advised by the doctor if I am to keep getting their upkeep in the future,

From my experience, As a parent it’s important to take care of your health and heed to the signs of your body when it asks for rest and also the advice of your doctor when necessary. it is preferable to work wisely and have a side business that supports you. Life is not made easy by hard work alone.

What my children have taught me about life.

the reason behind my parents happiness in midst of challenges.

The state of being alive and having the quality that distinguishes living organisms from dead objects is Life. However, there is more to living than the above definition. Before becoming a father, I was fortunate to come from a large family with a strong bond; our parents were not wealthy, but they never lacked love and concern for their kids. I was extremely close to my father, to the point where I was said to be his favorite.

Every time we got together, whether it was for a meal, after a meal, farm work, or casual conversations, I could still see the joy on my parents’ faces. However, I never really understood the reason for their happiness because, at the time, the majority of my siblings and I had less of everything we needed than kidsl. However, our love was greater.

*What I’ve learned about life from my kids*

Adolescence is a time of many opportunities and challenges; family members, particularly parents and siblings, were the focus of affection before friends. And I was not an exception. Go read ( *if you people are okay; I am okay) on my official Facebook page to gain a better understanding. to the main points of this article.

I was strong , with little connection to anyone, carefree and strong-hearted; nothing get to me emotionally except my parents . But I was fine, not bad. With no serious responsibilities, I lived my life without emotions, only for my parents’ voices, which soothed me and warmed their hearts.

*What my kids have taught me about life.*

The real reason behind my happiness in …

Like others who went from zero to hero, I was fortunate and led a modest but quiet life. With the exception of being grateful to my parents and siblings, which comes without entitlement, I take adequate care of myself and made sure my wardrobe were up to date.

As I write this piece, I had a flash back of my early school years; I see my parents wearing the same clothes even when they were supposed to be thrown away, but I didn’t understand why until recently. Love is a sacrifice. As my self I couldn’t believe I have worn same clothes for the past three years . There is more to life than its mere definition. What children taught me about life?

I address my lovely daughters by their pet names.

*Booboo *Omalicha*, and I always noticed tone they answer, filled with love and affection.the type that nourishes my heart and makes me a proud father just like that of my parents’.

I’ve only known true love from my parents, siblings, and children, but since becoming a father my children rule my heart as much as we ruled our parents’ hearts.

My most memorable times in life have been spent with them and my parents.

I’ve missed them a lot, but I know the quest that took me away was necessary for their own good. My father has always said that if we are okay, he is okay. My children has taught me the reason behind my parents happiness in midst of challenges.

Movies don’t make me cry. Realities does!

Real stories need no actors

I can’t remember the last time a movie made me cry. Perhaps it’s because I know the characters aren’t real. That doesn’t mean I underestimate the work of actors, writers, directors, or producers. As a writer and content creator myself, I understand the effort it takes to create a story that moves an audience.

But for me, movies remain stories I watch. Life is a story I live.

Life has its own movie scenes—moments I wish I could capture on film and replay whenever I need to remember what they felt like.

Before writing this, I was lying on my bed, wandering through memories, knowing that work was fast approaching. I hadn’t even prepared my dinner. I eventually got up, moved to the couch, and lay there with my hands over my head.

The pressure was becoming overwhelming. I desperately needed something to distract my mind from the anxiety caused by everything that had brought me to this point. And somewhere in that silence, I think I shed a few tears.

Not because of a movie.

Because I was emotionally exhausted. Empty. Separated from my family under circumstances I never intended or wanted.

The decision to be away from my wife and children was made for a reason—for their good, for our future, and for the possibility of building something more sustainable for all of us. That purpose is what keeps me going, even when the cost of pursuing it feels painfully high.

It has been almost a year since I left, without knowing exactly when I will see them again.

Sometimes, memories of our life together replay in my mind—the laughter, the ordinary moments, the little things I once took for granted. And those memories carry an emotion no movie has ever been able to create in me.

Because some stories don’t need actors.

Some stories are lived.

And sometimes, reality writes the scenes that make us cry.

Life is not knowing what comes next.

How do you deal with uncertainty?

Your super powers lies in moving on

I just finished my Spanish lessons for the day, after another night when sleep refused to come. The night shift has changed my entire life system. Even after a rigorous workout, I can still find myself lying in bed, turning from left to right, hoping for just a few hours of rest.

And then comes uncertainty.

I can barely remember a time when my future felt certain rather than constantly suspended in questions. What happens next? Will things work out? Did I make the right decision?

***Gracias profesora por toda tu ayuda***

I used to believe that the future is what you make of it today. I still believe in taking action, making plans, and preparing for tomorrow. But I have also learned that uncertainty exists regardless of how carefully we plan.

How we deal with it may be the real superpower.

I am not always good under pressure. Sometimes, when reality doesn’t match my plans, I lose myself in my thoughts. I question my decisions, ask, “Why me?”, and replay everything that went wrong.

But eventually, I reflect, learn, adjust, and continue.

Perhaps every uncertainty carries a hidden message—an invitation to become a stronger, wiser version of ourselves.

Yesterday, I went to fitness hoping it would help me sleep. It didn’t. I returned to my studies anyway, carrying the exhaustion and uncertainty with me.

Maybe that’s life: not knowing what comes next, but choosing to keep moving anyway.

How do you handle yourself when life becomes uncertain?

Needless of a proof!

What’s a moment when a stranger completely restored your faith in people?

Proof may not be necessary for faith, but that doesn’t make evidence useless.

We don’t need evidence to believe in God, but humanity will be restored with a small deed of kindness!

Strong trust or unwavering belief in someone or something, frequently without the need for evidence, can be characterised as faith. It can entail having faith in God or a particular religion, having faith in someone, etc. I could only relate to the latter, not the former, in terms of my forty years on this earth and my life experiences! However, life frequently depicts humanity in its best form, regardless of the negative experiences one has with loved ones and those we cherish. I think there are still good people in the world.

It was rush hour on my way to work this evening, and the train station was crowded with passengers boarding and deboarding at every stop. My journey took more than an hour; to avoid being late, I’d rather arrive an hour earlier. However, as the train came to a halt at our second stop, people rushed to board in order to secure a seat. I noticed someone on their knees, struggling to get in, as people of all ages passed by. I was eager to capture what it was until a passenger ran toward the door and helped an elderly woman in her mid-80s get into the train and sit down. I was moved by the male passenger’s gestures toward the woman he had never met before.

Little things in life make a big difference if we can all be compassionate.

Nonetheless, I was stranded on my way home from work earlier this year because I had run out of bus tickets; in other words, I had to buy a 3€ ticket in order to get home, which is an hour’s fast drive from my station. I only discovered my card wasn’t working when I tried to clock in. Tired, stranded, and stressed

After working for eight hours straight, all I wanted to do was go home and rest. I tried explaining to the driver for consideration but was unsuccessful, and it was 4:30 a.m. As I was about to leave the bus, a male passenger approached me and offered to pay for my ticket. I was overjoyed at his kindness and mercy toward me. A stranger watching out for another stranger (me). On rare occasions, strangers’ acts of kindness have restored my faith in humanity through small gestures that melt my heart more than gold and silver. Proof may not be necessary for faith, but a little act of kindness is pathway to restore faith in humanity .

The Good Use of Pain!

If your future self could send you one sentence, what do you hope it would say?

Make Good Use of Your pain

Breathing heavily as I ran to catch my bus, which has irregular schedules, I had just finished my night shift, and it was 3 a.m., having worked for a straight eight hours, but because I desired to get home as soon as possible, I had to sprint the mountain pathway to get my bus, which normally is a twenty-one-minute walk.

Finally I reached the bus station and realized that I had not checked my phone for the past eight hours, picking it up I saw a message from yahoo mail ,July statistics for untold realities I decided to click on it, tho before now I had decided to revisit or better say restart my blog which was hesitantly abandoned because of circumstances beyond..which will definitely come to lime light as we progress.

What single sentence could my future self send me? The heading caught my eye and my thoughts and ignited the flames to my writing prowess and announced my return to Untold realities.com. This was the first time I saw a question of phrase type and I couldn’t let it go

Luckily for me the bus came a minute after I got to the station , so I quickly clocked in and sat down as the air conditioning pelted my tense skin. The sprinting was not in vain, still I have two hours and two more buses to catch before I get home. Writing while on public bus is not new to me, as it moves and swings my mind delved deeper into my future self and the sentence they would have said to me today.

Everyone goes through rough patches in life, but few make use of the pain for a better future… I work, study, pray, and even cry sometimes remembering where I have been, what I had, and what I am missing, but … the future I am fighting for at the moment is one not without struggle but one with greater and better experiences than the past for me and my family, especially my two lovely daughters. Hence, I believe the words from my future self today would be, “Thank you for making good use of your pain in making today better. Thank you for believing and not giving up.”

However I just got off my second bus and looking at the time as I conclude this writing, it’s 04:22 in the morning Tuesday 11 ,2026 I believe a day will come I will come back to this post to appreciate life for a dream come true, Knowing that if I may run in the future after work, it would be for myself (company) with my expensive car. Make good use of your pain .

You must rebuild!

What strategies do you use to cope with negative feelings?

Our shared struggles

For the past month, I have struggled to keep up with my copywriting studies and assignments. Fortunately, there was no strict deadline for their completion. Emotional stress can be overwhelming, especially when the circumstances around us are unfavorable or when it feels like there is no way out toward normality and improvement.

Feelings of anger, fear, guilt, sadness, emptiness, and regret are challenging emotions that can significantly impact our mental health and overall well-being. It is crucial to recognize that we can choose a state of mind that either diminishes our potential or enhances our happiness.

Emotions do not occur on a specific timetable; rather, they arise from unforeseen circumstances in our daily lives. We are all in this together. Both I, the writer, and you, the reader, experience negative feelings and challenging situations that disrupt our inner peace at some point in our lives. However, not everyone knows how to navigate these emotions effectively. Some people have better strategies for dealing with negativity than others, and while it may seem like a gift, it is certainly one worth having.

The ability to manage emotions depends on various factors, including their causes, personal background, education, age, finances, past experiences, and intelligence, to name a few. All of these elements play a vital role in how we handle our emotions. No matter the perspective, we may find ourselves disagreeing, yet ultimately, we can agree on our shared struggles.

Recently, I found my footing again after taking some time to distance myself from those around me. I spoke less, engaged in deep thought, and asked questions that I could only answer for myself. I paused all engagements and programs to analyze the circumstances that led to my emotions—reflecting on my mistakes as well as my successes. Accepting reality and the necessity of moving forward, I allowed myself to pray and cry. Additionally, I focused on reframing my thoughts and strategies.

By trusting in myself and appreciating the opportunities around me, I gradually shed the burdens of negative feelings and began to feel better. As someone familiar with negative emotions, I have come to terms with the fact that no good comes from emotional trauma. Therefore, my only choice is to make the most of my experiences and find a way to rebuild. Started my studies again today life goes on.