Evangelist Links Diet to Rising Sudden Deaths, Urges Nigerians to Eat Well

By Olisemeka Obeche

Evangelist Juliet Akalaka Odenigbo, Spiritual Director of Divine Mercy Family Intercessory and Deliverance Ministry, Awka, has called on Nigerians to adopt healthier eating habits and lifestyle practices to curb the rising tide of preventable deaths.

Odenigbo, who is also a seasoned herbal medical practitioner, gave the advice while delivering a lecture titled “Eat Right to Live Right” during a two-day programme organised by the ministry to commemorate the 2026 Feast of Divine Mercy.

Speaking before a gathering of members and residents of Awka, Odenigbo warned against excessive consumption of starchy and sugary foods, which she identified as major contributors to deteriorating public health.

“Majority of deaths nowadays are as a result of bad choices people make with what they consume, stress, and the failure to monitor their body and vital signs,” she stressed, adding that the type of food most people eat everyday has become a problem for their health.

“I don’t know how someone will wake up in the morning, buy snacks (burns) and mineral (non-alcoholic drinks) and consume them as breakfast before going out for the days work. And in the afternoon, when it’s time for lunch, they also buy the same snacks and softdrinks. And in the night they also look for another kind of snacks like noodles to cook and eat as dinner because it’s fast to prepare.

“And they have made eating junk food their routine without knowing that it’s doing terrible damage to their health”,

The evangelist urged Nigerians to prioritise balanced nutrition, adequate rest, and regular health monitoring, noting that spiritual well-being cannot be separated from physical wellness.

‘Ada Divine Mercy’, as Odenigbo is fondly called, further advised families to incorporate more natural, unprocessed foods into their daily meals and to pay close attention to changes in their blood pressure, blood sugar levels, and overall body functions. And she revealed vital signs of deteriorating health that people must not ignore if they desire to live longer.

“When you see yourself having frequent body pains, know that danger is looming. That is because your organs have been weakened due to bad choices of food you eat over time.

“Once you have reached 40 years of age, watch what you eat. Reduce consumption of carbohydrates because your biological clock is now winding down. You need to consume food that will not store excess sugar in your body.

“Also, whenever you see anyone having blood pressure related issues, know that the organs have become weak and the body system has been scattered. And that also is associated with body sugar crisis. BP and sugar crisis are related. And the problem is that once you start treating BP, sugar complications will also emerge.

“One of the most dangerous thing about blood sugar issue is that it can be undetected and once you are given some glucose sugar, before you know it, the person is dead.

“We have witnessed increasing cases of people who walked to hospital for treatment and the next minute they are dead. It’s blood sugar related issue.

“But there are vital signs that show you have blood sugar problem, such as frequent urination, having weakened body and once they get cut on their body, it will not heal and develop into ulcer.

She also begged parents, especially mothers to curtail feeding their children sugary foods.

“I’m begging those women who feel that they are too busy to cook food that will give their children balanced diet, to have a rethink and stop feeding their children junk food.

“They always buy biscuits, Gala sausage roll or burns with all kinds of juice or soft drinks being sold in the market.

“They don’t know that they are damaging their children’s system.

“If you visit the children’s ward at teaching hospital, Amaku, you will see the number of children with sugar crisis. Most of the preservatives used to produce those junk foods our children consume causes further damages”, she adds.

The Feast of Divine Mercy programme, which featured free medical treatment, special prayers, counselling, and health lectures, attracted dozens of participants from across Anambra State.

Many attendees commended Odenigbo’s dual approach of spiritual guidance and practical health education.

She concluded by calling on government and religious institutions to intensify awareness campaigns on healthy living, describing prevention as far better and cheaper than cure.