DJ and Colourful Radio presenter, Mistri, is a Lambeth boy born and bred. He grew up on Somerleyton Road, Brixton. He is promoting NHS Health Checks in Lambeth to encourage men to get informed about their health.
“Most men don’t go to the doctor for regular health checks. I think it’s because they’re afraid of what they might find out. But what they need to understand is that prevention is better than cure. And part of prevention is taking responsibility for your own health.
“My father died of a heart attack at 43. He wouldn’t go to the doctor, so he didn’t get his health problems sorted out and it killed him. When he died my daughter wasn’t born and he never met his grandchild. I believe that was his fault because he didn’t take better care of himself.
“I want to live to see my grandchildren. Ever since I was in my 20s, my mum has nagged me to try to have a healthy lifestyle and go to the doctor for regular check-ups. I am 48 now and I have outlived my dad by five years. I think that’s because I have always kept an eye on my health and looked after myself, which is something I think men need to do more of.
“I like to dance and I eat healthily because I’ve always been worried about my health. If you feel pain or unwell you should get yourself checked out, because if you don’t it could be fatal.
“The Health Check is simple. You just answer some questions about your lifestyle and have your weight, height and blood pressure measured. You also have a blood test to check your cholesterol levels. This is a pinprick test, so you don’t even feel it. The result of the check tells you about your risk of stroke, diabetes, kidney disease and heart disease.
“My result showed that I was pretty healthy. But even if you feel well it’s still important to get checked out to find out if there's anything wrong. If you don’t know something is wrong then you can’t work to fix it, and by the time you find out it may be too late.
“Everyone is given advice based on their results. I was told that I need to do more exercise and to eat plenty of fruit, vegetables and nuts. I was also told to keep looking after myself the way I always have.
“A Health Check only takes around 20 minutes. That’s no time at all, but it could add years to your life. That’s important, especially if you're a man with loved ones you need to take care of.”
For more information about having an NHS Health Check in Lambeth see Health Checks: your questions answered.
