Time to toss these myths out the window!

Milk and blood tonic better together.  I guess people who do this are trying to stretch the notion that milk is a nourishing food product. Since blood tonics are needed to enrich the blood anyway, they must have thought that taking both together would give them better results. The problem however with taking iron containing preparations with milk is that milk actually inhibits the absorption of the needed iron into the body.

One capsule of ampliclox® after unprotected sex can prevent HIV: Yes, this too is out there. Unfortunately this is rather false. HIV is a virus and cannot be dealt with using a single capsule of an antibiotic. In fact there is a possibility of antibiotic resistance in individuals who practice this often.  Prevention of HIV (human Immunodeficiency Virus) via sexual intercourse remains the use of condoms during sex or by abstaining from sex entirely. However, for hospital staff such as nurses and doctors which may be an risk of an infection, there are drugs called post exposure prophylactic anti-retroviral drugs which can help prevent viral infection in the event of an exposure to the virus.

Taking laxis® or any other diuretic can help you lose weight: well, figuratively speaking, yes. However, technically, a big fat no. laxis® like any other diuretic causes increased urination and in not too long, the body’s water volume lowers and there is a temporary body weight reduction due to the water loss. This is simply a perceived weight loss. Real weight loss is burning FAT, period!  Also taking such meds puts a lot of stress on our bodies and may result in a dangerously low blood pressure in otherwise healthy individuals.

jedi® cures back aches: this is rather appalling. This product is an herbal laxative just like the popular senakot® . It can help relieve constipation but not back aches.

 You should use a fork to separate clenched teeth in persons having a seizure:  This is a popular practice here in Nigeria.  You should never restrain or try to insert objects on people having seizures to prevent injuries to them

. Next time you see someone experiencing a seizure, remove all dangerous objects close to the individual, carefully place individual on their sides and ensure their head is in the normal position. Call a doctor if the seizure extends beyond 15 minutes.

5 healthy ways you have to embrace before 2013 ends

Exercise: Yes, you can fix in some exercise time to your  daily work schedule. one way is to put in some 15 minutes every morning before you start off the day’s activities.  Exercise as you probably already know is good for a number of reasons but here is one I discovered recently after one very ‘energetic’ Bro ( age, forty something) fell and broke his arm while trying to jump over a medicine ball at the gym. Proper exercise (that is a combination of aerobic exercise and weight training) helps perverse the body’s muscle tone and co-ordination.

Daily fruit intake:  when it comes to eating fruits I’ll always support that one eats only those which they enjoy.  A few of my favorites include apples, oranges, pineapples and grapes. Sometimes however, I also blend my fave fruits with some not so tasty but extremely healthy ones like cucumbers and water melons for a healthy fruit bunch.

Try my smoothie recipe and let me know what you think:

 What you would need:

 Two large Apples (peeled)

 One medium sized pineapple, peeled, seeds removed,

A quarter of a piece water melon, seeds removed

 Freshly squeezed Orange juice.

 Five tablespoonful lemon juice

Yoghurt (optional)

Crushed ice (optional)

 How to do it:

Wash fruits and remove seeds.

Cut up fruits (water melon, pine apple, apple) into smaller sizes to assist blending.

Freeze for 24hours.

To blend:

Start with the fruits. Gradually add the cut up fruits into the blender until a paste is formed. Add all the juices and a bit of yoghurt (You can also add crushed ice) and blend slightly to mix up the smoothie.

p.s: never add bananas to your smoothie; at least not for the Nigerian taste buds or stomach.

Book a doctor’s appointment/do health checks: I have found out that most people simply diagnose and give themselves medicines. However, what such people really do is to take care of symptoms as they occur as opposed to the doctor’s ability to pool all of such symptoms into an ailment or health challenge that he then tackles. Unfortunately, self medication is one of the reasons why a significant number of people eventually land in the ER. What I also know is that, when it comes to medicine, what you don’t know can kill you. So, better do health checks regularly. Ask your friendly community pharmacist for guidance.

Embrace laughter, banish worries:

Tweak up your sense of humor. Learn to laugh at every turn of events, whether good or bad. It’s one very old tip to banish stress and look younger. Also, learn to live in the moment. I guess, each of us worry about something (I, as a young Nigerian adult, worry about  how to make more money, LOL), however, the fact remains that what we have as mortals or human beings is a moment in time – you can’t go back to yesterday and you can’t run into tomorrow.  

Self control: it is about exercising your power to choose- even in mundane situations. Recently, I discovered that I was getting even fatter (yeah, fat people should still worry about getting fatter) despite exercise and the reasons weren't far-fetched: I ate in between meals and I ate whenever I wished. What I am doing now is to simply eat only when I feel the need to; when I am hungry. I am sure that was the original design!

 As the year continues to roll, I want you to bear in mind never to give up on your health! you are not a failure until you decide to back down. Cheers!

photo credits; bigskyuganda.blogspot.com

Tobi

Egg-centric

egg\ˈeg, ˈāg\

Merriam -webster defines eggs as the hard-shelled reproductive body produced by a bird and especially by the common domestic chicken; also : its contents used as food. 

why do we have that notion that eggs are not that good for us because they  raise our cholesterol levels .... in actual fact eggs help to lower our cholesterol levels the general misconception has lead to a misinformation giving our precious protein giving, cholesterol lowering  and outright simply deliciously tasting eggs a bad rap, to be honest I used to believe that they where not that good for us and that we should have them sparingly .

Do eggs cause heart disease?

Depending on who you ask, you may get different answers some good others outright bizarre some doctors even advice that only the egg white should be eaten that we should avoid the egg yolk .... the truth is that eggs are good for you not just the egg white but both the yolk and the white. Eggs are super foods,  i.e. {man of steel diet hand book} stuffed with nutrients vitamins and all the health benefits you can think of and no they do not cause heart disease.

How about the cholesterol?

Several studies i have read about have shown that not only do they not raise LDL [Low-density lipoprotein] cholesterol but they help to lower it and that those consuming 3 eggs per day over 12 weeks were found to  have lower LDL and raised HDL [High-density lipoprotein] cholesterol  "aka" the good cholesterol. another study showed that those who consumed 4 or more eggs per week had lower cholesterol than those who only ate one per week.

So just how good are eggs for us?

1 They contain vitamins and minerals eg. B,K,D,C,E and even more.

2 They help lower our blood pressure.

3 Wonderful source of protein.

4  The contain the almighty "Omega 3's".

5 They definitely lower our "bad" cholesterol. 

6 Boost brain and nerve health.

7 Helps our eye from developing age related muscular degeneration. 

8 They contain calcium.

9 They do not cause heart disease.

10  They reduce birth defect.

11 They help protect our eye sight and reduce cataract. 

12 They help with weight lose.

13 Improved memory function.

14  They are relatively inexpensive. 

15 There are a million and one ways to have your eggs .

so am guessing the next question would be { how do i love my eggs?}

well here a simple recipe to show a particular way I use my eggs to make magic 

American styled vanilla flavored  pancakes 

Ingredients

- 250g  plain flour

- 1½ tsp baking powder

- ½ tsp salt

- 3½ tbsp brown  sugar or white sugar

- 180ml milk

- 2 tbsp vanilla essence flavoring 

- 1 large egg, lightly beaten

- 2½ tbsp melted butter (allowed to cool slightly) or olive oil, plus extra for cooking

To serve

- Maple syrup

- Butter

- whipped cream

Method

1. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and  sugar into a large bowl. In a separate bowl or jug, lightly whisk together the milk, vanilla essence  and egg, then whisk in the melted butter.

2. Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture and, using a fork, beat until you have a smooth batter. Any lumps will soon disappear with a little mixing. Let the batter stand for a few minutes.

3. Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and add a little butter . When it's melted, add a scoop  of batter (or two if your frying pan is big enough to cook two pancakes at the same time). It will seem very thick but this is how it should be. Wait until the top of the pancake begins to bubble, then turn it over and cook until both sides are golden brown and the pancake has risen to about 1cm  thick.

4. Repeat until all the batter is used up. You can keep the pancakes warm in a low oven, but they taste best fresh out the pan.

5. Serve with lashings of real maple syrup and extra butter or whipped cream sprayed on top of it if you like.

Bukunola

With 179 days left in 2013 You need to........

Give your body the energy it needs.

• Your body needs some foods to stay strong and healthy. Other foods, if eaten too often, contribute to many illnesses.
• Stay physically active.
• Regular physical activity helps people.
• Live longer and feel better throughout their lives.
• Be stronger and more flexible.
• Build strong bones and fight osteoporosis.
• Prevent depression.
• Strengthens your ability to fight off illness.
• Maintain a healthy body weight.

A healthy mind is part of a healthy body.

When you are in a good state of mind, you make good decisions for yourself about your job, your lifestyle, and your health. Here are some things you can do to keep your mind healthy.

  Practice safe living habits. Do you know.

• Accidents and injuries are one of the leading causes of death among children.
• Accidents in the home cause thousands of permanent injuries every year.

Get regular health care.

This means looking for a registered healthcare practitioner near your home.

Many people think they only need to see a doctor when they are sick or injured. The truth is, health care providers are also experts at preventing illnesses and finding and treating problems before you ever feel sick.

Prevent recurrent Malaria attack .

Keep malaria parasite (mosquito) away from self and love ones.

Staying Healthy:Mr Potato Head

Mr. Potato Head

Potatoes \pə-ˈtā-(ˌ)tō, -tə,\  according  to Merriam Webster  is defined as

·         an erect herb of south American origin  (Solanum tuberosum) of the nightshade family widely cultivated for its edible starchy tuber

·         a tropical vine (Ipomoea batatas) of the morning-glory family with variously shaped leaves and purplish flowers, its large thick sweet and nutritious tuberous root that is cooked and eaten as a vegetable

Quite a number of people refer to potatoes as comfort food probably because they usually have this “chips and a burger or chips and chicken picture” pop up in their head once the word potato is mentioned, on the contrary the ‘starchy’ root vegetable belongs to a class of food that am pleased to tell you are one of the most healthy foods on the planet, the not only are a source of nutrients they are just simply delicious. One medium-size potato has just 110 calories and is absolutely fat-, sodium and cholesterol free, making them downright undeniable for any diet.  The power of the potato doesn’t even begin to stop there.  A single medium sized potato is a good source of:

Potassium which helps to regulate body fluids and mineral balance in and out of cells and in doing so helps to maintain normal blood pressure.

Vitamin C which is an essential water soluble vitamin that aids in collagen production , assist with iron absorption, helps heal wounds and keep your gums healthy.

Fiber ‘the complex carbohydrates kind’ that can’t be digested and absorbed in the blood stream and the soluble fiber that helps with weight loss cause you tend to fill full longer after having them, it also helps to lower blood cholesterol

B6 They play an important role in carbohydrate and protein metabolism and is required in the synthesis of hemoglobin- an essential component of red blood cells.

Iron major component that carries oxygen to all parts of the body, assisting with oxygen utilization, neural development and overall cell function.

Did I just hear you say “wow” yea it’s definitely  much more than a comfort food best of all they just tastes awesome when it comes to cooking with them the possibilities are endless  eg potatoes chips, potatoes with the skin on (in jacket), mashed potatoes, potato salad potato  soup etc.

Just before I go am going to leave you with a little potato treat.

Sweet potato pottage recipe or you simple call it “Asaro with sweet potatoes”

Sweet potato pottage and grilled chicken

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 40 minutes
serves: 4-6 people

3 large sized sweet potatoes (peeled and cubed)

100ml palm oil (dendê oil)

A teaspoon of salt

1 regular size bouillon cube or stock cube

A teaspoon of white pepper

1 red pepper (pounded)

1 small sized white onion bulb

A liter of water.

 For the grilled chicken

 4 large size chicken breast

6 fingers of cayenne pepper (pounded)

1 teaspoon all purpose seasoning spice

3-4 tablespoon salt

Half a cup of white vinegar

Half a cup of water

Direction:

1. Blend onions and pepper in a blender. Transfer blend into a large pot and bring to the boil. Add seasoning cube, water and chilli powder if using. Cook for about 5 minutes. 

2. Carefully place potato pieces into the sauce (step1), add 2 cups of hot water and cover, Cook under low heat until the potato chunks become soft. 

3. Using a wooden spoon, gently mash the potatoes into a smooth creamy paste. Add the palm oil. Mix carefully and simmer for a further 5 minutes.

For the chicken

1.     Place the chicken in a salt water and vinegar bath and let sit for 3-4hours  make sure the chicken is fully submerged in it  

2.     Rinse them off in cold running water and place in shallow pot with a little water and allow to steam for 5 minutes, drain

3.     Pound the pepper and add  the all purpose seasoning spice and gentle roll the chicken in the mix till its coated

4.     Heat your oven to 71 degrees Celsius (160 degrees F.) and place chicken on a wire rack the 10-20 minutes but toss them over very 5 minutes