“Aayu” in Yoruba language and “Tafarnuwa” in Hausa language

Garlic .... Is this the new cool?

Merriam -webster defines gar·lic. "\ˈgär-lik\ " As an European allium (Allium sativum) widely cultivated for its pungent compound bulbs much used in cookery, 

The garlic vegetable, yes vegetable I bet you didn't know the garlic was one, is a species in the onion genus, Allium. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive,and rakkyo. With a history of human use of over 7,000 years, garlic is native to central Asia,and has long been a staple in the Mediterranean region, as well as a frequent seasoning in Asia, Africa, and Europe. It was known to Ancient Egyptians, and has been used for both culinary and medicinal purposes. 

Why that pungent smell ? 

Garlic contains "allyl methyl sulphide" (sulfuric compound) which is the reason for the pungent smell and most people give this as a reason why they stay off garlic but another way to reduce the effect of garlic is to have parsley and sprigs. This is the major  reason why parsley and sprigs are combined with garlic in many of the exotic food preparations.

Pro vs Cons 

Let me start with the cons 

It has a pungent smell..

Now the pros 

It contains  allicin which is a natural antibiotic found in garlic. Proven to be stronger than tetracycline and penicillin.

Also contains AJOENE another compound found in Garlic which impedes the formation of blood clots in the arteries. Thus, helps to prevent Stroke and control cholesterols levels in the blood.

Garlic is also very rich in SELENIUM. This indispensable element is used in the neutralisation of free radicals which helps to prevent several illnesses.

Selenium is an antioxidant, helping to slow the effect of cell oxidation and Aging

Combined with vitamin A and E, the rejuvenating power of Seleniun and Ajoene are increased.

Another compound found in Garlic is called SAPONIN. This compound also helps to lower blood pressure, thus preventing stroke.

Fructose is also found in garlic. It helps to stimulate the immune system.

13 other health benefits of garlic

1. REDUCTION OF FAT IN THE BLOOD – It has been demonstrated and proven that Garlic promotes a decrease of low density lipoprotein (dangerous) from about 7% to 22%. And increases high density protein (favourable) from 15% to 31%. In addition, it lowers cholesterol and triglycerides from 15% to 20%.

2. PREVENTS HYPERTENSION – Garlic acts as a vasodilator which helps to widen the blood vessels, making blood flow smoother. This helps to lower blood pressure. Experiment shows signs of this effect in more than 75% of people and patients.

3. HEART RELAXANT – Garlic regulates the cardiac rhythm of the heart, helping to avoid Arrhythmia. This is beneficial for people who have accelerated heart rate and Cardiac Arrhythmia.

4. ANTI-DIABETIC – Garlic is a huge help with people living with diabetes and helps to prevent it as well because it helps to lower the glucose in the blood. This is due to the fact that it increases the secretion of Insulin. Insulin is in charge of regulating normal sugar levels in the blood.

5. DIGESTIVE AID – Taking Garlic prevents the blockage of gastric pancreatic and intestinal juices which are responsible for digesting the nutrients. It also helps to promote, relax and tone the Digestive system.

6. MUSCLE TONER – Muscles can be toned by taking Garlic which then can sustain an extra amount of work. It is also a great muscle relaxant. The Babylonians in 3000BC can attest to the vigor and extra vitality Garlic gives to their work force.

7. LUNGS DECONGESTANT – Garlic works as a great lung decongestant helping to loosen the harmful, infectious secretion of bronchial tubes. In addition, it helps to prevent head colds and flu. Garlic plus some Chilli pepper work as good expectorants.

8. ANTIBIOTIC AND GERMICIDAL POWER – Garlic is very effective in destroying bacteria like staphylococcus, streptococcus, salmonella, and other germs that cause diarrhoea, Gastrointestinal and Bronchio-pulmonary infection. It also works on fungi like Ringworm and Candidiasis.

9. HYPERTHYROIDISM – Garlic contains a lot of iodine which helps people who suffer from Hyperthyroid, a deficiency of this mineral.

10. ANTIRHEUMATIC – Ground garlic mixed with hot aloe lotion calms and eases pain caused by inflamed and aching joints, a result of Rheumatism.

11. PARASITIC WORMS – Cloves of garlic have been used to get rid of Oxyuriasis (intestinal worm) in children, working quite well to completely eliminate amoebas.

12. DIURETIC – Garlic is highly diuretic due to its essential oils and its low molecular weight sugars.

13. ARTERIOSCLEROSIS AND THROMBOSIS – Studies reveal that the ingestion of Garlic daily during the month diminishes coagulation and the destruction of clots from 72 % to 85%.

Fresh garlic VS processed garlic(garlic cubes)

As a natural preference I always go with the fresh garlic because that's all natural free from any sort of preservatives and it has the wonderful smell and flavor, but if that's to strong for you there are a lot of garlic cube brands in the market you could try.

Let me leave you with a very useful cooking tip 

If u hate having to peel garlic like I do, you could just create your own bottle of garlic infused oil

Peel a few cloves of garlic and slice the cloves in half and drop in a bottle of extra virgin olive oil or any other cooking vegetable oil of your preference, let it sit for a week and viola u get the garlic flavor whenever you need it.. Because of the oil which acts as a preservative the garlic can stay for weeks .

Bukunola

SUPER MOMS' WORST RESCUES

Children are not mini-adults when it comes to medication use, so, there’s no need to play hero with their health; prescribing meds for them whenever they are down with symptoms. Some drugs, safe and quite popular among adults, may be doing a lot of harm to our kids. Here are a few:

Tetracycline: Tetracycline is a broad spectrum antibiotic whose use worldwide has been reduced due to increased bacterial resistance.However, its use in Nigeria is still quite popular.  Also, though the drug is classed as a prescription only medicine, it is usually bought without prescriptions in most commodity stores and supermarkets. Its common use in adults is for stopping diarrhea, however its use in children under the age of 12 years has generally been associated with dental problems especially staining teeth an unflattering yellow color.

1. Aspirin: Aspirin is not the best drug to use for children with fever. In fact its use is contraindicated in children less than 16 years of age except in certain medical situations where it is given under medical supervision. It’s use in children (especially those having viral illnesses) has been linked with a fatal condition known as Reye’s syndrome. This syndrome is associated with injuries to the brain and liver, and can cause comas or result in death.

Hydrocortisone cream (1%).Topical Hydrocortisone may be used to relieve inflammatory skin reactions or to treat certain other skin problems. abuse of this medication may result in adrenal suppression. Manifestations of adrenal suppression in children include linear growth retardation, delayed weight gain and so on. it’s use in children should always follow a professional consult, where the minutest amounts required for a condition are then prescribed.

Promethazine: Promethazine hydrochloride syrup (for example Phenergan^®) is commonly used in children as a sedative, or as anti-histamine. In a review by the health science authority, Singapore, there were 125 cases of serious adverse events reported in patients below 17 years of age between 1969 and 2003. The serious adverse events included respiratory depression, cardiac arrest, seizures, and hallucinations. Promethazine is contraindicated in children less than 6 months old and not recommended for use in children less than 2 years old.

Bottom-line,  always seek professional counsel or advice before making such decisions on your kids. Rescue missions have a lot better outcomes when there are many more super heroes fighting the same course. Ask your Pharmacist today(winks)




photo credits: www.kidshealth.info

create your life: Have a vision board

We all have heard about the grave yards being the wealthiest places in the world; having tons and tons of buried ideas. I never gave such a notion much thought though, until recently when I learnt that the grave yards were so called because they harbored potentials of people, plans that were never made, projects that were never executed, ideas that just breezed pass. Then I decided I was going to jot down and stick to the back of my room door everything that caught my attention on a daily basis (or at least anything that seemed fascinating for that time being) and stuffs I pondered on. One time, I remember learning about gratitude. I honestly wanted to practice what I had learnt, so I put up something like “Three reasons to be grateful now’’ and on most mornings as I left my room for work, I would remember to recount my blessings, to see my glass half full and to appreciate the simplest things in life. I also realized that sticking things where i could see them was better than just writing them down in a note pad which I always forgot about or replaced with a new one. Many times I would see things on the board and still wouldn't believe I conceived such ideas. In essence, because of this, I always got back on track.

i`ll like to expand my door board to a proper vision board. A vision board is a scrap board that contains cut up papers of everything we aspire for, dream about and believe in. i believe it’s a more practical way of keeping our dreams alive.  

Here is a step by step way of having one for yourself,culled from www.womenonthefence.com

‘’This is the fun part! Start browsing through magazines and newspapers and cut out images and pictures that symbolize your goals and dreams. Feel free to print images or words from the Internet as well. Keep them all in a folder as you collect. There are fantastic images online if you use Google Images, for example. This is YOUR dream board, so any images, any words, anything goes.

Don’t be shy to put in pictures of yourself. This is your board – you could / should be present in it.

I like to have one sentence – the overall, big picture dream written out in the middle, or at the top. In essence, the big vision for your vision board. Think, WHAT DO I WANT?

Once you have collected all your images, place them on the board. Feel free to organize the board in THEMES, eg, health, romance, career, money, family, etc…

Grab that glue stick, and start making your dreams permanent on paper. You’re now putting it out there! Start gluing!

Now it’s time to PLACE your vision board! This is key to your success. It has to be VISIBLE– a place you physically go to frequently– your  office, your den, your kitchen are all great choices. Don’t laugh, you can even hang it in your bathroom– something to glance at while you take a nice relaxing bath. It is important to keep the area around your vision board clean, and clutter-free.

Congratulations, you made it, and it’s now on your wall! Now, you have to LIVE IT! Visit your vision board frequently, at least twice per week. Look at all your images, your words. What are you doing to make them come to fruition? I even have a little ACTION PLAN section on mine, with a few action steps on how I plan to implement my goals. That is entirely up to you. But remember, visualization is just as important as action.”

See you soon!

photocredits: www.womenonthefence.com

Take Heart Part 2: Drug Love and Others

Drug love: As a Hypertensive patient, you must realize that your drugs are also very important to ensuring a longer life. You must know them and love them. You also must be informed of changes in drug regimen made by your doctor. When refilling prescriptions, you should use the services of a pharmacist. Why?  He helps blend medication use with your lifestyle and renders advice on side effects you may experience with usage.

Morning swallows: Mornings are the best times to use these drugs. Common knowledge is that this practice helps you manage stressful moments throughout the day by keeping your blood pressure (B.P) at bay. But some people may need to take their medications twice a day (that is, in the evening) for better B.P management. Also avoid taking your meds with soft drinks or alcohol. These drinks affect the quantity of drugs that get to your blood circulations. Sometimes cause them to be too much, sometimes too little. In essence, use your drugs with water. You can decide to take them after meals. A lot of hypertensive drugs are better with food,though, furosemide is better taken on an empty stomach .

I decided to draw up some side effects and pointers for some commonly used anti hypertensive drugs. Please check the labels of your meds; your drugs may also be fixed dose combinations of any of these drugs.

Drug	Advice to patients
Diuretics: furosemide(Laxis®),hydrochlorothiazide, Amiloride+ hydrochlorothiazide( moduretic®)	Best to use in the morning to avoid sleep disturbances due to frequent night time urination.
Methyldopa( aldomet®)	You may see a darker urine colour once your pee stays a while in the toilet bowl May affect your sexual performance or cause saggy chest in men Do not get up suddenly after lying for a while, you may experience dizziness or headaches
Lisinopril	You should see your doctor if you experience some uncomfortable dry cough. Although more common with sister drug, enalapril. If you ever experience puffy Face, swollen fingers, lips after use. you should see your doctor immediately
Losartan	Dizziness and headaches may occur.
Amlodipine	Do not discontinue without seeing your doctor.  Do not get up suddenly after lying for a while, you may experience dizziness or headaches
Nifedipine	Never crush these tablets. May slightly affect your ability to smell. Do not use close to bedtime to prevent night time urination
Propanolol	May interfere with sleep. another reason why you should not use them close to bedtime

I know there are a lot more drugs than highlighted here. So I recommend www.drugs.com to anybody looking to find more information about their drugs.

Lastly, monitor your blood pressure. There are many home use kits available at local pharmacies nearest to you so you don’t have to wait till your next clinic visits to check.And you should keep daily and weekly records and charts. speak to your pharmacist about understanding the blood pressure readings and how to keep them within normal. bye for now.

Cucumbers....... more than just a garnish

What are cucumbers?

Merriam webster defines them as the fruit of a vine (Cucumis sativus) of the gourd family cultivated as a garden vegetable.

Cucumbers  are widely cultivated plant in the gourd family 'Cucurbitaceae'. It is a creeping vine which bears a cylindrical edible fruit when ripe. There are three main varieties of cucumber: "slicing", "pickling", and "burpless". The cucumber is originally from Indian subcontinent but is now grown on most continents. It is so common it can literally be grown on your vegetable patch.

Personally I love cucumber it's one of those few vegetable with a million and one uses,  you could  Forget about pawning off your extra cucumbers! You could use your extra cucumbers to create recipes. Basically... Your imagination might end up being what limits you from doing more, yea it's that good 

1. Pickles and Relishes

2. Cucumber Soups

3. Cucumber Salads

4. Cucumber Sandwiches

5. Cucumber Sauces, Dips and Dressings

Health benefits of Cucumber

It is one of the very low calorie vegetables; provide just 15 calories per 100 g. It contains no saturated fats or cholesterol. Cucumber peel is a good source of dietary fiber that helps reduce constipation, and offer some protection against colon cancers by eliminating toxic compounds from the gut.

It is a very good source of potassium, an important intracellular electrolyte. 100 g of cucumber provides 147 mg of potassium but only 2 mg of sodium. Potassium is a heart friendly electrolyte helps bring a reduction in total blood pressure and heart rates by countering effects of sodium.

Cucumbers contains unique anti-oxidants in moderate ratios such as ß-carotene and α-carotene, vitamin-C, vitamin-A, zea-xanthin and lutein. These compounds help act as protective scavengers against oxygen-derived free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) that play a role in aging and various disease processes. Their total antioxidant strength, measured in terms of oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC value), is 214 µmol TE/100 g.

Cucumbers have mild diuretic property, which perhaps attributed to their free-water, and potassium and low sodium content. This helps in checking weight gain and high blood pressure.

They surprisingly have a high amount of vitamin K, provides about 17 µg of this vitamin per 100 g. Vitamin-K has been found to have a potential role in bone strength by promoting osteotrophic (bone mass building) activity. It also has established role in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease patients by limiting neuronal damage in their brain.

10 more reasons why after reading this post you should quickly run out and pick up this vegetable 

1.Quick pick me-up - Cucumbers are a good source of B vitamins. Put down your sodas and coffee and eat a cucumber slice.

2. Rehydrates body and replenishes daily vitamins - Cucumbers are 95 percent water, keeping the body hydrated while helping the body eliminate toxins. Cucumbers have most of the vitamins the body needs in a single day. Don't forget to leave the skin on because the skin contains a good amount of vitamin C, about 10 percent of the daily-recommended allowance.

3. Skin and hair care - If you don't like to eat the skin, it can be used for skin irritations and sunburns as aloe would be used. Place a slice over puffy eyes and its anti-inflammatory properties help reduce puffiness. The silicon and sulfur in cucumbers help to stimulate hair growth.

4. Fight cancers - Cucumber are known to contain lariciresinol, pinoresinol, and secoisolariciresinol. These three lignans have a strong history of research in connection with reduced risk of several cancer types, including breast cancer, ovarian cancer, uterine cancer and prostate cancer.

5. Home care - Eliminates a foggy mirror. Before taking a shower, rub a cucumber slice along a mirror and it will eliminate the mirror fogging up. Instead of WD40 (grease),take a cucumber slice and rub it along a squeaky hinge and your door will stop squeaking.

6. Relieves bad breath - Take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds, the phytochemcials will kill the bacteria in your mouth responsible for causing bad breath.

7. Hangover cure - To avoid a morning hangover or headache; eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed. Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to replenish many essential nutrients, reducing the intensity of both hangover and headache.

8. Aids in weight loss and digestion - Due to its low calorie and high water content, cucumber is an ideal diet for people who are looking for weight loss. The high water content and dietary fiber in cucumbers are very effective in ridding the body of toxins from the digestive system, aiding digestion. Daily consumption of cucumbers can be regarded as a remedy for chronic constipation.

9. Cures diabetes, reduces cholesterol and controls blood pressure - Cucumber juice contains a hormone which is needed by the cells of the pancreas for producing insulin which has been found to be beneficial to diabetic patients. Researchers found that a compound called sterols in cucumbers may help reduce cholesterol levels. Cucumbers contain a lot of potassium, magnesium and fiber. These work effectively for regulating blood pressure. This makes cucumbers good for treating both low blood pressure and high blood pressure.

10. Promotes joint health, relieves gout and arthritis pain -Cucumber is an excellent source of silica, which is known to help promotes joint health by strengthening the connective tissues. They are also rich in vitamin A, B1, B6, C & D, Folate, Calcium, Magnesium, and Potassium. When mixed with carrot juice, they can relieve gout and arthritis pain by lowering the uric acid levels

While u reflect on this let me leave you with a little flavored water recipe which is way cheaper than your regular sugar free carbonated fizzy drink. 

Yield:

1

pitcher Or 1 regular jug

1 gallon cold water

2 -3 slices fresh lemon

2 -3 slices cucumbers

Directions:

1  Place all the ingredients into a pitcher and serve!

Or

2 For a stronger taste, let the water sit in your refrigerator for an hour prior to serving.

References

www.wikipedia.com

www.google.com

www.healthyliving.com

Serious issue: TAKE HEART

 About 57 million Nigerians are hypertensive, experts say. According to a report by Dr Ikechukwu and others in the world journal of cardiology (2012), the prevalence of the condition in both men and women ranges from 8% - 46% of our adult population. Statistics are just numbers! Raise your hands if you have parents who are currently on blood pressure lowering drugs. the problem now however is that people seem to be taking their drugs( hypothetically speaking) and are still landing in the ERs due to complications of hypertension such as stroke, cardiac failure or ischemic heart disease. What then are the problems and how can we fix them. 

Bad lifestyle choices (high sodium diets, high cholesterol diets and lack of exercise): it’s not easy to switch to “bland’’ meals after decades of enjoying the taste enhancing power of table salt. However I think this is an easy sacrifice to make considering the otherwise consequence of pain, hospitals bills, or worse, death. The daily requirement for sodium in adult individuals is contained in one teaspoon of salt. While I quite agree that it is impossible not to exceed such values daily, one must be conscious not to add salt to most meals or while eating at the table.

Also, choose healthier meals. Stay away from foods that are brimming with saturated fats. People of my tribe sure do like a lot of beef; eating three or four lumps with every meal (and one more, every time they pass by their refrigerators). Swap beef for skinless chicken or turkey. Fish is also good (skin peeled off; even better). It is important however to understand the place of portion and calories when choosing these “good” protein sources: just because fish is healthy doesn’t mean you should eat large quantities of it. Once you consume more calories than your bodies can burn off, you would gain weight and obesity is another bad news for hypertensive people.

Here’s a table of good and bad food choices based on whether they increase good or bad cholesterol. the Bad cholesterol guys narrow blood vessels that supply the heart while the Good cholesterol guys are like the cops, they arrest the bad guys. 

  

BAD CHOLESTEROL GUYS	GOOD CHOLESTEROL SOURCES
EGG YOLK	HARD BOILED EGG WHITE
RED MEAT	SKINLESS CHICKEN
BUTTER	OLIVE OIL, SUNFLOWER OIL, COTTON SEED OIL
MAYONAISE, SALAD CREAM	LIGHT DRESSINGS SOLD IN MARTS
LIVER	BOILED, GRILLED TUNA, MARKARELS ETC
SAUSAGES, HOT DOGS
OIL PACKED FISH
CAKE, COOKIES. PASTRIES. ICE CREAM
PORK
PAN FRIED FOOD

Is your daily diet clogging up your arteries with cholesterol? Try any of these remedies. Have one portion of fruits and vegetables daily. I mean veggies like Lettuce, Cabbage and not Efo Riro stir fired with kpomo and Shaki. These veggies, besides assisting in weight loss, help lower bad cholesterol. Reach for other high fibre meals as well: beans, oats and others. Not still satisfied, visit your local pharmacy to talk to your pharmacist about getting your cholesterol levels checked.

As far as exercise is concerned, light to moderate aerobic exercises would suffice. We all know walking is good right? Anyway, I must emphasize the need for consistency beyond intensity. Research as shown that moderate paced walk done thrice a week is far more beneficial than a vigorous walk done once a week. 

to be continued.....................

photo: rodale.com

Pharmacists' counsel: How to Apply Eye Drops

Eye drops may be prescribed for varying reasons. These include; the treatment of eye infections, inflammatory reactions or lowering of intraocular pressure as in glaucoma. A lot of people administer their eye drops wrongly and are not even aware that this often times may be what’s responsible for the delayed results of their meds or occurrence of other eye problems. Learn how to properly apply eye medication. Here's how:

•      First of all, when opening eye drops for the first time, do not puncture the nozzle with sharp objects such as pins as these may actually contaminate the medication and put you at risk of developing infections. Rather screw in the cap tightly to allow the pin-like apparatus underneath the cap to pierce the dropper tip to open it
• 
  
•     Remember to wash your hands before use. 
• 
  
•      While tilting your head back, pull down the lower lid of your eye with your index finger to form a pocket. Gazing up, gently squeeze the bottle so that a single drop falls into the pocket made by the lower eyelid. 
• 
  
•    Close your eyes for a few minutes and tip your head down as if looking at the floor. Do not blink or squeeze the lids together to avoid spilling the just applied eye meds.  if you are to apply multiple drops, wait a few minutes before doing so.

Other counseling points

1.      Never breathe( or blow) on the nozzle

2.      Do not share eye drops with other people

3.      Do not allow the nozzle touch the eye during use ( should be as close as possible without making contact with the eye)

4.      Remove contact lenses before applying

5.      Remember to discard eye drops after four weeks

  

Homemade Ideas for A Beautiful black Skin

I chose three main ingredients we all could readily find in shops and supermarkets around us. No tulips, no cantaloupes or any other ingredient that would have us reaching for our master cards or going on e-bay! Our sources have sworn by these homemade beauty ideas (and I have tried a few of them). Here they are!

Mint leaves: I know I mentioned no foreigners on our ingredient list but these leaves merit a place here( find them at the fruits and veggie sections in the most popular shopping malls in Nigeria ). They have been shown to soften, hydrate and rejuvenate our skin. They help open up clogged pores, clear black heads and rid off pimples. Prepare mint juice by soaking up the leaves through the night (or by brewing some leaves on low to medium heat). You can also add a few teaspoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice (for oiler skins). Apply to face and neck and leave in for 20minutes before washing off with cold water.

Epsom salt (Magnesuim Sulphate): This is by far one of the oldest beauty ingredients. To soothe aches, remove foot odors and soften corns, add about a handful of Epsom salt into a large bowl of warm water and dip your feet in for as long as comfortable. To use as a skin exfoliant, gently massage handfuls of the salt over your wet skin starting from face and working through to the rest of your body. Rinse off after a few minutes

Green Tea: Green Tea is one of my all time favorite ingredients because it is packed with anti oxidants that have been scientifically proven to benefit our bodies. A green tea bath soak is wonderful for preventing acnes, reducing signs of aging, removing toxins and repairing the skin after hours of exposure to the sun. Personally, I simply soak a tea-bag in a bucket of water through the night and use the water to have my bath. You can also try this wonderful antioxidant packed face mask.  Add one tablespoon of powdered green tea with one tablespoon cocoa powder and 2 tablespoonful of honey. Mix well and massage through the face. Let it stay for 20 minutes.  Remember that face masks are important because the ingredients are then able to reach deep into the skin pores. I recommend “masking” twice a week.

Thanks for reading and feel free to hit us with any questions. see our header for contact details. Bye for now.

photo: guardian.co.uk