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