Topmaike007:
where is my Nigeria?

It's on the African continent. West Africa to be precise.

Below are 5 countries or cities that give away free housing to to its residents:

Italy

Ever heard of the Sicilian town of Gangi? Me neither. This city in Italy has a declining population of about 7,000 and an excess of homes which haven’t seen a human face in decades. Italy will give you the home if you promise to stay and renovate. Sounds like a deal to me!

United States of America

Think the Midwest. America truly can be the land of opportunities in cities such as Gary, Indiana, or Detroit. Homes are given to qualifying individuals given they can prove a proper sense of employment and cash flow, as well as plans to renovate. 

South Africa

Unlike Italy or America, South Africa gives away homes to its poorer citizens. South Africa has led the way in this endeavor, and will gives homes and proper housing to those citizens that qualify as underprivileged. 

Pitcairn

You know that island life you dream of at your desk? Well, there’s hope in living a coconut rum filled life indeed. The population is diminishing, with only 50 residents left. The British island colony is giving away land now, all you have to do is ask. 

Colombia

Beautiful South America. Colombia, much like South Africa, gives housing to the lower echelon of the population. The country is still relatively poor, but in recent years has gained traction as a tourist destination and growing economic force. 

Source: 5 countries that give away free housing to to its residents

Bitter melon goes by many names…ampalaya, bitter gourd, goya…but no matter the name, it possesses some pretty powerful health benefits. Extracts and teas made from the fruit and leaves of bitter melon have been used for medicinal purposes in the Philippines for centuries. It’s touted as an aid for diabetes, rheumatism, gout, cancer, and heart health. It’s extremely bitter, so if you can’t tolerate it on its own, then add it to stir-fries, sip it as a tea, or take it as a supplement.

It’s a quick and easy health tip!

Bitter Melon for Diabetes

Studies indicate that compounds in bitter melon are able to lower blood sugar. Bitter melon contains high concentrations of alkaloids and charntin, which are peptides that are similar to insulin. Bitter melon helps to regulate blood sugar by preventing insulin fluctuations and controlling your body’s metabolism of glucose. To benefit from the blood sugar benefits of bitter melon, drink a cup of bitter melon juice once a day.

A word of caution: bitter melon exerts a very powerful effect on blood sugar, and for this reason should not be used alongside other medications or supplements that also lower blood sugar.

Bitter Melon for Cancer Prevention


Studies indicate that bitter melon can help trigger cancer cell death and stop the growth and spread of several different types of cancer cells, including breast, colon, leukemia, prostate, liver, and pancreatic cancer cells. One study showed that by inhibiting the production of glucose, bitter melon suppressed the growth of pancreatic cancer cells. Another study out of Saint Louis University showed that bitter melon extracts destroyed breast cancer cells and inhibited metastasis. Other studies from the Philippines suggest the same anti-cancer benefit on breast cancer, leukemia, and prostate cancer cells, as well as HIV.

Other Health Benefits of Bitter Melon


Bitter melon is rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. They’ve got:

Vitamin C
Vitamin A
Vitamin B
Vitamin K
Iron
Folic acid
Phosphorous
Calcium

Bitter melons may help relieve asthma. Studies have shown that bitter melon helps to break up and release saliva and mucus that accumulates within the respiratory tract and lungs.

Bitter melon may also help treat kidney stones by lowering levels of the acid that forms kidney stones, thereby helping to break them up.

And, when consumed regularly, bitter melon contributes to glowing, healthy skin, and may even help alleviate skin conditions such as acne, eczema, and psoriasis.

Source: http://premium-health-tips..com/2017/08/5-minute-health-tip-better-your-health.html

Moringa seeds are a potentially incredible find, with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and cholesterol-lowering effects listed among some of their benefits.

Moringa seeds also offer many nutritional benefits. They contain:Seven times more vitamin C than oranges;Four times the amount of vitamin A found in carrots;Four times more calcium than milk;Three times more potassium than bananas; andTwo times more protein than yogurt.

And that’s just scratching the surface of the purported benefits of moringa seeds.
If research pans out, it’s possible that the moringa tree (also known as the drumstick tree) and its seeds will become a new superfood.

Why Eat Moringa Seeds?

The moringa plant has been eaten by indigenous cultures worldwide for over 4,000 years. Moringa is a nutrient-dense plant, rich in calcium, iron, vitamins, and essential amino acids that are found in other complete proteins such as quinoa and meat. Moringa can benefit the body in many ways including improved energy, sleep, blood pressure level, blood sugar level, hair, and skin, to name a few.

In Ayurveda, moringa leaves are believed to prevent over 300 diseases and are used all the time in traditional healing. Moringa comes from Moringa oleifera, a fast-growing tree found in South Asia and throughout the tropics. The tree is hardy and thrives even in rough growing conditions, so it can be planted almost anywhere and harvested in a short time. It’s been used as a nutritional enhancement in developing countries such as Malawi, Senegal, and India because of its rapid growth rate and year-round harvest.

7 Health Benefits of Moringa Seeds


The following are just a few of the health benefits associated with moringa seeds. More research is happening every year on the medicinal value of moringa; we have only just begun to understand how potentially powerful moringa tree seeds are.

1. Lowers Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is a serious cardiovascular issue that can lead to heart attacks and stroke if it isn’t managed. Medications are sometimes necessary, but the ideal route if possible is through exercise, a healthy lifestyle and diet, and proper supplementation. While studies have shown that moringa can lower blood pressure, these studies are preliminary and more research needs to be done on humans, so talk to your doctor before stopping any prescribed treatment for high blood pressure.

2. Acts as a Sleep Aid

For a good night’s rest, steep moringa leaves in hot water for 15 minutes and then drink before bed. It will help you sleep soundly, which in turn will leave you energized to tackle the day.

3. Boosts Energy

A single serving of moringa has almost three times the amount of iron as spinach. This is especially important for vegetarians/vegans and those who suffer from low iron issues, as the body needs iron to enrich the blood and carry oxygen to our muscles, organs, and tissues.

4. Lowers Blood Sugar Levels

A 2014 study published in Acta Histochemica reported that moringa seeds can lower blood sugar levels, which would provide therapeutic management (or even prevention) of diabetes. However, the study was done on lab rats and research is needed on humans before any recommendations can be made.

5. High in Fiber

Moringa is high in fiber, and as a result it can do a great job of moving food along your digestive system. Fiber is also a key component in maintaining a healthy cardiovascular system.

6. Can Lower Cholesterol

Too much cholesterol in the blood has been linked to heart disease. In traditional Thai medicine, moringa is used as a cardiotonic (a drug or herb used to improve how the heart contracts). Some plants have been known to reverse bad cholesterol and research is showing that moringa is among them.

7. Promotes Healthy, Beautiful Skin

The oil extracted from the seeds contains almost 30 antioxidants. The skin absorbs the oil well and can receive these nourishing antioxidants easily. The oil can be used as a moisturizer and antiseptic.

Source: https://premium-health-tips..com.ng/2017/08/health-benefits-of-moringa-seeds.html?m=1

Who knew making love is healthy? well, this research is truly intriguing and i must say, very interesting to read.

One thing that has sincerely captured my thought is that making love, is not only a great way to have a healthy relationship or for fun, but has it’s own health benefits. It’s also a great way to keep yourself and your partner healthy. We all know that making love brings out the sweat that running for 5 minutes won’t produce, right?

While making love regularly increases your immunity, it also acts as a great form of exercise. There is absolutely no doubt that making love is an incontrovertible part of our life.

Beyond pleasure, there are several health benefits of making love. Such as, an active s-x life is also the key to staying young and living longer, etc. These and more are some of the most amazing health benefits of making love. Read on if you care to know more about them.

Here I will try to discuss 10 amazing health benefits of making love. You may like this!

10 Amazing Health Benefits of Making Love:

1. It Helps You Sleep Better.

The sleep that you get just after you’ve made love will be much more relaxed. Getting a good night’s sleep will make you feel alert and overall healthy.
One of the brain’s stress-relieving chemicals, oxytocin, is released during making love. That oxytocin does not only increase endorphins and decrease pain, but it can also help put you to sleep. “S-x, and feeling loved, decreases stress, which makes worries disappear and allows you to fall into a deep sleep.”

It also involves muscle contractions and movement that deplete the body of energy, allowing it to be flooded with those feel-good, soothing hormones.

2. It Burns Calories.

Making love is a great form of exercise and helps burn those stubborn calories.
Studies suggest that making love on a regular basis is as good as pumping some iron in the gym. Also, it involves muscular movement of the thighs, legs, arms, shoulders and lower abdomen which equals a total body workout.
The average session burns about 150 calories, comparable to an easy yoga session or a walk. It’s a nice exercise. It burns calories, especially if it is doing by a variety of styles and position. Making love is a good way to lose weight.

3. It Boosts Your Immune System.

Making love just once or twice a week has been linked to having higher levels of an antibody called immunoglobulin, which can increase your protection from colds and other infections by up to 30 percent.

4. It Keeps You Young.

There’s no doubt that an active romantic life makes couples live a happy and longer life.
Research suggests that regular lovemaking allows the release of endorphins and boosts the skin’s production of vitamin D, which in turn makes one look and feel young.

5. It Helps to Get Relieves From Stress.

A big health benefit of making love is lower blood pressure and overall stress reduction, according to researchers from Scotland who reported their findings in the journal Biological Psychology.
They studied 24 women and 22 men who kept records of their sexual activity. Researchers found that it helps to get relieves from stress.

6. It Helps to Improve Fertility

Frequent s-x regulates menstrual cycles, which makes conception easier. Orgasm is a fact here which actually assists with fertilization. All those of you who are planning to become mommies anytime soon, here’s good news!
According to this report, better s.ex leads to better chances of conception (Yay). The best way to achieve this is by not treating it like a chore; instead better the quality of s-x to increase your chances of getting pregnant.

7. It Helps Fight Disease.

A good session of lovemaking helps in combating a lot of diseases in both men and women.
You will be surprised to know that making love reduces the risk of cancer, heart diseases and even common cold.

8. It Helps to Reduce Pain.

Making love is a nice natural pain reducer. According to studies, vaginal stimulation may lead to increased pain tolerance which in turn has the power to ease out pain during periods, arthritis and migraine.
As the hormone oxytocin surges, endorphins increase, and pain declines. For chronic pain sufferers, forget about popping toxic pain pills, s-x is the way to go.
Migraines and chronic back pain have been shown to be reduced, thanks to these incredible natural healers. S-x wards off the flu and colds. A lovemaking session can release the tension that restricts blood vessels in the brain.

9. It Helps Women More Beautiful

It helps women to be more beautiful. During making of love, women produce the estrogen hormone in significant amounts.
These hormones can make women’s skin smoother and makes hair becomes shiny. Sweat that released during s-x can cleanse the pores and make skin glow.
Beside that, sexual relationships can increase the amount of pheromone in the body that can make a woman look more beautiful and attractive.


10. It Promotes Overall Well-Being

If you are comfortably happy, then be assured that nothing else can challenge your health. And s-x has the capacity to promote the overall well-being of a couple.
A steamy session powered by s-x can easily perk up your mood and keep you in a happy zone.
Researches shows that a positive relationship significantly improves the overall health and well- being. Happily married couples are less likely to develop health problems such as cancer and heart failure, and will live longer on average.
Your body will experience a whole roller coaster of hormones during s-x and reminisce afterwards. The main hormone is oxytocin, also known as the hormone of love is called.
This particular hormone is important for binding and cherish with your partner and will be released when you’re hugging and have contact with your partner.

Source: http://www.betterhealth.com.ng/2016/06/top-10-health-benefits-of-making-love-2.html

Here is a short list of the impressive health benefits that a cucumber carries:

1 Keeps you hydrated. If you are too busy to drink enough water, munch on the cool cucumber, which is 96 percent water. It will cheerfully compensate!
2 Fights heat, both inside and out. Eat cucumber, and your body gets relief from heartburn. Apply cucumber on your skin, and you get relief from sunburn.
3 Flushes out toxins. All that water in cucumber acts as a virtual broom, sweeping waste products out of your system. With regular use, cucumber is known to dissolve kidney stones.
4 Lavishes you with vitamins. A B and C, which boost immunity, give you energy, and keep you radiant. Give it more power by juicing cucumber with carrot and spinach.
5 Supplies skin-friendly minerals: magnesium, potassium, silicon. That’s why cucumber-based treatments abound in spas.
6 Aids in weight loss. Enjoy cucumbers in your salads and soups. My favorite snack? Crunchy cucumber sticks with creamy low-fat yogurt dip.
7 Revives the eyes. Placing chilled slices of cucumber on the eyes is a clichéd beauty visual, but it really helps reduce under-eye bags and puffiness.
8 Cuts cancer. Cut down your risk of several cancers by including cucumber in your diet. Several studies show its cancer-fighting potential.
9 Stabilizes blood pressure. Patients of blood pressure, both high and low, often find that eating cucumber brings relief.
10 Refreshes the mouth. Cucumber juice refreshes and heals diseased gums, leaving your mouth smelling good.Helps digestion. Chewing cucumber gives the jaws a good workout, and the fiber in it is great for digestion.
11 Smooths hair and nails. Silica, the wonder mineral in cucumber makes your hair and nails stronger and shinier.
12 Soothes muscle and joint pain. All those vitamins and minerals in cucumber make it a powerful enemy of muscle and joint pain.
13 Keeps kidneys in shape. Cucumber lowers uric acid levels in your system, keeping the kidneys happy.
14 Good for diabetics. Patients of diabetes can enjoy cucumber while also reaping its health benefits: cucumber contains a hormone needed by the cells of the pancreas for producing insulin.
15 Reduces cholesterol. A compound called sterols in cucumber helps reduce bad cholesterol.

Source: http://www.betterhealth.com.ng/2016/06/16-superb-health-benefits-of-cucumber.html

Sore knees and joints is a world-wide problem affecting millions. Besides being an age-related problem, it can also be caused due to inappropriate footwear.

Even though conventional treatment has proven to be unsuccessful, there is still hope with alternative natural remedies that solve the problem in a day.


The following recipe contains incredible anti-inflammatory ingredients and is rich in magnesium, silicon, vitamin C and bromelain, all of which make your ligaments and tendons stronger.

You will need:

a cup of orange juice (100% natural)
a cup of rolled oats
a cup of water
1 cinnamon
2 cups of diced pineapple
raw organic honey (to taste)
½ cup of crushed almonds

Start by cooking the oatmeal in water. When it’s done, remove It from heat and let it cool down. Blend the oats, pineapple, orange juice, almond, cinnamon and honey in a blender. Consume on regular daily basis.

Pineapple is rich in vitamin C, which has a key role in strengthening your skeletal system. In addition, it’s full of bromelain, which is a powerful anti-inflammatory agent. The same effects has the orange, while the cinnamon improves circulation, thus stimulating the recovery of your knees and joints. It also has strong anti-inflammatory properties.

Source: http://www.betterhealth.com.ng/2016/05/this-woman-eliminated-knee-and-joint.html

You don't have back pain...yet. Want to keep it that way? Try these techniques to prevent the pain long before it begins.


Sit pretty

You don’t need a fancy ergonomically designed office chair, but you should have one that provides good support so that your back is curved like an S, not a C, says Jeffrey Goldstein, MD, director of the spine service at the New York University Langone Medical Center.

Every half hour, get up and walk around for a few seconds to take some of the stress off your back.


Stand tall

Imagine a line coming down through your body from the ceiling, says physical therapist Renée Garrison.

Your ears, shoulders, hips, and knees should all stack up along that line, with your head stacked directly atop your neck, not jutting forward.


Wear soft soles

"If your shoe has little cushioning, every time your foot strikes concrete, you’ll jar the bones and muscles in your low back," says Raj Rao, MD, vice chairman of the department of orthopedic surgery at the Medical College of Wisconsin. (That holds true for flats as well as heels.)

Look for a shoe with a cushioned sole, or buy an insert like Spenco For Her Women’s Q-Factor Cushioning Insole. When you’re at home, pad around in thick flip-flops or well-cushioned sneakers.


Don’t smoke

A 2010 review of 40 studies found that smokers have more low back pain than nonsmokers, possibly because smoking reduces blood flow to the spine, says Dr. Rao.


Learn how to lift

You know to hoist heavy objects using your legs, not your back. But what about a very light object?

Answer: Lean over it, slightly bend one knee, and extend the other leg behind you. Hold onto a chair or table for support.


Downsize your pillows

"Sleeping with two or three pillows under your neck can strain your muscles," says Jessica Shellock, MD, an orthopedic spine surgeon at the Texas Back Institute.

Source: http://www.betterhealth.com.ng/2015/06/stop-back-pain-before-it-starts.html

Which One is Healthier? Red or White Wine?

Source: http://www.betterhealth.com.ng/2015/11/which-one-is-healthier-red-or-white-wine.html

Did you know its proper English name is African Star Apple? It is also called White Star Apple.


Local Name: Agbalumo (Yoruba language) or Udara (Igbo language)
Botanical Name: Chrysophyllum albidum

The Chrysophyllum genus of plants consists of almost 80 different species of fruits all exclusively grown within the tropical region. African star apple (Udara) is a very popular fruit here in Nigeria. Its fleshy pulp is often eaten as a snack and it is equally common in both the urban and rural areas, particularly around Southern Nigeria. Being a seasonal fruit (produces during the dry season between December and April), it is currently in peak abundance flooding the market places and street walkways at about this time of the year. Now, allow me introduce you to some really good news about the nutritious load of Udara/Agbalumo goodness!

Health Benefits of Udara/Agbalumo (African Star Apple)

1. As with most fruits, it has low calorie because of its little fat content so it is definitely a healthy food.
2. It is a superb snack because its high fibre content provides food bulk which both increases satiety and aids digestion so it is very ideal for weight watchers.
3. It has a surprisingly decent amount of Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C). Clearly, Vitamin C sources are not exclusive to the citrus fruits family- in fact, Guava has much more!
4. Recently published researches done here in Nigeria about Udara/Agbalumo leaves carried out on rats showed two possible medicinal uses:
5. It could serve as a natural source of Anti-Oxidant booster to remove free radicals from oxidative stress disorders, and
6. Its leaf extract contains Hypoglycemic (to treat Diabetes) and Anti-Platelet activities, although it also had toxic effects on some organs.

Basic Nutrition
1-cup serving of fresh star apple contains 67 calories. Eating star apple as a snack is a good choice as the calories are low and it provides no fat; however, this may not be enough calories to ease hunger pains and boost energy levels, as between-meal snack are meant to do.

The Diet Channel notes that 100 to 200 calories per snack is best; consider eating an oz. of cheese or a tsp. of peanut butter to boost the number of calories into this range.

One serving of star apple also has 15 g of carbohydrates, or 11.5 percent of the 130 g suggested for daily consumption by the Institute of Medicine.

Nutrient Content per 100g edible Udara/Agbalumo pulp
Nutrient Quantity
Energy (Kcal) 91.09
Carbohydrate (g) 10.49
Protein (g) 6.99
Fat (g) 2.49
Moisture (g) 73
Vitamin C (mg) 25

- Source: http://www.betterhealth.com.ng/2016/03/health-news-she-ate-this-fruit-for-days.html#sthash.GviIjJak.dpuf

While Extra Virgin Olive Oil has always been (and will continue to be) a staple, nutritious, go-to oil for healthy cooking, there's a new kid on the block that's getting all the attention as of late, and for good reason.

This powerhouse oil is even being touted by "celebrity" fitness gurus like Jillian Michaels and Dr. Oz for its metabolism and weight loss benefits, and Hollywood celebrities like Kourtney Kardashian, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Aniston, and Angelina Jolie are swearing by its hair, skin, and anti-aging properties!

Oh me, oh my! What ever could this miracle oil be?

Well, before we get to that, you may be shocked to learn that this oil is 90% SATURATED FAT...and yes, by most standards it's even healthier than extra virgin olive oil.

We're talking about Extra Virgin Coconut Oil.

While Extra Virgin Coconut Oil has a higher smoke point than Olive Oil (meaning it can withstand even higher temperatures without being damaged or denatured), its most unique health and fat loss benefits come from a special type of saturated fat that is most abundantly found in coconut oil: Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCTs).

MCTs are a very unique form of saturated fat that have been shown to possess antioxidant and anti-microbial properties to help fight off aging as well as offer anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, and anti-viral immune benefits.

Even more, several studies have linked the consumption of Extra Virgin Coconut Oil to smaller waist sizes, and another study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found MCTs to be THREE times more effective at raising metabolism than long-chain fatty acids.

Beyond that, coconut oil has been shown to slow digestion, increase feelings of fullness, and stabilize blood sugar levels. Clearly, including this "super" oil as part of your nutrition plan carries many benefits and is a win-win all around.

But the type of coconut oil that you choose is very important, as some coconut oils are BAD NEWS for your health (such as hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated coconut oil).

By far, the purest form of coconut oil is Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, and the top researchers and experts recommend 2 - 4 tablespoons daily. The easiest way to get your daily quota of this super fat is to use coconut oil in cooking as you would olive oil or any other oil, in baking, and you can even mix it in your fat-burning protein shakes.

Source: http://www.betterhealth.com.ng/2015/07/the-miracle-cooking-oil-even-healthier.html

You've probably seen avocados being touted as a heart-healthy superfood in recent years. Realistically, the truth isn't too far off from the hype. The next time you're grabbing that burrito or turkey sandwich, you might want to consider adding a healthy dollop of guacamole. Here are four reasons that you should consider eating a little bit of avocado each day.


1. You may reduce your risk of heart disease.

Heart disease is the number 1 killer in the United States, affecting nearly 27 million adults, so it only makes sense that we would want to protect ourselves by being more health-conscious in our dietary choices. Avocados have been shown to positively benefit our cardiovascular system in a number of ways due to its low saturated fat and high unsaturated fat content (predominantly the monounsaturated fat (MUFA) variety). Consuming excess saturated fat (>10% of total calories) may raise your LDL and HDL cholesterol and triglycerides. On the contrary, consuming adequate unsaturated fat in your diet may help lower LDL-cholesterol (bad cholesterol), maintain HDL-cholesterol (good cholesterol) and potentially improve your insulin sensitivity.
In addition its nutritious fat content, avocados also contain a potent mix of nutrients (e.g., potassium and lutein), including plenty of antioxidants such as carotenoids, callexanthophylls and phenols. These compounds can help prevent inflammation and oxidative stress in the blood vessels while facilitating improved blood flow.


2. You may have an easier time maintaining your weight

Eating fat to lose fat; who would have thought? Avocados can help with weight-loss and maintaining a healthy BMI by promoting a feeling of satiety. A recent study showed that including avocado in meals helped extend feelings of fullness and reduced the desire to overindulge. The belly-filling properties of avocados is aided by their high fiber content, about 14g per fruit on average. In addition, higher avocado consumption has been associated with smaller waistlines and lower BMIs in observational studies. Lastly, some research has even shown that weight-loss diets higher in MUFA, like the kind avocados are packed with, may prove healthier for your heart than low-fat weight-loss diets.


3. You might reduce your risk of cancer

Avocados provide us with numerous phytochemicals that may help prevent cancer, including the previously discussed xanthophylls and phenols. A protein compound called glutathione, along with the xanthophyll lutein (both found in avocados), have been associated with decreased rates of oral cancer. Preliminary data also show promising results for avocados potential role in reducing risk of both breast and prostate cancers. Additionally, preliminary studies demonstrate that a specific type of fav derived from avocados is able to exert anti-cancer effects on acute myeloid leukemia cells. Together, these studies show that further research needs to be conducted to draw more conclusive results.


4. You will protect your skin and eyes well into old age

As it turns out, avocado carotenoids do quite a number of things for our body. Both lutein and another compound found in avocados called zeaxanthin can slow age-related ocular decline and prevent vision dysfunction. In addition, these same two nutrients also act as buffers against oxidative UV damage, keeping our skin smooth and healthy. The bioavailability (ease of absorption by our body) of carotenoids from avocados compared to many other fruits and vegetables makes eating avocados every day a sensible choice. See recipe in link below.

Source: http://www.betterhealth.com.ng/2016/05/this-is-what-will-happen-when-you-eat.html

Kimberly Snyder might just be the queen of detox. Not only does she have practically all of Hollywood sipping on her Glowing Green Smoothie, but she also just released a new book,The Beauty Detox Power ($19), to address the more emotional aspects of what it means to detox. In fact, she believes in how your emotional state helps or hinders weight loss so much that she wants you to stop a habit that’s common among many women. If you do, you’ll see weight-loss results even faster, Kimberly promises.

Your new mission? Stop with the negative talk if you want to lose weight. It may sound like it won’t be effective, but Kimberly’s reason for wanting you to stop body shaming yourself in order to see the pounds drop actually has scientific heft. “Most people don’t even realize what they’re saying to themselves, and most people only think that the only factors that affect their weight are what they’re eating and how they’re working out,” Kimberly said.

In fact, studies have shown that your thoughts matter when it comes to your waistline. Kimberly points to a Harvard study that followed 84 cleaning women; half were told that their physically demanding jobs met the requirements for exercise as set by the Surgeon General, while the other half weren’t given any information about their activity level and calorie burn. After a month, researchers found that the group of women who were told that what they were doing was good for them lost body fat, waist-to-hip ratio, and BMI — even though they hadn’t changed anything about their actual physical habits or altered their diets at all. The other group, on the other hand, didn’t lose any weight.

“Your thoughts are nutrition in the way that food is,” Kimberly explained about the study results. “Your mind really has a big part in shaping your body. If you keep saying to yourself, ‘It’s so hard for me to lose weight, I’m just going to gain it back,’” then you aren’t setting yourself up for success.


Kimberly’s advice to stop with the “I’m fat” talk can be easier said than done, especially in a world of constant online judgment and photoshopped images of the “ideal” woman. Even Kimberly herself admits that she used to participate in casual body bashing when with friends. But knowing that thoughts can affect actual change should help you nix the habit, she says. “It’s just a shift in listening to what you’re saying,” she advised. “Stop saying negative things about your body, whether it’s out loud or in your head. It’s the first important thing” if you want to lose weight.

- Source: http://www.betterhealth.com.ng/2015/05/the-number-1-bad-habit-you-need-to-stop.html#more

It's not necessary to avoid eating in the evening hours to lose flab. In fact, the right night-time meal can often positively affect your fat-burning results. The trick, as always, is choosing the RIGHT foods before bed, and knowing which foods those are. Here are some simple "rules" to creating the ultimate pre-bed meal:
1. Avoid carbs and insulin. Because consuming carbohydrates will result in a significant insulin release (which will in turn put the breaks on fat-burning), carbs are ill-advised for a pre-bed meal. Carbs are also much more easily stored as fat in the evening hours when metabolism is naturally slowing in preparation for sleep. Besides, you have very little opportunity to burn off that energy when consuming carbs at night -- sleep isn't a very calorically expensive activity!

In addition to carbs, certain animal proteins have been shown to yield a significant insulin response as well, such as red meat and certain fish. While these protein foods are OK for a pre-bed meal, there are better choices, like those mentioned below.

2. Choose slow digesting proteins. Slow digesting proteins, like white meat proteins such as turkey and chicken, are great night-time meal choices as they digest slowly and fail to produce a significant insulin response.

Another great choice is the milk protein casein, found in our premium protein blend, BioTrust Low Carb, and also in cottage cheese. Casein coats the stomach, digests slowly, and provides quality nutrition to your muscles over several hours...very ideal as a pre-bedtime protein source!

3. Add fat. Quality, healthy fats such as nuts, oils, and nut butters are great additions to a pre-bedtime meal as they will help to further slow gastric emptying and digestion while increasing fullness and satiety so you don't wind up snacking all night long.

Just follow these 3 simple rules for night-time snacking (slow digesting protein, low carb, add fat) and you'll be snacking good while losing belly flab...

See more at: http://www.betterhealth.com.ng/2015/08/right-foods-to-eat-at-night-and-2-you.html#sthash.6gkMkK62.dpuf

Cannabis has been demonized as a gateway drug for more than 80 years.

Now, in a stunning, though quiet, feat of acknowledgment, the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI) has admitted that cannabis kills cancer cells without harming normal cells. The alternative media has been reporting on the medicinal benefits of marijuana for years.

Multiple independent studies have found that marijuana can kick a host of health problems to the curb, including everything from lyme disease to tumors. Apparently, the overwhelmingly massive amounts of evidence in favor of the medicinal benefits of marijuana finally caused the NCI to buckle.

The federal government sponsored agency recently updated the FAQs on its website to incorporate studies that demonstrated that marijuana can and has destroyed cancer cells. Cancer kills approximately 20,000 people worldwide each day, according to global health estimates.

- See more at: http://www.betterhealth.com.ng/2016/05/us-government-finally-admits-that.html#sthash.YjUJsVqE.dpuf

Here's one good reason to give in to your kid's screams for juice:

Research suggests the honey-hued beverage may be more effective at fighting dehydration than pricier drinks than claim to replenish electrolytes. A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that children suffering from the stomach bug recovered faster when they drank a mixture of water and apple juice, versus an electrolyte-enhanced drink similar to Pedialyte.

Researchers from the University of Calgary in Canada studied nearly 650 children between the ages of six months and 5 years who were in the emergency room suffering from stomach flu symptoms including diarrhea, vomiting and mild dehydration. Children were selected at random to consume either a dilute apple juice drink or an apple-flavored with electrolytes to replace lost fluids. The following week at home, the kids in the apple-juice group continued drinking either juice and sports drinks, and the second group continued drinking the electrolyte beverage, according to Mic.com. Only 2.5% of the kids who imbibed apple juice needed subsequent intravenous rehydration, compared to 9% of the children in the electrolyte maintenance group.

The findings have implications for adults, too:

Mic.com points out that apple juice is a more cost-effective and dignified hangover cure than stealing your kid's Pedialyte. The logic? Hangovers are linked to dehydration and are often accompanied by symptoms like headaches, made worse by dehydration, and vomiting, which further depletes electrolytes. That's reason enough to stock up on AJ -no matter if it's you (after a night out) or your kid screaming for juice. -

Source: http://www.betterhealth.com.ng/2016/05/the-surprising-thing-apple-juice-can.html#sthash.ZNWXFrDn.dpuf

After a spate of deadly attacks in Nigeria this year blamed on ethnic Fulani cattle herders, the president has ordered a military crackdown on the group.

But the issue is not new – clashes between different groups of Fulani herders and farmers have killed thousands of people in Nigeria over the past two decades.

In 2014, more than 1,200 people lost their lives, according to the most recent Global Terrorism Index. This made the Fulanis the world’s fourth deadliest militant group, the report said.

February’s massacre of some 300 people in central Benue state and last month’s raid in southern Enugu state, where more than 40 were killed, caused outrage across Nigeria. Properties were destroyed and thousands of people forced to flee their homes.

This led to growing anti-Fulani sentiment in some parts of the country with the hashtag #fulaniherdsmen trending on social media.

President Muhammadu Buhari, himself a Fulani, has responded to the public outcry and ordered the security forces to crack down on the cattle raiders.

But the issue is much more complicated than this.

Who are the Fulanis?

Read more: http://www.babanewsline.com/making-sense-of-nigerias-fulani-farmer-conflict/

We all know that it’s extremely important for all of us and our health in general to have healthy lifestyle, exercise every day and to eat healthy food, which means lots of fruits and vegetables and avoid processed and junk food. This is why you should be very careful and you should know that the food you consume can contain carcinogenic compounds and agents, which are the leading cause for this terrible disease. According to the latest statistics, almost 1.5 million people were diagnosed with cancer last year. This is why you should know how to protect yourself and avoid foods that contain cancer-causing compounds. In this article, we are going to show you a list of ten foods that we all consume every day and they are loaded with carcinogenic compounds.
Stop Consuming These Foods – They Are Loaded with Cancer-Causing Agents:

Refined sugars

You should definitely avoid refined sugar, because they increase the blood insulin level significantly and these type of sugar is a source of food and energy for all cancer cells. The medical experts claim that fructose-rich sweeteners and high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) are a good source of energy for metabolism and proliferation of cancer cells. You should also know that cakes, juices, pies, cookies, sodas, cereals, sauces contain these sugars which increase the risk for cancer significantly. Due to high consumption of these foods the cancer rates are rising fast worldwide.

Soda pop

A recent study, published in the American Journal of Nutrition, has discovered that people who drink soda drinks every day are at a higher risk of stroke compared to those who don’t. You should know that the sugar, coloring and food chemicals found in pop sodas release acid into the body which causes cancer. And, these ingredients are the main reason why you’re gaining weight as well. This means that you shouldn’t drink soda drinks or avoid them as much as possible.

Microwave popcorn

Did you know that the bags in which the corns are popped are lined with chemicals, which have been linked to infertility? Well yes, and you should also know that these chemicals have also been related to lung cancer, liver cancer and pancreatic cancer. And, the bad thing is that many companies use GMO corn kernels, even though they don’t want to admit it, which is all the more health detrimental.

Foods that are highly salted, pickled or smoked

These types of foods are really dangerous and bad for our health, mostly because of the way they are produced. The manufactures are using nitrates and nitrites to add that smoky, salty flavor we all love. During this process, these products are exposed to high amounts of tar, which smoke produces and we all know that tar is a well-known cancer-causing agent. You can take these products for example: bacon, bologna, and sausage are extremely high in salt and fat. All of these foods increase the risk of stomach and colorectal cancer.

Canned tomatoes

First thing you should remember is that every type of food that comes in a can is unhealthy, mostly because of the Bisphenol A lining of the cans which has been known to contain carcinogens. But, you should be very careful when you buy canned tomatoes, because canned tomatoes are especially dangerous because of their high acidity level which eats away the lining and causes the chemical to leech inside the tomatoes. And, when you eat canned tomatoes – these chemicals end up in our body. This is why you should always buy fresh tomatoes.

Farmed salmon

Yes, we all know that eating fish is the extremely healthy and all nutritionist highly recommended that we should eat fist at least twice a week. But, the real truth is that this doesn’t include the farmed fish which apparently we are all eating. According to the latest statistics, almost 60% of all fish that Americans are consuming is farmer fish, and farmed salmon is one of the worst types of food we could possibly put on our plates. This type of fish is bad for us, because the fish farmers use an array of chemicals, pesticides, antibiotics and other cancer causing agents to make it grow bigger and be more resistive to diseases. That’s why you need to avoid farmed salmon, or any other farmed fish and look for a label that confirms you’re buying a wild salmon.

Processed meat

You should also avoid processed meat, such as: hot dogs, sausages, bacon and all other processed meats contain chemical preservatives that make them appear fresh. These products also contain sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite that are linked to cancer, especially colon cancer.
GMOs
We all know that the GMO (Genetically Modified) foods have been proven to cause cancer. In light of this, organic and locally grown foods are recommended.

Potato chips

Besides the fact that potato chips are really high in calories and fat, you should also know that they contain additives and artificial colors and flavors. The bad thing is that these are all the stuff that our body doesn’t need. The potato chips are fried in really high temperatures, which creates certain harmful substances, known as acrylamide, a carcinogen agent also found in cigarettes.

Red meat

A recent study has discovered that meat is related and causing colon cancer. A study conducted by group of researchers in the US, which involved around 150 000 people, aged 50-74, revealed that long-term use of red meat increases the risk of colon cancer in the examined subjects. The researchers also found that eating poultry and fish can be beneficial for your overall health.

As we said, you should definitely avoid these types of food, because they can be very bad for you and they are loaded with cancer-causing agents. You should always eat more fruits and vegetables and yes, don’t forget to share this article with your friends and family.

Thank You. - See more at: http://www.betterhealth.com.ng/2016/05/these-foods-make-cancer-cells-grow-in.html#sthash.rncu6eGt.dpuf

Leicester City have completed one of the most remarkable stories in the history of English football by winning the Premier League title. Written off as relegation candidates at the start of the season, when the bookmakers made Leicester 5,000-1 outsiders to be crowned champions, they secured the first top-flight title in the club’s history after Tottenham were unable to beat Chelsea on Monday night.

Strange Fact:

The entire Leicester team cost £54m while players like Kevin De Bruyne cost £54m, Raheem Sterling cost £49m and Eliaquim Mangala cost £42m

See full list below:

LEICESTER CITY

Kasper Schmeichel – £2m
Danny Simpson – £2m
Robert Huth – £3m
Wes Morgan – £1m
Christian Fuchs – Free
Marcin Wasilewski – Free
Marc Albrighton – Free
Danny Drinkwater – £1m
N’Golo Kante – £5.6m
Riyad Mahrez – £400,000
Shinji Okazaki – £7m
Jamie Vardy – £1m
Mark Schwarzer – Free
Jeffrey Schlupp – Free
Demarai Gray – £3.8m
Andrej Kramaric – £7m
Yohan Benalouane – £5.6m
Andy King – Free
Gokhan Inler – £5m
Leonardo Ulloa – £10m

TOTAL: £54.4m

Source: http://www.babanewsline.com/strange-fact-you-need-to-know-about-the-new-english-champions/

Not only is coffee a warm and delicious drink in the morning, it also boasts multiple health benefits.

The caffeine in coffee can kick-start your metabolism in the morning, and drinking it in moderation can promote a healthy heart and protect against several illnesses.

If you love your morning cup of joe and you happen to be trying to lose a few extra pounds, you’re in luck. Adding just a few simple ingredients into your routine cup of coffee will help accelerate your metabolism, burn more calories and melt away stubborn fat that your body just can’t seem to get rid of.

All you’ll need is some cinnamon, coconut oil, and honey. You can also add some cocoa if you’d like!

Here’s why it works: http://www.betterhealth.com.ng/2016/04/add-1-teaspoon-of-this-mixture-to-your.html

Modern science is beginning to uncover the ultimate power of spices and herbs, as weapons against illnesses from cancer to Alzheimer’s disease. While science has yet to show that any spice cures disease, there’s compelling evidence that several may help manage some chronic conditions.

In India, turmeric paste is applied to wounds to speed healing; people sip turmeric tea to relieve colds and respiratory problems. Modern medicine confirms some solid-gold health benefits as well; most are associated with curcumin, a compound in turmeric that has potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties

Health benefits of any food or herb is based on its key active ingredients.

Piperine is the key chemical in black pepper. Similar to capsaicin a chemical in chili and has many benefits. Curcumin which is a polyphenol plays the same role in turmeric.

Researchers at the University of Michigan have discovered that black pepper and turmeric combined together could play an important role in preventing and even treating breast cancer.

Though, turmeric is a powerful medicinal herb on its own, when consumed orally, it has a poor bioavailability (absorption) due to its rapid metabolism in the liver and intestinal wall. The bioavailability, serum levels and levels of absorption of curcumin all improved dramatically. Thus, black pepper can increase the bioavailability of the cancer, inflammation and infection fighter, curcumin, up to two thousand percent.

Both these compounds have been studied to examine the potential health benefits they can offer individually or together.

Reduces pain and inflammation-

Piperine and Curcumin compounds have influence more than 700 genes, and it can inhibit the synthesis of cyclooxygenase-2 and 5-lipoxygenase and the activity as well as other enzymes that have been implicated in inflammation. Curcumin has been studied for its anti-inflammatory capabilities especially in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis and other inflammatory conditions.

Weight- loss

Fat burning is critical to weight loss. The liver is the organ that is essential for fat burning. Studies have found that when the liver gets damaged, detoxification process reduces. Turmeric can help detoxify the liver and protect cell damage caused due to environmental pollutants, attack from free radicals etc.

Anti-Cancer Combination.

Turmeric and black pepper compounds both inhibited mammosphere formation. They also did not cause any toxicity, therefore showing that they could be possible cancer preventive agents. New research is trying to find possible ways to target stem cells. Studies have found that turmeric and black pepper combined could target breast stem cells. Recent studies have found that a compound in black pepper called piperine makes the cancer-fighting curcumin in turmeric as much as 1,000 times more bioavailable. Without piperine, bioavailability of turmeric is really low. In a study published in the Breast Cancer Research and Treatment Journal, researchers discovered that curcumin and piperine, when combined, were able to target cancer stem cells.
- See more at: http://www.betterhealth.com.ng/2016/04/black-pepper-and-turmeric-spices-that.html#sthash.n2lTF2j6.dpuf

A 16-year-old girl identified as Fati, who regained freedom after spending two years in Boko Haram’s captivity, has detailed how teenage girls volunteer to go on suicide missions in order to escape molestation and other forms of hardship under the sect.

Fati, whose name was changed to protect her identity, said young girls fight to strap on a bomb, not because they were brainwashed by their captors but because the relentless hunger and sexual abuse became too much to bear.

“They came to us to pick us. They would ask, ‘Who wants to be a suicide bomber?’ The girls would shout, ‘me, me, me.’ They were fighting to do the suicide bombings,” Fati told CNN.

“It was just because they want to run away from Boko Haram. If they give them a suicide bomb, then maybe they would meet soldiers, tell them, ‘I have a bomb on me’ and they could remove the bomb. They can run away.”

There was no escape for Fati when fighters from Boko Haram descended on her village, which was not named in the report, in 2014.

Her future “husband” was carrying a gun, and Fati’s parents had already spent a precious N8,000 to smuggle her two older brothers to safety.

Fati shared her experience when she entered the camp newly.

“We said, ‘No, we are too small; we don’t want to get married, so they married us by force,” she said, explaining that after he raped her for the first time, her abuser gave her a wedding present – a purple and brown dress with a matching headscarf that she would wear for the next two years.

While under his control, she was whisked from hideout to hideout in order to evade security forces. She recalled that she met girls even younger than her in Sambisa Forest, some of whom were the abducted Chibok schoolgirls.

“There were so many kidnapped girls there, I couldn’t count,” Fati said.

“There were always bombs and bullets coming from the sky. All of the girls were so frightened. All of them, they always cried and the men raped us. There is no food, nothing. The children, you can count their ribs because of the hunger.”

Fati said the bombing runs over the Sambisa killed many of the captives, including some of the Chibok girls.

But the raids over the past year have also freed hundreds of women and girls, including Fati, who was picked up by the Cameroonian army after her captors defected and tried to flee across the border.

Fati is now in Minawao refugee camp in Cameroon.

On the last day of March, she managed to get in touch with her mother by phone after she found a refugee from her same village in camp. It took two days for her mother to get to Minawao.

“I had to collect money from people in the village so she could afford to make it here,” she said.

“Now that I have escaped, I thank God, and I am always praying to God that I was able to escape. It is terrible what Boko Haram is doing.”

Fati said many girls are still in Sambisa, some volunteering to die so that they can perhaps live.

Source: http://www.babanewsline.com/revealed-how-teenage-girls-opt-for-suicide-bombing-to-escape-rape-in-boko-haram-camps/

Flexherbal:
Their days are over.

Amen. By Gods special grace.

Hold the bomb under your armpit to keep it steady, the women and girls were taught.

Sever your enemy’s head from behind, to minimize struggling.

“If you cut from the back of the neck, they die faster,” said Rahila Amos, a Nigerian grandmother describing the meticulous instruction she received from Boko Haram to become a suicide bomber.

Of all the many horrors of Boko Haram’s rampage across West Africa — the attacks on mosques, churches and schools; the mass killings of civilians; the entire villages left in ashes after militants tear through — one of the most baffling has been its ability to turn captured women and girls into killers.

Boko Haram, one of the world’s deadliest extremist groups, has used at least 105 women and girls in suicide attacks since June 2014, when a female bomber blew herself up at an army barracks in Nigeria, according to The Long War Journal, which tracks terrorist activity.

Since then, women and girls, often with bombs hidden in baskets or under their clothes, have killed hundreds of people in attacks on fish and vegetable markets, schools, a river dock and even camps for people who have fled their homes to get away from the violence.

“This isn’t something you can defeat or eradicate outright,” said Issa Tchiroma Bakary, the minister of communications in Cameroon, where 22 female suicide bombers were identified since the start of this year. “You don’t know who is who. When you see a young girl moving toward you, you don’t know if she’s hiding a bomb.”

Soldiers cannot open fire on every woman or girl who looks suspicious, he added. “They know where we have the Achilles’ heel,” Mr. Bakary said of Boko Haram.

The group’s abuse of women first shocked the world two years ago, when Boko Haram stormed a school in Nigeria and fled with about 300 girls, many of whom have never been found. Hundreds of other women and girls have been abducted, imprisoned, raped and sometimes intentionally impregnated, perhaps with the goal of creating a new generation of fighters.

Ms. Amos, 47, said the fighters had come to her village in the morning, firing weapons as they spilled out of cars and rounded up women and children.

Not long after, Ms. Amos, a Christian, said she was forced to enroll in Boko Haram’s classes on the Quran, a first step on her way toward being taught the art of suicide bombing.

After months of training, Ms. Amos said she was finally able to escape her captors when they assembled for evening preaching. She stayed behind, gathering two of her young children and a grandchild so they could make a run for the Cameroonian border.

“I don’t want to take a bomb,” she said inside this refugee camp in Cameroon that stretches across a vast landscape dotted by tents and mud huts.

The authorities in Cameroon and Nigeria said that many of the experiences detailed by Ms. Amos matched the accounts of other women and girls who have escaped Boko Haram, or who have been arrested before they could detonate bombs. Ms. Amos’s assertions are also strikingly similar to details recounted by other freed women and girls, including descriptions of the funeral rites performed before female bombers were sent on missions.

The accounts offer insight into how Boko Haram, despite being under military pressure from a multinational campaign to wipe it out, has been able to strike fear across an expansive battlefield that now includes Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon and Niger.

No longer able to control the territory it once did, Boko Haram is sending out women and young girls as newly minted terrorists who can inflict a devastating toll.

Col. Didier Badjeck, a Cameroon defense spokesman, said that after soldiers had chased Boko Haram out of villages in recent weeks, they found homes that had been used as prisons for the women and girls. He said female hostages had reported being trained during their captivity — both in the Quran and in violence.

“They are training them to maximize the number of victims,” Colonel Badjeck said. “We are sure about it.”

Boko Haram often sends male fighters to set upon mosques. But last month, a female suicide bomber dressed as a man set off her explosives during morning prayers in Nigeria. Another woman was waiting outside the mosque, and as people fled the first blast, she detonated her own explosives as well. In all, at least 24 people were killed.

Bombings by women have become so widespread that even humanitarian groups are rethinking how they distribute food, water and other help to them. What if one of the women is hiding a bomb?

In Cameroon, many of the recent bombings have been carried out by girls in their early teens, leaving officials and analysts to wonder whether the girls were aware they were carrying bombs. Yet some of the bombers in recent attacks in Nigeria have been found to wear their hair pulled back from the face — a hairstyle reserved for burial rites, a sign they were ready to die.

But cracks are starting to show in the Boko Haram suicide-training system. In February, a girl sent to blow up a village in the Far North Region of Cameroon dropped her explosives and ran to the authorities instead. Her information led to a major raid on Boko Haram fighters.

In northeastern Nigeria in February, three girls with bombs were sent into a camp for Nigerians fleeing Boko Haram. Two of the girls detonated their bombs, killing nearly 60 people there. But the third girl spotted her parents among the desperate people inside the camp. Overwhelmed, officials said, she threw her explosives in the bush.

Boko Haram, which pledged allegiance to the Islamic State last year, has abducted as many as 2,000 women and children, both girls and boys, since 2012, according a recent report from humanitarian groups. Young boys have been used as bombers, too.

In many ways, female bombers are ideal weapons. At security points run by men, they are often searched less thoroughly, if at all. Tucked under the bunched fabric of dresses or religious gowns, explosives are easy to conceal.

Women suicide bombers have been a trademark of extremists for decades. In the Chechnya conflict, they were nicknamed black widows. In Sri Lanka, they fought with the Tamil Tigers. In her book, “Bombshell: Women and Terrorism,” Mia Bloom estimates that between 1985 and 2008, women committed a quarter of all suicide bombings.

One soldier who has engaged with Boko Haram said he believed that fighters must drug the girls’ food. Others who track the group question whether the bombs are remotely detonated.

According to Ms. Amos, Boko Haram’s use of women as weapons is a carefully thought-out strategy, one the women sometimes accept. Ms. Amos said that of the 30 or so female captives enrolled in training with her, seven girls were enthusiastic about carrying out suicide missions.

“It was a direct path to heaven,” she said the group was told.

Ms. Amos, now among the 58,000 residents of the Minawao Refugee Camp, described a system of grooming potential bombers that involved food deprivation and promises of eternal life, tactics that cults have used for decades.

She said that when Boko Haram stormed her hometown in 2014, her two brothers were shot dead. Her husband managed to flee with five of her children, but Ms. Amos did not make it out, and neither did two of her other young children and a grandchild. Boko Haram rounded them up with other women and children, putting them in a long ditch to contain them.

They stayed there for days, eating one meal a day of a corn paste made from powder. Finally a fighter arrived and asked a fateful question: Do you want to follow Christ, or do you want to be a Muslim?

The women all agreed to follow Islam, fearing they would be killed otherwise. Their training began.

Ms. Amos described a six-tiered daily education track for the women that she called Primary One, Primary Two and so on. The first two levels were Quranic training. Primary Three was training in suicide bombing and beheading. “How to kill a person and how to bomb a house,” she said.

“They told us if we came upon a group of 10 to 20 people to press this,” she said, speaking of a detonator.

The instruction given in the upper levels of the training — Primary Four, Five and Six — was a closely guarded secret among the fighters. Ms. Amos said she never learned what took place there.

Ms. Amos was lucky. Boko Haram fighters decided not to “marry” her, a euphemism for the rapes the group commits, because she already had a husband and children. She counted 14 women and four girls in her training classes who were not as fortunate.

Throughout her months in captivity, Ms. Amos was fed one meal a day and lost weight, a fact confirmed by her nephew living in the Minawao camp, who stared at her scrawny frame and said, “She used to be a big woman.”

Boko Haram incorporated the lack of food into the training, Ms. Amos said. Several months ago, she said, fighters rounded up the women and took them to an old factory to view a set of plump, well-fed girls who had plenty of food and water. Follow our ways, the fighters said, and you can have enough to eat, like these girls.

The girls, some of them crying, told Ms. Amos they were from Chibok, the Nigerian village where Boko Haram had captured the schoolgirls. American State Department and military officials said they would investigate the statements from Ms. Amos about the girls.

“They were very fat,” Ms. Amos said, compared with herself and the other women who were being held, “and they had lots of water.”

Source: http://www.babanewsline.com/category/crime/boko-haram/

Guava is one of the most common fruits in Nigeria. It may not be as sweet as the other fruits, but guavas still make such a refreshing drink. They also add a beautiful texture to your food, not to mention crunchiness.

If these aren’t enough, guavas have many good benefits to your health:

1. They help control diabetes.

There are three types of diabetes, and guavas are known to be excellent in reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes. This disorder usually happens when the body has become very resistant to insulin, forcing the pancreas to produce more of the hormones. In turn, the beta cells are destroyed.

Guavas contain as much as 5.4 grams of fiber for every 100 grams. This means that you’ve already met 14% of the daily recommended allowance for fiber! Although fiber doesn’t have to mean you’re getting nutrients, it helps regulate the absorption of sugar or glucose by the body.

2. They delay the signs of aging.

Whether you like it or not, you’re bound to grow old. In time, you’ll develop wrinkles, fine lines, and loose sagging skin. The good news is there are ways to delay these signs, and you can begin by eating guavas.

Guavas have a lot of vitamin C, which is a very important nutrient in the synthesis of collagen. Collagen is a type of protein that makes your skin supple and firm. When you have enough collagen, your skin is less likely to wrinkle.

Moreover, the fruit contains lycopene, which is the same antioxidant famously found in tomatoes. Guavas have more than 5,000 µg of the nutrient or close to two times than what you can find in tomatoes. Lycopene can protect the skin from damage brought about by longterm or frequent exposure to UV rays.

3. Guavas can help protect against cancer.

Speaking of lycopene, the antioxidant is shown to decrease the risk of prostate cancer. Further, in a study conducted by the Research Division of Wayne State University, lycopene can prevent kidney cancer especially among senior or post­menopausal women. Based on their research participated by more than 230 women, the risk is cut off to 39%.

Source: http://www.betterhealth.com.ng

redvektor:
hmmmnm action bitters I can't leave u oh

I am not NAFDAC. Lol

They are much sought after for their health benefits. They have become common medicines in many Nigerian homes. They promise to amongst other things boost libido and strength and mental alertness. But recent researches have raised concerns that indiscriminate use of packaged herbal bitters may have a toxic effect on the spleen, pancreas and heart, and lead to sudden death.

It has also been discovered by the National Agency for Food Drug Administration Control (NAFDAC) that some of the products are laden or rather adulterated with 'poisonous' methanol and could cause neurological problems and death. Chukwuma Muanya reports

Director General of NAFDAC, Dr Paul Orhili told the Guardian, in a telephone chat that NAFDAC has identified 'killer' bitters in the Nigeria market and has sent public alert even as it has placed the products on hold.

It is gathered that an official complaint was lodged to the Agency by Guardian last month after the drink had led to the deaths of at least three people. Dr Orhili said, “we did laboratory tests and found that the bitters contain high levels of methanol - Read more: http://www.betterhealth.com.ng/2015/11/public-alert-fresh-concerns-over-killer.html

This looks funny but it's not

Source: http://www.betterhealth.com.ng

It is sealed and done! It doesn't matter how much we wail over this matter, Mr PDP Slayer has been confirmed.

As good as it may taste, sugar is NOT your friend. It may “feel” like your friend when it comforts you (due to the beta-endorphin rush in your brain), but sugar is really your ENEMY. Truth be told, regular consumption of sugary foods is one of the worst things that you can do for your health. Modern scientific research has shown us, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that sugar in your food (in all its myriad forms) is taking a devastating toll on your health.

Take a look at the sugar consumption trends over the past 300 years:

In 1700, the average person consumed about 4 pounds of sugar per year.
In 1800, the average person consumed about 18 pounds of sugar per year.
In 1900, individual consumption had risen to 90 pounds of sugar per year.
In 2012, more than 50% of all Americans consume 1/2 pound of sugar per day — translating to a whopping 180 pounds of sugar per year!
In 1890, only 3 people out of 100,000 had diabetes. In 2012, almost 8,000 out of every 100,000 people was diagnosed with diabetes!

The “sugar rush” has been targeted at our children. American children are consuming about 10 times as much sugar as they were in 1900, especially in the form of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), which is the average American’s greatest source of calories! Highly addictive HFCS contains fructose and glucose, but they are NOT bound together (as they are in table sugar) so the body doesn’t need to break it down. Therefore, the fructose is absorbed immediately, going straight to the liver, which turns it into fat (VLDL and triglycerides).

According to Dr. Joseph Mercola:
“Fructose also tricks the body into gaining weight by fooling your metabolism (it turns off the appetite-control system). Fructose does not appropriately stimulate insulin, which in turn does not suppress ghrelin (the “hunger hormone”) and doesn’t stimulate leptin (the “satiety hormone”), which together result in your eating more and developing insulin resistance.”

This process also suppresses the immune system.

But just because you avoid HFCS doesn’t mean that you’re in the clear. Excess intake of ALL processed sugars results in compromised immune function (decreasing the white blood cells’ ability to destroy bacteria), obesity, and diabetes.

And if that’s not enough, keep in mind that sugar is HIGHLY addictive! That’s right! Dr. Serge Ahmed of Bordeaux, France, has been working with rats and giving them the choice between cocaine and sugar. Guess which one wins, time and again? Read More: http://www.betterhealth.com.ng/2015/10/why-sugar-is-called-white-death-and.html

You won’t believe the nasty bacteria that people are carrying into their homes every day

Even if your scrub you house from top to bottom every day, there might be a jungle of germs waiting just outside.
In a recent study, researchers from the University of Houston found that 40 percent of doorsteps samples were contaminated with C. difficile bacteria, and so were 39 percent of shoe soles.

Why’s that a problem? As its name suggests, C. difficile, often known as C. diff, isn’t easy to treat—several strains are resistant to antibiotics. An infection with this bug can leave you with watery diarrhea, and in some cases it even progresses to dangerous colon inflammation.

Recent research published in the New England Journal of Medicine suggests that nearly half a million people are infected with C. diff per year, and while it’s most notorious for infecting hospital patients, about 35 percent of cases start elsewhere.

So how does C. diff end up on your porch? “Shoes are contaminated from diverse sources, and we are regularly contaminating our doorsteps by shoes,” says study author M. Jahangir Alam, Ph.D.

Poop from various animals, including birds, is one example of the grossness your shoes lug around. That scat can carry C. diff spores, Alam says.

Once those spores land on a surface, they can live for months. When people accidentally ingest C. diff spores, they run the risk of getting sick.

Want to avoid tracking germs into your house—and spending way more time on the toilet than you could possibly want? The solution is simple: Take off your shoes at the door, Alam suggests. - See more at: http://www.betterhealth.com.ng/2015/10/health-advice-disgusting-disease-thats.html#sthash.LKTOThDW.dpuf