The Path to A healthy Mother and Child

Are you worried about childbirth and how it will affect you? Bringing a baby into the world can be fun and exciting, but it can also come with some complications if not properly managed.
Did you know that there are numerous ways you can improve maternal health issues? Of course 80% of maternal deaths are preventable. But it is quite unfortunate that maternal mortality rates are still very high in the world, each year, more than half a million women die from causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. In Nigeria alone, about 2,300 under-five year old children and 145 women die every single day during childbirth complications.
Below this statistics lies the pain and agony of thousands of families who have lost their children and loved ones due to maternal death issues. It is even more devastating to know that most of these childbirth complications are preventable.

What exactly are the causative agents of maternal health issues?

• Pre-existing conditions; Most of these complications are caused by pre-existing medical conditions such as diabetes, malaria, HIV, obesity, etc. 
• Pregnancy-induced high blood pressure; women with pre-existing, or chronic, high blood pressure are more likely to have certain complications during pregnancy and this can lead to maternal death.
• Unsafe Abortion, infections and other labour complications are the most leading causes of maternal mortality. 
• Malnutrition and lack of regular exercises is also one of the causes of maternal health issues.

Is there a chance to reduce maternal mortality and improve maternal health? Yes! There are numerous ways to avert most of these maternal issues. According to experts, maternal health conditions can be improved in different ways, such as;

• Professional care during pregnancy and childbirth; 80% of maternal death can be avoided with proper access to basic health care services. Such as regular medical check-up, antenatal and post antenatal care, etc.
• Regular exercise during pregnancy helps to alleviate many of the common problems of childbirth.
• Eating well balanced meals; eating healthy foods now is more important than ever! You need more protein, iron, calcium and folic acid and more calories than you did before pregnancy. Consider a cleaner diet for a healthier baby!

The health of a mother is very important for the unborn child and to prevent maternal complications. Healthy women and healthy babies build healthy communities. Therefore, maternal health is a key to a healthier society.

http://leadership.ng/blogposts/health-matters/369983/1-4-maternal-deaths-caused-pre-existing-medical-conditions-unicef

http://www.healthnewsng.com/2013/12/nigeria-records-reduction-in-infant-and.html

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs348/en/

http://www.unicef.org/nigeria/children_1926.html

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Health Benefits of curry leaves

If you are an ardent cook then you probably know about the exotic leaf; Curry leaf! And if you don’t then it’s that amazing leaf that gives meals an irresistible aroma. For most Culinary enthusiasts it is, quite simply the seasoning of choice.

But beyond the mouth-watering fragrance it adds to dishes, the Curry Leaf also possesses other important health benefits for the body.
For one, it is packed with essential vitamins like Vitamins A, Vitamin B and E amongst others. In addition, it is a good source of carbohydrates, fibre, calcium, phosphorus, protein and Iron.
For more health benefits of Curry Leaf please read below:
·         Curry leaves help in weight reduction by flushing out fats and it is also used in the treatment of diabetics caused by obesity.
·         The fibre content of the leaf plays a significant role in helping to lower the blood sugar. It does this by regulating the insulin activity of the body.
·         Curry leaves improves digestion.
·         It lowers cholesterol levels.
·         It is also good for preventing grey hair. And for ladies, it adds bounce to the hair and helps treat dandruff in the hair.
·         Also curry leaves is good for treating minor burns and irritations from insect bites.
Bottom line: The curry leaf is a health booster! You can chew it or extract the juice and drink it. Or maybe you can stick to adding it to your meals. Whichever option to choose, your health is the better off for it.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health/Health-benefits-of-curry-leaves/articleshow/30904781.cms

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Ebola Virus: Key Facts You Need To Know About the Deadly Virus

Ever heard of Ebola virus? It’s the deadly virus that is threatening to invade West Africa.  As at last count, about 100 people in Guinea and Liberia are said to have died from the virus. The situation is so serious that even the World Health organization (WHO) has described it as one of the "most challenging incidents the world has ever seen”. If not properly handled there are concerns that the virus may well spread to other West African countries Nigeria inclusive.
Here are some facts you need to know about the virus:

• The Ebola virus causes Ebola virus disease (EVD; formerly known as Ebola haemorrhagic fever) in humans.
• EVD outbreaks have a case fatality rate of up to 90%.
• EVD outbreaks occur primarily in remote villages in Central and West Africa, near tropical rainforests.
• The virus is transmitted to people from wild animals and spreads in the human population through human-to-human transmission.
• Fruit bats are considered to be the natural host of the Ebola virus. Other bush game animals may also transmit the disease
• No specific treatment or vaccine is available for use in people or animals.
The Ebola virus causes Ebola virus disease (EVD) in humans, with a case fatality rate of up to 90%.
Ebola first appeared in 1976 in 2 simultaneous outbreaks, in Nzara, Sudan, and in Yambuku, Democratic Republic of Congo. The latter was in a village situated near the Ebola River, from which the disease takes its name.

Transmission

Ebola is introduced into the human population through close contact with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected animals. In Africa, infection has been documented through the handling of infected chimpanzees, gorillas, fruit bats, monkeys, forest antelope and porcupines found ill or dead or in the rainforest.
Ebola then spreads in the community through human-to-human transmission, with infection resulting from direct contact (through broken skin or mucous membranes) with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected people, and indirect contact with environments contaminated with such fluids. Burial ceremonies in which mourners have direct contact with the body of the deceased person can also play a role in the transmission of Ebola. Men who have recovered from the disease can still transmit the virus through their semen for up to 7 weeks after recovery from illness.
Health-care workers have frequently been infected while treating patients with suspected or confirmed EVD. This has occurred through close contact with patients when infection control precautions are not strictly practiced.

Signs and symptoms

EVD is a severe acute viral illness often characterized by the sudden onset of fever, intense weakness, muscle pain, headache and sore throat. This is followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, impaired kidney and liver function, and in some cases, both internal and external bleeding. Laboratory findings include low white blood cell and platelet counts and elevated liver enzymes.
People are infectious as long as their blood and secretions contain the virus. Ebola virus was isolated from semen 61 days after onset of illness in a man who was infected in a laboratory.
The incubation period, that is, the time interval from infection with the virus to onset of symptoms, is 2 to 21 days.

Diagnosis

Other diseases that should be ruled out before a diagnosis of EVD can be made include: malaria, typhoid fever, shigellosis, cholera, leptospirosis, plague, rickettsiosis, relapsing fever, meningitis, hepatitis and other viral haemorrhagic fevers.

Ebola virus infections can be diagnosed definitively in a laboratory through several types of tests:
• enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)
• antigen detection tests
• serum neutralization test
• reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay
• virus isolation by cell culture.

Samples from patients are an extreme biohazard risk; testing should be conducted under maximum biological containment conditions.

Prevention and treatment

No vaccine for EVD is available. Several vaccines are being tested, but none are available for clinical use.
Severely ill patients require intensive supportive care. Patients are frequently dehydrated and require oral rehydration with solutions containing electrolytes or intravenous fluids.
No specific treatment is available. New drug therapies are being evaluated.
Natural host of Ebola virus
In Africa, fruit bats, are considered possible natural hosts for Ebola virus. As a result, the geographic distribution of Ebola viruses may overlap with the range of the fruit bats.

Ebola virus in animals

Although non-human primates have been a source of infection for humans, they are not thought to be the reservoir but rather an accidental host like human beings. Since 1994, Ebola outbreaks have been observed in chimpanzees and gorillas.

Prevention

In the absence of effective treatment and a human vaccine, raising awareness of the risk factors for Ebola infection and the protective measures individuals can take is the only way to reduce human infection and death.

In Africa, during EVD outbreaks, educational public health messages for risk reduction should focus on several factors:
• Reducing the risk of wildlife-to-human transmission from contact with infected fruit bats or monkeys/apes and the consumption of their raw meat. Animals should be handled with gloves and other appropriate protective clothing. Animal products (blood and meat) should be thoroughly cooked before consumption.
• Reducing the risk of human-to-human transmission in the community arising from direct or close contact with infected patients, particularly with their bodily fluids. Close physical contact with Ebola patients should be avoided. Gloves and appropriate personal protective equipment should be worn when taking care of ill patients at home. Regular hand washing is required after visiting patients in hospital, as well as after taking care of patients at home.
• Communities affected by Ebola should inform the population about the nature of the disease and about outbreak containment measures, including burial of the dead. People who have died from Ebola should be promptly and safely buried.

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Cucumber, the World's Healthiest Food!

Do you know that cucumber contains most of the vitamins your body requires every day? I bet you didn’t know that. Imagine this:  just one cucumber contains the following nutrients:  Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc. Amazing, isn’t it? Little wonder it is regarded as a healthy choice for cooking and snacking.
Cucumbers are also a fun way to keep your skin healthy and glowing. The coolest thing about it is that it can either be eaten or applied directly to the skin. Whichever option you choose, your skin reaps the health benefits, but that’s not all. Cucumbers are high in fiber which keeps the body’s digestive system healthy. It is also low in calories and fat. It is therefore not surprising that cucumber is a hugely popular fruit. As a matter of fact, it is the fourth most cultivated fruit in the world. Scientifically known as Cucumis Sativus, it belongs to the same botanical family as melons (including watermelon and cantaloupe) and squashes (including summer squash, winter squash, zucchini and pumpkin).

Read on and discover the nutritional values of cucumber
• Cucumber rehydrates the body and replenishes daily vitamins in the body
Because cucumbers are 95 percent water, they help keep the body hydrated. It also helps the body eliminate toxins.
Skin Treatment: Cucumbers are also useful in treating skin irritations and other diseases. It’s also used in relieving puffiness and wrinkles around the eye region.


• Relieves bad breath: If you have been battling with mouth odor, a slice of cucumber may well do the trick. All you need do is take a slice and press it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds. The chemicals in cucumber are known to kill bacteria responsible for bad breath in the mouth.

• Hangover cure: When you’ve had too much to drink and have a terrible headache, here is a natural remedy for your hangover. Instead of taking pain relief tablets, eat a few slices of cucumber 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.

• Helps weight loss: Due to its low calorie and high water content, cucumber is an ideal diet for people seeking to lose weight. Its high water content and dietary fibers help in ridding the body of toxins from the digestive system, aiding digestion.

• Cure for Constipation: Daily consumption of cucumbers can also be a cure for chronic constipation.
Now you know why cucumber is regarded as one of the world’s healthiest fruits. So, next time you go grocery shopping, make sure you pick a handful of the deliciously looking dark-green fruits. Trust me, you won’t regret it.

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Laughter: Truly The best medicine!

Sam’s intuition told him he had a short lifespan. And he consulted a medical practitioner. As the doctor scribbled on his prescription sheet, he expected several doses of vitamins, irons and minerals. He wouldn’t have minded if an injection or two was thrown in. Alas! The doctor scribbled ‘L.O.L’’ on the prescription sheet.

He had never heard of any drug named ‘L.O.L’. Puzzled, he asked the doctor what it meant. “Oh, pardon me for not writing it out in full” the doctor said, apologetically. He then retrieved the sheet, scribbled more words and handed it back to Sam. It read ‘Laugh Out Loud’. Sam reeled out a very long and hard bout of laughter – the sometimes annoying type. The doctor appeared infected and joined in the fray.

In a lowering crescendo, Sam’s laughter faded; so did the doctor’s. “So you were not joking”, Sam retorted as it dawned on him that the doctor’s prescription was not meant to bemuse him. “I thought you’d give me stress-relieving and pain-killing tablets. “Nope” the doctor said. “You just need to laugh more. You need several doses of laughter actually. By the way, how do you feel now? Laughter is cheaper than any drug o. It’s so cheap that it is free.”

Sam told the doctor he felt no difference. As the closed door to the doctor’s office closed behind him, he made up his mind to visit a more ‘serious’ medical practitioner and pondered over the ‘expensive joke’ this doctor just made out of his obviously serious situation. He soon let out a smile when he realised he did feel good after laughing so hard a few minutes ago. He began to see sense in the Doctor’s ‘L.O.L’ prescription. “Maybe I’ll just try laughing for a few weeks and see if it works out……..going to another doctor will be my plan B” Sam mustered.   
         

Do you want to live long? Want to enjoy sound health? Here a piece of advice that may shock you: All you need to do is laugh! Yes! Go ahead! Unleash that Laughter! See the lady in the picture above? Go ahead and go crazy with laughter just like she’s doing.

So why is it so important that we laugh? The reason is simple: laughter is one of the best ways of staying healthy!  I’m sure you’ve heard of the expression: Laughter is the best medicine. If you think it was coined just to make you feel positive during hard times, then think again. Laughter does have medicinal qualities!!

Research has shown that the health benefits of laughter are numerous. For one, it helps to increase the brain levels of serotonin (an important fluid found in the human brain) and endorphins (natural painkiller) that can help relax the mind.  Laughter also helps relieve general pain as well as increase the body’s immunity.

And if you still doubt the medical effects of laughter, the benefits are stated below

·         Laughter helps to lower blood pressure.

• ·         It improves the flow of oxygen to the heart and also regulates blood flow.
• ·         It reduces certain stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline.
• ·         It improves alertness, creativity and memory.
• ·         Laughter reduces pain and increases job performance.

If laughter is so beneficial to us, how come we seem to be doing little of it? According to experts, healthy children may laugh as much as 400 times per day while adults tend to laugh only 15 times. 

So are you laughing enough? Go ahead, laugh to jokes. Go and see a funny movie. Always see the funny side of life. Do something that will make you laugh.  And if that doesn’t work...laugh anyway. You really don’t need a reason. Just remember that you are doing a health a big favour.

http://www.thirdage.com/mental-health/researchers-support-benefits-of-laughter(http://www.muscleandfitnesshers.com/blogs/ann-titone/laughter-good-health). http://www.care2.com/greenliving/8-health-benefits-of-laughter.htmlhttp://www.courierpress.com/news/2009/nov/10/researchers-support-benefits-of-laughter/?print=1

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Get That Highbrow Eyebrow!

Photo Credits: Toun Aj's world

It’s often said that the eye is the lamp of the body. If that is true, then the eyebrow plays an important role in making the lamp shine brighter.

The eyebrows define the eyes and also enhance the beauty of the face. It also plays a key role in protecting the eyes from unwanted moisture, sweat and to some extent, particles.

And just like any other part of the human body, the eyebrow varies from individual to individual. Some have it thick, others have it thin. Some have it long, others have it short.

The eyebrow should also be properly taken care of, the way other parts of the body are cared for. A little pruning and grooming will go a long way in enhancing facial beauty. One should be mindful of excessive hair loss while waxing or while trimming the brow.

Loss of hair in the eyebrow could also occur as a result of illness; side effects from medications amongst others.

Truth is loss of the eyebrow can make a huge difference not only in facial appearance but also making the eye vulnerable to sweat running down the face and particles. Little wonder, individuals who suffer from loss of hair in their eyebrow are, more often than not, desperate to regrow them.

Though it takes between six to eight weeks or more to grow back eyebrows, eating nutritious and healthy foods can help speed up the process.

Growing Back Your Eyebrows

·         Protein

The main component of the eyebrow is hair, which is made up of protein. Some individuals, who suffer from deficiency of protein, usually have scanty or thin eyebrows. Eating a diet rich in proteins and Vitamins E, A, B3 and C will replenish the hair follicles and stimulate hair growth. Also, adding folic acid to your diet will help to promote the growth of well-defined and thick eyebrows.

·         Avocado, Walnuts and Olive oil;

Avocados are considered as one of the healthiest foods in the planet as they contain in excess of 25 essential nutrients. Walnuts, on the other hand, are a rich source of the omega-3 fatty acids.

Olive Oil is considered as a healthy dietary fat. It is also a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids. These healthy food options are helpful in increasing the growth of fuller and trendy eyebrows.

·         Castor Oil

 Extracted from the seeds of the castor oil plant, it helps to boost the growth of eyebrows. It also thickens eyebrows and eyelashes by stimulating the hair follicle cells around the eyes.

·         Coco-Lemon (coconut + lemon) 

The application of coconut oil on eyebrows helps to reduce protein loss in both damaged and undamaged eyebrows hair. Lemon is also one of those super foods with so many health and cosmetic benefits. 

A mixture of coconut and lemon peel helps in restoring your eyebrows and gives it a fuller and thicker look.  

You can find out how to prepare the amazing combination here: http://www.newhealthguide.org/How-To-Make-Eyebrows-Grow.html)

·         Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera is very essential for the growth of eyebrows. It is rich in protein, calcium and iron, and it helps to promote the growth of eyebrows speedily.

  So there you are. Just follow the above tips and you are on your way to having healthy eyebrows. Try it, thank us later and be a good friend by sharing this post.

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Agbalumo: The Humongous Benefits Of A Small Fruit

Agbalumo has an ‘English name’ o! (or maybe two). And it is the African Star Apple or White Star Apple. I used to think it was a cherry of sort; thanks to research, I know better…
Ever heard of African Star Apple? What about White Star Apple? Maybe not!  Okay, here’s another name that may ring a bell:  Agbalumo!

And if you are still wondering what it is, Agbalumo, is that round, sharp tasting, orange- coloured (sometimes red) fruit about the size of a table-tennis ball. Commonly known as Agbalumo by the Yorubas' in South-West Nigeria, Udara in the South Eastern part of the country and Uda in the Niger-Delta region of Nigeria, the fruit is widely loved by both adults and children alike in Nigeria; its sharp taste notwithstanding. Let’s settle for its most predominant name in the South Western part of Nigeria – Agbalumo – at least for the purpose of this article.

Its popularity is not the only unique thing about it. Agbalumo also happens to be a very nutritious fruit. It is an excellent source of vitamins and irons. It can be used as a good remedy for sore throat, toothache and constipation.

But that’s not all. Agbalumo lowers the blood sugar and cholesterol level in the body and it helps in preventing and treating heart diseases. Its seeds are used as ointments in the treatment of vaginal and dermatological infections. They are also an excellent source of calcium, potassium, phosphorous, magnesium and many more.  And just in case you don’t know, the fruit contains more vitamin C than guava or orange.
Its nutritional value does not end there. Its outer skin is also very medicinal as it is used for the treatment of yellow fever and malaria. The leaf is also used as an emollient and for the treatment of skin eruption, stomach ache and diarrhea

Photo Credits: spurmag.com

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So the next time you pick up Agbalumo, remember that you are not only satisfying your craving for the delicious fruit, you are also providing your body with vital nutrition. And if you haven’t had your Agbalumo today, what are you waiting for?

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