Invest in your health: Exercise

When it comes to investing in our health we often choose to ignore what obviously works. Take for example, EXERCISE…
Proper exercise is one of the best thing you can do for your health but not the only thing. It might be the ultimate investment opportunity. If you are willing to make the investment (commitment), you will have an abundance of energy, be more self-confident, you will feel and look healthier, more productive and discover a more joyous and fulfilling life. They are substance of high quality living and rewards that money cannot buy. You have everything to gain and nothing to lose, and still, many of us fail to act on this extraordinary opportunity. We simply choose to procrastinate or ignore the proven benefits of exercise.
Few reasons that sometimes inhibit our willingness to take a chance or make a change:
1. Fear of failure- take the first step and acknowledge the fear, then the next step will come easier. Once fear is acknowledged, it usually quiet down.
2. Indecision- this can be defeating, but doing “anything” is better than doing nothing. If you can’t decide on a particular exercise program, pick a few exercises and start with something simple. If you don’t like it, go on to the next exercise.
3. Lack of confidence- when you lack the confidence to start something new, take a deep breath and try to figure out why. Try to find out where to gain the skills you need or find someone with the right skills who can help.
4. Overwhelming task- the bigger the task, the more overwhelming it can be. Break the task aside into smaller pieces. Begin with short, simple exercises and slowly expand your routine. The absolute worse approach to exercise is to overdo it when first starting the program. Moderation is the key.
5. Unpleasant or boring task- exercise can really be boring or unpleasant. There are days when we just plain lack the enthusiasm and motivation to continue. It’s part of human nature. On days like that, focus on “why” you are doing it. There are many task we do that we may not like, but are necessary to live a productive life. Focus on the bigger picture.
6. Busy lifestyles- life just seems busy to find time for some activities. Exercise has to become part of your routine. It can’t be an option. Make it a high priority just the same as your career and other areas of interest.
To reap the benefits of exercise, you must agree to become a willing participant. It doesn’t matter if you start out just going one day per week; it is better than what you were doing before you made that commitment. Try out a different number of exercises to find something that you enjoy and which fits with your schedule.
Understand how to properly stretch. Do not just twist your neck to side or lazily reach for your toes to stretch. It is a recipe for injury.
Remember, as you embark on your journey (mission), you are investing in something near and dear to your own heart, life and a future of healthy living.

Harmattan and your natural hair

Today, it’s all about harmattan and our hair. We all know that the season is dry, dusty and even cold to some extent; this is not good for our natural hair. It tends to dry out our hair much faster and makes our hair looks like sponge, also causes breakage and makes it difficult to maintain moisture because of how its dries out the hair so fast. It is important we give extra care to our general health especially our hair. So, how do I take care of my hair this season? Here we go:
1. Washing: stay away from shampoo this period because it dries out your hair, instead co wash with warm water. Co washing means skipping shampoo and relying solely on conditioner. It helps to retain moisture, give you a clean hair and still condition and keep it soft.
2. Deep conditioning: deep condition once a week as this helps to curb breakage and also keeps hair healthy. You can make your own conditioner if you don’t want to use readymade conditioner. Here are a few you can use:
a. Aloe deep conditioner: Aloe vera juice helps prevent and reduce breakage. Mix juice with olive oil. Massage into hair after mixing, wear a shower camp, leave for 30minutes and rinse out. Pat dry afterwards and seal with carrier oil or shea butter.
b. coconut milk deep conditioner: Blend the edible part of the coconut with water, separate the chaff from the milky part and keep for a day. The next day, the milky part would be below and water on top, pour the water out and use as a deep conditioner. Massage into hair, cover and let it sit for 45minutes then rinse out and seal.
3. Moisturizing and sealing in hair: after co washing your hair, use your leave-in conditioner and then seal with mixture of carrier oil and Shea butter, olive oil preferably because coconut oil dries out faster. Oils and butter are not moisturizers but sealant because they just make sure your moisturizer stay in your hair. They are very important so you don’t lose moisture; moisture is the foundation of what keeps our hair healthy and strong. By the way, water is the best moisturizer.
4. Spray bottle: get a small spray bottle where you have mixture of water, oil and leave-in mixture so you can take it with you wherever you go and can spritz from time to time to re-moisturize your hair.
5. Head wraps: use head wraps preferably satin scarf. They prevent your hair from the harsh weather and retain moisture.
6. Protective styles: Any style that will keep your ends hidden and has low to no manipulation is protective. Don’t wear wig directly on your hair; wear a satin cap before putting on a wig. Basically, you want your ends to be well hydrated and covered up.
7. Increase your water intake: water is good for the body. Drink enough water, your hair will thank you for it.
8. Eat more vegetable and fruits that can provide you with daily minerals and vitamins that you need and keep to a regular healthy eating routine.
Remember to always moisturize and seal hair frequently as possible. Don’t let your hair dry out. Take care of yourself and your hair more.

Natural hair: Detangling tips

I have a lot of hair, it’s long, thick and takes forever to detangle and style. Detangling your hair in the shower is usually easier because the hair is wet. There are ways to detangle without pulling handfuls of hair out in frustration when working through tangles on dry hair. How do I detangle my natural hair when dry?
1. Spritz if needed: you can mix water, water-based product, a leave-in conditioner or a water/oil mixture in a spray bottle. Adding moisture to your hair makes it easier to comb through. Spritz as much as you needed.
2. Section the hair: use a rat- tail comb or your fingers to divide your hair into sections. The number of sections may range from 6-8, or more, depending on the length and thickness of your hair. Use hair clips to keep the rest of the hair out of the way.
3. Add finger tangling to any detangle section: this is a gentle way to begin the process. You can work out major snags without pulling out hair. You have a better chance of saving your hair by gently pulling tangles apart.
4. Use a wide-toothed comb: begin at the bottom of the 1st section of hair. Use one hand to comb while using the other hand to firmly hold the section of hair near the bottom. Slowly work the comb through until the bottom is free of tangles before moving up the hair. Make sure you can comb freely from the root to the tip.
5. Continue to spritz hair if it dries and you need additional moisture.
For successful detangling:
1. Detangle on a regular basis at least once per week.
2. Use products with slip. The more slip you have, the easier it will be for fingers and hands to glide through your tresses. To add more slip, add some oil mixture to make detangling much easier. Oils like almond oil (to reduce hair follicles inflammation), olive oil (for moisture), castor oil (for nourishment), avocado oil (to improve blood flow to the scalp) and jojoba oil (to coats and protects the hair) can be used.
3. Avoid the need to “over-detangle”. Don’t get cut up in the idea that your hair must be 100% tangle free.
4. Twist your hair back up so that it cannot knot again.
Proper detangling requires patience.

Natural hair: Basic washing tips

Whether you hair is short or long kinky or curly, washing natural hair can be one of the most intimidating task. You have to remove product build up without drying it out or creating excessive tangles when washing your hair. Washing your natural hair get harder as your hair grows. Knowing how to wash your hair is priceless. Here few tips for getting through wash day with natural hair:
1. Pre-poo: prepooing is the process of coating the hair shaft prior to washing. It prevents the hair from being dried out during the wash process, particularly when sulphate shampoo are used. It also helps to reduce protein loss. Coconut oil is a great prepoo ingredient. A conditioner can as well be used.
2. Shampoo: there are various options for washing your hair. For long natural hair, the key to tackling the hair is to approach it in section. You can as well braid your hair while to wash to prevent tangling. As you wash your hair, focus more on the scalp where there is the most build ups and focus less on the ends which is the driest part of your hair. Scrub your scalp and run the shampoo down the hair shaft to prevent it from detangling, the hair shaft will still get clean when you rub the shampoo down it. Process of section and wash takes a longer time, but fewer tangles, knots and breakage is totally worth it.
3. Dry hair with a microfiber towel: be sure to squeeze and blot the water out of the hair and avoid rubbing.
4. Follow up with a conditioner: you can apply a leave-in conditioner while the hair is still damp. Apply in sections to ensure even coverage from root to tip. Focus on the ends of your hair. Don’t apply too much products as this can weigh down the hair. The purpose of applying the conditioner is to replenish the moisture back into your hair as well as for easy detangling. Some leave-in conditioner can as well be used as a daily moisturizer. The conditioner can either be a protein leave-in for too soft/weak hair for strength or moisturizing leave-in for too stiff/tough hair to soften or smoothens it.
A little bit of breakage while washing is inevitable, but be sure to keep an eye out for excessive breakage. Learn to adjust your hair washing regimen to better meet the needs of your hair. Remember, the key concept is divide and conquer, otherwise, it becomes overwhelming.

Invest in your health: Health insurance

There are many financial institutions in the financial sector, of which insurance is one of the key institutions in the finance world. Insurance can be defined basically as a risk coverage for an unforeseen contingency.  We all are exposed to risk on a daily basis, which we have little or no control over: A drunk driver ran his car at you, or a learner who had not perfected the act of driving broke down your fence. There are so many reasons why we should get insurance coverage.
Insurance is divided into two: The General and Life Insurance. The general insurance deals with risk coverage over properties like: Houses, Cars, Organisations, Laptops, and other valuable items or properties. Life insurance, as the name implies has to do with Lives, with policies like: Annuities, health insurance, whole life assurance, term assurance. The word insurance and assurance are used interchangeably when dealing with Life.
Health insurance is a vital insurance coverage that is always recommended to individuals and families at large.
Health insurance is a service you pay for but hope you will never need. It's there for the unpredictable, unexpected and uncontrollable problems that comes up in people's lives. Health insurance or assurance takes care of the bills of the insured whenever there is a need for medical attention.
Insurance thrive in numerical advantage in a cohort, meaning the larger the cohort, the better it is for the insurer to deliver on his promises.
In Nigeria, many organisations have the health insurance coverage for their employees and some of their staff’s family members. Aside the monthly 7.5% being deducted from the salaries of staff for their pension scheme, certain amount are being deducted, as premiums to carter for health insurance. Most private organisations have contracts with private health care providers while the Government own companies deals with NHIS (National Health Insurance Scheme).
There are several categorise and levels of the policy you are going into. The level at your organisation determines the kind of HMO (Health Management Organisation) benefits you will enjoy and the coverages.
The importance of health insurance covers those unpredictable moments in life. A typical health insurance plan provides four primary functions: provision for routine care, chronic condition treatment, emergency medical assistance and pharmaceutical care.
Investing in health insurance means investing in your quality of life. Having insurance can pay for preventive treatment to treating illnesses.
Preventive care helps and it may prolong the need for insurance but there is nothing better than knowing you are fully protected.
Buy health insurance when you don't want it, because you may not get it when you need it.

Week 15 games of the EPL

The weekend games were filled with surprises. Surprises that we are
already used to. This season has been all about the "big teams" not
showing consistency in their games.
Stoke City entertained Man City, in what eventually became Stoke's
best game of the season so far. Stoke had better chances, played
better and could have ended the game as early as the first half. Man
City couldn't find their rhythm, resulting to them being out played by this stoke side. Though some key players for Man City couldn't play
due to injury (Kompany, Toure  and Aguero) but that shouldn't have
stopped them from winning a game like this.
Arsenal returned back to winning ways by putting Sunderland to the
cleaners. After a disappointing November for the gunners, they are now back, getting the job done. Though Arsenal has serious injuries
concern to some notable members of them team, but it never stopped the likes of Campbell, Giroud and Ramsey from giving them maximum points.
Man Utd continued to be shy in front of goal, after they played out a
goalless scoreline with West Ham. Though West Ham have been tagged the giant killers this season after defeating the likes of Arsenal,
Liverpool, Man City and Chelsea. United could have done better
considering the poor run of form West Ham were coming to this game.
United's performance this season has been below par. With this kind of
result, more pressure will be on LVG.
West Brom held the consistent Tottenham to a 1-1 draw. The returning Dele Alli gave Tottenham the lead, but could not hold up for a win.
Chelsea FC continued in their bad run of form after they conceded a late goal against lowly rated Bournemouth. They have remained
consistently inconsistent in the cause of this season. Defending they
won last season is almost out of reach and securing a place in next
season UEFA Champions league might be due to their performance in this year's edition of the competition.
Southampton held Aston Villa to a 1-1 draw. The form of Southampton
lately has dropped. Newcastle United did the unthinkable against Liverpool. Liverpool's performance has been impressive lately under Klopp. Newcastle pull a surprise by defeating Liverpool 2-0.
Stoke City 2-0 Man City
Arsenal 3-1 Sunderland
Man Utd 0-0 West Ham
West Brom 1-1 Tottenham
Chelsea 0-1 Bournemouth
Southampton 1-1 Aston Villa
Newcastle 2-0 Liverpool.
Man City and Liverpool are our biggest losers for this week, while
Arsenal are undoubtedly our biggest winner.
Can Leicester City finish in the top four?

Natural hair: Natural remedies for hair growth (part 4)

Maintaining your hair is relatively easy with the right steps. Proper care will surely help you to cope with any type of hair or scalp trouble. There are some natural solutions for healthy hair growth aside diets, oil treatment and home remedies. They are as follows:
1. Regular combing and trimming- comb your hair twice daily. Combing is essential as it provides good blood circulation and stimulates hair follicles, helping them produce new hair naturally. Trim your hair every 3 months. Trimming is extremely important for expediting the growth of new hair.
2. Flip your hair upside down 2 to 3 times daily as it helps to improve blood circulation to the scalp for new hair growth.
3. Minimize the application of styling products like hair colors, serums and straighteners as they contain harmful chemicals that can damage your hair in the long run. You may look attractive for a few days by applying a hair styling product, but you never know how it affects the condition of your hair and scalp in the long run.
4. Massage your scalp- it also promotes blood flow to the scalp which in turn stimulates the hair follicles.
5. Address medical problems as certain medication like birth control pills, antidepressants, anticonvulsant and others may contribute to problem such as hair loss and hair thinning.
6. Stay stress free- stress is one of the most important factors that contribute to hair loss. To manage stress, you can use medication, breathing exercise or other relaxation techniques.
Maintain healthy long hair by following a good hair care routine and using hair products that are suitable for your hair type. Also, protect your hair from sun damage and avoid use of hair styling products.

World AIDS Day: Getting to zero

December 1st is World AIDS Day. It is a day dedicated to commemorate those who have passed on and to raise awareness about AIDS and the global spread of the HIV virus. It is an opportunity for people to work actively and collaboratively with partners around the world to raise awareness about HIV and help us move closer to the goal of an AIDS-free generation.
The first World AIDS Day was held in 1988 after health ministers from around the world met in London, England and agreed to such a day as a way of highlighting the enormity of the AIDS pandemic and nations responsibility to ensure universal treatment care and support for people living with HIV and AIDS. Each year’s World AIDS Day celebration comes with different theme and the theme for this year is “getting to zero”. Zero new HIV infection. Zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related death.
HIV is a virus. AIDS is a medical condition. HIV is a virus which attacks the T-cells in the immune system while AIDS is the syndrome which appears in advanced stages of HIV infection. Both the virus and the syndrome are often referred together as HIV/AIDS.
HIV infection causes AIDS to develop. However, it is possible to be infected with HIV without developing AIDS. HIV infection progress and eventually develop into AIDS in the vast majority of cases, without treatment. Infection may be identify at early stages through HIV testing. This allows the patient to use prophylactic (preventive) drugs which will slow the rate at which the virus replicates delaying the onset of AIDS.
HIV can be transmitted through:
1. Perinatal transmission- mother can pass the infection unto her child during pregnancy, childbirth and also through breastfeeding.
2. Sexual transmission- this can happen while having unprotected sex, including vaginal, oral and anal sex or sharing sex toys with someone infected with AIDS.
3. Blood transmission- this can happen among drug users, sharing and reusing syringes contaminated with HIV. Infected blood is extremely hazardous. People who give and receive tattoos and piercings are also at risk and should be very careful.
AIDS patient still have the HIV virus and are still infectious i.e. someone with AIDS can pass HIV to someone else.
There are many misconceptions about HIV and AIDS. The virus cannot be transmitted from shaking hands, hugging, pecking, sneezing, sharing towel, using the same toilet, mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, touching unbroken skin or other form of “casual contact”.
Symptoms of early HIV infection includes: fever, sore throat, joint pain, red rash, tiredness, weight loss, weakness, muscle ache, enlarged glands and sweat (particularly at night).
Symptoms of late stage HIV infection includes: blurred vision, dry cough, shortness of breath, diarrhea, permanent tiredness, swollen glands lasting for weeks and white spots on the tongue or mouth.
During the last-stage HIV infection, the risk of developing a life-threatening illness is much greater due to the patients’ weak immune system to fight illnesses. They are: nervous system infections (e.g. meningitis), cancer, esophagitis, pneumonia, toxoplasmosis and tuberculosis. With proper HIV treatment, life-threatening illnesses may be controlled and treated.
Diagnosis of HIV/AIDS is made through a blood test that screens specifically for the virus and through ultra-sensitive HIV sensor.
There is currently no vaccine or cure for HIV/AIDS. Treatments have evolved which are much more efficacious, they can improve patients’ general health and quality of life considerably. Treatment includes:
1. Emergency HIV pills- this treatment is called PEP (Post- Exposure Prophylaxis). The treatment should be taken as soon as possible after contact with the virus within the last 72hours (3days). It may stop the infection. PEP is a very demanding treatment lasting for 4weeks. It is also associated with unpleasant side effects like diarrhea, malaise, nausea and weakness. After a positive HIV diagnosis, regular blood tests are necessary to monitor to progress of the virus before starting treatment. The therapy is designed to reduce the level of HIV in the blood.
2. Antiretroviral drugs- HIV is treated with antiretrovirals (ARVs). The treatment fights the HIV infection and slow down the speed of the virus in the blood. Generally, patients take a combination of medication called HAART (Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy). HIV treatment is usually permanent and lifelong and is based on routine dosage. Pills must be taken on a regular schedule every time. Common side effects includes: nausea, fatigue, moodiness, diarrhea, skin rashes etc.
HIV can be managed through adherence, general health, additional precaution and psychology.
Prevent HIV by having protected sex, share needle carefully, not exposing yourself to body fluids, health education and for expectant mothers, take your medication during pregnancy and after delivering to prevent your baby from HIV.
Ignorance is the faster killer not even HIV/AIDS. Getting to a zero HIV-AIDS world begins with you. Get counsel from your pharmacist.
Live healthy! Get tested! Think positive! Zero HIV.