Relationship: Get over your fears

Fear is a feeling that often ruins our lives. Whether it is fear of commitment, rejection, failure, death or any other phobia, it tends to keep us from living our lives to the fullest. Fear can be handled rationally and can be controlled if you are willing to work on it and are motivated enough in controlling it, instead of it controlling you.

Many arguments between couples have fear at the heart. Whether it’s fear of abandonment, fear of being rejected, or a fear of falling apart. By managing your fears, you can begin to calm the storm that has begun in your relationship and heal the wounds.

The first thing you need to do is acknowledging what the fear really is.  It could be fear of falling apart, fear of rejection, fear of not being understood, fear of being judged, fear of being alone, fear of loss, fear of change, fear of aging, fear of being overwhelmed, fear of your needs being ignored, fear of boredom, fear of lack of control, fear of failure, and fear of helplessness.

Once you are fully aware of what your fear is, work on figuring out where it comes from. Most of the time, people are aware of their fears, but never really gets to know them. Set up a time when you can sit down and have an interview with your fear. What is your fear and where does it come from, and why do you fear it? Are you scared of your finances spiraling out of control? When you are angry because your spouse comes home late, are you afraid that you’re growing apart or that there is infidelity? These are questions that must be provided with answers in order to better understand your fear, so that you can start brainstorming about methods that will work best for you.  Name the real fear in your relationship so that you don’t get caught up in a fight that won’t really resolve the actual issue at hand.

Now that you know what you are afraid of, share your fears with your partner.  You need to let your spouse in on the fear so he or she can recognize when it creeps up and understand where you’re coming from. For example, say “I’m afraid that you’re spending more time with your friends than you do with me, and we’re growing apart,” instead of “Why don’t you always have my time?” say “I am feeling afraid of a loss of control of our finances” instead of “You always have to be the boss with our money”. When you put your partner in a position to be defensive, they may not react in a supportive way to your fears.

Finally, keep your fear within boundaries. Don’t let a fear about being abandoned turn into you jealously searching through your partner’s phone and demanding to know where he is all the time. Also keep in mind that any discussions about the fear should be kept to a healthy time limit. If one partner gets burned out on the topic, decide a future time where you will finish the conversation. Instead of letting your fear grow and spiral, set practical guidelines for how you will handle your fears as a couple. Look back at all the experiences that helped build this fear. Decide which behavior will replace the ones currently guided by your fears. No one is the same and no relationship is perfect. Admitting to this fact will help you understand that running away is not the answer, but what you really need to do is face and accept the imperfection in your relationships and work on ways to better the challenging situations.

Goal setting your relationship

Goals are relationships necessity. When you consider what your relationship needs, consider the laws of gravity. An object that is set in motion will continue to move, unless something stands in its way. On the flip side, a motionless object will never move unless something acts upon it. Your relationship will remain inert unless you act on it and keep it in motion. And, just as day-to-day goals keep you moving from one task to the next, setting goals for your relationship will infuse your relationship with that vital momentum.

Once you have past that first stage of dating and falling in love you both start focusing on the goals you each have for the relationship, such as where you want it to lead and what your relationships beliefs are. One of the main reasons many partners break up is because they never shared their relationship goals with each other. Most people just let the relationship do its own work and flow naturally, and while that is okay in some cases, it is very important to keep in touch with what each of you is planning for the relationship.

What really are your goals for the relationship? Though you can never predict what will really happen in the future of the relationship, you do already have

an idea of what you wish to give and receive from this relationship. It is important that you fully understand what your goals are first before having this talk with your partner. Are you looking for a serious partner or just someone you can spend time with so you are not lonely? Would you like the relationship to eventually lead to marriage or is marriage not the most important goal for you at this time? When you figure out exactly what your goals are in the relationship you will then need to learn why those goals are so important for you right now. You need to understand your reasons for your goals and make sure you are setting those goals for the right reasons.

Plan ways on how you can both accomplish each of your relationship goals and talk about which methods you both feel will work best. Goals can change over time too, which is exactly why you and your partner should touch base on each of your thoughts so you never reach a point where the relationship feels lost and confusing for one or both of you. When you and your partner work together to create goals that improve or maintain the health of your relationship, you also create an atmosphere of companionship. Relationship goals will help you and your partner remain focused whenever the relationship goes through the difficult transitions that all unions experience. These goals can also act as the antidote to the stagnation and lethargy that can creep into any marriage over time.

If there are differences in the goals you both have, you then need find a compromise you both feel is fair to the relationship. You must ensure that the individual and partners goals are in alignment. This alignment is critical for creating harmony and allowing you both to reach your dreams. Once that alignment is secure there is no limit to how much you can accomplish together Not having the same exact relationship goals does not mean that you are not meant to be together, but it does mean that more communication is necessary so you can always keep track of where your relationship is leading and if it is lacking anything that it needs. Though it is important to understand your partner's goals, it is more important to keep in touch what you really want and need from the relationship. Partner's can change and there is nothing you can do to change him or her unless they choose to, so the power you do have in holding on to the dreams you have for yourself and never lower your expectations in a relationship just because you want to stay with your partner. Neither of you should have to lower your expectation for the other; you should always work together in keeping the relationship on track. With direct communication and good goal setting, your relationship can continuously lead to stronger and more fulfilling stages that please you both. Create an arrangement that helps both of you stay accountable to the commitments you have made to each other. This is a sacred bond.

Working towards your relationship goals means working to become a better partner to your mate. Do not establish goals for your partner! Focus on establishing your own goals, your partner should focus on his/her goals, and the two of you can create joint goals (e.g., traveling more, spending more time socializing with other couples, sharing household tasks etc). Make sure that the goals both of you strive for make you feel good about yourselves. You can't achieve something that goes against your values. Sharing how your goals as partners can benefit others as well as yourselves is a powerful and bonding experience.

Establishing relationship goals does not have to be a complicated process. Make sure your goals are specific, attainable and realistic. As a matter of fact, the simpler and more straightforward the goal, the better. The biggest challenge you’ll face is remaining consistent in your efforts toward reaching your goals. Write down and review your goals, and if you're comfortable, post them somewhere where you can see them every day.

Remember that everything you do together has more than twice as much power as what you do alone. Creating goals as partners is not only healthy for your relationship, but should be fun as well. Be sure to replace your accomplished dreams and goals with new ones. It really a secret to happiness.

Lassa Fever: What you should know

Lassa disease was first described in the 1950s but the virus was not identified until 1969 when two missionary nurses died from it in the town of Lassa, Borno state, Nigeria.  The virus is a single-stranded RNA virus belonging to the virus family Arenaviridae. Lassa fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic illness of 1-4 weeks duration that occurs in West Africa.
Lassa fever is a zoonotic disease, meaning that humans become infected from contact with infected animals. The host of Lassa virus is a rodent of the genus Mastomys, commonly known as the “multimammate rat.” Mastomys rats infected with Lassa virus do not become ill, but they can shed the virus in their urine and faeces and live in homes and areas where food is stored. 
The disease can be contacted by ingestion of foods and drinks contaminated by the saliva, urine and faeces of infected rats. Others include catching and preparing infected rats as food, inhaling tiny particles in the air contaminated with infected rat urine or droppings, and direct contact with a sick person’s blood or body fluids, through mucous membranes, like eyes, nose, or mouth particularly in hospitals lacking adequate infection prevent and control measures. There is no epidemiological evidence supporting airborne spread between humans.
Lassa fever occurs in all age groups and both sexes. Persons at greatest risk are those living in rural areas where Mastomys are usually found, especially in communities with poor sanitation or crowded living conditions. Health workers are at risk if caring for Lassa fever patients in the absence of proper barrier nursing and infection control practices. Families and friends of an infected person, in the course of feeding, holding and caring for them are also at risk.
About 80% of people who become infected with Lassa virus have no symptoms. One in five infections results in severe disease, where the virus affects several organs such as the liver, spleen and kidneys.
The incubation period of Lassa fever ranges from 6-21 days. Within three weeks of coming in contact with the virus, symptoms include fever, headache, chills, diarrhoea, cough, nausea, vomiting, sore throat, abdominal pain, backache, and joint pains. Late symptoms include bleeding from the eyes, ears and nose, bleeding from the mouth and rectum, low blood pressure, eye swelling, swelling of the genitals and rashes all over the body that often contain blood.  Protein may be noted in the urine. It could progress to coma, shock and death. Lassa fever is suspected in persons who present with above symptoms with a positive history of being in contact with a suspected or infected person or health worker who had treated either suspected or confirmed infected person. Deafness occurs in 25% of patients who survive the disease. In half of these cases, hearing returns partially after 1-3 months. Transient hair loss and gait disturbance may occur during recovery.
Death usually occurs within 14 days of onset in fatal cases. The disease is especially severe late in pregnancy, with maternal death and/or fetal loss occurring in greater than 80% of cases during the third trimester.
Antiviral drugs can successfully treat Lassa fever. The earlier a person presents, the better the outcome of treatment.
The general public is advised to take note of the following for prevention and control:
1. Avoid contact between rats and human beings.
2. Observe good personal hygiene including hand washing with soap and running water regularly
3. Dispose of your waste properly and clean the environment so that rats are not attracted
4. Store foods in rat proof containers and cook all foods thoroughly before eating.
5. Discourage rodents from entering the house by blocking all possible entry points.
6. Food manufacturers and handlers should not spread food where rats can have access to it.
7. Report any cases of above symptoms or persistent high fever not responding to standard treatment for malaria and typhoid fever to the nearest health centre.
8. All fluids from an infected person are extremely dangerous. Health workers are also advised to be at alert, wear personal protective equipment and observe universal basic precautions.
Early supportive care with rehydration and symptomatic treatment improves survival.
Because the clinical course of the disease is so variable, detection of the disease in affected patients has been difficult. However, when presence of the disease is confirmed in a community, prompt isolation of affected patients, good infection protection and control practices and rigorous contact tracing can stop outbreaks.

Building the perfect bond in your relationship

Relationship bond is when two people have connection based on kinship, marriage or common interest. Besides the fact that you have love and care between you, you also need to see whether or not the two of you are friends. Is it possible to be friends?  As a matter of fact, it is a must if the two of you are going to build a lasting bond.
Having a strong passion for another is important, but is not enough fuel to keep the bond running. With friendship, your relationship will remain, having that strength under all kinds of circumstances. There will be times when you as a couple are not living in your most passionate times. This is natural and does not mean there is no longer love or desire. As your relationship deepens, you will go through many experiences and stages that may put your romance aside for a while. This is where friendship comes in and why it is so important. You should be there for each other and understand your partner's situations and concerns.
A true friendship is basically the same as the true qualities that define real love. The difference is, we are in love and have a deep desire for our mates, with commitment and a goal of building a future, and perhaps making a family together.
These are only a few ways to explore real intimacy. How do you create a loving connection in your relationship?
1. Take your partner's breath away. Do something amazingly thoughtful and out of the ordinary and try to incorporate an element of surprise to it. You can do something special on a regular basis: make his favorite meal once a week, a loving note tucked into his pocket, a playlist made up with his favorite songs. These thoughtful acts will embed you in his memory.
2. See your partner for who he or she really is and be willing to learn from each other. When you realize that more often than not you don’t really know your partner, you begin to discover who they are and how they change and evolve. The key is to see the other as a mirror and learn from the reflection how you can be a better person. When you feel upset, rather than blame your partner and point fingers, remain awake to what has yet to be healed in yourself.
3. Look closely at why a fight may begin. Some couples create separateness by fighting and then making up over and over again. This allows you to continue the romantic trance, creating drama and avoiding real intimacy. If you become aware of what you fear about intimacy, you’ll have a better sense of why you’re fighting and likely will fight far less.
4. Accept who you are. True love only exists by loving yourself first. You can only get from another person what you’re willing to give yourself.
5. Expand your heart. One thing that unites us is that we all long to be happy. This happiness usually includes the desire to be close to someone in a loving way. To create real intimacy, get in touch with the spaciousness of your heart and bring awareness to what is good within you. It’s easier to recognize the good in your partner when you’re connected to the good in yourself.
6. Let go of expectations. You may look to things such as romance and constant togetherness to fill a void in yourself. This will immediately cause suffering. If you unconsciously expect to receive love in certain ways to avoid giving that love to yourself, you will put your sense of security in someone else. Draw upon your own inner-resources to offer love, attention, and nurturance to yourself when you need it. Then you can let love come to you instead of putting expectations on what it needs to look like.
7. Tell each other your main goal and see if you can find one way to support each other to reach it. It is clear that when we know someone has our back, we are more confidant and more adventurous. We achieve our goals more easily and are less derailed by disappointments.
8. Honor your connection. Maybe it's a special kind of kiss when you leave in the morning or a special 10-minute bonding time when you first come home. This is sacred time. No business agendas, problem solving or distractions in the form of small electric screens are allowed.
9. Be mindful of the fact that emotional injuries derail relationships. You can inflict great pain on your partner simply because you matter so much; you are the one he/she depends on. At a close moment, ask your lover if there are injuries that are unhealed, perhaps times when you missed their cues for support and connection. Try to help them with this hurt. It doesn’t just fade with time. Often just telling them that you can feel how they hurt and want to help them with it works wonders.
10. Learn what pleases your partner sexually. The best recipe for great sex is safe emotional connection and open communication. Make it clear that his pleasure is your pleasure, and you want to discover everything about what turns him on. He’ll be happy to have you experiment with him. Engaging in lots of eyes gazing, watching romantic movies together, holding hands and cuddling is a way to keep romance alive and is especially powerful when making love. Remember, criticism literally hurts and shuts down exploration and sexuality.
11. Invite your partner into more closeness once a day by playing a simple empathy game. Each person thinks of an event in their day. Then you take turns at reading each other’s face and trying to pinpoint whether you see one of the six basic emotions: joy, surprise, sadness, anger, embarrassment or some kind of fear. See if your guess is right. Learning to tune in matters!
12. Do something great for someone your partner loves. If you show kindness and love for someone he loves, you will earn major points. When you enter a relationship, you also enter a relationship with all his family and friends. Show him that the people who are important to him are important to you.
We come to love not by finding a perfect person, but by learning to see an imperfect person perfect. Love that lasts is the result of partners embedding themselves in each other’s brains in a positive way. You can create a fulfilling, safe-haven relationship, restoring the romantic love bond, beginning now.

Natural hair: Moisturizing and Sealing guide

One thing you need to know about natural hair is that the kinkier it is, the drier it will be in many cases. When your hair has more kinks, it’s harder for your scalp’s natural oils to travel down your strands.
Moisturizing and sealing are important parts of natural hair care as they help to keep your hair hydrated. Proper moisturizing and sealing will ensure that your hair retains moisture for as long as possible in order for the hair to survive and keep from breaking.
Natural hair needs moisture. Without it, our hair is dry, fragile and prone to breakage which is no 1 public enemy if we’re trying to retain natural hair growth. Moisture usually equals water. To moisturize your hair daily, use a product that is water-based (Water is the first ingredient). Stay clear of products that contain mineral oil, petrolatum, drying alcohols, paraffin and silicones. These ingredients can cause product buildup, which blocks moisture from getting into your strands. They can also defeat the purpose of moisturizing by drying your hair out.
There are 3 substances that will help to moisturize and seal your hair. These are water, oil and humectants.
Natural hair has more of sheen when healthy and properly moisturized. You just need moisture and the right steps. So let’s jump to it.
1. Know your hair porosity- porosity refers to how open your cuticles are on your hair shaft. If they are not open enough (low porosity), moisture can’t get in. if the cuticles are too open (high porosity), your hair can frizz and tangle easily. High porosity often comes from heat or chemical damage.
2. Spritz your hair with water or use light water-based product- water can be the best moisturizer on its own. You can also use a water-based moisturizer. Any product with water as the very first ingredient is considered to be water-based. Don’t be fooled by products that claim to moisturize your hair, but don’t even have water. Sealants contain oil/butters that seal in water (moisture). So if you twist your hair while it’s damp (water is your moisturizer) and apply a good sealant, that will keep your hair moisturized and soft for a long time.
3. Go sulfate free- use sulfate-free shampoo products to keep from stripping your hair. Sulfates are harsh detergents that rob your hair of its natural moisture.
4. Sleep with satin- sleep in a satin cap or use a satin pillow case to keep your hair from drying out at night. Cotton will soak all the oil out of your hair and can dry it out very quickly.
5. You can use the L.O.C [Liquid-oil-cream] method to moisturize and seal your hair. First, spray with a leave-in conditioner, and then apply carrier oil like extra virgin coconut oil, but concentrating mostly on the ends. Then finish with Shea butter,  Shea moisture conditioner or mango butter.
Let’s sum it up…
1. Moisturize your hair as often as you feel is needed. Everyone’s regimen will be different.
2. Kinkier hair often responds better to creamier/thicker moisturizers and sealants.
3. Constantly touching your hair will strip the moisture and oils right out of your hair.
4. Don’t forget to moisture your twists and braids. Your hair still needs moisture, if you don’t, you could suffer from more breakage when you take them down.
5. Using products that contain water and butter can moisturize and seal at the same time.

Happy New Year: Welcome to 2016

Looking back on the years gone by, as a new year starts and an old one ends, we contemplate what brought us joy, we think of our loved ones and our friends, remembering how they enriched our lives and recalling all the happy times spent together, we reflect upon who really counts. As the bright New Year arrives and I ponder on those who really count, I immediately think of you.  Thanks for being one of the reasons.
It is a new year; the past is gone with all its hurts and struggle. It’s a year to start something new, a year to live well, a year to grab new opportunities, a year to achieve greatness, a year to achieve success.
Keep in mind the past so as to gain from it pearls of wisdom as you make a fresh new beginning this New Year. Ignore worries. Avoid Tensions. Believe in your intentions. Have no fears. Love your Dear ones. After all, one learns from experiences.
Life is a progression of normal and unconstrained changes. Accept the reality. Let things stream actually forward in whatever way they like. Regardless of what each night fall steels from your life, may dawn give you another day to weave new hopes and dreams. May you rediscover yourself and emerge as a more confident and contented soul.
Happiness comes to those who know how to dispel the gloominess and go beyond the trivialities of life. Rise above petty issues and see the joys that surround you. Leave the sorrows, pain, and sadness behind and let’s welcome the brand New Year with a smile. Write it on your heart that every day is the best day of the year.
On this New Year I wish you a joyous January, a fabulous February, a mirthful March, an anxiety free April, a marvelous May, an unending Joy that keeps you going from June to August,  a superb September, an overwhelming October,  a November to remember and then round off with a dazzling December. May your days be as glittery as diamond, may your friends be as good as gold, may your heart stay as green as emerald, and may your soul remain as pure as pearl.
Celebrate this year with new hope, new resolutions and new creativity. Try to find the new way to live your life.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

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.

Week 14 games of the EPL

Prior to the week 14 games, several top managers were in the news for one reason or the other. Pellegrini had to deal with the rumour of Pep agreeing to join City, putting a dark cloud over his position at the club. LVG was not happy with his players after playing a goalless draw with PSV mid-week, also considering the displeasure from the fans concerning his style of football. Would Sanchez be rested for the
clash against Norwich by Wenger, while Mourinho hit back at Drogba.
Man City returned to winning ways when they took on Southampton.
City lost their last two games in all competition and needed to make a
statement, which they did emphatically against Southampton. Goals from De Bryne, Delph and Kolarov sent them back to the top of the League.
Leicester City vs Man Utd was the biggest clash of the the weekend,
because it is the top of the table clash and the prolific Vardy was
gunning for a record. Vardy lived up to expectation, by converting his
chance to eclipse the long standing Van Nistelrooy record of scoring
10 consecutive goals in 10 matches. Vardy made it 11 against Van's
former club. The game didn't record many goals like the previous season. It ended a goal apiece.
Tottenham vs Chelsea was another interesting tie we were looking
forward to, but it ended in a barren draw.
Norwich held Arsenal to a 1-1 draw with Arsenal losing 3 players to injuries. Sanchez was one of the injured, while Wenger has been receiving some backlashes from his fans for not giving him a deserved rest.
The resurgent Liverpool did the needful against Swansea City, scoring a single goal and recording another maximum points to keep their ambition alive.
Man City 3-1 Southampton
Leicester 1-1 Man Utd
Tottenham 0-0 Chelsea
Norwich 1-1 Arsenal
Liverpool 1-0 Swansea
Southampton are our biggest loser of last season top 7, while Man City
returned to the top and they are also our biggest winner with  2 goal
difference.