The Nation Newspaper

Tag: good health

  • Nutrition as your recipe for good health (II)

    The human body acts like a perfect machine. In a machine, if you put in a raw material, it gets processed by the machine and you get a product. Your product may turn out as energy. There may be some waste product too. We, as humans, behave in the same way as living beings. Our food is the raw material that our body needs. The ultimate product that we want is the energy to function. The one we don’t want is our sweat and the one that goes through the toilet/bathroom: the waste products.

    Further, we get our body make-up from our parents. Therefore, what we are and our future is determined by what our parents have eaten (including illegal drugs and alcohol) or what the parents failed to eat. Our future is already decided even before we are born. As a child and an adult, the way we behave, what we look like, our shape and health all depends on the food we take or the food that we did not take as mentioned above.

    Low energy is one of the consequences of unreasonable nutrition or poor meal intake. If we fail to eat the right amount that our body needs, we may not have enough energy to see us through our daily needs. An average male adult weighing 70kg requires about 2500 calories per day. An average woman adult requires about 2000 calories. Children and elderly require much less. If we fail to take the right amount of food, the body will start “eating” up itself and the person may lose a lot of weight and then die. On this account, we need qualified medical doctors, nurses and nutritionists to help us determine the amount of food and energy that we need.

    Because a person fails to take the right thing that is found in food or if the food gets polluted, it will harm the body. The person may therefore fall ill. For example, a person who failed to take enough protein will be predisposed to malnutrition and vulnerable to a lot of preventable diseases. Also, if our food is lacking in some vitamins, the person may even become unwell physically (say scurvy) or mentally. Very serious illnesses like cancers, hypertension, Parkinson’s, dementia and mental illness may develop because of what we failed to eat or what we actually eat. Common natural foods contain majority of what we require for our needs. Clean and well prepared, (not necessarily processed in factory) fruits, vegetable, meat (not red meat which should be avoided), fish and water in the right proportion will most certainly sustain us on daily basis. This is a common sense in fact.

    We don’t need factory food, fast food or processed food to survive. This is important as these foods contain a lot of chemicals and amount of substances that we don’t need. They contain preservatives and salt that is too much for our body. Too much food; if we eat too much food, it means we have taken too much energy in and of course, “excess of the earth” more that we require. The excess energy needs to be spent in exercise. Otherwise, the excess weight will ultimately drag us “down to earth” via many diseases (obesity, diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure and stroke).

    Where is the scientific evidence? The evidence in support of what we have mentioned above is staggering. Here they are. (1) Soft drink: In many studies (88 different studies), the association between soft drink consumption and nutrition and health outcomes were examined. It was found that there is a clear association of soft drink intake with increased energy intake and body weight. Soft drink intake also was associated with lower intakes of milk, calcium, and other nutrients and with an increased risk of several medical problems (for example, diabetes); (2) Before and after birth: The children of women who have low pre-pregnant (before becoming pregnant)  weight, poor diet, low level of replacement of the home diet by the supplement, low physical activity during pregnancy and good health status will show larger increase in birth weight when their food and calories is increased. Finally, nutritional interventions during pregnancy as opposed to earlier in the life of the mother should have the higher impact on birth weight. In consequence, interventions as of pregnancy are recommended; (3) Child survival: From the data reviewed in research reports, it is clear that nutrition of mothers is intimately intertwined with infant health and survival. Thus, the problem of maternal malnutrition during pregnancy and during breast feeding presents a potentially and very serious obstacle to social development. If you have any question or clarification on this article, please contact me: Tel: 07087733114 or website: www.the-hospitals.com.

     

    • Culled from the book Complete Guide to Your Health By Joel Akande

  • Nutrition as your recipe for good health (1)

    Human beings and animals derive their entire make-up (constituents of their body) from one source: all of our tissues, muscles, organs and so on, are derived from the earth. That is to say, what is found in us is also found on the earth that you stand on.

    The make-up of the earth is also our make-up. Your table salt (sodium chloride), zinc, water (H2O), sulphur, ammonia, protein, fat, vitamins, nitrogen, oxygen and so forth that make up our tissues and body are all from the earth. This is why when a person dies, he or she simply split up into these different chemicals and return to the earth from where those chemicals came from originally. The cycle of earth replenishment continues and fertility of earth to feed earth inhabitants goes on as a result.

    This is the reason that if the earth is polluted, our food, air and water get polluted; then our body gets polluted and then we fall ill as a result.  We then fall ill because we may have eaten the food that our body needs that is now polluted for us. If the air gets polluted, the air that we breathe in is polluted and our tissues and organs get “polluted” and we fall ill. The same thing goes for water, which is crucial for our survival.

    There are various ways by which our food and water may be polluted: 1. (a) chemical pollution, which can be via insecticides such as organophosphates that farmers use to control pests; (b) it may also be industrial discharge from the factories and manufacturing houses that got discharged into the water ways, seas, lands and air; (c) chemical pollution may also come from transport such as air planes that discharge fuel and combustion products into the air. It may also be oil pollution into the sea by ships that sank or even the product of combustion in the course of ordinary transport. We should not forget the very common ones that pollute us by the day and nights: cars; (2) biological pollution, which may come from industrial activities, laboratories such as was the case in foot and mouth disease and avian flu; (3) pollution may also come from radiations from energy and industrial activities or even human negligence such as the case of Chernobyl nuclear accident.

    Food and water pollution may arise due to direct human additives such as attempts to legally preserve food by means of different chemicals and biological agents that the governments have approved. On the other hand, if the food that we eat does not contain appropriate nutrients that we need, though it comes from the earth, we will become unwell and remain unwell until those chemicals are replaced in our body.

    There are four areas in which our food may be a problem for us: (a) if we eat too small an amount at a given time or over time. Too little is not good enough; (b) if we eat too great an amount at a given time or over time. Excess is bad; (c) failure to eat the right thing or right components that we need such as vitamins or even water: those things that come from the earth; (d) if our food does not contain the right amount of what we need: As we know in elementary school, our food must contain the right balance that is appropriate for the individual. Right amount of protein, right vitamins, water, carbohydrate, trace elements like zinc, magnesium, iodine, calcium, salt, fat and so on.  Our body system requires all these to function properly and to generate the right amount of energy.

    Fast foods are simply to be avoided as much as possible. They are what they are called: fast food that will help you to accumulate fat in perhaps the fastest way. The truth and reality is that this message may not be received by all. On some occasions such as family outings, or in case we are in dire need of food and we could not reach our favourite kitchen, we may indulge in fast food. The critical thing, however, is that it should not be a habit or a frequent replacement of our natural meals. If you have any question or clarification on this article, please contact me: Tel: 07087733114 or website: www.the-hospitals.com

     

    • Courtesy from Complete Guide to Your Health by Joel Akande

  • Beekeeping: Gateway to wealth creation and good health

    Nigerian honey and its by products are currently in hot demands in Europe signifying that bee farmers in the country need to step up their production to meet up with international and local markets. SINA FADARE, who has been the following the trends reports.

    BEES are wonderful insects created for the use of man. However, its potentials have not been well articulated for many decades by human until in the recent times when scientific research has shown the importance of the ‘golden insect’.

    According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations, bee offers a lot of potentials with minimal investment. Perhaps against this backdrop, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture has mapped out a strategy to encourage bee keepers to diversify into its commercial production in order to create employment opportunities for youths.

    Mr. Bidemi Oyeleye is the Chief Executive, Centre for Bee Research and Development and the President of the Federation of Beekeepers Association of Nigeria (FEBKAN) with about 35 years romance with beekeeping,  he told The Nation that the potentials inherent in beekeeping is so enormous that if government could invest in the sector, it is more lucrative than petroleum.

    His success story in beekeeping with over 4000 hives scattered in various forests in Oke-Ogun area of Oyo State where honey and other by products are produced gave him the conclusion that bee farming could liberate youths from firm grip of poverty

    The inherent potential in beekeeping and the continuous importation of honey for domestic consumption which has been a source of worry   to beekeepers in the country necessitated the recent coming together of all the movers and shakers of beekeeping industry in Nigeria at a conference at the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ibadan, Oyo State.

    The Conference that was organised by the Centre For  Bee Research And Development, (CEBRAD) with the theme ‘Let the honey flow’  gathered all the stakeholders ( Bee farmers, honey packers, researchers, MDAs with beekeeping mandate, policy makers, investors and bee scholars)  within and outside the country to brainstorm on how  the ‘golden juice’ can flow in the country.

    The guest speaker, Mr. Daniel Schulze, Vice President of Hanse Hamburg Naturroh-stoffe; a leading bee products importer in Germany, lamented that many big honey buyers are very reluctant to buy honey from China in the recent times because of fake products which is now a global problem.

    According to him, this has increased the demand for quality honey from Nigeria, which is largely regarded as a trusted source. He added that taking standard and quality into serious consideration, “this is a big opportunity for beekeepers in Nigeria to establish themselves as one of the country’s capable to meet the demand of the world for high quality bee products.”

    Ambassador B. A Nurudeen, Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the ECOWAS Commission noted that, “In recent times apiculture industry has become a profitable agricultural enterprise in all parts of the world including Nigeria. It is an important foreign exchange earner for those that export honey and bees-wax. Regrettably, beekeeping as a commercial venture is still largely unexplored in Nigeria, and the country meets domestic demand for honey mostly by importation from producer countries.”

    Nurudeen explained that, “To effectively maximize the benefits of apiculture and develop beekeeping value chains that will accelerate Medium and Small-Scale Enterprise (MSSE) in Nigeria, stakeholders need to put more emphasis on beekeeping policy at national, regional and continental levels.”

    Art of bee keeping

    According to bee farmers, one third of the world’s food crop is dependent on food `pollination’; therefore bees are important for the survival of many more plants.  Prof. Willie Siyanbola, a researcher at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, argued that beekeeping requires experience, anticipation and an understanding of various external factors outside one’s control with knowledge of bee science, botany and modern agriculture.

    He explained that adult honeybees eat pollen and nectar adding that they also pick up some of the pollen and transport it to the next plant where they feed.

    To Ismail Abdul Azeez, a bee consultant, beekeeping is an investment for mining wealth. He explained that a prospective entrepreneur needs a small space. “After finding this, the next step is to create hives, as many as 30 hives which can be kept in an area as small as 25 x 50ft. One can start with N150,000 after land acquisition.”

    He explained that “Success in beekeeping requires an intimate knowledge of the biology of honey bee as management practices are based on colony habits and bee behaviour. These skills, he said, could be acquired after two days training. New beekeepers need to make observations of bee activities and examine their colony’s hive frequently.”

    Speaking about his romance with bee, Mr. Ademola Adigun, a bee farmer and a Natural Science Student said bee is a wonderful insect that takes a very unique position in entomology. “They (bees) have their guiding angel. They have their uniqueness in food and medical world. They are intelligent insect, the Queen, the foragers and the soldiers. We have about 28 enzymes. That is why honey is used for a lot of illnesses.”

    Corroborating the potential inherent in beekeeping, Mr. Lawal Abdulraman Adebowale, a bee farmer and a postgraduate student at the University of Abuja noted that his familiarisation with beekeeping since 13 years ago has been fruitful and financially rewarding.

    Adebowale who is the Coordinator of Nigerian Youths in Beekeeping has his farm in Saki area of Oke-Ogun in Oyo State. He explained that been a student does not hinder his business as a bee farmer because he was able to meet his entire financial obligations from his bee farm.

    Why the honey is yet to flow

    Like all agricultural products in the country that is bedeviled with one crisis or the other, apiculture sector is not exceptional. According to Siyanbola, the country is producing an average of 200,000 tonnes of honey annually, while the consumption rate stood at 380,000 tonnes. Therefore the rest 180,000 are imported into the country in order to meet up with the local consumption capacity.

    Given credence to this, the Team Leader, USAID Bee keeping Pollination Project, Mr. David Musa noted that the domestic consumption rate of honey in the country is currently 380,000, with a global price of about $4.5 billion.

    According to him, Nigeria can generate over $10 billion from local and international trade in honey and other hive products, stressing   the need for the country to get honey export certification from the European Union

    Musa pointed out that the country has a lot to offer in terms of producing good and quality honey and other by products to the international market adding that if all potentials in the industry are harnessed “it is a gold mine.”

    However speaking to The Nation on why honey cannot flow as expected in the country, a researcher and expert in honeybee behaviour and health, Dr. Kayode Akinwande said honey can only flow if all the stakeholders put up a policy on bee keeping and follow it to the logical conclusion.

    He explained that “The government must have understanding of what bee keeping is, otherwise all the money they invested in beekeeping will be like putting it in a bottomless pit. We must understand what is in the terrain of beekeeping otherwise we will not get anywhere. One of the fundamental facts which government must know is the fact that the farmers are not the one that are bringing the bees but it will come over to the hives.”

    According to him “If therefore you give a bee farmer a certain amount of money to go and set up a bee farm and you give same amount to a cassava farmer, the cassava farmer can predict what he may likely have at the end of the year, but the bee keepers cannot predict the harvest. The government must be able to dole out money with little interest, having it in mind that the money may run into bad debts. It will take some years before beekeepers can predict its activities.”

    The University don pointed out that “Beekeeping is a profitable venture, but not like buying and selling business that you invest today and by tomorrow rake in the profit. It has a gestation period; it is not like cassava or yam farming. Therefore if government is interested to encourage beekeeping farmers, it has to factor in that it has a gestation period which is a bit longer before the business can be stabilized.

    “Take  for instance if you put your hives in the forest, the bees might decide not to go there no matter how you attract them, therefore such a farmer may not get the required honey at the end of the day.  It is a business that is very gradual, but when you stabilize in it, the sky is your limit.” he explained

    Wealth creation

    Aside the fact that honey is the least of the products that can generate revenue for the farmers, Pastor Israel, a bee farmer based in Umahia, Abia State, said “Initially people think that it is only honey that bee provided until recent time through research that it was discovered that there are a lot of derivative items that can be sourced from beekeeping. Some of the products extracted from bees are good for human being and animal kingdom. Aside from honey there is bee wax, bee pollen, it is anti-biotic and anti-fungi.  It is good for respiratory cases and scientifically proven to be good for stomach crises.”

    Siyanbola explained that bee business is more than just harvesting honey. “Bee keepers can rent out their bees for pollination services, transporting bee hives across the country to pollinate different crops. For instance the almond farms of California which rely on honey bee pollination will pay around $200 per hive for the service.”

    According to him, the demand for honey is high because of the daily consumption of the product and its preservative nature.

    He noted that “if N10,000 is spent on a colony, a colony can produce about 10 liters  per harvest, adding that if a bee farmer has about 10 colonies, at the end of the day  he will rake in about N50,000 as gross profit and N40,000 as return on investment

    He,  however, lamented that most of the honey produced in the country are not branded, which gave some of the neighbouring African countries to re- blend and export Nigerian honey at premium prices.

    Corroborating Siyanbola’s view, Ojeleye who has about 4,000 hives in his farm explained that he his surviving solely on bee keeping which he said is very lucrative.

    The President of FBAN explained that beekeepers in the country are yet to meet up with the local demands talk less of exploring the international market which he said is anxiously waiting and expecting quality bee products from bee farmers in the country.

    He therefore challenged bee keepers to meticulously operate and package their product in the most hygienic way that can attract high demand both within and outside the country.

    Ojeleye maintained that a lot of by products can be derived from beekeeping which can also create wealth for bee farmers adding that everything produced by bees can be turned into cash. While most farmers harvest honey twice a year, he harvests four times a year, attributing this higher harvests ratio to proper maintenance

    “One can make money from extracting wax which bees create to cover the honey and brood cells. For example, bees wax is used in candle making, shoe polish, vehicle and floor polishes, varnish, gum, carbon paper, electrical appliances, fabric industry, cosmetics, wax crayons, metal casting and food processing and packaging.

    Health benefits

    Exploring the heath benefits of bee products in the recent times has been an area which researchers are beaming their search light on due to the wonders which honey and its ally products are recording. According to FAO, there is a considerable history of bees and bee products having medicinal properties. For instance, honey, pollen, propolis, wax, royal jelly and venom are seen by many to have curative properties even though others suggest the contrary as a result of a lack of critical scientific scrutiny on bee products.

    However, majority of the bee farmers that spoke to The Nation are very authoritative about the medicinal potency of bees and its products.

    Onyema who had been in the business of bee keeping in the last two decades explained that from experience he had cured a lot of diseases with bee products. “We also have bee pollen, it is used as a food for the young bee, and it is a perfect food because it contains all what the body requires. It is also used for fertility in both man and woman. If it is taking for some days, it can also cure prostate cancer in men.”

    The bee bread which the bee itself takes is a good medicinal product. “It is useful because of the enzymes present through the worker bee. Royal jelly is one of the precious gems given to the Queen bee. The Queen bee can live up to six years, but the worker bee, for only a month. By taking royal jelly one will be looking younger than ones actual age. It helps in taking care of women infertility. If a woman can be taking it few days to her ovulation period, it will actually boost it.”

    According to him, “The bee venom is the stings; it serves as its defensive mechanism, it comes out of the bee lancets, it carries a liquid that it injects into the body, it is poured into the body through venom sack. That is why when it stings you, you can quickly remove it to reduce the venom pumped into the body. This bee venom is telepathic.  I used it to treat a diabetic and arthritics patients.”

    Speaking in the same vein, Adegun who had a long romance with bee explained that the healing prowess of the wonderful insect cannot be quantified.  “There are different types of honey. The bitter honey is highly medicinal and there is no disease it cannot treat, blood pressure, diabetes even cancer and skin rashes.

    “With honey it can assist against ageing, it can also   be used for preservatives. That is why the old Egyptians usually used honey to embalm their dead bodies.   It is rich in propolis that is good for preservation. It also contains a royal jelly which can be combined with other things and used for fertility drug and impotence.”

    He explained that “Through articulated and methodological approach to honey product, a lot of sickness can be cured. Honey can cure some diseases that cannot be emphatically or scientifically proved.”

    Given credence to the medicinal efficacy of bee products Prof. Siyanbola said that beeswax is used in food processing industries as an additive and a common ingredient in chewing gum adding that skin care and cosmetic industry are using it in making lips and gloss balm.

    The researcher said bee glue is used as antibiotic and anti -fungal agent in the pharmaceutical industries while in natural medicine it is used to treat inflammations, viral disease, ulcers skin burns and scalds.

    Challenges

    For honey to flow, beekeepers   according to Ojeleye should be able to maintain a high standard and produce in a hygienic environment that will attract good final product.

    Dr Akinwande pointed out that government is only looking at beekeeping in terms of honey production, but not realizing that the disappearance of bees will lead to low production in other crops, adding that bees are the most pollinator of other crops.

    In his own view Siyanbola pointed out that for honey to flow there must be synergy between the beekeepers, government, industry academia and the environment to achieve the best desired end.

    According to him such, constraints like biological and man -made, like increase of flowerless landscapes, use of pesticides, inadequate bees nests, bees aggressiveness, theft by man, bush burning, bee swarming and absconding disease and predators could be collectively tackled by all stakeholders.

    To Ambassador   Nurudeen, poor colony establishment and management, poor harvesting method, hives vandalism, bush burning and  the infestation of hive beetles and wax moth could be tackled through a synergy among MDAs, bee hunters, academia and all the stakeholders.

    Ojeleye capped it all with a call to the government to establish a National Bee Research Institute, a strong and functional cooperative society to enhance community based beekeeping and a need for a good advocacy among agricultural stakeholders on the importance of bees.

  • ‘Calcium fortified milk guarantees good health’

    ‘Calcium fortified milk guarantees good health’

    The Category Manager, Diary, Promasidor Nigeria Limited, Mr. Biodun Ayodeji, has said  calcium fortified Loya Milk, a premium brand from the company, will continue to improve healthiness and nurture swimming talent in children.

    He made this statement during the second edition of Loya Milk swimming competition dubbed: “Loya Milk Swim Meet” for secondary schools’ students held at the Grange School,  Ikeja, Lagos, where attractive prizes of over N1million and other consolation prizes were given to participants.

    He said feedback from the inaugural edition held in December 2016 where 10 Secondary Schools in Lagos participated, was very commendable, and that request was made for the competition to be an annual event where talents could be discovered and nurtured.

    Ayodeji explained that Loya Milk, which is fortified with 50 percent calcium, believed in the  healthiness of children and could be achieved not only by providing the best nutrition in the brand, but by identifying with a sport that fosters this promise. According to him, the brand helps to build stronger bones, tougher teeth, and healthier heart, which are in line with some of the health benefits of swimming.

    “Swimming is a 360 degrees sport that uses the entire parts of the body and helps to maintain healthy weight and heart, tones the muscles, builds strength and above all creates a platform where children can have fun while exercising,” he said.

    He said the plan was to extend to other parts of the country, starting with Secondary Schools in Port Harcourt, which will have their swim meet at Bloombreed High School on Saturday June 17.

    In the competition, Grange School was better than other 16 secondary schools and clinched the first position with cash prize of One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira in the 25-metre freestyle; 50-metre freestyle as well as the 100-metre freestyle relays in the boys and girls categories.

    The performance of pupils from Grange School was commended by coaches as well as parents, teachers and spectators, who urged them to continue in that manner in order to make the school proud in similar events.

    Speaking on the school’s victory, Modebenna Nwokolo, the winner of the 100-metre freestyle relay for girls, said she knew her school would emerge winner in all stages of the competition because of the regular practice and training received from their coaches, and the conducive environment which enhanced the desire for excellence in all endeavors.

    Schools that participated in the “Loya Swim Meet” competition included Grange School; Straitgate College; The Bells Comprehensive School; Greenville School; Grace High School; Halifield Schools; Honeyland College; Queensland Academy; Avicenna International School; Chrisland Schools and Supreme Educational Foundation School.

    Others were Children’s International School; Lagos Preparatory School; Juiliard Academy; Corona Secondary School; Greensprings School; and Emerald High School.

  • ‘Excess salt can damage good health’

    ‘Excess salt can damage good health’

    Nigerians have been advised to watch their salt intake for the sake of their health.

    According to a naturopath, Dr Idowu Ogunkoya, while salt makes food tasty, it should be used moderately. “If one eats too much  salt, the extra water stored in the body raises one’s blood pressure”, he said, adding: “So, the more salt you eat, the higher your blood pressure. The higher your blood pressure, the greater the strain on your heart, arteries, kidneys and brain. This can lead to heart attack, stroke, dementia and kidney disease.”

    Dr Ogunkoya said eating of excess salt does not stop with adults as children also do through seasonings that accompany noodles. “Majority of salt is added to noodles through the seasoning supplied in sachets. So reduce the sodium content by using the minimum amount of seasoning, preferably half of the sachets. Instant noodle soup is often high in salt; limit its consumption to avoid excess intake of salt,” he said.

    So either way one must watch salt consumption because high sodium leads to damages in the body system, “Over time, the extra work and pressure can stiffen blood vessels, leading to high blood pressure, heart attack, and stroke. It can also lead to heart failure. There is also some evidence that too much salt can damage the heart, aorta, and kidneys without increasing blood pressure, and that it may be bad for bones, too.

    “Excess sodium increases blood pressure because it holds excess fluid in the body, and that creates an added burden on the heart. Too much sodium will increase your risk of stroke, heart failure, osteoporosis, stomach cancer and kidney disease,” he noted.

    According to Dr Ogunkoya, eating salt is not totally bad but its overindulgence, “Table or common salt also known as sodium chloride, is added to food to make it tastier. Salt provides your body with sodium, which is necessary for proper muscle function and regulating the amount of water in the body. The average daily sodium intake should be 1500 milligrammes, while the maximum intake is 2300 milligrammes. Consuming more sodium than the maximum daily recommended intake is harmful,” he warned.

    He said Cardio vascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the world and hypertension or high blood pressure is a condition that affects so many Nigerians. While this condition can be caused by other factors such as stress and eating diets rich in saturated fats, excessive intake of sodium increases the risk of developing it. “If you already suffer from high blood pressure, reducing your salt intake could also reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke. When you consume too much sodium and your blood pressure is too high, over time the extra pressure can make your vessels less elastic and more susceptible to buildup of fatty deposits called plaque. This can cause atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries. In atherosclerosis, vessels narrow and their walls thicken, making your heart work harder and eventually raising your risk of heart attack, heart failure and stroke,” he advised.

    The naturopath said every edible provided by nature has its natural salt, so one may not need to add salt at all, but if one must use, then it should be in moderation, and salt shaker should be done with.Lots of people have diabetes and don’t know it. But the disease often causes telltale changes in the retina that can be picked up by an ophthalmologist. In this eye, diabetes has caused tiny hemorrhages in the retina and yellowish deposits of blood fats (lipids). The condition is known as diabetic retinopathy.

  • Avoid these risky everyday foods for good health

    These are probably in your kitchen right now, but that doesn’t mean you should eat them. While shopping for food you have probably scratched your head over the long, strange ingredients listed on package labels. Even the most health-conscious shoppers can have a tough time knowing which canned or boxed foods to avoid. That’s why it’s so important to build your diet around whole, fresh foods like fruits and veggies, your diet should also include plenty of nuts and legumes, whole grains, skinless poultry and fish, low fat dairy products

    A healthy diet shouldn’t include any of the following healthy eating pitfalls.

    Mistaking margarine for a healthy fat

    Even though margarine contains less saturated fat, many varieties contain trans-fat, especially hard margarines Proving the myth that margarine is a smart replacement for butter. Trans fat increases LDL, or “bad” cholesterol and decreases HDL, or “good” cholesterol. Most brands are high in salt.

    Avoid bacon

    A diet high in red and processed meats has been linked to higher rates of obesity, heart disease and colon cancer. In fact, eating just two ounces of processed meats like bacon per day may increase your colon cancer risk by up to 17 percent. For a savory breakfast side, opt for fresh vegetables in your morning toast, and add nuts to your oatmeal.

    Stop drinking both regular and diet soda

    Regular soda contains various types of sugar. In fact, a can of soda may actually be up to 60 percent fructose. All that sugar can actually increase your risk of diabetes, promote tooth decay, and increase your waistline. Sugar contains empty calories which mean that it raises your daily calorie intake without providing any real nutrients.

    Choose a new snack

    Microwave popcorn contains high levels of salt and the chemical diacetyl. Diacetyl gives popcorn its butter flavor and it’s just one of almost 50 chemicals that get released into the air when popcorn heats up. While small doses of diacetyl may be harmless, but exposure to large amounts can be dangerous to your health.

    Avoid unregulated energy drinks

    From 2007 to 2011 alone, over 20,000 Americans were sent to the emergency room thanks to energy drinks. Energy drinks may be marketed as “supplements” to avoid FDA regulation. Supplements don’t have to list their ingredients or nutrition facts and get to avoid food regulatory bodies safety testing.

    Avoid canned and instant soups/foods

    The daily recommended limit for salt or sodium is 2,300 mg for healthy adults. Some people, like those with heart disease, should consume less than 1,500 mg a day. But with a can or package of instant soup, it’s possible to consume most or all of that in one sitting.

  • Youths advised on good health

    Youths  have been urged to enhance good health as a way to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by the United Nations (UN).

    The founder and coordinator of DEAN Initiative, Abuja, Mr. Semiye Michael, gave  the advice in Ibadan at a sensitisation programme by EDa Foundation. It was held at the Conference Centre, University of Ibadan, Oyo State.

    He said  survival of SDGs depended on  the youth adding that  the core goal of SDGs centred on good health and well-being of the people.

    He said: “Nigeria did not join MDGs when it started in 2000,  but it joined in 2005 when the country needed UN’s help to write off her debts. The MDGs office was later set up but at the detriment of the masses because it was rather used to amass wealth and badly implemented.

    “As a way to reinvigorate the MDGs, United Nations in September 2015 adopted MDGs to further strengthen the UN’s development agenda”,  Semiye said.

  • How to enjoy good health, by dentists

    DO  you pay attention to oral hygiene? The consequence of not doing so will lead to failing health, says a dental consultant, Dr Oyinkan Sofola.

    The mouth, she said is the mirror of the body which serves as a means of early diagnosis of systemic diseases before they manifest in other organs. A systemic disease affects a number of organs and tissues, or affects the body as a whole.

    Dr Sofola, a consultant, Community Dentist, Preventive Dentistry Department, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), spoke at the Oral Health Expert Forum organised by Unilever Nigeria in conjunction with the Nigerian Dental Association (NDA).  It was themed- “Your teeth, your health and you”.

    Dr Sofola said: “Some of the proven systemic diseases and their signs include anaemia, manifesting on the tongue as boil. Diabetes mellitus and HIV/AIDS as mouth thrush. A lot of research is still on-going, but it has been established that the mouth is the gateway to the body. Current research works has linked the condition of the mouth, especially with plague accumulation (poor oral hygiene) to systemic disease.”

    Dr Sofola enjoined Nigerians to pay more attention to periodontal diseases (gum disease), because it is both preventable and treatable, “while we are still gathering evidence on the link between these diseases and oral hygiene, treating periodontal disease is cheaper than treating cardiovascular diseases at the maturity stage. So we should take oral help seriously.”

    She said there is a relationship between nutrition and general well being and oral health.

    She said: “Let’s look at nutrition as a relationship between oral hygiene and systemic health. Unhealthy habit such as smoking, drinking and poor diet will lead to dental diseases and this in return will lead to pain. When you are in pain, you cannot eat and this will affect your nutrition. That is why the mouth is a mediator between the general health and systemic health. Oral health is a component of health and should not be thought of being separate from the health of the rest of the body. A person is not well systemically if he’s not well orally.”

    Another dentist, a Consultant Paediatric Dentist, Child Dental Health Department, LUTH, Dr. (Mrs) Lola Orenuga, speaking on ‘Developing positive dental attitudes in children- Sustainable for a life-time’, said the prevalence of dental caries in Nigeria as compared to other countries could be said to be low. “It is between 13.9 percent to 28 percent; but the last national oral health count we had in Nigeria was done 20 years ago, so there is a need to update data on our dental profile.

    In addition, Dr Orenuga said: “However, the concern for us is that the majority of the caries are untreated. While we have low caries prevalence in Nigeria as compared to other countries, most are untreated resulting ultimately in pain and tooth loss. We have a prevalence of about 90 per cent untreated caries.

    “More importantly is the early childhood caries. We tend to see caries in children. We have a prevalence of 6.5 to 22.5 per cent. Over 95.6 per cent of early childhood caries is untreated. On the global average, we have a global prevalence of 35 percent of untreated caries. Nigeria is doing much worse than the global average of untreated caries. On the other hand, periodontal disease (gum diseases) has been found to be between 79 to 90 per cent of the Nigerian population. What we are saying is that all the studies that have been done between 1960s and date reveals that we have a lot of periodontal disease in Nigeria. If we have a lot of periodontal disease in Nigeria and this is being linked to systemic disease, then we have a lot of work to do because this might lead to increasing morbidity in the nation,” she stated.

    Brand Manager, Pepsodent, Unilever Nigeria, George Umoh said his company is partnering with dentists nationwide because: “It is in an attempt to address specific needs and solve everyday problem of consumers and in a bit to address the needs within the oral care sector that we have often rolled out products that impact on healthy lifestyle positively. So we have often manufactured the best products and make them available in the right places to deliver the best benefits to consumers.”

    “We are also collaborating with all stakeholders. As a foremost manufacturer that is often in the business of addressing health issues and the needs of consumers, we have several programmes we have put in place to address the needs of consumers and this forum is one of them. Unilever Nigeria has been a foremost partner with the Nigerian Dental Association (NDA) and we have other programmes in the year to deliver superior oral care to consumers and ensuring a cavity free Nigeria,” he said.

  • Wealth means good health, food, bed, says Ex-Punch chair Ogunsola

    Wealth means good health, food, bed, says Ex-Punch chair Ogunsola

    Chief Ajibola Ogunsola has reasons to call up friends and throw a party. Recently retired as the Chairman of Punch, he has seen a company he took over in 1987 resurrect from a near dead situation to become one of the leading dailies in Nigeria. Ogunsola, who is 70 today, went down memory lane, writes Seun Akioye

    It is impossible not to feel contrasting emotion when you are in the presence of Chief Ajibola Ogunsola, especially when the venue of the meeting was Punch Place, the headquartersof  Punch where for 25 years he was the Chairman.

    On one hand, you want to feel at ease with a man who at 70 still exhumes the radiance he possessed 25 years earlier and on the other it was to feel subsumed speaking to a man who got straight Distinctions in his West African School Certificate (WAEC) and bagged a degree in Mathematics, before he became the first Actuarial scientist in Nigeria.

    The Chief, it seems, has lost none of his usual briskness and aptitude for orderliness. He rearranged his personal items in such orderly manner taking care to ensure like items were put together. “I have to re arrange my table; so, it will not look disorderly,” he said with a smile as he finished the task.

    For those who are unfamiliar with Punch, it may be forgiven if you feel the story of the paper has always been rosy and rich. Founded in 1973 by the late Chief Olu Aboderin, the elder half-brother to Ogunsola, the newspaper had a fairy tale rise when it started. But that success was cut short a few years later and when the founder died in 1984, his elder brother, Moyo, invested heavily in the company and took over as chairman.

    He did not last long at the helm as he died in 1987, but by one of those ironies of which fate is never tired, it was the destiny of Ogunsola that seemed tied to that of the company in a strange and intriguing manner.

    “It was a series of family accidents that put me here, the circumstances of the time were such that I had no choice than to become the chairman of Punch. Could I do it? It was very obvious it would be a hard slug. Knowing I had no choice than to become the chairman, I had to face it,” Ogunsola said, suddenly wearing a serious look.

    His status at Punch is legendary. Fondly referred to as “Chairman Emeritus” after bowing out for the founder’s first son, Wale, he still commands the respect and awe which made him the dominant figure in the company for many years. Credit for much of the success of the company today could be attributed to him but he humbly deflected such praises to his team and insisted he was not just being polite.

    Growing up

    Ogunsola’s growing up could be likened to one of a fairy tale, his father, a high chief in the courts of the Olubadan of Ibadan was by no means a poor man. Things were even brighter for his mother who as a successful trader was richer than his father.

    But, as influential as they were, two unrelated events directed the course of his life; one was attending the prestigious Government College, Ibadan (GCI).

    “I have to admit that going to Government College, Ibadan played an important part in my coming out with excellent results. GCI was a big thing in those days and attending the school was a major factor in my life,” he said, still with that smile and the tingle in the eyes which one may mistake for arrogance.

    But, his palm-kernels were not cracked for him by any benevolent spirit; he worked hard to crack them himself. Possessing more than an average intelligence, he came out with distinctions in secondary school, a feat he was quick to point out “was really a distinction in our days” and proceeded to study Mathematics at the University of Ibadan, though not without initial misgiving.

    “I didn’t want to do a Honours in Mathematics because we saw it as a narrow path. It was better to be a professional,” he said.

    But, like a guardian angel, his brother, the late Moyo Aboderin, told him about Actuarial Science and he decided to give it his best.

    “I have never heard of it until my brother told me about it and that changed my life,” he said.

     Ogunsola’s decision to study Actuarial Science later turned out to be the singular act that would prepare him for life in the media, though he did not know it at the time. After graduating in 1967, he took several courses in Actuarial Science and despite the odds, he became the first black African to qualify.

    “When I got the call that I have passed my exams and inducted as a Fellow of the Institute of Actuary, I was so happy, I almost cried,” he recalled.

    Everything he did from there seemed to prepare him for the task at The Punch. He became Life Manager at Nicon Insurance and later the Chief Executive at Niger Insurance where for 11 years he learnt the rudiments of managing people and resources.

    But, family tragedies changed the course of his life and fate put on him responsibilities it had hitherto prepared him for. In 1984, the founder of Punch, Olu Aboderin died, followed by the death of Chief Moyo Aboderin three years later.

    Ogunsola recalled: “The death of my brothers changed the course of my life; I would never have been involved in Punch.”

    However, the stage was set for one of the most definite personalities to take the company beyond its dreams.

    A perfectionist or Hitler?

    When Ogunsola took over the helms at Punch in 1987, someone remarked that the paper was in “Intensive Care Unit” (ICU). It was not a metaphoric statement but a fact of the affairs at the time. Ogunsola also affirmed, saying it was a “hell of a time”, one he “wouldn’t want to go through again”.

    It was worse than starting afresh. The company was neck deep in debt from the banks and bills from long standing libel suits.

    “After Chief Moyo died, there was no big money coming in. I was not rich. I am still not rich; I inherited massive bank loans. So, no bank will borrow us money; so, if the fortunes fall, there will be nowhere to turn to. We had to rely entirely on our wits,” he said.

    Ogunsola had to take drastic actions, many of them painful and unpopular. His long reign was characterised by what many would call high-handedness and brutality. Some have even referred to him as the ‘modern Hitler who whipped the staff into line.’  Ogunsola smiled through it all. He did not seem to be offended or affected by the unsavoury appellations attached to him.

    “Whatever was done was to make things better. I told myself that we must succeed because there was nowhere to turn to if we fail,” he said in a low tone.

    One could almost feel sorry for Ogunsola as he tried to justify his actions.

    “I had to behave the way I did. Throughout my chairmanship, we had problems on grammar, we had to train the staff,” he said.

    But that did not solve the problem and what followed was a string of retrenchment, which created a seeming atmosphere of job insecurity.

    “ A staff that is not competent will pollute the system. They are the ones who become politicians in the company, always saying things that were not true. They polluted the others. There was no point keeping them. One of the painful things we had to do was conduct periodic English test; if you didn’t show improvements, then you had to go.”

    Situation was dire and money scarce. Ogunsola recalled the creditors and the unpaid bills and how he employed, at times, unconventional means to wriggle out of the doldrums.

    “I used to hide under my table when creditors came in those days. One man had come to execute a libel judgment against us and he wanted to take all the air conditioners. I begged him and promised to start payment in 48 hours. The next day, we went to court to ask for a stay of execution, which was the only way we could have survived.”

    The paper also had its fights with the military.

    “Oh the military,” he said, his voice rising with a little excitement.

    “ I think we were first shut down in 1990;  the six weeks closure was intense. I am sure they wanted to kill us. We were just creeping out of the hole. If IBB (Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida) knew, closing us for one month more, Punch would have died.”

    So, what was the magic that saw the company rise to become one of the market leaders today?

    “There was no magic, only hard work,” Ogunsola revealed.

    His training as an Actuarial scientist also prepared him to take logical and deliberate steps after a thorough research.

    “We brainstormed a lot; my singular contribution was to insist and ensure we got information about the working of the system before we took decisions. We tried to measure everything.”

    Not many low moments

    The Emeritus chairman has lost none of his exactitude and deliberate approach. He took his time to collect his thoughts so he could get the exact dates and facts. He was deliberate about the use of language. It must convey his exact thoughts; there cannot be an in-between.

    When memory failed him-as it did a couple of times- it seemed to frustrate him. But the Managing Director of Punch,    Ademola Osinubi was on hand to help him. A note was passed to him; he stopped, put on his reading glasses to read it, and then continued as if he never stopped at all.

    “At 70, I can say that I am fulfilled. I am not excessively ambitious, maybe that is why I am happy,” he said.

    But, Ogunsola’s definition of fulfillment and wealth may be a little strange to the materialistic for they are restricted to these three sentiments: Good health, good food and a good bed to sleep.

    He is very appreciative of being alive. Being the only one remaining of his mother’s six children, he counted it a privileged to be 70 years, a distinction some of his siblings did not have. Instructively, one of his low moments was when an unexpected death of a loved one occurred, especially those involving dramatic circumstances. 1984 was one of them.

    The other is when he loses money. “If I do an investment and it fails and I lost a substantial sum, it takes some time for me to recover,” he said.

    Growing old, looking young

    Someone remarked the Chief was looking good and asked for the recipe. “We have good genes in our family, if you look at my brother, Olu, he was fairly good looking. So, if you eat good food, have a good family and a decent house and you are fairly good looking, you will most likely look younger.”

    He has maintained a healthy diet too but in the hard way. Many years ago, while he had lunch with the Olubadan  of Ibadan, Oba Samuel Odulana Odugade, he was mixing soft drink with beer and seemingly enjoying his life. The Olubadan  cautioned him and since then he stuck with healthy lifestyle and eating habit.

    In his old days, Ogunsola continues to do what he knew how best-  giving directions and leading- but this time through the ongoing National Conference. He has been one of the prominent elders working things from behind the scene and coming to the front when necessary. “Everybody knows Nigeria is in trouble and we may continue to perform below par for a long time. Frankly, nobody knows what will happen after 2015,” he said.

    However, he believes that the recommendations of the conference, if properly implemented, may still rescue Nigeria out of the blues and wants the recommendations to be seen as total package not individual ideas.

    His is the story of a man who has been defined by one of the offices he has held: chairmanship of Punch. Only a few remember he was the first Nigerian Actuarial Scientist, fewer still remember he once held the strings at Nicon and Niger Insurance. But everyone remembers the time of Ajibola Ogunsola at Punch and as President of the Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN). For an unbiased interrogator, Ogunsola has contributed more to journalism. He holds the chieftaincy of Baa Royin (Chief Newsman) of Ibadan land.

    Today, the doyen clocks 70 years and congratulatory messages will flood the newspapers and perhaps airwaves. But has the doyen bid a final goodbye to the media? Not in the least. He sits on the board at  Punch where he continues to give his expert advice and input into that company. To cater for his pecuniary needs, he relies on the dividends of past investments, which, he said, is enough to make him live a good life. At least in the Ogunsola fashion.