Stephanie Linus Daily

Category: Health & Fitness

  • World Diabetes Day: 7 Ways To Lower Blood Sugar Level

    Today is World Diabetes Day, a primary global awareness campaign focusing on diabetes mellitus and is held on November 14 each year.

    Diabetes is a group of metabolic diseases characterized by high blood sugar either because of the inability of the body to produce enough insulin or the inability to respond to the insulin so produced.

    The theme of World Diabetes Day 2017 is ‘Women and diabetes – our right to a healthy future’.

    As we mark this day world wide, let’s take a look at 7 crucial ways to control your blood sugar level:

    1. Exercise regularly. Regular exercise can help you lose weight and increase insulin sensitivity. Increased insulin sensitivity means your cells are better able to use the available sugar in your bloodstream. Exercise also helps your muscles use blood sugar for energy and muscle contraction.

    2. Eating at right time, an appropriate amount of a balance carbohydrates, fats and proteins with fruits is essential. Not going on an empty stomach for long hours and not missing the meals are important.

    Read more: Some of the best protein bars that are recommended for diabetics.

    3. If you’re overweight, it will be easier to stabilize blood sugar more effectively if you lose some weight. For most people with diabetes, losing just a few kilograms can make a difference in diabetes control or the need for medication.

    4. Increase your fiber intake. Fiber slows carb digestion and sugar absorption. For these reasons, it promotes a more gradual rise in blood sugar levels. Eating plenty of fiber can help with blood sugar control, and soluble dietary fiber is the most effective.

    5. Too little sleep or poor sleep can disrupt your hormones, leading to increased appetite, higher blood sugar, and a thicker waistline. Find a sleep routine that works for you.

    6. Drinking enough water may help you keep your blood sugar levels within healthy limits. In addition to preventing dehydration, it helps your kidneys flush out the excess blood sugar through urine. Staying hydrated can reduce blood sugar levels and help prevent diabetes. Water is best.

    7. Do not skip or delay meals. Breakfast is extremely important for you to control weight and other factors of health. We have all heard that breakfast is the day’s most important meal. Indeed, this is especially true for those who have diabetes.

  • Are you at risk of breast cancer?

    They say 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer. Isn’t that scary statistics? 

    Breast cancer is a combination of factors; but don’t be scared, breast cancer isn’t all about risk factors. However, if you have breast cancer risk factors, talk to your doctor .

    Watch out for these signs:

    Family history of breast cancer: Your risk of breast cancer is higher if you have a mother or sister who suffered same illness.

    Taking Alcohol increases the risk of breast cancer

    Being overweight or obese after menopause can be a risk factor

    Early menstrual period: starting early exposes the estrogen hormones and raises the risk of breast cancer

    Getting older poses a risk of breast cancer, as more women over 50 are diagnosed.

    Late pregnancy can be a risk factor. Having your first pregnancy at 30; or not getting pregnant at all.

    Other signs are:

    Women who are not physically active have a high risk, and also the use of certain contraceptive and birth control can raise the chances of breast cancer.

    Exhale, don’t fret. Go for screening and consult your health centres.

    xoxo

     

     

  • Did you know: ATM machines are as dirty as public toilets?!

     

    Eww!

    If you missed this report, then here it is:

    Pressing the ATM keys to withdraw money is just as dirty as placing your hand on a public toilet seat. Cleanliness tests have acknowledge that ATM machines have as much bacteria as public toilets. Swabs taken from a cash machine keyboards and from public toilets found both samples had the same bacteria known to lead to sicknesses, like diarrhea.

    Since we have cultivated the habit of using hand sanitisers; this is only a kind reminder to use it also AFTER using an ATM machine.

    Be safe. Stay healthy!

    xoxo

     

  • If you are 30 years and above, YOU need to DETOX!

    Our bodies are loaded with toxins! Eww! We need to get rid of them. Detoxing is the method we employ to deal with free radicals in our bodies that cause aging and stress.

    You know you need to detox when…

    You are always fatigued  for no reason

    You suffer irritated skin

    You have allergies

    Menstrual problems

    Puffy eyes

    Bloating

    If you suffer these, detox now. Even if you don’t suffer them immediately, you should, as an adult, detox every once in a year.

    Now you know!

     

    What are the benefits of detox?

    Detox prevent chronic diseases

    Enhances the immune system

    You also get to lose weight

    No premature aging

    Increases your energy

    Improves your skin

    Promotes mental clarity

    Improves your quality of life

    *

    Here are 5 favourite Detox diets:

    Smoothie cleanse

    Fruit and veggie detox

    Juice cleanse

    Sugar detox

    Hypoallergenic detox

    Things you should note:

    Eat plenty fibre. Brown rice, cabbage, broccoli. They are available in Nigeria.

    Glasses with fresh organic vegetable and fruit juices isolated on white. Detox diet.

    Take herbs and green tea.

    Take Vitamin C

    Drink lots of water daily

    Breathe deeply. Let oxygen circulate through your system

    Stick to positive emotions to get rid of stress

    You can also exercise by skipping with a rope one hour every day.

    If you can speak to a health consultant, do so, to get more information.

    Have a stress free day!

    xoxo

  • How To Make Delicious Ugu Smoothie

    Pumpkin Leaf, popularly known as Ugu or Ugwu here in Nigeria is commonly used in our vegetable soups. But recently, I’ve discovered a different way to enjoy its rich nutrients in all its goodness – SMOOTHIE!

    When you think of a Smoothie, you probably think of just fruits. Why not try adding a vegetable this time around?

    The Ugu leaf is loaded with iron, a mineral that is key to improve your blood production level. 

    You would need the following:

    • A blender or food processor
    • Ugu leaves (Pumpkin)
    • One Orange or Pineapple
    • One banana

    How to prepare: 

    • Rinse the Ugu leaves properly to remove any dirt on it. (You don’t need to slice the leaves)
    • Chop the banana into pieces
    • Squeeze the juice out of the orange or pineapple ( I prefer to use this juice instead of water)
    • Place everything into the blender and blend till its really smooth

    Pour the smoothie into a glass and drop in some ice cubes if you want it chilled. An optional method will be using milk instead of banana. Try using Tiger Nut milk or Soy Milk and you’ll love it.

    This is a fast smoothie you can enjoy with the rest of your family this lovely Saturday!

    Do you have any other recipe for Ugu Smoothie? Have you tried this before? Please share, I’d love to read your comments.

  • Key Facts About Female Genital Mutilation You Should Know

    • Globally, it is estimated that at least 200 million girls and women alive today have undergone some form of FGM.
    • Girls 14 and younger represent 44 million of those who have been cut, with the highest prevalence of FGM among this age in Gambia at 56 per cent, Mauritania 54 per cent and Indonesia where around half of girls aged 11 and younger have undergone the practice.
    • Countries with the highest prevalence among girls and women aged 15 to 49 are Somalia 98 per cent, Guinea 97 per cent and Djibouti 93 per cent.
    • FGM is mostly carried out on young girls sometime between infancy and age 15.
    • FGM cause severe bleeding and health issues including cysts, infections, infertility as well as complications in childbirth increased risk of newborn deaths.
    • FGM is a violation of the human rights of girls and women.
    • The Sustainable Development Goals in 2015 calls for an end to FGM by 2030 under Goal 5 on Gender Equality, Target 5.3 Eliminate all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation.
    • The elimination of FGM has been called for by numerous inter-governmental organizations, including the African Union, the European Union and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, as well as in three resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly.

    Source: UN

  • #WorldHealthDay: Working Together To “Beat Diabetes”

    Today is World Health Day!

    The World Health Day is a global health awareness day celebrated every year on 7 April, under the sponsorship of the World Health Organization (WHO). This year, the focus is on how to “beat diabetes”.

    In simple terms, Diabetes is a condition that prevents the body from properly using energy from food. It occurs when the pancreas does not produce insulin, or when the pancreas produces insulin, but it is resisted by the body.

    Diabetes is on the rise everywhere and is now most common in developing countries.

    The statistics speak for themselves. The number of people living with diabetes and its prevalence are growing in all regions of the world. In 2014, 422 million adults (or 8.5 percent of the population) had diabetes, compared with 108 million (4.7 percent) in 1980. Diabetes is rising fastest in the world’s low and middle-income countries.

    The sad thing about diabetes is that when poorly controlled, it can cause complications including heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure, blindness, and foot ulcers than can lead to amputations. However, many of these complications, and these premature deaths, could be prevented. A lot can be achieved by changing our lifestyles, our eating habits and our attitude towards our health.

    Together, we can halt the rise in diabetes and provide care to improve quality of life for the millions of people living with the disease. Deliberate, effective responses are needed from government; health-care providers; civil society; producers of medicines, technologies and food; from people living with diabetes; and from each of us. Everyone has a role to play.

    Today on #WorldHealthDay let’s pledge to make each moment count and make sure we get strong!

    Stay happy, stay healthy.

    xoxo

    SL

  • It’s Endometriosis Awareness Week: 10 Things You Need To Know About The Condition

    Hey ladies,

    Let’s have some serious talk about our health today, shall we?

    You’ve probably heard of the term “Endometriosis“. Some women who have had severe menstrual pain have probably heard about this as it is one of the symptoms of this condition. It is a chronic condition that affects approximately 1 in 10 women’s reproductive health.

    Despite the fact that millions of women are currently living with the disease it’s not a well understood condition.

    So, what is endometriosis? In brief: endometriosis is a disease in which tissue that normally grows inside the womb grows outside it – most commonly on the ovaries and fallopian tubes, inside the abdomen and on the bowl and bladder. This tissue responds to the menstrual cycle each month and also bleeds. This can cause pain, inflammation and the formation of scar tissue because there is no way for this blood to leave the body.

    Endometriosis can manifest itself in lots of different ways and partly because we all still tend to dismiss ‘menstrual issues’ as the sort of pain women should put up with. We normalise ‘women’s pain’ to the extent that women often dismiss their own symptoms and delay seeking help.

    When symptoms are present, they may include:

    • Abdominal cramps or back pain during menstruation.
    • Very painful menstrual cramps.
    • Painful bowel movements.
    • Painful urination, especially during menstruation.
    • Abnormal or heavy bleeding during periods.
    • Painful sex.
    • Difficulty becoming pregnant.

    So ladies, if you’ve noticed any of the above symptoms, please don’t keep it to yourself. Speak to your doctor about it immediately!

    As we mark the Endometriosis Awareness Week, I’d like to share 10 important facts about the condition which I found HERE:

    1. Endometriosis can affect any woman of child-bearing age (it is rare in women who have been through the menopause)
    2. Symptoms include: pelvic pain, heavy periods, bladder and bowel problems, fatigue, depression, pain during or after sexual intercouse, problems conceiving and difficulty fulfilling professional and social commitments. (NB: some women don’t experience any symptoms at all).
    3. Any pain experienced often correlates to your menstrual cycle, but not always. Equally, the severity of pain experienced does not always correlate to the amount of scar tissue present, the pain is more dependent on where the abnormal tissue is located.
    4. There is currently no cure, no proven cause or known way of preventing endometriosis.
    5. There are some ways to manage symptoms. These include: pain relief, complementary therapies, hormone treatment and surgery. The best course of action will be recommended depending on the patient’s age, severity of the disease and desire to have children.
    6. The only definitive way to diagnose endometriosis is by a laparoscopy – a small operation that involves inserting a camera into the pelvis via the belly button.
    7. The disease can cause infertility. But 50% of women suffering from endometriosis will not experience any problems conceiving.
    8. Endometriosis is not an infection and it is not contagious.
    9. Some women experience relief from their symptoms during pregnancy but in many cases symptoms return along with a woman’s period. Pregnancy is not a cure for the disease.
    10. Having a hysterectomy does not always cure endometriosis. It only treats the disease on the organs that were removed.

    Ladies, have you had any experience with this condition or its symptoms? What steps did you take to help yourself?

    Let’s share…

  • Lassa Fever Facts You Should Know

    The Lassa Fever scare is getting even more real. With more and more cases reported nationwide, state governments are beginning to take this even more seriously and have embarked on preventive measures for its inhabitants.

    But it is not enough for the government to try, we also have to protect ourselves too.

    According to reports, the affected areas in Nigeria primarily are Bauchi, Nassarawa, Taraba, Niger, Edo, Rivers, Plateau, Gombe, Oyo and now Lagos state. Sigh!

    The mortality rate of this disease is at nearly 45%, so it is no joke. Here are key facts you need to know about the fast-killing virus:

    1. Lassa Fever is a zoonotic disease, spread through the Mastomys rodent. Although the virus does not affect the rodents carrying it, they are still able to spread the disease through excretion.
    2. Lassa Fever can also be spread through humans by direct contact with the urine, faeces, blood or other bodily secretions of an affected person.
    3. The symptoms usually are: A high fever, back pain, vomiting and bleeding.
    4. This virus is a part of the Arenaviridae family, and occurs mainly in West Africa.
    5. The incubation period of the disease ranges from 6-21 days. In fatal cases, death usually occurs within 14 days of onset.
    6. Lassa Fever was actually first discovered in Borno state, Nigeria by two missionary nurses who died after being affected. Hence, the disease is named after the town where the first cases occurred.
    7. About 80% of people who become affected by the Lassa virus usually have no symptoms.
    8. Lassa Fever can often be mistaken for Ebola, Malaria and Typhoid Fever, as the symptoms may be similar.
    9. The spread of the virus can be prevented by storing food (especially grains) in airtight, rodent-proof containers, keeping cats and being careful to avoid contact with blood and bodily fluids.
    10. Currently, there is no cure for Lassa Fever, however the only available drug, Ribavirin, can be effective if it is administered early on in the infection (within the first 6 days).

    Please, let’s protect ourselves and stay safe.

    Stephanie

  • Tell a Woman You Love: January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month

    The month of January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, a chance for us to talk about this deadly disease and how we can protect ourselves.

    No woman should die of cervical cancer. The most important thing you can do to help prevent cervical cancer is to get screened regularly starting at age 21.

    Each year, an estimated 12,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer, and, of those, about one-third will die as a result of the cancer. But cervical cancer is also a highly preventable and treatable cancer, thanks to improved screening and vaccination.

    Screening Tests
    Two tests can help prevent cervical cancer or find it early—

    • The Pap test (or Pap smear) looks for pre-cancers, which are cell changes on the cervix that might become cervical cancer if they are not treated appropriately.
    • The HPV (human papillomavirus) test looks for the virus that can cause these cell changes.

    The Pap test is recommended for women between ages 21 and 65, and can be done in a doctor’s office or clinic. Women should start getting Pap tests regularly at age 21. If your Pap test results are normal, your doctor may say you can wait three years until your next Pap test. If you are 30 years old or older, you may choose to have an HPV test along with the Pap test. Both tests can be performed by your doctor at the same time. If your test results are normal, your chance of getting cervical cancer in the next few years is very low. Your doctor may then say you can wait as long as five years for your next screening.

    HPV is a very common infection that spreads through sexual activity. It’s also a major cause of cervical cancer. Many people with HPV don’t know they are infected.

    The good news? The HPV vaccine (shot) can prevent HPV.

    So ladies, lets not forget that cervical cancer can often be prevented with regular screening tests (called Pap tests) and follow-up care. Most deaths from cervical cancer could be prevented by regular Pap tests and follow-up care.

    Pass this message on to any woman you know and stay protected.

    xoxo

    SL