Monday, 15 May 2017
Why Mangoes Are Good For You : 5 Powerful Health Benefits
Mangoes are one of my favourite fruits. Succulent and delicious, it can be used in a wide variety of dishes. My favourite way is to put in my smoothies.
It contains more than 20 different vitamins and minerals. This makes it one of the most nutrient-dense fruits. Packed full of nutrients, it has many powerful benefits. Here is my list of the top 5 health benefits:
1. Protects Against Cancer: Mangoes contain ascorbic acid, carotenoids, polyphenols, and terpenoids, which protect the body against breast, colon, leukaemia, and prostate cancers. A report published by the Texas A&M University claims the polyphenolic compounds in mangoes decrease oxidative stress. Oxidative stress can lead to chronic diseases like cancer.
2. Helps lower Cholesterol: Mangoes contain pectin, fibre and vitamin C that is found to decrease serum cholesterol levels.
3. Improves Digestion: Mangoes are good for digestion because of the presence of fibre that prevents constipation. Also, mangoes contain certain digestive enzymes like mangiferin, catechol oxidase, and lactase that break down proteins and aid digestion.
4. Improves eye health: One cup of sliced mango contains 25% of the daily recommended amount of vitamin A. Vitamin A improves eye health and vision. It is essential for the optimal functioning of the retina. It also helps maintain the health of the mucous membranes in the eye, and thus helps protect the cornea and eye surface, and prevents dry eye.
5. Improves Immunity: Mangoes contain over 25 types of carotenoids, vitamin C and vitamin A. This boosts the immune system to help prevent all kinds of ailments.
Do you love mangoes? What is your favourite way of eating them?
Friday, 12 May 2017
5 Diseases That Can Cause Chronic Constipation
Constipation
This is a condition of the digestive system in which there is difficulty
in emptying the bowels. The stool is often hard, difficult to pass and
infrequent. The normal frequency of bowel movements in adults is between three
per day and three per week. When there is constipation, bowel movements may be
less than 3 stools a week.
Common causes of constipation include dehydration,
not eating enough fibre, and decreased physical activity.
Chronic
constipation can also be a symptom of a secondary disease like those below or
medications. So, it’s worth checking out your symptoms with a doctor especially
if there are other symptoms associated with it.
1. Hypothyroidism: Hypothyroidism means that you
have under-active thyroid hormone. It is sometimes also referred to
as "slow" thyroid. Hypothyroidism
slows down many of the body's systems, including digestion and
elimination. This could lead to chronic constipation. Other symptoms of
hypothyroidism include puffiness in the face, especially
around the eyes, hair loss, brittle nails, lower-than-normal body temperature,
weight gain and fatigue.
2. Diabetes: Diabetes can cause several health problems like chronic constipation. According to Mayo Clinic, high blood sugar levels seen in type 1 and 2 diabetes can lead to diabetic neuropathy, or nerve damage. The nerves of the digestive tract can get damaged and lead to chronic constipation. Other symptoms of diabetes are excessive thirst, weight loss, and frequent urination.
3. Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Constipation is one of the symptoms of this disease. A key symptom of this disease is abdominal pain caused by changes in bowel movement. Other symptoms are bloating and discomfort.
4. Parkinson’s Disease: Constipation is a common problem in Parkinson's disease and may occur even before the motor symptoms appear. Other symptoms of this chronic and progress movement disorder include tremor, rigidity, and difficulty with balance.
2. Diabetes: Diabetes can cause several health problems like chronic constipation. According to Mayo Clinic, high blood sugar levels seen in type 1 and 2 diabetes can lead to diabetic neuropathy, or nerve damage. The nerves of the digestive tract can get damaged and lead to chronic constipation. Other symptoms of diabetes are excessive thirst, weight loss, and frequent urination.
3. Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Constipation is one of the symptoms of this disease. A key symptom of this disease is abdominal pain caused by changes in bowel movement. Other symptoms are bloating and discomfort.
4. Parkinson’s Disease: Constipation is a common problem in Parkinson's disease and may occur even before the motor symptoms appear. Other symptoms of this chronic and progress movement disorder include tremor, rigidity, and difficulty with balance.
5. Colo-rectal cancer: This is a tumour
from the inner wall of the colon or rectum. The symptoms are non-specific
depending on where the tumour is situated. Symptoms include blood in the stool,
dark coloured stool, diarrhoea, and constipation.
Did you know that roughly 70% of your
body is made up of water? Water is essential for human survival and not
drinking enough water can have some serious consequences. A person can live
without food for about a month but only one week without water. We lose water
every day through breathing, urine, stool, and evaporation from the skin. These
losses must be replaced every day for the body to function normally.
Recommended daily water intake
according to The Institute of Medicine for men is
roughly about 13 cups (3 litres) of total beverages a day. The recommended
daily intake for women is about 9 cups (2.2 litres)
of total beverages a day.
These are some of the symptoms you may notice
If you are not consuming enough water:
1. Thirst: Thirst is a
way of your body telling you to drink water however, it is not always a reliable early indicator of the body's need for water. You will usually feel
thirsty because you're not drinking the amount of fluid your body needs.
This may be because you've been sweating heavily or you've lost fluid.
2. Fatigue: Fatigue is one of the first
symptoms of dehydration. A study from Tuft’s University found that mild
dehydration of about 1 to 2 per cent loss of body weight as water can impair
thinking.
Y Your body cells need adequate water to balance the fluids and
electrolytes in the body. When you are not adequately hydrated, the blood
volume decreases and your heart works harder to push oxygen and nutrients
around the body making you feel tired.
Headaches: Dehydration as explained above decreases
blood volume which lowers blood and oxygen flow to the brain. The blood vessels
in the brain dilate leading to swelling which causes a headache.
In addition,
when you are dehydrated, your brain tissue loses water causing your brain to shrink
away from the skull. This triggers the pain receptors and gives you a headache.
4. Dry mouth: Dry mouth is also an early but unreliable sign of
dehydration.
5. Dark urine
and decreased urination: Urine naturally has some yellow pigments called urobilin or
urochrome which gives it the characteristic yellow colour. This colour can
change in intensity from light yellow to very dark because of what we ingest, the chief of which is water. Dark coloured
urine in addition to reduced frequency of urination could mean you need to
drink more water.
6. Dry skin and
wrinkles: Drinking enough water keeps it
moisturised and looking supple. When you are dehydrated, the skin begins to
look dry and you may notice wrinkles. So, before you run to spend a fortune
on skin treatments, try drinking more water.
7.
Constipation: Not drinking
enough water can lead to constipation. The colon draws water from body waste to
make it solid. When there is too little water
available, the stool becomes dry, hard, and difficult to move through the
colon.
Thursday, 4 May 2017
What do your blood pressure numbers mean?
This post may contain affiliate links. Read disclosure policy here
High blood pressure or hypertension is a common disease affecting about one in four people. It is also called the silent killer disease because sometimes there are no symptoms till complications like stroke, kidney failure, and heart disease set in.
What is blood pressure?
The top number is known as the systolic pressure. This is the pressure of the arteries when the heart beats or contracts. The bottom number is the diastolic pressure. This is the pressure of the arteries when the heart is resting in between beats.
A sample blood pressure reading will be 120/80 mm mercury.
According to the American heart association, blood pressure recommendations are as follows:
Normal Blood Pressure systolic less than 120
diastolic less than 80
What do your blood pressure numbers mean?
According to the American heart association, blood pressure recommendations are as follows:
Normal Blood Pressure systolic less than 120
diastolic less than 80
Elevated Blood Pressure systolic 120 - 129
diastolic less than 80
Hypertension Stage1 systolic 130 - 139
diastolic 80 - 89
Hypertension Stage2 systolic 140 and above
diastolic 90 and above
diastolic 80 - 89
Hypertension Stage2 systolic 140 and above
diastolic 90 and above
Hypertensive Crisis systolic 180 and above
diastolic 120 and above
Blood pressure changes from minute to minute depending on your posture, exercise, stress, or sleep. So if your doctor gets a single high reading, he will likely take several readings over time before a diagnosis of high blood pressure is given.
diastolic 120 and above
Blood pressure changes from minute to minute depending on your posture, exercise, stress, or sleep. So if your doctor gets a single high reading, he will likely take several readings over time before a diagnosis of high blood pressure is given.
If you monitor your blood pressure at home and your blood pressure numbers are high, rest for a few minutes and then repeat the blood pressure reading to get accurate readings.
It is recommended that persons aged 20 and above, take their blood pressure at every healthcare visit or at least once in two years. You can also ask your doctor to recommend an automatic blood pressure monitor to take your blood pressure at home.
It is recommended that persons aged 20 and above, take their blood pressure at every healthcare visit or at least once in two years. You can also ask your doctor to recommend an automatic blood pressure monitor to take your blood pressure at home.
Please read and obey the instructions of the monitor before use.
https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/high-blood-pressure/understanding-blood-pressure-readings
This post may contain affiliate links. Read disclosure policy here
Hypertension is a silent killer and if left untreated, can lead to complications like heart disease, stroke, and others.
If
your doctor has diagnosed you with hypertension, you may be on medication but
changing your lifestyle can reduce the need for drugs.
These
are 8 natural ways to control your blood pressure:
Reduce your salt intake
To decrease your salt intake, consider reducing the amount of
salt in your cooking and enhance the taste with herbs and spices instead.
Also, reduce the intake of processed foods because they
contain a lot of salt.
Eat healthy
Your blood pressure can be lowered considerably if you reduce
foods rich in saturated fats and cholesterol. Instead eat foods like fruits,
vegetables, and whole grains.
Stay away from nicotine and second-hand smoke
Smoking can raise your blood pressure. Also, inhaling smoke from
others can also increase your risk of hypertension and other diseases.
Exercise regularly
It has been proven that exercise of about 30 minutes at least 3
times a week can reduce your blood pressure. Discuss developing an exercise
routine with your doctor.
Lose weight
Being obese or overweight can increase your risk of
hypertension. To calculate your ideal weight for your height, check your body mass index (BMI). Weight loss can
reduce your blood pressure and make your medication more effective.
Reduce your alcohol intake
Intake of excessive amounts of alcohol can increase your blood
pressure. Slowly reduce your alcohol intake. The recommended amount is a
drink a day for women and men older than 65 or two a day for men 65 years and
younger.
Manage your stress
Stress can really shoot up your blood pressure. Identify
areas of stress in your life and see if you can
reduce them. Also, consider talking to a specialist if you can't control your
stress levels for help on dealing with stress.
Take your blood pressure readings regularly
Monitoring your blood pressure regularly is very important and
more so, if you are hypertensive. Talk to your doctor about recommending a blood
pressure monitor you can use at home. It is recommended to keep a notebook
where you can write your blood pressure readings you have taken at home.
When you visit your doctor for your regular check-up, your pressure
readings can help to know if your medication is working.
Diabetes Mellitus can be defined as chronic hyperglycemia
(excess sugar in the blood) because of reduced insulin in the body or the resistance of the body to insulin. Insulin is the hormone in the body that
regulates the storage and release of energy gotten from food. Insulin encourages the entry of glucose into cells.
Diabetes, like hypertension, is a silent killer because people sometimes
are unaware that they have this disease until there are complications. However,
there are symptoms of this disease some of which are listed
below and shouldn't be ignored.
Diabetes, like hypertension, is a silent killer because people sometimes
are unaware that they have this disease until there are complications. However,
there are symptoms of this disease some of which are listed
below and shouldn't be ignored.
Frequent urination
This may occur when there is too much glucose
in the blood. When this happens, the kidneys draw extra water out of the blood
to dilute the glucose thus producing more urine.
Always thirsty
If you are drinking more water than you usually do
accompanied by frequent urination, it may be a sign of diabetes.
Thirst is caused by dehydration in the body.
Weight loss
When the body cells are not getting enough glucose
because of deficient insulin, the body starts to break down fat and muscle to
get energy this is more common in type I diabetes because the pancreas stops
making insulin. In type 2 diabetes, the weight loss may be gradual.
Weakness and fatigue
This is also because of excess sugar in the blood
which doesn't get into the cells depriving them of energy.
Cuts and wounds that take a long time to heal
The excess sugar in the blood damages
the blood vessels reducing their ability to transport needed nutrients to
injured areas
.
These symptoms may indicate diabetes so if you notice any or all of these
symptoms, visit your doctor for proper evaluation.
Malaria is one of the most common illnesses in sub-Saharan Africa and it has been described as endemic. Malaria is caused by the transmission of plasmodium falciparum by mosquitoes. Though preventable, around 125 million pregnancies are at risk of malaria every year, and about 200,000 babies die as a result.1
In an endemic region, adults acquire immunity but pregnant women are particularly vulnerable especially if it is their first pregnancy, so adding prevention and treatment of malaria to antenatal care is very important.
The symptoms of malaria in pregnancy vary depending on levels of acquired immunity in the region and malaria transmission intensity. In endemic areas, there may be no symptoms but the parasites may be present in the placenta and cause maternal anemia, a condition in which the red cells in the blood are insufficient.
Malaria can be prevented by reducing the presence of mosquitoes in the environment since they are the transmitters of the disease. Keeping the surroundings free of mosquito breeding grounds like stagnant water and dirty drains will help. In addition, the World Health Organization recommends the following:
· sleeping under long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs);
· intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy with the suitable antimalarial drug administered by a doctor;
· contact a doctor immediately any symptoms are noticed for prompt diagnosis and treatment;
· use of iron and folic acid supplements as part of antenatal care.
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1. Dellicour Set al. Quantifying the Number of Pregnancies at Risk of Malaria in 2007: A Demographic Study. PLoS Med 7(1):e1000221 (2010)
2. WHO: A Strategic Framework for Malaria Prevention and Control during Pregnancy in the Africa Region.
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