Chioma Umeha

Continued from last week...  Protein bars  If you rely on protein bars for the occasional meal or snack, it may be time to re-evaluate. Research shows that there are 20 grams of sugar in a Clif Builder’s Protein Bar. Many protein bars are advertised to be healthy options for diet-conscious people, but they’re usually packed with sugar and carbs. Need more proof? According to Women’s Health, a PowerBar Performance Energy Bar in Citrus Burst contains a staggering 29 grams of sugar.If your diet is already high in sugar, you may want to consider switching out your bars for raw almonds, peanuts, or seeds instead, according to Men’s Fitness. Also, always make sure to read labels first to ensure you are not buying a protein bar that is oozing with sugar and artificial ingredients.  Fruit juice  Juice is usually thought of as a healthy, good-for-you option. However, its sugar content can be through the roof. Take grape juice, for example. Women’s Health writes that an 8-oun

Studies have proved that skipping breakfast is dangerous to the health. Experts are worried over the rising number of people who miss breakfast in today’s society in view of its grave consequences. About 18 per cent of males and 13 percent of females between the ages of 35 and 54 are breakfast skippers, according to a 2011 study.  Benefits of breakfast:  Diabetes: Skipping breakfast may increase a woman’s diabetes risk, according to a study published recently, in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Women who ate breakfast an average of zero to six times per week were at a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes than women who ate breakfast every day.  Heart disease: Eating breakfast was associated with a lower incidence of heart disease in men between ages 45 and 82, according to another study in the journal, Circulation. The study also found that skipping breakfast was associated with hypertension, insulin resistance and elevated blood sugar levels.  We

A dietician, Mr. Aloysius Maduforo, has said that drinking plenty of water will lower the risk of kidney stones. He made this known in Abuja. Maduforo said researchers have found out that drinking eight or more glasses of water daily reduces the risk of kidney stones significantly. He said: “The analysis shows that drinking water is an effective way to cut one’s risk for developing kidney stones. “Kidney stones cause significant discomfort and cost, along with a potential to contribute to the development of kidney disease. “So, the confirmation of reducing risk or prevention through improved hydration is an important finding,” Maduforo added. According to him, the current research looked at nine previous studies that included nearly 274,000 people with more than 550 people having a history of kidney stones. He said: “The review found that people who produced two to 2.5 litres of urine were 50 per cent less likely to form kidney stones than those who produced less urine

•Treatment of XDR-TB receives boost Strong indications have emerged showing that treatment of Tuberculosis (TB) patients that are already resistant to first and second-line drugs will be scaled up as Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) has announced that the first batch of drugs for Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis (XDR-TB) has arrived in the country. The drugs were provided by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Statistics from the WHO show that an estimated nine million new cases of TB occur globally, out of which three million cases are missed, either not diagnosed, not treated or diagnosed but not registered by the National TB programmes (NTPs). Researchers at NIMR are worried that Nigeria remains among 11 high TB burden countries that contribute 15 per cent of the three million missed cases of TB, globally. Decrying that it is unacceptable that Nigeria ranks third among the 11 countries, they said despite control efforts by the Federal Government, Nigeri

Do not ignore the urge to have a bowel movement. When you have the urge to go, try not to put it off. Suppressing bowel movements will only put unnecessary burden on your digestive tract and nervous system. When both have worked hard to give you the urge to go, reward their efforts by going as soon as possible. Doing so will keep them alert and efficient. Why is it important to overcome and prevent constipation? This is because the health of your entire body depends largely on a clean and well functioning digestive passage way. If your digestive passage way is blocked and dysfunctional, you increase your risk of developing a wide variety of health challenges, including but not limited to the following: Hemorrhoids – enlarged veins in the rectal region Anal Fissures – cuts in and around the anal sphincter that can be extremely painful and difficult to heal Diverticulitis – inflamed pockets of weakened lining throughout the colon that can cause significant abdominal disc

God forbid. Ebola will not return to Nigeria! It is not our portion; Ebola cannot come back to Nigeria! God who saved us from the satanic disease called Ebola has finished his work. These were some of the exclamations by avid social media fans in Lagos who were reacting to the purported rumour of Ebola’s return to Nigeria last weekend.  The rumour, which began trending on the social media late on the night of Friday, April 10, caused an unusual stir among a wide section of the populace even as some residents threatened to leave the city. Reacting to the rumour, Edohasin Imako, a trader, said in smattering pidgin: “If Ebola don come back, I go dey do more business for Benin Republic than Nigeria, I no fit risk am ooh! Princewill Adoga, a public servant said: “Ebola again! That bad disease it is not easy to control; it was God that helped Nigeria last year. Let it just be ordinary rumour ooh! I don’t know where to run to with my children, if there is truth in the rumour.” It was lea

To proffer solution toward better pharmacy practice in Nigeria as well as boost healthcare delivery in the country, the Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy (NAP) in collaboration with the Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria (PCN) yesterday, began a three-day Pharmacy Education Summit.  Speaking to journalist in Lagos on Monday, the President of the Academy, Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi, said the aim of the summit is to carry out situation analysis, identify gaps and proffer solution towards a better pharmacy education and practice in Nigeria. He said the responsibility of the pharmacist have changed from mere drug dispensing to collaborative medication management with physicians and other health care professionals. “Approximately one-half of patients visiting a community pharmacy have complained of inappropriate drug therapy thus necessitating the need for the changes in the role of the pharmacist.  The goal of this summit is to maximize the pharmacist’s role in direct patient care, th