BELLY FATS AND ITS HAZARDS

Visceral fat, what a number of people call belly fat, is obesity around the waist that is not in any way fashionable or healthy. It’s therefore a thing of great concern to still hear some people, especially the men who still erroneously believe that pot belly is a sign of good living.

A couple of years back, (feeling cool with herself then) was this small ‘waisted’ flat bellied teenager. A family friend told her on one of her visits that she once had a waist as tiny as hers and was  according to her “wondering” how she got to her present state at the time. Years later, even though she’s not weighed down by belly fat presently, (being one who’s very conscious of weight gain) that same teenager is now also however wondering what happened to her once ‘flat bellied waist’. Well, it is what it is. “Change”, the say, “is the only constant thing”. *laughs.

If you walk into some eateries, especially the nowadays very ‘tushed’ mama puts or bukas, you’d be amazed to see the plates of some ‘dignified men’ (and in some cases women too) when they take their orders. Their plates would look like the world is coming to an end hence the need to eat everything on the menu at once. And for many of them, that wouldn’t be the last meal for the day as they’d still eat at home later in the night after ‘downing’ enough alcohol while ‘hanging out with the boys’ at the close of work that same day.

The above scenario, to many of them, is ‘living the good life’. Unfortunately, they are slowly killing themselves.

Interestingly, ask any of them “do you engage in any form of exercise”? Some of the answers you’d get include “I work too hard so don’t have time for that” or “ha! At this age, you want to kill me? “The work I do is enough exercise”. And so on.

 

The bad news is that diseases tend to hide or incubate in some belly fats for a long time before they start to manifest. That’s why one could be seen looking healthy this very minute and the next thing, he/she is dead. Thereafter, medical reports would reveal that the disease had been in the person for some time. Therefore, it’s wise to see a doctor if you’ve been struggling with too much belly fats or pot belly as they have the tendencies to lead to diabetes, heart diseases and many others.

The good news is that not all belly fats have underlying diseases hence you can work on that belly. Work on it by doing some form cardio/exercise for at least 20 minutes thrice a week for starters. It would do a lot of good to avoid saturated fats, too much sugary foods and beverages, too much alcohol and even stress. Yes stress.

According to reports, too much stress can cause the release of stress hormone known as cortisol which is produced by the adrenal glands thereby causing increase in appetite which may lead an individual to overeating.

The better news is that you cannot go wrong with eating more of vegetables, fruits and fibers. Especially soluble fibers as they can give you a quick filling, thereby preventing you from eating too much.

Also, whenever you are thirsty, instead of that carbonated drink, grab a bottle of water.

The best news is that it’s a lot cheaper to eat and live healthy than paying huge medical bills or losing your life. We all know life is transient, but then let’s make it worth ‘the living’.

©Stella Ene – Inyang

SUICIDE? WHY? THERE’S STILL A LOT TO LIVE FOR!

What in the world would lead a man who many thought had everything going for him, commit suicide?

When I heard that story many things ran through my head and I remembered Tee Billz and the story that made the rounds many weeks back on how he wanted to commit suicide but for the timely intervention of some friends who held him back from jumping over a reported bridge.

When many heard Tee Billz’s attempt at suicide, a lot of debated statements were heard and read on all the social media platforms. Some people attributed Tee Billz action to ‘depression’ but many others laughed it off saying ‘depression’ was not a “Nigerian thing”. Sadly the reality is here and so many eyes are beginning to get “opened” that depression is indeed not just an ‘oyibo’ thing but Nigerian and the world at large thing.

Many attempts at suicide are made on a daily basis all over the world. Nevertheless, it has become common and on the upsurge in Nigeria today. Thanks to not just the harsh economic weather, the lack of love for brethren and the many ‘show-offs’ on social media are also contributive factors to the upsurge as not many people can withstand the pressures.

Just yesterday, one of such attempts however fell through as a promising young man with a close knit family and according to very reliable sources has a good financial backing given his family background. He was said to be a happy, jolly fellow who was always the joy of every party and had nearly everything going for him including a good paying job, social life, family and more. As a matter of fact, he was envied by many. By the way, wife has a great paying job as well. Not even a health issue.

So the mind-boggling question is “why did he commit suicide”?

A close friend of mine who is also a friend to the ‘suicide guy’ narrated that he was actually in his (my friend’s) office the day before but had to leave him behind in the office to meet up with an appointment even as the ‘suicide guy’ stayed back given that they both work in the same establishment but different units. Unknown to my friend that was the last time he would see his friend and colleague alive.

The confusing part of the story is that he never gave anyone the impression that he was depressed or going through a ‘thingy’ that needed sorting out by suicide neither was there any inkling to shooting himself.  Worse of all, he had to go shoot himself in front of a Priest! Why? Nobody knows as at the time of writing this. However, the guy must have had a good reason, known only to him, for doing it in

front of a Priest. Nonetheless, there is no justification for shooting himself let alone in front of a Priest.

Even though many stories are buzzing in the air about the reasons behind the suicide, I still don’t think ‘suicide’ was the only way out. Even if he owed the Central bank of Nigeria millions, still was no ‘good enough’ reason to commit suicide. This life is sweet inspite of the numerous challenges jare!

Objectively, one would expect that the young man should have thought about his wife, daughter and some beloved members of his close and extended family who look up to him for one thing or the other, tangible or intangible. If he thought about all that and more, he would have sought out other means of getting out of whatever trouble he found himself and yet still be alive today.

Well the guy thought otherwise.

So my sincere prayers go out to his family and also that God would grant him eternal rest.

I decided to with-hold his real names here because the family is still trying to get their heads around this ‘real-life’ drama put together by their son, husband and father. And for all those who may be doubting the credibility of this story, please don’t kid yourself that ‘it’s a script out of a movie’ because it is not but as real as the pain you’d feel if you pinched your nose hard right now.

I wish it was a movie as well but it’s not as it happened right here in Lagos.

And to everyone out there going through one challenge or the other. Please do not make suicide an option to the list of means-of-getting-out.  

There’s still a lot to live for.

STRESS: WORRY, YOU DIE, NO WORRIES, YOU DIE, THEN WHY WORRY?

About a week ago, a very sisterly good friend of mine complained about some kind of ‘numbish’ pain and weakness on the right side of her body which started after she woke up from sleep a day before her complaint. I suspected stress and gave her a relief brain relaxing tablet to help calm her nerves which she immediately took with a heavy meal and a few hours after then, she was better.

Not too long after, during a dress rehearsals, some other person complained about tension behind his neck and was finding it difficult to turn the neck about easily due to some stiffness he felt behind it, again I said it was stress but could not recommend that relief tablet because, one, he had not eaten and I wanted to be sure it was not dues to hunger. Two, before you say it, I know self-medication is bad" so I did not recommend any tablets., but didn't do right because I forgot to recommend the same doctor I did for my friend before leaving. The next day, he was still complaining about the tension.

You may want to ask, “Where is she going with all of these”?

Now come with me as I take you through my point on this outing.

The truth is that, most of us, especially Nigerians DO NOT rest at all. Like someone told me the other day, “babes, you work like the clock, you never stop to rest for a minute” and she was right because even when we make any effort to rest, we are still thinking and worrying about what to do and what would happen ‘if’ and that gets us worked-up thereby rendering the time taken to rest ’useless’.

When was the last time you took a holiday and really spent it resting? Or when was the last time you took a break at work and sincerely took that break? *I can imagine you saying “do we really get breaks”*. That’s my point.

Even at that, some of these same staff who have been given the period of ‘time off’ to rest would on their own look for something else to do for example, chatting unnecessary or small talks which at the end of the day may have no positive impact on their lives yet would have deprived them that much needed rest to perform better at their jobs as well as ridding them of most forms of tension or stress that affect the human body.

  

Most times when you get employed, your appointment letter reads “break is observed from this time…to about…” but then as soon as you resume work, it would only take a few days for you to realize that there is hardly a time for people to observe that break as stipulated in your ‘terms of reference’ because some deadlines need to be met.

Before some employers of  labour get offended, let me make an exception that there are still a FEW, I mean very few organisations that still enforce members of staff to go on breaks after some hours have been put in by the staff on a daily basis. Also, a few other organizations ensure that the staffs go ‘on leave’ for a couple of days at least once every year. It then behooves on the staff to make sure that the ‘leave’ is used to rest or do as he/she deems fit.   

Apart from work related stresses, people sometimes put unnecessary stress upon themselves such as spending beyond their means and are thus put under pressure to offset debts or meet up with other necessities which ought to have being taken care of first before going on a spending spree.   

Stress has being linked to nearly all kinds of ailments in the world today. We know for a fact that as long as one is on this earth, especially if you are aiming at certain goals that you have set for yourself, you would undergo some form of stress or the other.

Nevertheless, when we spend time worrying instead of working out ways towards achieving those goals, stress takes its position in the scheme of things and that, 90% of the time does not yield any positive results towards those anticipated goals.

The other day, during a discussion with a young man, he was shocked when he heard that worrying activates ulcer. And yes it really does, if you are just hearing it for the first time and so does it on cancer. So why worry?

We all know life can be very tough sometimes, but then worrying does not take the problems away. Instead of stressing yourself and going through unnecessary tension which could lead to other ailments apart from stroke, take some time to rest and strategize on the way forward. Worrying kills faster than you know.

According to the American Institute of stress, the following are some signs and symptoms of stress: 1.Frequent headaches, jaw clenching or pain.  2.Gritting, grinding teeth  3.Stuttering or stammering  4.Tremors, trembling of lips, hands 5.Neck ache, back pain, muscle spasms  6.Light headedness, faintness, dizziness  7.Ringing, buzzing or “popping sounds  8.Frequent sweating  9.Cold or sweaty hands, feet 10.Dry mouth, problems swallowing  11.Frequent colds, infections, herpes sores 12.Rashes, itching, hives, “goose bumps” 13.Unexplained or frequent “allergy” attacks 14.Heartburn, stomach pain, nausea 15.Excess belching, flatulence 16.Constipation, diarrhea, loss of control 17.Difficulty breathing, frequent sighing 18.Sudden attacks of life threatening panic 19.Chest pain, palpitations, rapid pulse  20.Frequent urination  21.Diminished sexual desire or performance  22.Excess anxiety, worry, guilt, nervousness  23.Increased anger, frustration, hostility 24.Depression, frequent or wild mood swings 25.Increased or decreased appetite 26.Insomnia, nightmares, disturbing dreams 27.Difficulty concentrating, racing thoughts 28.Trouble learning new information 29.Forgetfulness, disorganization, confusion  30.Difficulty in making decisions  31.Feeling overloaded or overwhelmed 32.Frequent crying spells or suicidal thoughts 33.Feelings of loneliness or worthlessness 34.Little interest in appearance, punctuality 35.Nervous habits, fidgeting, feet tapping 36.Increased frustration, irritability, edginess 37.Overreaction to petty annoyances 38.Increased number of minor accidents 39.Obsessive or compulsive behavior 40.Reduced work efficiency or productivity 41.Lies or excuses to cover up poor work 42.Rapid or mumbled speech 43.Excessive defensiveness or suspiciousness 44.Problems in communication, sharing  45.Social withdrawal and isolation  46.Constant tiredness, weakness, fatigue  47.Frequent use of over-the-counter drugs 48.Weight gain or loss without diet 49.Increased smoking, alcohol or drug use 50.Excessive gambling or impulse buying.

There you go! Now STOP worrying!!

      

Dieziani And Her Present State

I feel terribly sad, really sad. I feel this way first, as a Nigerian and secondly as a  dynamic  human being who's got a heart, not just a heart but a good one at that.

Why did I start off this way? You may likely want to ask.

The recent pictures of Dieziani Alison-Madueke which has gone viral on social media is a pointer to the saying that "nothing really lasts forever"  (and I'll add) except God Almighty.

One would never believe that those pictures (as seen below on the right) belong to the same Diezieani who was always looking impeccably beautiful while in office.

I still find it hard to believe and if she's really as the pictures tell and not Photoshopped then it's true what they say about cancer being a real DREADED/DREADFUL disease. It is at this point that I say SAD!

I say TERRIBLE because after reading so many comments of Nigerians on this issue on social media, I was alarmed at some of the derogatory and cold-hearted  thoughts from many individuals and was even more alarmed when the few who prayed for Diezieani's healing were severely insulted by those angry number of Nigerians who have obviously drawn battle lines with Dieziani (and her supporters) for her alleged involvement in corruption and siphoning of funds while in office.

And hey, just so you know, I am NOT one of her supporters neither will I castigate her until she's proven guilty by the Court with well documented evidences that she's indeed guilty of the charges levelled against her.

Like one of the commentators said "I pray that she gets well so that she can come and face the corruption charges". I presume without any doubts that Diezieani would really like that instead of the state she's found herself at the moment.

But wait a minute, like one of the comments read "how come she was never sick while in office until now?" That gives you food for thought isn't it?

Now check this out! I read sometime ago that worry is one of the causes of cancer and also can very well corrupt the healthy immune system cells in the body while facilitating the spread of the cancer. 

This I presume to a large extent answers the above question. I deduce while Dieziani was happy in office and thus was able to manage any form of stress properly, she was on the other hand able to suppress and control the cancer which I suspect (based on her present looks in the pictures) must have being diagnosed long before now.

Now tell me, why wouldn't she have suppressed it all the while? Who wouldn't be happy at all times given the positions she's held these past years? She was made Nigeria's minister of transportation in 2007 after being the first female Director of Shell Petroleum Company in Nigeria and also became the first female President of OPEC in 2014. Hmmm! Diezzy baby!! I guess she earned all of it though. 

That tells you that happiness is truly a medicine just as the bible says "a merry heart doeth good more than medicine". There are days when you are so happy doing things that you only realise late into the evening that you forgot to eat any food all the while.

The fear of being probed after former President Goodluck Jonathan left office may have shot up uncontrollable  stress hormones in Dieziani which very well made the cancer cells more radical leading to the state she's in at the moment coupled with the effects of chemotherapy which she must have undergone a couple of times now.

Need I say more, I just wish her to get well and overcome all that she's going through presently. In as much as I detest corruption and all those involved, I don't wish her dead even as she's come out to say she never 'stole any money'.

And so (if you are really sick), get well soon Dieziani!