My Lord's pharmacy

When God created the world He looked at it and declared it was good. One of the reasons why He declared this statement without fear of contradiction, of course He is God, He knew He placed solutions to each of our health problems in here with us. Most of the fruits and plants are made in the shape of the body parts that they are best useful for. I know. How cool is that.
 Let's take a look at olives. They are small and circular and they best help in the functions of the ovaries.

Another famous fruit is the tomato. It's blood red in color and it actually looks like the heart when diced into two.It is divided into chambers just as the heart has four chambers. Lycopene found richly in the tomato helps preventing heart disease, prostrate cancer and also reduce the tendency of blood clotting

 

 When we move on to the carrot it has radiating lines that make look like the human eye. The carrot are well known for the beta carotene nutrient which helps boost the function of the eye and formation of Vitamin A.

This picture has a pupil and an iris which are also present in the eye.

One of our favorite fruits here in Kenya is the Avocado. the shape is similar to that of womb. Research shows that eating one avocado a week helps in balancing hormones, shedding unwanted birth weight and prevents cervical cancer.

 It takes nine months to grow an avocado.

Pam is getting married in a month’s time. As expeceted she is super excited. The running around to finish her wedding plans is giving her a headache. Not forgetting her well advised diet. Pam is on a 10 day diet that she confesses ruefully, will flatten her stomach. Day one of the diet involved a glass of milk. Day two was a boiled egg. Day three has her drinking black coffee. Day four includes a banana and day five she will eat a cup of tea.
This has her fatigued to say the least. With all the running around, Pam is almost fainting. Why she ponders? Diets can be quite draining if they are not properly planned. The body is a machine that needs fuel to keep on functioning. This fuel comes from the foods that we take. Food is broken down in the body to provide nutrients and calories that are used in the general repair and growth of cells as well as energy to pump blood throughout our organs.
Diets that make us eat only a few calories only end up deprieving the body of the much needed energy. In response to this our body starts to metabolise the stored fat in adipose tissue but at a very slow pace so that it does not deplete its resources. What happens next? Pam becomes fatigued, anxious, bored ,diarrhea, nausea and most times our concentration goes down. This definately affects our performance.
A good diet plan for weight loss ensures that you eat healthy food which will nourish your body. A very low calorie diet only makes the body gain back all the weight once the diet is over. Behaviour therapy on the other hand ensures that you change your eating habits and thus ensures weight loss in the long run.
Behavior therapy will combine good and healthy eating habits with regular exercise. Start by writing down everything you eat for a week. Everything means even the chocolate, icecream and sweets. This helps the dietitician plan a good diet plan for you and you can also know where all the extra calories come from. The next step is to calculate your BMI.
BMI stands for Body Mass Index. Body mass index (BMI) is a measure of body fat based on height and weight that applies to adult men and women. There are various sites online that can assist in calculating your BMI. The result may be as follows;
BMI Categories:

* Underweight = <18.5
* Normal weight = 18.5–24.9
* Overweight = 25–29.9
* Obesity = BMI of 30 or greater
This will help in determining obesity and underweight or normal state which means you're healthy. The different level will now help in an appropriate diet plan.

Weight loss and management

WEIGHT LOSS AND MANAGEMENT

The holiday season is often filled with merry making and of course this involves lots of drinks and mbuzi choma. My friend Cathy was frustrated that her office suits no longer fit her come January. With the recession and all who wants to buy new suits in dry and dreary Jan. You see what happened to Cathy is that every weekend in Dec was a party, a wedding, a dedication you name it. Like most of us, our weight goes through a drastic increase in Dec thus the common resolution of losing weight.

What we do

Often times you find that we decide to take on some new practices that will help shed off the weight faster. For instance

• Fasting. This is pretty common with ladies. We give ourselves a water only diet or for others a drinks-only diet. What happens is that as we fast, our bodies continue to breakdown the fats (adipose tissue) mainly stored around our waistline and our thighs. Now the problem checks in when we start eating. Our bodies crave for sugars and hence you find yourself buying the delicious chocolate or pizza or mouth watering cake. This I must say defeats the purpose.
• Crash diet. There are specific nutrients that our bodies require for the day to day functions of the vital organs i.e. the kidneys, heart, brain, liver. These function even as we sleep. You will find that most crash diets don’t have enough nutrients or calories for this. Again your body will starve craving for extra calories as sated above.
• Fruits only diet. Fruits are wonderful foods. They are packed with vitamins which give us lots of immunity. They also contain sugars which give us lots of energy. However, our bodies are machines which have function best through a combination of starches, proteins and vitamins. This only serves to starve our bodies off the proteins and carbohydrates required for muscle rejuvenation and glucose in the body.

What we should do

The best way to loose weight is to make sure you not only lose it but also ensure that it stays lost. The main key in this is moderation. Our bodies require about 3000 kilo-calories to function. This depends on what e call the body mass index(BMI). Your weight and height together with your age help determine the amount of energy your body requires to function. Any excess energy is stored as fat, either around our waistline, hips or thighs. I suggest you keep checking on your food calorie intake.

1. Use stairs. So you work on 4th floor. That’s awesome you need to get some flat shoes and use the stairs both to work and from work. This will ensure that your thighs and legs get toned. As you do this tuck in your tummy. Ladies, we’re used to this we know how to hide our pots.

2. Reduce alcohol intake. Alcohol does have calories though they’re what we call empty calories. The more alcohol you take the more energy you put in. in the process you’ll also have kuku fry and samosas and before you know you’ve eaten over 1000 extra calories.

3. Avoid deep fried foods. Yes that goes for chips as well. Some guys have breko of bacon, sausages and eggs! WAAART! Like I said moderation.

4. Traditional foods. Eat more of traditional mbogas like osuga, mchicha, etc. Ndomas and ngwaces have kept our grandmothers healthy and strong for years. Have these for breakfast or as snacks.

5. Fruits. These give us sugars that quell those sugar cravings we’re so fond of. When you get a craving, reach for a banana or apple. You need to have at least 5 portions of fruits each day. You can also have fresh juices for this.

6. Reduce portions. Our plates should have at least a portion of the 3 major foods. When I say reduce portions I mean divide your plate into half. On one half, put vegetables and then divide the other half into two where you’ll put starch (rice,ugali,matoke), and the other portion protein(meat, ndengu,beans).

7. White meat. Eat lots of white meat because it’s packed with Omega 3s which help in the brain functions. It has contains polyunsaturated fats which keep you healthy. It’s advisable to reduce red meat in your diet as it contains a lot of cholesterol which if stored in our bodies may lead to a stroke and other cardiac complications.

8. Fluids. Drink a lot of water. It keeps your body rejuvenated and helps in digestion. The recommended dose is 8 glasses a day. You should also reduce tea, coffee as these are dehydrants and thus use up your body water. Ensure you have a bottle of water with you at all times.

9. Management. For an organization or company to run smoothly there must be a top notch management. The same applies for weight loss. When you realize that you’ve shed a few Kgs don’t treat yourself to a sumptuous large pizza. Yes treat yourself but buy the small size and share with a friend. Restrict yourself to a slice. The same applies to any celebration.

So have a great year and remember seconds in the mouth but a lifetime on your hips and thighs.

An apple a day

Apples are always in season. Have you noticed those vendors in the jam, they always carry either green or red apples all year round. this is why. An apple a day keeps the doctor at bay. This does not only serve as a methali, it makes nutrition sense.

Apples were associated with healing the Greek god Apollo way back when. In fact some were cooked to relieve bowel, lungs and nervous system disturbances. In present day however, apples have been tested and found to inhibit cancer cells.

Research suggests that natural antioxidants like these could be even more effective than vitamin supplements. Comell University researchers, for example, have found that the amount of fresh apple extract from a medium apple with skin provides the antioxidant activity equal to 1,500 milligrams of vitamin C. Using colon cancer cells treated with apple extract, the scientists found that cell proliferation was inhibited in vitro. The researchers also tested the apple extract against human liver cancer cells and again found inhibition of the growth of those cells.

Phytonutrients contained in apples are another type of antioxidant. These assist in fighting the harmful effects of bad LDL cholesterol, which, in turn, prevents heart disease.

· Apples have been found to prevent or decrease the effects of osteoporosis because they contain a flavanoid called phloridzin, as well as boron. Boron is an essential trace element that increases bone density and makes bones stronger.

· Another one of the apple nutrition facts is that they contain quercetin, which is a substance that could protect brain cells from developing Alzheimer’s disease, caused by free radical damage.

· Apples contain pectin, which helps the digestive process, since it is a soluble fiber. One apple has the same amount of fiber that is contained in a breakfast bran cereal bowl. Also, the pectin contained in apples supplies the body with galacturonic acid, which is a substance that decreases the body’s insulin needs and, in turn, may assist in managing diabetes.

· There are many apple health benefits because they have many vitamins and minerals that have been shown to strengthen the blood. At the same time, they do not contain any fat, cholesterol, or sodium.

· Apples have tartaric and malic acids, which can assist with digestion and liver disorders. In addition, drinking apple cider vinegar may prevent kidney stone formation.

The best way to eat an apple is with its peel. Have an apple today....