In order for blood to retain oxygen, it must also remain alkaline. Diet is critical to this process as minerals and nutrients such as calcium that help the blood to remain alkaline are typically obtained through the food we eat. If our diet is lacking in these essential nutrients, it will be forced to find them in alternative sources such as spinal fl uid, the kidneys and liver or saliva. Ironically, this then causes these organs to become acidic and vulnerable to cancer and other diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, arthritis and lupus.
Calcium is actually classifi ed as an alkaline earth metal. Chemically, it makes up about 1.5 percent of the human body.
This invaluable element is involved in almost every biological function within the body. It provides electrical energy to make the heart beat and the muscles move and it is responsible for feeding the cells and even DNA replication, a crucial process in cellular repair and aging. More importantly, calcium is essential to pH control as it can easily destroy acid in bodily fluids.
As early as the 1950s, researchers discovered patients suffering from various degenerative diseases could actually be cured by consuming large amounts of calcium, magnesium, vitamin D and other essential nutrients. Although thousands were cured of cancer by increasing their calcium intake, the traditional medical establishment ignored the evidence and actually condemned and persecuted doctors who suggested this to be a viable treatment for the disease. Today, numerous studies again recognize that calcium can in fact, reduce the risk of all cancers.
Oxygen and cancer
Despite the many claims by various cancer associations and traditional medical professionals that we have yet to find the cure for cancer because we have yet to find the underlying cause, studies have actually shown for years that the fundamental cause of cancer is as simple as low cellular oxygenation levels. In fact, in 1923, Dr. Otto Warburg discovered the real cause of cancer and in 1931 he was awarded the Nobel Prize for his discovery.
Dr. Warburg showed cancer can only exist in cells in which the respiration of oxygen is replaced by the fermentation of sugar.
In other words, he showed cancer can only exist in acidic, unhealthy cells as these cells don’t use oxygen to survive. Instead, cancerous cells rely on sugar as their primary source of energy.
He showed cancer cells actually become dormant in pH 7.4 and at pH 8.5, cancer cells die while healthy cells live. Warburg concluded if a cell is deprived of 60 percvent of its oxygen it will turn cancerous. He further stated if a cell is deprived of 32 percent of its oxygen for 48 hours it may become cancerous. Typically, a healthy person has a blood oxygen level of between 98 percent and 100 percent saturation. Cancer patients on the other hand, routinely show blood oxygen levels as low as 60 percent.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
The Federal Ministry of Health has released over 4,500 doses of both Ribavirin and Virazole tablets and intravenous drugs to the Benue State government to check further spread of the deadly Lassa fever epidemic which broke out in Makurdi, the Benue State capital last week.
This came as Lagos State government, yesterday,stressed the need for residents to maintain adequate personal and environmental hygiene at all times as part of the precautionary measures to prevent outbreak of Lassa fever in the state.
On the release of doses, Benue State Director of Public Health, Dr. Joseph Kumba, who disclosed this, weekend, said aside the drugs, the ministry also dispatched a team of four experts to the state to ensure that the disease was contained as soon as possible.
He disclosed that Federal Government Lassa Fever laboratory, at the Federal Medical Centre, Irua, in Edo State, actually confirmed the outbreak of Lassa fever in Makurdi, after testing the blood of some victims in Benue State.
According to Kumba, “Blood sample of one of the victims was taken to the Federal Government Lassa Fever laboratory at the Federal Medical Centre, Irua in Edo and it has been confirmed that they had Lassa fever.
”The ministry has also released over 2,500 and 2,000 Riborin and Virazole tablets and intravenous drugs for treatment and prevention of the disease among those who were exposed to the victims, especially at the trigger point”.
He, however, cautioned the people of the state on the need to maintain environmental cleanliness, advising that the people should also take steps to eliminate rodents from homes and foodstuffs to guard against the disease.
Meantime, following reported cases of Lassa fever outbreak in some parts of the country, Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, at the weekend, had advised residents to avoid contact with rats, cover their food and water properly, cook all their food thoroughly, as well as block all rat hideouts and holes through which rats can enter the house against contacting the disease.
He similarly stressed the importance of storing grains and other dried food items in containers with covers, properly disposing of refuse, maintaining adequate sanitation, as well as avoiding pets like cats in the house
Idris explained that Lassa fever is an acute viral infection caused by the Lassa virus that is associated with persistent high fever.
He added that as the disease progresses into a severe form, the patient begins to develop facial swelling, fluid in the chest, bleeding from the mouth, nose, vagina and the gut, low blood pressure, shock, disorientation, coma and kidney and liver failure.
According to him, other usual symptoms include general weakness, headache, sore throat, nausea, diarrhoea, and vomiting.
He said: “Lassa fever is an acute viral infection caused by the Lassa virus and associated with persistent high fever. It is spread by exposure to and eating of foods contaminated with rat droppings or urine. It is also spread by direct contact with the blood, urine, faeces or other bodily secretions of persons with Lassa fever.”
Idris, therefore, urged the public to report the case of anybody with the above symptoms or persistent high fever not responding to standard treatment for malaria and typhoid fever to the nearest health facility in the state just as he advised health workers to ensure that they take universal safety precautions when dealing with patients.
The commissioner, noted that though Lagos state is not in the Lassa fever belt region, a lot of people migrate to Lagos from different parts of the country, including the Lassa fever belt region but added that it is nevertheless necessary to alert members of the public on the need to practice and maintain adequate personal and environmental hygiene at all times as it is only by so doing that the outbreak of the disease in the state can be prevented.
He also advised them to contact the Directorate of Disease Control in the state Ministry of Health or the following telephone: numbers 08023228573,08023213333 or 08023044194for more information on the disease.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
If you dropped a piece of fruit in your kitchen sink while rinsing it, would you think twice about popping it in your mouth? What if you dropped it in the toilet?Although the mere thought of retrieving anything from the toilet bowl may be enough to make you sick, your toilet may actually be cleaner than your kitchen sink. And that is a fact.
It would interest you to know that germs live in some of the unexpected spots — like your kitchen sink. Food particles from plates left to soak or rinsed from dishes, turn kitchen sinks into perfect breeding grounds for some of the deadliest germs known. From here illness-causing bacteri, including E. coli and salmonella can get on your hands or spread to foods.
Dirty places: The kitchen sink rules Most people take decisive steps to sanitise and disinfect their toilet bowls, scrubbing and wiping several times in the day, yet few give their kitchen sinks the same consideration. They simply rinse with water and assume they are clean. But they’re not. Worse still, quite a large number of napkins, wiping cloths and sponges used in kitchens are heavily contaminated with harmful bacteria, meaning proper clean-up can be difficult.
In one particular study, independent environmental scientists found that 90 percent of kitchen cloths, 46 percent of kitchen sinks, 38 percent of bathroom sinks and 14 percent of children’s toys in 20 homes with children in the US, UK, Germany, Africa, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and India, failed the test. They had a total bacteria count of more than 100,000 per square centimeter.
Generally, there is a lack of appreciation that kitchen sinks can be contaminated with fecal organisms, either coming in with fruit and vegetables or from pets and children. Tip: Wash sink with a solution of bleach and water once a day and then let the solution run down the drain. Remove the drain plug and clean it, too. Sterilise sponges with a one-minute high-powered blast in the microwave. Or simply forget sponges entirely and clean food spills with a paper towel and dump it. Then wash your hands.
Other dirty places in the home
Your toothbrush You put it in your mouth twice a day. You rinse it off after using it and put it away damp, but do you ever think of all the germs lurking on it? Bacteria like the moist area area and grow on it. If you keep your toothbrush in the toilet, it could be contaminated for at least two hours after each flush.
Tip:Place your toothbrush where it can air out and dry between uses — but not too close to the toilet. Replace your toothbrush often, particularly after you’ve been sick, and close your toilet lid before flushing.
Salt and pepper shaker Tests on 30 salt and pepper shakers found viruses on 41 percent of the surfaces tested, and every one of shakers tested were positive for cold viruses.
Tip: When you wipe the kitchen table after eating, wipe off the salt and pepper shaker too. Wash your hands — before and after.
TV remote control It’s dropped on the floor, stuffed between the sofa cushions, coughed on and sneezed at. Everyone in the house handles it. Anything people touch a lot has germs on it. The remote control’s surface is among the germiest.
Tip: Wipe your remote with bleach or alcohol wipes. Regular hand-washing is the best way to protect you against these germs.
Computer keyboard If you eat at your computer, sneeze on your keyboard, or sit down to surf the Internet without first washing your hands, your computer keyboard could be a health hazard.
Tip: Wash your hands before and after using your computer. If you must eat at your desk, don’t drop crumbs into your keyboard. Gently shake out the crumbs or vacuum it. Wipe the keys with alcohol or bleach wipes, but nothing too wet. Wipe the mouse.
The bathtub The place where you clean yourself is not so clean itself. Staphylococcus bacteria is found in 26 percent of tubs.
Tip: Clean and disinfect your tub with bleach or bathroom cleaner after bathing, then dry with a clean towel.
Wash your hands Lots of germs are harmless; many are even good for your health. But you can help protect yourself from those that aren’t by keeping your hands clean. Hands transfer bacteria and viruses to eyes, nose, and mouth. They can also transfer germs to others. Regular hand washing with soap and water is the best protection.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
Health, they say, is wealth and a healthy nation is a wealthy nation. Despite this truism, so many people the world over, especially in developing countries, do not have access to adequate health care and where they do, the cost is out of the reach of many. To solve the problem of reaching the unreached and making health care affordable, a US-based Nigerian physician, Dr. Steve Ayanruoh, invented a machine he calls Hospital-in-a-box.
In this chat with Vanguard Learning, Ayanruoh speaks on his background and invention, saying that his mission is to ‘ensure that every citizen of the world has access to comprehensive healthcare irrespective of colour, race, religious belief, sexual orientation and economic status.’ Excerpts:
Background: Dr. Steve Ayanruoh is a pediatrician based in New York, USA. Born in Okitipupa in Ondo State, the Delta State indigene graduated from the University of Ibadan College of Medicine, Oyo State, Nigeria.
Motivation: “As a pediatrician in the US, I went to work one winter morning, only to find out that I was the only one in the clinic to attend to about three patients at the same time. So, I said to myself, ‘If only I could do something that will aid their treatment.’ This was my motivation. People’s lack of access to adequate health care service is my driving force,” the Chief Executive Officer at Ruskat Medical Equipment Corporation said.
Realizing that dream: Dr. Ayanruoh said it took him about eight years to complete the project.
“I met major computer firms but they turned me down. It was not until I found one that agreed to buy into my dream of the equipment. I was asked to deposit $10,000. From there, I knew it would become a reality.”
As with everything else in life, the journey was not a smooth one but he was determined to make the dream come true.
Said he; “At some point, I had to depend on my extended family back home in Nigeria, for finance to fulfill this dream of making an equipment that can bring good health to people’s homes.”
How it works: As the name implies, it is indeed a hospital in a box. According to Ayanruoh, the components include the following; spirometer, electrocardiogram, nebulizer, pulse-oximetry, otoscope, thermometer, cuff, wireless, AC/DC battery.
“On the desktop are icons for all the examinations that the machine can perform. When each examination is performed, the results are stored in each individualized folder, which is also on the desktop. These results can either be stored in a flash drive or sent through the internet to assigned server. Doctors assigned to the locations where the machine is being used can log into the server to review the results and send their recommendations to the site provider.
For example, if there is a trained provider using the machine in Lagos, he could send his results to a server in Kano or Maiduguri and the assigned doctor. The assigned doctor who is vacationing in Enugu can log into the server to review the result and send recommendations back to Lagos. The device can also be used in disasters such as hurricane, tsunamis, floods, etc.”
Explaining the function of each of the components, Ayanruoh said; “The electrocardiogram is used to examine how well the heart is doing. The equipment also helps to diagnose fast or slow heart rate, diseases of the heart and its sac. It can diagnose enlarged heart, heart attack, heart failure and fluid in the sac covering the heart. No special EKG is needed, which means it can save about $5,000 worth of EKG paper yearly.
“The spirometer can be used to examine how well people’s lungs are functioning. The lung can have diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive disease, bronchitis, bronchiolitis, croup, pneumonia, hard lung tissue among others.
“The nebulizer is used to measure blood pressure. It can also be used to diagnose high blood pressure (HBP), low blood pressure, systolic hypertension, and dizziness due to changing blood pressure with changes in the patient’s position.
“The pulse-oximeter measures oxygen level in the blood and heart rate. It can help to differentiate lung disease such as asthma. Also, it helps to diagnose cardiac disease such as Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) and endocrine disease such as Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA). Not every panting patient has a lung disease just as not all bluish patients need oxygen.
“The thermometer can be used to measure the temperature of the forehead in seconds. It can be used to diagnose fever, low temperature and febrile seizures. The hand-held device can examine any part of the body such as ears, eyes, nose, and mouth, among others.”
Good news: “Everybody can use it. They only need to receive the training.”
On the cost of the equipment, he said “it can be purchased with a moderate $40,000 USD investment. We are looking for serious investors so that we may begin mass production of Hospital-In-a-Box (TM) and make it more accessible to all individuals,” Ayanruoh said.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
Medical experts have have warned Nigerians on the dangers of using bleaching products.
Dr Akinlolu Siyanbola, a dermatologist at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Hospital, Osogbo, and Dr Abimbola Ibrahim in their separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Osogbo, maintained that consistent usage of bleaching products over a long period could lead to kidney failure, cancer and infertility.
According to Dr Siyanbola, consistent usage of bleaching products over a long period could make the kidney to fail, and could cause diabetes.
He explained that bleaching products could also cause osteoporosis (loss of bone density), psychiatric manifestation and systemic hypertension among other ailments.
The dermatologist said that bleaching products contain chemical agents that reduce the activities of the natural cell which protects the skin from the adverse effects of sunlight.
The agents, he said, change the skin to occhronus manifested in different colours of the body.
In his reaction, Dr Abimbola Ibrahim, disclosed that people who use bleaching products may end up being infertile.
Ibrahim said products lighten the skin and cause it to lose its natural protective barrier, making it to be vulnerable.
The medical expert added that infection spreads faster and broader, thus leading to skin cancer.
While noting that the hydroxyl quinolone results in body odour, he advised Nigerians to maintain their natural skin.
Ibrahim however, called on the regulatory agencies to control the sale of chemical agents in the interest of public health. (NAN)
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
An Abuja-based medical practitioner, Dr Patrick Okolie, has warned the public against the use of drugs that can trigger obesity in people.
Okolie in Abuja on Monday said that there were certain drugs that tended to increase the body mass index of people taking such drugs.
He said that as a result of the increase in body mass index, fat might be deposited within the body, making the individual to suffer obesity.
“These are drugs containing certain hormones; the people who are developing this obesity based drugs, should present them to their physician who will know what to do.
“The doctor knows how to go about adjusting these drugs or change them to something more beneficial to them,” he said.
According to the doctor, obesity means having too much body fat, which means excessive fat in the body, which may be confused with being overweight because they are both related.
“Being overweight means that the person weighs more than what is expected for that person’s weight based on the person’s height or age.
“Then for the person who is overweight, the overweight may come from extra muscles, or bone or water, it may also come from having too much fat.
He explained that when someone who was overweight had too much fat, it could also be regarded as obesity.
He said the commonest cause of obesity was over-eating — eating more than your body can take.
“Another thing that can cause obesity is the lack of physical exercise, when people live sedentary lifestyles, not carrying out much physical activities can also lead to obesity,’’ he said.
According to him, obesity can lead to heart disease, certain types of diabetes and sleep disorder.
He said that obesity could also cause certain types of cancer, osteoarthritis (arthritis that features the breakdown and eventual loss of the cartilage of one or more joints).
Okolie, however, explained that next to aging, obesity was the most significant risk factor for problems of the knees.
The early development of osteoarthritis (a form of arthritis) of the knees among weight lifters was believed to be due to their high body weight.
Okolie said that in combating obesity, the measures one could use include watching your diet, saying “if you control what you eat, one can avoid being overweight and being obese.
“Another method of combating obesity is by carrying out physical exercise, some people either because of their work schedule or because of their general lifestyle have not involved themselves in any form of physical exercise which tends to predispose them to obesity,” he said.
Okolie said the effects of obesity were usually long-lasting.
“Obesity also affects even the rich people who can actually afford any kind of food to eat,” he said.
“There are two common methods to avoid being obese, one is to watch what one eats and secondly to live an active lifestyle with plenty exercise.
“So dieting is important if one wants to lose weight, one should diet based on the advice of a dietician, nutritionist or a doctor,” he said.
He said that people should carry out some kind of physical exercise daily which could help burn the excess fat.
He advised that being overweight was not an admirable thing and not a sign of affluence and that there were many diseases that were associated with being overweight.
“So we should watch what we eat and also endeavour to engage in some kind of exercise to stay healthy,” Okolie advised. (NAN)
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
"Know your health numbers and live longer.” This is the catch phrase of the on-going campaign series created by “Doctors on Air” – a unique, interactive health awareness radio programme initiated by PathCare Nigeria designed to enable Nigerians improve their health and live longer and healthier lives.
“It’s about optimizing your health and making the right choices. Don’t get ill. Be healthy. Be well. Be alive,” explained the Managing Director PathCare Nigeria, Dr. Pamela Ajayi, in Lagos last week, during the media presentation of the free “Know Your Numbers” health cards.
The special handy cards which showcase essential health numbers and baselines for conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, etc., and for keeping records of vital health parameters such as weight, Body Mass Index, BMI, cholesterol and glucose levels among others. It also includes a unique blood pressure chart that enables individuals take charge of their blood pressure.
“Our health indices are getting worse in Nigeria and everyone needs to take ownership of their health. This campaign is a call to action. We are urging Nigerians to take charge by choosing ‘wellness’ and empower themselves with a greater understanding of their bodies,” Ajayi stated.
Urging Nigerians to take ownership of their health, Ajayi said by getting to know their essential health numbers, the average individuals would become adequately knowledgeable and empowered to make informed choices aimed at attaining wellness and vitality.
“Whether you have high blood pressure, or normal blood pressure, high cholesterol or normal lipids, it’s important you know your essential health numbers. Establishing a baseline, monitoring any troubled areas, understanding your risks and making right choices to improve the quality of your life and live longer.”
One in 4 Nigerians may be unaware they have high blood pressure which is symptomless and unrelated to age or occupation. “This ignorance means they are oblivious to the risks to their health, as uncontrolled blood pressure is associated with heart enlargement, unexpected strokes, heart attacks and sudden death,” Ajayi remarked.
The Doctors on Air series which holds 8 am every Wednesday on Classic FM 97.3 provides opportunity for listeners to obtain credible health information on wellness to weight management, blood pressure, blood glucose, cholesterol and thyroid screening from consultants of different specialties in a clear, simple and culturally acceptable way. PathCare is the first internationally accredited laboratory in West Africa (ISO 15189).
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
IN January 2000, the news was awash with reports of two doctors who mistakenly removed a patient’s only working kidney. The septuagenarian underwent what should have been a right nephrectomy at a hospital in South Wales, but it was his left kidney that was removed in error.
On discovering their mistake, the doctors carried out further surgery in an attempt to restore function to the chronically diseased right kidney but failed, and the patient died five weeks later.
Similarly, eight years later in 2008, doctors at a Minnesota, mistakenly removed a cancer patient’s only healthy kidney believing it had a cancerous tumour.
The tragic error was only discovered the next day when the pathologist examined the material and found no evidence of any malignancy.
Similar cases bound of errorneous and unnnecessary removal of patients’ kidneys in hospitals.
But a new international study indicates that approximately one of every five individuals with kidney tumours common in patients with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), a genetic disorder, has had a kidney removed, while 40 percent had some kind of surgical procedure performed.
According to the study published in The Lancet , proper diagnosis could have led to treatment that would have made surgery or kidney removal unnecessary.
Essentially, kidney removal, or nephrectomy, is surgery to remove all or part of a kidney.
“I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard from patients who say their doctors told them a kidney looks bad, is full of tumorus, isn’t working and has to come out,” said Dr. John Bissler, a nephrologist and Co-director of the the Tuberous Sclerosis Clinic at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center,
“But you can do studies on these patients and find out that they have normal kidney function. The kidney looks bad, but it works. Doctors are unfamiliar with tuberous sclerosis, so when they see tumours, they think it’s renal cell carcinoma, perform surgeries trying to help, but before long the kidney is gone. This approach is unnecessary. Fortunately, many people come to us from around the world for a second opinion.”
In TSC, it is common for tumours to grow on vital organs. As many as 80 percent of TSC patients have these tumours, called angiomyolipomas, or AMLs.
For years, the primary treatment for angiomyolipomas was arterial embolization, which uses a catheter to block the artery and stop blood flow to the tumor. Embolization, however, can also damage healthy tissue.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
EVEN if only for its antioxidant properties, consumption of tomatoes help to fight free radicals, lowering the risk of disease, improving and keeping us younger for longer! Beware though: as the tomato is redder,the quantity of beta-carotene is higher, so choose the ones ripened as possible.
Tomatoes do not help stop smoking, but can reduce the harmful effects of smoking on your body, the content of chlorogenic acid and coumaric, which helps to fight against some of the carcinogens in tobacco smoke.
The high content of potassium and vitamin B, regular consumption of tomatoes helps lower blood pressure and decrease cholesterol levels, lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke.
Tomatoes are high in lycopene. But there is a counter intuitive aspect with tomatoes. Cooked tomatoes are higher in lycopene than raw tomatoes. This includes tomato sauce and even tomato ketchup! So do not refuse a few tomato soup or tomato dishes in the oven.
This is simply because the lycopene becomes more bio-available through cooking or crushing, which is done to create tomato paste or crushed tomatoes for creating sauces. When crushed tomatoes are mixed with a fat, such as olive oil, the bio-availability is increased further.
Lycopene present in large amounts in tomatoes protects cellular DNA and neutralize the effects of free radicals, decreasing the risk of cancer, especially of the prostate, stomach and colon.
Besides the considerable amount of calcium and magnesium, tomatoes also contain a dose of vitamin K, all of which are essential for a strong and healthy bones and prevent osteoporosis.
Lycopene is also considered a deterrent to prostate cancer. So enjoy your pizzas and Italian dishes guys. Just make sure you use organic tomato ketchup with whatever you put ketchup on. Hopefully on meats from humanly treated grass fed livestock and organic spuds.
Carrots
Carrots contain lots of beta-carotene and alpha-carotene. The World’s Healthiest Foods site refers to an earlier 10-year Netherlands study on how diet influences cardiovascular disease (CVD). That study concluded that yellow and orange foods, carrots, protected against CVD.
This time raw carrots are probably offer more bio-available carotene. Carrots are hardy, and can maintain their freshness longer than many vegetables. Sliced, diced, and used on salads is one way to enjoy them.
Then there is juicing. The Gerson therapy uses lots of fresh carrots mixed with other veggies and apples in their intense high juicing protocol. That fact alone should be enough to motivate juicing carrots with other vegetables.
Cheap and cheerful, carrots are one of the easiest vegetables to grow and also very well-loved given their flavour and texture. They’re most famous for being rich in vitamin A but are also a source of folate, vitamin C, B6, and K, as well as potassium, thiamine, fiber, and biotin; combined, these nutrients provide the human body with a host of benefits, including improve and maintain vision, helps prevent cancer, helps prevent heart disease, and improve dental health.
Regularly eating carrots can help to detoxify the blood, keeping skin clear and fresh, while the antioxidants found in carrots can help to prevent cell damage done by free radicals, slowing the effect aging has on one’s appearance. Carrots are one of the most popular vegetables to juice because of their sweet taste and relatively cheap price in the store.
Sweet potatoes
These are among the most ignored foods that are highly nutritious. Just like carrots, organic sweet potatoes are relatively inexpensive. But unlike carrots, raw consumption is not practical.
There is confusion between what a sweet potato is and what a yam is. The only difference is the color of the vegetable’s “meat.” Yams are always vividly orange under their skin, while sweet potatoes can be white, off-white, yellow, and even purple.
The skin is not a vital source of nutrients with this highly beta-carotene endowed potato. It’s a good idea to skin them then slice them up into medallions. Then either boil or steam them. There should be a fat involved with consuming sweet potatoes or yams to boost beta-carotene bio-availability.
Try boiling yam then adding a generous amount of organic butter and mashing with a strong squeeze of lemon and a small dash of maple syrup. Extremely yummy and very nutritious!
Regardless of these, these nutritional tips shouldn’t be considered gender based, except for the tomato lycopene prostate cancer protection notice inserted by this author. Women will benefit from these foods’ nutrition for heart and cardiovascular health as well.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
The news about a medical doctor who abandoned medicine to become an oil pipeline thief may have cast a pall on the prestige of what is supposed to be a noble profession. But a seeming loss of the prestige of medicine did not start today. You may have heard it before that many doctors regret reading medicine. For me, it was during my secondary school days. I had told a neighbour who was a doctor, who further endeared me to the profession, that I would want to read medicine, and I thought he would have been pleased. But I was taken aback when he said I should instead go into engineering or even banking like my dad. He said medicine was not worth the trouble. I felt his advice was suspicious. I also recall a visit to our family doctor then. When I told him my ambition, he said, “Why medicine? Since I got into medical school I have not rested, even till now.” In my young mind, I just concluded that some people would say anything to make sure others don’t become like them.
I got into medicine anyway. I remember always waking up with a start. The only thought was how to scale anatomy, physiology and biochemistry. I thought it strange when other students from other departments made a face when I told them I studied late in the cadaver room. We dissected with our bare hands, and from there to the cafeteria. Reading was not by choice. It was a race against time. Twenty four hours was not enough, so you found yourself borrowing from the next day and accruing deficits.
Well, I passed somehow and got into the clinical class. Just when I thought the hurdle had been reduced, without congratulating us, the Dean, Clinical Sciences in introducing us to the clinic said: “If you think you have made it, you are wrong. This is the time to decide whether you should continue the journey―or to voluntarily withdraw!” This is despite those who were withdrawn. And despite those who became psychiatric.
Though a teacher of mine boasted about the study of medicine: “It has never been easy, and it will never be easy,” many doctors do not want their children to be doctors. A 2007 survey by Merritt, Hawkins indicated that 57 per cent of 1,175 doctors questioned would not recommend the field to their children. Another teacher of mine said his son was “crazy enough to become a doctor.”
With the coming of the Information Age, doctors have been demystified. The awe is for software scientists, and those who can give us breathtaking electronic gadgets. And that is where smart kids now go into, and of course, sports and music. Perhaps, Bill Gates or the late Steve Jobs would not have been popular if they were doctors.
Never known before, there is now unemployment in the profession. After medical school, you have to do the compulsory one-year internship. There are fewer accredited places for internship than the number of medical graduates. Even those with accreditation lack the funds to absorb. So you find fresh doctors staying more than a year, even up to two years to get placement. And by the Medical and Dental Council law, if you do not do the internship within two years of graduating, you have to write a council exam. Even after the compulsory National Youth Service Corps scheme, doctors still look for work. Many doctors who want to become specialists, have passed their primaries, but cannot get anywhere to do their residency programme. I know some who have given up on that dream after many years of attending fruitless interviews. The majority of doctors, many with primaries, are doing one locum or the other in a private hospital where they are paid as low as N60, 000 per month.
There are other disincentives. In the US, doctors face malpractice regularly. And many have stopped practising. Yet, the majority of lawsuits brought are frivolous. In more than 91 per cent of cases, the defendants won. And only six per cent of all lawsuits go to trial. Those that are not thrown out are settled amicably. In Nigeria, it is catching on. Of course, doctors who make gross inexcusable mistakes are liable, as those who are unqualified. When a patient dies here, and the hospital remains the best place to, there must be something the doctor should have done he did not do. As doctors, we took an oath, yes, but the oath did not say we will save everybody. Even Jesus did not save everybody. There was still a son of perdition.
The typical scenario in Nigeria is that the patient has taken all sorts of self-medication including traditional concoction, and when organs have damaged they are rushed into the hospital for the doctor to perform a miracle. Children are brought in chronically ill-looking, very anaemic and needing blood transfusion because the parents’ neighbours told them it is “teething”. When you tell a woman she will have an elective caesarian section because she risks a uterine rupture from a previous caesarian section, she will say “I reject it”. Many laboratory investigations cannot be done because there are no reagents. There are many diagnostic tools that Nigerian doctors only read about in textbooks. Many patients are also poor and cannot do investigations when it is available and cannot buy their medications. So your medical knowledge hangs in the air.
There are still other frustrations of daily clinical life. In most government hospitals, the crowd stretches the capacity of the hospital. In seeing a patient, a doctor is making the most of the 15 or so minutes he has to be with the patient, but the patients outside grumble that you are taking a long time. But when they themselves get inside the surgery, they don’t want to leave. Some patients complain that their doctor does not listen. But it is not so. As New York Times health columnist, Danielle Ofri, puts it, “Sometimes, it feels as though my brain is juggling so many competing details, that one stray request from a patient—even one that is quite relevant—might send the delicately balanced three-ring circus tumbling down.” She calculated the number of thoughts a primary care doctor juggles to do a satisfactory job, and tabulated 550. She said doctors keep pushing so many balls into the air and that there is no doubt a few will fall. As it stands, it seems that doctors will simply have to continue this impossible mental high-wire act, juggling dozens of clinical issues in their brains, panicking about dropping a critical one. The resultant neuronal overload will continue to present a distracted air to their patients that may be interpreted as they not listening, or perhaps not caring.
Ofri, adds that when her computer becomes overloaded, it simply crashes. Usually, she reboots in a fury, angry about all her lost work. However, she views her computer with a tinge of envy. It has the luxury of being able to crash, and of a reassuring, omniscient hand to press the reboot button. Physicians are permitted no such extravagance.
There are still other things to ponder on. The retirement age of professors is now 70. Yet, critically speaking, doctors do more for the people. How about increasing their retirement age to 70 also? It pains me when doctors go on strike. But how about removing doctors from the civil service structure and creating something different that covers all doctors in government and the private settings? How about empowering many other hospitals, including the private ones to do internship and residency training? How about increasing the budget that goes to health? Wait a minute. Where is the National Health Bill?
I can’t deny that sometimes, I feel if I had not been a doctor life would have been much easier. I do not have to do calls. My sleep will not have to be interrupted by distress telephone calls. I do not have to leave my wife in a dash. I am condemned to have more than my own fair share of grieving, for every patient that dies in my unit is somehow connected to me. Gasp, and needle pricks!
But, I also shudder at what it would mean for patients if doctors walked away from medicine because of the frustrations. I still marvel at discovering the wonder of the human body. The honour of being trusted by my patient to give them advice, the gratitude the elderly ones especially show when helping them through their illness, their prayers and blessings. These things will remain unchanging. When I look at all these – I still consider myself lucky and privileged to be placed to look after God’s creation.
•Dr. Odoemena, medical practitioner based in Lagos, wrote in via cuzdetriumph@yahoo.co.uk. 08054718547
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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