HOW SAFE ARE DIET DRINKS?

HOW SAFE ARE DIET DRINKS?

Good question, considering more people are getting weight-conscious and seeking to cut calories. With the increasing campaign against indulging in soda, a lot of people are becoming aware of the risks associated with such indulgence ranging from weight gain to increased risk for diseases like hypertension, diabetes, obesity, bone and dental diseases, and the depression associated with some of these diseases. It is no surprise therefore that calory-free alternatives became almost instantly appealing. These alternatives replaced sugar, which is the major culprit with these diseases.

Sweeteners are chemical substances that are used as substitutes to sugar and either release no calories, or produce calories that are not absorbed by the body (although, linguistically, sugar is a sweetener too, but, for the purpose of this essay we will continue with sugar versus sweeteners). Basically, there are four classes of sweeteners:

The non-nutritive sweeteners, like aspartame and saccharin, which are chemically compounded. They are the most commonly used.

The sugar alcohols, like sorbitol and zylitol, are reduced-calory sweeteners derived from vegetables and fruits, or by hydrogenation of sugars (they are not alcohols).

The novel sweeteners, which are extracts from South American plant, stevia, which is reported to have blood pressure and blood glucose lowering properties.

The natural sweeteners, like fruit juices (fructose), nectar, maple syrup and honey.

It is worth pointing out here that the major problem is sucrose, which  makes up sugar, and needs insulin to break it down.
Now, there have been arguments and counter-arguments against the safety of these diet drinks. As far back as the 1970s, saccharin, which was the first of these substances, was said to be associated with cancer, an assumption that was later refuted as no confirmed study on humans has been able to confirm such an associattion. So it is, up to today, theories and associations have been postulated but as far as I can tell, there is no scientifically concluded confirmation of these 'diet' drinks causing and real human damage.

For the sake of fairness, anyway, I will enumerate some of these associations. Diet drinks have been linked to:

- increase in weight gain(paradoxical, right?)

- requirement for more sugar later in life as the taste buds become dulled by the sweeter sweeteners

- increased risks of headaches and migraines

- destruction of tooth enamel

- causation of osteoporosis

- increased risk of having a preterm delivery

- increased risk for developing diabetes

There are many other associations which I consider too academic to put down here. One would want to ask, "What does not have association with diseases?". I think in the end it boils down to personal philosophy about life. Sometimes the restrictions are too much right? "Don't take coke, take diet coke,"
 then,
"Don't take diet coke". 
What are u going to take? We would all die of something in the end right?, but these scientists are just trying to ensure that we have good quality of life and that we reduce preventable deaths.
The decision on whether you want to completely stay off soda or cut down on it, whether diet or not, is completely up to you. If you want some professional advice anyway, water is always available (what a cliché right?), then there are tea and coffee which are rich in anti-oxidants, there is skimmed milk, home-made fruit extracts and smoothies, etc.

If, you need to enhance the taste of any of these, sugar in moderation or any of the sweeteners mentioned above should do.
As I usually say, work out a plan that works for you and that you can maintain. I was once an avid soda drinker, but decided to switch over to more healthy and nutritious drinks when I realized I was adding weight at an alarming rate. However, many of these drinks did not have the refreshing experience you get from soda, so I had to make a compromise, I cut down my soda and general sugar consumption by 75%. Where I was taking four cans of soda, I cut it to one, and where I was putting eight cubes of sugar in a cup of coffee, I cut it down to two and I have been able to maintain this protocol with amazing results. so, it is really up to you now.

How to cure pimples at home

Introduction

Pimple is the more common name for the medical term acne vulgaris. It is a social menace to adolescents and young adults, especially as these are ages when “fine boy, no pimples” is a big deal.

Many of us have had issues with pimples while growing up, ranging from lack of confidence to total social withdrawal. For some, however, it was just an insignificant menace. We are lucky anyway, because in some parts of the world, suicide is not an uncommon effect with pimples (trust ‘oyibos’ na).

Definition

Acne vulgaris is a skin disease of the face, chest and back, characterized by solitary or multiple papules, pustules (pimples), or nodules (don’t mind the jargon; these are just skin eruptions of varying sizes and contents).

Course

Pimples usually start when puberty sets in (when you wan start dey do fine boy/girl). This is because of the hormonal readjustments that occur during this period, particularly testosterone. By adulthood anyway, the frequency and severity reduce considerably or the pimples completely disappear. The eruptions may be singular or may cover the whole face and extend to the chest and back.

It may get infected and contain pus. In some people, it forms scars after resolving, especially in those that scratch and try to squeeze it out. In extreme cases, it may form keloids.

Causes/ Predisposing Factors

I will not bother you with the pathophysiology (wink) of pimples but let me just say it principally involves blockage of skin pores and accumulation of sebum (oily substance secreted by the sebaceous glands that helps prevent hair and skin from drying out) with dead skin cells. The following contribute to the formation of pimples:

·         Menstrual cycle

·         Puberty

·         Pregnancy

·         Menopause (acne climactera)

·         Genetics (inheritance from parents)

·         Stress (for me it is when I am broke)

·         Bacteria

·         Diet (high glycaemic and skim milk diets)

·         Hair greases or oil-based cosmetics (unless non-comedogenic is written on them)

·         Polycystic ovary syndrome

·         Cushing’s syndrome

Myths

·         The more you wash your face, the less pimples you have. Fabu. Excessive washing of the face will cause dryness and microfragmentation of the tissues which heal to block pores.

·         Popping the measles will make them go away faster. Fabu. Beware of scars and dark spots.

·         Don’t wear makeup. Abeg no let them spoil your market, just be careful of the type of makeup you use. If you don’t have money for quality cosmetics that are non-comedogenic, just use very light make up. Guy wey go like you go still notice you whether you use makeup or not.

·         Pimples always go away on their own. Wrong. When you are uncomfortable with it, see a doctor. It is very curable. It may also lead to diagnosis of underlying conditions like PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome).

·         Shaving causes pimples. No. shaving may cause pseudofolliculitis barbae in people with easily irritable skins.

·         Oily foods cause pimples. No significant correlation from studies carried out.

·         Pimples are more common in males. Wrong. No significant sex predisposition.

·         Masturbation causes pimples. Where did they even get this one from?!

Prevention/Treatment

·         Keep clean skin. Taking your bath at least twice a day is enough. If you must use sponges, use soft ones. Hard sponges may be too harsh for your skin and are not really necessary for dirt removal (except you are a surgeon scrubbing).

·         Avoid cosmetics that clog your pores. Remember, if you have problem with pimples, look for non-comedogenic creams.

·         Do not squeeze or pick at your pimples.

·         If just mild pimples, look for OTC creams that have benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid. There are other compounds that are also useful in the treatment of pimples, but we will leave those to the doctors. Gels, soaps and lotions are also available.

·         Avoid excessive use of acne creams as many of them cause excessive skin dryness. If your pimples do not disappear despite the OTC medication, please see a doctor.

·         If pimples have horribly scarred your pretty face, and you are seeking a job in Nollywood, see a plastic surgeon.

Conclusion

It is not a crime to look great. In fact, it is fantastic. Talk about the self-confidence! The attention you command too! If pimples are trying to come between you and your dreams, get it treated, but don’t let it bother you. Remember, your looks have nothing to do with what you have got to offer the world. For social life, if you believe you are beautiful, the world sees you as beautiful (na fine people dey get issues self). So just go out there and do your thing.

7 THINGS TO CONSIDER BEFORE STARTING A WEIGHT-LOSS PROGRAM

There was a time when the bigger you were, or the bigger your tummy, the more opulent you appeared and the more respect you commanded (the Yoruba would say 'ikun lagba'). Now, being overweight is beginning to attract stigmatization (a dangerous trend) and everyone is becoming weight conscious. The popularity of 'selfies' and the social media has made looking good a priority in many people's life. Females are now obsessed with nice curves and flat tummies and males think about bulging chest muscles and 6 abs. Awareness of the health and economic cost of being overweight has also increased. The issue of maintaining a healthy weight has therefore come to the fore of people's personal lives. So if you are thinking about losing weight, and being successful at it, you need to know the answers to these seven questions.

1. Why are you thinking about losing weight?

photo credit: theguardian.com

There is hardly a bad reason for wanting to lose weight (except you are trying to pass an impression of suffering and hunger), so whatever your reason, clarify it in your mind and do not be apologetic about it. Maybe you just want to look good, maybe you want to model, maybe you want to do it for your spouse, maybe it is based on advice from your doctor for a health condition, whatever the reason, make sure it is strong enough to drive you because you will need the strength. I will be writing on the benefits of staying within your optimal weight in later posts, so, stay tuned. The point I'm trying to make here is: know your reasons, set your goals and stay focused.

2. What is your current health condition?

You do not just go online, read about how to lose weight, and start carrying it out without counsel from your doctor especially if you have a chronic condition. I want to believe the reason why you are starting a weight loss program in the first place is because you are over-weight as confirmed by a medical practitioner, so, first of all, you have to find out if you are fit enough for a vigorous routine, and if not, how you should start. Generally, whether fit or not,it is always advisable to start slow, and graduate upward. I, for instance,  started with going for walks, then jogging, and going to the gym, I only started dieting when I realized I was making very little progress (I'll share my experience later). I have still not graduated to running, either on the street or on the treadmill, but the results are already amazing ( my before and after pics after 3 months below). Let us know your own story in the comments section so that we can learn from one another.

3. What are the available options out there?

There are a lot of options for losing weight, and a lot of products are coming out daily, promising miracles. I will like to classify the weight loss methods into four:

a. Dieting/nutritional
b. Exercise/increased activity
c. Medications
d. Surgery/artificially assisted

Now, for the best results, you need to combine at least two of the above methods.

credit: healthydietingtips.org

a. Dieting/Nutritional: This generally entails cutting down on calories. It is safe when done properly, but you need to consult your doctor before starting, especially if you are diabetic or obese. You should have a good knowledge about what dieting entails too. Many people take dieting to mean starving, and end up developing acid peptic diseases, and malnutrition.

credit: weightlossmiss.com

This is improper, counter-productive and a recipe for failure and rebound weight gain. Dieting as I have said earlier is all about reducing calorie intake, and eating healthier diets. By dieting alone, for the least disciplined of us, you can lose 2kg in a month. It also comes with the added benefits of feeling healthier, improving the body's immune system, and lowering the amount of toxins in the system.

b. Exercise/Increased activity: This is my personal favourite as it comes with the added benefits of improved cardiovascular and respiratory functions, enhancement of endurance, and improving the general feeling of fitness.

rwaq

Contrary to popular belief, you do not need to stress yourself to gain the benefits of exercise, leave that to professional athletes. Simple, graduated and sustained exercise will do the magic for you. The initial muscle aches you get when you start are physiologic and should not discourage you, but when you start having light headedness, breathlessness, fainting spells, or palpitations, then you need to cut yourself some slack. Exercise has been made more exciting with the advent of mobile apps that help you count the calories you have burnt so that you can keep track of your calorie balance.

c. Medications: I will be a little cautious here. There are a lot of drugs being produced with promises of significant weight loss in a short duration of time. I have not used any of these, nor am I close to someone that has. What I know is that many of them work by detoxification and reduction of appetite and cravings. I saw one recently that works by increasing collagen synthesis in the body and improves body tone. My professional advice is this, read thoroughly through the leaflet and online before you start. What I have tried however, are some home-made cocktails like the lemon/ginger detox drink, and I actually got results, but not immediately, as the company-made products promise. If you have any personal experience with any of these products, you can share with us in the comments section.

d. Surgery/Artificially assisted: Maybe I should not lump these together, but I do not want to be guilty of over-categorization. By artificially-assisted here, I mean the use of compression garments. They are designed after corsets of old but are now made using Lycra and Spandex.

credit: dhgate.com

They are are said to cause weight loss by increasing your rate of sweating, by acting as a micro massage, by compression and by serving as an athletic support and thereby encouraging and enhancing exercise. We will find time to scrutinize these claims on a future date.
Surgery is usually a last resort. Of course it is not for everyone and rate of success depends on the type of surgery. It is usually recommended for people with BMI of 40 and above; people who are obese with associated problems like sleep apnoea and heart diseases; people who have failed after trying other means; and for those who do not fall into the above categories but understand the risk perfectly and still demand for it.

photo credit: yourweightlossaid.com

There are different types of surgery, but basically, they cause weight loss by restriction of diet, malabsorption of consumed food, or blocking of hunger signals from getting to the brain.





4. What do you expect?
It is important to note here that you did not gain weight in a day, so you should not expect to lose it in a day. I do not intend to discourage you, but you should know the truth before starting. You need commitment. You need discipline. You need focus. Times will come when you will feel like giving yourself a break, when you will miss that cup of ice cream, or that bottle of soda. You will need to fight such cravings. Research has also shown that of those who were successful in losing the amount of weight they planned, only 2-20% are able to maintain it.

credit: irishfitchick.com

So set your mind to it that it may be a life-long thing. If you are lucky, your body will adapt to your new lifestyle completely and it will become effortless staying in shape, if you are not, then you need to seek for motivation and encouragement where you can find it. For me, I hanged a favourite shirt that has become tight on the wall and tried it on fortnightly.

5. What are calories?

credit:cdc.gov

To be successful in losing weight, you need to understand how the weight got there in the first place. The human body is composed mostly of water, then you have the solid components: bones, muscle, fat etc. Now the fat is the the major culprit for unwanted weight gain, and it comes from the excess energy we consume. I could start defining calories scientifically, but what it represents is a unit of energy we derive from the food we consume. Some people designate it as Calorie or kilocalorie (kcal), it is the same thing. Some, however, use kilojoule (kJ), which is derived by multiplying Calorie by 4.12. Fats give the highest amount of calorie: 9 per gram of fat consumed, carbohydrates and proteins give four each, but considering the amount of energy burnt to digest proteins, and the amount of carbohydrates you need to consume to feel full compared to proteins, added to the fact that carbohydrates release energy in the shortest period of the three, the emphasis is always on reduction of carbohydrates.

What is BMI?
BMI means Body/Mass Index. It is calculated by dividing your weight in kilograms by the square of your height in metres. It is a standardized formula for objectively categorizing people based on their weight, and knowing those at risk for weight-related illnesses. To be able to track your weight loss, you need to have access to a good weighing scale and know your height too. The table below shows the categorizations based on BMI. There is also a concept known as BMI prime, but we'll leave that for the medical practitioners and nutritionists.

credit: debssite.com

From the table above however, you will see, that the goal should be to have a BMI of between 18.5-25. If you are underweight too, you should be looking towards bringing your BMI up to within this range. We will find time to talk about underweight people too in some later posts.

7. What is BMR
This is a little academic, but it would not hurt to know what it means especially if you want to grab some understanding of the weight gain/loss process. Basal Metabolic Rate means the basic amount of energy your body needs to keep all organs fully functional. It is the amount of energy your body expends when you sit still and do absolutely nothing at all. This is different from your daily dietary requirement which is the amount of energy you need to consume to carry out your daily activities and puts into consideration factors like your age, sex, activity level and of course your BMI. You can find various specific calculators online but generally, the table below should guide you to your daily dietary requirement. 

Gender	Age (years)	Sedentary	Moderately Active	Active
Child	2-3	1,000	1,000-1,400	1,000-1,400
Female	4-8 9-13 14-18 19-30 31-50 51+	1,200 1,600 1,800 2,000 1,800 1,600	1,400-1,600 1,600-2,000 2,000 2,000-2,200 2,000 1,800	1,400-1,800 1,800-2,200 2,400 2,400 2,200 2,000-2,200
Male	4-8 9-13 14-18 19-30 31-50 51+	1,400 1,800 2,200 2,400 2,200 2,000	1,400-1,600 1,800-2,200 2,400-2,800 2,600-2,800 2,400-2,600 2,200-2,400	1,600-2,000 2,000-2,600 2,800-3,200 3,000 2,800-3,000 2,400-2,800

Sedentary here means just your daily routine and office work. Moderately active means your daily work plus a little exercise of about an hour a day or light menial work. Active means you expend a lot of energy maybe as an athlete, a military man, or heavy worker. If you do not feel comfortable using this generalized table, I will teach you how to calculate your own daily requirements to achieve your target weight. If you eat above your daily requirement, you will gain weight, if you eat below it, you will lose weight. It is as simple as that.


Now that we have tried to answer these questions, let the weight modification begin!