YORUBA TRADITIONAL RELIGION SITE
Prevent Blood Cloths With Pineapple Juice.
Leadership. Abuja. Nigeria. 7.10.12
Make good use of the pineapple this season by preparing pineapple juice. Pineapple Juice is extracted from fresh pineapples. It is sold unsweetened and sweetened in cans or bottles and as frozen concentrate.
Pineapple juice contains Vitamins and minerals that are healthful for the digestive system. It can be used in the preparation of wines and other traditional drinks. Enjoy your pineapple juice with delicious fried rice.
Ingredients
I bunch fresh pineapple
½ cup sugar
4 cups water
Preservatives (optional)
Preparation
Wash the pineapple. Peel and put the pulp into a blender. Add 3 cups of water and grind until it becomes liquid.
Heat 1 cup of water in a pot while adding the sugar. Boil until the sugar completely dissolves in the water. Mix the sweetened water with the pineapple juice.
Pour in a sieve to remove the shaft.
Add little potassium metabisulphate to act as a preservative and pour in a mug, then refrigerate.
If using the preservative, let the pineapple juice sit for one week in the refrigerator before drinking it. If not, drink within few days so that it doesn't have sour taste.
Best served chilled.
Benefits of pineapple juice
According to healthdiaries.com, pineapple juice is good for the heart as it reduces blood clots in the blood stream.
It is enriched with vitamins, minerals, fibers and enzymes that are good for the digestive system.
Pineapple juice helps in maintaining ideal weight and balanced nutrition.
It has minimal fat and sodium with no-cholesterol.
Pineapple juice stimulates the kidney, relieves intestinal disorders and has diuretic properties.
It is also claimed to be an effective remedy for intestinal worms.
Pineapple juice reduces excess water build ups and helps to maintain a healthy water balance in the body.
It contains a mixture of protein-digesting enzymes- Bromelain, an anti-inflammatory agent used for athletic injuries, arthritis, post-operative swelling, haemorrhoids, colitis, sore throat and menstrual disorders.
Pineapple juice is also a good source of Vitamin B1, which plays an important role in converting blood sugar into energy.
Researchers differ over health benefits of palm kernel oil .
Guardian. Lagos. Nigeria. 6.10.12
Researchers are divided over the use of palm kernel oil in treating skin ailments, convulsion and stomach problems. While Nigerian researchers say palm kernel oil can be used as ointment on the body to minimize infections by microorganisms, Cameroonian researchers say they can actually cause skin rashes. CHUKWUMA MUANYA writes.
PALM KERNEL OIL (Udeaki in Ibo, Menyanga in Cameroon) has been traditional used by different tribes in Nigeria for treating convulsion and skin diseases in children and poisoning but a Cameroonian study has linked the local therapy to skin rashes in children.
The Cameroonian study concluded: “This research has thus established that there is a causal relationship between skin rashes in children and palm kernel oil. The skin rashes observed on children attending infant welfare clinic (IWC) at St Mary Soledad Health Centre Alakuma – Mankon and the Sub Divisional Medical Centre (SDMC) Nkwen in Bamenda, Cameroon are caused by Candida albicans present in the palm kernel oil that mothers rub on their children. It is therefore imperative that an intensive health education should be given to the population to dissipate their ignorance and to stop the use of palm kernel oil. Stopping the rubbing of palm kernel oil on children is guaranteeing the right of children to better health care and better health status.”
Until now, mothers in South East Nigeria use palm kernel oil as rubbing oil for their children to prevent and treat skin rashes and convulsion. It is produced from seeds inside palm nus of the Palm tree (Elaeis guineensis).
There are two types of palm kernel oil: white palm kernel oil obtained by compressing palm kernels in factories; and black palm kernel oil obtained traditionally by frying the palm kernels in a pot until the oil is extracted. They are all crude palm kernel oil.
According to the Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa by H.M. Burkill, the uses of palm kernel oil as conceived by the community are: apply on the body of the child to prevent and treat skin rashes, rub and give the child to eat to treat high fever and convulsion; eat to treat abdominal pain; it is a good and cheap rubbing oil that smoothens the body of the child; it is used to make bread sandwich, to prepare traditional medicine concussions and to oil the head hair.
Candida albicans is an opportunistic fungus (or form of yeast) that is the cause of many undesirable symptoms ranging from fatigue and weight gain, to joint pain and gas. The symptoms include thrush (whitish tongue and white patches at the vagina).
Candida albicans have emerged as important causes of morbidity and mortality in immune-compromised patients such as in Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV)/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), cancer chemotherapy, organ or bone marrow transplantation.
According to lead researcher and medical consultant at Bamenda, North West Province, Cameroon, Dr. Daniel Mfonfu, the skin rashes observed in this research is a fungal dermatitis due to the Candida albicans in palm kernel oil, presenting clinically as: brown, red, or intensely red and shiny patches of various sizes on the body of the child; sometimes ulceration of lesions occur especially at the genitals.
An operational research was carried out in July and August 2007 in Bamenda, Cameroon, involving 251children attending Infant Welfare Clinics (IWC) in two health facilities in order to elucidate the relationship between the skin rashes in children and palm kernel oil.
Cure Gastro-intestinal Problems With Guava Juice.
Leadership. Abuja. 30.9.12.
Guava is a tropical fruit with a shape of a pear. It can be eaten raw after meal or before meal. Guava juice contains more vitamins than other citrus fruits, like orange. It contains appreciable quantity of Vitamin A as well. They are also a good source of iron, and pectin, an enzyme used in making jams.
The guava leaf extract has been proven effective in the treatment of gastro-intestinal problems since it contains quercetin and other flavonoids. A drug used for the treatment of diarrhea has been developed using guava leaves, while the bark extract protects the heart from negative attack.
Ingredients
6 large guava fruits
1/3 cup sugar
3 cups of water
Preservatives (optional)
Preparation
Wash the guava. Peel and remove the seed. Cut the flesh into tiny pieces.
Add 2 cups of water to the blender and grind until it becomes liquid.
Heat 1 cup of water in a pot and add the sugar. Boil until the sugar completely dissolves in the water. Mix the sweetened water with the guava juice.
Pour in a sieve to remove the shaft.
Add little potassium metabisulphate to act as a preservative and pour in the mug, then refrigerate.
If using preservative, let the guava juice sit for one week in the refrigerator before drinking it. If not, drink within few days so that it doesn't have sour taste.
Best served chilled
Why you should drink guava juice
According to healthdiaries.com, the vitamin-C, carotenoids and potassium contents present in guava juice strengthen the digestive system.
It contains quercetin which is an antioxidant that blocks enzymes that are responsible for building sorbitol, the sugar that forms the cloudy white clusters that causes cataracts.
Guava is also rich in folate which helps to fight bad breath that causes gum disease gingivitis.
It combats free radicals produced during metabolism and aids in preventing age related chronic diseases such as Alzheimer’s, cancer, cataracts, heart disease and rheumatoid arthritis.
Guava juice helps to control blood pressure and cholesterol.
The Lypocene content reduces the risk of cancer and helps control diabetes.
Juice squeezed out from the leaves cures toothache, swollen gums and oral ulcers. It also heals convulsions, epilepsy, and bacterial infections.
The leaves also help to heal wound when applied externally.
Ways To Reduce Wrinkles.
Leadership. Abuja. Nigeria. 30.9.12
A nice glowing skin is on the top list of a lady’s most wanted look. Some believe such skin is difficult to achieve, but there are ways to get there. Blessing Ukemena writes
The African skin is beautiful and when it is pampered then it becomes a show stopper in itself. A lot of ladies hardly have time to take proper care of their fine skin. With time and stress taking their toll, the skin soon begins to look dull and wrinkled. There are some simple ways to keep your skin nice and beautiful, no matter your age, and the earlier you start, the better. Here are some ways:
Sleep on your back
Sleeping in certain positions night after night leads to "sleep lines" –wrinkles that become etched into the top layers of skin and don't fade once you're up. Sleeping on your side leads to wrinkles on cheeks and chin, while sleeping face down gives you a furrowed brow. To cut down on new wrinkles, sleep on your back.
Eat more fish, like salmon
Salmon (along with other cold-water fish) is a great source of protein, one of the building blocks of great skin. It’s also an awesome source of omega-3 fatty acids. Experts say that essential fatty acids nourish skin and keep it plump and youthful, helping to minimise wrinkles.
Don't squint, get reading glasses!
Making the same expressions over and over, like squinting, overworks facial muscles, forming a groove beneath the skin's surface. Eventually, the groove becomes a wrinkle. Keep those eyes wide: Wear reading glasses if you need them. And get savvy about sunglasses, which can protect skin around the eyes from sun damage and keep you from squinting.
Slather on alpha-hydroxy acids
These natural acids lift away the top layer of dead skin cells, reducing the appearance of pores, fine lines and surface wrinkles, especially around the eyes. And stronger forms of alpha-hydroxy acids may help boost collagen production. Using alpha-hydroxy acids can make your skin more sensitive to the sun, so wear plenty of sunscreen everyday.
Don't over-wash your face
Tap water strips skin of moisture and natural oils that protect against wrinkles. Wash your face too often, and you wash away its protection. And unless your soap contains moisturizers, use a gel or cream facial cleanser instead.
Increase your vitamin C
Some studies have found that creams with vitamin C can raise collagen production, protect against damage from UVA and UVB rays, help reduce dark spots and uneven skin tone, and reduce redness. You have to use a skin product with the right type of vitamin C, though. L-ascorbic acid may be the best for wrinkle relief. You may also see a vitamin C ingredient listed as ascorbylpalmitate
Soy for skin care
Soy may improve the appearance of your skin and may even protect it, too. Studies suggest soy applied to the skin or taken as a supplement may help protect against or even heal some of the sun's damage. And it has also been shown to improve skin's structure and firmness, and to even out skin tone.
Trade coffee for cocoa
Try a wrinkle-reducing drink. In one study, researchers found that cocoa with high levels of two antioxidants (epicatechin and catechin) protected skin from sun damage, improved blood flow to skin cells, helped hydration, and made the skin look and feel smoother. Great!
Practice good skin care basics
If you really want to keep your skin looking young, start with the essentials. You've probably heard this advice before, but it's important: Avoid the sun, wear sunscreen, wear sun protective clothing, don't smoke, use moisturizer.
These are just habits a girl needs to cultivate in order to look good, plus they are not expansive. Remember to take a break from harsh creams because some of them do more harm than good. And don’t forget to smile often!
