Marriage: Marriage is not for Everyone

Topics:
Marriage is not for Everyone
Five steps to save your marriage
__________________________________

Marriage is not for Everyone
Written by Ogaga Otaotu

~Vanguard Nigeria. Sunday, September 18, 2016.

The Mature Single Woman(MSW) is an unmarried single lady who is of the age 30 and above. Today's Woman spoke to some beautiful ladies during the week and they shared their day to day experiences in the office, public places, at home and at events. Some said they had to deal with all sorts challenges from: neighbors, male colleagues and relatives. The question is "Is it a crime to be a mature single lady?"

Forty-year-old Abike, a banker, said just recently, there arose the issue of attendance in her office. Her male colleague claimed he arrived the office before her but was trying to tidy up some things in the car before she signed in.

An argument ensued and before you could say hey! the young man blurted "Oh ...you think you can talk to me like that? I don't blame you... that is why you can never be married".

As far as Abike is concerned, you get to hear that line regularly as a mature single lady. It can either be told to your face or behind you. She has however learnt to laugh it off.

Nnena, 36year old business woman, recounted a bitter experience she had some months ago. She got to her business place in high spirit and was busy tending to her goods when her neighbor came in to remind her of the outstanding electricity bill.

She had not paid because she was away the previous week. What started as a mild disagreement led to a heated argument and the neighbor dropped the usual line "that's why you are not married, because of your bad attitude". Nnenna wept sore, locked up her store and went home.

HEPATITIS B: The silent killer.

Written by Dr Ojum Ekeoma Ogwo.
~The SUN Nigeria. Sunday, September 18, 2016.



Hepatitis is the inflammation of the liver from any source. Hepatitis commonly results from a virus. We have 5 types of viral hepatitis – viz;

1) Hepatitis A – infective hepatitis.

2) Hepatitis B – serum hepatitis.

3) Hepatitis C – associated with alcoholic liver disease.

4) Hepatitis D – associated with drug addiction.

5) Hepatitis E – occurs mostly in under-developed countries.


Here we are concerned with only Hepatitis B, which is the deadliest.

What is hepatitis B?

Hepatitis B or serum hepatitis, is a 42 nanometre DNA virus, also called “Australian antigen, as a surface antigen, designated as (HBsAg). Spread by blood, secretions and sexual inter course.

High risk groups are the 5 Hs- Homosexual, haemophiliac, hospital worker, heroin addict and haemodialysis patients.

What are the symptoms of hepatitis B?

i) Loss of appetite.

ii) Tiredness.

iii) Diarrhoea and vomiting.

iv) Jaundice (yellow skin or eyes).

Hepatitis B can also lead to;

i) Liver damage (cirrhosis).

ii Cancer of the liver. And,

iii) Death.

Babies may be made without women

~Vanguard Nigeria. Sunday, September 18, 2016.

Experiments by Bath University researchers hint at a future in which children are born from embryos made from skin cells rather than eggs.

The embryos could even be nurtured outside the body in artificial wombs, making women redundant from the creation of life. The hi-tech IVF treatment would allow two men to have a baby that is genetically their own. It could also allow a man to have his own child - without any input from another man or woman.


A technique that allowed babies to be created without eggs would also be seized on by older women desperate to become mothers, and by girls whose fertility has been damaged by treatment for cancer. Researcher Tony Perry stressed that such scenarios were 'entirely speculative and fanciful'. But publicising his work in the Nature Communications journal, he added: 'If it is ever possible, one day in the distant future people will look back and say this is where it started.'

His excitement centres on experiments which showed it is possible to fuse sperm with something other than Experiments by Bath University researchers hint at a future in which children are born from embryos made from skin cells rather than eggs. an egg and produce a litter of healthy mice. Starting with eggs, Dr Perry used chemicals to trick them into beginning to turn into embryos. These would normally die, but when Dr Perry injected them with mouse sperm, many lived and went on to form healthy baby mice. Some of those mice even went on to have pups of their own.

Foods to help you sleep better

~Punch Nigeria. Wednesday, September 14, 2016.

Adding these foods to your diet may help to increase your odds of a successful slumber.

Some people have trouble falling asleep. Others can't stay asleep. And then there are the people who have trouble turning life "off" and tucking into bed at a reasonable hour.

Whatever the reason, the health benefits of a good night's rest are countless: sleep helps keep you happy, your brain sharp, your immune system strong, your waistline trim, your skin looking youthful-and lowers your risk of high blood pressure and heart disease.

Here's the good news: Adding these foods to your diet may help to increase your odds of a successful slumber.

• Fish

Most fish-and especially salmon, halibut and tuna-boast vitamin B6, which is needed to make melatonin (a sleep-inducing hormone triggered by darkness), according to an article published in the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences.

• Jasmine rice

When healthy sleepers ate carbohydrate-rich suppers of veggies and tomato sauce over rice, they fell asleep significantly faster at bedtime if the meal included high-glycemic-index (GI) jasmine rice rather than lower-GI long-grain rice, in a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. While the authors aren't sure how it happened, they speculated that the greater amounts of insulin triggered by the high-GI meals increased the ratio of sleep-inducing tryptophan relative to other amino acids in the blood, allowing proportionately more to get into the brain.

• Yogurt

Dairy products like yogurt and milk boast healthy doses of calcium-and there's research that suggests being calcium-deficient may make it difficult to fall asleep.

Hazards of consuming aloe vera

Written by Oladapo Ashiru

Professor of Anatomy/Consultant Reproductive Endocrinologist,

~Punch Nigeria. Wednesday, September 14, 2016.

Written by Oladapo Ashiru

Aloe vera is a succulent cactus plant species of the genus aloe, belonging to the family Liliaceae. It is widely known as "the Miracle plant" for its various medical, cosmetic and nutraceutical purposes. Aloe vera gel is a slick substance that is extracted from the interior of the aloe vera leaf, while latex refers to the yellow part which lies beneath the leaf skin. It grows in wild tropical climates around the world and it is cultivated for agricultural and medicinal use.

Aloe vera is a thick, short-stemmed plant that stores water in its leaves.

It is widely used in the cosmetic, pharmaceutical and food industries, and has an estimated annual market value of $13 billion globally .Aloe vera is well recognised by its thick, pointed and fleshy green leaves, which can grow to about 12-19 inches (30-50 cm) in length.

Each leaf is full of a slimy tissue that stores water, which makes the leaves thick. This slimy, water-filled tissue is the "gel" we associate with aloe vera products.

The gel contains most of the bioactive compounds in the plant, including vitamins, minerals, amino acids and antioxidants.

Bottom line: Aloe vera is a popular medicinal plant that is used in the cosmetic, pharmaceutical and food industries. Its leaves are full of a gel-like substance that contains numerous beneficial compounds.

Aloe vera is a good product for external use. If consumed orally over a long time, it has far-reaching medical consequences.

Benefits of external use of aloe vera

Applying aloe vera gel is considered safe. It has been employed for use on the skin because of its healing properties.

• It can be used on burns, skin abrasions, psoriasis and bug bites. Medical attention should be sought for severe burns, wounds, or frostbite. It can also be used in Human Papiloma Virus infection and for wound healing in people who are not allergic or sensitive to aloe.

Bearded woman makes it into Guinness Book of World Records

~Nigerian Tribune. Friday, September 9, 2016.

A beautiful bearded woman, Harnaam Kaur, stunned a global audience when when she was announced as world most bearded woman, thereby making in into the book of Guinness World Records for 2017.

Kaur, who is a body-image activist and runway model reacting to her award said: “I am super proud to hold this record, the inner child in me is so pleased. I grew up reading this book, I even tried breaking some of my own records wanting to be in this book,” Kaur, 24, wrote on Instagram Thursday. Rather than remove her facial hair — the result of a hormonal condition called polycystic ovarian syndrome, for which September happens to be awareness month — the British challenger of beauty norms has chosen to nurture her whiskers.

“It is amazing to be valued and celebrated being a Bearded Lady. I am proud to hold this amazing record,” she continued. “I hope those who read or see my record can take away positivity, inspiration and realise that no matter who you are or what you look like, you are officially amazing!”

Bearded-woman-site2

Yahoo News had reported that Kaur joins other beauty-themed record breakers this year, including Tyler Wright, who has what’s been deemed to be the largest afro (10 inches high and 9 inches wide); a group of 261 people in Milan who were recognized for the category Most People Wearing Their Hair in a Beehive; and Charlotte Guttenberg, 67, and her partner, Charles “Chuck” Helmke, both of Florida, for Most Tattooed Senior Citizens. Their bodies are covered with tats 91.5 percent and 93.75 percent, respectively.

Guinness has named Kaur the youngest female with a full beard. She began growing facial hair at age 11, and spent much of her adolescence dealing with shame, bullies, and efforts at hair removal. But at age 16, she made the decision to accept all of herself and embrace her beard.

Kaur’s confidence paid off, as last year she became the first woman to walk a major runway with a full beard, working the catwalk for jewelry designer Marianna Harutunian as part of Royal Fashion Day. Previously, she signed on to be a rep for model Tess Holliday’s social media campaign #EffYourBeautyStandards, spreading the love-yourself message to all.

The activist’s induction to Guinness has delighted Kaur’s many supporters. “I love that there was a record to break!” wrote one of her more than 61,000 Instagram followers. “Not because others have gone through the pain you have, but because it’s amazing to see ‘different’ celebrated and honoured. Congratulations!”

When your man needs 'outside' help'!

Written by Bunmi Sofola
~Vanguard Nigeria. Sunday, September 11, 2016.

With many of our men complaining of different types of 'accidents' in the bedroom, it is no surprise that the help of what is now termed a 'sexual surrogate' could come in handy. The average 'sexual surrogate' is not a prostitute but a trained psychotherapist who acts as a surrogate for men suffering from a variety of sexual problems which are hampering their ability to have a normal physical relationship.

Padma Deva is currently a highly successful surrogate based in the UK. She said she's never had a negative experience with a client, and far from feeling in any way degraded by her work, she finds it emotionally fulfilling.

According to her: "It is wonderful to witness the transformation my clients undergo, and knowing I have played a part in that is rewarding. During an initial consultation with a new client, I recommend a client sees their doctor to rule out physical causes for their sexual problems such as diabetes or high blood pressure."

If surrogacy is deemed appropriate, she asks her client to take a sexually transmitted disease test before hand. Only then can the surrogacy work begin. To start with, both client' and surrogate may remain fully clothed, focusing on exercises such as touching each other's hands, arms, shoulders and face. As the therapy advances, the client and the surrogate may build up to removing their clothes, engaging in genital contact and, if necessary and appropriate, full sexual intercourse.