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Peter Obi, the Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 general election has begged the Nigerian government to cultivate the habit of celebrating Nigerians that have contributed positively to the development of the country.
He made the suggestion on his Twitter (X) page after attending the biography book luncheon of Nigerian veteran footballer and Coach, Christian Chukwu.
He lauded the former footballer for his enormous contribution to Nigerian football.
In a message issued on his official X handle, the former Anambra governor noted that honoring past heroes who have made significant contributions is a progressive culture, and that those persons can serve as role models to the younger generation.
Obi said, “Celebrating past heroes like Christian Chukwu, and indeed other past heroes, who have made significant impacts in the country, remains a progressive culture that must be adopted by the government, at all levels, and indeed all Nigerians. We must learn to celebrate those who, in many ways, contributed positively and rightly to the development of our dear nation.
“Such heroes through their exemplary lives can serve as role models to the younger generation to remain committed to our development as a nation.I thank the organizers of the event for coming up with this idea. I do hope this will be replicated across the different sectors of the economy, recognizing and appreciating inspiring personalities in education, health, economy, etc. Such trends will encourage productivity among individuals and help us to achieve the New Nigeria of our dreams.”

A British boy who was thought to have been kidnapped by his estranged mother and grandfather six years ago is believed to have surfaced this week in France.
 

Alex Batty, now 17, was found in Revel, outside of Toulouse, on Wednesday, Dec. 13, La Depeche reported.
 

The teen – who is originally from Oldham in Greater Manchester – gave his own name and identity to local authorities, the outlet added.
 

He is thought to have run away on his own last week from some sort of “spiritual community,” the report continued.
 

Greater Manchester Police are working to verify the French authorities’ claims that Batty is who he says he is. 

Batty was only 11 years old when his mother, Melanie Batty, and his maternal grandfather, David Batty – neither of whom had custody of him – took him to Spain for a pre-agreed holiday on Sept. 30, 2017, the BBC reported.
 

The trio was last seen together at the Port of Malaga on Oct. 8 – but never returned to the UK, the outlet explained.

Batty’s grandmother, Susan Caruana, who had legal guardianship of him, later told the press that she believed Melanie and David took the child because they had a “different belief system.”
 

“They didn’t want him to go to school, they don’t believe in mainstream school,” the grieving grandmother explained, according to the BBC.
 

Authorities speculated that Melanie may have taken her son to a commune in Morocco, the Greater Manchester Police said in an appeal for information in 2019.
 

Melanie and David supposedly brought Batty into a traveling community of some sort, and had been moving between Ariège and Aude in the weeks before the teen’s discovery, La Depeche said.
 

Batty allegedly left the group of his own volition at the end of the last week, and was eventually hitchhiked with a trucker who noticed something was off about the teen’s situation, the outlet explained.
 

The truck driver reportedly alerted authorities.
 

Batty told his story “serenely and calmly,” La Depeche said.

Anthony Joshua and Deotany Wilder have reportedly agreed on a deal for their long-awaited fight in the new year.


However, both men must first win their fights next weekend in order to confirm the long-awaited heavyweight showdown.

According to ESPN journalist Mike Coppinger, a deal is in place for the two main protagonists to meet on March 9, so long as they both emerge victorious.


Back when they first tried to agree a deal in 2018 and 2019, the pair were heavyweight world champions and would have met in an undisputed showdown. But both have lost their titles.


Representatives for Joshua and Wilder initially agreed terms over the summer for a fight in Saudi Arabia this December. However, the agreement fell through.


Instead, both of the fighters will headline the upcoming ‘Day of Reckoning’ on December 23, 2023 in Saudi Arabia.


Joshua will square off with Otto Wallin, whilst Wilder will go toe-to-toe with New Zealand’s Joseph Parker.

Being a peacemaker isn’t easy. It’s not the passive existence of “keeping the peace,” or keeping your mouth shut to avoid confrontation. Instead, it’s an intentional, active state of existence that requires you to make careful–and sometimes difficult–decisions regarding the state of your relationship. Seeking and creating peace requires courage and fortitude.

Resolving conflict is marriage is difficult; because it can be so tricky to navigate, many couples find that unresolved issues and hurts begin to accumulate over time. In many cases, this leads to resentment and more frequent conflict. One way to combat this issue is to intentionally work to create peace in your marriage by uncovering and facing your issues head-on.

Today, we’re sharing 7 things you and your spouse can to do “seek peace and pursue it” in your marriage.

1. ENCOURAGE YOUR SPOUSE TO FACE ISSUES TOGETHER

You and your spouse can create peace together by facing down your conflicts, challenges, and issues as a team. The two of you are stronger together than you are apart, and if only one of you is fighting your battles, that could lead to resentment and conflict between the two of you. Put your heads together to create solutions and ideas that will lead you away from strife and toward a happy, peaceful existence together.

2. SPEAK THE TRUTH IN LOVE

Sometimes, you have to say things your spouse doesn’t want to hear. And you know it’s going to hurt you, too, when your spouse responds in pain or anger. Approach him or her in a loving way and lay all your cards on the table; if he or she has an issue that is hurting your marriage or family–or is even just harmful to them in some way–you have to put it out there. It could be addiction, hurtful behavior, or any number of things. Your spouse’s well being may depend on you speaking up. And if he or she goes down a destructive path, your marriage goes down, too.

3. BITE YOUR TONGUE

On the flipside, sometimes you have to check yourself to keep the peace. Do you tend to speak before you think, saying hurtful things in the process? Is it sometimes hard to rein in your temper when the going gets rough? If you want to seek peace first, it will pay dividends to learn when to hold your tongue and think about what you’re about to say before it comes out of your mouth.

4. ASK FOR HELP

If your marriage is in trouble and you can’t seem to achieve peace on your own, it’s healthy and wise to ask for help. A trusted friend, pastor, mentor, or counselor can help you determine your next steps toward establishing peace in your marriage. Do your best to get your spouse on board, and work together with that trusted person in order to get on solid ground.

5. BE THE FIRST TO APOLOGIZE

Whether or not your spouse is in the wrong alongside you doesn’t matter–what matters is whether you’re willing to step up and say you’re sorry first. Don’t wait around for your spouse to come to you; if you have something you need to apologize for, go ahead and do it. This will open the door for your spouse to respond in kind if he or she has been holding out. (Just be sure to only apologize if you actually have something to apologize for!)

6. OWN YOUR MISTAKES

Avoiding responsibility for bad decisions you make or hurtful things you say to your spouse will only make wounds fester and grow worse over time. Even though you might not want to admit to any wrongdoing, it’s best to bite the bullet and admit you made a mistake. Your spouse will be more likely to extend forgiveness sooner if you’re willing to own your part when you apologize.

7. DON’T SWEEP THINGS UNDER THE RUG

If you’ve got unresolved conflict under the surface of your marriage, sooner or later, it’s going to get bigger and bigger until you can’t handle it anymore. Don’t sweep issues under the rug, hide from them, or send them down the road; face them head-on, and acknowledge their presence so they’ll be less likely to keep growing.

How do you and your spouse “seek peace and pursue it”? Share your strategies in the comments!

Chidinma Agunobi professionally aligned as Princess Chidinma (Princess Salt) is a fast-rising curvy Nigerian actress, brand influencer, and filmmaker.

The Nollywood sensational actress, even with being an uprising one has garnered over 400,000 followers on her Instagram page.

PRINCESS CHIDINMA
WIKI DATA
Birth Name: Chidinma Agunobi
Stage Name: Princess Chidinma
Born: October 2 (N/A years old)
Birth Place: Southeast
State Of Origin: Imo State
Nationality: Nigerian
Occupation: Actress • Influencer
Net Worth: $100,000 – $250,000

Early Life

Princess Chidinma Agunobi, pretty, bootylicious, curvy, and dashing is a prominent Instagram user and entertainer fondly called princess salt.

Princess was born on October 2 in Owerri. She hails from Imo State.

Career

She has featured in movies like S*x Is Not The AnswerMarlian Prince amidst others.

She has worked with many famous people in the industry such as Helen Paul and Zack orji.

She is also known for her famous twerking and dance videos on Instagram.

Princess Chidinma is really creating attention on a social media
She said in one of her posts as she once opined;

You may not like my sense of clothing, or even how I pose, you may think about it as show off.. What to do?”

Nominations

She was nominated for the most fashionable actress of the year in the mainland TV fashion show.

Personal Life

For now, no information about Princess Chidinma being in a relationship is published anywhere online, this means she might be single or she’s archiving her private life from the public.

Net Worth

The Nollywood starlet, Princess Chidinma is cruised to have an estimated net worth of $100,000 – $250,000.

Social Media Handles

  • Instagram: @princessalt2
  • Phone Number: Not Available
  • Twitter: @Princess_Salt

The list of legends in the Nollywood sector would never be complete without the mention of Nkem Owoh. He is one of the icons who made sure that the western world accepted movies acted on Nigerian soil by Nigerian on-screen personalities globally.

Not exclusively did he travel out to perform in London, he also advertised African culture, foods, and every other way of life to the western world.

Nkem Owoh (born 7 February 1958) is a celebrated Nigerian actor, musician, comedian, and Nollywood icon.

In 2008, he won the African Movie Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his role in the Nigerian movie “Stronger than Pain.”

The movie, Osuofia In London was a National treasure during his prime, and it entrusted more fanbase to him.

NKEM OWOH
WIKI FACTS & ABOUT DATA
Full Name: Nkem Owoh
Stage Name: Osuofia
Born: 7 February 1958
Place of Birth: Udi, Enugu, Nigeria
State Of Origin: Enugu State
Nationality: Nigerian
Height: 1.50 m
Parents: N/A
Siblings: Bartholomew Owoh
Wife • Spouse: Ngozi Nkem Owoh (m. 1998)
Girlfriend • Partner: Chinwe Owoh (rum.)
Children: 2
Occupation: Actor • TV Personality
Net Worth: US$4 million

Augustine Miles Kelechi (born 17 December 1992) is a Nigerian entertainer prominently known as Tekno Miles.

He is a multi-gifted Nigerian singer, record producer and songwriter born on the 17 of December in the year 1990.

He is also known as Alhaji Tekkino who falls under the genre of Afrobeats, Hip pop and R and B.

He has been active in the music industry since 2012 up till date. He has vividly worked with Record labels like Kmoney EntertainmentMade Men Music Group and Island Universal Cartel.

Tekno happens to be the writer of hit songs, If and Fall for African Afrobeat big fish, Davido.

He was born in Bauchi State a part of Nigeria. Prior to fame, he was actually spotted by a Nigerian comedian popularly known as Julius Agwu at an event in Abuja after performing his song titled, Onye Ne Kwu which is a remix of Ice Prince’s hit song, Oleku.

It was the same event he met two of Nigeria prominent stars, Iyanya and Ubi Franklin which led to his signing to Triple MG.

TEKNO MILES

WIKI FACTS & ABOUT DATA
Full Name: Augustine Miles Kelechi
Stage Name: Tekno Miles
Born: 17 December 1992
Place of Birth: Bauchi
State Of Origin: Ebonyi State
Nationality: Nigerian
Parents: N/A
Height: N/A
Siblings: N/A
Girlfriend • Wife: Lola Rae
Occupation: Musician • Record Producer
Net Worth: $3,000,000

Early Life

Augustine Miles Kelechi sensationally known as Tekno hails from Ivo Local Government in Ebonyi State, Nigeria.

He was apparently born in Bauchi State into a family comprising of six children which is a total of five boys which he happens to one of them and one girl.

Tekno was conceived in 1992 on the 17th day off December which he celebrates his birthdays.

He was enrolled in music school at he tender age of 8 where he leant how to play a piano and guitar.

He has resided in many other States in Nigeria like Nassarawa, Kaduna and Abuja.

Education

Tekno Miles got enrolled in music school at the age of 8 where he mastered piano and guitar perfectly.

He also attended Heritage School in Kaduna where he also had his secondary school education.

He is not a graduate which he made known in his statement; “I no go school yet I count millions.”

Career

Tekno released his first song which gained massive airplay when he was first officially signed to K-money Entertainment.

He included the Nigerian Superstar, Davido on the song which attracted fans to check out the song. He then met with Ubi Franklin and Iyanya at an event in the year 2012 where he was advised to move down to Lagos to continue his music career for better opportunities which he did.

On moving down to Nigerian mega and commercial state, Lagos, he then signed a recording contract with Made Men Music Group in the year 2013.

Shortly after he had achieved the recording deal with Nigerian top notch record label, Triple MG, he released three singles that earned him a nomination.

Tekno Has won some Awards as a credit to his career and some of them are Best New Act at the 2014 Nigerian Entertainment Awards, Best Pop Extra Video at the 9th Nigeria Music Video Awards. Best New Act at the MTV Africa Music Awards amongst others.

Discography

Tekno has a single album titled, Old Romance and many singles. Some of them are;

  • Dance
  • Mess
  • Wash
  • Samantha
  • Mama featuring Wizkid
  • Skeletun
  • PuTTin
  • Surulere
  • Pana

Social Media

The gifted Nigerian singer and songwriter, Tekno is one of the most followed Nigerian musician on the internet space with active social media fans. He has over 8.5 million followers on Instagram.

Instagram handle – @teknomiles

Personal Life

Tekno is vividly in a relationship with a Nigerian singer, Rachel Akosua Garton popularly known as Lola Rae.

They both welcomed a child in the year 2018.

Net Worth

Tekno has marked himself as one of the most sought-after musicians in the Nigerian entertainment industry, home and abroad.

He has a good working relationship with the likes of Drake amongst others and has also featured in The Lion King musical project which was pioneered by Beyoncé.

Tekno Miles has amassed an estimated net worth figured at $3,000,000. There has been a rumored that it was clearly stated by Forbes.

Veteran Nollywood actor and lawyer, Kenneth Okonkwo has lambasted President Bola Tinubu.
This comes after the government ordered the removal of the ‘All eyes on the judiciary’ billboard.
Recall that top officials of the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCO) were suspended and their units disbanded following the “All eyes on the judiciary” billboards which surfaced in Abuja and a few other states.
The board stated that the director and deputy director of the Advertising Standards Panel of the council were suspended to enable unprejudiced investigation of the issue.
The director general, Olalekan Fadolapo said that the officials failed to diligently exercise their gatekeeping function.
“The “All eyes on the judiciary” billboards have been trending on social media for some days, as the date of judgement in the presidential election petitions draws close.
 
“The attention of the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) has been drawn to the “All Eyes on the Judiciary” advertisements exposed on some billboards across the country,” the statement reads.
Reacting to the situation via Twitter, Okonkwo stated that the sanctions on the members of the advertising panel shows there is no freedom of speech in Nigeria.
He wrote: “The removal of “all eyes on judiciary” billboards and sanctioning of members of the Advertising Panel show that in Nigeria today, there’s no freedom after speech. Nigeria now has an Idi Amin as President. O’God, please give us a democrat as President. Indeed all eyes on judiciary.”

Daniel Etim Effiong (born 24th June 1988) is a multi-talented and award-winning Nigerian actor and content producer.

He is one of the most spectacular actors on set ever to grace the Nigerian movie industry. 

With his versatility, he dived into production and is celebrated for his contribution to several movie productions.

DANIEL ETIM EFFIONG
WIKI FACTS & ABOUT DATA
Real Name: Daniel Etim Effiong
Born: 24 June 1988
Place of Birth: Jaji, Kaduna, Nigeria
State Of Origin: Akwa Ibom
Nationality: Nigerian
Height: 1.80 m
Parents: Moses Effiong
Siblings: N/A
Wife • Spouse: Toyosi Phillips
Girlfriend • Partner: N/A
Children: 1
Occupation: Actor • Filmmaker
Net Worth: US$300,000-US$400,000

Early Life

Daniel Etim Effiong was birthed in Jaji, Kaduna State, Nigeria, and had previously lived in Benin City, Edo State, Lagos, and Abuja. He is an indigene of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.

His father was a soldier in the Nigerian army. His father, former Lt. Col. Moses Effiong, was given a formal presidential pardon by Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, including five others sentenced to life in prison in 1986.

They received the punishment after they reportedly thwarted Vatsa Coup during Ibrahim Babangida‘s military dictatorship on charges of treason concealment against the regime and were released in 1993 but without official proclamation or restoration of positions and remunerations.

Education

Daniel Etim Effiong received his primary education at St. Mary’s Private School in Lagos Island, Lagos, and then continued his secondary education at Government College in Ikorodu, Lagos. 

He then went to the Federal University of Technology in Minna, Niger State, where he studied chemical engineering and graduated with a bachelor’s degree. 

After a brief stint as an engineer in the oil and gas business, Daniel Etim Effiong decided to change occupations and enrolled at the AFDA Film School in South Africa to study filmmaking, writing, and directing at the University of Johannesburg.

Career

After quitting his oil and gas profession, Daniel Etim Effiong became a content producer for NdaniTV.

In 2017, he directed “Prey,” a five-minute short film produced by his recently married wife Toyosi and starring Tope Tedela and Odenike Odetola.

Bland2Glam featured him in her #thePowerof7 campaign in 2019 to commemorate her seven years in the fashion profession.

In the 2019 comedy film Plan B, he portrays Dele Coker, a Nigerian CEO of a Nairobi-based company, with Kenyan actresses Sarah Hassan and Catherine Kamau. He was nominated for the 7th AMVCA Awards in the category of Best Actor in a Comedy (Movie/TV Series) for the film.

In the year 2020, Daniel Etim Effiong starred in many films. He starred in “Fish Bone,” a film directed by Editi Effiong and featuring Shaffy Bello and Moshood Fattah

Daniel Etim Effiong appeared in the short film “Storm,” written by Diane Russet and directed by Michael ‘AMA Psalmist’ Akinrogunde, starring Ike Onyema and Atteh ‘SirDee’ Daniel. In 2020, he directed the movie “Skin,” which was created by Beverly Naya. It was supposed to air on NETFLIX.

Filmography

  • Gidi Up (2013)
  • New Money (2018)
  • Castle & Castle (2018) 
  • From Lagos with Love (2018) 
  • The Men’s Club (2018) 
  • Plan B (2019) 
  • Makate Must Sell (2019) 
  • Brethren (2019) 
  • Òlòturé (2019) 
  • Looped (2020) 
  • Still Falling (2021)

Personal Life

Daniel Etim Effiong is married to Toyosi PhillipsToyosi Phillips wears different hats in the Nigerian entertainment industry, and she is a well-known media personality, author, and television producer. 

They dated for a long time before Daniel Etim Effiong proposed to her on his birthday in 2017. Their union is blessed with a child.

Net Worth

Daniel Etim Effiong has an estimated net worth of US$300,000 to US$400,000. He is practically making his fortune through filmmaking and movie roles.

Social Media handles

Daniel Etim Effiong is active on Instagram @DEtimEffiong. He has a large fan base consisting mainly of the female gender.

Renowned Nollywood actor Joseph Benjamin has revealed that failed movie gigs turned him into a cab driver after he moved to the U.S.

The 46-year-old disclosed that he relocated to the US after someone promised him movie gigs, but the individual later disappointed him.

He made this known while appearing on the latest episode of the Teju Babyface Deep Dive podcast hosted by comedian Teju Oyelakin.

He said, “I got to America on a promise that I had some gigs waiting for me. So I thought I was going to have a soft landing there. I packed up everything from Nigeria, bought a one-way ticket, and came to America.

“I was put in a well-furnished house and all of that. Then two days later, the person who I was supposed to book a deal with said to me, ‘Those our financiers have pulled out. They have an issue.’

“So, I said, what do I do? He was like, ‘From next month on, you will have to start paying rent in this house.’ The amount of the one-month rent was equivalent to a one-year rent in Nigeria.

“I’m like, ‘I’m not earning any money so what do I do?’ I don’t know what to do. So, shot into that life, I had to figure out what to do. I had nowhere to go. Nothing to turn to. 

“My phone was buzzing, like, ‘When are you coming back to Nigeria? We have this gig for you.’ $1,500 was all I came to America with. How do I buy a ticket to go back to Nigeria?”

Benjamin also disclosed that he drove Uber, Lyft, and delivered Amazon packages to pay his bills in America.

“And then someone gave me a car. I’m like, What do I do with the car? And they said Uber. I was driving for Uber and Lyft to pay my bills.

“I carried a lot of Nigerians, my name on the Uber App was Joseph. The moment they get in or three minutes into the journey, they know I’m the one.”

1. Teach Them To Learn the difference between a good and bad stranger

 Good strangers are people you don’t know but they are there to help you, such as a police officer or a doctor. However, bad strangers are people whom you don’t know, who want to hurt you, do something that will make you feel uncomfortable or might take you away from your mom and dad. Bad strangers are the ones you need to stay away from.

2. Teach Them To Quickly walk away if a stranger approaches Them

 If they start following you, then something isn’t right and you must tell a trusted adult about this. Walk as fast as you can to your parents, a trusted neighbor, or try to find a police officer. But never go to your home if you are followed! Because the stranger would know where do you live.

3. Inform Your Kids That If Grabbed by a Stranger, They Should Start kicking and screaming

 Fight like your life depends on it. Scream at the top of your lungs, kick the stranger very hard, and even roughly bite their hand if you need to. Do whatever you possibly can to escape. Squirming helps too! The stranger should drop you and scurry since kidnappers hate attention.The stranger may try covering your mouth. If that does happen, keep screaming, and kick just as hard.

Below are some suggestions on what you can scream:

  • Let me go!
  • You’re not my mom!
  • You’re not my dad!
  • Stop!
  • Somebody, help me!
  • Call the police!
  • Stranger Danger!

 

4. Inform Them To Run and tell an adult, for example, Their parents, teacher(s), Police Officer(s) etc. 

Tell the adult that you were grabbed by a stranger. The adult should contact emergency services immediately.

  • Learn the phone number of your parents, siblings, best friends, and the police. If you can’t remember things well, make a note and keep it in your pockets.
  • If you suspect a stranger is following you, walk in a loop around a block to be sure.
  • Never choose the lesser crowded lane to run if you see a more crowded place.
  • If you see a group appearing like they are a family, ask them to call your parents.
  • A mall or a shop can be safe to find more people. Run inside one if around and use their phone to make a call to the police by dialing 911 (if you live in USA).
  • Carry some coins with you, just in case.

5. Teach Them To Bite Them As Hard As They Can

 Move your head from side to side to make it more painful.

6. Teach them that Strangers will use treats or toys to trick children into going somewhere with them, so If Offered Goodies by a Stranger, then they should do the following:

 Just say no and never, ever get into a car with a stranger, no matter what they say. Ignore them and run as fast as you can to your parents or someone you know.

Beware of candy or anything edible offered by a stranger. Food offered by strangers may not be wrapped, which possibly gives a red flag that toxic ingredients were added.

6. Teach them Never smile at strangers

 Never smile or smile back when someone smiles at you. Look alert. If you see someone smiling at others, don’t keep looking at them. You don’t know what they may be up to.

7. Teach Them To Wear comfortable clothes

 If you walk out of home, be sure to wear comfortable clothes and shoes that allow you to run.

8. Teach them to Carry a self-defense toy

 Having something that could be used to hit hard, make a sound, create light can all be used in time of emergencies. (e.g. pepper spray, but be careful with it!)

9. Inform them that a stranger may ask them to help them look for a pet or carry something for them. So If asked to Help a Stranger, then Doing The following would be the best option

Say no and walk away; they should be asking for an adult’s help, not yours! If an adult asks you to help them find their dog, carry items to their car, or help them do something, it’s okay to say no. Adults should go to other adults for help, not children. Say no and tell an adult right away. Remember, safety is more important than manners.

Maintain a Positive Mindset

When you have advanced notice that you may have to see or talk to your spouse, it can help to go into that moment with a positive mindset. While there may still be some form of tension in the air between the two of you, you can go into the event with the goal of being friendly in conversation.

In addition, it can be very easy to badmouth your spouse when you do not have to see them. Avoiding this temptation is one of the keys to maintaining a positive mindset. If your spouse is being difficult, remain calm, take a deep breath, and try to avoid letting negative thoughts manifest themselves in spoken word.

Keep Your Boundaries In Mind

A positive approach to your ex does not require you to abandon your boundaries; in fact, the opposite is true. Interacting with your soon-to-be ex-spouse after your divorce does not mean that they are either your enemy or your friend. Love and hate are said to be the opposite sides of the same coin. It may be better to treat your ex neutrally, as an acquaintance, and in that way, you maintain the boundaries you set up for yourself after your divorce while remaining cordial for the sake of your children. Keeping your spouse at arm’s length can help you maintain the boundaries you have set up to protect yourself and also deescalates negative emotions that are bad for you and your children. This may be the best thing for your own wellbeing while allowing you to maintain a cordial approach to your ex for the sake of your children.

It is important to keep your children’s best interests at the forefront of your mind when presented with these types of moments. It may be best for them to maintain a healthy relationship with your spouse, and being angry or negative around your ex could impact that relationship and potentially your children’s development.

Remember Your Children May Be Listening

Children pick up behaviors from their parents and form their beliefs and opinions based on what is said and done around them. How you act around your spouse in front of your children can have a big impact on how your children view that parent or even you.

What you say about your spouse when your children are around can make an impact on them, as well. Speaking negatively about your spouse while on the phone with someone can have a similar impact on your children if they hear what you say.

1. Improves Digestion

Digestive problems improve with the inclusion of raw garlic in the diet. It benefits the intestines and reduces inflammation. Eating raw garlic helps to clear out intestinal worms. The good thing is that it destroys the bad bacteria and protects the good bacteria in the gut.

2. Balances Blood Sugar

Those who suffer from diabetes observe their blood sugar levels regulating the consumption of raw garlic.

Based on my observations, garlic has been potentially used in traditional medicine for ages. It’s pretty fascinating how it can be helpful in different things. For instance, studies have shown that garlic may be effective in dealing with warts, denture stomatitis, venous ulcers, and even skin wounds. So, if you’re dealing with any of these issues, using garlic might just do the trick.

3. Boosts Immunity

Garlic protects against free radicals and prevents damage to the DNA. Zinc in garlic promotes immunity. Vitamin C helps to fight off infections. It is very beneficial against eye and ear infections as it has antimicrobial properties.

4. Improves Skin Health

Garlic helps prevent acne and lightens acne scars. Cold sores, psoriasis, rashes, and blisters can all benefit from the application of garlic juice. It also protects against UV rays and therefore prevents ageing.

5. Wards Off Cough and Cold

Raw garlic has the potential to ward off cough and cold infections. Eating two crushed garlic cloves on an empty stomach has the maximum benefit. For kids and babies, hanging garlic cloves in a thread around their necks is supposed to relieve congestion symptoms.

From what I have seen, garlic oil might possess anti-inflammatory properties. In cases of soreness and inflammation in joints or muscles, applying garlic oil topically may be beneficial. Rubbing the affected area with garlic oil can potentially help reduce inflammation and provide relief.

6. Good for Cardiac Health

Allicin, a compound found in garlic stops the oxidizing of LDL (bad cholesterol). This reduces cholesterol levels and improves heart health. Regular consumption of garlic reduces the incidence of blood clots and thus helps prevent thromboembolism. Garlic also lowers blood pressure so is good for patients with hypertension. Read more on How to control high blood pressure.

7. Improves Brain Functioning

Garlic promotes brain health because of its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It is effective against neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia. Also, read more on the best brain foods to include in your diet.

I think that garlic might be good for your arteries and blood pressure. When we eat garlic, the sulphur in it gets converted into a gas called hydrogen sulphide. This gas may help expand our blood vessels, which makes it easier to control blood pressure. However, it’s always a good idea to talk to your doctor about whether adding more garlic to your diet might be beneficial or not.

8. Prevents Cancer and Peptic Ulcer

Because of a high amount of antioxidants, garlic protects the body against lung, prostate, bladder, stomach, liver and colon cancer. The antibacterial action of garlic prevents peptic ulcers as it eliminates the contagion from the gut.

9. Good for Weight Loss

Garlic reduces the expression of genes responsible for the formation of adipose cells which store fat. It also increases thermogenesis in the body and leads to the burning of more fat and the lowering of LDL (bad cholesterol).

Apart from the fact that it is good for weight loss, garlic is highly nutritional. In fact, one clove of raw garlic, which is around 3 grams, contains:

Manganese, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Selenium, Fiber, calcium, copper, potassium, iron, etc.

10. May Improve Athletic Performance

Garlic is considered one of the best ”performance enhancing”  substances. In olden times, the item was used to treat fatigue and improve the work capacity of labourers. Studies on rodents suggest consuming garlic helps in improving exercise performance. People who had heart disease consumed garlic for 6 weeks and this resulted in a 12% reduction in their heart rate and better exercise capacity.

1. No accountability

These workers (or managers) don’t exercise responsibility and own up to “their stuff” when “their stuff” is at fault. Remember the old saying “For every finger that you point at someone, there are three pointing back at you”?

They are often critical, can’t admit to their own mistakes, are never wrong, and will blame their colleagues (or subordinates, if it’s a manager) when something goes wrong, even if it’s not based on reality. They are simply not accountable for their own actions. They are more concerned with preserving their reputation and saving face.

2. Sabotage

This example is quite astonishing if you find yourself sharing space with such a person. They will go way out of their way to sabotage anything you’re trying to get done, putting obstacles in your way, and spreading rumors (gossiping).

There’s usually a personal vendetta at work here. Perhaps you’re up for a promotion and your co-worker, who thinks he is more deserving, didn’t get the job. Now he’s out to make your life miserable and spin a negative campaign against you.

Now you’re left with covering your bases to protect yourself — writing more detailed emails than usual, CC’ing and BCC’ing more people than normal, documenting everything, and making backup copies of stuff in the event a false accusation comes your way.

3. Negative cliques and gossipers

One clear sign of a toxic work environment is a group of disgruntled employees actively acting out their unhappiness.

They are quick to gossip, and even quicker to crucify leadership and company direction. They’re basically corporate teenagers whose time with the company is about to expire, and who now rely on each other for strength and safety.

Keep a close eye out for their whereabouts, especially in a remote setting; they may go out of their way to befriend new hires to vilify someone or something and spread their cancer.

4. Micromanagement

As an employee, the feeling of watching your back is never a pleasant one. It means you either fear or loathe your manager and facing him or her during the day probably means bad news because the exchange is never positive.

This type of manager will create a toxic culture of distrust where it’s not safe to disclose information, offer input, or work in close collaboration.

Job survival under this type of dictatorship is day-to-day, due to the unpredictability of the environment. Confiding in a co-worker is also risky — they may really be your enemies who’ve built alliances with toxic management to win their favor. And trusting your manager is just corporate suicide.

Senior leaders and HR chiefs need to keep an eye out for micromanagers close to the front lines and proactively filter them out of the organization before losing valued employees.

5. Triangulating

Picture a sensitive situation in which a manager will not communicate directly with a subordinate or peer, but will gladly reach out to communicate with a third person, which can lead to that person (who may not even be involved in the situation) becoming part of the problem.

Sometimes this manager will even play the two people against each other. Welcome to triangulating. This is a typical dysfunctional pattern of managers who don’t have the courage to deal directly with an issue by communicating honesty to diffuse the situation.

6. Toxic communication patterns

This may be the most prevalent sign of a toxic workplace, and it runs everywhere — across functions and between different departments, with customers, and certainly between employees and managers. It is displayed in various forms which include the following:

Lack of communication:

Basically, staff gets word of major developments that affect their areas of responsibility after they have been implemented (surprise!). Important decisions come mostly through passive means like emails, text, messaging apps, but never in person.

Hiding behind your digital comfort zone:

The digital era is causing a slow degeneration in our ability to verbally communicate. The speed of communicating in 280 characters or less is certainly convenient but diminishes the ability to verbally engage colleagues and customers when necessary. If this rings true for you, it means courageously stepping out from behind your digital comfort zone to deal directly with the unpredictability of human emotions. This is what generations past used to do, and it’s often the quickest route in cutting through conflict or setting clear expectations with intention if you’re a leader.

Failure to listen:

Effective communication isn’t just about talking, but intuitively listening by taking the pulse of the organization. It means asking questions and gathering feedback in order to make good decisions. This is what great leaders do.

Withholding information:

This is typically a sign of control or shady behavior. It’s also a red flag: If someone can’t be transparent, there’s usually something else going on they don’t want you to know.

It is the responsibility of every manager and employee to watch out for each other and ensure that toxic behaviors are dealt with swiftly. To counter toxic behaviors in your midst, expose the problem, talk about it, and campaign against it with those who are in your corner. And be ready to leave if the workplace becomes a hostile environment. That’s when it’s time to cut ties with your company.

Building a healthy relationship

All romantic relationships go through ups and downs and they all take work, commitment, and a willingness to adapt and change with your partner. But whether your relationship is just starting out or you’ve been together for years, there are steps you can take to build a healthy relationship. Even if you’ve experienced a lot of failed relationships in the past or have struggled before to rekindle the fires of romance in your current relationship, you can find ways to stay connected, find fulfillment, and enjoy lasting happiness.

What makes a healthy relationship?

Every relationship is unique, and people come together for many different reasons. Part of what defines a healthy relationship is sharing a common goal for exactly what you want the relationship to be and where you want it to go. And that’s something you’ll only know by talking deeply and honestly with your partner.

However, there are also some characteristics that most healthy relationships have in common. Knowing these basic principles can help keep your relationship meaningful, fulfilling and exciting whatever goals you’re working towards or challenges you’re facing together.

Falling in love vs. staying in love

For most people, falling in love usually seems to just happen. It’s staying in love—or preserving that “falling in love” experience—that requires commitment and work. Given its rewards, though, it’s well worth the effort. A healthy, secure romantic relationship can serve as an ongoing source of support and happiness in your life, through good times and bad, strengthening all aspects of your wellbeing. By taking steps now to preserve or rekindle your falling in love experience, you can build a meaningful relationship that lasts—even for a lifetime.

Many couples focus on their relationship only when there are specific, unavoidable problems to overcome. Once the problems have been resolved they often switch their attention back to their careers, kids, or other interests. However, romantic relationships require ongoing attention and commitment for love to flourish. As long as the health of a romantic relationship remains important to you, it is going to require your attention and effort. And identifying and fixing a small problem in your relationship now can often help prevent it from growing into a much larger one down road.

The following tips can help you to preserve that falling in love experience and keep your romantic relationship healthy.

1. Be willing to forgive

 Resolving conflict is impossible if you’re unwilling or unable to forgive others.

2. If tempers flare, take a break

 Take a few minutes to relieve stress and calm down before you say or do something you’ll regret. Always remember that you’re arguing with the person you love.

3. Know when to let something go

 If you can’t come to an agreement, agree to disagree. It takes two people to keep an argument going. If a conflict is going nowhere, you can choose to disengage and move on.

4. Be prepared for ups and downs

It’s important to recognize that there are ups and downs in every relationship. You won’t always be on the same page. Sometimes one partner may be struggling with an issue that stresses them, such as the death of a close family member. Other events, like job loss or severe health problems, can affect both partners and make it difficult to relate to each other. You might have different ideas of managing finances or raising children.

Different people cope with stress differently, and misunderstandings can rapidly turn to frustration and anger.

5. Don’t take out your problems on your partner

 Life stresses can make us short tempered. If you are coping with a lot of stress, it might seem easier to vent with your partner, and even feel safer to snap at them. Fighting like this might initially feel like a release, but it slowly poisons your relationship. Find other healthier ways to manage your stress, anger, and frustration.

6. Trying to force a solution can cause even more problems

Every person works through problems and issues in their own way. Remember that you’re a team. Continuing to move forward together can get you through the rough spots.

7. Look back to the early stages of your relationship

 Share the moments that brought the two of you together, examine the point at which you began to drift apart, and resolve how you can work together to rekindle that falling in love experience.

8. Be open to change

Change is inevitable in life, and it will happen whether you go with it or fight it. Flexibility is essential to adapt to the change that is always taking place in any relationship, and it allows you to grow together through both the good times and the bad.

9. If you need outside help for your relationship, reach out together

 Sometimes problems in a relationship can seem too complex or overwhelming for you to handle as a couple. Couples therapy or talking together with a trusted friend or religious figure can help.

10. Spend quality time face to face

You fall in love looking at and listening to each other. If you continue to look and listen in the same attentive ways, you can sustain the falling in love experience over the long term. You probably have fond memories of when you were first dating your loved one. Everything seemed new and exciting, and you likely spent hours just chatting together or coming up with new, exciting things to try. However, as time goes by, the demands of work, family, other obligations, and the need we all have for time to ourselves can make it harder to find time together.

Many couples find that the face-to-face contact of their early dating days is gradually replaced by hurried texts, emails, and instant messages. While digital communication is great for some purposes, it doesn’t positively impact your brain and nervous system in the same way as face-to-face communication. Sending a text or a voice message to your partner saying “I love you” is great, but if you rarely look at them or have the time to sit down together, they’ll still feel you don’t understand or appreciate them. And you’ll become more distanced or disconnected as a couple. The emotional cues you both need to feel loved can only be conveyed in person, so no matter how busy life gets, it’s important to carve out time to spend together.

11. Commit to spending some quality time together on a regular basis

No matter how busy you are, take a few minutes each day to put aside your electronic devices, stop thinking about other things, and really focus on and connect with your partner.

12. Find something that you enjoy doing together

 Whether it is a shared hobby, dance class, daily walk, or sitting over a cup of coffee in the morning.

13. Try something new together

 Doing new things together can be a fun way to connect and keep things interesting. It can be as simple as trying a new restaurant or going on a day trip to a place you’ve never been before.

14. Focus on having fun together

Couples are often more fun and playful in the early stages of a relationship. However, this playful attitude can sometimes be forgotten as life challenges start getting in the way or old resentments start building up. Keeping a sense of humor can actually help you get through tough times, reduce stress and work through issues more easily. Think about playful ways to surprise your partner, like bringing flowers home or unexpectedly booking a table at their favorite restaurant. Playing with pets or small children can also help you reconnect with your playful side.

15. Do things together that benefit others

One the most powerful ways of staying close and connected is to jointly focus on something you and your partner value outside of the relationship. Volunteering for a cause, project, or community work that has meaning for both of you can keep a relationship fresh and interesting. It can also expose you both to new people and ideas, offer the chance to tackle new challenges together, and provide fresh ways of interacting with each other.

As well as helping to relieve stress, anxiety, and depression, doing things to benefit others delivers immense pleasure. Human beings are hard-wired to help others. The more you help, the happier you’ll feel——as individuals and as a couple.

 16. Stay connected through communication

Good communication is a fundamental part of a healthy relationship. When you experience a positive emotional connection with your partner, you feel safe and happy. When people stop communicating well, they stop relating well, and times of change or stress can really bring out the disconnect. It may sound simplistic, but as long as you are communicating, you can usually work through whatever problems you’re facing.

17. Tell your partner what you need, don’t make them guess

It’s not always easy to talk about what you need. For one, many of us don’t spend enough time thinking about what’s really important to us in a relationship. And even if you do know what you need, talking about it can make you feel vulnerable, embarrassed, or even ashamed. But look at it from your partner’s point of view. Providing comfort and understanding to someone you love is a pleasure, not a burden.

If you’ve known each other for a while, you may assume that your partner has a pretty good idea of what you are thinking and what you need. However, your partner is not a mind-reader. While your partner may have some idea, it is much healthier to express your needs directly to avoid any confusion.

Your partner may sense something, but it might not be what you need. What’s more, people change, and what you needed and wanted five years ago, for example, may be very different now. So instead of letting resentment, misunderstanding, or anger grow when your partner continually gets it wrong, get in the habit of telling them exactly what you need.

18. Take note of your partner’s nonverbal cues

So much of our communication is transmitted by what we don’t say. Nonverbal cues, which include eye contact, tone of voice, posture, and gestures such as leaning forward, crossing your arms, or touching someone’s hand, communicate much more than words.

When you can pick up on your partner’s nonverbal cues or “body language,” you’ll be able to tell how they really feel and be able to respond accordingly. For a relationship to work well, each person has to understand their own and their partner’s nonverbal cues. Your partner’s responses may be different from yours. For example, one person might find a hug after a stressful day a loving mode of communication—while another might just want to take a walk together or sit and chat.

It’s also important to make sure that what you say matches your body language. If you say “I’m fine,” but you clench your teeth and look away, then your body is clearly signaling you are anything but “fine.”

When you experience positive emotional cues from your partner, you feel loved and happy, and when you send positive emotional cues, your partner feels the same. When you stop taking an interest in your own or your partner’s emotions, you’ll damage the connection between you and your ability to communicate will suffer, especially during stressful times.

19. Be a good listener

While a great deal of emphasis in our society is put on talking, if you can learn to listen in a way that makes another person feel valued and understood, you can build a deeper, stronger connection between you.

There’s a big difference between listening in this way and simply hearing. When you really listen—when you’re engaged with what’s being said—you’ll hear the subtle intonations in your partner’s voice that tells you how they’re really feeling and the emotions they’re trying to communicate. Being a good listener doesn’t mean you have to agree with your partner or change your mind. But it will help you find common points of view that can help you to resolve conflict.

20. Manage stress

When you’re stressed or emotionally overwhelmed, you’re more likely to misread your romantic partner, send confusing or off-putting nonverbal signals, or lapse into unhealthy knee-jerk patterns of behavior. How often have you been stressed and flown off the handle at your loved one and said or done something you later regretted?

If you can learn to quickly manage stress and return to a calm state, you’ll not only avoid such regrets, but you’ll also help to avoid conflict and misunderstandings——and even help to calm your partner when tempers build.

21. Keep physical intimacy alive

Touch is a fundamental part of human existence. Studies on infants have shown the importance of regular, affectionate contact for brain development. And the benefits don’t end in childhood. Affectionate contact boosts the body’s levels of oxytocin, a hormone that influences bonding and attachment.

While s*x is often a cornerstone of a committed relationship, it shouldn’t be the only method of physical intimacy. Frequent, affectionate touch—holding hands, hugging, kissing—is equally important.

Of course, it’s important to be sensitive to what your partner likes. Unwanted touching or inappropriate overtures can make the other person tense up and retreat—exactly what you don’t want. As with so many other aspects of a healthy relationship, this can come down to how well you communicate your needs and intentions with your partner.

Even if you have pressing workloads or young children to worry about, you can help to keep physical intimacy alive by carving out some regular couple time, whether that’s in the form of a date night or simply an hour at the end of the day when you can sit and talk or hold hands.

22. Learn to give and take in your relationship

If you expect to get what you want 100% of the time in a relationship, you are setting yourself up for disappointment. Healthy relationships are built on compromise. However, it takes work on each person’s part to make sure that there is a reasonable exchange.

23. Recognize what’s important to your partner

Knowing what is truly important to your partner can go a long way towards building goodwill and an atmosphere of compromise. On the flip side, it’s also important for your partner to recognize your wants and for you to state them clearly. Constantly giving to others at the expense of your own needs will only build resentment and anger.

24. Don’t make “winning” your goal

If you approach your partner with the attitude that things have to be your way or else, it will be difficult to reach a compromise. Sometimes this attitude comes from not having your needs met while younger, or it could be years of accumulated resentment in the relationship reaching a boiling point. It’s alright to have strong convictions about something, but your partner deserves to be heard as well. Be respectful of the other person and their viewpoint.

25. Learn how to respectfully resolve conflict

Conflict is inevitable in any relationship, but to keep a relationship strong, both people need to feel they’ve been heard. The goal is not to win but to maintain and strengthen the relationship.

26. Make sure you are fighting fair

 Keep the focus on the issue at hand and respect the other person. Don’t start arguments over things that cannot be changed.

27. Don’t attack someone directly 

But use “I” statements to communicate how you feel. For example, instead of saying, “You make me feel bad” try “I feel bad when you do that”.

28. Don’t drag old arguments into the mix

Rather than looking to past conflicts or grudges and assigning blame, focus on what you can do in the here-and-now to solve the problem.

1. Change button size and placement

If a button is too small or in the wrong spot on a mobile website, it can be difficult to use. Most mobile device users use their thumbs for navigation, so buttons should be large enough to hit with a thumb.

Users should also be able to hit any button on your website with their thumb when scrolling, meaning buttons should be located toward the bottom of the page.

2. Use HTML5 instead of Adobe Flash

Adobe Flash is popular for animations; however, it is not supported by mobile devices. Avoid using Flash on your websites, and use HTML5 instead.

HTML5 lets you do many actions online without using browser plugins. You can embed movies and music as well as create animations using HTML5, which is supported by mobile devices.

3. Avoid pop-ups

Pop-ups work well on desktop versions of websites, but not on mobile devices.

Pop-ups are hard to view on smaller screens, and you can’t trigger pop-ups at certain moments — such as when a user exits your site or hits the Contact Us section. It can also be difficult for users to close out of pop-ups from a mobile screen because the X in the corner might not be visible.

4. Space out links

Think about how hard it can be to accurately use your thumb to click a link as opposed to using a mouse. To help people click the link they want, space out your links.

It’s also best to limit the number of links to avoid a sea of blue, and limit the number of redirections that take users to another site for a better user experience on a mobile device. If you have a link that takes users to another site, make visitors aware that they are leaving your site, such as, “Click here to see Company XYZ’s new website.”

5. Declutter web design

Don’t clutter a website by adding multiple calls to action on one page. If there are too many actions for users to take, it can be difficult to navigate on a smaller screen and cause confusion. Use only the critical functions the users would actively look for, such as the contact form.

Make sure the design is simple so that the navigation is easy to understand. Use white space so that users can see everything at a glance and keep content organized. Also, remove any outdated content so that it doesn’t take up unnecessary space or confuse users.

For menus, avoid long lists of options and features. A menu with all available navigation options might seem straightforward, but it takes up a large amount of screen space, especially on smaller screens. Instead, try using a hamburger menu — a button that opens a longer menu. It will save space and create less clutter.

6. Use a large and readable font

The recommended font size of at least 14 pixels for a desktop might not be large enough to be legible on a smaller screen. The best way to know if it’s legible is to test it on a mobile device.

Don’t experiment with new fonts, such as script-type fonts, on a mobile device because they might not be as easy to read. Try bolding different lines of text and stay consistent with the font style.

Use black for text instead of various colors. This helps users see when the background is a different color or if there are reflections, such as sun glare when viewing their device outside.

 

7. Develop a responsive layout

A responsive layout lets the website scale its size to fit the user’s device. It can adapt to various screen sizes, displaying relevant content while changing design as needed — such as moving from a two-column layout on a desktop to a one-column design on a mobile device. If it’s a responsive design, it shouldn’t affect the loading time when adapting to the screen size. You can choose a mobile-responsive theme when building or updating your site.

Having a responsive website can also improve search engine optimization, or SEO, because Google ranks websites that are mobile-friendly higher in search engine results. Google’s algorithms use a mobile-rendered version of webpages instead of using desktop views when ranking sites.

E-commerce website builders such as Wix and Squarespace have mobile-responsive themes that can be customized. WordPress can also customize a website.

If you already have a website that does not perform well on mobile devices, try adding the viewport meta tag. By adding this tag, the website will scale correctly to different device screen sizes.

Add this code to the head tag on your website so that it scales correctly for different screen sizes.

8. Optimize website speed

Speed makes a big first impression on views. A website that loads in one second has a conversion rate three times higher than a site that loads in five seconds, according to a survey by Portent.

To check your website’s loading time, visit BrowserStack SpeedLab. Enter your website’s URL and select Get free report. This tool will verify your website speed and can display your score for both desktop and mobile viewing. The test must be run twice — once for mobile and once for desktop.

One way to improve website speed is to host your videos on a third-party site and then embed them on your site. This way, your website won’t feel the weight of these videos, which can affect your website’s speed. Two popular video-hosting platforms include YouTube and Wistia.

9. Compress images

When adding images to your site, don’t forget to compress images to limit the file size and help with downloading speed. When compressing images, the amount of data that needs to load for viewing is reduced, increasing the website speed. You can compress images using free tools, such as Kraken.io, to reduce the file size without sacrificing quality. Also, use proper image formats, such as JPEG 2000, JPEG XR, AVIF and WebP, which all result in smaller file sizes than JPEGs and PNGs of similar quality. Using those formats can help boost site speed.

Another option is lazy loading, in which images only load when needed. These images hover below the fold of the website — or what the user can see without scrolling down. If the user scrolls down, then the images will load.

10. Test the website on mobile devices regularly

To make sure your website is mobile-friendly, there are multiple ways to test. First, test websites on mobile devices for user experience. Be sure to test using both Android and iOS devices.

You can also run the website through Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test, which is free to use. You can test each page.

Don’t forget to test often, especially after any website updates.

1. Keeps the Immune System Healthy and Robust

During pregnancy, our immunity system is susceptible to changes. Even a small mistake could affect us very badly. The Antioxidants found in limes are essential for the destruction of free radicals in our body, thereby boosting our immune system and delaying the process of aging. Also, the presence of significant amounts of Vitamin C helps our body fight infection.

As doctors shy away from prescribing medicines and you avoid the use of over-the-counter medications during pregnancy, your reliance on home remedies increases. A small cup of warm water with lime juice during pregnancy helps in thinning mucus, reducing phlegm, and providing you with relief from a blocked or runny nose.

Also, given its diuretic properties, lemon juice lets you flush out the toxin and antigen from the body through urine, thus preventing the common urogenital infections that pregnant women are prone to contracting.

2. Nourishes Brain Cells and Develops Strong Bones in the Fetus

Lime is rich in potassium, calcium, and magnesium. What do they do?

  • Potassium helps in the nourishment of nerves and the brain cells of the fetus.
  • Calcium helps in the development of the bones of the fetus.
  • Magnesium helps in the maintenance of strong bones for both the mother and the fetus.

The little one needs lime for healthy development.

3. Aids in the Process of Labor and Childbirth

There is no medical proof to validate this benefit. But, generally, it is believed that drinking lime juice and honey mixed in warm water after the first trimester eases the labor pain. It can be consumed once every three days.

4. Lowers Stress During Labor

It is common for pregnant women to be so stressed during labor. Vitamin C in the lime plays an important role in reducing blood pressure and controlling you during labor.

5. Limes During Pregnancy Prevents Dehydration

During the second trimester, the pregnant women would be asked to consume an extra 300 calories. It is also good to consume more water. If you are a person who likes the lemon flavor, a cup of lemon juice can keep you going.

6. Maintains the pH Levels of the Body

Lemon contains alkaline and helps our body to maintain proper PH levels.

7. Prevents Urinal- Genital Infections

Lemon water is rich in diuretic properties and is very beneficial for maintaining healthy kidney functions and thus prevents urogenital infections in expecting mothers.

8. Reduces Nausea and Morning Sickness

Morning sickness, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, and a heightened sense of smell are all common first-trimester symptoms that can be handled easily with the squeeze of a lemon or a small cup of warm water with limes during pregnancy! Certainly, a wonder food for most of us, right?

9. Limes During Pregnancy Keeps Blood Pressure in Check

An increase in blood pressure is common during pregnancy time. Blood pressure can cause discomfort and sometimes even complications. Limes during pregnancy help to maintain the pliability of the blood vessels and hence keeps a check on the blood pressure. Lemon also prevents internal hemorrhage.

10. Reduces Swelling in the Feet

The swollen foot is a never-ending story of the 40-week pregnancy chapter. It gives the most discomfort and hurts so much. A teaspoon of lemon juice with warm water can help a notch here! Also, a mixture of lemon juice and bitter gourd juice helps reduce the swelling on your feet and makes walking easier.

11. Reduces Constipation and Improves Digestion

Constipation and ingestion are very common during the pregnancy phase. Lemon acts as a warrior to solve the problem. Lemon juice is an excellent liver stimulant.

It increases the peristalsis movement in the bowels, provides relief from irritable bowel movements, and regulates the motions through improved digestion. It thus helps you beat constipation. A small portion of lemon juice (undiluted with water) has a good 0.7 grams of dietary fiber.

It’s as simple as ABC and has been tested and works 100% correctly.

Instruction:

Get five to ten fruits of unripe lime orange together with the green leaves of the lime orange, put it up in a pot and boil for 20 to 30 minutes, allow it to cool down a bit, take some quantity of the liquid from the boiled lime orange into a drinking cup, take some quantity of the partially warm liquid into your mouth and hold it in your mouth for like 30 seconds, repeat the same process until the partially warm liquid gets finished in the cup. Please repeat the same process over and over again by warming the boiled lime orange in the pot for about a week until the pains gradually disappears.

1. Define and align your values:

Consider the morals you were raised with: Treat others how you want to be treated, always say thank you, help those who are struggling, etc. But as you grow and society progresses, conventions change, often causing values to shift.

Ask yourself what matters to you as an individual, and then align that with your priorities as a company leader. Defining your values not only expresses your authenticity, but also encourages your team to do the same, creating a shared vision for all workers. Kelly said that to succeed with ethical leadership, business owners should demonstrate how adhering to specific values benefits the organization’s mission. 

“Culture is not a collection of personal preferences,” he said. “Mission is king. When that ceases to be true, an organization has begun its journey toward the mediocre middle.” 

2. Hire people with similar values:

While your values don’t need to be identical to those of your workers, you should be able to establish common ground with them. This often starts with the hiring process and is maintained through a vision statement. Companies need to do a better job ensuring they find people who are aligned with their values rather than just hiring for experience.”

In fact, Kelly believes hiring employees with different experiences and perspectives is valuable because they each offer their own solutions to challenges. 

“But when it comes to values, I think having and hiring people who share your values is critical,” he said. “Nobody wants to work for somebody who doesn’t share their values … Without mutual respect, it is very difficult to form a dynamic team, and most people find it very difficult to respect someone who doesn’t share their values.”

The same mentality should apply to choosing business partners, consultants, suppliers and even customers. Your ethical values must align across all your business operations. Learn more about hiring for cultural fit.  

3. Promote open communication:

With each decision you make, be transparent and encourage feedback from your team. This helps you become a better leader and allows your workers to feel more confident sharing their ideas or concerns.

“I believe that one of the important responsibilities for the modern company is to create an environment where open communication is encouraged and that, more importantly, people are listened to,” Green said. “We are seeing a lot of employees calling on their companies to change policies, drop customers or take a stand on current issues. Companies cannot bend to every employee’s demand, but what they do need to start executing is creating forums where employees can raise their viewpoints, feel they are listened to and receive follow-up explaining why certain things can or cannot happen.”

Gathering feedback from your team helps you improve as a leader and propels your business forward. “Management is all about the people,” said Alain Gazaui, co-founder and CEO of SpaKinect. “Understanding where they come from is crucial.”

4. Beware of bias:

As humans, many of us have beliefs, subconscious or otherwise, that are outdated or erroneous. No leader wants to admit their flaws, but failure to practice self-awareness can have detrimental consequences.

“Everyone has bias, but for the longest time, you were not called out on it because you were never really challenged,” Green said. “Now that the workforce is more diverse … some unexposed biases are being called out. Managers need to … look at themselves and be honest that they do in fact have biases that may impinge on another person feeling comfortable at work.”

Recognize the biases, preconceived notions and stereotypes in every situation, and be sure you’re not doling out unfair treatment as a result of them.

Did You Know that?

If you’re an open-minded leader, you’ll be able to build and maintain better relationships with your workers.

5. Lead by example:

To build an ethical company, you must start from the top down. Your employees will see your behavior, choices and values and adopt them in their own practices.

“To effectively lead, the ethical leader walks the line he or she wants others to follow,” Younger said. “Leading by example is the best way to ensure an ethical business.”

Leading by example means displaying the characteristics and behaviors you want your staff to embrace and practice. It instills respect and lets your employees know that you truly believe in them and trust them to work in accordance with the example you’ve set.

6. Don’t be afraid to admit mistakes:

As the saying goes, to err is human. When mistakes are made, thoughtful and ethical leaders put their egos aside and hold themselves accountable. If something goes wrong, don’t make excuses or try to downplay the damage. Instead, be honest, admit what happened, apologize if needed and share a proposed recovery plan with all stakeholders. 

Don’t shy away from assuming full responsibility for negative actions and mistakes made by your employees. Present yourself as a strong, caring leader who stands by their team and is focused on finding solutions rather than pointing fingers.

Make sure to identify worst-case scenarios in advance and create a crisis management strategy with an assigned response team. This way, when something does go wrong, everybody will know exactly what needs to be done to minimize the damage.

7. Find your role models.

“There are many ethical leaders throughout history,” said Mike Sheety, director of ThatShirt. “Do a little research of good, powerful leaders, and try to identify what they do well. Then, implement it into your own leadership style.” 

8. Embed corporate social responsibility into your business strategy:

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a form of business self-regulation with the aim of practicing social accountability and commitment to make a positive impact on society. There are many ways in which your company can embrace CSR. For instance, you can ensure you’re being eco-conscious; promote equity, diversity and inclusion in the workplace; give back to the community; and treat your employees with respect.

The danger, however, lies in launching disjointed CSR initiatives rather than implementing a holistic program that aligns with your business’s values and goals. That is likely to undermine your brand, signaling to your customers and employees that you might be doing this solely for the sake of appearances. Instead, as an ethical leader, facilitate CSR initiatives that correspond to your business’s mission, vision and goals, and ensure they are integrated into your company strategy and workplace culture.

9. Do your reading:

You can expand your general understanding of ethics through the classic works of Jeremy Bentham (the father of utilitarianism), John Stuart Mill and Peter Singer. Similar to learning from role models, these leaders in the field can teach you the philosophies behind applied ethics so you better comprehend the principles you should hold fast in the workplace and why.

If you want to learn how ethical theory applies to modern management, look at Peter Drucker’s works. Drucker’s management theory revolves around the concepts of decentralization, knowledge work, management by objectives and setting SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-specific and recorded) goals for your employees. Drucker advocated for creative rather than bureaucratic management, where leaders treat their team with respect and make them feel valued, encourage collaboration and innovation, and make socially conscious business decisions.  

10. Care for yourself so you’re able to care for others:

You can’t pour from an empty cup. Leaders who take care of themselves and regularly refill their metaphorical cup are more likely to manage better and care for others. 

“Having a calm and capable demeanor is the foundation for strong leadership,” said Christine Matzen, founder of Oak Street Strategies. “This can be accomplished through making sure that you, as a leader, are focused on meeting your own needs, like sleep, nutrition and true connection with loved ones.”

Devoting time to self-care might sound simple, but it’s critical to support your capabilities as a leader. “The leader that is happy and content in life wants happiness and contentment for those they lead.” 

To start developing good work ethic — either in your team or as an individual — first think about what makes up a strong work ethic. Doing this will help you understand your own personal values when it comes to working hard for something. 

People who have a strong work ethic are intrinsically motivated. They do their job well and meet expectations even if others don’t hold them to such high standards. A leader who wants to foster these qualities would do so through providing opportunities for group learning and collaboration. Recognizing individuals on the team for hard work goes a long way towards reinforcing these traits in your team. 

Here are some ways to foster good work ethics on your team:

Communicate the importance of work ethics 

Make it clear what you expect from your team. Setting expectations clearly gives everyone a standard to aim for and reduces confusion. A lack of clarity can hinder both productivity and trust.

Provide a supportive culture

A culture of strong work ethics will reward hard work and effort and encourage autonomy. It supports experimentation, collaboration, and risk. 

Pay attention to employee morale

Low morale is often mistaken for poor work ethic — but it’s more often an indicator of burnout. If attitudes are souring, don’t be quick to blame the employee. A positive work culture is just as contagious as a negative one. If your employees are upset, they may be reflecting a larger environmental issue.

Celebrate wins

Don’t underestimate how much recognition plays into a person’s success at their job. Take time to recognize achievements often. Be sure to also recognize behaviors that you want to see more of, like creative thinking and teamwork. 

Create a company culture of growth

Professional and career development go hand-in-hand with positive work ethic. Prioritize opportunities for learning. Seeing a clear path to the next level is energizing for your team. Help them get there.

Strong work ethics are important because they lead to a positive working environment. Conversely, weak work ethics can make an already stressful environment even worse. As a leader, it’s your responsibility not only create a team with strong work ethic but also encourage them with positive feedback when they do something right. Punishing someone who isn’t living up to expectations doesn’t do much for motivation. You’ll want to support people by paying attention to what they need to show up at their best.

They Following Are Examples Of  Poor Work Ethics:

  • Lack of communication with team members and stakeholders
  • No planning around foreseeable time off requests
  • Multitasking when talking to others or working on projects
  • Skipping meetings, coming unprepared, or failing to give input
  • Poor organization and attention to detail
  • Uninterested in learning or developing new skills
  • Takes little to no responsibility for work performance
  • Unethical behavior in the workplace
  • Overwork, burnout, and poor work-life balance

Leaders, human resources, and managers can develop strong work ethics within their teams by acknowledging the benefits of strong work ethics and discouraging bad ones. Work ethics are a function of employee engagement. 

If you notice that certain members are showing signs of resentment or slacking off more often than usual, it could indicate bad work ethics are developing. On the other hand, it might indicate that employee needs are going unmet. In these cases, you should meet privately with the employee and talk about what the problems might be. You can help them develop the work ethic skills that will benefit both them and their team.

A team with good work ethics will demonstrate a few key characteristics. They will be highly motivated, reliable, trustworthy, engaged, accountable, proactive, creative thinkers, and aware of their own strengths and weaknesses. The team members are also supportive of each other by helping with constructive feedback or problem solving as necessary. 

Your team’s work ethic is influenced by individual work ethics — this makes up your work culture. Ideally, your employees will create “norms” around the following traits:

  • Positive attitude
  • Preparedness
  • Conscientiousness
  • Self-care
  • High-quality work
  • Future-mindedness
  • Self-awareness

There are many components of a person’s work ethic. You can help build the culture you want by prioritizing what you want your employees to prioritize. Co-workers can help push each other towards a higher quality work ethic by supporting one another.

1. Be positive 

A key part of building healthy relationships is to retain a positive attitude towards your new colleagues. There is sure to be some level of office politics and gossip – this is just a reality of working in close quarters. However, as a new face in the team, it is important that you distance yourself from this activity. 

The nuances of how a large team works together and relate are complicated and there is only damage to be done by getting too involved in gossip or politics. Don’t risk disparaging someone or joining in a joke at someone else’s expense and spoiling your reputation early on. Before you know it, the gossip will be about you and it is hard to win back a tarnished reputation.

Hard work, honesty and a positive professional demeanour are traits that will take you a long way in your career and also ones that will help you to make an impact in any new role. By respecting your colleagues and proving your value by offering your time, experience and expertise you can quickly build meaningful professional relationships which will carry you through not only the early months in your new job but your long-term future with the organisation.

2. Learn to communicate effectively 

When learning to build solid relationships at work it’s important first to learn about communication, and the styles of communicating. When looking at the DiSC model, there’s 4 key personality types that people can often be grouped into: the driver, the influencer, supporter and controller. 

Working out what type of communication you are and prefer, as well as learning that of your colleagues is really important when it comes to building out those long-lasting relationships. In our guide to good communication and the DiSC model you’ll see just how important communication is and practical steps to working out where you sit in the communication style list. 

We have more advice on navigating the tricky, but important, first 90 days in a new job, and tips on growing your career.

It is also important to recognise the challenges that working from home may present, not just to yourself, but your team and peers. Creating a motivating culture for remote teams is crucial in the current climate. Be sure to wat our on-demand webinar to find out how to boost morale in your remote team. 

3. Be proactive and help where you can without being asked

As the new person in the team, your colleagues will be keen to see what you can deliver both to wider team goals and also to projects they are working on. That will most likely take the form of the work you are tasked with early on; bear in mind that new employees are typically not very heavily loaded with work. 

Where possible, offer your knowledge and experience to group tasks and find a way to help with work your colleagues are undertaking. Schedule in video calls to discuss how you can support and to better understand how your team works together. Ensure that you are not spreading yourself too thinly and never attempt to take on work that you are not comfortable tackling, but where there is an opportunity to assist ensure that you take it. 

4. Make time for everybody, not just the senior stakeholders

There can be a tendency to focus all of your time and effort impressing more senior stakeholders, and a temptation to discount junior colleagues and tasks you deem to be of low importance. These things are important to someone, so don’t be dismissive. This can be hard in a new role where there is pressure to impress and make an impact, particularly when operating remotely in a challenging market. However, remember that a reputation is built across all levels, not just among your boss and the management team.

By establishing yourself as a reliable, helpful, and respectful member of the team among your junior colleagues as well as bosses and peers, you will go a long way to building long-lasting professional relationships.

5. Deliver on work and always follow up with people 

Nothing is worse than someone who fails to deliver on a promise or consistently misses deadlines. There is no quicker way to spoil your reputation and damage potential working relationships than failing to follow through on work or not replying to emails and requests for information and help.

If you do find that you are above capacity or short of time to follow up on everything it is important to be open and honest about it with your colleagues. Better to give someone fair warning and be honest than to fail to deliver with no explanation.

6. Show yourself in meetings

Professional relationships are built on respect and there is no better way to earn the respect of your colleagues than by proving yourself an engaged and valuable member of the team. And where better to prove that you are here to take part than in meetings. Turn up prepared, give your opinion, support that of others, be proactive and partake in proceedings. 

While this might be different while operating remotely, ensure your camera is on and that you regularly engage with those presenting in team meetings. This will help the team put a face to your name and will make it easier for you to get to know who is who in the team. 

1. Energy Booster:

Cabbage is high in energy-boosting B vitamins, including B1, B2, and B6. Next time you feel sluggish, swap out that cup of afternoon sugary coffee for a serving of cabbage—coleslaw might make the perfect snack!

2. Hangover Cure: 

Cabbage has been used for relief from hangovers since Roman times. It is thought to clear the body of congeners, by-products of the fermentation process. In addition, the high fiber content of cabbage helps to absorb the alcohol acetaldehyde. The next time you wake up after having had a few too many, do as the Ancient Greeks did and boil up some cabbage and save the juice for drinking.

3. Eases Headaches:

Try relieving a headache or migraine by making a compress out of cabbage leaves. Crush a few of the inner leaves to make a paste, then place the paste in a cloth, and apply to your forehead until dry. Or try drinking raw cabbage juice to bring some relief.

4. Improved Digestion: 

You’ve heard “eat your roughage” and cabbage is a healthful source. Its fiber and water content can help to prevent constipation and maintain a healthy digestive tract. Eating cabbage in fermented form (sauerkraut) also gives you a boost of probi*tics, one of the best things for a healthy digestive system and gut.

5. Weight Loss: 

With a mere 33 calories per cup, cabbage is high in fiber and contains zero fat. Cabbage is frequently recommended to people who want to lose weight since it is packed with so many nutrients and its high fiber content makes it quite filling.

6. Lowers Cholesterol: 

Cabbage can also be used to help lower your cholesterol. Its fiber and nutrients bind with bile acids in the intestine and pass out in the stool, rather than being absorbed into the blood. Eating it steamed gives it more cholesterol-lowering power.

7. Immune Booster:

Cabbage is an excellent source of the ever-so-important vitamin C, crucial for maintaining a strong immune system.

8. Cancer Fighter: 

It has been known for years that consumption of cruciferous vegetables is associated with lower cancer risk. The sulfur-containing compound, sulforaphane, which give these vegetables their bitter taste, is also what specifically gives them their cancer-fighting power. Sulforaphane has been shown to inhibit the progression of cancer cells. Anthocyanins, the powerful antioxidants that give red cabbage its vibrant color, have been shown to slow the formation and even kill already-formed cancer cells.

9. Reduces Inflammation: 

Inflammation causes unnecessary pain and discomfort and can also lead to a host of other diseases and ailments. Glutamine, an amino acid found in cabbage, is a strong anti-inflammatory agent, helping to reduce joint pain, arthritis, and ease allergies. Cabbage is considered one of the top 10 best food sources of glutamine.

10. Improves Brain Health: 

Cabbage, particularly the purple variety, is powerful brain food. It contains vitamin K, and the antioxidant anthocyanin, which boosts mental function and concentration. Vitamin K, an often forgotten vitamin, can also improve your defense against conditions such as Alzheimer’s and dementia. Anthocyanin is also effective at reducing plaque on the brain, preventing the deterioration of short- and long-term memory.

11. Reduces the Risk of Heart Disease and Stroke:

Researchers have identified nearly twenty different flavonoids and fifteen different phenols in cabbage, all which demonstrate antioxidant activity. These antioxidant nutrients play a role in decreasing your risk of several cardiovascular diseases. Cabbage also contains the beneficial minerals calcium and potassium, which help regulate blood pressure.

12. Heals Ulcers: 

Cabbage has been historically known to heal ulcers due to its anti-inflammatory properties. Studies have found that drinking cabbage juice is very effective in preventing ulcers.

13. Clears Skin:

 Antioxidants play a major role in the health of your skin. Free radicals are an underlying cause of wrinkles, skin discoloration, and other conditions. Cabbage contains a wealth of different antioxidants that can turn around the aging process of your skin.

Here are some of these ideas for adding more carrots into your diet for greater nutrition:

  • Add shredded or chopped raw carrots to overnight oats, salads, or slaws, and fold them into nut butter.
  • Use whole or cut, raw carrots to scoop up dip, olive tapenade, and tahini, or add them to fresh pressed juices or smoothies.
  • To cook, steam carrots or toss them into your favorite stir fry, soup, veggie chili, or stew.
  • They’re also amazing oven-roasted, brushed with a little extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper, or prepared with a glaze made from water-thinned pure maple syrup, cinnamon, and fresh, grated ginger root.
  • Enjoy carrots as a snack with edamame “guacamole” or hummus.
  • Carrots can even be incorporated into desserts, including carrot cake, of course, as well as carrot pie (think pumpkin or sweet potato, but with carrots!), carrot cookies, whoopie pies, dark chocolate truffles, and even carrot ice cream.

1. They’re Great for Weight Management

In addition to the fiber carrots provide, they’re chock-full of water—a carrot is actually 88% water. This combination boosts fullness.

Compared to other vegetables, carrots have also been associated with lower body mass index and lower rates of obesity, according to a study published in Nutrients in 2021.

What’s more, carrots are low in calories. One cup chopped contains just 52 calories. Scooping up your hummus or guac with a cup of raw, sliced carrots in place of 10 pita chips saves 80 calories and increases total fiber and nutrients.

2. They Lower Cancer Risk

Antioxidants found in carrots have been tied to a reduced risk of several cancers, including lung, colorectal, prostate, and leukemia. The carotenoid antioxidant called beta-carotene was found to be linked to a low rate of cancers, including colorectal cancer.

Carrots also contain another carotenoid called lycopene. Lycopene has the potential to fight cancer, like stomach, prostate, lung, and breast cancer—and it may also be linked to vascular health and the prevention of cardiovascular disorders, according to a 2022 study.

3. Carrots Help With Blood Pressure Regulation

The potassium in carrots plays a key role in regulating blood pressure. This mineral balances sodium levels and helps sweep excess sodium and fluid out of the body, which takes the pressure off the heart. This also makes carrots a good choice if you want to de-bloat after consuming too much salty food.

Research from a 2020 meta-analysis published in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that carrots, among a few other fruits and vegetables, had some of the greatest benefits on cardiovascular health.

4. They Reduce the Risk of Heart Disease

One review article published in the journal Foods in 2019 reported that the phenolic compounds in carrots have the potential to reduce cardiovascular diseases. These compounds have antioxidant properties, which also help maintain normal blood sugar and cholesterol levels.

5. Carrots Support Your Immunity

The 2019 article published in Foods also mentioned two vitamins in carrots that are beneficial to the immune system: vitamin C and vitamin A. The vitamin C in carrots helps keep your immune system healthy.

Vitamin A supports the immune system by playing an important role in forming and protecting mucous membranes. Mucous membranes act as barriers to keep germs out of the body. They make up the lining of the respiratory, digestive, and urogenital tracts.

6. They Boost Brain Health

Natural compounds in carrots have been shown to act as anti-inflammatories. One of them is lutein—that same antioxidant that protects the retina from macular degeneration—and it may be involved in brain function, too. A 2021 study published in Nutrients suggests that lutein has beneficial effects on brain health in healthy older adults.

7. Carrots Promote Healthy Vision

Just one large carrot (one cup) can provide 100% of the daily target for vitamin A. This important nutrient (which acts as a cell-protective antioxidant) may even help protect against cancer, age-related macular degeneration, and measles. A deficiency of vitamin A can lead to a condition called xerophthalmia, which can damage normal vision and result in night blindness.

The vitamin A you get from carrots comes from two carotenoids called alpha-carotene and beta-carotene. But these aren’t the only nutrients in carrots that are important for vision. The antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin found in carrots also enhance eye health. These two natural compounds protect the retina and lens.

8. Carrots Balance Your Blood Sugar

Although carrots are known to be higher in sugar compared to other vegetables, they do have anti-diabetic properties, which was reported in a review published in Food and Nutrition Sciences. The review cites that people who had lower levels of carotenoids—the pigments that give carrots its orange color—had higher blood sugar levels and higher fasting levels of insulin. This suggests that carotenoids might help in the management of diabetes.

The soluble fiber in carrots has been shown to help regulate blood sugar and insulin levels after eating. Raw or slightly cooked carrots are also low on the glycemic index, which helps them provide a steady energy supply.

Adedeji Tajudeen Adeleke (born March 6, 1957) is a highly successful Nigerian entrepreneur. He is widely recognized as a billionaire and business magnate.

In addition to his notable achievements in the business world, Adedeji Adeleke also holds the prestigious position of president of Adeleke University.

Furthermore, Adedeji Adeleke assumes the CEO role at Pacific Holdings Limited, showcasing his exceptional leadership skills and expertise in managing diverse industries. Notably, he is a prominent figure in the business empire and a loving father to Davido, a renowned Nigerian musician, Coco AdelekeAdewale Adeleke, and Sharon Adeleke.

ADEDEJI ADELEKE
WIKI FACTS & ABOUT DATA
Full Name: Adedeji Tajudeen Adeleke
Stage Name: Adedeji Adeleke
Born: 6 March 1957
Place of Birth: Enugu, Nigeria
State Of Origin: Osun State
Education: Western Kentucky University
Nationality: Nigerian
Height: 1.58 m
Parents: Raji Ayoola Adeleke, Esther Nnena Adeleke
Siblings: Isiaka Adeleke, Ademola Adeleke
Spouse: Teju Adeleke (m. ?–2015), Veronica Adeleke (m. ?–2003)
Girlfriend • Partner: N/A
Children: Davido, Coco Adeleke, Adewale Adeleke, Sharon Adeleke
Occupation: Business Magnate
Net Worth: $2 billion

Tonto Charity Dikeh (born 9 June 1985) is a controversial Nigerian actress, singer, songwriter and humanitarian. On 27 August 2000, she set up her foundation, the Tonto Dikeh Foundation.

The foundation was established with a clear vision and passion of making life better for all displaced and under privilege women, girls, youth, and children in Africa, in-respective of their Politically, Religious and Cultural differences.

It also aims to organise regular sensitization programs and symposium discussions that will bring sanity and civility to the black race; by taking issues that affect women, gender issues, rape, empowerment, climate change, and child rights.

TONTO DIKEH
WIKI FACTS & ABOUT DATA
Full Name: Tonto Charity Dikeh
Stage Name: Tonto Dikeh
Born: 9 June 1985
Place of Birth: Ikwerre, Rivers, Nigeria
State Of Origin: Rivers State
Nationality: Nigerian
Height: 1.71 m
Parents: Veronica Dikeh, Sunny Dikeh
Siblings: Tatiana Dikeh, Charles Dikeh
Husband • Spouse: Olakunle Churchill (m. 2015–2017)
Boyfriend • Partner: Malivelihood (ex.), Prince Kpokpogri (ex.), Wizkid (ex.), Iyanya (rum.)
Children: Andre Omodayo Churchill
Occupation: Actress • TV Personality
Net Worth: US$1.5 million

Olamide Gbenga Adedeji (born March 15, 1989) is one of Afrobeats’ biggest ambassadors, who has helped shape the genre’s culture in the global scene.

Known professionally by the monikers, Olamide or Olamide Baddo, the leading Nigerian artiste wears the hat of a singer, rapper, and music executive.

Specializing in indigenous rap (Yoruba), Olamide rose to stardom with the release of his highly successful debut studio album, Raspodi, in 2011. He followed it up by dropping another great album titled YBNL, which is home to hit singles like S****d LoveVoice Of The Street, and Ilefo Illuminati.

READ ALSO: Mike Ezuruonye’s Biography: Birthday, Wife, Net Worth, Instagram, Siblings, House, Child And More…

The talented artiste who raps in both Yoruba and English is the founder and owner of YBNL Records, which has produced other music stars like Lil KeshFireboy DMLAdekunle GoldLytaLimerickTemmie OvwasaChinko EkunYomi BlazePicazoAsake, and Viktoh.

Olamide Adedeji is a famous Nigerian lyricist and indigenous hip-hop rapper. He is prominently called ‘Olamide Baddo’, ‘Baddo Sneh’ or basically ‘Olamide’.

He established the YBNL Nation, a free record name where a few top Nigerian Music Stars marked under its engraving. Olamide sings in his local language, Yoruba, and he is an honor-winning Nigerian rapper.

David Adedeji Adeleke (born November 21, 1992) is a Nigerian-American music superstar. The singer, songwriter, record producer, and music executive is known professionally as Davido.

He became a famous face in the Nigerian music industry after releasing his hit single, Dami Duro, in 2012. He released his debut studio album, Omo Baba Olowo, in 2012 to critical acclaim. Due to the success of his sophomore single, Omo Baba Olowo, he won the Next Rated Artiste award at The Headies 2012.

He signed a contract with RCA Records, a subsidiary of Sony Music, in July 2016. He released the top-charting singles, If and Fall, in 2017. Both songs were a hit internationally, as Fall was the longest-charting Nigerian pop song in Billboard history.

READ ALSO: Chioma Avril Rowland Biography, Birthday, Net Worth, Husband, Father, Mother, Pictures, Wiki Facts

He released his second studio album, A Good Time, in November 2019, while his third album, A Better Time, was dropped in 2020. Formerly signed with HKN recordsDavido founded his record label, DMW (Davido Music Worldwide), in 2016. The label is home to music stars: MayorkunPeruzziDremoLiyaYonda, and Idowest.

DAVIDO
WIKI FACTS & ABOUT DATA
Full Name: David Adedeji Adeleke
Stage Name: Davido
Born: 21 November 1992 
Place of Birth: Atlanta, Georgia, United States
State Of Origin: Osun State
Nationality: Nigerian
Parents: Adedeji Adeleke, Veronica Adeleke
Children: Hailey Veronica Adeleke, David Adedeji Adeleke Jr., Aurora Imade Adeleke, Dawson Adeleke
Height: 1.68 m
Siblings: Sharon Adeleke, Adewale Adeleke
Wife • Spouse: Chioma Avril Rowland (m. 2022)
Girlfriend • Partner: Sophia Momodu (ex.), Larissa London (ex.), Anita “NinaTheElite” Brown (rum.), Yvonne Nelson (rum.), Ivanna Bay (rum.)
Occupation: Singer • Songwriter
Net Worth: $30 million

Ingredients Needed For Preparing (Okro) Okra Soup

Sliced Okra (a medium-size bowl full)
Stockfish head (medium size)
1 kg of meat (chicken)
5 shombo peppers
2 scotch bonnet peppers
500g mackerel
2 seasoning cubes
Salt to taste.
200ml Red (palm) oil
half cup of ground crayfish

Preparations:

Step 1

Slice the okra and set it aside in a bowl, the trader in most Nigerian markets can assist you with slicing the okra, but you can also try using a kitchen knife, I like to slice Okra myself, although there is no harm in using the help of the market women.

Remove center seeds from the shombo, combine with scotch bonnet and blend or pound using a mortar and pestle. Also, blend or grind the crayfish.

I used just 1kg (2.2lb) of chicken and 500g of fish for this okra soup.

I like to parboil meat with lots of spices and then use very little while making the real soup.

Step 2

Wash the fish/chicken and season with a half teaspoon of salt, two seasoning cubes, a cup of water, and half a cup of sliced onions.
Allow it to boil together for 10-15 minutes. Remove them while leaving the stock in the pot.

Step 3

Add the stockfish to the boiling pot, one more cup of water, and cook for about 10 minutes till they are soft for consumption.

Add two cups of water depending on the quantity of Okro and other ingredients you intend using.

***Please note***

That the higher the volume of okro, the higher the ingredients and other spices you add to the recipee.

Step 4

Introduce 200ml of palm oil, add the crayfish, pepper/shombo, and salt to taste.

Let it boil for 8 minutes. Add the cooked chicken/fish and allow simmering for three more minutes.

Step 5

Add the sliced okra and stir. Drop the cooked mackerel fish on top.

Allow simmering for 3-4 minutes, and you are done with this delicious soup.

Below are the necessary ingredients you will need to use:

  • Ogbono 
  • Palm oil
  • Crayfish
  • Goat meat or beef or fried chicken
  • Stockfish
  • Cow skin (kpomo)
  • Smoked fish
  • Salt
  • Onions
  • Fluted Pumpkin (ugu leaf)
  • Fresh habanero or bell pepper
  • Seasoning cubes (Onga recommended)

 Pre-cooking Stages

  • As is ideal for every other soup’s preparation, it’s necessary to get all ingredients ready for use before your main cooking phase begins. 

Step 1. 

  • So, firstly, wash and put your meat in a pot. Season with salt, chopped onions, and stock cubes. Add your stockfish and cow skin to it. Then boil all together to attain, at least, an 80% softness.

Step 2. 

  • Ensure the ogbono seeds are well-dried before grinding them into a fine powder. Make sure the bad ones are taken out too. Also, you are highly unlikely to get the right result from your ogbono soup if the ogbono you’re using has overstayed past its shelf life. 

Step 3. 

  • Wash out the sand from your ugu leaves and chop them into tiny sizes. For ogbono soup, you won’t be needing many leaves, so flush out the sands from it with as much water as possible before chopping it. 

Step 4.

  • Coarsely blend or pound your pepper and crayfish. Debone your smoked fish and set it aside.

 Cooking Stage

Step 1. 

  • Turn the meat and the stock into a different bowl, rinse the pot and use it to heat up your palm oil to be very hot. Just hot enough to melt your ground ogbono and dissolve in it. Not to fry it. When it dissolves, add the stock from your boiled beef to the melted ogbono and stir. Note that this MUST be done on low heat. 

Step 2. 

  • Add some dried pepper if you’re the type that loves your ogbono soup hot and spicy. Add some salt and seasoning too according to the quantity of the soup you’re cooking. You coarsely ground pepper and crayfish should follow too. Add your deboned fish as well and simmer for 3-5 minutes. 

Step 4. 

  • Occasionally stir the soup, it doesn’t take long before it begins to thicken up. Now, if you were preparing this ogbono soup with okro, this would have been the right time to add it, however, it is cut off from the recipe in this case. 

Step 4. 

  • Add the meat to the soup and cook until the soup attains your preferred level of thickness and consistency. Sometimes, it can get too thick, if this happens, then add some tepid water to the soup. Cold water can tamper with its sliminess level. 

Step 5. 

  • Your chopped ugu leaves come last. You don’t need much of it, just a few long strands of tinily chopped leaves to add to the aesthetics so it doesn’t look pale. Besides, excess leaves can hinder the soup’s sliminess which, aside from the taste, is one of the main reasons the soup is loved. You should see this video. 

 

1. Fiber Content

Coconut is high in dietary fiber and provides a whopping 61% of fiber. Coconut fiber slows down the release of glucose and transports it to the cell where it is converted into energy. It assists in relieving stress on the pancreas and enzyme systems which reduces the risk of developing diabetes.

2. Controls Diabetes

Coconut improves the insulin secretion and utilization of blood glucose. It controls diabetes by positively affecting the hormones for blood sugar control. This slows down the rise in blood sugar level and helps to reduce glycemic cravings. Coconut benefits quick digestion and other symptoms associated with digestive and bowel disorders. It supports absorption of nutrients and minerals while providing dietary fiber. It also reduces vomiting and nausea.

3. Anti-Aging

Cytokinins, kinetin, and trans-zeatin present in coconut have anti thrombotici  , anti-carcinogenic and anti-aging effects on the body.

4. Boosts Immunity

Coconut nutrition is excellent for the immunity system. It is antiviral, antifungal, antibacterial, and anti-parasitic. Intake of coconut oil can help the body to mount resistance to both viruses and bacteria that cause illness. That said, can you eat raw coconut? Consuming coconut in its raw form can help to treat some of the worst and most resilient illnesses like throat infections, bronchitis, urinary tract infection, tapeworms and other ailments caused by microbes.

5. Treats Abdominal Fat

Coconut is also beneficial in treating dangerous fats in the abdominal cavity. Abdominal fats are the most dangerous of all fats and are associated with various diseases. A 200 grams of coconut serving daily can lead to a significant reduction in both BMI and waist circumference in just 12 weeks.

Jesse Feder, Registered Dietitian at the Memorial Regional Hospital South, says, “Research is very limited and inconsistent in regard to coconut and belly fat reduction. However, coconut does contain a healthy amount of fiber and MCT, which can help curb your appetite and lead you to consume fewer calories during the day. This can help you lose weight and consequently, belly fat. Although, I personally would not rely too heavily on coconut to reduce belly fat. It’s best to have a well-balanced diet and do daily exercise to achieve this.”

6. Improves Overall Health

Research has proven that people who consume coconut daily are healthier when compared to those who don’t. In some countries, it is a dietary fiber that people have thrived on for many generations.

Coconut oil has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for nearly 4000 years. An Ayurvedic text dated around 1500 BC documents the use of coconut oil for the body, spirit, and mind because of its health benefits.

7. Boosts Energy

Coconut helps to increase energy by improving metabolism and burning fat. You can opt for coconut for weight loss support. The triglycerides found in coconut oil increase 24 hours of energy expenditure by 5% leading to weight loss in the long run. It is also known to reduce hunger pangs. This is directly related to the way fatty acids in the body are metabolized as ketones, which have an appetite-reducing effect. People who consistently use coconut products have a stronger ability to go without eating for several hours with no effects of hypoglycemia. It also promotes healthy thyroid function and helps to relieve the symptom of chronic fatigue. However, the effectiveness of eating raw coconut for weight loss is yet to be studied.

8. Treats Epilepsy

A ketogenic diet is a low-carb diet that is used to treat various disorders. Its best-known application is treating epilepsy in children. The diet involves eating little carbs and large amounts of fat which can lead to increased concentrations of ketone bodies in the blood. This diet can dramatically reduce the rate of seizures in epileptic children.

9. Fights Cancer

Coconut nutrition has also proven to have anti-cancer properties. It is especially beneficial to treat colon and breast cancer.

10. Keeps You Hydrated

Coconut water contains crucial electrolytes that help in maintaining hydration. People involved in easy workouts and other strenuous activities should include as much coconut water as they can in their diet. Coconut water replaces the lost electrolytes, provides hydration and increases immune response. It is a better alternative to water as it is tastier than plain water and is loaded with nutrition.

Coconut has long been known for its diuretic effects. Intake of coconut water may also increase the levels of urinary potassium, chloride, and citrate (1). Drinking coconut water may possibly help get rid of the extra water and salts present in the body.

Related: 15 Simple And Effective Home Remedies To Treat Dehydration

11. Nutritious And Healthy

Coconut water is considered to be more nutritious and healthier than whole milk. It contains lauric acid which is considered equivalent to mother’s milk. It is naturally sterile as it permeates through the filtering husk. It also helps with hangovers. Coconut water has a natural isotonic beverage in the same level as that in the blood.

12. Prevents Urinary Tract Infection

The natural diuretic property of coconut treats urinary tract infections. It improves the flow of urine to get rid of the infection naturally.

13. Improves Blood Cholesterol

Coconut helps to improve blood cholesterol levels in the body and lowers the risk of heart diseases. The saturated fats in coconut raise the good cholesterol in the body and control the LDL to a benign subtype. This improvement in cardiovascular risk factors theoretically leads to reducing the risk of developing heart diseases.

14. Controls Acidity And Heartburn

Coconut water can also help to alleviate acidity and heartburn problems.

15. Extremely Beneficial During Pregnancy

Coconut water is sterile and is very good for pregnant ladies. It improves the immunity and health of the mother and baby and prevents infection and other diseases. It also boosts the levels of amni*tic fluid to improve the overall health of the fetus.

16. Fights Bacteria

Coconut contains high content of monolaurin and lauric acid which helps to kill bacteria, viruses and fungi and keeps infections at bay.

17. Good For Oral Hygiene

Coconut water can also be used as an out rinse to kill mouth bacteria, reduce bad breath and improve the overall dental health.

18. Healthy Bones And Teeth

Eating coconuts regularly supports the development of healthy bones and teeth. It improves the body’s ability to absorb calcium and manganese which aid bone development. It also prevents osteoporosis, a condition that makes the bones thin and fragile and loses its density. Thus it is a healthy alternative for those who are lactose intolerant.

Skin Benefits Of Coconut

Coconut is often used in the form of oil in the cosmetic industry to improve the health and appearance of the skin and hair.

19. Fights Dryness

Coconut oil, if used on skin prevents dryness and flakiness and keeps it moisturized and supple. It also supports the skin and works to repair the damage it has acquired over time. It eases a common skin condition called neurosis, which is characterized by dry, rough, and flaky skin. It also reduces the severity of atopic dermatitis which is prone to infections like Staphylococcus aureusi  .

The use of coconut cleanses and neutralizes the toxins, fungi and bacteria on the outer layers of the skin which not only detoxifies but also builds the skin’s natural immune system and protection.

20. Effective On Dry Hands

Extra virgin coconut oil can also be used to treat dry and parched hands. Regular dishwashing often dries out the skin and makes them unsightly. Instead of using expensive chemical-laden cosmetics, apply virgin coconut oil on the hands to get beautiful and smooth hands. Even to treat cracked and brittle nails, coconut oil is used for its moisturizing properties.

21. Prevents Skin Cancer

It improves the moisture and lipid content in the skin and prevents skin cancer by blocking 20% of harsh Ultra Violet rays. It can be used as a body and skin moisturizer as it hydrates the skin by replenishing the natural oils. Coconut oil can also be used to clean the face by rubbing it in circular motions.

22. May Keep The Skin Youthful

Coconut oil is excellent for keeping the skin young and beautiful. Its antioxidant property slows down the aging process by protecting the body from harmful free radicals. Massaging a few drops of coconut oil daily will keep it healthy and smooth. Apply it onto the skin before showering. This will open the pores while showering and will allow the oil to absorb through the skin more efficiently.

23. Cleans The Skin

Eating coconut hydrates the skin and makes it youthful and supple. Take a teaspoon of raw, uncooked coconut oil and massage the skin with it. This will minimize the outbreaks of skin, rashes and irritations and will beautify the skin from inside when taken internally.

24. Promotes Blood Circulation

Eating coconut regularly boosts oxygen in the skin and promotes blood circulation. Our cells need an adequate amount of oxygen which can only be made possible by proper circulation in the body that carries oxygen. This allows proper breathing of the skin and promotes healthy and flawless complexion.

25. Reverses Effects Of Tanning

Coconut water can also help to reverse tanning. Mix Fuller’s earth with coconut water and apply it all over the skin. Leave it for 20 minutes and then wash it off with cold water. Apply this face pack twice weekly to get tan-free skin.

26. Treats Oily Skin

Coconut water can also be used to treat oily skin. It washes away excess oil from the skin and keeps the skin tone more even. Coconut water is also very effective on acne, black spots and blemishes. Make a face pack by mixing half a teaspoon of turmeric, 1 teaspoon of sandalwood powder and coconut water. Apply it on the face thrice weekly to get clear and glowing skin.

27. Removes Eye Makeup

Coconut oil can also be used to remove eye makeup. Put a few drops of coconut oil on a cotton ball and wipe your eyes with it. It effectively removes the tough eye makeup by breaking down the ingredients in the eye makeup. It keeps the skin hydrated too.

28. Body Scrub

Coconut can also be used as a body scrub. Mix some coconut oil and a cup of brown sugar and stir well. Finally, scrape some coconut shell, add a few drops of essential oil and mix it. Your scrub is ready to use. You can also mix 1 tablespoon of coconut water and lentils to make a paste. Rub it gently on the face for 2 minutes and then wash off.

***Fun Fact***

British explorer Captain James Cook and his band of sailors reached the Polynesian Islands during the late 1700s. They were surprised at the healthy and beautiful skin and hair of the Polynesian people, which were attributed to coconut oil.

Hair Benefits Of Coconut

Coconut for hair helps to treat hair loss problems. Both coconut water and coconut oil can help to treat hair fall. Massage your hair with coconut water or coconut oil prior to bathing to manage unruly hair and prevent hair breakage. This will also make the hair soft, smooth and manageable.

29. Prevents Scalp Infections

The antibacterial and antifungal properties of coconut protect the scalp from dandruff, lice and itchy scalp which often slows down the hair growth.

30. Helps Maintain Healthy Hair

Coconut can also help you to get shiny and silky hair.

The Vitamin K and iron content in coconut maintain the health of the hair and impart shine to it.

Coconut is often used in the form of oil in the cosmetic industry to improve the health and appearance of the skin and hair.

1. Fights Dryness

Coconut oil, if used on skin prevents dryness and flakiness and keeps it moisturized and supple. It also supports the skin and works to repair the damage it has acquired over time. It eases a common skin condition called neurosis, which is characterized by dry, rough, and flaky skin. It also reduces the severity of atopic dermatitis which is prone to infections like Staphylococcus aureusi  .

The use of coconut cleanses and neutralizes the toxins, fungi and bacteria on the outer layers of the skin which not only detoxifies but also builds the skin’s natural immune system and protection.

2. Effective On Dry Hands

Extra virgin coconut oil can also be used to treat dry and parched hands. Regular dishwashing often dries out the skin and makes them unsightly. Instead of using expensive chemical-laden cosmetics, apply virgin coconut oil on the hands to get beautiful and smooth hands. Even to treat cracked and brittle nails, coconut oil is used for its moisturizing properties.

3. Prevents Skin Cancer

It improves the moisture and lipid content in the skin and prevents skin cancer by blocking 20% of harsh Ultra Violet rays. It can be used as a body and skin moisturizer as it hydrates the skin by replenishing the natural oils. Coconut oil can also be used to clean the face by rubbing it in circular motions.

4. May Keep The Skin Youthful

Coconut oil is excellent for keeping the skin young and beautiful. Its antioxidant property slows down the aging process by protecting the body from harmful free radicals. Massaging a few drops of coconut oil daily will keep it healthy and smooth. Apply it onto the skin before showering. This will open the pores while showering and will allow the oil to absorb through the skin more efficiently.

5. Cleans The Skin

Eating coconut hydrates the skin and makes it youthful and supple. Take a teaspoon of raw, uncooked coconut oil and massage the skin with it. This will minimize the outbreaks of skin, rashes and irritations and will beautify the skin from inside when taken internally.

6. Promotes Blood Circulation

Eating coconut regularly boosts oxygen in the skin and promotes blood circulation. Our cells need an adequate amount of oxygen which can only be made possible by proper circulation in the body that carries oxygen. This allows proper breathing of the skin and promotes healthy and flawless complexion.

7. Reverses Effects Of Tanning

Coconut water can also help to reverse tanning. Mix Fuller’s earth with coconut water and apply it all over the skin. Leave it for 20 minutes and then wash it off with cold water. Apply this face pack twice weekly to get tan-free skin.

8. Treats Oily Skin

Coconut water can also be used to treat oily skin. It washes away excess oil from the skin and keeps the skin tone more even. Coconut water is also very effective on acne, black spots and blemishes. Make a face pack by mixing half a teaspoon of turmeric, 1 teaspoon of sandalwood powder and coconut water. Apply it on the face thrice weekly to get clear and glowing skin.

9. Removes Eye Makeup

Coconut oil can also be used to remove eye makeup. Put a few drops of coconut oil on a cotton ball and wipe your eyes with it. It effectively removes the tough eye makeup by breaking down the ingredients in the eye makeup. It keeps the skin hydrated too.

10. Body Scrub

Coconut can also be used as a body scrub. Mix some coconut oil and a cup of brown sugar and stir well. Finally, scrape some coconut shell, add a few drops of essential oil and mix it. Your scrub is ready to use. You can also mix 1 tablespoon of coconut water and lentils to make a paste. Rub it gently on the face for 2 minutes and then wash off.

***Fun Fact***

British explorer Captain James Cook and his band of sailors reached the Polynesian Islands during the late 1700s. They were surprised at the healthy and beautiful skin and hair of the Polynesian people, which were attributed to coconut oil.

Toosweet Annan (born 25 August 1985) is a fantastic but professional Nigerian-Ghanaian actor, businessman, and producer.

He is prominent for his roles in Nollywood films such as Black Men Rock (2018), P over D (2019), and his role in the African Movie Channel Original Production titled Rekindle (2019).

Toosweet Annan is an extraordinary actor who displays real emotion and passion on set. He has been described by several film pundits as the “Next big thing” in the industry.

TOOSWEET ANNAN
WIKI FACTS & ABOUT DATA
Full Name: Toosweet Annan
Born: 25 August 1985 
Place of Birth: Ghana
Nationality: Nigerian, Ghanaian
Height: N/A
Parents: N/A
Siblings: N/A
Wife • Spouse: Sermira Adams (rum.)
Girlfriend • Partner: Matilda Hipsy (rum.), Frances Ben (rum.), Salma Mumin (rum.)
Children: Novanna Annan, Adriel Annan
Occupation: Actor • TV Personality
Net Worth: US$500,000

Mike Ezuruonye (born 20 September 1982) is a famous Nigerian actor and television personality.

His career in Nollywood started accidentally when the famous producer Ruke Amata found him at the filling station and advised him to attend casting calls for the movies.

He proceeded with the advice to become Nollywood mega superstar.

READ ALSO: Olamide’s Biography: Wiki Facts, Songs, Birthday, Child, Wife, Net Worth, Albums, Girlfriend, Pictures, Family, Record Label And More…

MIKE EZURUONYE
WIKI FACTS & ABOUT DATA
Full Name: Mike Ezuruonye
Born: 20 September 1982 
Place of Birth: Lagos, Nigeria
State Of Origin: Anambra State
Nationality: Nigerian
Height: 1.71 m
Parents: N/A
Siblings: Chichi Ezuruonye
Wife • Spouse: Nkechi Nnorom (m. 2010)
Girlfriend • Partner: N/A
Children: Reynold Nkembuchim Ezuruonye
Occupation: Actor • TV Personality
Net Worth: US$4 million

Linda Ifeoma Ikeji (born September 19, 1980), popularly known as Linda Ikeji, is a highly respected Nigerian figure whose expertise spans various fields. She is a distinguished Nigerian writer, blogger, enterprising businesswoman, and former fashion model. 

Born into a devout Catholic family in Nkwerre, Imo State, Linda Ikeji has had a passion for writing since she was young. Her interest in blogging started as a mere hobby, but after its establishment in 2006, she swiftly took to LindaIkejiBlog.com, and it soon became one of the most popular and profitable blogs in Nigeria.

Linda Ikeji‘s entrepreneurial mindset led her to take advantage of the power of digital media, and with the growth of the internet, she saw an opportunity to showcase her writing skills while earning income. She has since been recognized for her tremendous efforts in the blogging industry, and her contribution to the development of digital media in Nigeria is highly commendable.

Linda Ikeji has become one of the wealthiest bloggers in Africa, thanks to her exceptional work ethic and entrepreneurial spirit, which have also earned her a place among the top 20 richest Igbo tribe persons in Nigeria.

Aside from her notable achievements in the blogosphere, Linda Ikeji is a former model who has modeled for reputable brands. Her business acumen has enabled her to venture into different sectors, including real estate and media production. At 42 years old, her success story inspires many young Nigerians who aspire to make their mark.

LINDA IKEJI
WIKI FACTS & ABOUT DATA
Full Name: Linda Ifeoma Ikeji
Stage Name: Linda Ikeji
Born: 19 September 1980 
Place of Birth: Nkwerre, Imo State, Nigeria
State Of Origin: Imo State
Nationality: Nigerian
Height: 1.71 m
Parents: The Ikeji Family
Siblings: Laura Ikeji, Sandra Ikeji, Vera Ikeji Shilobod, Peks Ikeji, Edna Ikeji, Benita Ikeji
Spouse: Not Married
Boyfriend • Partner: Sholaye Jeremi, Okoro Daniel O (rum.), Don Jazzy (rum.)
Children: Jayce Ikeji
Occupation: Blogger • Entrepreneur
Net Worth: $7.2 million

Nonso Diobi, a distinguished Nigerian actor and filmmaker, graced the world with his presence on July 17th, 1976. Though he came into being in Enugu State, he was delivered in the serene hamlet of Nawfia, nestled in the heart of Anambra State.

In the year our Lord 2001, the cinematic world witnessed the emergence of Nonso Diobi as he made his debut in the compelling film Border Line

Nonso Diobi‘s sterling performance endeared him to movie lovers nationwide and beyond, setting him on the path to becoming a household name.

NONSO DIOBI
WIKI FACTS & ABOUT DATA
Full Name: Nonso Diobi
Born: 17 July 1976
Place of Birth: Enugu, Nigeria
State Of Origin: Anambra State
Nationality: Nigerian
Height: N/A
Parents: N/A
Siblings: N/A
Wife • Spouse: Not Married
Girlfriend • Partner: Chioma Nwaoha (rum.)
Children: 1
Occupation: Actor • Filmography
Net Worth: $1.5 million

Chioma Nwaoha Blessing (born 2nd-November-1995), also known as Spanky Diva, is a talented Nigerian actress and entrepreneur.

She gained recognition for the great role she played at the popular Nollywood movie “Kings Wife.”

She is considered one of the most talented actresses in Nigeria due to her versatility, which gives her the ability to portray any character given to her.

CHIOMA NWAOHA

WIKI FACTS 
Full Name: Chioma Nwaoha Blessing
Stage Name: Chioma Nwaoha
Born: 2 November 1995 
Place of Birth: Owerri, Imo, Nigeria
State Of Origin: Imo State
Nationality: Nigerian
Parents: N/A
Children: N/A
Height: 1.68 m
Siblings: 5
Boyfriend • Husband: Not Publicized
Occupation: Actress • Entrepreneur
Net Worth: $350,000

Oludotun Baiyewu Jacobs (born 11 July 1942), known globally as Olu Jacobs, is a renowned Nigerian actor, businessman, and film executive. 

He has starred in several British television series and international films. Olu Jacobs has been hailed by many as one of the greatest and most widely respected African actors of his generation.

With Pete Edochie, he is considered by several media, film commentators, critics, and other actors to be one of the most influential African actors. He is widely regarded as a cultural icon. He is seen as the bridge between the old Actors and the new ones.

Olu Jacobs has made his mark in Nigeria’s movie industry. With more than 40 years of acting experience, he is seen as a bridge between actors’ old and new breeds. Trained at The Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, England, he worked with various repertoire theatres in Britain and starred in some international movies.

OLU JACOBS
WIKI FACTS 
Full Name: Oludotun Baiyewu Jacobs
Stage Name: Olu Jacobs
Born: 11 July 1942 
Place of Birth: Abeokuta, Ogun, Nigeria
State Of Origin: Ogun State
Nationality: Nigerian
Height: 1,61 m
Parents: N/A
Siblings: N/A
Wife • Spouse: Joke Silva (m. 1989)
Girlfriend • Partner: N/A
Children: Olusoji Jacobs, Olugbenga Jacobs, Dayo Jacobs
Occupation: Actor • TV Personality
Net Worth: US$3.5 million

Biography

Adedamola Adefolahan (born February 5, 1996) is a trailblazing Nigerian artiste who has combined Afrobeats, and R&B sounds to thrill millions of fans. 

The talented singer is known professionally as Fireboy DML and has won the hearts of millions of Afrobeats lovers with his top-notch songwriting ability, which sets him apart from his contemporaries. 

Currently signed to YBNL RecordsFireboy DML broke out in the industry with the radio jamming single, Jealous, which sat at the top of several music charts in the country for weeks. 

Fireboy DML‘s debut studio album, Laughter, Tears, and Goosebumps was dropped in 2019. While his sophomore album, Apollo, was released into the public domain on the 17th Of August 2020. 

FIREBOY DML

WIKI FACTS & ABOUT DATA
Full Name: Adedamola Adefolahan
Stage Name: Fireboy DML
Born: February 5, 1996 
Place of Birth: Ogun, Nigeria
State Of Origin: Ogun State
Nationality: Nigerian
Parents: Mr. and Mrs. Adefolahan
Children: N/A
Height: 1.82 m
Siblings: N/A
Girlfriend • Wife: Not Married
Occupation: Singer • Songwriter
Net Worth: US$3 million-US$7 million

Economic growth and prosperity are central to long-term poverty alleviation for social and environmental sustainability and as far as Agriculture is concerned Palm Tree Farming still takes the lead.

Oil palm is one of the world’s most important oil crops which has boomed during the last few decades due to the rising global demand for vegetable oil; and will likely continue to increase in the future.

In many situations where oil palm was recently expanded, farmers switched from food or other cash crops to cultivating oil palm. Elsewhere, fallow land or forests were converted to oil palm plantations.

Numerous studies in different countries showed that oil palm cultivation has contributed considerably to rural economic development and the expansion of oil palm has brought about significant income gains for farmers, laborers, and other people involved in the supply chains, including traders, intermediaries, and small-scale processors. It also represents one of the most effective avenues for;

  • Poverty alleviation,
  • Food security, 
  • Ensuring economic stability in Nigeria.
  • Creation of employment opportunities for both skilled and semi-skilled people.

For many tropical countries, palm oil is an important contributor to gross national product and foreign exchange earnings. In 2018, the total value of the international palm oil trade amounted to US$30 billion, with Indonesia and Malaysia being the biggest exporters.

Recent Indonesia’s surprising ban on palm oil exports offers Nigeria a lucrative opportunity to plug the gap in the international market, knowing that Nigeria was once the world’s largest palm oil producer but today, it produces too little than its imports.

The ban exposed Nigeria’s fragile dependence on oil imports and its glaring inability to provide alternative supply to international buyers in a market it once led.

All thanks to the government who launched a $500 million plan to increase funding to producers of oil palm through low-interest loans, to raise domestic output by 700 percent by 2027.

The result has been relatively better but weak as Palm oil production rose from 955,000 metric tonnes in 2015 to 990,000 metric tonnes in 2016, and 1 million metric tonnes in 2017. In 2018 and 2019, Nigeria’s palm oil production averaged 1.1 million metric tonnes, and then it climbed to 1.2 million metric tonnes and 1.4 million metric tonnes in 2020 and 2021 respectively.

According to the Central Bank of Nigeria, if Nigeria had maintained its market dominance in the palm oil industry, the country would have been earning approximately $20 billion annually from the cultivation and processing of palm oil as today.

However, few organizations in Nigeria have been able to sustain Palm Oil Production such as Okomu Oil Palm Company and Okitipupa Oil Palm PLC. This organization has been able to develop responsible tropical agriculture through its activities, with key initiatives that ensure positive and long-term economic performance, social welfare, health, security, and natural resource management.

Now, Flap Multipurpose Cooperative Society has introduced Palm Tree Farming in Ketu Epe, Lagos, PalmRich Estate. This allows individuals who are interested in contributing to the economic growth of the country, to own their Palm Tree Farm which they might consider establishing a palm oil producing company.

1. Enhances Brain Health

Okra has anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties that may help treat anti-neuroinflammatory diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, which are mediated by microglial cells.

2. Promote Eye Health

Okra is high in Vitamin A and beta-carotene, both of which are antioxidants that can help prevent age-related vision problems like Macular Degeneration and Cataracts.

READ ASLSO: Nutritional And Health Benefits Of Ogbono Soup That You Didn’t Know

The presence of vitamins A and C in okra also helps to support healthy tissues in the eyes and mucous membranes, protecting against health problems associated with eye infections.

3. Strengthen Your Bones

Okra is a great source of calcium and vitamin K, which can protect against osteoporosis and slow down bone loss.

In fact, according to reports, okra hydrocolloids have the potential to serve as a foundation for the development of prosthetics and scaffolds for bone and cartilage engineering.

4. Help With Weight Loss

Foods that are high in fiber, such as okra, take longer to digest than foods that are low in fiber. As a result, they stay in your stomach for longer, making you feel fuller for longer. This means you’ll be less likely to experience hunger pangs or snack cravings in between meals.

Unlike most fruits and vegetables, okra is low in calories and high in protein. This means you can add another spoonful to your dish and still see the numbers on the scale fall.

5. Great For Digestion

Okra is high in insoluble fiber, which is essential for maintaining healthy digestion. Fiber helps to bulk up your stool and promotes waste movement through your intestines. This can help prevent constipation and other digestive issues like bloating and gas.

Furthermore, okra has a gastroprotective effect against ethanol and may help to prevent gastric ulcers.

6. Help Control Cholesterol Levels

Okra contains mucilage, a type of soluble fiber that aids in cholesterol reduction.

Mucilage binds to bile acids in the digestive tract and transports them out of the body, forcing the liver to use cholesterol to produce more bile acids. This procedure can aid in the reduction of total cholesterol levels.

7. Help Prevent Cancer

Okra is high in antioxidants, which are compounds that help prevent cell and DNA damage by neutralizing harmful free radicals. This can help to reduce the risk of cancer cell development.

Okra also contains lectins, which are proteins that have anti-cancer properties. Lectins have the ability to inhibit cancer cell growth and induce apoptosis, or programmed cell death, in cancer cells.

8. Boost the Immune System

Okra has a high fiber content, which can aid in the growth of beneficial gut bacteria. A healthy gut microbiome is necessary for a robust immune system.

Okra is also high in vitamin C, which helps the body produce white blood cells to fight infections, and high in antioxidants such as polyphenols and flavonoids, which help to protect cells from damage and support the immune system.

9. Stabilize Blood Sugar Levels

Because okra contains soluble fiber, which slows the absorption of sugar from your intestines, it helps to prevent blood sugar spikes and promotes more stable blood sugar levels, as well as preventing diabetes.[11]

10. Good For Your Skin And Hair

Okra is a great moisturizer for dry and itchy scalps, leaving hair soft, bouncy, and shiny.

Vitamin C, which is present in okra, helps in tissue repair and preserves the appearance of young skin. This, in turn, helps to keep your skin younger and more vibrant.

The health benefits of ogbono includes raising the levels of high-density lipoprotein (good) cholesterol, promoting weight loss and reducing inflammation. Ogbono seeds are also nutritious because they are rich in calcium, phosphorus, iron and zinc. They are also good sources of antioxidants, including polyphenols, carotenoids and flavonols.

READ ALSO: 10 Health Benefits Of Okro Soup That You Never Knew

What is ogbono?

Ogbono, botanically known as Irvingia gabonensis, and African mango, bush mango, or dika nut in English, is a multipurpose fruit native to West and Central Africa. 

Ogbono fruits are available from May to September, with peak harvesting in June and July. The fruit is oval-shaped and broad, with a thin skin, fleshy pulp when ripe and a hard, stony nut encasing a soft, oil-rich kernel wrapped inside a brown seed coat. 

The kernel, commonly referred to as a seed, is widely eaten and is what we call ogbono or dika nut. These kernels are an essential part of West and Central African diets, providing carbohydrates, fat and protein. They can be eaten raw, roasted, or ground and cooked with meat, vegetables, and spices. 

Nutritional Value of Ogbono Seeds

On average, 100g of ogbono contains 704kcal, 7.9g protein, 66.9g fat, 16.4g carbohydrate, 2.2g fibre.

Ogbono is an energy-dense seed, providing 595–729 kcal per 100g portion. It primarily comprises fat (71%), with moderate amounts of protein (~22%) and minimal carbohydrates (~3%).

The fats in ogbono are primarily saturated fatty acids (~97%), and the remainder is a combination of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids.  

Ogbono seeds are sources of many essential minerals, including calcium (164mg per 100g), phosphorus (202mg per 100g), iron (3.4mg per 100g), copper, and zinc. They are also sources of antioxidants, including flavonoids, carotenoids, and polyphenols. 

Health Benefits of Ogbono Seeds

Scientific evidence for the health benefits of ogbono seeds is limited. However, studies in mice show that ogbono may raise the levels of high-density lipoprotein ‘good’ cholesterol. It may also promote weight loss in overweight and obese adults and reduce inflammation.

A 2005 randomised controlled study in Cameroon investigated the effects of ogbono seeds in 40 adults with obesity (Ngondi et al., 2005). A total of 28 received 1.05g of ogbono seeds three times daily for one month while 12 received a placebo. All participants ate enough calories to maintain their weight.

However, after 30 days, people taking ogbono seeds significantly reduced their weight by 5.26% while those taking the placebo reduced their weight by 1.32%. Notably, the individuals in the ogbono group also significantly reduced total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides, while increasing HDL (good) cholesterol levels. Participants in the placebo group did not experience any of these changes.

Is Ogbono Good for Diabetes?

Ogbono lowers blood glucose levels in rats with diabetes. And although it increases insulin sensitivity, lowers blood glucose, waist circumference and triglycerides in patients with metabolic syndrome, there is currently insufficient evidence for its benefits in humans with diabetes.

Is Ogbono Soup useful for Fattening?

Ogbono is not fattening even though it contains a lot of saturated fat. Fat gain occurs from eating more calories than you burn and not from eating a particular food. Ogbono can be part of a healthy diet if you cook it with small or moderate amounts of palm oil, lean meats or fish, and plenty of green leafy vegetables and eat a moderate portion.

1. It supports a strong and healthy immune system

Researchers with the Integrative Health Institute at the University of California, Irvine, found that drinking coconut water as a low sugar, electrolyte beverage 1-2 times per day may aid in strengthening your immunity while keeping you properly hydrated. Because coconut water is highly hydrating, it may help move nutrients to organs.

Coconut water also contains lauric acid, which may help remove bacteria from your body, possibly eliminate intestinal parasites and potentially harmful microbes, and may help fight viruses that cause colds.

2. It supports healthy hydration

There’s no better substitute for water, but let’s face it, it’s tasteless. You can tantalize your taste buds while hydrating using coconut water as it contains 95% water content, yet it tastes way better than plain water.

Moreover, coconut water is a natural product that does not contain chemicals like sports drinks. You can always drink coconut water anytime, even on an empty stomach.

3. It serves as a good mechanism for your digestive system

Coconut water may help the digestive process by reducing bloating after meals; it may prevent constipation, may soothe the stomach, and may support proper water retention.

4. It support weight loss and a healthy weight

Coconut water is an excellent addition to a dietary regimen as it has low-calorie levels. While coconut water has more calories than regular water and far fewer calories than soft drinks, coconut water has far more nutrition than soft drinks, making coconut water a better choice when reducing calories.

5. It serves as energy booster 

Instead of using sports drinks full of chemicals and sugar, settle for natural, unflavored coconut water. It contains high levels of potassium and low sodium and calorie count.

After a few days of routinely drinking coconut water instead of artificially flavored sports drinks, you may notice an extra spring in your step that wasn’t there before.

6. It helps in preventing kidney stones

Researchers with BioMed Research International, a peer-reviewed journal, found that coconut water may support the removal of citrate, chloride, and potassium from your body. This may help you avoid the dreaded kidney stones.

7. It supports healthy blood pressure

Leading experts agree that you can manage high blood pressure by fixing your diet, taking medication, and doing physical exercise. Coconut water may also support a healthy blood pressure by balancing the electrolytes in the body. This may reduce the danger of developing high blood pressure.

8. It supports better workouts

Coconut water is an effective natural sports drink with a high potassium content. It is perfect for rehydrating and replenishing electrolytes lost during exercise and before exercise to prevent dehydration. Moreover, coconut water can improve exercise performance.

9. It improves deep sleep

Coconut water has magnesium and antioxidants, which may help to relax your mind and act as a way to reduce stress before bedtime. 

10. It supports smooth, healthy skin

Coconut water may help moisturize your skin, whether you drink or apply it to the skin. You may notice your skin becoming softer and more supple if you consume coconut water daily. 

Fresh tomatoes isolated on wooden background. Harvesting tomatoes. Tomato with droplets of water.

1. Tomatoes Help Prevent Cancer

According to the American Institute for Cancer Research, lycopene in tomatoes could be responsible for the fruit’s cancer prevention properties. Lycopene is an antioxidant in the carotenoid family. Its potent antioxidant properties have been found to neutralize free radicals that are generated in our bodies due to various reasons. Even laboratory studies show that tomato components have prevented the proliferation of several cancer cell types.

More importantly, one can enhance the cancer-fighting potential of tomatoes by taking them in a processed form – like the sauce, juice, or paste of tomatoes. Doing so allows the natural compounds in tomatoes to be more easily absorbed by the body. Also, processed forms of tomatoes have higher concentrations of lycopene.

However, it is important to consume a variety of foods (and not just tomatoes) to combat cancer, or any disease for that matter.

A study has also revealed the efficacy of tomatoes in preventing prostate cancer. But then, we don’t know if lycopene supplements have the same effect. And not just tomatoes in the processed form, but even those that are cooked can have better health effects.

Given their high antioxidant levels, tomatoes are a great choice for combating breast cancer. Adults with cancer participating in studies showed signs of cancer regression post lycopene supplementation. Higher lycopene intake has also been linked to a lower risk of lung, colon, oral, and cervical cancers.

Cancer cells can remain dormant for years until some chemical reaction triggers them and they attach themselves to the body’s blood supply. Lycopene was found to disrupt this linking process, thereby preventing the cancer cells from growing further.

Another reason tomatoes help fight cancer is adiponectin, a potent compound in the fruit.

2. Tomatoes Regulate Blood Pressure

The lycopene in tomatoes has also shown to reduce blood pressure.

Tomatoes are also rich in potassium, a mineral known to lower blood pressure levels. This is because potassium reduces the effects of sodium. In fact, the more potassium you consume, the more sodium you lose through urine, thus helping maintain low sodium levels in the body. Apart from this, potassium eases the tension in the walls of your blood vessels – further reducing blood pressure. According to the American Heart Association, the recommended intake of potassium for an average adult is 4,700 mg per day. But be careful not to consume too much of potassium as it might lead to kidney stones.

As per an Israeli study, short-term treatment with tomato extract can help lower blood pressure in patients.

Lycopene is also known to improve the functioning of blood vessels in general, which can help reduce blood pressure. Further research shows that though lycopene can help lower high blood pressure levels, it has no effect on normal blood pressure levels. Studies have concluded that lycopene supplements can have beneficial effects towards blood pressure.

Tomatoes are also highly rich in vitamin C that has been found to reduce blood pressure.

If they are not entirely ripened, you can store your tomatoes at room temperature. Once ripe, you can keep them in the refrigerator for up to three days. Beyond that, you can preserve them by freezing or canning. But the best option would be fresh tomatoes – as they are the richest in potassium and can have the best blood pressure-lowering effects.

3. Tomatoes Aid Weight Loss

As per a Chinese study, tomato juice can significantly reduce body weight, body fat, and waist circumference. It can also help in cholesterol reduction which can contribute to weight gain. Apart from being a great source of antioxidants, tomatoes are also rich in fiber and are low in calories. Hence, they promote satiety and even reduce calorie intake, thereby helping with weight loss.

4. Tomatoes Improve Skin And Hair Health

Tomatoes are an important ingredient in most beauty treatments. They help cure large pores, treat acne, soothe sunburn, and revive dull skin. The antioxidants in tomato, especially lycopene, fight cellular damage and skin inflammation.

Tomatoes also work wonderfully well as an astringent and improve facial texture. They remove excess oils from your skin and keep your face fresh for longer. All you need to do is mix the juices of fresh tomatoes and cucumber. Using a cotton ball, apply the juice to your face regularly.

Studies have shown that eating tomatoes also protect the skin from the ill effects of sun exposure. Other studies have found an improvement in the skin’s ability to protect itself from the UV radiation in women who ate tomato paste.

According to one Boston study, antioxidants like lycopene help enhance skin health to a great extent. As per one report, lycopene is one of the few antioxidants with incredible photoprotective properties. The vitamin C in tomatoes can also improve hair health.

5. Tomatoes Are Good During Pregnancy

Vitamin C is one of the nutrients any woman needs during pregnancy to keep herself and her baby healthy. It aids the formation of healthy bones, teeth, and gums. This vitamin also assists in the proper absorption of iron in the body, another vital nutrient during pregnancy. Though taking iron supplements during pregnancy is advisable, eating tomatoes can have its benefits.

The lycopene in tomatoes offers protection against cell damage. Though the safety of lycopene supplements for pregnant women is still under question, the antioxidant from natural sources is very much safe for the women in need.

Including tomatoes in your diet can improve the bioavailability of iron. And according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the vitamin C in tomatoes helps protect both the woman and the baby.

6. Tomatoes Reduce Cholesterol And Promote Heart Health

It’s lycopene, again! Including lycopene-rich tomatoes regularly in your diet for a few weeks can cut down your LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) levels by as much as 10%. To be more precise, you need to take at least 25 mg of lycopene a day. This could be about half a cup of tomato sauce. Also, 100 grams of tomato puree will give 21.8 mg of lycopene.

As per studies, individuals who consume fresh tomatoes or tomato juice can lower their bad cholesterol levels and increase the levels of good cholesterol. According to another Mexican study, consumption of raw tomatoes (14 servings a week for a month) can have a beneficial effect on cholesterol levels in overweight women.

One article by the Harvard Medical School includes tomatoes as one of the must-have foods for lowering cholesterol. And as per another study, the intake of lycopene every day can have similar effects as statins (any group of drugs for reducing cholesterol) in patients with elevated cholesterol levels.

Tomatoes are also rich sources of beta-carotene, folate, and flavonoids – all of which are beneficial for cardiovascular health. The nutrients in tomatoes also help reduce homocysteine and platelet aggregation, two phenomena that can have undesirable effects on heart health.

In another study by the University of Connecticut, tomato juice was found to possess cardioprotective abilities, which weren’t related to lycopene in any way (the revelation was made for the first time). Though the results are conflicting with what we have seen about lycopene so far, tomatoes still are one of those foods important for heart health.

Another study published in a report by Tufts University had found that men with high blood lycopene levels were found to be 55% less likely to suffer from a stroke. The findings remained consistent even after considering other factors like age, BMIi  , LDL cholesterol, blood pressure, and smoking.

Lycopene is fat-soluble, which is why it is recommended to consume it with a little fat – as that is when it will be better absorbed by the body. Also, vine-ripened tomatoes are richer in lycopene than tomatoes ripened off the vine. So, pick your tomatoes wisely.

7. Tomatoes Counter The Effects Of Cigarette Smoke

Smoking leads to the excessive production of free radicals in the body, which can be very well countered with vitamin C. Which is why tomatoes can work great for smokers. Lower levels of vitamin C in this aspect can result in heart disease and cancer.

According to the National Institutes of Health, if non-smoking men and women regularly need 90 mg and 75 mg of vitamin C respectively, smokers need 35 mg more. Around 100 grams of raw tomatoes contain about 13.7 mg of vitamin C.

If you are a pregnant woman who smokes (which shouldn’t be the case in the first place), you have a higher need for vitamin C. Talk to your doctor for more information.

A report published by Cornell University found that the lycopene in tomatoes can scavenge up to 90% of the free radicals in the body.

8. Tomatoes Improve Vision

Tomatoes are rich in vitamin A, which is one reason they are excellent for maintaining eye health. The retinas of your eyes rely on vitamin A, and deficiency of the vitamin can, with time, cause blindness.

Lycopene in tomatoes counters free radical damage, which can otherwise affect your eyes. A study conducted in 2011 discovered that people with higher lycopene levels had a lower risk of age-related macular degenerationi  . Lycopene also protects the eyes from sun damage.

Other eye-beneficial nutrients in tomatoes are vitamin C and copper. While the former might fight age-related cataractsi  , the latter helps produce melanin – the important black pigment in the eyes.

Lutein in tomatoes is to be talked about as well. It is a phytochemical, which is a carotenoid that is helpful for vision health (29). The beta-carotene in tomatoes, upon consumption, is converted into retinol – and this compound is essential for optimal vision.

A quick tip – if you are choosing tomatoes in the cooler months, go for the canned variety. This includes diced tomatoes, tomato juice, tomato paste, or whole peeled tomatoes. Canned tomatoes are richer in nutrients, and since it’s winter, might cost less as well. While shopping for canned tomatoes, go for the low-sodium variant.

9. Tomatoes Enhance Digestive Health

This health benefit of tomato is attributed to its chloride content, which is an essential component of digestive juices. One report also talks about the efficacy of lycopene in tomatoes in preventing gastric cancer. The fiber in tomatoes helps here too – 100 grams of tomatoes give you 2 grams of fiber (both soluble and insoluble fiber), further promoting gut health.

Eating antioxidant-rich foods like tomatoes can also help you deal with gastritis, a condition in which the stomach lining is inflamed.

10. Tomatoes Help Manage Diabetes

According to the American Diabetes Association, tomatoes are an important part of the diabetic diet. This is because they are rich in iron and vitamins C and E – all of which help relieve diabetic symptoms. Tomatoes also have a low glycemic index (the ability of a particular food to increase blood sugar levels), which can be a bonus for diabetics.

As per an Indian study, long-term supplementation of tomatoes was linked to beneficial effects in patients with diabetes mellitus. Though further research is warranted in this regard, the finding is promising. An Iranian study concluded that consuming 200 grams of raw tomatoes every day had a favorable effect on the blood pressure levels in type 2 diabetes patients.

The lycopene in tomatoes, along with other compounds, was also found to have a positive effect on the oxidative stress in diabetes patients.

11. Tomatoes May Prevent Urinary Stone Formation

According to another Turkey study, fresh tomato juice might help in preventing urinary stone formation.

12. Tomatoes Help Prevent Gallstones

As per a report by the Michigan State University, consuming tomatoes can reduce the risk of gallstones as well as kidney stones.

A few ways to incorporate tomatoes into your diet for preventing gallstones could be adding the canned or stewed versions to your soups and stews. You can also make fresh salsa and add tomatoes as a topping on salads, meat, or eggs.

13. Tomatoes Strengthen Bones

According to The Daily Telegraph, having just two glasses of tomato juice a day can strengthen your bones and prevent osteoporosis. However, the study that came up with the result was not done on a large scale, which is why further research is required in this area. Nonetheless, the possibilities are promising.

As already discussed, tomatoes are rich in beta-carotene. This nutrient, when ingested, turns into vitamin A – the vitamin that is essential for bone growth and maintenance.

The vitamin C in tomatoes is also crucial for bone formation and the synthesis of connective tissue. A deficiency of vitamin C can lead to underdeveloped bones. The vitamin has been linked to reduced bone loss in postmenopausal women as well. Even the lutein in tomatoes promotes collagen formation, which helps boost bone health.

Tomatoes are also rich in vitamin K, which, along with vitamin D, plays a pivotal role in bone metabolism. It also increases bone mineral density, thereby reducing the likelihood of fractures.

14. Tomatoes Enhance Your Immune System

In one study, a tomato-rich diet had enhanced the functioning of the white blood cells in test subjects. The white blood cells, which are known for fighting infections, sustained 38 percent less damage from free radicals. As per experts, the lycopene (and its antioxidant ability) in tomatoes might enhance this ability of the white blood cells.

According to a German study, supplementing a low-carotenoid diet with tomatoes might enhance immune function.

15. Tomatoes Reduce Inflammation

Tomatoes also contain three other antioxidants called zeta-carotene, phytofluene, and phytoene – which are found together in most brightly-colored fruits and veggies. These antioxidants help fight inflammation and the associated diseases like cancer and arthritis.

But there’s a catch. Earlier, we had seen that cooking or processing tomatoes enhances lycopene bioavailability. At the same time, the process also destroys these other significant antioxidants. The best way to go about it is to consume cooked/processed and raw tomatoes on a regular basis, and not just stick to one form.

Consuming tomato juice is equally beneficial in fighting inflammation. According to an Italian study, lycopene was found to exhibit anti-inflammatory behavior. However, more research is warranted in this regard.

A study published by the United States Department of Agriculture states that tomatoes (especially tomato powder) also contain apolycopenoids and certain other bioactive components that are way more effective than lycopene in fighting inflammation.

Harvard Medical School ranks tomatoes as one of the best foods for combating inflammation, and a must-have in everyone’s diet.

Cherry tomatoes can be a good addition too (a serving has just 27 calories). They are rich in flavonols that treat inflammation. You can simply roast whole cherry tomatoes with a few garlic cloves and crush them. Add the mixture to a whole wheat toast for a healthy and tasty snack.

Besides lycopene, the vitamin C in tomatoes also helps fight inflammation.

16. Tomatoes Boost Men’s Health

The lycopene in tomatoes was found to boost male fertility by as much as 70%. The antioxidant can also reduce the number of abnormal sperms. And not just that, it also improves sperm movement and reduces the damage to it.

As per a Boston study, weekly consumption of 2 to 4 servings of tomato sauce was found to reduce the risk of prostate cancer by 35% and advanced prostate cancer by 50%.

According to one study, men with the highest lycopene concentrations in their diets were found to have 59% lower risk of ischemic strokei  (the most common type of stroke).

17. Tomatoes Enhance Brain Power

Your brain, given the high concentration of omega-3 fatty acids, is particularly vulnerable to damage by free radicals. Tomatoes, being rich in lycopene and beta-carotene and other antioxidants, can help combat this. In fact, tomatoes, when taken with olive oil, can have better effects. This is because the carotenoids in tomatoes are dissolved in fat (olive oil) and are easily absorbed by the blood.

The lycopene in tomatoes also helps prevent grave diseases like dementia and Alzheimer’s. According to an article published by the Western Governors University, tomatoes aid cognitive function and concentration.

A quick tip – when in the season, go for fresh tomatoes to reap the benefits of lycopene and other essential nutrients. And when not in the season (which is when the tomatoes appear pale and are tasteless), go for lycopene supplements.

18. Tomatoes Promote Liver Health

The lycopene in tomatoes scavenges the DNA-damaging agents, thereby promoting liver health. Tomatoes also contain certain B-complex vitamins that sustain liver health.

And here’s a super fact for you – the liver is the only organ in the human body that is capable of natural regeneration. It can regenerate lost tissue, and as much as 25% of the organ can regenerate into a whole liver if minor damage occurs. As we have seen, tomatoes protect the liver and help in liver detoxification.

According to one study, increased intake of tomato has been linked to a lowered risk of liver cancer. Tomato extract was also found to offer protection against liver inflammation caused by a high-fat diet. As per another Californian study, green tomato extracts containing tomatine (a toxic substance found in the stems and leaves of tomato plants) can inhibit the growth of liver cancer cells. Also, green tomatoes, like their red counterparts, are rich in vitamin K and B-complex vitamins that have similar benefits.

1. Serves as a major way to fight nausea 

Many pregnant women suffer from nausea and easily get sick from different smells. Plantains have no smell and they can be taken without fear of vomiting.

2. Serves as a mechanism for Anaemia treatment

Many pregnant women suffer from anemia. Making unripe plantain a part of your meals is a good idea since this plant is rich in vitamin B6. This is a great way to avoid anemia problems and treat neuritis. 

3. Healthier heart

The plant is rich in different folates (niacin, thiamin etc.) and this is good for the baby. Besides, it contains potassium and this element is responsible for better blood pressure as well as a healthier heartbeat.

4. Provides Protection to the kidneys

The fruit can be used as a natural diuretic. In other words, it can improve the urinary function. This, in its turn, can protect your kidneys from various issues while you are pregnant. 

5. Serves as Great source of energy

The starch included in plantain fruit offers a natural source of energy. It is important to stay energetic during pregnancy.

6. Helps in Digestion 

Better digestion thanks to the dietary fiber component contained in plantain.

7. Serves as a Natural constipation treatment

This is possible thanks to the dietary fiber. Cooking and eating plantains during pregnancy can improve the bowel movement and provide incredible relief while you are expecting a child. 

8. Bones strengthening

Being a minerals’ source, plantains can be eaten to ensure the baby gets good healthy bones. Such minerals as magnesium and iron are important during pregnancy. Phosphorous is also must-take to help the child develop and stay healthier. 

9. Serves as Immune system booster

The vitamins A and C contained in the fruit are act like antioxidants, protecting cells from being damaged and neutralizing the free radicals. This all improves and even boosts your immunity.

10. Helps in Skin health improvement

Since plantain is rich in the vitamin A, you can improve your skin and make it healthier. The same vitamin is great for your eyes too.

Building an evidence- and rights-based approach to healthy decision-making in s*x Education

As they grow up, young people face important decisions about relationships, s*xuality, and s*xual behavior. The decisions they make can impact their health and well-being for the rest of their lives. Young people have the right to lead healthy lives, and society has the responsibility to prepare youth by providing them with comprehensive s*xual health education that gives them the tools they need to make healthy decisions. But it is not enough for programs to include discussions of abstinence and contraception to help young people avoid unintended pregnancy or disease. Comprehensive s*xual health education must do more. It must provide young people with honest, age-appropriate information and skills necessary to help them take personal responsibility for their health and overall well being. This paper provides an overview of research on effective s*x education, laws and policies that shape it, and how it can impact young people’s lives.

What is s*xual health education?

S*x education is the provision of information about bodily development, s*x, s*xuality, and relationships, along with skills-building to help young people communicate about and make informed decisions regarding s*x and their s*xual health. S*x education should occur throughout a student’s grade levels, with information appropriate to students’ development and cultural background. It should include information about puberty and reproduction, abstinence, contraception and condoms, relationships, s*xual violence prevention, body image, gender identity and s*xual orientation. It should be taught by trained teachers. S*x education should be informed by evidence of what works best to prevent unintended pregnancy and s*xually transmitted infections, but it should also respect young people’s right to complete and honest information. S*x education should treat s*xual development as a normal, natural part of human development.

Why is s*xual health education important to young people’s health and well-being?

Comprehensive s*xual health education covers a range of topics throughout the student’s grade levels. Along with parental and community support, it can help young people:

  • Avoid negative health consequences. Each year in the United States, about 750,000 teens become pregnant, with up to 82 percent of those pregnancies being unintended. Young people ages 15-24 account for 25 percent of all new HIV infections in the U.S. and make up almost one-half of the over 19 million new STD infections Americans acquire each year. S*x education teaches young people the skills they need to protect themselves.
  • Communicate about s*xuality and s*xual health. Throughout their lives, people communicate with parents, friends and intimate partners about s*xuality. Learning to freely discuss contraception and condoms, as well as activities they are not ready for, protects young people’s health throughout their lives. Delay s*xual initiation until they are ready. Comprehensive s*xual health education teaches abstinence as the only 100 percent effective method of preventing HIV, STIs, and unintended pregnancy – and as a valid choice which everyone has the right to make. Dozens of s*x education programs have been proven effective at helping young people delay s*x or have s*x less often.
  • Understand healthy and unhealthy relationships. Maintaining a healthy relationship requires skills many young people are never taught – like positive communication, conflict management, and negotiating decisions around s*xual activity. A lack of these skills can lead to unhealthy and even violent relationships among youth: one in 10 high school students has experienced physical violence from a dating partner in the past year.[6] S*x education should include understanding and identifying healthy and unhealthy relationship patterns; effective ways to communicate relationship needs and manage conflict; and strategies to avoid or end an unhealthy relationship.
  • Understand, value, and feel autonomy over their bodies. Comprehensive s*xual health education teaches not only the basics of puberty and development, but also instills in young people that they have the right to decide what behaviors they engage in and to say no to unwanted s*xual activity. Furthermore, s*x education helps young people to examine the forces that contribute to a positive or negative body image.
  • Respect others’ right to bodily autonomy. Eight percent of high school students have been forced to have intercourse[8], while one in ten students say they have committed s*xual violence. Good s*x education teaches young people what constitutes s*xual violence, that s*xual violence is wrong, and how to find help if they have been assaulted.
  • Show dignity and respect for all people, regardless of s*xual orientation or gender identity. The past few decades have seen huge steps toward equality for lesbian, gay, bis*xual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals. Yet LGBT youth still face discrimination and harassment. Among LGBT students, 82 percent have experienced harassment due to the s*xual orientation, and 38 percent have experienced physical harassment.
  • Protect their academic success. Student s*xual health can affect academic success. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has found that students who do not engage in health risk behaviors receive higher grades than students who do engage in health risk behaviors. Health-related problems and unintended pregnancy can both contribute to absenteeism and dropout.

What does the research say about effective s*x education?

  • Comprehensive s*xual health education works. Research has repeatedly found that s*x education which provides accurate, complete, and developmentally appropriate information on human s*xuality, including risk-reduction strategies and contraception helps young people take steps to protect their health, including delaying s*x, using condoms or contraception, and being monogamous.
    • A 2012 study that examined 66 comprehensive s*xual risk reduction programs found them to be an effective public health strategy to reduce adolescent pregnancy, HIV, and STIs.
    • Research from the National Survey of Family Growth assessed the impact of s*xuality education on youth s*xual risk-taking for young people ages 15-19 and found that teens who received comprehensive s*x education were 50 percent less likely to experience pregnancy than those who received abstinence-only-until-marriage programs.
    • Even accounting for differences in household income and education, states which teach s*x education and/or HIV education that covers abstinence as well as contraception, tend to have the lowest pregnancy rates.
  • National S*xuality Education Standards provide a roadmap. The National S*xuality Education Standards, developed by experts in the public health and s*xuality education field and heavily influenced by the National Health Education Standards, provide guidance about the minimum essential content and skills needed to help students make informed decisions about s*xual health. The standards focus on seven topics as the minimum, essential content and skills for K–12 education: Anatomy and Physiology, Puberty and Adolescent Development, Identity, Pregnancy and Reproduction, S*xually Transmitted Diseases and HIV, Healthy Relationships, and Personal Safety. Topics are presented using performance indicators—what students should learn by the end of grades 2, 5, 8, and 12. Schools which are developing comprehensive s*xual health education programs should consult the National S*xuality Education Standards to provide students with the information and skills they need to develop into healthy adults.
  • Evidence-based interventions are proven effective for schools serving communities at risk.Schools may wish to embed evidence-based interventions (EBIs) in their s*xual health education programs. Others may wish to provide EBIs as targeted interventions for groups of students at high risk. To do the latter, these programs should be provided in an after school setting. Researchers have identified dozens of EBIs where participants showed statistically significant declines in teen pregnancy, HIV, or other STIs. Following are collections of EBIs targeting youth from a variety of backgrounds.
    • Science and Success:Programs that Work to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, HIV, and S*xually Transmitted Infections (Advocates for Youth, 2012): Advocates for Youth undertook exhaustive reviews of existing programs that work to prevent teen pregnancy, HIV, and STIs and compiled a list of programs that have been proven effective by rigorous evaluation. Thirty-six effective programs were identified.[5]
      • 16 programs demonstrated a statistically significant delay in the timing of first s*x.
      • 21 programs showed statistically significant declines in teen pregnancy, HIV or other STIs.
      • 16 programs helped s*xually active youth to increase their use of condoms.
      • 9 programs demonstrated success at increasing use of contraception other than condoms.
    • Emerging Answers(The National Campaign to End Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, 2007): Researcher Douglas Kirby examined studies of prevention programs which had a strong experimental design and used other appropriate analysis criteria. Two-thirds of the 48 comprehensive s*x education programs studied had positive effects:
      • 40 percent delayed s*xual initiation, reduced number of s*xual partners, or increased condom or contraceptive use;
      • 30 percent reduced the frequency of s*x, including return to abstinence; and
      • 60 percent reduced unprotected s*x.
    • The Office of Adolescent Health, a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, keeps a list of evidence-based interventions, with ratings based on the rigor of program impact studies and strength of the evidence supporting the program model. Thirty-one programs meet the OAH’s effectiveness criteria and that were found to be effective at preventing teen pregnancies or births, reducing s*xually transmitted infections, or reducing rates of associated s*xual risk behaviors (defined by s*xual activity, contraceptive use, or number of partners).

What’s wrong with abstinence-only-until-marriage programs?

Many students receive abstinence-only-until marriage programs instead of or in addition to more comprehensive programs. These programs:

  • Depict abstinence until heteros*xual marriage as the only moral choice for young people
  • Mention contraception only in terms of failure rates
  • Focus on heteros*xual youth, ignoring the needs of LGBTQ youth
  • Often use outdated gender roles, urging “modesty” for all girls while painting all boys as s*xual aggressors.
  • Have been found to contain false information
  • Are not supported by the majority of Americans.

Only one abstinence-only program has ever been proven effective at helping young people delay s*x; yet in withholding information about contraception, it leaves those who do have s*x completely at risk. Studies show that 99 percent of people will use contraception in their lifetimes,[20] and that the provision of information about contraception does not hasten the onset of s*xual debut or increase s*xual activity.[10] Meanwhile, thirty years of public health research clearly demonstrate that comprehensive s*x education can help young people delay s*xual initiation while also assisting them to use protection when they do become s*xually active. We want young people to behave responsibly when it comes to decisions about s*xual health, and that means society has the responsibility to provide them with honest, age-appropriate comprehensive s*xual health education; access to services to prevent pregnancy and s*xually transmitted infections; and the resources to help them lead healthy lives.


All young people need comprehensive s*xual health education, while others also need s*xual health services. Youth at disproportionate risk for s*xual health disparities may also need targeted interventions designed specifically to build self efficacy and agency. Further, administrators and other policy makers must recognize that structural determinants, socio-cultural factors and cultural norms have been shown to have a strong impact on youth s*xual health and must be tackled to truly redress s*xual health disparity fueled by social inequity.


How is the content of a student’s s*x education decided?

Many factors help shape the content of a student’s s*x education. These include:

  • State and federal funding the school district receives
  • State laws and standards regarding s*x education
  • School district level policies and/or standards regarding curricula and content
  • The program or curriculum a district or individual school selects
  • The individual(s) who delivers the program.

With thousands of school districts around the nation, students’ experiences can vary drastically from district to district and school to school.

What are federal, state, and local structures that affect s*x education?

In the United States, education is largely a state and local responsibility, as dictated by the 10th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. This amendment states that “the powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” Because the Constitution doesn’t specifically mention education, the federal government does not have any direct authority regarding curriculum, instruction, administration, personnel, etc. In 1980, the U.S. Department of Education was created. While this move centralized federal efforts and responsibilities into one office, it did not come with an increase in federal jurisdiction over the educational system.

The U.S. Department of Education currently has no authority over s*xual health education. However, there have been federal funds allocated, primarily through the Department of Health and Human Services that school systems and community-based agencies have used throughout the last three decades to provide various forms of s*x education.

  • Federal funding: Until FY2010, there was no designated funding for a comprehensive approach to s*x education. In 1982, federal support of abstinence-only programs began, and in 1996, expanded drastically. From 1996-2010, over $1.5 billion in federal funding went to abstinence-only programs, which were conducted with little oversight and were proven ineffective. While one large stream of funding for abstinence-only programs was cancelled in 2010, at publication one still exists (as authorized by Congress through Title V funding) and is funded at $50 million per year.

In 2010, two streams of funding became available for evidence-based s*x education interventions.

    • PREP: The Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP) was authorized by Congress as a part of the Affordable Care Act of 2010. PREP provides grants ($75 million over five years) for programs which teach about both abstinence and contraception in order to help young people reduce their risk for unintended pregnancy, HIV, and STIs. In Fiscal Year 2012, 45 states applied for PREP. PREP grants are issued to states, typically the state health departments. All programs implemented with PREP funding are to educate adolescents about both abstinence and contraception for the prevention of pregnancy and STIs, including HIV/AIDS, and must cover at least three adulthood preparation subjects such as healthy relationships, adolescent development, financial literacy, educational and career success, and healthy life skills.
    • The President’s Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative (TPPI) funds medically-accurate and age-appropriate programs to reduce teen pregnancy. Seventy-five grantees in 32 states received TPPI funds in FY 2012. TPPI grants are distributed by the Office of Adolescent Health to local public and private entities. Grantees must implement an evidence-based program which has been proven effective at preventing teen pregnancy. According to OAH, 31 programs meet these criteria, including one abstinence-only-until-marriage program.
    • States may accept PREP, TPPI, or Title V funds. Many states accept funds for both abstinence-only programs and evidence-based interventions. In 2013, 19 SEAs and 17 LEA received five year cooperative agreements from CDC/DASH to implement ESHE within their school systems.

In addition, in 2013, CDC/Division of School Health issued a request for proposals to fund State Education Agencies (SEAs) and Large Municipal Education Agencies (LEAs) to implement Exemplary S*xual Health Education (ESHE). ESHE is defined as a systematic, evidence-informed approach to s*xual health education that includes the use of grade-specific, evidence-based interventions, but also emphasizes sequential learning across elementary, middle, and high school grade levels.

States may accept PREP, TPPI, or Title V funds. Many states accept funds for both abstinence-only programs and evidence-based interventions. In 2013, 19 SEAs and 17 LEAs received five year cooperative agreements from CDC/DASH to implement ESHE within their school systems.

  • The Real Education for Healthy Youth Act: While there is as yet no law that supports comprehensive s*xual health education, there is pending legislation. The Real Education for Healthy Youth Act (S. 372/H.R. 725), introduced in February 2013 by the late Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA), would ensure that federal funding is allocated to comprehensive s*xual health education programs that provide young people with the skills and information they need to make informed, responsible, and healthy decisions. This legislation sets forth a vision for comprehensive s*xual health education programs in the United States.
  • State policy: State s*x education policy may be governed by a state law as passed by the state legislature and signed into law by the state’s governor and/or the State Department of Education may have established state s*x education standards. State policy on s*x education can vary widely. As of 2012,
    • 30 states have no law that governs s*x education, and schools are not required to provide it
    • 25 states mandate that s*x education, if taught, must include abstinence, but do not require it to include contraception.
    • Six states mandate that s*x education include either a ban on discussing homos*xuality, or material about homos*xuality that is overtly discriminatory.

Each state has a department of education headed by a chief state school officer, more commonly known as the Superintendent of Public Instruction or the Commissioner of Education (titles vary by state). State departments of education are generally responsible for disbursing state and federal funds to local school districts, setting parameters for the length of school day and year, teacher certification, testing requirements, graduation requirements, developing learning standards and promoting professional development. Generally, the chief state school officer is appointed by the Governor, though in a few states they are elected.

State departments of education may also have Standards which provide benchmark measures that define what students should know and be able to do at specified grade levels. These sometimes, but not always, address s*xual health education. For instance, Connecticut and New Jersey have standards similar to the National S*xuality Education Standards in place and which address reproduction, prevention of STIs and pregnancy, and healthy relationships. A number of other states have general health education standards which do not directly address s*xual health, while others make mention of HIV/STI prevention and abstinence but don’t demand the most thorough instruction in s*xual health.

  • Local Policy: At the school district level, Pre-K-12 public schools are generally governed by local school boards (with the exception of Hawaii which does not have any local school board system). Local school boards are typically comprised of 5 to 7 members who are either elected by the public or appointed by other government officials.

Local school boards are responsible for ensuring that each school in their district is in compliance with the laws and policies set by the state and federal government. Local school board also have broad decision and rule-making authority with regards to the operations of their local school district, including determining the school district budget and priorities; curriculum decisions such as the scope and sequence of classroom content in all subject areas; and textbook approval authority. 

Typically, school boards set the s*x education policy for a school district. They must follow state law. Some school boards provide guidelines or standards, while others select specific curricula for schools to deliver. Most school boards are advised by School Health Advisory Councils (SHACs). SHAC members are individuals who represent the community and who provide advice about health education.

How can I work for comprehensive s*xual health education for students in my community?

There are a number of ways to help ensure that students get the information they need to live healthy lives, build healthy relationships, and take personal responsibility for their health and well being.

  • Urge your Members of Congress to support the Real Education for Healthy Youth Act, in person, by phone, or online.
  • Contact your school board and urge them to adopt the National S*xuality Education Standards and require comprehensive s*xual health programs.
  • Join a School Health Advisory Council in your area – both young people and adults are eligible to serve on most.
  • Organize within your community – a group of individuals, or a coalition of like-minded organizations – to do one or all of the above.

Conclusion

Young people have the right to lead healthy lives. As they develop, we want them to take more and more control of their lives so that as they get older, they can make important life decisions on their own. The balance between responsibility and rights is critical because it sets behavioral expectations and builds trust while providing young people with the knowledge, ability, and comfort to manage their s*xual health throughout life in a thoughtful, empowered and responsible way. But responsibility is a two-way street. Society needs to provide young people with honest, age-appropriate information they need to live healthy lives, and build healthy relationships, and young people need to take personal responsibility for their health and well being. Advocates must also work to dismantle barriers to s*xual health, including poverty and lack of access to health care.

What are the important factors in rearing productive broiler breeders? The time spent preparing for the new flock and the first seven to ten days after placement are the most critical time to promote the success of the flock. It is difficult with the lag in time between the rearing phase and the end of lay to pinpoint problems in rearing management that affected flock performance, but there is a direct relationship between the start the chicks get and how they perform during the lay cycle.

Let’s review the important points because *”A highly productive breeder flock begins in the rearing house.”

Sanitation

Clean the house thoroughly between flocks. Remove all litter. Wash the ceiling, sidewalls and equipment. Disinfect after the buildings are washed. Nothing should be left behind from the previous flock that has not been washed and sanitized. Clean the drinker lines with citric acid (or whatever is recommended by the manufacturer) to remove bacteria that may bind or kill vaccines introduced during the next flock. Remember to flush the lines before the next flock arrives. Some folks look at the sanitation of a poultry house as something extra, but there is no doubt that this is one of the most important investments that can be made to ensure your next flock is a success. Prevent problems by practicing good sanitation, rodent and fly control, and biosecurity during the life of the flock.

Be ready for the chicks. Equipment maintenance should be complete with all heaters, feeders, drinkers and fans serviced/repaired and in good working order. Readiness and reliability are critical in making it through the 20-week rearing phase without mechanical failures.

Temperature

Make sure the temperature (86 to 90°F) is right at bird height. In the coldest weather, run the heat long enough to make sure the floor is comfortable. If you feel any coolness when sitting on the litter, the birds will be chilled (with their body temperature of 106°F). Cold chicks don’t go to feed and will be picked up as mortality or starve-outs several days later.

Water

The water in the drinkers should be like cool bath water (80-85°F). If the water in the waterline is cold (below 55 F) before the chicks arrive, try turning the brooders/furnaces on earlier to prevent chilling the chicks as they get their first water. Dump the chicks at the drinkers. Provide plenty of watering space. If you are using nipple drinkers, have the light level high enough that the chicks can see and be attracted to the metal nipple (first 2-3 days). With low light levels some chicks do not find the nipple before they are dehydrated. In addition, the first day have the nipple drinker lines low so that the chicks actually run into the nipples. As the birds find the water, inch the lines up to encourage the birds to stretch their necks up for a drink and prevent water spilling onto the litter.

Feeds

Make sure the chicks eat the first day and several times each day until daily restricted feeding starts. Feeding is encouraged by freshen the feed available to the chicks (i.e. top dressing the feeder lids each day or twice a day) and running the automated feeder (sound attracts them). Start out with the feed and water together when the chicks arrive.

Slowly move the feeder lids toward the feed lines. As with the drinkers it is important that the chicks find their automated feeder and drinkers before the auxiliary drinkers or feeder lids are removed. They can be removed too early and they can stay too long. The objective is to get the breeder chicks eating the feed and drinking water as quickly as possible after arrival or mortality will be high. Breeder chicks have an extended processing time in the hatchery due to the number of services we requests. In addition, breeder chicks travel further than most broiler chicks, making it critical they consume water and feed within the first hour after placement. These chicks are expensive, so extra effort pays off in not only good livability but in excellent breeders down the road.

There is variation in all feed. However, pay particular attention to broiler breeder starter feed. If it does not look and smell right, it is probably not right. Call your field representative. This is not the time to have an error in the type or quality of the feed. One common problem is whole kernel corn getting into the starter feed. Baby chicks can’t eat these kernels, and they will miss some important nutrients, causing the flock to be off target body weight. One look in the feeder will show you the problem. Eventually, the birds will eat the corn, but it is weeks in being consumed.

Manage the feeder so that the feed is spread throughout the house. Adjust the gates or feeder run times so that feed makes it around the house or as far as possible to give the most feeder space per bird. If the feed only gets a few hundred feet each day, the most aggressive birds will consume a majority of the feed. Flock uniformity for body weight will be low and stay low because of the limited access to feed. Spread the feed all through the house to give all the birds access.

Feeding time should be consistent day to day. Birds are creatures of habit. They thrive on the same feed times and are comforted by the same routine each day. The birds will adapt to almost any daily pattern, but will perform best when they get the same pattern each day. Many old-time poultry people wear the same hat or the same color shirt and pants each day. I can’t attest to the value of this daily routine, but if you feed them on time each day you will reduce their stress levels and help them perform at their best.

Scales

Calibrate your scales or have a knowledgeable person do it. Many good flocks have been ruined by faulty equipment. The daily intake of the birds is important in getting them and keeping them on target body weight. They must receive the specified amount of feed &ndash not a little over or a little under. Probably the most difficult situation is the scale that gives variable results. Buy quality equipment and maintain it to give the birds the expected feed intake and improve consistency.

Vaccinations

Water vaccinations are among the most practiced method of delivering vaccines to birds. This is also the most abused method of vaccinating birds. What should be a quick and easy method of vaccine administration is often poorly executed resulting in low disease protection and/or low titres. All birds in the house must get a drink of the vaccine within a two-hours of vaccine dilution. The secret to successful water vaccination, is getting all the birds to drink the vaccine. Water deprive the birds the afternoon before or morning of the vaccination. Drain the water lines.

Timing, vaccine volume, and weather conditions should be considered. In most cases draining the water lines before the lights go out the day before vaccination will allow the birds to be thirst the next morning. However, if the weather is particularly hot (outside temperature of 95°F) birds will be thirsty due to weather conditions, and the time between removing the water and the start of vaccinations should be shortened. All the birds must get to the drinker when the vaccine is present. If the birds are too thirsty, the first ones at the drinker will consume all the vaccine. Walk the drinker lines and sidewall to insure that at all birds go to the drinker and move the more dominant birds away. Another important variable is the volume of vaccine to be used. The older the birds the greater the volume of vaccine needed to assure that all get the vaccine. Houses with chlorinated water must use a vaccine stabilizer or the chorine will kill live vaccines. Make sure that the stabilizer is in the water lines while the vaccine is present, and continue to run the stabilizer throughout the vaccination day.

A highly productive breeder flock begins in the rearing house.

There is never a time in broiler production where there aren’t challenges facing producers in some form or fashion.  Many challenges – whether they are nutritional, health, or management related – tend to be seasonal. Fall is typically a favorite season for many producers, lending optimized weather conditions for broiler growth. But hot summer temperatures bring on a new set of obstacles. 

Heat stress, for example, is a concern in the summer – especially when hot temperatures are combined with high humidity. The optimal temperature for raising broilers is between 65°F and 75°F. In this temperature range, birds remain in their thermoneutral zone. In the thermoneutral zone, broilers can maintain their core body temperature without altering feed intake, behavior or metabolism. Body heat production is also at its lowest in this zone. When the temperature reaches beyond the upper range of the thermoneutral zone, birds are unable to dissipate heat without expending extra energy. Instead, heat loss occurs through panting or evaporative cooling. Additionally, birds may exhibit signs of heat stress such as lifting wings away from the body to reduce insulation, increasing water intake and reducing activity – including eating. There are also other physiological changes such as increased blood corticosterone, reduction in thyroid hormones, increased oxidative stress, increased inflammatory cytokines, increased blood pH (respiratory alkalosis), alterations in intestinal microflora, reduction in blood flow to the intestines and other internal organs and loss of intestinal integrity. Ultimately, in addition to being a welfare issue, heat stress leads to economic loss from decreased performance, reduction in meat quality and increased mortality. 

In addition to heat stress, there are also health management considerations in the summer. Producers usually switch to a different coccidiosis control program, for example. It is important to know which coccidiostats are best for summer. Coccidiosis vaccines are also quite common, but require attention to management and can be associated with secondary disease conditions. 

As with health, there are also nutritional considerations. Summer weather presents optimal conditions for mold growth providing exposure to adequate moisture and heat. If not controlled, mold growth can lead to a decline in feed quality through loss of nutrients and vitamins. Additionally, molds can produce mycotoxins which lend their own detrimental effects, including loss of intestinal integrity and impaired immunity. There is also the risk of feed rancidity which can reduce the fat energy levels in the feed, as well as the availability of fat-soluble vitamins.

Although we face many of the same issues year to year and summer to summer, here are a few reminders on how to combat summertime challenges through management, nutritional and health interventions.

NUTRITIONAL

1. Adapt Your Formula for the Season

Many times, negative performance during the summer is due to reduced feed intake. To counteract birds backing off feed due to heat stress, there are several adjustments that can be made to dietary formulas. Formulation of nutrient dense diets can help birds maintain nutrient intake while eating less feed. Increasing energy levels in diets may also compensate for reduced feed intake. Because protein digestion produces higher levels of heat, this is often accomplished by increasing fat levels and lowering protein. If protein levels are reduced, however, amino acid levels must be carefully balanced to compensate for example through synthetic amino acid and/or enzyme supplementation.

2. Maximize Feed Quality

While birds can lose nutrients through reduced feed intake, they can also lose nutrients by having poor feed quality. Warm temperatures and high humidity lend opportunistic growing conditions to molds especially. Molds can reduce feed quality by utilizing the nutrients in the feed before it gets to the birds. In addition, the mycotoxins produced by molds negatively affect birds in various organ systems along with reducing performance and feed efficiency.  Performance loss from molds and mycotoxins can be combatted, however, by adding mold inhibitors and mycotoxin binders to feeds. Similarly, antioxidants can protect fats and oils in feed from becoming rancid through oxidation.

3. Supplement with Vitamins and Minerals

Supplementation with vitamins and other additives can be useful in mitigating the effects of heat stress. Vitamin C supplementation, for example, can reduce corticosterone levels in birds and prevent reduction of feed intake. Vitamins A, E and C supplementation may be beneficial not only because they are antioxidants and heat stress causes oxidative stress in birds, but also because they are not synthesized as readily in heat-stressed birds. Mineral supplementation is also helpful. Selenium, also an antioxidant, can be added to ameliorate the effects of oxidative stress. Minerals such as calcium, zinc, phosphorus and magnesium that are critical to growth and development are loss either through reduced appetites or from lowered metabolism during heat stress. These minerals should also be supplemented to counteract this loss. Other minerals, such as chromium, directly ameliorate heat stress by reducing corticosterone levels.  Supplementation with chromium can therefore improve growth rate and yield during heat stress. Additionally, it is critical to address electrolyte loss and acid-base imbalance due to respiratory alkalosis from panting. Salts such as sodium bicarbonate and potassium chloride can be added to the feed to maintain acid-base balance. Electrolytes may also be supplemented in the water.  

HEALTH

4. Address the Immune System

One of the many detrimental effects of heat stress is an impaired immune system. Excessive heat tends to impair the ability of broilers to emit immune responses to vaccine and to fight off disease pathogens. While many producers associate the summer with less risk of disease and may use a less aggressive immune vaccination program during the summer months, it is critical that focus must be given to these programs. One way to help is to perform diagnostic surveys for Infectious Bursal Disease and reovirus to ensure the vaccination program being used matches the challenges in the birds. In addition, it is important to evaluate efficiency of programs by looking at titers, as well as vaccine application in breeders.

5. Choose the Right Coccidiosis Control Program

Special attention should be paid when planning summer rotation programs. While challenge tends to be lower in the summer months due to drier litter, coccidiosis is still a major contributing factor to performance loss. Choosing the right anticoccidial is important for the summer as some anticoccidials are not ideal. For example, nicarbazin reduces heat tolerance in broilers and monensin reduces water and feed intake. Therefore, these anticoccidials are often not used in summer months. Lasalocid, a salt, on the other hand tends to increase water consumption and may be ideal for the summer. Salt levels in the diet, however, should be carefully balanced in a lasalocid diet to prevent wet litter. Coccidiosis vaccination programs are also popular in the summer and can be useful in restoring sensitivity to anticoccidials for use in cooler months. Special attention to management, especially in the brooding period, must occur so that these programs are successful. It is best to follow the recommendations of the manufacturer when related to management practices during vaccination programs.

6. Fight off Intestinal Disease

A good intestinal health program starts with a strategic coccidiosis prevention program, however, there are other intestinal challenges that can reduce performance in birds. While coccidiosis vaccination is a good option for summer rotations, secondary conditions such as necrotic enteritis and dysbacteriosis can increase in incidence during vaccine programs. Consider using a bioshuttle program where an ionophore or chemical anticoccidial is added during the grower and/or finisher feeds. Another option would be to use a phytogenic feed additive to lower peak cycling of the vaccine, reduce gut irritation and optimize performance. Careful attention to timing of bioshuttle programs and addition of phytogenics is critical, however, as you don’t want to inhibit or delay development of coccidiosis immunity. Probi*tics with specific activity against Clostridium perfringens are also helpful when necrotic enteritis challenges arise. 

MANAGEMENT

7. Provide Adequate Ventilation

During the summer, it is critical to remove heat from the broiler house. Be sure to provide proper air speed uniformly throughout the house for tunnel ventilation. This can be accomplished by making sure houses are tightly sealed and there are no holes in the walls or ceilings. It is also critical to have the correct number of fans and check that they are in good condition. This means ensuring fan belts are not loose, as well as making sure fan blades and shutters are clean as dust and loose belts can reduce airflow. Bearings should also be lubricated if needed. 

8. Maintain the Evaporative Cooling Systems

Evaporative cooling systems need to be maintained to optimize cooling. Cool pads can lower the temperature in the house significantly and combat heat stress, but there are factors that can lower the efficiency of systems. It is most important that pads and pipes don’t become clogged.  Dirt and debris should be removed mechanically from pads and mineral deposits and scale should be removed with a cleaner. Filters should also be flushed prior to use. Algae can clog pads and should be avoided by cleaning, limiting exposure to sunlight and allowing pads to dry out once a day.   

9. Ensure Water Availability

Birds consume more water as the temperature rises. It is important to have cool water available to dissipate heat. Birds should have sufficient drinker space and water pressure, and nipple drinkers should be properly maintained. Flushing lines regularly can help cool water and cooler water encourages birds to drink more. As birds drink more water, feed intake tends to follow.