BEWARE OF THAT FISH

It’s no secret that fish is delicious. For one, it’s easy to eat  compared to meat  as it readily ‘disappears’ in the mouth effortlessly, unlike beef that requires more chewing.

Better still, nutritionists, scientists and everyone that should know tell us that eating fish is the surest avenue to getting omega-3 fatty acids, those unsaturated fats that are very heart-friendly.

Again, fish contains vitamin D and selenium, it is high in protein and low in saturated fat, and therefore good for the young and old, and everyone who has no dietary restriction. In fact, so good is fish consumption that the American Heart Association urges people to eat fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids at least twice a week.

Nutritionists say when substituted for saturated fatty acids such as those in meat, eating fish may lower your cholesterol level. They say the omega-3 fatty acids reduce inflammation throughout the body. Physicians note that inflammation in the body can damage blood vessels and lead to heart disease.

Again, a nutritionist says omega-3 fatty acids may decrease triglycerides (a type of fat found in blood, too much of which may raise the risk of coronary artery disease, especially in women), lower blood pressure, reduce blood clotting, boost immunity and improve arthritis symptoms. In children, she says, omega-3 may improve learning ability.

Other experts recommend the consumption of fatty fish such as salmon (Titus), herring (Shawa) and, to a lesser extent, tuna (Kote), alongside other sea foods that also contain small amounts of omega-3 fatty acids.

BACK PAIN AND PREVENTION TIPS

Back pain is quite common, and 80-90 per cent of a population will have significant back pain at some point in their life. The lifestyle choices we make, however, will, to a large extent, help determine the frequency and severity of the back pain.

Prevention of back pain can be done by keeping to simple back-friendly habits, making wise lifestyle choices, and exercising.

Mikel, others opt out of Eagles Friendly

Nigeria and Chelsea midfielder, Mikel Obi, is likely to stay away from Nigeria’s friendly game against Mexico on May 31.

An official of the Nigeria Football Federation told Supersport.com that Mikel had asked to be excused from the tune-up match in order to rest and take care of personal issues.

The official said on Tuesday, “Mikel has said he will prefer to be left out of the friendly game against Mexico later this month. He says he will want to just take a rest after a long season with Chelsea and also take care of personal matters at the same time.”

Even though he is staying out of the game against Mexico, the 26-year-old midfielder is said not to have made mention of being excluded from the FIFA 2014 World Cup qualifiers against Kenya and Namibia in June.

“Nothing has been said about the World Cup qualifiers. He has only asked to be left out of the friendly against Mexico,” the official stated.

Already, the trio of Victor Moses, Kalu Uche and Gabriel Reuben have opted out of the Nigeria squad ahead of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers and Confederations Cup citing injury concerns.

NIGERIA'S DEPENDENCE ON OIL, A DISASTER - MINISTER SAYS

Minister of Agriculture Akinwunmi Adesina, has said Nigeria’s dependence on oil is a disaster to the country’s economic growth.

He said due to the development, successive administrations in the country abandoned non-oil products such as cocoa, cassava, palm oil, among others that made Nigeria great in the First Republic.

Adesina said this during the 6th Annual Lecture of Wilson Badejo Foundation in Lagos on Tuesday.

The minister, represented by Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Mrs. Ibukun Odushote, said Nigeria had lost its leadership position in agriculture because of oil.

He said the country spends N1bn yearly on rice importation, stressing that Nigeria had the potential to produce rice to feed the continent.

BENEFITS OF WATER MELON SEEDS

When you think of the health benefits of water melon, the seeds don’t probably come to mind. You possibly think about the sweet, juicy pulp, with the seeds as an afterthought. Yet, water melon seeds make a great snack when they have been dried and roasted. Again their nutritional value is unlimited.

PROTEIN

Water melon seeds are very high in protein, which consists of several amino acids, one of which is arginine.  Some of the health benefits of arginine include regulating blood pressure and treating coronary heart disease. There are several other amino acids that make up the protein in water melon seeds, including tryptophan, glutamic acid and lysine.

B- VITAMINS

Water melon seeds are also loaded with several of the B-vitamins. These vitamins are necessary for converting food into energy and other important bodily functions as reported by the American Cancer Society. The most prevalent B-vitamin in water melon seed is niacin, which is important for maintaining the nervous and digestive systems, and skin health. Other B-vitamins in water melon seeds include folate, thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin B₆ and panthothenic acid.

UNITED KINGDOM, UNITED STATES TO ASSIST NIGERIA ON CRUDE THEFT

The United Kingdom (UK), United States (US), have indicated their interest to assist Nigeria curb the menace of crude oil theft, which President Good luck Jonathan has described as “Blood Oil”.

The Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, made the announcement at a lecture titled “The Future of African Energy in a changing World”, delivered on Sunday at St. Anthony’s College in Oxford University, England.

I must say that both the British and the US governments have been in discussions with us and are keen to join hands with us to fight this menace. “The global community is on track and already geared up and we are working to put in place, a strategic platform that will involve us all and enable us track and finger print stolen crude,” Alison-Madueke said.

She said that crude oil theft and vandalism were being executed on a professional scale beyond petty stealing. “It is therefore, clear that this crude is being taken to refineries outside the shores of West Africa”.

GIS: The Exploration and Exploitation Tool

In recent years, the significant increase in performance and decrease of prices of the personal computer  platform has accelerated the growth of geographic information system (GIS) usage. GIS is a very dynamic technology enabling the user to display a map of any location in the world and rescale that map instantaneously. The key to the success of any exploration or exploitation team is the integration of the

Arsenal, Spurs Set For Top Four Battle

Today marks the final day of the 2012/2013 Premier league season and all eyes will be on Tottenham and Arsenal as they battle to secure top a four finish. With the Premier league title already decided, along with the three relegation places, it is the battle for the Final Champions league spot that is set to get the most attention this weekend.

There are of course significant afternoons for Sir Alex Ferguson and David Moyes as they take charge of Manchester United and Everton respectively for the final time, but Arsenal and Spurs are the team under pressure.

Going into the final day, it is the Gunners that have a point advantage and if they win at Newcastle, they are guaranteed fourth position at the very least. However, if Arsene Wenger’s men drop points in the North East, Tottenham will leapfrog them if they beat Sunderland at White Hart Lane. They are definitely still in with a chance.

Arsenal could still finish in the third place too- thus avoiding Champions League playoff matches but that is subject to Chelsea having an off day at home to Everton. Arsenal is currently two points shy of Chelsea and their goal difference is inferior only by a lone goal.

If Chelsea pulls a draw against Everton and Arsenal beat Newcastle 2-1 then the two clubs will level on points, goals scored and goals conceded.

If the extra game is required, then the winner will enter the Champions league group stages automatically, with the loser having to come through a qualification round.

Meanwhile, the Premier League has confirmed that if Chelsea and Arsenal finish dead level today, they will hold a third-fourth play-off at Villa Park on May 26. The kick-off time is yet to be confirmed but the Premier League is already making contingency plans should the two London clubs fail to be separated after the final day of the season.

What is at stake is a desire to stay at the top and to play top-level European football, says Wenger.

“When you finish the season strong - like we do - you already prepare for next season because you go with more certainty,” he said. “Last year we had a new team and we have built up some belief.

Meanwhile Tottenham Manager, Andre Villas Boas says “We have to do our job and independent of results elsewhere, we want the achievement of reaching 72 points”. We have to win and it’s not that straight forward. The ingredients of the game are dangerous. We have to be aware and we have to focus on our task.

The determination is there. We’ll focus on our job, that’s most important and we’ll see what happens after that.

8 Reasons Hills Make You a Better Runner

If you’re one of those runners who shies away from the incline button on the treadmill or picks an outdoor route that specifically avoids any type of hill, then you could be missing out. Taking on the challenge of running both uphill and downhill is a surefire way to make you a better runner, and here are eight reasons why.

UPHILL:
INCREASED SPEED
Working against gravity taxes your muscles, making them work harder than you would on flat ground. With stronger quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves, you’ll find that you’ll be able to run faster.
INJURY PREVENTION
Runner’s knee is a common ailment that can make you hang up your sneaks. Aside from doing not-too-exciting wall squats to strengthen the thighs, running up inclines will also do the trick (and burn way more calories at the same time).
STRONGER UPPER BODY
Since your legs fatigue much easier on uphill climbs, you will naturally pump the arms more to take some of the workload off the lower body. This not only strengthens your upper body  making running a more total-body workout,  but it also reminds you to utilize your arms and core when running on flat surfaces, which can prevent overuse injuries in your legs.
      
ENDURANCE
 Since running up steep hills is naturally more challenging than running on flat surfaces, both building lower-body muscles and increasing your lung function will enable you to run longer with ease.

DOWNHILL:
INCREASED SPEED
The pull of gravity makes your quads and hamstrings work much harder to slow down your pace to prevent your feet from pounding the ground with each step. And as mentioned above, having stronger thigh muscles is one way to build speed and power.

INJURY PREVENTION
 Working with the pull of gravity also targets your shins, and strengthening the front of your lower legs can prevent shin splints.


 
MUCH-NEEDED REST
The momentum of gravity makes running down hills feel easier, which can give your muscles a break during  a run that not only allows you to conserve energy, but can also prevent injuries from pushing the same muscles too hard.

A STRONGER CORE
 On the downhill, it’s even more important to engage your core to brace knees against the added impact a downhill run can have on the body.

10 Tips for Being a Wise Health Care Consumer

In an effort to help members of our community to be better health care consumers, Turner Barker Insurance is supporting Wise Health Consumer Month.
The primary goal is to teach people how to be more involved in their own health care. Examples of how this can occur are highlighted in the following list.

1. Take the time to carefully select a doctor or health care provider. Ask friends or relatives for recommendations. Investigate whether or not the doctor participates with your health insurance plan.

2. Prepare for visits to your health care provider by compiling a written list of your questions or concerns. By making the most of the time you have, you can avoid unnecessary calls and repeat visits. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and write down what your health care provider says.

3. Ask questions about medications you are prescribed. Understand why you are taking it and how it should be taken. Finish all medications, even if you are feeling better.

4. Keep a checklist of all medications and the dose (mg) you are taking and share this list with your health care provider. This is especially important if you are seeing more than one doctor.

5. Be aware of routine medical tests and examinations, and the recommended times to have them. You may be able to avoid unnecessary and expensive tests.

6. Use home medical tests when available. They are less costly and can be used without a visit to the doctor.

7. Keep a well stocked home pharmacy with commonly used medicinal items
. This can help you deal with common problems and save costly trips to the doctor or emergency room.
8.
Understand your health insurance plan. A list of basic questions about what is covered and

knowing the answers to these questions can save time and money,

9.
Take care of your mental health in addition to your physical health. Experts agree that stress and anxiety can affect your physical well being.

10. Keep a list of health agencies handy as a reference. Most are available by phone, fax or email and can serve as a resource for free information and support.