Diabetics can enjoy Rice these 7 Ways

 

Introduction:

Seasonal shoppings and plannings are  already high in the air and a lot of people are worried due to their health conditions like diabetics that they may not be able to enjoy rice like other people,  they may be forced to  eat some other foods  they may not really  desire to eat during the season but you don't have to worry especially with  rice which is one of the top foods that is often consumed during celebrations some prepare it as jollof rice some preparr it as white rice and there are various other ways that people prepare it and with various other things such as salads items, but you do not have to worry anymore as you can enjoy your rice in  one or more of these seven  ways without the expected spike in sugar and other negative effects.  However it is better still to consume unpolished or local rice as they contain more nutrients than polished rice.

The 7 best ways to enjoy rice this Season, if you are Health Concious:

Whether you cook your  your rice as Jollof or as white rice ensure to Spice it up with ginger, tumeric, sea salt, fermented condiment like iru,  cinnamon, when prepared this way and consumed with meat. You do not have to worry about spike in sugar if you consume in moderation. 

2.  Add lots of green vegetables

 Whichever way you want to prepare your rice ensure there is lots of green vegetables and some cabbage, let the cabbage be less than the green vegetables all these are aimed at increasing the bulk of the fiber in the meal  and reducing  the overall quantity of rice during the consumption and do not forget that meat  chicken , or Turkey beef or even boiled eggs should be part of that meal to help  you to enjoy your rice without a spike in your blood sugar.

3.  Do not consume it hot

Another smart thing to do is to avoid consuming it hot, allow it  to cool for some hours before consuming it as consuming it this way has  been shown to reduce the usual spike in your sugar after consumption.

4.  Avoid Consuming late, just before bed

Do not consume late before bed, the last point is avoid consuming it late that is late before going to bed you can take it and enjoy it anytime before 6:00 p.m. and do a few walking around the home before going to bed. I do take mine between 5pm and 6 whenever and it won't affect my sugar the next morning.

5.  Use Healthy fats:  

Using healthy fat to prepare your rice is another way of preventing the usual spike in blood sugar  expected of a high glycemic grain like rice.  I like to use organic peanut oil in  most of my cookings because of its smoke poin.   Red palm oil is another good oil with good  fat but where in the absence of it most other oils may taste better like sunflower oil but in the long run most of them  do not have high smoke point like peanut oil.  Remember to avoid processed peanut oil, it bad and contains transfats.  Go for the local peanut oil pressed from kuli kuli.   Organic peanut  oil that is superior to most of the oils in this way, that is why it can be used for frying or for doing a lot of other cookings including soups.  so when you cook your rice with the healthy fat whether as white, use it  for your stew or to prepare your Jollof  rice, it tastes great too. In addition to tasting great, its rich in vitamin E for your heart health and wont spike your sugar.  Adding a teaspoon or tablespoon of coconut oil depending on the quantity also help with insulin resistance and other effects.

6.  Include Animal Protein

Avoid the temptation to consume rice without meat,  chicken,  fatty fish, or  boiled eggs because it will result in a spikein in  your sugar,  also avoid the temptation to have to consume rice and beans together with the hope that beans will provide the protein that you  needed they are not good combined  together because beans is high in carbohydrates and rice is also a source of carbohydrates, so include either chicken Turkey, or cow meat to give you better result in terms of your blood sugar.

7.  Do not Consume very large Quantity

Rice is tasty , either as Jollof or white rice, so the temptation to consume large amount could result in spiking your blood sugar or other health issues including weight gain.  A lot of people are cut in this trap of consuming too much due to taste and hunger.  However, whenever you are caught with over eating rice, boil some guava leaves tea and to help lower the sugar or chew a few cloves, sometimes I also soak some chia seeds after washing in boiled water for a few minutes and consume to help lower sugar.  It is better to take these steps before going to bed to avoid those negative effects on the blood.

Summary

Rice is a healthy grain that we all love especially during festive periods, so go ahead and  enjoy with it's health benefits, it's a great food for brain health too, helps reduce depression tastes nice too.   A lot of people always love it during the festive period.  So if you have been missing it all the while,  try consuming it in one or more of these ways  and don't consume too much, though it is difficult when you are still much hungry to stop but most times I eat till I am truly satisfied and as long as I followed the rules above, it does not affect me but in the absence of it, it will cause a spike in my sugar.  Consuming it with fish like sardines and other fatty fish works too but I tried using other fishes and the result was elevated blood sugar in the morning.  So ensure to be guided so as to enjoy your season with all the delicacies. 

Photo credit: Delish.com

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Have You Tasted Waist Pain? Here is Simple Drink that Helps

Introduction 

Have you experienced waist pain before? there are various causes of waist pain and it is easier to say that other pains are more distressing until you experience one which is a very distressing situation when it comes and  it's not easy to find a remedy, as the pain is at the waist where your hand have no full control.   

So many things may be suspected as the cause of waist pain and of course, waist pain  is an inflammation but sometimes, the cause  may not be easily traced.   Depending on the location of the pain, kidney disease may be suspected ,it could be as a result of other infections too,  much fat  in the body could also cause it.   lifting heavy objects,  stress,  certain inflammatory foods,  too much protein in the diet,  too much iron that is not absorbed,  and several others  and sometimes even the type of bed or chairs we use at home could also trigger waist pain which I've experienced before if you have experienced a severe waist pain the first thing I suggest you do is to begin to search for the real cause of that waist pain because it is not okay to point fingers on any disease without diagnosis,  here are most common causes of waist pain and  a simple remedy that worked in this case, but 5

before the remedy, here are Most common cause of waist pain:

 1.   Overweight: 

 Too much body weight can place much stress on the waist bones cause wear and tear leading to waist pain.  In this case, first move is to try loose weight.  

2.  Frequent common  posture: 

 if you are engaged in a daily activity. Could be business or whatever involving or requiring a particular daily posture, it could trigger waist pain, the solution here is to change or adjust 

3.  Too much Protein in the diet

   whether it be plant based or animal protein, they place strain on the kidney and other organs and most times the excess waste produced during protein digestion triggers waist pain.  The solution is to reduce protein in the diet. Especially soyabeans, legumes and other sources.

 4.  Much Peanuts and other Nuts

 Peanuts is high in omega 6, iron, protein and comes with weight, if consumed regularly in large amount, weight gain and waist pain kicks off.  If you suspect this to be the case, then stop or reduce nuts generally.

5.  Warning Sign of Kidney disease

Some waist pains may also the onset or may be a warning sign of kidney problem depending on the location of the pain. but it is always best to start to give it attention not to neglect it before it spreads or turns out with other complications.  If home remedies fails. Proper diagnosis may be required.

6. Your Sleeping Bed or Chairs

A type of bed you are using to sleep especially older adults could start  waist pain and in that case it is important to change the foam and entire bed where necessary older adults  better use orthopedic foams  which are harder for better blood circulation.  Improved blood circulation could prevent waist pain or reverse existing one.   

7.  Too much acids in the body:  

This can also trigger or  cause a waist pain so when we experience waist pain, the first and best thing to do  is  to begin to look around maybe it's what we are eating too much or too processed foods which comes with much acids.  If this is the case, we must stop the acids by staying off processed  foods.  

8  Too much carbohydrates:  

This covers too much sugars in the diet too.  If we are consuming too much carbohydrates, then we need to reduce it due to the waist pain

9.  Malaria Symptoms or Typhoid:

These  that can also trigger a waist pain which  could  be due to inflammations, in that case, treating malaria may resolve it using  herbal or  pharmacetical drug. 

10.  Caffeine:

Caffeine in the diet can reduce calcium in the body and then onset of waist pain could start and in that case it is okay to take off or reduce caffeine in the diet such as coffee, teas, and other sources  especially older adults so that our bones also be preserved and try to include calcium and  magnesium-rich foods in the diet.

11.  Cow milk

Milk may look like a growing food for growing children more than when older adults also engage in too much milk it also leads to build-up of acids and inflammations and could also trigger a waist pain so in that case if you suspect waist pain, It  is important to begin to seek other calcium sources like chia seeds and other plant-based calcium sources chia seeds , fennel seeds, sea salt and other bone supporting foods. 

12.  Low level of Omega 3 fats 

  This often overlooked but not including omega-3 foods in our diet could trigger waist pain.  Sardines, walnut, and other fatty fishes are good sources.  but must be taken in moderation too because moderation is our rule.

 13.  Lack of Calcium or other Minerals

This is very common amongst women, we must engage in moderate exercise in addition to including calcium rich foods in our diet.

One Remedy that worked for me:

 A tablespoon of ACV in a glass of water before bed.  As the last drink.  It Brough me relief before day broke and moved my bowel easily reducing the waist pain generally.

Summary: 

There are several other remedies that can help relieve a waist pain including massaging but  the above remedy actually relieved my waist pain.   Waist pain that may have been caused by maybe acids or whatever but it actually brought a relief and that drink is apple Cider  Vinegar with the mother. just one tablespoon of apple cider in warm water before bed was what I did which was not a common or regular thing but in this case I thought to try it because apple cider  has a positive effect on malaria it has a positive effect on digestion and I thought that poor digestion can also fuel the waist pain or any other disease so I thought that taking this apple cider may also help to aid and speed up digestion in case it has a link with digestion which is normally the case because life is in the gut.  Most diseases also have a link in the got so I tried it one tablespoon of the Apple Cider in warm water before bed while the pain was distressing and paining and actually brought a lot of relief and good bowel movement in the morning and there was a lot of relief but there is something about apple cider I do not think it is okay to continue the apple cider for a long time because it's not a bone supporting drink it does not contain reasonable amount of calcium or rather it may even reduce bone density in a way because of how it operates like a blood thinner, If you try it.  let us know by commenting if you tried it and it worked but not for long term I think it may work for a short-term while we try to include other long-term Solutions like including magnesium-rich foods including calcium rich foods which are long-term and if there are other causes like too much protein will need to also withdraw them from the diet so as to I have a permanent relief of the waist pain. 

In all cases if the waist pain persists after we have tried home remedies it's always good to go for a check-up because kidney disease also may start as a back or waist pain.  Early detection, gives us upper hand against any disease.

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Detox your body and Prevent Infections

What is Detoxification:   

This is simply a process through which your body gets rid of toxins, pesticides and other harmful chemical naturally by the help of key organs.  Major organs involved in detoxification are the liver, kidney, pancreas, skin, colon, and  lungs. Our bodies are expected to naturally remove these toxins naturally without assistance, however as we age and the toxins increase in our systems, the organs are nolonger getting younger and the toxins are increasing at an alarming rate due to exposures which  brings an overload of these toxins upon our organs.  When they accumulate over a period of time, the entire body begins to feel sick.

When  Do We Need Detoxification

Constipation: It is expected that we pooh daily or every other day depending on the individual, however, if constipation becomes persistent over a long time, then their may be need for us to bring in natural ingredients to assist our body get rid of these waste that may soon choke our organs.

Skin: 

 If we discover frequent break outs our, skin problems that refuses to heal.  Then the skin may be sending a message to detox.  The skin will always report correctly what is happening inside.  If all is well within,  then you will have a clear glowing skin.

Weight Gain:

When gain continues with much effort to loose weight and not getting result, it may be a sign that there is overload of toxins whithin.

Other signs of need of detox includes:  Not sweating for a long time, poor appetite, sluggishness, lack of sleep for a long period of time and other unfamiliar symptoms.

How Toxins Enter Our Body

Whether we believe it or not, our exposure to toxins today has never been so alarming in history:
A brief look a how and when they enter our body

- Through the food we eat, many of us enjoy processed  and packaged foods and drinks laden with sugar and other chemical preservatives and the liver must work hard to get rid of these preservatives when they get inside

- Drinks:  

These includes carbonated beverages containing gas and other harmful agents to our body.  Drinks include hard water, from poor sources. 

-  Body creams, 

Soaps, detergents, perfumes, powder and other beauty products.

-  Our Physical Environment:  Usually when generators and other machines are in operation, they release fumes into the air, making even the air we breath sometimes toxic.  when we live in environments with so much toxic waste in the surrounding, when we live in industrial areas with large generators and machines, we take in toxins through the air we breath.

Ways to Avoid Toxins

-  Go for organic foods whenever possible
-  Ensure your water is purified, avoid water from tanks, dirty bottles, cellophane bags , reservoirs or other unhealthy sources.
-  Reduce exposure to chemicals from beauty products, whenever possible make your own soaps, creams and other products.  I make mine own bathing soaps, kitchen soaps and body creams for several years and it has been helping me reduce toxic expossure.
- Maintain healthy lifestyle and ensure personal hygiene
-Reduce junk foods and natural foods
- Stay closer to nature.  Gardens, flowers and home grown trees. 

Benefits of Detoxifying your System

-  Helps slow down aging
-  Glowing skin, hair and nails
-  Boost your immune system.  Your body is stronger to resist infections.
-  Energy Booster.  You feel increased energy after a good detox
- Aids fertility both in men and women
-  Reduce frequent bacteria infections, including fungal
-  Helps in achieving weight losss
-  Helps prevent tumors and reduce their spread.

Simple Detox you can Do at Home

Liver/Kidney

You can combine any of these fruits for a liver/kidney cleanse

Avocado
Carrot
Lemon
Apple
Watermelon
Cucumber or Green apple

You can also include any of these herbs:

Nettle leaf tea
Bitter leaf juice
Tumeric
Garlic
Raw Vegetable juice
Olive oil

Eat Walnut, green vegetables  and cabbage

For Natural Blood Cleansing.  Use any of the following:

Mistletoe tea
sorghum tea
Golden seal root
Cayenne pepper with red clover
Dandelion or garlic

You can make a tea or tincture from any of the above items and drink and ensure to take more water during your detox

DETOX THE ENTIRE BODY

You can make a detox drink for your whole body cleans by making use of any of the fruits mentioned below especially citrus fruits - lemons, limes, oranges, etc

Cucumber slice
Mint leaves
Fresh ginger or garlic
slice of lemon or lime
Citrus fruits

FAT BURNING DETOX

You can make use of any of the following:

- water
- Apple cider
- Lemon and lime
- Cucumber slice
- Cinnamon

Common Detox  Hot Drinks -  General

-Lemon + Ginger + Honey
 Tumeric + Green Tea
 Ginger + Tumeric
  Green Tea + Lemon/Lime

Cold Drinks
Lemon slice  + Cucumber slice with water
Lemon juice or slice with water
Carrot + Orange juice plus ginger powder
Cucumber plus aleo vera

In summary, 

it is advised we do a daily simply detox or include these detox  foods to our regular meals instead of allowing a heavy build up of toxins requiring rigorous detox that are some times difficult and stressful.

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Healthy Foods to Beat Insomnia

Among the nutrients needed for beating insomnia is  vitamin B6.

Food Sources of Vitamin B6

A wide range of foods contain vitamin B6, but meat, fish, and potatoes are particularly rich in this vitamin. Also, breakfast cereals and other types of foods are often fortified with this nutrient. As low levels of vitamin B6 can cause both physical and mental problems, it’s of high importance to consume enough foods rich in this vitamin.

Others are:

Mangoes
Pineapples
Avoadoe
Bananas
Green Peas
Spinach
Potatoes
Chickpeas
Tuna  Salmon
Turkey
Chicken
Millet
Beet liver
Moringa leaves
Wheat
Walnut

Also cereals
Oats
Cabbage
Meat

Pls Take note that bananas. the yellow fruits have everything going for them. They’re rich in sleep-promoting carbohydrates and tryptophan, but that’s not all. Bananas also contain potassium and magnesium, which can help promote muscle relaxation.

But you must take bananas in moderation because of sugar and calorie.  At times at night. I take just half a banana when insomnia arising from stress comes knocking on my door.

You may try this banana recipe for insomnia

Recipe: Banana tea
Banana peels are rich in potassium and magnesium, but can you imagine eating one? Making a tea from a whole banana is a remarkable way to get all the benefits of these nutrients deliciously. Drinking banana tea helps the blood vessels, as well as the muscles, relax and helps you fall asleep more quickly and stay asleep longer. After drinking the tea, try eating the banana, peel and all – it’s surprisingly yummy.
Simply boil water in a pot.
Cut off the ends of one banana and place it in the water.
Boil the banana for 10 minutes or so, until the peel is soft.
Pour the water through a strainer into a mug and serve with a dash of cinnamon and half spoon of Honey.  Remember, it must not be much.

General Tips to keep insomnia away

Foods to avoid

1. Caffeine beverages, coffee. Black tea, green, cocoa. in moderation only in the morning or afternoon

2.  Avoid brain foods, yams, garden eggs, apples etc

3.  Too much spice and foods that produce stomach acids like ginger

4.  Too much sugar and carbs

5.  No fried foods at all

6.  Tomatoes in not okay for some people at night

7.  Too much onions

More Tips to help with Insomnia

1.

Wake up at the same time each day.

Eliminate alcohol and stimulants like nicotine and caffeine like teas
Limit naps.
Exercise regularly. ...
Limit activities in bed. ...
Do not eat or drink right before going to bed
Make your sleeping environment comfortable.
2.  Eliminate alcohol and stimulants likeg nicotine and caffeine

3. Limit naps
Exercise regularly especially in the morning

4. Limit activities in bed.

5.  Do not eat or drink right before going to bed
Make your sleeping environment comfortable
6.  Do not go to bed hungry or too full at least 3 hours apart from your last meal

7.  Include some healthy  fats or carbs in moderation if you avoid them too much.  Insomnia may show up

8.  Reduce spices especially at night.

9.  Take some soaked almonds just before bed to supply magnesium and calcium needed for quality sleep.

10.  Put off lights in your sleeping room when you want to sleep

12.  Keep your beddings as clean as possible

13.  Meditate on the word of God if you are a Christian or any meditation that suits you.

Moringa leaves whether fresh or dried is one of my best remedies for sustained sleep.  But it should not be taken regularly because the nutrient density is too much.  It is a blood thickener and could raise blood pressure if too much.

Use Moringa in soups and stews as vegetable.  Just a handful.  Wash a little with salt and pound into a paste.  Do not allow much heat just like other green vegetables.  You can also take the dried one as tea.  The dried one is higher is calcium and some other nutrients.  Just half a teaspoon in boiled water in a cup.  Add honey and milk for a rich nourishing drink.

In summary, it is important we always maintain a stable emotion to enable you triumph over insomnia.

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My Menopause Story

It actually started from about 40yrs.  Never heard or known of it, so ignorance almost took me away.  I sought for somebody to talk to me and may be explain to me what was happening.  I visited all hospitals in my location was admitted in almost all of them.  Visited all the laboratories around, they really fed fat on me.  I was always visiting general hospitals.  On one occasion, I met 4 other menopausal women at the OPD.  We got talking and they were afraid expressing they did not know what was happening to them. We all lamented that we would be attended to by one inexperienced young youth corpse member who hardly understands what we were going through.  Fortunately, we all had similar complaints.  Inability to sleep, sometimes anxiety attacks,  (perimenopause symptoms). How we wished somebody could  tell us the truth of what was happening.  Even for any amount. We would pay for it.  The doctors could not do much, Infact, some of them seem to need help themselves.  No wonder, the bible says, buy the truth and sell it not.

The Experience

The main experience in my case was.
Insomnia
Bloating and gas
Chronic constipation
Stomach ulcer due to too much medications, antibiotics and stress
Frequent  treatment for typhoid and Malaria at least 5 to 6 times in a year
Depression and several other symptoms that were explainable like panic attacks, shortness of breath etc.  These unknown too me were all part of the perimenopause.  The actual menopause actually hit me at age 51.  Few months before that I had period that frightened me.  Like never before, first of its kind.  It just refused to  stop with so much flow.  I never had it like that before.  I then went for scan for the first time after my last baby 13 yrs ago then.  The result said, I was very close to menopause.  After that experience.  My period ceased till today. About 5 yrs ago.

My diet till date

Before the menopause, I like bread and butter a lot, magarines, low fat, all sorts of delicacies, I was always trying latest brand of magarines, supermarket stuffs.  But during the menopause I read so many books, visited many sites. At one point, just about a year before this assignment, I decided that If I perish, I perish, I will never go to hospital, again.! They ate my money so much and the last visit almost claimed my life. .  The immediate change I made to my diet was take out the following from my meal for about six months:

Red palm oil

Maggi with all sweeteners and taste enhancers
Canned tomatoes and all canned foods except sardine without oil.  After I got information on the role of Coconut oil for good health
I searched everywhere for coconut oil and it was no where to be found, even if it not cold pressed. For a whole year, I could not get it to buy, then I commenced awareness on it, preaching in buses, hospitals, churches, Catholics, Pentecostal churches,.  I wrote a handbook on coconut initially distributing for free until, I found out that when people do not pay for it, they did not read it.  I then formally launched the book in 2014, and started selling for #200.  and those who desired and thirsted for knowledge bought it.

 Here is a photo of the book on coconut

With the increased awareness on coconut, production of Coconut oil increased and so was the sales of Coconut fruits and its derivatives.

The Only oil in my kitchen from that time till date remains coconut oil, olive oil, red palm oil was returned to my diet after six months and has remained but I take with caution.  Another oil is organic peanut oil, was  avoiding sugary fruits,  organic peanut oil was also among, due to its profile which is the closest to olive oil.  
In summary, beware of oils during Perimenopause and thereafter.
My everyday spices which I have continued to update are:

1.Cayenne peppers for good circulation and heart health
2.  Garlic
3.  Ginger
4.  Onions
5.  Black pepper
6.  Sea salt
7.  Thyme
8.  Tumeric introduced in
      2016
      Cinnamon
       Sea salt

My teas are:

Green tea but reduced now
Bitter cocoa
Guava tea
Mistletoe tea
Sorghum tea
Rosemary tea
Black tea occasional like ones in 3 months
Tumeric and ginger tea
Coffee - occasional
I take all with honey and milk, but reducing milk

My Protein
Black eyed cowpea now reduced because of red oil and
Millet
Soyabeans till date great for heart health
Sardines
Peanuts

Green vegetables

African bread fruit when in season 
Occasional meat, chichen
Boiled eggs at least 5 times a week
All seasonal foods in moderation, walnuts etc. Coconut is the most frequently eaten
Including all green vegetables daily especially fresh bitter Leaf
Plenty of warm water as water therapy

Including all nuts, walnuts, peanuts, coconuts, tigernuts, cashewnuts, almonds etc

Above all, daily exercise, take outdoor  assignment, it helps, though, may not have  schientic proof what it does, but it makes you sleep well and feel good.
Also the need for essential oils for inhalation, massage, and similar therapies are very helpful especially at post menopause:

Common essential oils, I have found useful are:

Mint essential oil
Rosemary oil
Rose oil
Sandalwood oil
Argan oil
Néem oil
Aleo oil
Parsley oil
Olive oil
Mustard oil
Chamomile oil
Lavenda oil

Grapeseed oil

Jasmine oil

Tumeric oil

Lavender oil

Coconut oil and olive oil are my most  common carrier oils which combines with most oils.

The testimony

The testimony to date is that, I do not frequent hospitals, laboratories, and use and rely much on drugs\to the Glory of God.  The menopause is no longer a threat, every woman must go through it, except a few women.  If you are among the few.  Kindly share with us.

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