DIABETES AND YOU

DIABETES MELLITUS (HIGH BLOOD SUGAR LEVEL)

Definition:
A disease of the body where the individual affected does not get the energy stored in the food he /she eats to do the daily works because of total lack of what breaks the food to give the energy called insulin or abnormal body condition that does not work well with this insulin resulting in the food accumulating in his/her blood as glucose.

Such individual apart from the drugs/medicines being used should regularly do exercises he/she can tolerate; and be careful on what to eat, how much to eat, and when to eat it.

TYPES:
Two types are basically recognized:
- Type 1 or Early onset, are usually found more in young people
- Type 2 or Adult onset, are usually more in the elderly people but now seen also in young people, partly because of our careless eating habits.

PATHOPHYSIOLOGY

- Unavailability or non-response to the key that unlock the cell for utilization of the food we eat by the blood.
- Unrestricted breakdown and wasting with release of harmful substances and production of acidic environment for the body.
- Very high sugar level in blood and body weakness.
- Increase urge to drink water
- Frequent passage of urine with sugar in the urine
- Loss of water and salt in the body
- Low Blood pressure, fast heart rate.

The increased acidic substances deposited in the body with the low blood pressure and lack of water and salt will lead to combined signs and symptoms which if not given prompt and emergency medical care may lead to death.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

Some affected persons do not complain of the common health problems used in recognizing it until it has spoiled an important part of the body (a condition called complication) and then resulting in life threatening conditions.

Some of the early complaints common to the sufferers are:
- Excessive urination even in the night
- Excessive drinking of water
- Excessive eating without the food showing on you i. e despite the much you eat, you will be losing weight.
- Always feeling tired
- Itching of private parts

After affecting some important parts of the body, the individual complains of the following:
- Feeling as if water proof is covering the legs and hands
- Loss of libido/poor erection
- Sores and boils on the legs that does not heal easily
- As it worsens, the individual becomes very sick, confused, feels as if he/she is sleeping, hungers for air and finally becomes unaware of the environment (coma); a condition called Diabetic Keto-Acidosis (DKA).

To some people, this may be the first sign and it is a very serious medical problem requiring very urgent medical attention (medical emergency)

DIAGNOSIS

To find out and say for sure that one has diabetes, we combine the common health problems it comes with and the level of sugar in the blood.
Using the World Health Organization (WHO) diagnostic criteria.

- Single abnormally raised blood sugar with symptoms
- Abnormally raised blood sugar in 2 occasions

ACCEPTABLE METHODS OF CHECKING FOR LEVEL OF SUGAR IN BLOOD

- FSB – Taking a patients blood early in the morning when he/she has not eaten to check for the sugar with values: >= 7mmol/L(126mg/dl).
- 2HPP – Taking the blood at exactly 2 hours after eating a starchy (sugar containing) food with values: >= 11.1mmol/L (200mg/dl).

In summary, any individual with either of the health problems mentioned earlier plus either of the above abnormally raised blood sugar once; or the abnormally raised sugar checked differently in 2 occasions is concluded to have diabetes mellitus and should immediately identify himself/herself for management (these include advice on good healthy living-regular and tolerable exercise, good eating habit, general health education and self care, and if need be medication).

COMPLICATIONS

This occurs in 3 different ways; namely:
Drug Treatment:
- Hypoglycaemia: This is a state of low blood sugare. It can come when a patient takes diabetic drugs in excess of prescription or without food. This is because the medicines works by lowering the high blood sugar condition in diabetics. Feasures of this include:
- Sweating
- Hunger
- Pounding heart
- Trembling/shaking
- Lack of concentration
- Confusion
- Feeling of drunkenness
- Difficulty in speech
- Headache
- Urge to vomit.

Treatment:
i. lick some cubes of sugar immediately
ii. see your doctor

Late Stage:

- A life threatening condition that consists of a confusion state, feel of drunkenness, lack of water, generalized body and abdominal pain, feeling of cold, air hunger, smelling breathe among others and in extreme cases unaware of the environment; a condition known as diabetic keto-acidotic coma or Non ketolic diabetic coma if there is no smelling breathe.

Long Standing:

- Impaired/blurred vision, some may manifest as cat’s eye (cataract)
- Kidney failure
- Weakness of muscles and body
- Feeling of water proof covering on your hands and feet
- Foot ulcer
- Abdominal disturbances
- Heart diseases
- Fainting (TIA)
- Stroke

MANAGEMENT:

Treatment:
Diabetes is a medical condition whose permanent cure in orthodox medicine has not yet been proved.
Hence, understanding the mode of occurrence to prevent it or living a positive life style to prevent aggravating its attack for those that have been diagnosed is the best treatment.

The following goals are aimed to achieve in the management plan:
- To maintain normal blood sugar
- To reduce and maintain ideal body weight in the obese and non-obese respectively
- To live a completely normal life (i.e improve quality of life)
- To remain not only symptoms free but in good health
- To achieve normal handling of the food eaten by the body for optimal utilization of energy
- To escape the long term complications mentioned earlier and thereby live not only long but happy life.
- Reduce mortality and concomitant morbidity.
Management options available for diabetes patients include:

a). Dietary: Recommended here is;
- Low energy, weight reducing diets
- Weight maintenance diets.

An ideal plate model meal plan should contain the following:

Beans, Bread, Unripe Plantain, Potatoes, vegetable and fruits, fish, meat, eggs, cheese.

However, the meal should be in regular pattern with snacks in between for constant maintenance of daily carbohydrate intake and to prevent hypoglycaemia.

Diabetic individuals should follow the same advice or precautions given to the general public but should note the following:

- Diabetics with co-existing hypertension should reduce salt intake to half (1/2) the normal requirement.

Alcohol can cause accumulation of acid in blood in different ways can also cause low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia).

b). Exercise:

Studies conducted by the World Health Organization has confirmed that consistent and continued combined tolerable aerobic and resistance exercises has gone a long way to achieve good sugar control, healthy and happy life in people with diabetes.

The key facts about this exercise are that it must be:
- Tolerable
- Consistent or regular
- Continued
- Combined aerobic aid resistance types

These when maintained helps the individual to achieve the following:
- Better working condition of the body and hence good food utilization and energy output
- Loose unhealthy weight
- Keep fit and strong
- Reduces stress and helps in drug utilization by the body; among others.

c). Drug Treatment:
This is given with respect to the blood sugar. It aims at reducing a high blood sugar and hence should be given only by the doctor who matches the level of blood sugar of the patient to the dosage and class, and drug of choice.

NB: Patient should not take anti- diabetics out of prescription as they are at risk of low blood sugar and they are problems.

ANTI-DIABETIC DRUGS

Several of them are available and most are unsuitable or even dangerous for use by different patients with different grades or types of diabetes. They are not to be substituted for one another. All should only be taken on prescription at the normal dose.

They include:
Insulin Preparations- This is given only by injections
Oral Preparations – These are tablets of different classes prepared in different doses.

Alternate Medicine:

Presently, researchers have confirmed and produced a lot of alternatives to orthodox medicine from our natural herbs and plants that are very good in the management, control, and even prevention of early onset of diabetes in individuals at risk.

PREVENTION:

Routine screening of asymptomatic adults, especially those with family history is a grade one recommendation by WHO.

Screening of adults with hypertension has also been found to be important and both have gone a long way in preventing early onset of those at risk and early diagnosis and prompt treatment.

These have been confirmed to drastically minimize mortality and concomitant morbidity with high improvement in the quality of life for those diagnosed.

CONCLUSION:
Diabetes mellitus is a medical condition whose permanent drug cure has not yet been proved but routine screening of asymptomatic adults and adolescents at risk which leads to early diagnosis and subsequently prompt and regular management with life style changes, exercise, diet, orthodox medicine and alternative medicine has gone a long way to preserve quality of life as well as drastic reduction of mortality and concomitant morbidity in the obedient patients.

Thank you and God Bless.

HYPERTENSION THE SILENT KILLER

HYPERTENSION THE SILENT KILLER
PRESENTED BY BOSOM HEALTH INDUSTRIES A NUTRITIONAL HEALTH HOSPITAL
0803 310 3137
HYPERTENSION THE SILENT KILLER

Every third adult in North America has high blood pressure; this is even more in Nigeria. These hypertensive are three times more likely to have a heart attack, five times more likely to develop heart failure and eight times more likely to suffer a stroke than people with normal pressure.

HOW CAN I KNOW I HAVE HYPERTENSION?

Hypertension is defined as a stylistic blood pressure reaching (the top number) consistently over 140, and /or a diastolic (lower number) reaching 90 or above. The optimal level is below 120/80. Even though high blood pressure has no symptoms, that is why it is called the “silent disease” it can cause progressive changes in the first sign hits, usually a stroke or a heart attack.

WHAT CAUSES THE BLOOD PRESSURE TO GO UP?
Tumours in the brain
Diseases within the kidney itself
90% of every day hypertension has no specific organic cause for this reason; this kind of hypertension is called essential hypertension.

CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO ESSENTIAL HYPERTENSION

High salt Intake: where salt is low there is low incidence of hypertension. In places where salt intake is very high e. g Japan, the disease is epidemic
Obesity: nearly every one who is overweight will eventually experience high blood pressure. It is just a matter of time.
Arterial plaque: Narrowed and plugged arteries force the body to boost the blood pressure in order to deliver necessary oxygen and food to body cells.
Lack of Exercise: Exercise, releases stress chemicals through sweat and relaxes the body, also makes the heart to pump slowly and maximally, therefore reduces blood pressure.
Smoking: This narrows the blood vessels and increase resistance in the lungs.
Oral Contraceptives: Hormones found in birth control pills containing estrogen, and used to control menopausal symptoms is also a salt retainer. It can raise blood pressure and weight by holding excess fluid in the body.
Alcohol Consumption: Even moderate use of alcohol may account for 51% of all hypertension.
Race: African- Americans and Africans are more prone to hypertension than the Caucasians
Sex: men are more prone to hypertension than women
Age: Blood pressure occurs more commonly in people after age 35years.
Sodium Sensitivity: While sodium is essential for body metabolism, too much can cause trouble, excess sodium can stay in body tissues and hold extra water. This causes swelling, which raises the blood pressure, which in turn increases stress on the heart.

It is believed that many people with mild essential hypertension could normalize their blood pressure by cutting their salt intake to one teaspoon a day.

Americans eat 10-20 times more salt that they need. And they pay for it with high blood pressure, heart failure and other problems related to fluid retention.

It is unfortunate that we in Nigeria are also fast in catching up with this western craze of taking canned food in the name of civilizations.

People need less than a half-gram of salt a day, about one fifth of teaspoon sodium occurs naturally enough to meet daily needs.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF PULMONARY ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION

Difficulty in breathing or shortness of breath (dyspnea) is the main symptom of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). If you have PAH, you may feel that is difficult to get enough air.

OTHER COMMON SIGNS AND SYMTOMS
Fatigue
Dizziness
Fainting spells (syncope)
Swelling in the ankles or legs (edema)
Bluish lips and skin (Cyanosis)
Chest pain
Racing pulse
Palpitations (a strong feeling of a fast heartbeat) as the disease advances.
The pumping action of your heart grows weaker
Your energy decreases

In the more advanced stages; you:

· Are able to perform very little activity
· Have symptoms even when resting
· May become completely bedridden

LIMITATIONS ON PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

Doctors may classify your symptoms based on how much activity you can comfortably undertake. The classes are the same as those for heart failure. They are;
Class 1: No limits – Ordinary physical activity does not cause undue tiredness or shortness of breath.
Class 2: Slight of mild limits – Person is comfortable at rest, but ordinary physical activity results in tiredness or shortness of breath.
Class 3: Marked or noticeable limits Person is comfortable at rest , but less than ordinary physical activity causes tiredness or shortness of breath
Class 4: Severe limits – Person is unable to carry on any physical activities without discomfort. Symptoms may also be present at rest. If any physical activity is undertaken, discomfort increases.

DIAGNOSIS OF BLOOD PRESSURE

Since there are no initial symptoms, the diagnosis of high blood pressure is found when doing physical examination using an instrument called sphygmomanometer and a stethoscope.

-The first sound heard is the systolic pressure, which is the maximal pressure when the heart is full just before it pumps.
- The second sound heard is the diastolic pressure, which is the minimal pressure in the heart after it has pump out the blood.
- The blood pressure is classified with varying degrees of severity as follows:
Optimal: Systolic less than 120: diastolic less than 80
Normal: Systolic less than 130: diastolic less than 85
High Normal: Systolic 130 – 139, diastolic 85 -89.


HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE CLASSIFICATION
Stage 1 (Mild) Systolic 140 -159, diastolic 90 -99
Stage 2 (moderate) Systolic 160 -179, diastolic 100 -109
Stage 3 (severe) systolic 180 -209 diastolic 110 -119
Stage 4 Malignant systolic 210 and above, diastolic 120 and above.


WHAT ABOUT MEDICATION FOR HYPERTENSION

The past few years have produced an avalanche of new drugs that are effective on lowering blood pressure. Some are life saving, most produced prompt results. A closer look at hypertension, medically, reveals some disquieting facts. The drugs do not cure hypertension. The drug controls it. In some cases they medications need to be taken for life.

Unpleasant side effects may include fatigue, depression and lack of sexual desire and impotence. While the drugs help protect against strokes, they do not protect against coronary atherosderosis (the plugging of heart arteries). They may promote diabetes and gouty arthritis.

WHAT ARE THE NON DRUG ALTERNATIVES?

A number of studies have shown that simple dietary and life style changes can reverse most essential hypertension is a matter of weeks without drugs.

Reduction in salt diet.
Reduction in weight when the weight goes down blood pressure levels usually falls. Reducing excess weight is often the only treatment needed to correct a rising blood pressure.
A diet very low in fat yet high in fibre lowers blood pressure.
Quit smoking, if a smoker
Quit or delete alcohol consumption.
Physical exercise lowers blood pressure. Regular exercise promotes general well-being.

People taking medications for blood pressure should not play Doctor and change or reduce doses of drugs on their own, but those who are willing to make healthful lifestyle changes will usually find their physician glad to help them eat and exercise their way out of hypertension; we at Bosom Health Nutriceuticals are ready to take you along.

SUMMARY

More Nigerians have high blood pressure, this puts them at risk of heart failure, strokes and other debilitating diseases, obesity, narrowed arteries, smoking, lack of exercise, contraceptives, estrogen pills, alcohol and high salt intake all contribute to the problem. Fortunately, most cases of hypertension can now be reversed in weeks by simple dietary and lifestyle changes. Join the Bosom Health Food Shop and get all the healthy foods and healthy tips for long life..

God bless you as you enjoy this new found life of actively controlling your life.
Dr. (Mrs) Jenny Nyam Shitta-bey – Medical Director



IMPORTANCE OF PHYSICAL EXERCISE

EXERCISE: A NECESSARY COMPANION

It is erroneous to believe that exercise is only for fat people. Every body needs to have a regular exercise programme to enjoy good health.

God created man a tripartite being- spirit soul and body: and every part of man is important.
The body is the vehicle that carries both the spirit and the soul. If you neglect your body and it breaks down, you will lack the endurance, strength and abilities to do other things. Exercise helps the body to burst the destructive effect of stress and also to improve microcirculation of the blood to the very tiny blood vessels that carries blood to brain.

Regular exercise therefore, will help to boost the immune system and protect the body from degenerative diseases like diabetes, cancer, hypertension, arthritis, etc. Insomnia – inability to sleep well at night can be controlled through exercise. Exercise calms your mind, helps you to think more clearly and improve your self-confidence.

Every movement we make, from walking to driving, involves our muscles, muscles are unique.

They have the ability to relax, contract and produce force. They are metabolically active, meaning that the more muscles you have, the higher your metabolism (amount of calories your body needs). At rest and during exercise, with appropriate exercise, (strength training) the muscles are highly responsive and becoming larger and stronger. Strength training is an essential part of a complete fitness programme. It’s so important that it makes up 2 to 5 components of physical fitness, muscular strength and muscular endurance.

Your health will benefit from a physical active life. The human body is designed for movement and therefore regular exercise e. g. working, cycling, massaging, swimming etc is necessary to ensure the body performs maximally and to avoid any possible deterioration brought on by the aging process or by not being correctly maintained. Many people tend to smile condescendingly when told by doctor that exercise will benefit them. They think that they do not come here to be told something they already know. They normally say they do not have the time to exercise. I am only asking you to prescribe drugs that work…

By letting your muscles waste from lack of exercise you are at risk of becoming weak and falling ill. Certain diseases that do not respond to pharmacological treatment can be effectively fought and cured through an adequate exercise programme e. g Rheumatism of joints, bursitis, asthma, obesity, heart disorder etc.

HARM CAUSED BY INACTIVITY

Migraines and other type of headache
Exhaustion and apathy
Constipation
Insomnia
Heart attack
Arthritis

Life is movement, Blood is life – used as transport to provide and drain everything necessary and unnecessary. To every piece of tissue, this is done only as long as the blood is in motion, once the blood stops moving, it clots and the blood dies. In this sense it can be said that health is conserved and recovered when the blood is circulating properly.

SPORTS BODY BUILDING

To be healthy and fit, the body needs to have the following:
Muscle tone
Fortitude
Right muscle size (in proportion to the body)
Sufficient muscular energy (to move quickly and forcefully)

Those who don’t find time to exercise will find time for illness (old proverb). Daily Exercise of the muscle is indispensable for attaining muscular development, flexibility and quickness. Not doing exercise will cause an accumulation of energy in form of fat.

EXERCISE RIGHT

Exercise is important not only for it’s famous cardiovascular benefits, contribution to strength and flexibility to improve mood and decrease stress. It is not just the way it improves blood pressure, triglycerides and insulin level that makes exercise crucial for anyone with diabetes or parasympathetic conditions, but exercise is crucial to eliminating acids from the body. Exercise makes you breath well, it makes you sweat, it pumps your lymph system. And this trio, as you know is important in cleansing your body. These happen through the lungs and skin, respiration and perspiration, thank goodness for our skin. Three thousand five hundred pores are present per inch of our skin. Exercise moves acids through them (in sweat) and through the lungs to keep you in PH balance.

The way most of us exercise is actually wrong, wrong exercise is actually hazardous to your health, so is over exercising. So is not exercising, thus you have to exercise, but you have to do it right, you will get results even from regular brisk walks or ten minutes sessions bouncing on a mini-trampoline, but you will have many options to choose from, if you come to Bosom Health Club Gymnasium, they fashion plans that are right for you.

THE RIGHT EXERCISE

You will run into a lot of health problems with no exercise or the wrong kind of exercise. Fortunately, the solution is simple; exercise right. That generally means low-impacts aerobics exercise such as:
Walking
Cross training machines
Rebounding (mini-trampoline)
More static exercise like Yoga, certain types of weight training, and even passive exercise such as sauna and massage.



WALKING

Walking gets the muscles moving enough to increase circulation, pump the lymph, and move acids out of your tissues and out of your body.
Like all aerobic exercises, it causes the body to burn fat rather than sugar and reduces stress on the pancreas.

Walk long enough to break a sweat-about twenty minutes for a man, and thirty minutes for a woman (sweat, being an excellent way to move acids out of the body through the skin, in one of the best reason to exercise). Stay relaxed and aware of everything around you, and breathe in and out through your nose.

JOGGING

Jogging offers similar benefits, though it must be done with care so it stays aerobic and does not verge into anaerobic exercise. Jogging should always be pleasurable and never painful. If you begin to experience pains while jogging, slow down and walk for a while until the pain subsides. Always breathe in and out through your nose, not your mouth. And be sure to sweat.

SWIMMING

If you have access to a swimming pool, swimming is one of the best forms of aerobic exercise because it is essentially no-impact (one step better than low impact), but the muscles which in turn moves the lymph and reduces acidity.

CROSS-TRAINERS

Also known as elliptical trainers, these machines are very beneficial. They work both your upper and lower body at once; with a movement similar to jogging or walking while holding on to handles, moving forward and back. You can adjust not only how long you exercise but also your speed, distance, resistance (on both arms and legs), intensity and heart rate, not to mention what kind of terrain you cover. I think the life fitness cross-trainer is the best all round machine; most good gyms have one. Start out on the lowest settings, and do at least thirty minutes a day.

YOGA

Yoga contains an element of philosophy and or spirituality in its program. It’s a discipline for the mind and emotions as well as the body, and in fact, aims to integrated the three into a unified whole.
(some classes focus pretty much exclusively on the physical, though, so you should check out a class before you join to make sure the specific approach appeals to you). On just the physical plan, yoga is an excellent form of exercise because it emphasizes balance, strength, flexibility and stamina at once. It fights fat too. Furthermore, the breathing exercise involves improved circulation and oxygenation, research shows that Yoga practice is excellent stress reliever besides reducing physical tension in the body, it can boost self esteem, improve concentration and increase your sense of your over all well-being through calming the nervous system. Studies looking specifically at diabetes have found out that yoga can help manage the disease.

WEIGHT TRAINING

This can be excellent form of exercise, but it must be done correctly or it will do more harm than good. You must work with high intensity but low force, building muscles by doing a small number of very slow and controlled repetitions, using modest amount of weight or resistance increase to ten reps per exercise. Lift the weight and hold it for fifteen seconds where the most effort is required. The intensity by holding the weight for progressively longer time increases each rep to thirty seconds. Then increase the weight enough so that you are back to fifteen seconds, and build up again from there to ten reps and thirty seconds. This approach is known as static contraction. The good news is that you should need the gym for only twenty to thirty minutes at a time for the first couple of weeks of the program like this. And only ten to fifteen minutes a session after that, three times a week.

CELLERCISE

Cellercise is one of the best forms of low-impact aerobics. You might already know it as rebounding on a small trampoline- but I like the term Cellercise (coined by author and inventor David Hall) because this kind of movement to every cell of the body at the same time (rather than isolating specific muscles or muscles groups), using your own body weight to create resistance, cellercise strengthens muscles, connective tissues, ligament and bones, even tightens and lifts internal organs and skin cells. The up and down movement also increases circulation of both blood and lymph, But eliminates 80 percent of the stress on your bones and joints of other major forms of aerobic exercise. It’s even good for your digestive system, stimulating the smooth muscles of the intestinal tract, which are otherwise difficult to exercise. Cellercise burns calories eleven times faster than walking, five times faster than swimming and three times faster running. Since all the cells are using energy at the same time, all you need is fifteen minutes twice a day.

BENEFITS OF EXERCISE

Exercise is especially useful for people with diabetes, because it balances blood sugar and regeneration of normal function of pancreas through detoxifying every cell in the body of excess acidity, but that is just the start of a long list of good things exercise does for your body.
Exercise also:-
Increases balance and co ordination
Reduces risk of cardiovascular problems (strengthens the heart, lower resting heart rate, reduces cholesterol and triglycerides levels, increases heart capacity.
Increase production of red blood cells
Boosts white blood cell activity
Stimulates lymphatic flow
Build muscles, increasing their vigor and tone as well as their size and strength.
Stimulates metabolism
Increase circulation
Brings more oxygen to the tissues
Increase thyroid output
Expands the body’s capacity for fuel storage
Improves mental performance
Reduces aches and pains(from lack of exercise)
Reduces headaches and back pains
Improves sleep and relaxation
Fights fatigue
Eases menstrual discomfort
Eliminates excess weight.

SUMMARY

How to reduce stress:
Give your body sufficient rest each day
Maintain a reasonable diet and avoid over eating.
Engage on proper and regular exercise such as brisk walking
If something worries you, talk to a friend about it.
Spend more time enjoying your family
Delegate or share household or office chores
Know your physical or emotional limitations
Set realistic goals and do not be a perfectionist
Be organized, have a balance reasonable schedule
Cultivate religious qualities such as mildness and patience
Set aside some time for yourself.

We hope this epistle on exercise will stimulate you into action.
Start today!
Thank you and God bless.

WHAT TO DO

-Get a doctor to identify the cause before anything else is done

1. Do not just retire to a soft sofa

2. Take one day of rest or two days at most after the onset of pain

3. Ice bags are helpful at this stage along with doctors prescribed muscles relaxation and non- steroidal anti inflammatory medications.

4. After that get up on your feet and start walking, walk through the pain.

5. Prolonged Bed Rest will do more harm than good; because rest causes your back muscles to weaken rapidly.

6. Most back problems fortunately resolve themselves in four to twelve weeks.

COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS

• Question: Are backaches caused by Arthritis? Answer:- Backache are a common disorder that affects many people, four out of five (5) people will suffer from them at some time in their lives. Back problem is a common cause of disability, missed work days and other problems.

Over 80% of back problems are due to overwork or under exercised muscles.

These strained muscles may suddenly go into a sustained contraction or spasm and become a hard knotty mass, signaling body distress by sharp pain.

Only about 10% of low back pain is from Osteoarthritis or a disc problem.

Only a few suffer back pain from other specific serious injury.

Question: WHAT ABOUT RED SWOLLEN PAINFUL JOINTS?; RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

Answer: This is different from osteoarthritis in that it results from inflammation of the joints with weakness, swelling, pain, fever, rather than from injury or wear and tear.

Rheumatoid Arthritis is an immune disease related to asthma, hay fever, eczema, and other diseases that have an allergic component.

Repeated attacks over the years produces muscles that gradually stiffen and cause disfiguration of the joints, mostly the wrist and finger joints.

Since Rheumatoid arthritis is longed been closely intertwined with immune (defense) system certain immune protein complexes deposited in the joints play a key role in the defunction of cartilage that takes place. These protein antigens have been known to be absorbed intact from the small intestine without being digested.

Question: Do you mean that what we eat causes heart attacks?

Answer: Yes- Major Culprits are excessive fat and cholesterol. It leads to narrowing, hardening and eventually clogged up of vital arteries that supply the heart with oxygen. This is called [Artherioslerosis]

People are born with clean flexible arteries; they should stay like that throughout life.

Many however clog up cholesterol, fat and calcium- a concoction that gradually hardens and eventually chokes off needed oxygen supplies.

It is recorded that those that change their food habit from eggs, meat, diary products to diet of potatoes, grains, beans, roots and vegetables, leads to dramatic decrease in arteriosclerosis related diseases such as heart attack, strokes, diabetes, gall stone, cancers, arthritis.

”Heart diseases before age 80 is our fault Not God’s fault nor natures will”

ARTHRIS

Disease with a thousand cure

Definition: This is a term for a disease or abnormal processes occurring in the joints, our joints and ligaments like our muscles wear with use and need to be constantly repaired. Repair of any part need free access to oxygen and other nutrients.

Inadequate circulation leads to weaken ligaments, joints fluids decrease and cartilage wears away.

COMMON TYPES OF ARTHRITIS

· Osteoarthritis: common type, common in older populations or after injury or excessive wear and tear to a joint. E.g in football injuries- known as traumatic arthritis

· Arterioscleroses or clogged arthritis, reduced blood supply to joints and causes joints and ligament weakness, therefore improving blood circulation by reflexology, hydrotherapy, massage and physiotherapy improves arthritis

CORONARY HEART DISEASE

It is becoming increasingly common now in Nigeria, it is in hundreds of thousands in America, many die yearly from heart attacks. It is found on dinner table.

KILLER FOR DINNER-Billon dollar Disease industries (fast foods)

Question: Do you mean that what we eat causes heart attacks?

Answer: Yes- Major Culprits are excessive fat and cholesterol. It leads to narrowing, hardening and eventually clogged up of vital arteries that supply the heart with oxygen. This is called [Artherioslerosis]

People are born with clean flexible arteries; they should stay like that throughout life.

Many however clog up cholesterol, fat and calcium- a concoction that gradually hardens and eventually chokes off needed oxygen supplies.

It is recorded that those that change their food habit from eggs, meat, diary products to diet of potatoes, grains, beans, roots and vegetables, leads to dramatic decrease in arteriosclerosis related diseases such as heart attack, strokes, diabetes, gall stone, cancers, arthritis.

”Heart diseases before age 80 is our fault Not God’s fault nor natures will”

TIPS TO TACKLING OBESITY

Instead of fad diets, try a membership to a gym. Get the junk out of your diet, and replace it with all the things that are natural. Do not skip meals, take smaller portions; skipping meals make you hungrier, nip the craving for eating by taking fresh juices especially when sipped slowly through a straw. Let the liquid run over the tongue, the taste buds are satisfied without the need for sugary or salty high fat foods.