GAINS OF BROCCOLI

Broccoli might have gotten a bad reputation as being one of the most dreaded vegetables for children, cooking your broccoli in a tasty stir-fry manner or having it boiled, steamed or baked with great-tasting accompaniments such as a good tasting creamy cheese will definitely make it an unforgettable experience.

Broccoli can provide you with some special cholesterol-lowering benefits if you will cook it by steaming. The fibre-related components in broccoli do a better job of binding together with bile acids in your digestive tract when they’ve been steamed. When this binding process takes place, it’s easier for bile acids to be excreted, and the result is a lowering of your cholesterol levels.

Broccoli has a strong, positive impact on our body’s detoxification system. Studies have identified one of the key reasons for this detox benefit which are the three glucosinolate phytonutrients found in a special combination in broccoli.

These phytonutrients are able to support all steps in the body’s detox process, including activation, neutralization, and elimination of unwanted contaminants. Isothiocyanates (ITCs) are the detox-regulating molecules made from broccoli’s glucosinolates, and they help control the detox process at a genetic level.

Broccoli may help us solve our vitamin D deficiency epidemic. When large supplemental doses of vitamin D are needed to offset deficiency, ample supplies of vitamin K and vitamin A help keep our vitamin D metabolism in balance. Broccoli has an unusually strong combination of both vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotene) and vitamin K.

For people faced with the need to rebuild vitamin D stores through vitamin D supplements, broccoli may be an ideal food to include in the diet. Its high level of vitamin K , coupled with calcium makes it important for bone health and prevention of osteoporosis.

Broccoli is a particularly rich source of a flavonoid called kaempferol. Research has shown ability of kaempferol to lessen impact of allergy-related substances. This kaempferol connection helps to explain the unique anti-inflammatory benefits of broccoli.

We usually feel that non-fatty vegetables are not good sources of omega-3 fats, but we may need to change our thinking in this area. While it is true that there are limited amounts of omega-3s in vegetables like broccoli, it is equally true that their levels of omega-3s can still play an important role in balancing our inflammatory system activity.

While we would not want to depend on broccoli as our sole source of dietary omega-3s, we still get important anti-inflammatory benefits from the omega-3s it provides.

Culled from nigeriaworld.com, picture from google

DIVORCE

Thursday, February 9, 2012 Young divorcees likely to suffer health decline - Study by Jayne Augoye As divorce rate increases all over the world, a new study indicates that young divorcees are more likely to suffer health decline than older ones, reports JAYNE AUGOYE Divorce remains a very sensitive and saddening occurrence to the affected couples, friends and families. A recent study has indicated that young divorcees suffer more damage to their health than those who split up later in life. The study also establishes a difference in how the generations are affected by divorce, with those born in the 1950s finding it harder to deal with the problem than those born 10 years earlier. The finding, published in the Journal Social Science and Medicine in January, comes from an analysis of interviews given by 1,282 men and women, aged from 25 to 83, over a 15-year period. The respondents were asked to rate their health from 'poor' to 'excellent' and their answers were compared with their marital status. This revealed that going through a divorce caused health to decline, with those aged between 35 and 41 at the time of the split more affected than those who were born at the same time but were older when their marriage ended Sociologist Dr Hui Liu, of Michigan State University, who carried out the study, says the maturity that comes with age may make it easier for those who are slightly older to deal with the end of a marriage. Dr. Liu says, "I would have expected divorce to carry less stress for the younger generation, since divorce is more prevalent for them." She adds that this may be due to the fact that the pressure to marry and stay married was stronger for older generations and so those who did divorce may have been unhappily married for a period of time. They may even also have felt relieved when they did divorce. Overall, the study found that those who get divorced experience a more rapid health decline than those who remain married. Findings of another research carried out by the University of Arizona and published in USA Today in January states that divorce was as bad for the health as smoking. The researchers found the risks associated with divorce are similar to other well-established public-health risks, such as smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day, getting limited exercise, being overweight and drinking heavily, said the study's lead author, UA psychology professor David Sbarra. According to the findings, the risk of dying early was 23 per cent greater among divorced adults than married couples tracked by the experts for an average of 11 years. A related study carried out in 2009 and published in the Journal of Health and Social Behaviour suggests that people who suffer marital disruption through either divorce or widowhood are 20 per cent more likely to have chronic health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, or cancer than married people. They also have 23 per cent more limitations on their mobility, which means they are more likely to have trouble climbing stairs or walking around the block when they get older. By some measures, the research authors say they are even less likely to be physically or mentally healthy than people who never married at all. Another study has concluded that divorce can wreak havoc on a person's health, even after remarriage. While some scientists say 'marriage can boost a man's health and augment a women's purse', this study shows that divorce or losing a spouse to death can exact an immediate and long-lasting toll on those mental and physical gains. "That period during the time that this event is taking place is extremely stressful. People ignore their health; they're stressed, which is itself a health risk; they're less likely to go to the doctor; they're less likely to exercise; they're sleeping poorly," says study author, Linda Waite. Ironically, as various studies establish a link between divorce and wellbeing, a study conducted in India says that arguing once a week can be the secret to strong, happy unions – provided the argument is not abusive. The study conducted by relationship site Shaadi.com and market research agency IMRB sampled married couples and found that 44 per cent of pairs believe that fighting 'helps keep the lines of communication open'. The findings are in tandem with views held in many countries that fighting and addressing problems constructively makes for a more stress-free relationship than bottling things up. They also add that fighting in front of children can even be a good thing – provided the irritation is dealt with respectfully and couples are able to show kids that they have moved on quickly and positively. Picture from google , article  from Punch Nigeria.

PARENTAL INDISCIPLINE

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Customs men beat up teacher for punishing officer's son

by Akinwale Aboluwade, Ibadan

Four men of the Nigeria Customs Service, Oyo/Osun Command, were on Tuesday summoned by the Oyo State House of Assembly for allegedly beating a teacher, Gbenga Ogunleye.

Ogunleye was said to have been beaten by the Customs men on Friday for punishing a Senior Secondary 3 pupil, Allison Chukwuebuka.

The men reportedly stormed the premises of United Senior Secondary School, Ijokodo, Ibadan and allegedly beat the teacher to a pulp for daring to punish the pupil whose father is a Customs officer.

It was gathered that the men shot sporadically into the air to scare the pupils and teachers who attempted to rescue the teacher.

Chukwuebuka was said to have reported the teacher to his parents after refusing to serve the punishment given to him with other pupils.

The teacher told journalists on Tuesday, that, “Last Friday, some boys who are fond of dressing indecently to school and assembling in an uncompleted building during odd hours were rounded up by the teachers. Their uniforms and slippers were seized.

“We told them to form a queue and jump up and down but Chukwuebuka did not obey. I compelled him but he resisted.

“He called his parents. To my surprise, when they arrived, his father asked him to identify me and instructed him to beat me in his presence.

“The boy reached for a wheel spanner and aimed at my head but I used my hand to protect my head. The father then called some uniformed men who drove into the premises with high speed. They dragged me on the ground, beat me to a pulp and tore my shirt. When the teachers and pupils wanted to rescue me, the Customs men fired some shots into the air.

“I was taken to Jericho Hospital for treatment. The Nigeria Union of Teachers in the state has taken up the matter.”

It was learnt that the boy had been expelled by the Ministry of Education.

The Public Relations Officer of NCS in Ibadan, Mrs. Nkiru Nwala, was said to have travelled and calls made to her telephone were not connected.

The Principal of the school, Mrs. Titi Aponmode, had reportedly petitioned the House of Assembly on the matter on Tuesday.


Courtesy Punch Nigeria, Picture of flag from google.