Top Benefits of Running and Walking You Never Knew

For most of us our fitness plans begin and end on a gym membership. We think it's obvious – a gym has all the machines and free weights required to lose weight, build muscles, and simply amp up overall health.

What many don’t know is that we can attain the same benefits from running and walking as well. Both activities provide an abundance of physical and mental health benefits.

Here are benefits of walking and running you didn’t know!

1. Helps you live longer

2. Boosts your Vitamin D naturally

3. Improves mood

4. Builds self-confidence

5. Running helps you cope with stress

6. Running burns calories

7. Good for old age

8. It keeps your eyes healthy

9. Physical exercise is beneficial for your eyes

10. Go outdoors and get active

11. Fights common cold

12. Improves sleep in post-menopausal women

13. Numerous other health benefits

Final words

Going for a run or a walk are activities that are easy to implement in an exercise regime. Whether you are 18 or 80, anyone can benefit from this simple and convenient form of exercise.

So, go out there and enjoy a walk – fast or slow paced. And when you come back, you will definitely thank yourself for reading this article.

 🏃‍♂️ 🏃🏻‍♀️👊🏼

 Your Health is Your Wealth

If You Are Suffering From Arthritis, Reduce Your Intake Of These 3 Things To Avoid Complications

Arthritis is a health condition that refers to the inflammation of one or more joints in the body. Several types of arthritis exist, each with distinct causes encompassing wear and tear, infections and underlying diseases. Treatment for arthritis aims to control pain, minimize joint damage, and improve or maintain function and quality of life.

Certain things can trigger the development of arthritis. Some of them include injury, abnormal metabolism, genetic makeup, infections, and immune system dysfunction. You must avoid the manageable risk factors.

Certain foods can worsen the development of arthritis. Some of them include;

1. Alcohol

Since alcohol contains a lot of calories and added sugar, consuming it every day can lead to heightened body fat and weight gain, which can also worsen arthritis symptoms.

2. Added sugars

Consuming too much-processed sugar causes the body to release pro-inflammatory proteins called cytokines. Cytokine levels are already high when you have inflammatory arthritis. That chronic inflammation is what causes pain, swelling, and stiffness in your joints.

3. Salt

Excess of salt can irritate your joints and lead to swelling.

#StayHealthy

#StaySafe 

#Exercise 👊🏼

LET'S TALK ABOUT MASTURBATION

Masturbation is when you stimulate your own genitals with your fingers, hands, a vibrator, etc. for sexual pleasure. It usually leads to orgasm and can be a good or bad depending on how you do it.

Men generally masturbate by stimulating their penis, scrotum, anus, or perineum. Women, on the other hand, masturbate by rubbing, touching or massaging their clits, vulva, vagina, nipples, thighs, and breasts.

For many people, masturbation is their first sexual act. In fact, teenagers have been found to masturbate more than adults.

But the many myths surrounding masturbation make people feel guilty, uncomfortable and ashamed of the act. So let's start with getting the facts right.

Medically, masturbation is a normal, healthy act with several benefits. It:

1. Reduces stress

2. Relieves sexual tension

3. Gives sexual pleasure to singles

4. Improves sleep

5. Creates a sense of well-being

6. Prevents STI's

7. Relieves menstrual cramps &

8. Improves sex life*

*Masturbation can help improve how long you last in bed. If you’re not lasting in bed as long as you would like, you might need to masturbate to improve your sex life.

So, even though sex is the best way to practice for sex, masturbating is good for this purpose.

On the other hand, how you masturbate is what really matters. Masturbation can:

1. Ruin your sex life

2. Cause a serious addiction which harms your relationships and everyday life.

Let's explain these!

First, if you're always rushing through when masturbating, you could unknowingly decrease the time you last with your partner. 

Your brain could become used to this short duration of sexual pleasure!

Also, excessive masturbation can harm your relationships & everyday life. You might become a masturbation addict, if it makes you do any of these 4 things;

- skip your daily activities

- miss work/school

- cancel plans with friends or family

- miss important social events

Once you're addicted to masturbation, you'll need to handle it well so it doesn't destroy you:

• Talk to your therapist. &

• When the urge to masturbate comes, replace it with other enjoyable activities like being with friends, taking a walk, watching a TV program, etc.

To summarize:

1. Masturbation has many benefits but there's the possibility of addiction & doing it wrongly.

2. If you masturbate, make it last. Ensure it lasts like you'd like to last when you're doing it with your partner.

3. If you're addicted, seek help.

#HealthIsWealth

THESE HARM YOUR KIDNEY

The kidney is a very vital organ of the body that helps the body to get rid of waste as urine. The kidney also does the filtration of the blood before sending it back to the heart.

The kidney contains a million nephrons which does the metabolizing of the nutrients and pass out waste products through the blood it filters. The kidney has different parts like the renal corpuscle, the glomerulus, the bowman capsule, proximal convoluted tubule, loop of henle, distal convoluted tubule, renal cotex, etc. The ureter is also a very important part of the kidney which passes the urine into the bladder before it is released from the body.

The kidney being a delicate organ can be affected with diseases like chronic kidney disease, kidney failure, kidney stones, glomerulonephritis, acute nephritis, polycystic kidney disease, urinary tract infections, uremia, hydronephrosis, kidney cysts, etc.

When  your kidney becomes affected, you may experience the following symptoms

1.    Difficulty in sleeping.

2.    Fatigue and feeling of tiredness all the time.

3.    Difficulty to focus and inability to concentrate.

4.    Constant dry skin.

5.    Less or frequent urination.

6.    Blood in urine.

7.    Loss of appetite.

8.    Experiencing muscle cramps.

9.    Swellings in the foot or ankle etc.

Please if you don’t want to be affected and shorten your life span, avoid excessive intake of these things.

 1.    Excessive intake of painkillers.

Taking pain killers according to the prescription of the doctor can help eradicate pains, aches but excess of it can destroy the kidney. Excess of pain killers also cause more damage to an individual suffering from any mild kidney problem. Please if you want to get the best out of pain killers, follow the doctor’s prescription and take it in the moderate amount else you will end up destroying your life.

 2.    Excessive intake of salt

Sodium has the ability to increase blood pressure hence when you consume excess salt which has a very high quantity of sodium in it, it will increase your blood pressure and then harm the kidney. Salt is also a strong solvent which has the ability to dehydrate the kidney when consumed excessively. Please look for a better supplement for your food and avoid excess salt because it can cause a great harm to your kidney.

 3.    Excessive intake of meat

Acidosis is a kidney condition which the kidney cannot get rid of acid quickly enough and this disease is caused as a result of excessive consumption of meat. Excessive consumption of animal protein creates a lot of acid in the blood which is very dangerous to the kidney. Protein is very good for the body but please, balances it up with fruits and vegetables and avoid excess of animal protein. The best source of protein is plant protein so substitute it for the animal protein.

 4.    Excessive intake of sugar

High blood pressure and diabetes are the major causes of kidney diseases and these two and caused as a result of the consumption of excess sugar which thus leads to obesity. Please excess of sugar affects the kidney so avoid it at all cost. Before buying any food stuff from the market, check it very well to avoid buying the one with excess sugar.

 5.    Excessive drinking of alcohol

Excessive drinking of alcohol increases the risk of developing chronic kidney diseases. Those who drink and smoke excessively have a very high chance of developing kidney problems. Moderate quantity of alcohol when taken helps the body but excess of it is dangerous. The ethanol present in alcohol is not healthy for the kidney so avoid excessive consumption of alcohol.

 6.    Excessive smoking

Smoking in places like America and other countries with low weather condition is for warmth but excessive smoking contributes to kidney problems. In especially the African continent, you will see someone after waking up in the morning light a cigarette and start smoking without taking the breakfast and this is very bad. Smoking does not only affect the lungs but also the kidney. People who regularly smoke do experience protein in their urine and this is a symptom of kidney damage.

 7.    Sitting for long

Sitting and being dormant for long period of time has recently been linked to some kidney diseases. Although researches don’t know how physical activity affects the kidney health but it has been discovered that regular physical activity helps improve blood pressure and glucose metabolism which both keeps the kidney healthy. So take some time and get involved in at least a mild exercise every day.

Also take note that all these things in the moderate amount does not affect you but excess of it affects your kidney so be careful about them.

#HealthIsWeath

#CareForYourHealth

#KeepSafe

Keep your kidney healthy: Stop the following habits

Your kidney perform numerous functions, to include maintenance of acid-base balance, removal of excess water, excretion of urea in form of urine, etc. The health of the kidney is paramount to life and in this article I'll highlights some common habits that endangers the kidney.

Reduce the consumption of red meat: Too much of red meat is not good for the kidney. Ensure you reduce your consumption of red meat. Better still, you can eat fish containing omega-3 fatty acid instead. Too much of red meat increases the pressure in the renal artery of the kidney, thus increasing the work load of the kidney.

Minimize consumption of soft drinks: It tastes nice but it does more harm than good. In general, reduce the rate at which you consume cold drinks and try to drink warm water sometimes.

Holding of urine: Most people have the habit of holding urine in the bladder until it gets filled up before they pass out urine. This habit is very bad because these urine can precipitate to form crystals and become deposited in the kidney as tiny stones which could lead to kidney stone.

Lack of water intake: Most people have this habit of not drinking sufficient water which often causes kidney stone. Ensure you drink sufficient water to keep your system hydrated always.

Overweight(Obesity): Watch your diet. If you gained weight over the last few years, ensure you diet yourself and burn some of the fat from the body. Aside affecting the kidney, people who are obese are likely to suffer from type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Excessive consumption of alcohol: Reduce your alcohol in take to a level that's safe for the kidney. Alcohol is another leading cause of kidney problem. Excessive alcohol increases the work load of the kidney.

Health tips for the kidney

• Drink a glass of water once you wake up in the morning.

• Avoid excess salt.

• Empty your bladder as at when due.

• Ensure you drink clean water or better still boil the water and filter before drinking.

• Exercise your body in order to be fit. #GetFitNigerians 

Enlighten others by sharing.

Check though these six causes of leg pain. If you notice any of the symptoms, you may want to get to a doctor.

Leg pain is caused by dozens of different causes.

Physical exercise, weight gain, genetic conditions, heart issues, growth pains, even a fracture or overstretched tendon can make your leg hurt.

Sometimes the causes are really obvious – a broken leg. But some legs pains can be signs of serious, life threatening conditions. You won’t believe the deadly diseases that start with a little twinge.

1. Legg-Calve-Perthes disease
Got a kid who complains of pain anywhere from hip to knee and has limited hip motion? It might be Legg-Calve-Perthes disease . This disease occurs when blood supply to the femoral head (ball joint) is lost and the bone starts to die. The bone eventually breaks apart and loses the ball shape. After the blood supply is restored, the bone rebuilds itself, but no longer smooth and round.

There are treatments that will preserve the femoral joint’s shape, so talk with your pediatrician.

2. Septic Arthritis
Infants and older adults are susceptible to septic arthritis . If you have sudden onset of knee, hip, or shoulder pain and a fever after an infection or if you get a penetrating injury to the joint, see your doctor. The germs from the infection may have traveled to a joint and set up shop. The infection occurs quickly and damages cartilage and bone.
Risk factors include existing joint problems, certain medications, fragile skin, a weakened immune system and joint trauma.

3. Bone Cancer
Bone cancer is very rare but does occur in people of all ages. If you note bone pain with swelling and tenderness, fatigue, and unintended weight loss, talk to your doctor. The pain will often be intermittent, be worse at night, and isn’t helped by OTC pain relievers. Bone cancer can be treated with surgery, chemotherapy or radiation therapy.
There are several type of bone cancers and all seem to have a tenuous connection to radiation and genetic syndromes.

4. Deep Vein Thrombosis
Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) can be a silent killer. DVT occurs when a blood clot forms in one of the veins deep within your body, most commonly the legs. Sometimes you’ll have symptoms. People who are sedentary (long flights or drives, on bed rest, etc.). The clot can break loose, travel to the lungs, and block blood flow.
Look for calf cramping or soreness, red/discolored skin, and warmth. If you have shortness of breath, pain on breathing, rapid pulse, coughing up blood, and light-headedness, get help immediately.

5. Claudication
Claudication is leg or arm pain that occurs during exercise. It’s caused by too little blood flow. It is often a symptom of arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) or peripheral artery disease. Symptoms start with pain during exercise, followed by pain at rest. Toes and fingers may turn blue or be cold to the touch.

If you have any of these symptoms, contact your doctor. Risk factors include smoking, high cholesterol or blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes. There may also be a familial connection.

6. Rheumatoid Arthritis

Arthritis is a catch-all term for joint pain.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a serious autoimmune disease. Your immune system attacks body tissues and can affect joints, skin, eyes, and cardio-vascular system.

Rheumatoid arthritis symptoms include painful, tender joints, joint stiffness as rest, fatigue, fever, and weight loss. The deformed joints seen in older people may be a result of rheumatoid arthritis. It is extremely painful and can lead to heart and lung disease. It also increases risk for lymphoma, a blood/lymph node cancer.

Conclusion

Chances are that your leg pain is just over use. If you have any of the other symptoms like fever, blueish toes, shortness of breath and pain that isn’t stopped by OTC pain relievers, it may be time to see a doctor!

Leg pain in different ages can mean different diseases, from growing pains to gout to heart disease. Treating them can improve quality of life. Leg pain can be exhausting and make just living life difficult. If you are overweight, Exercise to lose weight. Your legs, knees and hips with be better able to carry you on your life journey.

#Fit4LifeLive4Life

4 Common Drugs Which Damage Your Liver

Medications are used to cure diseases or to alleviate certain discomforts, but many of them can affect some organs of our body. Therefore, we show you some medications that damage the liver.

The medication can often cause long-term chronic liver damage. For example, hepatitis due to poisoning.

Here are the medications that damage the liver:

1.Antibiotics

Some antibiotics such as Amoxicillin, Clindamycin and Trimethoprim can seriously damage the liver.

Regularly antibiotic treatments last between 7 and 10 days, depending on the infection and the response of each organism. But if this time is extended, it could cause consequences at the liver level.

2.Paracetamol

It is one of the medicines that we use the most when we feel pain. Unfortunately, many times we do not consult with a doctor and this could be lethal.

Self-medication is one of the main causes of liver damage.

3.Anti-inflammatories

These medications are also commonly consumed. In case of any symptoms of muscular inflammation, we infer them; even if it is a headache

4.Statins

These drugs are used to regulate cholesterol levels in the blood. Therefore, the dose should be perfectly well controlled by a specialist.

They must measure and perform tests on their patients every certain time.

Symptoms of liver damage

* Abdominal pain
* Jaundice (yellowish tone in eyes and skin)
* Dark urine
* Irritated skin
* Irritable bowel
* Sickness

The most important thing to avoid liver problems due to medications is not to self-medicate; When you have any discomfort consult your doctor before.