Many people overeat because they feel hungry so often.
Here are some tips on managing your hunger: • Real hunger comes on slowly, not all of a sudden. Pay attention to your body and learn your signs of true hunger. • A sudden craving to eat is often psychological. You can deal with it by distracting yourself. Find something else to do or think about besides eating. Take a short walk or talk with a friend. • Cravings often don’t last that long. Try to wait out a craving. • If the craving doesn’t go away, have just a little bit and savour it. • Spread out your food over the day by eating 5-6 small healthy, balanced meals or snacks. You may be less likely to overeat at the next meal. • Eat filling, high fibre foods such as vegetables, high fibre cereals, whole grain breads, and fruit.
Eating too fast is almost always a problem for overweight people. Feeling full takes time, and so should eating.
Here are some tips: • When you eat slowly, you will feel satisfied with smaller portions and eat less. • Before eating, mentally tell yourself to eat slowly and to taste and enjoy every bite. Start this by putting a written reminder in front of you on the table. • Put your fork, knife, and spoon down in-between every bite. • You don’t have to eat quickly just because others are eating fast. • Learn to recognize and respond to early feelings of fullness. As soon as you start to feel satisfied, stop eating, and save what is left for the next meal. Here’s how: • Stop eating ½ way through your meal. Ask yourself: o How hungry am I now? o Am I any less hungry than when I started? o Am I beginning to feel satisfied? o If you continue eating, stop again ¾ of the way through your meal. Ask yourself the same questions. o If you eat everything, ask yourself if you are satisfied. If you feel stuffed, then next time, try stopping earlier. o Before eating second helpings, wait 5 minutes and then ask yourself the same questions again.
Constipation is one of those topics few like to talk about. If you've suffered from this problem, though, you know it can be both painful and frustrating. Almost everyone gets constipated at some time during his or her life. Women and the elderly are more commonly affected. Though not usually serious, constipation can be a concern.
What Is Constipation? Constipation occurs when bowel movements become difficult or less frequent. The normal length of time between bowel movements ranges widely from person to person. Some people have bowel movements three times a day; others, only one or two times a week. Going longer than three days without a bowel movement is too long. After three days, the stool or feaces become harder and more difficult to pass. You are considered constipated if you have two or more of the following for at least 3 months: • Straining during a bowel movement more than 25% of the time • Hard stools more than 25% of the time • Incomplete evacuation more than 25% of the time • Two or fewer bowel movements in a week What Causes Constipation? Constipation is usually caused by a disorder of bowel function rather than a structural problem. Common causes of constipation include: • Inadequate water intake • Inadequate fiber in the diet • A disruption of regular diet or routine; traveling • Inadequate activity or exercise or immobility • Eating large amounts of dairy products • Stress • Resisting the urge to have a bowel movement, which is sometimes the result of pain from haemorrhoids • Overuse of laxatives (stimulant laxatives such) which, over time, weaken the bowel muscles • Hypothyroidism • Neurological conditions such as Parkinson's disease or multiple sclerosis • Antacid medicines containing calcium or aluminium • Medicines (especially strong pain medicines, such as narcotics, antidepressants, or iron pills) • Depression • Eating disorders • Irritable bowel syndrome • Pregnancy • Colon cancer
In some cases, lack of good nerve and muscle function in the bowel may also be a cause of constipation. What Are the Symptoms of Constipation? Symptoms of constipation can include: • Infrequent bowel movements or difficulty having bowel movements (straining) • Hard or small stools • Sense of incomplete bowel movement • Swollen abdomen or abdominal pain • Pain • Vomiting There may also be occasional diarrhoea resulting from hard stool obstructing the colon.
How Can I Prevent Constipation? There are several things you can do to prevent constipation. Among them: • Eat a well-balanced diet with plenty of fiber. Good sources of fiber are fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole-grain bread and cereal (especially bran). Fiber and water help the colon pass stool. • Drink enough water when you for and other fluids a day (unless fluid restricted for another medical condition). Liquids that contain caffeine, such as coffee and soft drinks, seem to have a dehydrating effect and may need to be avoided until your bowel habits return to normal. Some people may need to avoid milk, as dairy products may be constipating for them. • Exercise regularly. • Move your bowels when you feel the urge. What Should I Do If I Am Constipated? If you are constipated, try the following: • Drink two to four extra glasses of water a day (unless fluid restricted). • Try warm liquids, especially in the morning. • Add fruits and vegetables to your diet. • Eat prunes and/or bran cereal. • If needed, use a very mild stool softener or laxative. Do not use laxatives for more than two weeks without calling your doctor, as laxative overuse can aggravate your symptoms. Warning about Constipation Talk to your health care provider your if: • Constipation is a new problem for you • You have blood in your stool • You are losing weight even though you are not dieting • You have severe pain with bowel movements • Your constipation has lasted more than two week
All procedures which involve the partial or total removal of the external genitalia or injury to the female genital organs whether for cultural or any other non-therapeutic reasons. It reflects deep-rooted inequality between the sexes, and constitutes an extreme form of discrimination against women and girls.
The practice also violates their rights to health, security and physical integrity, their right to be free from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, and their right to life when the procedure results in death. Female Genital Mutilation is a fundamental human rights issue with adverse health and social implications… (it) violates the rights of girls and women to bodily integrity and results in perpetuating gender inequality.
Types of FGM 1. Clitoridectomy: removal of the clitoral hood with or without the removal of the clitoris. 2. Excision removal of the clitoris and partial or total removal of the vaginal lips. 3. Infibulation: removal of the clitoris, vaginal lips and the stitching of the vagina, leaving a 1-2cm opening for blood and urine. 4. Unclassified:piercing the clitoris, cauterisation, cutting the vagina, inserting corrosive substances
Who is at risk? • 2 million girls around the world every year are mutilated • Mainly African and Middle Eastern countries and alarmingly now in the immigrant population of Europe, America and Australia • More than 125 million girls and women alive today have been cut in the 29 countries in Africa and Middle East where FGM is concentrated • Any girl is at risk – usually between 4-14 • The age at which FGM is performed varies – it depends on the ethnic group and geographical location. • Can be during infancy – from a few days old • During childhood – 4-10 years • At the onset of Puberty • At marriage • During 1st pregnancy
Why is FGM carried out? The reasons vary from community to community and are very complex: Neither the Bible, the Qu’ran nor any other religious book make any reference to FGM and it has been condemned by all religious leaders; thus, • Religion is NOT a basis for FGM • Cultural identity – A tribal initiation into adulthood. • Gender Identity – Moving from girl to woman – enhancing femininity. • Sexual control – believed to reduce the woman’s desire for sex and therefore the possibility of sex outside marriage. • Hygiene/cleanliness – unmutilated women are regarded as unclean and not allowed to handle food or water. • The clitoris regarded as dirty and unsightly – if a clitoris touches a man’s penis, then the penis will fall off!
Health Consequences Immediate/Short term • Haemorrhage • Severe pain & shock (a sudden drop in blood flow through the body.) • Urine retention • Infection including tetanus & HIV • Injury to adjacent tissue • Fracture or dislocation to limbs as a result of restraint
Long-Term • Difficulty with passing urine & chronic urinary tract infections which can lead to renal problems or renal failure • Difficulties with menstruation • Acute & chronic pelvic infections which can lead to infertility • Sexual dysfunction/Psychological/Flashbacks • Complications during pregnancy • Chronic scar formations • An increased risk of childbirth complications and newborn deaths; • The need for later surgeries. For example, the FGM procedure that seals or narrows a vaginal opening (type 3 above) needs to be cut open later to allow for sexual intercourse and childbirth. Sometimes it is stitched again several times, including after childbirth, hence the woman goes through repeated opening and closing procedures, further increasing and repeated both immediate and long-term risks.
Attitudes and Beliefs: • The practice among some groups in Ghana appears to have few spiritual roots. • It is not perpetuated by religion, but rather by traditional tribal beliefs. • Some believe it leads to cleanliness and fidelity of the woman. • Others believe it will increase fertility and prevent the death of first-born babies. • It is also seen as a way to suppress a woman’s sexual desires and make her less promiscuous. • Other common beliefs are that children born to uncircumcised women are stubborn and troublesome and more likely to be blinded or otherwise damaged if the mother’s clitoris touches them during birth. • In some areas the presence of a clitoris in women suggests she is a man and must be buried in men’s clothing and the funeral performed as a man’s when she dies. • Uncircumcised women are regarded by some as unclean, less attractive and less desirable for marriage.
• Social or peer pressure is also cited as a primary reason that some undergo this procedure. Soothsayers in Animist religions often condone the practice.
Legal Status: In 1989, the head of the Government of Ghana, President Rawlings, issued a formal declaration against FGM/FGC and other harmful traditional practices. Article 39 of Ghana’s constitution provides in part that traditional practices that are injurious to a person’s health and well-being are abolished. In 1994, Parliament amended the Criminal Code of 1960 to include the offense of FGM/FGC. This Act inserted Section 69A that states: • "(1) Whoever excises, infibulates or otherwise mutilates the whole or any part of the labia minora, labia majora and the clitoris of another person commits an offense and shall be guilty of a second degree felony and liable on conviction to imprisonment of not less than three years. • For the purposes of this section 'excise' means to remove the prepuce, the clitoris and all or part of the labia minora; 'infibulate' includes excision (Type II) and the additional removal of the labia majora."
Protection: • The law in Ghana protects an unwilling woman or girl against the practice, but there is little real protection to turn to in many rural areas. • All levels of government have come out strongly against this practice. Advocacy groups work to eradicate it. • There is a history of enforcement against those who practice or threaten to practice FGM/FGC. • There are indigenous NGOs and watchdog committees throughout the country who are prepared to intervene and have stopped practitioners by going to the police when necessary. • However, their reach does not extend to many remote communities. • The police are willing to and have cooperated to stop this practice from happening, but the ability of police to respond to remote communities in a timely or effective manner is severely limited.
The liver is such an important organ that we can survive only one or two days if it shuts down - if the liver fails, your body will fail, too. Fortunately, the liver can function even when up to 75% of it is diseased or removed. This is because it has the amazing ability to create new liver tissue (i.e. it can regenerate itself) from healthy liver cells that still exist. If your body were an automobile, your liver would be considered the engine.
What does my liver look like?
The liver is the largest organ inside the body. In an adult, it is about the size of a football and weighs close to three pounds. It is located behind the ribs in the upper right-hand portion of the abdomen. Shaped like a triangle, the liver is dark reddish-brown and consists of two main lobes. There are over 300 billion specialized cells in the liver that are connected by a well organized system of bile ducts and blood vessels called the biliary system
How important is my liver?
The liver is such an important organ that we can survive only one or two days if it shuts down—if the liver fails, your body will fail, too. Fortunately, the liver can function even when up to 75% of it is diseased or removed. This is because it has the amazing ability to create new liver tissue (i.e. it can regenerate itself) from healthy liver cells that still exist.
What does my liver do?
If your body was an automobile, your liver would be considered the engine. It does hundreds of vital things to make sure everything runs smoothly. Some of the most important functions of the liver include: • Stores vitamins, sugar and iron to help give your body energy. • Controls the production and removal of cholesterol. • Clears your blood of waste products, drugs, and other poisonous substances. • Makes clotting factors to stop excessive bleeding after cuts or injuries. • Produces immune factors and removes bacteria from the bloodstream to combat infection. • Releases a substance called “bile” to help digest food and absorb important nutrients. When the liver has broken down harmful substances, they are excreted into the bile or blood. Bile by-products enter the intestine and ultimately leave the body in the feces. Blood by-products are filtered out by the kidneys and leave the body in the form of urine.
What is “hepatitis” and how does it affect my liver?
The medical term “hepatitis” literally means “inflammation of the liver.” Chronic inflammation of the liver may result in liver damage or failure if left untreated. “Hepatitis” can be caused by many different things - drinking too much alcohol, traumatic injury, autoimmune disorders, an adverse drug reaction, or a virus such as the hepatitis B virus.
‘The beginning of wisdom is to call things by their names’ (Chinese proverb)
Hypertension is an important public health challenge in both economically developing and developed countries. It is becoming an increasingly common health problem because of increasing longevity and prevalence of contributing factors such as obesity, physical inactivity and unhealthy diet. The current prevalence of hypertension in many developing countries, particularly in urban societies, is reported to be already as high as is seen in developed countries. The prevalence of hypertension is expected to increase even further in the absence of broad and effective preventive measures.
