Talking Health With Taofiq

Taofiq discusses health issues from US health insurance to Worldwide health insurance news to latest health news and how to stay healthy

Monday 11 June 2018

Four Subtle Effects of Sugar Intake

Sugar is a generic name which is given to sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates.



They come in various forms and are derived from different sources. The two types of sugars we have and their sources include;

1. Simple Sugars: They are known biologically as monosaccharides. They include glucose sometimes called dextrose, fructose, and galactose.

2.Compound Sugars: They are called disaccharides and they include lactose, maltose, and sucrose. Sucrose is the 'table sugar' or 'granulated sugar' which we use in and as food.

I am going to share with you four subtle effects which comes from the intake of Sucrose(table sugar).

The rate at which sugar is consumed in the world is clinching an outrageous figure. The United States of America, for example, had its average sugar consumption at six (6) tablespoons per day as at the mid-1980s. It rose to sixteen (16) tablespoons per day in the mid-1990s, Today, an average American consumes nothing less than One hundred and fifty (150) pounds of sugar each year.

A bottle of Coke, Pepsi or soft drink contains about ten (10) teaspoons of sugar. An average Nigerian consumes at least five (5) bottles in a week, a whooping fifty (50) in a week.

Most times we are conscious of adding table sugar to our food yet we often neglect other sources of sugar.
A little sugar, yes, would not hurt but there are subtle effects sugar has on our bodies and here are four of such.

1. DIABETES

It is not a new thing that sugar is linked with diabetes. Diabetes (diabetes mellitus) refers to a group of metabollic diseases in which a person accumulates a high level of blood glucose that is blood sugar.

Diabetes is caused either as a result of an inadequacy of insulin production, or because the body cells fail to respond properly to insulin, or both.

Persons infected with diabetes experience frequent urination (polyruria), increasing thirst (polydipsia), and hunger (polyphagia).

Diabetes is a longterm ailment which can be controlled. If diabetes is not controlled properly, it results to;
- Eye complications such as glaucoma, cataracts, diabetic retionpathy.
- Foot complications such as neuropathy, gangrene which may cause amputation of the foot.
- Skin complications such as skin infections and skin disorders
- Ischemic heart disease
- Hypertension
- Heart attack
- Stroke
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Hearing loss
- Gum Infection
- Gastroparesis (a condition of the inability of the stomach muscles from functioning properly)
- Ketoacidosis (a combination of ketone bodies and acidity in the blood)
- Neuropathy (nerve damage)
- Nephropathy (uncontrolled blood pressure leading to kidney disease)
- Erectile dysfunction
- Slow healing of wounds

2.OBESITY

Obesity is a disorder involving excessive body fat that increases the risk of health problems. It is very common in Nigeria as over 1.5 million cases are reported in the west African country every year. Sugar is a major cause of obesity.

Obesity inceases the likelihood of various diseases and conditions particularly cardiovascular (heart) disease, type 2 diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea, certain forms of cancer, depression, and osteoarthritis.
Osteoarthritis is a type of joint disease which results from the breakdown of joint cartilage and underlying bone.

3. OSTEOPOROSIS

Osteoporosis is a disease characterized by low bone mass and deterioration of bone tissues which leads to an increaded risk of fracture.
It is referred to as the "silent thief" by medical practitioners because osteoporosis can occur for a number of years without any symptoms. Unfortunately, by the time the affected bones gets broken or fractured, the disease has advanced to a fairly harmful state and has become less treatable.

4. ADDICTION
Just as the intake of alcohol and tobacco has generated millions of addict. It is the same with sugar intake. It causes a high level of addiction.

It starts off at an unnoticeable rate. From adding a little sugar to your food to eating sugar-coated biscuits and food to chocolates to consumption of bottles of soft drinks. It is a gradual process until the craving becomes uncontrollable.

As much as possible we must understand that with the advantages of sugar comes heavy and severe disadvantages resulting in adverse health conditions.

Stay off sugar for a healthy life.

Tuesday 13 March 2018

How To Keep Long, Healthy Nails



Keeping long nails have being greatly debunked by health personnel claiming it serves as habitation for germs. In spite of this, many people find long nails a necessity. I, for example, can't keep my nails short because I am always typing and the beauty long nails give my hands.

Different people have reasons for keeping long nails. Whatever the case may be it is quite important to keep them healthy as you try to make them long.

This article is based on showing you how to keep long, healthy nails.

How Fingernails Grow?

Before proceeding, Let me quickly explain how fingernails grow.

If you paid attention during Biology class you'd remember that your body produces new cells after a certain period and purges out old ones.

Your hand does that too. New cells are formed from the matrix of each finger that is the base of each finger.
As these new cells grow, they tend to push out the old cells which form our fingernails.

It is because the old cells form our fingernails we are able to cut and trim them without feeling any pain. The moment we cut beyond the old cell into the newly formed cell, we tend to find the experience very painful.

Now that we've established How fingernails grow, let's move into the main focus of this article - How to keep long, healthy nails.

1. Do not use your nails as tools

We find our fingernails as handy tools for quick scratching, piercing, picking e.t.c

To keep your nails long and healthy, you must avoid using them as tools.
Not only would you be putting too much strain on them, there's every tendency they may break quickly when you do so.

2. Avoid Chemicals

Certain chemicals are corrosive and can affect the growth of your fingernails.
Try as much as possible to keep your fingernails away from chemicals.

3. Do not cut your cuticles.

This may be sound strange because it is a general belief or an acceptable conduct that when you cut or trim your fingernails you also cut your cuticles.

If you must grow your fingernails and do it in a healthy way then you mustn't cut your cuticles.

4. Moisturize your cuticles

You must not cut your cuticle is you want to grow healthy fingernails. You should keep them moisturized.

Ensure they are moisturized at all times of the day. Do not allow them to become too dry.

5. Consume Vitamins

Vitamins help a lot with issues that involve building body parts and growing long, healthy fingernails is not an exception.

Consume a lot of vitamins if you must grow fingernails. Supplements are also handy tools if your fingers must be healthy.

6. Keep your nails as dry as possible

Do not allow moisture in your fingernail region. Always make sure to keep them dry to avoid germs from breeding underneath them.

Keeping your fingernails dry mustn't be confused with moisturizing your cuticles. While you moisturize your cuticles ensure your fingernails are dry.

7. File Correctly

To make your fingernails grow long, the art of filing them is quite a necessity.
Filing your fingernails help shape them into whatever form you want them to take.

It is like directing a plant round a stalk. The way you file your fingers determine how they grow and how long they get.

Therefore, if you must get your fingers long, file correctly. Do not be too hard on your fingers when filing them.

File from the sides, from the base to the corresponding side.

Your fingernails can grow long and healthy, simply apply the aforementioned tips and you'd experience amazing results.