Although things have gotten so mixed up in the catering world that we don’t know what recipe is a vegetable or not, it doesn’t nullify the true class of these recipes.
Avocado is a fruit, a fact against the belief people have that it’s a vegetable.
While most fruits contain high levels of sugar (carbohydrates), avocado is high in “healthy” fats- a reason people mostly refer to it as the “butter” fruit.
77% of the calories in avocado is from fat. The fat is mostly monounsaturated and most of them is oleic acid (the same fatty acids found in olive oil).
Oleic acid has been shown to reduce inflammation and lower the risk of developing heart diseases.
Avocado is rich in both fatty acids and fiber and like other similar foods can help you feel satisfied after eating and keep you feeling full for longer. Some studies say that this effect can help in weight loss.
Vitamins are majorly classified as fat-soluble and water-soluble vitamins. Like their name suggest, fat-soluble vitamins are those vitamins that need fat to get absorbed into the body while water-soluble vitamins are vitamins that get absorbed into the body through water. Most plant nutrients are fat-soluble.
Including avocado in your fruit salad helps your body absorb enough plant nutrients since it contains high fat content.
Aside from the interesting benefits of the fats in the avocado fruit, there are so many other benefits from avocado. Avocado contains folate needed to make red and white blood cells, Vitamin K needed for blood clot, Vitamin C for repair of body tissues and immunity boost amd potassium which helps regulate fluid balance, muscle contraction and nerve signals.
It also contains smaller amounts of Vitamin B5 and B6 which promotes healthy skin, hair, eyes and liver and promotes brain health and reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease respectively.
Isn’t Avocado just an amazing fruit?

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– Ayokunle Adedipe.

Wherever cancer sprung from needed to be traced as soon as possible. Did anyone invent it? I know it wasn’t from God so where did it come from? I really needed to know so I could go and drag it from its root, step on it really badly then burn it and afterwards, scatter the ashes across the Mediterranean. That’s how I felt right now.

I missed home. More than anything. I missed the fresh air in my garden every morning. I missed the comfort of my sofa and the warmth of my bed. The wallpaper in the kitchen was so bright unlike the dull wallpapers of the hospital room.

I needed home and it needed me. My plants, my dogs and my children. My greatest creations.

“Angela” the doctor walked in with a nurse while I adjusted on the bed. I had stayed too long in this hospital for the doctor not to call me by my first name. At this point, he and every staff of the hospital were my family. “Yes Doctor Stevens ” I answered craggily. My voice slowly going because of too much retching while I was taking chemo. Even though it was months ago, it had caused more pain than good.
“Your CT scan results are back and we’ve taken a good look at it. Not only the scan but other tests and we think it’s time to let you go” i still sat shocked.
“I don’t understand”
“The cancer is in remission and we feel you can go home and come back for just follow up tests.. This is good news Angela. ”
I didn’t know if to scream or not so I just hugged them both. I didn’t want to call my sister or mother instead I packed my things and called a cab. I wanted to surprise them.
As I left the hospital room, I looked back at it. I really wanted it to be my last time there. The room held so much memories mostly pain.
I lost my hair, a good amount of body weight and my husband in that room.
After wearing the wig my sister got me and applying lipstick, I waved to the nurses then got into the cab.
On getting home, I could see my mums car parked in front. She was probably with the kids. It means they were home and not with their father. I couldn’t wait to see the expression on their faces especially my son.
I pressed the doorbell and waited. I was a bit weak but my children wouldn’t see me weak again.
The door finally opened and I screamed surprise. It was Eliza, my daughter. She started screaming and soon my mum, my son and my sister were all in tears holding me. I coming home myself without calling them meant remission and they knew it.

I looked around the house, danced a little and went to the garden immediately then I breathed the air.
It reminded me of when I was young, in love and full of life. When I married at a young age , had my children and felt my husband was the best in the world or when I was firstly diagnosed with cancer after our 13th wedding anniversary and he promised we would fight it together and after 9 months, he came to drop divorce papers and a custody agreement .
It reminded me of when my sister found out he had been having an affair before I got sick. A marriage of 15 years gone outside the window and cancer was the one that pushed the window open.
It reminded me of when I fought the battle for months with my son and daughter who didn’t fail on their own promises. We fought it together and I think we won.
The air reminded me of remission. The change that came with it. Learning to live a life without a man i had known for over 20 years. Learning to understand my body and give it more credit. Learning to take the second chance life had given me and enjoy it.

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Premenstrual syndrome ( PMS)

Oh yeah! Premenstrual syndromeUgh! Almost every single lady out there gets PMS. It is really annoying I must admit, filled with all the cramping, bloating down to the annoying mood swings. I know a lot of girls that have complained about having at least one symptom of these each month. Most women only experience a few of these problems.

Symptoms

The list is a really long one ranging from emotional to physical ones and you don’t need to experience all of them but even a few can still cause discomfort. I am just going to list some that are really simple to understand and relate to.

· Depressed mood

· Mood swings 

· Irritability

· Appetite change and food cravings

· Anxiety

· Social withdrawal

· Crying

· Insomnia

· Social withdrawal

· Joint pains

· Headache

· Fatigue

· Weight gain due to fluid retention

· Acnes

· Diarrhea or constipation

· Breast tenderness

· Abdominal bloating

· Cramps

All these symptoms could get severe for some people and it tends to affect their day to day activities. Sitting in your own zone (a very comfortable place) doing nothing, emotions going from a hundred to zero or zero to a hundred, Cramps not allowing you to be great. You’re just totally depressed or angry at every little thing and again you are craving every food you see. LOL. You just keep eating things you see and you are never full. , it can be really annoying and at the same time interesting. I forgot acne ( Arrrgh) the painful and irritating one that pisses you off so bad. Well it is not your body’s fault; your hormones are acting up and it leads to clogging of your pores thus stimulating a breakout. Just clean your face and if severe, use products that contains salicylic acid. 

Yeah! For the breast tenderness, headaches, joint pains and the likes, you can just relax and take it easy or take some pain killers. For the bloating, improve your diet; no sugar, no caffeine and less salt. Also try exercising as this increases blood circulation.

With all that is said, all these signs and symptoms generally will disappear within four days of the start of the menstrual period for most women. It’s 

perfectly normal to experience PMS symptoms and even though there is no real ‘cure’, many treatments and lifestyle changes can help you reduce the discomfort. You are strong and can battle all these. Only you own the key to your happiness. This uniqueness is the beauty that makes you a woman. 

YOU GO GIRL!!!!!!!!!

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Common cold, simply known as cold, which is very annoying to have . I personally tag it my worst illness. It is a viral infection that is contagious. Medically, it is referred to as upper respiratory tract infection because it affects the upper respiratory tract most especially the nose and the throat, sinus and voice box may also be affected. It is transmitted by infected airborne droplets or by direct contact with infected secretions. It is caused by a number of viruses. Over 200 different types of viruses cause common cold with rhinovirus causing approx. 10% – 40% of adult colds. Other viruses are adenovirus, coronavirus, respiratory syncytial virus and parainfluenza.

Different viruses cause cold and also new cold viruses develop constantly. That’s a major reason why the body never builds up resistance against all of them and also why colds are frequent and reoccurring.

Common symptoms include:

Cough

Sore throat

Sneezing

Runny nose

Stuffy nose

Hoarseness

Earaches

Fatigue

Loss of appetite

Watery eyes and

Low grade fever

For more details see common cold symptoms: what you might feel

How is it transmitted?

It is spread either by direct contact with infected secretions from contaminated areas or by inhaling the airborne virus after someone sneezes or coughs.

Person to person transmission occurs when an individual who has been infected with cold blows or touches their nose and then touch something or someone else. You the healthy one then becomes infected after your contaminated hands touch your nose, eyes or mouth. The cold virus can live on objects such as pens, books, and telephones etc. for several hours and it is contagious from the first two to three days of illness. These increase the chances of you acquiring a common cold.

Some people, including me think cold comes only when there is a cold weather but this does not apply all the time. Cold weather doesn’t cause cold but it contributes to the prevalence as many of the viruses seem to thrive well in the low humid conditions. Some other factors can be responsible for a cold infection like:

•    Age: infants and young children are more likely to develop the common cold because they have not yet developed immunity to many of the viruses causing it.
• Low immunity: people who have weakened immune system either due to an illness or even pregnancy tend to develop cold easily. Also people with fatigue are susceptible.
• Close proximity can also cause the spread.
• Seasonal variation: people develop it more and easily during, rainy season or during fall and winter (for those in colder climates)

Common cold versus flu

Most people confuse being down with a flu with being down with common cold. Flu is caused by influenza virus, while common cold is not. Their symptoms are similar but patients with cold have milder illness than patients with flu. Flu patients appear more ill and have fast onset of illness with fever, chills, headache, body ache, vomiting, dry cough and extreme weakness. A Laboratory test can be done for correct diagnosis

Treatment

Over the counter medication such as throat lozenges, throat sprays, cough drops, and cough syrups . acetaminophen and ibuprofen can be used to treat common cold and Antibiotics are only necessary when symptoms persist . It can even be managed by home remedies

Antibiotics role

It is not a key to a cold. Antibiotics are effective only against illness caused by bacteria and cold are caused by viruses. They can also cause severe allergic reactions and sometimes common cold can lead to a bacterial infection (pain around the face and the eyes, coughing up colored mucus that persists for more than a week). Antibiotics can be necessary when this occurs.

When should I contact a doctor?

Common cold can be treated at home and managed with over the counter medications. However, if more severe symptoms develop like severe headache, neck stiffness, vomiting, abdominal pain, difficulty in breathing, chest pain, confusion, common cold complicationsand failure to improve after 10 days. Consult a doctor

Duration:

Certain viruses can take up to 10 days to completely resolve.

Complications

Complications that may arise from the common cold include development of a bacterial ear infection (otitis media) or bacterial sinusitis. In people with asthma or  Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the common cold can sometimes cause an aggravation of their illness leading to shortness of breath and increased wheezing. Though uncommon, pneumonia can sometimes develop as a secondary infection in individuals with the common cold.

Can it be prevented?

Most important thing is to avoid contact with infected individuals.

Frequent and thorough hand washing is very important as it destroy viruses acquired from touching contaminated surfaces.

Disinfect potentially infected surfaces and personal object.

Avoid sharing utensils and try to use disposable items if the family has cold.

Encourage individuals to cover their nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing to prevent transmission of the virus.

There is currently no effective vaccine and cure against common cold.

Where to find more information about common cold

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

https://www.cdc.gov/features/rhinoviruses/

U.S. Department of Health and Human Service, National institutes of Health

https://nccih.nih.gov/health/flu/indepth

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