Oct 20 2010

Energy in, Energy out

the weight gain weight loss argument

The no-go-area: ‘losing weight‘. Trust me, 101 solutions exist, to ‘throwing off fat‘ in a few seconds. muscle vibrators, tissue teasers, sweat induction gadgets… But what makes someone fat and the other slim. Aside genetic and biological issues, there’s a simply theory explaining difference in body sizes. ‘The energy theory’; which states that, the amount of energy used, if not equal or greater than the food intake (energy input), fat accumulation in the body, is a definite thing.
It’s funny how the body chooses to work sometimes. you would be amazed to know that, no matter the nature of food you eat, fibrous food, carbohydrates, proteins, etc, all ends up as fat in the body, if eaten in excess.
The way out?? If that extra fold of skin of the tummy or that huge thigh that can barely be aerated, disgusts you, then you’ve got to work it! Exercise (physically – no misinterpretation); walking, using the staircase, jogging, bicycling, anything to keep you active and oh, there’s a HUGE difference between HUNGER and APPETITE

Jul 25 2010

‘Item Thirteen’ for all gender

The biggest attraction for any social gathering in Ghana is ‘Item Thirteen’!!! It’s simply ‘a bait (the food) to get lazy humans (I mean reluctant chicken and pastry hunters) to attend an event!’ Just a few ‘Item Thirteens’ I think everyone afford. (Now you can stop attending those weddings because of the chicken and eat right)

Remember this saying? ‘Eat like a King in the morning, a Prince in the afternoon and Pauper at night!’ whoever propounded that, must have had some real good background in ‘family long-suffering’ (families which have less to feed on) and ‘lineage struggle’. Read on…a few suggestions which would leave you completely feeling good and hey, they are fabulous

Morning: hunt for a bowl of porridge anywhere near your abode. You didn’t find it? Great! Get yourself some oats and cook it up! If you’re not a breakfast-eater, I’m afraid you’ll have to revise your eating habit because breakfast is that one important thing you need, if you want to have a clear head and stay off trouble during the day.

Afternoon: Local dishes are great! I have no style when it comes to food but I know just what kinda food makes me happy (Of course, your food must make you happy!) Instead of the usual fries and liquids (Ghanaians call snacks) You can have some serious wakye or tuo- zafi and ayoyo soup. What about some wild kenkey&kpakpo shito with some neat keta school boys? hmm…yummy yum…One clue! You could get some agbeli kaklo as a starter (especially if you’re broke! ‘cos is made with gari, you get full so quickly that you may spend less on your lunch) and a desert? Bisap (a local drink made out of some leafs. It taste great) would be perfect!

Evening: Night eaters are always carrying the evidence…big bellies! ‘Be ye not among them’(Amen). In the evenings, I eat very little…but if you want to avoid that pot-belly, cut down on eating too much fatty foods at night, foods that take so long to digest and sweets! Eating more of fibrous foods and fruits, would be beneficial!

P.S: of course, those of you who can’t stay off chicken, get some chicken but throw the skin away! Now that you can create and personalize your ‘Item Thirteen’, please go to social gatherings with a ‘CLEAN HEART’ looooooooooool!!

Jul 17 2010

TRASH THAT HEEL!!

SO MANY WOBBLING LEGS ON OUR STREETS…

I’m a ‘seriously down to earth person’ and (for this article, very tall 5’10). But that’s no reason I wrote this article. Look through a lady’s wardrobe and there’s one thing you won’t miss…a high heel! Even if it’s just 2.5cm! Just like all other things, most women don’t even know why they wear high heels, or even find them attractive. What every lady should know about heels…

niddles..for heels

MEDICAL:

“Scientists at Manchester Metropolitan University, in northern England, found continued wear of high heels caused the Achilles’ tendon to thicken and stiffen permanently, so calf muscles were forced to stretch painfully when switching to flat shoes.

In the study, published in the Journal of Experimental Biology, two groups of women aged between 20 to 50 years were tested. One group regularly wore high heels of two inches or more for two or more years, while the other group had always wore flats.

The high heel wearers, who complained of discomfort when they switched to flats, were found to have muscle fibers 13 percent shorter than the women in flats.

If you wear high heels for two years or more, five times a week, the muscle fibers will become shorter and tendons will thicken and stiffen. This has an immediate effect in restricting ankle movement and impacts your ability to walk fast and run — both in heels and flats.”

HISTORICAL:

The history of high heels can actually be traced back to Egypt, 3500BC, where murals on walls show upper class citizens wearing heels for ceremonial purposes, as well as Egyptian butchers wearing them to help them walk through the blood of dead animals

However, it wasn’t until the 16th century when it is claimed that high heels were properly invented. It was in 1533, when Catherine de Medici decided to wear heels on her wedding day to Henry II, a Duke and the future King of France. She was 14 and quite short (not more than 5 foot), so asked a cobbler to make her shoes that would make her appear much taller on her wedding day.

Apparently, she wasn’t really a beauty and her husband had a tall and really pretty mistress. She wanted to dazzle the French on her wedding day, so opted for 2 inch heels to make her appear slightly taller, and appear to have a more towering physique. It is claimed that she is the original inventor of the high heel, and she did set the rage in Paris for heeled shoes.

(Um…sorry but I have to shove junk of that information…)

But it wasn’t until the roaring twenties, that the heel regained its full glory again. Hemlines became much shorter, and this encouraged very high and slender heels.
Both the 30′s and 40′s were tough times, so the heel became more moderate, with lower and wider heels. At the same time, though, Hollywood gave the heel a new edge, with many actresses wearing sparkly and glittery heels, which challenged the traditional French heel.

The 50′s and 60′s saw a revival of really high heels. Christian Dior kindly invented the stiletto for us. He collaborated with designer Roger Vivier to develop a low-cut ‘Louis’ shoe, with a narrow heel. Interesting fact: Stiletto in Italian means small dagger, with a slender, tapering blade.
Then, with the creation of the miniskirt in the 60′s (my second favorite decade), heeled boots were made, to enhance the look of bare legs.

TECHNICAL:

they can cause foot pain
they increase likelihood of sprains and fractures
they make calves look more rigid and sinewy
they can create foot deformities, including hammertoes and bunions
they can cause an unsteady gait
they can shorten the wearer’s stride
they can render the wearer unable to run
altered forces at the knee caused by walking in high-heels may predispose to degenerative changes in the knee-joint
Women who wear high heels frequently have a higher incidence of degenerative joint disease of the knees. This is because they cause a decrease in the normal rotation of the foot which puts more rotation stress on the knee

PRACTICAL:

Why do women wear heels so high they can barely walk in them? It’s one of many questions that men can’t seem to figure out…even though THEY are one of the reasons.

Heels look sexy at times but it’s a punishment, really. Most women slouch when walking and grab the least chance to take them off (out of the site of men, of course) Women just wanna keep up with latest trend of fashion and that’s the only reason a woman would wear heels!

THE GHANAIAN FLAVOUR

But most Ghanaian ladies have adopted a ‘Ghanaian way’ of wearing heels. ‘Working class’ ladies wear heels to the office and in the course of the day, wear slippers. At church, whiles the pastor’s preaching…most women are feeling comfortable in their slippers. After the sermon, boom! Back to the heel business…!! College isn’t any different. Heels keep the lecture halls lively! The last time I went to the salon, I saw so many heels outside with their owners inside and wearing slippers!! Why? wearing high heels be force?? So many wobbling legs crowd my view these days all because Ghanaian ladies too want to be ‘high fashioned’!