Category: Health

{Have you had a green apple today? Green apples are important as they give us a huge range of health benefits.}

Below are 7 health benefits of green apples

{{1. EASE DIGESTION}}

Green apples are good for the body as they help ease digestion due to enzymes present in them.

{{2. HELPS THE REGULATION OF BOWEL MOVEMENTS}}

Green apples help in the regulation of bowel movements due to its high dietary fibre content.

{{3. LOWERS YOUR CHANCES OF COLON CANCER}}

Eating green apples regularly will lower your chances of colon cancer due to its high fibre content.

{{4. MINERAL CONTENT}}

Green apples contain trace minerals like iron, copper, zinc, potassium, manganese etc which are important for human health and wellbeing.

{{5. GOOD FOR THE LIVER}}

Green apples are good for the liver because they contain antioxidants that prevent free radicals from damaging the liver thereby ensuring your liver works smoothly.
{{
6. GOOD FOR PEOPLE TRYING TO LOSE WEIGHT}}

Green apples are good for you if you are trying to lose weight as they are packed with fibre and low in fats and sugar. Green apples are known to restrict hunger pangs.

{{7. GOOD FOR THE EYES}}

Green apples help improve your vision due to its rich vitamin A content.

{If you are seeking to lose weight, these tips below will definitely help.}

{{1. MAKE YOUR MEALS SPICY}}

Adding hot spices to your meals can help you lose weight because spicy meals can help curb hunger according to a study published in the British Journal of Nutrition.

{{2. TURN OFF THE TV}}

According to a study, viewing the TV while eating can make you take in 40 percent more calories than usual.

{{3. DON’T SKIP BREAKFAST}}

According to a study published in the British Journal of Nutrition, people who eat a balanced diet in the morning stay satisfied and eat less over the course of the day when compared to those who skip breakfast.

{{4. CHECK YOUR WEIGHT DAILY}}

Stepping on the scale daily is important if you are seeking to lose weight. It helps you know if you are making progress or not.

{{5. EAT PLENTY OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES}}

Eating more fruits and vegetables will help you lose weight because they are low in calories and fat and high in fibre.

{{6. EAT SLOWLY}}

According to a research from the University of Rhode Island, people who eat fast tend to gain more weight when compared to slow eaters. You tend to eat more than you actually need if you eat fast because it takes 20 minutes for the stomach to send a signal to the brain that you have eaten enough.

{{7. EXERCISE REGULARLY}}

Exercising regularly will help you build and maintain muscle mass. The more muscle you have, the higher your metabolism will be.

{{8. EAT FOODS HIGH IN FIBRE}}

Foods like oats, beans, fruits, vegetables, brown rice and whole grain bread are high in fibre and they are perfect for losing weight because they can help you feel full.

{{9. USE A SMALLER PLATE}}

Several studies have shown that people who eat with smaller plates tend to eat smaller portions and still remain satisfied.

{{10. CUT DOWN ON ALCOHOL}}

You should cut down on alcohol if you are trying to lose weight. A glass of wine can contain as many calories as a piece of chocolate. A pint of lager also contains as much calories as a packet of crisps. Drinking too much alcohol can contribute to weight gain over time.

{The Ministry of Health has announced that malaria deaths have increased by 37% since 2012.}

Malaria patients rose from 514,173 in 2014 to 1, 957,000 in 2015 while deaths reduced from 499 in 2014 to 424 in 2015.

In a press briefing held yesterday, the Minister of Health, Dr.Agnes Binagwaho said that malaria cases multiplied thrice and 243 people died of malaria in the first quarter of 2016 while it claimed lives of 424 in 2015.

MINISANTE says that Malaria kills those who do not seek medical attention as soon as they feel malaria symptoms.

Reacting on the question of ineffective drugs in curing malaria, Minister Binagwaho said that drugs in Rwanda have not failed to heal Malaria.

“No drug failed to heal malaria even though some people may not take drugs.You know that malaria can cause headache and vomit and people suffering from stomachache don‘t take all required drugs,” she said.

Binagwaho explained that MINISANTE will distribute six million mosquito nets which will enable a net per two people.

She said that malaria may increase in dry season if no counteractive measures are embraced at households levels.

“The government may provide mosquito nets, train community health workers and pay Mituelle de santé but we can’t forget that failing to clean our residences and clearing bushes can negatively affect the drive to fighting Malaria,” she said.

She requested Rwandans subscribe to Mituelle de santé since the research carried out in the past two years demonstrated that people without medical insurance are killed by malaria times more three folds compared to Mituelle de santé subscribers.

The matter of Malaria increase was raised and discussed during the national dialogue held on December 22nd, 2015.

{A report of the General Auditor indicates that RBC/MPPD continues to face rising cases of drugs expiring in stores over failing to implement proper methods of evaluating quality standards of drug quality.}

Statistics indicate that drugs and other medical materials worth Rwf 1,213,019,238 have expired in stores of RBC/MPDD between 2010 and 2015.

The 2014/2015 General Auditor’s report indicates that RBC placed orders of drugs with no specification of the needed quantity causing expiry of some imported drugs before usage, prompting the need to call MPPD, a branch in charge of placing orders of drugs in RBC for reform.

The report also indicates that more drugs in other RBC stores worth Rwf 2,672,054,413 expired between 2012 and 2015.

“The management of MPPD should find a way of determining the quantity of needed drugs and equipment to observe efficiency and avoid waste,” reads part of the report.

A weakness was also identified in the verification of drugs and other medical materials. Apart from foods that are inspected by Rwanda Standards Board, imported drugs bought from a certified company are immediately availed to hospitals without further testing.

RBC says that expired drugs are 2.4% of the total volume and therefore consider the situation as less severe.

RBC has explained to IGIHE that the expiration of drugs is not a result poor procurement plan and noted that it is seeking a way of reforming storage techniques saying they have updated storage system to AGE 1000 from SAGE L500.

“The expiration is caused by various reasons like the way of determining patients who will need the drugs, (as usual we make the provision of 5% of drugs as a reserve of unexpected sicknesses), drug resisting illnesses among others,” explained RBC.

Other reasons include medicines expiring in a short time and placing orders for drugs which cannot be used to treat more than one disease.

RBC has revealed a plan of adopting new measures of testing stores every month to identify drugs that will be about to expire.

{Using a condom during sex is important as it helps prevent unwanted pregnancy and protect against sexually transmitted diseases.}

Proper use of condoms is also important. Below are 9 condom mistakes every man should avoid making

{{1. USING TWO CONDOMS}}

I have heard of guys using two condoms during sex with their partner and this is so wrong. Using double condoms during sex causes condom friction which could lead to a rip in one or both condoms.

{{2. NOT ROLLING THE CONDOM ON THE PEN*S}}

When wearing the condom, avoid rolling the condom out before putting it on your pen*s. Roll the condom on the pen*s when wearing a condom.

{{3. USING A CONDOM MORE THAN ONCE}}

You should never use a condom more than once. If you want to have sex with her a second time and you have no condom, please wear your trousers and forget about the sex. Reusing a condom is unhygienic and you also spread germs.

{{4. WAITING TOO LONG BEFORE WEARING THE CONDOM}}

A man’s pre-cum could actually be loaded with sperm so don’t wait too long before putting on your condom. During foreplay, skin-to-skin contact of your privates can lead to a STD or pregnancy.

{{5. WEARING A CONDOM WHEN YOU ARE NOT HARD}}

Wearing a condom when you are not hard isn’t advisable because the condom won’t sit properly on the pen*s. Wearing a condom when you are not hard can also make it difficult for a man to get a boner.

{{6. USING AN EXPIRED CONDOM}}

Condoms have an expiration date and you should never use an expired condom. The effectiveness of an expired condom can’t be guaranteed.

{{7. LEAVING THE CONDOM AFTER SEX}}

Cuddling after sex is important but you should cuddle after taking off the condom. Leaving the condom on for too long can harden your cum and this could be irritating to the skin.

{{8. NOT PAYING ATTENTION TO THE CONDOM DURING USE}}

When using a condom during sex, it’s important you pay attention to any possible condom tear. Make sure you check if the condom is torn if you feel a snap or change in sensation.

{{9. USING THE WRONG CONDOM SIZE}}

Go for the right size when using a condom. Wearing a condom that is too small can lead to the condom breaking while wearing a condom that is too large could lead to the condom rolling off or leaking from the bottom.

1. Lack of exercising can lead to obesity. A 2004 study concluded that lack of exercise was the leading cause of obesity among adolescents. Obese teens were more likely to have a sedentary lifestyle. A sedentary lifestyle increases the risk for heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, certain cancers, stroke, sleep apnea, osteoarthritis and infertility.

2. Health experts say that obesity and physical inactivity makes your body less sensitive to the glucose-lowering effects of insulin. Insulin resistance leads to higher blood levels of insulin, which can increase your risk of at least 20 serious diseases and health conditions that are directly attributable to being overweight.

3. In a 2010 study published by the American Cancer Society, women who spent six hours a day sitting down increased their risk of death by 37 percent compared to those who spent less than three hours a day sitting down.

4. Exercising is also good for men and women, and would boost their sexual life. Exercise also has been proven to increase sex drive for men and women, and a lack of it can have adverse effects.

A 2008 study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine revealed that intense, short-duration exercise (20 minutes with a target heart rate of 70 percent) significantly enhances the physiological sexual arousal of women (i.e. genital arousal).

A 1990 study published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior revealed that men participating in exercise (60 minutes per day, three to five days a week, with a peak sustained intensity of 75 percent to 80 percent) developed “significantly greater sexual enhancements ” (e.g. frequency of various intimate activities, reliability of adequate functioning during sex, percentage of satisfying orgasms).

5. A lack of exercising can also affect your appearance. A study by researchers from the University of St. Andrews reports that a lack of exercise exacerbates the visible signs of aging, making people’s faces look older and fatter.

6. Lack of physical activity leaves you more prone to depression because you have lower levels of endorphins or feel-good hormones.

Arizona State University researchers report a direct correlation between exercise and mental health; specifically, exercise reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety. The antidepressant effects of exercise increased with duration and intensity

A study featured in Clinical Cardiology showed that morbidly obese individuals – those with body mass indexes between 40 and 49.9 – spent on average just over 23 hours and 50 min per day either sleeping or engaged in sedentary activity, and took less than 2,500 steps daily, which is far below the recommended 10,000 steps for healthy living. Needless to say, obesity has been linked to five of the top 10 diseases with the highest mortality rates: cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, and stroke.

Physical activity is good for your health in general, and if you want to live a long healthy life, take exercising as serious as you take eating and sleeping.

{We all want and cherish a beautiful skin. Just as there are foods that help improve the quality of our skin, there are also foods that ruin our beautiful skin.}

It’s important you watch what you eat if you don’t want to ruin your beautiful skin.

Here are 6 food habits that ruin your beautiful skin.

{{1. ALCOHOL}}

Excessive alcohol consumption isn’t good for your skin as it can lead to premature wrinkles, loss of collagen, elasticity, redness, dehydration and puffiness. Excessive alcohol consumption isn’t good for the skin as it leads to dry skin due to reduction in absorption of nutrients from foods by the skin.

{{2. REFINED CARBOHYDRATES}}

Refined carbohydrates like bread, juice, pasta, and candy isn’t good for the skin as they could lead to acne and wrinkles due to their tendency to spike blood sugar levels. Substitute refined carbohydrates with whole grains, protein and vegetables to protect your skin.

{{3. SUGAR}}

A diet high in sugar isn’t good for your skin as it degrades the quality of collagen leading to a skin which is more prone to wrinkling and sagging.

{{4. COFFEE}}

A high coffee consumption isn’t good for the skin as it leads to increased cortisol in the body. Excess cortisol in the body is bad for the skin as it causes fine lines and wrinkles in the skin. Moderation in the consumption of coffee is important.

{{5. SALT}}

Excessive salt consumption can lead to puffy eyes and dark circles. This is because excessive salt in the body causes tissues to swell, making your face seem puffy and tired. Minimize your salt intake if you want to protect your skin.

{{6. INADEQUATE HEALTHY FATS}}

Skipping good fats can lead to dry skin and wrinkles. Healthy fats such as omega-3 fatty acids are needed by the skin as they help the skin maintain hydration and prevent wrinkles. Foods such as fish, walnuts and soybeans provides the body with healthy fats.

{ {{Connection established between anxiety control, inflammation, Type 2 diabetes.}} }

{A positive link between emotional stress and diabetes has been found by researchers who report that this connection has roots in the brain’s ability to control anxiety.}

A Rice University study has found a link between emotional stress and diabetes, with roots in the brain’s ability to control anxiety.

That control lies with the brain’s executive functions, processes that handle attention, inhibition, working memory and cognitive flexibility and are also involved in reasoning, problem-solving and planning.

The study published in Psychoneuroendocrinology establishes a metabolic chain reaction that starts with low inhibition, aka attention control, which leaves a person vulnerable to tempting or distracting information, objects, thoughts or activities. Previous studies have shown that such vulnerability can lead to more frequent anxiety, and anxiety is known to activate a metabolic pathway responsible for the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, signaling proteins that include interleukin-6 (IL-6).

Along with cognitive tests that measured attention control, the Rice study measured levels of both blood glucose and IL-6 in more than 800 adults. IL-6 is a protein the body produces to stimulate immune response and healing. It is a biomarker of acute and chronic stress that also has been associated with a greater likelihood of diabetes and high blood glucose.

The research showed individuals with low inhibition were more likely to have diabetes than those with high inhibition due to the pathway from high anxiety to IL-6. The results were the same no matter how subjects performed on other cognitive tests, like those for memory and problem-solving.

Researchers have suspected a link between anxiety and poor health, including diabetes, for many years but none have detailed the biological pathway responsible, said lead author Kyle Murdock, a postdoctoral research fellow in psychology. He said the Rice study takes a deeper look at how inflammation bridges the two.

“The literature shows individuals with poor inhibition are more likely to experience stressful thoughts and have a harder time breaking their attention away from them,” Murdock said. “That made me wonder if there’s a stress-induced pathway that could link inhibition with inflammation and the diseases we’re interested in, such as diabetes.

“Plenty of research shows that when individuals are stressed or anxious or depressed, inflammation goes up,” he said. “The novel part of our study was establishing the pathway from inhibition to anxiety to inflammation to diabetes.”

Murdock works in the Rice lab of Christopher Fagundes, assistant professor of psychology. The Fagundes lab investigates processes that happen along the border of psychology and physiology, and how those processes affect overall health and potential treatments.

The data came from a Midlife Development in the United States study of 1,255 middle-aged adults whose cognitive abilities were tested two years apart. More than 800 of those also underwent blood tests to check IL-6 and glucose levels. The Rice researchers found not only the positive link between inhibition and diabetes, but the absence of a link between other cognitive functions and the disease. They also determined that the pathway only went in one direction: Inflammation never appeared to affect inhibition. Murdock said a year as a clinical psychology intern at the Oregon Health and Science University, where he studied with co-author and psychologist Danny Duke, led the researchers to think there could also be a feedback loop at play in those with diabetes. “Individuals who are anxious are more likely to avoid treatment and use maladaptive strategies (like smoking or unhealthy diets) that enhance their blood glucose, which is problematic. It’s a snowball effect: The further they go, the worse it gets,” he said.

“We also know that extremely high blood glucose can impact cognition as well. We talked about how, if we’re going to treat these individuals appropriately, it won’t be by sitting them down in a room and saying, ‘Hey, you need to eat better,’ or ‘You need to use your insulin on time.’”

The researchers listed several possible interventions, including mindfulness therapy, stimulant or anti-inflammatory medications and cognitive behavioral therapy. “Research shows that people who practice mindfulness do better on the inhibition tests over time,” Murdock said, suggesting that shifting one’s attention away from stressful thoughts may affect physiological responses.

“I’m a firm believer that mindfulness-based approaches to treatment are a great idea, for a lot of reasons,” Fagundes said. “That doesn’t mean medicines that promote inhibition, such as stimulants, shouldn’t be considered, but a combination of the two could be really helpful.”

{More than a year after leaving the hospital without a human heart, Stan Larkin, 25, trades his wearable total artificial heart for a real one. The surgery was a unique national triumph in efforts to replace the failing heart as heart disease grows and donor hearts remain scarce.}

All transplant patients are exceptional, but Stan Larkin’s successful heart transplant comes after living more than a year without a human heart and relying on a heart device he carried in a backpack.

The first patient in Michigan ever discharged with a SynCardia temporary total artificial heart in 2014, Larkin was back at the University of Michigan Frankel Cardiovascular Center in May for a heart transplant.

The surgery performed by Jonathan Haft, M.D., was a unique national triumph in efforts to replace the failing heart as heart disease grows and donor hearts remain scarce.

“It was an emotional rollercoaster,” Larkin, 25, said at a news conference when he described living with the total artificial heart that was implanted to keep him alive until a donor heart became available.

“I got the transplant two weeks ago and I feel like I could take a jog as we speak. I want to thank the donor who gave themselves for me. I’d like to meet their family one day. Hopefully they’d want to meet me.”

Stan’s older brother Dominique also relied on a TAH before a heart transplant in 2015. The brothers were diagnosed as teenagers with familial cardiomyopathy, a type of heart failure that can strike seemingly healthy people without warning.

It’s linked to a leading cause of sudden death among athletes.

“They were both very, very ill when we first met them in our intensive care units,” says Haft, associate professor of cardiac surgery. “We wanted to get them heart transplants, but we didn’t think we had enough time. There’s just something about their unique anatomic situation where other technology wasn’t going to work.”

The temporary total artificial heart is used when both sides of the heart fail, and more common heart-supporting devices are not adequate to keep patients alive.

Rather than stay in the hospital, Larkin used a wearable, 13.5 pound Freedom® portable driver to keep the artificial heart going.

“He really thrived on the device,” Haft said looking at a photo of Stan on a basketball court. “This wasn’t made for pick-up basketball,” he joked.

“Stan pushed the envelope with this technology.”

As Haft teaches at the University of Michigan Medical School, the brothers have joined him to share the impact that circulatory support can have on those with end-stage heart failure.

Of the 5.7 million Americans living with heart failure, about 10 percent have advanced heart failure, according to the American Heart Association.

“You’re heroes to all of us,” says David J. Pinsky, M.D., a director of the U-M Frankel Cardiovascular Center. “The fact that you take your story public and allow us to teach others makes a difference. You’ll make a difference for a lot of patients. You’ll make a difference to the doctors of the future. We thank you for allowing us to share your story and your bravery in sharing it.”