Why You Must Stop Using Hand Sanitizers

Using hand sanitizer could seem like an ideal, and perhaps, more civilized way to keep the hands clean and fragrance. Cashiers, bank tellers, and even teachers, would probably give it a thumb up. Hand sanitizers can exterminate a lot of bacteria on the skin. When it comes to safety and effectiveness, the main concern with hand sanitizers
is triclosan, which is the main anti-bacteria ingredient in non alcoholic sanitizers. But the thing about triclosan, though, is that the solution is known to kill bacteria indiscriminately. We need certain "good bacteria" to maintain our overall health, but these can be wiped out with the harmful ones when we use sanitizers that contain triclosan. And a further concern, is that triclosan doesn't protect against viruses and fungi.

Alcohol- based sanitizers are fairly effective and safe, according to some experts. Hand sanitizers that are 60% alcohol are good at killing bacterial pathogens. They can also kill some virus but not all.
But you need to check the alcoholic content of the sanitizer before buying or using, because for it to be functional, the alcoholic concentration in the bottle needs to be 60% , anything lower is just not good enough.

However, the problem with alcohol-based sanitizer is that it isn't particularly good for children, because they might put their hands in their mouth after washing their hands with it, and it could be very harmful if they ingest it. There have been a number if reported incidences of alcohol poisoning in children due to hand sanitizers. an adult may need to swallow a fair large amount for it to have effect, but for children, it can take just a small amount to do the damage.
In a study published in Science Daily carried out by the Northwest Research Centre, found that a child's immunity is seriously affected by the use of hand sanitizers.

Now, a more alarming concern is that a new study, published in PLOS one, suggests using hand sanitizer increase your absorption of Bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical known to mess with the body's endocrine system. Scientist have even linked higher levels of BPA to all kinds of health problems ranging from heart disease cancer, infertility, and diabetes.
The paper used for printing receipts contain high level of BPA, and new research from the University of Missouri suggests that handling of receipts and using hand sanitizers does emphatically increase the body's absorption of BPA.

So you may want to stick to your soap and water, though it doesn't necessarily kill bacteria, but at least you won't burden yourself with the side effects of hand sanitizers.

If you find this post useful, please do leave us a comment or remark.

GEJ, Sambo, Okonjo-iweala And Other Ministers To Travel Abroad After May 29

President Goodluck Jonathan, Vice-President Namadi Sambo and many ministers have concluded plans to travel abroad shortly after the May 29 inauguration of a new government.

While Jonathan had said he would travel out of the country for a much deserved rest after the May 29 inauguration, Sambo is planning to travel to London on May 31, two days after the inauguration of Muhammadu Buhari as Nigeria’s new President.


                             


It was learnt that the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, had also concluded plans to return to the US after the President elect’s inauguration. However, her Petroleum Resources counterpart, Mrs.Diezani Allison-Madueke, has already travelled out of the country.

Though sources close to the minister said she would return to the country to attend the last Federal Executive Council meeting of President Jonathan’s administration, the minister would leave the country after the FEC meeting.

A senior Presidency official, who spoke on the condit[quote]ion of anonymity, however, told one of our correspondents that the vice-president was planning to rest in London.

According to him, Sambo will only rest for about two weeks abroad before returning to the country.

The Senior Special Assistant to the Vice-President on Media and Publicity, Umar Sani, however, said the planned trip could not be attributed to any fear of persecution by the incoming government.

Sani said if Sambo was afraid of Buhari, he would have left the country before the May 29 inauguration day.

He said, “There is nothing to fear. Vice-President Namadi Sambo is not afraid of any persecution or victimisation by the incoming government. His planned trip has nothing to do with fear. If he is afraid of anything, he would have gone before May 29.”

Like Okonjo-Iweala, the Minister of Health, Dr. Khaliru Alhassan, also planned to travel abroad, but he said he would leave for the ongoing World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland.

He stressed that he would be back in the country when the exercise is over.

When asked if the trip was to avoid Buhari’s manhunt for perceived corrupt public officials, the minister said, “It is strange to me and I have not heard anything like that.”

But the Minister of Education, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, said no amount of road block could stop him from travelling to any country of his choice.

Shekarau also dared the incoming administration to proceed and mount a checkpoint for him in the crusade against corruption, adding that he had nothing to hide.

His Special Assistant (Media and Communications), Mr. Nnamdi Olebara, said, “Shekarau has no skeleton in his cupboard; if he is travelling, it is not because of any arrest because he has nothing to fear.

“Anybody who knows Shekarau right from ages knows that he has nothing to fear. Asking of when he will travel is digging into somebody’s privacy. Let Buhari mount a checkpoint if he knows that Shekarau has committed any crime.

“If Shekarau is going to his mother’s house, he doesn’t need any permission; if he is going to Saudi (Arabia), he doesn’t need anybody’s permission. He is not escaping to anywhere because he has nothing to fear. He is a committed patriot who has revolutionised the education sector, brought sanity and a lot of development.”

The Minister of National Planning, Dr. Abubakar Sulaiman, said there was nothing wrong for members of Jonathan’s cabinet to travel abroad after the May 29 inauguration of the new government to rest.

He said though he would be returning to the classroom as a lecturer at the University of Abuja, there was no reason for anybody to think that any member of the current administration that travels out after May 29 is afraid of probe.

In a telephone interview with one of our correspondents in Ilorin on Friday, he explained that it is normal for people to take rest outside the country after strenuous political and administrative engagements.

He also said none of them is afraid that the incoming administration would jail them.

Sulaiman said, “I am not travelling out. I am a lecturer. After May 29, I will resume work at the University of Abuja.

“There is nothing anybody can do. This is democracy for God’s sake and there is rule of law. People have liberty, right and freedom to seek redress. Nobody can intimidate anybody. If Jonathan has worked for five or six years, there is nothing bad for him to take a rest outside the country. If Sambo has worked for four years, there is nothing wrong in him taking a rest; so also the ministers. Taking a rest is good for everybody.

“Taking a rest is not borne out of any fear that the incoming government is going to witch-hunt anybody. I am not afraid of probe. If anybody wants to ask questions, there are procedures to do so. The era of putting people in jail cannot come again. It is gone forever. We have a right to live and go and rest anywhere and when there is time for questions, we can come back and answer them. I do not think that people are leaving the country for fear of being probed.”

But the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Musiliu Obanikoro, plans to travel abroad for a two-week vacation after May 29.

Obanikoro, who spoke with one of our correspondents on Friday, said he might go to Ghana or South Africa or the United States to take “a deserved rest.”

He said, “I think it is a wise thing to take a rest after all said and done. I will start with a six-week executive course in Harvard University and I will follow this up in August by starting a degree course in History at the same prestigious institution.”

Meanwhile, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. Olusegun Aganga; Minister of Information, Senator Patricia Akwashiki, and their Foreign Affairs counterpart, Amb. Aminu Wali, ruled out plan to leave the country for fear of prosecution.

Aganga, who spoke through his Special Adviser on Communications, Mrs. Yemi Kolapo, said, “The minister has been in office since all this while and he is currently in Lagos meeting with some businessmen. So, there is no reason to do that.”

Also the Special Assistant to the Information Minister on Media, Mr. Joseph Mutah, said Akwashiki would not leave the country because of the fear of the incoming government.

He said, “Why would she travel out of the country because another government is coming to power? The minister will remain here before and after the inauguration of the new government.”

The spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ahmedu Ogbole-Ode, was emphatic that Wali did not plan to travel out of the country.

“Where is he going to? He has no plan to go to anywhere, he is staying put in the country, you can quote me on that,” Ogbole-Ode said.

9 foods you eat everyday that can cause cancer

We are what we eat is a common saying today. It should occur to us that certain food that we eat can actually put us in harms way. Certain food we consume everyday can increase our risk of having cancer. I know it may be really difficult to ignore some of these seemly good stuffs, but if you want to be cancer free you had better try. Most of us are ignorant of the pros and cons of the food we constantly consume, and it may give us a clue as to why about 1.5 million people are diagnosed with cancer every year. Now let us look at nine of the
food that can make us prune to cancer due to the varying degrees of carcinogenic substances they contained.

READ: Cancer prevention: 7 tips to reduce your risk

Refined sugar

We are probably aware that this can increase the risk of diabetes, it can also cause cancer too, because cancer cells do well in a fructose-rich syrups environment.

processed wheat flour

Studies have shown that wheat flour contains a harmful component called glycemic. This is a known carcinogen, and that is not what you would like to find in your body if you want to be cancer free.

READ: Daily consumption of nuts lowers risk of early death – study

Salted, smoked and pickled food

We all like some of this at times, and the aroma could take our breath away for a moment.. Lol. But on a serious note, smoked foods can absorb tar from smoke, and this can cause lots of health problems. while salted foods basically, are promoters of obesity. Excess salt can also cause heart complications.

Vegetable or hydrogenated oil

Vegetable oils are being produced through chemical procedures and some of those chemicals used can pose serious danger to our health. It also contain large quantities of omega-3 fatty acids, and too much of that in our body can cause health challenges ragging from heart disorders to cancer.

Potatoes chips

Don't we just like the crispy sound it makes in our mouth? Maybe you don't, lol. Potatoes chips may contain numerous preservatives, colour and artificial flavour that can put us at risk of cancer. Well to put it in a plain language, potatoes chips can make you fat as well *wink*

Processed food

Just like potatoes chips, processed is known to contain various preservatives and chemicals which can make our body to react a negative way. Don't they just look inviting? Well not so fast because you may want to know that research conducted by a leading Cancer research  Institute shows that the risk of early death was 44% high in people who daily consumes processed food.

Artificial sweeteners

Artificial sweeteners may not contain sugar and probably why some people substitute it for sugar. the truth is, artificial sweeteners are still carcinogenic. Too much of it can also be the cause of obesity and weight gain. Artificial sweeteners contain aspartame, which is a known perilous carcinogen.

Diet food

People who are checking their weight usually likes substituting cook for diet coke. Well this may sound reasonable, but the thing is, diet food contains a high quantity of artificial sweeteners and that can put us at risk of cancer.

Canned food

Most of us usually crave for a quick fix especially when we are too lazy to cook. Too some, this is just a lifestyle.  Canned food could arouse a harmful reaction in our body, but this is directly dependent on the lining of the can. Like in tomatoes for instance, the can is usually lined with bisphenol and the high acidic content in the tomatoes could cause them to react with the bisphenol on the can linings, forming a deadly combo that can stimulate cancer.

YOU WILL SURELY LIKE TO SEE THESE TOO:-

20 Disturbing Fast Food Facts that Will Change Your Diet Forever

13 Most Effective Ways of Eliminating Bad Breath

Best exercises for weight loss

7 health benefits of coffee you may not know

10 very useful guides to building self-confidence

Anxiety, stress, and negativity can throw us emotionally off balance. But we can use our five senses to regain being calm, centered and 
feeling positive. We do this by creating "triggers" that remind us of our meditative practice and connect us to our desired state. For example, the sound of the ocean waves; the smell of vanilla scented candy; soothing music on our "go to" playerlist; soft lighting, lots of lush, green plants; the feel of our pet and so on. These triggers are based in on our five senses and help to recreate the condition we are in when engaging in our meditative, centering or calming practice.

The physical and emotional states we associate with theses senses need to be developed. It means we regulate our breathing with slower inhales and exhales, we maintain a certain posture that increases the flow of oxygen around our body and in turn, this increases our alpha brain waves that keep us alert and conscious, while relaxed. This also influences our hormone balance, especially between oxytocin and cortisol; oxytocin is a feel good hormone, connected and generous, while cortisol is the hormone that is associated with stress, and keep us on guard, suspicious of danger. We need both and being able to balance them in ways that make sense for us takes some mindfulness to develop.
the mindfulness takes practice to develop. Initially, we may need a prop to support us in increasing the atmosphere to center us. Constant practice in low low stress situation helps us develop our relaxation muscles so we can call on to it at more challenging moments
.
We will know we are doing well with our practice of staying centered by the quality of our interactions with others. The shift from tenseness and despair will happen when we are washed over with relaxation and hope. We will feel good during the interaction and when we reflect on it afterwards. The person with whom we were interacting may or may not give us  immediate feedback, but we can see the evidence of it in how our relationship develops.

Source: By Beth Fisher-yoshida Ph.D, from psychologytoday.com

German woman Annegret Raunigk, 65, has quadruplets

Annegret Raunigk, then 55, posing with one of her daughters in 2005

A 65-year-old German woman has given birth to quadruplets after undergoing an artificial insemination procedure, Germany's RTL television reports.

It says Annegret Raunigk had three boys and a girl by Caesarean section at a Berlin hospital on Tuesday.

They were born prematurely at 26 weeks but have a "good chance of surviving".

Annegret Raunigk - who already has 13 children and seven grandchildren - is the world's oldest woman to have quadruplets.

Pregnant at 65: Miracle of medicine

The single mother reportedly decided to try for another baby when her youngest daughter, who is now 10, said she wanted a little brother or sister.

Ms Raunigk's pregnancy - the result of fertility treatment in Ukraine - has been the subject of fierce debate in Germany, the BBC's Jenny Hill in Berlin says.

During her pregnancy she said she believed everyone should be able to live the life they wanted to.

Asked whether she had any concerns, Ms Raunigk said she assumed she would stay fit and healthy and that she was not worried about what other people thought.

Some doctors have questioned whether she would be physically capable of bearing the children.

However, the German school teacher is not the oldest woman to give birth to a child - that official record is held by Maria del Carmen Bousada Lara. She had twins in Spain in 2006, at the age of 66.

Some reports dispute this, saying the actual record holder is Omkari Panwar, who is believed to have been 70 when she gave birth to twins in India in 2008.

Siege To Kashamu’s Residence Within Confines Of The Law

The Attorney General of the Federation, Mr Mohammed Bello Adoke on Saturday said the arrest of Senator-elect Kasumu Buruji is not an extra-judicial action.

                        

According to him a formal request has been made by the American government seeking his extradition and same has been passed to the appropriate legal body.

He adds that due process an all legal proceedings would be pursued with respect to his extradition.

The Senator-elect had in a statement signed by his media aide, described as illegal the decision by the drug law enforcement agency to surround his house in the early hours of Saturday

He also accused PDP chieftain, Mr Bode George, whose wife is the Director-General of the Agency, of being behind the action.

“this latest onslaught is a confirmation of the alleged plot to illegally abduct him in spite of the pending suit against this illegality.

“As a matter of fact, the court has ordered parties in the matter including the NDLEA to maintain status quo until judgment is delivered on Wednesday 27th May 2015.

“We have confirmed that they do not have a warrant of arrest, just as the office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice has said that it did not give any order to carry out this illegality.

“We have confirmed that this illegality is being designed and executed by Chief Bode George whose wife is the Director General of the NDLEA, all in a bid to score cheap political points.

“We urge all well-meaning Nigerians to prevail on NDLEA, Chief George and his wife to toe the path of the rule of law and follow due process.

“Nigeria is not a Banana republic! The United States being the bastion of democracy, the rule of law and due process should not lend itself to this kind of illegality”, the statement said.

Buhari To Spend N4.1trillion From First Day As President

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Chief John Oyegun has said today that Nigeria’s president-elect, Muhammadu Buhari will have to spend N4.1 trillion on servicing debt, paying salaries and making oil subsidy payments.
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Oyegun in his speech titled, ‘Extraordinary Times Require Extraordinary Action’, noted that in highlighting the financial burden the party would inherit, he was not making excuses or lamentations. He was merely laying bare the ‘the enormity of the challenges ahead’.

“From the first day of this government, a total of 4.1 trillion Naira will be required for sundry expenses, including oil subsidy payment, arrears of salaries at federal and state levels and debt servicing, just to mention a few,” he said.

Oyegun then stated that the incoming government was going inherit enormous debt. “Put this against the background of the falling oil prices, the unprecedented 60-billion-dollar debt which the outgoing government has left for the incoming one, the largely depleted Excess Crude Account (ECA), the 60 billion dollars that have been lost in the last four years to crude oil theft (and which are perhaps still being lost as we speak), the need to rapidly create jobs for our teeming army of unemployed youths, enhance the security of the citizenry and improve the economy, and you will begin to understand the enormity of the challenges ahead.

“This is not a lamentation forum, but still, we must tell ourselves the truth about the state of the nation, and the expectations of our people.”
“In fact, to a number of our compatriots, by May 30th, a day after the swearing of our president-elect, all the streets in Nigeria will be air conditioned while electricity will become stable and fuel scarcity will be a thing of the past.”
“Yes, we will get there, but it won’t happen overnight.”

“You, our senators-elect, will be called upon to take extraordinary actions to address the extraordinary challenges that confront our nation.
“The incoming President, more than anyone else, needs the support and cooperation of the 8th National Assembly to fulfill his campaign promise to Nigerians.

“You may be required to pass important bills at very short notices. This will not be unprecedented but will require a buy-in to the programmes of the President and the Party and a willingness to work with him and the party for the benefit of all Nigerians. The demands on you will be tasking, but you are up to the task! Fortunately we have the numbers, even though we believe that a bipartisan effort – to which we are open – will be a better deal,” he explained.

He noted that: “There is good news! You, our Senators-elect, share in the dreams of the President and our party to make our country great again. May I also remind you that all eyes will be on our party – and by extension on all of you – to see if our government will walk its talk in terms of running a lean and effective government, one that eschews waste, corruption and indiscipline, and one that will harness the nation’s human, material and natural resources for the well being of the people.

“Finally, let me end on a note of caution. There is no magic wand to make our economy better overnight. Against the realities on the ground, some of which I listed earlier, reviving our economy will be a long and tortuous process. Bold decisions will need to be taken, and this can only be possible if there is a synergy among our party, the National Assembly and the President. We know you will not fail us, and you will not fail Nigerians.

“Well, the 1921 Nobel Laureate for Physics, Dr. Albert Einstein, must have had a moment like this in mind, while responding to a question.
He was asked: “Dr. Einstein, why is it that when the mind of man has stretched so far as to discover the structure of the atom, we have been unable to devise the political means to keep the atom from destroying us?”

His answer: “That is simple, my friend. It is because politics is more difficult than physics.”

“Now that you know the nobility of the calling in which you have found yourselves, I am sure you will not hesitate to show that politicians too can solve problems!”