Health
10 Useful Tips For Healthy Lifestyle
In today’s fast paced world maintaining a good health is a serious issue. We know this is not for the first time you are hearing the word, “Healthy Lifestyle” but have you ever wondered why do we need one?
A healthy lifestyle helps you deal with life hassles better due to an effective mind and physical fitness. It keeps away heart diseases, obesity, fatigue, depression and even hair and skin related problems.
You might have tried to focus on your health issues and even planned to make some drastic changes to your lifestyle before, but the busy schedules, endless deadlines and most of the times lack of motivation must be stopping you from achieving your targets.
We wouldn’t recommend you tough diet plans and excessive workouts. Only a few changes in your routine can help you live a long, healthy and active life that you desire.
Rise and Shine with a glass of water
Whenever you wake up the first thing to do is to drink a glass of water. If you find it difficult to gulp it down with a flat tummy you can add a slice of lime or lemon in it. It will help in the maintenance of body systems, improve metabolism rate and remove the toxins. It is also assumed to have a relationship with weight reduction.
Sleep Well
It is suggested for an average adult to sleep for at least 8 hours in a day, but all people have different requirements for sleep which may range from 6 to 10 hours. If you are feeling sleepy mostly at 4pm to 6pm, this means you are probably not getting enough rest. Lack of sleep would result in lack of concentration, memory loss, and disturbed mood. It also has a negative effect on heart.
Welcome the morning with a few stretches
Switch from snooze mode to active mode. The best thing you can do after getting out of the bed is to stretch your arms and welcome the morning, also stretch your legs, back and neck. How stretching could be so helpful? Well, the secret is, stretching early in the morning helps to increase the flow of the blood and add your muscles an extra dose of oxygen. It will revitalize your body and would help it to waken up. Stretching also prepares the muscles to take the challenges of a new day.
Say goodbye to unhealthy snacks
Here comes the difficult part! Only healthy eating habits can lead to healthy living. Don’t stuff your tummy with unhealthy snacks like cookies, bags of chips, salted nuts, candies and other tasty foods. Why? Because these foods are a high source of saturated fats, salt and sugar that can mess up with your body. Choose healthy substitutes like fresh fruits, vegetables and raw nuts as they are a rich source of vitamins, minerals and other important nutrients. Also develop a habit of reading the list of ingredients given at the back of the packed products. This will help you ensure that the foods you are eating are healthy in nature.
Don’t ever think about skipping your Breakfast
There are many of us having such a busy schedule that don’t allow us to get some time out even for breakfast, but remember always, “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day”. Researches made in 2003 by American Heart Association discovered that people who skipped their breakfast were more likely to get obese and developed diabetes as compared to breakfast eaters. The reason is that when breakfast is skipped people nibble on unhealthy snacks to overcome their craving for food till lunch. So make sure you make a healthy choice of nutrients for your breakfast to fuel up your body for the long rough day.
Go for a Walk
Can’t take out time for physical exercise? No problem! Take stairs instead of elevators, have discussions with your friends over a walk, look after the plants in your garden or if you have a pet take it a bit farther for a walk. The trick is to increase the physical activities while executing your routine. It has been suggested by the researchers that in order to improve heart health every individual should walk for at least 125 to 200 minutes that is equal to almost 12 miles, in a week.
Socialize
Researchers say that lonely people often become more ill and die at a young age. People without friends are more depressed, face stress and also lack physical activities. Friendship is a source of happiness and drains out stress and frustrations. If you don’t know from where to take a start, you can join a club and meet people with similar interests.
Find yourself some new activities
Involve yourself in such activities that provide you with new experiences and make them your hobby. Developing a hobby helps you reduce stress and keeps you cheerful. Also it would be more beneficial if you will get into group activities.
Quit Smoking and limit Alcohol
We all are aware of the negative effects of smoking and excessive drinking on our health but still can’t prepare ourselves to quit them, Right? So take a look at the bright side; saying no to cigarettes can save us from cancer and heart diseases, while reducing alcohol intake can save our liver from getting damaged.
Don’t worry, be happy
What is the key to happiness? Be optimistic and see the difference, you will feel happiness from within. You can achieve positive thinking by meditation and yoga; it will help you escape from all your worries. Also share a good laugh; it helps to fill the lungs and body with sufficient amount of oxygen resulting in improved health and also strengthens the heart.
Though, we all know that “health is wealth” but why spend all your wealth on your health when you can use these useful and inexpensive health tips to improve your quality of life. So take a step forward to begin a healthy lifestyle today.
Source: http://humannhealth.com/10-useful-tips-for-a-healthy-lifestyle/32/
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
As part of its efforts to safeguard public health in Nigeria, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has strengthened its regulatory framework for blood and blood products.
A statement signed on Thursday by the Director General of NAFDAC, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, disclosed that to achieve its goal, the agency will collaborate with relevant authorities and stakeholders to establish a robust regulatory framework that promotes the availability of safe, quality-assured and efficacious blood and blood products, while strengthening public confidence in Nigeria’s healthcare system.
NAFDAC said it intends to partner with government institutions, healthcare providers, blood establishments, development partners and other stakeholders for the robust oversight.
Mrs Adeyeye disclosed that already, her organisation has received the support of the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Ali Pate.
According to her, NAFDAC has been given the mandate to regulate blood and blood products in line with global best practices and the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendation that these products be subject to oversight by National Regulatory Authorities (NRAs) for medicines.
She said blood and blood products are classified as essential medicines and must be consistently available with assured quality, safety and affordability, stressing that the aim is to protect patients throughout the blood transfusion chain.
Effective regulatory oversight will support the quality and safety of blood products from donor assessment and collection through testing, processing, storage, transportation and use, the NAFDAC chief noted.
Several African countries, including Egypt, Ghana, South Africa, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Senegal and Rwanda, have already established regulatory oversight of blood and blood products by their NRAS, she added.
Mrs Adeyeye pointed out that NAFDAC’s renewed regulatory preparedness builds on its broader transformation into a modern, science-based regulatory authority.
Already, it has attained WHO Maturity Level 3, completed WHO Global Benchmarking ML3 re-assessment, obtained WHO prequalification for its drug laboratory, and established internationally accredited laboratory and quality management systems. These capabilities provide a strong foundation for the effective regulation of blood and blood products.
As part of its preparedness, NAFDAC has established a dedicated Vaccines, Biologicals and Medical Devices Registration and Regulation Directorate to oversee the registration and regulation of these products.
The agency established a Vaccines, Biologicals and Medical Devices Laboratory Services many years ago, but became a Directorate in 2024, responsible for quality control, including laboratory testing and lot release, while the Directorate of Evaluation and Research provides oversight of Good Manufacturing Practices. An ultra-modern laboratory facility is also being developed to further strengthen its capacity for the assessment and quality control of vaccines and biologics.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
An organisation known as GoMed Nigeria is offering free reproductive health services to Nigerian students through a digital self-care platform.
This is being delivered through a partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Lagos State Government.
The pilot scheme will be available to students of the University of Lagos. They will enjoy easier and more private access to essential health products, accurate information, and professional support.
Young Nigerians face some of the highest rates of unintended pregnancy and unmet need for contraception in the world.
Cost, distance, stigma, misinformation, and fears about confidentiality routinely stop students from seeking the products and guidance they need, with consequences that include unintended pregnancy, unsafe abortion, sexually transmitted infections and interrupted education.
The self-care platform is designed to remove each of these barriers. Through the platform, students receive free contraceptives and other sexual and reproductive health commodities provided through the Lagos State Ministry of Health and UNFPA, exclusive discounts on health essentials, and fast, discreet delivery directly to campus and student hostels.
Students can also access trusted sexual and reproductive health information and services through UNFPA’s SoftLife 247 and U-Plan platforms. Through U-PLAN, they can chat directly with qualified Family Planning Service Providers to receive accurate information and address their concerns. They can also confidently engage with GoMed’s registered pharmacists for confidential, judgement-free guidance on medicines and other health products.
“Students should be able to get reliable health information and essential products without cost, distance or fear of judgement becoming barriers.
“This platform brings free sexual and reproductive health commodities, other affordable health products and professional guidance together, with discreet delivery directly to students on campus,” the chief executive of GoMed Nigeria, Mr Anthony Edeki, said.
Also speaking, UNFPA in Nigeria Resident Representative, Muriel Mafico, said, “As the UN agency mandated for “Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights”, we are committed to reducing preventable maternal deaths and addressing the unmet need for family planning, including by providing and overseeing access to life-saving commodities worldwide.
“Working alongside our partners, we’re helping roll out the digital Self-Care Platform—so that vital, life-changing information can reach more people, more easily. Together, we want to empower Nigeria’s next generation to make informed health choices and achieve stronger health outcomes and a brighter future.”
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A financing framework to accelerate the electrification of health facilities nationwide has been approved by the federal government.
The approval was announced at the third meeting of the Inter-Ministerial Steering Committee (IMSC) of the Nigeria Power for Health Initiative (NPHI), a presidential programme jointly coordinated by the Federal Ministries of Power and Health and Social Welfare.
The committee was constituted to ensure reliable electricity in at least 30 per cent of Nigeria’s health facilities by the end of 2027.
At the meeting, chaired by the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Mr Isiaq Salako, and co-chaired by the Minister of Power, Mr Joseph Tegbe, members of the Inter-Agency Technical Committee (IATC) presented the recommendations under consideration.
Speaking at the meeting, Mr Salako said the Steering Committee approved a financing framework to mobilise investment for healthcare electrification, alongside a facility energy management framework requiring participating hospitals to build sustainable systems for managing their energy infrastructure.
He said the committee also cleared eight (8) private sector proposals for further engagement, drawn from about 70 submissions received during the National Healthcare Electrification Investor Matchmaking Week in Lagos.
The Health Minister added that Energy Management Teams are already in place at federal tertiary hospitals, with state governments being encouraged to set up similar structures. The initiative will now be institutionalised through dedicated budgetary provisions and a full-time Project Coordination Unit to oversee implementation.
On his part, Mr Tegbe declared that the initiative must now move from announcements to actual project delivery.
Describing the NPHI as one of the President Bola Tinubu administration’s flagship programmes, he said the emphasis should shift towards commissioning completed projects that Nigerians can see for themselves, rather than further groundbreaking ceremonies and public messaging.
He emphasised the need for teaching hospitals, state hospitals, and primary healthcare centres to be fully energised, noting that the Rural Electrification Agency has already energised 5 Federal Teaching Hospitals and several other health facilities nationwide.
He also tied the initiative directly to patient outcomes, arguing that dependable power would end hospitals’ reliance on emergency generators, and pledged that the Ministry would continue to prioritise the initiative’s funding needs while ensuring value for money.
