Winter skin: the golden rules

‘Flaky’, ‘cracked’, ‘dehydrated’ - hardly the most appealing adjectives when it comes to describing our skin - yet this is what happens to so many of us when the weather starts to turn. If you want to keep your clear, dewy & hydrated  Beauty Resource:

complexion out of winter’s icy grip for as long as possible, take heed of the following autumn/winter skin care rules, brought to you by

1. Don’t get sloppy

When the colder weather hits and we trade beaches and beer gardens for the sofa - it’s easy to become complacent with our beauty regime. After all, why shave your armpits when you’ll be wearing jumpers for the next six months.

Winter skin care doesn’t have to be complicated or time consuming, just ensure you get the basics right and you’ll be on the road to happy skin. To account for the change in weather, introduce the following additional steps to your basic routine:

Scrub up

Introducing a gentle exfoliator to your routine once or twice a week will remove any dead, dry or flaky skin so that your complexion stays looking bright

Integration, Training Of Africa Traditional Medical Practitioners

Governor Fashola, who delivered a keynote address at the Africa Regional Forum of the International Bar Association Annual Conference in Boston, United States, said integration and training, rather than regulation, would be more appropriate in conceptualizing the knowledge that the practitioners already have with the knowledge that modern sciences provide.

Speaking on the topic, “Off to the Witchdoctor – Regulating Africa Traditional and Indigenous Medicine”, at the African Regional Forum’s Healthcare and Life Sciences and Law Committee Session of the Conference, Governor Fashola said the practitioners should be introduced to the various modern best practices in medicine in such a way that they become integrated to offer an alternative rather than merely complementary role.

“They should be introduced to imaging, helped to quantify dosage and be incorporated as an integral part of the healthcare programme by bringing them to the public arena rather than ostracizing them, in such a way that they become integrated and alternative instead of merely complementary”, the Governor said.

Governor Fashola noted that across Africa, traditional and indigenous medical practice still has a “sizeable followership” which is rooted “in belief, its success with those who patronize it and more importantly, its economic appeal”. He however contested the correctness of describing the subject as “African Traditional and Indigenous Medicine” because it is not unique to Africa”.

“Every continent that I know of, has a large store of herbs bestowed on it by nature, and the knowledge of them and their healing or curative powers has been passed down from generation to generation, and forms the basis of modern pharmacology and pharmaceutical practice”, he said.

 Tracing the subject to its roots, Governor Fashola pointed out that blood-letting was the medical cure-all at the early years of medical practice, adding, “any ailment was attributed to ‘Bad blood’ and the cure was any incision that would let out the blood and give relief to the patient”.

 “If you think the practitioners of the time were not “gods” on earth, you will be underestimating the powers they possessed over those they gave relief to from pain. The same or similar levels of beliefs in healing by draining or removing bad blood had prevailed in Africa”, he said.

 He, however, expressed sadness that while many parts of the world, especially Europe and America have moved on from the first crude surgeries to the discovery of penicillin and other anti-biotics, to imaging and stem cells, African contributions in terms of originality have remained largely in the natural state.

 “The refreshing thing about this though, is the widespread appeal that a return to nature is gaining, whether by way of quest for organic food or for herbal medicine. This development represents perhaps the most encouraging signs for regulating African traditional and indigenous medicine”, he noted.

 The Governor, however, argued that it would be difficult “to regulate a practitioner whose knowledge of the human anatomy comes either from those accounts handed down generation after generation, or from that and pure instinct that helps him measure a baby’s head for delivery or re-set fractured bones without seeing inside either through a CT scan or an X-ray”.

 Quoting from the result of a recent study conducted in Lagos State to find out the disposition of the community to embracing health insurance on a wider scale, Governor Fashola said out of the 2,071 respondents to the questions first action taken when ill only 14 percent said they saw a pharmacist to prescribe medicine while 10 percent used traditional healers/herbs, 42 percent clinics/hospitals and 30 percent chemists/drug stores (self-medication).

 According to him, of the number that answered the question “Reasons for using trado-medical practitioners”, 20 percent said they trusted them while 18 percent believed they had correct diagnosis, 16 percent said they were affordable while 9 percent believed they are experienced and 2 percent went to them because they are the closest at the time of illness.

 As for preference for traditional birth attendants while giving birth, the Governor said his administration was compelled to embrace and train Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) “because the number of pregnant women who believe in their abilities over the orthodox doctors, demonstrates to us that we ignore the traditional birth attendants at the peril of being successful with our war against infant and maternal mortality”.

Citing example of the State Government’s initiative in embracing and training Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) as an integral part of the campaign to reduce maternal and infant mortality, Governor Fashola declared, “Our initiative with the TBAs is consistent with best practices that I have seen in places like Vancouver in Canada, where herbal medicine; especially the pharmacological part, is as publicly controlled as the orthodox pharmacology”, he said.

“While the idea of regulation is appealing, it seems that this may not be the solution. Regulation to me appears to be focused on standards, measurements and other precise requirements that traditional medicine practitioners must conform to”.

Speaking on the concept of the “Witchdoctor”, Governor Fashola declared, “As for Diviners, the real witchdoctors; I might need to cast a spell on all of them before any form of integration or regulation is possible. Without being generalist, they appear to be a force for less, rather than more good. The patients too often end up as victims because their practice has little, if any, practicality”, adding, “It is more of faith rather than the science of herbs”.

“The panacea to this is better education about the empirical sources of riches, power and success. That they lie in hard work, preparation and planning, self-belief and competition, rather than in prayer and supplication”, the Governor said citing practical examples from various sectors to buttress his assertion.

The Forum Session which also had presentations from various experts and intellectuals was followed by a robust interaction on the theme.

Earlier, in his remarks at the Nigerian Lawyers Reception, Governor Fashola called for a more positive presentation of the Nigerian story to the outside world saying, in spite of some of the negative happening in the country, there are good things happening in the country that need to be highlighted.

Noting that the Conference venue may have been chosen apparently as a place safer and far away from home, the Governor told his audience, “But this was a place where three people died and a hundred others were injured very critically a few weeks back. And the same time that it was happening, the Lagos Police, acting on intelligence, prevented a similar event from happening”.

“And I had a debate, which was a better Police Force, the one that arrived after the event had happened or the one that prevented the event from happening?” he asked, adding, “There are so many good things happening back home, whether you agree or disagree but we seem to dwell on the negative. There is negative everywhere”.

The Governor also canvassed for the hosting of the International Bar Association (IBA) Conference in Nigeria pointing out that if the Association must be an international Association of Lawyers, it could only be seen as such when the Conference is moved around the globe like in tournaments and championships.

Pointing out that in spite of the numerical strength of Nigerian lawyers in the IBA and the fact of their frequent participation in the conference, their voice is not strong enough, the Governor declared, “If you look at global associations they are moving tournaments and championships across the world to make it truly representative of the Planet and I think that we must put our strong number into contention here in order to make our voices heard.”

“I think year in year out, we have built what is at best a critical tour de force in terms of our membership, in terms of our participation and yet we have not had the privilege to host this conference and I think the time has come to do something very serious about that”, he said.

He expressed the need for the NBA to be “a little more strategic about its performance in the IBA adding, “Those of our members who are privileged to serve in the various committees of the IBA must take this message very strongly and I will be having a quiet word in the ears of the President about the options open to us and that in terms of facilities, in terms of all of the necessary prerequisites for hosting the Conference in Nigeria we are ready and able to do so”.

The Governor said Lagos is both ready to take the lead in hosting the very next IBA Conference and to support any other State in the country that bids to host adding, “The truth is that if it must be an International Association of Lawyers, it must be so in words and indeed”.

“I think we have not spoken loudly enough and those who know the inner workings of the mechanism for hosting should confer with the President and his executives and let us know what really it takes to put forward a strong bid to host the next time”, he said.

Noting that Nigerians are not telling enough of their story, Governor Fashola declared, “In a meeting that I had this afternoon with some of my colleagues we decided that formally and informally we are going to start having a week of good news and a month of good news and hopefully we will have a year of good news and many more years of good news”.

Governor Fashola was also presented the Africa Regional Forum Special Award in recognition of his immeasurable support of and enduring commitment to the Forum by the Chairman, Legal Practice Division of IBA, Mr. Michael Greene, during the Forum’s lunch at the Sheraton Boston, United States.

Asha Zulu Mandela “Black Rapunzel”, overcome ill health to become a savvy businesswoman

Asha Zulu Mandela, who holds the record for the world’s longest dreadlocks, says her life is finally taking a turn for the better.

The 48-year-old Guinness World Record holder, also referred to as the “Black Rapunzel”, has overcome ill health to become a savvy businesswoman and successful entrepreneur.

“I want to inspire people to encourage them that nothing is impossible,” says Mandela. “It’s about being a survivor and being determined.”

At a particularly dark time, Mandela was diagnosed with cancer in the late 1990s. Bouts of poor health also lead to two heart-attacks and more than a dozen surgeries.

The Clayton County, Georgia resident says she finally conquered years of illness by maintaining a healthier diet and the use of natural remedies.

“My body healed itself not with conventional treatments but homemade herbal remedies that helped cleanse my body,” says Mandela.

In fact, the idea for one of her businesses – Zulu Earth Solutions – was conceived after her locks started falling out during chemotherapy. She couldn’t find products to stimulate growth so decided to make her own.

After experimenting with various natural ingredients, Mandela began making items from the comfort of her home, with the help of a secret formula from Kenya.

Two years ago she turned her passion into a viable business and made the decision to sell her own natural hair product line.

Within 6 months tubs of shampoo and jars of hair oil were flying off the shelves. She could not keep up with the demand and outsourced manufacturing.

In her first year of business Mandela says she made about half-a-million dollars.

“I can’t keep up with orders and am always out of stock. Every day I get at least 100 orders not just from the U.S. but also abroad. I have made a lot of money.”

Still, every dollar of a sale goes towards charitable causes in Kenya. The tenacious businesswoman also has a handmade jewelry collection as another string to her bow.

Mandela says she started wearing locks some 25 years ago following a move from Trinidad & Tobago to New York. Over the years her locks grew beyond expectations and friends suggested she approach Guinness World Record.

Her dreads were officially measured to be 19ft  6in long by Guinness World Records in 2009. Though, later Guinness withdrew its “dreadlock” category citing difficulty in judging this record accurately.

“To be honest when I first started I knew nothing about natural hair, locks or braids,” says the married mother-of-one.

“My journey started as a spiritual awakening. I had no idea I would end up in the Guinness World Records or my hair would grow this long.”

Today her crowning glory weights an incredible 40lbs on her 5ft 5in frame. She says the easiest way to cope with her mane is to “carry her hair on her back like the way African woman carry their babies.”

A recent measurement found one of her locks over 55ft.

Still, Mandela’s unusually long hair comes with its own challenges. When she washes her hair it takes up to two days to dry. The extra weight of her hair has also caused doctors to be concerned about the health of her spine.

Although there are still barriers to wearing dreads, especially in Corporate America, the natural hair movement has come a long way in the past decade, says Mandela.

More than anything people are “intimidated” by confidence to wear natural hair, she adds. It shows strength of character to go against the norm.

“It’s not that you are rebelling but it shows people you are confident in yourself, your race, culture, and naturally proud.”

Mandela’s inclusion in the Guinness World Record has been a brilliant platform to market her brand. She is often inundated with requests, from demands for public appearances to bookings on radio and television talk shows.

Indeed, last weekend Mandela was a judge for a natural hair competition at the World Natural Hair, Health, & Beauty Show at the Georgia International Convention Center in College Park, Georgia.

The biannual show is considered to be one of the largest natural hair events and draws crowds of up to 40,000. Mandela says she is now busy working with the organizers to participate in future events.

“It provides a platform for consumers to get more information about different choices they have about natural hair,” says the show’s founder Taliah Waajid, who also has her own hair line.

Better food systems are required in order defeat hunger and malnutrition around the globe

Better food systems are required in order defeat hunger and malnutrition around the globe was the key message coming from the observance of World Food Day at FAO headquarters.
World Food Day, commemorated in 150 countries, is also the anniversary of FAO's founding in 1945.
This year's observance takes place under the shadow of new hunger figures that show a total of 842 million people are chronically undernourished.

WFD ceremony
In a message for World Food Day, read by Archbishop Luigi Travaglino at the ceremony, Pope Francis said "It is a scandal that there is still hunger in the world."
The Pope blamed individualism for creating an "attitude of indifference" as if hunger and malnutrition was an unavoidable fact. "It can never be considered normal," he said.
On the World Food Day theme of food systems, he said he saw the need to change and renew food systems to bring in the value of solidarity with the poor. "We need to educate ourselves in solidarity ... not only different forms of assistance," he said.
He called for the elimination of loss and waste of food products, which he said affects one third of global food production.
Broader understanding of hunger problem
"We cannot improve nutrition without food security and we cannot achieve food security if we don't have the right food systems," FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva told the ceremony, attended by government ministers, diplomats, heads of UN agencies and other dignitaries.
He said that although food systems produce enough food for everyone, over half of the world's population is affected by either over- or under-consumption.
"The economic costs of hunger are striking. They can amount to as much as 5 percent of global income through lost productivity and direct health care costs," he said. "The flip side is the huge economic benefits that could results from ending hunger and malnutrition."
Graziano da Silva pointed out that 62 out of 128 countries that FAO monitors, have reached the Millennium Development Goal hunger target.
"These 62 countries that have achieved the hunger targets show us that it is possible to win the war against hunger," he said.
He urged people to take on a new and broader understanding of the hunger problem.
"World Food Day ... is an opportunity to adopt critical tools and solutions that will move us towards a well-nourished, hunger-free world [and] to view hunger and malnutrition as the tragic outcome of unhealthy food systems, food systems in which we all play a part," he concluded.

Vaseline, Petroleum Jelly can keep your skin looking soft and hydrated through the autumn/winter seasons.

It’s that time of year where my skin starts to dry out and I’ve spotted the signs already.

It’s a difficult task to make sure you’re doing all you can to keep your skin looking tip top no matter the time of year and if you’re really committed, it can start to get expensive.

But have no fear, as I’ve found a shapeshifting multi-useful product that can keep your skin soft and hydrated through the autumn/winter seasons.

Vaseline, Petroleum Jelly.

We all have some hidden away somewhere, but did you know that it can be used for all kinds of beauty needs?

I found 22 great uses, some of which I’d never hear of before. So here’s more than a top 20.

1. Lip balm: moisturises and soothes chapped lips.

2. Moisturises dry skin.

3. Hand and feet moisturiser: it hydrates and smooths chapped hands and feet. Apply some petroleum jelly to your hands and feet and then put on mittens and socks. Wait about 10-15 minutes for the Vaseline to soak into the skin. The result? Smoother and softer skin.

4. All over moisturiser: apply petroleum jelly all over your body after a bath. It will leave your skin soft and smooth.

5. Eye make-up remover: removes even the most stubborn mascara and soothes the eye area.

6. Scrub: mix petroleum jelly with sea salt to make your own scrub.

7. Night cream: it can be used as a night cream but you need to warm it up first.

8. Protects manicure: putting some Vaseline on the base of your nails will stop the color from running.

9. Shaving: just put a very thin layer on the area that needs shaving and shave. Don’t use water. Also don’t apply too much product or it will plug up your razor. It will leave your skin soft, smooth and moisturised.

10. Highlighter: apply it on cheeks and under-eye area for that dewy look.

11. Softens elbows: apply some Vaseline to elbows daily. It will soften them.

12. Lipgloss: apply some lipliner all over your lips and top it off with Vaseline for instant shine.

13. Maintains fragrance longer: apply a thin layer of Vaseline on your wrist before spraying perfume on. It will make the scent last longer.

14. Lip exfoliant: apply petroleum jelly to your lips and wait a few minutes. Then, using an old toothbrush, scrub your lips. This will exfoliate lips, leaving them very soft.

15. Protects skin from hair dye: apply some Vaseline around the hairline before colouring your hair to protect your skin from the harsh chemicals contained in the dye.

16. Conditioner: Apply some to the scalp before shampooing to condition it.

17. Seals in split ends: if you put some Vaseline on your split ends, it will seal them in and make it look like they aren’t there. But don’t do this too often as it will take a couple of shampoos to remove vaseline from your hair.

18. Cream blusher: mix some Vaseline with your lipstick to make your own cream blusher.

19. Prevents uneven tanning: just put some on dry spots before applying fake tanning lotions.

20. Moisturise and tame eyebrows: putting a small amount of Vaseline on your brows before going to bed will not only moisturise them, but it will mould them into place too.

21. Prevents chafing: just apply some Vaseline on the areas that need it, such on heels and the balls of feet.

22. Stains remover: it removes makeup stains from clothes.

Herbs Not Only Delicious, but Healthy

Tinei Maramba fumbles in his kitchen drawer for a bag of bitter green herbs. He places a pot on the stove and fills it up with water then carefully adds the contents of the Sachet.He is slight built and fit, his loose linen shirt showing a well-trained body, we are sitting in his bachelor pad in the Avenues, sparsely furnished with an air of simplicity, deep African tones pervade the decor.

He is an intellectual and a staunch follower and collector of art. A self-proclaimed herbal fanatic, he will not have any form of processed food, no salt, no sugar, no refined maize meal. He will not drink fizzy drinks, will not smoke cigarettes but religiously carries a container of snuff everywhere he goes. Tinei will not buy over the counter drugs and swigs tea cup after tea cup of herbal drinks.

Having lived in America for eight years this appears to be rather a paradox. My own stint in England was a concoction of fast food. McDonald's, Donner kebab outlets and fish and chips, over processed foods and GMOs. So what has driven this intellectual only 32 to shun a global trend of fast food, fast life and indulging in intoxicants?

What on earth enticed this young Zimbabwean to swim against the tide like a salmon? Tinei's answer is surprisingly simple . . . Going herbal is cheaper than conventional drugs, herbs in food are not only delicious but also beneficial to one's health. According to him humankind has discarded the use of natural herbs to their own detriment.

Tinei then went on to highlight a hundred and one uses of herbs from stomach ache remedies to stain removing concoctions, stress relievers and cleansing herbs.

Not thoroughly convinced that herbal medicine is the way to go I decided to conduct some research of my own. As it turns out and contrary to my perception that the current global trend is anti-natural when it comes to medicine I discovered that there is an increase worldwide of people that are turning to herbal medicine and a large percentage of those living in "the third world" rely on herbs for medicinal, spiritual and culinary purposes.

A study by the university of Maryland in the USA estimates that 80 percent of the world's population uses herbal remedies for some part of their primary medical health care and in Germany about 600-700 plant based medicines are available and prescribed by about 70 percent of German physicians.

Fatty diet and nerves, responsible for losing weight

When a person feels the need to eat more to feel satisfied, this means the nerves in the stomach are damaged. This issue is available even for dieters who already switched to healthy food consumption. This is the reason why dieters gain the weight back they lost. Research says that the nerves in the stomach tell the

brain that the stomach is full. In case of people used to consume junk food, these nerves stop proper working. This results in feeling the need to eat more. Even after someone switches to healthy food, the problem still remains the same. The Australian research team from the University of Adelaide can explain why the majority of dieters put back the weight they already lost and focus on the gastric nerves that tell the brain when the stomach is full after a meal. They experimented on mice with junk food and concluded that the nerves were less responsive. After the mice switched to healthy food, the nerves still didn`t work properly for several weeks. Study leader Amanda Page said: “The stomach`s nerve response does not return to normal upon return to a normal diet. This means you would need to eat more food before you get the same degree of fullness as a healthy individual”. Animals with junk food which switched to healthy food lost a little weight but gained it back rapidly. Writing in the International Journal of Obesity, she said: “More research is needed to determine how long the effects last and whether there is any way – chemical or otherwise – to trick the stomach into resetting itself to normal”.

Liquorice root can help fight out cancer cells

Research by scientists have revealed that Liquorice root can help fight out cancer cells. They also expect that in coming days the root could provide vital solutions in their quest for finding solution to the dreaded disease. One of the possibilities is that the finding could help them develop drugs to prevent malignant cancer. The wonder element that the scientists have discovered is found in liquorice plants.

Liquorice root

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Laboratory tests indicate that the compound in the plant can considerably slow down the growth of cancerous cells. Basic advantage of the compound in the plant is that it has tumor busting capabilities that can be used to great advantage in treatment of cancer, especially malignant melanoma. In an earlier study also another anti-cancerous content called glycyrrhizin. However the element could not be developed into cancer medicine because long use of the component could lead to high blood pressure and other complicacies. No such complicacies are expected from the compound now discovered.

Dry hair leads to having bad split ends

Beautiful hair is something most women and men want, and with the numerous products that claim to make your hair healthier, being able to distinguish which products work and which are advertising flukes can be difficult. When you have dry hair it leads to having bad split ends. So what causes hair to dry out in the first place? According to WebMD, your hair may be drying out because your scalp is not making enough moisture, since it relies on oils in the roots. Dry scalp can lead to dandruff flakes if it peels. Also, moisture in the hair can be escaping as each strand of healthy hair has a cuticle, or protective layer. “I have tried everything on my hair, but nothing seems to work,” says Justine Ramirez, a student at SMC for more than one year. “I dyed my hair a lot when I was in high school, and I’m still seeing the result of that now. Nothing is making my hair the way it used to be.” Suffering from dry split ends can make it hard to style or even straighten for some. Crystal Henderson, a third-year SMC student, says it is difficult to style her hair, claiming that it no longer curls and is always frizzy. “When it starts to act out, I just put a oil treatment I put together myself a couple years ago,” says Henderson. “It consist of jojoba oil, coconut oil, Moroccan oil and lavender essential oil. I just mix it in a bottle and leave on overnight. It’s a miracle worker.” Susan James, an SMC cosmetology professor, says that preventing the split and dry ends begins with a mild shampoo. “Let’s use fabric as an example,”

James says. “Either silk or linen will shrink in hot water, and all fabrics loose color in hot water so shampooing in warm, not hot water is important.” James adds that shampoo should never be applied directly to the hair in a concentrated form, it should be diluted to prevent burning the cuticle, or the outer layer of the hair. “Since hair doesn’t have a stomach, it cannot process proteins as such,” says James. “Hydrolyzed means that the protein has been chemically digested or decomposed so the cortex, or the inner second layer of hair, can actually benefit from it.” In the hair care product aisle, keratin, according to WebMD, is a protein that is naturally in the hair. Keratin hair treatments at salons are promoted in many advertisements, and are an ingredient in many shampoos. But keratin products may also contain formaldehyde. Student Donna Martinez says she has been using Organix Brazilian Keratin smoothing hair treatment for the past month. “My hair has never felt better,” claims Martinez. “I have had less split ends and smoother hair. I have always had frizzy hair, and this has helped a lot!” According to James, since skin makes the hair and nails, unhealthy skin will make unhealthy hair and nails. So a balanced diet will help the hair as it is being made beneath the scalp. “Conditioners should be chosen as to the type of structure damage,” says James. “An example is fire damage versus flood damage to wood. Fire damage reduces the infra-structure while water damage causes mold. With hair, chemical damage is different than thermal damage, so conditioners need to address the type of problem.” Moroccan, jojoba, coconut and olive oils are other products that are frequently found on ingredient lists of hair products. “I really don’t have long hair, but it can sometimes get fluffy,” says SMC student Brian Wilson. “I use my girlfriend’s shampoo and conditioner that has argon oil it in. It has made my hair a lot softer, and it smells good.” Creating a hair mask can help with dry ends. There are many popular ones including avocado masks. “Using a homemade avocado hair mask can help a lot,” says hairstylist Elizabeth Rodriguez. “If you can’t make one, buying one that has avocado oil in it is really beneficial because avocado has good fats that help with repairing and has nutrients that are good for your hair.” There are many homemade recipes and professionally recommended treatments for home hair care on online social media website Pinterest. The Internet makes it easy to find different options in keeping the split ends away. - See more at: http://www.thecorsaironline.com/lifestyle/2013/10/16/health-beauty-weeklyhair-care-in-a-split-end-prone-world/#sthash.wCS27NBo.dpuf