Sugar and its effects on you!!!

Overeating, poor memory formation, learning disorders, depression  – all have been linked in recent research to the over-consumption of sugar. And these linkages point to a problem that is only beginning to be better understood: what our chronic intake of added sugar is doing to our brains.

How Much Sugar Are We Consuming?

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the average American consumes 156 pounds of added sugar per year. That’s five grocery store shelves loaded with 30 or so one pound bags of sugar each.  If you find that hard to believe, that’s probably because sugar is so ubiquitous in our diets that most of us have no idea how much we’re consuming.  The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) puts the amount at 27.5 teaspoons of sugar a day per capita, which translates to 440 calories  – nearly one quarter of a typical 2000 calorie a day diet.

The key word in all of the stats is “added.”  While a healthy diet would contain a significant amount of naturally occurring sugar (in fruits and grains, for example), the problem is that we’re chronically consuming much more added sugar in processed foods.  

That’s an important clarification because our brains need sugar every day to function.  Brain cells require two times the energy needed by all the other cells in the body; roughly 10% of our total daily energy requirements.  This energy is derived from glucose (blood sugar), the gasoline of our brains. Sugar is not the brain’s enemy — added sugar is.

BNDF Explained

Research indicates that a diet high in added sugar reduces the production of a brain chemical known as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Without BDNF, our brains can’t form new memories and we can’t learn (or remember) much of anything. Levels of BDNF are particularly low in people with an impaired glucose metabolism–diabetics and pre-diabetics–and as the amount of BDNF decreases, sugar metabolism worsens.

The Side Effects

In other words, chronically eating added sugar reduces BDNF, and then the lowered levels of the brain chemical begin contributing to insulin resistance, which leads to type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome, which eventually leads to a host of other health problems.  Once that happens, your brain and body are in a destructive cycle that’s difficult if not impossible to reverse.

Research has also linked low BDNF levels to depression and dementia. It’s possible that low BDNF may turn out to be the smoking gun in these and other diseases, like Alzheimer’s, that tend to appear in clusters in epidemiological studies. More research is being conducted on this subject, but what seems clear in any case is that a reduced level of BDNF is bad news for our brains, and chronic sugar consumption is one of the worst inhibitory culprits.

Other studies have focused on sugar’s role in over-eating.  We intuitively know that sugar and obesity are linked, but the exact reason why hasn’t been well understood until recently.  Research has shown that chronic consumption of added sugar dulls the brain’s mechanism for telling you to stop eating.  It does so by reducing activity in the brain’s anorexigenic oxytocin system, which is responsible for throwing up the red “full” flag that prevents you from gorging.  When oxytocin cells in the brain are blunted by over-consumption of sugar, the flag doesn’t work correctly and you start asking for seconds and thirds, and seeking out snacks at midnight.

What these and other studies strongly suggest is that most of us are seriously damaging ourselves with processed foods high in added sugar, and the damage begins with our brains.  Seen in this light, chronic added-sugar consumption  is no less a problem than smoking or alcoholism. And the hard truth is that we may have only begun to see the effects of what the endless sugar avalanche is doing 

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Data Pack	Price (N)	Opt In Code
1 Day Pack	N50	Dial *127*14#
3 Day Pack	N100	Dial *127*51#
7 Day Pack	N200	Dial *127*56#

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Plan Name	Price (N)	Data Volume	Validity	SMS to 127	USSD Code
Always Day	500	195MB	1 Day	10	*127*3#
Instant Surf	100	20MB	1 Day	51	*127*51#
Smallie	200	50MB	3 Days	56	*127*56#

Weekly Plans

Plan Name	Price (N)	Data Volume	Validity	SMS to 127	USSD Code
One Week	400	65MB	7 Days	52	*127*52#
Big Week	500	150MB	7 Days	57	*127*57#

Monthly Plans

Plan Name	Price (N)	Data Volume	Validity	SMS to 127	USSD Code
Always Micro	1,000	1GB	30 Days	53	*127*53#
My Phone	2,000	2.5GB	30 Days	55	*127*55#
So Special	2,500	4.5GB	30 Days	58	*127*58#
Always Min	5,000	12GB	30 Days	11	*127*2#
Always Max	8,000	24GB	30 Days	12	*127*1#
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Gold	15,000	17GB	30 Days	16	*127*12#
Platinum	18,000	21GB	30 Days	17	*127*13#

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Plan Name	Price (N)	Data Volume	Validity	SMS to 127	USSD Code
G 100	6,000	4GB	100 Hrs or 30 days	20	*127*5#
G 300	15,000	12GB	300 Hrs or 3 Months	21	*127*4#
G-Leisure	5,000	4GB	8 AM to 9 PM – daily + All day on Weekends	30	*127*7#
G-Work	6,000	4GB	8 AM to 9 PM	31	*127*6#

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Data	Usage
100MB	Surf the web for 10 hours or Check 2000 emails or Watch 50 mins of video streaming
500MB	Surf the web for 50 hours or Check 10,000 emails or Watch 4 hours of video streaming
2GB	Surf the web for 200 hours or Check 40,000 emails or Watch 20 hours of video streaming
6GB	Surf the web for 600 hours or Watch 60 hours of video streaming or Use your mobile as modem

* Usage is a guide only based on the following assumptions: Web browsing = 10MB per hour, Email = 50KB per email, YouTube streaming = 2MB per minute.

Reason Why Women of today prefers sold human hair to natural hair – Bisola Iyasara

isola Iyasara is a Nigerian, born in London, partly raised in New York but with a strong ties to Nigeria. She’s a model, motivational speaker and hair specialist consultant. In fact she caught our attention  because of the big buzz the drop dead geourgeous lady is stirring as a result of her human hair range of products which have come to be known as ‘Bisola Hair’.

Bisola Iyasara

Nigerian celebrities from the entertainment world, business and high society rock just about one brand of human hair -’Bisola Hair’. So, what is special about Bisola Hair and human hair in general. Bisola speaks with us:

What’s so special about Bisola hair?

The Brand “Bisola Hair” is a unique brand. It is a concept that centres on originality, genuine products and a world class customer service. It is interesting to note that I personally travel to Mongolia, Peru, and Malaysia to source for authentic, original real and raw human hair which has no tangles, no shedding, no knotting, no split ends, and no grey hairs. All Bisola Hair is unprocessed as there are no chemicals at all in them. I have trained hair stylist specialists that custom-make my lovely customers human virgin hair weft/weave, glueless celebrity French lace/Swiss lace, and bleach knots silk top full lace wigs hair to the highest standards.

What really is the hullabaloo on human hair all about?

It is all about the beauty of a woman. Hair is one of the most important components of a woman’s beauty. A woman’s hair can generate a confidence or a negative complex in her. The hair you wear will invariably enhance your glamour in appearance which is also very important to life. Human hair is the ultimate hair that can revive, stimulate and enhance a woman’s look unlike the synthetic hair alternative. Some women   suffer from alopecia and other hair loss challenges but with adequate treatment and the use of human hair, especially “Bisola Hair”, there is complete restoration of confidence, gorgeousness and sexy look.

What actually started this craze for human hair?

The human hair phenomenon started with women who wanted unique hairstyles but without any compromise and damage to their natural hair. As I said before, it is like a protection for your own hair. Having confirmed the effectiveness of human hair from everyday woman, celebrities, high class ladies etc, the desire by more women to wear it increased. Today, it is a woman’s ultimate hair desire and “Bisola Hair”, the ultimate destination.

Why are they considered better than our natural God-given hair?

Our natural hair in my opinion still remains the best hair any woman can wear but “human hair” in today’s world is more versatile with what you can do with it without damaging your natural hair. For example if you were to bleach your natural hair, it would be instantly damaged but with a “human hair” it acts like a protection against damaging your hair.

We have heard of Indian hair, Peruvian hair and all sorts, why no African hair?

African hair is available but not in commercial quantity as could be harvested from the other locations. Brazilian, Mongolian, Peruvian, Malaysian and others have more natural gifts of faster hair growth than Africans. That makes it comparatively easier for commercialization.

 You seem to target only celebrities, prime minister’s wives, governors’ wives/daughters why?

We target everyday women who want to feel glamorous and sexy.  It is just that a lot of these celebrity’s wives and daughters also wear our hair. Unarguably, it is because we deliver the best that exist in the industry. Our products are for those women who cherish quality and appreciate the elegance of it. We reach out to women who are not celebrities or wives and daughters of influential people, because we want them to feel confident and beautiful without having the makeup and stylist that celebrities have. That is the added value of our hair products.

Can you give a list of  notable people that have rocked the Bisola Hair at one time or another?

I have a lot of Nigerian governors’ wives and daughters, socialites, Nigerian Nollywood actresses and celebrities wearing Bisola Hair. Bisola Hair is a professional specialist brand. We protect the names of our big clients, as a lot of these ladies do not want people to know the secrets of the hair that they are wearing. I can mention few of our clients that have given me permission to use their names in this interview. Senator Florence Ita Giwa, Senator Bose Balogun, First lady Hanah  Zambugi, Honorable Omosedei Igbinedion, Top business lady owner of Polo Avenue, Jennifer Obayuwana, Nollywood actresses; Ini Edo, Bukky Wright, Dayo Amusa, Mercy Aigbe, Nkiru Sylvanus, Omo Iyasara and Biola Ige.

 Do you honestly think human hairs can enhance true beauty of a woman and how?

Remember that “beauty” comes from within you. Having said that, it is obvious that such natural beauty can be enhanced through the type of hair a woman wears. In this generation where climatic and environmental alterations can degrade the growth of a woman’s natural hair, the art to enhance it becomes necessary. The place of human hair in a woman’s beauty is simply priceless.

Since you have toured the world in the course of your business, which nationality do you think has most issues as far as natural hairs are concerned?

Issues with natural hairs transcends  borders and nationality. It is simply an individual issue like other human issues. Hair loss is not peculiar to women from any nationality, but common challenge associated with women. But conservatively speaking, African women may have more challenges with their natural hair than others. The factors could range from environmental to genetically related causes.  The good news is that Bisola Hair is out to bridge the gap.

Your profile says you undertook medical hair course, what exactly is that?

The medical hair course that I took in New York was one of the steps to perfect my passion for hair and its related challenges, launching me into the world of a professional hair consultant. That means that when I speak about hair, I am an authority in it.

 You were once a model, would you say doing this hair business is more lucrative than modelling or a career in entertainment?

My days of modelling and other glamour laced activities are not comparable to the career satisfaction that I derive being in hair business. It’s more of the inner satisfaction than the financial remuneration. My hair business is a passion beyond boundaries. The enhancement   of a lady’s look by wearing Bisola Hair is already a joy beyond money. When a lady wears Bisola Hair, she wears along with it, many other things, including good self-esteem, gorgeousness, confidence, genuineness and many others. As gifted multi-task individual, I still reach out to my other activities like motivational speaking but my ultimate satisfaction lies in my hair business.

Biography of Thomas L. Jennings inventor of the first dry-cleaning Machine

Thomas L. Jennings (1791–1856) was an African-American tradesmanand abolitionist in in New York City, New York. He was an African American who operated a tailoring and dry-cleaning business, and in 1821 was the first African American to be granted a patent. Jennings became active in working for his race and civil rights for the black community. In 1831, he was selected as assistant secretary to the First Annual Convention of the People of Color in Philadelphia,Pennsylvania, which met in June 1831. He helped arrange legal defense for his daughter,Elizabeth Jennings, in 1854 when she challenged a private streetcar company's segregation of seating and was arrested. She was defended by the young Chester Arthur, and won her case the next year.

With two other prominent black leaders, Jennings organized the Legal Rights Association in 1855 in New York, which raised challenges to discrimination and organized legal defense for court cases. He founded and was a trustee of the Abyssinian Baptist Church, a leader in the black community.

                                                  Early Life 

Thomas L. Jennings was born to a free black family in New York City. As a youth, he learned a trade as a tailor, which included dry-cleaning. He built a business and married a woman born into slavery. Under New York's gradual abolition law of 1799, she was converted to the status of an indentured servant and was not eligible for full emancipation until 1827. Children born to slave mothers before 1827 were considered to be born free, but were required to serve apprenticeships to her master until they reached their mid to late 20s.  He and his wife had three children, including two daughter's 

   

                                                   Career 

Jennings built a business as a tailor and dry cleaner, and was well-respected in the community. He developed a process called "dry scouring" for cleaning clothes, for which he applied and received a patent from the state of New York on March 3, 1821. He spent his early earnings on legal fees to purchase his wife and some of children out of slavery. Their daughter Elizabeth Jennings was born free in 1827 and became a schoolteacher and church organist.

Jennings also supported the abolitionist movement and became active in working for civil rights of free blacks. He was active on issues related to emigration to other countries; opposing colonization in Africa, as proposed by the American Colonization Society; and supporting expansion of suffrage for black men.

                                     Patent  Controversy 

Jennings' success in gaining a patent resulted in a considerable amount of controversy. The U.S. patent laws of 1793 stated that "the master is the owner of the fruits of the labor of the slave both manual and intellectual," thus slaves could not patent their own inventions; the efforts would be the property of their master. But, Thomas Jennings was a free man, so he gained exclusive rights to his process. In 1861 Congress passed a law to extend patent rights to slaves.

                                            Civil rights activism 

Thomas Jennings was a leader in the cause of abolitionism and African-American civil rights. After his daughter, Elizabeth Jennings, was forcibly removed from a "whites only" streetcar in New York City, he organized a movement against racial segregation in public transit in the city; the services were provided by private companies. Elizabeth Jennings won her case in 1855. Along withJames McCune Smith and Rev. James W.C. Pennington, her father created the Legal Rights Association in 1855, a pioneering minority-rights organization. Its members organized additional challenges to discrimination and segregation, and gained legal representation to take cases to court. A decade after Elizabeth Jennings won her case, New York City streetcar companies stopped practicing segregation.

Astonishing photos of the first world War caught on camera

 
                                                   
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Famous people who fought for the promotion of Human rights

Famous people who promoted Civil Rights

Abraham Lincoln(1809 – 1865) President of US during the American civil war. Lincoln made the famous Emancipation Proclamation (1863) – declaring “that all persons held as slaves” within the rebellious states “are, and henceforward shall be free.” – This proclamation was followed by the 13th Amendment to the US Constitution (1865) outlawing slavery.

Frederick Douglass(1818-1895) Douglass was a former slave who became committed to working for the emancipation of all slaves and ending the injustice of slavery and racism in America. He gave many stirring speeches criticising injustice and raising the hope for a nation where all people were treated equally regardless of race, sex or religion.

Nelson Mandela(1918 – 2013) Anti-apartheid leader. Mandela, spent over twenty years in jail for his opposition to the racist apartheid system which excluded blacks from many areas of society. He was elected the first President of democratic South Africa in 1994. – “I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities.” – Nelson Mandela.

Martin Luther King(1929 – 1968) Non-violent civil rights leader. Inspired American civil rights movement to achieve greater equality. Helped to organise the 1963 March on Washington, where he gave famous ‘I have a dream’ speech. “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.’

Mikhail Gorbachev(1931 – ) Leader of Soviet Union. Gorbachev, oversaw the transition from Communism to democracy in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, and allowed Berlin wall to come down. Gorbachev also instigated ‘Glasnost’ seeking to end restrictions on free speech and promote religious freedom.

William Wilberforce(1759 – 1833) – Campaigned against slavery, helping to outlaw slavery in Great Britain. The Slavery Abolition Act 1833, was passed three days after his death.

Olaudah Equiano (1745 – 1797) – The first black African slave to write about his experience as a slave. His book ‘The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano‘ played a pivotal role in turning public opinion in Britain against slavery.

Rosa Parks (1913-2005) – Civil Rights activist. Started the Montgomery bus boycott (1955) through her refusal to give up her seat to a white person. She became a prominent spokesperson and figurehead for the American civil rights movement.

Desmond Tutu (1931 – ) Campaigner against apartheid in South Africa. Since the end of apartheid he has campaigned on a wide range of humanitarian issues, seeking to overcome racism, sexism, homophobia, AIDS and poverty.

Thomas Clarkson(1760-1846) – English abolitionist and leading campaigner against slave trade

Dietrich Bonhoeffer(1906 – 1945) – Principled Christian activist who opposed Nazi regime in Germany. He opposed Hitler’s euthanasia program and persecution of the Jews .

Women’s Rights

Mary Wollstonecraft(1759-1797) – Early feminist author who helped to propagate belief in equal rights for women.

Emily Pankhurst (1858-1928) – Suffragette who led campaigns of civil disobedience against a male dominated political system. Pankhurst was sent to jail on several occasions for her activities.

Susan B. Anthony. American suffragist and campaigner for women’s equal rights. Played significant role in women gaining the vote in US.

Malala Yousafzai – (1997- )Pakistani schoolgirl who defied threats of the Taliban to campaign for the right to education. She survived being shot in the head by the Taliban and has become a global advocate for human rights, women’s rights and the right to education. She has sought to emphasis the peaceful nature of Islam and the respect Islam has for education.

Democracy

Mahatma Gandhi (1869 – 1948) – Indian nationalist and politician. Struggled for Indian self-determination and independence. Gandhi inspired millions through his non-violent protests. Gandhi also sought to improve rights of women and outcasts in Indian society.

Lech Walesa. Leader of Polish Solidarity Movement. Became first non-Communist President in 1991. Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983.

14th Dalai Lama. (1935 – ) Leader of Tibetans in exile. Has sought to negotiate with Chinese to respect traditions and culture of Tibetans. Believes in non-violent protest.

Aung San Suu Kyi (1945 – ) Burmese opposition leader. Awarded Nobel peace prize for opposition to military rule. Aung San Suu Kyi was placed under house arrest for many years due to her opposition.

Shirin Ebadi. (1947 – ) Iranian judge and lawyer. She fought for the right for women to purse a legal career in Iran. She has also defended opposition dissidents who have fallen foul of the Iranian judicial system.

Benazir Bhutto. (1953-2007) First female President of Pakistan. Helped to move country from military dictatorship to democracy in 1988.

Writers

Thomas Jefferson(1743- 1826) 3rd President of US. Principle author of Declaration of Independence.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. ” – Declaration of Independence.

George Orwell (1903 – 1950) – Author of Animal Farm and 1984, Orwell helped to warn of the dangers of totalitarian states. He also wrote in support of the disadvantaged sections of society, and criticised imperialism.

Tom Paine – Free thinking radical who passionately argued for greater democracy and representation for ordinary people. He wrote ‘Common Sense’ supporting American independence, and ‘Rights of Man‘ in defence of the principles of the French Revolution.

Humanitarians

Abbe Pierre (1912 – 2007) French humanitarian. A Catholic priest known for founding the Emmaüs movement, which has the goal of helping poor and homeless people and refugees.

Helen Keller (1880-1968) Deaf-blind from early childhood, Keller overcoming her disability to campaigned tirelessly on behalf of deaf and blind people.

Elizabeth Fry