EXERCISE: BONDING TIME WITH THE KIDS

I remember a colleague of mine who was always out of ideas on what to do with her kids over the weekend. When we resumed work on Monday, I would ask and it was always the same activity, “I took them to KFC” or some other fast-food or restaurant.

It seems the only fun people know these days is dining out. Most parents residing anywhere in Nigeria would blame the Nigerian society. While it is understandable, it is not an excuse. Most Nigerians live in massive compounds. Someone may be reading this and saying “I don’t live in a massive compound.” But trust me, when you see the spaces available to UK residents, you’ll agree with me that even the “Face me-I face you” occupants have bigger spaces.

Put your space to use. Rather than let the kids sit in front of the TV all weekend, or playing games on the computer, have family games in the compound. For a few hours dad forget the business contract, mum forget the..., take the kids out! Families are breaking up every day because parents aren't spending time with the kids; kids have to go elsewhere to find playmates. Be your child’s first playmate! Children really just need love and attention and you’ll be shocked what 30 minutes of playtime with them could do for your home. I remember as a child, I would sit on my dad’s leg and he would lift me up, I used to call it “see-saw”. Unknown to me he was using me to work his legs but I loved it so much. But of course, as I grew bigger, I got too heavy for that, but I still remember doing other sports with my parents.

Some fun ideas with your kids:

Compete in a race with them. Could be from the door to the gate, etc.
Soccer: This would get you running and great for your cardiovascular health.
Do home fitness videos together
Go swimming as a family. You could invite a few others families and play games in the pool. I remember we used to play “toss the ball” and “find the coin”.
Let the maid have a break! do some house chores together. Mum, Daisy is turning eleven and she can't lay a bed! It's time to fire the maid and hire the kids!

I am sure there are so many other fun physical activities for the family. If you have any additional ideas, please share.

NUTRITIONAL/HEALTH BENEFITS OF PLANTAINS

P lantains are widely eaten in West Africa. Plantains are similar to bananas but larger in size. While bananas are termed fruits, plantains are vegetables. Bananas are mostly eating raw, while plantains are usually cooked before consumption. Plantains can be eaten unripe, ripen or over-ripe. When unripe, plantains are usually green in colour, when ripen, they turn yellow. In Nigeria, for example, unripe plantains are usually used to cook plantain porridge, ripe plantains are mostly fried and used as a supplement to main dishes like rice and beans. Over-ripe plantains are used to make snacks like plantain fritters.

NUTRITIONAL BENEFITS OF ZOBO/SORREL DRINK

z obo/sorrel was a must have during family gatherings. As children, we loved drinking it, not only because of how nice it tasted, but also because it coloured our lips and tongues red. Zobo (Nigerian) or Sorrel (Jamaican) is a red coloured drink made from a flower called Hibiscus sabdariffa. The sorrel plant contains a wide range of vitamins and minerals including vitamin C, calcium, niacin, riboflavin and a group of compounds called flavonoids. Flavanoids not only gives the sorrel plant its deep red colour, but, are also rich in antioxidants which rids the body of toxins. The sorrel plant also contains nutraceleuticals, which are said to be helpful to the health. Nutraceleuticals can help prevent and treat several diseases including diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and cancer.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF LIME AND HONEY

L ime and Honey are two must haves in my house. I use honey as a substitute for white sugar. I remember a friend of mine visited me once and she wanted to drink garri (drinking garri is local to Nigerians, i.e. eating dried cassava with cold water as opposed to hot water), she was astonished when I told her to use honey to sweeten her garri. I'm not a tea person, but my parents are, and a cup of tea for them is not complete without limes.

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