HOUSE WORK: YOUR AFFORDABLE WAY TO FITNESS!

Not many of us enjoy house work. This is probably because parents use house work as a form of punishment, so we grow up thinking that way. If you have a negative attitude towards house work, perhaps, you would change your mind after reading this article. House Work is a great way to keep fit, especially if you are too busy to register at a gym or cannot afford to. I have listed below some home activities you could turn into fitness routines. Some of them have been listed in my previous article, Oga/Madam Syndrome.

Climbing up and down the stairs is great for cardio. Climbing the stairs for 30 minutes burns about 285 calories.

Mowing the lawn with a push mower for about 30 minutes burns about 162 calories.

Washing your car: This works your arms and abdominals. For every 30 minutes of car washing, you'll burn 143 calories.

Vacuuming for 30 minutes burns about 90 calories.

Ironing for 30 minutes burns about 60-70 calories and tones the upper body. You are likely to burn calories if you stand while ironing and press down firmly. Remember to switch hands periodically so you don't overdevelop one arm.

Scrubbing the bath for 30 minutes burns about 200 calories. The movement of the arms while scrubbing off stubborn stains from the tiles is a great way to tone the muscles of your arms and shoulders.

Mopping floors for 30 minutes burns about 112 calories. Great way to work your shoulders and biceps.

Gardening for 60 minutes burns about 256 calories. Depending on the gardening activity, you would tone your arms and legs, and stretch your back.

Painting the house for 60 minutes burns about 256 calories, plus it works the arms and core.

Calories burned during physical activities like dancing (for 30 minutes) is about 133 calories, and jogging for 30 minutes at 5 miles per hour is about 236 calories.

Now you see that house work is a friend and not the enemy…so why not pick up the broom and sweep away!!!

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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