MUSCLE STRAINS: SIMPLE WAYS TO HEAL A TORN MUSCLE AT HOME

It has been a busy ten days for me, plus, I pulled the biceps muscle on my right arm while weight lifting some days ago. I guess I overworked them. Luckily, I had my Aloe Heat lotion and ice to the rescue. This also inspired me to write a short article on relieving muscle strains. A muscle strain, also called a pulled muscle, occurs when a muscle is stretched too far, and small tears occur within the muscle. Depending on the severity of the strain, you could heal yourself at home. 

MEDICINAL BENEFITS OF GUAVA LEAVES

We grew quite a number of fruit trees back in the days, one of which was a guava tree. On several occasions when we complained of tummy upsets, my dad would advise that we washed some guava leaves and chew on them. Surprisingly, it always worked. A few minutes after swallowing the leaves, the pain stopped and we stopped stooling. I had never done any research on why it worked, but, any time I had a tummy upset, I happily went to the tree and plucked off some leaves to chew.

IMPORTANCE OF BREATHING DURING EXERCISE

Oxygen is crucial to human survival. Whilst many of us may survive days without food, lack of oxygen for a few minutes could lead to death. Without the proper oxygen flow throughout the entire body, your organs begin to operate less efficiently leading to health problems.

Proper breathing is essential during exercise. A good breathing pattern ensures the flow of oxygen to the working muscles. Breathing incorrectly during exercise could lead to injuries. Incorrect breathing during exercise includes holding your breath, breathing too shallow or breathing too fast. Holding your breath during exercise allows the blood pressure to go to your head. This can cause dizziness, light-headiness, and headaches. This is a result of the muscles not being able to relax. 

EXERCISE: YOUR STRESS RELIEF AGENT

Stress is an everyday occurrence for most people. Deadlines to meet, traffic rush, relationships, exams etc.  While some stress factors can be avoided, some are out of our control and cannot be avoided. Unavoidable stress needs to be managed by avoiding situations that will cause stress as much as possible. 

THE TRUTH ABOUT LOSING BELLY FAT

A popular question people ask me is “how do I lose belly fat?” Without a doubt everyone, male and female, wants a slimmer waistline and toned abs. There are also many remedies offered, pills, dieting, or exercise. You probably have tried all the solutions available on the internet, but with little or no progress. I am not going to tell you to do any particular exercise or eat a particular food...Okay, maybe I will. The purpose of this article is to highlight some facts you need to know about losing tummy fat.

WHAT IS GLAUCOMA?

Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness. Glaucoma is a group of diseases that damage the eye’s optic nerve and can result in vision loss and blindness. The damage to the vision may be so gradual you may not notice any loss of vision until the disease is at an advanced stage. Studies have shown that increased eye pressure is a major risk factor for optic nerve damage. Early diagnosis and treatment can minimize or prevent optic nerve damage and limit glaucoma-related vision loss. It is important therefore to check your eye pressure regularly. One of my grandmother’s was diagnosed with glaucoma. Unfortunately, it was not detected early and this led to blindness. She lived many years blind before she passed on.