WISH ME GOOD LUCK FOR THE HALF-MARATHON !!!!

Hi everyone,

Today is the big day ,Sunday August 25th 2013 and I will be running the Fleetwood Half-Marathon for TWO NIGERIAN charities -- The "FORTE,charity for inspiration" and "A wa po" charity.

Both charities are donating for children in Nigeria.

FORTE helps youth in Africa to become motivated and educated. FORTE encourages them by giving valuable advice, free books (Book clubs exist), motivational talks/seminars and financial assistance for education. FORTE has been active since 2008. Greatness begins in the mind! 

More information on:  www.AfinikiAkanet.co.uk

If you want to donate to this charity go to:

www.justgiving.com/whitenaijagirl

A Wa Po - Yoruba for "we are together" - is a charitable organisation that develops education opportunities for children across Nigeria, who are affected by poverty, disability and discrimination. We specialize in vocational ICT training in order to create employment opportunities for the children.More information on:  http://www.awapo.co.uk/

If you want to donate to this charity go to:

www.justgiving.com/whitenaijagirl1

I've set up a justgiving fundraising page to make it easy for you to donate.
Remember: Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never share them with anyone or send you unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. They'll make sure Gift Aid (an additional 28%) is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer, too. That means more money goes to the charity, faster, with JustGiving.

ARE NIGERIANS MORE OPTIMISTIC?

I've read a novel called Rebecca by an English author Daphne du Maurier  and a well written sentence caught my eye :

"Happiness is not a possession to be prized, it is a quality of thought, a state of mind"

I think this sentence is very complex and successfully understanding each layer can be quite the undertaking. My understanding is the following:

As people grow older, they tempt to associate happiness with things like a good job, a better and bigger property, a car,  or other material things. But what does actually happiness mean? Is happiness a feeling? A learnt behavior? Or a decision?

Since I met my husband I learnt a lot about happiness. He is from Nigeria, a country where people are struggling to survive and most of whom struggle on less than a dollar a day and electricity is switched off for the night. Nigerians really don't have it easy. They are going through bad things every day but they try not to let cicumtances to wave them. And still according to a Gallup end of year poll ranked Nigerians as the happiest people in the world in terms of their economic fortunes for 2011.


2012 was't easier for the country again for example because of the government proposal to remove the fuel subsidy on petrol and that the proce of a litre of petrol jumped from 65 naira to 139 naira a litre.
It of course badly hit ordinary people.

The Islamist terror group Boko Haram continued its campaign across the north-east and Abuja then there was the story that shocked the whole nation when the young woman was raped by five young men.

So, I was thinking what do Nigerians have  to be so optimistic about? I had a quick "interview" with my husband and he argues that "Nigerians have been taught to be positive and have hope every day.
Even if there is no light tomorrow or there is another rape next week, we -Nigerians- always hope that things get better. They live on hope"

I personally loves this way of thinking. I wish the country where I'm from would be a bit more optimistic. As for Hungarians I asked my husband to describe them with a single word. He said : complains...

I guess we have a lot to learn from Nigerians then.

WHY YOUNG MONEY?

This article is written by Gbenga Afolabi on youngmoneyuk.blogspot.co.uk

"The reason why I chose to do my News Item on the subject of Youth Entrepreneurship is connected with my background and upbringing. As someone coming from Nigeria, a country where the rate of unemployment is 7x the rates obtainable here in the UK, entrepreneurship is a ubiquitous phenomenon. Almost everyone runs their own petty or large business alongside working for others. It is not uncommon to see university lecturers selling hand outs in order to supplement their wages, which is usually quite low. A lot of students run their own business alongside their studies.

As a student in Nigeria, I had at least two streams of income. This helped me with my upkeep. And this has stayed with me till today even in the UK, as I am always engaged in one form of business or another. Nigeria is a country where Winston Churchill’s famous saying “ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country” holds true more in the aspect of youth entrepreneurship than in the UK. The difference between Nigeria and UK couldn’t be more stack in this respect. Perhaps this is why commentators have deemed Nigerians as the happiest people in the world- the ability to decide your own destiny.

As a welfare state, the UK makes provision for her populace in form of unemployment benefits, income support, and housing benefits etc., something that is Utopian in Oil rich Nigeria. Nonetheless, the fact that many British people get handed everything on a “platter of gold” in my opinion, makes a tangible amount of people less competitive and unproductive and perpetually living on the breadline. Many will live out their lives never using their innate skills and talents because of the lack of an environment where creativity and entrepreneurship is actively encouraged. 

Thankfully, now, there is a case for youth entrepreneurship. With unemployment among young people hovering around the one million mark, it is time to start debating the topic as well as shining some light on its intricacies. And since obviously the media shapes our worldview in a larger way than we are aware of, there isn’t a better time than the present to put the subject of Youth entrepreneurship in the headlines."

Read on http://youngmoneyuk.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/why-young-money.html

THE WORLD’S BEST DIET

A few years ago I had a very difficult time and as so many women when life is stressful I ate a lot. In a short period of time I put on so much weight that I started to feel uncomfortable. When I finally decided to do something about it, I did some research and I found the best diet ever.

So many of my friends asked me how I did it that I decide to write a book to explain how it works. Since then I introduced African foods in my diet and now I’m keeping my weight off successfully with Egusi soup and pounded yam.

My book is probably going to be called White Naija Babe Diet but I’m still working on it now. In the meantime I launched whitenaijagirl.blogspot.co.uk (very soon whitenaijagirl.co.uk) where I can share thoughts and ideas that are key to the book, including Nigerian culture, diet, Yoruba language lessons and provide example of things that really work when it comes to losing weight.

So let’s get back to a few years ago when I decided to not eat sugar and flour for a couple of days. This was my diet that I created after a lot of research. Much to my surprise, I dropped weight. FAST. I got so motivated I've kept it up.

No flour is easy. No bread, no regular pasta. Thai noodles are good - the glass noodles are made from beans, and they use rice noodles too.

The hardest thing is the sugar. It's in EVERYTHING. In salad dressing, sauces, ALL SUGAR. I also found out that sugar has a lot of name: Fructose, Sucrose, Corn Syrup, High Fructose Corn Syrup. If you see these things on labels, it simply means SUGAR.

Today I still do this diet more or less as I don’t want to lose more weight and because my diet now contains a lot of African dishes. I changed my old diet to a bit more African and it seems to work very well.

I've got three friends doing it and they've all lost weight! I told them give it three days - get on the scale today, do this for three days and you'll see results - AND THEY HAVE!!! LOTS!

What do I do?

• I eat rice. LOTS. But if I can I try to eat the healthier brown version. 
• I give it 3 hours before bed for my last meal of the day. 
• Drink a lot of water. 
• Take a Magnesium supplement - it helps burn fat and kicks up my metabolism. 
• Stop eating when I’m full. I’m telling myself things like: “You can have a snack later, don’t worry!” Try to eat smart: No fried food. No high-sugar fruits or juice. 
• Not a lot of red meat simply because it's high in saturated fat. 
• Try to do some exercise every day. Exercise is something I don't mind doing anyway. I do some walking and weightlifting because I've heard that your body will burn off more calories when you're resting if you have more muscle mass. 

For me it was easy, I don't eat much bread anyway, so I've never missed those. I ate some pasta, but it was never my first choice, so that was not a big deal for me. I only had some problem with giving up sugar but I found the solution for that already. Lots of people who are gluten intolerant eat this way all the time However, I know it's not for everyone, but it sure has worked for me.

Happy eating!

2 WEEKS HOLIDAY CLUB FOR KIDS

I'm currently volunteering at our local church in a program called holiday club. 

We run this club from 12th August to 23rd August and it takes place at New Covenant Church Manchester,- 1 Matthews Ln, Manchester M12 4QW - from 11.00 am until 4.00pm,registration in the main hall. It is for mainly local children of the community between the age of 5 and 16.


We have a particular theme of activities -  including zumba, swimming, cooking, creative activities. We also provide lunch for all the kids and snack before they leave. 

For the games and craft the children are divided into age groups, younger and older, which makes it easier to tailor the activities to suit a particular age range. Each evening the children take home the craft item that they have made as a memento.

The two weeks club with an invitation to parents and grandparents to the Friday when everyone comes along and has the opportunity to join in the fun.

We have a core planning team of about eight with others willing to help out on the event. We also have several very capable teenagers/young adults who take a very active role each day.

And the best thing about it that this cost only 1 pound / child as the event funded by Boys Brigade.

Please bring along your child and let them have fun.

YORUBA PROVERB

Ti ọwọ́ ọmọ là ńgbà; kò sẹ́ni tó lè gba tinú ọmọ. 

It's what a child has that can be taken away; no one can strip him of what he contains.

[Man may hinder, but can't stop a determined soul]

EXERCISE CLASS - COME AND JOIN US AT NEW COVENANT CHURCH IN MANCHESTER

Every Saturday from 7pm to 8pm. Bring towel and a bottle of drink.
You will love it!!!!!!!!!!

PICTURE BY GBENGA AFOLABI

This is a picture taken by my dear husband Gbenga Afolabi. I just want to say thank you, my Darling. I don't have words to describe what I feel for you. I fall deeper in your love with every passing day. Every moment I spend with you, feels like a dream. I'm madly in love with you.

Emese Afolabi

YORUBA PROVERB

Ohun tó ṣe àkàlàmàgbò tó fi dẹ́kun ẹ̀rin rínrín, tó bá ṣe igúnnugún á wokoko mórí ẹyin ni. /
If what took laughter away from the crow, had befallen the vulture, it would have been stuck on its eggs.

[We have different tolerance limits]

UK BLACK ENTREPRENEURS & PROFESSIONALS NIGHT OUT

Meet Business Owners, Entrepreneurs, Investors and Professionals on this platform to share ideas, recruitments to jobs, tips and contacts. No speeches and frills, just Networking. Tea, Coffee, Water, Fruits & Biscuits will be served. Come with lots of Business Cards to network. (This is going to be a sell out event, please RSVP on time because closer to the event Price is £15.00)

The event will be on Friday, 30 August 2013 , at 7pm -8:30pm

CHECK THIS OUT FOR BUSINESS IN NIGERIA

Nigeria is projected to be the leading economy in sub-Saharan Africa within the next decade. This will affect the prosperity of not only the West African region, but the entire continent and more globally. The UK and Nigeria have agreed to double bilateral trade from £4bn in 2010 to £8bn in 2014.


UKTI in Nigeria helps companies in Britain increase their competitiveness through overseas trade in Nigeria:
https://www.gov.uk/government/world/organisations/uk-trade-investment-nigeria

YORUBA PROVERB

A fi ẹ̀gúsí jẹ iyán tán, èpo rẹ̀ wá di oun àìjí rí. / 

After melon had been used to eat pounded yam, its peelings now became offensive.

[Once people have achieved their goals, they often ignore or discredit those who helped them along the way]

WORD FOR TODAY

I believe in the sun even when it's not shining. I believe in love even when I can't feel it. I believe in God even when he is silent. 

MOOD AND BRAIN BOOSTING FOODS

Proper diet and nutrition plays a very significant role in our mood and behavior.  A person’s food intake can literally affect brain function.


It’s important that we focus our attention on feeding ourselves powerful mood and brain boosting foods so that we thrive and minimize moodiness.


 A number of mood and brain boosting foods are listed below:

Fatty Fish

Seafood like salmon,  tuna, mackerel, and sardines are packed with omega-3 fatty
acids, powerful and versatile nutrients that are essential for a healthy mind.


Leafy Green and Cruciferous Veggies

This includes broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, bok choy, and brussels sprouts. They’re filled with antioxidants like vitamin C and plant compounds called carotenoids, which are particularly powerful brain protectors.


Asparagus

This vegetable is one of the top plant-based sources of tryptophan, which serves as a basis for the creation of serotonin, one of the brain's primary mood-regulating neurotransmitters.


Avocado, Oils, Nuts, and Seeds

They all contain the important antioxidant vitamin E. In one study, researchers found that people who consumed moderate amounts vitamin E from food, lowered their risk of ADD by 67%.


Dark Chocolate

Dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa) contains flavonoids, another class of antioxidants that
some research links to brain health.


Berries

Research indicates these antioxidant powerhouses may protect your brain.

LOSE WEIGHT WITH NIGERIAN FOOD

Like I said you can eat whatever you love and you will still lose weight. Whether its “eba” with “egusi” soup or chocolates or pizza? YES. You can eat those kinds of foods and still create calorie deficit! Even more! You will increase your metabolism and the fat-burning hormones in your body.
BUT you need to know what is happening in your body when you eat too much of amala and egusi soup in one sitting. I could have also said pounded yam and stew as most of Nigerian foods are starches that raise blood sugar level too quickly in our body.



As we discussed in my last post after meal glucose arrives in our body via bloodstream. This releases Insulin (a hormone that lowers blood glucose levels) which is stored inside beta-cells. The insulin travels to other part of the body in the bloodstream and helps tissues, such as fat, muscle and liver to store glucose as energy source.
The problem occurs when you eat too much starchy foods at once and you have too much sugar in your system. Insulin hormone is tying to deliver the sugar to your cells that really need energy but sometimes your body just “says” NO, I had enough I don’t need glucose right now. I don’t have room for it.



And what does anyone do when they run out of room? They sore the leftovers in storage unit. And the body’s storage unit is the fat cell.
With other words: Imagine you have a paper cup and there is a small hole in the bottom of it. If you hold that cup under running water unless you turn off the faucet in time, the water will overflow from the top of the cup before the cup has a chance to be emptied.



Our bodies are the same. Once we “turn on the water” or begin eating, our bodies begin to digest the food. If we let the water keep running (over eat at any given meal), there is not enough room in the body to store all of those calories, so the likelihood of them 'over-flowing' and being stored as fat is higher.
The point is that although you need carbs every 4 hours, you don’t want to flood your sytem with glucose by eating too many carbs at one time. But you also don’t want to deprive your system of glucose by eating too few carbs.



So what’s the solution? My Nigerian friends that I’m helping to lose weight all eating Nigerian foods regularly, every 3 hours and do you know what? They lose weight. I explained to them that by eating often (every 3 hour, starting within 1 hour after waking up) they can control their blood sugar level beautifully and by doing that they can lose weight. I told them to get a smaller amount of carbs at all times.
This is like a dream come true to them because they don’t want to stop eating Nigerian food when they are losing weight. I can agree with them. Why would you stop eating something that you’ve been enjoyed your whole life?.....

EXERCISE CLASS AT NEW COVENANT CHURCH

Hi every one!


I hope you all know by now that I love exercising. However I noticed that people in my -mainly Nigerian- church don't get enough exercise. I was wondering whether they don't like exercising or they just don't have time for it. People explained to me that Nigerian women in the UK are really struggling to have time for themselves. "It's not like back in Africa where people have maids." - they said.

Here they have to do all the housework themselves and most of them even work full time. On the other hand they have more kids than average British citizens. And kids keep them very busy UNLESS they are in church where children can go to there class during prayer sessions.

I feel like part of my mission to help Nigerians become healthier and fitter even if need some trick to do that. So I talked to Pastor's wife Mrs Esther Oludipe to help me organize an exercise class in church. I think people would have more chance to come this way.

After discussing all sort of "issues" about it we finally decided to do the class on every Saturday at 7-8pm in our church - New Covenant Church , 1 Matthews Lane, Manchester M12 4QW.

The class is FREE and everybody is more than welcome.

Hope to see you there. God bless.

PREVENT STRETCH MARKS

Congratulations, if you’re pregnant! Having a baby is a wonderful experience. I bet it would be even more wonderful if we wouldn’t end up with stretch marks after the 10 months pregnancy.

The bitter truth is that between 75 and 90% of women develop stretch marks during pregnancy. As you put on weight, your skin is gradually stretched further and further, usually causing darker lines on your body. Stretch marks can appear on the thighs, buttocks and on the breasts as they get bigger.

But don’t worry there is always a solution. When I was pregnant I found some tricks and tips that can help you prevent your skin from damaging.

Your intake of certain foods has a huge impact on your skin elasticity. Increase your intake of the following foods to keep your skin healthy and help prevent stretch marks.

• Vitamin E to increase skin elasticity. You can find vitamin E in Breakfast cereals (the best is unsweetened porridge), nuts, tomatoes, spinach, carrot, pumpkin, pepper, broccoli, sweet potato, fish, mango. 
• Eat nuts and seeds (Brazil nuts, Almonds, Walnuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds) 
• Vitamin C (hot chili pepper, bell pepper, broccoli, kiwi, papaya, oranges) 
• Zinc (oysters, roast beef, pumpkin, squash, dark chocolate, lamb, peanut, crab) 
• Silica (banana, wholegrain bread, raisin, green beans, carrot, rice) 
• Drinking lots of water 

And my last advice is: It’s normal to put on weight, but try not to “eat for two”. The extra calories that a pregnant woman should take to nourish the baby are about 300 extra calories per day.

Enjoy your pregnancy!

HOW TO MOTIVATE YOURSELF TO DO SOME EXERCISE?

There are a few simple tips to motivate yourself  to get some exercise. Every one of us have weaknesses that can prevent us from becoming healthy and super fit. However it is very import\ant to overcome these weaknesses in order to enjoy a quality life together with our family and love ones.

One of the best motivational tips I’ve ever heard is that you have to act like you already lost the weight you are trying to loose. Imagine that you are lean, imagine it very strongly. You can even look for your hero that you want to be like. Print out her/his picture and visualize it very strongly that you already have that kind of beautiful body. Find out what sort of exercise your hero does and copy it. Remember celebrities and very successful people are people just like us. If they can achieve that amazing shape you can do the same too. This is the method I've used after I had my first babay and probably will be using next time as well.

You can use the same technique when you are struggling to start your exercise for the day. If you don’t feel motivated then act like it. Act like you are super motivated and the funny thing is that you will begin to feel like it. Amazing!

When you are not very keen on exercising, start slowly. Look for a dynamic music and just start moving, put your leg to the right place, then the other one, then the other one…Don’t think of the whole program, just the actual set that you are doing. When you’ve finished move onto the next one, then the next one, then the next one… Easy, isn't it? It definitely works for me.

Sometimes I make a deal with myself. For example I say: When I’m done with my exercise I can watch my favorite TV show. By the way you can always use the time when you are watching TV to do some exercise.

My last advice is one of the most important: Find a reason why to do it. It’s quite difficult to motivate yourself to do exercise if you don’t even have a good reason for it. 

You can motivate yourself with the bikini season or that you want to look good for your husband. Important is that it gets you to work.

These are my advises for today. Please let me know which one of them works for you. Looking forward to hearing from you.