PLANTAIN

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To be honest I used to think plantain is just banana…period…. I was dead wrong. Today I know that plantain is not just simply a different food, it is one of the World's Healthiest Foods.

Before we look at its calorie content, let me tell you some great news about plantain. The fruit is low in fat, cholesterol and salt and high in fibre.

The potassium in plantain is very good for the heart and helps to prevent heart attack, cancer and stroke and helps lower blood pressure.

It is a good source of vitamins A, B6, and C which helps maintain vision, good skin, and build immunity against diseases, explains the World's Healthiest Foods website. Plantains contain probiotics that aid colon and kidney health.

The bad news is that a large portion of the calories in this food come from sugars and as research shows sugar the main cause of obesity.

The Produce for Better Health Foundation states that a half of a plantain is considered one serving. A half of a plantain contains 110 calories, consequently 1 whole plantain contains 220 calories (raw and cooked).

Most of us, however, like fried plantain instead of the cooked version and we don’t even know how high price we pay for that pleasure. One single slice of plantain contains 68 calories and calories from fat are 32. If you break down the calorie content in fried plantain you get the following: 44% fat, 54% carbs, 2% protein.

So my advice is, even though plantain is such a great source of vitamins and minerals, try to eat it in the morning or maximum at lunch (never in the evening) if you want to lose weight. As we know protein can help you lose weight and plantain contains more carbohydrate.

IS FITNESS STILL A NEW PHENOMENON IN NIGERIA?

Delighted to see that people are into fitness in Nigeria.  My husband said it is not sexy to be huge in Naija culture any more.  It used to be celebrated to become  " round" as a symbol of wealth but not any more.  Women are trying to become fitter and healthier and more attractive to their husband.  Well done,  ladies.  Keep it up. 

WORLD’S STRICTEST PARENTS

I had a conversation with a few church members today after service. Surprisingly they talked about something that I mentioned in my last post. They talked about Nigerian parents and their own experience. The guys said, in Nigeria most of the parents want their children to have very good education and become successful. I think this is actually very good. However, parents sometimes ignore their children’s talent.

One of the greatest examples that my Nigerian friends gave was Fela Kuti. His father didn’t want him to become a musician. Fela was sent to London to study medicine but decided to study music instead. Thank God he went for what he wanted. He became the Afro-music legend. I’m sure there are lots of other talented Nigerians like him.

As a recruitment consultant I’m personally always amazed how educated Nigerian people are. Most of the Nigerian people I interviewed had at least a Master degree if not PhD. They are very educated people thanks for strict parents.

So if Nigerian parents would be strict in the right field then we could have  a lot of famous Nigerians. We are actually working on our son’s career already and of course we are very strict about it. He’s probably going to be the next Olympic champion in swimming. He's training hard already as you can see on the above picture. :)

IS MY NAIJA HUSBAND PREVENTING ME TO ACHIEVE MY DREAMS?

My husband told me that Nigerian culture is very similar to olding days European culture. : Women stays home , cooks, raise kids and husband makes money.

  At some point I was thinking of choosing that route,  too. BUT  I just cannot do it long term.
 I need to do something with my life.  Even my children would be disappointed to know that mummy has never really done anything.

I have no problem of my husband going away to do some business or acting or filming in the other side of the country as long as I can do what I like and he helps me achieve my dreams,  too. I'm very lucky with my hubby because he always support me in whatever I do.

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NON-ALCOHOLIC COCKTAILS

Non-alcoholic cocktails ("mocktails") are fun to make, delicious to drink and great for a quick thirst-quenching treat or party. Even the kids can try one!
Here are some ideas to try...

What you'll need:
A shot glass (to ensure equal measures)
Cocktail shaker (use a glass with a makeshift lid if you don't have one at home)
Straws
Ice and garnish (try lemon slices, pineapple chunks, orange and cherries)
Blender (to mix all of the ingredients to the right consistency)

Having an alcoholic drink can sometimes seem to be part and parcel of every day life. If you are driving, pregnant or breastfeeding, or simply keeping a clear head, then why not whip up the non alcoholic version of a cocktail - a mocktail.

Banana Smoothie: Put 1 banana, a pinch of nutmeg, half a teaspoon of vanilla extract, a cup of milk and two cups of crushed ice in a blender and whip into a thick smoothie.

Berry Surprise: Blend 1 cup of strawberries, a cup of pineapple chunks, half a cup of raspberries and a splash of lime cordial together and serve over ice.

California Smoothie: Place 7 large strawberries in a container and freeze for an hour. Put 8oz lemon yogurt, half a cup of orange juice and the frozen strawberries in a blender and mix until smooth. Add ice and chopped strawberries to garnish.

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FREE AFRICAN DIET PLAN

I have recently received an email from a lady called Bola. She told me that she love to eat Africa foods but not sure which African food to eat that wouldn't add extra pounds to her weights. She asked me to create a diet plan for her that could help her loose weight.

I was more than happy to help her and I asked her to fill out my consultation brief so I could find out a bit more about her.

When creating a diet plan it is extremely important to know the age/sex/occupation/daily routine or even any medical problems of the person. Not surprisingly she admitted that she sometimes skips breakfast and even lunch. This a very common mistake most people make. Thee second common mistake is eating large meals late at night.
I know it is possible eating African food and still loose weight and even maintain your slim figure because that's what I do as well. My husband is a traditional Yoruba man. He's listening to African music, drinking malt drink and if he doesn't eat African food for a day he feels he's not eaten.

Today I'm sharing a sample diet plan that can give you an idea how to create your own personalised African slimming routine. First of all I would like you to pay extra attention on the following factors though:


1. It is extremely important for you to keep your energy level up at all time because you are working/studying and your heart and your organs need energy to function well.

First thing you have to do is to eat breakfast an hour after waking up.

2. After breakfast you have to eat something every three hours.

3. But only the first,third and fifth meal need to be a bit bigger. If you want to lose weight none of your main meals should be bigger than the size of your two hands put together.

4. You need to make sure than you don't eat two hours before going to bed and that the quality of your last meal is very healthy. Unfortunately you cannot eat traditional Nigerian food as your last meal because they are mainly high in fat and carbohydrate.

5. Drink at least 2l of water. If you don't like water put lemon or any fresh fruit into your drink to give it some flavour. It is important to "flush out" your body specially when losing weight.


This is your sample plan below. Enjoy!

Breakfast: plantain, vegetables and eggs with hot drink (e.g. your morning coffee)

Snack: 15 almonds/nuts

Lunch: Brown/ white rice, traditional African stew and salad on the side

Snack: fruit and yoghurt (sugar free version)

Dinner: chicken/fish and steamed vegetables


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"ARE YOU MAD? WHERE ARE MY CHILDREN?"

My French friend has married to a Nigerian guy in 2011 and they don't have a child yet. They have gone to Nigeria a few month ago and the first thing my friend's  husband's mum said to her is "Are you mad? Where are my children?"

In most Nigerian culture the first child is expected from the couple almost immediately after the wedding. Additional to that the birth of male children is still the source of pride and honour in Nigeria, while that of female children is seen as failure. Sometimes this desire for a male child has resulted in husbands pressuring their wives to have more children. 

I was extremely lucky that my first son arrived very quickly. It was only after his first birthday that my mother in law "asked for " a second baby.

Now I have some peaceful time expecting my second child soon. However it took me a while to understand all this pressure. 

An average Nigerian does anything to have a male child, who will carry on the family name in the society. Some female children also retain their family name, even in marriage, to preserve their father’s name.

Secondly the pressure for economic survival has made people to become desperate for a boy.

Some parents expect their children to play a major role in the family up-keep. Up to 65 percent of the Nigeria’s population live below the poverty line, according to the Nigerian Economic Summit held in the country’s administrative capital, Abuja, recently.

If you are married to a Nigerian my advice is just try to understand the culture and take it easy. Bless you!

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POUNDED YAM

To be brutally honest I don't make pounded yam too often and I actually can easily count how many times I made it so far. I know, I should make it for our peaceful marriage sake but ........-....excuses..-....

So at the moment my dear husband needs to eat more rice than yam. Sorry. :)

However I do know a bit about yam. I know e.g. that traditionally pounded yam is made by boiling yams in a pot, and once cooked, it is placed in a mortar and pounded or beaten into a smooth textured dough with a three-five foot tall pestle. Thanks to modern technology, there are now other ways of preparing poundo yam.


This involves yam been processed into a dried powder either by sun drying yam or commercially using desiccating machines. All you need to do is sprinkle the powder into a pot of boiling water and stir the mixture until you obtain your desired texture, then you allow this to cook for a few minutes.


Yam is a good source of energy. 100 g provides 118 calories. It mainly composed of complex carbohydrates and soluble dietary fiber. Together, they raise blood sugar levels rather very slowly than simple sugars and therefore, recommended as the low glycemic index healthy food. And dietary fiber helps reduce constipation, decrease bad cholesterol levels and prevent colon cancer risks.

BUT when you eat pounded yam think about what your nutritional goals are. If you want to lose weight pounded yam maybe not the best choice on the daily basis. In fact, if you take 2 or 3 portions to your stew cooked with goat and a lot of palm oil it will help you GAIN WEIGHT.

This is because pounded yam is high in carbohydrate and relatively high in calories. One slice of pounded yam is 130 kcal and think about how many slices you would normally take. One slice is probably something that my ten months old boy can finish without problem.

I know it's very delicious but you have to reduce its consumption in your diet when you are trying to lose weight.

Sources:
http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/yams.html

WEIGHT-LOSS MYTHS

The following myths are general myths that I came across so far. Please comment and tell me what the Nigerian ones are.

You have to do cardio exercise to lose weight. (Walking, running, cycling, skipping)

I have to admit that it took me a long time to realize that cardio is not the best way to lose weight. A few years ago I believed I had to run to lose excess weight or keep it up. Today I know that I was wasting a lot of time with running.

You don’t need endless running in the gym to become slim! You have to work out with weights! You have to understand that the more muscle you have the more calories your body burns even when you are sleeping, this is because muscle burns more calories than fat.
Now twenty minutes exercise with weights is more than enough for me to keep myself fit.

You have to eat less if you want to lose weight

Good news for food lovers like me is that you don’t have to reduce the amount of food you eat if you ant to lose weight. The trick is to eat the right food at the right times.

Forget very low calorie diets because it is too hard to maintain. Every time I tried to eat very little I finally gave in and ate more calories than I needed, causing weight gain.

Apart from that, not eating decreases metabolism and your body thinks that you are either starving or fasting and reduces your metabolism to keep your most important organs working. You do lose weight but when you start eating your metabolism is still slow and your body thinks that may be this is the last time you will eat (as you've been starving). Consequently you actually start gaining even more weight.

Fat makes you fat
In my experience it is usually excess carbohydrate consumption, and not excess fat consumption that is causing weight gain!

In fact avoiding fat might cause weight gain.
Perhaps what is more useful for people to know is that eating different foods (carbs, proteins, fats and fibre) will affect how much you eat and how often via hormones! Ho many people know this?

Meals high in protein, keep you "fuller for longer". Eat too many carbs, and your body will have no choice but to store the extra energy as fat! In addition you will feel lethargic in the process, and then you soon feel hungry for more carbs! Carbs aren't bad, they are needed to give us energy however its very easy to overeat them!

Skipping meals is a good way to lose weight

Like I said earlier, you need to keep your metabolism fast if you want to lose weight. By skipping meals you can only achieve slow metabolism, a bit of weight loss and a lot a of weigth gain when you start eating again.

If you want to lose weight you still need to eat. Just reduce your portion sizes, eat fresh foods not processed meals , swap snacks such as crisps, chocolate bars etc for rice crackers, nuts and fruits. Cut back (or cut out) on alcohol.
Only eat as much as you need, don't overdo it just because you can.

These are my advice. I hope I could help.

THE NIGERIAN DREAM

Since 2011 I am surrounded by Nigeran people. Most of my friends are actually from Nigeria. It was easy to notice that all strive for a big car giant gele and beautiful jewellery. It's  like "the bigger things I have the richer person I am". Don't get me wrong; this is not unusual in other nations of the world , too. However something is still unusual with these Nigerians. The way to get to this Nigerian dream is: EVERYBODY NEEDS TO SELL SOMETHING.

I've noticed that Nigerians always want to make extra cash. Whatever their occupation might be they always try and sell something. I have friends who sells handbags and shoes, the other one jewellery or even soup or meat pie. Nigerians are smart people. They spot opportunities and they quickly buy into it. I wasn't surprised when my husband spent months and months to get me to sell something. I started with make up and clothes, followed buy books and food. My husband is also a "hard-working bee" currently working on at least 3 different businesses at the  time. He's working in film industry and directing his documentary, he's working on a magazine and helps out at a radio station.

Check out one of his super short documentary:

https://vimeo.com/91630646

DO NIGERIAN CHILDREN GROW UP SLOWER?

As we know in British culture children can get there driving license  from the age of 16 and they can vote from 18. It is not rare to see young mothers on the street pushing the buggy and expecting their second child. Living in England I often get the feeling that life is too short. You have a baby and within 2 decades you can be a grandmother.

Children are grown up adult from the age of 16 and they often move out of their home having their own flat, car and family.

I must say that this isn't the case in my country, Hungary but not even in my husband's country, Nigeria. Children or - I should say - young adults cannot afford to move out of their home early. Some of them live with their parent even at the age of 30. They find it difficult to get a good job that can pay the rent.

Unemployment is a big problem in Nigeria. Excellent education is no guaranty for a bright future. There is a lot of competition or every single position and on the top of that acquiesces are enjoying priority. "If you know someone  at the company you have more chance." - said my husband once.

This is one of the reasons why many people are industrial amongst Nigerians. One of them sews dresses, the other one makes jewelers, the third one cooks for parties. Everybody is busy making money.

And until they get a well-paid job they live with their parents, enjoying mommy's yummy food.

OGBONO SOUP

My husband and I cooked some ogbono soup a few days ago and I became curios about ogbono. I wanted to find out what exactly it is and (because I'm interested in nutrition) I also wanted to know about the medical/herbal value of the seed.

I found out that Ogbono seed is being sold in America as a drug for weight loss. Ogbono helps weight loss by increasing the levels of leptin in the body, a hormone that reduces the apetite and it reduces the amount of blood sugar converted to fat.


The nutritional value of one serving (150mg) of Ogbono soup is 470 calories but most importantly case study done in America actually showed that Ogbono helps to achieve weight loss.


I'm definitely convinced about the importance of Ogbono soup in my diet with a little exception of some ingredience. My husband likes putting cow tongue in the soup but as a hungarian girl I'm still not used to eating tongue! Other than that Ogbono soup is delicious.

RECIPE:

Ingredients:

• Assorted Meat and Fish: Beef, Shaki, DryFish, Stock Fish
• Ogbono Seeds: 2 handfuls
• Palm Oil: 3 Cooking spoons
• Vegetable: Frozen Spinach (you can also use Pumpkin leaves or even Bitterleaf)
• Crayfish: 1 handful
• Pepper and Salt - To taste
• 1 medium size Onion
• 2 Stock cubes (Maggi/Knorr)

Pour the palm oil into a clean dry stainless steel or aluminium pot. Set on the stove and melt the oil at low heat. Remember, only melt the oil, do not allow it to heat up.
Once melted, turn off the heat and add the ground Ogbono.
Use your cooking spoon to dissolve the Ogbono in the oil.
When all the Ogbono powder has completely mixed with the oil, add the meat/fish stock (water from cooking the assorted meat and fish). Set the heat of your cooker to low and start stirring. You will notice the Ogbono start to thicken and draw.
Keep stirring till the Ogbono has completely absorbed the meat stock.
Add a small quantity of the hot water and stir till the Ogbono has absorbed all the water. Repeat this process till you get a consistency that is shown in the video below.
Making sure that your heat is set to low, cover the pot and start cooking. Once it starts to simmer, stir every 2-3 minutes for 20 minutes.
So what you'll do is: every 3 minutes or so, open the pot, stir every well, scraping the Ogbono that sticks to the base of the pot, cover the pot and cook for another 3 minutes.
After 20 minutes, the Ogbono should be well cooked and you will begin to perceive its nice flavour and aroma.
Add the assorted meat and fish, ground crayfish, salt and pepper to taste. The Ogbono may have become thicker from the cooking. If so, add a little bit more water and stir very well. Cover and cook till the contents of the pot is well heated up.

If you prefer your Ogbono Soup without vegetables, turn off the heat and serve but if you like to add a vegetable then keep reading :)
When the contents of the pot have heated up, add the vegetable (frozen Spinach used in the video). Stir very well, cover the pot and turn off the heat. Leave to cook for about 5 minutes and serve with Fufu.