Eating Out & Entertaining

Introduction

"Would you like that 'supersized'?" is a common question at fast-food restaurants. The large portions we're served when eating out at restaurants and take-out establishments can foil any healthy diet or weight loss program. The good news is that eating out healthfully has never been easier.

Whether you're on the road, in an airport, or in your neighbourhood, you'll find that nearly all restaurants offer healthy choices for discriminating diners. When eating out, you can almost always find a nutritious salad, grilled chicken sandwich, or cup of soup that will satisfy your hunger without excess calories. (Just watch out for "all you can eat" buffets that tempt you into eating more than you should.)

At restaurants, "have it your way" -- ask for the food to be prepared the way you like it. And be picky when scanning the offerings at parties, picnics, or barbeques. When eating with friends at a party or a picnic, your best bet is bring a healthy dish to share. That way, you can be sure there's something nutritious for you to eat.

Experts offer the following tips to help you make the most nutritious and healthy choices when you're eating out:

Have sauces served on the side.
Choose light salad dressings or vinaigrettes, served on the side.
Go for foods that are baked, broiled, roasted, grilled -- any preparation other than fried is the best choice.
Select broth-based soups.
Have tomato or vegetable toppings on pasta.
Go easy on the cheese.
Limit bread, chips, or whatever is in the basket while you await your meal.
Order fresh fruit or fruit sorbet for dessert.
Choose grilled chicken or lean meat sandwiches.
Hold the french fries; substitute a side salad (easy on the dressing).
Skip the casseroles unless you know what they contain.
Choose simply prepared foods without lots of extra ingredients and calories.
Enjoy as many simply prepared vegetables as you like.
Keep portions small.
Avoid mindless hand-to-mouth eating.
Enjoy a salad and an appetizer in place of an entree, or take home half your meal for tomorrow's lunch.

What Are the Causes of Red Skin?

If you blush because you are embarrassed or shy, you have a temporary condition that turns your face red. It's nothing to worry about. But some people have other, more serious conditions that turn their skin redsome short-term and some long-term.Labels





Rosacea
Rosacea is a skin condition that includes bumpy skin, acne-like breakouts and red skin that gets worse if you drink alcohol or eat spicy foods, according to freebeautytips.org. Rosacea tends to occur in fair-skinned people, who blush easily. Rosacea starts slowly and persists until a person's face is always red, pimples occur and blood vessels in the center of the face (cheeks, chin, nose and forehead) become visible. Skincarephysicians.com reports that rosacea may be caused by Demodex folliculorum, a mite that lives in hair follicles. The mites clog oil glands and this results in inflammation or red skin. The medical community also believes that Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium that results in intestinal infection, may be the cause. Rosacea afflicts mostly women; however, when men have this condition, it causes rhinophyma, which makes the nose appear extremely red, deformed and too big, according to sbmedex.wordpress.com.

Contact Dermatitis
If you have sensitivity or an allergy to certain substances and your skin turns red when you come in to contact with these substances, this is contact dermatitis, according to revolutionhealth.com. Contact dermatitis can cause your skin to hurt, swell, heat up and become scarlet. Some soaps and detergents may have this effect, as can household cleaning products. Other culprits include rubber products, latex, elastic and dyes.

Sunburn
A sunburn can turn your skin red. When skin is overly exposed to the sun's ultraviolet rays, the skin becomes inflamed and turns red. Although summertime sunburns are well documented, your skin can burn anytime you are exposed to the sun without wearing sunscreen.

Red Rashes
Psoriasis results in red, scaly, itchy patches on your joints, according to medicineplus.com. Diaper rash will turn an infant's bottom red. Poison ivy will result in a red rash anywhere that your body has been exposed to the plant. Cradle cap, which newborns sometimes get, is called seborrheic dermatitis. The baby's scalp is affected by this condition because of overproduction of skin oil and irritation caused by yeast (malessizia), according to medicineplus.com. This can cause red skin, but not always. Other rashes that can turn a child's skin red include milia, heat rash, eczema, a yeast infection and baby acne, according to righthealth.com.

Additional Causes
A high temperature can cause a person's skin to become flushed. Cellulitis is a skin infection caused by bacteria that can make your skin feel hot to the touch. Cellulitis is painful. The infected area will become red. Scarlet fever is a sickness that is caused by a bacteria called group A streptococcus. It will result in a rash consisting of tiny red bumps that appear on the abdomen and chest. People who drink excessive amounts of alcohol may develop a red nose.

Medication
According to wrongdiagnosis.com, Stevens Johnson Syndrome is a rare condition that is often caused by medications and can result in red patches on the skin, in addition to rashes, blisters in the mucous membranes, persistent fever, swollen eyelids, flu symptoms and conjunctivitis. Whenever a patient starts on a new medication, he and his doctor should be on the lookout for these symptoms, because this syndrome can be fatal.

US embassy in Nigeria warns of possible terror attack on Sheraton Hotel in Lagos

The United States Embassy in Nigeria today Friday May 2nd issued a warning to U.S citizens, asking them to avoid Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states, and also said 'groups associated with terrorism' are planning an attack on Sheraton Hotel in Lagos.

The warning was posted on their website .
The Department of State warns U.S. citizens of the risks of travel to Nigeria and recommends that U.S. citizens avoid all travel to Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe states because of the May 14, 2013 state of emergency proclamation for those three states by the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. As of late April, groups associated with terrorism allegedly planned to mount an unspecified attack against the Sheraton Hotel in Nigeria, near the city of Lagos. There was no further information regarding which of the two Sheraton Hotels in Lagos was the possible target, or if both of the Sheraton Hotels are possible targets. There is no further information regarding the timing or method of attack. U.S. citizens are cautioned to avoid these hotels at this time.

The security situation in the country remains fluid and unpredictable. The U.S. Department of State strongly urges U.S. citizens in Nigeria to keep personal safety and health in the forefront of your planning. We remind U.S. citizens to review your personal security plans; remain aware of your surroundings, including local events; and monitor local news stations for updates. Maintain a high level of vigilance and take appropriate steps to enhance your personal security.

The Department strongly advises U.S. citizens who travel to or reside in Nigeria to enrol in the State Department's Smart Traveller Enrolment Program (STEP). U.S. citizens without internet access may enrol directly with the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. STEP enrolment gives you the latest security updates, and makes it easier for the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate to contact you in an emergency.

What to Feed Your Baby in Year 1 - Starting Solids

Start Solids at 4-6 Months
That's the recommended time to introduce solid foods -- usually rice cereal mixed with breast milk or formula, to start. But it's not just about age. Before starting solids, babies should be able to sit up (with support), turn their heads away, and make chewing motions. And, they should be over the "extrusion reflex" that makes them spit out anything but liquid.

19 Habits That Wreck Your Teeth

Teeth

It’s natural and sugar free, so you might think ice is harmless. But munching on hard, frozen cubes can chip or even crack your teeth. And if your mindless chomping irritates the soft tissue inside a tooth, regular toothaches may follow. Hot foods and cold foods may trigger quick, sharp jabs of pain or a lingering toothache. Next time you get the urge for ice, chew some sugarless gum instead.

Playing Sports With No Mouth Guard
Whether you play football, hockey, or any other contact sport, don't get in the game without a mouth guard. This is a piece of molded plastic that protects the upper row of teeth. Without it, your teeth could get chipped or even knocked out when the action gets rough. Self-fitting mouth guards may be purchased at a store, or you can have one custom made by your dentist.

Amaka Igwe is dead

Foremost producer, writer, director and a leading player in the Nigerian motion picture industry, Amaka Igwe has passed on. She died last night April 28th in Enugu after an asthma attack. Mrs Igwe had gone to Enugu in company of her husband for pre-production preparations for a new Igbo soap when the sad incident occurred.

She suffered an asthma attack and was immediately rushed to the hospital after initial intervention had failed but sadly died before getting there. 

Mrs Igwe is survived by her husband of 21 years Charles Igwe, three children, an aged mother. So sad! May her soul rest in peace...amen.

Born Amaka Isaac-Ene, the deceased was an accomplished writer, producer, director, entrepreneur and teacher.

culled lindaikeji.blogspot.com

She is the founder of BoBTV Expo, founder and CEO of Top Radio 90.9FM, Amaka Igwe Studios, and the newly-launched Q Entertainment Networks.

A visionary and pioneer of modern Nigerian TV drama and film, she hit national limelight as the writer and producer of award-winning TV soap 'Checkmate' and its off shoot 'Fuji House of Commotion'.

Her Nollywood projects include RattleSnake and Violated - two critically-acclaimed movies that set apart Amaka Igwe Studios in the much-criticised Nollywood industry. 

Amaka Igwe studied Education/Religion at the University of Ife (Now Obafemi Awolowo University). She had a Master's Degree from the University of Ibadan. She had her early education at All Saints School (Now Trans Ekulu Primary School), Girls High School Awkunanaw, Enugu and Idia College, Benin.

She worked as a lecturer at the Anambra State University of Technology and briefly in oil and Gas, before settling for the motion picture industry.

OPERATION UNDERWAY FOR ABDUCTED SCHOOLGIRLS

Nigerian Pastor T.B. Joshua proclaimed to his congregation on Sunday 27th April 2014 that the abducted schoolgirls in Borno State were on the verge of being released by ‘God’, adding that almost half had already escaped their kidnappers clutches.

Amid mounting public fury and an international outcry over the fate of 230 kidnapped Nigerian teenage girls – now missing for nearly two weeks – the controversial cleric declared, “They have to be released. That is the voice of God!”

He proceeded to describe a revelation he claimed God had shown him. “I saw a vision where some of these girls have escaped and they are trying to find their way from the forest to the town.”
He added that the remaining children under custody would also be released soon. “God has spoken – these children must be released,” Joshua authoritatively declared. “We can’t wait to see them.”
In a message broadcast live via Joshua’s widely viewed station Emmanuel TV and subsequently posted on his official Facebook page followed by close to 1,000,000, he counseled the girl’s parents to know that people felt their pain. “It is not your battle alone but the battle of all people of God all over the world. They are also our children.”

Joshua, however, warned that security forces involved in rescue efforts should be careful not to be drawn into unnecessary confrontation. “God has promised all of them will come out free, without harm and hurt. However, if there is unnecessary confrontation, it may affect them,” the pastor, whose recent YouTube clip showing a prophecy of the ill-fated MH370 plane went
 viral and garnered international media attention, cautioned.

“Let us be prayerful and at the same time be tactical and strategic, so they will not harm our dear schoolgirls,” he advised. “Their captors are in a place where they cannot move forward or backwards. Confrontation is dangerous.”

Joshua then led the 30,000 strong congregation at The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations (SCOAN) in prayer. “Pray for the protection of these girls. Remember our security forces too in prayer. Ask God to give them more wisdom and a clean and clear strategy, so that their approach will not be attack for attack. No matter what the militants do, even if they attack, they should not attack back in order not to harm our girls.”

The Nigerian cleric, who is touted to be one of Africa’s 50 most influential people and was the recent focus of an Associated Press interview, concluded by advising his supporters to observe Tuesday as a day of prayer. “With God, all things are possible.”

His Facebook post was signed off with the hashtag #BringBackOurGirls which has come to characterize the voice of concern from social media users as to seemingly lackluster response from the Nigerian government to the crisis.

On Monday 14th April 2014, insurgents suspected of belonging to the jihadi group Boko Haram abducted the girls, who were students at Chibok Government Girls’ Secondary School, from their dormitories, loading them onto trucks, before setting the boarding school ablaze.
The girls, who are all aged between 16 and 18 and mostly come from
 Christian families, are thought to be held captive in a notorious region called the Sembisa Forest, a known jungle hideout of Boko Haram in Borno State. The search and rescue operation for the remaining captive teenagers has yielded no positive results so far, and to mounting public frustration, has also been shrouded in secrecy.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague said he is “appalled” by the abductions. Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown said he too was in contact with the Nigerian authorities and had offered assistance. “The world must wake up to the escalating tragedy now engulfing Nigeria,” he said.