10 TIPS TO LIVING HEALTHY

Eating healthily is all about balance. Every now and then it's perfectly OK to have pie for dinner or a nice slice of cake at teatime – treats are a part of life – but it's also important to recognise when we're pushing things too far. Indulgent food should be enjoyed and savoured, but only occasionally – it's important to remember that the majority of our diet should be made up of balanced, nutritious everyday foods. Make healthy food a priority in your life and allow it to bring your family and friends together. Learn to love how it makes you feel, how delicious it is and remember that a healthy balanced diet and regular exercise are the keys to a healthy lifestyle.

1. COOK FROM SCRATCH

This is one of the most important life skills you can learn. It allows you to have complete control of what goes into your food.

2. EAT A BALANCED DIET

Aim to eat a balanced diet that contains each of the food groups in the correct proportions.

3. VARIETY IS KEY – EAT THE RAINBOW

Fill your diet with a wide range of fruits, vegetables, lean meats, fish, eggs, pulses, nuts, seeds, wholegrains and naturally low fat dairy foods. When it comes to fruit and veg, different colours provide your body with the different nutrients it needs to stay strong and healthy – it's not just greens that are good for you!

4. UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE EATING

Make an effort to learn about the food you're eating – we all need to understand where food comes from and how it affects our bodies.

5. EAT NUTRITIOUS CALORIES

Make sure the majority of your energy intake comes from nutritious calories that also provide your body with nutrients like vitamins, minerals, protein, fibre and good fats. Avoid empty calories.

6. DON'T SKIP BREAKFAST

Breakfast kick-starts your metabolism and helps you to be alert and awake throughout the day. Make sure you always eat a nutritious breakfast. Make it wholesome and make it count.

7. READ THE SMALL PRINT

It's important to read packaging correctly. Be aware of the recommended portion sizes, and the sugar, salt and saturated fat contents. Remember that not all E-numbers are bad, but too many is often a bad sign.

8. DRINK MORE WATER

Water is an essential part of your diet. Drink plenty of water and avoid empty calories from things such as fizzy drinks, energy drinks or juices with added sugar. Eat your calories don't drink them.

9. KEEP ACTIVE

Exercise is an extremely important factor in staying healthy so try to be as active as you can.

10. SLEEP WELL

Make sure you get enough sleep – it's an essential part of being healthy and directly affects how well we are able to learn, grow and act in life. While we're asleep, our bodies have that all-important time to repair.

HOW TO GET RID OF ARMPIT ODOUR

Armpit odour can be an embarrassing problem for many people. For some, the odour is barely noticeable and does not pose a problem. But for others, body odour problems can be ongoing. It can lead to social isolation, self esteem and even end relationships.

Actually sweat does not have much of a smell, the stink is produced by the bacteria which live on the surface of the skin. The bacteria break down the sweat, and the waste product is responsible for the odour. Since the cause of armpit odour is bacteria, it makes sense that if we reduce the amount of sweat then we can prevent the bacteria that depend on it.

These tips will help you smell nice and feel good all day long if you are concerned about the way your armpit smell.

USE A DEODORANT OR DEODORANT WITH ANTIPERSPIRANT .Deodorants get rid of the odour of sweat by covering it up, and antiperspirants stop or dry up perspiration. They come in sticks, roll-ons, gels, sprays, and creams. Whichever one you choose to use, make sure that you spray it on frequently.

GOOD PERSONAL HYGIENE also plays an essential part in preventing armpit odour. You should shower or bath after any activity that causes you to sweat a lot because excessive sweating can make you stink.

WASH YOUR ARMPITS THOROUGHLY, you may need to spend a little extra time washing the armpits if that is where the smell problem exists.

CONSIDER REMOVING ARMPIT HAIR, armpit hair can be a major contributing factor to the odour. Sweat, dead skin cells, lotions and deodorants can stick to your hair and create a space for bacteria to thrive.

THE POWER OF LIME,cut your lime in half and then wipe each of the halves on each armpit. Lime's ability to combat armpit sweat is due to its acidity. The acid in the lime juice helps reduce sweat production and can work as a natural deodorant.

BABY POWDER OR TALC CAN BE APPLIED TO YOUR ARMPIT AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR ANTIPERSPIRANT.
Drink enough water to keep your body hydrated.
Keep yourself fresh and say goodbye to that embarrassing armpit odour!

7 FOODS THAT CAN DRAIN YOUR ENERGY

Chronic fatigue is a problem for over one million Americans, and more often than not what we put into our bodies is what causes our distress. Aside from lack of sleep, an unhealthy or unbalanced diet causes a myriad of health problems. More importantly it can drain our energy, which causes us to drink more coffee or eat more to keep those levels up, which in turn throws us further into the cycle of tiredness.

Many of our favorite foods to snack on during the day may be the answer to our slow demise. Foods loaded with salt, sugar or even caffeinated beverages cause a quick rise in energy followed by a "crash." Debi Sibler, M.S., R.D., and president of Lifestyle Fitness Inc., says that sugar gives us energy but also causes us to crash and leaves us looking for more. She says that one tip to cutting back on sugar is bringing low sugar snacks with you when you need a pick-me-up.

Here's a list of some foods that are draining your energy. By avoiding these foods, you may find that your energy is thriving, you're getting better sleep, and your general wellbeing is increased.

1. CAFFEINE
There are few people who don't rely on a morning cup of coffee, and there are many who sip on multiple servings a day. Even coffee in the morning and some sort of soda, tea, or other caffeinated beverage in the afternoon can be detrimental to your energy supply. Sibler says that caffeine can leave us "tired and wired."

"If we need sleep and we choose caffeine instead, we continue to throw off our natural sleep cycle," Sibler says.

Try tapering down the amount of caffeine you drink or limiting yourself to one serving in the morning to see how it affects your quality of sleep. Our body is meant to regulate our energy supply, but constantly fueling it with fake energy only leaves us more tired each day.

2. FATTY FOODS
Ever eat a thick burger and begin dozing off soon after? We've all been there. Fatty and greasy foods like burgers, fries, or almost any fast-food meal will cause an energy depletion by the end of the day – guaranteed. These foods are tough to digest and truly suck the energy out of us as they do so. Red meat is the biggest culprit in this category because of its high fat content.

3. RED WINE
Alcohol is a depressant and although wine may be the most common drink (aside from beer) to sip on during lunch or dinner, think again if you have a long day or night ahead. Red grapes are high in melatonin, a natural hormone that facilitates sleep. Although wine may lull you to sleep, don't rely on alcohol to get you to bed at night.

4. MUFFINS, DONUTS, AND OTHER SUGARY BREAKFASTS
Although muffins and donuts are among some of the greatest tasting foods there are, forgo these energy-draining nightmares for a successful day. The next time someone brings in donuts or muffins for an office breakfast or meeting snack, keep your willpower in full force. Like it was mentioned before, sugar quickly ramps up your energy supply, and the next moment, depletes it. Sugary breakfasts include sugary cereal and yogurts, which brings us to our next food…

5. MOST YOGURT
Yogurt can be one of the healthiest foods on earth: high in protein, low in sugar, and packed with probiotics — that is if you get the right kind. Yogurt seen on commercials should be avoided. Typically, yogurt is full of high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, artificial fruits, and other pesky chemicals. Opt for Greek yogurt or any variation of non-fat, plain, low-sugar yogurt.

6. SALTY SNACKS
Snacks like potato chips, or other options like Cheeto's or Bugels, are full of unhealthy fats and refined carbs that have zero nutritional value. There is so much sodium packed in these snacks that they cause us to feel lethargic, to need more water, and feel overall to feel very unhealthy. In addition, these salty snacks are full of harmful chemicals.

7. BREAD
White bread is typically the culprit when it comes to losing energy because it is composed of refined carbohydrates that produces high levels of insulin. Insulin "shuttles away the rapidly absorbed sugars you've just eaten out of your bloodstream, where they present a danger to your body." This is the best condition for weight gain because these sugars are then stored as fat. White bread, bagels, and other refined carbs have no nutritional value.

BATTLING DRUG ADDICTIONS; WHAT TO DO

If you are a victim of drug abuse, it is not too late to stop and get your life back on track!

Here are 5 ways you can effectively battle drug addictions:

1. Make The Decision To Change

Change is the only constant thing in life! For you to begin your battle against drug addictions, you need to make a firm decision within your heart to change. No one else can do this for you. First start by getting a diary and writing out the harmful effects of drug addiction to your life. Then ask yourself if there is anything that is preventing you from changing. Put into consideration how your drug addiction is affecting those around you (family, children and friends) You will also need to analyze how you have lived your life and identify areas where you need to change.

2. Choose Your Friends

'Show me your friends and I will tell you who you are!' This is a popular quote that our parents and teachers always repeated during our childhood days. They weren't wrong! Most of our decisions in life are normally influenced by friends and peer pressures. If you suffer from a drug addiction, you might want to spend less time with them and cut off all ties. Form new friendships with those who are not drug addictions and experience life through their own eyes.

3. Reach Out For Support

You cannot go this journey alone. No man or woman is an island. To effectively battle drug addictions, you will need the support of family and friends to pull you through. Let your family know what you are going through and lean on them for support. You can also try to grow your social networks by joining a group in your church or mosque that help with drug addiction struggles. You might also want to get the support of a rehabilitation centre.

4. Rise Above Stress

Stress and anxiety is one of the major reasons why people abuse drugs. Even after battling a drug addiction, you will find that problems actually never go away. What matters is how you handle these problems and overcome stress. There are many ways to overcome stress and anxiety without abusing drugs. They include: exercising, listening to music, reading a good book, hanging out with friends, taking a short walk through the park, talking to a friend about your problem, taking a warm shower and even sleeping! Develop healthy habits of dealing with stress and you will find that you are one step closer to putting a stop to your drug addictions.

5. Chart the Course of your Life

Remember you are special and you can be an inspiration to the whole world - or even just those around you! You can live a fulfilled life and achieve your true potentials. But this cannot happen unless you are determined to succeed. Go back to your diary and write out your dreams for yourself. Write out your plans for your life and list out ways that you can achieve them. Be determined to live a healthy life filled with purpose and you will see that your drug addictions will be a thing of the past.

Next week, we will be presenting a comprehensive list of drug rehabilitation centres around Nigeria for our Purple Community members who need help. Until then, be determined to live a healthy life and know that the Purple community is behind you

8 TIPS TO BOOST YOUR SELF-ESTEEM.

Life is a series of topsy-turvies! One day we are up and the next day we are down. We all struggle with life challenges and it is such an amazing feeling to have a friend who lifts you up. Purple presents 'The Self Help Series' that aims to give you tips on how to grow and be better to achieve your true potentials!

Life's a journey. Sometimes you are up and sometimes you are down. It is therefore very normal for the way you feel about yourself to be affected during those 'down' days. However, when you begin to constantly feel 'down' all the time, especially about yourself, you might be battling with low self-esteem issues.

People who suffer from low self-esteem issues always have negative thoughts about their worth and value as a person and are always quick to being too critical about themselves and also focus on the negatives instead of their great accomplishments. They never accept compliments given to them and always compare themselves with other people.Many people suffer from low self-esteem and although it is hard for them to admit it, low self-esteem is one of the major personal issues that people battle with.

From a girl who feels stuck in an abusive relationship and feels that no one else can love her for who she is, to a guy who is struggling to get a job and settle his mounting bills, there are many reasons why people suffer from low self-esteem. Other reasons that could cause the feeling of low self-esteem but are not restricted to these include:

Poor academic performances in school
Loneliness
Not feeling good enough
Feeling like the odd one out
Being neglected
Feeling bullied and abused
Being unemployed
Although you might not readily identify with any of the reasons for low self-esteem listed above, you can still take steps to building up your self-esteem and stand the chance of living a healthier and happy life. Purple brings to you the 8 key ways in which you can overcome low self-esteem in your life!

LOVE YOURSELF
There is no else like you! Knowing this is the first step to loving and appreciating yourself. You have to start by being positive about yourself. Look in the mirror and give yourself some self love with positive talk. Commend yourself for your many achievements no matter how small, and be determined to work on the things you need improvement on without beating yourself up! Even if you can only think of one tiny thing, like "I'm a good cook." that's a step in the right direction.

AVOID COMPARING YOURSELF TO OTHERS
This is key to appreciating yourself and overcoming low self-esteem. It is easy for us to feel jealous of our peers especially when they seem to be living the fabulous life. Try not to succumb to envy or measure the progress of your life by their standards. Be yourself and be content with wherever you find yourself but do not stop dreaming and hoping for a better future. Strive to be comfortable in your own skin! Remember that social media gives us a fake impression, life is complicated and messy for everyone, no matter how on point their selfies are!

BE UNAFRAID TO MAKE MISTAKES!
Life is filled with risks. Many of our life endeavours are replete with risks. Do not be afraid to make mistakes on your life's journey. Afterall, you are human and it is in our basic nature to make mistakes. So do not stress yourself up and take that risk! If things don't work out, don't be too hard on yourself, instead reflect on what you could do better next time.

PERFECTION IS NOTHING.
Aim to stop striving for perfection. You put yourself under unnecessary stress and pressure when you keep pushing for standards that are so high! There is beauty in imperfections. Do your best and try and be content with it.

ENJOY YOURSELF AND CELEBRATE LITTLE THINGS!
Take out time from your busy schedule to do the things you enjoy! This will greatly reduce your stress levels which has a negative impact on your self esteem. Do not also forget to celebrate your achievements no matter how small! You got a 9/10 score on that test? Then go celebrate! Live life and enjoy!

STAND UP FOR YOURSELF!
This is for those for who are suffering in abusive relationships or are being relentlessly bullied in their schools or workplaces. Abuse is one of the major causes of low self-esteem. Do not be afraid to stand up for yourself and walk out of an abusive relationship. You are special and you deserve better! It can be hard to do this alone, so if you don't feel ready, start by confiding in a friend or family member.

KEEP UP WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS!
Even if you are not ready to confide in those close to you, just surrounding yourself with family members and friends that care about you and are willing to support you is a good self esteem booster! Don't be afraid to let them know you need a bit of extra love.

BE KIND, BE GOOD, BE HELPFUL.
You might not believe it, but being helpful and good to others is a good self esteem booster! Do not hesitate to be of help to people you meet everyday. Be quick to smile and you will see that you will light up your world and those around you!

BONUS: BE PATIENT
It takes time to change. Even though our culture encourages us to believe in quick-fixes and miracles, the truth is, getting over self-esteem problems is a lengthy process. So take small small steps, and eventually, you will get there! Meanwhile, Purple has your back!

5 LIES MEN ARE TOLD ABOUT THEIR HEALTH

Over time, as people share their health misconceptions with
others, they can sometimes start to fool the general
population. There are certain medical and general health
myths with particular significance to men. The Cheat Sheet
has covered some of them in the past, such as so-called
"women's diseases" that men can actually get and the
misconception that men hate talk therapy . Here, we've
debunked a few more myths about men's health. Read on to
find out if any of these urban legends had you fooled.

SHAVING CAUSES THICKER AND/OR DARKER HAIR TO GROW BACK
Your hair might seem more coarse after it grows back, but
shaving does nothing to change the inherent color of your hair
or thickness of your hair follicles. "Shaving removes the dead
portion of hair, not the living section beneath the skin's
surface," Rachel Vreeman, M.D., told Men's Health . Vreeman
is an Indiana University assistant professor who has published
research and books on persistent health myths. She says
shaving away dead hair can't change how the living hair
grows. When the new stubble protrudes, these hairs might
appear slightly darker than the rest of your hair, but Vreeman
says that's only because they haven't been exposed to as
much sunlight yet.

MEN ARE MORE LIKELY TO DIE OF PROSTATE CANCER THAN ANY OTHER CANCER
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in both
men and women in the United States. Prostate cancer is
second for men, and the American Cancer Society
estimates that one in 36 men will die from prostate cancer. It
can be a serious disease, but most men diagnosed with
prostate cancer do not die from it. More than 2.9 million men
in the U.S. who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer at
some point are still alive today.

MEN SHOULD CONSUME FIVE SERVINGS OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES PER DAY
Men eat far fewer fruits and vegetables than women, but they
actual require more. You might remember a general
recommendation of five servings of fruits and vegetables per
day, but the 2005 dietary guidelines released by the
government upped it to nine servings , or about two cups of
fruit and two and a half cups of vegetables. The CDC's
guidelines provide specific recommendations in cups for
various men, women, and children. Moderately active men
age 19 to 30, for example, should eat two cups of fruit and
three and a half cups of vegetables every day.

MEN ARE MORE LIKELY TO ATTEMPT
SUICIDE THAN WOMEN
Women attempt suicide more often than men, but about four
times as many men die by their own hand than women. This is
in part because women tend to use methods with higher
survival rates, such as poisoning, while men tend to use more
fatal means like guns. Women are thought to be more likely to
suffer from depression and have suicidal thoughts, but men
are less likely to seek mental health treatment.

HATS, HAIR STYLING, AND/OR BLOW DRYERS CAN CAUSE BALDNESS
There's no evidence that wearing a hat, using styling products,
or blow-drying result in baldness. Baldness typically occurs
when the hair follicle becomes smaller over time, creating
shorter, finer hair, and eventually, no hair. Male pattern
baldness accounts for more than 95% of hair loss in men . By
age 35, two-thirds of American men will have some degree of
appreciable hair loss, and by age 50 approximately 85% of
men will have observably thinning hair. Baldness is usually
genetic, but it's also a myth that it's always passed down
from the mother's side . In some cases, hair loss can be
caused by medications, certain diseases, or poor nutrition, so
if you notice sudden hair loss, talk to your doctor.