Garri Recipe: Garri Choco-Balls As A Functional Food .

 Garri a staple food for a lot of people in the world.   Echbee Foods produces nutritious meals and snacks from yellow garri. The recipe today is the Echbee Garri Choco-Balls.

This nutritious recipe is a healthy substitute to sugar -packed cereals. The choco-balls made from yellow garri,cocoa powder and other ingredients show cases the functional status of garri.

What is a functional food? Functional foods are referred to as power / super foods based on the health benefits they provide and wellness they promote.Functional foods help fight diseases/ prevent diseases and boost immunity utilizing different methods depending on the nutrients it contain. 

   Benefits of functional foods.

  1) promotes gut health and enhance immune system. Garri as a functional food promotes gut health because of its fiber content, which also helps it absorb toxins from the digestive tract. Garri is a prebiotic, the fiber resists digestion but goes to the lower digestive tract and acts as food for probiotics thus promoting gut health. read more

Yellow garri is a functional food because aside from providing the essential nutrients for growth ,provides Vitamin A  as well  as fiber for health and wellness. The addition of cocoa powder increases the benefits making the garri choco-balls a super food.

Look at few benefits of cocoa powder: its rich in theobromine that helps reduce inflammation, protects from diseases such as diabetes,cancer and heart disease. Cocoa  is rich in phytonutrients but low in fat and sugar. Cocoa powder contains rich natural antioxidant, mopping up free radicals from the system.

Garri Choco-Balls. Can be eaten as a snack

Garri Choco-Balls. Can be eaten as a cereal.
 

COVID-19: Research shows children are silent spreaders of SARS-CoV-2.

In the most comprehensive study of COVID-19 pediatric patients to date, researchers provide critical data showing that children play a larger role in the community spread of COVID-19 than previously thought.

 In a study of 192 children ages 0-22, 49 children tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, and an additional 18 children had late-onset, COVID-19-related illness.

 The infected children were shown to have a significantly higher level of virus in their airways than hospitalized adults in ICUs for COVID-19 treatment, according to Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Mass General Hospital for Children (MGHfC).

 The study, “Pediatric SARS-CoV-2: Clinical Presentation, Infectivity, and Immune Reponses,” was published in The Journal of Pediatrics.

Findings from nose and throat swabs and blood samples from the MGHfC Pediatric COVID-19 Biorepository carry implications for the reopening of schools, daycare centers and other locations with a high density of children and close interaction with teachers and staff members.

 The researchers note that although children with COVID-19 are not as likely to become as seriously ill as adults, as asymptomatic carriers or carriers with few symptoms attending school, they can spread infection and bring the virus into their homes.

PREVENTING DOG BITES IN CHILDREN.

Children love dogs, but there are precautionary measures to follow to prevent dog bites.

 In this free e book, learn all you need to know to keep children safe around dogs.

COVID-19 May Trigger Rare Complication In Children.

COVID-19 May Trigger Rare Complication In Children.As COVID-19 continues to spread, there is growing evidence that children may be vulnerable to a rare but serious complication triggered by the infection. So far, studies have shown that children appear to be less vulnerable to this new coronavirus than adults. Kids under the age of 18 represent just 1%-2% of reported COVID-19 cases. But new reports, from the U.S. and several European countries, suggest that in rare cases, children can have a collection of symptoms -- including lengthy fevers, low blood pressure, rashes, red eyes, stomach upset, and inflammation of the heart and its arteries -- that share features of toxic shock syndrome and Kawasaki disease.

Zero Hunger: How To Use Cassava To Save Starving African Children .

Cassava called Manihot esculenta, is extensively cultivated as an annual crop in tropical and subtropical regions for its edible starchy tuberous root, a major source of carbohydrates. Cassava is the third-largest source of food carbohydrates in the tropics, after rice and maize. Cassava is a major staple food in the developing world, providing a basic diet for over half a billion people.

  Cassava processed into garri can be fortified to produce healthy cereals,pastries,foods that can prevent malnutrition and end hunger in African children.In Africa, hunger is a constant, chronic pain gnawing away at hungry children. 

We can put an end to starvation in Africa if we work together to provide support. Today numerous children are living in war torn areas with no food while many more are living in the worst conditions ever and many more on the brink of famine. This condition leaves millions of girls and boys with the need for emergency food assistance to survive. Cassava processed to cereal, pastries will go a long way to kick hunger out of Africa and save the children. 

A lot of international communities are already working so hard to help starving children,some of their interventions are provision of ambulances, provision of medical treatment and a provision of peanut paste to feed the children. Echbee foods fortifies her products with peanut amongst other things to provide energy,protein and vitamins. These healthy snacks and cereals are handy so could be easily be sent any where its needed to stop malnutrition in children.  

#sdg2

 Stop Hunger in Africa?  this is what the save the children federation are doing:

1)Fight acute malnutrition in specialized treatment centers that bring children back from the brink of starving to death. 

 2)Prevent acute malnutrition through large scale emergency feeding programs when there is a lack of food in Africa. 

 3)Provide sustenance to millions of children in the grips of famines and hunger crises. 

 4)Prevent and overcome chronic malnutrition through breastfeeding support programs. 

 5)Help parents feed their children through farming and small business investments.

Mothers who follow five healthy habits may reduce risk of obesity in children.

Mothers who follow five healthy habits may reduce risk of obesity in children. Children and adolescents whose mothers follow five healthy habits which are eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, keeping a healthy body weight, drinking alcohol in moderation, and not smoking . These are 75% less likely to become obese when compared with children of mothers who did not follow any such habits, according to a new study led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. When both mother and child adhered to these habits, the risk of obesity was 82% lower compared with mother and children who did not. One in five children in the U.S aged 6-19 have obesity, putting them at risk of diabetes, heart disease, and other metabolic conditions later in life. While it is known that genetics play a role in obesity, the rapid increase of the disease in recent years is likely due to changes in lifestyle and diet, indicating that "nurture" more than "nature" is fueling the current obesity epidemic.

TB a leading cause of death among children worldwide.

TB a leading cause of death among children worldwide. Tuberculosis ranks among the top 10 causes of death among children around the world, a mathematical modeling study showed. Researchers wrote that the disease represents a “key omission” from analyses of mortality in children aged younger than 5 years. “The UN Inter-agency Group on Child Mortality Estimation tracks overall under-5 mortality, and breakdowns by cause of death have been estimated by the study group formerly known as the Child Health Epidemiology Reference Group, most recently in 2016,” Peter J. Dodd, PhD, of the University of Sheffield, UK, and colleagues wrote. “These estimates have been important in assessing progress toward targets, directing public health funding and spending and for advocacy. However, tuberculosis has never been explicitly mentioned in these reports. The researchers used a mathematical model to estimate deaths of children aged younger than 5 years in 217 countries and territories. Dodd and colleagues disaggregated WHO pediatric TB estimates by age, as well as treatment status and HIV status, using pediatric TB notification data and pediatric ART estimates. Most deaths –more than 70% – occurred in southeast Asia and Africa (n = 182,000; 95% CI, 140,000-239,000), the researchers reported. Seventeen percent (n = 39,000; 95% CI, 23,000-73,000) of children who died had HIV, with 31,000 of those children living in Africa (36%; 95% CI, 19,000-59,000). The vast majority of children who died (96%; n = 230,000; 95% CI, 185,000-289,000) did not receive treatment for TB, Dodd and colleagues wrote. The large mortality burden of undiagnosed pediatric tuberculosis should … not spur hopelessness, but action; these new estimates identify a prime opportunity to address an under-recognized and preventable cause of child deaths.

Patients with drug-resistant malaria cured by plant therapy.

Patients with drug-resistant malaria cured by plant therapy.Tablets made from dried leaves of the Artemisia annua plant cured 18 critically ill patients in a Congo clinic. The results suggest a new and inexpensive treatment option for the mosquito-borne disease that affects 212 million people worldwide. #malaria The 18 patients, ranging in age from 14 months to 60 years, did not respond to the standard ACT treatment, and all lapsed into severe malaria, defined by symptoms that can include loss of consciousness, respiratory distress, convulsions, and pulmonary edema. One patient, a five-year-old child, became comatose. All were then treated with intravenously administered artesunate, the frontline medication for severe malaria, but again they showed no improvement. #malaria When the standard malaria medications failed to help 18 critically ill patients, the attending physician in a Congo clinic acted under the 'compassionate use' doctrine and prescribed a not-yet-approved malaria therapy made only from the dried leaves of the Artemisia annua plant. In just five days, all 18 people fully recovered. Artemesia annua is also known as sweet wormwood is an alternative to conventional antimalarial drugs. #malaria

An egg a day appears to help young children grow taller.

An egg a day appears to help young children grow taller.

An egg a day might help undernourished young children grow to a healthy height, according to a six-month study in Ecuador. Whether soft or hard-boiled, fried or whisked into an omelette, eggs appeared to give infants a boost. It could be a cheap way to prevent stunting, say researchers in the journal Pediatrics. 

The first two years of life are critical for growth and development - any stunting is largely irreversible. Poor nutrition is a major cause of stunting, along with childhood infections and illnesses. 

 According to the World Health Organization, 155 million children under the age of five are stunted (too short for their age). Most live in low- and middle-income countries and health experts have been looking at ways to tackle the issue. more

AGRIBUSINESS: INDISCRIMINATE USE OF ANTIBIOTICS IN FARM ANIMALS AFFECTING KIDS.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) argues that unnecessary use of antibiotics in livestock is fueling drug-resistant, life-threatening infections in humans, particularly young children. . As reported before, the vast majority of antibiotics used in the US go to agriculture and aquaculture—about 80 percent of total tonnage, to be exact. Those drugs are often given to livestock to fatten them up or prevent future illness. Such doses of drugs, many of which have crossovers in human medicine, can spur drug-resistant microbes that may make their way off the farm and spread to food or share their drug-resistant genes with other microbes, the AAP noted. More than 2 million people in the US catch drug-resistant infections each year, resulting in 23,000 deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The agency does not report how many of those infections and deaths are in children. However, previous research has found that the incidence of some types of drug-resistant infections are increasing in children nationwide. Additionally, the AAP notes that the CDC’s data on foodborne disease incidence shows that kids under 5 years of age are often most at risk. In particular, the AAP’s technical report notes that common foodborne drug-resistant infections in kids include those caused by Salmonella, Campylobacter and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) Kids may be exposed to farm-borne drug-resistant microbes from contact with livestock, food, and environmental sources, such as surfaces in homes and supermarkets.The AAP recommends that livestock producers only give antibiotics to animals when they are sick.Read more here; http://arstechnica.com/science/2015/11/pediatricians-say-farm-use-of-antibiotics-harm ofs-children/

PET FOOD RECALLS DUE TO CONTAMINATION.

http://www.dailycamera.com/news/boulder/ci_28419454/boulder-dog-food-company-recalls-turkey-sprinkles-due to salmonella contamination.Pet foods have been linked in the rise in cases of salmonellosis infection in man.This usually occurs when they handle contaminated pet food,sometimes the dogs may not appear sick but are shedding the bacteria in their feces. The harmful bacteria causes diarrhea,stomach upset and vomiting which can be fatal in young children, elderly and pregnant. The risk of infection through dog food can be reduced by following simple hygiene principles; 1) dont feed your dog in the kitchen. 2)wash hands immediately after handling dog food. 3) keep children away from dog food. 4)dispose of dog feces immediately. 5)Ensure the packaging,labeling and content of dog food can be ascertained. 6) note the source of your dog food. The risk of infection can be prevented totally by changing to home cooked meals,that are fresh ,nutritious and healthy.

EGGS! EGGS!! EGGS!!! AND ATOVI.

Chicken raised with atovi premix lay for longer periods,eggs are big with thick shells and best of all no antibiotics.The immune system is enhanced so they dont succumb to bacteria,viruses or fungi infection.The feed is properly metabolized and absorbed resulting in proper utilization of feed with no undigested protein in feces resulting in odorless waste.The result is less consumption of feed with rapid growth of birds , and attainment of market weight faster. Eggs are essential for growth and development especially in children,buy eggs that give nutrients and add value. USE ATOVI PREMIX.

EGGS AND ANTIBIOTIC RESIDUE.

Antibiotic residue in animal by products such as eggs are a global concern especially with the "superbugs effect".The process of rearing animals on a commercial level has come under attack because of the impact on the health of man.The production process from farm to table is laced with use of antibiotics ,growth hormones and anticoccidial drugs,which impact negatively on the consumers. Antibiotic residue in animals has been identified as the key factor for proliferation of antibiotic resistant bacteria resulting in several deaths especially in children and women.The residues in animal tissues have also been fingered as the reason for increase cases of obesity,diabetes,cancer ,kidney and liver diseases and early attainment of sexual maturity in children. The additives in animal feed with its negative impact on health has been a debate and several countries opting out of the use,with many buying animals reared only on home grown feed,more and more people buying organic products and very many others purchasing from farmers/organizations with better production method. The rearing of animals can be a mind bogging experience if the proper management technique are not employed, and products churned out will definitely be different. Eggs; a major by-product from poultry has come under scrutiny with many scholars advocating the incorporation into diet and some others criticizing this because of " cholesterol" level but the fact is "an egg a day does keep the doctors away." Eggs are of immense benefits, they provide the body with essential vitamins and minerals e.t.c( read more about egg benefits at google.com/+BolanleOjuri) The eggs produced from chicken raised on antibiotic laden techniques cannot deliver any nutrient to the consumer,rather its a vehicle for antibiotic resistant bacteria to proliferate. An egg is really not an egg on its own,rather an egg is the sum total of what you feed your chicken,hence your practice impacts your products. Chicken raised with Atovi premix have the following benefits; the poultry house has no foul odor,the chicken are big without fat and skin is smooth and crispy, the eggs are bigger with thick shells and no antibiotic residue.The atovi ensures natural detoxification and expulsion of harmful compounds such as synthetic drugs,natural poison and antibiotics on cellular level which ensures that eggs and poultry are free of residues.The digestive system is energized and it ensures proper absorption of nutrient and total utilization which results in odorless waste due to absence of undigested protein in the feces. The birds have greater stamina,they dont succumb to diseases because of there energized cells that enhances their immune system. Farms where Atovi is used have zero cost on medication which is a real advantage especially in outbreak cases of bird flu,the birds wont contract the virus. Eggs are essential for development especially for children so ensure you are buying eggs of chicken raised without antibiotics.

Veterinary Medicine: Diabetic alert dogs.

Diabetic alert dogs are of immense benefit in type 1 diabetes patients where fluctuation of glucose are monitored regularly.The type 1 diabetes is autoimmune,where the body cells of the patient destroy the cells that produce insulin hence high levels of glucose are in the blood stream which will damage organs in the body if not normalized. The type 1 diabetic patients are constantly monitoring the blood glucose using glucose meter and other gadgets to detect these blood changes, now a days diabetic alert dogs are used because they can pick up these changes before the meter. The dogs are trained to detect scent changes in the body of patients,the dogs can pick up scents such as fruity gum in cases of hyperglycemia and scents of nail polish removal in cases of hypoglycemia. Fluctuations in blood glucose could be fatal if immediate remedy is not instituted. This is why the companionship with diabetic alert dogs is a life saving association. These dogs are efficient because they are properly trained and highly effective.

PREVENTING DOG BITES IN CHILDREN.

Children love dogs and dogs love children, but children should not be left alone with dogs. The cases of dog bites are common in children and old people, the cases of rabies in humans has a high frequency in children, which shows that children need to be protected. 

 

HOW TO BE SAFE AROUND DOGS. 

 Children must not pet any dog without authorization, children should learn to ask the owner of a dog before they pet the dog. When out walking in the park, outside your home zone, keep your face away from dogs. When a dog is loose and chasing you, just be like a tree or statue be still and do not move. If the dog pushes you over ,just roll up like a rock or curl up like a ball with your hands on head and neck. 

 Children should never bother a dog sleeping, eating or with puppies. Never leave babies with dogs, even if it’s the family pet, create an area for the dog in the house that is out of the reach of the children. Dogs can be good company but they can also be your worst nightmare especially those that are not trained. Watch a dog and note the mood of the dog, this will tell you whether to advance or stay away from the dog. The key is the way the mouth of the dog is positioned. If the dog is panting and looks happy then the dog is relaxed. If the mouth of the dog is closed, the dog looks worried and nervous, then don’t move closer or touch the dog.

 WHAT TO DO WHEN A BITE OCCURS.

 When there is an incident of a bite or scratch do the following; Wash site with plenty of water and soap. Use an antiseptic solution to wash site, you can also use alcohol based liquids such as after shave solution. Get as much information about the dog. Go to the hospital and get treated immediately. 

 DO NOT Use: bandage on bite site.. Do not use other medications that are locally sourced like pepper or potash e.t.c. 

 Rabies is 100% fatal. 

All cases of dog bites should be treated as an emergency ,treat the wound and get rabies post exposure prophylaxis and ensure the wound site is irrigated with the rabies immunoglobulin serum.