*HEALTH BENEFITS OF EATING DATES*

🔥💡 Awesome breakdown of the health benefits of dates! 🙌 Dates are a powerhouse of nutrients, and it's great you're spreading the word! 📢

*HEALTH BENEFITS OF EATING DATES*

Dates are like nature's candy, packed with benefits! 🌟 From boosting energy to supporting digestion and even helping in late pregnancy, here's why your body will thank you for adding dates to your diet:

🔑 *DIGESTIVE BENEFITS*: Dates are rich in natural fibre, helping your gut move smoothly and reducing constipation. They calm the stomach after heavy meals and ease mild bloating, supporting better digestion overall.

🔑 *ENERGY & BLOOD SUGAR SUPPORT*: Dates give quick but steady energy, reducing sudden sugar cravings. Perfect as a light snack before physical activity!

🔑 *HEART & GENERAL BODY HEALTH*: Dates contain potassium and magnesium, supporting heart health and strong muscles. Antioxidants reduce inflammation, promoting overall wellness.

🔑 *PREGNANCY & WOMEN’S HEALTH*: Eating dates in late pregnancy may help prepare the body for labour. They also provide energy and minerals supporting blood health.

🔑 *BRAIN & MOOD SUPPORT*: Antioxidants in dates protect brain cells and support memory. Natural sugars lift mood and reduce mental tiredness.

*Who should limit or avoid dates?*

People with diabetes, kidney issues, or those on low-carb diets. Also, be mindful of portion sizes due to high calorie content.

*Additional benefit*: Dates are a great natural remedy for constipation, especially for pregnant women or those with digestive issues. The high fibre content helps stimulate bowel movements and soften stool.

By Pharm Greatman 

ANDROPAUSE by Pharm Greatman

Andropause, sometimes called “male menopause,” is the gradual decline in testosterone that usually starts in men around 40–50 years. 

Unlike menopause in women, it happens slowly, and men can still father children even as their hormone levels drop.

🔑 SYMPTOMS TO WATCH OUT FOR

Men experiencing andropause may notice persistent fatigue, a drop in sexual desire, or difficulty maintaining erections. 

Mood changes like irritability, anxiety, or low motivation can appear, and concentration or memory may feel weaker. 

Some men also experience unexpected weight gain, often around the belly, or even hot flushes and night sweats.

🔑 BODY CHANGES

Over time, declining testosterone can affect physical strength and muscle mass, leading to a loss of stamina and energy. 

Bones can become weaker, increasing the risk of fractures, and body hair may thin. These changes can make men feel older than they are, even if they are otherwise healthy.

🔑 FACTORS THAT MAKE IT WORSE

- Lifestyle and health conditions can intensify symptoms. 

- Obesity, chronic illnesses such as diabetes or heart disease, smoking, poor sleep, and high stress all contribute to how severe andropause feels. 

-Even if testosterone is slowly declining, unhealthy habits can make symptoms more noticeable.

🔑 MEDICAL WAY

Doctors typically check morning testosterone levels and review symptoms over time. 

A thorough evaluation also includes heart and prostate health to ensure there are no hidden risks. 

It’s important not to self-diagnose, as many symptoms can overlap with other conditions.

🔑 MANAGING ANDROPAUSE

Lifestyle changes are key. 

- Regular exercise, particularly strength and endurance training, supports muscle and bone health. 

- Eating a balanced diet, getting quality sleep, and managing stress help reduce fatigue and mood swings. 

- Testosterone replacement therapy may be considered in some cases, but it carries risks such as heart problems or prostate issues and should always be guided by a doctor.

Depending on your overall health. These are the best food choices for men above 45

- Fish (🐠 salmon, mackerel, sardines)

- Chicken and eggs 🥚 

- Beans and lentils

- Leafy greens (🥬 spinach, kale)

- Berries and tomatoes

- Nuts and seeds (almonds, walnuts, flaxseeds)

- Whole grains (oats, brown rice, quinoa)

- Low-fat dairy (milk, yogurt)

- Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower)

Andropause is a natural part of aging for men, but it doesn’t have to take away quality of life. 

Understanding what’s happening in your body, making healthy lifestyle choices, and consulting your doctor can help you manage symptoms and stay confident.

Share to to educate someone

Pharm. Greatman

HEALTH SIGNS YOU SHOULD NOT IGNOREThere are certain symptoms you should never ignore!Because they might be warning signs of serious health problems. Below is a list of critical symptoms that need immediate hospital attention. Don't take chances with your health Check below by 👇🏾Pharm. Greatman

🏥 Trouble Breathing  

If you suddenly have a hard time breathing or feel like you're struggling for air, it could be a serious problem like a heart or lung issue.

🏥 Chest Pain  

Any pain in your chest, especially if it spreads to your arm, neck, or jaw, could be a sign of a heart attack

🏥 Severe Belly Pain  

Sharp or very strong pain in your belly could mean something serious, like appendicitis or a burst organ. This needs urgent medical attention.

🏥 Heavy Bleeding  

If you're bleeding a lot and can’t make it stop by pressing on it, you could lose too much blood.

🏥 Sudden Weakness or Numbness  

If part of your body suddenly feels weak or numb, especially on one side, it could be a stroke.

🏥 Confusion or Sudden Change in Thinking

If you or someone around you suddenly seems confused, cannot speak clearly, or has trouble understanding things, it could be a sign of a stroke or other brain issue.

🏥 High Fever with Severe Headache or Stiff Neck

A very high fever with a stiff neck or bad headache could mean you have meningitis, a serious infection around the brain

🏥 Seizures

If you or someone around you suddenly has a seizure (uncontrollable shaking), it’s important to go to the hospital, especially if it's the first time

🏥 Severe Allergic Reaction

If you experience swelling in your face, lips, or throat, or have trouble breathing after an allergic reaction, it could be life-threatening.

🏥 Loss of Consciousness

Passing out, even for a few seconds, is never normal. It could be a sign of a serious heart, brain, or blood issue.

🏥 Non-stop Vomiting or Diarrhea

If you're throwing up or having diarrhea for more than 24 hours, especially if you can’t keep fluids down, you risk dehydration. This can quickly become dangerous

🏥 Sudden Vision Changes

If you suddenly cannot see properly, experience double vision, or lose vision in one or both eyes, it could be a sign of a stroke or eye issue

🏥 Severe Head Injury

A hard hit to the head that causes confusion, memory loss, vomiting, or drowsiness can mean a concussion or brain injury. Don’t wait

🏥 Painful Swelling in Legs

If your legs suddenly swell, especially with redness or pain, it could be a blood clot (deep vein thrombosis). This can travel to your lungs and cause a life-threatening condition.

🏥 Difficulty Speaking or Walking

If you suddenly struggle to talk, walk, or keep your balance, it could be due to a stroke or other serious issue affecting your brain or nervous system

Please remember that your health is priceless, don’t take risks with these symptoms 👍🏼

Ultimately, we hope and expect that our healthcare system will become better and better 🤲🏼

Stay updated by following me Pharm. Greatman

Saint Leonard of Noblac, a humble and devoted servant of God

 Today, we remember Saint Leonard of Noblac, a humble and devoted servant of God who lived in the 6th century.

Saint Leonard of Noblac (d. 559) was a Frankish nobleman and disciple of Saint Remigius. After converting to Christianity along with King Clovis I, Leonard was given special permission to visit prisons and free those he believed were unjustly held. Choosing a life of humility, he declined a bishopric and became a hermit at Noblac in the Limousin region of

France, where his holiness attracted followers.

Leonard became widely venerated in the Middle Ages, especially as the patron saint of prisoners, captives, women in labor, and livestock. His cult spread rapidly from the 12th century, especially after Bohemond I of Antioch credited Leonard’s intercession for his release from captivity during the Crusades. This inspired many pilgrimages and donations, which led to the construction of the large Romanesque church in Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat.

His feast day is 6 November, and he is honored in Catholic, Orthodox, and Anglican traditions. Many churches, places, and pilgrimages across Europe—particularly in France, Bavaria, England, Germany, Italy, and Malta—are dedicated to him.

Participant #53= SHIFT AND DESPERATION: SEX THIS, SEX THAT

Prologue: 

Have you ever noticed discomfort in the eyes of someone who has been asked not to do what gives them pleasure? I think most of us experienced such discomfort when we were younger. As a kid, I would always wish I left everything for others to do, like: house chores, going for errands and even helping at the farm. 

Whenever we are asked to leave our zones of relaxation, we feel that something has been taken away from us. One thing we fail to note when corrected is that - corrections shape our now and tomorrow. We must know thus, that pleasurable things give us thát comfort and happiness we pray for; they enable us to laugh out loud and we even dance some times when there is no sound of music around our environs, all because we are happy. But should pleasurable things be  pointers to abnormalities and atrocities? 

Today, people strive to find pleasure in some material things in the society. In Nigeria, there is no fear whatsoever among some people when it comes to what makes them happy. You hear statements like: Omo, that thing deh gimme joy, omo, I no fit leave that thing, and I must do am! Should we do anything that gives us pleasure, come what may? One of the things people feel must be done to be regarded as a PERFECT and COMPLETE person in our society today is having SEX. Little wonder why when we listen to some people as they discuss about sex, we hear so much about SEX: sex this, sex that. What a shift and desperation?!

Wrong Modifications and Affirmations:

Generally, when it comes to the topic of SEX, there is usually a lot of controversies. People, especially young adults have MODIFIED the ideology behind sex, making the letter A to appear like the letter B, and vice versa. Hmm! Some Nigerian societies have made what is abnormal to look normal and what is meant to be normal to look abnormal; the shift about SEX we see and hear today needs to be questioned to know the veracity - why the desperation about SEX? Sex should be a Mathematics that presents itself. I call it the Mathematics of creation as contained in the Torah or Old Testament - "... therefore, a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh." (cf. Gen. 2:24, New RSV - Catholic Edition). Here, sex should be enjoyed and consumed without fear and it should be for pleasure between the husband and his wife. 

Know the Gist: 

We hear illusions of pleasure regarding sex today where young adults make it normal. We must remember the Mathematics of creation stated earlier. Our concern now is, why is sex overrated in modern Nigerian society? I feel sex is overrated because some people feel it is that which gives the highest happiness and pleasure. I want to take us to the time of antiquity. In the Ancient world, where one of the greatest encyclopedic scholars of Philosophy, Aristotle, in his work "The Nicomachean Ethics" (Book 2 Chapters 6-9) asserts that "virtues lie in the middle." Here, we can say that sex should NOT be overrated or wrongly done by adults but should follow the Mathematics that is; hence, making sex have its sacredness and maintaining the meaning of sex that is set for legally married people. Permit me to put to us, if the thing the too do you, go and marry. Go and marry, Paul, go and marry, Amina. 

Furthermore, sex is not meant to be a thing of pleasure among young singles, the Mathematics of creation should teach us that sex is meant for procreation and pleasure ONLY among people who are legally married. There is a drift in what is meant to be about sex because our society presents it WRONGLY as we see teenagers who are not married involve in it. This has hit the SACREDNESS of sex a dirty blow, I am afraid this might WAX even to the apex where we shall be killed whenever we mention the abnormalities in the next generations. The SACREDNESS of sex therefore, needs to be told among youths and the aged to avoid the shift and desperation.

Finally, young adults today brag about sex, challenging themselves about body counts as if it is an achievement. Let me plead - TELL ME WHO HAS HAD SEX OUTSIDE MARRIAGE AND WAS GIVEN A TROPHY AFTERWARDS. SHOW ME THE PERSON AND I WILL TRY TO GO FOR MY TROPHY. 

Epilogue: 

There is a great shift from the usual to the unusual but it sits well with most people because of the MODIFICATIONS and APPROVALS made by some Nigerian societies. If and only if we try to be cultured, and suppress our sexual urges, sex would be SACRED again and the Nigerian society would be great again, shunning all vices and embracing goodness. 

Peace!

By: Achoghul Terhemba Jacob.

Feast of Saint Teresa of Ávila,

Today, October 15, 2025, the Catholic Church celebrates the feast of Saint Teresa of Ávila, a Spanish mystic, writer, and Carmelite nun. Born on March 28, 1515, Saint Teresa is one of the most important figures in Catholic mysticism, renowned for her deep spirituality and significant contributions to Catholic mysticism through her writings.

Her life was marked by a series of spiritual awakenings and visions that ultimately led her to reform the Carmelite Order. With the help of Saint John of the Cross, she founded the Discalced Carmelites, a branch of the order that emphasized simplicity, poverty, and contemplation.

Saint Teresa's early life was marked by a happy childhood and a fascination with novels about chivalry. However, her life took a dramatic turn when she was struck by a serious illness and experienced a profound spiritual crisis. This led her to join the Carmelite monastery of the Incarnation at Avila, where she would later become a prominent figure in the Order's reform.

Her spirituality was characterized by her intense devotion to prayer and her desire to return to the original ideals of the Carmelite Order. She founded several monasteries in Castile, including two convents of Discalced Carmelites. Her writings, including "The Interior Castle" and "The Way, of Perfection," are considered some of the most important works of Catholic mysticism.

Some of her most notable works include "The Interior Castle," a spiritual guide that describes the journey of the soul towards God through seven stages of elevation, and "The Way of Perfection," a guidebook for her nuns, offering practical advice on prayer, humility, and community life.

Saint Teresa of Ávila's legacy extends far beyond her writings. She was a woman of unwavering faith and determination, who defied convention to follow her calling. Despite facing numerous challenges and criticisms, she remained steadfast in her commitment to her faith and her order. In recognition of her contributions to Catholic theology and spirituality, Saint Teresa was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Paul VI in 1970, the first woman to receive this honor alongside St. Catherine of Siena. She remains a model of devotion, compassion, and courage, and her feast day is a testament to her enduring legacy.