Hello Sexy!

Nkiru Oh

Hello y'all! Just wanna share this with you. Can't keep such fun without sharing! Won't be nice of me, you know. Now tell me, have you ever laughed so hard that your stomach hurt for days? I mean, kinda laughed so 'laughiously' that you almost peed in your pants or shed tears? That was no ordinary laugh right? By the way, who cares whether 'laughiously' is an English word or not! At least, it serves its purpose to quantify the kind of laughter I am talking about! The 'rolling on the floor' type of laugh!

Well, my friends and I did all of the above few weeks ago! My co-worker and friend, Becky (not real name) made us almost 'laugh our heads off' as one of my Ghanaian friends would say! We were in a party. I implore you to close your eyes and imagine the scene as we go along! You may turn off the lights too if that helps to conjure a better imagery! My friend Becky is the kinda person that lightens the room with her personality.

So, we were in a party! Becky wore this gorgeous wrap-around skirt. That day she dressed to kill and she wanted the world to notice! Here we were on the dance floor; Becky in her 4 1/2 inch high heel shoes parading the length and breath of the hall, swinging, flinging, wriggling, wiggling, twisting, taunting, and flaunting her assets in her well-rehearsed manner! You know what I mean, right? Lo and behold, the unexpected happened: Becky was all the way near the high table in the front when someone hushed, Oh my Gawd wha da heeell...!" We looked ahead to find Becky's skirt lying on the floor, a good ten feet away from her, while she was busy cat walking and mingling!!! Holly Molly! With one accord, the whole house roared and roared and roared! That day made me realize that we laugh in various languages! I heard myself laughing in English, Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba and Ijaw! I heard some laughing in Chinese, Deutsch, Arabic, Swahili, German, French, Creole and other languages I did not know! And that was when Becky turned...saw...and...temporarily froze!

Are y'all still with me? What happened was that Becky wore a black, tight boy short underneath the skirt. Thank God it was clean and not torn too! (Please remind me to tell y'all the story of the man with a torn underwear). So, because of the way the short clung tightly around her, she did not feel it when her skirt wriggled off while she continued with her 'notice me' behavior! I believe her skirt wanted to prove that 'what a woman can do, a recalcitrant skirt can do better?' Thank God for the gentleman who quickly picked the 'notice-me-skirt' and gave it back to the rightful owner! Becky nicely put it back and the fun continued uninterrupted! Becky almost 'laughed her head off' too! And everyone was happily ever after!

My Random Thoughts

Nkiru Oh

Being broke is temporary. It definitely must come to an end! It is quite different from being poor which entails a complete negation of self worth! This too may be temporary! But the worst and also dangerous kind of poverty is the Spiritual/ Mental one. This type negates both self worth and creation as a whole! It equates stagnancy! It is only comparable to being a living dead!


Let it go!
You have held on for too long!
Free your heart from the torture of unforgiveness!
Free your mind from anger and bitterness!
Let it go, stop hindering your blessings!
Jesus forgave you and even died on the cross for you!
Today is the day for you to let it go!
Let it go, you have held on for too long!!!!


You know you are matured when you can objectively analyze issues no matter whose ox was gored! Other than that, you ain't there yet


People who question their self worth belittle others to cover their fears and inadequacies! Too bad they end up making everything more glaring!

What Do You Have?

Nkiru Oh

This write-up came about from the sermon I heard during service yesterday. The pastor ministered with 2 Kings 4:1-7. I was so touched and blessed that I want to share what I learned with you. The summary of the passage goes like this: creditors were haunting a widow to pay up her late husband's debt or they would take her two sons as collateral to work for them until the debt was paid off. Mmmm...the word creditors, and their incessant, annoying phone calls sound familiar? Of course, you said! So the widow ran to prophet Elisha for help. When Elisha asked her what she had at home, she answered nothing ONLY a jar of oil! The prophet then instructed her to go and borrow as many empty pots as she could, pour the oil in those pots, sell the oil, pay off her creditors and then live on the rest with her kids! Wow! What touched me so deeply apart from the woman's faith, which will constitute another write-up, is the issue of using what one has, insignificant as it may seem, to achieve what one needs!

Often, human beings neglect what they have in their pursuit of the unattainable. Note how the widow disregarded her pot of oil! She had nothing, she said. Then probably as an after thought she added, ONLY a pot of oil! We have different skills, talents, gifts, endowments, call it whatever you like. Many neglect the substance and keep chasing after the shadow! Sometimes, what we call NOTHING or THRASH may be a hidden FORTUNE! What do you have that you can use to get out of debt, or to live better? It may be small initially, like the widow's pot of oil, but if you persevere, it will be something great. Think about it. Meditate on it!

Again, children of God often ask God for financial breakthroughs. What do you have in your house that God can use to bless you? What skill do you have? What talent do you have? Can you sing, dance, knit, cook, or bake? May be you have something unique to teach people! Any special recipe handed down from grandma, mom, auntie Liz, or a neighbor that you can modify and use? Can you write? May be those stories you tucked away in your closet will turn into a bestseller! What special skill do you have that you can utilize especially at this time of  global economic crisis? What differentiates you from others? What is your niche? Have you ever sat down to identify a need and analyze how you can be a solution to it? Have you ever thought of what you can do to excel apart from, or in addition to, what the government hands down. Are you out of work or in need? Is it very difficult to make ends meet? Have you ever explored you? Do you know you've been equipped for success? Ask God to show you what you have that he will use to bless you!

Do you observe that Elisha asked the widow to shut the door behind her while she poured the oil? Yes, you need to shut the door behind you too! Go on your knees and ask for direction. Shut the door against fear and doubt. These two will defeat you even before you start! How will you know if you will succeed if you did not try? Shut the door behind the pessimists, and all naysayers! Yes, they will try to discourage you and give you a million reasons why you will fail! Ignore the laggards too! Shut the door behind them all. They will come around after you have succeeded! 

Some Tax Benefits Worth Sharing...

Came across this piece of tax info and figured it might benefit you (if you are in the United States). Hey, who wouldn't wanna save some money! Let me know what you think of it please!


http://money.msn.com/taxes/8-types-of-income-the-irs-cant-touch

Where Have All the Nice Girls Gone?

Nkiru Oh

Many a time, a male friend or acquaintance has asked me where he could find "a nice girl" to marry? I often dismissed such question with a wave of hand. I had presumed those men were being unreasonably picky. My recent encounter with Jason (not real name) made me re-evaluate my stand. Come to think of it, "where really have all the nice girls gone?" This question got me thinking and asking my own series of questions! And "where have all the good men gone?"

How many times have you heard a man talk about searching for Miss Right, or a woman talk about looking or waiting for Mr. Right or her Soul Mate? My question remains: how prepared is the man or woman to meet that right person? Yes, everyone has a 'list' of what he/she wants from a mate. How about what the mate may be looking for in you? The questions I asked Jason few weeks ago apply to all the single men and women out there who are looking for that right mate. How long is your list? How 'meetable' are your goals? Are there things on your list that are pushing likely 'catches' away? Are you looking for the impossible, or the 'impossicant' as I sometimes term it just for emphasis? Are you living in the present or past?

One look at Jason's list made me ask him whether he was looking for a slave or a wife? If you have a penchant for trying to change your mate, then you seriously need to re-evaluate your list! If a girl is fond of stopping her man from what he enjoys, then she has a long time to wait! So how long is your list girl? Men do not want a girl with a long list, or one full of  'don'ts' and 'never'! Girls do not want that either!

So where have all the nice girls gone? Where are all the good men? Are you mentally prepared to meet that right person? Are you working towards that or are you waiting for a chance encounter? I mean, if you want something, go for it. Hey girls, please, I did not say be desperate! Desperation scares the crap outta likely potentials! I said, go for it and that entails preparing yourself, being ready to be the Mr. Right/ Miss Right so that when you meet your mate, two of you will form a nice fit! I liken dating to being ready for a job. If one wants a position, it's better to prepare oneself for that position by acquiring the needed skills or training so that when the opportunity knocks, one readily answers! You want an independent woman, for example? Are you independent? You want a mate with 'potentials'? I have heard this uncountable number of times from both sexes! My question: what are your potentials? You want an educated, intelligent man? Are you educated and intelligent? Oh yes, the man wants a woman that is driven? Are you driven? What drives you?

How often do you review your list? Are you aware that the Mr. or Miss Right you seek has his or her own list? Are there things you are willing to compromise? Do you need to climb down from your high horse? Are you suffering from an over bloated ego? While I suggest you do not compromise your ideals, those things that make you who you are, I also advice that you do not over-rate yourself! Are you Mr. Right yourself? Or are you waiting for your Miss Right to come around to either "mother you" or "accept you as you are?" Really? How about you being the right person while looking for your right match? Or are you projecting your inadequacies onto the potential? Are you blaming whoever you meet for having a false sense of value cos of your below average standards? Mmmmm, not a good idea, you know! Prepare yourself. Do not concentrate on finding the right person. Work more on being the right person yourself so that when you meet your Miss or Mr. Right, none of you would wanna let go!

Permit me to inform you that my conversation with Jason opened his eyes! He later told me that he revisited his list and made some necessary adjustments. Thank you Jason for your honest appraisal of self? Before you start condemning every opposite sex, are you willing and ready to to do an honest self-appraisal? Do you know where you are lacking? Are you too righteous to err, the Mr. and Miss Perfects of the world? Are you ready to accept your shortcomings and readjust your list? Are you willing and ready to learn, unlearn, and relearn certain things? I'll be glad to hear from you!

MEN AND DIABETES...and Women Too!

Nkiru Oh

Disclaimer: this write-up is not meant to be used for medical diagnosis or treatment or as a substitute for consultation with a qualified health care professional. It is merely to raise awareness about Type 2 Diabetes!

I recently discovered one more reason why I should always love and be thankful for being a woman! After reading the BBC news article of 10/3/2011, titled "Men 'more prone to type 2 diabetes", am like, "thank God I am a woman!" Men must be wondering why I am jubilant. Let me clarify please. I ain't happy because men are more prone to developing diabetes. Am ecstatic because having extra subcutaneous fat on the behind and hips are beneficial, at least for once! Yippee!

According to researchers, men are 'biologically susceptible' to diabetes. How? Why? They store their fat in their liver and waist, two bad areas for fat storage! Women, on the other hand, are said to be endowed with more fat storage havens on their thighs and hips! Yes, thighs and hips as opposed to the liver and the waist! Due to this difference in fat distribution, the researchers opined that whereas men "need to gain far less weight than women to develop the condition...women need to accumulate more fat overall than men to develop the harmful fat deposits linked with diabetes." Mmmm...! And when I remember another finding that women who breastfeed for long have decreased risks of some cancers, I went wow, women are the bomb! Mothers with flat boobs can rejoice after all! Yea, their flat boobs have paid off, and exponentially too!

But before all the heavy-set ladies get carried away, let us remember that storing our excess fat in those two aforementioned areas have their health risks also! Besides diabetes, think about severe joint problems! Imagine being crippled by arthritis! How about being at higher risk for chronic conditions as hypertension and high cholesterol; coronary heart disease; stroke; gallbladder disease; some cancers, yes for example, colon, endometrial,etc; sleep apnea and other respiratory problems? You bet these are killer diseases if left unchecked! Gosh, what a jab! So what next? I have started to work on my excesses! Can't afford to not wear my block-heeled shoes! Diabetes scares the crap outta me too! You might as well start on yours. Seems nice if we share our ideas and compare notes later! What do you think?

The Glasgow University research team also found that men developed diabetes at a lower Body Mass Index (BMI) than women. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), BMI is a number "calculated from a person's weight and height...[which] provides a reliable indicator of body fatness for most people and is used to screen for weight categories that may lead to health problems." It is a tool for indicating weight status in adults in relation to height. BMI ranges are as follows (from CDC):

BMI	Weight Status
Below 18.5	Underweight
18.5—24.9	Normal
25.0—29.9	Overweight
30.0 and Above	Obese

Some classify BMI of 40.0 and above as Morbidly (deadly) Obese. Below are guides to calculating BMI (from CDC):

Measurement Units	Formula and Calculation
Kilograms and meters (or centimeters)	Formula: weight (kg) / [height (m)]2 With the metric system, the formula for BMI is weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared. Since height is commonly measured in centimeters, divide height in centimeters by 100 to obtain height in meters. Example: Weight = 68 kg, Height = 165 cm (1.65 m) Calculation: 68 ÷ (1.65)2 = 24.98 [ie. 68/1.65=41.212/1.65=24.977=24.98]
Pounds and inches	Formula: weight (lb) / [height (in)]2 x 703 Calculate BMI by dividing weight in pounds (lbs) by height in inches (in) squared and multiplying by a conversion factor of 703. Example: Weight = 150 lbs, Height = 5'5" (65") Calculation: [150 ÷ (65)2] x 703 = 24.96  [ie 150/65=2.307/65=0.0355x703=24.95=24.96]

Note that 1foot=12 inches; 1kg=2.2lbs

Also, note that BMI is not a diagnostic tool! It is only one factor related to risk for disease. To assess one's likelihood of developing overweight- or obesity-related diseases, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute recommends looking at two other predictors:

• One's waist circumference (because abdominal fat is a predictor of risk for obesity-related diseases). [40ins or less for men; 35ins or less for women. Note that waist circumference is measured around the navel and not below the waist...*wink*]
• Other risk factors one has for diseases and conditions associated with obesity (for example, high blood pressure or physical inactivity.

Consider the following too: as per CDC:

At the same BMI, women tend to have more body fat than men.

At the same BMI, older people, on average, tend to have more body fat than younger adults.
Highly trained athletes may have a high BMI because of increased muscularity rather than increased body fatness.

In effect, both men and women need to be aware of the issues at stake and how to reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. The disease is caused by too much sugar in the blood. This happens when the body stops making enough insulin or becomes unable to utilize the insulin produced to regulate sugar levels in its various organs! Anyone who is overweight should try to avoid gaining additional weight. And, being overweight with other risk factors (such as high LDL cholesterol, low HDL cholesterol, or high blood pressure), pose more risk! Weight loss is advised. Even a small weight loss (just 10% of one's current weight) may help lower the risk of disease. But please consult with your physician about the best weight loss regimen for you!

The Power of the Spoken Word!

Nkiru Oh

One night during the Winter of 2010, I encountered what was to become one of the sweetest, most satisfying workdays in my career as a health care professional. I was with some co-workers when Viveen (not real name) wobbled in and sank in the remaining empty chair at the corner. Before I could ask any question, she said resignedly, "V (my middle initial)...I am now a diabetic! I was diagnosed three days ago! My doctor checked me and my blood sugar was more than 500...yes, I am now a diabetic V!" Before I could say a word, she continued, tears running down her face, "he even gave me insulin shot...yea...said he had to...my sugar was too high." Again she repeated like a chorus to a music stanza, "I am now a diabetic...V....I am a diabetic!" When I looked at her face, I saw not only fear but hopelessness. I saw helplessness. I saw dejection and despair. I saw  resignation and emptiness. I saw a woman who believed she had received a death sentence and was waiting for the executioner in the gallows! I did not bargain for what was unfolding in front of me. The sight of the once energy-filled, vivacious Viveen, sitting on that chair like a piece of rag, stretched me beyond my training and experience! I quickly said a silent prayer, "Lord, pls tell me what to say!"

 While we were at it, as she sat there breathing heavily and sweating profusely despite the cold night, two of her friends cum colleagues came to give her what I chose to call the 'last sacrament'. One brought her two packs of unsalted crackers, the other a bottle of water, both gifts she absent-mindedly accepted and mumbled her thanks. The one that brought the crackers instructed her like a matron, "you know this is what you should be eating from now on. Now eat before your sugar gets messed up!" And both left. My heart sank into the pit of my stomach! Here were two people with no clue about diabetes, already 'teaching' and messing her up for real! Lord have mercy!

Viveen was about to open the crackers when I spoke. I honestly do not remember my exact words but based on what Viveen told me again yesterday, and probably for the hundredth time, the words literally brought her back to life! I remember bringing my chair closer, sitting about 2 feet from her, putting both hands on her shoulders, with her permission, and engaging her eyes as I spoke. I remember telling her that diabetes does not define her or any who has it; that it is a disease which if managed properly especially at the early stage, minimizes one's chances of developing complications years later! I remember asking her to discard those 'special gifts' together with the mindset with which she accepted them, to face diabetes and fight it as if there was no tomorrow! I asked her to discuss with her doctor so she would start walking immediately to lose some weight; and to work with her health care team to put the disease in check! Yes, exercise helps the body to utilize nutrients, and working with the doctor and the team is very crucial! I remember seeing Viveen sitting up, lightening up and wiping her tears as we spoke, and finally breathing a deep sigh of relief by the end of our talk! We then hugged and went back to our various units.

I did not know the full impact of our talk until about three weeks later. I saw the new Viveen, happier and energetic as ever. When she hugged me and told me all that happened in the past few weeks, I cried for joy! Viveen, after discussing with her physician, started to walk in the park. In three weeks, she already lost about twelve pounds, and she gladly showed me her new girth! Within a few months, her doctor reduced her medications to the barest dose. Need I say she is not on insulin! And her blood sugar has remained within the desired range!

I cried again last Saturday when we met at a party. Almost everyone there has heard about my encounter with Viveen that Winter night two years ago! What made me cry again for joy and wanna share this incident with the world was what one elderly woman said to me at that party. She put her hands on my shoulders and said, "My child, Viveen already told us what you did. Our words can kill. They can also heal. God uses people to help people. Please do not ever change!" I felt on top the world knowing that through one person, Viveen, I have ended up positively impacting many more lives! Yes, words can kill! Words can also save and heal! We can start impacting the world one person at a time! If after reading this piece someone realizes the need to say some kind words to others especially those that are hurting, and or becomes mindful of the power of the spoken words, my aim for sharing the story would have been achieved!