MyFigure8ng: Live the good life

What's up with tiger nuts? I'm sure you have heard a thing or two about the benefits of this not so nut fruit. Especially in the undersheet department. Well,  there's more to tiger nuts.  Here's an excerpt from an article  in the  African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development, Vol. 11, No. 5, 2011 "They are usually preserved by sun drying for about three months before storage. It can be eaten raw, dried, roasted, or grated and can be subjected to further processing. Its uses in cooking and as fuel, baking flour, fish baits; milk in lieu of cow’s milk are outlined. Regarding the plant high percentage of carbohydrates (mono- and di-), fibre, and oil (especially oleic acid) and its moderately high level of protein, minerals (calcium, magnesium, iron and phosphorous), and vitamins C and E makes it a good source of food for humans and animals. It is a cheap source of nutrition for both the rich and the poor. The health benefits reflect reduction...

You may never have heard of it but this antioxidant is a silent warrior in the body. Source According to Wikipedia.com, Glutathione (GSH) is an important antioxidant in plants, animals, fungi, and some bacteria and archaea. Glutathione is capable of preventing damage to important cellular components caused by reactive oxygen species such as free radicals, peroxides, lipid peroxides, and heavy metals. Source The human body is designed to make its own glutathione. However  certain situations like not eating right,  growing older,  exposure to radioactive substances, infections, medications, pollution and toxic matter can greatly deplete glutathione levels. Watch this video to learn more. If you want to purchase gluthatione supplement,  please send a Whatsapp message to 08154928659. Xx

Imagine walking on the streets and you have to hit your head like you are putting a nail into the wall and people are staring... Embarrassing right? That's itchy scalp for you!  It causes a lot of discomfort and even hair loss. Some of the most common causes of an itchy scalp are dandruff, dry scalp, poor hair care, fungus and viral infections, and a poor diet. There are many ways you can treat an itchy scalp without tearing your pocket (in this recession lol). You can use some common kitchen ingredients to treat itchy scalp. 1. Lemon Juice Lemon juice will help treat an itchy and dry scalp because of its antiseptic properties. It is especially useful when dealing with dandruff. How to use: *You can simply apply fresh lemon juice thoroughly on the scalp. Leave it on for five minutes and then shampoo your hair. If you do not have dandruff, dilute the lemon juice in water. * You can also mix the lemon juice with yogurt and apply it on your scalp for a few minutes before w...

Adedoyin Jaiyesimi is a writer,  editor and writing coach, she also manages blogs and creates content for websites. She is the founder of The Sparkle Writers Hub, a platform where she coaches people to Horne their writing skills and get published online or offline. She shares with us her experience with stress and fatigue and how she was able to overcome them.  Health is wealth, I learnt this the hard way. I started 2016 with a burst of energy. There were so many things to achieve and in my mind, there was so little time. And so I worked and overworked, hardly taking any rest. In fact, I considered rest a luxury. I cannot really explain why I put myself under so much pressure. From late nights to days back to back of little or no sleep, my body began to push back by the middle of the year. Did I yield? Did I rest? No I didn't. "Body you need to be tougher" I said to my body with disdain. This state of affairs continued for two more months until my body had had...

Hi!! It is such a beautiful day and the day is too beautiful to not to love your skin! Your skin is the largest organ of the your body. You like your skin. Your skin likes you. It protects you from the elements that can harm you and it keeps you together (imagine what you'd look like without the skin...  Ewww right?) . So you should do your best to protect it from any kind of damage. Let's paint a typical scenario : One morning you wake up to see acne breakouts on your face (oops!) and you suddenly hate your skin. You turn to harsh chemicals, and expensive scrubs. Isn't that is a very terrible way to reward a friend who’s been there for you since day one? Your epidermis isn’t at fault here-it can’t help that your hormones are causing all that extra sebum to block up your pores, or the fact that bacteria is running rampant. If your skin could talk it would say why are you punishing me for a crime I didn't commit... That’s just a guess anyways. The point is, na...

Avocados are in season in Nigeria and as a Nigerian fitness and nutrition expert,  I'm so glad as it has several benefits. A. Avocados contain lutein, a carotenoid that works as an antioxidant and helps protect against eye disease. B. Avocados also contain oleic acid, a fat that activates the part of your brain that makes you feel full. C. Avocados are rich in both soluble and insoluble fibre which aid proper digestion. D. They are packed with beneficial mono -unsaturated fat, this slows digestion and helps keep blood sugar from spiking after a meal. E. Avocados are a rich source of folate (as in folic acid) which is essential for conception and for protecting babies in the womb. These are just a few benefits. Here are some ways avocados can be integrated into your meals 1. Eat with boiled/grilled yam/sweet potatoes  (My mother-in-law loves this) 2. Mix with fresh lemon juice and olive oil to create a heart friendly salad dressing 3. Add a sprinkling of ...

As a mother of two boisterous, healthy and active children who runs a couple of gigs, I know what trying to live a balanced life feels like: like dragging a bag of rice tied around your waist while trying to smile and let the whole world see how much of a fabulous superwoman you are. But guess what, there really is no balance! My Figure 8 Nigeria. 

Is your Chair Ergonomic? You might not have considered just how important your office chair is, now is the time. A chair does much more than just providing a seat for you, it could make or mar the health of your back. Sitting is a position that adds stress to the structure of the back, therefore, the selection of a suitable chair is a great step in preventing posture related health problems for people working in a seated position.

One of the ways you can relieve stress and increase productivity is efficient time management. Your chores, activities and needs will always be there, you can't wish them away. What you can do however, is to prioritise and do what's most important first. Also, reduce or completely eliminate distractions by identifying and differentiating between urgent and necessary interruptions. Urgent interruptions are not always necessary (eg, a phone call from a friend who wants to "catch up" during your work time) while necessary interruptions are not always urgent (e.g. a reminder about your family's hospital check up appointment). Determine what is not necessary, and at the moment and schedule them for another time. Thirdly, try not to multi task. I know we all say women are born "multi taskers" but what is the essence of starting too many things and not finishing them up? Schedule your tasks, do them one after the other (time boxing can help here so on...

Hello my name is Olubunmi Fajuyigbe. I'm a beauty and wellness coach and the founder of My Figure 8 wellness and events. I have a certification in personal and group aerobics training, wellness coaching and a Diploma in Human diet and Nutrition among others. I want to invite you to join a 4 weeks weight loss challenge i'm hosting in April for women who want to get started on a healthy weight loss and healthy lifestyle journey. No crash or FAD diets allowed here. That's why our target for the month is 4kg. Which is the ideal healthy weigth loss amount., Here's my weight loss picture below. I wasn't so big (you don't have to be) but I needed to lose some weight and I did. In 2013, I lost 16kg in 4 months using the techniques you are going to learn in the next 4 weeks and guess what? I've kept those 16kg off since then, 4 years now! Are you ready to join the challenge? I have also, through my female fitness club, helped women to lose weight ...

Congratulations on your pregnancy! It's not time to sit back,watch TV and eat chocolates, it's time to Exercise. Yes,exercising during pregnancy is safe! Maintaining and even improving fitness levels is encouraged while pregnant especially as exercise has a number of benefits such as boosting your mood and energy levels, help to prevent excessive weight gain, increasing stamina and muscle strength. Exercising during pregnancy can help to reduce common pregnancy complaints such as low back pain, fatigue,constipation and may even help make labour a little easier by improving endurance. The American College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology recommends 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise per day or at least 3 days a week. Research has shown that exercising during pregnancy may: • help reduce your low back pain, constipation and swelling • prevent you from having gestational diabetes • increase your energy • improve your mood • improve your posture • increase...

Add color to family meal time with veggie pasta mix. Ingredients : 200g pasta 698 1/2 cup chopped Broccoli 15 3 Baby carrots 15 1/2 small onion 14 Chilli 15 Habanero 15 1/2 cup beef stock 20 100g Boiled beef (I used brisket) 385 1 Stock cube 30 Salt to taste 1 tbsp Soya bean oil 120 1 tbsp butter 102 How to prepare Combine cooked pasta,  butter,  oil,  stock,  salt,  stock cube and beef. Let it simmer for 3 minutes. Add onions, chilli and habanero.  Finally,  add broccoli and carrots,  cover pot and let it steam for 2 minutes. Enjoy. Makes 3 portions 1 portion is approximately 476 calories (all calories are estimated values) For weight loss, triple amount of vegetables and make it 5 servings. 1 serving will then be 327cal. Want a meal plan?  Call or Whatsapp 07031609253. xxxii.

Hello, This weekend,  I got one of my proteges to make me healthy potato tortilla wraps.  Later in the evening my children were peckish so I decided to try something new with one of the wraps: a healthier version of sausage pizza. Healthy pizza recipe  Here's what I used 1 potato tortilla wrap 3 tablespoons tomato ketchup (you can use tomato paste,  I didn't have any at home) 1 teaspoon chilli powder 1small chicken sausage 4 tablespoons grated mozzarella cheese How I made it  Mix the tomato ketchup and chilli powder, spread on the wrap. Cut the sausage into small pieces and spread over the tomato paste. Spread the grated cheese over the sausages. Bake in oven or microwave for a few minutes (until cheese is melted) Enjoy. P. S It was impromptu so it isn't as rich as I would have wanted it to be.  You can replace the sausages with grilled chicken breast,  olives,  mushrooms. If you want the tortilla wrap please let me kn...

It's bee n a while we talked  talked about exercises. Apart from exercise keeping you fit, it is  an important addition to any fat loss program.  From experience,  most women want a flat stomach,  not only that,  we also want an hour glass figure.   This exercise I'm about to show you works just great for those purposes.  So if you need an exercise for your abs and waist, try Russian twist.  How to: Sit with your knees  pulled up towards your tummy,  bend your back slightly backwards so you create a  V and twist from side to side reaching for the floor as you do so.   You can start with 2 to 3 sets of 10 repetitions and work your way upwards. This exercise works your  obliques, upper  and lower abs and according to tone-and-tighten.com, doing Russian twist with your feet elevated actually works better than regular sit-ups in toning the stomach muscles.  Muscles worked by Russian twist.  ...

Hello, I have this very handy potato cutter that I use for pretty much everything. 🙈 Potatoes,  bell peppers,  yam,  and I even almost spoilt it by using it for carrots.  It just makes cutting faster and neater. I got it as a souvenir from my hubby's cousin's wedding  so I really don't know how much it costs. If you really need to know you can drop a message and I'll ask her on your behalf. Do you have any useful and or handy gadgets you want to tell us about?  Please drop a comment below or send an email to info@myfigure8.com. Till next time, xx Olubunmi Fajuyigbe

Hello, I saw this on www.livestrong.com while searching for organic facial recipes and decided to share. Enjoy. by  WILLIAM PETERMAN  Last Updated: Jan 28, 2015 Ginger root is used to treat digestive disorders, inflammatory conditions and many other ailments, notes the University of Maryland Medical Center. Ginger root has warming and invigorating properties, which makes it an excellent cleanser for the skin and face. In fact, ginger stimulates the skin, increases the blood flow and provides a warming effect when used to clean the skin. Mix the ginger with other ingredients when you want to use it as a facial or skin cleanser. Step 1 Photo Credit  Carla de Koning /Demand Media Peel and grate 2 tbsp. of fresh ginger root into a small bowl. Step 2 Photo Credit  Carla de Koning /Demand Media Add 3 tbsp. of honey to the grated ginger. Homestead.org states that honey has healing properties for skin, reduces inflammation and helps shed dead sk...

To get and maintain a flat tummy addition to healthy feeding,  you need exercises.  A combination of #aerobic exercises like #jumpropeworkout #running... and the exercises above will surely help you achieve your aim. This is so because you need to burn the fat as well as tone the muscles. Try 2-3 reps, 3-5 days a week. xx

Hello, Below is a slide show showing how i made the oil free palm oil soup that has been serenading followers of @myfigure8ng on Instagram. Enjoy and share. Let me know if you try it in a comment below. xx Olubunmi

Hello all After my carrot and orange juice post,  I thought it would make sense to actually have a juicer instead of having to sieve out the juice everytime I wanted to make some. So on one of my out and about trips,  I saw this Saisho juice extractor at foodco supermarket, idi  ishin Jericho,  Ibadan. My saisho juice extractor  This is a good gadget to have in your kitchen!  I'm a smoothie believer but once in a while I just want some juice.  A juicer makes that much easier. The advantages of making your own juice over packaged juice include: 1. You know exactly what you are drinking.  Packaged juice can contain among other things, added sugar and chemical preservatives. 2. You know the quantity of fruits you are consuming.  Fruits contain calories and sugar too.  So you can not have juice in unlimited quantity. Making your own juice let's you know how much you are consuming. 3. Your juice is fresh! I actually saw two of ...

Hi, This week's video is  a full body workout that can be done in as little as 5 mins.  Repeat several times for added benefit. If you want a particular video,  please request for it in a comment below. XX

Hi ya I just thought I should let y'all know what this movement,   My Figure 8 , is not about. I see women shaming other women,  dissing their journey to good health and wellness. No,  this is not what we are about here.  We are about strength,  about sisterhood,  about accountability,  about health and above all,  about happiness.  So fasten your seatbelt and let's get fit together.  xx Olubunmi

Oatmeal pancakes are better than the plain white wheat version because the addition of milled oats makes it a more nutritious meal which is infused with dietary fibre and protein. I have decided to share a recipe I tried and liked with you.  Hope you like it too. Here's the recipe. 1 cup oats, milled 3 spoons white flour (optional) Sugar to taste ( you can replace this with mashed bananas, honey or maple syrup ) 1 egg A pinch of salt A tsp of nutmeg Pepper (optional)  Process: mix dry ingredients, make a hole in the center of the mixture and add your egg (and banana or syrup if used). Add water a little at a time until you reach your desired consistency. To add a bit of spice the #Naija way, add cayenne powder! 🐒🐶 Fry as usual or use a sandwitch maker (use oil spray to prevent it from sticking). Enjoy alone, drizzled with citrus juice or a little honey. Let me know if you try it  and what you think. XX

Hi, The video below contains 5 exercises for toning and strengthening your biceps, triceps and even pectoral muscles. The good thing about these exercises is that they do not require any special equipment so you can do them anywhere and at any time. Do as many sets as you can as often as you can and you will be on your way to sharp guns!!💪 For your personalised exercise plan, please leave a message here Do you have any questions or suggestions? Please drop a line below xx

Hi, It's a wonderful start to another week and we are gradually getting our feet balanced in order to serve you, dear Naija sis,  a weekly dose of information and education about fitness, healthy nutrition,  beauty, general lifestyle and wellness.   Don't hesitate to tell us what you want us to talk about on the blog and blog and we will surely try our best to do so. Today,  we are examining the many benefits of carrots. The yummy, crunchy, juicy , orange (though it can be other colours) root vegetable that is common in Nigeria during dry season. Carrots can be juiced alone or in smoothies,  eaten alone or with a dip (e.g peanut butter)  as a snack,  can be used in soups and sauces, salads and as a garnish in rice and pasta dishes. Garnishing with carrots  But that's not all about carrots. They are an excellent source of beta carotene and fiber not forgetting Vit A, C,  K, B8, pantothenic acid,  dilate,  potass...

Hello, We just wanted to remind you that our aim is to be your go to wellness blog in Nigeria for Nigerian women. If there is any topic you want us to write (or do a webinar) about, please do not hesitate to write about it in the comment box below or you can send an email to info@myfigure8.com. We would be happy to hear from you! xoxo.

Hi all, Here's a post on an easy and healthy meal that can be prepared and packed as lunch for children and pre-teens. You can try it too, It's easy to prepare and delish!   Chicken sandwich: Grill one ready (preferably self) made chicken patty,cut and rub a little unsalted butter on a  brown bread bun. Lay a large leaf of cucumber on the bread, put the chicken patty, lay another cucumber leaf on top, add slices of vegetables of your choice. E.g, tomatoes, cucumber, kale, onion, Drizzle on a little mustard eat open or cover with another slice of bun. There goes your meal.  Let us know if you have any easy, healthy recipes to share below. NB. Make sure your child takes fruits and vegetables daily. You should too.

Helloooooo, It's awoof time at My Figure 8 hub, Ibadan. Throughout the month of February, we are offering our Ibadan babes and mamas a free one month gym membership when you pay for 2 months. This means that if you pay N10,000 instead of getting 2 moths membership, you get 3. Isn't that just amazing? Yes, we are nice like that, because we love you. In case you are still wondering why you need to be a part of us, consider the following benefits of exercises as stated by the Illinois department of public health: Reduces the risk of dying prematurely Reduces the risk of dying from heart disease Reduces the risk of developing diabetes Reduces the risk of developing colon cancer Reduces feelings of depression and anxiety Helps to build and maintain healthy bones, muscles and joints Helps older adults become stronger and better able to move about without falling Promotes psychological well-being Helps to control weight, build lean muscle mass and reduce body fat...

She has a special occasion, buys a particular lovely dress she saw on Instagram, only for her to try it on and see that the bulge in her mid-section wouldn’t allow her dress to be great even though it fits perfectly in all other places 😢😢. Chae! She needs some goods for her shop, goes to Idumota market, while trying to force her way through the thronging crowd, one of the numerous merchants in the market grabs her hand and says “mama ibeji (woman pregnant with twins), what do you want?” 😢😢😢😢 Double chae! Do these stories sound familiar? Most women, overweight or not, have issues with extra fat around the stomach causing an unwanted bump. This belly fat is actually bad for the health. It is an indication of too much visceral fat around the stomach organs and should not be ignored as this if left unattended to can lead to cardiovascular related diseases. But fret not, there’s a way out as far as you are willing and able to pay the price of discipline. Below are 3 e...

Massage therapy may help the body in many ways. Massage can offer relief for tight muscles, release of nerve compression ( e.g carpel tunnel, sciatica...), increase joint space and range of motion. This may lead to reduced pain and improved function. OOOOkkkkaaayyy! Enough English! You know the feeling you get from garri soaked in Iced water that was imprisoned the hottest of days? That's what having a deep tissue massage does to your aching body!  If you think we are lying click here or just call My Figure 8 wellness hub on 08154928659 to book a massage session and get hooked for life!

Here are 10 tips that will make life easier for you as a mother. 1. Take your children on short walks in the evening, they will be happy, sleep early and you will be fit. 2. Teach your children to eat healthy. Make fruits and vegetables a part of meal time daily. 3. Teach them to drink lots of water (you should too), drop  grapes, berries, citrus fruits in water to encourage them if they aren't too keen on it. 4. Skip the sugar for cereals, instead use fresh and dried fruits as sweeteners, healthy nut (almonds, groundnuts, walnuts) also give a n irresistible crunchiness to cereals. 5. Teach your child self confidence: never talk down on them, never compare them with  siblings, friends or neighbours. 6. Teach them respect, it never goes out of fashion 7. Teach them kindness and compassion 8. Always point out what is good in them. 9. Reward good behaviour, discipline them when needed but always let them know what they did wrong before and after the discipli...