HELP PROTECT OUR CHILDREN!!!

by Rita Oziegbe

It seems having carnal knowledge of little children has become the order of the day. The devil has taken toll of the heart of men, when I say MEN, I don’t necessarily mean MALES but both male and female alike. There are a lot of evil going on in our days, but do we allow the children live with them without our protection and guidance?..... I guess your answer is as good as mine… hell NO!!!  You may want to deny the fact that these things happen or reject the possibility of it happening to your child but the truth remains that THEY HAPPEN! Now don’t be blinded to think that it only happens to female children, even the boys get sexually abused too….. Surprised?... Don’t be.

For those of us who think sexual abuse only has to do with penetration with penis , fingers  or objects, we are wrong because it involves a whole others such as;

Exposing sexual materials or genitals to a child

Touching/ kissing/fondling of genitals and other areas of the body.

Asking a child to touch their own genitals or another person’s.

Talking explicitly, graphically, inappropriately, graphically about sex to a child.

Forced and non- forced sex with an under-aged child.

With all these, how then do we protect them from being vulnerable?...  We begin by not feeding them with lies or myths about sexual abuses. I say this because many parents in trying to deny the reality of these things happening or in their confusion on how to present it to the children, tend to paint the wrong picture to their children. They forget that if they do not tell the children the real truth about the subject, outsiders would and maybe the wrong side of it all. Some believe teaching children about sexual abuses scare them, therefore they think it is best to go mute about it. This is also wrong as the better informed our children are about the happenings around them, the better prepared and protected they are.

Don’t make your children believe that these things happen in only families with problems or broken homes and that they are safe because your own family is a “normal one”, therefore such can’t happen to them. If they are safe within does that imply that they are also safe outside your home. Remember many of the reported cases are perpetrated by members of the family or relatives. It could be their uncles, aunts, brothers, sisters, cousins and even by their parents.  Make them also to understand that not only girls can be abused. Yes, as strange as it might sound, boys can be abused too. Make efforts to teach your sons how to protect themselves also. And it is not only men that abuse or rape children because women are also being used as the devil’s instrument in this case. Do not fool them by saying it is only improperly dressed girls get abused because even those in flowing gowns are abused too.

Teach your children the right name for their body part even if it is their private parts else someone will teach them and also touch it for them. Let them know the difference between “safe”,” unsafe” and “unwanted” touch and no matter who does the touching, they should be able to say a big NO when it is unsafe and unwanted. They should also say the NO when they are asked to involve in any kind of sexual activity without fear or favour.  Build a good relationship with your children as this will help them in telling you anything without keeping secrets. Watch out for danger signs in adult and those that your children might be giving you indirectly about an adult or anyone around them. Control their access to the internet and other media usage as this would help you keep a check on the kind of thing that they are exposed to.  At the worst cases, they should scream for help, run and tell anyone that can help.

“OURS TO PLOUGH AND NOT TO PLUNDER”

by Rita Oziegbe

“This earth is
Ours to work not to waste
Ours to man not to main
This earth is ours to plough, not to plunder”

This very last verse of Niyi Osundare’s poem “Ours to plough and not to plunder” during my secondary school days kept ringing in my head as I rode to work thinking of my beloved country, its many riches and the irony of what it has become today. Mother Earth is forced to drink the blood of her children, her beautiful clothes of rich green grasses and trees of various kinds with sweet smelling flowers has turned into rags from oil spills, refuse dumps, decomposing corpse, flood and the numerous destruction from the various bombing activities of different  groups.

Why do we bring so much shame to her, why do we turn ourselves who are her children into instruments of her pain. Even God himself weeps at the sight of what she has become. Nigeria, we used to be Africa’s pride, her giant, her beauty, her glory…… Where are these now... All of them, we have traded and for what? Greed, pride and covetousness. Our home land which is supposed to provide refuge and succor has turned into large mouths of scary pits that swallow us. Did I hear you ask “where are the elders?”……. Of course we have them, but they themselves are the reason for our downfall. They were to lead us to greatness but instead they lead us to perdition, they were to guide us but they seem confused themselves, they were to care for us but they neglect us, caring for themselves and their pockets. The youths they say are the leaders of tomorrow but they have turned us into thugs, thieves, assassins and all sorts of evil machineries.

God have mercy! For our beloved land weeps, she begs for restoration of all her lost glories, she begs us to put a smile back on her face. Stop the killing for the lives we have lost can never be regained. Stop the oil spills for Mother Earth longs to be adorned once again with flowers and rich vegetation. Stop the bombing for it is taking us no where rather we are retrogressing as a nation. STOP! STOP!! STOP!!!........ THIS EARTH IS OURS TO PLOUGH AND NOT TO PLUNDER!!!!

PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT IN CHILDREN'S EDUCATION

by Rita Oziegbe

Being a parent, makes you the child’s first and most important teacher. The importance of the involvement of parents, family and care takers in children’s education cannot be overemphasized as the children do better, achieve more in school and feel better about their schooling. When we talk about parent’s involvement, we don’t just mean the paying of their school fees, buying of their school materials, participating in school meetings and raising funds for the school, it involves the active engagement with the child’s learning at home and at school.

No thanks to the global economic meltdown with everyone trying to make ends meet, both parents leave home very early in the morning and come home almost when the children are asleep, tired out and going straight to bed only to continue the same cycle the next day. During the weekends that parents should spend time with their children, they find themselves involved in other activities such as town meetings, club meeting and religious gatherings. Not that these are bad in themselves but that the future of those whom we claim to be doing them for, is sacrificed. With these, it is clear that more is expected of the parents if we are to be actively engaged in the children’s learning.

 How then do we get started?... The following are some helpful tips;

Create a form of partnership with your child’s teachers and school staff. Meet your child’s teacher and make it known that you are interested in helping your child learn, find out the areas your child is having problems and discuss how it can be solved. Let the teacher know that he/she is free to get in touch with you should your child develop any other problem. Get to know other people who help in your child’s learning  since there are many other people involve in the day to day running f the school activities and be able to control how they affect your child’s learning. If the English language they use in school is what scares you, then you can get an interpreter while you use your local language or one you are comfortable with to communicate your concerns.

Don’t just leave the rest to the teacher but take a step further by supporting your child’s learning at home. Make out time to help with their homework or other school related activities, don’t do their homework for them for it will not help them on the long run, encourage them to  use the media effectively, discuss educational issues with the child, talk with the child and find out his/her areas of difficulties and offer help in terms of advice on how these difficulties can be addressed, encourage them to read and use the library but you can make it more fun by participating in some reading exercises with them. Monitor the child’s usage of the television, video games and the internet and above all; demonstrate a strong positive attitude about education to your children because they look up to you as a role model.

Engage in a kind of follow up on your child’s performance in school, get special services if your child needs one, help the child prepare for test and examinations and get to review the child’s report card each time it comes out. Your not being learned is not an excuse, you can involve other family members who are educated or get help from educated people around you. Ensure that your children attend school regularly as this also help in their performance. All these and more might seem tasking but WORTHWHILE. May God bless all the efforts we make towards our children’s success in life.

SKIN BLEACHING.......

by Rita Oziegbe

Growing up as a child, I disliked a neighbor who had a young wife. My reason was because he was a bad man to have hit his wife in the face so hard as to give her those dark patches by the side of both eyes that wouldn’t just go. I remember those patches now as an adult as I see them on other faces…don’t think I am naive as to think that they were also caused by the beatings these individuals have received. I was a child then, now I know better that those big dark patches are the effects of the constant use of bleaching creams. Sometimes I begin to wonder if aliens have not invaded our earth because we now have a lot of people with a rainbow skin:- white face with dark patches, red, yellow, green, purple, blue veins all visible on their body and especially on their faces.

Now let’s see; what is skin beaching, what are some of its effect and the contents we should look out for when we go out there to buy body creams/lotions? Skin bleaching is the practice of using chemicals substances in order to lighten skin tone or produce an even skin complexion by reducing the melanin concentration in the skin. What is melanin, you say?... Melanin is a substance in the skin that causes pigmentation. It helps in the absorption of some of the dangerous ultraviolet radiation (UV) in sunlight. It also has DNA repair enzymes that helps in reversing UV damage, therefore people who lack the genes for these enzymes suffer very high rate of skin cancer.

Many people tend to forget or may not know that the skin is the largest organ in human system and plays an important role in protecting the body against pathogens and excess loss of water. Other functions include; insulation, temperature regulation, synthesis of vitamin D, the protection of vitamin B foliate and sensation. In their desire to look like the whites who in many ways want to look like them by tanning, they damage their skin by using all sorts of chemical, some even go as far as mixing hair relaxers and hypo bleach into their body creams. Don’t scream, it’s the truth... Everyone wants to look like “oyibo” forgetting that as Africans, God in His wisdom knows what He is doing. We want to outsmart Him, but we surely will pay the price.

The effects of skin bleaching are dangerous and cannot be overlooked. For those of us who still want to look the way God made us and not like ghosts, do not buy any body cream containing hydroquinone and if you must use them, it should not be above 2%. Also look out for arbutin which is a natural source of the later, kojic acid which scientist say may have carcinogenic properties in large doses and causes allergic contact dermatitis, mercury, ellagic acid, ferulic acid, licorice extract and certain fruit extract that bleaches the skin. In a nutshell dear friends, stay NATURAL, stay BEAUTIFUL, stay HEALTHY and stay ALIVE!!!

source(Wikipedia)                                                 

YOU IGNORE, YOUR BAD....

YOU IGNORE , YOUR BAD..

It’s no news that the climate is changing. There are seasonal shifts as the dry and raining season don’t come as at when we usually expect them. When they finally do, the intensity is alarming. The sun is so hot these days that you feel its rays sting you on the skin. Even the early morning sun which doctors say is healthy, am afraid might no longer be. When it does rain, my goodness!........ everywhere becomes flooded and refuses to dry up. Findings shows that the world has warmed by 0.8 degree Celsius since pre-industrial times and recently scientists carrying out research on global warming have predicted that average global temperatures could increase between 1.4 and 5.8 degree Celsius by the year 2100. Isn’t that scary???...........

The horror is not just the harshness of the sun on our skin and subsequent damages but the fact that it would have major and unpredictable effects on the world’s water systems, there would be severe weather events and extreme weather conditions which would adversely affect farming and agriculture; a source of food supply and livelihood for more than half of the global population. I wonder how we would survive by then. To think that almost everyone in Naija has “ I beta pass my neighbor” (generator set) which produces fumes as dark as those we see in movies when the devil wants to appear and we are busy cutting down every little plant/tree all in the name of clearing and space hunting for buildings, yet we do nothing to correct the situation.

 It is not enough buying / applying all the creams with sunscreen, sun umbrella, sun canopy and what have you………..lols…….. Let’s get busy planting trees, reduce our rate of generator usage; of course that would be when the government does something about the power sector to improve the mass electrical consumption and if you can afford it, get other sources of generating electricity.

YOU NEED THESE!

by Rita Oziegbe 

A tree cannot make a forest they say because the beauty of the forest lies in the varieties of the plants and how they co-exist. In the same vein, an individual cannot make a family, an organization or a society. The ability to work together towards the achievement of a common goal as a people can never be ruled out in human existence neither can its effect be ignored in our daily lives. This could be attributed to the possession of certain skills by humans and one of such is the SOFT SKILLS. One would begin to wonder, “What are soft skills?”…….. Don’t get so curious, I’ll tell you.

Soft skills are characters, traits, and interpersonal skills that characterize a person’s relationship with others. They are the abilities to recognize and manage our own and other’s emotions. It also includes how we organize and how we approach life. Did I hear you say “What has it got to do with family, organization and the society?”…………… Of course it does have a lot to do with these units, every family unit has a common interest and goal/s and so does every organizational workplace, groups and society. Each unit is made up of more than one individual and each individual have their own emotions. The ability to manage your own emotion as a part of the unit and that of the other members will go a long way to determine the success of one’s family, the organization in which you work and the society you belong.

Now what are some of these soft skills? They include; communication skills, teamwork and collaboration, adaptability/flexibility, problem solving, critical observation, conflict resolution, dependability, personal habits, leadership traits, conscientiousness, creativity, self motivation, accepting responsibility, optimism, commitment, coaching and mentoring, sense of humour, good decision making, empathy, diplomacy and respectfulness, common sense, good manners, time management and ability to work under pressure, when to speak, listen and suggest a compromise and many more.

They are important because they are one’s unique selling point and give you a competitive edge in the workplace, in the family and perhaps in life. They are considered a complement to hard skills, which refer to a person’s occupational skills and knowledge. You can simply put, they make your hard skills glow. Although most of these skills are innate, some can be learnt and boosted over time to give you an upper hand on a job/ promotion, other areas of your life and in the society at large. 

Flash: Hon Minister Amina J Mohammed meeting Prof. Ivara Esu, Deputy Governor of Cross River State on Super Highway issue

FLASH: @AminaJMohammed meets Prof. Ivara Esu, Deputy Governor of Cross River State on Super Highway issue pic.twitter.com/z6hxa6QcCO

— Environment Ministry (@FMEnvng) March 17, 2016

BUILDING THE BRIDGE WITH BOOKS.

I may not be a good reader of the bible

i may not be an ardent bencher at the church on sundays

but i feel it in my bones when i see the commoner's child unable to read and the children of the sunday ardent read fluently

there fore, i m.....BUILDING BRIDGES WITH BOOKS

Improving literacy in rural communities

the rural must read.

sunny onuesoke

Upcoming event : Books donation at Egburie Primary School, Ozoro

Enthusiastically we at Onuesoke Foundation Mobile Library in partnership with books2Africa will be donating books to Pupils in Egburie Primary School, Ozoro at the Inter-athletic Sport Competition on 29th March 2016......Be There!!!!

Onuesoke Foundation Mobile Library - Raise Awareness

Onuesoke Foundation At Awirhe Community

Onuesoke Foundation Humanitarianly saves lives of children by bridging the gap between the rural and urban child. Rural children are equally blessed as the urban child, but the leading factor affecting the rural child is nature and nurture. Brilliantness and intelligence are equally distributed to all children during conception as a trait that is innate. This is why our aims and objective is to see rural children have access to informed environment by providing the rural children textbooks, exercise-books, writing materials, teaching aids for teachers through Onuesoke Foundation Mobile Library. At Awirhe Primary School Inter-House Athletic Sport Competition, Onuesoke Foundation in partnership with books2Africa was able to donate over 500 books to pupils who came first and second in the inter-house athletic competition.

MY PASSION IS TO BRIDGE THE GAP , THE GAP BETWEEN THE RURAL CHILD AND THE URBAN CHILD , MAKING THE CLASSROOM OF THE RURAL CHILD AS EDUCATING AS THAT OF THE URBAN CHILD WHO ARE IN THE SAME SOCIETY ....ONUESOKE.

If education is the key to national development ,

Educational Attainment of children of equivalent social background should not vary  according to the regional locality of the child.. A gap we need to close and ensure equal opportunity and same content in curriculum delivery. Onuesoke.

 

Enthusiastically, Onuesoke Foundation will be berthing at the shore of Awirhe Town, in Agbarha Otor for a massive donation of Primary School textbooks at the Inter-house athletic sport competition tomorrow. Be there!!!!!!!!!!!!

Trees Reduce Air Pollution, Obesity, Respiratory Problems

Trees are nature's answer to diminishing air pollution, as well as reducing respiratory problems for the human population, according to US Forest Service scientists and collaborators behind a new study.

Their broad-scale estimates concluded that trees are saving more than 850 human lives a year and preventing 670,000 incidents of acute respiratory symptoms - and that's just by improving air quality less than one percent.

Not to mention that trees can help save $7 billion a year in health costs by reducing respiratory illness.

The study, published in the journal Environmental Pollution, was led by Dave Nowak and Eric Greenfield of the US Forest Service's Northern Research Station (NRS) and Satoshi Hirabayashi and Allison Bodine of the Davey Institute. It is the first to directly link air pollution to improved healthy effects.

Researchers came to these staggering conclusions by investigating four pollutants in particular: nitrogen dioxide, ozone, sulfur dioxide, and particulate matter less than 2.5 microns (PM2.5) in aerodynamic diameter. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) currently has air quality standards established for these four pollutants.

 The NRS team found that pollution removal is substantially higher in rural areas compared to urban areas, however the effects on human health are considerably greater in urban areas than rural areas.

"With more than 80 percent of Americans living in urban areas, this research underscores how truly essential urban forests are to people across the nation," Michael T. Rains, Director of the Forest Service's Northern Research Station, said in a news release.

Health effects related to air pollution include impacts on pulmonary, cardiac, vascular, and neurological systems. In the United States, approximately 130,000 PM2.5-related deaths and 4,700 ozone-related deaths in 2005 were because of air pollution.

It may seem simple that trees are the answer to reducing air pollution and all its associated health effects, but tree cover is not created equal in the United States. For example, trees cover 2.6 percent of North Dakota compared to 88.9 percent in New Hampshire.

"In terms of impacts on human health, trees in urban areas are substantially more important than rural trees due to their proximity to people," Nowak said. "We found that in general, the greater the tree cover, the greater the pollution removal, and the greater the removal and population density, the greater the value of human health benefits."

For more details about Onuesoke Foundation Tree Planting Projects and donation.

5000 Books Donation Just Arrived from UK

At Onuesoke Foundation we are happy and proud to announce the arrival of 5000 Books from one of the foundation's international partners in the UK know as Book to Africa in support of our rural child development project 2016, tagged RCMR (Rural Child Must Read).

The RCMR Project focuses on improving the reading culture of rural school aged children in Delta State, also donating of books to rural schools and stocking of Onuesoke Mobile Library.

         

"LEAP FROGGING EDUCATION IN DELTA STATE" HOW POSSIBLE SOON?

"LEAP FROGGING EDUCATION IN DELTA STATE."..HOW SOON WILL THIS BE?
definition of leapfrogging.

• surpass or overtake another to move into a leading or dominant position.
• pass over (a stage or obstacles)
• DELTA STATE EDUCATION SYSTEM TO PASS OVER THESE OBSTACLES
• 1. Schools with no fence/gate
• 2. Schools with no toilets
• 3. Class rooms with no seats 
• 4. Schools with no Library
• 5. Schools with no science Laboratory
• 6. Schools with No teachers for Core Subjects
• 7.Poor school Leadership
• 8 Primary School teachers resuming 10:am leaving the school by 12 pm
• 9 Students who are not motivated to go to school and stay in school to attend all classes
• 10 parents who dont see it as their obligation to buy books and learning material for their children
• 11 students with no discipline
• 12 parents not involved in their children education
• 13 communities breaking into schools facilities
• 14 communities with hoodlums in school compound 
• 15 student

  s going late to school

FROG LEAPING ALL THESE WILL BE QUITE  A GREAT LEAP.

• 
  

GOODNESS OF VEGETABLES

1. Cabbage

Cabbage is with vitamins and minerals (Vitamins C and K and folate, in particular), fiber, antioxidants, and anti-carcinogenic compounds called glucosinolates. Some studies claim that the spherical vegetable can even reduce cholesterol and lower risk of cancer and diabetes   .

• Peak Season: While some strains of cabbage are available starting in July, most varieties love cool weather and are ready for harvest through the november December
• Storage Tips: Tightly wrap individual heads of cabbage in plastic and stash in the refrigerator to keep ‘em fresh for up to a week.
• How to Eat It: Cabbage’s nutritional benefits are most pronounced when raw, so slice up a few leaves to add crunch to salads or stir fries.

Healthy Bites: The Benefits of Dark Green Leafy Vegetables

 newsletter for health-conscious families from Brain Balance Achievement Centers, we’re providing recipes for getting more dark green leafy vegetables in your family’s diet and discussing their benefits. Find an excerpt below, and stop by your nearest center for a copy of our full newsletter and for more information about 

Do you know which color of vegetables is the most nutritious and beneficial in our food supply? Here is a hint: Studies show that Americans eat the least of this color vegetable vs. the others. The answer comes as no surprise: dark green, leafy vegetables.

These vegetables are packed with vitamins A, C, E and K, minerals, and an abundance of phytochemicals so vast that nutrition professionals are still trying to uncover all of their goodness. Examples of dark green, leafy vegetables are kale, bok choy, collard greens, spinach, broccoli, cabbage, and Swiss chard. Does your family consume these green foods on a regular basis? If you are like many families in the US, you may need to get more of these important vegetables on a regular basis.

Green foods are crucial to our health for a plethora of reasons including their role in strengthening the immune system, cancer prevention, improved blood circulation, blood purification, lowering cholesterol, promotion of healthy intestinal flora, increased energy, detoxification through improved liver, gall bladder functions, kidney function, and even clearing congestion.

ADHD, Autism, and Toxin Overload
A recent 2010 Study in Pediatrics firmly concluded that there is now a direct link between pesticide consumption and the onset of ADHD. Our children are now exposed to more pesticides and chemicals than ever before. In Dr. Robert Melillo’s new book, Autism, he writes about the role these environmental factors play in preconception and how they may impact your child’s health. For children with Autism or ADHD, greens are of even greater importance. Not only are green leafy vegetables a top pick for their stealthy nutritional content, but they are highly regarded for addressing the digestive and/or toxicity issues which generally occur among children with disorders on the spectrum.

Our liver is powerhouse filter, pivotal in eliminating toxins in the body and crucial for digestion. Many of the children we test at Brain Balance show signs of liver toxicity and impaired digestion. Please understand, liver toxicity does not mean a child has liver disease, but rather, the liver is burdened with toxins that make it sluggish. When the liver becomes sluggish, it results in an impaired ability to perform its job. Toxins could come from the varnish on your floor, fertilizer sprayed on the lawn, perfumes, dyes, foods, cleaning products and the like. Aside from toxin removal, the liver plays a huge role in digestion. So, when the liver is compromised, digestion is too. The good news is the liver is amazingly regenerative. So no matter what you may have consumed in the past, it’s possible to start improving the health of your liver by making good choices about what you put in your body.

Not sure how to get your kids to eat green foods? Here are some of my favorite tips for incorporating greens into a child’s diet.

Add them to your child’s favorite soup. Does your child like chicken soup? Simply chop up some spinach and add to your next homemade soup. Eating organic canned soup? You can add anything from kale to swiss chard. It does very little to change the flavor and most kids are fine with it.

Add greens to your smoothies: Simply blend some pineapple, apple, coconut water, and kale for a refreshing, apple-y tasting treat. You can not taste the greens at all. Don’t want to attempt this on your own? No worries. Try out Odwalla® Green Goodness or Naked® Juice Green Machine drinks.

Try Roasting Broccoli: This solution is simple and really tasty! Many kids like the rich, sweet flavor of roasted broccoli. Pair with some grilled chicken, peppers, and roasted pineapple, and you’ve got a great meal. Simply chop 1 bunch of broccoli, toss with 2 tsp olive oil and sea salt. Serve warm.

 DO YOU KNOW?

Possible health benefits of consuming broccoli

Consuming fruits and vegetables of all kinds has long been associated with a reduced risk of many lifestyle-related health conditions.

Many studies have suggested that increasing consumption of plant foods like broccoli decreases the risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and overall mortality while promoting a healthy complexion and hair, increased energy and overall lower weight.

Fighting cancer

Eating a high amount of cruciferous vegetables has been associated with a lower risk of cancer; namely lung and colon cancer. Studies have suggested that sulforaphane, the sulfur-containing compound that gives cruciferous vegetables their bitter bite, is also what gives them their cancer-fighting power.

Researchers have found that sulforaphane can inhibit the enzyme histone deacetylase (HDAC), known to be involved in the progression of cancer cells. The ability to stop HDAC enzymes could make sulforaphane-containing foods a potentially powerful part of cancer treatment in the future. Sulforaphane is now being studied for its ability to delay or impede cancer with promising results shown in melanoma, esophageal, prostate and pancreatic cancers.

Other easily recognized cruciferous vegetables include cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale, turnips and cabbage, as well as the lesser-known arugula, broccolini, daikon, kohlrabi and watercress.¹

Another important vitamin that broccoli contains, folate, has been shown to decrease the risk ofbreast cancer in women. Adequate intake of dietary folate (in food) has also shown promise in protecting against colon, stomach, pancreatic and cervical cancers. Although the mechanism of protection is currently unknown, researchers believe that folate's protective effects have something to do with its role in DNA and RNA production and the prevention of unwanted mutations. There is no evidence that folate in supplement form provides the same anti-cancer benefits.

Recent developments on broccoli and cancer

Could broccoli hold the key to head and neck cancer prevention? A new study suggests that broccoli sprout extract could also be protective against head and neck cancer.

Improving bone health

Poor vitamin K intake is linked with a high risk of bone fracture. Just one cup of chopped broccoli provides 92 micrograms of vitamin K, well over 100% of your daily need. Consuming an adequate amount of vitamin K daily, improves bone health by improving calcium absorption and reducing urinary excretion of calcium.⁷

Broccoli also contributes to your daily need for calcium, providing 43 milligrams in one cup.

Looking younger

The antioxidant vitamin C, when eaten in its natural form (in fresh produce as opposed to supplement form) can help to fight skin damage caused by the sun and pollution, reduce wrinkles and improve overall skin texture.

Many people automatically think of citrus fruit when they think of vitamin C, but did you know that broccoli provides 81 milligrams in just one cup? That is more than what you need in an entire day.

Vitamin C plays a vital role in the formation of collagen, the main support system of the skin. Vitamin A and vitamin E are also crucial for healthy looking skin, both of which broccoli provides.

Improved digestion and natural detoxification

Eating foods with a natural fiber like broccoli can prevent constipation, maintain a healthy digestive tract and lower the risk of colon cancer. Adequate fiber promotes regularity, which is crucial for the daily excretion of toxins through the bile and stool. Recent studies have shown that dietary fiber may also play a role in regulating the immune system and inflammation.

Protection from chronic disease

According to the Department of Internal Medicine and Nutritional Sciences Program of the University of Kentucky, high fiber intakes are associated with significantly lower risks of developingcoronary heart disease, stroke, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and certain gastrointestinal diseases.

Increased fiber intake has also been shown to lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, improve insulin sensitivity, and enhance weight loss for obese individuals.