Ten things you never knew about... April 1st

TODAY is April Fool’s Day but the following facts about April 1 are all quite genuine.

Here are 10 facts about April 1st

1. April 1 is also Edible Book Day, celebrating the birthday of French gastronome and writer Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (1755-1826). For details, see books2eat.com.
2. Since 2004, April 1 has also been celebrated as Fossil Fools Day, with demonstrations against the use of fossil fuels as sources of energy. 

3. In Ancient Rome, April 1 was the date of the festival of Veneralia, praising the goddess Venus.
4. The earliest known connection between April 1 and folly is in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales (1392)... 

5. ...though some say his supposed reference to the “32nd of March” (April 1) actually meant 32 days after the end of March (May 2).
6. Since the early 16th century, French children have celebrated “poisson d’Avril” (April fish) on April 1 by sticking fish pictures on people’s backs. 

7. On April 1, 1698, many were fooled into going to the Tower of London to “see the Lions washed”.
8. Companies founded on April 1 include Wrigley’s chewing gum (1891) and Apple Inc (1976). 

9. Singer Susan Boyle was born on April 1, 1961.
10. On April 1, 1889, the first successful dishwasher went on sale in Chicago. Its inventor Josephine Cochran said it washed faster than her servants.

10 things you need to know about Holy Thursday

Holy Thursday was one of the most important days in all of history. It was a pivotal day in the life of Jesus Christ. Here are 10 things you should know about it and how we celebrate it today.

 

Every single Mass, we hear the words "on the night he was betrayed."
That night was Holy Thursday, and it is one of the most important nights in all of history.
Here are 10 things you need to know.

1. What happened on the original Holy Thursday?
An amazing amount of stuff! This was one of the most pivotal days in the life of Jesus Christ.
Here are some of the things the gospels record for this day (including events that happened after midnight). Jesus:

• Sent Peter and John to arrange for them to use the Upper Room to hold the Passover meal.
• Washed the apostles' feet.
• Held the first Mass.
• Instituted the priesthood.
• Announced that Judas would betray him.
• Gave the "new commandment" to love one another.
• Indicated that Peter had a special pastoral role among the apostles.
• Announced that Peter would deny him.
• Prayed for the unity of his followers.
• Held all the discourses recorded across five chapters of John (John 13-18).
• Sang a hymn.
• Went to the Mount of Olives.
• Prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane.
• Was betrayed by Judas.
• Stopped the disciples from continuing a violent resistance.
• Healed the ear of Malchus, the high priest's servant, after Peter cut it off with a sword.
• Was taken before the high priests Annas and Caiaphas.
• Was denied by Peter.
• Was taken to Pilate.

2. Why is Holy Thursday sometimes called "Maundy Thursday"?

The word "Maundy" is derived from the Latin word mandatum, or "mandate."
This word is used in the Latin text for John 13:34:

"Mandatum novum do vobis ut diligatis invicem sicut dilexi vos."

Or, in English:

"A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you." 

Holy Thursday is thus sometimes called Maundy Thursday because it was on this day that Christ gave us the new commandment--the new mandate--to love one another as he loves us.

3. What happens on this day liturgically?

Several things:

• The bishop celebrates a "Chrism Mass" with his priests (usually).
• The Mass of the Lord's Supper is held in the evening.
• At the Mass of the Lord's Supper, the priest (often) performs the washing of feet.
• The Tabernacle is empty and the Eucharist is put in a place of repose.
• The altar is stripped.
• The faithful are invited to spend time in Eucharistic adoration while the Sacrament is in repose.

4. What is the "Chrism Mass"?

According to the main document governing the celebrations connected with Easter, Paschales Solemnitatis:

35. The Chrism Mass which the bishop concelebrates with his presbyterium and at which the holy chrism is consecrated and the oils blessed, manifests the communion of the priests with their bishop in the same priesthood and ministry of Christ.

The priests who concelebrate with the bishop should come to this Mass from different parts of the diocese, thus showing in the consecration of the chrism to be his witnesses and cooperators, just as in their daily ministry they are his helpers and counselors.

The faithful are also to be encouraged to participate in this Mass, and to receive the sacrament of the Eucharist.

Traditionally the Chrism Mass is celebrated on the Thursday of Holy Week. If, however, it should prove to be difficult for the clergy and people to gather with the bishop, this rite can be transferred to another day, but one always close to Easter.

The chrism and the oil of catechumens is to be used in the celebration of the sacraments of initiation on Easter night.

5. Why is the Mass of the Lord's Supper significant?

According to Paschales Solemnitatis:

45. Careful attention should be given to the mysteries which are commemorated in this Mass: the institution of the Eucharist, the institution of the priesthood, and Christ's command of brotherly love; the homily should explain these points.

6. Is the Eucharist in the Tabernacle during this Mass?

No. According to Paschales Solemnitatis:

48. The Tabernacle should be completely empty before the celebration.

Hosts for the Communion of the faithful should be consecrated during that celebration.

A sufficient amount of bread should be consecrated to provide also for Communion on the following day.

7. What does the rite of foot washing signify, and is it to be done for men only?

According to Paschales Solemnitatis:

51. The washing of the feet of chosen men which, according to tradition, is performed on this day, represents the service and charity of Christ, who came "not to be served, but to serve. This tradition should be maintained, and its proper significance explained.

Although some have interpreted the rite as reflecting the institution of the institution of the priesthood or being unique to the apostles, this interpretation is not found in the Church's official documents, such as Paschales Solemnitatis, which interpret it as a sign of service and charity.
The rite is optional. It does not have to be performed.
Although until 2016 the Church’s official texts used language that indicated only men (Latin, viri) could have their feet washed on Holy Thursday, the Holy See had permitted individual bishops to wash the feet of females and younger males (vir means "man," not "male") for some time.
Pope Francis himself had been doing so, and in 2016 he had the Congregation for Divine Worship revise the law to bring it into alignment with contemporary practice.

8. What happens at the end of the Mass of the Lord's Supper?

According to Paschales Solemnitatis:

54. After the post-Communion prayer, the procession forms, with the crossbar at its head. The Blessed Sacrament, accompanied by lighted candles and incense, is carried through the church to the place of reservation, to the singing of the hymn "Pange lingua" or some other eucharistic song.

This rite of transfer of the Blessed Sacrament may not be carried out if the Liturgy of the Lord's Passion will not be celebrated in that same church on the following day.

55. The Blessed Sacrament should be reserved in a closed tabernacle or pyx. Under no circumstances may it be exposed in a monstrance.

The place where the tabernacle or pyx is situated must not be made to resemble a tomb, and the expression "tomb" is to be avoided.

The chapel of repose is not prepared so as to represent the "Lord's burial" but for the custody of the eucharistic bread that will be distributed in Communion on Good Friday.

9. Is there to be Eucharistic adoration at this time?

According to Paschales Solemnitatis:

56. After the Mass of the Lord's Supper the faithful should be encouraged to spend a suitable period of time during the night in the church in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament which has been solemnly reserved.

Where appropriate, this prolonged eucharistic adoration may be accompanied by the reading of some part of the Gospel of St. John (chs. 13-17).

From midnight onwards, however, the adoration should be made without external solemnity, because the day of the Lord's passion has begun.

10. What happens to the decoration of the Church at this time?

According to Paschales Solemnitatis:

57. After Mass the altar should be stripped.

It is fitting that any crosses in the church be covered with a red or purple veil, unless they have already been veiled on the Saturday before the Fifth Sunday of Lent.

Lamps should not be lit before the images of saints.

Top 8 Funny And Embarrassing Quotes By Nigerian Politicians

No matter how bad the economy may be crumbling, Nigerians still find humor in everything.

I hope this soothes your sunny day and brings some laughter to your face. Here are my top 8 hilarious but embarrassing quotes from 2010-2015.

1. Labaran Maku – 2010
“We want to thank the President for bringing Facebook to Nigeria.”


2. Olusegun Obasanjo – 2010
“With all due respect, If Jesus Christ will come to this world to become INEC Charmian, any election He conducts will be disputed.”


3. Jonathan Goodluck – May 2014
“Over 70% of what they call corruption in Nigeria is mere common theft.”


4. Jonah Jang – May 2013
“God is a democrat. He does not support rigging. But if you rig and succeed, that means God supports it .”


5. Patience Jonathan – November 2011
“Ojukwu is a great man, he died but his manhood still lives on.”


6. Adams Oshiomole – December 2013
“Go and Die.”


7. Patience Jonathan – May 2011
“My fellow widows.”


8. Rotimi Ameachi – September 2015.
“I will not die, I drank bottled water. You did not drink bottled water.”

10 amazing facts about Cristiano Ronaldo as he turns 31

As Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates his 31st birthday, here is an overview of the living legend who has exhibited amazing and exceptional skills on and off the pitch, in which most of his colleagues will be envious of.

Here are 10 amazing facts about Ronaldo

1. He was expelled from school at the age of 14: ‘Naughty Ronaldo’ threw a chair at his teacher at the age of fourteen. He was consequently expelled from school. The development made his mother compel him to focus entirely on football, a decision that has made him what he is today. What a decision!


2. A friendly against Manchester United shot him into limelite: Cristiano Ronaldo sent John O’Shea into dizzy spells when Manchester United faced Sporting. Ronaldo blew away Sir Alex Ferguson and the United players with his dazzling play.

Roy Keane, John O’Shea and Gary Neville asked Ferguson to buy Ronaldo after the game, but Ferguson was way ahead of them and had made his mind up by halftime.


3. He is named after former U.S President Ronald Reagan: Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro is his full name, but is known to everyone else as just Cristiano Ronaldo. His father was a big fan of the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989, Ronald Reagan, which is where the now world famous name “Ronaldo” came from.

He has other nicknames, CR7, Ronnie and the Yoruba’s in Nigeria call him ‘Ororo’ (Groundnut Oil)


4. He has his own museum in his honour:

In 2013, Ronaldo opened his own museum in his hometown of Madeira. The museum contains all of his awards and trophies (over 150), with extra room available for future trophies, which he expects to win.


5. He has no tattoos: Unlike most of his colleagues, Ronaldo has no ink on his body. This is because he donated blood regularly. In some countries, you have to wait up to a year after getting a tattoo to give blood, so Ronaldo remains ink free. He also has become a bone marrow donor.


6. His free kick speed is around 130 kmph: He has a tremendous shot and can shoot with both legs. The Arsenal ‘wall’ below needed to cover some vital body parts.



7. His father passed away when he was 20: Cristiano’s father, Jose Dinis Aveiro, unfortunately passed away at the age of 52 due to alcoholism. As a result, the Real Madrid star does not take alcohol.

Infact in 2010 he received a libel payout from a journalist who reported that he was drinking champagne heavily in a nightclub.

8. He has less body fat than most supermodels and has a fashion boutique

9. He paid for a brain operation and treatments for a 10-month old boy: Ronaldo is a very loving and caring person. He shares the pain of other people and has paid for the surgery and further treatments of others, including this little boy Erik Ortiz Cruz.

10. He has scored a goal in every minute of a game over his career: Legendary! Ronaldo has an astonishing statistic that not even Lionel Messi can match.

9 Funny Pictures That Explain Why the World Has Changed for the Worse

The world is constantly evolving, and our life and habits are changing too, but are we sure all these changes are actually for good? Here are 9 hilarious before and after pictures, proving that the world is actually changing for the worst.(H/t:Boredpanda)

1. Tv's then and now

2. Teachers in 1960 and 2010

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3. Before and after smartphones

4. Evolution of cellphones

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5. Cellphones then and now

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6. George Lucas then and now

7. Then and now

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8. Wasting timeline

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9. Before and after smartphones

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Top 10 facts about The Moon

ON December 14, 1972, Eugene Cernan became the last astronaut (so far) to stand on the Moon’s surface.

Top ten things you did not know about the moon

1. He was the last man to leave the Moon but only the 11th of 12 to arrive there. Harrison Schmitt exited the lunar module of Apollo 17 after Cernan.

2. Although other planets have larger satellites than our Moon, the ratio of our Moon’s diameter to that of Earth is the largest in the solar system.

3. The Moon’s origin is unclear but the most likely theory is that it resulted from a collision between Earth and another planet over 4 billion years ago.

4. The hypothetical body that collided with Earth all those years ago has been given the name Theia, the mythological mother of Moon Goddess Selene.

5. The Moon is slowly moving further away from Earth at about 4cm a year.

6. The average gravitational pull on the Moon is only a sixth of that on Earth.

7. The same side of the Moon always faces Earth but only 41 per cent of its surface is never seen.

8. The highest point on the Moon is higher above its surface than Mount Everest on Earth.

9. Of the 12 men who walked on the Moon between 1969 and 1972, eight are still alive. They are all in their 80s.

10. “You seen one Earth, you’ve seen them all.” (Harrison Schmitt).

Top 10 Facts about Pope Francis

1. Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Argentina he is the first Pope from the Americas, the first born in the southern hemisphere and the first Jesuit Pope.

2. He is also the first non-European pope since the Syrian Pope Gregory III in 741.

3. In his youth, he supported himself by working as a bouncer at a nightclub.

4. In his youth, he also enjoyed dancing the tango as well as an Argentinian music called the Milonga which had a fast syncopated beat.

5. Besides having a degree in philosophy, he has one in chemistry also.

6. Pope Francis is currently in fourth place on the Forbes List of Most Powerful People behind Vladimir Putin, Angela Merkel and Barack Obama.

7. Pope Francis was born on the same day as rock and roll star Tommy Steele.

8. Officially his title is Pope Francis, not Pope Francis I. The ‘I’ will be added when there is a Pope Francis II.

9. After blessing motorcyclists in Rome in 2013, Pope Francis was given a Harley Davidson which he later autographed and auctioned for charity. It raised over £200,000 for a soup kitchen and hostel.

10. A Harley Davidson owned by his predecessor Benedict XVI later fetched only a fifth as much.

-God Bless The Pope...

Top 10 Facts about Television

ON 30 October 1925, John Logie Baird made the first transmission of a moving image of a human face by television.

1. The face was that of his office boy, William Taynton, who was paid two shillings and sixpence for sitting in front of the hot TV transmitter.

2. Before using a real person, Baird experimented with a ventriloquist’s dummy called Stooky Bill.

3. The average person in the UK watches just over four hours’ television a day.

4. It has been calculated that the average American child sees about 13,000 deaths on television between the ages of five and 14.

5. In 1997, a monkey was arrested in the African state of Benin for stealing a television aerial.

6. In 2004, the number of television sets in the UK overtook the number of people.

7. The first couple shown in bed together on prime time US TV were Fred and Wilma Flintstone.

8. Until 1987, there were no television broadcasts in Iceland on Thursdays.

9. The word ‘television’ entered the language in 1907. The abbreviation TV was first used in 1948.

10. “You know the really great thing about television? If something important happens, anywhere in the world, night or day, you can always change the channel” (Christopher Lloyd in Taxi)

Celebrity Profile- Leonardo da Vinci

    Leonardo da Vinci is one of the most celebrated artists of all time. The Italian Renaissance artist was a master painter, engineer, architect, anatomist, inventor and sculptor. Leonardo is considered to be a genius, creating some of the most famous paintings ever painted (Including the Mona Lisa and the Last Supper) and his notebooks filled with drawings of many inventions that were to become the machines and technology that we now use (flying machines, submarines and war machines).

Leonardo da Vinc was borni on the 15th of April in 1452, in Anchiano, Vinci, not far from Florence in Italy. Hi father was a notary "ser Piero Fruosino di Antonio da Vinci" and mother Caterina was a peasant woman. Leonardo was born an illegitimate child and raised in his father's home in Florence.

Leonardo impressed his father with his early drawings, prompting him to introduce the young Leonardo to the painter Andrea del Verrocchio. At just 14 Leonardo da Vinci became an apprentice of Verrochio and quickly became his most talented worker. In the painting "Baptism of Christ", Leonardo was assigned to paint one angel, while Verrocchio painted the other. Da Vinci chose to paint his angel in the relatively new medium of oil, while Verrocchio painted his in the usual tempera medium. The young Leonardo clearly upstaged his master, and left the studio of Verrocchio in 1477 to work in his own.

Da Vinci was employed by the Duke of Milan (Ludovico Sforza) in 1482, allowing him to work in his own workshop until after the Duke's fall to the French in 1498. Leonardo stayed until 1499, but moved on to Mantua, then to Venice where he was employed as a military engineer. He then worked for Cesare Borgia as a military architect in Florence until 1506, before returning to Milan. Leonardo worked in Rome between 1513 and 1516 where his contemporaries included great Renaissance painters like Michelangelo and Raphael. He then moved to France where he worked for the French King until his death in Clos Lucé, 1519.

Facts about LEONARDO

• Leonardo was raised by his single father.

• Leonardo was one of the first Italians to use oil paint .

• He was left-handed

• Leonardo da Vinci left many paintings unfinished and destroyed most of his work.

• Two of his works, the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper , are the most famous, most reproduced and most parodied portrait and religious painting of all time.

• Leonardo was a vegetarian who loved animals and despised war, yet he worked as a military engineer to invent advanced and deadly weapons.

• Leonardo drew the plans for the first armored car in 1485!

• He invented the bicycle 300 years before it appeared on the road.

• Leonardo di Vinci created an inflatable tube so people could float in the water.

• Leonardo da Vinci had dyslexia, when he made notes on his inventions it was all written in reverse, which made it hard for others to dig through his notes and steal his ideas.

• Leonardo da Vinci dug into graveyards at night to steal corpses and study human anatomy (and find out where the soul was).

• He produced aeriel maps for Cesare Borgia which are still accurate today.

• Leonardo is considered by many as the father of modern science.

• He was one of the most acclaimed artists of the Renaissance.

• He was the illegitimate child of Messer Piero Fruosino di Antonio da Vinci, a Florentine notary, and Caterina, a peasant.

• Leonardo sketched the first parachute, first helicopter, first aeroplane, first tank, first repeating rifle, swinging bridge, paddleboat and the first motorcar.

• Leonardo was very much interested in the possibility of human flight. He produced many studies of the flight of birds and plans for several flying machines.

• He was also a sculptor, designer of costumes, mathematician and botanist.

• He made maps of Europe.

• He invented hydraulic pumps.

• He designed a movable bridge for the Duke of Milan.

• He drew the plans of the first armored car in 1485.

• The Mona Lisa is perhaps his most famous work. The subject of this portrait is still debated to this day, the most popular current view being that it is of Lisa Gherardini del Giocondo. One of the most unusual hypotheses is that it is a self-portrait of Leonardo as a woman.

• It took da Vinci about ten years to paint Mona Lisa's lips.

• Leonardo was famous for the way he used light in his portraits.

• He painted The Last Supper at Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan; a dramatic depiction of the moment Jesus announced that he would be betrayed.

• He established modern techniques of scientific illustration with highly accurate renderings such as ‘Embryo in the Womb’.

• Leonardo would wear pink to make his complexion look fresh.

• Leonardo da Vinci never married or had children.

5 Facts About Hell

The subject of hell is not as enjoyable as Heaven. But Jesus didn’t ignore it, and we can’t either. Here are five things you need to know.

Scripture:
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.’ . . . and these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Matthew 25:41, 46
The subject of hell is not as enjoyable as last week’s topic, Heaven. But Jesus didn’t ignore it, and we can’t either. Here are five things you need to know:

1. Hell is Real

Jesus spoke about hell often. He said, “But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.” (Luke 12:5) Jesus never hinted that hell is an imaginary place. Hell is real.

2. Hell is Eternal

“And the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” (Revelation 20:10)
Some people think that when Christians go to Heaven, non-believers simply won’t exist anymore. That isn’t true. The Bible tells us that we will either go to eternal punishment or eternal life. (Matthew 25:46)

3. You Can’t Escape Hell By Being Good

Many people believe that they are good enough for Heaven, and that only “really bad” people go to hell. But what does the Bible say? John 3:18 says “whoever doesn’t believe is condemned already.” It’s not about being good enough. It is about believing and accepting Jesus Christ.

4. There are No Second Chances

Some people believe they will get another chance to receive Jesus after they die. However, scripture doesn’t tell us we have another chance. Hebrews 9:27 says “people are destined to die once and after that to face judgement.” There isn’t a second chance to accept Christ. That’s why “. . . now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).

5. God is Always Right

Does it seem unfair that God would condemn someone to eternal punishment for their sins? Even the Bible writers asked: “What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? By no means!” (Romans 9:14)
All of us have sinned against God (Psalm 51:4). But God freely offers us eternal life with Him. All you have to do is accept Him. Praise God for sending Jesus to die on the cross to cleanse us of our sins. God made a way for us to be cleansed and rescued from hell!
Now that you know what your two eternal choices are, tell your friends and family how to get to heaven. Teach them a few facts about heaven and pray they accept Jesus Christ so they can join you there!


So do you think Hell is a real place? Talk to another Christian about it and discuss.

SOURCE: GODLIFE

9 Things You need to Know About The New EFCC Chairman

Ibrahim Lamorde, chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was sacked today, November 9.
He was replaced by Ibrahim Magu, a top level official of the Economic and Governance Unit of the EFCC.

Below are 9 things you should know about the new EFCC boss.
1. He was one of the early recruits into the EFCC by Nuhu Ribadu
2. He served as head of the Economic Governance Unit (EGU) of the EFCC during the tenure of Ribadu as chairman of the commission.
3. As head of the EGU, he spearheaded investigations into corrupt governors, including former Delta governor, James Ibori the role of former Kwara state governor and Senate president, Bukola Saraki, in the collapse of Societe Generale Bank of Nigeria.
4. In August 2008, he was accused of illegally keeping case files of top politicians being investigated by the commission. After days of detention with nothing incriminating found against him he was re-deployed to the police. He was later suspended from the police, going without salaries for several months.
5. During his tenure as Head of the Governance Unit of the EFCC, Magu developed a reputation as a no-nonsense anti-corruption investigator of the high and mighty.
6. He was Chief Superintendent of Police in Ado-Ekiti.
7. In 2012, he was elevated to the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police.
8. Magu is a recipient of USG and London Metropolitan Police institute training.
9. He is a member of the investigative committee convened by National Security Adviser (NSA), Babagana Monguno on the orders of President Muhammadu Buhari to probe the procurement of arms in the Armed Forces from 2007 till now.

SOURCE: NAIJ

10 UnKnown Facts About Yvonne Nelson

Maybe you have heard about Ghana’s most talented actress, Yvonne Nelson, before. Maybe you have even watched one of her classic movies. Or you just came across her pictures over the internet and you are in awe of the endless beauty. One thing is certain, this must be the most decorated actress the Ghanaian film history has ever produced. She is so professional, so accomplished yet always fighting to become even better. You can see it right from her lifestyle to her roles in movies; this iron lady is designed for big things.
With the media always highlighting every single move she makes and the cameras leaving no stone unturned, it is easy to imagine that you know just about enough of the film star… how you are deceived! Yvonne has her secret life, a life away from the cameras, a life that she finds pride in. Read on to find out the 10 Lesser Known Facts About Yvonne Nelson.

1. Yvonne is a last born –
Born November 12 1985, to Margaret Gaddy and Mr. Oko Nelson in Accra Ghana, this beauty queen is the last out of four. Interesting but…hopefully you can take a closer look the next time you watch the movies, she indeed has the arrogance of a last born! Or bravery if that sounds better.

2. She was raised by her Mum –
Yvonne’s father abandoned her mum when she was still a child. She was single handedly raised by her mum and she owes her all the gratitude. That explains her usual weird action of celebrating her mother on father’s days – she literally wishes her “Happy Father’s Day” time and again on social media!

3. She started her career in junior school –
Y N as she is popularly known actually won her first beauty pageant when in high school. It had long been coming. After having worked tirelessly for a couple of years, she took her chance when at Aggrey Memorial High School and won the Miss Aggrey. Later on, she contested for the 2005 Miss Ghana Beauty Pageant, though she did not win, she succeeded in winning the Best Talent award by performing an original rap song on HIV/AIDS. She also won “Miss Photogenic” and two other awards. With the exposure from the beauty pageant, she won a two-year contract as face of Maxim Cosmetics, and landed a role in the TV series “Fortune Island”, where her acting career began.
The real fame, according to Yvonne started at Venus Films. Venus Films is a well known production house in West Africa and has worked with quite a few celebrities as well. It is no coincidence then that Yvonne Nelson came out of the production house a more complete article.

4. College dropout! –
Why is it that all successful people have to be college dropouts? Or does Kanye West inspire them in some way? Anyway, this beauty queen was doing well until she got pregnant while at Central College University, she had to drop out.

5. So, did she ever complete her college schooling?
Sources indicate that Yvonne desperately wanted to pursue her career to the extent she gave her little born baby to a couple in Botswana. Well, that should point to her going back to school later on.

6. She is the First Ghanaian actress to act in Ivory Coast
Yvonne Nelson takes pride in being the first Ghanaian actress to have acted in Ivory Coast when the three nations-Nigeria, Ghana and Ivory Coast- first collaborate. Following that, Yvonne has shot more than one hundred films within the three states. She admits that she is better off acting. Unluckily for Ghana and the rest of West Africa, she cannot think of comparing Hollywood to Nollywood.

7. She once had a Glaucoma Foundation
As part of her efforts to give back to society, she launched the Yvonne Nelson Glaucoma Foundation in 2010 to educate the public on the harmful effects of the eye ailment. Unfortunately, the foundation could not thrive for long due to financial challenges. She was inspired to do this by the death of a family member who suffered from the eye trouble. She knows quite a bit about Glaucoma and understands how dangerous the disease could be. She knows that glaucoma is hereditary; that the disease can be linked from grandmother right to the mum and daughter.

8. She Plays Bad Roles
Although Yvonne usually play some nasty roles in movies, she is a far cry from those bad girl roles. Contrary to what we see on screen, Yvonne neither smokes nor drinks.
I am nothing close to the roles I play in movies. People should understand that I am an actresses and I get scripts that expect me to act in a certain manner. As a consummate professional, I am not going to turn down those scripts because I was expected to act in a certain manner,”she said.
Yvonne also does the romantic scenes- its funny how she puts it…”I can go for a few kissing and…” so If you imagined she was not going to kiss in a movie, it’s a big disappointment. What she doesn’t do is what she calls…”more than I can give.”

9. She is a business woman
Apart from filming, Yvonne is a very hardworking business woman – she has a hairline, a fashion shop called YN’s Closet with latest designer wears sourced from all around the world and YN Productions which has movie credits.
Those are some interesting facts about the Ghanaian beauty queen! She also loves sleep! Wow. Anyway, this girl is doing great things, doing them right and winning awards. Since she also admits that she is getting paid, only the sky can be the limit to her ambitions.

10. She initiated Ghana’s #DumsorMustStop# Campaign
In recent times, Nelson has taken it upon herself, together with other celebrities, to add more voices to the masses in protests against the energy crisis in her country. She led a peaceful vigil on May 16, 2015, called DumsorMustStop. The hashtag #dumsormuststop is currently used on social media to amplify the concerns of Ghanaians with regards to the energy crisis.

Rebecca Acheampong (Becca): Unknown Facts About The Ghanaian Songstress

Rebecca Akosua Acheampomaa Acheampong, popularly known as Becca is a famous Ghanaian songwriter and singer, known for her outstanding sweet voice and excellent vocals. She is one of the multi-talented female vocalists currently making waves on the African continent and beyond. Becca released her first album, “Sugar” in 2007. The second one,“Time 4 Me”, came six years after, in 2013. You must have heard of Becca, or may even be her fan, but I bet there are lots more about her you should know, which have never crossed your mind.

find out fascinating lesser known facts about the Ghanaian songstress.

1. Becca Comes from a Large Christian Family
Becca is the fifth child and the first girl of a family of nine children. They are devoted Christians and reports have it that throughout her growing up days, Becca participated actively in church activities, also using the opportunity to serve God with her talented voice.

2. Started her Career at a very Young Age
At a very young age Becca showcased her talent as a singer by participating in School Talent shows as well as church activities and always came up with one of the topmost prizes at all times.

3. She Studied Abroad
During her early school days, Becca studied at Morning Star School. She subsequently did her high school education at one of the prestigious girls’ school in Ghana, precisely, Cape Coast’s Wesley Girls’ High School. After that, she traveled abroad where she furthered her education at Croydon College, London. At Croydon College, she studied to become a fully qualified Childcare and education worker. Not quite long ago, Becca furthered her education at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA).

4. Becca was a Childcare and Education Worker Before Stardom
After some years, Becca returned from London to showcase her talents in her own motherland. Subsequently, she contested in the screening process of the second edition of the hit singing competition, “Mentor”, on TV3 and also qualified in the Ashanti Region but had to quit the competition somewhere along the line due to the contents of the contract attached to the program and also for personal reasons. Though she didn’t get to the final stage of the contest, this particular move was what first brought her to limelight. Soon after opting out of the competition, she started working as an upcoming solo artiste till she was signed by Kiki Banson on the EKB Records.

5. She is not Just a Singer
Becca is indisputably a good singer, but that’s not all; she is also an excellent guitarist and a talented actress too. Yvonne Nelson’s “If Tomorrow Never Comes” , is one of the movies she featured in.

6. She Was once Disowned by her Father
When Becca’s Manager, Kiki Banson divorced his wife, it was rumoured that he did that in order to marry Becca. The story went extremely viral when Becca’s father, Mr. Acheampong, reportedly disowned his daughter over her alleged intentions to marry her manager. However, nothing came out of the whole saga after all.

7. She has much Love for Children
Her love for kids moved her into establishing a rescue organization which raises funds to help children affected by HIV/AIDS in Ghana. In addition, in 2014, she became a Goodwill ambassador for UNAIDS.

8. Becca is 31!
Looking at her very young and sweet-sixteen outlook, it’ll be hard for you to correctly guess Becca’s age. Born August 15th, 1984, in Kumasi the Ashanti region, West Africa Ghana, she has already turned 31. Though she is still single, she revealed in a recent interview that she is now in a serious relationship with a long time friend.
I am single when it comes to marital things because I am not married yet, but I am in a serious relationship with someone who is not in the industry. We have known each longer than we are dating, we were friends before we started dating”.

9. She is Proud of her African Origin
Becca is always seen looking African both at home and abroad, at occasions and in her music performances. She allows her style of music and dressing to be largely influenced by her surrounding and up bringing as an African. When she represented Ghana at the 2015 Global Citizen Festival in New York in September this year, she never fails to proudly showcase her African identity through her dress, hair style and other things.

10. Awards and Nominations
Becca’s outstanding performances both in Ghana and other countries have earned her numerous awards and nominations. You may not know she has earned as many awards and nominations as these:

Awards

2008 Ghana Music Awards: Record of the Year

2010 KORA Awards: Best African Prospect Award; Ghana Music Awards: Best Vocal Performance, Record of the Year

2011 4SYTE TV Music Video Awards: Best Female Video, Overall Best Video

2012 National Youth Achievers Awards: Music; Ghana Music Awards: Best Music Video of the Year; 4SYTE TV Music Video Awards: Best Female Video

Nominations

2008 KORA Awards: Best Artiste or Group, Best Artiste or Group in West Africa; Ghana Music Awards: Discovery of the Year, Artiste of the year, Best Vocal Performance, Pop Song of the Year, Best Collaboration

2010 Ghana Music Awards: Artiste of the Year, Highlife Song of the Year; 4SYTE TV Music Video Awards: Best HighLife Song, Best Storyline Video, Best Female Video, Best African Act Video

2011 City People Entertainment Awards: Ghana Female Musician of the Year; 4SYTE TV Music Video Awards: Best Collaboration, Best Photography Video, Best Directed Video, Best Storyline Video

2012 Ghana Music Awards: Best Female Vocal Artiste, Afro-Pop Song of the Year, Artiste of the Year; 4SYTE TV Music Video Awards: Best Photography Video, Best Collaboration Video, Overall Best Video

2013 City People Entertainment Awards: Musician of the Year (Female); 4SYTE TV Music Video Awards: Best Female Video

2014 City People Entertainment Awards: Musician of the Year (Female)

Shoutout to Becca
What do you think???

21 Phobias You May Never Have Heard Of

A phobia is an irrational fear. Many people are aware of claustrophobia, the fear of closed spaces, or its opposite, agoraphobia, the fear of open spaces. While many people are frightened by scary movies, rarely does that experience itself turn into a full-blown phobia. However, horror films do tap into many of our actual deep-seated fears, such as these 21:
1. Wiccaphobia. This is our irrational fear of witches.
2. Kinemortophobia is a fear of zombies, and with so much attention being paid to fictional zombie apocalypses on TV and at the movies, this may be on the rise.
3. Phasmophobia is the fear of ghosts.
4. Ailurophobia. Afraid of a black cat crossing your path, or any cat? Ailurophobia is fear of cats.
5. Coulrophobia. A surprising number of people are afraid of clowns (including my sister.), and coulrophobia is the name given to this fear.
6. Pediophobia. Remember Chucky? Pediophobia is fear of dolls.
7. Nyctophobia. This is the quite commonly known fear of the dark.
8. Necrophobia. Sometimes just the sight of a dead body is enough to send chills up one’s spine; necrophobia is the fear of corpses.
9. Aichmophobia. What’s a slasher film without a knife-wielding maniac to play on our fear of knives and other sharp objects?
10. Teratophobia. Since the early days of motion pictures, monster movies have been top-grossing hits, playing on people's teratophobia, or fear of monsters.
11. Sanguivoriphobia is the fear of vampires.
12. Taphophobia is the fear of being buried alive; it also applies to the fear of graves or tombs in general.
13. Domatophobia is the fear of houses. Combine it with phasmophobia, and you’ve got a fear of haunted houses.
14. Clinophobia. Clinophobia is the fear of going to bed.
15. Arachnophobia. The fear of spiders, which is a more common phobia (and the title of a popular horror-movie comedy).
16. Chiroptophobia. The fear of bats.
17. Ophidiophobia. This is the fear of snakes (on or off a plane).
18. Selenophobia. Afraid of the full moon? That’s selenophobia.
19. Lupophobia is the fear of werewolves—and perhaps, for some, the cause of selenophobia.
20. Astrophobia. Science fiction movies may come a set of fears all their own, such as this, the fear of outer space.
21. Alienophobia. This is easy to figure out—the fear of aliens.
Let’s be clear: Phobias can seriously impair people, so they are no laughing matter. If a phobia is causing problems in your life, please seek counseling.

9 breast cancer myths you all should know

Are mammograms really painful?
Do smokers actually run a higher risk of developing breast cancer?

Professor Justus Apffelstaedt, Associate Professor at the University of Stellenbosch and Head of the Tygerberg Hospital Breast Clinic in South Africa, helps to set the record straight.

-Myth 1
The incidence of breast cancer in younger women is increasing.
-Truth
Breast cancers in younger women who are of celebrity status is resulting in increased media coverage of their cases, but typically, breast cancers develop in women between the ages of 50 and 70.

-Myth2
The contribution of chemotherapy to reducing mortality is significant.
-Truth
A multidisciplinary approach that combines a number of treatment options that include surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, hormonal and biologic agents is most effective. Specialist centres, which see more than 150 cases of breast cancer per year will achieve the best results as here the most accurate diagnosis will be made and the most appropriate treatment options chosen.

-Myth 3
Smoking increases your risk of breast cancer.
-Truth
Breast cancer is one of the few cancers where risk is not increased due to smoking.

-Myth 4
A mammogram is a mammogram.
-Truth
The accuracy of mammographic diagnosis in screening, which forms the bulk of all mammography performed in South Africa , is dependent on:

1. Optimal equipment used to produce the mammogram – these days full-field digital mammographic equipment is regarded as state of the art.

2. The optimal image as produced by a radiographer specialised in mammography.

3. The optimal reading of the image is usually provided by doctors who specialise in breast imaging and who have possibly received overseas training in mammography interpretation.

4. A process of rigorous quality control, where all outcomes are recorded and regularly analysed.
Only where all of these conditions are met, will the promise of lowering the mortality rates from breast cancer and the increase in breast conservation be realised.

-Myth 5
It doesn’t make a difference where you are treated.
-Truth
A very important, but often overlooked factor is where a patient is treated. It has been shown that dependent on where the woman is treated for breast cancer, the risk of death within 5 years can be up to 60% higher in environments where only few breast cancers are treated versus environments where more than 150 breast cancers are treated per year. This effect is larger than any chemotherapy, hormonal therapy and radiation.

-Myth 6
Removing the entire breast is better than breast conservation.
-Truth
Breast cancer metastasizes to places outside of the breast. The tumour in the breast will not kill you – the spread of the cancer to the brain, lungs etc. will. As breast cancer often does that early in the course of the disease, a mastectomy will not guarantee you better survival than breast conserving therapy.
Should a radical mastectomy be necessary, breast reconstruction can take place during the same session that the mastectomy is performed. A multidisciplinary treatment approach involves: The oncologic surgeon, a radiation oncologist, a medical oncologist and a plastic surgeon to optimally time and sequence the individual treatments.
In a well-run multidisciplinary breast clinic, out of 100 women with breast cancer, 60 will have breast conserving therapy, 35 will have a mastectomy with immediate reconstruction and only 5 will leave the theatre with neither their own breast nor a reconstructed breast.

-Myth 7
My breast cancer wasn’t detected by mammography.
-Truth
High quality mammography will detect about 95% of all breast cancers. Breast cancers that do not image are rare if the above criteria of a breast imaging centre are met.

-Myth 8
Mammograms are painful.
-Truth
If the breasts are painful, a mammogram should not be done until the reason for the tenderness has been addressed. Well trained mammographers should be able to assist you in relaxing. When you are relaxed, the pectoral muscles behind the breast relax, which should result in a painless mammogram.

-Myth 9
If you have breast augmentation, breast cancer is harder to detect and you are more at risk.
-Truth
Breast augmentation does not constitute an increase in glandular tissue, therefore you are not more at risk. It is necessary that an experienced mammographer takes your mammogram as special techniques are needed to demonstrate all breast tissue.

Source- Woman24

Read How chocolate can improve your life

“People say that you cannot buy happiness, but you can buy chocolate and that is kind of the same thing.”

We have been feeling guilty about chocolate since our teen years when we were told it would give us pimples.
.But it is time to change things!
Let us put our guilt down and pick up some chocolate instead. And to make this easy I am going to give you 7 fantastic reasons why chocolate is good for you.

If we enjoy our men and coffee to be tall, dark and handsome, we at least need to apply some of these qualities to our chocolate.
The darker our chocolate the better!

1. Dark Chocolate is Bursting with Antioxidants
Antioxidants are the big hype at the moment. Everyone wants more of them to stay looking youthful for longer and for their cancer fighting properties.
Our bodies are experiencing oxidative stress the whole time and one of the best ways to put a fighting army together is by eating chocolate. (I don’t mind fighting this war)
Polyphenols, flavanols and catechins are antioxidants that can be found in chocolate. These antioxidants are found in high amounts in chocolate and can boost our health.
It has been found that by eating dark chocolate that you increase your total antioxidant capacity and your blood levels of epicatechin. (Whatever this means – it sounds impressive hey!)

2. Dark Chocolate Helps with Blood Sugar
High blood sugar is one of the biggest problems this planet is facing. Not that chocolate will cure it, but it might provide some benefits. (No bingeing on chocolate now)
One of the main reasons why people develop high sugar is due to their cells becoming insulin resistant. This means that your body can pump out as much insulin as it would like, but the cells will not react to it and take up the sugar present in your blood.
And where does chocolate come into this equation?
Well chocolate actually helps increase insulin sensitivity. This means your cells will start reacting (and taking up sugar) when insulin is released.

3. Dark Chocolate keeps your Heart Healthy
Remember that strange word “epicatechin”, which I mentioned earlier. Well it is actually a special flavonoid in chocolate and it helps with cardiovascular health.
It has been found that epicatechin works via an antithrombotic mechanism. Ok ok, I won’t leave you hanging with what this means…
It means that it helps to keep the blood thin and running smoothly. It is not a good thing if your blood gets all clumpy and gluey.
It has a similar effect to the blood thinning properties of aspirin.
Some observational studies are showing that chocolate might be beneficial when it comes to calcified plaque. But more studies need to be done on this.
What they are staying this that,  by eating chocolate 2 or more times a week it decreases your calcified plaque by 32%. And having it more than 5 times a week could decrease your risk of heart disease by 57%. (Remember dark chocolate)

4. Dark Chocolate keeps Blood Pressure Down
Ok this is going to get a bit medical, but bear with me.
A meta-analysis was done in 2012 looking at randomized trials of improving blood pressure through the consumption of chocolate. And here is what they found;
It showed a reduction in diastolic blood pressure by an average of 1.6mmHg and it also decreased mean arterial pressure on an average of 1.64mmHg. Not too shabby.
All in all this shows us that chocolate can bring down our blood pressure.
Why is that?

The first one is that chocolate contains flavanols which stimulates the release of nitric oxide. This nitric oxide helps the arteries to dilate and relax. And this decreases the pressure in the arteries.
The next reason is that chocolate is high in magnesium. The increase in magnesium intake can inhibit smooth vascular muscle contractions, once again decreasing the pressure.

5. Dark Chocolate is High in Iron and Magnesium
We all know how important iron is for you but do you know how important magnesium is for you?

Well luckily we find them both in chocolate.
A huge amount of iron is needed by our blood. It is present in our haemoglobin which is used to transport oxygen all over our body.
Large amounts of iron can normally be found in products such as meat and eggs, but here is another delicious one to add to the list.
As I pointed out above, magnesium helps to reduce blood pressure. And that is not the only important benefit of magnesium. It also helps with keeping our bones in good health and the rhythmic beating of our hearts.

6. Dark Chocolate Improves your Cholesterol
And just to support the heart health claim, the study showed a slight improvement in cholesterol levels by decreasing LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) by 0.07mmol/L and slightly increasing HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol) by 0.03mmol/L.
This won’t get you off the statins, but it is good to know that chocolate is not bad for your cholesterol.
These beneficial results are thought to be linked to the high antioxidant count in cocoa.

7. And last but not least… it makes us beautiful and bright In very small studies it has been shown that dark chocolate can help protect your skin against UVB damage. (But don’t rely completely on chocolate – still slap on your sunscreen) .It showed that people who consumed chocolate for 12 weeks prior to this sun exposure where able to tolerate more sun before their skin turned red.

If you have the beauty, you now want the brains.
And chocolate can help with that too! Chocolate can help increase blood flow to the brain. It has also been shown that there have been speech improvements in patients who consumed chocolate and had metal impairments.

Researchers are trying to explain this by looking at the caffeine, theodromine and flavanols in cocoa itself. And that is all from me today. I hope I have shed some light on the benefits of chocolate and how it can improve your life.

P.S. A piece of dark chocolate a day will keep the doctor away!

SOURCE- MyNews24

5 Reasons You Should Stop Smoking Weed And Start Juicing It

1. Cannabis leaf juice won’t make you high.
But it will make you healthier! Cannabis juice has a number of incredible healthy properties to them like…

2. Anti-inflammatory properties.
Cannabis is an essential vegetable for our every day lives. Not only do they have anti-cancer compounds, but they help the digestive system absorb the vitamins and minerals in the food you eat as well as decrease inflammation.

3. Cannabis bud juice will make you high.
And it’s considerably safer than smoking cannabis buds. That aside, smoking cannabis is significantly safer than smoking cigarettes. Yuck!

4. Cannabis is versatile.
Don’t like the taste of cannabis juice? Juice it with other vegetables. A personal favorite of mine is carrot apple. It’s sweet, a bit tart, and extra healthy with some cannabis leaves.

5. You can ingest more cannabinoids.
Cannabinoids are the truly healthy compound in cannabis, and when you juice it, you get tons of ’em. Cannabis juice also contains CBDA, a form of CBD.

Unoaku Anyadike is MBGN World 2015

Unoaku Anyadike represented Anambra State at this year’s pageant and after was chosen as the overall winner of the pageant – therefore she is the MBGN 2015 . She will represent Nigeria at the Miss World 2015 pageant which will take place on the 19th of December 2015 at the Crown of Beauty Theatre in Sanya, China.

So, who is Unoaku?

Here is the scoop on the pageant queen.

She’s 21. Unoaku celebrated her birthday on the 16th of September

She is a student of psychology at the University of Ibadan

She has other jobs – Unoaku has been a personal assistant to Nollywood star Enyinna Nwigwe

She participated in MBGN 2014 (as Miss Lagos) but had to drop out due to exams at school

She is from Anambra State (her dad is Igbo and mum is Yoruba). Contestants rarely get to represent their home states but in this case, she actually did

Her answer during the Q&A sealed the deal – we hear that her articulate answer to the question on Climate Change and her reference to the erosion issues in Anambra helped her win points with the judges.

Her role models are Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Millen Magese

She comes from a close knit family – “I’m the last girl out of 5 beautiful girls in my family. We are Christians and from Ekwulobia, Aguata local government in Anambra state. We live in Ile-Ife, Osun state. My father is a Professor in Literature-in-English at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) and my mother is the founder and proprietor of Sunshine Nursery and primary school Ile-Ife, Osun state. My family is the best family in the world and they come first, I wouldn’t trade that for anything.”

She is a Christian – She says “I love to meditate on the word of God” and I am presently reading “How to be lead by the spirit of God” by Kenneth Hagin

She is a blogger – Anyadike has a blog which is focused on positivity and spirituality

Her Favourite Meal is Amala and Ewedu with goat meat and a cold bottle of water

She has a crush on Empire star Jussie Smollett and admires Miss World 2001 Agbani Darego

If She were President, she would…The first thing I’ll do is to try to eradicate poverty, promote education especially the girl child education and make Nigeria one of the developed countries in the world

Facts About Breast Cancer

Breast Cancer is one of those disease conditions that doesn’t get as much attention as it should in Nigeria. Statistically, one out of every eight women would be diagnosed with this condition with about 500, 000 deaths occurring from this condition alone in Africa. The hard truth however is that there’s a lot of myths and not much information available concerning breast cancer.
Here are five things you probably have heard about breast cancer that is false and the real truths concerning them.

-Breast Cancer Concerns Women Only
If you’ve ever believed that only women get breast cancer, you’re completely wrong. Men too can get breast cancer even though the chances of it occurring in men is 100 times lesser than in women. Diagnoses of breast cancer in men occurs very late and as such results in increased mortality. For men, the lifetime risk of getting breast cancer is about 1 in 1,000. Diagnoses usually come at a later stage for men, leading to significantly increased mortality rates. According to Sharon Gordano, M.D., and Fatima Cardoso, M.D. Of the breast cancer research fund (BCRF), 92 percent of the tumours found in men that have breast cancer are caused by oestrogen and progesterone hormones which is naturally higher in women. However, breast cancer in women as a result of these hormones account for 70 percent of breast cancers in them.

-Breast Cancer Occurs Only In The Elderly
This is another false myth that has held for long. A lot of young people below the age of 40 are prone to having breast cancer. Researchers are studying the link between heredity and breast cancer in hope of gaining knowledge on the type of risk factors that expose certain people to them. The risk factors include race, ethnicity and lifestyle changes.

-All Breast Cancers Are The Same
Another myth. Breast cancer as a matter of fact is a culmination of several different diseases. Researchers just discovered the different types of breast cancer subtypes which includes Luminal A, Luminal B, HER2-positive, and Triple Negative. These subtypes can also be further classified into smaller subunits which have different response to treatment and progression rates and thus, create more individualised treatment regimens.

-Breast Cancers Begin As Lumps
There are various factors that are used in diagnosing breast cancers asides the development of a Lump. These signs include irritation of the skin covering the breasts, inward inversion of the nipples, red or scaly skin surrounding the breasts and or any type of discharge asides breast milk from the breast.
Wire Bras or Deodorants Can Make You Have Breast Cancer

This is another myth that has been around for a while. According to a study published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers in 2014, there was no correlation between wearing wire-bras, the number of hours you had it on and an increased risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women. The National Cancer Institute also say no evidence exist that deodorants cause breast cancer.
Furthermore, exercise and diet have been found to reduce the risk of getting breast cancer even though there is little knowledge concerning how other environmental factors increase the risk of having the disease. Mammography and routine screenings are important in catching the condition early. These can be scheduled yearly even though it’s dependent on heredity factors.