Channel your Inner Freak!
As a retired control freak, I can safely say that the day I retired was probably the best day of my life. Suddenly, i felt less responsible for other peoples’ errors (which were not even my business in the first place); I was at peace and my opinions were safely back in their home where they belonged, behind my shut mouth!
I loved to control events, decisions and situations. I must have mentally ripped the serenity prayer in to shreds a million times like, "What are these ones talking about?!" I remember once trying to will a crying baby silent with a stare on a 6-hour flight. I wasn't very successful. Lol.
Most ambitious of all, i tried to control God and how he spoke to me; “Please speak to me, God, but not in a loud voice or in any scary appearance. Let it be mellow. Also, i’d prefer if i’m not alone or in the dark. NO burning bushes or angels appearing out of thin air hollering “Fear not”, when they know i’d be terrified!”
Then one day, I stopped. I figured it was becoming uncontrollable, this need for control, which was one more thing out of wack. How could a control-freak have an uncontrollable vice? A vice that surfaced frequently, often suddenly and unbridled by any restraints and often resulted in frustrations because the situations were beyond my control and not my jurisdiction anyway! So I decided to step back, examine and let go. Best. Decision. Ever.
Being a control freak impacts your relationships, your faith, your business, your health, your sleep, your mood, your sleep; it's just an all round disaster. I know i said 'sleep' twice.
The most important type of control- the one we should all be scampering to acquire, really is self-control. My 'Self' just gave me the side eye because it knows it's true. Self is the most untamed entity in all existence and trying to control it is another script entirely. Imagine developing the will-power-muscle not to retort when someone is being less reasonable; not hitting snooze when the alarm goes off; walking away from that chocolate fountain; not chipping in on gossip; not overspending; running an extra mile; eating healthy; not being glued to your phone all day. Self-control is difficult but it's really what we should be imbibing instead of trying to take over the world. It's the path to mastering your soul, spirit, intellect, will, emotions, conscience, body, decisions; and who doesn't want that?!
So now, i am a self-control freak, channeling all that energy within, much to the delight of a thousand babies air-borne and to the annoyance of my 'Self'. Yeah, whatever, Self.
Have you any control freak experiences? Are you retired or still in play?
Don't forget to enter the giveaway?!
Porn Lover or Hater, You should read this!
I know what you are thinking? Who talks about porn on a Tuesday morning? Well, we do! I was going to do a post on porn but then I stumbled on this post on the Art of Manliness (AoM) blog. They killed it (as always)! Therefore, i’ll just probe around this topic, just a little.
So, porn! A strangely fit guy and an unrealistically hot girl, screaming at 500 grunts a minute, the third party glued to the screen clearly trying to achieve something.....important. Now, it's a general misconception that porn improves sexual experiences and performance, not to talk of its signature gift of ungirded excitement as you successfully click on that glorious url and watch it load.
The lights are off, everyone is fast asleep, you grab your laptop and rub your hands together, that mischievous grin on your face in the dark, with a deliberate poke, you hit the power button on your laptop. It ignores your poke. Oh, the battery is completely out from your porn marathon the night before. You scramble off your bed blindly, tripping over some shoes thrown carelessly at the foot of your bed. You grab the charger, connect it to the wall and then your laptop. Your fingers are just about to hit the power button again........ NEPA cuts out the electric power.
Seriously?!
How could this be happening? How?
Well, if that ever happens to you, it might be your lucky day, for every time you skip (intentionally or unintentionally) your porn serving, you are one step closer to a healthier brain, social life and sexual life. Everyone suspects, if not knows for certain, that porn is unhealthy but it's an experience that stimulates the part of the brain which is associated with addiction, so it's a little difficult to control.
Just so you know, here are a couple effects porn may have on you:
1. The 'Fiona-Shrek' effect
Adult material is intentionally crafted to excite the viewer, right? Therefore, the women seem to look much hotter than the average next door Jane. She also looks much hotter than your wife! Hmmm...so after staring at this teeny-waisted, big breasted, Apple-buttomed porn actress (note:actress) for about 5-10 hours a week, chances are your partner will begin to look a little like shrek, complete with funnel ears! The girl on the screen, of course, is your new Fiona. This can only lead to a degradation of your relationship. Reports also show that porn use leads to increased secrecy, less intimacy and depression!
2. Joining Grandpa in the Doctor's office
Studies show that excessive porno use eventually leads to limp situations; “down” is the new “up”, if you know what I mean. More young men are seeking erectile dysfunction medication because they find it a little more difficult to get erections. I have never been in a guy’s head but i know erectile problems are probably your worst nightmare. Bo!
3. Child porn, anyone?
Over time, porn watchers become desensitized to "mainstream" pornographic material. It's just the way it is. Several people report that they start to watch material that they find repulsive but it gets them there, anyway! Gang rapes, child porn etc. Here's why, when the brain gets hit by porn, dopamine is released. The more triple x videos seen, the more the brain becomes insensitive to dopamine, the less excitement is achieved. Of course, the watcher doesn't get as excited as he used to, so he keeps clicking and digging and wading through this porn vortex seeking for the next best thing. It turns out that next best thing progresses from guy/girl combos to orgies to rapes to gang rapes to child rape , it goes on. It gets better…worse, blunted dopamine receptors lead to depression. It's that D-word again.
4. "..A is for Boobs…Duh?"
Porn leads to the weakening of the prefrontal complex which is responsible for cognitive ability, executive function, personality expression and social behavior ; decision making; thoughts and action associated with internal goals. Seriously, that just means it turns a perfectly healthy person into a person who is a little less intelligent, a little more depressed, a limp "countenance" and impaired decision-making abilities! You know we don't mess with our decision-making on PGI. Nuh-un. Don't mess with your decision making, please, please! It's your key to too many things and your avenues to several levels of fulfillment.
Stopping porn all together must be as challenging as any addiction is but here's a link on the blog, AoM that helps with that!
All the best and blow NEPA a kiss for that night!
Have you ever experienced any of these effects? The Fiona-Shrek effect especially?! Do you read the Art of manliness?
Crafted using "The Possible Pitfalls of Porn" AoM
How the Apes Plan to Take Over the World
One word. Meme-a-thons; this is how I spend my evenings, unwinding, giggling, even bawling sometimes. In the last two years, i have increasingly become a social media addict. That isn't shocking to you because you probably are an addict as well. Lol. I probably watch at the least 45 memes a day!
Well, studies show that the human brain loves being online! We love it! Our brains are like an insatiable trough that craves excitement and amusement. We are constantly looking for the next best thing, the next best meme. We are way past addiction with this internet-social media thing. In 2012, the average time spent on the Internet was about 3-5 hours, a day, now, we are spending about 5-7 hours a day!
This increased use of the internet and being perpetually transfixed on social media is now known to cause a loss of empathy, impaired decision making, and a perpetual adrenaline-high, resulting in mind fatigue.
Here's how: On either side of the cerebral hemispheres in your brain are the insular cortices. The insular controls your consciousness, emotions, empathy, cognition and interpersonal functions in general. In more practical terms, the insular controls your self-consciousness and environmental awareness; it's the reason you cry when your friend mourns, the reason you help when someone is in trouble etc. Studies now show that the increase in media-use causes a direct shrinkage of the insular!
Now here's where I'm going with this, the scary part, the ONLY other creature on earth who has access to the functionality of this insular- this ability to access these higher emotions, is the ape.
The apes show empathy, they cringe, they mourn with members of their family and friends. When a cousin ape falls into a 9-foot ditch, they don't giggle and take out their iPhones to record. When an ape kid gets hit by a car, they don't step over her and send out tweets about how they just witnessed something "absolutely crazy!" They don't have social media, so I'm guessing these apes are definitely not shrinking their insulars away, instead, probably developing this function quite extensively while we run around like zombies poking our phones and laughing intermittently at memes!
Decisions. Decisions. Moderate my nightly meme-a-thons or keep shrinking my brain and let the apes take over?
Of course, I'm not saying we should ditch social media all together, No! I love social media and all those crazy memes but I'm suggesting that we tone it down a bit and save the insular!
Imagine one morning you wake up, you hear a low grunt from the right side of your bed, it's an ape and he's wearing military gear with a side smile, he's holding your phone. He hangs it over your head, taunting you, as you would have taunted him with a banana. In a split second, he throws your phone into a large steel cage sitting in the corner of your room, you look at him, then at the phone, ....Would you jump in? Would I?
From my overactive mind.......
Eat Your Way to Creativity: 15 Foods That Light Up Your Mind!
According to this study, your creative ability is closely linked to a little seahorse-shaped structure in the brain, known as the hippocampus! The hippocampus is that bad boy in charge of your learning, long-term memory, organizing and storage of past knowledge and experiences.
Take a moment to recall your most thrilling moment as a 7 year-old, as you buried your face into that awesome piece of birthday cake, pause, then take a moment to remember your worst memory- that silly bully on the playground with no front teeth. Remember? Yup, that's your hippocampus working. Now, mentally locate yours (it's close to the center of your brain) and thank it for a job well done. Amazingly, studies also show that this sea-horsey structure is closely related to our ingenuity and the backbone for creative thinking. In fact, this study shows people with damaged hippocampi lose their ability to imagine.
Gasp!
Imagine if all writers, painters, artists, musicians, art-enthusiasts, mums(the most creative of the lot) lost their imagination! Imagine if the writer of Game of Thrones lost his!! I honestly, I'm close to tears right now at the thought, then we'd never know what happened to Jon Snow! (Now we know *updated August 2016)
Ok, the real reason you clicked on this post: the food.
The hippocampus is a fitfam-ish kind of structure. It remains healthy as long as you feed it with foods that are high in Omega 3 fatty acids, Vitamins A, D, E, Zinc and Flavonoids. Here are 15 foods packed with all these creative juices (in no particular order):
1. Fish
High in Omega 3 fatty acids, Vitamin A, D and E. Fishes are so amazing they deserve their own post (coming up soon).
2. Flax seeds
Rich in Omega 3. Sprinkle some ground flax seeds in your smoothie before blending!
3. Green tea
High in and catechins! Don't steep with boiling water, use moderately hot water and add some lemon juice for better absorption of nutrients!
4. Liver
Rich in Vitamin A and iron! To be consumed in moderation, over consumption could lead to toxicity! Limit to 10, 000 international units daily.
5. Cocoa
Rich in flavonoids! SHOULD BE EATEN IN MODERATION. Cocoa is 50% fat and has a high sugar content.
6. Blueberries
Rich in vitamin A, C, potassium, manganese, anthocyanins and flavonoids! Divine in smoothies!
7. Mushrooms
Hold your breath for what mushrooms pack; Vitamin B, Zinc, Copper, Niacin, Phospholate, Folate, (Mushrooms aren't kidding here), Iron, Thiamin, Selenium, Panthothenic Acid. #HappyHippocampus
8. Almonds
Huge source of Vitamin E and B complexes just like mushrooms. Grab a handful a day, in between meals and chew away (I tried it with garri once, not too bad, i must say).
9. Avocados
Avocados = Super-uper food! They provide about 20 essential nutrients and are very rich in Vitamin E, Vitamin B and folic acid!
10. Spinach
Rich source of Vitamin A and C
11. Cod-liver oil
Rich in Omega 3 fatty acids, Vitamin A, D and K!
12. Dairy/ Dairy Alternatives
High in Vitamin D.
13. Broccoli
High in fiber, very high in vitamin C, potassium, B6 and vitamin A and protein!
14. Sweet Potatoes
High in Vitamin A and C!
15. Bell Peppers
Rich in Vitamin A, B, C and E!
Treat your body right as you create and change the world with your wonderful creative mind; exercise and feed that brain! It goes without saying that we have to protect the hippocampi of our creative people in the world (think Jon Snow). Send this post to as many as you know! (By the way, we all create. Being creative is not exclusive. This applies to you too! Eat your way to creativity)
The Hot Granny Goals
“Respect your body. Eat well. Dance forever.”
I just got in from the grocery store and the cashier who was checking my stuff out kept saying she wished she could eat this healthy. I tried to encourage her to eat healthy but my eyes kept landing on the rapidly increasing total amount on the register. She grabs a sweet potato from my items and nods, saying she will change her diet. Note, by this time, my bill was already sky high and I was cringing with every beep of the scanner. Arrrrgh, eating healthy is so expensive! But I know it pays off eventually. Like when I'm 87, I'll be doing triathlons!
My goals for 87 are reliant on one of my friend's granny. She is the coolest grandma that ever liveth. She's so healthy too! The last time I saw her was in 2007 I think. She was about 87 years old, I remember because she told me how old she was. How rare is that? An 87 year-old who remembers her age. It gets better, she had no dietary restrictions. Amen to that at 87! Oh, it gets better, right after she had a juicy meaty meal, she picks up her glass of the most delicious glass of orange juice with ice-cubes bobbing around in it and she hollers to her daughter, "Bring my ice- cream o. Bring my dessert."
I think I passed out in my head. Lol!
So she had a scoop of vanilla and a scoop of chocolate ice cream. Something tells me this woman made very good lifestyle choices when she was younger. Exercising and eating right so she could eat whatever later! This is my plan. Eat whatever later!
Oh....... then it got better than better.
We were left together by ourselves, me and granny-goals granny. I think everyone went to sleep after the meal and my mum and granny's daughter were talking outside. So there we were lounging in the sitting room and I remember we were watching the news; she turned to me, gave me a very concerned look and said, "Did you hear about what happened to Britney Spears?"
Passed out in my head...again! Lol.
It was one of those moments I know I'll never experience again.
The Nigerian 87 year-old who asked me about Britney Spears.
She proceeded to tell me that Britney Spears had shaved her head for some reason and that people were being judgmental.
You'd agree that this is a pretty rare granny. I should look for her and get her to be PGI's July Girl! Surely she has a greatly compassionate heart, definitely made great nutritional choices earlier on in life, invested in healthy meal choices and was definitely with in tune with pop culture!
So, as I arrange my leaves (aka salads),my low fat dairy, peppers and Salmon into the fridge and pat my wallet, I know one day I'll creep out some teenager when I'm 87 while eating a mean bowl of cookies and cream ice cream and updating her on the Justin Beiber's of the time.
What life changes have you made in preparation for fab 87?
4 Reasons You Should Try 'Naked Thursdays'
It's time to eden-ize those Thursdays (or whatever your favorite day of the week is)! The scientific benefits of shedding your clothes and just air-bathing for extended periods of time are pretty great. I mean, God knew what he was doing when he plopped Adam in the garden naked and leafless.
Guy or girl; married or single; embracing your naked self is the way! Here are four reasons why you might want to toss them garments into the wind.
(1) Gets you closer to Bae
Being naked had to have had its benefits with Adam and Eve. Right?
Studies show that couples who cuddle or sleep naked experience an increased amount of oxytocin in their neural system. Oxytocin is the hormone which creates that feeling of vulnerability and trust. It also might be the key to exclusivity in relationships (i.e no cheating). According to this study, men who were given doses of oxytocin seem to crave their partners and showed mildly aggressive reactions to strange attractive females. In their words and i quote, the men "....preferred keeping a significantly greater distance between themselves and the temptress....." Ain't God fab? Made us naked, so we could cuddle and get flooded with oxytocin and be committed; everyone's happy.
Naked couples probably fight less too, yet again because they feel vulnerable and it's just not possible to take an angry naked person seriously.
(2) Makes you self-conscious (which is NOT a bad thing)
Being naked often, makes you body-conscious; it helps you appreciate those parts of you that have been hidden under all that fabric! It also nudges you 'to drop and give twenty' or for some people, tells you to eat a little more.
You can imagine that you'll also be hair-conscious.
(No more wax day postponing. The more naked you are, the more Naked Thursday doesn't look like a Tarzan movie set. By the way, Tarzan is out next year, I can't wait! It's pretty star-studded too. Samuel. L, Djimon Hounsou, Margot Robbie, Christoph Waltz! Christoph Waltz is the villain again! He's like everyone's sweetheart villain!)
(3) Healthy Loins (hehe, loins)
"Breathe Again"(*in TONI Braxton's voice*), this will be your lower regions song to you! Being naked keeps you aired out and fresh underneath, and who doesn't love that?
Un-aired, musky loins can lead to an increase in testicular temperature, which in turn could cause a case of low sperm count, we don't want that. So, get rid of the clammy and let it go, let it go, don't hold it back anymore!
Women also stand the risk of UTIs and infections with dark, musky crotches and this can be prevented by sufficient aeration and healthy breathing. Woosa, anyone?
(4) No Laundry
You don't have to think about that day's contribution to laundry or you can plan Naked Thursday on a laundry day! Everyone wins; your clothes are clean, you are airy and healthy, bae is happy! Just chill on your non-leather sofa and watch reruns of your favorite show. Try to avoid going to the kitchen; making ogi or custard or starch; frying; ironing; extreme sports; fights. You are several levels of vulnerable, so respect yourself. Lol!
When last did you try Naked Thursday?
Thanksgiving Post- Grateful for your Breasts!
Some of us start wearing brassieres from the teeniest AAA cup and then as they get bigger, let's be honest, we get confused somewhere along the line and get stuck using B's and C's.
To add to our confusion, no thanks to rappers and r'n'b singers, we've also come to believe "double D's" are the ideal size for hotness. Of course, making E cups and anything above, cringe worthy, so we stuff our lovelies into D cups and tuck them and pop them and have them spill to the sides, providing little support for our twin girlies.
They deserve so much to be grateful for and appreciated, whether melons or limes. All sizes are magnificently designed by the great creator and all his works are blunder-free!
.....So if you are on your way to a thanksgiving dinner and you have no idea what to say when they start the round-the-table-tell-us-what-you-are-grateful-for turns, just say out loud and confident,' I am grateful for my G cup' and drop the mic!
Yup!
Let's learn to be proud of our bust (bust is so 1920's). Let's learn to love them and care for them. One great way to do that, is to wear the appropriate size of brassieres (1920's encore). Wearing the right bra size is like wearing the right shoe size, it's more comfortable and snug; it provides adequate support for your girls, which ultimately takes the strain off your back. Also, it looks way hotter wearing the right size, a lot like the girl in the photo above. Boobs spilling on the sides, bra clasping way too high just doesn't look that steamy. If you have the opportunity, please get a free bra-fitting in a store (M&S, Soma, V's secret, Rigby and Peller). Otherwise, you can get the chance to find out your bra size later on in this post!
Still on the breast-loving methods, remember to examine your breasts this month. There are a couple of things that shouldn't be done just once a year; ummm.....off the top of my head, thanksgiving and breast exams. They should be habits and those are two great healthy habits to adopt. Trust me.
xx
Never actually had a bra fitting?
Had a bra fitting and can't remember your size?
Had a bra fitting, remember your size but still in denial that you are a size H? 😏 Tuck all doubts away, get your size checked here and make someone uncomfortable at that thanksgiving dinner by being grateful for your size!
Happy Thanksgiving!
My First Give Away!
Hey! Hey! Hey!
Pages by Ike is over a month old! Thank you for sticking around, for the likes, shares and comments. It's time to celebrate and abuse exclamation marks in excitement!!!
One winner gets to win a Fitbit Flex Wireless Activity and Sleep tracker!
Yup, it's time to be a doer and not just a reader. Don't wait until 2016 to start to get your physical activity habits right, trust me 2016 has fitness challenges in store for you already, so get a head start by tracking your activity with the Fitbit! Your Fitbit is stylish and makes your lifestyle adjustment to #fitfam a lot more trendy!
To win, all you have to do is hit the adorably blue subscribe button (or click here) and once you are all registered, let us know by commenting below. The winner will be contacted and together we'll draw up a plan to get your fitbit to you.
Entry closes November 14th! (UPDATE: The winner has been sent an email)
(Open to residents of the US, UK, Canada and Nigeria. Delivery time might vary for locations.)
Previous subscribers will be automatically considered for the giveaway but have to comment below as well.
All the best!