Smoothies are more than just a delicious treat or a quick snack. They offer a multitude of health benefits that can help boost your immune system and improve your overall well-being. On the #GTVBreakfast show this morning, Thelma Tackie interviewed two experts—Gracia Helarie Fraikue, a dietician, and Pearlvis Sefakor Tornu, an entrepreneur from Green Café—who shared their insights on the health benefits of smoothies. Let’s delve into what they had to say about the power of these blended wonders.

The Nutritional Powerhouse of Smoothies

Gracia Helarie Fraikue emphasized that smoothies are packed with essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. “Smoothies aid in digestion, improve skin health, and help in weight management,” she noted. By choosing the right ingredients, you can tailor your smoothie to meet specific health goals.

Weight Management Made Easy

Smoothies can be a great tool for weight management. According to Gracia, fruits like avocados and bananas are ideal for those looking to gain weight, while berries and citrus fruits are perfect for weight loss. However, portion control is crucial. “The quantity of fruits you take is a factor in either gaining or losing weight,” she explained.

Nutrient-Rich and Balanced

A well-made smoothie is a nutritional powerhouse, offering vitamins A, C, and E, fiber, potassium, and magnesium. These nutrients are vital for maintaining good health and supporting bodily functions.

Regulating Sugar Levels

Gracia pointed out that while smoothies can help regulate sugar levels, it’s essential to choose fruits with a low glycemic index. Diabetic patients, for example, should avoid high-sugar fruits like pineapples and watermelons.

Beyond Fruits: The Power of Vegetables

Vegetables can also be incorporated into smoothies, enhancing their nutritional value. Ingredients like spinach, kale, and carrots not only add a nutrient boost but also complement the flavors of fruits.

Boosting Smoothie Benefits

To maximize the health benefits of smoothies, Gracia recommended adding ingredients like turmeric, ginger, and honey. These not only enhance the taste but also provide anti-inflammatory properties that contribute to better skin and overall health.

Meal Replacement or Supplement?

Smoothies can be a meal replacement if they contain a balanced mix of nutrients. However, Gracia cautioned against forgoing main meals entirely in an attempt to lose weight. A smoothie should complement your diet, not replace it.

Smoothies for Athletes

Athletes often consume smoothies for pre- and post-workout nutrition. Pre-workout smoothies provide the energy needed for exercise, while post-workout smoothies aid in muscle recovery and replenishment of lost nutrients.

Avoiding Common Mistakes

Gracia highlighted some common mistakes to avoid when making smoothies, such as adding too much sugar or high-calorie ingredients. It’s important to maintain a balance of fruits, vegetables, and protein sources.

Anti-Aging Smoothies

Certain smoothies can support anti-aging. Ingredients like turmeric, carrots, and ginger promote healthy skin and can help you look and feel younger.

Pearlvis Sefakor Tornu’s Smoothie Secrets

Pearlvis Sefakor Tornu from Green Café shared her expertise on creating popular smoothie combinations. She prepared a green smoothie made with spinach, kale, bananas, and honey, a customer favorite for its delicious taste and nutritional benefits.

Ensuring Consistency and Catering to Dietary Needs

Pearlvis emphasized the importance of using fresh, high-quality ingredients and maintaining precise measurements for consistency. She also highlighted the café’s ability to customize smoothies to meet various dietary needs, including vegan, gluten-free, and sugar-free options.

Popular Choices and Recommendations

The green smoothie and berry blast are top choices among customers, loved for their refreshing taste and health benefits. Pearlvis also shared that they consider customers’ health goals, dietary restrictions, and personal preferences when recommending smoothies.

Expert Tips for a Healthier You

A smoothie can be a whole meal if it contains the right balance of nutrients.
Fruits aid in digestion and weight management.
Drinking plenty of water is essential for maintaining clear skin.
Smoothies are more than just a tasty treat; they are a gateway to a healthier lifestyle. So, blend your way to good health and enjoy the numerous benefits that smoothies offer!

For more lifestyle stories and health tips, stay tuned to gbcghanaonline.com.

As Ghana approaches its 2024 elections, concerns over the spread of misinformation and disinformation have intensified. These falsehoods are increasingly harming communities, particularly in developing African countries like Ghana, where digital space and internet penetration are being exploited to create clickbait stories for personal gain.

The media, being the fourth estate, plays a critical role in maintaining democracy by ensuring that accurate information reaches the public.

What is Fact-Checking?

Fact-checking is the process of verifying information to ensure it is accurate and true. This involves comparing facts against reliable sources to confirm their correctness.

Main Channels for Spreading Misinformation

• Social Media Platforms: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok allow rapid sharing and can quickly amplify misinformation.
• Messaging Apps: WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal enable private and group messages, making it easy to spread false information.
• Websites and Blogs: Some sites intentionally publish misleading or false information to attract clicks or push an agenda.
• Email Chains: Forwarded emails with sensational or misleading content can spread misinformation.
• Fake News Sites: Websites that mimic legitimate news sources but publish false stories to mislead readers.
• Traditional Media: Newspapers, TV, and radio can sometimes spread misinformation, either unintentionally or due to bias.
• Influencers and Public Figures: Celebrities and politicians can inadvertently spread false information to their large followings.
• Forums and Online Communities: Sites like Reddit can be hotspots for conspiracy theories.
• Deepfakes and Manipulated Media: Advanced technology creates realistic fake videos and images, making it hard to distinguish truth from falsehood.
• Word of Mouth: Misinformation can spread through personal conversations and social networks.

These channels can quickly amplify misinformation, making it crucial to verify information from reliable sources before believing or sharing it.

How to Fact-Check Information

1. Identify the Source: Determine who made the claim to assess its reliability.
2. Contact the Source: Reach out for more details or clarification if possible.
3. Consult Multiple Sources: Check various news articles, official documents, and expert opinions.
4. Analyze Scenarios: Consider different angles to see if the situation is plausible.
5. Stay Independent: Verify facts without relying on biased sources.
6. Be Comprehensive: Look at all available information before drawing conclusions.
7. Be Transparent: Explain how you verified the information and where your facts came from.

Verification Tools for Photos

• Google Reverse Image Search: Upload a photo or paste the image URL to find where the image has appeared online.
• TinEye: Tracks the usage of an image across the web and identifies manipulated versions.
• InVID & WeVerify: Browser extensions that offer reverse image search and metadata analysis.
• FotoForensics: Detects signs of image manipulation through error level analysis and other metadata.
• ExifTool: Reads and edits meta information in images to reveal details like camera model and timestamps.
• RevEye: A browser extension that performs reverse image searches using multiple search engines.
• Amnesty International’s YouTube DataViewer: Verifies YouTube videos by extracting thumbnails for reverse image searches.
• Forensically: A suite of tools for image forensics, including error level analysis and clone detection.
• Social Media Verification Tools: Platforms like Twitter and Facebook often have built-in tools for checking image authenticity.
• Jeffrey’s Exif Viewer: A web-based tool for viewing detailed metadata in photos.

Using these tools can help journalists verify the authenticity of images, ensuring they are not misled by altered or out-of-context visuals.

More Stories Here

According to the World Health Organization, non-communicable diseases of which lifestyle diseases are a part, claim many lives annually, which is over 70% of all deaths across the globe.

Of these, over 15 million deaths occur among people in the age band of 30 to 69 years. Lifestyle diseases include atherosclerosis, heart disease, stroke; obesity,type 2 diabetes, and diseases associated with smoking, alcohol and drug abuse.

Reports say, diabetes, cancer, heart and respiratory diseases will be the leading killers by 2030 if care is not taken to contain them. Heart disease, one of the lifestyle diseases, has remained the leading cause of death at the global level for the last 20 years and it is now killing more people than ever before. The number of deaths from heart disease increased by more than two million since 2000, to nearly nine million in 2019.

Heart disease now represents 16% of total deaths from all causes. Deaths from diabetes- another lifestyle disease, increased by 70% globally between 2000 and 2019, with an 80% rise in deaths among males. Diabetes mellitus, cancers and cardiovascular conditions have been identified as the three fatal lifestyle diseases wreaking havoc to many lives. Senior Lecturer and Head of Department of Pathology at the University of Ghana Medical School, Dr Afua Abrahams, says modifiable, non-modifiable and metabolic reasons are the major contributory factors to these lifestyle diseases. Dr Abrahams who also doubles as a Senior Pathologist at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, however said, ”though these diseases are not curable for now, they can be managed or prevented”.

She emphasised the importance of adopting healthy lifestyles to combat these diseases.

She says there is the need to be active, exercise regularly and eat well balanced meals, avoid addictive things like alcohol and tobacco as well as the need to minimise anger and have good sleep.

A Nursing Officer at the Kekeli Hospital in Accra, Blaise Ackom says there is a need to sensitize people on the effects of tobacco smoking, sniffing of glue and other narcotic drugs, especially, among young people. He said intensive education is required to raise awareness on the dire consequences of substance abuse on the human body.

He emphasized the need to reduce the intake of junk, oily and fatty foods and avoid red meat, and rather opt for fruits and vegetables.

Health is wealth and this common saying holds a lot of weight because there is truth behind it.

As a people, we need to make healthy food choices, avoid ultra-processed foods. watch our blood pressure, check our cholesterol levels, watch our body mass, manage our blood sugar levels, quit smoking, go for regular check-ups and adopt regular physical exercise as a lifestyle.

More Stories Here

The Readers Bay Foundation has launched a unique initiative called ‘The Reading Caravan,’ blending tourism with a love of reading.

This one-day road trip, Ghana’s first tourist-readers adventure, engages patrons in reading while traveling.

On Saturday, 22nd June 2024, the Reading Caravan bus departed from Accra Mall at 8:30 am, heading towards Larteh and Mampong Akropong in the Eastern Region.

The first stop was at the Akonedi Shrine Global Headquarters in Larteh Kubease, where patrons received a brief history of the shrine.

The second stop was at Akropong Methodist Primary School, where Irene Boakye-Danquah, the founder of Readers Bay Foundation, hosted a reading competition for the school children.

The vibrant students took turns reading, with the best-performing class being declared the winner.

The competition aimed to encourage a love of books and boost children’s literacy.

To further support this goal, the foundation donated assorted books to stock the school’s library.

The final stop of the day was at the Anagkazo Bible and Ministry Training Centre.

Patrons were taken on a tour of the facility, which includes chapels, conference rooms, dormitories, and recreational facilities.

In an interview, Irene Boakye-Danquah, Founder of Readers Bay Foundation explained the foundation’s new approach.

“In previous tours, we focused solely on visiting schools and conducting literacy activities. This time, we are fusing them with tourism because we believe that tourism can unveil many wonders to the world. While we tour the country, we are also learning,” she said.

The Reading Caravan initiative aims to make every Ghanaian child’s educational experience comparable to that of their peers in more privileged circumstances, demonstrating that with the right resources and support, such goals are achievable.

By combining literacy with tourism, the Readers Bay Foundation continues to innovate in its mission to enhance the educational experiences of Ghanaian children.

More Stories Here

Ghanaian fashion artist and art activist, Beatrice Bee Arthur, has urged artists and creatives to find innovative ways to upcycle waste, particularly in tackling fast fashion and waste pollution in Ghana.

“We artists are powerful. I believe that art is political more than anything. Art is a weapon. I am trying to encourage and weaponize everybody because we all have the power to make a change in our own corner,” Arthur stated.

Beatrice Arthur emphasized that individual efforts are crucial in addressing waste pollution, especially given the lack of governmental plans to curb the importation of used clothing and plastics in Ghana.

“From what I heard, there is not going to be a solution from the government anytime soon. They are not doing anything to curb the importation of used clothing. They are afraid to deprive people of jobs, so they are not going to ban plastics or used clothing,” she iterated.

Speaking at the Environment Week event at Alliance Française in Accra, dubbed “Curbing Fast Fashion and Plastic Pollution,” Arthur highlighted that 90 percent of her artistic works and installations are made from waste materials.

She also stressed the importance of reusing household items and disposing of waste responsibly.

Additionally, she questioned why traditional chiefs can enforce bans on noise-making and drumming but remain silent on the issue of littering.

Bee Arthur’s call to action aims to inspire a collective effort among artists and the general public to mitigate environmental pollution through creative and sustainable practices.

More Stories Here

Ruth Abla Adjorlolo, a retired staff of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), prefers to spend most of her time at the Keta Beach because of its serene and peaceful atmosphere, which provides a perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of city life.

Having spent many years in the fast-paced media industry, Ruth cherishes the tranquillity and calmness that the beach offers, allowing her to relax, unwind, and reconnect with nature.

Why Ruth Adjorlolo says she has fallen in love with the Beach at Keta in the Volta Region.

Keta is a coastal town in Ghana that was once an open port until the Tema Harbor began operating in 1962. Located in the Volta region of Ghana, Keta Beach is a beautiful beach known for its soft white sand and crystal-clear waters, making it ideal for sunbathing.

The beach is surrounded by historical and natural attractions, including the Keta Lagoon and Fort Prinzenstein, a former slave fort and one of the most important tourist attractions in Keta.

The Beach has beautiful white sand that is clean and well-maintained.

The long beach is perfect for long walks and watching the sunset.

Touching on serenity at the beach, Ruth Adjorlolo said the sound of the waves, the warmth of the sun on her skin, and the cool ocean breeze are a balm to her soul, soothing her mind and body.

”The sound of the waves and the sand on the beach have a calming effect and can help reduce stress,” Ruth stated, admitting she is always blown away by what nature gives when it comes to the Keta Beach.

Moreover, the beach’s scenic beauty and historic significance, with the ancient Fort Prinzenstein and the Keta Lagoon, fascinate her, making her feel connected to her heritage and culture.

At the Keta Beach, Ruth finds solace, peace, contentment, making it her preferred retreat from the stresses of everyday life.

Above all, indigenes are friendly and welcoming to tourists.

More Stories Here

This revival is led by talented weavers who produce beautiful Kente clothes, which are more than just fabrics; they are living histories of Ghana’s past.

The market is notable for the creative ways craftspeople are using Kente cloth to create modern fashion accessories like caps, ties, skirts, bags, and shirts.

Combining ancient designs into everyday wear is how designers are giving the previously ceremonial cloth a modern touch, maintaining the fabric’s significance while preserving its cultural significance.

The beautiful beadwork and chains that decorate the Kente designs lend them a stylish and classy touch, transforming them into wearable works of art appropriate for any occasion.

Ghana’s rich cultural artwork is depicted in every pattern, bead, and chain, which combines tradition and modernity.

The market is a living museum that embraces the future with boldness while honouring the past. Fashion and cultural lovers looking for genuine encounters and stronger ties to Ghana’s past will find it to be an essential trip.

More Stories Here

Over the previous weekend, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle took a trip to Nigeria, an African country that borders the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south.

This marked the Duke and Duchess of Sussexs’ return to Africa since coming to South Africa in 2019. 

The trip also marked the pair’s first time visiting the country together.

Reports have claimed that Prince Harry and Meghan were welcomed to Lagos, the largest city in Nigeria, by a fugitive wanted in the US for money laundering and bank fraud.

The Daily Mail reports that Dr. Allen Onyema (59) was among a small group of officials who greeted Prince Harry and Meghan when they arrived in Lagos on Sunday, May 12, 2024.

Onyema is the founder and CEO of Air Peace. This is a Nigerian carrier that Prince Harry and Meghan used on their three-day tour of the country. 

The Businessman is well-known in Nigeria. However, he is the subject of a US federal indictment filed back in November 2019.

Back then, the US Department of Justice released a statement saying Onyema was “charged with bank fraud and money laundering for moving more than $20 million (R362 million) from Nigeria through United States bank accounts in a scheme involving false documents based on the purchase of airplanes”.

CNN reported that Onyema allegedly used a portion of the laundered money to buy a Lexus, Rolls Royce, Mercedes, and designer items from Louis Vuitton and Prada. However, it is unclear whether Prince Harry and Meghan were aware of the charges filed against Onyema.

At the time, Onyema maintained his innocence and claimed that he had never laundered money in his life.

“Be rest assured that I also have my lawyers on this, and these mere allegations will be refuted. I never laundered money in my life, neither have I committed bank fraud anywhere in the world,” he said, according to the New York Post. 

“Every Kobo [Nigerian currency] I transferred to the US for aircraft purchase went through the Central Bank of Nigeria LC regime, and all were used for the same purpose,” he continued.

This comes after reports claiming Prince William and King Charles were “furious” over Prince Harry and Meghan’s trip to Nigeria. Tom Quinn, a royal author and expert, said that everything that comes with a royal trip was present in the Sussexes trip to Nigeria.

“Everything you might expect from an official royal visit was there—the receptions, the visits to schools and charities, to wounded soldiers and the disabled. William is absolutely furious and determined to find a way to stop this from happening in the future. Charles is said to be angrier than anyone has ever seen him,” said Quinn to The Mirror.

More stories here

For many centuries, Ghanaians had grown used to being barefoot. It permitted unrestricted foot movement across Ghana’s diverse landscape, which ranges from soft sandy beaches to rugged highlands and all points in between. But we’ve become disconnected from this history in recent decades with modernization and as shoes in Western design have become increasingly popular.

Proponents claim that because barefoot shoes allow for natural foot function, they could provide Ghanaians with major health benefits. According to a podiatrist, wearing barefoot encourages healthy biomechanics. “They help people land more mid-foot rather than on their heels, reducing impact on joints and discs over time”.

Studies support this. Studies reveal that those who live barefoot or walk 20 minutes barefoot have reduced incidences of foot problems and back discomfort in comparison to those who wear shoes. Protective effects are produced by the natural motion and active foot muscles. Given how common back issues are in Ghana, this is really important. Wearing barefoot shoes could help stop these problems from happening.

Supporters claim to have also observed psychological advantages. “Being barefoot feels very grounded for me,” says Kwame, a resident of Accra. “I feel connected to the earth and it makes me happy.” Given the stressors in Ghana, their sensory feedback helps to soothe the nervous system.

Although traditional shoes are here to stay, experts advise breaking them in gradually by walking around the house in them to build up underused muscles. Daily time spent barefoot in shoes can pay off, even in tiny doses. They might provide Ghanaians looking to better their overall well-being, heritage, or health a worthwhile route forward.

More Stories Here

Sometimes, it’s not obvious. People can be perfectly polite while hiding their true feelings. So, how do you tell if someone secretly dislikes you?

Psychology has the answer. There are subtle signs and behaviors that can reveal someone’s true feelings towards you.

In this article, we’ll explore 9 signs that someone might be harboring negative feelings towards you, even if they’re keeping it under wraps.

Stay tuned – you might just learn something new about human behavior and the people around you.

1) They avoid eye contact
Eye contact is a fundamental part of human interaction.

In a normal conversation, people tend to make eye contact around 30 to 60% of the time. This shows that they are engaged, interested and comfortable.

However, when someone secretly dislikes you, they might avoid making eye contact with you. This could be a subconscious way of distancing themselves from you.

Of course, it’s essential to remember that this isn’t always a clear-cut sign. Some people might just be shy or anxious, which can also lead to reduced eye contact.

But if you notice this behavior along with some other signs on this list, it might be a hint that someone is not as fond of you as they may seem.

2) Their body language seems off
Body language can speak louder than words.

Take a situation I found myself in recently. I had a coworker who always seemed pleasant in conversation. However, I couldn’t help but notice that her body language didn’t match her words.

Whenever we spoke, she would cross her arms, lean away from me, or avoid facing me directly. These are classic signs of discomfort or disinterest.

Despite her polite conversation, her body language sent a clear message that she wasn’t comfortable around me.

Like in my situation, if you notice someone’s body language doesn’t align with their words, it could be a sign they harbor negative feelings towards you.

3) They rarely initiate conversation
Conversation is a two-way street.

Typically, if someone likes you, they’ll be eager to engage in conversation with you. They’ll ask you questions about your day, your interests, or anything else that might spark a conversation.

But when someone secretly dislikes you, they might avoid starting conversations with you. They’ll respond if spoken to, but they won’t make the effort to initiate the dialogue themselves.

Did you know that according to a study, people who like each other tend to use similar language patterns? If someone isn’t making an effort to match your conversation style or initiate chat, it could be a sign of concealed dislike.

Remember though, some people are naturally more reserved or introverted. This sign is most telling when the person is usually talkative with others but keeps conversations with you short and superficial.

4) They give you backhanded compliments
Compliments are usually heartwarming and uplifting. They make us feel good about ourselves, and they strengthen our connections with others.

However, when someone secretly dislikes you, their compliments might not feel so genuine. They might give you what’s known as a ‘backhanded compliment’. This is a remark that seems like a compliment on the surface, but when you think about it, it’s actually quite insulting or demeaning.

For example, they might say something like “You’re really confident for someone with your experience,” or “I wish I had the time to relax like you do”.

These kinds of remarks can leave you feeling unsettled and unsure about the person’s true feelings towards you.

5) They avoid spending time with you
Spending time together is one of the most basic ways we show interest in others.

When someone likes you, they’ll make an effort to spend time with you. They might invite you to lunch, ask you to join them for a coffee run, or suggest hanging out after work.

However, when someone secretly dislikes you, they’ll likely avoid these kinds of invitations. They might always seem to be too busy, or they might make excuses not to hang out with you.

Of course, some people are just naturally more private or introverted. But if this behavior is combined with other signs on this list, it might indicate a hidden dislike.

6) They never seem to remember personal details
We all forget things from time to time, but when someone constantly forgets personal details you’ve shared, it could be a sign they’re not as invested in the relationship as you are.

Think about it. When we care about someone, we tend to remember the little things about them – their likes, dislikes, stories they’ve shared, and even their preferred coffee order.

These details matter because they show we’re paying attention and that we value our connection with them.

However, when someone repeatedly forgets these details – your birthday, your favorite book, or the name of your pet – it might be a signal that they don’t value your relationship as much as you’d hoped.

7) They’re dismissive of your feelings and opinions
Everyone is entitled to their own feelings and opinions. A healthy relationship, whether it’s a friendship, a work relationship, or a romantic relationship, involves mutual respect, even in disagreements.

I remember once sharing my views on a controversial topic with someone I thought was a friend. Instead of engaging in a respectful discussion, they dismissed my opinion outright. They didn’t seem interested in understanding my perspective, and their attitude made me feel insignificant and unvalued.

If you find that someone is regularly dismissive of your thoughts and emotions, it could be a sign they harbor negative feelings towards you. Healthy relationships involve active listening and respect for each other’s viewpoints, even when they differ.

Remember, everyone has the right to disagree, but how they handle the disagreement can reveal a lot about their feelings towards you.

8) They’re constantly competitive with you
A little friendly competition can be healthy, but when someone is always trying to one-up you or prove they’re better, it could be a sign of hidden dislike.

Healthy relationships involve supporting each other’s successes, not turning everything into a competition.

If someone always needs to be the best or constantly tries to outdo you, it suggests they may see your success as a threat rather than something to celebrate.

This constant need to compete can stem from feelings of jealousy, insecurity, or dislike. It’s important to recognize this behavior for what it is and not let it impact your self-worth.

SOURCE: Global English Editor

More stories here