5 Features That Black Women Have, That White Women Pay For

Black women have features that other women pay thousands for.

Originally written by Amanda Anderson on the 11th of October, 2010

As the media continues to push down its played and tired agenda of European beauty as the superior form of beauty, African American women are forced to either challenge it or succumb to it, and accept our place of inferiority. Sadly, most black women have obliged to the standards of a hate infested media, and are taking many routes to look more European. We’re destroying our natural and God given hair because they said our hair isn’t beautiful, lightening our skin since they believe lighter skin is better, and opting for smaller noses since apparently ours are “too wide.” We keep giving in to their lies and we hate our God created selves. All the while, the features that whites claimed were ugly and unattractive are secretly the most desired, and the reason behind a billion dollar industry of plastic surgery and cosmetics.

We were originally hated because of our skin, lips, and curvy physiques; and now Caucasians are willing to spend thousands for tans, full lips, and new asses.

Sometimes it’s as if whites secretly love and appreciate our God given features more than most of us do.

Need an ego boost or a few reasons to appreciate what you have, naturally? Here are five features you were born with that white women would pay for.

1. Your Skin Color

Our darker skin color has always been cited as the number one reason we are one of the most hated people on the face of the earth. While most say it’s out of intimidation and ignorance; I’m convinced that the increasing popularity of tanning practices and procedures proves that it’s actually just a bad case of jealousy.

White women spend hundreds of dollars a year on tanning products and tanning salons. You’re naturally blessed with melanin, and your skin looks like it’s been kissed by the skin without any alteration.

2. Your Butt

Most black women have been blessed with some junk in their trunk, and it’s refreshing compared to women who are known to lack plenty back there. Since a little booty is all the range now in Hollywood, with celebrities from A-List to the Z-List buying booty pads or new asses all together, it’s no surprise that regular white women are spending thousands on butt injections. Unfortunately for them, their purchased fixations aren’t completely fixed; they’ll continue to spend thousands to keep up the shenanigans. Meanwhile, you were born with a bubbly derriere.

3. Full Lips

White women aren’t known to have fuller lips, and have to depend on lip pumpers and lipsticks, and even lip injections to get a full set of luscious lips. Our lips are so in right now, that most of the lip sticks and glosses on the cosmetic scene claim to have lip pluming formulas.

Clearly we have gorgeous, kissable lips that cost quite a penny for the less equipped.

4. Hair

Oh yes, you’re not tripping, your natural, coily, full, thick hair is desirable to white women.

Not convinced? Well why do you think they spend so much money on curly perms in the hair salon? They desire a thick head of curls, and you yourself have been born with that. Unfortunately, if you have a relaxer, you’ve opted for straight and thinner hair.

As a natural diva myself, I can tell you that when I wear my natural coily, thick hair out in public, most of the compliments I get on my hair come from whites. They even ask how they can get curly, thick hair like mine.

Your natural hair is way more fabulous than that relaxed hair you’ve been rocking for over a decade. In fact, it’s guaranteed to turn more heads and create more admirers. Be proud of it.

5. Your Ageless Skin

Smooth as silk, and slow to crack; there probably isn’t a woman alive who wouldn’t want our skin.

Black people as a whole, age pretty damn good. My mother is in her mid 50s, and her skin is flawless, and wrinkle free. No offense to my white sisters, but they start to see facial lines before they even hit their mid 30s. They rely on expensive skin care products, botox, and outrageous beauty routines to have the skin we have naturally.

Now this is by no way or means a diss to Caucasians, but a wake up call to all of my mocha sisters about the natural beauty that we’ve been blessed with, but rarely appreciate. When most of us think of our features, we’ve allowed the media to plant seeds of self-hate so deep in our consciousness that we subconsciously attempt to change the things about ourselves that are representation of our ethnicity. Why should we continue to allow anyone else to define what beauty is, when God himself decided that what He gave us would be good enough. Are we that pompous to question God’s decisions?

It’s a new day, and it’s about time we love every little detail about ourselves. After all, it’s all God given. And if people are willing to fork out thousands to get what we already have, we must be kind of fabulous.

Update: I wrote this two years ago and it’s still making non black people angry. Why can’t I praise black women? Oh that’s right, because that’s not what this country is used to. When I do it, it’s racist. I wrote this to also prove that there’s a superiority complex that some of you have against black women. Point proven! But the shunning of black women happens everyday on those mainstream magazines that only feature white women, but that’s okay? Please. If you’re offended by this article, sorry, that’s too bad. Now you see why it’s never cool for beauty to be one sided or limited to one race. Rarely are African American women EVER praised for our features. I set out to do this with this article because I never see anything positive about OUR features. For too long, the European standard of beauty has been pushed down our throats and we are expected to look and meet those standards. And just like I expected, the people who are supposed to be that standard are angry about what I have written. Tough cookies.

You proved that due to your anger from an article that never made any racist remarks to white women, that we have a long way to go. But you’re the same people that refer to black magazines as racist, while praising Vogue for its hundreds of glossy pages full of white models. Frankly put, you’re mad because black women were praised..for once! Grow up. And there’s not an angry comment that can change how I feel or the facts regarding the double standard of European “beauty.” Hit that “X” in the corner of your screen and be on your way if you have a problem with me finally praising the beauty of women who don’t meet that tired European standard of beauty. I love being a black woman, and it felt good to put the shoe on the other foot. Stay mad!

Via Urban Belle Mag

Sweet Potato – The New Food for Long Life!

Originally published on Monday, December 31st, 2012
in HEALTHY EATING by Dr. Wong for Bel Marra Health


Consuming lots of fruits and vegetables in our diets is important for good health and we
shouldn’t overlook the sweet potato. Many fruits and vegetables are known as “super
foods”. Super foods have a significantly higher nutritional value than most foods and provide
various health benefits. Sweet potatoes are a fantastic super food, not only providing
sweetness into our diets, but providing numerous health benefits as well.

Sweet Potatoes in Diets

Sweet potatoes are low in sodium and low in saturated fats and cholesterol. They are also
high in dietary fibre, vitamin B6, potassium, Vitamin A, Vitamin C and
manganese. According to www.nutritiondata.self.com, 200g of sweet potato contain 180
calories, with only 3 calories coming from fat. In the search for optimal health, adding sweet
potatoes as well as other fruits and vegetables that are super foods into our diets is a logical
first step.

Sweet potatoes have a number of components that make them such a great super food,
including:

1. Antioxidants – sweet potatoes, like many fruits and vegetables, are packed with
antioxidants. Sweet potatoes are packed with Vitamin A, with one medium sweet
potato providing the recommended daily allowance of this vitamin. Vitamin A helps
to prevent certain types of cancer and also helps to protect your skin from sun
damage. It is also important for eye health, and may help to protect vision loss and
macular degeneration. Sweet potatoes are also rich in Vitamin C and E which help
with disease prevention.

2. Rich source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Vitamin E - all of these vitamins help to
maintain a beautiful complexion and gorgeous hair. In addition to Vitamin A, Vitamin C and E,
purple-fleshed sweet potatoes also contain cyanidins and peonidins. These two antioxidants may
help to lower the potential risk of heavy metals and oxygen radicals as they pass through the
digestive tract.

3. Anti-inflammatory agents – sweet potatoes contain phytonutrients that help
to reduce inflammation in the body. These phytonutrients may also have a positive impact
of fibrinogen which is a glycoprotein that is required for blood clotting in the body.

i. Manganese – consumption of sweet potatoes in our diets helps to improve blood sugar
regulation, even in people that have Type II diabetes. This is the result of the high
level of manganese that is found in sweet potatoes. Manganese also helps to generate
energy and helps the body to utilize antioxidants.

ii. Fibre – sweet potatoes have a high fibre content which will help to satisfy your
hunger and the energy you get from eating a sweet potato is used more slowly than
low-fibre food options.

iii. Vitamin B6 and Potassium – the high content of Vitamin B6 helps to keep blood
vessels healthy and unclogged, allowing blood to flow easily through them. The
potassium that is found in sweet potatoes helps to play a role in lowering blood
pressure and helps to rid the body of un-needed sodium which helps to regulate fluid
balance in the body. Potassium is also important for regulating a normal heart
rhythm, and helps to maintain brain and nervous system function.

Adding Sweet Potatoes to Our Diets

A simple way to add this super food into our diets is to replace regular potatoes with sweet
potatoes. Sweet potatoes can be substituted in most potato recipes and you may find that you
end up preferring this nutrient rich potato to your regular choice. Adding sweet baked
potatoes into our diets instead of baked white potatoes is simple. The sweetness of the sweet
potato may allow us to skip seasoning it with butter and sugar. This will lead to decreased
calories in our diets from fat and sugars. Try adding this delicious super food to your diet,
you’re sure to love it.

Adapted from: http://www.belmarrahealth.com/healthy-eating-2/sweet-potato-the-new-food-forlongevity/

HEAR GRAMMER! Celebrating Obahiagbon, Master Of Bombast, At 53

AT the twilight of the sixth session of the National Assembly, Patrick Obahiagbon (who represented Oredo Federal Constituency on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP) switched platform in a bid to ensure his political survival.

He moved over to the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, in Edo State. It would appear, overall, a good move, but within the ACN enclave, he lost the bid for party nomination to a combination and conspiracy of factors.

The import of this “short-circuiting” was that Obahiagbon, the master of bombast, the sartorially elegant ambassador of the Bini culture (the royal Bini regalia), which was why he was always dressed in the attire, bowed out of the House of Representatives when his followers were just beginning to enjoy his interventions on the floor during debates. That marked the terminus of the verbal razzmatazz of the profoundly eventful gladiator. The House has since been missing Obahiagbon and his Obahiagbonese (his own peculiar coinages).

His defeat at the primaries of his party was not enough to stymie the flow of his usual bombasts in times of deep emotional outbursts. When asked to react to the development and the rejoicing in the camp of his opponent, he said: “This has made me suffused with emotional narcolepsy that the homo-sapiens in the metro-political geographical enclave of Edo have opted for owambe-ing over legislative quo modo dicis. Such a reckless display of narcissistic and flamboyant hedonism is capable of encumbering our nascent democracy with insidious, repercussive and cataclysmic exigencies.”

But while he was in the Lower Chamber, Obahiagbon defined a unique character for himself, using the instrumentality of his swanky outfits as well as esoteric grammar (his peculiar manner of speaking). This is the uniqueness of Obahiagbon, the self-styled “son of Igodomigodo”, a sobriquet he has adopted since 1999, when he was elected into the Edo State House of Assembly.

A lawyer and holder of two Master’s degrees once said: “I have deployed the nomenclature of Igodomigodo as a political sobriquet for ten years now, particularly as a vehicular nexus with my culturico-spiritual fons et origo and this emanated from anadvertent primus mobilus to cosmopolitanise my genealogical matrix since it was not by accident that I originated from the land of Igodomigodo.”

According to him: “Igodomigodo was the original, first ever, and pristine name of the Binis. From Igodomigodo, we were known as Ile-Ubini before the transmogrification into modern day Bini or Benin. So, you can now see that when I togarise my identity with the Igodomigodo aura, I am invoking the visible and invisible gods of my progenitors and at the same time luxuriating in an ancestral aqua of pristine Risorgimento.”

Obahiagbon had become a phenomenon in the House of Representatives. He could titillate to no end with his fecundity, coupled with the razzmatazz that accompanied his submissions. Answering a question on his forceful contributions on the floor, he had said: “…You cannot succeed as a parliamentarian if you are not cosmopolitan. You must be prepared to immerse yourself in societal dialectics for you to be able to contribute efficaciously in a utilitarian modus. So, if you are a parliamentarian and you don’t go through the ritual of even reading newspapers, you don’t bathe yourself in the aqua of the political cross currents, then you are going to be deuced, you are going to be paralytic in your contributions…”.

His mode of dressing (traditional Bini attires) was also very unique. He was once asked why he was always clad in his traditional Benin dress with beads round his neck and wrists. His response: “I have dressed like this from 1999 without any hiatus. As a student of mysticism, I believe nothing happens in the life of a mystic by chance and I know it was not by accident that I was born a Bini man. I entered into a covenant with myself when I was seeking political visibility that if God gave me the visibility, I was going to propagate the Bini heritage and culture. When it pleased God to give that to me in 1999, I had to keep faith with that covenant and I have dressed in full panoply of the royal Bini regalia.”

Obahiagbon never ran short of big dictions or coinages that defined his peculiar style. Answering question on the need for his colleagues to up the ante of contributions on the floor, he had advised: “They must avoid regular big stouting, suyaing, andpepper-souping. Those are not the real issues. They must be prepared to immerse themselves in societal dialectics. They must put their nose to the grind stone. Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the Ikene philosopher, once said ‘the difference between my other colleagues and I, is that when my other colleagues are cavorting in the dark alleys, I am in my library working myself nineteen to the dozen’. You cannot succeed in life if you are not disciplined. You must be puritanical in your predisposition; you must engage in an exercise of self-purification and mortification; you must engage in an exercise of self-abnegation; you must engage in an exercise of spiritual emulation. You must discipline the flesh. You must conquer the flesh. You must allow the spiritual aspect of you preponderate the material aspect, especially when you have been chosen to represent the people, so that at the end of the day, you can really say: Vendi, vidi, vicki (I came; I saw; I conquered).”

On the achievement of the House of Representatives, Obahiagbon had once said: “…The House of Representatives has not fallen short of its vivacious commitment in acting as the moral policeman over agencies of government. We have taken our oversight functions very responsively and responsibly. The emotional, visceral commitments, the messianic zeal and the quixotic temper with which we have taken our oversight responsibilities had, to a large extent, assisted in cleansing the Augean Stable while a number of structural deficiencies have, through this parliamentary metamorphosis, been brought under focus…”.

Yes, there are so many other instances when this self-acclaimed verbal contortionist mesmerized his audience, which space cannot permit me to recall; even as the current Chief of Staff to the Governor of Edo State, Obahiagbon has, within the scope of his mandate, been speaking in his trademark “language” and dazzling all and sundry as usual, including yours sincerely. Is there, therefore, any other way that is better than this tribute to celebrate Obahiagbon, one of those who were born in 1960, on his birthday (April 12), the day (April 12) I married my heart-throb, Pat, in 1997? Happy birthday, my brother, and many happy returns!

Culled from Gistmania

Unnecessary Evil: Bras Are No Longer A Girl’s Best Friend

Bras, brasseires, over-the-shoulder boulder holders — whatever you call them, they have been a socially accepted clothing standard for the greater part of 100 years. Yet one man believes these garments which are seen as a necessary evil are more evil than necessary.

Professor Jean-Denis Rouillon is a sports medicine specialist from France who believes bras are doing more harm than good to women’s breasts. In fact, Rouillon believes breasts would be healthier and stronger if they never come in contact with a bra at all. Many women feel the need to wear the undergarment to fight the effects of sagging, but according to Rouillon’s extensive research, forgoing the bra will actually help breasts stand up against sagging naturally.

“Our first results confirm the hypothesis that the bra is a false need,” said Rouillon in an interview with FranceInfo explaining his study. “Medically, physiologically, anatomically, the breast does not benefit from being deprived of gravity. Instead, it languishes with a bra.”

The French sports medicine specialist has spent the last 15 years armed with a caliper and ruler, regularly taking measurements of 330 volunteers between the ages of 18 and 35. Though it’s slow going, Rouillon observed that women who did not wear a bra saw their breasts lift by as much as 7 millimeters (0.275 inches) each year. The braless women also reported firmer breasts, disappearing stretch marks and reduced back pain. According to Rouillon, women gain no anatomical, medical, or physiological benefit from having their weight supported by a bra.

The French researcher also said wearing a bra can prohibit the growth of supportive tissues under the breast. If a woman wears a bra every day throughout her youth, these tissues could begin to degrade, thereby causing the breasts to sag. When women skip the bra, these tissues and muscles are given a chance to become stronger as evidenced in the lift observed.

Professor Rouillon isn’t suggesting a bra-fueled bonfire, however. His research has found that ditching the bra is best for younger women who haven’t spent much time in the underwear. Older women who have been wearing a bra for many years won’t see any benefit by giving up now.

“It would be dangerous to advise all women to stop wearing their soutien-gorge as the women involved were not a representative sample of the population,” said Rouille in an interview with Connexion, an English-language French newspaper.

Yet one 28-year old volunteer who has been working with Rouillon throughout this study says she’s been experiencing multiple health benefits by losing the bra.

According to the woman referred to only as “Capucine,” going braless has helped her stand more upright, relieved her back pain and has even helped her breathe more easily.

Source: Michael Harper for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online

NEW STUDY INDICATES THAT TAKING TAMOXIFEN PREVENTS BREAST CANCER IN WOMEN AND ALSO EASES PROSTATE CANCER SIDE EFFECTS IN MEN

A recent study has indicated that women 'should take tamoxifen' to prevent breast cancer. Many women around the world are at risk of breast cancer because of their family history; thus they need to be taking tamoxifen as preventive measure, 'historic' new guidance has said for the first time.

This is the first time that the drug has been officially recommended as a preventive measure in women who have not yet been diagnosed with breast cancer and the new guidelines could save thousands of lives.

The move has been hailed as a 'historic step in the prevention of cancer'.

Families with a strong history of breast cancer should be offered genetic testing to establish the risk to younger women, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence said.

According to their individual risk women between the ages of 30 and 49 should be offered tamoxifen for five years which has been shown to reduce the chances of developing cancer.

A recent study showed that 29 cancers and nine deaths could be prevented for every 1,000 women taking tamoxifen for five years.

It means just over 500,000 women in England and Wales, covered by the Nice guideline, could eventually be offered the drug.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK with around 50,000 women and 400 men diagnosed with the condition each year. The guidance also applies to men.

One in 20 breast cancers are caused by BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes that can be passed down through families and other genes have also been linked to the disease.

Professor Gareth Evans, an oncologist at Christie Hospital, said only about 1% of the female population were considered "high-risk".

But for some of those women, taking tamoxifen could be an alternative to having a preventative mastectomy, or breast removal.

"That surgery can reduce the risk by 90-95%, so it doesn't eliminate the risk. It's impossible to remove every last breast cell and depending on whether women keep their nipple or not, and that's a big decision for some women, the risk may only be reduced by about 90%," he told BBC Breakfast.

"We think that in about half of women, tamoxifen actually reduces the risk by 70% - if we can actually identify which women get that extra benefit, that may be enough for those very high-risk women to change their minds and say 'I'll go for the tamoxifen instead'."

But Prof Evans said these drugs were not vaccines.

"We're a long way from a vaccine, the problem is breast cancer isn't one disease really, it's many different types of breast cancer through many different genetic routes," he said.

"The likelihood of developing a single vaccine against breast cancer is many, many years away.

"But it has something akin to a vaccine in that it reduces your chances of ever getting the problem."

Women at high or moderate risk should also be offered annual screening tests instead of the standard three-yearly and may be advised to start them at an earlier age.

Women carrying the gene have opted for preventive mastectomies because they are at such high risk of developing breast cancer.

The guidance said the risks and benefits of this surgery should be discussed and they should be referred for counselling before the operation. This surgery should only be carried out by specialist cancer plastic surgeons, it said.

The new draft guidance said where possible the family member who has suffered cancer should have genetic tests to determine if they are carrying a fault that could have been passed on. Where that is impossible, the nearest family member at risk should be offered the test, it said.

Women at high risk of an inherited cancer should be offered annual mammograms from the age of 40, the guidance said.

Annual MRI scans, which are more accurate at detecting tumours in younger women, should be offered to those as young as 20 if they have a certain faulty gene, are at more than 30 per cent risk of having that fault.

Annual MRI scans should be offered to women who have been confirmed as having BRCA1 or BRCA2 faults from the age of 30 to 49 along with those calculated as being at a 30 per cent or greater risk of carrying either fault.

Chris Askew, Chief Executive of Breakthrough Breast Cancer, said: “This draft guideline represents a historic step for the prevention of breast cancer – it is the first time drugs have ever been recommended for reducing breast cancer risk in the UK.

"This is exciting as, even though most women do not have a significant family history of the disease, it’s crucial that those who do have an array of options to help them control their risk.

"An update to this guideline is long overdue and we’re especially pleased it has been extended to include both women who have had breast cancer, and men, for the first time.

"Once finalised, this guideline will pose new challenges for the NHS as it will need to deliver on its recommendations, including a potentially large increase in genetic testing.

"Breakthrough Breast Cancer will strive to ensure the final recommendations are implemented swiftly. We urge women with concerns about their family history of breast cancer to speak to their doctor.”

Professor Mark Baker, Director of the Centre for Clinical Practice at NICE, said: "The causes of cancer are complex and not fully known.

"However, we do know that having a family history of breast, ovarian or a related cancer can significantly increase the risk of developing breast cancer, including developing the cancer at a younger age.

"It is also more likely that people with family members affected by cancer who then develop breast cancer themselves could develop a separate tumour in the other breast following initial treatment.

"This is why it’s wise for any person with a family history of cancer to receive appropriate investigations and screening that would otherwise be unnecessary if a family history did not exist.

"This guideline was last updated in 2006. Since then there has been new evidence published and new advances made in a number of clinical areas.

"All of our guidelines are reviewed in line with regular practice to ensure they remain based on the most up-to-date evidence.

"New recommendations for this guideline – which are still in draft form – have been developed as a result and we now want to hear the views of registered stakeholders in order to aid the development of this guideline update."


To cap it all, another study also indicated that tamoxifen may ease prostate cancer side effects in men! This new study, published in BMC Medicine, has found that this breast-cancer drug (tamoxifen) may help ease some of the side effects of prostate cancer, such as the development of breast tissue and breast pain.

The study, which actually tracked four studies of men with prostate cancer, found that patients who used tamoxifen were less likely to have breast growth and pain than those who did not use the drug. In one study, men who took tamoxifen for six months were 10 percent less likely to have breast development and 6 percent less likely to have breast pain than men who did not supplement their prostate cancer treatment with the drug.

Many of the treatment methods used for prostate cancer suppress testosterone in an effort to hinder prostate cancer growth. But by suppressing testosterone, the body responds by producing even more hormones, many of which are converted in the body to estrogen. This in turn causes breast tissue to develop and pain in the breast area.

Researchers found that tamoxifen prevented prostate cancer side effects about 20 percent better than other treatments, such as the drug anastrozole, a medication which counteracts estrogen in the body.

According to the study, the growth of breast tissue and breast pain has been cited as reasons why men stop their prostate cancer treatments.

Tamoxifen was discovered by pharmaceutical company Imperial Chemical Industries (now AstraZeneca) and is sold under the trade names Nolvadex, Istubal, and Valodex. However, the drug, even before its patent expiration, was and still is widely referred to by its generic name "tamoxifen."

Tamoxifen is currently used for the treatment of both early and advanced ER+ (estrogen receptor positive) breast cancer in pre- and post-menopausal women. Additionally, it is the most common hormone treatment for male breast cancer. It is also approved by the FDA for the prevention of breast cancer in women at high risk of developing the disease. It has been further approved for the reduction of contralateral (in the opposite breast) cancer.

How to Prevent Saggy Breasts and Keep That Perky Look – Forever

By Tanith Carey

Clearly, she was trying to look cutting-edge and youthful. But when 53-year-old Madonna bared one of her breasts on stage earlier this month, it also revealed a distressing reality for many women — saggy bosoms that have lost volume and pertness with age.

So what causes breasts to sag? And can anything be done to keep our most feminine assets in their prime? Femail asks the experts.

FIGHTING GRAVITY’S IN YOUR GENES

No other part of the body is more affected by the force of gravity than the breasts.

From the moment a woman’s chest is fully grown, in her late teens to mid-twenties, she faces an uphill battle to defy the downward pull.

The challenge is down to the fact that, while an average pair of breasts weighs around 2lbs to 4lbs, there’s not much of a natural support structure to keep them in place.

Breast specialist and surgeon Ian Laidlaw, of Frimley Park Hospital, Surrey, says drooping breasts can have a serious psychological impact on a woman.

He says: ‘A large part of a woman’s femininity is her breasts. Sagging is a predictable change, yet it can have a profound impact.

‘The feelings women get when they can’t control the changes in their breasts can include inferiority, distorted body image, unattractiveness and worthlessness.’

The condition even has its own medical name — ptosis — and droopiness can be graded by doctors on a three-stage scale.

In pert, young breasts, the nipple is usually above the line where the base of the breast meets the chest — or the inframammary fold.

Maintaining a constant weight is one of the best ways to stop your boobs heading south.

By stage two, the nipple is around one to three inches below that point.

At stage three, the breast hangs more than 3cm below, with the nipple often pointing down to the floor.

Over a lifetime, a woman with heavy breasts may see her nipples drop by as much as ten or 11cms if they descend to her waistline.

Breasts are made of a mixture of mammary glands and fat. Through this run hundreds of pieces of tissue which connect the bulk of the breast to the skin — and keep the breast suspended.

How pert your breasts stay depends partly on the genes which govern how much fat, glands and connective tissue they contain.

Generally, the more connective tissue and glands you have, the firmer and more buoyant your breasts are likely to be.

Size will also dictate how firm they stay. The heavier they are, the more strain on the skin and supporting ligaments, which, like eplastic bands, stretch permanently under persistent pressure.

TRY TO KEEP YOUR WEIGHT STABLE

There are two places where fat is found in the breast. Seventy per cent of breast fat is mixed with the glands to form the main bulk of the bosom.

The rest of the fat is found in a layer of padding just under the skin. It’s this that tends to fluctuate in thickness as you gain and lose weight.

If this layer thickens dramatically — and then thins out again due to yo-yo dieting — it will permanently stretch the supporting skin, leading to a droopier chest. As women in this country become more buxom — the average cup size is now a C compared to a B in the Fifties — they are more likely to face sagging. That’s because the rise is mainly due to an increase in fat content in the breasts — and fat is heavier and therefore harder to support.

Breast consultant Mr Laidlaw says: ‘One of the best things you can do for your breasts is to maintain a constant body weight for your height that’s within the recommended range.’

DON’T WORRY ABOUT BREASTFEEDING

Women have long blamed their saggy boobs on breastfeeding. Yet research has found that it’s the expansion and contraction of the milk glands triggered by pregnancy, rather than breastfeeding, that causes droopiness.

In one American study, an academic interviewed 132 women seeking breast lifts or enlargements. Just over half had breastfed at least one child for an average of nine months.

Researchers found no difference in the degree of sagging between women who had breastfed and those who had not.

Consultant Mr Laidlaw says: ‘Women should definitely consider breastfeeding — especially as the health benefits for the baby far outweigh any possible effects on the breasts.’

STUB OUT THOSE CIGARETTES

Like anywhere else on the body, the skin on the breast includes a network of collagen fibres, which make it firm, and elastin to make it flexible. Over time, these fibres break down.

The rate at which skin cells renew themselves also slows as we get older.

Just as on the face, it’s important never to expose the breasts to too much sun because ultraviolet exposure will break down collagen and elastin.

And in the same way that smoking leads to wrinkles, it also leads to the deterioration of breast skin.

Mr Laidlaw, who is also based at the Nuffield Hospital, Guildford, said: ‘The effect on a woman’s breasts is so marked that it is possible to see if she smokes just by looking at the condition of her breasts. Even giving up smoking after a number of years will lead to a marked improvement.’

He says he is sceptical about skin creams containing oestrogen and vitamin E, which promise to improve breast pertness.

‘You can absorb oestrogen through the skin but it’s not a very efficient way of doing it, compared to HRT,’ he says. ‘If these creams really worked, doctors would be recommending them.’

EXERCISE — BUT BEWARE THE BOUNCE

There's both good and bad news when it comes to exercise.

The right regime can keep your breasts pert by improving blood supply.

While there is no muscle in the breast itself, it is possible to build up the underlying pectorals for a lifting effect.

But some activities — particularly running — can take their toll.

Always wear a sports bar when running

Reduce bounce: Always wear a sports bar when running

When you run without proper support, the breasts bounce in a figure of eight, causing wear and tear on the supporting ligaments.

Jenny White, of the Research Group in Breast Health at the University of Portsmouth, says: ‘We have found that breasts move an average of 10cms — up and down, side-to-side, and forwards and backwards.’

The larger your cup size, the greater the force on the breasts and the more they need to be restrained to avoid damage to connective tissue and ligaments.

Yet researchers estimate that, of the 12 million British women who regularly exercise, three-quarters do not wear a proper sports bra —even though they can reduce bounce by up to 74 per cent.

YOU CAN’T HELP YOUR HORMONES

Oestrogen is the main hormone influencing how your breasts look.

It’s this, the female sex hormone, which first makes the breasts grow — and stimulates the development of a tree-like network of milk ducts leading to the nipple.

Every month, as part of the menstrual cycle, rising levels of oestrogen prepare a woman’s body for possible pregnancy.

One side effect is that it stimulates the breast tissue by making it expand and retain water.

After menopause, when oestrogen levels begin to fall permanently, milk ducts and glands ‘go into retirement’ and shrink — making the breasts feel emptier.

The tissue which makes breasts firm also shrivels and gets replaced by fat, which is heavier and less able to withstand gravity.

Culled from: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2165667/How-prevent-saggy-breasts-perky-look--forever.html

Secrets To Flattening Your Belly and Saying Goodbye to Belly Flab in 9 Steps

Say hello to flatter, tighter abs with these moves.

By RealAge

Get the rockin' body you've dreamed of by using these tricks to swap your jelly belly for some lean, mean stomach muscles. Getting rid of excess fat with a healthy weight loss plan won't just give you a boost of self-esteem -- it will do your body good, too.


1. Start by Setting Your Goals


To get off to a successful start, bet on yourself so you're more likely to hit your weight loss goals. That means holding yourself accountable and rewarding yourself when you meet your goals, whether they're weekly or monthly. Just be sure to set realistic, specific goals. Instead of vague statements like "Eat better," try "Eat three servings of vegetables every day this week." Also, be patient with yourself. Remember that changing behavior takes time. If you fall off track one day, just get right back on the next day.

2. Use a Pedometer


Want a sexier tummy, better blood pressure, and the energy you had 10 years ago? Get yourself a pedometer and start walking. This little gadget measures how many steps you take, and it will help you take enough steps each day -- 10,000 -- to qualify you as an "active" person. Plus, it might inspire you to go an extra 2,000 steps by thinking, "If I walk to Joe's office instead of e-mailing him, that's 50 steps . . . If I park at the end of the lot, that's 150 more steps, both to and from." Give it a shot!

3. Stick to Good Carbs


So what are good carbs? The ones with a low glycemic index (GI) -- a measure of how quickly foods break down and send blood sugar up. The slower, the better. Bad high-GI carbs create blood sugar spikes that are followed by sharp plunges -- which make you hungry again. Over time, that roller coaster increases your risk of belly blubber, heart disease, and diabetes. Good carbs include most fruits and vegetables; 100% whole-grain anything -- cereals, breads, crackers, whole-wheat pasta and couscous, brown and wild rice; and beans, lentils, and other legumes.

4. Clean Out Your Fridge


For a real happy meal that's kind to your waist, keep saturated fat low and trans fat close to zero. If your refrigerator is stocked with pepperoni pizza, cookie dough, and full-fat cheeses, it's likely you're getting too much saturated fat and not enough fruits and vegetables. Saturated and trans fats boost bodywide inflammation and gunk-up your arteries. Track down and toss foods saturated with fat. You'll start losing your belly fat and power-washing your arteries, too.

5. Lift Your Own Weight


Push-ups, crunches, and stair climbing use your body weight to build more calorie-burning muscle. Leg lifts are especially good for tightening your transverse abdominal muscles, the ones that keep that pooch contained. (Watch this to learn some ab-flattening moves.) During crunches, keep your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, and don't tug on your head and neck as you curl up. For sit-ups, leave your feet free; pinning them under an object or having someone hold them delegates the work to your hip flexors, so your abs stay lazy.

6. Take Time to Relax


The bigger your waist, the higher your stress. That can spell big trouble when it comes to belly management. Take 5-minute breaks several times a day to meditate, do yoga (try this yoga starter), or practice deep breathing. All help prevent your body from releasing cortisol, the stress hormone that directs fat to your waist. Releasing tension will also ease stress eating. Ahhhh.

7. Eat Well


If you want to banish belly fat, you've gotta eat. Yep, that's right. Don't starve yourself. Eat. Research shows that dieting too intensely or tracking every morsel too closely creates perfect conditions for adding belly fat, not subtracting it. While it's good to think about what you're putting into your mouth, don't obsess about it. Watch portion sizes, choose healthy foods, be aware of how many times you visit the snack cupboard, but don't make things too difficult.

8. Track Your Progress


Instead of watching the scale -- a habit that has sent many successful losers plummeting to diet disaster -- keep tabs on your waistline by measuring it weekly. It's true that your waist is more important than your weight. How to measure: If your waist measurement at your belly button, with you sucking in, is more than half your height, your fat levels are risky. If your waist is bigger than 37 inches (women) or 40 inches (men), there's no time like the present to whittle your middle. Use this tracking tool to watch your waistline shrink.

9. Reward Yourself


This is the best part. When you meet your weekly or monthly goals, promise to treat yourself to something that will push you to keep on going, like new workout gear or a session with a personal trainer. For instant gratification, pull out those jeans you wore 3 months ago. Are they looser around the waist? Keep celebrating your successes. Brag about them on Facebook. You're sure to meet your end goal and say goodbye to belly fat for good.

Simple Secrets To Flattening Your Belly

For extra credit and to really tighten up your middle, add this "Steady on the Plank" move:

1. Lie face down on a carpet or mat, arms folded close to your body, hands by your ears.

2. Push up your body about 6 inches so only your toes and forearms touch the ground; your body rests like a plank between them.

3. Keep your stomach pulled in, your butt tight, and your body straight, with your eyes looking at the floor. (Ignore those dust bunnies!)

4. Hold as long as you can. (More than 1 minute? We're impressed.)


Try it the next time your favorite show breaks for a commercial. It will do more for your belly than the snack you were going to get.


Excerpts from http://www.realage.com/health-action-plans/steps-to-a-flatter-belly?src=edit&chan=footer&con=related#fbIndex1 and http://www.realage.com/fitness/moves-that-flatten-your-belly-and-more

HOW TO SURVIVE A HEART ATTACK

Each year about 1.5 million people suffer heart attacks in the U.S these, nearly 500,000 die, making heart attacks the leading cause of death among Americans. Indeed, if you live in the developed world, the odds are very good that you will have a heart attack at some point in your life. If that time comes, it's essential to act quickly to maximize your chances of survival. If you believe you may be suffering a heart attack, now, seek emergency medical attention at once. Otherwise, read on to learn how to survive a heart attack.

Steps

1
Know the signs of a heart attack. The typical heart attack symptoms include shortness of breath, tightness or fullness in the chest, and intense pain radiating out from the chest. While these are definite warning signs, however, a large percentage of heart attacks are not accompanied by these symptoms. Instead the victim may feel any of the following symptoms, either alone or in combination with other symptoms:



Pressure or pain in the chest that seems to be triggered by exertion and which may disappear when you rest.
Heart palpitations or rapid heartbeat.
Pain in the upper abdomen lasting several minutes, often similar to the feeling of heartburn.
Pain or discomfort in the arms, neck, jaw, or teeth.
Lightheadedness, dizziness, fainting
Profuse sweating
Nausea (particularly in women).
A sudden general feeling of illness.

2
Be prepared. If you have a history of angina or other heart-related problems and have been prescribed nitrates, such as nitroglycerin, carry your medication with you at all times. If you use an oxygen tank, even if only sporadically, carry it with you as well. Everyone should also carry a card in their wallet that lists medications they are on and medications to which they are allergic. This can help medical professionals effectively and safely treat you for heart attack and any number of other conditions. If you are in a high-risk group, consider getting a cell phone to carry with you everywhere, and talk to your doctor about whether you should also keep an aspirin with you at all times.



3
Seek medical attention immediately. About 90% of people who suffer a heart attack survive if they arrive at the hospital alive. The high number of heart attack fatalities is mostly the result of people who don't make it to medical attention, and their failure to do so is often caused by their own hesitation to act. If you feel any of the above symptoms, don't try to wait them out. Call 9-1-1 (or your country's equivalent emergency telephone number) to get help immediately. While it's certainly true that the symptoms could be harmless, if you are indeed suffering a heart attack, your life depends on getting medical attention as quickly as possible. Don't be afraid of being embarrassed or wasting the doctors' or paramedics' time--they will understand.



If it will take a long time for paramedics to reach you, get someone to drive you to the hospital. Do not attempt to drive yourself, as you may suddenly become unconscious at any time during a heart attack. If you're on the road, stop the car and flag down a passing motorist or call 9-1-1 and wait if you are somewhere where paramedics can quickly reach you.

Make people aware that you may be having a heart attack. If you're around family or out in public when you believe you may suffering from a heart attack, let people know. If your situation worsens, your life may depend on someone giving you CPR, and you're more likely to get effective help if people know what's going on. When you get to the hospital, tell the emergency room staff that you think you're having a heart attack. This will help you avoid wasting precious time in the waiting room.

If you're on an airplane, notify a flight attendant immediately. Commercial airlines carry medication on board that may be helpful, and the flight attendant can also find out if there's a doctor on the plane and perform CPR if necessary. Pilots are also required to detour to the nearest airport if a passenger is having a heart attack.

4
Take an aspirin or nitroglycerin if appropriate. Many people can benefit from taking an aspirin at the onset of a heart attack. The medicine is more quickly absorbed if you chew it up, rather than swallow it whole. Aspirin may worsen some conditions, however, so ask you doctor today whether this is an appropriate course of action. If you have been prescribed nitrates, take them (unless your doctor has advised you not to) at the onset of a heart attack.



5
Minimize activity. If you cannot get to medical attention quickly, try to remain calm and do as little as possible. Exertion will likely worsen the damage of a heart attack.



6
Follow professional medical advice after the heart attack. If you survive a heart attack, it's essential to follow your doctor's advice for recovery, both in the days immediately following the occurrence and in the long term. Short-term care is essential to minimize the damage, and long-term lifestyle changes can help you reduce your risk of further complications or a second heart attack.




Tips

If you are present when someone suffers a heart attack, call emergency services immediately. In addition, it's a good idea for everyone to know how to treat a heart attack.

Occasionally heart attacks are not accompanied by any symptoms at all. These can still be harmful or deadly, however, especially since you don't get much warning.

Be especially vigilant if you are in a high-risk group, for example if you are elderly, obese, have uncontrolled diabetes, have high cholesterol, are a smoker or if you drink heavily, or if you have a history of heart disease. Talk to your doctor today about ways to reduce your risk of heart attack.

Try and keep calm and cool. Use a wet cloth or some sort of cold compress on your groin or under the armpits to cool your body temperature. It has been shown that lowering body temperature even slightly increases survival rate in many cases.

It's always a good idea to keep yourself prepared for a heart attack even if you yourself have no heart issues. A single (80 mg) aspirin can mean the difference between life and death for many people and an aspirin takes up very little space in your wallet or purse. Also make sure to carry a medical card on you that states your allergies, current medications and any health issues you may have.

Warnings

A widely circulated email suggests that you should perform "cough CPR" if you're having a heart attack. This method is not recommended. While it may be helpful in certain situations if performed for a few seconds while the victim is under medical supervision, it can be harmful.

This article is a general guide only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice.

Source: http://www.wikihow.com/Survive-a-Heart-Attack

Is it entirely possible for men to prevent baldness and even re-grow hair on a partially bald head?

What Causes Baldness?

Baldness is the most common reason why most men lose hair and there are two ways it can present itself. Some men start out with a receding hairline and a bald spot on the top of the head until eventually the two areas meet and only rim of hair around the back and sides of the scalp is left. Others may simply notice thinning hair on the crown, or diffusely spread over the scalp. Both patterns are caused by the same mechanism, but it’s genetics that determine which hair follicles are prone to the effects of hair loss. Male pattern hair loss is caused by three things: genes, hormones, and age. Roughly one-third of the male population starts to lose hair by the age of 45. By the time men hit the 50’s or 60’s, nearly all of them will have some degree of hair loss.

Baldness in men is caused by a genetic sensitivity to dihydrotestosterone, or DHT (a converted form of testosterone), which binds to the hair follicles in the scalp and causing them to shrink until eventually they stop producing hair. Testosterone levels are normal in balding men and although it’s not clear why, the follicles on the top of the scalp tend to be more susceptible to the effects of DHT as opposed to the back and sides, or any other hair producing area on the body for that matter.

But what is really the connection between testosterone levels and hair loss in men? Men graced with male pattern baldness genes inherit hair follicles that are oversensitive to the male hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT). When testosterone is converted into DHT, it shrinks the hair follicles, resulting in shorter and finer hair until, eventually, hair growth stops altogether.

Now, back to our question: Is it entirely possible for men to prevent baldness and even re-grow hair on a partially bald head? The answer is YES! The good news is the hair follicles don't die off, so hair growth may still be possible.

The role of testosterone in premature balding has led to the myth that going bald is a sign of virility. However, men with male pattern baldness aren't any more well-endowed with testosterone than other men. Their hair follicles are simply more sensitive to the hormones.

Treatments for Hair Loss

If your family tree is missing a fair amount of foliage, there's little you can do to prevent your own leaves from falling out. Hair loss treatments can slow down the balding process, but there's no cure for male pattern baldness. The two treatments approved for male pattern baldness are minoxidil and finasteride. Hair loss returns when you stop using either medication.

Minoxidil is a topical solution or foam that you apply directly to the scalp to stimulate the hair follicles. For many men, minoxidil slows hair loss. For some, it may even reverse hair loss, allowing new hair growth. Minoxidil generally takes about two weeks to start working. If hair growth doesn't seem to increase after four months of use, tell your doctor.

Finasteride is a pill that blocks the conversion of testosterone to DHT to slow hair loss. Because DHT contributes to prostate growth, finasteride is also used to treat enlarged prostate (also called benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH). For hair loss, it can take at least three months to see new hair growth.

Other remedies for hair loss include hairpieces, hair transplants, and plastic surgery procedures, such as scalp reduction.
It probably goes without saying that if you're not distressed by hair loss, there's no reason to treat it. As a general rule, though, it's easier to maintain hair than it is to regrow it, so if you think you may be bothered by hair loss as it progresses, treat your thinning hair as soon as possible.

“I cannot be faithful to one woman, that was the problem of my marriage” – Femi Kuti

Femi Kuti in a recent interview with Punch Newspapers, Femi Kuti, son of legendary afrobeat saxophonist, Fela, spoke candidly on marriage, music and more.

Excerpts:

Why did your father choose a controversial lifestyle?

It was because he was too honest about his way of life. He liked women and he did not hide it. He liked to smoke marijuana and he did it in the open. Many people like women but they do it secretly. There are so many brothels all around the world but Fela never patronised them, many people go there to pay for sex.

You will be shocked to know the number of people that smoke marijuana in Nigeria and all over the world. I hope you know that some countries are legalising the smoking of marijuana now. He was truthful about his way of life while many of us are hypocritical about ours. Many people were envious that he was too honest and bold and that was why there were so many controversies about his life.

Most of his friends who are highly-placed admire women even girls young enough to be their daughters. They leave their matrimonial homes to meet them secretly. Some of them hide in hotels to do what they cannot do in the open. Many of them smoke but they are not brave enough to say they smoke. All the call girls you see on Allen Avenue, who picks them? Fela never did.

How was he able to manage his many wives?

It was very stressful for him. Do not forget that he divorced all of them. They were not faithful to him. When he decided to marry them, he did so for a reason. He said they had been with him in difficult times. They endured police harassment and beating. But they never left. Though they were very loyal to him, they still had a bad image in the public because people were calling them prostitutes.

He felt that the best way to protect them was to marry them. They became Fela’s queens, so the society had to respect them. I believe he loved them and he was already sleeping with them before he married them. It was not really a big deal to anybody that knew them. For instance, my mother knew this was happening so it was not a hidden thing. The big deal was how he was able to convince the 27 of them to marry him same day.

Did Fela talk you into music?

He did not influence me as such. I always knew I would go into music. It was just a question of how and when. He was however a big motivation in my life because every child wants to be like his or her father. The son of a plumber will want to be like his father, especially if he is learning the trade early. If the son loves the father, he will want to emulate him. I am not a different son. I love my father and wanted to do what he was doing. The only question hanging over that ambition was whether I could fulfil that ambition perfectly.

How did he punish any of his children who misbehaved?

He beat us. In fact, I was the one who got the most beating in the house when we were young.

Can you remember things you did that made him beat you?

I stole my mother’s £1 to buy chewing gum one day. You can imagine how many wraps of chewing gum that money would buy. They were not less than 100. My friend convinced me to go and steal the money but we were caught while chewing the gum. When my father asked me where I got the money from, I was speechless. I was still thinking of what to say when he started beating me with his hand. He then warned me never to steal again.

He also beat me when he caught me with cigarette in 1969. My mother used to smoke and he saw me put the cigarette in my mouth. I did not really smoke the cigarette because it was not lit, I only put it in my mouth but it angered him when he saw what I did. He beat me again and warned me not to touch cigarette again.

Why do you think it has been difficult to replicate Fela’s style of music?

It is so because the foundation of the band was truthful. He was not pretentious. He really believed in what he was saying. Despite all the police harassment, he was not moved. Many people would have gone to seek political asylum in another country but Fela did not do that. He had so many opportunities outside Nigeria and he would have taken advantage of them to run away from his enemies. These are the things that every generation admires in him.

What are those things you imbibed from your father?

I may not be able to mention them. In the way I deal with people, I am very truthful. If I say I am going to do something, I would do it. But I am more of my mother than my father. My elder sister has more of my father than I do. I am more of a practical person. If I plan to do something, I will think of the consequences. My father would never weigh any decision before executing it. If he planned to go to Dodan Barracks, he would just go there. As for me, I make plans before I do anything. My father would not write a Will. But because I know that I could get killed, I had written my Will a long ago.

I know that in a divorce case, my wife could claim one third of my property, so I would not go into wedlock. The most important thing to me right now are my children. Now, I will not play to the gallery. I will not say because people love me, they must come first before my family. Who are my family? My children of course. So, whether you love me or not, I will let you know that my children come before you, take it or leave it. I live this way because I learnt from my father’s life, the decisions he took and the consequences. When you learn from someone, you don’t have to do what he did. Fela did what he did for his own reasons. I cannot criticise why he did what he did.

Also, we must remember the stardom. Nobody was as big as my father. He had over 100 people around him daily when he became a star. I cannot live like that because I don’t want too many people around me. I saw what people did to him. It was too much. I can keep the Afrika Shrine open to everybody but not my house.

If you come to my home, you will only see me, my kids and may be my girlfriend. Sometimes, my friends visit but I don’t keep a crowd around for any reason, my father did. I like women but I saw the harassment he went through with 27 wives. It is not that I don’t want 27 wives but I know what will happen because of what happened to my father. I can’t tell a woman that I will be faithful in our relationship. That was part of the problem of my marriage. I cannot be faithful. I will not lie about that. It is not that I cannot be faithful, but I cannot start my relationship by saying I am going to be faithful till death do us part. There are possibilities that if another woman comes and I like her, I cannot give the assurance that I will not have an affair with her. I have no intention whatsoever to bring all of them under one roof. My intention now is to cater for my children and do my job to the best of my ability.

Did Fela have any special food?

He ate any food. He liked cakes and ice cream too. I don’t like cakes. I can eat ice cream and chocolate once in a while but my father loved them all. If somebody is celebrating and there is a cake, I can take a little piece not to offend my host. My father could die for cakes. If you visited him and looked inside his refrigerator, you would see lots of cake in it.

Your father did not hide his hatred for western medicine. Is it the same with you?

I grew up not liking tablets too. I grew up to be a traditionalist like my dad. But I later realised that there are too many fake traditional medicine in our society. The government must understand that many of these herbs are claiming the lives of our people. We must ask ourselves which of the herbs has been scientifically proven to cure malaria and the ailment they claim to cure. I once had malaria and I drank herbs but I was not cured. I felt very uncomfortable. I will not say that herb does not work because Africa believes in it. It is a fact that we did survive before orthodox medicine came.

There was African traditional medicine, but where is it today? Everywhere, you will see people hawking herbs, saying it work for this and that. People buy them and mix with hot drinks. Really, when you are mixing alcohol with herbs, you are damaging your liver. While you think you are curing one thing, if it does work, you are damaging another thing in your body. Until we have concrete fact to say something works for the body, we will be deceiving ourselves.

Why do you think Fela hated former President Olusegun Obasanjo?

Olusegun Obasanjo was a bad leader. He did not do well for Nigeria. He ruled this country three times but has nothing to show for it. They called the soldiers that burnt Kalakuta Republic and killed my grandmother unknown soldiers. The Federal Government is yet to apologise for their action against the Kuti family. Whether they like it or not, Fela was one of the biggest stars from Africa. As the days go by, people are beginning to understand the importance of his music. The Lagos State Government is building a museum in his honour. The family does not have that kind of money to build a museum. It is not the governor’s money but the state government money. But the governor took the decision on behalf of the people.

Another museum is also being built Ogun State. Governors are beginning to understand that Kuti’s name cannot be swept under the carpet. The family has done so much for Nigeria and the world. Many people are playing afrobeat style of music today because Fela invented it. Some people are saying he did not start it. But the question is: Who started it and stood firm using the music creatively? Fela stood for many great things and his contribution to the society cannot be pushed aside.

Did he have time to take the family out for leisure?

In 1967, I remember that he took us to Onikan swimming pool and also Federal Palace Hotel. That was the first and last outing for fun with us. He always made it clear that he was not a conventional father. He did not want us to go to school not because he did not like education, but because he believed that education was colonial. He believed that it was structured to show that Europe is supreme and Africa is not good. Even when he took me out of school in my fourth year in secondary school, I had acquired vast knowledge about the outside world through the books I read at home. I was known as a professor in the Kalakuta Republic. I read books such as Blackman and Walter Rodney’s How Europe Underdeveloped Africa. I read so much that I even found there was a Pharaoh Kuti in Egypt. I wondered if this Egyptian Pharaoh Kuti was in any way related to the Kuti family in Nigeria. My father said we are probably related.

Which school were you attending before Fela made that decision?

I was studying at Baptist Academy and he withdrew me from there when Obasanjo deployed soldiers to the school. I later went to Igbobi College and spent a year. He advised me to leave the school in form four. Many believed I would become a nonentity because of his action. There was disagreement within the family, my mother was against it, but my dad stood his ground. She wondered why my dad took me out of school when he went to one of the best schools in the UK.

She also said since he did not teach me music how then would I be great in life? My father told her not to worry that I would be great. I was not happy too and did not speak to him for six years. He told me that he was confident that I would be great. I did not know what he saw in me. The day my album, Wonder Wonder, became popular and I was becoming a household name in Nigeria, he called our family members and told them that the same boy he withdrew from school had become a successful musician.

At that time, it was only my father and King Sunny Ade that were travelling abroad frequently for musical concerts. But I suddenly started travelling abroad more than the two of them because I was becoming known more outside the country.

Will I do the same for my son? No. He will get a good education. I will let him understand street life which I grew up to know so that he will have a feel of it, but he must be formally educated.

Where were you when soldiers invaded Kalakuta Republic?

I was coming back from the school when I saw the soldiers. They wanted to arrest me. But I managed to escape through a place called Alagbole behind Kalakuta. I ran and went to pick my younger sister at Mary Magdalene Primary School. We then crossed over the railway and went home.

Is there anything you miss about Fela?

I miss his being a grandfather. I think he would have been a fantastic grandfather. He had already been showing the signs with my sister’s daughter and my son. He died in 1997 and my son was born in 1995. I know that what he was not able to do for us, he would have done for our children if he were still alive.

Culled from DailyPost - http://dailypost.com.ng/2013/04/01/i-cannot-be-faithful-to-one-woman-that-was-the-problem-of-my-marriage-femi-kuti/