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Every individual cares a lot about their health and general wellbeing, that’s why we always do our best to provide you with simple healthy tips that matters. Starting your day right sets the tone for a productive and energized day ahead.

One simple yet often overlooked practice that can significantly contribute to this is drinking water upon waking. In this article, we will be looking into the surprising benefits of this morning ritual and why it’s worth incorporating into your daily routine.

Do you perform this ritual every morning? If Yes, Congratulations! If No then continue reading.

When we wake up in the morning, it is natural for our body to be dehydrated. Throughout the night, we lose water through breathing and perspiration, leaving us in need of replenishment upon waking. Drinking water first thing in the morning helps rehydrate the body, kick starting various essential functions.

Improved Cognitive Function

Hydration plays a crucial role in brain function. Studies have shown that even mild dehydration can impair cognitive performance, affecting mood, memory, and concentration. By drinking water upon waking, you give your brain the hydration it needs to function optimally, leading to increased alertness and mental clarity throughout the day.

Enhanced Physical Performance

Proper hydration is essential for physical performance as well. When you wake up, your body’s hydration levels are typically low, which can lead to feelings of fatigue and sluggishness. Drinking water in the morning helps replenish fluids lost during sleep, lubricating joints and muscles and boosting energy levels to kick start your day with vigor.

Weight Loss Aid

If you’re looking to shed some extra pounds, drinking water upon waking can be a simple yet effective strategy. Research suggests that drinking water before meals can help reduce calorie intake by promoting a feeling of fullness. Additionally, staying hydrated supports proper metabolism function, aiding in the body’s ability to burn calories efficiently.

Promoting Healthy Skin

Dehydration can take a toll on your skin, leading to dryness, dullness, and premature aging. By drinking water first thing in the morning, you hydrate your skin cells from within, promoting a healthy and radiant complexion. Proper hydration also helps flush out toxins, giving your skin a clearer and more youthful appearance.

Supporting Digestive Health

Drinking water upon waking stimulates the digestive system, helping to jumpstart the metabolism and promote regular bowel movements. This can prevent constipation and promote overall digestive health, ensuring that you start your day feeling light and refreshed.

Preventing Headaches

One common symptom of dehydration is headaches, particularly in the morning. By hydrating your body immediately upon waking, you can alleviate morning headaches and prevent them from occurring throughout the day. Proper hydration ensures that your brain has an adequate supply of fluids, reducing the likelihood of headache triggers.

Boosting Immune System

Staying hydrated is very important for a healthy immune system. Water helps flush out toxins from the body, supports the proper functioning of the lymphatic system, and ensures that your cells are adequately nourished. By drinking water upon waking, you give your immune system the support it needs to ward off illness and stay strong.

How much Water do I need to Drink?

While the general recommendation is to drink eight glasses of water per day, individual hydration needs can vary based on factors such as age, weight, activity level, and climate. As a starting point, aim to drink at least 8-16 ounces of water upon waking, adjusting as needed based on your body.

I find it hard to keep up with?

Making drinking water upon waking a habit can be easier said than done, but with some simple strategies, it can become second nature. Set a reminder on your phone or use a hydration tracking app to prompt you each morning. Incorporate it into your morning routine, perhaps by placing a glass of water on your bedside table the night before.

While staying hydrated is essential, it’s also possible to overhydrate, which can lead to electrolyte imbalances and other health issues. Individuals with certain medical conditions, such as kidney problems, may need to monitor their fluid intake more closely. If you have concerns about your hydration levels, consult with a healthcare professional.

Tunde Onakoya is a name well known for his mastery in the realm of chess, not just in Nigeria but also on the international stage. Founder of Chess in Slums Africa. He has organized a number of interventions programs for children across slums across Lagos in places like, Ikorodu, Makoko and recently, Oshodi.

Early Life and Passion

Tunde Onakoya was born on 6th October, 1994 aged 29, in Ikorodu , Lagos Nigeria. He has a diploma in computer science from Yaba College of Technology where he was a gold medalist who represented the school in Nigeria Polytechnic Games and also at the RCCG Chess Championship.He is also a board member of the New York City-based non-profit The Gift of Chess.

With a passion for the game that ignited in his early years, Onakoya’s journey to becoming a chess master is one marked by dedication, perseverance, and a relentless pursuit of greatness.

Though from a humble beginning, hence his popular saying “It is possible to do great things from a small place” Tunde Onakoya discovered his love for chess at a tender age. Encouraged by supportive family members and mentors, Onakoya honed his skills through hours of practice and study, laying the foundation for his future success.

Rise to Prominence in Nigerian Chess

As Onakoya’s proficiency in chess grew, so did his reputation within the Nigerian chess community. His strategic brilliance and unwavering determination propelled him to the forefront of national competitions, where he consistently demonstrated his prowess against formidable opponents. With each victory, Onakoya solidified his status as a rising star in Nigerian chess circles, inspiring admiration and respect among his peers.

Onakoya’s journey to mastery reached new heights as he began to compete on the international stage. Representing Nigeria with pride and distinction, he showcased his exceptional talent in various prestigious tournaments across the globe.

Beyond his individual achievements, Onakoya has made significant contributions to the growth and development of chess in Nigeria. Through coaching, mentoring, and grassroots initiatives, he seeks to inspire the next generation of chess enthusiasts and nurture talent within the country.

Guinness World Record

Tunde Onakoya is currently trying to break the Guinness world record for the longest chess marathon. He is playing his games in the open air in Manhattan. This is a great achievement for him as well as his country Nigeria. With much support from supporters in and outside the country, Tunde Onakoya is still riding strong in his attempt to break this record.

On the 17th of April 2024, I will attempt to break the Guiness World record for the longest Chess marathon in the heart of Times Square New York City for 58 hours without losing a game.
Doing this for the dreams of millions of children across Africa without access to education. pic.twitter.com/MlGm7Mvmmd

— Tunde Onakoya (@Tunde_OD) April 12, 2024

Updates from the Game

American singer Ashanti and rapper Nelly are confirmed to be expecting a child together.

The 43-year-old singer announced her pregnancy alongside her engagement to 49-year-old Nelly in an interview with Essence.

In a video shared on her Instagram, Ashati was asked by her mom, Tina Douglas, how much time she needed to be ready for her performance. Her response was, “Uh, I’m going to need about nine months.”

See the video below:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ashanti (@ashanti)

“This new year of my life is such a blessing full of love, hope, and anticipation,” she told the magazine, “Motherhood is something that I have looked forward to, and sharing this with my family, fiancé, and loyal fans, who have been so supportive of my career, is an amazing experience.”

Aside from Ashanti, Nelly has two adult children, Chanelle, 30, and Cornell Haynes III, 25, with his ex-Channetta Valentine. Nelly also adopted his niece and nephew, Shawn and Sydney Thomas, following the death of his sister, Jackie Donahue.

In September, Nelly confirmed the couple was back together during an appearance on the Boss Moves with Rasheeda show. “It wasn’t anything that we planned. We both were pretty much doing what we do,” he explained. “But sometimes, being separate, you understand one another more. You could be like, ‘Well yo, let me exactly see maybe what they see.’ We all can be defensive sometimes in our own relationships. We know we wrong but we going to stand on it, you know what I mean? But we all a victim to that.”

Temilade Openiyi, professionally known as Tems, is one of Africa’s finest musical songwriters and singers. A talent with so much recognition has no album, but everything will change in May 2024. Tems plans to publish her first studio album.

In 2018, her first published song, Mr. Rebel, was released. Her debut EP, “For Broken Ears,” alongside “If Orange Was a Place,” contributed significantly to the industry.

She is featured in Wizkid Essence and the remix of the same featuring Justin Bieber. During the 2024 Coachella, Tems performed with both Wizkid and Justin Bieber.

Many fans are so eager and excited for her first album to drop. See the trailer below:

The 2024 and 10th editions of Forbes Africa’s annual 30 Under 30 list feature a well-diverse pool of African talents. The list contains some of the youngest and brightest in various fields, including entertainment, education, sports, technology, healthcare, art, and other industries.

On the list, we have talented Nigerians like the founder of Veekee James, Ruth Erikan James, singer-songwriter Adedamola Oyinlola Adefolahan (Fireboy DML), Super Eagles footballer Victor Osimhen, track and field athlete Tobi Amusan, and founder and CEO of Mainlogix Technology, Josiah Akinloye, amongst others.

This year’s edition theme is “Passion, Purpose, and A Decade of the 30 Under 30 List,” celebrating the passion, creativity, and impact of Africans globally.

According to Forbes, Africa’s influence globally is on the rise, with 1.45 billion people across 54 countries driving its economies, largely propelled by its youthful demographic. The United Nations reports that 70% of sub-Saharan Africa is under 30, and by 2050, over a third of the world’s youth will reside in Africa. Experts predict that the continent’s wealth lies in its young, predominantly female population, making them prime investment prospects for the future.

Nigerians featured on the list

1. Adedamola Oyinlola Adefolahan (Fireboy DML), 28, Nigeria
   Singer-songwriter
   Industry: Entertainment 
2. Victor Osimhen, 25, Nigeria
   Footballer and Striker for Super Eagles
   Industry: Sport (Football)
3. Tobi Amusan, 26, Nigeria
   Track and Field Athlete
   Industry: Sport-Athletics
4. Ruth Erikan James, 29, Nigeria
   Founder, Veekee James
   Industry: Fashion
5. Josiah Akinloye, 29, Nigeria
   Founder and CEO, Mainlogix Technology
   Industry: Automation and Technology

“For a decade, we have unpacked the unmistakable potential and story of Africa’s youth. And Forbes Africa’s 10th 30 Under 30 list too has ambition and adrenaline packed into this special issue. These purpose-minded 20-something achievers are on the way up, overcoming the odds in their quest to become tomorrow’s titans and billionaires, making a huge difference in the countries, companies, and communities they serve,” Forbes Africa, Managing Editor, Renuka Methil.

To get featured on the list, applications need to be submitted via official channels. Part of the rigorous reporting and vetting process also involved going through social media profiles, police clearance reports, reference letters from financial institutions, and testimonials from colleagues, collaborators, business partners, and employees of the short-listed nominees.

Background checks were conducted on potential candidates, which included reviewing documentation to ensure there are no criminal records, troubling lawsuits or bankruptcy, and/or allegations of crime, misconduct, sexual harassment, abuse, or fraud.

Imagine this, a working class Woman or man who is so diligent in his or her work, one day comes to work looking so sad and angry. There are so many factors but most of the time it’s a relationship problem.
An unhealthy relationship, affects other aspects of our life and it’s very important to be in and maintain a healthy relationship.
Relationship is a very important aspect of life, we all have different aspects of relationship whether it’s dating or friendship relationship. And maintaining a healthy relationship is very important for our overall health. Not just our health, a healthy relationship is important for our happiness and peace of mind. It’d important for other aspects of our lives and other relationships as well.

Ways to Maintain a Healthy Relationship

Communication:

Communication is a very important aspect of any relationship, especially if you want to maintain a healthy one. You cannot have a healthy relationship without an effective communication. Let’s imagine something else. A girl is mad that her boyfriend forgot her birthday day party, though it was wrong of him but if she told him, he’d feel very bad and make up for it, which will put a smile on her face. But if she decided to keep quiet she’d be angry and at a point it would affect their relationship. Communication is important, sitting down to discuss goals, to discuss plans and talk about what their partner did that annoyed them is a good way to maintain a healthy relationship. A healthy relationship needs effective communication for it to work.

Trust:

Love is very important for a healthy relationship but trust is something that will keep that relationship healthy and going. You need to trust your friends and they need to trust you too. You need to be able to be free with them and be honest with them only if they’re willing to be free with you and be honest as well. Honesty builds trust, if your partner knows the truth or your motive behind what you do, trust will be present. Lieing to your partner or friend is an easy way to break trust and love without trust is nothing. If you want to build trust in any relationship, make sure you’re honest. Another way to build trust in a relationship is to make sure you don’t pretend. Don’t pretend to be perfect when you’re not perfect. Don’t pretend to know book, if you don’t. Just be you around your partner. Let him know that you’re that crazy girl.

Love:

A healthy relationship needs effort and one can’t give that effort to someone they don’t like. If you enter a relationship with someone you don’t like, you won’t be interested in effective communication or trying to be you around the person. Don’t become friends with someone who you don’t like or don’t like vibing with. It will end up being an unhealthy relationship.

Respect:

Respecting your partner, friends or family members is very important to maintain a healthy relationship. You need to have mutual respect for the person you’re in a relationship with. How do you respect someone you’re in a relationship with? Just saying I respect him or her, is not enough. Respecting someone means; You understand the person’s boundaries. When she says I prefer you call before coming over, do well to call before coming over. If he says he doesn’t like when someone wears slippers to his room, as small as it is respect that.

Empathy:

try to understand the feelings and point of view of the person you’re in a relationship with, that’s a sign of respect. You need to understand that you cannot have the same mindset with the person, this shows you respect the person and still wants the relationship to work.

Quality Time:

In any aspect of a relationship, spending time with the person is a huge factor in making a relationship work. You can’t be in a healthy relationship with someone and you don’t go out with the person or do fun things with the person. Spending Quality time with the people you love, will help a lot in maintaining a healthy relationship.

Independence and interdependence:

Because you’re in a relationship with someone doesn’t mean you should loose yourself and who you are. A healthy relationship involves growing as an individual and also helping each other to grow. Don’t give up your goals and aspiration for someone. Be you and let who you are be what attracts the person. And grow together, help each other be the best version of themselves.

Deal with Personal Issues:

If you have attachment issues, deal with it before you enter any relationship so that it would be healthy and you won’t have regrets. If you have commitment or trust issues do the needful and deal with it. Don’t enter a relationship when you’re not mentally ready, if will lead to heartbreaks and regret.

Affection and Appreciation:

Always remember to appreciate your partners once In awhile. Remind them how special they are to you. Give them gifts and understand their love language. Do what makes them happy and that’s something that brings about a healthy relationship.

Forgiveness and Apologizing:

The thing is, sometimes we humans don’t realize that simply because you don’t see anything wrong with it, doesn’t mean that it didn’t hurt the other person. If you hurt someone you love, try and understand why it hurts the person and apologize for it. It might not be a big deal to you, but it hurt the person and because it hurt the person, apologize. And forgiveness is key too. Learn to forgive your partner or friend because everyone will hurt you, intentionally or not intentionally. So learn to move on from hurt. If you refuse to forgive a partner, then you’d always have lines of breakups because you find it hard to forgive, no one is perfect, not even you. In conclusion, maintaining a healthy relationship is work, so love the person to go through that work together. A healthy relationship makes one happy and in peace, so it’s worth fighting for.

By Favour Awana

Moments after an American stylist posted a cosy picture of herself and Davido, Anita Brown took to social media to explain the stylist’s situation. She said not everyone in America knows Davido is married. She elaborated by stating that Davido wasn’t widely recognized until the release of his latest album or until he was involved in a new controversy.

“Y’all Gotta Stop Acting Like Everybody Knows That Man Is Married. It’s So Many People In America Never Heard Of Him Until His Recent Album Or Because Of Drama. He Don’t Even Post His Wife. Celebs Like Clout, Why That Man Never Post His Wedding & His New Babies Or Post His Wife Enough For It To Be KNOWN. Y’all Gotta Stop Coming For These Females, It’s Getting Old. Put Some More Emphasis On YOUR WIFE, That’s What Real Respectable Husbands Do.“

Anita Brown via Threads (ninatheelite)

The Controversy

An American influencer/stylist who goes by Gorgeous Doll posted a picture of Davido and herself but instead drew backlash from netizens. To clarify, she explained that she’s just friends with Davido.

On her TikTok account on April 15, she explained the nature of her relationship with Davido:

“I did not know that this man was married. Anytime I was around Davido, it was for one or two things okay? It was either because I was styling him for an event because that’s what I do, whether it’s athletes or rappers. Another thing I would do is help him with bookings when he comes into Atlanta. I would call the club owners and tell them ‘Hey Davido is in town, do y’all want to book him?

At this point, I had never seen a wife, only baby mamas and I knew he had multiple baby mamas. I didn’t care because it wasn’t my business to ask and I never thought to ask ‘Are you married.“

Social media influencer and Internet personality, VeryDarkMan, has released a diss track for Bobrisky after news broke out confirming Bobrisky is a man.

On April 15th, the officials of the Nigerian Correction Services (NCoS) said Bobrisky underwent screening, which proved his male genitals were still intact. According to them, Bobrisky is treated like any other male inmate.

“After a thorough examination, it was revealed there was no evidence of gender or genital organ realignment. Bobrisky’s male biological characteristics remained unchanged”—The Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS).

After this revelation, VeryDarkMan took to his Instagram page to diss Bobrisky, saying that after Bobrisky paraded himself as a woman, he is still a man.

Here’s the video:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Martins vincent otse (@verydarkblackman)

In a conversation with Punch, a source explained his condition:

“After that, a cell was allocated to him, and he had a certain number of inmates with him. A bed space was also allotted to him. It is just like a boarding house where your housemaster will issue you your personal belongings. When it is time for class, he attends. When it is time for food, he will go and get his portion. The same goes with prep and light out. He observes all these without preference. He has been going about his business just like other inmates since he was brought in here”

The source explained that he will not be getting any preferential treatment: “He is not getting any five-star treatment and is not being protected from anybody. He follows the same rules and regulations just like every other inmate. Single cells of isolation cells are to prevent outbreaks of communicable diseases. In a male prison, homosexuality is outlawed and it is a grievous offence. Sodomy or homosexuality, is frowned upon here in the custodial centre. So any inmate that tries to violate him will face the law.”

The first three months of 2024 have not been easy, despite the hardship the country has been hit with multiple death announcements of the deaths of some of our stars and icons. Nigerians will not forget the death of these icons.

Today we say tribute to them. Here are five Nigerian celebrities who died in the first quarter of 2024:

Amaechi Muonagor

Amaechi died on March 24th, 2024 aged 61. The Nollywood actor died after battling kidney disease. A few days before his death, there was a video circulating the internet in which he requested financial assistance from Nigerians to enable him to travel abroad for a kidney transplant.

He joined the Nigerian movie industry Nollywood in 1998 and starred in many movies including Taboo 1 (1989), Aki and Pawpaw, Karishika (1998), and Aki na Ukwa (2002), to mention just a few.

Ethel Aderemi-Ekpe

She’s a well-known veteran actress and media personality known for her role as Segi in the show Basi and Company, a sitcom that ran on Nigerian Television Authority (NTA). She passed away on February 7, 2024, after a long battle with cancer in Lagos.

On the 9th of February, Nigerians were shocked to hear the death of business mogul, managing director and CEO of Access Bank, Hebert Wigwe. He died in a helicopter crash alongside his wife, his first son and three others.

The news of Access Bank CEO, Herbert Wigwe and family, shocked both our team and the nation yesterday.

Rest in Peace sir 🕊️ pic.twitter.com/MNdU9NXKqr

— Music on Streamdorm 🎧 (@Streamdorm) February 11, 2024

The passing of Hebert Wigwe leaves behind four children.

Sisi Quadri

Known for his roles in Seniyan Seranko (2004), Ebudola (2020), and Aníkúlápó: Rise of the Spectre (2024), Sisi Quadri has proved himself to be a lovable and relatable character in movies. The Yoruba Nolly actor died on March 1, months after his 44th birthday on December 25, 2023. Sisi Quadri is named Tolani Quadri Oyebamiji.

Announcing his death, Nollywood actress, Abiola Bayo wrote via Instagram, “You will be greatly missed, Sisi Quadri. May your soul rest in perfect peace.”

Everything in the world is according to the will of Allah. From Allah we have come and unto Him we shall return. May God bless, rest your soul, bro,” said Tunde Yusuf.

Mr. Ibu

A day after the death of Sisi Quadri the demise of arguably the most popular Nigerian comedic actor, John Okafor, known as Mr Ibu broke out. He passed away at the age of 62 due to a cardiac arrest. Africa still mourn his death.

Hard drugs have a very uncommon way of manipulating human behaviour, including digging up graves. Unfortunately, you heard that right. The government of Sierra Leone recently declared a state of emergency over the rising zombifying drug called kush.

Kush is a mixture of cannabis, fentanyl, tramadol, formaldehyde, and ground-down human bones. The use of the drug is rapidly increasing, not just in Sierra Leone but across West Africa as well, including Guinea and Liberia. Sierra Leone President Julius Maada has labelled the drug a “death trap.”

Despite its harm, including psychotic breaks or even death, its victims—young men and women—have become so addicted to the drug. Sights of unkept young adults with bruises and swollen feet are rapidly rising. Addicts of this drug are now desecrating corpses just for a puff, and who benefits from this? The suppliers.

Why human bones? The human bones in the mixture are theorised to contain the needed amount of sulphur. Others include cannabis, fentanyl, and tramadol, three of which are highly addictive, and formaldehyde, which can cause hallucinations. Human bones are ground and added to the mixture.

According to reports, Kush has reportedly resulted in the deaths of hundreds of young males and organ failure when induced. Hundreds more are admitted. The only psychiatric hospital in Sierra Leone, the Sierra Leone Psychiatric Hospital, has reported that from 2020 to 2023, there was a nearly 4,000% increase in admissions related to Kush, totalling 1,865 (BBC). “Psychologically, there is this is dependence- where the patient becomes dependent on the substance such that they cannot do anything without using the Kush. First thing in the morning they have to make sure they refill with the Kushand then later on as the day goes by, they continue the use,” Dr Jusu Mattia.

“Our country is currently faced with an existential threat due to the ravaging impact of drugs and substance abuse, particularly the devastating synthetic drug kush,” President Bio said. The country is alert for grave diggers.

Protecting people from this drug is the mission of Warri Boys Social and Welfare Society, which is launching a one billion naira appeal for fundraising to build a multipurpose complex in Warri and, among other things, fight drug abuse. Date: 27th, April, 2024