The importance of light

Hi guys,

I will like to talk about something that is so important to everyone however not readily available to many.

Let's talk about the importance of Light and light therapy?
Yes, you heard me right!
Light and Light therapy.

The truth is that living in a third world country like Nigeria, light, also known as electricity, is a luxury that many don't have. Mind you not that they can't afford it but the government refuse to supply enough to go around and most importantly, constant.

So haven't said this, I would like to talk about the importance of Light and why light therapy is needed in a country like mine.

Even the world was created to have both light and darkness. Light is energy and it is used for everything under the sun. For food processing, for chemical reactions both in plants and animals etc. If you ask how, then this blog isn't for you.

Anyway, light from the sun was the first light, then man discovered fire, and yet again discovered electricity.
If light was important to the existence of human, many years of innovation will not be needed.

What is light therapy?

Light therapy, also known as phototherapy, is a treatment in which you’re exposed to an artificial light source. The therapy primarily treats major depressive disorder with seasonal patterns (formerly known as seasonal affective disorder, or SAD). This is a type of depression that occurs during a certain time of year, usually winter. Light is also used to treat other conditions, including sleep disorders and other types of depression.

How it works

Typically, light therapy is meant to compensate for the lack of exposure to sunlight that is thought to be linked to major depressive disorder with seasonal patterns. You’ll sit near a light box, which emits strong light. The light usually mimics natural sunlight, but there can be variations. A unit of measure called a lux gauges the amount of light used in a treatment. The standard output of a light box is between 2,500 and 10,000 lux.

Treatments usually begin in the fall and continue until early spring. Sessions commonly last from 10 to 15 minutes. The length of the session depends on how well you handle the treatment and the strength of the light box. Someone new to the method may be given shorter initial treatments. The more powerful the light box, the shorter the treatment session can be.

Why light therapy is effective is still being studied. One theory is that light naturally triggers the production of serotonin in the brain. Serotonin is the “feel-good” brain chemical. Some experts believe that success with light therapy is due to a placebo effect.

Side effects

There are side effects to light therapy, including headache and sunburn. Usually, these are not serious. Most side effects can be dealt with by adjusting the duration and intensity of the sessions. Other treatments that can alleviate side effects include:

eye drops

nasal drops

sunscreen

If you’re considering this therapy, you should consult a physician if you have any of the following conditions:

sensitive skin

eye conditions

a history of skin cancer

Pros of light therapy

Light therapy has many positive aspects. The treatment can also be done at home using rented or purchased light boxes.

Light therapy is

noninvasive

safe

convenient

associated with few or mild side effects

Cons of light therapy

The negative aspects of light therapy are the side effects and complications that can occur. These include:

headache

insomnia

sunburn

fatigue

dry eyes and nose

hypomania, an extended period of heightened mood

What the expert says

Dr. Carl Vincent, a psychologist in Moline, Illinois, suggests that light therapy be used with other treatments, such as psychotherapy or a drug regimen. “The idea is that it could be used as a supplemental therapy,” Vincent says. “In addition to treatment, people suffering from depression in the winter months should try to be more active. Winter is a time when people tend to be more sedentary, and getting more exercise can help improve mood.”

The takeaway

Light therapy is used to treat major depressive disorder with seasonal patterns, sleep disorders, and other types of depression. It is often effective, though doctors do not know exactly why. It can have a number of side effects, most of which can be effectively alleviated. Talk to your doctor if you feel light therapy might be useful for you.

ALL ABOUT REAL GENTLEHAWK

Real Gentlehawk is a literary brand created by Anaze Omananyi, to encourage the youths and youth at heart to have a passion for reading through which they could discover who they really are. A brand with a voice and a heart whose mandate is to be a catalyst for change, development and also to promote creativity.

We bring a message of hope to our generation and generations to come, because we are here to make a lasting positive impression. Our voice is high yet very subtle, communicative and assertive yet gentle.
A message of reality and truthfulness because we believe we are unique.
WHO WE ARE:
• We are bee knees
• We are helpers of dreams
• We are young, dynamic and creative
• We believe because we see beyond
• We are loyal because we defend our own
• We are unique because we have a special way of do things
• We are self-motivated because we love doing the impossible by acquiring knowledge.
We are the gentle hawks of our generation and we are proud to wear that “Badge of Honor”…because we are real and true to who we are.
“I AM PROUD TO BE A REAL GENTLEHAWK – Are you?”
©Anaze “Bee Knees”

IS NATURAL PHENOMENON NOW OBSCENE!!!

Okay this is madness…now, this is totally unbelievable!!!

Please, does civilization mean that we now neglect what is right for what is wrong or that this technology age is making our hearts operate like the machines and computers/systems we use?
I am not sure what to make of all these craziness when the unnatural is considered as not obscene and the natural is considered as obscene.

HELP! HELP!! HELP!!! Or is it just me? I am still living in the early age…would someone please explain this to me, maybe I am missing something people?

Please could someone explain to me how BREASTFEEDING could be considered as obscene, even if it is done in public?
Okay let me explain to you what this ranting is all about…before you stop reading this article.

I read an article where a couple were thrown out of a club or something like that, why you ask? Okay now, they were thrown out not because they were terrorist or did something stupid like walked in naked but because the wife was breasting their baby.
They were asked by a female supervisor to leave the diner (Can you imagine, that! A FEMALE supervisor – my guess is she never ever feed a child in her entire life). After a back and forth between the couple and the supervisor, the police department which was notified earlier, arrived with one of its officers who had his hand on his gun and the other on his teaser. Police department arrived – how silly, in a developed world! I’m disappointed.


All these paparazzi because a mother performs her natural duty to her child. But pardon me if I am wrong, I just do not get it, and how can that be considered as disturbing.
Also I read that one spokesman considered what happened as a cultural misunderstanding, please (I beg) what is the difference between this man and our “Oga at the top”.
On seeing this article, I decided to do some research on what is going around on this topic. I was curious to know if this is just a one off or there is more to this article, but to my amazement, I discovered that this topic has a lot said on it but it ain’t funny stuff despite the fact that in a lot of countries there are laws and regulations protecting women against this type of harassment and discrimination.

I read some comments on what some people (mostly men) have to say on this and here they are, you can make your own conclusions:
1. “I don’t pee or masturbate in public, so why should a woman breastfeed in public”
2. “Just go in another room. Stay home, nobody wants to see that”
3. “That’s what breast pumps are for”
4. “Just bring a formula”

Now I see why the world is the way it is….why some people’s knots are so out of place.
My guess, because I do feel so sorry for them, is that these same people missed out on this amazing yet indescribable time of their lives and they want others to do too.
If breastfeeding is so indecent, so should be kissing or hugging in public especially if it is happening between same sexes. I don’t know if you know where I am going on this.

The funniest thing is that these same people who have problems with breastfeeding in public, are the same people who will pay anything to play with one.
Please get over yourselves and pervert mind…breastfeeding is a natural phenomenon that your little mind can’t and wouldn’t understand. You can’t understand the magic or the bond that occurs between a mother and her child during breast feeding, so please do everyone a favour, and keep your opinion to yourself.

Therefore, when breastfeeding is done discreetly and decently there is nothing wrong or obscene about it, so please if you are not wearing the shoe don’t tell us where it hurts or doesn’t.

So be real and true to yourself and let these wonderful people be.

Gentlehawk 

www.realgentlehawk.com

@gentlehawk

THE BREAK OF A NEW DAWN by ISI 1

I have known real gentlehawk for some years now.

Real gentlehawk is someone who comes across as a goal-getter. She is someone who knows what she wants and is not afraid to reach out for her heart’s desires.
She approached me, telling me she would like me to come on board her editorial team and she went further to tell me beautiful adjectives on my capabilities based on her interactions with me and referrals from people. I blushed and said an effusive thank-you!

Part of the mandate given to me was ‘a no-holds-barred’ articles. She said she wanted articles that would be as real as can be. She said she wanted people to have insights to ‘our’ person. She wanted people to identify with us like they have known us, she wanted us to be a team of writers who people could trust, and who would say the truth regardless of whose ox would be gored. The mandate sounded scary and challenging but I was and I am thrilled at this ‘newest’ journey of my life.
I welcome you to this journey of discovery and rediscovery of who I am, who you can be, who I was, who you used to be, who I aspire to be, your aspirations, who I can be and who you can be. This journey would most certainly be boring without you. Please oblige me as we undertake this journey together. Hand in hand we would walk together, talk together, discover our potentials both known and unknown. We would be friends.
I pondered on what would be my first piece. I searched the core of my being for a title that would make front page header. I wanted to impress you but again realgentlehawk’s words re-echoed in my ears ’be real’. It was at that moment this title came to mind ‘The break of a new dawn’.

I had to search the net for a word that best described ‘The break of a new dawn’. I saw so many meanings and had a hard time settling for one definition.
After a long search, I settled for these:
1. The time of day when light first appears as the sun rises.
Thesaurus: morning, sunrise, daybreak, daylight, sun-up (US), aurora;
Antonym: dusk, sundown, sunset.

2. The beginning of (a new period of time, etc).
Thesaurus: beginning, outset, onset, origin, birth, genesis, inception, start, rise, advent, emergence, dawning.

Ref:http://www.writersevents.com/Words_Starting_with_A/at_a_tangent_at_the_most/at_the_break_of_dawn_definition.html

I would not speak for realgentlehawk but for me, being asked to write on realgentlehawk’s space is a new period of time for me. I have been writing since I was 10 years old. I wrote when I was happy, I wrote when I was sad. Writing while growing up meant so much to me.
I entered secondary school joined the school’s press club where I wrote most of the editorial pieces. I continued this writing trade of mine to university where I wrote for a couple of media houses on campus.

Then I started working. Writing, took the back seat of my life. I barely wrote but when I did, I wrote out of the anguish of my heart particularly when one of my bosses had got me pissed. I would ‘diss’ them using my pen. ‘The pen was mightier than the sword’.
At some point, life seemed like a drab. Using other talents of mine like singing, I tried to keep myself busy and happy. There was still an emptiness I felt…

I am glad to be onboard this new voyage. Would all of my emptiness end? ‘I cannot categorically say’ *smiles*. However, I plan to utilize this platform given to me to expend myself to you. I want to dare people to be the best that God have them be. You, yes you, were born for a purpose.
While I am not the best me yet, I ‘am certain that you’d find me inspiring and fun to be with. It’s a new dawn for me. Welcome to my world…