Wellness
Health & Medicine
The Untold Realities of Back-to-Back Child Delivery
A candid exploration of the physical, emotional, financial, and mental toll of bearing children fewer than 18 months apart—a common practice in Cameroon driven by late marriage, career timing, and family pressure. The writer outlines four core realities mothers face: the overwhelming practical demands, the risk of neglecting the older child's emotional needs, the necessity of building a support system, and the loss of personal life to routine.
The Luxury I Could Not Afford: Depression and Single Motherhood
A single mother recounts her battle with depression and post-natal grief following a friend's suicide, and how the responsibility of caring for her daughter became both her greatest burden and her anchor to survival. She reflects on the impossible choice between breaking down and pushing through, and ultimately channels her experience into founding the Young Mothers Initiative.
Pepper as Medicine: A User's Guide to Capsaicin and Health
This piece surveys the health benefits of pepper—from pain relief and metabolism boost to safer pregnancy outcomes—grounded in the compound capsaicin and its effects on the body. It also offers practical remedies for the burn itself.
Your Emotions Are More Important Than You Think
This reflective essay argues that emotional awareness and expression are essential to human flourishing, not signs of weakness. Through personal anecdotes—a toxic relationship, unrequited attraction, and self-discovery—the writer demonstrates how facing difficult emotions leads to growth, authentic connection, and better choices.
Swollen Feet in Pregnancy: When Normal Changes Warrant Medical Attention
Pedal edema—swelling of the feet and lower legs—is common in pregnancy, caused primarily by increased blood volume and gravitational pooling. However, the writer distinguishes between benign causes and serious conditions like preeclampsia and deep vein thrombosis that require immediate medical evaluation.
On the Bodily Consequences of Restraint: Holding In and Letting Go
A medical explainer examines the health effects of holding in urine and flatulence, moving from the serious (urinary tract infections, kidney stones, bladder dysfunction) to the comic (the social mortification of an ill-timed noise). The piece concludes that occasional restraint is harmless, but chronic suppression invites mild to moderate bodily trouble.
The Fundamentals of Weight Loss: Exercise, Diet, and Realistic Expectations
A practical guide to weight loss grounded in the caloric deficit principle, outlining cardio and strength training protocols, dietary strategies from hydration to intermittent fasting, and the necessity of sustainable habit change over quick fixes.
Is Plastic Food Packaging Safe? A Practical Assessment
The post examines the health risks posed by chemicals like phthalates and BPA in plastic food packaging, particularly when heated, and considers what individuals and governments can do to mitigate exposure. It concludes that ceramic and glass alternatives are preferable where feasible.
How to Spot a Weight-Loss Scam
The writer examines the structural deceptions embedded in the weight-loss industry, identifying three hallmarks of fraudulent products: promises that defy basic physiology, emotionally manipulative marketing language, and false claims about spot fat reduction. The piece argues that legitimate weight loss requires sustained effort, and any product suggesting otherwise is designed to exploit desire rather than deliver results.
Bitter Kola and Guinness: A Medical Enquiry Into Popular Belief
Drawing on pharmacology and Cameroonian folk wisdom, the writer examines whether bitter kola and alcohol—particularly Guinness—can delay ejaculation. The piece distinguishes between what science can confirm, what remains unproven, and what rests on anecdote, concluding with measured caution.
Mental Health in the Age of Disconnection
On Mental Health Awareness Week, Poise observes that despite material progress, suicide rates exceed war deaths globally, while social media amplifies young people's dissatisfaction. In Cameroon specifically, stigma and cultural taboos prevent open conversation about mental illness, leaving sufferers isolated.