Sunday, 12 May 2013
SPEECH BY GENERAL MUHAMMADU BUHARI, GCFR, CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE CONGRESS FOR PROGRESSIVE CHANGE, CPC, AT THE PARTY’S NATIONAL CONVENTION IN ABUJA, MAY 11, 2013
Protocols
With your permission, Mr Chairman, I would like to begin by welcoming all the CPC delegates to this historic occasion. And our special welcome goes out to our friends and colleagues from sister-parties, notably Chief Bisi Akande, Chief Audu Ogbeh, Musa Gwadabe, Dr. Yakubu Lame, Governors Raji Fashola and Ibikunle Amosun, former Governors Achike Udenwa, Segun Osoba and Chris Ngige, Alhaji Lai Mohammed of the ACN, Senator Ahmed Sani, Yariman Bakura, of the ANPP, and Owelle Rochas Okorocha of APGA.
2. But before I deliver my speech, I would like all of us here and across the country to reflect on the seriousness of the security situation in the country today. Some areas of the nation are virtual war zones in a country supposedly at peace. Whole local governments in some states in the North East are no-go areas to representatives of constituted authority. Marauders of every description armed to the teeth with all manner of sophisticated armaments roam the national landscape with total and murderous impunity. The patience of this nation and the various communities within it has been severely tried and stretched to its limits. And there is no end in sight.
3. Anarchy is knocking on the door of many sections of this country and the Federal government has not demonstrated that it has the good sense to understand what is going on, or the competence to check it. The nation is hopelessly adrift. But, if we are to survive, this vicious circle of violence that has engulfed this nation must be brought to an end; and we implore the National Assembly to take the lead in this quest for peace. I am sure everybody in this gathering will join me in expressing sympathy for, and solidarity with, the good people of Borno, Yobe, Kano, and now, Nasarawa and Benue states on their suffering and travails.
4. Mr. Chairman, distinguished guests and fellow delegates, we must explore every opportunity to save our country. This is a historic moment when several different political parties have resolved to come together to change Nigeria for the better and stop the mindless drift that has been going on for the last fourteen years. We must understand and accept that we are here gathered to make history or forever stand accused and condemned by it. We must seize this moment that calls for patriotism and sacrifice—it is time to sacrifice everything—time, resources, ambition and ego—for the greater good. We should carry this process through to a successful conclusion, and leave our legacy and foot-prints on the history of Nigeria.
5. Many political analysts have long stated that the only way to stabilize the country is for opposition parties to merge and oust the ruling PDP. In 2010, during the run-up to the elections of 2011, ACN and CPC inaugurated committees to explore ways and means of merging into a single political party.
6. We have gone to the extent of developing a flag, a logo, a name and have even proceeded to discuss with the Independent Electoral Commission, INEC, about the modalities of consummating our plans; but time proved too short, and we were not about to give too many hostages to fortune.
7. So the present move is really a continuation of the efforts begun in 2010; and this time we have started early, following the rules step by step. On its part, the CPC has, within the last two months, established the following committees with appropriate terms of reference:
1. Merger Committee;
2. Convention Committee;
3. Membership and Registration Committee;
4. Contact and Mobilization Committee; and
5. Publicity Committee;
8. The objective of these committees is to prepare CPC for the proposed merger; and these committees have satisfactorily concluded their assignments and their proposals have been submitted to NEC and to the Board of Trustees, and these are now being presented to you, the National Convention, the highest policy making body of our party. Other parties have fast-tracked their processes and some have even held their conventions. So far, so good.
No doubt, all the parties joining to form APC are coming in as equals; but, realistically, we all know that some are more equal than others. Nevertheless, every joining party will bring its peculiar strengths to this union and together we will, in every sense of the word, be too strong for the ruling party to resist. With this, we believe the time for real change has finally come to Nigeria—and it must change now before it become too late.
The government has failed in almost everything; it has proved unable to secure the nation’s internal environment: there is insecurity everywhere. There is spiraling lawlessness all over the country. There is widespread and rising poverty and unemployment across the length and breadth of the country. There is a complete and total decline in the quality of social services and an irremediable dilapidation in the nation’s socio-economic infrastructure across board.
9. There is an unprecedented fall in the nation’s standard of living and an astronomical rise in the standard of dying. In short, today, there is nothing going right; and we have become a nation in which nothing works as it should, that is, if it works at all. When they said they have what they call a Transformation Agenda, we didn’t understand, but we now know better; because, within the space of three years, they have transformed the country into a veritable wilderness, where everything that should work, doesn’t; where everything that can get broken, has.
10. They promised to give the nation credible elections; they couldn’t deliver. They promised to fight corruption, they couldn’t deliver. They promised to stop the insurgency, and they couldn’t deliver. This nation is witness to the fact that whenever we promised, we delivered. And today, I promise you most solemnly that we shall confront and eliminate corruption in the electoral process. We shall confront and eliminate corruption in the judicial process; and we shall most assuredly confront and eliminate it in the conduct of government business.
11. All these evils derive and draw inspiration from a government that is itself immersed to its neck in a cesspool of corruption; and is best characterized by its own favourite catchphrases: whether it is ‘Do or die,’ or ‘We will rule forever,’ or ‘No vacancy in Aso Rock,’ or they want to ‘fight to finish,’ it is the same thing—something that could never be uttered by true democrats. Their behaviour, language and body language are in complete and total disregard for democratic norms and the ordinary decencies of civilized conduct.
12. We intend to provide a government of different quality and tone to the people of Nigeria, one that will tackle the problem of insecurity, solve the perennial issue of incessant power failure, arrest the shameful deterioration in the standard of education, confront the decline in agricultural production head-on, and stop the collapse of commerce and industry.
13. Ladies and gentlemen, fellow CPC members on behalf of the Board of Trustees of our party, I commend the proposals shortly to be put before you. The best way to eliminate this government that has not brought anything to Nigerians except thievery of resources and violence is to accept to merge our parties. And we only elect to do this because that is what we believe to be in the best interest of the majority of the people of this country.
14. And I would like to end by once again thanking our steadfast supporters—you, the ordinary folks—who have been the unbreakable backbone of this struggle, from the time we started this journey in APP to ANPP and then to CPC. You did not do it for material gain; otherwise, you will have turned your backs on us. No doubt, you decided to stay the course as a mark of respect for our stand, and possibly knowing that we would never let you down. You relied on our judgment to forge ahead through the thicket of the country’s corruption-laden politics. This we have tried to do to the best of our ability, and will continue to do so until the masses of this country secure a fair deal from those who lead them. What we desire is democracy and freedom for all our people. And in this struggle, we think we have done our bit.
15. At its formation, the CPC became the greatest crowd-pulling party in the nation’s political history; and within six months of its registration, and in spite of all the rigging of the poll and the snatching of its votes, it was still able to get more than 12 million votes in the 2011 presidential election. After the merger, the sky will be the limit.
16. While thanking you again, I implore you not to relent as we embark on yet another move in the search for a better tomorrow for our country, Nigeria. We are now in the final stages of the move that will culminate in the merger of our party—the CPC—with three other parties. We join this effort compromising none of our principles but yielding to the belief that our diverse efforts, applied in unison, will help arrest the rot that has become our lot.
17. We go into this new arrangement still loyal to you and committed to what you stand for. We go into this arrangement conscious of our responsibilities to you and grateful for all the sacrifices you have been making since the beginning of our journey. We count on you, as we have always done, to guide, support and defend our position. We will strive to work hard to expand and level the democratic playing field in accordance with the dictates of the rule of law. We declare that we are in this together—and together we shall remain to the end.
18. We played by the rules and we accepted to play alongside those who didn’t; because we believed our participation was giving millions hope that positive change will come along the way. Now change has finally come; and they cannot stop it. And we are putting the current leadership of this nation on notice that our people will no longer tolerate its corruption or the rigging, vote thievery and general impunity that have become the norm and standard practice during elections in this country.
19. We have resolved that henceforth our votes must all be counted—and they must all go on to count. And we declare that this nation has now resolved, through its united opposition, that it will never again tolerate or allow to pass the mayhem the government deliberately creates in order to cover up its guilt, obscure the issues and then blame the opposition in order to deceive gullible folks. And we will no longer be intimidated by anyone.
Thank you very much for your patience and attention. May God bless us.
General Muhammdu Buhari, GCFR
Wednesday, 8 May 2013
Texas Boy, 7, Shot By His Younger Brother, Police Say
A 7-year-old boy was shot in his northeast Houston home on Tuesday -- and the gunman was apparently his younger brother, The Houston Chronicle reported..
According to ABC13.com, the boys were in the bathtub around 9 p.m. when their mother stepped away for a moment. Police say the 5-year-old brother then got out of the tub, found a .22 rifle and shot his older brother.
The injured child was transported to Memorial Hermann Hospital. Officials say the bullet went straight through the boy's back, KHOU.com reported. He is expected to recover.
At the time of this writing, no charges have been filed.
HuffingtonPost
General Buhari is a Damaged Brand By Bamidele Ademola-Olateju
General Muhammadu Buhari is a damaged brand, he cannot win the Presidential election on any platform unless his brand equity is restored. Any people or group of people who wants to do this will have their work cut out for them, it is a lot of work but it can be done. Buhari has the best brand equity any human being would wish for until religion was used against him. He is upright, disciplined, honest, devout, frugal and patriotic among other superlatives.
Who damaged his brand?
A. The political elite
B. The educated elite
What damaged his brand?
He is disciplined: Those of us who were old enough, knew how we all fell in line under Buhari/Idiagbon's War Against Indiscipline (WAI). The spectacle of civil servants who were publicly humiliated for lateness is still fresh in our memory. When he was in charge, everybody observed decorum at publics spaces by taking their turns. It was unprecedented in a country populated by oversized egos. Little wonder, the "do you know who I am" crowd do not want a return to an orderly Nigeria. They benefit from the chaos and indiscipline.
Buhari is frugal: Buhari instituted counter trade and improved Nigeria's balance of trade by curbing imports. Oil thieves, subsidy thieves, and rogue importers who gets free money from NEXIM will have no where to turn. Generator and transformer importers who pay people to steal cables and vandalize transformers will go out of business. Everyone in this country is an importer of something. How many of those emergency importers dare manufacture when trading is there and yields quick money? If Buhari is elected, how will they launder proceeds from drugs, gun running and conversion of public funds? The elite are neck deep in a culture of waste and loot for too long, they dont wan to be weaned from easy money. They no go gree lailai...tufiakwa!
He is honest: Buhari is as clean as a whistle. How many properties does he own? How much investment has he to his name?
A patriot: Buhari is a dedicated patriot. When he was called to serve on the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) we got results. Today the Anenihs use such funds meant for projects and road construction to cater for themselves and fund their party - the PDP.
He is devout: Buhari is a devout Muslim who obeys the central injunction of compassion in his daily life - his albatross.
Buhari committed sacrilege when he came to power and jailed politicians without due process, executed drug peddlers with a retroactive law and enacted decrees gagging the press. I do not in any way condone the excesses of Buhari's reign but even his detractors will agree he is a saint compared to the treacherous and murderous types we have and have had after him. Buhari knows Nigeria and her issues cold. He is not under any gauzy lens of delusion and he is prepared as always to dive in at the pool's deep end. That for me is the difference. Buhari is the leader that can save Nigeria from the evil of herself, he is the leader we are afraid to have. I know the Jonathans and the anti-Buhari crowd will come after me with their senseless and scattered rhetoric but you are forewarned to arm yourself with facts. Some of us are witnesses to history and are objective with facts.
How was his brand damaged?
Enemies of Nigeria damaged Buhari's brand by using religion against him. Buhari is a good brand because of the qualities I listed earlier, his enemies and enemies of Nigeria knows it. Actually, most Nigerians know it. How did they do it? During his regime, counter trade and restricted imports gave rise to unprecedented inflation. Purchasing power nosedived and Nigerians became despondent. In despondency, they embraced religion than never before. Pentecostalism and its posterity now doctrine gained ascendancy in Christendom and Salafism and Shia Islam gained currency among Muslims. The Universities embraced both with zeal. Money flowed into Christianity from the United States. Saudi Arabia and Iran struggled for the minds of young Muslims on University campuses. The Nigerian religious extremism hitherto unknown by previous generations was born, brewed fresh from the stables of academia and the elite; potently aided by the Iran/Iraq war. Inciting leaflets and literature saturated the campuses and the government as usual took no notice. A Christian America was seeing as aiding the decimation of Iran by Iraq. A symbol of the times, was the controversy of the cross and crescent at the University of Ibadan. A non-issue that dragged on for years.
Buhari's tarnish project began immediately Obasanjo was elected. The schism that began with ascendant pentecostalism and fundamental Islam was carefully exploited to Buhari's detriment. He was labeled an unrepentant and fiery fanatic on religion and nomadic education. We were reminded about purported Islamization of Nigeria and membership of the OIC. The Northern elite fed and funded the misinformation especially those whose only industry is the government. Access to the racket of federal gravy bound them to religious bigots in the South. The truth is lost on southerners that Buhari is an outsider among the power elite in the north. His only bastion of support is among the Talakawas, the Northern elite have nothing but thinly veiled hatred for him.
By the time Buhari declared his intent to run, the extensive ground work for their campaign of calumny has been laid. During Buhari's tenure at the PTF, the South benefited immensely but the message was lost. Unfortunately, in a country beset by bread and butter issues, conscience counts for nothing. The Talakawas alone cannot win anyone an election, the power elite controls the vote. Buhari does not have the resources to run against the establishment and counter their smear campaign. Most importantly, his campaign was enmeshed in hubris based on his anti corruption credentials alone. They were astoundingly shortsighted as they virtually ignored the south during the campaigns and that further cemented Buhari's reputation as a religious zealot in whose eyes the Southern electorate meant nothing.
Since then, Buhari has continued to contest without any reasonable attempt to repair his brand. He cannot win. He cannot win on his record. He should study the failures of Chief Obafemi Awolowo another man whose brand was damaged by the civil war. Whosoever tells him he can win is deceiving him. I was at my ward's polling booth on Lagos Island during the last presidential elections. I was almost lynched for talking about Buhari. Religion does not encourage reason, religion is faith nurtured by unreason. In Nigeria, all you need to win is to kneel in front of a pastor and the subliminal message is sent to millions of faithfuls to vote their faith. The religious divide in Nigeria is very wide and Southerners are now super sensitive to it. The treatment meted out to Jonathan under Yar'adua was the breakpoint, this must not be lost to any northerner interested in presidential politics going forward.
In marketing, good brands can have the damage done to them repaired if the brand equity is persistent, has strength and heritage, if the damage is not central to the brand’s value proposition, If the solution has credibility and if there is any change in prevailing context that can make the damage irrelevant.
Buhari is a good brand with remarkable equity and persistence. unfortunately, his persistence is viewed as zeal for islamization. Lately, his persistence has been interpreted as a call to arms and insurgency against the state. Jonathan has tried many times to link him with Boko Haram, religion exploits human fears.
His brand's strength and heritage is derived from his military background, religion and northern origin. In most quarters in the south, that amounts to triple Jeopardy. The negative publicity of the strength and heritage is too large with respect to its equity.
The seriousness of Buhari's religion and anti-corruption problem with Nigerians is central to his brand’s value proposition and electability.
What is the solution? I will propose that later, but the credibility of the proposed solution will determine if lost brand equity can be restored. Can Buhari convince a confused audience that he has solved his religion problem with so much distrust in the land? I don't know.
Has the Nigerian context changed such that the specifics Buhari's "past" now seem irrelevant? No.
What to do?
If any party must field Buhari as its presidential candidate, they must look hard and be prepared to do a lot of hard work, wining hearts and minds. Buhari is the only leader we have subjected to the exhausting task of being nice all the time. Obasanjo, warts and all does not have to be nice, we even invent excuses or his lack of polish. Buhari and those of us who believe in him have our work cut out for us. If the resources are not there, I suggest the hunt should begin for a fresh mind. Here is my proposed solution:
A. Buhari should take full responsibility for himself and failures of his reign and apologize where necessary
B. He should welcome change and get outside help
C. Leverage his record as Head of State and PTF chair
D. Be honest and transparent on his religious beliefs and his faith in humanity
E. Call Nigeria to action and spell out the dangers we face collectively.
That is all.
Saharareporters
Bangladesh Building Collapse Death Toll Reaches 761
According to a control room at the scene, rescue workers recovered more bodies out of the wreckage of the eight-story Rana Plaza that was packed with morning-shift workers when it collapsed on April 24 outside the nation's capital.
There is no clear indication on how many bodies still remain trapped in the debris as the exact number of people inside the collapsed building at the time of the collapse was unknown. More than 2,500 people were rescued alive.
The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, or BGMEA, had earlier said 3122 workers were employed in the factories, but it was not clear actually how many were there when it collapsed.
The disaster is the worst ever in the garment sector, far surpassing a fire that killed about 260 people in Pakistan and another in Bangladesh that killed 112 last year, as well as the 1911 garment disaster in New York's Triangle Shirtwaist factory that killed 146 workers.
After hundreds of garment factory workers protested for compensation on Tuesday morning, authorities started disbursing salary and other benefits.
Maj. Gen. Chowdhury Hasan Suhrawardy, a top military official in the area, said some 400 workers gathered on Tuesday night to get dues and benefits.
Officials helped BGMEA disburse the amount.
Rafiqul Islam, an official of the industry association, said it has yet to get the full list of the workers but the disbursement would continue in phases.
The workers, many who made little more than the national minimum wage of about $38 per month, are demanding at least four months in salary. The workers had set Tuesday as the deadline for the payment of wages and other benefits.
Local government administrator Yousuf Harun had said no salary remained unpaid except for the month of April and there was an agreement for the workers to receive an additional three months of pay. After a team from the BGMEA arrived at the protest and pledged to make the payment later Tuesday, the workers left the highway, Harun said.
The BGMEA had said Monday that it was preparing a "complete list" of workers employed in the Rana Plaza factories and the process would take a few more days.
Bangladesh earns nearly $20 billion a year from exports of the garment products, mainly to the United States and Europe.
The is no specific deadline to complete the recovery operation at the building site as authorities said it would continue until all bodies and debris are removed.
Officials say the building's owner illegally added three floors and allowed the garment factories to install heavy machines and generators, even though it was designed as a market and an office building.
HuffingtonPost
Mac Daddy Rapped About Dead Bodies Hours Before He Died
Hours before rapper Chris “Mac Daddy” Kelly died in an Atlanta hospital, the former Kris Kross member was hanging out with his friends, recording songs and doing things that most rappers do late at night.
In a video obtained by TMZ, Kelly is seen rapping along to a song of his into the camera with a glassy-eyed look on his face. There is no time or date stamp on the video, but it is said to have been recorded the night he passed.
“Ain’t gonna stop for nothin or nobody/ look around you, it’s full of dead bodies…,” he raps at the end of the verse. The lyric by itself is relatively harmless, but considering he died hours later it gives it an ominous feel.
Chris “Mac Daddy” Kelly was found unresponsive in his home on May 1, 2013 and was later pronounced dead at the hospital. Formal autopsy results have not been released, but it has been reported that drugs were in his system when he died.
Naij.com
The Bitter Truth About Sugar
Sugar is sweet, and that’s an obvious statement! Yet, researchers say its consumption is fraught with health problems.
Sugar is colourless or white when pure, and brown when less refined. It is obtained commercially from sugarcane or sugar beet and less extensively from sorghum, maples, and palms.
Sugar comes in granules, cubes, and all the various mixes of glucose, fructose and sucrose, not forgetting the so-called high fructose corn syrup found in many salad dressings, ketchup, coffee creamers, etc.
Of course, there is natural sugar in fruits, but they are also rich in fibre, which slows down the release of the sugar molecules. When consumed, fruits nourish the body — as opposed to the way prolonged and excessive use of processed sugars destroy health.
Meanwhile, do you know any processed food that does not have sugar at its centre? I doubt it. From confections to canned foods and fruit juices, the ubiquitous presence of sugar cannot be overlooked. Food manufacturing companies court it like a beautiful bride, as they use it generally as sweeteners and also as preservatives.
Indeed, modern diet is hardly complete without intake of something sugary along the line. Perhaps this is why scientists are sounding relentless warnings about the health implications of this sweet stuff.
Researchers describe sugar in unsavory words as “a drug that has no nutritional value and an addictive chemical.” They argue that eating sugar puts you at a higher risk for Type 2 diabetes and weight gain — whichever comes first. That is not all. Here’s how sugar affects your body.
The brain
A neuroscientist at the National Institutes for Drug Abuse, Dr. Nora Volker, used brain imaging to prove that sugar has the same effects that abusive drugs like cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine have on the brain.
The report, published in Psychology Today, states, “Sugar leads to dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens — an area of the brain associated with motivation, novelty, and reward.” This is the same brain region implicated in response to cocaine and heroin.
Instructively, scientists say heroin addicts show increased cravings for sweets at the initial stages of withdrawal.
“This effect, known as cross-tolerance, shows that addiction to one substance makes it easier to become addicted to another substance that may use the same brain chemistry,” says Princeton researcher, Dr. Nicole Avena.
And when you see someone who seems unable to get enough sugar in his food, you might as well be looking at someone who is already addicted to sugar!
Eyes
A research done by scientists at the Human Nutrition Research Center, Tufts University, Boston, and published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, shows that eating excessively sugary or starchy foods may make eyes more vulnerable to age-related macular degeneration — a top cause of vision loss. They note that AMD typically starts late in life, and affects the retina.
Teeth
Generally, sugar corrodes teeth enamel, causing cavities. Scientists say when sugar is present, the bacteria that are naturally found in the mouth multiply faster, making the plaque to grow in size and thickness. “Some of the bacteria turn the sugar into a kind of glue that they use to stick themselves to the tooth surface. This makes it harder for the bacteria to get washed away with your saliva,” they warn.
The heart
Another scientific research done by a registered nurse at Emory University, Jean Welsh, describes sugar as “heart-stopper.” A research published in The Journal of the American Medical Association found that adults who eat plenty sugar are at risk for the cholesterol problems that can lead to heart disease.
Bones
Sugar damages the cartilage tissues, scientists warn. Cartilage is what gives bones their solid structure, and to maintain healthy bones, physicians say you must maintain cartilage health.
According to evolvingwellness.com, when we eat too much sugar, we need calcium, an alkaline mineral that is highly abundant in the bone, to neutralise the acidic effects. “This negatively impacts mineral balance, weakening the bones and making them porous. Eventually, it leads to osteoporosis,” the online portal deposes.
The immune system
Regarded as immune buster, scientists say sugar suppresses immune system cells responsible for attacking bacteria, reducing the ability of white blood cells to overpower and destroy them.
“Eating sugar makes your immune system slow down to a crawl. In fact, sugar has been found to almost paralyse the white blood cells responsible for engulfing harmful invaders like viruses and bacteria for up to five hours, while it also reduces their ability to work properly by up to 40 per cent,” researcher say.
Low libido, infertility, menopause
According to reproductive endocrinologist and gynaecologist, Dr. Deborah Metzger, eating too many sweets and simple carbohydrates forces your body to produce excessive insulin.
“In the female body, this spells trouble for reproductive health, as large amounts of insulin overwhelm a woman’s ovaries and can make her stop producing progesterone —the hormone required to prepare the uterus for pregnancy — and throw off the hormonal balance.
“Besides contributing to a number of serious female problems — including infertility, miscarriage, birth defects, polycystic ovary syndrome and even fibromyalgia — a high-sugar diet also could be connected to chronic fatigue and recurring yeast infections,” Metzger says.
Severe PMS
Eating too many sweets makes women feel worse right before their menstrual cycles. Researchers at the American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists say 85 per cent of women who menstruate report one or more Pre-Menstrual Syndrome symptoms, and that managing sugar intake could be one of the most powerful and effective ways to curtail PMS-related symptoms.
Insomnia
Sugar may be keeping you up at night, says Dr. Fred Pescatore, former associate medical director for the Atkins Center. He says sugar affects insulin levels, and insulin levels affect cortisol levels. When cortisol levels increase, it can make it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep.
“If you’re one of the people who wake up at two or three in the morning, try decreasing the amount of sugar you eat and you’ll stay asleep,” says Pescatore.
The stripper
Finally, scientists say as your body digests sugar, it strips it of valuable nutrients. This is because sugar digestion requires many vitamins, minerals and enzymes to be stripped from healthy cells. This tasks the system, and the situation is worse for those already used to poor diet.
Way out
Does this mean we should stop eating sugar altogether? Scientists answer: “You’ll find added sugar in foods we know are bad for us — such as soft drinks, lollies, cakes, biscuits, pies and pastries.
“Sugars found in nutrient-poor foods are the ones that are increasing our waistlines and therefore, increasing our health risks. Remember that sugar isn’t the only ingredient that you need to avoid. If avoiding sugar means you eat less processed foods and more whole foods — fruit, vegetables and whole grains — then that’s a good thing. But if you’re swapping sweet treats for fatty or salty ones then you’re not doing yourself any favours.”
The bottom line: It is possible to maintain a healthy diet and enjoy the occasional treat.
Naij.com
Sugar is colourless or white when pure, and brown when less refined. It is obtained commercially from sugarcane or sugar beet and less extensively from sorghum, maples, and palms.
Sugar comes in granules, cubes, and all the various mixes of glucose, fructose and sucrose, not forgetting the so-called high fructose corn syrup found in many salad dressings, ketchup, coffee creamers, etc.
Of course, there is natural sugar in fruits, but they are also rich in fibre, which slows down the release of the sugar molecules. When consumed, fruits nourish the body — as opposed to the way prolonged and excessive use of processed sugars destroy health.
Meanwhile, do you know any processed food that does not have sugar at its centre? I doubt it. From confections to canned foods and fruit juices, the ubiquitous presence of sugar cannot be overlooked. Food manufacturing companies court it like a beautiful bride, as they use it generally as sweeteners and also as preservatives.
Indeed, modern diet is hardly complete without intake of something sugary along the line. Perhaps this is why scientists are sounding relentless warnings about the health implications of this sweet stuff.
Researchers describe sugar in unsavory words as “a drug that has no nutritional value and an addictive chemical.” They argue that eating sugar puts you at a higher risk for Type 2 diabetes and weight gain — whichever comes first. That is not all. Here’s how sugar affects your body.
The brain
A neuroscientist at the National Institutes for Drug Abuse, Dr. Nora Volker, used brain imaging to prove that sugar has the same effects that abusive drugs like cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine have on the brain.
The report, published in Psychology Today, states, “Sugar leads to dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens — an area of the brain associated with motivation, novelty, and reward.” This is the same brain region implicated in response to cocaine and heroin.
Instructively, scientists say heroin addicts show increased cravings for sweets at the initial stages of withdrawal.
“This effect, known as cross-tolerance, shows that addiction to one substance makes it easier to become addicted to another substance that may use the same brain chemistry,” says Princeton researcher, Dr. Nicole Avena.
And when you see someone who seems unable to get enough sugar in his food, you might as well be looking at someone who is already addicted to sugar!
Eyes
A research done by scientists at the Human Nutrition Research Center, Tufts University, Boston, and published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, shows that eating excessively sugary or starchy foods may make eyes more vulnerable to age-related macular degeneration — a top cause of vision loss. They note that AMD typically starts late in life, and affects the retina.
Teeth
Generally, sugar corrodes teeth enamel, causing cavities. Scientists say when sugar is present, the bacteria that are naturally found in the mouth multiply faster, making the plaque to grow in size and thickness. “Some of the bacteria turn the sugar into a kind of glue that they use to stick themselves to the tooth surface. This makes it harder for the bacteria to get washed away with your saliva,” they warn.
The heart
Another scientific research done by a registered nurse at Emory University, Jean Welsh, describes sugar as “heart-stopper.” A research published in The Journal of the American Medical Association found that adults who eat plenty sugar are at risk for the cholesterol problems that can lead to heart disease.
Bones
Sugar damages the cartilage tissues, scientists warn. Cartilage is what gives bones their solid structure, and to maintain healthy bones, physicians say you must maintain cartilage health.
According to evolvingwellness.com, when we eat too much sugar, we need calcium, an alkaline mineral that is highly abundant in the bone, to neutralise the acidic effects. “This negatively impacts mineral balance, weakening the bones and making them porous. Eventually, it leads to osteoporosis,” the online portal deposes.
The immune system
Regarded as immune buster, scientists say sugar suppresses immune system cells responsible for attacking bacteria, reducing the ability of white blood cells to overpower and destroy them.
“Eating sugar makes your immune system slow down to a crawl. In fact, sugar has been found to almost paralyse the white blood cells responsible for engulfing harmful invaders like viruses and bacteria for up to five hours, while it also reduces their ability to work properly by up to 40 per cent,” researcher say.
Low libido, infertility, menopause
According to reproductive endocrinologist and gynaecologist, Dr. Deborah Metzger, eating too many sweets and simple carbohydrates forces your body to produce excessive insulin.
“In the female body, this spells trouble for reproductive health, as large amounts of insulin overwhelm a woman’s ovaries and can make her stop producing progesterone —the hormone required to prepare the uterus for pregnancy — and throw off the hormonal balance.
“Besides contributing to a number of serious female problems — including infertility, miscarriage, birth defects, polycystic ovary syndrome and even fibromyalgia — a high-sugar diet also could be connected to chronic fatigue and recurring yeast infections,” Metzger says.
Severe PMS
Eating too many sweets makes women feel worse right before their menstrual cycles. Researchers at the American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists say 85 per cent of women who menstruate report one or more Pre-Menstrual Syndrome symptoms, and that managing sugar intake could be one of the most powerful and effective ways to curtail PMS-related symptoms.
Insomnia
Sugar may be keeping you up at night, says Dr. Fred Pescatore, former associate medical director for the Atkins Center. He says sugar affects insulin levels, and insulin levels affect cortisol levels. When cortisol levels increase, it can make it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep.
“If you’re one of the people who wake up at two or three in the morning, try decreasing the amount of sugar you eat and you’ll stay asleep,” says Pescatore.
The stripper
Finally, scientists say as your body digests sugar, it strips it of valuable nutrients. This is because sugar digestion requires many vitamins, minerals and enzymes to be stripped from healthy cells. This tasks the system, and the situation is worse for those already used to poor diet.
Way out
Does this mean we should stop eating sugar altogether? Scientists answer: “You’ll find added sugar in foods we know are bad for us — such as soft drinks, lollies, cakes, biscuits, pies and pastries.
“Sugars found in nutrient-poor foods are the ones that are increasing our waistlines and therefore, increasing our health risks. Remember that sugar isn’t the only ingredient that you need to avoid. If avoiding sugar means you eat less processed foods and more whole foods — fruit, vegetables and whole grains — then that’s a good thing. But if you’re swapping sweet treats for fatty or salty ones then you’re not doing yourself any favours.”
The bottom line: It is possible to maintain a healthy diet and enjoy the occasional treat.
Naij.com
Manchester United confirm Alex Ferguson will retire at the end of the season
Manchester United have confirmed that Sir Alex Ferguson will retire at the end of the season.“I’ve had the tremendous pleasure of working very closely with Alex for 16 unforgettable years – through the Treble, the double, countless trophy wins and numerous signings,” outgoing United chief executive David Gill said, in the statement published on the club’s website this morning.
“Alex’s vision, energy and ability have built teams – both on and off the pitch – that his successor can count on as among the best and most loyal in world sport.
“The way he cares for this club, his staff and for the football family in general is something that I admire. It is a side to him that is often hidden from public view but it is something that I have been privileged to witness in the last 16 years.
“What he has done for this club and for the game in general will never be forgotten. It has been the greatest experience of my working life being alongside Alex and a great honour to be able to call him a friend.”
DailyPost
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