The dangers of processed foods

In today’s fast pace world, more and more people are consuming processed foods worldwide without adequate knowledge on its disadvantages. Statistics shows that there is a reduction in the consumption of whole organic foods. Scientific data has shown links between processed foods and health problems such as Obesity, High Blood Pressure, High Cholesterol, Diabetes to name a few.



The definition of what constitutes a processed food can vary slightly, processed foods applies to any food that has been altered from its natural state in some way, either for safety reasons or convenience to extend its shelf life. Processed foods aren’t just microwave meals, but also refer to foods that are packaged in boxes, cans, jars or bags.





Food processing techniques include freezing, canning, baking, drying and pasteurising products. In addition to going through many complex processing steps, processed foods often contain additives, artificial flavourings and other chemical ingredients.



Processed foods have ingredients that are high in salt, sugar; fructose syrup and fat. These ingredients are added to processed foods to make their flavour more appealing and to prolong their shelf life, or in some cases to contribute to the food’s structure.
Each 50-gram (1.8-ounce) portion of processed meat eaten daily increases the risk of colorectal cancer by 18 percent, according to the WHO





These foods are higher in calories due to the high amounts of added sugar or fat in them. Sugar is empty calories; it has no essential nutrients, but produces a large amount of energy. By nature, our appetite gravitates toward foods that are sweet, salty and fatty because these are the foods we need for survival, however, this results in people consuming more than the recommended amounts, because they are unaware of how much has been added to the foods.


Processed foods are extremely low in nutrients compared to whole foods. In many cases, synthetic vitamins and minerals are added to the foods to compensate for what was lost during processing. These synthetic nutrients are not to be compared to those found in whole foods.


Processed foods are high in trans-fat, which raises the level of cholesterol in the blood. Elevated levels of cholesterol increase the chances of developing cardiovascular disease. In addition, processed foods tend to be low in fibre and require less time and energy to digest.



Nutrition information on food labels is an important source of nutritional information but it typically underutilised by consumers. Adequate knowledge on the ingredients will save a lot of individuals from health challenges. By looking at the ingredient list on a product, it is easy to determine whether a food is high in fat, trans-fat, sugar or salt

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These are guidelines that show if a food is high or low in fat, trans-fat, salt or sugar:""

Total fat
High: more than 17.5g of fat per 100g ; Low: 3g of fat or less per 100g
Trans-fat
High: more than 5g of trans-fat per 100g ; Low: 1.5g of trans-fat or less per 100g
Sugars
High: more than 22.5g of total sugars per 100g ; Low: 5g of total sugars or less per 100g
Salt
High: more than 1.5g of salt per 100g (or 0.6g sodium) ; Low: 0.3g of salt or less per 100g (or 0.1g sodium)
For example, if you are trying to cut down on trans- fat, try to limit the amount of foods you eat that have more than 5g of saturated fat per 100g.
The best way to approach a healthy, balanced diet is as simple as swapping processed foods for whole foods. The body runs most efficiently on food that is in its natural form, or very close to it. Processed foods means the body has to work harder to do its job. People have thrived on vegetables, meat, eggs, fruits and other whole foods for centuries, while processed foods are a new phenomenon. If we make the body’s job easier, it will make our lives easier.

What you need to do to get that beach body

Here some suggestions for a few applications of the lifestyle changes I am talking about:



High Intensity Interval Training
Ah, good old interval and high-intensity training. I’m sure you have heard all about the numerous benefits of HIIT and for a good reason: it works. If you’re looking for a surefire way to burn fat faster and lose some pounds in the process, HIIT is a solid way to go. HIIT is more time efficient in burning fat than a traditional cardio workout. Not only will your body burn more calories but you will also continue to burn more calories and fat in the 24 hours after your workout.


Burn More
If you think that hitting the weights is the only thing you have to do to lose fat faster, you’re wrong. You need a solid balance of weight training, cardio and diet. The body will burn primarily carbohydrates during the first twenty minutes of cardiovascular exercise. Right about minute twenty, the body shifts over and starts to burn stored body fat as the primary source of energy.
You need a combination of both weight training and cardio to get fat off your body. Cardio alone will only train one type of muscle fiber and you’ll only be building one part of your fat-burning furnace. Many people do tons of cardio every day and don’t lift weights. They never change the way they look. I know a lot of people that lift weights that realize their limitations once challenged in different ways.




Hit The Weights
If you’re not already hitting the gym and racking up the weights, now’s the time if fat loss is your goal. Even if you start small and work your way up to heavier weights, gaining muscle is going to put you on the fast track to hitting that goal. When it comes to exercise, you have to train with weights to increase lean mass. Fat is burned inside of your muscle cells.
The bigger and more plentiful your muscle cells, the bigger your fat-burning furnace. Adding muscle basically increases the size of the fat-burning furnace. Dieting incorrectly or exercising incorrectly decreases your fat-burning furnace. This is often why when a male-female couple embarks on a good exercise and nutrition plan, the male drops more weight more quickly than the female. He has more muscle tissue and a much bigger furnace. He can burn food at a much faster rate than the female who has less muscle and a much smaller furnace.


Pick Up A Sport
Picking up a sport is a great way to burn extra calories, trim fat and still have a lot of fun doing it. Playing a sport involves cardio and lots of non-linear movement (jumping, back pedaling, side stepping etc), making it healthier than straight jogging. Plus you are having fun without getting bored.


You don’t have to be the next Michael Jordan to go down to your fitness facility. Just hop on the basketball court, and look for a game. Most people are happy to have another player. Just make sure you know the rules (how to dribble). I only mention basketball because that’s my sport of choice. Maybe squash is your thing, maybe its soccer, maybe its even tennis!




Reduce Stress With Yoga
Breathe deep. Relax. Breathe deeper. Feel better? Feel healthier? Well, keep doing it because it’s helping you stay fit and lose fat. Stress has been known to contribute to abdominal fat and a whole host of other health issues. Grabbing your Yoga mat and heading out for a little relaxation will go a long way towards helping you reach your fitness goals. Besides, who couldn’t use a little less stress and a little more relaxation, right?


More Home Cooked Meals… Less Eating Outside
Unless you’ve been plugging away at a healthy lifestyle for a long time, going out to eat at restaurants can be a daunting task. Most menus don’t provide very good details and calorie counts on all their meals so knowing what to order can often be an exercise in futility. The more home-cooked meals you eat, the more likely you’re able to maintain that healthy lifestyle. It’s much easier to control portion, ingredients, and quality of the food when you’re cooking it yourself.
Look at for my next article where I’ll continue with these tips, till then, try to make little changes and turn them into habits.


Good luck

Saraki, others meeting with NLC leaders in bid to end strike

The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has convened an emergency meeting aimed at brokering peace between the Nigeria Labour Congress and the federal government over the ongoing nationwide strike, his office has said.



Bamikole Omisore, Mr. Saraki’s spokesperson, wrote on his Twitter page on Thursday that the Senate President, alongside other principal officers of the upper chamber were meeting with officials of the NLC.
“Leadership of Nigerian Senate is now in a meeting with Nigerian Labour Congress to broker peace between labour and government on fuel price deregulation,” Mr. Omisore tweeted.


“Senate President, Bukola Saraki, is meeting with both factions of NLC. Comrade Wabba, Issa Aremu, Honourable Ekwe, Dr. Ozo-Eson, Comrade Adeyemi, Dr Fashina and others,” Mr. Omisore tweeted.
In a text message to PREMIUM TIMES, Mr. Omisore said senators present at the meeting include, Francis Alimikena, Suleiman Nasif, Kabir Gaya, Joshua Lidani and Mao Ohuabunwa.
The NLC had commenced a nationwide strike on Wednesday.

NYSC Postpones 2016 Batch ‘A’ Stream II Orientation Course

The authority of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) regrets to announce the postponement of the 2016 Batch ‘A’ (Stream II) Orientation course scheduled to commence on Saturday, 21st May, 2016 due to logistics reasons.


We enjoin all Prospective Corps members to watch out for a new date to be announced later.
All inconveniences are highly regretted, please.

Nigeria Immigration Service gets new boss

The Comptroller-General of Nigeria Immigration Service, Martin Abeshi, has retired.
Mr. Abeshi was appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari on August 27, 2015, after holding the position in an acting capacity for six days.


Mr. Abeshi is to be replaced by Muhammed Babandede, who will take over as interim Controller-General of Immigration.



Until his appointment, Mr. Babandede was in charge of the Operations and Passport Directorate of the service.

Wizkid Set To Go On Tour With Chris Brown

Star boy Wizkid ,is indeed set to take over the music industry.
It has just been confirmed that the talented singer will be going on tour with multi-award winning singer,
Chris Brown.







This was announced by Mavin’s Bizzle Osikoya, who shared a screenshot of the event on his Instagram account earlier today.
@wizkidayo added as Support act on @chrisbrownofficial #OneHellOfANiteTour #major
A photo posted by Bizzle Osikoya (@bizzleo1)...


Wizkid would be performing alongside French Montana, August Alsina, amongst several others at Chris Brown’s One Hell of a Nite concert in Amsterdam.




He earlier tweeted his excitment saying:
2016 All Mine
2016 all mine!
1:09 PM - 19 May 2016
386 298
Wizkid Ayo Balogun
@wizkidayo


Well done Wizkid!

UNILORIN wins inter-university Qur’an recitation, memorisation competition

A student of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), Sodiq Abdulfatai, has emerged winner at the second edition of the Inter-University Qur’an Recitation and Memorisation Competition organised by Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin.
The competition came to a close on Wednesday in Ilorin, with a closing ceremony chaired by Prof. Sulyman Adeniyi, the Vice Chancellor of Ladoke Akintola University, Osogbo.
The vice chancellor, represented by Prof. Abdulakeem Abdulraheem, appreciated the efforts of the organising committee of the competition, adding that it was time and energy consuming to sustain the programme despite challenges faced in the past.
Mr. Adeniyi said that one of the benefits of Qur’an recitation was that it made man at peace with Allah.
He added that “when you recite the Holy Qur’an, it makes you feel and be at peace with Allah and curtails youthful exuberance, as well as enhances general productivity.
“Engaging our youth in activities like this will prevent them from vices; I challenge the organisers to come up with similar programmes that will
enhance the understanding and application of the teachings of the Holy Qur’an.
“This is because it is not enough to recite and memorise the Qur’an, but we ought to check the understanding of its teachings.


“I, therefore, enjoin all youths to read the Holy Qur’an daily and not wait until the month of Ramadan before reading it and memorising it.”
In a closing remark, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ganiyu Badmus, who represented the vice chancellor of Al-Hikmah University, assured better organisation of subsequent competitions and increased participation.
He appreciated the representatives of universities present at competition and expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the competition and prayed that Allah protect the participants as they return to their destinations.


The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that all the winners in category A, B and C were from UNILORIN, with Sodiq Abdulfatai, the overall winner
in Category A, going home with N125,000 cash.
Abdulrazaq Abdulwahab won Category B, while Rahamatul Abdulwahab won Category C, all of the same institution.
The overall winner, Sodiq Abdulfatai, thanked the organisers of the event and prayed Allah to reward them abundantly.


Those who attended the event were the Chief Imam of Igbaja land, Yakub Akorede, Prof. Lanre Badmus, Dean, Postgraduate Schools, UNILORIN,
among others. (NAN)

African Movie Academy Awards announces nomination for 12th edition

The African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) has announced its nomination for the 12th edition of the annual movie awards.


This is contained in a statement issued by the Chairman of the 2016 AMAA Jury, Shaibu Husseini, and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja.
“We are excited to share the African Movie Academy Award’s 2016 nomination list with you first, bearing in mind your strategic position in the African media space.
“I am very happy about the quality of works that came into the competition this year because we had a very thorough screening process.


“It gladdens our heart that every year the objectives of the awards are being achieved with film makers in Africa and beyond upping their game,” the statement said.
It said the 2016 edition of the annual awards had 26 different categories of nominations.
The categories include: awards for Best Animation; Best Documentary; and Best Film in an African Language and Best Film by an African Living Abroad.
Others include: AMAA award for Best Young/ promising Actor; Best Actor in a Supporting Role; Best Actress in a Supporting Role and the Best Actor and Actress in a Leading role, respectively.
NAN reports that AMAA, popularly known as AMA Awards, is presented annually to recognise excellence of professionals in the film industry.


The awards are aimed at honouring and promoting excellence in the African movie industry as well as uniting the African continent through arts and culture.
The award presentation is attended by numerous media representatives, celebrities, politicians, journalists, actresses and actors from all over the world.
The AMA awards are widely acclaimed as the most prestigious film awards in Africa.
The 2016 ceremony is scheduled to hold on June 11 in Port Harcourt.

Sony Music Entertainment Africa Signs Tanzanian Superstar Ali Kiba To A Global Deal

Sony Music Entertainment Africa have signed accomplished East African singer-songwriter and musician Alikiba to a global recording agreement. Alikiba and the Sony Music Entertainment team inked the deal during an exclusive, global media audience session at the Sony Music Entertainment Sub Saharan Africa Head Offices in Johannesburg, South Africa and will see the Tanzanian recording artist release his highly anticipated sophomore album later this year.
Alikiba is a superstar across East Africa and vast parts of the African continent as ‘The King of Bongo Flava’ and his hashtag #KingKiba is a weekly trend across various African countries and has been for the past few years without any signs of slowing down. Alikiba is the only artist in East Africa that has maintained a top 10 media trend profile over the past 2 years and he has a vast army of extremely passionate and loyal fans base ranging from every day people to the Ministers and Presidents of countries.
Sean Watson, Managing Director of Sony Music Entertainment Africa says of the development: “Sony Music Entertainment recently announced several key strategic steps that we’d taken in Africa including new operations in Nigeria and the signing of high profile West African artists. We also mentioned that we’d be making similar inroads in East Africa. Well here we are, at the dawn of our East African journey and who better to start it with than an artist of the stature of Alikiba. We’re very proud of being able to partner with such a talented individual and can’t wait to get started on sharing his music with his fans all over the world.


“My partnership with Sony Music in addition to my already very successful partnership with my management team at ROCKSTAR4000 now completes the team, and solidifies the most powerful proposition and team to take my music to even greater heights, to new audiences and fans across borders and across the world. I’m really excited in the future of music from the African continent as its now the time for the amazing music and sounds from Africa to take over the world, and I’m excited on where this amazing partnership will be able to take my music now to fans across the continent and across the planet. ” Alikiba commented.
Paul Thackwray, Marketing Director for Sony Music Entertainment Africa added, “Amplifying Alikiba’s already significant digital footprint, extending the reputation and impact of this great East African artist career via his music content across the continent and into the world, is a truly exciting opportunity for us”.
“We are very passionate and close to Alikiba and his amazing talent, we are very excited about his future and there is no stopping his chart success, his music, his commitment and passion and without doubt no better partner that mirrors these values and objectives than the amazing team at Sony Music” added Christine ‘Seven’ Mosha, Head of Talent and Music at ROCKSTAR4000.




His first single, “AJE”, will be released through Sony Music Entertainment Africa

Military rescues Chibok girl, over 100 hostages

Young Amina Ali, clutching her four-month-old baby, has regained her freedom from the terrorist group Boko Haram. Ali, one of the missing Chibok girls, was found on the edge of the Sambisa Forest in Borno State.
Confirming the rescue, the military through the Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman, disclosed in a statement last night that Ali was moved from the 25 Task Force Brigade, Damboa in Borno State along with her baby to Maiduguri, for “medical attention and screening.”
She was reportedly rescued while she was with one Mohammed Hayatu, who claimed to be her husband.Damboa, 87 kilometres, south of Maiduguri, is one of the liberated communities.
The statement reads in part: “Troops of 25 Brigade, Damboa in conjunction with Civilian JTF deployed in one of the blocking


positions at Baale, near Damboa rescued one Miss Amina Ali and a suspected Boko Haram terrorist, Mohammed Hayat, who claimed to be her husband.
“Investigation shows that she is indeed one of the Chibok schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram terrorists on April 14, 2014 in Chibok; and her name is Amina Ali as against Falmata Mbalala that was earlier stated.”
On the current status of Amina, Usman said: “She is a nursing mother, with a four-month-old baby girl, who was named Safiya. Both the suspected Boko Haram terrorist and the nursing mother have been taken to Maiduguri for further medical attention and screening.”
Earlier yesterday, Usman told The Guardian on telephone that the military could not confirm the authenticity of the report since it was still profiling more than a hundred hostages rescued in Sambisa forest

“I am not confirming it,” he told The Guardian. “But I know we rescued a lot of people yesterday and the profiling is still ongoing. Even if one of them is one of the Chibok girls, such a person still needs profiling.”
Meanwhile, in continuation of Operation Crack in Sambisa Forest of Borno State against Boko Haram insurgency, troops of 7 Division of Nigerian Army on Tuesday killed 15 terrorists and rescued 41 hostages from the destroyed Njimia camp.
An initial statement issued by Usman to reporters in Maiduguri yesterday reads: “While the troops were advancing earlier in the morning on the same day, they cleared Boko Haram terrorists’ camps at Alafa, where they encountered heavy resistance from Boko Haram terrorists and killed 15 of them.
“The troops continued their advance through Alafa Main, Alafa Extension and Alafa Yaga-yaga, where they cleared remnants of the Boko Haram terrorists hibernating there before arriving at their main objective, Njimia, a terrorists’ camp.”Usman said that apart from destroying the camps, the troops rescued 41 hostages who were mostly women and children.“The troops recovered two dane guns, several vehicles, motorcycles and bicycles belonging to Boko Haram terrorists.”
He added: “One significant aspect of this feat was the combination of ground forces assault, Nigerian Air Force (NAF) jets provision for combat air support and monitoring of the operation directly by the Acting General Officer Commanding, 7 Division of Nigerian Army, Brig-Gen. Victor Ezugwu on board Air Force Reconnaissance Aircraft.”


Usman, however noted that “No casualty was recorded by the troops throughout the conduct of this operation.”Global news networks, including the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and the Cable News Network (CNN) yesterday carried reports about Amina Ali Nkek, who was reportedly found by a vigilance group close to the border with Cameroun.
Online media platforms said the girl who was breastfeeding a child was said to have been taken to Chibok where her parents reportedly identified her. She was also quoted as saying that “all the girls are in Sambisa forest, but six of them had died.”
About 218 of the girls are still missing. The Boko Haram terrorist group had captured the girls while they were sitting for the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination organised by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) in April 2014.
Activists reportedly told BBC that Amina was recognised and identified by a civilian fighter belonging to the Civilian Joint Task Force (JTF). According to the BBC, the news of the rescue was confirmed to it by Nigerian university teacher and women’s activist Hauwa Abdu.
Amina Ali reportedly hails from the town of Mbalala, south of Chibok, from where 25 of the kidnapped girls came.


An uncle, Yakubu Nkeki was quoted as saying that the rescued girl was later reunited with her mother in Chibok and would soon be moved to Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.
But Col. Usman yesterday said the BBC report or any other information regarding the rescue of one of the kidnapped Chibok girls on Tuesday should not be relied upon by the media until the military concluded profiling of all hostages. He explained that the Army was not consulted by any of the global news agencies before making the matter public.
“I don’t know where the BBC got their information,” he said. “You should not publish such information without getting clearance. They should have waited to get that before going on air. But you know there is competition among the media. It is killing the spirit.”
Continuing, Usman said: “Let’s get this thing right. What is happening is that we have been carrying out operations and, in the course of that, a lot of individuals were rescued.
“Yesterday many people were rescued. We cannot confirm whether one of them is one of the Chibok girls or not. We are profiling those who have been rescued. It is after the profiling that we can confirm. It is our joy to get this kind of things. And once we get it, we would tell it.”

‘Vanished’ EgyptAir plane crashes off Greek island

An EgyptAir flight which disappeared from radar screens en route from Paris to Cairo early Thursday, crashed into the sea off the southern Greek island of Karpathos while in Egyptian airspace, a Greece aviation source told AFP.


“At around 0029 GMT (3:29 am) when it was in Egyptian airspace, the plane disappeared from Greek radars… it crashed around 130 nautical miles off the island of Karpathos,” the source told AFP.
The official said the last communication with the pilot was three minutes before the plane disappeared, and that there had been no distress call.
The Greek defence ministry said it had dispatched two search planes and a frigate to the area.
Twenty-six foreigners were among the 56 passengers, including 15 French citizens, a Briton and a Canadian, EgyptAir said

.

UI, ABU to get off-grid solar power plants

Collaboration between Nigeria and Germany is underway for the construction of off-grid solar power plants for the University of Ibadan and the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.The groundbreaking ceremony for the solar power plants is to take place before the end of next month in Ibadan, Oyo State.
While playing host to German Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Michael Zenner, Education Minister, Malam Adamu Adamu, hinted that the University of Ibadan and Ahmadu Bello University solar power plants would serve as pilot projects. If successful, the project would be replicated in all other federal universities in the country.


Represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan, Adamu promised to render all necessary assistance to ensure the success of the projects.
Zenner, who was accompanied on the visit by the Vice Chancellor, University of Ibadan, Professor Idowu Olayinka, told the minister that the projects would not only provide electricity to the university community, but will also facilitate the training of young engineers on renewable energy technology.
Zenner pointed out that “the project is very important because the university will become independent from other power sources, the money saved can be used for research, etc.”He remarked that there has been an energy partnership between Germany and Nigeria since 2008.