Importance of Vitamin Supplements

“What supplements do YOU take??

This is arguably the No. 1 question I get when I speak around the world. I was asked about it in Thailand, Iceland, Singapore … and virtually everywhere else.

Though my initial response is usually, "Doesn’t it matter what foods I eat?" I get it—people are just general interested.

To be honest, I’m not a big “supplement person.” Since I first started to work out in 1990, I’ve certainly wasted a ton of money on different products over the years—and also taken many that have merit.

From fat burners to growth “formulas,” creatine to L carnitine, I've tried a bunch hoping I could get bigger, leaner, stronger, and faster. I started out as an overweight kid who started working and eating better to lose weight so I could play football with kids my own age. As I got a little older, I was more interested in putting on muscle. And now, close to 25 years later, I’m most interested in health, feeling great and having, the most energy humanly possible.

So here’s what I currently take every single day. (For more advice for the vitamin aisle, check out our Supplement Guide.)

Fish oil
To me, this is the most important of them all. Most don’t get enough omega-3 fats. Even if you do eat fish—as I do (usually twice per week) in my mind there is definitely more than enough data and evidence to support a regular omega-3 supplement. I trust Nordic Naturals in the Mohr House. My wife and I both take it. Our kids take it. Omega-3s are the cornerstone of our supplement regimen.

Multivitamin
I have taken a multi now for years as solid insurance. Does it replace a smart diet? Of course not. But as a complement to a clean diet, loaded color, and tons of nutrients, a multi is certainly a nice basic product. I use Rainbow Light’s Men’s One Multivitamin, which is a food based product. I like some of the added nutrients in there—200 mcg of selenium and added vitamin D, for example, providing 800 IUs.

Vitamin D
The more data that continue to emerge, the more I feel this is an essential one. I have been tested in the past and was deficient last time I was. Now that I supplement with 3000 IUs a day, my levels are back within the optimal range. Preventing deficiency is onething—optimizing intake is another. I’m after the latter. The Nordic Naturals fish oil product I take—Arctic Cod Liver Oil + D—has 1,000 IUs in it to kill two birds with one stone.

Whey Protein Powder
I really don’t even consider this a supplement, but since it technically is, I’ll throw this into the mix. I use this because it’s convenient and I use it  as an easy way to get quality nutrients into my diet, by making shakes with veggies and/or fruit. There are also a lot of fantastic studies that support whey  protein, which is what I take for maintaining lean body mass, fat loss, and more.

Probiotics
Probiotics are the wave of the nutrition future. The more scientists learn about the microbiome, the bacteria in and all over our bodies, the more interested I am in these. There are data that support their use for immunity, regularity, and even weight loss and vitamin D status. I currently use Udo’s Choice.  There are certainly other options and we often rotate as some have unique strains with them.

Sports nutritionist Dr. Christopher Mohr, PhD, is a registered dietitian and nutrition consultant to the Cincinnati Bengals, the Discovery Health Channel and The Dairy Council. Through his company Mohr Results, Inc., he helps all types of individuals and athletes achieve their diet and nutrition goals. Dr. Mohr earned his Ph.D. in exercise physiology from the University of Pittsburgh and is a board certified specialist in sports dietetics.
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Nigeria at 54: Soyinkaism: We Deserve No Nihilist – Whyte Habeeb Ibidapo

“Our government teaches the whole people by its example. If the government becomes the lawbreaker, it breeds contempt for law; it invites every man to become a law unto himself; it invites anarchy. Often time than not, we yap over act instead of act over yap; we get engrossed in myopic politicking when our health system is amongst the worst in Africa, our education is deteriorating every day, corruption is escalating on exponential scale and employment is killing our national potential, insecurity and terrorism have claimed several lives most among whom are productive youths“.

‘The unleashing viperous cult like Boko Haram on peaceful citizens qualifies as a crime against humanity, and deserves that very dimension in its resolution. If a people must survive, the reign of impunity must end. Truth – in all available detail – is in the interest, not only of Nigeria, the sub-region and the continent, but of the international community whose aid we so belatedly moved to seek’’. - Professor Wole Soyinka – The Wages of Impunity


The clearest way to show what the rule of law means to us in everyday life is to recall what has happened when there is no rule of law. As with any other species, human populations are shaped by the usual forces of natural selection, like famine, disease or climate. A strong culture of impunity has come to stay in Nigerian polity. No matter how you try to kill the truth, it has a phenomenal way of self resurrection. To say we are enjoying good governance in the Nigeria of today is a real thesis that needs no defence for validation. The rule behind the conspiracy scheme of governance in Nigeria is self explanatory. Nigeria has moved towards what the philosophers have identified as nihilism, in which its advocates disavow all institutions. They don’t believe in law and due process. I wonder if the current government are not close nihilists. When you don’t obey the law and breach protocol all for personal gain and you disdain institutions. You are a nihilist, if you don’t know. If you had employ the service of a negotiator to look into a matter and the result of his investigation points accusing fingers to your political associate and on that basis you refuse to take the proper action under the law, it is safe to conclude that you are a nihilist. No doubt our presidency is climbing the ladder of success wrong by wrong when it comes to proper governance.

We are blessed with all manner of blessings under the sun but the blessings and geniuses in us are hindered because of corruption occasioned by the priority and perpetuation of self above the interest of the citizenry. It could well argued that some of the problems began with inherited colonial state which made it a point of duty to isolate itself from the entire citizenry but with the extent of government transition, we should have gotten it right. Nigeria’s role in the world and African affairs had declined significantly. The democracy we celebrate is one representation narrowly concerned with rights, mainly political rights but hardly participatory or deliberative in the sense of harnessing the energies of communities let alone making them the focus of governance. There is always the shortage of many of the things that makes life and living meaningful in every part of the country. It is more or less diarchy. It is just a mockery of the government of popular reflection.


Our government teaches the whole people by its example. If the government becomes the lawbreaker, it breeds contempt for law; it invites every man to become a law unto himself; it invites anarchy. Often time than not, we yap over act instead of act over yap; we get engrossed in myopic politicking when our health system is amongst the worst in Africa, our education is deteriorating every day, corruption is escalating on exponential scale and employment is killing our national potential, insecurity and terrorism have claimed several lives most among whom are productive youths. And above all, are the Chibok school girls that were carted away from school without a national security responsive other than a mockery of our political will power and national dignity. The Boko Haram issue is a complete mockery of our national dignity and it is actually a manifestation of the degenerations in every department of our national architecture. I believe strongly that some people are working day and night to disintegrate our great nation. Unfortunately for us, they are more purposeful and better co-ordinated than our leaders across boards. They are more dedicated to their mission than our leaders and even more disciplined. Even if we think they are fallen angels that were let loose from hell, they are still purposeful to their cause. Why can’t the government of the day be responsive enough to quash them completely? The government should better learn the basics of dedication to a cause from the fallen angels that are threatening our safety. The safety of Nigerians should be the highest law of the land. Afteral, the law protects you from being abused. It doesn’t threaten your lifestyle for someone else to have the right to exhibit their lifestyle. The government must tread where angels feared to tread.

As at today, we are not still sure about the capone of Boko Haram. Accusing fingers are directed towards the Grand commander himself others believes that it is the Northern leaders in a bid to make governance in 2015 etc. We don’t even know who to believe. Different version of truth are been spoken everyday and we forget about them easily. The fact still remains that there are innocent youths in captivity whose society and governance have failed their existence. Some persons have even taken the issue to be political rather than coming together to put an end to the problem at large. I guess one of the fundamentals of a political party is to represent platforms of ideas, policy options and visionary goals around which the electorate is invited to gather. It is rather an assemblage of power hungry individuals that wish to exhibit their nihilist abilities. It’s essentially a club of elites for the motive of sharing oil rents and political spoils. Sanity has lost its position in our governmental affairs. It’s a nihilistic affair.

It should be noted that Nigerians are tired of digesting concoctions that are filled with empty promises rather proactive actions should be taken. The law should be blind to race, gender and sexual orientation, just as it claims to be blind to wealth and power. There should be no specially protected groups of any kind, except for children, the severely disabled and the elderly, whose physical frailty demands society’s care. To prove that this government is not nihilist in doings, people that are find wanton on our security issues should be prosecuted with immediate effect. We are not supposed to be all equal. Let’s just forget that. We are supposed to have equal rights under law. If we do that, we have done enough. The same right that the government have in prosecuting individuals over alleged corruption acts should be extended to those that are been suspected to be the backbone of the fallen angels that are threatening our survival. We must reject the idea that every time a law’s broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It is time to restore precept that each individual is accountable for his actions. It may be true that the law cannot make a man love, but it can keep him from lynching, and I think that’s pretty important. No man is justified in doing evil on the grounds of expediency. For this sake of this generation and generation to come, the federal government should please BRING BACK OUR HONOUR.

WHYTE HABEEB IBIDAPO is a United Nations Award winner, Africa International Arbitration Award winner and Coca cola/ The Nation Campuslife Award Winner.

Nigeria at 54: Countering terrorism: The non-military option

(By Gbenga Ogunremi)

“However, rather than unite and find ways of tackling the threat that the Boko Haram insurgency poses to the stability of our dear country, members of the political class, the Opposition in particular, have been playing transactional and divisive politics, selfishly exploring the security challenges purposely to further their political mileage and therefore heating up the polity to the detriment of our collective interests“.

BEFORE the emergence of the Jamaatu Ahlis Sunna Liddaawati Wal Jihad commonly called Boko Haram insurgency and its attendant terror activities which date back to 2002, was a thing alien to our culture and environment. It is something relatively new here in Nigeria, and as such, dealing with it is fraught with several challenges. The closest we had was the Kano Maitatsine religious riots which were promptly put down in the early eighties.

   Initially, it was a local insurgency in the North Eastern Nigeria, and then it snowballed into a new frontier of the global war of terrorism against our people, our culture and our nascent democracy. It remains a huge threat not only to our country’s stability, but also to all of us as individuals.

    Today, we are all witnesses to the venomous hostility being perpetuated by the Boko Haram sect, whose incomprehensible lethal and gruesome acts have attained a new virulence. This might have, in part, informed a recent declaration by the National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki (rtd) at a security summit in far away Washington D.C., that the activities of the Boko Haram sect was a huge threat to the very democratic foundations and good governance structures of Nigeria.

   

The NSA, I believe, was merely expressing the deep-rooted fears of millions of concerned and patriotic Nigerians who are desperately wishing for a quick end to this nightmare that has caused so much bloodshed, terrible humanitarian crisis and heavy distractions from good governance.

   The solution to the problem, therefore, lies in a robust and strategic approach to countering terrorism. This calls for a concerted effort by all stake holders irrespective of political, religious or ethnic affiliations to tackle the Boko Haram insurgency and terrorism that has assumed a global dimension.

   However, rather than unite and find ways of tackling the threat that the Boko Haram insurgency poses to the stability of our dear country, members of the political class, the Opposition in particular, have been playing transactional and divisive politics, selfishly exploring the security challenges purposely to further their political mileage and therefore heating up the polity to the detriment of our collective interests.

   This group of people and their cohorts have chosen to pursue the negative, to attack, to belittle, to accuse and to always find fault with our beloved country and her leaders.   Consistently, they exhibit deep-seated criticisms that are often hate-centric, political and destructive. They even go as far as feeding the foreign media with a catalogue of falsehood, speaking disparagingly about the Jonathan Administration and its efforts at checkmating the criminal and violent activities of the Boko Haram sect, all in view of their inordinate quest for power.  Deliberately, they have refused to acknowledge the Federal Government’s resilience in tackling insurgency, terrorism and other criminal acts.

   This set of unpatriotic people would, however, do well to borrow a leaf from eminent and patriotic Nigerians who have come together to launch a private initiative called Nigeria: Our Heritage Project, aimed at creatively engendering a positive global perception of Nigeria. The private team is collaborating with the Federal Ministry of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation, as well as some of Nigeria’s international friends, to correct negative perception of the international community about our dear country especially in these trying times of serious security challenges.

   They must also take a cue from a non-governmental organisation, Put Nigeria First, which is in the vanguard of re-awakening the true Nigerian spirit of patriotism and doggedly rallying a support base for our soldiers who pay the ultimate price for our country’s stability, unity and peaceful co-existence.

   The guiding principles of the United Nigerians Forum (UNFO), an NGO, tally well with the positive outlook of these patriots. At UNFO, positivity is the hallmark of their very existence. They are committed to advancing efforts to promote good governance and sustain democratic best practices in Nigeria and more importantly to constantly highlight, by bringing to the fore, the appreciable efforts and achievements of our leaders, both in government and in the corporate world. This, we believe would spur and encourage such leaders to be more outstanding in taking our nation to the next level of progress and development.

   Because we would never lose sight of what is good, the purpose of this article would therefore be to highlight laudable efforts of the Presidency and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) in particular to safeguard and stabilise the political, economic and security apparatus of the country in the face of unrelenting onslaught posed by the challenges of terrorism, kidnapping, oil theft, political violence and intolerance, religious and ethnic violence, and economic challenges.

   Against the background of the Northern region of the country, particularly the North-Eastern States of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe, being the butt of mindless terrorist attacks characterised by wanton killings, kidnapping, maiming, and untold loss of property  and livelihood which has negatively impacted on the socio-economic fortunes of the region, combating terrorism and crippling Boko Haram became a national priority, making it imperative that potent security strategies be put in place to mitigate these terror activities.

   In identifying and selecting appropriate policy instruments, intuitively, the Office of the National Security Adviser was quick to realise that while the use of force is a necessity in countering terrorism, it would not be a sufficient tool to win the war against terror, especially in addressing most of the underlying root causes escalating the crisis situation. It, therefore, commenced the blending process of hard line security measures with a soft line approach that focuses on prevention, human rights, peace building, socio-economic development and engagement with the civil society.

   To this end, the NSA’s office promptly launched a multi-dimensional soft approach as a trajectory towards a permanent solution to the scourge of terrorism in the northern part. These include, among others, the North East Economic Transformation (NEET) and Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) Programmes.

  The NEET is a comprehensive programme that is expected to profoundly address the underlying economic problems in the north east region, a subsequent action of which was President Jonathan’s leading action of instituting a Presidential Initiative for the North-East (PINE). This is an intervention plan designed, “To mobilise targeted resources to jumpstart the economies of the North-Eastern States while strategically repositioning the region for long term prosperity.”  PINE is also expected in the short-term to provide for emergency relief and assistance, restore means of securing the basic necessities of life such as food, shelter and clothing in the region.

   To show that the government meant business in addressing urgently the untold human suffering and thus cushion the effect of the collateral damage inflicted by the insurgents, a 26-man Victims Support Fund Committee led by retired Gen. Theophilus Y. Danjuma was set up by the President as a short-term measure and part of an overall PINE strategy to achieve the objective of providing relief and succour for all those that have been adversely affected.

   It is to the credit of the Jonathan Administration and the Danjuma-led committee that a very swift action by the committee in leveraging the capacities of public and private sectors resulted in the raising of about N60 billion at a well organised fund-raising ceremony personally supervised by the President himself.

   The other prong of the soft approach to counter terrorism is the Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) Programme which the NSA’s office designed and adopted as a policy aimed at “stemming the tide of radicalisation, reducing the incidence of violent activities, change the behaviour of violent extremists and counter the narrative of extreme groups while promoting core national values.”

    According to the Directorate of Behavioural Analysis (DBA) under the office of the NSA’s Counter-Terrorism Department charged with the responsibility of providing the prevention module of government’s counter-terrorism strategy, the CVE has three streams of Counter Radicalisation, De-radicalisation and Strategic Communication.

   The Counter- Radicalisation approach is designed to prevent ordinary innocent but vulnerable people, especially the youths, from buying into the terrorist mindset, that is, to prevent those not yet radicalised from doing so. It is about government taking appropriate steps to combat incitement to terrorism by focusing on community engagement, economic and education-based projects. This invariably would help stem the flow of recruits and reduce the potential for radicalisation.

   On the other hand, De-radicalisation policy is targeted at those earlier radicalised and who were set to be released from prison. It aims to reintegrate extremists and their families back into the society through a number of activities, including prison interventions and vocational training that would significantly change a terrorist’s perception and belief system and ultimately make him reject extremist ideologies and embrace mainstream values.

    The strategic communication aspect of the CVE is more or less a follow-up to the de-radicalisation process. It is a means of fostering a culture of dialogue and understanding that would eventually stamp out misunderstandings and misconceptions among the people, their cultures and religions. This is because the process may not be complete if the ideological underpinnings that actually led to radicalisation in the first instance are not distilled and redirected to suit the objectives of de-radicalisation.

   The communication tool is being employed, for instance, to rehabilitate extremists in prison through religious re-education by bringing moderate Muslim clerics to convince them of the deceptiveness of their views and direct them towards a more ideal and correct version of Islam.

    At this juncture, it would only be appropriate to make mention of activities and projects so far implemented by the government in support of these policy programmes. These, according to reports , include an education summit organised to raise awareness on the importance of education as a tool for CVE; piloting a creative curriculum that encourages critical thinking and logical reasoning; Positive Voices Campaign which will promote community champions that stand up for tolerance and national identity;  identification and training of Imams to present moderate Islamic views; identification, registration and training of FBOs, CSOs and NGOs that can aid the overarching goal of countering violent extremism.

   Others include; arranging town hall dialogue meetings to improve internal community relations and relationship with the state; establishing community post-traumatic stress disorder centres,  sourcing of pastoral support by psychologists, therapists and religious leaders for prisoners; organising vocational training for prisoners and providing sustainable methods of livelihood. Others are reintegration of reformed extremists to their families and communities; and media initiatives that form a counter-narrative, that is, creating a rapid response media team that promptly address extremist messages in print, electronic media and the internet.

  Other national security strategic interventions, among others, include securing Nigeria’s Cyber Space which ensures blockade of unwanted intrusion into our data base and communications system, and a master plan put in place to protect the Critical National Infrastructure and Assets (CNIA) nation-wide.

   In conclusion, while the Federal Government’s commitment towards enhancing the military’s capacity to deliver in the fight against terror is duly acknowledged, we must applaud the military’s commitment, dedication, sacrifice and resilience despite operational challenges. All Nigerians must indeed give total support to the military in its bid to end the problem of insecurity facing our dear country.

• Gbenga Ogunremi is the media coordinator of United Nigerians Forum, an NGO based in Abuja

Soyinkaism: We Deserve No Nihilist – Whyte Habeeb Ibidapo

“Our government teaches the whole people by its example. If the government becomes the lawbreaker, it breeds contempt for law; it invites every man to become a law unto himself; it invites anarchy. Often time than not, we yap over act instead of act over yap; we get engrossed in myopic politicking when our health system is amongst the worst in Africa, our education is deteriorating every day, corruption is escalating on exponential scale and employment is killing our national potential, insecurity and terrorism have claimed several lives most among whom are productive youths“. 

‘The unleashing viperous cult like Boko Haram on peaceful citizens qualifies as a crime against humanity, and deserves that very dimension in its resolution. If a people must survive, the reign of impunity must end. Truth – in all available detail – is in the interest, not only of Nigeria, the sub-region and the continent, but of the international community whose aid we so belatedly moved to seek’’. - Professor Wole Soyinka – The Wages of Impunity

The clearest way to show what the rule of law means to us in everyday life is to recall what has happened when there is no rule of law. As with any other species, human populations are shaped by the usual forces of natural selection, like famine, disease or climate. A strong culture of impunity has come to stay in Nigerian polity. No matter how you try to kill the truth, it has a phenomenal way of self resurrection. To say we are enjoying good governance in the Nigeria of today is a real thesis that needs no defence for validation. The rule behind the conspiracy scheme of governance in Nigeria is self explanatory. Nigeria has moved towards what the philosophers have identified as nihilism, in which its advocates disavow all institutions. They don’t believe in law and due process. I wonder if the current government are not close nihilists. When you don’t obey the law and breach protocol all for personal gain and you disdain institutions. You are a nihilist, if you don’t know. If you had employ the service of a negotiator to look into a matter and the result of his investigation points accusing fingers to your political associate and on that basis you refuse to take the proper action under the law, it is safe to conclude that you are a nihilist. No doubt our presidency is climbing the ladder of success wrong by wrong when it comes to proper governance.

We are blessed with all manner of blessings under the sun but the blessings and geniuses in us are hindered because of corruption occasioned by the priority and perpetuation of self above the interest of the citizenry. It could well argued that some of the problems began with inherited colonial state which made it a point of duty to isolate itself from the entire citizenry but with the extent of government transition, we should have gotten it right. Nigeria’s role in the world and African affairs had declined significantly. The democracy we celebrate is one representation narrowly concerned with rights, mainly political rights but hardly participatory or deliberative in the sense of harnessing the energies of communities let alone making them the focus of governance. There is always the shortage of many of the things that makes life and living meaningful in every part of the country. It is more or less diarchy. It is just a mockery of the government of popular reflection.

Our government teaches the whole people by its example. If the government becomes the lawbreaker, it breeds contempt for law; it invites every man to become a law unto himself; it invites anarchy. Often time than not, we yap over act instead of act over yap; we get engrossed in myopic politicking when our health system is amongst the worst in Africa, our education is deteriorating every day, corruption is escalating on exponential scale and employment is killing our national potential, insecurity and terrorism have claimed several lives most among whom are productive youths. And above all, are the Chibok school girls that were carted away from school without a national security responsive other than a mockery of our political will power and national dignity. The Boko Haram issue is a complete mockery of our national dignity and it is actually a manifestation of the degenerations in every department of our national architecture. I believe strongly that some people are working day and night to disintegrate our great nation. Unfortunately for us, they are more purposeful and better co-ordinated than our leaders across boards. They are more dedicated to their mission than our leaders and even more disciplined. Even if we think they are fallen angels that were let loose from hell, they are still purposeful to their cause. Why can’t the government of the day be responsive enough to quash them completely? The government should better learn the basics of dedication to a cause from the fallen angels that are threatening our safety. The safety of Nigerians should be the highest law of the land. Afteral, the law protects you from being abused. It doesn’t threaten your lifestyle for someone else to have the right to exhibit their lifestyle. The government must tread where angels feared to tread.

As at today, we are not still sure about the capone of Boko Haram. Accusing fingers are directed towards the Grand commander himself others believes that it is the Northern leaders in a bid to make governance in 2015 etc. We don’t even know who to believe. Different version of truth are been spoken everyday and we forget about them easily. The fact still remains that there are innocent youths in captivity whose society and governance have failed their existence. Some persons have even taken the issue to be political rather than coming together to put an end to the problem at large. I guess one of the fundamentals of a political party is to represent platforms of ideas, policy options and visionary goals around which the electorate is invited to gather. It is rather an assemblage of power hungry individuals that wish to exhibit their nihilist abilities. It’s essentially a club of elites for the motive of sharing oil rents and political spoils. Sanity has lost its position in our governmental affairs. It’s a nihilistic affair.

It should be noted that Nigerians are tired of digesting concoctions that are filled with empty promises rather proactive actions should be taken. The law should be blind to race, gender and sexual orientation, just as it claims to be blind to wealth and power. There should be no specially protected groups of any kind, except for children, the severely disabled and the elderly, whose physical frailty demands society’s care. To prove that this government is not nihilist in doings, people that are find wanton on our security issues should be prosecuted with immediate effect. We are not supposed to be all equal. Let’s just forget that. We are supposed to have equal rights under law. If we do that, we have done enough. The same right that the government have in prosecuting individuals over alleged corruption acts should be extended to those that are been suspected to be the backbone of the fallen angels that are threatening our survival. We must reject the idea that every time a law’s broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It is time to restore precept that each individual is accountable for his actions. It may be true that the law cannot make a man love, but it can keep him from lynching, and I think that’s pretty important. No man is justified in doing evil on the grounds of expediency. For this sake of this generation and generation to come, the federal government should please BRING BACK OUR HONOUR.

WHYTE HABEEB IBIDAPO is a United Nations Award winner, Africa International Arbitration Award winner and Coca cola/ The Nation Campuslife Award Winner.

Source: Abusidiqu

The Science of Hapiness

There is no gainsaying that the science of being happy begins from the moments of waking up from bed in the morning and strengthening up for the rest of the day.

“Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.” ~ Ben Franklin

Whether you hate it or love it, rising early is something that we can and should all come to enjoy for its beauty and benefits. There are countless articles written of people’s success in learning to wake around 5:00 a.m. Most have slightly different reasons and indulge in the benefits their own way, but all have commonalities that lead to their success.

Waking up earlier is the most effective way to center your day. Allowing yourself time to establish your priorities, you will find satisfaction and accomplishment early on that helps stabilize and boost your mood throughout the rest of the day.

John Douillard highlights the particular ayurvedic benefits of body and mind when we adjust to the natural cycles of the day. Rising with the sun, having breakfast, a big lunch and an earlier, lighter dinner leads to relaxed, natural sleep cycles starting earlier in the evening and rising earlier in the day.

Planning to rise with the sun is a surefire way to start slow and always have the welcoming rays greet you. If you start this month, in April, when the sun rises around 6:35 a.m. EST, then to wake with the enlivening sun everyday means waking one to two minutes earlier every day and by June 18, you’ll be rising with the sun at 5:25 a.m.

Treat the sun sort of like your companion in your challenge. It rises a little bit earlier everyday, rise with it—become accountability buddies. It’s far easier to do something with someone else and although the sun is a stretch from an actual person, it will welcome you with warmth, light and energy every day.

I started taking this approach a week or so ago and already enjoy waking up a little before the sun rises so I’m there to catch it. It’s a wondrous time of day. Take it all in, take a picture and join the early rising pros.

Here are a few tips for rising early:

1. Have a good reason to motivate you. Look at your reason as a goal. Make no exceptions, hold yourself accountable, plan and prepare, be persistent and make it a positive experience followed with rewards.

2. Start slow. If you regularly wake up at eight, don’t start setting the clock to six just yet. Start by focusing on going to bed earlier. Read or do something to relax your mind for 30 minutes or so before you doze off. You’ll sleep better and feel more rested when it comes time to rise. Start waking up just 15 minutes earlier and increase the pace until you match the sun, then follow its lead. Go at your own pace and keep it consistent.

3. Before you go to bed, prepare for the morning. If there is a book you want to read, put it next to your bed; a breakfast you’d like to have, gather the ingredients; a project to work on, formulate the notes and set up the workspace.

4. Take advantage of the time. This may seem redundant but it’s ultimately important that you do something of value and also be aware of the little things. Enjoy the sunrise, the quiet and the possibilities of your day before it even begins.

5. Embrace the reward. Waking up early is a feat of personal will and determination. Celebrate your success and revel in the experience.

6. Persist. Forming new habits is hard and they don’t stick unless we push ourselves through some level of discomfort. At first, you may feel groggy and doubt that waking early is all it’s talked up to be. Nonsense. Like working out, it can be hard at first and makes us sore but once we push through the discomfort, we get stronger and it becomes enjoyable to push our physical limits. Stick with it and it will become part of your daily operations. Soon, it will feel wrong to wake later than usual, even once the sun starts sleeping in again.

Will rising with the sun help you? What do you like to do in the mornings? What would you do if you had a couple of extra hours in the morning?

Nigeria's Lessons From Obama at 54: Hope, Democracy, Tribalism and Identity Crisis.

Today, Like every other day of the year like this, we citizens of this great country, Nigeria, the largest black nation in all the earth celebrate our independence from the British colony, but have that long time ago freedom since October first 1960 actually been a solution to multi-hydra headed problem bewailing our nation especially from the socio-political, cultural war front?

The Obama Point of View:

Curled from Lawrence Chinedu Nwobu.
Nigeria has a lot to learn from Obama's politics of hope as against fear which the Republican Party and some in the Democratic Party introduced and exploited during the presidential race. The Theophilus Danjuma's, Reuben Abati's, Ibrahim Babangida's, the North and the crowd of Nigerian army civil war officers amongst others has since the end of the Nigeria-Biafra war thrived on the politics of fear, which has increasingly led to the exclusion of certain groups in both the political and infrastructural spheres, while enthroning mediocre and ethno-religious bigots. This has in turn necessitated the proliferation of self determination groups and widened the schism within an already fragile nation. When Americans were confronted with the choice between hope and fear, they chose hope. Obama's triumph in his message of hope is a lesson for the Nigerian masses who continue to be misled by the incompetent and crassly corrupt ethnic merchants, who thrive on the politics of fear as a convenient ploy to continue their strangle hold of misrule and monumental corruption.

Tribalism:

Nigeria's tribalism and ethnic hatred has been put to shame by the civilization manifested by White Americans who voted to put Barack Obama in the White House. African Americans make-up only 12% of the population, and Obama's presidency would have been impossible without the White vote. American voters disregarded race and chose merit over petty racism. In Nigeria's case tribalism as sponsored and promoted by the Reuben Abati's and his co. travellers has continued to exclude credible visionary candidates who could possibly transform Nigeria on ethnic grounds. The logic is simple enough; the benefits of good leadership touches everyone irrespective of race or ethnicity, while the perils of bad leadership likewise affects everyone irrespective of race or ethnicity. For most Nigerians resident abroad, the primary reason of residence is to benefit from the good social and economic systems in those countries and not the race or ethnicity of the people who make up such nations. If we can be contented to live in foreign climes without regards to the race of the leaders, Nigerians must as part of the lessons from the Obama experience learn to let merit come before ethnicity, this will in turn, make possible the emergence of credible leaders capable of transforming the nation.

Democracy:

America's free and fair democratic process which permitted the likes of Barack Obama to emerge the president in spite of his race is a remarkable lesson for nations like Nigeria where fraud, ethnicity and rigging of elections has since independence characterised the electoral process. It is remarkable that in over 200 years, America has continued to enjoy an absolutely functional democratic process that has over the centuries permitted the people to elect their leaders without interference, manipulation or fraud. Such transparency has evidently contributed in no small measure to the success story America represents in every field of political, technological and economic walk of life. Had Barack Obama been a Nigerian, the fraudulent electoral system would have both on the grounds of ethnicity and merit rigged him out of the process. The failure of Nigeria's democratic process has kept the nation on the sure path to self destruction. Nigeria must learn from the Obama experience and American democracy by instituting a functional free and fair democratic process, if the nation can stand any chance of survival in the long term.

Identity Crisis:

The famous Roman Catholic, Saint Francis de sales (1567-1622) once said in a famous quote, "be who you are and be that well." In other words he wanted people to be as original as possible.

The Obama phenomenon presents a lot of lessons for people and nations willing to learn from his unique experience in several areas. Identity crisis is a problem which plagues many in Nigeria. It is a topic I usually prefer to ignore, as I realise that victims of a conflict of identity bears the brunt and burden of their conflicted persona, however the Obama experience presents an opportunity to help those who may suffer such isolations of a conflicted identity with a better way forward.

Ordinarily, Barrack Obama who has a White mother had every reason to deny or subdue his Black identity in a nation like the United States of America where Blacks were once slaves, and where they have continued to face discrimination through several generations. Another grim disadvantage is the population of Blacks which is only 12% while Whites make up 67% of the population. In a democracy, the majority wins, and since Whites are an overwhelming majority, the assumption that only Whites can possibly win the White house could have made Obama to subdue his Blackness and give more emphasis on his White mother and White roots.

The lesson here is that in spite of all the obvious advantages of being White and disadvantages of Being Black, Obama choose to remain original and true to his black identity while at the same time never denying his White roots from his mother. In the end, his originality attracted the respect of both Whites and Blacks whose votes secured his victory to the White house. Nigerians who suffer from a conflicted identity, most of which are for political reasons and ignorance should learn from Obama's triumph in originality.

Comrade Lawrence Chinedu Nwobu

Email:lawrencenwobu@yahoo.com

CAN President Ayo Oritsejafor Has No Hand in The $9.3m Botched Scandal Deal.

For very once in all of the dark clouds surrounding the latest of these scandals bewailing the Christian community here in Nigeria, I decide to take to the latest clear-air speech delivered by the CAN president.

Oh, yes, Nigeria, today is regarded so much as one of the most corrupt nations in the world, more so because we its citizens have done not much more than contribute to this decapitating tragedy through media slanders and verbal assaults on the same country we all belong, so that I wonder who, where and when shall the solution to all of these menace arrive.

Well, in the brink of this present brouhaha, i have decided to pitch tent with the embattled CAN president where he's made it clearly that inasmuch as he is shocked and distressed by the incident, he'd wish to appeal to Christians in Nigeria to remember that a war has been waged against the Nigerian church. This war is being fought on many fronts and this unfortunate incident is another dimension in the assault against the church.

“It is clear that those who manipulated this conspiracy desire to create a schism in the church,” he said.

His Whole Speech:


The President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, on Monday, said he knew nothing about the controversial $9.3m smuggled into South Africa by two Nigerians and an Israeli, using his private jet.

Oritsejafor broke his silence during the National Executive Council meeting of CAN at the National Christian Centre, Abuja.

The CAN leader regretted that there had been attempts in the media to link him with the incident by mischievous elements, adding that he had kept quiet all the while because he needed to explain his position to the church, which he said, was his primary constituency.

Oritsejafor, in his address, a copy which was emailed to our correspondent in Kaduna, declared that he was never a party to the movement of the $9.3m from Nigeria to South Africa to purchase arms and ammunitions.

He said, “I wish to assure you that I will not do anything to tarnish the image of Jesus Christ or compromise the divine standard of the church.

“As you are all aware, the media has been awashed in the past few days about an unfortunate incident involving the movement of funds from Nigeria to South Africa. In the unfortunate news reports, attempts have been made to link me directly with the transaction.

“So far, I have refrained from making any direct public response pending the time that I would have briefed the leaders of the church and explained my position on the issues to them.

“I believe that the primary institution that I owe any explanation to is the church.”

Oritsejafor added, “At the risk of being seen to be defending myself, I wish to confirm to the distinguished leaders of the church that the Bombardier Challenger 601 aircraft in question is mine. The aircraft was presented to me as a gift by members of our congregation and ministry partners worldwide at my 40th anniversary of my call into the ministry.

“May I be permitted to stress that the aircraft was not given to me by the President of Nigeria, neither was it a settlement for any political favour or patronage.

“With the benefit of hindsight, the President of the country was a guest in our church during the anniversary celebration when the jet was presented to me. This has construed an implication that it was a gift from the President of the country.”

The CAN leader explained further that “the President of Nigeria has nothing to do with the gift of the aircraft. By the way, I still wonder why all those saying this cannot come out to show proof so that the matter can be put to rest once and for all. Let me say that this might be an issue of the court in the near future.”

Oritsejafor, who also explained the circumstances that led to the involvement of his aircraft, said, “In order to ameliorate the cost of maintenance of the aircraft, I sought and got permit to allow the aircraft fly in and out of Nigeria.

“Based on this, I leased the aircraft on August 2, 2014, to a company to run it. It was the leasee that entered into an agreement with the people who carried out the transfer of funds. Having leased the aircraft to the Green Coast Produce Company Limited, any transaction undertaken with the aircraft can no longer be attached to me.

“Inasmuch as I am shocked and distressed by the incident, I wish to appeal to Christians in Nigeria to remember that a war has been waged against the Nigerian church. This war is being fought on many fronts and this unfortunate incident is another dimension in the assault against the church.

“It is clear that those who manipulated this conspiracy desire to create a schism in the church.”