What I’m reading
“Perhaps the greatest wound that Zuma has inflicted upon our republic is that he has buried decency and accountability under rubbish heaps of sleaze and corruption.”
The President’s Keepers
What Happened When It Was Published
Within four days of the book’s publication it was cited in Parliamentary questions directed at the president by the opposition Democratic Alliance. On the 3 November 2017 the State Security Agency issued a cease and desist order to prevent more books being sold, arguing that the book contravened the Intelligence Service Act. SARS also stated that they would investigate initiating criminal charges against the author for publicising confidential tax records. The actions by the State Security Agency and SARS were criticised as censorship by the civil society organisations the Right2Know Campaign and Corruption Watch as well as by the South African Communist Party. Book stores and publishers refused to obey the cease and desist order arguing that the book was factual and its information was in the public interest. (The President’s Keepers, n.d.)
The Threat Of Censorship
The threat of censorship caused a spike in sales of the book causing it to sell out of its first print run of 20,000 books within 24 hours of State Security Agency’s cease and desist order as readers sought to get a copy before it possibly being banned, making the book an international best seller. The resulting shortage of books combined with the public fear of censorship resulted in a digitally pirated version of the book being widely shared in the few days following the cease and desist order. A launch of the book on the evening of Wednesday 8 November 2017 was cancelled after a power outage. During the launch, Pauw told attendees that he expected to spend years fighting legal battles. (The President’s Keepers, n.d.)
Who is Jacques Pauw?
Jacques Pauw is a South African investigative journalist who was an executive producer of the Special Assignment current affairs programme on SABC.
What is this book about?
The book details the creation and functioning of a “shadow mafia state” created by and surrounding President Zuma. It makes a number of serious allegations concerning the South African president such as that he did not pay taxes during his presidency, that he was illegally paid R1 million (US$70,000) a month by a private company whilst president, that he failed to pay back loans and that he has poor financial acumen.
The book also makes a number of accusations concerning associates of the president, such as: that the Gupta family groomed the children of African National Congress (ANC) politicians to gain political influence; that Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma’s 2017 campaign for ANC president is funded by a cigarette company engaged in corruption; and that a significant proportion of people appointed to power by the Zuma administration have been convicted, or have allegations against them, of engaging in criminal activity. It also contains details of the state capture of the South African Revenue Service (SARS) and the wasteful creation of a one billion rand (around US$ 70,000,000) spy agency within the State Security Agency that engaged in widespread corruption. (The President’s Keepers, n.d.)
Reference
The President’s Keepers. (n.d.). Retrieved 4 6, 2018, from Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_President’s_Keepers
5 Silly-Season reasons to change your life
Don’t miss this massive opportunity to be ahead of your health goals as the new decade starts.
Know Yourself
You will learn a lot about yourself when you are faced with every imaginable situation where a binge or a bender is appropriate. In other words, you will be able to compile a list of red flags or improvement areas to work on.
This person, this activity, that venue each lend themselves to excess. Now I can troubleshoot each scenario one by one.
You can never do this January because everyone’s gone back to doing their own thing, and these events are no longer available for analysis.
Know Who Matters
When you decide to do something outside of the norm, people get upset. It’s not personal. People see themselves as better than you in one way and when you do something that is “better” than them, (such as eating healthily over the holiday period) you are shattering their image of themselves.
These people will encourage you to break your goals with excuses like “You’re not living,” “You’re being extreme,” “Be kind to yourself.” What they’re actually saying is, “I feel insecure when you are successful.”
So when you declare that you’re keeping it clean, watch out for people who don’t dig that. What they’re actually telling you is that they think they are better than you. Smile and wave…..
Develop Fearlessness
Let’s say you have two work functions, four social dinners, one week holiday with family and friends, a big celebration meal and a bender on New Year. You’re looking at fifteen events that could derail you. If you get through fifteen events in quick succession, where you would have been tempted to eat filth, you would have built some serious mental strength and resolve.
The next time you would have faced that kind of temptation, is in the April holidays (in South Africa, at least). You will have the mindset of “If I can make it through the holidays, I can make it through anything.”
Have More Fun
Have you ever heard anyone say they felt really good after eating and drinking for the month of December? If you go easy on the wheat, sugar, refined carbs and dairy (for some), you will have more energy, a clearer head and you will sleep better. Fact.
More energy and better sleep will make you more tolerant of your kids, better equipped to deal with whatever family politics rear their head, but most importantly, more excited about taking the family adventure, the morning beach walk or the team hike.
Get the Unfair Advantage
In January when everyone is trying to remember their New Year’s resolutions, you won’t need one. You can just carry on as normal with less pressure and more practice under your belt.
You will come into the office, the home, the school term, or wherever you go after holidays, with a clear head and possibly a smaller pair of pants – ready to kill.
One More Thing – Break the Pattern
If you’ve been peaking and troughing in and out of healthy eating your whole life, this is an opportunity to break the pattern. A new year presents many challenges and opportunities, but your health should not be something that you swing in and out of. If you intend on being healthy for the rest of your life, you will have another holiday and those events and people are going to be there.
How long do you want to wait before developing a way to be unshakable in those situations?
If you would like to get started at once, then claim your FREE weight loss coaching call here.
Short on sleep with Arianna Huffington
Anyone who regularly sleeps less than six hours has a higher risk of depression, psychosis, stroke and obesity. Sleeplessness undermines your whole body.
In an interview with Susan Goldberg, of the National Geographic Magazine, Arianna Huffington, co-founder of the Huffington Post and author of The Sleep Revolution: Transforming Your Life One Night At A Time, has this to say:
You’re known as hard charging. Did you have a moment when you said, I’ve got to change what I’m doing?
Yes , in 2007 when I collapsed from sleep deprivation, exhaustion and burnout. Being a divorced mother of two teenage daughters, I had bought into the delusion that this was the price of success and of managing all aspects of my life.
It was after I collapsed that I started studying this epidemic of burnout. There had been a lot written about the importance of nutrition and exercise, but sleep was still underrated and dismissed. And so I wrote the book.
Will getting enough sleep ever be prioritized in our culture?
It’s importance is becoming more recognized. Of course there are holdouts, people who still brag about how little sleep they get, but they’re increasingly like dinosaurs.
One of the metaphors I like to use is that sleep is like the laundry. You’re not going to take the laundry out 10 minutes early to save time. You have to complete all the cycles in the washing machine. Our sleep cycles have to be completed too: otherwise we wake up and we feel like wet and dirty laundry.
Reference:
National Geographic magazine, August 2018
Still think it’s okay to not prioritize your sleep?
“When I get eight hours, I know the difference. I know I’m more effective: I’m a better version of myself.”
– Arianna Huffington, co-founder of the Huffington Post, CEO of Thrive Global, and author of The Sleep Revolution: Transforming Your Life One Night At A Time
Formally sleep-deprived, Arianna Huffington, was interviewed by the National Geographic magazine in the following Q & A article with Susan Goldberg.
Thanks for sharing your expertise on sleep, the topic of our cover story. Thomas Edison called sleep “an absurdity” and “a bad habit”. Is that idea ingrained in our culture?
I think it is deeply ingrained, but we’re at a moment of transformation. What stops people from prioritizing sleep is the fear that somehow they’re going to miss out. We have so many phrases that confirm that – “You snooze, you lose,” “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.” But now there are role models, people who prioritize sleep and are super effective.
Up close and personal with Jonno Proudfoot, Real Meal Revolution CEO
Sunday Times (Cape Town), featured a one-on-one with Author, Chef, Adventurer and CEO of Real Meal Revolution, Jonno Proudfoot.
Read on to find out:
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What are the most popular recipes at Real Meal Revolution?
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What does Jonno eat when he cheats?
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Why was Real Meal Revolution so successful?
https://realmealrevolution.com/real-thinking/sunday-times-jonno-proudfoot/
Do you ever have stress or gut issues?
“Lifestyle changes can positively affect our gut microbiome and influence how we deal with stress.”
Introduction to podcast with Professor John Cryan
Dr Chatterjee talks to Professor John Cryan, world-leading researcher on the gut-brain axis and Professor of Anatomy & Neuroscience about how the connection between our gut and our brains affects all aspects of our health, including stress, depression, anxiety and IBS.
Episode Highlights:
- As a neuroscientist, how did John become to research stress, which led to its link to the Gut Microbiome?
- Hear about the progress John and his team have made so far with their research.
- What chronic illnesses to John & Rangan now know can affect and be affected by stress?
- John & Rangan talk about stress and why our body reacts in this way and the follow-on effects of chronic stress.
- Listen to the research John has done recently on how specific bacterium in the gut, can be more resistant to stress.
- Link to John’s book The Psychobiotic Revolution: Mood, Food and the New Science of the Gut-Brain Connection
- John talks about how our microbiome is different throughout our lives from first born to old age, from person to person and compared to our ancestors.
- John describes the Gut-brain Axis and how we have recently been able to see how the gut can directly influence activities in the brain.
- How has John’s research shown how the state of the microbiome can cause specific stress responses such as depression & anxiety?
- Hear John’s tips to improving gut health include: a Mediterranean diet, fermented foods, pre-biotics in the diet, avoiding processed food and anti-biotics, how Caesarean sections and having pets can have an effect and why good sleep practises and exercise are important.
- John talks about research into processed foods, sugar and artificial sweeteners.
- John reveals how certain medications, prescribed by doctors, can be more or less effective depending on the individual’s microbiome.
Reference:
https://drchatterjee.com/blog/category/podcast/
Dr Chatterjee talks to Professor John Cryan, world-leading researcher on the gut-brain axis and Professor of Anatomy & Neuroscience about how the connection between our gut and our brains affects all aspects of our health, including stress, depression, anxiety and IBS.
Jamie Oliver’s ambush on childhood obesity
“Obesity kills more people than any conflict on the planet, so that’s why we should treat it as war”
Dr. Rangan Chatterjee is a leading lifestyle and health teacher. His podcasts are well worth listening to.
Dr Chatterjee talks to celebrity TV chef, restaurateur and childhood obesity campaigner Jamie Oliver on his ambitions as a boy working in his family’s business, his current role as an obesity campaigner and what he’s working on for the future.
Would you like to optimise your hormonal health?
“Modern life is attacking us. Ten years ago, there was a switch off between our work lives and our personal lives – we don’t have that anymore.”
– Dr. Rangan Chatterjee
Dr. Rangan Chatterjee is a leading lifestyle and health teacher. His podcasts are well worth listening to.
In this interview with Angelique Panagos, nutritional therapist and the author of The Balance Plan: Six Steps to Optimize Your Hormonal Health, you will learn:
- How have Angelique’s own experiences led her to learning about hormonal health and writing a book?
- Why do Angelique and Rangan believe stress has a big role to play in modern health concerns?
- Why does Angelique believe passionately that good nutrition is a vital part of healthy hormones?
- How does Angelique think that your sleep pattern affects your hormones?
- Find out Angelique’s six steps to optimising hormonal health.
Follow this link to hear the podcast
Reference:
Banting | LCHF go-getters – Ingrid Collender
I feel so terrific, I am NEVER EVER going back to where I was! EVER!
– Ingrid Collender
Ingrid is interviewed by Jonno Proudfoot, CEO of The Real Meal Revolution.
Ingrid’s Stats:
Joined program date: 17 October 2017
Start weight: 145.5kg
Current weight: 125.1kg
Awesome Weight as calculated by RMR: 92kg
Personal target weight: 80kg (BOOM)
Jonno Proudfoot (JP): You’ve been owning it in the forum for the last couple of months. Congrats on your success so far. What made you join RMR?
Ingrid Collender (IC): Thanks so much!
Before I found Real Meal Revolution, I was completely exhausted. I am a type two diabetic.
My blood pressure was 160 / 110. My resting pulse was over 100pm. I was sleeping poorly, despite taking sleeping tablets and drinking whiskey and wine to sleep.
I was having palpitations, sweating with the slightest exertion, and I could barely walk 200m without being totally short of breath. I was also profoundly depressed.
I was contemplating suicide, and I soon accepted that I was dying. It was not only my weight that was killing me, but my addiction to alcohol and sleeping pills. Continue reading “Banting | LCHF go-getters – Ingrid Collender”