MDC hails launch of Zim anti-graft campaign

Harare - The opposition Movement for Democratic Change, led by Morgan Tsvangirai, has welcomed the recently launched anti-graft campaign by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC). 

The campaign would see several individuals and corporations being investigated.

According to the state-owned Sunday Mail newspaper, the ZACC established the probe just less than two weeks ago after the anti-graft agency and police secured crucial evidence following a raid on a number of government offices.

The report further revealed that high profile people were expected to be arrested this week.

Among those who were issued with warrants were top government officials and heads of state-owned companies.

MDC spokesperson Obert Gutu said that his party welcomed the campaign, adding that they hoped for a thorough investigation. 

Gutu said the scourge of corruption had wreaked havoc in Zimbabwe, resulting in the country losing much needed revenue.

"Corruption is a cancer that has wreaked havoc in the entire socio-economic fabric of our society. As a direct result of corruption in both the public and private sector, billions of dollars’ worth of taxpayers’ and other public funds have been siphoned out of the country over the past 36 years," Gutu said.

He said that no one should be spared during the investigations.

"… No corrupt politician, civil servant, and businessperson and/or business entity should escape the clampdown on corruption if at all Zimbabwe is going to meaningfully exorcise the ghost of graft from within our society," said Gutu.

The probe came just less than a week after the MDC called on the government to instigate an investigation into an over $400 million tender that was awarded to a convicted businessman linked to President Robert Mugabe’s wife Grace.

According to The Standard, the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) queried how controversial businessman Wicknell Chivayo was awarded deals worth $441 million, given his 2004 conviction for fraud. 

Rooney fights to prove England worth.

London - Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney is facing the biggest fight of his 13-year international career to hold onto his England place going into the European Championship.

England's talisman ever since he burst onto the scene as a preternaturally gifted 18-year-old at Euro 2004, Rooney has gone to five major tournaments as one of the first names on the team-sheet.

But competition from emerging stars such as Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy, coupled with doubts about his own form and fitness, mean that England's all-time record goal-scorer is no longer an automatic pick.

"As I've said throughout my career with Manchester United and England, I never take my place for granted," Rooney, 30, conceded recently.

"First of all I want England to be successful and win trophies, and obviously it is great if I can be a part of that."

The current campaign has already been a historic one for Rooney, who broke Bobby Charlton's 35-year-old England scoring record in October and now has 52 international goals to his name.

He has also moved onto 111 caps, behind only Peter Shilton (125), David Beckham (115) and Steven Gerrard (114) in England's all-time ranking.

But he has performed fitfully for United and saw a brief return to form abruptly curtailed in February when he was sidelined by a knee injury.

In his absence, England recorded a rousing 3-2 win over world champions Germany in Berlin.

Dele Alli and Ross Barkley have encroached onto Rooney's territory as chief creator and there are also doubts about his ability to press with the same intensity as his younger rivals.

England manager Roy Hodgson has toed a diplomatic line with regard to his captain's status, defending Rooney's right to a place in the squad but stating that he cannot consider himself a guaranteed starter.

- 'White Pele' -

While Rooney remains one of the world's most famous players, he is no longer the game-changing force of nature who burst onto the scene with Everton at the age of 16, earning himself the nickname 'The White Pele'.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger described him as "the biggest English talent since I've arrived in England", but the true weight of his achievements remains hard to measure.

With United, who he joined from Everton in 2004, he has won almost everything, including five Premier League titles, two League Cups one FA Cup and the 2008 Champions League.

He is also the club's second-highest goal-scorer and has Charlton's United record of 249 goals in his sights.

His goals include some unforgettable strikes, including a stunning overhead bicycle kick against Manchester City in 2011, and he has amassed countless individual awards.

But for all that, there lingers a sense of potential unfulfilled, and nowhere is that feeling more pronounced than when his achievements with England are brought into consideration.

It is now 12 years since he exploded onto the global football consciousness with four goals at Euro 2004 in Portugal and the years since have brought nothing but false dawns and disappointments.

Rooney admitted as much after England's meek group-stage exit at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

"Obviously I'm not going to be as big a legend as Sir Bobby Charlton," Rooney said. "He's won the World Cup."

In purely statistical terms, Rooney's international record stands up against anyone and former England striker Gary Lineker believes that he is "right up there in the pantheon of English football's finest".

But with Kane and Vardy the new darlings of the English game and time catching up on him, the former Boy Wonder must prove in France that his best days in an England shirt are not behind him.

How To Count Calories To Lose Weight.

To lose weight, you need to eat fewer calories than you burn.

In theory, this sound simple.

However, managing your food intake in the modern food environment can be tricky.

Calorie counting is one way to tackle this problem, and is commonly used for weight loss.

This is a detailed guide about counting calories, explaining everything you need to know.

What Are Calories?

Calories are a measure of energy, normally used to measure the energy content of foods and beverages.

Technically speaking, a dietary calorie is defined as the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of water by 1 degree Celsius.

You use the calories that you eat and drink for essential functions such as breathing and thinking, as well as day-to-day activities such as walking, talking and eating.

Any excess calories you eat will be stored as fat, and consistently eating more than you burn will cause weight gain over time.

Bottom Line: A calorie is a measure of energy. In science, it’s defined as the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of water by 1 degree Celsius.

Why Calories Count

It’s quite common to hear that calories don’t matter and calorie counting is a waste of time.

However, when it comes to your weight, calories do count.

This is a fact that has been proven time and time again in scientific experiments called overfeeding studies.

These studies ask people to deliberately overeat and subsequently measure the impact on their weight and health.

All overfeeding studies have found that, when people eat more calories than they burn off, they gain weight.

This simple fact means that counting calories and limiting your intake can be effective to prevent weight gain or lose weight, as long as you manage to stick to it.

One review found that weight loss programs that included calorie counting led to an average of around 7 lbs (3.3 kg) more weight loss than those that didn’t.

Bottom Line: When you eat more calories than you burn, you gain weight. Counting calories can help you eat fewer calories and lose weight.

How Many Calories Should You Eat?

How many calories you need depends on factors like gender, age, weight and activity level.

For example, a 25-year-old male athlete will need more calories than a 70-year-old woman who doesn’t exercise.

If you are trying to lose weight, you will need to create a calorie deficit by eating less than your body burns off.

Bottom Line: The exact amount of calories you need will depend on a number of different factors, including your gender, age, weight and activity levels. Use the calculator above to work out your daily requirement.

The Best Apps to Help You Count Calories

Due to advances in technology, putting calorie counting into practice can be relatively effortless these days.

Lots of apps and websites are available to simplify the process by providing quick and easy ways to log the food you eat.

Even if you only track your food intake irregularly, studies show that people who do so tend to lose more weight. They also maintain their weight loss better.

Bottom Line: Using an app or online tool to record your meals and track your food intake is a very easy way to count calories.

How to Weigh and Measure Your Portions

Portion sizes have increased, and in some restaurants a single meal can provide double or triple what the average person needs in a sitting.

“Portion distortion” is the term for when you view large servings of foods as the norm. It can cause weight gain and hinder weight loss.

In general, people aren’t very good at estimating how much they eat.

Calorie counting can help you combat overeating by giving you a better understanding of how much you are really consuming.

However, for it to work, you need to record food portions correctly. Here are a few common ways to measure portion sizes:

• Scales: The most accurate way to determine how much you’re eating is to weigh your food. However, this can be time-consuming and isn’t always practical.
• Measuring cups: Standard volume measures are slightly quicker and easier to use than a scale, but can still be time-consuming and awkward at times.
• Comparisons: Using comparisons to common items is quick and easy, especially if you’re away from home. However, it’s also much less accurate.

Here are some common serving sizes compared to household items that may help you estimate your portion sizes:

• 1 serving of rice or pasta (1/2 a cup): a computer mouse or rounded handful.
• 1 serving of meat (3 oz): a deck of cards.
• 1 serving of fish (3 oz): a check book.
• 1 serving of cheese (1.5 oz): a lipstick or the size of your thumb.
• 1 serving of fresh fruit (1/2 cup): a tennis ball.
• 1 serving of green leafy vegetables (1 cup): a baseball.
• 1 serving of vegetables (1/2 a cup): a computer mouse.
• 1 teaspoon of olive oil: 1 fingertip.
• 2 tablespoons of peanut butter: a ping pong ball.

Calorie counting isn’t an exact science, even when you weigh and measure portions.

However, it’s not necessary to be absolutely spot-on with your measurements. Just make sure to record your intake as accurately as you can.

You should be most careful about recording items that are high in fat and/or sugar, such as pizza, ice cream and oils. Under-recording these foods can cause a big difference between your recorded and actual intake.

To improve your estimations, you can try using scales in the beginning to give you a better idea of what a portion looks like. This should help you be more accurate, even after you stop using them.

Bottom Line: You can use scales, cups and measures or portion-size estimates to determine how much you’re eating. Scales are the most accurate.

The Quality of Your Diet Still Matters

Calories are useful for tracking how much you eat, but they don’t tell you much about thequality of your diet.

When it comes to foods and the human body, a calorie is not necessary a calorie.

For example, 100 calories of broccoli will affect your health differently than 100 calories of french fries.

This is important because your overall diet and the types of foods you eat have an effect on your health.

Additionally, the effects of different foods on hunger, appetite, hormones and the amount of calories you burn can vary considerably.

It is best to base your diet on high-quality food from plants or animals that have been minimally processed.

High-quality foods not only provide health benefits, but they also make it a lot easier to consume fewer calories in the long run.

Bottom Line: Basing your diet on minimally processed foods is beneficial for long-term health and weight loss.

5 More Tips to Succeed With Calorie Counting

Here are 5 more tips to count calories:

• Be prepared: Before you start, get a calorie counting app or online tool, decide how you will measure or estimate portions and make a meal plan.
• Read food labels: Food labels contain lots of useful information for calorie counting. Make sure you check the portion size recommended on the package.
• Remove temptation: Get rid of the junk food in your house. This will help you choose healthier snacks and make it easier to hit your targets.
• Aim for slow, steady weight loss: Don’t cut calories too low. Although you’ll lose weight faster, you may feel bad and be less likely to stick to your plan.
• Fuel your exercise: The most successful weight loss programs include both dietand exercise. Make sure to eat enough to still have energy to exercise.

Bottom Line: Aim for slow and steady weight loss, and make sure you have a plan. Reading food labels and keeping less junk food in the house can also be helpful for success.

Physicist slow down speed of light in a vacuum.

The fact that the speed of light in a vacuum is a constant is one of the cornerstones of physics, but scientists from the Philippines were able to add a twist to this tenet. And I mean it literally!

By changing how some light beams rotate, the researchers from the National Institute of Physics were able to slow down light in a vacuum. The physicists used circularly symmetric light beams, known as Laguerre-Gauss beams, to change the way light twists around itself. Suddenly, the light beams were propagating more slowly.

The speed of light varies when it moves through different materials, and it does so at the expense of accuracy in transmitting information. For this reason, more and more people are interested in ways of manipulating the speed of light without affecting accuracy.

Last year, researchers from the University of Glasgow were able to slow down light using a "mask," turning plane waves (where the wavefronts are parallel to each other) into conical waves. In this latest research, published in Scientific Reports, the physicists also focused on non-plane waves, but they don’t change their shape.

The waves they looked at have an "orbital angular momentum," which could be visualized as a light beam following a tight corkscrew path. Each Laguerre-Gauss light beam carries its own angular momentum and the researchers were able to slow them down without directly interfering with them.

The fantastic result doesn’t violate any law of physics; individual photons are not suddenly moving more slowly, they are simply sent on a longer path, so the light beam arrives later. The physicists were even able to calculate exactly how much later they would arrive at the target before they did the experiment.

While the research seems very abstract, it has wide applications in computing technologies and telecommunications, where Laguerre-Gauss beams are commonly used. This might not be faster-than-light data transmission, but it might just help us in getting even better at sending information around the globe.  

11WAYS TO INCREASE HUMAN GROWTH HORMONE.

HGH levels may negatively impact your quality of life, increase your risk of disease and make you gain fat (9).

Having optimal levels is especially important during weight loss, for recovery from injury and when trying to boost athletic performance (10, 11, 12, 13).

Interestingly, your diet and lifestyle choices can have a huge effect on your HGH levels (6,14).

Here are 11 evidence-based ways to increase human growth hormone (HGH) levels naturally.

1. Lose Body Fat

The amount of body fat you carry is directly related to your HGH production (3).

Those with higher body fat levels or more belly fat will likely have impaired HGH production and an increased risk of disease.

In one study, individuals with 3 times the amount of belly fat had less than half the amount of HGH as lean individuals (15).

As shown in the graph below, one study monitored the 24-hour release of HGH and found a large decline in those with more abdominal fat.

Interestingly, research suggests that excess body fat affects HGH levels more in men. However, lowering body fat is still key for both genders (15, 16).

One study found that obese individuals had lower IGF-1 and HGH levels. After losing a significant amount of weight, their levels returned to normal (17).

Belly fat is the most dangerous type of stored fat and is linked to many diseases. Losing belly fat will help optimize HGH levels and other aspects of your health.

Bottom Line: Get rid of excess body fat, especially from the belly area. This will optimize human growth hormone levels and improve your health.

2. Fast Intermittently

Intermittent fasting is a dietary approach that limits eating to short time periods.

It can be done in many different ways. One common approach is a daily 8-hour eating window with a 16-hour fast. Another involves2 days of eating only 500-600 calories each week (18, 19).

Intermittent fasting can help optimize HGH levels in several ways. First, it can help you drop body fat, which directly impacts HGH production (20, 21, 22, 23).

Second, it’ll keep your insulin levels low for most of the day, as insulin is released when you eat. This can also provide benefits, as research suggests that insulin spikes can disrupt your natural growth hormone production (24, 25).

One study found that 3 days into a fast, HGH levels increased by over 300%. After one week of fasting, they had increased by a massive 1,250% (26).

Other studies have found similar effects, with double or triple growth hormone levels after just 2–3 days of fasting (27, 28, 29).

As shown in the graph below, one study found large differences in HGH levels on the fasting day compared to the feeding day (30).

Shorter 12–16 hour fasts likely help as well, although more research is needed to compare their effects against full-day fasts.

Bottom Line: Fasting can significantly increase human growth hormone levels, although more research is needed on shorter fasts.

3. Try an Arginine Supplement

Although most people tend to use amino acids like arginine around exercise, one study shows this has little or no benefit for HGH levels (31).

Two other studies confirmed this, finding no difference between exercise only or exercise plus arginine. However, when arginine was taken on its own and without any exercise, they did find a significant increase in HGH (32, 33).

Other non-exercise studies also support the use of arginine.

One study looked at the effects of taking either 45 or 114 mg of arginine per pound (100 or 250 mg per kg) of body weight, or around 6–10 or 15–20 grams per day.

They found no effect for the lower dose, but participants taking the larger dose had around a 60% increase in HGH levels during sleep (34).

Bottom Line: Higher doses of an arginine supplement may improve growth hormone production, but not when taken around exercise.

4. Reduce Sugar Intake

An increase in insulin can lower HGH production.

Refined carbs and sugar raise insulin levels the most, so reducing your intake may help optimize growth hormone levels (24, 25).

One study found that healthy non-diabetic individuals had 3-4 times higher HGH levels than diabetics, who have impaired carb tolerance and insulin function (35).

Along with directly affecting insulin levels,excess sugar intake is a key factor in weight gain and obesity, which also affect HGH levels.

That being said, the rare sugary treat on special occasions will not impact your growth hormone levels in the long-term.

Aim to achieve a healthy and balanced diet. What you eat 90% of the time will have the most profound effects on your health,hormones and body composition.

Bottom Line: Elevated insulin may reduce HGH production. Therefore, limit your intake of large amounts of sugar and refined carbs.

5. Don’t Eat a Lot Before Bedtime

Your body naturally releases significant amounts of growth hormone, especially at night (36, 37).

Given that most meals will cause a rise in insulin levels, some experts suggest avoiding food before bedtime (25).

In particular, a high-carb or high-protein meal may spike your insulin and potentially block some of the HGH released at night (38).

Yet while this makes sense in theory, there is a lack of direct research.

Nevertheless, insulin levels normally decrease 2–3 hours after eating, so you may wish to avoid carb- or protein-based meals 2–3 hours before bedtime.

Bottom Line: More research is needed on the effects of nighttime eating on HGH. In the meantime, you may wish to avoid food 2–3 hours before bed.

6. Take a GABA Supplement

GABA is a non-protein amino acid that functions as a neurotransmitter, sending signals around the brain.

As a well-known calming agent for the brain and central nervous system, it’s often used to aid sleep. Interestingly, it may also help increase your HGH levels (39).

The most well-known study on this found a 400% increase in human growth hormone at rest and a 200% increase following exercise (40).

GABA should also help increase HGH levels by improving your sleep, since your night-time growth hormone release is linked to sleep quality and depth (41, 42).

However, most of these increases were short-lived and GABA’s long-term benefits for growth hormone levels remain unclear (39,40).

Bottom Line: GABA supplements may help increase HGH production, although this increase does seem to be short-lived.

7. Exercise at a High Intensity

Exercise is one of the most effective ways to significantly raise your HGH levels.

The increase depends on the type of exercise, intensity, food intake around the workout and the individual performing it (43, 44, 45, 46, 47,48, 49).

As shown by the black bars in the graph below, very large increases in HGH were seen in a weight lifting session with limited rest periods (10, 46).

Due to its metabolic nature and increase in lactic acid, high-intensity exercise increases HGH the most. However, all forms of exercise are beneficial (43, 44).

You can perform repeated sprints, interval training, weight training or circuit training to spike your HGH levels and maximize fat loss (46, 50, 51).

As with the supplement methods, these increases are mainly short-term spikes.

Yet over the long-term, exercise may help you optimize your hormone function in general and decrease body fat, both of which will benefit your HGH levels.

Bottom Line: Exercise provides a large spike in HGH. High-intensity training is the best form of exercise to increase growth hormone levels.

8. Take Beta-Alanine and/or a Recovery Shake Around Your Workouts

Some exercise supplements can optimize performance and boost your HGH levels.

In one study, taking 4.8 grams of beta-alaninebefore a workout increased the number of repetitions performed by 22% (52).

It also doubled peak power and boosted HGH levels, compared to the non-supplement group (52).

During a workout session, a sugary sports drink increased HGH levels towards the end of the session. However, if you are trying to lose fat, the extra calories from the drink will negate any benefit from the short-term HGH spike (53).

Studies have shown that protein shakes, both with and without carbs, can boost human growth hormone levels around workouts (48,49).

Bottom Line: Beta-alanine, carbs and protein may increase short-term growth hormone spikes during or after a workout.

9. Optimize Your Sleep

The majority of HGH is released in “pulses” when you sleep. It is based on your body’s internal clock or circadian rhythm.

As you can see from the graph below, the largest pulses occur before midnight with some smaller pulses in the early morning (36,37).

Studies have shown that poor sleep can reduce the amount of HGH your body produces (42).

In fact, getting an adequate amount of deep sleep is one of the best strategies to enhance your long-term HGH production (37, 42).

Here are a few simple strategies to help optimize your sleep:

• Avoid blue light exposure before bedtime.
• Read a book in the evening.
• Make sure your bedroom is at a comfortable temperature.
• Don’t consume caffeine late in the day.

Bottom Line: Focus on optimizing sleep quality and aim for 7–10 hours of quality sleep per night.

10. Take a Melatonin Supplement

Melatonin is a hormone that plays an important role in sleep and blood pressure regulation (54).

Melatonin supplements have become a popular sleep aid that can increase both the quality and duration of your sleep (55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61).

While that alone may benefit HGH levels, further research has shown that a melatonin supplement can directly enhance growth hormone production (58, 62, 63, 64).

Melatonin is also fairly safe and non-toxic. However, it may alter brain chemistry in some ways, so you may want to check with a doctor before using it (65).

To maximize its effects, take 1–5 mg (milligrams) around 30 minutes before bed. Start with a lower dose to assess your tolerance, then increase if needed.

Bottom Line: Melatonin supplements can enhance sleep and increase your body’s natural growth hormone production.

11. Try These Other Natural Supplements

Several other supplements may enhance human growth hormone production, including:

• Glutamine: A single 2-gram dose may increase short-term levels up to 78% (66).
• Creatine: A 20-gram dose of creatinesignificantly increased HGH levels for 2–6 hours (67).
• Ornithine: One study gave participants ornithine 30 minutes after exercise and found a greater peak in human growth hormone levels (68).
• L-dopa: In patients with Parkinson’s disease, 500 mg of L-dopa increased HGH levels for up to 2 hours (69).
• Glycine: Studies have found glycine can improve gym performance and provide short-term spikes in HGH (70, 71).

While all of these supplements may increase your HGH levels, they have only been shown to work in the short-term.

Bottom Line: Several natural supplements can increase the short-production of human growth hormone.