Harare, 27 April 2020 Zimbabwe remains in the grip of severe food insecurity, with millions of people already requiring humanitarian assistance due to prolonged drought, climate-related shocks, economic deterioration and the situation set to worsen as the COVID-19 pandemic spreads, according to the new Global Food Crisis Report Forecast (GFCRF).

Thejoint report, released by the European Union, FAO, OCHA, UNICEF, USAID and WFP anticipates a worsening food insecurity situation in 2020 with an estimated 4.3 million rural Zimbabweans, including children, are in need of urgent action. On top of environmental factors, this is mainly due to the current economic crisis including hyperinflation, shortage of currency, fuel and prolonged power shortages; widespread poverty; high levels of HIV/AIDS; and low agricultural output as drivers of the crisis.

Millions of Zimbabweans are already struggling to put food on the table, having faced prolonged drought and economic hardship for some time. It is imperative that we unite, to fight the COVID-19 pandemic in Zimbabwe and provide urgent food assistance safely to prevent an already vulnerable population from slipping deeper into this hunger crisis, said WFP Country Director and Representative Eddie Rowe.

More than half of the children experiencing malnutrition are living in countries affected by the food crisis. The GFCRF estimates that 75 million children worldwide are stunted and 17 million are wasted.

Zimbabwe is also one of 10 countries where fewer than 20% of children between 6-23 months received a minimally adequate diet further compromising their lifelong quality of life, according to the new report. In addition,Zimbabwes Multi Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2019, revealed about 1 in 4 children, under 5 were stunted and at risk of impaired physical and cognitive growth.

Food crises have a major impact on the quality, frequency and diversity of childrens diets and this is compounded by the inability for families across the country to provide adequate childcare during these increasingly challenging times, said UNICEF Representative, Laylee Moshiri. During this COVID-19 pandemic we must act decisively to continue essential nutrition and health services for all children.

FAO Representative Jocelyn Brown Hall said, Measures to curb the further spread of COVID-19 have the potential to impact negatively on the food system in Zimbabwe, such as through restricted access to markets by both farmers and consumers, and a glut of perishable nutritious foods like fruits and vegetables. Deliberate measures are needed to prevent and mitigate against these.

Globally the report states that in 2019, 135 million people across 55 countries and territories experienced acute food insecurity. These same countries food systems are highly vulnerable to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic which will result in compromised health due to hunger which can increase the risks of exposure to the virus. The World Food Programmes Executive Director, David Beasley, who interacted with communities throughout Zimbabwe during an August 2019 visit, told the UN Security Council last week that the world was on the verge of a hunger pandemic caused by the Coronavirus. If we dont act now, we could be facing multiple famines of biblical proportions within a few short months, Beasley said.

The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting all countries across the globe, including the OECD countries and other high-income countries. This is making it increasingly difficult to prioritise the needs of populations typically affected by food crises. This has put an increased challenge on the attainment of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2, towards the eradication of hunger and malnutrition.

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Zimbabwe Rated As One Of The World's Top Global Food Crises In New United Nations Report - ZimEye - Zimbabwe News

Good evening, here are the coronavirus updates you need to know tonight.

Top headlines:

Coronavirus explainers: Updates and essential resources Coronavirus in maps and charts The rules in each province

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Students wearing face masks leave a school in Beijing on Monday as senior high school students in the Chinese capital returned to campus following the coronavirus outbreak.

Tingshu Wang/Reuters

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases surpassed three million worldwide. The United States accounts for nearly a third of those cases as some states begin to ease restrictive measures.

48,221 cases have been reported, more than double the number from 16 days ago. There have also been 18,094 recoveries and 2,701 deaths. Health officials have administered 752,967 tests.

In Ottawa: About 30,000 businesses applied for the wage subsidy program after applications opened early this morning, the PMO said. The program covers 75 per cent of wages, retroactive from March 15 to June 6, with money to begin flowing by May 7.

At least 3,033,953 cases confirmed around the world; with 891,716 recoveries and 210,424 deaths reported.

CN suspended its financial guidance and will continue temporary layoffs.

The company posted a first-quarter profit of $1.01-billion, up 31 per cent from the year-earlier quarter. Revenue of $3.5-billion was flat compared to the same period in 2019.

Year to date, CNs revenue ton miles have fallen by 4.4 per cent and carloads are down by 9 per cent, in line with the North American industrys slump. CN posted declines across a range of freight, including forest products, chemicals and coal. Grain shipments and crude oil shipment rose.

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Question: How do I work toward a positive dietary goal while in lockdown?

Answer: Having greater control over their food environment (e.g., no restaurant eating, social receptions or other distractions) can help build a new diet routine. Here are four suggestions for working toward a healthy eating goal:

The Globes health columnist Andr Picard answered reader questions on social distancing and many additional topics.

Illustration by Chelsea O'Byrne

I was born with the adage food is love in my DNA. There are a long line of balabustas, the Yiddish expression of good homemakers, who made tasty meals and delectable baked goods for every day and every occasion in my family.

Now, in this global pandemic, the symbolism has never been more powerful. My work with vulnerable seniors has been curtailed for the immediate future. For now, I am the CEO of our family kitchen. I have always been senior management in this department but with this new world disorder, I have received an unspoken promotion.

Every day now, my agenda is clear. It seems important to make an inviting dinner every night. This is the centrepiece of our day.

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Read: Getting creative in the kitchen makes my life seem normal

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Coronavirus Update: Federal wage subsidy program for businesses sees wave of 30,000 applications - The Globe and Mail

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) A grant has been awarded to Augusta University to look at childhood obesity. What can we do to make our kids lead healthier lives, to help them and their families down that path? Mayor Hardie Davis is a big of this endeavor and in fact; he helped make it happen and it is all going to be done through our friends in the medical community and supporter with that. The Means Report welcomes back Dr. Martha Tingen. Shes the Associate Director of the Georgia Cancer Center, wears many hats. Shes also the Lender Endowed Share Holder in pediatrics there at MCG at AU.

Brad Means: Dr. Tingen, thank you for all you are doing and most importantly, thank you for sparing your time during this unusual time in our lives. I hope youre well.

Dr. Martha Tingen: Im doing great and Im grateful for all the many things that we have. Im thankful our familys well, healthy currently and this is quite a different time than Ive ever known in my lifetime. Were just trying to get resources to people that need them and early diagnosis and treatment. I appreciate you having me on.

Brad Means: Absolutely. You all are leading the way over there. Leading the way in our nation in so many regards. Let me ask you about childhood obesity. I want to talk about the grant in a moment, $120,000. Its quite significant, but lets look at the issue itself. How do you know, how do you define if a child is obese?

Dr. Martha Tingen: Well, the CDC gives out great metrics for that. Basically, its based on body mass index and they qualify people either as overweight or obesity based on what their BMI is and I think whats critical for people to understand about our particular county that well be conducting this with in collaboration with the mayors office, who was the real impetus behind this, and the Augusta Partnership for Children, is across our nation in the best counties there are for obesity, there about the national average is 26%. Georgia is about 30% of us are obese and in Richmond County, 32% obese. Another factor that often contributes greatly to obesity thats real important Brad, is the children that live in poverty. Our national poverty rate is 11%, whereas the state of Georgias 22 and bad news for us, Richmond Countys 35%.

Brad Means: You know, youve called this a public health crisis and that really caught my eye when you refer to this as such because we do hear the word crisis used a lot these days. Can you grow out of childhood obesity or does there always need to be some sort of clinical intervention?

Dr. Martha Tingen: There are very few people that grow out of childhood obesity. We have studies now in the literature that show if mothers gained excess weight during their pregnancy and have a very obese baby, often times those children already have higher levels of inflammation in their body, which predisposes them to other diseases. The other thing is the more you are obese, the longer duration as a newborn and as a child and a toddler and all the way up to five or six years of age it is highly predictive that you will be an obese adult. Obesity is linked to 13 cancers. Thats a lot and the link is pretty strong. It also sets people up for diabetes, which theres all kinds of unfortunate ramifications. Also contributes to hypertension, which is a major challenge among many people. So we are thrilled to be doing this and we believe the younger you can start with a family, we think parents should be role models and have great influence on their children in many ways, in many positive ways, and so we are thrilled to be doing this.

Brad Means: Yeah, I think its just amazing. So you go back to January when times were normal. You have the US Conference of Mayors meeting. You have the American Beverage Foundation for a Healthy America on hand to award $120,000 by way of a grant. It goes to a small town, a medium-sized town, and a large town. And Augusta, Georgia gets the grant for the medium-sized town and allows you, Dr. Tingen, and your team to set up Augustas Fit Families to carry out some of the missions that youve already mentioned so far. 75 families get to take part. Before things got kind of sideways, were you able to line up your 75 families, or do we have to wait?

Dr. Martha Tingen: We already have a list, well be going to daycare centers, faith-based mothers day out facilities, anybody that accepts children from birth through five years of age. And we will be recruiting their primary care givers, whether thats their mother, their grandfather, their grandmother, their father, whoever that may be, an aunt, or whoever, and we have those sites identified. Weve already been in one of them. And of course right now, were majorly going by what we think are very important CDC requirements, the social distancing, so we have not at yet recruited any of these 75 families. But I know whats going to happen. Im going to work with Mayor Hardie Davis on this and were going to get additional funds because more than 75 families are going to want to be in this.

Brad Means: Its definitely going to happen and we know that we just have to be patient. Whats it going to look like, first of all, when it comes to diet? Are you going to try to get into the households of these families and change the way they eat?

Dr. Martha Tingen: So what were going to do is were going to recruit families. Again, they need to have a child five years of age or under, and they will attend four educational sessions with us. Those educational sessions will really stress the importance of a couple of things related to health literacy of actually consuming foods. So Im sure a lot of your guests today, as well as you, are familiar with the word food insecurity. For my life, for your life, we have the luxury often of going to any fresh market we want, any great restaurant, but a lot of people dont have that. They have to go to the 7/11 and decide which can of green beans theyre going to buy. So were going to talk about, when you look on the back of a can of green beans, is the sodium content 980 milligrams, which is really high, or can you pick a better choice that might only be 200 milligrams of sodium for that day? Sodium, of course, being salt. Were going to do things like that. Were going to stress to children that we really want them, and the families, we want them to prepare foods that are the colors of the rainbow. Thats something children can grasp. And so we have outstanding nutritionists involved with us on this and we also are involving our pediatricians at the Childrens Hospital of Georgia in the Department of Pediatrics because we want families, parents and guardians, to hear from the pediatricians that deal with this on a day by day basis as they see children often having illnesses related to childhood obesity.

Brad Means: Dr. Tingen, let me jump in real quick if I may. I dont want to run out of time with you but I want to ask you two important questions. Diet, certainly at the forefront here, what about exercise? Will you be able to encourage the families, and especially those children, to exercise, if so, how?

Dr. Martha Tingen: So yes, exercise is a physical activity is what we call it and that could be a lot of fun things. I really encourage people to see the video thats been made of this by the US Conference of Mayors because we see parents with children five years of age and younger acting with their children at a park, at a playground, dancing, doing all sorts of physical movement. If anybodys listening today, I want them to remember one take home. You can always out eat your exercise.

Brad Means: Yeah, definitely.

Dr. Martha Tingen: So its a combination of both things so were going to really stress being physically active together and some ways to do that. Another key component of that, Brad, is people have to have safe places to go to do that. Whether its an open field, an open park, perhaps a school after it gets out, that the facility, the school, can be locked but why cant the playground be accessible? So we are going to, everybody thats in this program with us, we will help them do a neighborhood assessment of what resources are available to them in their community where they can safely do physical active things with their young children. And then were providing that information to the mayors office and the commissioners in hoping that they will add infrastructure where infrastructures needed for safe, physically active behaviors of parents and young children.

Brad Means: Last question, very quickly, if we have obese children, how in the world can we get in on this program? How can we sign up?

Dr. Martha Tingen: Well, I will just give you out a couple of numbers. You can always call 721-1132. Thats a fantastic research associate of ours and just mention the word Augusta Fit Families. We have developed a dynamite low-go and those three things say be active. It also says eat healthy, and we have a great apple or a peach on there for the state of Georgia, and it also says drink water. So

Brad Means: Its going to be, I didnt mean to cut you off I apologize. I wanted to tell you two things. First of all, thank you. Second of all, we need to have you back for the entire 30 minutes of The Means Report. Were going to get the mayor next. Hes going to talk about access to some of those community centers and playgrounds that you mentioned, as well as the cities overall role. But this deserves to be probably two Means Reports and your efforts are hugely appreciated, Dr. Tingen. I thank you so much, as always.

Dr. Martha Tingen: Could I make one quick comment?

Brad Means: Certainly.

Dr. Martha Tingen: So I really want to give a huge shout out to Mayor Hardie Davis. We have a wonderful collaborative relationship and he actually made a phone call to me and he said, I really need us to go after this grant. I said, Whens it due? It was due in four weeks. I said, Mayor Hardie, youre on my list I never say no to so well do it, but I really dont like a short timeline like that cause Im so thorough and a little OCD when it comes to writing a grant. And so Brad, we were the only middle-sized city to receive this award across the nation.

Brad Means: Yeah, its incredible, and I congratulate you. Thats quite a turn around, writing grants is not easy and its not brief, usually. Dr. Martha Tingen, thank you for everything. Best of luck. Well talk soon, you stay well.

Dr. Martha Tingen: Great, thank you so much.

Brad Means: Absolutely.

See the original post here:
Grant helps Augusta University change the crisis of childhood obesity - WJBF-TV

FALLS CHURCH, Va. -- Teeth Grinding & Clenching

During the day, be mindful if you are grinding or clenching your teeth. If you notice your teeth are touching during the day, it could be an indication of clenching and grinding.

If you wake up in the morning with a sore jaw or joint, it could be an indication of teeth grinding or clenching at night.

Stress reduction and relaxation strategies can be effective in preventing teeth grinding or clenching.

If the problem persists, patients should call their dental clinic as continued grinding and clenching can cause negative oral health concerns temporomandibular joint pain (TMJ), tooth pain or tooth fracture.

Contact your dental clinic about teeth grinding and clenching concerns. Patients experiencing severe pain as the result of teeth grinding or clenching qualifies as an emergent need at our dental clinics.

Mouth guards should come from your dentist. Over-the-counter or store-bought mouth guards can make joint pain worse if they are not adjusted by a dentist.

In alignment with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American Dental Association and Department of Defense policies, most dental care has been deferred, with the exception of emergencies, cases considered medically necessary, and care for deploying and deployed personnel.

Deferring non-urgent dental care is one way we can decrease the chances of spreading COVID-19, while ensuring the health and readiness of our Airmen, said Col. Donald Sheets, Air Force Dental Policy and Operations chief. We are still recommending continuing dental exams for active duty Airmen preparing to deploy to ensure they are ready to go out the door. Commanders at all levels are empowered to make the necessary assessments and determine if dental care is critical to the unit mission.

Because the Air Force maintains robust annual medical readiness requirements for its members, the active duty population entered deferred dental operations in good dental health. Sheets stresses the importance of dental health upkeep during this pause on routine care.

Our Airmen get seen every year and usually require very little dental care, said Sheets. It is vital that Airmen and their families continue practicing good dental habits and eating a healthy, low sugar diet to maintain their oral health.

While Airmen are aware of proper brushing and flossing techniques, Sheets says Airmen may not be aware of how stress can affect dental health. This is especially important as state governments and the DoD continue implementing social distancing and stay-at-home measures.

In times of stress, people often clench and grind their teeth, or what is also known as parafunction, said Sheets. Patients should be aware if they are experiencing increased stress and take steps ensure that they are not negatively impacting their oral health.

Sheets suggests that those who are overcome with stress reach out to their health care provider and take advantage of telehealth services. Additionally, the dental clinic is also available via phone if a patient needs additional guidance.

Our clinics are staffed and Airmen can call their clinics to speak to someone if they have a dental issue without having to physically come into the clinic, said Sheets. We can speak to Airmen about preventive measures, discuss home care, and give them guidance on safely coming into the clinic if it is absolutely necessary.

For Airmen who require emergency or deployment-related dental care, Sheets explains that significant precautions are taken to ensure the safety of medical personnel and patients.

Any time a patient enters a military treatment facility, there is a screening process to assess risk for exposure to COVID-19, said Sheets. The dental team checks if a patient knows they have COVID-19 or associated symptoms. We also know that a patient can be asymptomatic, so we employ personal protective equipment, and follow CDC and the ADA safety guidelines on providing care during this pandemic.

Air Force Dental Service medics are vital to preparing Airmen readiness so they can perform their mission at home and abroad, said Sheets.

Our primary goal is to keep everyone safe while maintaining mission-essential readiness requirements, said Sheets. Moving forward, we are looking at how to reinstate routine care as the response to COVID-19 allows. It is our job to ensure the oral health of our service members and ensure they are ready to support the mission.

Go here to read the rest:
Airmen urged to maintain healthy dental habits during COVID-19 pandemi - 62nd Airlift Wing

The Stay-At-Home Order is being extendeduntil May 15.

That was the announcement made today by Governor John Bel Edwards, whose Stay-At-Home Order took effect on Monday, March 23. The order was set to expire on April 30. The extended order will be issued on May 1.

Thanks to the commitment of the people of Louisiana, our state has made progress in flattening the curve and reducing the spread of the novel coronavirus," says Governor Edwards in a press release. "Unfortunately, we still have a little work to do before we meet the criteria to safely move to the next phase of reopening, so I will extend the states Stay at Home order until May 15, with a few minor changes. While this is not the announcement I want to make, I am hopeful, and all of Louisiana should be hopeful, that we will enter into the next phase of reopening soon, in mid-May. I am anxious to get all areas of our economy reopened, but if we accelerate too quickly, we may have to slam on the brakes. That will be bad for public health and for businesses, bad for our people and bad for our state.

Three major changes outlined by the Governor in the new Stay at Home order include:

Salons, barber shops, bars and casinos, among other businesses, will remain closed under the extended order. But, "essential" businesses according to the third phase of federal CISA guidance are allowed to stay open. And retail businesses that are considered non-essential must have fewer than 10 people inside if they are too stay open.

Wearing cloth masks or protective face coverings is part of the new normal, says Gov. Edwards, who joins in a strong urging by the CDC and the Louisiana Department of Health. Wearing a mask is being a good neighbor and in Louisiana, we pride ourselves on being good neighbors. Your mask protects me and other people and my mask protects you.

Currently, he's given the approval for dental procedures to begin today, as well as other elective medical procedures and surgeries.

WATCH his press conference by CLICKING BELOW:

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Governor Edwards Extends Stay-At-Home Order, with Modifications - kpel965.com

The mandate that closed all non-essential businesses in New York State will be extended in many parts of the state.

On Sunday, during his daily COVID-19 briefing, Gov. Andrew Cuomo outlined a phased plan to re-open New York and re-imagine a "new normal" for the state.

On Monday, he slightly backtracked and said he will extend the New York on PAUSE order "in many parts of the state."

The stay-at-home order that closed all non-essential businesses in New York currently runs until May 15.

Cuomo added he believes some parts of New York will begin to gradually open or "unpause" around May 15.

"We have to be smart about it. Cause if you are not smartwe will be right back where we were 58 days ago and no one wants that," Cuomo said.

The Governor added local officials need to start thinking about what reopening will mean for that area.

"We are taking a regional approach to safely reopening NYS," Cuomo tweeted during his press briefing. "Each region is facing its own set of facts. Protecting public health comes first and all decisions will be data-driven."

Factors for reopening include hospitalization rate, antibody testing, diagnostic testing and infection rate.

He believes regional factors for reopening are the health care capacity in each region, such as hospital beds, ICU beds, a stockpile of equipment, a plan for the upcoming flu season and a testing/tracing/isolate program.

"This has been a hellish experience for our country," Cuomo said. "But it has also been a time of cooperation, unity and love. Its not red state versus blue state. Its us together versus this virus."

Cuomo announced more drive-by COVID-19 testing sites will be opening in parts of the state this week.

He also announced expanded results from the statewide antibody survey. 7,500 people were tested and the preliminary results suggest that 14.9 percent of the state is positive for the COVID-19 antibody, Cuomo said.

Cuomo announced 337 New Yorkers died from COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, bringing the statewide total to 17,303.

See the rest here:
Cuomo: New York on PAUSE to be Extended in 'Many' Parts of State - wpdh.com

This Content is made possible by our Sponsor; it is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial staff.

Even with our strict commitment to social distancing, you can send your love to your loved ones at a physical distance. By giving gifts to your family and friends that they would love to receive, you can stay connected and show them how much you care from afar.

Weve partnered with local businesses that are providing goods and services to support the community as we collectively face the COVID-19 pandemic. From food and drink to self-care and fitness, these thoughtful gift ideas will help you show your appreciation for the special people in your life while you support local businesses in this time of need.

OCO MEALS

Chicken Cashew Nut Thai / Photo: Oco Meals

Food is the sixth language of love. Even from a distance, you can win over your loved ones hearts (and stomachs) by treating them to a surprise theyll truly appreciate -- their meal planning struggles all taken care of!

Oco Meals provides healthy and affordable meals made by local restaurants and catering services for weekly front-door delivery, eliminating time-consuming meal preparation tasks such as grocery shopping, cooking, and cleaning. And, for this week, customers can get up to 20% off already budget-friendly prices, where you can get meals for less than $6 each.

Their extensive menu covers breakfast, lunch, and dinner, along with bakery, dessert, and drink selections; they also include a variety of cuisine choices and cater to dietary restrictions and preferences such as the keto diet and plant-based options.

Its easy to place an order -- just pick the meals for the week, select the delivery day, and have the meals delivered to your recipients address. While youre at it, place an order for yourself and schedule a time to dine together virtually.

For new customers, Oco Meals is offering free delivery on the first order. To redeem, visit this link or input the code WELCOMEBONUS at checkout. Follow Oco Meals on Instagram.

GRANVILLE ISLAND BREWING

Island Cerveza / Photo: Granville Island Brewing

Being socially distant is important these days, but so is being socially engaged. You can enjoy a virtual happy hour with your friends by sending over a case of beer (one for them, one for you).

Granville Island Brewing has launched their curbside delivery and pickup service. Operating 7 days a week, with free same day delivery for orders placed before 5pm, their online store is the best way to enjoy the classic selections along with some new limited-edition summer releases hitting the market.

Check out their Island Cerveza, brewed Cuban style with real cane sugar and 4.5% abv; its sure to be a summer drink of choice. If you and your friends fancy something with a splash of fruit, then enjoy their Watermelon Lager. Brewed with real watermelon and sitting at an easy 5% abv, this fresh tasting lager just might be the one.

Follow Granville Island Brewing on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

LIFE UNPACKED

Green Groomer Box / Photo: life UNpacked

All of this time spent at home provides an opportunity to refresh our daily personal grooming routines. For your environmentally-friendly friends, as well as friends who want to live a more eco-conscious lifestyle, you can introduce them to the green groomer movement.

On a mission to protect the planet, life UNpacked is inspiring people to shift their consumption habits towards a more zero-waste lifestyle by providing sustainable alternatives to bottled and plastic bathroom products. Their self-care essentials are made of all-natural ingredients and will have you showering, shaving, and cleaning your teeth in style.

In terms of their impact, the results speak for itself -- to date, the life UNpacked community has eliminated the need for over 46thousand pieces of plastic.

With their build your own subscription box, you can curate a customized self-care package for your friend (and yourself too!) with earth-friendly everyday necessities like bamboo toothbrushes, tooth powder, and shampoo bars. Recognizing that everyone uses their bathroom products at different rates, life UNpacked gives customers the opportunity to choose the products they wish to give and set the frequency for order intervals.

From compostable boxes and shipping labels to recyclable tape, life UNpacked aims to make every element of their business as sustainable as possible. Even more, they plant two trees for each order shipped!

Sustainable lifestyles are built one choice at a time, and creating a sustainable future for all is made possible through our collective actions.

For more about life UNpackeds eco-friendly products and subscription option, visit lifeunpacked.com, and follow them on Instagram and Facebook.

TURNFIT PERSONAL TRAINERS

TurnFit Personal Trainers / Photo by This Is It Studios

Nothing strengthens a bond quite like working out together! Though physical training spaces may be temporarily closed, you and your loved ones can stay fit while staying indoors through at-home virtual fitness training.

TurnFit Personal Trainers strives to help their clients build happier, healthier lives every day through focusing on holistic health. Their trainers offer qualified advice for exercise, recovery, and nutrition, personalized programming, and regular interaction.

To help people stay in shape during COVID-19, TurnFit is helping clients gain access to many of their online personal training services. Their programs and workout routines are designed specifically to be done at home, with no requirements to have prerequisite experience nor special equipment--for those who do have equipment at home, TurnFit can build a program based on what clients have available to them.

Their online training programs include holistic health components such as daily programming (from cardio workouts to meditation), nutrition plans, mindset coaching, and access to their health and wellness community on Facebook.

For those that have lost access to their personal trainer or have lost their gym memberships at fitness facilities that have permanently closed due to COVID-19, TurnFit are helping clients get set back up. With complementary video coaching calls and free training for the first month, their trainers will support clients in formulating a new health-based training regiment and empowering them in their personal health and wellness journey.

Packages are offered at reduced monthly pricing between $9.95 and $29, with individual coaching calls offered at $75. Clients can use the discount code 'FIRSTMONTH' to get their first month of training with TurnFit for free.

Visit TurnFits website for more details on their online training package rates during COVID-19, and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

EMELLES CATERING

Ready-made meals / Photo: Emelles Catering

In these uncertain times, there is one thing thats certain--we want to do our best to take care of our loved ones and lend them a helping hand. Whether you want to help a friend with their weekly meals or safely provide for your family, Emelles Catering will take this one thing off your plate.

The Vancouver-based company has catered for events such as the Bard On The Beach Festival and the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, believing that bringing people together over food is cause for celebration. With 2020 being their 20th year anniversary, it is Emelle's wish to help customers celebrate more with the people they live, love, and grow with, and they are here to help grant that wish at a distance.

Emelle's now offers contactless delivery of ready-made meals, including a variety of breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and desserts. Meal delivery menus are updated every Monday and include comfort classic selections such as the chef's choice soup and salad, and featured entrees like garlic butter prawns and cheese tortellini. Vegetarian options are also available and Emelles can accommodate any food sensitivities and dietary restrictions.

Meals start at $100 for 2-3 days and go up to a full weeks worth of meals. Orders are available for delivery or pickup on Thursday and Friday for orders placed by Tuesday of that week. Each meal is individually packaged and ready to reheat and serve. Your loved ones will be eternally grateful for the delicious treat!

For Emelles current meal delivery menu, visit emelles.com and call 604-875-6551 to place your order. Follow Emelles on Facebook and Instagram.

PAINTILLIO

Paintsmallio Kit / Photo: Paintillio

Looking for something for you and your loved ones to do at home thatsdifferent? Try binge-painting: a unique (and oh so creative) way to spend the days indoors. With this creative gift idea, you can turn your recipients living room into an artist's studio.

Paintillio has hosted collaborative, community paint-by-numbers mural activations at local events like the Vancouver Mural Festival, Skookum Festival, and the Vancouver Pride Parade. Now that events are on hold, they want to offer people the chance to bring the creativity home; all youve gotta do is pop open the paints and watch the magic happen.

New to the shop are Paintillios recently launched paint-at-home version of their kits, called Paintsmallios. This is a customized paint-by-numbers kit that allows anyone to paint a masterpiece featuring their favourite photos. From a cute candid of your friends puppy (aka #petportrait) to that sentimental (or hilarious) throwback of your parents wedding, Paintillio will turn any image into a hyper-realistic paint-by-numbers canvas piece.

Each Paintsmallio kit includes everything you need - from a numbered set of acrylic (mixed-by-hand-to-match-your-image) paints to professional paint brushes, and a canvas that is display-ready on its wooden frame. Whether its fun for one or for the whole family, this easy and creative at-home art project is sure to add a burst of colour and joy to you or your giftees days. All youve gotta do is match numbers to numbers...and just try to stay inside the lines!

For more info, visit paintillio.com and follow them on Instagram.

This Content is made possible by our Sponsor; it is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial staff.

More:
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The holy month of Ramadan has begun and with it, the practicers of the Islamic faith will take part in fasting during the entire month of Ramzan celebration.During this one month of fasting - called a Roza - the break for fast in the morning is known asSuhurand the evening meal is known asIftar.Rozais considered mandatory for all adult Muslims and only breastfeeding, pregnant or menstruating womenare excused from the fast.

But what if you are a diabetic?Diabetes management rests on controlling blood sugar levelsand might prove challenging if you plan to fast during Ramadan. With a little preparation to manage your blood sugar levels can, however, go a long way and assist you in fasting.

Here are a few dos and don'ts to fast safely if you are a diabetic.

Consult your doctor

This cannot be emphasised enough. Like you would for any kind of change in your dietary schedule, consulting your doctor prior to, during, and post-Ramadan is of utmost importance.A doctor that is in the know-how of your medical and diabetes history will help you assess whether it is safe for you to fast or not.

Check blood sugar level

Most diabetic patients have a Glucometre- a glucose monitoring machine - at home. Consider checking your glucose level 4-5 times a day during the fast. A frequent check during the day will help you manage your blood sugar level since achange in yourmeal patterns can put you at a higher risk of experiencing high/low blood sugar levels.

Eat right

To ensure your meals during Ramadan are a healthy mix of nutrients, including whole grain bread, low sugar cereals, beans and lentils in your diet is a good idea. Add in a generous serving of fruits and vegetables. Increase yourfibre intake to avoid dehydration. Ensure you are eating protein-rich food items to feel less hungry during the fast.

Say no to empty stomach

You should never take blood sugar lowering medication on an empty stomach. This might lead to an increasedrisk of hypoglycemia and can have serious implications to your health.

Don't fast

Do not ignore any of the warning signs of low or high blood sugar levels and consult your doctor immediately. It is advisable not to continue fasting if blood sugar level goes below 70 mg/dL or if it goes above 300 mg/dL.

Avoid overeating and sugary drinks

If you think overeating during Sehri can keep you full till Iftar, you are wrong. Do not overeat at any of those two times. Avoid deep-fried food, food rich in sugar, say no to fizzy drinks, or caffeinated beverages during the fast. These drinks have high sugar content and can lead to dehydration.

Disclaimer: Tips and suggestions mentioned in the article are for general information purpose only and should not be construed as professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor or a dietician before starting any fitness programme or making any changes to your diet.

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Ramadan and diabetes - Do's and Don'ts of Ramzan fasting for diabetics - Times Now