David Beckham on healthy living as a way of life – India New England

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By Puja Gupta

New Delhi Football legend David Beckham feels that it has never been more important to stay both mentally and physically fit than before. He emphasises that making healthy living a way of life can help us all to stay happy and motivated always.

The ace footballer says: Covid-19 has impacted people across the world and changed the way we live. In these unprecedented times its never been more important to stay both mentally and physically fit. Healthy living isnt a short term solution just to overcome the current challenges, making healthy living a way of life can help us all to stay happy and motivated always.

Beckham will be sharing personal stories on how he and his family have dealt with the extraordinary events of 2020 together with some of the lessons he has learned, at a virtual health and wellness event hosted by Tata AIA Life Insurance under their initiative Sehat ka Rakshakaran.

Im very happy to be involved in Tata AIA Lifes Sehat ka Rakshakaran, sharing my thoughts and experiences with people across India about how we can live healthier, longer, better lives, says Beckham, who is also AIAs Global Brand Ambassador.

Ive been lucky enough to visit many countries in Asia with AIA and witness first-hand the transformational work that AIA is doing in markets all over the region to help their customers and communities. I hope that through this event, people in India too will feel inspired to make the little changes in their lives that can make a big difference and that this unique event will really inspire them. I wish I could be there in person but look forward to watching the event online.

The event will include six sessions, delivering health and wellness content to inspire, motivate, and educate people across India. The event, scheduled for September 6, will be hosted by popular television presenter Gaurav Kapur and will also include eminent personalities who are experts in their fields. Chef and nutritionist Vicky Ratnani, mythologist and author Devdutt Patnaik, fitness influencer Natasha Goel, and internet entrepreneur and motivational speaker Ankur Warikoo will also do short sessions sharing their insights on physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being.

It will include six sessions, delivering health and wellness content to inspire, motivate, and educate people across India.

Rishi Srivastava, Managing Director and Chief Executive Offcier, Tata AIA Life, said: The onset of the global pandemic has highlighted the need for health and wellness more than ever before. It is important to address life challenges in these times from a more holistic perspective in order to stay motivated, healthy, and active. Tata AIA Life has always been committed to providing comprehensive Life Insurance solutions to ensure the wellbeing of our policy-holders and their families. This event is in line with our priority to support our policy-holders, employees, partners and wider communities, especially in these challenging times.

The event is free for all. To participate, log on to http://www.tataaiawellnessday.com (IANS)

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David Beckham on healthy living as a way of life - India New England

Healthy Living: Experts anticipate spike in anxiety/depression as kids start remote learning – Q13 FOX

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Q13's Ali Bradley reports.

SEATTLE - As school gets back in session, learning, of course, looks very different for most kids across the state and the country. With a lot of uncertainty still lingering, experts are anticipating a spike in anxiety and depression in school-aged kids. So, we talked to a psychiatrist about how to tell if your kid is suffering from more than just the back-to-school jitters.

Dr. Larry Mitnaul says there are some things to look out for,If you see your child kind of acting unusual every time that you are getting ready for school or having school-like conversations, they suddenly become quiet, or they certainly start expressing that you know they are having these recurrent headaches or theyre tummy troubles all of the time ... Imean these might be early kind of detective signs that ok my child is really having a tough time with this and maybe we need to either delve a little bit deeper and try to talk about it.'

Dr. Mintaul is also a volunteer medical expert for the American Heart Association and he is offering some tips on what parents can do to help in this unprecedented time.

First, he says get back into a routine.

It is one of those foundational pillars that help kids to expect whats happening next in their day and in a land and in a time when everything is gonna be, you know, changing and switching up with probably some irregularity.

Here are the routines Dr. Mitnaul says we should focus on. Getback into the routine of good nutrition, it is easy to get off track during the summer months with a more relaxed schedule.

Next, if you arent already, start getting the kids back into a routine of being physically active. Go on walks around the neighborhood if you don't have a backyard or space to play. Dr. Mitnaul says to try to make a game out of it so the kids are more inclined to participate.

Finally, try to get into the routine of decluttering tech and screen time.

Dr. Mitnaul says while it may be tough with remote-learning, these things can help kids get back into building these habits when the year is underway.

Another thing he says we need to focus on is patience and a little grace, Preparing our kids too to give each other a little bit of grace in this transition and for us as parents too to give each other and the school administrators and our local and state officials you know the benefit of the doubt that they are trying as best as they can even when there are some very real frustrations.

Dr. Mitnaul says using something familiar to them can help adjust the way they feel about a situation.For example, kids read a lot of adventure books or watch movies like Frozen and they can be heard singing into the unknown but is it the unknown that has many kids freaking out over right now.

Now is a really great time to one, revisit some of those stories, and then maybe frame for our kids, or talk about it in that lens. You know, ok there are a lot of things that we are not gonna know, you know or be able to expect. So what do we do when the unexpected happens? You know how do we calm our bodies and brains when we are not sure what to do or are feeling overwhelmed.

Dr. Mitnaulsays talking to your children on a different level might help strike up the conversation as it can be tough for many kids and teens to express their emotions during this difficult time,Maybe even talking about not to the depth or a level that you would with your partner or spouse, you know, there are some things about this that dads a little bit nervous about you know. Sometimes our kids look at us like 'you get nervous?' or 'you know or things worry you a little bit? yes. and here is what i do you know when i feel that worry.

So for the parents feeling like their kid is already having a rough time or maybe you are having a hard time coping, Dr. Mitnaul says now is a good time to connect with someone you trust, like a pediatritian, family doctor or even lean on your community members,Maybe that next step is just reassurance that youre not going crazy and that youre doing ok.

Click here if you would like more tips from Dr. Mitnaul.

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COVID-19 Is Proof of Just How Socially Determined Health Is – VICE

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In late March, when TV journalist Chris Cuomo announced that he had COVID-19, his brother Andrew, the governor of New York, tweeted in response: This virus is the great equalizer.

Around the same time, Madonna expressed a similar sentiment. Posting a video filmed in a bathtub filled with rose petals, she said, "That's the thing about COVID-19. It doesn't care about how rich you are, how famous you are, how funny you are, how smart you are, where you live, how old you are, what amazing stories you can tell."

Technically, it's true that a virus doesn't care how much money you have, if you need to be on TV the following night, or run a countryall it "wants" is to find a host to infect so as to replicate itself. In this way, a global pandemic might be conceived of as a levelling force, indiscriminately threatening all echelons of a society.

That's what happened, to some extent, in past pandemics. In 1630, when the plague hit Northern Italy, it killed 35 percent of the population. Jacob Soll, a professor of history at the University of Southern California, recently wrote in Politico that the mass casualties of the Black Death set the stage for the Italian Renaissance.

The plague slowed down economic inequalityso many people had died that there was an increase in wages and affordable housing. The city government became open to people in lower guilds and literacy levels skyrocketed. "For a time, Florences economy bounced back with remarkable social mobility, and it became Europes premier center of artistic, cultural and scientific creativity, Soll wrote.

This is not what is happening in the United States with COVID-19. Instead of evening the playing field, the pandemic has instead exposed how deep and embedded our social inequities are, and amplified how much factors like income, education, housing, race, and social status can impact health outcomes.

These factors are known as social determinants of health." They are influences that go beyond just the biological processes of a disease, like access to health insurance, food security, housing security, transportation, personal safety, structural racism, and more. By some estimates, the social determinants of health contribute to 80 to 90 percent of our public health outcomes.

Public health experts have been ringing alarm bells about the social determinants of health for decades. Yet the U.S. spends an extraordinary amount of money on individual healthcare once people are sick, while often ignoring the ways wealth gaps and racism contribute to worsening health. COVID-19 could serve as a wake-up call. If COVID-19 is an exam for how we were doing on social determinants, the United States isn't receiving a passing grade.

People who were already struggling are losing their jobs, housing, and suffering higher mortality rates from COVID. The Color of Coronavirus project, which tracks how COVID-19 is disproportionately affecting certain communities, found that as of July 21st, there continue to be large disparities in deaths in Black, Indigenous, and other populations of color compared to white people.

Addressing social determinants could make a meaningful difference to health if we consider that poverty, racism, and housing arent just correlated with poor outcomes, but can actually cause them. COVID-19 is laying that truth bare, and presenting us with an opportunity for policy making that aggressively hones in on social determinantsboth to get us out of the pandemic safely, and for future health outcomes.

Its basically been a three-month crash course on what weve known for centuries, said Atheendar Venkataramani, a health economist, internal medicine physician, and assistant professor at the Perelman School ofMedicineat the University ofPennsylvania. Which is that the risk of disease and the outcomes of disease follow unequally from the circumstances the people find themselves in life.

In an essay about Albert Camus' novel The Plague, British academic Jacqueline Rose responded to the notion that we are all in this togetherthis, being the pandemic. "The frailty of that wehas never been so obvious," she wrote in the London Review of Books.

In the United States, that "we" has splintered along racial lines. COVID-19 is infecting mostly-Black counties at rates three times more than mostly-white ones, and their mortality rates are six times higher. Data released from large cities paint a stark picture. Though Black people account for only 30 percent of Chicagos population, over 50 percent of COVID-19 cases there are of Black people, and almost 70 percent of the deaths are within the Black community. Michigans population is 14 percent Black, but Black people make up 41 percent of COVID-19 deaths. Illinois population is also 14 percent Black, and their COVID-19 deaths are 32.5 percent Black. Black people are 33 percent of Louisianas population, but more than 70 percent of coronavirus deaths. In New York City, Black and Latino people are two times more likely to die than white people.

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These disparities didnt come out of nowhere, but reflect how strongly social determinants of health dictate COVID-19 risk. Social determinants increase the chances of someone being exposed to the virus in the first place. Weve been told to stay at homebut who has the income to stay at home, or a job where its possible to work remotely?

In a preprint study from May, which hasn't been peer reviewed, researchers found that in areas with lower incomes, there were both greater percentages of people of color and higher numbers of essential workers and healthcare workers that used the subway more during the pandemic. Using the subway was associated with higher rates of COVID-19.

We feel comfortable saying that being on a subway can cause COVID-19, said Venkataramani. I think we feel less comfortable to ask, why are people still riding the subway?

There was also an assumption that sheltering in place was a safe option, said Rachel Hardeman, an associate professor at the University of Minnesota's School of Public Health. But for people in crowded households, sometimes multigenerational ones that include at-risk older people, staying isolated at home doesn't necessarily protect from infection.

Hardeman said this is a direct result of the legacy of redlining, racist policies which denied Black people mortgages, which led to less housing security. In Minneapolis, where George Floyd was killed by police, 75 percent of white people own their home, compared to 25 percent of Black people that do. And for people without homes, COVID-19 risk is even higher: Out of 408 people living in a homeless shelter in Boston, 36 percent were positive for the coronavirus.

The precariousness due to the social determinants of health is so significant that it doesnt take much to push folks who are already struggling over the edge.

Julia Wolfson, an assistant professor at the University of Michigan's School of Public Health, examined how food insecurity impacted peoples ability to follow social distancing guidelines. She and her colleagues asked people whether they were able to comply with recommendations to stock up on food in order to avoid going out. Low-income adults and people who were already food insecure, were not able to do that. They either didnt have the money or didnt have access to food in the same way people with higher incomes in different neighborhoods did.

Hardeman said that Black people can have more chronic health conditions, like hypertension, diabetes, and asthma, which can make COVID-19 worse. But rarely did I see this effort to understand, so why are there more chronic illnesses in Black communities? Hardeman said, adding that those diseases are influenced by social determinants too.

People of color have less access to health insurance, which can exacerbate chronic conditions. As of 2017, around 55 percent of Black people had private health insurance, while 75 percent of white people did. And according to the weathering hypothesis, coined by public health researcher Arline Geronimus, the cumulative effects of discrimination, racism, and lower socioeconomic status over the course of ones life leads to poorer health outcomes, and higher risk for many diseases.

People without health insurance are more likely to use emergency health services, and so with the coronavirus overwhelming those facilities, it puts people in double jeopardy, during a pandemic, said Gulzar Shah, a public health systems and services researcher at the Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health at Georgia Southern University. They not only are likely to have multiple chronic conditions, and high vulnerability to COVID-19, the facility closures, and the interrupted delivery of routine healthcare to accommodate COVID-19 care has pushed these vulnerable populations completely out of the healthcare system.

The pandemic provides example after example of how a persons life situation can impact their health, that goes far beyond an individual's behavioral choices; it robs people of the choice to act or live in healthier ways. What COVID has shown is that the precariousness due to the social determinants of health is so significant that it doesnt take much to push folks who are already struggling over the edge," Hardeman said.

Social determinants have always been able to swiftly impact a persons health. But the pandemic has placed a magnifying glass on inequities that used to exist but were often masked in overall averages and small numbers presented in reports," Shah said.

Wolfson agreed. Weve been talking in public health about social determinants of health for a very long time. We recognized them as being these critical factors that affect health over the long term. But we sort of thought of them like: This puts you on a different trajectory for health over the long term. What COVID-19 is slapping us in the face with is, no this is the here and now. There's an immediate threat to people's health.

On February 25, Michael Marmot published the Marmot Review 10 Years On for Health Equity in Englandwhich provided an update to his 2010 report on health disparities, finding that life expectancy, as a measure of overall health and well-being, has continued to stall or get worse.

Life expectancy hasn't decreased in the same way for everyone. Its a social gradient: The more deprived an area is, the higher the mortality, the shorter life expectancy. Marmot, a professor of epidemiology and public health at University College London and director of The UCL Institute of Health Equity, said its not just lack of money that leads to these inequities, but an inability to socially participate and lead a dignified life in which one has control over their circumstances.

Based on data from England, Marmot has been finding that COVID-19 mortalities are falling along a similar gradient. That implies that the social determinants of inequalities in COVID-19 overlap with the social determinants of ill health more generally, he said.

Marmot has been studying how inequity influences health for decades, and is one of the most well-known champions for the social determinants of health. Even coming into the pandemic, he said we were facing a public health crisis.

We were ill-prepared in health terms and ill-prepared in public expenditure, Marmot said. We've reduced spending on social care. Health service expenditure failed to rise in line with inflation. We were not in a good state. Then the pandemic crashed upon us.

The situation in the United States mirrors what Marmot has found in England. For the last four years, life expectancy has either been going down, or not improving, and lags behind other rich countries. The United States currently is 28th among Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries for life expectancy at birth.

The United States spends more money on healthcare, per person, than any other country, yet doesnt have the health outcomes to show for it. Countries that spend thousands of dollars less per person still have higher life expectancy than the US.

A 40-year-old man who is in the poorest 1 percent of the US population will die, on average, 14.6 years sooner than a man in the top 1 percent. For women, the gap is about 10 years. In Baltimore, Maryland, there can be a 20-year disparity in a man's lifespan in a poor neighborhood, compared to a man's in a wealthy one.

"In some ways this is highlighting the unique failures of the American healthcare system and the American focus on pulling yourself up by your bootstraps, Wolfson said. Obviously there is poverty and inequality everywhere. But other high-income countries invest in the well-being of their population from a societal perspective, much more than we do.

This scarcity of public health has led to dramatic health outcomes long before COVID-19. In Flint, Michigan, the water crisis that led to lead poisoning was something that a strong public health system might have been able to surveil and handle more quickly. In 2017, there was a resurgence of hookworm in the U.S. south among poor Black communitiesa disease that was all-but eradicated through the Rockefeller Foundation's efforts in the 1920s.

We were not in a good state. Then the pandemic crashed upon us.

"Healthcare in the United States has worked as an industrial complex, motivated primarily by profiteering, with a focus on curing the sick rather than preventing people from getting sick, Shah said. Though the quality of care is better due to competition, profitability and high cost are the hallmarks of the societies where market forces are left unchecked.

Researchers have evidence that policies that change people's social determinants, end up changing their health. For example, being part of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, which integrates immigrants into the U.S. labor market, has been shown to positively affect the health of children with DACA-eligible mothers. In contrast, banning affirmative action programs negatively affects minority youth health. The federal minimum wage is currently $7.25, or about $15,000 a year for a full-time employee before taxes. In 2001, researchers estimated the effects of increasing the federal minimum wage to $11, and predicted that it would lead to substantial health improvements like a decrease in the risk of premature death, and reduction of sick days, disability, and depression.

There is progress being made. Some healthcare facilities have started providing housing assistance to homeless people, and finding that as a result, ER visits go down, inpatient admissions go down, and theres a decrease in overall costs for the hospital, sometimes dramatically.

In the _International Classification of Diseases_ (ICD) tenth edition, there are now codes a doctor can record in a patient's electronic health record that account for social determinants like homelessness, disappearance and death of family members, problems in relationship with spouse or partner, or problems related to education and literacy.

But research has found that these codes are rarely used. Only 1.4 percent of Medicare patients in 2016 and 2017 had claims that included social determinants codes; the most commonly used one was homelessness. A study from 2019 found that just 24 percent of hospitals and 16 percent of physician practices asked people about things like food insecurity, housing instability, transportation needs, and violence in their personal lives.

Hardeman is working on a project in Minnesota to figure out the best way to track social determinants. I don't think it's the solution, she said. But it's important to say, we're thinking about this. We're measuring that. We're capturing this, we have information about it.

Prioritizing social determinants of health requires efforts from outside of healthcare and medicine too. So many social determinants of health really come back to economic policies, Wolfson said. And it means considering health more holistically, including aspects that may not be obviously connected to disease or illness. In a lecture in Berkeley in 2018, Marmot described telling first-year medical students that when calculating an ideal minimum income for healthy living for an older person, it must account for enough money to buy presents for their grandchildren.

A chief executive from this health care organization started to weep, Marmot remembered. And he said, choking up, 'Recently my mother told me that my grandad used to go without meals to buy us birthday presents.' Thats part of leading a dignified life. Having enough money to buy your children, your grandchildren, a present. And in a rich society, we ought to be able to organize our affairs so everybody could do that.

Social determinants of health have often been thought of as wish list items, complex issues to address someday, and not in the immediate present. Ive been doing research on inequalities in health for 40 years or more, Marmot said. And for the last 40 years, Ive been hearing people say, Yeah, but thats long term. What should we do tomorrow?

Our government is currently hemorrhaging money on stimulus bills to keep the economy from collapsing, and while some Paycheck Protection Program loans go to billionaires, that same money could be funneled into social determinants-focused programs that actually can influence health relatively quickly. We've seen this before in policies like expansion of the earned income tax credit, Medicaid expansion, and minimum wage hikes. In 1965, when President Johnson said hospitals had to be desegregated to get Medicare fundings, it led to reductions in infant mortality from preventable diseases within a year. In this way, addressing social determinants should be thought of as evidence-based treatment options that can lower mortality or sickness, not a goal on a bucket list.

It can even be cost effective: A study from 2018 measured the impact of social determinants of health-type services on Medicaid and Medicare Advantage patients, finding that they could save more than $2,400 per person on their health care when they were referred to organizations that provided assistance for things like secure housing, medical transportation, healthy food programs, and utility and financial assistance.

COVID-19 has taught us it is possible to address some social determinants of health rather quicklylike expanding unemployment, finding places for homeless people to sleep at night, or closing down streets to traffic so that people in areas without parks have more room for exercise and recreation.

What else might a social-determinants approach to COVID-19 look like? It would still include healthcare initiatives, of course. More than five million people have lost their health insurance because of COVID-19. The fact that when you lose your job due to a COVID-19 layoff, you lose your health insurance, is uniquely American phenomenon, compared to our peer countries.

Decoupling health insurance from employment or dare I say it, having universal health care, that would go a long way to addressing some of these problems and the disparities that really are unique to the U.S., Wolfson said.

Is COVID-19 the wake up call? Yes, it is among many people.

It would also incorporate health-adjacent measures, like moratoriums on evictions, releasing people from jails where COVID-19 is spreading, and expanding access to food programs or universal childcare. We need to help people be financially stable while we wait for a vaccine. That might involve extending unemployment benefits, no-interest micro-financing, or the government paying companies to keep employees at 80 percent of their wageslike other European countries have done.

Whats crucial is not to let the reminder of how critical the social determinants of health are fade away after the pandemic. The World Economic Forum reported that the pandemic could push half a billion people in the world into poverty. That means our focus on social determinants cant end with COVID-19, but intensify to deal with its aftermath.

The progress on social determinants may feel slow, but Marmot said that hes thrilled its making its way into discussions of health and policy now. When I say I've been doing research on this for 40 years, that may sound like I'm bitter or despondent, he said. Im not in the least bit. I'm delighted that the language of social determinants of health is nearly in common parlance. We are getting on the agenda. Is COVID-19 the wake up call? Yes, it is among many people.

COVID-19 can help obviously connect the dots between a person's wages, where they live, and their race to their physical health. It's both a tsunami of a public health crisis and potentially a tsunami of real understanding and enlightenment," Venkataramani said.

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Healthy Living: Foods that benefit the immune system – ABC27

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Many people are looking to build their immune system as the coronavirus pandemic continues and cold and flu season is on the horizon.

Clinical Nutritionist Sharon Brown says doing this is like preparing for a marathon, you dont want to start the day before but rather work all year to boost your immune system.

Brown says building your childrens immune system starts by keeping them away from sugar because it starts to shut down the immune system.

Instead, reach for healthy snacks.

Give them things like yogurt that populates all that good gut flora, says Brown. She explains up to 70% of your immune system is in your gut.

Things like kefir, bone broth, and probiotics also help your gut.

You want to pack their lunches full of healthy food choices, so load them up with fruits, vegetables, and high-quality proteins that are going to support their immune systems, says Brown.

Brown says Vitamin C is crucial for the immune system but while many people grab a glass of orange juice for it, she has other options that she says are better for you.

You want to stay away from fruit sugars, not too much from fruit, so alternatively you can pack snacks like vegetables. Things like broccoli and bell peppers, says Brown.

Finally, Brown says zinc is important for your immune system.

Zinc is very important and can be found in blueberries, shellfish, and shrimp, which is a high quality source of zinc, says Brown.

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Sparrow Ionia, Health Department offer COVID testing Wednesday – WSYM-TV

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IONIA, Mich. Sparrow Ionia Hospital and the Ionia County Health Department are combining to offer COVID-19 nasal swab testing at a special one-day event in Lake Odessa on Wednesday, July 29.

The testing will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at St. Edwards Catholic Church Family Center, 741 Washington Blvd., Lake Odessa. Attendees are asked to use the north parking lot off of Washington Boulevard.

A nasal swab (or PCR) test determines whether or not you have an active COVID-19 infection at the time the sample is collected. Its a molecular test that is reviewed at Sparrow Laboratories. Nearly 100 people were swabbed at a similar event held recently in Belding.

Residents can attend without having a doctors order in advance. No money will be collected onsite and Sparrow will bill those with medical insurance.

Sparrow Ionia Hospital has been working collaboratively with the Ionia County Health Department to ensure the health and safety of our community, said Sparrow Ionia President Linda Reetz.

Again, the goal is to protect the community we serve as our county and state begin to reintroduce people back into the workforce.

Those seeking more information can contact the ICHD at 616.527.5341.

One of the most effective ways to contain any epidemic is widespread testing, said Ionia County Health Officer Ken Bowen.

We encourage anyone who has symptoms, who may have been exposed, or who will be returning to work to get tested.

Check out other Health related articles in our Yes to Healthy Living section of our website.

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AIA to Host Its First Regional Online Health and Wellness Event to Promote Healthier, Longer, Better Lives – Taiwan News

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SINGAPORE -Media OutReach-29 July 2020-AIA, the largest independent publicly listed pan-Asianlife insurance group, today announced plans to host its first ever regionalonline health and wellness event, spanning 13 markets and headlined by AIA'sGlobal Ambassador David Beckham.

AIA Live will be broadcast on Sunday 2ndAugust and will include more than 30 unique sessions, delivering health andwellness content to inspire, motivate and educate people across the region aspart of AIA's commitment to helping them live Healthier, Longer, Better Lives.Key themes will include mental wellbeing, exercise, activity and rest,nutrition, personal growth, as well as light-hearted moments of music andcomedy.

AIA Live has been designed to appealacross all age groups and multiple markets, celebrating the cultural diversityof the region while at the same time bringing people closer together to deepentheir knowledge of health and wellness in a fun and engaging way.

David Beckham will open and close the event,and also share personal stories on how he and his family have dealt with theextraordinary events of 2020, together with some of the lessons he haslearnt. Celebrity chef Jeremy Pang willcook a series of recipes with different ingredients from across Asia, andcoaches from AIA's partner Tottenham Hotspur Football Club ("Spurs") willchallenge participants to try some easy and fun football skills. They will besupported by more than 20 other regional influencers and keynote guests,bringing together AIA's family of ambassadors for the first time ever.

AIA Live will be hosted on AIA'sHealthy Living YouTube channel and AIA Vitality members will be able to earnAIA Vitality Points for taking part. By registering for the event, participantswill also earn the chance to win significant prizes including trips to Londonto watch Spurs play and meet their first team players, as well as signedfootballs from David Beckham, virtual cooking lessons with Jeremy Pang, andmerchandise from our other ambassadors. AIA also plans to host similar days inChina and India in early September, with tailored content for those markets.

Stuart A. Spencer, AIA Group Chief MarketingOfficer, said: "In this COVID world we live in, we see mindsets andbehaviours changing and we are committed to keeping connected with ourcustomers and supporting them with knowledge and practical tips for health andwellness. We know our audiences are online now more than ever before and arelooking for new ways to stay motivated, active and live a healthy lifestyle -often within the confines of their own home. We are therefore very excited tobe presenting AIA Live, a first of its kind event, which will be a day of powerful and inspiring content and a meaningful wayfor us to deliver on our commitment to helping people live Healthier, Longer,Better Lives."

AIA's Global Ambassador David Beckham said: "I'm very proud to beinvolved in AIA Live alongside my fellow AIA ambassadors, sharing ourthoughts and experiences with people across Asia about how we can livehealthier, longer, better lives. We've all faced unexpected challenges thisyear and looking after ourselves, mentally and physically, has never been moreimportant.

"I've been lucky enough to see first-hand thetransformational work that AIA are doing in markets all over the region to helptheir customers and communities. I hope people will feel inspired to make thelittle changes in their lives that can make a big difference and that thisunique event will really motivate them."

Please register for AIA Live by 30July 2020 to learn more about the full programme here: https://www.aia.com.sg/en/aialive.html

BACKGROUND FOR GROUP RELEASE

AIA appointed David Beckham as our GlobalAmbassador in 2017. As an internationally famous sporting icon and a dedicatedfamily man, David is playing a leading role in helping AIA to promoteachievable steps people can take to improve their health and wellness. Davidmakes frequent visits to AIA markets to help drive the Healthier, Longer,Better Lives movement, where he engages with large numbers of AIA customers,agents, partners and employees.

AIA has partnered with Spurs since 2013 andis the Club's Global Principal Partner. The partnership and the internationalcoaches based in Asia have been used to promote the vital role that activeparticipation in sport plays in helping people to live Healthier, Longer,Better Lives.

AIA teamed up with Jeremy Pang, celebritychef and founder of the award-winning School of Wok, in 2019 to bring ourcustomers an array of delicious recipes that are perfect for preparing at home.Focusing on healthy, flavour-packed dishes, Jeremy combines his easy-to-followstyle with tips, ingredient swaps and wok-loads of recipe inspiration. Jeremyhas featured at a number of AIA events including hosting a Dim Sum Masterclassin Singapore as part of our Centennial celebrations. Jeremy's easy-to-followrecipes showcase how simple swaps and healthy combinations can help you liveHealthier, Longer, Better Lives.

WHO'S JOINING FROM SINGAPORE?

Over 20 influencers from all over the globe--includingSingapore--will be joining this exciting online health and wellness event. Viewerscan tune in to watch actor and host Andie Chen keep up with Jeremy Pang'sinstructions in a cook-along session titled "Good Food for Good Health", whilstboth guests also open up about their experiences in lockdown and the kitchen. Joinactress and host Amanda Chaang as she learns some football drills from theSpurs coaches and challenges them to perform some cheerleading moves in a "Cheersand Drills" session, and get up close and personal with actor and musicianAndrew Marko in "Marko My Words: Nothing Can Get Me Down!". In this raw andunfiltered session he shares about how he fights stress and manages to find thebrighter things in life. Whether you are looking at building healthier diets,finding new fitness inspiration or simply looking for an outlet to unwind, wehave got something planned for everyone at this one-day online extravaganza!

AIA Live starts at 10 AM SGT this 2 August2020 on AIA's Healthy Living YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/AIAHealthyLiving

AIA Group Limited andits subsidiaries (collectively "AIA" or the "Group") comprise the largestindependent publicly listed pan-Asian life insurance group. It has a presencein 18 markets in Asia-Pacific -- wholly-owned branches and subsidiaries in HongKong SAR, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Mainland China, South Korea, thePhilippines, Australia, Indonesia, Taiwan (China), Vietnam, New Zealand, MacauSAR, Brunei, Cambodia, Myanmar, a 99 per cent subsidiary in Sri Lanka, and a 49per cent joint venture in India.

The business that isnow AIA was first established in Shanghai a century ago in 1919. It is a marketleader in the Asia-Pacific region (ex-Japan) based on life insurance premiumsand holds leading positions across the majority of its markets. It had totalassets of US$284 billion as of 31 December 2019.

AIA meets thelong-term savings and protection needs of individuals by offering a range ofproducts and services including life insurance, accident and health insuranceand savings plans. The Group also provides employee benefits, credit life andpension services to corporate clients. Through an extensive network of agents,partners and employees across Asia-Pacific, AIA serves the holders of more than36 million individual policies and over 16 million participating members ofgroup insurance schemes.

AIA Group Limited islisted on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited under thestock code "1299" with American Depositary Receipts (Level 1) traded on theover-the-counter market (ticker symbol: "AAGIY").

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AIA to Host Its First Regional Online Health and Wellness Event to Promote Healthier, Longer, Better Lives - Taiwan News

Here’s How Garlic Is Beneficial For Your Heart Health; Know Ways To Add It To Your Diet – Doctor NDTV

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Garlic health benefits: These tiny cloves can offer you some amazing health benefits. Garlic is also beneficial for your heart health. Read here to know how and different ways to use garlic.

Garlic is loaded with anti-bacterial properties

Garlic adds a strong flavour to your different recipes. Not just taste, garlic can offer some amazing health benefits too. Garlic is present in almost every Indian kitchen. These small cloves are loaded with properties beneficial for your overall health. Garlic helps boost immunity and promotes digestion. It also contains anti-bacterial properties. You can add garlic to your diet in several ways. It can be added to food during preparation. You can also use a small amount of finely chopped garlic as a topping. Many don't know that garlic is beneficial for heart health too. It helps in controlling various risk factors contributing to heart disease. Read here to understand different ways garlic can help control the risk of heart disease.

Garlic is beneficial for your heart health by controlling various risk factors that can lead to heart disease.

According to a study published in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, garlic extract can help control blood pressure. Uncontrolled high blood pressure leads to heart disease, therefore it is necessary to follow right measures to fight hypertension.

Garlic may help control blood pressurePhoto Credit: iStock

Bad cholesterol deposits in the arteries which can reduce the flow of blood and put more stress on your heart. Studies also suggest that garlic can help in controlling cholesterol levels. You should also exercise regularly to control cholesterol.

Also read:6 Diet Tips You Must Follow For A Healthy Heart

As mentioned earlier you can add garlic to different foods or as a topping. Raw garlic can also be consumed as first thing in the morning with a tall glass of water. Garlic can also be added to soups. Garlic tea is another healthy option to choose from.

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Also read:Do Not Miss These Amazing Health Benefits Of Drinking Garlic Tea; Learn The Method To Prepare

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.

DoctorNDTV is the one stop site for all your health needs providing the most credible health information, health news and tips with expert advice on healthy living, diet plans, informative videos etc. You can get the most relevant and accurate info you need about health problems like diabetes, cancer, pregnancy, HIV and AIDS, weight loss and many other lifestyle diseases. We have a panel of over 350 experts who help us develop content by giving their valuable inputs and bringing to us the latest in the world of healthcare.

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Here's How Garlic Is Beneficial For Your Heart Health; Know Ways To Add It To Your Diet - Doctor NDTV

Medical clinic to serve homeless people in Grand Rapids area – Houston Chronicle

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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) Six organizations in the Grand Rapids area are teaming up to provide free medical services for homeless people.

They will operate a clinic at the downtown location of Mel Trotter Ministries, one of the participants.

The others are Grand Valley State Universitys Kirkhof College of Nursing; Mercy Health Saint Marys; Metro HealthUniversity of Michigan; Michigan State UniversityCollege of Human Medicine; and Spectrum Health.

The coalition says the goal is to promote healthy living, treat acute and chronic conditions, reduce gaps in care and prevent unnecessary use of emergency services.

Homeless people are among the most medically fragile in our community, and they deserve access to regular medical care, said Dr. Peter Hahn, CEO of Metro Health University of Michigan Health. An important benchmark of any community is how it treats its most vulnerable residents."

Community Partners Medical Clinic at Mel Trotter will be open Monday through Thursday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Walk-ins are accepted.

Patients are also encouraged to make an appointment by calling (616) 588-8791 Monday through Thursday, between 1 p.m. and 7 p.m.

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Medical clinic to serve homeless people in Grand Rapids area - Houston Chronicle

Medical clinic to serve homeless people in Grand Rapids area – The Ridgefield Press

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Updated 9:24am EDT, Sunday, July 26, 2020

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) Six organizations in the Grand Rapids area are teaming up to provide free medical services for homeless people.

They will operate a clinic at the downtown location of Mel Trotter Ministries, one of the participants.

The others are Grand Valley State Universitys Kirkhof College of Nursing; Mercy Health Saint Marys; Metro HealthUniversity of Michigan; Michigan State UniversityCollege of Human Medicine; and Spectrum Health.

The coalition says the goal is to promote healthy living, treat acute and chronic conditions, reduce gaps in care and prevent unnecessary use of emergency services.

Homeless people are among the most medically fragile in our community, and they deserve access to regular medical care, said Dr. Peter Hahn, CEO of Metro Health University of Michigan Health. An important benchmark of any community is how it treats its most vulnerable residents."

Community Partners Medical Clinic at Mel Trotter will be open Monday through Thursday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Walk-ins are accepted.

Patients are also encouraged to make an appointment by calling (616) 588-8791 Monday through Thursday, between 1 p.m. and 7 p.m.

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Medical clinic to serve homeless people in Grand Rapids area - The Ridgefield Press

Coronavirus Prevention: Why N-95 Masks With Valves Do Not Serve The Purpose- Know Which Mask You Should Wear – Doctor NDTV

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COVID-19: On Tuesday, the government advised against using N-95 masks with valves. Read here to know why.

Coronavirus prevention: The general population should wear fabric face mask when stepping out

N-95 masks with valves are not effective for curbing the spread of coronavirus. The Centre on Tuesday mentioned that N-95 masks with valves do not prevent the virus from spreading out and are detrimental to the measures adopted for its containment. In April, the government had issued an advisory on the use of homemade protective cover for face and mouth. Fabric masks that you make at home must be washed and cleaned every day. It is advised that people should wear the mask as much as they can, especially when they step out of their houses.

Homemade fabric face masks must have at least three layers of fabric. They should be washed and cleaned every day. Before making a mask with the fabric, make sure that the fabric is washed well in boiling water for five minutes. You can also add salt to this water. Make the face cover only after the cloth is dried well.

Also read:Elderly Care In Times Of COVID-19: Here's What You Need To Ensure

"N-95 masks with valves can lead to aerosol generation. If someone who is wearing this mask coughs, then the infection can be spread through the aerosols. These masks are especially not recommended to be used in hospitals. N-95 masks without valves can be worn for coronavirus prevention," says Dr Rommel Tickoo, Associate Director, Internal Medicine, Max Healthcare.

Dr Tickoo adds that surgical masks which need to be discarded every day should be used by healthcare workers. "N-95 masks should be used by those who are in COVID-19 wards or attending patients infected with coronavirus. Surgical masks are not meant for common people either. They should wear fabric face masks which is reusable and washable," he tells DoctorNDTV.

Also read:Plasma Therapy For COVID-19: Know Who Can And Cannot Donate Plasma

Read here to know more about who should wear which mask and where.

For the homemade face cover, ensure that the outer layer of the mask should have water-resistant fabric. The inner layer should be water-absorbent and the middle layer should act as a filter. Watch this video to know how to make face masks at home.

Dr April Baller, Infection Prevention And Control, WHO Health Emergencies Programme says that the fabric face mask must have at least three layers of fabric. These can be used by the general public in areas where there are many people infected with COVID-19 in the community, and physical distancing of at least one metre cannot be achieved

Fabric face masks should be worn by the general publicPhoto Credit: iStock

Here are more do's and don'ts of fabric face masks you should be aware of.

Also read:Asthma Management In Times Of COVID-19: Expert Guidelines To Stay Safe

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(Dr Rommel Tickoo, Associate Director, Internal Medicine, Max Healthcare)

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.

DoctorNDTV is the one stop site for all your health needs providing the most credible health information, health news and tips with expert advice on healthy living, diet plans, informative videos etc. You can get the most relevant and accurate info you need about health problems like diabetes, cancer, pregnancy, HIV and AIDS, weight loss and many other lifestyle diseases. We have a panel of over 350 experts who help us develop content by giving their valuable inputs and bringing to us the latest in the world of healthcare.

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Coronavirus Prevention: Why N-95 Masks With Valves Do Not Serve The Purpose- Know Which Mask You Should Wear - Doctor NDTV

Healthy Living: COVID-19 impacts on our hearts – Q13 FOX

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This content is from our sponsor. The FOX editorial team was not involved with the creation of this content.

A new study shows that Covid-19 can injure heart muscles of people without underlying heart conditions. Healthy Living is sponsored by Regence BlueShield.

SEATTLE - A new study finds Covid-19 can cause heart injury even in people without underlying heart issues.

"The receptor that it binds to is present in heart muscle," saidDr. April Stempien-Otero, associate professor of medicine at the University of Washington

Dr. Stempien-Otero says many patients who are sick with Covid release enzymes into their blood that show they have damage to their heart.

"We are still trying to do studies to determine whether or not the virus itself is binding to those heart muscles themselves and causing the damage, or whether the damge that is happening in hearts is just from the overwhelming infection and inflammation that patients are having."

The fact that Covid-19 is a respiratoy illness can actually intensify the impacts to your heart.

"The lungs are the major source of infection but the lungs and the heart are very interconnected with each other, and inflammation in one or the other can affect (the heart),"Stempien-Otero say

When a heart muscle cell is damaged, if we lose one, it dies. The heart muscle doesn't repair itself,Stempien-Otero says.

Although the function may improve after the viral infection,if enough heart muscle cells have been damaged over time, the remaining cells cant keep up with the work ... theyre missing their friends so to speak ... and that leads to congestive heart failure over time.

"If you have chest pressure, discomfort, shortness of breath, call 911 or go to the ER. If you have fainting, call 911 or go to the ER. Do not be afraid that the ER, that youre going to get something from the ER. We have everything setup so that the COVID patients are separate, it is a safe place to go," she says.

Dr. Stempien-Otero says they are testing several different hypotheses at UW, including why patients with high blood pressure and diabetes are more susceptible to Covid-19, even more so than patients with lung disease.

While researchers continue to learn more about Covid every day,Dr. Stempien-Otero says Seattle area residents should take advantage of the summer months.

It is summer in Seattle, please walk walk walk walk, because exercise is the best medicine, and we have to keep our bodies healthy and our minds healthy during this time, so if youre gonna be baking extra scones, do extra walks," she says.

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ASSOCHAM launches Illness to Wellness a national awareness programme aimed at promoting healthy living in association with SAVLON – Odisha Diary

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New Delhi: The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), one of the apex trade associations of India has started a national health & wellness awareness program called Illness to Wellness to promote healthy living and preventive health through holistic measures.

Supported by the hygiene brand SAVLON, the programme was kicked off with a webinar on the topic Illness to Wellness The Yoga Way which saw leading health and yoga experts and recognized industry leaders deliberate on how Yoga could be the answer for mitigating threats caused by viruses and other ailments like the COVID 19.

A key speaker at the session Dr Ishwar V. Basavaraddi, director, Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga, Ministry of Ayush, Government of India, revealed that, we have deployed 30 instructors in COVID centres run by the Delhi government, who would teach patients yoga for three hours in the morning. Additionally, we have undertaken yoga lessons for COVID patients in the neighbouring 11 districts. We received 500 applications from Department of Science & Technology to understand the beneficial aspects of yoga especially for COVID patients and so are working on three projects with renowned yoga institutes to arrive at findings. The programme is being expanded to cover people who have come in contact with COVID patients like family members, police personnel, medical professionals etc.

For centuries yoga has proven to be a tool for mental and physical well-being. As the focus on boosting immunity grows due to the widespread adverse health effects caused by the COVID 19 pandemic, the role of this ancient and spiritual practice has become prominent in the journey from illness to wellness. Other eminent speakers emphasised the importance of wellness, not just in challenging times, but in general as a way of life.

While sharing his perspective, Mr Rajiv Chandran, director and office-in-charge, UN Information Centre emphatically stated that United Nations embraced the Yoga and 175 out of 193 countries unanimously agreed to celebrate Yoga as an annual International Day. The COVID19 pandemic has completely transformed the concept of wellness. Now, wellness is not merely an individuals concern rather a community strategy and is being viewed in a very broader perspective of peoples relationship with planet and the society.

Promoting adoption of correct lifestyle and wellness strategy, (Padma Shri) Guruji Dr. H. R. Nagendra, Chancellor, Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana & President, Indian Yoga Association said, During the present COVID pandemic situations, Yoga A Way of Life can bring wellness for people at large. Coronavirus has the potential to infect and affect the human lives, however our immune system is also very strong as WBC (white blood cells) acts a gigantic robust army to defend from many viruses including corona. Stress weakens our immunity system and thus it becomes a victim of virus (corona) attack. He further stated that although one can cure through medicines, vaccinations and other supplements, the solution to strengthen our immunity is Yoga only.

Sharing his views, Mr Anil Rajput, Chairman, ASSOCHAM CSR Council said, COVID pandemic has taught human race the hard lesson that medical science may not have readymade answers to emerging health crises. Therefore, we need to go back to the basics by putting focus on preventive measures and healthy living. Illness to Wellness has been timely conceived to bring the spotlight back on aspects we perhaps know at the back of our mind, but many are not able to practice in the rush of a busy life, such as the importance of healthy diet, exercise, hygienic habits, timely preventive practices among others.

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ASSOCHAM launches Illness to Wellness a national awareness programme aimed at promoting healthy living in association with SAVLON - Odisha Diary

Philips delivers Q2 sales of EUR 4.4 billion, with 6% comparable sales decrease; income from continuing operations of EUR 213 million, Adjusted EBITA…

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July 20, 2020

Second-quarter highlights Sales amounted to EUR 4.4 billion, with a 6% comparable sales decrease Comparable order intake increased 27% Income from continuing operations was EUR 213 million, compared to EUR 260 million in Q2 2019 Adjusted EBITA margin was 9.5% of sales, compared to 11.8% of sales in Q2 2019 Income from operations amounted to EUR 229 million, compared to EUR 350 million in Q2 2019 EPS from continuing operations (diluted) amounted to EUR 0.23; Adjusted EPS amounted to EUR 0.35, compared to EUR 0.42 in Q2 2019 Operating cash flow improved to EUR 558 million, compared to EUR 390 million in Q2 2019 Free cash flow increased to EUR 311 million, compared to EUR 174 million in Q2 2019

Frans van Houten, CEOAs the global societal and economic impact of the COVID-19 outbreak intensified in the second quarter of 2020, we continued to focus on our triple duty of care: meeting critical customer needs, safeguarding the health and safety of our employees, and ensuring business continuity. In close collaboration with our suppliers and partners, we have steeply ramped up the production volumes of acute care products and solutions to help diagnose, treat, monitor and manage COVID-19 patients. Our field service engineers have been supporting healthcare providers around the world throughout these testing times. Under the circumstances, I am pleased at the way we have performed and I am grateful and proud of how all our employees have stepped up.

In the quarter, Philips' sales declined 6% on a comparable basis and we delivered an Adjusted EBITA margin of 9.5%. Comparable order intake grew a further 27% on the back of double-digit growth in the previous quarter, driven by CT imaging systems, hospital ventilators and patient monitors. As anticipated, COVID-19 caused a steep decrease in consumer demand and postponement of installations in hospitals, as well as elective procedures, resulting in a 19% comparable sales decrease for our Personal Health businesses and a 9% decline for our Diagnosis & Treatment businesses. This was partly offset by a strong 14% comparable sales growth for our Connected Care businesses.

We expect to return to growth and improved profitability for the Group in the second half of the year, assuming we can convert our existing order book for the Diagnosis & Treatment and Connected Care businesses, elective procedures normalize, and consumer demand gradually improves. Consequently, for the full year 2020 we continue to aim for a modest comparable sales growth and Adjusted EBITA margin improvement.

Looking ahead, our mission is more relevant than ever. Our strategy to transform the delivery of care along the health continuum, leveraging informatics and remote care capabilities, along with our innovative systems and services, has been validated during this crisis. I am convinced that Philips is well positioned to serve the current and future needs of hospitals and health systems.

Business segment performanceThe Diagnosis & Treatment businesses recorded a 9% comparable sales decline due to the postponement of installations and elective procedures. Although Diagnostic Imaging sales were in line with Q2 2019, Ultrasound showed a mid-single-digit decrease, and Image-Guided Therapy a double-digit decline. Comparable order intake showed a double-digit decrease. The Adjusted EBITA margin decreased to 8.6%, mainly due to the sales decline.

Comparable sales in the Connected Care businesses increased 14%, with double-digit growth in Sleep & Respiratory Care and mid-single-digit growth in Monitoring & Analytics. Comparable order intake more than doubled, driven by strong demand for patient monitors and hospital ventilators. The Adjusted EBITA margin increased to 17.8%, as additional investments to ramp up production were more than offset by operating leverage.

The Personal Health businesses recorded a comparable sales decline of 19%, with all businesses declining due to significantly decreased consumer demand. The Adjusted EBITA margin declined to 5.6%, due to the sales decline, partly offset by cost savings.

Philips ongoing focus on innovation and partnerships resulted in the following key developments in the quarter:

Highlighting its strength in strategic partnerships to enhance patient care and improve care provider productivity, Philips signed 14 new agreements in the quarter. For example, Philips and the US Department of Veterans Affairs entered a 10-year agreement to expand their tele-critical care program, creating the worlds largest system to provide veterans with remote access to intensive care expertise, regardless of their location. In the Netherlands, Philips and Flevo Hospital signed a 10-year strategic partnership agreement to support precision diagnosis and optimize workflows and patient pathways, while driving efficiencies and cost optimization. In collaboration with its partners and suppliers, Philips tripled the production of its hospital ventilators in the quarter and is on track to achieve the planned four-fold increase to 4,000 units per week in July 2020, supporting the treatment of COVID-19 patients in the most affected regions around the world. Philips launched several new monitoring solutions for the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), the general ward and the home that feature remote monitoring capabilities and advanced analytics. These include Philips IntelliVue Patient Monitors MX750/MX850 for the ICU, Philips Biosensor BX100 for early patient deterioration detection in the general ward, and in collaboration with BioIntelliSense, the BioSticker medical device to help monitor at-risk patients from the hospital to the home. University of Kentucky HealthCare teamed up with Philips to implement the companys tele-ICU technology to enhance patient care and improve utilization and patient flows across 160 ICU beds at the academic medical centers two hospitals. Leveraging Philips acute telehealth platform, eCareManager, UK HealthCare is implementing the states first centralized virtual care model to help nurses detect risk of patient deterioration, so they can intervene earlier and help improve care outcomes. Philips received an industry-first 510(k) clearance from the FDA to market a wide range of its ultrasound solutions including CX50 and Lumify for the management of COVID-19-related lung and cardiac complications. Portable ultrasound solutions in particular have become valuable tools for clinicians treating COVID-19 patients, due to their imaging capabilities, portability and ease of disinfection. Supporting the increased demand for flexible ICU capacity, Philips introduced its new mobile ICUs in India. The ICUs can be furnished with a range of medical equipment, including ventilators, defibrillators, and patient monitoring. In the Philippines, Philips introduced a modular diagnostic imaging cabin with a CT or diagnostic X-ray system for rapid deployment. Complementing Philips Sonicares existing teledentistry services for patients, Philips and dental technology company Toothpic announced a new teledentistry platform for dental professionals. The multi-service platform provides a tool to build direct patient engagement, acquisition and retention while improving office efficiency, in-chair time and remote care.

Cost savingsIn the second quarter, procurement savings amounted to EUR 57 million. Overhead and other productivity programs delivered savings of EUR 51 million. As a result, Philips is on track to deliver over EUR 400 million productivity savings for 2020 and EUR 1.8 billion productivity savings for the Group for the 2017-2020 period.

Executive Committee updateOn July 16, Philips announced the appointment of Deeptha Khanna as the Chief Business Leader of the Personal Health businesses, effective July 20, 2020, and the appointment of Edwin Paalvast as Chief of International Markets, effective August 1, 2020. Ms. Khanna and Mr. Paalvast will become members of Philips Executive Committee, reporting to Philips CEO Frans van Houten.

Ms. Khanna joins Philips from Johnson & Johnson to lead its Personal Health businesses, which were temporarily led by Frans van Houten. Mr. Paalvast joins Philips from Cisco Systems, and will succeed current Chief of International Markets Henk de Jong, who has been appointed as CEO of Philips EUR 2.3 billion Domestic Appliances business, effective August 1, 2020. As announced in January 2020, the Domestic Appliances business is being separated from Philips, a process that is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2021. Mr. de Jong will continue to report to Frans van Houten and remain a member of the Executive Committee.

Capital allocationShare buyback programAt the end of the first quarter of 2020, Philips had completed 50.3% of its EUR 1.5 billion share buyback program for capital reduction purposes that was announced on January 29, 2019. In line with the companys announcement on March 23, 2020, Philips has executed the second half of the program through individual forward transactions with settlement dates extending into the second half of 2021. Further details can be found here.

Share cancellationIn June 2020, Philips completed the cancellation of 3,809,675 shares that were acquired as part of the share buyback program mentioned above.

DividendIn July 2020, Philips issued a total number of 18,080,198 new common shares for settlement of the 2019 dividend. After deduction of treasury shares, this results in a total number of outstanding shares of 909,395,209, compared to 909,194,188 shares in 2019 following the settlement of the 2018 dividend.

Regulatory updatePhilips Emergency Care and Resuscitation (ECR) business resumed manufacturing and shipping of external defibrillators for the US, following notification from the FDA that the injunction prohibiting those activities has been lifted. Philips continues to comply with the terms of the Consent Decree, which remains in effect, and includes ongoing regulatory compliance monitoring and facility inspections of the ECR business and of Philips other patient care businesses by the FDA. In connection with the ECR portfolio, Philips received FDA pre-market approval (PMA) for the HeartStart FR3 [1] and HeartStart FRx [2] automated external defibrillators (AEDs), and their supporting accessories, including batteries and pads.

In connection with the COVID-19 pandemic, Philips is working with the FDAs Emergency Response and Product Evaluation teams to provide them with relevant information, such as Philips production ramp-up and availability of acute care products and solutions to combat COVID-19. Philips has obtained authorizations through the FDAs Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) process for the expanded use of several of its devices during the COVID-19 public health emergency, including for the Philips IntelliVue Patient Monitors MX750/MX850 and its IntelliVue Active Displays AD75/AD85. Moreover, Philips has received FDA 510(k) clearances to market its Biosensor BX100 for early patient deterioration detection in the general ward, and to market a wide range of its ultrasound solutions for the management of COVID-19-related lung and cardiac complications.

[1] Model 861388 and Model 861389[2] Model 861304

For further information, please contact:

Ben ZwirsPhilips Global Press OfficeTel: +31 6 1521 3446Email: ben.zwirs@philips.com

Martijn van der StarrePhilips Global Press OfficeTel.: +31 6 2847 4617E-mail: martijn.van.der.starre@philips.com

About Royal Philips

Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on improving people's health and enabling better outcomes across the health continuum from healthy living and prevention, to diagnosis, treatment and home care. Philips leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver integrated solutions. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, image-guided therapy, patient monitoring and health informatics, as well as in consumer health and home care. Philips generated 2019 sales of EUR 19.5 billion and employs approximately 81,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. News about Philips can be found at http://www.philips.com/newscenter.

Forward-looking statements and other important information

Forward-looking statements

This document and the related oral presentation, including responses to questions following the presentation, contain certain forward-looking statements with respect to the financial condition, results of operations and business of Philips and certain of the plans and objectives of Philips with respect to these items.

Examples of forward-looking statements include: statements made about the strategy; estimates of sales growth; future Adjusted EBITA; future restructuring, acquisition-related and other costs; future developments in Philips organic business; and the completion of acquisitions and divestments. By their nature, these statements involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to future events and circumstances and there are many factors that could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these statements.

These factors include but are not limited to: changes in industry or market circumstances; economic and political developments; market and supply chain disruptions due to the COVID-19 outbreak; Philips increasing focus on health technology; the realization of Philips growth ambitions and results in growth geographies; successful completion of divestments such as the divestment of our Domestic Appliances businesses; lack of control over certain joint ventures; integration of acquisitions; securing and maintaining Philips intellectual property rights and unauthorized use of third-party intellectual property rights; compliance with quality standards, product safety laws and good manufacturing practices; exposure to IT security breaches, IT disruptions, system changes or failures; supply chain management; ability to create new products and solutions; attracting and retaining personnel; financial impacts from Brexit; compliance with regulatory regimes, including data privacy requirements; governmental investigations and legal proceedings with regard to possible anticompetitive market practices and other matters; business conduct rules and regulations; treasury risks and other financial risks; tax risks; costs of defined-benefit pension plans and other post-retirement plans; reliability of internal controls, financial reporting and management process. As a result, Philips actual future results may differ materially from the plans, goals and expectations set forth in such forward-looking statements. For a discussion of factors that could cause future results to differ from such forward-looking statements, see also the Risk management chapter included in the Annual Report 2019.

Third-party market share dataStatements regarding market share, including those regarding Philips competitive position, contained in this document are based on outside sources such as research institutes, industry and dealer panels in combination with management estimates. Where information is not yet available to Philips, those statements may also be based on estimates and projections prepared by outside sources or management. Rankings are based on sales unless otherwise stated.

Use of non-IFRS informationIn presenting and discussing the Philips Groups financial position, operating results and cash flows, management uses certain non- IFRS financial measures. These non-IFRS financial measures should not be viewed in isolation as alternatives to the equivalent IFRS measure and should be used in conjunction with the most directly comparable IFRS measures. Non-IFRS financial measures do not have standardized meaning under IFRS and therefore may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. A reconciliation of these non-IFRS measures to the most directly comparable IFRS measures is contained in this document. Further information on non-IFRS measures can be found in the Annual Report 2019.

Use of fair value informationIn presenting the Philips Groups financial position, fair values are used for the measurement of various items in accordance with the applicable accounting standards. These fair values are based on market prices, where available, and are obtained from sources that are deemed to be reliable. Readers are cautioned that these values are subject to changes over time and are only valid at the balance sheet date. When quoted prices or observable market data are not readily available, fair values are estimated using appropriate valuation models and unobservable inputs. Such fair value estimates require management to make significant assumptions with respect to future developments, which are inherently uncertain and may therefore deviate from actual developments.

Critical assumptions used are disclosed in the Annual Report 2019. In certain cases independent valuations are obtained to support managements determination of fair values.

PresentationAll amounts are in millions of euros unless otherwise stated. Due to rounding, amounts may not add up precisely to totals provided. All reported data is unaudited. Financial reporting is in accordance with the significant accounting policies as stated in the Annual Report 2019. Certain comparative-period amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current-year presentation.

Effective Q1 2020, Philips has simplified its order intake policy by aligning horizons for all modalities to 18 months to revenue, compared to previously used delivery horizons of 6 months for Ultrasound, 12 months for Connected Care and 15 months for Diagnosis & Treatment. At the same time, Philips has aligned order intake for software contracts to the same 18 months to revenue horizon, meaning that only the next 18 months conversion to revenue under the contract is recognized, compared to the full contract values recognized previously. This change eliminates major variances in order intake growth and better reflects expected revenue in the short term from order intake booked in the reporting period. Prior-year comparable order intake amounts have been restated accordingly. This realignment has not resulted in any material additional order intake recognition.

Per share calculations have been adjusted retrospectively for all periods presented to reflect the issuance of shares for the share dividend in respect of 2019.

Market Abuse RegulationThis press release contains inside information within the meaning of Article 7(1) of the EU Market Abuse Regulation.

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Philips delivers Q2 sales of EUR 4.4 billion, with 6% comparable sales decrease; income from continuing operations of EUR 213 million, Adjusted EBITA...

Living well is still within reach with GNC’s fitness and health products – CNN

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Needless to say, were living in perilous times not just because of, well, everything, but also because it can be genuinely hard to remember to take care of yourself while youre trying to do your part to save the world.

The smart thing to do is to get a little help and make self-care easier than ever. GNC offers that help, with products designed to keep your body healthy and fit and to help you take the medical precautions we all need to think about in 2020.

The Maji Sports-Printed PVC Yoga Mat ($29.99), for example, makes a half-hour of asanas a breeze. Its made of material thats dense enough for you to do your downward-facing dog comfortably on your porch or in your living room, and its nonslip, even when its covered in perspiration. It means you can stretch your muscles and get your endorphins going even in the smallest of confined spaces.

Speaking of confined spaces, with gyms verboten in so many places right now, the Fitccessory Mini Loop Resistance Bands ($21.99 for a three-pack) mean you dont have to let your triceps and quads melt away just because you cant make it to the corner fitness center. With three different levels of resistance, the bands let you engineer your own at-home gym and keep yourself toned while not having to venture out to risky locations.

And lets not forget that a workouts still a workout, whether you do it outdoors, at the gym, or inside your own home and it can feel like it for the rest of the day. The Maji Sports Fitness & Recovery Bundle ($276.99) turns your knots and sore muscles into butter, relieving tension and reducing that post-workout stress, so you dont feel like youve just ridden the Kentucky Derby without a saddle.

Of course, if you do have to go outside, youre going to want to reduce the risk to yourself and others as much as possible. GNC has you covered there, too. The GNC Personal Adult Cloth Face Mask ($4.99) is an inexpensive, responsible way to follow CDC guidelines to keep yourself and others as safe as possible under the current conditions. Its made of a blended cotton, with supportive ear loops to make it comfortable enough for all-day use, plus its washable and reusable. GNC sells a kids version by Zorbitz, too ($4.99).

Besides the aerosolized pathogens that put you at risk when someone sneezes, coughs or simply breathes too close to you, disease can be spread if you touch a contaminated surface and then touch your face with your unsanitized hand. Uncle Buds Hand Sanitizer ($9.99 for 8 ounces or $4.99 for a 2-ounce pocket-carry bottle) is a safe way to kill bacteria and viruses on your skin before they can do any damage and contains 70% ethyl alcohol. (The CDC recommends using alcohol-based sanitizers of at least 60% ethyl alcohol to kill any coronavirus on your hands.)

Living in the middle of a pandemic doesnt have to mean you cant live well. GNCs products are designed to make doing just that as easy as possible. And its nonprofit arm, the GNC Live Well Foundation, works to help others live well by partnering with organizations like the American Red Cross and Fit Ops Foundation to improve the wellness of the underserved, especially children and women.

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Living well is still within reach with GNC's fitness and health products - CNN

Philips appoints Deeptha Khanna as Chief Business Leader of the Personal Health businesses and Edwin Paalvast as Chief of International Markets -…

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July 16, 2020

Edwin Paalvast will succeed current Chief of International Markets Henk de Jong, who has been appointed as CEO of Philips Domestic Appliances business, effective August 1, 2020

Amsterdam, the Netherlands Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG; AEX: PHIA), a global leader in health technology, today announced the appointment of Deeptha Khanna as the Chief Business Leader of its Personal Health businesses, effective July 20, 2020, and the appointment of Edwin Paalvast as Chief of International Markets, effective August 1, 2020. Ms. Khanna and Mr. Paalvast will become members of Philips Executive Committee reporting to Philips CEO Frans van Houten.

Ms. Khanna joins Philips from Johnson & Johnson to lead its Personal Health businesses that were temporarily led by Frans van Houten. Mr.Paalvast joins Philips from Cisco Systems, and will succeed current Chief of International Markets Henk de Jong, who has been appointed as CEO of Philips EUR 2.3 billion Domestic Appliances business, effective August 1, 2020.As announced in January 2020, the Domestic Appliances business is being separated from Philips, a process that is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2021.

Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, our purpose and strategy to improve peoples lives through meaningful innovation remain more relevant than ever, said Frans van Houten, CEO of Royal Philips. We see significant opportunities to further strengthen Philips leadership in health technology. Throughout our markets, care delivery is accelerating towards telehealth, virtual care and remote services directly to patients at home. And in the personal health domain, we are seeing an accelerated shift in priorities and buying behaviors towards online. I am pleased that in Deeptha, with her rich consumer health and digital experience, and Edwin, with his strong informatics and solutions expertise, we have found the right leaders to join our team and help us unlock Philips full potential.

Moreover, with the planned divestiture of the Domestic Appliances business, we are completing the strategic portfolio pivot to a health technology focus. I am convinced that Henk is the best leader for Domestic Appliances, as this business will embark on a new chapter in its journey to thrive and grow independent of Philips. As a seasoned business leader, Henk possesses a great combination of deep consumer knowledge across many countries, as well as a passion for bringing out the best in his team.

Deeptha Khanna (India-born Singaporean, 1976) most recently was the global President of Johnson & Johnsons Skin Health business and Office of Marketing Value. Through 2015 2019, she held various leadership positions in Asia and globally, during which she successfully drove a comprehensive transformation of the Baby Care portfolio. Prior to this, Ms. Khanna spent 17 years at Procter & Gamble in Asia, where she held various leadership positions in marketing. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Statistics, Mathematics and Computer Science, and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Management.

Edwin Paalvast (Dutch, 1963) joins Philips from Cisco Systems where he was Senior Vice President Global Specialists, leading a global sales force in specialist areas, including the Internet of Things (IoT), networking, data center, cloud, collaboration, cybersecurity and services. Prior to that, he held a variety of senior roles, including that of President of Cisco Systems EMEA. He started his career in 1986 at TNO, the Dutch Institute for Applied Research, where he led research on High Performance Computing and Applied Computer Science. He holds two Masters in Computer Science and Mathematics, and a PhD in Computer Science and Physics.

Henk de Jong (Dutch, 1964) joined Philips in 1990, and after holding various business roles in Floor Care, Coffee and Kitchen Appliances, and leading Philips former Consumer Lifestyle sector in Europe and Asia, he successfully led Philips Latin American market for five years. He has subsequently led Philips International Markets since 2017, delivering consistent year-on-year profitable growth and market share gains. In his new role as CEO of Philips Domestic Appliances, Mr. De Jong will gradually assume end-to-end management responsibility in line with the design and timeline of the carve out process. He will continue to report to Frans van Houten, and remain a member of the Executive Committee.

For further information, please contact:

Ben ZwirsPhilips Global Press OfficeTel.: +31 6 15213446E-mail: ben.zwirs@philips.com

Derya GuzelPhilips Investor RelationsTel.: +31 20 59 77055E-mail: derya.guzel@philips.com

About Royal PhilipsRoyal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on improving peoples health and enabling better outcomes across the health continuum from healthy living and prevention, to diagnosis, treatment and home care. Philips leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver integrated solutions. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, image-guided therapy, patient monitoring and health informatics, as well as in consumer health and home care. Philips generated 2019 sales of EUR 19.5 billion and employs approximately 81,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. News about Philips can be found at http://www.philips.com/newscenter.

He will continue to report to Frans van Houten, and remain a member of the Executive Committee.

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Philips appoints Deeptha Khanna as Chief Business Leader of the Personal Health businesses and Edwin Paalvast as Chief of International Markets -...

I Swapped My Morning Coffee For This Collagen Beverage, and It Gave Me Energy For Hours – POPSUGAR Health and Fitness Australia

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If living the last four months staying home and social distancing has taught me anything, it's that I'm not exactly a morning person. Sure, when I wake up early and go for a walk or get in a workout before logging on for the workday, I feel more energized and productive. The problem? I can never get up early enough. I've overcompensated for this fact drinking way too much coffee. Like, the equivalent of a Big Gulp from 7-Eleven amount of coffee, which is not exactly great for my anxiety. Coffee can be healthy for you, sure, but consuming too much caffeine has trapped me in this cycle of not being able to fall asleep > sleeping in > trying to wake myself up with too much coffee, and repeat. (Not to mention the unpleasant GI symptoms I experience from drinking too much coffee. But I digress.)

I'm not ready to give up my caffeine habit just yet, but I could definitely cut back. That's why I was so excited to try Vital Proteins new drink: Morning Get Up and Glow ($30). I'm already a fan of Vital Proteins and add the unflavoured collagen powder to my morning coffee or drink the matcha collagen as an afternoon pick-me-up. But when I read up on this beverage as a morning energy and beauty boost, I was intrigued.

Morning Get Up and Glow is made with 10 grams of collagen peptides per scoop, which translates to nine grams of protein per serving, which is satisfying when I'm not hungry for a big breakfast. It also has biotin for skin and nail health, 600% of your daily value of vitamin C, and 90 milligrams of caffeine, which is about as much as a cup of coffee. It comes in powder form, which easily dissolves in cold water with the help of my mini mixer stick (I'm obsessed with this thing).

That's all well and good, but how does it taste? Morning Get Up and Glow is a light and refreshing citrus taste that's not too overwhelming; there's only one gram of sugar and it's sweetened with monk fruit, so it doesn't have that artificial sweetener aftertaste. It reminds me of a tastier Emergen-C without the effervescence. Pro tip: mix it with eight ounces of orange juice in the morning for even more vitamin C and a richer flavour.

I'm not ready to give up coffee entirely just yet, but Vital Proteins Morning Get Up and Glow is definitely a healthy replacement with a moderate amount of caffeine for when I want to cut back. After just one cup, I still had energy and focus throughout the morning without all the nasty GI side effects. I'm excited to add this into my rotation of Vital Proteins collagen drinks. If powdered drinks aren't your thing, Morning Get Up and Glow is also sold in capsule form ($30 for 60 capsules). Since I already take so many vitamins, I'll stick to the beverage.

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COVID-19 creates all kinds of stress. Here are some tips for… – Hays Free Press

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The millions of infections and hundreds of thousands of deaths that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought globally are creating stress over everything from personal health to employment, lifestyle, and finances.

Given these difficult circumstances, its more important than ever for people to know about coping mechanisms to better manage stress, protect their immune system, and increase their chances of staying healthy, says Dr. Nammy Patel, DDS (www.sfgreendentist.com), author of Age With Style: Your Guide To A Youthful Smile & Healthy Living.

COVID is maximizing stress for so many people, Dr. Patel says. It has a far-reaching impact into every part of our lives, and if we dont manage the stress, it severely affects our bodily systems causing burned-out adrenals, high cortisol, and thyroid issues, to name a few consequences of high-stress levels. Thus, the immune system is lowered, and we are more vulnerable to illness.

This era we are living in is very traumatic, and its very concerning. In dentistry, gum disease, sleep disturbances or apnea, and teeth breakage can all be evidence of stress. Poor oral health, as studies show, can be a gateway to medical issues. People often dont identify how much stress theyre under, and how its affecting them physically, until they actually get sick.

Dr. Patel has the following suggestions people can incorporate into their daily lives to better deal with stress:

Adhere to a healthy diet. While in quarantine or a new normal in which people are spending the vast majority of their time at home, having healthy foods at home and not over-snacking are vital considerations.

We must be more mindful of the foods we put in our bodies, Dr. Patel says. Eat as many greens and whole foods as possible. Avoid dairy products as they increase mucus production in the sinus and the chest, leading to lots of sneezing and congestion. The coronavirus enters the nose and makes a home in the sinus, and to increase immunity, its important that the sinus and chest are not inflamed. Food prep makes it easier to eat healthy while working from home. Prepare salads and other healthy meals in advance.

Dont over-indulge in drinking. For some people, drinking is the only source of enjoyment during the pandemic, Dr. Patel says. And we see people who are isolating having Zoom calls with friends while drinking wine. The problem is that one glass turns into two or more, and with the sugar content of wine, you may wake up during the night. This disturbs sleep, and sleep is when the immune system regenerates. Restorative sleep is essential to our health.

Take vitamin supplements. Often, those with adrenal fatigue dont take in enough essential nutrients as stress increases their bodys nutritional demands, Dr. Patel says. To address adrenal and cortisol burnout, take multivitamins in order to get trace minerals.

Develop a morning ritual. Deep breathing exercises can be calming and get you out of the hyper state, Dr. Patel says. You want to get rid of the fight or flight mode and enter the rest and digest state of mind.

Find a stress management activity that works for you. Many people dont like to exercise, but Dr. Patel notes exercise doesnt have to be rigorous to be effective.

A type of exercise one enjoys doing at home like walking, running, or yoga goes a long way toward releasing stress hormones, she says.

And for those who like intense workouts, its all good in terms of reducing stress. Another good stress management technique is using biofeedback mechanisms like alpha state meditations to increase immunity.

The disruption of daily life by COVID-19 has caused us to rethink many things that we do, Dr. Patel says. How we deal with stress needs to be a priority now, and its not overly difficult if you develop good daily habits.

About Dr. Nammy Patel, DDS

Dr. Nammy Patel, DDS (www.sfgreendentist.com) operates a practice called Green Dentistry in San Francisco and is the author of Age With Style: Your Guide To A Youthful Smile & Healthy Living. A graduate of the University of Californias School of Dentistry, she is a leader in the movement to bring environmental sanity and well-being into the dental world. Dr. Patel focuses on helping patients recognize the vital connection between dental health and whole body health.

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COVID-19 creates all kinds of stress. Here are some tips for... - Hays Free Press

Apple Cider Vinegar For Sore Throat: Is It An Effective Remedy? Know Ways To Use It Safely – Doctor NDTV

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Apple cider vinegar is use as a remedy for several conditions. It is also popular as a remedy for sore throat. But is it effective? Let's find out.

Sore throat can cause pain, irritation and discomfort

Sore throat is a common condition that affects almost everyone once in their lifetime. It causes a painful, dry and itchy sensation in the throat. Several home remedies are recommended to control the symptoms of sore throat. One of these remedies is apple cider vinegar. Apple cider vinegar is also a popular remedy for multiple health issues. It is commonly used to prepare weight loss drinks. It also offers beauty benefits for your hair and skin both. Now, you might be wondering is it effective? How does it help? How to use it safely? Here are all the answers and find other details too about this famous remedy.

According to a study published in the journal, Natural Product Research in 2018, apple cider vinegar contains antioxidants and anti-bacterial properties. So, it can help may help in controlling sore throat caused by bacterial infections. However, there is a need for further examination to understand the effect and results.

Apple cider vinegar contains anti-bacterial propertiesPhoto Credit: iStock

Nutritionist Nidhi Dhawan explains, "Most of the sore throat problems resolve on their own, some may need attention especially if it is accompanied with other problems like high fever, recurrent throat pain, ear pain, or stomach problems. It is necessary to find the underlying cause of a sore throat which may be caused by viruses, bacteria or even an allergy."

"While there is no scientific data to support the fact that apple cider vinegar is always beneficial in treating sore throat. This home remedy may not be best suited for all. But antibacterial properties of apple cider vinegar may help in controlling the condition. Further various studies have also claimed that it triggers an alkaline ambience in the body that helps in killing the virus and bacteria which require an acidic environment to survive."

Also read:Sore Throat And Dry Cough: Know Possible Causes And Home Remedies

Apple cider vinegar should not be consumed in concentrated form. It should be diluted before consumption. One to two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar can be to a tall glass of warm water. It can also be mixed with green tea for consumption. Gargle with hot water is also an effective remedy for sore throat. You can mix one to two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in a glass of warm water and some salt for gargle. These home remedies may act as sore throat reliever.

Also read:Sore Throat Home Remedies: Try This Amazing Concoction By Luke Coutinho For Instant Relief

Gargle with hot water to control the symptoms sore throatPhoto Credit: iStock

Ms. Dhawan further explains that one should be careful before consuming apple cider vinegar as the concentrated form may cause damage to the oesophagus lining and stomach leading. It can cause unwanted burning sensation doing more harm than good. People with pre-existing conditions like gastritis, frequent heartburns, GERD, acid reflux and peptic ulcers should completely refrain from using apple cider vinegar in any of the mildest forms. It is also known to damage the tooth enamel if used for a prolonged time.

Promoted

(Dt. Nidhi Dhawan, HOD Nutrition & Dietician, Saroj Superspeciality Hospital, New Delhi)

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.

DoctorNDTV is the one stop site for all your health needs providing the most credible health information, health news and tips with expert advice on healthy living, diet plans, informative videos etc. You can get the most relevant and accurate info you need about health problems like diabetes, cancer, pregnancy, HIV and AIDS, weight loss and many other lifestyle diseases. We have a panel of over 350 experts who help us develop content by giving their valuable inputs and bringing to us the latest in the world of healthcare.

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Seven ways to create healthy communities after COVID-19 Show House – Show House News

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Town planners should be visionaries and address the converging public health, climate emergency and economic recovery challenges to create healthy communities post-COVID, according to a new report by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI).

A new report, Enabling Healthy Placemaking, calls for greater levels of cooperation and collaboration between health, social care, and planning professionals to ensure peoples health needs are integrated into the conceptualisation, design and planning stages of new developments in the future.

It highlights seven ways to enable planners to lead the way in creating healthy and sustainable communities.

Deputy head of policy and research at the RTPI and author of the report, Aude Bicquelet-Lock, said: The COVID-19 pandemic has shone a bright light on much that is wrong with our communities and laid bare the fact that many peoples health has suffered as a result of sub-standard living conditions. This is largely due to the fact that over the years the health needs of communities have often been forgotten in the race to meet housing targets and appease developers.

The links between town planning and good health have long been established and there is a plethora of evidence proving that healthy places create healthy people who in turn are able to contribute to and build a healthy economy.

Healthy place-making is critical to address health challenges and reduce inequality, so it is now vital that we overcome some of the barriers to creating healthy places, turn the evidence into policy and the policy into action to create the healthy, resilient and inclusive places necessary for people to thrive.

Results from an analysis of 15 case studies and 10 interviews suggest that successful projects are all underpinned by a long term vision, fruitful collaboration, communication and adequate funding.

Barriers to creating healthy places include current legislation and policies, insufficient funding and requirements and expectations of developers.

Seven ways to enable healthy placemaking:

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Healthy Living: What you need to know about the Menopause – Leinster Leader

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The perimenopause can be one of the trickiest times for women to get their head around. One minute youre busy having a family and all that goes with it and all of a sudden, the years sneak up on you and you dont quiet feel like the woman you once were!

You may notice your energy levels have dropped and some days youre literally dragging yourself through the day, youve lost your get up and go for no reason, you cant seem to shift that foggy feeling in your brain and the scales is moving in the wrong direction even though your diet hasnt changed!

Welcome to the menopause, well technically the term menopause is inaccurate because it represents the end of symptoms, whereas the stage that most women struggle through is called peri-menopause, which can last anything from two to ten years until the last period.

The average age of menopause is 51. You officially reach menopause when you have had no periods for 12 consecutive months.

Women typically start to experience perimenopause in their 40s and for some the only sign is that your periods start to become more irregular, this is due to the fact that in the perimenopause, Progesterone levels fall rapidly as you stop ovulating as regularly. the levels of one of the main female sex hormones, oestrogen, rises and falls unevenly and its falling at a slower rate than progesterone, meaning you can end up being oestrogen dominant, thats a ratio of too much oestrogen to progesterone. This is usually whats behind many of the typical symptoms experienced during the transition to menopause. The stress hormone cortisol can also increase making sleep more difficult and leading to weight gain.

The thyroid comes under increased pressure, and low levels of thyroid hormones can bring mood changes, weight increases, constipation and a sluggish feeling.

Your hormones work together synergistically. When one or more is out of kilter, there can be an effect on the others, too.

The length of time between periods may be longer or shorter, your flow may be light to really heavy and with worse PMS than ever before, and you may even skip some periods only for them to return out of the blue with a vengeance.

You might also experience some of the symptoms traditionally associated with the menopause, like night sweats, hot flushes, sleep problems, mood swings, more UTIs like cystitis and vaginal dryness, poor memory, brain fog, cravings, bloating, loss of sex drive and irritability. Around this time, you might begin to notice your waistline is expanding and you just cant seem to shift that fat around the middle. Once women hit their 40s, they typically gain an average of 1lb a year so you could easily be a stone heavier by the time you reach 54.

Remember going through the peri-menopause is not an illness, it is the most natural thing in the world, although if your experiencing it right now you might be thinking this is anything but natural!! but you do have some control over managing symptoms. Its all about making some changes to your diet, stepping up your self care and taking action to reduce stress, and moving gently.

Diet

It really is important to start taking a closer look at your diet as Unfortunately when we reach this part of our life we just cant get away with eating the way we did when we were younger, as The drop in oestrogen levels that occurs during menopause has a side effect of redistributing body fat and excess pounds start to settle around the waist. On top of that, the change that happens in relation to oestrogen and progesterone at this stage of life is also likely to make your body less sensitive to insulin, the fat storage hormone. This is produced in response to you eating carbohydrates. When the bodys cells are less sensitive to insulin, more insulin is needed to do the same job, and more insulin produced means more fat stored.

This is where a low carbohydrate is very beneficial, focusing on low GL carbohydrates, fruit, vegetables, moderate protein and healthy fats coming from oily fish, nuts, seeds and avocados.

You may benefit from adding phytoestrogens to your diet. Phytoestrogens are plant-based chemicals (the good kind), which are structurally similar to oestrogen and exert a weak oestrogenic effect. They include soy beans, lentils, beans, chickpeas, tofu, barley, rye, oats, alfalfa, apples, pears, carrots, fennel, onion, garlic, sunflower seeds, flaxseeds, liquorice root.

Managing stress

Cortisol is one of the main stress hormones and it can lead to weight gain and leave you feeling fatigued. Even though it is the imbalance of hormones that are behind most of your symptoms, the effects of stress can be just as debilitating.

Most hormones are made from the same basic ingredients. When its under stress, the body prioritises those jobs that are useful for sustaining life, which means that when you are stressed, your body will make stress hormones ahead of anything else. So all those raw materials that might have gone to make oestrogen now wont. therefore managing your stress is essential to managing your peri-menopausal symptoms!

Exercise

As the weight creeps on, its very common for women to start getting into the types of exercise that are very punishing on the body, like running and high intensity interval training.

What do I mean by punishing?

These very intense forms of exercise stress the body and, if your body is already stressed, its just too much. Yoga, Pilates, Zumba and other dance-based classes are a good alternative as is a good power walk.

Resistance training (weights) is also good to help with the loss of muscle. Strength training also helps maintain balance, and avoid injuryimportant for protecting your skeleton both now and when youre older.

Always consult your doctor before starting a new exercise, especially if you have any underlying health conditions, you consider yourself to be unfit or very overweight.

Supplements

Menopause supplements can provide natural support for those who may be experiencing some of the symptoms related to the menopause. Its important to note that not all supplements will suit everyone and may not be safe for someone with an underlying health condition or those taking medication, therefore it is advisable to only take a supplement protocol recommended to you by a professional.

If you are struggling with managing your symptoms of menopause or maybe you would like to get your diet right before to hit that time of your life, why not schedule in an appointment with The Nutri Coach! There is no time like the present My clinic is back open and I am taking bookings for new and existing clients, so just pop me a message if you would like to schedule an appointment. contact details below.

Debbie Devane from The Nutri Coach is a qualified Nutritional Therapist and health & lifestyle coach, Debbie runs her clinic from the Glenard Clinic in Mountmellick and also offers one to one and group online consultations. Debbie is also Nutritionist to the Offaly GAA senior footballers. For more information or to make an appointment email Debbie at

info@thenutricoach.ie

Ph: 086-1720055

Facebook: The Nutri Coach @debbiedevanethenutricoach

Instagram: the_nutricoach

For more information go to http://www.thenutricoach.ie

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