Day 1 of 13 Home To Do List - Just because we are in lockdown does not mean we have to stop planning and considering our goals and dreams... Creating a DreamCHART can be a great, fun way of connecting with your family, Private message us for any help in setting up a dream chart and we will happily assist you.

Keep checking Action Coach Summit facebook page for the rest of the Lock down to do list.

News supplied by Action Coach Business Coaching.

Who misses our community? Just being able to actually get together with people at a restaurant or coffee shop?

It looks like we are not the only ones ...

Our small businesses need our support more than ever. We can offer our community restaurants, coffee shops and food services our support by buying vouchers. Buy one now at our website and save your local fav.

Stay healthy, stay safe and stay at home folks. While you are doing that, buy some vouchers for when we can get together again, so we can all enjoy it together.

News supplied by Pay It Foodward.

Essential services will continue to run during this Shut Down period, and NIGHTINGALES carers and management will be reporting for duty for as long as our clients require.

Every precaution has been taken to ensure minimised risk to client and carer in order for us to get each other through this uncertain time, and we are in contact with our local GPs who are constantly advising and updating us.

Should you have a vulnerable family member who may find it difficult to manage during this time, please contact us to see how we can help.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
0823014270 / 0726027505
News supplied by Nightingales Home-Based Caring Services.

FreeMe Wildlife needs your support now, more than ever. 

We have over 11 000 followers on FaceBook who can really make a difference. 

If you love what we do, and how we do it, as a supporter, you are in a position to be able to help with even as little as R10. It will go a long way to help us through these challenging times. 

Payments can be made directly into our account:

FreeMe Wildlife
FNB
Branch code: 220725
Account Number: 62141246068

If you are not in South Africa, we have a PayPal account please see on our website:

http://www.freemekzn.co.za/donate/

News supplied by FreeMe Wildlife.

As the lockdown continues and I run out of things to clean up, tidy away, re-organise, and generally sort out, I find that my desire to eat food that is sweet or contains refined carbohydrate is rapidly growing.

My horrible self-isolation from my family and, especially, from my two young sons undoubtedly exacerbates my craving for sugary and other refined carbohydrate foods. This is because these foods provide me, and most other human beings, with a good feeling because of a very short-lived increase in a brain chemical called Dopamine.

And I have to dig fairly deep to find the self-control that allows me, instead, to seek out and eat the foods that I enjoy and are healthier options… such as very dark chocolate (containing at least 70% cocoa solids).

In this newsletter I am going to focus attention on the foods that you eat, specifically the foods that put stress on your body (and brain) and the healthy foods that you can substitute for those negatively impacting your immune system.

As is the case with many health professionals whose work is influenced by life events, I too have embraced my personal experience of ill health, in this case both Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) as well as regular colds and flu.

In delving deeply into the underlying causes of these common health problems I realized that the food I regularly ate was having a negative impact on the health of my digestive tract (i.e. my gut) and that my struggling gut was, in turn, having a negative impact on my stress levels, mood, immune system, and on my general health and well-being. And, quite clearly, vice versa!

So, how is it possible that the food you eat can have such a profound impact on the health of your immune system (as well as on most other areas of your functioning)? Well, scientific research clearly shows that there are a number of different mechanisms and pathways involved.

The most important mechanism is, perhaps, through what is termed chronic, systemic inflammation. This is very different to acute, localized inflammation, which is your body’s healthy response to almost all injuries, such as minor cuts, more serious wounds, sprained ankles, etc.

(Quite amazingly, chronic, systemic inflammatory processes are often determined by the health of your gut microbiome, which quite literally involves trillions of microbes, bacteria, fungi, protozoa and other single-celled organisms… but this fascinating ‘story’ will have to wait for another newsletter at some later stage.)

In other words, you need to ask yourself the following question right now:
Does the food that I regularly eat cause chronic inflammation throughout my body (and brain) and, in turn, negatively impact the health of my immune system?

The answer is a definite “YES” if you regularly eat any of the following foods:
- Sugar (all types, including sticky, dark brown sugar)
- Refined carbohydrates, e.g. white rice, maize products, pasta, and most bread, as well as all other products made from refined grains.
- Processed, i.e. chemically-laden, foods
- Seed oil, including sunflower oil and corn oil

You are probably thinking, as I once did, that when you limit the above foods there will be little that one can eat apart from vegetables and some fruit. Fortunately, this is far from the truth.

I recommend that your first small step is to limit your intake of each of the above foods while simultaneously starting to experiment with the huge diversity of healthy and readily available substitute foods, beginning with the following:

Instead of Sugar – try out Stevia or Xylitol and, when baking, try dried fruit purees, such as dates or prunes soaked in hot water and then blended together.

Instead of Refined carbohydrates – try out sweet potatoes, whole-wheat pasta, whole grains such as brown rice, sorghum, pearl millet, quinoa, buckwheat, and legumes and pulses such as beans and lentils.

Instead of Processed foods – eat more foods that are in there natural state such as all fresh or frozen vegetables and any other “whole foods”.

Instead of Seed oil – try out coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil, nut oils, butter and ghee.

And in order to determine how inflammatory your diet is click on my article at: https://www.alistairmork-chadwick.co.za/articles/boosting-ones-brain-functioning-through-diet/#start-content and print out and fill in the Personal Food Inventory. This is attached to an in-depth article that provides information on the foods that you should try to limit and the foods that you should be trying to eat more of, including various essential vitamins and nutrients. And, it includes two recipes for Chocolate Brownies made mostly from…black beans and other yummy ingredients.

Keep an eye open for my next newsletter delivered to your inbox in about three day’s time.

With warm regards,
Alistair Mork-Chadwick (Psychologist)

P.S. Please forward this email to family and friends who might unknowingly be eating foods that are slowly but surely having a very detrimental effect on their immune system and significantly compromising their ability to fight the Coronavirus and other infectious diseases.

P.P.S. I am still offering a free, online counseling session to anyone who would like to talk about, and explore options with regard to, the difficulties and challenges that they are currently facing. Please visit my website for contact details. 

And don’t hesitate to send me your questions to my email address:

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

News supplied.

Although our annual May Fair has been postponed.

Life at Sunfield Home is carrying on as normal as possible, under the current circumstances. We have always been a Home where hygiene and a healthy lifestyle have been a daily routine.

We have therefore implemented additional measures to ensure that we are following the guidelines recommended by the World Health Organisation, due to the current coronavirus concerns.

Obviously, this event is a major part of our annual fundraising drive and its postponement will have a huge effect on our ability to meet our fundraising goals. Should you be in a position to help, please contact me to discuss how your assistance could reduce the negative impact this will have on the Home.

Let’s all act responsibly, act unselfishly and actively work together to build our community.

News supplied Sunfield Home.

KSS would like to extend a huge debt of gratitude to the Ladies in the Ambers who have so kindly sewn homemade masks for our KSS staff. The entire KSS staff, on all levels, are humbled by this kind gesture. KSS has paid the kindness forward, with the extra masks being donated to other local businesses and families that are in need.

News supplied by Knight Security Solutions.

Looking for something meaningful to do during Lockdown? Perhaps this story will inspire you. There are many local initiatives to support.
Wheelbarrows Laden with Love and Good Food

Pregnant mothers in Shiyabazali could not believe their eyes when care worker, Theresa Shano arrived with her wheelbarrow bearing fresh vegetables to assist them during lockdown this weekend.

Shiyabazali is an informal settlement above Howick Falls that lacks services of any kind, with the women here famously doing their laundry in the rock pools above the 97m high falls.

This community is very vulnerable, with many relying on casual daily labour for income. Lockdown is, of course, disastrous.

African Spirit, on the other side of Howick Falls, run by Judy Smit and Teddy Masopha, does its best to assist this community. They offer a feeding programme, where anyone who arrives at the door is invited to sit at their table, serving at least 100 children every week.

As lockdown descended, Howick residents concerned about the plight of this community, sprang into action. Touchwood Veggies, a popular local grocer, was offering to deliver veg boxes to homes during this time. So, it made perfect sense to sponsor a veg box (R100) for delivery to those in need at the same time. The system was simple, order a box (or two) from Cayleigh Holgate at Touchwood, pay by eft and Cayleigh, who has a permit to deliver food during lockdown, would get the food to African Spirit for distribution. Touchwood grow a lot of their produce on a farm nearby, and sources produce from other local growers as well, so not only are donors feeding hungry folk, but also assisting a small business to keep going during and making sure that local farmers are able to sell their produce.

African Spirit can continue doing what they do best – reaching out, showing love and care to this community and using the connections they have made over many years to ensure that those who need it the most receive assistance.

It provides a simple way for residents of Howick to assist in getting good, fresh, nutritious food to vulnerable people.

The idea caught on like wildfire and thousands of rands of veggies were ordered within a couple of days. Crates, bags and boxes of cabbages, carrots, butternuts, potatoes, tomatoes, apples, brinjals, marrows, onions and peppers were delivered on the first Friday for African Spirit volunteers, wearing masks and gloves and keeping good distances, to sort and distribute. “Our caregivers know which families need it the most,” said Judy. “It has been a pleasure to be able to send such delicious, healthy food out knowing that everyone will be sharing with their neighbours, eating well for a couple of days and building their strength.”

Teddy added, “The Howick community has pulled together brilliantly. We would like to thank everyone who has done something to light up someone’s life during these difficult times. We had someone deliver lots of lovely handmade masks, another brought us two loaves of bread, someone baked biscuits, our favourite dance teacher dropped off many kilos of maize meal and a farmer delivered bags of organic meaty bones. Every contribution makes a difference.”

As laden wheelbarrows trundled across the bridge to Shiyas and along the road from kwaMevana, tired volunteers chatted about how strange it had been not to embrace everyone as they usually would, how this unusual situation was highlighting just what a perilous state so many people live in, and marvelling at the generosity of strangers.

As expected, recipients were very grateful.

“You are saving lives with this food,” community worker Zama Mncube enthused, “you have done such a good job. I love you so much.”

Will you be contributing to filling another barrow next week? Send Cayleigh Holgate (083 321 9181 a message ordering one (or more) veg boxes at R100 for the Shiyas programme, then pay by eft with Shiyas and your name as the reference. Repeat this next week as well, and the next…

News supplied.

I have just been hit with a cold.  I haven’t had a cold for probably well over a year, so why did I fall victim to a cold now? Well, I am guessing that it’s largely because of an immune system that has become compromised because of the unexpected stress rising within me over the past three or four weeks. So where is my stress coming from? i.e. what are the underlying causes of my chronic stress?

Well, my training and ongoing research strongly suggest that my current stress is largely related to difficult or unpleasant emotions, both anxiety and frustration, in this case. These emotions are partly because my wife and I have agreed that I should self-isolate (from my family) because of my almost daily interactions with patients and staff at the nearby psychiatric care centre. I have moved into a small granny cottage on a nearby property, which means that I am no longer able to infect my family with the Coronavirus should I be carrying it…

And it also means that I am no longer able to get hugs and kisses from my two young sons, that I have to stand on the other side of the fence when I visit (with my face mask on), and that I spend no more than a few minutes each day engaging with them in conversation that often does not feel smooth-flowing or natural. This physical separation from my loved ones, together with the huge number of new and unexpected stressors that now exist, are quite clearly the underlying causes of my emotional stress.

Much of the above may resonate with you… but are you aware that there are also a number of other very important sources of stress that significantly impact the health of our immune system on a daily basis? If not, I hope to help build your understanding of stress and of the different potential sources of stress through a brief email newsletter that I will send out every few days, during this lockdown period.

Please keep an eye open for my newsletter and forward it to everyone you care about. It will be full of important information together with practical advice to help you and your loved ones to (pro)actively start taking small steps to remove the many possible underlying causes of stress from your life.

And don’t hesitate to send me your questions to my email address: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 News supplied by Alistair Mork-Chadwick.

During the course of the past two weeks I have quickly come to see how my early morning run, that I used to enjoy prior to the lockdown, boosted my energy levels for most of the day.
 
And although running is my favourite way of obtaining a regular dose of exercise and a big energy boost, I am finding it very difficult to muster the enthusiasm and motivation that is required to run around (and around) the garden for 30 minutes each morning!
 
I am just grateful, in an ironic sort of way, for the fact that the very gradual but insidious deterioration that is now slowly unfolding within my body as a direct result of my inactivity is invisible to me. And, of course, herein lies a key danger for those of us who, like me, have not yet found a regular way to keep active during this lockdown period.
 
Recent scientific research has shown that a lack of physical activity has a negative impact on immune system functioning. This is because of the chronic, systemic inflammation that starts to take place within your body and brain when you don’t regularly exercise. And this process happens slowly and silently and you can't feel it happening until it is often too late.
 
Inflammation is part of the body's immune response. The body sees a problem such as stress, injury, or foreign invaders (such as bacteria or viruses) and enacts this response as a defense. Whether this is beneficial or not depends on the type of inflammation and how much time the body remains in that state.
 
Acute inflammation is short-term, with effects subsiding after a few days. It occurs in response to things like minor injuries (e.g. cuts, scrapes, sprains) and minor sicknesses (sore throats, etc). Damaged body tissues rely on this type of inflammatory response in order to heal.
 
Chronic inflammation (which is almost always systemic inflammation) is long-term, persistent, and unhealthy, even if it is only low-grade. When this process does not resolve, the immune system is compromised and health issues emerge, including almost all age-related, and chronic, diseases.
 
In each situation, the number of white blood cells is increased in order to accelerate healing.
 
In chronic inflammation, white blood cell activity is increased more than necessary, however, and remains elevated for long periods of time. This prolonged state of emergency can trigger disease processes, causing lasting damage to heart, brain, and other organs. It also slows recovery, and negatively impacts your immune system thus increasing rates of infection and sickness. Your own defenses literally bombard you with “friendly fire”.
 
Not only does exercise decrease the levels of certain proteins, such as cytokines, involved in chronic inflammation but activity also keeps your body and organ systems in optimal health.  
 
A lack of physical activity means that all of your organ systems, including your musculoskeletal system (involving your muscles and bones), your cardiovascular system (involving your heart, lungs and blood vessels), your gastrointestinal system (involving your stomach, intestines and related organs), and your endocrine system (involving your hormones and the glands that produce them), quickly start to falter and leave you more vulnerable to infectious diseases.
 
With little or no activity:
 - All muscles in your body, including your heart, start to atrophy. A weak heart means that it's harder for your cells to get oxygen.
 
- Your blood vessels become thicker and less flexible, while your blood becomes stickier, increasing your blood pressure and your risk for a blood clot.
 
- Your muscle cells start using less insulin, and the binding sites for it start to disappear. As a result, your body becomes less responsive to the hormone, which can lead to type 2 diabetes.
 
- Your circadian rhythm, which is enhanced through exercise, becomes disrupted which, in turn, interferes with your sleep cycle and causes sleep problems.
 
However, just as inactivity promotes chronic inflammation so exercise reduces it. And research suggests that only 20 minutes of moderate exercise is all that you need in order to experience the wide range of positive consequences, of which an improved immune system is but one.
 
Researchers have shown that exercise improves your body’s anti-inflammatory response by activating the sympathetic nervous system. This works to increase heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing rate, which helps your body keep up.
 
During this time your body releases adrenaline and other hormones into the bloodstream which activate the immune cells. And just a 20-minute session of exercise is enough to suppress the production of inflammatory cytokines.
 
This is very good news for all those people with reduced strength or mobility who are intimidated by the thought that physical exercise needs to be intense and for a long duration.
 
So, if you have been inactive, you will need to start slowly. You can keep adding more exercise gradually. The more you can do, the better… But just do what you can. Eventually, your goal can be to get the recommended amount of exercise for your age and health.
 
Below are just some of the many different ways to get exercise at home; try to find the types that are most enjoyable / do-able for you:
Housework and gardening are all physical work. To increase the intensity, simply do them at a more vigorous pace.
Keep moving while you watch TV. Lift hand weights, do some yoga stretches, or pedal an exercise bike (if you have one).
Work out at home with a workout video (on your TV or on the internet).
Stand up when talking on the phone.
If you do not have exercise equipment then perhaps you may be able to substitute household items for equipment such as yoga balls, exercise mats, stretch bands, and hand weights.

News supplied by Alistair-Mork Chadwick.

By now we know Covid-19 will have a substantial impact on our economy, we see lockdown periods extended, many are wondering what our obligations and responsibilities are?

Hanno Bekker founding director of The Financial and Legal Research Group - explains payment holidays for SMEs.

We can be proud of how South Africa is handling the COVID19 pandemic and we can commend the offering of payment relief that financial institutions are extending to SME’s in this critical time.

“However, I want to highlight that the payment holidays are not without consequence. In these uncertain times, we must understand what economic interventions such as payment holidays entail and how they are going to unfold so that we may be prepared and prevent unnecessary future economic strain in the post-pandemic world”, Hanno Bekker founding director of The Financial and Legal Research Group says.

We know by now that the Covid-19 virus will have a substantial impact on our economy as we see lockdown periods extended, many of us are wondering what our obligations and responsibilities are
.
Bekker says, “To make it through this pandemic and to prevent total economic collapse, regular South African consumers must continue to make their payments to businesses. SME’s are the heart of our economy and employ millions of South Africans who still need salaries.”
As of the 1st of April 2020, till the 30th of June 2020, the payment holiday will suspend your legal obligation to meet your full monthly bank repayment. However, it does not stop the loan from incurring interest or bank charges.

In other words, you are still expected to pay the fees and interest incurred on your loan for these three months, after the lockdown is over.

Essentially, a payment holiday is a show of good faith from the bank saying that for the next three months they will not act against you for not paying.

As an SME you must meet the following criteria to qualify for a payment holiday:
• Your business must be based in South Africa
• The annual turnover of your business must be less than 20 million rand
• Your accounts and tax must be paid up to date including payments for March
• Your business must be in good standing with the bank
• The payment holiday does not include payments on which your business has already fallen behind.

“We strongly recommend to all SME’s who can afford it to avoid making use of the payment holidays. The long-term effect of paying interest on the increased amount after the three-month holiday can have a severe impact on your business’ future cash-flow. If there is no alternative, then you should use it, but be aware of the implications.

Businesses can mitigate the economic impact of Covid-19 by taking their business digital wherever possible and maintain contact with their customer base. Rerouting all communication to cell phone lines, video-conferencing and email and transitioning into the e-commerce space can aid in stabilising some of a business’ income and allow entrepreneurs to continue to do business to a certain extent” Bekker concludes.

In instances where business owners decide that they are not going to pay their employees or suppliers, the Financial and Legal Research Group are available to advise you at no cost and when needed – they can act on your behalf as far as possible as the courts are also directly impacted by the lockdown.

Pictured above Hanno Bekker.

Contact Financial and Legal Research Group at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. – their team will contact you for a free telephonic consultation.

The UCSI continues to support SAPS, Law Enforcement and Security Service Providers. Our Operations team is working 24/7 to make sure we stay on top of things. Even with reduced traffic flow all over the country, the UCSI have been able to follow up and facilitate the apprehension of some perpetrators.

You will notice in the report that there are still gaps in the UCSI SNIPR Network. These gaps can only be “plugged” once enough Capex is available to do the installations, but more importantly more community members and business entities come on board with monthly contributions, to ensure the financial sustainability of our not-for-profit community project.

Wrap up
The role the UCSI is playing in our community is invaluable. The support offered to SAPS and Law Enforcement is critical in monitoring who is moving in and out of our areas. The UCSI also plays a fundamental role in helping “clean-up” databases. No matter how small the contribution – it all matters and makes a difference.

How can you get involved?
Please join the UCSI as a contributing member. The UCSI will not be sustainable without monthly community support from business entities, shopping centres, hospitals, schools, estates, security companies and private individuals.

Contact the UCSI on 063 068 9652 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information on how to join and make a contribution. Private individuals from R 50 pm and business entities from R 300 pm.

Stay safe – we got this!

News supplied by UCSI.

Love Howick Hunger Busters has handed out 134 food parcels to homeless/poor folk in the CDB comprising of a variety of items. These are: apples, bananas, bread, cheese, eggs, frozen homemade soups and stews, maize, peanut butter, potatoes, tinned baked beans, tinned pilchards, toothpaste, soap, sugar and tea bags.

A big thank you to the kind and caring community of Howick for EFT donations (banking details below) and food item donations. Drop-off points for donated items are: The Big Freeze, Main Street (between The Grapevine and Oasis church), and Hopewell’s in Harvard Street (opposite St Luke’s church).

There are 51 folk on the database that are being feed.

Banking Details:
Love Howick
First National Bank Howick
Cheque Account
Acc No: 62774727039
Branch Code: 220725
Ref: Hunger Busters

Hunger Busters project (feeding the poor and homeless) of Love Howick community organisation (A registered NPC with the CIPC, and a registered Public Benefit Organisation - PBO with SARS). We can issue Section 18A notices for SARS.

Website: www.lovehowick.com
Contact person: Rob Askew (Volunteer)
Tel: 081 762 7788/
082 779 8650
E-mail:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

News supplied by Knight Security Solutions.

Come enjoy our beer garden after lockdown

Happy hour will be every Friday from 4.30pm to 5.30pm.
Bring and braai at the #beergarden, just bring meat and sides.
Live music every 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month.

Enjoy a romantic walk along the Lions River, with a picnic basket filled with country fresh goodies and a pitcher of craft beer.

Visit our beer garden and enjoy a #BrewWithAView, buy some to take home and impress your guests at your next braai with our proudly KZN craft beer.

News supplied by Lions River Craft Brewery.

I am sometimes asked by my clients what it is that I like most about my work as a psychologist. I always tell people that I enjoy providing individuals with psychotherapy that will help them to understand and overcome their current or past emotional trauma/s.

And I obtain great satisfaction when I see positive shifts in a client’s habits of thinking, feeling and/or acting.

What I haven’t told too many people up until now is that I have developed an absolute passion for something that is not generally seen as falling within a psychologist’s field of endeavour; helping and supporting individuals who are trying to build and sustain not only a healthy mind but also a healthy body. And more and more people are realising that you absolutely cannot have one without the other.

In fact, I feel particularly excited and energized when a client asks me if I can help them to not only take back control of their overall health and well-being but also help them to move away from a complete reliance on the conventional medicine-focused approach to health and well-being.

This is why I have given so much time and effort over the past decade to growing my expertise in the field of stress reduction.

Ongoing, or chronic, Stress is a silent killer. It generally has a key role in causing chronic health problems (including major depression, IBS, cancer, etc.) and is, in turn, caused by a wide range of underlying factors. Yet, chronic stress is generally accepted as an inescapable part of life in the 21st Century.

And, even more sadly, chronic stress is often overlooked when it comes to helping individuals overcome the chronic health problems that they need treated.

Chronic stress always has a very negative impact on the functioning of an individual’s immune system, causing a person to more easily fall victim to whatever germs are being passed around at the time. You may be thinking that you have adjusted fairly well to the current lockdown and/or self-isolation, and that you are not experiencing much stress at the moment. But this may not be true… because chronic stress is not only caused by difficult emotions, such as anxiety, frustration or loneliness.

Chronic stress is also caused by a diet that regularly includes a range of less-than-healthy foods, by a mainly sedentary lifestyle that involves little movement, by a sleep routine that does not allow you to obtain between 7 and 9 hours of good quality sleep each night, and by a way of life that does not include regular interaction with supportive people who accept you as you are, no matter what state of mind you are in.

Critically, when it comes to reducing the negative impact that stress has on the functioning of your immune system and on your health and well-being, in general, it is crucial that we broaden the conventional definition of “stress” to include more than the narrow focus on just emotional stress.

“Stress”, which is really an abbreviation for the term “stress response”, includes a broad range of negative impacts in one or more areas of functioning, including your emotional, intellectual/cognitive, physical (and biochemical) and/or spiritual functioning.

In deciding what you must do to reduce the impacts of your stress the first step is to clearly identify the range of stressors that you are exposing yourself to.

A “stressor” is any factor or event that triggers a stress response, i.e. causes us to experience stress (or “strain”). Stressors include external factors, such as difficult interpersonal interactions as well as environmental pollutants, as examples. Internal stressors are also critical, and include anxiety-provoking thoughts as well as refined /nutrient-depleted food, etc.

Encouragingly, more and more GPs ask their patients if there is anything that might be causing them stress. They are, however, mostly interested in identifying the factors (i.e. stressors) underlying emotional stress so that they can determine how to “remove” some of these stressors. And, sadly, anti-anxiety medication is often a key recommendation.

To help you take the first steps towards determining a more sustainable approach to reducing the impact of stress on your immune system, and on your health and well-being, make a list of all the possible factors that might be causing you some level of stress and dysfunction in your emotional, intellectual/cognitive, physical (and biochemical) and/or spiritual areas of functioning. Give particular attention to the foods you eat, the quantity and quality of your sleep each night, the movement and exercise that you engage in each day, the quality of your social interactions and relationships and, of course, the different factors that impact you at an emotional level.

Keep your list at hand because my next newsletter will begin to focus attention on these stressors and, importantly, on the small steps that you can take to make changes that will boost the functioning of your immune system and of your health and well-being in general.

P.S. Please forward this email to family and friends who might unknowingly be placing their immune system under stress and strain on a daily basis thus significantly compromising their ability to fight the Coronavirus and other infectious diseases.

P.S.S. Please remember that I am offering a free, online counseling session to anyone who would like to talk about and explore options with regard to the difficulties and challenges that they are currently facing. Please visit my website for contact details.

News supplied by Alistair Mork-Chadwick (Psychologist).

Oakleigh Funeral home  would just like to send our love out to people during this difficult time.

It is with great sensitivity that I am informing you that Oakleigh will continue to serve and walk alongside the public during this time of lockdown, however we will be adhering to all the national funeral health regulations to ensure overall safety.

Please feel free to contact us on our 24 hour line for assistance,0861111380.

News supplied by Oakleigh Funeral Home.

The CoronaFighter WebApp brings South Africa immediate aid – track your symptoms daily.

CoronaFighter presents us with the opportunity to be calm and mindful about our health status daily – screen for COVID-19 and stay empowered in the #CoronaFight

During this uncertain time, it is all too easy to feel powerless in the fight against the Coronavirus pandemic. Now more than ever, many of us are looking for a way to educate ourselves with accurate information, soothe our anxiety and most importantly to monitor our health. CoronaFighter is a web-enabled app found at www.testforcovid.co.za – the app allow you to track your symptoms through a simplified automated self-monitoring process.

The CoronaFighter platform is at the forefront of a medical revolution that puts you at the centre of quality informative COVID-19 information you need. It provides you with reliable statistics, resources and validated research that are crucial in catching cases early and helps to communicate efficiently with medical staff. By providing you with the tools and information they need for self-monitoring, CoronaFighter reduces pressure on testing points and protects its users from the risk of infection presented by the testing centres themselves.

Due to COVID-19’s tendency to present symptoms slowly and be passed along incredibly easily, we should start self-monitoring as soon as possible. The health status and symptoms of patients with Coronavirus also change over time, and pre-testing will ensure that there are fewer false negative tests. By gathering updated information on a daily basis, officials will be able to identify patterns in symptom development that can lead to earlier diagnosis and limit further spread.

The easy-to-follow test gives you and all South Africans an accessible way to compare your current health profile to the latest NICD1 guidelines. To test yourself for COVID-19 simply sign-up on www.testforcovid.co.za with your email, phone number or Google Account, where you’ll give CoronaFighter a brief medical and travel history, and the app will be able to tell you what the latest NICD guidelines suggest you do next.

The platform was developed as an open-source initiative to ensure you get the best possible CoronaFighter app. Over 35 hardworking and passionate doctors, software engineers, creatives and marketers were able, in the space of one week, to create CoronaFighter. The app was designed to collect data to provide medical authorities with reactive feedback on where COVID-19 hotspots are, and aids in providing crucial data so that medical resources can be used in the most efficient way possible.

CoronaFighter presents you with the opportunity to be calm and mindful about your health status, it makes medical care easy to find and gives you an active way to contribute to the research that will ultimately win the battle against COVID-19.

Join the #CoronaFight today!

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The Department of Small Business Development has introduced relief mechanisms for SMME’s impacted negatively by the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Please find mechanisms, criteria and processes to be completed below:

Debt Relief Financial Scheme

For businesses which are negatively affected directly or indirectly due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

Qualifying Criteria

• Provision of a business profile;
• Ability to prove that the business has been negatively affected by the Covid-19 Pandemic;
• The business must have been registered with the CIPC by at least 28 February 2020;
• The business must be 100% South African owned;
• 70% of Employees must be South African;
• Business must be registered and compliant with SARS and UIF (Seda will assist micro-enterprises to comply and requests for assistance must be emailed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., whereas small and medium enterprises must ensure own compliance);
• SMME Employers who are not compliant with UIF must register before applying for relief;
• Provision of company statutory documents, certified copies of directors ID’s & FICA documents;
• Provision of latest 3 months bank statements;
• Provision of latest Annual Financial Statements and/or latest Management Accounts (not older than 3 months from date of application);
• Ability to supply 6 month’s Cash Flow projections (where applicable);
• Provision of facility statements of other funders;
• Copy of lease agreements and proof of ownership if applying for rental relief;
• If applying for payroll relief: details of employees as registered with UIF and including bank details, as payments will be made directly to employees;
• Ability to supply a detailed breakdown on application of funds, including salaries, rent etc.
• Business must be registered on the National SMME Database – http://smmesa.gov.za; and
• Completion of the simple on-line application form.
Notes:
Priority will be given to businesses owned by women, youth and people with disabilities.

Application Process

• Register on http://smmesa.gov.za
• Complete online Application Form (to be released on Thursday, 2 April 2020)
• Upload required supporting documents
Business Growth/Resilience Facilities

For businesses geared to take advantage of supply opportunities resulting from Coronavirus pandemic or shortage of goods in the local market.

Qualifying Criteria

• Provision of a business profile;
• The business must have been registered with the CIPC by at least 28 February 2020 (registration documents required);
• Provision of relevant industry certification(where applicable);
• The business must be 100% South African owned;
• 70% of Employees must be South African;
• Business must be registered and compliant with SARS and UIF (micro businesses who are not compliant may be assisted by Seda, requests for assistance to be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.);
• Provision of company statutory documents, certified copies of directors ID’s & FICA documents;
• Provision of latest 3 months bank statements;
• Provision of latest Annual Financial Statements and/or latest Management Accounts (not older than 3 months from date of application);
• Ability to supply 6 month’s Cash Flow projections (where applicable);
• Ability to provide estimations for funding requested;
• Business must be registered on the National SMME Database – http://smmesa.gov.za; and
• Completion of the simple on-line application form available from www.dsbd.gov.za or www.sefa.org.za .

Notes:  Priority will be given to businesses owned by women, youth and people with disabilities.

Application Process

• Register on http://smmesa.gov.za
• Complete online Application Form (to be released on Thursday, 2 April 2020)
• Upload required supporting documents

Source: Pietermaritzburg & Midlands Chamber of Business www.pmcb.org.za