Latest news with #Staphylococcus
The Citizen
5 days ago
- Business
- The Citizen
Menlyn shopping centre evacuated — Here's what you need to know
Menlyn shopping centre evacuated — Here's what you need to know Shoppers at Menlyn Park Shopping Centre were temporarily evacuated from the Grocery Avenue section of the mall on Wednesday morning. Marketing manager Andrea van Schoor said the partial evacuation took place around 9 am as part of the centre's ongoing safety and compliance procedures. She said operations have since returned to normal, with the centre open and trading. 'For your convenience, we will continue to proactively engage our customers of any scheduled compliance efforts in the shopping centre.' Also read: Is there an outbreak of Staphylococcus in Pretoria? Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to bennittb@ or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
6 days ago
- Business
- The Citizen
Flight alert: What SA travellers need to know about going to the Middle East
Flight alert: What SA travellers need to know about going to the Middle East Pretoria travellers heading to the Middle East are advised to stay alert, as several countries in the region have temporarily closed their airspace in response to ongoing tensions. While Qatar reopened its airspace as of June 23, 2025, others—including the UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Iran—remain restricted. Travellers are urged to check flight statuses regularly and confirm all details with airlines or tour operators to avoid delays and unexpected reroutes. The region has been on edge following the weekend strikes from the US and since Israel began the conflict with a surprise bombardment on Iran, which responded with its own missile and drone strikes earlier this month. According to a report by EuroNews, Air tracking data from FlightAware showed 243 cancellations worldwide as of Tuesday morning. Dubai International Airport topped the list with 26 cancellations in and out of the airport as of 0600 GMT. And Air India had the highest amount of cancellations among carriers, totalling 25 at about 0600 GMT. Meanwhile, Middle East carriers were severely affected by cancellations and delays. Qatar Airways said its flights were suspended because of the closure of air traffic in Qatar. Also read: Is there an outbreak of Staphylococcus in Pretoria? Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to bennittb@ or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading! Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App here
USA Today
6 days ago
- Health
- USA Today
Improving gut health can do more than help digestion
While most of us only think of our digestive system as helping to process the foods we eat or being behind the occasional stomach ache, a healthy gut can also impact everything from stronger immunity to improved sleep quality, anxiety management or a boosted mood. That's because behind every gurgle and growl there's a bustling ecosystem of trillions of microorganisms that include bacteria, viruses and fungi that can all affect overall mental and physical well-being. When any balance is disrupted though, the effects can ripple throughout the entire body. 'People often underestimate how much of their overall health is linked to the gut,' says Lisa Young, a registered dietitian nutritionist, author of "Finally Full, Finally Slim" and an adjunct professor of nutrition at New York University. 'And even if you don't have obvious digestive symptoms, your gut could still be out of balance.' Fortunately, improving your gut health doesn't require expensive supplements or extreme diets. Simple lifestyle and dietary changes are usually all that is needed to get back on track when things go awry. What is gut health? Gut health refers to the optimal functioning of the digestive system, specifically the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and the trillions of microbes that live within it, known as the gut microbiome. 'When people talk about gut health, they're usually referring to the balance of this microbiome,' explains Young. For optimal balancing, remember that "a healthy gut has an abundance of 'good' bacteria while an unhealthy gut has more 'bad' bacteria,' says Dr. Uma Naidoo, director of nutritional and lifestyle psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital and the Harvard-trained nutritional psychiatrist behind "Calm Your Mind with Food." A few of the "good" bacteria that improve gut health include: Such bacteria play key roles not only in digestion but in inflammation regulation, mental health and chronic disease prevention. Harmful bacteria, on the other hand, include Clostridioides difficile, Staphylococcus and Escherichia coli and can collectively or individually cause damage or imbalance to the gut microbiome. At the same time, everyone's GI system won't respond to good or bad bacteria the same way and individual stressors and exposure to environmental toxins like tobacco smoke and air pollution can also play significant roles in overall gut health. "The microbiome is unique to each individual," says Kelly Jones, a registered performance dietitian and the founder of Student Athlete Nutrition. "It's influenced by everything from diet to stress to pollutant exposure,' she explains. Hmm: An apple a day really can help keep the doctor away. Here's how. How do you know your gut is unhealthy? Some of the signs of an unhealthy gut are obvious while others are more complex. "An imbalanced gut can contribute to a wide range of common stomach issues including bloating, gas, constipation, diarrhea and food intolerances,' says Young. Other times, she adds, signs of poor gut health include things we don't think of as being associated with our gastrointestinal system. These can include skin problems, difficulty losing weight and even anxiety or depression. Other signs to look out for of your gut needing some TLC include getting sick more often than usual, diminished energy levels and difficulty concentrating, says Jones. When issues persist over extended periods of time, more serious signs may arise. "A chronically unhealthy gut can lead to a 'leaky gut,' where the lining of the gut becomes permeable and allows harmful substances to pass into the bloodstream, causing systemic inflammation and chronic disease," cautions Naidoo. Depleted energy levels affect us all. But here's when they could indicate something serious. How to improve gut health? How to heal your gut? Improving gut health begins with addressing the lifestyle or dietary choices that cause damage or gut imbalances to occur. Here are some tips: As helpful as each of these recommendations can be individually, it's the combination of factors that will yield the best results. 'A healthy gut is truly the foundation for overall health,' says Young.
The Citizen
19-06-2025
- The Citizen
Over 140 Pretoria police vehicles parked and out of service
Over 140 Pretoria police vehicles parked and out of service Pretoria's policing capacity has taken a significant knock, with 145 police vehicles currently out of service across the city. The alarming figures revealed in recent data highlight mounting pressure on already strained resources—sparking concerns over crime response times and public safety in key areas, including Mamelodi East, Pretoria Central, and Silverton. The information was revealed in a written reply by Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi to questions posed by the Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature. The DA has slammed the Lesufi-led administration for failing to prioritise public safety, warning that inoperative police vehicles are leaving communities vulnerable to crime. It was revealed that crime prevention efforts in Gauteng are being severely hampered by a shortage of operational police vehicles, with 710 out of 5,630 vehicles across the province currently out of service. This includes major shortages at stations like Ivory Park (16 out of 78 vehicles) and Pretoria Central (14 out of 80). Here is the complete list of the affected police stations in and around Pretoria: Area Amount of police vehicles in operation: Vehicles unserviceable Centurion – Laudium 20 0 Centurion – Lyttleton 54 9 Mabopane 38 5 Mamelodi 45 6 Mamelodi East 55 12 Pretoria Central 86 14 Rietfontein Pretoria 40 2 Pretoria North 55 4 Pretoria West 41 6 Soshanguve 60 8 Silverton 32 10 Sinoville 33 4 Soshanguve Block H 56 9 Sunnyside 57 8 Akasia 48 6 Atteridgeville 37 4 Hillcrest Pretoria 45 4 Eersterust 20 3 Pretoria West 22 2 Ga-Rankuwa 54 6 Garsfontein 33 4 Hammanskraal 32 7 Hercules 28 4 Villieria 29 1 Valhalla Centurion 38 4 Wonderboompoort 17 3 Total: 1075 145 Also read: Is there an outbreak of Staphylococcus in Pretoria? Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to bennittb@ or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading! Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App here
Indian Express
08-06-2025
- Health
- Indian Express
‘A dahi, which won't fall, is the dahi you want': Celeb nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar recommends the ‘spoon test' before consuming curd
Celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar's words of wisdom have helped prominent Bollywood A-listers such as Kareena Kapoor Khan, Alia Bhatt and Varun Dhawan lose weight and transform their physique without compromising on health. In a recent Instagram post, the expert shared a popular 'spoon test' that can determine the efficacy of the dahi (curd) you make at home. In the caption underneath her post, Diwekar listed out a detailed step-by-step recipe to make the best dahi: 'Try it at home. 1. Buy whole milk, preferably buffalo (better for setting thick curd) 2. When you heat it, pour some aside in a small katori (silver, ceramic, mitti – your choice) 3. While it's still little hotter than warm, put a small culture of previously set home set curd to it. 4. Stir 32 times 5. Wait for the milk to settle 6. Cover with a light cloth (I don't use a metal lid) 7. Then store it in a cool and dark place 8. On completion of 8-12 hrs, set another batch and then refrigerate if you don't immediately plan to eat it.' CV Aishwarya, a clinical nutritionist and lecturer at Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research, Chennai, told that the spoon test for curd is a simple yet effective method to assess its consistency, fermentation quality, and microbial activity. It involves scooping a portion of curd with a spoon. If the curd holds its shape and appears firm, it indicates proper setting. If it breaks apart or appears watery, it may suggest poor fermentation or microbial imbalance. 'Curd is formed through the fermentation of milk by lactic acid bacteria. During proper fermentation, these bacteria produce lactic acid, which coagulates the milk proteins, forming a gel-like structure. A well-set curd is more likely to contain viable probiotic cultures, which are essential for gut health. In contrast, poorly fermented or runny curd might lack a sufficient live bacterial count due to contamination or inappropriate incubation conditions,' explained Aishwarya. According to her, the spoon test is an effective and practical preliminary method for assessing the setting quality and probable microbial health of curd. However, for scientific validation of curd efficacy—particularly in research or clinical contexts—additional analyses such as pH testing, microbial culturing, and probiotic viability assays are required. Kanikka Malhotra, consultant dietician and certified diabetes educator revealed that regular consumption of curd after lunch can significantly alter gut microbiota composition due to its probiotic content, primarily Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains. 'These live cultures enhance beneficial bacterial populations, improving microbial diversity and suppressing harmful bacteria like Enterobacteriaceae and Staphylococcus,' she said, adding that the lactic acid bacteria in curd strengthen gut barrier function, reduce inflammation, and promote short-chain fatty acid production, which supports colon health. 'Daily intake sustains transient probiotic effects, such as increased Lactobacillus gasseri and Bifidobacterium lactis, aiding digestion and immune modulation,' mentioned the expert. Curd's probiotics also improve nutrient absorption, reduce bloating, and may lower the risk of inflammatory bowel conditions by balancing gut flora. However, Malhotra noted that individual responses vary based on baseline microbiota and dietary habits. This is to say that pairing curd with fiber-rich meals can amplify these benefits through synergistic prebiotic-probiotic interactions. However, Malhotra also warned of overconsumption, which can also cause digestive discomfort and contribute to weight gain. 'Additionally, excessive calcium intake from curd might slightly reduce the absorption of iron and zinc,' she said. 'Go ahead and add it to your lunch routine, but be mindful of your body's response and adjust accordingly,' To enjoy curd's benefits without drawbacks, she urged moderation. DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to. Always consult your health practitioner before starting any routine.
