Cape Town’s water crisis

Cape Town’s water crisis

How the water crisis affects one family

The water crisis in Cape Town, South Africa, is all over the news. Over the last few weeks, “Day Zero” was mentioned more frequently. It’s the day when Cape Town would have to shut off most of its water systems. These are frightening news, especially for someone who like me lives in the desert. If this can happen in Cape Town, it can certainly hit my desert home! We’ve asked our beloved reader Heidi Maggot who lives with her family of 5 what it’s really like to live in Cape Town now.

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What do you want to do this summer?

How will you spend this summer?

This week, temperatures have gone up to 40 C/104 F. For most places, that’s really hot. Not for us in this region. Summer is not even here yet! But has that stopped you from thinking what to do this summer? With Ramadan being early, we’ll have almost 4 months of summer! Why not start thinking about your summer plans this weekend?

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Protect yourself from the heat

Take care of yourself this summer

You may have noticed that I didn’t send out a post on Thursday or last night. After probably spending too much time outside, I got completely knocked out and spent the last few days completely knocked out on the couch. It’s a sign to write about protecting yourself this summer.

Most tips to protect yourself are common sense and yet, most people forget or ignore them. Don’t be one of them and be pro-active. Prevention is so much easier than after care! Here are my favourite tips to protect yourself and to take care of yourself this summer:

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Your wellbeing

Get a healthy mind, body and life

Can you believe it? Time is flying. A number of my clients and friends vowed to make changes to their lifestyle at the beginning of the year. It’s now June and where are they with living a healthier and active life?

This week, I spoke at the 20th Compensation & Benefits Forum where you could see a clear trend of companies emphasising wellbeing initiatives and supporting their employees with their wellbeing goals. It was fantastic to hear companies are being more concerned about their employees’ wellbeing. What small and lasting changes can you make to your wellbeing? Here are some of the trends and tips:

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Stay cool in times of stress

Last week, a member of the project team had a crisis. Everything was becoming too much for and she had to step out to regain her cool. It’s an all too common situation for a lot of teams and individuals these days. Deadlines are shorter, workloads are increasing and with smart phones, we’re constantly connected. Recharging our batteries becomes more challenging.

Here are 15 top tips to stay cool when you’re experiencing stress:

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Stay hydrated – Are you drinking enough? Here are 10 easy tips

As temperatures are soaring, it’s easy to forget how much we need to drink. If you’re feeling thirsty, it’s too late. You’re already dehydrated.

Staying hydrated has so many advantages. Our bodies are made of 60% of water. Our brain needs to stay hydrated to be able to concentrate, stop us from fatigue and feeling sluggish. Water keeps our skin healthy looking, gets rid of toxins in the body and supports a healthy heart. But how can you drink enough?

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Meal planning – 10 easy tips

It was shocking to read that the average US American household throws out about $900 worth of food year. You could have gone on a nice trip for that money!

I’m a big fan of waste less and save more. Meal planning is a fabulous way to achieve this. The dreaded question “Honey, what’s for dinner tonight?” is no more. You’ll make healthier dinner choices and will save on groceries. So many benefits, but how do you start a meal plan? Here are 10 easy tips:

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Stay fit

The older I get, the more I enjoy working out and seeing the positive changes staying fit has on my body and mind. There are so many benefits of being physically active: Reduced stress levels, increased overall health, more energy and keeping weight in balance. Plus, I’ve been lucky to participate in some really cool and fun races.

I admit, at first, it was an effort. But it’s so worth it! What can you do to get and stay fit? Here are 10 tips to an active and fit you:

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Summer’s coming – Get ready for the heat

Arriving sleep deprived to a brunch in Dubai is never a good thing. Learning at the entrance that our table is booked outside on the terrace was quite the surprise. The biggest realisation and shock though was that summer is approaching. Fast!

For us in the Middle East, we’ll also observe Ramadan which is expected to be from 18 June until 17 July. This and the heat will impact our activities and it’s time to organise your social and outdoor activities.

Get ahead of the game and get your calendar out. What do you want to do before it gets too hot and Ramadan starts?

Here are some suggestions:

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