Fancy a Mahindra Thar or Kawasaki Ninja as your fitness gift? Fittr announces Grand Prizes in their latest Ed. of Transformation Challenge

In the latest edition of the fitness competition, Fittr expects more than 15000 entries from across the world

Apart from the grand prize of Mahindra Thar, the first prize would be Kawasaki Ninja 650 or an Apple Kit, and the top 50 runners-up will get Hero Cycles

In their constant endeavor to motivate people to get fit, Fittr, the Pune-based fitness startup is set to bring in yet another edition of their fitness competition Transformation Challenge (TC) Series 11. The 12-week online challenge which began from September 1, 2020, is currently accepting registrations till September 7 from across the world.

The TC 11 winner will be awarded either a Kawasaki Ninja 650 or an Apple kit of the equivalent value. In addition to this, the top 50 Runners Up will be given a Hero Cycle each, sponsored by Hero Cycles Limited.

Fittr will also choose the top 10 challengers each from the 9^th, 10^th & 11^th edition of the competition.  A grand prize, Mahindra Thar will be presented to the one who stands out amongst these top 30 contenders vis-a-vis his/her transformation journey and consistency.

Known for their extraordinary offerings in the transformation challenges, Fittr gave out Harley Davidson Street 750 as the top prize for the 9^th edition of the Transformation Challenge. The prizes keep getting better with each series.

Under the challenge, the participants are required to upload a video every week for 12 weeks clearly showing their transformation. The idea is to compete with the self as the candidates will be evaluated on the basis of their past journey. Factors such as gain in muscle mass, fat loss, and consistency from the past transformation challenges will be taken into account. The one who excels on all fronts will walk away as the winner of the challenge.

Speaking about TC 11, Jitendra Chouksey, Founder & CEO, Fittr, said, “The entire world is facing a major challenge right now in the form of the pandemic. At such a crucial time, it’s important to stay positive and motivated and that’s what we at Fittr aim to do through our Transformation Challenges. We motivate people through constant support and unique gratifications to rise to the challenge and make the most of it. We’re all in this together and the best thing we could do is to invest in our health and fitness.”

FITTR started as a WhatsApp group by Jitendra Chouksey. The aim was to help his family and friends to achieve their fitness goals through mentorship, mainly in the form of tips and short video bytes. Soon from WhatsApp, the group extended its reach to Facebook. 2016 was the year when this group completely transformed into an online health and fitness coaching portal.

The bootstrapped fitness startup, backed by actor Suniel Shetty, one of Bollywood’s fittest actors has now been rebranded as FITTR to take its fitness vision forward while serving its customers, both domestic and international. Fittr was recently in the news again when it secured pre-Series A funding from Sequoia Capital and became a part of the latest batch of Surge, Sequoia’s rapid scale-up program for startups in India & Southeast Asia.

Should Health Insurance Be A Part of your Financial Planning

Financial planning is very important if you want to achieve all your life goals. To make sure that you and your loved ones can enjoy retirement peacefully, you must build and manage a sound financial plan for all your savings and investments. Financial planning is a lot more than random deposits in a savings account and investments from time to time. Such investments will result in an inefficient utilization of your resources. If you want to achieve your goals, then you must come up with a proper plan.

The first thing that a proper financial plan will provide you with is a roadmap for your future plans, financial requirements and financial goals. Some of the basic items that you will include in your financial goals are ownership of your own house, your children’s education, annual vacations, etc.

Another important aspect of a sound financial plan is a contingency or backup plan that will provide you with the necessary funds if you are under any critical circumstances. This will involve asset allocation, expense budgeting, goal evaluation, etc. Here are the basic steps involved in making financial plans.

1. Define and evaluate your financial goals: The objective of financial planning is to help you achieve all the financial goals that you have in mind. After you are done listing out your goals, you should categorize them under short-term, mid-term and long-term goals. Make sure that all your financial goals are SMART - Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time-Bound.
2. Start by outlining a budget: You need to draw up an itemized list of your future income and the foreseeable expenses that you’ll have to incur. By drawing up a budget, you will be able to keep all your expenses in check and manage your debts properly.
3. Keep money aside for emergencies: It is an undeniable fact that even the best planners cannot foresee every possible situation. To make sure that you are not caught unprepared, you have to come up with a proper backup plan. One of the most important elements of a backup plan is a reserve fund that is set aside for contingencies.
4. Proper asset allocation: You must remember that proper asset allocation is the backbone of a sound financial plan. By investing in the proper channels and creating a diversified portfolio, you will be able to achieve all your financial goals within the time horizon that you have in mind. You should structure your asset allocation in a proper way.
5. Review your financial plan regularly: Your financial plan should not be inflexible. Draw it up in such a way that you can make modifications according to the present situation. The best way to keep track of such situations is to review the progress and success of your plan regularly. Weeding out bad investments is a highly important task.

The importance of health insurance

Every single person in the world has to fall prey to unforeseen circumstances - sudden familial deaths, sudden business downturns, legal cases, health complications, etc. It is very important to be insured as you never know what circumstances are waiting for you around the corner. Since medical expenses are going to be very expensive, you need to invest in a comprehensive health insurance policy so that you can receive proper coverage in case you have to be hospitalized. That’s why health insurance is so important.

According to a survey conducted by Livemint in late 2018, around 56% of India’s population have not invested in any sort of health or medical insurance policies at all. The survey went on to discover that more than 75% of this population are not covered in a proper and comprehensive manner. Since such a large number of people decide to skimp on health insurance, they all have to incur out-of-pocket expenses when the worst does occur. It’s extremely important to remember that not being properly covered is just as bad, if not worse, than not having insurance at all.

Investments or insurance?

Although investments are such an important element of financial plans, insurance is just as important. If you want to lead a full and financially secure life where you and your loved ones are well-cared for, then you need to get started on coming up with a sound financial plan. The best way to do this is to allocate a sizable chunk of your assets to investments and an equally sizable chunk to sound insurance policies. The most important insurance policy of all is health insurance, which will protect you and your family in the event of hospitalization or medical emergencies.

If you want to make sure that you and your loved ones will be cared for in the event of a medical emergency, then you will need to invest in a proper health insurance policy. Especially in the situation of the coronavirus pandemic, you should look into coronavirus protection plans like the Corona Kavach policy.

If you purchase a proper health insurance coverage plan for your family, here are some of the basic and standard cost coverage that you should expect from your healthcare provider.

1. Hospitalization Charges before-and-after: Pre and post-hospitalization period of your treatment is highly important. You have to choose a plan that successfully offers it.
2. Cash Benefit: Your insurance should provide you with a lump sum of money every day as compensation for your loss of income.
3. In-Patient Expenses: Your health insurance policy will make sure you are covered during your hospital stay, including coverage for ICU charges and PPE kits.

So now you know why financial planning is so important - and also the main reasons why you should devote a lot of attention and resources to proper health insurance for yourself and your family.

Delhi-based Entrepreneur & Founder of Akron Healthcare Comes up with Disinfectant Tablets to Fight COVID-19, Sells 14 Mn in 4 Mths

At a time when people across the globe are worried & fighting the battle against COVID-19 Corona Virus, a Delhi-based young entrepreneur, Arrjun Sehgal, Founder of Akron Healthcare Pvt. Ltd. has come up with Disinfectant Tablets by the Brand Name: Akrosept that is helping people to Disinfect Surface, Objects, Air Tight Packets, Incoming Couriers, Fruits & Vegetables etc. at Homes, Workplace, Clinics, Hospitals, Restaurants, Hotels & Religious Establishments. Solution prepared from Akrosept Tablets is effective against Bacteria, Microbes, Fungi, Germs & Viruses including COVID-19 Coronavirus. Since April till July 2020, the firm has sold over 14 million Akrosept Disinfection Tablets.

Akrosept Tablets carry a 12 year legacy of being a preferred disinfectant amongst Leading Govt. & Private Hospitals, Nursing Homes & Clinics.

[caption id="attachment_151404" align="alignleft" width="248"] Arrjun Sehgal, Founder of Akron Healthcare Pvt. Ltd.[/caption]

"While companies were focussing on selling Sanitizers, Masks, PPE and other products, there was no stable disinfectant in the market for protection from COVID-19. We identified this gap and launched Multipurpose Akrosept Tablets on E-Commerce and OTC/Chemist channels to make it accessible to general public for Household & Workplace Disinfection. The formula and active ingredient of Akrosept Powerful Disinfectant Tablets - NaDCC Sodium Dichloroisocyanurate has been recommended by WHO World Health Organisation for Disinfection of High Touch Areas, Surface & Objects to protect against Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) as part of their Recommended Disease Commodity Package - Novel Coronavirus (nCoV)," said Arrjun Sehgal.

Sharing more information about Disinfectant Tablets, Mr. Sehgal, said "Akrosept is so far the most stable & superior disinfectant available as compared to Alcohol Based Disinfectants & Sodium Hypochlorite (80-120 times more effective and stable). It releases stable Hypochlorous Acid in Water & poses no threat of sparking or catching fire like in case of alcohol based disinfectants. Just drop the effervescent Akrosept Tablet in recommended volume of water to prepare powerful disinfecting solution that can be used to spray, wipe, mop, rinse, mist, fog & fumigate all surface, area, floors, objects & air tight packets. It is also used for Disinfection of Fruits & Vegetables which is a major cause of concern these days."

Akrosept is competitively priced, more economical & gives value for money in comparison to other disinfectants and sanitizers available in the market.

[caption id="attachment_151405" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Àquapura & Akrosept Product Range[/caption]

About Akron Healthcare Pvt. Ltd.

Akron Healthcare was founded by Arrjun Sehgal in 2007 and is primarily engaged into manufacturing of Pharmaceutical Formulations, Healthcare & Disinfection Products. The company supplies its products to 90% Hospitals across India through its network of 250+ dealers. Its other esteemed customers include various NGO's, UN Agencies, WHO, Indian Air Force, Coal India Limited, ONGC, Indian Navy, Ministry of Health of various State Governments.

The company has 2 Consumer Centric OTC & FMCG Brands Namely Aquapura and Akrosept.

Aquapura Brand includes a range of Water Purification Tablets of different sizes and strengths according to the user's application namely Aquapura Hygiene, Aquapura Tanksafe, Aquapura Travelsafe.

Akrosept Brand includes range of Disinfectant Products namely Akrosept Surface and Objects Disinfectant Tablets, Akrosept Foodsafe - Fruits & Vegetables Disinfectant Tablets, Akrosept Babysafe - Baby Bottles & Toys Sterilising Tablets, Akrosept Hand Sanitizers, Akrosept Disinfectant Spray, Toilsafe Toilet Seat Sanitizer Spray.

The firm is selling & shipping Aquapura & Akrosept range online throughout India through various e-commerce portals including Amazon & Flipkart and on their own e-commerce website www.aquapurashop.com

Presently, Aquapura & Akrosept are available at 14,000 retail outlets across Delhi NCR, Haryana, Chandigarh, Punjab, Maharashtra and Karnataka. The healthcare firm is on the path to expand to 20,000 more outlets across other states by 2021.

Aquapura

When asked about Aquapura Water Purification Tablets, the entrepreneur said, "Aquapura was launched with the mission to provide safe, disinfected & germ-free water to all sections of the society across India at an economical cost. We have sold over 15 million Tablets of Aquapura and treated about 200 million litres of household & workplace water in FY 19-20."

How to Use Aquapura Water Purification Tablets

Just drop one tablet in the recommended volume of water mentioned on the package, wait for 30 minutes before using it. No hassle of boiling water or using electrical gadgets, expensive water purifiers, RO's, replacing filters/cartridges/candles.

With so many options available in the market along with home remedy of boiling water, why Aquapura Tablets

Water treated with Aquapura stays purified & disinfected for 48 hours as it provides ongoing protection to water from recontamination which is not provided by boiling, filteration, water purifiers, RO systems, gadgets & equipments. Also, boiling & other gadgets do not kill all germs, bacteria & viruses in water that Aquapura Tablets will do. Hence Aquapura Tablets can be used along with other water purifying methods and can also substitute them. Effective cost of Water Purification with Aquapura Tablets comes as low is 0.03 paise per litre.

"Aquapura & Akrosept Tablets are manufactured using NaDCC Sodium Dichloroisocyanurate which is NSF Certified and approved by WHO World Health Organization, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (Govt. Of India), CDC (Centre for Disease Control Prevention), EPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency), UN (United Nations), BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards), HACCP, UNICEF, Department of Health-UK," Mr. Arrjun Sehgal added.

About the Founder

Arrjun Sehgal is a visionary entrepreneur who is successfully running Akron Healthcare since 2007. His educational qualifications are; B.Com Hons. from Delhi University, B.S.C. Finance from University of Bradford-UK and MBA Marketing from Symbiosis University Pune. After taking experience in Pharmaceuticals and OTC Marketing from 2004 till 2007 and with no external funding, he set up his own Pharmaceutical Formulations manufacturing unit in Haryana in 2007. Innovative strategies and products made this young entrepreneur generate funds from within the business and never seek external funding. The company boasts of a Fully Automated & State of Art manufacturing facility spread in 24000 Sq. ft & has its Corporate Office in Delhi.

Outfits Launch 30 Mobile Dispensary Vans in Chennai to Conduct Health Check-ups of Residents on Spot

Jain Groups (BJCRRR), JITO, Chalo Sankeshwar, Jain Mitr, RCC, RCC Diva & RYA in association with Greater Chennai Corporation launched 30 Mobile Dispensary vans yesterday at Shri Shankarlal Sundarbai Jain College T. Nagar Chennai in presence of Dr. Radhakrishnan I.A.S Health Secretary Tamil Nadu Govt. & G Prakash, I.A.S Commissioner Greater Chennai Corporation.

Jain Groups in association with Greater Chennai Corporation Launched 30 Mobile Dispensary Vans in Chennai to conduct health check-ups of residents on spot

Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana (BJS) JITO Chennai Chapter (JITO), Chalo Sankeshwar, Jain Mitr, Rajasthan Cosmo Club, Rajasthan Cosmo Club Diva and RYA Cosmo Foundation (herein after referred as BJCRRR) are Various Social organization's engaged in various activities for benefit of the Society and country as a Whole. They are all involved in various Disaster Management and Social Welfare as required from time to time and run Regular programs.

Jain Groups in association with Greater Chennai Corporation Launched 30 Mobile Dispensary Vans in Chennai to conduct health check-ups of residents on spot

Writing down details of the drive planned for the next 30 days in Chennai City by Jain Groups (BJCRRR) and Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC):

BJCRRR along with its partner organizations started the "Mobile dispensary SEVA" in the MMR region from 21st May 2020. Till 11th July with the support of 150 dispensaries 15,00,000 patients were treated in all the suburbs of Mumbai, mainly Dharavi area and given free medicines. As on 11th July, around 10000 corona suspected patients were referred to the BMC for further investigation.

BJCRRR has overcome the challenges and gained experience of working in Mumbai, Pune and other districts of Maharashtra. Now BJCRRR wants to focus and concentrate its efforts in identified hotspot areas of Chennai & suburbs.

W.H.O. lauds Indias efforts to contain COVID-19 spread in Mumbais Dharavi | World News

A video Link for Information www.youtube.com/watchv=rXdZzKXEd54

GCC and BJCRRR mutually agreed to intervene in the hotspot areas and set up mobile dispensaries in these localities to conduct health check-ups. BJCRRR agreed to partner with GCC through mobile dispensaries to contain COVID in the identified localities by way of health check-ups and testing of Symptomatic cases. Following the detailed consultations among the Senior officials, GCC and BJCRRR together designed "Mission Zero" program to contain the COVID in the identified hot spot locations.

Project Objectives

• To reduce the spike in COVID-19 cases through early detection of suspects and high risk patients.


• To increase community awareness on the prevention and spread of the COVID-19 disease in order to reduce risk and fear.


• BJCRRR will take all the necessary measures to ensure health check-ups of Hotspot residents with the help of mobile dispensaries.

BJCRRR, at its own cost will mobilise the required resources for the execution of the project that includes vehicles for Mobile Dispensaries, Doctors, Nurses, medicines, equipment's, PPE kits. GCC assures and support BJCRRR in overcoming field level challenges during the implementation of the project. For example, in case of non-availability of Doctors in the given locality, GCC will provide the Doctors.

BJCRRR will design and develop community awareness materials in English and Tamil language on COVID-19 to educate people on their responsibilities and precautions to be taken to avoid potential risks and community spread such as washing hands regularly, wearing masks, social distancing, Hygiene, Physical exercises, Diet practices, how to take care of elderly Co-morbid people having other ailments and low immunity etc.

Conduct structured community awareness programs wherever possible.

BJCRRR will provide 1000 Rapid testing kits to GCC for on the spot testing of patients as decided by doctors.

Our aim is to reduce the risk of COVID-19 among people of Chennai and eradicate this with early detection, testing, isolation and Treatment.

Sense.bio, Holistic Health and Fitness App Launches in India

 If you think you are losing control of your fitness with this pandemic, worry no more! sense.bio, an IoT (Connected to Internet) based fitness and health app for you and your family launched in India to help you with your home workout, diet plans, and simultaneously monitor your health. It is an app that provides fitness, wellness, nutrition, family health monitoring on one single platform. The aim is to catch the attention of more than 90 million health-conscious individuals (HCI’s) who are presently an integral part of our nation’s population.

The zeal to make a better world where people can have maximum access to healthcare services has always concerned Atul Kapoor, an IIT Bombay alumnus who is the brain behind sense.bio.

Today the healthcare sector isn’t that organized, and people do face problems due to the lack of proper treatment facilities and the advanced healthcare system at home or even online. sense.bio is here to break the myth and give maximum access to a variety of healthcare services under one roof. The main focus is to give people a healthy environment to treat their body and mind healthily.

The app lets you take control of your goals by tracking calories and steps, breakdown ingredients, log activities, check BMI, and weight. It helps you check your heart rate, respiration rate, oxygen levels, and blood pressure through your smartphone, without stepping out of your home with the help of a sensor device. It suggests your diet plans and home workout plans according to your access to the equipment. Additionally, it also gives you reminders for your pills and monitors your water intake along with your likes and dislikes in food items. The app also keeps a track of your aliments/habits and routine schedule to help you achieve your goal. 

Keeping in mind how the traditional healthcare system is almost on the verge of vanishing and online healthcare seems to be the new normal Atul Kapoor said, “I decided to introduce a health and wellness platform for an individual and his family with a pure intention of helping people to own a healthy body and mind”.

sense.bio has also announced that they will be having a complete package which will enable people to track their health and wellness, for oneself and their family members. Unlike other healthcare providers in the market offering package systems, sense.bio offers a specific healthcare package system that is exclusive “all-inclusive”. This means, not only an individual gets to enjoy the benefits, but their family members too enjoy the benefits. The software works for everyone and anybody can avail the package and the benefits will be extended to their family members irrespective of age and any type of gender discrimination of financial status dependencies.

sense.bio works on a freemium model, the premium version of which will give people access to personalized and customized diet recommendations and allows you to interact with nutritionists and health coaches. Overall sense.bio is here to transform the overall healthcare experience of millions of people across the globe and in India.

The app is available on the play store and soon to be launched on the iOS store as well. App Link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sense.bio

A Motion-Detecting Fitness App that Pays its Users to Exercise Set to Launch this Month

South Australia's Adelaide -based app development company PixelForce has been working on the project – known as Fitbotic – for the past three years.

According to the company's Managing Director Hinney Lo, Fitbotic used motion detection technology to track the number of repetitions a user performed through body movement recognition, without the need for additional phone accessories.

The platform is currently available in NSW, Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia.

He said it was designed for people new to working out as well as those who lacked motivation – and was unlike most other fitness apps on the market that relied on users to manually input their repetitions. “We want to encourage or help users build up their workout habits because it’s fun and rewarding,” Lo said.

“Hopefully once they have built up this habit, they can move onto a professional workout app, like SWEAT or our other clients.”

Lo founded PixelForce in 2011 with a focus on logos, graphic design and basic website construction. The company took off four years later after developing the first SWEAT mobile app for South Australian fitness guru Kayla Itsines.

PixelForce has since developed a range of apps and websites for brands across industries including wellness, food and wine, and transport. But unlike PixelForce’s other developments, Fitbotic is the company’s first fully-owned and developed initiative.

The app would reward users for working out through Fitbotic credits, which could be used to make purchases through the business’s e-commerce store or cashed out.

“You can’t cash out 10 cents, because there is a transaction fee on every transaction,” Hinney Lo explained.

“We charge on a monthly basis; the app will charge $9.99 per month. If you work out consistently and you meet all your goals, technically you can get all of your money back or you can even make a little bit of money – maybe a few dollars.But if you are not doing great, keeping up and meeting the goals you won’t be able to earn the money back," Lo said.

He said users seeking further motivation would also be able to choose from a range of virtual trainers to count repetitions.

“You can actually select the level of amusement on the voice over. So, if you select 18+ it might swear a little bit, like a hardcore fitness trainer,” Lo said.

“But if you select the moderate mode it would be very encouraging.”

While the app is currently available for Apple and Android devices through the iTunes store and Google Play, the official software won’t be available until its launch in about two weeks.

The project is the latest in a string of developments from the company, which moved into a larger inner-city office earlier this year.

It is also preparing to launch one of its other projects – EzLicense, a platform which connects driving instructors with students looking to learn to drive – in South Australia in the coming months.

“As a learner you go onto the website and put in your suburb and postcode and choose your transmission and automatic or manual and search and it will display all the instructors that are servicing in that area,” Lo said.

“EzLicense is a real-time platform that integrates with the instructors’ calendar. It shows you all the availability in real time so you don’t need an instruction or call back from the instructor, it can be booked in under two minutes.”

Source - The Lead

Pandemic Leads to A Bicycle Boom, and Shortage, around World

Fitness junkies locked out of gyms, commuters fearful of public transit, and families going stir crazy inside their homes during the coronavirus pandemic have created a boom in bicycle sales unseen in decades.

In the United States, bicycle aisles at mass merchandisers like Walmart and Target have been swept clean, and independent shops are doing a brisk business and are selling out of affordable “family” bikes.

Bicycle sales over the past two months saw their biggest spike in the US since the oil crisis of the 1970s, said Jay Townley, who analyses cycling industry trends at Human Powered Solutions.

“People quite frankly have panicked, and they're buying bikes like toilet paper,” Townley said, referring to the rush to buy essentials like toilet paper and hand sanitizer that stores saw at the beginning of the pandemic.

The trend is mirrored around the globe, as cities better known for car-clogged streets, like Manila and Rome, install bike lanes to accommodate surging interest in cycling while public transport remains curtailed.

In London, municipal authorities plan to go further by banning cars from some central thoroughfares.

Bike shop owners in the Philippine capital say demand is stronger than at Christmas.

Financial incentives are boosting sales in Italy, where the government's post-lockdown stimulus last month included a 500-euro ($575) “bici bonus” rebate for up to 60% of the cost of a bike.

But that's if you can get your hands on one. The craze has led to shortages that will take some weeks, maybe months, to resolve, particularly in the US, which relies on China for about 90% of its bicycles, Townley said.

Production there was largely shut down due to the coronavirus and is just resuming.

The bicycle rush kicked off in mid-March around the time countries were shutting their borders, businesses were closing, and stay-at-home orders were being imposed to slow the spread of the coronavirus that has infected millions of people and killed more than 450,000.

Sales of adult leisure bikes tripled in April while overall US bike sales, including kids' and electric-assist bicycles, doubled from the year before, according to market research firm NPD Group, which tracks retail bike sales.

It's a far cry from what was anticipated in the US. The $6 billion industry had projected lower sales based on lower volume in 2019 in which punitive tariffs on bicycles produced in China reached 25%.

There are multiple reasons for the pandemic bicycle boom.

Around the world, many workers were looking for an alternative to buses and subways.



People unable to go to their gyms looked for another way to exercise. And shut-in families scrambled to find a way to keep kids active during stay-at-home orders.

“Kids are looking for something to do. They've probably reached the end of the internet by now, so you've got to get out and do something,” said Dave Palese at Gorham Bike and Ski, a Maine shop where there are slim pickings for family-oriented, leisure bikes.

Bar Harbour restaurateur Brian Smith bought a new bike for one of his daughters, a competitive swimmer, who was unable to get into the pool.

On a recent day, he was heading back to his local bike shop to outfit his youngest daughter, who'd just learned how to ride.

His three daughters use their bikes every day, and the entire family goes for rides a couple of times a week.

The fact that they're getting exercise and enjoying fresh air is a bonus.

“It's fun. Maybe that's the bottom line. It's really fun to ride bikes,” Smith said as he and his 7-year-old daughter, Ellery, pedaled to the bicycle shop.

The pandemic is also driving a boom in electric-assist bikes, called e-bikes, which were a niche part of the overall market until now. Most e-bikes require a cyclist to pedal, but electric motors provide extra oomph.

VanMoof, a Dutch e-bike maker, is seeing “unlimited demand” since the pandemic began, resulting in a 10-week order backlog for its commuter electric bikes, compared with typical one-day delivery time, said co-founder Taco Carlier. The company's sales surged 138% in the US and rocketed 184% in Britain in the February-April period over last year, with big gains in other European countries.

The company is scrambling to ramp up production as fast as it can, but it will take two to three months to meet the demand, Carlier said.

“We did have some issues with our supply chain back in January, February when the crisis hit first in Asia,” said Carlier.

But “the issue is now with demand, not supply.”

Sales at Cowboy, a Belgian e-bike maker, tripled in the January-April period from last year. Notably, they spiked in Britain and France at around the same time in May that those countries started easing lockdown restrictions, said Chief Marketing Officer Benoit Simeray.

“It's now becoming very obvious for most of us living in and around cities that we don't want to go back into public transportation,” said Simeray.

But people may still need to buy groceries or commute to the office one or two days a week, so “then they're starting to really, really think about electric bikes as the only solution they've got."(AP)

Parental Control App - Protect and Save Your children's Eyes from Myopia

About Plano App

Plano is a science-based parental control app that empowers responsible device use and helps manage your child’s vision and eye health! Our app is designed to reduce the risk factors associated with myopia (short-sightedness) and manage your child’s device use, all at the same time. With only one parent account you may add as many children account as required, with cross-device functionality. Plano’s mission is to empower people to achieve their best vision and eye health through education and science-driven technological solutions. The Plano app was created with support from the Singapore Eye Research Institute (SERI) and the Singapore National Eye Center (SNEC).

Management of Vision and Eye Health

• Eye-to-Screen Detection - Ensures your child has a healthy distance between their eyes and the screen.
• Eye Break Prompts – Encourages and rewards your kids to take eye breaks.
• Posture Monitoring - Calibrates and ensures your child’s posture to encourage healthy smart device use.
• Low Light Detection - Detects when your kids are using their device in bad lighting.
• Blue Light Filter – Helps your kids to sleep better at night by activating the blue light filter.
• Myopia Management - Helps to ensure your child has regular, timely and comprehensive eye check-ups with an in-built referral system.
• Detailed Progress Reports - Receive weekly individualized reports on your child’s digital eye health.
• Eye Health Records - Keep track of your child’s eye test results.
• App Blocker - Choose the apps and content they can use.
• Internet Safety – Protect your children from inappropriate content on the web.
• Location Boundary – Get alerts when your kids move out from the designated safe zones that you set.
• Device Schedule – Set times when your child cannot use their device.
• Remote Locking – Remotely lock your child’s device from your phone.
• Device Use - Keep track of the time your child spends on their device and their frequently used apps

Download our parental control app for free to use. The eye health features and a collection of the safety functions will always be FREE to use. New users will also get a 30-day trial for the premium features. You can try out the child protection features such as the remote child lock and scheduling no-device time.

Choose from the different plans we offer below:
(a) Health - Free
(b) Health Plus - SGD2.98/month
(c) Health Max - SGD29.98/year

Plano offers a few more services

• Reward system for kids on outdoor activities


• Eye check-up for kids


• Health talks on myopia and device use


• Best selling children's books

Address
72 Anson Rd, #12-06 Anson House, Singapore 079911
+65 6957 6796
feedback@plano.co
For more information, please visit our website: https://www.plano.co/

Building Immunity with Probiotics in the Times of COVID-19: New Insights from Gut Microbiota and Probiotic Science Foundation (India)

With a view to channelize International knowledge, the Gut Microbiota and Probiotic Science Foundation (India) today shared latest insights on the strong relation between Probiotics and immunity during the COVID-19 Pandemic. These

[caption id="attachment_146133" align="alignright" width="231"] Prof. N. K. Ganguly, President, Gut Microbiota and Probiotic Science Foundation (India), Former Director General - Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)[/caption]

insights were shared by Prof. N. K. Ganguly, President, Gut Microbiota and Probiotic Science Foundation (India) and Former Director General, Indian Council of Medical Research and Dr. Neerja Hajela, Secretary, Gut Microbiota and Probiotic Science Foundation (India).

As we navigate through the most difficult times of our lives, we must remember that behind every cloud there is a silver lining. While the dreaded COVID-19 disease continues to threaten us, the good news is that it does not affect everyone and some people are actually symptomatic while others recover very quickly.

[caption id="attachment_146134" align="alignleft" width="300"] Dr. Neerja Hajela, Secretary, Gut Microbiota and Probiotic Science Foundation (India)[/caption]

So why do people respond differently. An interesting study published recently in Nature Medicine by researchers at the Peter Doherty Institute in Australia showed that the secret lies in your very own natural immunity. A strong immune system can actually fight the virus and divert the course of the disease.

We have heard of various ways of boosting immunity - in fact it is the buzzword today especially with no defined treatment or vaccine available to fight the disease. We all know that the gold standard for a strong immune system remains a healthy well - balanced diet with immune boosting nutrients, regular physical activity, adequate hydration and good quality sleep for a well-rested mind.

More recently, However, scientific data suggests that improving intestinal health with probiotics could be another effective way of building immunity. The rationale is simple - about 70% of the body's immunity is found in the intestine which in turn depends on bacteria to shape the immunity. Although this may sound like stuff that Science fiction is made of, our intestine is home to 100 trillion bacteria of 1000 different types which work together to build our immunity. The beneficial ones which are also called probiotics train the immune system, reduce inflammation and ward off harmful disease-causing bacteria and viruses. They also prevent metabolic disorders like obesity by producing metabolites like short chain fatty acids especially butyrate. They also protect the intestinal lining and prevent harmful pathogens and their toxins from entering the blood.

Probiotics are particularly useful in preventing respiratory infections because of their ability to increase activity of Natural Killer cells and levels of antibodies like secretory IgA in the mucosal linings, which are our first line of defence against viral infections.

Given that probiotics shape our immunity, is there enough scientific data that suggests their value in the current COVID-19 pandemic

A Cochrane review of 12 studies that included 3720 children, adults and elderly suggested that probiotic use may be associated with fewer people suffering from upper respiratory tract infections and lower incidence of the infection. Dr. Irene Lenoir-Wijnkoop, at Utrecht University in Netherlands observed that probiotic use could save health care costs and lost productivity due to acute respiratory tract infections.

The link between the intestine and COVID-19 becomes apparent from the fact that some patients who suffered the infection in China showed symptoms of poor intestinal health and suffered from loss of taste and diarrhoea. This prompted China's National Health Commission to use probiotics along with conventional treatment in patients with COVID-19 infection for improving the balance of the intestinal flora and preventing secondary bacterial infections.

However, probiotic benefits are strain-specific, and it is important to identify the strain of bacteria that is scientifically proven for the benefit. Some strains of Lactobacillus gasseri, Bifidobacterium longum and Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota have shown to boost immunity and reduce the incidence of upper respiratory tract infections or common cold and flu.

Although we are at a stage where we are still not sure of a clear benefit of probiotics in COVID-19 patients but given the fact that most of our immunity resides in the intestine which is determined by the kind of bacteria present there, it may be worthwhile to ensure a balanced intestinal flora with more beneficial probiotic microbes and a stronger immune system that could help in the fight against COVID-19.

~ Newsvoir

Aster DM Healthcare Launches 'Our New Earth' Microsite to Coach People to Transition to the ‘New Normal’ Living Post Lockdown

• ‘Our New Earth’ microsite https://www.ournew.earth/ is a health, wellness and development focused ‘Guide On The New Normal’ to coach people to allow them to thrive in this new style of living with a focus on the different roles they play within a society for the self, for the parent in you, the employers/ business owners as well as the employee.


• It is important for us to holistically focus on Physical, Emotional and Mental health to enable our readiness and preparedness to manage this crisis constructively


• The microsite also provides essential guidance for people dependent industries like manufacturing, services, retail and construction. The concept of Our New Earth: https://youtu.be/8ReOKTHUWfI

Bangalore, India, 21 May 2020: Aster DM Healthcare - one of the largest private, integrated healthcare service providers across the GCC and an emerging player in India has launched ‘Our New Earth’, a microsite dedicated to supporting individuals to function constructively as they try to make sense of the ‘new normal’ way of living, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Users can take advantage of trusted sources of information under one umbrella that has been vetted and endorsed by Aster as your trusted healthcare guide and coach.

As the India government remains committed to slowing down the spread of the pandemic and is gradually looking to ease lockdown restrictions, the responsibility rests on the individual for protecting their own health and that of others around them as life continues. People have been bombarded with a wealth of information from different sources on how to cope during the current circumstances, and the newly launched microsite is Aster’s response to helping make life easier for people. It provides a one-stop-shop platform offering verified content that will guide those looking for information on how to navigate life to ensure we can live better and thrive with this new reality of life. 

Speaking about Our New Earth microsite initiative, Alisha Moopen, Deputy Managing Director of Aster DM Healthcare said, “As people across the world continue to face daily challenges as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is vital that we make our own wellbeing the number one priority on our task list. Daily routines have been turned upside down and we are being fed information constantly from many different sources – the news, our friends, social media, our employers. This can be overwhelming and that is why we decided to bring important content and advice that has been verified by healthcare professionals all under one roof, making it simple for people to digest and get the information they need to function positively in the world we are now living in. This pandemic has taught us that we need to go back to basics – whether it is washing our hands, sleeping well, eating well. This is actually a good time to cultivate better habits and nurture your health to a better place. As always, Aster DM Healthcare is extremely committed to offering its full support, for the well being of the community and it starts with health coaching. We all have different avatars and roles we play on a daily basis, and this site will enable you to look at useful information, exercises and suggestions to take care of all our relationships which impacts us, directly or indirectly.”

As the rules for how we live, work and socialise have dramatically changed in recent times and pose different challenges as a result of personal circumstances, Our New Earth microsite offers content that focuses on the role a person might play within society – as a family member, a parent, an employer or an employee. It highlights that when an individual is mentally and physically healthy, it is easier for them to care better for family, to be a well-functioning employee or a considerate employer. The site offers friendly guidance and top tips for defined roles on things like personal and mental hygiene, ways to cope with working from home or transitioning back to spending time in the office, how to create a balance between a child’s schoolwork and running a household, as well as useful books to read and diet and nutrition advice. In addition the microsite also offers advisory on the safe functioning of top 4 sectors in the region which cannot operate without employees being on-site: Manufacturing, Retail, Construction and Services.

‘Our New Earth’ initiative is a part of Aster DM Healthcare’s ongoing efforts to ensure the collective health and well-being of the community during the COVID-19 crisis. Aster is already offering free telemedicine advisory to all members of the public in relation to any COVID-19 concerns. The Group is also conducting more than 200 “virtual” consultations per day in areas including internal medicine, gastroenterology, pulmonology and endocrinology. The service is proving extremely useful in managing chronic symptoms for patients who are unable to attend the clinic at present. This is in addition to the other initiatives that have been taken up by the organization to support the authorities like screening camps in densely populated areas; bringing in 88 medical professionals to support Covid-19 patients; triage, isolation and treatment of positive cases at Aster and Medcare facilities in Dubai, management of isolation camps and support in transferring positive patients in UAE and helping the community through distribution of essential supplies in both India and UAE.

Managing Kidney Health During Covid-19

As part of its Patient Education Programme (PEP) and respecting the lockdown and the social distancing norms set by the Government of India to combat the rapid spread of COVID-19, Neuberg Diagnostics Private Limited, a StartUp in the PathLab chain segment, today organised Patient Education Program in the form of a Webinar. The Webinar was addressed by Dr. Girish N. S., Head of Nephrology Department, Columbia Asia Hospitals (Hebbal). Dr. Girish spoke about managing kidney health during these COVID-19 times and the lockdown period.

Speaking on the occasion, Ms. Aishwarya Vasudevan, Group COO, Neuberg Diagnostics Private Limited said, “People with kidney ailments are at a higher risk for COVID-19. Those on dialysis can have weaker immune systems, making it harder to fight infections. Hence it is imperative for kidney patients to continue with their regularly scheduled dialysis treatments and to take necessary precautions as recommended by their doctors. We are happy to be hosting Dr. Girish to talk about kidney care during these atypical times on account of the coronavirus scare. His recommendations will be very useful for people suffering from kidney ailments during these lockdown days."

Dr Girish N. S. has vast experience in the field of Nephrology and Kidney transplantation. He completed his Nephrology training from Cambridge, United Kingdom and was a Consultant at The Royal London Hospital (UK) prior to relocation to India. He spent 11yrs in the UK mastering the art of medicine, nephrology and kidney transplantation. Combination of an Indian and International experience has given him the extra edge of managing a variety of complicated cases.

He currently heads the Nephrology, Dialysis and Kidney transplant program at Columbia Asia Hospitals, Hebbal. He is one of the first few to perform Interhospital Swap transplants in South India. He has been instrumental in starting ABO incompatible and paired exchange (swap) kidney transplant program in CAH. He has expertise in the field of Acute Kidney Injury, Chronic kidney disease, Haemodialysis and Peritoneal Dialysis. He has a strong academic background with numerous presentations and publications in peer review journals.

During his address, Dr. Girish mentioned that the COVID-19 infection presents a special threat to patients with CKD (chronic kidney disease), especially to those on dialysis and kidney transplant recipients. According to him, Hemodialysis patients may have milder clinical disease than other patients with COVID-19 infection.

He gave numerous tips that people who are prone to kidney disease could use during these lockdown days to manage their kidney health. These include… 

• Engaging in regular exercise as it can lower the risk of kidney disease and can lower blood pressure and help with heart health.


• Controlling blood sugar level, especially for diabetic patients as this, may result in Kidney damage.


• Monitoring high blood pressure in a diabetic or heart patient which if not monitored could lead to significant health problems.


• Maintaining a healthy diet - low in sodium like fish, whole grains, blueberries, and cauliflower and manage weight especially for people who are overweight.


• Keeping oneself hydrated (1.5 - 2 Litres) as this can remove toxins from the body and could also help with the removal of kidney stones. 


• Control smoking as this could increase the chances of developing Kidney Cancer.


• Avoiding the intake of medicines without prescriptions as there are chances where medicines that can damage the kidneys.


• Keeping a tab on their kidney health and not miss treatments, dialysis and transplant procedures even if it involves travelling to a hospital / clinic during the lockdown, as delaying treatment could complicate the health condition severely 

The Webinar saw participation by over 100 individuals, mainly those with kidney ailments, their near & dear ones and those who were eager to learn more about managing kidney health during COVID-19 and the lockdown.

Healthy Dietary Regimen at Home During COVID-19 Lockdown

The COVID-19 outbreak, its undeterred upsurge and the abrupt emergence of the unpredictable situation like the lockdown, has brought everyone at one-stop - and that is nowhere but in our homes. Now, our homes have rolled everything into one i.e., office, classroom, bedroom, restaurants, summits and conferences - in the form of Webinars.

Staying at home in the lockdown raises grave concerns about the health wherein diet plays an important role. In the current scenario, our physical activities have relatively reduced while the food intake has increased, making our diet dynamics imbalanced, which may bring in several health disorders. However, if we look at the opportunities the Mother Nature offers amid the lockdown to correct our faulty lifestyle are immense. We can eliminate the unnecessary loads from our body by disciplining ourselves, following the Ayurveda way of life. This is the right time for us to revisit our habits for better wellbeing by rescheduling our routine that leads to an 'Ideal Health'.

Following a healthy dietary regimen consisting of right choices of food and more significantly what, how, when and where we eat, will improve our immunity. On the contrary, wrong habits and food choices reduce our immunity, making us prone to virus infection and illness. 'Right Diet' is the 'Right Mantra' to stay healthy in every circumstance.

[caption id="attachment_145148" align="alignleft" width="300"] Mr. Anand Shrivastava, Chairman, Maharishi Ayurveda[/caption]

"According to Ayurveda, diet plays a very important role in improving and maintaining health. It is also helpful in strengthening immunity. Emphasising the importance of diet Maharishi Charak mentions, "If someone's diet is good he/she will not need any medicine". He further mentions, "If someone's diet is not good he/she will also not need any medicine because no medicine will work for him/her." In the current lockdown scenario when we are staying in our houses, the selection of foods are very important from our Body-Type and digestion point of view as our physical activities have relatively come down," said Mr. Anand Shrivastava, Chairman, Maharishi Ayurveda.

He added further, "Besides knowing what to eat, it is also important to know how much to eat, when to eat and how to eat. Ayurveda explains these in a very scientific and systematic manner with proper logic. The main objective behind this is that whatever one eats, it should get digested properly and assimilated into the system for the balanced production of body tissues, which is necessary for the maintenance of the peak performance of the body, and for staying healthy."

Considering the significance of diet, immunity and health and their good interrelationship, which constitute an 'Ideal Health' as per Ayurveda, our honourable Prime Minister has urged the citizens to follow immunity-boosting guidelines issued by the Ministry of AYUSH to supplement the fight against COVID-19. What the Ministry of AYUSH recommends as preventive measures are part of a healthy dietary regimen. The guidelines laid down by the Ministry find their roots in the science of Ayurveda, which propagates the use of the gifts of nature for a healthy and happy life.

"A combination of several foods forms our diet, and food is considered just as powerful as medicine. As per Ayurveda, food is medicine when consumed properly. If we eat foods uniquely suited to our physiology (body-type) and follow a Sattvic (life-supporting) routine that enhances digestion, our bodies will reap the benefits and help us stay happier and healthier. Besides, a balanced diet, a proper Nidra (sleep) also plays an important role in helping us stay healthy. Contrarily, lack of sound sleep increases our risk of developing chronic health conditions, like diabetes, obesity and heart disease," said Dr. Saurabh Sharma Medical Superintendent, Maharishi Ayurveda Hospital, Delhi.

Adding further, he said, "In the current lockdown scenario, we need to make out a balance of both the wholesome food and routine life, which consists of right meal timing, proper sleep, necessary exercise, yoga and meditation. The lockdown phase is an opportunity for us to discipline ourselves that will ensure a healthy living. And this can be done by following a healthy dietary regimen."

Along with healthy foods, we need to include certain Rasayanas (the science of promoting longevity as well as the herbal remedies used to maintain optimal health) in our dietary regimen to ensure holistic health. Also, Rasayana is concerned about the preservation, change, and rejuvenation of energy in our body and mind. Therefore, if we include certain Rasayanas in our dietary regimen, it won't only help in making our dietary regimen balanced but also contribute to ensuring our holistic health. One of such Rasayanas is Maharishi Amrit Kalash - well-known and successful for restoring health, longevity, and overall wellbeing. It has a combination of all-natural and powerful herbs - this elixir of life will help restore our physical & mental health, thereby leading a healthy life in all counts.

~ Newsvoir

BIGO LIVE: Building and Nurturing the Community through Virtual Fitness Classes for Free

The coronavirus pandemic prompted a nation-wide stay-at-home order forcing adjustments to all our routines. Being confined to our houses 24/7 not only takes a physical but also a mental toll on people. To keep the users engaged and stress free during this pandemic, BIGO LIVE, a product of BIGO Technology a Singapore based technology giant and a leading live streaming platform is bringing virtual fitness sessions under their initiative, 'Get Fit with BIGO' with professional instructors for free of cost.

This initiative aims to promote a healthy and fit lifestyle by providing live fitness sessions to all BIGO LIVE users enabling a transition of gyms into virtual fitness classes. Users can choose the fitness class of their choice from diverse options that include Zumba, yoga, Acroyoga, female fitness, right way to do cardio and Desi fitness, which can be done at home without any fancy gym equipment's. The introduction of fitness will encourage people to lead a healthy lifestyle. It will also help disrupt the monotony of the quarantine life and bring a sense of commitment and achievement in their lives.



While the web is flooded with free workout videos, the advantage of practicing fitness from BIGO LIVE is that the BIGO fitness experts can offer specific training to individuals or group of users as per their requirement through its various features and keep changing the workout according to their clients' fitness level. The BIGO LIVE users can also get real time feedback from the instructors on their performance and raise queries on the topics related to health and fitness and get them resolved instantly during or after the live session. You can also keep updating the level of your workout as per your progress. These sessions do not require any expenditure. All you need is a yoga mat and you are good to go.

The users can also have a Q&A session with the fitness experts and get customized routines and advice as per their concerns. This initiative not only benefits the users but also the fitness hosts and coaches to have a source of income while widening their reach and gaining more audiences. The platform will also keep updating the fitness schedule while adding new fitness hosts every week. This will help widen the options for the users and bring in more activity and vigour in the platform.

"The idea behind 'Get Fit with BIGO LIVE' is to provide our users with means to partake in healthy living practices and get over the humdrum caused by the pandemic. These virtual sessions will be open to all our users free of cost. There are various categories under workout that people can avail as per their liking. Our main aim through this initiative is to promote a healthy and active lifestyle. We are looking forward to active participation from people and will bring on board more health gurus as hosts to guide people. We wish to make it a lively campaign and hope more and more people join these live sessions and encourage their friends and family members to adopt this kind of lifestyle as well. I strongly believe that this is a wonderful way to still feel a sense of community while joining our hands together to promote physical and mental well-being and also give opportunity to lots of fitness experts to earn through this platform which makes it a win-win situation for content creators as well as viewers," Nagesh Banga, Deputy Country Head of BIGO LIVE commented on the occasion.

Riya Singh who is a Yoga instructor and a BIGO LIVE Fitness Host remarked that, "This COVID-19 outbreak has taken a toll on all of us. There are growing levels of anxiety among people because of the pandemic and in order to maintain normality during lockdown, a workout regime can be very helpful. BIGO LIVE's 'Get Fit with BIGO' initiative is a wonderful opportunity for all to keep yourselves in shape and work on your mental and physical health. It is also a great way to connect with other people and support one another to sail through this pandemic. Hence, I am using my fitness expertise to work towards a healthy and a fit lifestyle and reach out to my fans through these virtual fitness classes."

About Bigo Technology

BIGO is a fast-growing Singapore technology company established in 2014. BIGO operates products and services in more than 150 countries in the world. BIGOs products include BIGO LIVE (global live streaming platform), Likee (global short video creation platform) and imo (global video communication platform). BIGOs headquarters and regional centres are focused on building Artificial Intelligence capabilities and enhancements specifically for localization and country specific requirements. At present, BIGO has seven R&D centers, in Singapore, U.S., Middle East, India, and China, and over 20 offices around the globe. BIGO aims to provide their users with a world class experience through their cutting-edge technology. Building a global and inspiring social community based on video service. BIGO encourages people to share their creativity, passion and happiness in life and make the world a better place.

Visit BIGO's www.bigo.sg for more information on their brand and products.

Managing Diabetes During COVID-19, Doctor Shares Critical DOs & DON’Ts

As part of its Patient Education Programme (PEP) and respecting the lockdown and the social distancing norms set by the Government of India to combat the rapid spread of COVID-19, Neuberg Diagnostics Private Limited, a StartUp in the PathLab chain segment, today organized a PEP Talk in the form of a Webinar. The Webinar was addressed by Dr. V. Mohan, Chairman & Chief of Diabetology, Dr. Mohan's Diabetes Specialities Centre and President, Madras Diabetes Research Foundation. Dr. Mohan spoke about managing diabetes during these COVID-19 times and the lockdown period.

Speaking on the occasion, Ms Aishwarya Vasudevan, Group COO, Neuberg Diagnostics Private Limited said, “In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, governments in many countries including ours have restricted the movement of their citizens, confining them to the home environment. For people living with diabetes it becomes imperative to take extra precautions in such a scenario. While regular physical activity is of great benefit to the general population, it is even more important for people living with diabetes. We are happy to host someone of the stature of Dr. Mohan to talk about diabetes care during these ‘never seen before’ times. During the lockdown, his recommendations are doubly important for people living with diabetes and anyone in close contact with people living with diabetes."

Dr. V. Mohan needs no introduction. In addition to being the Chairman & Chief of Diabetology at Dr. Mohan's Diabetes Specialities Centre, he is also the President at the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation in Chennai. Dr. Mohan has been delivering care to patients with diabetes across the country through its centres  for over 40 years. Recently he and his group have pioneered Telemedicine for Diabetes care.   He has trained thousands of diabetologists in India and other developing countries. He also has contributed to over 1260 scientific research articles and chapters in textbooks on diabetes which is a world record by a practicing doctor anywhere in the world.  Dr Mohan also  serves on various national and international bodies in his field of specialization. Several prestigious awards have been conferred on Dr. Mohan has received several awards, including the Padma Shri by the Government of India for his accomplishments in the field of diabetology. In 2018, he received the Harold Rifkin Distinguished International Service in the Cause of Diabetes Award from the American Diabetes Association and he is the first Indian to receive this award. He is also a recipient of the Dr. B. C. Roy Award of the Medical Council of India.

During his address, Dr. Mohan stressed on the following aspects of diabetes care vis-à-vis COVID-19…

• There needs to be preparedness in case one falls ill. All relevant contact details must be kept handy.


• Extra attention has to be given to glucose control. Regular monitoring can help avoid complications caused by high or low blood glucose.


• If one does show flu-like symptoms (raised temperature, cough and difficulty in breathing), it is important to consult a healthcare professional. If one is coughing up phlegm, it may be an indication of an infection, in which case one should seek medical support and treatment immediately.


• Any infection is going to raise one’s glucose levels and increase the need for fluids…so access to sufficient supply of water is important.


• One needs to ensure that there is good supply of the diabetes medications she / he needs. Medicine stocks should be in accordance with the requirement if one had to quarantine oneself for a few weeks.


• One has to have the provisions to be able to correct the situation if the blood glucose drops suddenly.


• If someone is living alone, it is important to make sure that someone who can be relied upon knows her / his diabetic condition, as one may require assistance on falling ill.


• It’s important to keep a regular schedule, avoid overwork and have a good night's sleep.


• Healthy nutrition is an essential component of diabetes management. It is therefore important for people with diabetes to eat a varied and balanced diet to keep their blood glucose levels stable and enhance their immune system.

About Neuberg Diagnostics

The best-in-class laboratories from across India, UAE & South Africa have united under the banner of Neuberg Diagnostics to bring the latest technology and techniques within the reach of developing countries. Utilizing their combined strengths, the Neuberg alliance brings capabilities to perform over 6000 varieties of Pathological investigations and will promote Prevention & Early Diagnosis, Focused Wellness Programs and Structured Disease Management programs for rare diseases using the most advanced technologies assisted by Data science and AI tools.

Today, Neuberg Diagnostics is among the top diagnostics companies of Indian origin and the fastest growing healthcare start-up in India. The founding members of the Neuberg consortium - Anand Diagnostic Laboratory (Bangalore), Supratech Micropath (Ahmedabad), Ehrlich Laboratory (Chennai), Global Labs (South Africa), and Minerva Diagnostics (Dubai) bring their combined heritage of over 200 years and process over 20 million tests annually.

Some of the best Pathologists, Biochemists, Geneticists, Microbiologists and several other Clinical Lab Professionals from around the world are working closely, sharing knowledge and using the latest generation of diagnostics techniques to take accurate and timely diagnosis to the next level.

In Corona Times, The Renal Project Pledges to Serve COVID-19 Positive Dialysis Patients

• The only private dialysis therapy center in India to have started operations exclusively for COVID-19 POSITIVE kidney patients.


• Around 25% of the 60,000 dialysis patients in Mumbai suburban region are affected due to closure of their dialysis provider due to several reasons.


• Strategy to re-start dialysis facility in 3 days, in case it had to be shut down due to COIVD-19 positive case found

The COVID-19 pandemic has put our healthcare system to the test, even as our doctors, nurses and other health workers rush to meet the surge of patients. The pandemic has also made things tougher for patients with pre-existing medical conditions, especially if they happen to contract the disease. In India, there are around 13-15 Lac dialysis patients and around 25% of the 60,000 dialysis patients in Mumbai suburban region are affected because of the closure of their dialysis provider due to several reasons. These include running out of supplies, to a COVID-19 positive patient or staff found at the hospital or dialysis center. As a significant step to address the difficulties faced by the kidney patients for, The Renal Project has started operations at its new Dombivli (Mumbai outskirts) site for ONLY COVID-19 POSITIVE kidney patients.

Whereas COVID-19 negative patients scramble for finding other dialysis centers who may charge them anywhere between Rs. 6-7000, which is 5 times the cost of regular dialysis, if the patient is COVID-19+, the patient really is left counting his/her days.

[gallery size="large" link="file" columns="2" ids="144653,144654"]

Mr. Kulkarni, for instance, is one such patient. Now COVID-19 positive, he had to be rushed to the hospital on April 15 when he complained of chest pains and difficulty in breathing. Knowing he was a kidney patient, the doctor ordered an urgent blood report, which showed high creatinine levels and excessive fluids.

"A COVID-19 patient has nowhere to go for life-saving dialysis treatments", said Shashank Moddhia, founder of The Renal Project. His venture runs a chain of dialysis micro centers alongside a newly constructed dialysis ward in the Neon hospital in Dombivli. This hospital is one of the few places allocated for COVID-19 positive patients by the local municipal corporation.

The Renal Project has decided to serve such patients, by opening their doors to such cases. They've also drafted specific SOPs and protocols to deal with such cases.

"Till a month ago, we would've never imagined that we would perform the first dialysis in our new center located in Dombivli in these times, especially on a COVID-19 positive patient. Since then, we've decided to serve COVID-19 positive cases exclusively and ensure that they don't end up stranded in the current situation," said Moddhia.

While the SOP is extremely essential to protect technicians and doctors and ensure that the center is available for patients who need it the most, there is a definite strategy Mr. Moddhia suggests for facilities to re-start quickly and effectively back up when they have to shut down, so that they can start serving their kidney patients without them having to risk loss of therapy.

If a dialysis facility had to shut down due to COIVD-19 positive case found, here are the steps to re-start service in 3 days -

Inform your regular dialysis patients about the shutdown; though ensure that it's closed for three days only.

Test all patients and staff, even those who were not working on the day when COVID-19+ case was provided therapy. Identify staff that needs to be self-quarantined.

Disinfect and fumigate the facility with chemicals for COVID-19 control.
Prepare a revised schedule to accommodate patients scheduled for the shutdown period. Prioritize it according to the criticality of their condition.

Inform the patients' respective nephrologists to handle their cases for the shut-in period through medicine and dietetics.

Advise patients to refrain from visiting other dialysis centers unless critically required, as they can risk infection from other places.

Arrange for PPE gowns kits for dialysis technicians for at least 20 days.
Inform repair technicians for dialysis machines to be available on an urgent basis in the coming days, especially in a critical situation.

Counsel patients and their family that you'd be available to take care of them.
Motivate and thank your staff for their continued support and availability.

India's COVID positive crisis remains, unfortunately, on the rise. It requires rethinking in terms of facilities for such patients. We hope that more health centers start addressing patients with existing problems or those who require routine, OPD treatment.

About The Renal Project:

The Renal Project is a chain of dialysis micro-centers India needs, operated by Renal Project Co Pvt. Ltd.; the startup was founded in 2019 by Shashank Moddhia. With well experienced dialysis technician crew, young and motivated nephrologists, and strategic supply partners, The Renal Project™ is all set to scale and achieve its vision. Starting with a three bed center in Gorai area of Mumbai, in May 2019, The Renal Project™ already has six outlets spread across Mumbai, Thane District, and Pune.

Identifying the Different Types of Steroids

When a bodybuilder or athlete wants to improve their strength and muscle mass they take steroids when an elderly person is diagnosed with arthritis, the doctors prescribe them with steroids. But are all steroids equal? Does a grandmother suffering from arthritis and a bodybuilder wanting to bulk-up take the same kind of medicines? The answer to those questions would be no. There are various kinds of steroids. It is essential for a person who is new into this field and wants to start taking a dosage of steroids to be able to identify amongst the various kinds of steroids and amongst things that are not steroids. 

The steroids that an arthritis patient is prescribed consists of anti-inflammatory properties that reduce the swelling in the joints of the patient. These kinds of steroids are also administered to patients with wounds and other swelling problems. The steroids that bodybuilders use to bulk up and increase their muscle mass are known as anabolic steroids and are available in a wide range. There are also legal and illegal types of anabolic steroids available. To know more in detail about the legal form of anabolic steroids and read reviews and recommendations, visit https://secec.org/legal-steroids/. 

 It is also important to know that not all medicines that promote growth are steroids. For example, growth hormones do not come under the same umbrella as steroids. Growth hormones are naturally present in the human body as well as synthetic forms are available in many forms. The main function of the growth hormone is to promote cell, organ, tissue, and bone growth in children, whereas in adults, it is still present but in a very minute form. 

Synthetic growth hormones are prescribed to children whose natural systems have difficulty producing this hormone due to hormone-deficiency. Growth hormone medications promote the secretion of the growth hormone in the pituitary gland, thus helping children develop normally. However, growth hormones provide no benefit to the weight lifters and athletes as all their bones and organs are developed completely.

Similar to the growth hormone medications, creatine is also not a steroid. Creatine is produced from amino acids and falls in the category of a protein. It is naturally present in our body as well as found in the sources of proteins like meats and fish. It is responsible for the strength you feel in your muscles when lifting heavyweights. Many professional weight lifters have been known to ingest it in large quantities in hopes of improving their muscular strength and build muscle fiber. There have been studies conducted on the ingestion and use of creatine by athletes and no major side effects have been found.

When looking into buying steroids from an online source, it is important to make sure the source is credible and trustworthy. The website mentioned in this article provides its readers and customers with reviews and input of those individuals who have tried and tested the products they are offering and thus it proves their credibility. Many websites are scamming their users nowadays and it is important to research and gain knowledge about the product you are going to buy before finalizing the purchase.

www.indianweb2.com does not promote or advocate use of steroids. Steroids are harmful if taken without prescription and can cause fatal problems if taken without medical or doctors' supervision.

The Doctors of RxDx Clinics are Making a Difference through Online Consultations Amidst the COVID-19 Outbreak and Lockdown

RxDx Clinics have adopted online consultations as their modus operandi to continue with their OPD services as India has started preparing herself for a long drawn battle to combat the ongoing Coronavirus crisis. RxDx medical staff is available online in adherence to the Government directives of keeping the essential services up and running.

A range of medical specialities, for example, Internal Medicine to Gynecology, General Consultation to Sports Physiotherapy and Pediatrics to Psychology are available in RxDx for remote consultation. More are joining the cause to augment healthcare access for patients. During the first 21 days lockdown which ended on April 14, RxDx conducted around 3000 plus-consultations which is a whopping 15-fold increase from the usual days.

A 62-year-old patient had recently reached out to our clinic executive expressing his gratitude over an online call with eminent urologist Dr. Sanjay Paruchuri. He said, "The Online Consultation was really a great experience. The doctor was really good and gave a patient hearing to all the problem (sic). Thanks a ton for your help. I will encourage people to use the facility."

While over 50 % of those calls are for General and Internal Medicine combined, approximately 37% of patients seek out the Pediatricians and Gynecologists. In the last few days, request for online consultations with ophthalmologists and dentists have seen a rise.

"The benefits of telemedicine in today's COVID world are obvious-doctors can see their patients without the risk of getting Corona, patients can see their doctors even during a lockdown and without the risk of being in a crowded clinic or hospital," emphasized Dr. Sunita Maheshwari, Senior Consultant Pediatric Cardiologist, Chief Dreamer & Loop Closer - Telerad Group, Member of the Karnataka Vision Group for Healthcare, Research and Innovation.

RxDx Multispecialty Clinic has been receiving an influx of outpatient cases with flu-like symptoms since the outbreak. RxDx teleconsultants primarily use Mfine, an AI-powered, on-demand healthcare service, which helps triage severe cases via Symptom Mapping, besides enabling medical consultants to connect with their patients virtually through video and audio. The doctors walk the patients coming in with flu-like symptoms through COVID-19 warning signs like breathlessness, chest discomfort/tightness and dizziness. According to the patient's exhibition of the warning signs, the doctor recommends treatment or hospital visit. The patient receives a prescription through the app with a link to purchase medicines.

The Indian Government's decision to go for a 21-day nationwide lockdown (from March 25, 2020) in response to the COVID-19 entry in India, had to be extended till May 3, 2020, after looking at the continued spread in some areas of the country due to unexpected gatherings. On April 15, the Government has released guidelines for a partial resumption of economic activities outside the COVID containment zones from April 20 with conditionalities such as social distancing,mandatory wearing of masks and hand hygiene attached. The Government will review the status in the later April and decide if some other services can be opened up.

The threat of widespread COVID-19 outbreak continues to loom over our heads as our overpopulated cities and close quarters residences struggle to maintain social distancing. India sees an ongoing count of positive cases crossing 12,500 and mourns for over 420 deaths.

Now, the country must accept stringent measures to keep her people home in the aim to flatten the curve of the outbreak to an extent and buy time to raise public awareness level, while also preparing the system to step up the healthcare infrastructure to meet this unprecedented crisis.

As the lockdown phase continues, places of employment remain shut, and people have to work from home. Residential societies carry on with the strict policies like not leaving the premises to protect the community, not allowing any kind of delivery within the gates. Localities see police barricades to prevent roadside loitering and crowding.

When private transportation is allowed only for emergencies and public transportation is mostly shut down, remote healthcare proves to be a boon, the public can maintain responsible social distancing without compromising their health.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, have published the Telemedicine practice guidelines on their official website this March 25, 2020.

Modern India is technologically savvy. Over 300 million smartphone users in the country can easily access the internet. Hence, virtual healthcare service is gaining popularity. India, along with the world, is accepting the rise of Telemedicine as the future of the healthcare system and RxDx is right there with them.

About RxDx

RxDx (www.rxdx.in) is a chain of world-class multispecialty healthcare clinics with its main branch situated in Whitefield, Bengaluru. It was founded in 2007 with a mission to provide pre-hospital care to communities. Our clinics are professionally manned and managed and are equipped with state-of-the-art diagnostic and imaging facilities. As premium healthcare providers in Bengaluru, primary care is the backbone and family doctors are the bedrock at RxDx. We deliver the best health outcomes, at the optimal cost, and with the greatest patient satisfaction.

For more details, please visit www.rxdx.in.

~ Newsvoir

Rajasthan Govt Partners With Healthcare App 'Aayu' to Tackle Coronavirus Pandemic

Rajasthan government has exclusively partnered with healthcare startup MedCords to provide 24x7 online consultation and medicine delivery to the people of Rajasthan as the State battles to control cases of Coronavirus. Through its integrated solution -Aayu & Sehat Sathi app, MedCords will help over 68 Million of people in Rajasthan through this collaboration.

MedCords' solution is fully adopted in 7 districts of Rajasthan - Kota, Udaipur, Shri Ganganagar, Bikaner, Ajmer, Pali, Jaipur and will be rolling out to complete state within a week. The app is currently helping 10,000+ patients per day with consultations and is providing home delivery of medicines through its Sehat Sathi network. The technology is provided free of cost by the startup.

"We are committed to ensuring that no individual's health suffers due to a lack of public transportation during the lockdown in Kota. We are confident and positive with our association with MedCords that will enable us to penetrate rural and remote areas and provide effective healthcare delivery during the lockdown. They have been excellent so far, managed to resolve both the issues of consultations and medicine delivery to doorstep," said Shri Om Kasera, District Collector, Kota.

The biggest benefit of the solution is that it takes almost no time to implement across the district and is so easy to use.

With its integrated healthcare ecosystem, Aayu & Sehat Sathi is helping millions of Indians families consult with qualified doctors and order necessary medicines, irrespective of their geographical limitations. The startup's integrated healthcare solution is being extraordinarily helpful for dependents such as the elderly and people with disabilities whose movement is restricted during the government-imposed lockdown.

"Currently, 50% of the cases, especially from the grassroots, are coming from outside Rajasthan, and we will be more than happy to support with our technology to every State to help them contain Coronavirus and help people get essential medicines easily. It hardly takes us a day to roll out in any State of India," says Shreyans Mehta, Co-founder and CEO of MedCords.

The app and helpline number (7816811111) support Hindi and English language, making it easier for all the Indians to use it.

The startup aims at redressing disparity between accessibility to quality healthcare in urban and rural India. Using 'Aayu', customers can consult specialist doctors, secure their medical history quickly and order medicines from their nearby medical stores from anywhere across the country. The app also has a built-in comprehensive coronavirus guide for users to clear their myths and check their symptoms. Both apps are available on Google play store. A person who is not a smartphone user can call 7816811111 to receive consultations from doctors from anywhere in India.

For now, the company is extensively focusing on helping India to tackle the coronavirus crisis using technology.

About MedCords:

MedCords, the parent company of Aayu & Sehat Saathi app, was founded in 2017 by Shreyans Mehta, Nikhil Baheti and Saida Dhanavath and is backed by leading investors like InfoEdge, Ashish Jain - Water Bridge Ventures, Astarc Ventures, CIIE and Istart programme of Government of Rajasthan amongst others.

Quick Government Interventions have Eased Some of the Major Operational Challenges: MTaI

Medical Technology Association of India (MTaI), which represents leading research-based medical technology companies that have a large footprint in manufacturing, R&D and healthcare worker training in India, is working with the government to ensure the continued supply of essential medical devices to the healthcare workers fighting COVID-19 situation in India.

[caption id="attachment_144039" align="alignleft" width="361"] Mr. Pavan Choudary, Chairman and Director General, MTaI[/caption]

Mr. Pavan Choudary, Chairman and Director General, MTaI said, "The lockdown imposed has largely been able to minimize the community spread of the virus, however this had also inadvertently affected the supply chain of essential medical devices as the instructions given from the central government to ensure smooth supply were not properly translated at the state authority levels. We are thankful to the GOI led by Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP) for its leadership and its unself-conscious outreach to other departments like Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) (including Invest India) and Nava Sheva customs who joined hands to ensure Customs clearances for the medical devices which were earlier stuck."

"DoP and the Invest India team under DPIIT have also helped the industry resume warehouse operations of medical devices in New Delhi, Haryana and Rajasthan. They have also facilitated curfew passes for essential staff for the supply of these essential products," added Mr. Choudary.

With limited courier services available and restrictions on manpower movement, many medical device companies are operating with skeletal staff which is proving to be a challenge in ensuring smooth supply of medical devices to Hospitals. There are issues at Mumbai ocean port, as well as in several cities outside the big six, which need quick resolution.

About Medical Technology Association of India (MTaI)

Medical Technology Association of India (MTaI) is an association of research-based medical technology companies who have made remarkable investments in Manufacturing, R&D and Health Care Workers Training in India. MTaI represents a wide spectrum of the medical device industry with global experience in innovation and manufacturing. All the time stressing on the three hallmarks of healthcare - Quality, Consistency and Patient Safety, MTaI wants to be a responsible voice of the industry. The association is committed to improving access to affordable and quality healthcare for patients.

Website: mtaiindia.org.

5 Ways to Add more Nutrition to your Diet with California Walnuts

Your food choices each day affect your health - how you feel today, tomorrow, and in the future. Good nutrition is an essential part of leading a healthy lifestyle. Combined with physical activity, your diet can help you to reach and maintain a healthy weight, reduce your risk of chronic diseases, and promote your overall health. With World Health Day around the corner, it's the perfect time to re-focus on those nutrition goals we may have let fall away.

Feel a little overwhelmed by the idea of adding "nutrition" to your diet You're not alone. We're here to help guide you with five easy steps to make that goal more achievable.

Eat More Plant-Based Foods

You don't have to cut out animal products from your diet to be healthy, but the Indian Dietary Guidelines suggest eating a variety of foods to ensure a balanced diet, and eat plenty of plant-based foods like vegetables and fruits. Incorporating plant-based foods to meals is an easy way to add essential nutrients and vitamins to your diet! This includes eating walnuts, increasing your intake of omega-3 ALA (2.5g per 28g). Blend veggies and walnuts into your sandwiches, poha, upma, parathas, chutneys, sauces and dips, or swap half the meat in dishes with beans or walnuts to give them a healthy makeover.

Drink More Water

Drinking at least eight glasses a day can help curb your cravings and help you from confusing thirst with hunger. Not to mention, staying hydrated is important, especially for those who are active.

Make Your Snacks Count

[caption id="attachment_143944" align="alignleft" width="336"] Roasted Walnut and Cauliflower Tacos[/caption]

Don't count your snacks - make your snacks count. Almost everyone snacks daily, and many do so to satisfy cravings, but most aren't meeting nutritional needs. Make sure your snacks offer a combination of protein, fiber and good fats. A handful of walnuts, seasoned to your liking is an excellent snack that can hold you over until your next meal. This is a great way to meet a craving for sweet or savoury with a satisfying crunch! You can even make a simple trail mix with walnuts and other nutrient-rich ingredients to really stack your snacks!

Make Mealtime an Occasion

Spending longer periods of time at home may now offer the possibility to enjoy regular meals with your family. But don't stop to enjoy these simple pleasures when you move through life quickly. Things like sitting down to eat a meal can be good for you both mentally and physically, as it encourages you to eat more slowly, allowing your body to process and digest food more appropriately. Physical benefits aside, this can also provide the mental benefit of taking a break and unplugging from what's happening around, while enjoying a meal and time with loved ones. Add just a handful of walnuts to supercharge your meals and enjoy that healthy nutrition with your dear ones.

Understand Nutrition Labels

While eating whole, unprocessed foods as often as possible is great, it's not always realistic. Always pay attention to the ingredient lists on packaged products, and look out for things like saturated fats, sodium, and added sugars. To avoid being in the situation of not knowing what you're going to grab and making bad choices, plan ahead by meal prepping your own snacks to fit in with your diet and nutrition goals. For simple snacks, you can make in bulk, whip up a batch of homemade energy bars or ladoos with walnuts, so you always have something on hand whenever hunger strikes.

There's not just one simple way to elevate your nutrition levels for healthy living, but there are a lot of steps you can take to work towards a more nutritious lifestyle. Setting a goal of what you want to achieve and prioritizing a nutritious diet as a way of life are wonderful ways to start!

So, this World Health Day, let's try to get back to our health resolutions with the added goodness of California walnuts and make everyday count!

~ Newsvoir