U3A

Monday  1st  September  2014
–  The  Ascent  of  Man  :  ( Part  9 of 13 )
The  Ladder  of  Creation
Darwin’s and Wallace’s ideas on the origins
and development of all life forms
10H00  at Formosa Garden Village Lounge
Co-ordinator:  Alain  Leger   044-533-2963

Tuesday  2nd  September  2014
–  Italian Conversation
09H45  at 12 Challenge Drive
Co-ordinator:  Brenda Hardy  044-533-5489

Wednesday  3rd  September  2014
– World  War  One  :  1914 – 1918  ( Part 3 of 7 )
Total War  :  The European conflict spreads across the world
and becoming the first global conflict
10H00  at Formosa Garden Village Lounge
Co-ordinator:  Michael  Lond   044-533-0018

Wednesday  3rd  September  2014
–  U3A Plett  Social Bridge Club
Supervised bridge in a friendly atmosphere
with tips for improving your play.
13H30  at the Angling Club
Co-ordinator:  Michael Webb  082-226-7280

Friday  5th  September  2014
–  French Conversation
10H00  at 7 Gleninifer Street
Co-ordinator:  Merle Decot   044-533-5879

Friday  5th  September  2014
–  Mah Jong
Learn and play this ancient and fascinating game.
13H30  at Formosa Garden Village Small Dining Room
Co-ordinator:   Amelia White  044-533-0113

CREATING AWARENESS

Dear fellow Plettonians,
The Clean Up Plett Campaign has now been on the go since mid Feb 2014 We, have had such unbelievable support. Our aim is together with the municipality to keep Plett as clean as possible Plett is the jewel of the garden route – a tourist destination. Tourism plays a huge part of the economy generated in this town- which in turns provides jobs for all.
Spring has almost sprung and therefore we would like to work together to plant and make Plett a bright arrangement of flowers for the whole world to see.
So therefore we need the help of every single person who lives in Plett and surrounds. We have already a team of wonderful people cleaning in Kurland Village – overseen by Veronica Cloete and her team.
In Plett we meet every single Tuesday evening around 5.15 pm where a team of people get together and spend just 1 hour weeding or picking up litter in certain areas that we may have noticed during the week need extra attention Our Keep Plett clean campaign has so many people to thank from the beginning
Express Signs
Pinnacle Painters
Zig Zag Branding
The Clean Shop
Dulux Paint
Penny Pinchers
Glow lighting
Mike & Joanne Janse van Vuuren for the bicycle for Patrick and cell phone
Arlene’s Pool Services
Garden Route Timbers
The Garden Services that are on board:-
Eden Gardens Kwikspar and post office
Home from Home Robyn’s corner on Odlands
Smart Gardens Piesang bridge down to circle at Kwikspar
Garden Thyme All the circles
Dave’s Garden Services Circle at The Grand
Milkwood Gardens Below Zanzibar
These garden services each have their designated area which they keep clean
The schools – Waldorf, Plett Primary and Plett Christian School All the individuals – toooooo many to mention who give up their time every week:-
To just name a few amazing helpers that meet ones a week giving an hour of their time to care for our town.
Andy Smit
Maxine Brett
Kirsten Deacon
Dave and Brenda Scott
Dee Gotz
Mandy Frost
Lesley Mullins
Perino Pama
Di Butlin
Matt Covar
Nic Bryant
Lynne Kapp for the face book page Stephanie Shrosbree – liaison with municipality Vinthi for the photos And of course Patrick Windvoegel, we have changed his life. Patrick is employed
in a donation basis – his pot is at Rice and Linen. Patrick is so proud if his achievements and we are so proud and grateful to him. He walks and cycles everywhere keeping Plett clean for us. We appeal to you all – please help us in your own small way
Please do not throw rubbish out of car windows or even cigarette butts
Please don’t drop rubbish while walking in the streets – hold into it until you see a dustbin – we are working towards the municipality providing us with more.
JUST ONE THING TO REMEMBER: MUNICIPALITY DOES NOT REMOVE YOUR GARDEN REFUSE, SO PLEASE REMEMBER THAT YOU NEED TO GET SOMEONE TO REMOVE IT FOR YOU!
If you can’t help us on a Tuesday – just spend an hour or even half an hour picking up any litter you may see in your surroundings.
We appeal to our fellow Plettonians to educate others, friends employees, children, grandchildren.
We want Plett to be pristine at all times so that we can wow our visitors and make them come back to Plett time and time again and therefore making it a better place for all.
Thank you all you amazing people for making this project work
Alison Bryant
Coordinator and Founder of Clean Up Plett Campaign

11 Ways to Indulge Your Spine

Taking care of your back before serious problems arise is easier than you think. We have 11 ideas to help you give your spine the special treatment it deserves. O 1. Make exercise a daily ritual Research has consistently shown that exercise is the key to maintaining a healthy spine, and it helps rehabilitate injured spines. Our spines are made for movement, and even a simple exercise program that focuses on stretching and strengthening the back, hamstring, and abdominals can go a long way toward distributing nutrients into the spinal discs and soft tissues, accelerating the healing process, and keeping the discs, muscles, ligaments, and joints healthy. 2. Believe in the mind body connection Take time to engage in mindful-meditation every day. Studies have shown this to be an effective tool for fighting chronic back pain. While the mechanism of pain perception is still a fairly mysterious topic, being able to tap into the mind-body connection may help you cope with pain. 3. Maintain good posture while sitting The spine is naturally built to curve, but slouching in a chair for eight hours a day at work can lead to muscle tension and lower back pain, and leg pain (sciatica). As the discs in the lumbar spine (lower back) are already loaded three times more while sitting than standing, why make things even more difficult? Be sure to have an ergonomically-friendly office chair setup and to get up and stretch every 30 minutes or so.

4. Choose shoes wisely The benefits of walking for the spine are plentiful, including strengthening the muscles that keep the body upright, nourishing spinal structures with necessary nutrients, improving flexibility, and strengthening the bones. While walking, it’s important to have a flexible, comfortable pair of shoes that also serves as a stable base for the spine to stay in alignment. 5. Relax with heat therapy Naturally your neck and back may feel sore at the end of a long day. Applying heat therapy is a great way not only to soothe spinal discomfort but to kick back and relax prior to going to sleep. Try heating pads, wraps, warm gel packs, hot water bottles, or a bath/shower to benefit from heat therapy. 6. Sleep on a supportive mattress and pillow In ideal circumstances, nearly a 1/3 of the day is spent sleeping, which also serves as a time for the spine to rest after a hard day’s work. Still, an insufficient mattress can make rest a stressful time on the spine, and lead to some patients complaining of a stiff neck or back ache in the morning. While sleep comfort is a matter of personal preference, taking into consideration a mattress that allows for correct support and sleeping positions can go a long way towards avoiding pain in the back and neck (cervical spine). 7. Choose your food wisely Your diet can make or break your overall health, and it can have an especially big impact on your spine health. Try sticking mostly to whole foods-foods you would find in nature- like vegetables, fruits, dairy, meats, grains, and legumes. Eventually make it your goal to eliminate all processed foods, and to only indulge in unhealthy treats once or twice a week. Focusing on foods that are high in calcium (for bone strength and mass) and other nutrients and vitamins can help prevent osteoporosis, osteoarthritis and other conditions in the future. Similarly, maintaining a proper weight can reduce pressure on the spine and minimize back pain. 8. Go for a swim Water therapy is especially advantageous for the spine because of the support the water gives to bones and joints during exercise. Buoyancy provides both mild resistance and support, thus reducing the risk of injury or pain during certain exercises. Cold water soothes joint inflammation, while hot water stimulates circulation for stiff muscles and healing for minor muscle sprains or strains. 9. Literally Treat Yourself to Massage Therapy Studies show that massage therapy is a legitimate treatment for some back pain. Massages offer several benefits, including improving blood circulation for the recovery of sore muscles, restoring spinal range of motion, helping with insomnia, and upping endorphins – the body’s natural chemicals that make patients feel good. 10. Resolve to quit smoking Quitting smoking reduces the likelihood of lower back pain, which is reportedly 300 percent more likely in smokers than non-smokers. Resolving to quit is difficult, but there are many products, support groups, and strategies that have worked for thousands of people. According to one study, smoking leads to degenerative spinal disorders and back pain as a result of damaging the vascular structures of spinal discs and joints. 11. Lift Correctly Improperly lifting heavy items can put the lower back muscles in abnormal positions that can produce painful muscle strains, and even cause the spinal joints to lock and the spinal discs to rupture. Correct lifting is more than involving the knees, and should incorporate keeping the chest forward and the weight close to the body, and leading with the hips rather than the shoulders. With all these suggestions in mind, what better day than today to start getting active and making these changes! RESEARCHED BY : KÁTIA C. ROWLANDS – Pilates Instructor & Personal Trainer – 082 513 4256

Dog Agility Training: Bring Out the Athlete in Your Dog

Agility training for dogs is a sport that is quickly growing in popularity, and is a terrific outlet for your dog’s abundant energies. The agility training gets him into the best shape of his life, and also increases his mental sharpness through problem solving.

A dog that is well exercised and happy is much more likely to refrain from bad behaviors. Following so much activity, he will be more in a mood to kick back than to cause any problems.

Agility training isn’t for all breed. For instance, dogs descended from the working breeds such as Retrievers, Shepherds, Herding Breeds (collies, cattle dogs) Spaniels and Terriers are physically more suited for the agility training than very large breeds such as Great Danes, St. Bernards or a Mastiff. It’s all I can do to get a Bullmastiff I dog sit to even go for a brisk walk. The very large breeds tend to tire out too quickly and aren’t gifted by nature for this type of activity. If a breed of dogs is too small, it is also unable to meet the physical demands of agility training-for instance, they can’t make it over the jumps.

If your dog is very athletic and energetic and of the right size he may make a good candidate for agility training. Make sure you have already obedience trained your dog before trying to teach him the agility exercises. Be sure that you include dog training hand signals [http://www.behavedoggy.com/dog-training-hand-signals/] during your dog’s obedience training. That is because your dog will really need to listen and pay attention to your directions and hand signals to do the agility tricks required.

Besides knowing the basic sit, down, stay and heel commands, your dog will need to know when to turn right or left, go fast or slow by watching your hand signals. Therefore, pay attention to getting a good foundation with general obedience training first, before trying the agility training.

Wait until your dog has grown to full size prior to starting the agility training. A puppy won’t be ready for the obstacle courses until he has become full grown. Most dogs are ready at about 1 year of age, although some larger breeds are still growing a bit. Agility training exercises for older dogs, after about age 8, are not recommended-it is just too rigorous for them anymore.

Check out a Dog Agility Club in your area if you are interested in watching these dogs perform. It is really fun to see these dogs performing the obstacle course exercises. You have probably already seen an agility competition on TV, and have an idea of just how well trained these agility dogs are. The tricks these dogs learn through their agility training is really something to see. There are a variety of obstacles that the dogs must either go over, go through (tunnels) or go under, that require not only a physically gifted dog, but some terrific attention to training too.

If you watch an agility competition, it is clear that the dogs and their handlers are having a great time. Any dog enthusiast will really enjoy seeing the kinds of results that agility training for dogs produces. It is no wonder so many people are becoming interested in dog agility clubs.

Through the agility training exercises, your dog will learn how to do things like crawl through a tunnel, walk over a teeter-tooter, jump over hurdles, climb up and down a tall A-frame structure, and weave his way through a series of “weave poles”. All these obstacles together serve to test your dog’s conditioning and agility. Another good side benefit of the training will also be exercising you right along with your dog.

If the idea of agility training for your dog seems to fit his size and personality, you can check out an agility club and get started. Don’t be intimidated by how difficult the exercises look. You can progressively teach your dog his agility training step by step so the training is doable.

U3A

Monday  18th  August  2014
–  The  Ascent  of  Man  :  ( Part  8 of 13 )
The  Drive  for  Power
The Industrial Revolution and
the effect it had on everyday life
10H00  at Formosa Garden Village Lounge
Co-ordinator:  Alain  Leger   044-533-2963

Tuesday  19th  August  2014
–  Italian Conversation
09H45  at 12 Challenge Drive
Co-ordinator:  Brenda Hardy  044-533-5489

Wednesday  20th  August  2014
– World  War  One  :  1914 – 1918  ( Part 2 of 7 )
Stalemate  :  The conflict that most believed would be over by
Christmas 1914 was transformed into a gigantic war of attrition
10H00  at Formosa Garden Village Lounge
Co-ordinator:  Michael  Lond   044-533-0018

Wednesday  20th  August  2014
–  U3A Plett  Social Bridge Club
Supervised bridge in a friendly atmosphere
with tips for improving your play.
13H30  at the Angling Club
Co-ordinator:  Michael Webb  082-226-7280

Friday  22nd  August  2014
–  French Conversation
10H00  Phone Rea for venue
Co-ordinator:  Rea Gardy   044-533-2387

Friday  22nd  August  2014
–  Mah Jong
Learn and play this ancient and fascinating game.
13H30  at Formosa Garden Village Small Dining Room
Co-ordinator:   Amelia White  044-533-0113

Best Dogs for families- Top 3 best dog breeds for families

How do you find a best dog breeds for your family? First, you should start with doing some research into all the different dog breeds that you like. You should research all the breeds that you like carefully and choose the one are very suitable to your family’s lifestyle. A wonderful dog can teach children all about love, and growing up with your children together, your children will cherish for a life time. Here are a list of the top 3 best dog breeds for families.

Golden Retriever- Golden Retrievers are the one of the most popular family dog breeds in the United States. They are very gentle and always patient with the children. They are lovable, well mannered dog with a great charm. They are a friendly, and loyal dog. They are intelligent so that they are easy to train dog breeds. Their life expectancy are about 10-12 years.

Miniature Schnauzer- the Miniature Schnauzer is an loving, playful, and happy dog. They are very intelligent, devoted and affectionate. They are good with the children and can get along with other dogs and small pets. They are a good family companion pets. The miniature schnauzer is also a good dog for aprtment life. Their coat are also a good dog for apartment life. Their coat are also not hard to groom, it may need some care. Their life expectancy are about 15 years.

Labrador Retriever- labrador retriever is another great retriever does very well in any home. They also is one of the most popular dog breeds in United States. They are highly intelligent, loyal, affectionate and eager to please dogs. They are friendly, loving, and superb good with the children and also with other dogs and small pets. Labradors are very easy to train and obedience dog. The only negative thing about this dog is they can be a picky eater. Their life expectancy are about 10-12 years.

The all dog breeds above are generally as the best dog breeds for families, while there are always have an exception to the rules. Understand all dog breeds at www.dogbreeds-and-doggie.com

Knee Movement & Proper Form during Lunge Exercises

It is correct to avoid excessive forward movement of the knee during squatting and lunging movements. It is a myth, however, that you should “never let your knees go past your toes while doing a squat or lunge.” The general pointer while performing a lunge is to try to keep your knees aligned over your second toe so that the knee is moving in the same direction as the ankle joint. However, in reality we often find the knee translating (moving) forward to the toes or beyond in a squat or lunge movement, so there are other things that must be considered. The reason for this can be attributed to the length of limbs (shinbones or tibia/fibula and the thigh bone or femur). During lunge or squat movements, we should always emphasize beginning the movement by pushing the hips backwards before they lower towards the floor (a term referred to as “hip hinging” . This avoid pre-mature forward movement of the knee by shifting the hips backwards. As we continue to lower our body downward, this creates a healthy hinge effect at the knee, but there comes a time where the knee (tibia) will begin to move forward in order to maintain our balance (keeping our center of mass within our base of support). If you happen to have long limbs, then it is realistic to expect your knees to move forward over or beyond the toes. Any attempt to prevent this will result in either falling backwards or in bad squat or lunge technique which places increased loads into your low back. So, as long as you teach the lunge / squat movement correctly by first initiating the movement at the hip and avoid premature forward movement of the knee, then the fact that the knee may move forward is quite safe. Part of the reason we lunge is to train movement patterns for our daily activities and when we climb stairs, the knee and torso naturally translate forward in parallel with each other (the torso does not remain vertical) for balance and to propel our body forward and upward. In some instances we’ve seen trainers recommend keeping the back as vertical as possible which is problematic. Our concern is that this vertical technique fails to train the neural pathways and muscles correctly, in the manner it should when you actually climb stairs or step up. Additionally, if you lack adequate flexibility in your hips (considered a mobile joint) when lunging with your torso vertical, then the lumbar spine has to contribute to achieving the mobility you need and in doing so, it will compromise its ability to stabilize the lumbar spine. This could, in fact, increase the loading on your low back. TIP: Watch your technique in the mirror (side view) the next time you lunge. Place your hands on your hips or in the small of your back and perform your lunge. If you notice any forward tilting in your hips or an increase in the curvature of your low back, you are compromising lumbar stability and I would suggest revisiting your exercise technique.

RESEARCHED BY : KÁTIA C. ROWLANDS – Pilates Instructor & Personal Trainer – 082 513 4256•

HEROIN

HEROIN: WHAT IS IT? Heroin is a highly addictive, illegal drug. It is used by millions of addicts around the world who are unable to overcome the urge to continue taking this drug every day of their lives—knowing that if they stop, they will face the horror of withdrawal. Heroin (like opium and morphine) is made from the resin of poppy plants. Milky, sap-like opium is first removed from the pod of the poppy flower. This opium is refined to make morphine, then further refined into different forms of heroin. Most heroin is injected, creating additional risks for the user, who faces the danger of AIDS or other infection on top of the pain of addiction.  “Heroin cut me off from the rest of the world. My parents kicked me out. My friends and my brothers didn’t want to see me anymore. I was all alone.” —Suzanne The origins of heroin Heroin was first manufactured in 1898 by the Bayer pharmaceutical company of Germany and marketed as a treatment for tuberculosis as well as a remedy for morphine addiction. A vicious circle During the 1850s, opium addiction was a major problem in the United States. The “solution” was to provide opium addicts with a less potent and supposedly “non-addictive” substitute—morphine. Morphine addiction soon became a bigger problem than opium addiction. As with opium, the morphine problem was solved by another “non-addictive” substitute—heroin, which proved to be even more addictive than morphine. With the heroin problem came yet another “non-addictive” substitute—the drug now known as methadone. First developed in 1937 by German scientists searching for a surgical painkiller, it was exported to the US and given the trade name “Dolophine” in 1947. Renamed methadone, the drug was soon being widely used as a treatment for heroin addiction. Unfortunately, it proved to be even more addictive than heroin. By the late 1990s, the mortality rate of heroin addicts was estimated to be as high as twenty times greater than the rest of the population.

WHAT DOES HEROIN LOOK LIKE? In its purest form, heroin is a fine white powder. But more often, it is found to be rose gray, brown or black in color. The coloring comes from additives which have been used to dilute it, which can include sugar, caffeine or other substances. Street heroin is sometimes “cut” with strychnine1 or other poisons. The various additives do not fully dissolve, and when they are injected into the body, can clog the blood vessels that lead to the lungs, kidneys or brain. This itself can lead to infection or destruction of vital organs. The user buying heroin on the street never knows the actual strength of the drug in that particular packet. Thus, users are constantly at risk of an overdose. Heroin can be injected, smoked or sniffed. The first time it is used, the drug creates a sensation of being high. A person can feel extroverted, able to communicate easily with others and may experience a sensation of heightened sexual performance—but not for long. Heroin is highly addictive and withdrawal extremely painful. The drug quickly breaks down the immune system, finally leaving one sickly, extremely thin and bony and, ultimately, dead.

INTERNATIONAL STATISTICS An estimated 13.5 million people in the world take opioids (opium-like substances), including 9.2 million who use heroin. In 2007, 93% of the world’s opium supply came from Afghanistan. (Opium is the raw material for heroin supply.) Its total export value was about $4 billion, of which almost three quarters went to traffickers. About a quarter went to Afghan opium farmers. The 2007 National Survey on Drug Use and Health reported 153,000 current heroin users in the US in 2007. Other estimates give figures as high as 900,000. Opiates, mainly heroin, were involved in four of every five drug-related deaths in Europe, according to a 2008 report from the European Monitoring Centre on Drugs and Drug Addiction. Opiates, mainly heroin, account for 18% of the admissions for drug and alcohol treatment in the US.

“From the day I started using, I never stopped. Within one week I had gone from snorting heroin to shooting it. Within one month I was addicted and going through all my money. I sold everything of value that I owned and eventually everything that my mother owned. Within one year, I had lost everything.“I sold my car, lost my job, was kicked out of my mother’s house, was $25,000 in credit card debt, and living on the streets of Camden, New Jersey. I lied, I stole, I cheated. “I was raped, beaten, mugged, robbed, arrested, homeless, sick and desperate. I knew that nobody could have a lifestyle like that very long and I knew that death was imminent. If anything, death was better than a life as a junkie.” —Alison

THE DESTRUCTIVE EFFECTS OF HEROIN Drugs equal death. If you do nothing to get out, you end up dying. To be a drug addict is to be imprisoned. In the beginning, you think drugs are your friend (they may seem to help you escape the things or feelings that bother you). But soon, you will find you get up in the morning thinking only about drugs. “Your whole day is spent finding or taking drugs. You get high all afternoon. At night, you put yourself to sleep with heroin. And you live only for that. You are in a prison. You beat your head against a wall, nonstop, but you don’t get anywhere. In the end, your prison becomes your tomb.” —Sabrina

IMMEDIATE HARM: The initial effects of heroin include a surge of sensation—a “rush.” This is often accompanied by a warm feeling of the skin and a dry mouth. Sometimes, the initial reaction can include vomiting or severe itching. After these initial effects fade, the user becomes drowsy for several hours. The basic body functions such as breathing and heartbeat slow down. Within hours after the drug effects have decreased, the addict’s body begins to crave more. If he does not get another fix, he will begin to experience withdrawal. Withdrawal includes the extreme physical and mental symptoms which are experienced if the body is not supplied again with the next dose of heroin. Withdrawal symptoms include restlessness, aches and pains in the bones, diarrhea, vomiting and severe discomfort. The intense high a user seeks lasts only a few minutes. With continued use, he needs increasing amounts of the drug just to feel “normal.”

Short-term effects “Rush” Slowed breathing Clouded mental functioning Nausea and vomiting Sedation; drowsiness Hypothermia (body temperature lower than normal) Coma or death (due to overdose)

-www.drugfreeworld.org

U3A

Monday  11th August 2014 –  Shoreline  Series 2  :  Episode  7 of 13  The Tsitsikama Coast  From the woodcutters and gold rush of Knysna to the Storms River Gorge and beyond to Port Elizabeth 10H00  at Formosa Garden Village Lounge  Co-ordinator:  Christo Vlok  044-533-5155

Tuesday  12th August 2014 –  Italian Conversation 09H45  at 12 Challenge Drive Co-ordinator:  Brenda Hardy  044-533-5489

Wednesday  13th  August  2014 – Fingerprinting  the  Universe Case Rijsdijk  again tells us;  How do Astronomers know what they know! 10H00  at Formosa Garden Village Lounge Co-ordinator:  Michael Lond   044-533-0018

Wednesday  13th  August  2014 –  U3A Plett  Social Bridge Club General lessons for improving players, help and supervised Bridge in a friendly atmosphere 13H30  at the Angling Club Co-ordinator:  Michael Webb  082-226-7280

Friday  15th  August  2014 –  French Conversation 10H00  Contact Rea for meeting arrangements Co-ordinator:  Rea Gardy  044-533-2387

Friday  15th  August  2014 –  Mah-jong Learn and play this ancient and fascinating game 13H30  at Formosa Garden Village Small Dining Room Co-ordinator:  Amelia White  044-533-0113