In the past, fitness has always been equated with being thin and while ‘buns-of-steel’ are still sought after, our perception of health has changed. Nowadays being fit means being healthy, strong and toned and increased health awareness has shown us that a consistent fitness regime is key to balance and wellness.

Planet Fitness offers comprehensive training and fitness facilities that will directly lead you to a more active, healthier life. With a total of 22 health clubs countrywide and counting, Planet Fitness offers something for everyone and has proven itself to be a major player in the South African health club industry.

• If you’re a Universal 360° Alpha member you are entitled to some seriously amazing discounts. For Planet Fitness your joining fee is waived, plus you get 20% off monthly rates on yearly contracts. Awesome!
• Students and pensioners receive a special discount on both local and national access.
• Excellent everyday training facilities – an advanced weights section, free weights, indoor swimming pools and squash courts, and a complete cardio section including computerised running, cycling, step and rowing machines.
• Fun and unusual group fitness classes – Yoga, Pilates, Cardio Dance, Ab Blaster, Belly Dancing, Tight Thighs & Tush, Bootcamp, Tai-Chi, Step, Hip Hop, Aqua Aerobics.
• Steam rooms and saunas – take your mind on a trip to Sweden for 15 minutes each day.
• Peace of mind, literally – supervised childcare facilities.
• Free training for dependants younger than 18 years.
• A free personal training induction session for each new member valued at R350.00.
• The main member and spouse can upgrade to national access and receive a 15% discount off the standard national access rate.
• A healthier, more active lifestyle.
• Bonus - some ‘buns-of-steel’ of your own!

So, a gym is a gym is a gym, and once you’ve worked out on one super-circuit, you’ve done them all, right? Not at all, as the elite members of Planet Fitness Platinum have discovered.

For those still wondering what can possibly make a gym so special, consider that only 5 000 members will be able to swish their way through the turnstiles of Planet Fitness Platinum. What’s more, once they’re there, they’ll have access to a wellness facility where the accent is as much on the holistic health rather than physical fitness.

Planet Fitness Platinum fills a niche in the market which represents the very best of local and international fitness trends.

One of the gym’s prime offerings is tailored individualized training programmes, made possible by the TechnoGym key. Each member receives a computerized assessment on joining, which takes into account factors such as fitness level, flexibility, body fat, and strength. This is stored as a customised training programme on the TechnoGym key, which calls up your personalised programme when inserted into a training machine. What’s more, your progress is monitored through the gym’s centralised computer, where all training data is stored.

• 25 metre indoor swimming pool – but at Planet Fitness Platinum, it’s not about chasing laps. The heated pool is also equipped with underwater music and light therapy, so that any aquatic workout becomes an exercise in relaxation, too.
• A unique 250 m sky-blue indoor running track – a special feature, given that jogging through Sandton’s bustling streets may not be the most convenient option for people whose work hours extend long beyond nine to five. Importantly, the gym has managed to bring the outside in, thanks to large picture windows which allow joggers to take in Sandton’s characteristic skyline.
• Specially heated yoga studio, where hot flow yoga is performed at 42° to ensure a workout that is challenging and stimulating at once.
• To increase your strength and flexibility, try the kinesis movement technology, with 250 sports specific exercises, developed in conjunction with TechnoGym.
• State-of-the-art facilities are a hallmark of the gym’s spacious change rooms, complete with showers, saunas, roman baths and Jacuzzis.
• Best of all, while you prepare to face the world once more, the gym will iron your clothes and dry your swimming costume.
• The exclusive Amani Spa will allow members to restore the mind, body and soul in plush, yet ever relaxing surrounds.
• But perhaps the gym’s single most attractive asset is its Laico Isle location, ensuring that members remain close to the city’s business hub. The Wi-Fi enabled lounge which is serviced by the Radisson Hotel will also allow members to connect with the outside business world as well as with like-minded colleagues and friends.
• Security is assured with 400 demarcated parking bays.

Are you more lounge-lizard than you are lean machine? More well padded than well muscled? More floppy than fit? Well then, it’s time to visit Wellness World because life is too short not to be at your best.

We offer technologically advanced facilities and equipment, but truly successful fitness and rehabilitation management also requires a sincere understanding of each individual and his or her specific needs. We pride ourselves on being professional, highly qualified and committed to the health and wellbeing of each and every one of our members. But we also take the time to get to know our members and build partnerships with them so that we understand what it is that makes them tick and how to create the perfect workout for them. In our experience this results in greater commitment from both sides of the partnership.

Universal 360° Alpha members are entitled to some wonderful discounts. The following memberships are discounted:

• singles,
• couples,
• students,
• scholars, and
• children.

Children from the age of 12-18 years can gym for free – the following principal applies:

• one child can gym for free per paying adult.

Universal 360° Alpha members will also receive a discount on the assessment and training programme when joining. Through the assessment the qualified staff will be able to provide the members with a training programme and services that can include:

• The “Wellness for a Lifetime” challenge
• Cardiovascular programmes
• Body-building programmes
• Rehabilitation programmes
• Sport specific programmes
• Programmes for diabetes
• Weight loss programmes
• Corporate programmes
• Massaging of muscles
• Cellulite programmes
• Fitness programmes
• Health products
• Healthy eating plans

Members will have access to discounted one-on-one training sessions

Most Wellness World gyms offer the following:

• Cardiovascular area
• Personal instructors
• Indoor heated pool
• Aerobics studio
• Spinning studio
• Secure parking
• Aqua aerobics
• Weights area
• Beauty salon
• Health bar
• Steam room
• Circuit

‘Gymming’ has become part of modern living yet there are still many who can’t stand the thought of it. Those of you, who use this as an excuse for your lack of exercise, raise your hand. Well let’s face it people – that couch isn’t going to magically turn into a treadmill any time soon. However, there is another option and it’s called Run/Walk For Life®.

The Stroke and Heart Foundation of South Africa has approved this fitness programme, but it doesn’t only look good on paper. The 28-year long history of Run/Walk For Life® is a testament to its real-life impact. It is a cost-effective way to exercise, de-stress and enjoy the beautiful South African outdoors!

• As a Universal 360° Alpha member it will only cost you R1492.00 a year. Now, you may be thinking: “Why should I pay when I can just walk or run by myself for free?”. The answer is that it is regular organised exercise done in groups, which will motivate you to attend.
• More importantly, it is safe and secure – you exercise with a group that is at a similar fitness level to yours so you won’t overdo it.
• Because you’re placed in a group according to your ability you won’t feel demotivated by trying to keep up or waiting for others to catch up with you.
• You have a qualified personal trainer who will supervise and monitor your progress.
• Advancement is gradual and calculated in such a way that you don’t progress too quickly nor too slowly.
• No more huffing and puffing! We teach you how to pace yourself and breathe properly.
• Runs/walks are planned along pre-marked routes, under the supervision of road leaders – member security is a cornerstone of the programme.
• Lose weight while meeting new people.
• If you are a Run/Walk For Life® member for more than 5 consecutive years it will only cost you R1056 a year.
• Join the Run/Walk For Life® Athletics club for only R150 a year and receive the following benefits:
  • An official ASA race number
  • Access to the Run/Walk For Life® gazebo at all major races around the country
  • Comrades marathon and two oceans hospitality
  • Training programs
  • A monthly time trial at any Run/Walk For Life® franchise

“I’m unfit and overweight because I just don’t have the time to exercise.” Sound familiar? Well we’ve heard it all before and you’ve been saying it for far too long.

No more excuses! Contours Express offers fast, fun 30-minute workouts for women countrywide and you get the most out of your time because all the equipment is designed to suit a woman’s body.

• As a Universal ° Alpha member your joining fee of R600 will be waived and you will not be subjected to any annual gym membership increase.
• You get 10% off monthly rates on a 12 month membership or longer.
• A free fitness assessment
• A free training programme.
• Free healthy eating plan.
• Three free one-on-one training sessions.
• A contoured body that is curvy, not bumpy!

Are you one of those ladies who vows to start using your gym contract, but only once you’ve lost a few kilos? And it’s because you’re scared of all the pony-tailed gym bunnies and what they’ll think of you, right?

Well, it’s time to throw in that old towel of intimidation and join Shapes for Women. This innovative partner of ours offers convenient, 30-minute workouts in well-equipped “women only” fitness facilities.

• When joining Shapes for Women as a Universal ° Alpha member your joining fee of R600 is waived.
• You get 10% off monthly rates on a 12 month membership or longer.
• You will not have to pay any annual increases in gym membership.
• A free fitness assessment.
• A free healthy eating plan and calorie counter.
• One free one-on-one training session
• This is the best one – no more flabby bits!

You have a permanent stash of nibbles in your car, your desk drawer or your kitchen cupboard. You try to eat healthy food but somehow end up eating all your other favourite treats as well. You just can’t say no to one more bite.

Yes, you know who you are. Put down that crumpet and listen up! So you’ve let it get this far, so what? That doesn’t mean you can’t turn it around. You can get started today with Eat For Life® Lite, a programme that takes a balanced approach to your nutritional needs.

Check those unhealthy eating habits at the door - we promise you will never look back!

• If you’re a 360° Alpha member you only pay R199 for twelve weeks, and if you are also a member of Run/Walk For Life® you get Eat For Life® at no cost.
• Free online consultations with a registered dietician.
• Free consultations with a registered dietician.
• User-friendly seven-day menu plans tailored to your personal tastes and preferences – you won’t be forced to eat broccoli if you don’t want to.
• Moderate meal plans where portions are based on gender, body weight goals and activity levels.
• Access to clever, healthy eating tips, recipes and vegetarian options.
• Customised eating plans if you have any conditions such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, wheat intolerance, lactose intolerance, over or under-active thyroid function, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and gout.

It may seem like mad scientist stuff at first but this partner helps you to manage your weight based on pure, scientific research about how your genes affect your weight. And no, this is not about finding the right pair of denims that suck in all your flabby bits – it’s about getting your weight right from the inside out.

There are two products on offer. The first is DNA Diet, which tests for seven genes and works on the principle that different people respond differently to nutrition and exercise. This programme provides you with personalised dietary and exercise recommendations according to your genetic make-up.

DNA Health, the second product, is concerned with optimising energy, wellbeing and health by making better lifestyle and diet choices, and using supplements tailored to offset any particular nutritional deficit or genetic shortcoming. The DNA Health approach establishes the optimal nutrition necessary for good health, energy, longevity and risk mitigation. DNA Health tests for 24 gene variations involved in the following biological processes:

• Cholesterol regulation
• Bone health
• Vitamin B metabolism
• Inflammation
• Detoxification
• Antioxidant status
• Insulin sensitivity

DNA Diet

• As a Universal 360° Alpha member you get a 10% discount off the cost of the DNA Diet test to kick-start you on the road to health.
• You will receive an exercise and eating plan that is totally personalised.
• Scientifically proven results that remove the guesswork from the generally accepted view that genetics accounts for at least 50% of an individual’s tendency to gain weight.
• A health plan that you can follow throughout your life, ensuring that you consistently maintain your ideal weight. Freedom from all the fad diets that may work for pocket-sized pop-stars but will never work for you.

DNA Health

• As a Universal 360° Alpha member you get a 5% discount off the cost of DNA Health test that is designed to help you optimise your nutritional intake for maximum health and well-being.
• The results provide unique information to guide personalised dietary recommendations for optimal health and disease prevention. The outcome of these tests provides opportunities to manage wellness by:
• Optimising energy, wellbeing and health.
• Making better lifestyle and dietary choices.
• Using supplements tailored to balance a particular deficit in nutrition or genetic predisposition.

If you battle to maintain a healthy weight then you will probably be familiar with a vast range of diets and diet products. There was the cabbage soup diet (yuk!), the cayenne pepper and maple syrup diet (yeah right, as if that could possibly last) and the high-fat low-carb diet (Fatty food to make us thin? - When pigs fly).

When the diets don’t work you turn to the fat busting, muscle sculpting, cellulite smoothing, tummy toning, energy boosting pills, drops, tonics, powders and shakes. And several thousand rand later you’re fatter than ever and depressed because it seems like nothing will ever work for you.

Well here’s the truth - the only way you will ever reach your goal weight is by making lifestyle changes. This is where SureSlim comes into the picture. SureSlim is a natural weight loss programme that focuses on harnessing the power of your metabolism to lose weight and KEEP IT OFF.

SureSlim creates eating plans that are personalised to your needs and provides you with ongoing support from a health and wellness consultant. You don’t have to count calories, starve yourself or exercise excessively – it’s just about getting the right balance from ordinary, everyday food.

• As a 360° Alpha member your enrolment fee will only be R995 and your monthly subscription fee will be R395. For every three months debit order that you sign, the fourth month’s subscription fee will be waived.
• This will give you access to a 14 Phase Lifestyle Training Programme that addresses all the main factors most influential in your life:
  • Phase 1: Lifestyle assessment
  • Phase 2: Long term goals
  • Phase 3: Habit reform
  • Phase 4: Nutritional information
  • Phase 5: SureSlim product information
  • Phase 6: My individual eating plan
  • Phase 7: Tips
  • Phase 8: Menu setting and shopping list
  • Phase 9: Cooking lessons
  • Phase 10: Online support (doctors, psychologist)
  • Phase 11: Stress and time management
  • Phase 12: Introduction to physical activity
  • Phase 13: Image consulting
  • Phase 14: Maintenance programme
• You will also receive a Wellness Folder which is your quick reference guide.

SureSlim clients have experienced the following benefits:

• A dramatic loss of body fat
• Improvement in skin elasticity
• A decrease in the appearance of cellulite
• A drop in hunger levels and increased energy levels
• A drop in cholesterol levels
• Improvement in high blood pressure levels
• Overall improvement in the health of Diabetic clients

SureSlim also has special programmes designed for diabetics, pregnant or breast-feeding mothers, teenagers, pre-teen children, vegetarians and more.

The world today seems to demand that people do more with less and manage pressure from all angles resulting in less time for ourselves and those who are important to us. We are also forced to cope with feelings of insecurity in the “safety” of our own homes. Add the continuous messages of violence in our media to our demanding careers and hectic family-life and you have the perfect recipe for stress.

We know what you’re going through. Let us introduce People Capacity Solutions. This programme offers two services, the self learning audio pack and the two day workshop, both of which are tried and tested methods designed to teach you how to cope with your stress efficiently.

As a Universal 360° Alpha member you can order this audio course at the discounted price of R400.00 plus courier costs so you don’t have to stress about finding the time to go and fetch it.

A course-pack including two CD’s of approximately two hours and 40 minutes’ duration and a workbook will teach you about:

• Understanding coping mechanisms and how they can manifest in different people
• Balancing your wheels by focusing on the problems causing imbalance
• Response-ability – Taking responsibility in relationships
• Small Jackals – The part your ego plays in relationships
• Batting practice – Dealing with different behaviours and how this contributes to stress

Furthermore Universal ° Alpha members will receive a 40% discount on a two day coping workshop which will only cost R1, 499.00 per person.

Quitting is easier said than done but so was putting man on the moon and you can do this one without NASA. Say hello to SmokeBusters powered by Smokenders, the programme that is well recognised, simple and effective.

Here’s how it works – they conduct sessions either via Skype or if you’re a group they come to you and they provide you with all the information, support and assistance that you’ll need to get through it.

This programme takes every aspect of quitting smoking into account – the physical, psychological, mental and emotional – providing you with a holistic and highly effective cessation experience without all the hippie chanting and scare tactics. It’s totally straightforward.

• If you are a Universal ° Alpha member you get a R1,001.00 discount on the five-week individual course. This means that as an individual you get five consecutive one-hour sessions via Skype over a five-week period for only R2, 499.00.
• As an individual you can do the programme from anywhere in South Africa including your own home – your SmokeBusters trainer will contact you via Skype and take you through each one of your sessions, at a time that suits you.
• As a Universal ° Alpha member you get a R501.00 discount on the six-week group session. As a member of a group you get six consecutive two-hour sessions once a week over a six-week period at your requested time and place for R1, 999.00. Seriaas!
• To qualify for the discount on a group session, there have to be a minimum of 15 participants.
• If you’re keen to kick the habit along with colleagues at work SmokeBusters comes to you, and of course, only when it’s convenient.
• It’s tried and tested so it works – no misleading methods here.
• It’s realistic - your chances of stopping are as high as the 70% of individuals who have stayed ‘stopped’ thanks to Smokenders.

What we can do for you

We’ll give you all the info, support and help you need to get through this. The overall idea is to give you freedom, of course. Let’s cut you loose from this thing once and for all!

“I can stop whenever I want to…”

You might be going through your days right now saying “Addiction? What addiction?”, but come on, you know it’s true - you are officially an addict because you’re addicted to nicotine and nicotine is a drug.

It’s alright, this doesn’t mean that you’re a bad person; it just means that you’ve got to focus a little harder than you would when giving up jelly-beans if you really want to stop smoking.

How it works is that when you inhale, the nicotine in the smoke is rapidly absorbed into your blood giving you that “aaah” reward sensation. When you don’t smoke you start going into withdrawal, so when you light up again you feel great but really your body is just relieved because it depends on the nicotine.

Also - and you’ll never admit this - but you might believe that smoking defines who you are. But we ask, does brushing your teeth every morning define who you are? Because that’s a habit too - hopefully.

The up-side of stopping

Aside from the superficial attractions of giving up such as preserving your gorgeous looks, smelling much nicer, saving money and no longer feeling like a social outcast, there are some other benefits such as cutting down on environmental pollution and most importantly, improving your health.

How bad is bad?

You’ve been told a thousand times that smoking is bad for you, but seriously it is really, really bad for you. It can ruin your heart and circulatory system, your respiratory system and it can give you numerous types of cancer.

There are also a host of other conditions that can be caused by smoking that particularly affect the reproductive systems of both men and women including childbirth issues.

The doom and gloom continues when we start telling you about why cigarettes do this to you. Tobacco smoke contains over 4000 chemicals, and at least fifty of these are carcinogens – they cause cancer.

Amongst this mile-long list are:

• Tar – yes, like the tar on the roads
• Formaldehyde - used to preserve dead bodies
• Polonium-210 – a radioactive substance
• Ammonia - is used for cleaning toilets
• Acetone – nail-polish remover
• Carbon monoxide - causes the hole in the ozone layer so just imagine what it’s doing to your lungs
• Arsenic – you are willingly ingesting rat poison

Safer options?

No! These do not exist. Smoking the hub, the hookah, the water-pipe is not safer and the water does not filter out all the bad stuff, no matter what they tell you. It is a very social option because the tobacco smells nice this way, but these smoking sessions can last for extended periods of time and by inhaling between 50 – 200 puffs of smoke during this time you can inhale as much smoke as the equivalent of 100 cigarettes or more.

The E-cigarette is also not as safe as can be, despite what the ad tells you. It is highly dubious and is not FDA approved. It has in fact been found that some of these products contain antifreeze and cancer causing chemicals. There have also been cases where the cigarette has claimed to be nicotine free and is in fact not.

Green Bunnies

For those of you out there who are passionate about all things ‘green’, you should know that cigarette butts are NOT made of cotton but out of plastic fibres and that by mindlessly chucking your stompies out of the car window you are littering just like all those people that litter who you judge.

The nicotine trapped in 200 used filters is likely to suffocate a 72,5kg adult, so just think what all the cigarette butts that get washed into the water systems by the rain are doing to the bottom of the marine-life food chain. Adding to this, it is seriously ‘un-green’ that nearly 600 million trees are destroyed each year to provide wood for drying tobacco.

So what’s the plan?

Ok, the plan is that you can join us either on an individual or group basis.

• Individual

We engage with you via Skype so that we can reach you wherever you are and you don’t have to take time out of your day to get to us.

• Register

You register with Universal SmokeBusters at 360@universal.co.za  or on 0861 55 LIVE (5483) and a qualified trainer will contact you within three working days. We will then schedule five time-slots with you and you begin the programme.

• Time frame

It’s a one-hour Skype session once a week for five consecutive weeks, date and time arranged to suit your convenience.

• Corporate

This is to help those small, medium and large businesses out there that have groups of employees that want to stop smoking.

Not only is this programme beneficial to the employees but also to the business as time wasted on smoke breaks is now used productively. If a smoker goes out for five, 20-minute smoke-breaks a day, earning an average salary of R8,000.00 a month, it costs the employer R1,666.00 per month in lost man-hours.

• Register

At least 15 people are required per group.

• Time frame

• The programme begins with a 45-minute talk for the smoking staff about the details of the course; in this way all concerns can be addressed before starting. We then come and visit you for a two-hour training session once a week for six consecutive weeks, according to the date and time that most suits you.

If you’re keen like a bean and want to get going, please contact the Universal 360° 360º SmokeBusters program at 360@universal.co.za  or on 0861 55 LIVE (5483).

What we can do for you

We’ll give you all the info, support and assistance you need to get through this. By guiding you through a process that takes every aspect of quitting smoking into account – the physical, psychological, mental and emotional – we provide you with a holistic and therefore highly effective cessation experience.

The overall idea is to give you freedom, of course. Let’s cut you loose from this ‘thing’ that’s holding you hostage, once and for all!

“I can stop whenever I want to…”

You might be going through your days right now saying “Addiction? What addiction?” but come on, you know it’s true - you are officially an addict because you’re addicted to nicotine and nicotine is a drug.

It’s alright, this doesn’t mean that you’re a bad person; it just means that you’ve got to focus a little harder than you would when giving up jelly-beans if you really want to stop smoking.

Nicotine is the chief active constituent of tobacco and it is this drug that results in your addiction to cigarettes. How it works is that when you smoke the nicotine enters into the blood stream and starts affecting the brain within eight to ten seconds. The brain then generates a flood of dopamine that triggers a rewarding “aaah” sensation. Nicotine also activates the body’s fight or flight pathways releasing adrenaline, insulin and serotonin (our natural “happy” chemical), which affects your moods and impulsivity.

The addiction is perpetuated because the nicotine levels in your blood drop within minutes of stopping smoking causing the smoker to go into early stages of withdrawal and to light up again. When the user does smoke again the new injection of nicotine into the bloodstream creates a feeling of relief in your body and therefore in your mind.

Also - and you’ll never admit this - you might believe that smoking defines who you are, and may be hesitant to quit because of this “identity” issue. But we ask, does brushing your teeth every morning define who you are? Because that’s a habit too - hopefully.

The up-side of quitting

The cons to smoking are many but let’s kick this off on a positive note.

There are some superficial reasons why you should trash this habit. By quitting you can preserve your gorgeous looks, save your money, and smell so much better. There are also a few points of consideration for others such as the fact that when you smoke you set a bad example to those that look up to you, pollute the environment and can seriously damage the health of those around you.

Lastly, if you don’t stop you are actively and knowingly damaging your health, reducing the quality of your life and disabling yourself from the freedom of this weakness. Plus, thanks to new smoking laws you now have to keep moving away from the fun to smoke when you go out into public places – not so much fun.

The above should be reason enough but if you want hard evidence then here are some numbers about the benefits of stopping smoking. You can expect the following results:

• Within 20 minutes your blood pressure, pulse rate and temperature of your hands and feet will return to normal
• Within two hours the nicotine is out of your system
• After eight to ten hours your blood oxygen level will have increased to normal and carbon monoxide levels will have dropped to normal
• Within 24 hours lung efficiency improves, you will be less short of breath and astonishingly, your chances of heart attack and stroke are already decreased
• 48 hours later damaged nerve endings have started to grow back and your senses of smell and taste start returning to normal
• 72 hours later the air passageways in your lungs are beginning to relax making breathing much easier, lung functional ability increases, accumulated phlegm loosens and finally starts being coughed up and your cilia (minute hairs that act as a natural cleaning system) begin to recover and grow back
• Within 10 to fourteen days blood circulation in your gums and teeth is now similar to that of a non-smoker
• After two weeks to three months heart attack risk drops, general circulation improves, walking becomes easier and chronic coughing disappears
• Three months later your lungs’ cleaning mechanism is functioning as normal and men’s sperm returns to normal
• One to nine months later smoke-related breathing difficulties have decreased, respiratory system is cleaner due to cilia re-growth, your overall energy levels have increased
• In a year’s time your excess risk of coronary heart disease has dropped to less than half of that of a smoker
• After five years risk of lung cancer is halved and risk of coronary heart disease is almost equal to that of a non-smoker
• After ten years the risk of death from lung cancer has almost halved if you were an average smoker (a pack a day) and your risk of cancer of the mouth, throat and oesophagus has decreased
• 13 to 15 years on, your risk of smoking-induced tooth loss declines to that of a non-smoker and your risk of heart disease is that of a non-smoker

How bad is bad?

You’ve been told a thousand times that smoking is bad for you, but seriously it is really, really bad for you. The number of smoking related diseases is truly horrifying and the above timelines should give you an indication of just how serious your habit is.

Your bad habit can affect your heart and circulatory systems by giving you heart attacks, blood vessel disease, strokes and abdominal aortic aneurysms. It also seriously damages your respiratory system and is a major cause of chronic bronchitis, emphysema and chronic airways obstruction.

We all know that smoking can also give you cancer because it often says as much on the box, but just how many cancers is staggering; lung, throat, larynx (voice box), mouth, tongue, oesophagus, bladder, pancreas, kidney, stomach, cervix, prostate and bone (leukaemia). To add to this nightmare, a cancer caused by smoking in one area of the body can also spread to affect another area, making it even more difficult to battle the disease.

The damage that smoking does seems to be particularly inclined to affecting the male and female reproductive organs as well as all of the above. In women smoking may lead to infertility, early menopause, menstrual pains and early osteoporosis; in those who are pregnant is can cause spontaneous miscarriage, stillbirths, low birth weight, preterm delivery, birth defects and SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome). In men smoking may lead to impotence, reduced sperm count and deformed sperm, which may lead to mental and physical abnormalities in children.

The doom and gloom continues

So we know that smoking is harmful to your health, but why? Well the answer lies in the 4000-plus different chemicals that tobacco smoke contains. Many of these chemicals are highly poisonous and at least 50 of them are known carcinogens – cancer causing.

The two most well known poisonous chemicals in cigarettes are those that are stated on the box – nicotine and tar. Nicotine as you know is the addictive drug that keeps you smoking while tar is a harmful by-product of burned natural matter, in this case tobacco.

Below is a list of some of the cancer causing chemicals in tobacco smoke:

• Tar – contains a mixture of cancer causing chemicals and forms a brown sticky residue staining smokers’ teeth, fingers and lungs
• Benzene – an industrial solvent used in the production of other chemicals such as petrol; it is particularly associated with leukaemia caused by smoking
• Cadmium – a metal used in making batteries that also damages the kidneys and lining of the arteries
• Formaldehyde – used to preserve dead bodies and can also cause respiratory, skin and gastrointestinal problems
• Polonium-210 – emits a very damaging type of radiation called alpha-radiation that is deposited in the airways through tobacco smoke; one study estimated that smoking a pack and a half a day exposes you to the same amount of radiation as if you had 300 chest X-rays in a year
• Chromium – a metal used to make alloys, dyes and paints; hexavalent chromium is found in tobacco smoke and is highly toxic
• 1,3-Butadeine – used in rubber manufacture; may pose the greatest overall cancer risk as it may be less dangerous than other chemicals but is found in very large amounts in tobacco smoke
• Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons – damage DNA and set cells on the path to tumours; one of these chemicals, benzo(a)pyrene or BAP, directly damages p53, a gene that protects our bodies from cancer
• Nitrosamine – directly damages DNA
• Acrolein – prevents cells from repairing DNA damage and kills cilia
• Acetylhyde – responsible for nasty hangover symptoms
• Hydrazine – used mainly in rocket fuel

You may also be shocked at some of the other chemicals present in tobacco smoke that speak for themselves:

• Ammonia –toilet cleaner
• Acetone – nail-polish remover
• Carbon monoxide – car exhaust fumes; cause of the hole in the ozone layer
• Arsenic – rat poison
• Hydrogen cyanide – gas chamber poison; it does the most harm to the heart and blood vessels of all the poisons
• Nitrogen oxides – major component of smog

There are many other harmful chemicals in tobacco smoke, including toluene, which can damage brain cells and interfere with their development.

Safer options?

No! These do not exist.

Smoking the hub, the hookah, the water-pipe is not safer and the water does not filter out all the bad stuff, no matter what they tell you. Many believe that because the smoke passes through water in a water-pipe, all the bad elements are removed from the tobacco. These complex smoking instruments are designed in such a way that the smoke does pass through water and the moist tobacco burns with the help of a small brick of charcoal.

But despite the enormous differences between this method of tobacco smoking and that of cigarette smoking, water-pipes cannot protect you from all the dangers of smoking and are still very harmful to your health. It is a more socially accepted option because the flavoured tobacco smells nicer this way, but these smoking sessions can last for extended periods of time and by inhaling between 50 – 200 puffs of smoke during this time you can inhale as much smoke as the equivalent of 100 cigarettes or more.

The E-cigarette (electric cigarette) is also not as safe as can be, despite what the advertisement tells you. It is highly dubious and is not FDA approved. It has in fact recently been found by FDA scientists in America that some of these products contain antifreeze and cancer causing chemicals. There have also been cases where the E-cigarette has claimed to be nicotine free and is in fact not.

Adding to this, the point is being raised by many that by claiming E-cigarettes are far less harmful and offering bubblegum and cola-flavoured vapour cartridges, the manufacturers of these devices are encouraging the youth to try them. This could result in habit formation that leads to these youngsters smoking real cigarettes after trying the E-cigarette, when they otherwise may not have.

E-cigarettes are pending or under investigation in certain countries including Australia, Brazil, Canada, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Panama, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Green bunnies

For those of you out there who are passionate about all things ‘green’, you should know that cigarette butts are NOT made of cotton but out of 12 000 plastic-like cellulose fibres and that by mindlessly chucking your stompies out of the car window you are littering just like all those people that litter who you judge.

The nicotine trapped in 200 used filters is likely to suffocate a 72,5kg adult, so just think what all the cigarette butts that get washed into the water systems by the rain are doing to the bottom of the marine-life food chain and the birds using them as nesting material for their babies. Adding to this, it is seriously ‘ungreen’ that nearly 600 million trees are destroyed each year to provide wood for drying tobacco.

Aside from the 4000-plus chemicals in tobacco smoke that are already being released into our environment every time someone lights up, vast quantities of pesticides, fertiliser and herbicides are used on tobacco crops which are extremely damaging to the ecosystems surrounding tobacco plantations.

The Nitty-Gritty

The Universal SmokeBusters programme backs you up in the areas where you’ll need support when you quit. You may not realise it now but this is going to be a physical, psychological, mental and emotional challenge for you.

Physically, stopping is not easy but once you’ve made it through the crazy-eyed-beast phase, you’ll be surprised at how well your body accepts the change, which will only improve as time goes on and your body starts to heal and return to a healthier, fitter state.

In order to help you through the beginning of this healing process faster we will be advising you on the following:

• Detox your socks off - This is a part of the programme. You will need to drink at least two litres of water a day to flush the toxins from your system, minimising recovery symptoms and maximising chemical balance in the brain
• An apple a day - While one apple won’t really cut it, you are going to need to get plenty of nutrients, particularly vitamins C and B to bolster your immune and nervous systems
• Oops! I ate the whole packet – it’s easy to let yourself take up another bad habit like eating rubbish all the time, so we’ll help to keep you slim and trim by introducing some healthy eating habits including plenty of fruit, veggies and fresh water

Psychologically you’re going to need some coaching. It’s kind of like Sunday morning training for humans minus the doggy-treats, but you’re more than welcome to take a walk in the park.

We work with you, focussing on two things that will help you to control your desire to smoke:

• Together we will identify and break your trigger/response mechanism in a steady and lasting way throughout the programme
• We’ll use Conscious Coaching Techniques and educational material about how the central nervous system and neural pathways work so that you can understand what you’re going through on a technical level.

It’s bad enough that we often neglect our mental and emotional health, but when you’re stopping smoking you cannot afford to brush these two areas aside. Don’t worry; we like to take a very user-friendly and practical approach - no science-speak or talking sticks and tambourines here.

Basically we’ll be working on the following:

• Developing your attitude
• Changing your habits through your own behaviour
• Positive and constructive education about what smoking does to you
• Positive changes in your social interactions
• The relevance of your belief systems
• Stress management techniques such as deep breathing, meditation, laughter, progressive muscle relaxation, stretching and self massage

Since stopping smoking is unarguably one of the best decisions you will ever make in your life, we think the experience should be one of happy release and freedom.

Universal SmokeBusters can shoot you to the moon and along the way you can enjoy added perks like greater self-worth, more energy, clearer thoughts, fewer physical discomforts and more quality time spent with your family. It might be a bumpy ride in the beginning but we’ll get you there, and take it from those who know – the view is so much better from up there.

Not just another late-night TV product

Statistics show that only 15 percent of smokers who stop “cold turkey” will be successful, and only 0.75 percent will remain non-smokers.

Universal SmokeBusters is based on an internationally recognised brand, which consistently has an average overall success rate of 70 percent. This figure is of smokers that STAY STOPPED!

So what’s the plan?

Ok, the plan is that you can join us either on an individual or group basis.

• Individual

  We engage with you via Skype so that we can reach you wherever you are and you don’t have to take time out of your day to get to us.

  • Register

    You register with Universal SmokeBusters at 360@universal.co.za or call 0861 55 LIVE (5483) and a qualified trainer will contact you within three working days. We will then schedule five time-slots with you and you begin the programme.

  • Time frame

    It’s a one hour Skype session once a week for five consecutive weeks, date and time arranged to suit your convenience.

• Corporate

  This is to help those small, medium and large businesses out there that have groups of employees that want to stop smoking. We come to you so you don’t have to trek around the countryside.

  Not only is this programme beneficial to your employees but also to your business as time wasted on smoke-breaks is now used productively. If a smoker goes out for five, 20-minute breaks a day, earning an average salary of R8, 000.00 a month; it costs the employer R1, 666.00 per month in lost man-hours.

  • Register

    At least 15 people are required per group.

  • Time frame

    The programme begins with a 45-minute talk for the smoking staff about the details of the course; in this way all concerns can be addressed before starting. We then come and visit you for a two-hour training session once a week for six consecutive weeks, according to the date and time that most suits you.

  • Get going!

    If you’re keen like a bean and want to get going, please contact the Universal 360° SmokeBusters program at 360@universal.co.za or on +27(0)861 55 LIVE (5483).

If you feel like all hope is lost, if tomorrow is too hard to face, if the blackness of debt has seemingly eclipsed all the light in your financial future, then listen up! Consumer Assist is coming to the rescue and will banish all your financial fears by providing you with simple, easy to understand information on the debt review process.

Consumer Assist is part of the Debt Control Management’s (DCM’s) Group of Companies, an institution that has been offering comprehensive debt review for more than six years. This Universal 360° partner provides employer groups and individuals with different financial wellness services through holistic and innovative solutions.

• If you’re a Universal ° Alpha member who needs help from Consumer Assist then you’ll be pleased to know that they have your financial interests at heart from the very start – Universal 360° Alpha will cover the R50.00 consultation fee for you.
• Each Universal 360° Alpha member will also receive a free credit bureau enquiry to an average value of R50.00.
• Universal 360° Alpha members will receive a free book “Total Personal Financial Planning” when joining Consumer Assist.
• Answers at your fingertips – you can see for yourself if you are over-indebted by clicking here
• Debt review and restructuring – interaction with experienced registered debt advisors who adhere to the Consumer Assist code of conduct.
• Close to you – a national footprint of debt advisors in South Africa.
• Full management and administration of garnishee (third party) orders services to the employer (minimum of 300 employees) including:
• Pre-validation of all garnishee orders
• The uploading of all new garnishees
• Centralised co-ordination and management of all new garnishees
• Mechanisms to effectively monitor current and future debt levels of all staff
• Centralised and managed call and client service centre
• The monitoring of unlawful collection methods (pre-signing of consent to judgements)
• The resolving of “zero pay slips” caused by excessive garnishee amounts
• Forwarding of payment schedules to attorneys on a monthly basis
• Regular validation of fees charged by attorneys and debt collectors
• Validation of all garnishees orders so as to eliminate fraud
• Payments to all creditors
• Management of all queries from judgement creditors
• Financial literacy training.
• 24 hour call centre that will provide advice on the rights of consumers on the following:
• Debt review
• The National Credit Act
• Debt collection procedures
• Magistrates Court Act

You’re sitting at your desk, gazing out of the window, imagining what it must be like to be one of the Richard Branson’s of this world, finding innovative, creative and fun ways to get the results you want from your staff. Just then, the phone rings – yet another disaster and it’s up to you to pick up the pieces.

Frustrations in your work-life cramp your lifestyle and can cause you stress and anxiety. Enter Knowledge Resources - the largest supplier of business books and training materials in Southern Africa. They offer you workshops, seminars and conferences for professionals, executive and administrative staff, bringing you the most cutting edge tools to knock your business into shape.

Knowledge Resources focuses on skills building and development and its innovative approach is highly respected by many of South Africa’s top professionals. Knowledge Resources is your gateway to the most popular international and local business collections including the Harvard Paperback series, Harvard Essentials series, ASTD Trainers Workshop series, Pfeiffer Activities and many more. All of this can lead you to a well-oiled, tightly-knit, powerful team supporting your business. What more is there to say?

Universal 360° Alpha members receive a 10% discount on all Knowledge Resources workshops, seminars, conferences and books.

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world” - Nelson Mandela

Primedia Education was established in 2005 with the mission to positively influence and uplift the standards of education in South Africa. We use digital technology to provide learners and educators with new, innovative and affordable learning and teaching materials.

With our programme, you have a real chance of improving your Matric results and opening more doors for yourself in the future.

As a Universal 360° member you can order our Matric revision DVDs and booklets for R399 (including VAT) and we will courier them to you at no additional cost so you don’t have to stress about finding the time to go and fetch them.

Our Grade 12 revision is prepared by top South African teachers and examiners and will equip you to gain better results for your final examinations.

Subject specific content is covered in an easy to understand manner with an emphasis on application. Grade 12 revision is available in:

• Mathematics
• Physical Science
• Accountancy
• Life Science
• English First Additional Language
• Mathematical Literacy

Study and exam techniques as well as possible exam question formats are covered throughout the revision series, to equip learners with useful approaches to tackling difficult questions.

Each DVD set includes a revision summary booklet.

Ensuring yourself and your loved ones of the safety and protection that you really need is the most important thing you can do.

Chubb is one of the best known and most trusted security companies in South Africa and has 185 years of combined experience in conjunction with its billion dollar holding company, UTC Fire & Security.

Chubb offers an unparalleled range of security and fire protection services including electronic security and monitoring, armed response and fire detection and suppression, so you can sleep soundly at night knowing that you and yours are safe from harm.

360° Alpha members will receive the following discounts:

• Installation of new burglar alarm systems
  • 10% off the Chubb price list on new alarm equipment.
  • Free radio and communicator (if applicable) link to our local Monitoring Centre.
  • 15% off the Chubb price list on monitoring and response services.
• Link-up for existing systems not with Chubb
  • 15% discount on monthly fees or 10% discount on current premium with one of Chubb competitors.
  • Two months’ free service on monitoring and response when joining Chubb.
  • 10% discount on any purchases made from Chubb to upgrade existing alarm system.
• Commercial/corporate clients
  • 15% discount on Chubb monthly service fee
  • 10% discount on the following purchases: CCTV and access control; fire prevention and detection systems, security systems
• Medical emergency response through Europ Assist
  • Guaranteed hospital admission (maximum R2000)
  • Emergency medical assistance involving evacuations, repatriation or relocation
  • Personal health advisor
• Cell phone panic button service
  • A discount on the monthly subscription fee for the Home911 cell phone panic system – 360 Alpha members will only pay R35.00, R10.00 less than the usual price.
• Proximity – Chubb has an impressive national footprint.
• Customisation – Services are integrated according to your personal circumstances and environment.
• Peace of mind – Chubb is one of the most well respected and reliable security services in the country.

Travel is one of the great advantages of living in the modern world. It’s the thrill of being in totally new surroundings, the delight in tasting something unusual and delicious, the humble feeling of standing before a giant ancient structure. What is not so cool about travel is being squashed into an uncomfortable space and given the beady eye by an air hostess called Olga who “only vants to hear vun click!”

But you can avoid the pains of getting to your destination by flying SAA – numero uno of all African airlines. SAA flies approximately 20 000 passengers a month on roughly 200 flights a day taking people all over the world, be it Cape Town to Buenos Aires. Whatever your destination, SAA will get you there on time for the right price and with a smile to boot.

3-5% discount on 11 classes of travel throughout the South African Network, which includes Domestic, Regional (Africa) and International destinations

Class specifications:

• 3% discount on First Classes F and P
• 3% discount on Business Class C
• 5% discount on Business Classes J and Z
• 5% discount on Economy Classes Y, M, B, K, H and S

The SAA “Code Share” flights with Emirates Airlines into Dubai and Qantas into Sydney are included in the above mentioned discount structure.

Booking fees for 360° Alpha are waivered

Individual travellers will still earn voyager miles in their personal capacity

The partnership between Universal 360° and SAA will incentivise your organisation through up front discounts on relevant classes of travel and the individual will still earn their voyager miles for the same travel

You can fly to any of our 22 international destinations, passing through a host of world class gateways

In the unlikely event of the SAA-Universal 360° online portal being offline, our friendly and efficient call centre staff will be able to make the booking for you.

Independence is an important part of your lifestyle and there’s no reason why you should give it up just because you’ve had a little bumper-bashing or are not in your home town.

Universal 360° has partnered with AVIS the one-stop, total transport solution, making it even easier for you to maintain your independence when you need to.

As a Universal 360° Alpha member you are entitled to a specially negotiated discount Avis Rent a Car rate, which includes:

• Super Collision Damage Waiver (SCDW)
• Super Theft Loss Waiver (STLW)
• 120 free kilometres a day, excluding fuel and optional extras
• General public liability insurance
• Third party contingent liability insurance

Universal 360° Alpha members also receive a specially negotiated Avis Point 2 Point discounted rate:

• The choice between an Economy, Sedan or Multi-Purpose vehicle (MPV)
• Comfort in security - all vehicles fitted with vehicle tracking and management systems
• A friendly smile when you are met by the qualified, English-speaking chauffeur at the pick-up point

It’s never easy to think about what your family would do if something were to happen to you. Unfortunately life is unpredictable and we have to plan for the worst while we look forward to the best. In their greatest time of need the last thing your family should have to worry about is paying for your funeral and this is why we offer the Universal Funeral Plan underwritten by Prosperity Life Limited, a licensed Financial Services Provider.

• At a competitive price is available R5 000, R7 500 or R18 000 cover to you as our valued 360° Alpha member.
• Peace of mind – you never know what your financial situation may be and you don’t want your family to have to carry the costs of your funeral while they are grieving. Once you have a funeral plan you don’t have to worry about it anymore.
• Universal 360° members receive the following discounted rates. Terms and conditions apply. Click here for cover and premiums.
• Click here for benefit scale.

Do you ever feel like the distance between you and the medical attention you need might as well be the space between the earth and the sun? You have a medical aid but more and more frequently specialists are charging rates substantially higher than medical aid rates and in-hospital expenses that should generally be covered by your medical scheme are also often inflated. At the end of the day you have to pay the difference, often when your pocket cannot afford it.

Say hello to Universal Gap Cover and Gap Plus Cover, underwritten by Hollard Group Risk, a division of the Hollard Insurance Company Limited, a licensed financial services provider and administered by Ambledown Risk and Underwriting Managers (Pty) Ltd. These insurance products ensure that neither you nor your dependents are left with a hefty bill resulting from a medical/surgical procedure charged above the benefit paid by your medical aid (the Gap).

The Gap is defined as services rendered by medical specialists who charge above the medical aid tariff, subject to a maximum of five times the medical aid tariff.

GAP COVER

• If you are a 360° Alpha member, you will only pay R110 per family per month.
• Gap Cover covers/tops up the difference between 100% of medical aid tariff and 500% of medical aid tariff, up to a maximum of 500% of medical aid tariff in the following instances:
• Up to a maximum of 500% of medical aid tariff for any hospital admission as an in-patient.
• Up to a maximum of 500% of medical aid tariff on any chemotherapy or radiotherapy for the treatment of cancer on an outpatient basis.
• Up to a maximum of 500% of medical aid tariff on any kidney dialysis on an out-patient basis.
• Up to a maximum of 500% of medical aid tariff for certain surgical procedures traditionally performed in-hospital that are performed in Doctor’s Rooms, e.g.: certain scopes.

GAP PLUS COVER

• If you are a 360° Alpha member, you will only pay R130 per family per month.
• Gap Plus Cover includes the Gap Cover benefits above, as well as insurance for charges in the form of co-payments or deductibles on hospitalisation and out-patient specialised radiology, such as MRI and CT scans.
• Co-payment benefit of R30,000 per insured person per annum and R50,000 per family per annum as per the specified co-payments, indicated on the Rules of your Medical Aid option.

When it comes to cellular communication, do you feel like you’re on a one-way road to more of the same? Well maybe it’s time to enter the world of choice with Nashua Mobile.

This independent company provides you with the complete choice of packages on all three major networks (Vodacom, MTN and Cell C) and has the knowledge to assist you in choosing the option that works best for you. Close to 860 000 of South Africa’s contract cellular subscribers will tell you that Nashua Mobile is the way to go.

• Access to all three major networks (Vodacom, MTN, Cell C and Heita)
• The ability to make an informed choice
• Excellent discounted rates on contracts, handsets and prepaid
• Frequent updates on specials and further discounts
• Access to exclusive once off offers
• Access to competitions
• Free email accounts
• Employee packages with unique benefits
• Corporate support on queries, technical advice and sales
• Assistance with network migrations, porting into Nashua Mobile and cell phone number retention

There is some good advice in the old proverb, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Maintaining a balanced diet and getting enough exercise are important to staying healthy. However, having regular check-ups also plays a vital role in looking after yourself. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to find the time between your work and home-life to visit the doctor, and you often have to wait months for a specialist appointment.

Well, not anymore. The Clicks Group has over 100 clinics nationwide and they are offering convenient screening services at discounted rates to all Universal 360° members. So, no more schlepping to the doctor when you really don’t have time – now you can just pop into your nearest Clicks clinic. Is that convenient or what?

Universal 360° Check

R92 for Universal 360° Alpha members.

This includes screening tests for:

• Blood pressure;
• Cholesterol;
• Glucose;
• Body Mass Index;
• Waist circumference.

The clinic sister will then discuss the results of the above tests with you and provide you with feedback and tips on how to help maintain or improve your health through good nutrition and exercise.

Universal 360° Comprehensive Check

R103 for Universal 360° Alpha members.

This includes all the screening tests provided in the Universal 360° check as well as a comprehensive health quiz and health report. It also includes an exercise plan (gym or home-based) and a seven-day recommended meal plan customised to your needs and goals. In addition, members will receive informative booklets containing disease-related information and expert advice on nutrition and health management.

Universal 360° Women’s Care

R141 for Universal 360° Alpha members. Please note that this is the cost for the consultation and does not include the laboratory work.

This includes a pap smear procedure and breast examination.

Universal 360° Baby

R65 for Universal 360° Alpha members. This does not include the cost of the immunisations/vaccines, only the cost of the consultation.

This service provides parents with:

• Advice on taking care of your baby including cleaning the umbilical cord, dealing with a blocked nose and phlegm, managing colic, treating nappy rash, cutting nails and what to do if your baby has diarrhoea;
• Baby immunisations to protect your child from dangerous but preventable childhood diseases;
• Feeding and nutrition advice;
• Baby wellness consultations and monitoring growth and development milestones (breast feeding, nutrition and teething);
• Baby weighing; and
• Assessments and advice around other diagnosed health issues such as diabetes.

Universal 360° VCT check

R80 for Universal 360° Alpha members.

This service offers voluntarily counselling and testing for HIV and AIDS.