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Step 1
Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 400°F. Put the pizza dough on a lightly oiled cutting board and cover with a damp kitchen towel. Coat a rimmed sheet pan with 1 tablespoon oil and set aside.
Step 2
Toss the eggplant with 2 tablespoons oil, the paprika, fennel, oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Turn the eggplant out onto the prepared sheet pan and roast until just tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer the eggplant to a heatproof bowl and set aside.
Step 3
Increase the oven temperature to 475°F. Coat the pizza dough with about 1 tablespoon oil and place it on your work surface. Roll the dough into a rustic oval shape, about – to 1/4-inch thick, then place it in the sheet pan. (If your dough is soft enough, you can also simply stretch it out in the pan.) Cover with a damp kitchen towel and let it rest for 10 minutes.
Step 4
Toss the onion rings with 1 teaspoon oil and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Sprinkle the eggplant over the dough (scattering the vegetables all the way to the edge) and place the onion rings over the eggplant. Evenly sprinkle the provolone over the onions and drizzle with the remaining 2 teaspoons oil. Sprinkle with the crushed red pepper flakes.
Step 5
Bake until the provolone melts and the crust is cooked through and golden, 12 to 15 minutes.
Step 6
Preheat the broiler to high, sprinkle the Parmigiano-Reggiano over the pizza, and return it to the oven. Broil until the top of the pizza begins to blister in spots, 2 to 3 minutes (watch it closely, since broiler intensities vary).
Step 7
Remove the pizza from the oven and, with a spatula to help, pop it out of the pan, and slide it onto a cutting board. Sprinkle with the basil leaves, slice into pieces, and serve.
I'll admit it, I'm addicted to SoulCycle—and I know I'm not the only one. Ever since the boutique cycling studio first opened its doors in 2006, the momentum hasn't stopped. Not only does it seem like every other person you meet clips in and taps it back on the reg, but SoulCycle has expanded to upwards of 85 studios around the country and is gaining new riders daily. Now, for the first time since the brand's inception, they're launching a new spin class offering that has everyone talking (and sweating): SoulActivate.
I had the chance to try SoulActivate last week before it opened to the public. I was told the class would be "an athletic-based workout that's 60 minutes of high intensity interval training," but other than that, I didn't know what to expect. How hard, exactly, would it be? Would we have to dismount the bike mid-ride and do burpees?
I arrived a little nervous, but with an open mind. Master SoulCycle instructor Charlee Atkins instructed the class to grab three weights, two lighter ones (3 or 5 pounds) and a heavier one (5 or 8 pounds). Right off the bat, that was different. Three weights—were we going to juggle? (FYI, there was no juggling involved.) I grabbed two 3-pound weights and a 5. I'm happy I had what I did instead of upping to the 8, because the arms portion of class was no joke, but more on that later.
Before we began, Charlee took a few minutes to write on the words "Re-Cover 2 Re-Charge Up" on the mirror in the studio. She explained that we would be doing more interval training than a regular class. So, instead of the instructor telling you to keep pushing without any breaks, there would be time allotted for us to recover with the goal of training us to do so faster (both later on in class and in future workouts). In her words, this was a class for "athletes," whether you played in college or currently belong to an intramural team. Neither of which applied to me—eek! But as a frequent rider, I felt up to the challenge.
The class started like any other SoulCycle ride—but then the intervals hit and Charlee broke out the stop watch. At one point, she told us we would be doing six 20-second runs against resistance with one-minute rest periods. By that sixth run, we were all breathing heavy, but also feeling amazing (at least I was, because it felt like a great accomplishment to push myself). Similar to other rides, Charlee was coaching us through it, asking, "What would you tell sixty people in a room to do to push through this?" That really got me thinking and moving.
When it came time for arms, we were instructed to do many of the same moves I've come to expect at SC (think: bicep curls, tricep extensions, and punches), only this time with slower reps and heavier weights. This may have been my favorite part of class, because I often rely on SoulCycle to be my full-body workout, but sometimes feel that my core and upper body are neglected.
Usually, after arms, it's smooth sailing. With two songs left, I typically cruise to the finish line, but that wasn't the case with SoulActivate. Not only was the arm section longer (and involved some runs), but there were more intervals waiting for us on the other side, this time with a shorter recovery period. Oh, and there were more than two songs.
Overall, SoulActivate was both challenging and fun, and I can't wait to do again—especially now that I know what to expect. With the promise of burning 150-300 more calories than the usual 500 from a typical SoulCycle class, it's a good option for those interested in a tougher workout. If you want to sweat it out to SoulActivate, classes are available in select New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles studios starting today. You can apply a regular class credit to reserve your bike. Keep in mind that it's recommended for riders that have taken 10 or more SoulCycle classes.
Monaco – Olympic legend and two-time gold medallist Edwin Moses has labelled Wayde van Niekerk a “knucklehead” after the South African sprinter injured his knee playing touch rugby towards the end of last year.
The injury, which took place at Newlands in a charity event before the Springboks hosted the All Blacks in the Rugby Championship on October 7, saw Van Niekerk tear both his meniscus and his anterior cruciate ligament.
As a result, he has been ruled out of this year’s Commonwealth Games on Australia’s Gold Coast where he was expected to compete in the 100m and 200m events.
Van Niekerk became South Africa’s darling on August 14, 2016 when he smashed Michael Johnson’s world record in the 400m to win gold at the Rio Olympics.
It was one of South Africa’s greatest ever sporting moments, and since then Van Niekerk has been tipped to take over from the now-retired Usain Bolt as the poster boy of international sprinting.
Instead, Van Niekerk has spent the last few months following his surgery in the USA meeting with specialists in an attempt to rehabilitate as quickly as possible.
“That’s why I never played tennis … I flew aeroplanes and scuba-dived and I’d risk my life, but not my limbs,” Moses told Sport24 in Monaco ahead of the 2018 Laureus World Sports Awards.
“It’s a knucklehead move that young guys make. He’s not the first one and won’t be the last. There is a list of them that I know of in the United States. I never played any other sports, because I was afraid.”
While Van Niekerk is reportedly optimistic about his return, Moses has warned that it will be a very long time before he reaches his best again, if he in fact does.
“Any time you disrupt a knee joint then you have to rehabilitate the calves, the hamstrings and the quads and really co-ordinate everything,” he said.
“He can come back from it … but when you’re in such a precise event and everything working properly is the key, like in the 400m, when you get tired those little changes after an injury like that could make a difference.
“He’ll have to work very hard to get back. It’s at least a two-year project. I wouldn’t expect him to do anything this year.”
Lloyd Burnard is in Monaco as a guest of Laureus …
Cape Town – President Cyril Ramaphosa indicated to the Speaker of the National Assembly that he will be engaging Des van Rooyen on a finding that he misled Parliament about his meetings with the Guptas, in the run-up to his short tenure as finance minister in 2015.
The finding was made in a report by Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane. Ramaphosa on Monday submitted this report to the Speaker of the National Assembly in terms of the Executive Members’ Ethics Act.
“The President indicated to the Speaker that he will be engaging with Minister Van Rooyen on the content of the Public Protector’s report and will revert to the National Assembly within the directed time frame on the action he has taken,” said Ramaphosa’s spokesperson Tyrone Seale.
Mkhwebane published the report about Van Rooyen, now Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, on February 9.
With the president having submitted the report, with comments, to the National Assembly, the next step was for the director general in the Presidency, within 60 days, to submit a report to Mkhwebane on the actions taken against Van Rooyen.
READ: Des van Rooyen admits asking Guptas’ help for MKMVA
In a reply to a parliamentary question posed by DA chief whip John Steenhuisen in 2016, about whether he had ever met with the Guptas, Van Rooyen said: “The minister and his deputy ministers have never met with members, employees and/or close associates of the Gupta family in their official capacities”.
DA MP Kevin Mileham, who once called Van Rooyen a two-minute noodle during a parliamentary sitting, filed a complaint with the Public Protector, alleging that Van Rooyen misled Parliament and thereby transgressed the executive ethics code.
During the Public Protector’s investigation, Van Rooyen admitted that he met with the Guptas, saying he did so in his capacity as the treasurer general of the Umkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans’ Association (MKMVA).
Mkhwebane found that Mileham’s complaints were substantiated and prescribed that the president must take “appropriate action” against Van Rooyen for violating the Executive Members’ Ethics Act and the Constitution.
Van Rooyen denied that he misled Parliament, arguing that he confined his answer to his capacity as the Minister of Finance. But Mkhwebane dismissed this argument, saying there was nothing in Steenhuisen’s question that referred to him meeting the Guptas in his capacity as a minister.
ALSO READ: Des van Rooyen denies misleading Parliament
In a statement released two weeks ago, Van Rooyen said he noted with concern media reports alleging that he had misled Parliament.
He said he was concerned that the report was never forwarded to him or that he was alerted to it being published.
“Minister Van Rooyen has never disputed that he met anyone associated with the Gupta family outside of his portfolio. As a treasurer general of the Umkhonto We Sizwe Military Veterans Association, part of his responsibilities is to engage the business community to enlist their support into various programmes they are undertaking,” his statement read.
“It is in that capacity that I have met the members of the Gupta family,” Van Rooyen said.
“The minister responded to the questions by the public protector, emphasising the distinction between his capacity as the minister and as a treasurer general of the MKMVA.”
Nhlanhla Nene to return as FinMin?
Former finance minister Nhlanhla Nene is one of a number of ANC politicians expected to be sworn in as Members of Parliament on Tuesday, following an announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday night.
Ramaphosa said he would announce members of his new Cabinet at 20:30, from the Union Buildings in Pretoria.
His deputy in the ANC David Mabuza is on the list of people to be sworn in on Tuesday. He has been touted for the position of deputy president of the country.
JOHANNESBURG – President Cyril Ramaphosa will announce changes to the cabinet at 22:00 on Monday. The briefing was delayed twice after initially being scheduled for 20:30.
[JUST IN] Yet more delays to the announcement of the new Cabinet. Acting Presidency spokesperson Tyrone Seale says President Ramaphosa will now arrive at “10h00”. #CabinetReshuffle
— Xoli Mngambi (@XoliMngambi) February 26, 2018
The delays are said to be due to “last-minute consultations”.
It comes after it was confirmed ANC deputy president and Mpumalanga Premier, David Mabuza, ANC NEC member Zweli Mkhize, and former finance minister Nhlahla Nene will be sworn in as Members of Parliament on Tuesday.
Others who will also be sworn in as MPs include Reginah Mhaule, Nathi Nhleko, Peggy Nkonyeni and Alvin Botes.
It is rumoured that Mabuza will shortly be appointed the country’s new deputy president.
A host of non-performing ministers are expected to get the boot.
The president, in his State of the Nation Address, said the size of the cabinet would be trimmed, with fewer departments.
Some of the ministers who reportedly face the axe include Mineral Resources minister Mosebenzi Zwane, Communications minister Faith Muthambi, Co-operative Governance minister Des van Rooyen and Finance minister Malusi Gigaba.
Police minister Fikile Mbalula’s Twitter account has been busy in the hours leading up to the announcement, with the minister saying his bags are packed and ready to go.
President Ramaphosa, Is going to ANNOUNCE cabinet changes in a few hours . I HAVE PACKED ALREADY LETS MOVE ON ……
— ANC Elections Chair (@MbalulaFikile) February 26, 2018
Am ready to be reconsidered…
— ANC Elections Chair (@MbalulaFikile) February 26, 2018
Great people am goood
— ANC Elections Chair (@MbalulaFikile) February 26, 2018
Shortly after the notice regarding the cabinet changes, the Presidency issued a statement regarding Minister van Rooyen.
“Following receipt of a report from the Public Protector on an investigation into allegations of violation of the Executive Ethics Code by Minister D van Rooyen, and as required by Section 3(5) of the Executive Members’ Ethics Act, President Cyril Ramaphosa today (26 February 2018) submitted a copy of the report to the Speaker of the National Assembly.
“The President indicated to the Speaker that he will be engaging with Minister Van Rooyen on the content of the Public Protector’s report and will revert to the National Assembly within the directed time frame on the action he has taken.”
Earlier in the month, Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane found Van Rooyen lied to Parliament when he said he had not met with the controversial Gupta family since he took office.
eNCA
Urgently looking for an experienced Facialist to work for a busy Spa in Paarl. MUST have 2-3 year Beauty Therapy qualifications. ITEC/ or CIDESCO is a MUST. MUST have at least 2-3 years working experience in a busy Beauty environment. MUST have knowledge on all Beauty Treatments. MUST have excellent knowledge of Facials, Chemical Peels and Microneedling and etc. MUST have product knowledge of Comf
Urgently looking for an experienced Facialist to work for a busy Spa in Paarl. MUST have 2-3 year Beauty Therapy qualifications. ITEC/ or CIDESCO is a MUST. MUST have at least 2-3 years working experience in a busy Beauty environment. MUST have knowledge on all Beauty Treatments. MUST have excellent knowledge of Facials, Chemical Peels and Microneedling and etc. MUST have product knowledge of Comfort Zone. MUST be well groomed and well-spoken with excellent verbal and written communication skills. MUST have excellent treatment knowledge with good customer service skills. MUST have great Skincare and client care knowledge. MUST be mature, responsible, passionate and target driven.
To apply for this position, please send ypur CV to jessica@spasense.co.za.
Paarl – WS03
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BRANCH MANAGER REQUIRED IN HILLCREST
Requirements:
Applicant must reside in HILLCREST or surrounding area.
Please take note: If you have not been contacted within 14 days, please consider your application unsuccessful. Your details will be held for future vacancies.
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You cover all bases to try and stay sharp: Finish the crossword, crack open a book, hit the gym. And you probably do your best to avoid the big brain-rotters, like watching TV for hours on end.
But there are also draining habits you didn’t know would hurt your head. Check out these five.
1. Worrying about money
Being preoccupied with financial concerns can cause you to make slower and less responsible decisions while lowering your ability to focus, according to a 2013 study in the journal Science.
“Our minds have limited bandwidth – there’s only so much we can think about at any one time,” explains study author Eldar Shafir, PhD.
To free up brain space, try free online tools like Mint.com or Simple.com, or focus on reducing the other stressors in your life. Reduce the number of things you have to keep track of, and you’re giving yourself a “bandwidth gift”, which allows you to do other things better, he explains.
Read more: The best money advice we’ve ever overheard
2. Limiting your social circle
People with a larger network of friends have brains with bigger, better-connected regions responsible for decision-making and tracking other’s actions, reports a study from Oxford University. People with more friends may use certain parts of their brains more frequently, and the brain adapts to step up to that challenge, researchers speculate.
Chat up your neighbour or reconnect with varsity mates. Lonely people have a 64% greater risk of developing dementia, according to a 2012 Dutch study.
3. Using a GPS
A 2011 study from University College London found that cab drivers who navigated the complex layout of London’s streets from experience had higher levels of grey matter in the hippocampus, which caused them to have a better memory. What’s more, the taxi drivers were not predisposed to having high levels of grey matter, but instead acquired it. Researchers speculate that any mentally challenging task would change your brain’s structure to increase your recall.
4. Powering through sleepiness
Naps may look lazy, but catching sleep during the day could actually boost brainpower. A German study found that participants who took a 40-minute nap after studying performed up to 85% better on a memory test than non-nappers. Sleeping right after learning could help speed the process of retaining information.
It is still unclear how long the perfect nap should last: in one study from the University of California, Berkeley, people who napped for 90 minutes showed significant improvements in memory. But Australian research suggests even naps that last a few minutes can increase alertness.
Read more: The best time to take a power nap
5. Sticking to the same hobbies
Your brain responds to workouts the same way your muscles do. When you try something new, it becomes stronger. But after constant exposure to the same routine, your ability to bulk up peaks unless you switch to harder tasks.
That’s what a study from the Mind Research Network found: When participants were first taught Tetris, their brain used more glucose – which gives your brain energy – and bulked up their number of neural connections, representing learnt expertise.
After the initial cognitive boost, participants saw a decline in glucose consumption and neural connections. They remained just as skilled at Tetris, but their brains got more efficient and stopped benefiting from what was once a challenge. Just like you start a new workout plan every few weeks, you should also try a new hobby.
Read more: 6 hacks to kickstart your creativity and brainpower when you’re feeling sluggish
This article was originally published on www.mh.co.za
Image credit: iStock