One person told me to my face that my belief that women will play the most significant role in global development in the future is baloney.

I have also been told it goes against religious and societal norms and values.

I am committed to driving strategic change for women in sport including ensuring that all TTOC (Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee) publications, presentations and communications are gender neutral and that TTOC policies empower and grow sustainable women and girls’ participation in sport - including establishing targeted leadership development programmes to identify and support the current and next generation of female leaders.

Gendered assumptions on leadership, masculinity, femininity and power are a barrier for women and girls in sport. We need to increase women participation in sport governance, leadership and management. We need to change the patriarchal landscape of sport.

We have to remove the barriers and structures that place women and girls at a disadvantage.

Three TTOC events in the past week had gender equality and driving forward a more inclusive culture in the Olympic and Commonwealth Sport movement in T&T and the Caribbean as the focus of attention.

A three-day workshop focusing on the use of the Zeus software programme began the week at Olympic House.

21 participants (14 women and 7 men) from around the Caribbean braved the hurricane season to attend the workshop moderated by Ellen Barwise of the Commonwealth Games Foundation (CGF) and Gail Craig-Archer of the Barbados Olympic Association.

On Thursday and Friday (21-22 September) the TTOC in collaboration with UNESCO and TAFISA hosted a workshop - Achieving social inclusion and gender equality in the Caribbean using sports and physical activity. The aim of this workshop was to build awareness on gender equality in sports and sport as a tool for social inclusion, community building and civic engagement.

And to close the TTOC’s week of championing gender equality on Saturday September 23 the TTOC held its first ever Advancing Women in Leadership Forum at the National Racquet Centre, Tacarigua for the historic gathering.

There are those who are happy to provide reasons why gender equality creates more problems than solutions. Who will have you believe that women are their own worse enemy and no one really wants to break down turn centuries of socialization.

The critics of gender equality and parity have often argued that it just isn’t worth the time and effort as progress may appear slow and tortured.

However, that the war maybe long and drawn out is not an excuse. Advancing Women in Leadership will make a transformational difference.

Those who resist believe they have good reason to do so. They point to many examples that support their view.

That at times it’s women who express the view that it’s a waste of time says more about their own mindset and attitude.

It isn’t sad. It’s just the raw reality of the culture that is deeply engrained in many societies around the world.

Why should Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean be any different.

But fear not. The war will be won. Gender equality and parity will be a reality.

The junior of the juniors took centre stage this past weekend at the National Junior Karate Championships, hosted at the National Racquet Centre in Tacarigua. It’s a two-day championship with only those 11 years and under competing this past Saturday. Mario Kalloo, who is the President of the T&T Karate Union, labelled this event the “Olympic hopefuls.”

In all, 70 karatekas took to the mat from seven clubs across the country. However, it was one club that was in dominating mood. The Trinidad Karate Association had 14 of the top athletes on the day. Some of its most outstanding martial artists were the likes of Asa Bucchan, who won the male medium weight kumite and Lei Anna Valentine who took home the top prize in the female heavy weight kumite.

There were almost as many parents as athletes crammed into the indoor tennis courts with their phones fastened towards the main mat taking pictures and videos. Sangre Grande based Team Elite didn’t have a bad day either. The club finished with eight gold medals, seven silver and ten bronze. Its most outstanding competitor was Christian Winter and Annwele Moses, who won gold in kata and gold in kumite, respectively.

Speaking to Guardian Media Sports, Kalloo reinforced the importance of having these young martial artists compete. He said, “Some of them were very good. They showed a lot of talent. We wanted to call it the Olympic hopefuls because these young ones have a better chance to make a dent at that level because by that time [Tokyo 2020], they would have the experience. They are Olympic hopefuls in a very realistic way.”

The attention will now turn to T&T’s other junior karatekas 12 years and over as they take to the mat this Saturday.

RYAN BACHOO

At this point, nobody in T&T can say they didn't know what would happen. The consequences of natural disaster in nations both well prepared and marginally ready are writ large across headlines and leading broadcasts the world over the last two weeks.

Despite our most vocal protestations that "God is a Trini," that fundamental absurdity that's been underwritten by the incidental geographical fact that our islands lie just outside the normal path of hurricanes forming in the mid-Atlantic, we know that we are not ready for the destruction that massive earthquakes and higher category windstorms bring to a small landmass.

The evidence is there in the results of any sustained rainfall on these islands, the muddy floods that quickly swamp our deepest drainage systems, the rapid rising of filthy water into homes and covering roadways.

One quick glance at the overcrowded poles that loom over our heads should be enough to let us know that the destruction that's bedeviled the islands of this archipelago and the coastal cities of the US will extract a terrible cost from this country, when, and not if it happens.

The images and video clips from Mexico, Barbuda and Dominica are particularly terrible.

In Mexico, one solid looking building shakes once, twice, then simply disappears in a rising cloud of dust. Overhead images of Barbuda show an island simply wiped clean of human habitation. The occasional stubborn structure still stands; its walls stripped.

In Dominica, trees clog the streets, ripped from the earth or cracked in mid-trunk, they are shorn of their bark and their solid cores shredded.

If these scenes seem unimaginable, then it's because disaster preparedness is the business of imagining the darkest possible outcomes of nature's fury and planning for them effectively.

On Thursday, the Telecommunications Authority (TATT) will host a forum to discuss one element of those preparations, the emergency communications plan.

This arises from the call for consultation on the National Emergency Communications Plan, which is currently soliciting responses and advice from the national community on the measures proposed for managing communication during official disaster response.

The document itself is broadly sensible in its approach to discussing the elements of a failsafe communications structure in the wake of a disaster event in which little in the way of telecommunications infrastructure is left standing.

Communication before a disaster can make use of all the existing facilities that we take for granted, free-to-air broadcasting, social media, even, as the document rather hopefully notes, faxes.

It's after the event that more serious consideration has to be brought to bear.

The day-long communications blackout in Dominica is one example of what can happen when modern transmission and relay systems are destroyed.

The Office of Disaster Prevention and Management (ODPM) owns and operates two VHF land mobile radio networks and one high-frequency radio station in Trinidad while the Tobago Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) owns and operates one VHF network and one HF station in Tobago.

The system is tested daily, but coverage is, according to the consultation document, "limited by geographical and propagation constraints and therefore some areas of the country cannot be accessed by these networks."

The areas which cannot be covered are not listed in the consultative document.

Both agencies can create a wide area network (WAN) with the Ministry of National Security to coordinate emergency efforts and this system is presumed to also be regularly tested.

The document sensibly proposes an upgrade to the existing system with provisions for both a secure communications centre capable of withstanding disaster conditions and mobile transmission repeaters that can be deployed to improve signal strength in the wake of a disaster.

The document also seeks to establish a nationwide public safety WAN capable of transferring high-bandwidth data, allowing roving emergency responders to share real-time voice, video and data. There is no cost suggested for this First World system in the document.

More useful, as shown by the value of amateur licensed (HAM) radio operators in the immediate aftermath of Dominica's tragedy, is the need to clearly establish proper protocols for the use of the frequencies allocated for amateur use, inclusive of the Citizen's Band.

Regional experience over the last two weeks also proves that the first formal communications to be restored on even a limited basis is SMS based text messaging. Protocols for managing the limited bandwidth available in such circumstances should also be part of the emergency communications plan.

The plan also rather hopefully insists that "television broadcasters shall upgrade their facilities so that they are resilient to natural disasters and adopt improved technologies to facilitate efficient public notifications and warnings."

This simply isn't going to happen if it isn't made a condition of the award or renewal of a broadcast license.

Ditto for the insistence that: "Cellular Mobile Operators shall maintain at least two transportable cells on wheels which shall be deployed with at least one in Trinidad and one in Tobago. These are to be reserved for emergency relief operations."

In the medium term, looking beyond the immediate provisions of this plan, a firm proposal to move overhead cables to fortified underground routing in appropriate geographic locations would represent the bold thinking needed for forward looking local disaster preparedness in our communications infrastructure.

The 12th T&T Film Festival closes with a spectacular bang today, with a terrific and groundbreaking film selection that was not picked before only because of the limitations of programming schedules. For many people, this will be the film of the festival.

Today’s film is:

Melocotones aka (Canned) Peaches

(Dominican Republic, 2015)

Director: Hector M Valdez

Genre: Comedy-Drama- Fantasy-Sci-fi

Running time: 80 mins

Screening time: 3.30pm, MovieTowne,

San Fernando.

There is nothing new under the sun, of course, but Hector M Valdez’s comic sex romp comes pretty damned close.

Relatively recent films have used the springboard of time-travel well in a variety of genres — Looper and Edge of Tomorrow, eg, in action-thriller, The Butterfly Effect in horror, About Time in rom-com —but not since Germany’s Tom Tykwer made Lola Run and Run in 1998 has a film used the notion to such great entertainment advantage.

Even the time period in which the film is set is itself a bit of an inside joke, with the future of the unspecified Caribbean location laboriously made to look like a kitsch Sixties vision of a future that actually looked more like the past, and in deliberately dated Technicolor to boot!

From the opening shots, in which the male lead buys sundries from a robotic vendor that reminds you of a man who might sell you black coral jewellery on Accra Beach in Barbados, the audience is in the hands of a master. Time after time, he will trick you in a wonderful way. Modern technology, guided by timeless wit and genius, uses the eternal triangle to generate hilarious and hugely rewarding cinema. You’ll hardly spend a better 80 minutes this year. Unreservedly recommended, unless you can’t read subtitles. A film that reminds you that film is primarily escapist and a serious contender for the festival’s best.

• Also consider: The Violin Teacher, 6pm Screen 7, MovieTowne POS.

FILMS SCREENING TODAY AT THE TTFF

MOVIETOWNE POS SCREEN 7

n 10.30 am - Romeo and Juliet - 117 mins

n 1 pm - One in 15 mins + Angelica - 95 mins

n 3.30 pm - Scarlett Angelina 10 mins + Jeffrey - 78 mins

n 6 pm - We Love Moses 15 mins + The Violin Teacher - 102 mins

n 8.30 pm - The Knot 15 mins + Santa and Andres - 105 mins

MOVIETOWNE POS SCREEN 8

n 10.30 am - Adama - 85 mins

n 1 pm - Rapatriation 2 mins + Féfé Limbe 28 mins + Gang of the Antilles - 90 mins

n 3.30 pm - Con sana Alegria (With Wholesome Joy) 18 mins + Ultimas Dias en la Habana - 93 mins

n 6 pm - Chocolate 11 mins + Nadie Nos Mira 102 mins

n 8.30 pm - Come Out Come Out 12 mins + Carpinteros - 108 mins

MOVIETOWNE SAN FERNANDO SCREEN 4

n 10.30 am - Romeo and Juliet - 117 mins

n 3.30 pm - See You Yesterday 17 mins + Melocotones (Peaches) - 80 mins

n 6 pm - The Book of Jasmine 14 mins + Jafta Propella 2017 60 mins

n 8.30 pm - Con Sana Alegria 18 mins + Last Days in Havana - 93 mins

MOVIETOWNE TOBAGO

n 10.30 am - Romeo and Juliet 117 mins

n 6 pm - Dreamshire 30 mins + I am a Politician - 93 mins

n 8.30 pm - The Book of Jasmine 14 mins + JAFTA PROPELLA 2017 - 60 mins

The success of the Banana Republic All Souled Out Show will boost efforts to support the work of disability charity Cause An Effect on Sunday at Queen’s Hall.

There were performances by David Rudder and band as they performed many of his hits including Hammer, Bahia Girl, High Mas, Calypso Music, Dus In Dey Face, Madness and Welcome To Trinidad.

Laura Escayg of Cause an Effect, wore her performing hat, and supported by the band 5Miles2Midnite and Brass section, performed classics including Poverty Is Hell, Synthetic World and a complement of her thought-provoking, original material.

Cause An Effect is a registered NGO founded by Escayg and her husband Francis. The couple are the parents of Isaiah, a 13-year-old on the severe spectrum of disabilities. They are on a mission to transform perceptions about disabilities and create a just and better world where everyone wins. Cause an Effect creates content and opportunities for disability-related conversations to be shared on social and traditional media.

Founder and principal of the Rio Claro Learning and Development Centre for Special Children, Kellyann Pascall, together with her staff and students, started the new school term with a newly built Centre courtesy the Digicel Foundation.

A release said the Digicel Foundation invested $1.2 million to rebuild the school which houses 30 children with varying special needs. The upgrades to the Centre included a staff room, therapy room, a kitchenette, separate bathroom facility for the teaching staff, urinals for the boys, a separate office and reception area and an open space for the classroom which is now three times the size it was previously.

The Rio Claro Centre is the latest beneficiary of the Digicel Foundation Centres of Excellence transformative programme, which upgrades special needs schools across the country, ensuring that the students are in an environment which meets international standards. This is achieved through minor to major upgrades or a total remodelling to the school’s infrastructure; making it safer and more accommodating.

Speaking at the unveiling ceremony, Digicel Foundation CEO Penny Gomez thanked the Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries and the Minister of Public Administration and Communication, for their efforts in securing the long term lease for the property. Gomez stated, “This is a perfect example of public and private sector collaborating on an initiative that lends to the Foundation’s core vision of creating a world where no one gets left behind.”

In praising the principal of the Centre, Agriculture, Land and Fisheries minister Clarence Rambharat spoke of her dedication and resilience throughout the years.

He highlighted the importance of all schools, more so, special needs schools to be safe and well equipped to handle day to day operations and emergency situations. The Minister also thanked the Digicel Foundation for continuously advocating for inclusion of people with special needs and working on sustainable development with communities throughout T&T.

In her remarks, Pascall gave an overview of the school’s 25-year journey. She thanked everyone who contributed to the upkeep, growth and development of the school but especially thanked the Digicel Foundation for hearing the cry of “all special needs organisations”.

The Lady Hochoy School located in Gasparillo is also a beneficiary of the Centres of Excellence programme, its upgrades were completed in July.

The Embassy of the Republic of Korea has announced that this year’s National Foundation Day will be celebrated on October 3, 2017. A release from the Embassy said it is organising Korea Week 2017 with a series of events during the first week of October, which will be open to the public.

Flute Music Concert

Sponsored by the Ministry of Culture of Korea, the Seoul Flute Choir will be invited by the Embassy to perform at Queen’s Hall on October 3 as well as at the University of the West Indies (UWI) on the October 2

The Seoul Flute Choir has been recognised as one of Korea’s top orchestras, offering a distinguished history of acclaimed performances since its founding in 1992. These Korean Flutists will perform eight cultural acts which the Embassy hopes will bring a new musical experience of Korean culture.

National Foundation Day (Gaecheonjeol)

Annually, the people of South Korea celebrate National Foundation Day on October 3, although the original celebration of this holiday generally included a traditional Korean harvest ceremony.

Historically, this public holiday celebrates the day of foundation of ancient Korean kingdom Gojoseon. The name of Gojoseon literally means ‘old Joseon’ because this period of Korean history came long before the Joseon dynasty. Korea National Foundation Day commemorates the establishment of the Choson Kingdom in 2333 BC, marking the beginning of the Korean society and way of life.

National Foundation Day celebration in Korea is usually marked by a large fireworks display in Seoul, the capital city of South Korea. The display takes place in Yeouido Han River Park and it is very popular. Every year, huge crowds gather in the park or on the banks of the river opposite to try and capture the wonderful display of fireworks. This is truly a joyous occasion of celebration in Korea.

Besides the above-mentioned flute concerts at the Queen’s Hall and UWI, the Embassy is also organising a Korean Speech Contest and UCC Contest on Korean Culture.

See below for the full list of the upcoming events during the Korea Week 2017.

KOREA WEEK EVENTS

Musical Journey with Korean Flutists

Date: October 2

Time: 6.30 pm,

Venue: Daaga Auditorium, UWI

Admission: Free and tickets can be collected at Maria’s Bakery (UWI Republic Bank Plaza) and the Embassy of the Republic of Korea from today. Limited to two tickets per person.

Performance to celebrate National Day

Date: October 3

Time: 6.30 pm

Venue: Queen’s Hall

Admission: Free. Tickets can be collected at Queen’s Hall box office from today. Limited to two tickets per person.

Korean Speech Contest

Date: October 6

Time: 3 pm

Venue: Hilton Trinidad and Conference Centre

• Korean language enthusiasts can participate in the contest on the theme of My favourite part of Korean culture.

• Application should be submitted by midnight of September 30. For further information please visit the Embassy’s homepage.

Korean Week 2017 UCC

(User Created Content) Contest

• Anyone who is interested in Korean culture and has creative skills of making online content is invited to join the contest on the theme of K-pop or Korean food.

• UCC submission deadline is midnight, September 30 and the awardees will be announced at the award ceremony on October 10.

Corrosive is reluctantly selected for division one of a Novice Stakes over seven furlongs of Kempton polytrack tonight, what a diabolical name given current climes but the British Horseracing Authority is the last organisation to clamp down on misdemeanours.

In the past three years they have allowed some shockers, especially to Qatar Racing, which has successfully submitted, Terror, Chemical Charge and World War, not to mention several other offensive names. Why?

Impossible to answer. I’m offended and indeed frightened by the lack of regulation which is probably a springboard for activity; what other reason is there to request such names.

Nigh on five weeks ago Corrosive made an eye-catching debut at York, finishing fifth (of 17!) to Dream Choice, beaten about six lengths, in the ‘Convivial’ which has already yielded several winners; Hugo Palmer’s charge definitely has to improve a few pounds to beat Hamdan Al Maktoum-owned Manthoor, but Owen Burrow’s runner is drawn twelve!

Course and distance winner, Billesdon Brook, will doubtless trade short-priced for an eight-runner Fillies’ Conditions Stakes over seven furlongs of ‘soft’ Goodwood but with three places available (if they all run!) Alan King-trained, Giving Glances is an obvious place alternative judged on her encouraging debut effort on a similar surface at Nottingham six weeks ago.

Selections

Goodwood, 2.40 Giving Glances (e.w); Kempton, 6.10 Corrosive (e.w); 7.10 Sing Out Loud (e.w).
 

Team Spartans took the top position at the Seven Fitness Challenge IV organised by Rogue Adventures on Saturday in Techier Village, Point Fortin.

The Point Fortin based group beat eighteen four–person teams over seven physical challenges which included a 5km run, push ups, squat and abs challenges, as well as CrossFit inspired workouts. Second place went to True Gains Ultimate from El Dorado with Penal’s Metronomes Elite taking the third place spot. The keenly contested event saw participation from some of the country’s top boot camps and gyms throughout Trinidad and Tobago.

The 5km run was also opened to the public and Hot Sun Run Charity 5km Walk/Run was done in partnership with the Diabetes Association of Trinidad and Tobago, Rotaract Club of Point Fortin and Progressive Youths.

The aim was to raise awareness and create a sense of urgency about the increased prevalence of type two diabetes in the county. The race was won by Shurlan Williams (Trinidad and Tobago Road Runners Club) and Ifuela Gooding (Unattached) took the top female spot.

The extent of the problems that currently exist in local football may well have been the reason why the thought of one Pro league Club owners had to openly reject the idea of returning to Amateur status even before it was suggested by anyone else.

It is probably the appropriate time that the clubs can open their eyes, recognise the numerous problems, financially, administratively, and leagues disorder right across the board.

There are many persons in life whose effort to engage in the business of change for the better is often aborted in fear that the future may be worse.

In the case of football, this is not the case. The country has sufficient evidence that change is inevitable simply because all of the EFA, the newly reconstructed (Super league), The Pro League, are all amidst some form of confusion.

The evidence of the Proleague’s problems have been clearly proven judging from the comments made by the Central FC owner, Brent Sancho, whose forceful demand for funding for all the “Professional” Clubs from the Ministry of Sport and the Sportt Company.

It is my belief that this issue may be viewed realistically before any action with regard to making any adjustment or complete change in structure should be attempted.

The first question is: why has the league not been able to bring out the fans to support matches played in that league? The answer lies in the mediocrity of the performances by the teams.

The game of football is the commodity which should be the main target for correction and unfortunately, there is an absence of football education on the benches of the clubs in the country.

For some unknown reason, this country has never placed great emphasis in the training our coaches need when they are working at the highest Club level of the game.

This education is not only about the game on the field, but specifically to define to the players themselves of the manner in which a professional approach is based upon the processes of commitment, intensity of training methods which include understanding the tactical ingredients, the use of clever understanding among the players in a team, and most of all, the portions of communication which must be practiced in order to produce quality of football that will satisfy the fans.

Sancho said that we must not return to Amateur status, but at this stage, we are currently operating in that category. The difference is that these players are demanding payment for their efforts, quite naturally because they are contracted to do same.

Not for the very first time did we hear of the need for government to finance the TTFA Pro league, and my reaction comes from the principle that the Club owners who have chosen to invest their money in a proleague franchise must have catered for all the preliminary financial commitments from Club registration, to players’ and coaches’ salaries, to supply all the regular areas of financial coverage such as balls, uniforms, medicine kits, Team internal travel and even external when the Concacaf clubs championship requires travel and hotel abroad.

The Franchise owner’s financial return comes from gate receipts, prize monies and investors from the business sector who may wish to support the club as shareholders.

These requirements appear to have failed and the team performances have not reached the level which fans will respond by attending matches.

I have seen a formula which the East Germans have used when they were separated from the West Germans. These clubs all got support from the business sector by employing the majority of players in their company’s pay package where team representation is primary in their terms of employment.

They employ excellently trained coaches and demanded maximum efforts from the chosen players.

This project worked so well, that in the year 1976, the East Germany won the gold medal in Soccer in the Montreal Olympics and also defeated West Germany in a world cup fixture.

That is the way forward, especially as our Government had already committed to allowing tax breaks for members of the business sector which are approached by clubs to be shareholders.

However, clubs must be trained to handle their administrative efforts from all angles. If the processes professionalism or Amateurism are not dealt with, then nothing will work.

The team of Ulric Mc Nicol, Everd Bennet, and Berry Ferdinand topped the UWI Development & Endowment Fund golf tournament this past weekend at the Millennium Golf Club, Trincity. They narrowly edged out Johanson Singh, Dereck Chanerdip and Fabien Kublalsingh by 0.7 points. The winning team scored 60.1 while the second placed finishers had 60.8.

Golfers faced tough conditions throughout Sunday with the rain hardly letting up. Nevertheless, they braved the weather for what is considered a good cause. It was almost a full field competing with close to 90 golfers taking to the course.

Along with the annual UWI Fete, the UWI Golf Challenge provides the funds necessary to grant bursaries to students deserving to go to university but can’t afford it. Over the past 25 years, more than 3000 bursaries have been awarded by the fund.

In 2010, to celebrate 20 years of awarding bursaries principally earned through the UWI Fete, the fund distributed 200 bursaries valued at a million dollars.

The Trinidad and Tobago Golf Association’s Director of Golf Chris Harries was present at the tournament. Speaking to Guardian Media Sports on the 18th hole, he said, “You can see by the turn out, there are so many teams out here. It shows that there is a lot of support for the tournament and what it does.”

While it was a tight battle between the top two teams, the rest of the table wasn’t as close. Finishing with a score of 62.4, Shastri Seepesad, Dravid Bhim, and Mathew Davis (who is a junior player) copped third place.

While no official figures were given on the day’s earning, the tournament usually brings in over $100,000.

Dexter Simon earned the country’s first and only medal at the Arnold Classic last week in Barcelona Spain, when he won a gold medal in the Men’s Physique Masters Division.

Simon defeated a tough field of international body builders, to become the only TT athlete to win a medal in any event at the Arnold Classic. With his triumph, Simon also won the overall title to gain his first professional card.

Afterwards he credited his coach, ex national body-builder Lawrence ‘The Beast’ Marshall for standing by him over the past two and a half years and helping him prepare for the event, as well as Susanna Hadad, president of the T&T Body Building Federation and all who supported him during his journey. According to Simon “It has been a really tough journey, training three to four times a day. This was my 27th competition in 25 months. It has really been tough so I would like to thank my sponsors Body Glow, Nutro Bio, Adventure Royal, my medicine bag and my gym Central Athletic Club.”

WALTER ALIBEY

More than half of the food the average Trinbagonian eats is imported. This should come as no surprise since our twin isle’s annual food import bill is approximately $6 billion. By purchasing local, you funnel money back into our community and support its growth and sustainability for future generations. Our weekly column “In Season” features a sweet and savory recipe for one readily-available ingredient, so you can take advantage of the vibrant bounty from farmers’ markets, local farm stands, and your own yard.

Over the past decade, coconut has been put under the spotlight for its trendy subproducts and unparallelled health benefits. Many believe that coconuts possess healing powers and it’s crazy to think that one seed can give you flour, sugar, liquid aminos, nectar syrup, butter, oil, water and its simple but glorious milk all at once. The world’s undying coconut craze is worth the hype.

Young coconuts have a green shell and a white husk. The nut, filled with water, is surrounded by a thin, sweet jelly. Its nutritious water is packed with electrolytes that keep your body hydrated, so your muscle and nerve systems can function at their best. It is undoubtedly nature’s best sport drink; a great source for a quick energy boost. Most of the store-bought coconut products, however, use the mature seed. Mature coconuts have a brown husk exterior with thick walls of hard white flesh. (If you didn’t know, the meat hardens as the fruit ripens.) The flesh can be squeezed, pressed, shredded or dried for endless outcomes.

It’s true that young coconuts boast more health benefits, but when it comes to cooking, mature coconuts win hands down. Mixing the slightest bit of coconut milk into rice, soups and curries enhances the overall flavor and creaminess of the dish. It’s no secret that this liquid gold marries flavors and adds extra love to many of our favourite local Trinidadian dishes. In addition to that, nothing beats biting into chewy, crunchy coconut bits that are nestled inside warm coconut bake and coconut rolls. Here are new and improved old recipes that will make you go even more loco for coco.

SAVORY

COCONUT-LIME CHICKEN WITH YOGURT SAUCE

Total time: 30 minutes (plus 2 hours for marinating the meat)

Yields: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

2 cups coconut milk

2 teaspoons turmeric powder

2 teaspoons onion powder

4 garlic cloves, grated

1 teaspoon ginger, grated

1 bundle chadon beni, finely chopped

2 limes, zested

1 pound chicken wings or legs, thawed

Salt and black pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons oil

1 tablespoon cornstarch

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

DIRECTIONS

1 In a large bowl, mix coconut milk, turmeric powder, onion powder, garlic, ginger, chadon beni, and lime zest until combined. Add defrosted chicken to marinade and add salt and pepper to taste. Cover the bowl and allow to soak overnight, or for two hours.

2 Lightly grease a grill or saute pan with oil. Remove the chicken from the marinade and set aside. Cook the chicken over medium heat, turning once until fully cooked. Transfer to a plate while hot.

3 Please place this text into the third step under directions: “Place the reserved marinade into in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add cornstarch to the sauce and bring to a boil. Stir constantly until it thickens, about 5 minutes.

4 Serve with the sauce and garnish with red pepper flakes, lime wedges and fresh herbs.

SWEET

COCONUT CARDAMOM FLAN

Active Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 5 hours

Total Time: 5 hours, 20 minutes

Yields: 12 servings

INGREDIENTS

For the caramel sauce

1 cup sugar

5 tablespoons water

For the custard

1 12-ounce can evaporated milk

1 ½ cups coconut milk

1 14-ounce can condensed milk

5 eggs, large

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon cardamom, ground

DIRECTIONS

1 Preheat oven to 350°F.

2 To make the caramel, mix water and sugar together in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook until the sugar is dissolved and caramel in colour.

3 Pour caramel into 9-inch round pie dish and swirl to coat the bottom evenly.

4 For the custard, mix evaporated, coconut and

condensed milks, eggs, vanilla and cardamom together in a large bowl.

5 Pour the custard into the caramel-coated dish.

6 Place the pie dish into a larger roasting pan, fill roasting pan with warm water.

7 Bake for 1 hour, or until knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Set aside and let cool completely.

8 Refrigerate for 4 hours, or overnight.

9 To serve, unmold the flan by running a small knife around the edge of the dish. Place a large rimmed plate over the flan, flip and gently shake until it’s released.

10 Garnish with fresh fruits, if you’d like.

Send your family’s tried-and-true recipes to recipes@propaeats.com for your chance to be featured on our website

CHELSAE-MARIE LEE KONG

High fat or low fat?

Butter or coconut oil?

Saturated or unsaturated?

Find out which fats are good for you and which are bad.

Understanding fats can be overwhelming—especially since doctors and dietitians have pointed their fingers at fats as a leading cause for weight gain and clogged arteries over the past two decades. But now, we know all fats are not created equally; some are better for you than others and are essential to maintaining a healthy diet. Dietary fat can fuel your body with energy, protect your heart and brain, and help absorb fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K to keep you feeling fuller longer and maintain a healthy reproductive system. Let’s break down the fat frenzy, so you can learn the difference between “good fats” and “bad fats,” which to eat, and how much to eat.

WHICH FATS SHOULD I AVOID?

“Bad fats” are saturated and trans fats.

Saturated fats naturally occur in animal products like dairy (yes, that includes your beloved milk, butter and cheese), beef, chicken, baked goods, fried foods and plant foods (such as palm oil and coconut oil). With heart disease being the number one killer in Trinidad and Tobago, it’s important to know that saturated fats raise the level of cholesterol in your blood by promoting poor circulation and increasing your cardiovascular risk. Although coconut oil embodies antibacterial properties, like all saturated fats it should be consumed moderately, too, within daily recommendations.

Trans fats are the most dangerous. Small doses of naturally-occurring trans fats are found in animal and dairy products, but artificial trans fats are created through partial hydrogenation, a method in which hydrogen is added to liquid vegetable oils like low-grade corn oil, margarine, and soybean oil to form solid fats. Partially hydrogenated oils are used in processed foods to increase shelf life. Many fast-food restaurants and street vendors use trans fats to deep-fry foods like chicken, barra, French fries and doughnuts. And baked goods, including cakes, pie crusts, frozen pizza and cookies, are also no stranger to trans fats.

Fats affect your cholesterol levels. In general, cholesterol isn’t bad, but too much of it can be. Like dietary fats, there are good and bad types of cholesterol. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol is the “good” kind; low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is the “bad” kind. It’s important to keep your LDL levels low and HDL levels high to protect your heart from disease and stroke. Both trans fats and saturated fats raise the “bad” LDL cholesterol levels in your blood and increase your risk of heart disease. Trans fats, however, also decrease your “good” HDL cholesterol levels, leading doctors and dieticians to believe that trans fats are worse for you than saturated fats.

WHAT ARE SOURCES OF HEALTHY FATS?

Unsaturated fats are heart-healthy and found in nuts, seeds, avocado, fatty fish, tofu, olive oil and dark chocolate. There are two types: monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. Both fats raise HDL cholesterol levels (the good kind) while reducing inflammation, lowering your risk of diabetes, dropping your blood pressure, and controlling your blood sugar.

Monounsaturated fats include nuts (almonds, peanuts, macadamia, hazelnuts, pecans, pistachios and cashews), tahini, avocwwado, pumpkin seeds, hazelnuts, olives, and olive, canola, peanut and sesame oils. Olive oil has always been number one for heart health, but eating unsaturated fats in their raw, whole form like seeds and nuts will give you an extra boost of fibre and protein, which is especially beneficial if you’re vegan or following a plant-based diet.

Polyunsaturated fats include fatty fish (like salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring, trout and sardines), fish oil, flaxseed, hemp seeds, algae oils, safflower oil, sunflower seeds, peanuts, cold-pressed canola oil, soymilk, tofu, walnuts, chia seeds and Brazil nuts. Salmon and tuna actually contain their very own variety of polyunsaturated fats called omega-3 fatty acids—fat that your body needs but can’t produce itself. It keeps your heart healthy, even when consumed in small portions.

HOW MUCH FAT SHOULD I EAT?

Fats are the most energy-dense of all nutrients, which means it’s the highest in calories, and they may not always have beneficial nutrients, if you’re consuming large amounts of processed snacks made with vegetable oil, junk food or bakery goods. Eating too much saturated and trans fats, might cause you to suffer a calorie surplus, leading to weight gain and low nutrient intake.

Balance and portion control is key. The American Heart Association suggests that adults limit dietary fat to no more than 20 to 35 percent of your total daily calories, while reducing saturated fat to no more than 5 to 6 percent of your total daily calories. For someone eating 2,000 calories a day, that’s about 11 to 13 grams of saturated fat.

SO, WHAT’S THE TAKEAWAY?

Simply put, eating the right amounts and right types of fat will reduce disease risk and improve your overall health.

Any comments or questions? Shoot Annick an email at greenbalancett@gmail.com, or

nutrition@propaeats.com.

Annick Lewis is a nutritionist (BSc) and L2 personal trainer with a passion for balance of the body, mind and soul. As the founder and CEO of Green Balance by Organnick, her sole mission is to help clients achieve a healthy lifestyle and sense of wellbeing. Follow her journey on social media

@wearegreenbalance on Instagram and Green Balance on Facebook, or visit www.greenbalance.co for more nutritional advice.

ANNICK LEWIS

When disaster strikes, regardless of where it strikes, there is usually an overpouring of humanitarian aid. Our humanity springs forward and we act quickly and selflessly to alleviate the distress of our fellowman.

This is evident today as states, corporations, and social/charitable organisations rally to bring short- and long-term relief among our Caribbean family overwhelmed by the after-effects of hurricanes Irma and Maria.

We are never fully prepared for disaster – they never come with any certainty that allows for a flawless response. Technology allows us to predict impending disturbances and prepare to some extent, but disaster management only begins after the fact, after nature literally “rests devastation on us.”

My training in disaster preparedness has prompted me to conclude that no response would ever be sufficient, perfect, or beyond criticism.

The greater challenge, still, is that of sustained relief efforts when countries/communities require longstanding reconstruction. As devastation fades from critical news headlines and weeks turn into months, and month into years, rebuilding often devolves to those organisations officially charged with benevolent duty. And, we all know of parts of the world where “official” goodwill diminishes and people are left unaided to piece the fragments of their lives.

Yet, even when populations get adequate relief to regain a degree of normalcy, there is often a lop-sided focus on infrastructure and physicality as against necessary interventions for psychological crises. As we restore the physical environment, often, we ignore the mental, social, and spiritual components of individual and population life, leaving people in distress to work out these for themselves.

Deeper than water, food, clothing, and shelter is the absolutely profound obligation to place emphasis on peoples’ psychological health and wellbeing as being equally important to personal comfort, recovery, and security and essential to healthy communities and better quality of life.

Disasters have implications for many public health issues including disease outbreaks and lingering health threats. The public health implications of these catastrophes are far-reaching.

Mold and respiratory illnesses, pollution, non-potable water, broken sewage systems, mosquito-borne diseases, bacteria, wounds and other injuries, including amputations, and worsening health among the young, chronic, aged, and convalescing are all imminent threats. In crises, these usually get early consideration.

Some of what may go unattended and unrecognised are mental disorders and psychological challenges as anxiety, anger, depression and prolonged sadness, grief and loss, suicidal ideation, and issues of insomnia even when there is a place to sleep.

Researchers have found that of those children who lived through Hurricane Katrina, 37 per cent have presented with mental illnesses in the ensuing years. Children and adults who have survived disasters have also been found to suffer with issues such as heart diseases, substance abuse, obesity, and much more in later life.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which develops in some people who experienced a shocking or perilous event, is also associated with these disasters – the terror and anxiety of living through howling winds are known to cause prolong periods of nightmares in some people.

People in disaster-torn environments need help to rebuild personal resistance and resilience. In all instances we must consider this necessity alongside the physical strength usually recruited for humanitarian relief. The volunteer advertisements requesting the able-bodied and energetic may not include those who can provide the “softer” services, but we are committed to travel and support rebuilding.

Within the community of professionals with whom I interact, there is a concern for the inclusion of mental, social, and spiritual interventions in our relief efforts. Relief in areas of psychological health and trauma mediation, we believe, need to be equally represented as we continue to support the healing and recovery among our Caribbean citizenry.

• Caroline C Ravello is a strategic communications and media practitioner. She holds an MA in Mass Communications and has completed the MSc in Public Health (MPH) from The UWI. Write to: mindful.tt@gmail.com

Team captain Ryan Stewart scored ten points as T&T used a strong serving game to defeat St Lucia, 25-15, 25-16, 25-17 in the opening Pool B match of the 2017 NORCECA Men’s Continental Championship at the USA Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Denver, Colorado, USA on Tuesday night.

Brandon Legall, who was voted as the “Most Valuable Player” when T&T lifted the Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association (CAZOVA) for a third time in its history on home soil in July added seven points while the trio of Portugal-based professional Marc-Anthony Honore, Marlon Phillip and Kevin Nimrod chipped in with six points each in the 60 minutes encounter.

Overall it was a good start to the ten-team competition for the Sean Morrison-coached T&T men who led led St Lucia in kills (34-19) and aces (5-2) while the teams tied in blocks (6-6).

T&T which has a playing pool of 13 players after middle-blocker Russell Pena failed to collect his US VISA on time to travel, also benefitted from 30 errors by St Lucia while committing 21 ahead of their second and final pool match tonight against defending champions Canada from 7pm, with both teams already assured of at least quarterfinal spot.

On the opposite side of the net, St Lucia, the Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) champions was led by outside-hitter Joseph Clercent who scored 14 points on 11 kills, one block and two aces.

Speaking after the match, Morrison said: “It was a good match. For the guys, we didn’t play together as a team for the last four months because we have a few guys overseas. This was our first game since June together.

“In our last tournament, our service was really bad, so during our preparation I made sure we focused on service, so the guys could be more consistent.”

Stewart added: “We did well to come back because we started out a little slow. The guys were focused and we blocked well and we attacked well.”

In the two other matches on Tuesday, Mexico defeated St Vincent & the Grenadines 25-7, 25-16, 25-10 and Costa Rica outplayed Martinique 25-19, 25-16, 23-25, 25-21 in Pool C while USA had little trouble defeating Guatemala, 25-12, 25-14, 25-10 in Pool A.

The NORCECA Men’s Continental Championship is a qualification tournament into the 2018 FIVB World Championship.

Following the withdrawal of Cuba and Puerto Rico due to the damage done to both countries from recent passages of Hurricanes, the top three teams in the ten-team field will earn berths into next year’s World Championship in Bulgaria and Italy.

The teams placing fourth and fifth in Colorado will join Cuba and Puerto Rico in a second NORCECA qualifier held later this year from which two more teams will qualify to the World Championships to round out NORCECA’s five vacancies into the world event.

In the other matches tonight, Martinique faces St Vincent and The Grenadines, and Mexico plays Costa Rica, both in Pool C while USA and Dominican Republic square off in Pool A.