Live Life Magazine

ISSUE 4 2012

Your Essential Guide to Living | R27,95 (VAT INCL.) RSA

FREE COPY

LAAT DIE

SPEKE SING SNIFFING

OUT ALLERGY SOLUTIONS

SPRING

INTO ACTION:

DE-CLUTTER YOUR SPACE AND YOUR LIFE

Find yourself

SUNNY-SIDE UP

AVOID BURNOUT:

Discover your baseline state

DRAAI JOU GESIG HIERDIE SEISOEN NA DIE SON THE PERCENTAGE GAME:

Eat well most of the time

contents

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ISSUE 4 2012

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BALANCING ACT

30

Spring into action!

Making Pretoria pretty Make a family date Laat die speke sing

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14 16 19 20

WORK-LIFE BALANCE

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Preventing burnout

HEALTH HABITS

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“SPRING IS THE TIME TO BRING OUT THE BEST IN YOURSELF”

Sniffing out allergies Straighten out stress The best-kept celebrity secret The lowdown on GI

EAT IN

35 36

HER LIFE

46

38 40 42

Méér as mooi Find yourself sunny-side up Soos ’n boom geplant by waterstrome

HIS LIFE

45 46

Make your mark The bald truth

GO GREEN

48

48

Playing the percentages game We are the bread nation

Shop like an organic mechanic

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02 04 06 08 10 11 12

Publisher’s letter Editor’s letter How to get your Live Life How's life?

Relaxing retreats What's happening?

Health trends

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ISSUE 4 2012

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Publisher's letter One of my favourite surprises at the end of winter is that one morning we awake with the sound of cheerfully chirping birds, the smell of blossoming flowers and the realisation that Earth has started yet another chapter.

IT IS THE TIME that nature makes its own statement, as loud and clear as the sound of the neighbour’s lawnmower, which seems to announce the start of positive new plans, changes and projects.

It is also time to visit an old friend, hit the gym, dust off the mountain bike or dig up the swimming costume after cleaning your latest green project: the pool.

If you need to shed a couple of the winter kilos, please get professional information from your dietician, doctor or pharmacist to ensure that the diet routine you follow is realistic, but more importantly balanced and safe.

Please remember to take care of your skin. Make sure you invest in a good quality sunscreen and make sure the kids don’t spend too much time in the sun,

even when protected. Wear a hat and the correct sunglasses with UV protection to ensure you are prepared for the harsh African sun. Be water safe with your kids, especially when friends visit and you may be more distracted than usual.

It is peak season for allergies, sinusitis and viral infections. Remember the red light for all conditions: fever! Don’t hesitate to consult a healthcare professional at the first sign of a fever, don’t wait!

It is our time to enjoy our country’s beautiful outdoors, our braaivleis and cold beverages that go so well with it. Balance the festive season by making time for early morning jogs or simply walking the dog in the afternoons. This is the time to get to gardening, take up new hobbies, laze around by the pool or go away with friends.

The fresh early sunrises, and later and more beautiful sunsets give us longer days to live life. Remember, summer is meant for outdoor time with the family and not for longer office hours!

It’s truly a time of the year when life is alive in everything!

Enjoy!

Fanie Hendriksz

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The Real PLACE To Be Visit The Place and enjoy various breakfasts, light meals, freshly home baked cakes, à la carte, casserole and speciality coffee’s for the connoisseur, interesting wine list and liquor menu and many more.

BOOK NOW! 012 348 9086 or visit www.theplacecafe.co.za OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK - MONDAY TO SATURDAY 06:00 TO 23:00 - SUNDAY 07:00 TO 21:00

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Editor's Letter The build up to the Olympics was spectacular, and with three golds, two silvers and one bronze medal, there was much to celebrate as the games unfolded. We were all drawn to watching our sportsmen and women show the world what they are made of – and to show us what the people of our nation can achieve.

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OUR MEDAL-WINNING athletes may be the cream of the crop, but that doesn't mean that you have to be an Olympian to be healthy, fit and disciplined.

Many people think health is a gift a select few are born with, but it isn’t. Health is a choice – or rather, it is made up of many good choices – the choices you make each day between heading to the gym and heading straight home to make dinner and watch TV. It is the choices you make at the grocery store between putting fresh foods in your trolley and buying refined and processed foods.

Living a balanced lifestyle and being aware of your eating habits isn’t about

starting a new diet, or finding the next fitness fix; it is about creating a way of living – one that you can create by making small and focused changes slowly but surely. The key to choosing the right lifestyle for you and your family is motivation. What changes do you want to make? Why do you want to make those changes? Do these changes reflect your values?

Every new issue of Live Life is aimed at helping you learn more about making better choices so that you can live a more balanced life. Enjoy the read of this, our fourth edition.

We would love to hear from you on our Facebook page: search for Live Life Magazine and let us know your thoughts on how you’re making healthy choices in your life.

Bronwyn Wainwright

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PUBLISHER Free Radical Media Fanie Hendriksz EDITOR Bronwyn Wainwright editor@salivelife.co.za EVENTS & OPERATIONAL MANAGER Marichè Otto: +27 78 934 5090 mariche@freeradicalmedia.co.za DESIGN & LAYOUT Aneska Meintjes: +27 82 851 1441 aneska@freeradicalmedia.co.za SALES MANAGER Karien Jordaan: +27 71 201 9446 karien@freeradicalmedia.co.za

SALES EXECUTIVES Esté James: +27 84 504 9637 CONTRIBUTORS Shona Bagley, Angela Myers, Gretha Wiid, Fiona Zerbst, Mark Holtshousen, Teresa Roodt, Jabulile Bongiwe Ngwenya, Fiona Zerbst, Dr Keith Chittenden, Ronel Jacobs IMAGES © iStockphoto.com, Editor and Publisher's Image by Marita Keet Kotze Live Life Magazine is published bi-monthly

by Free Radical Media. Live Life is subject to copyright in its entirety. The contents may not be reproduced in any form, either in whole

or in part, without the written consent of the publisher. Unless specified, all rights are reserved in material accepted for publication.

All letters and other unsolicited submissions (manuscripts, art, photographs and other materials) will be considered for publication unless clearly labeled ’not for publication’.

All letters may be subject to editing. Live Life is not responsible for any unsolicited submissions.

publication may be reproduced, in whole or in part, without specific written permission from Free Medical Media.

Free Radical Media reserves the right to reject any advertising at our discretion without an explanation. Opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of Free Radical Media or their clients. Information has been included in good faith by the publisher and is believed to be correct at the time of going to print. No responsibility can be accepted for errors and omissions.

No material (articles or photographs) in this

Submissions of articles and photographs for publication are welcomed, but the publisher, while exercising all reasonable care, cannot be held responsible for any loss or damage.

No liability is accepted by Free Radical Media, the publisher, nor the authors for any information contained herein. Neither Live Life magazine nor its publisher is responsible for damage or harm, of whatever description, resulting from persons undertaking any activity or health advice featured in Live Life.

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How's Life? Share your news, views and ideas Comments on Facebook Recent Posts Sandra Schmidt Pratt Thank you once again for my mag in the post - love it and going to try the chutney chicken this weekend. Keep them coming please :) Like • Comment

Armand Du Plessis This magazine is definitely one's essential guide to living a balanced life! Thanks for the inspirational reading material...

Going places! Have a balanced week... :)

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Cecile Brits Hi LIVE LIFE Magazine!

What a great concept you have to enrich the lives of others by living a healthy balanced life! :-) Looking forward to reading the mag!! :-)

We would love to keep in touc h wit h you. Let us know what you love about Live Life , what you want to see more of, and what you expect from a fabulous mag azin e on balanced livin g.

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Relaxing

destinations

Genius Loci Game Ranch Tshukudu Bush Lodge is situated 80km from Pretoria and 100km from Johannesburg, at Rust De Winter near the Dinokeng Conservancy, which is the perfect getaway for a day trip, weekend break away, conference or wedding. This four-star lodge offers the ultimate in luxury accommodation. We can accommodate 24 people sharing. Six of the twelve rooms feature en-suite bathrooms and balconies, allowing guests to enjoy the majestic views of an African sunset. The other six rooms feature courtyards with open-air showers as an alternative to the shower and bath inside the room, enticing the more adventurous to become one with nature.

Tshukudu's conference facility offers delegates a flexible environment in which to focus solely on their task at hand.

After a productive day of strategising and brainstorming, delegates can unwind with a game drive and sundowners, or an invigorating visit to Mystic Monkeys and Feathers Wildlife Park.

+27 82 548 6916 bookings@gl.co.za

+27 12 723 0315 www.gl.co.za

Lombardy Boutique Hotel

Soulstice Day Spa

Nestled among tranquil gardens, water features and majestic lush trees, Lombardy Boutique Hotel is one of Pretoria's finest hotel options. Our guests are drawn to the rural charm that is the Lombardy Boutique Hotel. Here time slows down to accommodate your pace and your relaxation reaches new-found heights.

This is the ideal place, whether you need a corporate breakaway with conference facilities, an exclusive dinner party venue, a spa breakaway or the perfect intimate wedding or if you just yearn to escape from the confines of suburban life. Lombardy is sure to be the answer to your precise requirements.

This five-star establishment not only promises distinct quality and excellent service, but also guarantees a memorable experience in style, grace and comfort.

On the outskirts of the Jacaranda City lies a tranquil haven designed to soothe your senses and create a sanctuary from the stress of urban living. Our experienced therapists are waiting to welcome you with a host of pampering experiences designed to meet your personal needs and lifestyle. Join us for pampering spa experience that will leave you revived, relaxed and rejuvenated. Our affordable rates will have you returning to us again and again.

Our expansive spa offers you a steam room, sauna and Swiss shower as well as tranquil indoor and outdoor relaxation areas. All of these are available free of charge with any therapy or treatment over R300. We also stock a range of local and international skincare and body brands to help you maintain your spa experience back in the comfort of your own home.

We are proudly associated with Lombardy Estate, the magnetism between Lombardy Estate and Spas of Distinction was inevitable! Our brands mutually emulate excellence, innovation and flair.

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Home of Tshukudu 4-star Lodge, Rust De Winter

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+27 84 550 4128 www.lombardy.co.za

+27 11 662 7500

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+27 12 809 0444

promotion

What's

happening?

10 & 11 November At the Pretoria Botanical Garden

Surfs Up

The ultimate beach party!

Boksburg Barnyard Theatre, situated at East Rand Mall

The Magic of the Vine Festival is a tantalising weekend for wine lovers set in the heart of the Pretoria Botanical Garden. Visitors will experience the very best wines from more than 20 cellars from all over the country.

The festival will showcase some of the best products paired with scrumptious food offerings. We have also included some of the ‘hidden gem’ beer breweries, just for an extra taste of decadence!

Tickets available from Computicket at only R90, includes a tasting glass!

When is the Magic of the Vine Festival taking place?

Email your name, telephone number and answer to jacquelise@silvercrestevent.co.za Entries close on 30 October. Judges decision is final. Winners will be notified telephonically. T&C's Apply.

We will also be hosting an Exclusive Food and Wine pairing evening on 9 November, so book your seats now! Contact Jacquelise de Vries at Jacquelise@silvercrestevent.co.za or 084 034 0056

Surf’s Up will sail you to exotic musical destinations like Jamaica, where you can dance the night away to the sounds of Bob Marley, Eddie Grant and UB 40. We then head to California for the harmonic sound of The Beach Boys, Fleetwood Mac and The Eagles.

Then it’s on to Miami with bikini girl Katy Perry. Let’s not forget Brazil, where the sun always shines to the rhythm and magic of Shakira and Santana.

Surf’s Up is the perfect way to celebrate your end-of-year party. So keep up those loving good vibrations and get yourself to the ultimate beach party!

Book Now! 011 823 6933 or visit www.barnyardtheatres.co.za

Day and night shows available

State Theatre

22 to 25 November Youth Dance Company of Tshwane continues to celebrate their 10th anniversary this year, with performing The Nutcracker at the State Theatre Drama from 22 to 25 November.

Nigel Hannah, South Africa’s well known character artist will grace the audiences once again as the well-loved Dr Drosselmeyer. Helena Montoya has also come on board to choreograph the Spanish divert with dancers from the Montoya company with members of YDCT. It promised to be a sparkling event of collaboration.

YDCT will be hosting once again a firm favourite amongst the young members of the audience, The Sugar Plum Fairy Party. During the interval, cupcakes, sweeties and delights are served. Of course the older members of the audience can join in too. Children are encouraged to dress up in their finest attire, fairies, princes, soldiers, rats, Nutcrackers anything that takes your fancy, and you might just win a prize!

For block bookings please contact: Wendy Seymour on +27 82 7837 378 or email wendy@anderley.co.za All other bookings @ Computicket.

ISSUE 4 2012

10 October to 31 December

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Nutcracker

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WIN!

Twenty lucky readers can each win a set of 2 tickets to the festival. Just answer the following easy question:

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Health trends

Activate

your mind

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Reading and writing in your younger years may contribute to better memory retention and thinking abilities as you age.

No more injections

for diabetics

From groundbreaking insulin pills to discrete patch pumps, there are more options for diabetes treatments entering the market than ever before. Insulin injections are destined to be a thing of the past.

Researchers are exploring the effectiveness of a new insulin pill that has been developed by doctors and scientists in Israel. Trials of the pill are taking place in Israel and Holland, and doctors are hopeful the pill will become available in about three years. 'We are absolutely delighted to have got this far,' says Dr Miriam Kidron of Jerusalem's Hadassah University Hospital, who is leading the research.'Popping a tablet will be far easier and will end the problem of some diabetics not always injecting when they should.'

Another treatment for diabetes that has already begun entering mainstream The tubeless insulin pump known as the OmniPod is a new device that was created to hold and deliver insulin as an alternative to injections. It comes with a PDM, a personal diabetes monitor, that wirelessly programs a personalized insulin delivery, calculates suggested doses, and has a built in blood glucose meter. The OmniPod insulin management system is currently distributed in France, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, UK and USA. It may some time for it to reach South Africa.

According to the American Academy of Neurology, two recent studies conducted by Robert Wilson, PhD of Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, memory decline has been linked to the two-and-a-half years before death, while an active mind just may be the best means of prevention.

Wilson’s first study was conducted on 174 individuals, whose memories were tested once a year from anywhere between 6 to 15 years before death. The study revealed that there is a period of two-and-a-half years before death during which both thinking capacity and memory decline occurs. During this period, mental or cognitive functions deteriorate up to 17 times faster than before this time.

Wilson’s second study tested over a thousand individuals with an average age of 80. Participants’ memories were tested once a year for roughly five years, during which participants also recorded on how often they took part in mentally stimulating activities, such as reading, writing, and thinking games. The study found a parallel between the amount of participation in mentally stimulating activities and mental capacity."The results suggest a cause and effect relationship: that being mentally active leads to better cognitive health in old age," Wilson was quoted as saying.

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Spring into action!

By Fiona Zerbst.

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Want to spring-clean your life but don’t know where to start? Here are some tips to see you on your way.

AS THE SUN RISES earlier each day and the new blossoms on the trees mark the start of a new season, there is no better time to revive and refresh your own life. If you’re thinking about how to freshen up for spring, here are some suggestions to get you revved up for the warmer months ahead.

Time to spring-clean Let’s face it – in winter, we tend to hoard. This is part of our cocooning winter cycle: staying at home, keeping cozy, having everything we need within reach. But once the curtains are open and the light streams in, the clutter becomes less appealing and the dust shows.

When we allow ‘stuff’ to accumulate, we’re really just procrastinating, allowing our purpose and energy to stagnate. Suzanne Martin, who runs Pretoria-based business Harmonize (www.harmonize.co.za), specialises in de-cluttering home and office spaces.

“When you start to de-clutter, two things happen,” she says. “First, you notice that your surroundings are

not as clean as you thought, so you automatically start spring-cleaning.

It provides a release. Secondly, you regain a sense of control over your personal space. You may find items you thought were lost, or you put items back in their rightful places, such as putting books back on bookshelves.”

One of the biggest hoarding problems is those items you don’t need or use but hang on to anyway.

If you haven’t used an item for three months, chances are it is just taking up space and cluttering your life. Rather recycle or donate it to a Salvation Army or similar second hand charity.

If you can’t bear to get rid of that unused gym equipment, for example, rather store it out of the way until you’re ready to dust it off and start training again. “Bear in mind that, as you clear a room, you may find its usability increases – so your home office can also accommodate a play-room for your toddler,” says Martin. Or your treadmill can be ready for you during your lunch-break!

Did you

Know?

Based on German research: “A vegan driving an SUV is more ecofriendly than a meat-eater riding a bicycle.”

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some fruity body and facial scrubs. The Body Shop has some great products: the zesty citrus Spa Fit Smoothing & Refining Scrub, the exfoliating Africa Ximenia & Salt Scrub, and the nourishing Honey & Oat 3-In-1 Scrub Mask that will soothe and moisturise. Visit www.thebodyshop.co.za.

Get rid of tension

Bring the outdoors inside

A little sunshine goes a long way. Even if you need a hat and sunblock, make sure you get out into the fresh air during weekends. Hike a short trail, play tennis, or simply walk the dog – it’s therapeutic. Not very active? A stroll through the Pretoria National Botanical Gardens or a picnic in Magnolia Dell Park will bring you closer to nature. The big idea, here, is to get into the sunlight for at least an hour every day – even if you’re not in direct sunlight, the sun’s rays will give you the vitamin boost you need.

We South Africans love our meat – but South Africa is also one of the world leaders in heart disease, stroke and obesity. Reducing your meat intake means you will reduce the amount of saturated fat you consume.

Now that fresh veggies and salads are in season, do your bit for your health and the planet, because emissions from livestock make up 18% of all greenhouse gas emissions, according to the United Nations. Join the global ‘Meat Free Mondays’ movement – spring-cleaning your diet could make you slimmer, healthier and more green-friendly, too. For some wonderfully fresh, innovative recipes, visit the MeatFreeMondaysRSA page on Facebook, or www.supportmfm.co.za.

ISSUE 4 2012

Is your skin feeling rough and dry after being wrapped up through winter? In preparation for showing a little more flesh (think short skirts and strappy tops), you may like to get your skin tingling again with

It’s no accident that bright clothing’s making its spring debut. Colour affects mood and the hot orange, zingy lime, dazzling yellow and startling turquoise coming into fashion will give the wearer a boost. Bright colours remind us of the great outdoors – sunlight, clear summer skies and nature’s intense vibrancy.

Children respond best to bright primary colours, so it may be that these colours remind us of our earliest associations with colour, and the joy we felt when we played with our toys. Whatever the case, bright colours liven things up!

Embrace meat-free Mondays

A dose of vitamin D

Scrub away winter!

Colour therapy

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We’d all like to bottle that sunshiny spring feeling… but how about bringing some of it indoors? Fresh spring flowers in a vase liven up any room, as do pot-plants – which also last much longer. Wind chimes bring the breeze to life and small water features are also soothing to listen to and lovely to behold. It’s also great to build or buy a bird-feeder to encourage bird-life in your garden. Builders Warehouse branches have great gardening departments and they make DIY kitchen gardening easy!

Visit www.builders.co.za and click on the Gardener’s Patch icon.

Sandals are always the first sign that spring has sprung. If you have a garden, how about walking barefoot on the lawn?

It’s instant reflexology, lets your feet breathe, and brings you into intimate contact with the earth. Remember how good it felt to run around barefoot as a child?

“Going barefoot is the gentlest way of walking and can symbolise a way of living – being authentic, vulnerable, sensitive to our surroundings,” says Adele Coombs, author of the book Barefoot Dreaming. Lose the shoes and enjoy the freedom!

www.salivelife.co.za

Cape Town-based fitness trainer Claire Brune, of Attune Kinetics recommends Douglas Heel’s Muscle Activation Techniques (www.muscleactivation.co.za) to get rid of the tension in your body and kick-start your summer-loving energy with “a series of steps whereby reflexes in the body are used to ‘wake’ muscles that are no longer working properly,” she says. Muscle activation allows stiff and tight areas of the body to function normally again.

For an easy at-home solution to destressing, start working on your breathing: applying some pressure, ‘draw’ small circles while moving your fingers from the base of your lower rib towards your chest bone. Keep up this massaging action as you work your way all the way from the bottom of the chest bone to the top of it.

Then lie on your back, place your hands on your stomach and pretend you are sucking air in through a straw. Keep your shoulders relaxed and breathe in more deeply than you usually would. Your ribs should start to rise. As you exhale, sigh the air out through an open mouth and force the last bit of air out the bottom of your lungs. “This is a great exercise to do before you go to sleep at night. Try to get to 30 deep breaths,” Brune says. You’ll feel more relaxed and ready for a good night’s sleep.

Go barefoot

balancing act

Making Pretoria Pretty: SPAR Women’s Challenge

THE PRETORIA LEG of the SPAR Women’s Challenge, held on 27 August 2012, was a resounding success with some 25 000 entrants and many more thousands flocking to the Supersport Park to take part in the festive fun.

Excitement for the Pretoria SPAR Women’s Challenge was incredible, and social media sites like Twitter and Facebook buzzed with the words “I am beautiful because…”

Free Radical Media, publisher of Live Life magazine, was responsible for the official race magazine, which was received with as much enthusiasm as the race itself. The team behind Live Life went all out to produce My Race magazine and we enjoyed being a part of celebrating South Africa’s most beautiful women. Here are a few snapshots of our Publisher, Fanie Hendriksz being spotted with the who’s-who of the day!

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A woman has many titles and many roles during her lifetime. Yet above all things, women of all ages, races, and cultures have one golden thread that unites them: their natural feminine beauty.

Every year, SPAR celebrates this beauty across the country with five SPAR Women’s Challenge races.

Fanie Hendriksz, Marisa Du Toit (cover artist for the first My Race magazine), and the cast from 7de Laan and Binnelanders. From left to right: (Front) Marisa du Toit (Artist), Ivan Botha and Fanie Hendriksz (Back) Lindie Stander, Jacque Blignaut, Melanie du Bois, Donnalee Roberts, and Jay

Afrikaans singing sensation Jay and Willem Botha with First Lady Bongi Ngema-Zuma.

balancing act

Make a

family date

Dinnertime offers parents time to teach their children the values of caring for others, to give them a sense of belonging, importance and love. It teaches children to value family relationships and allows parents to keep in touch with their children’s lives outside the home. By Bronwyn Wainwright

ISSUE 4 2012

topics. It’s also a time when parents can teach their children problem solving skills and better ways of communicating with their peers.

Regular family meals important for a growing child’s nutritional needs too. Rather than opting for fast food, fried food or processed foods, parents are more likely to cook wholesome meals that provide children with the nutrients their bodies need for healthy development.

While you may think dinnertime only means less time for homework or household chores, remember the average dinner lasts just 30 minutes. A half hour spent focused on family values is perhaps the best half hour of a child’s day. They may not think so when there is less time for computer games or Barbie, but they will appreciate it one day when they have children of their own who need nurturing and discipline in turn.

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together regularly are more likely to have stronger and happier family relationships.

Dinnertime provides the perfect opportunity for you and your children to hangout and get to know each other better.

Research also shows that children who eat with their families at least three meals a week will perform better academically and in their sports, on the other hand, children who don’t eat regular meals with their families are more likely to attain lower grades and have a lower self-esteem.

Having a routine of gathering together at mealtimes also provides a sense of stability and security and a positive environment for children to grow into healthy and happy adults.

This way, children have greater opportunity to learn not only good values, but also to develop better vocabularies, catch up on current affairs and new

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ANY GOOD PARENT will confirm what researchers are touting: sharing meals as a family, whether breakfast, dinner or Sunday lunch, is vital for encouraging good behaviours, increased self-esteem and higher school marks in children. While most parents would agree with this, finding the time for a hearty meal is not easy amid fetching and carrying youngsters to dance classes, netball matches, soccer practice, or judo sessions, as well as cooking dinner, overseeing homework and preparing lunchboxes for the next day.

There are however, good reasons to actively make time for family time, not least because it is within our families that we once learned to be ourselves and let others be themselves, to listen to each other and express our opinions.

Families are about relationships after all. It makes sense then that those who eat dinner

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balancing act

Laat die speke Fietsry is ‘n sport wat deesdae al hoe meer aftrek kry en dis veral bergfietsry wat gewilder raak. Deur Terésa Roodt

balancing act

Die volgende stap om te neem is om jou fiets reg te laat opstel vir jou lyf en dit behels onder andere die hoogte van die saal en handvatsels.

En daarna die regte fietsryklere … Moenie eens daaraan dink om sonder ‘n valhoed te ry nie, dis amper belangriker as die fiets self. Daar is ‘n rede waarom sekere valhoede duurder as ander is en wanneer jy een koop, moet jy dalk dink hoeveel jou kop nou eintlik vir jou werd is. ‘n Goeie fietsrybroek is ook belangrik omdat ‘n mens se sitvlak maar taamlik teer kan raak ná ‘n uur of twee op ‘n fiets se saal.

Fietsryskoene klik aan die fiets se pedale en dit help dat jy die spiere in jou bene méér gebruik, maar as jy ‘n beginner is en grondpad ry, is gewone tekkies dalk nie ‘n slegte idee nie. Fietsryhandskoene beskerm jou hande en fietsryhemde is spesiaal ontwerp om lig te wees en lug deur te laat met sakke op die rug vir jou peuselhappies of fietsry-toebehore en sonskerm. Onthou waterbottels, want dit kan ‘n dorstige storie raak ná ‘n paar uur op die fiets.

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JUIS OMDAT DIE hele gesin dit saam kan doen, raak fietsry by die dag gewilder en daar is boonop talle veilige bergfietsroetes oor die hele land wat wissel van maklik tot baie uitdagend. Dit is ook ‘n baie goeie manier om vinnig fiks en ferm te word.

Maar om aan die gang te kom, is die regte fiets en toerusting baie belangrik. En jy sal vinnig agterkom dat fietsry nie ‘n goedkoop sportsoort is nie.

Volgens Pierre Nel, ‘n bergfiets-kenner en professionele –afrigter, is die kies van die regte fiets die heel eerste en belangrikste stap wat jy kan neem.

“Dit gaan oor meer as om net die regte grootte te koop. Soveel verskillende goed moet in ag geneem word, soos die tipe fiets, presies hoe gereeld en waar jy daarmee wil ry en ook hoe kompeterend jy wil ry. “’n Goedkoop fiets is meestal voldoende om naweke saam met jou kinders in die naaste park te gaan ry, maar ek sal tweekeer dink voor ek ‘n fiets by die naaste kettingwinkel gaan koop. Hierdie fietse is nie noodwendig sleg nie, maar hulle is nie gebou vir egte ruwe terrein of langer afstande nie.

Gaan eerder na ‘n ordentlike, betroubare fietswinkel met goeie verwysings en gesels met hulle oor jou behoeftes. Wil julle gesin die fietse saamvat met vakansie en nuwe paadjies gaan ontdek, of wil jy darem af en toe aan ‘n bergfietswedren deelneem met uitdagende roetes en ruwe terrein,” vra Pierre.

Jou fiets gaan beslis jou grootste uitgawe wees en pryse wissel gewoonlik van R2 500 tot soveel as R100 000. Dis glad nie nodig om die duurste fiets in die winkel te koop nie.

Die duur fiets gaan jou nie soveel vinniger of gemakliker laat ry nie. Deesdae is daar goeie tweedehandse fietse te koop op webwerwe soos www.junkmail.com en www.gumtree. co.za of www.thehubsa.co.za

Hier is ‘n paar nuttige webwerwe en nommers vir nuwe fietsryers: • www.cyclelab.co.za • www.endomondo.com is ‘n baie lekker sport-applikasie wat jy vir jou slimfoon kan aflaai. Hierop kan jy jou roetes vaslê, die hoeveelheid wat jy geklim het, sowel as tye, ens.

• By www.entrytime.com kan jy ook inskryf vir lekker fietsry-byeenkomste.

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work-life regularbalance dose

Preventing

burnout

AS A LIFE COACH, I am often asked by clients how they can better manage their energy levels. Many describe how even with rest and time off they continually feel tired.

We have all experienced returning to work or finishing with the kids on a Monday (after a weekend that was supposed to leave us feeling refreshed), and still feeling as if life has been one long sentence without any punctuation marks. The result is that many feel at the mercy of their energy levels, or artificially attempt to manage them with caffeine or energy drinks.

We have a need to create what I call a baseline state. A baseline state is the state to which you continually return and which fuels you to operate at your best in the other more obvious states. It is where you find your balance.

You are probably more familiar with the other states, such as when you are at your best and you have lots of energy or enthusiasm. This may include academic studies for a student, work for a business person, or being a good parent for a mother. We become good at these states or roles through putting in a lot of effort and planning.

It is the space in between that many of us aren’t so good at, and that we just let happen rather than intentionally creating a meaningful and resourceful baseline state.

Most of us, however, do not know what

As the end of the year nears, many of us start to feel the effects of working long hours, not getting enough rest and generally feeling rundown. Find your balance and use these two simple steps to ensure you have a meaningful ‘baseline state’.

Copyright Mark Holtshousen

that state comprises for us as an individual, and the result is that we just collapse at the end of the day. Here are some useful tips that will help you to create a baseline state.

01

Take the basics seriously

I am continually amazed at how many people go about life as if they are not human, and then wonder why they don’t function well as one! It doesn’t matter how brilliant, gifted, talented, educated, or important you are; if you do not take care of yourself as a human being you will limit your ability to demonstrate and share your worth. A good example is the most expensive high performance vehicle, which is limited by the maintenance it receives and the fuel it requires. If it is not maintained properly, it will not perform on the road as it should. The fact is that you need sufficient sleep, healthy food, and regular exercise. If you don’t take these seriously there is no use looking any further. It’s no secret what the problem is, so take time to look after yourself.

01

Take the basics seriously

When I use the word ‘resource’, I am referring to those things that you draw on or that supply you with energy, inner ability, wealth or that simply gives meaning

and enjoyment to you as an individual.

Sometimes these are as simple as creature comforts or activities. They may include relationships or your beliefs. What are your special places, special people, special things, and special times?

As we near the end of the year, many look to some time off as the break that will magically refresh them again. Unfortunately, all too many return no better than before.

It is maintaining our baseline state that alone can prevent burnout. Refuel yourself with your resources, and make the time for looking after your own wellbeing.

Mark Holtshousen is a leading Executive Life Coach at Cycan. He facilitates transformation in the personal and working lives of his clients and defines his areas of speciality as, “Passion, purpose and power – creating a life that matters”.

Contact him at mark@cycan.co.za

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health habits

Sniffing out

allergies It’s that time of year when allergies come knocking. About 30% of South Africans suffer from hay fever while food allergies, despite their supposed popularity, only affect 5% of the local population. What causes this affliction and what’s to be done when you’re affected.

Jabulile Bongiwe Ngwenya asks both natural and medical experts.

By Jabulile Bongiwe Ngwenya

health habits

Sniff out solutions

A lifestyle change can trigger allergies. Your body can be thrown into chaos when you move from one environment to another. There is also the hygiene hypothesis that states if you are too clean, or become obsessed with being too hygienic, you can become more prone to allergies, because living in a near sterile environment means you are not exposed to enough pathogens to keep the immune system busy. When our bodies have not developed a resistance to such pathogens, our immune system will attack harmless antigens, like pollen, which will trigger an immune response.

YOU CAN DESENSITISE YOURSELF BY EXPOSING YOURSELF TO SMALL QUANTITIES OF THE ALLERGEN SO THAT THE BODY SLOWLY GAINS A TOLERANCE TO IT. HOWEVER, BEAR IN MIND THIS PROCESS CANNOT BE USED WITH FOOD.

• Start early. Pregnant or breastfeeding women should take probiotics if there is a history of allergies in the family.

• Consider having a natural birth avoiding a caesarean section. When the baby passes through the birth canal, he or she comes into contact with good bacteria that can strengthen the immune system.

• Do not smoke in pregnancy as your baby is more likely to become allergy-prone.

• Give your child eggs, milk and peanuts as soon as they start eating solids. Research shows that babies who are given peanut butter do not suffer from allergies.

• A healthy immune system means less allergies. Avoid refined and processed foods, which can be considered toxins to the body.

• Engage in stress releasing activities – moderate exercise of any kind is good for your health.

• For those days when the pollen count is high, keep windows and doors closed.

• Pollen can cling to hair and skin, so do wash clothes and hair regularly. Don't hang clothes outside because this allows pollen to cling to the fabric.

• Avoid being outside during those times of the day when the pollen count is highest, which includes early mornings and evenings.

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Figure out triggers

Rather than obsess over extreme hygiene, bear these tips in mind:

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What should you do when you suspect you have an allergy? Dr Morris advises that you should first get tested to be sure it is an allergy. You also need to know what’s causing the allergy. He states that you must take precautions to avoid the allergen, although desensitising is a process where a patient is exposed to small quantities of the allergen so that the body slowly gains a tolerance to it. For example, if you experience allergic reactions to pet hair, you can desensitise yourself to it by spending time with pets until your body no longer has a negative reaction. However, bear in mind this process cannot be used with food.

Willem Smuts is a natural practitioner who uses the Dr Nambudripad’s Allergy Elimination Technique (NAET) and Neutraceutical Energetic System (NES) to desensitise people to their allergens. These treatments, which were developed in the East are not always popular in the Western world, but Smuts says, they have changed the lives of many. The NES infoceuticals give corrective information to the

body and mind at subatomic levels in order to correct imbalances.

The NAET treatment uses only finger pressure on accupoints to open blockages in the body’s energy channels in order to improve the flow of energy to and from our organs.

“With the NAET system, one allergen is treated at a time and if you are not severely immune deficient, you may only need one treatment to desensitise one allergen,” Smut confirms.

The good news for children who suffer from allergies is that they can outgrow their allergies.

You rarely find people in their senior years battling allergens. However, according to Dr Morris “You don’t really get rid of the allergy.

Often it lies dormant and can strike again at some point in the future.”

While Dr Morris says he hasn’t found any evidence that homeopathic treatments really work, he is aware that they have a role, but they should be used as in conjunction with approved allergy medications.

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ACCORDING TO DR ADRIAN MORRIS at the Allergy Clinic, an allergy occurs when your immune system fights a foreign substance that causes symptoms such as a rash, hay fever, eczema, mucus, phlegm, or even a swollen tongue and throat, in the case of a severe reaction to a bee sting is experienced. Grass, pollen, milk, or peanuts can be common allergens in children, while adults may react to tree nuts, fish and shellfish. These are only a few of the myriad allergens to which we can all react.

health habits

Straighten out stress When you are about to step into an important meeting or a crowded room, do you instinctively prepare yourself?

Do you pull back your shoulders, stand up straight and feel the surge of confidence? This is when your posture is at its best, but how often do you really focus on maintaining correct posture?

Be aware of your body and ease yourself out of stiffness. Shake your arms and legs out to loosen up a little.

Elongate your body by imagining a string running from your ankles up through your body and out the top of your head pulling you upwards – allow yourself to follow the string and lengthen your spine.

Don’t lean forward for any length of time; your shoulders should be straight and parallel to your hips.

Lie on your back for 15 minutes every day on a firm surface and keep your knees bent. Place a thin pillow under your head. Breathe deeply into your abdomen. This releases the back tension and reduces the effects of stress on your body.

Dr Keith is a registered Chiropractor who believes education and prevention is the best cure. Look out for his articles on different aspects of Chiropractic treatment in every issue of Live Life.

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Don’t sit in one position for long periods and avoid crossing your legs. Sit with your spine against the back of the chair and have your knees slightly below hip level.

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base of the neck, which leads to problems with headaches, migraines and neck spasms.

Nerves run through the spinal cord and branch out into the body, which means that bad posture can impede the passage of nerve impulses, creating what is sometimes known as a somato-visceral response, where damage to tissues in the back affects the internal organs. The resulting pain may in turn be referred back to the spine. The opposite can also occur, such as kidney problems that can refer back to the spine and give one backache.

If the muscles in your neck are tight, it affects the flow of blood through the arteries to areas of the brain that control breathing, heart rate, appetite, balance, emotions, the hormone producing pituitary gland, and even sleep. It’s about how we carry ourselves when we sit, walk, sleep or run. Little wonder then, that posture is so pivotal to our overall sense of wellbeing.

The number one rule? Prevention! As always, this works far better than cure, and this is where chiropractic, along with regular exercise, plays a major role. Maintaining your back and spine health is your chiropractor’s role in this process and having regular checkups can prevent problems from developing, and at the same time, keep your spine in good working order.

Loosen up by shrugging your shoulders up as far as you can then pulling them back towards the centre of your spine and down toward your elbows.

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Breathe deeply to reduce tension in your neck and back muscles and to expand your chest.

By Dr Keith Chittenden (DC) USA

STRAIGHTENING UP MAY appear to be psychological when we want to impress, but the benefits of good posture are by no means all in the mind. In our desk-pushing culture where office workers spend 8 to 10 hours slumped in front of a computer every day, we tend to regard holding ourselves upright as a sort of cosmetic add-on rather than a conscious decision to look after our health.

The way we carry ourselves has a significant impact on the way we breathe and the alignment of our joints and bones. Poor posture can cause backache, headaches and digestive problems. It also hampers our ability to do physical activity and exercise and can disturb our sleeping patterns.

Posture is the manifestation of the way we feel.

If you are feeling stressed, you may notice that you tend to hunch over, because your muscles contract and shorten and physically close down your body, rather than opening up to allow you to breathe deeply.

Conditions such as asthma, breathing difficulties, or a predisposition to colds and flu could all be related to your posture, because in these cases the chest becomes tight and the lungs are not being used to their full capacity.

When your shoulders are rounded and your head is tucked into your neck, this causes tension in the

How to improve your posture

health habits

secret What do a primetime newsreader, a magazine editor, a celebrity chef, a film composer and a fashionista have in common? Read on…

By Shona Bagley

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The best-kept celebrity

RECENTLY ON eTV PRIMETIME NEWS, there was a light-hearted insert about a company that’s making tea from panda dung. At the end of the insert, newsreader Sally Burdett smiled wryly and said, “I think I’ll stick to my rooibos”.

Sally says, “I first started drinking rooibos in my teens as my early years would almost certainly have been dominated by British tea. The South African brew took a few years to filter through to our immigrant family.”

She’s now a complete convert to South Africa’s iconic drink. “I like the gentle flavour of rooibos. I almost always feel calmer after drinking it. I love the taste and it feels great to choose a drink that has undeniable health properties. I love my tea with a few muesli rusks on the side – it's a signal to my brain to take a break,” says this mother of two young children.

Having children opened Sally’s eyes to numerous other uses for rooibos. “When my

health habits

Newsreader, Sally Burdett Master chef, Dr Billy Gallagher

Editor of Fairlady Suzy Brokensha

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Delicieux serves family, friends and guests alike her characteristic favourite beverage: a spicy cup of rooibos and orange tea with a dusting of white chocolate. Café diners can order the rooibos and honey milkshake.

Another advocate of rooibos combined with citrus is Tiago Paulo, 340ml’s guitarist, and writer and composer for SA film Otelo Burning. He says he can’t get enough of homemade iced rooibos tea with citrus peel and honey.

Lest we get swept away on a wave of sensory indulgence, let’s not lose sight of the fact that rooibos has so many healthful properties. Rooibos has no kilojoules and contains no caffeine, and researchers have found that it can help to prevent and slow down cancer, reduce the risk of heart disease and strokes, prevent liver disease, lower blood pressure, boost the immune system, ease stomach cramps and other digestive disorders, relieve allergies and soothe itching skin.

Lucilla Booyzen, founder of SA Fashion Week, is a woman who’s obviously aware of rooibos’ health benefits, in addition to its delicious flavour. When asked if she had to choose the ingredients for her last meal, what they would be? Her answer: “I would not have a meal, just rooibos tea.”

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honorary doctorate in culinary arts from the University of Johnson and Wales, Miami, USA. He served as president of the South African Chefs Association for 20 years and was elected President of the World Association of Chefs Societies (90 countries and 10 million members) to serve a term of four years – 1996 to 2000. He has been group food and beverage director for hotel chain Southern Sun for decades, so it almost goes without saying that rooibos – which he says, “is refreshing, good for you and tastes great” – would find its way into his dishes, too. He often uses it in cooking and says it can also be used to infuse with herbs for a marinade.

Genial, charming Billy is not the only food fundi who has discovered that rooibos is a very versatile ingredient in cooking. Current media darling Luke DaleRoberts, celebrity chef and owner of The Test Kitchen Restaurant and Pot Luck Club in Cape Town, has a signature Christmas dish of rooibos smoked salmon.

Gregg Oosthuizen, driving force in the kitchen at the Green Valley Restaurant at Dovehouse Organic Farm in Karkloof, KZN, recently told Witness Weekend, “Flavours that I am enjoying working with at the moment are limes, chilli, rooibos tea”. His signature dish consists of queen prawn and avocado, stacked with garden greens, grated beetroot and carrot marinated with tamarind and raw honey, topped with a charred nectarine salsa and balsamicglazed organic figs, splashed with rooibos syrup.

If you prefer your rooibos as a beverage rather than in food, and you’re in the area, drop into the Beverly Hills Hotel in Umhlanga, where the glamouristas meet for rooibos and citrus spirit High Tea signature cocktails. Less blingy is a small, French-inspired eatery in the village hub of Welgemoed. Serita Landman of Café

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little ones were in nappies I would use a cold, soaked rooibos tea bag dabbed on chafed skin to soothe rashes. I also gave it to them as a drink from toddler age and they now love their afternoon rooibos with a rusk or two. It's also a perfect drink for breastfeeding mums because it rehydrates and calms any early mum stresses.” Sally has put her experience as a mother to use in her career – she also co-owns the production company Bun In The Oven that produces the parenting show Great Expectations.

Sally’s not the only high-profiler who has a rooibos habit. Suzy Brokensha, editor of Fairlady is partial to it, too. “I love the taste of it, and I love the fact that rooibos doesn’t keep me awake at night. Like a lot of people, I go through insomniac phases, and I find rooibos really helps with that. Also, it feels nourishing to me. I have quite dry skin, and I believe, based on my own observation, that rooibos has a more hydrating effect than other teas.”

Suzy has also discovered alternative uses for this proudly South African tea.

“I have put it in the bath to soothe sunburn, and have used it to dye fabric. And my hairdresser once used it to make a hair dye, which was gorgeous,” she says.

Suzy associates rooibos with warm, fuzzy feelings. “My husband grew up in a huge old house with the obligatory Aga churning away in the kitchen, and he has very strong memories of a pot of rooibos always stewing slowly on the stove, and the smell of that. So probably through that I associate the smell of rooibos with home and warmth and security.”

Iconic Master chef Dr Billy Gallagher has similar associations. “It's one of those drinks that is comforting and makes you feel relaxed and warm inside.” Billy’s accomplishments read like an honours roll.

A certified Master chef from Westminster College in London, he also holds an

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health habits

The lowdown on GI While the Glycaemic Index (or GI) has been around for almost 30 years, it has become a buzz-word only recently, with diabetics and healthy eaters alike using it as an eating guideline. Could a low GI lifestyle work for you? By Shona Bagley

GI IS A MEASUREMENT of short-term changes in your blood glucose levels after you eat carbohydrates. Glucose (which is the scientific name for sugar in the blood stream, and is the simplest form of sugar) is your body’s main source of energy.

Diabetes or sugar sickness occurs when your body doesn’t produce enough insulin, and the sugar from your food cannot be used correctly to provide energy. Without insulin your body cannot get the energy it needs from your food.

Normally, a gland called the pancreas makes insulin which carries the sugar in the blood into the cells. There are different levels of diabetes, but the basic principle is that the pancreas fails to supply enough insulin, or the insulin doesn't work properly in your body.

This is where the importance of Glycemic Index comes into the picture. GI

is simply a ranking from 0 to 100 of foods based on their immediate effect on blood glucose levels.

Any food rating less than 55 on the GI is considered low – which means that it is digested slowly, leaves you feeling fuller for longer and helps ensure that your energy levels remain stable. Food that is digested quickly has a high GI, which causes your blood sugar to rise quickly and can cause a ‘sugar rush’ before causing your energy levels to drop so low that you suddenly feel tired. A bowl of cornflakes, for example, has a high GI of 84, while plain spaghetti is low GI at 41 on the GI list .

Low GI foods include whole grain, protein, legumes, vegetables, fruit (with the exception of fruit high in sugar) and many natural dairy products. High GI foods are those that contain refined grains and refined sugar, which are digested quickly

and trigger fluctuations in blood glucose levels (the infamous ‘sugar high’ being one example).

GI is a good guide for diabetics or anyone wanting to moderate their blood glucose levels the healthy way. A low GI diet aids in the management of diabetes, improved cholesterol, reduced risk of heart disease and weight management as well as stress management.

So how do I follow a low GI diet?

Eating a balance of nutrients will help keep your blood glucose even and your appetite tamed: • Eat grains in their least processed states. Replace refined and white breads with whole wheat or sourdough.

Swap jasmine and arborio rice for basmati, brown, or long grain. Instead

health habits

•

• •

•

So that’ s GI, now what’ s GL?

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w .h w em ed .c o. za

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om

GI foundation defines GI as: "A true low GI food releases glucose slowly and steadily into the bloodstream without over stimulating the pancreas to produce too much insulin. A high GI food, on the other hand, causes a sudden, large increase in blood glucose." If you would like to know the GI and GL of the foods your family eats regularly, go to www.gifoundation.co.za.

Ingrid adds, “Diets that cause blood sugar levels to sky-rocket have a discernible impact on our stress levels.

Highly refined foods act as a stimulant to our nervous system and release the stress hormones every time we have a ‘sugar fix’. We eventually become addicted to the rush that highly refined foods give us, which exacerbates the effects of stress on our body. A diet containing a lot of highly refined food decreases our immune system so we are prone to infections, may develop candida and digestive problems and suffer from depression and headaches.”

There are clearly benefits to following a low GI/GL diet, particularly for diabetics, but to be on the safe side, consult a professional for a medical assessment and a comprehensive list of low GI foods and food combination recommendations.

w

A relatively new concept, the Glycaemic Load (GL), was developed by scientists from Harvard University, and ‘fine tunes’ the Glycaemic Index concept. It addresses concerns about rating carbohydrate foods as either ‘good’ or ‘bad’ on the basis of their GI. There is no such thing as a good or bad carbohydrate food, they maintain.

Most carbohydrate foods can fit into a healthy diet – it all depends on when you

eat it, how much you eat and with what you combine it.

Cape Town-based Nutritional Therapist Katherine Tudsbury, tends to disagree.

“Processed carbohydrates not only have a huge impact on blood sugar levels and the corresponding insulin release, but they are often devoid of vitamins, minerals and fibre. In this case the body needs to find these co-factors in other areas of the body (bone, for example) to metabolise the food.” In other words, the body begins consuming its own resources.

Like GI, the GL of a specific food is an indication of how much impact it will have on blood glucose levels. It is calculated by taking the percentage of the food’s carbohydrate content per portion and multiplying it by its Glycaemic Index value.

Katherine clarifies, “GL uses the GI value as well as the actual amount of carbohydrate eaten at a sitting. It is a more realistic reading because it tells you how your serving size of carbohydrate food will impact the blood sugar levels. GI is helpful in that it can let you know which carbs to generally avoid.”

“Fibrous foods tend to have a lower GI because fibre slows digestion and allows the carbohydrates to be broken down over time, thus avoiding a severe ‘blood sugar spike’.

Remember that GL and GI only take the specific carbohydrate foods into account,” she cautions. “Blood sugar levels vary depending on what carbohydrates are eaten together and if there is protein and fat in the meal.”

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•

of processed cereals, like cornflakes and instant oats, eat rolled oats or cold cereals that have at least 4 g of fibre per serving.

Restrict white-flour treats.

Eat lots of fibre-rich vegetables (dark leafy greens are good) and fruit – apples, pears, peaches, and berries have a lower GI than tropical fruits like mangoes and grapes Eat small portions of potatoes.

Avoid sugary drinks. “Be careful of pure fruit juice because of the high sugar content. One glass of freshly squeezed orange juice contains four to five oranges.

The average fruit intake for one day is three pieces of low GI fruit,” says Ingrid Regenass, an Integral Health coach with a private practice in Cape Town.

Consume good quality protein and ‘good’ fat at most meals. Olive oil, nuts, avocados and seeds are healthy fats. Cut back on saturated fats, and treat trans fats as if they are poisonous serpents.

Food such as quinoa, buckwheat, chickpeas, beans and soya, lean meat and dairy are your best sources of low GI protein

eat in

Playing the percentages

game

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IN MY MIND, LIFE IS a game of percentages and I use this as a simple way of motivating people when it comes to creating a healthy lifestyle. By now you’ve read or have been told countless times that it is healthy to eat approximately six small meals per day rather than three big ones. This amounts to an average of 40 to 50 meals each week, taking into account that you may skip some or add an extra meal in every now and then.

If you were to create a spreadsheet to track your eating habits over the course of a week, and you then ate 35 healthy meals (using fresh foods that are low in refined sugars and saturated or hydrogenated fats), and you allowed yourself to indulge in five less healthy meals, you would have totalled 87% healthy eating for the week.

While the emphasis is on healthy eating, you can still allow yourself to enjoy those snacks and foods that are not so great for your health or your waistline.

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You may be surprised to know that you don’t have to entirely stop eating what you enjoy – there are other ways to get healthy and still enjoy those naughty treats that make you feel oh-so guilty. Mark Wolff is a nutrition expert and selfconfessed fitness freak who puts his health first, and he shares his way of creating a balanced life in this edition of Live Life. By Mark Wolff What’s even better is that over time, those indulgent meals will also become a lot less desirable as your body starts to get used to healthy eating, as it is natural that you will start to notice the negative impact of those foods on your energy levels and moods. This means you’ll want to make healthier choices as opposed to the unhealthy ones as you become more accustomed to eating healthy.

One of the biggest concerns I encounter is that people don't set aside time to eat. Most people are too distracted with work or family activities and so they go on ignoring what their bodies are telling them. By the time your body is demanding your attention, you have probably hit a hyperglycaemic stage (in which your healthy blood sugar levels drop), causing your body to crave something unhealthy like a packet of chips or sweets.

Instead, if you plan your week's meals and set aside times to eat those

meals, it will make it far easier to play the percentages game. This way you can also set times for your treat meals. You are only in control of your eating habits when you can see a clear picture of what lies ahead.

The next step is to get into the habit of setting aside the time to eat, and here I have a simple solution that I suggest for those that are totally neglectful: use your alarm clock, or the meeting reminder on your mobile. We run our lives by time, whether its scheduling meetings, planning for school or doing sport. Setting an alarm clock or meeting reminder for meals is something that you can easily do and something that you should find quite easy to stick to.

Try out these suggestions, and in no time you will be eating in the healthy percentages.

You will start feeling a lot better each day, and your weight and health will come under proper control, too.

eat in

We are the

bread nation

By Fiona Zerbst

ISSUE 4 2012

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www.salivelife.co.za

Bread is one of our staple foods and of course, most of us love the smell of freshly baked bread – the perfect base for a scrumptious sandwich or side to your main meal. But not all breads are created equal, so what should you look for when you buy bread?

GIVEN THAT SOUTH AFRICA’S bread (both white and brown) is baked with fortified flour and contains eight essential micronutrients (six vitamins and two minerals), there’s really every reason to make sandwiches for your family’s daily lunch-box.

But not all breads are created equal, so what should you look for when you buy bread? Nourishment aside, many of us have different dietary needs and goals, and there’s a rather bewildering

array of loaves, rolls, buns and other products on our shelves.

According to the South African Chamber of Baking, bread is the second most important supplier of energy (kilojoules) after maize – twice as much as potatoes and rice, for example. It’s starchy and full of protein and fibre, while being low in fat. It’s therefore a good nutritional staple.

We decided to compare three different loaves to illustrate some key differences in our daily bread.

eat in

Sinful spreads

Sasko Nature's Harvest Brown Seed Loaf 800G

Albany Low GI White Bread

Blue Ribbon Premier Brown Bread

95g

80g

75g

Energy (kJ)

983

778

682

Protein

8.6

6.72

6

Carbs

33.5

36.3

33.5

Fat

6.2 (saturated fat (g) 1.02)

2.08

1.35

Fibre

4.8

5.2

2.65

Sodium

338

373.6

348

Gluten intolerance refers to a spectrum of disorders, from Celiac disease to wheat allergy. All are characterised by acute sensitivity to products containing wheat, with symptoms such as bloating, abdominal pain or discomfort, diarrhoea, headaches, tiredness and others.

“In the case of gluten intolerance, wheat should be avoided and replaced with gluten-free carbohydrate options,” says Smyth. Often, supermarkets will stock a range of gluten-free products, including bread and cake mixes.

Manicom notes that although some breads claim to be ‘low GI’ (or Glycemic Index, which measures the effect of carbohydrates in individual foods on the blood glucose levels), not all have the endorsement of the Glycemic Index Foundation of South Africa (GIFSA). If you are diabetic or pre-diabetic (showing symptoms of developing diabetes), it is critical that you look for GIFSA’s logo on the packaging. The Diabetes SA logo also indicates which bread is safe for diabetics to eat.

Sliced bread was referred to Low GI bread is denser than other breads. “Because it is as “the greatest forward step dense, a slice of low GI bread contains more calories and in the baking industry since carbohydrates than a slice of brown or whole-wheat bread, bread was wrapped”, which so watch your portions,” cautions Smyth. “The general rule later led to the saying “the (obviously dependant on the brand of bread and nutritional greatest thing since content) to follow is one portion of carbohydrates equals one sliced bread”. slice of brown/wholewheat bread and half a slice of low GI bread.”

Fast Fact

ISSUE 4 2012

The truth about low GI bread

I’m gluten intolerant. What now?

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“There are not huge differences here, but note that Sasko is slightly higher in protein than the other two, and quite a bit higher in fat,” says Pippa Manicom, a dietician from Johannesburg.

“Note that the saturated fat content is 1.02, which means this bread has more poly- and mono-unsaturated (healthy) fats – possibly due to the high seed content of the loaf. This is actually a good thing, because ‘good’ fats improve blood cholesterol levels, decreasing the risk of heart disease.” Manicom notes that the Blue Ribbon loaf is lower in fibre than the other two, so if dietary fibre is a priority for you (if you have any digestion problems), then a more high-fibre loaf might be best.

“When you choose the right type of bread and control your portions, bread can provide vitamins, minerals and fibre important in weight loss and prevention of lifestyle diseases,” says dietician Toni Smyth. She suggests you choose bread containing whole grains and fibre. “Choose bread that contains at least 2 g of fibre per slice,” she says.

www.salivelife.co.za

2 slices:

Remember that, if you are trying to lose weight, cutting out bread is not necessarily the way to go. “Carbohydrates can contribute to certain metabolic imbalances or can increase problems such as gluten intolerance if you are eating refined carbs and your portions are too large,” says Smyth. “Choose good-quality carbs in controlled portions to sustain energy and keep your bloodsugar levels controlled.”

This naturally leads us to think about what we put on our bread. According to the GI Smart Club support team, if you add just 5 ml of margarine or butter to bread, you’re adding 5 g of fat and 45 calories. A heaped teaspoon of jam is equivalent to adding another slice of bread – it’s another 70 calories! You run the risk of adding more calories to your bread than the content of the bread itself, which is something to watch.

Where possible, use light margarine and sugarfree jam on your bread, or a spread like Marmite, which tastes great but doesn’t contain many calories.

Adding low-fat protein to your bread will also keep you satisfied for longer.

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her life

mooi

Méér as

Lynné de Jager het al met ’n paar kante van die lewe te make gekry. As skoonheidskoningin omring sy haar met die mooi goed in die lewe. Maar sy weet ook van hartseer en pyn en verraad.

Deur Terésa Roodt

her life

Nadat sy as Mev. SA gekroon is, het sy betrokke geraak by die Hunger & Thirst Foundation en hul slagspreuk is “Die toekoms het soms ’n helpende hand nodig.”

“Soms help jy jouself deur ander te help.

Om betrokke te raak by liefdadigheid het my as mens meer rigting en diepte gegee en om ’n verskil te kan maak, maak my lewe die moeite werd,” sê sy.

Haar lewe lank het sy uitgeblink in byna alles wat sy aangepak het. Sy het ’n Graad 8-kwalifikasie in klavier en saksofoon en sy is ook ’n professionele danseres. Sy was ’n paar jaar die Pilatus-instruktrise vir die Blou Bulle gewees en het al in programme en musiekvideo’s soos Getroud met rugby, Villa Rosa en Heinz Winckler se Jakaranda-

Nog geheime: Gunsteling-wegneemete: McDonalds se kaasburgers.

Gunsteling-restaurant: Craw Daddy’s in Pretoria Gunsteling-klerewinkel: ForeverNew Parfuum: Vera Wang se Princess

ISSUE 4 2012

Om ’n verskil te maak

Koningin gespeel. Sy sal ook in die fliek Angel of the Skies te siene wees.

Oor haar skoonheidsgeheime verklap sy dat sy altyd sonskerm en ’n hoed dra.

Pleks van sjokolade sal sy eerder ’n jellielekker eet as haar soettand knaag en sy besoek gereeld ’n gimnasium.

“Ek bly fiks deur kardiovaskulêre oefening te doen waar ek 40 sekondes lank op my vinnigste op die trapmeul hardloop en dan 20 sekondes rus. Ek ry ook fiets en roei in die gim,” sê Lynné.

Maar wanneer sy die slag saam met haar man en haar vriende kuier, kan jy haar maar verlei met ’n brandewyntjie en Coke.

Sy lag kliphard. “Ja, ek sal dit nou maar erken. Ek is ’n Klippies-en-Coke meisie. So het ons almal maar ons geheimpies, nè.”

Dit is duidelik dat sy nie haarself óf die lewe te ernstig opneem nie, en weet hoe om soms vir haarself te lag.

“In my 28 jaar het daar al heelwat goed met my gebeur wat ek eerder anders sou wou hê. En tóg is hierdie goed die rede vir die mens wat ek vandag is. Baie slegte goed gebeur dikwels met baie goeie mense, en uiteindelik gaan dit nie oor die gebeure nie, maar hoe ons dit hanteer en wat ons daaruit leer.

Nadat ek gekaap en ons deur die rowers aangehou is, het ek besef dat ’n mens nie een dag in jou lewe as vanselfsprekend mag aanvaar nie. Dit kan binne ’n oogwink verander. Toe ek die miskraam gehad het, het ek opnuut besef hoe kosbaar die lewe is.

Ek probeer waarlik elke dag van my lewe voluit te leef. Want dis waaroor dit tog maar gaan. To Live Life…”

39

Ek was só naïef en het ander se goedheid as vanselfsprekend aanvaar, maar ek het besef mens kan nie aanvaar dat almal se motiewe ewe rein is nie,” sê Lynné.

Lynné en Wilhelm is in April 2009 getroud en in Augustus daardie selfde jaar het sy besef sy is swanger. Sy en Wilhelm was oorstelp van vreugde.

Maar ’n maand later het sy en haar vriendin saam by ’n huis in Germiston stilgehou en die volgende oomblik is ’n rewolwer teen haar slaap gedruk. Hulle was midde-in ’n gewapende motorkaping.

“My vriendin het paniekbevange geraak en uit die motor gespring. Die kaper het op haar geskiet. Genadiglik was dit mis, maar die skok en trauma was so groot dat ek my baba verloor het.

Dit was ’n baie slegte tyd in my lewe en ek het baie vrae gehad oor die sin van alles,” onthou Lynné.

Maar juis in die tyd toe dit op die slegste met haar gegaan het, het sy tyd gehad om stil te word en rustig te raak. Lynné het diep besin oor wie sy is, wie sy wil wees en wat sy met haar lewe van hier af wil doen.

“Ek het nog nooit in my lewe eens aan ’n skoonheidskompetisie deelgeneem nie, maar toe ek van die Mev. SA-komptetisie te hore kom, het ek besef ek kan dit dalk as ’n platform gebruik om by ander mense uit te kom.

My groot droom is om ’n verskil te maak, hoe groot of hoe klein dit ook al mag wees.

As ek een mens kan aanraak deur my lewensverhaal, of as ek een mens se nood kan verlig, sal ek gelukkig voel,” sê sy.

www.salivelife.co.za

VAN VER AF sien ’n mens haar in die koffiewinkel sit – die mooi vrou met die blinkbruin hare wat sag op haar skouers val. Sy is verlede jaar aangewys as die mooiste mevrou in ons land toe sy gekroon is as Mev. SA 2011/12, maar moenie dink skoonheid is die enigste bate waarop die 28-jarige Lynné de Jager haar kan roem nie.

Sy is slim, talentvol, maar veral ook stérk.

Die klappe wat die lewe haar al gegee het, het sy met innerlike krag oorwin...

“Ek glo onvoorwaardelik daaraan dat alles in die lewe met ’n rede gebeur. Die goeie én die slegte goed. In 2008 het ek en my man, Wilhelm, een aand vriende van ons se drie kinders by hul huis in Pretoria opgepas toe sewe mans met masjiengewere skielik by die deur inbars.

Soveel goed gaan gelyktydig deur jou gedagtes. Terwyl jy een oomblik nog rustig en gelukkig gesit en kuier het, word jy skielik met die dood gekonfronteer en dan is oorlewing al waaraan jy dink.

Ek het geweet die ergste kan met ons gebeur. Hulle kon ons skiet, verkrag of aanrand. Snaaks, op daardie oomblik het ek besef hulle kan enigiets aan my doen, maar hulle sal nie ’n tikkie van my siel vat nie,” sê Lynné.

Die mans was deel van ’n georganiseerde misdaadsindikaat en hulle het Lynné, Wilhelm en die kinders ongeskonde in ’n kamer toegesluit.

Die volgende jaar is Lynné, wat ook ’n opgeleide Pilatus-instrukteur is, deur ’n kennis genooi om by die Seychelles Pilatusklasse te gaan gee.

“Maar ons het skaars daar aangeland toe ek besef Pilatus-klasse die heel laaste ding waarvoor ons daarheen gestuur is. Ek was deel van ’n groep vroue wat laat kom is om as gesellinne vir die prins van SaoediArabië en sy gaste op te tree.

Ek was in my hele lewe nog nooit so verneder en mislei nie en moes vinnig planne maak om daar weg te kom. ’n Reeks gebeure het gevolg en ek moes op my voete dink. Ek het gemaak of ek flou word en toe hulle my temperatuur meet, was dit wonderbaarlik brandend hoog gewees. Tot vandag toe glo ek dit was ’n wonderwerk. Ek is op die vliegtuig gesit en net so teruggestuur huis toe.

Dinge het so vinnig gebeur, maar agterna het ek besef hoe gelukkig ek werklik was.

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www.salivelife.co.za

balancing act

Find yourself

sunny-side up If you're looking for a little inspiration to hit the refresh button on your life, take these seven steps.

By Jabulile Bongiwe Ngwenya

balancing act

01 Free your mind

Dr Theresia Shivera (MBCHB), who works at the Groote Schuur Hospital, believes people should look at possible solutions to life’s problems holistically. She’s an advocate for freeing your mind space as well as your physical space. A healthier environment gives you breathing space and is less stressful to the mind. Psychologically it allows you to consider other possibilities.

“Inadvertently, by moving your clutter, you’re moving your body and are already on the way to weight loss and giving your

“I challenge the notion that you should see a doctor only when you’re sick. When you have concerns about your body or your mind that haven’t necessarily translated into an illness, see a doctor,” Dr Shivera says.

Take the necessary precautions and measures to make sure you’re healthy.

Take your vitamin supplements or rather eat healthily. Did you know a tot of fresh wheatgrass juice contains as much nutritional value as a kilogram of spinach or broccoli? Take a walk to a second-hand bookshop and browse the health section reading up on all the interesting facts about food and their many benefits for your body.

04 Eat smart Erasmus believes in eating light and eating often. She calls this “strategic refuelling”. Our urbanised lives leave us with little time to eat during the day so that at night we binge. Using the analogy of a drive to Bloemfontein, Erasmus says the car is not filled at the end of the trip but rather before the trip. The same goes with your body. Fill it during the day in small quantities so that at night you’re eating less and subsequently increasing your metabolism.

Set yourself one step

05 at a time

The truth is you won’t accomplish all your goals overnight. Be realistic about where you are and what you can achieve in a certain period. “I feel strongly about making one simple change and then turning it into a habit,” Erasmus emphasises.

How often do you find that you start a project energetically on Monday, but when life strikes the next day, you tell yourself

06 Rethink your drink Did you know 500 ml of soda contains approximately 12 teaspoons of sugar?

That’s already 1 000 kilojoules of energy ingested before you’ve even had a wholesome meal. Consider the fact that on average a person should have only six to 10 teaspoons of sugar added to their diet daily.

“Before you cut out the bad food, cut out sugary drinks. Cooldrinks should be a treat and not a way to hydrate,” Erasmus tells her clients. If you really don’t enjoy hydrating on water alone, rather find a lower kilojoule or kilojoule-free alternative.

07 Get happy today “I always tell people that when you’re happy, the chances of achieving your goals are greater,” Dr Shivera believes.

Break out of your routine and do something that makes you happy, whether it’s the small stuff like laughing really loud, or the important stuff like meeting a friend for coffee, phoning a loved one, petting your dog or singing along to your favourite song.

Take a hobby that makes you happy and turn it into a joyful physical exercise.

Nowadays gymnasiums around the world recognise the need people have to do something other than cycling or spinning.

So why not try dancing, swimming, walking or yoga on the beach?

Once you have happiness, you’re already healthy because everything else will fall into place easily.

ISSUE 4 2012

02 De-clutter your space

03 Preventative care

you’ll carry on another day? Chances are you’ll start putting it off. Choose a small goal and focusing on getting that right for at least a week until it becomes a habit.

When you’re comfortable with your new habit, reward yourself for doing well. Then choose a new task that will help you reach your bigger objective.

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It has been scientifically proven that winter can bring on the blues. Summer is so inviting with fresh air and the opportunity to be active. To get healthy and lose the winter flab, you’ve got to have a mind-shift. If this means seeing a therapist or life coach to help you create this shift, then go for it. A healthy body surely follows a healthy mind. Celynn Erasmus a registered dietician and professional speaker, who is also the author of Fast Food for Sustained Energy says, “You don’t need to have an eating disorder or emotional problem to see a professional therapist”. Dieticians and nutritionists provide the ‘how’ of living healthily, while a therapist or coach helps you with the ‘why’ for healthy living.

“Why should always come before the how,” Erasmus says.

body the exercise it sorely needs after a restful winter,” says Dr Shivera.

www.salivelife.co.za

SUMMER IS THE season we love. After a long winter hibernating, we can’t wait to feel the sun’s kiss on our skin or the warm air brush against our faces. We are eager to see if we’ll fit into our summer clothes and if we’ll look as good as we did before winter set in. While a great-looking body is worth aspiring to, a healthy body is what you should be really aiming for. Jabulile Bongiwe Ngwenya goes in search of new ways to find your summer soul again.

her life

ISSUE 4 2012

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www.salivelife.co.za

Hoekom moet daar mense wees wat altyd ’n klaaglied het om te deel? Wat nooit die bloeisels raaksien nie… eerder kla oor hooikoors. Dis die tannies wat jou vertel van hul karkatjie as jy noem dat jou eie oog traan. En as jy net noem van jou karkatjie, het sulke tannies altyd n katarak of ten minste ’n lensvervanging wat hul voorland is.

Komaan, tannies! Skud die krummel uit die bra, laat gaan die bloomer se rekkie en kry ’n bietjie lente-lug in daai longe. Vat hierdie vyf stukkies wysheid van ’n boom en blom soos wat jy bedoel was in die paradys.

Soos ’n boom geplant

by waterstrome Staan regop en trots Vat ’n klap tussen die blaaie en kyk hierdie nuwe seisoen in die lewe, vas in die oë. Wees trots op die kleinste oorwinninkies – of jy nou reggekry het om asem te haal en te glimlag toe jy die vrou by die werk eintlik wou vermoor het, en of jy ’n sjokolade-lose dag in jou gewigstryd gehad het. Dit maak nie saak nie! Wees trots op die wysheid wat jy al gekry het uit al jou dom foute, maar besluit om op te hou lieg vir jouself en dieselfde foute oor en oor te maak. Loop regop asof jy weet ander mense maak ook foute en dra nog tonne 'issues' in hulle rond (nes ek en jy).

Onthou altyd jou wortels Bome sonder wortels kan nooit lank leef nie. Daarom moet ons onthou waar ons vandaan kom – al is dit van anderkant die treinspoor af. Onthou net jou tande as jy uitgaan en stadig met die gel en die chrome. As jy verwond is in jou wortels met jou grootwordjare, kan jy ook regop loop en trots wees. Uit ons wonde word ons sterk en leer ons om ander mense se letsels raak te sien en hulle met empatie te hanteer. Solank jy jou verwonde wortels erken en afsny… want

onopgeloste wonde bring menigmaal die volgende generasie se sonde!

Drink baie water Soos ’n boom wat geplant is by waterstrome… Kies hierdie seisoen om gesonder te wees en kompulsief water te drink. Dit spoel al die gemors uit jou lyf uit en laat die angsvlakke sommer ook lekker daal. Benewens dit, lyk jy varser vir die mense om jou, ha! As jy egter kies om droog te bly, wys dit ten minste net met ’n droë sin vir humor. Maar dié wat kan doen met water? Drink van die Ware Water sodat jy nooit weer dors sal wees nie. Dis een van die beste detox-planne wat enigeen kan uitvoer vir ’n gifvrye gees!

Wees tevrede met jou natuurlike skoonheid Voor jy dink jy kan die boude ontspan, jou skeermes weggooi en met jou regte gesig rondloop… dink weer (asb.)! Dis die verskil tussen loving yourself en letting go of yourself! Geniet jou rondinge, jou ringe en selfs die groot bas, maar trim maar nog steeds die takke en verwyder als wat oortollig en droog is. Groot ofte nie, wees net natuurlik! Is daar iets lelikers as kunsbome – goedkoop en plastiek op ’n afstand! Wees daarom inheems en eg, altyd jouself.

Deur Gretha Wiid

Geniet die uitsig sonder om neer te kyk op kleiner boompies Onthou dat alle bome in ’n stadium klein was en in die skadu van iets groters moes staan. Klein beteken egter nie sonder potensiaal nie. As jy klein en onbelangrik voel, moet jy net geduldig als drink wat uit die hemel op jou neerdaal en jou omring met mense wat bydra met werklike kos vir jou wortels. Groei dan stadig maar seker tot die boom wat Hy bedoel het jy moet wees. As jy egter een van die groot bome is wat skadu moet bied aan ander, en skuiling moet bied aan kleurvolle en ook afvlerkvoëls, is dit so belangrik dat jy verantwoordelik sal wees met jou krag en potensiaal. Gooi jou takke wyd – jy weet nooit wanneer iemand ’n veilige tak nodig het om te kom rus nie.

Gryp die nuwe seisoen met als wat dit bied. Kry boom-mentaliteit sonder om boom te rook, en wees die tuin waarin ander kan kom speel en rus. Blom daar waar jy geplant is en geniet die sonskyn.

Draai jou gesig hierdie seisoen na die son soos ’n sonneblom en gryp die uitdaging van groei! Vergeet van die karkatjie en dans… want dis lente!

his life

mark Make your

Dressing to win is not shallow, vain or phony. It is not about conning people, but rather it is about setting an emotional and physical climate for success. By Ronel Jacobs

• • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Untidy hair Poor attempts to hide baldness Wearing tinted glasses indoors Colours that clash Dirty or scratched shoes Too many patterns in one outfit Poor grooming Overstuffed pockets Ties that are too long or too short Dirt or stains Inappropriate ties Pants that are too short Worn or pilled collars Long sleeved shirts rolled above the elbow • Straining or missing buttons • Body odour of any sort • Socks that are funnier than you are

ISSUE 4 2012

No matter your style, avoid these image breakers

45

In another survey 87% of the executives said they would reprove any sub-ordinate who continually dressed in that manner.

I can only say, in matters of clothing, conservative but classy is absolutely essential to the success of professional businessmen. Business styles change with glacier-like slowness, and there is no point in risking career, income and social position by gambling on passing fashion fads.

Stick to the first rule of dress: look the part! If you are a stockbroker, you would be wise to stick to a conservative, pinstripe suit.

If you are an art director in an ad agency, a television talk show personality, or any socalled 'glamour industry' you would benefit from flamboyant, fashionable and 'with-it' clothing.

www.salivelife.co.za

AS A MASTER image and style coach, I believe that we are preconditioned by our environment. The clothing we wear is an integral part of that environment. The way we dress has remarkable impact on the people we meet professionally or socially, and greatly (sometimes crucially) affects how they treat us.

Recent studies have shown that appearances certainly count in cold hard cash! Identical résumés were sent to recruiters accompanied by different photographs of the supposed interviewee.

Starting salaries proposed, ranged between 8% to 20% higher when the image presented by the interviewee was professional and well groomed over the same interviewee who looked mediocre.

People who look successful and well educated receive preferential treatment in almost all of their social or business encounters. It is possible to evoke a favourable response to your needs by carefully paying attention to how you dress in any particular situation.

Many women ‘dress’ their husbands and always want them to look good. The fact is that for years women have been (and possibly still are) indoctrinated by the fashion industry to believe that anything new, up-to-date, innovative and different is desirable.

Most wives, regardless of their status, would like to be leaders in fashion and they transfer this desire to their husbands when they choose or influence their husbands’ selection of clothing. They want their husbands to look good to them – which means they select a garment that is fashionable in the female sense of the word.

Research shows that 92% of executives in corporate establishments said they would not hire a man who presented himself for a job interview wearing high-fashion clothing.

ISSUE 4 2012

46 www.salivelife.co.za

his life

Truth The bald

his life

Men are spoilt for choice when it comes to hair products like gels, dyes, waxes and straighteners. Gone are the days of negative stigmas around eyebrow plucking, back waxing and manicures for men. So, what happens when real beauty dilemmas like baldness and greying set in? Are men ‘manly enough’ to deal with the physical and psychological changes and challenges of ageing they present? Angela Myers unlocks the mysteries around the loss of those manly locks. By Angela Myers

Nutrition, natural remedies and healthy lifestyle According to Naturopath Jonathan Myers, poor nutrition and deficiencies in certain nutrients can cause a propensity

Embracing baldness “Hair loss in men, and especially in women, can be devastating,” states Dr Alexander. “This benign condition, considered to be purely cosmetic in nature has not been taken seriously enough”. It can be a psychologically damaging process with men being treated as though they are suffering from some terrible or terminal disease.

The evolutionary standpoint suggests that women are attracted to maturity, experience, wisdom and stability, and both greying and baldness reflect man’s ability to survive. If however, balding still means “grandpa” to you or the men in your life, discuss flattering styling options with a hairdresser. The general rule of thumb here is to keep it short or clean shaven and never, under any circumstances, to attempt looks of the classic comb-over or toupee varieties.

ISSUE 4 2012

Male pattern baldness (MPB), or androgenic alopecia, is an inherited genetic condition affecting nearly half of all men by the age of 50. It refers to a condition whereby hair recedes from both the lateral sides of the forehead as well as the crown and, as the hair loss meets, leaves a horseshoe-shaped ring of hair around the back of the head.

Male pattern baldness is caused by an excessive production of dihydrotestosterone (commonly called DHT). DHT is a powerful sex hormone that promotes body and facial hair growth that, in inordinate amounts,

for baldness, especially a lack of iron, B vitamins, vitamin A and zinc. A lack of exercise and sleep, as well as high levels of stress can all induce hormonal fluxes in the body which can cause the acceleration of baldness too, Myers states.

He therefore recommends including plenty of protein and iron in your diet and taking mineral supplements to increase hair health. Stress-reducing exercise helps relieve tension and promotes good blood circulation too, he advises.

“Saw palmetto and nettle root are two herbs that work directly on the prostate and block the production of DHT”, he claims.

Natural oils like safflower, canola and olive oil, warmed up and massaged into the scalp promote a healthy scalp and garlic juice, onion or ginger juice work well too, left overnight.

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The what, where, why...

adversely affects the prostate as well as the hair located on the head. DHT initiates a process of follicular miniaturisation whereby the hair follicle deteriorates and eventually atrophies. The incidence of baldness corresponds to chronological age and, according to Medem Medical Library’s website, approximately 25% of all men begin balding by age 30 and two-thirds by age 60.

Traditionally, it has been believed that baldness was inherited from the maternal grandfather, but recent research reveals that both parents contribute to the likelihood of hair loss in their offspring. A person with a balding father or grandfather is two and a half times more likely to experience hair loss themselves.

While there may be no cure for baldness, FDA approved medications Rogaine and Propecia have proved effective for maximising hair growth. These medications however have their limitations – they last only as long as is taken and only work in a percentage of men. Hair transplantation surgery offers a more permanent solution – hair is relocated from an area where it is not pre-programmed to fall out and these transplanted follicles continue to grow healthily.

However, such surgery is costly and for many men, does not justify the expense or invasive treatment. There are all kinds of topical creams, washes, lotions and potions available, but according to Dr Kevin Alexander, a local hair transplant specialist, one should be warned that most of these have not been put to the test by clinical trials.

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MORE INTERESTING THAN the sheer growth of the male grooming market, which is reported to have grown twice as fast as the female market, is society’s changing attitudes around ‘metrosexual’ behaviour – from men who spend as much time in front of the mirror as women. Taking an interest in men’s health and appearance means that there’s a refreshing amount of choice now available to men who want to hang onto some of their youthful vigour as they age.

Hollywood proves that both bald and grey can be dapper, with proudly balding actors such as Bruce Willis, Vin Diesel, Jack Nicholson, Sean Connery and Patrick Stewart oozing charisma and confidence. George Clooney’s salt-andpeppered locks have earned him 'silver fox' notoriety and, adding to the enhanced air of distinguishability grey brings, are Richard Gere, Pierce Brosnan and Anderson Cooper, to name a few.

But for men who don’t fancy it themselves and who’d rather slow these processes down, there are a variety of technological treatments available that not only help men grow their hair back, but natural alternatives and healthy lifestyle habits to slow down the likelihood of going bald and grey.

go green

Shop like an

organic mechanic

ISSUE 4 2012

48

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Marketing jargon and product classifications on food labels can be confusing, leaving you baffled and uncertain about your choices.

If you want to know your organic from your genetically modified, read on and become a savvy shopper. By Angela Myers THE FACT IS THAT we can’t make informed decisions about what we are eating if we simply don’t understand it. In the past, words used to market organic and other wholesome foodstuffs could be based on perception, be purposefully misleading or outright exaggerated but, thankfully, today’s manufacturers are being held ever more accountable for their labelling transparency. d In March this year, new labelling regulations that apply to food manufacturers were implemente claims product nutritional all that mandatory it making Act, Protection that tie in with the Consumer have be supported by nutritional value content labels. Various misleading descriptions and claims crupulous less-than-s of practices been altogether removed too – a victory against the dodgy manufacturers.

According to food scientist Nigel Sunley, who is also the former president of the South ed African Association for Food Science and Technology, any claim that cannot be substantiat ‘fresh’, ‘natural’, as such Words disallowed. by scientifically acceptable evidence has been ‘free ‘traditional’ and ‘quality’ have been deemed marketing hype, and using phrases ‘low-GI’, in’ from’ and ‘no added sugar’ comes with restrictions too. Terms such as ‘high in’ and ‘very high been have with’ ‘packed and of’ ‘full like now have to meet certain serving standards and phrases altogether prohibited, making it easier for the consumer to cut to the facts, he says.

So, what terms should we understand when choosing our foodstuffs? The below jargon buster will help you get started demystifying the market.

Whole gra in Any grains or cereals which naturally contain all the components – namely endosperm, bran, germ and all the macronutrients, micronutrients and trace elements of the original, unprocessed whole kernel.

Organic

Foods that are produced without the use of artificial fertilisers, pesticides, antibiotics, genetically modified ingredients or food additives.

Free from rbST Dairy products made from cows that are not supplemented with rbST (recombinant bovine somatotropin), which is an engineered hormone that causes cows to increase milk production by 10 to 15%.

Become a concerned consumer

GM Genetically modified foods are products whose genetic structure is biologically altered to produce plants with desired qualities. Food typically subjected to genetic modification include corn, soybean, rice and canola oil as well as fruits and vegetables that are engineered for faster growth or longer freshness.

The effects of GM foods have yet to be tested.

Fa ir trade A strategy for poverty alleviation and sustainable development whose purpose is to create opportunities for producers and workers who have been economically disadvantaged or marginalised by conventional trading systems.

Susta inable Food grown in a way that maintains or enhances soil fertility for the benefit of future generations.

Free-range A method of farming where animals are allowed to roam freely rather than being contained in cages.

Be wary of this label however, as standards are blurry and often free range is used to describe less than humane conditions, especially for chickens used to produce eggs.

Lean Lean or trim refers to any indication of a total fat content of less than 10%. Extra lean or extra trim refers to any fats with a fat content of less than 5%. The healthiest option is of course opting for extra trim meats.

Concerned Consumers is a growing community of South Africans who are interested in the origins of the products they buy, and their right to make informed choices about these products. With the new Consumer Protection Act that came into force on the 1st of April 2011, power has been placed in the hands of consumers to lay complaints against misleading labelling, non-transparent advertising, and unacceptable environmental, social and animal practices.

Join the group on Facebook: www.facebook.com/concernedconsumers Visit the website: www.concernedconsumers.co.za