YOUR HOLIDAY STARTS NOW
BY THE TIME A GIRL IS 17… she’s seen approximately 250 000 media messages telling her what she’s supposed to look like. Negative body image can lead to depression, social anxiety and eating disorders.
on your own doorstep!
Staying at home for the holidays might just be what the doctor ordered. You don’t need to travel far to relax, so go out and play a tourist in your own hometown! • • • • • •
Book a weekend at a spa or nature resort. Discover nature outside of your own neighbourhood. Take in some live theatre or music performances. See a show at the local dance or community centre. Explore local museums or art galleries. Source: www.alive.com Hike some new trails.
Rooibos Tea
relieves respiratory conditions, but also reduces high blood pressure. It works in similar fashion to ACE inhibitors and helps blood vessels to relax and widen, making it easier for blood to flow through.
– DRINKERS LESS LIKELY TO SUFFER FROM HEART DISEASE
Despite numerous advances in medical technology the prevalence of heart disease continues to escalate. In South Africa, it remains the number one killer after HIV/AIDS and deaths related to heart and blood vessel diseases are expected to increase by 41% in the next 13 years. According to Dr Dawie van Velden, “the biggest single risk factor by far is high blood pressure (hypertension), which is exacerbated by poor eating habits, obesity, lack of physical activity and excessive alcohol intake. “Across the world, we are seeing a huge move towards more natural methods including everything from diet, exercise, smoking cessation to destressing via music therapy, meditation, and even drinking home-brewed rooibos tea,” he remarks.
We know that a diet low in salt and sugar, and regular exercise can lower your risk of heart disease, but just how might rooibos tea help your heart and how strong is the evidence? A study conducted in Sweden found that 30 to 60 minutes after drinking 400ml of Rooibos, the activity of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) is significantly suppressed. This enzyme is believed to be involved in the development of heart disease and therefore ACE inhibitors are often prescribed to treat hypertension and heart disease. When blood vessels constrict, blood pressure increases, putting you at greater risk of heart attack or stroke. Rooibos tea is known as a bronchodilator, which not only
ANOTHER STUDY BY THE CAPE PENINSULA UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY (CPUT) SHOWED A POSITIVE EFFECT IN ADULTS AT RISK OF HEART DISEASE, WHO DRANK SIX CUPS OF ROOIBOS EVERY DAY FOR SIX WEEKS. The study found that rooibos not only protected against oxidative lipid damage, but also favourably improved the lipid profile of the participants by reducing total blood cholesterol levels by 10%, with a significant reduction in “bad” LDL cholesterol levels, as well as a significant increase in the “good” HDL-cholesterol. There is a mounting body of scientific evidence which shows that rooibos tea is a potent antioxidant, has antiinflammatory, antihypertensive and cholesterol lowering properties. Source: www.sarooibos.co.za
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