General Health Newsletter – May 2009 

I’m pleased many of you decided to sign up for the Subscriber E-Magazine last month, there’s so much more in this version of the newsletter (it’s totally different, with different information, and 6-8 pages monthly) it’s well worth R350 per annum. I do an enormous amount of research free of charge for magazines, media and these newsletters – so these ‘special bits’ I put into the only thing I charge for. If you want to know more please click here and download the application form at the end – or go to my website and click on E-Magazine. 

Help…

Having sat at my computer for too long for too many years, I have a herniated disc for my efforts which gives severe trouble every now and again, and I have had to spend yet another frustrating week flat on my back. If anyone knows where I can purchase a really good chair which may help stop this happening regularly – please let me know! 

ANTI-AGEING FORMULA

Diet and targeted supplementation is the key to looking and feeling healthy all your life. Wrinkles, memory loss and degenerative disease don’t have to happen. By making healthy changes to your diet and lifestyle you reduce the unnecessary stress on your body and slow the ageing process - whether you're in your 20s or 80s. Try these tips:

• Increase nutrient-dense foods in your diet, such as fruit, vegetables, whole-grains, beans, lentils, seeds, nuts, eggs and oily fish. As you age, your body becomes less efficient at processing and absorbing nutrients - it is important to base your diet on nutrient rich foods and chew your food thoroughly.
• Avoid refined and sugary food and drinks and replace with alternatives such as oatcakes, rye bread, fruit and nuts, natural yoghurt with berries, and fresh fruit and vegetable juice (dilute with 50% water if just using fruit juice). Excess sugar damages proteins in the body through a process known as glycosylation, which directly contributes to premature wrinkles, as well as health problems such as diabetes and heart disease.
• Eat antioxidant-rich foods – aim for 2-4 portions of vegetables at every meal and 2 portions of fruit a day. Look for brightly coloured foods which ‘advertise’ antioxidants.
• Increase beneficial omega-3 fat from fish in the diet, which is critical for skin, hormone and heart health, as well as reducing inflammation and helping to prevent disease. Aim for 3 portions of oily fish per week (eg. sardines, mackerel, salmon), and take fish oil supplements. Avoid all margarines, flaxseed oil, grapeseed & sunflower oils in any form.
• Drink at least 1.5 litres of distilled water per day and keep tea and coffee to a minimum.
• Eat organic food wherever possible and opt for organic cosmetics and detergents too.
• Exercise regularly – do whatever you enjoy – but do something for 15 minutes a day.
• Having fun is also essential to stay looking and feeling young and healthy!

A realist is an idealist who has gone through the fire and been purified. A sceptic is an idealist who has gone through the fire and been burned. Warren Wiersbe

HEALTH WARNING
Fructose More Likely to Cause Diabetes than Glucose 

Sugared drinks are fattening because the human brain does not recognize liquid sugar as calories to make you eat less food. We get our sugar in drinks in three forms: glucose, fructose and sucrose (glucose and fructose bound together in a single molecule). Now a report from the University of California Davis shows that taking in too much fructose increases your risk for diabetes and heart attacks (Journal of Clinical Investigation, May 2009). 32 overweight men and women drank 25% of their daily energy requirements in either fructose or glucose- sweetened drinks. In 12 weeks, both groups gained similar amounts of weight, but the people taking fructose-sweetened drinks had higher triglycerides and more abdominal fat, and were more resistant to insulin. All three factors precede diabetes which markedly increases risk for heart attacks.

Virtually all sweetened beverages contain both fructose and glucose. Soft drinks sweetened with high fructose corn syrup have 55-58% fructose (some much more)!
All sugar-sweetened beverages increase risk for insulin resistance (Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, April 2009). Contracting muscles are exquisitely sensitive to insulin and therefore help protect you from the high rise in blood sugar that causes the liver to make triglycerides that block insulin receptors that cause the pancreas to release huge amounts of insulin that causes fat to be deposited in the belly.

Q & A: Mood Swings

Q: How can I avoid the constant mood swings I seem to have when I am premenstrual?

A: Snacking on a portion of animal protein together with a portion of low glycemic load (GL) complex carbohydrates will release a steady supply of glucose to your brain, and is a great way to keep your blood sugar level and your mood stable. Try a little mixed bean salad or a delicious bowl of comforting oat porridge with a spoonful of honey or maple syrup for sweetness, a dollop of yogurt and some nuts or seeds sprinkled on top. Mmm! 2g of The Omega-3 Solution fish oil is also a great way to calm those raging hormones!

For our May BULK LIST we want to offer you as our newsletter readers, first option on the special prices. Remember, as little as 1kg of a product can constitute ‘bulk’, but if you want to know more and see our price list which changes every month – please Email us and we’ll send you the latest list. This month we have excellent prices for: organic vanilla pods, chewy ‘toffee’ dates, buckwheat flour, quinoa (back in stock, thank goodness!), fruit blossom honey, rice milk powder and oat milk powder amongst other things.

I expect to pass through this world but once; any good thing therefore that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now, let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again – Stephan Grellet

Spiritual Health: For those of you who love the Word of God, and enjoy deep teaching – I can highly recommend the John Piper site (author of Desiring God and many other amazing books) – http://www.desiringgod.org/ – you’ll find a treasure chest there that will help you realize more about why you are here, and the magnificent purpose for which you were created.

BYE

Till next month, love & God bless from 

Sally-Ann Creed, Clinical Nutritionist
Dip Clin Nutr