*FREE 0NLINE MAG * EDITION 36 *JULY 2017
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CHILD OF THE UNIVERSE MONTESSORI MAG We strongly support and believe in the Maria Montessori Method of teaching and learning, and would like to see as many children as possible be fortunate enough to experience Montessori as a lifestyle. We also believe in the ‘FIRST DO NO HARM’ principle and therefore select our content and advertisers accordingly. We cover topics around Montessori teaching, learning, lifestyle – in the classroom and at home – and much more. We always include links to our articles and encourage you to follow them for loads of insightful Montessori literature. We include a mix of topics relevant to family life, health and well-being. TO SUBSCRIBE Subscription to Child of the Universe digital magazines is free of charge. Simply send an email to subscribe@childoftheuniverse.co.za with the subject line: Subscribe Montessori Mag and we will email your mag to you monthly. Alternatively you can pop your information onto our website www.childoftheuniverse.co.za
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ed’s letter Hello parents and teachers Some of you may be on school holidays at the moment – lucky you – I hope you are on the coast sucking up the sun and the warmth. Luckily this winter has not been too cold – yet!
So we are mid-way through the year and it feels like only yesterday that we were all making our wishes for 2017. I trust some of your dreams are coming true, and the key to making things happen, is to just keep at it. How to do you eat an elephant? …. In small bites! From our side we have a new team member who is a Montessori mother and is also training to be a Montessori teacher, so she will be bringing a lot of fresh insights to the magazine. Her name is Lizl and we welcome her with open arms.
A lot of our articles are informative for parents on ho0w to carry the Montessori method back into their homes, making it a way of life rather than just dropping your little ones off at school and not following through with the Montessori principles in the home. We have also found that many parents are opting to home-school their children once they get to the age where their schools don’t accommodate their age groups. We only have about 5 schools in SA that go all the way through to ‘matric’. What a luck if you live close to one of those schools. We will be assisting home-school parents with resources and where to find the best sites for downloads. Much Love
Linda
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THE MONTESSORI METHOD Montessori & Pretend Play Are you Preventing your Child from Focusing? Sharing new Activities with your Child Don’t Cry it Out – Sleep Success EDUCATIONAL TOYS AND LEARNING EQUIPMENT Genetic Testing for ADHD Raising Kids Positively Developing Healthy Children with The Magic Mat PEACEFUL PARENTING Alternatives to Punishment Choose your Bed for the Best Sleep Keeping Your Heart Open when you are Angry Don’t catch your Child’s Cold this Winter GREEN LIVING Saving Energy whilst Keeping Warm Win with Almond Breeze Competition YUMMY TUMMY Lisa Raleigh & Weight Loss Cooking with Kids ANIMAL WORLD Is your Pet Lame or in Pain? Connecting Mindfully with Horses OUT & ABOUT Sugar Bay Disney On Ice Johnny Clegg & the Final Journey Live Concerts & Barnyard Shows REACH OUT SUBSCRIBE TO OUR ONLINE FREE MAGAZINES AND WIN HAMPERS
Montessori and Pretend Play: a complicated question What is the Montessori approach to pretend play, imagination and fantasy? Dr Montessori has been recorded as preferring reality to pretend play in the classroom. The most commonly referenced is when she introduced traditional toys in her classroom. She found that children gravitated instead to the real thing. For example, rather than playing in a pretend kitchen, the children wanted to prepare real food. She therefore chose to remove traditional toys from the classroom, keeping those based in reality. Practical life activities became a fundamental part of the Montessori classroom. Many parents then wonder how much pretend play they should encourage in the home. As I see it, there is a difference in a Montessori approach to pretend play depending on if it’s pretend play stemming from imagination or from fantasy. Let me be clear. This is my personal interpretation of the Montessori approach to imagination and fantasy and is based on my own children and work with children in my classes. No matter if you reach a different conclusion, I support you and your choices. We are all doing the best we can with the information we have available.
Understanding the world around them in a concrete way The Montessori approach holds that it is easiest for children under 6 to understand, process and relate to things that they find in the world around them. They have a very concrete understanding of the world at this age. What they see, touch, smell, feel is the easiest form for them to understand. For example, if they see an excavator at work in the street, they may then be attracted to working with a model of an excavator, to reading books about construction vehicles and to play based on this. This is a child’s imagination at work. From observing my own and other children at play, I see a lot of value in children playing “house”, “school”, and other daily life scenarios. To me this is their way of processing the world around them. They see something happen at home, and then they “play” with a sibling, friend or soft toy to act this out. “Imagination relies on a solid foundation of real-life experiences, accompanied by ample opportunity for exploration and experimentation- this includes exploration and experimentation through pretending or imagining alternative outcomes. “ – Sarah Werner Andrews, “The Development of Imagination and the Role of Pretend Play”, 27th International Montessori Congress
Encourage imagination, limit fantasy This is different to play based in fantasy, for example, fairies, superheroes, fictitious animated characters, and things that have little basis in reality. Let’s not mention merchandising (I’ve never been a big fan myself). A child who spends too much time in a world of fantasy may find it difficult to relate to others, to interact in a group, to be in the here and now. It can also be very scary for the child. My son was terrified when he was around 4 years old and heard an audio book in my mother’s car one day of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarves”. To him the wicked witch was a real person, an apple could be poisoned, and you could fall asleep for 100 years. When a child under 5 or 6 hears a fairy tale with a wicked witch, they then also imagine this witch to be real as a child of this age has a very concrete understanding of the world. They visualise it as if it is real as they are not yet able to clearly separate fantasy from reality. “(The young child) cannot distinguish well between the real and the imaginary, between things that are possible and things that are merely ‘made up’.” – Dr Montessori, Times Education Supplement, 1919
This is where I would suggest that we limit exposure to fantasy to children under 5 or 6, until they are old enough to be able to separate fictitious creations from reality. If young children are exposed to fantasy from time to time then just be mindful that we can talk to them about it, but it can still be very difficult for them to really understand what’s real vs what’s not. Once they move into the second plane of development around 6 years, they are able to understand abstract thought more easily.
What about imaginary friends? A child with a wild imagination? Will children have imaginary friends? Quite possibly. Will they imagine things beyond what appears around them? Also possible. What we can do is to feed them with a rich, engaging environment to explore. So they are connected with the real world. And explore from there. “The true basis of the imagination is reality, and its perception is related to exactness of observation. It is necessary to prepare children to perceive the things in their environment exactly, in order to secure for them the material required by the imagination. Intelligence, reasoning, and distinguishing one thing from another prepares a cement for imaginative constructions”18 The Advanced Montessori Method vol. 1, “Imagination,” p. 196 (1918)
So I don’t tell them to stop their fantasy games. Let them play it out. Follow the child. My contribution though is to keep offering reality to keep them grounded.
Books, books, books There are many children’s books available which are not based in reality. There are frogs living in houses and walking down the street on two legs; teddy bears driving cars; many books about pirates, princesses and fairies; and so on.
What to do then? From my experience (as I have said before), children enjoy books about their daily life and which are based in reality. They relate to stories about kids doing things that they recognise themselves and have experience with. I will continue to love “Sunshine”, a book with no words, with beautiful realistic pictures of a girl waking up, getting dressed, preparing breakfast with her father, and the family leaving for their day. The kids in my class love it. And we read it over and over again. Do I think we should never read books then that are not based in reality? I do read them with young children from time to time and make it clear that this is pretend. It’s a concept they will build to understand and I ask questions like “Do bears really talk/drive cars/wear clothes? Noooo.” I make it a bit like a game which I repeat each time we come across another example.
Choosing materials for home All that said, this is why you mostly don’t find a pretend corner in a Montessori classroom. What about at home then? It was fun to see my kids when they were smaller pretending to be characters from “The Famous Five” books and playing out great adventures. My kids used Playmobil and Lego to play out real life around them.
I guess that’s when we can make conscious choices of what books, media and toys we expose our children to. I often get asked what I think of play kitchens in the home. Dr Montessori would say that children like to be involved in the real thing and invite the children to be involved in food preparation. My favourite example of a play kitchen is from Our Montessori Life here where the IKEA play kitchen is being used as a real kitchen for a child with everything at their height with child-sized materials for them to have success. However, I understand it can be difficult for parents to supervise their child in the kitchen all day, and perhaps there is an argument for them to do pretend play with a play kitchen. It’s really a personal choice. A lecture I attended at the Montessori Congress in 2013, talked about having open ended materials like wooden blocks and scarves for pretend play, rather than a fireman’s outfit, or prescriptive make believe choices. This allows the child full creativity to use these materials in any way their imagination allows. I have chosen to have a block corner in my classroom which are not standard Montessori materials. I love seeing them used in so many ways. Some children make roads, others design buildings and zoos, and others use the blocks to build amazing non-descript structures. The children are deeply focused on their play and learn to pack away the blocks by shape when they are done.
The cosy cube in our playgroup is also an interesting place to observe the children. In the baby class, you observe the babies learning to manoeuvre themselves into and out of the box. In the toddler class, I see children using the box as a quiet place to relax, or for some climbing practise. Then for children who still come to our class above 3 years old, you will often see them using the box as an aeroplane going on holidays or as a shop where the holes are used for serving customers.
There are two interesting articles I can also point you to for more about Montessori and the imagination and pretend play here and here. What do you think? Does this shift your perspective on how you will encourage pretend play in your child? I’d love to hear.
The farm is often included in a Montessori classroom. We use the farm to learn the names of animals. I will often observe children putting the animals in and out of the farm, “feeding� them or putting them to bed. Unless the child is throwing the materials, using them disrespectfully or interrupting or hurting another child, I allow them to continue working in this way. I can make a note of their interests and see how I could use these to connect them with materials. Or I can make a mental note to do a presentation with the materials at another time so they also learn the purpose of the materials.
By Simone Davies
Further reading Montessori and pretend play is a fascinating topic and there are different educational approaches to it. I encourage you to explore and decide what resonates most for you. Adele Diamond has done a lot of research on a program called Tools of the Mind in which pretend play was used to develop executive functioning in children. The Waldorf/Vrije School approach to learning emphasises the role of imagination in learning.
Helping you to apply Montessori principles in daily life, answer your Montessori questions and follow my Montessori workshops online.
By Leanne Gray
Knock, Knock.
How many times are you interrupted during the day?
Who's There?
The phone dings, you notice the dust on the floor over there and start cleaning, your coworker stops by to share their lunch plans... the list goes on and on. Maybe you don't even register these as distractions anymore, it happens so often.
Interrupting Parent. ...wait what? Interrupting.. Oh wow! What are you painting there? Let me help you with that. This is the color green, can you say green?�
How do you feel when you try to return to what you were doing? Can you return to what you were doing?
There's a finite amount of mental bandwidth we have at any given moment, and as we split and fracture this attention from this to this to this, the bandwidth reserves dwindles. We are less able to remain focused and keep our concentration on anything, AND the more times we do this, the weaker our ability to concentration and focus becomes. The notion that our collective attention has dropped to 8 seconds seems to be related to the sheer number of distractions readily available today. Now perhaps more than ever, It is our job to watch for concentration and protect this important state of learning for our children. Here's 5 ways to preserve attention reserves, maximize states of flow, and support concentration.
...Wait for it. Spend some time watching your child, and you'll begin to notice when she is focusing on something. Babies will look at objects for a very long time (as they process MUCH slower than our adult brains do). I've watched three year olds focus on a well-matched activity for 20 minutes! Just when you think you need to repeat a direction, solve a problem, or move on to the next step, wait, and then wait some more.
Stop interrupting. We interrupt by asking questions, commenting, offering praise or encouragement, even smiling! If you notice that your baby is intently looking at something, DON'T DO ANYTHING! If your toddler is diligently opening and closing a box, wait to congratulate her later when she's done. If your 5 year old is tying his shoe and making mistakes, stand nearby, but don't jump in and fix it! It's very easy to interrupt a child, and you may find it takes some practice to do nothing instead.
Remove Unnecessary Distractions When you need to get work done, where do you go? For me, it's the library. I can't distract myself with snacks, housework, or snuggling the dog. All these distractions are unavailable, making it much easier for me to keep focus on my task. You can design such a space for your child in your home. How many toys are available? Is the TV or radio on? Is the tone of the room peaceful, familiar, and inviting? Avoid toys and media that fracture attention/ take advantage of children's developing minds Screens and electronics are particularly damaging for attention (even those “educational learning” apps), as there is a LOT of new information to process at a fast pace. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends zero screen time for children under age 2, and no more than an hour of quality, parent-chaperoned use until age 5. But it's not just TV or smartphones. Children's toys are now presenting the same fast-paced, attention robbing qualities and require the same scrutiny as modern media. The trance-like state that occurs in children transfixed by media or active “learning” toys may look like concentration, but no real learning is happening. Young children need concrete objects, real experiences, and social interaction to grow and learn. As Magda Gerber said: “The best toys for babies don't do anything”.
Offer help only when needed I've said this before and I'll say it again. Good parenting is not about keeping your child happy or solving all the problems. Your child NEEDS to practice on her own, make mistakes, and go through difficulty. Knowing when and how to offer help is a subtle art, you can read more about how to do that for 0-3 years, 3-6 years, 6-9 years.
The Nine Key Points to Sharing a New Activity with Your Child Children are fascinated by real objects and they will ‘work’ with them to develop different abilities. by Jeanne Marie Paynel: Voila Montessori
Throughout my journey as a parent and Montessori educator, I have repeatedly seen how simple activities, offered at the right time and in the right way, can have a huge impact on a child’s behavior. Children are fascinated by real objects and they will ‘work’ with them to develop different abilities. With this in mind, I’ve created a series of videos of some of my favorite simple and easy activities, which you can share with your child at home or on the road. Not every activity will interest every child, but by watching your child at play you will start to learn what works best for her. Below are 9 key points to keep in mind when sharing a new activity with your child. • • • • • • • • •
Choose an age-appropriate* activity for your child Use a few words to introduce the activity Give the proper language for each item used Sit opposite your dominant hand so you don’t block your child’s vision of the activity (if you’re right-handed, sit to the right of the child; lefties sit on the left) Slow down your movement, so your child can analyze what you’re doing Do not talk when actually showing the activity Only show your child a new activity when he is rested and well-fed Do not interrupt or correct once your child is engaged Enjoy sharing these moments with your child
*The appropriate age will depend on the child’s individual development and abilities as well as interest. These are all approximate ages; it is essential to follow your child’s needs by learning to observe them.
Sleep seems to be one of those things you don't think about until it's not working. And then it's ALL you think about. Parents tell me of all the tricks, complicated routines, and methods they are going through just to get their children to sleep each night. It sounds exhausting just listening to them. And, I've been there too. I wrote about my experience with a 9 month old who "needed" to be held upright, rocked, and remain in contact with a person to stay asleep, and how his parents and I made a new plan for restful sleep based on the Compassionate Sleep Solution from Eileen Henry. Check it out! And be sure to pick up a copy of her book if you have a similar sleep story.
Don't Cry it Out. Set up Sleep for Success. Here's what I did with a family, and how you can reclaim restful sleep yourself. Three things to check out: •
If you are using a floor bed for your infant or toddler, check out this article from Pilar at The Full Montessori for her real-life experiences.
•
I certainly kept myself up at night thinking about monsters in my closet. Here's 5 steps for easing bedtime fears from Janet Lansbury.
•
Watch this TED talk from Jeff Iliff about how our brains use sleep to clean themselves and what sleep is really about.
The brain uses a quarter of the body's entire energy supply, yet only accounts for about two percent of the body's mass. So how does this unique organ receive and, perhaps more importantly, rid itself of vital nutrients? New research suggests it has to do with sleep.
Raising Kids Positively Raising Kids Positively is all about improving your relationship with your children, growing their emotional intelligence, and a balance of kind and firm discipline. Psychologist Carol Surya makes this easy with her new website www.raisingkidspositively.com and three easy-to-use routes: a children’s self-esteem game, a conscious parenting book and workshops. InnerMagic Perfect for today’s busy families, is a game to consciously spend more quality time together, without devices or distractions. Expertly designed for selfreflection, self-expression and empowerment, InnerMagic benefits include teaching emotional intelligence while also strengthening all areas of development as you play! Everyone loves it because it gets all players moving, thinking and speaking. Magically encouraging children to talk more easily, develop critical thinking and practice making healthy choices. Ideal for parents, grandparents and educators to play with 5 to 13 year olds.
Order yours today and be reminded of your inner potential. All information available on
www.raisingkidspositively.com Email : info@raisingkidspositively.com Phone: (044) 533-5655 Mobile:: 071 671 6337
The Magic of Mindfulness Author Carmen Clews has found a magical way to bring mindfulness into your home and school! “The Magic Mat and its little secret…” is a delightful children’s book (with free DVD animation) offering fun, physical stretching and calming techniques to develop happy, relaxed, loving and healthy children. Used as a story at bedtime, or done actively with the DVD at home or as a group activity in the classroom - with regular use the benefits are magical. Children relax more, improving in balance and co-ordination, as well as memory, focus, patience and selfcontrol. Readers (age 5 to 12) hop on board their very own Magic Mat, transforming them into animals with various beautiful qualities. Finally, they relax, discovering their own higher selves, learning to feel love, compassion and gratitude. Read what buyers say about this magical tool kit, visit the Facebook page, watch the video clip – or simply order yours today.
The Planting Seeds for Life Education Series, also by Carmen Clews, teaches mindfulness and positive values to children aged 10 to 14 years. Enchanting African stories guide the reader through group discussions, visualizations, songs and other learning activities all aimed at improving well-being. The book’s 25 “seeds”, each written as a lesson plan, include the essential life skills of making wise choices; improving communication; managing emotions; problem solving; forgiveness; positive thinking; self-reliance and environmental conservation. If only we’d all learned these skills at school.
Contact details : Website : www.magicmatsecret.com Email : carmen@magicmatsecret.com Video : http://vimeo.com/100388148 Magic Mat Seeds for Life
Instead of Punishment by Donna Bryant Goertz
They came in from the playground knotted together by tight feelings for their injured friend. “He’s hurt. He fell off the slide. Ned pushed him.” Ned was supporting Bart, who was hopping along, his face squeezing out tears and his jaw clenching in sobs. Breathing heavily, pushing and stumbling, with heads bobbing and backs bent as they jockeyed for close, clear gapes at the bloody knee, Ned and Bart’s buddies accompanied them to gain the safety and reassurance that presenting the disaster to me always bestows. “Looks as if it hurts. It’s bleeding.” I put one arm around Bart’s shoulder and a hand behind his calf. “Let’s clean it up.” I think fondly of Ned and how far he has come to be helping in from the playground the child he has injured rather than fleeing to the farthest reaches after attacking out of perverse curiosity. I look at nine-year-old Ned’s face which now glows with compassionate and tender empathy. He murmurs inquiries and proffers consolation, his own face bloody-knee level and his eyes softly fixed on Bart’s face. “Bad accident?” I ask Ned. “Not exactly,” he answers. “Didn’t mean to push that hard?” I pursue. “Mmmm, can’t say that,” Ned says. “Didn’t think it would do this much harm?” I continued. “That’s not it. Just feel bad now. I don’t do these things much anymore. Just sorry.” This description of an ordinary incident in the daily lives of our children demonstrates the healing effect of our faith in the innate goodness of a child, our trust in his impulse to overcome negative behavior and to heal from within through the benefits of an environment which meets his needs. This quality of recovery and healing cannot be brought about through punishment, especially not through physical punishment, which engenders deeply buried anger at best and carefully disguised revenge at worst. The superficially improved behavior achieved through punishment only masks the child’s real feelings and makes them unavailable for remediation.
Cooperative problem solving between adult and child engages the child’s innate energies and vital instincts of self-preservation and forms a powerful partnership in benefit of the child. Punishment sets up an adversarial relationship between adult and child within which the child’s urgent and relentless drives of self-interest are placed in conflict with the adult’s legitimate and essential guidance of the child. In the case of Ned, described above, we see the results of a three year process of working through the violence of a child driven by an unbridled perverse curiosity and an absence of impulse control. Ned was hooked on the self-indulgence of hurting others for the mere experience of hurting others. He enjoyed the strange mix of feelings evoked by his urge to hurt someone, his pity for the person, his temptation to indulge, his resistance of the temptation, his eventual yielding, the pleasure of inflicting pain, the guilt, the overall pleasure in the sequence and mixture of the whole affair. It appealed to his lively intelligence, his perverse curiosity and his intense sensitivity. It also masked the relentlessness of his pain. To break this cycle, Ned’s full partnership and participation were required. Punishment would have pitted Ned and me against one another. We would have wasted valuable time and energy matching wits and competing, countering and reacting, and generally trying to outmaneuver each other. He would have developed layers of disguises with his sophisticated and wily intelligence. We would have gradually but certainly diverged in our goals until Ned either became “incorrigible” or until he was “reformed.” We know what incorrigible means. What does reformed mean when it is a result of punishment? It means “I surrender.” It means “you win.” But the child never really surrenders. He just goes underground. He presents himself as compliant and socially adjusted. But when he is very, very tired or under intense pressure, or any time he calculates that he will not get caught, the buried emotion rises and the repressed behavior re-emerges. Ned’s potency would have been dangerous in disguise or underground but in partnership with me it was a creative force for healthy growth. My task was to enter into Ned’s reality, decipher his code, scan for his guiding star and follow it with him. Then I could see what path he had chosen and how he might be strengthened to find a better path without forsaking his star. For Ned, the star was his exceptional intelligence wedded to a throbbing sensitivity. The mean path he had chosen, which easily could have turned cruel, was one he stumbled upon to deaden the pain of a tortured family life and an intelligence blocked from its legitimate expression through academic pursuits. Focusing the loose cannon of his randomly aimed and rapidly firing attention and breaking the code of written language were the challenges Ned faced in removing the roadblocks from his true path. While assisting Ned to spare his classmates and supporting his classmates to remain open to Ned, I began a high intensity partnership with him to seek out and proclaim his every second of increase in focused attention, his every cramped and twisted pencil stroke, each sight-read or sounded-out syllable and each and every incident of kindness on his part. Slowly the group of children began to coalesce and disperse in changing ebbs and flows of support and friendship for Ned. It asked a lot of them. The children were tested and found wanting at times. But many other times they came shining through. When one child would grow tired of sitting beside Ned, we would ask, “Who will trade places with Nora? She needs a rest from sitting next to Ned.” “I really like Ned, she would avow, and I want to sit next to him again someday, but it is hard work and right now I need a break.”
In the last decade, advances in science have made it possible to diagnose and treat illness with greater precision than ever before. Simple, accessible genetic testing, like mygeneRx, has given healthcare practitioners the power to maximise effectiveness and minimise side effects of medicine. This is changing the world of healthcare – but not everyone knows how. Here’s what you need to know about genetics and personalised medicine:
What Does It Mean for You & Me? By Dr Daniel Meyersfeld
What is Pharmacogenomics? For a long time, medicine revolved around the best way to treat the masses – doctors prescribe the same medication to treat people with a similar condition. Pharmacogenomics promotes a more personalised approach. Pharmacogenomics harnesses genetics to predict an individual’s response to medication, leading to more effective treatment. Although there’s a long way to go in relying entirely on DNA to make medical decisions, this is a rapidly evolving field that already can provide a wealth of useful information. It’s a more effective way to practice medicine than a ‘one size fits all’ approach.
Why are genes important in treatment? Small variations in our DNA make us unique. These variations determine how proteins and enzymes are made, which in turn lead to specific enzymes working faster or slower. This impacts how medication is metabolised in the body. In certain patients, a higher or lower dosage of medication is needed, or alternative medication is better suited. Statins, for example, which are commonly prescribed to help lower cholesterol, vary in effectiveness depending on DNA.
Conscious Life Magazine
For some, they don’t work at all and instead yield negative side effects. If a doctor understands a patient’s DNA, they can avoid prescribing a drug that won’t contribute to a quick recovery.
What medications can I test for? The responsiveness of more than 150 medications across cardiovascular, pain, gastrointestinal and psychiatric medications can be made more accurate through genetic tests.
What are the benefits of genetic testing? Pioneering genetic tests like mygeneRx yield a more precise understanding of why two people might respond differently to the same medication. It’s a quantum leap towards prescribing exactly the right treatment, to the right patient, the first time. For more information about mygeneRx, visit www.mygenerx.co.za.
How advanced are genetic tests? Genetic testing and personalised medicine have an exciting impact on both clinical research and patient care. Not only will it improve health but also save time and money by avoiding a trial and error approach. These tests are applicable to children, adults and the elderly, as your DNA never changes.
Is all genetic testing invasive? The perception that genetic testing is an invasive and complicated process is misinformed. Advanced home test kits consist of a simple cheek swab that can be delivered to and collected from wherever you are. There’s nothing invasive about it.
How long will it take to get results? Because DNA samples are analysed in a lab, most people believe it’ll take months to get results. This isn’t necessarily the case. Genetic test results can be received 10 to 14 days after DNA samples reach the lab.
Can I trust genetic testers with my data? Many people fear their genetic information landing up in the wrong hands and being used by insurance companies for risk analysis or research. If you take a test through a reliable and trustworthy laboratory, information should be kept confidential and stored in a secure database only available to the patient and healthcare practitioner.
DNAlysis DNAlysis, a leader in the field of biotechnology, provides insights that enable healthcare practitioners to adopt a tailored approach to personalised patient care. The portfolio of DNAlysis genetic tests give information to improve and maintain health, for more informed, effective and safe treatment. DNAlysis products and services are distributed worldwide.
mygeneRx mygeneRx analyses genetic variants that affect the metabolism of cardiovascular, psychiatry and pain medications. The tests are able to give accurate recommendations for 150 different prescription drugs. This benefits patients starting new medication, experiencing side-effects or not responding to specific medication, to ensure the safety and efficacy of their treatment.
Dr Daniel Meyersfeld Dr Daniel Meyersfeld, founder of DNAlysis, holds a PhD in molecular biology from the University of the Witwatersrand. During his studies, he saw an opportunity to use advances in the field of human genetics to improve health and wellness. This inspired him to establish DNAlysis Biotechnology in 2007, to introduce the benefits of genetic testing to South Africa.
Conscious Life Magazine
Encouraged for
of Article Courtesy of DNAlysis
It’s
now understood individuals don’t ‘grow out’ of ADHD. It persists through adolescence and into adulthood – making correct treatment of the condition crucial. A breakthrough genetic test, now available in South Africa, empowers medical professionals to better prescribe ADHD medications based on patients’ DNA – for more accurate treatment and fewer side effects. Dealing with Psychotropics Psychotropic medications alter mood and behaviour by creating changes in the brain. Included in the class of psychotropic drugs are those used to treat ADHD. While prescription of ADHD medication – and other psychotropic drugs – has, until now, largely followed a ‘trial and error’ approach, genetic tests might be the solution for treating neurodevelopmental disorders like ADHD. And understanding how ADHD medications are processed in the body.
Critical conditions Psychiatrist Dr Sarvani Pather recognises the need for more personalised prescription of psychotropic medications. She explains the necessity for deeper insights and enhanced treatment.
Conscious Life Magazine
“Prescribing psychotropic drugs can be difficult because of possible side effects, tolerability and because they can take time to work. This is a challenge when treating severe disorders, because patients desperately need the benefits of the medication to function in their daily lives.”
Why ADHD treatments matter An example of this, cites Pather, is the use of medications such as methylphenidate, atomoxetine, amphetamine or clonidine (amongst others), used to treat ADHD. Untreated ADHD can result in anxiety, mood and substance disorders, overall poorer quality of life – and children and adults not fulfilling their potential, explains Pather.
“Adults with untreated ADHD often have relationship difficulties, struggle to hold down
jobs and are at increased risk of car accidents,” says Pather. “Children and teenagers might suffer from low self-esteem, and ADHD can have a severe impact on their normal development. The sooner the condition is treated, the better.” Children, adults and teens depend on ADHD medication to bring normality and focus into their lives, by targeting the core symptoms of the condition – impulsivity, hyperactivity and inattention. There can be an enormous ripple effect from individuals taking the incorrect medication, or the correct medication at the incorrect dosage. And as medical professionals attempt to right the wrongs of ‘one size fits all’ prescription by changing drugs and dosages for the patient, the side effects and symptoms can intensify in the process.
Harnessing treatment
genetics
for
enhanced
The case for personalised and specific treatment of ADHD requires minimal justification. mygeneRx, a genetic test done via a simple cheek swab in the comfort of the
Conscious Life Magazine
patient’s home, tests for genetic markers that affect the metabolism of a range of ADHD medications. A deeper understanding of the patient’s DNA and how this effects the metabolism of ADHD medications in the body, gives medical professionals the ability to avoid a ‘trial and error’ approach and prescribe the right medication, at the right dose, for the right patient. “Genetic tests like mygeneRx allow for better pharmacotherapy. If we know which drugs work for an individual, the exact dose needed and likelihood of side effects before initiating treatment, we can minimise the ‘trial’ necessary before seeing a response, remission, or resolution of symptoms. This means fewer negative side effects for the individual with ADHD and – most importantly – preventing the disorder from having a negative and fundamental impact on their lives.” For more information on mygeneRx or to order a home test kit, visit www.mygeneRx.co.za.
Written by Sealy with input from Cj Matticks Conscious Life Magazine July 2017
By Dr. Aadil Ahmed Khan Registrar Internal Medicine. MBChB, BMedSc, HMedSc (PHYS). FBB SA Classic Bodybuilding, Arnold Classic Africa 2016 Runner Up
Milk is a prime source of 3 important nutrients calcium, potassium and Vitamin D. • Calcium is especially important for bone health • Too much sodium and too little potassium together are risk factors for high blood pressure. Most people have too much salt and not enough potassium in their diet • Vitamin D is added to fortified milk
Research further suggests that the dairy in our diet can actually cause health problems (for some) like lactose intolerance, painful menstruation, aggravation of skin problems, indigestion, heart burn, etc. A deficiency of lactase, an enzyme produced in your small intestine, is usually responsible for lactose intolerance. Although many people with low levels of lactase are able to digest milk products, if you are indeed lactose intolerant, you are unable to fully digest the sugar (lactose) in milk and your lactase deficiency could lead to symptoms after you consume dairy. Some of these symptoms include diarrhoea, gas and bloating after eating or drinking dairy products. The condition, which is also called lactose malabsorption, is usually harmless, but can be very uncomfortable. Conscious Life Magazine
The team at Child of the Universe are big fans of Sealy and have come to trust them as experts in healthy sleep. We especially like that they make use of components such as natural Bamboo Fabric, 100% Wool and Natural Latex in their beds. This month, Sealy have shared with us 10 great tips to help you ensure that you have a good night’s sleep.
1
Establish a regular bedtime and wake schedule, aiming for 6-8 hours of sleep per night (try not to change times on the weekend).
2
Exercise regularly, but not too close to bedtime.
3
Consume less or no caffeine, especially in the afternoons, and avoid alcohol before going to bed.
4
Sleeping on a good bed that supports you & provides you with a healthy, happy sleep is essential. Sealy’s range of bed’s are perfect for this and Sealy is always exploring new ways to give you more comfort, more support & more delicious luxury.
5
Avoid nicotine. (Be on the look out in next month’s issue for tips on how to quit smoking)
6 Avoid heavy meals close to bed time. 7
Develop a sleep ritual (eg a warm bath before bed or listening to quiet, calming music) The Child of the Universe team recommends listening to one of the bed time meditations on the Buddhify App available for download from the Android and Apple in the app stores. >
8 Ensure your bedroom is cool (about 16 18°C) dark and quiet.
9 Your bed is made for sleeping – avoid doing everything else in bed, like reading, watching TV, working, eating.
If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions you may need to think carefully about the size of bed you buy. • •
10 If you cant get to sleep for 30 minutes, get out of bed and have some warm milk or chamomile tea, then try again. (Note from Cj, Deputy Editor – I find that the Buddhify app is great at helping me fall asleep – it also helps that I sleep on an awesome Sealy Bed – and yes – I love my Bed!!)
Choosing the Best Bed for You: We spend an average of 6-8 hours per night in our beds. So in a year, we spend roughly 121 days sleeping!! We in fact spend a 3rd of our lives‘ in bed, so it’s easy to see why choosing the right bed is so important to our health.
• • •
Single 91cm – offers a sleep surface area suitable for singles and young ones. Three Quarter 107cm - provides a larger sleep surface than a single bed, while still conserving space. Double 137cm - provides a sleep surface area to two people. Queen 152cm - the most popular size, offering a comfortable sleep surface area for two people. King 183cm - has the largest sleep surface area, with generous space for two people. King size foundations come in 2 separate pieces for easy installation.
Standard length 188cm is available in all Sealy models. Extra length 200cm for taller individuals is available in selected models.
Supreme Comfort We love that Sealy take this very seriously , and make superb mattresses to suit each person’s individual preference. No matter what size or shape you are, or whether you like hard, soft, or somewhere in-between, there’s a Sealy Posturepedic that’s made for you. Do the comfort test at your Sealy Stockist:
We stop at nothing to ensure you get maximum benefit from your sleep. Using premium fibres and advanced technology foams that do far more than provide padding, Sealy Posturepedic is available in a range of distinct comfort levels and finishes to ensure you find the bed that’s perfect for you.
1. First try the Firm comfort. Lie in your normal sleeping positions, turning over to feel the support and comfort.
Unmatched Support
2. Now try the Medium comfort. 3. Finally, the Plush comfort. 4. Make your choice of your individual comfort preference.
Choosing the Best Bed Size for You: Do you sleep with a partner? Are you taller or bigger than average? Do you toss & turn at night? ConsciousLife LifeMagazine Magazine MAY-JUNE 2017 Conscious
Having the correct support means you wake up feeling refreshed and ready to face your busy day. Sealy Posturepedic’s revolutionary orthopaedic support systems ensure your muscles relax and recover in just a few hours of sleep. Our patented spring system, originally designed by orthopaedic surgeons, ensures you get the long-lasting support where you need it most. No more tossing and turning. No more uncomfortable pressure points around the shoulders, lower back and hips. No more restless nights.
How To Keep Your Heart Open When You’re Angry By Lissa Rankin MD
It’s easy to talk about opening your heart when everyone is getting along. When you’re with your best friend, who has just built a cocoon around you because you just got your heart broken, and your bestie then climbs into the cocoon to hold you in her arms like a mother, your heart is likely to feel so open that honey just pours right out of it all over the floor. It’s easy to keep your heart open when you’re with your child, who just told you the story about how she used to be a fairy who sat on your shoulder while you meditated until she became sad that you couldn’t hear her say “I love you”•in real life. When she tells you how one day she decided to fly into your vagina, deposit her fairy wings in your heart so you’d always have fairy magic, and then hobble over to your uterus so she could grow into a baby who would be able to grow up and say, “I love you,”•your heart melts like chocolate chips in a hot stove. When the object of your undying affection, down on one knee and holding a bouquet of roses, confesses that he’s been madly in love with you for years and just can’t hold it in anymore, you’re unlikely to amour up your heart.
Check in with your heart right now. How does it feel?
When The Heart Gets Challenged It’s easy to keep your heart open when it feels safe and nurtured. But what about the other times? How good are you at keeping your heart open with your fellow human beings when planes crash into your country’s beloved landmarks and kill thousands of innocent beings? Can you keep your heart open when your abusive mother abandons you? Can you keep giving those you love permission to break your heart when your heart keeps aching from loss, longing, abandonment, and betrayal?
Can you keep giving those you love permission to break your heart when your heart keeps aching from loss, longing, abandonment, and betrayal? Can you keep your heart open when your beloved pets keep dying? What about when you’re trying to keep your heart open with those you work with in your professional life, but the knuckleheads in charge of the purse strings keep insisting that you sell out your integrity, seemingly with no concern for the well-being of those you’re trying to serve? Can you keep your heart open when politicians threaten to withhold resources from inner-city children in public schools, women who are victims of domestic violence, the mentally ill homeless population, women who are sold into sex trafficking, or uninsured children who need medical care?
How does your heart feel now?
The True Test Of The Open Heart If you’re like most people, you most likely find that it’s easy to open your heart with those who leave your heart feeling safe, respected, appreciated, and honored. But the real test comes when you learn to keep your heart open even when your heart feels threatened. Consider the knucklehead that wants to thwart the doctor’s ability to open his heart with his patients. Should he get pissy at the mucky mucks that are getting in the way of him doing the right thing with his patients? Or should he find a place within his own heart to have compassion for the closed part of the mucky muck’s heart that is thwarting him? Should the woman whose mother abandoned her in childhood accept her mother into her heart and her life when that mother shows up at her wedding and asks to be forgiven? When you find yourself feeling righteous, angry, entitled, or victimized by the actions of another, can you find within you any seed of softness? Some place deep within that recognizes how much pain that person must be in, how burdened their soul must be, how deeply armored they must be in their heart in order to behave in a way that is surely out of alignment with their own integrity? Can you begin to touch the suffering of your fellow human beings and meet them at the place of their suffering, rather than judging them, criticizing them, dismissing them, or making them wrong? Can you find within your soft, human heart the ability to open when you feel inclined to close? Can you forgive? Can you approach those people as a healer, knowing that in order to behave in the abominable ways they have, they must be hurting? Can you greet them in the hurting, knowing that we all have our wounds, we are all flawed, and we’re all doing the best we can?
Do another heart check. What’s your status?
It’s Not About Condoning The Behavior Keeping your heart open when the knuckleheads are being knuckleheady or the sociopaths need jail time, doesn’t mean you’re giving anyone your stamp of approval. But it does mean that keeping an open heart requires radical acts of compassion in order to keep you out of the ego trap of righteousness, anger and revenge. It doesn’t mean you can’t set boundaries that protect you from dangerous or even just plain mean people. But it does mean that if you wind up responding in ways that are just as unkind as those you’re judging, you’re missing the opportunity to live from the heart in a way that brings more peace and joy into your life and heals the world while you’re at it (no biggie). I know it’s a lot to ask. It’s so much easier to fall into righteous anger when you don’t get your way or when people are thwarting you in your commitment to opening your heart to those who need your love. But if we open our hearts only when it’s easy, aren’t we failing to model what a true open heart looks and feels like for those who hurt us?
Are You Willing To Go All The Way With Your Open Heart? Will you practice radical acts of heart-opening? Next time you get your feathers in a bunch, might you try to find your compassion for the suffering in another? Next time you get on your high horse, might you get off and sit crosslegged on the ground and ask the person you’re upset with to meet you there? I know it’s scary. But I dare you…
Inviting you to explore an even more expansive heart,
Lissa Rankin MD is a mind-body medicine physician, founder of the Whole Health Medicine Institute training program for physicians and healthcare providers, and the New York Times bestselling author of Mind Over Medicine: Scientific Proof That You Can Heal Yourself. She is on a grass roots mission to heal healthcare, while empowering you to heal yourself. Lissa blogs at www.LissaRankin.com and also created two online communities – HealHealthCareNow.com and OwningPink.com. She is also the author of two other books, a speaker, a professional artist, an amateur ski bum, and an avid hiker. She lives in the San Francisco Bay area with her husband and daughter.
One of the few times you don’t want your child to share, is when they have a cold. The cold is the most common infectious disease in people; there are hundreds of viruses that cause them and we cannot hope to build up immunity to them all. When someone in your household goes down with a cold, the only thing you can do is minimise your chances of catching it too. Keep your hands clean It’s important to keep your hands as clean as possible; not only yours, but your child’s too. Encourage your child to practice proper hand hygiene by making it fun – hand-washing games with fun-shaped soaps, or the use of reward charts, can help you achieve this.
Use tissues The most hygienic way to contain germs when we cough and sneeze is to use tissues, and they should be thrown away immediately after use. If there are no tissues available, then the crook of your elbow is the next best option. Don’t use your hands, otherwise they will be covered with germs and you may not be able to wash them straight away.
Don’t share food Don’t be tempted to share food, drink of eating utensils with your child – the virus that causes colds can be transferred by saliva.
Eat chicken soup Chicken soup is not only good for the soul, it’s good for combating the effects of colds too. Its warm liquid can help soothe sore throats and unblock stuffy noses – make sure you have some tissues handy! Chicken soup containing vegetables is packed with vitamins and antioxidants which can help charge up the immune system and help fight infection.
Drink lots of fluids Drinking lots of fluids will help keep you hydrated – it won’t flush the cold and flu germs out of your system, but will help you to feel better. Warm drinks such as herbal tea, clear broth, and hot water with honey and lemon are all soothing and will help ease congestion. Avoid coffee and alcohol though, as these drinks will dehydrate you. If you really can’t persuade your child to drink herbal teas etc, then warm juice makes a good alternative.
Eat nutrient-rich foods If your child has a cold or you feel like you might be coming down with one, tweak your diet. You should be eating mostly nutrition-rich foods, especially fruits and veggies, which are packed with vitamins to keep your immune system functioning at its best. Juices can be nourishing, too – just lay off concentrated and sugary varieties.
Keep your distance If you can, try to ensure that your child stays in their room as much as possible to keep the germs contained within a small area. If this isn’t possible, make sure everyone keeps their distance instead and difficult as it may be, NO hugs or goodnight kisses until they’re better.
Get enough good sleep Studies have shown that lack of sleep has a big impact on our immune system – an average of less than seven hours sleep a night will triple your chances of catching a cold. Equally, it’s been proven that good quality, deep sleep has restorative benefits.
10 Winter Tips To Save Energy While Keeping Warm By Cj Matticks
Winter time is normally the time of year that our electricity bills soar. Last year was a particularly bad one for us. I used the oven a lot for meals and then would leave it running for about 30 mins more after cooking to keep the open plan section downstairs warm - bad idea no 1. Bad idea no 2 was using the oil heater at night while we slept so that we didn’t freeze. Well I certainly learnt my lesson with the extra grand that it cost me per month!! This year, we have been a lot wiser and I am certain that it is paying off.
Tip Number 1 – Close Up at Night
Tip Number 4 – Layer Up
Instead of turning up the heat in your home at night time, simply close all windows and curtains. If you have pets, lock them in at night. It’s safer for them and it will keep them nice and warm too. If you have dogs, its actually better for them to be inside in terms of keeping you safe and alerting you of possible intruders. Just let them out about 30mins before bed time to do their business. If you , like me, have cats, simply get them a cat sand tray or two.
There is no point in wearing light clothing and then running a heater and electric blanket all night to stay warm. We have found that the old adage of layering your clothes, helps us a lot, greatly reducing the amount of time that heaters need to be on, if at all. We in fact use the panel heater in our room only once a week, if that. The only other room with a heater now, is the spare room (my mom stays over at us quite often).
Tip Number 5 – Duvet Heaven Tip Number 2 – Close Inside Doors Close the doors of rooms that are not being used. We close the door of our spare room and the adjacent bathroom at night. We also close our en-suite bathroom when it gets really cold.
Tip Number 3 – Open Up in the Day Depending on how much sun your home gets in the day, many of our houses are north facing, I find that opening the windows in the in the day. really helps to bring the warmer air in from outside. Remember to close them just before dusk if you can. This tip may not help you if you get home after dark. Conscious Life Magazine July 2017
We have found that for two of us in the bed at night, a summer thickness microfibre duvet underneath a summer comforter, are perfect for warmth. If you are single, you may need to add a warm fluffy blanket under the duvets. Sleeping like this is way better for you and your circulation, than using an electric blanket. If you love your electric blanket though, only use it to warm your bed up before you get in.
Tip Number 6 – Geyser Timer & Blanket We had the team from Saving Energy install our geyser timer and blanket about a month ago and we are loving it!! There is so much
benefit in having a geyser timer, as discussed in last month’s Green Living Section. The installation process was quick and easy and the team were in and out in less than 30mins.
Tip Number 8 - Blankets love Movies
Our geyser is now set to go on at 6am and off at 8am (I work from home mostly and get up around 7am – giving the geyser enough time to heat up if I choose to shower in the morning.) Typically speaking, we generally shower at night, so there is not too much need to have the geyser on in the morning. Also, the geyser blanket keeps it nice and hot throughout the night anyway.
Extra thick socks work wonders too.
At night we have the geyser set to switch on at 5pm and then off again at 8pm. The geyser is now only on for a total of 5 hours a day vs 24 hours a day. Another perk is that we have become even more careful with our water usage.
Tip Number 7 – Steam It Up When showering, or bathing (the latter is infrequent for us), we close the door to the bathroom allowing it to steam up a little. Our en-suite has an extractor fan connected to the light switch, so I find that a candle light shower is best – really relaxing too. Dry and dress in the bathroom if it’s particularly cold. Once you open the door, the steam is able to escape into the rest of the house which is great if you are in the dry Highveld. Otherwise you can always open the bathroom window to let it escape quickly. We also try to use a bucket in the shower (the type used to hold drinks at a party). You simply stand in the bucket while showering., turning off the water while lathering. The water is then thrown into the garden, reducing the need to water. We find that showering at night just before bed time is best in winter as you get into bed nice and warm.
Instead of turning on a heater to watch TV, a Movie or reading a book, grab a blanket and wrap up for a nice cuddly experience.
Tip Number 9 – Hot Hydration Winter is the perfect time to enjoy hot drinks. Some of my fave’s are, My T Chai’s Dairy Free Instant Chai Tea Mix, a nice cuppa hot tea, and yummy hot cocoa. I have found that buying a tub of cocoa and simply adding hot water, a little sugar and milk/almond milk works beautifully and cuts out all those additives.
Tip Number 10 – Cuddle Up Winter gives us the perfect excuse to get cuddly with our loved ones. I am not only talking about couples, if you are a parent cuddle with your kids , if you are a fur-baby mommy or daddy – cuddle with your four legged children! We barely have space to move in the bed at night sometimes as the cats pin us down on all sides. My one baby, Max, particularly loves to cuddle under the blankets. And if you are alone at home, no worries, get a nice hot water bottle or two, just watch that you don’t fill it all the way up and that you close it properly.
Your 15 Mins of Fame: Take the Challenge – try out these tips this month, tell us how the experience was for you. Email us your letter/mini journal and any tips you may have, by the 20th of July as to and we may even publish it! Email me: candida@childoftheuniverse.co.za Subject line: My Winter Energy Saving Challenge Until next month – Adios and keep warm
Conscious Life Magazine
35% Cut in Peak Demand Consumption Year on Year!
By Craig Berman of Saving Energy
The residents and body corporate at Kyalami Hills are smiling this Monday ! The recent year on year comparison for peak demand consumption has shown a whopping 35,38% reduction since the implementation of Saving Energy’s Residential Complex Energy Reduction Solution. The average monthly peak demand consumption from January 2016 – June 2016 (as per the ESKOM invoices) was 40298Kwh per month. The Average monthly peak demand consumption for the same period for 2017 was just 26039 Kwh. This is a saving of 14258 Kwh per month or 85548 Kwh which is the equivalent of almost 4 months peak demand consumption. The average year on year saving is 35,38% which clearly shows that the energy saving solution implemented has delivered exceptional returns for the investment. Coupled with the smart metering system currently installed, the Residential Complex Energy Reduction Solution has now show indisputable proof that this solution is exceptionally effective in significantly reducing peak demand energy usage in Residential Complexes.
The Impact of ESKOM’s high demand season tariff. As of June 1, ESKOM’s high demand tariff has taken effect increasing the peak demand tariff around 250%! The low season demand tariff is around 90c / Kwh on peak demand usage while the high demand tariff is around R2-90 / Kwh! The reduction of 35% at Kyalami Hills will have a massive impact on the electricity costs during winter and residents will be spending MUCH less this year than they did last yeareven though this year has been noticeably colder. The installation of the timers and blankets has proved beyond doubt that this simple and cost effective solution will deliver results beyond expectation. With this saving achieved at Kyalami Hills, it now seems certain that the Return on Investment for this project will be less than the original 9 month projection.
Download the free report here to see how this solution was implemented and ACT NOW to get this into your complex BEFORE the end of Winter. Conscious Life Magazine July 2017
Enter to WIN A Year’s Supply* of Almond Breeze Almond Milk!
Looking for a low-kilojoule alternative to milk? Almond Breeze Almond Milk is a must-have if you’re looking to incorporate a healthier dairy alternative into your lifestyle. With great health benefits, Almond Breeze is a lactose-free alternative to dairy and can be used in cereals, smoothies, coffee, in cooking and baking or simply enjoy a delicious glass on its own. Almond Breeze will provide one lucky winner a chance to win a year’s worth of Almond Breeze Almond Milk. To Enter: 1. Email us at competitions@childoftheuniverse.co.za Subject: Almond Breeze 2. Answer this Question: According to Dr Kahn’s Article in this issue, on Switching to Almond Milk: What vitamins and minerals are found in Almond Milk? 3. Elect 3 friends to receive Conscious Life Magazine for free by including their email addresses. Terms & Conditions: *(Based on an average consumption of 1L a week). Cases to be delivered to the winner’s physical address during office hours. The winner can select which variant they prefer, either Almond Breeze Unsweetened or Original. The Competition Ends on the 31st of July 2017 at 12pm. The judge’s decision is final. The competition is not open to directors, agents, employees or consultants of Blue Diamond Growers or Conscious Life Magazine. The competition is not open to readers who reside outside of South Africa or those who have won a prize with us in the last 6 months.
Conscious Life Magazine MAY-JUNE 2017
6
Top Tips
for
Weight-Loss
Weight-loss is often right up there on the list of the average individual’s concerns, and certainly what I get asked about the most. The tricky thing with individual weight-loss is just that: we are all individuals. Reasons for weight-gain differ vastly across people, based on their habits, eating patterns, stress and activity levels, and there is certainly no one-size-fits-all plan for tackling them. That said, here are my four general weightloss tips that everyone stands to benefit from.
1. Variety: Our bodies adapt quickly. It’s essential to keep yours guessing by varying your workouts and eating as much as possible. This breaks through fitness and weight-loss plateaus – and keeps you interested and motivated as well. Opt for a balanced diet of a variety of foods, aiming for as many colours as possible on the plate.
2. Intensity: HIIT (high intensity interval training) is the most efficient way to blast fat and tone up. This means shorter workouts of challenging, explosive sets of resistance or cardiovascular training back-to-back, with short – sometimes active – rests.
3. Add veggies: If this is the one change you make to your diet, it may be the only one you need. Our veggie quota of roughly 4-5 helpings is almost
Conscious Life Magazine
never met. Focusing less on what to take out your diet, and more on reaching this quota is one of the most successful strategies for weight-loss. You’ll be surprised how little space is left in your stomach after you’ve worked to include all the veggies we need in a day! This is a healthy approach that focuses on increasing nutritional quality in your diet, rather than deprivation.
4. Smart carbs: Refined carbs and added sugar sneak their way into so many of our daily meals. A conscious effort to limit these and rather take in a healthy balance of complex, low GI whole carbs – think starchy vegetables, brown rice and oats – will remove a lot of the dead weight in your diet that typically ends up being stored as fat.
5. Identifying excess: Identifying the biggest contributors to your weight-gain is a must, and they are usually the
Conscious Life Magazine
things we do repeatedly or in excess. Do you have multiple cups of tea a day with a few sugars each time? Are you getting dramatically less than the weekly recommended minutes of exercise? Does every weekend include a big night out with handfuls of drinks? Are you prone to something sweet after dinner every evening? These habits are going to differ sizeably amongst individuals, but it is these personal habits that have the most impact on results. Spend some time identifying the few routine things you believe have the most impact on your weight and moderate them accordingly. 6. Consistency: Forget the all-or-nothing approach! Generally sticking to a sensible training and eating schedule will serve you far better than going flat out for a few weeks then throwing in the towel for long stretches in between. Slow and steady fat-loss is also the key to keeping it off long-term – deprivation is always short-lived.
Potato Pancakes Potato Pancakes Baking potatoes, often called russet or Idaho potatoes, make the best potato pancakes. Potato pancakes are a perfect example of how a few simple ingredients can make a satisfying breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Serves 4 - 6.
Ingredients • • • • • • • • •
3 baking potatoes Peeled (about 4½ cups grated potatoes) 1 green onion thinly sliced 2 eggs beaten ¾tsp salt ¾cup whole wheat flour ¼tsp freshly ground black pepper 1tbsp vegetable oil Additional vegetable oil for cooking 1cup sour cream (optional)
Instructions Grate peeled potatoes directly into a bowl of water. Transfer the grated potatoes into a colander and press them to squeeze out as much liquid as possible. In a bowl, mix together the eggs, salt, pepper, and vegetable oil. Add the flour, whisking to combine. Add the potatoes and sliced green onion and mix well. Heat a skillet over high heat. Spread a small amount of oil evenly over the surface. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the potato mixture to form each potato pancake. Flatten the pancakes with a spatula and cook until dark golden brown on both sides and cooked through. Serve immediately topped with applesauce and sour cream, if using.
Injera Injera Traditional Ethiopian food is famous for hot spicy food served on top of a soft pancake-like bread called injera. True injera is made from a very nutritious grain called teff, but whole wheat and white flours work too. The soft warm bread is delicious with Ethiopian Lentils, couscous, and cool creamy cucumbers! Makes 14 5-inch injera.
Ingredients
Instructions
• • • • • • • • •
In a bowl, combine the water and yeast. Let sit for 2 minutes, until the yeast has dissolved. Stir in the honey. Gradually add the teff or millet flour, white flour, whole wheat flour, salt, and baking soda, whisking to form a smooth batter. Stir in the oil and let the batter sit for 15 minutes. Heat a griddle to medium high. Ladle ¼ cup of the batter onto the griddle, spreading the batter to form a thin pancake-like bread. Cook until bubbles form and the bread is slightly dry. Turn and lightly brown the second side. Remove to a plate, cover, and serve warm.
1¾cups warm water ½tsp baking yeast 1tsp honey ¼cup teff flour or millet flour ½cup unbleached white flour ½cup whole wheat flour ¼tsp salt ¼tsp baking soda ½tsp vegetable oil
Conscious Life Magazine
By Claudia Graunke
There’s something about horses that you either get or don’t. I had no fear of horses as a young child – they intrigued me. There was nothing my teacher asked me to do, that I was not ready to try. Having my first experience at the age of 3 now 18 years later, I run my own riding yard and I have 13 horses of my own. I know that every one of my students would agree – there is truly something special about our equine friends. It’s not just because of the therapeutic benefits or physical benefits. There isn’t one horse, who has not left his/her mark on my life – who has not taught me something about myself and made me a better communicator with them. For me, horsemanship starts not in the jumping arena – it starts the moment that child’s feet hit the ground when they arrive at a yard.
It then develops as they learn to respect each horse for the individual that they are and respecting everyone that cares for the horses.
There are a few disciplines that I believe come with the package of riding. It’s been proven that horse riding helps children improve memory, and develop problem solving skills. Riding in a saddle and staying on, means that your child has had to develop strong physical and cognitive abilities.
Because it’s a live sentient being you are dealing with, even just tacking up, means that you need to focus on what you are doing. Whatever problem the child had in his or her day, riding will soon get them to forget it and be fully present in the NOW.
It’s also about teaching students to work with their horse in such a way that it becomes a relationship of cooperation and trust. You are trusting your life with an animal that can weigh over 600kg. As you learn to know horses, you appreciate that he/she trusts you enough to let you climb onto his/her back. Seeing a horse bring out the best in a child that used to be listless and bored with life – children with truly no sense of purpose – is an amazingly rewarding privilege. And that’s why I do what I do. I know that horses have much much more to teach us, than we can ever imagine.
We lead increasingly busy lives. juggling work, family, personal issues and day-to-day general ‘stuff’. Our energy can feel unbalanced at any time even on the best of days and sometimes stressful situations can totally throw us out of sync. Holistic healing is a wonderful way of balancing your body mind and spirit. Everything is made up of energy. When we are stressed or unbalanced, our entire environment is affected, including our family, pets and our living or working environment. Our animal companions are highly sensitive beings. Their energy centres are easily thrown out of balance by negative energy in the home, i.e. noise, arguments, work stress, loss of a family member and even moving house, which can be extremely stressful for everyone involved. Reiki helps to balance our animal friends and give them a sense of calm and balance, helping them to stay healthy and relaxed, even in the most stressful of situations..
Our homes can also be affected by negativity, creating stagnant energies in our own living space. Space clearing, a specialised area of Feng Shui, can help to restore positive energy and movement into these stagnant areas, creating peace and calm – restoring the natural balance within your home, your sanctuary. A three-part healing experience for you and your animal companions, cleansing all the negative energies within your home environment. Ann-Marie Kelly Mobile: 082 579 9478 emailhealingconnexions14@gmail.com
MAR-APR 2017
Conscious Life Magazine
STIFF JOINTS? ARTHRITIS? LAME OR IN PAIN? If your pet is suffering with problems of movement, associated with damage to the musculo-skeletal system? YOU can help him! We have developed a range of medicines aimed at the control of joint disease and lameness in general. ECO-JOINT exerts an effect on tendons and ligaments in, or close to all joints, including sacro-iliacs. Reduces swelling and inflammation and joint stiffness. ECO-ARTH has been formulated to heal and restore function quickly, and encourages cartilage regeneration. Indicated for carpal and hock chips and spurs. ECO-BONE for ‘kissing spines’ & spondylitis. Should be used as a preventative medicine in rapid growing animals. ECO-LAME for back problems where pain is related to nerve irritations. ECO-HEAL for pain, recovery & emergencies, and ECO-GERIAT to assist older animals to loosen-up. Please visit our website to see our full range, varying from skin conditioners to heart medication. Email us and we can assist you with choosing the right medicine for his condition. www.ecovet.co.za 0860 326 838 ecovet@ecovet.co.za
Presents
The Wonderful World of Disney on Ice Disney On Ice will return to South Africa in 2017 for the sixth time with The Wonderful World of Disney On Ice!. With tickets now available, families will be able to celebrate magic, spirit, and fun as an extraordinary lineup of Disney stories come to life in Johannesburg, Cape Town and, for the very first time, Durban! Ticketpro Dome, Johannesburg . 30 June – 9 July Durban’s ICC Arena . 13 July – 16 July GrandWest, Cape Town . 19 July – 23 July
Presented by Feld Entertainment Inc and leading local promoter, Showtime Management The Wonderful World of Disney On Ice! opens on Friday, 30 June 2017 at the Ticketpro Dome, Johannesburg and runs until Sunday, 09 July 2017. The production then moves to Durban’s ICC Arena from Thursday, 13 July to Sunday, 16 July and then to GrandWest, Cape Town from Wednesday, 19 July to Sunday, 23 July 2017. Tickets are on sale at Computicket.
Join Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy as they walk down memory lane and reawaken Disney moments that span generations. Dive deep into the East Australian Current with your favorite school of fish from Disney Pixar's Finding Dory when Dory, Nemo and Marlin set off on an adventure to discover the true meaning of family. Travel to the wintry world of Arendelle with Anna and Elsa and the hilarious snowman Olaf from Disney’s Frozen as they learn how powerful a love between sisters can be. Reach for your dreams with Rapunzel, as her determination illuminates her inner strength. Experience the beauty of Walt Disney’s first animated feature film, as Snow White creates her own happily ever after with the help of seven, new friends. Buzz and Woody will have you jumping out of your seat in a foot-stomping hoedown; Simba, Timon and Pumbaa prowl the Pride Lands of Africa; Jasmine, Aladdin and Genie show how friendship is fearless; and your favorite Disney Princesses take to the ice to showcase the courage and determination that led them to achieve their dreams. For the past six years South African audiences have been thrilled by the excitement of the various Disney On Ice shows. “Each year, the show is a completely different production and, based on the audience appreciation, we believe Disney On Ice is fast becoming a regular annual event on the South African winter events calendar,” says Tony Feldman from Showtime Management. “We are pleased to extend the 2017 Disney On Ice SA tour to share the magic of Disney On Ice in Durban for the first time.” The production concludes with a captivating parade of classic and modern Disney characters, bringing the production to a final culmination of excitement and adventure. With an extraordinary lineup of hit songs, memorable scenes and timeless characters, The Wonderful World of Disney On Ice has a story for every generation.
The Wonderful World of Disney On Ice is a not-to-be-missed family winter school holiday outing. Book now at Computicket by calling 0861 915 8000, visit www.computicket.com or your nearest Computicket service centre. Patrons are asked to please note that owing to safety regulations each person, irrespective of age (including babes in arms and children under two years) must have a purchased ticket. To discover more about Disney On Ice, log on to www.disneyonice.co.za or visit us on Facebook and YouTube.
EVERY HOME NEEDS A LOVING PET! THERE ARE SO MANY BEAUTIFUL ANIMALS WAITING TO BE ADOPTED – PLEASE REACH OUT! WE ALSO ENCOCURAGE YOU TO REACH INTO YOUR HEARTS FOR THOSE WHO ARE LESS FORTUNATE AND REALLY NEED OUR HELP.
Fundraising evening in Aid of Logan Muller Public ¡ Hosted by Micro Miracle Foundation
Details 4 July at 19:00–22:00
Parkers comedy & jive Montecasino, Montecasino Blvd, 2196 Johannesburg, Gauteng R160.00 per person and it includes: LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE!! Come and enjoy the night with the best comedians. Free glass of champagne! Awesome gifts to win with the raffle tickets. Auctions. SMOKING LOUNGE INSIDE! Tequila sold at the bar for only R15.00! Menu is available. Email me and I'll forward it to you. All profits will go to our beneficiary Logan Muller with Microcephaly.
CONTACT DETAILS: Email: feralcarefriends@gmail.com www.feralcarefriends.org.za
Blue Sky News is a kids friendly newsletter (A3 folded to A4 full colour) distributing (personally by each franchisee) on a monthly basis to over 300 schools into school bags, in the Gauteng area. We currently have franchises covering Midrand/Centurion/Fourways/Houghton/Sandton 40000 copies collectively. If you interested in becoming part of our team OR if parents/kids/families are your target market & you would be interested in advertising with us OR would like to distribute or subscribe to our newsletters then check out our website www.blueskynews.co.za and/or Facebook page Contact susette@blueskynews.co.za for more info, we would love to hear from you!
with much appreciation to our advertisers, contributors, endorsers and our readers namaste