Your
September 2015 – Issue 3
Matters
English
The community paper to whom your wellness matters.
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A HEALTHY HEART STARTS IN THE KITCHEN by Nuraan Cader
On Friday, 28 August the Heart and Stoke Foundation South Africa held an exclusive media launch at Eleven Kitchen in Woodstock to kick off Heart Month, which starts on 1 September. Your Wellness Matters was a print media partner to this launch and we take you through the purpose and objectives of the “HaveHeart” campaign. What is Heart Awareness Month? Celebrated annually in September, this month is dedicated to raising awareness about cardiovascular disease in South Africa and culminates on World Heart Day on 29 September. This year the theme for Heart Awareness Month is to HaveHeart and show you care!
Why do we need a whole month just for heart disease? Heart disease affects South Africans here and now Heart disease and strokes are the second biggest killer in South Africa, after HIV/Aids. Once thought to be a disease of the elderly, heart disease now affects people of working age, with more than half of deaths occurring in people under the age of 65 years. Our lifestyles
are largely to blame for this growing problem – we eat too much, smoke and drink too much and are not keeping active. Our children are particularly vulnerable and influenced by our unhealthy lifestyles, and are at risk of heart disease from a young age. We have to ask ourselves, have our own homes become those unhealthy homes? Continued on page 5
This unusual media launch saw 20 media representatives from various publications, newsrooms and blogs cook a healthy threecourse meal, facilitated by Chef Ronan Boucher. It was the perfect setting for the launch and offered guests a chance to experiment with healthy meals while savouring the meals after cooking them. The impromptu chefs, many of whom have never cooked before, were amazed at how simple to prepare and delicious their meals were – proving that cooking healthy isn’t rocket science.
Your Wellness Matters managing editor Jehad Kasu cooking up a storm with Dr Vash Mungal-Singh, CEO of the Heart and Stroke Foundation and Enca reporterTanya Nefdt. Partner:
IN THIS
ISSUE
1 A healthy heart starts in the kitchen
4 Seven steps to spring-clean your heart
6 Saving to keep your heritage alive
2 Editor’s letter
5 Cooking from the heart (Recipe)
8 Women’s health
10 A sobering message
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Editor’s letter By now our readers should know that the content of Your Wellness Matters is shaped by the South African health calendar and other days of national importance.
Part of our heritage is the passing on of family traits such as secret recipes, cultural celebrations and other simple but helpful tokens of wisdom.
By now our readers should know that the content of Your Wellness Matters is shaped by the South African health calendar and other days of national importance. And with South Africa being home to many cultures and connected to so many global causes, it’s difficult for us to select what information, celebrations and awareness campaigns we will focus on in every issue – and this month’s issue was especially challenging in that regard. In the end, we went to the root of who we are to form the theme of the September issue. September is host to National Heritage Day; a day that celebrates who we are, where come from and where we are going. In 1996, when our former late president Nelson Mandela made a speech marking Heritage Day, he said: “When our first democratically elected government decided to make Heritage Day one of our national days, we did so because we knew that our rich and varied cultural heritage has a profound power to help build our new nation.” Part of our heritage is the passing on of family traits such as secret recipes, cultural celebrations and other simple but helpful tokens of wisdom. In this issue we encourage you to let good health habits form part of your cultural heritage. Make an effort to explain to your family that good health is a lifelong journey. And this journey starts with YOU. YOU need to be the start of change in your home, family, community, workplace or religious group. Start with simple, single acts such as increased walking, eating less salt or getting a doctor to do your first health screening.
Your Wellness Matters managing editors, Dali Chiwara and Jehad Kasu.
In other wellness news, September observes National Heart Awareness Month, and our partners at the Heart and Stroke Foundation South Africa have some exciting developments in the pipeline to help encourage people to get screened this September. Eye care, oral hygiene, leukaemia, and cervical and childhood cancer awareness are also observed during September, and we address all of these wellness matters in this issue. As advocates of wellness promotion, we would like Your Wellness Matters to form part of this country’s wellness heritage. Thus this newspaper
is your paper, and we would like to hear your wellness stories, challenges, successes, tips, advice, questions or suggestions for content that we should include in future issues of this newspaper. Please send your feedback to ywm@44tenmedia.co.za, or SMS 082 350 2882. We look forward to hearing from you. We hope you enjoy this issue of Your Wellness Matters. Until next time … Eat healthy. Keep moving. And keep it up!
CREDITS Your Wellness Matters is the first free wellness community newspaper created to assist people in understanding all aspects of wellness. The Business Centre 1 Bridgeways Road Bridgeways Precinct Century City Cape Town 7441 ywm@44tenmedia.co.za +27 (0)21 830 5490/ +27 (0)21 388 5522 www.44tenmedia.co.za
Managing editors Jehad Kasu Dali Chiwara
Staff writers Tasneem Smith Nicole Watson
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Designer Catherine van Dyk
Advertising ywmads@44tenmedia.co.za
Proofreading and Afrikaans translations Lois-Mari Swanepoel
Printing Paarl Coldset
Xhosa translations Nobuntu Stengile
Published by 44Ten MEDIA Publishing
Contributors • Western Cape Department of Health • Heart and Stroke Foundation • CANSA • Metropolitan Group
HEART AWARENESS MONTH
SEPTEMBER 2015
Have Heart in September GET TESTED – know your risk
We are offering free tests! Do you know your blood pressure? Do you know your blood sugar? Do you know your cholesterol? Do you know your body mass index? * Subject to terms and conditions as set by the HSFSA
GO TO YOUR NEAREST DIS-CHEM PHARMACY NATIONWIDE THIS SEPTEMBER OR CONTACT US ON 08601 HEART (43278). YOU CAN ALSO VISIT www.heartfoundation.co.za
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Seven steps to spring-clean your heart
Spring brings with it not only a promise of warmer weather, but also a renewed focus on heart disease. September is Heart Month, dedicated to awareness of heart disease, which includes awareness surrounding the risk factors and motivating better lifestyle choices to prevent it with our #HaveHeart campaign. The Heart and Stroke Foundation South Africa is calling on South Africa to #HaveHeart … show you care! The first step is to get tested, and secondly to motivate changes towards a heart-healthy lifestyle. Here are seven steps to get you going in the right direction:
1
Know your numbers –
Spring-cleaning your heart means asking where you are now; what is the current state of affairs. The biggest risk factors for heart disease include high blood pressure, smoking, obesity and diabetes. Do you know your blood pressure? Is it 113 over 69, or maybe 137 over 84? If you don’t know, it’s time to find out. DisChem pharmacies have joined the 2015 campaign – anybody can get their blood pressure and blood sugar tested for FREE during September. By knowing these important numbers, you have taken your very first step to a healthier heart.
2
Move more –
Being active is not just about exercise, but rather improvising and getting active in any way that suits your lifestyle and environment. Just remember, getting your heart rate and breathing rate up benefits your health the most. The more, the better. But aim for at least 30 minutes of activity on most days.
3
5 No more huff and puff –
We all know smoking is bad for you, particularly for people with diabetes. If you are still a smoker, it may be the perfect time to reconsider. For the rest of us, we need to demand fresh air and ensure other people don’t smoke around us, as second-hand smoking affects one in five South Africans!
4
The unsalted truth –
Salt and blood pressure are like an unhappy couple; they bring out the worst in one another. Start by breaking the habit of adding salt at the table. Once you have mastered this, move on to reducing salt while cooking. This could be as easy as using only half a stock cube instead of one and swapping the barbecue spice for Italian herbs and a squeeze of lemon.
Portion power –
We often get tricked (sometimes by ourselves) into eating more than we need to. Plan your meal ahead, whether at home or out. Dish up away from the table and avoid seconds, or share a main and a dessert with someone else when eating out.
6
Envision vegetables –
Few of us eat enough veggies. Sneaking them into your kids’ meals is the oldest trick in the book, but why not try it on yourself too? They add extra fibre for fullness and more nutrient richness. Add aubergines and spinach to a chicken curry or broccoli and courgettes to bulk up a summery salad.
Share to show you care –
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South Africa needs all the help it can get. A shocking 75% of people with high blood pressure don’t even know they have it! Do your part and encourage others to also know their numbers. A boost in feel-good hormones is an added bonus! Show you care for yourself, your family, and South Africa.
How to stand a chance of winning: Simply take a selfie when you have your numbers checked for free at your nearest Dis-Chem pharmacy during September, share it on our Facebook page, Twitter handle or email it to heart@heartfoundation.co.za with #HaveHeart and you could stand a chance of winning a heart-healthy hamper! Terms and conditions apply: www.heartfoundation.co.za
Icons made by Freepik from www.flaticon.com
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Continued from page 1 Shocking statistics in South Africa • South Africa has one of the highest rates of high blood pressure worldwide: one in three adults; • high blood pressure is a silent killer – 75% of people with high blood pressure don’t even know they have it; • one in five children in South Africa smoke; • one in two adults and a quarter of children in South Africa are overweight; • 210 people die from heart disease every day; • 80% of these premature deaths can be prevented by eating better, being more active and by avoiding smoking. How do you make the change? 1. Act now to know your numbers We need to take responsibility for our health to live long, healthy lives and be good role models to our children. You can start by getting screened for FREE at your nearest Dis-Chem store during the whole of September. Getting screened opens you up to knowing your blood pressure, if your weight is healthy (body mass index), knowing your blood sugar level and knowing what puts it at risk. Many of us think,
“I feel fine, it won’t happen to me.” Famous last words. But in truth, knowing is empowering. Screening only takes a few minutes, and it can be the most important few minutes spent investing in yourself. 2. Live healthy Once you have been screened, we encourage you to take action by adopting a healthy diet and lifestyle and passing those on to your children, family and community. We understand this is a daily challenge, so let the HSFSA help you HaveHeart and commit to a healthier lifestyle. 1. Eat better – this means eating more healthy foods, like fruit and vegetables, wholegrains, beans and lentils, lean protein meats and dairy products, and less of the bad foods such as sugar, salt and bad fats, as well as eating the right amount to maintain healthy bodyweight. 2. Move more – we all need to get moving. Exercise keeps us healthy, and helps maintain healthy blood pressure and bodyweight. You don’t have to visit a gym; anything that increases the heart rate counts. Try brisk walking, dancing or even gardening. 3. Stop smoking – if you are a smoker, it doubles your risk of a heart attack. Start
cutting down today and you will start feeling better in as little as two weeks! To get the full benefits, you have to quit for life. 3. Help us spread awareness about heart disease and WIN! We need each and every person’s help to create awareness about heart disease and call on the public to get screened. Here’s how you can help 1. Get screened at your nearest Dis-Chem during September. 2. Join the campaign by posting a photo of yourself getting tested along with your numbers on our Facebook wall and stand a chance of winning great spot prizes. Help us spread the word about looking after your heart by using #HaveHeart and #KnowYourNumbers. 3. Challenge your family and all of your friends to get tested as well! The HSFSA will be conducting community visits for screening at remote towns that generally do not have access to a pharmacy during the HaveHeart campaign. Visit their website www. heartfoundation.co.za for more information on this.
Cooking from the heart
Reci
pe
Spicy pilchard stew
(Serves 4)
Some people call this a pilchard stew and others know it as a smorrie or smoortjie. It doesn’t matter what you call it, you will enjoy this tasty meal. You’ll need: 2 tsp (10 ml) sunflower oil 1 large onion; chopped 2 cloves garlic; finely chopped 1 – 2 green chillies or to taste; thinly sliced (optional) 2 tsp (10 ml) curry powder or to taste 1 tsp (5 ml) ground cumin 2 tomatoes; chopped 1 x 425 g tin pilchards in tomato sauce ½ tsp (2,5 ml) sugar or apricot jam ½ tsp (2,5 ml) salt Lemon juice and black pepper to taste Method 1. Heat oil in a frying pan and fry onion and garlic. 2. Add chillies, curry powder and cumin and fry for a few minutes. 3. Stir in tomatoes, pilchards with the sauce, sugar and salt, and simmer over a low heat for 15 minutes.
4. Season with lemon juice and black pepper. 5. Serve with a small portion of brown rice. Tip: Try this stew with a pasta of your choice. Pap or samp is also delicious.
Recipe adapted from Tebatso Motsepe and featured in Cooking from the Heart, a joint initiative between the Heart and Stroke Foundation South Africa and Pharma Dynamics. Find more recipes at www.heartfoundation.co.za.
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Saving to keep your heritage alive by Cebisa Mfenyana
rituals and celebrations that are important to these cultures. The downside is that these celebrations usually cost money. Often, lots of money. As technology progresses, society becomes influenced by other, more developed countries. As a result, our heritage becomes even more important to us. The safekeeping of our culture becomes more important and we place more emphasis on the rituals that form part of our unique histories. But as time goes on we develop different tastes, meaning that these celebrations could land up costing far more than they traditionally would. In order to not end up in a debt trap as a result, we need to plan well financially. In some cultures there are specific ceremonies associated with the coming of manhood, and if you have a son, it is a good idea to start building a nest egg as early as possible. The sooner you start, the more time you have to grow your savings, and as a result you will not be placed under pressure to take out a loan in the year of the celebrations. Cebisa Mfenyana, METROPOLITAN.
South Africa is often referred to as “the rainbow nation”, and what this means is that there are many cultures and beliefs that make up our colourful heritage. Additionally, there are many
Weddings are important events and usually land up costing a lot of money – regardless of one’s culture. If you, as a family, adopt a sensible approach and save for this event while your child is still young, you give the magic of compound interest enough time to set in.
The safekeeping of our culture becomes more important and we place more emphasis on the rituals that form part of our unique histories. Talk to your elders and find out as much information as possible about your heritage and the customs that are important to your family and community, so that you are adequately prepared and can plan for them financially. Being informed is being forearmed. There are a number of savings and investment avenues you can explore that will allow you the financial freedom to keep your heritage alive. It is a good idea to do your research and then find a qualified financial advisor to talk to about your goals – they will be able to assist with the best options available to you.
The rituals that make up our culture are an important part of our identity, and with a little planning we can ensure that safeguarding the traditions important to us remain a joyous occasion, and not one that leads to unnecessary debt.
South Africa is often referred to as “the rainbow nation”, and what this means is that there are many cultures and beliefs that make up our colourful heritage.
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Older women don’t need Pap smears
Smoking is not linked to cervical cancer
All women aged 25+ need regular Pap smears until age 70 Smoking increases the risk of cervical cancer
Human Papillomaviruses (HPVs) are a High risk HPV is estimated to cause... group of more than 100 related viruses. of cervical cancers About 40 types are sexually transmitted of anal cancers through genital contact while 2 of vaginal and vulvar cancers types (16 + 18) are considered high of penile cancers risk in South Africa
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Your Wellness Matters – September 2015
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A sobering message As part of our efforts to raise awareness at community level of the Western Cape Government’s plan and actions towards Alcohol Harm Reduction, we caught up with Dr Laurine Platzky, Deputy Director-General: Strategic Programmes , in Department of the Premier. Lets start with discussing your role and responsibilities are at the Western Cape Provincial Government. 1. Where does Foetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) fit into this role? I am leading the Alcohol Harms Reduction (AHR) game changer, which is an intergovernmental initiative to reduce the harm that alcohol causes in our province. This is a serious issue which impacts everybody and for which we must all take responsibility, from the producers of alcohol to the distributors, to the retailers and to the consumers. 2. What is FAS? FAS, in lay person’s terms, is caused as a result of pregnant women drinking alcohol during pregnancy. The foetus is affected by the alcohol in the womb and may be born with physical damage, often visible but the child is likely to develop poorly in relation to brain capacity. 3. What are the effects of drinking alcohol during pregnancy? Medical evidence shows that women should not drink alcohol during pregnancy because babies are likely to be born with brain and/ or physical damage. 4. What role can male partners play in preventing an incident of FAS? Male partners in particular, and society in general, can help support women not to drink alcohol during pregnancy. Too often pregnant women are drawn into partying and/or binge
drinking so that they become less aware and even less responsible after a drink or two. It should become unacceptable in our culture for pregnant women to drink alcohol. 5. What is the Western Cape Government’s plan reduce the negative impact of alcohol abuse in our communities? Starting with policy where we will focus on reducing alcohol harms, we are working as all three spheres of government to find ways of reducing consumption of alcohol. Too often it is too easy and too cheap to get alcohol in our communities. While many South Africans do not drink alcohol at all, too many others drink excessively causing harm to themselves, their families, the economy and to our society. We are working on roads based interventions (Random Breath Testing) and community based interventions where local people do not want shebeens, be they legal or illegal, open 24/7. Alcohol causes major harms, not only to the people who consume it but also to their families, communities and to the economy. Unlike drugs where most of the harm is selfinflicted (and families do indeed suffer), alcohol makes people aggressive and irresponsible in their surroundings causing violence against women and children, people to drink and drive which results in crashes which maim and kill people (not only themselves). Also unlike drugs alcohol is a legal product widely distributed and often illegally sold all hours of the day and night at prices lower in some of the poorest communities. All these reasons have made the government very serious about dealing with alcohol from production to distribution to consumption. 6. We have heard about the First 1000 days of life project. What is this about? The First 1000 Days focuses on the most important time for the development of a
child’s brain (and body), from the moment of conception to becoming a toddler. 7. What are the biggest challenges in preventing women from drinking alcohol during pregnancy? Everyone needs to take responsibility – the industry should not be targeting women to increase their sales, consumers should not be buying alcohol for women and retailers should not be selling to pregnant women. But it is hard – some women do not know that they are pregnant in the first few weeks and that is when it is most dangerous for the foetus to drink alcohol. 8. Where can pregnant mothers go who are looking for help with alcohol dependency? Both government and NGOs such as Pebbles offer counselling and support groups, and there are rehab services available. Pebbles works with women and youth on farms mainly, educating and finding alternative activities eg youth programmes, not only rehab. www.pebblesproject.co.za Details on alcohol and substance abuse rehabilitation are found on our website: www.westerncape.gov.za 9. In closing, what message would you like to send to our readers. We need to reduce the amount of alcohol consumed by South Africans. We must be more aware of our responsibilities as producers, distributors and consumers. We must behave responsibly if we are going to have a drink or two – be sure you are not pregnant, you are not planning to drive a car or walk on a public road. At the very least these actions are irresponsible, not only for you as an individual but for the injuries you will cause others – your baby, other road users, your family and your community….
Your Wellness Matters – September 2015
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Reducing risks to your baby
Contact Details
• Don’t drink alcohol if you are planning to have a baby or if there is a possibility you may fall pregnant.
Foundation for Alcohol Related Research (FARR) Tel: 021-686 2646 email: info@farrsa.org.za Website: www.farr-sa.co.za
• Don’t drink alcohol when you are pregnant.
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Information Centre (FASIC) Tel: 082 5099 530 email: fasinfocentre@mweb.co.za
• Eat healthy foods. • Don’t smoke when you are pregnant. • Go to the nearest health care centre if you think you may be pregnant.
When a pregnant woman drinks alcohol she puts her unborn baby at risk
Pebbles Project Tel: 072 4722 797 email: sophia@pebblesproject.co.za Website: www.pebblesproject.co.za FAS Prevention Study Tel: 021-938 9345 email: asmarais@sun.ac.za Medical Research Council Tel: 021-938 0407 email: sandra.marais@mrc.ac.za
Now you know this INFORMATION, PLEASE TELL YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY ABOUT IT.
Health Promotion, City of Cape Town Tel: 021-444 0898 email: rhenolda.davies@capetown.gov.za Health Promotion Tel: 021-483 9915 email: Maureen.Mccrea@westerncape.gov.za
NO AMOUNT OF ALCOHOL IS SAFE DURING PREGNANCY
Early Years Services Tel: 021 637 8158 Email: avrilc@earlyyearsservices, co.za With thanks to Bolandoverberg learner for the artwork.
What is dangerous about alcohol?
Can all types of alcohol harm the baby?
• Alcohol is a powerful drug.
Yes. Any and all forms of alcohol can cause birth defects:
• Many people drink alcohol without knowing what it can do to their bodies. • When people drink, they are taking risks with their own health. • When a pregnant women drinks alcohol, she puts her unborn baby at risk.
Beer, wine, ciders, spirits, spirit coolers, milk stout, beer, vodka, gin, brandy, whisky, sherry.
ALL FORMS OF ALCOHOL CAN DO HARM.
How much is too much?
NO AMOUNT OF ALCOHOL IS SAFE DURING PREGNANCY
When a pregnant woman drinks alcohol...
Will alcohol always harm the baby?
What is Fetal Alcohol Syndrome?
Alcohol can damage her unborn baby. Here’s how:
• Alcohol can harm an unborn baby in different ways at different times during pregnancy.
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is a group of birth defects caused by drinking alcohol when you are pregnant.
• Alcohol can cause damage to the fetus, even before the woman knows she’s pregnant.
• The safest choice for your unborn baby is not to drink any alcohol when you are pregnant.
• When a pregnant women drinks, the alcohol goes into her blood stream. • The blood carries the alcohol to the unborn baby. • The alcohol can damage the unborn baby’s growing body and brain.
• Alcohol can continue to harm the baby until birth.
• Alcohol can cause many types of birth defects.
• It is never too late to stop drinking.
• If you need help to stop drinking, talk to your health care worker at your health care centre. He/she may have ways of helping you.