Your Wellness Matters, Issue 1

Your July 2015

Matters

The community paper to whom your wellness matters.

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“NOTHING FOR YOU, WITHOUT YOU” We had the pleasure of interviewing new Western Cape Health MEC, Minister Nomafrench Mbombo, about her ambitions for healthcare in the Western Cape.

What is the Department of Health’s definition of wellness?

We will be active in communities, educating them about the dangers certain lifestyle choices may have on their general well-being.

Wellness is not merely the absence of disease and physical vitality. Wellness encompasses ones social, emotional and spiritual well-being and having an optimal quality of life.

For example, alcohol abuse in South Africa is one of the highest in the world. Apart from the nutritional disadvantages, abuse of alcohol contributes to injuries, interpersonal violence, vehicle and pedestrian accidents, and unnecessarily burdens our hospitals. By educating communities about this, we hope to decrease the incidents of alcohol abuse, which we understand will reduce injuries, violence and deaths, and lessen the patient burden at healthcare establishments – all in support of community wellness.

So the department is shifting focus from curing diseases and placing emphasis on how people can prevent disease altogether. Some diseases are incurable and persons with such diseases may always be ill, but they can still be well.

Wellness is also something that individuals should take ownership of. Every individual should make the decision to be well and healthy, and the Department of Health has a responsibility to create an enabling environment where this choice can be exercised.

So the focus of Healthcare 2030 is preventive and promotive healthcare, lessening the burden of disease, addressing mental health (especially amongst the youth), and mother and childcare issues relating to immunisation, breastfeeding, etc.

Wellness is also something that individuals should take ownership of.

What are the biggest challenges when trying to achieve your three strategic ministerial goals?

Budget constraints: in real terms, it is shrinking.

Human resources: population increases and is not proportional to staff complement.

Your department has a Healthcare 2030 plan in which you speak about the “road to wellness”. Tell us about this.

Paradigm shift: change behaviour, increase activity, and eat healthier.

“The road to wellness” is how we as a department will approach healthcare. We have a “whole of society” approach and will be reaching out to communities in an effort to enhance community engagement.

What message would you like to send our readers?

No government can force a citizen to be healthy.

That has to be a conscious personal decision, and we encourage all Capetonians to make that decision.

We don’t want to wait for people to visit a healthcare establishment, because if they are there, it means they are already ill.

IN THIS

ISSUE

2 What is wellness?

We can do nothing for you, without you.

4 & 5 Your mental well-being

6 & 7 Salt and your health

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What is wellness?

Staff writer

Most people relate wellness to being fit and healthy. The runner in Sea Point, or the wellbuilt guy at work.

Wellness is much more than that. As stated

by Western Cape MEC for Health, Minister Nomafrench Mbombo, in the front-page article, wellness is more than the absence of disease and encompasses social, spiritual, mental, physical, nutritional, emotional and financial wellness.

All of these human conditions have a direct impact on our overall well-being. Let us use

As a result, Mr Botha becomes depressed because he doesn’t think they will ever get out of the debt they are in. The depression becomes extremely bad; the bank wants to repossess his house and car, his wife wants a divorce and the kids are confused because the atmosphere at home is unpleasant.

He is so overwhelmed by all this stress that he starts having suicidal thoughts and sees this as the only way out of the mess he is in – but it isn’t.

A concerned friend sees the struggles of Mr Botha and refers him to a debt counsellor

He is so overwhelmed by all this stress that he starts having suicidal thoughts and sees this as the only way out of the mess he is in – but it isn’t. a practical example: Mr Botha* is in a fairly good state of health. He is not overweight and has no lifestyle disease, such as diabetes or hypertension. But, Mr Botha is in debt.

Because of this debt, he is very stressed.

The stress makes him irritable and moody – especially at home. So he picks silly fights with his wife and children. Mr Botha’s wife becomes unhappy with his attitude and piles on more pressure because of the debt they are in.

who, after a few meetings, helps make his debt repayments a lot more manageable.

someone who is physically well later became unwell in many other ways: • • • • •

Emotionally Socially Mentally Spiritually Financially

We will use this landmark community wellness newspaper to help educate our community on the various components of wellness, and help create an enabling environment for every person to reach a state of wellness.

Each issue we will focus on different wellness matters and hope that you enjoy learning about it.

We welcome your comments and feedback on any wellness matters you would like us to address. Please send your messages to ywm@44tenmedia.co.za or post your letters to Your Wellness Matters, The Business Centre, 1 Bridgeways Road, Bridgeways Precinct, Century City, Cape Town, 7441.

Mr Botha is now in a better mood, his relationships improved and things are looking positive. * Mr Botha is a fictional character.

This fictional story is sadly a reality for many people. If we look at the story, we see that

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

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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 Designer Catherine van Dyk

Afrikaans translations Lois-Mari Swanepoel Xhosa translations Nobuntu Stengile Advertising ywmads@44tenmedia.co.za Printing Paarl Coldset Published by 44ten MEDIA

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Mental well-being Mental well-being describes your mental state – the way you feel and think, and your ability to deal with life’s ups and downs.

Good mental well-being enables you to: • • • •

feel confident in yourself; live and work productively; feel and express a range of emotions; and feel connected to the world around you.

Five steps to improve your mental well-being 1. Connect Connect with the people around you: your family, friends, colleagues and neighbours.

Spend time developing these relationships.

2. Be present Be more aware of the present moment, including your feelings and thoughts, your body and the world around you. Some people call this awareness “mindfulness”, and it can positively change the way you feel about life and how you approach challenges.

Be more aware of the present moment, including your feelings and thoughts, your body and the world around you. Some people call this awareness “mindfulness” 3. Get active You don’t have to go to the gym. Take a walk, go cycling or play a game of soccer.

Find an activity that you enjoy and make it a part of your daily life.

4. Give to others Even the smallest act can count, whether it’s a smile, a thank you or a kind word.

Larger acts, such as volunteering at your local community centre, can improve your mental well-being and help you build new social networks.

5. Keep learning Learning new skills can give you a sense of achievement and new confidence. So sign up for that cooking course, learn to play a musical instrument, or figure out how to fix your bike.

“The five ways to wellbeing” is a set of evidencebased public mental-health messages aimed at improving the mental health and well-being of people. (NEF, 2008)

Mental health problems/illness If you experience low mental well-being over a long period of time, you are more likely to develop a mental health problem.

accounted for 12% of the global burden of disease. This figure will rise to an alarming 15% in 2020.

Common mental disorders Mental illness affects people of all ages, genders, cultures and incomes. Depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia are the more commonly known mental illnesses.

Mental health problems range from the worries we all experience as part of everyday life to serious long-term conditions.

Mental health problems range from the worries we all experience as part of everyday life to serious long-term conditions. The majority of people who experience mental health problems can overcome them or learn to live with them, especially if they get help early on.

Mental illness is a psychological or behavioural pattern which is usually associated with subjective disability or distress. It is a health problem that significantly affects how a person thinks, acts and feels, and is diagnosed according to standardised criteria.

The prevalence of mental illness in South Africa One in five South Africans suffer from a mental illness. Mental illness is a medical condition that affects a person’s thinking, feelings, mood and ability to relate to others.

• About one in five South Africans suffer from a mental illness/disorder severe enough to affect their lives significantly.

• Approximately 25% of all general health practitioners’ patients are ill due to a psychiatric condition rather than general medical conditions.

• Nearly 20% of high-school students think about fatally harming themselves each year.

• In 2000, globally, mental disorders

Depression: Depression is a common mental disorder, characterised by sadness, loss of interest or pleasure, feelings of guilt or low self-worth, disturbed sleep or appetite, feelings of tiredness, and poor concentration.

Depression can be long-lasting or recurrent, substantially impairing an individual’s ability to function at work or school, or cope with daily life. At its most severe, depression can lead to suicide. When mild, people can be treated without medicines, but when depression is moderate or severe, they may need medication and help from a professional, like a psychiatrist.

Schizophrenia: Schizophrenia is a mental disorder, which involves a chemical imbalance in the brain, that results in disturbances of thoughts and feelings, disturbed and inappropriate emotions, and changes in behaviour.

There is no cure for schizophrenia, thus the disorder must be managed on a daily basis with medication, education and rehabilitation.

Schizophrenia often develops in adolescence or early adulthood, and affects approximately 26 million people worldwide.

The World Health Organisation reports that more than 50% of people with schizophrenia cannot access adequate treatment, and 90% of people with untreated schizophrenia live in the developing world.

Symptoms of depression and schizophrenia DEPRESSION

SCHIZOPHRENIA

Persistent sad or irritable mood

Hallucinations

Loss of interest in activities once enjoyed

Delusions

Significant change in appetite or body weight Disorganised speech Difficulty sleeping or oversleeping

Grossly disorganised behaviour

Physical agitation or slowing

Low level of interest, emotion, mental activity and social drive

Loss of energy and lack of concentration

Inability to make decisions, with conflicting emotions about everything A blank, vacant facial expression

5 WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR MENTAL WELL-BEING CONNECT Connect with the people around you: your family, friends, colleagues and neighbours. Spend time developing these relationships.

GET ACTIVE You don’t have to go to the gym. Take a walk, go cycling or play a game of soccer.

Find an activity that you enjoy and make it a part of your daily life.

TAKE NOTICE Be more aware of the present moment, including your feelings and thoughts and the world around you, it can positively change the way you feel about life and how you approach challenges.

KEEP LEARNING Learning new skills can give you a sense of achievement and a new confidence.

GIVE TO OTHERS Even the smallest act can count, whether it’s a smile, a thank you or a kind word.

Volunteering at your local community centre can improve your mental well-being and help you build new social networks.

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Your Wellness Matters – July 2015

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Salt and your health – your health matters Intro Did you know that too much salt can be harmful to your health? In fact, a diet high in salt is the main cause of high blood pressure (hypertension). In South Africa, one out of three adults are living with high blood pressure, and many people don’t know they have high blood pressure as one cannot feel it. The danger of having high blood pressure is that it can cause heart disease and strokes.

Many people aren’t aware that children can have high blood pressure too! At least one in 10 children in South Africa are already diagnosed with high blood pressure. We are seeing this shocking trend in South Africa largely as a result of the unhealthy foods we feed our children. Whilst we expect to see high blood pressure in older adults, the phenomenon in children is now much more common and very worrying, especially as

these young children will have a much greater risk of developing severe health problems like heart disease, stroke and kidney failure as young adults.

This year for World Salt Awareness Week, the Heart and Stroke Foundation SA wants to ensure everyone understands the importance of a healthy start for children. Parents and caregivers have a vital role to play in not only what children eat now, but also the habits they form that will stay with them for the rest of their lives. We encourage all caregivers of children to lead by example and to use less salt and salty spices when cooking and supplying food for the family.

How much salt is too much?

You should eat no more than 5 g of salt per day. 5 g is the same as one teaspoon of salt.

This year for World Salt Awareness Week, the Heart and Stroke Foundation SA wants to ensure everyone understands the importance of a healthy start for children.

This 5 g includes the salt that you add to your food as well as salt already found in foods.

Where do I get salt from?

Many foods that you buy already have salt in them and this is called hidden salt.

Often these foods don’t look or taste salty.

Most of the salt we eat is hidden salt in processed foods.

Examples of foods with a lot of hidden salt include: • Bread and breakfast cereals • Sausages and other processed meats – polony, boerewors, pies • Stock, soup and gravy powders • Hard brick margarine • Savoury snacks (including crisps) Almost half the salt we eat is the salt we add to our food when we cook and at the table. Many people add salt even before tasting their food.

A small amount of salt is found naturally in all foods including milk, meat and vegetables.

Do I eat too much salt?

Many South Africans eat too much salt. In fact we eat twice the amount we should – about 6 – 11 g per day.

More than half of the salt we eat is from salt added by manufacturers during the processing of foods. The other half of the salt we eat comes from salt we add during cooking and salt sprinkled on at the table.

It can be very easy to eat too much salt when eating normal everyday foods. Just have a look at some typical meals for a day to see how much salt you could be eating.

How can I eat less salt?

The foods that we buy already contain a lot of salt. Reducing the amount of salt you use at home when cooking and at the table is the simplest way to cut back on salt. Because most of the salt we eat comes from foods we

Your Wellness Matters – July 2015

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buy that already have hidden salt, we can also choose less salty foods when shopping to reduce our salt intake.

How to add less salt to foods Give yourself time to adjust We have developed a liking for salty flavours because of eating foods that contain salt over many years. Initially when you reduce your salt intake foods tend to taste bland, but after a few weeks your taste buds become more sensitive, getting the same flavour from less salt. Stick with it and give yourself time to adjust.

One step at a time If you add salt at the table, stop this habit first. Don’t put the salt shaker on the dinner table, as many people are in the habit of adding salt to their food without even tasting it first. Then start using less salt when you are cooking.

Tips to cook with less salt • While cooking, taste your food before you add salt, as it may not need any extra salt.

• If you have already added salty spices or flavour enhancers (e.g. stock cubes, gravy powder, chicken spice) you don’t need salt too.

• If you used salt during cooking you don’t need to add more at the table.

• Learn to use herbs and spices instead of salt or salty seasonings to make food tasty – these can be used fresh/dry.

Here are some ideas: - Lemon juice or vinegar - Herbs (fresh or dried): Italian herb

mix, parsley, bay leaf, oregano, rosemary - Spices: curry powder, turmeric, paprika, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper - Garlic, ginger, chilli and onion

How To Choose Less Salty Foods

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Use salty foods less often Fresh foods have less salt than processed foods. We will always use some processed foods as part of our diet, but try using more fresh foods and less processed foods.

This table can be used to guide you in choosing foods lower in salt more often.

Learn how much salt is in food Look on the ingredient list for these words: - Salt or any ingredient that contains the word “sodium” (sodium is the part of salt that can raise your blood pressure when you eat too much of it) - MSG, baking soda or baking powder - If any of these words are in the first three ingredients on the food label of a food, it is likely to be high in salt.

The Nutrition Information Table on some food packets also tells us how much sodium is in the food. Look at the value for sodium in the “per 100 g” column and not the “per serving” column. You can use these sodium values to compare different products and choose the one with the lowest amount of sodium.

Look for the Heart Mark logo Foods with this logo on are healthier choices and lower in salt than similar products.

These foods are also lower in fat, saturated and trans fat, cholesterol and added sugar, and higher in fibre (where applicable), making these healthier choices for your heart.

If you add salt at the table, stop this habit first.

Don’t put the salt shaker on the dinner table, as many people are in the habit of adding salt to their food without even tasting it first.

When you and your family use less salt, you are making a decision to live a healthier life.

Don’t give up, keep trying every day!

For more information visit www.saltwatch.co.za or call the Heart and Stroke Health Line on 08601 HEART (43278)

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