Back to Basics

APRIL 2017

helping you live life well

Meet actor

Lemogang Tsipa

BACK

TO

basics The Wellness Warehouse Magazine

22 40 36

FORAGING FOR FOOD

Bring a basket and pick your own

BIRTHING WITH A DOULA Wisdom, guidance and support

RUN A HEALING BATH

Add herbs, aromatherapy & music

R20 (incl. VAT)

Offers valid from 1 - 30 April 2017.

Selected items may not be available at certain stores.

We reserve the right to limit quantities. E.&O.E.

FREE TO WELLNESS REWARD CARD HOLDERS

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VITAMIN D D & D D LIQUID FROM METAGENICS PROVIDE HIGH LEVELS OF VITAMIN D D TO SUPPORT BONE, CARDIOVASCULAR, IMMUNE, AND NEUROLOGICAL HEALTH. NEU

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Publisher: Dr. Sean Gomes Editor: Robyn Wilkinson robyn@wellnesswarehouse.com Editorial Contributor: Lara Potgieter lara@holistica.co.za Designer: Karla Kelder karla@wellnesswarehouse.com Dietitian: Hayley Cimring hayley@wellnesswarehouse.com Advertising & Directory Enquiries: Sue Dall | cell: 084 707 4477 wellmag@wellnesswarehouse.com Printed by: Paarl Media Wellness Support Office 261 Bree Street, Cape Town 021 003 3552 www.wellnesswarehouse.com Wellness magazine takes no responsibility for the content of the advertising material supplied directly by advertisers. We accept advertising in good faith and do not research advertising claims. Kindly consult a professional should you have any doubt as to the efficacy of any claims made.

Wellness Warehouse new branches Brooklyn | 012 460 9159 Shop 329, 3rd Floor, Brooklyn Mall, Veale street & Fehrsen street, Brooklyn, Pretoria 0181 Menlyn Maine | 012 348 4444 Shop 11, Menlyn Maine Central Square, 210 Amarand Ave, Newlands, Pretoria, 0100 Menlyn Park | 012 348 4677 Shop 80, Menlyn Park, Corner of Atterbury & Lois Avenues, Menlyn Park, Pretoria, 0063 The Grove | 012 807 5445 Shop L55, The Grove Mall, Lynnwood Road, Equestria, Pretoria East 0184 Woodlands | 012 997 3022 Shop 18 B, Woodlands Boulevard Corner of Garstfontein road and De Villebois Mareuil drive, Pretorius Park, Pretoria East 0081 Clearwater Mall | 011 475 1914 Hendrik Potgieter Rd & Christiaan de Wet Road, Strubensvalley, Roodepoort Thrupps Illovo Centre | 011 268 6403 Thrupps Illovo Centre, 204 Oxford Road, Johannesburg 2196 Parktown Quarter | 011 327 6416 Wellness Warehouse, Shop 1 Parktown Quarter, C/o 7th and 3rd Avenues Parktown North, Johannesburg 2193 Opening in April - Kyalami

Wellness Warehouse magazine is also on sale at Starke Ayres at both the Rosebank and West coast branches in Cape Town In our March 2017 issue, in the article ‘Speaking in Smiles’, we would like to clarify that Adiel Dorfman will be undergoing a stem cell treatment where bone marrow is taken from the hip bone. The procedure is to take place at NeuroGen Clinic in Mumbai where the stem cells are then injected back in the spine between L4-5 into the spinal fluid. By using the patient’s own stem cells there is zero risk of any short or long term complications.

cover ON THE

Model: Lemogang Tsipa Photographer: Stephanie Papini Stylist: Jeremy Maku Location: Bree Street

Lemogang Tsipa is a young actor on the rise, making his debut lead role as Duma in Beyond The River which hits the big screen in April this year. Some of his past work includes roles in Jab, Roots, Forced Love, Eye In The Sky and When We Were Black.

He is currenty working on a number of local and international productions. Lemo is definitely an actor to look out for.

How do you ‘live life well’?

I am a driven individual who is not afraid to take a seemingly impossible task by the horns, in order to grow. In fitness, my goal is to always do better and work harder than the day before.

Food is my fuel and it is therefore very important to me. I make sure I eat food that’s good for my system so I remain healthy and keep going strong. By staying fit and healthy, I am able to overcome any obstacle which in turn encourages me to take on new challenges. www.wellnesswarehouse.com | 5

note

EDITOR’S

BACK TO BASICS Simplifying life and getting back to basics relieves a lot of stress, is relaxing and is a highly beneficial concept to embrace. It serves to cut out the clutter and complication we collect along the path of life.

The philosopher Socrates was credited as saying: Beware the barrenness of a busy life. All of us seem to be rushing around and sometimes for no real reason.

This month’s issue will tempt you towards a more natural life, with natural processes, natural food and the freedom of simply being. We look at the emerging trend of foraging for food – while wild dandelion and forest mushrooms sound so romantic, they also offer a beautiful way to connect to nature and embody good eco-custodianship. A vegetarian braai might seem like an oxymoron but we show you how delicious the options can be. Awareness about the origin of our food makes us pickier consumers: a perfect place to put food ethics into action is by choosing ‘cage-free’ eggs.

Nurturing your body is one of our key concepts and you will love all the ideas in our healing bath feature.

We also get practical with a step-by-step guide to getting your feet in perfect condition. We honour the process of natural childbirth with an article on the wise and supportive midwife in the doula. From bee-keeping to greening your home; herbs to help fertility and a whole lot more in between, we celebrate going ‘back to basics’. Here’s to a natural life filled with artful simplicity.

Yours in wellness

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Robyn

contents APRIL 2017

EAT 18

VEGGIE BRAAI Traditional braai bunnies might scoff at the thought but anyone tasting the amazing vegetarian options to serve at a braai is in danger of being converted.

20

INGREDIENTS TO LOVE Getting healthier means getting to know new ingredients, their attributes and how to introduce them into your diet. We look at raw cacao, oat milk and flax oil as great options to add to your shopping list.

22

FORAGING FOR FOOD Foraging is about gathering up what nature has to offer, rather than what humans leave behind. From mushrooms to oysters, mulberries, dandelion, lemons, berries, pine nuts and whatever else you may find growing around you, there’s probably more opportunity to forage than you realise.

26

CHICKEN OUT Knowing your food source and whether the chain of supply is ethical, kind and favours your health is an important part of shopping. We look at practices that honour chickens and how you can help the movement towards ethical eating.

NURTURE

32

36

40

STEP-BY-STEP Smooth beautiful feet is the end objective with our concise guide to banishing cracked heals and dry feet using natural remedies and solutions.

RUN A HEALING BATH A simple sensation like warm water coupled with some herbs and soothing thoughts can transform your demeanour dramatically.

From colour to music, aroma oils and more you’ll love our ideas for a healing bath experience.

BIRTHING WITH A DOULA Here’s what to discover and expect when sharing your birth process with a doula.

HEAL

44

TRACING YOUR MINERALS We’re not entirely sure why, but our food has fewer minerals than it used to, yet researchers are finding more and more evidence in support of the benefits of these earthly elements. Here are some of the reasons to take minerals.

MOVE 46

AGILITY TRAINING Being able to jump up at any moment, easily get up from sitting on the floor or simply move your body more effectively is just one of the aims of agility training.

GREEN

28

BEE-ING INNOVATIVE We speak to high school student Maxine Roeloffze about how she incidentally became an expert beekeeper and is now nurturing 11 bee hives and farming her own honey.

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GREEN HOUSE Use some basic practices to turn your house into a green haven of eco-consideration from little things like composting and banishing chemicals to bigger steps like grey water conversion and solar installation.

54

NATURAL GARDENING KNOW-HOW Contribute to the healing of our planet by following a chemical-free approach to protecting your own little place in the sun.

REGULARS

8

EVENTS Find interesting Workshops, Training, & Courses.

10

EDITOR’S CHOICE Here are some of our favourite products of the month.

15

COVER MODEL INTERVIEW We chat to Lemogang Tsipa, star performer in the film ‘Beyond the River’ just launched in South Africa.

60

CLASSIFIED Find out what’s happening in your wellness community with workshops, retreats, therapies and more.

61

READ WELL Low carb cooking, loving, banishing anxiety and slowing down are all covered in our book section this month.

62

FERTILITY FIXES Bump up your fertility with these 5 fertility fixes.

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out &

ABOUT Re-set your body, change your mind, create your own wellness plan and escape to a magical Greek island with this month’s selection of retreats, workshops and events.

DETOX RETREAT 2 April to 10 December 2017 This series of weeklong detox retreats take place at the majestic Loxley House on the famous Midlands Meander. The retreats run from 2 to 9 April, 28 May to 4 June, 6 to 13 August, 1 to 8 October and 3 to 10 December this year. Each retreat includes juice fasting, colon cleansing, daily yoga, talks from health experts and a variety of alternative therapies including massage, reflexology, Reiki and more. For more information contact detoxinternationalwendy@gmail.com or visit www.detox-international.co.za.

YOU CAN HEAL YOUR LIFE MOVIE SCREENING 18 April 2017 This inspirational movie based on the best-selling book of the same name is hosted by author and teacher Louise L. Hay. It offers insights into Louise’s fascinating personal story, and shows how her views on self-esteem, abundance and the metaphysical causes behind physical ailments were developed. It also reveals how she applied these concepts to her own emotional, spiritual, and professional life. A number of luminaries in the fields of self-help, philosophy, health, spirituality and New Thought join Louise, offering their take on success, happiness, and the myriad ways in which people can heal their own lives. Enjoy the film with likeminded people from all walks of life at the Soul Centre in Woodstock, Cape Town.

For more information contact tamara@ frankandeve.energy or visit www.frank.energy.

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EAT LOVE MOVE HEALTH PROGRAMME 26 April to 31 May 2017 Create a unique, bio-individual eating and movement plan at this 6-week programme at the Novalis Ubuntu Centre in Kenilworth, Cape Town. While you may view positive lifestyle changes as daunting challenges, this experience will show you fun and easy ways to achieve and maintain your goals. Two health coaches will mentor, support and guide you as you tailor-make your own blueprint for optimal health and happiness. The holistic step-by-step process will help you kick your sugar cravings and caffeine addictions, rewire your taste buds, boost your energy and immunity, and more. For more information contact info@healthcoachsa.com or visit www. healthcoachsa.com.

UPCOMING

DETOX AND YOGA RETREAT 11 to 13 May 2017 This retreat is designed to completely cleanse, purify and rejuvenate your body, mind and soul. Nestled in a beautiful mountain range in the Western Cape, the private guest villa is reminiscent of a small village in Tuscany, Italy and offers total relaxation in a stress-free environment.

Daily yoga, meditation, guided walks, inspirational movies, holistic massage are all combined with delicious, simple and healthy meals. Private rooms are spacious and comfortable with spectacular mountain views. Contact us for ongoing retreat dates.

Visit www.yogaretreatscapetown. com/rejuvenate or contact margot@ yogaretreatscapetown.com

AEGEAN ALCHEMY RETREAT June 2017 Doctor of psychology, transformational coach, Reiki master, author and spiritual guide Dr. Andrea Phillips is opening a wellness space on the island of Paros, Greece. Aegean Alchemy will be housed in beautiful and private Cycladic-style villas, and offer an invitation to guests to accelerate their true potential. The space will welcome eight participants a week for a deeply intimate and lifechanging experience. The participation fee will include accommodation, meals, therapies, individually prescribed detox juices, transport around the island and more. For more information contact andreaphillipsseidel@gmail.com.

GREECE - GODDESS GETAWAY 21 June to 5 July 2017 Let the magical village of Molyvos be your haven for 7 or 14 nights on this unique Nia and yoga getaway. Soak up the Greek sun and indulge yourself in a holiday that gives you the freedom to do exactly what you want - from immersing yourself in daily yoga and Nia classes to relaxing on the beach, swimming in the therapeutic hot springs, enjoying beautiful hikes, exploring ancient monasteries, savouring languid dinners under the stars and dancing the night away at the local beach bar.

For more information contact magicmoments@jillianlambert.co.za or visit @magicgetaways on Facebook.

If you have an event you want to share with our readers email lara@holistica.co.za

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EDITOR’S

choice

“The real things haven’t changed. It is still best to be honest and truthful; to make the most of what we have; to be happy with simple pleasures; and have courage when things go wrong” - Laura Ingalls Wilder USING LIQUID GOLD One thing I know about Argan oil is if you put it on before bed you wake up with a really soft and smooth skin. There’s definitely something magical about the oil. Argan oil is a premium organic super-ingredient extracted from the kernels of the Argan tree of Morocco. It’s become a coveted beauty product as it’s so rich in essential fatty acids and vitamin E. Enthusiasts use it on everything from skin to hair and for pedicures and mani’s too. It has a hydrating effect and is easily absorbed into the body. I’m using the Tree of Life Argan oil and loving it.

GETTING AROUND TO DETOX It’s such a good idea to go on a detoxification journey every now and then. Your body is always so grateful when you pay attention to it. We don’t realise the amount of toxins we can accumulate even if we’re fairly clean living. Some of them come from food, some from household products and even the air we breathe. After a detox our bodies respond often with increased energy levels; cravings, stiffness and even anxiety can disappear. The body is more easily able to absorb the micronutrients it needs. I found a great detox pack, which can be used over a month or as a more rapid seven-day detox. The Good Health Body Cleanse, Total Body Detox is a two-part liver and bowel detox kit with capsules for liver support and digestive health.

LOVING PURE WATER Centuries ago, artisans in the Japanese region of Wakayama discovered the art of creating activated charcoal to purify their drinking water. Made by baking high-quality hardwood in a special kiln, activated charcoal purifies water in an eco-friendly way, removing positively charged toxins and metals from water without depleting the beneficial mineral content. It’s 100% natural, purifies and mineralizes. There’s also something very earthy and nice about using the charcoal.

It comes in a rectangular bar and you first have to boil it for 10 minutes, just once before you start. After it has cooled you pop it in your water bottle, leave it overnight and wake up to beautiful tasting purified water. I love the ritual of using it and love the fact that, in the purification process I don’t lose the good minerals.

FALLING ASLEEP Valerian and hops are medicinal plants with a long history of helping to relieve sleeplessness and insomnia. Nearly one in three of us don’t get enough sleep, and these power plants can help us to fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and wake up without the hangover of allopathic sleeping tablets. Flordis’ ReDormin capsules use valerian and hops in their formula, which has proven effective in treating sleeplessness in over 10 years of clinical trials. We’re sure you’ll thank us when you get to have an all night continuous deep, sweet sleep.

ADDING PROBIOTICS Probiotics is a word coming up all the time lately, not only for digestion but in body products too. Recent scientific evidence links probiotics to an improvement in skin sensitivity. The live bacteria shift the balance of microbes on the skin, improving barrier function and the skin’s ability to hold moisture and protect itself. More and more babies and toddlers seem to experience skin issues like eczema. Adding probiotics to their skincare is a natural way of remedying their sensitivities. Pure Beginnings, have always been aware of optimizing the skin microbiome and in their new range have added probiotics. This is such an assurance and a good way to safeguard your baby’s skin.

RAISING THE BAR I know it’s supposed to be for babies but I can’t help using the Still Pure handcrafted Baby Bar soap for myself. It’s got such natural ingredients like olive oil and lavender and it does everything right. It lathers just the right amount and doesn’t dry out my skin.

Having test driven the soap myself, I can highly recommend the bar for babies, using the purest and gentlest products on your little ones’ bodies gives them a great head-start towards a lifetime of healthy skin. Treat your baba and you’ll probably also be tempted to use it as ‘mama’s bar’ too!

shop all online at www.wellnesswarehouse.com

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MOMENTS WITH US WIN SHARE YOUR WELLNESS AND STAND A CHANCE TO

R500

Live life well by sharing your wellness moments with us on social media. Every month we’ll select our favourite social media post to win R500 to spend at any Wellness Warehouse or online.

Remember to tag us in your posts: @WellnessWarehouse on Facebook and Instagram and @Wellnews on Twitter

thNeER

WIN

connect, share

& SPREAD SOME LOVE Congratulations to @emmaannemirkin for being our March winner! Thank you for trying out our February recipe and we hope you enjoy spoiling yourself with your R500 Wellness voucher!

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eat

WE TRIED IT

DETOX

Divas

by Lara Potgieter

Wondering if detox programmes really work, we sent our journalist Lara Potgieter to try a detox journey jointly guided by Nourish Move Love health coaching and Yogaville Yoga and Pilates studio held in Durbanville, Cape Town. She reports.

A good detoxification programme can see us addressing a plethora of ailments, slowing down the ageing process, gaining greater mental clarity, and expelling heavy metals and other long-held toxins from our over-taxed bodies.

The logic is…if we can make ourselves sick, we can surely make ourselves well. The majority of us are fed by a food system with little to no knowledge of health, and treated by a healthcare system with equally scant knowledge of food. The onus is on each of us to take our health into our own hands, and the first step along the self-healing journey is to give our bodies a break from all the sugar, wheat, meat, dairy, alcohol and caffeine to which we so habitually subject them.

Rather than a radical change in eating, the programme was spread over a month with two highly informative evenings a week, where we were encouraged to ease ourselves into the detox process by cutting out a different detrimental food each week. Rather than posing as a quick fix, the experience gave us simple tools we could apply on a daily basis – not just during the detox process, but in our lives going forward.

We learnt to become veritable food detectives, considering nutritional value over calories and approaching our choices with far greater discernment than before. We also learned to balance our emotions differently and laughed and cried as we jumped around on rebounders and shared all the emotions we could no longer numb with addictive food and drink.

Part of the journey included an accessible introduction to the digestive and lymphatic systems, beautiful meditations and breathwork sessions, detoxification-specific exercises, and lengthy discussions on the value of eating organically and including superfoods wherever possible.

From drinking daily detox ‘gunk’ and scrubbing ourselves with stimulating salts to taking on the infamous ‘24 chews per bite’ challenge and creating the most delicious sugar-, wheat-, dairy- and meat-free recipes, we certainly took a proactive step towards ensuring health and wholeness for ourselves for the rest of 2017.

For more information on upcoming detox workshops, contact alka@nourishmovelove.co.za or caron@yogaville.co.za.

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LIGHTS

action

We chat to our cover model Lemogang Tsipa, star performer in the film ‘Beyond the River’ just launched in South Africa.

HOW DID YOU FEEL MAKING SUCH A GROUND-BREAKING FILM? It’s surreal being a part of such an amazing project - to think that out of all the wonderful talents in our country, the creators of this film felt I would be the right guy for the job. It was an honour. At times it felt like my responsibility was something greater than my ability but in the end through hard work and support we made it happen.

HOW DO YOU STAY ENERGISED ON SET? I listen to a lot of music and try to conserve my energy by not using it unnecessarily. If something doesn’t add to the process of making the story I avoid it. Mental fitness is the key to sustain, not only the mind (concentration, emotions, flexibility, etc), but also physical stamina.

ARE YOU NATURALLY SPORTY? Yes I have always shown a keen interest in things that require me to use and push my body.

In high school I tried to participate in almost every sport the school offered whether I was good or not.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE TRAINING REGIME? Calisthenics (body weight training). It is my new obsession. I far prefer it to “free weight” training. It’s a lot more challenging and I find that it’s not as taxing on the body in the recovery process.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE WELLNESS TIP? Eat like a prince, train like a king. In other words eat clean and push yourself in your exercise regime (you must get better every day).

WHAT MOTIVATES YOU TO STAY HEALTHY AND FIT? There are multiple reasons. Firstly, because it is a part of my lifestyle, and as a result it makes me feel good. I’m a #FitnessAddict. Secondly, my occupation requires me to have a certain aesthetic appeal, which I stick to and adjust depending on the project.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE HEALTHY FOOD? Anything from the garden. In other words all fruits and vegetables.

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New and

exclusive

Whether you are vegan, gluten free, prefer organic food or a full raw diet, we are here to support you on your wellness journey.

Our new range of staples are the perfect fit for every pantry and will help provide you with the nutritional boost your body needs.

Kickstart your

journey today!

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HERBALS

eat

Overnight

SUPERFOOD OATS

Stop Living

stressing

start

A traditional herbal supplement to aid relaxation from everyday stress and promote restful sleep.

Wellness - Rolled Oats Organic 500g

Zambezi Gold Honey Organic 500g

Wellness - Organic Chia Seeds 200g

NOW R44 SAVE R5

NOW R49 SAVE R6

NOW R60 SAVE R5

FOR A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE QUALITY NUTRITION

NEW LOOK! SAME PRODUCT

SERVES 2 INGREDIENTS *1 cup oats *1 Tbsp chia seeds *1 tsp salt *2 Tbsp Superfood Shake powder *1 cup almond milk *1 Tbsp nut butter *1 tsp cinnamon

TOPPINGS *Honey *Banana *Berries *Flaked almonds

METHOD 1. Add the oats, superfood shake powder, chia seeds and salt into your console jar and mix with a spoon.

2. Add the almond milk, nut butter and cinnamon and mix until everything is combined.

3. Close the console jar and shake well.

4. Refrigerate overnight.

5. Eat it straight from the jar or pour out into a bowl and garnish with honey, banana, berries and nuts.

6. Enjoy

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eat

Host

A VEGGIE

BRAAI

Traditional braai bunnies might scoff at the thought but anyone tasting the vegetarian options you can cook on a fire is in danger of being converted.

by Lara Potgieter

CHICKPEA PATTIES - SERVES 6 INGREDIENTS *4 cups chickpeas *1 carrot, grated *4 baby marrows, grated *½ red onion, finely chopped *2 cloves garlic, crushed *1 Tbsp ground cumin *½ tsp ground coriander small bunch of fresh coriander, chopped *3 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped *1/8 tsp chilli powder *3 Tbsp gluten-free flour *Pinch of salt *1 drizzle olive oil *2 tomatoes, sliced *1 bunch of rocket METHOD 1. Drain chickpeas and roughly chop in a food processor.

2. Add the carrot, baby marrows, onion, garlic, cumin, ground and fresh coriander, parsley, chilli, flour and salt, and pulse to combine.

3. Mould the mixture into patties.

4. Braai on both sides until crispy and heated through.

5. Eat on a bed of rocket and tomato slices.

GRILLED BEETROOT & ORANGE SALAD - SERVES 4 Make this salad as an accompaniment to your veggie braai offerings.

SALAD INGREDIENTS *4 beetroots *1 orange *1 onion, sliced *drizzle extra virgin olive oil, for brushing

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NUTRILIFE

SALAD METHOD 1. Scrub the beetroots under cold water, then brush them with olive oil.

2. Grill them until tender, turning once. Alternatively wrap them in tinfoil and place them in the coals on the braai to cook.

3. Let the beetroot cool, trim and discard the ends and rub the skins off.

4. Cut them into slices and set aside.

5. Scrape 1 Tbsp of zest off the orange and set aside.

6. Remove the skin and white pith from the orange and break into segments.

7. Brush the onion slices with olive oil and grill them until tender, turning once then remove and let them cool.

8. Separate the onion slices into rings and add the beetroot orange segments.

DRESSING INGREDIENTS *1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil *2 Tbsp red wine vinegar *1 Tbsp fresh basil, finely sliced *1 tsp minced garlic *½ tsp salt *Freshly ground black pepper

DRESSING METHOD 1. Combine all the ingredients together and mix them well.

2. Drizzle over the beetroots, onion slices and orange segments.

gut

It’s about your Feeling

TOFU SOSATIES - SERVES 5 SOSATIE INGREDIENTS *800g extra-firm organic tofu *3 Tbsp extra virgin oil, plus extra for oiling *1 Tbsp freshly squeezed

lemon juice *1 large clove minced garlic *1 tsp coarse sea salt *Pinch cayenne pepper *1 large aubergine cut into chunks *1 large red pepper cut into squares *1 large red onion quartered vertically and then halved crosswise MARINADE INGREDIENTS *3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil *1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped *1/4 tsp coarse sea salt *1/8 tsp cayenne pepper *1 large clove garlic, minced *1 cup tomato sauce *1/4 cup water *1/4 cup red wine vinegar *3 Tbsp lime juice, freshly squeezed *2 Tbsp tamari *2 Tbsp tomato paste *2 tsp fresh sage, minced

SOSATIE METHOD 1. Put the tofu on a plate. Place another plate on top and gently press down to remove the excess moisture from the tofu.

2. Let the tofu sit for 20 minutes then drain away the liquid and cut into cubes.

3. Put the tofu and 2 cups of the marinade in a large bowl and toss gently until evenly coated.

4. Transfer all the contents of the bowl to a ziplock bag and refrigerate overnight.

5. Remove the tofu from the refrigerator and let it warm to room temperature.

6. Put the oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and cayenne pepper in a large bowl and whisk to combine.

7. Add the aubergine, red pepper and onion, and gently toss until evenly coated.

8. Thread the tofu and vegetables onto 10 metal skewers.

9. Put the remaining 3 cups of marinade in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently.

MARINADE METHOD 1. Warm the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat.

2. Add the onion, salt and cayenne pepper and saut until fragrant (2 to 3 minutes).

3. Transfer to a blender.

4. Add the tomato sauce, water, vinegar, lime juice, tamari and tomato paste, and process until smooth.

5. Pour back into the saucepan and simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until thick (about 20 minutes).

6. Stir in the sage and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes.

7. Taste and season with more salt if desired.

Improves immunity, general health and assists with; candida control, flora balance, constipation, diarrhoea, bloating, flatulence, stomach cramps & indigestion.

Available at WELLNESS WAREHOUSE

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eat

INGREDIENTS TO LOVE

Improving your health often involves learning about new ingredients and how to enjoy their benefits in your daily life. We take a look at three of our favourite healthful additions this month.

by Lara Potgieter

RAW CACAO Raw cacao is made by cold-pressing unroasted cacao beans from the pods of the cacao tree. It’s a great chocolaty fix just without the dairy and sugar that accompany the processed version of the treat. It’s different to cocoa in more than just the spelling.

The cold-pressing process involved in making raw cacao keeps the living enzymes of the cacao bean intact, while cocoa is simply raw cacao that’s been roasted at high temperatures and lacks the nutritional benefits of the original superfood.

WHY IT’S GOOD FOR YOU *Rich in magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, potassium and a number of other essential minerals *Contains more free radical fighting antioxidant

flavonoids than any food tested so far (including blueberries, red wine and green tea) *Boasts a high fibre content *Raises the levels of serotonin in the brain, helping to elevate mood WHAT TO DO WITH IT *Add cacao powder to your smoothies *Sprinkle cacao nibs over your fruit salad or breakfast granola *Use cacao powder and cacao butter to make

delicious guilt-free chocolaty treats like superfood brownies, cookies, truffles, puddings and more

TRY THIS RECIPE CHOCOLATE DATE BALLS

EXPERIMENT WITH NEW INGREDIENTS TO ELEVATE YOUR DAILY DIET TO NEW LEVELS OF NUTRITION AND TASTE.

INGREDIENTS *1 1/2 cups walnuts *1 cup shredded coconut *8 dates, pitted and chopped into small pieces *1 tsp vanilla extract *1/4 cup raw cacao powder *1/8 tsp salt *Sprinkle of cinnamon

METHODS 1. Pulse all the ingredients together in a food processor (you may need to add one to two tablespoons of coconut oil to get everything to mix nicely).

2. Roll each tablespoon of the mixture into a ball.

3. Freeze until ready to enjoy.

DID YOU know?

The ancient Incas of Peru considered raw cacao to be the ‘food of the gods’.

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SPECIALITY

OAT MILK Oat milk is made from pre-soaked oat groats (hulled grains broken into fragments). It’s a great alternative to dairy milk, and has a slightly sweet taste. Many people are opting for it as a way of getting essential nutrition from a natural, lactose-free and sustainable source on a daily basis. When you make it yourself, you don’t need to worry about any of the unnatural additives you may find in commercial brands. Buying oats is generally affordable, and the process of making the milk is simple and fun!

WHY IT’S GOOD FOR YOU *Boasts 15 vitamins and 10 minerals *Low in calories *High in fibre *Contains a type of antioxidant called phytochemicals, which can help protect against diseases including heart disease, stroke, and some cancers

WHAT TO DO WITH IT *Use it wherever you would use regular cow’s milk (in your tea, with your breakfast, etc.) *Use it to add a rich, creamy texture to delicious desserts like vegan pancakes, chewy cookies and banana muffins *Add it to your smoothies

TRY THIS RECIPE HOMEMADE OAT MILK INGREDIENTS *1 cup rolled oats *3 cups filtered water *2 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

METHODS 1. Blend all ingredients on high until the mixture is smooth.

2. Strain the mixture by pouring it through a nut milk bag or cheesecloth.

3. Squeeze the last of the milk out of the bag or cloth, and discard the remaining pulp or use it as a flour.

4. Refrigerate and enjoy chilled.

DID YOU know?

Western herbalists recommend oat milk as a tonic for the nervous system.

FLAXSEED OIL Flaxseed oil is a colourless to yellowish oil made from the dried, ripened seeds of the flax plant. It’s one of nature’s richest sources of vegetable-based omega-3 fatty acids, and a great vegan alternative to fish oil. Its nutty, slightly sweet flavour makes it a pleasant addition to your daily health regime.

WHY IT’S GOOD FOR YOU *Contains 50 to 60% anti-inflammatory and disease-preventing omega-3 fatty acids *Lubricates the colon and works as a natural laxative *Helps to increase collagen production *Boosts heart health *Reduces eczema

WHAT TO DO WITH IT *Use it to make healthy salad dressings *Drink it straight from a teaspoon as a daily nutritional supplement, or mix it into a juice or smoothie if you struggle with the taste *Mix it into your baking batter *Swirl it into coconut yoghurt *Drizzle it over roast veggies

Maximum Absorption Detox Naturally

Activated Charcoal helps counter the toxic effects of organic and inorganic poisons by reducing their systematic absorption from the gastro-intestinal tract. It is a beneficial aid for the symptomatic relief of flatulence, and certain gastro-intestinal disorders including ulcers.

FOR A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE N AT U R A L D E TOX I F I E R

NEW LOOK! SAME PRODUCT

TRY THIS RECIPE HEALTHY SALAD VINIAGRETTE INGREDIENTS *2 Tbsp water *4 tsp flaxseed oil *2 tsp apple cider vinegar *1 tsp Dijon mustard *1/2 tsp Bragg’s amino’s or soy sauce *1/4 tsp black pepper *1/4 tsp crushed garlic

METHODS 1. Simply whisk all the ingredients together until they are well blended, and drizzle over your favourite salad.

DID YOU know?

Flaxseed oil is one of the most common alternatives to traditional vegetable oil, mainly because of its impressive list of health attributes. www.wellnesswarehouse.com | 21

eat

Foraging FOR

FOOD

Are you aware of the wealth of nutritious fodder that’s hiding in plain sight all around you? Would you consider forgoing the supermarket and going back to your gatherer roots?

by Kirsten Alexander

T

he need for instant gratification and convenience in the face of the day to day mad rush may have blinded modern humans to nature’s bounty. While everyone is pushing towards living a healthier life and eating more natural or organic foods, it’s not common to find local, indigenous food in stores. One of the reasons these items might not be on your local grocer’s shelf is that wild things don’t like to be tamed. They like to grow where and when they want to grow.

Take morogo as an example; the name refers to three different types of leafy greens found in South Africa and it has been touted as one of the most nutritious veggies around, with a protein count of around 36%. It’s also high in Vitamins A and C and has been linked to lowered risk of vascular-related chronic diseases as well as type II diabetes. But have you seen it in the fresh section?

Probably not; but you’ll certainly have seen it countless times on the side of the road.

START NOTICING THE NATURAL WORLD AROUND YOU AND EXTEND YOUR IDEA OF FOOD TO WHAT’S IN YOUR ENVIRONMENT RATHER THAN EXPECTING EVERYTHING YOU EAT TO COME FROM A SUPERMARKET. GO WITH THE FLOW Many people are planting veggie gardens outside their homes or businesses to offer up a gift of free nutrition to passers-by; and while this is a fantastic initiative, the veggies on offer are generally cultivated and need a fair amount of watering and care.

Learning about and offering up indigenous plants would be far more beneficial.

It’s becoming quite trendy to go foraging now, especially in the Cape and Garden route region. Foraging is entirely different from the seemingly more demeaning city-dwelling ‘dumpster diving’, where people live virtually for free off the leavings of supermarkets and citizens by dragging out perfectly acceptable food items from the trash.

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Foraging is about gathering up what nature has to offer, rather than what humans leave behind. From mushrooms to oysters, mulberries, dandelion, lemons, berries, pine nuts and whatever else you may find growing around you, there’s probably more opportunity to forage than you realise. Many of the plants you’ll find in your neighbourhood are not only great to eat, but also have other properties that can be used in balms or teas. The Good Hope Garden Nursery lists a number of indigenous plants that can be put to great use: 1. Wild Malva - The pink flowers are a great addition to salads, or as a cup-cake decoration. You can make tea out of the diffused leaves for stomach disorders and the bruised leaves make a great poultice for wounds.

2. Peppermint-scented pelargonium - High in essential oils, you can simmer the leaves in milk and then strain for use in baking, as an ice-cream flavouring or as a tea. The crushed leaves are great for soothing bruises either as a poultice or in your bath.

3. Confetti bush - It’s known as false buchu and can be used much like Thyme as a herbal addition to both sweet and savoury dishes.

4. Wild sorrel - This is a bit sour, but a little goes a long way in flavouring salads and dips.

The stalks and roots can be used as a salt substitute.

5. Num-num - These berries are high in vitamin C and pectin and are great for making jam.

6. Wild Garlic - The roots are rather pungent so should be used sparingly. The flowers can be used in salads.

7. Sour Figs - The leaves are a great addition to any natural medicine kit – good for sunburn, stings, rashes, cold sores and bites; as well as relief for sore throats. The fruit is great for making chutney, jam or sauces.

8. Balderin - Similar to mint, this is a great flavouring for salads, baking, jam and syrup.

9. Garlic buchu - High in essential oils and has a strong garlic scent – great for cooking and flavouring vinegars and oils.

NOTE - It’s always important to put back what you take out and while foraging may appeal to your ‘getting back to nature’ thrust, it’s good to remember that over-foraging can be harmful to the delicate eco-system you’re in.

KNOW THE NO’S But you absolutely have to know what you’re doing – picking up a poisonous plant for dinner simply won’t do. There are a number of phone apps that help with identifying wild plants, but most of these don’t have information on South African plants. There are however, a few organised foraging outings you can go on, as well as basic courses on what you can and can’t eat from nature. We’ve listed a few that certainly make for a good day out: 1. Charles Standing, enthusiastic forager and self-named ‘urban hunter-gatherer’ offers tailor-made tours [book by mailing him at theurbanhuntergatherer@gmail.com].

2. Roushanna and Gael Gray offer a half-day foraging course at the Good Hope Gardens Nursery – for bookings, contact roushanna@hotmail.com. They also do a range of events on coastal foraging, so if you’re keen to find out what seaweed you can eat and how to use it, look for event details on veldandsea.com.

3. The Mushroom Fundi, Gary Goldman, offers a really fun day out at the Elgin Vintners Homestead – there you’ll learn how to identify which mushrooms you can and can’t eat and then you’ll be given the opportunity to find your own, under his watchful eye.

Book by sending a mail to info@elginvintners.co.za. Gary also does a couple of wonderful foraging days at Delheim Estate during winter.

Contact info@delheim.com for booking information.

4. Loubie Rusch from KOS specialises in indigenous foods and hosts a number of wild walks and foodie events throughout the year. Get in touch for more information on her events by looking her up on Face Book.

INTO THE WILD While it’s probably not feasible to live as a forager, unless you are willing to live on the land as well as off it, there’s definitely something satisfyingly primal about finding things in nature that you can identify and use for your daily meal. If you’re not all that into foraging, but do want to become more indigenous in terms of your diet, create an edible indigenous garden and begin incorporating your spoils into each meal. Learning about what nature has to offer also infuses a sense of respect and wonder, and that knowledge is a wonderful gift to give to your children.

www.wellnesswarehouse.com | 23

eat

GOING

Goji

Peter and Beryn Daniel from Soaring Free Superfoods share their favourite recipe combining goji berries with raw cacao from the Magic of Superfoods.

HEARTY GOJI BALLS - MAKES 15 –18 BALLS INGREDIENTS *1 cup goji berries, ground *3⁄4 cup almonds, ground fine *1/2 cup lucuma *1 tsp vanilla powder *1/2 tsp salt *1 cup pitted dates, soaked *1/2 cup water *1/2 cup cacao powder FOR DECORATING *2 Tbsp almonds, ground *2 Tbsp cacao powder *A handful of gojis, ground METHOD 1. Grind goji berries into a powder using a power blender.

They will go sticky, but this is what gives the balls their chewy taste, so go with it!

2. Blend the soaked, pitted dates with half a cup of the soak water into a date jam.

3. In a food processor, grind your almonds until they reach a crumbly consistency. Set two tablespoons of ground almonds aside for rolling the balls in later. Add all the ingredients together, including the date jam, and pulse in the food processor until well combined into a doughey consistency. Roll into balls and coat in chopped almonds.

TIP When rolling the mixture into balls, dip your fingers in water – the mixture won’t stick to your fingers as much.

THE IMPORTANCE OF ORGANIC GOJI BERRIES To find goji berries that are organic and free from pesticides is a lot harder than you may expect. Soaring Free Superfoods has learnt a lot about goji berries over the past 10 years. There was even a period of about 2 years where they completely stopped selling goji berries, because it was impossible to get truly organic one’s. Even organically certified products, depending on the certifying body cannot always be trusted to be 100% free of pesticides. Soaring Free Superfoods have strict procedures concerning importing and distributing goji products. “Firstly, we have a sample sent over from our supplier which is tested, once it is confirmed as containing no pesticide residue, only then do we place our order, says Beryn. “On arrival of the order, another cross section sample is sent for analysis. Once this sample is confirmed to be clear, our gojis go off to be packed. This ensures a 100% organic, safe and pesticide free product. This is a reflection of our commitment to bringing you the best.”

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THE IMPORTANCE OF REAL RAW ORGANIC CACAO Finding truly raw cacao is also a challenge. Most suppliers say their cacao products are raw if they are manufactured from raw (unroasted) cacao beans. What’s not known is when the cacao beans are processed into their variant forms they undergo high friction and the resultant heat destroys sensitive nutritional elements like enzymes and antioxdants. This is like buying highly refined and heated olive oil versus quality cold pressed olive oil. The high heat version is obviously cheaper but less likely to deliver the nutritional value and health benefits. The Soaring Free Superfoods Raw Cacao range is guaranteed to be processed truly raw. This means careful temperature control from start to finish to get the fullest, most intact nutritional profile you can wish for.

Once again, this is the Soaring Free commitment to bringing you only the best.

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Chocolate – the best loved food on the planet!

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Soaring Free Superfoods imports the highest quality, organic and wild-harvested superfoods from around the world. With high integrity sourcing from farms and forests, plus concentrated nutritional potency, these Superfoods represent ancient wisdom combined with great taste for your life without limits. www.wellnesswarehouse.com | 25

eat

CHICKEN

By Leozette Roode

T

he age-old question remains… which came first, the chicken or the egg? In South Africa, never the chicken. When it comes to animal welfare, our egg-laying hens have taken a back seat in the business.

Did you know that more than 95% of our country’s egg-laying hens are confined in tiny cages, spending nearly their entire lives in virtual immobilisation? Known as battery cages, this housing system confines each hen to a space smaller than an A4 size paper, making it impossible for them to practise ordinary chicken behaviours like perching or flapping their wings.

WHENEVER YOU BUY OR ORDER AN EGG, ASK THE SUPPLIER WHERE THE EGGS COME FROM – ARE THEY BATTERY RAISED EGGS, FREE RANGE OR CAGE FREE? WE CAN ALL DO OUR BIT TO CAMPAIGN FOR CRUELTYFREE FOOD. Humane Society International, one of the largest international animal protection organisations in the world, is working to

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OUT!

reduce the suffering endured by egg-laying hens in South Africa. Their campaigns aim to improve the living conditions for animals raised for food by promoting a shift to more sustainable and welfare-friendly forms of agriculture. During the past year, HSI has worked with two of the world’s largest food service providers, Sodexo and Compass Group, on their new global animal welfare and corporate social responsibility policies, including South Africa. Most recently, HSI announced a collaboration with AccorHotels (they operate Mercure and Fairmont Hotel in South Africa) to help them source exclusively cage-free eggs for each of their hotels.

Another major victory for laying hen welfare was McDonalds South Africa’s cage-free announcement in December last year following dialogue with Humane Society International over 12 months. McDonald’s is one of the first quick-service restaurants in S.A to commit to transition towards 100% cage-free eggs, which the company has committed to doing by 2025.

Leozette Roode, the farm animal campaign manager for HSI Africa, answers our questions about egg production in South Africa and why it is high time we start caring about our hens.

What are the current statistics for South African egg consumption?

South Africans consume 7.8 billion eggs each year – of which more than 95% is sourced from hens in confined battery cages. To meet

the demand of egg consumption, 24.3 million hens are raised in South Africa for their eggs.

What are battery cages?

A battery cage is a wire wire enclosure, where hens spend their entire lives laying eggs for human consumption. These cages prevent hens from fully performing the bulk of their natural behaviours, such as nesting, perching, dust-bathing, scratching, foraging, exploring their environment, running, jumping, flying, stretching, wing-flapping, and even freely walking. Studies show that the hens suffer from psychological stress. They also endure physical harm including bone weakness and breakage, feather loss, diseases and metabolic disorders, including disuse osteoporosis and liver damage.

How long can hens live up to?

And what is their average lifespan in the battery cages?

Hens normally live up to ten years. Battery hens are typically slaughtered at less than two years old, when they are considered ‘spent’ and no longer of use.

What other, more humane, alternatives are there to battery cages?

There are three alternative housing systems egg farmers could adopt to better respect hens’ welfare: *Floor system (single-level, completely indoor). *Aviary (multiple levels, completely indoors). *Free-range (a system with both a protected

indoor area at night and outdoor access during the day. The indoor area may be a floor system, aviary or mobile houses.

Free-range systems don’t use cages).

Is cage-free cruelty-free?

Cage-free housing systems offer chickens a significantly improved level of welfare. Unlike battery hens, cage-free hens are able to walk, freely spread their wings and lay their eggs in nests. However, most cage-free hens live in large flocks that can consist of thousands of hens who never go outside.

Cage-free doesn’t necessarily mean cruelty-free but the hens are spared several severe cruelties that are inherent in battery cage systems.

Are free-range eggs healthier than those from caged hens?

Research has shown egg production operations that confine hens in cages have higher rates of Salmonella compared to those that are cage-free. Free range farming, when conditions are sufficiently attractive for the hens to range outside, means eggs fortified with vitamin D. What are some of other benefits of cage-free systems?

Cage-free housing systems not only improve the welfare for egg-laying hens, but it is also economically beneficial for society and for organisations. *Creates market opportunities for small, free-range and cage-free farmers. Keeps companies ‘ahead of the curve’ and positions them as a leader in industry. *Reduces risk for suppliers as major service providers and restaurant chains will have more faith in investing their funds in cage-free farms who will not be targeted by social disapproval.

Natural congestion support ✔ Helps clear airways ✔ Targets muccus congestion ✔ Supports respiratory passages

What can the consumer do?

South Africans need to be knowledgeable about food processes, food safety and sustainability standards. The power lies in the hands of the consumer! Ask your food retailer if their eggs come from cage-free or free-range farms and encourage them to increase their offerings of cage-free eggs. If there is a greater demand from consumers, suppliers will have no choice but to transition to cage-free housing systems.

DID YOUknow?

Wellness Warehouse stocks pastured-reared eggs from the biodynamic farmer and free-range crusader, Angus McIntosh. All menu items from Wellness Caf s are made with these pastured-reared eggs.

Please note complimentary health products do not replace a healthy lifestyle or claim to cure or treat any disease(s). Add these products to your overall healthy lifestyle for optimal benefits.

Products exclusive to Wellness Warehouse, health stores and pharmacies.

For more information contact: 021 701 5000 or ghpoffice@iafrica.com

www.wellnesswarehouse.com | 27

www.goodhealthsa.co.za

green

BEE-ING

innovative While other 16-year-olds are focusing on the latest fashion fad or technology trend, Springfield Convent student Maxine Roeloffze is setting a standard for young ecopreneurs by running her own beekeeping business.

by Lara Potgieter

OUR LIVES WOULD BE VERY DIFFERENT WITHOUT BEES. THEY’RE RESPONSIBLE FOR POLLINATING ONE-SIXTH OF THE WORLD’S FLOWERING PLANT SPECIES, AND ABOUT 400 DIFFERENT AGRICULTURAL PLANTS.

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O

n her 16th birthday, Maxine started wondering what she could do to generate her own income. She explored the usual options like waitressing and retail assistance, but nothing resonated with her.

A few years before, a couple of hives had been placed on her parents’ Hout Bay Vineyards smallholding. While these had been largely forgotten, Maxine’s new awareness of the plight of our bees and the importance of buying local, organic goods got her thinking about them again. “I’ve become very passionate about the importance of bees and their role in the environment,” she shares.

Maxine started tending to the hives, making sure they had a suitable environment.

“While the bees really do all the work, I check the hives to make sure nothing is disturbing them, and that there isn’t any wax left in for too long. If the hives become unpleasant, the swarms will leave. And then of course there is the harvesting of the honey, which I love doing once the vats are full.”

What started as a hobby has grown into a new commercial venture for the young eco-preneur. She started with four hives, and now tends to ten. She’s also designed a logo and labels for the bottles. “I’ve spent some time talking to people about the ins and outs of this kind of business, and while I’ve been selling a few bottles to friends and family here and there since last winter, I’m ready for my first real season after the harvest at the end of March.”

Maxine hopes to get about 500 bottles of honey from her upcoming harvest, and to launch the business officially at the next Hout Bay Vineyards Open Day. But this is just the start of her journey – she has drawn up a business plan for the next nine years, and hopes to have 4000 hives by 2025.

“My motivation is twofold: I’d like to do my bit to make sure the bees are okay, and to get people eating local, organic honey – not just for the environment, but for the amazing health benefits too.”

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green

DID YOUknow?

We are losing more and more honeybees to pesticides, parasites, lack of nutrition and disease.

Beekeeping hobbyists are doing their bit to help the situation by giving the bees a home and eating and sharing local, organic honey made with sustainable practices.

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HOW YOU CAN

HELP SAVE

OUR BEES *Be sure to buy plants that aren’t pre-treated with dangerous pesticides. *Don’t use any pesticides, fungicides or herbicides in your garden. *Buy raw honey from local beekeepers. *Grow bee-friendly plants like agapanthus, aloes, Cape violets, clivia, carpet geranium, Cape honeysuckle and vygies. *Put a little water basin in your garden or on your balcony for the bees to drink from during the heat of the day. Placing a few stones and floating corks in the water will help make sure they don’t drown! *If the buzz gets you, install a hive in your garden or on your rooftop and learn how to become a beekeeper and make your own honey!

TIP When buying honey, make sure you opt for unheated, untreated raw honey. Many people aren’t aware that often the standard honey on a supermarket shelf has added sugar, is mixed with syrup or has been heat treated.

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nurture

STEP-BY-STEP S

mooth beautiful feet is the end objective with our concise guide to banishing cracked heals and dry feet using natural remedies and solutions.

Unlike the skin on the rest of your body, your feet are naturally dry.

The skin on your feet has no oil glands, so relies on your sweat glands to keep them moisturised. Dry feet are a common problem for people of all ages and can sometimes be painful too. Dryness can vary from mild, temporary dry skin to severely dry skin that causes additional problems. Standing for too long, lack of moisture, accumulation of dead skin and improper care can all contribute to your skin becoming dry, calloused and cracked.

Treating dry feet usually begins with treating the underlying cause.

This may involve checking to see if there is an underlying medical condition like thyroid disease or diabetes. Some people naturally have dry skin and must simply take extra steps to make sure their feet are moisturised daily.

Here’s a good routine you can follow for keeping your feet moisturised, beautiful and smooth.

FOOT SOAKING Soaking your feet will soften dry skin and soothe aching or tired feet at the same time. It also helps to loosen dead skin, remove accumulated impurities and deal with any bacteria or fungus thriving in the cracks. Making your own foot soak at home is easy to do; and you can alter the concentration of ingredients for the best benefits, while reducing any skin irritations caused by unnecessary chemicals and preservatives. Fill a foot-bath or suitable container with warm water. The container should be large enough to comfortably fit both

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your feet. It’s best not to use hot water, as this could worsen dryness and cause tissue damage; the water should be lukewarm. Add 1 cup of Epsom salts and mix until the salts are fully dissolved. Add 1 tablespoon of baking soda per litre of water to banish foot odour. In addition to relieving dry skin, the baking soda makes the pH of your skin less hospitable to the bacteria responsible for foot odour.

Herbs and essential oils will add healing qualities and beautiful fragrance. Peppermint, aloe vera, chamomile and fennel help relieve dryness, and spearmint or lemon essential oil help soothe tired feet.

Put 5 drops of each of the essential oils you’d like into your foot bath.

Alternatively chop up the fresh leaves, tie them into a porous fabric and let them infuse into your solution. Another very simple recipe is ½ cup of honey melted into warm water. This creates incredibly soft feet. Repeat your foot soaking experience 2 – 3 times a week and follow it with a scrub to remove dead skin.

FOOT SCRUBBING This soothing foot scrub is a great way to get a gentle and relaxing magnesium boost. It helps exfoliate dead and flaky skin accumulated on your feet and encourages the new and healthy skin cells to grow.

Epsom salt or magnesium salts are rough on their own, but once you add almond, olive or coconut oil it makes an excellent exfoliator.

In a small bowl mix together 1 cup of Epsom salt or magnesium flakes, 1/4 cup olive oil or almond oil, 1 teaspoon of liquid Castile soap (with no animal fats) and 10-15 drops of an essential oil of your choice. Once the ingredients are well mixed together store it in an airtight jar and use a teaspoon sized amount to exfoliate your feet as needed. Rinse well after use. You should not exfoliate more than 2 – 3 times in a week. You may want to use a pumice with your scrub to make it more effective.

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DrOrganicSA dr_organic_sa www.wellnesswarehouse.com | 33 www.drorganic.co.za

nurture

GIVE YOUR FEET SOME LOVE, EACH FOOT HAS 26 BONES, 33 JOINTS, MORE THAN 100 TENDONS, MUSCLES, AND LIGAMENTS, AND A WHOPPING 250,000 SWEAT GLANDS

FOOT MASK Foot masks have long-lasting benefits for all skin types, because they seal and retain moisture and prevent daily wear and tear.

Applying a foot mask once in a while helps nourish and hydrate the skin. It’s important to rejuvenate the skin with ingredients that get rid of dead skin cells.

The anti-inflammatory and moisturising properties of oatmeal help exfoliate dead skin cells and soften cracked heels while olive oil adds moisture. Combine 1 tablespoon powdered oatmeal with 10 – 15 generous drops of olive oil. Apply the mixture onto chapped feet, leave on for 30 minutes and then rinse with cool water and pat dry. Use a foot mask once or twice a week.

FOOT CREAM Moisturising your feet after a shower or bath and before going to bed is key. Try this homemade shea butter foot cream as an excellent balm for cracked heels.

Add 1/4 cup of magnesium flakes to 2 tablespoons of boiling water, stir until it forms a paste, and set aside. Over low heat, melt 3 tablespoons beeswax and 1/4 cup each of Shea butter and coconut oil, consistently stirring to blend. Remove from heat and let it cool. Put the oil and wax mixture into a blender on low speed. Slowly pour in the magnesium flake paste and blend until the mixture has a butterlike consistency. Store in an airtight container in the fridge and use twice daily. At night you can lather it on thickly, put on some socks and then wipe off any excess cream in the morning.

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DIETARY TIPS FOR CRACKED HEELS

Nutritional deficiency can also lead to dry and cracked heels.

Make sure you get enough of the following food sources: 1. Vitamin A: Important in rejuvenating and maintaining healthy skin tissue. Include vitamin A rich foods like carrots, eggs, milk, orange and green vegetables.

2. Vitamin E: Protects skin from harmful free radicals and maintains the skin cells health. Vitamin E rich foods include nuts and whole wheat foods.

3. Vitamin C: Helps maintain skin elasticity. Vitamin C can be found in citrus foods and green-leafy vegetables.

4. Zinc: Beneficial for cell division, healthy growth of skin tissue and wound healing. Sea food, oysters, whole grains are rich in zinc content.

5. Omega Fatty Acids: Helps to increase the skin integrity, speed up the healing process, improve blood circulation and reduce swelling.

Oily fish and flaxseeds are good sources.

6. Water: Drink plenty of water to maintain soft, supple and hydrated skin. This also helps prevent dry skin and cracked heels.

DID YOUknow?

Experts estimate 80-90 percent of adults are deficient in magnesium.

Since the body uses magnesium in processes that regulate heart health, mental health, blood pressure, and during pregnancy, it’s important to make sure you’re getting in the right amount of magnesium. In fact, magnesium is one of the most-needed minerals in the body and is involved in hundreds of biochemical reactions.

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nurture

RUN A

HEALING

bath

A simple sensation like warm water coupled with some herbs and soothing thoughts can transform your demeanour dramatically. From colour to music, aroma oils and more you’ll love our ideas for a healing bath experience.

by Kirsten Alexander

B

athing has some incredible health benefits backed by science; in fact there’s a term for the treatment of disease through bathing and it’s known as ‘balneotherapy’. While a quick shower may be the route of your daily routine, taking time out for a healing bath can go a long way in creating body balance, relaxing the mind and bringing peace to the spirit.

YOUR TIME Take time to make your healing bath, not as a means to cleanse your body, but a sacred ritual in which you celebrate yourself completely and allow yourself the space to heal. Make bath-time a nurturing experience, warmly filled with delicious fragrance, soft music and gentle light. Before you think to touch a tap, make sure you’ve gathered everything you’ll need for your soak: a loofah or hemp glove, a towel, another towel to act as a head-rest, sea salt for rubs, Epsom salts or magnesium chloride flakes, as well as the herbs and essential oils you love.

SOFTLY DOES IT 1. The ideal temperature of a healing bath is lukewarm, not overly hot. Soak up to the neck for 10 to 15 minutes max, and make sure you don’t get any of the water in your eyes. After drying off, apply a moisturizer with minimal fragrance or additives.

2. The right colour palette has the ability to inspire tranquillity.

Transform your bathroom into a spa-worthy sanctuary by including the colours cream, teal and light grey. You can include these colours through adding towels, candles, cushions, wall hangings and more.

3. You’ll be able to find many healing bath soundtracks online; music specifically designed for the sacred bath experience; or choose any music that you find soothing and relaxing.

TEA TIME If your healing bath recipe calls for a mix of herbs, here’s a neat little life-hack you might want to try. Herbs stick to the bath and to you, and clog up the plug-hole so here’s a simple solution: Create a ‘tea bag’ by sewing up three sides of a 12cm square muslin bag. Put your herbs into it and then close up the last side. You can use these bags again and again, so making a few is worth the investment in time. If you only want to use a collection of herbs once, put a big handful in the middle of a square of muslin cloth and secure it with an elastic band. When you’ve finished with it you can throw the herbs away, wash the muslin cloth and use it again.

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nurture HEALING BATH RECIPES Apple Cider Vinegar Bath Apple cider vinegar is rising up the ranks of the health world. Now on par with coconut oil and honey, this versatile vinegar can be used as a base for salad dressings, a hot drink to sip on in the mornings and even in your bath. This quick recipe helps relieve sore muscles, itchy skin, and sunburn. Vinegar helps draw pollutants out of the body so it makes for a great detox aid. It is also mildly antiseptic, antifungal and naturally deoderising. While filling your tub with warm to hot water, add 1-2 cups of apple cider vinegar. Soak for 20-30 minutes, make sure to get your hair wet as well and rinse off your face with a washcloth. Follow your healing bath with a cool shower to rinse off the excess vinegar water.

Baking Soda Bath This alkalinizing and detoxifying bath can help calm allergic reactions, chicken pox, eczema, hives, itchy skin, insect bites, poison ivy, sunburn, and fungal infections. Fill your bathtub with enough warm water to be able to submerge your body when you sit. Mix four to five tablespoons of baking soda into the water. Use a wooden spoon to help dissolve baking soda. Soak for 10-20 minutes. Gently dry off with a soft towel to avoid further irritation.

Cold and Flu Bath Try these bath additions when you want to soothe deep muscle aches that often accompany viral infections. Epsom salts, ginger root, marjoram, mustard seed powder, pine needles, and thyme leaves. This recipe can make you feel tired because it’s designed to give your body a detox. Drink a glass of water after your bath and then call it a night. Don’t rinse off, you want to retain the minerals and nutrients from the water that is absorbed through your skin.

Epsom Salts Bath This is lymphatic cleansing, relaxing for sore muscles, softening to the skin, and detoxifying after bodywork. An Epsom salt bath is known to ease pain and relieve inflammation, making it beneficial in the treatment of sore muscles, bronchial asthma, and migraine headaches. Mix a thick paste of Epsom salt with hot water and apply to get soothing comfort. Epsom salt softens skin and will even neutralize foot odour, so you can use this for a relaxing foot bath too. If you have diabetes, hypertension or heart disease, be sure to rinse off after the bath.

Oatmeal Bath This calms irritated skin, poison ivy, dermatitis, high blood pressure, and stress. You’ll need 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 1/4 cup baking soda and 1/2 cup finely ground oats. Add these ingredients to your bath water and mix well to distribute throughout. Soak in your tub for 15-20 minutes. Make sure the oats are ground to a very fine powder, otherwise they’ll just sink to the bottom of the tub and leave a big mess to clean up. You can also add the whole oats to a small muslin bag or cheesecloth and hang it in the water if you aren’t able to grind them.

TIP When you’re done bathing, stay in the tub, visualize the tension draining out of you, as the water runs out of the tub and feel soothed by the warm water and Earth Mother working her magic.

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PURPOSEFUL HERBS

1. Feel Relaxed Use 1 ½ cups of any of these dried herbs on their own, or a mixture of ½ cup each of two or three: Camomile, comfrey, hyssop, juniper berries, lavender, lemon balm, mullein, passionflower, peppermint, slippery elm, valerian 2. Feel Invigorated Try any of these plants, or mix together ½ cup each of two or three: Calendula, fennel, horseradish root, lavender, marjoram, mint, nettle, pine needles, rosemary, sage, thyme.

3. Ease Aching Muscles Use a mixture of ½ cup each of two or three: Agrimony, crushed juniper berries, oregano, sage, strawberry leaves.

4. Bath Tired Feet Try a mixture of ½ cup each of two or three herbs in a comfortably hot foot bath: Agrimony, burdock, ginger, lavender, bruised mustard seed, sage, witch hazel.

NOTE If you are in a water-scarce area bathing is not recommended.

DID YOUknow?

Professional preparer-of-baths was an actual job occupation. For the families of lords & other noble persons, a bath preparer would also travel with the family, the only job being the preparation of their baths.

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nurture

Birthing WITH A

DOULA

There are many ways to give birth, not all of them involve a hospital and a caesarian. Some women elect to giving birth at home or to have a water birth. Some women feel more comfortable in an ambient environment rather than a clinical hospital and some simply feel safer in a hospital. Consulting with a doula means being supported and gathering all the information you need to make informed choices.

A doula will also help with labour and act as a reassuring presence during the first few weeks of motherhood.

by Lara Potgieter

T

he word ‘doula’ is a Greek word that literally translates to ‘women’s servant’. Today, it refers to a professional who is trained in providing emotional, physical and educational support to a mother-to-be or mother who is expecting, experiencing labour, or has recently given birth.

Most expectant mothers begin their relationship with a doula a few months before their due date. During this period, they ask the doula anything and everything they’d like to know about both childbirth and motherhood.

The doula and mother, or parents will typically create a birth plan outlining the preferences for the big day, making sure everyone is in the loop and any issues that may arise are resolved before the time. Topics covered in the birth plan can include a list of people who should be present at the birth, the mother’s preferred position for giving birth, what pain relief methods are preferred, creating a supportive ambience with music and fragrance and, whether the mother wants to breastfeed immediately after giving birth, and more.

ONCE A WOMAN UNDERSTANDS HOW AMAZING HER BODY REALLY IS – AND HOW IT CAN WORK FOR HER WHEN SHE IS FEARLESS OF BIRTH - SHE IS ON HER WAY TO A BETTER OUTCOME FOR HERSELF AND HER BABY. - CAPE TOWN DOULA JANINE DOERHEIT 40 | www.wellnesswarehouse.com

While doulas do not provide medical care, they are well versed in many of the medical aspects of labour and delivery. They are present at the birth, offering comfort in the form of pain relief and relaxation assistance (such as massage, breathing techniques, labouring position suggestions, etc.), as well as emotional and informational support. After the birth, they help new mothers to begin the breastfeeding process, and encourage bonding between the baby and its family members.

Essentially, a doula’s role is to help ensure that childbirth is a safe and positive experience for all involved. A number of studies have highlighted the positive effects of birthing with the help of a professional doula. Women supported by doulas are less likely to have cesarean sections and less likely to take painkillers, for example.

Most also report their birth experience as positive and joyful.

It’s important for couples to know that a doula doesn’t replace the role of the husband or partner during childbirth. Rather, she will complement and assist the partner’s efforts, coaching both parents

through the process. Many partners like the fact that they can be free to assist emotionally without the pressure of feeling like they need to know what to do and say at a practical level every step of the way.

Doulas are not just helpful in natural, un-medicated births. They also work alongside mothers who choose to have medicated births, providing emotional, educational and physical support throughout the process. They can also be very effective in helping these mothers to deal with the potential side effects of the medication.

The support of a doula can even be beneficial in the case of a cesarean section, which often results from an unexpected complication and can leave a mother feeling disappointed and unprepared. Explaining what is going on and providing reassurance throughout the procedure is one of the most important roles of a doula in such a case.

BIRTH IS NOT NEAT AND FAST: IT’S GRITTY AND PRIMAL. BUT IT’S NOTHING TO FEAR. UNLESS YOU ALSO THINK WE OUGHT TO FEAR WOMEN CRYING WHEN THEY ARE SAD OR LAUGHING WHEN THEY ARE HAPPY…IF WE STOP VIEWING BIRTH AS AN EMERGENCY – IT’S NOT – THEN WE CAN STOP IMPOSING ANXIETY ON WOMEN ABOUT BIRTH. MAYIM BIALIK

While labour doulas (those who assist primarily during the birth of the child) are the most common, there are also those who specialise as either antepartum or postpartum doulas. Antepartum doulas usually help mothers experiencing high-risk pregnancies, offering all the assistance and support needed to lesson the stress of the situation and ensure that the mother is as prepared as possible for the upcoming birth.

Postpartum doulas, on the other hand, support the parents throughout the first few weeks after birth, showing them how to feed and care for the baby and providing practical support by cleaning, cooking, etc. Most doulas are trained to be able to assist before, during and after labour, so unless you’re looking for someone who specialises in a specific stage of the process, you will probably find that your doula will be able to walk alongside you every step of the way.

When choosing a doula, it’s important to take your time to find the right match.

Your initial interview should cover her training, services, fees, availability, childbirth philosophy, and anything else you may need to know to ensure the right fit. It’s important to remember that, no matter how skillful your doula is, her role is to equip you with the knowledge and confidence you need to reclaim your own body and, in the process, facilitate a more joyful passage into the world for your child.

For more information, speak to Cape Town based doula Janine Doerheit on Cell: 071 252 1610

DID YOUknow?

Studies have shown that women who are supported by a doula are more likely to have spontaneous natural births, and less likely to need pain medication, epidurals, vacuum- or forceps-assisted births, and cesarean sections.

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connect

THIS MONTH WE’RE

watching

THE PLANT PRINCESS N

atalie Larsen of Earth to Plate is our inspiration this month. Earth to Plate is an initiative that celebrates wholefoods in their purest, most divine form.

Nathalie is a wholefoods chef, holistic nutrition coach and health food consultant, and we’ve yet to meet somebody more passionate about the benefits of plant-based eating!

“I’m just a chef whose intentions are pure!” shares the pint-sized powerhouse. “I have a passion for healthy, honest, clean cuisine, and I aim to inspire you to get back to the kitchen – where the real magic happens.”

Nathalie shares her enthusiasm and know-how at fun and interactive workshops, where she introduces participants to the myriad joys of a plant-based lifestyle.

Recently she held a workshop at the gorgeous Ginger & Lime food studio in Fresnaye, where she had us rolling vegan sushi, building our own Buddha bowls, and cooling off with minty coconut ice-cream with chickpea fudge!

For more information on Nathalie and her workshops, follow Earth to Plate on Facebook.

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&

HEALTH HIGHS

P

erhaps you’ve heard of CBD hemp oil but have steered clear of it because of its psychoactive associations.

The truth is, CBD hemp oil, which is extracted from the stalks and seeds of industrial hemp plants, can’t make you high or intoxicated.

What it can do is make you super healthy!

It’s rich in naturally occurring cannabidiol, a cannabinoid with anti-inflammatory, anticonvulsant, antioxidant and event antipsychotic properties. It’s been lauded in the treatment of neuro-inflammation, epilepsy, oxidative injury, vomiting, nausea, anxiety and schizophrenia, to name just a few.

We were introduced to the wonder oil through Elixinol’s CBD hemp oil tinctures.

Now there is a new liposomal range which people with chronic conditions love as it has 5 to 10 times more bioavailability and works out to be much more affordable if higher doses are required. Try their Liposomal 300 – it’s a winner.

For more information visit www.elixinol.com.

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heal

TRACING YOUR

minerals

Have you ever seen a dog licking sand? It’s because of the minerals that are found in the earth. If you didn’t pay attention during science class in school, you may have missed the periodic table – but it’s actually quite important to your everyday health.

Minerals are basically elements (like magnesium, iron, chromium, etc.) and they make up everything – the universe as well as you.

by Kirsten Alexander

“In the human body, minerals act as catalysts, participating in enzyme systems that allow the transformation of the food and air we breathe into energy, vibrant health, and consciousness.” – Paul Bergner, The Healing Power of Minerals.

Where human instinct is lacking, science is catching up – every living organism needs minerals. Unfortunately, it seems the ground we are farming on has less minerals to offer than it did 100 years ago. This has been put down to intensive farming methods that have stripped the earth down. Food grown today is less nutritious than food grown in your grandparent’s youth.

Several studies supporting this are mentioned by the Organic Consumers Association: ‘A Kushi Institute analysis of nutrient data from 1975 to 1997 found that average calcium levels in 12 fresh vegetables dropped 27 percent; iron levels 37 percent; vitamin A levels 21 percent, and vitamin C levels 30 percent. A similar study of British nutrient data from 1930 to 1980, published in the British Food Journal, found that in 20 vegetables the average calcium content had declined 19 percent; iron 22 percent; and potassium 14 percent. Yet another study concluded that one would have to eat eight oranges today to derive the same amount of Vitamin A as our grandparents would have gotten from one.’

DID YOU know?

There is a movement to remineralize the earth – it’s a simple procedure, basically taking fine rock dust and sprinkling it into your soil. For more information about how to do this, go to www.remineralize.org.

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OUR BODIES DON’T MAKE THESE VITAL MINERALS – MOTHER NATURE OFFERS THEM UP TO US FOR OUR HEALTH AND WELL-BEING

O S N A PR AV PR O E IL MO O T N IO LY N FINE BALANCE There are two types of minerals, macro- and trace. Macrominerals are probably more familiar to you and that’s good because you need more of them. They include calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium, chloride and sulfur. It’s the trace minerals you might not be fully aware of and while you only need a bit, you do still need them. These include iron, manganese, copper, iodine, zinc, cobalt, fluoride and selenium. There are hundreds of trace elements, however, and while we do get most of them from the food we eat, science is only now beginning to understand just how vital they are to our well-being.

Our bodies don’t make these vital minerals – Mother Nature offers them up to us for our health and well-being. They’re important because they provide structural support for bones and connective tissue, they allow electrical impulses to be conducted to our nerves and they act as catalysts for enzyme reactions in our bodies.

TOUCH THE EARTH We take a look at some of these trace minerals and where you can get them from: 1. Copper Helps your body produce hemoglobin and connective tissues and helps your cells produce energy. You can get copper from seeds, nuts, seafood and organ meat.

2. Chromium Assists the insulin in your body to use glucose. A lack of it has similar symptoms to diabetes. Get yours from whole grains, peas, eggs, cheese and meat.

3. iodine Important to assist your thyroid in regulating how your body uses energy. Get it from potatoes, iodized salt and saltwater fish.

4. Iron Your body needs iron to help transport oxygen to your cells and enzymes. Sources of iron include meat, spinach, seeds, beans and whole wheat.

5. Manganese Assists bone formation as well as plays a part in metabolizing energy from food. It also helps build cartilage and boots your immune system. Get your daily dose with kale, pineapple, strawberries, lentils and whole grains.

6. Molybdenum This helps your body use iron to make red blood cells, it works in conjunction with riboflavin. Get yours from liver, grains, dairy and beans.

7. Selenium Together with Vitamin E, selenium is an antioxidant that protects your cells and supports your immune function. Eat these to get your dose: seeds, seafood, eggs, whole grains and organ meat.

8. Zinc Good for tissue growth and repair, zinc also helps your body to properly utilize the food you eat, as well as helps your body use Vitamin A more efficiently (important for hair and skin). Peas, nuts, seeds, eggs, meat and whole grains will supply you with zinc.

SIP NATURE Herbal teas have long been used for numerous different ailments.

Here are a few that pack a trace mineral punch: 1. Red Clover Brimming with trace minerals like calcium, chromium, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium, red clover also contains isoflavone, which is similar to estrogen and is great for easing menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes.

2. Raspberry leaf A fantastic source of iron, calcium, phosphorous and magnesium. Excellent source of these minerals for pregnant women.

3. Nettle Has a high iron content as well as Vitamin C, which helps the body absorb iron. A must-have for people suffering from anaemia.

4. Dandelion This is a fantastic tea if you battle with water retention. But it’s also filled with iron, calcium, sodium, phosphorous and potassium.

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Dr. BOXALL’s SUTHERLANDIA with OLIVE LEAF 400 mg / serving Veg Caps 60’s

BOOST YOUR IMMUNITY COMBAT & AVOID COLD’S & FLU Taken daily to avoid illness / Double dose when sick

Dr. BOXALL’s SUTHERLANDIA GARGLE DROPS 10-15 drops / serving Add to 50 ml Orange Juice or Water Gargle & Swallow

SORE THROAT LARYNGISTIS STRAINED VOICE Travel Size On-the-go support

APRIL PROMOTION

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DON’T MISS OUT !

DONT GET SICK THIS AUTUMN OR

WINTER For more information visit us at www.wellness24.co.za Email: info@drboxalls.co.za Info Desk : 10am – 3pm : 0860 666 546 KEEP INFORMED !

Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/WwwWellness24CoZa Follow us on Twitter @ www.twitter.com/Wellness24CoZa www.wellnesswarehouse.com | 45

WWW.WELLNESS24.CO.ZA

move

Agility

TRAINING Being able to jump up at any moment, easily get up from sitting on the floor or simply move your body more effectively is one of the aims of agility training.

by Kirsten Alexander

PRACTISING STANDING ON ONE LEG HELPS WITH BALANCE AND EQUILIBRIUM. MASTER A 5 SECOND STINT AND THEN, EVEN BETTER, TRY WITH YOUR EYES CLOSED.

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C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

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move

W

hat exactly do we mean when we talk about agility training?

The most common definition is “the ability to move, change direction, and position the body effectively while under control.” While that certainly pertains to just about every sport, this description covers much of daily living, too. Agility workouts are fantastic practise for injury prevention, multi-planar coordination improvement, increased heart rate and blood flow throughout the body, as well as increased mind-body connection to help us stay focused.

There are generally two types of agility training: rehearsed and reactive. In rehearsed training, athletes move through pre-set arrangements, focusing exact techniques to become more intense and efficient at changing direction. Rehearsed exercise training helps improve potential motor learning in centres of the brain; and that means permanently engraining the correct motions that you can use later.

Reactive agility training, on the other hand, challenges you to react to unpredictable cues in real time to mimic possible scenarios. In athletic training, coaches or trainers will use visual or audio signals to challenge athletes to think fast and move in response to game situations. Adding regular speed and agility workouts to your cardio routine two or three times per week can make workouts fun and challenging, while also keeping you healthy.

WHY IS AGILITY IMPORTANT Agility is not often considered an important component of most mainstream fitness programmes; however as one of the ten components of fitness, it should be seen as equally important to all others. Consider for example an elderly person. We all lose our balance and reaction time as we age. This can cause us to struggle with dayto-day activities. Agility training can help you displace your body weight from one movement to another more rapidly. This results in less falls and injury and more independence. In an athlete the benefits are obvious, though improving your agility, no matter your fitness level will always provide you with a physical advantage.

AGILITY AT HOME Try these simple agility work-outs you can easily do in your home with little to no equipment required.

KARAOKE STEPS Face forward and put both arms out to the side, parallel to the floor.

Begin by moving laterally to the left by stepping left with your left foot, then cross your right leg in front of your left foot and step as far to the left as you can. Uncross your legs, and continue by moving your right food behind your left foot, stepping as far to the left as you can.

Continue this movement for the length of the room or outdoor space.

Repeat in the reverse direction, stepping first to the right with your right foot. This is one set. Do at least three sets of Karaoke Steps.

SIDE SHUFFLES Side shuffles, or defensive slides, are another simple agility exercise – but please keep in mind this simple movement becomes physically difficult when done correctly. You’ll want at least 3 metres of space in which to move side to side; however, a distance closer to 10 metres is preferable. Don’t worry if you have to perform this in a smaller space—this just makes the drill more challenging!

Start facing front with your left foot on a marker at the end of your designated space. Start in a crouched stance with your hands up by your sides. Step out with your right foot, pushing off your left. Shuffle as fast as you can, without crossing your legs, to the marker on the other side of your space. Without standing up, switch directions and repeat. This is one set, so do three sets of these to start and add more as you build up strength in your legs.

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DID YOUknow?

Ancient Greek sportsmen were known to lather themselves in natural oils before exercising, which gave their bodies a distinctive glisten. At the time, scholars claimed that doing so kept athletes from getting cold while toughening their skin.

JUMP AND REACH The “jump and reach” drill is one of the most strenuous. As you do these, remember they’re great for increasing leg power and vertical jump, burning calories, and toning your glutes, quads, and calves.

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and squat slightly, bending at the knees and hips. Bring your arms back slightly and explosively jump into the air, reaching your arms up as high as you can. Land in your starting position and repeat without stopping in between reps.

In this drill, focus only on vertical height. Depending on your level of physical fitness, you may want to start with just two or three reps.

Slowly increase reps as you become able to do so without causing pain or immense strain.

ONE-FOOT LADDER DRILLS There are many ways to perform quick foot work drills using a rope ladder placed flat on the ground. However, you can also do these without the ladder if you don’t have one lying around. Simply make 10 tape or chalk marks on the ground about ½ a metre apart. The point is to hop on one foot over the marks you’ve made.

Start at one end of your ‘ladder’ with the first horizontal line in front of you. Hop on one foot down the length of the ladder, making sure to jump over each line. When you get to the end, turn around and repeat with the opposite leg. This is one set so do three sets of this drill.

AGILE ADVICE It’s so important to rest. Without adequate rest intervals between workouts, sets, and reps the neuromuscular system will not be able to fully restore, leaving you slower and less coordinated. Think of agility training like sharpening a pencil—a few turns of the crank each day and you’re good to go. Anything beyond that will just grind you down.

It’s also important to keep the volume and frequency low. You don’t need massive amounts of training volume to become quicker and more agile, especially if you’re a beginner-level athlete. Many people tend to overdo it on agility training, but this is one training modality where volume is actually counterproductive. When it comes to this kind of training, less is more.

Another key tip is to perform every rep with maximum effort. Once you’ve mastered the technique and you’re feeling comfortable, make sure to practice every rep with explosiveness and operate at your highest speed so your body is forced to react quicker and faster. Only by training at peak output will your body develop new power and agility.

It’s vital to remember agility training is not endurance training.

While both are absolutely essential to an athlete’s overall physical development, if you approach agility training like endurance work, you’ll inevitably feel frustrated and burnt out.

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green

GREEN House Going green isn’t just about installing a few eco-friendly items and carrying on as normal; it’s a mind-set that is focused on doing better for our planet.

E

nsuring your home is as eco-friendly as possible may seem like a daunting task – and if you go all out, offthe-grid in one step, you’re in for a huge bill that won’t necessarily pay off anytime soon.

SIMPLE AND SAFE So, what can you do to make your home environment a little gentler towards Mother Nature? Before implementing your energy and water saving tips, first get rid of the harmful aspects that are more than likely prevalent in your home.

Just like anything you put into your body, if you can’t pronounce the name of a compound, it’s best to steer clear of it. Avoid harmful chemicals like Triclosan, Dioxane, Nonylphenol Ethoxylate and phosphates.

Change your mind-set about consumerism and before you unthinkingly add all your off-the-shelf cleaning products into your trolley, first see if you can make simpler natural versions at home. Or, if you’re in a rush and you don’t fancy home versions, make sure you pick up chemical free options. Any additional money you spend on the better brands you will save in medical bills and earth karma. Vinegar is a fantastic natural cleaner – it can easily be your go-to ingredient for almost all your cleaning products. Mix it with a bit of baking soda for heavy cleaning, like the oven.

Okay, it’s a bit smelly, so if you’re not keen on having the lingering scent of vinegar hanging around, add any or all of the following: thyme, lavender, tea-tree, peppermint and lemon.

PLANTS MATTER Separate your trash for effective recycling (glass, plastic, paper, tins) and keep a separate bin for plant matter. Use this to create a compost heap to nourish 50 | www.wellnesswarehouse.com

your garden. Even if you live in a small apartment, you can grow herbs in your kitchen – it’s a beautiful and efficient way of keeping your favourite ingredients on hand.

DITCH THE GLOVES It may come as a relief to know that using a dishwasher is more energy and water efficient than washing by hand. Dishwashers use half the energy and a sixth of the water that washing by hand does. But, of course, make sure the dishwasher is full before turning it on. Washing machines for clothing are also more effective – but that’s if you choose the cold water tap.

New technology in washing powders, coupled with a washing machine’s agitating action, means you don’t actually have to use steaming hot water to get out grease and grime. Consider using soap berries– these are naturally occurring berries (related to lychees) and have been used for hundreds of years in the soap making process.

COSY UP In SA, any new or renovated home has to make use of alternative water heating methods for 50% of the homes’ requirements. This means either solar or gas. It makes sense in SA to use a solar water heater because of the abundance of sunshine, although solar panels don’t require direct sunlight, there are some days when the rain doesn’t seem to cease, and you may want to consider using a heat pump.

Gas geysers supply on-demand heat by heating the water as it passes through a flame, so you only use as much gas as required. It’s a highly efficient way of heating up water and also saves on wasting water because you don’t have to run the tap.

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green GET WET You can capture water from the rain by installing a rain-water harvesting system and tank – this rainwater can be used to water your garden straightaway, but will need to be filtered or treated if you want to use it for anything else. Grey water systems are a bit more complicated and definitely require professional advice and installation.

This recycles water from your basin, bath and shower into a system that re-uses the water for flushing toilets. Grey water can’t be stored for a long time and you’ll need to ensure all your cleaning and personal hygiene products are strictly organic and chemical free.

While showering does use less water than a bath – make sure your shower time doesn’t run a marathon length. To keep water usage down, install an aerated shower head – this adds air to the water, giving you the feeling of a good wetting while using less water.

LIGHT UP Keep the lights off. Switch lights off when you’re not in the room and use lower wattage wherever possible. Switch to LEDs for less energy use – they’re a bit more expensive but last far longer, meaning that less bulbs end up in land-fill sites.

TIP: Most hardware stores have bins where you can safely dispose of your old lightbulbs. Check your local hardware store so you don’t throw dangerous items into the normal trash. If you’re a candle-light lover, choose un-scented beeswax candles as a chemical free lighting option. For fragrance, add your own aromatherapy oil.

STAY HOME Ordering groceries online is actually eco-friendly. That’s because it’s a little bit like car-pooling – your groceries will go from the warehouse to your home (and a few other homes) in one vehicle. So, you’ll be cutting down on the emissions from multi vehicles. Also, delivered groceries don’t arrive in plastic bags, they’re usually delivered in reusable crates, which are unpacked in your kitchen.

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If you can, arrange to telecommute to your office at least once a week – you’ll be far more efficient and it’ll keep your car off the road. One day a week adds up to make a huge difference. While you’re online, you can also keep your exercise routine up – there are numerous sites offering anything from yoga to Zumba that you can do at home.

ONE OF THE BIGGEST WATER-WASTING ISSUES IN A HOME IS A LEAKING TOILET. SMALL STEPS The little things add up. Be mindful of the impact you have on the environment and take the steps you can to tread more lightly. It’s a given that you’ll save money while you’re making the world and yourself a bit healthier.

DID YOUknow?

Ficus plants are not only hardy and easy to grow indoors, they’re also super air-cleaning devices and have been proven to get rid of numerous harmful toxins, including formaldehyde and VOCs (volatile organic compounds). One of the biggest water-wasting issues in a home is a leaking toilet. Most homes have at least one toilet that doesn’t stop running. To check yours, simply put a little food colouring in the tank – come back in a few minutes and if the water in the bowl is changing colour – you’ve got a leak.

DID YOU

know?

Your fridge needs a bit of space?

Move your fridge away from the wall. The optimum space is 7.6cm to help the air flow, which makes it work more efficiently.

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green

Natural

GARDENING

KNOW-HOW

Contribute to the healing of our planet by following a chemical-free approach to protecting your own little place in the sun.

by Lara Potgieter

P

esticides, fungicides and herbicides are indiscriminate in their killing. They don’t only wipe out pests and weeds, but also kill helpful birds and insects. In fact, an estimated seven million birds die each year due to exposure to garden pesticides! A number of garden pesticides also contain carcinogens, which are linked to birth defects and nervous system, liver and kidney damage in humans.

ORGANIC GARDENING IS NO LONGER JUST A FAD.EVERYONE DESERVES NUTRITIOUS FOOD AND A SAFE AND HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT. Chemical fertilisers flow into our ground water, create dead zones in our seas, and even change our atmosphere. They are derived from petroleum, and require up to ten times more water in order to prevent the burning of plants. What’s more, a tremendous amount of pollution is created in their manufacture, which releases nitrous oxide – the most ozone-depleting substance made by man. Not using these toxic chemicals in our gardens seems like a no-brainer in theory, but how do we apply the principles of natural gardening in practice? We offer a few fundamentals to get you started…

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KEEP PLANTS STRONG AND HEALTHY It may sound obvious, but it’s important to remember that healthy plants are your first step towards maintaining a pesticide-free garden. Pests prey on weak plants, so keep yours in good shape by nurturing healthy soil. Add as much compost and organic matter as possible. As well as protecting your soil, organic mulch will provide a habitat for beneficial predators like ground beetles, centipedes and spiders.

PICK THE RIGHT PLANTS Choose plants that are well adapted to your area, and resistant to common local pests and diseases. Strelizias, arum lilies, vygies, clivias, cancer bush, confetti bush, Cape honeysuckle, rock rose, golden abelia, star jasmine, bougainvillea and buxus all do well in most parts of South Africa.

SUPPORT BENEFICIAL INSECTS Did you know that less than one percent of so-called ‘pests’ are truly detrimental to your garden? Most of these bugs are actually your little helpers. Bees, butterflies and moths transfer pollen between the flowers of fruiting plants. Wasps, ants and sawflies see to pests before they even become a problem in your garden, and birds, ladybugs, spiders, dragonflies, praying mantises and other predators feed on pests that get out of hand. Not using pesticides is of course the first way to encourage these helpful friends to spend more time in your garden. Choosing the right kinds of plants to attract them can help a lot too. Focus on colourful, flowering plants to attract bees and parasitoid wasps, grow a variety of plants of different sizes for bees and other pollinators, and remember that a more wild and natural garden will offer better nesting spots for birds.

USE NATURAL SOLUTIONS If the damage levels in your garden are too high for you to tolerate, use the least toxic methods of supporting your plants. Some diseases can be eliminated by reducing water or by only watering in the morning. Certain insects can be blasted off plants with a strong stream of water, or discouraged by spraying leaves with seaweed. Coffee grounds or copper mesh can deter snails, while cayenne pepper works for most other critters. Sprays made from chilli powder, garlic and eucalyptus can repel insects too. Last but certainly not least - remember the importance of your own two hands.

Time spent pulling a few weeds or handpicking bugs off plants is a worthwhile investment in the health of your garden as well as your own mental and physical wellbeing!

It may require a bit more thought, time and effort, but following these natural principles will be so rewarding in the long run. You won’t be afraid to touch and eat what you’ve grown, you’ll be happy to let your pets and children frolic around in the greenery, and you’ll be supporting a healthier and more diverse environment on a global scale.

DID YOU know?

Commonly used pesticides have been linked to health problems such as neurotoxicity, disruption of the endocrine system, carcinogenicity, immune system suppression, male infertility and miscarriages.

ACCEPT THE NATURAL ORDER OR THINGS Don’t try to dominate nature. Rather, learn to accept that a certain level of damage is a very normal part of any natural landscape. If you can be okay with up to 20% natural damage, you’ll spend less time fretting about and more time enjoying your little piece of paradise.

Get all your garden essentials from

Starke Ayres Garden Centre supply plants, gardening products and landscaping services.

They have a range of flowers and seed, and expert advice to help you with growing.

WIN WIN WIN

WIN

Both the Rosebank and West Coast branch of Starke Ayres Garden Centre will be issuing a prize consisting of a R250 gift voucher. All you have to do is attach your purchase slip with your name, phone number and email address into the instore competition box.

Note that this applies to all purchases over R150 and is valid for the month of April 2017. Starke Ayres Garden Centre will contact the winner telephonically at the end of April 2017.

Starke Ayres Rosebank, 21 Liesbeek Parkway, Rosebank, Cape Town Tel: 021 685 4120 Starke Ayres West Coast Garden Centre, West Coast Village Shopping Centre, Sunningdale, Cape Town Tel: 021 554 8450 www.wellnesswarehouse.com | 55

connect

a taste

OF

FARM LIFE

by Roddy Louther

An hour and a half up the West Coast from Cape Town is Kersefontein Guest Farm, a few kilometres from Hopefield, and a place that takes you back in time to the grandeur of generous dwellings, cherished antique furniture, farm produced food and the luxury of space. It’s a place you can experience farm life at its best and the perfect resting spot to rejuvenate your soul, restore your spirit and if you’re that way inclinded, indulge your passions. Roddy Louther takes us on his journey of ‘beauty and grace’.

L

ong before the excited bunch in the back of the car has time to ask the dreaded question, you’ve already arrived at the small Berg River bridge, and respectfully greeted by grand old gate posts welcoming you to Kersefontein Guest Farm. Here lies the historic seat of eight generations of the Melck family.

A short drive further along the river is the splendid Kersefontein Cape-Dutch farmstead, aging gracefully in the shade provided by sturdy Bluegums. Your welcoming party is most enchanting and emerges from behind the trees, sheds, stables, outbuildings and pens.

More than a few goats, chickens, horses, cows, Weimaraner dogs, and wild pigs roam around the farmyard like they own the place.

And they do.

The chickens, a local breed, called the Potch Koekoek with black and white speckles and a flaming red comb, run the roost. Even the frolicking puppy and the cuddly wild hog is careful around the headhoncho rooster. By now, the kids would press their noses against the windows of the car, high on a cocktail of awe and trepidation. But when the current custodian of the legacy, Julian Melck approaches your car, moon-faced as ever, everyone is put instantly at ease.

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Over the years Julian has maintained a successful working farm, following in his father’s footsteps. Astonishingly, he did all this while being a high court Advocate, pilot and farmer. Oh, he also plays one of the country’s grandest pipe organs in a church in nearby Hopefield.

A PLACE OF CHILDISH FREEDOMS AND MATURE INDULGENCES. A PLACE OF SAFETY, WHERE THE MOST THREATENING ANIMAL IS NOTHING MORE THAN A PLAYFUL BILLY-GOAT OR A SPECTACULAR POTCH KOEKOEK ROAMING FREE. The farm is one of the most successful in the region with part of the sprawling 6000 ha property planted with wheat, lupin and oats. But these days Julian’s attention is on livestock. Merino sheep and his prized herd of free-range Hereford cattle is his primary business. On further probing, Julian admits to harbouring vintner ambitions and plans to cover a few hectares under red cultivars.

Kersefontein is a National Monument. Realising its potential, Julian restored many of the farm‘s old buildings into luxury B & B cottages with optional self-catering. One of the buildings – the old farm bakery was reappointed into a pub called “The Turn & Slip” with an aviation theme that displays Julian’s enduring passion (the farm has two

landing strips and a hangar and yes you may fly in). Choose from South Africa’s best wines to the finest single malts, gins and brandies.

Or have a beer if you must. Outside the bar, the stoep offers an African sunset like few other. Further on, a golden field leads to a small wetland where feral pigs roam. The air is crisp and slightly salty with the West Coast not too far away.

Being a food writer by heart, I have to tell you a secret. Dinner with Julian inside the grand, old-worldly dining room in the manor house, is a three-course uber taste experience accompanied by excellent wine from an extensive private collection. My first main meal was a perfect paleo offering of succulent free-range, grain-fed rump; and the the second was a slow cooked oxtail marinated in spirits in a 5 hour cooking process. It was a heavenly feast after which Julian entertained us on the family’s antique grand piano in the drawing room. A lazy stroll under the full moon, in the fresh air, to the four-poster bed ended a perfect evening.

Breakfast is at 9:00am and anything you leave on your plate is eagerly awaited by the Potch Koekoek hens outside. After breakfast you may want to horse ride, fish, kayak, hike, explore or relax. The horses are working animals, and if you have arranged to ride, chances are you’ll find yourself doing some cowboy work. Bring your fishing rod for excellent carp and catfish angling or kayak the 21km river frontage.

For more information contact Kersefontein Guest Farm Cell: +27 (0)83 454 1025 Email: julian@kersefontein.co.za Instagram: @kingofthewestcoast www.kersefontein.co.za

GPS: 32˚ 53’ S /018˚ 19’ E

DID YOUknow?

Kersefontein farm produces honey harvested from the hives on the banks of the Berg River flowing through the farm. The bees feast on wildflowers and Eucalyptus trees resulting in a marriage of delicate and sweet flavours that gives Kersfontein Honey its unique taste and fragrance. All the hives are certified badger-friendly and bottling and labeling takes place on the farm.

There are no televisions, but there is wi-fi and each room has racks of books and magazines – as Julian would say, “We owe who we are, to how we spend our time”.

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heal

FINDING HEALING SIMON NYE - BODYWISE I was privileged to be raised in a holistic household (headed by a homeopath and a naturopath) where reincarnation, crystals, colour therapy, mindfulness, and food as medicine were just a few of the common dinner table conversations! This instilled in me a solid grounding for a holistic approach to health. Fast forward 20 or so years and Bodywise – my practice specialising in ‘modern stress’ and its effects on health – was born.

Stress and the body are not friends, although they are designed to be. In small doses, stress can be very good for us - functioning as a stimulus or defence. In the past, when the stressor had passed, the body would have space to reset itself. However, our modern lifestyles promote constant stress and devalue our need for downtime. Stressors cause our body tissues to contract and, when left untreated, result in reduced function in the short-term and diverse chronic conditions in the long-term.

‘Fight or flight’ and ‘rest and digest’ are catchy phrases given to two opposing branches of the nervous system. Stress activates the ‘fight or flight’ branch and shuts down the ‘rest and digest’ branch. To naturally maintain health, we should be in ‘rest and digest’ mode at least 80% of the time. If we can’t do that, interventions are needed to treat either the resulting symptoms or the underlying stress state. It makes sense to me to focus on the latter.

TAMARA WENSING & NYNKE HOEKSTRA - FRANK&EVE “More and more people are awakening to their truth, and we are here to connect these amazing individuals to one another.”

FRANK&EVE is an inspiring community for meeting and connecting with conscious people. Our aim is to help grow your connection with both yourself and others.

We connect authentic people through social gatherings like enlightening film screenings, inspirational talks, delicious dinners, fun and interactive workshops, coffee dates, charity events or simply after-work drinks. All of them have a strong thread interweaving personal development and spirituality with cutting edge science.

Over the past few months we’ve held chanting evenings, talks on energy medicine, Friday afternoon drinks, conscious film screenings, and aura and essential oil workshops, to name a few. Our lineup over the next two months includes screenings of E-Motion, You Can Heal Your Life, The Cure Is and The Healing Field.

It costs R50 a month to join this exciting conscious community, there is no membership contract, and the first month is free! All members have profiles on the site, so they can interact with each other.

Although some FRANK&EVE events are open to the public, members enjoy discounts on all events as well as access to private networking gatherings.

I address my clients’ needs through two modalities. Live Blood Analysis reveals a realtime picture of organ and system health, body pH, toxicity and nutrition (including trace mineral deficiencies). Craniosacral Therapy uses light touch to release the effects of stress on the nervous system, allowing the body to return to optimum balance and function.

We also offer one-on-one intuitive energy coaching, guiding participants to follow their destiny path. We intend to empower people to become the best versions of themselves they can fathom. To learn more about yourself and meet other conscious people, we might just be the tribe you’ve been looking for!

Cape Town | Tel: 084 656 5577 Email: Simon@bodywise.co.za

Cape Town Email: nynke@frankandeve.energy www.frank.energy

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CHARNEY ENGELBRECHT - JAINOMADS We are a Cape Town-based lifestyle company that offers retreats, corporate retreats and team building, kids yoga and mindfulness workshops, corporate yoga, yoga classes, and wellness experiences in and around Cape Town and Johannesburg.

We offer ashtanga, vinyasa, hatha, yin and kids yoga, both in group and private or corporate classes. Our newest offering is aerial yoga - a fun and challenging new concept that combines elements of yoga, pilates, aerial arts and strength training.

Aerial yoga is designed to be as fun as possible, while still challenging both the body and the mind. By using gravity as a gentle aid, it allows practitioners to achieve inversions and deep stretches in a safe and fun environment. It makes use of a silk fabric called a swing to support the weight of the body, helping practitioners to achieve various postures with more depth, ease and excitement. We offer aerial yoga classes, workshops and intensives in and around Cape Town and Johannesburg, and also sell the aerial swing for home use.

Founded by a group of adventure travellers with a passion for sharing the breathtaking beauty of planet earth, we also offer carefully picked adventures across the globe. Each adventure is tailored for optimal wellbeing of the body and mind, and can include anything from yoga, diving and hiking to meditation, nutrition and uninterrupted rest and relaxation.

Over the past few months we have hosted a yin yoga and sound healing workshop, a kids yoga workshop, an urban yoga retreat, and an incredible yoga and dolphin retreat in magical Ponta do Ouro, Mozambique.

We have many more similarly inspiring experiences planned for the rest of the year, and would love to welcome you to one of our classes or events!

Cape Town | Tel: 071 493 6819 E-mail: jainomads@gmail.com

Going on a healing journey can be incredibly rewarding and offer an immense amount of self-discovery. We love celebrating the creative, effective and nurturing practitioners that offer natural solutions and healing arts. There’s also lots of scope to join a conscious community or have an adventure with like-minded beings.

If you’d like to be listed as a natural health practitioner on Holistica contact lara@holistica.co.za

MARIET DU PLESSIS LIFE EXPANSION HOLISTIC NATURAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS CARE I am a holistic natural healthcare provider with 20 years of experience in private practice and 18 within the field of oncology. I offer a healing package consisting of various natural modalities, including electromagnetic vibrational energy healing/healing touch, craniosacral balancing, kinesiology/quantum healing, psychoneuroendoimmunology (PNI) and stress relief/management, emotional release, visualisation and imagery, colour and crystal therapy, metaphysical counselling, prayer and meditation, breathwork, lymph drainage, aromatherapy and reflexology. Each therapy has its own unique role to play in the establishment of overall health and wellbeing, and promotes the internal healing processes by activating and improving the body’s ability to re-establish a natural state of harmony and balance on all levels.

During all my special touch therapies, stress and negative energy are removed and replaced with positive energy, and a very unique exchange occurs between myself as the healing instrument and my patient. I treat each individual with unconditional care, respect and dignity, as well as with a high standard of ethical and professional practice codes. Vibrational energy healing, which was developed by hospice/oncology nursing sisters who realised the importance of working with the human energy, is based on the premise that, as everything in the universe vibrates, the vibration of an energy and its information can be changed or altered from an imbalanced frequency to that of balance and harmony.

In my many years of working with vibrational energy healing, I have acquired an enormous respect for the innate wisdom of the body and the dynamic action and healing ability of its energetic system. Through extensive application and personal experience, I am able to share this healing process with confidence, and the general feedback after my treatments is that my patients feel completely cleansed, purified, and at peace.

Centurion | Tel: 012 663 3696 E-mail: mariet@netmobile.co.za

SANLIA MARAIS - ENTRE CREATIVE CHANGE ADHD COACHING Managing ADHD symptoms in daily life can be extremely challenging. The good news is that you are not alone – we are on this human journey together and each of us deserves all the support and information we can get to become our personal best.

It is my honour and heart’s delight to hold a space in which you are able to access the open space of deep quiet and peace inside yourself – the place where you are reconnected to the truth, magnificence and wholeness of your own being in the present moment.

Years of experience have left me with a deep knowing that when we relate to ourselves, another and nature from this still inner place of awareness, we are able to really see and listen, accept, let go and create with impact.

With action taken from this place, we are able to bring about the necessary changes in all areas of our lives, and to practise living our own best expression from the heart - with wisdom and kindness, and without labels.

As you are a creative and resourceful being and the only expert of your own life, my role as coach will never be to tell you what to do. Rather, I facilitate a discovery and an awareness that will inspire you to find your answers within, and to put those insights into easy action steps.

Coaching empowers you to focus your attention and energy on creating new habits and lasting changes, one step at a time. I offer both in-person and Skype or telephonic coaching sessions. I also offer a three-month support group programme, group coaching, online support groups, a variety of workshops and retreats, and caregiver trainings.

Cape Town & Johannesburg Tel: 082 801 4043 E-mail: sanlia@entreecreativechange.com www.entreecreativechange.com

DONOVAN BROWN TRE, HYPNOTHERAPY, PAST LIFE REGRESSION & SUPPORT COUNSELLING I use therapeutic methods that include tension, stress and trauma release (TRE), hypnotherapy, past life regression and support counselling in the Helderberg and Overberg regions.

TRE is a series of exercises that assists the body in releasing deep muscular patterns of stress, tension and trauma. Based on the premise that stress, tension and trauma are both psychological and physical, TRE safely activates a natural reflex mechanism of shaking or vibrating that releases muscular tension, calming down the nervous system. When this muscular shaking/ vibrating mechanism is activated in a safe and controlled environment, the body is encouraged to return to a state of balance.

Hypnosis is a natural state we all experience on a daily basis. It’s where the cognitive mind steps aside and lets the unconscious take over. The unconscious is a powerful tool - it has 100% recall of every moment you have ever experienced in your life, and can be tapped into to help issues like depression, stress, anger, phobias, destructive habits, grief, low self-esteem, poor concentration and more.

Past life regression uses specialised techniques to find energetic blocks caused by negative experiences, uncover the route cause at the source, navigate between past and current lives if necessary, and finally dissolve the emotional link to those negative experiences. My support counselling is individually tailored – one size does not fit all when dealing with the many kinds of trauma and crisis experienced by the human body, mind and soul.

My practice covers Somerset West, Kleinmond, Strand, Gordon’s Bay, Rooi Els, Pringle Bay, Betty’s Bay and Hermanus.

Helderberg & Overberg | Tel: 079 614 7181 E-mail: freecrhaaz@yahoo.com www.ichangeme.co.za www.wellnesswarehouse.com | 59

directory

Where: Langebaan - Nirvana Houseboat When: 9 - 12 November 2017 Early-bird discount till 1 June 2017 AND 8 - 11 March 2018 Early-bird discount till 1 October 2017

Changing thethe world one Changing world one breath at a time at a time Changing thebreath world one Hot and yogayoga for all including Hot non-heated and non-heated forlevels all levels including breathVinyasa, atVinyasa, aBikram, time Power & Sculpt Bikram, Power & Sculpt

* 3 nights accommodation * 6 yoga classes * delicious meals * pampering & fun in nature

Hot and non-heated yoga for all levels including Vinyasa,Offering Bikram, Power & Sculpt one free of yoga new to Offering oneweek free week of for yoga forstudents new students to

YogaLife.

Cape Town residents only, with YogaLife.

Cape Town residents only,valid with ID valid ID Offering one free week of yoga for new students to Yoga special for to R250 for week Yoga special for travellers travellers to CT, CT, R299 for one one week Yoga special for travellers to CT, R250 for one week YogaLife. Cape Town residents only, with valid ID Located at 127 Waterkant Street, right next to the Old Cape Quarter Located at 127 Waterkant Street, right next to the Old Cape Quarter

oga special for travellers to CT, R250 for one week www.yogalife.co.za Tel: 021 021 418 418 2884 ocated at 127 Waterkant Street, right next to the Old Cape Quarter www.yogalife.co.za Tel: 2884 www.yogalife.co.za

Tel: 021 418 2884

Nourish & Restore Yoga Retreats nourishandrestoreretreats@gmail.com

FOR EXCELLENT ORGANIC & NATURAL PRODUCE Visit the Back Area Gardens Deli at the Oude Molen Eco Village

Collection Days & Shopping Times Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1pm - 6pm 10am - 6pm 10am - 6pm 10am - 2pm

www.backareagardens.co.za

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BOOK

by Lara Potgieter

500 Low-Carb Dishes Love Warrior Deborah Gray | Struik Lifestyle Glennon Doyle Melton | Pan Macmillan This is the most beautiful and brave A low-carb diet limits the book we’ve encountered in some time. consumption of sweet Glennon Doyle Melton sure knows or starchy foods (think how to tell the truth! On the surface, it bread, pasta, potatoes, chronicles one woman’s experience of rice and desserts) to addiction, self-loathing, love, sex and get the body to a state betrayal. At every other level, it speaks of called ketosis. In this state the yearning, compassion, failure, beauty, the body uses stored rage and resilience of which we are all fat for energy. Although capable. It’s about being unashamed in our this helps bring about confrontation of the truth, revisiting our effective weight loss, it standards of femininity (and masculinity, can cause a build-up of for that matter) and facing both love and acidity prone to health pain head on. There’s a big chance that, problems. It’s thus after the inevitable laughter, tears, gasps important to follow a low-carb diet for limited periods of time. This handy little book is a great companion to an intermittent low-carb and moments of deep resonance you’ll no doubt experience with this diet, offering healthy, easy-to-prepare, tasty and interesting meal and book, you’ll be left feeling like a warrior in the most authentic and snack options that don’t leave one feeling punished or deprived. empowered sense.

Anxiety for Beginners Thank You for Being Late Eleanor Morgan | Pan Macmillan

Thomas L. Friedman | Penguin Random House

There’s no denying the fact that our lives Anxiety is a law of human nature. are speeding up at an unprecedented We worry because that’s what we’ve rate. A self-described optimist, Thomas evolved to do. Feeling threatened and Friedman outlines how the planet’s three going into fight-or-flight response is a largest forces – technology, globalisation normal response but suffering constant and climate change – are all accelerating and unsubstantiated angst that at once. It’s no wonder our realities are interferes with day-to-day functioning being reshaped on an almost daily basis! is not. Once a high-profile magazine Thank You for Being Late serves as a Editor, Eleanor Morgan offers a candid manual to help us navigate this crazy examination of the way her own life era – centering ourselves in the eye of became possessed by anxiety, drawing the storm, if you will. Yes, these times are parallels to the roots, triggers and rife with danger, but they are also rich experiences of other sufferers around in possibility – and if we can engage the the world. Her research is sound, same reflection, vitality, wit and optimism and the book functions not only as a displayed by the author, we could just learn to make them work for us. memoir for relating and catharsis, but as a guide to accepting and managing what has essentially become a universal human disorder.

The Artist’s Way

Julia Cameron | Pan Macmillan There’s a good chance you’ve either heard of or completed this classic course in discovering and recovering your creative self. First published in 1994, The Artist’s Way has helped everyone from Alicia Keys and Elizabeth Gilbert to Pete Townsend and Russell Brand to make the most of their inner artist. Although it’s lauded by some of the bestknown creatives of our time, it really serves to dispel the ‘I’m not talented enough’ conditioning that holds the rest of us back from discovering our own ability to create with authenticity, purpose and joy.

SHOP THE BOOKS ONLINE OR AT SELECTED BOOK STORES

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5

FERTILITY

FIXES If you’re thinking of having a baby, add some fertility boosting herbs to help you along the way.

1

RED RASPBERRY LEAF

3

DANDELION

5

In the herbal and midwifery world, the leaves of the red raspberry fruit have been valued since ancient Greek and Roman times as an excellent tonic to prepare for pregnancy.

Red raspberry leaf tea is popular amongst women trying to conceive. It is safe to take during pregnancy too and is said to strengthen the uterine lining. Many health care professionals also believe that red raspberry leaf can help prevent pregnancy complications and miscarriage.

Dandelion is an excellent source of herbal nutrition, making it a good choice for women who would like to get pregnant (and those who already are). Dandelion root helps clear the way for fertility by adding nutrients that may be lacking, and cleaning out toxins that stress the liver - especially chemicals that disrupt natural hormone activity. The herb can help encourage a more regular cycle, and many women report experiencing less menstrual cramping while taking it.

It’s available in capsule, extract or tea form, and present in many liver cleansing tonics.

2

STINGING NETTLE

4

ALFALFA

This powerful herb tones and nourishes the uterus, and is said to go a long way toward preparing a woman’s body for pregnancy and sustaining the embryo once conception occurs. It’s also great for preparing for the baby’s birth, as it’s extremely high in Vitamin K, of which newborns require an ample amount. It’s most popular in tea form, and many women drink it while breastfeeding as it can help with successful lactation.

Alfalfa has been used as an infertility remedy for decades. The herb is rich in the essential minerals, fatty acids, antioxidants and vitamins necessary for a strong reproductive system. It also helps the body get rid of the toxins that can cause infertility. For women who have conceived, alfalfa can be used as a pregnancy tonic to prepare the body for conception. It’s also a phytoestrogen, which means that it blocks estrogen from its receptors, helping regulate the fluctuating levels of estrogen that can be another common fertility issue.

ZINC Zinc is the most widely studied nutrient in terms of fertility for both men and women. It is an essential component of genetic material, and a zinc deficiency can cause chromosome changes in both men and women, leading to reduced fertility and an increased risk of miscarriage. Zinc is necessary for the body to efficiently use its reproductive hormones, estrogen and progesterone. It’s found in high concentrations in sperm, as it’s needed to make the outer layer and tails of the swimmers. Several studies have shown that reducing zinc in a man’s diet will also reduce his sperm count.

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