How much water?
Drink more water......it's advice you often hear. Why? How much? What's the story here, really? Let's keep this simple... Our bodies need water. Many of us (=most of us) do not drink enough. The result is slight dehydration, which may cause headache, dry skin, low energy, constipation, appetite changes, kidney problems, and more. Drinking more water improves energy, can dilute or flush-out some toxins, reduces appetite (or the body's confusion between thirst and appetite), prevents headaches, improves skin complexion, and helps avoid muscle cramps. There may be other benefits but these are the probably the most important and the [...]
Heartburn: Need to Know
Heartburn, indigestion, or Gastro Oesophageal Reflux Disease (GORD) is a very common condition that many people will experience at some stage - about half the population will have heartburn at some stage in their lives. Heartburn causes upper abdominal and chest burning pain, which may be associated with swallowing difficulty. It often occurs after eating and it is usually worsened by lying down. Heartburn is usually eased by standing up straight and by antacids. Heartburn occurs when stomach acid flows or "refluxes" back up the oespohagus. Repeated episodes can cause permanent damage, scarring, and even an increased risk of [...]
Fuel for Exercise
Have you ever walked into the gym, had a look around and noticed how seemingly over-prepared some of the patrons are - sports drinks, snack and water, bars, fruit, powders, and more… Are you doing something wrong? Do they know something that you don’t? UNDERSTANDING THE BASICS Whether and how much you need to eat and drink during exercise is dependent on various factors, such as the duration, intensity and objectives of the session as well as body composition goals which need to be considered. In general: Sessions lasting less than an hour (up to 90 minutes for lower intensity [...]
Comfort eating – moods & food
Do you run for that chocolate whenever you feel the world doesn’t love you? You could be a comfort-eater. What is comfort eating, how do you know you have it and how do you make sure it doesn’t affect your healthy eating goals? What is comfort or stress or emotional eating? Comfort eating or stress eating or emotional eating is when you eat food to feel better about an emotion. You are not necessarily physically hungry but the food makes the situation feel better. These emotions can include being stressed, feeling upset, angry, lonely, exhausted, or bored. So, why is this [...]
Allergy or Intolerance [to food]?
A physical reaction to certain food is very common. You may feel bloated sometimes when you drink milk and this feeling is often thought to be a food allergy rather than a food intolerance. The symptoms can be similar but it is important to be able to differentiate between the two and not be confused. Let’s take a look. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE? A food intolerance is a problem in the digestive system, mainly your body being unable to digest a certain food. Causes of intolerance can range from serious chronic digestive illnesses such as irritable bowel syndrome and [...]
10 Years of FUTURELIFE®
It’s 2017 and FUTURELIFE® has now been around for a whole 10 YEARS!! A functional food that had humble beginnings and is now a common household name. It is used by a large variety of people including athletes, people living with Diabetes and by people who sawant to lose, maintain or even gain weight. It is simply loved and enjoyed by children and the whole family. In this article, we focus on the heart of FUTURELIFE®, where it came from and where it is headed. WHERE DID IT ALL START? FUTURELIFE® was started primarily as a social project in Kwa-Zulu [...]
Healthy Breakfast
Eating a healthy breakfast has been recommended by dieticians for ages. Why? By the time you wake up you will not have eaten for 6-10 hours or so. Any long period without food "tells" your body to prepare for famine/starvation and it does so by slowing down metabolism and storing fat. This is exactly what you want to avoid! It's why we recommend eating breakfast every day (within 1-2 hours of waking) and always eating regularly through the day. It has been repeatedly shown that people who skip breakfast eat more calories per 24 hours and they make poor food [...]
Five Fruit & Veg a Day
This has been a nutritional recommendation for many years now and most people have heard of it. The truth though, is that less than half of us actually manage it on a regular basis. For clarity: the recommendation is to eat 5 fruit and veg servings (1-2 fruit, and 3-4 veg) each day, where a serving or portion is considered a handful-size (e.g. one apple, a portion of steamed vegetables, 6 or so strawberries, etc.). It is important not to have too much fruit because fruit is high in sugar so the usual limit is two portions a day (sometimes less [...]
Swop the Sugar
One way to be healthier and try to lose weight is to reduce sugar intake. In 2012 the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics stated that on average, adults in the United States consume 14.6% of energy from added sugars. This is too much as the recommended sugar intake is 5% (conditional)-10% of total energy intake or 6-12 teaspoons according to the World Health Organisation. Sugars provide 4kcal/g of energy and can be considered empty calories contributing only calories but no other useful nutrients like fibre, vitamins and minerals. Below are some tips on how to make [...]
Salt
Salt. A mineral which is probably the most commonly used globally, and which has deep roots in the development of humankind. Not only is it used in the flavouring and preservation of food, but is also an antiseptic. In ancient times, salt was one of the world’s principal trading commodities, and interestingly in later times it also served as a symbol, where your social standing was ranked according to how closely you were placed to the saltcellar at the table. What is salt? Salt is a common name for sodium chloride, which is made up of one sodium ion and [...]
Fat Facts – AN UPDATE
No nutrition topic has been as controversial or as hotly debated as the one on fat and whether we should be consuming more or less of this nutrient. For many years we have been told to consume less fat in order to lose/maintain weight as well as to prevent chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease (CVD). But a few years ago spanners were thrown in the works, where some research indicated that we should be consuming more fat, even saturated fat which we thought was clearly linked to heart disease, and less carbohydrates. This confused you right? It confused a [...]
Low Carb High Fat Diets (Banting)
Low carbohydrate diets have become very popular in the last few years due to their effect on weight management. The unknown is whether the large amounts of fat associated with the low-carbohydrate (CHO) diet leads to increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Characteristics of low carbohydrate, high fat diet Restriction of fruit, starchy vegetables, wholegrains, legumes and other carbohydrate-containing foods. High intake of non-starch vegetables Total avoidance of sugar High fat intake in the form of both animal and plant fats, however avoidance of most plant-based oils and margarines e.g. canola and sunflower. Inclusion of whole, minimally processed foods What does [...]
This content is provided by Futurelife and reviewed by Sanlam wellness.
