Oct 2019 - JHB West

HEALTH MATTERS
Survive the last stretch until the holidays with these health tips!
HEALTH HACKS
A healthy body harbours a healthy mind
and as the saying goes, you are what
you eat. Unfortunately, most of us have
unhealthy eating habits we can’t break.
Drink water in a different way – We
all know that drinking enough water
has many benefits, but by following
the simple rule of not drinking water
(or anything else) 90 minutes before
and after each meal, will fuel your
digestive fire, hydrate you properly
and assist your body to absorb
nutrients optimally by not diluting
your digestive juices. Remember
to drink enough water outside of
these times.
Spice up your life – Use herbs and
spices such as fennel, celery seed
and cumin for improved digestion.
Adding a combination of turmeric,
black pepper and ginger can assist in
fighting inflammation too.
Keep well-oiled – Olive oil
is known as a healthy fat,
but it becomes toxic when
heated beyond its smoke
point. Rather drizzle it
over your salad or use it in
homemade pestos, dipping
sauces and guacamole.
Collagen keeps you beautiful –
Gelatin is a great way to provide
your body with more collagen, and
it’s more affordable than hydrolysed
collagen. You can make the most
delicious gelatin desserts or you can
add it to stews to thicken them and
add some extra nutritional benefit
for healthy skin and hair, as well as to
assist in healing a leaky gut.
Three health hacks by
Dr Bianca De Canha:
1
Using homeopathy first,
particularly against viral infections
where antibiotics are powerless,
has been shown in numerous
studies to be effective and as such
reduce the necessity for antibiotics,
without complications. Homeopathy
is safe and effective, and is suitable for
young and old, in pregnancy, for those
breastfeeding and in infancy.
Guard your gut – Protecting your
gut can be the first line of defence
to prevent a variety of diseases,
such as metabolic disorders,
depression and eczema. Make sure
to supplement daily with a broadspectrum
probiotic and prebiotic to
ensure you a CFU (colony forming
unit) of at least 10 billion CFUs.
Don’t forget vitamin D3 – The
perception is that living in sunny
South Africa assures you high
vitamin D levels; however, the
shocking truth is that we are
mostly deficient thanks to highfactor
sunscreens, less than optimal
diets and a lifestyle that confines us
to the indoors. Vitamin D is not only
essential for bone health and teeth,
but has a vital role in gut health,
mood, hormone production as well as
supporting a healthy immune system.
2
3
Veggies for the win – Eating an
abundance and variety of vegetables
is fundamental to good health. Using
frozen veggies is an easy way to
include more veggies in your diet as
it will save you peeling and chopping
time, but also ensures a high
nutritional value as vegetables headed
for the frozen market are harvested
when they are perfectly ripe, as
opposed to the ‘almost-ready’ veggies
available on the fresh-produce market.
Homeopath, Dr Bianca De
Canha from Pure Health Centre
in Krugersdorp.
18 Get It Joburg West October 2019