It is very important to always have water available wherever you are that you can readily sip while working, talking, in meetings, in the car or even listening to others in talks.  This eliminates so called “throat food” – food that we eat when we are actually thirsty.

Equally important is to have 3 meals a day with nothing in between, except for water.

To sit down and enjoy each meal as a “mini feast” – never eat when, standing, walking, driving or busy on the computer.

To eat slowly  -  the longer one chews food and keeps it in ones mouth, the more signals go from the mouth cavity to the brain signaling food intake and satiety.  Thus the faster one eats the more you have to eat to feel satisfied.

Select what you are going to eat with each and every meal – make informed choices as to what you are going to feed your precious body.  Remember no trade ins possible, nor is it possible to buy a new model!

A good, balanced and healthy rule to apply to each meal is the one-third, two-thirds rule …….. meaning never more than one-third of your plate animal material, while two-thirds of your plate must be plant material.  The human body is actually designed to eat far more plant material than we do nowadays, and not all the processed, highly refined, foods that are so readily available.

A recent study in the US (Am J of Preventative Medicine) shows that the very best method of bringing down ones weight and BMI was not any of the millions of slimming products, slimming methods, slimming clinics etc, but instead by keeping a simple food journal.  They showed that participants who kept a food journal six or seven days a week lost an average of  7 kg compared with an average of  3 kg lost by non-diary keepers.  It is not just writing it down that counts, it is also about using that record to identify the eating habits that need to be modified.  While most people think they know what they eat, they really only have a general idea and tend to have selective memory, especially when it comes to foods that are not good for us.  With a detailed food diary you can see where those extra calories are coming from.  Accurate daily recording in our food journal also makes us so much more aware of the enormous quantity of bits and pieces of food that we consume each day – way beyond what we believe we consume!  The total volume also counts.  There is another part of the food journal that really helps and works. Besides being honest and diligent by showing everything in the diary down to the last morsel you have eaten, is to be open and transparent with your diary and allowing your spouse, partner, children and all to view it.  It is all about accountability.  You may have thought of eating that extra cookie, but on second thoughts you do not want to show it up in your daily diary for all to see!

Stevia has been used by the Guarani Indians of Paraguay as a sweetener for hundreds of years.  The leaves of this small green plant have a delicious and refreshing  taste that can be 30 times sweeter than sugar.  The body does not metabolize the sweet glycosides from the stevia leaf or from any of its processed forms, as found in artificial sweeteners (safe).  In such preparations the natural active sweet ingredient isolated from Stevia, Stevioside, is 300 times as sweet as sugar (sucrose).

Stevia has many excellent properties, aided by its content of carotenoids, minerals and some vitamins.  As the human body is not capable of metabolizing the sweet glycosides in stevia, it obtains no calories from stevia.

Stevia does not adversely affect blood glucose levels, and may thus be used by diabetics.

Chemically speaking, xylitol differs from other sweeteners such as sorbitol, fructose and glucose, in that its molecule contains five carbon atoms, instead of six carbons.  Most bacteria and yeast in the mouth are unable to make use of this five carbon sugar, xylitol.

Xylitol can be used for baking – substitute sugar with an equal amount of xylitol, as they are equally sweet.  However, as yeast cannot ferment xylitol, it is better to not use xylitol in recipes that require yeast.

 Some of the medical benefits of xylitol are:

1) Dental care

 Using xylitol has been found to prevent the formation of caries – thus the U.S. Food
and Drug Administration  has allowed xylitol products to make the claim that they do not promote dental cavities.

Sugar feeds bacteria in your mouth, causing them to multiply rapidly. Acids are produced by this metabolic process, which cause cavities to begin to form.   Because these bacteria in your mouth causing caries, are unable to ferment xylitol, chewing xylitol containing gum, mints and sweets, will reduce the  growth of these bacteria enormously – by upto 90%.  As no acid is formed, the pH of the saliva does not drop either.

Studies have shown that the xylitol effect on teeth, with low decay rates, is long lasting.

 2)  Diabetes

The body does not require insulin to metabolise xylitol  – thus it has a lower  glycaemic index than sugar or glucose and 40% less calories than sugar.   Xylitol is a low-calorie alternative to table sugar and is absorbed more  slowly than sugar.  It does not contribute to high blood sugar levels, resulting in hyperglycemia from an insufficient insulin response, and has also proven beneficial to people suffering from metabolic syndrome.  Xylitol is widely used as a sweetener in the diabetic diet; however, it is important to consult your doctor in this regard.

3)  Osteoporosis

 A group of Finnish researchers has found dietary xylitol prevents weakening of the bones in Laboratory rats and actually improves bone density.

 4) Ear and upper respiratory infections

 Xylitol has been shown to inhibit the growth of bacteria.  When used as a nasal wash, it prevents bacteria from adhering to the upper respiratory passages.  Studies have also shown that 8 grams of xylitol taken orally every day, prevented about 40% of ear infections.

 5) Infection

 Xylitol has been found in studies on rats to increase the activity of neutrophils, the white blood cells involved in fighting bacteria.

 6) Candida yeast

 Contrasting starkly to sugar which may increase proliferation, recent studies suggest that the consumption of Xylitol may help control oral infections of Candida yeast.

 It is important to note that Xylitol has no known toxicity in human beings. Like most sugar alcohols it does however have a laxative effect.

While xylitol offers many health benefits to humans, it can be deadly to dogs and
should not be fed to any pets.

400g puff pastry

Olive oil, for brushing

1 onion, sliced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 red pepper, diced

1 small aubergine, sliced

3 tomatoes, sliced

4 small courgettes, sliced

4-5 sprigs of thyme

½ cup tinned chickpeas drained

2 tsp basil pesto

Salt & freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 200C
Roll the puff pastry out into a one-millimetre thick rectangle and brush with olive oil
Fold edges over to form a border and prick centre of the pastry with a fork
Place on a lined baking sheet and bake until puffed and golden
Lightly fry pepper, aubergine, tomatoes and courgette separately
Arrange the vegetables on the baked pastry, sprinkle with thyme, chickpeas, olive oil, brush with pesto and season well with salt and pepper
Return to the oven to warm through before serving

Source:  Reality by Sanlam Autumn 2012

NUTRITIONAL INFO:

Courgettes (Zucchinis or Baby Marrow’s) are packed with the B-Complex group vitamins as well as minerals such as iron, manganese, phosphorus, zinc and potassium.

They provide 17 calories per 100g and contain no saturated fats or cholesterol.

 ENJOY !

60ml extra virgin olive oil

45ml basil pesto

¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

3ml sugar

30ml water

Salt & milled pepper

SALAD  (serves 4)

375ml cooked brown basmati rice

250ml cooked shredded chicken

3 celery sticks, finely sliced

6 radishes, finely sliced

2 large carrots, sliced into ribbons

250ml cucumber, sliced into ribbons

100g mixed sprouts

30g wild rocket

1-2 avocados, diced

250ml fresh or frozen peas, cooked

30ml sesame seeds, toasted

Whisk dressing ingredients together and season to taste

Toss salad ingredients together and drizzle with
dressing

Adjust seasoning and serve

NUTRITIONAL
INFORMATION

Sprouts    :  packed with protein, essential vitamins &
minerals, fibre & folic acid  – known as “wonder foods”

Celery      :  loaded with vitamin A, several of the B
vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin K, folic acid – HOLD
ON……celery is also full of essential minerals
such as boron, calcium, chlorine, iron, magnesium,
manganese, phosphorous, potassium, selenium, sodium,
sulphur and zinc….. AND MORE… celery also
contains several amino acids and it is rich in health
promoting fibre

Avocado   :  the monounsaturated fats found in avocados
are considered to be good for us and may actually lower our LDL (bad) cholesterol and lower blood glucose levels – packed with fibre,  vitamins, minerals and folic acid – you can’t go wrong –  versatile and very yummy !

SOURCE  :  PICK N PAY FRESH LIVING – ISSUE 42

In December 2011 a group of researchers at Winthrop University Hospital on Long Island studied 254 patients with a history of gut infections caused by a deadly pathogen (C. difficile) often encountered in hospitals, especially when patients have been treated with prolonged courses of antibiotics.

Patients without an appendix were more than twice as likely to have a recurrent infection – recurrence in those with an appendix occurred in 18% of the cases, whereas in those without any appendix, recurrence occurred in 45 % of cases.

This has led to speculation that this tiny organ may be a store of beneficial bacteria – a “nature reserve” of beneficial bacteria – for when the friendly bacteria in our gut are depleted, as with the use of antibiotics.

SERVES 4 – 6

PREP TIME 15 MINUTES,   COOKING TIME 20 MINUTES

2 T pine nuts

1 cup uncooked white quinoa

2 cups water or vegetable broth

Pinch salt

1 peeled and diced large cooked beetroot

1 cup halved mixed cherry tomatoe’s

¼ red onion finely chopped

90g crumbled feta cheese

 Vinaigrette

 Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

1 juiced lemon or lime

6T extra virgin olive oil

2T chopped flat-leaf parsley

1T chopped coriander

1T chopped chives

1T chopped mint

 1. Toast pine nuts in a frying pan over a medium
heat until lightly coloured.  Remove from
the heat and set aside to cool

2.  Rinse the quinoa under cold water and drain
in a colander.  Place in a saucepan and
cover with the water or broth and add the salt

3.  Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat, cover,
and simmer for 12 to 14 minutes or until all of the water or broth is
absorbed.  Remove from heat and keep
covered for 5 more minutes

4.  Transfer the quinoa to a bowl and fluff it
with a fork, then allow to cool.  Add the
beetroot and toss gently.  The quinoa
will take on a nice pink colour.  Add the
tomatoes, onion and cheese.  Drizzle over
the vinaigrette and sprinkle over the pine nuts

5.  To  prepare the vinaigrette, combine the salt and pepper with the lemon juice and  oil and whisk to emulsify.  Stir in the  herbs.

 Source:  TASTE Woolworths – Jan/Feb 2012

Allow to cool.

Skin the beetroot and cut into quarters.

Add Extra Virgin Olive oil, seasoning and balsamic of
your choice.

1 cup of beetroot = 58 calories

• Physical activity and exercise is a MUST, although it is the last thing one feels like doing – it is the most powerful de-stressor on earth and it is free!
•  Eat regular healthy, balanced meals with lots of plant material with lots of colour – food can have an immense impact on your mood and the ability to cope.
• Focus on intake of healthy fats (mono and polyunsaturated fats) which improves brain function as the human brain is composed of 60% fat.
• Supplement with a good quality omega-3, containing EPA and DHA – the single most important nutrient to fight depression and improve brain function.
• Get enough sleep – 7 to 8 hours per night – will help you wake up refreshed and more positive.
• Get plenty of sunshine and allow the UVB rays to convert cholesterol in your skin into vitamin D – vitamin D has been shown to be a crucial factor in treating depression or keeping it at bay.  Have your vitamin D levels measured, and if necessary supplement.
• Identify your stressors and address them.  Depression is not a disease that a drug will fix – it is rather a serious indication that your body and your life are out of balance.  There may be many emotional and lifestyle issues contributing to one’s depression, and by listing and identifying each and every issue, one will get more clarity on how to address some of them.
• It has been suggested that massage and touch are additional non-pharmacological ways to reduce or help manage depression.  Often a reassuring hug is also what is needed to help reduce our fear, anxiety and loneliness.
• Believe in yourself – you are special.

* Clinical depression is
of a much more serious nature and requires, in addition, pharmacological
intervention and professional treatment – illnesses like bipolar depression,
post-partum depression and chronic endogenous depression.

SASOP Symposium 2012 P