Health and Wellness

  With the announcement that gyms are now allowed to reopen, and with spring fast approaching, it’s time to give your mindset a reboot and get back to chasing your goals! Step 1: REALISATION When addressing any problem, you first need to realise that there is one. Take the time to become aware of how you talk to yourself, your habits, your everyday thoughts, your current mindset and how it impacts your everyday life. Step 2: EVALUATION  When you decide you want to change your life, you need to evaluate the problem that got you into your current circumstances. Once you’ve done that, you can determine what it is that’s standing in your way of achieving your goals. It’s important to remember that you can’t change something if you don’t understand it.  Step 3: BECOME  Once the problem has been identified and evaluated, the next step is to take action. During this stage, it’s important for you to take deliberate steps towards changing your habits, your daily routine, you...

Its a tale as old as time: You buy a rock-hard avocado in the store, then wait patiently for it to hit peak ripeness. Next thing you know, it’s overripe, brown, and mushy. Talk about a finicky fruit! Its like the stars need to ~magically~ align in order to find an avocado in that narrow window of peak, delicious ripeness. Wouldn’t it be great if you could stop a ripe avocado in its tracks? It turns out, you can. Can you freeze an avocado? The short answer: Yes! “Freezing avocados is one of my favourite ways to make the most of a great deal or minimise food waste,” says Cara Harbstreet, of Street Smart Nutrition. “Freezing can help prolong an avocado’s life.” Be here’s the catch: Popping your avocado in the freezer changes the creamy fruit’s texture a bit. “Freezing any food will alter the texture to some degree, but because of the high fat content of avocados, they handle cold temperatures fairly well,” says Harbstreet. And be prepared to notice some browning or discolouration. “This o...

 . -Wash your hands regularly. -Disinfect all areas of machines that you come into contact with and when finished with the machine – wash your hands. -If you used the finger scanner at the door of the gym – wash your hands. -Wipe down all benches and seating areas and grips on machines and equipment. -Don’t touch your face or anywhere near your mucous membranes during the duration of your training session. -Be vigilant of those around you. Stay outwards of at least 6 feet from the person next to you. If anyone in your immediate environment is coughing or showing signs of sickness, move away from them. Don’t engage. -Make sure you wipe down all the dumbbells and grips before using them. -Ask your gym staff to make sure the ventilation systems are switched on and working efficiently. If they aren’t, find another gym. -Remove all training wear from the day’s session and place into the wash when you get home. Conclusion -Your biggest ally in being able to stay away from contracting the...

Resistance training, along with the right amount, type, and timing of protein intake, can help muscles grow bigger and stronger. Resistance training includes weightlifting, band exercises and some forms of yoga and Pilates. The most time efficient form of exercise is what is known as high intensity interval exercise that combines resistance and aerobic exercise over a 30 to 45 minute time period. The proper form of exercise and proper nutrition are both important in feeding the muscle. Any exercise that stretches a muscle will help to build that muscle. The basic process of growing muscle requires muscle fibers to stretch until they induce a signal to recruit satellite muscle cells to merge with the fiber to make it larger. This occurs best during what is known as the eccentric movement of muscle. Think of a simple biceps curl exercise. You contract the muscle to lift the weight. The eccentric movement occurs as you slowly lower the weight, stretching the muscle fibers. The muscle fibe...

  You don’t need to make radical diet changes to achieve your weight-loss and fitness goals. Instead opt for a few simple, smart nutritional changes that can have a radical impact on how you look and feel.  Here are 7 diet tweaks to help maximise your results! Tweak #1-Fill up on fibre Research has shown that people who include more fibre in their diets tend to have less body fat and a lower body mass index. This could be because foods high in fibre take longer to chew, digest slower, and take up more space in our stomachs, making us feel fuller for longer. Tweak #2-Sack the sodium Your body needs sodium for numerous bodily functions – around 2400mg daily to meet these basic physiological needs. It’s when we have an excess amount of sodium that this can play a significant role in our body weight, especially water retention. Reducing your intake will help you excrete water, helping you achieve a leaner and less bloated look. Tweak #3-Munch mindfully When we eat under stress or ...

Building muscle is an intensive process that only occurs when a number of inter-related factors are applied diligently and consistently. In our quest to remain anabolic and promote muscle growth, there are often many simple elements that get overlooked. So stop hindering your gains in the gym by eliminating these mistakes through better awareness and a few simple insights. 1. Your form sucks Form is a strange topic. Why? Because it’s usually attached to ego. When a lifter’s ego takes over they pick up the heaviest weight possible and form goes out the window. This type of training is ineffective and the results generally speak for themselves – there aren’t any. 2. You’re not eating properly It’s quite simply, really. Building bigger muscles demands more fuel, and the right octane! Solid nutrition is therefore essential. While the debate regarding carbs versus fats rages on, the things we can agree on are the need for adequate protein and eating quality, natural sources of nutrition, su...

  A new global study has reinforced the link between mental health and gut bacteria and indicates that a diet rich in many different types of vegetables may contribute to improved health. The global crowd-sourced study by the University of California of over 11,000 participants found that those who ate more than 30 different plant types a week had gut microbiomes that were more diverse than those who ate 10 or fewer types of plants per week. A high diversity of gut bacteria is believed to be a sign of a healthy gut which in turn impacts on overall health. Link with brain health Researchers also found that respondents with mental health issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), schizophrenia, depression and bipolar disorder had more bacteria in common with others who reported similar problems, strengthening the link between mental health and gut bacteria. Previous research has highlighted a connection between anxiety and the absence of certain healthy gut microbes, while...

  With the COVID-19 pandemic, most of us are trying our best to keep our loved ones and ourselves safe and protected. From wearing masks to washing our hands regularly to social distancing, we each have to do our part to flatten the curve. And while we’re doing everything we can to protect ourselves from the outside, we should also dedicate time to getting our immune systems in fighting shape. “If it’s not already a focus of family life, this is actually an ideal time to prioritise nutrition and health,” says Retha Harmse, a Registered Dietitian and spokesperson for ADSA (Association for Dietetics in South Africa). “As lockdown restriction levels fluctuate; we will have more freedom of movement, but also more risks of contracting COVID-19. Eating a balanced diet plays an important role in maintaining health and supporting the immune system, as well as all the body’s vital systems. A balanced diet is the best immune support We’ve all seen the Whatsapp group messages that tell you to...