With February being the month of Love, isn't a good time to look after your heart?

You can love your heart by:

• Going for annual cholesterol checks
• Avoiding saturated fat (e.g. butter, red meat) and trans fats (commercial biscuits, pies and crisps)
• Eating more unsaturated fats (e.g. avo, nuts, seeds, vegetable oils, fatty fish)
• Exercising at least 30 minutes on most days of the week
• Keeping your weight in check
• Keeping your blood pressure healthy
• Avoiding excess salt and pre-packaged foods
• Eating more fresh fruits and veggies
• Choosing fat-free dairy products
  

 With summer here and the temperature soaring, it’s more important than ever to drink enough water. We all know that being well-hydrated to ensure that your body functions correctly, but did you know that it can also help your weight loss?

Water aids weight loss in 2 main ways:

1. Dehydration can impair exercise performance, so by drinking enough water and being well-hydrated, you can ensure that you can exercise at your peak and thus burn the maximum calories in the process.

1. Often one confuses thirst with hunger. So, when you feel you’re hungry, but no food satisfies that hunger, you may find that a glass of water does the trick. Thus, by drinking enough water you can be sure that hunger pangs are related to actual hunger, rather than just needing more fluids.

So how much water do you need?

Although the old adage of about 8 glasses a day does apply, if you want a more accurate value, try this equation to calculate your water needs:

Amount of water (mls) = Weight (kg) x 30ml

For example, a 60kg woman, would need 60 x 30ml = 1800ml or 1.8 litres of water per day. Although one may need more than this to compensate for fluid losses on a particularly hot day or for intense exercise.

Remember that caffeine-free herbal teas also count towards your fluid intake!

Have a wonderful water-filled Summer’s Day!

Hi all!

If you feel like you are constantly forgetting where you left your keys, or forever finding your colleagues' names are at the tip of your tongue but not quite close enough, perhaps you could do with eating the right foods to boost your memory.

Click here to see the Destiny Man article about memory-enhancing foods that I was quoted in

For those vegetarians among you, who are pregnant, or planning for a family, see this Beeld article that I was quoted in

And lastly, here is some info on the immune-boosting properties of mushrooms from a Sunday World article I was quoted in

Check out my photospread in the June 2011 issue of Oprah magazine (pg 73)! I did a fridge makeover for Glorious Sefako to get her on the road for a healthier lifestyle.

http://www.oprahmag.co.za/view/271/os-fabulous-fridge-makeover-smart-shopping-tips

Hope everyone's keeping warm in the chilly winter weather!

If you want to curl up with a magazine, see the following mags that I'm quoted in/have articles in this month:

May 2011: Women's Health
May 2011: Shape
May 2011: Fair Lady
June 2011: O magazine
June 2011: Longevity

Click here to see an article that I was quoted in for Longevity magazine (Jan 2011 issue) on staying on track during the festive season!

If you are struggling to lose weight or simply want to eat a bit healthier, there is nothing more effective than a food diary.

A food diary is a record of what you eat and at what times you eat. By keeping this record, it makes it easier to pick up anywhere you are going wrong with your eating and thus allows you to change these behaviours. For example, you may find that you overeat when you get home from work before dinner. Therefore, by perhaps introducing a mid-afternoon snack this will help to curb the post-work nibbling.

Similarly, a food diary is also useful if you find that you are an emotional eater. By including in your food journal any emotions you experienced at the time of eating, you can then identify what emotions cause you to eat. For example, you may find you eat out of boredom, therefore by distracting yourdelf with another activity instead of eating, this will help to prevent you from eating out of boredom.

Another advantage of a food diary, is that by knowing you have to write down your food, it will make you think twice before eating something simply because it's there or if you're not really hungry.

So, if you want to conquer your bad eating habits, just be sure to get it in writing!

Do your New Year's resolutions already seem like a distant memory? You can rekindle your motivation by setting yourself small, manageable goals. For example, losing 10kg in 1 month is unrealistic but losing 2kg in 1 month is. 

Rather set a goal that is achievable and gives you sense of accomplishment when you reach it, than set a goal that is out of your reach and only makes you feel disappointed when you don't get there!

Good luck everyone! 

Check out the articles I've written/ been quoted in this month in:

-YOU Best Diets
-Shape Dec 2010
-Longevity Nov 2010
-Longevity Dec 2010
-Fitness Nov/Dec 2010
-Fair Lady Dec 2010

Have a wonderful and healthy festive season!

Wishing you all the best for 2011! May this be the year you reach your goals and fulfill your dreams