Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Newsletter October 2007

Maybe it is the time of the year, maybe it is the post-world cup euphoria trying to get back to some level of normal, but I detect a certain amount of emotional fatigue in the people I meet on a daily basis. Fatigue deeper that could be explained by just the lack of sleep due to a bit of world cup celebrations.

And celebrate we did. The nation sang the praises of the heroes in green and even while we were doing that, our brave and able minister of sports, Makhenkesi Stofile, said that the Boks squandered the opportunity after their first title triumph in 1995 to make the game truly representative of the country's racial mix and a repeat failure was unacceptable.
Am I suddenly feeling even more fatigue creeping in? Or is it a severe bout of nausea?

These characters in politics are trying their utmost to topple the cart. They stand on their soap boxes and whinge because rugby is an easy target, but they don't ever develop fields in townships, underwrite coaching classes or supply the nutrition needed to turn 75kg weaklings into 115kg tighthead props. It is just another attack on an established part of a forbidden culture.

Somewhere during the last week somebody filled my pothole. Thank you. It lasted all of two days. Nice gesture. Next time please try bitumen.

Another possible reason for emotional fatigue is the realisation that we are being lied to in a massive way. The state of the economy is but one that comes to mind. Is it really as strong as we are led to believe?

From the retailers out there I hear a different story. From the hospitality industry even worse reports. "Business is very quiet", is a common answer these days.
We are also kept in the dark about the level of crime. One can only ascertain that the statistics are totally warped. I mean, if the chief of police needs protection from his ultimate boss, how much control is out there?

All right. Time for positive thoughts. This coming Saturday, the 27th of October 2007, it will be exactly ten years since we took over from Eddie and Anne Pyle. Unbelievable. To all our loyal customers and patients who helped us achieve this milestone, a BIG Thank You! Please keep on supporting us and all our new endeavors so that we can make it through another ten years!

Report back:
We recently ran a very successful campaign called "State of you Health Week". Well in the end it ran for much more than a week and I must say it was hugely successful. A whole lot of people are now more aware of the dreaded Metabolic Syndrome; a lot are on treatment already, another batch are subscribing to a new lifestyle; one that creates healthy habits and stave off the warning signs.

The success of this round has led us to believe (and we are already planning) that we can do more. We are in the process of starting a Cholesterol Treatment Program, followed soon by more conditions. It will take the form of a treatment regime running over a period of weeks with medication, tests, eating plans, information sessions, feedback, education and more tests.
After completion the individual will have a healthier lifestyle, a better prognosis, and enough accumulated knowledge to make informed decisions where it comes to diet and habit. Watch this space. Or better still, contact us if you think we can help you with your particular problem. We will look at it and if within our field of expertise, we will device a program accordingly.

Treatment of emotional fatigue is excluded though. Try the guys in the top office. The ones with the Pierre Cardin Suits. The ones planning the next rugby world cup team selection.

Weight loss: When it's unexpected....
For most people, dropping a few kilogram without meaning to is a welcome surprise. But do you know when unexpected weight loss is a cause for concern?

Causes are varied:
There are many possible reasons for unintentional weight loss, including:

Changes in diet or activity level. Skipping meals, eating on the run, eating less fat or preparing food in new ways may contribute to unexpected weight loss. A particularly hectic schedule may cause you to drop a few kilo’s as well. Change your lifestyle. Eat healthy.

Mood changes.
Anxiety, stress and depression can affect your weight. Beware.

Medication.
Some over-the-counter and prescription drugs may cause weight loss. Ask.

Difficulty chewing or swallowing.
Dental problems can make it difficult to chew, and many conditions can interfere with swallowing. With esophageal dysphagia, food feels as if it sticks or gets hung up in the base of your throat or chest. Certain neuromuscular problems can weaken your throat muscles, making it difficult to move food from your mouth into your throat and esophagus. Get immediate diagnostic confirmation and treatment.

Poor absorption of nutrients.
This may be a problem with malabsorption disorders such as celiac disease, a digestive condition triggered by consumption of the protein gluten. This protein is found in bread, pasta, cookies, pizza crust and other foods containing wheat, barley, rye and some oats. Some people might also suffer from food intolerances like Fructose. Fructose is a sugar found in fruit. It's also a basic component in table sugar (sucrose). In addition, sorbitol — a sugar alcohol — is converted to fructose during normal digestion. So if you have fructose intolerance, you should avoid foods that contain fructose and sucrose as well as sorbitol. There are tests available. Do it.

Nausea.
If you're feeling queasy, you may eat less and lose weight. Many conditions can trigger nausea.
Viral and bacterial infections, hormonal changes and various digestive disorders can all make you nauseated. If nausea persists have it checked out.

Inflammatory bowel disease.
Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease are the two most common forms of inflammatory bowel disease. These often painful and debilitating conditions cause chronic inflammation of the digestive tract, which may prevent you from digesting or absorbing much of what you eat. These are serious.

Pancreatitis.
Pancreatitis is a condition in which digestive enzymes attack the pancreas rather than break down food in the small intestine. Chronic pancreatitis may cause weight loss, even when your appetite and eating habits are normal.

Lack of blood supply to the bowel.
If the blood flow to your small intestine is reduced, you may develop a condition called intestinal ischemia. Signs may include unintentional weight loss.

Hyperthyroidism.
The thyroid hormones regulate every aspect of your metabolism, from your heart rate to how quickly you burn calories. When your thyroid gland produces too much of the hormone thyroxine, you develop hyperthyroidism. This condition causes weight loss, even when your appetite is bigger than normal. There are diagnostic tests - ask your doctor.

Diabetes.
Diabetes affects the way your body uses blood sugar. Even when you eat as much as usual, you may lose weight if your muscle tissues don't get enough glucose to generate growth and energy. This is especially true with type 1 diabetes, in which very little sugar gets into your cells. With uncontrolled diabetes, sugar lost in the urine may also contribute to weight loss.

Cancer.
Many types of cancer cause unintentional weight loss, including cancers of the pancreas, gallbladder, colon and stomach. Cancer treatment may have the same effect.

S.O.S:
If you plan to trim down, by all means, do it in a controlled manner through a recognised eating plan. If you however are not on any conscious diet and suddenly start to drop weight, take note and take action. It may be your only wake-up call.

Hartsiektes neem toe.
Elke jaar kry meer as 47 000 Suid-Afrikaners ’n hartaanval. Ja, jy het reg gelees.
’n Kwart van hulle – sowat 12 000sterf onmiddellik! Daar word gereken dat voortydige sterftes weens hart- en bloedvatsiektes gaan tussen nou en 2030 met 40 persent toeneem.

As jy een van die nagenoeg 40 persent van die bevolking is wat met slegte hartgene gebore is, kan jy werklik keer dat dit – soos ’n lig – aangeskakel word. En as jy met goeie hartgene gebore is, kan jy ook jou hartvate teen skade beskerm deur sekere van jou gewoontes te verander.
Baie van die faktore lei tot ’n lae vlak van inflammasie in die bloedvatwande, en hierdie rooi en geswelde binnewande is dan uiters vatbaar vir verdere skade deur die ander faktore.

Hier is jou negepuntplan om jou risiko te beperk, saamgestel uit inligting deur Harvard-navorsers, hartspesialiste van die Mayo-kliniek en Suid-Afrikaanse navorsers:

1 As jy rook, hou op met rook.
Hetsy dit sigare, sigarette, lae-teer of "ligte" sigarette is.
Rook is een van die belangrikste faktore wat alle hoërisiko-hartgene aanskakel.
Dit beskadig verder die binnewande van bloedvate so erg dat die vate verstop kan raak.
As jy ophou rook, daal jou risiko vir ’n hartaanval binne drie jaar. Rokers wat ouer as sestig is, kan vyf tot sewe jaar by hul lewe voeg deur op te hou rook. Passiewe rook is ook ’n belangrike risikofaktor.
2 Doen oefening. Dit hou minstens twintig verskillende gesondheidsvoordele in.
Oefening maak die hartvate sterker en meer oop, dien as stresontlaaier en bekamp oorgewig. Fiksheid kan jou risiko vir hartsiektes met ’n derde verminder. Onfiksheid is selfs ’n groter gevaar vir jou hart as om oorgewig te wees. Probeer om minstens twee uur per week te oefen.
3 Beheer jou gewig.
Hoe vetter jy is, hoe dikker is die vetlaag om jou hart en ander organe. Mense met ’n appelvormige lyf – die manne met die boepe – het ’n groter risiko vir hartsiektes as iemand met ’n peervormige lyf.
4 Vette in die kos.
Eet van jongs af kos wat min versadigde en transvette bevat.
Dit keer dat ’n spesifieke hartgeen aangeskakel word.
5 Vetsure.
Eet minstens drie keer per week vis en ander kos wat baie omega- 3-vetsure bevat.
Kies haring, makriel, tuna, sardyne, forel, salm en ander olierige vis. Hierdie "goeie’" vette kan jou risiko vir bloedstolling en diep veneuse trombose verminder. Boonop laat dié vette jou gouer versadig voel.
6 Voedsel keuses.
Eet meer vars groente en vrugte, veral sitrusvrugte, spinasie en ander groen, blaarryke groente, want hulle bevat baie vitamien B en foliensuur wat mense met hoë cholesterolvlakke se hart kan beskerm.
7 Vesel.
Eet meer veselkos soos hawermoutpap.
Tien gram ru-vesel per dag kan jou risiko vir ’n hartaanval met 20 persent verlaag. Soek veral na die sogenaamde "Oat Bran"; dit het ‘n geweldige goeie effek op cholesterol.
8 Ken jou tellings en hou dit in toom.
As jy jou bloeddruk van 140/90 mm Hg kan verlaag tot 120/80 mm Hg, kan jy jou risiko van ’n beroerte halveer. Met elke breuk wat jou slegte LDL-cholesterolvlak daal, daal jou risiko vir ’n hartaanval ook. As een bloeddrukmiddel se newe effekte jou pla, gesels met jou dokter sodat jy ’n ander een kan probeer. Moenie net jou middels staak omdat jy lus het nie. Inteendeel moenie ooit enige voorskrif medisyne uit eie besluit staak nie.
9 Leer om stres te verwerk.
Dit lyk ál meer of langdurige stres ook die bloedvatwande vatbaarder maak vir skade. Leer om te ontspan. Begin met vyf minute per dag en verdubbel die tyd elke dag totdat jy effektief en doelbewus ontspan vir ten minste 2 uur voor slaaptyd. Om te gaan slaap soos ‘n opgewende horlosie-veer is net moeilikheid soek.

911 !!!
As ’n mens benoud voel, skielik moeg is of ’n sooibrandgevoel oor jou maag en bors het, veral ná oefening, kan dit ’n angina of ’n hartaanval wees. Jy moet beslis nie eers wag en kyk of die sooibrand ’n hartaanval is of nie. Toediening van ’n stolsel-oplosser binne drie tot vier uur kan ’n lewe red en die kans vergroot dat die pasiënt sonder hartskade herstel.
Wees ingelig

New in stock: A more feminine Shower Gel with seductive Jasmin. From the colour to the lingering fragrance of Gardenia Jasminoides, this will drag you back to the shower every time!
To be launched soon:
A more masculine Shaving Cream for the manne. But equally as effective for ‘em long legged ladies if the men do not hide their own creme permanently!

Thursday, October 11, 2007

Newsletter September 2007

Just another day in paradise....Phil Collins wrote this song many years ago and tonight the meaning is lost to me but the title explains my feelings... I have my son Christiaan home for the week, my parents arriving tomorrow, my sister and my daughter Lize and soon-to-be son in law Dirk arriving in 3 days for the weekend. Plus most of my friends are here or arriving soon. Why? Little party for little birthday.
‘Nough said.

Oh yes, my wife is still here as well. (She made me say this).

Let’s get back to the pothole issue (been dragging on in this newsletter for two months):
I am so proud to announce that the not-so-subtle hints directed at the local authorities finally paid off. Yes. They finally addressed the pothole issue with purpose. They took one of the potholes in Mitchell street and relocated it to Douglas street!

I am now the proud owner of my own pothole. They stole it from somebody else and installed it right in front of my driveway. I am so sorry for the personal loss someone in Mitchell drive suffered because of this but I am proud to announce (and to comfort them) that this, my own new pothole, is alive and well, living in Douglas road (acknowledgement to Jacques Brell).
In fact, it is so alive, it is growing at an almost exponential rate! Every morning it is just so much bigger. It multiplies overnight... I am sure Steven Spielberg can make something out of this...but thank you, Mr Local Authority, I will nurture it and see that it grows to (your) standard proportions. If, one day soon, I do not arrive for work, let it be known that I went into the hole and never resurfaced...

Quote of the week: Mr I.M. Patient, waiting patiently for his repeat prescription was prompted about the recent slip of our (beloved) national cricket team in the 20twenty Wcup: "The biggest tragedy is that they didn’t play abroad....then we could have made the buggers swim home". In retrospect, what a tournament! Such class! The old Leather-on-Willow will never be the same.
Let me in the same breath state that (so far) our rugby is outplaying my (and many other’s) hopes. Such national confidence!?
Why do we even doubt them? Sisssssss! Let us all unite and wish them well. Go John! (And Go Bobby! {for Dr Skinstad’s sake})

So now we have covered the (spooky) local phenomenon of migrating potholes, the (sorry) state of our cricket, the (brave) state of our rugby, the (....watch this space .....) coming health week..(in fact, see bottom part of page 2 for details)..

Did we do something that you thought might be worth discussing? Please phone 0393150040, email pcn@venturenet.co.za or jut stop me on the road cycling......
As they say, Spring has sprung and we are on our way to a lovely summer with long days and lots of opportunities to panelbeat our winter-softened bodies. In line with our coming health week in October, let us look at exercise.

Exercise away your blues
Regular exercise may work as well as medication in improving symptoms of major depression, researchers have found.
In a study of 202 depressed adults, investigators found that those who went through group-based exercise therapy did as well as those treated with an antidepressant drug. A third group that performed home-based exercise also improved, though to a lesser degree.
Importantly, the researchers found, all three groups did better than a fourth group given a placebo -- an inactive pill identical to the antidepressant.
Doctors may not start widely prescribing exercise as a depression treatment just yet. But for patients who are motivated to try exercise, it could be a reasonable option, the study authors say.
By the end of the study, it was found that 47 percent of patients on the antidepressant no longer met the criteria for major depression. The same was true of 45 percent of those in the supervised exercise group. In the home-based exercise group, 40 percent had their symptoms go into remission. That compared with 31 percent of the placebo group.
How it may work
There are several theories on why exercise might improve depression. For example, physical activity seems to affect some key nervous system chemicals -- norepinephrine and serotonin -- that are targets of antidepressant drugs, as well as brain neurotrophins, which help protect nerve cells from injury and transmit signals in brain regions related to mood.
Exercise may also boost people's feelings of self-efficacy and promote positive thinking. Some experts speculate that group exercise, with its social aspect, may have added benefits.
Though the home exercise group in this study did better than the placebo group, it's not clear whether it's as good as supervised classes. Home exercise may be more convenient, but patients possibly do not push themselves as hard on their own.
So get off that couch, switch off the TV, put away the stress-ball and get ready to join some exercise program. It will, as a side effect, trim the body into a mean shape and last but not least, it might just save you from another lifestyle scourge, namely Metabolic Syndrome.

This is something that we want to address in all seriousness next month during our "State of your Health" week.
During this period (October 1-5) we will do the following to bolster awareness of this syndrome:
Full Lipogram (Total Cholesterol, HDL, LDL, Triglycerides)
Blood sugar
Blood pressure
Cardiac Risk Profile
BMI (Body mass index)
Waist circumference (waist to hip ratio)
Results while you wait
Free information pack on conditions featured namely Hypertension, Obesity, Cholesterol, Insulin resistance, Diabetes II, Lack of exercise.
We will supply information on diets, precautions and all the do’s and don’t’s.
Price?
Only R150.
But please phone for an appointment. We are getting full already so do not delay. Your may not be as healthy as you think.

Ek het aanvanklik gedink dat ‘n artikel oor aanvullings vir kinders nie goed ontvang sal word nie omrede die demografiese verspreiding wat betref ouderdom in my teiken area, maar toe besef ek dat elke persoon wat hierdie lees of self klein kindertjies het of, bevoorreg is om ‘n oupa of ouma te wees. So neem kennis en neem aksie.
Volgens die kenners het kinders deesdae redelike ernstige gebrek aan baie van die belangrike voedingstowwe soos vitamiene en minerale.

Vandag is dit bykans onmoontlik om 100% van die voedingstowwe te verkry uit die kos wat ons eet. Faktore soos ons besige skedules wat lei tot die eet van kits kosse, die manier van kos voorbereiding wat weereens baie keer gebasseer is op spoed en nie soseer kwaliteit nie, vinnige rypmakings-prosesse op plase, hormone wat toegevoeg word, voedsel bestraling om raklewe te verleng, genetiese manipulasie, preserveermiddels wat bygevoeg word, en ook begrotings kwessies wat ons somtyds laat gryp na die goedkoper opsies instede van die beter voedings-opsies, alles het tot gevolg dat die aanbevole daaglikse inname van meeste van die belangrikste voedingstowwe nie bereik word nie.

By kinders in die groei-fase van hulle lewe is ‘n gebrek aan enige van die voedingstowwe baie ernstiger as by volwassenes. Ons as groot mense kan dieet tekorte gou aanspreek en normaliseer, maar kindertjies groei baie keer op met ernstige tekortkominge in hulle dieet en dit wys eers dalk eendag as hulle self groot is, maar dan, helaas, is dit te laat om te herstel. Die kind het met die probleem opgegroei en die tekort het dan deel geword van sy lewe.
Ons moet dit nou aanspreek en seker maak dat hulle die regte stowwe, in die regte verhoudings, in die regte formaat, inkry.

Studies het gewys dat een derde van kinders ‘n tekort het aan yster, ‘n half het ‘n tekort aan sink, en soveel as negentig persent kry te min magnesium in. Meer as die helfte het ook hopeloos te min vitamien C in hul daaglikse inname en soveel as dertig persent het erge tekorte aan vitamien B-6.

Die maatskappy Bioharmony het in assosiasie met Patrick Holford getree en bring nou internasionale voedings deskundigheid na Suid Afrika. Dit verseker die hoogste standaarde van veiligheid, effektiwiteit en kwaliteit. Patrick se navorsing het gelei tot spesifieke formules wat die bou-stene is van goeie gesondheid en balans en welsyn.
Die maatskappy bemark ‘n produk wat hulle noem Optimum Nutrition for Smart Kids. Die naam behoort eintlik te wees Optimum Nutrition for Kids by Smart Parents! Hierdie is die naaste aan die volkome voedings aanvulling wat daar te verkry is.
Hierdie middel bevat 12 vitamiene en 10 minerale in bio-beskikbare vorm, dit is nutrisioneel geskik vir kinders 1 jaar en ouer.
Dit is vry van suiker, laktose, koring en glutien.
Dit word versoet met xylitol (geen aspartame of sakkarien)
Beskikbaar in natuurlike vrugte geure.
Ook beskikbaar in die reeks is Get up and Go for Smart Kids. Ek kan nie genoeg onderstreep dat kinders regmatig moet kan aanspraak maak op die regte voeding nie. Ons sit alreeds met die sogenaamde "passiewe generasie" as gevolg van TV, rekenaars, allerlei elektroniese goeters wat kinders weghou van gesonde, aktiewe, speel-speel grootword. Ons skep onaktiewe, oorgewig, ongesonde, fast-food kinders. Gee hulle ‘n kans.



Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Newsletter August 2007



And so we still have the potholes. Despite my pleas. Only now they seem to use a slightly darker colour gravel to fill these craters. So now the loose gravel is less visible. Now we are going to have fun and games going through corners on anything with wheels.

While on the topic of pebbles; I have another one in my blue suede shoe: Litter. Roadside litter. Specially brought in and imported from the Eastern Cape. Normally transported by busses proudly displaying a logo of some church from Flagstaff or beyond on the rear window.
These busses, filled to scary permutations of capacity, do regular stops on the way to the South Coast, to allow passengers the chance to purchase or otherwise obtain items of edible origin and purpose. These are then consumed and the packing material (the red little boxes with the caricature of the cute little yellow chicken on the side) is stored en masse in the bus while travelling North on it’s way to Durban....
....until it reaches the first bridge over the toll road at Ramsgate, or if that one is occupied, the next, or then any other available illegal stop.
Then these bothersome boxes, bottles and plastic bags are promptly removed by some of the passengers and dumped next to the road while some of their fellow travellers-in-time take the golden opportunity to biologically relieve themselves. All this in clear view of whoever wants to see. Pity is that many small children walking our roads see this and accept this manner of behaviour as the norm.
And we sit with the rubbish that is whisked away by the fresh coastal breeze and left hanging from fences and roadside bushes. "Eish!"

One last cry of anguish: Persons travelling in the modern version of the German Tiger II Tank or nowadays called the Minibus-Taxi, consuming liquid refreshments and then unceremoniously throwing the glass bottles out the window, to shatter and subsequently spread it’s deadly load of thousands of razor sharp particles over a vast area of road where thin tyres on bicycles, tender skin on children’s feet, soft cushions on animal’s feet get cut and stabbed and destroyed.
How can we ever dream of educating or stopping these beings from turning our lovely coast into another neglected dump? Am I crying into the wind here? Next time you see something like that, show your disgust vociferously or any way you feel would be appropriate. I know what I normally do but it will not be fit for printing.

And then my apologies for my own minister’s latest little steps. I fully realise that to be able to publically deny the existence and origins of a killer viral disease, to single-handedly destroy a centuries-old profession, to run a whole government department into a fraud riddled heap of cow dung, to cripple the public healthcare system, to sink the provincial hospitals, all these and then to be in her position of power purely and solely by the grace of her great friend Thabo, must be enough reason to have a nightcap in the hospital. Or maybe two or three. Point is not to be caught. Especially not by the press.

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This coming week is Deaf Awareness Week (DAW). It is a week dedicated to educating the public about hearing loss, deafness, deaf culture and sign language. The aim is to ensure that hearing people understand deafness and the culture of the deaf community.

A person who is unable to hear some sounds is said to present with hearing loss.
A person who is able to hear some sounds is said to be 'hard of hearing'.
A person who is unable to hear any sounds is said to be 'deaf'.

The ear is made up of three parts i.e. outer, middle and inner ear. Hearing loss can result from an obstruction or damage in any of these three parts.

There are three main types of hearing loss:
Conductive hearing loss occurs when there is an obstruction in the transmission of sound to the inner ear. The problem lies in the outer ear.
Sensorineural hearing loss which is caused by the inappropriate functioning of the cochlea or the hearing nerve.
Mixed hearing loss is a combination of the above.

Excessive accumulation of ear wax or infection of the auditory canal in the outer ear can cause temporary hearing loss. Perforation of the eardrum, infection or fluid in the middle ear and otosclerosis can lead to difficulties in hearing. The natural aging process, excessive exposure to noise, medication that is toxic to the auditory system and head injuries can also cause hearing loss.

Signs and Symptoms of Hearing Loss
* Discharging ears
* Ear-aches/pain in area of head/ear
* Ringing, buzzing and roaring sounds in the ear
* Swelling around ear
* Blocked sensation in the ear
* Frequent requests for repetitions
* Sits near the television or has the volume loud
* A baby’s babbling ceases around six to eight months of age or the babbling is replaced by screaming.
* Insufficient language development as the child grows and difficulty in following instructions.

Prevention of hearing difficulties:
* Attend to ear-aches, discharge and discomfort in the ear immediately
* Do not ever insert any objects into the ear canal
* Do not instil ear drops not prescribed for yourself into your ears
* Do not expose your ears to excessively loud music
* Be aware of the causes of hearing difficulties and its applicability to yourself
* Screen your hearing ability regularly.

A hearing test is carried out using advanced equipment that allows the audiologist to identify the site, severity and possible cause of the hearing loss in patients from newborns to geriatrics. Management can either be medical; i.e. referral to ENT or rehabilitative, i.e. hearing aids, sign language training, etc. Hearing people tend to have a number of myths and misconceptions about deaf people.
DAW aims to discredit these misconceptions by educating the public and making them aware of the true nature of deafness.

Always remain positive and relaxed when communicating with the deaf. Show that you care; your attitude can build confidence.

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Allergieë neem met rasse skrede toe:

Twintig jaar gelede het dokters geskat dat sowat een tot twee uit twintig mense aan hooikoors, asma, ekseem of ander vorms van allergieë ly. Nou toon navorsing dat tot een uit elke vyf mense aan 'n allergie ly. Met stuifmeel as een van die allergie-prikkels vir hooikoors en asma, is Suid-Afrikaners in die lente en somer meer as ooit vantevore van allergieë bewus.
'n Mens kan op enige ouderdom 'n allergie ontwikkel, maar kinders (en veral seuns) is die vatbaarste. Anders as wat medici aanvanklik gemeen het, blyk dit dat kinders nie juis allergieë ontgroei nie, maar net een allergie afskud om 'n ander een te ontwikkel. Dit blyk wel dat die intensiteit met ouderdom afneem.

Die immuniteitstelsel van allergiese mense "oorreageer" op allergene - stowwe wat skaars deur die oorblywende 80% van die bevolking se immuniteitstelsels opgemerk word. Verskillende allergene kan verskillende simptome ontlok. Dit kan wissel van rooi en waterige oë, hooikoors, asma, 'n jeukende veluitslag, galbulte, diarree en 'n skielike verlaging in bloeddruk tot 'n skokreaksie en selfs bewussynsverlies.

Die meeste allergiese reaksies is bloot lastig, maar geen reaksie wat tot asemhalingsprobleme, slukprobleme of duiseligheid en bewussynsverlies lei, moet onderskat word nie. Dit kan lewensgevaarlik wees en kan noodbehandeling verg.

Sommige mense het 'n hoër risiko om allergieë te ontwikkel omdat omgewings- sowel as genetiese faktore ter sprake is.
Die genetiese faktore bepaal hoe jy op 'n allergeen reageer, maar die allergiese reaksie word eers in werking gestel as jy daaraan blootgestel word.
As albei ouers aan allergieë ly, is die kans 75% dat hul kinders ook allergiese reaksies sal ontwikkel. As dit net een ouer is, daal die kinders se kans tot 50%. As nie een van die ouers probleme ondervind nie, is daar steeds 'n 10%-kans dat die kinders een of ander allergie kan ontwikkel.

Die belangrikste allergene:
Stuifmeel: Die stuifmeel van die bloekom-, eike-, doring-, olyf-, wilger-, sipres- en plataanboom is die algemeenste, terwyl stuifmeel van kikoejoegras en fynkweek (Bermuda grass) veral hooikoors veroorsaak.
Huismyte: Dié piepklein goggatjies is 'n algemene oorsaak van asma. Hulle hou van warm, vogtige plekke soos matrasse en gestoffeerde meubels. Daar is gemiddeld 10 000 myte, wat van afgedopte mensvelletjies leef, in 'n matras.
Troeteldiere: Die velskubbe, droë speeksel en urine van katte, honde, rotte, muise, hase, marmotte, voëls, perde, koeie, hoenders en talle ander diere kan allergieë veroorsaak. Veral kat-allergene kan maande lank in die lug sweef en tas sowat die helfte van alle asmalyers aan. Budjiemis kan ook ernstige longprobleme veroorsaak.
Sigaretrook: Selfs passiewe rook veroorsaak asma.
Medisyne-allergieë: Die antibiotiese middels penisillien, swawel-bevattende medisyne, barbituraat-behandeling teen epilepsie, insulien, sommige narkosemiddels en kleurstowwe wat ingespuit word vir sommige skanderings, kan allergiese reaksies ontlok.
Voedsel-allergieë: Sowat 2% van die volwasse bevolking en 2%-8% van kinders ly aan ware voedselallergieë. Die meeste daarvan word deur grondboontjies, eiers, suiwelprodukte, koring, neute, soja, vis en skulpvis veroorsaak.
Ander allergieë: By- en perdebysteke kan ernstige allergiese reaksies ontlok.

Raadpleeg jou dokter as jy een van die volgende simptome het:
Kwaai maagkrampe, naarheid, braking of diarree - dit kan voedselvergiftiging wees;
as jy moeilik asemhaal of pyn ondervind met asemhaling - dit kan asma of 'n hartaanval wees; as jy skielik galbulte ontwikkel saam met 'n gejeuk en vinnige hartklop - dit kan die aanvang van 'n anafilaktiese skokreaksie wees;
pyn in jou sinusse, koors en 'n neus-afskeiding - dit kan 'n hardnekkige sinusontsteking wees;
'n hoes en verkoue wat nie binne tien dae verdwyn nie;
'n geswelde gesig, veral om die oë en van die lippe en mond; of as die simptome skielik erger word of oor-die-toonbank-antihistamiene nie jou simptome verlig nie.

Moenie dié simptome ignoreer nie.





Tuesday, August 07, 2007

Newsletter July 2007

Go Robbie GO!
In the Tour de France a win is a win; even if it is by a matter of millimeters. A win is also the pinnacle of pride and honour for the cyclist, his team and his country. So when Robbie Hunter took the 182km 11th stage between Marseilles and Montpellier for the South African team Barloworld, he made big-time history. The first South African, the first cyclist from Africa to win a stage in this very gruelling race. Well done! We are so proud!

This wonderful news come at a time when the South Coast is reeling from a very dark and tragic two weeks on our roads. So many accidents, so many deaths, so many broken bodies. Let us hope that this is not the beginning of a trend and that it was just a very stark reminder of the importance of road safety.
May this also serve as a urgent reminder and wake-up call to the authorities to attend to the absolutely horrendous condition of our roads. I am sure that a substantial percentage of all accidents are caused by the enormous potholes and subsequent loose gravel found all over town. While on the subject, let me openly beg of the roads department to stop filling these holes with loose gravel; it takes less than a day for the traffic to remove the gravel, leaving the hole as it was, but in the process scattering thousands of little pebbles all over the road, making it a disaster area just waiting for a victim on a motorbike or bicycle or even a motor vehicle to come around the corner and slide into oblivion.
Instead of making huge speed-bumps, use some of that labour and material to fill the potholes please! (I fully support the bumps - I’m just trying to make a point.)

Now that I’ve worked myself up a shade or two, I can just as well post some rhetorical questions right here and right now:
Having just read the news of the poor elderly couple at Swartberg that were stabbed and beaten to death on Friday, I compared the modus operandi with other similar recent cases. In fact, one can probably do this with hundreds if not thousands of cases of brutal attacks, murders, robberies and the like. Is this a unique Africa genetic trend to kill for a cell phone? Is it a previously unheard of tradition to slash and slain and rape to obtain a couple of rand? Or is it a very well orchestrated manouevre born in the dark abyss of political boardrooms and bred by hate-driven hidden agendas?
Am I even suppose to think along these lines, let alone write it down in a public letter? So many questions - it confuses me. In days gone by there were tremendous witch-hunts to discover the so called ‘third-force’ behind some alleged incidents of the past.
Maybe it was there, maybe not.
Is there another one at work today?
Where are we heading? Will the powers not take any wisdom away from the tragedy of a whole missing generation north of our borders?
I want no answers. I know what I want to believe. Please pray that I am wrong.

Health News: Probiotics;
With the warmer weather (hopefully) on it’s way, and the associated higher incidence of gastric problems, now is perhaps a good time to talk about Probiotics. Although it is a word that is thrown around a lot these days, it is more than just hype and fashion. It has a tremendous positive effect on general health.

So-called good bacteria in the intestines, which may help people with inflammatory bowel disease, allergies and some forms of cancer, work even when they're inactive.
Called probiotics, they are bacterial organisms that contribute to the health and balance of the intestinal tract. Recent studies have proven the health benefit of these bacteria.
The effectiveness of probiotics has been attributed to their live, metabolic activity. But active probiotics are used in only a small number of food products, such as yoghurt. Active probiotics are unsuitable for most food products because they induce fermentation, which changes the taste, texture and freshness of food on an hourly basis.

Potential use of inactivated probiotics:
Probiotics contain immune system-stimulating DNA that makes them just as effective when they're inactive. The finding of various studies offer the potential to use inactivated probiotics in a variety of food products.
The study also outlines a method to determine and select which probiotic bacteria provide the most benefit for people with inflammatory bowel disease.
Elderly people should take probiotic supplements - including drinks, capsules or yoghurt - to protect themselves against bowel conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or previously called ‘Spastic Colon’. Just be aware that not all commercially available yoghurt contains probiotics. Read the labels!
People over age 60 have about 1 000-fold less "friendly" bacteria and more disease-causing bacteria in their guts when compared with younger adults.

Boosts friendly bacteria
Probiotic products, which contain live strains of bacteria, can help boost the amount of friendly bacteria in the guts of older people and help protect them against acute conditions like traveller's diarrhoea, antibiotic-associated diarrhoea, seasonal gastro-enteritis as well as chronic bowel diseases.
While probiotic products are useful for healthy adults - for example, helping to fight bacteria that cause food poisoning - they are even more beneficial for older people.

The application in paediatric medicine is only now beginning to surface and we have seen, in our own pharmacy, the dramatic effect that these products bring about when given to young children, even small babies. Diarrhoea, food allergies, indigestion, colic, mal-absorpsion, bloated tummies, and many more can be treated without side-effect producing conventional medication, which sometimes leave these kids dazed and confused.

Come and speak to us about this wonderful gift from nature.


Vir die MANNE (maar die vrouens moet asseblief ook hierdie lees):

DIE meeste mans sal veel eerder 20 km in die reën hardloop, vyf kinderpartytjies op 'n streep bywoon, inskryf vir ‘n kursus in Russiese Prosa, as om hulle aan te meld vir 'n dikderm- of prostaatondersoek. 'n Kinderpartytjie kan dalk 'n man sy vrou se guns laat wen, maar 'n prostaatondersoek kan verseker sy lewe red.

Hoofoorsake van dood:
Volgens die Mediese Navorsingsraad (MNR), was die tien hoofoorsake van sterftes in die jaar 2000:
1. MIV/vigs: 24,6%
2. Geweld: 10%
3. Tuberkulose: 8,1%
4. Hartsiektes: 7,8%
5. Beroerte: 5,9%
6. Padongelukke: 4,4%
7. Longinfeksies: 3,5%
8. Chroniese lugwegobstruksie: 3,4%
9. Longkanker: 2,1%
10. Suikersiekte: 2,1%

Van dié sterftes kan deur klein lewenstylaanpassings soos veiliger seks (MIV/Vigs), rookstaking (longkanker en emfiseem), voldoende behandeling van asma (emfiseem), en minder alkohol gebruik en groter paraatheid en bewustheid (geweld en padongelukke), voorkom word.
Daar is egter min twyfel dat die uitwerking van baie siektes wat mans se lewe bedreig, deur vroeë siftingstoetse verklein kan word. In baie gevalle kan sterftes voorkom word deur vroeë opsporing en behandeling, en in ander gevalle kan siftingstoetse tot doeltreffender behandeling en 'n hoër lewensgehalte lei.

Siftingstoetse
Navorsing toon die volgende toetse kan 'n groot verskil maak.
Bloeddruk: Al om die ander jaar as jy in jou twintiger- of dertigerjare is, en jaarliks van jou veertigerjare af.
Cholesterol. (bloedmonster) Al om die ander jaar as jy in jou twintiger- en dertigerjare is en 'n familiegeskiedenis van hartsiektes het, en jaarliks van jou veertigerjare af.
Tipe 2 diabetes (suikersiekte) (bloedmonster). Alle mense met 'n verhoogde risiko behoort elke drie jaar vir suikersiekte getoets te word. Mense met 'n verhoogde risiko is diegene met 'n familiegeskiedenis van diabetes, alle volwassenes en kinders wat oorgewig is, en almal met hoë bloedcholesterolvlakke of hoë bloeddruk.
Prostaat. (bloedmonster vir 'n PSA-telling en 'n rektum-ondersoek). Alle mans in hul veertigerjare met 'n familiegeskiedenis van prostaat- of borskanker behoort jaarliks 'n ondersoek te ondergaan. Alle mans van 50 jaar en ouer behoort een keer per jaar 'n ondersoek te ondergaan. Een uit elke agt mans ouer as 50 jaar sal prostaatkanker ontwikkel.
Dikdermondersoek. ('n Kolonoskopie - 'n inwendige ondersoek). Elke vyf jaar as jy in jou twintiger- of dertigerjare is en 'n familiegeskiedenis van dikdermkanker het. Elke drie tot vyf jaar as jy in jou veertigerjare is en 'n familiegeskiedenis van dikdermkanker het; andersins elke vyf jaar. Jaarliks as jy 50 of ouer is.
Velondersoek. (Deur 'n dermatoloog gedoen.) Elke jaar vir mans bo 40. Mans wat gereeld gholf of krieket speel of gespeel het, boere, vissermanne en ander buitelug mans het 'n groter risiko om velkanker op te doen. Ook mans met donkerder velle kan velkanker opdoen.
Testes-selfondersoek. Maandeliks, veral as jy onafgedaalde testes het, as jy of jou broer of pa al 'n testesgewas gehad het, of as jy onvrugbaarheidsprobleme ondervind of ondervind het.
So voor jy die volgende braai reel, die komende manne-tee beplan, nog ‘n kinderpartytjie bywoon, jou motorhuis (weer) regpak, doen die sinvolle en regte ding; gaan maak ‘n afspraak met jou dokter en kry gemoedsrus.
Die toetse wat ons self kan uitvoer by die apteek is Bloeddruk, Diabetes, Cholesterol, PSA.
Kontak ons gerus vir meer inligting.
(Vir die vrouens wat tot hier nog bly lees het, neem aksie. Laat jou man getoets word voor sy volgende kar paaiement. So kan jy dus seker maak dat hy vir nog baie lank die paaiement sal kan betaal).

Newsletter June 2007

“This year our winter was on a Tuesday.”

That was the message on our notice board over the weekend. Really fantastic weather we’ve been having down here while the rest of the country was caught in numerous bitterly cold spells
Having said that, and knowing my luck at predicting anything in life, it might just change in the week ahead. I did have a sneak preview of the weather patterns for this coming week as we are doing a quick round trip to good old Gauteng from Wednesday to Saturday. Why was I not surprised when the bureau said: “Gauteng residents should brace themselves for a strong cold front and isolated showers accompanied by wind in the coming week, said the National Forecast Centre in Pretoria on Sunday”. It went on to predict as follows: “The cold front is likely to pass through Gauteng some time on Tuesday night. Wednesday is expected to be much colder, with the wind contributing to the chilly conditions. Early-morning temperatures are likely to fall sharply on Thursday as a result of the wind dropping on Wednesday night”.
Now call that bad luck but that is exactly when we have to be there. My son Christiaan is turning twenty one years old on Wednesday and I will not miss that for anything in the world; least of which, a little cold front!

Coming back to the point about our own weather at the coast, what a blessing to be here in the winter. Beautiful clean sea, crisp fresh air, seabirds all around, dolphins, whales and many more. Let us hope that the rest of the winter spectacle will this year arrive in all it’s glory: The annual Sardine migration. Last year they managed to slip past or maybe they never even ventured this far North before turning East, one will never really know. I just hope that they will arrive in their millions. Always a true moment of awe to see the whole ocean becoming alive with movement, colour and life!

We would like to express our happiness with the return of Doctor Manda Brits to her surgery after a recent spell of bad health. We are delighted that she is getting stronger every day and that her patients can again benefit from her personal attention. It is our wish that she recovers completely.
It has been very quiet on the coast for the last couple of weeks and the businesses are really feeling the brunt of whatever caused this complete drop in trade. The recent and ongoing public sector strike is not helping either. As a local businessman, all I can ask for is that the public support the local businesses as much as possible. Negotiate an acceptable fee, insist on excellent service levels, and once that is achieved, support that business.Support the small private businesses in your area. They are the main entities offering much needed employment; they are in fact the back-bone of the economy, both local as well as national. The corporate world is not always the answer. Think about it for a little while.

Keep barbecue cancer-free

Now that we have officially reached the midway point of winter, and with the more than excellent weather experienced recently, a lot of us are heading outdoors for that great South African way of life called the weekend braai. Where else can one truthfully discuss the reasons for the Springbok’s failure to beat the All Blacks than around a crackling fire waiting for the coals to settle. The nice piece of meat picked with great care and prepared with even more attention to detail is lying ready to be sacrificed for your culinary delight.
But; it is not all good news I’m afraid, and I’m not referring to the Rugby Test. According to a lot of publications over the years the process of cooking meat over very high temperatures can cause long term health problems. Fortunately we now have some ideas to limit the effect. Researchers have found ways to limit cancer-causing substances in your weekend braai meat. Among the cancer-causing compounds in cooked meat are heterocyclic amines (HCAs), which are created when heat acts on amino acids (building blocks of protein), and creatinine in animal muscle. The longer the cooking time and the higher the heat, the more HCAs. That means that barbecuing produces the most HCAs, followed by pan-frying and broiling. Baking, poaching, stir-frying and stewing produce the least HCAs.

The experts offer the following advice for limiting HCAs:
·Before you barbecue meat, partially cook it in the microwave and then throw out the juices that collect in the cooking dish. Finish cooking the meat on the grill. Precooking a rack of ribs for a few minutes in the microwave reduces HCAs by up to 95 percent.
· Flip meat often. Doing so every minute reduces HCAs by up to 100 percent. This is likely because constant flipping keeps internal meat temperatures lower.
· Marinate meat before grilling. This can greatly reduce HCAs. For example, one study found that chicken marinated for 40 minutes in a mixture of brown sugar, olive oil, cider vinegar, garlic, mustard, lemon juice and salt cut HCAs by 92 percent to 99 percent.
· Don't cook meat to "well done." Use a meat thermometer and cook poultry to an internal temperature of 74-82 degrees C, ground beef, pork and lamb to 71-77 degrees C, and beef steaks and roasts to 63-71degrees C.
· One or two days before you barbecue, eat cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale and brussels sprouts. These vegetables contain compounds that activate enzymes in the body that detoxify HCAs.

Whatever you do, enjoying the food is always the main thing. Fixing Jake White’s errors are not that easy though but, following the above tips on how to braai and the expert advice offered by your fellow rugby advisors around the fire, the day might just turn out to be a great success!

‘n Bietjie oor Vitamienes en aanvullings:

Spring jy verkoue vry as jy aanvullings gebruik? Moet jy meer vitamiene sluk wanneer jy gestres is? Sonder vitamiene en minerale sou ons doodgaan, want dié mikrovoedingstowwe is noodsaaklik om die gestel gesond en lewend te hou.
Vitamiene en minerale hou jou gesond deur die liggaam se biochemiese prosesse te bevorder. Van dié elemente speel ’n deurslaggewende rol in gesondheid. Magnesium bevorder byvoorbeeld minstens 300 verskillende biochemiese reaksies in die liggaam. Die liggaam kan onmoontlik behoorlik funksioneer as daar ’n tekort aan vitamiene en minerale is.
Uitermatige moegheid, slapeloosheid, buierigheid en depressie is tipiese simptome van ’n dieet wat te kort skiet aan noodsaaklike mikrovoedingstowwe. Die vitamiene en minerale wat ons inkry, behoort hoofsaaklik van vrugte en groente afkomstig te wees. Maar moderne voedselverwerkingsmetodes, arm grond en ’n ongebalanseerde dieet beteken ongelukkig dat ons verreweg nie genoeg vitamiene en minerale inkry nie.
Dis veral noodsaaklik dat mense wat weens siekte, ouderdom of spesiale diëte nie gebalanseerd eet nie ’n omvattende reeks aanvullings gebruik. Goeie voeding help die liggaam ook om weerstand teen siektes en infeksies te bied. Vitamiene en minerale gee jou boonop energie en lewenslus en bevorder langlewendheid.
Werk aanvullings net as jy dit elke dag gebruik?Luister na jou liggaam. Jy kan aanvullings sporadies gebruik, bv. wanneer jy siek is, of so besig is dat jy maaltye oorslaan. Dis ’n wanopvatting dat jy elke soort vitamien en mineraal in die aanbevole daaglikse dosis nodig het.Die liggaam kom trouens maklik reg met die wisselende vlakke van voedingstowwe wat dit deur die loop van die dag inkry. Boonop hou die liggaam ’n voorraad van amper alle soorte voedingstowwe in reserwe – insluitend vitamien C. Aanvullings werk vinnig. As jy dus danksy ’n tekort aan vitamiene of minerale (veral yster) nie lekker voel nie, sal jy waarskynlik binne ’n paar dae beter voel as jy dit vir ’n rukkie gebruik.
Is dit beter om aanvullings soggens of saans te drink? En behoort dit saam met of sonder kos geneem te word? Die meeste aanvullings word nie behoorlik op ’n nugter maag geabsorbeer nie en moet dus saam met kos geneem word. Dis nie belangrik hoe laat jy aanvullings drink nie, solank dit naby etenstyd is. Die nadeel van aanvullings net voor slaaptyd is dat dit dikwels ure ná jou laaste maaltyd is. Soggens is gewoonlik ’n goeie tyd, mits jy ’n gesonde ontbyt geniet. Yster-aanvullings werk baie meer doeltreffend as jy dit met ’n glas lemoensap afsluk. Moenie tegelyk groot dosisse kalsium-aanvullings gebruik en kos eet wat ryk is aan yster nie, aangesien kalsium die liggaam se absorpsievlak vir minerale versadig en nie plek laat vir yster nie. Dit kan gebeur dat mense wat kalsium-aanvullings gebruik ’n ystertekort ontwikkel.
Kalsium word die beste geabsorbeer wanneer dit in kombinasie met magnesium gebruik word. En aangesien kalsium ’n natuurlike kalmeermiddel is, is dit raadsaam om dit voor slapenstyd te drink om ’n goeie nagrus te verseker.

That's it for June 2007!

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Newsletter May 2007

I must admit, the reaction to the new format newsletter has been a bit of a mixed bag. Most people welcomed the change. The reaction to the offer for a free website though, was a total non-event.
I thought offering something for free would get some sort of reaction, but it seems that people are maybe a bit suspect of freebies or maybe I overestimated the readers’ need to have their own website. Even for free.
Oh well, I tried. If anybody still maybe wants to see the website in action, come and see me. It is a lot of fun.
So the Super 14 was won by the Sharks in 80 minutes of spectacular rugby.
The other guys won it back in 2 minutes of spectacular tactical robbery. That is all I’m going to say about that.
While on the subject of spectacular rugby, I believe Her Majesty, the Queen has announced that the last Saturday in May will in future be a British National day of Mourning.
Well done boys. You almost made up for the Twikenham Humiliation

So wat gebeur op die Suidkus behalwe rugby, nog rugby en die een en ander koue frontjie wat ons laat gryp na truie en daardie tweede kortbroek?
Vertel my. Ek dink ons grootste problem op die Suidkus (seker maar enige plekkie onder Thabo se son) is die absolute verval van die basiese dinge wat mens elke dag mee saam leef. Dinge soos kragonderbrekings, reuse gate in ons paaie, onbekostigbare brandstof om ons onbekostigbare voertuie se onbekostigbare bande te verwoes op die onherstelbare plaaslike dorps-roetes op pad om onbekostigbare kruideniersware aan te koop om die onversadigbare honger mee te stil. Wow! Daar is te veel on-woorde in daardie paragraaf. Dis onvergeeflik. Dis egter ook onmoontlik om die verval te ignoreer.
Wat doen ons? Ons aanvaar elke nuwe wet en elke nuwe verval en elke nuwe verskoning en elke nuwe afbreek van ons waardes met onverstaanbare gemak.
As ‘n bokser genoeg houe geabsorbeer het, het hy twee keuses; Val of Veg. Dit is in elk geval ‘n ingebore en geskape liggaamlike funksie; Adrenalien, afgeskei deur die by-nier, maak ons gereed vir die sogenaamde “Veg of Vlug” reaksie. (Dis die ‘hol-kol’ op jou maag as jy jou gwar afskrik.) Dalk is dit nou tyd vir liters Adrenalien in ons dorp, land en streek. Kies asseblief tog net reg tussen die twee reaksies!

Ok. Back from the parade ground;
I must say, I have always been a sucker for gadgets, hi-tech goodies, and new stuff. So tonight, for the first time, I am sitting, writing this, next to my pool (yes I know it is cold and I am dressed accordingly), it is quiet and the night-life of insects and little froggies and crickets are slowly waking up (in between the sounds of cars hitting the potholes in Bank street). Yes, I have gone mobile. Laptop. Now you will never be rid of me. I can now sit and write on the top tier of King’s Park if I want to, at the foot of Cleft Peak in the Drakensberg, on the launching beach at Paternoster on the West Coast, in New York (I wish). Anywhere! Whoopee!

Before we get to the health section, may I please take this opportunity to express my sincere appreciation to everybody reading this newsletter. You are either a account customer, a cash customer, a visitor to the coast, a visitor to one of my websites, a subscriber to my mailing list, or just a casual shopper who took the challenge to read this far. Either way, you have somehow influenced my life and my wish is that I can somehow have some sort of positive effect on yours.
Keeping you healthy
Let us look at a couple of interesting news items from the world of Health and Beauty.

Coffee may fight gout

High uric acid levels in the blood are a precursor of gout, the most common inflammatory arthritis in adult men. It is believed that coffee and tea consumption may affect uric acid levels but only one study has been conducted to date.

A new large-scale study published in the June 2007 issue of Arthritis Care & Research examined the relationship between coffee, tea, caffeine intake, and uric acid levels and found that coffee consumption is associated with lower uric acid levels but that this appears to be due to components other than caffeine.

Coffee is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world. Because of this widespread consumption, its potential effects have important implications for public and individual health.

Coffee shuns uric acid
The results suggested that levels of uric acid in the blood significantly decreased with increasing coffee intake, but not with tea intake. In addition, there was no association between total caffeine intake from beverages and uric acid levels. These results were similar to those found in the only previous study on the topic, which was conducted in Japan. Interestingly, there was an association between decaffeinated coffee consumption and uric acid levels. "
These findings suggest that components of coffee other than caffeine contribute to the observed inverse association between coffee intake and uric acid levels. A recent study found that coffee was associated with lower C peptide levels (a marker of insulin levels). The researchers in the current study suggest that because there is a strong relationship between insulin resistance and elevated uric acid levels, the decreased insulin levels associated with coffee consumption may lead to lower uric acid levels.
Coffee is also a major source of chlorogenic acid, a strong antioxidant, which may improve insulin sensitivity. Chlorogenic acid also helps inhibit glucose absorption in the intestine. The researchers note further that their results could be due to an effect of non-caffeine components found in coffee, which would also explain why coffee affected uric acid levels but tea did not.
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Clues to ringing in the ears:

The ringing or buzzing in the ears known as Tinnitus varies among patients according to the condition's clinical characteristics. People with tinnitus have ringing, buzzing or whistling sounds in one or both ears. The condition, which can be due to a medical disease or unknown causes, can be constant or intermittent, chronic or acute.
According to the researchers, more than 8 percent of patients rated their condition as grade I (weak degree of tinnitus loudness), close to 60 percent as grade II (medium degree of loudness), and just over 32 percent as grade III (strong degree of loudness).
In terms of annoyance with tinnitus, about 39 percent said they were mildly distressed, nearly 24 percent said they severely distressed, and about 13 percent were most severely distressed.

Loudness tied to annoyanceMost of the people with grade I conditions reported mild tinnitus distress, those with grade II were split, and about two-thirds of people with grade III conditions had severe or very severe distress. The findings indicated a moderate correlation between tinnitus loudness and annoyance, the researchers said.

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Green tea may soothe bladder inflammatory conditions.
Green tea may help protect against bladder inflammation, a new study suggests. It was discovered that Catechins found in green tea protected both normal and cancerous bladder cells from inflammation. Although further studies are needed, the results indicate herbal supplements from green tea could be a treatment option for various bladder conditions that are caused by injury or inflammation. In a laboratory study normal and cancerous bladder cells were exposed to two major catechin components of green tea - and then exposed the cells to hydrogen peroxide.
Hydrogen peroxide normally damages or kills cells, but the two major catechin component offered significant protection to the cells. The concentrations of the two kinds of catechins were at levels that can be obtained through normal dietary intake!
Conclusion: If you are prone to bladder conditions, go to Mac Banana and buy some quality Eve’s Jasmine Green Tea . However, if you suffer from Gout, get yourself a Plunger and go buy some good quality coffee beans at Beaver Creek Coffee Estate. If you don’t have time for shopping, just sit back and listen to the noises in your middle-ear.
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PeeCee is proud to announce the launch of the next exciting products in our range of
Luxury Personal Indulgence:

Nourishing Hand & Body Cream
This exciting new cream is a must for dry skin, it is a must for any skin! Pamper yourself with the moisturising effect of a ph-buffered aqueous cream as a base, enhanced with the essential oils of Lavender and Jasmine.
It contains the richness of Avocado Oil. Although it is classed as a vegetable oil, the avocado is really a fruit since it has a stone - but none-the-less; it yields a rich and extremely deep penetrating oil, rich in vitamins A, D and E, lecithin, as well as potassium - known as the youth mineral.
It furthermore contains proteins, lecithin, beta-carotene and more than twenty percent essential unsaturated fatty acids. The fatty acids contained are palmitic, palmitoleic, stearic, oleic, linoleic and linolenic.

Benefits of avocado oil to the skin
It is high in sterolins, which are reputed to reduce age spots, help heel sun damage and scars. It is the sterolins (also called plant steroids) in the oil that helps to soften the skin and imparts a superior moisturizing effect.
For this reason it is an ideal ingredient to include when formulating for people with dehydrated, sun or climate damaged skin, as it is an extremely good moisturizing and nourishing compound, assisting in the regeneration and rejuvenation of the skin.
It was found that avocado oil significantly increases the amount of collagen in the skin - which normally is under attack as we grow older.
Avocado oil is easily absorbed into deep tissue, and with its wonderfully emollient properties, makes it ideal for mature skins. It also helps to relieve the dryness and itching of psoriasis and eczema.
Try this luxurious cream and enjoy freedom from itchy, winter skin.

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Newsletter April 2007

‘n Verandering is so goed soos ‘n vakansie!
Na amper tien jaar het die nuusbrief nou uiteindelik verander. Die hele formaat is anders, en al het ek hoe lank geskop teen die kommersieële aanwending van die nuusbrief, het ons nou finaal besluit om op ‘n beperkte basis wel bemarking te gebruik om te help dra aan die koste van die publikasie.

Yes the new format newsletter will have on the last page, a few selected commercials, which will help to carry the cost of the production. The letter will also be four half pages which translates to double the size of the old format.

Hierdie advertensies sal altyd aan die leser die voordeel van ‘n besparing op ‘n aktuele produk bied sowel as die doel dien dat die firma(s) betrokke, sal bydra tot die koste van die brief.

That out of the way, it is time to get to the business of doing newsletters. While writing this, Sri Lanka is trying to outflank New Zeeland and get a decent score on a nice batting track. Only time will tell. I think the relevance of today’s match will only hit us after (I refuse to phrase it as “if”) we have won the Hopping Kangaroos tomorrow. By the time you read this we will know who has won the final! If the post office is any slower we might even know who won the Super 14 final!
We sure saw a couple of very good matches during this cricket world cup. It will also be remembered not only for the Woolmer-case but also for the three coaches (so far) that made their exit due to poor performance. The money game knows no mercy! “Win or cheers”. It was a case of going from hero to zero in one tournament for some of them.

Wat die rugby aan betref, mmmhhh. Weet nie so mooi nie. Dinge is half deurmekaar op die oomblik. Jy wen die top span net om die volgende week geklap te word deur ‘n baie swakker span. Vir so ‘n opwindende maand van sport resepteer ek eintlik geweldig min kalmeermiddels en anti-depressante. Dalk doen die vloeistof-apteek beter met sy Vintage! Solank iemand of iets net die pyn verdoof en die volk se senuwees rustig hou is ek dankbaar.

What’s in a name?
And so now it will be Durban and Cape Town’s turn to have name changes forced down their throats. Some of the street names in Cape Town have been in use for hundreds of years. Even the resident ghosts will now get lost. In Durban they want to honor people who actually killed loads of people during the struggle! I can imagine how it will feel to drive down xxxx street knowing that Mr xxxx killed your father. Talk about a one way street – out of there I suppose.

Terwyl ons by die naam kwessie stilstaan, net so vinnige kwinkslag:
Bykans elke dorp of stad en stat het mos nou al ‘n Mandelarylaan. Hulle reken as jy die Man uithaal is dit nog maar steeds net Delarylaan.
Aangesien ek nie meer my nuusbrief op die internet gaan publiseer nie, kan ek nou baie makliker in Afrikaans ook kommunikeer. Die nuusbrief op die internet word nou vervang met ‘n Weblog op ‘n nuwe webruimte. Sien later vir meer besonderhede.
Selfs jy, die leser, kan binnekort jou eie webruimte besit – deur my ruimte. GRATIS.
Lees voort. Dis die waarheid. En jy kan hom bedryf in suiwer Afrikaans. GRATIS.

Keeping you healthy

What is Syndrome X?
The term “Syndrome X” refers to a collection of metabolic abnormalities that put patients at greater risk of stroke and coronary artery disease. The condition is characterised by elevated levels of cholesterol as well as triglycerides, higher incidence of obesity and insulin resistance.
Insulin is the hormone excreted by the Pancreas in reaction to the elevated presence of carbohydrate (sugar) in the circulation following the intake of food. The purpose of the hormone is to facilitate the transport of sugars (in its elementary form as Glucose) from the blood, to where it is needed for the processes that will create energy and sustain life. These sites are the cells of the muscles, the brain, organs, etc. When a person becomes Insulin Resistant, it means that the body is not as receptive to the effect of Insulin and as a result, more and more Insulin is excreted in order to reduce the amount of glucose in the blood. It becomes a vicious circle and ultimately Adult Onset Diabetes Mellitus results.
It's estimated that about 8 million adults in the South Africa have Syndrome X, which is often overlooked by doctors. A non-pharmacologic treatment for these patients is sometimes needed, since certain drugs prescribed to lower blood pressure have occasionally been shown to actually worsen carbohydrate and lipid metabolism in Syndrome X patients, negating the beneficial effects of those drugs.
Working off weight helps
Overweight people with Syndrome X who exercised and lost weight had a 47 percent reduction in insulin overproduction, a condition called hyper-insulinaemia.
Patients who exercised but didn't lose weight had a 27 percent reduction.
The patients who achieved the greatest weight loss showed the most significant improvements in abnormal insulin responses.
In the last five years there has been an increased appreciation that hyper-insulinaemia is an independent risk factor for mortality, and that it can even be seen as a marker or mechanism underlying this increased risk.
Studies highlight the importance of lifestyle modifications such as exercise and weight loss, which have no adverse effects on the cardiovascular system and do not interact with any drugs.
Why wait? To have us check your BP and Total Cholesterol and Blood Sugar will cost about the same as a bottle of Vintage. No, not the Rubicon Sir, I mean only about R60! In fact, it is the same price as a medium sized sympathy card. Get the drift?

Die Psige van Gewig Beheer
Hoë bloeddruk, beroerte, hartsiektes en diabetes. Die meeste mense wat oorgewig is, is inderwaarheid terdeë bewus van hierdie gesondheidsrisiko's en -gevare wat met oorgewig gepaardgaan. Hulle weet ook presies wat die regte dinge is om te doen om gewig te verloor.
Gewigsverliesprogramme en diëte sou eenvoudige en suksesvolle oplossings gewees het indien oorgewig slegs 'n kwessie van te veel eet was. Maar hoekom sukkel so baie mense om gewig te verloor?
Sielkundige faktore speel 'n belangrike rolDaar is geweldig baie mense wat nie al die al die faktore wat tot oorgewig lei ondersoek nie. Almal weet dat ongesonde eetpatrone en 'n onaktiewe leefstyl beslis oorsake is, maar baie mense ignoreer die belangrike rol wat sielkundige faktore kan speel.
Baie mense eet te veel in 'n poging om spanning, stres of 'n emosie beter te hanteer. Ons kan byvoorbeeld probeer om stres te elimineer deur oormatig te eet. Ons etery help ons nie om stres doeltreffender te hanteer nie, maar dit bied diep gegronde vertroosting. Ongelukkig is dit 'n duur prys om te betaal. Dié vorm van stresverligting lei dikwels tot skuldgevoelens. Só ontwikkel dan 'n bose kringloop van spanning, eet, skuldgevoelens, meer spanning en nog meer eet.
Om gewig te verloor en die laer gewig permanent te handhaaf, is besonder moeilik omdat mense geprogrammeer is om vir oorlewing te eet. Eet verskaf kitsbevrediging, terwyl gewigsverlies 'n lang en stadige proses is.
Moenie uitstel nie. Ons is nie sielkundiges nie maar ons kan jou vet persentasie en jou Body Mass Index bepaal en sinvol oor ‘n gesonde dieet en paslike program gesels. Gesondheid is belangriker as skaamheid. Reg?

So what is the story with this free website?

If you are not into the cyber-stuff, then please skip this entire section and move on to the bottom of the last page where you will find some good and necessary merchandise at amazing prices. Please support this campaign. (Only on the hardcopy version. - ed)

But if you are by now ever so slightly intrigued and want to know more, let me elaborate some.
It is not always possible to offer people something for free, so this is truly exciting!
A lot of people would (secretly) love to have their own website. Somewhere where they can fiddle and publish, tweak and create, change and republish, and in general, be creative. Become a writer! Isn’t it true?
Up to now that was either too expensive, or you needed to be a nuclear scientist to understand or operate it.
Own and operate your own personalized website!Now we have the ability to own a website with amazing features and to operate it is so easy. Even I can do it.

What can you do with this site? Firstly, you can invite people to become members, and then you can start a forum on your favorite topic or sport or passion or hobby and keep an active discussion going with your members. Alternatively, use it as a medium to discuss matters with family – like email but without ever receiving the uninvited offers to enlarge certain body parts!

Secondly, start a blog (web log) or diary. This is where you post your thoughts and invoke conversation. Invite your members to become authors, let them publish their own stories on your blog, then invite comment from whoever else reads it and ultimately it becomes a whole community, sharing ideas and eventually it grows into an active piece of reference where everybody can gain and share information and advice.

Thirdly, create your own electronic photo album. Here, everybody can share their favorite moments with the group. Ideal for loved ones overseas or that long lost cousin twice removed living in the Outback. Share in his admiration for overweight retired Australian Spin Bowlers.
A picture says a thousand words remember?

As well as; own your own little shop on the internet!
“Wife’s been making those cute little pillows for years” and by now every family member and most neighbors have enough of them lying around? Your home is saturated with ‘em? Heish, take leetle peecture, post it to your Pillow Shop on your website, and if your website is active enough with your blog and your diary and your photo album all going like crazy, you might just discover that there is a huge market out there for those cute little things she’s b’n makin’!
People might want them and they will buy it from you. Quite possibly. There are, in true fact, people out there, selling a variety of goodies in enormous volumes; just by doing the right things on their websites. And I will show you. And you will be grateful. And you will thank me. And I will be happy.

Any more details and I will scare everybody away. Interested? Please contact me. I will explain. The system will be up and running within the month of May. This is a truly remarkable opportunity. And it is GRATIS! Free!

Your web address will be something like: www.johnbrown.peecee.net or www.pillows&things.peecee.net or www.flyfishing.peecee.net or www.golfrules.peecee.net etc.
Let your imagination take you places! Set it free.


Gratis Web ruimte

Soos ek vroeër reeds genoem het, jy kan selfs kies om jou web ruimte in Afrikaans te doen. Alhoewel die internet terme meestal in Engels is, kan jy verkies dat die medium vir kommunikasie Afrikaans is en bly.

Hierdie is ‘n semi affiliasie sisteem wat beteken daar is skakels op jou ruimte wat die leser neem na ‘n ander kommersieële web ruimte waar hy of sy dan items kan aankoop, totaal onverwant aan die tema van jou web ruimte. Die kersie op die koek is egter dat jy, deur niks te doen nie, affiliasie fooie (of kommissie) verdien van omtrent 16% op enige iets wat die koper aanskaf, direk vanaf die ander web ruimte. Jy weet nie eers van die transaksie nie. Niemand gaan ryk word uit so stelsel nie maar elke sent verdien sonder om iets te doen daarvoor is ‘n absolute bargain! EN jy kry jou web blad gratis as gevolg daarvan.

Die hele stelsel word deur jouself gemoniteer en beheer. Soos hierbo genoem; hoe besiger jou web ruimte, hoe meer besoeke is daar, hoe groter is die kans om iets te verkoop in jou eie aanlyn winkel of om affiliasie fooie te verdien deur ander ruimtes se verkope. Klink te goed om waar te wees?
Kom traai my! Ek wag.

Thursday, March 29, 2007

Newsletter March 2007

Life is a Bicycle Ride
But before we click into the pedals, allow me to express my sincere shock at recent events like the tidal conditions that ravaged our coastline, and to everybody that suffered some sort of loss due to that, my condolences.
I am obviously as shocked as anybody else about the whole Woolmer issue and the implications thereof for professional sport. The world has gone money-crazy. Or just plain crazy! Period.
Then it is with palpable amazement that we saw Shaun Pollock went for 8 runs per over against our friends from down under. And the Sharks – “oh my goodness Doll, what went wông”?
As they say in the classics, ‘Winning isn’t everything. It is the only bloody thing’.

Which brings me to the topic; Life is a Bicycle Ride. “Huhh?”
Firstly, some (boring) background facts, necessary to create the analogy between a bicycle race and the true essence of life, life itself. It is also necessary to inform the reader of some of the more subtle nuances of the sport which will become evident when the comparison is made.
What is the purpose of competitive cycling? To win of cause. Yeah, I hear you say, when someone like myself competes in a big cycle race, who will I be winning? I will be winning thousands of other recreational but competitive cyclists and in turn will be beaten by thousands other and better cyclists. I will be racing against my own watch. To better our time, to better our position, to better our national seeding; those are the things that drive us.
How do you do this? You use other people. Yes, just like that. And you do not even have to ask permission. As one of the famous Sporting Equipment companies says; ‘Just do it’.
How? You ride with a fast group and you make use of the collective slipstream of say thirty or more fast moving cyclists. It more or less sucks you in and drags you along. It is called ‘Drafting’. This way you can conserve enough energy to see you through a tough race. All you need to do is be alert, (crashes, sometimes major, do happen), and try not to be dropped from this group (called a Peleton) on the hills. If you can stick with a fast group, suffer on the hills and sit tight in the flat and downhill areas, you can achieve excellent times. But as I said, be alert. You can also lose contact with the peleton if you are only watching the one or two persons immediately in front of you because they can in fact be losing ground and if you are not awake, you might suddenly find yourself in a little slower group of three cyclists with a awful gap of fifty meters to the main group. To catch them without the effect of drafting takes a tremendous effort.
Now that you have some of the background, the following sequence of events will make a bit more sense.
During the very recent Cape Argus Cycle Tour in Cape Town, the very same type of scenario happened to me and after the immense pain it caused me; I made the comparison mentioned earlier.

After the normal hectic start, the first climb out of the CBD caused the muscles to burn prematurely as everybody in the starting group jostled for a comfortable position in the peleton. From the top of the hill, going down into (aptly named) Hospital Bend, we passed a huge pile-up of tangled bicycles and cyclists lying on the road surface. Ambulances, choppers, emergency vehicles, officials screaming, marshals directing us through the carnage of more than twenty cyclists that crashed. Off we were over the next hill, but everybody subconsciously slowed down just a tad due to a certain sense of apprehension. This passed within five minutes and we were screaming through Muizenberg, Vishoek, and on to Smitswinkel, the first real tester of a hill. By now we were all more or less tucked into positions picked with great care.
Now, Freddy Mercury (late) from the band Queen (former) wrote two very apt songs, namely ‘Fat Bottomed Girls’ and ‘Bicycle Race’. So, I was positioned behind one of those girls in one of his races. Behind her for no reason other than the slightly wider slip stream she offered. She, lets call her Big Mama, in turn, was directly behind a very skinny fellow with big calf muscles and a very fancy and expensive bicycle. I suppose she thought that he will slice through the air? Who knows.
I got real comfortable just sitting there, getting pulled along and looking at nothing but the rear wheel of Big Mama’s bicycle. By now we have topped the hill and were heading into a slight headwind going towards Kommetjie on a long flat(ish) stretch. That is where it happened. I looked up, jerked out of my trance by the lack of noise so reminiscent of a huge peleton going at speed. It must have been a couple of minutes before I realised that something was amiss. Skinny lost contact with the peleton. We were now three solitary cyclists fifty meters behind the main group, and rapidly losing more ground. Sore Legs Naudé, Big Mama, and Skinny. I pulled out of Mama’s slipstream and rolled up to Skinny. “You lost them” I panted. (“You incompetent little Twit” I wanted to say.) “Help me catch them”. “Please” And I put the hammer down and started the worst fifteen minutes of the entire race. After only about two minutes I glanced back and they were not on my wheel! They were ten meters behind. “Come please” I begged, hoping that we can alternate the front position to maintain speed and conserve energy. Not today though. Mama is trying her best but without the peleton, she is just not able to keep up. Skinny, my friend Skinny, has discovered a new comfort zone behind Mama’s slightly enlarged frame. He is now drafting and nothing is going to pry him out of that spot. He is floating on air, getting propelled by the wind breaking abilities of someone not even closely on the same level of fitness that he is. But it is nice.
And that, is the story of life itself.
Let’s be honest, we all want to succeed in life, beat the Jones’s, better our ‘Life Seeding’, excel, win. Early in life you realise that you probably cannot do it all by yourself. You need people. You need partners. Team members. A peleton. All you have to do is make use of their collective momentum, expertise, knowledge, conserve your assets, and if it lasts and you can remain prominent in this society, you will have enough energy and abilities and the necessary means to make a final dash for the winning line and take the honours.
But you always get the like of Skinny and Mama. She tried but was not equipped. He lost contact with his group, labelled himself as a failure and immediately went into a new comfort zone. You get them in life and no amount of begging can get them to help you. They are what today’s youngsters refer to as losers. Learn from this analogue; If they are not contributing to your race through life and, most importantly, if they do not want your help, better leave them behind. They will always find a Big Mama to comfort them and lead them. They will also eventually reach the same finish line, albeit somewhat later. That is inevitable in life. As they say, ‘Life is a Terminal Disease – nobody gets out alive’. Some just ends better than others, but then again, some are happy to have a lower life-speed-seeding than others. The beauty lies in the fact that we are all so different yet we are all riding in the same Bicycle Race called LIFE. Make the most of it, make use of the collective drafting of your family, friends, colleagues, and when you finally make your sprint with energy conserved with their help, remember to thank them in your heart when you take the honours.
What happened with the rest of the race? I left the two of them behind, burnt up unnecessary energy and fuel to try and catch the peleton, and after fifteen minutes of pain could not get closer than an agonising twenty meters. I had to slow down and wait for the next big group from behind to preserve whatever energy I had left. They arrived soon after that and I managed to finish in that group in a respectable time. At the end, I lost almost twenty minutes to the initial group. And Skinny? I saw him finish by sheer luck (there are thousands of cyclists) – he was just ten minutes behind me. Without Mama. What happened to her I do not know. I hope she finished well because she tried so hard.
Last lesson? If you get thumped on the nose and you cannot keep up with your peers, make the necessary adjustments, reorganize, work hard and you will win old Skinny. If only just. And remember, comfort zones are never permanent. Greetings from the saddle,
Pieter & Renette Naudé.

Newsletter February 2007

Not a Heat Wave.
This was according to the SA Weather Bureau on the 7th of February. They also “promised” cooler weather. They also could not foresee any real danger to the Mozambican coastline due to the summer cyclone season.
I’m beginning to trust them as much as the Department of Health.
“Did I say that your Honour?”

Question: If you saw a heat wave, would you wave back?
OK. Yes it has been slightly warmer than expected. And why would three air conditioners decide to pack up in a relative short period of time, right in the middle of a supposedly non existing heat wave? I do not know the answer to these and other questions but what I do know is that this type of excessive heat combined with the high humidity experienced lately, is quite dangerous. Yes, not only is there a high discomfort index involved, there is actually a high risk index as well.
Apart from running out of beer halfway through the next Sharks game, there is a very real threat of Dehydration, Heat injury, Heat fatigue, and with those, the very dangerous possibility of Over-Hydration due to the wrong advice and subsequent incorrect ways to treat or prevent Heat related conditions.
So in the midst of this slight heat ripple (ala SA Weather), let me elaborate a bit on the body’s ways to handle or sometimes not handle such heat.

Core Temperature:
The body's dominant forms of heat loss in a hot environment are radiation and evaporation. However, when air temperature exceeds 35°C, radiation of heat from the body ceases and evaporation becomes the only means of heat loss. Evaporation is maximally efficient in a dry environment. If humidity reaches 100%, evaporation of sweat is no longer possible and the body loses its ability to dissipate heat. Now, to cool down, it becomes dependant on electric aids like fans and air conditioners, or riding on the back of a very fast and very tough Ford Bantam, or cycling downhill all day. If these are not available, your core temperature will gradually increase, dependant on the level of activity, until it reaches dangerous levels.
If one tries to keep your level of activity as low as possible, seek out cooler areas, and rehydrate correctly, the core temperature will not readily go to dangerous levels.

Dehydration:
Sweating is the way in which the body maintains its core temperature at 37 degrees centigrade. This also results in the loss of body fluid and electrolytes (minerals such as chloride, calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium) and if unchecked will lead to dehydration and eventually circulatory collapse and heat stroke. The progressive effect of fluid and electrolyte loss on the body is as follows:
% body weight lost as sweat & the physiological effect:
2% - Impaired performance
4% - Capacity for muscular work declines
5% - Heat exhaustion
7% - Hallucinations
10% - Circulatory collapse and heat stroke
Electrolytes serve three general functions in the body: Many are essential minerals, they control movement of water between body compartments, and they help maintain the acid-base balance required for normal cellular activities. A liter of sweat typically contains 0.02g Calcium, 0.05g Magnesium, 1.15g Sodium, 0.23g Potassium and 1.48g Chloride. This composition will vary from person to person.
Elderly persons are at increased risk for heat-related problems because of underlying illness, medication use, declining adaptive thermoregulatory mechanisms, poor access to air-conditioning. Neonates have an increased risk of heat-related illness because of poorly developed thermoregulatory mechanisms and inability to make behavioural adjustments.
Chemical items that may affect the ability to regulate temperature are amongst others; Beta-blockers, Certain cold & flu medications, Diuretics, Ethanol, Antihistamines, Certain older antidepressants, Aspirin (regular use), etc.
Rehydration is the replenishment of water and electrolytes lost through dehydration. It can be performed by oral rehydration therapy (drinking an electrolyte solution) or by intravenous therapy (adding fluid and electrolytes directly into the blood stream).
As oral rehydration is less painful, less invasive, less expensive, and easier to provide, it is the treatment of choice for mild dehydration. Because severe dehydration can rapidly cause permanent injury or even death, intravenous rehydration is the ultimate treatment of choice for that condition.
Drinking plain water causes bloating, suppresses thirst and could lead to over hydration. It is a poor choice where high fluid intake is required. Water contains no carbohydrates or electrolytes.
Concerns about the potential risks of Over-hydration and consequential hyponatraemia (low blood sodium levels) for endurance athletes have been raised in several quarters following the death of a female runner during the 2002 Boston marathon.
The athlete, who died of hyponatraemic encephalopathy (swelling of the brain caused by severely reduced blood sodium), had reportedly ingested excessive amounts of fluids before, and during the race.
Hyponatraemia results from an abnormally low concentration of sodium in blood plasma. A sustained decrease in plasma sodium concentration disrupts the osmotic balance across the blood-brain barrier, leading to a rapid influx of water into the brain. This, in turn, leads to swelling of the brain, which can progress to confusion, seizure, coma and even death.
Various factors can lead to a fall in sodium concentration, including loss of sodium in sweat and decreased sodium intake. But the rapid intake of large quantities of fluids, which effectively dilutes the blood, appears to be the major cause of dangerous reductions.

Now that I have your attention, what am I trying to say? Only that when nature turns tough, our frailty becomes very evident. Temperature goes up, humidity goes way up, lawn needs a trim, out you go with your old army-issue green metal water bottle strapped to your locally made leather belt, filled with the goodness of H2O. Under the fig tree, there is the regulation Coleman cooler, filled with more water and lots of ice.
For two hours you toil away, all the time feeling thirsty and sweating like the proverbial Hog. Dizziness starts to bother you every time you take the sharp left turn around the bed of Malva parviflora,, nothing much, must be the new beta blocker you started last week. At the next turn, you will allow yourself ten minutes and enjoy a cold beer or two.
One hour later, the headache hits you. Extreme thirst! Drink more water. Take two, no, take three aspirins for the bloody headache!
You are in trouble. You went from high core temperature to hyponatraemia via dehydration and because of the wrong rehydration.
Making no sense?
In brief, and in conclusion:
Nothing wrong with mowing the lawn. Wrong time of the year / day though.
Nothing wrong with alcoholic refreshments. But not when you are already severely dehydrated.
Nothing wrong with drinking water. But it has NO ELECTROLYTES!
Drink the right stuff! Rehydrate with either a good sports drink, or even some rehydration preparations sold as conjunctive treatment for severe gastro-enteritis. Or contact me for a cheap homemade emergency recipe.
Most importantly, know your body and how much heat it can handle; know how much your body loses through perspiration.
We have less than a month for this heat to make way for the wonderful autumn weather we know so well and can only dream of at this moment.
Enough of the clammy stuff. Greetings from the pool,
Pieter & Renette Naudé Will be in Cape Town for the middle two weeks of March. Hopefully cooler down there! Keep healthy and hydrated! See soon.

Monday, January 29, 2007

Newsletter January 2007

“Listen to your Mother” must rank amongst the most frequently used pieces of instructive conversation anybody heard in their lifetime. How many times did you hear that phrase? What has she actually taught you?

Mothers taught us RELIGION; "You’d better pray that will come out of the carpet."
Mothers taught us about TIME TRAVEL; "If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle of next week!"
Mothers taught us FORESIGHT; "Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident."
Mothers taught us about BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION; "Stop acting like your father!"
Mothers taught us GENETICS; "You're just like your father."
Mothers taught us about JUSTICE "One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you!"
But the most important thing she taught anyone of us is; “Wash your filthy hands before you touch anything.”

And that will be the theme for this newsletter: Contamination. I am going to inform you, to shock you, to wake you up. I don’t often do informative newsletters but this is very necessary and I will fail in my professional capacity if I do not share this with you.

Here goes.

The Six Common Household Items With the Most Germs
Germs in the home can show up where you least expect them, even if you diligently try to keep your home clean. Despite good efforts by most to keep their homes germ free, over 65 percent of colds, 50 percent of all cases of diarrhoea, and 50 percent to 80 percent of food-borne illnesses are caught in the home and common household items are often to blame.

So what is the most germ-ridden room in your house? It's not the bathroom--it's the kitchen. In fact, there could be up to 200 times more fecal bacteria on your kitchen cutting board than on your toilet seat. This is likely because people regularly disinfect their bathroom while kitchen items may be overlooked. (Wow you really needed to know that, don’t you?) (Hope you are not eating at the moment)

The following household items are commonly overlooked sources of contaminants that can easily be kept clean with a little elbow grease.

1. Kitchen Sponges and Rags:

The moist environment of sponges and rags is an ideal place for bacteria to flourish. Wiping your counters or dishes with a dirty sponge will only transfer the bacteria from one item to another.
Replace kitchen sponges and rags often. Ideally, this should be about once a week. Allow them to dry out between uses. Most bacteria can only survive a few hours on dry surfaces. Make sure that you remove all organic material from the sponge or rag before you leave it to dry.
Disinfect sponges regularly by putting them in the dishwasher. Rags should be washed in the washing machine and then dried on high heat. You can also sterilize sponges in the microwave. A dry sponge can be sterilized in the microwave in 30 seconds, a wet sponge in 60.

2. Cutting Boards:

The cracks and crevices in your cutting board provide plenty of space for bacteria to grow. Be careful of cross contamination. If you use your cutting board for raw meat or fish, be sure to sanitize it thoroughly before chopping vegetables! To clean the board, first hand-wash it using hot water and dish detergent to remove any food particles. You can then use an approved antiseptic surface spray and wipe dry with absorbent tissue.

3. Kitchen Surfaces

Kitchen countertops can still harbor germs even if they look clean. This is especially true if you've "cleaned" them with a dirty sponge or rag. The kitchen tap and handle is an often-overlooked source of potentially harmful bacteria.

4. Sink Drains

The drains in both your kitchen sink and bathtub provide yet another moist environment that bacteria love. Use baking soda and an old toothbrush to get rid of stains, grit and grime around drains. Disinfect drains regularly as you would any other surface.

5. Doorknobs

Bacteria can easily accumulate on doorknobs and other handles such as the particularly problematic refrigerator handle. Anyone can transfer bacteria from their hand to a doorknob, and these bacteria can cause illness, especially if the person is sick, doesn't wash their hands after going to the bathroom, or has touched raw food. When you touch the doorknob you may also pick up the bacteria, which can then enter your body if you touch your eyes, nose or mouth. Wash your hands frequently, even if they don't look dirty, but be careful not to overdo it. If you wash your hands too frequently, the fatty acids in your skin will be depleted, which leaves you susceptible to open wounds and sores that actually increase the risk of infection. Antibacterial soaps are completely unnecessary, and they cause far more harm than good. It would be wise to identify a simple chemical-free soap that you can switch your family to. Treat doorknobs and the refrigerator handle regularly with a good antiseptic surface spray.

6. Toothbrushes:

It's important to replace your toothbrush every three months not only because of bacterial accumulation but also due to bristle wear. Replace your toothbrush after you've had an infectious illness to avoid coming in contact with any lingering bacteria.

I'd like to mention that I don't recommend going through your home on an antibacterial cleaning frenzy. Doing so will disrupt the balance of bacteria in your home, wiping out both good and bad varieties, which could pave the way for harmful bacteria. You are better off using antibacterial/disinfectant cleaners on an item-by-item basis rather than as an all-purpose cleaner. Also be aware of the ingredients in commercial cleaners as many contain harsh chemicals that can be harmful to your health. Speak to us.

Germs are Easily Transferred From Everyday Objects To Hands

A new study has found everyday objects such as telephones and kitchen taps can transfer high levels of potentially dangerous bacteria to the hands. And from the hands, bacteria often end up on the lips. In one of the studies, the researchers looked at coliform bacteria, including fecal coliforms, on the palms of volunteers' hands after making dinner, cleaning the house, doing laundry, using a public restroom, petting a dog or a cat, or returning home from elementary school. The volunteers' hands were disinfected before the activity. Surprisingly, they found that people had the least amount of microorganisms on their hands after leaving a public restroom, while people had the most after making a meal. After making a meal, cleaning the house ranked next with transferring the most bacteria, next came petting a dog or a cat (dogs transmitted the most germs of the two) (However cuddly they may be, cats and dogs can bring a multitude of germs into your home. If your cat walks on the kitchen work surfaces make sure you clean them thoroughly before preparing food. Cats and dogs have also been found to be a source of salmonella!), then came returning home from school, then doing the laundry (because of handling underwear), and finally using a public restroom.

Some statistics:

Squeezing out a sponge transferred between 100,000 to a million organisms to the hands!
If somebody in the house is sick the toilet should be disinfected every time they use it. A typical trip to the loo can create up to 100 billion potentially disease causing organisms some of which end up in the air and on the toilet after flushing - even if the lid's put down.
When they added the mix of organisms to volunteers' fingertips, they found that 35% to 40% were transferred to the mouth. This is a dose large enough to cause infection with organisms that cause colds and diarrhea.

So what am I saying? “Listen to your Mother”: Wash your hands! And pay attention to contaminated surfaces in your environment without getting paranoid or obsessive or compulsive or plain hooked on washing!

What kind of germs are we talking about here? Well, anything, but commonly the most prevalent ones are those causing Food borne Diseases like Viral Gastroenteritis like Rotavirus, Bacterial Gastroenteritis like the Salmonellosis, Influenza, Colds, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Arthritis, Kidney Failure, and many more.

To prevent harmful bacteria from growing in food, always:

· Refrigerate foods promptly. If you let prepared food stand at room temperature for more than 2 hours, it may not be safe to eat. Set your refrigerator correctly.

· Cook food to the appropriate temperature Foods are properly cooked only when they are heated long enough and at a high enough temperature to kill the harmful bacteria that cause illness.

· Prevent cross-contamination. Bacteria can spread from one food product to another throughout the kitchen and can get onto cutting boards, knives, sponges, and countertops. Keep raw meat, poultry, seafood, and their juices away from other foods that are ready to eat.

· Handle food properly. Always wash your hands before touching food and after using the bathroom, changing diapers, or handling pets, as well as after handling raw meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, or eggs.

· Clean surfaces well before preparing food on them.

·Keep cold food cold and hot food hot.

· Maintain hot cooked food at 60°C or higher.

· Reheat cooked food to at least 75°C. Refrigerate or freeze perishables, prepared food, and leftovers within two hours.

· Never defrost food on the kitchen counter. Use the refrigerator, cold running water, or the microwave oven.

· Never let food marinate at room temperature; refrigerate it.

· Divide large amounts of leftovers into small, shallow containers for quick cooling in the refrigerator.

· Remove the stuffing from poultry and other meats immediately and refrigerate it in a separate container.

· Do not pack the refrigerator. Cool air must circulate to keep food safe.

So why am I going on and on about disinfecting and cleaning and wiping and drying and hygiene and germs and what not?

Whoever was present during the past holiday season saw the desperation and suffering of these poor souls from far away that came here to relax and get some well deserved rest.

They got the dreaded Gastro instead. They could not relax (especially certain sphincter muscles), they could not rest (they had to stand in line with hundreds other victims to share overcrowded public bathrooms or wait patiently at the local pharmacy for some form of help).

What caused the outbreak? Nobody really knows, I don’t think there was enough time for any healthcare staff anywhere to run detailed microbiological diagnostics; everybody were just trying to plug holes (pun intended). What caused the condition to become so big and almost out of control? Let me tell you: Everything that you have read so far in this edition was ignored at some stage by someone and those individual cases blended into a panic-stricken sea of disease. Whole families were affected; whole buildings were affected, the whole coastal area became a quagmire of diarrhoea, vomiting, dehydration, spasms, fever, and total misery.

Were you part of this? Were you affected? I seem to think that the locals were immunological better prepared or maybe we were more confined to our own areas and did not share the public places with as many people as did the holiday makers. Whatever the reasons, I did not see many local people affected as bad as some of the visitors.

People were blaming the tap water, they were blaming the lagoons, and they were blaming the restaurants, the air that we breathe. They blamed the locals, the locals blamed them, they blamed the doctor’s surgeries, the hospitals, even the municipalities were implied, and all that was in fact wrong was they didn’t wash their hands! They didn’t listen to Mother.

Here is the bottom line: When you are near another human being, follow these rules, called the Naudé Paranoid Hand Rules:

When this other person approaches you, sneak a quick glance in the general direction of their hands.

If this other person is busy with some activity like preparing food, serving drinks, cleaning; sneak a longer glance in the direction of their hands. If this other person is attempting to touch you or indicating by way of gestures that you are about to be touched, take a long hard stare at their hands.

Why?

One reason only; look at the hands and ask yourself these simple questions: “Where were those hands just now? What did they touch? What are under those nails? From where did those fingers recently emerge?

Then follow those hands and see what and where they touch.

Be scared. Be very scared.

That is enough of the scary stuff.

Maybe on second thoughts, time for a quick commercial - seeing that it is now almost commonplace to do that; my manufacturing business called PeeCee has launched a product called PeeCee Protection Spray, born out of fear and frustration during the Gastro Epidemic. It is an extremely effective antiseptic surface spray. Pity it only came out off the development stage right at the end of the season, it could have saved a lot of people a lot of misery. We supplied a group of sports people in a bus with a couple of bottles of spray when they had 5 or 6 people already sick. They sprayed the grips and common surfaces in the bus and nobody else became sick during the remainder of their tour!

At the same time the germ spread like wildfire through even upmarket residential blocks.

We supplied a lot of people during those last weeks of the holiday season, and we obviously used the product liberally in the pharmacy where hundreds of people handled prescriptions, money, handbags, towels and what else on a daily basis.

We sprayed the counters, the toilets, the door handles, the cash drawers and on top of that we washed our hands every 2 hours. Result? During the entire 4 weeks, through contact with all those affected people, we had NO incidence of Gastro amongst my staff! Am I getting through to you now?

This situation can easily repeat itself in the future. Will you be prepared?

Wow, this was a long one. Wet of the Press (pun NOT intended).

Greetings and a show of clean hands,

Pieter and Renette Naudé