Yogic Practice of Digestive System Cleansing

An intestinal system which is permanently overloaded and blocked brings about adverse, disagreeable and dampening consequences on a person’s life. If you suffer, or have previously suffered from constipation, then there is no need to convince you of its negative repercussions.

Yogic practice of cleansing the digestive system is an excellent, yet simple, method of encouraging a good bowel movement, and for generally washing out the intestines.

This technique is mentioned in many of the old yogic texts. It is such a wonderful technique that it is surprising that it has not been adopted more widely throughout the world. To the best of our knowledge, it is the only systematic, sure and gentle method of thoroughly cleaning the entire digestive system.

PROCESS

This practice involves drinking salt water. The technique is not intended to act in the same way as laxatives. Though laxatives empty the system, they do so forcibly and cause excessive irritation. Laxatives do not scrub the whole digestive tract as thoroughly as this moderate yogic method.

The key parts of the practice involve drinking salt water, performing a series of specific yoga asanas and resting.

After completion of the practice you will be given to eat special food, followed by taking more rest at home. The special food is absolutely necessary to gently and effectively relubricate the whole digestive tract. This food will also be given to you to eat at home for supper (bring tupperware!).

REQUIREMENTS

• The complete practice takes one day, which includes 3-4 hours of the actual cleansing process, and the remainder of the time is for rest. If you cannot spare a day where you can have a quiet day, we suggest that you wait until you have the time available.
• Food restrictions will apply for 1 week after the practice. You should avoid the following foods: chemically processed, synthetic, pungent, acidic, non-vegetarian foods, alcohol, cigarettes, tea, coffee, soft drinks, any acidic fruits such as lemons, oranges, pineapple, etc. We will give you recipes of suitable food that is easy to prepare for the following week.

BENEFITS

• Purifies the whole body and improves the condition and health of the entire organism. There is no medicine or method (apart from prolonged fast) that can clean the small and large intestines so thoroughly as this practice.
• Many diseases are directly or indirectly caused by accumulation of toxic waste matter in the intestines. This practice helps to expel all impurities from the digestive tract and thereby helps to purify the blood system. This can result in a wonderful and noticeable improvement in general health, as well as helping to remove specific ailments. In particular, it has been found useful for the treatment of diabetes, hyperacidity, constipation, indigestion, other digestive maladies and many other ailments associated with impure blood such as bad complexion and excessive occurrence of pimples.
• From personal experience of our other practitioners, the practice has also assisted in weight loss, improved eyesight, reduced food cravings (caffeine, sugar, salt).
• Those people who feel healthy can also do the practice, for they can improve their health, making them feel lighter, more cheerful and exhilarated with life. Moreover, it will help to make their mind sharper.
• It is also a very important practice for those people who intend to perform intensive yogic techniques for higher awareness, as purifying the body helps greatly to make the mind and body more receptive to higher vibrations.

For all booking and further information contact Zivile: C 072 192 4084, E ssy.sandton@gmail.com

Johannesburg. 28 November 2011. During COP17 this week, the South African Breweries Limited (SAB), along with other leading South African corporations, will critically examine the challenge of climate change and how business can make a meaningful impact.

SAB believes that while COP17 is an important dialogue, policy makers should focus on adaption to climate change. “In many parts of the world, the impact of climate change is already visible. Responsible and proactive companies must therefore be thinking about how to adapt to these climate impacts. In South Africa, water scarcity is one of the most critical impacts,” says Andre Fourie, SAB Head Sustainable Development.

Water as an area of climate adaption in the Southern African region and key actions required to develop an integrated and shared approach to water resource management, will headline a session titled: Business response to climate variability in Southern Africa: focus on adaption and water stewardship by leading corporations; co-hosted by SAB, WWF and Nedbank, on Thursday, 1 December 2011.

SAB will contribute its experience and work, in particular around water management, to the session, and hopes to gain further from the key learnings of other corporations prioritising the mitigation of and adaption to climate change.

SAB has opted for a holistic approach to climate change, which recognises both mitigation and adaption interventions. “We understand that while it is important to eliminate and reduce the causes of climate change, it is also equally important to reduce vulnerability and increase resilience to the inevitable impacts through adaption, in particular the threat of water scarcity,” says Andre Fourie, SAB Head Sustainable Development.

SAB sees sustainability as fundamental to business success and two of the organsation’s ten sustainable development priorities relating directly to climate change and adaption. These are: Reducing energy and carbon footprint and Making more beer using less water. “Aside from its broader economic and societal impacts, climate change could directly affect many aspects of SAB’s business in the coming years, including the availability of water and crops – essential inputs in the brewing process,” says Fourie.

The company’s climate change strategy goes beyond energy efficiency and switching to renewable energy sources. It focuses on how SAB can help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across the entire value chain in relation to packaging, manufacturing, transport and refrigeration.

In terms of reducing energy and carbon footprints, SAB has made a commitment to:

· Minimise the impact of energy constraints on operations, customers and consumers through practical, proactive and strategic interventions

· Meeting Eskom and government’s reduction targets within the set timeframes and where possible, exceeding the minimum required savings

· Educating and empowering people to become energy-conserving champions

· Adopting energy saving measures and reporting savings achieved transparently and timeously

· Ensuring that energy saving initiatives are in line with existing sustainable development objectives

SAB recently announced that it had reduced its annual electricity consumption throughout its breweries by a total of 17%, well above the initial targeted electricity reduction of 10%.

SAB’s reduced consumption equates to just over 1%, or approximately 115 million kilowatt hours, of Eskom’s total required savings of 9 Terawatt hours. The company is now working towards a global SABMiller target to build onto its electricity consumption achievement and is aiming to reduce carbon emissions from onsite energy use by 50% per hectolitre of beer by 2020.

SAB also proactively engages with relevant authorities on a regional and national basis to reduce the impact of electricity consumption on the business.

Because climate change will have an impact on the availability of water, SAB consistently reengineers the business to be water efficient as a climate adaption effort.

The company is one of the first to undertake a comprehensive water footprinting exercise, which revealed that more than 90% of the water footprint of a bottle of beer is found in the agricultural supply chain. SAB therefore works with farmers who supply the company with barley and hops on initiatives to help reduce water usage. SAB is working with the WWF and GIZ (the German technical company) in the Water Futures Partnership, focusing on the George area which is both under water pressure and the only part of the country where hops is grown commercially.

SAB’s water strategy is based on 5 R’s – pRotect, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and in the value chain. The strategy focuses on four key areas:

In the brewery – using less water to make more beer and manage effluent standards

In the supply chain – working with suppliers and farmers to identify water risks and options to reduce water use across the supply chain

In communities – identifying community projects that will help provide safe and sustainable drinking water to communities

Water governance – keeping water on SAB’s strategic and risk agenda, mobilizing employees to save water, engaging with government on policy issues and delivering on the Water Futures Partnership

Good progress has already been made with SAB having improved its water efficiency by 8% over the past two years to an average of 4.1 litres of water per litre of beer produced. Work is being done to reduce this further by approximately 13% to 3.6 by 2015.

Long term water assessments of all its breweries have been undertaken and SAB has a comprehensive understanding of the risks it faces over the next ten years.

SAB’s ten sustainable development priorities:

1. Making more beer using less water

2. Discouraging irresponsible drinking

3. Reducing energy and carbon footprints

4. Reducing the weight of packaging, reusing bottles and encouraging recycling

5. Working towards zero waste operations

6. Building supply chains that reflect the company’s values and commitment

7. Benefiting communities

8. Contributing the reduction of HIV/Aids

9. Respecting human rights

10. Transparency in reporting the company’s progress

]]> http://www.healthsense.co.za/business-takes-a-critical-look-at-climate-change-challenges/feed/ 0 http://www.healthsense.co.za/are-matrics-ready-for-the-exams/ http://www.healthsense.co.za/are-matrics-ready-for-the-exams/#comments Sat, 29 Oct 2011 11:41:43 +0000 http://www.healthsense.co.za/?p=437 Matrics face numerous challenges during their final exams but a balanced diet is one way they can make sure they perform at their best.

There are 512 029 full-time and 108 237 private candidates registered for exams which started this week. But are these students mentally ready? According to Claudine Ryan, registered dietician (SA) for Compass Group Southern Africa, a strong memory depends on the health and vitality of the brain.

“The brain weighs only 2% of body weight and it contains more than a 100 billion brain cells, which uses up to 20% of body’s energy,” she says.  “Glucose is the brain’s main energy source. Vitamins, minerals, amino acids and fatty acids also play a role in optimal brain function.  Not eating enough nutritious foods, especially during exam time may compromise the grades.”

What you eat doesn’t only feed your body, but also your hungry brain. The following tips will help students to have a sharp mind during the exam time:

• Have breakfast. Studies show that students who have breakfast have improved memory function and concentration when compared to those who skip breakfast.  Have low glycemic index (GI) carbohydrates that will ensure the brain has a continuous supply of glucose. Try low GI toasted bread with mozzarella cheese or peanut butter, low GI cereals with low fat milk, fruit salad and lower fat yoghurt or a fruit smoothie
• Grab a snack. Refueling every 3 -4 hours is crucial to keep blood sugar and energy levels steady. Plan to have study breaks and have a healthy snack ready. Whole wheat tuna low GI sandwich, popcorn, fruit, lower fat yoghurt or oatmeal biscuits are good snacks to boost energy level
• Slow on sugar. Sweets and drinks that contain lots of sugar will only boost your energy levels for a short time and then leave you fatigued and drained. Rather have fresh fruit, (fruit salad) lower fat yoghurt and nuts and raisins instead of sweets and cold drinks
• Drink enough. It is extremely important to drink sufficient amounts of fluids during exam time to ensure your body is fully hydrated. Dehydration may lead to fatigue, headaches and a lack of concentration. Aim for at least 6 glasses of water per day. Other suitable fluids include rooibos tea, homemade ice teas, goats milk and diluted fruit juice
• Don’t depend on caffeine. Limit yourself to two cups of coffee per day or opt for decaffeinated coffee instead. Too much caffeine may lead to restlessness, irritability, anxiety and stress – the last thing you need when trying to concentrate and study.
• Include some ‘brain foods’

Omega 3 fatty acids assist in conveying messages between brain cells. A lack of Omega 3’s is linked to learning disabilities, low intelligence, poor concentration and depression. Good food sources include salmon, tuna, avocado, nuts and flax seed oil.

Many of the B vitamins enhance brain function and memory. Good examples include: sweet potato which also supplies low GI carbohydrates and kidney beans which assists in the synthesis of Choline which improves memory. Choline is also naturally found in eggs.

Zinc is a memory mineral and deficiencies lead to faulty memory. Good sources to include during exams are beef, fish, ginger, beans and peas.

Iron deficiency shortens attention span and slows brain function. Good food sources are: Organ meat, beef, fortified cereals and fortified breads.

The best food during exams is a balanced diet that includes ‘brain foods’ rather than focusing on individual food items.  The following brain boosting smoothie recipe is recommended:

• 1 x banana
• ½ cup of fresh or frozen blueberries
• 50 ml lower fat vanilla yoghurt
• 100 ml apple juice
• Handful of crushed nuts

Do not forget to exercise and get at least eight hours sleep a night.

The South African Medical Journal (SAMJ) will be publishing new Clinical Practice Recommendations for the treatment of Chronic Myelogenous Leukaemia (CML) in November 2011. Designed to help standardise the diagnosis and management of CML, the recommendations have been welcomed by experts as a way of ensuring healthcare providers and medical aid case managers are up-to-date regarding the latest generation of targeted therapies.

“Scientific advancements have significantly increased the survival rates of CML patients in the last five to 10 years and we need to make sure we keep everyone abreast of these exciting developments,” explains Professor Vernon Louw, Head of the Clinical Haematology Unit in the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of the Free State and lead author of the new recommendations.

A particularly aggressive form of blood cancer, CML represents nearly 15% of all leukaemias, affecting around 2 out of 100 000 people each year across the world[1], It is no longer the death sentence it once was, and most patients achieve excellent responses with dramatic improvements in survival. “Exciting new therapies offer patients a range of treatments, enabling many with the condition to live long, healthy lives,” Professor Louw enthuses.

Foremost among the therapies offering patients renewed hope are targeted molecular drugs and stem cell transplants. “Contemporary treatments, such as targeted therapies and stem cell transplantation, have dramatically improved patient survival rates,” confirms Professor Louw. “In the case of CML, for example, 85% of patients now survive more than eight years on treatment.”

New therapies have changed everything

“Targeted therapies, which focus on the cancer cells at a molecular level, have changed everything,” Professor Louw maintains. “These breakthrough drugs can kill off cancerous cells in a matter of months, compared to the years taken by traditional chemotherapy. The average time for a newly diagnosed patient to get to a haematological remission is now just one month.”

Not only do these new therapies work much faster than traditional chemotherapy, their side effects are far less severe. Instead of indiscriminately destroying all rapidly dividing cells, good and bad, they mainly disrupt the functioning of cancerous cells. “In fact, one of the challenges is that patients tend to feel so much better that they stop taking the therapy , as they think that they are cured which leads to resistance developing,” observes Professor Louw.

Second generation targeted therapies have been developed that are even swifter and more precise in attacking cancer cells. “Two second generation TKIs (Tyrosine-Kinase Inhibitors) have been tested in Phase III clinical trials,” reports Professor Louw.”

Helping healthcare providers and medical aids

The imminent availability of these second generation targeted therapies prompted Professor Louw and his colleagues to draft the updated recommendations. “The only downside to these rapid therapeutic developments is that it can prove difficult for healthcare providers and medical aid schemes to keep up,” he explains. “Our hope is that these new recommendations will help prevent the misdiagnosis and mismanagement of CML patients.”

Two areas Professor Louw highlights in particular are patient monitoring and the management of side effects. “Monitoring is critical because disease outcome is directly related to making the right dose adjustments according to response levels that need to be reached within very specific time periods,” he explains, “and healthcare providers need to act quickly, otherwise the patient can become very resistant to treatment.”

It’s a similar situation regarding potential side effects. “There are a number of these and most are easy to manage, but, if it doesn’t happen correctly, patients stop their treatment or their doctors take them off the medication and all of the benefits are lost,” explains Professor Louw.

The professor and his colleagues also hope that medical aid case managers will adopt the new recommendations and work them into their protocols. “There appears to be a lack of understanding of the efficacies of these new targeted therapies,” he notes, “and we hope the new recommendations will help medical aids establish where they fit into the treatment paradigm.”

Helping patients to access new therapies

Urging all interested parties to get hold of the new recommendations and follow them, Professor Louw concludes with a reminder that, as a result of the rapid developments in targeted therapies, there are numerous clinical trials running currently that could help patients.

“Just about every unit in the country is running some form of clinical trial and this can be a great way of helping your patients to solve funding issues or to get access to new therapies that might otherwise only be available in other countries at the moment,” he advises. “A great place to start is the clinicaltrials.gov website, which has a database of all registered trials worldwide.”

Only 3% of provincial health departments received clean audit reports from the auditor general in 2009/2010, including the North West Province and Western Cape.

Speaking at the Hospital Association of South Africa (HASA) conference in Cape Town, van den Heever said the Green Paper maintains the political model of appointing people to supervisory structures such as regulators, councils, boards and service delivery functions in the public health sector.

“The compromised governance structures of medical schemes are also not discussed,” added van den Heever. “Serious conflicts of interest between trustees, administrators and brokers are retained.”

He said performance failures in the South African health system in both the public and private sectors stem from a failure in governance and supervisory structures.

“In Gauteng six babies die at a public hospital, yet no one is held accountable,” he said.  “In the Eastern Cape serious patient abuse in maternity wards is identified, but no further action taken.”

Van den Heever said the problem was that performance requirements were not linked to sanctions, information was not used to hold organisations to account and procurement processes had been captured by politically connected individuals across most provinces.

“There is an absence of targets for health outcomes so that the public can hold someone accountable for adverse outcomes,” he said.  “When there is little chance of suffering consequences, people take bigger risks.“

Also worrying was the introduction of the Protection of Information Bill which would “make it easy for public institutions, including health institutions to bury and hide information.”

Van den Heever pointed out that evidence of poor governance would manifest in poor health outcomes, citing that there is a close relationship between levels of corruption and health outcomes.

“Why does South Africa have one of the highest maternal mortality rates, despite spending more on healthcare than other countries?” he asks.  “One of the big concerns is that the Green Paper lacks a co-herent diagnostic analysis as to why our health system is failing; nor does it address accountability within the healthcare system.”

He said in the public sector, regulators needed to be politically neutral and impartial and community participation with localised supervisory structures encouraged.

“Both the public and private sectors governance requirements are the same, but the mechanisms are different,” he added.“Reversing these failures in accountability will only be achieved by ruthlessly exposing corruption and implementing complete accountability frameworks in both the public and private healthcare sectors.”

The Newest E-Book From Good In Bed Guides Available October 1

Anyone who has been diagnosed with cancer knows that there is an endless amount of information available about different types of cancer, symptoms, tests, treatments, side effects and even how cancer can affect sexual performance.  What you may not find is information on how you can overcome post-cancer side effects and be on your way to heightened intimacy and mind-blowing sex—that is, until now.

“Sexy Ever After: Intimacy Post-Cancer” offers a healthy understanding of the impact cancer has on your ability to be intimate and show you that it is possible to enjoy sex again, despite the obstacles.   Finally, the millions of men and women who have been searching for answers and information about their post-cancer love lives have a resource.

The truth is that the majority of individuals impacted by cancer are frustrated with his or her sex life.  Recent studies show that 40-100 percent of men and women who have been treated for cancer have experienced some level of sexual dysfunction.  Furthermore, a study conducted by the Patty Brisben Foundation for Women’s Sexual Health shows that 95 percent of young survivors of breast cancer have indicated that cancer has adversely affected their sexuality.

“Sexy Ever After: Intimacy Post-Cancer” will help you reinvigorate your sex life after a cancer diagnosis and/or treatment by helping you redefine sex.  This book explores:

• The most common types of cancer for both men and women and how these particular cancers and treatments affect intimacy after cancer
• Common symptoms experienced by men and women and step-by-step instructions on how to manage them
• Tips for living your best life with your partner, both in and out of the bedroom
• Questions to ask your doctors, specialists, partners and yourself

Available at Amazon Kindle, Apple iBooks, Barnes & Noble NOOK, Kobo and goodinbed.com, readers can download “Sexy Ever After: Intimacy Post-Cancer” to their computer or e-reading device of their choice beginning October 1, 2011.

Johannesburg, 04 May, 2011: With access to basic and affordable health services still a challenge for many South Africans, MTN SA today announced the launch of MTN CareConnect in South Africa. Together with its alliance partner, Sanlam, it will roll-out its first healthcare offering – a nurses’ advisory line that will assist the public with everyday health queries – in the East Rand during May.

Designed to offer a professional nurse-assisted service for any day-to-day health-related enquiries from the general public, MTN CareConnect aims to make basic healthcare guidance about ailments such as stomach aches, fevers, potential poisoning and general parenting tips related to children’s health, among others, available to all South Africans.

“MTN CareConnect will empower South Africans by giving them access to health information when dealing with healthcare issues,” says Serame Taukobong, chief marketing officer of MTN SA. “With its independently operated call centre, callers can easily tap into the knowledge of qualified health professionals facilitated by Sanlam, as well as its extensive medical database.”

While public health services dominate 82% of health services in South Africa, only 18% are catered for by private health services.  “The reality is that healthcare services are costly. Yet, even when just simple health-related education is required, many South Africans don’t feel they are in a position to call on these services as consultation fees remain high.

“By making our extensive health care knowledge and expertise available through the broad MTN channels, we are confident that the public will be better informed about vital health education and information – at a fraction of the price,” explains Grant Newton, CEO of Sanlam Health.

Immediate assistance on health symptoms; general health information; drug and medicine databases; poison information and stress management services will be readily accessible via the nurses’ advisory line. And, to ensure accessibility for all, nursing professionals will be on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week on 083 903 4690, in all eleven official languages and at a charge of R5.00 per minute.

“Then, based on the health situation described by the caller, the nurses will either provide relevant health education and information, suggest the patient visits a medical facility, or route the call to the emergency services and assist with facilitating the dispatch of an ambulance, should that be necessary,” explains Newton.

And, while MTN CareConnect will provide access to qualified healthcare counsel, it will also foster a more informed, educated and healthier consumer who knows how to deal with basic ailments without having to leave the home.

“We will by no means be attempting to replace any health services; we will merely provide alternatives to consumers unsure of the severity of their health query and hopefully alleviate the stress of smaller complaints on an already overloaded healthcare system,” states Taukobong.

Currently in its pilot phase, MTN CareConnect will be rolled out in a staged approach, starting with Daveyton and Etwatwa in the East Rand. A national roll out is planned towards the end of the year.  The first of its services will include the nurses’ advisory line. Thereafter, a maternity programme, high blood pressure programme, and an electronic screening tool will be added to its services.  Looking to the future, MTN is exploring further mobile health services that include high demand ailments such as HIV, TB, diabetes and malaria.

Graham Anderson

Graham Anderson, principal officer of Profmed, has been appointed to the Board of Healthcare Funders (BHF) task team that will address the proposed National Health Insurance (NHI) on behalf of the industry.

“The idea of the task team is to see how medical schemes and administrators can work with the Ministry of health and add expertise that will facilitate the smoother introduction of the NHI,” says Anderson. “I have some reservations about the cost in the current document, and am hoping that the white paper will provide more clarity on this.”

At the present time, the only document that has been formally submitted is an ANC document proposing the NHI. The industry is awaiting further information before commenting or advising. “As we understand, a white paper will go into greater detail on the proposal,” says Anderson. “It’s important to understand that the current document has been issued by the ANC and is not an official government document.”

The medical scheme and administration industry has an enormous amount of input to offer on the NHI in terms of the administrative capabilities they already have in place. On the other hand, Anderson has some concerns about government’s stated intention of administering the NHI in its entirety.

“Government doesn’t have a good track record of administrating such funds,” he says. “You have only to look at what’s happened with the Workmen’s Compensation Fund and the Road Accident Fund, which are badly administered and frequently on the brink of bankruptcy.”

In addition to concerns about the administrative capabilities of government, there are two other points contained in the NHI proposal document that Anderson finds troubling. The first is that it will treat every South African free of charge at any point of service – a system that he says hasn’t proven successful anywhere in the world. The second is that it relies on social solidarity with every citizen paying tax according to their ability.

“There are around 50 million people in South Africa, and around five million of those are paying 89% of the tax,” explains Anderson. “To fund the NHI, the tax burden for individuals will increase by 8% of their income. Self-employed people will be responsible for this in full, and those who are employed by companies will pay 4% out of their own pockets while their employers will cover the other 4%.”

The implications of this on the broader medical industry are also alarming. South Africans are already extremely highly taxed and the very people who will be providing the medical services will have to pay even higher taxes to fund the system. This could start a new wave of emigrations among those who have the vital medical skills that the country needs most. This additional tax burden will negatively affect the country’s growth expectancy by about 2% per year.

Anderson says that he supports the concept of a national health scheme that funds only indigent or low-income individuals that could be funded from the tax base without increasing the burden on the tax-paying minority. He says the entire industry is “waiting with bated breath for the white paper that will clarify a number of issues” on a matter that has implications for the entire nation.

“If the NHI is done correctly, it has the potential to benefit those South Africans who do not have access to decent affordable healthcare, but without due consideration, it could be crippling to the industry and the economy,” he says. “We are looking forward to giving input on the official white paper when it is released by government.”