For many of us, our morning begins with a trip to the kitchen counter to turn on the coffee maker. Maybe you have it preset to five minutes before your alarm, the smell of freshly brewed beans stimulating your senses as you crawl out of bed. Or maybe you crave the triple-quadruple whatever at the
The squat The squat is one of the best exercises to work your bum. Begin by standing with your feet hip-distance apart, toes slightly turned out. Keeping your chest up bend your knees and lower yourself down as far as you can go, prefereably so your hips are in line with your knees. Make sure
As you probably know firsthand, women – particularly mothers – tend to be especially empathetic to those around us. It’s a wonderful trait that comes in handy when, say, your child’s feelings are hurt or your spouse has to vent about his job. You listen, show your concern and do your best to help cheer them
Love your fizzy drink? Think again. A growing body of research suggests a link between sugary soda consumption and diabetes, hypertension, liver disease, gout and some types of cancer. According to the American Heart Association soft drinks and other sugar-sweetened beverages are the primary source of added sugars in Americans’ diet. This comes as little
Yoga is growing in popularity around the world. Latest estimates suggest that 15.8 million Americans and half a million Britons regularly practice yoga. Yet in South Africa, teachers claim that despite yoga becoming more mainstream, many South Africans are reluctant to try it out because of a few persistent myths. So what are some of the
Relaxation, visiting a spa and having a make-over have largely been in the domain of women for a long time. Men are slowly catching up: visiting an ozone sauna, having a massage or even getting a manicure. Nevertheless, the concepts of relaxation and wellness often mean different things to men and women. “Wellness was long regarded as
With record levels of student stress reported in a recent UCLA survey, can a simple stress-reducing meditation technique be a viable solution? A new study published in the Journal of Instructional Psychology found the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique significantly decreased psychological distress in public school students. The study, conducted with at-risk minority secondary school students, showed a 36 percent reduction in overall
Indoor potplants bring literal life to a sterile room and what’s even better – they’re proven natural air pollution filters. Studies by Nasa, no less, have shown that indoor plants improve air quality by helping reduce concentrations of toxins like benzene, formaldehyde and ammonia. Some plants are better at this than others though. These species are good options —
President Jacob Zuma’s call on the SABS to speed up the standardisation of traditional medicines has met with resistance from the South African Medical Association (Sama). Sama said on this was the task of the Medicines Control Council (MCC) – not the SA Bureau of Standards (SABS). Zuma said earlier in the day he would
Water is an essential nutrient for life and is considered the ideal drink to quench thirst and ensure hydration. But what should our total daily fluid intake be? In healthy adults, fluid intake is regulated by thirst. Water is an essential nutrient for life and is considered the ideal drink to quench thirst and ensure hydration. Ironically,