BeWELL

'Superfoods are foods that deliver more: more nutrients, energy and healing' ' Peter and Beryn Daniel Superfoods are nutrient rich foods considered to be especially beneficial for health and well-being. Ancient civilisations used these 'gifts of nature' for healing and nourishing the human body and modern research is showing us the healing ability of these super foods.

Cut out sugar with these sugar free alternatives. Here are our top 5 picks.

'Nature itself is the best physician' - Hippocrates Next time you can't sleep at night, turn to your grocery cupboard instead of your medicine cupboard. For thousands of years, herbs have been used for their healing qualities and scientists are finally starting to substantiate their abilities to alleviate arthritis pain, reduce high blood sugar and cholesterol, and help with many day-to-day conditions.

If going on a special diet seems like deprivation, you might want to try a light form of detox by adding a few supplements and lifestyle innovations that help keep your body running optimally.

Natural Health tips from the College of Natural Health

We are very proud to introduce LifeStraw^' as one of the offerings at Wellness Warehouse and are especially proud of the way they combine business with social responsibility. LifeStraw^' is a range of water filtration products from Verstergaard, a Swiss-based company committed to improving water quality for health and wellbeing. They make sure that every time anyone buys a LifeStraw^' water filter a child in Africa will receive clean water for an entire school year.  

Optimise the way your body functions by making sure you get enough of 4 key vitamins. We look at Magnesium, Iron, Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D; where you can find them and the benefits of supplementing.

Being in control of your diabetes is no easy task. It requires an immense amount of discipline to pull off - especially if you have a sweet tooth. We talk to Nicholas Caracandas, head coach and owner of City Bowl Fitness, about how he's managed to master his diabetes through diet and exercise first. Nick refers to the 'triangle of control' which means controlling diabetes with diet and exercise before medication.

Over the last couple months I have written about the elements in your 'inner universe' that play a role in creating your outer reality. Last month I focused on the idea of reverse engineering your inner beliefs, values and emotions by proactively starting with 'the end in mind', choosing the kind of results and life you actually want.

Inflammation is the body's way of responding to harmful stimuli, but what happens when we expose our bodies to too much harmful stimuli? Dr Yesheen Singh explains.  

Boundless energy boosts your mood and gives you impetus to achieve everything you need to do. Choose to have a life filled with energy by implementing high energy tips into your daily routine. 

Viridian is a big-hearted company, committed to creating a nutritional supplement range with integrity, quality and innovation. The company was founded in 1999 on two fundamental principles; to develop a range of supplements with the highest possible ethical standards and to generate significant funds for children's and environmental charities.

Most people are familiar with homeopathic remedies, but what you might not realise is that it's far more than a few remedies, it's a whole system of health

Winter fuels the temptation for comfort food while cold and rainy conditions make it harder to get out and exercise. It's no wonder we usually pack on a few after months of cold weather. Counteract the trials of winter with metabolism-boosting tips to keep your body in top shape. Here are a few quick tips you can use before summer comes along. 

 

It's been three years since I was living a cancer nightmare. It took ten months and a fortune of money for the many doctors to finally figure out that my agonising symptoms were Hodgkin's Lymphoma. During this time I had a new baby, a stage 3B diagnosis and a prognosis of only a few weeks to live. There is nothing that can prepare you for the C-word - even less as a new parent, where you seemingly have everything to live for after welcoming the light of your life into the world. 

It is said that our longest journey in life is about 25cm. This is the approximate distance from the Head to the Heart. It might be just a few centimetres but for some it can take a lifetime to get there. Healing our bodies, our emotions, our relationships with others and ourselves, and repairing destructive belief systems can be filled with obstacles and inconsistent results. Why? Jayshree Mannie sheds some light. 

When it comes to love, the best person for you to love is yourself ' and that means nurturing yourself too. Look after your health and you'll be able to live a fuller life. We look at heart healthy behaviours that'll ensure you're up for a lot of loving.

With end of year exams looming, it's time to set up a study routine that ensures the best marks possible.  The key is not only hitting those books, but good nutrition, lots of sleep and a good dose of 'down time'.  Here's our top tips to help you get through those long nights and stressful days more effectively.

Considerable debate surrounds the relevance of our material bodies, and much of this is quite contradictory. Many times you hear phrases like 'beauty is only skin deep' or 'don't be so superficial,' and there is often good reason for these clich's. But follow another train of thought, and you find statements like: 'at 19 you have the face you were born with, by 50 you have the face you deserve.'

A bloated tummy can be the result of many different things. A meal you eat may not agree with you. Your digestion might be compromised by stress or heightened emotions. From taking herbs to practicing yoga moves or acupressure, here are some things you can do to relieve boatedness.

Your values are powerful influencers when creating your reality. 'Values' are the things that are important to us and that have worth.

Stories of long trading journeys to the East have given spices a romantic and exotic allure. Meals with secret blends of spices have been known to seduce kings and rulers into policies that shape history. In India, kitchens are filled with whole spices, tea is spiced even breakfast is spiced, anytime of the day you can smell mustard seeds popping in hot oil or cardamom sizzling on a skillet.

Dieting has always been a hot topic but lately there's been a huge movement converting to the low-carb diet option. With any dietary programme one needs to look at long-term sustainability. Many of them promise to revolutionise the way we interact with food and offer multiple benefits to our health and wellbeing. But is this the case?

Ayurveda (pronounced I-your-vay-da) is a five thousand year old system of natural healing. It originates from the Vedic culture of India. Tibetan medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine as well as early Greek medicine all use concepts taken from Ayurveda. Ayurveda uses a therapeutic model that allows individuals a deeper understanding of their individual temperament.

 

Boost your wellness by implementing simple wellness practices into your life. Try out these 3 smart tips to increase energy, balance your pH and relieve joint pain. Let us know if you have any smart tips you want to share by emailing [email protected]

From the forests of Burma to the rest of the world

The spring has officially sprung. If your first line of defence in avoiding colds and flu is usually taking vitamin C, studies suggest you're on the right track. Vitamin C has been shown to reduce the length of the common cold and its nasty symptoms by almost a quarter. But if you think that's all there is to know about vitamin C, you'd be wrong.

This month we asked three wellness experts for their advice on common men's health problems. A dietitian, psychologist and yoga teacher and lifestyle coach weigh in on problems in the bedroom, stress, and easing into cutting down on sugar.

 

How we breathe is a reflection of how much life we allow into our lives, and how we engage with the creative energies that flow through and around us.

We know we're stressed, but do we really understand the massive impact of stress on our life?

Tea-totalling in December might be a bit unrealistic for some but wasting a day nursing a hangover is such a waste. We suggest being totally prepared for a possible bout of excess and weathering it with as little consequence as possible. Here are some of the ways you can come off unscarred.

Follow a programme to self examine your body, see what needs improving, do some health checks and take empowering proactive steps that unleash a whole new level of health and abundant energy.

Retief Sevenster, our cover model was chosen for the incredible work he is doing with recovering addicts. Having been exhaustively challenged by addiction issues, Retief found his way to total recovery. Not only that, he is now actively engaged in helping others through a combination of methods including yoga, breathwork, sound harmonics, mindfulness and meditation. For nine and a half years, he has been addiction free without any relapse incidences. This is his story.

Buchu is generally considered South Africa's most valuable medicinal plant. Here's why it's great for your health.

Smoking is apparently one of the hardest habits to quit. Drug counselors will tell you it is more addictive than a hard drug like heroin. There are a hundred reasons to stop smoking and practically none to continue. Reason, however, doesn't really come into it; smoking is compulsive. Once you have made the decision to stop, all you have to deal with is letting go of the cravings and balancing your serotonin. Resolve to let smoking go with a bit of guidance and some natural tips.

Imagine a healthcare system that takes you as an individual fully into account. One of the fathers of modern medicine, Hippocrates said, 'It is more important to know what sort of person has the disease, than to know what sort of disease a person has.' Somehow this type of thinking has gotten lost in today's medicine.

Natural interventions through face mapping for better skin and a healthier body

Have you ever felt a moment of blind panic when your breathing comes in quick, hard gasps, your stomach clenches or does an alarming loop-de-loop, your palms become sweaty and your heart sounds intensely loud? If it's not a reaction to seeing the love of your life, it could be a panic attack.

There's no need for anxiety if you find yourself alone this Valentine's Day

We look at 4 types of napping to get you through the day'

What if there was a magical pill that took away all your reservations about social intimacy, one that removed all thoughts of self-doubt and self-deprecation? A pill that helped you open your heart to the world around you and let more love into yours? Imagine if you could have these benefits in milliseconds, without waiting three weeks for therapeutic levels to be achieved. And imagine if this substance had no side effects apart from more joy and relaxation. Would you try it out?

High Blood Pressure is a known health risk. We look at lifestyle practices and supplements to keep it in balance.

Although fat is back on the menu, that doesn't mean you can stop checking your grocery ingredients; be a bit savvy when it comes to choosing the right fat for your health

When a friend first recommended The Journey to me, I thanked her politely but internally shrugged it off as yet another new-age healing modality that I really didn't have the time or resources to explore. I felt as if I had done enough personal development to last me several lifetimes, and wasn't in the mood for exploring another branch of the field.

5 easy ways to protect the body from daily stress:

Make 5 smart moves for ongoing heart health:

Try our competition winner, Rehana Seedat's Superfood smoothie recipe. An easy way to add Superfood nutrients into your daily eating plan.

One of the most debilitating conditions affecting millions of people is osteoarthritis. If, during the course of your day, you engage in multiple repetitive movements ' like computer work, painting, hammering nails, or anything similar, or if you are an athlete that uses your body a lot, if you are overweight or have an acidic diet you might be at risk of developing some type of arthritis. Osteoarthritis severely limits people's enjoyment of life and is well worth guarding against. Here are some lifestyle tips and recommended supplements to make sure you remain fluid and flexible with fully functioning joints.

Essential fatty acids, EPA, DHA, ALA, omega 3 & 6. What are they and why do I need them? They're called essential because, unlike other fats, we can't produce them naturally in our body and we need to get them from our diets or supplements. They are unbelievably healthy fats and there has been increasing interest in their benefits related to disease prevention.

 

We couldn't think of anyone more appropriate to feature on our February cover than Dr Leila Sadien and being our Valentine issue we were delighted to have her partner, the talented designer Yaaseen Kader featured with her. Dr Leila is a remarkable woman, not only has she qualified as a medical doctor but she has an integrated approach to healing that incorporates all aspects of body, mind and soul. She's also not a sissy when it comes to aesthetic medicine, something she speaks about with passion and ease. When I asked Leila what attracted her to healing and medicine as a career she answered, 'It was in my bones, I'm a healer by nature and couldn't have escaped if I tried.'

Back pain can be debilitating and extremely inconvenient, especially if you are a mother of a toddler and picking up your child is a necessary part of daily existence.Back pain can be debilitating and extremely inconvenient, especially if you are a mother of a toddler and picking up your child is a necessary part of daily existence. Often back pain comes from years of incorrect posture and requires a period of strengthening muscles and teaching the body improved movement. Getting to the core of the problem with professional advice is the quickest way to correct the problem.  

Many qualified medical doctors are opting to use traditional, holistic and complementary healing arts in their practices. They're referred to as Integrative Medicine Practitioners and adopt an approach to healing that recognises the holistic and unique nature of human beings. Integrative Medicine also focuses on the orientation of medicine from one of disease to one of healing. We ask Dr Sedicka Laskery?why she's so passionate about Integrative Medicine.

Take the stress out of your day, as the first step to Heart Health. Here are 7 tips to help you get started:

Invite a whole new level of calm by deciding you can, and then taking natural calming supplements to help you along the way.

A relationship between gut issues and hormone imbalances

Whether you're a 'stiff upper lip' type or a doctor junkie, some pains can be worrying, while others can be taken in your stride ' it's important to be able to distinguish which pains you need to be concerned about