Category Archives for Drinks and health

Smoothies

In this day and age where eating healthy has become so important, so many people do not like to eat fruit and vegetables. Even though they know it is good for them, they still prefer not to eat it. It can be very difficult getting used to a healthy lifestyle if all you are used to, is take away fast food. The first change is having to get home and cook. Immediately you loose about halve an hour of your “alone” time.

What is important thought, is to think of this as an opportunity to spend this time with your children and husband/wife. Make it fun and interesting. Don’t loose your smile when you think that you will have to eat more fruits during the day and evening. There is a very easy solution that will be fun for the whole family.

I think smoothies are one of the greatest inventions of our time. I know you get a lot of fruit juices and they are truly great, but some of the manufacturers do add a lot of sugar. Try to keep the sugar intake low by making your own. All you need is a blender, or smoothie maker and fruit. It is that simple. Try to play with the flavours. You can add whatever you like. If you do not try it, how will you know if you like it or not?

My husband and I played around with some flavours the past weekend and I can tell you, it tasted great. You can get recipe books for how to make smoothies, but as I said, make it up as you go along. First we tried mixing banana, strawberries, kiwi fruit, grapes and plain yoghurt. It tasted LOVELY. This is not a sweet combination, so if you have a sweet tooth, maybe you should try our second recipe.

The next one we tried, we used a mango, banana, yellow melon and yoghurt. This was ‘n sweeter option, but the banana was a little strong. Maybe you should try to use only halve a banana or replace it with some other fruit. We thought that next time we will try to replace it with a strawberry or two. Don’t know how it will taste, but we will definitely try.

Making smoothies is a great time to spend together, learning to listen to each other and compromise on what fruit you want to try and just have GREAT fun! It will definitely tickle your laughing muscles, believe me.

Go on, try to make your own smoothie and have a great time!

Vitamienes

Vitamienes en minerale speel ‘n ongelooflik belangrike rol in ons alledaagse lewens en dit is noodsaaklik om ‘n gebalanseerde dieët te volg. Vitamienes is ‘n natuurlike bron wat aangetref word in alle diere en plante. Hierdie vitamienes word in twee groepe ingedeel naamlik wateroplosbaar en vetoplosbaar.

Wateroplosbare vitamienes word maklik in jou liggaam opgeneem en geabsorbeer en word nie te lank gestoor nie. Die akstra wateroplosbare vitamienes wat jou liggaam nie nodig het nie, word elke dag deur jou niere afgeskei en verlaat jou liggaam deur uriene. Om hierdie rede moet jy al hierdie vitamienes daagliks inneem.

Wateroplosbare vitamienes bestaan uit die volgende:

Vitamiene B1 (tiamien): Hierdie vitamien help jou liggaam om koolidrate te verbrand wanneer energie benodig word.
Bronne: Beesvleis, vark, lewer en volgraankosse.

Vitamiene B2 (ribovlafien): Help jou liggaam om protiëne, koolidrate en vette te prosesseer. Hierdie vitamien is help ook om jou vel gesond te hou.
Bronne: Beesvleis, vark, lewer, kaas, eiers, melk, neute en volgraankosse.

Vitamiene B3 (niasien): Prosesseer vette en protiëne en bou ‘n gesonde senuweestelsel.
Bronne: Lewer, kalkoen, vis, boontjies, neute en volgraanprodukte.

Vitamiene B5: Help met die produsering van rooibloedselle.
Bronne: Orgaan vleise, hoender, melk, eiers, neute, boontjies, ertjies, en graanontbyt.

Vitamiene B6: Help jou liggaam om protiëne en vette te verbruik sowel as om suurstof in jou bloed deur jou liggaam te vervoer.
Bronne: Vark, beesvleis, hoender, vis, orgaan vleise, eiers, neute, piesangs, wortels en graanontbyt.

Vitamiene B7 (Biotien): Help met die groei van selle, vorming van rooibloedselle, stabileseer bloedsuiker vlakke en vorm sterk hare, vel en naels.
Bronne: Eiergeel, lewer, niertjies, oats, neute melk, boontjies, ertjies, neute en tamatie.

Vitamiene B9 (“folic acid”): Help jou liggaam om nuwe selle te vervaardige. Dit help ook by swanger vrouens met die vorming van jou ongebore baba.
Bronne: Donker groen groentes, boontjies, ertjies, lemoene en graanprodukte.

Vitamiene B12: Handhaaf ‘n gesonde senuweestelsel en help om genetiese materiaal te vervaardig.
Bronne: Lewer, sardientjies, eiers, melk en bloukaas,

Vitamiene C: Tree op as adti-oksedant, help met die vorming van bene en die handhawing van jou immuunsisteem.
Bronne: Groen soetrissie, spinasie, sitrus vrugte, tamaties, aartappels en arbeie.

Vetoplosbare vitamienes word nie so maklik deur jou liggaam geabsorbeer nie. Jou liggaam benodig sekere ander vitamienes om dit te absorbeer en word dan in jou liggaamsvet gestoor. Wanneer jy die vitamienes benodig, gebruik jou liggaam dit wat reeds gestoor is in jou vet. Jy het nie nodig om hierdie vitamienes elke dag in te neem nie.

Vetoplosbare vitamienes bestaan uit die volgende:

Vitamiene A: Help met jou visie, handhaaf ‘n gesonde vel en immuunsisteem, helstel beskadigde weefsels en tree op as anti-oksidant vir jou liggaam.
Bronne: Lewer, vis, suiwelprodukte, eiergeel, wortels, patats, tamaties en volgraan produkte.

Vitamiene D: Vitamiene D is nodig om kalsium en fosfor in die liggaam te absorbeer en beskerm jou liggaam teen beensiektes.
Bronne: Soutwater vis, melkprodukte, graanprodukte en sonlig.

Vitamiene E: Dien as Antioksedant vir jou liggaam, help jou bloed vloei en bou ‘n sterk immuunsisteem.
Bronne: Vis melk, eiergeel, groente-olies, vrugte, boontjies, ertjies, spinasie en “broccoli”.

Vitamiene K: Help met die vorming van bene en verhoed dat jou bloed klonte maak.
Bronne: Kaas, spinasie, “broccoli”, kool, tamaties en margerine.

Vitamins, an overview

Vitamins are vital for our every day life and the prevention of serious diseases like beriberi, scurvy, rickets and night blindness. Different organisms need different trace organic substances in their diet. Most mammals need the same vitamins as human, with only a few exceptions. One difference is the production of ascorbic acid. Animals synthesise this themselves, but humans can not do so. Plants can synthesise all the organic substances they need.

Vitamins are essential to life as well as good health and it assists in the formation of hormones, blood cells and our nervous systems. It releases energy from food that has been digested and regulates our metabolism. Nothing happens without the assistance of vitamins in our bodies. If we do not have enough vitamins in our bodies, it can lead to a deficiency.

Although organisms can survive for some time without vitamins, prolonged deficiency in any of the vitamins can lead to serious illness and can be potentially deadly. Sometimes the symptoms will not be seen until about a year later (deficiency in vitamin B12 for example), but with vitamins like B1, you will see the symptoms within a couple of weeks.

There are 13 well-identified vitamins that our bodies need and they are divided into 2 groups. Vitamin A, D, E and K are all fat-soluble and can be stored in body fat. You do not need to take these vitamins every single day. Vitamin B complex (B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9 and B12) and vitamin C are all water-soluble. They are not stored in the body, with the exception of vitamin B12 that is stored in the liver. These vitamins need to be taken every single day, because they are lost through urine. Vitamin D is the only vitamin that can be produced by our bodies, the rest need to be taken in through our diet.

Something important you have to remember when eating foods that contain these vitamins we need, is that light, heat and processing of the food, are all enemies of vitamins and can destroy them. People that smoke and drink alcohol will need to take a vitamin supplement. When you consume a lot of alcohol, it dehydrates your body, preventing absorption of vitamins.

Remember, all the water-soluble vitamins are lost through urine. Smokers have a deficiency specifically in vitamin C, but also others. Remember when you take a supplement, to take the fat-soluble vitamins before meals and the water-soluble vitamins after meals. Most importantly, always ask your doctor or pharmacist before you use any vitamin supplements.