ARE YOU STUCK IN A FAD DIETING RUT?

Are you stuck in a fad dieting rut?

People will often try ANY fad diet to lose weight.  A fad diet is any weight-loss plan that promises quick and easy weight loss (through what is generally an unhealthy, unbalanced diet).   Many people prefer to try the quick fix instead of making the effort to lose weight through long-term changes to their eating and exercise habits, even if they know that they are difficult to follow long-term and generally do not result in long-term weight loss.  Fad diets are popular because they give people the instant gratification of quick weight loss.

Why do they result in quick weight loss?  In most cases it is because they are low in calories.  When you eat less your body will initially still be burning the same amount of energy, so the deficit will come from your own body stores (but not necessarily the fat stores).  But as time goes on your body will adjust how much energy it uses in a day to be in line with what you are eating, and so the weight loss will slow.  This is generally when people start feeling very hungry, grumpy and energyless.  Your metabolism has now slowed down (i.e. your body is using less energy than before).   When you stop eating as per the fad diet and start with your old eating habits again your metabolism will not jump back to its original rate.  This is why the weight (plus more) comes piling back on.

It is easy to be seduced by the promise of quick weight loss, so how can we make sure we don’t fall for one of these fads? Watch out for these red flags which indicate that the weight-loss plan is possibly a fad diet:

ü  he diet promises fast weight loss.  Anything more than 2-4kg per month is generally considered too fast

ü  The claims sound too good to be true

ü The diet’s recommendations seem extreme, specifically very excessive reductions in food, excluding or severely restricting food groups (carbohydrates being the most common), ‘good’ and ‘bad’ food labelling

ü  The diet has rigid rules

ü  The diet promotes ‘magic’ foods or combinations of foods

Your health can be damaged by following fad diets.  Long term fad dieters generally struggle with their weight for most of their life.  Because they are either ‘on’ or ‘off’ a diet their weight is constantly going down and up.  This yo-yo weight cycling is very unhealthy for the body and it increases the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure and osteoporosis.  Eliminating whole food groups can also cause nutrient deficiencies over time.  Diets that are high in protein and low in carbohydrates often lead to the production of excess uric acid and calcium oxalate, which can cause kidney stones or gout.  Energy levels are also often a problem with these diets.  And to top it all off, these diets play havoc with your head, making you focus on numbers as opposed to health. 

So how can you get out of the fad dieting rut?  The most important thing is to get out of the psychological hold of needing quick weight loss or wanting to weigh x, y or z.  Reassess your goals and look at why you want to lose weight.  Is it because you have an event coming up or because you want to feel better in your clothes again?  Or is it because you want to have good energy levels and not get sick? 

Once you have determined the why, you can start looking at the how.  The way that you eat should work for your lifestyle and incorporate the foods you enjoy and work well with your body.  What you eat should not make you miserable and feel deprived (although many people believe this is what it means to eat healthy).  Choose a good variety of low processed foods for maximum nutrient gain.  Eat regularly, starting early.  Eat lots of vegetables and fruit.  Learn what it means to be (body/ stomach) hungry and satiated.  Drink plenty of water.  Learn how to handle mouth hunger (eating just because).  Limit added sugar.  And don’t focus on the number.  If you can let the scale go you will be much more likely to get out of your fad dieting habits.

‘Breaking the fad dieting habit’ starting 8 February

A 12 week online programme to help the emotional eater get into healthy eating habits for good!

https://kimsnutrition.thinkific.com/courses/breaking-the-fad-dieting-habit

email me if you have any questions

Kim Hofmann RD(SA)

Cell: 084 206 2715

E-mail: kim@kimsnutrition.com

Website: www.kimsnutrition.com

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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Dietician-147567922002184/

BACK TO SCHOOL SAFETY FOR 2021

Parents and caregivers may feel some dread, especially those who are worried about the safety of their children while they make their way to school and back during this time of Covid-19. The Department of Basic Education confirmed this morning (Friday) that the restart of the new school year has been delayed for both public and private schools, and will now resume in February.

“While at school, your children will follow the regulated PPE processes, but there are personal security tips we believe parents can follow to make a difference in the safety of their children and to give everyone peace of mind. It boils down to making sure your children know exactly how to avoid possible danger, and also what they must do in case something bad happens to them,” said Charnel Hattingh, Fidelity ADT’s head of marketing and communications.

She recommends:

• Children must always walk to or from school with a friend or friends. If your child walks alone, it’s a good idea to ask a teacher or other parents if they know of other children from the area who do the same. Some towns have started “walking buses”, where local parents volunteer to walk to and from school with a group of schoolchildren to assure their safety.

• Stick to streets you know and never take shortcuts through unfamiliar or quiet areas.

• If you get picked up at school, always wait inside the grounds for your lift to arrive; do not leave the premises to go and look for them in the street.

• Remember, your parents would never send someone you don’t know to fetch you. Never get into a stranger’s car even if they claim someone you love is hurt and that they are supposed to pick you up. It is a good idea to consider using a password system to ensure the person collecting you is in fact a friend of your parents or someone you can trust.

• If a stranger approaches you, do not talk to them no matter how friendly they may seem. If someone tries to grab you, fight, kick and scream that they are not your mom or dad.

In some cases, children have to see themselves to and from school and keep occupied until mom and dad return home in the evening.

“It is extremely important that children know not to let anyone into the house without your permission. If you are going to be late, let your children know as soon as possible and give them an idea of when they can expect you to be home,” said Hattingh.

She suggested drawing up a list of important telephone numbers.

“This list must include emergency services and mom and dad’s work and cellphone numbers. Save it on your child’s cellphone and stick it on or near the landline. It’s also important to explain to them when these should be used,” she said.

Hattingh added that everyone in the household should also know how to use your home security system, children included, and when and how to use the panic buttons.

Fidelity-ADT


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EXTREMES OF HATE AND LOVE

In recent weeks we have seen the extremes of hate and love in the media, with the storming of the US Capitol Building, to the love expressed in the inauguration poem.  So with Valentine’s Day upon us again, what can neuroscience tell us about the extremes of hate and love?

By Dr Samantha J. Brooks Ph.D.

In January, the world witnessed the whipping up of sentiment that led to people storming the Capitol
Building in Washington DC, fuelled by hatred that resulted in death and injury.  And then a few weeks later, at the new President’s Inauguration, the US poet Laurette Amanda Gorman called for unity and togetherness in her poem that encouraged an atmosphere of love and promise for the future. It is in these times of pandemic crisis and division that we need to consider how best to strengthen our sentiments of love, so that we can become much stronger in preparation for the post-Covid world!  So, what can neuroscience studies tell us about how the brain fosters hate and love, so that we can reduce one, and increase the other?

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) started in Cape Town in 1996, and in 2000 led to the development of the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation, famously created, and admired all over the world to foster reparation, rehabilitation and healing. South Africans proved to be world leaders in overcoming feelings of hate towards perpetrators for the greater love of society and a positive future.  One of the main reasons that led South Africans to be able to do this, was the incredible ability for empathy – or putting oneself in another person’s shoes, especially when wanting to reduce suffering and enhance positive experiences in others.  In 2017, Dr Melike Fourie – a neuroscientist at the University of Stellenbosch – published a functional brain imaging study to demonstrate what happens in the brains of Black and White South Africans who lived through apartheid, when experiencing empathy for pain in another, who might once have belonged to a ‘hated’ group. Dr Fourie found that Black and White people had greater brain activation to their own group (Black or White) when watching their social or physical pain on a computer screen.  This was particularly prevalent in the amygdala, an area of the brain associated with empathy and arousal.  Moreover, the White people who experienced shame towards Black people’s pain and suffering, had an emotional blunting response in the brain.  And while this study was not demonstrating ‘love for the other’ per se, empathy responses are arguably the first step to love!

Hatefulness, on the other hand, has a definite neural signature in the brain that is very different to love.
Famous neuroscientists Semir Zeki and Paul Romaya in 2008 used fMRI to show images of hated versus neutral people that corresponded to participants’ hate scores for these images.  The neuroscientists found increased brain activation in the medial frontal gyrus (for sense of self), right putamen, (for motivation) bilaterally in premotor cortex in the frontal pole (for motor reactions) and bilaterally in the medial insula (for feelings of anxiety).  This suggests that when we experience hatred for others, our brains are gearing up to lash out, to demonstrate that our sense of self is more important than the other person and helps to demonstrate our individual omnipotence.  Just think about how individual animals look and position themselves when trying to overpower a perceived competitor.  The rioters who stormed the Capitol in the US, or the perpetrators of apartheid were also using their brains to show their omnipotence and power to ‘destroy’ the other.  But love is more inclusive, and the neural processes support a more social outlook.

‘Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind’ so said William Shakespeare in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.  Feelings of love are sometimes described as being similar to the brain states of addiction, with increased activation occurring in the dopaminergic subcortical regions of the basal ganglia, linked to reward and motivation when perceiving one’s love objects.  However, new evidence by Chinese neuroscientists has demonstrated that romantic love enhances diffuse brain activity across default mode networks associated with socio-emotional processing – meaning that we appear to feel more sociable and inclusive when in love.  Being social and inclusive during the Covid pandemic lockdown might be difficult to achieve, but we can still experience the enhancement of those brain networks when engaging with our beloved pets, or when catching up with loved ones and good friends via Zoom!  

So despite the majority of the world being forced to lockdown and self-isolate during the Covid pandemic, try not to let your brains become isolationist.  But think about the brain processes of love that foster social and inclusive thinking this very different Valentine’s Day! 


Dr Samantha Brooks is an Associate Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience, specialising in the neural correlates of impulse control from eating disorders to addiction.  For more information you can contact Samantha at: drsamanthabrooks.com 


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INTEREST RATES REMAIN LOW

 After a year in which the residential property market defied expectations – showing unexpected growth in the midst of a pandemic and numerous economic challenges – all eyes will be on the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) this week to see whether the interest rates will hold steady, or drop even further, giving more South Africans the opportunity to afford their dream home.

“If there is one thing that 2020 taught us – it’s to expect the unexpected. While the South African Reserve Bank’s forecast models indicated last year that the repo rate would remain steady for most of 2021, it is possible that it may in fact drop by a further 0.25 basis points as a second wave of COVID-19 places additional strain on a subdued economy,” says Carl Coetzee, CEO of BetterBond.

While the year-on-year change in the Consumer Price Index, published by Statistics SA for November, is within the SARB’s 3-6% target range, at 3.2% it is close to the lower end.

“A 25 basis point drop would take the prime lending rate from its current low of 7% to an even lower 6.75%, giving further impetus to the property market recovery we saw in 2020,” says Coetzee. Even if the repo rate should hold steady, conditions have already set the scene for a bumper 2021 for the property market. “While it is impossible to predict what lies ahead, we do know people are buying homes like never before. The year has certainly started with a bang.”

BetterBond recorded its best December in history, with a 53% year-on-year growth in bond applications at a time when home buying activity is traditionally slower. There was also a 56% increase in grant value. “This shows that South Africans with the financial means to apply for a bond are making the most of the current lending environment. They are not only applying for a bond, but they are able to afford 30% more than they would have in January last year, when the prime lending rate was in double digits,” says Coetzee. BetterBond’s average approved bond size increased by close to 9% year-on-year, while the approved bond size for first-home buyers increased by almost 10%.

It’s important to place the growth in bond application volumes within the context of last year’s repo rate cuts, says Coetzee. The first modest repo rate cut in January dropped the prime lending rate to 9.75%. Two months later, the SARB responded to mounting concerns about the impact of COVID-19 and slashed the repo rate by 100 basis points. A second 100 basis point cut in April took the repo rate to 4.25%, dropping the prime lending rate to 7.75%.

Following two more repo rate cuts in May and July - at 50 and 25 basis points respectively - the year ended with the prime lending rate holding steady at 7%; the lowest it has been in more than five decades. “It is only when one considers the real saving on a bond repayment – from a prime lending rate of 10% to the current 7% - that one realises the significance of last year’s repo rate activity,” says Coetzee. At a prime lending rate of 10%, the monthly repayment on a R1 million home would have been about R1 900 more than it is now, with the prime rate at just 7%. Over a 20-year bond term, this results in a substantial saving of R455 000.

“Instead of the doom and gloom many had predicted for the housing market, there’s been a resurgence in buyer activity. More people can now afford to make aspirational purchases and, for the first time in decades, it is cheaper to buy a home than it is to rent one of the same value,” explains Coetzee. “When lockdown restrictions first eased in June last year, we saw a massive surge in bond applications. Initially, it was thought that this was just pent-up demand. But the sustained bond activity indicated that the lower interest rate was undoubtedly driving the robust recovery.” Also, first-home buyers have consistently accounted for at least 70% of all BetterBond’s applications since then, a clear sign that the lower interest is enticing more buyers to apply for finance.

According to FNB Property data for November, house prices increased by 2.6% in October 2020, year-on-year. This means that house prices dropped by only 0.4% in real terms, after deducting consumer inflation of 3%. FNB also reports that the average time a property is listed before selling has dropped to 10.6 weeks, down from the 13 weeks recorded in the first quarter of 2020. Much of the sales activity has been at the lower end, which has resulted in increased demand and greater house price growth. However, there are signs that activity in the upper end of the market is starting to pick up, says Coetzee.

“Approval rates are also doing well, with BetterBond’s loan-to-value ratio (loan amount as a percentage of the purchase price) at 89% for the last quarter of the year. The average loan-to-value ratio over this period for first-home buyers, who usually require greater financial support, was 94%,” says Coetzee. This means that first-home buyers on average only required a 6% deposit. By applying to more than one bank, BetterBond was also able to secure an average interest rate reduction (over this period) of 0.61% for their clients. “To put that into real terms, as the table below shows, on a R2 million bond with BetterBond applying for finance to the banks on your behalf, you would save a further R174 000 over the term and R725 monthly.”

Coetzee believes that last year’s buyer activity will continue this year, even if the MPC decides to keep the repo rate steady this week. “The good news story of lower interest rates and improved affordability is starting to spread, and we believe that even more homebuyers will apply for bonds before the repo rate starts its gradual increase towards the end of the year, or even later in 2022.” Most of the economists polled by Reuters said that while the repo rate is likely to remain steady at 3.5% this week, there is room for at least one modest 25 basis point cut this year, adds Coetzee. “With no rate hikes on the cards for the foreseeable future, there is still ample opportunity to buy that dream home.”

Anne-Marie Bamber is Norgarb Properties dedicated Home Loans Consultant. She has over 15 years’ experience in assisting clients with their Home Loan needs and has placed many happy families in their dream homes.

Contact her today for no cost stress-free home-buying.
Anne-Marie Bamber
Home Loans consultant
Tel: +27 (0)21 851 3568 | Fax: +27 (0)21 441 1494 | Cell: +27 (0)82 071 1665
E-mail: anne-marie.bamber@betterlife.co.za









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FEBRUARY IN THE GARDEN

We've made it to February! While adjusted level 3 regulations are still in place until mid month, life goes on and the weather in Cape Town is spectacular. 

It's been a relatively gentle Summer thus far, with the Cape Town disa crowd out in full force! Who knows, perhaps the warm days will stretch into the following months too. It's a great time to get some seeds in the ground and start nurturing new life for a new year, if you haven't already. 

There is absolutely nothing quite as satisfying as eating fruit and veg from your own garden. Minimises trips to the shops too, and saves money! Whether you've got a big garden, a balcony or one pot inside, no space is too small for you to grow something if it brings you joy. I commit to planting something new this month. What will you plant..?

Here's our plant list for February:

Bush and climber beans, Beetroot, Broccoli, Brussel sprouts, Cabbage, Calendula, Carrot, Chard/Spinach, Celery, Chinese cabbage, Chives, Chilli's, Kale, Kohlrabi, Globe artichokes, Leeks, Leaf mustard, Lettuce, Onion, Parsnip, Parsley, Potato, Radish, Rhubarb, Tomato

Wishing you a month of growth!

Patchwork Group
Gabriella Garnett
076 2199 849 | gabriella.garnett@gmail.com


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BENEFITS OF AN ANTENUPTIAL CONTRACT


Despite the challenges being faced by so many during the pandemic, love is still around and many weddings are taking place, albeit on a much smaller scale. It is still, if not more, important for couples to seek the right advice on their marital regime.

An antenuptial contract (“ANC”) has to be validly entered into before a Notary Public before the marriage is officiated, otherwise the marriage will automatically be one in community of property. A marriage out of community of property provides some very important protections to the respective spouses whether the parties choose with or without accrual.

During a marriage out of community of property, each spouse will retain his or her separate property and would have complete freedom to deal with that property as he or she chooses. Some other protections not afforded to spouses married in community of property include:

·         If either party is declared insolvent, the other spouse is protected from the insolvent spouse’s creditors

·         The respective spouses will not be held liable for any debt that the other spouse might have incurred prior to the marriage, as well as those during the marriage

·         Specific assets may be excluded from the marriage where the spouses choose to do so

·         Each spouse retains their own financial identity

·         An ANC can be tailored to fit the unique circumstances of the individual spouses

·         The ANC can include important terms and conditions which relate to the division of assets in the case of death or divorce.

Engaged couples should arrange an appointment with a Notary (an attorney with the additional qualification of  “Notary Public”) prior to the marriage being solemnised. Depending on the complexity of the respective spouse’s requirements, it may be advisable to do this a few weeks before the marriage. Once the ANC is duly drafted and signed in front of the Notary, the Notary will arrange that it is registered in the relevant Deeds Office and the subsequent marriage will be a marriage out of community of property. 

Please feel free to contact Martin Sheard or Junél Hickman on 021 673 4700 should you have any further queries in this regard.

STBB Claremont



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