Month: April 2014

Danie praat inheems

Noem die woord “Blackwood” en omgewingsbewustes sit regop.

Australiese Swarthout (ek noem dit Blackwood om dit te onderskei van die inheemse swarthout – Maytenus spesie) is ingevoer om die druk op inheemse woude vir meubelhout te verlig.  Dit is baie gesog as meubelhout en lyk baie soos stinkhout.

Die Dept Bosbou het in die 60tiger jare vyf honderd hektaar Blackwood hoofsaaklik by Kruisfontein (naby Knysna) aangeplant. Nog 500 ha Blackwood is ook in die Tsitsikamma-bosstreek aangeplant.  Oop kolle in die inheemse woude is ook met Blackwood hervestig maar gelukkig is hierdie praktyk laat vaar.  Bosbou het in die 80tiger jare ‘n 50 jaar plan opgestel om die Blackwoods in die inheemse woud geheel en uit te roei.

Blackwood het ‘n vlak wortelstelsel en daarom is ligte dunnings jaarliks uitgevoer om windvalle in die plantasies te voorkom.  Dit is gedoen om die  ideale stamtal per hektaar en deursneegrootte van saagblokke vir meubelhout te lewer.  Wetenskaplike beplanning was kritiek omdat die kringloop van hierdie boomsoort 40 tot 50 jaar is.

Ongelukkig het Blackwood baie versprei en is byna onuitroeibaar – die saad is baie hard en kan tot 40 jaar en langer kiemkragtig bly.  Blackwood het vinnig in die inheemse woude versprei veral deur voëls wat sade vreet – hulle het mos nie toilette nie!

Die gevaar van ongewenste verspreiding van uitheemse boomspesies soos die Australiese akasias is ongelukkig nie destyds voorsien nie.  Blackwood is vandag van die groot indringer spesies saam met swart- en groenwattel.

‘n Hele aantal Blackwoods is selfs in ‘n natuurbewuste Nature’s Valley te sien.  Die goeie nuus is dat daar tans ‘n groot poging aangewend word om dit met “wortel en tak” uit te roei.

Kontak Danie by: Selfoon 082 320 1833 of 044 531 6790 E-pos oupadaan@lantic.net Hy woon in Nature’s Valley in die “Oupa Daan” – Huis in St George’s laan 245.

Jonathan Livingstone

Applied Kinesiology, a highly sophisticated and complex therapy, and the parent of all forms of energy kinesiology, is only available to people with medical training. Dr John Thie witnessed the effectiveness of Applied Kinesiology and wanted to make its benefits available to everyone. And so, in the early 1970s, he created a simplified version, called Touch for Health, for anyone to learn. Used by health professionals and non-professionals, Touch for Health is the most widely known and respected energy kinesiology and has helped millions of people all over the world.

A Touch for Health treatment, called a balance, tests and corrects the major postural muscles. A muscle test isolates (as far as possible) a muscle and tests its functioning. Muscles that are functioning correctly will ‘lock’, that is to say the muscle will hold under pressure; muscles that aren’t functioning properly will ‘unlock’, that is to say the muscle will yield under pressure.

Each muscle is related to an energy circuit, or meridian. By testing and correcting a muscle, the related meridian is also balanced. Stress, ill health, environmental toxins, physical exertions, emotional challenges – indeed, the general demands of everyday life – put the body’s energies out of balance. By correcting muscles and balancing the meridians, the energies of the body are brought back into balance.

With energy flowing and the postural muscles working again, posture is improved, stress is alleviated, healing is supported, performance is enhanced, goals become attainable, and good health is promoted and maintained.

In Touch for Health level 1 students are introduced to the art of muscle testing. They learn the tests and major corrections, or balancing techniques, for 14 muscles. The contents of level 1 include

how to test 14 postural muscles and   which meridians they relate to neurolymphatic and neurovascular reflex points spinal reflexes nutrition to balance each meridian pre-tests to ensure accurate testing emotional stress release techniques to relieve pain

Kinesiology is based on integrating traditional Chinese medicine with western methods from chiropractic and osteopathy, using the tool of muscle testing.

The discovery of muscle testing was a breakthrough in healing, since it enables the knowledge of the body to be readily communicated. As a tool for healing, muscle testing is powerful and unlimited . . .

You are invited to Touch for Health Open Day in Plett on Saturday 12 April. Call 079 0199 449. If you’ve missed it, don’t worry, call and ask for a free demonstration. Jonathan Livingstone was an elected director of the UK Kinesiology Federation (2002-4) and is author of  top-selling kinesiology book, The Therapist Within You (Lemniscate, 2009). www.therapycoaching.co•

More than just an annoying bedtime habit, snorers may be at a higher risk of having clogged arteries and suffering from cardiovascular diseases than those who are overweight or suffer from high cholesterol. Thickening in the lining of the two large blood vessels, which supply the brain with oxygenated blood, has often been thought of as a precursor to atherosclerosis – a condition responsible for many vascular diseases. This thickening in the carotid artery, according to the study, (conducted by the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, is often brought about by the inflammation caused by the vibrations of snoring. “Snoring is more than a bedtime annoyance and it shouldn’t be ignored. Patients need to seek treatment in the same way they would if they had sleep apnea, high blood pressure or other risk factors for cardiovascular disease,” lead study author Robert Deeb, M.D says. “Our study adds to the growing body of evidence suggesting that isolated snoring may not be as benign as first suspected. So instead of kicking your snoring bed partner out of the room or spending sleepless nights elbowing him or her, seek out medical treatment for the snorer.” Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) – a common sleep disorder that is triggered by the collapse of the airway in the throat during sleep (causing snoring and disrupted breathing), has long been linked to cardiovascular disease, as well as other more serious health issues. But, according to the Scottsdale study, the risk of cardiovascular disease could actually begin with the snoring itself, long before this progresses into OSA – a link that had not been made until now. For the study, senior study author Dr. Deeb and senior and Kathleen Yaremchuk, M.D., reviewed the results of 913 patients aged 18-50, who had participated in a diagnostic sleep study – but none of which suffered from sleep apnea.The Henry Ford study found that when compared to non-snorers, snorers had a much greater intima-media thickness of the carotid arteries, meaning they were at a greater risk of carotid artery disease. “Snoring is generally regarded as a cosmetic issue by health insurance, requiring significant out-of-pocket expenses by patients,” Dr. Deeb says. He advises patients who suffer from snoring to get the early treatment they need, before more serious health issues arise.

RESEARCHED BY : KÁTIA C.ROWLANDS Pilates Instructor & Personal Trainer – 082 513 4256

Danie Muller praat inheems

Pionierbome is bome wat op hulle eie kan groei en is die voorlopers van die inheemse woud.  Byvoorbeeld ná ’n groot brand wat ‘n deel van die inheemse woud se buitenste rand gebrand en beskadig het, sal Virgilia divaricata, of Keurbome in ons omgewing vinnig in die gebrande rande begin groei en digte stande vorm.  Ander inheemse soorte sal dan na ‘n paar jaar tussen hulle begin groei.  Hierdie Keurruigtes dien dus as beskermingsmeganisme vir die klimakssoorte – “pleisters” wat die seerplek van die brand beskerm en weer laat gesond word.

Die proses wat hierop volg is baie interessant.  Die Keurbome word vinnig uitgedun deur parasiete wat die krone aanval.  Die larwes van die Leto venus, ‘n groot en pragtige mot, leef ook as boorders in die stamme.  Wanneer hierdie stadium ongeveer na 10 tot 20 jaar bereik word en die bome doodgaan, het heelwat van die “tweede fase” pioniersbome al onder die Keurbome ontkiem.

Op die foto hierby word die verskynsel goed geillustreer.  Die Keurboom-”pleisters” is duidelik te sien as jy met die Grootrivierpas afry na Nature’s Valley van The Crags af.

Die Keurboom wat in ons omgewing groei, is die Pienk keurboom (SA boomnommer 221.1).  In Palgrave (2002) se Trees of Southern Africa (die “boom-Bybel” van SA) word dit beskryf as “… the conspicuous Keurboom in the George, Knysna, Plettenberg Bay and Groot River areas …”  Die ander Keurboom (SA boomnommer 221) kom meer suidwaarts voor en word die Virgilia oroboides genoem.

Bekende inheemse boomsoorte wat hier in die Suid-Kaap eerste onder die Keurbome opkom, is Kershout, Boekenhout, Opregte geelhout, Kalander, Ysterhout , Ystermartiens, al die soorte taaibosse (6 spesies in die Suid-Kaap), Bastertaaibos, Sandolien, Basterperdepis, Bosghwarrie, Tolbos, Ysterhout, Vlier, Notsung, Bitou, Saliehout ens.

Ons sien ook ‘n ander effektiewe pioniersplant in die Suid-Kaap.  Na ‘n brand maak plate opvallende groen varings in die swart veld hul verskyning.  Die varings is veral duidelik teen die berge sigbaar.  Hulle kom binne ‘n paar dae na ‘n brand te voorskyn en daarom is die streeksnaam “Vuurvaring” baie gepas.  In die botaniese literatuur word dit aangedui as Pteridium aquilinum of Adelaarsvaring of Bracken.  Hierdie varing kom plek-plek oor die hele wêreld voor.

Kontak Danie by: Selfoon 082 320 1833 of Landlyn 044 531 6790 E-pos oupadaan@lantic.net Hy woon in Nature’s Valley in die “Oupa Daan”-huis in St George’s Laan 245.

It’s well understood that weight loss is a matter of energy in, versus energy out. Energy out (exercise and general day-to-day activity) must outweigh energy in (what you eat), and your individual metabolic rate will determine how much it needs to outweigh it by. Your metabolic rate is the number of calories you burn when you are at rest and everybody is different. This explains why some people are seemingly naturally slim while others seem to put on weight just by reading a cookbook! The main factor affecting this is the amount of lean muscle mass in the body. Muscle is “metabolically active tissue” which means the body has to expend energy to maintain it. So just sitting on the couch with your lean muscle mass you’re burning more calories than a person with less lean muscle mass. The amount of lean muscle mass you naturally carry depends on uncontrollable factors such as genetics and age. As you age, lean muscle mass reduces, metabolic rate slows and weight begins to creep on. This can occur as early as late 20s and it’s never a welcome development! You’re moving and eating similarly, but your physique just isn’t the same. Once this transition starts it is suggested that weight begins to increase at approximately 1kg per year – so in a decade you can find yourself 10kgs heavier. When lean muscle mass starts to decrease, the methods of weight management people have traditionally relied on (a low calorie diet with cardiovascular activity) just no longer does the job. Also, it can be a punishing regime difficult to sustain and may even decrease metabolic rate further. The best way to regain lean muscle mass is weight training. Attending a  group fitness class or using a personal trainer are great ways to build weight training into your fitness program. As well as building lean muscle mass, weight training increases metabolic rate for hours afterwards as the body recovers. It’s the gift that keeps on giving! There are other ways to keep metabolic rate high. Be a grazer – never skip breakfast and eat regularly throughout the day. You don’t need to eat more food, just eat more frequently. Then your body knows that its energy source is steady and will burn more calories instead of storing it as fat for later use.

Protein is a great booster for metabolism. It preserves lean muscle mass and your metabolic rate increases when your body processes it. Protein also makes you feel fuller for longer, curbing the temptation to over-eat. Omega3 fatty acids found in fish are another great booster. Fresh foods increase metabolic rate, processed foods slow it. Green tea is a well known booster and increasing your water intake is another quick easy way of speeding up metabolic rate. Taking the right steps to improve your metabolism can turn your body into a calorie-burning machine! You can manage your weight with less effort and improve your health at the same time. Researched By : Kátia C. Rowlands – Pilates Instructor & Personal Trainer – 082 513 4256