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Now that government’s strategy to reduce the country’s sugar intake through the introduction of a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages – known as a Health Promotion Levy – has taken effect consumers in general remain cynical, believing it may not have the desired impact.
The tax on sugary drinks, which came into effect on 1 April, has been one of the most hotly debated taxes in the history of South Africa, eliciting threats and massive lobbying from beverage companies. The tax, equivalent to a levy of about 11% on can of Coke, is aimed at tackling South Africa’s obesity epidemic and the diseases associated with it.
Diabetes a top killer
Gezani Chauke of Alexandra township said his association with sugar started many decades ago while growing up in the rural Limpopo homelands.
“There was a coach that frequently used to pass where I was staying. On its sides there was a big advertisement stating ‘Sugar gives you energy’. This made us mad about sugar because we wanted this oomph. So the story of sugar entered my mind many years ago and it is hard to let go of,” he said, adding that Coca Cola remains his favourite drink and he takes four spoons of sugar in his coffee.
Although many people seemed unaware of government’s decision to introduce the sugar tax, Chauke and many other consumers understand the country’s high burden of disease is caused by excessive sugar consumption and that diabetes is one of the top killer diseases due to abnormal sugar intake. They pointed out that while there is strongly discouraging messaging against alcohol and cigarettes as well as heavy taxes on them, people still drink and smoke.
“Coke is so addictive. I don’t enjoy my food without it,” said Stephen Matlala. On a day when his craving is high he says he drinks four litres of Coke. When told that a single can contains almost 10 spoons of sugar he seemed not to care.
“There are other things that I need to cut down that are riskier. I think my sugar intake is fine apart from my addiction to Coke,” he said, adding that he does not mind paying more for it because ‘tax increases every year and we are used to that’.
Not many healthier choices
So what is the alternative to sugary drinks? Shirley Mathakga, another consumer, said, “I understand to a certain extent that through this tax they are increasing the price (of sugary drinks) and the government is trying to deter us from buying too much. But I know many people will run to the cheaper ones that are inferior and unhealthier. They must also clamp down on the manufacturers of fake drinks.”
Mathakga said she was used to buying a 2l bottle of her favourite fizzy drink and share it with friends.
Her counterpart, Lebo Mokebe agrees that healthier choices are limited in townships and tend to be expensive.
“Yes one would quickly say ‘Let’s drink water’, but we are obsessed with sweet stuff. Maybe diluting these drinks with water can be encouraged,” he said.
Those who have encountered the effects of diabetes said the thought of it sent shivers down their spines. They related stories of uncles, parents and aunties who had had limbs amputated. They welcome any efforts to address its dangers.
Health over special interests
“Diabetes is killing a lot of people. I might have it. I don’t know. But I cherish my decision that I took six months ago when I reflected on my lifestyle. I stopped drinking sugar and participated in a lot fun walks. This saw my body mass going down from 140kg to 110kg,” said Michael Mncube.
He said there are lot of sweeteners that can be used to stimulate one’s sugar sensation and he wished government had more campaigns on a healthy living.
Leading health advocacy group, the Healthy Living Alliance (HEALA) has actively supported the implementation of this tax. When it was announced during the budget earlier this year, Heala’s coordinator Tracey Malawana said, “We are glad that by passing a tax on sugary drinks the government has chosen the health of South Africans over the special interests of commercial entities that target vulnerable populations with unhealthy products. We require these laws and policies that will assist people to live and eat more healthily.”
Malawana said the estimated R1.9 billion that will be raised through this levy is one expense that the public can easily avoid simply by consuming healthier beverages.
Women at greater risk
She added South Africans are among the top 10 consumers of soft drinks in the world and research has shown that drinking just one sugary fizzy drink a day increases one’s chances of being overweight by 27% for adults and 55% for children.
“What is important is that we have made a start with an evidence-based, nationwide intervention that has proven its worth in cutting sugar consumption elsewhere in the world. The public debate on the sugary drinks tax has raised awareness about obesity and non-communicable diseases.”
According to Statistics South Africa, non-communicable diseases accounted for 57.4% of deaths in 2016 while communicable diseases were responsible for 31.3%. Tuberculosis was the leading cause of deaths followed by Diabetes mellitus and HIV/Aids. It further says women are at risk more than men. – Health-e News.
Image credit: iStock
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Nipples: Everyone’s got them. But you probably don’t think about them much until they announce, “I’m cold,” get tickled by a partner, or become chafed while long-distance running (hint: petroleum jelly is your friend).
But take a look at those babies in all their glory. After all, it’s important to know what they look like normally so that you’re better able to recognise any changes, says Dr Dana Scott, a gynaecologist at the University of Michigan Von Voigtlander Women’s Hospital.
“There’s a lot of variety, and everyone is a little different,” she says. But nipple symptoms generally fall into one of eight categories (and you can definitely experience more than one at a time).
Figure out which apply to you, and if you notice any sudden or unexplained changes in colour, size, hairiness, pointiness, and tenderness, call your gynae. While shifts are often totally normal reactions to things like ageing, pregnancy, or breastfeeding, they can sometimes tip docs off to hormonal imbalances or, in the most severe cases, serious conditions like cancer – so it’s good to have a handle on what your baseline is.
Inverted nipples
It’s not just belly buttons that come in innies and outies – nipples do, too. And while there’s nothing abnormal about being born with one or two inverted nipples, which often become apparent during puberty, they can make breastfeeding more challenging, Dr Scott says. “Women may need to manipulate the nipple to breastfeed better,” she says.
Most of the concerns around innies, though, are aesthetic, finds Dr Karen Horton, a plastic surgeon in San Francisco who specialises in female cosmetic and reconstructive surgery. “Women say, ‘I just want my nipples to look normal’ or, ‘I want them to look symmetrical,’” since sometimes only one bud is hiding, she says. While inverted nipple-correction procedures – in-office treatments requiring local anaesthesia and about 10 days without exercise – are a thing, doctors don’t love doing on women who still want to have children since it could make breastfeeding even harder. (Note: Piercing your innie in an effort to pop it out usually doesn’t work.)
Whatever you do (or don’t do) with inverted nipples, keep in mind that outies-turned-innies deserve medical attention. “If someone has cancer right under the nipple, that can cause a retraction of the nipple over time,” Dr Scott says. While it could totally be something else, ask your doctor to take a peek if that sounds familiar.
Read more: 5 everyday habits that are causing your boobs to sag
Hairy nipples
Hair varies in colour, thickness, and texture for each person – and that includes the sprouts surrounding nipples. “Many don’t even realise they have hair; some do and hate it or pluck it or shave it,” Horton says. “It’s normal, and there are different degrees of hairiness.” Your level may be influenced by your ethnicity – Indian women, for example, often have more than their Caucasian counterparts. Pregnant women, too, may notice hairs darkening, thickening, or growing, thanks to hormonal shifts.
If you notice changes like this and aren’t pregnant (or going through another hormonal change, like menopause), bring it up to your doctor, Dr Scott recommends. It could signal a hormonal imbalance, she says.
Read more: 11 nipple facts you definitely need in your life
Big areolas
Larger breasts tend to mean larger areolas, says Dr Horton, who often performs “areola reductions” as part of breast lifts or reductions. Your areolas can also grow and darken during pregnancy and breastfeeding, thanks to the same hormonal changes that can deepen the labia’s hue, Dr Scott says.
“It’s natural… and makes it physically easier to breastfeed,” she says. Nothing to worry about unless, again, those colour changes are unexplained.
Extra nipples
Not everyone’s nipple count stops at two – although their functional nipple count does. (In other words, you can’t breastfeed from a third nipple or develop breast cancer there.) “I see 10 accessory nipples a week,” Dr Horton says, noting that women often don’t realise they’re technically nipples since they can look just like pimples, moles, or benign bumps.
Those bonus buds can appear anywhere along “the milk line” – similar to the stretch of nipples on dogs or cows – if a certain gene doesn’t get expressed during development. Most often, they pop up under the left breast (same goes for men) and can even sit atop a bit of breast tissue, Dr Horton says. They’re no big deal medically, but they can be removed pretty easily if they really bother you, she adds.
Read more: Are those random hairs on your nipple normal?
Stretched out nipples
Textbook nipples resemble chickpeas, but some women’s nips – especially those that have been through experiences like, you know, feeding a child – look more like a piece of stretched out toffee.
Sometimes after breastfeeding “the nipple gets really stretched out and it’s three times the size and width of a pencil eraser,” Dr Horton says. Such lanky nipples can seem more prominent on small-chested women, some of whom opt for nipple-reduction procedures on one or both sides. Still, they’re nothing to worry about health-wise if you don’t want to tinker with your nips.
Leaking nipples
Nipples do, of course, have a biological purpose – breastfeeding. But you don’t have to be breastfeeding to be reminded that your nips are sitting on top of fluid-creating ducts. Often, women start lactating a bit when they’re pregnant, and some women leak when they squeeze their buds, Dr Scott says.
Usually, it’s not a medical problem, but discharge is definitely something you should run by your doctor – especially if it’s bloody, only happening on one side, or leaking even when you keep your hands off, Dr Scott says. In rare cases, it could signal cancer.
Read more: What kind of boobs do you have?
Sideways-pointing nipples
If your nipples were headlights, would they illuminate a path forward or highlight the area more in your periphery? Dr Horton calls the latter type “easty-westies” or “side-winders”.
“They are nipples that point out to the sides like sides of a compass,” she says. “This is genetic, and if an implant is put into a breast with sideways-pointing nipples, they will be accentuated.” South-facing nipples are common too, especially as you age or if your weight has fluctuated a lot, Dr Horton says.
Bumpy areolas
The actual nipple isn’t the only protrusion on your breast – women also have bumps called Montgomery glands on their areolas. And for some, they’re especially prominent.
“Some patients come in, and it’s almost like very rocky terrain,” Dr Horton says. Though bumpy beholders may be self-conscious, some texture is totally normal and can’t be altered. After all, those glands have a purpose – to lubricate and make the areola oily, which helps with breastfeeding.
Image credit: iStock
This article was originally published on www.womenshealthmag.com
Denise Van Huyssteen, whose weight had fluctuated for most of her life, craved a leaner, more toned physique. With an exercise programme that left much to be desired, and eating habits to match, she felt like that dream body was pretty much unattainable…
Until everything changed. With a lot of hard work, determination and a supportive family cheering her on, she proved that, even at 58, it’s never too late to reach those goals. Here’s how she did it.
Denise Van Huyssteen
Age: 58
Occupation: Internal sales
Height: 1.52m
Weight before: 52kg
Weight after: 47kg
Time taken to reach current weight: 8 weeks
Secret weapon: Hard work and determination
The gain
Having grown up with an overweight mother and sister, Denise tried hard not to fall into the same trap. For most of her youth, she kept an eye on her weight, but just couldn’t seem to find that sweet spot. While she did have a gym membership, she wasn’t fully committed. Add to that a weekly burger and chips, and results evaded her. It was obvious that two things stood in the way of her dream body: her lacklustre exercise regimen and those weekly takeaways.
Read more: This is exactly how your diet affects your body, according to a bikini bodybuilder
The change
Denise belonged to a gym, but never enjoyed the monotony of walking on the treadmill two or three times a week. She also recalls looking at a picture of herself and feeling ashamed. “I was tired of feeling uncomfortable in my own skin,” she admits. That’s when she decided it was time to take her fitness seriously.
She joined Parkrun, a weekly 5km timed run. Finally feeling challenged, the motivation to become a better runner prompted her to join Getfit, a full-body fitness class that includes cardio and weight-training.
But it wasn’t just her workout that got a makeover. Denise ditched the fast food and daily sweets. When the Getfit challenge became a competition, it gave her the extra motivation to take it to the next level. “I did a one week detox: no sugar, no dairy, no carbs.”
Read more: “I lost over 32 kilos and 5 dress sizes by learning to love working out”
The lifestyle
Now Denise’s favourite breakfast is good old oats with honey, peanut butter, a scoop of bran, cacao nibs, seed mix and unsweetened coconut milk. Lunch is usually chicken and veg, and supper is something small, like an egg pancake.
She runs 5km three times a week – and it’s actually become therapeutic for her. “When I run, it’s just me and the promenade with a stunning view of the sea; it’s where I forget about everything. If I’m unhappy, I go for a run because I know I will come back feeling 100 times better.” She no longer eats processed foods and dairy, but does treat herself to a daily cappuccino, which she can’t go without!
Read more: “I stopped eating McDonald’s burgers every day and lost 12 kilos”
The reward
Denise’s determination and commitment paid off – she won the Getfit challenge. “When they told me I’d won in the over-40 category at 58, I was elated,” she exclaims. A competition photograph proved just how far she’d come: “I couldn’t believe the person in the photo was me!”
Not only did Denise win the competition, she kicked self-consciousness to the curb. “I no longer feel self-conscious in the bedroom because I know I look good.” And she feels so much healthier and fitter: “I ran a 10km last year in 1h:07 and my best time for a 5km Parkrun is 28:50, which I’m trying hard to beat.” Having been a long-time reader of Women’s Health, Denise has dreamed of being an inspiration to readers. “Now I’ve done it and still can’t believe it.”
Denise’s tips
Don’t give up. “Remember: it is possible. Even when you think you can’t, you can.”
Forget about junk food. “It’s really not worth it. If you need a ‘cheat’, drink a big bottle of water first – you’ll eat less.”
Challenge yourself. “Try entering a completion like Getfit to motivate yourself. Or take up running. It may seem hard at first, but once you get going, you won’t look back.”
Need more inspiration to reach those fitness goals? Have a look at this amazing woman who dropped 5 dress sizes and still had a cheat meal every week! Or read all about how this woman ditched her comfort eating, and found her confidence.
Image credit: iStock
This article was originally published on www.womenshealthmag.com
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Eight healthy men in shorts and T-shirts. Average age, 26. They’re covered in sensors, wires dangling, like marionettes at rest. As they sit together in silence – blindfolded – they wait for their 10 minutes of psychological torture to begin.
These guys are part of an experiment in perspiration. Most human sweat is the “thermal” kind, that dampness you feel during a workout or on a hot day. But psychological sweating is the beading on your forehead when your boss singles you out in a meeting, or the clammy hands you wipe on your jeans before a first date.
Subtraction, addition, multiplication, division
That’s why these human lab rats are here. So what kind of torture would evoke nervous sweating in the laboratory? Being asked to deliver a speech in front of a crowd? Having to strip naked before a panel of beautiful female scientists? No. “Subtraction, addition, multiplication, division,” says study author Dr Nigel Taylor, of the University of Wollongong, Australia, who’s investigated human sweating for more than 20 years. The men had to do math – just basic problems, says Taylor. “They were certainly within everybody’s capacity.” Faced with problems like “1,654 + 73,” every man started dripping with sweat.
Read more: Your guide to workout wear with these 6 no-sweat style tips
We have a complicated relationship with perspiration. At the gym or on the court, it’s welcome in abundance – not just for its physiological cooling function, but for what it says about our exertion levels and competitiveness. A soaked shirt is a badge of effort expended, evidence that you’ve pushed yourself with something especially demanding. A single hour of hard exercise can yield 1.5l of tangible proof that you gave it your all. That’s roughly enough sweat to fill one and a half large Nalgene bottles.
But psychological sweating – nervous perspiration – is something else entirely. It’s a physical response we try to avoid or, failing that, hide. In a Men’s Health survey of nearly 800 guys, 73% said they wish they could sweat less. Our romantic interests wish we would too: Of 970 women surveyed, 84% deemed it gross when a man dews up on a date. “Involuntary sweating is like your body betraying you,” says Dr Carisa Perry-Parrish, a psychologist at the Johns Hopkins Center for Sweat Disorders in Baltimore.
We want to appear confident, but our bodies scream, “I cannot do this!” Then we go from sweating because we’re stressed to stressing because we’re sweating, says Perry-Parrish. Next thing you know, you’re in the men’s room aiming the hand dryer at your pits. The first step toward sweating less lies in understanding the source. You have two types of sweat glands, apocrine and eccrine. The apocrines are located mostly around your armpits and genitals and produce a thicker, stickier sweat consisting of proteins and lipids. The eccrines cover your entire body and produce a solution that’s mostly water and salt.
Read more: Do men really sweat more than women?
Scientists used to think the eccrine glands were activated only by a need to cool, and the apocrines by mental stress. But Taylor and his colleagues recently confirmed, in a series of precisely controlled experiments, that both types of sweat can be produced by the eccrine glands and controlled by a single neurotransmitter called acetylcholine. That means whether you’re running 10km or trying to seal a deal for R5 million, both sets of glands are working. Though clammy hands are the most obvious sign, psychological sweat can be a whole-body experience. This finding lends support to one evolutionary explanation for why stress makes people perspire: If our skin became slippery in a fight-or-flight situation, predators wouldn’t have been able to grab and hold on to us.
‘They could literally smell fear’
Another theory, notes Dr Daniel Lieberman, an evolutionary biologist at Harvard, is that sweat could help aid a quick escape from danger. Most mammals, including those from which we evolved, have sweat glands on their paws. “Imagine that you are a small furry animal in Africa and you catch sight of a raptor swooping down to kill you,” says Lieberman. “Moistened paws will help you scamper up a tree or cliff by creating tiny little vacuums.” It works the same way that a licked finger helps you turn a page in a book.
Nervous sweating may also have helped us save our clan. In a US military study, researchers collected sweat from people during two tasks: running on a treadmill, and skydiving for the first time. A separate group of volunteers were then hooked up to brain scanners and asked to smell the collected sweat. Nothing interesting happened when they sniffed the treadmill drippings. But the scent of skydiving sweat triggered the parts of their brains associated with alertness – they could literally smell fear.
Read more: What cologne you should be wearing based on your style and personality
In other words, perspiration could have warned others that there was a whiff of trouble in the air. In fact, your body odour can act as a health indicator to you and others close to you, says Dr Pamela Dalton, M.P.H., a researcher at the Monell Chemical Senses Centre in Philadelphia. Sweat itself is actually scentless, but as it interacts with the bacteria living on your skin, the combination gives off a musty smell – your body odour. But your scent can change when you’re fighting off an illness: A study published in the journal Psychological Science found that people can detect a difference in body odour when someone becomes sick. The researchers think an ill person emits a different chemical cue that signals the activation of the immune system.
This specific scent may warn others to keep their distance. Advertisers started to market antiperspirants to women in the late 1800s, but they initially didn’t bother pitching pit protection to guys. Most men back then considered their sweat – and a little stink – to be a sign of masculinity. But when men started moving from manual labour toward desk jobs in the 1930s, marketers saw an opportunity. “If you’re a farmer working outdoors, no one really cares if you’re sweaty and dirty,” says Dr Cari Casteel, an Auburn University history researcher who studies the improbable topic of antiperspirant and deodorant marketing. “But if you’re at a desk all day, presumably you’re susceptible to the idea that people care.”
Read more: How to stop sweating after your workout
The first antiperspirant ads for men set the tone for the sweaty conflict we still feel today. One from October 1938 is typical: It was for a jar of goop called Odorono Ice (“Odour, oh no!”). It shows the same man in two different scenarios: In the first, he looks sporty with a racket in his hand, and in the second, he’s in an office holding a sheet of paper. “All right in a locker room,” says the ad, “but all wrong here.” Casteel says ads have hammered this point for decades, implanting a single impression in men’s minds: There are just some situations when you should never sweat. Still, controlling your dew is a far more complex endeavour than buying the most expensive antiperspirant at your local drugstore – even that won’t save you from a full-body nervous sweat.
Stressing unnecessarily
So what can you do? For most people, the best way to treat nervous sweating is to deal with the nervousness itself, says Perry-Parrish. She first asks patients to think through the last time they were made uncomfortable by their excessive sweat: What were you doing, and what were you thinking when the waterworks began?
And here’s the key question, says Perry-Parrish: “Were you doing something really embarrassing, or were you magnifying it in your mind?”
More often than not, she says, we imagine the worst-case scenario – even if everything is going perfectly fine.
When that happens, your mind tells your body to start the sweating. Her advice the next time this happens: Take stock of the situation. What’s the reaction of others around you? If no one else seems unhappy or uncomfortable, it’s likely that you’re unnecessarily stressing – and sweating – over something small.
Read more: How much cologne should you use?
It’s a brain exercise, but it’s one you can improve at with practice.
It probably could have helped those men in the sweat experiment. Instead of worrying about flubbing a few simple arithmetic problems, they would have taken a step back, realised that the stakes were low, and noticed that their compatriots were equally thrown by the introduction of arithmetic.
A cool head plus a little perspective: That’s what defeats nervous sweating. It’s basic math.
Don’t sweat it
Excess perspiration is the pits. If you’re too soggy, discuss these options with your doctor.
Prescription roll-on
With three times the sweat-stopping metallic salt as OTC antiperspirants, Rx-strength options, such as Drysol, may dry you up, says Dr Mark Ferguson, a hyperhidrosis specialist at the University of Chicago Medicine.
Shock therapy
You place your hands or feet in a pan of water while a device passes a mild electric current through it for about 20 minutes. Scientists aren’t exactly sure why it works, but three zaps a week can help you sweat less.
Read more: 5 body odours that you should never ignore
Botox shots
The neurotoxin injections that smooth wrinkles can also block the nerve signals that stimulate sweat. But you may need booster shots: In a French study, first-time users saw sweat return to baseline after 4.5 months.
Anti-sweat pills
Anecdotal evidence suggests that anticholinergics, drugs that block your body’s sweat trigger, can work. The problem? Side effects, says Dr Ferguson. They include dry mouth, constipation and blurred vision.
Image credit: iStock
This article was originally published on www.menshealth.com
If you’re anything like us, you’ve probably been eyeing the fancy mail-in genetic tests that are all over the internet these days, wondering what they could possibly reveal about the secrets of your DNA.
Although many offer entertaining insights – curious if you’re genetically predisposed to sport, a unibrow, or sneeze when you look at the sun? – the real potential of such testing is to reveal your likelihood of developing serious health conditions.
Read more: Can your genes be the reason why you can’t lose weight?
In an ideal world, knowing what’s lurking in your DNA would motivate you to get more mammograms or other screening exams. Or you’d get serious about taking omega-3 fatty acids or commit to daily exercise strategies that researchers believe will delay the onset of Alzheimer’s. Yet, as the applications for genetic testing expand, experts say we have the opportunity to learn more about our risk for certain diseases than we ever imagined possible.
“People are really interested in genetic testing right now. More of my patients are asking about it, and I’ve overhead parents chatting about it at my son’s little league games,” explains Dr Bradley Patay, an internal medicine specialist at Scripps Clinic Torrey Pines in La Jolla, California. “This interest gives us a unique opportunity to really educate the public about the potential of genomics. Plus, the price has been coming down, so there’s some momentum to get patients engaged.” (Although the new consumer tests analyse your DNA for several conditions, your doctor might need to order a specific test, which could be covered by insurance.)
In the leap to learn more about ourselves, however, it’s important to know what genetics can and can’t tell you. Just because you have a genetic predisposition for a disease doesn’t mean you will get it, says Mary Freivogel, president of the National Society of Genetic Counselors. “Your environment, family history, lifestyle habits, and even pure chance also play a role,” she says.
Here, we share some genetic breakthroughs that should be on everyone’s radar:
Heart disease
We know that healthy lifestyle habits are linked to a lower risk of heart disease, which is the leading cause of death in women, according to the Centers for Disease Control. (You’ve heard them before: No smoking, maintaining a healthy BMI, exercising regularly, eating a diet low in red meat and saturated fat.)
Yet a landmark 2016 study of more than 55 000 participants that was published in The New England Journal of Medicine discovered just how critical those habits were for people who had a genetic risk for heart disease. The participants underwent DNA testing that looked at 50 different markers for coronary artery disease. For those who tested in the highest-risk group, adhering to a favourable lifestyle brought down their risk by 50%
“This is significant research that explains the genetic underpinnings of heart disease and lets patients take actions to reduce their risk,” explains Dr Patay. “In addition to changing your lifestyle, if you knew you were in the high-risk group, you might choose to take a statin medication earlier than you normally might,” says Dr Patay. “That’s not a conversation doctors are routinely having with patients, but that’s going to change as we learn more.”
Colon polyps
This might not be your idea of Sunday dinner conversation, but asking who in your family has had what are called adenomatous polyps can help you know if you’re at risk for colorectal cancer.
Such polyps might develop in your colon during your teen years, but become malignant as you get closer to 40. As many as one in five people who get the disease are related to someone who’s had it, according to the American Cancer Society.
“People usually start getting screened for colorectal cancer at age 50, but if you have a family history of colon cancer or polyps, you might need to start earlier and talk to a genetic counsellor,” says Freivogel.
Read more: Now you can screen for 8 common cancers – with a simple blood test
Coeliac disease
As the popularity of gluten-free products surged over the past decade, the world became a lot more aware of the trials and tribulations of people who suffer from coeliac disease. Unlike people with intolerances who deal with temporary digestive issues after eating gluten, coeliac patients who ingest the wheat protein experience serious harm to their small intestine.
According to the Celiac Disease Foundation, people with a first-degree relative with the disease (meaning a parent, child, or sibling) have a one in 10 risk of getting this themselves, since there are genes associated with coeliac disease. Although having one or more gene doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll develop the disease, you shouldn’t delay getting evaluated by a doctor if you also develop the classic coeliac symptoms of abdominal pain or weight loss.
High cholesterol
Sadly, people often only learn they have this deadly condition when a loved one has a heart attack at a young age. People with the genetic disorder called familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) have dangerously high levels of LDL, or “bad cholesterol”, from birth and are 20 times more at risk for early heart disease, including heart attacks and stroke, according to the FH Foundation. Genetic testing combined with a simple blood cholesterol test can lead to diagnosis and treatment with statins.
“FH is the most common genetic cause of early heart disease, but with early treatment an individual’s risk can be reduced by 80%,” says Dr Daniel Rader, professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine. “Unfortunately FH is highly undiagnosed, with 90% of people unaware they have the condition.”
Read more: These 3 weird genetic factors could explain why you can’t lose weight
Depression
Researchers still have so much to learn about the genetic roots of mental conditions. Still, looking at your family history can provide clues to your blues. “Just because someone in your family has depression doesn’t mean you will, but it’s more likely if two or more people on the same side of your family are affected,” says Freivogel.
Being mindful of your family’s mental-health history might prompt you to seek treatment if you’re going through a rough patch, and some genetic tests can help determine which medications you’ll respond best to, according to Mayo Clinic.
Image credit: iStock
This article was originally published on www.womenshealthmag.com
If there’s one thing that’s worth keeping track of, it’s when you ovulate.
Sure, ovulation lasts for all of one day out of your 28-day cycle, but it’s arguably the most important day.
That’s because it represents the tiny window of time when you could feasibly conceive a baby (either an exciting or terrifying concept, depending).
What is ovulation?
Ovulation is the point in the menstrual cycle where one little egg travels from your ovary (where it lives with thousands of other eggs) into the body’s fallopian tubes, according to the National Institutes of Health.
The egg knows it’s time to start this journey thanks to signals from your hormones – usually around day 14 of your menstrual cycle. And those hormones also trigger the uterus to prepare for a potential baby by thickening its lining, says the NIH.
The egg will then hang out in the fallopian tubes for 12 to 24 hours, waiting to join forces with passing sperm, according to the American Pregnancy Association. (Sperm can remain in the female reproductive tract for up to five days, so it’s not like you’ve only have a one-day window to do the deed if you’re trying to conceive.)
If the egg is not fertilised, the uterus sheds its lining (and the egg) – and you get your period.
“Technically, a period is the release of blood and uterine tissue that happens two weeks after your period starts – the body’s way of resetting the uterus after not getting pregnant from that month’s ovulation,” Dr Jennifer Conti, a clinical assistant professor at Stanford University in California, tells Women’s Health.
Read more: 5 things every woman needs to know about her fertility
Signs of ovulation
Unless you’re tracking your cycle, you probably won’t know when you’re ovulating – although some people report feeling mittelschmerz (German for “middle pain”), abdominal pain that coincides with ovulation.
For the majority of people, vaginal discharge is a clearer indicator: When you’re ovulating or close to ovulation, discharge becomes thick and white.
Those who use fertility awareness – based family planning methods (not a good idea if you don’t want to get pregnant; fine if you do) might also be familiar with tracking their basal body temperature, or the body’s temperature when fully at rest. Basal body temperature is best measured first thing after you wake up, and dips slightly as ovulation approaches. When you ovulate, that number will swing suddenly up.
You might also notice that your sex drive peaks around ovulation, depending on your baseline libido levels.
Ovulation tests are also available at most drug stores, but Dr Conti cautions that if you have polycystic ovary syndrome, you might get false positives.
Read more: 17 weird things that can mess with your fertility
Are you ovulating regularly?
Hard to say.
“Ovulation is not as straightforward as it seems,” says Dr Conti. “A lot of people think that just because they’re bleeding, they’re ovulating regularly, and that’s not necessarily true. Blood does not always equal ovulation, and blood does not always equal a period, or menstruation.”
Bleeding between periods or at unpredictable intervals, Dr Conti says, could be a sign that you’re not ovulating regularly.
Irregular vaginal bleeding can also signal a number of more serious problems, so if you’re concerned, it’s best to book an appointment with a gynaecologist or visit a reproductive health care clinic.
Image credit: iStock
This article was originally published on www.womenshealthmag.com
After pumping iron, you want to give your muscles the fuel they need to repair the tiny tears that exercise causes. That’s what’s responsible for muscle growth.
Read more: 10 things every guy should know about protein powder
And if you’re pressed for time after your sweat session, you probably reach for the easiest, most accessible source of protein you can find. For many guys, that’s the protein shake but if you’re been drinking up on the regular, you might be noticing an unintended consequence that has nothing to do with your muscles: an acne breakout.
How can whey protein cause acne?
That’s because if your shake contains dairy – whether in your protein powder or if you use actual milk as a mixer – it could be making your face break out. Milk contains two proteins: casein and whey. Those are the proteins that are pretty common to see in many protein powders too. Whey in particular seems to be a particular culprit, says Dr Meghan Feely, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City. Whey increases the production of a hormone called insulin – like growth factor 1, or IGF-1.
“Insulin increases the production of sebum, which is associated with the development of acne,” she says. It also can trigger the production of androgens, or hormones that work by overstimulating oil glands. This can clog up your pores, possibly leading to breakouts, says Dr Rajani Katta, clinical assistant professor of Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine. What’s more, the milk proteins can mess with your ability to process blood sugar efficiently.
Read more: 5 hidden causes of acne
This can cause inflammation in your body particularly in your skin, says dermatologist Dr Whitney Bowe, author of The Beauty of Dirty Skin. This triggers an increase in sebum, the oil produced in your sebaceous glands, leading to acne. It’s also possible that the added sugars in many whey or protein powders can be a culprit, since they can also increase IGF-1 levels. “For those who are prone to acne, I definitely recommend avoiding shakes that have added sugars or a high carbohydrate load,” says Dr Katta.
What you add to your protein shake can make breakouts worse
What you choose to mix in your shake may also play a role in your acne breakouts. If you’re adding skim milk, well, you might be compounding the problem you’re already getting with the whey and casein proteins. Skim milk contains extra milk proteins compared to regular milk, which are added to improve its taste and thickness. “You might think picking a fat-free option is the health-conscious thing to do, but skim milk actually contains more milk proteins than higher fat milk options,” says Dr Bowe.
Read more: Your full guide to whey protein supplements
How to deal with protein breakouts
So, what should you do if you’re breaking out after drinking up? If you suspect your protein shake may be the cause of your acne, try eliminating it from your diet. “Take a holiday from protein shakes containing whey for a few months and see if your acne improves,” says Dr Feely. You can try shakes made with dairy-free options like pea protein, hemp, or collagen protein instead, says Dr Bowe. And make sure you’re getting enough protein from whole food sources too. But even if you’ve been noticing breakouts, it might not just be your protein shake that’s responsible: Your entire workout routine may be to blame.
“Athletes may experience acne flares from re-wearing athletic wear, using a dirty towel, or sharing helmets and other protective gear, as bacteria, oil and dead skin cells may clog pores,” says Dr Feely.
Read more: 5 nasty contagious skin conditions you can pick up at the gym
To help avoid acne flares, wear moisture-wicking, loose-fitting clothing, and hit the showers right after your workout so you don’t give bacteria and sweat the chance to get trapped and sit on your skin, she says. And wash up with a non-comedogenic cleanser, preferably one with salicylic acid to unclog your pores.
If that doesn’t calm your breakouts, you should loop in your dermatologist. He or she can help you find an acne treatment plan that works for you.
This article was originally published on www.menshealth.com
Image credit: iStock
The expression “my better half” – used to describe one’s spouse – may be more than a cliché.
Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis conducted a five-year study that involved nearly 5 000 married people of all ages, and included questionnaires about spouses’ job satisfaction, raises and promotions.
Easing the tug of war
Their findings show that having a spouse who scored high for diligence as a personality trait leads to greater career success for both people. In fact, in three-quarters of the couples, both partners worked outside the home.
A diligent mate spurs one’s professional success in three identifiable ways:
Though people look for many different traits in a spouse, knowing the effects that a spouse can have on your work life may make it all the more important for a very career-oriented man or woman to look for a mate with a diligent and supportive nature.
Image credit: iStock
Every year, World Tuberculosis (TB) Day is commemorated on 24 March, because it was this date in 1882 when German physician and microbiologist, Dr Robert Koch, announced that he discovered the bacterium which caused TB.
Today, the disease has killed millions of people and around the world healthcare professionals, researchers and scientists continue to explore methods to treat and eradicate the disease.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) theme for World TB Day this year is “Wanted: Leaders for a TB-Free World” and it’s not only aimed at politicians, heads of state and healthcare professionals, but also at community leaders, health workers and even people affected by TB.
Here are 10 of our top articles speaking to TB. They speak to different aspects of the disease:
1. New test may soon be available for diagnosing TB in kids
One of the reasons why TB causes so many deaths in children is because it is often misdiagnosed as pneumonia or meningitis.
From your pet cat to the lions of the Kruger Park, animal carriers of TB are becoming an increasing concern as research continues to reveal TB in the most surprising of places.
3. Drug-resistant tuberculosis – health officials’ biggest fear
Almost half a million patients are now infected with multidrug-resistant TB every year, according to the medical organisation Doctors Without Borders.
4. SHOCKING: Several TB strains now incurable, say local researchers
According to scientists, as a result of patients not finishing their treatments for TB, several strains of the disease have become not just drug-resistant, but incurable!
5. New, quick TB test developed in SA
A point-of-care rapid diagnostic test for TB has been developed by a multinational team of scientists led by researchers at Stellenbosch University in South Africa.
6. Here’s why SA is on the forefront of using new TB meds
Treatment with a new and revolutionary drug has resulted in a huge drop in death rates in South African TB patients.
7. How to manage the side-effects of TB medication
TB drugs unfortunately have side effects – some more serious than others – such as nausea, vomiting, weight loss, decreased appetite, dry mouth and sore throat.
8. Drug fails to reduce TB among SA miners
What researchers described as a ‘radical’ bid to cut down on tuberculosis among South African gold miners has failed to prevent infections or deaths.
9. Why isn’t SA getting these life-saving TB drugs?
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and other treatment providers in South Africa and globally have found that the first new drugs in half a century to be developed for treating drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) are offering new hope to patients — but significant challenges remain to improve availability and affordability of these treatments.
10. Can animals and food give you TB?
Animal TB poses a greater threat to human health and the economy than previously thought. A study has called for action.
Do you have an experience about TB that you would like to share? Send your stories to healthnews@health24.com and we may publish your story. Should you wish to remain anonymous, please let us know.
