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On average we work 40 hours per week. Between looming deadlines, worrying about money and demands from your manager, you might not always take care of your health. 

Some people don’t take their leave or come to work when they are bone-tired, but experts warn that’s often detrimental to your health. Here are three things you shouldn’t overlook when it comes to balancing your health and work life: 

Office etiquette is very important for our well-being, especially considering that we spend a large part of our day sharing a relatively small space with our colleagues.

This means you need to think about those little things that can drive others up the wall – like what you prepare or heat up in the office kitchen.

Most of us are all too familiar with those pungent smells that waft from the kitchen into the open-plan office from time to time. And we wonder how people can be so terribly inconsiderate. 

But next time you are ready to chuck your colleague’s lunch box out the nearest window, consider the nutritional value of these stinky foods and what health benefits you colleagues might be deriving from eating these offending items. You might learn something from their eating habits – and even join them.

1. Popcorn

While the lingering smell of fresh popcorn might not be the worst on the spectrum of bad office smells, it can become quite offensive when your colleague heats up a bag of butter or cheese flavoured popcorn, or worse, burn it to a crisp.

According to a previous Health24 article, popcorn is a snack rich in fibre and low in calories and is far better for you than a packet of chips from the vending machine.

You can make this healthy snack less pungent by sticking to the unflavoured variety which is much better for you – and by not burning your popcorn.

2. Boiled eggs
Uh-oh! Those are nasty. But in a sea of pre-packaged, sweetened cereals and instant oats, your colleague might be doing him- or herself a favour by choosing this protein-dense breakfast option. Including protein in your breakfast can also cut cravings later in the day.

Make this healthy breakfast option less stinky by rinsing your boiled egg in cold water as soon as you remove it from the boiling water – this will prevent the yolk from overcooking, which is often the cause of the telltale sulphur smell.

3. Broccoli

This cruciferous vegetable is definitely a winner in the health department, but is not the most sweet-smelling one, especially not when reheated. Broccoli is packed with fibre and antioxidants, making it a filling, healthy lunch option. On top of that, it has been proven to fight allergies and have anti-cancer properties.

Make things less smelly by steaming raw broccoli, if you have the facilities – freshly cooked broccoli is less likely to be malodorous than leftovers.

4. Fish of any kind

And there’s always that one person having sardines on toast first thing in the morning. Tinned fish like sardines, mackerel and salmon might pong, but they’re rich in omega 3 fatty acids, vitamins and protein. Fish is also known to boost memory and concentration – a plus in any work environment.

However, you can stop making your colleagues queasy by drizzling a teaspoon of white vinegar on canned fish as soon as you open it – that will lessen the smell. And never pack last night’s hake fillets for lunch – there is just no way to take the stink out of leftover fish.

5. Brussels sprouts

The pariah vegetable of children and adults alike, the Brussels sprout may not be popular but it certainly packs a nutritious punch. Brussels sprouts are full of nutrients, yet low in calories, hence the reason why your health-conscious colleague is heating them in the shared microwave. They are most likely to emit an odour when overcooked, so it’s best to use a fast-cooking method such as steaming, stir-frying or blanching, which also preserves the vitamins. But if you want to roast your Brussels sprouts, rather leave the leftovers at home and have them for dinner. 

^{All images supplied by iStock.}

Read more:

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Many young men who should be in their sexual prime are suffering erectile dysfunction as a result of watching pornography from an early age.

Prolonged exposure to porn, via the ease of technology, creates a demand for more extreme and “novelty” material in order to maintain arousal, to the point where sexual experiences with partners are no longer arousing.

Real sex ‘disappointing’

One international study in Behavioural Sciences, a medical journal, said the percentage of men below 40 who suffer erectile dysfunction has skyrocketed in the last 15 years, from between 2% and 5% to 30%.

The study was conducted by a team of US uroligists, neuroscientists and psychiatrists who analysed extensive neuroscientific research.

It said for those suffering with Porn-Induced Erectile Dysfunction (PIED), real sex registers as “disappointing” in comparison with porn, and there is great difficulty maintaining an erection.

Sheryl Rahme, addiction specialist at Changes Rehab Centre, said porn addiction mirrors addiction to drugs.

“With porn-induced erectile dysfunction… the urge to masturbate is not true libido – they are addicted to porn. They are addicted to seeking a fix and a temporary high.

“Porn can become your greatest need. If they have been using porn regularly to ‘get high,’ withdrawal can be as filled with agitation, depression and sleeplessness, as detoxing from alcohol, cocaine and other hard drugs.”

Cape Town-based Standing Together to Oppose Pornography (Stop) director, Clive Human, told Weekend Witness that those they were treating were “getting younger and younger”.

Effort and willpower

“We have kids in grade seven and early high school with compulsive masturbation. I do talks at schools and there’s an anonymous box for issues and questions and that’s how we get notified to many of the problems.”

He said Stop recommend no porn, masturbation or sex as an intervention strategy.

“They got erectile disfunction after a diet of porn and a person is just not as exciting. It takes about three months, sometimes six, to rewire the brain and for the damage to be repaired but that takes effort and willpower.”

He said a lot of the time young children look at porn out of curiosity, but abuse, loneliness and low self-esteem were other factors.

“Intervention can mean telling parents to restrict [children’s] access to phones or using adult content blocks.”

Human said teaching children about porn addiction should be part of the school syllabus.

Boys need to be warned

Board member of The Advice Desk for the Abused at UKZN, Dr Lubna Nadvi, said pornographic images can lead to sexual violence, especially toward women.

“The desire to obtain sexual gratification can often extend to beyond just viewing an image to actually wanting to carry out sexual acts against vulnerable persons without their consent.”

Nadvi said there needed to be an education campaign that warned young people, especially boys, that porn can lead to behaviours that perpetuate gender-based violence.

Researcher at the Wits City Institute specialising in gender and violence, Lisa Vetten, said porn could give young men a skewed view of what women wanted sexually.

She added: “If they are using porn to avoid dealing with actual women, that is a problem. They may lack the ability to be intimate.”

Read more:

Porn and sex addiction: an expert’s view

Your child watching porn?

9 to 5 pornography watcher

Kerushun Pillay, The Witness

With rows of tables loaded with mouth watering dishes, what’s not to love about buffets? The effect on your waistline and health if you don’t control yourself, for one. 

Whether at a party or a restaurant, don’t let a buffet kill your diet. With certain strategies, you can enjoy a range of choices without going overboard and experiencing any of the usual guilt.

Cornell researcher Brian Wansink tracked the behaviour of people at all you can eat Chinese buffet restaurants and found that thin people have habits that seem to keep their eating in check. Here’s how to follow their lead: 

1. Keep your distance

Firstly, ask to be seated away from the buffet at restaurants and don’t face the food to avoid added temptation.

2. Scout the best choices

Before grabbing a plate, tour the buffet and decide on which dishes you want most. Give yourself a limit – say five to seven items – to force yourself to pare down options. To keep portion sizes in check, choose a small plate. This naturally limits how much you can load up on at one time.

4. Pace yourself

Back at the table, find ways to slow down your eating, like using your non-dominant hand. If you’re the one paying the bill at a restaurant, resist the mindset of getting your money’s worth and going back for more even after you’re full.

4. Be social 

If you find the temptation’s too great, you might be better off to avoid buffets when you can. If the buffet is at a friend’s or relative’s house or an office party, use the occasion to be social. Make the effort to spend more time on conversation than filling up your plate.

Looking for your next buffet meal? Here are the best buffet restaurants Food24 scouted in Johannesburg. 

^{All images provided by iStock}

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South Africa has one of the highest rates of prescribing medication for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) – even higher than the USA!

This raises questions about the prevalence of overdiagnosis or misdiagnosis of ADHD, and if there might not be other reasons why children have learning problems and are difficult to control. 

French child psychiatrists for example prefer a more holistic, psychosocial approach to ADHD-type symptoms and also allow for considering nutritional causes.

A Health24 article points out that there is no single test to diagnose ADHD and that conditions that manifest similar symptoms need to be ruled out before a positive diagnosis can be made.  

Because ADHD diagnosis relies on a process of elimination and can therefore not be 100% conclusive, it’s important that you seek a second opinion and/or insist on further tests if you don’t agree with a paediatrician’s diagnosis.    

Other possible causes

Here are five examples of conditions that can mimic the symptoms of ADHD and may be worth investigating:

1. Stress and anxiety

According to the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG), South Africans are under extreme amounts of stress and don’t know how to deal with it. Factors like economic uncertainty, high levels of unemployment and high crime levels greatly contribute to our daily stress levels.

When difficulties with concentration appear to be caused by ADHD, a closer look may reveal underlying causes that actually point to stress and anxiety.

2. Lack of exercise

It is well known that physical activity has a positive effect on the body and mind and helps to release energy and tension.

Many children don’t get enough exercise and have pent-up energy that manifests in fits and spurts, like bouncing in a chair while watching TV. Exercise can make people happier, less anxious, less hyperactive, and less depressed.

It’s also no secret that most boys are more active and prone to rough behaviour than girls.

3. Hypoglycaemia

Hypoglycaemia, also called low blood sugar, can cause a number of symptoms similar to ADHD including aggression, hyperactivity, inability to sit still or low concentration levels. In addition, low blood sugar can create feelings of hostility and anger. ADHD shares many of these symptoms.

4. Nutritional deficiencies

According to the University of Maryland Medical Center the following deficiencies could mimic some of the symptoms of ADHD:

– Magnesium

Magnesium deficiency symptoms include irritability, decreased attention span and mental confusion. Children with ADHD may have a mild magnesium deficiency.

– Vitamin B6

Vitamin B6 is needed to make brain chemicals like serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine – neurotransmitters that may be affected in children with ADHD. Conclusions on whether vitamin B6 improves behaviour among hyperactive vary considerably. One needs to be careful, though, seeing as high doses of B6 can cause nerve damage

– Zinc

Zinc regulates the activity of brain chemicals, fatty acids and melatonin, which are all related to behaviour. It has been shown that zinc may help improve behaviour but, as in the case of vitamin B6, high doses of zinc can be dangerous.

– Essential fatty acids

Fatty acids like omega-3 and -6 fatty acids play a key role in normal brain function. Study results are however mixed. Omega-3 fatty acids are also good for heart health, but high doses may increase the risk of bleeding.

– L-carnitine

L-carnitine is formed from an amino acid and helps cells in the body produce energy. There is some indication that L-carnitine may improve behaviour in children with ADHD, but more research is needed.

5. Learning disabilities

There are many reasons why children may have trouble learning. Examples are dyslexia, hearing or sight problems, social skills issues and intellectual disability (previously called mental retardation).

Undiagnosed learning disorders can make school hard, and children are often called lazy, stupid, and other names that can affect their self-esteem. This may cause them to react in non-productive ways like undisciplined behaviour, bullying or fooling around.

Read more:

Understanding ADHD

ADHD kids have multiple conditions

ADHD drugs hallucinogenic?

Eugene Lotter

Foetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is a completely avoidable disability caused by the consumption of alcohol during pregnancy; it is the main cause of severe mental disabilities and stunted physical growth in babies. An alarming fact is that South Africa has one of the highest rates in the world, with a prevalence as high as 12.2% in some areas.

New research offers hope

While the effects have a debilitating impact on the child, animal research may have yielded a potential treatment for foetal alcohol spectrum disorder.

Two common medications reversed memory and learning problems in rats exposed to alcohol while in the womb, according to researchers at Northwestern University in Chicago. “We’ve shown you can interfere after the damage from alcohol is done. That’s huge,” study senior author Eva Redei said in a university news release.

The consumption of alcohol has a damaging effect on the foetus, resulting in several birth defects such as:

• Characteristic facial features including smaller eyes, a flattened nasal bridge and a thin upper lip
• Delayed development and mental handicap
• Physical growth deficiencies 
• Heart defects

Currently, there is no treatment for foetal alcohol spectrum disorder, added Redei, a professor of psychiatric diseases affecting children and adolescents. For 10 days after birth, rat pups that were exposed to alcohol in the womb were given either the hormone thyroxine or the drug metformin.

Thyroxine is reduced in pregnant women who drink and in infants with foetal alcohol spectrum disorder. Metformin is an insulin sensitising drug that lowers blood sugar levels, which are higher in alcoholics, the study authors explained.

When they reached adulthood, the treated rats were tested and compared to rats that had been exposed to alcohol in the womb but not given either drug. The treated rats had no memory or learning problems, according to the study. The results were published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry.

Abstinence still best prevention

“There are women who drink before they are aware that they are pregnant, and women who do not stop drinking during their pregnancy,” Redei said. “These women still can help their children’s future, if the current findings work in humans, as well,” she added.

That’s a big question mark, however, as results of animal studies aren’t always replicated in humans. Ideally, women should abstain from drinking while pregnant, “but unfortunately that does not always happen,” Redei added.

Read more:

SA has highest FAS rate

Foetal alcohol syndrome is preventable, but not reversible

Alcohol in pregnancy causes wide range of problems

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