The SA government must intervene to ensure healthy food, such as fruit and vegetables, is more affordable that nutrient-depleted food, says one of the world's leading experts in nutrition, Dr Geert Verhelst.
Europe's Verhelst, who is in SA on a week-long national seminar tour to the health trade (from Monday12 August, described the recent results of SA's first national health and nutrition survey which reveals the dire state of the nation's wellbeing as "alarming".
"Government should aim to reverse the situation where healthy food is more expensive than unhealthy food which is largely responsible for obesity and poor health," he said.
Verhelst added that government should embark on a mass education drive to explain that obesity and bad food choices increase the risk of many diseases, including diabetes and heart problems.
"The government should also tax sectors of the food industry which are producing high-sugar foods, refined grains, foods with trans-fatty fats such as processed meats and the hundreds of products that contain hydrogenated fats. It is these foods, coupled with an unhealthy lifestyle, that are killing the population."
Belgium-based Verhelst's comments come in the wake of the Human Sciences Research Council and Medical Research Council's survey results which indicate the country's population is at serious risk of rising levels of diabetes, strokes, heart attacks and certain cancers.
Verhelst is a trained physician, medical homeopath, acclaimed author, consultant and lecturer in phytotherapy (the use of plants for medicine). He is one of the world's leading lights on the holistic prevention and treatment of diabetes and high cholesterol and will present seminars to the health trade in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town from 12 - 17 August. He will present to the public at the Celebrate Life Festival at Cape Town's River Club on 17 August.
Verhelst is a consultant to OTC Pharma International which produces the Diabecinn (www.diabecinn-sa.co.za) range of blood sugar and cholesterol level regulators (which contain a unique water-based cinnamon extract -proven to help stabilize these levels). See Diabecinn SA and Celebrate Life Festival on Facebook.
His seminars will touch on, among others, the following topics:
- The SA health crisis - why are we in crisis and what to do about it.
- Cholesterol: shocking global stats and now to manage this condition.
- Type 2 diabetes: latest staggering stats and what to do to combat this pandemic.
- Statins: how these cholesterol lowering drugs may be contributing to diabetes.
- Red Yeast Rice: how this miracle fermented product can help lower cholesterol levels.
- Cinnamon: how this spice can help address type 2 diabetes.
It is estimated than over five million South Africans are at risk of cardiovascular disease partly due to high cholesterol levels and about 50% of all heart attacks are associated with high cholesterol. Between five to six million South Africans are estimated to be living with type 2 diabetes, most of them undiagnosed. The International Diabetes Federation has reported that a staggering 370 million people worldwide have diabetes. This is expected to rise to almost 440 million by 2030 with Africa set for the highest growth.
"The main culprits behind poor health are high intake of sugar and/or high fructose corn syrup found in thousands of food products and drinks, refined grains and processed foods. Too many people live in 'food deserts' consuming only calorie rich, refined foods with very little fresh vegetables and fruit. Add to this a lack of exercise and you have all the makings of diabetes, high cholesterol and heart disease," he said.
Dr Verhelst's top tips to help maintain optimum blood sugar levels
- Avoid sugar and refined grains
- Replace rice pasta and potatoes with vegetables and/or legumes/beans (these have a lower GI).
- Substitute potatoes with sweet potatoes.
- If you eat potatoes, do so in moderation (they have a high GI) and eat them cold: cooling down potatoes can lower their GI by 30% because the starch becomes more resistant to digestion.
- Use (apple) vinegar in your meals or drink 1 tablespoon of apple vinegar in water with your meals: it decreases the GI between 15 and 35%.
- Substitute whole wheat bread with non sugared whole oats (they contain a large amount of soluble fibre which slows the absorption of glucose).
- Drink green tea with your meals: it enhances satiety and decreases the digestion of carbohydrates by blocking enzymes (maltase, alpha-glucosidase).
- Omega 3 fatty acids lower the risk of type 2 diabetes
- Fish is better than red meat
- Avoid all processed meats
- "Light" drinks (which contain artificial sweetener, aspartame) are no better than sugared drinks.
'Make healthy food affordable to address SA health crisis'
The SA government must intervene to ensure healthy food, such as fruit and vegetables, is more affordable that nutrient-depleted food, says one of the world's leading experts in nutrition, Dr Geert Verhelst.
Europe's Verhelst, who is in SA on a week-long national seminar tour to the health trade (from Monday12 August, described the recent results of SA's first national health and nutrition survey which reveals the dire state of the nation's wellbeing as "alarming".
"Government should aim to reverse the situation where healthy food is more expensive than unhealthy food which is largely responsible for obesity and poor health," he said.
Verhelst added that government should embark on a mass education drive to explain that obesity and bad food choices increase the risk of many diseases, including diabetes and heart problems.
"The government should also tax sectors of the food industry which are producing high-sugar foods, refined grains, foods with trans-fatty fats such as processed meats and the hundreds of products that contain hydrogenated fats. It is these foods, coupled with an unhealthy lifestyle, that are killing the population."
Belgium-based Verhelst's comments come in the wake of the Human Sciences Research Council and Medical Research Council's survey results which indicate the country's population is at serious risk of rising levels of diabetes, strokes, heart attacks and certain cancers.
Verhelst is a trained physician, medical homeopath, acclaimed author, consultant and lecturer in phytotherapy (the use of plants for medicine). He is one of the world's leading lights on the holistic prevention and treatment of diabetes and high cholesterol and will present seminars to the health trade in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town from 12 - 17 August. He will present to the public at the Celebrate Life Festival at Cape Town's River Club on 17 August.
Verhelst is a consultant to OTC Pharma International which produces the Diabecinn (www.diabecinn-sa.co.za) range of blood sugar and cholesterol level regulators (which contain a unique water-based cinnamon extract -proven to help stabilize these levels). See Diabecinn SA and Celebrate Life Festival on Facebook.
His seminars will touch on, among others, the following topics:
- The SA health crisis - why are we in crisis and what to do about it.
- Cholesterol: shocking global stats and now to manage this condition.
- Type 2 diabetes: latest staggering stats and what to do to combat this pandemic.
- Statins: how these cholesterol lowering drugs may be contributing to diabetes.
- Red Yeast Rice: how this miracle fermented product can help lower cholesterol levels.
- Cinnamon: how this spice can help address type 2 diabetes.
It is estimated than over five million South Africans are at risk of cardiovascular disease partly due to high cholesterol levels and about 50% of all heart attacks are associated with high cholesterol. Between five to six million South Africans are estimated to be living with type 2 diabetes, most of them undiagnosed. The International Diabetes Federation has reported that a staggering 370 million people worldwide have diabetes. This is expected to rise to almost 440 million by 2030 with Africa set for the highest growth.
"The main culprits behind poor health are high intake of sugar and/or high fructose corn syrup found in thousands of food products and drinks, refined grains and processed foods. Too many people live in 'food deserts' consuming only calorie rich, refined foods with very little fresh vegetables and fruit. Add to this a lack of exercise and you have all the makings of diabetes, high cholesterol and heart disease," he said.
Dr Verhelst's top tips to help maintain optimum blood sugar levels
- Avoid sugar and refined grains
- Replace rice pasta and potatoes with vegetables and/or legumes/beans (these have a lower GI).
- Substitute potatoes with sweet potatoes.
- If you eat potatoes, do so in moderation (they have a high GI) and eat them cold: cooling down potatoes can lower their GI by 30% because the starch becomes more resistant to digestion.
- Use (apple) vinegar in your meals or drink 1 tablespoon of apple vinegar in water with your meals: it decreases the GI between 15 and 35%.
- Substitute whole wheat bread with non sugared whole oats (they contain a large amount of soluble fibre which slows the absorption of glucose).
- Drink green tea with your meals: it enhances satiety and decreases the digestion of carbohydrates by blocking enzymes (maltase, alpha-glucosidase).
- Omega 3 fatty acids lower the risk of type 2 diabetes
- Fish is better than red meat
- Avoid all processed meats
- "Light" drinks (which contain artificial sweetener, aspartame) are no better than sugared drinks.
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