by Fern Shaw | May 25, 2015 | Water
Before you start hissing like an old boiler at the use of the word ‘cacti’ (pl), I’ll remind you that it is correct. It is a cactus and many cacti.
Anyhow, the point of this blog from your (occasionally) friendly blogista, Fern, is that although I’ve never been a fan of cacti – this derived from having many childhood occasions of either being pricked by their thorns or having fallen into a patch of them, or having a cluster of needle-like, fine blond hair-like thorns stuck into my fingers, toes, feet and having to have the patience of Job and the eye of an hawk trying to get the little ***bleep**** out when you couldn’t even see them with the naked eye, but every time you brushed a finger against a surface it hurt like blazes …
….
Okay, I’m back. What I was trying to say is that even something as mean as a cactus, growing as it does in sometimes the most hostile of conditions – almost zero rain fall, boiling hot sun day in and day out; in spite of all of these conditions – the cactus manages to come up with a plan to store water in order to survive.
You’ll find with most cacti that they don’t have leaves to catch much needed water so they’ve adapted by spreading their roots far and wide in order to catch underground water from the occasional rainfall in their natural habitats.
Some types of cacti can store up to as much as 760 litres of water. Yep, you read that right – seven hundred and sixty litres of water! So, although the cactus may not be everybody’s favourite plant – all those flipping thorns – they are without doubt one of the most useful plants of the natural world. Their uses are multitude and many cacti are edible, case in point being the Prickly Pear, which I’ve actually eaten. They’re quite delicious and the sap from the pads repels mosquitoes and is a remedy for minor cuts and burns.
So if you’re ever stuck out in some arid, hot and waterless environment, just look to the cactus for a source of water, food and healing properties all in one plant. Think of it as an out of the office – that’s waaaay out of the office – water cooler station.
Just watch out for those dam-nee thorns.
by Fern Shaw | May 19, 2015 | Health and Hydration, Water
Living in South Africa as *I do, but having lived in the U.K. for a number of years, I’m often struck by the differences when it comes to barbecuing in the U.K. versus braaing in South Africa.
One needs to understand that to a large proportion of South Africans, braaing is as essentially South African as going down to the local pub is to a Brit. It transcends cultures, ages, gender – it is the definitive South African past time. Braaing is taken so seriously that there is even a national day set aside for it. This day is really a public holiday – Heritage Day, 24 September – but in typical South African style, this has morphed into National Braai Day. Yep, we take braaing that seriously.
Some indications that a BBQ is not a Braai:
- In South Africa we braai pretty much all year round.
- If there is a way to make a fire and there is some type of grid to cook meat or fish or breakfast on, we will braai.
- There are braai competitions that run from small towns’ right through to a reality television programme where contestants are put through six weeks of gruelling challenges braaing everything from bread to puddings. Yep, really.
Braaing is pretty much a domain of the male in South Africa. Experience has taught me that when my family braai at home, the rules are clear: I’m not allowed to touch the braai, not allowed to light the fire and certainly not allowed to touch the meat. I am salad or sides regulated only.
The only time I’m allowed to encroach on this domain is when we’re having chicken on the braai. This is due to my secret recipe Chicken Marinade (a traditional South African recipe passed on from my Gran) which I’m encouraged to make. The funniest thing about this delicious marinade is that it has the most basic of ingredients: – tomato sauce (ketchup), fresh garlic and Worcestershire sauce – and it’s a total hit with everybody!
Other than the amazing marinade, the only other braai domain I’ve been allowed to commandeer are the refreshments. Braai time in our summer months can reach as high as 42°C, and as I believe there is more to quenching my thirst than with an icy cold beer, I have a few beat-the-heat and thirst quenching braai cocktails and mocktails in my repertoire.
I like my liquid refreshments to be pretty as all get out; colourful and very girlie – the more a cocktail tastes like a soft drink, and looks all Island style – the better.
My current favourite summer cocktail at the braai is The Watering Hole:
Ingredients
- Watermelon
- Vodka
- Sprite Zero
- A few Limes or Lime juice
- Lots of ice
Method: Scrape the flesh out of the watermelon, discarding the pips; add the vodka; a dash of lime; top up with Sprite Zero and lots of ice.
If you’re feeling more communally minded, you could always pour your combined ingredients back into your watermelon half, add straws and that’ll complete your ‘watering hole’ or; you can pour into chilled glasses, add garnish, a cocktail umbrella or two and heat beating hydration is on track.
Although the ice, fruit juice and heck, even the alcohol in the cocktails definitely contribute towards the water quotient of your drink, it’s always a sensible (tasty cocktails, hot summer’s day – sensible?) idea to match each cocktail drunk with a glass of water. Not only will the water keep you hydrated, but it’ll also help to keep you from drinking your cocktails like soft drinks and suffering from a bit of hangover-it is – a not so rare side effect of a braai.
Cheers everybody!
*Shelly Crawford heads up the AquAid Africa office in South Africa.
by Fern Shaw | Apr 24, 2015 | Health and Hydration
Last week, we spoke about us having 2 brains – the one in our head and the one in our stomach.
This week we continue talking about stomach and digestive system health and how having a happy tummy is vital to your general health and well-being:
It’s all about balance when it comes to your digestive system’s health. When your digestive system is in tip-top shape, about 80-85 percent of bacteria are good guys and 15-20 percent are bad guys. You feel great, your body is strong and nimble, you rarely get sick, your energy is consistent – life is good. The healthy bacteria are free to do their job with ease. They assist with digestion, produce disease-fighting antibodies, crowd out bad bacteria and produce certain hormones, vitamins and nutrients.
But when the harmful bacteria stage a revolt, all hell breaks loose. They totally stop up the works and cause painful problems like inflammation and infection, which can then lead to health issues such as constipation, candida, allergies, arthritis, headaches, depression, autoimmune diseases and more.
Medications (especially antibiotics and antacids), environmental toxins and chemicals, stress and illness greatly affect the ratio of good to bad bacteria. When bacteria are wiped out indiscriminately, the good guys are mowed down, giving the bad guys a chance to increase their ranks. Hello, chronic health issues.
The food you eat also affects the ratio of good to bad bacteria. Everything you consume is processed and either absorbed into your body or eliminated via your digestive system. Your stomach completes the amazing task of digesting your food and pulling the nutrients, vitamins and minerals out of the food so that they can be absorbed into your bloodstream.
And your digestive system’s mind-blowing capabilities don’t stop there. Your gut also identifies invaders – toxins, microbes, viruses and allergens that could harm your health – and moves them through your digestive system so that they can be excreted.
The key to this system working in your favour is two-fold:
- Lend your digestive system a hand by feeding your body whole, plant-based, nutrient-dense foods.
- Consistently practice a healthy lifestyle (less stress, exercise, less exposure to environmental toxins, proper rest) that supports the good tummy bacteria and keeps the harmful bacteria under control.
One of the most important factors in maintaining digestive health remains as always, in keeping hydrated and staying hydrated. Your digestive system needs water to keep bacteria and waste moving through you, which will help prevent constipation and bloating. When you’re dehydrated, these issues can throw off the balance of bacteria in your gut and lead to inflammation. Give your stomach a hand and drink more H2O!
The European Food Safety Authority recommends that women should drink about 1.6 litres of fluid and men should drink about 2.0 litres of fluid per day. That’s about eight glasses of 200ml each for a woman, and 10 glasses of 200ml each for a man.
However, the amount a person needs to drink to avoid getting dehydrated will vary depending on a range of factors, including their size, the temperature and how active they are. One of the quickest and easiest ways to see whether you are dehydrated is to check the colour of your urine (keeping in mind that certain medication or even health supplements can give you Day-Glo yellow coloured urine). The lighter and more pale your urine is, the more hydrated you are. The darker it is, the more dehydrated you are. Be sensible about your water intake though – again, it’s all about balance.
by Fern Shaw | Apr 24, 2015 | Water
I’ve always wondered why certain cities are more appealing than others and it struck me that it’s generally because those cities are near water. I’m not referring to seaside cities, but cities that have a river running through them.
Think of London and the Thames (pictured above) – with the redevelopment of Bankside, the opening of the London Eye and the completion of the 183-mile Thames Path (which runs from the source of the river in Gloucestershire to the Thames Barrier in Docklands), Londoners have finally rediscovered the waterway that was once the great thoroughfare of their city.
Then, of course, there’s the Seine in Paris. Of course it helps that Paris is one of the most beautiful cities in the world and that the Seine curves through 10 of the city’s 20 arrondissements, its banks dotted with some of the most famous landmarks of Europe. It was both to celebrate and protect this glorious waterway, with its elegant bridges and beautiful buildings, that the stretch between the Eiffel Tower in the west and Saint-Chapelle and Notre Dame Cathedral in the east was added to UNESCO’s World Heritage list in 1991.
The Neva, St Petersburg – An imperial masterpiece, St Petersburg remains very much the dream and vision of Tsar Peter I (later dubbed “the Great”). In the early 18th century he orchestrated the construction of this purpose-built capital on the banks of the river Neva, draining the surrounding swamps into a network of canals in the process. The result is still a jaw dropping fusion of water and architecture, with magnificent panoramas of pillared mansions intensified through reflections.
The Vltava, in Prague, is the Czech Republic’s longest river. This river cuts through the centre of this stunning city of turrets, spires and domes. The views from Karluv Most, or Charles Bridge, are famously breath taking but even more so is a trip along the city’s magnificent waterway, with the cream and golden hues of elegant baroque buildings mirrored on the surface.
The Danube, Vienna – The Danube slices this wedding cake of a city into unequal halves. The old town and most of the historic sights are south of the river, with the Danube Canal, which branches off from the main waterway, forming one of the borders of the ancient centre.
The Danube flows through four capital cities – Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest (pictured right) and Belgrade.
It does, of course, help, that even without their rivers, the above-mentioned cities are a marvel of architecture, history and beauty.
We can’t all lay claims to such magnificent river cities – but there is undoubtedly something special about a city that has a river running through it.
*excerpts from an article in The Independent
by Fern Shaw | Mar 30, 2015 | Water
Easter has always been my favourite time of year – followed closely by Christmas. Perhaps it’s the idea of celebrating; the colours, the decorations, festivities, the delicious food – whatever the reason, I’m in like Flynn when it comes around.
It could also stem from the Time historical books I read as a child – I was lucky enough to have 2 dedicated bookworms as parents. In one of the books – I think it was about tradition and festivals – there were these colour photos of how people from Greece celebrated Easter – in particular, the hand dyed Easter eggs and plaited bread. There was this amazing array of dyed eggs – sky blue, forest green and a deep rich red. I still think it’s one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen.
Believing in a smorgasbord of tradition and celebration as I do, you can guarantee I’ll be organising Easter egg hunts, buying brightly coloured Easter eggs, scoffing Hot Cross Buns and most likely, cooking a traditional Greek lamb. Believe you me, there is nothing quite like a lemon and garlic infused Greek Lamb to share with loved ones on Easter Sunday.
So, now we’ve got me covered, how do other people celebrate Easter globally? As you’ll see, definitely not the same as chez Shaw, that’s for sure (aha aha).
A few unusual Easter observations are:
Neighbourhood children in Poland practice a particularly joyful Easter Monday tradition. They drench one another with buckets of water (often while the victim is still asleep in bed). One theory attributes the practice to the botanical affections of European pagans, likening the waterlogging of friends to the saturation of the holy Corn Mother.
In Guatemala, communities make beautiful carpets of sawdust and flowers that are usually a mile long. These colourful and extremely detailed carpets take weeks of preparation leading up to Easter. Once it’s Easter, huge processions walk over the carpets as people make their way to the local church where mass is held.
More water splashing takes place at an annual Water Festival in several countries in Southeast Asia. In addition to the simple splashing of water, the Asian cultures’ variation on the Polish practice involves boat races, floating river lanterns, and the dousing of a Buddhist statue. The holiday is rooted in the Dai association of water with religious purity, good luck, and good will. Soaking your friend or neighbour with a hearty splash is meant to bestow him or her with good fortune.
Australians have the ‘Easter Bilby’ instead of the Easter Bunny. This is perhaps to raise awareness for this almost extinct creature. It all depends on your opinion about certain creatures, but I personally think that the Bilby is rather cute!
In Switzerland, people decorate wells and fountains leading up to Easter. Decorating a well symbolizes the honouring of water, which is essential for life, and Easter, the feast of renewed life.
Finally, in Russia, there is a tradition of Butter Lamb. Russians dig into a large piece of butter carved into the shape of a lamb. This tradition is based on the religious idea that lambs are lucky since they were the only animals that Satan could not take a form of.
However you choose to celebrate Easter, I do hope it’s peaceful and blessed.
