GET UP & GO BREAKFAST - DR WENDY CHRISTIEN

Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are the two main types of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition where the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys the pancreas’s beta cells so that the body cannot produce insulin. Type 2 diabetes is more commonly a lifestyle disease. Wendy tells us more...

Glucose is a type of sugar we get from the foods we eat, and it is what our bodies use for energy. Insulin is the hormone that the body produces in response to the foods we eat and is necessary to transport the glucose from our bloodstream into our cells so that it can be utilized or stored. Wendy shares more on this intricate system.

Many of us work at a desk or spend a lot of time in a car all day, then we go home at the end of the day and sit down for dinner, then sit on the couch. Added to this most people travel to and from work and to any leisure activities by car, bus, taxi, or train. More and more people are inactive or have sedentary lifestyles. This is a lifestyle with little to no exercise and a lot of sitting or lyi...

Nutrient labels are there to provide the nutritional value of all the components and ingredients in the particular item you are buying. The nutrient quantities generally apply to a single serving, but some items will have double columns that state the categories per serving as well as for the entire product.

What to look out for on food labels Nutrient labels are there to provide the nutritional value of all the components and ingredients in the particular item you are buying. The nutrient quantities generally apply to a single serving, but some items will have double columns that state the categories per serving as well as for the entire product.

Over the past few decades, we have been led to believe that fats are our enemy and that we should avoid them at all costs, but fats are not something we should be avoiding. Healthy fats should be included in our diets as part of a balanced diet.

There are a variety of oils available. Some are good for cooking, and some are good to use as salad dressings. Either way, healthy oils have several benefits and should be included as part of a balanced diet. It is, however, important for us to know whether an oil is still healthy after it’s been heated. In Part 2, we look at different types of vegetable oil and the role they play in our lives and...

There are a variety of oils available. Some are good for cooking, and some are good to use as salad dressings. Either way, healthy oils have several benefits and should be included as part of a balanced diet. It is, however, important for us to know whether an oil is still healthy after it’s been heated.

Body odour happens when our sweat mixes with the bacteria on our skin. The sweat itself doesn’t have a smell, but when it mixes with the bacteria it can cause an odour and sometimes this is not very pleasant! Body odour can smell different and can vary from person to person. It can be sour, sweet, fishy, or sulfurous and you don’t necessarily even have to sweat a lot to have a body odour.

Headaches commonly affect many people. They can be described as pressure or a throbbing pain in the head or across the forehead and they can vary in intensity and severity depending on the type of headache. Headaches can also be experienced in different places like behind the eyes, in the temples, at the base of the neck or on the top of your head. There are over 150 types of headaches which can b...

The bladder is a hollow organ that is about the size of a grapefruit and its main purpose is to store urine that has been processed by the kidneys. The bladder expands as it fills and can hold up to two cups of urine, but most people start to feel the urge to urinate when it’s about 25% full. Most people don’t think too much about their bladders, but when it isn’t as healthy as it should be it can...

It is possible for some people to have too much iron in their bodies. Iron levels can be raised due to the destruction of red blood cells in the body, or due to excessive supplementation or consumption of iron-rich foods. Hemochromatosis, however, is a hereditary genetic condition.

Blood is a specialized body fluid that is essential to life. The four main components of blood are red blood cells, plasma, white blood cells, and platelets. Keeping our blood healthy ensures that our organs and tissues can function optimally. For this reason, it is important that we provide our bodies with the nutrients that are necessary to keep our blood healthy.

June is Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Changes to our bodies and brains are normal as we age, but certain behaviours and lifestyle choices can speed up cognitive decline or cause our brains to age faster than they should. Everyone gets forgetful, but there are some warning signs that we should be on the look-out for that show abnormal changes in our brain function.

As winter sets in and the days start to get colder, we naturally spend more time indoors. In a bid to stay warm, we can slow down on our usual summer activities and we can be less active than is ideal. With less physical activity, our moods can also take a knock.

Prebiotics are an indigestible dietary fiber that encourage the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut. Because they are not digestible, they travel to the lower parts of the intestines where they become a food source for our friendly gut bacteria. Wendy tells us how to know if you lack prebiotics and which foods will serve us best if we want to increase levels in our body.

The average person can have two to three colds a year, with a recovery time of about 10 days. This allows the immune system to make antibodies which in turn strengthen our immune function. If you get sick more often and don’t seem to recover well then you may need some help to support your immune system.

Studies have been done on communities living in 5 different areas in the world known as the “Blue Zones” which show that lifestyle factors are key to longevity. People living in the Blue Zones often live to 100 years old or more. What do these people seem to have in common?

Our chronological age refers to our actual age whereas our biological age is dependent on the health of our cells and our DNA. We can do little about our chronological age, but we can do a lot to influence our biological age – both for and against it. Our chronological age increases at the same rate for everyone, but our biological age can be considerably different. Research shows that most people...

This is quite an elusive and subjective question, but one that should be asked. We should all do a regular health assessment to check and see if we are on track. In part 3, Wendy speaks about: What is your fitness level? How do you feel on an emotional level? What is your quality of sleep like?

This is quite an elusive and subjective question, but one that should be asked. We should all do a regular health assessment to check and see if we are on track. In part 2, Wendy speaks about: How do you feel when you eat certain foods? How much energy do you have?

This is quite an elusive and subjective question, but one that should be asked. We should all do a regular health assessment to check and see if we are on track. This can be done in the traditional way by seeing your doctor for some blood tests, which is a good start, but blood tests don’t always pick up the subtle changes and early warning signs. Alternatively, it can be done through less convent...

We have been led to believe over the past few decades that that fat is our enemy and that we should avoid it at all costs, but fats are not something we should be avoiding. They should form part of a healthy, balanced diet.

Heavy metal exposure has increased due to industrial and anthropogenic activities as well as modern industrialization. Heavy metals can be related to several acute and chronic toxic effects in different organs of the body. Gastrointestinal and kidney dysfunction, vascular damage, birth defects, disorders of the immune system, skin lesions, and nervous system diseases, as well as neuropsychiatric c...

Many perimenopausal and menopausal women struggle with sleep issues. This can include the inability to fall asleep, stay asleep or a combination of both. Many women would not have sleep disturbances if it weren’t for night sweats and hot flashes. For others, anxiety prevents them from falling asleep and from getting back to sleep if they do wake in the night.