1. Sulzer
TWP
Vulcan
Wesbank.
I wish to thank my clients, pa-
tients, companies and satellite
practices for their loyal support
during 2008. May you all be
blessed with a festive and relax-
ing holiday season and wellness
in 2009.
A special thanks goes to the
following companies:
AECI
AEL
ABSA
Bankmed
Chemserve
Crest Chemicals
Discovery
FNB
Improchem
Liberty
Media 24
Medscheme
Momentum
NBC
NHFC
Nedbank
Nedbank Technologies
West Street
Pharmacy Forum
Retecon
SAB
SANBS
Sasol
Standard Bank
Compliments of the season
November Events
R E G I N E G R A Y R D S A
C O N S U L T I N G D I E T I C I A N
0 8 2 3 5 4 8 8 5 0
Virtual NutritionN O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 8C H R I S T M A S E D I T I O N
SPECIAL
POINTS
OF IN-
TEREST:
• Thank
you’s and
compli-
ments of
the sea-
son
• Novem-
ber
events
• Selected
Nutrition
Congress
ab-
stracts.
Interest-
ing snip-
pets
• Christ-
mas food
choices
• Hope
that
NAPE
may be
the new
anti-
obesity
drug of
the fu-
ture.
FNB Health Services Year
End Function
Media 24 Nutrition Day
Medscheme Wellness Day
Did you know?
Left top: L. to R.: Louise West, Emsie Head and
Dr. Brandon Head.
Left below: Regine and Michael Gray
Below: Regine with Tania Kruger at the Nutrition Day;
Media 24.
Above: L. to R. : Nicky Liebenberg,
Regine, Kobie.
Nicky and Kobie, without fail, organize
and manage Medscheme’s Wellness
Days with oomph and pizzazz.

2. queurs (save up to 800 kJ
per serving).
• Change cheese and crackers
to vegetable crudités with a
low fat dip (save 1000 kJ per
serving).
• Use a low-fat stuffing (omit
the sausages/ meats and
substitute fats with low-fat
alternatives) (save 800 kJ
per half a cup of stuffing).
• Opt for refreshing fruit sal-
ads with low-fat custard as
dessert (800 kJ saving as
opposed to eating a small
mince pie).
• Beverages do count: choose
sugar-free fizzy drinks (save
650 kJ per glass).
• Water is still best.
A typical Christmas meal - probably
the most indulgent meal of the year-
has been estimated at providing
9000 kJ in one sitting. That is twice
the daily amount required to allow
an average-sized lady to lose weight.
To follow are some tips as to im-
proved choices:
• Choose white meats with-
out skins or crackling (save
600—1200 kJ per serving).
• Limit the rolls/breads and
butter (save 800 kJ per roll).
• Choose plain vegetables and
salads over buttered and
dressed items (save 400-
1300 kJ per half a plate of
vegetables)
• Choose champagne or light/
LITE wine/ beer over li-
Smart Christmas food choices
Nutrition and
vision
The following are interest-
ing snippets gleaned from
the Nutrition Congress
2008:
• 59 % of global deaths are
related to chronic lifestyle
associated diseases. The
emphasis is, once again,
placed on primary preven-
tion strategies. Healthy
nutrition and the imple-
mentation thereof forms
part of the prevention
strategies.
• Nutrition interventions
need to be implemented
in the elderly and school-
going children, who are at
greater risk of developing
nutritional deficiencies.
• Iron deficiency remains the
most prevalent micronutrient
deficiency in women.
• Physical activity is encouraged
in most abstracts.
• School nutrition interven-
tions show significant im-
provement in children’s nu-
tritional status and behaviors.
• Low birth weight is related to
insulin resistance and an in-
creased risk of developing
type II diabetes during adult-
hood.
• Supplementation with a mul-
tiple micronutrient supple-
ment can significantly im-
prove the appetites of HIV-
infected children.
• Early screening and good glycae-
mic control is paramount for
diabetic patients in order to
prevent or delay the onset of
diabetic retinopathy. The preva-
lence of diabetic retinopathy is
18% amongst non-insulin de-
pendent diabetics and 43%
amongst insulin-dependent dia-
betics.
• One in ten Americans suffer from
osteoporosis. Physical activity posi-
tively affects bone density when
calcium intake exceeds 1000 mg per
day. Calcium absorption is greatest
during the infant and adolescents
stage.
• It is suggested that a new assess-
ment tool , called Hydrolysis
Index, may be used to replace In
Vivo glycaemic index measure-
ments. The benefits include
time and cost f actors, controlled
condition factors and ethical
factors.
Hope for obesity
drug
Researchers continue to search
for new and better drugs to sup-
press appetite and reduce the
incidence of obesity.
Scientists have identified a fatty
substance made in the gut that
signals the brain when to stop
eating.
US researchers are experiment-
ing on this naturally occurring
fat-derived chemical messenger
called NAPE, which seems to
inhibit neurons in the hypothala-
mus that stimulate appetite.
Animal experiments have created
great promise in reducing appe-
tite and food consumption in
rodents, with the hope of being
able to create a feasible appetite
suppressant fit for the human
body. Here’s hoping...