Mangwanani Magazine Edition No. 2

MAGAZINE
October 2016
N o 2
www.mangwanani.co.za
Kids and
TECH
WHEN TO LIMIT
IT AND HOW
BEACH
Bliss
health benefits
of the beach
Don't Forget
Teachers' Day
on 5 October
STOP
easy ways to
global warming
celebrity
spa
Experience:
DJ Le Soul
Where's Wanda?
Find her and WIN
DIAMOND CLUB
SPA-ZA
OFFERS

www.mangw
10 18
CONTENTS
COVER STORIES
5
14
18
20
Celebrity Spa Experience: DJ Le Soul
Kids and Tech - When to limit and how
Beach Bliss - Healthy benefits of the beach
Easy ways to stop Global Warming
FEATURES
10
16
22
Trick or Treat - How did Halloween come about?
Why you get to celebrate your birthday every year
Getting Married - How do you know for sure?

6
CONTENTS
HEALTH
6
25
Your tongue can tell you what to eat
What is Deja Vu and why it happens?
LIFESTYLE
9 Stress & Female Infertility and how to remedy it
12 20 Signs you’re working with a true Leader
ETCETERA
4 E’s Note
anani.co.za

E’S NOTE
E D I T O R ’ S N O T E
I cannot believe how fast this year is flying
by! It was October 2015 just the other day. It
almost feels like déjà vu. Talking of, we have an
interes ng ar cle about the science of déjà vu,
and you can experience our Mangwanani Déjà Vu
package and stand a chance to win.
So, it is that me of the year again when
Mangwananians find themselves in the last
quarter of the year preparing for year-end
func ons (check out our year-end func ons
here) and ge ng excited for family vaca ons!
I am also excited and proud to showcase
this second edi on of the Mangwanani magazine
and hope that you can get value out of the
ar cles we have included.
As you may know, Mangwanani African
Spa is built on the no on of Women
Empowerment, so we were thrilled to host an
inspiring young South African woman who
encompasses Women Empowerment and is
making waves on the South African music scenecelebrity
DJ Le Soul. Read about her story on
page 4.
We also celebrate some significant days in
October such as Boss's Day and Halloween. Read
up on some interes ng ar cles related to these
topics and take advantage of the amazing
Mangwanani Halloween and Boss's Day offers we
have available for you!
This edi on also focuses on some
important health and lifestyle topics ranging from
tongue analysis, stress and infer lity, to global
warming – which relates to our con nual focus
on Responsible Tourism.
As usual you stand a chance to win with
Mangwanani. We are happy to announce that
Lindi Matakane was the lucky winner of the
#MangwananiBirthday compe on. She wins
herself a Mangwanani journal and a year's worth
of Mangwanani experiences. Congrats Lindi, we
look forward to welcoming you monthly for a
Year's Worth of Mangwanani Spa treatments and
products!!
You also stand a chance to WIN this
month. We would love to hear feedback from
you. Send your feedback and sugges ons for our
Mangwanani magazine to
compe ons@mangwanani.co.za and you could
win a couple’s Moonlight Night Spa.
Happy reading!
Erin
4

celebrity
spa
Experience:
DJ Le Soul
Le Soul relaxes at Mangwanani Elangeni
& Maharani
CELEB SPA
Le Soul has performed at many outdoor
events such as Ugu Jazz Fes val, Midmar Music
Fes val and Durban Summer Fest. Le Soul has
also shared the stage with great names in the
South African Music industry such as Black
Coffee, Monique Bingham and Ruff Gum.
Every Friday from 7pm to 10 pm you can
enjoy Le Soul's House Music mixes on her show
on Gagasi FM called Bring on the Night.
Mangwanani Bou que Spa at Elangeni &
Maharani in Durban had the privilege of hos ng
Le Soul for a relaxing treatment:
“My percep on of Mangwanani was
"cultural & classy”. Most of my expecta ons were
exceeded by the experience. The Bou que Spa is
very calming and elegant.
The actual massage deserves a repeat. I
went for a "medium" pressure Tradi onal Full
Body Massage and hot stone therapy. There's
something about the energy at the Spa that
relaxes you even before you begin your
treatment.
I highly recommend the treatments to
fellow hard-working friends and more women in
my industry”
Le Soul
Nonkululeko Mdlalose, be er known as
DJ Le Soul, is a 23 year old, renowned South
African female DJ who has already made an
impact in the South African music industry.
The young Le Soul grew up in the
township of Kwa-Mashu in KZN and was raised by
a single mother. During her younger years she
sang in her church choir and began to pursue
playing the piano.
In 2007, Le Soul won a na onal art
compe on and was given the opportunity to
travel to the UK, therea er she was appointed as
the Ambassador for the Wildlife Environmental
Society of South Africa.
Today, this inspiring woman is a DJ,
pianist, vocalist, producer, designer and ar st
(pain ng). She is a resident DJ at Luna Rossa and
Mondise MVG, and has released a single called
Roller Coaster.
5

YOUR
TONGUE
CAN TELL YOU
WHAT TO EAT
6

Your tongue reflects what is happening
inside your body and is an easily
accessible way to find out what your inner
landscape looks like.
These are things to look out for when it
comes to tongue analysis:
Shape Is your tongue thin and pointy, or is
it more thick and flabby with tooth-marks around
the edges? Is it quivery? Is some of it swollen
while another part looks depressed? Is it long or
can you barely s ck it out? Are there cracks?
Colour Is it bright red? Is it pale? Is it
almost purple? Is one part of the tongue a
different colour than the rest?
Coa ng Is it thick and white? Does it look
greasy and yellow? Does it seem par cularly dry,
or stripped of a coa ng? Is it especially moist? Is
the coat even throughout, or are there
differences in different parts of the tongue?
COMMON TONGUE PRESENTATIONS
Thick, Pale, Scalloped Edges A pale
tongue that is swollen with scalloped edges
indicates dampness within the body. This
tongue is often associated with symptoms
like loose stools, bloating, fatigue, cold, and
excess worry.
What to eat: If this is what your
tongue looks like, you should emphasise
warming foods and herbs (such as soup,
lamb, beef, leeks, nuts, fresh ginger,
rosemary, and cinnamon.) You can also
incorporate moderate amounts of wild and
basmati rice, corn, buckwheat and rye to
drain dampness from your system.
7

What to avoid: Foods that enhance cold
in the body. These are foods that are eaten
straight from the refrigerator,
greasy/fried/creamy foods, crunchy foods,
cucumbers, ice-cream, bananas, cold drinks,
clams, crab, grapefruit, watermelon, radishes,
green tea, sour food, and raw vegetables.
Thin, Red, Pointy, Dry This tongue
presenta on is o en associated with what is
known as “deficiency heat” in Chinese medicine.
Symptoms associated with this tongue o en
resemble menopause, including hot-flashes,
night-sweats, insomnia, ringing in the ears, and
dry skin and lips.
What to eat: To nourish yourself,
incorporate berries and seeds, naturally sweet
foods (like honey, yams, and squash,) quinoa,
rice, sour foods, parsley, and sea vegetables.
What to avoid: If this is what your tongue
looks like, and you’re experiencing similar
symptoms, you’re going to want to avoid salty
foods, as well as overly pungent or spicy foods,
fried foods, sugar, and alcohol.
Red Tongue-Body, Yellow Greasy Coa ng.
This kind of tongue indicates heat, and is
associated with symptoms such as irritability,
rashes or pimples, easy swea ng, thirst, and dry
cons pa on.
What to avoid: If this is what your tongue
looks like you should avoid spicy, rich, and greasy
foods, alcohol, sugar, and limit your meat
consump on.
What to eat: Instead of foods that add
heat to the body, incorporate more fish, steamed
vegetables, salads, seaweed, wild rice, and fruit
into your diet. Also, it might be wise to include
bi er foods, herbs and le uce to drain the heat
in your system.
Quivery Tongue with a Red Tip Both a
quivery tongue as well as a red- pped tongue are
symptoms associated with stress, adrenal fa gue,
depression, and insomnia.
What to do: If this is what your tongue
looks like you need to take extra me to take care
of yourself. It would be wise to begin some sort
of prac ce into your before-bed-rou ne, such as
gentle yoga, or medita on.
You might also find herbal teas with chamomile
and lemon to be beneficial.
One Part of the Tongue Looks Different
than the Rest
In Chinese medicine the tongue is
considered a microsystem for the rest of the
body. This means that different parts of the
tongue relate to different organs and phaseelements.
For example, if there is a dent in the
centre of the tongue it could be an indica on of a
Spleen or Stomach deficiency, meaning the
individual is probably having diges ve issues at
the moment.
Perhaps there is an even coa ng
throughout the tongue body, but there is a patch
on the far le side that looks like it is stripped.
This could indicate something going on with the
Liver/Gallbladder func on.
If there is a thicker, yellow coa ng, but it’s
just in the back of the tongue, this indicates heat
and might correspond with something like a
Urinary Tract Infec on.
Average Shape, Pink Body, Thin White
Coa ng This tongue is considered normal.
Congratula ons! Keep doing what you’re doing.
These are just the most common
examples of tongue presenta ons, and are
meant to give you a very general understanding
of tongue diagnosis. Most cases are not so clearcut.
Some mes the symptoms don’t correspond
or there are addi onal features that complicate
the situa on. In such a case it is wise to.
8

S T R E S S
H O W
CONTRIBUTES TO FEMALE
Infertility
The major causes of female infer lity
include Endometriosis, Polycys c Ovary
Syndrome (PCOS) and other ovula on disorders,
poor egg quality, hormonal imbalance, and
blocked or damaged fallopian tubes.
These might seem like a wide variety of
issues at first glance, but when looked at from a
Chinese medicine perspec ve these condi ons
all boil down to either deficiency, stagna on, or
both, with stress as the root cause of most cases.
When it comes to physical impediments
like blocked or damaged fallopian tubes, surgical
interven on is o en the best op on for success,
but when it comes to ovula on disorders, poor
egg quality, hormonal imbalance, and even mild
cases of Endometriosis, stress management can
do wonders in increasing fer lity in many
women.
When it comes to physical impediments
like blocked or damaged fallopian tubes, surgical
interven on is o en the best op on for success,
but when it comes to ovula on disorders, poor
egg quality, hormonal imbalance, and even mild
cases of endometriosis, stress management can
do wonders in increasing fer lity in many
women.
Simply put, it all comes down to
hormones.
Hormones are chemical messengers that
enter the blood, where they are carried from the
gland that produced them to target cells upon
which they act. Hormones can also trigger other
hormones to be produced, released, or inhibited,
crea ng chain reac ons in your body that
influence everything from your energy levels,
when you’re hungry, to whether or not you
ovulate, and everything in between.
Cor sol has a variety of func ons in the body.
Two of its main func ons are to increase blood
sugar and priori se blood flow to muscles so you
have the energy you need to fight or flee your
9

... way out of a dangerous situa on.
While this response is awesome in the
short-term if, let’s say, you’re being a acked by a
lion, it’s not so great if you experience stress
throughout the day, every day- as many of us do.
In addi on to giving you the strength to
deal with any sporadic lion a acks you might
encounter, cor sol also diverts blood away from
your reproduc ve organs.
This means that if you’re chronically
stressed there’s a good chance that your
endometrium (the inner lining of your uterus)
may not be able to develop into the op mal
nutrient-rich environment that is needed to
nurture a growing baby. To make ma ers worse,
the nega ve effects of cor sol are intensified
when you are chronically stressed, leading to
abnormal sex-hormone secre on which then
impacts your ability to develop and release
healthy eggs.
So what are you supposed to do about it?
Given the prevalence of chronic stress in our
society, the first line of defence with women
struggling with infer lity is to manage the impact
stress has on their body.
Regular weekly acupuncture treatments,
herbal formulas, and stress-management
techniques like mindfulness, yoga, selfpampering,
and journaling are all important
strategies to consider when dealing with chronic
stress and infer lity.
A er a few weeks of intense focus on reducing
the impact of stress, dietary changes are
recommended to support healthy hormone
cycles, and increases in movement throughout
the day is advisable.
This mul -faceted approach to health can
do wonders for a woman’s fer lity, overall health,
and happiness in general!
Trick
or Treat
How did Halloween come about?
Mangwanani African Spa offers a
number of massage treatments that relax and
revitalise the body and mind resul ng in
reduced stress levels.
10

Halloween is celebrated on 31st October
every year. Halloween is the modern name of an
ancient Cel c holiday "Samhain". People
celebrate this day as a spiritual beginning of a
new year. The various ac vi es done for
Halloween are mostly associated with the idea to
obtain good fortune.
Ancient people believed that ghosts came
back to earth on this day. It is said that on this
day, the spirits of the dead come back to earth in
search of living bodies to possess for the next
year and try to return to the homes where they
were living. So to appease these spirits, people
offer fruits and nuts. If the spirits are not pleased,
it is feared that the spirits would kill the people
or destroy their property.
Halloween costumes are tradi onally
related to ghosts, skeletons, witches, and devils.
Black and Orange are the famous colours for this
day. The Jack-o-lantern is the fes val light for
Halloween. Pumpkin is a good subs tute of the
turnip, to be used as Jack-o-lantern.
Trick-or-trea ng is a tradi onal
celebra on for children on Halloween. Children
in their costumes go from house to house, asking
for treats, with a ques on, "Trick or treat?" The
word "trick" refers to a threat to trouble the
homeowners or their property if no treat is given.
People generally give candy to the children who
come to their house.
Nowadays many schools arrange
Halloween par es for the kids. People usually
have par es, wear Halloween costumes, do
bonfires, tell and read scary stories about
witches, skeletons, bats and ghosts and also
watch horror movies
Check out our FRIGHTFULLY low prices
during Halloween Week
11

20 SIGNS
S i g n s y o u ’ r e
working with a
true
leader
and Not Just a Boss
Think about the best boss you've ever
had. Maybe you're fortunate, and that person is
your boss today. Maybe it's someone you recall
fondly from years ago. Maybe you are lucky
enough not to have a boss… but I am sure you
have had one at some stage in the past.
Regardless of who this person is, I'm confident I
can describe him or her. That's because highly
respected bosses o en have a lot in common
with one another. Here are 20 of the key things
they do almost every day.
1. They Share Their Vision
The most important thing a leader can do is
provide his or her team with a goal that is worth
their me and ensures that he/ she
communicates it effec vely and o en.
2. They Develop Exper se
There is nothing more annoying than a boss who
actually doesn't understand the job at hand.
He/She doesn't have to be the number one
expert in every fact of the job—that might be
impossible—but he or she has to be competent
at all levels.
12

3. They Respect People's Time
Great bosses have li le tolerance for boring
mee ngs, mandatory fun, and making others
wait unnecessarily. They also avoid longwindedness
when shorter remarks will do.
4. They Set Priori es
When you try to focus on everything, you're not
focusing on anything. A smart boss understands
that, and realizes that lack of focus can easily
affect your lack of priori es which means the
team isn't moving in the right direc on together.
5. They Share Informa on
Some bosses hold informa on and only give out
li le bits, o en because they're afraid that if
their team has all the facts, they might not be
able to lead. There are legi mate reasons to
control the ming of informa on sharing, but
overall the more transparent a boss can be, the
more respect the team will ul mately have for
him or her.
6. They Make Decisions
Decisiveness. Very important.
7. They Offer Praise
People o en wonder how they are doing with
work. Great bosses let them know, and they're
especially vocal and public about it when they're
doing well.
8. They Demonstrate Empathy
Great bosses are able to see things through other
people's eyes, especially their employees'. Of
course this doesn't mean that they are
pushovers, but it does mean that they're
concerned about their team on mul ple levels.
9. They Offer Thanks
Building a culture of gra tude starts at the top. If
the boss doesn't take me to offer thanks to
those around him or her, why would we expect
that anyone else would?
10. They Pull Everyone Together
A great boss recognises the talents of members
of his or her team, and strives to lead in a way
that lets everyone maximise their effec veness
together.
11. They Ask Smart Ques ons
They double-check assump ons in a nonannoying
but thorough way that sends the
message that they're on top of things. They
aren't willing to accept that things should be
done a certain way just because that's how
they've been done in the past.
12. They Have Respect for People's Lives
They also recognise that people are just people.
Work has to be a priority, but that doesn't mean
it's the only thing in their lives. They recognise
that their employees have spouses, children and
friends that they need to care for, not to men on
outside interests and ambi ons.
13. They Hire Though ully
A leader's most important role is some mes
about assembling a team of great people and
avoiding le ng toxic people join the team.
14. They Accept Blame
Ethical people accept blame for their failings.
Maybe they don't dwell on it, but they accept it.
Great bosses go a step further, accep ng the
collec ve blame when the team comes up short,
and then guiding everyone to move forward.
15. They Have a Sense of Humour
Great bosses can find humour in every day work
challenges and recognise that the crisis of today
is the joke of tomorrow.
16. They Communicate Effec vely
Great bosses find the words to explain what they
mean and then back up what they say.
17. They Model Ethical Behaviour
Great bosses strive to uphold rules, social norms,
and basic decency.
18. They Celebrate Wins
Nobody likes a boss who thinks the only reward
for great work should be more of the same. Great
bosses look for milestones to celebrate whether
that means a 15-second recogni on or a fullblown
party.
19. They Strive for Excellence
Because really, who wants to work for someone
who strives simply to be adequate?
20. They Make More Leaders
Great leaders don't just make happy
followers—they inspire more leaders with their
examples. Just as important: They're thrilled, not
threatened, when members of their teams go on
to even bigger and be er things in life.
If you have a Great Boss, don't forget to show
you apprecia on for them this Bosses' Day 17
October 2016.
Mangwanani African Spa has some
amazing experiences that you could give to your
boss and let them get some me out away from
work! Don't forget your Boss this Boss's Day!
13

Kids and
TECH
WHEN TO LIMIT
I T A N D H O W
It seems these days that kids are
opera ng electronic devices such as
smartphones prac cally moments a er being
born. Just take a look around any local playgroup
or playground and you will probably see kids as
young as 2 or even younger clutching mom or
dad's phone to play games or view videos. When
it comes to technology, kids are not only star ng
to use it at a younger age, but are using it in
more varied situa ons, both at home and at
school.
Today, technology for kids is a source of
learning and entertainment, and in a pinch when
parents have to get dinner made or take a few
minutes to answer emails, a terrific babysi er.
For school-age kids, technology can be a
double-edged sword. There are countless
benefits that can be garnered from using
technology: Computers can be used to do
research, play online math games, and improve
language skills. Television (and DVDs) can offer
educa onal programming such as documentaries
and other educa onal materials and even
videogames can encourage developmental skills
such as hand-eye coordina on (and some
mo on-controlled ac ve games on the Wii or
Xbox with Kinect can promote physical ac vity
such as dancing). However, all these electronic
devices can also have some dis nct
disadvantages as well.
Reasons why technology should be
limited for kids:
It may interfere with sleep. Ge ng
enough sleep can be challenging enough for busy
kids today who o en have homework and a erschool
ac vi es crammed into their weekdays
and extracurricular ac vi es and sports on
weekends. Add to that numerous hours of TV
watching and you have a recipe for sleepdepriva
on in kids. Moreover, electronic
s mula on, such as from watching TV or using
the computer, has been shown to interfere with
sleep (both falling asleep and staying asleep).
It may cut into family me/person-toperson
interac on. When we are using
technology such as computers, games, and TV,
we are not interac ng together and given how
difficult it can be for families to find some good
quality me to spend with each other, having
technology cut into those moments is something
parents may want to prevent as much as
possible. While it can be fun to have a family
movie night or play a videogame together, the
fact is that screen me means less face-to-face
interac on me.
It may encourage short a en on span.
Studies have shown that too much screen me
may be associated with a en on problems.
It may interfere with schoolwork. Children who
watch a lot of TV are more likely to have lower
grades and read fewer books. And research has
shown that cu ng down kids' screen me may
improve kids' health and grades.
It may lead to less physical ac vity. More
screen me has been associated with reduced
physical ac vity and higher risk of obesity in kids.
It may expose kids to too much
adver sing and inappropriate content. Many
television shows and commercials depict
sexuality and violence as well as stereotypes and
drug and alcohol use. Many commercials also
promote junk food and toys in powerful and
alluring ways that are designed to get kids to
want these items.
How to Limit Technology
It can be all too easy to simply turn on the
TV or let them play a videogame when your kids
say they are bored. But there are many op ons
when it comes to finding alterna ve forms of
entertainment.
Le ng kids use technology with limits can
14

e achievable if you keep some of these
key ps in mind.
· Do not put a TV in your child's
room. Having a TV in the bedroom has been
linked to a number of problems including lower
school marks, sleeping problems, and obesity.
· Turn it off. When the kids are not
watching a specific program, turn off the
television. Keep it off during meal mes and
especially when they are studying or doing
homework.
· Help your child choose a
videogame or a show. The best way to know
what your child is watching or playing is by
helping him/ her pick out a show or a game.
When picking out a new family movie or game,
read the reviews or previews, ask other parents,
and above all, know your child and trust your
own ins ncts.
· Limit screen me. Whether it's
one hour of TV and videogames a day or a couple
of hours a week, limit the amount of me your
child spends watching TV or playing videogames
and s ck to that number.
· Opt for alterna ves to technology
ac vi es. Find great ways to spend family me
together without tech devices, such as by playing
board games or reading good books.
Mangwanani African Kids Spa provides a
retreat for Kids aged 4 to 12 years old. The spas
offer a fun and exci ng experience where
children can play and be pampered to ageappropriate
treatments.
Spoil your li le one by purchasing a
Mangwanani African Kids Spa voucher for them
15

This Is Why You
Get to Celebrate
Your
birthday
E v e r y Y e a r
Have you ever thought about why we
even bother to celebrate birthdays? When you
think about it, they're really just an opportunity
for your friends and family to come together and
congratulate you for surviving another year, but
for some reason it's become far more than that.
Although research on the exact origin of
birthdays and birthday cakes remains
inconclusive, there is enough of a consensus to
piece together an approximate history. Perhaps
someday a “Birthdayologist” will come along to
set the record completely straight, but un l then,
here is a short list of historians' best hypotheses
on the evolu on of birthday celebra ons and
the delicious cakes that so o en accompany
them.
Here are seven of the major
developments throughout history that have
led to you being able to do this once a year.
1. Egyp ans started the party.
When pharaohs were crowned in
ancient Egypt they were considered to have
transformed into gods. This divine
promo on made their corona on date
much more important than their
birth into the world.
2. Greeks added candles
to cakes.
The Greeks offered moon-shaped cakes to
Artemis as form of tribute to the lunar goddess.
To recreate the radiance of the moon and her
perceived beauty, Greeks lit candles and put the
on cakes for a glowing effect.
3. Ancient Romans were the first to
celebrate birthdays for the common man (but
just the men). It seems that Romans were the
first civiliza on to celebrate birthdays for nonreligious
figures. Romans would celebrate
birthdays for friends and families, while the
government created public holidays to observe
the birthdays of more famous ci zens. All of this
said, female birthdays s ll weren't celebrated
un l around the 12th century.
4. Chris ans ini ally considered birthdays
to be a pagan ritual.
16

Due to its belief that humans are born
with “original sin” and the fact that early
birthdays were ed to “pagan” gods, the
Chris an Church considered birthday
celebra ons evil for the first few hundred years
of its existence. Around the 4th century,
Chris ans changed their minds and began to
celebrate the birthday of Jesus as the holiday of
Christmas. This new celebra on was accepted
into the church partly in hopes of recrui ng
those already celebra ng the Roman holiday of
Saturnalia.
5. Contemporary birthday cakes were invented
by German bakers.
Although the general idea of celebra ng
birthdays had already started taking off around
the world like in China, where a child's first
birthday was specifically honoured —
Kinderfeste, which came out of late 18th century
Germany, is the closest prerequisite to the
contemporary birthday party. This celebra on
was held for German children, or “kinder,” and
involved both birthday cake and candles. Kids got
one candle for each year they'd been alive, plus
another to symbolise the hope of living for at
least one more year. Blowing out the candles and
making a wish was also a part of these
celebra ons.
6. The Industrial Revolu on brought
delicious cakes to the masses.
For quite some me, birthday
celebra ons involving sugary cakes were only
available to the very wealthy, as the necessary
ingredients were considered a luxury. But the
industrial revolu on allowed celebra ons like
kinderfest and the subsequent equivalents in
other cultures to boom. Not only did the
required ingredients become more abundant, but
bakeries also started offering pre-made cakes at
lower prices due to advances in mass produc on.
7. “The Birthday Song” was a remix, kind
of.
In 1893, Pa y Hill and Mildred J. Hill
wrote a song they called, “Good Morning To All,”
which was intended to be sung by students
before classes began. The song eventually caught
on across America, giving rise to a number of
varia ons. Robert Coleman eventually published
a songbook in 1924, adding a few extra lyrics that
would quickly come to overshadow the original
lines. The new rendi on became the version we
now all know, “Happy Birthday To You.”
Mangwanani is the perfect place for
anyone to celebrate a birthday! Check out our
Birthday Package available at our Bou que spas
na onwide!
17

BEACH
Bliss
health benefits
of the beach
Many people feel a certain magne c
a rac on to the beach. Well, it turns out there
are some physiological reasons why that extends
past just the simple relaxa on…
Certainly, the waves and smell of the salt
air are great for relaxa on, at least for a lot of
people, but the beach itself provides some subtle
health benefits. Unfortunately, we can't all live at
the beach year-round but there are some simple
ways to get most of the benefits at home!
Vitamin D
It's pre y common knowledge that we
can get Vitamin D through exposure to sunlight.
In humans, Vitamin D is much more than just a
simple vitamin that we need to hit a target
Recommended Daily Allowance of. Vitamin D is a
hormonal precursor and science is constantly
linking deficiency of Vitamin D to increased
incidence of many diseases. Ironically, while
Vitamin D is readily available (at least part of the
year in most parts of the world) for free if
produced from sun exposure, people are
surprisingly deficient in it these days.
Studies have found links between lowvitamin
D levels and ‘Parkinsons disease, bone
disease, blood clots, diabetes, heat disease and
high blood pressure. A recent study even found
the regular sun exposure helped women live
longer. Yet another study found that regular sun
exposure could cut breast cancer risk in half!
Unfortunately, you won't get the benefits
if you're covered up or slathered in sunscreen!
One solu on is to op mise your sun tolerance
and cover up when you have go en enough
sun/Vitamin D for the day (make sure you do not
get sunburnt). It is advisable to eat a high
an oxidant and beneficial fat diet and
take certain supplements that increase sun
tolerance to help your body benefit from sun
exposure.
How to Get It At Home
Since we can't all live at the beach yearround,
it is possible to get Vitamin D at home.
Obviously, sun exposure can accomplish this at
home or at the beach. For mes of year when
sun exposure isn't possible, Vitamin D
supplements are available to take.
Magnesium
Magnesium is the eighth most abundant
mineral on earth, and the third most abundant in
sea water. More importantly, it is the fourth most
abundant mineral in the human body and it is
necessary in over 300 reac ons within the body.
Every single cell in the human body
demands adequate magnesium to func on, or it
will perish. Strong bones and teeth, balanced
hormones, a healthy nervous and cardiovascular
system, well-func oning detoxifica on pathways
and much more depend upon cellular
magnesium sufficiency. So ssue containing the
highest concentra ons of magnesium in the body
include the brain and the heart—two organs that
produce a large amount of electrical ac vity, and
which can be especially vulnerable to magnesium
insufficiency.
Sea water and sand are a great source of
magnesium and it is o en be er to get
magnesium transdermally (through the skin).
Unfortunately, magnesium is o en not well
absorbed by the diges ve track, and is even more
difficult to absorb in this way for those who are
low in vitamin D, have poor gut bacteria or suffer
18

from a number of other health condi ons.
The salt water itself is also detoxifying
and helps pull impuri es from the body and skin.
Salt water inhibits bacterial growth and skin
infec ons.
Get It At Home
For those of us not able to get a daily soak
in the ocean for our magnesium, there are some
easy ways to supplement at home such as
magnesium oil applied to the skin for absorp on
or taken as an oral supplement.
Leafy green vegetables, sea vegetables,
kelp are especially good dietary sources of
magnesium, though if you have a deficiency, it
will be difficult to raise your levels enough
through diet alone.
The best ways to supplement with
magnesium are:
· In power from with a product I so
that you can you van vary your dose and work up
slowly.
· In ionic liquid for so that it can be
added to food and drinks and dose can be
worked up slowly.
· In transdermal form by using
Magnesium oil applied to skin. This is o en the
most effec ve op on for those with damaged
dige ve tracts or severe deficiency.
Grounding/Earthing
A less common benefit of me at the
beach is the grounding/earthing effect it
provides.
Basically, the theory is that our bodies are
meant to come into contact with the Earth (a
“grounding” force) on a regular basis. Posi ve
electrons in the form of free radicals can build up
in our bodies and direct contact with the ground
balances this out as it is a nega ve grounding
charge.
Our bodies and cells have electrical
energy, and especially with the high prevalence
of Electromagne c waves, Wi-Fi and mobile
phone waves, many of us have a high amount of
posi ve electrons built up in our bodies.
Throughout history, humans have spent
me outdoors much more than we do in modern
me and have been in direct contact with the
soil. From walking on the ground barefoot, to
gardening or lling the soil, humans have always
touched the earth… un l recently.
The sand and ocean water from the beach
are both naturally conduc ve materials and both
help ground the body and remove excess posi ve
electrons. For the same basic reason that we
ground electrical outlets to avoid the build-up of
excess posi ve charge, our bodies need the same
ground effect.
To get this benefit, a person must be
barefoot and in direct contact with the sand or
ocean water, and this also works at home in
direct contact with soil or sand…
Get It At Home
Obviously, walking outside barefoot is the
easiest and cheapest way if you are able. To
work, you must be barefoot and in contact with
rock, dirt or water. The beach/ocean is possibly
the best place as not only are sand and salt water
extremely conduc ve, but salt water is also very
high in magnesium. Perhaps this is why many
people seem to sleep be er on vaca on at the
beach!
Relaxa on
Stress is bad for health and the beach is
wonderful for relaxa on. The soothing sound of
waves, the air infused with healthy ions, and the
massage of sand on the feet.
Get all the benefits of the Beach and
Massage treatments in one! Mangwanani
African Spa offers a beach spa for groups of 8 or
more people beau fully set up on a pris ne
beach of the North Coast KZN. Great idea for
your year-end func on!
19

STOP
easy ways to
global warming
Global warming has increased in vast
increments in the last decade. In fact, in the last
50 years, the earth's global temperature has
increased by 3%. Pollu on caused by the release
of carbon dioxide (Co2) into the air creates
a blanket over the atmosphere. Global warming
can be cause b y a whole chain of events to
rupture ecosystems, weather pa erns, and a
variety of other factors. We all play a part in our
future.
Here are prac cal and easy ways to stop
or prevent global warming and not have to seek
colonisa on on another planet.
Replace Regular Incandescent Light bulb:
Replace regular incandescent light bulb with
compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs. They
consume 70% less energy than ordinary bulbs
and have longer life me.
Drive Less or Carpool: By driving less you
are not only saving fuel but also helping in
reducing global warming. Also, look out for other
possibili es like car-pooling. If you have
colleagues who live in the same area then you
can combine trips. If you need to go to a local
market then either walk or go by bicycle. Both of
them are great form of exercise. The biggest
pollu on emi ng fumes are caused by oil and
gasoline. Cu ng down consump on, is a huge
step to reducing energy wastes.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Reduce your
need to buy new products or use less, resul ng in
a smaller amount of waste. Even if you need to
buy, consider buying eco-friendly products. It is
most effec ve of the three R’s. It simply says cut
back where you are now.
Reuse bo les, plas c containers, and other items
bought at the grocery store. Reusing water
bo les, yogurt cups, bread es, and other items
is being conscious about what is already out
there. It will lessen having to purchase other
items that would fulfil the same func on. Try to
use the disposable products into some other
form. Just don't throw them away.
Recycling unwanted paper, bo les, etc…is
a great earth saving p. If possible, upcycle
tables, furniture, and other outdated items to
keep landfills clean. You can recycle almost
anything such as paper, aluminium foil, cans, and
newspapers. By recycling you can help in
reducing landfills.
Go Solar: Having solar panels installed is
something readily possible and available.
Incen ves and discounts given by government
20

agencies and energy companies make solar
energy something to look into.
Buy Energy-Efficient Appliances: Always
buy products that are energy efficient as they can
help you save a good amount of money on your
energy bill. Energy efficient products can help
you to save energy, save money and reduce your
carbon footprint.
Reduce Waste: Landfills are the major
contributor of methane and other greenhouse
gases. When the waste is burnt, it release toxic
gases in the atmosphere which result in global
warming. Reusing and recycling old items can
significantly reduce your carbon footprint as it
takes far less energy to recycle old items than to
produce items from scratch.
Use Less Hot Water: Buy energy saving
geysers and dishwasher for your home. Avoid
washing clothes in hot water. Just wash them in
cold or warm water. Avoid taking frequent
showers and use less hot water. It will help in
saving energy require to produce that energy.
Avoid Products with a lot of Packaging:
Don't buy products with lots of packaging. When
you buy such products you will end up in
throwing the waste material in the garbage,
which then will help in filling landfill sites and
pollute the environment. Also, discourage others
fro buying such products.
Turn off the Lights: If you're not using a
room, there's no need for the light to be on.
Turn off Electronic Devices: Turn off electronic
devices when you are moving out for a couple of
days or more. Unnecessary usage of electronic
appliances will not only save fuel i.e. coal by
which we get electricity but also increase the
life me of your gadgets.
Plant a Tree: Plan ng trees can help much
in reducing global warming than any other
method. They not only give oxygen but also take
in carbon dioxide, during the process of
photosynthesis, which is the main source of
global warming.
Use Clean Fuel: Electric, smart cars, cars
run on vegetable oil and so on are great
examples for using renewable energy. Suppor ng
companies that provide these products will help
the rest of the mainstream manufacturing
companies convert over.
Look for Renewable Fuel Op ons: If you
can't afford an electric car, buy the cleanest
gasoline possible. When car shopping, look at the
benefits of op ons that provide renewable fuel.
Save Energy: When you consume less
energy, less carbon dioxide is released into the
atmosphere.
Replace Filters on Air Condi oners and
Furnaces: If you haven't, not only are you
was ng energy, but breathing in dirty air.
Cleaning a dirty air filter can save several pounds
of carbon dioxide a year.
Go Green: Using energy star appliances
will not only save money, but also the amount of
energy wasted in your home. Have a look at
various was to go green.
Service Your Car Regularly: Regular
maintenance will help your car func on properly
and emit less carbon dioxide.
Download Earth Saving Apps: Available
apps can help calculate your energy costs, as well
as provide tools and ways to save energy and
money.
Conserve Water: You have heard this one
many mes before, but it is ever so important.
Remember, it takes energy to draw and filter
water from underground.
Taking a quick 5 minute shower will
greatly conserve energy. The type of shower
head used, will also aid in comba ng global
warming. Take showers instead of baths. Showers
use less water than baths by 25%.
Stop Idling Your Car: It might be freezing
outside, but unless your car is buried in snow,
start your car as usual. It may take longer to
warm up, but the world isn't just about you.
Eat Less Hamburger: Besides carbon
dioxide, methane introduced into the air
contributes to global warning. With meat
consumed by the seconds, the amount of cows
breathing out methane is a huge contributor,
thanks to our carnivorous diet and the billiondollar
meat industry.
Use a Clothesline to Dry Your Clothes:
Most clothes shouldn't be put in the dryer
anyway!
Eat Naturally: Not only do the health
benefits speak wonders for those who eat
naturally, but it cuts down the energy costs used
by factories who produce processed food.
21

Ride Your Bike: Not only is bike riding,
healthy it reduces the amount of Carbon Dioxide
released into the air. Walking is another easy way
to reduce global warming.
Use a Kitchen Cloth Instead of Paper
Towels: Paper towels produce nothing but
wasted energy. Think of the factory pollu on, as
well as the tree consump on.
Reuse Towels: Hang towels to dry, instead
of popping them back in the wash a er a few
uses.
Check Your Tyres: When you drive make
sure your tyres are inflated properly. If not, then
your vehicle might consume more fuel which in
turn release more CO2 in the atmosphere. Keep
your engine properly tuned and drive less
aggressively. Aggressive driving and frequent
applying of brakes hampers the engine and can
even lower the mileage of your car.
Take Lunch in a reusable container: Each
me you throw away that brown paper sack,
more brown paper sacks are being produced in a
factory as we speak.
Get a Home Energy Audit Done: Call a
home energy audit company and get an audit
done for your home that will help you to iden fy
areas that consume a lot of energy and are not
energy efficient at all. Become Part of the Global
Warming Community: Connec ng with others
will help you become more conscious of the
impact we all have. The Climate Change Na onal
Forum and Global Humanitarian Forum are great
avenues to know the latest facts, sta s cs, and
efforts in making a difference.
Actually Celebrate Arbor Day and Earth
day: Although most of us hear about these days
in passing, see what the buzz is all about. Plant a
tree, pick up trash, or join a forum.
Become Aware of Your Contribu on:
With technology at your finger ps, finding
informa on about protec ng the environment is
everywhere. To help emit less CO2, the first step
is being aware of how much you contribute.
Spread the Awareness: Always try your
best to educate people about global warming
and its causes and effects. Tell them how they
can contribute their part by saving energy that
will be good for the environment.
By being just a li le more mindful, we all
can play our part in comba ng global warming.
These easy ps will help preserve the planet for
future genera ons.
Geing
Married
How Do You Know for Sure?
How do you know that he/ she is the
one? The reply is always the same…. “You just
know.” What does that mean anyway? You just
know.
Here are some things to help you know…
Ask Ques ons
Get to know him/ her very well by asking
some important ques ons to know about their
hopes, dreams, fears, expecta ons for marriage,
and anything else you can think of. Talk about
every possible situa on that could arise in a
marriage and find out how he/ she will handle it.
Ques ons can cover everything from how
many kids you each want and where you would
like to live to who would do the dishes and take
out the trash.
It's important to remember that some
people are introverts and need me to process
things before they answer. If your significant
other is one of those people, respect that and
allow him/ her to take the me needed. You
don't have to cover all the ques ons at once.
Spread them out among your other ac vi es and
conversa ons. However, if you find that the
person you are da ng repeatedly avoids
answering ques ons, or feels that the whole idea
is a waste of me, be careful. Even guys (or girls)
who don't like to talk about their emo ons
should be able to communicate freely with the
person they love. If they can't, it could be a red
flag in the rela onship.
Meet the Family
If you have "interes ng" family members,
perhaps an over-protec ve father or an annoying
sibling, having your date spend prolonged
amounts of me with your family may seem
scary. But when you marry someone, you also
22

23

marry that person's family. They come with the
package. So it is important for each of you to
know what you are ge ng into.
In addi on to spending me with each
other's family, discuss your childhood
experiences. The way a person was raised shapes
their belief system and who they become as an
adult. For instance, how did they spend family
vaca ons? Did they even take family vaca ons?
How did their family handle conflicts? How did
they handle finances? What are their holiday
tradi ons? These seem like simple things, but
when you combine two people with very
different holiday tradi ons, sparks can fly when
Christmas rolls around! If you know these family
traits ahead of me, you are be er prepared to
consider what each of you grew up with and
decide which of those tradi ons you want to
keep and which you want to change.
It is also important to know about
problems within the family. If there were things
like abuse or alcoholism in either of your pasts it
is important to discuss these issues.
Consider Your Friends
It is true that love can blind us. O en our
friends can see things about our rela onships
that we cannot. Do your friends like the person
you are da ng? If your friends express concerns
to you, don't immediately tune them out. Take
some me to consider whether what they say
has any truth in it.
Take Your Time
Regardless of what you heart (or biological clock)
says, you do not need to be in a rush to get
married. It is important to take the me to
prepare yourself for such a huge step. Are you
emo onally ready to get married? You should
ques on your reasons for wan ng to marry this
person. If it is to make you happy or relieve
loneliness, you may find yourself disappointed
a er the wedding. Or if you have emo onal
wounds from your past that you have never dealt
with, perhaps you should seek counselling about
those issues before proceeding to marriage.
Be sure your finances are in order and try to pay
off any large debts before you get married.
You Just Know
Once you do all these things, you will
have a much be er picture of who you are da ng
and what you both expect in a marriage. There
will always be new things that you learn about
each other if you do get married, but knowing as
much as possible from the beginning will make
the transi on to marriage much easier.
So how do you know for sure? I think my
friends were par ally right. In a sense, you do
”just know,” but it isn't because of some magical
feeling that all is right with the world. Just
knowing comes from me spent contempla ng
your similari es, your differences, and how well
you fit together.
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Couples also need to take me to prepare
themselves financially for marriage. Love can
hold people together through tough mes, but it
doesn't pay the rent. When you marry someone
their credit history and debts become yours too.
24

AND
DOESWhy
IT HAPPEN?
“Wait a minute. I've been here before …”
Have you ever experienced a sudden
feeling of familiarity while in a completely new
place? Or the feeling you've had the exact same
conversa on with someone before?
This feeling of familiarity is, of course,
known as déjà vu (a French term meaning
“already seen”) and it's reported to occur on an
occasional basis in 60-80% of people. It's an
experience that's almost always brief and it
occurs at random.
So what is responsible for these feelings
of familiarity?
Experiences of déjà vu are poorly
Experiences of déjà vu are poorly
understood in scien fic terms. Déjà vu occurs
briefly, without warning and has no physical
manifesta ons other than the announcement: “I
just had déjà vu!”
Many researchers propose that the
phenomenon is a memory-based experience and
assume the memory centres of the brain are
responsible for it.
Memory systems
The medial temporal lobes are vital for
the reten on of long-term memories of events
and facts. Certain regions of the medial temporal
lobes are important in the detec on of
25

familiarity, or recogni on, as opposed to the
detailed recollec on of specific events.
It has been proposed that familiarity
detec on depends on rhinal cortex func on,
whereas detailed recollec on is linked to the
hippocampus.
The randomness of déjà vu experiences in
healthy individuals makes it difficult to study in
an empirical manner. Any such research is reliant
on self-repor ng from the people involved.
Glitches in the matrix
A subset of epilepsy pa ents consistently
experience déjà vu at the onset of a seizure - that
is, when seizures begin in the medial temporal
lobe. This has given researches a more
experimentally controlled way of studying déjà
vu.
Epilep c seizures are evoked by
altera ons in electrical ac vity in neurons within
focal regions of the brain. This dysfunc onal
neuronal ac vity can spread across the whole
brain like the shock waves generated from an
earthquake. The brain regions in which this
electrical ac va on can occur include the medial
temporal lobes.
Electrical disturbance of this neural
system generates an aura ( a warning of sorts) of
déjà vu. prior to the epilep c event.
By measuring neuronal discharges in the
brains of these pa ents, scien sts have been able
to iden fy the regions of the brain where déjà vu
signals begin.
It has been found that déjà vu is more
readily induced in epilepsy pa ents through
electrical s mula on of the rhinal cor ces as
opposed to the hippocampus. These
observa ons led to the specula on that déjà vu
is caused by a dysfunc onal electrical discharge
in the brain.
These neuronal discharges can occur in a
non-pathological manner in people without
epilepsy. An example of this is a hyponogogic
jerk, the involuntary twitch that can occur just as
you are falling asleep.
It has been proposed that déjà vu could
be triggered by a similar neurological discharge
resul ng in a strange sense of familiarity.
Some researchers argue that the type of déjà vu
experienced by temporal lobe epilepsy pa ents is
different from typical déjà vu.
26
The déjà vu experienced prior to an
epilep c seizure may be enduring, rather than a
flee ng feeling in those who don't have epilep c
seizures. In people without epilepsy the vivid
recogni on combined with the knowledge that
the environment is truly novel intrinsically
underpins the experience of déjà vu.
Mismatches and short circuits
Déjà vu in healthy par cipants is reported
as a memory error which may expose the nature
of the memory system. Some researchers
speculate that déjà vu occurs due to a
discrepancy in memory systems leading to the
inappropriate genera on of a detailed memory
from a new sensory experience.
That is, informa on bypasses short-term
memory and instead reaches long-term memory.
This implies déjà vu is evoked by a mismatch
between the sensory input and memory-recalling
output. This explains why a new experience can
feel familiar, but not as tangible as a fully recalled
memory.
Other theories suggest ac va on of the
rhinal neural system, involved in the detec on of
familiarity, occurs without ac va on of the
recollec on system within the hippocampus. This
leads to the feeling of recogni on without
specific details.
Related to this theory, it was proposed
that déjà vu is a reac on of the brain's memory
systems to a familiar experience. This experience
is known to be novel, but has many recognisable
elements, albeit in a slightly different se ng. For
example: Being in a restaurant in a foreign
country that has the same layout as one you go
to regularly at home.
Even more theories exist regarding the
cause of déjà vu. These span from the
paranormal - past lives, alien abduc on and
precogni ve dreams – to memories formed from
experiences that are not first-hand (such as
scenes in movies).
So far there is no simple explana on as to
why déjà vu occurs, but advances in
neuroimaging techniques may aid our
understanding of memory and the tricks our
minds seem to play on us.
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