Dr Arien van der Merwe
Human & Rousseau
Review: Brian Joss
In his 2016 budget speech, Minister of Finance Pravin Gordhan announced plans to introduce a sugar tax on sweetened beverages, next year, to combat diseases such as obesity and diabetes, which are linked to a high sugar intake.
However, it seems he has forgotten the sugar-laden breakfast cereals. Which is a puzzle. So this book by Dr Arien van der Merwe is timely. Dr Van der Merwe explains in an easy-to-understand way what diabetes is, what causes it, how it affects your emotions, the link to Alzheimer’s as well as the medication you may need and the side effects they have.
A specialist medical doctor, Van der Merwe is an expert on holistic integrative medicine and explains how the mind and your emotions can have a negative influence on your health and she believes the answer lies in living a more conscious life: be aware, let your intuition guide you: in other words listen to the wisdom and the inner healer of your body.
In addition to this philosophy, there are practical guidelines for managing diabetes which include changing your lifestyle, exercising, eating correctly and managing and reducing stress which all have a bearing on this chronic disease which can have devastating effects.
Van der Merwe also looks at the Banting diet – low carb high fat (LCHF) – and gives the 10 rules of Banting. She writes that there is much more to it than eliminating sugary cold and hot drinks, pastries, breads, sweets and buns.
So if you follow the doctor’s advice, you could live a sweet life and save money when the sugar tax comes into effect. Try some of her favourite recipes, at the back, which support a healthy lifestyle.