Welcome to life in all its fullness

Quote of the week

Lustworthy shoes

We are obsessed with the brand Kkerelé, a design studio in Lagos, Nigeria that makes the most beautiful handcrafted shoes on the planet. Check out its website. It ships internationally.

Architecture

Take a look at this extraordinary 3D mirage-like design of the Sino-French Science Park Church by Shanghai Dachuan Architects. 

Make a hat

How to turn a tablemat into a chic hat. Sounds terrible but it's not — it's very French. Simply attach an Alice band.

Finds

Rechargeable fairy lanterns

Ali van Wyk recommends transforming your camp site into a magical world by hanging three or four blue, green and white Ultratec silicon solar lanterns in the trees. They emit a wonderful soft light that is just strong enough to illuminate your entire campsite but not too bright for the eyes.

During the day, the lantern recharges through the solar panel in the lid, and if it's cloudy you can charge it with a 12V USB cellphone charger in the car's cigarette lighter. It lasts for 12 hours on medium strength and five hours on the strongest setting. Because it is soft and foldable, it can be easily packed in a crate.

The nice thing about these little lanterns is that you can also use them around the braai area at home or on a child's desk during power outages. They are available at the online shop Nivo for R319.

Mandolin

Anneliese Burgess sings the praises of a mandolin as one of her most helpful kitchen gadgets, one she uses almost daily. The Japanese Benriner brand is the gold standard but this one from Takealot (R449) is a good substitute.

Stop food waste

Fomolistas hate waste. Enter The Food Saver's A-Z: The Essential Cornersmith Kitchen Companion. It is a timeless resource packed with ideas and advice for reducing food waste and making great meals with what you already have, whether that's half a jar of tomato paste, a handful of green beans that have seen better days or a whole cauliflower that looked beautiful at the shops but now gives you the guilts. It's a hefty tome at a hefty price (R790 at Loot) but a real investment buy if you are serious about reducing your food waste.

Superfood

Dr Mark Hyman, medical doctor and longevity expert, on black rice: “Also known as forbidden rice or the emperor's rice. It is full of phytonutrients and known as the blueberries of grains." It's 100% whole grain, a little sweet, and has a nutty flavour. Available from Hello Asia at R82 a kilo.

Sound informed in English

Do you want to impress your English-speaking friends in their language? Here are some words you can throw into conversations:

• amphibology: A quibble or ambiguous wording
• obeisance: showing respect
• stultify: make ineffective or use/cause to feel foolish or absurd
• demur: to object or be reluctant
• malversation: corrupt behaviour in a position of trust
• sagacious: mentally penetrating, gifted with discernment
• gasconade: excessive boasting
• salubrious: healthy or health-giving
• absquatulate: to leave suddenly and abruptly

Plant hint

Use eggshells in water to spray on plants as fertiliser for healthy leaves. This Instagram video shows you how.

5 fabulous foods for fullness

These five foods release the same “fullness” hormone (GLP-1) as Ozempic (a medication that is prescribed for weight loss):

1. Oats and whole grains
   A 2016 study found that the soluble fibre in oats and other whole grains is fermented by the gut, producing short-chain fatty acids that stimulate GLP-1 release.
   
   
2. Eggs
   Not only are eggs rich in protein, which takes longer to digest than fat or carbohydrates and so keeps us feeling full for longer, but recent research has found that egg whites contain peptides that stimulate GLP-1 production.
   
   
3. Nuts
   Nuts are little nutritional powerhouses packed with protein and fibre, both important for GLP-1 release. They also contain a good amount of healthy fat, which attenuates the body’s insulin response, further supporting the production of GLP-1.
   
   
4. Avocado
   A 2019 study by the Centre for Nutrition Research at the Illinois Institute of Technology found that eating an avocado with a meal increased participants' GLP-1 levels.
   
   
5. Veggies before a meal
   A 2022 study found that consuming vegetables before a meal regulates blood sugar levels and increases GLP-1 levels, especially 60 minutes after eating. Off you go — make a green salad.

Source: The Telegraph

Nature

She will never look at a termite mound with the same eyes again, says Ilse Bigalke, after a hike near the Mopani rest camp in the Kruger National Park.

Termites are a curse in homes, where they can cause extensive damage to the woodwork. But in nature they are plant fertilisers because they store moisture and nutrients from deep underground and allow moisture to penetrate soil via internal tunnels. Thus, vegetation thrives near termite mounds in ecosystems vulnerable to climate change and desertification.

A termite colony consists of soldiers and workers. The soldiers, about 5% of the population, are the defence force. They have big heads with strong jaws and our government could learn a lot from them. The workers take care of the soldiers, eggs, larvae and the queen and build and maintain the mound. The queen and king are the only members that reproduce. She lays about 30,000 eggs a day.

Termite mounds have been called engineering marvels and underground cities, with complete road systems. They are made of soil and saliva and can grow up to 6m high and 8m deep. Learn more about the wonders of termite mounds in these articles: Nature Blows my Mind! Miraculous Termite Mounds; Termites can help parched plants withstand climate change; and Adapting environments to climate change — what do the termites do?

Jump with the penguins

Captured on camera for the first time, hundreds of six-month-old emperor penguin chicks were filmed taking a leap of faith off a 50-foot cliff in Antarctica.

Video of the week

La Coquette Parisienne on Instagram.

♦ VWB ♦

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