I’m feeling very philosophical because of the World Cup Soccer fever. There are so many teams involved from all the continents of earth and the whole focus is on a game that will result in one winner.

Actually, there will be more than one winner. We all win regardless of whether our team comes out at the top or not.

And the big win is that we are all focused on what I can only describe as a real and pleasurable game instead of the usual negative stuff (war, crime, drugs, economic disasters) we have shoved in our faces daily.

All our diverse cultures share a common reality: A love of sport and/or just plain support of one’s team.

It’s really the spirit of the game that makes us all win. Sport is such a great and appropriate field for us to pit our skills and wits. It’s also a great way of pulling a country (team) and the world (a bigger team) together.

I don’t think South Africans will ever forget how Nelson Mandela used the World Cup Rugby in 1995 (hosted and won by South Africa) to pull our country together. For me, the biggest win was the spirit of my people and the sparkle in their eyes.

In a typically white man’s sport, Mandela got the black people to rise above the past of our country – which was only just a year or two earlier – and focus on winning. When we put aside our differences and rise above them, we truly win because that is the only way we can find solutions.

You couldn’t have made anyone feel miserable if you tried! For several hours there was no crime or dissension as everyone’s attention was riveted on the game and the outcome. Jubilation rippled through the country as the most unlikely people watched the game together and hugged each other when we won.

The movie "Invictus", produced by Clint Eastwood, starring Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon is based on what this great leader achieved for our country and the two actors did it full justice!

The word "invictus" means unconquerable and is a reflection of Nelson Mandela’s attitude and his ability to rise above his 27 years imprisonment and then pulling a very willing country together.

Calcium and Magnesium – A Winning Combination for Sports Men and Women!

With all the sporting fervor the Soccer World Cup is creating, I think it is quite fitting to give you information about the benefits of calcium and magnesium for sports men and women.

Not only is calcium needed to contract the muscles and magnesium to relax them but they also help reduce the painful effects of lactic acid break-down during and after physical exertion.

Overcoming Muscle Pain While Exercising

Anyone who exercises knows that muscles can "feel" the effects of having done so. Whether you’re fit or unfit, your muscles sure let you know that you’ve just exerted some energy.

There are various reasons for this happening. One of them is the burnt fuel – just like when you make a fire. There are residues from the burnt fuel. In your body, this burnt fuel can make it ache and cause you to feel tired.

Another reason is just plain depletion of minerals and dehydration. Minerals are the spark plugs of your body. If you’ve sweated them out during exercise or heat, you can feel tired – even exhausted – and achy. However, dehydration is not only the lack of water, but also the lack of minerals. If there's an imbalance of minerals, water cannot be pulled into your cells so the toxins have no way of being flushed out.

Have you ever noticed that sometimes you just drink and drink and drink and just can’t quench your thirst? Well, that’s because you’re mineral depleted. No other reason. It’s that simple. Give your body the minerals it needs and you will feel a whole lot better.

Minerals include, but are not limited to, calcium, magnesium, potassium, salt (not common refined table salt, please). I’m referring to salt in the fullest sense of the word. Table salt usually only consists of chloride. It’s dangerous. Sea salt is what I’m referring to here.

My regimen for exercise includes calcium, magnesium, potassium gluconate and sea salt tablets.