Durban - Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema is now sporting a slimmer, healthier look - and apparently it’s all thanks to his wife.
A source close to the controversial politician says that his wife, Mantwa Matlala, who is in her mid-20s, is behind Malema’s dramatic physical transformation.
Since his marriage in 2014, Malema has been gradually shedding the kilograms, and party spokesman Mbuyiseni Ndlozi confirmed in other media reports that he had been working out at the gym.
Numerous calls from The Mercury to Malema and the EFF top brass for comment on Wednesday went unanswered.
“Did you see his wife? Did you see how young, slim and beautiful she is? He (Malema) is slimming down to match her,” the anonymous source told The Mercury on Wednesday.
“She cooks good, wholesome food and he is eating healthily now. Before, he used to live on takeaways and shisanyama.
“Those things are not good for you and make you fat.”
Malema, he said, had also been hitting the gym and trying to live a “healthy lifestyle”.
And the weight loss could even help improve his overall public image.
“A person who is healthy will have more energy, feel stronger emotionally and physically and have a general sense of well-being, which will positively impact every aspect of his life,” said Coyne Healthcare pharmacist and life coach Giulia Criscuolo.
“Losing weight does not automatically lead to more inner confidence, but it is addressing the deeper issue of why you became overweight in the first place that will help tackle the underlying deeper issues that can lead to increased confidence.”
Crisuolo said Malema could maintain his weight loss through exercise, eating less or smaller portions and getting more sleep.
“The best way to maintain weight loss is to aim to become healthy instead of plan to diet to lose weight.
“To further maintain weight-loss I recommend Julius to reduce food portion sizes, consume food in moderation and try adopting the 80/20 rule, where healthy eating will constitute 80% of his lifestyle and exercise 20%.”
Exercise, she said, also helped manage stress.
She said surrounding himself with a supportive team, family and friends would help with his health journey.
“The thing to avoid is starving yourself,” she said.
“If Julius is making healthy food choices and eating in moderation, this will lead to good healthy weight loss.”
Nutritionist Patrick Holford said a low GL (glycaemic load) diet was the best way to lose weight.
“By following a low-GL diet you balance your blood sugar, preventing insulin spikes, which both make you hungry and store carbs away as fat for a rainy day. Glycaemic load (GL) is a measure of the amount of sugar and starch in food and their impact on the body.
“Foods with a low GL release glucose more slowly so you maintain stable energy levels for longer.”
The Mercury