World Patient Safety Day 2026: Safe Care for Life
17 September 2026 | World Patient Safety Day This World Patient Safety Day, we are reminded that safe healthcare is not only about what happens inside a hospital or clinic. For people living with chronic conditions, health and safety are part of everyday life: at home; in the community; at the clinic; and wherever they […]
The Quick Fix… and the Cause Nobody Wants to Discuss
Obesity and type 2 diabetes are increasingly being treated as problems that require only pharmaceutical solutions. Instead of asking why metabolic disease has become so widespread, attention is turning towards drugs that suppress appetite, slow digestion and alter metabolism. The underlying food environment remains largely unchanged. People continue to be surrounded by sugar, refined carbohydrates […]
The Brain is not Separate from the Body
Metabolic health, nutrition and mental health 10 September was World Suicide Prevention Day. The World Health Organization estimates that 727,000 people died by suicide in 2021. Suicide was the third leading cause of death among 15- to 29-year-olds, and 73% of deaths occurred in low- and middle-income countries [1]. These deaths cannot be explained by […]
Your Kidneys Know the Difference Between Food and a Food Product
Your kidneys are remarkably hardworking little organs. Every day, they filter your blood, remove waste, balance fluids and minerals, help regulate blood pressure, and even support red blood cell production. They do all of this quietly, usually without demanding much attention.[1] Unfortunately, quiet organs are easy to ignore until they are no longer quiet. Chronic […]
The Noakes Foundation is looking for a Project Coordinator
The Noakes Foundation is looking for a highly organised, proactive and resourceful Project Coordinator to support the delivery of our nonprofit programmes and projects, including Eat Better South Africa, research translation, community education and selected new Foundation initiatives. This is a hands-on role for someone who is excellent at turning ideas into action, coordinating multiple […]
Not all Weight Loss Is Created Equal.
For years, we have been told that weight loss is mostly a numbers game: eat fewer calories, lose weight, and your health will improve. The particular route you take is often treated as a matter of personal preference, rather like choosing between Google Maps and Waze. A new randomised clinical trial suggests the route may […]
You can’t out-eat a bad night’s sleep
Why metabolic health depends on more than what is on your plate At The Noakes Foundation, we spend a great deal of time talking about food…and for good reason. What we eat has a profound effect on blood glucose, insulin resistance, weight, inflammation, and our risk of developing chronic disease. But nutrition does not operate […]
Ultra-processed food and prostate cancer: a warning for men, but a lesson for all of us
A new study has linked greater consumption of ultra-processed food with a higher likelihood of prostate cancer. That is clearly important for men, but before the rest of us quietly put the biscuit packet back in the cupboard and declare this “not our problem,” the broader message deserves everyone’s attention. The study adds to growing […]
It takes a village to raise a healthy child
Why healthier children begin with healthier families, food environments and communities When we talk about improving children’s nutrition, we often focus on changing the child. We scrutinise the lunchbox, negotiate over veggies and wonder how something can be “disgusting” on Tuesday when it was perfectly acceptable last Thursday. But children do not make food choices […]
From Freedom to Flourishing: Honouring 70 Years of South African Women
9 August 2026 marks the 70th anniversary of the historic 1956 Women’s March, a defining moment in South Africa’s journey towards freedom, equality, and justice. On that day, more than 20,000 women from every walk of life marched to the Union Buildings in Pretoria to protest the extension of the Pass Laws. Led by extraordinary […]