Almost two months after people make their New Year’s resolutions to eat healthier and exercise more, much of this momentum is often forgotten as old habits take over and priorities shift. This reflects the reality that a lifestyle is shaped by everyday habits, values, and routines, including food choices, which influence long-term health over time. National Healthy Lifestyle Awareness Day in South Africa addresses the dangers of obesity, unhealthy diets, and physical inactivity by promoting health and well-being among individuals, communities, and populations. The Noakes Foundation and Eat Better SA use this opportunity to emphasise that healthier living is built through small, sustainable changes rather than extreme routines or short-term goals. In this way, the awareness day highlights the importance of preventing lifestyle-related disease through everyday choices.

Conversations about healthy living are closely linked to culture, history, and food environments. Food plays an important social and cultural role, with many meals centred around shared eating and familiar staple foods. Many South Africans face daily barriers to healthier eating, as food choices are often shaped by affordability, access, and the pressures of everyday life. At the same time, rapid urbanisation and lifestyle changes have increased access to highly processed and convenience foods. Research on the nutrition transition in Southern Africa shows a gradual shift towards diets higher in refined carbohydrates, sugar, and energy-dense foods, contributing to rising rates of obesity and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) (Nnyepi et al., 2015). These changing food environments highlight the importance of practical, culturally relevant approaches that help people translate health messages into everyday life.

Translating these health messages into everyday life can feel challenging for many people. Through our research and community programmes, we have seen that a healthy lifestyle is built through small, realistic changes that move people towards better health. It’s about eating better, not perfectly, and making manageable shifts that can be repeated daily.

Indeed, our everyday habits shape our long-term health. Many NCDs,  including type 2 diabetes, obesity, and heart disease,  are directly influenced by daily lifestyle choices, with what we eat being one of the most important factors affecting long-term risk (World Health Organization, 2026). Good nutrition, therefore, plays a central role in disease prevention and overall well-being. The quality and type of food we eat influence metabolic health,  including blood sugar regulation and appetite control,  which in turn affects the risk of chronic disease.  However, these health outcomes are not only visible in numbers, but they are also felt in people’s daily lives through energy levels, mood, and concentration.

There is a strong link between what we eat, how we feel, and how easily we move through the day. Highly refined carbohydrates and sugary foods cause quick rises and sudden drops in blood sugar (Ludwig et al., 2013). These swings are often linked to feeling tired, irritable, or unfocused, and can leave people craving more sugar soon after eating.

A low-carbohydrate, high-fat (LCHF) approach is a way of eating that prioritises whole, minimally processed foods while reducing sugars and refined carbohydrates, replacing them with healthy fats and adequate protein (Mayo Clinic, 2026).  A low-carb, real-food approach helps keep blood sugar more stable. Research has shown that lower-carbohydrate eating patterns can help improve appetite control and reduce hunger (Hu et al., 2016), which contributes to steadier energy levels, clearer thinking, fewer cravings, and less reliance on constant snacking or caffeine. While it is often described as a dietary pattern, LCHF is more accurately understood as part of a broader lifestyle.

Therefore, LCHF extends beyond simply changing what appears on the plate. It encourages intentional food preparation, mindful eating, stable energy routines, and long-term, health-focused decision-making that integrates into daily life. By supporting steady energy levels (Garner et al., 2024), clearer thinking, and improved mood, an LCHF real-food lifestyle becomes a foundation for overall well-being rather than a quick fix or short-term diet.

For us, Healthy Lifestyle Awareness Day is not only about raising awareness for a single day, but about encouraging people to reflect on the everyday habits that shape long-term wellbeing. We see this awareness day as an opportunity to pause, reassess routines, and support people in taking realistic steps towards better health without pressure or perfection.

To make this practical, we want to use this awareness day as an opportunity to propose a simple challenge – a one-week lifestyle challenge which is designed to help people experience small but meaningful changes in daily life. The aim is not strict rules or perfection, but noticing how small adjustments can influence energy, mood, and overall health. The table below shows simple ways to take part in the challenge and apply these changes in everyday life.

This one-week challenge reflects the message behind The Noakes Foundation and Eat Better South Africa: empowering people with practical nutrition knowledge can support lasting improvements in health and wellbeing. Even small changes make a difference in how we feel, influencing both our energy and mood. Healthy Lifestyle Awareness Day is therefore not only about awareness, but about taking small steps that help create healthier communities.

References:

Garner, S., Davies, E., Barkus, E., & Kraeuter, A.-K. (2024). Ketogenic diet has a positive association with mental and emotional well-being in the general population. Nutrition, 124, 112420. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nut.2024.112420

Hu et al. (2016). The effects of a low-carbohydrate diet on appetite: A randomized controlled trial. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26803589/

Ludwig, D. S., et al. (2013). Effects of dietary glycemic index on brain regions related to reward and craving in men. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23803881/

Mayo Clinic. (2026). Low-carb diet: Can it help you lose weight? https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/in-depth/low-carb-diet/art-20045831

Nnyepi, M.S., Gwisai, N., Lekgoa, M. and Seru, T., 2015. Evidence of nutrition transition in Southern Africa. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0029665115000051

World Health Organization. (2026). Healthy diet. https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/healthy-diet

        About the author – Raja Pfisterer

Raja Pfisterer is a qualified nurse from Basel, Switzerland, currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Health Sciences with a major in Economics and Policy at the University of Lucerne. She combines clinical nursing experience with a strong interest in public health and is passionate about linking health and nutrition to support individual wellbeing and more sustainable healthcare approaches.

Raja is currently interning with The Noakes Foundation in Cape Town, where she is gaining practical experience in public health and learning about nutritional approaches to chronic disease in under-resourced communities through Eat Better South Africa.

Her interests include health equity, strengthening sustainable healthcare systems, and developing public health policy interventions that improve health outcomes while promoting health literacy and empowering individuals to take an active role in their own well-being. She hopes to dedicate her future career to understanding the social determinants of health, addressing health inequalities, and improving population health — particularly among vulnerable groups.

Through her work with The Noakes Foundation, Raja believes that people can be empowered to take control of their health step by step, helping to build healthier communities and support long-term wellbeing.