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 […]
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 […]
Welcoming Our Newest Ambassador: Meet Joomee Kyler
At The Noakes Foundation, we are delighted to welcome Joomee Kyler as our newest Foundation Ambassador. Joomee’s journey is one of resilience, curiosity, and hope. As a diagnostic cytologist with over 20 years of experience, she has dedicated her career to helping detect cancer and disease through laboratory science. Yet it was her own health […]
From Plate to Mind: How Nutrition Shapes Men’s Mental Health
When was the last time you told someone that you were not okay? Not the polite “I’m fine, just tired,” but the honest version. If you cannot remember, you are not unusual; you are part of a much wider pattern. In 2019, the World Health Organization estimated that 13,774 people died by suicide in South […]
When Industry Influences Nutrition Science, Real Food Should Still Win
For decades, we were told that fat was the problem. Butter was pushed aside, egg yolks became something to limit, and supermarket shelves began filling up with products proudly labelled “low fat” or “fat free”. But when manufacturers removed the fat, they still needed the food to taste good, which often meant adding sugar, refined […]
The Biggest Marketing Mistake Sleep Ever Made
Imagine, for a moment, that someone launched a brand-new supplement. Let’s call it “MetaboMax™”. The marketing campaign would be impossible to ignore. It would promise to help regulate appetite, support a healthy body weight, improve energy levels, increase your motivation to be physically active, and promote better metabolic health. Influencers would be posting their “before […]