World Cancer Day: Hope, “Scanxiety,” and the Growing Role of Lifestyle Medicine
World Cancer Day is not only a global awareness moment; it is also deeply personal. For many people, cancer is not an abstract statistic. It is a phone call you never expected. It is waiting rooms, treatment schedules, and the emotional rollercoaster that comes with living between scans, what many patients now call “scanxiety.” It […]
Staying Low Carb During the Holiday Season: Protecting Your Journey Without Feeling Pressured
The holiday season is a time of joy, connection, celebration… and often a lot of high-carb, sugary foods. For many people living a low-carb lifestyle, December can feel like walking through a nutritional obstacle course. Everywhere you turn, there’s a treat, a family member insisting you “just have one,” or a tradition built around foods […]
Ageing with HIV: Time to Prioritise Metabolic Health
This World AIDS Day, celebrated on 1 December 2025, carries the UNAIDS theme “Overcoming disruption, transforming the AIDS response.” It is a message that resonates profoundly with a group too often overlooked in the global HIV conversation: older adults living long-term with HIV, many now well over 50, navigating the complexities of aging in a […]
Time to Break Up With These Type 2 Diabetes Myths
Type 2 diabetes (T2D) affects over 500 million people worldwide, yet remains one of the most misunderstood chronic conditions. Misinformation doesn’t just confuse, it stigmatizes, turning a manageable health condition into a source of shame and delayed care. Let’s dismantle the myths that fuel diabetes stigma and replace them with evidence-based truth (1,2). Myth 1: […]
The 4th R: Why Real Food Education Belongs in Every Classroom
At the core of education are the three R’s: reading, writing, and reasoning. But in today’s world, a fourth R is becoming just as important: Real Food Literacy. While schools equip learners with the skills to think critically and communicate effectively, few help them understand how the foods they eat affect their energy, focus, and […]
World Food Day 2025: What Makes Food “Real” and Why It Matters
Food is not just something we eat or something to help us feel “less hungry”; it’s a foundation of health, culture, and society. But in our modern world, where packaged convenience has become the norm, is it possible that the meaning of “food” has been lost? Today, much of what we consume is ultra-processed food, […]
Healthy Hearts, Healthy Futures
September is World Heart Awareness Month, a time to reflect on the global burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD), the leading cause of death worldwide, responsible for an estimated 17.9 million deaths annually (World Health Organization, 2023). Despite advances in medicine, lifestyle-related risk factors such as poor diet, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and hypertension remain key […]
Why the Wrong Diet Can Be as Risky as the Wrong Dose
World Patient Safety Day reminds us that safety in healthcare extends far beyond medication; it encompasses the food on our plates. For people living with type 1 diabetes, diet is not just about managing weight or energy; it is a cornerstone of safety, as critical as the correct insulin dose. A new 2025 systematic review […]
From Waiting Room to Wake-Up Call: Dunoon’s Outreach in Motion
On Tuesday, 09 September, the Dunoon Community Health Centre became a vibrant space for connection, education, and personal empowerment. The Noakes Foundation and Eat Better South Africa team set up in the waiting area for a special outreach event, bringing science, support and stories of hope directly to the community. We were joined by Diane […]
Cracking the Code on Perimenopause Hormones, Inflammation, and the Right Diet
Perimenopause often feels like your body changed the rules overnight. One day you’re coasting along, and the next you’re dealing with hot flashes, brain fog, restless sleep, or that stubborn weight that seems to settle right around the middle (1,2,3). None of this is “all in your head.” These shifts are tied to real changes […]