Health Is a Human Right: Addressing Inequality in South Africa
Health is not a luxury; it is a fundamental human right. Yet in a society marked by persistent inequality, the right to health is not experienced equally. Human Rights Day reminds us of the struggle for dignity and justice in South Africa’s history. It is also an opportunity to reflect on the inequalities that continue […]
World Kidney Day: Your Body’s Filters Under Pressure
Every day, your kidneys filter almost 180 litres of blood (the same amount of fluid that fills an average bathtub), quietly removing waste, balancing fluids and electrolytes, regulating blood pressure, and even helping produce red blood cells. Most of the time, you never notice them working. They simply do their job in the background. But […]
International Women’s Day: Women Leading Change
Change does not always begin in parliaments or protest marches. Sometimes it begins in kitchens, around dinner tables, and in the everyday decisions about what families eat. Across the world, women play a central role in shaping household food environments, influencing the meals that nourish families and the habits that shape lifelong health (1). These […]
World Obesity Day: Real Food as a Response to a Global Crisis
Every year on 4 March, World Obesity Day brings together organisations, health professionals, and communities across the globe to raise awareness about obesity and its impact on health (1). Launched in 2015, the campaign is led by the World Obesity Federation, which works in official relations with the World Health Organization (WHO) (2). In 2026, […]
Manage Your Energy, Not Your Time
Why feeling exhausted isn’t always a scheduling problem There is a quiet assumption built into modern life that if you are tired, overwhelmed, or struggling to keep up, the problem must be poor time management. Somewhere between productivity podcasts and colour-coded planners, many of us have absorbed the idea that better organisation is the answer […]
Small Shifts, Big Health : Healthy Lifestyle Awareness Day – 20 February
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. […]
When the Brain Runs Out of Fuel: A story of epilepsy, metabolism, and why food still matters
On International Epilepsy Day, the world turns purple. Buildings light up. Social feeds fill with ribbons. Stories of resilience, courage, and survival are shared, and rightly so. Epilepsy affects more than 50 million people globally, touching families, communities, and healthcare systems in ways that are often invisible to those looking in from the outside. But […]
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 […]