One of the challenges we regularly face is what to eat on a daily basis. A visit to the grocery store is no longer a simple task as we’re presented with thousands of food products, all aimed at getting us, the consumers, to carry them home to our kitchens. This makes choosing healthy foods quite difficult. It appears that a number of foods contain what is commonly referred to as ‘hidden sugar’. These foods are often difficult to spot as they are marketed as healthy alternatives and initially appear to be low in sugar. Low-fat foods are often promoted as a healthier alternative to that of their full-fat counterparts. It is easy to fall prey to the idea that low-fat products are healthier than full-fat products as producers label their products with various health claims, such as “low in calories” or “light”. However, these products usually contain more sugar than that of the full-fat versions. It is very important to read the nutritional labels when purchasing products, especially when they are highly processed. Fairly recently, companies have started producing more processed foods, applauding them for being ‘easy meals’ and packing them with artificial ‘nutrients’ to try and mask the underlying sugar and carbohydrate content. Unfortunately, marketing of products is not the only problem facing consumers with regards to healthy food choices. In South Africa, food choice is largely influenced by accessibility and affordability of goods. Millions of South Africans struggle with making healthy food choices as a result of their economic and social environment.
Prof Tim Noakes has been a significant advocate for the adoption of a low carbohydrate, high fat (LCHF) diet, having benefited from the lifestyle tremendously himself by placing his type 2 diabetes into remission over the last 10 years. After experiencing the health effects of removing all sugar and refined/processed foods from his diet, Prof wished to create a healthier human future by founding The Noakes Foundation in 2012, in an effort to help millions of South Africans live happier, longer lives. His vision has subsequently grown into numerous projects and organizations dedicated to public benefit and helping to prevent and manage non-communicable diseases in areas that are harshly affected, including severely under-resourced communities in South Africa. Prof Noakes is dedicated to a healthy lifestyle and promotes a healthy LCHF based diet for the maintenance of metabolic health, and subsequently to address the key causes of ill health, insulin resistance or carbohydrate intolerance. Prof Noakes does not promote commercial products for weight loss and wellness, and rather wants to help others achieve their metabolic health through consistent healthy eating and routine exercise. Prof’s teachings have formed the basis of the ethos of The Noakes Foundation.
You can follow the link here to view some of Prof Noakes’ published works.
As The Noakes Foundation we want to help consumers to make good food choices by promoting the adoption of a healthy, whole foods diet, rich in healthy fats and low in refined carbohydrates. This means, the Foundation does not believe in a ‘magic pill’ or quick route to health. We believe that healthy living is a constant journey that continuously evolves over time and requires plenty of hard work and dedication. Everyday we need to make the decision to pick healthy foods, exercise and nurture our mental health, which many will say is easier said than done! However, it’s okay to fall into bad habits every once in a while, but it’s how we get up and motivate ourselves to keep going on our health journey that matters most. Although most of us want to lose weight, it shouldn’t be our only goal. We should chase health for ourselves and to be holistically healthy, rather than bee line in on only one aspect of health. By working towards an encompassing healthy lifestyle we open ourselves to achieve more than just weight loss, and this includes aging slower, getting less headaches and having better hair, skin and brain function, and more importantly preventing non-communicable disease in the long run. Moreover, healthy eating does not have to empty your pockets each month and buying whole foods is often much more cost effective than unhealthy foods. The Noakes Foundation teaches that all processed foods, high in refined carbohydrates and sugar, should be removed from the diet and rather replaced with whole foods. These are foods that undergo little to no processing and are packed with natural nutrients that are beneficial to your health. Some of these foods include eggs, unprocessed meats, berries, nuts and fermented foods, such as Kombucha. Many of the aforementioned foods were present in the diet of our ancestors and acted as a preventative measure against diseases of lifestyle that are currently prevalent in our civilization today.
Furthermore, processed foods, although initially tasty, are incredibly nutrient poor and have a high calorie content. This is so as processed foods are actually not tasty to begin with. Food producers add tremendous amounts of poor-quality fats, sugar and salt as a last ditch effort to up the flavors of their products. Due to the low nutrient value and high sugar content of these foods, consumers become addicted and oftentimes have to consume a far greater amount of processed foods to feel satiated. This can be particularly bad for health, as higher consumption of processed foods can, not only, lead to weight gain, but also increase the risk of diseases, such as diabetes type 2, cancer and cardiovascular disease.
If you are interested in learning more about healthy foods visit The Noakes Foundation food lists here. It can be a significant help in kick starting your LCHF journey and provide you with the basic knowledge to begin. The Nutrition Network also has a comprehensive list of LCHF-friendly practitioners, that specialize in numerous medical fields, that may be able to assist with current dietary related health conditions or if you would simply like to find out more about your own health. You can visit their page here to find an LCHF-friendly practitioner in your area.
It’s important to recognise that healthy living is a lifestyle and not a fad. By cutting out processed and refined foods in your diet, you immediately take your first step to living a healthier life. Remember, there are no shortcuts to health and you should constantly be assessing and improving your dietary habits and exercise goals to keep them in line with what you want to achieve.
We are interested in hearing of our supporters’ success stories by following the LCHF lifestyle and would love for you to share your testimonial with us. If you are interested, please write to us at info@thenoakesfoundation.org.
About The Author
Shannon Mace has a BSc degree in Human Life Sciences from Stellenbosch University, she majored in biochemistry and physiology. She has a keen interest in metabolic physiology and hopes to further her studies in the subject. Shannon has joined The Noakes Foundation as a researcher, as well as an administrator. She looks forward to helping the foundation promote healthier living and happier lifestyles.
