It’s an integral part of South African culture to thoroughly enjoy the summer season with its long holiday period over December and into the new year. Hot days and warm nights are the ideal settings for enjoying the outdoor-focused lifestyles that give us so many more opportunities to be physically active and to unleash our sociable natures. But along with higher temperatures and the whirl of end-of-year parties, festive celebrations and holiday get togethers come shifts in our eating habits, and the risks of over-indulging. 13 Nov 2024 Read more We make choices every day about what we eat, and this may seem nothing more than mundane routine and habits when we have so much else that we need to think about and get done in life. However, sometimes, we just really need to stop and think about the profound impacts of what we eat. Our everyday food choices power us through a day of achieving at work or school, or not. They add to our sense of mental well-being and enjoyment of life, or not. They protect us from developing diseases and promote healing, or not. 9 Oct 2024 Read more South Africa is one of the most unequal countries in the world, and this is tragically evident in the nutritional status of millions of our children. However, breastfeeding has the power to be an equaliser ensuring that no child is left behind when it comes to optimal health and development. Despite widespread promotion of the many benefits of breastfeeding, these rates remain low in South Africa. The country has solid policies in place and progressive legislation for infant and young child nutrition, although these are not often implemented and monitored consistently and effectively. Perhaps, though more critically, there’s a lack of a groundswell of support for all breastfeeding moms in our homes, workplaces and communities. 30 Jul 2024 Read more Winter is sweeping across South Africa, and the colder temperatures often usher in a different set of lifestyle patterns and daily habits. Many enjoy having a good reason for later wake-up calls, more snuggling up, tucking into comfort foods and warming up with extra hot drinks. However, the colder environment boosts the survival and longevity of infectious cold and flu viruses, and our closer contact in indoor settings can facilitate an easier spread of respiratory viruses. If you are spending less time outdoors in the sunshine, you may also experience a drop in vitamin D levels which is essential to optimal immune system functioning. 31 May 2024 Read more With an abundance of good weather, scenic outdoor environments and a national culture infused with a love of sports, it’s not surprising that active lifestyles are important to many South Africans. 10 Apr 2024 Read more While overweight and obesity are on rise in general in South Africa, including among children and youth, the worst affected segment of our population is women. The World Obesity Atlas 2022 predicts that 50% of South African women will be not just overweight, but obese by 2030. This is the highest predicted obesity rate in all of Africa, and a major concern when it comes to women’s health. 4 Mar 2024 Read more New knowledge and ongoing advances in nutrition science converge with our perennial quest for enhanced health and well-being. At the start of every year, we see predictions about emerging nutrition trends and projections about those that are growing strongly. While these trends may offer promising pathways to improved wellness for some people, it’s important to recognise the complexity of individual nutrition needs and find out if there are any potential risks before jumping on a bandwagon. 25 Jan 2024 Read more South Africa’s long summer holiday brings welcome relief after the hardworking, high-pressure year as well as well-deserved opportunities to fully enjoy festive traditions and indulgences. You want to make the most of the special times but also find the balance with your healthy lifestyle goals and habits. 8 Dec 2023 Read more South Africa bears one of the highest burdens of tuberculosis (TB) disease in the world. Year on year, the country has a high incidence of TB infections and tens of thousands of South Africans lose their lives due to TB disease. This is compounded by the prevalence of HIV-TB co-infection and ongoing issues with drug-resistant TB strains which makes treatments more lengthy and more costly. 14 Nov 2023 Read more What we eat each day has an extraordinary impact on our lives. It not only affects our vulnerability to diseases over time, but it also influences our physical and cognitive abilities, as well as our emotional state. Healthy food choices matter. They empower us to perform and achieve at work and school and enable us to enjoy our leisure time more fully. 5 Oct 2023 Read more Most of us are inclined to take our hard-working kidneys for granted. However, like all other vital organs, our kidneys benefit from daily healthy habits. Physical activity and sufficient sleep are essential for overall health, but so are our daily food choices. Our kidneys are responsible for eliminating waste and toxins, as well as maintaining fluid balance in our bodies, controlling blood pressure and keeping our bones healthy. 31 Aug 2023 Read more Working parents need all the support they can get to keep their livelihoods on track while raising families. This is most especially true for parents with a new baby. One of the biggest challenges parents experience when getting back to full-time work is what to do about infant feeding. Unfortunately, returning to work is one of the most common reasons why new moms don't even try or give up on breastfeeding. 1 Aug 2023 Read more Corporate wellness needs nutrition focus 3 Jul 2023 Read more While there is so much today that is trumpeted as 'convenient and easy', many parents feel overwhelmed by the complexities and stresses of modern life. Time is always too short. Family life is often frenetic; overloaded with arduous work, school, and social schedules. In the midst of all this turbulence, we're striving to do the very best for our kids, including getting sufficient good food down their gullets every day. 19 Jun 2023 Read more We're always on the lookout for a 'miracle' cure, especially those living with chronic conditions such as autoimmune diseases. Too often hope, driven by desperation, gets invested in the latest, greatest 'superfood', fad diet or nutritional supplement. While it is true that nutrition does play a critical role in the wide range of autoimmune diseases, there is no one nutrient, food or diet that can prevent or cure these debilitating health issues. 30 May 2023 Read more For the first time since the Covid pandemic disruptions, nutrition and dietetic health professionals from South Africa, Africa and further afield will be gathering in person in Somerset West for the 2023 Nutrition Congress. The three-day event, held from 18 to 20 April 2023 is co-hosted by NSSA (Nutrition Society of South Africa) and ADSA (Association for Dietetics in South Africa). 17 Apr 2023 Read more Over the past few decades, the prevalence of overweight and obesity in South Africa has risen to alarming rates. Overweight and obesity carry an immense risk of developing non-communicable diseases such as Type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. Obesity is closely associated with numerous other serious health risks including cardiovascular disease and certain cancers. Half of all South African adults are either overweight (23%) or obese (27%). According to the World Obesity Atlas 2022, 50% of South African women will be obese by 2030, the highest predicted rate in Africa. 28 Mar 2023 Read more Load shedding dishes up a wide range of inconveniences and frustrations, but it may well be having far more serious effects when it comes to our eating habits. There are increasing concerns that extensive and sustained power cuts are leading to a rise in fast food consumption as South Africans experience fewer undisrupted opportunities to prepare fresh meals at home. It's our health, and the health of our loved ones that will take a toll from this pivot to takeaway and convenience meals. 24 Feb 2023 Read more Each year that passes amplifies how vital health and wellness are to the pursuit of living our best lives. We constantly look to the latest trends in nutrition, exercise, and emotional well-being in the hope of finding better ways to nourish and strengthen ourselves. 2023 will be no different. What is becoming more critical though, is the need to be able to sort the fads and fakes from affirming, sustainable strategies that will truly support enhanced well-being. 16 Jan 2023 Read more When it comes to diabetes, South Africa, unfortunately, notches up some all-time high statistics. According to the International Diabetes Federation, with more than 4.2 million adults living with the condition, of which an estimated 45.4% people are undiagnosed, South Africa has the highest prevalence of diabetes in Africa at 11.3% of our population. To make matters worse, it is estimated that an additional 13 million South Africans, that's one in three adults, have impaired fasting glucose (IFG) which puts them at high risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. This is the highest prevalence of IFG in the world. 2 Nov 2022 Read more According to Statistics SA, the consumer price inflation was 7.6% in August, down from 7.8% in July 2022. Food and non-alcoholic beverages (NOB) are among the main contributors to the annual inflation rate of 7.6%. The prices of food and NOB have increased by 11.3% year-on-year and contributed 1.9 percentage points to the total consumer price index (CPI) annual rate of 7.6%. The soaring costs of the monthly food basket is forcing most South African households to make some changes. Given the country's high prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as hypertension and Type 2 diabetes, which are impacted by an unhealthy diet, it is vital that the current high cost of food doesn't become a barrier to healthy eating. 5 Oct 2022 Read more If you haven't ever paid much attention to the health of your kidneys, then today is the day to start! Our hard-working kidneys are as important as any other vital organs, and the consequences of not looking after them are severe. Several health conditions, including hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity, all of which are prevalent in South Africa, put the kidneys under serious strain. This can lead to chronic kidney disease (CKD), and ultimately, renal failure. 1 Sep 2022 Read more South Africa has one of the lowest rates of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) for infants from 0 to 6 months on the continent. At a rate of less than 32% in 2016, it is unlikely that the country can meet the Who's (World Health Organisation's) global target of a 70% EBF rate by 2030. In line with international codes, the country has regulations in place to protect breastfeeding, and to limit the formidable marketing powers of infant formula producers. So, what more needs to be done? 2 Aug 2022 Read more Two years have passed since corporate employees around the world made a sudden mass exodus from their workplaces. Today, there is a widespread return - some are back to a full 5-day week in the office, while others are implementing hybrid regimes. What everyone finds is that the culture, feel and rhythm of corporate life have been irrevocably changed. 21 Jul 2022 Read more Every visit to the grocery store is bringing new price shocks as South African consumers find themselves in a battle to make ends meet each month. The grim news is that fuel and food prices are expected to continue to rise over the second half of this year, keeping lower and middle income consumers under considerable, sustained financial stress. 4 Jul 2022 Read more Much of the anti-weight discrimination movement currently burgeoning across the world is focused on socio-economic injustices and the emotional harm and mental health impact caused by the prevalence of weight stigma and biases. The HAES®, or Health at Every Size, approach puts a focus on particularly promoting weight acceptance in the health industry for improved public health. 20 May 2022 Read more From children to adults, women to men, overweight and obesity is an ever-increasing health risk in South Africa. The link between obesity and the onset of non-communicable diseases such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease is well-established. During the past two pandemic years, we've also seen obesity highlighted as a serious Covid co-morbidity leading to complications and even death among those who tested positive for the virus. 1 Mar 2022 Read more Breastfeeding exclusively for the first six months of a baby's life is the most natural way to feed your baby. However, what comes next is also important because of the extraordinary growth and development that takes place in the first 1000 days of an infant's life. 18 Feb 2022 Read more Whether you have promised yourself you will get rid of the pandemic bulge, want to try out clean eating or are thinking of taking up fasting, it helps to get professional advice and avoid the masses of misinformation and untrustworthy opinions that abound when it comes to diet, weight loss and optimal nutrition. 21 Jan 2022 Read more As our kids enter their school-going years their growth is steady, but slower and somewhat less dramatic when compared to the rapid baby-toddler-to-little-person transformation. It's an interesting time nutritionally as school-going children tend to be more open to trying different foods and are developing their foodie likes and dislikes. They are more able and adept at learning about different foods and their nutritional impact, so you can really start communicating with them about the importance of food and healthy eating. Many of our lifelong dietary habits are rooted in this young life-stage. 9 Dec 2021 Read more As the global pandemic has unfolded, our worries have not just been about the threat to our physical health. Worldwide, rates of stress, anxiety and depression have soared in response to the dramatic changes to just about every aspect of our lives. With no end in sight for Covid-19, our emotional resilience is undergoing a rigorous long-term test and there's a growing awareness that we need to focus now as much on mental well-being as we do on our physical health. 4 Nov 2021 Read more In the second pandemic year with new variants rising and straining the country, the health of South Africans remains a top-of-mind concern. Covid-19 is not our only battle. The country has high levels of diet and lifestyle-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as hypertension and Type 2 diabetes, as well as both significant under- and over-nutrition challenges. All of these conditions make us more vulnerable to the coronavirus, but also highlight how much power we have over our health simply through our daily food choices. This is the message from an alliance of South African health organisations who are collaborating with the Department of Health and the Department of Basic Education to promote the 2021 National Nutrition Week theme, "Eat more vegetables and fruits every day". 7 Oct 2021 Read more Breastfeeding is the recommended, ideal, natural and sustainable food for the healthy growth and development of infants and young children. The recommendation for infants 0 to six months is exclusive breastfeeding (feeding breastmilk only). Unfortunately, South Africa's breastfeeding rates, at all ages, are low. The rate of exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months of life was reported at just 32% at the last national survey in 2016. While that figure falls far short of the World Health Organisation (WHO) global target of 50% by 2025, it signals an improvement over the past years for the country. 30 Jul 2021 Read more There's nothing quite like a (hopefully) once-in-a-lifetime experience of a global pandemic to focus our attention on the status of our health, and the preventative benefits of a healthy lifestyle. As rolling lockdowns have restricted our movements and options, and tightened our belts, we've had little choice but to adapt our shopping and exercise habits; and shift our cooking and eating patterns to meet the moment. Now, in the midst of a third wave, many South Africans across economic spectrums are thinking more about how and what we eat; and wondering if our eating habits can help to protect our health in the face of Covid. 26 Jul 2021 Read more Covid-19 has impacted infected people in different ways. Some have been asymptomatic; many have had mild cases; some have had to be hospitalised but didn't need ventilation; and others have endured long stays in ICU. There are those who have recovered quickly, but a number of people are suffering from 'long-Covid' and experience symptoms that go on for months. As with any other illness, nutrition will play an important role in recovery. Whatever you eat and drink on a daily basis will either be supporting and advancing your return to health or making it more challenging for your body to fully heal. Importantly, good nutrition can help to avoid risks of complications and shorten your recovery time. 22 Jun 2021 Read more As many of us know all too well, a cancer diagnosis for you or a loved one is a sea change. While day-to-day life goes on, cancer symptoms and the ongoing effects of treatments usher in a myriad of adjustments. Typically, our food preferences and eating habits are deeply entrenched, and therefore, getting optimally supportive nutrition can be challenging, but it is vitally important. 19 May 2021 Read more We would like to believe there may be small, simple solutions to big problems, but when is that actually true? The answer is probably, never. Intractable, extreme issues arise out of complexity, and nothing less than a host of multi-dimensional, cross-functional countermeasures issued at the right time and the right place can bring about sustainable transformation. 4 Mar 2021 Read more The six weeks after childbirth, known as the post-partum period, is a vulnerable time for women and their infants. The impacts of the ongoing pandemic have only heightened concerns that new mothers in South Africa are able to access the care and resources they need as they step into motherhood. It's not unusual for the need for postpartum follow-ups to extend for four to six months, especially in cases where there are physical and emotional issues and health complications. In South Africa, primary health care provides free services to pregnant and lactating mothers, as well as children under six years. Given the severe economic impact of the global pandemic, this access to postpartum care has become particularly important to the country's new mothers. 11 Feb 2021 Read more We've had a year like no other, and while the shadow of the pandemic still looms over the world, South Africans can breathe a sigh of some relief, that it is, at least, the summer holiday season. A good dose of festive cheer has rarely felt so crucial. The pandemic will inevitably mute our celebrations in various ways. Some of us are feeling the effects of the economic impacts and will have to scale down or forego the treats and luxuries. Others, especially those with vulnerable loved ones, will opt for smaller, home-based gatherings and would rather skip the holiday crowds this year. However we choose to make the most that we can of the festive season, our hearts will be pulled towards those struggling to put food on the table this December, as well as those who have an empty chair at their family table. 10 Dec 2020 Read more As the rates of Type 2 diabetes continue to rise in South Africa, more and more South African families are meeting the challenges of living with the condition. A diagnosis of diabetes in the family is a life-changing event, but it is important to remember that diabetes can be managed. If you, or a family member has been diagnosed with diabetes, the first step is for you to completely understand the condition and how it impacts the body. You are empowered to take charge of the condition by diabetes education. So if you feel that you don't fully understand diabetes, you must ask your local clinic or a community dietitian or a healthcare practitioner to give you more information and help you understand the condition fully. 12 Nov 2020 Read more The global pandemic has highlighted many fault-lines across society, and in our current state of ongoing disruption, it also presents us with unique opportunities to make changes. In our daily lives, some of the best changes we can make are around our food choices. Overweight and obesity have been linked to more severe Covid-19 outcomes, along with diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as hypertension and Type 2 diabetes. If there was ever the time to focus on a healthy diet to maintain a healthy weight and support our immunity, this is surely it! This National Nutrition and Obesity Week (NNOW), a range of South African health organisations have come together to collaborate with the Department of Health to highlight how essential good nutrition is when it comes to immunity. 8 Oct 2020 Read more We've had an overload of fake news over the past pandemic months. One of the most damaging falsehoods to emerge has been that Covid-19 positive moms can transmit the virus through breast milk to their little ones, and should stop breastfeeding. Spokesperson for ADSA (The Association for Dietetics in South Africa), Andiswa Ngqaka, a registered dietitian says: "There are anecdotes from various countries indicating that this misinformation is causing moms to avoid breastfeeding during the pandemic. While some may see infant formula as a 'safer alternative' during this time, this is not the case. Breast milk is the safest and most nutritious food for babies, and Covid-19 does not change that." 4 Aug 2020 Read more Dietetics can be traced back to the practice of medicine in ancient Greece where the importance of nutrition and diet to a healthy life was noted in the Hippocratic, as well as even earlier writings. Today, registered dietitians are major role-players across the healthcare systems of modern countries where they are instrumental in preventative healthcare, the treatment of disease and recovery. As diabetes emerges, worldwide, as a top co-morbidity of Covid-19, there's an increasing focus for many of us on our family eating habits and how we can make smart, sustainable improvements to support immunity and overall health through food. 28 Jul 2020 Read more Good nutrition is an essential part of an individual's defence against disease. Malnutrition, in the forms of both over- and undernutrition, is closely related to an increased risk of illness and death, which has a considerable economic and societal impact. The coronavirus pandemic has emphasised the importance of food security and nutritional wellbeing for all South Africans and has exposed the vulnerability and weaknesses of our food systems. In view of this, we call on the government to address malnutrition in all its forms. 17 Jun 2020 Read more Superheroes are dedicated to making the world a better place and protecting the public. They stand up to threats and use their superpowers to ensure people's well-being and safety. As Covid-19 has spread across the world, we have seen dietitians at the frontlines of the health response supervising life-sustaining nutrition in hospitals and care homes. Many have also been working remotely, helping patients manage their health and nutrition under lockdown. Those in public health have been contributing their expertise to emergency food relief efforts as South Africa faces a sharp crisis in food security. These are just some of the vital roles that registered dietitians play across a range of fields. 1 Jun 2020 Read more The global pandemic has stripped daily life down to the essentials, and we find ourselves under lockdown restrictions with our thoughts and actions around food set in a very different context to anything we have known before. As it grows ever clearer that the threat of Covid-19 will be with us for quite some time and restrictions will be ongoing, optimising our family's health now is top of mind for many. Generally, South African families are now home together for an extended period of time. There's more opportunity to shift into healthy habits like cooking nutritious meals together, making healthy snacks and drinks available in the home and being physically active as a family on a daily basis. 29 Apr 2020 Read more No take-away foods. No home deliveries. No hot counter meals. No restaurant fare. For now, and the foreseeable future, Covid-19 has us all cooking from home, seven days a week. Lockdown rules and the need for social distancing also mean that we need to do our best to reduce the number of times we are leaving home for essential food shopping. But mindless panic buying and frightened hoarding aren't actually going to help when it comes to ensuring we've got balanced, nutrient-dense foods at home that will help to support our families' immune systems. 2 Apr 2020 Read more If there's one thing that characterised the first decade of the 21st Century, it is the volume, velocity and variety of change in our lives. Now that we've entered into the 2020's that is something that surely won't change. We'll carry other trends into the near future too; all the while remembering that whether it's due to natural forces or to our technology, there are bound to be trends that become the new way of life, and others that fall by the proverbial wayside. 27 Jan 2020 Read more Silly season is upon us, and while we deserve the time out to relax and have fun, we also want to keep our healthy eating habits and goals on track. It's not easy as we're already caught up in the whirl of end of year celebrations and office parties. 6 Dec 2019 Read more A diagnosis of diabetes in the family comes as a shock and sets in motion a range of emotional and practical lifestyle changes. How well you come together as a family to master those changes, not only restores peace in the home, but also positively impacts on the ongoing well-being of your loved one with diabetes. Diabetes is a chronic lifelong condition but with good medical care and through education to empower more effective self-management of the condition, the potential complications can be prevented or delayed. According to the World Diabetes Day campaign which is featured on the 14th of November, it is the world's leading cause of blindness, amputation, heart disease, kidney failure and early death. However, maintaining healthy blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol levels can help delay or prevent such diabetes complications. 14 Nov 2019 Read more Finally! It's time to emerge from the heft and sluggishness of winter, and tune into the bright, clean energy of spring. It is the season for clearing out the old and slow, and kicking up our heels to livelier, sunnier rhythms. Springtime brings the perfect opportunities to reboot our immune systems after the cold-and-flu blues; use the extra daylight hours to boost our Vitamin D and swop stodgy comfort food for the juicy buoyancy of the new season's bounty. 9 Sep 2019 Read more Snickering, disparaging, denigrating and casting aspersions on breastfeeding; shaming moms who breastfeed; who breastfeed in public or who excuse themselves to express breastmilk at work; raising doubts that a breastfeeding mom is producing enough milk to meet her baby's needs; expecting a breastfeeding mom to place other priorities above her baby's hunger - these are some of the insidious ways that we, as society, routinely disempower parents and ultimately discourage the very best way to feed a baby for the first six months of its life, and beyond. 6 Aug 2019 Read more Stress, as an appropriate response to a real danger, is an evolutionary life-saver. Thanks to the fight-flight responses in our ancestors' bodies, we, the descendants have made it through to the 21st Century. It's ironic that in this modern age with extraordinary technologies devoted to eliminating hazards and increasing our ease in life, our stress is off the charts. We've become aware that our bodies, almost perpetually flooded with the stress hormones, adrenalin and cortisol, are now at risk from their own, age-old, protective ingenuity. 14 Jun 2019 Read more The careers of dietitians are way more diverse than many think. The typical assumption is that a dietitian is a nutritional health professional available through private practice to those who need and can afford weight loss expertise. The reality couldn't be more different. Dietitians are employed across private practice and public healthcare; academia and research; corporate, government and non-government sectors. While they all have the expertise to deal with weight loss and weight management, which can be critical health issues, their expertise in science-based nutrition means that they work far more widely on a myriad of nutrition-related issues. 4 Jun 2019 Read more Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and Tuberculosis (TB) are two of the most prevalent infections in South Africa, and both conditions present nutritional challenges that must be met to effectively treat these diseases. 9 May 2019 Read more For the first time in human history there is a proposal on the table that all the world's people follow the same diet. The EAT-Lancet Commission brought together more than 30 world-leading experts to figure out if we can feed a future population of 10 billion people a healthy diet within sustainable planetary boundaries. According to the report's authors, food is "the single strongest lever to optimise health and environmental sustainability on earth." 19 Mar 2019 Read more The breastmilk bank is probably the most altruistic banking system in the world. Healthy, lactating moms express and donate their excess breastmilk. The milk is tested and pasteurised, and then distributed to neo-natal intensive care units around the country, where it is used to feed the most vulnerable babies. 12 Mar 2019 Read more Starting the day with a healthy breakfast is the opening act for a healthy lifestyle, and lays the foundation of our future health over the longer term. Yet, if there's a meal to be skipped, it is most likely to be breakfast. 10 Oct 2018 Read more 2018 World Breastfeeding Week, which runs from 1-7 August, is emphasising breastfeeding as 'the foundation of life' and highlighting the advantages of improving breastfeeding for communities and countries. The campaign, co-ordinated by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA), identifies breastfeeding as an essential strategy to combat the impacts of inequality, crises and poverty - all major issues across South Africa. Yet, we remain one of the countries with the lowest rates of breastfeeding in the world. 6 Aug 2018 Read more We live in an era when many of us, not just aspire to, but have an expectation that living well for longer is a real possibility. Increased awareness of the impact of lifestyle on health has made it clear we can't just rely on medical industries to reach this goal - we play the most important part. It is a part that is played not at all in sweeps of grandeur, but in the small details of our daily choices - What will we eat? When we will exercise? How will we get sufficient rest and sleep? What do we need to do to actively manage our stress today? 3 Jul 2018 Read more Across the world, health and social care services are under stress; and in South Africa, the inaccessibility of quality health care for many people remains one of the country's intractable problems. These pressures have intensified the focus on the prevention of disease as the key driver of public health. At the forefront of prevention is food. As one of the only healthcare professionals trained and qualified to interpret the latest nutrition science and dietary guidelines, dietitians play multiple roles in the prevention of diseases. 4 Jun 2018 Read more Winter is here, and that gets us thinking about our immune system, and what we need to do to boost it, so that it helps us avoid colds and flu, or at least recover from them more quickly. 23 May 2018 Read more Over the past decades, the rise of diabetes around the world has been so prevalent and extreme, it is sometimes referred to as the epidemic of our modern times. In 2017, the diabetes focus theme is Women and Diabetes. Globally, diabetes is the ninth leading cause of death in women, resulting in 2.1 million deaths each year. It is estimated that there are currently more than 199 million women living with diabetes, and by 2040, this total is expected to reach over 310 million. 14 Nov 2017 Read more Clean and clear, refreshing and invigorating, we know instinctively that water is good for us. Yet, many of us have lost touch with water. Overwhelmed with the wide choice of what to drink, most of it sweetened with sugar, we've somehow left the simple, but profound goodness of water behind. 12 Oct 2017 Read more When it comes to health advice, our hearts are often in the spotlight. However, as equally vital organs, our kidneys really shouldn't be relegated to the shadows. Worldwide, chronic kidney disease (CKD) is on the rise - one in 10 people globally are affected, and that's every bit as serious as cardiac disease. 5 Sep 2017 Read more Returning to work after maternity leave rates as one of the top reasons why mothers stop breastfeeding their babies before they should. The 2017 World Breastfeeding Week runs from 1-7 August with the aim of uniting all sectors of society in the protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding. The campaign, co-ordinated by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA), identifies four critical focus areas, one of which is women's productivity and work. 31 Jul 2017 Read more Nutrition advice promising all sorts, from weight loss to healthier living and even cures for diseases, spread like wildfire across social media. In the era of ‘alternative facts' and post-truth, ‘the latest, greatest nutrition advice' from dubious sources can unfortunately tempt many away from accepted dietary guidelines and recommendations based on years of evidence. 12 Jun 2017 Read more The Association for Dietetics in South Africa's (ADSA) former president Ms Claire Julsing-Strydom submitted a complaint about Professor Tim Noakes to the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) in 2014 on behalf of ADSA regarding, what it considered, unconventional infant nutrition advice. 24 Apr 2017 Read more February is national Healthy Lifestyles Awareness Month, with Healthy Lifestyles Awareness Day being celebrated on 22 February. The National Department of Health encourages all South Africans to live healthier lifestyles, through promoting healthy eating, regular physical activity, avoiding tobacco products, and drinking alcohol in moderation, if at all. But can improving our lifestyles have much of an impact on our health? According to the World Health Organization, the good news is that leading a healthy lifestyle can help to prevent 80% of premature deaths from heart disease and strokes and 60% of premature deaths due to cancer *. 22 Feb 2017 Read more The Minister of Finance announced in the February 2016 National Budget a decision to introduce a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), with effect from 1 April 2017, to help reduce excessive sugar intake by South Africans. The Association for Dietetics in South Africa (ADSA) welcomes this step as one part of the solution to address the obesity problem and improve the health of South Africans. 18 Jan 2017 Read more Every year the festive season arrives and all our healthy eating plans go out of the window. There is no doubt that time to relax and enjoy ourselves is important to our well-being, but we tend to over-indulge in rich foods, sweet treats and alcohol. At the same time, we are cutting back on regular physical activity and staying up too late, too often. 9 Dec 2016 Read more There were 2.28 million cases of diabetes in South Africa in 2015 according to the International Diabetes Foundation and around 1.21 million people with undiagnosed diabetes. Considering these numbers it remains vitally important to continue educating South Africans about diabetes and to address the myths that are often associated with this lifestyle disease. 16 Nov 2016 Read more South Africa celebrates National Nutrition Week from 9-15 October, and aligning to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) which has declared that 2016 is the 'International Year of Pulses', this year's campaign theme is 'Love your beans - eat dry beans, peas and lentils!' echoing the country's food-based dietary guideline to 'eat dry beans, split peas, lentils and soya regularly'. 12 Oct 2016 Read more Employees eat nearly half of their daily meals and snacks at the workplace, which means that what is consumed during working hours can have a great impact on overall diet and health. It's not uncommon to find that many of us, who may well be healthy eaters at home, give way to speed and convenience when it comes to the food choices that are made, often under pressure, during working hours. 15 Jul 2016 Read more |
| |
|
|
