Blog - Page 3 of 8 - Keto Diet Coach & NUTRITION NETWORK NUTRITION ADVISOR| Glenda Van Blerk

April 3, 2023May 8, 2026

Hear Professor Tim Noakes Speaking On The Proper Human Diet

Prof Tim Noakes says this about the proper human diet.

“By evolution or creation, humans were designed to eat fat and protein.”

Alec Hogg invited Prof Tim Noakes to speak about the proper human diet with Alec Hogg on BizNews.

Professor Timothy Noakes

Prof Noakes was born in Harare, zimbabwe in 1949. As a youngster he had a keen interest in Sport and attended the Diocesan College in Cape Town. Following this he studied at the University of Cape Town (UCT) and obatained a MBChD in 1974, an MD in 1981 and a DSc (Med) in Exercise Science in 2002.

In the early ’90’s Noakes teamed up with Morne’ Du Plessis to drive the founding of the Sports Science Institute Of South Africa (SSISA). The institute was built to provide a facility that would primarily fund research in sports performance. The application of this research would provide sports personnel of all disciplines with the means to improve. Noakes and Du Plessis also wanted to use it as a platform to build public interest in the country’s top sports people and build state pride.

Achievements

Prof Noakes has published more than 750 scientific books and articles. He has been cited more than 21,000 times in scientific literature and has an H-index of 77. He has won numerous awards over the years and made himself available on many editorial boards. For the final 15 years of his academic career he was rated an A1 scientist – the highest possible rating indicating a world-leading scientist – by the South African National Research Foundation.

Prod Tim Noakes is the co-founder and Chief Medical Director of the Nutrition Network. He devotes the majority of his time to promoting the low carbohydrate high fat diet (LCHF) also known as the proper human diet. This is especially beneficial to those with insulin resistance. He raises funds and does research through The Noakes Foundation. Prof Tim Noakes also supports Eat Better South Africa.

He is highly acclaimed in his field. Prof Noakes is now in his seventies is still physically active. He does CrossFit twice a week and competes in the CrossFit Open. He is a devoted husband, father and grandfather, and now in his retirement, is enjoying spending more time with his family.

Credits

BizNewsTV

March 28, 2023July 15, 2026

Obesity Awareness: Busting Weight Loss Myths

A woman with braided hair wearing a white top and orange leggings does sit-ups on a mat in a bright gym, embracing her keto weight loss journey. Large windows reveal scenic outdoor views in the background.

Fat doesn’t make you fat …

This is the first of the weight loss myths. Unless it is combined with carbs. Low fat products will actually thwart your weight loss attempts.

Exercise doesn’t help much with weight loss

As it makes you hungrier. It’s still very beneficial for health and body composition though! But the adage, “You can’t outrun a bad diet” is true after all.

Eating more frequently may make you fatter rather than thinner

Eating and metabolising food takes energy, and as such the motivation for eating more frequently was based on keepin the body burning more all the time. But it turns out that the fat storing signals related to constantly eating, outweight the slight increase in energy burning which it elicits.

All calories are NOT created equal

Quick steps to a healthy body weight

Eat real (unprocessed) food

Limit carbs. Particularly sugar and refined carbs.

Avoid refined factory-produced vegetable and seed oils. (poly-unsaturated fatty acids)

Fill up on unprocessed animal proteins and fats, as well as non-starchy (above the ground) vegetables.

Eat less frequently.

Summary and Solution

To turn the tide on the scourge of the obesity epidemic, we need to dig deep below the surface and get back to our roots. Say no to modern factory-produced foods, that are full of refined carbohydrates. Rather eat what humans were made to eat, what our great, great, great grandparents ate before the world became fat and sick.

Credits:

Text – Tamzyn Murphy RD, MSc

Image – Jonathan Borba

March 23, 2023July 15, 2026

Obesity Awareness: Identifying The Culprit

A lit round bomb surrounded by pizza, burgers, fries, and fried chicken symbolizes the danger of unhealthy eating and the struggle to deal with food pushers tempting you with junk food.

The multi-billion dollar question is “What is making us fat?” Obesity awareness will help us to identiy the culprit so that we can begin by starting to eat low carbohydrate real foods.

There are two main theories (5):

The Calories-In-Calories-Out (CICO) model. This model states that we get fat because we eat more calories (energy) than we burn. This is based on the first law of thermodynamics which states that the energy in a closed system cannot be created or lost but rather only transferred from one form to another. Based on this, the energy from all types of food and nutrients (fat, protein, or carbohydrate) can be quantified and will be processed similarly within the body, irrespective of their source.

Expend more energy

And the only way to lose or burn this energy is by expending more energy for example by exercising more). Indeed, people do lose weight when starved of calories, or when exercising excessively while concurrently reducing food intake. But these situations aren’t sustainable.

The trouble with the CICO model

The trouble with the CICO model is that 1.) As humans are not closed systems because energy can be sequestered into embargoed compartments (e.g. adipose tissue [body fat]) or dissipated variably, and importantly, 2.) Because the body regulates the fate of the nutrients that come in, by choosing whether they should be stored as fat or make us hungry or full, or make us want to move or exercise (expend energy) more or less.

Nutrients are not created equal

Therefore the types of nutrients (or sources of calories) affect how they are processed (metabolised). As such, nutrients, and the calories they contain, are not created equal, and this model fails, as the body’s drives eventually beat the sheer willpower exerted to get us to simply eat less (limit calories). The result means that we just regain any weight lost.

2. The insulin or endocrine model

This model proposes that obesity is caused by a diet that promotes a fat-storing hormonal environment. In other words eat low carbohydrate real foods as science journalist and researcher, Gary Taubes explains:

“carbohydrates are singularly responsible for prompting insulin secretion; 2)because insulin is singularly responsible for inducing fat accumulation; 3) and dietary carbohydrates are required for excess fat accumulation; and 4) both type 2 diabetics and the higher-weight person have abnormally elevated concentrations of circulating insulin.”

Eat less carbohydrate

What this means is that eating less carbohydrate lowers the fat-storage-promoting hormone, insulin, thereby allowing the body to mobilise and burn stored fat for energy, thereby promoting weight loss/normalisation. It also means we eat less, because we’re less hungry; as previously embargoed fat stores are now accessible for burning and we don’t have to rely on diet for immediate energy (6). So, when we eat low carbohydrate real foods, we eat less and experience less hunger, which assists with body weight.

Eat low carbohydrate real foods

Over the past few decades, alongside getting fatter and eating more carbohydrate and less fat, we’re eating more processed food. Processed food is particularly good at promoting weight gain because it contains the most fattening forms of carbohydrates, often combined with the most fattening forms or fat:

Processed food contains more refined carbohydrate and sugar, with less fibre

This is a particularly obesogenic combination, boosting insulin and (addictive) reward signals in the brain to get both the body and mind to eat more. (7)

The carbohydrate is usually combined with fat

Such as ice cream, chocolates, and doughnuts. This combination is more rewarding (addictive) and prone to overeating (8). So that the fat-storing from the carbs (insulin) result in both the carbs and fat being directed into fat storage rather than being burned for energy (9).

The type of fat in processed food is particularly fattening (10)

Processed seed and vegetable oil, like sunflower, soybean, and canola oils, that are rich in the omega-6 fat called linoleic acid (LA), promote fat storage more than naturally occurring or cold-extracted oils and fats with lower LA content (e.g. tallow, lard, butter, coconut, olive, avocado, and macadamis nut oils.)

REFERENCES

Additional References

Credits:

Text: – Tamzyn Murphy RD, MSc

March 14, 2023May 26, 2025

Higher Body Weight Awareness

A person with blonde hair, wearing a white t-shirt, stands in a bright yellow canola field under a blue sky, holding a camera. Their confident stance suggests the positive boost that comes with successful keto weight loss.

By Tamzyn Murphy RD, MSc

Judging people based on higher body weight awareness is misinformed and skin deep because higher body weight is not a matter of aesthetics. Rather, it’s concerning as an indicator of what’s happening deep beneath the surface; to our metabolic health. Metabolic health is based on blood levels of triglycerides (fats), glucose (sugar), HDL cholesterol, and blood pressure, as well as fat accumulation in and around the organs (i.e. belly fat) – all of which are risk factors for some of the biggest killers: heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.

80% of higher body weight people are metabolically unhealthy, as are 40% of normal-weight individuals (1). This shows that a higher bodyweight is not the cause of chronic lifestyle-related disease, but it is an indicator in many people.

February 16, 2023May 25, 2025

How To Restore Your fitness

A man in a suit smiling at the camera, with short hair and a mustache, against a gray background—radiating confidence after his impressive keto weight loss journey.

Dr. Tony Hampton and Caoch Bronson give guidelines as to how to restore fitness. Coach Bronson has been helping train people in health and fitness for over ten years. In 2014, he started his own crossfit gym. In 2018 he discovered that an animal-based diet would be the best choice for improving metabolic health. He is the author of The Ultimate Ketogenic Fitnness Book.

Dr. Hampton is part of the Diet Doctor low-carb expert panel. Dr. Hampton is especially passionate about removing barriers to health. He equips patients and his colleagues with the education and resources they need to take charge of their health. He previously served as the medical director of the Advocate Operating System. There he collaborated with clinicians and staff on programs to address social determinants of health among at-risk patient populations. For example, for the Healthy Living program, he develops education around nutrition and weight loss that help patients set realistic and attainable goals.

He is a board-certified obesity specialist, working with patients individually in the clinic and with small groups enrolled in the diabetes prevention program (D.P.P.). As one of only just over 3,000 board certified obesity medicine specialists in the United States, he’s been able to use his knowledge to help develop and support programs that reduce the obesity burden.

How to restore fitness with Dr. Tony Hampton and Coach Bronson

February 6, 2023May 8, 2026

NEW CONCIOUS GYNECOLOGIST VIDEO

Dr Andrea Salcedo endometriosis, infertility cure.

Dr. Andrea Salcedo DO, MPH, FACOG, shares her dissappointment with routine gynecologic care.

In this video, Dr Andrea Salcedo talks about her personal struggles through endometriosis, gestational diabetes and infertility. She shares how insulin resistance and body inflammation contributed to her gynecologic problems, and that birth control pills or surgery couldn’t treat the cause.

Endomitriosis

Endometriosis is a chronic condition where tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside the uterus, leading to pain, inflammation, and potential fertility issues. Commonly affected areas include the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and pelvic lining, though it can also impact the bladder, bowel, and, in rare cases, the lungs or other organs.

Symptoms vary but often involve severe menstrual cramps (dysmenorrhea), chronic pelvic pain, painful intercourse (dyspareunia), and gastrointestinal issues like diarrhea or constipation. Fatigue, heavy or irregular periods, and urinary discomfort are also frequent. The severity of symptoms doesn’t always correlate with the extent of the disease; some individuals with minimal tissue growth experience intense pain, while others with extensive growth may have mild symptoms.

The exact cause remains unclear, but theories include retrograde menstruation, genetic predisposition, hormonal imbalances, and immune system dysfunction. Genetics play a significant role, with individuals having a first-degree relative with endometriosis facing a six-fold increased risk. Environmental factors and estrogen exposure also contribute to disease development.

Diagnosis is challenging, often delayed by years due to symptom overlap with other conditions and the need for surgical confirmation via laparoscopy. Non-invasive imaging like transvaginal ultrasound and MRI can aid in detection, especially for deep infiltrating endometriosis.

While there’s no cure, management focuses on symptom relief and fertility preservation. Treatment options include pain relievers, hormonal therapies to suppress estrogen production, and surgical interventions to remove endometrial-like tissue. In severe cases, hysterectomy may be considered.

Globally, endometriosis affects approximately 10% of women of reproductive age, equating to around 190 million individuals. The condition imposes significant economic burdens due to healthcare costs and lost productivity. Public awareness and early diagnosis are crucial for effective management and improving quality of life for those affected.

June 15, 2020May 8, 2026

Why is it almost impossible to overcome carbohydrate addiction?

Carbohydrate addiction specialist, Dr. Joan Ifland.

Joan Ifland, PhD, MBA, FACN, is an expert in carbohydrate addiction. She has this to say:

The problem of carbohydrate addiction as I see it, is that no one out there is effectively trained to help people recover from processed food addiction.

Food addiction is very much at the forefront of the thinking of health coaches like myself, as we learn more about this devastating condition and the insidious means that big food uses to keep us locked in to our addictions.

Please understand that your food cravings, carbohydrate addiction and resulting poor health are not your fault.

Previously the correct support has simply not been provided. Here is a list of the resources that have been offered to us, and the reasons why they simply do not work.

Have you tried any of the following? Did the outcomes dissappoint you?

Physicians are prescribing pharmaceuticals and diets. As a result, they’re blaming clients for failing to adhere to a plan.
Personal trainers offer extreme food and exercise plans. In fact, they’re missing the problem and setting their clients up for harmful self-comparison in gym environments.
Drug-like foods are recommended by dieticians who are trained by the processed food industry.
Nutritionists are trained in food plans and supplements but not in addictions.
Eating disorder specialists vehemently oppose food addiction. Surprisingly, they fight for their stance on the issue.
Therapists mistreat processed food addiction. They believe that the problems lie in past traumas. Therapists propose that the answer will be found in mindful eating. They miss the addicted brain.
Bariatric surgery leaves processed foods in the system. The procedure can result in replacing food addiction with addiction to alcohol or drugs. Sadly its often a temporary fix with weight regain or no weight lost.
Weight loss programs humiliate people about their weight. They blame the client and the shame can lead to eating disorders.
Residential programs miss the role of triggers in the home. Upon returning home the person reactivates the old triggers.
Support groups have addictive foods in their food plans. They have stressful and irrelevant requirements and a narrow focus. They also blame their members.

April 26, 2020March 8, 2025

Cook Something – Beef Goulash Soup

A bowl of creamy tomato soup topped with microgreens and a swirl of cream, perfect for keto weight loss, served on a dark wooden table with buttered slices of seeded bread, spoons, and a pepper shaker nearby.

This hearty beef goulash soup is popular in Austria and Hungary and is great for lunch or dinner.

Hungarian cuisine is mostly continental Central European, with some elements from Eastern Europe such as the use of poppy, and the popularity of kefir and quark. Paprika is often associated with Hungary and is used prominently in several dishes. Traditional Hungarian paprika is characterised by its bright colour and distinct heat, differentiating it from milder variations of paprika popular elsewhere in the world. Other herbs and spices commonly used in Hungarian cuisine include garlic, marjoram, caraway seeds, celery seeds and dill seeds. Typical Hungarian food is heavy on dairy and meats, similar to that of neighboring Czech and Slovak cuisines. Chicken, pork and beef are common such as beef goulash soup. Turkey, duck, lamb, fish and game meats are mostly eaten on special occasions. Hungary is also known for relatively inexpensive salamis and sausages it produces primarily from pork, but also poultry, beef and others.

This recipe serves 4.

Ingredients

4 tbsp butter
2 medium onions (chopped)
¹⁄₂ cup grated carrot
2 medium stalks of celery (sliced)
3 cloves garlic (sliced)
1 medium red pepper (diced)
150 g beef mince
125 g button mushrooms (sliced)
¹⁄₂ tsp paprika
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp dried thyme
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 whole bay leaf
1 400g tin whole peeled tomatoes (blended)
¹⁄₂ cup greek yoghurt (or sour cream)
3 tbsp chopped parsley
750 ml chicken stock

Method

1. In a pot sauté the onions, carrot, celery, mushroom and red pepper in the butter until soft and beginning to colour.
2. Add the garlic, cumin and cinnamon and sauté until the mixture becomes aromatic.
3. Add the beef mince and fry until browned. Make sure to stir it well while it is cooking so that no meaty lumps form.
4. Add the paprika, smoked paprika, thyme, tomato paste and bay leaves and gently fry for a minute,
5. Add the tinned tomatoes and chicken stock and simmer for 30 minutes.
6. Remove from the heat and stir in the yoghurt and chopped parsley.
7. Season well with salt and pepper.

December 18, 2019September 16, 2025

Low-carb, healthy-fat adoption in low socioeconomic communities

Jayne Bullen of Eat Better South Africa supports low socioeconomic communities.

Eat Better South Africa NPC is a community-driven non-profit organization in low socioeconomic communities. It is dedicated to supporting our local public healthcare systems and fostering sustainable food systems. It’s mission is to empower low socioeconomic communities by providing nutrition education programs that help individuals make informed dietary choices, ultimately improving their overall health and well-being.

Jayne Bullen of The Noakes Foundation

Jayne Bullen believes that research in healthcare needs better funding and strong minds. Since joining The Noakes Foundation in 2015 Jayne has grown it into one of the key research funders in South Africa. It is an entity that changes the way the nation eats. As the COO of The Noakes Foundation she established Eat Better South Africa alongside inspiring colleagues and Professor Tim Noakes.

Most recently she was appointed as managing director of the Nutrition Network, where she has taken the lead in the process and creation of this educational and networking platform. The Nutrition Network was founded by the Noakes Foundation in partnership with an esteemed team of doctors and scientists.

If there is one thing I know for sure is that we are all connected and what happens here, happens everywhere else too in our global families. We are doing work that is not only for us here on the tip of Africa, but for all humanity and for future generations.

What we do and what we eat, and choose to buy to eat everyday, is something profound and that matters a great deal.

Jayne Bullen,

COO The Noakes Foundation

Euodia Samson supports low socioeconomic communities.

Euodia Samson supports low-carb healthy-fat adoption in low socioeconomic communities

As a well-known South African actress and TV personality, Euodia Samson has gained recognition for her roles in various shows. These include SOS, Arendsvlei, Big Okes, Madam & Eve, and Fishy Feshuns.

Euodia holds a Diploma in Speech and Drama from the University of Cape Town and a Diploma in Communication and Counseling from the College of Applied Psychology (SACAP).

Euodia’s struggle

After years of struggling with weight gain and trying every possible diet intervention, Euodia finally found out that she is insulin resistant. After a few months and experiencing great success in cutting out processed foods that are high in sugar and carbohydrates, she contacted The Noakes Foundation to help extend the low-carb intervention to communities that are struggling with metabolic health issues. As a result, the ripple effects of this contact contributed to the innovative program we all know and love, Eat Better South Africa!

Adding to her list of achievements, she recently released her second self-help book, “Know Thyself,” in early February. The book is semi-autobiographical, detailing her journey to rediscover herself through a more holistic approach to mental health. This release follows the success of her first book, which she self-published in 2022. Titled “Heal Your Gut,” this book promotes a healthy lifestyle and good eating habits.

Euodia on Facebook Live

Euodia hosts regular Facebook Live shows every afternoon at 4 PM. Here she prepares low-carb meals and engages her audience in discussions on a range of topics. She focuses on Health & Wellness on Mondays. Additionally, the subject of self-help is covered on Tuesdays. On Wednesdays Euodia covers Family, Relationships, and Raising Children. Thursdays are reserved for Q&A sessions. Finally, on Fridays, she invites a guest to join her.

As a certified health coach and counsellor, Euodia is well-versed in offering self-help advice. She is looking forward to continuing to heal others and improve community health at large through her work with Eat Better South Africa.

November 29, 2019July 15, 2026

5 Secrets of successful keto adaptation

A diverse group of eight people stand side by side with their arms around each other’s backs, facing a chalkboard. United and supportive, they embody the spirit often seen in keto weight loss communities, with their backs to the camera.

What have I learned in 14 years?

Fourteen years ago I began coaching clients in how to achieve successful keto adaptation. This after I changed my own life in 2012 , losing weight and centimeters and getting off anti-depressant medication.

Some people have achieved positive life enhancing results during their 90 day course with me. Others have not, and sadly have taken steps back to their former habits and self-defeating lifestyle rituals.

What are some of the foundational elements that successful people have embraced to achieve successful keto adaptation?

5 Success tips from the real achievers

They know what they are consuming

Top achievers are diligent with tracking everything that they eat and drink. This is about taking back the power. It’s about being painfully honest about your relationship with food. We know that living an awesome life is about addressing the social, movement, sleep , relaxation and enjoyment factors of life and that diet is not everything. But it is the backbone to awesome health I believe.

They weigh and measure themselves regularly

Having a weekly hop onto the scale first thing in the morning after sitting on the toilet, as well as measuring the abdomen, lets us know how your body is responding to being deprived of the glucose energy that comes from consuming carbohydrates and sugar. A wise habit is to measure other parts of the body as well, such as the wrist, upper arm, bust, hips and upper thighs. Sometimes the scale will not show a change but a drop in centimeters around the abdomen or elsewhere on the body tells us that changes are happening. This is very motivating.

Using the scale and the tape measure gives important information about the effects that your food choices are having on your body. If weight loss stalls after a weekend, it could be due to that extra meal you had. If weight loss speeds up is it because you are skipping meals sometimes because of not being hungry? (Tip: This could be a good time to introduce intermittent fasting as a weight loss hack.)

They get stuck into keto theory

Successful keto adaptors embrace the learning side by listening to podcasts, watching YouTube teachings and reading books and articles by the thought leaders in this food revolution. They own their knowledge so that if they are challenged by someone who declares that “all that fat is going to give you high cholesterol and you will have a heart attack”, they will already understand how Professor Tim Noakes puts this into perspective in his powerful talk, The Dietary Lies around Heart Disease, and are able to sensibly defend their choices.

They do the difficult bits

No one is pretending that this process is easy and without challenges. Far from it. The successful people bravely face up to what they need to do in order to rescue their health and have a better life going forwards. Things like going without alcohol for a period, in somes cases forever. Or abandoning snacking habits. They have an unshakeable belief that the pain will be worth it.

They learn how to handle social settings

Social pressure in my opinion, is the biggest hurdle to overcome when changing from eating processed, high carbohydrate-based foods that are ubiquitous in Western culture. There is need to limit social events that are essential to our well-being as humans. However, successful people develop strategies to use when they are going to be eating and drinking away from home. They plan ahead. They know the difference and drawbacks between a floating canape reception and a bring-and-share get together with friends. Or a formal sit down event or a family meal where dessert is the norm. They always know what they are in for. Further more they are prepared. They know that they will excuse themselves from some of what is offered, by using kind words.