Nutrition

Nourish your body by eating right! Keep reading to find all the information you need on healthy eating, food, nutrition, as well as tips from leading nutrition experts. Plus, look out for our delicious, healthy recipes!

 
 
 
 
 
 

'Never feel defeated' - how changing his diet transformed Chris' life

After unhealthy lifestyle behaviours led to a chilling stay in ICU, Vitality member Chris Yannakakis’ eyes were opened to the preciousness of health. Today, he manages a chronic disease but still proudly maintains his Diamond status. Here’s how reforming his diet helped.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Is supper a ‘health vs convenience’ conundrum? Here’s how not to compromise

When asked, people are generally quick to proclaim that they try to eat healthily – but that’s not what current fast food trends show. One look at the statistics show that we may just be fooling ourselves…

 
 
 
 
 
 

Why your kids need healthier options when eating out

The typical kids meal at restaurants is generally just one that’s half the portion size of an adult meal, with a fruit juice and occasional plastic toy thrown in. But with obesity rates of South African kids rising, here’s why that needs to change.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Plant foods will pave the way to better health, say scientists

The EAT-Lancet Commission was tasked with answering the question ‘Can we feed a future population of 10 billion people a healthy diet within planetary boundaries?’ Here’s what they found, and how you can do your bit for your own – and the planet’s – health.

 
 
 
 
 
 

How to sneak more plant foods into every meal

Whatever diet you follow, including less processed plant foods will only make it healthier. Here are practical tips on how to bulk up your regular, everyday meals with plant-based foods.

 
 
 
 
 
 

10 ways to teach your kids healthy eating habits

How can you teach your kids healthy eating habits? Here are 10 practical tips to become healthy, wholesome role models for your children.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Technofoodology: How is technology shaping your food future?

Welcome to Technofoodology – technology profoundly changing the way in which we interact with food. Will it boost us into the #superhealth stratosphere and get us eating whole, natural foods again, or will it make us #supersick&lazy? It’s up to you.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Tech it to the table: the kitchen tool that revolutionised home cooking

It's easy to forget about 'classic' culinary technology that most of us have in the kitchen already, like the good 'old' food processor. This is its story, plus 5 great recipes to celebrate it.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Why opting for a healthy meal is easier when you're organised

This women's month dietitian Terry Harris will be sharing on how to nourish your body from the inside through smart food choices and healthy eating patterns. In this first edition Harris says "The best way to start, is to get organised".

 
 
 
 
 
 

The 3 nutrients women most need for good health

This Women's Month, we're inspiring women to take control of their health by making better food choices. In this second edition of our nutrition series, we're zoning in on nutrients that are important at particular times of a woman's life.

 
 
 
 
 
 

How not to drink your kilojoules

In our fourth edition on good nutrition for women's health, we explore the minefield of beverages that can potentially undo our good meal planning and dieting by unwittingly topping up with liquid kilojoules.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Healthy eating on a budget

Eating healthily doesn't have to cost a fortune. In fact, says Discovery Vitality dietitian Terry Harris, it can be quite cost-effective if you plan well. Here are tips to cut back on spending while still putting your and your family's health first.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Smart ways to sip and sup this Winter Solstice

Thursday, 21 June 2018, marks the longest night and shortest day of the year - also known as the Winter Solstice. Terry Harris, a dietitian at Discovery Vitality, offers these smart tips for eating well in winter, as well as hearty recipes from the Discovery Vitality HealthyFood Studio.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Vitality parents spill the beans on how they pack a healthy lunchbox for their kids

At a loss of how to spice up your kid's lunchbox day after day and keep it healthy at the same time? Glean tips and tricks from these Vitality moms and dads.

 
 
 
 
 
 

The Spinach King is baking bread and changing lives

Lufefe Nomjana's life sounds like a fairy-tale, but the reality of his accomplishments is better than a story. Learn how this young history-maker is building a spinach empire and teaching people the value to 'slow' food.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Will vitamins really help to keep winter ills at bay?

If you feel the sniffles starting, do you stock up on grapefruit, gulp down a few vitamin C supplements and hope it goes away? An expert on mindful eating shares why that approach may (or may not) work.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Mind games: How your eyes can trick you into eating too much

Find yourself overeating? If you love food, but hate feeling bloated, lethargic or even unsatisfied after meals, you maybe be unknowingly consuming too much. Here’s how the right visual cues can help you better manage your portions and become a more mindful eater.

 
 
 
 
 
 

How to power up your meals with pulses

Legumes and pulses are being hailed as planet-friendly nutrition powerhouses - but let's face it - they can taste pretty plain by themselves. Here are some fresh ideas and clever tips on how to incorporate them into your meals.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Why legumes deserve more of your love

When it comes to nutrition, legumes are the plant-world's dynamite in small packages. They may be little - but they're nutrient bombs! If you're unsure what legumes are or how to prepare them, learn all you need to know here.

 
 
 
 
 
 

10 ways to make water-drinking more frequent and fun

Do you struggle to drink as much water a day as you know you should? Here are some tips to help you hydrate more frequently - plus free recipes for water-rich treats!

 
 
 
 
 
 

10 ways to eat better every day

Finding it difficult to keep up a healthy diet? Try these 10 easy-to-remember hacks to help make healthy eating consistently achievable and fun!

 
 
 
 
 
 

Healthy holiday food hacks on the road, at home and when dining out

The holidays are almost here, and if you don’t want to wake up in the New Year feeling woefully overindulgent, here are some healthy food hacks to help you enjoy good food without the guilt!

 
 
 
 
 
 

Get a handle on your blood sugar levels with a healthy eating plan

If you're diabetic or prediabetic, eating right can go a long way towards staying healthy and keeping your energy constant throughout the day. Here are some pointers on what, when and how much to eat that'll help put a leash on fluctuating blood sugar levels.

 
 
 
 
 
 

5 reasons we buy what we do (and get fatter for it)

An obesogenic environment is one which is not conducive to weight loss, but rather one that promotes weight gain. The bad news is: we live in one. The good news is: we can fight it!

 
 
 
 
 
 

Do you live in SA's healthiest city?

If you reside in Port Elizabeth, alas the answer this year is no! Here's the lowdown on the 2017 Discovery Vitality ObeCity Index, which presents the latest insights on weight status and food purchasing behaviour across the country.

 
 
 
 
 
 

A peek into South African pantries

Coffee, cow's milk, fatty foods, wine – good or bad for you? Over the years, nutrition recommendations about what's healthy and what's not have swung from one extreme to another, leaving us hungry and confused!

 
 
 
 
 
 

Is city living making us sick?

Traffic jams and air pollution aren't the only banes of an urban lifestyle. Other dangers lurk in our kitchen cupboard...

 
 
 
 
 
 

How to spot harmful sugars

Many seemingly innocuous foods contain high amounts of sugar, the overconsumption of which can lead to obesity. Be a 'grocery-shelf Sherlock' by learning to spot harmful sugars lurking in your grocery list.

 
 
 
 
 
 

You may have high blood pressure. Here’s how eating healthy can help

A recent survey has found that almost half of South African adults suffer from high blood pressure. Here’s the lowdown on what it’s about and how a healthy diet can help combat hypertension.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Take a chance on an unusual veggie this Heritage Day!

There are many lesser-known veggies that are often overlooked, but are just as good for you as those cool cucumbers and showy carrots! Here are some, and ideas on how to use them.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Twist the traditional - put a spin on your plate this Heritage Day

On Heritage Day, proud South Africans across the land take the time to reflect on our different cultures. And what better way to celebrate our unity in diversity than through food, glorious food!

 
 
 
 
 
 

Picking pickled peppers and Peter Goffe-Wood’s brain

As an acclaimed restaurateur, author, food critic, TV and stage personality, not to mention a celebrity judge for MasterChef SA and the Diners Club 50 Best Restaurants in the World, it's clear that a chef's toque blanche is just one of the many hats that Peter Goffe-Wood wears.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Spring-clean your eating habits this September

One way to practice sustainable eating is to plan and eat meals according to the season. Doing so saves money, energy and lets you enjoy foods at the peak of their flavour. Here are 10 tips to get you eating more sustainably, plus a reminder of seasonal fruit and veg to buy this Spring.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Diets are changing. 5 ways to take back healthy habits

As a nation, we're experiencing an alarming rise in obesity and diet-related diseases. Something has changed about the way we interact with our food. Here’s how to get ourselves (and our kids) back on track.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Think twice about those well-travelled avos

The increasing focus on the sustainability of our diets encourages us to not only consider the impact of what we eat on our health and waistlines, but also on the environment. Dr Craig Nossel, Head of Vitality Wellness: The Sunday Times, 11 June 2017

 
 
 
 
 
 

Avoid temptation when eating out

Ever scan a menu and visualise all your good intentions of sticking to a healthy diet fly out the window? We’ve come up with seven handy ways to stay on track when temptation abounds.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Roast, poach or sauté?

If that’s the question, this article’s for you! Matching cooking methods to the climate helps to get the most out of seasonal produce. Vitality dietitian, Terry Harris, shares the best ways to prep hearty meals in cold months.

 
 
 
 
 

Young diet lessons from an expert

What do nutrition experts feed their own families? We chat to Candice Smith, Discovery Vitality's Head of Nutrition Strategy and mother of three, about what her family eats – and get her to share her personal favourite stew recipe!

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