Revitalise your well-being this spring: embrace new health habits

AS SOUTH Africa shakes off its winter chill and welcomes the brighter, longer days of spring, this season of renewal offers more than just the chance to declutter your home.

- VUYILE MADWANTSI

It's the perfect moment to refresh your health, embrace new habits, and take charge of your well-being.

“Spring naturally brings a sense of renewal, we're more energised, the days are brighter, and it’s easier to get outdoors,” says Tania Joffe, founder of Unu Health.

She highlights that increased sunlight has profound effects, from boosting vitamin D levels to improving blood sugar regulation, cardiovascular health and even mood.

“Longer days and more sun are nature's tonic,” she adds.

But spring isn’t just about enjoying the outdoors; it’s also an ideal time for proactive health checks.

The transition from the winter flu season into spring provides a golden opportunity to prioritise preventive health care. Conditions like high blood pressure, elevated blood sugar and high cholesterol often go unnoticed until they escalate.

According to the World Health Organization, noncommunicable diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer account for nearly half of all deaths in South Africa.

Alarmingly:

@ 42.2% of South Africans have hypertension.

@ 10.6% experience elevated blood sugar.

@ 34% have high cholesterol.

@ 1 in 4 adults is obese, and more than half are overweight.