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

AS SOUTH Africa 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 time to take charge of your well-being.

“Spring 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 said increased sunlight had 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.

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% have elevated blood sugar.

@ 34% have high cholesterol.

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