Being healthy and well are two key aspects when it comes to living a good and well-balanced life. In this Health For Mzansi podcast, we chat with Masodi Makhafola, a private practice dietitian from Limpopo, who shares insights into nutrition, causes of weight gain and food education.
Makhafola describes her role as being a specialist who prescribes what food you need to eat to remain healthy and well. An important focus of her profession is also advising people with chronic conditions such as diabetes, tuberculosis, HIV, and high blood pressure to make better and more nutritious decisions.
In the discussion, Makhafola busts the myth that healthy weight can only be measured by calculating or comparing one’s height and weight which gives us the body mass index (BMI). She explains that a healthy weight is a holistic approach that takes many factors into consideration. These factors can be genetic history, chronic conditions, and geographical location or environment.
Ditching the one-size-fits-all approach
When discussing nutrition and well-being it is almost a given that weight loss and/or weight gain form part of the conversation. “The causes of weight gain are different, in different stages of one’s life,” says Makhafola. Therefore, when looking at the causes of weight gain, it can never be a standard one-size-fits-all finding.
In the episode, Makhafola identifies various causes such as:
- Education of food;
- Exposure to unhealthy food via mediums of television and social media;
- Financial access; and
- Genetic make-up.
Why quick-fix diets are a big no-no
On the flip side, losing weight also needs to be done in a healthy and sound manner. Makhafola highly discourages quick-fix diets or losing weight in short periods of time. Even though quick-fix methods are not sustainable, they can also be damaging to body organs and opens the door to developing eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia.
Makhafola promotes having a good relationship with food by doing away from deprivation and self-harming diets and rather consuming the nutrients from all food groups which is crucial for a strong and healthy body.
Listen to the full interview on the Health For Mzansi podcast:
Spotify: Click here to listen on Spotify (all mobile and other devices).
Apple Podcasts: Click here to listen on any Apple device.
Google Podcasts: Click here to listen on Google Podcast.
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