Over the past few weeks, we have talked about understanding our relationship with food, strengthening our willpower and making healthier snack choices. Today, I want to share one of the biggest lessons I have learnt on my own journey. It all comes down to one simple question. "Am I really hungry?" It sounds almost too simple, yet I have discovered that the answer is not always what I expect. For many years, I believed that every craving meant my body needed food. Looking back

Last week we talked about something many of us struggle with—willpower. More importantly, we discovered that our relationship with food is often about far more than simply saying "yes" or "no." Of course, understanding ourselves is only part of the journey. Sooner or later, our stomachs start rumbling and the question becomes, "What can I eat that will satisfy me without undoing all my good intentions?" That is where smart swaps come in. Healthy eating does not have to mean

For many years, I believed my struggle with food was simply a lack of self-control. If only I were stronger, more disciplined or had more willpower, I thought everything would fall into place. Looking back now, I realise it was never that simple. It is a phrase many of us have used at some point, often because it feels easier than admitting we are struggling. Sometimes we begin to believe that some people are simply born with more willpower than others. If that is true, it ca

One of the unexpected joys of turning 60 is discovering just how many things are no longer worth the emotional energy. Somewhere between menopause, grey hair, a cancer diagnosis, strength training, and learning that life is far too short to spend worrying about things I cannot control, I started putting down some of the baggage. Not all at once, but little by little, I stopped carrying things that had weighed me down for years. Here are a few things I obsess about far less th

Four weeks ago, I set out to answer a simple question: Can a few small, sustainable changes really make a difference? I did not chase a perfect body or try the latest miracle diet. I simply wanted to see what would happen if I fuelled my body a little better and became more intentional about the choices I made each day. These numbers tell part of the story. The biggest changes, however, happened where no tape measure could ever reach. Here Are My Results – Day 1 vs Day 28 ·

I cannot quite believe I have reached Week 3 already. If Week 2 was all about changing my thinking, this week felt very different. In fact, there is not a great deal to report, and perhaps that is exactly the point. Healthy eating has simply become part of my daily routine. I am no longer thinking about every meal or constantly reminding myself why I started this experiment. The healthier choices are becoming automatic, and that has been one of the biggest surprises so far. T

I made it to Week 2! The excitement of finding clever swaps has started to wear off, and now the real challenge has begun. This week was not really about food at all. It was about habits, identity, and what happens when your subconscious starts negotiating with you. But I am still here, still swapping, and I have discovered some fascinating things about what happens when you push past the halfway mark of a 28-day experiment. The Second Week: When the Routine Fights Back Physi

I made it to the first Friday check-in! When I launched this 28-day experiment last week, I confessed that my biggest challenge would not be waving goodbye to potatoes. It would be breaking the invisible, comforting routines that quietly run my day without me even thinking about them. One week later, I have some fascinating discoveries to share. It turns out that you really can reprogramme your brain... you just have to be a little sneaky about it. The First Week To be comple

I recently decided to spend 28 days eating fewer carbohydrates, less sugar and more quality protein. Not because I am chasing the perfect body. Not because I believe in miracle diets. But because I am curious. At 61, after menopause, breast cancer treatment and learning to rebuild my strength in the gym, I have become far more interested in feeling healthy than simply being lighter. I want to know whether a few small, sustainable changes can make a noticeable difference. As

Garmin nearly broke my heart the other day. Early one morning, while sipping my coffee and checking my stats, my Garmin flashed a message: "Congratulations on Day 1 of your 10,000-step count." I froze. Day one?! I had been diligently maintaining that count since April 2024. Yet here I was, in February 2026, apparently back at the starting line. I am ridiculously attached to my Garmin Venu 4 and all the data it feeds me on a daily basis. It knows my sleep patterns, my heart

It was a beautiful, sunny winter’s morning in the Western Cape, and I decided to go hiking in the Helderberg Mountain. Hiking is a soul-restoring activity that I try to do as often as I can. However, with the constant demands of work, it is not always possible to escape to the slopes. Having spent the last few weeks exercising vigorously in the gym, I decided it was time to swap the treadmill for the open air and do something completely different. The Helderberg Mountain is a

Not every Father's Day is filled with warm memories. For many, it is a day of celebration. For me, it is a day of mixed feelings: regret, sadness, and a longing for what could have been. My relationship with my dad was complicated. As I grow older, I find myself looking back - not to rewrite the past, but to try and understand it. When I was very young, my father was my hero. I have so many happy memories. Sitting on his knee, holding his hand as we crossed a road, feeling

Sometimes we think meaningful change requires us to do big things. But over time, I have realised something interesting: it is the tiny, consistent changes that actually work. About ten years ago, I was 49 years old and around 10kg overweight. With a big milestone looming, I decided I did not want to be fat and fifty. I decided to take things incredibly slowly. I did not tell a soul. I did not want the pressure of anyone else's expectations, and I certainly did not want t

The other morning, I was getting ready for work, my husband standing next to me, calmly brushing his teeth… as if brushing his teeth was the final step before walking out the door. And within minutes — truly, minutes — he was showered, dressed, and ready to take on the day. Meanwhile, I was still somewhere between “Have I moisturised properly?” and “Why does my hair look like this today?” It got me thinking… how do men make it look so easy? Because a woman’s morning is not

I used to think osteoporosis was something that only happened to “very old” people - certainly not to me! But everything changed a decade ago when my 54-year-old brother had a terrible fall, fracturing his left femur and then his right tibia. It was a massive wakeup call. Realising I needed to face reality, I booked my first bone density scan at age 51. I was apprehensive, but the technician was wonderful and put me at ease. The whole DEXA scan was actually a breeze, just ly

I keep hearing that once we hit 60, we are supposed to start “winding down.” But from where I am standing at 61—still working, still curious, and still very much full of ideas - this does not feel like winding down at all. If anything, it feels like a reset. A chance to do things differently or perhaps even better. And I think this is where our generation is a little different. Many of us are still very much part of the working world. We are still contributing and adapting.

Why My 60s Are Changing the Way I Think About Fitness Have you ever noticed how many people deep into their 70s are still fit, strong, and remarkably mobile? I see them all the time - at my local gym, walking along the beach, or hiking in the Helderberg Nature Reserve. It is inspiring, but it also makes me think about how much our relationship with movement changes over time. In our 20s and 30s, fitness often felt like a chase. We were pursuing a specific challenge, a target

A Mother’s Day reflection on grief, memory, and the enduring love of a mother For some, Mother’s Day is a vibrant celebration of presence; for others, it is a quieter day of memory, longing, and a little emptiness. Whether you are celebrating with your mom, grieving her absence, or standing in the gap for someone else, today is a reflection on the universal thread that connects us all: the enduring, complicated, and life-changing power of a mother’s love. After my mom passe

A simple approach to strength, protein, and feeling like yourself again. There is a moment — and if you are over 50, you will recognise it instantly — when you catch a glimpse of yourself sideways. The waist that used to be there has softened. I am talking about that stubborn “menopause tummy” that seems to appear out of nowhere. I used to think I could simply eat less and move more, like I did in my 30s, but honestly… my body has betrayed me. Your arms do not feel as s

(Why I Refuse to Let My World Narrow Down to a Paper List) I love technology, and I love learning new things. I like being challenged and staying up to date. Figuring it out as I go… like I always have. But I also know quite a few people who are nervous of technology and still stuck in the nineties. They prefer handwritten lists instead of saving notes on their phones. More often than not, those lists get misplaced, never to appear again. Even something like creating a new