Dr. F. Rasdien

16/01/2026

31/12/2025

31/12/2025

As 2025 draws to a close, I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a more inspiring tomorrow, a prosperous and healthy new year. It is my genuine hope that 2026 will bring you joy, blessings, happiness, and the fulfillment of all your ambitions. To my patients living with diabetes, we will press on, buoyed by the prospect of pioneering medications that will soon be available to ease our struggles and lighten our load. Here's acknowledging the following patients :
Fortoen Sallie Margro and Taryn Peters # Timothy Singh # Natasha Fisher # Grace and Francis Karanja # Gail Hoorn # Bernice Singh Groep Vilgeland
Thank you Fatima Fredericks for all your time and effort spent in 2025 to assist these patients. May 2026 bring you great success and prosperity in your service to humanity. Ameen.

08/10/2025

Fatima Boomgaard… making good use of her holidays 🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗
So proud of you Mrs Boomgaard!!!!!
All the best for your journey ahead.

OBESITY in South Africa is a huge burden !!!!
The root causes of obesity in South Africa are multifaceted, involving energy imbalance (calories consumed exceeding expenditure), but deeply intertwined with socioeconomic, cultural, and environmental factors:
• Dietary Shifts: Increased consumption of energy-dense, processed foods high in sugar, salt, and fats due to globalization and urbanization. The average household food basket costs R5,420 monthly (April 2025), pushing reliance on cheap, unhealthy options amid food insecurity.
• Physical Inactivity: Sedentary lifestyles, with many South Africans spending hours on screens for work or leisure. Urban design limits safe walking or exercise spaces, and traditional gender roles confine women to home duties without promoting activity.
• Socioeconomic and Cultural Influences: Higher rates in wealthier households (due to access to processed foods) and among employed mothers (leading to convenience eating). Cultural norms sometimes view larger body sizes positively in women, reducing perceived urgency. Education paradoxically lowers BMI in tertiary-educated women (via health awareness) but not universally.
• Other Factors: Genetic predispositions, low breastfeeding rates, maternal obesity, and smoking (inversely correlated with BMI). Urbanization exacerbates these, with rural-urban migrants facing rapid weight gain.
These drivers create a vicious cycle, where poverty limits healthy choices while economic pressures favor calorie-rich, nutrient-poor diets

05/10/2025

Big round of applause 👏 to Lawrence Makasela and Gail Hoorn for being so attentive and interested in their diabetic education sessions. Wishing you both a positive journey ahead. 🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻

Obesity is a major contributor to the development of diabetes.

Obesity has emerged as a major public health crisis in South Africa, contributing to the country's "triple burden of malnutrition"—a coexistence of undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, and overnutrition. As of 2025, South Africa ranks among the highest globally for obesity prevalence, with rates far exceeding regional African averages. This epidemic is driven by rapid urbanization, dietary shifts toward processed foods, and socioeconomic inequalities, which disproportionately affect women, urban residents, and lower-income groups. Obesity now accounts for about 15% of government health spending, exacerbating non-communicable diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular conditions, which are leading causes of death in South Africa.

21/09/2025

Well done to Roesdien Rasdien. 💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻👍👍👍
Thank you to Fatima Fredericks for facilitating
Education sessions .

Type 2 Diabetes exacerbates South Africa’s inequalities, with nonwhite males in informal settlements facing 2x higher complication rates due to limited primary care. Economic costs exceed R50 billion annually, including absenteeism and ESRD treatment. Policies like the 2018 SSB tax and National NCD Plan aim to mitigate this, but implementation lags in rural areas.
Prevention and Management Strategies
Targeted interventions could reduce burden by 30–50%:
• Screening: Annual HbA1c for men >35 in high-risk groups (e.g., urban Black males).
• Lifestyle: Community programs for activity (e.g., 150 min/week) and diet; culturally tailored to address body image norms.
• Pharmacotherapy: Metformin first-line; SGLT2 inhibitors for CVD/CKD protection.
• Policy: Expand ART-diabetes integration and mobile clinics.
Early intervention is critical, as pre-diabetes (15–67% prevalence) is reversible. Addressing structural racism and poverty is essential for equitable outc

13/09/2025

Nadiem Hendricks and Naeema Kamish
What a great inspiring couple🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷
Well done for taking the time out to do your diabetic education . 🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌.
Wishing you a great journey ahead .

Type 2 diabetics should avoid or limit foods that can spike blood sugar levels or contribute to insulin resistance. Here’s a concise list of foods to avoid, based on current dietary recommendations:
1. Sugary Foods and Beverages: Soda, candy, desserts, and sweetened coffee/tea. These cause rapid blood sugar spikes.
2. Refined Carbohydrates: White bread, white rice, pasta, and processed cereals. They have a high glycemic index, leading to quick glucose surges.
3. Trans Fats: Found in fried foods, margarine, and many packaged snacks. These can worsen insulin resistance and heart health.
4. High-Sodium Processed Foods: Canned soups, deli meats, and salty snacks. Excess sodium can increase blood pressure, a concern for diabetics.
5. Full-Fat Dairy: Whole milk, cream, and certain cheeses in excess. They’re high in saturated fats, which may affect heart health.
6. Sweetened Fruit Products: Jams, canned fruit in syrup, and fruit juices. They contain added sugars without the fiber of whole fruits.
7. Alcohol in Excess: Beer, sweet wines, and sugary cocktails. Alcohol can interfere with blood sugar control and medications.
Instead, focus on whole, nutrient-dense foods like vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, and healthy fats. Always consult a healthcare provider or dietitian for personalized advice, as dietary needs vary. If you’d like, I can search for recent studies or posts on X for more specific recommendations.

23/08/2025

23/08/2025

All about Feet 👣

Diabetes can significantly impact foot health due to its effects on blood vessels, nerves, and the body’s ability to fight infections. Here’s a concise overview of how diabetes affects the feet:
1. Neuropathy (Nerve Damage): High blood sugar levels over time can damage nerves, leading to diabetic neuropathy. This causes:
• Loss of sensation, making it hard to feel cuts, blisters, or injuries.
• Tingling, burning, or pain in the feet.
• Increased risk of unnoticed injuries that can worsen due to lack of pain signals.
2. Poor Blood Circulation: Diabetes can narrow and harden blood vessels (peripheral artery disease), reducing blood flow to the feet. This:
• Slows healing of cuts or sores, increasing the risk of infections.
• Can cause cramping, pain, or weakness in the legs and feet.
• In severe cases, may lead to tissue death (gangrene), potentially requiring amputation.
3. Infections and Ulcers: Reduced sensation and poor circulation make the feet prone to:
• Infections from minor cuts, blisters, or calluses that go unnoticed or heal poorly.
• Foot ulcers, which are open sores that can become severe if untreated.
• Fungal infections like athlete’s foot due to impaired immune response.
4. Skin and Nail Changes: Diabetes can cause:
• Dry, cracked skin due to reduced moisture, increasing infection risk.
• Thickened or discolored toenails, often due to fungal infections.
5. Charcot Foot: A serious complication where weakened bones in the foot fracture and deform due to neuropathy, leading to swelling, instability, and potential disability if untreated.

Thank you Nazira Nana for this informative talk

15/08/2025

I was so inspired by these siblings , Fatima Domingo and Ruwayda Docrat, that i looked up studies on families with diabetes . I found one particulrly interesting :
Family-Focused Interventions for Type 2 Diabetes
• Overview: A qualitative study within the Family/Friend Activation to Motivate Self-care (FAMS) intervention examined family dynamics in adults with Type 2 diabetes, including how family functioning impacts self-management. The study categorized family dynamics into four types: Collaborative & Helpful, Critically Involved, Satisfied with Low Involvement, and Want More Involvement. While not limited to sisters, it included family members like siblings in the analysis.

• Findings: Participants reported increased family communication about diabetes, with varying preferences for emotional or instrumental support. Harmful family involvement (e.g., criticism) was noted across types, but participants hesitated to label it as such. The Collaborative & Helpful group engaged well but saw minimal benefits, while the Want More Involvement group benefited most. The study validated a typology for tailoring interventions based on family dynamics

Fatima and Ruwayda were so inspiring , especially Ruwayda 😂😂😂😅😅😅😅who took charge of their journey to learn as much as possible about living with diabetes ..
She is driven and motivated and inspired lively discussions . Fatima Fredericks had her hands full , keeping up with these intelligent young ladies . Thank you 🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🙌

15/08/2025

In the first 10 years after being diagnosed with diabetes, individuals may experience complications like diabetic neuropathy, retinopathy, and nephropathy. These complications, stemming from nerve damage, eye damage, and kidney damage respectively, can develop even within the first decade after diagnosis, though they often progress gradually.
Fortunately, some patients get diagnosed very early in the disease and those first ten years, if managed well, sets the precedent for fewer complications in the future.

15/08/2025

Reiaaz Rajah… thank you for being so interested and conscientious.
Fatima and I have learned so much from you !!!
I’m confident that this journey will be a turning point in your health.
Many of our conversations have been around lifestyle and foods consumed . I hope you can share all your knowledge with people living with Diabetes 🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌