Lifestyle Medicine is the use of evidence-based lifestyle therapeutic interventions—including a whole-food, plant-predominant eating pattern, regular physical activity, restorative sleep, stress management, avoidance of risky substances, and positive social connection—as a primary modality, delivered by clinicians trained and certified in this specialty, to prevent, treat, and often reverse chronic disease. (As defined by the American College of Lifestyle Medicine)
Lifestyle Medicine can also be defined as, “The application of environmental, behavioural, medical and motivational principles to the management (including self-care and self-management) of lifestyle-related health problems in a clinical and/or public health setting” (Egger et al, 2017).
An important aspect of Lifestyle Medicine includes understanding the numerous societal and environmental drivers which impact non-communicable diseases. These are more challenging to modify as they require change at societal and political levels.
Lifestyle Medicine is the foundation of conventional medicine and bridges the gap between health promotion and clinical practice. The majority of clinical practice guidelines for non-communicable diseases support Lifestyle Medicine as the first line of treatment. Despite this, very little about the practical implementation of Lifestyle Medicine is taught at medical schools. Ideally, Lifestyle Medicine should involve and include clinicians, allied and public health professionals, healthcare executives, researchers, scientists and educators working together to prevent, manage and treat conditions that result from:
- Unhealthy diet or nutrition
- Physical inactivity
- Inadequate and poor quality sleep
- Chronic stress and anxiety
- Smoking
- Overconsumption of alcohol
- Lack of social connectedness
- And many more societal and environmental influences
Lifestyle Medicine is a scientific discipline and a global movement for a positive change in health, healthcare, society, environment and our future.
If you support lifestyle interventions as the first-line therapy for many chronic diseases, and if you support advocating for policy change so that a healthier society and environment can be created, then please become a member or sign up to our newsletter to be kept informed.
ABOUT SALMA
MISSION
SALMA seeks to nationally promote Lifestyle Medicine as the first and optimal treatment option for chronic diseases of lifestyle; to collaborate with international evidence-based and physician-led lifestyle medicine organisations to represent South Africa in advancing lifestyle medicine globally; to support our members in their individual practices to promote the principles of Lifestyle Medicine, thus working towards eradicating the root causes of non-communicable diseases.
OUR BOARD
DR DAVID GLASS,
MBChB, FCOG (SA), DipIBLM
Chairperson
Born and bred in rural Africa, Dr David Glass obtained his MBChB at UCT in 1975, then spent almost 13 years at Maluti Adventist Hospital in Lesotho where much of his work involved preventative health care. He returned to UCT to complete FCOG(SA) in 1993. This was followed by private Obstetrics/Gynaecology practice in Port Shepstone for 27 years. He completed the DipIBLM at the end of 2021, but has been active in the field of lifestyle medicine for many years through community screening, blogs in the local newspaper, developing health education materials, and personal interactions with patients. He is retired from specialist practice and is based in Somerset West, South Africa, but still very much involved in Lifestyle Medicine.
DR JENNIFER BRUENTRUP-TAYLOR
MBChB, BScHons (Reproductive Biology), DipIBLM
Vice Chairperson
Dr. Jennifer Bruentrup-Taylor is a Lifestyle Medicine Physician in private practice in East London, Eastern Cape. Her qualifications are as follows: MBChB (UCT), BScHons Reprod Bio (SUN), Dip IBLM. She runs a Lifestyle Medicine practice where she focuses on disease prevention and chronic disease care. Her passion is to educate and empower her patients to make healthy behaviour changes and live their healthiest life.
DR LYDIA ALTINI
MBBCh, DipIBLM, NBC-HWC
Secretary
Dr Lydia Altini is a graduate of the University of Witwatersrand and a Certified Lifestyle Medicine Physician (International Board of Lifestyle Medicine), Certified Health and Wellness Coach (National Board of Health and Wellness Coaching), and Certified Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction teacher (University of Stellenbosch). Dr Altini is currently involved in the design and implementation of community based lifestyle change interventions.
DR ROXANNE BECKER
MBChB, DipIBLM
Board Member
Dr Roxie Becker is a medical doctor with a Diploma in Lifestyle Medicine as well as certification and a special interest in plant-based nutrition. Her mission in life is to reduce human suffering through promoting a plant-based diet and lifestyle changes.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Dr Nyasha GRACE GOGOMA
MBBCh, DipIBLM
President
Dr Nyasha Gogoma graduated with her MBBCh from the University of the Witwatersrand in 2019. She obtained her Diploma in Lifestyle Medicine through the International Board of Lifestyle Medicine in 2023. She is passionate about primary care and preventative medicine and enjoys sharing simple, effective, and evidence-based lifestyle modification strategies to help people live happier and healthier lives.
Dr MEGAN Michaux
MBChB
Vice President
Dr Megan Michaux completed her medical degree in 2013 at the University of Pretoria. She spent time working in emergency medicine and general practice where the dire need for lifestyle interventions became very clear. This inspired her to take on further studies and eventually to earn qualifications as a nutritionist and a personal trainer. Looking for like-minded professionals with a passion for lifestyle medicine led her to join SALMA. She has a particular interest in plant-based nutrition and physical activity and hopes to help introduce more and more doctors to the importance of adding lifestyle medicine into daily medical practice.
Amanda oakes-Cornellison
B.Sc. Physiotherapy MLife Med
Executive Secretary
Amanda Oakes-Cornellissen qualified as a Physiotherapist from the University of Free State in 2002. She now runs her Private Practice in Kathu, Northern Cape. During 2018 she obtained her post-graduate diploma in Lifestyle Medicine, through Avondale University in Australia and went on to complete her Master of Lifestyle Medicine in 2022 from the same institution. She remains passionate about the field of Lifestyle Medicine and is in the process of working on her Ph.D. In her spare time, Amanda enjoys taking her dog for walks and presenting Pilates Classes to Kathu residents”.
Dr odette vos
MBChB / DipPEC / Msc Public Health
Public Relations Portfolio
Dr Odette Renee Vos is a general practitioner with a special interest in lifestyle medicine and plant-based nutrition, practicing in George Western Cape. She completed her medical qualification in 2011 from the University of Pretoria and thereafter spent many years working in emergency care and internationally on cruise ships. It is through her travels and meeting patients from around the world that she realised medicine is practiced the same globally and that a change is needed to focus on preventative care rather than immediate care to achieve better results and overall health for our patients.
Dr Tshegofatso Maimela
MBBCh, MMed (Public Health), FCPHM(SA)
Research Portfolio
Dr Tshegofatso Maimela is a public health and preventative medicine specialist, with a passion for patient-focused health care for individuals, families, organizations, and communities. She leads the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital’s monitoring and evaluation directorate and its information management unit (IMU) providing data products to measure and monitor health service efficiency for data informed decision-making. She provides strategic and operational coordination for NHI readiness and is responsible for the support of clinical and administrative programs in 14 referring facilities in the academic health complex.
Dr TUMI MOSHOESHOE
MBBCh, DipHIVMan, MMed (Internal Medicine), FCP(SA), DipIBLM
Events Management Portfolio
Dr. Tumi Moshoeshoe is a specialist internal medicine physician based in Johannesburg, with a strong passion for lifestyle medicine and chronic disease management. She graduated with her MBBCh from Wits University in 2014, and obtained her Diploma in HIV Management in 2017. She qualified from Wits University with her FCP in 2023 and completed her MMed in diabetes self-management. She has recently completed her Diploma in Lifestyle Medicine through the International Board of Lifestyle Medicine. Tumi believes in a holistic management approach to patient care. She values working in multidisciplinary teams to find innovative solutions that optimize both short- and long-term patient outcomes. Her primary areas of interest are diabetes and metabolic syndrome, particularly educating patients to self-manage their non-communicable diseases.
Dr PRSCILLA DJAN
MBChB
Social Media Portfolio
Dr. Priscilla Djan, MBChB, University of the Free State, is a medical doctor with clinical experience across rural, secondary, and tertiary healthcare settings. Her work in underserved rural clinics—where non-communicable diseases are a growing challenge—has fueled her deep passion for Lifestyle Medicine and its transformative potential in preventive, patient-centered care. Priscilla believes in a holistic approach to health, addressing not just physical illness but also the lifestyle, behavioral, and social determinants that influence long-term wellbeing. In addition to her clinical work, she is actively upskilling in digital health and AI, with a vision to integrate these tools into scalable, equitable healthcare models across Africa. Her work is driven by purpose, grounded in compassion, and informed by a desire to improve lives through innovation and advocacy.
KIRSTEN STEENKAMP
AppSocSci (Psychology)
Executive Member
With a background in Applied Psychology, Kirsten developed a passion for novel research and critical writing. After battling antibiotic-resistant pneumonia whilst living in the South East Asia in 2018, she learned first-hand the power of whole-food plant-based nutrition to unlock the body’s natural repair mechanisms. As a lifestyle medicine advocate, she is now pursuing health research through the Neuroscience Institute at UCT, Cape Town. Global dementia research endorses lifestyle interventions to reduce and/or slow cognitive decline. Kirsten and a growing team of investigators are interested in targeting modifiable risk factors, such as healthy eating and social connectedness, to promote healthy aging and brain equity in South Africa. Collecting primary data from clinics in Khayelitsha, she intends to inform a dietary intervention which supports behaviour change. Kirsten has joined SALMA to further her involvement within the lifestyle medicine community, understanding that knowledge holds no power unless shared.
PAST EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Dr Yakira Mishan
MBBCh, DipIBLM
President (2023, 2024)
Dr Yakira Mishan, a graduate of the University of the Witwatersrand, is a Lifestyle Medicine Physician (DipIBLM) who is passionate about helping her patients to not only be less sick but also healthier.
“I work with my patients to assist them in changing their lifestyles to prevent the development of chronic diseases as well as to reverse and treat these diseases once they occur. I use a combination of Lifestyle Medicine, coaching, supplements, lab tests and medications to help my patients change their lifestyles and through that their lives. I am honoured to be the president of the South African Lifestyle Medicine Association for 2023 and to work with this amazing organisation to challenge and change the current sick care model of chronic diseases to one of health care in SA.”
Dr Eden Lurie
MBChB
Website Management Portfolio (2023, 2024)
I am a plant-powered doctor with a background degree in genetics and physiology passionate about empowering patients with research backed information and practical guidelines on how to improve their health and reverse lifestyle diseases through a holistic lifestyle medicine approach to health care
Dr Caela Van Niekerk
MBBCh
Treasurer (2023 – 2025)
Dr Caela van Niekerk graduated MBBCh from Wits in 2019 after completing her BNursing degree. Throughout her training, interactions with people from different walks of life fuelled her passion for seeing the patient as a (whole) person. During Community Service, Caela spent a lot of time in the chronic care clinics and was astonished at how little patients knew about their diseases and what an impact lifestyle has on creation and remission of these. Lifestyle modifications are the first step of intervention for all chronic diseases, yet it is poorly taught and thus often overlooked. It has become a growing passion of hers to empower patients by educating them about Lifestyle Medicine and how to incorporate the pillars in combating chronic dis-ease. She believes it is a global responsibility for change.