Gabi Steenkamp
Gabi holds an Honours degree in Dietetics from the University of Natal and a Diploma in Therapeutic Dietetics from the University of Pretoria. She completed the CDE diabetes educator course, is a professional member of SAAFoST and ADSA and has over 35 years’ experience practising as a dietitian and nutrition consultant. Eight years ago she trained in food labelling legislation and has added this skill to her portfolio of services to the food industry.
She is known for her passion about nutrition and her ability to take complicated science and legislation and impart this information to the man in the street in simple understandable language. She ran successful dietetic practises in Pietermaritzburg, Port Elizabeth and Johannesburg before following her husband to the east rand in Johannesburg and focusing her services on the food industry. Gabi now lives in Cape Town, the place where she has always wanted to live. She believes that the consumer has a right to correct information and always puts the consumer first when advising on food formulations and labels. Her clients in the food industry include Thistlewood, Nomu, Montagu, the South African Poultry Ass, Spar brands, Nature’s Choice, Ekuzeni, Sparta, to name but a few.
Gabi has lectured at the University of Natal and Pretoria and has presented many workshops and talks to professionals, the food industry and patients alike. She has appeared on TV and many radio programmes and interviews on a variety of nutrition related topics. She has penned ten popular bestseller nutrition books – The Eating for Sustained Energy series and the definitive South African Glycemic Index and Load Guide, which is updated regularly.
Gabi Steenkamp has been working as a registered dietician in South Africa for the past 35 years specializing in the treatment of diabetes and colon dysfunction (Irritable Bowel Syndrome – IBS – or spastic colon). She is one of the experts on the topic of the Glycemic Index, Glycemic Load and carbohydrate contents of foods, and is also the voluntary consulting dietician for the Diabetes Association of South Africa, Diabetes SA. At present she is concentrating on food labels, in particular, compliance with South African food labeling laws and nutritional correctness issues.
She has written 11 books together with colleagues on incorporating the glycemic index into daily living nutrition skills.
Gabi Steenkamp is a dynamic and passionate advocate of good nutrition, and attendance at one of her talks or workshops will inspire you to easily put into practise good taste with good nutrition. “Nutritious and delicious” takes on a new meaning, when Gabi teaches you how.
The Glycemic Index concept together with good nutrition principles can be used in the treatment of many of our modern day diseases:
- diabetes
- insulin resistance
- hyperinsulinaemia
- polycystic ovarian syndrome
- weight management
- heart disease
Because of her passion for good nutritious food, Gabi has had a lot of contact with the food industry. Besides consulting to the food industry on a nutrition level, she also acts as a food labelling consultant. Food labeling in South Africa has come a long way and with the new food labelling and advertising regulations (R146), South African food labelling will be informative, accurate, and misleading advertising will become a thing of the past.
Attending a food labelling workshop is a must for all graphic artists involved in food labeling as well as all marketing and brand managers of food.
As a consumer a food labelling seminar or workshop is a liberating experience – you have no idea just how much practical information you can get off a label!