Co-author of Ketogenic Textbook MBChB, FCP(SA)
Dr. Hassina Kajee is a pioneer in ketogenic nutrition and a compassionate physician who has devoted her career to transforming the lives of her patients. Her journey from traditional medicine to innovative healthcare solutions is a story of passion, perseverance, and profound impact.
From her early fascination with the heart’s physiology to her groundbreaking work in nutritional science, Dr. Kajee’s journey is one of passion and perseverance. As a co-author of the first textbook on ketogenic nutrition, she empowers healthcare professionals and patients worldwide to embrace holistic health.
After earning her MD, Dr. Kajee’s career took a pivotal turn when she was appointed as the Head of the High Care Unit at her alma mater’s University hospital. Her relentless pursuit of answers led her to challenge conventional dietary guidelines, resulting in revolutionary findings in ketogenic nutrition.
As a co-author of the first textbook on ketogenic nutrition, Dr. Kajee has made significant strides in educating healthcare professionals worldwide.
Dr. Kajee’s innovative approach to nutrition has led to astonishing results. Her community programs have enabled morbidly obese individuals to lose significant weight and reduce their dependence on chronic medications. Her dedication to de-prescribing and promoting wellness has empowered countless patients to reclaim their health and vitality.
For all medical students, the overriding desire to train as doctors is to help people. It was no different for Dr Hassina Kajee. It was no different for Dr Hassina Kajee. After 13 years of studying to become a Specialist Physician, she was overjoyed when she was offered her dream job – Head of the High Care Unit of her alma mater University Hospital.
This followed a brief hiatus of part-time work so she could spend more time with her new baby. Her husband, also a doctor took over looking after the baby in the day, and they swapped roles in the evening. Although it was a busy time, she was completely in her element: at the hospital, seeing acutely unwell patients, and then delighting in their improvement and well-being.
As years passed by, she began to see a pattern in the patients being admitted. The very sick patients coming into the EU were much younger- in their late 20s. The ever-increasing pile of folders to pore through, and analyze the cause of death, showed the same thing again and again- obesity was the common factor! As she prepared the monthly morbidity and mortality stats for her department, she was shocked to realize that the death rate for people under the age of 45 was greater than for those over age 65.
Slowly, she began to feel helpless and disappointed – so many years of study and passionate hard work for what- simply to delay an inevitable, painful death? It felt like all she was doing, was prescribing pills-almost mindlessly. Why were her patients coming to her already so sick? Why were the children of these patients eating junk food at visiting time and many overweight too? As a mum, her heart ached, and yearned to do better InShaAllah.
She was forced to search for answers. She happened upon controversial information by respected, A1-rated sports scientist, Professor Tim Noakes, where he questioned the dietary guidelines. She was intrigued. The esteemed professor, whom she knew well by reputation, was able to control his own diabetes without medication, and then eventually put it into remission. All this by NOT following conventional dietary guidelines!
She began a journey to examine the nutritional science behind the prescribed dietary guidelines. Why were diabetics prescribed diet sheets containing high quantities of starches, and then treated with an ever-increasing dose of diabetes medication?
Her dietetics colleagues answered emphatically, ‘People just cannot live without bread!’
‘Who decided this?”, she wondered out loud, “the patient, or the healthcare system?’
Believing in the innate intelligence of her patients, Dr Kajee decided to choose another path. She discovered a small but growing group of doctors, dieticians, and scientists around the world who shared her concerns and were willing to challenge their old beliefs.
Humans require real food with essential nutrients to thrive.
Removing toxic non-foods and supplying the correct ratios of macronutrients could result in seemingly miraculous recoveries.
Satisfied with the scientific proof, she turned towards her own family and ruthlessly began attacking the pantry. She swapped senseless but popular filler ‘non-foods’ like whole grain pasta and whole grain brown bread, with nutrient-dense real foods, like pasture-raised eggs, meats dairy, and green vegetables.
Almost instantly, she lost the baby weight gained during her second pregnancy in weeks instead of the months and hard exercise it took her to lose the baby weight with baby number 1. Her husband- who had struggled with weight loss for decades, lost approximately 20kg of weight within mere weeks!
Buoyed by these experiences and armed with the science, she used her maternity leave (during her second pregnancy), to collaborate with the Noakes Foundation and co-founded a successful community group weight loss program. Following that, she was offered and served directorship on the board.
In her community programs, what was astounding, was that morbidly obese people were able to lose up to 11kg within 6 weeks with major reductions and de-prescriptions in chronic medications. This is just by changing what they eat.
After running successful interventions at her hospital, teaching and treating patients and staff, she realized that she now had a new dream to fulfill- a dream to see the global prevention and reversal of metabolic diseases. Thus began a journey of understanding and studying the principles of Integrative and functional medicine- the role of nutrition, lifestyle medicine, and the whole body and its environment in the development of diseases.
Dr Kajee now practices medicine with renewed hope and joy! She has been able to successfully put her diabetic patients into remission. She has helped patients lose 10 kilos of excess weight with a renewed lease on life. Most of all, her patients now choose this way of eating.
Realizing the need for a global medical community, Dr. Kajee has co-founded an online training program to educate healthcare workers and nutrition coaches. Nutrition Network, to date, has trained over 8000 practitioners around the world including medical specialists, physicians, and dieticians among others. A supplementary textbook to support this training, the very first textbook of ketogenic nutrition, has recently been published by Elsevier. Dr Kajee is grateful to be a co-editor and co-author.
Driven by a dream to see the global prevention and reversal of metabolic diseases, Dr. Kajee’s mission is to educate and empower. Through her online training program, Nutrition Network, she has trained over 8000 practitioners, spreading her message of holistic health and compassionate care.
Discover how Dr. Hassina Kajee’s innovative approach can transform your health. Join the movement towards holistic wellness and be part of a healthier future. Schedule a free session to get started today.
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