Dr Becker offers a specialty Lifestyle Medicine and behaviour change counselling, specifically aimed at chronic disease management and lifestyle optimization, and does not offer additional screening, diagnoses, or treatment of acute medical conditions.  We recommend that for other medical conditions and needs (such as infections, skin conditions, reproductive health, screenings such as pap smears or colonoscopies, vaccinations, or new symptoms that require investigation) you contact your general practitioner.

​The blood tests recommended for you are will be based on your history and budget, but they may include any of the following: Full blood count: Evaluates red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets to screen for anemia, infection, and inflammation. A lipid panel: Measures total cholesterol, LDL-C, HDL-C, and triglycerides to assess cardiovascular disease risk. Kidney function panel: Assesses creatinine, estimated filtration rate, and electrolytes to evaluate your overall kidney function. Liver function panel: Measures liver enzymes, bilirubin, and proteins and can aid in detecting damage from chronic alcohol use or fatty liver disease. CMP (calcium, magnesium, phosphate): Evaluates key minerals essential for bone health, neuromuscular function, and cellular metabolism. Apolipoprotein B: Evaluates a specific protein that helps transport cholesterol, providing a more precise measure of cardiovascular risk than LDL cholesterol alone. Lipoprotein a: A genetically determined type of LDL particle that independently increases risk for atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. HS-CRP: Detects low-grade systemic inflammation associated with increased cardiovascular risk and insulin resistance. Insulin resistance (HOMA-IR): Estimates insulin resistance using fasting glucose and insulin to assess early metabolic dysfunction. HbA1c: Reflects average blood glucose over ~3 months and screens for prediabetes and diabetes. Fasting glucose: Measures baseline blood sugar to detect impaired glucose metabolism and diabetes. Fasting insulin: Assesses insulin secretion and, when elevated, may indicate insulin resistance before glucose abnormalities appear. Iron studies: Evaluate iron status (iron, ferritin, transferrin saturation) to diagnose deficiency of overload, and may contribute to chronic disease risk. Vitamin B12: Assesses B12 status, essential for red blood cell production, neurologic function, and DNA synthesis. Homocysteine: Elevated levels may indicate B12, B6, or folate deficiency and are associated with increased cardiovascular risk. Vitamin D: Measures Vitamin D, essential for bone health and immune function. Folate: Evaluates folate status, necessary for DNA production and the prevention of anemia. And more, depending on your history and requirements.

Yes. In addition to blood testing, we often recommend DEXA body composition and bone mineral density scans, particularly for new patients in Cape Town. This provides a more detailed picture of body composition (fat mass, lean mass, and bone density) than weight or BMI alone, helping Dr Becker tailor lifestyle medicine strategies more precisely. Blood tests and other assessments are used to track health markers, disease progression, and response to lifestyle changes over time.

Yes, Dr Becker will assess your chronic medication dosages during each consultation, and will adjust the doses as necessary. With lifestyle changes, dose adjustments may be needed as as your health improves. Please note that Dr Becker will only prescribe medications for the conditions that she has agreed to manage with lifestyle changes, and will not provide prescriptions for other chronic conditions, nor acute prescriptions such as anti-nausea medication, pain killers, etc.

Chronic medication for conditions like high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, and hypertension are often necessary, especially after a new diagnosis. As people with chronic disease make healthy lifestyle changes, we often see that their need for their chronic medications is reduced. Deprescribing is the planned and supervised process of reducing the dose of or even discontinuing chronic medication that might be causing harm, or no longer be of benefit. Under the guidance of Dr Becker, we can advise you when it's safe  necessary to reduce certain dosages, with the aim of ultimately getting you off your chronic medication completely if your chronic disease is adequately controlled with lifestyle changes and it is safe to stop the medication.

No. The services and packages offered by Dr Becker are self-pay and are not billed to medical aids. The practice does not submit claims, obtain authorisations, or liaise with medical aid schemes. After payment, we can provide you with a detailed receipt or invoice should you wish to submit a claim to your medical aid independently. Any claims, reimbursement queries, or communication with your medical aid will need to be handled directly by you. In some cases, certain blood tests may be reimbursed depending on your medical aid scheme and plan. Because coverage varies widely, we recommend contacting your medical aid directly if you would like to confirm whether reimbursement may be available. However, it is your responsibility to submit a claim and liaise with your medical aid regarding coverage and reimbursement.

GLP-1 medications are not yet approved in South Africa for weight loss purposes, which means they are off-label prescriptions when prescribed. GLP-1 medications carry serious side effects and risks and their use should only be considered in cases of obesity or overweight in conjunction with other cardiovascular risk factors. Dr Becker may consider GLP-1 prescriptions for weight loss on a case-by-case basis, however, this prescription will be in conjunction with lifestyle changes and close follow-up.