Corporate Wellness Summer 2009

Summer Edition 09

Going Green The Power of Presentation Complimentary Medicine Special The Spa and Wellness Industry in 2009

Richard Branson is no Virgin at corporate wellness

contents Special Features

Technology and Innovations

02 Virgin does the opposite

37 The online health management revolution

Sir Richard Branson is not shy about his company’s

Dr Michael McCoy discusses the momentum of online

corporate wellness, as Margaret Ambrose discovers.

health management software.

10 T he Australian wellness and spa industry in 2009

Geoff Ebbs serves up cool tips that conserve

Australasian Spa Association’s Karen Goudge

resources, save money and reconnect you

explores this new thriving marketplace, and

with nature.

Intelligent Spas’ Managing Director, Julie Garrow, reveals some of the latest research on the global spa industry from a global perspective.

61 C omplimentary medicine special Our special review of myotherapy, ayurvedic medicine, herbal medicine, osteotherapy, and

Health and Fitness 102 Stress less retreat review Australia’s executives review their favourite health retreats, this issue–Angsana Great Barrier Reef

96 Book reviews

the regulation of complementary therapies and

Australian Corporate Wellness magazine’s best picks

medicines in Australia.

to enhance health and wealth.

Success Skills 46 T he power of presentation Jodie Bache explores the power of presentation, in clothes and in the board room.

24 C reating a work-life balance policy in your workplace The Work Life Association believe a healthy work-life balance policy in your workplace can help you gain control over the stresses in your life.

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54 G oing green

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89 G ourmet meals in minutes Nutritious and delicious from the new Gluten-free Kitchen cookbook.

84 B io age technology 53 Sensible shoes 19 Tax breaks for gym goers 77 What is all the fuss about detoxing?

contents

Conference Coverage 106 AHPM Congress 2009 Snapshot of Australia’s own Health and Productivity Congress which took place in Melbourne in August this year.

Regulars 01 Editor’s opening reen tea, the miracle weight loss tonic?

75 G Naturopath Mim Beim introduces a new column.

76 B abes in business Jodie Bache explores the world of correct office etiquette.

83 F inancial fitness: doing the numbers with negative gearing With financial adviser Robert Berens

81 Economics of ergonomics With practicing ergonomist Mark Dohrmann

31 W ellness coaching: appreciative inquiry

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With wellness coach Fiona Cosgrove

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Forget the coffee and caffeine and wake up naturally with Officise. It's a convenient office workout that will get you going without stimulants. Try It Now! 10 lucky Australian Corporate Wellness readers will receive a free copy.

Turn to page 86 to find out how!

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editor’s opening

Editor Holly Richardson Assistant Editor Lara Caughey Art Director Matt Ody Graphic Designer Kym Reichenbacher Publisher Garth Wright Marketing Manager Richard Henry Printer Newstyle Printing Co. Pty Ltd 41 Manchester Street Mile End, SA 5031 Phone: 08 8234 6155 APRS Head Office Level 6, 38 Currie Street Adelaide, SA 5000 GPO Box 1746, Adelaide, SA 5001 Phone: 08 8113 9200 Fax: 08 8113 9201 APRS Queensland Office Level 2, The Mansions 40 George Street, Brisbane, Qld 4000 PO Box 15454 City East, Brisbane, Qld 4002 Phone: 07 3229 9766 Fax: 07 3229 3066 Pre-Press Phone: 08 8113 9206 Email: prepress@aprs.com.au Editor Phone: 07 3210 2930 Email: hrichardson@aprs.com.au Advertising Phone: 07 3229 9766 Email: cwerb@aprs.com.au Disclaimer APRS is not committed to nor takes responsibility for the views expressed in articles or advertisements herein.

The publishers could not possibly ensure that each advertisement published in this magazine complies with the Trade Practices Act and responsibility must therefore rest with the person, company or agency submitting the advertisement for publication.

By taking control of your own wellness, happiness becomes imminent.

Every now and again someone comes along who encapsulates this idea beautifully.

Someone who is not tainted by fame and fortune. Someone who manages to remain down-to-earth, approachable and still passionate in the belief they can make a difference.

Yes, you guessed it. I’m talking about Sir Richard Branson. He left school at 15 years of age to start a magazine, and in his words, “to try and change the world”. However he found the magazine business to be a tricky one.

Oh, we hear you Richard!

Despite the challenges, succeed he has, and his devotion to the continuing development of the Virgin Green Fund, Virgin Earth Challenge and Virgin Unite make him one the most-loved tycoons the world has ever known.

What is most endearing is his worldrenowned employee-wellness programs and steadfast opinion that business has to be fun, no matter what. He said to his employees, “You spend some 80 per cent of your life working. You want to have fun at home, so why shouldn’t you have fun at work?”

Richard is living proof that we all have choices. No matter what your position, you have some degree of choice as to how you approach the world, how you look after yourself and how you treat others. He is a man who believes he is responsible for his own wellness and likes to encourage his employees to do the same. Read more about this inspiring entrepreneur on page 3.

motivation you need to get you out the door and moving in any direction you need to go.

The majority of issues challenging our health and productivity are often long-term or life-long habits which are not going to disappear without first confronting the psychological issues behind them. Therefore it can be highly effective to combine counselling sessions with fitness sessions in your own life or in your company’s corporate-wellness program.

As we have heard so many times before, balance is the key. There is no point fighting to completely rid ourselves of lifestyle factors such as alcohol, coffee, sugar and fast food when so much of our Western culture promotes them.

Success can be achieved through a butterfly effect-like approach – in quantum mechanics this is where small variations of the initial condition may produce large variations in longterm behaviour. Small changes made consistently over a period of time will produce a dramatic result.

Whether it is in fitness or business, the key is to maintain motivation. Create a goal and focus on it. When you get there, celebrate. Set yourself small goals along the way and as you achieve them reward yourself and increase the intensity of the challenge. You will soon notice the small improvements and your natural excitement will grow.

Be consistent, be patient and have fun.

In the words of Branson, “you never know when you are trying something new; you never know just what can happen…”

Holly Richardson Australian Corporate Wellness Editor

Summer is the ideal time to regain control of your wellness. What cobwebs are hanging in your closet from the winter months? Isn’t it time you faced up to them? The weather is beautiful and this should be all the

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Photo courtesy of Flight Global

special feature

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Richard Bra

nson

“ Convention dictates that a company looks after its shareholders first, its customers next, and last of all worries about its employees,” says Virgin founder Richard Branson. “Virgin does the opposite.” Margaret Ambrose reports.

is no Virgin at corporate w ellness

F

olklore has it that Ivana Trump hasn’t spoken to Richard Branson in nearly two decades. According to the legend, at one of the many parties hosted by Branson for his staff at his country mansion, the entrepreneur dangled the society wife over a swimming pool.

The staff, legend has it, thought it was hysterical. Ivana Trump did not.

Back in the 1980s, when Virgin Records soared to the top of the UK music industry and the Virgin brand was well on its way to becoming one of the world’s most recognisable, Branson’s parties were indeed legendary. Endless buffets of food and bars that never closed—and all you had to do to score an invitation was be a Virgin employee. No wonder then that Richard Branson was touted by its largely youthful workforce as the “coolest boss in the world”.

Since then, Virgin has become a megasuccessful multinational conglomerate, and Virgin’s approach to employee health and wellbeing has grown up too. While elaborate parties are still on the menu, a unique corporate set-up and health program addresses staff wellbeing and satisfaction. And then, there are the island junkets.

“Convention dictates that a company looks after its shareholders first, its customers next, and last of all worries about its employees,” says Virgin founder Richard Branson. “Virgin does the opposite.”

Virgin has over 50,000 employees worldwide, and although it is one of the globe’s largest employers, staff consistently describe the working environment as being “like a family”.

Branson attributes this corporate

culture to a unique structure, designed with employee wellbeing and satisfaction at the heart.

The Virgin Group is a diverse global brand comprising airlines, music labels, books, cinemas, cosmetics, credit cards, an internet service provider and even a bridal emporium.

Although the Virgin Group consists of many ventures, each is kept small and largely autonomous. When one venture becomes too large, it is broken down to several affiliates and middle managers are promoted to senior manager positions.

Virgin Records, for example, may be one of the largest record companies in the UK, but in reality it is a cluster of several affiliates.

“Convention dictates that big is beautiful, but every time one of our ventures becomes too big we divide it up into smaller units,” explains Branson. “Each time we have done this, the people involved haven’t had much more work to do, but they have a greater incentive to perform and a greater zest for their work.

“Keeping things small means keeping things personal,” Branson says.

“Keeping things personal means keeping the people that really matter, happy.

“The group is defined by its constituent parts,” he continues.

“Usually there are no more than 60 people in any one building, and the buildings are located in pleasant surroundings. This reflects the high value we place on our employees.”

Branson also recognises that a lack of transparency can lead to fear and

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special feature “ Virgin staff are encouraged to email new ideas directly to The Boss, who reads them every morning before he starts the day’s work. Branson has been doing this from the very early days of the organisation, and he says it is largely responsible for the unique company-employee dynamics.“

rumour-mongering among employees.

His plan to combat this is two-fold.

In a monthly newsletter, Branson explains current happenings within the organisation and plans for the future.

This practice is designed to encourage internal career development opportunities, increase productivity and reduce absenteeism. For example, the person who is currently in charge of procuring spaceships for Virgin’s space venture, Virgin Galactic, started out in procurement for Virgin Trains before moving to Virgin Atlantic and then Virgin Galactic.

It also ensures that managers have the experience of every level of the operation.

Virgin staff are encouraged to email new ideas directly to the boss, who reads them every morning before he starts the day’s work. Branson has been doing this from the very early days of the organisation, and he says it is largely responsible for the unique company–employee dynamic.

Staff at Virgin know this is not a task palmed off to some assistant because Branson responds to every email either by answering personally or by initiating some action. His loyalty to the rankand-file employees is returned in kind.

He says that although Virgin has over 50,000 employees around the world, he gets only 25 to 30 letters each morning.

“It’s not as many as you think because they know they can do it,” he explains.

Branson believes that employee happiness and sense of wellbeing is lifted when people, quite literally, have a stake in the company. He encourages managers to also be minority shareholders, making them a collective of entrepreneurs. When the companies went public, for example, the CEOs of Virgin Mobile and Virgin Blue became 4

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multi-millionaires over night.

Staff of Virgin Mobile weren’t left out in the cold either. Each staff member was gifted between $AUS3000 and $AUS6000, depending on their length of service.

One of the biggest achievements of the Virgin corporate culture has been its ability to transport itself to every arm of the organisation, according to Bruce Highfield, HR director of Virgin Blue.

“The culture of the Virgin Group is a worldwide phenomenon,” he says. “A large part of the Virgin brand is that it is a fun work environment, and as such, has great value.”

When Virgin Blue, the Australian domestic airline, was launched in 2006, most of the leadership team were recruited from within the Virgin Group. The Virgin Blue leadership team decided to build their airline from scratch, rather than purchase an existing airline—a decision based largely on the experience of Virgin Express, the European airline, which had taken over an existing carrier and experienced problems imposing the Virgin culture upon a deeply entrenched existing culture.

“Unless you get it right, you can’t restructure culture,” Virgin Blue CEO Brett Godfrey told media earlier this year. “It’s a bit like the Titanic. Once you’ve built it and it takes to water, it’s too late to change its direction.”

While Branson’s brand of human resource management may have evolved from the days of four-day parties at the country mansion, Virgin staff can still expect to be rewarded with fabulous getaways—only very soon, these will involve a stay at Makepeace Island, off Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, which Branson recently bought for his staff.

The Virgin boss bought the property,

special feature

the only freehold in the Noosa River, for $2.86 million in 2003. When he announced the purchase, Branson described Makepeace Island to his staff as “a wonderful retreat for them”, and “a great way for our team to spend time together and to get to know each other outside of a work environment”.

The heart-shaped Makepeace Island is currently being converted into a fivestar Balinese-style getaway exclusively for Virgin staff. The eco-resort will include pavilion-style accommodation, a lagoon pool and bar, tennis courts and media room.

Launching his plans for the Island, Branson targeted the staff of Virgin Blue as the inaugural recipients of the island’s hospitality. “It’s incredible when you think of the achievement that all of the staff have done down here,” he said.

“Airfares have halved and hundreds and thousands of more people are travelling. None of that could have been possible had it not been for our magnificent staff.

“As a thank you, we have bought a beautiful island off Noosa for the staff to use with their friends to come and party.”

Rewarding employees with luxury island holidays is nothing new to Branson, who purchased Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands in the Caribbean in 1979. The difference with Makepeace Island is that it was purchased exclusively as a retreat for his staff. Branson intends to use it as a reward incentive and as well as a venue for staff training and conferences.

While holidays are undoubtedly essential for long-term health and wellbeing, Branson considers the day-to-day health of his employees as fundamental, so he developed a wellness incentive program – Virgin Life Care – that was so successful it was launched in the global market in 2006.

Photo courtesy of Flight Global

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Photo courtesy of Flight Global

special feature

Virgin Life Care offers programs for employers to give incentives to staff who live healthy lifestyles. Employees are rewarded with free movie tickets, music and clothing when they take active steps to live healthy lifestyles.

This could involve an increase in daily steps as monitored on a pedometer or enrolment in a quit smoking program.

Participants in the programs enter their progress into Virgin Life Care computer kiosks, and the points are converted to rewards. It is estimated that the program, which costs about $US2.50 a month per employee, cuts health-care claims by one-sixth.

The growing success of Virgin Group has demonstrated that the company’s prioritisation of employee happiness and health has tangible fiscal benefits— no surprise to its founder, who is renowned for doing all things in business his way.

“Our priorities are the opposite of our competitors,” Branson concludes. “For us, our employees matter the most. It just seems common sense that if you have a happy, well motivated workforce, you’re much more likely to have happy customers. And in due course the resulting profits will make your shareholders happy.”

“The heart-shaped Makepeace Island is currently being converted into a five-star Balinese-style getaway exclusively for Virgin staff.”

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Health and Productivity in the Workplace

A

re you worth more than your car? Have you ever thought how much time and money organisations spend on servicing and maintaining cars and how little attention we actually pay to the health of our most important asset, your staff?

Most of us take our health for granted and don’t make time to get our health checked on an annual basis. Yet, unless we regularly measure and monitor our health, we have no means of gauging changes.

What about the health of the Australian workforce?

Medicare Private (2007) demonstrated that high risk employees with 5 or more risk factors (ie. high cholesterol, elevated blood pressure, inactivity, smoking and the effects of psychological stress) attend work but are not as productive over 30% of the time, compared to low risk employees with 2 or less risk factors who are not

productive 14.5% of the time. The productive difference between healthy and unhealthy employees is up to 18% depending on the number of risk factors.

The following table demonstrates the risk accumulation when combining various health risk factors and their level of impairment.

Number of Risks

Level of Impairment (%)

0-2

14.5%

3-4

23.7%

5 plus

32.7%

Musich, S. et al. AJHP. 20 (5); 353-363, 2006 Poor health accounts for up to a 5% loss in productivity in the Australian workforce with the unhealthiest group reporting a 13% drop in productivity based on internationally valid criteria.

Furthermore, in 2008 a survey involving

19,000 Australian employees found in part: • 10% of respondents said their work makes them unwell or ill • 13% claimed that stress was an issue in their job making it difficult to sleep at night • 56% of participants claim the workplace should be responsible in providing programs to contribute to the health and fitness of employees Clearly we have a link between the workplace and the health and fitness of employees.

Industry and Governments now realise the importance of a healthy population in the workplace and for our nation. For all of us, our health is our number one asset that requires servicing, monitoring and maintenance regularly; after all “we are worth more than a car”!

Jeff Hogg and Paul McFarlane are founding Directors and Exercise Physiologists with BizHealth Consultants Pty Ltd.

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Hold the line for Conference Call Your conference and event specialists

C

onference Call is a boutique independent agency that specialises in conference and event management. We’ve been making life easier for companies across Australia for more than 13 years, offering complete and personalised conference and event solutions, as well as free venue finding services.

We are passionate about providing a flexible service to suit your needs and requirements. Rather than offering our clients ‘all or nothing’, Conference Call is committed to providing a tailored level of assistance, whether it be full end-to-end event management or everything in between.

Most importantly, we pride ourselves on understanding our clients, acting as an extension of their business and working as part of their team in order to provide them with seamless support to ensure the event meets their objectives and is enjoyed by all. We run events as if they

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were our own and do our utmost to make each one the very best ever.

Conference Call is an independent company offering completely transparent services and advice when it comes to venue and supplier recommendations and quotes. We have a superior database of venues and suppliers and can organise some of the best possible rates in the business.

We have experience across all areas of conference and event management including corporate conferences, sales conferences, training courses, leadership retreats, workplace incentives and special events.

We understand how challenging it is to find the perfect venue but our extensive knowledge in this area enables us to offer specialist advice. Whether it’s an event for 10 people or 600, we’ve done it all! As a fully licensed IATA travel agency, we’re experienced in both international and domestic conferences and trip incentives.

Testimonials from some of our clients speak for themselves: "The success of the conference was in large part due to the involvement of Conference Call from the earliest phases of planning. Their organisation of every aspect of the event was highly professional and meticulous. We were impressed with how quickly they picked up on the culture of the organisation and worked within that framework - we felt they were part of the team rather than a consultant" - St George Bank “I found their level of expertise to be very professional and personalised.

There is nothing that is too difficult for them to accomplish and they were very accommodating with any requests given to them. Our event was very successful” - Optus "The team at Conference Call have an excellent understanding of Pirtek’s needs and expectations and they have never pointed us in the wrong direction! That is why Pirtek keep going back to Conference Call year after year. Pirtek highly recommends, without hesitation, the services of Conference Call".

- Pirtek Fluid Systems Pty Ltd

not a time to cut corners Current competitive market conditions have stretched most companies to the limit and efficiency is the order of the day.

However, unlike other expenditures which can often afford to be cut back, in business, safety must always stand front and centre – no matter how tight the company belt.

That said, there is still the reality of operating under new, more stringent, circumstances. Longer shifts, fewer hands on deck and increased competition for critical resources poses real challenges for every part of operations in an organisation, including Occupational Health and Safety (OHS).

However, according to the experts, there’s no reason why the increased efficiency needed in an environment of budgetary constraints can’t go hand in hand with OHS best practice.

It’s a matter of learning how – literally.

Kester Brown is a director of Development Solutions, and specialises in Environmental and OHS management training across all industries. He is a training partner with the Training and Improvement Solutions division of SAI Global, a Registered Training Organisation which specialises in management systems training and certification.

He says that one side effect of the shift from a period of strong economic growth to the recent recession, has been the inadvertent duplication of OHS systems across single organisations, as disparate systems were either cobbled together or unnecessarily replicated across different sites to keep up with rapid growth.

Now we’re seeing the aftermath of unsustainable rapid growth, he believes that some close attention to proper scoping and streamlining can deliver not only bottom line benefits but, more importantly, a real reduction in OHS risk.

“I have seen a lot of unnecessarily complex systems that could be simplified with help from appropriate training in understanding and implementing OHS management systems,” he says.

According to Brown, these unwieldy systems not only drain resources at a time when every hour and every dollar counts,

they also present other critical risks.

“Without a comprehensive, properly scoped OHS management system that effectively addresses the core business processes concerned, there’s a real risk of overlooking important areas of compliance and due diligence related to corporate risks, statutory and regulatory commitments; as well as wasting time and money on unnecessary monitoring and measuring that may be applicable to one site or operation, but doesn’t translate across to another,” says Kester Brown.

And, says Brown, professional training is an increasingly popular way to ensure that individuals are competent to manage OHS systems that meet both due diligence and productivity requirements.

In particular, he’s seen a recent surge in demand for safety based qualifications and group training delivered on-premise.

“Because in-house training is a costeffective way to ensure employees are equipped to handle health and safety risks, businesses can more quickly develop safety management capabilities in their daily operations,” he explains. “If the training is industry-specific too, it can be more easily translated and applied to the context of that organisation and thus deliver an immediate return on investment which is what clients are really looking for right now.,” Alan Clarke is another OHS specialist with lengthy experience across a range of sectors. As a consultant for SAI Global’s Training and Improvement Solutions division, he has extensive first hand knowledge of the workings of OHS management systems.

“If a company has reduced employee numbers and is working at a critical minimum then the imperative to keep those employees healthy, safe and working productively is stronger than

ever. Of course, safety is a legal priority, but the bottom line is that there is also less opportunity to substitute under these conditions,” he says.

“A large percentage of accidents in the workplace result from failure in the system of work. In fact, for every direct dollar lost through a workplace accident, there are another seven to ten indirect dollars to account for, dollars that go toward things like increased worker’s compensation premiums, replacement with less experienced people and so on.

The best type of training therefore not only concentrates on OHS hazards and risks, but on the OHS systems themselves and how to develop them effectively.”

Further, he says, ensuring through ongoing training that systems are properly maintained and improved also offers another competitive advantage.

“Companies that offer good training attract and retain better workers. So now more than ever is a time when they can set their business apart and make it as appealing as possible to the best personnel available.”

Finally, and on a salutary note, both Clarke and Brown point out that, while economic times may have changed, OHS liabilities for companies and their executives have not.

“Times may be tough, but if approached intelligently and with the right training, there are real opportunities to improve systems and safety to see immediate benefits,” says Kester Brown.

As a Registered Training Organisation, SAI Global offers comprehensive OHS management system public and in-house training in all major metropolitan areas.

Courses, from introductory level to Advanced Diploma level, are structured around the requirements of the nationally recognised AS/NZS 4801 Standard for Occupational Health and Safety and are in line with state and federal legislation. For more information on these courses and more, visit www.saiglobal.com/training and download the newly released Jan-Jun 2010 Training Calendar or call 1300 727 444.

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the

Australian wellness and spa industry in 2009

Australasian Spa Association’s Karen Goudge explores this new thriving marketplace.

T

he spa industry is now a global and extremely viable industry. The 2008 Global Spa Economy report showed the estimated global revenue to be $US194 billion for spa-related hospitality, tourism and real estate.

When related services such as beauty, nutrition and fitness were factored in, the wellness market exceeds $1 trillion worldwide.

Australia is a newcomer to the spa industry in the scheme of things, but in 2007 Australia was already the 15th largest spa country, with 674 spas generating $0.44 billion and employing

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6938 people. The diversity of the spa industry is spread itself to all regions of the country, offering a variety of contrasting experiences.

The high quality of hotel and day spas within the capital cities lures local, interstate and international markets.

In the regional areas, it is the spa retreat and natural spring bathing that is making its mark in Victoria. In regional areas, the spa retreat is often positioned within easy access to golf courses, wineries, walking trails, local gastronomic experiences as well as other leisure activities.

wellness industry outlook

Australia offers unique spa experiences due to the diversity and contrasting environments of its terrain. One can relax with a massage on a private island, take a rejuvenating experience in the snow fields, a body scrub with a view of the desert in central Australia, a facial in the Daintree, or soak away in a 36-degree natural spring in the great outdoors.

The health and fitness industries are a growing blend with spa in Australia.

Gym’s across Australia are embracing the benefits of a combined fitness and spa experience. The business becomes a one stop shop for patrons, where they truly come out looking and feeling their best.

The largest of the spa health retreats are found in the warmer climates of Queensland with smaller options being

available in other states. No matter what their size though, it is skill, knowledge and passion that owners and managers of these spas, hotels, health retreats, resorts, or natural springs, bring to their business.

The intent and quality of the products used in therapies and treatments offered is always considered with great care. It is in making an individual point of difference within a product range or a signature treatment, which makes all the difference to ensuring repeat custom many spas across Australia are now currently experiencing.

As the spa industry within Australia continues to grow, it is clear we are set to see only greater varieties of experiences and a higher quality of service being delivered. So, spa on!

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wellness industry outlook

Latest Research on the Global Spa Industry Intelligent Spas’ Managing Director, Julie Garrow, reveals a snapshot of the newly released global spa industry report and what it means for businesses in the Australasian region.

I

ntelligent Spas’ first-ever Global Spa Benchmark Report confirmed the spa industry is not immune to the affects of the global financial crisis with operators receiving 13 percent less visits in 2008 compared to their original forecasts, although revenue achieved was 8.5 percent higher than expected. Predictions for 2009 revenue and employment have been revised down by 9.4 percent and 15 percent respectively, however the outlook for 2010 is more positive with all major regions predicting increases in average revenue and visits per spa.

Australian Versus Regional and Global Spa Benchmarks •T he average spa treatment rate achieved by spas globally in 2008 was USD90. Europe achieved the highest rate of USD111 and Asia-Pacific received the lowest average rate of USD77. Australian spas average spa treatment rate was 14 percent higher than the Asia Pacific average rate.

• The average size of a spa facility was 788 square metres (8,487 square feet) and spas contained nine treatment rooms on average. In comparison, 12

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Australian spas were 272 square metres with 7.5 treatment rooms on average.

• Employees per spa averaged 22.9, with the Americas averaging the most (33.8) and Europe the fewest (13.6). 14.8 staff were employed in Australian spas in 2008.

• 50 percent of total spa revenue was spent on salaries, bonuses and employee benefits, 9 percent on operations/maintenance, four percent on marketing and management and two percent on training. In Australia, 55 percent of revenue was spent on salaries, bonuses and employee benefits.

• Across the globe, the day spa guest has become a critical target market for hotel and resort spas with 38 percent of total spa visits at hotel spas coming from local residents and other tourists not staying at that hotel. In Europe and the Middle East/

Africa, just 53 percent percent of hotel spa visits were from in-house guests. 57 percent of spa visits at Australian hotel and resort spas were from in-house guests.

• The region with the largest percentage of outsourced spas (using a management company) was the Americas at 32 percent, almost three times higher than the other three regions. Four percent of Australian spas that responded to the survey were operated by a management company.

• All regions are expecting decreases in average annual revenue per spa during 2009, however the outlook for 2010 is brighter with all regions expecting growth between eight percent and 32 percent. Australian spas are forecasting a 14 percent drop in annual revenue during 2009, however expect a 26 percent increase during 2010.

Australian Spa Industry Review Intelligent Spas’ new Australia Spa Benchmark Report highlights total industry revenue grew by 292 percent since 2002, with Australian spas collectively generating 570 million dollars in 2008. The report contains over 1,000 statistics including a collection of historical data from 2005 to 2008 and forecasts for 2009 and 2010.

Over 4.1 million spa visits were recorded

by Australian spas in 2008 representing a

wellness industry outlook

of business intelligence is critical in a competitive market place and essential in economic downturns.

The new Australia Spa Benchmark Report is available for purchase from www.IntelligentSpas.com.

About the research

growth of 108 percent over the previous six years. Employment also grew by 215 percent during the same period and the industry now employs almost 9,000 people.

This latest spa industry research identified interesting changes in the Australian spa industry which is essential information to help spa owners and managers control their business direction. Spa numbers have grown by a significant 175 percent since 2002 and this has substantially diluted annual average revenue per spa which fell by 33 percent between 2005 and 2008. This trend is forecast to continue with a 20 percent drop predicted between 2008 and 2009, then spa owners and managers expect a potential plateau with a 5 percent drop

in average revenue per spa between 2009 and 2010.

Revenue sources have also changed in the last couple of years. The proportion of total revenue received from sales of multiple treatment packages, waterbased treatments and body treatments decreased between 2007 and 2008.

The proportion of revenue which spas received from retail and merchandise increased by 2 percent, whereas sales of gift certificates dropped by 2 percent.

Spa owners and managers may use industry research to compare their business’ performance against the industry averages. This enables them to identify their strengths and weaknesses and make timely adjustments to regain and maintain competitiveness. The use

Intelligent Spas' Spa Benchmark Program is currently underway in over 60 countries and aims to produce reliable and comparable statistics to help spas maximise their performance, provide business intelligence to assist other organisations to better understand, service and support the spa industry plus generate greater awareness of the spa industry to increase spa visits. Intelligent Spas’ research in Australia continues and survey respondents receive a free report of the full survey results plus additional benchmarking tables and information which are not available for sale - spas may register to participate at www.IntelligentSpas.com.

Julie Garrow is managing director of Intelligent Spas, the only 100 per cent independent research company which publishes a range of spa operations manuals and spa benchmark reports to empower spa owners, suppliers and supporters to maximise performance. Visit www.IntelligentSpas.com to review the latest list of publications available or email Julie@IntelligentSpas.com or telephone +65 6248 4736 for more information.

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Health One Australia offers the complete 360 degrees of corporate wellness and with their extensive experience will successfully implement health and fitness into your organisation.

It is clearly evident that an employees’ health and fitness will impact upon their productivity and effectiveness within the organisation, however introducing a corporate wellness facility and program can often appear to big of a project, too time consuming or too expensive.

Benefits to the individual of a Corporate Fitness /Wellness Program: • Increase in physical health and fitness • Reduce stress and anxiety • Reduce the risk of chronic disease • Increase self confidence

Benefits to an Organisation of Corporate Fitness / Wellness Program: • Reduce absenteeism • Increased productivity • Reduce workers compensation and rehabilitation costs • Improve employee health practices and behavior • Reduce employee turnover • Retain and attract employees • Reduce stress and anxiety

Organisations have recognized these trends and identified a number of benefits that can be associated with corporate health programs and facilities within the workplace.

A recent Medibank Private study found that employees with poor health behaviors have up to 9 times the annual sickness absence of healthy individuals (18 days compared to 2 days per year). Furthermore this study identified that healthy employees completed 143 effectives hours of work per month compared to only 49 of those with unhealthy behaviors. This indicates that healthy employees complete more than double the effective hours of work than those with unhealthy behaviors.

“On average, every dollar spent on workplace health generates approximately five dollars in savings from reduced absenteeism, improved productivity and lower workers' compensation costs” (Dr Lang, President of the Health & Productivity Institute of Australia).

Evidence suggests that the return on investment for organisations who engage in corporate health is substantial.

As the prevalence of obesity and chronic disease increases within our society and people become more time poor, the role of Corporate Wellness programs are becoming an integral part of attracting and retaining good staff, maximizing employee productivity and achieving organisational objectives.

look at the health of your company

Looking for that competitive advantage:

Engagement is the biggest factor inhibiting the success of workplace health programs What is effective engagement and how is it measured?

Engagement should only be measured when employees are actively involved in the communication process. This includes regular face to face contact, phone conversations or personalised emails that are responded to. Effective engagement does not include generic emails, faxes and left messages.

If a company has 20% engagement in a program – who makes up that 20%?

Commonly, it is those who are already looking after themselves! Most workplace health initiatives struggle to make an impact on those who need it most - the other 80%. The greater the impact into that 80% – the better the chances of a positive bottom line impact for the organisation.

What is the optimal frequency of contact to be effective?

Research has shown that when a

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Be wary - results related to workplace health programs often don’t include the total workforce - and are presented in a way that distorts the figures.

Some programs measure engagement as ‘participating in one activity over a 12 month period’

message is read or heard once, 66% of that message is lost within the first 48 hours – and practically out of mind within 30 days. However, a message heard or read repeatedly over a period of time increases the amount that is able to be recalled. Therefore the frequency of engagement is critical to our chances of success in achieving positive behaviour change.

Behaviour change. The next step on from engagement.

Effective engagement is the precursor to getting positive behaviour change results. In order to get the best outcomes a program needs to target the whole population, not just the select few that sign up.

Start with getting engagement right.

Then focus on behaviour change. When that’s achieved, positive return on investment will flow.

Health by Design produce industry high engagement results ranging from 60-100% across all their programs, regardless of the industry.

Subsequently, behaviour change results average 64% of the total workforce population across all programs.

Further information Call Health by Design on 1300 304 068 or visit www.healthbydesign.com.au

fitness news

Tax breaks for gym goers

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he release of the Preventative Health Task Force proposal to provide regular gym goers with a tax break revealed Australians will be finally rewarded for good behaviour.

The National Health Preventative Taskforce released four discussion papers: and one of the proposals offered rebates on gym membership and to subsidise weight management programs. Gym goers will be required to produce attendance records in order to claim the tax breaks.

The United States has the biggest proportion of overweight people in the industrialised world — with nearly two thirds of adults overweight or obese — but experts say the ranks are swelling the fastest in Australia, where obesity rates among adults have almost quadrupled over the last 25 years.

Director of Pure Health Clubs Marina Perry-Kuhn backed the government tax break policy. She believed with excessive weight gain approaching epidemic proportions here in

Australia, it is critical the government take a serious stance to reduce this health problem.

"About 50 per cent of Australia’s adult population are overweight, this is an issue of growing concern to the community, in particular the medical and medical insurance implications,” Perry-Kuhn said.

"More needs to be done to ensure exercise is available and affordable for all. With the hype about the global financial crisis, many people are holding onto their pennies, but a tax break for those willing to commit to exercise and healthy living would possibly encourage Australians to stay fitter and healthier.

“This will have the added benefit of lessening the load on the medical insurance and Medicare system, as we would be a healthier community as a whole.”

Perry-Kuhn revealed with heart disease and diabetes related illnesses straining our health system, it is the preventable, lifestyle-based illnesses

we need to immediately tackle.

“In doing so means lives will be saved and drastically reduce the strain on medical resources," she said.

Perry-Kuhn suggested a tax break for regular attendees was the key, because simply joining a gym was not the same as regularly attending, so the distinction raised by the report is a valid one.

“Too often people simply make ‘donations’ to a club, and never achieve their health and wellbeing goals,” Perry-Kuhn said.

“This is why we recommend people find a form of exercise they truly enjoy because it really needs to be a lifestyle change.”

Tax breaks for exercise are a step in the right direction and can encourage people to be active, but Perry-Kuhn believed education is the key. “Learning, understanding and implementing healthy lifestyle habits is the only way to ensure long term success.”

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The ‘rolling’ Ins and Outs of footwear

By Nick Mifsud

“We are... a nation of various widths, not only in body but in feet! There are narrow and long, short and fat and all sizes in between.”

B.App.Sci.(Human Movement) Technical Representative - Brooks

There is a great deal to be said about the use of appropriate footwear for sports in particular running.

Over time we have evolved into a species that can no longer travel barefoot without pain and soreness.

Footwear has become an integral part of our lives and it is safe to say it is something many of us take for granted. If we all take the time to calculate how often we stand or walk or run each day it quickly places into perspective the need for appropriate footwear and more importantly appropriate fitting footwear.

At Brooks we look at our performance shoes with the following criteria: • Cushioning • Support • Fit (width) • Durability The average runner is said to place approximately 3-4 times their body weight through their foot upon impact, so in the instance of an 80kg male it is at least 240kg of force through the foot and ankle.

The walker places their full body weight through each step. The healthy guidelines set out by medical professionals are that we should be walking 10,000 steps per day, this equates into a large amount of stress being placed through our feet and ankle.

Biomechanically speaking it is very rare to find the “perfect” foot type; there is also an extremely large variety of complications with the biomechanics in the foot. These biomechanics can jeopardize the body and its efficiency in dealing with impact stresses from daily activities. Issues such as pronation, Supination and flat feet are just the tip of the iceberg when talking about foot

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problems. In some cases these problems can be developed through mis-alignment of the foot during growth. Factors such as poor durability of midsole, minimal cushioning, incorrect fit, incorrect lacing of shoes and the use of inappropriate posting techniques will all play a part in the footwear either being beneficial or detrimental to the wellbeing of foot biomechanics.

We are also a nation of various widths, not only in body but in feet! There are narrow and long, short and fat and all sizes in between. So we need to look at accommodating for all. Width can play a part in the small things like the burning sensation on the outside of your forefoot or even the foot falling asleep…

Once all of the above features are met to the highest standards you are then faced with the issue of it feeling great in the store but will it last??

At Brooks we have made a concerted effort to provide the most durable footwear on the market. To do that we need to test and test and test again so all of our benefits give you the best value for your money and last! We suggest you will get 800-1000km of running out of your shoes and you will be getting all of the benefits stated above too. And it’s not a sales pitch it’s just the way it is.

Even if you only consider yourself a social runner or walker, it is still important to exercise in the best possible footwear.

Elite runners are exposed to the same forces and share the same basic needs as the social runner. So why should you settle for anything less?

We recommend that when shopping for any athletic footwear, you seek the assistance of an informed retailer or medical practioner to ensure that you get the best shoe for your needs. So you can Run (and or walk) happy.

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Burasari Resort The Hidden Luxury in Patong Burasari Resort, the only Special Hotel of the World on exciting Patong Beach and Phuket’s top dining destination. Hotel provides you luxurious accommodations, excellent service and the location for celebrity TV Chef Keith Floyd renowned Brasserie, and the deluxe Spa by Burasari with a wonderful selection of special treatments.

Among Patong’s many hotels, Burasari stands out for its own-of-a-kind, uniquely designed interiors. Our 186 rooms offer an incredibly wide selection of room types, styles and prices ranges with our Classic, Premier Collection, Elite Collection and Mood Collection rooms.

Catering to a range of tastes, our room range from the handcrafted elegance of traditional Thai style, to the minimalist chic of contemporary Thai style, to the extraordinary exuberance of our new Mood Collection Rooms – a unique collection of nine individually themed rooms, custom designed to express a whole range of moods, from serene to social, romantic to artistic. Our vividly designed Mood Collection Rooms capture imagination and create a memorable holiday experience unlike the typical beach hotel. Burasari’s stylish rooms offer something to everyone, no matter what your style, budget or preference.

Floyd’s Brasserie, Phuket’s top dining destination No trip to Phuket is complete without a delicious meal at world-famous Floyd’s.

Burasari’s star attraction is Floyd’s Brasserie, the one and only restaurant of the world owned by world-famous celebrity chef Keith Floyd.

Beloved by millions of fans for his over 20 TV programs, 25 cookbooks and flamboyant personality, the celebrity chef offers the best of fine dining in Phuket. His personally selected menu features classic European favourites 22

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such as Fresh Lobster Thermidor, juicy steak Tournedos Rossini topped with melt-in-yourmouth Foie Gras, offering Thai food with his own signature twist. His love of Thai food and culture led him to establish a restaurant here. Floyd’s Brasserie has created a fine dining experience and unique ambience that draws on years on culinary experience. The theme for Floyd’s Brasserie is freshness and simplicity and diners will be delighted by the experience.

Spa by Burasari Enter our haven from the hustle and bustle surrounding and you will be enriched with a feeling of serenity and a blend of Eastern

meets Western cultures. We have created a menu of treatments to provide life enhancing experiences. Our alternative healing rituals and detoxification packages are just a taste of what we offer world weary travelers or those in need of time simply to reflect and unwind.

Facilities Aside from great style we offer so much more in terms of extra service – each room come with free daily mini-bar and free wireless internet access, plus air-conditioning, cable TV, refrigerator, hair dryer, coffee making facilities, electronic safe, IDD telephone, umbrella, beach towels and beach basket.

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Creating a work-life balance policy in your workpla ce The Work Life Association believes a healthy work-life balance policy in your workplace can help you gain control over the stresses in your life.

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executive health

Do you or someone you know ever say things like: • “I am finding it hard to juggle the demands of my job and family” • “There is no balance between my work and personal commitments” • “I don’t feel as I am doing anything as well I would like on the home and work front” • “I feel so tired. There is no time for me” If you do, you are not alone. The negative impact of work and personal demands on employees is increasingly better understood and has resulted in the creation of many family friendly work places. In these work places staff have access to flexible working conditions such as shorter working hours, not working on some days, access to more holidays and carer and parental leave.

These flexible work options make good business and personal sense. They help employees balance the changing demands of work and personal life and as a consequence boost staff morale and productivity and the reputation of the workplace as being a great place to work. Everyone wins!

When designing flexible work conditions the needs of the workplace and the needs of the employee, relevant legislation, agreements and awards need to be considered.

The success of these flexible work arrangements requires 'give and take' by employers and employees and a shared responsibility to make the arrangements work.

There are many benefits of implementing work-life balance policies. These include:

Did you know? ple will develop Each year, more than 1 in 20 peo tistic in your workplace, depression. Think about that sta sporting club or community.

Employees benefits • improved work-life balance – a reduction in the impact of work on home and family life and vice a versa.

• reduced stress levels and higher levels of well being.

• control over time management in meeting work-life commitments.

• autonomy to make decisions regarding work-life balance.

• increased focus, motivation and job satisfaction knowing that family and work commitments are being met.

• increased job security from the knowledge that an organisation understands and supports workers with family responsibilities.

As an employee you may like your work place to consider being more family friendly or accessing such conditions if they are available.

Whatever your working environment, consider how to approach your supervisor or manager to constructively discuss family friendly policies and practices.

It will be helpful if you can clarify your preferred working arrangements, how these working arrangements will benefit you and your workplace and ways to minimise any potential negative consequences. If you have a Human Resources section in your organisation, you may like to arrange a time to chat with them about family friendly policies.

Helping Yourself and Colleagues

Did you know?

50% of people with common mental health problems try to manage their symptoms with drugs or alcohol.

Recognising the symptoms - helping your colleagues A key to effectively managing your wellbeing in the workplace is noticing and discussing major changes in your own or a colleagues’ behaviours and feelings and seeking professional help when necessary.

Similarly, if colleagues tell you that they are acting in certain ways and/or have certain feelings; it is in their best

interest that you encourage them to seek professional support.

Some of these changes in actions and feelings include: • being agitated.

•n o longer talking to family and friends and generally withdrawing from others.

• becoming afraid or suspicious for no reason.

• sleeping poorly or often being awake all night.

• developing strange ideas.

• hearing voices no one else can hear.

• feeling one has special powers.

• having difficulty concentrating.

• saying or writing things that don’t make sense.

• increasing use of alcohol and/or other drugs.

Support for employees affected by the current economic downturn In these challenging times, it is important to know that there is support available for people experiencing the affects of retrenchments or financial loss.

A new beyondblue booklet – “Taking care of yourself after retrenchment or financial loss” is available to help people look after their health and wellbeing during these tough times.

This information is contains practical tips to assist people and includes details about where to get help.

For some, financial loss may mean seeking income support, for others it could mean revising retirement plans or cutting down on household spending.

Regardless of the circumstances, distress is a common and natural response to unexpected events that involve significant loss and change.

More Information Visit the Work Life Association at www.worklifeassociation.org

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Our training and adventure programs include fitness-training, lifestyle and holistic ‘well-being’ solutions along with our customised, Leadership, Management and Peak Performance programs. These programs are complemented with our treks across the challenging Kokoda Track and our range of challenges including a selection of the “World’s Greatest Adventures”.

All of our programs are tailored and individualised to suit your requirements and specific outcomes.

Kokoda Spirit Executive Leadership Challenge programs are conducted in Australia prior to leaving on your adventure and in our executive conference facilities in Port Moresby and the wild and pristine jungles and environments of Papua New Guinea and our other destinations. Our program includes an exciting opportunity to study and learn about the Leaders and Commanders on the Kokoda Track during the war and the effect their decisions actions and inactions had on the outcomes of the battles and their men.

We offer a unique combination of training programs and adventures providing exceptional training solutions to meet your organisations and personal requirements.

Corporate, Sporting and Executive Leadership Programs The Ultimate in Peak Performance, Leadership and Management Adventure Programs Our specialised training and adventure programs are amongst the most exciting and innovative Management, leadership and peak performance challenges available.

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Kokoda Spirit specialise in training any individual or group that requires advanced and stimulating training packages in a unique environment.

Our team of professionals provides you with superior management and leadership training that ensures you and your team fulfils its peak performance potential.

You will become more confident and capable, learn to think laterally and make the right decisions quickly, under pressure. Above all, you will develop superior leadership skills that will allow you to effectively and efficiently lead, manage and develop peak performance capabilities.

Our Specialised and advanced leadership and management training is designed to be tailored to meet your individual customer requirements.

Our training solutions are designed to a high standard with focus on the following key areas; Leadership principles, decision making, team building, peak performance, stress management, self-respect, self-esteem, motivation, discipline, focus, spirit, self-confidence, character building, personal development and tenacity. Our programs are highly regarded as the ultimate in peak performance training as we balance between physical, spiritual and psychological goals.

Papua New Guinea and our other adventure destinations provides a perfect background in a pristine wilderness environment, with remote villagers, friendly people, a unique and beautiful culture and a relaxed and peaceful environment.

We can also arrange some of Australia’s greatest champions and role models as guest speakers during the program.

There’s always plenty going on and it’s an environment in which it’s easy to reconnect with your core beliefs, renew

your spirit, and refocus on your goals and to make friends. The atmosphere is friendly, exciting, and full of energy and full of encouragement, so give it a go and bring a friend or a group.

Modules can be conducted for individual or group requirements.

Special programs consist of 1 day to 100 day modules, which can be run simultaneously within the same location. We cater for corporate and industry needs and special interest groups, such as Sporting Teams, Schools, Business, Security Groups, Charities and Individuals.

Give us a call on 07 5445 2758 or email Wayne Wetherall @ kokodaspirit@bigpond.com to discuss your requirements. Check out our website www.kokodaspirit.com

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creating high energy teams

T

he heart of an organisation is its people.

Highly motivated, focused and skilled teams made up of capable people can achieve great goals. Whether it be climbing the highest mountain, playing sport or at work, teamwork along with visionary leadership empower all of us to excel. From my own personal experience having led two major Australian expeditions to Mt Everest, people like being part of a successful team irrespective of what role they play.

Outdoor Insights for over twenty years has worked with corporate Australia to help people learn and grow so their full potential can be achieved. Good teamwork doesn’t happen by accident and more and more we see that behind workplace stress is a team that is not functioning at its peak. Typically many people work in isolation or in “stove-pipes”, they belong to multiple or virtual teams, quality human interaction diminishes and ultimately communication suffers. You can’t just throw people together with a tight budget and deadline and expect to have a high performing team.

All teams need to go through a four-stage process of development first identified in the 1960s by Florida State Professor Bruce Tuckman as Forming; Storming; Norming then Performing.

Through experiential learning process and dynamic scenarios, Outdoor Insights helps teams get through the first three stages. Experiential means …..“involved or based on experience’ and this is our underpinning philosophy. Experiential training is personally involving, practical and mentally stimulating. In practice it uses structured outdoor and indoor activities to provide insight and solutions for real workplace situations. Its appeal is based on the fact that it is ‘Hands-on’ and practical, challenging and fun, emotionally involving and often dramatic. It is also a great mechanism for providing opportunities for personal feedback.

Experiential training is powerful because we remember most of what we experience, unlike traditional methods such as powerpoint presentations that are often forgotten soon after the event. Outdoor Insights programs also provide the added benefit of enhancing team bonding, team spirit, a sense of belonging and a great opportunity to get to know each other outside our normal work-place patterns of behaviour.

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Walking with Attitude

has undergone a makeover!

WalkingwithAttitude.com is set to unveil their new look website, re-built from the ground up. It’s fresh, innovative and energetic. Promising to deliver it’s members an even richer, interactive experience without compromising on the personal and supportive environment it's known and loved for.

Keeping track of your steps and activity is just the tip of the iceberg; we have taken our fun, themed interactive pedometer programs to a whole new level! You can collect challenge trophies and milestones medals, share the journey with virtual walking buddies and so much more...

What you’ll love about the new site Fast, easy step logging - You can enter your pedometers steps or select an activity ie Aerobics, cycling etc... enter

the duration...and the calculator will convert it to steps... Easy as that!

Virtual Challenge Maps -View your animated progress along themed challenge maps, you can even set a a pacer or invite a walking buddy or two or three to join you Stats to knock your socks off - view steps in charts, graphs even a calendar. See your % of improvement over the weeks, best step day, best step month, yearly summary... the stats goes on.

When can you see the new look WalkingwithAttitude.com?

Mid October 2009 all will be revealed Be among the first to checkout the new and improved WalkingwithAttitude.com Looking for a flexible, engaging and affordable workplace pedometer challenge?

If you’re considering launching a workplace pedometer challenge in 2010 then there’s even more

reason to celebrate the new look WalkingwithAttitude.com. As part of our massive upgrade of Walking with Attitude, a dedicated workplace website is under construction offering the ultimate turnkey solution for your workplace.

Remember to visit www.walkingwithattitude.com mid October or call Jackie on 08 93585011 for more info.

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wellness coaching column

Appreciative inquiry WITH FIONA COSGROVE FIONA COSGROVE Corporate Wellness Coach (Mast Spts Sci, Mast Counselling)

Reflecting on the AHPM Congress for 2009 brings the realisation of just how much is going on out there in corporate Australia to try and improve the health of our people and consequently, the productivity of our businesses. Never have the words “wellness and wellbeing” been mentioned so often in a scientific platform whose main aim is to produce quantifiable data to support and justify our efforts.

And there is plenty of reason to celebrate as program results suggest that we are making inroads into this monumental task. Yet we have far to go and must constantly check whether we are heading in the right direction.

The question faced when analysing the results of any program is what our programs are achieving for the individual as well as the organisation as a whole. Do our programs appeal to people across the board, or only to a certain type of person whose readiness to change is high and who is drawn to that particular intervention through personal preference?

And what about the people who do not participate in activities on offer? Do we make them compulsory? There is no doubt that effective change is an individual journey, and one size does not fit all. How can we begin to cater for the huge variety of people’s needs in our organisation?

Certain principles of coaching psychology can help. If we understand what is needed to move people forward, we can try and provide an appropriate starting point.

The theory of appreciative inquiry brings much to the playing field of corporate health. Developed in the late 1980s by David Cooperrider and his team in the Department of Organisational Behaviour Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, appreciative inquiry (AI) moves the emphasis from focusing on the problems in an organisation(or shall we say “risk factors” in a health context) to looking for what is working well (i.e. strengths and opportunities). Initially adopted by organisations and groups, AI has now spread to many other disciplines, including wellness coaching.

Principles of appreciative inquiry—focus on the positive A simplistic summary of the theory shows that it embraces the following principles: • positive attention to the present • positive anticipation of the future • positive questions and reflections • positive conversations and interactions • positive energy and emotions … which will all result in positive actions and outcomes.

When used in a wellness coaching setting, the change process of AI works with individuals and groups and is known as the 5-D Cycle, which involves the following.

Define – the client identifies what needs to be changed and what method to adopt. What do you want and how do you want to go about getting it?

Discover – by focusing on what is working right now, particularly in the context of the desired change, the client’s energy and confidence will be strengthened. When you function at your best, what are you doing?

Dream – after discovering the best of “what is” we help clients to imagine the best of “what could be”. This is the vision stage of coaching and the part that is often missed in off–the-shelf wellness strategies.

Design – if the change that the client desires and—as envisaged by the preceding process— were to occur, what else would need to be changed to allow that to happen? What new habits would need to be adopted? What would have to happen to the environment to support the change? This stage needs to be detailed and personalised.

Destiny – what would this new way of being in the world be like? This stage allows the client to go after even bigger goals by using the

upward spiral of energy as the launching pad.

Sounds great in theory doesn’t it? How do we incorporate such a personal and detailed process into an organisation of many?

Quite simply by shifting the focus from reducing risk factors and implementing programs that allow individuals to follow the 5-D cycle for themselves. The sooner we stop treating people as clones of each other and assuming that one program will work for everyone, the sooner we will start improving health, managing stress and increasing life satisfaction—the outcomes that wellness programs boast of but rarely achieve.

By helping our people find and use their strengths, we give them the tools to progress towards their goals with confidence and without constant support. Before people stop smoking, lose weight and change their diet by adopting recommended action plans, they must reflect on what they want and why they want it. The work needs to be done upfront and the groundwork laid.

We forget the power of group interaction and how valuable support from peers can be.

One-on-one coaching does not need to be the only means for encouraging self-discovery and an understanding of what a person needs.

Workshops and other group forums work equally well and can create unexpected energy that can facilitate change.

Fiona Cosgrove has worked for many years as a university e lecturer, a life coach, a corporat a as presenter and more recently any ail wellness coach. You can e-m a@ questions you may have to fion .au fionacosgrovecoaching.com

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Benchmark you Wellness Program Welcome to Rob de Castella’s SmartStart Your Life.

After a decade winning marathons and setting world records, Rob then headed the AIS before the successful Sydney Olympic Games. Since then he has shifted his focus to helping organisations and individuals get fitter and healthier, and perform better, using the same innovative techniques and approaches he used to make him and the AIS the best in the world.

Do you want your employees to be at their best? Well now you can work with someone that has been there, and knows how to get your employees there as well. He has gathered an experienced and exciting team of experts to work with him helping organisations like yours put in place corporate health and wellness programs that deliver results.

The world today Today we live in a world with record levels of obesity and sedentary living, over consumption of ‘entertainment foods’ and high levels of stress. These things combine to produce massive health problems such as cardio vascular disease, diabetes, kidney failure, cancer, depression and more.

Not only is it possible to avoid all these problems, but your employees can enhance their personal satisfaction, happiness and performance. Isn’t this really what life should be about?

Today’s demands make it harder than ever before to perform at work while finding time and energy to look after ourselves and spending ‘quality time’ with family and friends.

SmartStart can help your employees identify their wellness priorities, barriers and strengths, and integrate these to make significant and lasting positive change to their lives, both at work and at home.

Why invest in wellness?

A well designed and delivered fitness and wellness program will deliver the following results for your organisation: 32

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• Increased staff performance • Reduced absenteeism • L ess time wasted at work, “presenteeism” • Fewer lost time incidents • Reduced workers compensation claims and premiums • Better risk management • A safer workplace • An employer of choice • Better employee retention • A communicative and cheerful teamwork environment

What SmartStart does Assessments & screening SmartStart programs usually start with a screening and benchmarking process to determine strengths, weaknesses and priorities. Over the last ten years, SmartStart has benchmarked over 45,000 assessments around Australia and overseas. This process also increases organisational and individual ownership of the program and the issues. Our screenings are holistic (covering all aspects of work and life) and focus on both the individual and the organisation. Analysis is used regularly to evaluate and fine-tune the program.

• Lifestyle, attitudes and behaviours survey and screening

• P hysical capacity and fitness, body composition, cardio respiratory fitness, flexibility, strength, muscular endurance, functional coordination • Health and wellness screening, cholesterol, glucose, BP • Work/Life balance • GeneElite DNA testing, analysis and lifestyle modifications Follow up programs & interventions • Organisational wellness plans o Monthly themes o Regular activities o Facility design and equipment o Individual wellness plans and counselling for high risk individuals • Individual and groups fitness and activity sessions o Including walking, yoga, boxing, self defence, team games and more o Conducted at your work site • Educational workshops, seminars and newsletters o Nutrition, healthy cooking, exercise basics, stress management, financial planning o Confidential counselling for high risk individuals • Corporate and individual challenges and rewards.

DNA and Gene Testing SmartStart offers the very latest technology (gene analysis) to help

advertorial

“ Today’s demands make it harder than ever before to perform at work while finding time and energy to look after ourselves and spending ‘quality time’ with family and friends.”

•A void and manage injury – to know is to be prepared.

• Design your wellbeing and health around your DNA and gene analysis.

• Develop a life plan to get results.

• Expert consultants to lead activity sessions and educate you and your team.

• I f you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it. Let us measure your organisation’s health & wellness, deliver a program, and benchmark its improvement.

Issues to consider identify an individual’s personal gene profile. Using a simple cheek swab, we have fifteen of the most significant health and fitness genes analysed to ensure that your nutrition, exercise and recovery program suits your genetic profile.

The genes cover body fat metabolism, muscle and tissue development, recovery and nutrition. The ‘expression’ (the way the genes affect you) of all fifteen genes can be modified by lifestyle changes. You don’t need to guess any longer – let SmartStart design a program for your employees.

• Work/Life balance is one of the greatest challenges facing the busy executive.

How do I fit it all in? Let us show you techniques to find the right balance.

•W hat you eat effects how you feel, how you perform and how you look.

Find out what foods you should be eating, and when.

Summary ser vices •C onfidential and private lifestyle, physical and health assessments.

• Assessments done on site • Calculate your Cardiac and Injury risk.

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Brain training can be life changing It has become the new “must do” for people wanting to stay sharp as they age, or improve their memory or mathematical ability. But the right type of brain training can actually be life changing. An extract from the diary of a manager using the Brain Trainers™ happiness exercises shows how just one exercise can make a difference.

Terry’s diary About Brain Training The fascinating study of neuroplasticity explains how you literally “change your mind” in response to every experience, thought and action. Not only are your beliefs, perceptions and views changed, but your brain’s physical structure is also changed.

Your 100 billion neurons are like branches reaching out and continuously connecting with each other.

When you experience or learn something for the first time, a new set of neurons connect. When you repeat it, these neurons strengthen their connection with every repetition. “Neurons that fire together wire together” and build a pathway that is more easily repeated, hence practice makes perfect.

Research shows that “acting charitably” by doing things for others triggers activity in a specific part of the brain associated with feelings of wellbeing. Brain Trainers™ are exercises that switch on the parts of the brain associated with wellbeing and switch off the parts of the brain associated with stress, worry and unhappiness. Each card contains a piece of research on the brain and a practical activity to realise the benefits.

Act Now Take control of your own wellbeing by using the Brain Trainers™ happiness exercises to train your brain.

One card per week for 52 weeks will cultivate lasting health and fitness for your mind.

“Pay it Forward” tip: Buy a family member, a friend or your team members the Brain Trainers™ happiness exercises for Christmas and change someone’s life in 2010. Visit www.brain-trainers.com.

“Neurons that fire together wire together.”

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Monday 7.00am Monday is a good day to start getting serious about my wellbeing so I’ll start the Brain Trainers™ happiness exercises today. It might be a challenge because I know I’ll have a stack of emails in my inbox and a schedule that doesn’t even give me time to sneeze!

It’s amazing how just thinking about it increases my stress levels!

Enough of that. The first card is “Pay It Forward” and it explains that I can improve my wellbeing by NOT focusing on myself, but by focusing on the needs of others. With a schedule like I have today I seriously doubt whether I will have the time to do this but I’ll give it a go.

Monday 12.30pm OK I’ve had a win! Sarah looked stressed out this morning so I offered to take her comments to a meeting we were both supposed to attend so she could use the time to get on top of her workload. I wish someone would do that for me! But that’s not the point, I’m paying it forward. I have to admit it felt really good to do something that made such a difference to her. She was so grateful that when I got out of the meeting I had lunch waiting on my desk. So we both won because I wouldn’t have had time to get to the shop today.

Wednesday 6.00pm I think I’ve been doing at least 5 “Pay it Forwards” a day. Some to workmates who could do with a hand, some to friends who just appreciate a “hi”, and some to total strangers who I normally wouldn’t notice because I am too caught up in my own stuff. It sounds crazy but I am starting to feel different. I guess this is what Brain Trainers™ is all about. The cards are like a personal trainer looking at me every morning and reminding me to keep making the effort. I can almost feel my 100 billion neurons firing! I feel very positive.

Saturday 9.00am It’s amazing how focusing on others seems to get rid of your own stress. Last night I knew it would make Julie happy if I came home before 6pm at least once this week so I could help her with the kids. It was worth it just to see the look on her face when I walked through the door. The thing I realised was that staying an extra hour at work never seemed to make a real difference anyway.

The work is still there in the morning and sometimes “sleeping on it” solves the problems anyway. It was so much more worthwhile being with my kids and my wife. The stress of the day just melted away and Julie was really cheerful all night. I know I’m just at the beginning of really training my brain but I am convinced it will make a difference and I can’t wait.

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The GObookings Solution It’s almost 10 years since Australian software developers GObookings worked with wellness and fitness service providers and their clients to develop an innovative online multiaccess appointment management solution. GObookings are now well established and recognised as the leading enterprise level appointment management system for the Australian corporate wellness industry.

GObookings provide the nexus between wellness service providers and their clients, providing secure interfaces for real-time monitoring of services uptake and reporting. GObookings Product Development Manager Executive Director Philip Miller said “We are receiving feedback from wellness service providers indicating many clients in both Australia and NZ now insist on GObookings being part of the service package.”

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GObookings users include small and large businesses, universities, hospitals, corporations and government. To comply with security processes, the entire system is protected by 256/128 bit SSL encryption. The overall administrator of the system can create permission based multi-level password access to customisable interfaces for the various parties.

The setup process is simple. The service provider list their wellness services on their secured GObookings online system enabling the client/staff to view availability online and book services in real-time.

Services booked are confirmed by way of printable confirmation/receipt page and email. In addition to email reminders an SMS reminder can be sent. Philip said it has been reported to GObookings in some instances the SMS reminders are reducing the no-shows by up to 50%.

There are other great features available such as; group session bookings, smartphone access, option for attaching PDFs to the confirmation and reminder emails along with the ability to cancel, reschedule and create recurring appointments.

Time date stamped case notes can be made by wellness service provider staff and through real-time monitoring interfaces, both the client and the service provider can see exactly what is happening at any particular moment.

Philip said “the system is cost-effective, requires no downloads and is easy to implement.”

You will find more information and contact details at www.gobookings.com.au

health software

the

online health management revolution

You say you want a revolution Well, you know We all want to change the world (© Lennon / McCartney)

Part 1: The ammunition Does the gathering momentum of online health management services represent a health delivery revolution? Dr Michael McCoy answers the question.

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f the revolution is going to be successful in changing the corporate wellness world, it must provide your organisation and

staff with the right ammunition. A wellequipped online health management service can deliver results at an employee and organisational level that no other type of corporate health program can.

The medium of delivery—the internet— can be revolutionary because it allows

the service: • to be delivered to employees in multiple workplaces—no matter how near or far—or to their homes, or wherever they might find themselves on the road • to reach 20,000 employees or more, just as easily as 20 • to be free of bookings or schedules because it is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The content can be revolutionary because:

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• self-managed behaviour change programs deliver interventions to employees that actually improve their health • interactive applications such as meal and activity planners personalise services for every employee • self-reported health risk assessment (HRA) tools benchmark and re-assess individual and organisation-wide health status.

The cost of delivery can be revolutionary because: • it is low in comparison to onsite service delivery, particularly in light of the ability for each employee to use the service as often as they like • it is turned into an investment if the service demonstrates a significant return to the organisation through the better health and productivity of employees.

No other type of corporate wellbeing service offers the ability to benchmark the health of your staff organisationwide, to identify where to focus your efforts for greatest return on investment, to deliver a tailored solution to the diverse health needs of your staff across multiple and frequent interactions, and to demonstrate real health outcomes with a real associated return on investment.

But, a word of caution about all this talk of revolution. I say such services “can be” revolutionary because—like all goods and services—not all services are created equal. So let’s investigate the necessary ingredients of a successful online health management program, as well as the claims about what they can deliver.

The ammunition You say you got a real solution Well, you know We’d all love to see the plan There are two layers to an effective online health management program. The first layer is the service that is delivered to your staff, while the second provides the necessary organisational support for your HR or OH&S team to maximise the effectiveness of the program within your workplace(s).

For your employees An engaging and effective wellness program—whether delivered online or 38

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not— must provide a solution to an individual employee’s health needs. While this might seem self-evident, it can be all too easy to assume a program achieves this, but another thing altogether to actually deliver it.

Perhaps the most telling illustration of this is the mistake of focusing on the HRA as the centrepiece of an online health management plan (or, for that matter, focusing on any method of assessment as the centrepiece of any health management plan). The HRA is still vitally important to the success of the program, but unless the program intervenes to improve employee health, the value of measurement is much less than it should be.

There is a weight of research and real-world evidence that indisputably demonstrates that simply identifying health risks is, in most cases, not enough to motivate people to change the lifestyle behaviours that have led to those risks.

For a few people, risk identification will motivate change. But many more of those at risk are already well aware that their health could benefit from some change.

Most people need a structured plan that will help them achieve that change. After all, they have spent their whole lives developing the lifestyle that has brought them to their current state of health.

A program that delivers nothing more than an HRA and static content is not enough, even if that content has been matched to a person’s profile based on their HRA results. Because in the

same way that the HRA merely confirms what they already knew about the risks to their health, static content only tells them what they already knew about the health behaviours they should be living.

They’ve heard before about the benefits of healthy eating and regular physical activity, or about the risks of smoking or heavy alcohol consumption. What they need is ongoing support to make changes to their lifestyle and then maintain those changes.

In short, when it comes to chronic, lifestyle-related illnesses such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease or obesity, people will achieve no physiological improvement in their health without first achieving behavioural improvement in their health. People need a stepby-step guide to not only what they need to know, but how to make all that information relevant to their own circumstances.

There are a number of different models of health behaviour change programs, but by far the most widely adopted is that of Prochaska and Di Clementei.

Called the Stages of Change, or Trans-theoretical Model, it has undergone many revisions and refinements since it was first proposed as a model to assist with smoking cessation.

Further revisions are necessary to adapt the Stages of Change model for delivery via an online medium. But, when effective, the model provides each participant with a behavioural and motivational framework, which increases

health software

the probability of their implementing the changes in their lifestyle to enable them to target their personal risk factors and optimise their wellbeing.

In other words, these programs provide an ongoing solution to your employees’ health. Such an approach delivers very much more than a risk assessment and some targeted articles.

Self-managed behaviour change programs, and the success they can bring, give your organisation the opportunity to not only benchmark the health of your employee population, but also to deliver change in the health of your employees, measure and report on that change, and establish a return on investment based on the productivity improvements related to those health changes.

For your organisation The great strength of delivering wellbeing services in a workplace setting is the structure that setting provides in program promotion. There’s not much that is revolutionary about supporting a health management program with an organisation-wide service promotional

strategy—but that doesn’t mean it always happens.

Perhaps the two main advantages of the online medium in the delivery of this organisation-wide support are in service customisation and service reporting. The service your organisation receives can be customised to carry your organisation’s brand and design characteristics. It can be customised to ensure that data collection can be segmented according to specific workplace requirements along geographic or job description criteria.

It can also be customised to allow the website to act as the central hub for the integrated promotion of all aspects of your organisation’s program, no matter how many providers are involved.

That customisation, combined with an effective promotional program and the necessary tools to privately and securely collect health information from your employees, provides an unparalleled capacity to deliver comprehensive organisation-wide reports on program uptake and participation, as well as program outcomes.

As noted earlier, in combination with the

key elements of an Ammunition for your employees: the program effective online health management t tools Assessment /data managemen > General HRA > Disease-specific risk assessments nals/diaries > Other calculators, charts and jour programs Self-managed behaviour change eating (e.g. weight management, healthy > For those at low or moderate risk regular activity) d glucose ors (e.g. smoking cessation, bloo > For those with specific risk fact management, back care) . training for fun runs, triathlons) > For the already well engaged (e.g Interactive applications lised weekly meal plans > Meal planner to create persona lised workouts > Activity planner to create persona Engagement behavior change program specific > Email newsletters—general and provide endent auto-prompted emails to > Participation-specific, time-dep another layer of interaction Content library > Health and wellbeing articles ner) images, integrated with activity plan > Exercise library (still and video grated with meal planner) > Recipe library (still images, inte

potential to actually intervene and deliver a health outcome for each employee, this capacity of an online service to collect consistent and reliable data at low cost is at the centre of the health management revolution. Not only do you get a snapshot of the health of your employee population, you also get a moving picture of how successfully the program delivers improvements in the health of your employee population.

Ammunition for your employees: the key elements of an effective online health management program Customisation > Branding and design (to highlight your organisation’s commitment) > Promotional content (for participation incentives and other services) > Booking system (for onsite services) > Versioning of services (client type and geographic locale) Hosting and maintenance > Distribution project for scale and international reach Reporting > De-identified populationwide data showing risk identification and program outcomes > Employee health audits (detailed reviews of the incidence of all risk factors, stratified by gender, age and workplace) Promotion > To participants and nonparticipants > Incentive programs to drive and reward participation Service integration > Service eligibility and triage (the potential to target levels of intervention to levels of risk) > Central data repository (the secure storage and maintenance of your organisation’s data)

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Effective intervention and reliable assessment of that intervention: that is something truly unique to online corporate health management programs.

Part 2: The results You tell me it’s the institution Well, you know You better free your mind instead Despite the many benefits of the medium of service delivery, it is worthwhile to forget for a moment that the service is delivered online and just focus on what results it can deliver.

There are a multitude of drivers behind the delivery of a workplace wellbeing program, including being perceived as an employer of choice, aiming to increase employee loyalty and retention, providing a cost-effective service across diversely spread workplaces, aiming to improve employee health and productivity and, increasingly, delivering a quantifiable return on investment.

experience with the benefits of wearing shoes. The more experience you have, the more you will be able to differentiate what, for you, makes one shoe more attractive than another.

But most people have very little experience with online, interactive wellbeing programs. As a result, it can be difficult to know what features to look for and even more difficult to appreciate their value to your employees and your organisation.

Or perhaps the scepticism is based on a previous experience of an internet health service, whether or not it was a health management program delivered through a workplace. Most people have browsed the internet for health information and done it for free. What else do these workplace health management programs offer? And why should you need to pay for them when you can Google all the health information you want for nothing?

Whether or not delivering a quantifiable return on investment is a key criterion in your organisation, selling a program’s benefits to the CFO is often essential to getting the green light to run the program in the first place, and then renewing it at the end of the initial term. So being able to table some hard data is never going to harm your case.

Hopefully by now I have convinced you that an effective online health management program offers very much more than you can find through your web browser. That only leaves the results. The information in the following diagram is collated from more than 5000 participants who recently completed two or more Wellness Records (the fitness2live HRA).

CFOs are not the only ones who may be a little sceptical of claims of success and return on investment. After all, it has historically been difficult for providers of more traditional corporate health services to demonstrate a return.

It is provided here simply to illustrate the capacity of online services to address modifiable risk factors associated with chronic preventable and prevalent illness.

The participants were drawn from more than 30 client organisations, with an

Paradoxically, despite the fact that the medium of delivery itself is a key component in allowing online programs to show a return on investment, this scepticism can sometimes be heightened because the program is delivered online.

This generally happens for one of two reasons: a lack of experience with online programs, or a poor experience with online programs.

The lack of experience is easy to understand. Online programs haven’t been around for long. If you’re driving down the road and you see a billboard advertising a shoe, that advertising is successful partly because you have

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average of 160 days having elapsed between the completion of the first and most recent HRA. The programs were delivered to participants in workplaces with diverse businesses—white and blue collar workplaces, private and public companies, state and federal government departments—and include a combination of online and onsite services, and online services only.

For each of the nine risk factors, the graph identifies the percentage by which the incidence of that risk factor has decreased over time. Perhaps the most revealing result the graph demonstrates is the effectiveness of the behaviour change approach.

You would hope that the incidence of insufficient exercise, or unhealthy eating habits would decrease following participation in a targeted behaviour change program. But without a program specifically targeting a reduction in unhealthy alcohol consumption, the incidence of that risk factor still declined significantly.

This reinforces that if you adopt and maintain healthy exercise habits, for example, you are also likely to adopt and maintain a range of additional healthy habits at the same time. This extends the value of self-managed behaviour change programs well beyond the specific purpose they serve.

But what about the return on investment?

While it may seem logical to assume that better employee health will deliver reduced absenteeism and increased productivity, how do you put a value on that?

health software

The fundamental platform of the movement towards health management programs rather than simply health services programs is the promise of delivering a return on investment. To arrive at a return on investment, it is essential to establish the link between health and productivity.

While the delivery of health care in the USA is significantly different from the situation in Australia, there are key aspects that are transplantable. The most important of these is the establishment of the relationship between the incidence of health risk factors in a workplace population and the consequent productivity of that population.

This relatively recent focus on productivity has seen the coining of the term “presenteeism”, which is most commonly defined as reduced on-thejob productivity or job performanceii.

While the majority of research into this area derives from the USA, the link between the incidence of health risks and on-the-job productivity is universal and independent of differences in health care delivery.

In a study by Burton et al (2005ii of 28,375 employees of a national US financial services company, participants were assessed for health risks and productivity using a HRA. The HRA examined 12 risks, which included behavioural or lifestyle factors (physical activity, alcohol use, cigarette smoking), biological or health factors (blood pressure, total and HDL cholesterol, BMI), and psychological or perceptual factors (perception of health, life and job satisfaction and stress).

The authors reported that as the number of self-reported health risks increased, so did the percentage of employees reporting work limitations, with each additional risk factor being associated with a 2.4 per cent excess reduction in productivity.

Medium- risk individuals were 6.2 per cent less productive than low-risk individuals and high-risk individuals were 12.2 per cent less productive than low risk individuals.

A subset of the study outlined above involved 7062 employees who completed the HRA twice, enabling the measurement of changes in health risks and presenteeismiii. This follow-up study

found that employees who reduced their number of health risks generally saw an improvement in productivity, whereas those who increased their number of health risks or remained high-risk status saw a reduction in productivity. In this study each risk factor was associated with a change of 1.9 per cent in productivity over time.

In summary Burton’s research, which is supported by similar findings from a considerable number of other researchers, demonstrates that the productivity of each of your employees is reduced for every health risk (e.g. high blood pressure, smoking, being overweight) that affects them. The greater the number of health risks they have: • the less productive they will be • the greater the cost of that lost productivity to the employer.

The cost of lost productivity is a function of the number of health risks, their impact on the employee’s productivity and the wage of the employee. The number of risks and their relationship to productivity can be calculated by using the results of peer-reviewed, published research such as Burton’s. The wages of each employee are known within each workplace.

An effective online health management program will deliver improvements in your employee’s health and productivity.

With your help, the dollar value of those improvements can be quantified and, by comparing that saving to the cost of the program, a genuine return on investment can be calculated.

Does your current corporate health program have the capacity to deliver real change to the health of your employees?

Can they measure it? And what does it cost?

A well-armed online health management program can deliver results for your employees and your organisation that are truly revolutionary.

References i

rochaska JO, DiClemente CC. TransP theoretical therapy—toward a more integrative model of change. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice 1982;19(3):276–288.

Burton WN, Chen C, Conti DJ, et al. The association of health risks with on-thejob productivity. J Occup Environ Med.

ii

2005;47(8):769–77 iii

urton WN, Chen CY, Conti DJ, Schultz B AB, Edington DW. The association between health risk change and presenteeism change.

J Occup Environ Med. 2006:48(3):252–63

Dr Michael McCoy is a founder and the managing director of Health1st Pty Limited trading as fitness2live (F2L).

Commencing business in 2000, F2L is Australia’s first and most experienced online corporate health management company, and the only major provider of such services to develop programs entirely in Australia for Australian and New Zealand audiences.

F2L’s clients include blue-chip companies across all areas of business from IT and professional services, to government departments, to manufacturing. F2L’s online health management programs deliver quantifiable health improvements for employees and a strong return on investment for organisations, whether provided as a stand- alone service or in combination with onsite and other services.

Fully customised, hosted and maintained for all clients, F2L’s online health management programs include the greatest depth of content and the greatest breadth of selfmanaged behaviour change programs, interactive applications, HRAs and other risk assessment tools of any service available in Australia. Detailed reports are provided for all clients.

In September 2009, McKesson Asia Pacific agreed to acquire F2L. The combination of McKesson’s telephonebased health services and F2L’s web-based health services promises to deliver market-leading integrated phone and web health management programs for the Asia–Pacific region.

For further information, you can contact Mike McCoy on 03 9421 4522 or mmccoy@fitness2live.com.au

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Managing an ageing workforce

Organisations are so focused on Generation Y and how best to manage them that they are forgetting that workers over 45 years are the fastest growing sector of the workforce.

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he Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) figures show the number of older individuals working beyond the traditional retirement age has increased by almost 50 percent in three years. More than two-thirds of workers over 45 are now in work, compared with just over half a generation ago. By 2016 the number of older workers is expected to double.

equipped to meet the needs of an ageing workforce.

The increasing proportion of aged workers in the workforce brings with it significant HR and management responsibilities. What needs to be done?

Organisations need to maximise their contribution to the ageing workers to ensure that workplaces are well

Employees who work in badly established and poorly designed work environments, age at a much faster rate than those employed in organisations with the appropriate strategies in place. The longer they spend in these high risk situations the more likely the risk of injury and disability.

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The impact of age It is important to understand the impact age has on all areas of work. As an employee increases in age, their ability to perform certain tasks decreases. Often a worker’s physical strength, information processing, overall health and ability to cope with stress can deteriorate.

Studies show that as age increases, so too does the rate of injuries. Older workers are more likely to suffer from physical body stress and slips, trips and falls, as well as hearing loss and back related injuries.

Organisations need to develop strategies that improve work and job design. These strategies will benefit workers of all ages and reduce age related problems occurring in the future. How exactly do we do this, you ask? Here are some tips to follow to help manage the increasingly ageing population of your workplace.

Keep employees healthy Keeping employees healthy is key to reducing the impact of risk factors that promote the ageing process. Companies are increasingly offering formal wellness programs to promote a healthier workforce. These include everything from on-site fitness centres, lunch break yoga classes, subsidised weight loss, quit smoking, and stress reduction programs.

advertorial

Your goal should be to create a healthy active workplace. Your workplace should; value health and wellbeing, actively encourage employees to adopt healthy lifestyle practices, provide opportunities to be healthy and active, support employees to make healthy choices and integrate health and wellbeing practices into the organisational culture and structure wherever possible.

Improve work task structure It is important to focus on how individual tasks are designed to be carried out within an organisation. Tasks within your organisation should not cause any increased stress or promote the ageing process.

Ageing workers are happier and less stressed at work when they feel they have some level of control over their work. So allow employees to have a greater level of personal control and adapt their work requirements to fit their individual needs. By doing this employees will automatically show greater levels of satisfaction and productivity.

As employees age their physical strength often starts to diminish. To keep employees safe in more physical jobs you should reduce their physical work load to match their physical strength.

To help you better understand what these levels are for each individual worker it is a good idea to conduct fitness for work assessments.

In addition to decreasing physical work loads, fast work rates and production targets should also be avoided.

These targets place increased stress on employees and reduce workers satisfaction. You should aim to set targets based on the actual time needed to complete the task. After all, it is about quality not quantity.

The reduction in these rates should not be confused with increasing the simplicity of the task. If the task is too simple workers will become de-motivated. You should avoid creating monotonous tasks as they will only lead to increased psychological injuries later on.

As workers age, their eye sight decreases.

So make it easier for them by increasing the visibility of all job related information.

By doing this you may help to kill two birds with one stone and improve work

related posture – employees will no longer need to hunch over to get closer to the information. Bad posture is the major cause of muscular injuries in older workers and changes should be made to design layout of furniture and equipment to try and reduce these injuries.

Improve job design and work organisation Older workers often have increased health risks and additional personal circumstances to juggle. Offering flexible and improved work arrangements is the key to effectively managing older workers in the workplace.

Older employees often find it difficult to cope with tiring shift work. Ideally your organisation should avoid mandatory shift work and should provide the option to vary the timing of rest breaks to match individual’s needs.

of persons aged 20 to 24. By training employees that are much more likely to stay in their jobs your organisation is much more likely to reap the benefits.

Mature workers are just as interested in training as their younger colleagues. It lets them know you value them and their services.

These programs not only help to keep your staff happy, informed and better equipped to do their job, it helps you retain your most experienced and potentially most loyal staff. By training and developing your more mature workers you are successfully helping workers remain in the workforce for longer periods of time while also contributing to better management of the largest growing sector of the Australian workforce.

About Konekt

Your organisation should offer job sharing, extended leave or part-time work options to help reduce the risk of injury.

By doing this you will not only provide employees with extra time to focus on their general health but allow older workers to continue as useful members of the workforce for a longer period of time.

Konekt is a publicly listed Australian company and the largest private sector provider of organisational health and risk management solutions. Our focus is on helping organisations minimise workplace risk and the impact of workplace injury, resulting in reduced workers’ compensation premiums.

Improve the physical work environment

By examining a company’s OHS Management System and key areas of an employee’s lifecycle, Konekt can assist to improve processes, identify escalating costs and non-compliance in occupational health and safety, risk management and injury management.

If we take into consideration that people roughly work around 50,000 hours in their life time it is important to spend this time in a safe environment that is least likely to affect their health at the end of their working life..

It is important that workplaces have adequate levels of lighting which will reduce eye strain. Noise levels should be kept to a minimum to ensure workers’ hearing is not in anyway impeded. Finally, slips, trips and falls have been identified as a leading cause of injury to older workers. It is a good idea to install nonslip surfaces, provide adequate lighting in stairwells and corridors, and remove all trip hazards.

To prevent these injuries from happening in your organisation it is important to have up to date OH&S and injury management systems in place.

Conduct successful training and development programs According to the ABS only five percent of workers between the age of 55 and 69 change jobs, compared to 25 percent

We have offices in all States.

For general enquiries contact: Sydney: Level 12, 234 Sussex Street, NSW 2000 Ph: (02) 9650 5111 Fax: (02) 9650 5122

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Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa Unwind with a traditional Thai massage in the Spa at the Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa. Cool off in one of 3 pools, take a free scuba diving class or just relax to the sound of the waterfalls. This stunning resort, set on the sandy Karon Beach, stretches over 75 acres of lush tropical gardens. The very best Phuket attractions, including Fantasea theme park and Chalong Temple, are just a short drive away. Sample fresh seafood and award-winning cocktails at Sails restaurant in the Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa. Or go local at the romantic Thai Thai Restaurant. The Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa has 9 meeting rooms and a marquee for 5-1200, a business center and wireless internet access in public areas. From Hilton Guest Rooms up, all Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa rooms have balconies offering spectacular views.

For Your Business Convenience • Audio/Visual Equipment Rental • Business Phone Service • Fax Photo Copying Service • Secretarial Service • Video Conferencing Available

Hotel Location

Travel to the Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa. A 45-minute journey from Phuket International Airport, this 75-acre resort is next to Karon Beach and surrounded by green mountains. Phuket Fantasea theme park and Chalong Temple are just a short drive away.

Dining Caffe Cino Enjoy a delicious snack while you check your emails at this Phuket café. Take your pick of freshly prepared snacks, sandwiches and salads at the Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa. Watch fellow guests splash around the hotel’s Garden Pool or arrange an informal business meeting.

Sails restaurant Gaze at views over the swimming pool at this Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa restaurant. Why not try the steamed sea bass from the Asian menu, or beef lasagne from the Mediterranean menu?

Or just browse the buffet and relax with one of the award-winning cocktails at this Phuket restaurant.

Thai Thai Restaurant Enjoy a night to remember at this elegant Phuket restaurant, decorated with traditional Thai art. Sip specialty cocktails and sample fresh local seafood at the Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa. Try the whole red snapper before gazing at the sunset over the Andaman Sea from the terrace.

8Buon Appetito Enjoy views of the lagoon at this informal yet romantic Phuket restaurant. Complete your true experience of the authentic Italian specialties with a glass of wine from our all Italian wine list. Enjoy the casual atmosphere indoors or take in the view of our lagoon on our outdoor patio. Watch the sun rise with the buffet.

Parking Self Parking: Free Valet Parking: Free In/ Out Privileges: Available Secured: Available Parking Information: parking lot

Leisure Facilities • Fitness center • 3 outdoor pools • Executive Rooms and Executive Lounge

While You’re In Town City Center - 20 KM - E Dino Park mini-golf 2 MI Phuket Fantasea theme park - 12.5 MI Phuket Zoo - 9.5 MI Simon Cabaret - 5 MI

Rooms Hilton Guest Room Wake up to this innovative 44m2/473sq.ft room with a balcony and seating area with sofa . The spacious room has sliding patio doors. Get to work at the desk, surf the web with high-speed internet , enjoy a meal at the dining table or relax in the easy chair in the fluffy bathrobe.

Deluxe Room Unwind in this innovative 44m2/473sq. ft room offering balcony with sliding patio doors. Relax in the seating area watching cable TV, get online at the workstation with high-speed internet access or refresh in the bathroom featuring tub and walk-in shower.

Deluxe Plus Room Indulge in this Thai-style 62m2/667sq.ft room offering a balcony and seating area with sofa. Catch up on work at the desk, keep in touch with high-speed internet or spend quality time at the dining table.

Suites Spoil yourself in a spacious one or two bedroom suite, offering total indulgence for couples or families traveling with children.

All suites are stylishly decorated and feature private balconies with magnificent sea or garden views.

333 Patak Road, Karon Beach, Muang, Phuket, Thailand 83100 Tel: 66-76-396433, Fax: 66-76-396136

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power of presentation

The power of presentation…

experts say, image really does matter “Long before I am near enough to talk to you on the street, in a meeting or at a party, you announce your sex, age and class to me through what you are wearing, very possibly giving me important information (or mis-information) as to your occupation, origin, personality, opinions, tastes, sexual desires, and current mood. By the time we meet and converse, we have spoken to each other in an older and more universal tongue” – Allison Lurie, author of The Language of Clothes

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W

henever we walk into a room, our clothing, manners and mannerisms are on display and others assess our self confidence based on 60 seconds of information.

We call these ‘lasting impressions’; physiologists call these lasting impressions the ‘Halo Effect’. If the visual message is positive, the person you are meeting assumes the other aspects about you are as equally positive. However if the first impression is negative, this new person you are meeting may not take the time to discover the talented person that lies within you.

Susan Bixler’s ‘The New Professional Image’ states, “Appearances count, not only in first impressions, but also in ongoing interactions. In

Combining these factors can frame us as competent, knowledgeable, elegant, gracious, powerful or anything else we choose to communicate.

Dress to impress The key to dressing to impress, the experts say, is to perceive what others expect to see and deliver that image.

Assess your industry and ask yourself what people in your profession wear.

It is not about labels, it is about sending the right professional message. In our presentation we can unconsciously send the wrong information.

For women it can be too much cleavage, or too short, too tight, too nightclub, basically anything too too, is on the wrong track!

Did you know women who wear jackets are given instant recognition as the person who is in charge; my

social and business situations.

Well-groomed men and women were placed in identical situations with less groomed participants who purposely had neglected their appearance. Every single time, the more highly groomed individual got not only the date or the help with a flat tyre, but also the job offer with the higher salary.

So the rest is up to the individual – a well groomed, articulate team member, who takes pride in their appearance, also gives the impression that they take pride in their role.

Understanding the values of image management enables individuals to represent an organisation to the best of their ability, becoming responsible for your professional image assists the overall projection of the corporate brand, and creates your very own WOW factor.

Today in business many decisions are based purely upon appearance. While this may seem unfair or unjust, Jodie Bache-McLean from Australia's first school of personal and professional development, says the age-old saying “don’t judge a book by its cover” just won’t cut it anymore.

his comprehensive research on communication, social linguist Albert Mehrabian found that in face-to-face encounters, 7 per cent of a verbal message comes from the words used; 38 per cent comes from the vocal tone, pacing, and inflection; 55 per cent of the message is transmitted by the speaker’s appearance and body language.”

Wardrobe and non-verbal communication, when taken together, are your most visible credentials. It’s encouraging to know you can control and change how these visual credentials are displayed, and therefore manage them so they continue to contribute to your success.

So how does it work?

We can control how we portray ourselves to the outer world in transformational learning. The idea is to start at a place that is most visible and allows for immediately recognised results.

Wardrobe, grooming and non-verbal communication are aspects that are apparent externally to the outside world.

personal recommendation is if you are in a meeting where you are in control, wearing a suit is a must.

For men, ill-fitting suits, dirty shoes, miss-matched ties, socks, belts with tide marks, sports socks or cartoon socks, are a definite no-go.

Ideally you need to remove any distractions. Another tip: this level of presentation needs to be consistent, not just two or three days a week!

In this era of business there appears to be reluctance to ask an employee to step up their presentation. Corporate or company image guidelines are not as recognised as they have been in past years. We see an increasing number of interpretations of these dress standards, especially when it comes to wearing a corporate uniform.

They are many sides to the argument about how much better or worse it is to have and wear a corporate uniform, and the same philosophies apply.

You need to be well groomed. The television program 20/20 investigated the impact of attractiveness in both

Jodie Bache-McLean is Director of June Dally-Watkins, Dallysmodel Management. Having worked with JDW for over 23 years, Jodie has seen many changes both in the modelling industry and also in the JDW Finishing School.

Whilst coordinating and facilitating a number of corporate and school based training programmes, Jodie has been exposed to a variety of industries and people. This has ensured up-to-date and vibrant programmes for our existing and new clientele.

June Dally-Watkins was formed in 1950 and over the years the curriculum has certainly moved with the times. However the core values, both personally and in our community, have remained as the framework behind all course restructures.

For more information about Jodie or the School, please visit www.jdw.com.au You can take a look at Jodie’s Babes in Business column on page 76.

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power of presentation

How to present a great presentation You always want an attention device at the beginning of any presentation. You cannot expect people to listen simply because you are standing in front of them. You must have a startling statement, a quotation, a visual, or a piece of relevant humour to get their attention. This should be the way you open your presentation.

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ny time you are assigned to deliver a presentation, you may wonder, “What should I include? What can I use that will guarantee a great presentation?”. You realise that to a degree it depends on the audience and the purpose of your speech… but there are certain items to include that will fit most kinds of audiences and most kinds of speeches. The purpose of this article is to examine what those parts might be.

In addition to an attention-getting device, tell a story, share a relevant case study or give a relevant example.

Every great speech has one or more of these. Great speakers in history, such as Jesus Christ and Abraham Lincoln were storytellers.

A story touches emotions, and giving examples helps make a point clear or

gives the audience time to digest the point the story supports. Audiences always give attention when a presenter gives some version of “Once upon a time….”

It is very important to then offer your audience a ‘road map’ or agenda if discussing more than one issue. The reason is because an audience wants to know where you will start and finish.

An important piece of content in each agenda item is the main reason you are presenting to your audience. Condense all of your intellectual and emotional evidence into one key sentence. Have these key sentences in your mind and speak towards them during your delivery of each agenda item.

Within your intellectual and emotional evidence, you should try to include a new piece of information. This might

The power of electronic presentation Just as your professional image is projected by the clothes you wear, your board room will speak a thousand words to clients, investors and employees when they sit down to a presentation being conducted by your company.

All that have the opportunity to attend a presentation in your board room or presentation room need to be left with a clear understanding that you mean business. When you are trying to communicate a message your equipment must be clear, concise and flawless. You want your presentation room to be impressive and aesthetic, comfortable and relaxed, and providing excellent viewing and audibility. When the presentation is said and done, it is the effectiveness of your electronic communication devices that will be leaving the biggest impression.

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your company, you need to provide them with the best conditions for his or her presentation. He or she should be able to control every aspect of the presentation without the embarrassment of having to call for your help or have to wonder how to connect into the system.

You need the best in design of your audio-visual system and innovative technology now available gives us a plethora of professional presentation room options.

There are multiple solution options for you depending on your size of space and industry requirements. Electronic and interactive whiteboards are fast becoming a basic necessity. As are flipcharts and portable AV systems, and projector screens in a training room to designing.

If there are presentations or training encompassing 20 people or more at a time, it is recommended installing a full

video conferencing and presentation system in board rooms or conference venues.

Efficient use of valuable space requires that the presentation room is flexible to provide for audiences of different sizes and for simultaneous use by multiple audiences when the groups are small.

It is important to look at your heating ventilation & air conditioning (HVAC) system in the presentation room. It has to be adjustable to accommodate widely varying heat loads that are generated by lighting, audience members and by the equipment.

Custom boardroom designers recommend planning the way in which your equipment is going to be located and arranged on installation.

Technology is complex and can be distracting if left in full view. The art of designing an effective presentation room includes making all the technology invisible while leaving it

power of presentation

be a recent event, a statistic you found from an uncommon source, a new plan that your company is introducing, or an insight you have because of a particular talent or contact you have.

You want your audience to take away something they did not know before they heard you present.

Every presentation should have a recap (summary). All that is required is to remind your audience of the agenda items you presented plus, re-emphasise the corresponding key sentence.

One final item in any presentation is a focused message. This should leave the audience with something to think about or do, mixed with the relevance or benefit of your information to them.

Because your audience will remember best what you say last, make your focused message count.

fully accessible for maintenance and for upgrading as new presentation instruments become available.

Complex technology requires simple controls, lest it defeat its purpose.

Complicated controls deter presenters who hesitate to use systems that might be confusing and distract from the free flow of the presentation. Keeping the technology out of sight can also add to dramatic effect of the presentation.

Your firm and each presenter is more memorable to the audience, when this drama is achieved.

For dramatic effect, you can leave the screen draped over until the presenter touches the control panel, opening the curtains to reveal the screen. If the room is windowed, motorised drapes covering the windows would be closed automatically when the presentation begins and the lights would dim.

Equipment racks with all the AV technology could be hidden, remaining totally invisible to the client. All

The formula for a great presentation starts with an Attention-Getting Device, offering an Agenda, telling Stories, sharing both intellectual and emotional Evidence, emphasising Key Sentences, Re-capping, and crafting a great Focused Message. These will give you a good foundation to ensure greater levels of success in your next presentation!

For more information on how to develop your team’s business communication results, you're welcome to contact www.effectivecommunication.com.au.

distractions would be eliminated, allowing the visitor to fully appreciate the interior design while concentrating on the presentation.

Front projectors may be ceiling mounted on a retractable lift and motorised.

They remain invisible in ceiling recesses until summoned by a tap on the touchscreen control panel. Then they slide silently out, ready for use. Rear screen projectors utilising rear screens may be covered by motorised front projection screens, when necessary to provide a surface for front projection.

The presenter standing anywhere in the room can operate the entire audio and visual system, selecting sources, screens, volume, power of lighting and environmental levels - all from the portable touchscreen control.

For effect, multiple projection systems can display multiple images simultaneously in the presentation room and front-projection projectors can provide a 3-D effect. Audio and

visual systems may be installed to broadcast presentations to multiple locations within the building, beyond the presentation room. Fiber optic routers can carry data to the projectors for fast, effective results.

Surround sound ceiling mounted speakers and microphones may be installed for audio conferencing or these may be installed in invisible recesses in the tables. Sound reinforcement speakers help to assure that the entire presentation is captured by the audience in all parts of the room. Board directors, often older people with hearing impairment, will especially appreciate this feature.

Your electronic presentation room needs to be simple to use so as not to deter presenters and participants from using them, flexible so that they can be used for many purposes in different size groupings, and upgradeable to allow for the addition of new technologies as they become available.

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Effective Meetings? More effective with quality audio visual Back in 1976, Michael Doyle and David Straus, authors of the classic How To Make Meetings Work, calculated that there were 11 million meetings in the U.S. every day, with executives spending 50% of their time in them.

20 years later in 2005, Microsoft's survey of 38,000 people worldwide identified unclear objectives, lack of team communication and ineffective meetings as the three most common productivity pitfalls. People spend 5.6 hours each week in meetings and 69% feel meetings aren't productive.

Amongst the key issues identified: • Poor meeting mechanics - Lack of meeting agenda or objectives, poor chairmanship • Key players missing, uninterested

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•

• •

•

attendees, late-comers Data Overload or Drought -- Too many ideas bouncing around, no materials provided prior, lack of preparation, Unclear Roles and Responsibilities -Who is supposed to be doing what?

Problem Avoidance – Everything's fine, or, there is nothing we can do about it.

Solution Avoidance – "What did we decide to do?"

Tele-commuting and virtual teams further reduce the likelihood of key participants attending. Add distractions from laptops, iPhones, emails and SMS. They may make us 24x7 and reduce our CO2 footprint, but it certainly doesn't make meetings more productive.

Many of these issues need to be dealt with by management leading by example, an open trusting culture, and policy and process tuned to make it easier to do it the right way rather that taking meeting short-cuts.

Additionally, there are a range of audio visual technologies that can provide the foundation for meeting improvements.

These include: • Presentation of visual and audio materials • Information discussion and capture through interactivity tools • Attendance through audio, video and application conferencing • Technology simplification through control systems with add-ons of room booking and management East Coast Audio Visual takes a consultative approach to ensure our corporate clients select the right mix of AV products and services that are: • Assessed for fit with the culture and mechanics of the organisation • Properly integrated and installed into the technical and physical environment • Introduced into the operational environment with proper training, support and maintenance.

If you feel your organisation suffers from Meetings That Don’t Work, please call East Coast Audio Visual on 02 9775 1800

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fashion

Sensible shoes make fashion and health statement Feet have feelings too! And if they could speak they would tell you to ditch the heels, no matter how good they look and opt for some “sensible” shoes. But who wants to look like an old lady before their time? Narelle Bouveng explores a new phenomenon in sensible shoes with a surprising all inclusive bonus of a full body work-out while you work.

I really like the way my legs look when I wear heels. The dumpy, frumpy dimples seem to disappear and I feel in a position of elongated power as I make my way through the world making important click clack sounds. At the end of the day, my feet are shot and my muscles are aching, but no pain no gain right? Wrong!

Andrew Hill, lecturer and clinician at the SMAE Institute (UK), said "Any shoes with a heel higher than 1.5 to two inches should only be worn for exceptional circumstances and shouldn’t be worn daily or excessively, otherwise you can start seeing changes in the foot as people grow older.”

Andrew also speaks of “shortened calf musculature” which can be caused by wearing heels, so the taller I feel today means the shorter I will be tomorrow?

It is a no win situation as far as I am concerned. That was until I saw Katherine Heigl in a magazine wearing MBT’s and realised that she too must have been searching for a “fashionable” sensible shoe option just like me.

I am not going to pretend that these shoes look as nice as heels, they simply don’t – but their less than glamorous look, something that has received a recent style overhaul which has vastly improved their appearance, is overcome by their unique ability to provide your body with a workout while you go about your regular daily work.

Recognised for their fitness benefits, MBT Physiological Footwear has been compared to doing an entire body workout such as Pilates, just by wearing them. MBT is the biggest selling functional footwear in the world, and has a positive effect on the whole body.

MBT or ‘Masai Barefoot Technology’ was invented by Swiss Engineer Karl Müller, whose research

and development work was inspired by the East African Masai tribe – exceptional athletes with well-shaped bodies, and little to no occurrence of back and joint problems. The Masai do not suffer from the same postural deficits or joint degeneration created by walking on hard surfaces that we do and heels just do not do desert. They are instead challenged by the natural terrain they live on, and walk on soft, unstable ground which is mimicked in the unique heel sensor of MBT Footwear.

MBTs patented curved sole creates the instability one feels when walking barefoot on a natural surface, thus strengthening and toning leg, stomach, posterior and back muscles. MBTs force the wearer to balance and stretch, which leads to a more upright posture and alignment. MBTs can also assist in toning and shaping the body by engaging neglected muscle groups, which increases oxygen intake and thereby calorie consumption.

Due to the rise in popularity of MBTs, they have been seen on a number of international celebrities including Katherine Heigl, Jennifer Love Hewitt and Antonio Banderas. And MBTs grace the feet of many professional athletes including: World Champion Surfer Layne Beachley – who we all have to admit has a pretty amazing butt.

Women who wear heels on a regular basis are being advised to give their feet a break and save the stilettos for special occasions.

Investing in functional footwear such as MBT (physiological footwear) has a positive effect on the entire body. And shortened calf musculature, caused by wearing high heels, can gently be stretched again through a negative heel step with MBT. It is recommended women wear MBTs regularly to correct ankle instability (which can lead to unsightly cankles) caused by wearing heels.

Benefits such as ankle joint stability and toning and shaping of muscle groups are achieved by wearing MBTs for a minimum of 4 hours per day making these the sensible shoes I have been looking for.

MBT’s are available across Australia, search for your nearest store online at www.mbt.com

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special feature

T

he Global Footprint Network declared September 25th 2009 Earth Overshoot Day. In the 273 days up to that date, the world's population had consumed all the resources the planet can generate in a year. After that date we have been using resources that the earth cannot replace. Effectively we are robbing future generations. Each year Earth Overshoot Day has crept a little earlier.

We all know that we have to green up our homes and workplaces to reverse this trend. Films like An Inconvenient Truth and this year's blockbuster documentary, The Age of Stupid, make it abundantly clear that we need to act and we need to act fast.

The good news is that the things that are good for the planet are generally good for us personally as well.

Here are a few green products that you might want to go out of your way to purchase:

Going Green

has never been so easy

The good news is that looking after the planet means looking after you too. Geoff Ebbs serves up cool tips that conserve resources, save money and reconnect you with nature.

Picture Caption: Climate Friendly executives cycle to work as part of their drive to reduce their own emissions 54

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Electric cars The rush to electrify the automobile has produced a raft of cars from the $150k+ sports car from Tesla (www. tesla.com) to the low-cost Reva (www. revaaustralia.com.au). Unfortunately, neither vehicle is going to be available in Australia any time soon. Perhaps the first purely electric car to be widely released in Australia will be the Mitsubishi iMiev.

Car manufacturers are announcing purely electric cars as fast as they can get them off the drawing board.

Recent announcements include the Leaf from Nissan, the Citroen EV'ie and the electric Smart for Two from Benz Chrysler. These cars are all very different but tend to be small, lightweight, have top speeds of around 100kph and a range of 200km or less.

One big attraction of electric cars is the low running cost. It will set you back less than a dollar to fully charge most electric cars and drive you around 200km. Try doing that on a litre of petrol!

Before they can be put into widespread use, there needs to be a network of recharging stations in place. Better

special feature

Place Australia is rolling out charging stations in Canberra and plans to move onto other eastern capitals over 2010.

Battery change-overs will be available for people who cannot wait to recharge their batteries.

In the interim hybrid electric petrol cars have emerged to fill the gap. The Toyota Prius was the first petrol electric hybrid in Australia and has been available for some time. A standard Prius has onroad costs of $40-50,000.

Many major manufacturers now have competitive products.

Hybrid cars tend to run like petrol cars on the open road but use the electric motor to conserve energy in the stop start conditions of the city. The extra weight of having two motors in the car undermines some of the efficiency in the overall design.

Of course, riding a bike, walking or catching public transport is even greener than driving your own car. The French government has announced that it will not invest in new roads or airports, concentrating soley on railways and shipping.

Greening your electricity The low cost of electricity is one reasons we use so much of it.

Electricity prices have been rising steadily for the last five years, though, and will continue to do so. For that reason alone it is worth thinking about ways to reduce our electricity consumption. When you consider that the two dirtiest sources of electricity in the world are Victoria and New South Wales, changing our patterns of electricity use is urgent from an environmental point of view too.

There are three parts to the puzzle.

The first is to source your electricity from a clean green supply instead of a carbon-belching coal-fired power station. Most electricity companies offer the option of selling you green electricity for a fee or you can go to a third party vendor and have them green up your electricity bill for you.

The complexities of electricity trading, carbon trading and carbon offsets have the nation's politicians, engineers and scientists in a frenzy, so instead of trying to sort out the intricacies yourself, check out an organisation like GreenElectricityWatch. org.au. They estimate that it will cost the average household between $5 and $10 extra each week to power up using clean green renewables. Businesses obviously spend more on electricity, depending on their size.

Tesla Roadster courtesy of Tesla Motors

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special feature

The second is to buy more efficient appliances that use less electricity.

environment or greenhouse department in your state government.

White goods are now consistently marked with an energy rating approved by the government agency, energyrating.com.au.

Eco cleaning Cleaning involves chemicals that are often harmful to the waterways, your health and people in the countries where they are made. Greening your cleaning helps the world on a number of fronts.

Lighting, especially the charming but inefficient incandescent globe, has been the major focus of campaigns to reduce energy use, but it is heating and cooling that really need to be taken in hand.

This is easier to control in the home than in the workplace but a few simple steps can make a big difference.

•C lose off large spaces so you only need to heat or cool the areas where you are actually spending time.

•U se curtains, blinds and draught stoppers to reduce heat transfer through windows and under doors.

•L et rooms get warmer in summer and cooler in winter and control your temperature through clothing.

It's cool to wear light clothing in summer – if your office style-cop does not like open neck shirts or bare legs, you might need to embark on a reeducation program.

Check out the Wattson metering device to help you work out just where all your energy is going.

The third piece of the low energy puzzle is to audit your energy use and find ways to reduce it. The famous 60L building in Carlton, Victoria, www.60lgreenbuilding.com uses only one third of the electricity of comparable buildings due to passive heating and cooling and energy efficient design. While 60 Lincon Street was redesigned as a sustainable building many of the principles used there can be applied to your office. For example, using curtains or external reflectors to reduce the need for air-conditioning is a simple, low-cost method to save money and pollution.

Many state governments offer rebates for energy audits in the home and the Federal Government offers an Energy Efficiency Opportunities program for major corporations. Information about audits is available from the Department of Climate climate.gov.au and the

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Old fashioned cleaning products such as vinegar, carb soda, pure soap and talcum powder are extremely useful.

Vinegar is great at killing mould, dissolving food splats and cutting through grease. Sodium bicarbonate, also called bicarb-soda or carb-soda, can be sprinkled dry onto a damp bench top, fridge or oven and works like a cleaning powder. Followed by a splash of vinegar it works wonders cleaning drains, toilet bowls and food stained surfaces. A little bicarb-soda on a plate in the refrigerator will absorb odours for up to a week.

Pure soap does many of the jobs we regularly use detergents for but it does need to be rinsed off surfaces to leave them sparkling clean and is less effective at cutting through heavy grease. Talcum powder sprinkled onto greasy spots on fabric will draw the grease out and make it easier to wash.

The following organisations provide a good range of cleaning products as well as many other green ideas for home and office: environmentshop.com.au, ecoshop.com.au, neco.com.au, todae. com.au Eco office options – paper etc.

Of all the consumables that offices purchase, paper is the most obvious resource that could be controlled a lot better than it is. After nearly thirty years of striving for the paperless office, we are slowly moving toward that goal, but a huge amount of paper still gets generated, filed and then discarded.

Clearly, reducing paper use is ideal but finding paper that does as little harm to the environment is the next best thing. The most eco-friendly paper is made from recycled paper or plantation timbers, is not bleached and is local. New brands appear all the time

but at the time of writing there were only a handful that met those three requirements.

Evolve recycled papers tick all the boxes except locality: they are made in Europe.

Ecocern is locally made, recycled and not bleached but is not white and unsuitable for many standard uses.

Reflex from the company Australian Paper has a carbon neutral and a recycled range. The word recycled is used to include the use of waste wood products from the timber industry and the company has avoided discussing the bleaches that it uses in whitening the paper.

On the other hand, Green Wrap from Fuji Xerox is manufactured by Australian Paper and published all the details of the processes used to bleach the paper and where the fibre is obtained. Unfortunately only 60% of the fibres are recycled, the other 40% coming from accredited plantations in other countries.

In the end you have to decide whether to compromise on locality, quality or the source of the fibre.

The power of one Many people are concerned that the little things that we each can do are not enough to save a world of six billion people. The point to remember is that the concerted actions of a few individuals have always driven change.

All industrial activity is geared toward a consumer somewhere so we, as consumers, have the ultimate power.

We just have to all move in the same direction.

Geoff Ebbs is the CEO of the Ebono Institute and publisher of Sydney's Guide to Saving the Planet, Cry Me a River and the editor of Sustainable Living For Dummies and World Poverty For Dummies.

t c e f f E t s o C e r a s t n la P e v Proof Li

ive

D REDUCE SICK LEAVE INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY AN ANTS PL LIVE D POTTE CE LA WORKP

By National Interior Plantscape Association For thousands of years humanity has recognised the value of gardens as places of peace and restoring the spirit. Today 80 per cent of Australians are spending 90 per cent of their time indoors, so gardens are also now moving indoors. Ongoing studies from around the world clearly demonstrate the important calming and restorative values of foliage plants for employees’ health and well being.

American environmental research psychologists have concluded that plants in view benefit us because they relieve the ‘attention fatigue’ that always builds up while we are concentrating. USA studies also show productivity gains, and reduced perceptions of pain and discomfort, when plants are present. A recent Texan study showed that job satisfaction went up significantly among staff in buildings with indoor plants, and that they preferred them to planted window views.

In Taiwan, researchers found that just six potted plants in a classroom improved the positive academic results of the students.

In Norway, hospital staff sick leave was reduced by more than 60 percent when indoor plants were installed.

The results of the current University of Technology Sydney office study, jointly funded by the National Interior Plantscape Association and Horticulture Australia Limited, show that “occupants of planted offices feel more comfortable, more productive, healthier and more creative, and feel less pressure than occupants in unplanted offices”.

In other words Interior Plantscaping in offices, health care facilities, classrooms, homes or elsewhere can be quickly cost justified based on reduced sick leave, lower rates of attrition or increased productivity.

(Adapted from Dr Margaret Burchett (University of Technology Sydney) article Psychological Benefits of Indoor Plants. Visit the full article with detailed references at www.nipa.asn.au)

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All-inclusive Solution for Green Junk Removal The demand for environmentally responsible waste disposal by today’s eco-conscious consumer has finally caught up with commercial business everywhere. Construction, real estate, and commercial retail chains, to name a few, are feeling the pressure to utilise green disposal methods…and they’re heeding it.

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till, doing the ‘right’ thing often can be challenging.

There are many logistical and financial challenges to properly disposing of plasterboard, scrap wood, old furniture and IT equipment, for example. Each city has a unique set of waste disposal laws and facilities, so businesses operating throughout neighbouring control may find themselves juggling with diverse rules and regulations.

Tips are often inconveniently located with limited tipping times and can have long line ups making it difficult for most businesses to dispose of their own waste in an efficient manner. Donating still-usable items to a charity becomes unthinkable in a slow economy when time truly equals money.

More businesses are discovering that using a professional junk removal service reduces these challenges and actually increases their efficiencies and productivity. 1800-GOT-JUNK?, for example, describes itself as the all-inclusive solution to waste removal for commercial business, including real estate, property management, construction, retail business, and residential.

Founded in Canada in 1989, 1800-GOTJUNK? has grown to more than 220 franchise locations throughout North America and Australia. The company specializes in residential and commercial junk removal, with a strong focus on top-notch customer service and environmental responsibility.

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As a pioneer of the professional junk removal industry, 1800-GOT-JUNK? is able to extend to its customers years of experience working with top national clients, some of which are LJ Hooker, Pacific Brands and SBS Television. For example, our partnership with LJ Hooker has involved regular pickups from both residential and commercial lease properties of unwanted and left behind items. More than 50% of what we collect from these jobs is often recyclable.

1800-GOT-JUNK? strives to recycle and donate to charities whenever possible, often finding new homes for old office furniture and donating clean scrap wood to schools and hobbyists to name a few. Common recyclable materials include: electronics, furniture, wood, plastic, metal, cardboard, and paper.

With a 21-hour call centre and innovative technology that allows agents to see the real-time schedules of local 1800-GOT-JUNK? franchises, a client can often secure same day service. Junk removal teams call ahead, arrive on time, and do all the loading and cleanup, wherever the items are – you don’t even need to get it to the curb.

Additionally, there is no need to find space for a roll-off container or skip bin – this often requires special parking permits, securing space and organizing a drop off and pick up time, not to mention other people who often take advantage of the bins. And if a business

is trying to improve its environmental practices, a container doesn’t allow for items to be sorted before being dumped in the landfill.

Many industry leaders today realise how critical it is to hire a reliable, professional, green junk removal company with a solid track record of success. By focusing on reducing its own environmental footprint, 1800-GOT-JUNK? has become that solution for many businesses.

1800-GOT-JUNK? provides a service for companies large and small to remove old unwanted office items in quick, cost effective and environmentally friendly way. For information please visit our website on www.1800gotjunk.com.au

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Using wipes for the control of bacterial infection Choosing the right surface and hand wipes can dramatically reduce the presence of infectious agents at you home and workplace. Finding a wipe that will kill 99.99% of germs without the presence of fragrance, alcohol or chemicals can also reduce allergic reactions in those sensitive to non natural additives.

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Finding a wipes product that is 100% natural and environmentally sustainable will ensure your organisations green credentials. Wipes that are 100% biodegradeable, will breakdown with 2 hours of being flushed and can be used in septic tanks will appease any concerns that using wipes for cleaning and sanitisation is not a sustainable choice.

Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches their eyes, nose, or mouth. Germs can live for a long time (some can live for 2 hours or more) on surfaces like doorknobs, desks, and tables.

Infection prevention and control is a crucial part of any organisation and public health– particularly in this era of every more powerful germs, bacteria and viruses.

By keeping a tub of wipes handy on desks, kitchen benches and corporate vehicles you are protecting your staff and clients from cross contamination.

cam special

Complimentary Medicine Special

Although the practice of using a holistic approach to treat disease, relieve symptoms and promote healing dates back to the fourth century, B.C., when the Greek physician Hippocrates first advocated natural remedies to combat illnesses, holistic medicine really came into popular western use until the 1960s and '70s. The concept of holistic medicine is rooted in the belief that when one part of the body or mind is not functioning properly, the health of the whole person is affected and, therefore, therapies that treat the mind, body and spirit are necessary to make the person well.

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ver the years, holistic medicine has morphed into two general categories: alternative and complementary, commonly identified by the acronym CAM (complementary and alternative medicine). However, medical experts say the term is problematic for patients because, while there are distinct differences between the categories, patients often confuse the two approaches. Alternative therapy refers to treatments that are used in place of western traditional or standard therapy, and complementary therapy is used in conjunction with standard medicine to help improve a patient’s quality of life. In the case of cancer these can even help relieve chemotherapy and radiation side effects.

Myotherapy If you have pain or dysfunction that may be caused by muscles or fascia you can make an appointment to see an Institute of Registered Myotherapists of Australia (IRMA), registered myotherapist. If the myotherapist is a member of the IRMA, you know they are qualified and bound by a code of ethics and IRMA rules. You may also be able to claim health fund rebates or WorkCover if you are eligible.

Pain and symptoms caused by muscle (myo) or fascia are described as myofascial. Myofascial pain is usually not specific and is often described by the patient as a “deep ache”, “tightness” or “tenderness” in an area.

It can vary in intensity and radiate to other areas. Other symptoms can

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“Myotherapists treat the cause as well as the symptoms of a wide range of conditions. The cause of pain and symptoms is myofascial in many conditions.”

Some examples of conditions commonly treated by myotherapists Pain may occur in the following areas as a result of many causes and conditions.

Expert assessment by your myotherapist is required.

include reduced range of motion of muscles and joints, stiffness, fatigue, weakness, numbness or a tingling sensation. There are many other symptoms depending on the condition, and patients can have one or many symptoms.

Myotherapists treat the cause as well as the symptoms of a wide range of conditions. The cause of pain and symptoms is myofascial in

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•C hronic overuse syndrome. This occurs in the wrist, hand or elbow from poor posture at a computer or prolonged usages.

• Headaches. These occur as a result of tension in neck and shoulder muscles, which refers pain to areas of the head.

• Chronic back pain. This can include sciatica caused by tightness in some muscles and weakness in others.

Restoring muscle balance and optimal posture is a major aspect in the treatment of back pain.

• Lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow).

This localised tenderness of elbow and radiating pain to forearm is often as a result of overuse and weakness of wrist extensor muscles, which can result in trigger points developing.

• Shoulder pain (e.g. impingement syndrome). During overhead arm motions, impingement can cause micro-trauma and result in pain and inflammation of the shoulder.

Abnormal muscle contraction and trigger points can develop.

• Chronic knee pain. This may be caused by your patella (kneecap) not tracking many conditions. It may originate or moving correctly, and can be a from abnormal muscle contraction result of many factors including muscle (tightness) or trigger points (knots) in imbalance in the thigh, and pronation muscle or fascia. of the foot.

Trigger points are tender, irritable areas • Hand and finger numbness and tingling. Compression of nerves and/or that can refer pain and other symptoms blood vessels at the thoracic outlet due to areas close to or often distant to abnormal muscle contraction and from the trigger point. They can be trigger points in neck muscles (usually caused by many factors including poor scalenes) can cause these symptoms. posture, overuse of muscles, stress, Your sitting posture at work or your incorrect lifting and lack of sleep.

•

•

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sleeping position (e.g. pillow height) may be contributing factors.

Shin splints. This is the common term used to describe exerciseinduced pain to the lower leg.

For example, medial tibial stress syndrome can be treated by a myotherapist using a variety of techniques including soft-tissue manipulation, dry needling, electro-mechanical stimulation, and thermal applications.

Stiff neck. This is often a result of abnormal muscle contraction, which causes severe pain and discomfort on movements of the head and neck. Passive stretching, and thermal techniques and softtissue manipulation are often used to reduce the contraction and relieve discomfort relatively quickly. Contributing factors need to be considered.

Foot pain. Pain in this area can often be referred from trigger points in leg or foot muscles.

Myotherapists can treat the trigger points and also address any perpetuating factors such as poor footwear.

Sprained ankle. Overstretching of muscles (e.g. peroneals) often occurs with an ankle sprain. The resulting abnormal muscle and/ or trigger points can be effectively treated.

What should I expect from a registered myotherapist?

Assessment Clinical assessment is reliant on history-taking, examination routines of particular joints or regions, assisted by highly developed tactile, palpatory skills and a thorough understanding of joint and muscular assessment procedures. These skills distinguish myotherapy from other physical therapies. Assessment of potential causes of dysfunction is also important.

Accurate assessment of soft-tissue dysfunction is usually possible with the adequate knowledge of anatomy and the understanding of associated pathological processes likely to occur with soft-tissue dysfunction.

Treatment IRMA myotherapists employ various soft-tissue manipulation techniques, together with other modalities such

as passive or active muscle stretching, ischaemic compression, electro-mechanical stimulation, heat therapy, cryotherapy, dry needling, corrective exercises and trigger point therapy.

Do I need a referral to see a myotherapist?

Ayurvedic medicine Ayurveda is considered by the World Health Organisation to be the oldest healing system known and the most holistic. Its logical, commonsense approach to health and living is combined with philosophy, psychology and spiritual guidance.

Most myotherapists will see patients without a referral from a doctor.

However, for WorkCover claims a referral is necessary. Many doctors and other health professionals will refer patients to a myotherapist for specialised treatment. If your myotherapist decides there is a need for further assessment or specialised treatment they will refer you to the appropriate medical or health professional.

Ayurveda means “the science of life”.

It is a holistic system of healing that evolved in India some 3000–5000 years ago.

What training does a myotherapist have?

A healing science The main object of this science is preservation of health and prevention of disease. Ayurvedic medicine avoids (or helps to reverse) serious illness by understanding how and why we become ill. It focuses strongly on preventative health care. Ayurveda teaches us the art of daily living in harmony with the laws of nature, so we learn how to maintain our health and vitality as well as how to heal disease. It is a holistic system of healing in the truest sense. Our body mind and consciousness are in constant interaction and relationship with other people and the environment. In working to create health Ayurveda takes into consideration these different levels of life and their interconnectedness.

IRMA myotherapists are tertiary trained in biophysical science.

They have a thorough knowledge of anatomy, surface anatomy, biomechanics, kinesiology, physiology, pathology, pharmacology, nutrition and scientific evaluation.

IRMA myotherapists—like other physical therapists such as chiropractors, osteopaths, and physiotherapists—may choose to work in a variety of clinical situations, either alone or as part of a team of professionals in a multidisciplinary health centre.

This will involve primary patient contact or the referral of patients from other health care professionals.

Alternatively, IRMA myotherapists will refer patients, to ensure access to others with appropriate skills, or for investigations requiring further anatomical and pathological diagnosis.

Myotherapists are recognised professionally through the Institute of Registered Myotherapists of Australia Inc. and have industry representation through the Hospital Services Union No.3 Branch (AHPU).

They have course accreditation by the Victorian Post Secondary Education Board (VPSEAB). Eligible patients may recover fees through WorkCover and some private health insurance companies.

Ayurveda looks at each person as a unique individual and focuses on establishing and maintaining balance of life energies. Ayurveda seeks to heal the fragmentation and disorder of the mind–body complex, and restore wholeness and harmony.

As a science of healing, Ayurveda encompasses diet and nutrition, lifestyle, exercise, rest and relaxation, meditation, breathing exercises, medicinal herbs and other medicinal substances. It also includes cleansing and rejuvenation programs for healing body, mind and spirit. Other therapies such as sound, mantra, colour and aromatherapy may also be used, depending on the individual.

Ayurvedic constitutions Ayurveda can be very empowering as we start to take more responsibility for our own health and state of mind.

Through coming to know our own specific body type we can make food and lifestyle choices, which are both balancing and life-enhancing for us.

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cam special Vata, pitta and kapha Put very simply, Ayurvedic teaching tells us that the five elements of ether, air, fire, water and earth manifest through our bodies as the three “doshas” (or energies) vata, pitta and kapha. We each have our own mix or blueprint of these three energies. Most of us have a predominant dosha, which determines our body type, mind tendencies and temperament.

To balance any aggravated or excessive state (which according to its properties will cause specific diseases) we need to bring in the opposite and therefore balancing energy. For example, if there is excessive heat (as in Pitta excess) then we need to cool it down. We can use a variety of techniques including foods, herbs, nature walks and gemstones.

Most of us are a combination of two or all three types of dosha, with one more dominant.

Vata Vata is the lightest of the three, made up of ether and air. Someone with dominant vata energy tends to be creative, thin, dry, restless and

tending to anxiety and nervousness when unbalanced.

Pitta The pitta constitution is fire with a little water. Pitta types have medium body size, with hot tendencies.

Quick and strong, both physically and mentally, they tend towards impatience, anger and “hot” emotions when out of balance.

Kapha Kapha is water and earth. People dominant in kapha tend to be stable, slow, compassionate, heavier and tending towards sluggishness and depression when out of balance.

Vata, Pitta and Kapha energies move throughout our bodies and produce both good and bad effects. The role of an Ayurvedic practitioner is to accurately assess the state of the energies and the effects they are having, and to counter the influence of those which are harmful.

Got the Australian Natural Therapists Association and do a test online to determine your mind–body type at www.australiannatural therapistsassociation.com.au/ therapies/ayurveda.php

Herbal medicine Chinese herbal medicine This is one of the great herbal systems of the world, with an unbroken tradition going back to the third century BC. Yet throughout its history, Chinese herbal medicine has continually developed in response to changing clinical conditions, and has been sustained by research into every aspect of its use. This process continues today with the development of modern medical diagnostic techniques and knowledge.

Because of its systematic approach and clinical effectiveness it has for centuries had a very great influence on the theory and practice of medicine in the east, and more recently has grown rapidly in popularity in the west. It still forms a major part of healthcare provision in China, and is provided in state hospitals alongside western medicine. Chinese medicine includes all oriental traditions emerging from South-East Asia that have their origins in China.

Practitioners may work within a tradition that comes from Japan, Vietnam, Taiwan or Korea. It is a complete medical system, capable of treating a wide range of conditions.

It includes herbal therapy, acupuncture, dietary therapy, and exercises in breathing and movement (tai chi and qi gong). Some or several of these may be employed in the course of treatment.

Chinese herbal medicine, along with the other components of Chinese medicine, is based on the concepts of Yin and Yang. It aims to understand and treat the many ways in which the fundamental balance and harmony between the two may be undermined and the ways in which a person’s Qi or vitality may be depleted or blocked.

Clinical strategies are based upon diagnosis of patterns of signs and symptoms that reflect an imbalance.

However, the tradition as a whole places great emphasis on lifestyle management in order to prevent disease before it occurs. Chinese medicine recognises that health is more than just the absence of disease and it has a unique capacity to maintain and enhance our capacity for wellbeing and happiness.

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Western herbal medicine Western herbal medicine involves using plants and plant material to create medicines to help prevent or treat various illnesses. These materials may use some or all parts of a plant, such as flowers, roots, fruits, leaves, and bark.

This modality emphasises the use of European and Native American herbs; however, herbs from other parts of the world are sometimes used as well.

Traditional western herbal medicine evolved mostly from the ancient Greeks, who were strongly influenced

by Egyptian and Middle Eastern civilisations. Western herbal medicine also has roots in the indigenous practices of the British Isles and ancient Roman traditions. Wellknown historical physicians including Hippocrates and Galen are thought to have used herbal medicine in their practices. The use of various herbal formulas is one of the oldest and possibly the most widespread form of medicine.

Herbal remedies are used for many suggested purposes, such as improvement or general support of digestive, respiratory, circulatory, immune, endocrine, and nervous system processes. Herbs are also used to purportedly remove waste and toxins from bodily cells or topically to promote healing of the skin.

Herbs of the western herbal medicine tradition are the subject of increasing interest in the medical community.

Research is currently being conducted in the use of medicinal herbs for various medical conditions. For instance, garlic has been identified as a potential treatment for high blood pressure. In some studies, the whole herb is given to a patient; whereas in other studies, isolated active chemicals, or constituents of a plant, may be extracted, purified, and administered to the patient. Herbal constituents may be concentrated to deliver standardised set doses and may also be synthesised in a lab.

They may also have their chemical structure changed and patented. This wide variety of herbal formulations

used in clinical, in vivo, and in vitro studies is an area of concern for accurate analysis of research and determination of clinical recommendations.

Osteopathy Osteopathy is a “whole body” system of manual therapy, based on unique biomechanical principles, which uses a wide range of techniques to treat musculo-skeletal problems and other functional disorders of the body. It was developed in America in the 1870s by a Missouri doctor, Andrew Taylor Still, and has developed to the point where it is now widely recognised throughout the world as one of the most scientifically validated and effective “complementary” therapies.

The World Health Organisation recognises the osteopathic concept of somatic dysfunction as being scientifically proven, and the British Medical Association also recognises osteopathy as a discrete medical discipline. In Australia, osteopaths are statutorily registered practitioners and five-year, full-time university training is available, which covers anatomy, physiology, pathology and general medical diagnosis in addition to osteopathic technique. Osteopaths are primary care practitioners and are trained to be able to recognise conditions that require medical referral. They are also trained to carry out standard medical examinations of the cardiovascular, respiratory and nervous system.

What conditions do osteopaths deal with?

Osteopathy is best known for the treatment of a wide variety of musculo-skeletal problems, but it also has a role to play in the management of a number of other conditions. The most common complaints for which patients consult osteopaths include: • back and neck pain • sciatica • headaches • pains in peripheral joints such as shoulders, knees and ankles, tendinitis and muscle strains • work-related and repetitive strain injuries • sports-related injuries.

“Well-known historical physicians including Hippocrates and Galen are thought to have used herbal medicine in their practices.

The use of various herbal formulas is one of the oldest and possibly the most widespread form of medicine.

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cam special However, osteopathy can also play a significant role in pain management in arthritic conditions and, when used in conjunction with medical treatment, can be of value in reducing the severity of symptoms in conditions such as asthma, gynaecological dysfunction and chronic fatigue. Many mothersto-be find osteopathic treatment very beneficial both to reduce back pain during pregnancy and also to help prepare the body for birth. In addition, there is a wide variety of gentle non-manipulative techniques for use on infants and small children.

“Osteopaths believe that long-term prevention is the result of a cooperative effort between patient and practitioner.”

What’s the difference between osteopaths, chiropractors and physiotherapists?

It’s not the role of any health professional to try to define what another health care professional is, and what they do. If you want a definition, it would be best to ask people in those professions.

What we can do is tell you about the defining characteristics of osteopathy, which are its underlying philosophy and its broad range of techniques.

While biomechanics has become one of the most rapidly developing areas of medicine in recent years, osteopathy was one of the first professions to incorporate biomechanical analysis of how injuries occur and what the secondary effects are likely to be. To take a simple example, if you go to an osteopath with a knee injury, the osteopath will do much more than just examine and treat your knee.

They will want to know exactly how the injury occurred in order to assess not just which tissues in the knee are injured, but also whether there may be any involvement of other areas with a mechanical relationship to the knee, such as the foot, hip, low back and pelvis, and the associated soft tissues.

They will then want to analyse any possible secondary effects. For instance, you may be “avoiding” the bad knee and putting more weight on the other side. Over a period of time, this may lead to problems developing in the low back or the “good” knee. The osteopath will then use this information to

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prescribe a treatment plan that addresses not just the knee, but all of the other areas of the body and associated tissues that may be involved. The plan will include attention not just to the joints and their associated soft tissues, but also to the blood supply to the affected areas, the lymphatic drainage, the nerve supply and so on, in order to include all those factors that will affect the success of healing. It is this “whole body, multi-system” approach that has been the basis of osteopathy’s success over the past century.

What about long-term preventative care?

Osteopaths believe that getting patients to keep returning for more treatments is not the best form of long-term, preventive care. The key to preventing health problems recurring—and to developing longterm solutions—lies in increasing patients’ awareness of the causes of problems, and in giving them the help they need to take responsibility for their own health. This is done in a number of ways including: • identifying the causative factors of a patient’s problems, such as problems with workplace ergonomics, and trying to reduce or eliminate them • teaching patients more efficient and less strenuous body usage in their actions at home or at work • helping patients become aware of postural problems and how to correct them • providing individually tailored exercise programs both for rehabilitation and prevention • teaching relaxation techniques to reduce stress • working in conjunction with other practitioners, such as dieticians and occupational therapists, where appropriate.

Osteopaths thus believe that longterm prevention is the result of a cooperative effort between patient and practitioner.

Do I need a referral to see an osteopath?

The only times you will need a referral are if you wish to consult an osteopath under Medicare’s Enhanced primary care program,

cam special the Veterans’ Affairs scheme or for WorkCare in Queensland only.

Remember that not all osteopaths are Veterans’ Affairs providers. Otherwise you can simply contact an osteopath directly.

You can contact the AOA (Australian Osteopathic Association), e-mail aoa@osteopathic.com.au, Tel. 1800 4 OSTEO (1800 467 836), or fax (02) 9440 9962. You can also look in your local Yellow Pages under “Osteopaths”.

Regulation of complementary therapies and medicines in Australia The Office of Complementary Medicines, which is part of the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), regulates and provides information on complementary medicines for Australians.

In Australia, medicinal products containing herbs, vitamins, minerals, and nutritional supplements, homoeopathic medicines and certain aromatherapy products are referred to as “complementary medicines”.

These are regulated as medicines under the Therapeutics Goods Act 1989.

Complementary medicines comprise traditional medicines, including traditional Chinese medicines, Ayurvedic medicines and Australian Indigenous medicines (see Figure 1).

A complementary medicine is defined as a therapeutic good consisting wholly or principally of one or more designated active ingredients, each of which has a clearly established identity and a traditional use. Traditional use

means use of the designated active ingredient that is well documented, or otherwise established, according to the accumulated experience of many traditional healthcare practitioners over an extended period; and accords with well-established procedures of preparation, application and dosage.

Key elements to Australia’s regulation •A ustralia has a two-tiered regulatory system for medicines, based on risk.

•E xported medicines are regulated to ensure that they are of a similar standard to those supplied in Australia.

• Post-market regulatory activities, including reporting of adverse reactions, audit of manufacturers and laboratory testing, are an important element of ensuring the quality, safety and effectiveness of medicines regulated by the TGA.

•C omplementary medicines available for supply in Australia are included on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods as listed (low risk) or registered medicines (higher risk).

•C omplementary medicines must be manufactured under the same code of Good Manufacturing Practice as other medicines.

•L isted complementary medicines may only contain ingredients permitted by the TGA for use in low risk medicines.

•L isted medicines are restricted to indication and claims relating to health maintenance, health enhancement or non-serious, selflimiting conditions. Generally, they may not refer to a serious form of a disease disorder or condition, or indicate they are for treatment or prevention.

• Registered complementary medicines are assessed individually for quality, safety and efficacy. Although listed medicines are not assessed individually for efficacy, sponsors must certify to the TGA they hold evidence to support all indications and claims made for their products. This evidence may be audited by the TGA.

Complementary Medicines

Herbal Medicines

Traditional Medicines

Vitamins & Minerals

Ayurvedic Medicines

Traditional Chinese Medicines

Other Traditional Medicines

Nutritional Supplements

Homeopathic Medicines

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A better sleep for a brighter tomorrow

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n average, it is estimated that some of us may spend one-third of our lifetime with our head on a pillow, far away in dreamland. This shows the enormous dependence our body places on sleep. However, with a good night’s sleep increasingly losing out to longer working hours, the internet, TV and other distractions of a modern life, more and more people are finding it difficult to turn off their internal mental chatter and get a full night’s sleep.

Beyond the bleary, blood shot eyes, a lack of sleep may have wide-ranging effects - it may make you cranky, moody, short tempered and less able to cope with stress. When you’re sleep deprived, you can be less alert, your decision-making and performance can deteriorate and you may not even realise it.

So, the question is - what constitutes a lack of sleep? Generally, most people

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need somewhere between 6.5 to 8.5hours of sleep to function and feel they can manage life adequately.

However, being the diverse creatures that we are, we know that this isn’t the case for everyone and some people need more or less sleep.

Common causes of sleeping problems may include • Certain medications- check with your Doctor • Environmental changes – travel or jet lag • Stressful events – life changes, grief, conflicts or pressures at work • Psychological conditions – such as anxiety • Hormonal changes – menopausal and menstrual • Faulty sleeping habits – excessive daytime naps, caffeine and nicotine consumption late in the day

• Not having a peaceful sleeping environment So what can you do to get a better night’s sleep tonight, so you can have a better tomorrow? Plant extracts such as Zizyphus from the red date has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for restlessness and insomnia, to promote sleep. A new natural ingredient called Lactium has just been made available too - it may help alleviate stress, which is a major cause of sleeplessness.

Together, these ingredients form a twopronged approach to getting a better night’s sleep. Try the new product from Nature’s Own called Complete Sleep - it contains Lactium and Zizyphus to help you fall asleep, stay asleep and wake up refreshed.

Always read the label. Use only as directed. If symptoms persist consult your healthcare professional. CHC41076-10/09

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One Size Does NOT Fit All! Traditionally natural medicine remedies were prescribed by the wise women and men of the local community. These healers had intimate knowledge of the locally available natural medicine products, and how to best use them in treating the health concerns of their community.

Today there is a wide range of natural medicine products available in your health food shop, chemist and supermarket. These products are of high quality. However, just as it has been throughout the ages, natural medicine remedies are still best prescribed by natural medicine specialists.

When you think about it, is there anything more important than your and your family’s health? Hence it is valuable to remember that a service or product that is “tailor made” for you by a trained professional is generally

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superior and more effective than something you pick “off the shelf”.

One size does not fit all!

a health concern. It is only when the causes, as well as the symptoms, are treated will true healing occur.

For example qualified bodywork practitioners, such as Remedial Massage, Shiatsu, TCM massage and Thai massage therapists, can not only help resolve immediate muscle or joint concerns, but also help promote efficiency throughout your body leading to enhanced overall functioning. A modern trained Herbalist, Naturopath, Homeopath or Naturopathic Nutrition practitioner can formulate a remedy, or remedies, specific for you and your presenting condition.

A convenient way to find a qualified natural medicine practitioner close to you is by conducting a search on the Australian Traditional-Medicine Society (ATMS) web site. The ATMS is Australia’s largest Association of natural medicine practitioners with over 11,500 members.

Additionally a vital service you receive when you consult an accredited natural medicine practitioner is having a trained health care professional look at you and your lifestyle, and then treat you in a holistic manner. By treating in a holistic manner, a natural medicine practitioner can often also manage the cause of

Search for an ATMS accredited practitioner at www.atms.com.au, or phone 1800 456 855 and ask to be sent a free Directory of Qualified Natural Medicine practitioners.

Corporate Wellbeing Solutions In her Sydney clinic, Greentree Wellbeing founder Nicole Greentree discovered many of her clients were presenting with similar conditions.

“Shoulder, neck and back pain, along with headaches and stress are the most common symptoms. More often than not, these are attributed to long hours in front of a computer and extra pressures at work” A professional therapist who begun her practice in 2004 with a signature ethos on empathy, empowerment, relaxation and rejuvenation, Nicole saw a genuine need for bringing her unique services to the corporate environment.

Studies have proven that a well-balanced workplace health program creates empowerment, increases productivity and is essential in reducing stress and work related leave.

Businesses who implement a wellness program benefit from increased motivation, less time away from the office, higher concentration and productivity and create an environment that is energetic and promotes success. A healthy office is a happy office and by using Greentree as your wellness partner you are engaging passionate, and qualified therapists who have been personally selected for their skills and ability to deliver the Greentree service and “tranquillity.”

The Greentree on site massage programs are based on a minimum booking of 3 hours not minimum numbers and can be tailored to suit your requirements. Understanding that those who are booking the service are fore mostly looking after staff, Nicole has ensured that the person booking is rewarded with a bonus 15minute massage.

“As a business owner and mum to an adventurous 1-year-old boy, I appreciate the need to refocus, relax and rejuvenate to perform at my best! Businesses are contacting us for onsite massage for team rewards, regular activity to prevent absenteeism and injury as well changing a long lunch for a massage. There is a misconception that onsite massage is cost and time prohibitive, and difficult to arrange. Greentree Corporate Wellbeing is efficient and our therapists offer a 360-degree service to deliver you a relaxing haven all without leaving your workplace.”

In today’s environment Greentree Corporate Wellbeing services is the secret weapon in providing you and your staff with optimal health tips, massage and yoga.

Discover the Greentree difference, go Greentree before your competition does!

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The importance of iron to our well being Today’s modern, hectic lifestyle can sap the energy from all of us, and combined with compromises in the family or individual diet may lead to the need for nutritional supplements.

Iron is our body’s natural ‘transportation and storage’ system. Sufficient iron levels enable blood to transport oxygen to tissues throughout the body.

Oxygen and glucose metabolism is the key to our body’s function and iron is the ‘carrier’ that transports oxygen to the blood cells ‘on demand’. Low iron can lead to ‘lazy blood’ where the blood is not carrying the optimal amount of oxygen.

Iron is also required for liver detoxing, cell protection and re-growth, sound sleep and brain functions.

A complete energy supplement containing Iron and B Vitamin complex may deliver improved oxygen transport and energy conversion through improved metabolism.

A daily boost of supplemented B Vitamins will help improve energy levels immediately whilst the correction of low iron levels over a period of time will help with energy, concentration and all round bounce and vitality.

With low iron levels in our bloodstream and poor oxygen levels for metabolism, our bodies run less effectively “seemingly spluttering from one day to the next”.

People who may need iron supplementation in their daily diet include: - Women who may experience heavy periods - Women who use IUD’s as contraception - Athletes and physical workers People with low dietary iron intake: - Vegetarians and/or vegans - People on calorie restricted diets - High processed food intake - Elderly due to diminishing food intake Those with a general need for iron: - Women during childbearing years - Pregnant women (or planning pregnancy) - Teenagers (esp secondary and studying) - Toddlers 1 to 4 years old in rapid growth spurts People with decreased ability to absorb iron: - People with low protein dietary intake - Elderly due to reduction in stomach acids - People with digestive issues i.e. diarrhoea) - People on antacid therapy medications Supplements containing the original organic, amino acid chelated Iron plus B complex vitamins may help restore and maintain iron levels, bounce and vitality.

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Natural Therapy Integration (nti) for sustainable employee health and wellbeing Even though workplace safety has been of the highest importance in Australia for many years, work-related stress has been growing steadily, adversely affecting employee health & wellbeing and ultimately work place performance. In some cases, stress can manifest into other more serious disorders, including anxiety, depression, feelings of being overwhelmed, inability to cope, sleeping difficulties, cognitive difficulties, fatigue, headaches and heart palpitations.

Finding a sustainable solution to this concern is arguably one of the more difficult challenges organisations face today given that stress, employee health and more importantly their wellbeing is not only a very personal state of self but also a work, life balance issue. What one person may perceive as stressful, another may view as challenging and therefore an employee’s stress, health & wellbeing is not easily measured or monitored within the workplace beyond absenteeism! According to the National Health and Safety Commission, “work-related stress accounts for the longest stretches of absenteeism” and given stress is non-discriminatory, it can affect performance at all levels within an organisation.

The solution to the stress, health & wellbeing relationship lies in the unique natural therapeutic approach adopted by Innisfree Whole Health Repair & Recovery (IWHRR), a purpose built live-in corporate wellness centre established primarily to deal with work-related stress and employee health & wellbeing work, life balance.

IWHRR have developed a Natural Therapy Integration (NTI) program that is underwritten by the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). It was identified at IWHRR that most natural therapies have benefits that overlap, support, compliment, increase efficacy or allow determinations to be cross checked if strategically integrated.

By way of example, TCM or Naturopathic herbal prescriptions can be confirmed through Kinesiology. Body and emotional responses identified through various modalities can be worked through in Counselling, Transformational Weight Training or Art Therapy and underlying problems that surface through Kinesiology can be directed to the appropriate modality. The NTI program comprises various natural therapies, that include TCM, Massage, Acupuncture, Counselling, Qi Gong, Tai Chi, Shiatsu, Meditation, Kinesiology, Herbal Medicine, Myotherapy and Naturopathy to name a few.

The therapies form part of a structured day that is complimented by sleep programs and nutritious gourmet meals comprising local, fresh, organic and whole food.

The program itself is structured around each individuals’ specific needs, designed to produce a sustainable transformational response to support behavioural change in order to reduce stress, improve and maintain optimum health & wellness both mentally and physically, culminating in more self aware, focused, effective and efficient employees.

Although programs are designed around the individual, they can be modified to incorporate conferences, training or team building for groups of up to 10 people.

Innisfree is less than one hour drive or train ride from Melbourne, located in beautiful Kyneton Victoria and situated on the banks of the Campaspe River. The premises include 13 modality specific therapy rooms, gymnasium, courtyard Zen garden, and conferencing facilities. The 10 well appointed accommodation rooms each with their own ensuite, are surrounded by tranquil manicured gardens overlooking the river.

To discuss your organisation’s specific needs or for further information on our programs or facilities please contact our staff by phone on 03 5422 6631 or 0433 400 569, email info@iwhrr.com.au or alternatively attend our open day on Sunday 15th November 2009 between 10.00am & 3.00pm

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new! naturotherapy column

green tea c the miracle weight loss toni

Fact or fiction?

WITH NATUROPATH MIM BEIM Having been in naturopathic practice for over 21 years, I have (nearly) seen it all.

In the early days green lipped mussels were going to take over the world (scary thought), then oat bran was the best thing yet (at least for lowering cholesterol), and more recently goji berries and pomegranate juice have been the talk of the town - and grateful health food shops. I am not saying these products are bad, or not effective, in fact they usually have some health benefits.

Mim Beim has been a practising naturopath for 21 years. She has years lectured in nutrition for over 10 Mim ges. colle at major naturopathic has written 7 books, had regular columns in the Sun Herald; Good and Health & Medicine; Family Circle th ropa natu JJJ Life Etc. Mim was the rds rwa for many years and afte with Tony Delroy on NightLife. Mim helped create and star in two TV has series on Foxtel (LifeForce). Mim ia Nok ons, Lipt been a consultant to s give ys ada now and Big Brother, and ions orat corp workshops to groups, and government departments.

Mim's latest venture has been to create a range of therapeutic (and delicious) herbal tisanes called Beaming with Health. Her clinic is s of located in the Souther n Highland @ mim on her NSW. You can contact visit or .au beamingwithhealth.com her website for more information www.beamingwithhealth.com.au

However, it is more often marketing spin that is responsible for the high profile of various supplements, than their role as universal panaceas. The average bear has no way to know what is spin and what is real. It’s enough to send a trained naturopath into a lemon-lipped bad-tempered, snarling cynic. Who, moi? So my latest bête noire is a green tea combination claiming unique weight loss properties. At the same time as scooping in the millions.

Weight loss is always going to be a popular topic. Most of us have a few unwanted kilos we’d like to shed, so when a miracle weight loss product containing green tea appears in the market, many people feel compelled to give it a go. Especially when that product is endorsed by a scientific study, and has the word ‘Dr.’ on the label.

Unfortunately, for every study that shows green tea causes weight loss, there will be another two studies showing that it does not. Of course,

“Green tea - not a miracle cure, but a really healthy addition to your diet.”

the miracle product will quote the study that says ‘yes’ to weight loss, and not the other studies saying ‘no’.

As we know there are lots of health benefits to be obtained by drinking green tea, including reducing risk of certain cancers, diabetes and heart disease. However, there seems to be one recurring outcome of the many studies on weight loss: green tea seems to definitely have an effect on certain types of fat. In particular visceral fat the one that lines our organs, including the kidneys and liver. This dangerous distribution of fat inclines us more towards heart disease.

Tea, without milk or sugar contains no kilojoules, so it is a great addition to a weight loss diet. Green tea - not a miracle cure, but a really healthy addition to your diet.

The miracle cure for weight loss is unfortunately sadly boring. It sells no books. It’s not covered by the sexy TV show hosts. It’s simply: eat less and exercise more.

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BABES in business Office etiquette how do you rate? with Jodie Bache-McLean

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ore than 35 per cent of office workers have considered leaving their jobs because of their colleagues’ irritating habits, according to research by a well- known recruitment consultancy.

Babes in Business is a group of business owners, entrepreneurs and movers and shakers in a range of professions from property and architecture, to finance, fashion, film, law and public relations.

Since forming eight years ago, Babes in Business has grown to be one of the biggest network groups in Brisbane and the nation. As well as providing women with opportunities to connect with each other, grow professionally, learn and enjoy their passions, it raises funds and profiles of charitable organisations.

Every month, the Babes in Business website publishes a selection of personal columns written by members.

Australian Corporate Wellness is proud to present one of their brilliant babes, Jodie Bache-McLean, and her latest spiel.

The survey of 1500 employees who work in an open-plan office identified some “do’s and don’ts” of office etiquette. The most irritating habits listed were: • people who email you when they sit one metre away (85 per cent) • people who listen to voicemail on speaker phone (75 per cent) • people who swear at their computer (71 per cent) • colleagues who don’t share the tea making (60 per cent).

Other issues that have been raised in recent times concerning eating at your desk and personal hygiene. Some personal favourites I’d like to add to the list include: • people who leave mobiles on when they go out to lunch, with an unanswered message that continues to beep until they return • colleagues who make loud personal calls in front of everyone • people who talk to you in the next toilet when you are in the bathroom!

• co-workers who stand in front of you while you are on the telephone, and look impatient, waiting for you to end your call.

Nothing is more frustrating than the “Prairie Dog”—someone who peers over the partition trying to get your attention.

If you need to talk to someone, walk past

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their office, look in and if they are on the phone, make eye contact, then move on and come back a few moments later. DO NOT STAND THERE looking at them.

The increasing trend towards open plan offices requires a code of conduct. There may not be walls, but you should always treat a person’s workspace as if it’s their own office, complete with door and walls.

Of course if you are in your own office, what goes on behind those closed doors is your business. But when we are sharing an open-plan office, we need to be more considerate of our fellow coworkers.

The importance of workplace relationships is highlighted in this survey by the 26 per cent of workers who say they would be prepared to earn $1000 a year less if they could work in a harmonious environment, while 53 per cent would rather have nice colleagues than an extra week’s holiday. Where do you sit with this?

My top tips for office etiquette: 1. B e aware of noise levels when other colleagues are trying to concentrate.

2. Develop a softer telephone voice.

3. A djust your personal mobile ring tone, to vibrate, or minimum rings.

4. When sneezing, cover your mouth!

5. Make private calls in a private area.

6. O ffer to make tea, not just for your boss.

On average, we can spend more time with our co-workers than we do with our own friends and families. I think it makes sense to create a more harmonious environment, don’t you?

of June Jodie Bache-McLean is Director nagement.

Dally-Watkins, Dallys Model Ma atkins Having worked with June Dally-W Jodie has (JDW) for more than 23 years, modelling seen many changes both in the ishing industry and also in the JDW Fin jor changes School. As the force behind ma d her within the school, Jodie has use ls to create managerial and corporate skil ms offered a number of corporate progra . Her both internally and externally ured the expertise and experience has ens growing success of JDW. ilitating Through coordinating and fac sed various corporate and school-ba 23 years training programs during her erience of with JDW, Jodie has gained exp a diverse a range of industries and met d up-togroup of people. This has ensure existing date and vibrant programs for sonal and new clientele. From her per nagers to development programs for tee ms—both her corporate training progra emphasis is internal and external—Jodie’s client. always on the importance of the

What is all the fuss about detoxing?

T

he human race is at the top of the food chain, and in an ill twist of fate, the toxic chemicals we introduce into the environment such as pesticides and herbicides circulate around the earth and magnify up the food chain only to concentrate in our own bodies. In fact, other species at the top of the food chain such as sea mammals have been found to have so much toxic waste accumulated in their bodies they are technically classified as hazardous waste.

The human body has mechanisms which assist the elimination of toxins however these mechanisms may be impaired due to factors such as poor lifestyle practices, improper diet, low intake of important nutrients, alcohol and cigarette use.

This is also causing free-radicals to circulate our bodies in greater numbers than ever before. Recent research suggests that this is a major cause of accelerated ageing in our society. Controlling these factors can be difficult which is why detoxification programs are so popular. Try one before summer and decide for yourself.

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agetsuamwamyer...holiday

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nly 90 minutes north of Townsville in Tropical North Queensland is a sophisticated resort village of Port Hinchinbrook ‌.located near Cardwell the resort is overlooking a tranquil marina with tropical gardens and natural beauty.

With a backdrop of the rugged Cardwell Ranges and magnificent views of Hinchinbrook Island, the largest island National Park in the world, you are secluded in your own private sanctuary where you can relax and enjoy the tranquility and natural beauty that abounds this region.

Take scenic bushwalks through National Parks and Rainforests to crystal clear mountain streams and waterfalls, sail the coral seas and discover desserted islands and pristine beaches, snorkel the Great Barrier Reef and explore the worlds largest aquarium; an amazing wonderland of colourful coral and fish. It really is worth a visit to this undiscovered region.

Port Hinchinbrook is located on the coast near Cardwell and is the Gateway to the Cassuary Coast with access to the amazing waterways of the Hinchinbrook Chanel and Hinchinbrook Island.

An aquatic playground for the boating and fishing enthusiast or an ideal destination for those who want a quiet, tranquil escape from the vigours of everyday life.

Enjoy stylish accommodation options, all of which are self contained. Choose from luxury waterfront units to absolute beachfront resort homes where you can retreat and soak up the sunshine and crisp fresh air, a therapuedic getaway where life is simple... the more you live it‌ the more you love it.

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Does good seating make a difference?

KAB Seating provides some of the worlds best 24 hour specialised seating. KAB Office Seating has been developed as a result of supplying vehicle seats for the transport, construction and agricultural industries.

Every day, thousands of vehicle drivers sit comfortably and safely in KAB Seats.

The characteristics necessary in a good driver’s seat are equally as important in the workplace.

The KAB Range of 24/7 extended use chairs are used in emergency services, communication centres and high tech control room facilities throughout the world.

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KAB Chairs have proven to perform to the highest level over long periods of time, keeping personnel up to the vital job at hand.

A chair used in a 24/7 application must be tough and durable, yet able to adjusted to suit multiple users in a quick and easy manor from within the chair.

The KAB range has multi range ergonomic functionality to allow each main part of the chair to be adjusted in accordance with application and user preference.

Like any piece of “Continual Use� equipment, a 24/7 chair must also be able to be serviced over its lifetime to maintain optimum performance.

KAB Seats are made from steel with no timber products and have fully replaceable covers and cushions to allow chairs to be serviced for hygiene and fabric replacement.

KAB Seating Offer a full range of ergonomically designed seating products to suit all industrial and commercial applications. All products are fully serviceable with full parts and service back up available world wide.

For more info call 1300 130 552

economics of ergonomics column

Business travel is no holiday 1 2 3 Ergonomist Mark Dohrmann shares some useful tips to help make your next business flight more comfortable and productive.

4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Mark Dohrmann is an engineer and ergonomist heading a multi-disciplined professional team of ergonomic consultants. Mark Dohrmann & Partners Pty Ltd is a Melbourne-based ergonomics and safety consultancy practising throughout Australia. For more helpful ergonomics advice, go to www.ergonomics.com.au.

12 13

Make a mental note of the time you need to leave home in order to get to the airport in plenty of time to check in and get organised. Departure time from home is the key appointment you should make with yourself.

If you leave even a tiny bit late the whole trip (at least to the airport) becomes stressful, as you have to rush to make it on time.

Check in on-line at home or work—save yourself another queue and more bother (and don’t forget your boarding pass, which you need to print out).

Don’t take a heavy briefcase or (worse) a full-size small case on board.

They’re hard to lift and will cause strain. Check your bag in. If you must work on the way, take the folders, book or papers you need out of the bag before check-in.

You should never have to carry bags bigger than a small briefcase or backpack—your bags should have wheels. Choose luggage where the wheels are as far apart as possible (and recessed).

Check that extendable luggage handles are sturdy, so they won’t break and let you down when most needed. You get what you pay for.

If you want to sleep or rest on the journey, ask for a window seat—less disturbance there. Ask for a pillow, or take your own inflatable type.

If you suffer from back pain, an inflatable lumbar support pillow is an inexpensive investment in comfort.

Don’t forget to use the overhead light when reading. It’s amazing how many people try to read in the half dark, and get tired eyes as a result. In most aircraft, your overhead light will swivel and you can position it as you wish. The same goes for the little air outlet.

That same little air outlet can dry eyeballs and cause irritation if it blows across your face for too long, so watch for that. Turn it down, or off, if it’s troublesome.

Aircraft interiors are very dry places. Avoid alcohol and caffeine-based drinks. Drink water as it is refreshing and healthy. Be careful not to dry out contact lenses.

Long-legged people might find it worthwhile to book an exit row seat—pay extra if you have to.

Any trip longer than an hour deserves a stretch—get up, have a bit of a walk and you’ll feel better. If you are blocked in by food trolleys, or don’t want to disturb fellow passengers, simple exercises such as clenching and unclenching fingers and curling your toes will improve circulation.

Don’t be shy about slipping off your shoes—your feet will swell a little on longer flights, so give them a break.

International and long trips—or trips with little children—are a different matter! Perhaps we’ll talk about that in the near future.

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Positive Changes for Wellbeing of Staff, the Environment and high Productivity Wellbeing, the environment, worklife balance, a desire of all to create a lifestyle that can positively impacts on individual staff and the business.

Businesses are aware of the constant challenges out there and to achieve company goals there are steps along the journey to the goal. Some steps to introduce for a positive work place environment and wellbeing of staff: • Wellbeing Program for Staff • Change Behaviours • Manage People under the new IR Laws • Develop Incentive Program • Manage Conference/Events • Human Resource Advice • Staff Recruitment • Measure Carbon Footprint • Green Business Connecting People saw a need in assisting businesses to reach their goals and have created a Global Corporate Solution Business with an expert team of specialists who can address our clients multiple corporate needs and

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provide a single tailored solution.

OUR DIFFERENCE is the quality, diversity of our people and services: - Wellbeing programs, Incentives, Reward - tailored to your business -M otivational Speakers – energise and add variety to your conference and meeting programs - T raining programs – tailored to your business model- team building, leadership, brainstorming, challenge, engage and motivate your people and teams to reach the business goal!

- S chedule monthly Training Seminars – keep abreast with challenges - E mployer of choice – be a business renowned as best workplace -H R & Recruitment – the right advice and matching the right person for the job - E nvironmental – calculating Carbon Footprint, learn how to become a Green business Connecting People will deliver today’s solutions with the understanding of today’s needs.

People are the most important part of a business and when their values, attitude and commitment are the same as the company’s own then we have a successful partnership and high productivity to meet the company goals!!

Without doubt delivering positive changes to a workplace, creates an environment for high productivity and well being of for staff. These positive steps will position businesses into ‘Employer of Choice”..

A large number of organisations have taken the steps and created a positive environment for their staff and achieving their business goals, however there are other organisations out there who are still thinking of how to introduce these steps.

Connecting People can assist these organisations to start the process to positive changes!

OUR EDGE? WE DARE TO BE DIFFERENT!

financial fitness column

Doing the numbers

with negative gearing WITH ROBERT BERENS Robert Berens (MFP) Infocus Money Management; Financial Education Specialist.

Once again our financial environment has changed. Recent changes to legislation have reduced our capacity to contribute to superannuation taxeffectively. Yet the demand for a well-funded retirement has not reduced accordingly—in fact, it is probably increasing. The maximum concessional contribution amount for people aged over 50 has dropped to $50,000, and to $25,000 for those aged under 50. So, how can you grow an asset that can produce income for you in the future to support the retirement lifestyle that you choose, while claiming tax benefits today?

Negative gearing is a term that receives a lot of lip service, but is frequently misunderstood. In a world saturated with information, you have probably heard the term in the context of rental properties.

However, negative gearing can also be used for other income producing assets such as shares. Most individuals do not have idle cash sitting around to purchase a significant share portfolio or an investment property.

Borrowing funds (gearing) enables us to purchase these assets.

Fortunately, Australia has a tax system that allows negative gearing. As long as the borrowed funds have been used to purchase an asset that produces income, we are allowed to claim the interest paid as a tax deduction.

The following example demonstrates some possible outcomes: Jim earns $80,000 per year. He has borrowed $200,000 at 7.5 per cent interest and invested in a basket of Australian shares. The shares return a dividend of 4.5 per cent. (We will assume no franking credits to keep the example simple.) Jim now has $9000 that he needs to include in his assessable income, and an allowable deduction of $15,000 (annual interest payable on the loan).

Therefore, Jim’s taxable income is $74,000 ($80,000, plus $9,000, less $15,000).

Because Jim’s employer has been taxing him based on $80,000 income, he will be entitled to receive a tax refund. To calculate the amount owed, we simply calculate the difference between the $9000 income and $15,000 deduction, which is $6000, and multiply it by 31.5 per cent (Jim’s marginal

tax rate of 30 per cent plus Medicare Levy 1.5 per cent). Without taking any other factors into consideration, the tax refund that Jim can expect is $1890.

So, now that Jim is negatively geared, he owns a substantial asset and is getting some money back from the Tax Office. It is easy to think that this is a good strategy, and there’s nothing else to it. Not quite. You should never invest simply for tax purposes.

Your investment decisions should be centred on building a tax-effective asset for your future. Negative gearing simply means we have larger outflows than inflows. In Jim’s case, he has outlaid $15,000, and received $9000 in dividends and a $1890 tax refund, which means he has still experienced a negative cashflow of $4110.

Therefore, to break even, Jim’s asset needs to grow in value by at least $4110 (2.06 per cent of the asset value without considering inflation). In fact, he would need the asset to grow by more than $4110 to cover brokerage costs for buying and selling the shares.

This same concept applies to investing in property; however, there are usually more costs associated with owning an investment property, such as insurance, rates, maintenance. It is important to include these costs in your cash flow when calculating the growth required to make negative gearing for an investment property worthwhile.

Negative gearing can be a worthwhile strategy, so long as you can achieve enough asset growth to compensate you for your cash flow shortfall. It is also important to remember that borrowing money increases

your level of risk. Asset prices may fall and you will still have the associated debt. No one wants to sell something for less than they paid for it and still have a debt to pay off. Any strategy that uses gearing needs to be planned very well and should only be implemented if your investment time frame is long term—preferably seven years or more. Another important point to note in the context of our current economic environment is the present level of interest rates.

The Reserve Bank of Australia has hinted strongly that interest rates will move up rather than down over the next one to two years. So if you are contemplating borrowing to invest, ensure that you have sufficient cash flow to meet increased obligations due to any interest rate rises.

Seek advice, do your homework and know your numbers before taking the leap.

Rob Berens is an authorised representative of Infocus Money Management. He specialises in developing and implementing financial education and advice programs for the workplace.

Rob has a Masters in Financial Planning (MFP). He can be contacted on 07 3123 6947 or robert.berens@infocus.com.au

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fitness

Bio Age Fitness Testing

What is your real age?

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fitness They say you are only as old as you feel. There are numerous factors that come into play which determine how long your body will live for. These are a mixture of lifestyle and genetic factors.

So how can we know for sure if we really are young at heart?

T

he way to find out if you’re body is ageing more slowly than your birth date would otherwise indicate, is a new scientific system called Bio Age. It was developed by Paul Taylor, one of Australia's leading fitness educators and international presenters. This scientific measurement system is based on an integrated wellbeing assessment of various physical tests and lifestyle evaluations.

There is greater motivation for better long-term health and fitness when focusing on the holistic nature of the Bio Age rather than a single factor such as just reducing blood pressure or cholesterol. Bio Age testing software has been created for the health and fitness industry by Paul Taylor, an exercise physiologist and nutritionist who has studied neuroscience, quantum physics and positive psychology.

Biological age testing has been developed by a team of exercise physiologists and approved by doctors, making it scientifically valid and clinically relevant; the measures tested have real impact on lifespan and longevity. Taylor says, ‘Making permanent health and lifestyle changes for better wellbeing is easier when we discuss reducing the Bio Age, especially when compared with the chronological age; you may be 40 chronologically, but you can have a biological age of 30 or younger!’

‘For motivation of the mind and body towards better health, the key to change is based on the brain’s ‘reward pathway’ where certain rewards are worth repeating certain behaviours.

Some natural rewards include things such as nurturing, water, food and sex which are considered vital for continuing existence of the species.

Motivation to exercise and eat well comes from the anticipation of these fundamental rewards and the ability to self-regulate – using the ‘executive brain’ to undergo short-term sacrifice for long-term gain’ Taylor explains.

There are two levels of testing; the standard biological age test determined from physical and behavioural assessments, and clinical biological age testing which is more comprehensive, adding metabolic measurements

including cholesterol levels and lung function. Each test has a weighting taken into account when calculating the Bio Age. Elements such as cholesterol and aerobic fitness have a higher weighting than other physical tests, such as the number of push-ups completed, as these have the least impact on longevity.

own company’s Biggest Loser type competition.

Lifestyle factors identified as indicators of disease are assessed, such as nutrition, stress, smoking and alcohol consumption. For physical tests, there is a range of assessments which may be done such as push ups, flexibility and measuring the body composition.

Bio Age testing can be used to assess wellbeing and monitor progress, an assessment that individuals can seek from health and fitness professionals.

When you have finished inputting all the results, the Bio Age software calculates the overall results and compares your client's Biological Age to their Chronological Age.

To tailor a wellbeing program focused on longevity and for the most effective method to reduce the Bio Age of an individual, Taylor identifies where they are positioned on a scale of motivation.

This ranges from ‘Amotivation’ where there is no motivation, then ‘OtherDetermined Extrinsic Motivation’ where a person is driven by rewards, coercion, guilt and motivation from others such as a partner or looking good for an event. Getting to the next phase, ‘Other-Motivated Extrinsic Motivation’ involves passing through the ‘Threshold of Autonomy’, which Taylor believes is the key to a younger Bio Age and better holistic wellbeing.

‘For most people, crossing the ‘Threshold of Autonomy’ is the defining moment for permanent change. This is where you become motivated by good health, fitness and the benefits of these such as reduced stress or a more positive attitude. Following this, ‘Intrinsic Motivation’ is the focus for individuals and athletes who are motivated by enjoyment of exercise, the challenge, and mastering an activity’.

How can you get tested?

Bio Age is an online software tool for Personal Trainers and Allied Health professionals. Once you login you will have access to create tests, view instructional videos on how to perform each test, view the User Guide, access previous tests and your account details.

This can be a great tool to introduce into your office space and run your

You have access to four levels of testing, standard or clinical for clients interested in health and well-being, and strength or sport tests for those clients who are motivated by these outcomes. There is some specialised equipment that will be needed in order to complete the test.

If you are not a health professional you can contact your nearest Genesis or Fitness First gymnasium to participate in the Bio Age program.

Paul Taylor - creator of the bio age testing system A former Royal Navy Aircrew Officer, Paul is an accredited and practicing Exercise Physiologist and Nutritionist.

He has combined his years of University training with his interests in neuroscience & quantum physics to develop an integrated approach to health and well-being that he calls Scientific Holism, evidence based holistic health that integrates both the physical and mental components of the self.

Paul is Owner/Director of the The Personal Training Academy (an International Fitness Certification company offering personal trainer courses), part-time University Lecturer in Exercise Science, Radio Presenter, International Fitness presenter and Author (regular contributor to PTontheNet, Ultra-Fit Magazine, Fitness Australia, and Women’s Health & Fitness).

In addition to his extensive background in health and fitness, Paul has a proven track record in leadership, management and dealing in high-pressure situations, through his roles as an Airborne Anti-submarine Warfare Officer and a Helicopter Search-And-Rescue Navigator with the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm. He has also undergone rigorous survival and resistance-to-interrogation training which, when combined with his knowledge of physiology, makes him a true expert in stress and its effects on both body and brain.

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Can the Lotus position improve your bottom line?

Yes. In more ways than one.

The new buzzword in corporate wellbeing circles is … Yoga.

Whilst this might conjure up frightening images of your CEO doing ‘downward facing dog’ in the boardroom or the accounting department foregoing their morning latte break for a group ‘salute to the sun’, nothing could be further from the truth.

The commercial world is sitting up and taking notice of the tangible results yoga brings in terms of reducing workplace stress, absenteeism, and lost time due to injury – and the consequent increases in productivity, performance and ultimately profits.

The good news is that corporate yoga is not limited to the freakishly bendy amongst us and looking good in lycra is not a pre-requisite. ‘Officise made easy®’ is the culmination of over 30 years experience of tailoring yoga to the workplace and is the brain child of Pauline Rooney (Swami Prema Anada) Director of Inner Cor. What sets this program apart is its simplicity, practicality and a holistic mind-body approach to reducing stress and ‘body breakdown’ in the workplace (i.e. the neck, back and wrist problems which are becoming more prevalent in offices worldwide). A companion book of the same name is also available from Angus & Robertson or online.

which are performed at the desk, on the plane or in the car. Most can be done without others even noticing and importantly only take a few moments to do.

Inner Cor offers specifically tailored programs for the corporate arena including corporate retreats, rehabilitation in the workplace and office desk/boardroom classes.

To learn how ‘Officise made easy®’ could make a difference to your workplace or to order your copy of the book, visit www.innercor.com. au, email info@innercor.com.au or phone 61 3 5244 1130.

The program is based on simple stretches and breathing techniques

Inner Cor Succeed with excellence

Officise made easy® programme • Workshops and Seminars • Rehabilitation in the workplace • Office Desk/Boardroom Classes • Corporate Retreats – National & International

Books can be purchased from Angus & Robertson or from the below website

phone: 03 5244 1130 email: info@innercor.com.au 86

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www.innercor.com.au

START EVERY DAY

advertorial

with a good night’s sleep

We may be unconscious when we sleep, but a healthier lifestyle begins before we even get out of bed. Better sleep can be as simple as sleeping on a new mattress.

And the right mattress for a great night’s sleep is the one that meets your personal needs for comfort and support.

We spend about 26 years of our life in bed, so it’s vital to have the right mattress for you, one that will deliver you a quality sleep and benefit your overall health. You deserve the most comfortable bed you can buy.

“Because there are now many different brands of beds on the market, it is important you find the right one for you.

Each bed offers you something unique – so when shopping for a mattress, take your time to assess each sleep set and decide which one is right for you” says Felicity Turner from Beds ‘R’ Us. Until recently it was believed that a firm bed was better for those with orthopaedic problems. Research has gone a long way towards proving that during sleep, our bodies require not a hard or firm mattress, but a supportive mattress with a low pressure surface. Low pressure will result in fewer pressure points on your body during sleep, preventing tossing and turning and giving you a more restful slumber.

We all come in different shapes and sizes and require slightly different combinations of core support/firmness and top layer cushioning. Support comes from the innerspring unit/ latex and the comfort level comes from the type of padding.

You can choose from softer or firmer comfort layers while being sure you have good support at the same time. It all depends on your personal comfort level.

Beds R Us has a comprehensive range of mattresses to suit everyone and chooses to stock Australian Made multi award winning Sleepyhead mattresses because they are manufactured to the highest standards, using quality Australian materials and manufactured under rigorous quality assurance processes.

of the body, providing correct support, and a healthy rest, through to the Serenity Collection pocket spring system which provides correct spinal alignment by conforming more accurately to the body and offers reduced partner disturbance and roll-together. The pinnacle of the range is the Sensorzone Collection, the most sophisticated sleep system ever created, providing the perfect balance between comfort and support.

The increasing awareness of the role good sleep plays in health and well-being has spawned massive growth in mattress technologies and styles. All of which can be confusing without the right guidance and personal attention. And that’s where Beds R Us comes in. “We pride ourselves on friendly, professional service. Expert advice is always available to ensure the bed you purchase is the right one for you. We have a commitment to advise and help you with this important purchase, a purchase that will affect your sleeping habits for years to come and improve your quality of sleep and ultimately, your quality of life” says Felicity.

The top quality mattresses at Beds R Us represent outstanding value. “Beds 'R' Us is the largest independent bedding group in Australasia. This means, because of our superior buying power we are able to pass on bigger savings to you.” says Felicity.

When you think about the impact sleep has on your life, a mattress becomes a very important purchase. You can rest easy with Beds R Us because you will be dealing with a team that knows beds inside out. With over 90 stores nationwide, mattresses are their specialty. “It’s our core business and we know it better than anyone. Most importantly, we’ve learned how to guide our customers through the purchase process to find their dream bed simply and enjoyably.”

You can read more about getting a great night’s sleep and find your nearest bed expert at www.bedsrus.com.au

At Beds ‘R’ Us, you will find an exclusive range of sleep systems from Sleepyhead, recognised as world leaders in bedding design and manufacture. From Latex Gold, a 100% natural product which follows the natural contours

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Food, Mood & Work Performance

with Nutrition Australia

Office environments are not always conducive to health and wellbeing. Healthy food patterns and maintaining adequate physical activity come under threat in jobs that entail long work hours and demand a desk and ‘screen-bound’ existence.

Absenteeism costs Australian businesses over $7 billion annually1 –often related to treatment and recovery from dietrelated diseases. Establishing workplace health promotion practices can save employers approximately $2600 per employee2.

promotion. As a non-profit, nongovernment, national community organisation we promote health and well-being for all Australians minimising social and economic impacts of lifestyle-related disease. Services include: development of workplace nutrition policies, review of staff canteen menus, nutrition and cooking skill education, and promotion of physical activity - encouraging people to make informed food choices and achieve optimal health through food variety and physical activity.

Re-engineering organizational and office design - a workplace 'make over' - can assist employees in achieving a healthy weight, improve health, raise productivity and revenue. Research by the Mayo Clinic3 with a US financial planning firm utilised strategies including educating staff to conduct ‘walking meetings’, and educating staff about healthy eating.

Foods can act as a stimulant, depressant or a brain booster. The quality and type of food consumed can influence how employees feel. Selecting healthy foods and allowing enough time to eat regularly throughout the day, can shift mood, enhancing alertness, promoting calm thinking, better sleep and reduced stress levels – all encouraging better productivity.

Nutrition Australia’s Workplace Well Being program engages with businesses assisting them in workplace-health

Nutrition Australia advises achieving a well balanced meal plan by incorporating all sections of the Healthy

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Living Pyramid—fruits, vegetables, breads and cereals, meat and meat alternatives, dairy products and healthy fats and oils. Moderation, balance and variety being the essence of a healthy food plan.

Taking time to refuel for lunch has multiple benefits for employee health and work efficiency. Nutrition Australia offers tips to help staff say YES to lunch, creating healthy lunches and other advice to help employees boost their energy - improving focus and productivity.

References: 1

Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2006

2

S exner,S., Gold,D., Anderson,D.,Williams, D. (2001). The impact of a Worksite HealthPromotion program on shortterm disability usage. J. Occupational & Environmental Management, Vol 43: 1, pages 25-29.

3

L evine, J. “Office of the Future” Environment Study, 2008 NewswiseMedicalNews.

minute meals

The Gluten-free Kitchen The following recipes appear in the brand new cookbook by Sue Shepherd which caters not only for gluten free, but all the conditions including wheat intolerance, irritable bowel syndrome, fructose malabsorption, lactose intolerance.

The Gluten-free Kitchen is a collection of 100 new recipes from renowned dietitian Sue Shepard, author of the popular Gluten-free Cooking. In every recipe, Sue’s passion for flavour and her commitment to good nutrition shine through. Home cooks will love her hearty soups and casseroles, spicy stir-fries, comforting side dishes and fabulous array of desserts and baked goods, and benefit from her straightforward advice on how to source and use specialist ingredients.

Publisher: Penguin Books Australia, RRP: $35.00

Understanding food intolerances

the recipes

Coeliac disease • Coeliac disease affects approximately 1 in 100 Australians. However 80% currently remain undiagnosed. This means that approximately 200,000 Australians have coeliac disease but don’t yet know it.

All recipes in The Gluten-free kitchen are suitable for fructose malabsorption, i.e they do not contain fructans or excess fructose.

• It is an auto-immune disease, which means that the body produces antibodies that attack its own tissues. It is triggered by gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, barley and oats.

All recipes are wheat free.

• While under-diagnosed, it is still one of the most common chronic diseases and, if left undiagnosed, may lead to the possibility of severe consequences such as bowel cancer and osteoporosis.

• Coeliac disease affects Caucasians and west Asians. It is uncommon in the Oriental Asian and full-blood Australian Aboriginal populations.

• Symptoms include fatigue, anaemia, flatulence and abdominal distention, cramping and bloating, diarrhoea or constipation – can be experienced in combination although many people do not experience either and some experience both.

• When using gluten-free recipes it is still essential to read the ingredients list of all food products to determine if they are suitable for inclusion in the gluten-free diet.

Fructose malabsorption • Formerly inappropriately named “dietary fructose intolerance”, it is a digestive disorder[1] of the small intestine in which the fructose carrier in enterocytes is deficient.

• In fructose malabsorption a person’s ability to absorb fructose, fruit sugar, is impaired.

This results in fructose passing through the intestines and being fermented by bacteria, causing gastrointestinal symptoms like irritable bowel syndrome.

• Only half of affected individuals exhibit symptoms.

• Although fructose is present in one form or another in virtually every fruit, and in many vegetables and grains, not every food source of fructose needs to be avoided by people with fructose malabsorption.

FODMAPTM • FODMAPTM refers to a group of poorly absorbed food molecules that can cause symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome in many people. FODMAPTM foods include wheat, high-fructose foods and also foods containing lactose, sorbitol and raffinose. Recipes that require modification to be low FODMAP are indicated throughout the book.

Most recipes are free of lactose, raffinose and sorbitol, or contain only minimal amounts of these.

Recipes that require modification to be low FODMAPTM are indicated in the recipe.

There is no one diet that will suit every person who suffers from irritable bowel syndrome. The recipes developed for The Glutenfree Kitchen avoid ingredients that have been shown to be a problem in people with irritable bowel syndrome, including wheat, excess fructose foods and foods containing fructans, lactose, sorbitol and raffinose.

Many gluten-free ingredients are now available in the ever expanding health-food isles of the supermarket, while some of the more niche products can be found in larger health-food shops. Asian grocery stores are a real treasure chest of gluten-free foods, stocking many items including the flours needed for baking (potato, fine rice, tapioca and so on.

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minute meals

Serves 6-8

3 cups cooked long-grain rice, warm 1 egg 2 tablespoons finely grated parmesan Filling 200g lean bacon, diced 4 eggs, lightly beaten 1/3 cup light cream 2 tablespoons gluten-free Dijon mustard 150g grated cheddar Salt and freshly ground black pepper

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Rice-Crusted Cheese and Bacon Quiche Preheat the oven to 170C and grease a 23cm flan tin.

Combine the cooked rice, egg and parmesan in a bowl. Press into the base of the flan tin to a thicknessof about 5mm and bake for 15 minutes or until just starting to turn golden brown.

Meanwhile, to make the filling, sautĂŠ the bacon in a small frying pan over mediumlow heat until just crispy. Remove and drain on paper towel. Mix together the egg, cream, mustard and cheddar in a bowl until well combined. Add the bacon and season with salt and pepper. Pour into the rice crust and bake for 15-20 minutes or until set and cooked through.

minute meals

Serves 6

500g gluten-free pasta 2 tablespoons olive oil

Chicken, Mushroom and Tarragon Pasta Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of boiling water until just tender. Drain and return to the pan.

3 cloves garlic, crushed

Toss through a little olive oil and cover to keep warm.

400g button mushrooms, sliced

Heat the remaining olive oil and garlic in a large heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes until golden. Add the wine and cook for 3 minutes or until the wine has reduced slightly.

Stir in the cream, parsley and tarragon, then taste and season with salt and pepper.

400g chicken thigh fillets, cut into small pieces 3 tablespoons dry white wine ½ cup light cream

Divide the pasta among serving bowls, spoon the sauce over the top and finish with a sprinkle of shaved parmesan.

½ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley ½ cup chopped tarragon Salt and freshly ground black pepper 3 tablespoons shaved parmesan

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minute meals

Serves 10

ž cup red wine

Preheat the oven to 180C and grease a 22cm springform cake tin.

1½ tablespoons caster sugar 2 large oranges, cut into quarters, (skin intact)

Combine the red wine, sugar, oranges, star anise, cinnamon stick and 1Âź cups water in a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved. Increase the heat and simmer, covered, for 30-40 minutes or until the oranges are soft.

2 star anise

Set aside to cool.

1 cinnamon stick

Remove the cinnamon and star anise form the syrup, and any pips from the oranges.

6 eggs, lightly beaten

Place the orange quarters, syrup and eggs in a food processor and process until smooth.

300g ground almonds 250g caster sugar, extra 1 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder Strips of orange rind, to serve (optional) Pure icing sugar, for dusting (optional)

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Decadent Orange Dessert Cake

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Mix together the ground almonds, extra sugar and baking powder in a medium bowl. Add the orange mixture and beat well with a metal spoon.

Poor the batter into the tin and bake for 40-45 minutes, then cover with foil and bake for a further 15-20 minutes or until firm to touch ( a skewer inserted into the centre should come out clean).

Leave in the tin to cool completely, then turn out onto a wire rack.

Decorate with orange rind and dust with icing sugar, or serve as a dessert with ice cream.

Fruit and vege powders to spark ‘nutrition revolution’ An Australian health food company hopes to spark a “nutrition revolution” with the release of an exciting new range of 100 per cent pure fruit and vegetable powders, which include the latest super food broccoli sprouts.

S

uper Sprout has launched nine pure fine powders which are packed full of goodness and have all the benefits of fresh produce.

Among the powders is broccoli sprouts, hailed as one of the most potent and remarkable plant medicines in the world which can give the body’s natural defence system a super boost.

The versatile powders are convenient and can be used in all your favourite recipes including casseroles, soups, sauces, cakes, salads, juices and smoothies.

They can help provide everybody – from children to fussy eaters and the elderly – with their daily nutritional requirements.

“Super Sprout recognises it's time for a revolution in dietary nutrition,” Super

Sprout business development manager Melinda Richards said.

“It’s hard to get our daily requirement of five servings of fresh fruits and vegetables a day. In fact, most of us don’t even come close.

“The arrival of Super Sprout powders is an exciting development for those who want to maintain good physical health and wellbeing and even shed a few kilos.”

The powders are available in nine different varieties: Organic Broccoli Sprout Powder; Organic Wheatgrass Sprout Powder; Organic Beetroot Powder; Organic Apple Powder; Organic Lemon Powder; Strawberry Powder; Organic Carrot Powder; Ginger Powder and Blueberry Powder.

now known as super foods, with two of the products, broccoli and wheatgrass, harvested and then powdered as six day old sprouts to lock in nutrition at the optimum time.

“Broccoli sprouts are an amazing new super food,” Ms Richards said.

“They hold many times the nutritional value of fully matured plants but have been traditionally difficult to access in a convenient form until now.”

Super Sprout’s process removes only water and moisture from the fruit and vegetables, leaving the nutritional value of the original produce untouched.

Most of the powders are Australian Certified Organic and have no additives, preservatives or artificial colours.

Most of the fruit and vegetables are

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nutrition

‘Reduce saturated fat’ urges ew

Heart Foundation after major revi

A

n extensive Heart Foundation review into the fat we eat has found more evidence about the harmful nature of trans fat and the negative effects of too much saturated fat.

The review has prompted the Heart Foundation to urge Australians to switch their fat focus from ‘total fat’ to ‘type of fat’ with a strong recommendation to cut back on saturated fat which remains a key issue for cardiovascular risk.

Heart Foundation tips to reduce your family’s saturated fat today: 1. S wap full fat dairy foods for reduced, low or no fat dairy foods – for all family members over two years old. You'll save 4kg of saturated fat a year if you do this with 1 cup of milk, 2 slices of cheese and a small tub of yoghurt a day. The savings will be even greater if you choose no fat options!

2. S wap butter for a margarine spread – just by doing this with your daily toast will save 2.85kg of saturated fat from your diet in one year.

The dietary fats and dietary cholesterol for cardiovascular health review considered all of the latest evidence around the cardiovascular health and ‘types of fat’ – the benefits of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats and the negative health impacts of saturated and trans fats.

Ms Susan Anderson, National Healthy Weight Director for the Heart Foundation said Australians are eating twice the Heart Foundation’s recommended maximum of saturated fat.1 “This is alarming because evidence continues to show that saturated fat leads to increased levels of LDL or ‘bad cholesterol’ in the blood which is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease,” she added. “The good news is that reducing saturated fat in your meals will help to lower your LDL cholesterol, much more than avoiding cholesterol in foods.”

The easiest way to reduce saturated fat is to choose reduced fat dairy foods, limit foods such as pastries, pies, pizza, biscuits and hot chips to once a week and trim all meat and poultry of visible fat before cooking.** “At a time when so many Australians are at risk of developing or living with chronic disease, it’s more important than ever for people to understand that the ‘type of fat’ is key to maintaining good health; not ‘fat’ generally,” she added.

3. C ut the fat - trim all visible fat from meat; remove skin from chicken and try to avoid processed meats (e.g. ham, unless it has the Heart Foundation Tick).

“Fats are an important part of a healthy balanced diet and we should not exclude them. We just have to choose the healthier unsaturated fats instead of saturated and trans fats,” said Ms Anderson.

4. E at 2-3 serves of oily fish a week - 150g is a serve which is about the size of your hand. Add fish oil capsules and omega-3 enriched foods and drinks if you’re not eating salmon or sardines often enough.

Reducing the amount of saturated fat we consume can be achieved quickly by just making five simple changes that will make a big difference to you and your family’s health now and in the long-term. In fact, making the first two swaps alone could remove almost 7kg of saturated fat from your diet each year.

5. C hoose healthier treats – cakes, pastries and biscuits are one of the main sources of saturated fat in our diets. Raisin bread, Tick approved cereal / nut bars or Tick approved sweet biscuits are healthier options.

Using a variety of polyunsaturated or monounsaturated oils (eg. canola, sunflower, soybean, olive, sesame and peanut oil) and eating unsalted nuts, avocadoes and fish will help to provide ‘good’ fats.

1 The Australian National Children’s Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey found children are consuming twice the recommended maximum allowance of saturated fat. As parents tend to eat the same foods as their children, we have assumed that the adult intake of saturated fat is the same.

** Drawn from The Australian National Children’s Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey and BIS Shrapnel; Foodservice in Australia 2009.

To learn more about healthier eating call the Heart Foundation Health Information Service on 1300 36 27 87 or visit www.heartfoundation.org.au

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health & wealth book reviews Books that guide towards the elusive balance of health and wealth filled with inspiration,

OUR PICK – FEATURED BOOK REVIEW WELLNESS WORKBOOK AUTHOR John W. Travis, M.D and Regina Sara Ryan RRP $43.95 • PUBLISHER Celestial Arts If living well is your goal—and it should be—then this book is a must have.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS John W. Travis, M.D, M.P.H., founded the first wellness center in the United States in 1975. He is the author of several books on wellness and cofounder of the Alliance for Transforming the Lives of Children.

Regina Sara Ryan is a wellness consultant, editor, graduate advisor in religious studies and human development, and the author of numerous books.

Dr. Travis and Regina Ryan have done an admirable job of synthesizing the worlds of spirit and health together in a practical and understandable way.

A very useful and practical source of information for the inspired,for those who understand the importance of participating in their own health and well-being. Also an excellent resource for those who have awaken to the need to feel empowered and participate because of some illness or injury.

This book makes you realise how our modern day healthcare system has become obsessed with finding a pill for every ill, and not about enhancing our state of health above and beyond the absence of disease, in fact, we really should be calling it “ill-ness care”! Conversely this workbook empowers us with realistic thoughts and actions to improve every dimension of our life in order to achieve enduring health and vitality.

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Travis and Ryan advise us that health comes with the integration of mind, body, emotions and spirit, no matter what our life condition. When we achieve that balance, we are living at the peak of our body’s wellness.

a concept that cannot be measured.

The Wellness Index within this book dispels that illusion and presents you with your individual statistics which enables effective goal setting and ongoing feedback.

This workbook steps us through every dimension in our lives, with realistic actions and ways of measuring your progress, in order to ensure a total sense of wellbeing and not just an absence of disease. The book guides us to an ultimate state of health through areas easily and often neglected, such as loving, breathing, enhancing our senses, improving our diet, exercising, playing, working and communicating.

For a small fee this questionnaire is also available online, we have completed and trialed this service and highly recommend it as a userfriendly, fun and interactive tool to measuring and keeping track of your progress. It is available at www. mywellnesstest.com.

What we love most about this book is the Wellness Index questionnaire which gives you a visual and factual cue as to the current state of your health and wellbeing from a holistic point of view, which you can then redo later to chart your improvement.

“Wellness” is a bit of naff word because it is so general, it seems like

– Australian Corporate Wellness

motivation, and the tools necessary to achieve it.

THE THREE LAWS OF PERFORMANCE AUTHOR Steve Zaffron and Dave Logan RRP $47.95 PUBLISHER Jossey-Bass I believe this book may be one of the most important written in many years. The ideas are much larger than we normally see in business books.

They aren’t tips, tools, or steps, but are in fact laws that govern individual, group and organizational behavior. The [case studies are] illustrations of organizations bringing out the best in people and in communities. These aren’t just companies making a profit, but companies doing well in the world, by any measure. Leaders would be well served to think about these laws and find ways to apply their insights.

As we move into the heart of the 21st century, it’s time for business leaders to ask what impact they want their career, and their entire organization to make. The future that’s already written about organizations is not the most ideal. We

can do better, must do better. In striving for what’s possible, not just for what’s likely, this book can be a resource for generations to come.

— Warren Bennis Founding Chairman, The Leadership Institute University of Southern California ABOUT THE AUTHORS Steve Zaffron is the CEO of Vanto Group, a consulting firm that designs and implements large-scale initiatives to elevate organizational performance. In this role, Zaffron has directed major corporate initiatives with dozens of Fortune 500 companies worldwide. As an internationally respected leadership authority, Steve Zaffron is noted for his ability to deliver provocative new perspectives on competitive advantage, organizational change, and transformational leadership.

Dave Logan is on the faculty at the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California, where he teaches Management & Organization in the MBA program.

From 2001 to 2004 he served as associate dean of executive education. Dave is also cofounder and senior partner of CultureSync, a management consulting firm specializing in cultural change and strategy.

THE MAKING OF JULIA GILLARD AUTHOR Jacqueline Kent RRP $32.95 PUBLISHER Penguin ‘She’s got everything going for her: she’s tough, she’s smart, she’s funny and she works bloody hard’ - Nicola Roxon, Minister for Health Julia Gillard is an exceptional Australian political figure. The first woman to be deputy prime minister—and tipped by many to get the top job in the future—she is admired on both sides of politics as well as by the public.

‘Julia Gillard is not about policy . . . her aim is the celebrity that brings public approval’ - Michael Costello, The Australian.

She is not universally liked. Her career has been marked by pitched battles with jealous rivals and powerful factions. To conservatives she is still ‘red Julia’; to some on the Left she is still a politician too willing to compromise. She is widely perceived to be ambitious, and yet does she want to be prime minister?

‘I am proof that a woman can thrive in an adversarial environment’ - Julia Gillard.

The Making of Julia Gillard tells Gillard’s remarkable story, including her Adelaide childhood, her time as a fiery student activist, her battles to get into Parliament and her relationships with the important men in her political life: Simon Crean, Kim Beazley, Mark Latham and Kevin Rudd.

In this immensely readable book, acclaimed biographer Jacqueline Kent draws on interviews with Gillard’s friends and foes - and with Gillard herself - to reveal just how adversarial her environment has been and how she has thrived.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Jacqueline Kent was born in Sydney and grew up there and in Adelaide. Originally trained as a journalist and broadcaster, she has since 1975 worked as a book editor, editing fiction and nonfiction for most of Australia’s major publishers. She is the author of two general social histories and six books of fiction for young adults. She lives in Sydney.

Web site: http://www.jacquelinekent.com.au.

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health & wealth book reviews

THE MONK WHO SOLD HIS FERRARI AUTHOR Robin S Sharma RRP $19.99 PUBLISHER HarperColins This inspiring tale is based on the author’s own search for life’s true purpose, providing a stepby-step approach to living with greater courage, balance, abundance and joy.

It tells the story of Julian Mantle, a lawyer forced to confront the spiritual crisis of his out-of-balance life: following a heart attack, he decides to sell all his beloved possessions and trek to India. On a life-changing odyssey to an ancient culture, he meets Himalayan

gurus who offer powerful, wise and practical lessons that teach us to: - Develop joyful thoughts - Follow our life’s mission - Cultivate self-discipline and act courageously - Value time as our most important commodity - Nourish our relationships - Live fully, one day at a time

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Robin Sharma is one of America’s most widely recognised professional speakers and a rising star in the field of leadership and life improvement, attracting audiences of up to 10,000 to his talks. He runs his own leadership development company, Sharma Leadership International, and has shared speaking platforms with people such as Bill Clinton, Deepak Chopra, Richard Carlson and Dr John Gray.

DO YOU WANT SEX WITH THAT? AUTHOR Claire Halliday RRP $29.95 PUBLISHER Viking

at the beach, to the pervasive sexualisation of advertising and children, to the more minority pursuits of swinging and pornfilms, as well as the rise of the abstinence movement.

I admit that I picked up this book with trepidation. The front cover, with SEX screaming out at you in bright red text, was slightly off putting. It certainly wasn’t something I wanted to be seen reading on the train.

Do You Want Sex With That? is an honest, compelling account of one woman’s journey as she tests issues of sex against her own life and feelings rather than abstract ideals. The result is inquiring, challenging and fascinating reading.

However, once I opened the cover and began reading, I was intrigued.

Claire Halliday writes with unstinting candour about a topic that is all too easy to reduce to one which incites childish tittering.

Claire Halliday begins her book sitting in a meeting of her local chapter of Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous. She’s there for research purposes, as after all she’s a journalist, not a sex addict.

Although, while working out what to say when it’s her turn at the obligatory introductions, she wonders whether we aren’t all sex addicts now.

Sex is indeed everywhere in our culture – from internet porn to those massive billboards that asked us whether we were getting enough. It’s used to sell everything from pizza to children’s clothing. Combining memoir and reportage, Claire Halliday considers the place of sex in Australian life: from lounging about 98

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Claire Halliday is a freelance writer and author whose feature articles have appeared in a variety of national and international newspapers and magazines, including The Age, Sydney Morning Herald, Australian Women’s Weekly, Independent on Sunday (UK), Notebook, Marie Claire and GQ.

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Pimalai Resort & Spa is set in its own secluded bay on Lanta Yai Island, just off the Krabi coast and is a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World and recipient of the Thailand Tourism Award 2004.

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n unspoiled paradise, Lanta Yai Island is surrounded by tropical islands and national marine parks and this boutique resort is built on 100 acres of lush forest, harmonizing with the natural surroundings.

The 121 air-conditioned rooms, suites and villas are decorated in contemporary Thai style. All guestrooms feature large balconies or verandahs, in-room safe, tea and coffee facilities, IDD telephone, satellite TV, CD player, hairdryer, fridge, and mini bar. The pavilion suites have sun decks, outdoor showers, private miniature gardens with lotus ponds, and are steps away from 900 metres of pristine sandy beach. The villas, all equipped with a private pool, are located 60 metres above sea level and offer unrivalled views of the bay and the Andaman sea.

Also offering great views are the open pavilion style lounge Lobby Bar, a perfect venue for pre and afterdinner drinks, and the Baan Pimalai Restaurant which offers both Thai and Western cuisine. The elegant Spice ‘n Rice offers classic traditional cuisine from the four corners of Thailand while nearby, The Seven Seas Restaurant & Wine Bar serves western food highlighted by Asian favours.

For light snacks and gourmet treats including fresh Andaman seafood, there’s the Rak Talay Beach Bar and Restaurant, scenically set under towering trees right on the beach.

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A new spa paradise Nestled in a lush valley, the Pimalai Spa is village-style with individual treatment rooms each named after a local flower. Unique in its design, the strawroofed salas blend in with the natural beauty of the jungle. The spa offers treatments from both the East and the West including a host of Oriental therapeutic treatments that use mainly Thai herbal and natural products. On the recreation front there is a superb infinity-edge swimming pool with jacuzzi, a separate kids’ pool, a dive centre, a gym and complimentary use of nonmotorised watersports.

There are many attractions near the resort including idyllic islands for exploring such as Kho Muk and exciting activities such as sea-canoeing and elephant trekking.

Located on-site is a PADI dive centre open from November to April and snorkelling excursions are conducted to nearby islands.

Exciting adventures await Other activities available include windsurfing and sailing, forest walks and bicycling. In addition Thai cooking classes are available for those interested in taking home some local culinary knowledge and skills. Pimalai Resort is also a perfect location for private celebrations and is ideal for weddings.

A variety of function rooms are available,

including a ballroom, with equipment such as a television, projector, video, CD/DVD player included while the hire of additional equipment can be easily arranged. Such amenities make Pimalai Resort & Spa also a good choice for small executive meetings, weekend retreats and incentive events with the flexibility and team support to ensure the professional management of an event from beginning to end.

There is also a library lounge with free internet access, two resort shops, tour desk, car rental, boardroom, laundry service and 24-hour reception.

Whether for a romantic getaway, as an event destination or an action packed holiday of adventure, Pimalai Resort & Spa offers whatever a guest could desire.

Ba Kan Tiang Beach Lanta Yai Island Krabi THAILAND Tel: +66 75 607999 Fax: +66 75 607998 Email: reservation@pimalai.com

www.pimalai.com

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retreat review

Angsana Great Barrier Reef

Stress Less Australia’s executives rate their favourite retreats

T

he perfect retreat for your mind, body and soul, the Angsana hotels and resorts boast that they have the best of all worlds, including the ultimate in rejuvenation and relaxation, in an award-winning environment.

Facilities aim to provide the perfect setting for a myriad of agendas, whether a corporate event and conference, or an indulgent getaway.

They say “Life is made of moments.

You will find yours here.“

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So we sent one of our tired corporate media executives to find out if this is a resort worth putting onto your must-do health retreat experience list.

Nestled in the gorgeous Palm Cove village just 20 minutes north of Cairns, Angsana Great Barrier Reef is located at the doorstep of the world’s longest coral reef and oldest rainforest. The resort is the only one in Palm Cove to enjoy absolute beach frontage to the spectacular Coral Sea that leads to the Great Barrier Reef. Activities range

from white-water rafting and bungee jumping to reef excursions or romantic rainforest trekking.

How were you feeling three days before entering?

I had just finished an extremely busy week at work, in order to have the time off to go away, therefore I was fairly exhausted. I have never been on a holiday of pure indulgence and relaxation, where I did not need to worry about anyone but myself before, so once I left the working week behind

retreat review

me, I began to get excited. Usually my holidays are based around family outings, Christmas breaks or Easter breaks. This was one holiday focussed on me!

How did you feel on the day of entry?

I decided to invite my sister-in-law who had never experienced something like this either. We both deserved it, and it was long overdue. So on the day of entry we were excited just to get there.

Once the excitement wore off we both realised how very tired and run down we really were.

How were you greeted upon arrival?

The two gentlemen at reception have seen people arrive who really need time out, so they were very welcoming, but

at the same time could see that we just wanted to get to our room and settle in. They explained the layout of the facility and were really genuine when stating that they were just a call away if we needed anything.

Room layout & atmosphere?

When we entered our apartment, we were blown away at how big and luxurious it was. We were in a three bedroom two bathroom self contained penthouse apartment. Downstairs had a king sized bedroom and the second had two singles. The whole place was decked out in white tiles, white walls and white shutters on the main doors and when opened, the sea breeze flowed through. It left me feeling light, peaceful and free. All furniture was very modern and stylish.

Views?

Being the only beachfront resort, our two front balconies overlooked all of Palm Cove. From my bed I could see the beach and the ocean, through the endless rows of palm trees. From the other bedrooms, you had a view of lush tropical forest.

Layout of the resort?

The layout was very simple to follow.

Sometimes in a resort, you can get lost going around and around looking for your room, especially after a late dinner and wine! There were three swimming pools, heated Jacuzzi, pool side bbq’s and my favourite, beachside hammocks that were erected under the palm trees.

These got a serious workout from myself and my sister.

Activities / Facilities?

Through their Tour Desk, you could

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retreat review

book just about any activity, Scuba Diving, parasailing, water skiing, white water rafting etc, although the resort did not provide any activities themselves. Angsana are known for their day spa and it did not disappoint.

We promptly booked ourselves in for the day!

We were greeted by our own beautician, who explained in detail every procedure we were about to receive. The rooms were beautiful, calming oils burning, soothing music playing gently in the background and all you could see out the windows were the palm trees swaying in the breeze.

We started with a full body polish – Coconut Lime Glory – to strip away dead skin, promote new cell growth and lighten skin blemishes. Then we headed outdoors to the ‘waterfall’ to wash away the product. Back inside, it was time for the body conditioner – Avocado Smoothie – oozing with vitamins, minerals and natural oils – leaving the skin plump and soft. Then came the hour and half massage.

I had the Fusion massage – a blend of Thai and Swedish massage designed to soothe all aches, unblock stiffness and enhance flexibility. This was followed by the deep cleansing facial – Organic Oxygenator - A high performance facial that increases the skin’s oxygen 104

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intake, stimulating cellular repair and metabolism. An organic peel with AHA exfoliates and detoxifies while a double mask soothes blemished, mature, hyper-pigmented or sun damaged skin.

The highlight of your stay?

When we were finished we both felt like new women.

Any words of advice?

Restaurant?

They had an indoor/outdoor restaurant that served breakfast, lunch and dinner. We ate mainly on their outdoor veranda, overlooking the beach. The food was magnificent and catered for everyone, from children to vegetarians.

They also catered for functions, and during our stay there was a wedding.

The outdoor veranda was beautifully decorated. They also have a decent selection of wines, which were tested by us each night!

Privacy or was there a lot of guest interaction?

As I work in sales, it was important for me to be able to switch of and not have a lot of interaction with other people.

This was my choice and as we were lucky enough to get the Penthouse, we were able to establish this. Apart from meal times, we rarely ran into other guests. As we were there in August, we missed the school holidays and it wasn’t peak season, therefore the resort was not at all crowded.

There were many, but I would say that the pamper day in the Day Spa. Five hours of pure indulgence was an experience I will never forget.

•P ick the right time of year to go to Cairns. It can be very hot and humid in Summer, therefore I would recommend August/September. It still warm and safe to swim.

• If you have the extra cash, book the Penthouse to get the full luxurious experience.

• Book some time at the Day Spa. It is really, really worth it!

Who would you recommend it to?

Everyone! Families, couples and the exhausted executive. If you were looking for that perfect wedding venue, this is should definitely be on your list.

Would you go again?

In a heartbeat!

Angsana Great Barrier Reef 1 Veivers Road Palm Cove, Cairns Queensland 4879 Tel: +61 7 4055 3000 E-mail: reservations-cairns@angsana.com

HAPPINESS What does it mean to you?

I

t is the very essence of what people strive for in life but for most it is like chasing a rainbow without ever finding the pot of gold. It can mean different things to different people but that feeling of inner peace and blissful happiness seems to elude most.

For some it is the achievement of success in business, a career or sport, for others it is wealth or material things but these things have very little impact on our long term feelings of happiness.

True happiness relates more to the mind and heart. There is the happiness that abounds in family life and there are many who by helping others find tremendous happiness. Life of course has its ups and downs and many say it is impossible to be happy all the time.

They find that happiness is something that is transitory – like the birth of a child, walking on the beach at sunset or smelling the roses literally.

Someone once said the pursuit of happiness requires a lot of courage but essentially happiness comes from within. It is that which we think and feel and do. It’s about having the right mental attitude. But it is also about cultivating a caring and generous heart and being grateful for what you have.

Many people feel they can’t change who they are but we have the ability to change any and every aspect of our lives if we want to. The fact is that when you want to change your circumstances you must first change your thinking.

because the challenge exists to make things better.

Personal development courses awaken your senses that create change in your life and the opportunity to realise your true potential by changing old habits and behaviours.

For more information relating to personal development courses, DVDs and events that lead to a more fulfilling life, help achieve success, enhance self-confidence and gain self-reliance, call 0466 323 712.

A wise man once wrote change has a considerable psychological impact on the human mind: to the fearful it is threatening because it means that things may get worse; to the hopeful it is encouraging because things may get better; to the confident it is inspiring

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conference coverage

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Au s t r a l ia’s H e a lt h a n d P r o d u c t iv it y M a n ag e m e n t Co n g r e ss f o r 2009

conference coverage

ered in Melbourne at and human resource directors gath More than 230 senior executives tralian Governments uctivity Congress to hear how Aus the 3rd Australian Health & Prod impact of chronic seeking to address the significant and private sector employers are diseases on the workforce. , Department of Health etary, Population Health Division Secr t stan Assi t Firs , bert Hal h Cat th is projected to almost an Government spending on heal trali Aus the that ed stat ing, Age and uctivity Commission also over the next 40 years. The Prod P GD of on orti prop a as ble dou icipation by up to 40 per nic diseases reduces workforce part chro of act imp the that ates estim cent. rs are now taking e of the Congress was that employe Against this backdrop, the key them es’ health and loye emp th. The money spent to improve on a new view of employee heal the cost of to ar ent in human capital - not dissimil functionality is seen as an investm education and training.

Organiser of the aging Director, Interpoint Events, According to Simon Cooper, Man t on medical cover” the cost of health is seen as dollars spen Congress, “Traditionally the real time cost is not what it people was an awareness that the discussion among senior business cost especially in terms of what unhealthy employees really costs to keep people healthy, but absenteeism and presenteeism. a company cannot gress was the focus on the fact that The other key element of the Con us that health sens con of measurement. There was manage health without some form ph Leutzinger‘s Jose Dr ends upon measurement and and productivity management dep subscribed. measurement workshop was over a.” said Cooper. corporate health forum in Australi “This year’s event was the largest fe Victoria it has leadership in this area by WorkSa With the significant investment and we expect an increased Congress in Melbourne again and been decided to hold next year’s launch of new industry Awards. attendees. 2010 will also see the take place over uctivity Management Congress will The next Australia Health & Prod 9-10 August 2010 in Melbourne.

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Point of Care Diagnostics Health screening made easy Accurate

Step 1. Insert test strip

The ability to provide quality test results to your client is always the greatest priority when offering industrial or corporate health programs. To assist with this, Point of Care Diagnostics is pleased to offer the CardioChek PA cholesterol analyser. The CardioChek PA has been certified by the Cholesterol Reference Method Laboratory Network (CRMLN) for accuracy and precision giving you complete confidence in the results you are providing. The CRMLN is a global standardisation program for laboratories and manufacturers to ensure accurate and precise lipid results can be achieved anywhere in the world by using a CRMLN certified lab or instrument to perform the test.

Efficient

Step 2. Apply sample

The CardioChek PA makes on-site lipid testing easy with its unrivalled portability.

The CardioChek PA is a small and light, battery operated analyser making it very easy to transport. The test strips can be stored at room temperature for their full life-span - which is up to 2 years, reducing any temperature control issues experienced with other products. With a fast 2 minute test time the CardioChek PA also offers you the answers you need, when you need them most. To ensure quality of results recorded the CardioChek PA has an optional thermal printer or direct data connectivity option available removing any concerns over transcription errors.

Simple Using the CardioChek PA couldn’t be easier, simply follow the three step test procedure; Step 1. Insert test strip Step 2. Apply sample Step 3. Read result

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The CardioChek PA offers the most cost effective method for measuring

blood lipid levels whether on-site or in the office. Keeping your overhead costs low while still offering gold class performance ensures you remain competitive in any challenging market you may face. The CardioChek PA gives you the financial edge when competing for business.

At Point of Care Diagnostics we take great pride in delivering industry-leading point-of-care diagnostics to the corporate health care market. Our focus is the supply of diagnostic tests for chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, respiratory disease and other related medical conditions. You can also speak to us for answers to any other on-site testing requirements including drugs of abuse testing and much more. For further information on the POCD product range please visit us at www.pocd.com.au or call us on 1800 640 075 to receive a copy of our new product catalogue

Australia’s #1 On-site Cholesterol Analyser

• Printer or data connectivity options available for the CardioChek PA

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Medibank Private launches workplace health and wellbeing program Leading private health fund Medibank Private has expanded its focus on the health of Australia’s workforce with a suite of a customisable workplace health and wellbeing program.

Designed with the corporate clients in mind, the Medibank Private health and wellbeing program is designed to be tailored to individual business needs and budget. Clients can select from a range of components including health risk assessments, educational seminars, behaviour change programs, health coaching, disease management programs, and a health and wellbeing online portal. Medibank Private can also deliver on-site services such as vaccinations or massage services.

According to Medibank Private EGM Sales & Marketing, Health Services Division, Norm Cockerell, the fund’s new offering is in direct response to growing market demand for preventative and educative health programs within the workplace.

“There are over seven million Australians in fulltime employment, each of whom spend over half of their waking hours in the workplace, so there can be no doubt the workplace has a role to play in employee health.

“In recent years this simple fact has lead to realisation amongst business leaders that by helping their employees manage and reduce health risks within the organisation, the business will realise tangible benefits “Organisations that are pro-active in their support for employee health and wellbeing by adopting a Medibank Private Health and Wellbeing Program will enjoy lower rates of absenteeism and presenteeism, and therefore increased productivity. This improved performance flows directly through to the bottom line.

“Until now workplace health and wellbeing products have only been available from niche providers limited in both the range of services they can offer and in their geographic

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reach. In contrast Medibank Private is presenting a total workplace health and wellbeing solution, providing a full suite of programs that can be customised for individual workplaces, along with genuine nationwide coverage,” Mr Cockerell said.

The launch of the product followed the unveiling of Medibank Private commissioned research which found that physical inactivity is costing the Australian economy $13.4 billion each year.

“Like other health risk factors, physical inactivity can have an adverse effect on business as well as individuals. Health conditions linked to physical inactivity impact on employee productivity, which imposes direct economic costs to employers,” Mr Cockerell said.

“Yet problems such as physical inactivity are easily tackled by employers if they have the will and the right tools.

Programs offered by the Medibank Private through its health and wellbeing program are purpose designed to restore lost productivity while also increasing employee satisfaction and morale.

“Ultimately our message is that an investment in the health and wellbeing of employees is an investment in the success and profitability of the entire business,” he said.

Medibank Private’s Workplace Health and Wellbeing program completes the fund’s corporate health business which includes corporate health cover, Working Visa Health Insurance, Medibank Private Travel Insurance and Medibank Life Insurance.

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