Great Health Guide: December 2015

Issue 6 – December 2015

WEIGHT

LOSS REVIVE RELAX – ‘Tour de Vines’ overcoming

busy women

NUTRITION

?

slow aging

REST chronic

INJURIES

ARE YOU A DOORMAT OR PEOPLE PLEASER? • INVESTING IN SHARES • PREVENTING INJURIES • BRAIN FITNESS

Congratulations to Ling Barden winner of GHG October competition.

Stay tuned for January 2016 competition details

INTRODUCING… An Exclusive Health Membership

OPTIMAL HEALTH PROGRAM • MAGNIFY your GREATNESS...

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Equip you...

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CLICK TO AWAKEN

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THE GHG TEAM ...................................................................................

FOUNDER + EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Kathryn Dodd

DEPUTY EDITORS

Helen J. Dodd, William A. Dodd

APP DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT Ondrej Pluhar

DESIGNERS

Monica Dam, Jenny Hagglund, Alex Mykhno, Oleksandra Zuieva

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Jenny Brockis, William Dodd, Melanie Eager, Kylie Edwards, Tom Fitzgerald, Martin Gladman, Sandy Hobley, Weng yee Leong, Kat Millar, Lisa Philipps, Anne-Sophie Reinhardt, Gauri Yardi

OTHER CONTRIBUTORS

Front Cover Image: Courtesy of Tour de Vines Gourmet Cycling Tours.

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CONNECT WITH US:

E: CustomerCare@GreatHealthGuide.com.au P: +61 (0)7 3394 8263

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......

Any information made available in the Great Health Guide Magazine (electronic or hard copy formats), or from Antalya Developments Pty Limited or Kathryn Dodd, including by way of third party authored articles or discussions, is made available for readers’ interest only. The purpose of making the information available is to stimulate research, public discussion and debate. Readers are encouraged to undertake their own research and consult with professional advisors to form their own independent views about the topic/s discussed.

The information made available in the Great Health Guide Magazine (electronic or hard copy formats) is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Readers should seek the advice of a qualified health provider with any questions regarding a potential or actual medical condition or the proposed use or decision not to use any particular product. Readers should not disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it at any time, including because of the content of any information made available in the Great Health Guide Magazine (electronic or hard copy formats).

Each of Antalya Developments Pty Ltd and Kathryn Dodd do not warrant, guarantee or make any representation regarding the accuracy, veracity, adequacy, reliability, completeness or timeliness of any information available on, or arising in relation to, the Great Health Guide Magazine (electronic or hard copy formats). Neither Antalya Developments Pty Limited nor Kathryn Dodd endorses the views of any contributing authors to the Great Health Guide Magazine (electronic or hard copy formats).

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Contents Inspiration

20

Gourmet cycling holidays 8

We are more than our external appearance

Weng yee Leong

Nutrition

Sandy Hobley

NUTRITION AND AGING MY JOURNEY THROUGH EMOTIONAL ABUSE

12

Reclaiming my life a true story Lisa Phillips

How nutrition can slow down the aging process Gauri Yardi

Relationships

RELAX & REVIVE

ARE YOU A DOORMAT OR PEOPLE PLEASER?

THE IMPORTANCE OF REST – PART 1 16

Physical and psychological rest

Recognising the key signs to achieve change

Kat Millar

Lisa Phillips

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23

28

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© Depositphotos.com/bartekwardziak

WHAT IS A BEAUTIFUL MIND?

TOUR DE VINES

ARGUMENTS

34

Can they be a thing of the past?

Martin Gladman

MINDSET ARE YOU BRAIN FIT? PART 2

38

Improving brain fitness Jenny Brockis WHEN FOOD IS FEAR

41

Overcoming eating disorders Anne-Sophie Reinhardt

Great health CREATING A HEALTHY WORK SPACE

47

Reducing the problems of workplace stress Melanie Eager

Fitness EXERCISE SMARTER – NOT HARDER

53

Exercise guide for busy women Tom Fitzgerald TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR OUR INJURIES

56

Preventative approach to reduce chronic injuries © Depositphotos.com/fotokris44

Kylie Edwards

FiNANCE WOMEN AND INVESTING – PART 4 60

What shares will I buy?

William Dodd GHG Disclaimer – please read

GreatHealthGuide.com.au | 5

EDITOR’S NOTE

Taking this one step further, what if we choose to live with this attitude of thanksgiving and actually apply it to our everyday lives … before we go to sleep and rise in the morning? Imagine that … to give thanks and be grateful for the dawning day. What if we appreciated the moments and lived in the present … not in the past or some fantasy non-existent world?

Now I do not downplay for a minute that some of you are journeying through some incredibly challenging circumstances with much hurt and grief. Even during this time could there be something to hang on to and be grateful for? Often nature, like a beautiful garden, the sandy beach, or the cool dense rainforest or even a bunch of bright, colourful flowers can help us feel grateful. Could you be grateful for the fresh air, perhaps the sunlight coming through your window or for those who live in drought areas, the fresh rain? Sometimes just saying the very words ‘thank you’ from an appreciative heart to another person can also build the feeling of love and gratitude.

So if you love a challenge then this is for you. For the next three weeks before you go to sleep and rise in the morning, think of three things for which you are grateful. Think about those things and give thanks. It could even be gratitude for the things that will happen. at Christmas time.

Kath x Founder © Depositphotos.com/wacpan, Irochka

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Recently a friend visited the United States to celebrate Thanksgiving.

Food and gifts aside, what a wonderful tradition and celebration this is to take stock of what we are truly grateful for. I for one think this should be a global celebration.

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INSPIRATION

© Depositphotos.com/ kartos

B

What is a

mind? more We are

than our external appearance

8 | GreatHealthGuide.com.au

Words Sandy Hobley

Design Oleksandra Zuieva GHG Disclaimer – please read

Š Depositphotos.com/Subbotina

eautiful

is beauty something that we can only see, such as a beautiful face, beautiful

eyes, or a beautiful body shape? But what is a beautiful mind? Is it possible to recognise a beautiful mind?

I can hear you saying, “Sandy, you can’t see a beautiful mind!” but I beg to differ.

Let me explain... A beautiful mind is a mind where self-talk is edifying, it is motivating, it is joyful, full of gratitude and has heart. Speaking of heart, does your heart beat only for you, or does it beat to serve others which in turn, fills your heart with love and compassion?

I found the question of how to see a beautiful mind quite confronting. I have had to really challenge some of my thinking on this question, to be able to achieve some of the goals that I am now reaching.

Let me give you some background so we are on the same page. I have eleven different learning issues. Visual and auditory dyslexia, Irlen,

dysgraphia,

auditory

dyspraxia,

processing,

dyscalculia,

sensitive

person

syndrome, attention deficit disorder (ADD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and spatial dyslexia. This cohort of learning issues meant that how I saw myself from the inside was constantly being challenged by people who said, ‘if you just tried harder’, or ‘if you just listened more’, or ‘if you just concentrated more’. I was often told that ‘you will be lucky to get a job when you leave school.’

The problem I had was that I wasn’t diagnosed with anything until I was 22 years old and then GHG Disclaimer – please read

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B

eauty is in the Eye of the Beholder –

it was only visual dyslexia. I read through six different patterns of word movement when I looked at text in a book.

But did I let it hold me back? Absolutely not! I love reading books. I am now an internationally published author, am asked by other people to be included in their books and asked to give advice on how to make their written material dyslexic friendly.

I no longer see my dyslexia as a burden but a gift; I have been given the gift of a beautiful mind.

You see as women, we are designed to be stretched to our limits and turn lemons into lemonade. We have the ability to think fast on our feet. We have a beauty that cannot be matched. If you let your imagination go on a journey you will see that a woman is magnificent no matter what her size or skin colour. It is the beauty of her mind that counts.

When a woman falls pregnant, she immediately falls in love with her baby. She dedicates her life to caring, sharing and nurturing that baby through sleepless nights, sickness and health. She becomes a protector and teacher. Her heart and mindset are full of pure abundance for that child.

Personally, by having my awesome cohort of so-called learning issues, I am filled with gratitude because I need to have a plan, i.e.

I can’t just simply start something. I need to have the finished concept planned first and GreatHealthGuide.com.au | 9

me an ability to think in whole pictures.

I use this same thinking in my business. I work with organisations who deal with people of all ages that have been through sexual abuse, domestic violence and learning issues. I have the awesome pleasure of redefining how they see and think about themselves.

You see the mind is the most powerful organ in your body. Having said that, you don’t know what you are capable of until you are doing it.

I didn’t know I was capable of writing books.

I had no idea of nouns or verbs. I leave words out in sentences and can even write the sentence around the wrong way. I use the wrong words in the wrong places and let’s not even mention spelling. But I had a passion to show by example that just because a person has a challenge, that it doesn’t have to define you.

© Depositphotos.com/Subbotina

If you think you can, you will and if you think you can’t, you won’t.

.......................................................

then work to fulfil the plan or goal. This gives

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‘You were knitted together in your mother’s womb’ is one of my favourite quotes from the Bible (Psalm 139:13). I haven’t met a woman yet who won’t sit for hours clicking her needles endlessly together to bring to life a finished article. She loves seeing what she is knitting coming to life and is as proud as punch as she sees her child strutting around in the finished garment.

You know, I am my mother’s finished garment and I will strut proudly as every stitch was done in love. Therefore I will love me and be in gratitude.

Now I have a desire to make the wider community more aware of just how gifted dyslexics are. In my work I have a passion to turn the light on in people’s eyes and let them see into the possibilities in their future. What does your future possibility hold for you?

You are what you believe you are!

Sandy Hobley was diagnosed as dyslexic at age 22. Despite many difficulties she found her niche in sales. By age 50 she no longer saw her dyslexia as a burden but a gift. As a result © Depositphotos.com/Madllen

of her battle with learning difficulties she has written 3 books and brings her talents out into the public arena. She is helping to encourage and motivate others to accept and embrace their uniqueness through her weekly radio program and website.

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GreatHealthGuide.com.au | 11

M

y journey

through Emotional Abuse

of emotional and verbal abuse. Every day

that I choose to stay, I kissed goodbye to my sparkle, my self-respect and most of all, my selfesteem. After 5 years, my identity departed down the plughole and emotionally, I was a downright wreck. Looking back, I am still bewildered to recall how sneakily the abuse seized hold of me. Prior to meeting Rob, I was a relatively sane 30 something who, I recall, smiled and giggled a lot. My life seemed to ticking along rather nicely.

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Design Oleksandra Zuieva

Then, one momentous day, along came my very own personal abuser who sucked the life out of me and swept me away into an existence stuffed with heartache, tears and craziness. Twelve months in, I was a nervous wreck teetering on eggshells, prone to random eruptions of anxiety and anger. My friends thought I was mad and I thought I was crazy. It was my unshakeable belief that I was publicly worthless and ugly - oh and I also felt convinced that nobody, apart from Rob, would ever consider dating me. To put it in a nutshell, I believed I was fatally flawed and a full blown relationship reject.

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Š Depositphotos.com/Mustang_79

out and stay out of my 5 year relationship

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I

t took me over seven painful attempts to get

Words Lisa Philips

Thankfully, one afternoon, a friend spotted that I was about to curl up in yet another ball of depression, waved her magic wand dragged me out for a dose of girlfriend therapy. It was on this day, that I met Sarah, whose words changed my life. Sarah had been announcing to the group that she had decided to end her relationship with her long term partner, John.

She explained that, ‘He informed me that he only loves me 90% - That isn’t good enough for me, so I told him that the relationship was over.

I will only accept 100% positive, fulfilling love’.

Wow! - Those words smacked me right in the heart! This was powerful thinking and there was no way that Sarah would settle for less than she deserved. At this point, I realized that I too wanted to turn my back on situations and relationships where I was being fed leftover mouldy crumbs rather than being wined and dined on the full scrumptious chocolate biscuit. I wanted to prize myself enough that I was able to make choices for me which allowed me to honour, protect and most of all, take good care of myself!

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I felt convinced that nobody would ever consider dating me. I believed I was fatally flawed and a full blown relationship reject.

At last, the epiphany had arrived!

I had to quit depositing all my energy and hard work into saving a relationship which left me feeling exhausted and tormented. I needed to reclaim my life back from Rob and take responsibility for my own happiness. I had to get honest with myself, pluck my head out of the sand and throw away the rose tinted specs - my relationship was never going to work. So, summoning up every last miniscule of courage I had, I made one of the most momentous decisions of my life:

I WAS NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANYMORE! Using my coaching expertise, I knuckled down to work creating some straight forward action steps to rehabilitate my life and my self-esteem.

I am not saying that this journey was simple, but breaking down some of my own relationship beliefs and patterns was a lot easier than staying in an abusive relationship. Every day, I felt stronger and less willing to have people in my life who left me feeling like I was losing my marbles.

Each day, it became easier to practice extreme self-care and realize that in fact, I was actually abusing myself by staying in the relationship.

The upshot is that I now feel wonderful and far more contented in my life than I ever dreamed

I needed to take responsibility for my own needs and emotional wellbeing. I needed to love and care for myself enough to only accept 100% positive, healthy and fabulous relationships.

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GreatHealthGuide.com.au | 13

have waved a terminal ‘adieu’ to abuse, leaving it fastened securely in my past.

And……there is no way I would ever contemplate trotting down that path again!

Seriously, I take my hat off to people who are in an abusive relationship as they are really some of the most courageous people I have ever met. They are not weak, or cowards (as society may think) but they are just like you or me. Abuse isn’t rare and it can happen to anyone. A recent survey showed that at least 1 in 4 adults have been abused within an intimate relationship – now that is scary!

Thankfully, I can now assist other abusive relationship

sufferers

to

recognize

the

destructive behaviors of their partner and to find the strength of will to say, ‘No more!’ Yes

is seeing abuse sufferers, make it out of their situation not only alive, but feeling alive and confident - excited about the world which can now open up to them.

Abuse isn’t rare and it can happen to anyone.

Lisa Phillips, is the author of The Confidence Coach (Exisle, 2015). She is one of Australia’s most inspiring confidence and empowerment experts. The founder of Amazing Coaching, Lisa appears regularly on television, shares her advice in many business and lifestyle magazines and has been interviewed on national radio shows. Her own popular ‘Spiritual and Irritable’ radio show attracts both national and international self-development guests.

Lisa inspires people to trigger lasting change in their lives, while enjoying themselves at the same time! More information about Lisa and her book is available from this website.

© Depositphotos.com/ Pakhnyushchyy

it can take time but one of the joys of my work

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was possible. I have re-claimed my sparkle and

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RELAX & REVIVE

© Depositphotos.com/Pakhnyushchyy

R

The Importance of

est & Repair

subject of rest and repair. Here we discuss three aspects of rest. We all

know that to keep ourselves in top physical shape we must exercise and eat well. However, there is another important and often overlooked aspect of health that we must do, in order to maintain optimal health and that is rest.

Often we increase the intensity of workouts or change our diet and expect our bodies

Design Oleksandra Zuieva

to adapt, failing to bear in mind that in order to adapt to the demands we place on it, our body needs the time to rest and repair.

1. FORMS OF PHYSICAL REST Rest comes in many forms such as our daily sleep patterns: our night time sleep, as well as napping or ‘siestas’ during the day. Rest also includes our morning and evening rituals, meditation and breathing exercises. Another

In order to maintain optimal health, the body needs time to rest.

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© Depositphotos.com/haveseen

his is the first of two articles on the

Words Kat Millar

..........................................

T

Part 1: Physical & Psychological Rest

many people are severely ‘holiday deficient’.

2. REST FOR THE BRAIN As well as physical rest, we also need to give our brains a rest. Constantly over-stimulating our minds is not healthy for us psychologically.

If our brains are consumed by information constantly coming in, it can halt our ability to think clearly and to come up with creative thinking and problem-solving.

Ask yourself –‘Am I always rushed?’ If so, this will have an effect on you, both physically and mentally. It’s important to determine which activities need to be done faster (perhaps shopping or simple tasks) and which activities are to be lingered in (for example, time with your loved ones).

Years ago, when we were less distracted by our mobile phones, people would often appreciate nature and each other more. Nowadays, many of us struggle to truly enjoy each moment because we’re anxiously awaiting the next. Being rested requires us to live mindfully by being present in each moment. This usually brings great clarity and calm. It also creates spaciousness in your day. We need to find time to properly rest and repair in every area of our lives.

3. SLEEP

Sleep has been called the ‘athlete’s steroid’ because it can boost athletic performance by as much as 10 percent.

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important aspect of rest is our holiday time and

Healthy sleep patterns promote complete sleep cycles. Your brain goes through different sleep phases when you rest. Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep which involves dreaming and non-REM sleep which is the deepest and most critical phase of sleep. This is when the most vital repair and recharge take place. The more complete sleep cycles you experience, the better.

Seven hours or more of quality sleep has been shown to increase longevity. If you can’t get a full seven hours, aim to get the sleep you think/feel your body needs. Test it out by getting yourself more organised and going to bed earlier each night until you wake without your alarm.

Sleep provides an opportunity for the body to repair and rejuvenate itself. Functions such as protein synthesis which is what drives our muscle growth, tissue repair and healing occurs mostly during sleep. These processes are necessary for our bodies to operate at their best.

Poor sleep can affect most areas of our lives because: • It lowers your ability to manage stress and causes the build-up of inflammation in the body.

• It reduces tissue repair and recovery from muscle damage. It may also delay strength recovery.

• It alters our hormonal balance and immune function and can lead to poor blood sugar control.

• It can reduce motivation to train.

Although, we do know that working GreatHealthGuide.com.au | 17

motivation even when we are tired, compared to when we are working out individually.

• It can reduce your ability to make positive decisions by causing you to be more distracted by negative emotions which compromises your problemsolving skills.

To keep ourselves in top physical shape we must exercise and eat well and not overlook the need for rest which we have discussed in this article. Next month in the January issue of GHGTM, I consider the processes and ways in which we can undertake repair where the body under stress now needs to repair itself

Kat Millar works with people globally to improve their health, confidence and energy. Since 2003, through her coaching, training, online programs and seminars, Kat has helped almost a thousand people to achieve their goals. Kat is an award-winning figure competitor, fitness lecturer and NLP practitioner and has a passion for nutrition and behavioural psychology. Kat offers a range of programs for total body transformation and can be contacted through her website or her Facebook page.

© Depositphotos.com/Dirima

in order to maintain optimal health.

.........................................................................

out with someone can provide more

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“Curiosity will conquer fear even more than bravery will”

© Depositphotos.com/loriklaszlo

- James Stephens

Vines

Tour De Words Weng Yee Leong

regularly revive the soul by getting

away from technology and slowing down the pace of life. Fresh air and beautiful scenery can be a delightfully refreshing experience for mind and body. … so imagine for a moment that you are sitting down on a picnic blanket with a delicious glass 20 | GreatHealthGuide.com.au

Design Oleksandra Zuieva

of wine, a wonderful smorgasbord of gourmet cheeses and meats, admiring the beautiful view around you. Doesn’t that sound just delightful?

Would you believe it, if I said that you would be able to combine this with a leisurely and healthy activity like cycling with Tour de Vines? There are no rough terrains, no steep hills; just gentle cycling paths, which suit even the most occasional riders.

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© Tour de Vines

to be done and do, it’s important to

......................................

A

s life seems to get busier with more

Gourmet Cycling Holidays

in organizing tours for like-minded people who enjoy delicious wines, gorgeous food and the love of cycling. Founded by Damian Cerini as a hobby idea for himself and some friends in the early 2000s, he started cycling tours in North Eastern Victoria simply to relax over the weekend.

Over the years as Damian’s hobby progressed so did his ideas … enter ‘Tour de Vines’.

Today ‘Tour de Vines’ offer a variety of tours available in Australia, New Zealand, France and Italy and there are even future plans to offer cycling tours in America, South America and South Africa.

These tours range from weekend trips to weeklong expeditions tailored for relaxation and soul rejuvenation. Meandering through stunning natural landscapes, cycle at leisure,

accommodation and indulge in your passion for food and wine. Tour de Vines cycling tours promise that they “are relatively easy, always safe and steer you to the best food and wine experiences in each of the regions they offer”.

If you’re looking for something different to do, or have been bitten by a travelling bug, why not give this novel idea a try? This is a truly memorable experience in natural settings.

Step aside from today’s fast paced world and enjoy the quietness and natural beauty that Tour de Vines organised tours provides.

If you would like to experience a getaway with a difference, please visit the Tour de Vines website for more information about their packages and tours.

© Tour de Vines

experience a cooking class, relax in luxury

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Tour de Vines is a company that specialises

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GreatHealthGuide.com.au | 21

© Depositphotos.com/tashka2000

NUTRITION

N

How

utrition can Slow the Effects of Aging

in our 30’s or 40’s, we suddenly realise that we are not invincible.

Common triggers for this realisation include the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles

© Depositphotos.com/konejota

on our faces, a 40th birthday, a high blood pressure reading at the doctor’s office, or a family member’s battle with chronic disease.

Regardless of the trigger, at some stage, we all realise that there is no denying it - we are ageing.

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A

t some point in our lives, usually

Words Gauri Yardi

Design Oleksandra Zuieva

When it comes to ageing, Western society has an attitude problem. We view ageing as a ‘bad’ thing – old age is bad and youth is good. Conversation around ageing tends to focus on appearance and superficial solutions: slap on some anti-ageing cream, dye away your greys, get or stay thin, perhaps even consider cosmetic surgery. We are so mesmerised by this cultural message that we rarely stop to think about what ageing actually is.

GreatHealthGuide.com.au | 23

undergoes over your lifetime. It is a reflection of the experiences you have had and of the life you have had. Ageing is an ongoing process.

We begin ageing the day we are born and we continue for the rest of our lives. It is not something that starts with our first grey hair; rather, it is something that is happening all the time; it is a natural process.

Healthy ageing involves nourishing your brain and body to preserve their function throughout your lifetime. Your body and your brain are the vehicles that allow you to move through the world, live your life and achieve your goals. If you want to live well, you need to keep your body functioning well and because ageing is a constant process it’s never too early to begin.

If you want to age well, you need to keep your body functioning well.

The best way to begin is with your diet. Here are three changes that you can make to your diet to help your body and brain age well.

1. DITCH THE WESTERN DIET In an effort to determine the type of diet most likely to promote healthy ageing, researchers have focused on reducing the risk of common chronic diseases associated with ageing.

These diseases include cardiovascular disease, dementia and diabetes. The so-called ‘Western diet’, a diet high in sugary foods and drinks, 24 | GreatHealthGuide.com.au

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‘Ageing’ describes the changes your body

red meat, processed meat and refined grains, is associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. People who eat a ‘Western diet’ during adolescence or adulthood may be more likely to develop these conditions when they are middle-aged or elderly.

The ‘Western diet’, which is high in sugary foods and drinks, red meat, processed meat and refined grains, is associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

If your diet is high in sugar, fats and meat, it may benefit you to shift towards a more healthier, wholefoods-based diet. It’s not too late to start.

2. EAT MOSTLY PLANTS Researchers have found that the risk of dementia and cardio metabolic disease (cardiovascular disease and diabetes) is reduced in certain geographical regions.

The people of Sardinia (Italy), Okinawa (Japan), Loma Linda (California), Nicoya Peninsula (Costa Rica) and people who adhere to a ‘Mediterranean diet’, seem to enjoy better health as they age. Researchers examined

the

diets

of

these

diverse

populations to determine what they have in common. The conclusion: all of these groups eat plant-based diets which are high GHG Disclaimer – please read

nuts), whole grains, fish and potato and low in meat.

An almost entirely plant-based diet, i.e. a vegetarian diet, is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, certain cancers and allcause mortality. This is, in part, because of the link between eating a vegetarian diet and maintaining a healthy weight. Studies suggest that as the consumption of meat and animal products increases, the body mass index (BMI) increases.

If you’re not ready to go fully vegetarian, try and limit your meat intake to one serving per day and consider going without for one day a week. Make sure that you include plenty of legumes (e.g. lentils, chickpeas or kidney beans), tofu or other vegetarian protein

3. GO WITH YOUR GUT There are 100 trillion bacteria living in your gut. In fact, there are more bacterial cells in your body than there are human cells. Your gut bacteria help you to digest your food, improve your immune function, reduce inflammation, reduce cholesterol and may even reduce your risk of chronic disease. Disruptions to the bacterial balance have been associated with increased systemic inflammation and risk of chronic disease.

Gut bacteria can be disrupted by a variety of factors, many of them dietary. The ‘Western diet’ is associated with a reduction in the diversity of gut bacteria and an increase in ‘bad’ bacteria. Bad bacteria produce toxins such as lipopolysaccharides (LPS). LPS produced in the gut are associated with systemic inflammation and may predispose a person to weight gain, high blood pressure and atherosclerosis.

© Depositphotos.com/lola19

sources in your meat-free meals.

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in fruit, vegetables, legumes (including

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GreatHealthGuide.com.au | 25

plenty of fruits and vegetables. The fibre found in fruit, vegetables and whole grains acts as food for your beneficial bacteria, helping them flourish. In turn, the chemicals they produce may improve your long-term health.

These three guidelines are a great starting point for reducing your risk of chronic disease.

Personalised dietary guidelines, however, are more effective than general guidelines, as they take into account your individual likes and dislikes, tolerances and intolerances and your lifestyle. If you are interested in healthy ageing, it may benefit you to consult a practitioner who can help you determine the right diet for you.

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Further Reading 1. Kiefte-de Jong JC, Mathers JC, Franco OH (2014), Nutrition and healthy ageing: the key ingredients, Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, vol. 73, no. 2, pp. 249-259 2. Kouris-Blazos, A & Itsiopoulos C (2014), Low all-cause mortality despite high cardiovascular risk in elderly Greekborn Australians: attenuating potential of diet?, Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vol. 23, no. 4, pp. 532-544 3. Sabate J & Wien M (2015), A perspective on vegetarian dietary patterns and risk of metabolic syndrome, British Journal of Nutrition, vol. 113, Suppl 2, pp. S136-S143

Gauri Yardi is a Naturopath with a special interest in treating stress and anxiety, digestive conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), bloating, reflux and skin conditions such as acne and eczema. She is passionate about helping people shift towards a diet and lifestyle that will support and nourish them long-term.

Gauri can be contacted through her website.

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Š Depositphotos.com/fotokris44

simple as eating a plant-based diet with

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Looking after your gut bacteria can be as

Relationships

Š Depositphotos.com/riearl

D

oormat

or People Pleaser?

28 | GreatHealthGuide.com.au

Words Lisa Phillips

Design Oleksandra Zuieva

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© Depositphotos.com/carlodapino

Are you a

‘disease to please’ and Doormat Syndrome for years. I didn’t just dip my toe into the

occasional people pleasing situation, I was a serial addict. The ‘disease to please’ kept me stuck in a toxic relationshipfor over 5 years and regularly left me feeling ‘disrespected and walked all over’. I felt resentful of myself and of other people. In time, this bad habit nearly cost me my self-respect, personal integrity and emotional wellbeing. It was also seriously exhausting due the time I spent worrying what people thought of me and trying desperately to make sure I was ‘liked’ by everyone I met.

Fortunately, after collapsing into an emotional heap one day, I finally declared the end to my doormat status and screamed ‘I am not going to take it anymore.’ The moment had finally arrived for me to treat myself with more respect and show people how I expected them to treat me. Yes, it was scary but looking back on my life now I am so happy that I took the plunge.

SO WHAT ARE SOME KEY SIGNS OF A PEOPLE PLEASER?

1. Your happiness depends on the approval and appreciation from other people

2. You find it difficult to say ‘no’ to other people’s requests

3. You avoid conflict at all costs 4. You feel you are being taken for granted but you do nothing about it

5. You care too much about being liked and you fear the loss of approval GHG Disclaimer – please read

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I

admit it, I was a people pleaser. I suffered the

6. You allow people to put you down or criticize you and you make excuses for their behavior

7. You may fear what would happen if you did become more assertive

8. You like to be seen as a nice or good person

9. You would hate someone to think that you are selfish or unkind in any way

10. You end up doing all the things other people don’t want to do Does this sound like you? If so, this year could be the year you set yourself free. Why is the ‘disease to please’ so common and why do we find it so difficult to stop it? Is it just as simple as practicing some new assertiveness skills and learning to speak up? For many people, including myself, it just isn’t that easy.

One of the main reasons that people find it so difficult to be assertive is they fear the repercussions. They fear what ‘could happen’ and many people are terrified that those around them may see them as a ‘bad person’ or disapprove of them in some way.

I remember feeling terrified at the thought of saying ‘no’ to my boss after he asked me to stay late one evening. After finally plucking up the courage to do so, I ended up feeling so much guilt and anxiety that I went back to him apologizing and agreeing to do anything he wanted. This was also true for Jane, a recent client of mine. Jane came to see me due to a problem she was having with her motherin-law. This situation had gone on for over 10 years. During this time my client had been GreatHealthGuide.com.au | 29

many times. Jane could not do anything right in her mother-in-law’s eyes, despite trying extremely hard to please her and going out of her way to keep her happy. When I asked Jane why she put up with this poor behavior she responded, ‘Oh I couldn’t be rude to her.

I couldn’t ask her to stop – that would just be rude and she wouldn’t like that at all’. Jane is a great example of a people pleaser in that she allowed her mother-in-law to be rude and insensitive towards her, yet refused to speak up and confront her mother-in-law about the behavior. Jane’s fear of being disapproved of was greater than her need to look after her own wellbeing. She was terrified of upsetting her mother-in-law and worried what the

familiar? Unfortunately, in failing to speak up, Jane was also unconsciously sending out the message that ‘I am unimportant. My feelings do not matter. What other people want is far more important than what I want’.

Take a few minutes to reflect on your own life? Do you allow people to put you down or insult you? Do you allow other people to take advantage of you or allow others to walk all over your boundaries? Do you keep quiet and push down your feelings just to ‘keep the peace’? Do you always try to be behave how other people would like you to behave, try to be what others want you to be, agree with others and always try to fit in and not ‘rock the boat’?

Interestingly, many people pleasers learn from an early age that their needs were not really important and they learn to survive by trying

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repercussions would be. Does this sound

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shouted at, ignored, insulted and belittled

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happy. As adults this can easily develop into habits such as avoiding conflict, keeping the peace, always being agreeable and constantly putting other people’s needs and feelings above our own. Even when people pleasers do decide to speak up for themselves or be assertive, it is often followed with a huge wave of anxiety, guilt or ‘uncomfortable feelings’ which may cause the individual to go running back and apologizing for their behavior and trying to make everything OK again. Common fears of being assertive can also include: • FEAR that we will hurt someone’s feelings • FEAR of what may happen • FEAR of ‘not looking good’ or that people won’t like us • FEAR that we may not be seen as a nice person • FEAR that someone won’t like us • FEAR of losing someone’s approval

Making a decision to be more assertive does come with a few challenges.

However, if you are ready to step into a new reality where you are treated with respect and learn to honor your own emotions, then why not try a few of my top tips? Just by starting to work on a few simple things, you will be changing the message you send out to the universe to one of ‘I am valuable and I care about myself and my own needs. I am important’.

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to ensure that everyone else around them was

TO ACHIEVE CHANGE YOU NEED TO:

1. Acknowledge that people pleasing is a problem in your life. Acknowledgement is a great first step.

2. Make a commitment that by going forward you are going to make your own needs a priority.

3. Accept that sometimes in life, you need to show people how they need to treat you.

If you have been allowing people to walk all over you for some time, this change will need some courage. Encourage yourself with soothing words and remind yourself of the positives of looking after yourself.

4. Practice articulating your needs with someone

who

is

non-threatening

(a

therapist, a friend or an understanding partner).

5. Acknowledge that whenever you practice being assertive or standing up for yourself, that you are going to feel uncomfortable and anxious. At this point many people will simply give in to those ‘uncomfortable’ feelings and return to their more ‘familiar and comfortable’ way of living. To this I declare, ‘Do Not Fear Feeling Uncomfortable’ as it signals positive changes. Hey, I like a peaceful life as much as anyone but please do not fool yourself that being treated like a doormat is a way of reducing stress and anxiety.

6. Value yourself more. If you believe that you deserve to be treated badly then you will be. Write a list of all your talents and start to recognize how valuable you really are.

7. Give up the need to be liked. If people don’t like you, that is their problem. In the GreatHealthGuide.com.au | 31

business what you think of me.”

8. Stop trying to please everyone. It is perfectly OK to do things for others but not at the cost of your own self-esteem.

If you start feeling resentful towards someone then that is a sure sign that you have overstepped your own boundaries.

9. Take notice of when you hold back from speaking up and/or swallowing your words. Start to practice by stating how you really feel. Start small at first and set yourself a target of doing this at least twice a week. Praise yourself every time you do it and remember that feeling uncomfortable is a good thing.

10. Accept that people may not like it at first and may get angry with you. This is not your fault. Remind yourself that their reaction does not make you a bad person. Stick to your guns.

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words of Wayne Dyer, “It is none of my

In conclusion, despite how scary it may feel, you do have the right to be treated with respect and you do have the innate ability to assert yourself. With a little practice it will be farewell doormat - hello empowerment.

Lisa Phillips, is the author of The Confidence Coach (Exisle, 2015). She is one of Australia’s most inspiring confidence and empowerment experts. The founder of Amazing Coaching, Lisa appears regularly on television, shares her advice in many business and lifestyle magazines and has been interviewed on national radio shows. Her popular ‘Spiritual and Irritable’ radio show attracts both national and international self-development guests. Lisa inspires people to trigger lasting change in their lives, while enjoying themselves at the same time. More information about Lisa and her book is available from this website.

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You do have the right to be treated with respect.

32 | GreatHealthGuide.com.au

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“Growth demands a temporary surrender

of security”

© Depositphotos.com/ loriklaszlo

- Gail Sheehy

A

rguments Words Martin Gladman

end

friendships,

break

up

partnerships and separate families,

yet they are something which we enter into and allow in our lives. No one really enjoys arguing, so naturally we avoid them by tiptoeing around discussions and carefully choosing what we do and don’t say, to make sure we don’t disrupt the perceived harmony.

Often in relationships we think it’s easier to let things slide, ignoring and overlooking things that our partners or family do that might

34 | GreatHealthGuide.com.au

Design Oleksandra Zuieva

feel disrespectful, unloving or dishonoring.

Equally so, there are times when we are not at our best and we speak up and don’t hold things back. Our partners and the other people do the same things, so this is one big argumentative mess just waiting to happen.

But do we ever actually let things slide? Or do we secretly hold onto them, letting them build and grow over time until one day, we explode or just quietly walk away, without ever expressing our thoughts and feelings?

Not communicating and holding things GHG Disclaimer – please read

© Depositphotos.com/SolominViktor

rguments can destroy relationships,

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A

Can They Be a Thing of the Past?

our disagreements thrive. When we do not resolve the hurts or disturbances that we feel in our relationships, we end up carrying them around with us and they often come out in unexpected or unpleasant ways.

So what can we do about this? Often people see arguments as a way to ‘clear the air’ but what if we prevented ‘the air’ from ever being polluted in the first place, by clearing up and discussing issues as they presented themselves?

Every time we avoid speaking up about the things that might be unkind or just don’t feel are right, we allow tensions to enter into our relationships. These tensions then build up but we don’t really want that to happen. It seems that we’re scared of speaking up out of fear of the consequences, but if this is the case, we really need to ask - why?

By not communicating with our loved ones, we are essentially saying to ourselves and those around us that: 1. Our relationship is not worth the effort it might take to resolve our issues 2. We are not capable of working through what might unfold 3. Our relationship is not strong enough to handle growth and expansion 4. We are not worthy of being in loving and respectful relationships What would happen if we learnt to lovingly respect, honour and support ourselves so that instead of ‘letting things slide’, we were able GHG Disclaimer – please read

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back can supply the very fuel upon which

to speak to them, clearing up the small things before they built up into bigger things that later become a nightmare to deal with?

Learning to speak up and zcommunicate can seem difficult at first, but over time, if we make the effort and learn to support and nurture ourselves through the process, then we give ourselves and our relationships the best opportunity to be fulfilled. At the same time, we are building our own confidence and trust throughout the process.

To bring all of ourselves into our relationships is one of the most loving things we can do.

Give it a try, support yourself and see what happens - arguments can be a thing of the past, if we so choose it.

Martin Gladman has a B.Soc.Wk. (Hons) and is a counsellor, teacher, life coach and complementary therapist working out of Melbourne. Victoria. Martin has had the pleasure of supporting people of all ages, backgrounds and genders to work through the many challenges which can get in the way of them living truly joyful and vital lives. Martin has a deep love and commitment to humanity, offering his services as a writer and specialist to support people to live, learn, love and be inspired by life. Contact Martin through his email martingladman@outlook.com.

GreatHealthGuide.com.au | 35

“Even if you’re on the right track you’ll get run

sit there” - Will Rogers

© Depositphotos.com/arzawen

if you just

over

mindset

Š Depositphotos.com/darknula

rain fit?

Part 2: Improving brain fitness

38 | GreatHealthGuide.com.au

Words Jenny Brockis

Design Oleksandra Zuieva

GHG Disclaimer – please read

Š Depositphotos.com/bartekwardziak

B

Are You

of brain fitness which is not about being the smartest or most intelligent person but about

having a brain optimised for best performance.

We live in a modern world which is incredibly busy, fast paced and challenging. To perform well, it’s a matter of having a brain that can focus on what is important, copes well with change, remembers what matters and helps us to move beyond just surviving, to truly flourish.

Brain fitness starts with attending to those lifestyle choices we make to stay fit and well.

Only then is it time to move up to improving our effectiveness in how we pay attention, how we communicate, collaborate, develop more innovative thinking and get on well with others. In the previous article I discussed two aspects of brain fitness, nutrition and stress management. Here I continue to look at three other aspects of brain fitness; mental challenge, exercise and sleep.

1. MENTAL CHALLENGE Our brain loves a challenge and mental challenge is a great way to build a strong resilient mind. This is because our brain is what is termed plastic which is the ability of our 86 billion neurons to form connections between themselves, called synapses. The more synapses we create, the more neural pathways we build for more memory, new skills and more habits. Our plasticity is available to us across our lifespan, meaning that we are life-long learners (even though it does diminish as we get older).

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I

n Part 1 of this topic, I introduced the concept

I am often asked if cryptic crosswords and online brain training such as Lumosity is what is best for providing our brain with a mental challenge. The answer is, if you enjoy these types of activities, then they will certainly help improve your verbal memory, reaction times, memory and visuospatial skills, though they haven’t been proven to translate into improved overall brain performance.

But mental challenge isn’t just about what we do to entertain ourselves online, it’s about providing the brain with a series of challenges that are novel, graded and variable. Our kids are inherently curious - they love to explore anything and everything that’s new. As we get older we get a bit more rigid in our thinking and activities. Which means it’s time to reconnect with that child-like curiosity and do something different. The harder the challenge and the more effort involved, the better! So if you’ve always fancied learning to paint, sing or play cricket but never got around to it or put it off because you didn’t think you’d be much good - this is your opportunity.

It’s time to discover that hidden Van Gogh, Taylor Swift or Stephen Smith and give it a go.

2. EXERCISE Physical exercise is the best workout for our brain.

It primes us for best performance by boosting cerebral blood flow which brings extra oxygen and nutrients and stimulates the production of GreatHealthGuide.com.au | 39

It’s been shown that kids who exercise regularly do better at school, get higher grades and experience fewer behavioural difficulties. At a time when many schools are cutting back on time for physical activity because of an overloaded curriculum, it’s even more important to ensure our kids get enough exercise - at least one hour every day to be active and run around. The same is true for us as adults. Scheduling time to get to the gym, go for a walk or bike ride has to be a must, not a maybe. When, will depend on your schedule. Early in the day is ideal but anytime is better than no time.

New research suggests that interval training - short bursts of intense activity is not just an excellent way to build physical fitness, it’s really good for the brain as well. If exercise is something you endure rather than enjoy, why not look to add some extra incremental activity such as choosing to use the stairs, parking at the far end of the car park, or changing modes of transport to work from bus, train or car to cycling or walking where ever possible.

3. SLEEP We often try to save time by having less sleep.

We see sleep as a nuisance, stopping us from getting on with all of our other important work.

But reducing sleep time is the worst thing we can do when it comes to brain health. Unless you are a giraffe who typically needs less than 2 hours sleep at night, adult humans need between 40 | GreatHealthGuide.com.au

7-9 hours of good quality uninterrupted sleep each night. Why? Because when we are asleep our brain is incredibly busy laying down longterm memory, getting the gist of what we have learned, taking out the brain’s metabolic trash and regulating our emotion.

Many of us acquire sleep debt through too many late nights and disturbed sleep patterns (due to snoring partners or our kids), leaving us cognitively tired and not functioning at our best. Being tired leads us to make more mistakes, make poorer decisions and less able to solve problems. So look for ways to keep to a regular bedtime routine, remove the dog (and the TV) from the bedroom and keep the room nice and cool and dark. As well, going to bed 20 minutes earlier each night is a great way to start to pay back that sleep debt.

Building brain fitness doesn’t happen overnight but by implementing your own brain fitness plan and adding in one small change at a time, you’ll be well on the way to building a whole future brain.

Dr Jenny Brockis specialises in the science of high performance thinking. She is the author of Future Brain - the 12 Keys to Create Your High Performance Brain, (Wiley) available at all leading book stores, online retailers and from her website.

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© Depositphotos.com/tomert

maintenance of our existing neurons.

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neurochemicals essential to the support and

© Depositphotos.com/lightsource

F

When

ood

Is Fear

OVERCOMING EATING DISORDERS

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Words Anne-Sophie Reinhardt

Design Oleksandra Zuieva

GreatHealthGuide.com.au | 41

of anxiety for me. Every situation that revolved around eating, meant so much

more than just food: it meant gaining weight, not giving in to temptation, missing out, being an outsider, watching others enjoy themselves while I was sitting there and looking at the pasta internally screaming for just one bite, one spoonful of nutrition that would lead to freedom.

And yet, I never gave in. I didn’t gain weight.

Friendships dissolved, burdens got heavier, my family grew more desperate and I was numb. I was yearning for food to just be food not a measurement of success or failure. All I wanted was to eat, be done with it and move on with my life. I wanted it and yet, I couldn’t get it. I believed I’d always live that way, feel that way, behave that way.

I’d always be the girl who had to control food to look slightly OK. I’d always be the girl who said ‘no’ to every piece of cake, every bite of chocolate. I’d always be the girl who’d just be watching on the sidelines while others were living their lives. I thought I could only be happy if I found a way to keep my skinny weight. I thought I could only be happy if I found the magic pill enabling me to eat what I wanted and still be thin.

I thought I could only be happy if my body looked different, if I was taller and my muscles were leaner.

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F

or most of my life, food caused all kinds

Unsurprisingly, this day never came. Food remained a fear factor and my body was to blame for everything that was wrong in my life.

Unsurprisingly, the years went by and all I’d ever lost was time, happiness and joy. The skinnier I was, the unhappier I felt. Paradoxically, all I wanted was to be skinny and lean.

Once I broke out of that way of thinking, my happiness increased. Suddenly, I had the energy to go out with friends. Suddenly, I found joy in flowers and blue skies. Suddenly, food wasn’t fear anymore but pleasure and joy. Yes, my body didn’t look super skinny and my arms weren’t lean. But I was happy.

I am happy, confident and free.

How did I get to that place? How did I make such a huge mental shift? Here are a few tips: 1. SURRENDER Surrender to this part of your life, to your fears, to your worries and remember that all of life is a learning experience. You can’t change where you’re at. Accept it and embrace it instead of wishing it away. The moment that you truly own your reality, you’ll be able to see it in a different light and begin to heal what isn’t working.

2. SEARCH FOR A TEAM Build yourself a beautiful soul tribe of people who’ll help you along the way. Search for a GHG Disclaimer – please read

body positivity community, a spiritual circle and whatever else you need. Having a heartcentered team around you will make all the difference on the days when your fear is keeping you stuck and scared.

3. DON’T WAIT TO BE SAVED For a very, very long time I thought that a knight in shining armor would come around to save my broken heart and tell me that my body didn’t matter as much as my soul. Over the years, there were many knights, but nobody

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saved me, until I became committed to saving

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therapist, a coach, a women’s help group, a

myself. You are responsible for changing your life and for making the decisions that will keep you alive and thriving. Stop holding onto the belief that an outside source knows what’s best for you.

Instead, dig deep to find your very own strength and sacred presence and you’ll be able to build on that for the rest of your life.

The moment that you truly own your reality, you’ll be able to see it in a different light and begin to heal what isn’t working.

GreatHealthGuide.com.au | 43

There were many days when I wanted to give up, stay in bed all day long and go back to my old self. It all felt so overwhelming and scary and I just couldn’t see a way out of my current hell.

What kept me going was the commitment to take tiny turtle steps towards my goal of freedom. The smaller the steps were, the more doable they seemed and so I just kept moving forward.

5. NOURISH YOURSELF WITH MORE THAN JUST FOOD When I was trapped in my eating disorder, all I thought about was food, my body and exercise. I knew I needed a big intervention in order to break free from my anxiety around food and so I began to nourish myself with more than food. I began to create beauty everywhere around me.

I danced, I did Yoga, I meditated, I found new friends and let go of those friendships that didn’t serve my highest good. I had better conversations, read better books, gave myself more time for everything and I made self-care a huge priority. The more nourished I felt in my everyday life, the less importance I placed on food and my body.

Try to think of a list of things that nourish your soul instead of just your tongue. If you can’t think of anything, begin to experiment and have some fun creating your self-care/selfnourishment list.

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4. KEEP GOING

6. CHANGE YOUR STORY If you continue to want to be a victim of your situation, of your eating disorder, of your dieting mindset, you will be. If you keep writing the ‘poor me’ story, you’ll forever stay stuck.

Sit down and re-write your story (yes, literally) from being the victim of your circumstances to being the driving force behind your decisions.

I promise, it’ll change your life.

Through my writing, I understood that my past had made me strong and the person that I am today. Through my writing, I felt on a core level that I did my very best to make it through every single day and that the methods I chose were the ones I needed at that time. Through my writing, I learned that I was much more than I gave myself credit for.

What will you notice when you re-write your story?

7. WRITE LOVE NOTES TO YOURSELF At the beginning of my healing journey, I wrote myself daily love letters and notes.

Sometimes, these were short reminders like ‘smile’ or ‘you’re worth it’ and sometimes, I filled many pages with my words to myself.

I believe that the way you begin your day determines whether it’ll be a successful ‘healing day’ or whether it’ll be one of those days where you slide back. Don’t take any chances and instead commit to writing a few words to yourself telling yourself why you’re lovely, why you’re worth the fight and why GHG Disclaimer – please read

obsession with food.

Obviously, implementing these steps is just the beginning of a long journey. Over time, you’ll find your own tools, your own healing systems and you’ll learn your own ways of detaching from the fear mentality that keeps you stuck in your dieting world. When food is fear, life is horrendous, but when you learn to see that within food there can be

Anne-Sophie Reinhardt is the founder of an award-winning blog. She is an Eating Psychology Coach in training, Martha Beck Life Coach, speaker and workshop leader. After a 14-year long battle with food and her body, Anne-Sophie gently healed her relationship with herself and now spends her days speaking to ambitious women who are ready to embrace their body in its most beautiful form. AnneSophie’s coaching approach is about breaking free, finding compassion and self-love and taking your power back one small step at a time.

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love, you will finally begin being truly whole.

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you still want to have a life of liberty from your

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GreatHealthGuide.com.au | 45

Š Depositphotos.com/ Vadymvdrobot

great health

How to Create a

H

ealthy

© Depositphotos.com/blicsejo

Workplace

THE PROBLEMS OF WORKPLACE STRESS

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Words Melanie Eager

Design Oleksandra Zuieva

GreatHealthGuide.com.au | 47

Stamford business schools looked at 10 common workplace stressors

and concluded that up to 120,000 people die each year from health problems related to job stress. These include cardiovascular disease, hypertension and decreased mental health.

In the US, this is higher than the number of deaths from influenza, diabetes or Alzheimer’s.

Although this is a US study, the evidence shows that things are no different in Australia. A report in 2013 by Safe Work Australia reported that mental stress costs Australian businesses more than $10 billion per year. During the 2004/5 tax year, more than $133.9 million was paid in benefits to workers who had made claims related to workplace stress. They are the most expensive form of worker’s compensation and result in employees being absent from work for extended periods of time.

Our workplaces are making us sick!

So, how do we create a healthy workplace for the benefit of everybody? I worked in a stressful corporate environment for 17 years and during this time, saw an increase in the pressures and demands from management.

Here are some ways to help you protect your health so that you can achieve a healthier and happier workplace.

1. SET BOUNDARIES Research has suggested that the work environment, especially work stress and long work hours, may be risk factors for 48 | GreatHealthGuide.com.au

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A

2015 report from Harvard and

hypertension. A report in Hypertension (2006) on Work Hours and Hypertension showed that those who worked long hours self-reported more cases of hypertension. At the end of each week, sit down and plan your upcoming week. We all know that unexpected things happen but by planning your work for the following week, you can schedule in ‘down time’ and ‘work time’. Set times when you will not look at your work phone or e-mail, for example during the evening when helping your children with their homework. During this time, just focus on some good quality family time. The emails can wait!

2. LEARN TO SAY NO One of the greatest things I learnt from having chronic fatigue was the ability to say no to people. Prior to this I was always a people pleaser, taking on more than I could handle because I didn’t want to let people down. The only person I was letting down was myself as I was slowly burning out. Saying no is a very powerful tool for you to have and will help you preserve your health long into the future.

3. LEARN TO SWITCH OFF When I worked in the corporate world, I dreaded the day when we were issued with smart phones. My colleagues were thrilled that they could listen to teleconferences in their car and check their e-mail on holiday.

Every mobile phone can be turned off, or adjusted so that e-mails are not downloaded.

Ensure that you set guidelines and make people aware of when you can’t be contacted.

Always ensure that you use your annual leave GHG Disclaimer – please read

stress, away from technology.

4. PREPARE AHEAD FOR THE WEEK LUNCHES, SNACKS, DINNERS Take some time each week to prepare food for your week ahead. This could be making bliss balls for snacks, cutting up vegetables for a dip or freezing some healthy meals for those occasions when you come home late and are tempted to stop by on your way home and pick up a take away! Bliss balls or healthy slices freeze very well and can be taken out as required.

5. TAKE REGULAR BREAKS A 2011 study carried out by researchers from Loughborough University and the University of Leicester found that long periods of sitting

• 112% increase in risk of diabetes • 147% increase in cardiovascular events • 90% increase in death due to cardiovascular events • 49% increase in death due to any cause Set an alarm every 45 minutes and take 5 minutes to stretch. Every lunch break, without fail, you need to walk away from your desk and get some fresh air, even if this is a 10 minute walk around the office car park.

6. ASK FOR FRUIT TO BE DELIVERED TO THE OFFICE Suggest to the office manager that a fruit box is delivered to the office at the start of every week. A 2014 study reported in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition showed that

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can cause the following:

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and take this opportunity to unwind and de-

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GreatHealthGuide.com.au | 49

including lowering anxiety and depression whereas

chocolate

consumption

was

associated with greater emotional eating and depression. The chocolate consumption group also showed more fatigue and cognitive difficulties. A fruit box delivered to the office every week would definitely help mental health within the office.

7. BUDDY UP WITH A WORK COLLEAGUE FOR LUNCHES Recently a friend of mine was helping her colleague become fitter, healthier and lose weight. She suggested that they take it in turns to make lunches for each other for a week. The colleague knew that she had to make healthy lunches for my friend to eat it. This really motivated her to reassess what she was eating and her lifestyle. She lost 10 kg within a few months and ran her first 5 km fun run within this time period. She commented that having to be accountable to someone else for their eating choices made her much more concerned about what she was consuming. She is now a picture of great health and this has promoted health and wellness not only in their department, but the whole office.

8. TAKE UP A NEW HOBBY AND LET YOUR COLLEAGUES KNOW Is there something that you have always wanted to try: African drumming, art class, a fitness class? Sign up for that class and let your colleagues know that on a specific day and time each week that you leave the 50 | GreatHealthGuide.com.au

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consumption of fruit improves mental health

office to go straight to your class. Ask them to ensure that you leave on time. By having their support and encouragement you will feel much more motivated to ensure that you leave the office on time at least once per week.

9. FORM AN EXERCISE GROUP Get together with colleagues during the lunch break or before work and form an exercise group. Not only will you feel healthier and fitter, but you will be much more productive when you go back to your desk.

10. WORK FROM HOME Ask your manager if you can work from home at least once per week. Use the extra time that you would normally be commuting for your health and wellness, for example going to the gym, taking the dog for a longer walk or having some extra sleep that you need.

11. REASSESS YOUR FINANCES AND YOUR LIFE Last year I went to a talk about household budgets. The presenter discussed a case study where a family’s household income had been halved in the last 12 months as they re-assessed priorities. They looked at what they were spending and where their time was being allocated and realised that although they had a very high household income, they had very little family time with their children. They both re-assessed their jobs and outgoings and changed careers.

Now they earn a fraction of what they did before but as a family they have a lot more quality time together.

GHG Disclaimer – please read

and see if you can make any changes. It is not about what you earn, but what you spend. If all else fails, be prepared to find another job that will support a healthy environment for you and your family.

A 2014 report by the Australian Psychological Society

showed

that

those

Australians

who actively engaged in healthy lifestyle behaviours, and

such

exercising

as

eating

regularly,

healthily

demonstrated

significantly higher levels of overall wellbeing and significantly lower levels of stress and distress, than those who were not engaged

Get started today for the greatest improvement in your health and wellbeing.

Melanie Eager is a nutritionist and wellness coach with a special interest in stress management. With two degrees from the University of London, Melanie is well placed to guide you through your choice of wellness options. Melanie has suffered corporate burnout and chronic fatigue but with lifestyle choices she recovered and went on to run an ultra-marathon in January 2015.

Š Depositphotos.com/blicsejo

with the healthy lifestyle behaviours.

...............................................................

Look at where you are spending your time

GHG Disclaimer – please read

GreatHealthGuide.com.au | 51

© Depositphotos.com/pyotr021

FITNESS

omen: W Exercise for Busy

Exercise Smarter Not Shorter Words Tom Fitzgerald

Design Oleksandra Zuieva

O

ne of the hardest parts of exercising can be finding the

time to do it. To combat this, short, time-based workouts are

being

marketed, busy

increasingly

particularly

women.

It

to

started

with 7-minute abs, but now includes Tabata training, the high intensity interval training (HIIT) and many other short and high-intensity training methods.

These training systems are intense, build fitness and are

thereby

time-effective

however, they don’t always

Š Depositphotos.com/alen44

match

the

users

goal.

They often lack a strength component

and

rarely

provide the required stimulus for muscle development and tone. As a result, users are GHG Disclaimer – please read

GreatHealthGuide.com.au | 53

time,

energy and effort into their exercise regime, without ever getting the body composition results they truly want.

There to

is

achieve

a

better these

way body

composition results and it is more efficient. Efficiency needs to be measured by more than the duration of the workout. Let’s consider that you have to travel to the gym, warm up, cool down, shower and travel back to your home or office. This can add up to at least 45-minutes and that doesn’t even include the workout!

Regardless of whether your session takes 15-minutes or 45-minutes, there is still going to be a significant portion of your day invested into the training session. I’d much rather you go to the gym three times per week for a 45-minute session. Over the course of a week, three 45 minute sessions (+45 mins added time) is more time-efficient than five 15-minute sessions (+45 mins added time)!

If you want to train less, you need to do more in your sessions and train smarter 54 | GreatHealthGuide.com.au

and

body

recomposition

training is the ideal training methodology

for

these

goals. Body recomposition training

encompasses

a

focus on strength, muscle development burning,

all

and

fat-

within

each

session. This methodology is based on exercise science and physiology principles, with

each

component

of

the training session being strategically

placed

take advantage

of

to these

principles.

Body recomposition training encompasses a focus on strength, muscle development and fatburning, all within each session.

• The session beings with a

strength

emphasis.

Strength training is best conducted session, will

not

early

where impair

in

a

fatigue neural

performance. This also allows the trainee to progressively move heavier loads and increase general strength.

.........................................................................................................................................................

significant

.........................................................................................................................................................

investing

• The second component is muscle development.

Moderate repetitions (1016 reps) with moderate weights

and

short

recovery periods are used to

accumulate

in

the

fatigue

muscles.

This

metabolic accumulation recruits to

satellite

the

area,

cells which

are important for the development of muscle tissue.

• The final component is a fat-burning focus. Highintensity training (strength and muscle development) release epinephrine and nor-epinephrine

into

the blood stream. These hormones assist in the mobilisation of fatty acids into

the

bloodstream

for potential use a fuel source.

Fatty acids are preferentially used as a fuel source at intensities maximal.

below By

65%

completing

steady-state cardio for 15 minutes at 60-65% maximal intensity, you can maximise the proportion of oxidised fatty acids, compared to higher intensity training. This GHG Disclaimer – please read

used these methodologies exclusively with my clients for the past 15 months and I can assure you of their effectiveness. The best thing is, there is no gimmick or fad diet to sell here – just science.

To build you own body recomposition workout, you can follow the guidelines below.

1. Strength training • 5 sets of 6-8 reps • Recovery for 1.5 minutes • Compound

movements

– squat, push up/bench press, pull up, deadlift

2. Muscle development • 4 exercises (2 of two different muscle groups ie. chest and back) • 3 sets of 12-14 reps and super-set with 3 sets of 10-12 reps • Compound super-set

movement

with

isolation

© Depositphotos.com/Elovich

movement for same body part (ie. dumbbell press super set with dumbbell fly) • Recovery for 1 minute between super sets GHG Disclaimer – please read

3. Fat-burning • 10-15 minutes of steady state cardio • Treadmill walking, cycling, rowing, elliptical • Intensity at 60-65% of maximal. You should be able to talk – just!

Try this training methodology with three weekly sessions for 6-8 weeks. You will get more out of each training session, as each session has a well-constructed plan and outline. You will also be more efficient over the course of the week. Winning both ways – you have to like that!

Summary and take home points: • Shorter exercise sessions are not necessarily more efficient. Focus on training to meet your goals and get the most out of every training session.

• Body

recomposition

training includes strength, muscle development and fat burning components in a sequence designed to maximise adaptation.

.........................................................................................................................................................

is highly effective. I have

.........................................................................................................................................................

body recomposition training

• Three

well-constructed

training week

sessions is

each

sufficient

for

beginner-intermediate level people. Avoid the temptation

to

do

too

many sessions, too soon.

Tom

Fitzgerald

Nutritionist

and

is

a

Personal

Trainer based in Canberra.

He

specialises

recomposition clients

and

personalised

in

body

for

busy

developing training

and

nutrition programs to suit client’s goals, experience and lifestyle. Tom has B. Sports & Exercise Science and a B. Human Nutrition and has completed

research

and

studies in Australia, UK and US. Tom is also an average cook – so listen when he outlines what to eat, but don’t let him tell you how to make it!

GreatHealthGuide.com.au | 55

esponsibility

56 | GreatHealthGuide.com.au

for Our Injuries Words Kylie Edwards

Design Oleksandra Zuieva

GHG Disclaimer – please read

© Depositphotos.com/RUSSIANO

R

Taking

when doing menial tasks such as picking up the cat, playing with the kids or carrying

one too many shopping bags. We portray them as acute chance events and ignore the chronic conditions that lead up to them such as 30+ hours per week at a sedentary desk job or perhaps neglecting the physiotherapy stretches you were prescribed for tight muscles but can’t even remember now!

We are very familiar with the areas of our bodies which are prone to injuries or tightness. Maybe your calves have ‘just always been tight’ or your lower back ‘goes out periodically’ or just ‘happens to run in the family’. But other than comment on our injury or pain patterns when they occur, what preventive measures do we actually practice for these known problematic areas?

How many times per week do you stretch those tight calves or do core strengthening exercises for your back?

With a little effort of just five minutes of stretching or strengthening a few times a week, many injuries can be avoided!

It is only when we are prevented from participating in daily activities or have significant pain that we consider ourselves ‘injured’. A back that has been tight for five years is barely a blip on your radar, until radiating sciatic pain down your leg demands your attention. It’s not that we need to dedicate GHG Disclaimer – please read

.........................................................................................................................................................

I

njuries are never our fault. They often occur

another hour every day or even every week to address our recurring issues, but consider the pain experienced, time wasted, money spent and possibly income lost as a result of the injury. As difficult as adding another ‘to do’ in our busy lives sounds, it is worth investing five minutes of stretching or strengthening a few times a week. If you’re not feeling motivated to do so, just think of the possible detrimental alternatives - spending a few weeks hobbling around with a pulled calf muscle or worse yet, a week flat out on your back.

The reality is the majority of our ‘acute’ injuries really have been building up for a long period of time and you were just lucky that you didn’t hurt yourself the previous 100 times when you picked up the cat or carried too many groceries.

Here are some questions to help you identify injury problems and with a little work, prevent them in the future.

QUESTIONS TO IDENTIFY INJURIES:

1. What is your common injury/pain area, or the tightness/weakness you experience?

2. What are you doing today to help prevent that injury? Are you strengthening your core, working on range of motion, or stretching tight muscles and strengthening weak ones?

3. What in your daily life leads to this imbalance?

Do you spend the majority of your day with your head tilted in a forward position putting extra strain on your back and neck? Do you have tight calf muscles from wearing high heels regularly? Are you always carrying a heavy bag on one shoulder?

GreatHealthGuide.com.au | 57

make today – should you do an additional stretch per day, do two of your favourite core exercises, adjust your ergonomics at work, or make an extra trip for that last grocery bag?

Instead of becoming injured again, implement a preventative, proactive program which will save time, money and mostly likely some pain

Kylie Edwards has more than 15 years’ experience as a fitness professional. Completing a double masters (physiology and nutritional sciences) degree in San Diego, her breadth of experience includes working with patients at San Diego Sports Medicine and Cardiac Rehab, teaching students and faculty wellness group classes at University of California San Diego as well as a coaching running and teaching the fitness specialist program at the San Diego City College fitness facility. To contact Kylie please refer to her website.

© Depositphotos.com/ Kalcutta

in the long run.

.................................................

4. What are some small changes you can

58 | GreatHealthGuide.com.au

GHG Disclaimer – please read

FINANCE

© Depositphotos.com/tab62

I

Women and

nvesting

T

PART 4: What shares will I buy?

Words Bill Dodd

Design Oleksandra Zuieva

his is the fourth in the series of articles on investing, where we

look at investing in the share or stock market. The terms ‘shares’ and ‘stocks’ are often used interchangeably so in this article the term shares is used. Let us assume that you have decided to invest in the share market. An investment in shares should always be planned for the longer term, preferably a minimum of 5 years. The share market can be quite volatile and in the short term may show considerable fluctuation. There are risks © Depositphotos.com/aremafoto

with any investment but in the long term the share market has provided the best returns for investors. Having decided to invest in the share market what shares should you buy?

60 | GreatHealthGuide.com.au

GHG Disclaimer – please read

shares,

the starting point should always be your investment plan which is the guide to what type of shares that you will buy and how much you will invest. Let us assume that your investment plan states that you will not invest in speculative shares but the portfolio will comprise only blue chip shares which pay a dividend. How will you determine which companies to invest in and how many shares to buy? This will in part be determined by how much capital you have to invest.

Consider the situation of two investors, one with $5,000 and another with $50,000 to invest.

Risks in investing can be minimised

by

diversifying

the investment capital over a number of companies. There is also the consideration of transaction

costs

involved

in investing in shares. With a very small amount of capital the transaction costs would take a large part of any profits.

• If you are an investor who has a small amount of money, say $5,000, GHG Disclaimer – please read

then you could invest in perhaps two companies but your transaction costs would be high and this reduces

your

returns.

Also by buying shares in only two companies you are not diversified and so have higher risks. It would be more practical with a small amount of capital to invest in a managed fund or a listed investment company your

(LIC)

transaction

where costs

are lower and you would benefit

from

diversified

over

being many

companies so that your risk is spread.

• If you have more funds to invest, say $50,000, you could invest this sum equally in 10 different companies. This means that you are adequately diversified to spread your risk and your transaction costs are proportionately much lower.

SO WHICH SHARES SHOULD I BUY? When we invest in shares we are looking for companies that are sound, have good

.........................................................................................................................................................

purchasing

.........................................................................................................................................................

When

businesses and low debt.

So we are trying to estimate the future profitability of a company based on its past and

present

performance

and we do this by using Fundamental Analysis.

Fundamental

Analysis

uses

economic data and company statistics to value a company.

This

includes

the

company

well

as

studying records

as

understanding

its

management and what the company does. Fundamental Analysis makes use of ratios as analytical tools because they can be used to make comparisons

between

the

values of two or more different companies. There are many different ratios that can be used. ‘Return on equity’ and ‘debt to equity’ are two of the most important ratios to use as well as ‘cash flow and earnings growth’ to analyse the performance of a company.

1. Return on equity (ROE) ‘The return on equity’ ratio measures the profitability of a company and is a measure of how many dollars of profit a company generates with each dollar of shareholders’ GreatHealthGuide.com.au | 61

attractive investment than a company with a ROE of 5%.

2. Debt to equity ‘The debt to equity’ ratio compares a company’s total debt to its total equity, (where equity is the total value of the assets of a company minus its liabilities). Companies that 62 | GreatHealthGuide.com.au

are very vulnerable particularly if there is a rapid rise in interest rates so companies with little or no debt are much more attractive.

3. Cash flow and earnings growth As well as the above ratios, cash flow and earnings growth are very important because they indicate the ability of the

company to generate cash and to continue to increase its profits. A strong history of earnings growth should reflect in a regular increase in dividends over the longer term.

With

this

information

we

should be able to select companies which have a high ROE with little or no debt, a good cash flow and it would GHG Disclaimer – please read

© Depositphotos.com/instinia

much more profitable and

carry large amounts of debt

.....................................................

ROE of 20%, is potentially a

.....................................................

equity. A company with a high

Consider some examples As I write this article in late September 2015 the prices of shares are falling and the share market is very volatile.

Consider the example of three companies that meet our

fundamental

criteria

with a high ROE, acceptable debt and a good record of dividend

payment.

These

are the blue chip companies Broken

Hill

Proprietary,

Commonwealth Bank and Woolworths.

• Broken (BHP) largest

Hill is

Proprietary the

world’s

miner

with

products including iron, copper, coal, petroleum and aluminium. It has very low production costs and its market price at September 2015 is 10% below its real value based on fundamental data.

• Commonwealth (CBA)

is

Bank Australia’s

biggest bank. Based on fundamental analysis its current market price is estimated to be 28% below its calculated real value.

GHG Disclaimer – please read

• Woolworths

(WOW)

is

Australia’s largest grocery with businesses covering, food,

liquor,

gambling

and fuel and its market price is 9% below its current valuation based on fundamental analysis.

The fact that such high calibre companies are all returning about

10%

dividend

to

investors at a time when the interest rate is 2.5% makes them very attractive. But are these

companies

suitable

for you as an investor? In this volatile market the share price of these companies may continue to fall, perhaps significantly and there is also a possibility that they may reduce their dividends if the economic conditions in Australia deteriorate.

If one takes a long term view, all of these companies have very strong businesses and should continue to perform well and would be good investments but the investor always needs to consider the risks. Having selected the shares you want to buy, in the next issue of GHGTM we discuss when to buy because timing your share

.........................................................................................................................................................

good dividend.

.........................................................................................................................................................

be desirable that they pay a

purchases is very important.

Disclaimer: This brief article covers

some

aspects

of

selection of shares. It cannot take into account the needs of individual investors and as such it is not investment advice. I am not a licenced financial advisor. No one should

rely

upon

this

information without seeking professional advice.

Bill

Dodd

is

a

retired

academic and experienced investor. His concern at the lack of financial literacy in Australia prompted Bill to become active in investment education. Since 2009 he has

provided

courses

on

investing for the Australian Shareholders

Association

and the Australian Investors Association in all states. Bill’s website

provides

information session

and

video

investor his

course

ten on

investing is available on the Australian Association

Shareholders website.

This

course is available at no cost to members.

GreatHealthGuide.com.au | 63

© Antalya Developments Pty Ltd 2015

The information made available in the Great Health Guide Magazine (electronic or hard copy formats) is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Readers should seek the advice of a qualified health provider with any questions regarding a potential or actual medical condition or the proposed use or decision not to use any particular product. Readers should not disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it at any time, including because of the content of any information made available in the Great Health Guide Magazine (electronic or hard copy formats).

Each of Antalya Developments Pty Ltd and Kathryn Dodd do not warrant, guarantee or make any representation regarding the accuracy, veracity, adequacy, reliability, completeness or timeliness of any information available on, or arising in relation to, the Great Health Guide Magazine (electronic or hard copy formats). Neither Antalya Developments Pty Limited nor Kathryn Dodd endorses the views of any contributing authors to the Great Health Guide Magazine (electronic or hard copy formats).

© Depositphotos.com/Yillek

Any information made available in the Great Health Guide Magazine (electronic or hard copy formats), or from Antalya Developments Pty Limited or Kathryn Dodd, including by way of third party authored articles or discussions, is made available for readers’ interest only. The purpose of making the information available is to stimulate research, public discussion and debate. Readers are encouraged to undertake their own research and consult with professional advisors to form their own independent views about the topic/s discussed.