be. magazine by Medibank. Issue 22: Change (Autumn 2018)

The Change Issue

Issue Twenty-two / Autumn 2018

From the CEO Craig Drummond

This issue of be. magazine is full to the brim with food, exercise and wellbeing tips to help see you through the autumn months.

Change is the common thread throughout these pages and my take out from this issue is that we can all take steps to be the best version of ourselves. Whether it’s our relationship with exercise, food or mindset, it’s never too late to make a positive change, no matter how big or small.

Two people who have experienced significant changes in their lives are Ben Pettingill and Mike Rolls. Ben lost his sight to a genetic condition at 16, while Mike faced multiple amputations at 18 after contracting Meningococcal Septicaemia. Both men have faced huge challenges and the way they have navigated these is inspiring. You can read more about their stories on page 96.

With millions of customers across Australia, Medibank has a significant opportunity to have a positive impact within the community.

This opportunity extends to mental health and wellbeing.

There’s a great article on page 48 about Medibank partner OneWave – a community of surfers that’s supporting people to ‘get in the ocean, surf it out and talk about it’. I’m a big believer in the power of the ocean and any program that’s helping reduce the stigma around mental health has our strong support.

Medibank has long recognised the vital role that mental health plays in overall wellbeing, and we’re pleased to have recently launched the Medibank Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund. The fund’s patron is former Australian Governor-General and long-term mental health advocate Dame Quentin Bryce. Our commitment of $1 million this year will support better mental health for all Australians and help us to deliver on our Better Health for Better Lives purpose.

Enjoy our latest issue.

14 Do you really need to detox?

40 Satay tofu rice paper rolls

58 Start with two minutes

84 New baby, new world

Tim Crowe

Sally Fitzgibbons

Lizzy Williamson

Billy Falkingham

Food

Exercise

Wellbeing

10 Build a better relationship with food

48 One wave can change you

74 Love and protest

14 Do you really need to detox?

52 Your body on exercise

80 The new science of breaking old habits

16 Loving every bite

54 Fall in love with fitness

82 Goals that matter

18 Feed your gut flora

56 Get moving with Michelle

84 New baby, new world

20 What else can our guts tell us?

58 Start with two minutes

86 The early days

22 Break out of a food rut

62 Getting personal

88 How to get on top of your finances

24 Turn back time

64 My daily rituals

90 Don't lose sight

28 Know your hunger hormones

66 Wake up your core

92 Is it a sign of cancer?

30 Switch it up

68 Fast and furious

96 Stronger than before

32 Heat of the night chicken bowl

70 Moves for new mums

98 How to do a digital detox

34 Eggs eleven and chia kiwi pops

100 Furry goodbyes

36 Salmon with veggie chips

104 Dreaming away

38 Thai prawns and steak with guacamole 40 Satay tofu rice paper rolls 42 Pork and peanut and pico de gallo tacos 44 Sri Lankan farmer’s breakfast

A note from the editor Rebecca Howden

Change can be so revitalising, bringing new energy and excitement into your life. It can also be really, really hard.

A lot of the time, it’s both at once.

Sometimes it’s a change you’ve chosen – a goal you want to achieve, a new direction to explore. Sometimes it’s a challenge life has just thrown at you, forcing you to find the strength and resourcefulness to adapt. Either way, you learn and grow, and it makes you who you are.

Change is scary, but you have to do it. Like David Bowie says, sometimes you have to “turn and face the strange.”

So how do you break through that fear that stops you from taking action? One book I go back to over and over again is Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway by psychologist Susan Jeffers.

You can never get rid of fear, she says, so the only way to deal with it is to find space for that feeling, and do the thing anyway. It’s never easy, but the rewards are usually worth it.

For this issue of be. magazine, I wanted to explore changes of all kinds. Challenging your mindset, refreshing your diet, setting a new health goal, becoming a parent, dealing with injury or illness, starting on a new fitness journey, learning something new, coping with grief…

This issue is all about personal growth, bringing together stories and ideas for achieving your goals, and expert advice on dealing with challenges across all different areas of food, exercise and wellbeing.

To get something different, you have to do something different. So be like Bowie. You can choose who you are and what you want your life to look like. You can reinvent as many times as you want.

And there’s nothing better than looking back and seeing how much you’ve grown.

Contributors Rebecca Howden is the editor of be. magazine and has been writing about arts, culture, lifestyle and health for the past 10 years. She reads too many books and has a cat named Gatsby.

Louise Adams is a clinical psychologist and the director of Treat Yourself Well in Sydney. She created an online program, UNTRAPPED, for people with food, exercise and body image issues.

Dr Dorit-Samocha-Bonet is an expert in nutrition, obesity and insulin resistance. She is a group leader and clinical researcher in the Diabetes and Metabolism Division at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research.

Simone Austin is an Accredited Practising Dietitian and Advanced Sports Dietitian with over 23 years’ experience. She has a proven track record of success with elite men’s sporting teams and a range of individuals.

Professor David CameronSmith is a health expert and the current Chair in Nutrition at the Liggins Institute, University of Auckland.

Billy Falkingham is Head of Content and Social at Medibank, the founder of be. magazine, a qualified dietitian and dad to baby Lois.

Caitlin Saville is a copywriter at Medibank.

She lives in Melbourne and has worked in the world of books, films and opera.

Dr Tim Crowe is an Advanced Accredited Practising Dietitian and career nutrition research scientist and educator.

Cassie Lane is a Melbourne-based writer.

Her book, How to Dress a Dummy, is published by Affirm Press.

Natalie Delana is a passionate health advocate, with over 10 years’ industry experience and significant clinical experience as an exercise physiologist.

The Biting Truth is a partnership of Accredited Practising Dietitians Anna Debenham and Alex Parker.

They are passionate about empowering individuals to make better food and health choices.

Jodie Arnot is the director of Healthy Balance Fitness and co-founder of the Moderation Movement. She has over 18 years’ experience in the fitness industry.

Sarah Boykett is a nutritionist and dietetics student. She gets a kick out of debunking myths, making sense of the science and making small life changes for maximum health impact.

Ted Richards is a former AFL player turned finance professional. He is the Director of Business Development at Six Park.

Kasia Kaczmarek is an actress, writer and dodgeballer living in Melbourne.

Dr Abi Tenen is a highly experienced refractive and cataract surgeon.

She is an expert in vision correction, including laser eye surgery, and was the first Australian female surgeon to qualify in the use of Intralase femtosecond laser technology.

Adjunct Associate Professor Craig Sinclair is Head of Prevention at Cancer Council Victoria. He is one of Australia’s leading experts in skin cancer prevention and has authored over 30 peer reviewed publications.

Rachel Davisdon is an exercise scientist and clinical Pilates practitioner at Insync Physiotherapy and Pilates in Camberwell.

Lizzy Williamson is a certified personal trainer and integrative nutrition health coach. Her book Two-Minute Moves is published by Affirm Press.

Danielle Brodie is a true Melbourne ‘slashie’, working as a stylist/ copywriter/content creator/ corporate support. She lives in Brunswick with her boyfriend and a growing menagerie of plants.

Tegan Haining is a trainer, nutritionist and health coach.

She has worked with celebrity clients like David Beckham, Natalie Imbruglia, Jessica Gomes and Lara Stone.

Dr Nicole Highet is a Doctor of Psychology and the founder and Executive Director of COPE: Centre of Perinatal Excellence.

Beatrix cColes is a Melbourne-based Aucklander. She writes about wellness, travel, food and wine, but not always at the same time.

Adele Mackie is an Accredited Practising Dietitian for Diabetes Victoria and accredited DAFNE facilitator. She runs many group education and training programs for people with diabetes.

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Build a better relationship with food Sometimes eating better is a matter of changing the way you think about food – forgetting about ‘good’ and ‘bad’, learning to love fresh and nourishing foods, and trusting your body to tell you what it needs. Clinical psychologist Louise Adams, director of Treat Yourself Well, shares some techniques for freeing yourself from diet culture and creating better habits. >>

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Are you struggling with your relationship with food?

Louise Adams’ online program UNTRAPPED is designed to help people un-learn diet thinking, and re-learn an intuitive connection with their bodies and food. Find out more at untrapped.com.au and treatyourselfwell.com.au

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Build a better relationship with food / Louise Adams

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Free yourself from ‘diet’ mentality We live in a culture that demonises fatness and worships thinness. I call this ‘diet culture’, and we’re all saturated with it on a daily basis. Our minds absorb diet culture messages like sponges, and over time we internalise these messages – they become our own thoughts.

When we moralise foods, we exaggerate the importance of any one food choice, create dramatic, black and white thinking, and we run the risk of extending this moralising to ourselves (I ate a 'bad' food, therefore I am a 'bad' person). We can change this pattern by doing our best to see all food as simply food: edible.

Many people are stuck in diet mentality, always trying to lose weight, or feeling that they should be trying to lose weight.

This leads to thoughts that their food should be restricted in some way.

Break the binge and restrict cycle Probably the most common unhealthy pattern I see is people straining to always 'be good’ on their diet, and frequently ‘busting’ – by eating all of the foods they think they’re not supposed to be eating.

People stuck in diet mentality are very preoccupied with thoughts of food.

They’re always thinking about their next meal, planning what they’re going to eat (or not going to eat), or feeling panicked about craving foods they ‘shouldn’t’ be eating as they’re not allowed on their meal plans.

Quitting dieting is without a doubt the best way to ditch the guilt and food rules. Give yourself full permission to enjoy the abundance of food in the world, and pledge to let your body guide you, rather than the multitude of weight loss messages.

Forget ‘good’ and bad’ The problem with labelling foods as ‘bad’ or not permitted is that these are food rules. Humans do not like food rules – the more we think we shouldn’t have a certain food, the more likely we are to think about it frequently and to crave it.

This is a psychological, human truth.

The other part of this is demonising food – attributing it a moral value.

Food is neither good nor bad. It doesn’t rob banks. Some foods have fewer nutritional benefits than others, but this doesn’t make them ‘bad’.

People get stuck in these patterns, because after a binge or after breaking the diet rules, people try to fix their mistake by restricting – which of course sets them up for another round of the diet merry-go-round. Binge eating is never ‘cured’ by dieting. It’s trying to restrict that keeps these patterns going.

Trust your body to guide you Giving yourself permission to eat all foods without moral judgement is what I help people to do. Many people are scared to do this, as they think if they are given permission to eat any foods, they’ll eat only ‘bad’ foods forever. But this isn’t true. When we tune into our bodies, away from the food rules, we can become aware of some really interesting cues, like “Am I hungry?” “Am I getting full?”

“Am I enjoying this food?” Our bodies naturally crave a whole variety of foods, and we can trust this.

So many times when I have guided people in tuning in and actually paying attention to eating a certain food, they realise things like, “This dumpling is very salty and makes me really thirsty”, or “This chocolate is super sweet and a lot of it actually makes me feel a bit sick”.

can learn that we naturally want to stop eating something before it feels uncomfortable in our body.

Learning to eat intuitively is incredibly empowering and freeing. It might be helpful for you to keep an intuitive eating diary – where instead of writing down what you eat, you write down the time of day, how hungry you felt, when you ate, how full and satisfying the meal was, and whether you think that the eating was body driven (hunger) or emotionally driven. It’s a process of tuning in, getting to know how your body is communicating with you.

Meet emotional eating with compassion Food is a relationship. So if you are turning towards food to soothe difficult emotions, think about how you learned this habit of self-soothing. Did you learn it early on, as a child? What other ways were you taught to look after your feelings in your family?

Eating away the feelings, or numbing, is a very common and human way to try to cope with difficult feelings. For example, this might be eating a lot at night so that you don’t feel lonely.

Do your best to simply notice when you’re having a feeling, and name it. This is a step many of us don’t take. So if you’re sitting on the couch and wanting some chips, ask yourself – what am I feeling?

And if it’s lonely, allow yourself to acknowledge your loneliness.

Then ask yourself how you could take care of this feeling in this moment. What other techniques can you try? Always try to add emotional management skills: don’t start by taking away your eating scaffold before you are ready.

We can trust our bodies to tell us if we are enjoying something, and we

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Do you really need to detox?

The idea of “cleansing” your body of toxins for a fresh start definitely sounds good. But is it really supported by science?

Nutrition expert Dr Tim Crowe untangles the myths and facts.

When you want a fresh start or a quick reset, the idea of a week-long ‘detox’ is certainly appealing. But is this really the best approach to better health?

Detox or liver cleansing diets have been around for many years. With amazing claims of rapid and easy weight loss, improved health, together with a heavy dose of Hollywood celebrity endorsement, it is no wonder these diets are in the public spotlight.

Toxin buildup is the supposed main culprit for weight gain, constipation, bloating, flatulence, poor digestion, heartburn, diarrhoea, lack of energy and fatigue. ‘Detoxing’ is a way for the body to eliminate these toxins and as a result, a person will feel healthier and lose weight.

The idea that we need to follow a special diet to help our body eliminate toxins is not supported by medical science. Healthy adults have a wonderful system for removal of waste products and toxins from the body. Our liver, kidneys and gastrointestinal tract remove or neutralise toxic substances within hours after we eat them.

What does a detox diet involve?

Detox diets can vary from a simple diet of raw vegetables and unprocessed foods and the elimination of caffeine, alcohol and refined sugars, to a much stricter diet bordering on a starvation diet with only juices consumed.

Some detox programs may also recommend vitamins, minerals, and herbal supplements. Detox diet programs can last anywhere from a day or two, up to several months.

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Do detox diets work?

Many people do feel better for following a detox diet, but this has little to do with the elimination of toxins from the body. Any person, especially someone who has a poor diet to start with, who eats more fruits and vegetables, drinks more water and eats fewer highly processed foods high in fat, salt or added sugar, and drinks less alcohol and caffeine will naturally feel better.

As for the dramatic weight loss typically seen, this is easily explained by the very restrictive nature of detox diets, which can cut kilojoules dramatically.

Claims made that the typical physical side effects such as bad breath, fatigue and various aches and pains may be signs that the body is getting rid of toxins just does not stand up to scientific scrutiny. Bad breath and fatigue are more likely to be signs that the body has gone into starvation mode while on the detox diet.

The downsides of detox diets Apart from the false claim that a detox diet is actually ‘detoxifying’ the body, these diets have many well-described downsides including initial feelings of tiredness and lack of energy and sometimes stomach and bowel upsets. Then there is the cost of the kit if a commercial program is followed. It can also be difficult to eat out and socialise when you are on a strict detox program.

The biggest downside of detox diets though, especially the more extreme ones, is that any weight loss achieved is usually temporary and is more the result of a loss of water and glycogen (the body’s store of carbohydrate) instead of body fat. This means that the weight lost is easily and rapidly regained once you revert back to a more normal eating plan. These dramatic weight fluctuations can be demoralising and lead to yo-yo dieting.

What to try instead To shift your habits to be more in line with the healthy eating guidelines, focus on getting plenty of fruits and vegetables, wholegrains, legumes and nuts. And then add some fish, eggs, poultry, dairy and a small amount of red meat if you so choose. Enjoying food close to its natural state with minimal added sugar gets you to what healthy eating guidelines recommend.

Going on a detox diet for a few days may do little harm for most people, except perhaps to their bank balance. But it’s unlikely to do a whole lot of good just on its own either.

Concerted long-term sustainable changes to diet and lifestyle habits are far more valuable than detox diets.

“Any weight loss achieved from a detox diet is usually temporary and is more the result of a loss of water and glycogen instead of body fat.�

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"Mindful eating is not a diet. In fact, mindful eating has nothing to do with the type of food you eat at all.

Mindful eating is about the way you eat."

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Loving every bite Slow down your eating and really enjoy the flavours, textures and sensations. Diabetes Victoria dietitian Adele Mackie explains the process of mindful eating, one mouthful at a time.

When it comes to the food we eat, there are a lot of decisions we have to make over and over again. In fact, a study from Cornell University published in Environment and Behavior revealed we make over 200 food-related decisions every single day.

Yet only 20 of these decisions are made consciously. That means there are about 180 daily food decisions that we make unconsciously, or without thinking. This is known as mindless eating.

Why do we eat mindlessly?

Mindless eating often occurs due to habits we have developed over time. For example, when running late for work, many of us find ourselves regularly eating breakfast in the car or while hurrying to the train station. Other times it might be eating dinner while watching TV, or eating lunch at the desk while working to meet an important deadline.

Another form of mindless eating is ‘non-hungry eating’ - eating when you are not physically hungry. One example familiar to many of us is continuing to eat from the bowl of chips in front of us, past the point of feeling satisfied, simply because they are there. Emotional eating is also another form of nonhungry eating.

A little mindless eating is completely normal and everyone will do it from time to time. But frequent, mindless eating can easily lead to eating more than we need, or making poor food choices too often. This can then lead to things like weight gain, increased cholesterol and blood pressure, and an unhealthy relationship with food.

How to practise mindful eating Mindful eating is not a diet. In fact, mindful eating has nothing to do with the type of food you eat at all. Mindful eating is about the way you eat.

Continue to use this scale while you are eating and stop every few minutes to think about your level of hunger.

Once you get to a five or above, it is time to stop eating.

This means learning to pay attention to:

Slow down Take a few moments before you start eating to appreciate how your food looks and how it smells. Then take a mouthful and let it rest for a few seconds – notice how the food tastes, and feel the textures on your tongue.

• Why you feel like eating. Are you genuinely hungry, or eating for other reasons?

• Your level of hunger before, during and after eating.

• The look, smell, texture and taste of food.

• Triggers for mindless eating, such as emotions, social situations or certain foods.

• How food makes you feel as you taste it and digest it, both during and after eating.

• Your emotions, both during and after eating.

Here are a few strategies that can help you learn to eat more mindfully.

Listen to your body Before eating, pause for a moment and think about how hungry you are to start with. Rate yourself on a scale of zero to 10 – zero being starving hungry, your stomach growling, five meaning you feel comfortable and satisfied, and 10 being so full, you feel like you might burst.

If you are anything below five, then you are genuinely hungry and do need to eat something. If you rate yourself at five or above, you are probably eating due to reasons other than hunger.

Once you start eating, it is important to slow it down. This allows you to savour the taste of the food and give your brain a chance to catch up to your gut. It takes 20 minutes to send the ‘I am full’ message to your brain.

Serve your food on plates or in bowls Avoid eating straight from the packet.

We tend to eat much more than we need when eating straight from a large packet, so put a portion of the food onto a plate or into a bowl instead. This helps us eat appropriate amounts of foods, especially snack foods like nuts and ice cream.

Just focus on eating Try to avoid eating while doing something else – like watching TV, playing on your phone, or working at your computer. All of these activities create distraction, which means that we tend to eat quicker and don’t pay attention to how much we are eating.

This leaves us feeling unsatisfied and more likely to eat a second serve or want dessert or a snack after the main meal.

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Feed your gut flora Change your gut, change how you feel.

Dietitian Simone Austin explains how to help the good bacteria in your gut flourish – and how that can boost your health.

One of the topics currently getting the nutrition and medical world excited is gut flora, also known as the gut microbiome.

These are microorganisms like bacteria, fungi and viruses living in your gastrointestinal tract, otherwise known as your gut. We all have our own unique colony.

Why all the interest about a bunch of bacteria in our digestive systems? We are learning that the gut microbiome has an influence on many aspects of our health, ranging from digestion to immune function, to mental health. It is responsible for: • Protecting against harmful bacteria by lining the gut and making antimicrobial compounds.

Feed it with fibre With the right food, your gut flora will flourish – just like fertilising your garden plants at home. In particular, the good bacteria in your guts feed on certain types of dietary fibre. The Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend eating at least 25 g of fibre per day for women, and 30 g per day for men.

Dietary fibre is found in plant foods, and many of these contain a combination of fibre types, so stock up on those fruit and veggies, wholegrain breads and cereals. Here is where you can find the fibre types you need: •

Insoluble fibre. This type of fibre helps bulk up stools and keep you regular. You can find it in wholegrains, nuts, seeds, legumes and the outer skin of fruits and vegetables.

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Soluble fibre. This slows the breakdown of carbohydrates, keeping you feeling full and preventing blood sugar spikes.

To get soluble fibre, eat fruits and vegetables, legumes and oats.

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Prebiotic fibre. This is a type of soluble fibre that feeds gut bacteria that help absorb certain nutrients and stimulate hormone production. It is found in cereal grains, vegetables (including asparagus, onions, garlic and cabbage), legumes (like chickpeas and lentils), fruit (such as bananas and nectarines) and nuts. This is an exciting area of research, but we still need to learn more.

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Resistant starch. This is formed when you cook some carbohydrate foods (for example potatoes and pasta) and let them cool. It is also found in underipe bananas and overnight soaked oats. The starch is resistant to digestion in the small intestines and passes to the large, where it stimulates bacteria to produce butyrate gas. This helps keeps the colon lining healthy.

• Making vitamin K and a variety of B group vitamins.

• Digesting carbohydrates such as fibres in the colon that would not be otherwise broken down, like resistant starch and insoluble fibres. This produces short chain fatty acids and gases that are beneficial for the health of the colon, and in some cases protective against colon cancer (eg. butyrate).

• Producing chemicals that enter the blood stream and ‘talk’ to other organs like the brain and liver.

• Aiding digestion and bowel function.

Disruption of gut microbiota may also have influence on conditions such as obesity, non-alcoholic liver disease, anxiety and depression, but the method is still not understood.

How to change your gut flora One of the most exciting parts is that we can make positive changes to the gut flora and its function with the way we eat.

You can quite quickly change your gut colony – changes have been seen in a number of days when people change from a high animal-based diet to one that is plant-based.

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“To maximise your gut microbiota, aim for two serves of fruit and five serves of vegetables each day. Throw in a handful of nuts, some wholegrain breads and cereals and legumes and you might have the best looking ‘gut garden’ around.”

To maximise your gut microbiota with dietary fibre, aim for the simple nutrition message of ‘two and five’ – two serves of fruit and five serves of vegetables each day. Throw in a handful of nuts, some wholegrain breads and cereals and legumes and you might have the best looking ‘gut garden’ around.

Prime it with probiotics Another ingredient for gut health is probiotics – introducing some good bacteria to your gut to help improve the balance.

This is particularly important after a course of antibiotics, which can wipe out lots of gut bacteria. Generally for a health benefit you need to pick a bacteria strain that is specific, for example, looking for immune benefits or bowel regularity.

You can find various types of probiotics in foods like yoghurt (check the quantities of probiotics as some can be low), milk drinks like kefir, and other fermented foods like kombucha (be careful if making your own – you only want beneficial strains of bacteria!), kimchi, miso, tempeh, sauerkraut (only if not pasteurised, as this will kill the bacteria) and sourdough bread.

Learn more about healthy eating and find an Accredited Practising Dietitian at daa.asn.au

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What else can our guts tell us?

Your guts are as individual as you are.

Dr Dorit Samocha-Bonet explains how new research at the Garvan Institute is exploring the possibilities of personalised nutrition for prediabetes.

Why does one person’s blood sugar spike on half a banana, but another can eat ice cream until the cows come home with, apparently, no ill effects? It’s probably to do with the microbiome.

The billions of microorganisms (bacteria) in your gut – your microbiome – could well be the key to how well your body uses insulin (a hormone your pancreas produces) to keep your blood sugar from spiking after a meal.1 Prediabetes – a condition in which your body begins to develop insulin resistance and struggles to control blood sugar – is a huge risk factor for a range of diseases, not just type 2 diabetes. It can lead to heart disease, stroke, kidney, liver and eye disease.

Insulin resistance causes issues because it means high levels of sugar remain in the blood for too long, and this can cause damage to organs.

Because obesity and prediabetes often go hand-in-hand, the first-line approach to treatment is to encourage weight loss through a low-fat, low-sugar diet and increased activity.

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Why we need a personalised approach There’s no doubt that weight loss and exercise bring multiple health benefits. Weight loss is a powerful tool to reduce insulin resistance and prevent diabetes in people with prediabetes.

However, in our clinical research at Garvan we’ve started noticing something fascinating. In about a quarter of people who maintain a strict ‘healthy’ diet leading to weight loss, this does not change the body’s insulin resistance.

And, unfortunately, almost 80% of people put the weight back on within five years.2 This means as a long-term approach, weight loss by itself isn’t the whole story in battling the prediabetes epidemic.

To investigate this further, we’ve developed a clinical study with the Weizmann Institute in Israel, through the GarvanWeizmann Centre for Cellular Genomics, to sequence the many genomes of an individual’s gut microbiome through a stool sample. This will guide an effective treatment for each individual, involving diet and medication.

Participants in the six-month study will have the composition of their microbiome aligned with lifestyle data like diet, stress and activity, entered on a smartphone app. Information about their blood sugar levels will also be monitored through a tiny device that participants wear on their arm for periods of two weeks before, during and after the treatment. This will help us unravel why some people respond to common treatments and others don’t.

So, already it’s evident that nutrition needs to be personalised to each individual. The very exciting part of this research is that we may be able to predict how people with prediabetes respond to common treatments based on the gut microbiome.

Our collaborators at the Weizmann Institute have shown that each person responds differently to the same food. For example, in one person, sugar levels spiked in response to a banana, and in another a banana had a minimal impact on sugar levels. They found that the sugar response to a food or a diet can be predicted by the gut microbiome and other clinical and blood parameters. 3

Going forward, our aim is to work with doctors to help them guide patients on the best medication, diet and lifestyle choices to help stop prediabetes from progressing to fullblown diabetes. And, this approach could then be used to assist those living with type 2 diabetes to gain more tools to manage their health and achieve better quality of life.

When we better understand how the gut microbiome affects our response to food and medication, we will begin to be able to predict the treatment that will suit each individual.

For information on the study, contact the Garvan Institute of Medical Research. garvan.org.au

"The Weizmann Institute researchers have shown that each person responds differently to the same food, and this can be predicted by the gut microbiome."

1. Brunkwall, L., and Orho-Melander, M. (2017). The gut microbiome as a target for prevention and treatment of hyperglycaemia in type 2 diabetes: from current human evidence to future possibilities. Diabetologia 60, 943-951.

2. Leibel, R.L., Seeley, R.J., Darsow, T., Berg, E.G., Smith, S.R., and Ratner, R. (2015). Biologic Responses to Weight Loss and Weight Regain: Report From an American Diabetes Association Research Symposium. Diabetes 64, 2299-2309.

3. Zeevi, D., Korem, T., Zmora, N., Israeli, D., Rothschild, D., Weinberger, A., Ben-Yacov, O., Lador, D., Avnit-Sagi, T., Lotan-Pompan, M., et al.

(2015). Personalized Nutrition by Prediction of Glycemic Responses. Cell 163, 1079-1094.

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Break out of a food rut Bored of all the same meals and snacks all the time? Nutritionist Sarah Boykett shares some tips for mixing it up.

"Variety is one of the key components to our dietary guidelines, giving us the best chance of getting all our essential nutrients."

Variety is one of the key components to our dietary guidelines, giving us the best chance of getting all our essential nutrients.

But just as importantly, it is the spice of life! We enjoy our food so much more when we have variety.

Get creative with your favourites There are plenty of healthy meals and snacks you probably have on high rotation. But to keep things exciting, why not try something a bit different? Swap your hummus for a white bean and dill dip, replace your usual almonds with a mix of walnuts, cashews or pecans, and switch the carrot and celery sticks for radishes, sugar snap peas or cucumber. How about a broad bean smash instead of avocado toast – live a little! Maybe throw some strawberries in a salad, or change up your breakfast to a bircher muesli or frittata.

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Try different grains We are hearing more and more about the benefits of wholegrains to help increase our fibre, B vitamins and minerals.

But short of eating brown rice and grainy bread, how to include wholegrains can get people stumped. Barley makes a really good replacement for risotto rice and freekeh is great in salads.

A tabbouleh style salad with freekeh or barley is delicious and great for lunches. Don’t forget the humble rolled oat, either it's so versatile for breakfast, from bircher muesli to a breakfast apple crumble with yoghurt.

Have fun with fruit When the ‘quitting sugar' movement took hold, people became afraid to eat fruit, which is sad, because fruit is so great for our health. Fruit is full of fibre, vitamins, phytonutrients and antioxidants essential for good health and preventing chronic disease. Try adding a juicy burst of fruit to salads, breakfasts and desserts, or mix up a batch of delicious fruit salad to enjoy.

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"No matter what your former health behaviours have been, or even for how long, it’s never too late to start making a change."

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Turn back time If your diet and lifestyle haven’t been the healthiest in the past, it can be easy to think the damage is already done.

But can you reverse the impact of years of poor eating and drinking too much? Professor David Cameron-Smith explains how it’s never too late to start.

With each passing year, the health risks associated with poor diet, lack of exercise, smoking, stress and excess alcohol quietly and insidiously increase the risk of developing serious health issues. These are not the kind of sicknesses that can be easily be shaken with rest or over-the-counter medication.

These are illnesses or chronic conditions like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer and dementia.

Poor health habits come in so many varieties, from sneaky unhealthy snacks, lack of physical activity or a full-blown 24hour party lifestyle. But no matter what the unhealthy habit may be, there is always a health cost.

Some more obvious signs of poor health habits can be seen or felt. This may include a bulging waistline, a shortness of breath with physical exertion or daytime tiredness.

Unfortunately, often these symptoms are just the tip of the iceberg. It’s what you don’t see or feel that poses the greatest risk to your long-term health.

Many of the lifestyle diseases that cause such serious illness, or potentially even early death, are due to the combined effects of many subtle changes in the function of cells and tissues, with slight and persistent changes in immune function and hormone levels.

The subtlety of these chemical and tissue-level changes forms a large part of the work of many thousands of medical scientists all around the world. There have been many recent discoveries that help decipher the complexity of interconnections that trigger serious disease. Yet these discoveries always point towards the importance of lifestyle choices as the root cause. >>

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>>

It’s never too late to change The good news we can take from this knowledge it is that some of the causes are reversible. For the most part, many complications and health risks experienced from poor food choices, physical inactivity and too much stress can be quickly and effectively improved by changes in lifestyle habits.

Even in the face of a serious disease, healthy lifestyle changes can sometimes help ease the disease severity and improve prognosis.

However, it is so much more important to prevent serious disease.

From the inside out, some health benefits can make a difference as quickly as after a single meal. For example, blood glucose (sugar) levels fluctuate less by eating low glycaemic index (GI) foods.

Same too for cholesterol. Eating less saturated fat and more vegetables, fruits, legumes, beans and nuts can nudge down cholesterol levels in just a few weeks.

Many clinical studies, involving various approaches to promote healthy eating and drinking, increase regular physical activity and emotional balance have repeatedly (and convincingly) shown that even small changes are beneficial to our health. But more is better. It’s like climbing up a ladder. With each rung, the health benefits add up. With time, so too do the measurable and visible gains in health.

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Turn back time / David Cameron-Smith

Changing habits, one step at a time Despite our desire to be healthier, making change is sometimes no easy task. Habits, vices, creature comforts and cravings acquired in the past decade (or many decades!) can be stubbornly difficult to shake off. It’s not worth sugar-coating the fact that with any healthy change there is some sacrifice, new learnings and importantly plenty of trial and error until you find what works for you.

But on the flipside, there is a whole world of reasons to make lifestyle changes, including a new physical and mental vibrancy, zest and, of course, a desire to live a better life.

Here are my top five positive ways to help you make successful and lasting healthy lifestyle decisions.

1. Take baby steps It’s amazing that even simple and achievable health changes can soon add up to have a profound impact on health. Pick your easiest habits and behaviours to change. Choose just one or two at a time and have a go at seeing what you can do.

2. Break the habit loop Poor health choices can sometimes be the consequence of situations that trigger a routine that leads to an unhealthy action. The trigger can be boredom, the clock striking 3pm, a work deadline or the wafting smell of freshly baked cookies. The challenge is then to identify these triggers and set about either altering the trigger or making changes to the routine.

3. Let go of perfectionism Changing a habit is rarely a simple and instant success. It could be like a rollercoaster, racing from highs to lows. For each low it’s important to assess what the trigger has been, how to adapt (or reduce) the likelihood of this happening again, regroup and carry on.

4. Knowledge matters, but it’s not everything Are you caught in a conundrum of being bombarded by health experts, each giving different and conflicting advice about what works best? Confused and not sure what to do? The solution is to combine your knowledge (often common sense) with application.

No single ‘healthy’ diet is vastly overwhelming superior to another ‘healthy’ diet. This means you can choose what elements of a healthy lifestyle plan you are most likely to achieve (and maybe even like) and combine them into what works for you.

5. Find healthy things you enjoy The reason most of us love junk food is because it tastes wonderful. It’s pretty intuitive then that you are never going to fall in love with food that you absolutely hate. This means that in building new healthier habits it always best to start with foods (or habits) at are at least tolerable and maybe even likeable.

And remember No matter what your former health behaviours have been, or even for how long, it’s never too late to start making a change.

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Know your hunger hormones Your hormone levels are always shifting and changing - and they play a big role in how hungry or satisfied you feel. Dietitians Anna Debeham and Alex Parker explain how to manage these chemical messengers for better control over your appetite.

Ghrelin – the hunger signal Feeling peckish? You can thank ghrelin for that. Often referred to as ‘the hunger hormone’, ghrelin is made and released from the inside of our stomach and travels in our blood up to our brain to signal that it’s time to eat. Ghrelin works on a cycle, rising before meals and dropping after meals.

• Tip: Get at least seven hours of sleep a night Ever wondered why you don’t feel peckish when you’re asleep? While we’re sleeping, leptin levels rise. You produce less leptin when you don’t get enough sleep. Not only will you be more tired the next day, you’ll also be hungrier. Time to get to bed earlier!

• Tip: Listen to your hunger cues!

When ghrelin is released before a meal, you feel hungry. If you don’t respond to that hunger cue by eating, the effect will continue to build, which may lead you to overeat at your next meal. Avoid the mad rush to the pantry by having small but satisfying snacks on hand to munch on the go.

Think air-popped popcorn, a wholesome muesli bar or a handful of unsalted nuts – rich with filling fibre and protein to get you through to your next meal.

Insulin – the blood sugar controller You may have heard of insulin in relation to diabetes. The role of insulin is to transfer glucose (a type of sugar) from your bloodstream to your muscle, fat and liver cells so that it can be used by your body for energy.

Leptin – the fullness alert This is the guy that signals us to feel full after a meal. Leptin is produced by our fat cells and works to turn down appetite signals in the brain. If you carry excess body weight, you may have experienced feeling ‘always hungry’ or ‘never full’. A common reason for this is that your body is experiencing what we refer to as ‘leptin resistance’. This is when the body churns loads of leptin but the brain does not respond – it’s resistant to the leptin and hunger signals keep firing.

Some research suggests that inflammation in the body can contribute to leptin resistance. Therefore, consuming a diet rich in anti-inflammatory foods – such as foods rich in antioxidants (fruit and vegetables) and high in omega 3s (oily fish, nuts, eggs) – may be helpful.

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Insulin makes sure that your blood sugar levels don’t get too high. In cases of type 1 diabetes, the immune system mistakenly destroys its own cells in the pancreas, where insulin is made.

This means blood glucose levels get very high and insulin injections or pumps may be required.

In other cases, insulin resistance occurs. This means the cells don’t respond to your insulin, resulting in more insulin being produced. This can eventually lead to type 2 diabetes.

• Tip: Build up your muscle mass It’s common to focus on your body weight, but it’s more important to think about body fat. Having more body fat and less muscle can prevent your insulin from working properly, causing your blood sugar levels to go crazy.

Focus on daily exercise to help build up your muscle mass, and get enough protein in your meals and snacks to help you refuel and recover.

Cortisol – the stress response Cortisol is often referred to as the ‘stress hormone’. It is released in response to stress and low blood pressure. A rise in cortisol levels stimulates the liver to release its stash of glucose into your bloodstream, which makes it harder for your body to control your blood glucose levels. This slows down the use of glucose from your bloodstream, which means that insulin is secreted to remove the excess.

Cholecystokinin – the helper This hormone, sometimes abbreviated as CCK, is released into your gut and brain after you eat a meal. A little bit like leptin, CCK signals to your brain to suppress feelings of hunger. CCK also stimulates the digestion of fats and proteins in your food – including that smashed avo toast for brekkie! However, this hormone works with other hormones and has little effect on overall weight management on its own.

This results in a cycle of poor blood glucose control and makes it harder to maintain a healthy weight, as the excess glucose that we don’t use up can be stored as fat.

• Tip: Eat slowly Cholecystokinin gets released when food from the stomach hits the small intestine, usually around 20-30 minutes after eating a meal, so it’s time to slow down your eating. If you finish your meal and still feel hungry, wait 20-30 minutes before going back for seconds.

• Tip: Get some ‘me’ time A high level of stress can increase the amount of cortisol your body produces. High cortisol levels can lower your immunity, which means you’re more prone to falling sick.

It’s normal for all of us to experience a little bit of stress, but if you feel overwhelmed it’s important to take some time out to rejuvenate.

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Switch it up A few clever changes in the kitchen can go a long way in making your diet lighter and more nutritious.

And we promise, you won’t sacrifice any flavour.

Here are some easy ways to switch things up.

Caitlin Saville

Carbohydrates and fibre Good quality carbohydrates are a vital part of a balanced diet, providing one of the body’s main sources of energy. A simple switch from white to wholegrain is a great way to up your dietary fibre intake, plus keep you feeling full for longer.

Swap out

Swap in

White pasta

Buckwheat pasta or wholemeal pasta

White bread

Wholegrain bread or sourdough

White rice

Brown rice

Couscous

Quinoa

Cereal (processed and packaged)

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Swap out Salami and ham (processed meat)

Swap in Chicken or turkey (lean meat)

Battered fish

Grilled fish

Fried eggs

Boiled eggs

Tinned kidney beans and chickpeas

Dried kidney beans or chickpeas (soaked)

Oats

Why do you need fibre?

Eating high fibre foods can help lower the risk of heart disease, bowel cancer, type 2 diabetes and obesity. It also keeps you regular.

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Protein Protein is like the royalty of food groups – it makes us strong. Protein is vital for muscle repair and cell growth. It's essential for growing kids and teenagers, and for pregnant women.

Cooking tip Baked or boiled proteins are much better for you than fried. Using the oven or grill, rather than the fry pan, requires less added fat and helps the food retain its nutrients.

Switch it up / Caitlin Saville

Super easy, super delicious swaps Baked potato for baked sweet potato Unlike white potatoes, sweet potatoes have a low glycaemic index (GI), which means they take longer to digest, keep blood sugar levels low and leave you feeling full for longer. They also give you a higher dose of fibre. Next time baked potatoes are on the menu, try the sweet ones for a change. (Don’t disregard white ones completely though – they still have plenty of good stuff too!)

Fats Fat often gets a bad rap, but it’s essential to our wellbeing – the trick is focusing on the right kind of fats.

Healthy fats help our bodies absorb nutrients, produce hormones, grow cells and stay energised. On the flipside, saturated fats and trans fats can lead to weight gain, heart disease and high cholesterol.

Potato chips for kale chips Homemade kale chips are way better for you than packet chips, and some say they even taste better.

Grab a baking tray, throw on some torn kale leaves, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt (and spices if you like) and put in the oven for about 10 minutes or until crisp. Trust us, you’ll never look back.

Tortilla wraps for lettuce leaves Fresh, crispy lettuce leaves couple perfectly with hot-steamy bean sauce. Lettuce wraps are a great way to sneak in some greens while enjoying a little extra crunch. Think of it as a Mexican san choy bau.

Salad croutons for nuts There’s nothing like a bit of texture to jazz up a salad. To get your healthy fats (and lose the saturated ones) try roasted almonds or pecans in place of croutons.

Swap out Butter Mayo Cheddar cheese Sour cream Peanut butter

Swap in Avocado mash or olive oil Greek yogurt Goat's cheese Ricotta or cottage cheese Tahini

Packet pasta for zucchini ribbons Thin zucchini ribbons are a great change from regular packet pastas. Not only do you get your greens-hit, but you can even skip the cooking and eat them raw. We recommend getting a spiraliser to make them – you can buy one cheaply, and it’s so easy to use.

Soft drink for fruit-infused water Still or sparkling water loaded up with fresh mint and strawberries gets our vote over soft drink any day. Make up your own fruity combinations and store in the fridge for those sweltering hot days.

Chocolate for cacao Cacao is actually chocolate in its rawest form, so it has no added sugar and is super high in antioxidants. Add a few teaspoons of cacao powder to a hot cup of milk and voila – hot chocolate. For those who need a little sweetness, add a dollop of maple syrup or honey.

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Photographer: Ben Dearnley

Recipes and images extracted from Super Green Simple and Lean

by Sally Obermeder and Maha Koraiem. Published by Allen & Unwin. Out now. $24.99

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Heat of the night chicken bowl A protein-packed bowl with pearl couscous, roast veggies and a tasty Middle Eastern-spiced marinade.

Serves 2

Ingredients

Marinade

Roast veggies

2 × 100 g skinless chicken breasts

2 teaspoons ground chilli

1 red (Spanish) onion, quartered

62 g (½ cup) pearl (big) couscous

2 teaspoons Middle Eastern spice blend

4 garlic cloves, unpeeled but smashed with the back of a knife

2 teaspoons rice malt syrup

200 g punnet medley cherry tomatoes, halved

1 teaspoon olive oil 1 bunch broccolini Greek-style yoghurt, to serve (optional)

2 teaspoons lime zest 1 teaspoon ground sumac ½ teaspoon garlic salt Juice of ½ lime (reserve the lime halves after you’ve juiced) 1 tablespoon olive oil

1 red capsicum (pepper), seeded and roughly chopped 1 teaspoon olive oil Pink salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pink salt and black pepper

Method Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Mix all the ingredients for the marinade in a small bowl, then rub it all over the chicken, making sure it’s well coated. Set aside.

Place the veggies in a roasting tray, drizzle with a teaspoon of olive oil, season with a little pink salt and pepper and mix well. Pop the reserved lime halves into the tray as well. Place the chicken on top of the veggies and roast for 25–30 minutes, until the chicken has cooked through and the juices run clear. While the chicken and veggies are in the oven, cook the pearl couscous according to the instructions on the packet.

Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the roasting dish and leave to rest. Then return the veggies to the oven and turn up the heat to 230°C (450°F). Leave the veggies in the oven for another 8-10 minutes, or until they have nicely caramelised.

While the veggies are in the oven for the final 8-10 minutes, quickly blanch the broccolini in a bowl and cut the chicken into 1.5 cm (⅝ inch) slices. Divide the ingredients equally between two bowls. Add a dollop of yoghurt to the middle. Enjoy!

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Eggs eleven Avocado, shredded cabbage and a tahini dressing take this breakfast bowl to delicious heights.

Serves 2

Ingredients 2 carrots, grated

¼ red (Spanish) onion, thinly sliced

4 radishes, grated or thinly sliced

2 tablespoons kimchi

½ avocado, thinly sliced

2 eggs

1 zucchini, spiralised 75 g (1 cup) shredded red cabbage ½ cup cavolo nero, thinly sliced

1 x 250 g packet 40-second microwave brown rice and quinoa Fresh red chilli, to serve (optional)

Dressing 2 tablespoons sesame seeds

½ tablespoon tahini

2 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 ½ tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon chilli oil

1 teaspoon rice malt syrup

Pinch of salt

Method Make the dressing by combining all the ingredients in a bowl.

Whisk and set aside. Make the salad by dividing and placing the salad ingredients, together with the kimchi, around the sides of two serving bowls.

Poach or pan-fry the eggs (we like ours sunny-side up) and, during the last minute of cooking, microwave the rice and quinoa. Place half the contents of the rice and quinoa packet into the middle of each prepared serving bowl.

Top with one egg per bowl and garnish with the fresh sliced chilli (if using). Drizzle dressing over the top of the eggs (note: we like to use HEAPS!) and serve immediately.

Tips • If you want to make this in mere minutes, use the grating attachment on your food processor to grate the cabbage, carrot, onion, radish and cavolo nero.

• Leftover dressing can be popped into a jar and stored in the fridge for up to a week.

• If you can't get your hands on cavolo nero, use kale ribbons.

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Super Green Simple and Lean / Sally Obermeder and Maha Koraiem

Chia kiwi pops A super easy, naturally sweet snack or dessert.

Makes 5

Ingredients 270 ml unsweetened tinned coconut milk 40 g (Âź cup) chia seeds 2 tablespoons agave nectar 1 kiwifruit, peeled and thinly sliced Method In a large bowl or mixing jug combine the coconut milk, chia seeds and agave nectar. Taste and add more sweetener if desired. Press the kiwifruit slices into popsicle moulds and pour in the coconut milk mixture. Freeze until set, about 4 hours.

Photographer: Ben Dearnley Food

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Recipes and image extracted from Keeping It Off by Michelle Bridges, published by Pan Macmillan, available in all good bookstores.

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Salmon with veggie chips and basil pesto Get all the goodness of salmon in this deliciously light, easy dish.

Serves 4

Ingredients

Basil pesto

2 carrots, cut into thin chips

1 tablespoon finely grated parmesan

1 eggplant, cut into chips

1 cup basil leaves

2 zucchini, cut into chips 1 small red capsicum, seeded and thickly sliced

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar 1 tablespoon pine nuts

Extra-light olive oil cooking spray 1 tablespoon finely grated parmesan 4 Ă— 100 g skinless boneless salmon fillets

Method Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan-forced). Line a large baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Place all the vegetables in a bowl and spray lightly with oil. Add the parmesan, season to taste and toss to coat well.

Spread over the prepared tray. Bake for 25 minutes.

Remove the baking tray from the oven and add the salmon. Season to taste. Return to the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, make the basil pesto. Place all the ingredients in a small food processor and blend until well combined and smooth. Add a little water to loosen if needed.

Season to taste.

Divide the veggie chips and salmon among serving plates. Top with the basil pesto and serve.

Photographer: Rob Palmer

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Photography: Joe Sarah

Recipes and images extracted from The Clever Guts Diet Recipe Book by Dr Clare Bailey with Joy Skipper, published by Simon & Schuster Australia, RRP AU$39.99.

Thai prawns with coconut milk and seaweed Fresh and zesty, this simple dish is bright with Thai flavours and the nutrient-rich goodness of prawns.

Serves 2

Ingredients

Method

140 g green-pea pasta (or wholemeal pasta)

Cook the pasta according to the pack instructions.

150 g broccoli, broken into florets 3 tablespoons coconut oil ½ red onion, sliced 2 cm root ginger, grated ½ red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped (or ¼ teaspoon chilli flakes) 200 ml coconut milk Juice of 1 lime ½ tablespoon Thai fish sauce 2 nori seaweed sheets, chopped 200 g prawns (fresh or frozen, defrosted) Generous handful of fresh coriander, chopped

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Steam the broccoli for 4-5 minutes and set it aside.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan and sauté the onion for 4-5 minutes. Add the ginger and chilli, cook for 1 minute and then pour in the coconut milk, lime juice, fish sauce, seaweed and prawns.

Bring the pan to a simmer, then add the broccoli and simmer for 2 minutes more before stirring in the pasta with the coriander. Serve immediately.

Note: Prawns are high in protein, low in calories and a good source of vitamin D, vitamin B12, iron and selenium.

Steak with guacamole and blistered tomatoes The perfect juicy steak, served up with creamy avocado and just the right kick of chilli.

Serves 2

Ingredients

Method

2 x 120 g steaks, skirt or sirloin

If using thick steaks, place them on a wooden chopping board and pound them with the rough side of a mallet. If you don’t have a mallet you can use the end of a wooden rolling pin. Bash from the middle outwards. Don’t pound the meat too hard or you will shred it.

1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 garlic clove, crushed 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 avocado, diced ½ red onion, diced ½-1 teaspoon chilli flakes 1 tablespoon fresh coriander or basil, chopped 1 tablespoon lime juice 16 cherry tomatoes, halved

In a bowl, mix together the cumin, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil. Place the steaks in a shallow dish and pour the mixture over them (turning them to make sure they are well covered). Leave them to marinate for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, make the guacamole by mashing together the avocado, red onion, chilli flakes, coriander and lime juice. Season it with salt and pepper and set it aside.

Place a griddle or frying pan over a high heat. Cook the tomatoes, cut side up, for 3-4 minutes, until the skins are blistered. Remove them from the pan and add the steaks. Fry them for approximately 3 minutes on each side (for a medium steak). Slice up the steaks, top them with the blistered tomatoes and serve the guacamole on the side.

Tip Pounding the steak before you cook it (particularly if it’s an economic cut or is fairly thick) will tenderise it and make it easier to digest. Marinating it, especially in an acidic element such as lemon juice, will aid this process, and also enhance the flavour.

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Satay tofu rice paper rolls Fresh and crunchy, perfect for a warm night.

You can also try these with chicken, prawns or beef.

Serves 2

Ingredients

Satay sauce

1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce

½ teaspoon coconut oil

250 g firm tofu, cut into 2 cm fingers

¼ red onion, diced

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 clove garlic, crushed

½ small wombok (Chinese) cabbage, shredded

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1 carrot, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks

1 small red chilli, diced

½ red capsicum, finely sliced

1 teaspoon grated fresh turmeric or ½ teaspoon ground turmeric

2 spring onions, finely chopped

3 tablespoons almond butter

1 handful of Thai basil leaves (optional)

¾ cup coconut milk

1 handful of coriander leaves

1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar

1 lime, halved

1 teaspoon tamari or soy sauce

8 rice paper rounds

1 tablespoon maple syrup

Method Pour the tamari or soy sauce over the tofu and leave it in the fridge for 1 hour (or at least 5 minutes).

To make the satay sauce, heat the coconut oil in a small saucepan over low–medium heat. Add the onion and fry for 2–3 minutes, then add the garlic, ginger, chilli and turmeric and fry for 1 minute.

Remove from the heat and stir in the almond butter. Add the coconut milk, vinegar, tamari or soy sauce and maple syrup, then place over low heat and stir frequently until the sauce thickens slightly.

Heat the coconut oil in a frying pan over medium–high heat, add the tofu and fry for 2–3 minutes on each side until browned.

Lay the vegetables out on a platter with the tofu, herbs, lime and satay sauce. Serve on the table with the rice paper and a bowl of hot water. Soften a sheet of paper in hot water and then get rolling – layering vegetables, tofu, sauce, herbs and a squeeze of lime.

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Tip Once you get the knack of rolling them, it’s super-easy!

The trick is to place your ingredients horizontally across the paper about 4 cm from the top, roll the top over once, fold in the sides and then keep rollin’!

Recipe extracted from Summer Fit All Year Round by Sally Fitzgibbons, published by Pan Macmillan Australia. RRP $34.99. panmacmillan.com.au

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Recipes extracted from Tacos by Ricardo Amare del Castillo, published by New Holland Publishers.

RRP $39.99 available from all good bookstores.

Pork and peanut tacos A rich peanut sauce makes these mince pork tacos a mouthwatering feast.

Serves 4

Ingredients

Method

600 g pork mince

To cook the pork, add to a large pot and cover with the water ž of the pot.

Add a pinch of salt, garlic and onion. Bring to the boil and reduce heat.

Simmer for 1 hour. Strain the pork and place in a bowl reserving the broth.

1 L water Pinch of salt 4 garlic cloves, chopped 50 g onion, chopped 165 g peanuts, shelled and toasted

To make the peanut sauce place peanuts, tomatoes, sesame seeds, salt and pepper into a blender and grind to a paste. You may need to scrape the sides with a plastic spatula once or twice so that all the ingredients are combined well. Add the sauce and the pork to a frypan and cook for 15 minutes.

320 g roasted tomatoes 15 g sesame seeds Salt and pepper, to taste 4 corn tortillas

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Heat tortillas in the oven for 1–2 minutes. Alternatively, heat a frypan and add the tortillas, one at a time. Cook for 1–2 minutes each side. Keep warm while you heat the rest of the tortillas. Serve the pork with peanut sauce on the hot corn tortillas.

Pico de gallo and avocado tacos Make your own fresh, vegetarian tacos the authentic Mexican way.

Serves 4

Ingredients

Method

250 g tomatoes, seeded and diced

In a bowl, mix the tomato, onion, avocado, coriander, lemon juice and cheese. Season with salt.

100 g onion, chopped 250 g avocado, cubed 50 g coriander, chopped 25 ml lemon juice 100 g panela cheese, cubed Salt, to taste

Heat tortillas in the oven for 1–2 minutes. Alternatively, heat a frypan and add the tortillas, one at a time. Cook for 1–2 minutes each side. Keep warm while you heat the rest of the tortillas.

Serve over the hot tortillas.

4 corn tortillas

Tip Panela cheese can be substituted with ricotta.

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Recipe extracted from Cooking With Kindness – Over 70 recipes from Australia’s best vegan chefs and restaurants by Edgar’s Mission, RRP $35. All royalties go to Edgar’s Mission to enable them to continue their important work.

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Sri Lankan farmer’s breakfast The classic Sri Lankan spiced, potato-stuffed masala dosa gets a contemporary twist by Lentil As Anything head chef, Dipesh Mainali.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

Dosa batter

Filling

Vegetable oil, for frying

3 cups (450 g) self-raising flour

8 small white potatoes, washed

20 mushrooms, sliced

2 2/3 cups (660 ml) soy milk, plus extra to adjust consistency, if needed

2 yellow onions, chopped

20 cherry tomatoes 4 handfuls of spinach

2 teaspoons sugar 1/3 teaspoon salt

4 cloves garlic, minced 1/4 cup olive oil 4 sprigs curry leaves 2 teaspoons ground turmeric 2 teaspoons curry powder 2 pinches of chilli flakes salt and pepper

Method To make the filling Boil the potatoes in a saucepan of water until soft, then drain and mash. In a frying pan, sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil. Add the curry leaves and remaining spices, allowing them to cook for a few minutes. Add the mashed potato and mix, then take off the heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

For the dosa batter Mix all the ingredients in a bowl until a smooth, runny consistency, just a bit thinner than pancake batter, is achieved, adding more soy milk if needed.

To cook the dosa Heat 1–2 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan. Pour in a quarter of the batter and cook each side until golden brown. Cover half the pancake with a quarter of the potato mix, then fold to enclose. Remove the pancake from the frying pan, and repeat with remaining batter and filling.

Heat 1–2 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan. Sauté the mushrooms, tomatoes and spinach, and serve alongside the dosa. Enjoy!

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exercise

“We have been so lucky to have so many good people who are passionate about raising awareness of mental health through saltwater therapy, surfing and fluro. It has become this incredible, supportive community of people around the world.�

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One wave can change you OneWave is a non-profit surf community tackling mental health issues with a simple recipe – saltwater therapy, surfing and fluro.

Rebecca Howden

There’s a certain wild, invigorating rush that only the ocean can give you. Out on the water, with a salty spray on your skin, you feel alive. The ocean challenges you, it soothes you, it rinses you clean of your stress and troubles and darkness. That’s the magic of “saltwater therapy”.

One Friday morning, he dressed up in a shirt and tie and went surfing alone at Bondi to try to spark conversations about mental health. That was OneWave’s first “board meeting”.

Four weeks later, it became the first Fluro Friday – now a global movement of surfing, fluro and support.

This feeling has been Grant Trebilco’s saviour in tough times.

At Fluro Friday sunrise sessions, anyone who wants to comes down to the beach dressed up in the brightest, happiest outfits possible. Together they share stories, surf and do yoga - all different ways of "freeing the funk", as Grant calls it.

In 2012, after years of struggling without treatment, he was hospitalised and diagnosed with bipolar disorder. When he was released, it was the ocean and surfing – that exhilarating sense of being free amongst the roaring waves – that kept him going.

That’s when he decided enough was enough. He’d been hiding his mental health challenges for years. It was time to start talking, share his experience and try to help others. And he’d do it in a way that combined his love for the ocean.

Since that first morning at Bondi, OneWave has held Fluro Fridays at over 100 beaches worldwide. Now, 20 of these beaches play host to regular weekly or monthly Fluro Friday sessions, providing a warm and welcoming space to talk about mental health, get out on the waves and make connections. >>

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>>

You use the lovely phrase "saltwater therapy." What are some of the benefits of getting out on the water – for your body, mind and emotions?

Being in the ocean and going surfing is the best escape and the funnest thing ever. The ocean rinses off the bad vibes and is like my meditation. If I don’t get in the ocean in the morning I will feel a bit out of whack for the day. The ocean doesn’t fix everything, but saltwater therapy is a key part of my recipe for freeing the funk.

Who is part of the OneWave community?

We have been so lucky to have so many good people who are passionate about raising awareness of mental health through saltwater therapy, surfing and fluro. It has become this incredible, supportive community of people around the world.

The community is made up of people from all walks of life, because mental health challenges don’t discriminate.

We have people bring their babies down and we have had an 85-year-old out on a paddleboard. Everyone is welcome and you don’t need to be a surfer to be involved.

What happens at Fluro Fridays?

Fluro Fridays are a weekly event where the OneWave community dresses in fluro and shares waves and stories to raise awareness of mental health.

Dressing in bright colours makes people happy, but it also helps make an often invisible issue visible, which helps start conversations about mental health that are often left in the dark.

It’s about creating a safer space, so people facing mental health challenges know they are not alone and that it's okay not to be okay and ask for help.

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One wave can change you / Rebecca Howden

Can beginner surfers get involved?

You don’t even need to be a surfer to come to Fluro Fridays. Some people come for a swim or do yoga. We have lots of beginner surfers that come down. Fluro Fridays are all about having fun and not taking surfing too seriously, so we all surf together and catch party waves.

We have also just launched a new initiative called OneWave Salty Sessions, where some of the beaches offer free surf lessons on the first Fluro Friday of every month.

What message would you want everyone to know about mental health?

Mental health challenges don’t discriminate. Be kind always, because everyone you meet could be fighting a battle you know nothing about. The ones with the biggest smiles are sometimes the ones that are suffering the most.

Let’s create a culture where it’s totally okay not to be okay and ask for help, because it’s the only way we are going to stop losing so many good people.

Sharing stories is a really powerful way of doing this. Showing vulnerability gives people permission to share their story and allows people to escape the negative thoughts in their head and realise they are not alone.

What's your vision for the future of OneWave?

OneWave’s vision is to give people hope they can beat mental health issues, by creating a supportive community connected by the ocean. By the end of 2018 we are aiming to start one million conversations about mental health in a fun and light hearted way, and get 15,000 people in the ocean, so they get the chance to experience saltwater therapy.

Check out onewaveisallittakes.com to find your local OneWave community.

Medibank is proud to partner with OneWave as part of our Free + Active program. Find out more at medibank. com.au/freeandactive

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Your body on exercise There are so many reasons to get moving.

Exercise physiologist Natalie Delana explains a few of the ways breaking a sweat changes your body.

The benefits of exercise are huge, with a positive impact across virtually all body systems. Put simply, exercise improves the way your body functions. As you adapt to exercise your body becomes more efficient – your heart, your brain, your muscles, your bones, the list goes on. As a result, you have more energy and feel fitter, stronger, healthier and happier.

Let’s zoom in and take a closer look at what happens on a cellular level, so we can understand why exercise is such a powerful preventative and treatment for so many health conditions.

Heart and circulatory system The heart’s role is to deliver oxygen and energy to our working muscles. Regular aerobic exercise has a direct training effect on the heart muscle – it adapts by increasing its contractility and strength, which increases the volume of blood it pumps out on each heartbeat. This increased efficiency can be seen through lower heart rates, both at rest and during exercise.

The benefits don’t just stop at the heart – the entire circulatory system improves its function through exercise. Regular exercise reduces blood pressure and significantly reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke.

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"Studies have found that regular exercise may reduce your risk of Alzheimer's and reduce the risk of decline in mental function with age."

Brain The increase in circulation during exercise enhances blood flow to the brain, improving its function. Exercise also increases neuroprotective chemicals, which together stimulate the brain and its neural connections. This can counterbalance the natural effects of aging to a degree, and improve alertness, concentration and memory. Some studies have also found that regular exercise may reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s and reduce the risk of decline in mental function with age.

loss is greater than growth. The ability of exercise to help build bone density depends upon the way the stress caused by the exercise is applied to the bone. Weight bearing and resistance exercises help increase bone density.

Muscles The saying ‘use it or lose it’ definitely applies when it comes to muscles. As people age, those with lower levels of muscle mass are at an increased risk of loss of functional independence and mobility. The best way to maintain muscles and strength is to exercise.

Mood Exercise is important for mental health and can be used to help manage mild forms of depression and anxiety. It’s also a good distraction, breaking the cycle of negative thoughts.

Exercise directly affects mood – it triggers the release of feel-good endorphins and other natural brain chemicals.

Bones Bones are living tissues in the body that are constantly rebuilding and repairing themselves. When a certain amount of strain or impact is placed on bones, such as during exercise, the bones respond by becoming stronger.

People who exercise regularly have higher bone density, which becomes increasingly important with age when bone

Energy The combined effect of improved sleep, less stress, improved muscular strength and endurance is a boost in energy. Everyday tasks become easier to do thanks to improved efficiency, and conservation of energy means there is more in the tank for more demanding tasks.

Sleep Regular exercise can be a powerful tool for a restful night sleep. The underlying mechanisms aren’t fully understood, but may be related to how exercise can reduce stress, alleviate anxiety and raise core body temperature.

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Fall in love with fitness Do you need to work on your relationship with exercise?

Here’s how to break out of a mindset that makes you dread working out, and learn to love the way it feels to move your body.

Rebecca Howden

Exercise can make you feel so good. It can give you a burst of energy, a rush of positivity, and a sense of being strong and powerful. But on bad days, it can also feel like something to dread – like a punishment, tangled up with guilt, anxiety and pressure.

On those days, the idea of lacing up your runners and dragging yourself out to a spin class can fill you with misery. Maybe you grimly power through, watching the seconds tick by until you can stop. Or maybe you decide to skip your workout, and spend the day feeling bad about it.

If you feel this way more often than not, it’s probably time to work on your relationship with exercise. Challenging this mindset is one of the key things fitness professional Jodie Arnot and dietitian Zoe Nicholson wanted to do when they launched the Moderation Movement in 2014.

“It’s completely understandable that so many people dread exercise if it’s seen as punishment for our weight, penance for what we’ve eaten, and something that has to be done hard and daily for it to ‘count',” Jodie says.

“Our purpose is to spread the word that wellbeing does not require quitting foods you love and forcing yourself to do exercise you hate. Moderation is a process of learning to listen to your own body and respond as best as you can to what you need.

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“This takes practice, and it also takes letting go of all the messaging in our culture that makes us feel guilty or ashamed for eating certain things, taking time to rest, or having a body size larger than a model.”

As the director of Healthy Balance Fitness in Melbourne and nearing the completion of a Masters in Counselling, Jodie has helped plenty of people create healthier relationships with exercise and their own bodies. Here, she shares a few more gems of wisdom.

For many people, exercise feels like a chore to avoid. How can you break out of that mindset?

Remember when you were a little kid and you just moved when you felt like it because it was fun? Dancing, skipping, jumping, running, rolling – whatever? For many people exercise is no longer for feeling good and enjoyment. It’s been hijacked by diet culture, the thin ideal, and even our obsession with high performance.

The idea that only certain types of physical activity like running and gym ‘count’ is completely flawed. Ask yourself: what forms of movement do I enjoy? What makes me feel good? What can my body do right now?

We also may need to let go of the performance aspect and allow ourselves to be beginners.

When we focus on the enjoyment and feel good factor rather than calories/speed/duration/comparison we’re much more likely to want to do it.

What are some good reasons to exercise – that aren't about weight or appearance?

Feeling energised, boosting our mood, connecting with others, gratitude for what our bodies can do, enjoying the great outdoors, learning a new skill (with lots of self-compassion!), feeling less stiff, feeling stronger, improving cardiovascular fitness and stamina… there are so many!

What are the dangers of seeing exercise as a punishment or compensation for food?

This is so common. We do not need to earn our food.

We deserve food simply because that’s what keeps us alive. When we see exercise as a calorie burning tool it compromises our ability to listen to our own bodies.

We choose activities we may not like, or that may not be appropriate for our bodies, we go harder and longer than is best for our body right now, and we are fearful of rest days. This is a perfect storm for overtraining, fatigue and injury – as well as hating exercise!

It's easy to get caught up in comparing ourselves to others and feeling like we're not doing enough, or not getting the right results. Can you share some advice for letting go of this?

It’s incredibly hard. Start with a social media detox (the only kind of detox I approve of!). Unfollow accounts that make you feel inadequate or pressured to look different.

Also spend some time thinking about your values. What is important in life for you? Write those down. I doubt you wrote down appearance! Focus on living in a way that is in line with those values and pay less attention to the things that are not.

If you’re struggling, talk to a professional. Counselling can really help you to boost your self-compassion.

What tips can you share for setting positive exercise goals?

Set goals that have nothing to do with weight or appearance. Instead, how would you like to feel?

Stronger? Fitter? It’s also important to see a goal as flexible. Letting go of a goal or extending the timeframe as life presents challenges is not ‘failure’.

You chose it and you can un-choose it.

Join the Moderation Movement at facebook.com/ moderationmovement

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Get moving with Michelle Superstar trainer Michelle Bridges shares a few top tips for moving more, feeling better and creating a healthier lifestyle.

In your new book, Keeping it Off, one of your top tips, is to try to exercise every single day. What are the benefits of this?

There are so many benefits, but I think one that gets overlooked so much of the time is the mental health aspect. Doing something physical – even just a walk around the block, it doesn't have to be a ball-breaker workout – makes you feel good! It releases endorphins and gives your brain a boost, so your outlook becomes more positive.

To me that's almost more important than the purely physical benefits, which most of us are already really familiar with – like better bone density, increased (or at least sustained) muscle mass, joint ROM maintenance. Our bodies just move and work better when we move them consistently.

Why is it important to do both strength and cardio training?

Strength training builds muscular strength – think of the muscles that hold us upright and keep us physically moving around. Cardio training builds fitness; it improves heart and lung capability, so we have the energy to power the muscles that are holding us upright and engaging with our physical world. We need both to actively participate in our lives!

What are some of your favourite post-workout recovery meals?

Smoothies are something I really gravitate towards. Having a smoothie gives me all the fuel I need to recover and it's easy to get down. If I get the chance to do an early morning workout, I love my Granola and Mango Lassi (from Keeping it Off). Another fave from the book, especially now with it feeling so summery and warm, is the Nourish Bowl, and I usually add tuna to pump up the protein.

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Keeping It Off by Michelle Bridges, published by Pan Macmillan, is available in all good bookstores. Try Michelle's tasty salmon recipe on page 36.

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Start with two minutes Struggling to exercise? Personal trainer Lizzy Williamson shares how a simple concept can spark invigorating changes.

“Two Minute Moves” are moments you can take in your day to move your body to help you feel less stressed, more energised, fitter, stronger and feeling good. The idea was born when I had postnatal depression and I started doing little workouts around my house to help me cope better.

So many of us are stuck in the ‘all or nothing’ mindset when it comes to exercise – if we can’t find an hour or get to a certain class then we do nothing at all. When I had a baby and a toddler, I realised if I wanted to get any exercise into my day then I had to break all the ‘rules’ I had around what it had to be.

I discovered that two minutes of exercise was so much better than no minutes at all, because it was easy to convince myself to do it. Plus it usually motivated me to do more.

If one session of two minutes is all you can manage, that’s a great start. It’s still making a difference, because you are telling yourself that you are worth taking a moment to give back to yourself. But what usually happens is that when you take action, no matter how small, it motivates you to keep going. >>

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>>

Here’s how the concept of starting with two minutes can help you in the face of almost any resistance to exercise.

“I don’t have time.”

The Australian Bureau of Statistics found that the most common reason people give for not exercising is lack of time. Before I began grabbing moments in my day to move, I was one of those people. How could I manage to get to the gym when I had a baby and toddler who wouldn’t even let me go to the toilet by myself?

“I’m too tired.”

I thought I knew tiredness – until I had children. Getting up through the night and not being able to catch up with a quick nap brought it to a whole new level. It was like the moment my second child was born, she opened her eyes and then didn’t close them again for another six months.

“I hate exercise.”

Exercise – particularly when you’re just starting out or have been out of action for a while – can feel too hard, confronting, embarrassing and disappointing. When you’re up against that kind of competition, it’s easy to let your excuses win.

It’s no surprise to me that sleep deprivation is used as a form of torture.

I would have given away my deepest secrets to anyone who could promise me eight hours of sleep in a row.

And yet, I have seen extreme exercise haters fall in love with exercise. They begin to crave the feeling that it gives them, and often they find a way to exercise that they really enjoy – one that suits their body, personality and desires.

Beat it:

Beat it:

• Set a timer. Just move in some way for two minutes, and if that’s all you can do with the energy you have, brilliant. Congratulate yourself.

However, chances are that your body processes will kick in and you’ll want to keep going.

• Reframe it. Take out the word ‘exercise’ and put in ‘movement’.

Ask yourself: how would you like to move your body today? How can you incorporate more movement into your day?

Beat it: • Break your exercise rules. So you don’t have 90 minutes to do a bootcamp class or 60 minutes for a jog? Do 20 pushups at your kitchen bench or jog up and down some steps 10 times. Something is always better than nothing (and remember, it usually leads to doing more).

• Work exercise into your day. Walk on the spot when you’re talking on the phone. Do some squats while you’re brushing your teeth. Cycle your legs in front of you when you’re bingewatching Netflix. Do a vigorous scrub of your floor.

• Check in with why you’re tired. Are you getting enough sleep? Are you relying on that second coffee or handful of lollies, which leads to an even bigger energy slump? Exercise can help with both of these.

• Find a way to move your body that you actually like. You don’t even have to put on activewear! Put on your favourite song and dance around your living room. Run around an oval with your kids or dog. Instead of catching up at a cafe with a friend, walk together instead. Have a laugh by doing a strength workout with your wine bottles.

"Work exercise into your day. Cycle your legs in front of you when you're binge-watching Netflix."

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Start with two minutes / Lizzy Williamson

“I’m not in the mood.”

When I had post-natal depression, exercise was the last thing I felt like doing. The idea of it felt way too hard. But I began to realise that two minutes was incredible achievable. I wasn’t asking too much of myself and when I got started I found myself feeling so much better.

“I’ve got too much work to do.”

If you want your brain to function at its best, you need to keep refilling its tank throughout your day. Along with brainboosting food, the best fuel comes from movement.

Beat it: • Take tiny breaks. It’s pretty normal to get totally engrossed in your work, and before you know it hours have gone by and you haven’t moved. Set a reminder on your computer or phone to get up and move your body for a few minutes, every 30 minutes or hour that you’re working.

• Move as you work. Get up and talk to a work colleague rather than sending an email. Stairs, stairs, stairs – take them when you can.

During prolonged sit-down meetings, encourage the idea of taking a twominute stand up or walk break every hour or half-hour.

“I’m ashamed of my body.”

When you are in the mindset of punishing yourself over everything that is wrong with your appearance, you miss out on celebrating the small steps you’ve taken that have made you healthier, stronger, fitter and happier. Can you guess which approach keeps you coming back to exercise and good food choices?

Beat it: • Instead of trying to transform your body overnight, focus on something you can improve steadily: your strength. Do some manageable strength workouts at home that your body is capable of right now. No matter how small, it's a step forward.

• Try this weird confidence-boosting trick. Stand up and slouch your shoulders forward, looking at the floor and letting your tummy and arms go floppy. Now, lift up through your leg muscles, put your hands on your hips, look up and imagine a light shining out from the middle of your chest. Feel your shoulders go back as you stand up straighter. Notice the difference in how you feel?

Now if I start to feel down, overwhelmed or stressed, the first question I ask myself is, how long has it been since I last moved my body? Do I need to move through what’s causing these feelings? Those who see me after a workout often say, “Oh you’re so good,” but I always point to my head and say, “It’s not about being good, it’s about what it does for me mentally.”

Beat it: • Start small. You know how the first step can be the hardest? That’s why we want to make that first step as easy as possible. Sometimes, two minutes is enough to give you a sense of achievement and a mood boost, making it much more likely that you’ll keep doing it day after day.

• Use movement to release your feelings. If you’re feeling really annoyed about something, do some shadow-boxing or punch a pillow. It feels so good to let those emotions out! If you’re feeling totally overwhelmed, curl down to touch your toes, hang there for a few breaths and slowly roll up.

Lizzy Williamson’s Two Minute Moves (Affirm Press) is out now, RRP $29.99, available at all good bookstores and online at Booktopia.

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Getting personal If you’re looking to shake up your fitness or take on a new challenge, working with a personal trainer can be a great way to get started.

Michael Cunico, National Fitness Manager at Fitness First, shares some tips for getting started with the right personal trainer.

Why work with a personal trainer?

The main benefit of a personal trainer is supporting and maintaining behaviour change, which we all know is very difficult. Working with a personal trainer can motivate you to take your body to places you never thought it could go.

This could mean a variety of things depending on what you personally are trying to achieve. Two times bodyweight squat, why not? Survive a trek to Everest Basecamp, outstanding!

Or simply to have the mobility to play in the back yard with your children. A good personal trainer can help you unlock a level of performance that you thought may not be available.

Program design is a real art form which good trainers pride themselves on. Overall, at Fitness First we really encourage our clients to embrace the holistic benefits of fitness and this is always incorporated into our training programs.

"Program design is a real art form which good trainers pride themselves on."

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What are some tips for choosing a personal trainer?

Your relationship with your trainer is a very personal one, so you need to work with someone who you trust. Trust for me is: does this person stand behind what they say? When they say they will send me some information, do they do it? Are they respecting me and my time by always being on time and prepared? Are they listening to what I am saying and what my goals are?

Treat it like any other important working relationship and use the same benchmarks to decide whether you want to work with this person long term.

What can you expect in your first session?

This can vary a lot, and there is no wrong or right here.

One element I would hope is fairly consistent in an initial consultation is a thorough ‘get to know you’ time. This is beneficial for both parties, as the trainer can ask themselves, “Can I see myself working well with you?” And as a client I’d ask myself, “Am I feeling comfortable discussing my vital information with you?” This shouldn’t be a rushed process.

The next step would be some sort of assessment. This could include movement capability, strength, cardiovascular and any other variables, depending on individual goals. Different trainers gravitate towards different types of assessments.

Having a starting point can help show progress and validate the hard work a client is putting into their training. Depending on time, this may well happen in the second session.

30-year-old Kate is a new convert to the benefits of personal training. She tells us about her experience.

Why did you decide to see a personal trainer?

It was a combination of two things. The first was an injury.

After a run one day I felt an excruciating pain shooting up my right knee. It turns out I have a lazy glute, which meant when I ran, my knee muscles picked up the slack. So too much running equalled inflamed (very sore) knee.

It was this, coupled with turning 30, that inspired me to get strong. And given I knew nothing about that, I went looking for someone that did.

How did you go about choosing a personal trainer?

Exercise and convenience come hand in hand for me. If I’m going to the trouble to break a sweat, it needs to slip into my day ‘painlessly’. And that means no burpees in dark parks on sludgy grass.

I wouldn’t know where to look for a trainer online, but I do know they hang out at gyms. So it was pretty perfect when I discovered a gym downstairs from my office. The whole thing was simple, I headed into the gym and told the staff “I’d like to get strong but not bulky”, and they matched me up with a trainer the following week.

What was your first session like?

I had no idea what to expect of my first session – I’d never set foot in a gym before – but it was great, a lot of listening and not much doing, like an induction.

"I’m feeling much stronger, and can see the difference.”

My trainer sat me down and we discussed past injuries, current diet, daily exercise, what my goals were, how often I’d like to train – that sort of thing.

He did a basic physical assessment to check body alignment and areas of past injuries. And then we discussed the plan going forward. I felt pretty revved up about the whole thing.

How have your sessions benefited you?

I’m a month in and I feel fantastic. I’m feeling much stronger, and can see the difference.

My eating habits have also shifted for the better, which I never thought I’d say given I’m self-declared health freak.

I’ve learnt what to eat, when, and how much, depending on when I train. It’s a science, really.

What advice would you give a friend who was interested in trying some PT sessions?

Go for it! And don’t be afraid to try weights. If you’d told me a month ago I’d be doing bench presses each week, I’d never have believed you.

Top tip: Do a 10-minute warm up before your session, so you can maximise the time you spend with your personal trainer.

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In her new book, Summer Fit All Year Round (Pan Macmillan, RRP $34.99) Sally shares her 4-week food and fitness plan, with over 100 colourful recipes.

Try Sally's delicious rice paper roll recipe on page 40.

"Train in different locations as much as possible and find an awesome training partner to keep each other accountable."

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My daily rituals Pro surfer Sally Fitzgibbons knows a thing or two about creating an active and vibrant life.

She shares a few tips for staying motivated and nourished, one day at a time.

How do you see the relationship between food and fitness?

My philosophy is quite simple. I put the best produce, nutrients and fuels into my body so that it can perform to its best potential. Everything we do every day requires energy, and by choosing the right foods, you’re giving yourself the best chance of achieving your goals. That positive relationship between food and fitness will give you a holistic confidence which can’t help but better your attitude and positivity.

What are your daily rituals for health and wellbeing?

• Make exercise a daily habit. I do one of my FITZ workouts (from my All Australian Beach Body fitness app) every day. I go to bed each night with my runners and gym gear ready to go at the foot of my bed, so once that alarms sounds I’m out the door before I know it on my morning run.

• A balanced and varied diet with loads of veggies will help you find a great base level of health.

• Always find time to unwind, both physically and mentally. I stretch every night before I go to bed to iron out the kinks from a day of activity, and I find a quiet space to process and find a relaxed headspace.

What are your top tips for staying motivated to exercise?

I’m the first to admit, keeping up motivation to exercise isn’t always easy. But for me, just like brushing my teeth, it’s a consistent part of the day I just have to do. Keeping your exercise varied and inspired by different practices will keep it creative. Train in different locations as much as possible and find an awesome training partner to keep each other accountable.

What are your favourite breakfasts to fuel you up for an active day?

If I’m after a quick brekkie before a workout I’ll put together a packed smoothie with Amazonia raw protein powder, bananas, almond butter, a teaspoon of natural honey and organic Coco Joy coconut milk. When time permits and I can sit down with friends or family, I love fueling up with poached eggs and avocado.

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Wake up your core →

Strong abs and glutes help you move better every day. Personal trainer Tegan Haining shares a simple daily workout to activate your core.

WIDE PUSH-UP ON KNEES

1. Start on your knees, bring your hands out slightly wider than shoulder width.

2. Lower yourself to the floor, keeping your spine straight with your abs pulling in.

Wide push-up on knees

3. If your lower back is dipping, or your butt is in the air as you are doing the push-up,

1. you Start onengaging your knees, bring your hands out belly slightly this means aren’t your abs correctly.

Suck your in towider your spine and than shoulder width. if you can only go down halfway keeping this good form then do this until you build up the strength to go further.

2. Lower yourself to the floor, keeping your spine straight

with your abs pulling in.

This workout is an extract from The 7 Day Quickie by Tegan Haining, published by Penguin Random House Australia, RRP $29.99

3. If your lower back is dipping, or your butt is in the air as you are doing the push-up, this means you aren’t engaging your abs correctly. Suck your belly in to your spine and if you can only go down halfway keeping this good form then do this until you build up the strength to go further.

LYING W SWIMS 1. Lie on your belly on your mat. 2. Bring your hands up to either side of your chest so they are slightly wider than your mat. Your arms should be in a ‘W’ shape with your body.

WIDE PUSH-UP ON TOES

3. Pull your bellybutton in to your spine and lift your entire upper body up off the ground.

Keep your hands in line with your body (so your hands will be lifting too). 4. If you feel

1. Bring your hands out slightly wider than the shoulders and into a plank position.

comfortable here swing your hands back straight behind you and squeeze your shoulder

blades together. Then bring your hands back to the start position and lower your upper2. Lower yourself to the floor, making sure you are pushing your elbows out to the side

rather than down along your body. 3. Keep your spine straight, which means no dropping

body down again. That’s 1 rep.

the abdomen or poking your chin out to try and get there faster. If you can’t complete the reps with perfect form, drop to your knees instead.

THE DAY QUICKIE

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SUPERMAN SWIMS 1. Lie on your belly with your arms straight out in front of you. Keep your chin down and

HIP EXTENSION WITH ANKLE BRIDGE

22/08/2017 12:5

at the same time. 3. Keep your arms straight and then ‘swim’ your arms down by your sides, 1. Lie on your back with both your knees bent – your feet should be on the floor an arm’s squeezing your shoulder blades together. Keep them straight and take them back overhead,

Superman before loweringswims your torso down. That’s 1 rep.

length away from you. 2. Lift your legbridge and place your right ankle on top of your left knee.

Hip extension withright ankle This will help to support your pelvis and lower back. 3. Pull your bellybutton in tight and begin

1. Lie on your belly with your arms straight out in front of 1. Lie on your back with both your knees bent – your feet to lift your hips off the floor. Squeeze your butt at the top of the lift before rolling back down you. Keep your chin down and pull your bellybutton in should be on the floor an arm’s length away from you.

DAY 49 to the ground.

That’s 1 rep. 4. Once you have completed all the reps on one side you should towards your spine.

Liftleg. your right leg and place your right ankle on top of change to the2. other 2. Lift both your arms and legs off the ground at the same time. your left knee. This will help to support your pelvis and lower back.

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3. Pull your bellybutton in tight and begin to lift your hips Keep them straight and take them back overhead, before off the floor. Squeeze your butt at the top of the lift before lowering your torso down. That’s 1 rep. rolling back down to the ground. That’s 1 rep.

4. Once you have completed all the reps on one side you should change to the other leg.

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HIP EXTENSION WITH STRAIGHT LEG

1. Start on your knees, bring your hands out slightly wider than shoulder width.

2. Lower yourself to the floor, keeping your spine straight with your abs pulling in.

3. If your lower back is dipping, or your butt is in the air as you are doing the push-up, this means you aren’t engaging your abs correctly. Suck your belly in to your spine and if you can only go down halfway keeping this good form then do this until you build up the strength to go further.

LYING W SWIMS

→

→

WIDE PUSH-UP ON TOES

1. Bring your hands out slightly wider than the shoulders and into a plank position.

1. Lie on your belly on your mat. 2. Bring your hands up to either side of your chest so

they are slightly wider than your mat. Your arms should be in a ‘W’ shape with your body.

2. Lower yourself to the floor, making sure you are pushing your elbows out to the side Wide push-up on toes W swimsin to your spine and lift your entire upper body up off the ground.

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and into a plank position.

48

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2. Lower yourself to the floor, making sure you are pushing your elbows out to the side rather than down THE DAY QUICKIE along your body.

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body down again.

That’swider 1 rep. are slightly

than your mat. Your arms should be in a ‘W’ shape with your body.

3. Pull your bellybutton in to your spine and lift your entire upper body up off the ground. Keep your hands in line with your body (so your hands will be lifting too).

22/08/2017 12:54 PM

4. 4. If you feel comfortable here swing your hands back straight behind you and squeeze your shoulder blades 1. Lie on your back with both your knees bent – your feet should be on the floor an arm’s together. Then bring your hands back to the start position length away from you. 2. Lift your right leg and place your right ankle on top of your left knee. and lower your upper body down again. That’s 1 rep.

This will help to support your pelvis and lower back. 3. Pull your bellybutton in tight and begin

SUPERMAN SWIMS

to lift your hips off the floor. Squeeze your butt at the top of the lift before rolling back down

1. Lie on your belly with your arms straight out in front of you. Keep your chin down and

to the ground. That’s 1 rep. 4. Once you have completed all the reps on one side youpull should your bellybutton in towards your spine. 2. Lift both your arms and legs off the ground

change to the other leg.

at the same time. 3. Keep your arms straight and then ‘swim’ your arms down by your sides, squeezing your shoulder blades together. Keep them straight and take them back overhead, before lowering your torso down. That’s 1 rep.

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ALTERNATE/DOUBLE LEG LOWERING

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1. Lie on your back, squeeze your legs together and lift them straight up to the ceiling.

HIP EXTENSION WITH STRAIGHT LEG

If you feel pain in your lower back, bend your knees. 2. If you are alternating then lower one leg to the floor, contract the abs and lift the leg back up, then change sides. 3. If you are doing both legs together make sure your shoulders and neck are relaxed. If your lower back

1. Lie on your back with bothwith your straight knees bent – your feet should be on the floor an arm’s Alternate/double leg lowering Hip extension leg arches up off the floor, change back to the Level 1 version (one leg at a time). length away from you. 2. Lift your right leg up straight above you. 3. Pull your bellybutton in

1. Lie on your back, squeeze your legs together and lift them straight up to the ceiling. If you feel pain in your lower back, butt and pause at the top, before lowering slowly down. 4. The trick here is to keep pulling bend your knees.

2. in Lift your right leg upIfstraight above you. your bellybutton towards your spine. you feel pressure in your lower back you can bend 2. If you are alternating then lower one leg to the floor, your top knee back to the ankleinbridge 3. or regress Pull your bellybutton tight,version. lift your left toe up off the contract the abs and lift the leg back up, then change sides. floor before you push your hips into the air. Squeeze your 3. If you are doing both legs together make sure your butt and pause at the before lowering slowly down.

THEtop,DAY QUICKIE 50 shoulders and neck are relaxed. If your lower back arches 4. The trick here is to keep pulling your bellybutton in up off the floor, change back to the Level 1 version (one leg towards your spine. If you feel pressure in your lower at a time). back you can bend your top knee or regress back to the Day Quickie Text SI.indd 50 22/08/2017 12:54 PM ankle bridge version.

1.

Lie on your back with both your knees bent – your feet should be on the floor an arm’s length away from you.

tight, lift your left toe up off the floor before you push your hips into the air. Squeeze your

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Fast and furious High Intensity Interval Training is a trend that’s not going anywhere – and for good reason. Here’s how this workout style can kickstart a transformation, fast.

Rebecca Howden

"A study found that HIIT can outperform traditional cardio when it comes to fat loss, and can increase fat burning for hours after exercise.

It’s a simple concept with a fancy-sounding name. High Intensity Interval Training, or HIIT, is a style of workout that combines short bursts of intense exercise, alternated with slower ‘recovery’ periods. Sprint, rest, repeat. It speeds up your workout session, gets you sweating hard, and it helps you build your fitness fast.

There are endless ways to do this, using pretty much any kind of movement you like. A basic example would be sprinting for 30 seconds, then slowing to a gentle jog for 30 seconds, and repeating. You can do it on a bike, or in the pool, or using bodyweight exercises like burpees, push ups, lunges and

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crunches. And in group fitness classes, it’s fast becoming a favourite, packing the power of a longer workout into a 30or 45-minute time slot.

It’s challenging, but it works. There are plenty of scientific studies that support the advantages of HIIT for getting you fit, burning fat and building your strength. A study by Stephen H. Boutcher at the University of New South Wales, for example, found that HIIT can outperform traditional cardio when it comes to fat loss, and can increase fat burning for hours after exercise. More research is needed though to determine the length and type of HIIT program for the best results.

Another study by a team of scientists in the US and published in the journal Cell Metabolism suggests this style of workout may even help reverse certain aspects of the aging process in older adults.

One of the best things about HIIT is that you’ll start to see results quickly. “You'll be able to reach your goals quicker: increase endurance, burn more fat and tone and shape your body in a shorter period of time,” fitness professional Jarrod Tucker says.

“Class after class you can very easily tell how your endurance is improving, how much stronger you are getting and how your body begins to change. I think there is nothing more rewarding than that.”

Jarrod is a Master Trainer of STRONG by Zumba, a new HIIT-style group fitness class that is quickly gaining popularity around Australia. Driven by energetic, original music, the hour-long workout combines bodyweight, muscle conditioning, cardio, and plyometric training moves, all with variations to suit any level of fitness.

“The class is designed to work every muscle in your body, and give you the maximum burn in the shortest amount of time,” he says. “You will find that you are doing more burpees, squats and lunges, than you ever thought you were capable of doing because of the music. And whenever you are enjoying what you are doing, unconsciously you tend to push yourself more, which means that burn more calories, and overall, get quicker results.”

Two people who have experienced these changes for themselves are Brad Coey-Braddon and Denise Betteridge.

Here, they share their stories.

Brad Coey-Braddon Brad was looking for a workout style that would really challenge him. He wanted a transformation – to slim down, strengthen up and recharge his vitality, so he could be a better father to his young daughter. “She is now two years old and demands so much of my time, so having that extra energy is super important to me,” he says. “I would also like to be a good role model for her and set a good example of an active, healthy balanced life.”

really got my heart rate up and the body sweating, and that's what I'm always looking for in a workout.”

Brad fell in love with that energising rush, and his hard work gave him some pretty thrilling results. “I have seen a huge physical change – I have abs now!” he says. “I have lost 7 kg.

My general fitness has improved substantially, and I feel fitter than ever before. I now find I have more energy for day to day activities.”

Working out regularly also motivated him to learn more about choosing healthy, nourishing food to fuel his body. “You realise pretty quickly doing these workouts that if you haven't eaten right or drunk enough water that the workout is going to be more difficult,” he says.

“If you want to make a change, you can. At first it will be hard and results won't come straight away but do stick with it and surround yourself with positive people. Combine the physical activity with a healthy diet, but make sure you still live your life and enjoy yourself.”

Denise Betteridge For Denise, adding a HIIT workout to her routine was the perfect way to jolt her fitness and build her core strength.

Like Brad, she tried STRONG by Zumba at her local gym out of curiosity, and has never looked back.

“It’s my secret to keeping fit at the age of 61 – it has had an extraordinary impact on my body,” she says. “My posture and body strength have improved dramatically. It has not only increased my fitness levels and helped with muscle toning but has also given me a great opportunity to work on bone density, which is vital, especially for aged females.”

As a small business owner, getting a regular cardio blast helps Denise manage her stress levels and keep her mood lifted through busy days. And as a grandmother, it’s allowed her to keep fit so she has the energy to care and play with her grandson.

“Like anything new, be patient and give yourself the time to settle into the routines and slowly build your strength,” Denise advises. “Technique is the key to results. And most of all, forget your age and believe in yourself. Keep moving – when you stop, you rust!”

He wasn’t sure what to expect when he walked into his first STRONG by Zumba class, but he quickly found the vibrant, fast-paced workout was just what he needed. “It was pretty clear that this type of workout would challenge me. The combination of body weight exercises and cardio components

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Moves for new mums Getting back into exercise after having a baby can be tough. But gentle movement and small steps can get you feeling strong and in control, one day at a time, says exercise scientist Rachel Davidson.

One of my biggest passions is encouraging people to exercise a little bit every day in order to promote physical and mental health. I have worked in strength and conditioning and Pilates for over a decade and am particularly passionate about helping mothers take care of themselves through exercise.

Recently, I became a first time mum (five weeks earlier than expected!) A tiny baby girl changed my daily routine – not to mention my body shape and my self-identity. This huge change in my life personally inspired me even more to encourage other mothers to take some time in their busy day to focus on their own musculoskeletal health and function.

Finding the time New mothers experience so much change to their daily routine that fitting in exercise is usually far from their mind. If the baby is awake they usually require your full attention. If the baby is asleep, you most likely will need to rest also.

But I encourage all mums to use just one naptime each day for 20 minutes of exercise. If the weather is good, organise for your baby to nap in the pram while you go for a power walk around the streets or a nearby park. If you struggle for motivation, contact some mums or dads from your local parents group and walk together.

When the weather is bad or it’s too hard to get out of the house, keep some light weights at home for arm exercises like biceps curls, triceps extensions or overhead presses and give yourself a 20 minute circuit in the lounge room, including some squats and lunges for the lower body.

The pelvic floor Let’s not forget about the pelvic floor. As a Pilates practitioner I had always prided myself on the quality of my pelvic floor strength and the stability this provided to my entire skeletal system. Yet the first thing a newborn does as it flees the comfort of the womb and begins its new life in the outside world is leave its mother’s pelvic floor muscles much worse for wear (especially in the case of a vaginal delivery!)

In my experience, the pelvic floor can recover after giving birth and women do not have to succumb to believing it will never be the same. A little bit of work and concentration is all it takes.

Once I was given the all clear by my doctor to resume moderate exercise after my six-week check up, I was straight back into doing regular Clinical Pilates. This was an integral part of my recovery and I am thankful for the one hour a week of concentrated pelvic floor practice and functional retraining of my muscles and joints.

The lounge room circuit A little bit of exercise most days of the week will help you feel happy and healthy and your baby will benefit from this greatly.

Here are some suggestions of exercise sets that take less than 10 minutes to complete, use minimal props and are generally safe to do six weeks post giving birth. Make sure you have approval from your doctor first.

Standing 10 x squats 10 x standing lunges on each leg 10 x biceps curls (2-3kgs) 10 x overhead press (2-3kgs) Repeat x 3 Lying supine on the floor 10 x chest press (2-3kgs) 10 x triceps extensions each arm (2-3kgs) 10 x chest press (2-3kgs) 10 x bridges (legs bent, feet on floor, lifting hips up in the air) Repeat x 3

Get more tips and ideas for staying healthy post-baby at medibank.com.au/betterfamilies

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Photo: Jeffrey Feng

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Love and protest It’s the most dazzling, electric and cheekily defiant time of year. The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras captures the imagination of Australia, celebrating love, diversity and LGBTQI pride, and acting as a powerful platform for social change. On the festival’s 40th birthday, we take a look back over decades of passion and activism – and why the glittery, vibrant event is as culturally important today as ever.

Rebecca Howden >>

Photo: Meg Hewitt

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It started as a street party on a cold winter night, Saturday 24th June, 1978. At 10 pm, a little over 1,000 people gathered on Sydney’s Oxford Street, some in colourful fancy dress, others just rugged up against the chill. They had one truck and a modest sound system, and planned to march towards Hyde Park as part of the international Gay Solidarity Celebrations.

Homosexuality was illegal then – and the police were not thrilled to see such a vibrant display of pride. By the time the marchers reached the park, the celebration was shut down.

The truck was confiscated, and 53 people were arrested.

This response was unsettling, but it sparked a renewed urgency for action. Over the next few months, there were more protests, followed by more arrests. But the movement for equality was unstoppable.

The street parade was held again in 1979, and with each following year it grew bigger and bigger, drawing in larger crowds of supporters and building more pressure for law reform. By 1984, the event had moved to summer to take advantage of cheerier weather, a post-parade party had been added, and there were 50,000 people joining in the festivities.

By 1993, the glittery crowd had swelled to 500,000.

Today, Mardi Gras is one of Australia’s most loved and iconic events – a fun, irreverent month-long showcase of LGBTQI communities and culture. Bringing hundreds of thousands of people together, it’s a confetti-filled space for pride, acceptance and freedom of self-expression.

Along with the colourful costumes, parties, music and dancing, there are over 100 different arts events, including films, exhibitions, talks and forums, encouraging critical thought, inspiring creativity and continuing the activist cause.

When the rainbow flag flies above Sydney’s Town Hall, you can be who you are, or whoever you want to be.

Photo: Jeffrey Feng

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Love and protest / Rebecca Howden

"It's a celebration of our identities without fear or shame, and a call to action to improve our lives. Mardi Gras has been a global beacon of LGBTQI rights, remembering that many nations of the world still persecute our people."

This year, there’s a feeling of victory sizzling in the air. The struggle for social change has been long, and it’s definitely not over yet – after all, it wasn’t until 1997 that all Australian states decriminalised homosexuality. There’s no sugarcoating the very real discrimination, prejudice and even violence that LGBTQI people still face, or the devastating impact this can have on mental health and wellbeing.

And yet, the passing of the marriage equality bill is a huge milestone – and it’s time to celebrate. Australia is now the 25th country to recognise same-sex marriage, marking a significant step forward in becoming a more inclusive, loving and compassionate place for everyone.

“After such a long campaign which ended up involving every Australian in the quest for equality, we're ready to celebrate, and we had an incredible number of parade applications from all corners of our LGBTQI communities,” says Terese Casu, Mardi Gras CEO.

“Many of them are celebrating hard-won marriage equality, but the parade also draws attention to many other issues involving our communities. The march for equality moves forward, and there's much more work to be done.”

Four decades after the 1978 street party-turned-protest, Mardi Gras is celebrating with the theme of 40 Years of Evolution. “The theme salutes our history of pride, protest, diversity and activism and how they've changed over our four extraordinary decades. We have come so far,” Terese says.

“With the spotlight firmly on our communities and our rights in recent months, this Mardi Gras is also our chance to share 'war stories' and be inspired about what's possible in the future. We're saying, 'Your story is our story, your evolution is our evolution'.”

Terese shares some more reflections on 40 years of love, pride and activism. >>

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Mardi Gras has become such an iconic and culturally significant event. What do you think are some of the reasons for this?

Back in the 1970s, the pervasive myth about gays and lesbians was that they had lonely or sad lives.

Mardi Gras became the annual focal point for showcasing LGBTQI communities and culture in a happy, fun, cheeky and life-affirming way.

It's a celebration of our identities without fear or shame, and a call to action to improve our lives. In recent years, Mardi Gras has been a global beacon of LGBTQI rights, remembering that many nations of the world still persecute our people.

Photo: Ann-Marie Calilhanna

Over the past 40 years, there’s been some great progress in shifting society’s attitudes towards and acceptance of the LGBTQI community. What do you see as some of the key changes?

40 years ago it was very risky to hold your head up and identify yourself as gay or lesbian.

Many of those arrested at the original 1978 Mardi Gras march had their names printed in the newspaper and lost their jobs. It wasn't long ago that viewers would complain about a same-sex kiss on television. And there's still a long way to go in the acceptance and equal rights of transgender and intersex people.

We are seeing LGBTQI people 'come out' at much younger ages, and many same-sex couples raising children. We’re also seeing a broader mix of nationalities and ethnic groups at our events. Especially following the Yes vote on marriage equality, we're realising that most Australians are accepting and believe in a fair go for our communities.

What role do you think Mardi Gras plays in both influencing and reflecting these changes in community attitudes?

In the streets, in venues around Sydney, on television and even on the steps of the Opera House, we're showing the broad diversity, vibrancy and creativity of our communities, in all their walks of life. We see the city promote Mardi Gras as one of its key events of the year, and coverage on SBS sharing not just the floats but a variety of stories behind the various communities involved.

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Love and protest / Rebecca Howden

The spotlight on our communities is vital, and one of Mardi Gras' core reasons for being is visibility, so people watching at home from places all across Australia and the world know that they're not alone.

Things are still very far from perfect – there is still plenty of homophobia, transphobia, discrimination and inequality in Australian society. What are some changes you’d like to see for a more inclusive Australia moving forward?

We know that most Australians are welcoming and believe in a fair go for everyone, and that diversity makes communities strong. But we saw many disturbing homophobic and transphobic actions and comments during the marriage equality debate.

We'd love to see more support provided for LGBTQI youth, and more action on building LGBTQI-inclusive aged care facilities, to ensure our elders don't have to 'go back into the closet' when they arrive at an aged care home. There's still a long way to go with the understanding and acceptance of transgender and intersex Australians also, and Australia's treatment of refugees – many of which come from places where gay and lesbian people are persecuted.

What steps can we all take as individuals to help work towards this?

This year's marriage equality debate showed clearly the inspiring things individuals and groups can do in their own families, communities and workplaces. Share your own stories and let people around you know what the issues which affect LGBTQI people mean to you. We hear amazing stories about how one LGBTQI employee of a major corporate began a pride network in their workplace and it has become a significant part of that organisation's promotional activities each year.

There are also amazing pride events happening in smaller centres around Australia now, being welcomed and embraced by their local communities. We encourage people to activate in any way they can, by contacting their local MPs, Senators and councillors, informing them of the issues affecting them. Be out, proud, visible and confident when and where you can.

Medibank’s pride and passion As an official partner of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, Medibank is proud to be part of the festivities and promote a culture of diversity, respect and inclusion.

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"If you know that when you’re alone and low in mood you’ll probably eat chocolate, you can create a new habit by popping on your running shoes whenever you’re home alone."

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The new science of breaking old habits Our daily lives are driven by our habits. But we all have some things we do, seemingly automatically, that we want to change.

Kasia Kaczmarek

All habits, at some point, began as choices we made. Choices we kept making until they became automatic.

In some cases, these habits - like eating well, going to bed early, or calling our parents - can make our lives better.

But what about the habits that aren’t so good for us?

1. Identify the routine

right one. So if after having a coffee

Step one is easy: the routine is the behaviour you want to change. So, for example, if you find yourself buying and eating a chocolate bar every day despite telling yourself you’re going to stop, ‘buying and eating a chocolate bar’ would be the routine.

you’re still craving a chocolate bar, you know the reward isn’t a boost in energy. But if after a run you no longer feel like chocolate, you know the reward was a lift in mood.

Is there a way to reverse the choices that led to bad habits? Well, not really.

But science has found there is a way to unravel some of these habits and replace them with new ones. And the process is surprisingly fun.

2. Experiment with rewards The reward part of your habit loop has to do with satisfying a craving. Step two involves figuring out this craving.

To do this:

Changing the habit loop The first step is understanding how habits work. Researchers at MIT in the 90s found a neurological loop behind every habit. This ‘habit loop’ has three parts: a cue, a routine, and a reward.

To break a habit, you need to identify its three components. In his book The Power of Habit, award-winning New York Times reporter Charles Duhigg explores the latest scientific discoveries around why we develop habits, and how we can change them. He identifies a four-step process to understanding and reshaping a habit: 1. Identify the routine 2. Experiment with rewards 3. Isolate the cue 4. Have a plan Here’s how it works, and how we can all apply it to our lives.

• Try out alternative rewards Whenever you feel the urge for your habit, do something that satisfies a potential craving in a different way.

For example, to see if you’re eating chocolate because you’re hungry, eat a banana instead. If it might be to boost your energy, try a coffee. If it’s to lift your mood, try going for a run. If it’s because you’re bored or lonely, try chatting to a friend or colleague.

• Write down three words After each activity, jot down the first three words that come to mind. They can be emotions, thoughts, or just something you saw. So you might write: warm, energised, sky. This helps you tune in to yourself and how you’re feeling.

• Check in with yourself after 15 minutes Most importantly, set an alarm to go off after 15 minutes then ask yourself: do I still have the urge? If the answer

3. Isolate the cue The third step is to identify the circumstances that lead to your habit.

Experiments have shown that habits are triggered by any of five things: location, time, emotional state, other people, or immediate preceding action. Take note of these five things every time your urge hits and look for patterns. In the example of eating chocolate, you might find that the consistent cue is being home alone.

4. Have a plan Now that you know your cue (being alone) and the reward you crave (lift in mood), you can make a plan to short-circuit the habit loop and create a new one. If you know that when you’re alone and low in mood you’ll probably eat chocolate, you can create a new habit by popping on your running shoes whenever you’re home alone. Eventually, going for a quick jog before you settle in for a few hours of solo time will become automatic, and something you look forward to. And devouring a chocolate bar every day will become a habit of the past.

is yes, you know the craving your new behaviour was testing isn’t the

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Goals that matter It’s easy to get caught up in striving for things you think you “should” be achieving. But when you choose goals that authentically line up with your values, you’re much more likely to succeed – and feel lasting satisfaction when you do.

Rebecca Howden

We all know the feeling of setting a goal, only to quickly run out of motivation. Let’s say you resolve to save up for a house deposit. After a couple of weeks of skipping your morning lattes and zealously tracking every dollar spent, you begin to feel your enthusiasm drying up. It feels too hard, so you push it out of your mind and start to avoid the things you’d need to do to achieve your goal.

What often follows is guilt, self-criticism and a sense of having failed. If only you had more willpower, more discipline to stick to your plans, you think.

But the real problem probably isn’t that you’re lazy and unmotivated. There are all sorts of deeper reasons why we all struggle to reach our goals. And one common reason often goes unexamined.

What if the problem isn’t the way you’re going about it – but the goal you’ve chosen itself? What if you’re chasing after something to fulfil an idea of what’s expected of you, but it’s not something that really matters to you personally, deep down?

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“Self-chosen goals create a special kind of motivation called intrinsic motivation - the desire to do something for its own sake,” she writes. “When people are intrinsically motivated, they enjoy what they are doing more. They find it more interesting. They find that they are more creative, and they process information more deeply. They persist more in the face of difficulty. They perform better.”

In other words, when we choose goals that really matter to us, our motivation comes from within ourselves, not from external factors. Not only does it feel more energising, it also gives us a much better chance of success.

What do you want – really?

In her book Succeed: How We Can Reach Our Goals, psychologist Dr Heidi Grant Halvorson says we find the strongest motivation and the most personal satisfaction from goals that we have genuinely chosen for ourselves.

Get to know your values Human behaviour specialist Dr John Demartini says the key is to really get to know your deepest values, and to choose goals that line up with that. “When we set a goal with our highest values in mind, we see the greatest opportunity, and are inspired to do things that count,” he says.

This means not choosing goals because we feel like we “should” do something, or because someone else is doing it, or to earn the validation or approval of others. Goals that come from an authentic desire within ourselves are the most likely to spark the strongest drive.

If you set a goal that isn't aligned with your true values, you’re much more likely to lose motivation and struggle to follow through. “Setting a goal that is low on your list of values becomes self-defeating since you will procrastinate, hesitate and frustrate yourself when you attempt to pursue it.

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An action plan to reach your goals Dr Demartini shares a few tips for success: • Get clear on your end goal Start with the end goal in mind, and work backwards to plan the action steps required to achieve it.

• Break it down Ask yourself: “What are the highest priority actions I can take today that will help me fulfil my goal?” Then, “What actions can I take to help me fulfil each of these bigger action steps?”

• Break it down some more Keep breaking each action step into smaller, more doable steps until a plan can be seen in your mind’s eye.

“For example, if you want to exercise more but health isn't actually one of your real priorities, your chances of success are low. On the other hand, if being a good parent is one of your highest values, a goal to spend more time with your kids has a much better chance of success."

You might already know what your real values are. For many of us though, it can take a little self-reflection to really identify what matters to us. Dr Demartini says there are clues in the things we already spend our time doing, what we fill our lives with and where we get our energy and meaning from.

• Prepare for obstacles Think of what possible obstacles might arise and mitigate each of these with a plan that will either prevent or solve the obstacle.

• Link each action step to your values Ask yourself, ‘How will fulfilling each of these action steps help me fulfil my highest values?’ This will increase the probability of staying focused on these actions.

Here are a few questions to think through that might reveal some patterns: • What inspires you most? What do the people who inspire you have in common?

• How do you spend your time most, and what are you actually doing this for?

• What energises you?

• What do you visualise most about how you would love your life to be?

• What do you most often talk to others about, or what do you keep wanting to bring the conversation to?

• What do you love to learn or read about most?

• What do you fill your personal space with, and what do these items really represent or mean?

• What do you spend your money on?

• What things do you achieve most easily? What are you most disciplined and reliable in?

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“I never knew that I could feel so connected to someone who has never spoken to me. I never knew that one smile, or a hug and smooch, could take away all the tiredness.�

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New baby, new world When baby Lois came into his life, Medibank's Billy Falkingham knew his world was changing forever – in the most exhilarating, exhausting and wonderful way. He looks back over some lessons learnt from his first year as a dad.

Baby Lois, #BabyLoJo, changed our lives on November 8 th, 2017. Amongst the millions of changes since, here are a handful of things I now understand about life as a parent.

1. You're a family There are now three of us. To me, this means we now have our own family. And that means we can have family outings.

At this point our favourite is a glass of wine under the trees at Melbourne Wine Shop while Lois demolishes wine in its original form, or park walks on Sunday mornings through the Treasury Gardens. We now have family dinner time – eating dinner before 6 pm is a skill for an adult. And there is family story time. Plus there is the joy of family benders – 2 am parties where we dance and sing and never want to sleep...

2. You learn so much about yourself I never thought I would have the urge to throw a baby out of the window (don’t worry, we live on the first floor, she’d be fine). I never thought I would happily wipe poo from a human bottom. I never thought getting the bath temperature just right would become my daily mission. I never knew that I could feel so connected to someone who has never spoken to me. I never knew that one smile, or more recently a hug and smooch, could take away all the tiredness.

5. Remember that change is growth, and that is the best Anyone who goes through change – any change – knows it has its challenges. But change itself can stretch you in a good way.

It can make you learn, make you expand your mind and your heart. This may just be one of the biggest changes you'll ever go through. Embrace it. You’re a better person for it. You’re a better parent for rolling with it. And the change is going to be the one constant for the next 18-35 years, depending upon when you can finally evict your child. So be prepared for it, and bring a positive mindset to it.

And finally, amongst all the change and craziness, all I can say is don’t wish away a minute, and make sure every day has hugs and kisses all round.

Get tips and information to help you on your parenthood journey at medibank.com.au/betterfamilies

3. Life goes from a sprint to a marathon Up until this point life has been a sprint – but now we've come to realise it's a marathon, an endurance event built to challenge you mentally and physically. Babies are 24/7/365.

I’m not sure if anyone explicitly told me that. One thing that might help the marathon is turning it into a relay. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, share the load, and pass the baton to the grandparents for an afternoon, weekend… month.

4. You need to work a little harder on your relationship Babies can be all-consuming, but if you’re doing this with a partner, there are so many small things you can do to keep your relationship firing, so that happy couple = happy baby.

One of the most precious gifts you can give your partner is time. Do some tasks you know they need to do, give them a sleep in, take the baby out of the house, prepare a bunch of meals, etc. And then make sure you have couple time and do the things you enjoy. Go out for a meal, go to a movie, have a conversation that doesn’t involve sleep…

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The early days Becoming a parent is a magical time – but it can also be really challenging. Psychologist Dr Nicole Highet, director of COPE (Centre of Perinatal Excellence), shares some tips for looking after yourself emotionally and mentally.

Becoming a parent can be a huge change – to your daily life, your identity and sense of purpose. How can this impact people?

It is true that becoming a parent impacts all aspects of your life – physical, psychological, emotional and social. Your home life, relationships, work life and social life can all be impacted as you adjust to the many changes that lie ahead when a new baby comes into your life.

In addition, becoming a parent also brings a change to your identity as you go from being an individual and/or couple, to a parent and family. Whilst we don’t often acknowledge it, this is also a great psychological shift as we form a new identity as a parent – not to mention the new responsibilities that come with this.

What are some things new parents often struggle with when adjusting to this change?

There are many challenges that can come along the way to parenthood, some of which we may never have expected, and many of which are often not spoken about openly.

Mental health problems commonly arise in pregnancy, with up to one in five women experiencing anxiety and one in ten women experiencing depression. For many, the birth of their baby may not have gone to plan, leaving them feeling emotionally raw and vulnerable, and again at increased risk of mental health conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and/or depression.

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The postnatal period is also commonly filled with many emotional and mental health adjustments. Coping with things like sleep deprivation, changing relationship dynamics, breast-feeding challenges and unhelpful or unwanted advice from others can all be emotionally challenging, and as a result increase a woman’s likelihood of developing mental health conditions at this time.

Can you share some tips for making the transition easier?

The biggest tip is to be empowered with quality information about the realities of parenthood and to have realistic expectations.

Often consciously and unconsciously, we form our expectations of what parenthood is supposed to be like, based upon images that we see and hear in the media or from others. This is completely natural – we are like sponges, taking it all in as we begin to try to imagine what being a parent is going to be like, and try to formulate our new identities.

But often these images are not based in reality. Ultimately this can leave many women and men feeling unprepared and disappointed. This can also leave you feeling like you are failing, as your expectations may have not been realistic.

Ultimately this can increase our vulnerability and risk of developing emotional and mental health conditions.

How common is postnatal depression and anxiety? What are some signs to keep an eye out for?

Postnatal anxiety affects one in five women and postnatal depression affects one in ten. Unfortunately however, often the early signs of these conditions are missed as they are put down to being all just part of having a baby.

For example, signs of depression such as feeling sad or down, teary or emotional, are often mistaken for the baby blues. Similarly, anxiety disorders can leave a parent feeling constantly on edge or worried (often about their baby) – but again this may just be considered normal and part of being a protective parent.

If not identified or treated, these symptoms can begin to take over and greatly impact upon you and your parenting experience. So it’s important to be aware of the signs and seek help early – just as you would if you had low blood pressure in pregnancy or mastitis after having your baby.

Where can you go for help and support?

COPE is Australia’s peak body in emotional and mental health when having a baby. We have an extensive website which provides quality information on each stage of parenthood, the various emotional challenges, mental health conditions that may arise, how to identify and treat these conditions and where and how to access help.

Find more information and help at cope.org.au

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How to get on top of your finances Feeling worried or scattered about money can impact your health, your sleep, your stress levels and your overall happiness.

But making a few small changes to how you approach your spending, debts and budgets can give you back a sense of control. Finance professional Ted Richards shares some simple tips.

Look at your spending triggers. Try changing old habits which may be causing financial stress. If the stress is from overspending or a growing debt, try to recognise the trigger or cue that results in the spending. Then work on changing your behaviour and reward yourself in a different way. It may take time, but will make all the difference to how in control you feel of your money and your life.

Set up automatic savings deposits. One of the simplest things to do is take 5% off the top of your pay check and deposit it automatically into a savings account. Your life won’t change materially without that 5%, and you can always stop if your life unravels (it won’t!).

Consider a ‘saver’ account. Once you have a reasonable lump sum together put your money somewhere that will provide the best opportunity for growth. Think about moving the money into a ‘saver’ account, which often attracts slightly higher interest and you can’t touch day to day.

Look into investment options. If you’re likely to hold your money for a few years, consider other investing options to get potentially higher growth. With robo-investing, for example, you can now have an investment portfolio without having to pay huge fees or expensive advisors. Whichever way you go, make sure you choose no/low-cost accounts so your money isn't whittled away by fees.

Prioritise your debts. Pay off debts with the highest interest first (this is usually credit card debt). Always aim to pay off more than the minimum – the faster you pay down debt, the less you pay in interest.

Ted’s recommended reading Pay attention to your superannuation account. Be aware what fees you’re paying and educate yourself on what others charge.

Consolidate your super accounts if you have more than one to make sure you’re only paying one set of fees.

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• The Barefoot Investor by Scott Pape • Unshakable by Tony Robbins

"Try changing old habits which may be causing financial stress. It may take time, but will make all the difference to how in control you feel of your money and your life."

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0 to 18 years A newborn’s eyes are not fully grown.

As the eye grows throughout childhood, it may change shape slightly (becoming less perfectly round). If this happens, light entering the eye may now be focused somewhere other than the retina at the back of the eye, resulting in blurred or distorted vision.

This is known as a refractive error and includes short-sightedness (objects in the distance are hard to see), longsightedness (objects closer to the eyes are blurred) and astigmatism (blurry vision at all distances).

Signs of this can include children finding it difficult to read, and they may squint and rub their eyes. Refractive errors are usually diagnosed during childhood and can be corrected with prescription glasses (or sometimes contact lenses when the child gets older).

20s and 30s During this life stage, people tend to have healthy eyes and good vision.

By early adulthood (late teens to early 20s), most people’s vision has stabilised because their eyes have

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The eye is a complex organ, performing the miraculous job of allowing us to see and experience the world. Like the rest of the body, it changes as we get older. Eye surgeon Dr Abi Tenen outlines what changes to expect at each age, and when to seek help.

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finished growing. When this happens, laser eye surgery can be used to correct a refractive error by reshaping the front surface of the eye (the cornea) to make the light rays focus on the retina again.

the collagen fibres in the fluid start to clump together. These clumps cause shadows to be cast onto the retina, which can look like tiny spots, threads or cobwebs floating in your vision.

40s and 50s At this age the risk of developing eye issues increases.

While floaters themselves are harmless, they can sometimes be a sign of more serious retinal conditions and should always be checked out by a specialist.

• Presbyopia Around now, the lens and surrounding muscle fibres start to become stiffer and less flexible, making it harder to focus on close objects. This is known as age-related long-sightedness (presbyopia) and it’s a normal part of getting older. Reading glasses can usually help.

• Floaters People may also start to see floaters in their vision from around the age of 40. This is due to changes in the vitreous – the jelly-like fluid that sits between the lens at the front of the eye and the retina at the back of the eye. As we age, the vitreous becomes more liquid and

• Glaucoma People over 40 are also at increased risk of developing glaucoma, and the risk continues to rise as you age. Glaucoma is caused by damage to the optic nerve, which relays electrical signals from the retina to the brain for processing into the image that we ‘see’. In most cases, the nerve damage results from increased pressure inside the eye.

Many people don’t have obvious symptoms until the disease is very advanced – there is no pain and vision seems normal. Fortunately, the condition can be detected during routine eye checks, and treatments are available.

• Cataracts With age, the proteins in the lens clump together, making it cloudy.

This is known as a cataract, and it obstructs the light rays trying to enter the eye. The process is gradual, so vision gets worse over time and can eventually lead to blindness. Symptoms include blurred vision, colours appearing faded and trouble seeing in lowlight conditions.

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Cataracts can be surgically removed and replaced with an artificial lens to restore vision.

• Age-related macular degeneration Another part of the eye that changes with age is the retina – the lightsensitive tissue at the back of the eye.

As the retina ages, vision becomes less sharp and it’s more difficult to distinguish between similar colours and to see in low light.

At the centre of the retina is the macula, which is responsible for fine-detail, central vision (i.e. the vision you use when reading or driving). Age-related macular degeneration (or AMD) affects this central vision, and can eventually lead to vision loss and blindness.

Symptoms to be aware of include straight lines appearing wavy and loss of central vision.

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• Dry eye Dry eye also becomes more common with age. Women are more likely to suffer dry eye because of the hormonal changes associated with menopause. Though dry eye cannot be cured, there are treatments available to relieve symptoms, including some simple home treatments like artificial tears and warm compresses.

How often you get checked depends on your age, your general health and whether you’ve had eye problems in the past. As a general rule though, you should have your eyes checked every 2 years or so – people over 60 should see their optometrist yearly.

Of course, any changes to your vision or problems with your eyes should be investigated immediately. Your optometrist will refer you to an ophthalmologist if necessary.

Learn more about your eyes at visioneyeinstitute.com.au Medibank extras give you 100% back for prescription glasses and contacts with any recognised provider, up to annual limits. There’s just a six month waiting period for these services. Find out more at medibank.com.au

You’ve only got one set of eyes Many conditions related to ageing are largely preventable or treatable, highlighting the importance of regular eye checks – even if you think everything’s okay.

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Is it a sign of cancer?

A lot of the time, small changes in our bodies are harmless. But sometimes they’re a sign of something more serious – and getting checked early could make all the difference. Associate Professor Craig Sinclair, Head of Prevention at Cancer Council Victoria, explains what to look out for. >>

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Too often we brush off changes to our body. We excuse a niggling cough as a cold we can’t shake. And tell ourselves that new spot is just a sign of getting older. A change may be harmless. But it could also be an early symptom of something much more serious – cancer.

Do you need to screen?

Some cancers have screening programs to help find those changes you’ve missed, or for cancers where there are no obvious symptoms. So make sure you take part, even if you feel well.

The earlier a cancer is diagnosed, the better chance a person has for treatment. That’s why you should always see your GP as soon as possible to check out anything that looks and feels unusual or a bit off.

Bowel screening: If you’re aged 50-74, complete every two years.

Changes to watch out for Getting to know how your body normally looks and feels will help you spot any changes sooner. Remember – these signs don’t mean you have cancer, but it’s important to get them checked out by your GP.

The bowel screening test is mailed to the homes of eligible people through the Australian Government’s National Bowel Cancer Screening Program. It’s free, simple to use, and can be completed from the comfort of your home.

As many as 90% of bowel cancers can be successfully treated if found early, so make sure to complete the test when it’s sent to your home – it could save your life.

Here are a few things to pay attention to: • Coughs or hoarseness that won’t go away.

• Unexplained weight loss.

• New skin spots, or spots that change in colour, size or shape.

• Changes in your toilet habits or blood in a bowel motion.

• Lumps, sores or ulcers that don't heal.

• Unusual breast changes – lumps, lumpiness, a thickened area, unusual nipple discharge, a nipple that turns inwards (if it hasn't always been that way), a change in shape or colour or unusual pain.

• For women, any loss of blood, even if it's a few spots between your periods or after they've stopped.

Breast screening: If you’re a woman aged 50-74, complete every two years.

The breast screening test is also available for free through BreastScreen Australia, the government’s national breast screening program. Women aged 40 to 49 and those aged over 74 can also be screened free of charge, although they are not sent invitation letters.

Mammographic screening is the best method for detecting breast cancer early, before it can be felt or noticed.

Cervical screening: If you’re a women aged between 25-74 years, you will be due for the new test two years after your last Pap test. Complete the new Cervical Screening Test every five years.

The Pap test has been replaced with a new, more accurate and effective Cervical Screening Test. For women, it will feel like nothing’s changed – the doctor or nurse will use the same technique to collect a sample of cells from your cervix. The change is taking place behind the scenes where the cells will be analysed for HPV, which is the main risk factor in the development of cervical cancer.

You will be due for your first Cervical Screening Test two years after your last Pap test. If it’s been more than two years since your last Pap test, talk to your doctor as soon as possible about being screened.

The good news is that with the new test, your screening interval will become every five years.

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"Some cancers have screening programs to help find those changes you've missed, or for cancers where there are no obvious symtoms. So make sure you take part, even if you feel well."

Changes to reduce your risk Did you know one in three cancers are preventable? Adopting small changes to your lifestyle can help reduce your risk.

Quit smoking From yellow fingers to increased risk of 16 cancers and stroke, the effects of smoking range from annoying to fatal.

The good news is as soon as you quit smoking, your body goes into repair mode. For support, call the Quitline on 137 848, visit quit.org.au or speak to your GP. Get active and eat well A healthy diet, physical activity and maintaining a healthy weight can have a huge impact on our cancer risk (as well as type 2 diabetes and other serious health problems). Start with simple tweaks like taking the stairs, swapping your sugary drinks for water and watching your portion size. Check out livelighter.com.au for more healthy tips.

Take care of your skin You were told to ‘Slip, Slop, Slap’, back in your school days, but being SunSmart isn’t just for the kids. Check the sun protection times each day on the free SunSmart app and make sure you wear covering clothing, slop on SPF30 (or higher) broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen, slap on a broadbrimmed hat, seek shade and slide on sunglasses outside during these times.

Limit your alcohol If you choose to drink, try keeping it to no more than two standard drinks a day. One standard drink is about one pot of beer, a small glass of wine or 30 ml of spirits. If you need some motivation just check out how many kilojoules are in your drink of choice. Some drinks can be the equivalent of chowing down on a burger!

For more about early detection and cancer prevention visit cancervic.org.au Find out more about the Government’s screening programs at cancerscreening.gov.au

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Stronger than before Good friends Ben Pettingill and Mike Rolls – the professional speakers Legless and Blind – know a lot about adapting to life’s unforeseen challenges. Here’s how they found the strength and resilience to cope with dramatic change, and create new lives for themselves.

Danielle Brodie

"Adaptability is the ability to change the way you do things in order to continue to move forward. Resilience is really being able to work your way forward through tough times."

Long-time friends and professional speakers, Ben Pettingill and Mike Rolls, truly are experts when it comes to adapting to new situations. Two successful, confident men at the top of their games, they have both had to learn to adjust dramatically to new ways of living.

At age 16, Ben was an aspiring helicopter pilot. Then he woke up one morning to the sudden loss of 98% of his sight, due to a rare genetic syndrome called Leber's disease.

"The doctors actually said that I was going to be blind for life and there was no cure,” he recalls. “For a long time there, the adrenaline kicked in, the shock and confusion kicked in, because it was a change in my life that I wasn't going to just be able to adapt to overnight.”

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Mike was on a rugby trip at age 18 when his life changed dramatically. He contracted a rare strain of meningococcal disease that left him fighting for his life – and resulted in both legs being amputated below the knee.

"I went downhill very, very quickly,” Mike says. “I was rushed by ambulance to the Royal Hobart Hospital and then from there things deteriorated very quickly. They called my folks the next morning and said, 'Get down to Hobart, Mike's got an hour to live.' The bacteria had entered my blood stream.

It starts to coagulate your blood, and then all of a sudden causes massive organ failure. So, everything had shut down.

“It’s funny, because people look at my injuries and they straight away notice I don't have any legs below my knees.

But at the time, when I was 18, that was probably the least of my concerns."

Accepting reality Ben, who has recently clocked Papua New Guinea's gruelling Kokoda Trail, acknowledges that accepting his situation was key to moving forward.

Resilience can be built "The biggest question is – is resilience something that you can teach and build in people? And I think the answer is yes,” Mike says.

"I was used to waking up with eyesight every single day,” he says. “It probably took two or three months until I literally ran headfirst into a pole, and that's when the denial left me. I forced myself to accept this new situation as a part of my life.

“I think you can definitely do things that can build resilience.

I think one of them is to consistently challenge yourself and get outside your comfort zone. Because what that does, is it gets us really comfortable with this feeling of anxiety, which is essentially what we feel when we are thrown into a situation of turmoil or crisis."

"Adaptability is the ability to change the way you do things in order to continue to move forward. Resilience is really being able to work your way forward through tough times."

Learning to adapt Adjusting to the initial change is just the first step. New challenges will continually call on you to respond with resilience and find new ways to move forward. This is something Mike experienced when an expensive prosthetic leg designed for swimming didn't deliver what he needed.

"I chucked it in my closet and it stayed there, I don't even know where it's gone now. So I went to my prosthetist and we started to brainstorm. I said, ‘Dave, I don't want feet. I don't have feet. Why do I need feet? They're not essential for me to have them in the water. I don't need to walk into the water, I'm happy to go and sit at the edge of the water, put something on my knees. What about if we just make a socket that is simply just a flipper, and I can use the strength in my quads and my hamstrings to power it? And I was able to swim faster than when I had legs,” he says.

"The more times you get challenged to develop resilience and adaptability, the better it gets.”

Ben agrees. "I absolutely believe that you can train, teach and develop resilience in yourself. And the more situations that you put yourself in outside of your comfort zone – whether that's forced or whether you choose to put yourself there – that will ultimately result in building resilience for other situations in the future."

A new outlook Living with 2% of his vision has given Ben a unique perspective. "I'm now able to have this whole new view of the world. Which, oddly has really enhanced my life because I'm getting to know people from the inside out," he says.

Mike offers this insight into his worldview: "I just think – what can I do to prove, not to other people, but to myself, that I can live a happy, fulfilling life, regardless of circumstantial situations?"

Ben and Mike combine as professional speakers to inspire and empower audiences around Australia. Find out more at benpettingill.com and mikerolls.com.au

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How to do a digital detox How many times a day do you check your phone – for a new message, an email, or to scroll through Instagram or Facebook? If you need to take a step back, here are a few things that can help.

Jean Hailes for Women's Health

We are fast becoming inseparable from our phones. Often, they are last thing we touch at night and the first object we interact with in the morning. And we just can’t get enough.

If this sounds like you, or if you just want to be more mindful or have a break from social media, you may want to consider a digital detox.

On a basic level, a digital detox is about cutting down or having break periods from the use of electronic devices such as smartphones or computers. It is often regarded as an opportunity to decrease stress or focus on social interaction in the real world.

You don’t have delete your entire social media presence; it’s more about making some small changes here or there, to be more mindful of your time spent online, and carving some tech-free time into your day. Rest assured, the online world will still be there waiting for you when you’re done.

Here are some tips to help you along the way.

Tell your close friends and family about your plans Talking about it not only helps to cement the idea for yourself, but also helps you to avoid potential issues that might arise from changing your regular social media use. If, for example, you used to be contactable on Facebook day and night, your friends won’t be suddenly offended if you don’t reply their messages until the following morning. Plus, it’s also helpful for your family to know how to contact you if there is important news or an emergency.

Keep your phone out of your bedroom at night Make a habit of putting it on silent, charging it in another room. If you use your phone as your alarm, swap it for a real alarm clock (if you don’t have one, buy one; a little wind-up is very cheap).

There are so many benefits to making this simple switch.

Firstly, it keeps you from checking your phone before you go to sleep and during the night – out of sight, out of mind. Plus, because our phones are often the first thing we interact with in the day, it creates a distance between you and it, allowing you to wake up properly and set your own tone for the day.

Turn off push notifications So many apps keep us coming back for more because of various pings, buzzes and beeps throughout the day and night.

Our fear of missing out is on overdrive and we’re constantly being told (or tricked into thinking) that something needs our attention. Put yourself back in the driver’s seat, turn off notifications and use your phone on your own terms and in your own time – not when it tells you to.

Set limits Decide how much you’re going to use your phone/device.

Make it reasonable and right for you and your life. Here are some tips for you to make your own: • No screen-time after 6pm or 8pm.

• No checking emails, social media accounts until after breakfast, when you’re ready to take on the day.

• No phone at meal times.

• No phone in the bedroom.

• No more than 30 minutes spent on social media every day (set a timer to record your use).

• Check social media accounts a maximum of one or three times every day.

• Turn your phone to flight mode for a certain period every day.

Choose one or two limits, try it out for a week, or set yourself another timeframe, and don’t be afraid of adapting as you go.

Get more health information at jeanhailes.org.au

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"It's about being mindful of your time spent online, and carving some tech-free time into your day. The online world will still be there waiting for you when you're done."

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Milly (Photo: Mike & Angela)

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Furry goodbyes When a loved pet dies, the grief people feel is very real. Here’s how to support your family, or a friend, through the death of an animal.

Beatrix Coles

More than 5 million Australian households include a pet.

Where our animals were once resources, and treated with the appropriate level of pragmatism, they are now companions, friends, a source of comfort, and even provide a boost to your wellness.

Unlike other relationships in your life, the affection you feel from your pet is considered to be unconditional (although some cat owners might take exception to this idea). If you’ve noticed your dog will run to you when you get home, or when it’s feeling anxious, know that they are the only species, apart from humans, who will react in this way. And cat owners know the simple pleasure of hearing their cat purr, literally vibrating with happiness.

Since pets have become a big part of our lives, it follows that we should find their deaths traumatic. When it comes to losing that bond and connection, the loss can feel very profound. Yet, there’s a perception that the death of a pet is something that you can get over quickly. People might hear comments like “you can get another one”, or “it was for the best”. In fact, research has now confirmed what many pet owners already knew, that in terms of grief, the death of a pet compares losing a human family member or close friend.

Here are some ways that you can support yourself, family, or friends through that difficult time.

Caring for a pet through illness Like medical care for humans, veterinary care for animals has advanced to the point that conditions which might have previously been incurable can now be treated. This means that some pet owners will find themselves embarking on a difficult course of treatment, to try and save their

animals. Caring for a pet through an illness can be stressful emotionally, demanding financially, and put huge strain on time and resources, as you attend appointments and administer treatments.

If your vet suggests that it could be time to consider putting your pet to sleep, it’s important to thoroughly discuss this with them, and your family to make sure that you’re comfortable with the option. If paying for your pet’s medical treatment is proving to be too difficult, and this can be very expensive, this is a discussion you need to have with your vet, as they will be able to fully outline your alternatives.

Dealing with grief Support for your loss might not come from the places that you expect. Not everyone will be able to relate to what you’re going through, and they won’t respond in the way that you might want. But people with a similar experience, or a close attachment to their animals will understand and will be able to extend you empathy. Just remember, when it comes to grief, you’re on your own timetable. It’s important to tell people what you’re feeling and what you need.

Keeping an eye on stress Whether you’re looking after a cat, a dog, a rabbit, or something more exotic, this means routine. Daily feeding, exercise, grooming, and playtime add up to a timetable.

When you pet suffers a serious illness or dies, this routine is disrupted. And changes in routine and lifestyle are a primary cause of stress. If have you have other pets, it’s important to try and keep to your routines to minimise the effect on them.

If walking your dog was your primary source of exercise, make sure you substitute in an alternative, like the gym or a sports team. >>

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Pet owners have reported that after the death of a pet, they will often mistake random sounds for the sound of the animal moving around the house. A house that is suddenly missing the movement, noise, and yes, mess of a loved pet can feel very empty, magnifying the absence and increasing the stress you feel.

If this is something your family is going through, look at ways that you can make your house feel warm again, whether this is through a shared activity like a board game or movie, putting music on, or using this time to remember your pet together.

"A house that is suddenly missing the movement, noise, and yes, mess of a loved pet can feel very empty."

Explaining the death of a pet to children For children, the loss of a pet may be their first experience of death. Rather than resorting to stories about “their life on the farm” or dodging the issue, this is an important time to display and discuss your own grief. It’s especially important to be honest about having your pet put down and talk this through with your family so that they can understand the reasons that this is the best option for the animal.

You may wish to consider a ritual, similar a funeral, to help mark the end of your pet’s life. This gives your family a chance to talk about why they loved your pet and what they will miss. Perhaps plant a tree, or create a similar spot that your child can go to remember your pet.

Creating a memento Some people choose to cope with the loss by creating a physical memento to help them remember their pet. Common examples are framed photos or paintings. While taxidermy is an extreme example, pets can be cremated and the ashes stored in a decorative urn. You could also consider making a plaster cast of a paw print as a quirky way to remember them.

Pet insurance is one way to help ease the stress of a difficult diagnosis. Find out more at medibank.com.au

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Supporting a friend through a loss As a fellow pet lover, you’re in an important position when someone around you suffers a loss. A simple act like acknowledging the gravity of their loss through a card, flowers or a phone call can be hugely meaningful to someone struggling to cope with the death of an animal. Given that people often don’t have an outlet to discuss what’s going on, simply checking in is a wonderful way to show support. For someone who is still feeling a huge amount of grief in the months following their loss, knowing that a friend is taking their pain seriously is very important.

Skipper (Photo: Megan and Phil)

Milly’s story

Skipper’s story

Mike and Angela Lee One of three much-loved cats, Milly came in and out of remission for an aggressive cancer for a year before dying.

Despite what was often a tough prognosis, Mike and Angela made the decision to continue with treatment: “due to Milly’s strength and love for life. She would always have the strength to purr away and cuddle up to us, constantly seeking company instead of being reclusive and drawing away from interaction, like other sick pets we’ve had in the past.”

Megan McNaughton and Phil Bingley Like so many pets, Skipper wasn’t just a dog. He was also the thing that helped Megan through the loss of her baby Crispin, who was stillborn. But shortly after Skipper came home, Megan and Phil discovered that their pup had probably come from a puppy mill, and his health problems began to surface.

A good vet will help you to weigh up the effects of the treatment and your pet’s happiness. As Mike says, “our instructions to our vet was that prolonging life should never come before her quality of life.” When Milly began experiencing frequent seizures, to the point of losing consciousness, the couple and their vet decided to let her go.

Now Milly is remembered as “the easy-going, happy-golucky friend that would always greet us after a hard day at the office, and always a wonderful host to friends who visit.”

Their vet was determined- sometimes possibly to Skipper’s detriment. Finally, liver disease took hold, and the tiny and much-loved dog began to experience a lot of pain. Megan says, “I finally made my husband take him one morning as we’d had a terrible night with him and I could just tell by looking into his eyes that he needed to be let go from the pain.”

The small dog was a big part of the family. Dealing with the fact that he had such a bad run with illness was hard, as Megan says: “I felt so cheated that he’d only been with us for six years.” There was one thing that helped though: “my son made a new dog out of a box at kindy that week he died. It has little googly eyes and wee legs and a tail. He gave it to me to make me feel better - I still have it.”

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Languedoc-Roussillon, France

Be prepared with Medibank Travel Insurance. Get a quote at medibank.com.au

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Dreaming away Whether a sparkling beach, a moss-covered forest or a colourful, energetic city is calling your name, nothing gets you charged up like a trip away. These are some of the most magical places to visit in 2018, based on Lonely Planet's Best in Travel list – so you can quietly slip into a daydream while planning your next adventure.

Cassie Lane >>

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Languedoc-Roussillon, France Southern France is famous for its striking scenery, coastlines and people, and, ergo, its crowds. But this undiscovered gem with first-century artefacts, medieval castles, rolling countryside and quiet beaches offers the splendour of Southern France minus the queues. Two swanky museums are being built here, so it won’t be undiscovered for long.

Fun fact: Languedoc-Roussillon’s vineyards are responsible for a third of France’s wine (I don’t know why I even bothered with the other details!). September is the best time to go, and this is also when the town celebrates Vendange (grape harvest) with vineyard parties.

Kii Peninsula, Japan If your shoulders are currently hovering near your ears than this may be the destination for you. Recognised as a UNESCO sacred site, Kii Peninsula is replete with Buddhist temples, shinto shrines and holy mountains. Jettison your worries at home and set out on an adventure to find your inner Buddha at this veritable Shangri-la.

Home to mystical forests, waterfall-sprinkled mountains and steaming hot springs, temperatures are mild year-round and tourists often time their trip according to which flora is in season. If you’re partial to a scenic hike, check out the Kumono Kodo Trail.

Julian Alps, Slovenia

Bahia, Brazil Bahia recently underwent a major overhaul after hosting the FIFA World Cup. Now that it’s more accessible, it’s a great time to visit this lesser-known delight of Brazil.

Located inland, Bahia’s capital is filled with cobblestone streets and 16thcentury buildings. Head south to find tiny villages and hiking trails leading to picturesque waterfalls. Drive towards the coast and you’ll be met with coral reefs, white sand, turquoise water and secluded islands.

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Wellbeing

December to March is the best time to go if festivities and nightlife are your thing - particularly February, during Carnival.

However, you might want to avoid these months if you enjoy a quieter vacation, or sleep for that matter.

Dreaming away / Cassie Lane

Los Haitises National Park, Dominican Republic Like a scene from Jurassic Park, this national park with ancient caves, mangrove forests, emerald canals, and deserted beaches will get you watching still water for signs of giant footsteps. Home to a surplus of exotic flora and fauna, this bird watcher’s paradise has over two hundred bird species and hosts whale watching tours in January.

Los Haitises is becoming increasingly popular (no) thanks to the new freeway providing easier access, and two large hotel projects that are currently underway. Be quick to visit this prehistoric paradise so you can say, “We went and nobodysaurus.”

Julian Alps, Slovenia Like an image from a fairy-tale book, Slovenia is a snowy delight that just happens to offer some of the best ski slopes in the Alps. Once only suitable for veteran skiers, the Julian Alps are now accessible (and reasonably affordable) to anyone willing to give them a go.

With access to the only ski area in Triglav National Park, you’ll be shredding powder along pristine hillocks with breathtaking views. There is off-piste terrain for advanced skiers and family-friendly areas with beginner slopes and ski-in, ski-out access.

And, of course, the village is peppered with chalets, restaurants and bars for when you’re ready to indulge in a hard-earned hot toddy.

Aeolian Islands, Italy Take a short boat trip from Sicily and you’ll be surrounded by one of Europe’s most exquisite archipelagos. If you enjoy swimming, hiking, relaxing, history, or simply looking, these seven UNESCO protected islands provide delights that will satiate every sense.

While surrounded by turquoise waters, you can explore hissing volcanos, shipwrecks and the six millennia of history preserved on these magnificent islands. Kayak, swim, have a mud bath, sip gourmet wine at one of the cave bars – however you choose to spend your time here, it is bound to be indulgent.

Once relatively quiet, cluey travellers are starting to set this set of islands in their sights so 2018 is definitely the time go.

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Managing Editor Billy Falkingham

Editor Rebecca Howden

Design / Art Direction Rebecca Chik

Contributors Louise Adams, Dr Tim Crowe, Adele Mackie, Simone Austin, Dr Dorit-Samocha-Bonet, Sarah Boykett, The Biting Truth, Professor David Cameron-Smith, Caitlin Saville, Rebecca Howden, Natalie Delana, Lizzy Williamson, Tegan Haining, Rachel Davidson, Jodie Arnot, Kasia Kaczmarek, Billy Falkingham, Dr Nicole Highet, Ted Richards, Dr Abi Tenen, Associate Professor Craig Sinclair, Danielle Brodie, Beatrix Coles, Cassie Lane

Disclaimer: The information contained in this publication is provided for general information purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. Unless expressly stated, any views and expression or opinion contained in this publication do not represent the opinion of Medibank Private. Medibank Private does not guarantee the accuracy of any of the opinions, advice, representations or information contained in this publication and, to the maximum extent permitted by law, accepts no responsibility for any loss, injury or inconvenience sustained by any readers as a result of or in connection with the information contained in, or any reliance upon, this publication (whether by way of negligence or otherwise.) The information in this magazine only applies to Medibank branded products.

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