44 minute read
Follow the Sun
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More at funkita.com
How long had you battled with weight issues?
I have always been on some sort of diet however when I reached my late 20s it got out of control
What health problems did you face as a result?
I was always in pain. At the end of the day my feet would just ache. Since surgery we have discovered that I have Bradycardia which is a very low heart rate. My cardiologist has said it’s amazing with my weight the way it was I didn’t just pass away in my sleep given the strain that was on my heart.
What made you decide on weight-loss surgery and which procedure was the right one for you?
I knew I needed extra help. I have done the food delivery programs, I felt uncomfortable going to a gym (I joined but never returned after the second session as everyone was just staring at me the whole time).
Just the sheer amount of weight I needed to lose I needed something more.
I did a lot of research of different surgeons and met with a couple until I found the one who just made me feel at ease and supported. I decided on the SADI procedure as it had the best results long term with the lowest levels of weight regain 12 months post-surgery.
Post-surgery, what have been some of the challenges?
I still put way too much food on my plate, even 12 months post-surgery but now I know that I can just stop when I’m full. The hair loss was a big issue, but it’s now growing back thicker than before.
What are some of the benefits?
The shopping! I can shop in any store and not feel embarrassed. A whole new world of fashion has opened up and it’s no longer about dressing so that I blend into the background.
What are the improvements in your lifestyle as a result of your weight-loss?
I’m no longer the mum who has to sit on the sideline. I am up and actively participating in my son’s activities. I have so much energy.
What do you enjoy doing the most these days?
Bushwalking. As a family we go every weekend that we can. I never would have believed this to be my life.
Before I would make us catch a cab to travel 1km down the road, now we are trekking as a family.
What is your response to people who look at weight-loss surgery as “the easy road” to weight-loss? Educate yourself. There is nothing easy about weight-loss surgery. This is a lifelong commitment to change.
Mentally, physically and emotionally, weight-loss surgery is the toughest thing I have ever undergone but I am so thankful for it as it gave me my life back.
Any regrets?
Only that I wish I had done it sooner!
CHRISSY TEIGEN SEEMS TO HAVE IT ALL. MODEL, MEDIA PERSONALITY, AUTHOR, ‘MOM’ AND WIFE AND LOVER TO SINGER/SONGWRITER AND PEOPLE MAGAZINE’S SEXIEST MAN ALIVE, JOHN LEGEND, SHE ADMITS SHE NEVER DREAMT OF SUCH FAR-REACHING SUCCESS OR SUCH A HIGH PROFILE.
Earth Mother
“I always wanted to be a teacher or wanted to do something with food,” she said in an interview with DailyBeast. Despite her admirable yet modest ambitions, the mixed-race beauty was discovered aged 18 while working at a surf shop in California. Born in Delta, Utah in 1985, Christine Diane Teigen is the daughter of a Thai mother, Vilailuck and American father, Ron. She recalls rejecting much of the Thai customs and cuisine of her mum’s culture, preferring the meat and potatoes of her father’s Norwegian ancestry. “I remember being really embarrassed by it when I was young and had friends over. It was weird to pull shrimp heads off and discard the body and eat the head. There were moments when as a kid you cringe.” Her modelling career took off when she landed the cover of the swimsuit edition of Sports Illustrated in 2010. During her stellar rise, she appeared on covers and editorials within international titles such as Cosmopolitan, Glamour and Vogue, as well as ad campaigns for brands as diverse as Olay and Ugg. She became an in-demand television personality, serving as host of the reality show Model Employee before joining as cohost of hit TV show, Lip Sync Battle. What people like most about Teigen is she’s a self-confessed “chronic over-sharer since birth”. A popular, yet polarising figure on Twitter with more than 12 million followers, Teigen will spill the beans on stretch marks, Botox, the craziest place she’s had sex (a plane) while she whips up home-spun delicacies that are equal parts wholesome and thoroughly indulgent. In 2016, she released the cookbook “Cravings” followed by “Cravings, Hungry for More” in 2018. The model-turned-food-bloggerturned-cookbook-author is a massive fan of food, sharing her fool-proof recipes for wonders like chicken pot pie soup, lemony spaghetti cacio e pepe, fried chicken wings with honey butter, mac and cheese with garlicky breadcrumbs and Armadillo Cheesy Garlic Bread – complemented by raw honesty and child-rearing and being a working mum of two. Teigen credits meeting and marrying John Legend (real name John Roger Stephens) for breaking her from the shackles of boring fare. As she recounts to her followers on social media, when she and Legend first started seeing each other, she didn’t
have enough cash to split the bill at fancy restaurants, so she honed her cooking skills instead. Teigen and Legend met in 2007 on the set of Legend’s music video for “Stereo” in which she starred as his love interest. “On one of our earliest dates, I took him to Daniel (four dollar signs on Yelp, ahhh!). I drank a $40 margarita, ate salmon rillettes (fancy salmon spread), and prayed my card wouldn’t be declined,” she said. “I couldn’t afford to take him out to more dinners like that, so I started cooking more and more at home for us. I started with my own version of that salmon spread, then roasted whole branzino, osso buco, chipotle barbeque chicken.” Fast forward to 2013, and the couple celebrated their union in the fairytale surrounds of a villa on the shores of Lake Como, footage of which features in Legend’s ballad, “All of Me”, a romantic tribute to his wife. The loved-up couple made no secret of their eagerness to start a family, and after several rounds of IVF, daughter Luna Simone was born in 2016. The sleepless nights and actual physical changes were shock enough, but Teigen endured postpartum depression which she says “came out of nowhere”. In Australia, postpartum (or postnatal) depression affects one in every seven women who give birth each year according to HealthDirect.gov.au. As she recalls “Getting out of bed was painful. I didn’t have an appetite. One thing that really got me was just how short I was with people. I couldn’t figure out why I was so unhappy. When I wasn’t in the studio, I never left the house. I had every shade closed. “Most days were spent on the exact same spot on the couch and rarely would I muster up the energy to make it upstairs for bed. John would sleep on the couch with me, sometimes four nights in a row. I started keeping robes and comfy clothes in the pantry so I wouldn’t have to go upstairs when John went to work. There was a lot of spontaneous crying.”
Eventually, the pain, lack of energy and confusion became too much and she consulted her GP who she says “pulled out a book and started listing symptoms”. “And I was like, ‘Yep, yep, yep’. I got my diagnosis: postpartum depression and anxiety.” With treatment and therapy came a return to full-blown health and a semblance of normalcy, but Teigen says she has to stay vigilant to the symptoms. “Postpartum depression does not discriminate. I couldn’t control it. That’s part of the reason it took me so long to speak up: I felt selfish, icky, and weird saying aloud that I’m struggling.” Luna was followed by a boy, Miles Theodore, in 2018. Sadly, the family was preparing to welcome baby number three, as revealed in Legend’s new music video for “Wild”, a celebration of the couple’s love story. But nature took a different course. Conceived naturally, number three, named Jack, was a total surprise. “I didn’t think I could get pregnant naturally,” Teigen explained on Twitter. “IVF was an amazing choice for us to be able to make. So hard, but we got two beautiful monsters out of it. I promise you, I never ever, ever, ever, ever thought I could.” Caught unawares by the pregnancy, she had actually undergone surgery to remove her breast implants. The routine pre-surgery test had come back negative. It wasn’t until the morning of Legend’s new album release, which meant a 3am start for an appearance on the Good Morning America program, that she discovered she was pregnant. Jubilant, euphoric, amazed at their luck and the prospect of adding to their family, they were devasted weeks later when Teigen was rushed to hospital suffering from excessive bleeding. She suffered a miscarriage, writing in a statement on social media: “We are shocked and in the kind of deep pain you only hear about, the kind of pain we’ve never felt before. “We were never able to stop the bleeding and give our baby the fluids he needed, despite bags and bags of blood transfusions. It just wasn’t enough,” she wrote. Their baby did not survive. “Jack worked so hard to be a part of our little family, and he will be, forever... To our Jack — I’m so sorry that the first few moments of your life were met with so many complications, that we couldn’t give you the home you needed to survive. We will always love you...Thank you to everyone who has been sending us positive energy, thoughts and prayers.”
More at cravingsbychrissyteigen.com
Help your heart
CORONARY HEART DISEASE IS THE LEADING UNDERLYING CAUSE OF DEATH IN AUSTRALIA. IT HAS BEEN TRADITIONALLY CONSIDERED AN “OLD MAN’S DISEASE”, BUT THE INCIDENCE OF HEART DISEASE IS RISING IN YOUNG PEOPLE, PARTICULARLY WOMEN.
Data in the US and Australia indicated people in their 20s, 30s and 40s are increasingly falling victim to cardiovascular disease and heart attacks. Dr Ben Anderson specialises in Cardiothoracic Surgery. He says that while there is still a lot to learn about the trend, the rise in heart disease and heart attacks in younger people can generally be attributed to lifestyle and environmental factors. “People in their 30s and 40s are presenting with high blood pressure and hypertension,” he explains. “We are fairly sure that it’s the result of a diet of processed, high sodium and trans-fats. Eating too much salt can lead to high blood pressure, which is a major risk factor for heart disease. Processed and packaged foods are responsible for most of the salt people eat. The best way to reduce salt is to eat a diet based on fresh, unprocessed foods.” The Heart Foundation recommends 5g of salt (2000mg sodium) as a daily maximum amount, which is about a teaspoon. Studies have shown the most Australians are eating roughly 9g of salt a day – nearly double the recommended maximum.
It is important to remember that all types of salt, including pink Himalayan, rock salt, black salt, table salt and sea salt contain the same amount of sodium, the part of salt that can be damaging to your health. Blood pressure is the pressure of your blood on the walls of your arteries as your heart pumps it around your body. Your blood pressure will go up and down naturally throughout the day depending on what you are doing, especially if you are doing exercise. High blood pressure is when your blood pressure is permanently higher than normal. High blood pressure is one of the main risk factors for heart disease, especially heart attacks and strokes. High blood pressure can be relatively symptom-free, so it’s important to get regular blood pressure checks. You can have your blood pressure measured by a doctor, a nurse, a pharmacist, or at home with an approved machine.
DR BEN ANDERSON
MBBS BMedSci FRACS
Director Gold Coast Cardiothoracic Unit - John Flynn Private Hospital
VMO Gold Coast Private, Pindara and The Tweed Hospital
Tel: 07 5598 0789 heartsurgerygoldcoast.com.au
“Along with diet, high blood pressure can be the result of family history, high alcohol intake, smoking being overweight and not exercising,” adds Dr Anderson. “The heart is much like a motor. Damage to the blood vessels causes it to wear out.” As with all aspects of our health, the best course to take is aiming for prevention. “The majority of heart attacks could be prevented with earlier detection of the disease, lifestyle changes and management of other risk factors. The best advice is not to smoke, get regular exercise, eat a heart healthy diet and manage your blood pressure and cholesterol.”
Understanding the Ketogenic Diet
BY VERONIKA LARISOVA, (LEFT) NUTRITIONIST AND CO-FOUNDER OF CHIEF NUTRITION
The Ketogenic Diet (or Keto for short), is a diet very low in carbohydrate, high in fat and low to moderate in protein. The reduction in carbohydrate intake puts your body in a metabolic state called ketosis where your body uses ketones as an alternative source of energy instead of glucose. When we eat very few carbs or very few calories, ketones are produced by the liver from fat. The ketones are then used as a fuel throughout the body, especially for the brain, which can’t utilise fat directly and can only run or glucose or ketones. This is the reason why the ketogenic diet has been used to successfully treat childhood epilepsy since 1920’s. In a nutshell, when you are on a ketogenic diet, your body’s main fuel supply is fat instead of glucose. That’s what being ‘fat adapted’ means. The best way to induce ketosis is fasting or creating a ‘ketogenic ratio’ of 4-parts fat to 1-part protein and carbohydrate, which equates to around 80 percent of calories in the diet from fat. The protein recommendation is 1.2-3g of protein per each kilogram of body weight per day and the rest of your daily calorie allowance is from carbohydrates. At 60kg and 2000 kcal per day, the exact macros would be; •Fat: 1600 kcal (178g) •Protein: 288 kcal (72g) •Carbohydrate: 112 kcal (28g) This can be quite difficult to maintain and you can actually achieve great results by trying a modified ketogenic diet with 60-75 percent of calories from fat if you use MCTs (Medium Chain Triglycerides). That way you can have more carbohydrates and protein.
Benefits of Ketogenic Diet
A steady supply of energy instead of sugar highs and lows, which happens on a high carb diet and causes energy slumps and cravings. You are less hungry and more focused throughout the day when in ketosis. Low insulin levels (due to low blood glucose), which makes it easier for the body to access fat stores and burn them off. You still need to be in a calorie deficit to lose weight though.
Top 4 healthy foods to eat
Low carb vegetables: you can use them to replace your starchy faves by making cauliflower rice, zucchini pasta, spinach bread. Vegetables must remain on your menu no matter what diet you are on. They are a great source of vitamins, minerals and fibre. You need them for a healthy gut and colon and for your daily vitamin and mineral intake. Seafood: have a good variety and lots of fatty fish such as salmon, sardines and mackerel. Go for wild-caught. Meat and poultry: especially organ meat. Just 100g of organic liver contains 50 percent of your daily vitamin and mineral requirement. Always choose grass-fed, and organic if available. Nuts and seeds: they are high in fat and fibre and low in carbs. You can use them for a snack or to give your salad a crunch. The best is that you can use any nut meal (groundnuts) to replace flour in baking. Zucchini bread made from zucchini, almond meal, eggs and olive oil is totally keto and tastes delicious. So you don’t have to give up your smashed avo. We also base our keto-friendly Chief Collagen Bars on nuts if you’re looking for an on the go snack.
More at eatlikeachief.com
What’s in my Pilates Bag?
LARA DAWSON IS THE FIT AND FABULOUS PILATES TRAINER WHO LOVES EVERY MINUTE OF HER WORK AND WORKOUTS. SLIM ASKED LARA WHAT HER MUSTHAVE ESSENTIALS ARE.
What essentials do you take to every session?
The Pilates reformer is such an amazing machine - you can do hundreds of exercises and it’s designed to add as much or as little resistance as you can handle - so you don’t need to bring along any high-performance gear or gadgets. In fact, my essentials are pretty simple (but take my workouts next level). I always use the Pilates circle to enhance my workouts. It’s especially good for making my inner thighs work really hard. My Pilates resistance band is a must-have when working on the glutes - there’s nothing like the extra burn it gives. It’s especially fierce on hot potato, one of the best exercises you can do for a toned booty.
What do you use for skin and hair?
My must-have skin product is Yuva Active Clearing Gel. Pop some on a
PHOTO: ELYSEA
breakout before bed and it’s gone by morning. Yuva is vegan, cruelty-free and Australian owned and made. I’m trying to be environmentally mindful, so have started using Seed & Sprout Rose Geranium shampoo. It’s environmentally friendly, vegan, cruelty-free and made in Australia. Plus, it smells so nice!
Any favourite brands for your workout wear?
When I’m not in uniform I do like to stay away from black and recently purchased the most amazing leggings and top from Elysea. They are designed and manufactured right here on the Gold Coast. The fabric is so soft, supportive and has a natural cooling effect. They look so great in or out of the studio!
Shoes or no shoes?
We always wear socks for our reformer workouts - the grippier the better! As
an instructor, I do look at clients’ feet position a lot, so I really notice their sock choices, especially the lovely sparkly ones (or the mismatched ones!)
What do you love about Pilates?
Everything! Pilates is the best way to strengthen and tone the body and focus on the connection between your mind and body, which is so important for our mental wellbeing. I love the huge variety of exercises, working all areas of my body. It’s an intense workout and continues to challenge my body in new ways every day. Our workouts are carefully sequenced to ensure the best activation of ALL the muscles - even the ones you didn’t know you had. Funnily enough, the better your technique gets, the harder it is, so you are continually working to improve and get stronger every day! I also love the beautiful workout space, the fun vibe and especially all of our amazing clients.
What other exercise do you enjoy doing?
Netball is a great option for me. Playing with a team makes me commit and I get to catch up with friends while keeping active. I recently took up running and I’m surprised and delighted to say that I love a 30 minute jog around my neighbourhood to clear the mind and get the heart pumping.
Any special offers for our readers?
New clients can get started with 6 classes for $60. Bookings can be made online at studiopilates.com/studios/southport or by calling 0411 223 867. Make sure you mention SLIM magazine when you call or book.
Lara Dawson Studio Pilates Southport
Studio 0411 223 86
REFLUX PROBLEMS After Sleeve Gastrectomy
GASTROESOPHAGEAL REFLUX IS A CONDITION IN WHICH ACID FROM THE STOMACH CAN TRAVEL UP INTO THE OESOPHAGUS AND SOMETIMES INTO THE THROAT AND CAUSE SYMPTOMS.
The symptoms often include discomfort in the chest (indigestion/heartburn) and acid reflux symptoms including a feeling of burning in the throat, often if mild this can cause a dry cough. Some people may have symptoms including waking up at night bringing up acid in their bed.
In severe cases it can lead to ulceration in the mouth, damage to teeth and gums, and acid entering the lungs causing respiratory irritation and infections.
This condition occurs frequently in adults and can occur to varying degrees in about 20 percent of the population.
It usually becomes much more noticeable with increasing weight, and pregnancy, as the pressure in the abdominal cavity on the stomach increases.
Some people may notice they get reflux symptoms when they put on weight and when they lose a few kilos the symptoms become much less. This is a good sign as it can mean their reflux symptoms may dramatically improve after weight-loss surgery.
Generally acid sits in a puddle at the bottom of the stomach and the acid aids in foods digestion as food enters the stomach. When people lay flat the acid can approach the upper stomach and oesophagus and therefore symptoms are often worse at night. Reflux is caused by various factors; the most common causes are a weakness in the oesophageal sphincter muscles, and a hiatus hernia (an enlarged gap in the diaphragm muscle separating the chest and abdominal cavity which the oesophagus passes through.)
When people lose a large amount of weight following weight-loss surgery, the reduction of internal fat in the abdominal cavity puts less pressure on the stomach and therefore reflux symptoms can improve, as the acid is less likely to be squeezed upwards into the oesophagus.
Some procedures such as the Gastric Bypass actively improve reflux symptoms as the upper stomach is divided from the lower stomach and the acid is unable to get to the oesophagus and cause symptoms.
When someone has a Sleeve Gastrectomy for weight-loss, a large proportion of the stomach is removed, changing the stomach from a large bag capable of holding about 1 litre of volume to a long narrow tube which can only hold about 100 to 150mls volume.
As there is loss of the “puddle” effect where acid sits at the bottom of the stomach, the acid can be squeezed upwards towards the oesophagus more easily. Subsequently reflux can actually become more of a problem after the Sleeve Gastrectomy. With the stomach being converted from a large bag to a narrow tube, the pressure inside the sleeved stomach is a little higher, again potentially putting more strain of acid getting through the upper part into the oesophagus.
Generally, I tell people contemplating a Sleeve Gastrectomy there is about 20 to 25 percent chance of developing some reflux symptoms after a Sleeve Gastrectomy, to the point where they may need to occasionally take anti-acid medication to improve their symptoms.
lose a large amount of weight the reflux disappears as there is less internal fat putting pressure around the stomach.
Some patients can develop symptoms months or years after a sleeve gastrectomy. This is generally due to the increased pressure inside the stomach and often a weakened oesophageal sphincter. Very uncommonly this can become quite severe to the point where anti-acid medications are not helping any more. This reflux can be incapacitating and can severely affect the quality of life of these patients. I generally tell people there is about a 3 percent chance that after a Sleeve Gastrectomy they may be in this scenario where we need to consider surgery to eliminate or improve their symptoms.
The reflux in this scenario relates to the high intraluminal pressure inside the sleeve, rather than just a weakened gastroesophageal sphincter or hiatus hernia being the causative mechanism in non-sleeve patients. Subsequently
merely attempting to repair a hiatal weakness at the diaphragm is not reliably helpful.
There are various surgical options to improve reflux symptoms in this group of patients. The simplest option is to tighten the hiatus, (that is the gap in the diaphragm muscle between the chest and abdominal cavity) by performing a cruroplasty, this involves stitching the gap tighter at the diaphragm. Occasionally we can use a ligament in the upper abdomen to make a flap around the oesophagus and create a new tighter valve at the oesophagus.
These methods work relatively well and are very low risk procedures. This technique is also occasionally performed in combination with a sleeve gastrectomy in people who are more at risk of developing reflux symptoms.
Another option is performing a procedure similar to a gastric bypass, where the upper sleeve is divided and attached to a limb of small bowel. The
DR JASON FREE SPECIALIST BARIATRIC SURGEON MBBS BVSc (HONS) FRACS
Laparoscopic, General, Weight-loss, & Hepatobiliary Surgeon
Suite 2, Pindara Professional Centre 8-10 Carrara Street, Benowa QLD
Tel: 07 5564 6501 surgerygoldcoast.com.au
bottom of the sleeve is separated, and the acid is diverted downstream and away from the oesophagus. This is not a typical gastric bypass procedure as it is tailored to draining acid away from the oesophagus using different anastomotic techniques, and there is less small bowel bypassed. This is often performed in combination with a cruroplasty technique to give the patient the best chances of eliminating reflux symptoms.
These procedures are mostly performed using robotic surgery, a variation of laparoscopic surgery where electronic instruments controlled by the surgeon are used. The use of robotic surgery makes any dissecting, suturing or anastomosing techniques much easier, and therefore the surgeon can perform a much better operation.
There are solutions to almost every problem after weight-loss surgery. Patients who feel they have to live with disturbing symptoms affecting the quality of life should be reassured that we can do things to improve their wellbeing.
Jason Free is a General Surgeon who has specialised in weight-loss (Bariatric) surgery and HepatoPancreatico-Biliary Surgery. Dr Free has obtained specific weight-loss surgical training in Australia and overseas, dealing specifically with revisional bariatric surgery.
Empowering Empaths
IS THE 6TH SENSE YOU MAY NOT EVEN KNOWN YOU HAVE CREATING HAVOC IN YOUR LIFE, AND ATTRACTING YOU TO DETRIMENTAL PEOPLE AND SITUATIONS? ARE YOU ARE AN “EMPATH”?
Most People know of “empathy” as a thought process, but being an empath isn’t just about seeing or having understanding for someone else’s point of view.
Empaths who are unaware of their gift:
•Soak up others’ emotions unknowingly. •Seek external validation. •Feel tired and overwhelmed. •Modify themselves constantly to avoid negative reactions from others. •Are magnets for emotional vampires, narcissists and sociopaths. •Form co-dependent relationships. •Find saying ‘no’ a struggle. •Feel like everyone else understands how to fit in but them. •Store others energetic refuse in their own body. Often as excess weight or pain. Here’s the interesting thing about empaths: most empaths do not even know that they are one, but they are quick to recognise the traits in themselves once they are introduced to the idea.
Leith Jensen, founder of The Reconnective Path explains: “Being an empath is a gift, a sense that can be trained and used for wonderful things. But until you know you have that gift and how to use it, it can seem more like a curse. “I started the Reconnective Path as a gateway for others to be able to learn about themselves and heal the damage that may have been unknowingly done to them by simply not understanding their powers. I also work with clients to explore their gift, and find ways to use it to empower their lives.”
Being an empath is like any sense, as Leith continues. “It needs to be guided and trained. As children we learn not to look directly at the sun or not to put our hands on the stove top when it’s on, because those actions harm our sense of sight or touch. But no one teaches us how to protect our intuitive senses in the same way, so we go around with them wide open, often hurting ourselves in the process.
“That is why I became an intuitive mentor. Giving others a clear path to begin their journey of discovery and to be a guide to help clear the old negative patterns and beliefs that may have been created is how I’m guided to use my gifts.”
Empowered empaths:
•Know what their own energy feels like and choose their vibrational frequency. •Value their own needs and opinions. •Generate their own intentionalised energy field. •Create their own abundance doing what they love. •Attract likeminded, empowered friendships & relationships. •Establish and enforce clear boundaries. •Manifest their dreams for their highest potential. •Are highly tuned to their intuition, easily hearing and comprehending its guidance in all things. •Filter the energetic information received from others. Acknowledging its message and easily releasing it into the universe for transmutation.
LEITH JENSEN
The Reconnective Path: Healing bodies, freeing minds, empowering lives
facebook.com/ thereconnectivepath Tel: 0415 577 776
One for the Blokes
MICHELLE BRIDGES HAS ANNOUNCED A NEW BLOKES ONLY PROGRAM, DRAWING ON HER 12 WEEK BODY TRANSFORMATION (12WBT) PROGRAM. THE NEW CONCEPT HAS BEEN SPECIALLY TAILORED FOR AUSSIE MEN AND WILL BE LED BY EXPERIENCED STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING TRAINER, TODD LIUBINSKAS.
The new program, created by blokes for blokes, is ideal for males who haven’t exercised in a very long time, or ever. The first program kicked off this year running alongside the next round of 12WBT. “At 12WBT, we’ve had incredible success with men following our program; mostly husbands or partners doing it because their significant other is,” says Michelle. “However, I felt we could do better for our blokes. The way we deliver this program, from the look and feel to the training and nutrition, is different to any other 12WBT program and totally unique to anything else that’s out there. “Even in 2020 with so much available to us to support better health, I do believe men’s health tends to take a back seat, so we’ve designed this program to make it really accessible and inclusive.” The 12WBT Blokes Only program has been designed for beginner to intermediate fitness levels with the mission to empower and support Aussie men to optimise their own and each other’s health and wellbeing. Participants will start slow and smart with mobility and stability exercises, with the workout difficulty progressing each session. The program is split into three 4-week training phases, which has been proven to be the smartest way to train the male body. Week 1-4: Focus on flexibility, mobility and strength. Week 5-8: Build strength and enhance cardio fitness. Week 9-12: Train to produce power and ferocious fitness. The blokes joining the program won’t be going hungry. A weekly meal plan of simple and delicious recipes has been developed to fuel the male body for optimum nutrition and performance. Todd specialises in strength and conditioning training and brings a wealth of knowledge and a holistic approach to health and fitness.
He has competed in Functional Training competitions, adventure races, 550km endurance runs from LA to Las Vegas and more.
“The Blokes Only program was created for the everyday bloke who may not know where to start in their quest for good health,” he said. “Every detail of this program was designed to ensure sustainability for long-term quality of life. What I’d love to see is an overall lifestyle shift for participants as they develop a focused mindset whilst still having fun with their training and nutrition. I want these blokes to have the ability to kick the footy with their kids, go on adventure holidays, and just generally live the active life that we all strive for.”
More at 12wbt.com/blokes-only
Dream Team
CAMERON DADDO IS A FAMILIAR FACE ON AUSTRALIAN TV SCREENS, AND FOR THE PAST 25 OR SO YEARS, HAS ENJOYED SUCCESS IN THE US ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY.
He has just embarked on one of his most ambitious projects yet – My Men’s Team, a national initiative to empower men to create teams in their local communities to support mental and emotional health. According to statistics from Movember, more than 51 percent of Australian men aged between 18 and 34 avoid talking about their problems for fear of being seen as “less masculine”. “We fellas spend so much time attempting to stay on top of things, our work, our families and friends and our physical fitness, but what about our emotional fitness? Are we working these ‘muscles’? I set up Men’s Team to assist guys to form their own team, to train and be strong in the art of conversation and sharing their feelings.” For Cameron, the path was very personal. “A decade ago, I was going through a very challenging time. My work was not providing the money needed to support my family. The incessant chatter in my brain woke me at 3am, I had lost faith in my usual support channels and I felt I had nowhere to turn. My wife and kids were copping outbursts that I couldn’t contain. “Out of desperation, I group-emailed the fathers at our kids’ school and briefly shared my situation, with an invitation- ‘if you feel the same way, please let me know’. A surprising response of positivity followed along with brave acknowledgments of being in similar situations and feeling similar things. “I organised a meeting in my garage and 23 men turned up to listen and share
their experiences. That group lasted three sessions. While our intent was there, we didn’t have the right tools to keep it going. Clearly, the timing wasn’t right, but deep down I knew I needed something like this.” Five years later, Cameron was invited to join an existing group-meeting of men. “This time there were eight guys and they referred to themselves as a ‘team’. Initially I was a tad sceptical, but I went regardless. “My cynicism was extinguished within two meetings. I witnessed eight individuals actively commit to one another, supporting emotions and feelings without judgement, with genuine care and with quiet strength, they were indeed a TEAM. They had a blueprint and a code that works and is still working today. A better more rounded, reliable and socially aware group of blokes would be hard to find.” Cameron is now encouraging others to form teams in their own communities, supplying the online tools and resources to better manage life’s challenges, in whatever form they take.
My MensTeam contains a free blueprint for blokes who create a team and connect with Daddo’s initiative. More at mymensteam.org
Recipes……… The Heart Health Guide
FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF “THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET” AND “THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET COOKBOOK”, AUSTRALIA’S LEADING EXPERT ON THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET SHOWS US HOW TO IMPROVE OUR HEART HEALTH.
Heart disease is the single leading cause of death in Australia. Every one of us either has or knows someone who has a common risk factor of heart disease, such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure. Sustainable, satisfying and suitable for the whole family, this is a diet that is a proven pathway to better heart health as much as it promotes long-term good health and wellbeing.
THE HEART HEALTH GUIDE BY DR CATHERINE ITSIOPOULOS, PUBLISHED BY MACMILLAN, RRP $34.99, PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROB PALMER.
This way of cooking a whole chicken has become popular as it is easy and produces moist, tasty results.
CHICKEN ON A SPIT
INGREDIENTS
SERVES 6
• 1 x 375ml drink can, half-filled with any of the following: lemon iced tea, beer, lemon-flavoured mineral water, soda water with lemon juice • 1 x 1.5kg chicken • ½ cup (125ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra • 1 teaspoon oregano leaves • 1 teaspoon dried or finely chopped rosemary leaves • ½ teaspoon sweet paprika • ½ teaspoon chilli flakes • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper • Juice 2 lemons (reserve a lemon half) • 1 bunch (250g) rainbow
Dutch carrots, peeled • 500g royal blue baby potatoes, halved (preferably unpeeled) • 2 red onions, quartered • 4 or 5 garlic cloves, unpeeled • 1 cup (250ml) boiling water
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 190°C. Stand a can – half-filled with the liquid of your choice – in the middle of a large roasting tin. Check the oven to make sure the shelves will accommodate a chicken standing upright. Wash the chicken under running water, then pat dry with kitchen paper. Rub with the olive oil and half of the oregano, rosemary, paprika, chilli flakes, salt and pepper. Place the reserved juiced lemon half inside the chicken cavity, then carefully stand the chicken on the upright can in the tin. Arrange the vegetables and garlic cloves around the chicken, then season well with the remaining herbs and spices. Drizzle over some extra olive oil, then pour the boiling water into the tin and carefully place it in the oven. Roast for 30–45 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear when the thickest part of a thigh is pierced with a knife. Serve the chicken with the roasted vegetables and the sautéed wild greens.
Green Time over Screen Time
CONFIRMING WHAT MOST PARENTS BELIEVE, KIDS BENEFIT FROM TIME SPENT IN NATURE, RATHER THAN ABSORBED IN THEIR SCREEN, ACCORDING TO A NEW REVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL STUDIES.
A University of Adelaide review of 186 studies from around the world has found “green time” is far better for children and adolescents mental health and academic achievement than screen time.
Screen time – time spent watching TV, computers or playing video games - is generally associated with poor psychological outcomes for children and adolescents including increased levels of mental illness, poorer cognitive functioning and poorer academic achievement.
Conversely, green time – time spent in the natural environment – was generally associated with favourable psychological outcomes including lower levels of mental illness, superior cognitive functioning, and higher academic achievement.
Researcher Tassia Oswald, who conducted the study – published in PLOS ONE - as part of her PhD research, said further work using high quality research designs would be able to dissect the mechanisms involved in these outcomes.
She said young people from low socioeconomic backgrounds are under represented in the literature which is problematic given some findings suggest they may be disproportionately affected.
“The psychological consequences of excessive screen time appears to possibly be worse for these children, while psychological benefits of green time appears to possibly be greater for these children.
“Little research considered the reciprocal effects of high levels of screen time and low levels of green time, so it’s hard to know whether high screen time alone, low green time alone, or the combination of both high screen time and low green time is responsible for poorer child and adolescent mental health.
“More research in this direction would help us to work out whether we should focus our efforts on reducing young peoples’ screen time or whether simply increasing their green time alongside their screen time would be beneficial for their psychological wellbeing.”
Ms Oswald said much of the screen time research is related to older forms of technology – television, video games, computers – and more future work should look at the psychological
effects of portable technologies like smartphones and tablets.
“Experiences of mental illness in childhood or adolescence have implications for an individual’s lifelong mental health trajectory,’’ she said.
“So prevention is key and identifying exposures which harm or help mental health is especially important for young people. Providing parents, teachers, researchers, policy makers, and young people themselves with a summary of what evidence is out there may help them understand the psychological impacts of exposure to screen-based technologies and natural environments to ensure optimal wellbeing.”
ELECTRIFYING PERFORMANCE
THE 2020 PORSCHE TAYCAN IS THE BRAND’S FIRST ALL-ELECTRIC VEHICLE.
The Taycan marks a start of a new era. The four-door sports sedan is a unique package, offering typical Porsche performance and connectivity with everyday usability. It has the soul of the Porsche, electrified. The flagship Taycan Turbo S can generate up to 560 kW / 761 PS* (horsepower) of overboost power in combination with Launch Control. The Taycan Turbo S accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in just 2.8 seconds, the same acceleration figures as a 911 GT2 RS. It has a combined range of up to 405 km# when the battery is fully charged. The Taycan Turbo generates up to 500 kW / 680 PS* (horsepower) of overboost power in combination with Launch Control and completes the zero to 100 km/h sprint in 3.2 seconds with a range of up to 420 km# when the battery is fully charged and a top speed of 260 km/h. Completing the line-up is the Taycan 4S, which produces up to 390 kW / 530 PS* (horsepower) of power and 640 Nm of torque, performance output coupled with a two-speed transmission and powered by a 79.2 kWh Performance Battery. The Taycan 4S accelerates from a standing start to 100 km/h in 4.0 seconds and has a top speed of 250 km/h. The range is 365 km# when the battery is fully charged. The Performance Battery Plus package on the Taycan 4S is available as an option. It increases battery capacity to 93.4 kWh resulting in a notable performance increase of up to 420 kW / 571 PS* (horsepower) of power and 650 Nm of torque, as well as an increased combined range of 414 km#. From the front it looks particularly wide and flat with highly contoured wings. The silhouette is shaped by the sporty roofline sloping downward to the rear. The highly sculpted side sections are also characteristic. The headlights of the Taycan are fitted with an innovative floating appearance at the front. For the first time, all light functions are also integrated into a single module, resulting in sleeker design. Inside, the Porsche Advanced Cockpit signals the start of a new era with its clear structure and a completely new architecture. The free-standing, curved instrument cluster forms the highest point on the dashboard. This places a clear focus on the driver axis. A central, 10.9-inch infotainment display and an optional passenger display are combined to form an integrated glass band in a blackpanel look. All user interfaces have been completely newly designed for the Taycan. The number of classic hardware controls such as switches and buttons has been greatly reduced. Instead, control is intelligent and intuitive – using touch operation or the voice control function, which responds to the command ’Hey Porsche‘. With the Taycan, Porsche offers an entirely leather-free interior for the first time. Interiors made from innovative recycled materials underscore the sustainable concept of the electric sports car. The Taycan has two exceptionally efficient electric motors, one on the front axle and one on the rear axle, thus making the cars all-wheel drive. The Taycan uses a centrally networked control system for the chassis. The integrated Porsche 4D Chassis Control analyses and synchronises all chassis systems in real time. Four driving modes are available: ‘Range’, ‘Normal’, ‘Sport’ and ‘Sport Plus’. In addition, individual systems can be configured as required in the ‘Individual’ mode. The Taycan is the first production vehicle with a system voltage of 800 volts, rather than the usual 400 volts for many electric cars. This enables consistent high performance, reduces the charging time and decreases the weight and installation space of the cabling. It also boasts a maximum peak charging capacity of 270 kW (Performance Battery Plus). In Australia, owners will have several ways to charge their Taycan, including High Performance Charging, Home Charging and Porsche Destination Charging. Porsche Destination Chargers capable of AC charging are being installed across both metropolitan and regional sites giving owners access to complimentary charging of Porsche models. Porsche Destination Charging will continue to be installed at premium lifestyle destinations such as luxury hotels, theatres and entertainment venues, restaurants, shopping precincts and cellar door locations.
Porsche Centre Gold Coast 1 Harvest Court, Southport Tel: 5555 7911 porschegoldcoast.com.au
How to Ask Your Child, “Are You Ok?”
By Dr Dain Heer
WHAT IF ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS TO ASK OUR KIDS IS ALSO ONE OF THE HARDEST? RIGHT NOW, MORE THAN EVER WE NEED TO ASK OUR KIDS: “ARE YOU OK?”. WE ALSO NEED TO BE READY TO LISTEN EVEN IF THE ANSWER IS “NO, I AM NOT OK.”
It may not what we would like to hear, and I say: be grateful. That answer is your invitation to contribute to your child during one of the most confusing times of their life. Up until the COVID-19 crisis, the world made some kind of sense to most kids. But as pandemic progresses, it is challenging things most of them have taken for granted up to this point, such as going to school, hanging with friends, seeing their grandparents and planning for the future. Even worse, no one can tell them when this will be over. Not even their go-to oracles: the parents. They are left with an eerie sense of insecurity. That is hard enough for us adults to handle. Just imagine if you had to deal with that as a child or teenager! Organisations such as the Australian Medical Association are predicting a 25 to 50 percent increase in national suicides over the next five years. With suicides currently the leading cause of death in Australia of young people between the ages of 15 and 24, the possibility of an increase is concerning, for us all. Having personally suffered from depression to the point where 20 years ago, I set a date to end my life, I know how important it is to have someone in your life that cares for you. Someone from whom you can ask for help. Someone that you can trust. As a parent, you can be that for your kids. You can help them navigate this new unpredictable world in which we now live.
These are my top 3 tips on how to check in with your child and know that they are ok.
1. TALK WITH YOUR KIDS.
Start talking with your kids about real things when they are very young. Make sure they know you are willing to hear anything: the good, the bad, and the ugly. If your kids are older and you do not have great communication, don’t judge yourself for that. Just START NOW! It is never too late.
Ask questions. Listen to the answer, in words, energy or actions. Be interested. Be present. Engage. Sometimes the greatest contribution you can be to your child is giving them your full attention, where they get to be the most important person at that moment.
2. NEVER JUDGE YOUR CHILD OR THEIR CHOICES.
If you judge your kids for the choices they make, they will stop coming to you when there are things they are struggling with. Actually, they will stop coming to you, period. They need to know that no matter what they tell you, they will not be judged. If your teenager tells you they were drinking, ask them questions. Did you have fun? Tell me about it? Being interested in your child’s life, without continuously grading their experiences as right or wrong or good and bad, creates the space for them to come to you with the big things. The old paradigm of parenting to teach our kids right and wrong no longer works. The world is different and what was true for you may not be true for your kids. Find out how they see the world and what works for them. What if your kids could be your greatest teachers? What if being your teacher is a gift to them?
3. TELL YOUR KIDS THAT THEY ARE A GIFT AND THAT THEIR VOICE MATTERS.
Feelings of not fitting in, of being unworthy and different are not uncommon as kids grow up. Teenagers spend an enormous amount of time and energy comparing themselves to others. They wonder what their value is and yearn for validation. They seek for meaning and identity. Navigating through this can be difficult, especially today with social media flooding with points of view.
As a parent to teenagers, it sometimes seems like everyone else’s point of view matters more than yours. Don’t give up. What you say does matter, even if your teenager pretends it doesn’t. Have conversations that acknowledge that what makes your child different is what makes them great. Talk to them about people they respect and admire and point out their differences. Let them know that you are a safe space for them, where they are appreciated and acknowledged for exactly who they are. Even if they are just able to hear five percent of all of that at the moment, those five percent matters more than you can imagine! So, how do you ask your child if they are ok? First, be willing to hear that they are not. Then be the voice and the ear that lets them know that no matter what they face, they’ve got this.
More at drdainheer.com
DR DAIN HEER
