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18/12/2024
This year’s newsletter topics ranged from bone drugs, muscle soreness, and supplements to dementia, olive oil, and whether we become more flatulent with age.
24/11/2024
Older women are major users of supplements, so it’s important that we’re getting what we pay for and not falling for hollow promises.
24/11/2024
Last month I wrote about research that’s using brain training as one part of a dementia prevention strategy. But how much difference can it make?
24/11/2024
If by the end of the year you all too often feel overloaded, there’s an antidote.
23/10/2024
Their research is the first major trial to show that lifestyle changes can improve brain health and prevent cognitive decline.
23/10/2024
This month the Australian Bureau of Statistics published data on causes of death for last year. While dementia is up there again, we’re making progress.
23/10/2024
I asked 10 women that question. Here’s what they said.
21/08/2024
This isn’t easy at the best of times, but it’s even harder when it comes about because of a loss.
20/08/2024
It’s pitched as the centrepiece of the famed Mediterranean diet, but is it the wonder oil it’s made out to be?
10/08/2024
After more than three decades of manufacturing non-toxic personal care products, Corinne says we’ve now got more choice in this area than ever before.
26/07/2024
An Australian study provides evidence that supporting someone with cancer makes a very real difference.
26/07/2024
We get these 'knots' when we overload our muscles, either through exertion or poor posture. Especially in winter, we can even wake up with them.
Elizabeth’s story: I think you have to be able to live and find the joy in life, but with moderation
26/07/2024
A lot has changed in Elizabeth’s life in recent years, but the way she eats isn’t one of them.
25/06/2024
If there’s one supplement that attracts curiosity, it’s probably magnesium. Perhaps because magnesium seems so multi-purpose. Here are some basics.
24/06/2024
We’ve all heard that they can be. But what’s the story behind that? And how can we change it?
24/06/2024
When I spoke with Goody for the book she’d just turned 62. In February this year she was 69. What links those two ages is her love of dance.
28/05/2024
We can take preventative measures to help our bones, but if we lose enough bone tissue there’ll be a conversation about medication. Here’s a rundown on the most common types.
28/05/2024
Although passing gas is perfectly normal, many women feel it gets worse as they get older.
11/05/2024
The biggest change for Margaret in the last seven years has been the loss of her husband Dino. It’s taken, and still takes, an effort to pick herself up from that.
28/04/2024
I’ve been in two minds about collagen. We lose it in spades as we get older. But if we digest it as a supplement, does it go to where we need it?
28/04/2024
It’s been in favour, out of favour, and on the fence. But it might be somewhat back in favour —with provisos.
28/04/2024
Kym, 62, is an artist who creates handmade paper sculptures that reflect women’s lives.
20/03/2024
It’s been studied for decades, and long used by athletes, but creatine is also being touted as a way to help older people avoid frailty and osteoporosis.
20/03/2024
No one wants to be told their LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) has jumped up. But take a deep breath because it mightn’t mean what you think it means.
20/03/2024
This month it’s that long since I launched my book on the habits of healthy, vital older women, so it’s a chance to reflect briefly on what’s changed in that time and what I might say differently today.
25/02/2024
While it might leave you feeling like you’re falling apart, your spine’s just showing signs of normal age-related change.
25/02/2024
A recent study argued this is the case, at least in women under 60, and it got international coverage. But here’s why we can’t take what the media tells us at face value.
25/02/2024
Heart disease is mostly treated as being about numbers, like blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar. But maybe there’s an important dimension we’ve been missing.
28/01/2024
One benefit is it significantly cuts the risk of urinary tract infections. That alone could make it worthwhile.
28/01/2024
Stronger muscle and bone help us to keep mobile, avoid falling, and stay living independently. But strength also improves the function of other key organs.
28/01/2024
A simple fitness calculator aims to tell whether your body’s biologically older or younger than your chronological age.
18/12/2023
A lot of ground gets covered between January and December. Here's a collection of some of the key points from this year's newsletters.
26/11/2023
By our mid-60s our blood test results can predict our likelihood of becoming centenarians.
26/11/2023
It was World Diabetes Day on November 14. Managing our blood sugar is one of the fundamentals of ageing well.
26/11/2023
It sounds like we’re in for tough temperatures over the next few months, and older bodies are less resilient in extreme conditions. Let’s be as prepared as we can.
27/10/2023
The Washington Post recently asked three geriatricians how we can live our best older lives. They had seven tips.
27/10/2023
The gym I go to has words of motivation on the wall, but they’re not aimed at me. So I rewrote them.
27/10/2023
As we know, there’s a mental health crisis in our culture. Dr Caroline Leaf argues that it’s a mind management crisis.
20/09/2023
As we age, strong, mobile feet are a major asset. Warmer temperatures make that easier to accomplish.
20/09/2023
Intimidated or just put off by the idea of lifting weights? Researchers say it might not be as hard as you think.
20/09/2023
A new Australian system for calculating heart disease and stroke risk was launched a couple of months ago, and we can enter our own data to see where we stand.
27/08/2023
As younger women we might’ve liked or disliked them because of the way they looked. As older women, what matters is their strength.
27/08/2023
Women worry about falling more than men. So we limit our activity, which increases our risk of falling. It’s a vicious cycle we need to steer clear of.
27/08/2023
Much as we want to live full lives, we also need fallow patches.
26/07/2023
This time they were on the same side, and they’ve won. At least for now.
26/07/2023
Ever worry that your brain isn’t as sharp as it used to be? Plenty of us do. But there may be something we can do about it, even into our 80s.
26/07/2023
Winter can be a tough time to have a blood test if your veins don’t cooperate. Here are two strategies that can help.
26/06/2023
There’s fresh debate about this. Here’s how to make sense of it.
26/06/2023
It needs to be ‘weight-bearing’, right? Except that many types of exercise we might think fit that description won’t affect bone one iota.
26/06/2023
Discovering we have osteopenia or osteoporosis can come as a surprise, but our best bet is to focus on where we can make positive changes.
22/05/2023
Deal with it while it’s minor. Don’t let it go until it really hurts.
22/05/2023
From supplements to extracts from your own body, the range of joint treatments is growing.
22/05/2023
Almost 120,000 Australians had a hip or knee replaced last year because of osteoarthritis. Most were women. But there’s still a mythology around the disease.
25/04/2023
A recent study concluded that walking for 11 minutes a day could reduce our risk of an early death by 10 per cent. But maybe there are better reasons to put on our walking shoes.
25/04/2023
A team of dementia specialists say addressing what we already know about the disease could prevent or delay 40 per cent of it worldwide.
25/04/2023
Calcium, vitamin D, K2, magnesium, and omega 3. Here’s where the research sits.
20/03/2023
When Jennifer unexpectedly lost her job in her 60s she was devastated. But she found the strength to deal with it from an unexpected source.
19/03/2023
No one needs to tell us there’s a difference between young and old brains. But that’s not a bad thing. Maybe it’s time we learned to appreciate what age provides.
19/03/2023
Aside from often being a daily necessity, stairs build lower body strength. So it’s worth ensuring we use the right parts of our body to go up and down them.
23/02/2023
Here’s a story about a fit and apparently healthy woman who had a heart attack. We all need a reminder about possible symptoms.
23/02/2023
London Professor Tim Spector is an expert on gut bacteria, and what he’s learned has altered his own diet. Here are six changes he’s made.
23/02/2023
Menopause can be a rollercoaster. But it also has an aftermath. Both aspects are important. Right now we’re often not dealing with either.
27/01/2023
Scientists from a study on hydration say that people who are well-hydrated live longer, age better and have fewer chronic conditions. Only problem is they fudged their results. So are those claims still true? This took place in the US through the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). The work on hydration used data […]
27/01/2023
Are women entering middle-age now more or less healthy than the previous generation at the same age?
27/01/2023
Healthy habits are great, but there’s an argument that they don’t suit everyone.
18/12/2022
This is a summary of main points from the posts of 2022.
27/11/2022
Yale University health and psychology professor Becca Levy says yes. And she has the research to back her up.
27/11/2022
As the year hurtles towards Christmas and holidays, drinking opportunities abound. At the same time, alcohol consumption guidelines are tightening in line with health research. How do we juggle the two?
27/11/2022
Comedy actor Magda Szubanski’s three-part series on the ABC this month pointed out that the explosion in obesity and chronic disease in this country isn’t because we’re all weak-willed and hopeless.
25/10/2022
Alcohol’s a sedative and older people often use it to get to sleep. But is that a good idea?
25/10/2022
For almost 18 months melatonin has been available over the counter for older Australians, so is it worth investigating?
25/10/2022
A recent study on younger women produced noteworthy results, and it has implications for we not-so-young women.
25/09/2022
Loss and grief occur all the time yet we’re knocked sideways when they happen to us. While no one can lessen the blow of losing loved ones, can we set ourselves up to weather the process better? Two interview-style studies carried out in the last decade give us insight into how older women grapple with […]
25/09/2022
When life knocks us over we need all the reserves we can muster. A surprisingly useful one could be our gut.
25/09/2022
We know that a diverse diet is key to a healthy gut, which seems to be key to just about everything else. But it can be handy to see an example of what a diverse diet could look like.
28/08/2022
As a promotion for his new book on longevity he made a short video answering five questions. I agree with him…mostly.
28/08/2022
A team of Brazilian researchers argue that this simple test should be included in routine health checks for older people.
27/07/2022
Losing muscle and strength is like having our bank account slowly drained. Initially it’s too subtle to notice, though it can be well under way by the time we’re 60.
27/07/2022
This is a tale about a couple in their 80s who set themselves a tough challenge and pulled it off.
27/07/2022
Feel like a phone that’s running on ten percent charge? University of California Psychology professor Sara Mednick is an authority on how to replenish our energy stores.
28/06/2022
It’s not a stretch to say that exercise or movement is the number one way to preserve our quality of life as we get older, but many of us struggle to be consistent, don’t do enough to make a difference, or get ourselves injured. So here are four principles to bear in mind.
28/06/2022
In October 2013 the ABC TV science program Catalyst aired two episodes on statins. Presenter Maryanne Demasi ultimately lost her job over these and a later episode on mobile phones. But she’s a medical researcher and she’s still uncovering information about statins.
28/06/2022
In these cooler months it’s easy to forget about water. But here are four good reasons to make an effort.
26/05/2022
If you’re dealing with excess weight, lack of energy or signs of chronic disease, don’t automatically blame your genes or your age. First, look at the way you eat.
26/05/2022
Cleaning up the house or yard can be good for us as well as our surroundings. But only if we use our bodies well and avoid injury. Here are three pointers for doing that.
26/05/2022
This is a condition on the rise — partly for lifestyle reasons and partly because we’re getting older.
28/04/2022
Dairy can be a mixed nutritional bag, and there have been different views about its benefit for bone. But an Australian study on people in their 80s concluded that it improved bone density and reduced falls.
28/04/2022
Maybe you already have. But was it a wise move? That depends.
28/04/2022
This month I did a batch of standard health tests — a general blood test, a bone density scan and a sun cancer check — and for possibly the first time in my adult life I felt I came out on top in all of them. In my mid-60s.
21/03/2022
Imagine a psychiatrist who’s also a professional chef. That combination produces ‘nutritional psychiatry’ — the use of food in the treatment of mental health.
21/03/2022
We know about a healthy diet, exercise and not smoking, but there are other easy steps to cardiovascular health.
21/03/2022
That was the theme of International Women’s Day this year and the health system is as biased as any. But how to deal with it?
23/02/2022
Here’s a story about something you probably didn’t think of getting yourself for Valentine’s Day.
23/02/2022
In a new book, Scottish doctor Malcolm Kendrick outlines what he believes really underlies cardiovascular disease.
23/02/2022
The longest ever study of bone density in women gives us insight we haven’t had before.
27/11/2021
It’s the latest nutritional trend and it sounds incredibly healthy. But it’s not easy to sort the wheat from the chaff.
27/11/2021
It was about tackling type 2 diabetes Down Under, but even if you’re never at risk of the disease this program contained valuable insights.
27/11/2021
A Monash Uni study says yes. So should Christmas celebrations start early?
26/10/2021
That’s the title of a recent book by Melbourne medical professor Cassandra Szoeke. After 30 years of collecting and analyzing data on women’s health, here are some of her key observations.
26/10/2021
Sometimes life lives up to the saying ‘it never rains but it pours’. This woman explains how falling set off a string of health problems. But what could she — and all of us — do to sidestep that?
26/10/2021
Vitamin D is often linked to bone health but researchers with the Women’s Healthy Ageing Project in Melbourne think it’s also vital for brain health.
28/09/2021
In the last century there’ve been two major theories on what makes us fat — the one we grew up with, and one that’s both more recent and, at least at the moment, more credible.
27/09/2021
Growing up can be a mixed bag. As psychologist Steve Biddulph points out in his latest book Fully Human, our lives as kids can have a big influence on our health as adults.
27/09/2021
Iris Apfel, self-proclaimed geriatric starlet, and best known for her trademark black glasses and colourful outfits, recently celebrated her 100th birthday (29 August). Even if you don’t subscribe to her theory of ‘More is more and less is a bore’, she’s said some pretty wise things. Here’s a taste.
27/08/2021
A breakthrough study has shown that metabolism stays stable between the ages of 20 and 60 and doesn’t start to dip until our 60s.
27/08/2021
They certainly seem to, and the big issue is how diverse those bugs are.
27/08/2021
Women are drinking more since covid arrived — in response to stress, uncertainty and ‘the need to get through this’.
29/07/2021
Menopause, age and genes can help increase it. We can’t control those, but research points to four important things we can control.
29/07/2021
At a time when many of us may be wondering just how long this covid-limbo phase of life will go on, American author Cheryl Richardson’s has a valuable practice.
29/07/2021
Who’d have thought that this butterfly-shaped gland in our neck could affect our heart health? But as it turns out it’s a close connection.
28/06/2021
Arteries are like hoses in that they can get stiff and hard. It’s called ‘vascular ageing’ but it’s about lifestyle as well as age.
28/06/2021
Cholesterol is vital to the function of our body. So how does something so essential turn into ‘plaque’?
28/06/2021
There’s a range of ways we can preserve them, and the challenge is to put together an approach that suits us.
28/05/2021
The chillier months can be a challenging time to stay feeling great. But with a bit of preparation it’s entirely possible.
28/05/2021
If you want an insight into your heart disease risk, pull out your last blood test results. There’s useful information in there if you know where to look.
28/05/2021
Jane Brody — who’s been writing a health and medical column for the New York Times for 45 years — notched up her 80th birthday this month. Recently she shared her secret to a happy and vibrant old age.
17/04/2021
It’s hard to recall a time when mental health was so much in the news. But what do older women think are the keys to their mental health?
17/04/2021
The findings of a major study on heart disease in women should shift the way doctors look at prevention.
17/04/2021
Most of us assume exercise will help us lose weight by burning calories, but the surprising results of a study on children in Ecuador shed new light on the truth of that.
28/03/2021
It’s actually the first Australian book on this disease and it’s a valuable resource.
28/03/2021
From the brain’s perspective, life is like a roller coaster with one big rise, followed by a long, slow decline. But we have the capacity to change that.
28/03/2021
We’ve all had the experience of going to a particular room for something and forgetting what that was. It’s an age thing, right? Wrong, says an eminent neuroscientist.
24/02/2021
It’s an old debate. If we’re overweight or obese but active, does our activity counter those extra kilos? The answer seems to be in.
24/02/2021
Remember when cancer was the disease everyone was afraid of? That’s probably been replaced by dementia. But here’s another study confirming that we can improve cognitive function.
24/02/2021
We’re told for yonks to get mammograms and that early detection saves lives. Then at age 75 we’re often told it doesn’t matter anymore. Why? And is that wise?
29/01/2021
Physical activity is central to taking care of ourselves. And while January is done, you’ve still got time to turn this year into one when you really reap the benefits. Here are seven ways to help make it happen. Put it in your diary. Treat your daily exercise the same way you’d treat any […]
29/01/2021
It’s widely acknowledged that 2020 wasn’t the easiest of years, and this one mightn’t be a lot different. But there’s plenty we can do to make the most of it.
29/01/2021
This research has been going for 25 years and is teaching us a lot about our health from middle to older age.
26/11/2020
It’s been a ridiculously tough year for many people, and what we’re learning about stress and disease reinforces the importance of taking the best possible care of ourselves in difficult times.
26/11/2020
A few years ago research on fish oil was so positive that it became the most popular supplement in the world. Now study results vary, so perhaps we need a more nuanced approach to both fish oil and fish.
26/11/2020
In spite of their vulnerable health status, older Indigenous Australian women have come through this year’s Covid threat incredibly well. There’s a lot the rest of us could learn from why that happened.
27/10/2020
We’ve all tried diets and they work. Until they don’t, right? But while they’re often not a long-term solution, they can teach us something useful.
27/10/2020
October is the month when Bakers Delight whips up a gazillion pink buns and we raise funds for breast cancer research. But could we do more to act on the research we already have?
27/10/2020
A single, female friend retired a couple of months ago. Retirement involves adjustment at the best of times but it can be especially challenging if you’re single.
25/09/2020
A newly published Swedish study set out to determine whether what we eat or what we weigh is the bigger issue for our health in later life.
25/09/2020
As former sex discrimination commissioner and NSW MP Pru Goward pointed out in a recent newspaper article, the problem isn’t ageing, it’s the way the way we deal with it. Or more to the point, fail to deal with it.
25/09/2020
American author Martha Beck argues that resilience comprises four qualities: honesty, humility, flexibility and patience.
25/08/2020
One of the most fascinating new areas of nutrition research is demonstrating that our guts may be as individual as our fingerprints.
25/08/2020
Author Trent Dalton recently wrote an article for the Weekend Australian that both touched my heart and reinforced the huge role our female friends play in our mental and emotional health.
25/08/2020
As part of the global effort to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s, an international team of scientists has published their top 10 recommendations for preventing the disease.
29/07/2020
In recent months there’s been talk of vitamin D boosting our immunity in the face of COVID-19. So how much attention should we be paying to our levels right now?
29/07/2020
I’ve written before about alternatives to conventional anti-inflammatories, but if you’re dealing with chronic pain here’s an option worth knowing about.
29/07/2020
You’ve probably heard of rotator cuff injuries or tears. Frustratingly, we’re more susceptible to them with age, but there’s plenty we can do to keep our shoulders working well.
28/06/2020
After the last item I posted on fat and carbs — which I know is at odds with the Heart Foundation’s message — the least I can do is help you make sense of these kinds of contradictions.
28/06/2020
Arguments continue about which end of this spectrum is healthier but the results of a recent study give us strong clues.
28/06/2020
She turned 79 earlier this year and is an example of the way it’s possible to improve physically as we get older.
26/05/2020
There hasn’t been much evidence for this but a research group from the University of Alabama thinks we can.
26/05/2020
COVID-19 restrictions might be lifting but it’s still easy to find ourselves eating and drinking more than normal. Here’s how a couple of well-known older people with a health focus are tackling their food intake while largely staying home.
26/05/2020
Since the way women dress is curiously linked to the life stages of a sheep, perhaps you’ve looked in the mirror at some point and wondered where you stood on the lamb and mutton scale. If so, this is for you.
28/04/2020
While our culture’s obsessed with the female form, that doesn’t include older women. But an arts program in Melbourne aims to shift that.
27/04/2020
As writer Ashton Applewhite says, the trouble with ageing isn’t getting old, it’s ageism. I recently read her book This Chair Rocks which made me realise that not only does a lot of ageism go over my head, I’m pretty ageist myself.
27/04/2020
You spent Easter and Anzac Day at home, and there’s only so many more park walks and Zoom chats you can take. It’s enough to make anyone reach for their stockpile of rice and pasta or start compulsively baking bread.
27/03/2020
If we’re spending most of the next few months inside, it won’t help any of us to emerge from our cocoons fatter, weaker or less fit and healthy. In fact, good health will be a great asset. Even without a pandemic on the doorstep, these four areas are important every year to build our resistance […]
27/03/2020
When author Liz Gilbert recently visited Australia, she had a big and probably unexpected message for women. R-E-L-A-X, she said. What was especially sobering was her discussion of the stress levels of so many prominent, high-status women, i.e. women who have ‘made it’, the ones we look up to. “I’ve been in their homes”, she […]
27/03/2020
We’ve heard a lot about older people being the ones at risk from this virus, so let’s look at some facts. Older people aren’t more likely to get it or spread it. The problem is that older immune systems can be more vulnerable. While health is a bigger issue than age — our risk doesn’t […]
25/02/2020
A few months ago American writer Julia Hubbel published an article entitled Age is NOT a ‘condition’.
25/02/2020
Many of us might be surprised to know that Australian women aged 50 to 74 are more likely than younger women to exceed the safe drinking guideline of no more than two standard drinks on any one day. In Western countries generally, since the 1970s middle-aged and older women’s drinking has increased considerably. Yet we […]
25/02/2020
As much as we all think our health is important, when we’re busy it can easily slide into the background. So if that’s not enough to keep us motivated, what is? Michigan University researcher Michelle Segar has been studying women’s motivation to exercise for a couple of decades. As she says, many of us struggle […]
07/02/2020
If, despite the summer weather, you’ve either started or kept up a walking (or other exercise program) here’s more evidence that it’s a smart thing to do. Of the two lots of research I’m about to refer to, one was carried out in Norway and the other in Canada. The Norwegian study used long-term health […]
07/02/2020
It’s easy to feel as though brain health is something beyond our control, so it helps to know there are things we can do to create a calmer, healthier brain. University of Queensland neuroscientist Dr Selena Bartlett talks a lot about this. As she explains, the brain is like a computer and we can learn […]
07/02/2020
Last month the British Medical Journal published a study on the relationship between LDL (aka ‘bad’) cholesterol and dying among very high-risk heart disease patients. It showed that (shock, horror) the higher the LDL, the lower the risk of dying. The study reviewed data on over 23,000 people hospitalised for a heart attack or acute […]
08/01/2020
In a segment on ABC TV’s 7.30 program this week dementia was described as ‘the tsunami that’s bearing down upon us’. So what are we learning from prevention trials? As the segment pointed out, dementia affects 400,000 Australians and that number is expected to soar over coming decades. Prevention trials are investigating brain training, nutrition […]
08/01/2020
The results of an annual online survey into Australian women’s health were recently published and they might surprise you. The survey is carried out by the Victorian-based Jean Hailes Foundation. Each year the questions change a little, and in 2019 quite a few addressed mental health. I should point out that of the roughly 10,000 […]
08/01/2020
A new set of guidelines recommends having one if our risk of bowel cancer is more than 3% over the next 15 years. And there’s an online calculator to help us work that out. If we have a family history of bowel disease or we’ve had gut issues or internal bleeding, our GP will probably […]
08/01/2020
It’s hard to ignore this trend because vegan recipes and cafes seem to be everywhere. So should you ditch the animal products and jump aboard? If you did, would you be healthier? It’s hard these days to read something about healthy eating that doesn’t throw around the term ‘plant-based’ or quote American author Michael Pollan […]
08/01/2020
Stress is not only unpleasant and exhausting, it seems to be the ‘X’ factor in just about every disease. So managing it is important. While that can be easier said than done, it’s useful to recognise that we can do it at various levels. At a macro-level there might be holidays or other changes of […]
08/01/2020
When anyone has a sprain, strain or nasty bruise, I remind them about the standard RICE treatment — rest, ice, compression, elevation. It’s what every first aid course teaches and every medical source recommends. But is it the best option? When you injure yourself it hurts and swells up as the body floods the area […]
08/01/2020
When it comes to our health habits, sometimes we just need to lower our expectations. ‘Better than nothing’ was coined by the author of several time management and productivity books, American Laura Vanderkam. She says, and I agree, that we waste too much time over goals that are counterproductive. For example, at this time of […]
08/01/2020
You’ve no doubt heard that the Heart Foundation has changed its mind about the perils of dairy. For most of us, they say, it’s our call as to whether we choose full-fat or reduced-fat. So why the change? Because research has consistently shown that full-fat diary doesn’t increase our risk of a heart attack or […]
08/01/2020
June is 65 and a regular at the gym that I go to. She’s there most days and she’s intentional with her exercise. One day she mentioned that until recently exercise hadn’t been part of her life at all. I was keen to know what shifted. She’s been a stay-at-home mum, and she says, “a […]
08/01/2020
Most of us would think so, right? But a study on our national nut intake suggests otherwise. It was done by the School of Medicine at Wollongong Uni using data collected in 2011-2012. Dietary guidelines recommend 30 grams of (unsalted) nuts per day. Nuts provide fibre, healthy oils, and minerals such as magnesium. They’re a […]
29/08/2019
Don’t panic over reports that red meat is tied to an increased risk of breast cancer, especially in post-menopausal women. The (American) study that those reports are based on also concluded that white meat is associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer. In recent times there’s been a steady stream of research linking red […]
29/08/2019
It does, in four ways, and it has a lot to do with our liver. As Welsh researcher Zoe Harcombe points out, because the body registers alcohol as a poison, it prioritises its removal before doing anything else. The liver is a workhorse — it’s a busy organ with many jobs. But if there’s a […]
28/07/2019
There was a lot of media coverage this month on research published about the sex lives of UK women aged 50-75. The theme of the coverage was that sex dwindles with age. What’s more, only 3% of the women surveyed were positive about it. Hardly a ringing endorsement. So what’s that about? The women involved […]
26/07/2019
Not planning to partake in Dry July? Here’s an alternative challenge for July that’s likely to leave you weighing less and feeling better. About everything. The challenge is to eat slowly and mindfully for the month. Most of us get hung up on what to eat. Is it OK to eat bread? And potato? What […]
26/06/2019
A new report on cardiovascular disease in women provides important information for all of us. The report was produced by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Australia’s national body for the collection of stats and data on health and welfare. Cardiovascular disease is the umbrella term for heart disease, stroke and heart failure. Between […]
25/06/2019
Surely one of the best things about winter is winter food. And it’s not just the heartiness of it. It’s that it provides terrific nutrients for older bodies. As much as I’m a fan of root vegies, stewed fruit and hot crumble desserts — winter wouldn’t seem right without those — I’m referring to collagenous […]
25/06/2019
It’s common to assume that with age we get more set in our ways and that our brains don’t work as well as they used to. But MRI scans show something interesting: older brains work in a more integrated way. Carl Honoré, the London-based journalist who wrote a book about the ‘slow’ movement (slow food […]
29/05/2019
We recently had a fabulous lamb dinner at a friend’s place. She’s divorced, in her early 60s and lives on her own. “I love cooking,” she said, “just not for one.” I hear that a lot, so I asked her to help me come up with suggestions that might help other women in the same […]
29/05/2019
Although thyroid issues are more prevalent in older women, this little butterfly-shaped body part is still a mystery to most of us. Here are a few basics we should all be aware of. You probably know that your thyroid gland sits at the base of your neck, but you mightn’t appreciate that it’s part of […]
29/05/2019
You’re not into gyms, exercise classes or personal trainers. You don’t want to put on a special set of clothes and take time out for those things. But you’re happy to move, especially if you can slot it into your daily routine. The good news is you can largely stay fit by making your days […]
29/05/2019
Two UK women in their 50s who’d seen family members succumb to diseases such as cancer and dementia resolved to do what they could to avoid the same fate. For five years they studied the latest research and applied it to their lives. Now they’ve published a book based on their findings. Annabel Streets and […]
28/04/2019
Whether you did it in grand style traversing the slopes on your skiing holiday or pulling weeds in the garden, at some stage we all manage to hurt ourselves and need to recover. There are a few basic things we can do to help that along. Even minor injuries take their time when we’re no […]
28/04/2019
High blood pressure is the number one risk factor for heart disease, stroke and dementia, so keeping it healthy is vital. But where should you start? Traditionally, patients whose blood pressure climbed above 140/90 mm Hg were recommended for treatment, but in the US it’s recently been recommended that doctors start treatment at lower levels. […]
28/04/2019
How often are older people encouraged to move into a house that has no stairs? Simply because they’re older. That mightn’t be good advice. The term ‘exercise snacks’ has been used to describe the way a longer bout of exercise can be broken up into smaller bits that are done throughout the day. You might […]
27/04/2019
Fruit is healthy, but here’s why it’s also smart to limit the amount we eat. The trouble is that we humans keep tampering with it. Last month it was reported that a research team from Griffith Uni has been at work transforming the humble pawpaw (or papaya). They’re creating new varieties that will have a […]
25/03/2019
A New Zealand study has linked fibre with a lower incidence of diseases such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and bowel cancer. But when the study leader says this means we should think twice about low-carb diets, I think he’s barking up the wrong tree. This study got a lot of media coverage, […]
24/03/2019
Mainstream medicine advises against bioidentical hormones, but for some of us they could still be a useful part of our healthy ageing kit. I’ve been using a bioidentical hormone cream for nearly five years. It was never part of my plan. In my early 30s I’d been involved in research with women who used conventional […]
24/03/2019
The moral of the Aesop fable is that slow and steady wins the race. In recent years though it’s been high-intensity intervals that have won all the accolades. But are intervals more effective when it comes to fat loss? The focus on high-intensity has been good news to anyone who’s short of time, likes to […]
24/03/2019
You might’ve heard that there was more flu than usual around this summer and that hospitals are preparing for a big winter season. So give some thought now to how you’ll protect yourself. Swine Flu or the H1N1 virus is expected to be the most prevalent strain. It’s a type of Influenza A. I know […]
24/03/2019
The moral of the Aesop fable is that slow and steady wins the race. In recent years though it’s been high-intensity intervals that have won all the accolades. But are intervals more effective when it comes to fat loss? The focus on high-intensity has been good news to anyone who’s short of time, likes to […]
25/02/2019
Even among the pro-statin camp there’s been uncertainty about the use of statins for people over 75. This month the authors of a new paper claim that in Britain up to 8000 deaths a year could be prevented if everyone in that age bracket took them. Needless to say not everyone agrees. Two big medical […]
25/02/2019
A recent hunt for alternatives to anti-inflammatory drugs for a client opened my eyes to the range of natural anti-inflammatory products available now. For anyone who has a chronic inflammatory muscular, nerve or joint condition, or for those of us who injure ourselves from time to time, that’s good news. Treatment for these types of […]
25/02/2019
When Welsh researcher Zoe Harcombe discovered that the Brits and Americans consume around 1100 calories a day from just two ingredients — sugar and flour — she set out to match that number of calories with real food items that would meet the recommended daily intake of vitamins and minerals. Here’s what she came up […]
25/02/2019
ABC radio’s Amanda Smith recently interviewed American cardiologist Ben Levine who outlined his method for keeping our heart and blood vessels ‘young’. A young heart is a supple heart. He says our heart and blood vessels are like rubber bands. Rubber bands start off springy and elastic, but if they sat in a drawer for […]
28/01/2019
I wrote a post on salt a couple of summers ago, and it’s a topic worth revisiting, especially since the research of late has scientists shaking their heads. In 2017 I said we’re often wary of salt because of its link with high blood pressure, so stay away from the refined stuff and use better […]
28/01/2019
As someone who started the year by having a mole removed from my back, my ears pricked up when a client said her doctor recommended taking vitamin B3 to help prevent her BCCs (basal cell carcinomas). While I didn’t have one of those, there’s nothing like a few stitches in your back to make you […]
28/01/2019
Here’s a fascinating yet completely unsurprising observation about women’s health behaviour, and it goes to the core of why so many of us don’t seem to take our health more seriously. Let me take a step back to provide some background. A Melbourne study published in 2017 reported the results of an online questionnaire completed […]
28/01/2019
Lately I’ve heard of two women in their 60s and 70s who’ve gotten dehydrated, to their surprise. But as we get older dehydration is a greater risk. Most of us know — even if we sometimes forget — that water keeps our kidneys healthy and helps us to avoid cramps, headaches, constipation and urinary infections. […]
