I’m often asked whether losing weight would help a particular problem. For example, “If I lost a few kilos, would it help my back pain?”.
I think that if someone is overweight, then losing a few kilos is a good idea anyway, as there are so many general health benefits to maintaining a healthy weight.
But I wasn’t really sure if it would help a particular injury. What I mean by that is I think if you have back pain, you should try to fix your back. If you just lose weight, …

Yes they can. And according to the latest research, they do it as effectively as medications.
This is great news for people like me who love a sneaky disco nap. And it’s great news for any of you taking blood pressure medication. After all, who wouldn’t love to be taking less medications!
In a 2019 article on the website MedicalNewsToday, 212 people were studied. These were not the healthiest people – average age of 62, plenty of smokers and people with type 2 diabetes. Yet even with these complicating factors, the study found …

Mine are certainly getting worse! And it turns out I’m not alone. A recent story on abc.net.au broke it all down, and the timing could not be better with silly season is about to kick off.
Apparently there are a number of reasons our hangovers feel more severe as we age, and why it takes longer to get over a big night.
A couple of key takeaways form the article:

Older people tend to have more inflammation throughout their body than younger people, Professor Scholey said. Add the inflammatory effects of alcohol and its by-products …

I was sent an article last week by a Nutritionist I know (she’s an amazing Nutritionist, if you’re looking for one!) which talked about the link between migraine headaches and certain vitamin deficiencies. According to the article, “A high percentage of children, teens and young adults with migraines appear to have mild deficiencies in vitamin D, riboflavin and coenzyme Q10 — a vitamin-like substance found in every cell of the body that is used to produce energy for cell growth and maintenance.”
Now, to me, this is a bit of a …

Yes, gold. The same gold that might currently be adorning your wrist has been found to be an effective anti-inflammatory. Is there nothing it can’t do?
The first question I had was “who ate their Rolex to discover this?”. The second question was “how much will a packet of gold nurofen’s cost?” The third was “WHO ATE THEIR ROLEX!?!” I mean, how on earth did they discover that gold works as an anti-inflammatory?
Well, the answer to that lies in the length of time medications are effective. Scientists were trying to work …

Mark Hyman is a pretty interesting guy. He is a functional medicine expert with a bit of a global following, and I like to check his posts and articles for tips every now and then. I thought I would share his top 5 tips for getting a better night’s sleep with you all, which I received after subscribing to his email. He posts information on gut health, mental health, exercise, nutrition, longevity. Check him out at https://drhyman.com/ if you’re keen to learn more.
I want to share my top 5 tips …

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners has released new guidelines on the treatment of osteoarthritis. The guidelines “rubbished popular and “fad” treatments for osteoarthritis (OA), including opioids, acupuncture, glucosamine, stem cell therapy, insoles and surgery “.
That’s right, the medical association is now “strongly warning against surgeries such as knee arthroscopy, meniscectomy and cartilage repair” when it comes to hip and knee arthritis.
Instead, they suggest things like exercise and weight loss. I recently posted an article on how weight loss reduces pressure in the knee, after studies showed that “for every …

I get asked this question a lot. And until recently, I thought it made a bit of difference, but if you had good strength and sufficient joint mobility carrying a few extra kilos probably wouldn’t be that big a deal. For your joints at least. Being overweight is associated with all kinds of other health problems, so maintaining a healthy weight is in your best interested regardless.
But now we know exactly how much pressure your joints take on when you take on extra weight. According to a study of overweight …

According to a recent article on the Sydney Morning Herald website, “the peak body for rheumatologists has publicly urged doctors to try to avoid arthroscopic knee surgery, for patients with osteoarthritis, especially if they’re over 50”.
Instead, they are urging doctors to recommend seeking alternative therapies and to try to strengthen their knee joints.
It’s taken a long time – studies on this have been appearing for more than 15 years, and the downside to surgery can be huge (the cost, the recovery time, the risk of infection or death).
The official statement …

Now that codeine has been made prescription only, what are your alternatives? A recent article on the ABC Health website breaks down your options really well. It takes you through various conditions like Migraines, Period Pain, Cold and Flu etc to give you the best up to date information.
Firs of all we should point out that pain medications are only ever meant to be temporary measures. if you really want a solution you should consult your health care practitioner to try to get to the bottom of things and find …