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Wellbeing
Australian health statistics
Almost every day the media reports news about the state of health in Australia. Here are some of the key statistics about our nation, which you may find useful to motivate or remind yourself that you really can make a significant improvement in your lives.
- Osteoporosis affects one in two women, and one in three men, over the age of 60 (1).
- By 2010, one in three hospital beds will be occupied by elderly women with fractures (1).
- In Australia, about 50% of women and 30% of men over 60 will have a fracture due to osteoporosis in their remaining lifetime (2).
- It has been estimated that increased longevity will cause the prevalence of hip fractures to jump from 1.7 million worldwide in 1990 to 6.3 million by 2050 (2).
- Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) claims a life in Australia every 10 minutes (3).
- Prevalence of CVD increased from 17 % (2.2 million) in 1989-90 to 21% (2.8 million) in 1995 (4).
- CVD costs community $3.7 billion a year (5).
- 8 out of 10 adult Australians are either physically inactive, overweight, have high blood pressure or smoke cigarettes(5).
- 1 in 10 Australian adults has 3 or more of these major risk factors (5).
- 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women will develop coronary heart disease in their life (5).
- Men aged 45 have a 1 in 4 chance of having a stroke before the age of 85 and women have a 1 in 5 chance (5).
- Risk of developing CVD is a concern due to the prevalence of risk factors that can be modified, such as cigarette smoking, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol levels, obesity and limited physical activity (4).
- Every year thousands of Australians die as a result of type II diabetes. Many thousands more suffer heart and kidney problems, stroke or lose a limb or their vision because of diabetes (6).
- Diabetes affects more than 430,000 Australians (6).
- Estimates suggest a further 350,000 are affected but are unaware of their condition (6).
- 250 new cases of type II diabetes are diagnosed each day (7).
- More than two-thirds of cancers could be prevented by lifestyle changes; ceasing smoking, adopting a good diet and participating in exercise (8).
- Diet accounts for about 35% of all cancers (3).
- Nearly 80,000 new cases of cancer are diagnosed each year9, which equates to an average risk of one in three men, and one in four women, being directly affected by cancer (4).
- One in three men in western countries will develop some form of prostate disease after the age of 50 (10).
- Men in Australia and New Zealand have a low rate of isoflavone consumption
Less sleep, more fat?
New research carried out at Case Western Reserve University in the United States has drawn a link between sleepless nights and weight gain in women. The study appeared to show that those women who slept for less than five hours a night were 32 per cent more likely than regular sleepers to substantially gain weight, and fifteen per cent more likely to become obese. Head researcher Dr Sanjay Patel said that diet and exercise were studied alongside sleeping patterns but that the weight gain was attributable to the sleeping patterns of subjects. He said; ‘Prior studies have shown that after just a few days of sleep restriction, the hormones that control appetite cause people to become hungrier, so we thought that women who slept less might eat more. But in fact they ate less.’ The results, then, do not appear to contain much logic, so it is hard to actually derive any useful information from them, other than that a good night’s sleep may help not only your beauty, but your figure as well. Say “Rock-a-bye-bye-extra-kilos!” Did you know that lack of sleep can make it difficult to lose weight? In recent years, several major studies have shown that sleep, or lack of it, affects several biological processes associated with weight management, including the ability to process glucose effectively. If you’re doing all the right things, but still can’t seem to lose weight, it could be that you just need to sleep it off! Read on and find out how a good night’s sleep can make all the difference to your body and your waistline.
Losing sleep, gaining weight
Do you lose sleep over your weight? It might be time to try losing weight over your sleep!
According to a major study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, lack of sleep can diminish the production of the hormone GH – a hormone that helps inhibit weight gain. GH plays an important role in controlling the proportions of fat and muscle. Having less of this hormone increases your chances of being overweight. The hormone leptin, which regulates the metabolism of carbohydrates and signals the body when it should feel full, can also be affected by lack of sleep. When there are low levels of leptin, the body craves carbohydrates regardless of the amount of calories consumed. This can lead easily to weight gain.
On the other hand, studies show that if you get high amounts of REM sleep (deep or slow-wave) your evening cortisol levels are more likely to be well-balanced. The hormone cortisol also plays a role in regulating appetite. The more balanced your cortisol levels, the easier it is to control your appetite.
Lack of sleep and diabetes
Lack of sleep has also been shown to have diabetes-like affects on people. One study showed that a sleep deficit of three to four hours for only one week can have adverse effects on basic metabolic functions, such as processing and storing carbohydrates, even if you’re young and healthy. The study suggests that without sufficient sleep your ability to process glucose can be affected so much that glucose levels can reach those associated with a pre-diabetic state.
The director of the study said she suspected that chronic sleep loss might hasten the onset and increase the severity of age-related ailments such as diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and memory loss.
Now here’s the rub
While not enough sleep can cause weight gain, weight gain can also affect your sleep adversely, increasing your chances of developing some type of sleep disorder. It’s a catch-22 situation, the best way out of which is to improve both your sleep quality and weight at the same time. If you have difficulty sleeping, or are overweight, or both, set a goal to lose half to one kilo per week and practice these good pre-sleep habits.
- Cut back on caffeine – coffee, tea, chocolate. Some people get wired with just one cup of java. Know your cut-off level.
- Limit alcohol and don’t drink right before bedtime. It can promote drowsiness, but disrupts REM sleep.
- Regular daytime exercise can enhance your sleep, making it deeper and more restful. Avoid exercising just before bed as it tends to keep people awake.
- Try drinking a glass of warm low-fat milk before you go to bed; it helps some people to sleep more deeply.
- Have a relaxing bedtime routine. Stop doing anything stressful an hour before bedtime – give your brain time to wind down.
- Don’t eat too close to bedtime.
- Don’t nap or sleep in late, stick to regular sleeping hours.
- Keep a notepad near your bed. If you are worrying about something or thinking of things you need to do the next day, jot them down so you can clear your mind until morning.
- Try not to obsess about not sleeping. The more you worry about it, the less you will sleep.
- If light is coming into the room, block it off or wear a lightweight sleep mask. If noise is keeping you awake, try ear plugs.
- Try a soothing bath or other relaxation rituals, including deep breathing, restful music, light stretching, muscle relaxation, before you get into bed.
- If you often have trouble getting to sleep, you might consider seeking professional help.
What is metabolism?
If you can think of your body as a car for a moment, and your food as petrol, then metabolism is the process of burning petrol in order to hurl yourself along the freeway at 100 km/hr – it’s the process of making your body go.
Metabolism describes the sum of all the chemical and physical changes that take place in your body to keep it growing and functioning. Even when you are at rest, your body still operates at 60-70 percent energy, kind of like a car idling. You need that much energy just to keep your heart beating, your temperature moderated, and your lungs filling and emptying, among other things. If you increase your metabolism, you increase the amount of energy (calories) burnt.
To rev up your metabolism, put your foot down and accelerate with these simple tips!
- Don’t skip or skimp
To keep your metabolism as healthy as possible, don’t skimp on nutrients – particularly protein. When you don’t eat enough protein, your body has to break down muscle to meet its protein needs; this slows your metabolism.
However, research shows that the average Australian already eats double the amount of protein than is recommended, so don’t go overboard.
Recommended daily protein intake is 20-30% of your overall calories; stick to it. It’s equally important to get a good balance of other nutrients.
Skipping meals is also a no-no for a healthy metabolism. Your body needs consistent levels of fuel and nutrients to keep it going. That doesn’t mean you have to religiously eat three square meals a day, but don’t consume all your day’s calories in one sitting. Studies suggest this slows metabolism. - Some like it hot
And even if you don’t, you might want to try a little spice for the sake of your metabolism.
Cayenne pepper is thought to stimulate metabolism for at least ten minutes after you eat it. A couple of teaspoons of chopped chilli or chilli powder has a similar effect by raising your body temperature and helping you to burn calories faster. Even mustard has been shown to increase metabolism when added to a meal.
If you prefer less dramatic spices, try ginger. You can add this root vegetable to stir-fries and other meals by grating or dicing it into the mix. Dried and ground ginger can also be added to meals and used in sweet foods, such as gingerbread. However, if you’re watching your weight, cakes and biscuits (even ones with ginger in them) are best avoided. Boil the fresh root and turn it into a cup of tea instead! - Flex those biceps
Lean Body Mass (LBM) describes all of the essential tissues that make up your body, including muscles, bones, organs and essential fat. The more muscle you have in your LBM, the higher your metabolic rate, and the more calories you burn.
To help rev up your metabolism, work on your muscle tone. You don’t have to become the next Muscle & Fitness cover-guy-or-gal though – even slight improvements in muscle tone and build will improve your metabolism.
Start easy with some simple weight lifting or strength training exercises and go from there. The key is to work your muscles regularly and to gradually increase intensity; don’t start with a forty minute mega-iron-pumping session!
Yoga can also be a great way to gently build muscle tone. Any physical activity will help condition your muscles, burn extra calories and use stored fat. Talk to a fitness expert for more advice. - H20 to go
Most of the body’s chemical reactions take place through the medium of water, so to keep things ticking you need to keep your water levels up.
A recent study conducted by researchers in Berlin suggests that water intake may actually increase metabolic rate. The metabolic rates of those involved in the study increased by 30% after drinking approximately 500 ml of water. The research is preliminary, and further studies need to be conducted, but so far the results suggest that a daily increase of about 1500 ml could equate to an extra 50 calories burned each day. - Pick up the pace … then drop it
Exercise in general will improve metabolism but changing the pace can increase the effect. Did you know that interval training can help you to burn more calories than a regular moderately paced exercise, such as jogging? Many gyms have classes in circuit training or interval training, but you can also interval train on your own.
Interval training is simply a short burst (up to three minutes) of accelerated exercise, such as a sprint, or a fast stair-climb, followed by a slower, more moderate pace of a similar exercise, followed again by the accelerated exercise, and then by a slower pace, and so on. The slow paced “interval” gives you time to recover and recoup energy which enables you to exert more energy in the fast interval (and overall) than you could if exercising at a consistent pace. Thus, your metabolism has even more chance to improve. - Something fishy
Not all fats are bad, indeed, some can help you to increase metabolism. Omega-3 fats have been shown in several studies to help overweight people burn more calories.
Fish is a great way to get a healthy dose of omega-3 fat. To boost metabolism, try eating fish at least twice a week. Grill or oven bake fish fillets as a main meal or toss some tuna or salmon into a salad for lunch. Fish oil and oyster sauce also make great flavour additions to curry and stir-fry dishes.
Tips to stay on track
Eating Tips
- Set realistic daily eating targets. For example, three pieces of fruit or salad at lunch three days a week.
- Choose one target and track it on a notice board or fridge planner. Ticking them off reminds you of your achievements.
- Keep tempting treats out of the house or out of sight.
- Place fruit bowls in more than one room for a positive trigger every time you walk past.
- Clearly label healthy leftovers and place them in the fridge where you can see them.
- Place healthy snacks at eye level in the pantry.
- Never leave home without a banana (or your favourite fruit).
- Take your water bottle with you when you drive. Place another one on your desk at work. Using more than one water bottle gives you a back-up when you forget or lose one.
- Use effective social eating strategies. Take a healthy dish, eat beforehand or do extra exercise to balance the calories?
- If you travel, plan the meals for your journey. For example, pre-order a ‘low-fat’ meal with your flight booking.
- Make a list of the habits that really work for you and make these rules to live by. For example, if planning meals the week in advance works, make this one of your top five rules. What other rules can you make?
Activity Tips
- Place activity reminder notices around your home and work. For example, a note that says, ‘Walk Today’ on the inside of your front door or on your computer screen will be a constant prompt.
- Better still, make yourself a small poster titled, ‘Exercise’ and list the words that sum up the positive feelings exercise gives you. For example, “;Relaxation, Confidence, Energy boost, Thinking time and Me time.” This will be a powerful reminder for times when you lose sight of these benefits.
- Be your own excuse eliminator. When you start to hear an excuse not to exercise in your head, stop and swap it for the positive feelings and benefits you enjoy from being active.
- Enter ‘time to exercise’ as an appointment with yourself in your diary.
- Keep an exercise log. Use your diary, notice board or a fridge note to tick off each activity session. The simple act of ticking off a session provides a daily reward.
- Set a minimum workout frequency. Even maintaining a once or twice-a-week habit on set days is likely to keep you in the exercise habit for years to come. This way you can always say, “I am an exerciser!”
- Get your exercise gear ready the night before and leave it at the end of your bed.
- Ask family and friends to remind you about your exercise session. This is a good back-up if you forget.
- If you miss a session, try not to dwell on it. Wipe the slate clean and start the next day as an active day. It’s the ‘average’ activity level that matters.
- From time to time (weekly at first) ask yourself, “How confident am I that I can stick to my exercise routine?” If you don’t feel confident, ask yourself, “What do I need to do to boost my confidence?” It could be recruiting an exercise buddy, joining a program or reaffirming your priority to make time for regular activity.
7 Reasons Why Plateaus Occur
A common frustration during a shape-up program is hitting a weight loss plateau, especially when you feel you are doing everything right – eating less and exercising more. So, why hit a plateau?
- Reduced metabolic rate – First, you should know there is a good scientific explanation. Your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), or the energy you need just to survive, accounts for 60-70% of the calories you burn. Your BMR depends on how much you weigh, so the less you weigh, the slower your BMR. As you drop kilos your BMR slows. This is perfectly normal and explains why your weight can stabilise at certain times.
- Overeating – Underestimating caloric intake is probably the most common explanation for hitting a plateau. Research shows that people of all sizes underreport what they eat and drink by an average of 20% or more. And you may not even be aware you are doing this!
- Undermoving – Similarly, overestimating activity level can explain a plateau mystery. Greater periods of rest between exercise sessions can also result in less total daily caloric expenditure.
- Greater efficiency – As your activity program progresses you become more efficient at doing exercise. This is not just from the practise, but the metabolic efficiency that develops as you become fitter. The energy needed to complete the same amount of exercise decreases. The energy required during activity falls even further as you lose weight.
- Muscle gain – If you do some resistance training during your program, you may gain muscle mass at the same time you reduce body fat. Muscle weighs more than fat, so this change in body composition may not show on the scales. Seeing changes in how your clothes fit can be rewarding here.
- Medications – Some prescription drugs can make it harder to lose weight. Ask your doctor if you have any concerns.
- Genetics – Sometimes, it is our genes that dictate what size and shape we can achieve in the long term. A plateau is a time to reassess the need to further reduce weight and how to maintain the healthy eating and activity patterns you have built into your lifestyle.
Making sense of massage
The practice of massage therapy is an ancient healing art that dates back many thousands of years and is currently enjoying a modern-day rediscovery. Used by Shamanic healers to cleanse the body of evil spirits, massage therapy was also used by many ancient civilisations, such as the Egyptians, Indians, Greeks and Romans. Historical records suggest that the Greeks and Romans enjoyed the luxury and therapeutic worth of massage therapy in conjunction with bathing. In more recent times, massage therapy is being enjoyed by many as a pleasurable experience to relieve the stresses of modern day living, and is holding its own in the face of increasing scientific investigation into its worth. Many people today seek massage therapy as a treatment for specific ailments such as back pain, while other enjoy this form of touch therapy as a soothing experience that helps make them more aware of their body, stimulates their senses and cares for their body, mind and soul.
Massage can be defined as the application of therapeutic manipulations of the soft tissues of the body, to bring about a positive change in the recipient. The two major types of massage treatments available widely today are relaxation massage (sometimes referred to as Swedish massage) and remedial massage.
Developed around two hundred years ago, the system of Swedish / relaxation massage had its origins in Sweden, and formed part of a health enhancement program that used massage alongside of exercise and stretching to promote health and wellness. A relaxation massage therapist would employ the five basic Swedish massage strokes when performing a treatment on a client to enhance their mood, relieve stress, aid relaxation, provide relief from tension and anxiety, or increase circulation to name just a few benefits.
The majority of massage practitioners adopt an approach to treatment that is holistic; one that seeks to address the whole person, taking into consideration the body, mind and soul. Outside of the realm of relaxation massage, in modern massage practises, these basic five Swedish strokes have been developed and advanced beyond the traditional methods. Remedial massage, for example, may encompass other techniques including, but not limited to, trigger point therapy, myofascial release techniques, and manual lymphatic drainage techniques. Treatment from a remedial therapist is common for people with musculoskeletal complaints such as low back pain or tendonitis, to minimise or as an aid in the recovery from injury, to improve their posture or assist in maintaining joint range of motion, or improve muscular function.
Massage therapy is non-addictive, readily available and pleasurable, and is generally considered a safe and effective form of therapy for a vast array of medical complaints.
For a relaxation massage, during your first consultation with a therapist, you will be asked for a detailed health history in order for your individual needs to be identified. Armed with this case history, the therapist is then able to select the most effective treatment strategy to suit you. For remedial massages, a more detailed case history may be sought and an objective musculoskeletal assessment may be undertaken.
Whether you want to enhance your wellbeing by receiving relaxation massages or if you wish to enjoy the muscular relief that a more therapeutic treatment such as remedial massage can provide, massage therapy is worth a try! Ask your local health club or personal trainer today about how they can assist you in enjoying the many benefits that massage therapy has to help improve your over all