Healthy advice from your family doctor
According to the National Health Survey of 2022, 1 in 5 adult Australians had high blood pressure. Also called hypertension, it affects males and females equally and is a major issue as it can lead to heart and kidney disease, and stroke. Enter the DASH diet. The DASH diet stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop
Legumes are a type of plant that produce seeds in pods. They’re a nutritional powerhouse, packed with protein, fibre, and essential vitamins and minerals. Adding more legumes into your diet can provide several health benefits. What are legumes? Legumes come in many varieties, including beans, lentils, peas, and chickpeas. Each type offers its own unique
It’s common to overeat at Christmas. Large meals, indulgent treats, and a social focus on food make it hard to resist. It’s important to differentiate, however, an occasional splurge from a binge eating disorder (BED). Binge eating disorder is characterised by episodes of overeating at least once a week, over a duration of about 2
Complementary medicines include vitamin and mineral supplements, herbal medicines, traditional remedies including Chinese, Ayurvedic and bush medicines, homeopathic preparations, and some nutritional supplements including weight loss products. Just like pharmaceutical medicines, complementary medicines can have side effects or interact with other medications or supplements you take. So if you are one of the many Australians
If you have a chronic health condition, having ongoing support from your general practitioner (GP) is important. One way they can do this is by preparing a GP Management Plan (GPMP) and, where needed, Team Care Arrangements (TCAs). A GP Management Plan (GPMP) can help by providing an organised approach to your health care. It
Coeliac disease is a condition where eating gluten causes an immune reaction in the small intestine, damaging the intestinal wall and reducing its ability to absorb nutrients from food. According to the Coeliac Society, around 1 in 70 Australians have coeliac disease, but 4 out of 5 remain undiagnosed. The symptoms of coeliac disease vary
With so much conflicting information about carbs and the rising popularity of low-carb diets, you may be confused about how and where carbs should fit into your eating plan. Here is a quick overview of the role of carb-containing foods and which foods to consider including and avoiding. Carbohydrate is found in the foods we
If you are one of the many Australians who enjoys a daily coffee (or a few) you may wonder about the impact of this on your health. The good news is that for most adults, regular moderate coffee consumption has several health benefits that appear to outweigh any potential risks. Two review papers published in
Your body clock is an internal clock which helps to regulate the timing of different processes in the body, including circadian rhythms. Circadian rhythms follow a roughly 24-hour cycle and regulate things like sleep/wake cycles, body temperature, blood pressure, hormone secretion and immune function. The main factor affecting our circadian clock is light, which is
Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are chemicals that can interfere with hormones produced in the body. Research suggests that exposure to these chemicals may contribute to a wide range of health problems, from obesity and type 2 diabetes, to reproductive and neurodevelopmental problems, to reproductive cancers. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals can be found in food, water and many consumer