Health

Truth, Lies and Chocolate

Over recent years we’ve seen a renewed interest in food and thankfully a lot of people are heading back into the kitchen but are we cooking healthier food?

Julie Meek spent five years as the Dietitian to the Fremantle Dockers Football Club, has worked with the Perth Wildcats, and has helped thousands of ordinary people achieve personal success through eating well.

Julie has a degree in nutrition and health promotion and an Accredited Practising Dietitian. Her new book Truth, Lies & Chocolate explores 99 Facts and Fairytales about food. The book was a finalist in the foodie equivalent of the Oscars, the 2010 Le Cordon Bleu World Food Media Awards.

Julie joined me on 98.5 Sonshine FM today during my morning programme to talk about the book and healthy eating habits. You can hear our conversation by clicking play on the audio player at the bottom of this post.

If you’re looking to get some simple answers to the complex questions about food, Julie has a wonderful way of helping others move forward on the journey to healthy eating.

Is chocolate good for us? Should we eat carbohydrates after 5:00 p.m.? Are orange wedges suitable for a mid game snack? What part does metabolism play in maintaining a healthy weight? Can eating too little prevent us from losing weight? These are just a few of the topics we touched on during our chat.

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IBERA helps close the gap

May 18th, 2009

by Rodney Olsen.

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The gap between the health of Indigenous Australians and the rest of our population is a scandal. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders have a life expectancy 17 years less than other Australians.

Last week an innovative tool was launched in Canberra which aims to help ‘Close the Gap’ between Indigenous and non-Indigenous life expectancy rates in Australia.

IBERA or Indigenous Body Education Resource Animations should empower patients to make more informed decisions about their own health and wellbeing.

Late last week I spoke to Paula Arnol about IBERA.

Paula Arnol is a Cairns woman with strong family connections to Yarrabah. Ms Arnol is the Chief Executive Officer of the Danila Dilba Biluru Butji Binnilutlum Health Service, the principal Aboriginal Medical Service for Darwin and surrounding areas providing holistic services around the comprehensive primary health care model.

Ms Arnol sits on the boards of the Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance of the Northern Territory, which is the State Affiliate body for the 26 Aboriginal Medical Services within NT, Northern Territory Aboriginal Health Forum, the National Indigenous Health Equality Council, which was a council put together after the new Government’s announcement on the Close the Gap policy, the Cooperative Research Centre for Aboriginal Health, which brings core research and ideas around delivering priorities in Aboriginal health nationally and the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation, which is the National representative body for all Aboriginal Medical Services nationally.

If you want to hear the discussion I had with Paula on 98.5 Sonshine FM last week, just click the play button on the audio player at the bottom of this post.

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Bicycles continue to outsell cars

Jan 7th, 2009

by Rodney Olsen.

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It seems that more Aussies are taking to the roads on two wheels. For the ninth consecutive year Australians have bought more bicycles than cars. I take pride in that statistic, especially seeing that I was one of those who bought a new bike in 2008. (Mine’s just like the Avanti Cadent 1.0 in the picture.)

While fuel prices have taken a temporary tumble, they’re sure to rise again and by the time you factor in all the associated costs, driving is still an expensive habit.

We’ve been a one car family for many years now and we save a huge amount of money due to the fact that I commute by bicycle. I’ve especially enjoyed the past couple of months since the radio station moved to new premises. My new cycle commute has me pedalling three times the daily distance and I’m loving it. I’m feeling healthier by the day.

In a News.com.austory titled Bicycle sales rise in Australia, we’re told that Australia is still experiencing a boom in bicycle sales.

Data released yesterday revealed that – for the ninth consecutive year – consumers bought more bicycles than cars.

Bike sales last calendar year reached 1.4 million, just 2 per cent down on the record 1.42 million sold in 2007.

That far outstripped the 1 million auto sales over the same period.

Climate change and a bigger focus on health are just a couple of great reasons to get out and ride. It’s time to rediscover what we’ve always known; cycling is fun.