By Annette Campbell Until one day in June 1997, Amanda Jones’ life was “pretty normal”. The then 26-year-old was living in Sydney, working full-time in a bank and engaged to be married. But then the degenerative disease multiple sclerosis (MS) stepped in. “My right arm stopped working — it became really heavy,” she recalls vividly. […]

By Annette Campbell Donna George is a 39-year-old mother of two and legal secretary from East Maitland, near Newcastle, NSW. And this humble, unassuming mum is also nothing less than an absolute hero to kids doing battle with life-threatening illnesses. Donna is an enthusiastic volunteer for the Starlight Children’s Foundation, the national organisation whose mission […]

Congratulations! By deciding to quit smoking you’ve made one of the most significant steps you can take towards good health. Every year 150,000 Australians quit smoking for good. When smokers quit however, most get cravings, feel anxious, hungry and irritable. They also find it hard to focus and concentrate and many worry about the unwanted […]

What is fructose? Fructose is a naturally occurring type of sugar found in many fruits, some vegetables and honey. Just like with lactose (milk sugar) intolerance, it appears that not everyone has the ability to absorb fructose properly. Why is fructose malabsorption a problem? Researchers are now concentrating on investigating the role fructose malabsorption plays […]

Many so-called healthy foods contain excessive sugar, salt and fat. Here’s what to look for – and avoid: Breakfast cereal Your breakfast cereal should have an ingredient list that starts with whole grains, and provides at least 5g of fibre per serving. If your brand is low in fibre, stir in some oat bran. Fruit […]

In studies that have compared physically active subjects with their sedentary counterparts, it has been found that those that are more active develop protective defenses against many chronic diseases including diabetes, heart disease and osteoporosis. Let's take a closer look at the mechanisms involved.

In studies that have compared physically active subjects with their sedentary counterparts, it has been found that those that are more active develop protective defenses against many chronic diseases including diabetes, heart disease and osteoporosis. Let’s take a closer look at the mechanisms involved. Diabetes and exercise Exercise is known to improve glucose control, i.e. […]

By Annette Campbell Julie Pike is, unfortunately, well qualified to talk about living with the pain of arthritis. First diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis at only 13, the 36-year-old mother of two and part-time primary school teacher from Adelaide has come to terms with the condition and is living the healthiest life she can. “It’s a […]

By Annette Campbell Melbourne-based marketing consultant and mother of two Rebecca Collins is one of the growing number of people around the world discovering the joys of a good laugh. The day-to-day stresses of a full-time job and being a mum meant Rebecca was looking for some sort of release. Then she read a magazine […]

1. Love your own body Does my bum look fat in this? We know that children mimic behaviour…that’s how they learn, and it’s no different with body image issues. If they hear mum complaining about the size of her thighs or the fact that dad has never had a six pack or that big sister […]