By Judy Davie Let’s face it, you know you should cut out sweet treats if you want to lose weight but sometimes when the urge hits there’s nothing else to do but satisfy it. Let these sweet swaps below be your guide and when the cravings strike, choose one of our lower energy swaps so […]

By Judy Davie It’s always cheaper to buy fruit and vegetables when they are in season and it’s always easier to lose weight when you eat plenty of low energy vegetables and fruits. This month we focus on fresh in season fruit and veg with the added bonus of extra fibre. You’ll feel full but […]

Having a snuggle with your loved one isn’t just about the feel-good factor anymore, new research shows that hugging and kissing can actually fight stress levels too. Researchers at the University of Zurich in Switzerland have found that intimacy can lower levels of stress hormones in the body and improve psychological health. But, there’s a […]

**As brave as we are, there are definitely different types of pain that we shouldn’t ignore. “If you experience pain of any description — sharp, dull, constant or fluctuating — if it is unusual for you, you should go to a doctor,” explains Dr Sue Reddish, a GP at The Jean Hailes Foundation for Women’s […]

So you’ve had your regular two-yearly Pap test … but this time the result has come back as “abnormal”. What does this actually mean? We asked expert, Kate Broun, manager of PapScreen Victoria, to explain. From July 2009, the vaccine is free for girls in year seven. For more information about Pap tests and cervical […]

There are times in all our lives when we experience grief. We all feel it to different degrees, and some cope better than others. So what exactly is grief, and how can we best survive it? Melbourne-based psychologist Chris Hall is the Director of the Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement and is an expert […]

By Annette Campbell Did you know that the healing art of kinesiology was actually devised by a chiropractor in the 1960s? There’s lots we didn’t know about this therapy, so we asked practising kinesiologist and teacher Sue Crosdale a few quick questions. There are many different types of kinesiology, but generally-speaking, the client remains fully […]

Dreams are clues from your unconscious mind about what’s bothering you in the waking world. Check out these 16 symbols from slumberland. 1 Aeroplane This usually means two things: one, wanting the freedom to ‘fly solo’ towards a destination, and two, defying gravity and, by association, thumbing your nose at convention. 2 Animals If you […]

A US study has found that women carry a far greater number of bacteria on the palms of their hands than men, and that washing them in fact has little impact on the diversity of bacteria we carry. The findings revealed that not only do human hands in general have a far greater range of […]

Food Coach Judy Davie gives you the lowdown on how — and how long — you can best store fruit and veggies in the warmer months… To read more about storing fresh produce, see part one of The Food Coach’s A-Z guide to storing spring fruits and vegetables.