Badly stored food can harbour a formidable range of disease-causing bacteria. Make sure you stay safe and that your fridge is well-stocked and clean with these 10 tips: 1 Invest in a good quality frost-free fridge so you don’t have to worry about defrosting it. 2 Put a small bowl of vanilla essence on a […]

Good scents make good sense when it comes to nixing stress. According to a study from the School of Dentistry at Japan’s Meikai University, test subjects who inhaled lavender or rosemary essential oils for five minutes were found to have reduced levels of the stress hormone cortisol in their saliva samples as well as significantly […]

A new independent survey has revealed that 44 percent of Australian women eat chocolate as a way of making themselves happier when they feel down or depressed. The study, which was conducted on behalf of Jenny Craig, shows that chocolate and biscuits are the most popular snacks among Australian women, with 49 percent munching on […]

By Annette Campbell Most of us probably don’t think too much about all the wonderful work our amazing eyes do — as long as nothing goes wrong! But people’s fear of losing their vision is second only to cancer. So to help mark The Eye Foundation’s upcoming event, JUL-eye, we talked with an expert about […]

By Annette Campbell It must be springtime: the sun is shining; the birds are singing — and lots of us are sniffling and sneezing thanks to hay fever! “Spring can be a miserable time of year for those living with either mild, or debilitating hay fever,” says Dr Raymond Mullins, spokesperson for the Australasian Society […]

**Dear Judy, “I have been trying to lose weight. I’ve been going on the treadmill every day or second day for 15-30 mins a day. The problem is, the more I exercise the more hungry I get, and I’m always craving sweet followed immediately by savoury. I never seem to be full. Can you tell […]

Getting angry every so often is, in fact, a very healthy thing to do, while keeping it all pent up inside is not. These seven ideas will help you vent your vexations more constructively. Take a break. Anger lowers inhibitions and causes you to blurt out things you later regret. In the heat of the […]

Imagine you have tossed a pebble into a pond and you are watching the ripples spread out. The same principle applies to your life — your smallest action can have far-reaching effects. By seeking opportunities to pay a compliment, show kindness, offer a helping hand or just listen with courtesy at least once every day, […]

**Dear Judy, What is the caloric value of the natural plant sweetener Stevia? — Jenny** Dear Jenny, Stevia contains no kilojoules at all. It is a native herb of South America, with leaves a hundred times sweeter than sugar! While it can be used as a natural energy-free sweetener, it is so intensively sweet it […]

Are you a “fixer”? That’s a person who feels they have to change other people’s behaviours, alter situations, make things better and do it all within a certain time-frame. Focusing on a problem that has to be fixed, even when it is beyond your control, is a shortcut to stress. Next time you find yourself […]