An interesting article just came out in the Good Weekend magazine of the Age newspaper written by Mark Whittaker. Basically it outlines how there some new research and scientific studies showing that having low salt intakes are far worse than high intakes, even when it comes to things like heart disease, stroke and diabetes (things we’re commonly told to reduce salt intake to try and minimise the risks of).
Read MoreAre you confused/overwhelmed with the multitude of advertisements for supplements these days??? Vitamins, minerals, amino acids, shark cartilage, glucosamine, ancient traditional native american hair of a pygmie crossed with goats intestinal flora super aphrodisiac for 25 day erections etc etc? I think you get the drift!!! What to do? Are they for real? Should you take them? Do you really need them?
Read MoreRemember when you were a little kid, and hours would go by without you even knowing? How did that happen? You were ‘PLAYING’. Whatever it was for you – cars, trucks, Barbie, doctors & nurses, rubbing the inside of your mates undies with ‘tiger balm’ (ouch!) etc etc, you certainly weren’t worrying about work, money or anything else we worry about as adults.
Read MoreChristmas is the time for reunions, catching up with families, old friends, etc. It’s good because it shows why a few ‘drinks with the boys’ or ‘gossip (er I mean meaningful discussion’) with the girls’ is actually a great boon for your health & well-being.
Read MoreIf you haven’t made the switch already, I want to remind you, that’s it’s the ideal time to switch from drinking cold/room temperature water, to our good old warm/hot water. * Right now, go and get your favourite mug. Boil the kettle and start sipping warm/hot water instead of cold/room temperature water regularly throughout the day.
Read MoreSolariums / Sun Beds: Rather than a danger could they actually ‘improve’ your health or even ‘save’ your life? How the UV & Vitamin D benefits of sun beds can outweigh the dangers & why they should ‘NOT’ be banned based on both common sense, ancient wisdom and the latest modern science, the ‘intelligent’ use of ‘properly designed’ solariums or sunbeds may NOT only be entirely safe, but could potentially avoid many thousands of cases of serious illness and even deaths throughout the world each year. This might even apply to you or someone close to you. It applies most particularly during the winter months, where vitamin D producing sunshine is rare, or where individuals cannot access sufficient natural UVB radiation.
Read MoreBig in the media at present (being ‘cold & sore throat’ season), is the virtues of adding honey to hot drinks. I think Boost Juice, even have a lemon; honey ‘hottie’…which I assume is a hot tea. Do you ever do that? Honey is certainly in many respects an extremely powerful medicine – antibacterial, anti-oxidant, anti-viral etc. It can be great for colds*, clearing sinuses/congestion etc etc. However, you should ‘NEVER ADD HONEY TO ‘BOILING WATER’.!!!
Read MoreJust saw a current affairs TV commercial the other night about new research showing the hazardous effects of commercial mouthwashes. It mentioned how these mouthwashes kill good bacteria in the mouth thus preventing blood vessels there from relaxing and thus increasing the risk of things like heart attack.
Read MoreBelow are some jokes, funny stories and little bits of humour that Mark has compiled over the years that he has found quite humorous, and hopes you find the same. As they say, life should never be too serious not to be able to stop and enjoy a good laugh. Please enjoy.
Read MoreIf you are a beer drinker, but are conscious of your weight, you might have been sold on the marketing of low carb beers recently. Apparently, since their inception, sales have gone through the roof. Unfortunately, we are the bearer of bad news.
Read MoreWe often emphasise the importance of eating in a settled way to ensure proper digestion and avoiding many of the problems associated with food. So today, I want you to make a special focus on eating a ‘proper’ lunch(or dinner if suits)…and see if you notice the difference. When you can give yourself a minimum of 30 minutes, but preferably a 45 minute break from work, observe each of the following;
Read MoreAfter giving you the bad news about chocolate a while back, I wanted to be nicer for a while, but I recently received an email asking if I could explain about ‘microwave ovens’, eating ‘microwave food’ etc (thanks Helen). So here it is. The news is not good, if you prefer ‘ignorance is bliss’, now might be a good time to ‘accidentally’ have something better to do! When we think of ‘natural’ health & wellbeing, it would make sense that we would want to ‘cook’ our food in a ‘natural’ way.
Read MoreYou may not realise but most commercial sunscreens are toxic. Seriously. If you think that because they have been sold in chemists and the like for decades they are safe, you are horribly wrong. What you put on your skin gets absorbed into your body and most sunscreens are full of toxic chemicals.
Read MoreLike to reduce your chances of suffering from any allergies, hay fever etc this spring or just want to re-energise & trim up after a heavy winter? Spring will soon be sprung so now is the time to eliminate the causes of these imbalances.
Read MoreLike to add massive anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, digestion/metabolism boosting activity to your body each day? Sometimes we can get so consumed analysing calories, fat ratios, vitamin, etc, we forget about the unbelievable power of traditional herbs/spices – not the KFC variety!!! As a rule, we westerners don’t use spices nearly enough, so if you are not already, add some or all of the following into your cooking to start reaping some amazing benefits.
Read MoreWhich direction does your desk face? Do you think your work performance is affected by whether you are facing North, South, East or West? It does. Fascinating cutting-edge research in the field of neuroscience, shows how facing a certain direction is critical for integrated brain functioning and maximum mental performance.
Read MoreIs water good for weight loss?Do you know someone (yourself even) that eats ‘moderately’ sized meals, exercises, is always drinking lots of water etc, but still can’t shift those excess kilo’s? Frustrating huh? There may be a reason – here’s something to think about (even if you aren’t trying to lose weight).
Read MoreJust had my first salt room therapy session. What’s salt room therapy you might ask? It’s a new natural therapy that is showing tremendous potential and results for helping with conditions such as sinus troubles, if ever, asthma, pain, bronchitis, allergies, eczema, snoring and general energy levels.
Read MoreI had a pizza while out with some friends some time ago …yes, I said a pizza!!! “oh my God, the health guy eats pizza”!!! It’s true, but don’t tell me you too have been brainwashed into thinking pizza’s are necessarily ‘bad’ or too heavy for dinner. If you get a gourmet vegetarian pizza and take off the excess cheese (easier if you get cheese cubes not melted), what do you have??…toasted bread & vegetables.
Read MoreBACKGROUND (FROM MARK) For pretty well all of our married life, my wife (Karen) and I experienced the cancer journey. Karen was diagnosed with breast & bone cancer throughout much of her body just a few months after we were married. Amidst all the usual challenges and difficulties we all appreciate with such journeys, for the most part it was also an amazing time full of the most wonderful things in life. A great marriage and a generally very blessed life.
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