Healthy Bodies

Good nutrition creates health in all areas of our existence. All parts are interconnectedT. Colin Campbell

To achieve good health and maintain a healthy weight we need to eat nutritionally dense foods to meet your energy needs. We can do this by increasing our fruit and vegetable intake and limiting our consumption of processed foods. The best drink for health is water.

• Children and adolescents should eat sufficient amounts of nutritious foods to grow and develop normally. They should be physically active every day and their growth should be checked regularly.
• Older people should eat nutritious foods and keep physically active to help maintain muscle strength and a healthy weight.   
• Rather than thinking about the latest diet, try to maintain a healthy weight with healthy food choices and sufficient physical activity in your daily life.
• We burn more kilojoules in the early part of the day. Eating a large breakfast, medium sized lunch and small dinner is more effective for maintaining a healthy weight.

Evidence-based nutrition in healthcare

One simple intervention offers hope not only to prevent and treat chronic diseases, but to improve planetary health and avoid unprecedented health crises such as those we have faced in 2019 to 2021.

Doctors for Nutrition present The Food Vitals series that begin with a deep dive into the evidence for whole food plant-based nutrition and the powerful ally it represents to clinicians and patients in the fight against lifestyle-related disease.

Expert panelists explore exciting research on how to prevent and treat diabetes, improve insulin resistance and halt the globe’s number one killer, cardiovascular disease. They share their personal and professional experience with evidence-based nutrition and answer your questions with a live Q&A.

Webinar recordings

Once you are doing exercise regularly, the hardest thing is to stop it.Erin Gray

A key message of the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) dietary guidelines is to prevent weight gain by eating according to your energy needs. For those who have sedentary jobs and lifestyles, planned physical activity is important not only to burn kilojoules but also to maintain or increase lean muscle mass. More lean muscle increases total energy expenditure.

The NHMRC advises we follow international recommendations to include 45-60 minutes of moderate-intensity activity daily to avoid becoming overweight. People who were obese but have now lost their excess weight may need 60-90 minutes of moderate-intensity activity each day to maintain their weight loss. This along with increasing your consumption of low kilojoule density foods (fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes) will help us stay within a healthy weight range.

Physical activity provides benefits for both the body and mind. The World Health Organisation recommends that adults (18 – 64 years of age) participate in at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week. However, as we spend a lot of our waking time at the workplace it is easy to see why many people are failing to meet this target.

New draft government guidelines recommend having no more than four standard drinks on any one day and no more than 10 standard drinks in a week. The guidelines aim to reduce health risks from drinking alcohol and reflects the most recent and best available evidence on the health effects of alcohol consumption.

Below are approximate measures of a standard drink*

• 285 mL of full strength beer (4.8% alc. vol)
• 375mL of mid strength beer (3.5% alc. vol)
• 425 mL of low strength beer (2.7% alc. vol)
• 100 mL of wine (red - 13% alc. vol, and white – 11.5% alc. vol)
• 100 mL of champagne (12% alc. vol)
• 30 mL of spirits (40% alc. vol)
• 275 mL bottle of ready-to-drink beverage (5% alcohol content)

*Australian food labelling law requires all packaged alcohol to include the number of standard drinks on its label. A standard drink is equivalent to 10g of alcohol per serve and can vary in size depending on the concentration.

The secret of getting ahead is getting started.Mark Twain

Quitting smoking at any age will help to improve your health.

Once you stop smoking

• You will reduce your chances of developing cancer and heart disease
• Your fitness will improve
• You will increase your chances of living longer and spending quality time with your family and friends
• You won’t be exposing your family, friends or pets to dangerous second-hand smoke
• You will save money

Resources are available to assist you to stop smoking. Alternatively, you can speak with your GP or contact UniCare for an appointment with a doctor. Smoke Free University is available to staff and students.

The University has developed a support program for staff through our Employee Assistance Providers.

If you are interested in taking up this option, please contact CHG directly on 8352 9898, who will refer you to a qualified member of their team to discuss your requirements.

The CHG program will include a variety of support options including subsidised Nicotine Replacement Therapy and specialist health coaching where applicable.

Sleep is the best meditationDalai Lama

Healthy sleep habits can make a big difference in your quality of life. Having healthy sleep habits is often referred to as having good sleep hygiene. Try to keep the following sleep practices on a consistent basis:

• A mindful movement practice to help you wind down at the end of the day for a gentle sleep.
• Stick to a sleep schedule of the same bedtime and wake up time, even on the weekends. This helps to regulate your body clock and could help you fall asleep and stay asleep for the night.
• Practice relaxing before bed. A relaxing, routine activity right before bedtime conducted away from bright light helps separate your sleep time from activities that can cause excitement.
• If you have trouble sleeping try to avoid naps, especially in the afternoon. 
• Exercise daily. Vigorous exercise is best, but even light exercise is better than no activity. Exercise at any time of day but not at the expense of your sleep.
• Evaluate your room. Design your sleep environment to establish the conditions you need for sleep. Your bedroom should be cool – between 15 and 19 degrees Celcius and also be free from any noise that can disturb your sleep. Finally, your bedroom should be free from any light. Consider using blackout curtains, eye shades, ear plugs, “white noise” machines, humidifiers, fans and other devices.
• Sleep on a comfortable mattress and pillows. Make sure your mattress is supportive. The one you have been using for years may have exceeded its life expectancy – about 9 or 10 years for most good quality mattresses.
• Use bright light to help manage your circadian rhythms. Avoid bright light in the evening and expose yourself to sunlight in the morning. This will keep your circadian rhythms in check.
• Avoid alcohol, cigarettes, and heavy meals in the evening. Alcohol, cigarettes and caffeine can disrupt sleep and eating big or spicy meals can cause discomfort from indigestion that can make it hard to sleep.
• Wind down. Your body needs time to shift into sleep mode, so
• spend the last hour before bed doing a calming activity such as reading. For some people, using an electronic device such as a laptop can make it hard to fall asleep. The particular type of light emanating from the screens of these devices is activating to the brain. Try to reduce the amount of blue light emitted from your device.
• If you can’t sleep, go into another room and do something relaxing until you feel tired. 
• If you’re still having trouble sleeping, don’t hesitate to speak with your doctor or to find a sleep professional. You may also benefit from recording your sleep in a Sleep Diary to help you better evaluate common patterns or issues you may see with your sleep or sleeping habits.

It is health that is the real wealth, and not pieces of gold and silver.Mahatma Gandhi

The best way to stay healthy is to understand and care for your own health, understand your own risk factors and family history. Regular health checks are an important tool to continue to remain healthy and address issues as they arise.

Making an appointment with The University Health Practice, North Tce Campus, for a wellbeing health check is a good place to start. This health check will be bulk-billed with your valid Medicare card.

What is involved in a wellbeing health check?

• 30-40 minutes with the nurse and GP.
• Diabetes risk assessment
• ECG
• Blood Pressure, Weight, BMI
• Medical history
• Blood tests if required

Find out more