Tracking the flu in Australia

A few years ago someone on the old Down to Earth forum wrote about the Flutracking Project in Australia. As it says on the website 'Flutracking is an online health surveillance system to detect epidemics of influenza'. I signed up and from next Monday, when this year's survey begins, it will only take me 10-15 seconds per week to answer a few questions about whether we have had the flu in our household. It is hoped that 3,000 more Aussies will sign up this year so would you like to be one of them.

Preparing for the winter chills

Many years ago I first heard about Fire Cider which has been commonly used to ward off winter colds and the flu. One of the main ingredients is horseradish, a herb that we used to have growing back in the seventies but had died off, so I reminded myself each year that I needed to find a new plant but never did until last year.

I won a Fitbit!

A friend and I go to a restorative stretching class for over 55s which is part of our Regional Council's CHANGE Project and today there was a launch event held in our city library so we thought we would go along and see what happens....and I ended up winning a Health and Fitness Pack worth $150 which includes a Fitbit!

Do you know someone with Hashimoto's disease?

I received an email today from Food for Life where our Simple Living Toowoomba fermentation workshop will be held next month. In it was information about a free online Healing Hashimotos Summit which runs from 13-20 June (presumably US time) and I thought some of my readers might be interested.

What is your waist measurement?

What's that I hear you say....none of your business! :-) Well, of course it isn't but as Australia's Healthy Weight Week has just come to an end I thought it would be a good time to measure my waist and see if it is 80cm/32in or less. For males it should be 95cm/37in or less as above those measurements puts you at increased risk of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. 

Veggies rule in the new Food Pyramid!

As most of my readers know I have given up sugar in an attempt to bring down my cholesterol level and I often check out 'I Quit Sugar' for recipes, hints and to read about the latest research into healthy as well as junk foods. I found it very interesting to read this week that the Food Pyramid has been updated by Nutrition Australia for the first time in 15 years and it looks like veggies rule!

Am I in focus?

You will have to be patient with me while I learn the ins and outs of using my new DSLR camera. It is not quite the same as taking photos with my little point and shoot Canon which I can use without having to think about settings etc. So I spent a little time today doing a couple of the exercises in the online photography course I have started.

Goodbye to my old friend sugar!

The results of a  recent cholesterol level test showed that mine is much too high and the doctor started talking about medication to bring it down. I am not a fan of taking medication unless it is absolutely necessary but I am also not that keen on having a stroke so I told the doctor I would try and bring it down in the next six months and then, if it was still high, would look into other options. I mentioned this to an online friend who mentioned that she had brought her cholesterol level down dramatically by quitting sugar.

How is YOUR mental health?

With Mental Health Week coming up next week it is a good time to take stock of how we are travelling mentally and emotionally. Most people in our society have had either personal experience of a mental illness or know someone who has, whether it be a family member, friend or colleague.

BUT WAIT....THERE'S MORE!

I am sure that most Aussies have seen the 'BUT WAIT....THERE'S MORE! ads on our TV screens over the years for products that promise to change our life, our health, our figure and so on. I am not sure whether it is because TV is so boring these days that the product promoting channels seem more interesting than the other channels but the CEO has been watching the ads for the NutriBullet lately and is quite impressed by its powerful 600W motor so the order was placed for one last Saturday and on Thursday it arrived!

Strong Women Stay Young Programme

A while back when we were discussing how to keep fit, a friend asked if I had heard of the book 'Strong Women Stay Young' and as I hadn't she lent me her copy. It is a very interesting book about the benefits of strength training.

How fit and healthy are YOU?

If you live in Queensland you would have seen the Queensland Health ads on TV asking us to take the Health and Fitness Age Challenge.