Amanda's Wellbeing Podcast

Our feet are integral to how we move and therefore to our overall health and wellbeing. Often, it is not until something goes wrong with our feet that we pay them the attention they deserve. In this episode, podiatrist Tom May, shares his knowledge and experience working in foot, ankle and lower limb health. Tom gives us an insight into what podiatrists actually do - it is more than providing orthotics - and often includes in depth analysis of biomechanics, one of Tom’a areas of special interest and expertise.Tom is passionate about footwear and the importance of selecting what is right for each individual. In particular, we talk about sports shoes and how selecting a shoe designed for a specific purpose e.g. tennis shoe, football boot is important. On the downside, this can be expensive but on the upside, it means we can never have too many shoes! One tip - comfort is king so my query about stilettos met with an emphatic “not good”.Finally, Tom imparts some tips about how to bet look after our feet and good

Magnesium is essential to our health and our bodies need it to function. Listen to this Five Minute Food Facts episode to find out what magnesium is, all the amazing things is does in our bodies, where we find magnesium in our food supply and how much we need.

In this episode Scientific Researcher and PhD candidate, Sarah Gauci, shares what she has been learning about the relationship between different dietary patterns and cognitive performance in older adults.This is important information to understand because Australia’s population (like many Western countries) is ageing and the more we understand about how certain lifestyle factors can attenuate the risk of cognitive decline the better for individuals and for society as a whole.We discuss risk factors for cognitive decline; some, like age, are non-modifiable but the positive news is that many risk factors, like smoking, exercise and diet are modifiable. We focus specifically on dietary patterns as lifestyle interventions (like improving fruit and vegetable intake) are potentially available to all and more economical than pharmacological interventions to implement on a large scale. Lifestyle interventions have numerous other upsides too. For example, a diet that is good for your brain is also good for your cardio

In this episode I welcome back Lara Casanova to discuss her most recent book, “Loss, Love and Lessons: Healing pet loss and grief”. Lara is well placed to discuss this topic as a professional counsellor specialising in grief and loss, a yoga teacher, life coach and, of course, an animal lover. Pet loss is a form of disenfranchised grief which means it is often underplayed or dismissed by society yet it is very real, as all pet lovers know. Lara talks about how to navigate this sad time in our lives; her book provides very practical tips to help us walk through the grief and ultimately come out the other side appreciative of the lessons our pets have taught us.Lara also shares with us some beautiful tips for self-care and self love, another important part of anyone's journey through grief.LARA'S CONTACTSWebsite: https://www.lifeinthepink.com.auInstagram: @lifeinthepinkxxMENTIONED IN THE PODCASTMy previous episode with Lara: https://media.whooshkaa.com/show/5757/episode/390150.mp3Dr Katrina Warren: @drkatrinaTa

Hello 2021!Hello new look podcast, Vibrant Lives Podcast!This week, I have an enlightening discussion about self confidence with Mind Coach, David Rahman. David shares his story about his move from optometry to becoming a Life Coach, specialising in helping people feel comfortable in their own skin. David explains how our past impacts our future; the way we think is moulded by our past, by how our brain remembers and interprets things, our patterns of thinking affect our future and therefore, to change these patterns we need to examine the way we think. David talks us though how we can do this and gives some interesting practical tips aimed at growing our self confidence.David has recently published his first book, “Let it Go: how to stop your past ruining your future”. The hard copy is not yet available in Australia but it can be purchased through the links below.DAVID'S CONTACTSInstagram: @david_rahmanFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/david.rahman.399Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rahmandavid/Websi

Thank you to all of you who have taken the time to listen to my podcast this year. I hope you found something of value or interest.This episode is a brief wrap up of some of the interesting things I have learned this year and a sneak preview of what's in store for 2021.EPISODES MENTIONEDDr Tim Crowe: https://amandaswellbeingpodcast.com/tim-crowe/Dr Emma Beckett: https://amandaswellbeingpodcast.com/emma-beckett/Olivia Swann: https://amandaswellbeingpodcast.com/olivia-swann/Anna Howard: https://amandaswellbeingpodcast.com/anna-howard/Kaki Okumura: https://amandaswellbeingpodcast.com/kaki-okumura/Lyndall Vandenberg: https://amandaswellbeingpodcast.com/lyndall-vandenberg/Jess Trengove OLY: https://amandaswellbeingpodcast.com/jessica-trengove/Dr Amber Halliday OLY: https://amandaswellbeingpodcast.com/amber-halliday/Jaime Fernandez OLY: https://amandaswellbeingpodcast.com/jaime-fernandez/Sarah Lee: https://amandaswellbeingpodcast.com/sarah-lee/Mel Stefano: https://amandaswellbeingpodcast.com/melissa-stefano/Tony Ka

This week, body image expert, Dr Zali Yager, shares her considerable knowledge and insights into the often thorny and always complex issue of body image in adolescence. Zali is an Associate Professor in health and physical education at the Victoria University, Melbourne. Her research interests and expertise lie in the promotion of positive body image and prevention of eating disorders, especially in adolescence.Zali and I discuss the factors that influence body image in adolescence, including social media. We talk about what the different pressures are for boys and girls and how they often manifest e.g. for boys, a growing prevalence of muscle-building supplement taking has been observed. Zali also explains the association between body image and mental health. Helpfully, Zali gives some practical tips for patents to help create positive body image in our children, including outlining several programs aimed at body acceptance she is involved with.Following are links to programs and useful websites that Zali me

We hear a lot about our gut microbiome and the links between our gut health, mental health and general health - what does this mean in practical terms and how does it apply to you? To help explain the complex interplay between our microbiome, our genes, the food we eat and how this can impact our health and our predisposition towards certain diseases is nutrition dynamo, molecule nutritionist Dr Emma Beckett.Emma’s enthusiasm for her subject matter is contagious and our conversation wanders over some fascinating terrain - we talk about environment versus genetics in shaping our microbiome and, in this context, the value of twin studies. Emma explains how food can influence gene expression and how genes can influence the way we metabolise, taste and experience food? Does coriander tase like soap to you? If so, find out why.Another of Emma’s passions is scientific communication and I found her take on this really refreshing. Emma gives us some tips on how to be a critical consumer of all the information about f

This is the last of my four part series all about the huge and fascinating topic of protein. In this episode I discuss how protein irequirements change as we age. Ageing is associated with loss of muscle mass and strength which can impact our quality of life. To help attenuate this, we need to consume adequate protein as we age but at the same time overall energy requirements and often also appetite declines so it can be a conundrum. Finally, I briefly discuss the important role of protein in wound healing.Other Five Minute Food Facts episodes mentioned in the podcast:Protein overview: https://amandaswellbeingpodcast.com/protein/Protein and athletes: https://amandaswellbeingpodcast.com/five-minute-food-facts-protein-intake-athletes/Protein and vegetarians: https://amandaswellbeingpodcast.com/protein-for-vegetarians-and-vegans/HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT THE PODCASTPlease tell your friends about the podcast and share it with them.Follow me on Instagram @amanda_wellbeing_podcastFollow my Facebook page: https://www.face

This week Olivia Swann shares the results of her PhD where she looked at dietary fibre intake and its association with inflammation and depression in adolescents. This is important work because, according to the Black Dog Institute, one in four young people aged 16-24 are living with a mental disorder. Most research about diet and mental health has focussed on adults; Olivia was keen to conduct research on this topic in adolescents and see if what they eat, in this case, dietary fibre, impacts depressive symptoms.We preface our discussion with some information about dietary fibre, what the known health benefits are and the recommended amounts we should consume. Olivia analysed the diets of adolescents and found, not surprisingly, that the majority of teenagers do not eat enough dietary fibre, not even close to it! Check out my Five Minute Food Facts podcast about dietary fibre for some general information about the sources and health benefits of fibre (link below).Overall, Olivia found that high dietary fibre

This discussion with Dr Carolyn Berryman, although focused on fibromyalgia, is relevant for anyone living with, or interested in what it is like to live with, a chronic condition.Carolyn brings her considerable expertise as a physiotherapy clinician, teacher and researcher to the discussion. We begin our chat by describing the symptoms of fibromyalgia that can include widespread, persistent pain, sleep disturbances, fatigue and sensitivity to sensory events, like smells. The causes of fibromyalgia, sometimes described as a "mysterious syndrome”, are unknown which can make it difficult to diagnose and treat. However, Carolyn does enlighten us about what we do know about fibromyalgia, the various treatment approaches and what is going on in the research space.Of great interest to me was the part of our discussion focussing on the mind-body connection both in terms of neuroplasticity - ongoing pain can change the wiring in the brain - and the gut-brain axis - how gut health impacts immune function and how an imb

This week I chat with Japanese wellness blogger, Kaki Okumura. Kaki shares her story of growing up between the US and Japan and how each culture has informed her approach to health and wellbeing.Kaki is an astute observer of culture and she articulates for us why Japan has the lowest obesity rates of the OECD countries. Spoiler alert - the Japanese are not all following a popular diet! Their health comes from a culture of respect for food, traditions around the way food is prepared, presented and eaten, the latter informed by harahachi-bunme. We discuss Kaki’s philosophy about how to use Japanese principles to live a longer and happier life which she writes about beautifully in her blog, Kakikata, and so much more. I hope you enjoy this episode with Kaki.LINKS MENTIONED IN THE EPISODEKakikata, Japanese Wellness Blog: https://kakikata.spaceKaki's cooking videos: https://kakikata.spaceKaki Okumura's page on Medium: https://kokumura.medium.comMichael Anthony of Gramercy Tavern: https://www.gramercytavern.com/tea

There is so much to know about protein! This episode is the third in a four part series all about protein. In this episode I discuss protein intake for vegetarians and vegans. I look at sources of plant protein, how to ensure vegetarians and vegans get all the essential amino acids they need, nutrients like B12 to be mindful of, the health benefits of plant based eating and more.Other Five Minute Food Facts episodes mentioned in the podcast:Protein overview: https://amandaswellbeingpodcast.com/protein/Protein and athletes: https://amandaswellbeingpodcast.com/five-minute-food-facts-protein-intake-athletes/Vitamins and Minerals: https://amandaswellbeingpodcast.com/vitamins-and-minerals/Antioxidants: https://amandaswellbeingpodcast.com/antioxidants/Dietary Fibre: https://amandaswellbeingpodcast.com/dietary-fibre/HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT THE PODCASTPlease tell your friends about the podcast and share it with them.Follow me on Instagram @amanda_wellbeing_podcastFollow my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/amandasw

This week I discuss the placebo effect and the use of placebos in clinical trials with Dr Felicity Braithwaite, physiotherapist and scientific researcher at the University of South Australia.Clinical trials are used to assess whether an active ingredient or treatment is having a real health outcome. (In very lay terms) one method of achieving this is to take two groups of similar people, administer one group the active ingredient or treatment in question and the other group a sham, or placebo, ingredient or treatment. In ideal circumstances, the people in the trial do not know whether they are receiving the “real” treatment or the placebo; this is called blinding. Blinding is relatively easy to achieve in a drug trial - e.g. one group receives a pill with the active ingredient being tested and the other receives an identical looking inert pill, and the results are compared. The reason for blinding is to eliminate the placebo effect, that is, the positive effect on a person’s health after taking a placebo; bel

This week I chat with the inspiring, talented and speedy Jessica Trengove OLY about all things running, especially marathon running, and so much more. Jess grew up in country South Australia where she thrived in the sporty culture and excelled in several sports, including netball. Ultimately, inspired by the likes of Benita Willis and Usain Bolt, Jess chose running (and aren’t we Aussies happy about that)!We talk about Jess' break through race in Nagoya, Japan (2012) to qualify for the London Olympics, her PB of 2.25.59 set at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon in 2018 (a hurtling pace of 3.27/km), her two Commonwealth Games Bronze medals and, of course, her Olympic Games experiences in London (2012) and Rio (2016). However, like all professional athletes, there have been a few pot holes in Jess' path to success, such as bone stress injuries requiring adaptive cross training and managing her mind set.Two of my favourite aspects of our discussion were about how marathon running is a tactical event requ

This week, I have an instructive and interesting discussion with Dr Brenton Hordacre about stroke and neuroplasticity, that is, the ability of the brain to change. Brenton is a physiotherapist and Senior Research Fellow at the Body in Mind Research Group, University of South Australia where he focusses on recovery following neurological injury, including treatment selection and understanding responses to therapy. Motivated by helping improve people’s quality of life, Brenton works to ensure research is rapidly translated into clinical practice.According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), in 2017, there were about 38,000 stroke events; that is more than 100 every day. In 2018, stroke accounted for 5.3% of all deaths in Australia. (Link below)Brenton explains that there is a strong link between cardiovascular health and brain health and therefore well known factors such as eating a healthy diet, ensuring good sleep hygiene, leading an active life and maintaining social connections that ar

Brendan Mouatt is an Exercise Physiologist and researcher into chronic pain at The Body in Mind Research Group, UniSA. He is also a director at The Biomechanics clinical practice and an educator and director at The Knowledge Exchange.Brendan explains that the way our society talks about pain is ingrained with a lot of tradition and belief that is quite dogmatic. His research into pain has led him to question many of these beliefs and challenge his own practice and understanding of pain. The most important aspect of this for Brendan is to translate research into effective treatments for his patients.There are two aspects of my conversation with Brendan that I found hopeful and enlightening. First, he believes it is possible to heal from chronic pain, even if such pain has been experienced for decades and, secondly, he has an interesting and considered take on the saying “sitting is the new smoking” that might surprise you.LINKS MENTIONED IN THE EPISODEBrendan's Research Gate profile: https://www.researchgate.n

You’ve either heard of Wim Hof (AKA The Iceman) or, like me, when you do hear about him, you wonder how on earth you had not heard about him sooner!Today I chat with Kym Burls, Certified Wim Hof Method (WHM) Instructor based in Adelaide, all about the WHM. Kym starts with a potted biography of Wim - he’s a fascinating man - and tells us about his own journey to discovering the WHM. In a nutshell, the WHM consists of three pillars, that when practiced together, result in an array of health benefits including increased energy, improved sleep quality, immune system regulation and improved mental and physical performance. Who doesn’t want those things?The three pillars are:Breathing exercises;Gradual exposure to the cold; andTraining of mindset / concentrationWim’s extraordinary feats (think climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in shorts and standing in a container while covered with ice cubes for more than 112 minutes) caught the attention of scientists and Kym tells us about some of the interesting studies Wim has partic

In today’s episode of Amanda’s Wellbeing Podcast, I have an entertaining and lively chat with physiotherapist Brad Beer about bone stress injury (BSI) and much more. We discuss some of the main causes of BSI including biomechanical factors such as training errors (too much too soon) and biological factors such as bone health. It turns out, Brad is a dedicated advocate of promoting awareness around bone health and thinks it is a major public health burden not spoken about enough. Brad goes through the most important considerations, and it starts in childhood, to ensure optimal bone health. Some of those vital considerations include incorporating strength and conditioning into your weekly routine, ensuring optimal Vitamin D levels and that you fuel sufficiently to meet your training needs.Brad has many feathers in his cap, not only does he run a very successful physio practice, POGO Physio, with a mission to get his patients to their Physio Finish LineⓇ as efficiently as possible, he’s an accomplished triathlet

In this episode I discuss protein requirements for athletes (including amateur athletes, like me, who train for ten or more hours per week). I explain why athletes need more protein than sedentary people and I look into some of the latest research about protein requirements for strength athletes and endurance athletes.I also mention sources of protein and suggest good post-exercise snacks, the optimal timing for protein intake, and I give a brief overview of obtaining protein from food versus supplements.USEFUL LINKSLink to Five Minute Food Fact, Protein Overview, episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/five-minute-food-facts-protein-overview/id1455017772?i=1000483048390For more information about sports supplements, I suggest the "Thinking Nutrition" Podcast by Dr Tim Crowe: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/thinking-nutrition/id1494549885HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT THE PODCASTPlease tell your friends about the podcast and share it with them.If you could rate and review the podcast on iTunes, that would be