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Issue 111 | Wednesday 14 December 2011

Message from the VMC Medical Spokesperson

Dr Joe Kosterich

Dr Joe

Welcome to this edition of Health eNews!

The festive season is a time to celebrate and catch up with family and friends. Yet sadly for some, it is a time of stress and sadness rather than joy. Staying healthy over the season is easy. Enjoy the finger foods and alcohol in moderation. Drink plenty of water and spend only what you can afford. Also spare a thought and perhaps a donation for those less fortunate than ourselves.

The team at VMC wish you a wonderful Festive Season and a healthy New Year!

Enter our new competition and win Movie Tickets

In this newsletter's competition we are giving away 75 double passes to the movie Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. To enter simply tell us who your favourite celebrity is and why. Please forward this newsletter to your friends and family too.

Winners
The winners of double passes in our members-only competition New Year's Eve have been announced. You can see the lucky winners here.

Have a say
Login and browse our forum to see what everyone else is talking about.
If you have a new email address you can update your email here.

Yours in good health,

Dr Joe Kosterich
MBBS

"Just Chill?"
	Holiday relaxation can make you fatter? Conventional wisdom says that exercise is a key to weight loss — a no-brainer. But now, researchers are revealing that life as a couch potato, stretched out in front of the TV, can actually be "active inactivity" — and cause you to pack on the pounds.... Read complete article

News on type 1 diabetes
	Control glucose early for most diabetes benefit Controlling blood glucose early in the course of type 1 diabetes yields huge dividends, preserving kidney function for decades. Compared to conventional therapy, near-normal control of blood glucose beginning soon after diagnosis of type 1 diabetes.... Read complete article

Alcohol abuse
	More Australians seeking treatment Increasing numbers of Australians are using drug treatment services for alcohol use, according to a new report. The report shows that alcohol was the principal drug of concern reported in almost half (48%) of the... Read complete article

Quit smoking
	Chantix unsuitable for first-line use The poor safety profile of the smoking-cessation drug varenicline (Chantix™) makes it unsuitable for first-line use, according to a new study. Varenicline, which already carries a "black box warning" from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), showed a... Read complete article

HIV and child conception
	Assisted reproduction with HIV can be safe People with HIV can safely conceive a child using assisted reproduction, according to a retrospective analysis. The study reviews the outcomes of 37 HIV-positive people with HIV-negative partners (known as 'serodiscordant' couples) who.... Read complete article

Contraception and women's pleasure
	New birth control, same troubles Today's hormonal forms of birth control are vastly different from those used by earlier generations of women, both with lower levels of hormones and with different means of delivery (not just a pill), but many of the same problems related to women's pleasure remain.... Read complete article

Mental health in Australia
	Research reveals the daily struggle A comprehensive study of thousands of people with psychotic illness provides compelling evidence of the need to provide more support and better-coordinated community mental health services in Australia.... Read complete article

Pollen season
	'Thunderstorm asthma' warning Doctors are calling for extra warnings about the increased risk of asthma episodes when thunderstorms erupt in spring and summer after there has been a lot of pollen around, as evident in recent epidemics of 'thunderstorm asthma' in Melbourne.... Read complete article

Virtual Medical Centre Interactive

	VIDEO: Great holiday advice: Dr Joe talks about mindfulness Watch the video
	ANIMATION: Holidays get your blood pressure up? This is how it happens View the animation
	TOOL: Stay safe: Estimate your blood alcohol concentration Use the tool
	ENCYCLOPAEDIA: Popular health topics View the most popular topics on Virtual Medical Centre.

The support of the following commercial entities is gratefully acknowledged:

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Recipe

Orange Ginger Christmas Cake

A recipe for Christmas cake with the spice of ginger and the tang of orange. Quick and easy to prepare, it makes a perfect dessert or party treat. Dairy free, it's suitable for people who are lactose intolerant.

Makes 15 servings

Ingredients

1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup mild-flavoured extra-virgin olive oil
2 large eggs, yolk and white separated
2 Tbs grated orange zest
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
100 g chopped crystallised ginger
1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
2/3 cup plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
5 oranges, separated into segments

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180oC. Line a 20 cm round cake pan with baking paper and oil lightly.

2. Stir together honey, remaining oil, egg yolks, zest, juice and 3 tablespoons of crystallized ginger in a bowl.

3. Sift whole-wheat pastry flour, flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl.

4. Beat egg whites with a mixer on high until soft peaks appear (1–2 minutes).

5. Stir the honey mixture into the flour mixture until smooth.

6. Fold in the egg whites with a spatula.

7. Pour the mix into the prepared pan.

8. Bake the cake until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean (around 35 minutes).

9. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool.

10. Just before serving, garnish with the remaining 2 tablespoons of ginger and orange segments.

Preparation time: 50 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes
Difficulty rating: Medium

View more healthy recipes.

Message from the VMC Medical Spokesperson

"Just Chill?"

News on type 1 diabetes

Alcohol abuse

Quit smoking

HIV and child conception

Contraception and women's pleasure

Mental health in Australia

Pollen season

Virtual Medical Centre Interactive

In This Issue

New on VMC

Today's Survey

Recipe

Orange Ginger Christmas Cake

Laughter is the Best Medicine