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• 2012
  • Issue 114: Brain Health
  • Issue 113: A healthy New Year
• 2011
  • Issue 112: New Year's resolutions
  • Issue 111: Pre-Holiday Health
  • Issue 110: Kidney Health
  • Issue 109: Diabetes
  • Issue 108: Lung Health
  • Issue 107: Nutrition
  • Issue 106: Eye Health
  • Issue 105: Spring Allergies
  • Issue 103: GORD
  • Issue 102: Skin Cancer
  • Issue 101: Menopause
  • Issue 100: Breast Cancer
  • Issue 99: Men's Health
  • Issue 98: Mental Health
  • Issue 97: Cholesterol
  • Issue 96: Cold and flu
  • Issue 95: Eye Health
  • Issue 94: Weight Loss
  • Issue 93: Skin care

Brain Health

Of all the aspects of medicine, neurology (that part which deals with the brain and nerves) remains the least understood. It is said that whilst we have learnt a huge amount about the brain, we have just scraped the surface. There continue to be great advances in our understanding of how the brain works and how neurological health affects many aspects of our overall wellbeing. Read on to learn more about this fascinating area of medicine.

A healthy New Year

New Year's resolutions are made with good intentions but often fail early in the New Year when motivation wanes. In this newsletter we'll help you to follow through with your healthy plans for 2012 by giving you all the information you need about diets, quitting smoking and other resolutions you may have made. So read on to regain that lost motivation!

New Year's resolutions

Christmas is nearly upon us and now is the best time to start thinking about, and preparing for, your New Year’s resolutions. In this year's final newsletter we have some great ideas for your New Year's health resolutions, with tips to help you get motivated to achieve your goals in 2012.

Pre-Holiday Health

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!

Kidney Health

The kidneys are the body's filter. The entire bloodstream will go through the kidneys every three minutes. Kidney cancer is not as publicly discussed as some other forms of cancer, yet around 2,000 Australians will be diagnosed with kidney cancer each year. Read on to learn more about this and keeping your kidneys healthy.

Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes generally occurs later in life and results from your body not recognising insulin which makes it hard to control blood sugar levels. While we think of type 2 diabetes as a disease in its own right, it can also be thought of as a symptom of an unhealthy lifestyle. Obesity in particular is strongly linked to type 2 diabetes and these two conditions share many of the same risk factors. This is good news because it means that with a few changes to how you live you can reduce your chance of developing type 2 diabetes. At the same time this healthier lifestyle will help to get your weight under control and make you less likely to suffer from other related conditions such as erectile dysfunction, metabolic syndrome and high blood pressure. So read on to learn about diabetes and what you can do to prevent or treat it.

Lung Health

When we think about lung health often the first things that come to mind are smoking and lung cancer. Whilst the percentage of Australians who smoke has dropped enormously over the last 40 years, around 1 in 6 adults still smoke and these individuals have a much greater risk of developing lung cancer than non-smokers. Not surprisingly, a lot of current smokers want to quit and there are a number of options available to them. Interestingly, the highest success rates are achieved by people going cold turkey. 

Nutrition

Nutrition has been made much harder than it needs to be. A sheep in a paddock does not need ten books to know that it needs to eat grass. The needs of the human body have not changed in 10,000 years, yet what we eat has changed considerably. Getting back to basics with eating is easy and healthy.

Eye Health

The old saying "you only get one pair of eyes" remains valid today. Much can be done to improve vision, and modern cataract surgery in particular has improved sight for hundreds of thousands of Australians. Read on to learn what you can do to help maintain the best eye health for you and your family.

Spring Allergies

Springtime is allergy season for many people. This is because in spring more dusts, grasses and plant matter are floating in the breeze. Many people are sensitive to these and get a runny nose, watery eyes or the sneezes. Hayfever, whilst annoying is not serious and can be managed with simple measures until the season passes. Please read on to find out more.

GORD

Gastro oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) is very common. It ranges from the mild occasional heartburn to severe pain which can mimic a heart attack. There are a wide range of treatments starting with simple avoidance of foods that "disagree" with you right through to surgery in severe cases. Learn more about the digestive system in this week's newsletter.

Skin Cancer

Australia remains the world "leader" in terms of rates of skin cancer. Whilst we hear the most about melanomas, the commonest type of skin cancer is the Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC) which fortunately grows quite slowly. Like with any form of cancer, the key is prevention. We do need some sunshine for vitamin D but the old "slip, slop, slap" when you are outside still applies, particularly in summer. It is also a good idea to have an annual skin check and of course see your doctor about any spots on the skin which are changing. Learn more in this week's newsletter.

Menopause

Menopause is something that often isn't thought about until quite a bit later in life and it can be a mystery to a lot of women until it happens to them. The impact menopause has on your life can be quite disruptive including symptoms such as crying and anxiety. But women can prepare themselves physically and mentally to minimise the effects of this natural part of aging. Learn more in this week's newsletter.

Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer. However, there are very high survival rates, which is why you hear of so many women who have "had" breast cancer and are still alive and doing well. Prevention and early detection through breast awareness is the key. Read on to learn more.

Men's Health

Men are notorious for looking after their cars better than their bodies. Yet like the car, the body needs tuning up and it is better to do this before it starts breaking down. This includes health below the belt and things like male hormone deficiency and erectile issues. Come on guys, time to get real! Read on to learn more.

Mental Health

Mental health refers to emotional wellbeing, not just the absence of psychological diseases such as depression, anorexia and dementia. There are many effective (and often simple) ways of maintaining good mental health, including maintaining good physical health and being surrounded by supportive people. Some people may not realise they have mental health problems or may be scared they’ll face discrimination because of them. With the help of effective treatments and counselling, those with mental illness are able to take their rightful role in society alongside everyone else. Be informed, read on and learn more.

Cholesterol

'Cholesterol' is a word we're all familiar with and we often associate it with unhealthy food but this isn't always true. Our bodies need cholesterol to produce hormones, vitamin D and digestive acids. We also need to remember that there are two types of cholesterol: high density (also called 'good' cholesterol) and low density ('bad' cholesterol). It is well established that excessive amounts of 'bad' cholesterol can have serious effects on our health, with the most well known being increased risk of heart disease. But with a bit of good information anyone can take control of their own cholesterol levels.

Cold and flu

Each year in winter, there will be cold and flu viruses around. This has been going on since the year dot. What is interesting is that not everyone succumbs each year, even though exposure is pretty much the same. This says that our individual circumstances play a role. Learn more about how to best avoid winter viruses and what to do if you do get one.

Eye health

The old saying you only get one pair of eyes remains valid today. Much can be done to improve vision and modern cataract surgery in particular has improved sight for hundreds of thousands of Australians. Read on to learn what you can do to help maintain the best eye health for you and your family.

Weight Loss

With an estimated 60% of Australians overweight or obese, we give the USA a good run for its money. Weight is one of those topics which is often made harder than it needs to be. There are simple approaches to weight management and much you can do to help yourself. Read on and get some useful tips and ideas.

Skin care

The skin is the largest organ in the body. It has a variety of vital functions ranging from helping with temperature regulation to eliminating toxins and, of course, keeping our body together. Looking after your skin is an important part of health, so read on to learn more about skin health and skin care.