Ecology can be a health hazard

There I was yesterday staggering to support the weight of my vibrantly hued ecologically aware cloth shopping bags filled to the brim with the fruits of the supermarket, when two things happened.

First, I remembered when long ago at the very beginning of the enviro-bag revolution, I used to scoff at the greenies who would turn up at the supermarket each week religiously spurning the plastic bags offered to them and producing from the voluminous folds of their rather "aged hippie" weekend attire, their precious green bags. For some reason, perhaps my fondness for sticking a pin in the pompous and politically correct, this species of shopper always seemed to me to be inordinately hairy as well as decidedly unattractive. But now, I thought, here am I humbled at last, albeit through the coercion of the law, laden with my own greenie bags. So I sent off a mental apology to those vanguard greenies, so unfairly maligned.

Second, I put my back out. Thanks to the improved tensile strength of the new enviro bags, the checkout attendants have it seems embarked on an experiment to see just how much they can stuff into one bag. Or perhaps they are just being thoughtful and saving their customers the expense of buying two bags when one will do. Anyway while the quantity of bags is less, the weight of them is now such that even Arnold Schwarzenegger in his prime would be challenged to lift one. Of course I could tell just from grappling to get them, newly packed, into the trolley, let alone from the trolley into the boot of the car, then from the boot into the house, then up onto the kitchen counter, that they were far too heavy for me to lift. However, rather like the aforementioned Arnold, I saw this as a challenge. Having been getting into the weights at the gym with more enthusiasm than sense, I thought "how hard can it be?" I quickly found out as an ominous click presaged a spasm of pain that I know from experience will drag on for some days.

Sensibly, what I should do from now on is ask politely at the checkout for them to only fill the bags halfway. However rather like having to ask someone to give you a hand crossing the road, that risks having them think of me as weak, or getting on in years and of course that would never do. Far better to strain and heave, with dignity intact, and then spend the rest of the weekend limping around the house bent over like a crone.

Regardless though of whether common sense or ego wins out in my case, the enviro bags are a jolly good idea and I'm all for them. Especially when you realise how destructive the old plastic bags have been. Not only do they clog our drains and waterways, they are serial killers of our marine creatures. And unlike me, they don't break down.

Body / Brain Interaction

Having reaped the benefits of a year of pretty regular exercise now, in terms of being a lot slimmer and fitter, I am enthused about the idea of keeping on with it. As I might have mentioned on my blog a while ago, I joined up with Healthy Inspirations - a place devoted to "reshaping" women, not only bodily but also in terms of reshaping their ideas about healthy nutrition and the very real benefits of regular moderate exercise. Probably because it is a place for women only and the staff are very understanding and supportive and about as far from your intimidating "gym bunny" type as you are likely to get, its clientele is largely women of a certain age.

However having gone about as far as I can go with what they have to offer, I decided recently I needed a change and so have bravely decided to join a real gym - with men!! I will be starting there next week and am looking forward to the experience, albeit a little apprehensively. There is a greater range of offerings in terms of classes, as well as the full complement of cardio and weight resistance machines so I will be well and truly challenged. Just scanning the names of the classes is somewhat challenging in itself. For example I am given the opportunity to partake of such hedonistic delights as "Body Attack", "Cardio Blast", "Body Pump" and one I know I just won't be able to resist - "RPM" - a studio cycling class that threatens to "lead you on a journey of total calorie destruction".

So think of me sweating it out and hopefully not killing myself. Whenever the flesh weakens in regard to exercise though, as it does from time to time of course, I need only remind myself of some fairly amazing (if not new) information I read recently in a fascinating book called "Brain Rules" by John Medina, a molecular biologist. His passion is trying to identify ways to translate what we know about how our brains work into adapting our educational institutions and workplaces so that better outcomes are achieved.

There are several major factors in life that have a fundamental and undeniable influence on the efficiency of our brains, which he terms "Brain Rules". One of these and perhaps the most elemental is exercise. Exercise boosts brain power. We, by virtue of our evolutionary history, are just not meant to be sedentary beings. Physical activity, it has been well and truly proven, enhances our cognitive skills, and helps slow down the ageing process (both the mental and physical aspects). There is in fact one major factor that predicts how people will age - the presence or absence of a sedentary lifestyle. Empirical evidence indicates that consistent and regular exercise results in an elevation in cognitive performance. Experimenters measured the cognitive abilities of a group of couch potatoes, exercised them consistently for a period of time (only a few months), and found on repeat testing that all kinds of mental activities had become strengthened. When the exercise levels were decreased again, the levels of cognition correspondingly fell.

For anyone who wants, needs or just likes to use their brains (which is pretty much everyone I guess) and would prefer not to end their days vegetating in a nursing home, what this means is we have to keep on sweating it out. Even if aerobics and spin cycle classes are not for you, substantial benefits can be gained just from several brisk walks a week apparently. So anyway I am inspired enough to keep on and will keep you posted on the new gym and the scenery!!

Bunions Be Gone

( Pics are not of me obviously as I have yet to classify as "post-op"except in my fantasies plus mine are more wrinkly.)

On Tuesday I say goodbye to the dreaded bunions at long last and very good riddance to the little buggers I say. My right foot especially has turned into a very poor apology for a foot (despite the red toenail polish which, although the orthopaedic surgeon rather fancied it, stopped well short of transforming the flawed fetlock into anything remotely resembling sexy!).

The upside will be, eventually, normal looking human feet which can take a bit of pounding occasionally - in other words toe the line - as it were. The downside is that I will be somewhat of a crock afterwards, hopefully not too immobilised but initially perhaps forced into the indignity of a walking frame (I'll fit right into the demographic in the Mitcham Shopping Centre however). I will also be besporting charmingly green coloured surgical boots, for I understand six weeks. Although these will do nothing at all for my occasional attempts at stylishness, as the specialist suggested, rather than try and hide them (how could you anyway) I think I will "make a statement" and cleverly team them with … well everything. Perhaps it will start a trend. People will gasp as they see me and demand to know where I got those fabulous boots.

Anyway once I survive the ordeal I will let all my similarly afflicted (bunion-wise) friends know just what a breeze it all was, or alternatively what a hideously excruciatingly painful nightmare it was - perhaps the latter as it doesn't hurt to milk every opportunity for sympathy in these tough times. I will of course be a model patient for my dear sister who is doing her Florence Nightingale bit and coming to nurse me back to wholeness for a week after my surgical experience. Thank God she is, as the dogs are notoriously hopeless at breakfast in bed or shopping or washing or anything that doesn't instantly and directly benefit their own little selves. No doubt they will be bashing at the door for walkies as soon as I set boot inside the house again.

Well onward and upward, or onward and best foot forward in this case. I will be brave and focus on slipping into some smart sexy summer sandals in my new feet, without a gargoyle like protrusion ruining the effect. Of course once the feet are refurbished, the rest of the bodily premises may look a tad shabby by comparison and rather like house renovation, once you start, where the hell do you stop!

My dear friend Ginny

I first met Ginny about 9 years ago when she was assigned as my "mentor" on my first day in my new job, and I couldn't have had a better one. She and I have subsequently become great friends and have shared some memorable times together. In one of these pictures we are at my 60th birthday party, with her gorgeous daughter Becky. She also came with me over to Geelong earlier this year when I finally graduated - she insisted on being present as she said she so admired my achievement in getting to the end of a gruelling few years of arduous study while working full time. It was a really special experience for me to have her there. Ginny is always the life of the party - could talk to a stone wall as someone once said, is bubbly, enthusiastic, happy and gregarious. She absolutely adores her two lovely children - Becky, who as I said is breathtakingly lovely and very smart too, and Matt - a tall, athletic and delightful young man - who is on his way to being a lawyer. Both kids are an absolute credit to Ginny, and they equally adore her.

Imagine the shock then when it was discovered in the last couple of weeks that Ginny has cancer. She is today in Sydney undergoing a very major operation, following which she will be subjected to extensive chemotherapy and radiation. Because of the location of the cancer, the surgery will be difficult, long and very invasive and she will need to undergo significant therapy and rehabilitation afterwards. The positive side is that she is still young, otherwise healthy, and has a wonderfully supportive family, a host of friends who love her and because she is a strong and courageous woman, has every chance of beating this.

It is still devastating though to think of this lovely, bubbly woman who has brought such laughter, fun and friendship into my life having to go through this ordeal. I am hoping and praying the surgery goes well and that she makes a successful recovery. Another reminder I suppose, as if we need any more, that life is precious and fragile and the health and vigour we take for granted today can be snatched from us at any moment.

Let's all make the absolute most of the benefits and gifts we have and always be on hand to lend our love, support and help to those of us who have heavy burdens to bear, like Ginny and her family do now.

Un-Happy Feet

It seems my devotion to my fitness regime has been sabotaged by my very un-happy feet. Perhaps it's just their way of saying "give us a break", but in recent times, it's been a litany of podiatric problems. First it was corns and calluses, then bunions which admittedly have been hanging around for a while but in recent times have swollen to undreamed of heights, then last weekend a chilblain on a big toe - not a pretty sight. Now my right foot has totally thrown up its toes and is barely working at all. It started with a soreness seemingly from nowhere, which I was kindly told by my gym instructor on Wednesday night (when I had to cry off from aerobics) might be gout!!!! Ye gods, I know the old bod is struggling, but gout!!! I know this is not corroborated by any medical evidence whatsoever, but just the word conjures up images for me of porky, red faced, bulbous nosed old men (sort of Sir Les Patterson types). Anyway the pain has become quite a lot worse over the last couple of days, requiring a visit to the doctor. The diagnosis is still somewhat vague - the best he could offer was maybe a sprain, or maybe a stress fracture -anyway thankfully not gout. So I am hobbling around popping anti-inflammatories and waiting to see what happens basically.

I must say this is rather a bodily betrayal on the part of my feet, as I have really been enjoying my fitness sessions and actually for once feeling quite toned, fit and if not exactly muscular, at least tight in all the right places rather than flabby.

Oh well, at least the enforced rest will help with making inroads into the pile of books, paper work and blogging topics waiting to be addressed!

The great weight debate

In acknowledgement of our nation's growing girth, the Federal Govt Health & Ageing Parliamentary Committee recently launched an inquiry into obesity. Obesity of course has been recognised as a major risk factor for conditions such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, high blood pressure, some cancers ... and the list goes on. Despite the wide dissemination of that knowledge in the community, statistics show that more than half of Australian adults are either overweight or obese, we are the FIFTH fattest nation in the world and what's even more worrying one quarter of Australian children are overweight or obese.

Experts are still attempting to come to grips with why this situation has developed, as well as what to do about it, however obvious factors seem to include too little exercise, high consumption of fatty and takeaway foods, the lost art of good home cooking, generally unhealthy lifestyles, children sitting in front of TV's and computers instead of being outside playing etc. Of course the opposite obsession with ultra-thinness, especially in the celebrity world, is equally as unhealthy and we don't want to be encouraging an epidemic of unhealthy dieting or anorexia. There is however a happy balance in between those two extremes and I have recently been involved with a fabulous organisation that seeks to promote that, particularly for women.

Healthy Inspirations is an organisation with branches around Australia, dedicated to improving the health, and wellbeing of women, through diet, weight management, exercise, fitness, relaxation and one on one counselling, support, encouragement and advice. I joined the Mitcham branch in February and the "before" (above left) and "after" (above right) photos speak for themselves. Not that I was huge, as all my life I've been lucky enough to stay fairly slim without much effort. However as the result of bad eating, no exercise and not caring much, by the end of last year I had really bulked up, around the midriff area especially and generally felt flabby, frumpy, unfit and not happy with myself. Thanks to the great girls at Healthy Inspirations Mitcham though, I have certainly slimmed down, but what's more important have developed good habits in healthy and nutritious eating, feel fitter, healthier, stronger, look better and am enjoying a renewed sense of self-esteem as a result. The all woman environment initially appealed to me as I didn't feel confident enough to cope with young gym bunnies (of both sexes) and the trendy "gym" environment which can be a bit intimidating to someone who's been out of it for a while. Having made friends at Healthy Inspirations with women of all shapes, sizes and ages, I am really comfortable with staying on and in fact love going. The girls who run the place are an absolute delight - you can talk to them about anything - they are fun, supportive, caring and really interested in how you're going. (They don't look like gym bunnies either!).

So for all you women friends out there who need a boost in the old bod department, do think about the Healthy Inspirations option.