What is cadence? ”The amount of strides/steps taken per minute (SPM)” In the running scene, cadence is the most common metric to measure running form. Put simply, the shorter your stride length and quicker your stride rate, the faster and more efficient you run. Aside from enhancing performance, research has found that a higher cadence is associated with a decreased likelihood of overuse type injuries (i.e: shin splints, achilles tendinopathy, plantar fasciitis). Optimum running cadence is considered 180pm (meaning each foot strikes the ground 90 times per minute) Softer impact and more efficient Improving cadence reduces overstriding, and thus knee extension that occurs on foot strike, allowing for the GRF (ground reaction force) to be absorbed under your body’s centre of gravity. The image on the right has less knee extension and a more rigid foot…

1.    Fruit Juice The fibre in whole fruit fills you up and slows down how your blood takes in energy. Without fibre, you’re just drinking nutritious sugar-water that can quickly hype you up. Eat your fruit whole. When you’re thirsty, drink water.  2.    Regular Soft Drink It has all of the blood-spiking sugar of fruit juice with none of the nutrition. Sugar-sweetened drinks have a direct link to depression. Try soda water with a splash of juice instead. It will give you a bubbly fix without too much of the stuff you don't need. 3.    Diet Soft Drink You may not have the energy crash that comes with having too much sugar, but diet soft drink may make you depressed. Too much of the caffeine that many soft drinks have can be bad for anxiety,…

In a large French study (more than one hundred thousand people) researchers looked at a cohort of people who had answered questions about nutrition and their health over five years. Participants were asked about their diet including the sugary drinks – things like soft drinks, energy drinks and fruit juices, they consumed, at different points in time. Other health information was also collected – such as whether the people smoked or drank a lot, which could influence the overall results. About three-quarters of the study group were women. While we already know that sugary drinks contribute to weight gain and obesity, type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure, the cancer link was not well established. Conclusions in this large prospective study, the consumption of sugary drinks was positively associated with the risk of…

While staying home may keep us safer from catching different viruses, the risk of suffering from loneliness goes up. Loneliness has a wide range of negative effects on both physical and mental health, including: Cardiovascular disease and stroke Increased stress levels Decreased memory and learning Antisocial behaviour Poor decision-making Alcoholism and drug abuse The progression of Alzheimer's disease Altered brain function Depression and suicide The good news is loneliness can be overcome, even while staying home, thanks to technology. It does require a conscious effort on your part to make a change. Making a change, in the long run, can make you happier, healthier, and enable you to impact others around you in a positive way. Tips to prevent loneliness include: Recognise that loneliness is a sign that something needs to change. Understand the effects that loneliness has on your life, both physically and mentally. Consider…

Most of us know that a poor diet and too little exercise can negatively impact our heart. There are lots of less obvious things that can contribute to heart disease that you may not be aware of. See how many you were aware of? Dental problems There is a link between gum disease and the higher likelihood of having heart disease, too. While the connection isn’t clear, experts surmise bacteria from your gums may move into your bloodstream, leading to inflammation of the blood vessels and other heart problems. Dental check-ups every 6 months will help safeguard your heart. If you spot redness or soreness on your gums or changes in your teeth see a dentist right away. Shift Work Western University in Canada identified in a study that working at night or irregular…

If you have ever experienced sitting the wrong way for too long that resulted in stiffness or pain you will not be surprised to learn that there are serious consequences of poor long term posture. According to the American Posture Institute, this is a growing problem globally. Poor posture can contribute to musculoskeletal disorders and physiologic dysfunction of the body.  These problems are not only causing pain, but they are a burden to individuals and society. The American Posture Institute Highlight These Facts: 80% of Americans report having back pain at some point in their lives. Up to 54% of workers in the western world experience neck pain. Americans spend between $50-$100 billion per year on back pain. Low back pain is the single leading cause of disability worldwide.  The cause of many patients’ pain…

Through the Covid-19 period, some of our practitioner team moved to offer telehealth and telephone appointments.  This has been in place for our GP’s, Occupational Therapists, Speech Pathologists, Psychologists, Dietitians and Physiotherapists.  For a period of time our Remedial Massage Therapists were also restricted from practicing.  I am pleased to say, as restrictions have lifted, most of our team have returned to face-to-face consultations, and our Remedial Massage Team is back on deck!    Certainly, if patients would still prefer to utilise a telephone or telehealth appointment, we are more than happy to facilitate that for you.  Our GP’s are still offering telephone appointments as their preference, however will see patients face-to-face should that be required.   In order to ensure our practice remains a clean and safe place to attend, we are still embarking…

with Dr. Ned Slater (Osteopathy) Overview of ‘The Running Diaries’ Over the next few newsletters, I will be discussing the most common injuries experienced by the runner, as well as strategies to enhance your performance. Throughout the series of articles we will discuss the ways to detect whether or not there is an issue, strategies to mitigate injury, and the best ways to manage the return to optimum function. We will be covering Achilles Tendinopathy, Anterior Knee Pain and Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome (Shin Splints). In this first installment, we will be discussing the best way to begin a running program if you’re a beginner, or if you’ve been running for a while, how to properly increase your running capacity to see the greatest improvements. Increase your running capacity A running mentor of mine put…

According to the Australian Department of Health, the percentage of people diagnosed with Coronavirus compared with those who have died from it is estimated at 2.17%. SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) had a higher death rate of 9.6%. At the time of writing, there have only been 2 confirmed deaths from this outside of China. While every effort to reduce the spread is being made throughout the world, the number of confirmed cases in Australia is likely to rise.  Australia however is far better equipped to respond than countries like China and we will likely contain and support those who do become infected more successfully. – ABC News…

Sweden’s capital city has launched an emergency response team solely for people in severe mental health or behavioural distress. Typically situations of this nature are handled by the police. Treating mental health problems in the same way as physical health problems helps to reduce stigmatisation of psychiatric illness which encourages people suffering to reach out and get help. The ambulance is staffed by two specialised psychiatric nurses and a paramedic from 3pm to 1 am every day. In the first year it responded to 1,580 calls for help. - www.headsmart.me…

Gut health information has exploded in recent years, with many a quick fix promoted. Microbiome testing is a new player on the field. Is it worth investing in? Our microbiome is a rich ecosystem, full of thriving bacteria that produce beneficial metabolites to keep the gut functioning optimally. Sometimes this balance of bacteria can be altered, which can have detrimental effects on the diversity and richness of the bacteria in our gut. Bacteria levels can be impacted by: stress long term medication and anti-biotics recurrent infections/viruses or parasites diversity of diet and number of plant-based foods Until recently it was very much guesswork for clients, with dietary recommendations based on reported symptoms. Now a company called Microba have developed an Australian first in testing the human gut microbiome at a DNA level. This evidence-based tool can…

All relationships face a similar set of hurdles. Success comes from being equipped to get over them. Twenty years of relationship research reveals successful couples share these 4 common habits. Reduce Withdrawals #1 – BE CURIOUS, not critical #2 – BE CAREFUL, not crushing Make Deposits #3 – ASK, don’t assume #4 – CONNECT, before you correct To watch the TedX talk explaining this click here https://youtu.be/o4Y5Mr8rZ9A The4Habits.com …

ADAPT is an exciting new initiative for people living with Dementia and their carers in Wynnum and surrounding suburbs. With the support of the Brisbane City Council, this is a very affordable program that addresses a growing need in the community to help people living with Dementia and carers to live well now. Studio Yellow based in Manly West aims to deliver high-quality art experiences to adults of all ages to promote good mental health through creativity. Every program includes Art Therapy techniques from absolute beginner levels to the more experienced. Natalie Lynch, the owner of Studio Yellow has a passion for what she does after becoming a widow in 2009 when her husband lost his battle with depression. Starting in February 2020, the program will provide a wonderful opportunity for people living with…

“As a first time febfaster, I must say, I have never slept better, been so efficient on Sundays and had cash in my wallet after a weekend!”- Samantha from NAB Febfast is a charity that supports you to take an alcohol or sugar fast challenge throughout the month of February, while raising funds for worthy disadvantaged youth. Why not make a difference to how you look and feel this Feb and give it a go! Click this link to get started today https://febfast.org.au/…

Some tea companies are replacing traditional paper teabags with plastic ones, but the new bags may be adding billions of tiny bits of plastic to your beverage, a team from Canada reports. "We show that steeping a single plastic teabag at brewing temperature [205 degrees Fahrenheit] releases approximately 11.6 billion microplastics and 3.1 billion nanoplastics into a single cup of the beverage," concluded a team led by Nathalie Tufenkji. She's a professor of chemical engineering at McGill University in Montreal. "In the past few years, there has been a steadily increasing body of scientific literature demonstrating that not only are microplastics permeating the broader environment, they are entering our bodies, as well," noted Dr Kenneth Spaeth, chief of occupational and environmental medicine at Northwell Health in Great Neck, N.Y. He wasn't involved…

Giving newborns babies cow's milk formula in the first few days after birth doubles their risk of developing cow's milk allergy by their second birthday, a small Japanese study suggests. The researchers say the findings of their randomised controlled trial indicate that dairy allergies are “primarily preventable” by avoiding supplementing newborns with cow's milk formula for at least the first three days of life.- AusDoc…

“I never binge drink!” Binge drinking can throw test results off and send your doctor down the wrong path if you have health problems. “Don’t worry Doc, I already quit smoking”Not being honest with your doctor about smoking can interfere with certain drugs, and might help explain symptoms you may have. Your doctor could actually help you quit and relieve your guilt as well. “I eat healthy”…except when there are fresh doughnuts nearby! If you leave out this last part while your weight and “bad” cholesterol skyrocket, your tall tale could lead to less effective treatment. “I run every day” Tell your doctor the truth about your exercise habits. It will help him/her figure out how to keep you healthy. If you’re not the type to go to the gym every day, that…

Danelle Kenny (Podiatrist), now working from our Sunshine Coast clinic wants people with, or considering orthotics to know that orthotics do not need to be used long term. She often treats patients who have foot orthotics that think once you get orthotics you need to keep replacing them and using them forever. Orthotics are a lot like a splint for a sprained wrist. They immobilise movement until the area has healed and pain resolved. Most of us recognise that if we get a wrist splint it is temporary. With foot Orthotics this same message is not getting out there. Orthotics can be a costly unnecessary expense you may no longer need to make. At the time foot orthotics first came into vogue there was also compelling evidence supporting the opposite approach.…

Most people don’t know what EMDR therapy is. It stands for Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR). This psychotherapy technique has been shown to be highly effective in relieving psychological distress. It is an effective treatment for trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In most psychology sessions you can look where ever you prefer. In EMDR therapy sessions your therapist directs your eye movements while you re-live traumatic or triggering experiences in brief doses. EMDR is believed to be effective because recalling distressing events is often less emotionally upsetting when your attention is diverted. Eye movement while recalling traumatic events also helps move the memory to an area of the brain where it can be processed more effectively. This allows you to be exposed to the memories or thoughts without having…

A new book by neuroscientist Dr Jared Horvath called Stop Talking, Start Influencing outlines 12 scientific principles that explain how we learn and remember. In his book, he debunks conventional thinking with scientific evidence about how we prevent cognitive decline as we age. At age 65 most of us retire and play golf or bowls and do crosswords or Sudoku. The idea of doing crosswords or Sudoku to keep our brains mentally fit has benefit yet mostly only while we are first learning to do it. Once we become familiar and good at doing these brain games, they become predictable to our brains and the benefit is minimal. If we keep learning new things that are unpredictable, like playing an instrument, learning a new sport, playing chess, then backgammon, then…