MedHeads

Lifestyle Matters Can we eat to feel better? There has been increasing research pointing to the impact of our gut microbiome on our hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis ( HPA Axis) HPA axis is important in regulating our bodies response to various stressors including physical and psychological stressors. Today Amanda Smyth and I explore this from a mental health perspective. For further info...

Looking for evidence to support the hypothesis that our mood will improve if we improve our diet? The SMILES ( Supporting the Modification of Lifestyle in Lowered Emotional State ) trial investigates this further using the Modi Mediterranean diet. The Modi Mediterranean diet incorporates a slightly higher amount of red meat compared to the regular Mediterranean diet for a a couple of reasons as hi...

What if we can eat our way to happiness by choosing the right foods? Sounds too good to be true ? There has been a lot of research about how food affects our mental and physical well being, and to date there has been an astounding level of evidence to support this. Meet Amanda Smyth, an Accredited Practicing Dietitian who discusses this with us.

This week Dr Ferghal and I explore ways to improve social connectivity with others. Compassion and communication are great tools to improve social connectivity while pride on the other hand can have a negative impact. 

Life is a sports event, for which we need to maintain our function. We are all athletes, but our events may be different, our goals may be different. David Francis, an expert in musculoskeletal physiotherapy explains his rational for coaching people to help them be their best. Today I chatted with David Francis, a specialist musculoskeletal physiotherapist.   He discusses how life can be view...

47% of Australians have had at least one chronic disease. We know very well that many of these diseases, including substance use disorders, are attributed to modifiable lifestyle factors. These factors include the 3Fs and 3Ss: • Fingers – smoking, alcohol, substance use • Feet - exercise • Fork – food • Stress • Sleep • Socialisation However, promoting health behaviour change is not an easy feat....

Today I spoke with Anita fletcher about interpersonal conflict in the medical profession. How do we deal with it, and who can support us? There are a few basic principles that we need to remember when we are navigating this potentially challenging situation.

I spoke with Anita Fletcher of Stand Out medical careers on interview preparation We speak about the preparation phase, the night before, and understanding the unexpected question.

Social isolation is now increasingly recognised as a risk factor for premature death, like the time when obesity was recognised as a risk factor for premature death decades ago. This week Dr Ferghal and Dr Saveena explore some of the health implications of social isolation. 1 in 3 Australians have experienced loneliness at some stage in their lives and it is rather alarming to know that prolonged...

We are creatures of social beings, and we thrive on social connectivity. Despite social media’s ability to connect us all virtually, the pandemic of loneliness is booming. This lies in the effect that virtual connectivity is not the same as physical connectivity.

In this episode, we discuss a holistic approach to stress management. We will also discuss a simple an effective ‘ A +B = C’ approach.  Stress as we know it, is inevitable in our day-to-day lives. We also know that if managed appropriately, stress can, in fact, be a driving force to strive further. One of the most significant aspects of poor stress management is that it can lead to people oft...

Dr Ferghal Armstrong talks with Standout Medical MD Anita Fletcher. Standout Medical Careers is an advice-based specialist Medical Career Consultancy practice. Their goal is to provide doctors with a pragmatic and strategic approach to successfully seeking out and navigating career opportunities. Providing assistance with career planning, creating impactful CVs and developing effective interview s...

Part 2 of our Discussion on Stress They say that depression is fear of the past, stress is fear of the present, and anxiety is fear of the future. Stress is ever present in our daily lives. We need stress to keep us motivated, low levels of stress are harmful to us because we become bored, moderate levels of stress are good for us because we become more productive. If, however we feel we cannot co...

They say that depression is fear of the past, stress is fear of the present, and anxiety is fear of the future. Stress is ever present in our daily lives. We need stress to keep us motivated, low levels of stress are harmful to us because we become bored, moderate levels of stress are good for us because we become more productive. If, however we feel we cannot cope with the stress and or if we exp...

This week we discuss Alcohol. Alcohol affects everyone. How it affects you depends on how much you drink, your health, your age and other factors. Drinking too much can lead to harmful short-term and long-term effects.

The harms of smoking are related to three constituents in tobacco smoke. Firstly, nicotine causes addiction, secondly the tar causes progression of atheroma and cancer, and thirdly, carbon monoxide causes poor oxygen delivery to tissues.  The benefits of smoking cessation occur within minutes, and it is never too late to consider quitting. In fact, one should never quit quitting. Smoking cessation...

This week we feature Julie Schutz who is a Fellow of the Australian Society of Lifestyle Medicine, a Physiotherapist and a Health Coach who predominantly supports women with autoimmune diseases and other chronic diseases.  Julie’s interest in Health Coaching stemmed from her personal experience of being diagnosed with an autoimmune condition. She was determined to face the challenge of this autoim...

The concept of fasting is not new to many especially if we look at the various cultures and religions around the world e.g., Muslims fast during Ramadan, or the various fasts practiced by Hindus and Buddhists. Even Greek philosophers such as Hippocrates and Aristotle have prescribed fasting for various ailments. This week, we look at how and why intermittent fasting works. Support the show (https:...

This week Saveena and Ferghal discuss the Keto Diet Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/medheads)

The highs and the lows of the “Low Carb High Fat” diet. Many people tend to subscribe to the famous “Low Carb High Fat” diet and others swear by it but a pertinent question to ask is whether these individuals do it well or if they are successful?  Can the diet really improve diabetes control? Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/medheads)

Pass the ‘DASH’ on the table – The DASH Diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) We often hear practitioners recommending the DASH diet to someone with high blood pressure. But how people friendly is this diet?  On this episode of Lifestyle Matters, Dr Ferghal and Dr Saveena explore the famous DASH diet. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/medheads)

“A diet as good as the famous statins?” This week, Dr Ferghal and I explore the ‘Portfolio Diet’; known for its effectiveness in lowering LDL i.e. ‘bad cholesterol’. This diet is said to be as effective as Lovastatin, which is a cholesterol lowering medication!  Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/medheads)

I chat with Dr Jesse Zanker, a geriatrician who specialises in the care of elderly patients. We discuss the impact that COVID has had on elderly vulnerable patients and the important role that vaccination has in firstly preventing serious illness and secondly in preventing ongoing transmission to friends and loved ones. We both look forward to a time when we can live without lockdowns, but we ackn...

The Mediterranean diet is proven to reduce all cause mortality. It reduces the mortality associated with heart disease, metabolic syndrome, Diabetes, Cancer and improves longevity and quality of life. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/medheads)

In this episode, we discuss tools to use when choosing a diet and what a weight loss plateau is. Over the upcoming episodes, we will be reviewing the various diets that are out there from a medical perspective.  This episode is to introduce how beneficial diets can be to our lives when chosen correctly. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/medheads)