Amanda's Wellbeing Podcast

Did you know that your skin is the largest organ in your body?   Our skin is a complex organ with multiple important roles. When something goes wrong with our skin, as opposed to say plaque building up in our arteries, often we can’t hide it and that can cause not only discomfort but also embarrassment. The health of our skin can play an enormous role in how we feel about ourselves and has the potential to impact our mood.   That is why I am honoured to speak with skin expert, dermatologist, Dr Emma Ryan. Emma will help us understand how our skin is made up, what factors can impact the appearance of our skin and how best to care for our skin.   We’ll focus in on that common skin condition affecting many of our teens, acne, including its causes, how it can impact self-esteem and best treatment options available.   Mature skin is the other topic we cover in depth. Emma explains how and why our skin ages and gives an excellent overview of treatments available to help improve the a

Are you confused about eating eggs? Nutrition powerhouse or cholesterol punch?It is true that eggs are high in cholesterol but we now know that, for most people, dietary cholesterol only has a small impact on blood cholesterol. Recent scientific studies show that egg consumption is not associated with overall heart disease risk factors. There are, in fact, many benefits to eating eggs. Find out more in my Five Minute Food Facts podcast.LINKS MENTIONED IN THE EPISODEChoice article about free-range egg brands: https://www.choice.com.au/food-and-drink/meat-fish-and-eggs/eggs/articles/what-free-range-eggs-meet-the-model-codeFIVE MINUTE FOOD FACTS EPISODESDietary fats Overview: https://vibrantlivespodcast.com/podcasts/five-minute-food-facts-dietary-fat/Unsaturated Fats: https://vibrantlivespodcast.com/podcasts/5mff-unsaturated-fat/Saturated Fats: https://vibrantlivespodcast.com/podcasts/five-minute-food-facts-saturated-fat/Cholesterol: https://vibrantlivespodcast.com/podcasts/cholesterol/Dietary Protein Overview:

TRIGGER WARNING: In this podcast episode we discuss suicide and suicidal ideation.Did you know that in Australia, in any one year, around 1 million adults have depression?In this episode I put a voice to Australia's mental health crisis with civil engineer, Gerry Doyle.For all appearances, Gerry is the embodiment of success - he is CEO at Tonkin Consulting, a leading provider of engineering and environmental services, he is happily married and father to five boys. Gerry is a competitive runner and enjoyable company. For people unaware, it would be quite a shock to learn of Gerry's ongoing struggle with chronic depression and that, despite his obvious career success, he spent much time feeling like a failure. Depression has taken Gerry's mind to some very bleak places, including contemplating suicide.Gerry shares his story openly and with generosity. He shares with us how he manages his depression and the processes he has put in place to keep it at bay, plus what living with depression has taught him about lif

When you hear artificial intelligence (AI) and big data it may be robots, smart homes and self-driving cars that you think of, not necessarily your health. AI and data have a powerful role to play in our health with potential applications that will change the face of health care. This week’s guest, Harry Glorikian, AI expert, healthcare entrepreneur and author enlightens us about the fascinating technological innovations taking place in the health care space.Harry is the author of, The Future You: How Artificial Intelligence Can Help You Get Healthier, Stress Less and Live Longer. Most of us what those things and according to Harry, judicious use of AI can help us achieve them.We talk about the ability of AI to analyse and synthesise enormous amounts of data and the implications of this. Applications most of us are already aware of and using are things like smart watches, activity trackers and devices that measure sleep metrics. Going forward we will be able to have personalised nutrition advice based on our

Is your pelvic floor holding you back?Do you ever leak when you exercise? Feel a sense of urgency to pee?Let’s learn more about looking after the unsung heroes that are your pelvic floor muscles.In this episode pelvic floor expert, physiotherapist Beck Sabine of Vital Core Physiotherapy, and I will discuss what you need to know about looking after your pelvic floor and no, it’s not just a women’s issue. The pelvic floor muscles are a group of muscles that span the space between the pubic bone and the coccyx. They are responsible for supporting all the pelvic organs, they’re important for going to the toilet and for healthy sexual function.Beck is a very keen runner so one of her passions is helping people with pelvic floor issues get back to exercise. The good news is that with the right diagnosis, most pelvic floor problems can be rectified. Beck explains this with her trademark optimism and problem solving mindset.We also discuss how to approach return to exercise postpartum so if you’re a new Mum, this epi

Like many of us, David’s life was touched by cancer when his sister June died of brain cancer. David wanted to find a unique way to honour his sister and raise funds for cancer care and research - the Cycle of Lives Project was born. David set himself the very bold goal of cycling over 8,000km across the United States from Los Angeles via Florida to New York in just over 6 weeks.Cycle of Lives project became about much more that fund raising though - David selected 15 people whose lives had been irrevocable changed by cancer either as a patient, a loved one, carer or doctor. He interviewed these people about the emotional chaos that comes with cancer and visited many of them as part of his epic ride across the country. David observed that many people are very good at talking about the tasks related to cancer such as how to navigate the health care system but when it came to having frank conversations about the emotions accompanying cancer, they were not as well equipped. He created a safe space for his 15 par

Who doesn’t want to be happier?In this episode, Steph Noon, explains the role of positive psychology in her work as a Life Coach. Positive psychology is not based on the premise that we must be happy all the time. Rather, it builds on our individual strengths and talents to enhance our happiness and wellbeing. I was so interested to learn that these are skills we can practise and develop. Just as psychology, in the more traditional sense, can equip us with skills to overcome deficits or what is wrong, positive psychology can teach us another set of skills, to improve our happiness and our self-worth.I put some common scenarios to Steph and she gave some helpful, practical tips. One example was how do we counter all the nearly constant negativity and despair we encounter on the news. The news cycle is relentless and for many of us (me included) it can sometimes feel overwhelming and consuming. Steph explains the human negativity bias (where adverse events have a more significant impact on our psychological sta

What a privilege to spend some time in the company of Sara Gross. Sarah is a determined advocate for women in sport, a champion Ironman triathlete and, at the same time, humble and kind.Sara shares with us an enjoyable insight into how she found her way into the sport of triathlon where, after years on the circuit as a pro, she finally won her first ironman in Brazil (2014) aged 38. We probe into what led to her success - hard work and consistent training, of course, but also the race fell at the "right" time in her cycle enabling Sara to perform at her best.Not enough is known about how women's menstrual cycles impact our training. Having this knowledge would allow us to adapt our training schedules to enable optimal results. Fortunately, this space is evolving thanks to the work of women like Sara and her friend and collaborator, Dr Stacy Sims.Sarah is the CEO of Feisty, a company she founded in 2017. Feisty is a women-led media network dedicated to story-telling, critical-thinking and community. Feisty has

One of the most amazing things about hosting Vibrant Lives Podcast is hearing people’s stories and my goodness, my guest this week, Nathan Bolton, has an extraordinary one!Today Nathan is an advocate for men’s mental health and a resilience trainer. Nathan and his brother, Daniel, established Bolton Brothers, a psychology practice dedicated to improving male mental health and wellbeing by delivering a gendered approach to mental health services. They are committed to changing the face of men’s mental health.Step back several years and Nathan was in an extremely different place. After completing two tours in Afghanistan as a Special Operations Engineer with the Australian Special Forces where his role included finding IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices i.e. landmines) and where he survived unimaginable (to most civilians) horrors and hardships, he was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Major Depression, a battle that very nearly took his life.We discuss how Nathan recovered, what it takes for hi

Hello 2022 from Vibrant Lives Podcast!I am excited to kick off my year of podcast interviews with Dr Tammie Chang. Tammie is a physician in paediatric haematology and oncology, plus she is an empowerment and leadership coach for women physicians (doctors).In this episode Tammie will share with us advice on how to set boundaries to avoid burnout and enjoy working as a doctor. Although Tammie's focus is on women doctors, her advice can be applied to all busy people, especially women. Women typically face a multitude of competing pressures at work and at home, where they continue to shoulder a disproportionate share of household duties. Heaped on top of this is that women are socialised to care and give. This can make setting boundaries difficult for many women but as you'll learn from Tammie, it can be done and it's important that it is done.If you're a busy person who feels like there is never enough time to care for yourself, this episode is for you!TAMMIE CHANG, MDTammie Chang, MD website: https://www.tammie

Amanda shares what she's learned from her guests in 2021 about how to live a vibrant life and gives some hints of what's in store for 2022.She gives a run-down of the top five episodes and the two episodes that received the most interaction from listeners.Vibrant Lives Podcast wishes you a safe, happy and healthy festive season.TOP 5 EPISODES OF 2021Lara Casanova on coping with the grief of pet loss: https://vibrantlivespodcast.com/podcasts/lara-casanova/Dr Jane Chalmers on pelvic and period pain: https://vibrantlivespodcast.com/podcasts/jane-chalmers/Dr Robert Ali on the health impacts of alcohol: https://vibrantlivespodcast.com/podcasts/dr-robert-ali/Dr Martin Gibala on time-efficient exercise: https://vibrantlivespodcast.com/podcasts/martin-gibala/Erin Niimi Longhurst on insights into Japanese culture and living well: https://vibrantlivespodcast.com/podcasts/erin-niimi-longhurst/2 MOST DISCUSSED EPISODESTanya Bottomley, advocate for raising awareness about domestic violence: https://vibrantlivespodcast.com

Your posture is so important for the optimal functioning of your nervous system and your biomechanics.⁠⁠For women, there are notable stages in our lives that can have a profound impact in our posture such as pregnancy and ageing.⁠ Join me as I chat with registered chiropractor, Dr Loukia Papageorgiou, about how we can maintain optimal spine health during different life stages.⁠Loukia has specialist post-graduate training in caring for women during pregnancy so we delve into that and we touch on chiropractic care during peri-menopause and beyond.DR LOUKIA PAPAGEORGIOUChiropractic on Winston: https://www.chiropracticonwinston.com.auSocail media handle @chiro_on_winstonHOW YOU CAN SUPPORT THE PODCASTPlease tell your friends about the podcast and share it with them.Follow me on Instagram @vibrant_lives_podcastFollow my Facebook page: @vibrantlivespodcastIf you could rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts, that would be super helpful.Check out ways you can support the podcast on my website: https://vibrantl

My guest on Vibrant Lives Podcast this week is Associate Professor Tim Windsor, whose research centres around ageing well. Tim’s areas of interest include cognition, social behaviour and activity engagement during adulthood and ageing. Given the ageing of our population here in Australia, it is important work and something that is obviously relevant to everyone who ages.We discuss what ageing actually means and how a person’s chronological age is not a perfect indicator of their biological age. Most of our discussion centres around the importance of meaningful engagement as we age, how this factors into maintaining cognitive health and what we can do to achieve this.We all want to age well and we want our loved ones to age well so please tune in to benefit from Tim’s expertise.TIM WINDSORTim's Flinders University profile page: https://www.flinders.edu.au/people/tim.windsorHOW YOU CAN SUPPORT THE PODCASTPlease tell your friends about the podcast and share it with them.Follow me on Instagram @vibrant_lives_podc

Do you ever feel overwhelmed? Do you struggle with managing stress?If you do, this week’s episode with Wellness Coach Anna Doktor might be just what you need.Anna and I have a frank and helpful discussion about what stress and overwhelm are, how they can impact your health and how they can be managed. In response to stress the body releases hormones, like cortisol, and long term exposure to this heightened hormonal state can disrupt your body's processes and increase your risk of certain health problems including depression, digestive and sleep problems, heart disease and weight gain. In addition, stress that is ever present, chronic stress, can make you feel like you have no control over your life.Anna explains that the first step to managing stress and overwhelm is self-awareness and she speak to this. She also explains the importance mind-body connection which opens up many strategies for dealing with stress such as exercise and nutrition.This episode is full of practical advice to help you manage your tim

Sex, sexuality, consent, respectful relationships - these are all things our children need and want to learn about and, according to expert, Dr Tess Opie, we’re not doing a good job at educating them.In today’s social media saturated world, young adults form unrealistic ideas about what is sexy, and there is a huge sense of peer pressure to be sexually active. In the absence of appropriate education about sex, many turn to porn as their guide. Unfortunately, the sites young people are likely to access show violent or aggressive sex acts and fail to show what is vital to respectful sexual intimacy in the real world such as conversations around contraception, discussions regarding boundaries or checking in with each other. The results of this are not good - rates sexually transmitted diseases like gonorrhoea, syphilis and chlamydia have all increased in young people, as has coerced sex.Join me as I chat with Dr Tess Opie, founder and director of in your skin® and advocate for healthy and consenting relationship

Today I welcome back podcast favourite, Nick Muxlow, running and triathlon coach, athlete and author.In this episode Nick and I discuss one of our number one topics - running! If you are a runner or want to become a runner of any distance, this episode if packed full of vital information. Through his decades of coaching others and his own athletic endeavours, Nick has figured out all the common mistakes runners make and his recently published his third book, "Get Run Fit - Improve your running, finish with a smile", will help you avoid those mistakes. Nick has developed the "Run Fit Method" where he has distilled his advice, in an accessible way, about the steps to take to help you improve your running.If you are a runner or would like to become one, this episode is for you!NICK'S RESOURCESThe Run Journey: https://therunjourney.comThe Ultra Journey: https://www.theultrajourney.comThe Kona Journey: https://thekonajourney.netPREVIOUS EPISODES WITH NICKEpisode #38 about triathlon: https://vibrantlivespodcast.com

Have you ever struggled with sticking to your well-intentioned health goals? Let’s be real, we all have.This episode might be what you’re looking for to help you reach your goals and make healthy behaviours into lasting habits. Behaviour change specialist, Dr Heather McKee, shares her considerable knowledge about the art of goal setting, how to actually achieve your health goals, how to deal wth set backs, and more.All of Heather’s advice is supported by scientific research into the psychology of behaviour change. Our discussion is packed with practical and helpful strategies for you. Also, if habit change is an area you want to delve into further or feel like you need more support, Heather offers a “Bite Sized Habits Course” (link below).LINKS MENTIONED IN THE PODCASTDr Heather McKee's website: https://www.drheathermckee.co.ukBite Sized Habits Course: https://www.bitesizedhabits.coThe Extended Mind by Annie Murphy Paul : https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/0544947665?ref_=cb_interstitial_us_au_desktop_rec_bullseye_

This is the fourth and final episode of my four part series about dietary fats. Today I look at cholesterol, including the essential roles it plays in our bodies - it is a precursor for bile acids and for steroid hormones such as estrogen and testosterone - and its association with heart disease.I discuss the different types of cholesterol as it can be confusing and I disabuse the myth that dietary cholesterol causes high blood cholesterol.HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT THE PODCASTPlease tell your friends about the podcast and share it with them.Follow me on Instagram @vibrant_lives_podcastFollow my Facebook page: @vibrantlivespodcastIf you could rate and review the podcast on iTunes, that would be super helpful.

Join me for this fun and inspiring chat about the fabulous world of fermentation with Adelaide’s fermenting dynamo, Mandy Hall.Many of you may know of Mandy as a contestant on Master Chef Australia (2019). Since then, Mandy has continued and expanded her love of all things food; she is a cook, a workshop presenter, recipe developer, cheese maker, and fermentation expert.Mandy explains what fermentation is, how fermented foods feature in different cultures and for home cooks, like me, she shares a simple fermentation recipe which I have put to the test…results pending.We also discuss the health benefits, especially gut health, of fermented foods plus Mandy shares some behind the scenes snippets from her time on Master Chef.MANDY HALLInstagram handle @mandyhallfoodFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/mandyhallfoodLINKS MENTIONED IN THE PODCAST“Soil" by Matthew Evans: https://www.murdochbooks.com.au/browse/books/other-books/Soil-Matthew-Evans-9781922351418A Plate to Call Home with Gary Mehigan: https://podcasts.ap

This is the most moving podcast I’ve recorded to date.My guest, Tanya Bottomely, is an advocate for raising awareness around domestic violence and abuse, ultra trail runner and story teller. Tanya generously shares her personal story about living in an abusive relationship, how she managed to leave that relationship and the remarkable and uplifting story of her recovery.Running turned out to be a saviour for Tanya - it gave her freedom and agency which helped her build confidence to change her life. An important part of Tanya’s awareness raising is to share her progress towards recovery and to give hope to others out there that change is possible. Too often we hear about the horrors of domestic violence and abuse but not about recovery; her short film Peak of Possibility, featured in the 2021 RunNation film festival, is all about this. It is inspiring on so many levels.Tanya and I also discuss her amazing running feats including her goal to become the first woman in New Zealand to complete the Southern Season