Monat: September 2023

In the latest episode of the Kic podcast, co-founder and influencer Steph Claire Smith opened up about the harrowing experience of her nude photos being leaked while she was in highschool. 

In conversation with co-house and founder Laura Henshaw, Smith said she sent the photos of herself to a boy she was seeing, believing he would keep them private. 

However, ‚It turns out he wasn’t deserving of my trust,” she said. “He sent it to a few friends, and it then found itself around the school.” 

Like what you see? Sign up to our bodyandsoul.com.au newsletter for more stories like this.

‚I remember very clearly walking into school and knowing that it had been shared around the night before and girls wouldn’t talk to me, obviously my friends were fine, but girls wouldn’t talk to me. Everyone was just looking at me.

Smith also recalled that her female classmates interrogated her about her decision, especially after finding out she wasn’t ‘dating’ the boy, saying “Why would you do that? That’s so dumb. Like how dumb are you?”

Meanwhile, the “Guys would just make comments like, you know, ‘oh, nice photo’, you know, they’re f*cking teenagers like they just don’t understand how that feels.”

On the flipside, Smith says the boy who shared the images was “f*cking championed”.

“He was a legend. It was so bad,” she said. 

Now, Smith says she feels no shame about the situation, and nor should she. Sending consensual nudes to someone you’re in a relationship with is not the problem, sharing them without consent is. 

“Because of how I feel about that sort of stuff now, and I don’t believe there should be any shame around it, I don’t have any regrets or feel bad about it now,” she said. 

“Also if ever any of those pictures were to resurface, I was underage…I was literally 16.”

But beyond the embarrassment she felt at the time, which we can all empathise with even though there should be no shame around taking the photos, what stood out was the unfair vilification of women in those scenarios. 

Cybersafety should always be encouraged, but rather than critiquing the choice of the receiver (usually a man) to share them, which is illegal, especially when someone is underage, women are slut shamed and disparaged for taking the photos, and sending them to someone they trusted. 

“[Sending nudes] can be risky, it can be sent around, if it’s on the internet it can stay there, but the shame around sending a photo… is f*cking sh*t.”

“Why do we blame women in this situation?‘, she said. “Every time! The one-sided shaming is not okay.” 

Comments on the video of the podcast episode quickly came flooding, with women praising Smith and Henshaw for their candid conversation, especially Smith for her honesty on such a public scale. 

“Now knowing that someone I look up to in the health & fitness industry and as a mother, has experienced the same thing I did in high school makes me feel a bit better about what I went through and also just shows it is a part of growing up and the blame definitely shouldn’t be on the female only, and that it doesn’t make you any less of the person you are today,” wrote one person. 

“So many girls in my high school it happened to and the eyes were never on the boy who shared in,” another commented. 

“The only person at fault was the make that shared the nude,” said another user. 

It’s great to see these conversations being held at scale, which serve as an ever-relevant reminder that women are held to different standards than men, and classic catch-22 – damned if they do, damned if they don’t.

If you’ve flippantly said, “Oh, I feel a bit OCD”, this episode will stop you from ever saying it again. Author Penny Moodie shares the highs and lows of her long-time mental health battle with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

WANT MORE FROM PENNY?

Find out more about Penny’s book The Joy Thief (Allen & Unwin, $34.99) here. You can catch Penny @penny_moodie. 

WANT MORE BODY + SOUL? 

Online: Head to bodyandsoul.com.au for your daily digital dose of health and wellness.

On social: Via Instagram at @bodyandsoul_au or Facebook. Or, TikTok here. Got an idea for an episode? DM host Felicity Harley on Instagram @felicityharley. 

In print: Each Sunday, grab Body+Soul inside The Sunday Telegraph (NSW), the Sunday Herald Sun (Victoria), The Sunday Mail (Queensland), Sunday Mail (SA) and Sunday Tasmanian (Tasmania). 

Obsessive-compulsive disorder stole Penny Moodie’s happiness for 23 years. The author shares how she navigated it all and what she wants others to know about this misunderstood mental health condition.

WANT MORE FROM PENNY?

To hear today’s full interview, where she shares her hardest struggles with OCD…search for Extra Healthy-ish wherever you get your pods.

Find out more about Penny’s book The Joy Thief (Allen & Unwin, $34.99) here. You can catch Penny @penny_moodie. 

WANT MORE BODY + SOUL? 

Online: Head to bodyandsoul.com.au for your daily digital dose of health and wellness.

On social: Via Instagram at @bodyandsoul_au or Facebook. Or, TikTok here. Got an idea for an episode? DM host Felicity Harley on Instagram @felicityharley. 

In print: Each Sunday, grab Body+Soul inside The Sunday Telegraph (NSW), the Sunday Herald Sun (Victoria), The Sunday Mail (Queensland), Sunday Mail (SA) and Sunday Tasmanian (Tasmania). 

Abbie Chatfield has opened up about a three day stint in hospital last after ignoring symptoms of a urinary tract infection (UTI). 

In a series of Instagram stories, the podcaster and TV host revealed why she’s been quiet on social media of late, sharing that amidst filming for The Masked Singer, she tried to carry on working only to end up in a hospital bed. 

It’s the second time the influencer has been admitted to hospital in the past month, citing the “worst tension migraine” of her life for the first stint. 

Like what you see? Sign up to our bodyandsoul.com.au newsletter for more stories

The four Instagram stories showed Chatfield lying in a hospital bed, with the following captions: 

“Hello everyone, only now able to use my phone bc I’ve been so sick but I’ve been in hospital for the last 3 days.

“I had a kidney infection and was basically in denial about how bad it was so didn’t go straight to hospital, despite crying from the pain in my bladder and back. I just thought my oral antibiotics would fix it.”

And then I got on a plane for work and ended up in hospital away from home.”

She continued, “I didn’t want to mess anyone around so I just tried to do the work I had planned to do (like I always stupidly do) and now I’ve ended up messing everyone around MORE and also I’m very sick in a place none of my friends or family can come visit me.” 

Chatfield said the kidney infection came from a UTI, which she has spoken about contracting often. While UTIs are usually treatable with antibiotics, if the infection gets severe enough, it can reach the kidneys, causing serious illness. 

“If you have UTI symptoms and back pain/nausea don’t f*ck around with that. Go to hospital.”

“I knew this logically bc I’m a UTI QUEEN but was taking a chance I should have and thought I could work.” 

She also said that by delaying her admission to hospital, she ended up needing to be treated with strong painkillers fentanyl, oxycodone, along with valium to treat severe anxiety. 

 “Anyway ily just remember to try to connect with the pain you’re having instead of distracting yourself from it”, she concluded.

Chatfield also touched on the trend of women and people assigned female at birth being conditioned to minimise their pain – or push through it to avoid being seen as weak. 

It’s not the first time Chatfield has spoken about the importance of women advocating for their own health, which is often attributed to hysteria or just misdiagnosed, as symptoms differ to those of men. 

Earlier this year Chatfield pursued a diagnosis for ADHD, which she eventually got in May – the treatment for which  she said has changed her life. 

“A lot of women have different symptoms to men when they’re younger, so they go undiagnosed for a longer time,” she said.

“A lot of women get diagnosed in adulthood, and their symptoms will get confused with anxiety and depression.”

Earlier this year, we reported on all the major health updates coming to your Apple devices, from a new journaling app (due later this year) that provides iPhone users new ways to reflect on moments throughout their everyday lives, updates to the Mindfulness app for both Apple Watch and iPhone users, and the introduction of its proprietary Health app on iPad. 

Physical health and fitness support also got an upgrade with big wins for cyclists and hikers. With the release of iOS 17 and watchOS 10 this week, Apple Watch users can now see key live cycling metrics on their iPhone when mounted on their bike, as well as several new metrics when connected to Bluetooth cycling accessories designed to take your cycling to the next level. 

But what about the watches themselves?

Now that the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 have officially landed on shelves, we got our hands on them and put them to the test.

Apple Watch Series 9

Right out of the box, and at first glance, you’ll be hard-pressed to notice any major changes to the look and feel of the Series 9. 

Don’t be fooled though, this isn’t just a simple reincarnation of the previous Series 8. Apple has focused almost entirely on making changes under the hood for this year’s release

The introduction of a new chip (the S9 SiP) brings with it a raft of performance improvements, none more noticeable than the display, which sports double the maximum brightness of the Series 8. 

On a midday run in full sun, both the 41mm and 45mm displays read incredibly well, and metrics from the native Workout app are shown vividly and clearer than ever, meaning I was able to focus on the run itself without trying to read my distance and pace multiple times.

Outside of using the watches for workouts, animations and effects are noticeably smoother, more engaging and, in general, faster than those on previous generations of Apple Watch.

Siri has also had a glow-up, with faster and more reliable responses.

For requests that don’t require Wi-Fi or mobile reception, commands are now processed directly on your wrist, rather than going through the internet and the cloud. 

I tested this several times in different scenarios, from setting a timer while completing a quick circuit workout in an underground car park (notorious as blackout zones) to initiating a run on a treadmill at the gym, and it worked beautifully. 

While this might not seem like a big deal at first, it opens up other opportunities not previously possible on older generations of Apple Watch, like logging and retrieving health data. And because on-device processing is secure and private, Siri can now let me know how many steps I’ve done today or hours of sleep I’ve had (not enough on both fronts, apparently).

Later, when I jump on the scales, I’m able to log my weight directly without needing to go through the Health app on my iPhone, making it easier to track my fitness and health over time. And anything that helps us to improve our overall fitness and health, should be counted as a win.

Again, this is all due to the new chip working behind the scenes. 

As with previous releases, the Series 9 is available in several different colours and finishes, including an all-new pink aluminium option. 

While grabbing a coffee after a gym workout, I noticed a few people clocking the new 41mm pink case, which I’ve paired with the redesigned (and more environmentally friendly) pink sport loop watch band. Given that we’re still firmly in our Barbiecore era, this will likely be one of the more popular choices. 

Later, I sport the 45mm midnight aluminium case with the blue flame Nike sport band, made from recycled content and production scraps, ahead of a high-intensity workout. The airy, perforated design provides excellent ventilation and keeps the watch tightly secured to my wrist. 

Apple Watch Ultra 2

Again, as with the Series 9, users are unlikely to spot any significant design changes to the Ultra 2 right out of the box. 

But Apple has, in fact, made some subtle yet environmentally welcome changes to the exterior. Compared to the first generation Ultra, the new case is now made from 95 per cent recycled titanium without sacrificing the same level of ruggedness, corrosion resistance and lightweight feel we’ve come to love from the previous iteration. 

Where things get interesting is with updates made to the interior.

Like the Series 9, the Ultra 2 also ships with Apple’s latest chip. This brings with it the same updated capabilities for private and secure on-device Siri, smoother animations and effects and improvements to the brightness. Having worn the previous Ultra as my watch of choice, the screen is noticeably brighter (50 per cent brighter according to the tech company).

Unlike the Series 9, though, the Ultra 2 has been designed for serious sports, fitness and adventure lovers. A new exclusive modular watch face, aptly named Modular Ultra, takes full advantage of the larger display found on Ultra watches. 

When testing the new watch face, it’s remarkably powerful in providing access to all the metrics and apps you need, depending on the type of activity you’re undertaking.

Over a week, I tried the endurance and adventure options, and both made it incredibly easy to see at a glance the data and metrics you’d need to know whether you’re regularly training for a long run or going for hikes. While I didn’t get to test this, it’s worth noting there’s also an ocean option for activities like recreational scuba diving and water sports.

For runners and cyclists, the Ultra 2 is likely to be a compelling reason to upgrade, particularly if moving from Apple’s flagship watch series. The updated brightness makes viewing up to six lines of metrics at a glance easy, letting you focus on what’s important mid-run, like your average pace, heart rate and distance, whether you’re hitting the pavement before dawn or mid-afternoon. 

Again, I didn’t try this feature, but I love that if you arrive at a running track, it will automatically be clocked by the watch and ask you to confirm your running lane in order to provide the most accurate pace and distance data. It’ll even count the laps for you.

Cyclists have also been given a major update through the release of watchOS 10 and iOS 17 (both available now). Among the most exciting features is the all-new Live Activity view that turns your iPhone into an external display for your Apple Watch, maximising the full-screen real estate of the iPhone. Several existing Workout Views from Apple Watch have been optimised so you can easily swipe between them to display various metrics based on what’s most important to you – from heart rate zones, elevation and distance to custom workouts. While not exclusive to the Ultra 2, it’s a powerful addition that makes the lineup a stellar fitness watch in its own right.

Double tap

Undoubtedly, the double tap gesture has been one of the most talked about features in this year’s lineup of Apple Watches. While not yet available, the new double tap gesture (made by tapping your index finger and thumb twice in quick succession) will enable you to control your watch without having to touch the display.

There’s no word yet on an official release date, but having tried the feature out during Apple’s special September event at its Cupertino headquarters, I’ve seen first-hand (no pun intended) how useful this feature will be, from answering (or ending) a call mid-run to pausing music and even stopping workouts. 

The verdict?

Updates under the hood for the Series 9 and Ultra 2 make them compelling enough to consider an upgrade, particularly if you use an Apple Watch regularly for fitness tracking and working out. The durable titanium design of the Ultra 2, along with the larger and brighter display over the Series 9 (and its previous generations), make it the ideal partner for those who regularly train for endurance sports, adventures and races. 

Pricing and the lineup

Apple Watch Series 9 prices start at $649 and is available in both 41mm and 45mm sizes in starlight, midnight, silver, and a new pink aluminium case, as well as stainless steel in gold, silver, and graphite cases. 

Apple Watch Ultra 2 is available for A$1,399.

For thousands of years, the cannabis plant has been recognised for its medicinal attributes. Dating as far back as 2800 BC, cannabis was employed in the treatment of diverse health conditions and was included in Emperor Shen Nung’s ancient pharmacopoeia.

Nung is considered the father of Chinese medicine and is believed to have invented the treatment of acupuncture.  But cannabis hasn’t been without its controversies and throughout much of the 1900s was largely demonised and as a consequence out of favour for medicinal use.

However, the stigma associated with cannabis-based medicine and health products is well and truly abating. In light of the increasing global recognition of medicinal cannabinoids, Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) reclassified low-dose cannabidiol (CBD) from a prescription medication (Schedule 4) to a pharmacist-only medicine (Schedule 3).

Like what you see? Sign up to our bodyandsoul.com.au newsletter for more stories like this.

The decision enabled TGA-approved low-dose CBD-containing products included on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG) for use in adults, to be supplied over-the-counter (OTC) by a pharmacist, without a prescription from February 2021.

It all sounded good in theory for cannabinoid products to be sold OTC as long as they’re below the allowed dosage of 150mg/day and included on the ARTG but in practice it hasn’t worked out that way…well yet anyway.

You see, there are currently no TGA cannabinoid-approved products on the ARTG that meet the Schedule 3 criteria.

The criteria explained

The TGA’s requirement for all Schedule 3 cannabinoid medications to be included on ARTG has faced criticism given that proving efficacy is a primary prerequisite, which predominantly requires arduous, expensive and time-consuming clinical trials.

Trials are generally divided into three phases with Phase 1 focusing on safety, Phase 2 testing for effectiveness and Phase 3 examining whether the new drug is an improvement on existing treatment.

Medicines not included in the ARTG are known as unapproved medicines and according to the TGA have not been evaluated by the authority for quality, safety and effectiveness. Unapproved CBD medicines can continue to be accessed via the Special Access Scheme (SAS) or Authorised Prescriber (AP) scheme on prescription only.

In terms of cannabis companies providing medicinal cannabis products under the SAS or AP scheme, the list is long.

Some frontrunners for OTC development

Bod Australia

Bod Australia is in pole position to have the first Schedule 3 CBD product in the Australian market after earlier this month announcing positive preliminary results from its Phase 2B Can-Rest Insomnia trial.

“The trial completion marks a significant breakthrough for Bod for our uniquely formulated Schedule 3 CBD product,” shares CEO Jo Patterson. “The singularity of this product is in its soft gel format, utilising a patent-protected encapsulation technology.”

Neurotech

Neurotech’s proprietary broad-spectrum cannabinoid drug therapy NTI164 is currently being investigated across three clinical trials in paediatric patients suffering from autism, Rett Syndrome and PANDAS/PANS, which are neurological disorders characterised by elevated neuroinflammatory processes.

“We are developing NTI164 as a therapy for predominately rare paediatric neurological disorders, where safe and effective therapies are lacking,” says executive director Dr Thomas Duthy

MGC Pharmaceuticals

The European-based company has conducted and finished several trials of its medicinal products. Furthermore, the company has had several research papers published with leading institutions including RMIT on The Pathophysiology and the Therapeutic Potential of Cannabinoids in Prostate Cancer. 

Zelira Therapeutics

Zelira successfully completed an IRB-approved, multi-arm head-to-head study of its proprietary diabetic nerve pain drug ZLT-L-007 against Pfizer’s multi-billion-dollar annual revenue drug Lyrica. ZLD now plans to progress their cannabinoid-based oral capsule into further formal clinical trials on a path towards regulatory approval.

Incannex Healthcare

Incannex Healthcare has the world’s largest portfolio of patented medicinal cannabinoid drug formulations and psychedelic treatment protocols. They have an upcoming pivotal (Phase 2/3) study of its novel cannabinoid combination for patients with obstructive sleep apnoea after promising Phase 2 results were released last year.

“We also have other early-stage cannabinoid assets which we plan to take to trial in the future,” CEO Joel Latham told Stockhead. “We see ourselves as a fully-fledged biotech so we want to develop novel treatments with are clinically and scientifically validated to achieve registration with the major health regulators globally.”

The original version of this article was published on stockhead.com.au and has been republished with permission. 

Half of all the mental health conditions we experience at some point in our lives will have started by age 14. 

What’s more alarming is that one in 10 people between the ages of 12 and 17 will self-harm, while one in 13 will seriously consider suicide. One in 40 will follow through with a suicide attempt. It’s no wonder our country’s teachers fear for the mental health of their students.

A 2023 Beyond Blue survey found that Australian teachers believe poor mental health is the biggest issue amongst our youth, followed by excessive screen-time, and then bullying, according to the ABC.

Like what you see? Sign up to our bodyandsoul.com.au newsletter for more stories like this.

Of the 2,369 teachers surveyed by the mental health support organisation, only one in three believed their students were mentally healthy.

„[There have been] more noticeable moments where people are upset at school,“ Alanah, a year 11 student at Braemar College in Victoria, told The ABC. „People kind of go on nervous rants. I’ve seen some people cry in really bad circumstances.“

For Alanah, social media has played a big part in the mental health of her and her classmates. „There’s this need to kind of show off, and show that you have friends and that you’re doing all these things — and if you don’t you kind of get outcast,“ she said.

„I think it’s definitely hard to switch off, especially at lunchtime you walk around, everyone’s just scrolling.“

Emma Grant, Braemar College’s wellbeing specialist, said the enforcement of lockdown in 2020 through to 2022 had a huge impact. From her own experience with students, she’s noticed some are lacking a sense of purpose and social skills because of the extended periods of isolation.

„They’re not learning social awareness. They’re not learning how to read emotions. They’re not learning body language,“ Grant said. „A 16-year-old is not where you would typically see a 16-year-old, for example. Same with a 14-year-old. They’re missing some of those socio-emotional key skills.“

Yes, during the pandemic it was mobile phones and devices that kept young people connected, but it also resulted in excessive screen time, something they can’t kick.

Beyond Blue’s findings have led to new mental health resources which will become part of the classroom curriculum, created by the Australian Curriculum and Assessment Reporting Authority (ACARA) in consultation with Beyond Blue, Headspace, the National Mental Health Commission, and of course, our teachers nationwide.

And they won’t just be exclusive to PDHPE classes, they’ll be included in lessons under the English and humanities departments. 

„We don’t want students to think the only time we’re talking about the importance of mental health and wellbeing is when they walk into a class and timetable that has health and physical education on it,“ said Sharon Foster, ACARA’s curriculum director. It’s an ongoing discussion, and one of the upmost importance.

If you or someone you know is suffering from poor mental health, visit beyondblue.org.au, or call 1300 22 4636.

Do you a fragrant soap or body wash? And do you use a cloth or sponge in the shower? Put them down. We repeat: put, them, down.

According to a TikTok hygiene expert, Mary Futher, who’s better known as Madame Sweat, using nice-smelling soaps and gentle cleaning implements will not actually get those armpits of yours clean at all.

According to Futher, if you’re not using an antibacterial soap, and not washing each area for around 30 seconds, then you’re harbouring the previous days’ filth.

“If you’re washing your underarms like this, with some tutti-frutti soap, I can guarantee you still have yesterday’s deodorant on your underarms,” she explained, mimicking a wash, in a now-viral TikTok clip.

The hygiene product developer then called upon a man named Joey, who demonstrated the correct action.

“We’re here in the shower with Joey, and he’s lathering for 30 seconds,” she said as he got to work on his hairy pits. “He’s doing it right. Plus, he’s using an antibacterial soap!

According to Futher, soaps are only antibacterial if they’re not fragrant, and contain apple cider vinegar, salt and charcoal. But to reap the benefits, you’ve „really gotta get in there to get rid of yesterday’s deodorant.”

Futher was flooded with responses in the comments section, including one woman who said to “just use a washcloth”, but the expert wasn’t having it.

“Washcloths tend to harbour a lot of bacteria,” she said. And if you’re not cleaning them between cleaning yourself – that’s guaranteed old sweat. A good alternative may be an exfoliating glove, but that too needs to be cleaned after use. 

According to the American Society for Microbiology (ASM), using deodorant won’t stop bacteria and bad odour under the armpits completely, but it can form some sort of defence. This means you’re not just working to clear deodorant residue when you’re showering, but a host of bacteria, too.

We’re also not actually meant to omit odour when we sweat. It’s a result of bacteria, genetics, age or diet.  

“Humans have three types of sweat glands – apocrine, eccrine, sebaceous,” the ASM explained.

“Body odour is primarily caused by apocrine sweat glands that become activated during puberty. These sweat glands develop in hairy regions like the armpits, genitals and scalp, where they secrete an oily fluid comprised of proteins, lipids and steroids.

“Contrary to popular belief, this viscous fluid (sweat) is naturally almost entirely odourless. It is only when members of the skin microbiota metabolise these secretions that they produce the malodorous byproducts, which cause body odour. In humans, armpits offer a moist, warm environment where microbes can thrive, making them a microbial hotspot.”

Moist, microbes and armpits – three words we don’t want to see in the same sentence.

Futher is definitely onto something. Who wants to breed bacteria in this “moist” region of the human body? With summer on its way, perhaps it’s time to invest in an antibacterial soap and get scrubbing!