Monat: Januar 2024

If you’ve been struggling to pull yourself out of bed this week, you’re not alone. While we’re well and truly in the swing of the new year, many of us are still grappling with the festive season that was.

The past two months of after-work drinks, family get-togethers, indulgent feasts and late nights, though merry at the time, have caught up with us as we settle into our regular routines. 

While some people have enlisted an extra coffee to get them through the day, the post-holiday fatigue for many others has been amplified to the max by various sicknesses. Here’s why your body is feeling the strain right now. 

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#1. ‘Tis the season of sun, sand and sickness

As our December tan lines turn into January peeling, the last remnants of the glorious festive season are nearly behind us.  

Here in Australia, we’re so lucky to experience a quintessential summer without fail every year. Snowed in for the winter, it’s impossible for people in the Northern Hemisphere not to envy our endless coastline of pristine beaches and balmy January evenings. 

But our sunny mornings and everlasting beach days come with their own risks, many of which have significantly contributed to our post-holiday fatigue and illness. Prolonged exposure outdoors, particularly to the Aussie sun, is responsible for a range of ongoing ailments, such as severe sunburn and heatstroke. 

In addition, December and January are known for having a substantial peak in grass pollen, causing the hay fever-prone among us to suffer from itchy eyes and incessant sneezing. 

#2. Long-overdue social hangovers

Perhaps the most common cause of the January illness peak is the long-awaited comedown from another jam-packed festive season. The month of December is widely renowned for its parties, cocktails and lavish culinary spreads– the perfect recipe to leave a person feeling under the weather. 

But the sustained hangovers we all seem to be soldiering on through are the product of more than just (many) late-night drinking sessions. The long-term effects of incessant socialising, coupled with an irregular sleep schedule can quickly leave most of us feeling run down and exhausted. 

According to the government platform News in Health, sleep is as significant for our mental and physical health as our exercise and nutritional habits. As Dr. Kenneth Wright, Jr., a sleep researcher at the University of Colorado shares, a lack of quality sleep will undoubtedly fast-track the presence of illness. 

“There are certain repair processes that occur in the body mostly, or most effectively, during sleep,” he says. “If you don’t get enough sleep, those processes are going to be disturbed.”

#3. Catching the travel bug– literally

Naturally, many people use the festive season’s public holidays and mandated office shutdowns to tick off destinations on their bucket lists. 

And though two weeks in the Bahamas is sure to bring memories to last a lifetime, breathing the recycled air of 200 fellow passengers for 20 hours is hardly conducive to the preventative health measures that have been drilled into us since the dawn of the pandemic. 

The revolving crowds at busy airport terminals and tourist destinations are the ideal breeding ground for contagious viruses, with the latest strain of COVID-19 (J1) being no exception. Plus, having a draining case of jetlag never helps, often taking days to recalibrate your body clock to your local timezone.

What to do if you’re feeling under the weather. 

No one wants to start off the year by making a dent in their allotted sick days, so if you’re feeling run down this week, here are some handy tips. 

While getting back to your regular routine is no doubt a goal early on in January, don’t over-exert yourself for the sake of it. Your 6 AM pilates classes and after-work weights sessions aren’t going anywhere, so there’s no need to implement your full-on New Year’s workout resolutions before you’re physically ready. 

If you’ve succumbed to the sniffles and are searching for a quick fix, we can’t stress the importance of regular hydration and nourishing food. For the perfect at-home cure, try this easy-to-make comforting chicken noodle soup recipe. 

Happy New Extra Healthy-ish Year! Fitness entrepreneur and influencer Zac Perna was a “chubby kid” who changed his outlook and transformed his life – he discusses his three-step approach to transforming not just your fitness, but your life. 

WANT MORE FROM ZAC?

Find Zac’s new book Good Influence (HarperCollins, $16.99) here. Catch him @zacperna or on TikTok here. 

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). 

Happy New Healthy-ish Year! Folks, if strength is your fitness focus this year, then listen to the expertise of fitness entrepreneur and mega influencer Zac Perna who discusses building strength without bulking up.

WANT MORE FROM ZAC?

To hear today’s full interview, where he shares his three-steps for a fitness transformation…search for Extra Healthy-ish wherever you get your pods.

Find Zac’s new book Good Influence (HarperCollins, $16.99) here. Catch him @zacperna or on TikTok here. 

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). 

Not only is tennis a fast-paced, nail-biting game, it’s also one of profiles, politics and style – thus there’s reason enough to tune in this month. 

But as anyone who watched last year’s Women’s World Cup will know, spectating becomes even better when you’ve got skin in the game. 

So who is there to look out for this year? With notable names such as Rafael Nadal and Nick Kyrgios still out due to injury, and national treasures Ash Barty and Sam Stosur now retired, who are we set to see taking the courts this month? 

2023 champions Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka will return, alongside fan favourites Naomi Osaka, Stefanos Tsitsipas and our very own Alex de Minaur. But that’s only scraping the surface. 

So, if you need a bit of brushing up on the best and brightest stars to keep an eye on during the Australian Open this January, then this wrap-up is for you.

According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, one in seven Australian women are diagnosed with breast cancer over their lifetime, and around 1000 young women each year. 

And while breast cancer is highly treatable when detected early, survival rates drop significantly when the tumours aren’t found in time – dropping to nearly 25 per cent. 

After a brush with breast cancer in her own family in 2015, assistant professor Canan Dağdeviren at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has since led a team of researchers to develop the first-ever ultrasound bra insert, to assist with early detection. 

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The wearable ultrasound device was created to detect tumours when they’re still in the early stages of growth. “In particular, it could be valuable for patients at high risk of developing breast cancer in between routine mammograms,” reads a statement from the MIT press office. 

While the device follows the same principles as a regular ultrasound, Dağdeviren’s creation is set apart through its ergonomics. It was created to “confirm to the body and capture data”, in a way that is significantly easier, cheaper and more accessible than a radiography appointment. 

In terms of appearance, it looks like a plastic mesh roughly in the shape of a teardrop. It can be attached to a bra – held in place by magnets. Once attached, the wearer can move the ‘tracker’ around the device, to  “image the breast tissue from different angles.” 

In the new study testing the devices, led by Dağdeviren’s Conformable Decoders research group at MIT, they found they “could obtain ultrasound images with resolution comparable to that of the ultrasound probes used in medical imaging centres.” 

“We changed the form factor of the ultrasound technology so that it can be used in your home. It’s portable and easy to use, and provides real-time, user-friendly monitoring of breast tissue,” says Dağdeviren, who was the senior author.

The imaging can be performed at any time, and is based on the same tech found in hospitals and radiology labs, “but incorporates a novel piezoelectric material that allowed the researchers to miniaturise the ultrasound scanner.”  

In Australia, mammograms are freely available to women aged 50 to 74, every two years. According to the Cancer Council, “Women aged 40-49 and those aged over 74 can also be screened free of charge, but they will not receive invitation letter” – which is often the prompt people need to get the scans. 

While mammograms are an apt solution for regular but infrequent scans, they’re not a perfect science. The procedure involves squishing the breast tissue between two plates, which Wired writes can “deform a tumour if it’s there”. They’re also not a bulletproof test for those with dense breast tissue, or particularly lumpy breasts. 

Plus, since the radiation comes via X-rays, they can’t be done that often – which is also a relief for many women who find the process quite uncomfortable. 

However, breast cancers don’t necessarily grow in line with mammogram scans. 20 to 30 per cent of all breast cancer cases come from tumours which develop between scans, called interval tumours. 

The tumours also tend to be “more aggressive than those found during routine scans,” reports MIT – a perfect storm when paired with late diagnoses. 

Dağdeviren’s goal is “to target the people who are most likely to develop interval cancer.” 

However, the devices could do good far beyond that – making a marked difference for those in high-risk categories monitoring for cancer, like people with a family history, or those with BRCA gene mutations, where tumours are significantly more likely to appear, and reappear. 

As a start, ​​Dağdeviren plans to prioritise getting the devices to those with a family history, and communities of women with reduced access to screening programs. 

“When breast cancer is detected early, women have a much greater chance of being treated successfully and for most women the cancer will not come back after treatment,” says the Cancer Council. 

Dağdeviren concurs, saying “With more frequent screening [via the portable device], our goal [is] to increase the survival rate to up to 98 per cent.”

Happy New Extra Healthy-ish Year! Are you living your dream life? kikki.K and Dream Life founder, and author Kristina Karlsson shares how to identify your dreams and actually bring them to life this year. High five! 

WANT MORE FROM KRISTINA?

For more info and inspiring products, see Dream Life here or catch her @kristinadreamlife. You can listen to her podcast here. 

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). 

Happy New Healthy-ish Year! To inspire your best year yet, kikki.K and Dream Life founder, and author Kristina Karlsson shares how to map-out your 2024. 

WANT MORE FROM KRISTINA?

To hear today’s full interview, where she chats about how to create your dream life..search for Extra Healthy-ish wherever you get your pods.

For more info and inspiring products, see Dream Life here or catch her @kristinadreamlife. You can listen to her podcast here. 

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). 

But as much as we love to keep our bottles on hand for maximum hydration, it’s equally important to keep them clean, to avoid ingesting any unwanted bacteria that may linger. 

Unfortunately, many of us aren’t doing as well as we might’ve hoped. 

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Over the past few months, several videos have gone viral depicting their makers “properly” cleaning their favourite Stanley Quencher bottles and revealing some truly harrowing discoveries. 

While most of us are pretty good at washing the barrel of our bottles, higher-tech models like the Quencher or Frank Green’s designs, often have sneaky sliders or holes that are easy to miss.

One of the main culprits? An oft-forgotten part of the lid that is basically an incubator for hidden mould. 

By squeezing a plug under the lid on the Stanley bottles, you can remove the slider, which seals or opens up the straw hole. You can also pop out the rubber inserts on the slider. 

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TikTok creator @skysayingthings gave it a crack and found mould growing under the slider and on top of the lid, which she showed the camera mid-shrieks: “I literally have mould,” she wailed.  “This is so gross.” 

Fellow creator @nicokekramer_ also dictated her cleaning process, saying she discovered mould inside the barrel, just from not washing it properly. 

“Never underestimate how often you need to clean your Stanley cup,” she said, showing the spores lingering inside the bottle. “I’ve had the worst sore throat. No idea why. Look inside my cup this morning…you don’t even want to see the straw.“

Consider this our new nightmare fuel. 

The good news is all parts of your water bottle are super easy to clean, you just need to make sure you do it. 

“Ideally, your Stanley Quencher or other favourite Stanley should be washed after each use,” senior hydration product manager at Stanley, Kyle Casteel, told People. Keep your Stanley clean both inside and out for sanitary sipping!”

The best way to clean any bottle is to separate the parts and pop it in the dishwasher, as it’ll do a thorough job, and will dry it off. Most bottles are dishwasher-safe these days, but just check the base to confirm before you toss it in

Don’t have one? No problems. Casteel says “You can also hand wash your Stanley with warm water and mild detergent, and dry with a clean towel or let your product air dry.

“If your product needs a deeper clean, use a mixture of one part baking soda and one part warm water, and soak for up to an hour. Then clean with mild detergent once the solution is rinsed out.”

Also, don’t forget to wash the straw properly. While it may seem like running some water through the cylinder is enough, we assure you, it is not. 

Use a narrow brush (think pipe-cleaner-sized) to properly get inside the straw, and make sure you use warm water and soap in there too. 

Need a bit more instruction? We don’t blame you after those videos, tbh. Here’s a TikTok from @theclarajones showing you exactly what to do: 

Happy New Healthy-ish Year! To kickstart your healthy-ish year yet, we’re joined by celebrity chef Dan Churchill who discusses how he approaches his health and wellbeing in the new year. 

WANT MORE FROM DAN?

To hear today’s full interview, where he chats about all things nutrition in the New Year…search for Extra Healthy-ish wherever you get your pods.

Find Dan’s recipes on the Centr app here or @centrfit. Follow Dan on Instagram @dan_churchill and TikTok here, or see his site here. You can listen to Dan’s last Healthy-ish chat here. 

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).