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 2021 Lara Casanova on coping with the grief of pet loss: https://vibrantlivespodcast.com/podcasts/lara-casanova/ Dr Jane Chalmers on pelvic and perio...
Dec 27, 2021•15 min
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...
Dec 13, 2021•33 min
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....
Dec 06, 2021•44 min
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 healt...
Nov 22, 2021•56 min
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...
Nov 08, 2021•41 min
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,...
Oct 25, 2021•45 min
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...
Oct 11, 2021•1 hr
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 PODCAST Please tell your frien...
Oct 04, 2021•12 min
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 share...
Sep 27, 2021•55 min
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...
Sep 13, 2021•59 min
Do you struggle with adapting to unwanted change like an illness or being in lockdown?This week I interview neuro-wellbeing writer and educator, Jessica Lee. Jess shares some neuroscience based strategies to help you accept change, which she calls empowered acceptance. Rather than giving up, accepting the reality of a situation we many not want but we cannot change will help open our minds and broaden our perspectives. Empowered acceptance can help us find solutions, build resilience and creat...
Sep 06, 2021•47 min
This is the third episode of my 4 part series about dietary fats. Today I look at saturated fats including where we find them in our diets and ways to approach consuming saturated fats. I discuss how the low fat message went wrong and why nutrition can be notoriously hard to study. HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT THE PODCAST Please tell your friends about the podcast and share it with them. Follow me on Instagram @vibrant_lives_podcast Follow my Facebook page: @vibrantlivespodcast If you could rate and revi...
Sep 01, 2021•12 min
My guest this week, public health physician and specialist in addiction medicine, Associate Professor Dr Robert Ali, is very well qualified to discuss the health impacts of alcohol consumption. Our conversation ranges over the short and long term health effects of alcohol consumption including increased risk of certain diseases, some of which may surprise you. We look at what constitutes a standard drink and the public health recommendations in Australia about alcohol consumption to reduce the r...
Aug 23, 2021•57 min
This is the second episode of my 4 part series about dietary fats. Today I focus on unsaturated fats, such as olive oil, and explain their health benefits. Some unsaturated fats are essential, meaning our bodies can't make them and we need to obtain them from our diet so I touch on that, on cooking with unsaturated fats and oils, and on the difference between processed and unrefined oils. Tune in and join me to sort out fat from fiction. MENTIONED IN THE PODCAST Five Minute Food Facts - Antioxid...
Aug 16, 2021•15 min
This week I have great pleasure in talking with chiropractor, Dr Russell Hanna. There seems to be some misunderstanding in the community about what chiropractors do and how they are trained so we start our chat by dispelling some myths around that. Russell explains how chiropractic treatments, in particular spinal adjustments, work. I was interested to learn about the neurological effect of adjustments. My personal experience as a patient of Russell’s has been very positive but I did not really ...
Aug 09, 2021•47 min
In this, the first episode of my 4 part series about dietary fats, I will describe to you what fat is, the different types of dietary fats, a brief overview of fat digestion and why our bodies need fat. When you've listened to this episode you'll know the difference between saturated fat, monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fat and why they are described the way they are. I think it is helpful to understand what fat is from a scientific point of view as the is so much in the media about fat ...
Jul 26, 2021•13 min
This week, I have the honour of speaking with well known author and Professor of Kinesiology (that is, human movement) at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada, Dr Martin Gibala. Martin studies the mechanisms behind human responses to exercise and the associated health benefits. His area of expertise is time-efficient exercise and he has been involved in pioneering research on interval training showing that brief, intense bouts of physical exercise, also known as "exercise snacks" or "activity ...
Jul 12, 2021•48 min
Dr Amanda Hutchinson is a clinical psychologist with roles in both research and teaching at the University of South Australia. Amanda's research interests include sun exposure and skin cancer prevention which we discuss with a focus on our teens and young adults. We talk about finding the right balance between avoiding damaging sun exposure but getting enough UVB exposure to produce vitamin D. Another issue we talk about skin appearance in the context of social pressures to meet certain ideals a...
Jun 28, 2021•52 min
Have you ever wondered why anyone would do a triathlon? I used to wonder too, until I tried one. In this episode, I give a brief overview of what constitutes an Ironman Triathlon and a 70.3 triathlon, the participation of women in the sport and a wrap-up of my recent 70.3 race in Cairns. HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT THE PODCAST Please tell your friends about the podcast and share it with them. Follow me on Instagram @vibrant_lives_podcast Follow my Facebook page: @vibrantlivespodcast If you could rate an...
Jun 16, 2021•13 min
This week I chat with nutrition scientist, Associate Professor at Monash University Maxine Bonham, about how shift work impacts health, in particular the relationship between circadian rhythms (body clock) and weight gain. Shift workers are at increased risk of adverse health outcomes such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease simply because of the hours they work. When normal circadian rhythms, that is waking when the sun rises and sleeping at night, are disrupted, the body responds d...
Jun 07, 2021•45 min
This week I chat with former Australian road cycling champion, Kristin Lewis, about his cycling career, the importance of fitness, especially as we age, what you can get out of indoor spin classes (whether you’re a pro cyclist or a beginner) and much more. Kristin explains how the smart spin bikes he has at his studio, Echelon Cycling Studio, work - it is the first studio of its kind in South Australia. The spin classes, suitable for any level as you can set your own degree of resistance (watts)...
May 31, 2021•52 min
What are the health benefits of chocolate?Is dark chocolate a super food?What is the difference between cocoa and cacao?How is chocolate made? In this Five Minute Food Facts episode I take a look at the science and answer all the above questions and more. FAIR TRADE CHOCOLATE Green & Balck's: https://www.greenandblacks.com.au Divine Chocolate: https://ukshop.divinechocolate.com/uk/shop/ Lovingearth: https://lovingearth.net HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT THE PODCAST Please tell your friends about the po...
May 24, 2021•12 min
Nicole Avery is one of those rare people who seamlessly crams so much into her life that you wonder if she ever sleeps…yes, she does! We will hear about the reason for her ability to run a wildly successful blog (Planning With Kids), produce a podcast (This Family Life), run marathons, raise 5 children and succeed at her latest venture, the production of a line of healthy drinks called Adapt Drinks. Nic and I discuss how she developed her organisational skills to the point that she has become a ...
May 10, 2021•1 hr 3 min
Women and men experiencing pelvic pain often suffer in silence. Dr Jane Chalmers is an expert on pelvic pain and hopes we can open the conversation and raise awareness. Jane and I chat about the causes of pelvic pain, interventions and treatment options, and we delve into an area she is passionate about - women’s health. Our discussion encompasses; endometriosis, vulvodynia, period pain, the pelvic floor, the importance of Kegel exercises with a few examples, and Krumping (I had no idea what tha...
May 03, 2021•53 min
B12 is the star of today's episode. For a vitamin we need in minuscule amounts, it has an enormous role to play in our wellbeing. I will talk about what B12 does in the body, where we obtain it in our diets and the potentially dire consequences of B12 deficiency. Understanding B12 is crucial if you follow a vegan diet because it is only found in animal products. Luckily, plant based eaters and vegans can obtain vitamin B12 through supplements and fortified foods but it is very important to stay ...
Apr 26, 2021•9 min
In this episode, renowned mindfulness and meditation teacher, Alexis Guttridge, shares with us her take on meditation and mindfulness. Alexis believes in demystifying meditation and making it accessible and practical in our modern world. She teaches meditation to both businesses and individuals plus she has an excellent meditation library on her website, Pause With Alexis (link below). You can sense how calm and grounded Alexis sounds during our chat but she was not always like that, far from it...
Apr 19, 2021•1 hr 1 min
Today I have a delightful chat with British-Japanese author, Erin Niimi Longhurst, who shares her insights into aspects of Japanese culture that bring contentment and good health. Erin is the author of two books I greatly admire. The first, “Japonisme”* explores the Japanese traditions and practices such as wabi-sabi, appreciating the transient nature of life, that contribute to living well. Erin's second book, “Omoiyari, the Japanese art of compassion”, is about finding joy in your own life by ...
Apr 12, 2021•53 min
For all appearances, Karen McCall was the successful professional with an excellent corporate job, designer wardrobe, lovely home and fast car. However, underneath this facade, Karen was jugging credit card debt and dodging calls from the tax office all the while having no clue how to manage money and feeling like she had nowhere to turn. Her deep denial about her precarious financial situation was impacting her health both physically and mentally. Fast-forward, with a desire to change her circu...
Apr 05, 2021•1 hr 3 min
The Community Grocer (TCG), founded by current CEO, Russell Shields, is a social enterprise with a mission to provide weekly affordable fresh food markets in areas where access to such produce is limited. Of equal importance is the creation of healthy connected communities around those markets. Today, I speak with General Manager, Tess Gardiner about where and how the markets operate and how TCG had to pivot during the COVID-19 pandemic to continue to provide fresh produce at a time when it was ...
Mar 29, 2021•36 min
This week I have an informative discussion with Professor Alison Coates about the health benefits of nuts. Nuts are packed full of healthy monounsaturated fats, antioxidants, vitamins and dietary fibre. Nut consumption is associated with improved cholesterol profile and reduced risk of heart attack to name a few health benefits and, to top it off, they are a relatively inexpensive source of protein. Alison and I also discuss the numerous roles nutritionists can play in the health space and some ...
Mar 15, 2021•1 hr 4 min
