Day: November 25, 2023

High-fibre foods and diet What is fibre? Fibre is a nutrient that is needed by your body to keep you healthy. It’s digested by the bacteria in your gut to produce substances that keep you healthy. Eating a diet high in fibre and wholegrain foods is linked to a lower risk of: obesity type 2 diabetes heart disease lower cholesterol bowel cancer diverticular disease constipation haemorrhoids What foods contain fibre? There are several types of fibre including: soluble fibre insoluble fibre resistant starch Because they have different health benefits, it’s important to include these in your diet. Soluble fibre Soluble fibre is

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder What is fetal alcohol spectrum disorder? FASD is a whole-body condition. It affects your ability to: think learn focus attention manage behaviour manage emotions People with FASD can have lifelong problems, such as: learning difficulties low self-esteem mental illness drug and alcohol problems What are the symptoms of FASD? The symptoms of FASD vary from person to person. This is because the symptoms depend on when the alcohol was used during pregnancy and how much alcohol was consumed. FASD might not be obvious when your baby is born. Behavioural and learning differences It’s only as your

Fertility awareness (natural family planning) What is fertility awareness? Fertility awareness is when you learn to recognise on which days of the month you are fertile and can therefore conceive a baby. It can either be used as a form of contraception or as a method to become pregnant. It’s known by different names, including natural family planning, and there are several ways of practicing fertility awareness, including the symptothermal method, the ovulation method, periodic abstinence, the mucus method, the Billings method and the rhythm method. During your monthly menstrual cycle, you will not be able to get pregnant for about half of the month.

Good fertility health Age and fertility When it comes to fertility, age matters. Many people today wait until they’re older to have children. But fertility declines over time, and you should consider this if you plan to have children later. Both women and men are most fertile in their early twenties. In women, fertility declines more quickly with age. This decline becomes rapid after the age of 35. There are a number of reasons, but particularly the decline in the quality of the eggs released by the ovaries. Around 1 in 3 of couples in which the woman is over the

What is a femoral hernia? Your abdominal cavity contains your intestines and other structures. These are protected by your abdominal wall, which is made up of four layers. Weak spots can develop in the layer of muscle, resulting in the contents of your abdomen, along with the inner layer, pushing through your abdominal wall. This produces a lump called a hernia. A femoral hernia causes a lump low down in your groin. It happens at the hole in the wall of your abdomen where the femoral artery and vein pass from your abdomen into your leg. What are the benefits of

Tubal ligation What is a tubal ligation? Tubal ligation is a procedure to block or cut the fallopian tubes. It is a permanent form of female contraception. Tubal ligation is very effective at preventing pregnancy. Less than 1 in every 100 females who has a tubal ligation will get pregnant. Another name for this procedure is laparoscopic sterilisation. What does a tubal ligation involve? If you have a tubal ligation, your fallopian tubes will be clipped, cut and tied, or sealed shut. This stops your eggs from moving from your ovaries to your uterus. It stops sperm from meeting and fertilising

Difficulty reaching female orgasm It’s common for women not to have orgasms – this is the case for about 1 in 3 women. Sometimes women who have experienced orgasms go through periods of time where orgasms are less frequent or absent. If you are unhappy about the amount, or type of orgasms you have, talk to your doctor. It’s quite natural for a woman to have experienced orgasms many times before, only to go through periods of time where orgasms are less frequent or absent. What can affect orgasm in women? Difficulty reaching an orgasm can be a result of

Why am I feeling worthless? Several factors can contribute to a feeling of being worthless. It may be sparked by an event, such as a relationship breakdown, loss of a loved one, losing your job, or by an ongoing situation like bullying, poor performance at school, abuse or financial pressure. A person who was constantly criticised when young may form the negative core belief that they are worthless. A core belief is a deeply held assumption you have come to think about yourself or the world, based on your childhood experience. Our core beliefs drive our automatic thoughts. If you

Everyone can feel restless and fidgety from time to time. However, when restlessness is experienced more frequently and is accompanied by other symptoms it can interrupt daily life and reduce a person’s quality of life. Restlessness may affect your mental state and be experienced as an inability to remain at rest, difficulty in concentrating, not being able to relax or being constantly uneasy. It may also be something that affects you physically, such as in restless legs syndrome. What can cause restlessness? Occasional restlessness can be part of normal life, but when it is experienced often, restlessness may be a feature

  Feeding your newborn baby How can I feed my baby? There are several ways to feed your baby, depending on what suits you both. Babies need milk that has certain qualities to help them grow and thrive. They can’t digest any other form of food until they’re around 6 months old. The World Health Organization recommends that you feed your baby only breastmilk for their first 6 months. This is called exclusive breastfeeding. After that, you can introduce solid foods while you continue breastfeeding. If you don’t plan to breastfeed, you can give your baby: expressed breast milk infant formula Depending

G6PD deficiency What is G6PD deficiency? G6PD deficiency is a lifelong genetic disorder that causes your red blood cells to break down if you are exposed to certain foods, medicines or chemicals (triggers). People with G6PD deficiency are normally healthy but must avoid these triggers. Most people with G6PD deficiency are male. The breakdown of red blood cells, called ‘haemolysis’, can lead to anaemia (lack of red blood cells) and jaundice (the yellowing of skin and eyes). Certain triggers can cause your red blood cells to be destroyed faster than they can be replaced, known as acute haemolytic anaemia (AHA), which can be life-threatening. Triggers can include:

What is fatty liver disease? Fatty liver is when there is too much fat in your liver. It’s common, particularly in people who have diabetes and are overweight. Although it might not cause any symptoms, it can lead to significant health problems. Making changes to your lifestyle is key to preventing and improving the condition. The liver is the body’s main organ for processing food and waste materials. A healthy liver contains very little or no fat. If you drink too much alcohol, or eat too much food, your body deals with this excess by turning some of the calories into fat.

Dietary fats What are fats? Fat is a kilojoule-dense nutrient needed for energy and to help absorb vitamins A, D, E and K. There are different types of fats. Fats are important for a healthy diet. But some are better for you than others. It’s best to choose foods containing monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats such as omega-3 and 6. Eating too much saturated and trans fats, on the other hand, will increase your risk of high cholesterol and heart disease. Unsaturated fats Unsaturated fats help reduce the risk of heart disease and lower cholesterol levels. There are 2 types of unsaturated

How to reduce visceral body fat (hidden fat) What is visceral body fat? Visceral body fat, also known as ‘toxic’ fat, is fat stored deep inside your body. Most fat is stored underneath the skin and is known as subcutaneous fat. This is the fat that is visible and that you can feel. The rest of the fat in the body is stored around your internal organs, including your heart, liver and intestines. This is visceral fat. Visceral fat makes chemicals and hormones that can be toxic to the body. Visceral fat produces more of these toxic substances than subcutaneous

Fasting for medical tests Why do I need to fast before a test? If you are having a medical test, your doctor may ask you to fast. For some tests, fasting beforehand gives a more accurate result. For other tests, you need to fast for safety reasons. Ask your doctor how to prepare for your test. What can I eat and drink while I’m fasting? You can’t eat or drink anything. You can’t drink fruit juice, cordial, soft drink, coffee, tea or milk, and you can’t eat or suck on lollies or chewing gum. Ask your doctor if you can

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder What is fetal alcohol spectrum disorder? FASD is a whole-body condition. It affects your ability to: think learn focus attention manage behaviour manage emotions People with FASD can have lifelong problems, such as: learning difficulties low self-esteem mental illness drug and alcohol problems What are the symptoms of FASD? The symptoms of FASD vary from person to person. This is because the symptoms depend on when the alcohol was used during pregnancy and how much alcohol was consumed. FASD might not be obvious when your baby is born. Behavioural and learning differences It’s only as your

Farmers and their families often face many more physical risks than other people and they are at also at increased risk of depression and anxiety. Safety and staying healthy are therefore especially important for those who work on farms. What types of injuries can happen on a farm? Agriculture has the highest fatality rate of any industry in Australia. Every year, thousands of people are injured or become ill and need to go to hospital because of working on a farm. This is because there are many hazards on farms such as vehicles, chemicals, large farm animals and extreme weather

Contraception options What is contraception? Contraception (birth control) can be used to prevent unplanned pregnancies. Pregnancy can happen when sperm released during penis-in-vagina sex fertilises an egg, which then implants in your uterus (womb). What should I think about when choosing contraception? There are many different forms of contraception. No form of birth control is 100% effective, but some methods are more effective than others. Aside from preventing pregnancy, some — but not all — methods of contraception can also help prevent transmission of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Discuss contraception with a new partner before having sex, so you can choose a

Why are falls a particular concern for older people? Anyone can have a fall, but falls are a major health concern for older people (those aged 65 and over). Falls are the leading cause of unintentional injury in older Australians. As our population ages and the number of older people grows, the likelihood of more falls and fall-related hospitalisations increases. Nearly 1 in 3 older Australians have experienced a fall in the past 12 months. Of these, 1 in 5 required hospitalisation. Even when falls don’t cause an injury, they often trigger a loss of confidence in an older person and lead