craig harper

Among other things, commercial metabolism boosters (fat-burners) can increase blood pressure, resting heart rate, sweating, anxiety levels, stress hormone production, core body temperature and risk of heart attack, stroke and death. They’re also expensive.

Other than that, they’re brilliant.

~Craig Harper~

always telling it like it is! website

mindful eating

A few conversations over this past week have once again revolved around how inattentive we can often be with the food we consume.
We are all guilty at times for making naive and mindless choices. We can eat gratuitously, for the wrong purposes, and without a sense of power or control. How often do you think you haven’t eaten much for the day - only to discover - that you consumed a WHOLE packet of chips while watching TV, or a packet of biscuits as you were driving to or from work? Thoughtless. Unware.

You’ve been working hard on a project on the computer, and it’s time for a treat. You’ve been holding off, waiting for the delicious taste of - here, please fill in the blank. Ice cream? Chocolate? A donut? A fresh slice of toast laden with butter? Chips?
You take the first bite. Very yummy!

depression and exercise

Depression is an insidious illness, a quiet erosion of the soul that affects one in four women and one in eight men. The chances are high that you know someone that has depression or you may even suffer with it yourself, yet the illness still has a serious  stigma attached to it which magnifies the impact even more.

In the past we lived within communities that used to look out for each other, neighbours communicated, giving each other a voice. Life, was temperate. Those days are long gone. It’s a fast paced, self driven society we’ve created now - tasks are ongoing, people are continually busy, rushing from one appointment to another and everywhere we turn we are hit with an onslaught of technology battling for our attention. The result is - a LOT of anxious people out there, helpless and unable to cope as they are expected to, and feeling alone, like they are the ‘only ones’ unable to grapple this overwhelming lifestyle. They smile, hiding their depression behind a mask - because they feel they don’t live up to what society expects them to be and fear being judged. Feelings, aren’t always rational in the mind of a depressive.

obesity in children

Childhood obesity is an increasing problem within Australia, growing at an alarming rate.
There is not one single cause for a child to be overweight, rather it is a complex interaction of many variables. Contributing factors include genetics, behaviour (nutrition, physical activity, sedentary activities) and environment. Many kids are spending less time exercising and more time in front of the TV, computer, or video-game console. And today’s busy families have fewer free moments to prepare nutritious, home-cooked meals. From fast food to electronics, quick and easy is the reality for many families.

However, overweight kids are at increased risk for several health complications. Despite being young they are still likely to exhibit risk factors for adult medical conditions: cardiovascular disease including high blood pressure, high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes. In the very near future, 1 in 3 people will be diabetic - and that, is scary.
Additional health complications include sleep apnea, asthma, and liver damage.