Episodes

  • Go To Health: Eating healthy without the big bills

    Go To Health: Eating healthy without the big bills
    Feb 27 2018
    In this summer podcast series, each week the New Zealand Herald and Newstalk ZB's Go to Health podcast will look at a different health issue. Today, it's how to get the fresh food you need without losing money or time. Hosted by Frances Cook.
    No, it's not just you. It's increasingly difficult to feed yourself properly without needing help from a loan shark.
    2017 was a bad year for the price of fresh fruit and vegetables. In September, fresh produce prices were up 5.7 percent on the year before.
    It was even worse in May, when the price of fruit and veges shot up 14 percent compared to the same time the year before.
    Part of the problem was the soggy weather we had, which saw some vegetables literally rotting in the soil where they were supposed to grow.
    At various points through 2017 we saw cauliflower shoot up to 10 bucks a pop, kumara jump up to over $8 a kilo, and the always maligned avocados were a costly $4.50 each.
    If you're trying to feed a family their five plus a day, it's beyond me how you deal with that.
    But of course, that's why we bring in the experts. There's got to be a way to feed yourself right without going broke.
    I called up Lifespark nutritionist Kate Walker for the latest episode of Go to Health.
    We talked about the common misperceptions about what's actually healthy, and how to save both money and time while eating the food your body needs.
    For the episode, listen to the podcast.
    If you have a question about this podcast, or something you'd like me to investigate in a future episode, get in touch. I'm on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
    Show more Show less
    15 mins
  • Go to Health: How being poor makes you sick

    Go to Health: How being poor makes you sick
    Feb 18 2018
    In this summer podcast series, each week the New Zealand Herald and Newstalk ZB's Go to Health podcast will look at a different health issue. Today, it's how a low income hurts your health, and who's responsible for fixing it. Hosted by Frances Cook.

    When you're short on money, just about everything becomes more difficult. 

    It's hard to get a house that's warm and dry. I remember all too well living in places where a breeze would rattle through the room even when all the doors and windows were technically shut.  

    It's also hard to feed yourself properly. Fruit and veges are expensive and only became more expensive through 2017. 

    It's cheaper to buy stacks of white bread and weetbix, which will at least technically stop you feeling hungry. 

    It's also hard to plan for the future. You're in survival mode, and focusing all of your energy on getting through right now. 

    Good luck with putting aside savings or thinking about taking a course to get you into a well paid job, when you're dealing with all of that. 

    Obviously, these add up to causing some health problems, that can often make the money situation even worse. 

    I called Philippa Howden-Chapman, professor of public health at the University of Otago, Wellington, for the latest Go to Health podcast. 

    We talked about how money stress can hurt your health, what sort of health problems crop up, and where the line is between personal and social responsibility. 

    For the interview, listen to the podcast. 

    If you have a question about this podcast, or something you'd like me to investigate in a future episode, get in touch. I'm on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. 

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
    Show more Show less
    18 mins
  • Go To Health: Is your job hurting your mental health?

    Go To Health: Is your job hurting your mental health?
    Feb 13 2018
    In this summer podcast series, each week the New Zealand Herald and Newstalk ZB's Go to Health podcast will look at a different health issue. Today, it's the effect of modern work expectations on our mental health. Hosted by Frances Cook.
    It's all too easy to slip into the habit of working harder and harder, drawing your sense of worth and accomplishment from dealing with an increasing amount of pressure in your job.
    But it's a balancing act that can only go for so long before something has to give. An increasing number of New Zealanders are now facing exactly that problem.
    Last year's Wellness in the Workplace survey, put together by Southern Cross and Business NZ, has documented a spike in workplace stress levels over the last two years.
    The biggest factor for the people they surveyed was being overloaded, with just too much to do.
    A recent survey by Seek also backs this up, finding one in three Kiwis feel stressed out from their job, and can't stop themselves bringing work home at the end of the day.
    Our working life is a huge part of how we spend our life in general, so maybe it shouldn't be a surprise that if you keep this up for too long, there can be pretty serious consequences.
    I called Helena Cooper-Thomas, organisational behaviour professor at AUT, for the latest episode of the Go to Health podcast.
    We talked about whether people are more stressed by work than they were in the past, signs of stress, and how to deal with it.
    For the interview, listen to the podcast.
    If you have a question about this podcast, or an idea for the next one, come and talk to me about it. I'm on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/FrancesCookJournalist/ Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/franklysnapping/ and Twitter here https://twitter.com/FrancesCook.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
    Show more Show less
    11 mins
  • Go to Health: How late can you leave it to get pregnant?

    Go to Health: How late can you leave it to get pregnant?
    Feb 5 2018
    In this summer podcast series, each week the New Zealand Herald and Newstalk ZB's Go to Health podcast will look at a different health issue. Today, it's what the science says about modern pregnancy. Hosted by Frances Cook.
    We all know the pain of trying to get accurate health information online.
    A quick google can mean a headache is diagnosed as a brain aneurysm, or an aching hip becomes bone cancer.
    But one area that seems to get more than its fair share of misinformation is pregnancy.
    How long you should try to get pregnant the regular way before calling in the professionals. How much modern medicine can help you out. And most importantly, at what age will your ovaries wither and turn to dust?
    There's so much pressure around having babies, often directed at telling women to hurry up and get on with it before they're over the hill.
    The last thing I want to do is add to that pressure. Ladies, we have enough on our plates.
    But I do still want to find out what's fact, and what's fiction, so that we're at least making an informed choice.
    So in the interests of calming down the discussion and bringing some facts back into it, let's bring in the experts working at the cutting edge.
    I talked to Guy Gudex, director of fertility clinic ReproMed, for the latest Go to Health podcast.
    We talked about what the average window of fertility is for a modern woman, how medical science can help, and what the limits are for that.
    For the interview, listen to the podcast.
    If you have a question about this podcast, or an idea for the next one, come and talk to me about it. I'm on Facebook here ​https://www.facebook.com/FrancesCookJournalist/, Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/franklysnapping/ and Twitter here https://twitter.com/FrancesCook

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
    Show more Show less
    15 mins
  • Go To Health: Is exercise pointless?

    Go To Health: Is exercise pointless?
    Jan 30 2018
    In this summer podcast series, each week the New Zealand Herald and Newstalk ZB's Go to Health podcast will look at a different health issue. Today, it's whether you should worry about exercise backfiring on weight-loss goals. Hosted by Frances Cook.
    If you’re looking to lose weight, most people will reach for the tried and true. Increase the exercise, and watch the pounds fall away.
    The problem is a solid sweat session can leave you ravenous. You’ve burned energy, so it makes sense that your body asks for you to put more in.
    The latest research not only backs this up, but also says some workouts will make you hungrier than others.
    It’s understandable people would start to worry that it’s all a bit pointless. But is hunger really the enemy?
    Now there’s an important point that needs to be mentioned here. Your size has nothing to do with how healthy you are.
    We’re all made differently, so look different from each other too.
    But for the many people likely to resolve to lose weight at this time of year, whatever your reasons are, knowledge is power.
    I called up Claire Badenhorst, lecturer in exercise and sport science from Massey University, for the latest Go to Health podcast.
    We talked about whether exercise makes you hungrier, if that's a problem, and which types of exercise are better than others.
    For the interview, listen to the podcast.
    If you have any questions about this podcast, come and talk to me about it. I'm on Facebook and Instagram.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
    Show more Show less
    12 mins
  • Go To Health: Why vaccination isn't a 'personal choice' at all

    Go To Health: Why vaccination isn't a 'personal choice' at all
    Jan 23 2018
    In this summer podcast series, each week the New Zealand Herald and Newstalk ZB's Go to Health podcast will look at a different health issue. Today, it's the facts about vaccines, and why they're a medical miracle. Hosted by Frances Cook.
    Personal choice is a beautiful thing. You should have the freedom to live the life that makes you happiest, even if it seems strange to other people.
    But only if you're not hurting anyone else.
    This is exactly the problem with the so-called 'Vaccination Debate'.
    I'm a fan of vaccines because I'm a fan of facts. And the facts show vaccines are a safe and proven way to stop people suffering and dying from preventable diseases.
    Even then, I wouldn't care about people leaving themselves open to these diseases if it was only about them. But there are people who can't be vaccinated, like the very young, very old, or people who have allergies.
    If one of these people catches a disease like mumps, it's serious. Mumps leads to meningitis in one in ten cases.
    Or maybe measles. There's been several New Zealand outbreaks of this disease over the past few years, thanks partly to those who refuse vaccinations.
    Measles can cause pneumonia, deafness, brain swelling, and sometimes, death.
    People who can't be vaccinated rely on the rest of us being getting the jab so that they don't die from a totally preventable disease. They don't have a choice.
    You don't have the freedom to speed in your car, or drive while you're drunk, because you might hurt other people.
    Choosing not to be vaccinated is the same unacceptable risk.
    To help clear up the many myths out there, I called up Dr Helen Petousis-Harris, Director of Research at the Immunisation Advisory Centre, and senior lecturer at Auckland University.
    We talked about the misinformation that's out there, the truth behind it, and why there's serious consequences for people choosing not to be vaccinated.
    For the full interview, listen to the podcast.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
    Show more Show less
    17 mins
  • Go To Health: How to get motivated for your 2018 goals

    Go To Health: How to get motivated for your 2018 goals
    Jan 16 2018
    In this summer podcast series, the New Zealand Herald and Newstalk ZB's Go to Health podcast tackles a different health issue each week. Today, it's how to stay motivated when you're trying to make a positive change. Hosted by Frances Cook.
     
    If you're trying to make a big change, it's common to start out with a hiss and a roar.
     
    Only to have it all fall apart a couple of weeks later, when you run out of puff and motivation.
     
    It's a dispiriting cycle that happens to many of us, and if it happens too often you could be forgiven for giving up on trying at all.
     
    After all, what's the point of putting yourself through the wringer trying to change, when you know it will all disappear after only a few weeks of effort?
     
    But while giving up is a totally human response, it's grabbing at the wrong end of the stick.
     
    The trick is finding ways to keep yourself motivated through the inevitable hard parts of making a change. To pick one thing at a time, and stick with it long enough to make it a habit.
     
    I called Makaia Carr, founder of Motivate Me and host of online talk show Chick Chat, to ask her about how exactly do we do that.
     
    We talked about how you get the energy to get started, how to keep going when it inevitably becomes difficult, and the importance of not beating yourself up for any rough patches.
     
    For the interview, listen to the podcast.
     
    If you have any questions about this episode, or something you'd like me to look into for next time, get in touch. I'm on Facebook and Twitter.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
    Show more Show less
    14 mins
  • Go To Health: What would medical marijuana do to our health system?

    Go To Health: What would medical marijuana do to our health system?
    Jan 9 2018
    In this summer podcast series, Newstalk ZB and the New Zealand Herald's Go to Health podcast tackles a different health issue each week. Today, it's whether our health system can handle medicinal marijuana, and whether we should stop there. Hosted by Frances Cook.
    It doesn't take a genius to realise our current approach to drug use is … flawed.
    Synthetic cannabis is a growing problem, with users often left a drooling mess, and rolling the dice that homemade concoctions may actually kill them.
    Meth use also doesn't seem to be going anywhere fast, with the expensive habit often sucking addicts into criminal activity in order to keep the drugs coming.
    Meanwhile, the rest of us are sitting around debating whether people who are dying of cancer can use medical marijuana as pain relief. The new Government is set to introduce medicinal cannabis legislation for those with terminal illness or chronic pain, as part of their 100 day plan. 
    But even if there's action on that point, the rest of our drug laws still look topsy turvy.
    Emotion and moral judgement are loaded into the debate rather than a cold hard look at what works for the most people.
    It's hard not to look at Portugal for answers, after they decriminalised all drugs in 2001. That doesn't mean drugs are legal, it's just not a crime, and if you get caught using you get a medical referral instead of jail time.
    What's happened in the 16 years since? A sharp drop in drug-related harm, that's what. A drop in overdoses, HIV infections, drops in drug-related crime.
    The only increase was in the numbers of people getting medical help for drug addiction, which shot up 60 percent between 1998 and 2011. 
    I called Ross Bell, executive director of the Drug Foundation, to find out if that could ever work for us.
    We talked about whether the health system can handle medicinal marijuana, ethical and quality control issues, and whether we should make bigger changes to our system for illegal drugs.
    For the interview, listen to the podcast.
    If you have any questions about this podcast, or something you want investigated for next time, come and talk to me about it.  I'm on Facebook and Twitter.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
    Show more Show less
    16 mins