The Health Hub

There's a lot of people and devices in our ears giving us, often conflicting, advice on fitness and wellness. Today, Body Torque founder Alex Flint helped us take a look at what being fit actually looks like for a 40+ year old, and when you should stop paying attention to the numbers on your smart watch. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Calorie deficits and macros seem like the latest buzz in the world of fitness. Essentially it's just dieting and eating well. But looking at it differently, it's a balancing act of eating less, yet eating better. In the age of Social Media, that's drinking more protein shakes and smoothies, eating more steaks, chicken, eggs and cutting carbs. That's a bit of a shift from the days body-builders bulking up on tuna and rice, or chicken and broccoli - but the focus on keeping up protein is still relevant today. Joining Tim Beveridge to unpack the shifting landscape of diets: Dietician and Head Of Nutrition for Beef + Lamb, Julie Sekula. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Flu season is running rampant, and there's a lot of conflicting information out there. Do you go to the doctor as soon as something's off, or should you hold off to avoid clogging up the hospitals? Do you take your rest immediately, or soldier on and avoid restless days at home? Dr. John Cameron joins Tim Beveridge on the Health Hub to discuss what you should do when you catch the flu. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We've all got a dominant side of our body, right hand versus left hand, right foot versus left foot, even your eyes tend to be a bit mismatched. But sometimes it can get too out of balance. If your right arm is stronger than your left, or your shoulders are out of alignment, what are the knock-on effects? Sports biomechanist and owner of Bone Health Studio Greg Pain joins Tim Beveridge for the Health Hub. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We all know not to listen to loud music, but what actually qualifies as "loud" music? Is the old "60% volume for 60 minutes" still a good rule of thumb to follow? And noise cancelling headphones are becoming the status quo, but are they actually better for your ears? ENT Specialist Dr. Michel Neef joins Tim Beveridge on the Health Hub to discuss the importance of protecting your hearing. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's an old saying that you may have heard before: "Eat breakfast like a King, Lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper." But is that really the best way to go? Claire Turnbull joins Tim Beveridge to discuss what the most important meal of the day is, and how you can stop yourself from snacking through the day. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Having a family doctor was the status-quo for a long time. They're someone your whole family calls by his or her's first name, your mum might even send them a Christmas card each year. But lately there seems to have been a shift to clinic loyalty over doctor loyalty, is this the smart thing to do? Or is the presence of a consistent GP more important? GP Doctor Bryan Betty joins Tim Beveridge to discuss. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Devices like smartphones have become something we almost depend on for day-to-day living. We spend lots of time hunched over our devices, and the parts of our body that suffer the most are the ones we rarely notice. Tall Blacks Lead Physiotherapist Rob Knight joins Tim Beveridge on the Health Hub to discuss how the human body has changed since screens started taking over, and how you can prevent further damage. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bone health often flies under the radar - but it's one of the most important things to keep in mind. Low bone density can shake your body from the inside out. So how can you prevent this? What exercises can help - and which ones could make the problem worse? Sports Biomechanist and Owner of Bone Health Studio Greg Pain joins Tim Beveridge for The Health Hub to discuss. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More and more kiwis are taking on debt to cover costs, and the increasing popularity of buy now pay later schemes has normalised casual debt. Financial author Martin Hawes joins Tim Beveridge to discuss the attitude people should have around debt, and the different types of debt. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Food waste, costs, health, and time are all factors we may consider when choosing where or how to do our food shop. On today's Health Hub we took a look at when it is worth going to a specialist rather than the supermarket. Allyson Gofton told Tim Beveridge that while specialists allow for more choice, information, and less waste, not everyone can fit visiting multiple specialty stores into their weekly shop due to time or budget constraints. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Weight loss drugs are the new meds taking the world by storm. But if you don't want to jump on the bandwagon, what are the bog-standard, tried and true dietary changes to help you lose weight? And we're in the thick of winter - which usually means hearty stews and fatty meats are on the menu - but is there something healthier we can turn to? Nutritionist Claire Turnbull joins Tim Beveridge on the Health Hub to discuss. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As we get older, our bodies slow down - it starts to take longer to get back to 100 percent, when recovering from the gym or a sports-match. But longer periods of rest-days can compound, and lead to our fitness goals slipping out of reach. So how do we prevent that? Do we shift our routines to something less-intense, and lower-impact, to get more days in the gym? Or readjust our workout-splits? BodyTorque Fitness Founder and Coach Alex Flint joins the Health Hub to discuss. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Everyone's using headphones and blasting sounds at full-volume now; noise-cancelling ear-phones are as common and cheaper than ever; live shows and events with crowds are a must for most adults, and children are being left to their devices - listening to music and game-sounds without knowing what's too loud for their ears. So how can we protect our hearing, and prevent hearing loss? When should we see a specialist or get tested? What are we doing that's causing damage? and how can we judge what our hearing levels are like? With Tim Beveridge to talk about it: ENT Surgeon and Hearing Specialist, Dr Michel Neef LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Westmere Medical Centre's Dr John Cameron joins Newstalk ZB's Tim Beveridge to talk the important of seeing your GP regularly. They also explore the reasons why people avoid the doctor. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new study finds poor sleep is tied to rising cancer risk for those under 50, with irregular sleeping patterns and insomnia being three times more likely to get cancer within five years. But sleeping can be hard to do, especially if you're younger and faced with the stresses of today, or the distractions on your phone. You could also do shift-work at irregular hours to make your living, in that case, you delay sleep for later or force yourself to run on empty. So what can be done about improving our sleep quality, and what are we doing wrong - and more to the point, how do you recognise chronic sleep deprivation? Sleep Expert and Director of Sleep Well Clinics, Dr Alex Bartle talks to Tim Beveridge. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nowadays our phones have the ability to track our exercise and sleep habits, and if it's not our phones, it's our smartwatches. These tools can monitor our heart-rate, count our steps, say how many calories we've burned, and tracks how far we've walked, biked, or run. There's all these metrics and stats that your smartwatches can provide you - but how crucial are these devices? What info can they bring us that's practical in getting us to our fitness goals? With Tim Beveridge to talk about it: one of New Zealand's most celebrated high-performance coaches, one who trained Dame Lisa Carrington, three time Coast-to-Coast winner, and six-time Halberg Coach of the Year Winner - Gordon Walker. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The weather is getting colder and the nights are getting longer, that means only one thing... soup season! Soup is a great meal to get in lots of nutrition with less cost and less effort. Chef Allyson Gofton joined Tim Beveridge for Health Hub to chat all things soup. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hearing loss is one of those things that sneak up on you. In most cases, it's not something you notice as a sudden change - but you may catch yourself lip reading a little bit more often, or turning up the volume on the TV gradually over a few weeks or months. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The weather is cooling down and winter is almost upon us... That means winter sports will be starting up soon if they haven't already, and your muscles will be tighter and more vulnerable to injury than in the warmer months. What injuries are more likely when it's colder out, and how can we avoid them? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We've been hearing for a while an increasing concern around a lack of information about healthy eating. You head to the doctor for a minor issue that's been bugging you for a while, and you're more likely to head home with a script for panadol and ibuprofen than a few print outs on maintaining a balanced diet. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For decades we've watched as professional athletes spend a whole lot of time warming up behind the pre-game interviews on game day, from stretching to sprinting and everything in between. The professionals take it seriously and so do the amateurs - parents will know the rush to show up an hour or two early to make enough time for a thorough warm up on a Saturday morning. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At this stage it's probably more common than not to have some kind of wearable tracker to track your steps, heart rate, and the one we're discussing today - sleep. They give you data showing how long you've slept, how much time you spent in each of the sleep stages, and some will even provide you with your heart rate variability and how much sleep you'll need based on your stats for the day. But are the really as useful as they seem? Or do they provide the every day person with too much insight to stress over? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many of us change our diets as with the seasons, thanks to availability and pricing. But are there health benefits to adopting a seasonal diet? And what should we pick up now before it's gone out of season? Chef Allyson Gofton joins to discuss seasonal diets, and some recipes to keep you warm as we head into winter. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Health NZ have had to tell their staff to stop using free AI tools such as Chat GPT for writing clinical notes. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The popularity of Telehealth GP appointments skyrocketed during the pandemic, and it hasn't gone away since. Just about every general practice now offers Telehealth appointments, generally as a less costly and more accessible alternative. But this country has an increasingly urgent primary care crisis, with 50% of GPs planning to retire by 2035 - and Telehealth is just another tool to get more patients seen as GPs leave the workforce. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Whether you're getting into a good workout routine for the first time, or you've been at it for a while - the niggling thought of avoiding an injury will be in the back of your mind. You don't want to hesitate while exercising - that could actually make things worse - but you also don't want to risk an injury that will put your routine in jeopardy. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You may have heard the suggestion that you should train for your body type, that your workout routine should depend on whether you have an ecto, meso, or endomorph body. Is it true? Do different body types have different exercise needs? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's common to come up with a myriad of excuses as to why you can't go to the gym a few times a week, why you can't make a balanced meal instead of eating out, the list goes on. Quite honestly, almost anyone can spare 15 minutes out of the day to go for a walk or run, but instead we'll spend 30 minutes trying to come up with a good reason not to. All too often, we tend to stand in our own way when it comes to improving our health or fitness. But why? And how do we stop it from happening? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We've seen the data - the wait to get mental health or addiction support is getting lower and the system seems to be improving. But the system is still under immense pressure, and too many people will have a story about being let down by those who were meant to help them or family, but why? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Getting fit and healthy is just about throwing on your running shoes and making a salad. The key to sticking with a workout routine, is finding the right sort of exercise for you so that you don't get sick of it. We've seen another wave of fitness trends recently, with Hyrox gaining popularity, 75 Hard, and cold plunges among others. We'll often overlook these as just being the current thing, maybe even a fad that will boost your dopamine for a week or two before fading into the abyss of the Ab Roller and other 'As Seen On TV' trends. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's a fairly universal amount of food people should be eating every day. It varies based on things like age and height - but for the most part, most adults should be aiming for a certain number of calories and macros. But when you start getting a bit more active, working out more regularly or making changes to a sedentary lifestyle, you'll find yourself feeling more hungry, more often. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A GP is often the first port of call when you're feeling under the weather, but how do you choose the right one? Dr Bryan Betty joins Tim Beveridge to discuss what to keep an eye out for, what to avoid, and whether or not you should do some internet research to help solve your illnesses. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Whether you've joined a gym, started going for a run a few times a week, or adding a swim or cycle to your existining routine - there will be things everyone should be looking out for and keeping in mind to stay on track. For a new routine to stick, you'll need to start in a specific way to make sure you're not wearing yourself out before you've even really started. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While a lot of people will be running around doing some last minute shopping for presents - they'll also be working out what to put on the table. But as Kiwis, we waste almost as much as we eat. A survey by Love Food Hate Waste NZ found that binned leftovers made up 42% of food waste across the holiday season, and too-much cooked food making up a further 26.1%. Chef Allyson Gofton joins Tim Beveridge to discuss the less-wasteful alternatives to staple Christmas dishes. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We all know how damaging loud or constant sounds can be to our hearing - but there are a lot of factors that can impact hearing that most of us would never consider. Things like smoking - even secondhand smoke, cold wind, too much water - countless things, most of which we'd hardly consider to be dangerous. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When it comes to improving our health, most of us know what we should be doing - eating better, moving more, sleeping well - but there is a good chance we might fail if we don't understand why we're doing it. What does long-lasting motivation look like? And what sort of motivation should we avoid to give us the best chance of staying on track? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Health seems to be overcomplicated these days - but does it really need to be? Everywhere you look you see another kind of diet, another 'must-have' exercise machine, a drink that can replace a meal, or a new gym programme that promises to finally solve all your problems. But truly, could the foundation of good health be as simple as a daily walk and eating whole foods? Why do so many people overlook what seem to be the staples of good health, instead going for expensive trends? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It seems like everyone is protein obsessed at the moment. They're buying the special protein yoghurt, making cottage cheese breads and cakes, even protein ice cream. It almost feels like just another one of those things that we think are really important for a little while, before we move onto the next thing. Of course protein is important, but do we really need more than we'd get in a basic, balanced diet? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Up here in Auckland we've been having some very, very hot and humid nights. The kind of nights that make it impossible to get comfortable, where you just keep tossing and turning until you eventually give up and add an extra fan to your direction. And it's only going to get worse as we head into summer - so how do we actually get a decent night's sleep when the weather's working against us? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The weather has been warming up recently and it might be time to get working on the summer bod before beach season - but are we too late in the game to get going? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Matt Doocey joins Tim Beveridge on The Weekend Collective to discuss what has changed in the space of mental health over recent years, and where more work is needed. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.