Welcome

Janet Michelmore AO 
Director, The Jean Hailes Foundation.

2003 marks the beginning of tremendously exciting times for The Jean Hailes Foundation, especially with our recent establishment of the Centre for Research Excellence (CCRE). This is an important step forward for The Foundation and an accolade to our Director of Research, Associate Professor Susan Davis, who heads up the CCRE’s multidisciplinary team of investigators.

In this issue we explore body image for the midlife woman and we look at the colours of the rainbow in terms of nutrition and discover that, nutritionally, we should be eating almost everything, especially a variety of vibrant colours and textures. This is good news for anyone watching his or her intake and interested in learning about what goes into your system. 

We also look at exercise and learn that exercise is almost more than an option in life – it has become a necessity - one that we should all take up on a regular basis. Our often busy and complex lives means that we don’t schedule in time to ‘move’. Once, this would have been automatic, as we walked everywhere and hunted our daily food. But, exercise doesn’t need to be a sweaty work out at the gym, or a 20km bike ride. It can be as simple as a walk down a country lane or several trips of carrying shopping bags from the local shops, or walking up several flights of steps. Every little bit of activity throughout the day helps us to maintain our fitness levels and sense of wellbeing.

I am very proud to announce that our Rural Health Kit, which has been an enormous project over the past two years, has finally come to fruition, under the guidance of Education Director Sarah Hardy and Project Manager, Mandy Hudson. Find out how The Foundation has been able to deliver quality, up to date, midlife resources to health professionals living in rural and remote parts of Victoria. We hope that this amazing program becomes the pilot for an Australia wide project in the future. 

I also offer my congratulations to The Jean Hailes Medical Centre Director, GP Dr Sue Reddish, who was recently named Boroondara Citizen of the Year. Sue sets a wonderful example to many younger women and her message is clear. There is a definite and clear link between a woman’s health and playing sport. The Jean Hailes Foundation is very proud to support Sue’s netball team in the state league. We wish them a successful and winning year. 

Wishing all our supporters a wonderful, happy and healthy year ahead.

Healthy Eating for the Body… and Mind by

What is body image? 

Body image can be quite an elusive, even an intangible, term. Yet our body image is central to us all. Think of it as a combination of our perceptions and our attitudes towards our body. Put simply, it is the awareness of our own body. 

Negative Influences on Our Body Image 

While it is normal for our body image to change over our lifetime, unfortunately it has also become increasingly 'normal' for many women to develop negative feelings about their bodies. This dissatisfaction with our bodies can permeate numerous parts of our every day life. We certainly weren't born with a negative body image, but these feelings can evolve from a number of factors that all seem to have a cumulative effect. If we can understand more about the process of how our own body image has evolved, we give ourselves more power to be able to deal in the most appropriate way with how we feel about our body image. The understanding of past and present negative influences may enable us to better protect ourselves, and make a difference to how we feel. We may even be able to exert an influence over some of these negatives.

The role of nutrition 

Diet has many roles apart from the nutritional value. The foods we eat, and perhaps more importantly the foods we avoid, have a far reaching impact on our health and wellbeing. 

The ideal nutritional intake for a woman at midlife should be low in saturated fat (as found in animal fat), sugar and salt (as found in many fast foods), high in fibre (cereals, grains, rice, fruit and vegetables) and rich in calcium. In some women drinking less alcohol may also help to reduce some of the symptoms associated with menopause. 

There are diets to cleanse parts of the body that are designed to cleanse themselves, diets to cheer you up, diets for your blood type, body shape, astrological sign. No wonder everyone is confused! The number of diets available suggests this: when it comes to healthy eating, there is no single blueprint. One size does not fit all.

Research into fats as a source of energy and nutrients has progressed dramatically. They used to be regarded as dietary villains, but current knowledge has modified that view. It is true that too much fat is not good for us. A high fat diet increases the risk of being overweight (with all the health risks that brings). 
But we do need some fat for normal cell function. 

THERE ARE THREE KINDS OF FATS: 

• Saturated 

• Monounsaturated 

• Polyunsaturated 

Many foods contain all three kinds, in differing proportions. 

Although low fat is the guideline for our eating patterns we do need to eat the right type of fat. 

Fats have a role beyond energy storage and are involved in cell processes such as cell membrane functions, signal messaging and interestingly gene expression. Specific fats are involved in these effects and dietary intake is vital, as we cannot manufacture some of these fats. 

Fat comes from plants, seeds and animals. 

Saturated fats – keep intake low 

Saturated fats are usually solid at room temperature and predominantly animal in origin. They are found in high fat dairy products, butter, and yellow cheeses and on meat from domestic livestock. Intake should be limited as a high intake is associated with heart disease. Interestingly coconut and palm oil are high in saturated fatty acids. 

What can we do? 

Reduce butter, butter/oil blends, cream, sour cream, mascarpone, coconut cream/milk, fat selvage on meat and skin on chicken. Also limit foods with hidden saturated fats, such as sausages, bacon, devon, salami and other deli meats, meat pies, sausage rolls, potato crisps, corn chips, salty packet snacks.

Polyunsaturated fats – include in regular intake 

These are found predominantly in nuts and seeds. There are two classes - linoleic fatty acid (also called omega 6 fatty acid) and alpha linoleic (called omega 3 fatty acids) which are particularly beneficial and found in plants and fish, particularly cold water fish. 

What do we need to do? 

Increasing polyunsaturated fats is important and also increasing the ratio of omega 3 fatty acids to omega 6 fatty acids. This can be achieved by increasing fish consumption. Fresh salmon, tuna, squid, mackerel and herring are good sources, as well as canned salmon, sardines and tuna. Plant sources include flaxseed and canola oil. Two fish meals per week is now recommended by the National Heart Foundation.

Monounsaturated fats – increase intake

 These fats are less susceptible to oxidative damage and have been shown to reduce LDL cholesterol levels (high levels are undesirable) while also increasing HDL levels (high levels are desirable). High proportions of monounsaturated fatty acids are found in olive oil, canola oil, avocados, pine nuts, pistachio nuts, peanuts, sesame seeds, egg yolk and some meats. 

Good News! 

Australians have decreased fat intake from 40% of energy consumption to 30% and our heart attack prevalence has decreased.

 Research from the Nurses Health Study, which analysed 84,000 female nurses, shows that there is evidence among women that higher consumption of omega 3 fatty acids is associated with a lower risk of heart disease, particularly coronary heart disease deaths. 

There are also benefits for rheumatoid arthritis. Doses up to several gram per day of fish derived fatty acids may be of benefit for treating longstanding rheumatoid arthritis and lower doses reduce mortality from heart disease. Polyunsaturated fatty acids also decrease the risk of diabetes, as does maintaining normal body weight.

Any other benefits? 

Fats serve as a ‘carrier’ of fat-soluble vitamins (vitamins A, D, E and K) and fat-soluble antioxidants like beta-carotene and other carotenoids. There are at least 500 carotenoids. These are pigments responsible for the colour through the world: birds, fish and plants. We need fats to assist with absorption and metabolism of these essential nutrients. 

What about eggs? 

Eggs are sometimes neglected in the knowledge that they contain dietary cholesterol. Even for people for whom cholesterol is a concern, eggs should still be eaten, because they contain so much more than cholesterol. 

They are a good source of protein and easily digestible. They contain iron, phosphorous, thiamine, vitamins A, D, E, K and a dose of carotenoids, especially lutein and zeaxanthin. Omelettes and other egg dishes may be particularly valuable for older people because they are easy to prepare, easy to eat and highly nutritious. A French omelette is also fast food that is easy to prepare for one.

A herb omelette with some wholemeal, mixed grain or rye bread and a tomato salad, followed by a piece of fruit in season makes a highly nutritious meal with minimum effort. 

Guess what? 

Light or ‘lite’ oils have exactly the same fat and kilojoule content as regular oils. They are simply light in flavour or lighter in colour. Orange and yellow are the colours of bright light and sunshine. Enjoy eating rainbows…

It usually takes less time to make than it does to read how to make it. It must be made quickly in a hot pan; the longer it takes, the drier it will be.

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Note: This article is an archive. Whilst the Jean Hailes Foundation for Women’s Health has made every effort to ensure this information was accurate at the time of publication, the article content has not been updated since the date listed below. 

Content March 21, 2003