A
couple of weeks ago we met Dr William Cheung (see archives Sunday 8th
December 2002). He is the Grand Master of Wing Chun Kung Fu and also a Chinese
medicine practitioner.SUNDAY
29th DECEMBER 2002
TAKE
CONTROL FOR THE NEW YEAR
2003
– YOUR YEAR
These days we enjoy the best
physical health of any period in human history. While we are good at knowing
what to do for our health sometimes the application of that knowledge isn’t as
easy as those who dish it out might think. I am one of those dishers –
and I know how hard it is to deal with everything we HAVE to deal with and then
find time to eat well, exercise and give up all those things we shouldn’t
behaving in order to maximise our health potential.
One of the barriers, I believe,
to achieving all those things is the way we view ourselves and the way we deal
with stress.
Maybe
we need to look at some ways to feel better about ourselves first before we try
all the other things so we can congratulate ourselves for even trying some self-
improvement
Many people start out with
great intentions but then give up soon after when they don’t see immediate
improvement OR they fall off the wagon once – and throw the proverbial “baby
out with the bath water”. We need to remember that you are successful for
merely trying to do something good for yourself. And each time you try is a step
closer to achieving it.
If you do set New Years
Resolutions make them reasonable.
Why
not try something different that wholistic that’s fun and healthy and useful
A
couple of weeks ago we met Dr William Cheung (see archives Sunday 8th
December 2002). He is the Grand Master of Wing Chun Kung Fu and also a Chinese
medicine practitioner.
I was really taken with the
concept of his Kung Fu training from a medical point of view because it combines
physical fitness with mental strength and spiritual calmness a combination that
strikes me as something we all need. If you are finding that you have not been
successful in years past with your resolutions to give up what ever it is you
feel is wrong in your life and you fee a little jaded with your self discipline
then maybe this year getting involved with something like Kung Fu or Tai Chi is
the way to go for 2003? I have copied the following information from Dr
Cheung’s web site –
One who excels as a warrior
does
not appear formidable.
One
who excels in fighting
is
never aroused in anger.
One
who excels in defeating his enemies
does
not join issues.
One
who excels in employing others
humbles
himself before them.
This is the virtue of non contention matching the sublimity of heaven.
click HERE to visit William Cheung's World Wing Chun Kung Fu Official Site
ACUPUNCTURE
Dr
William Cheung is also a Chinese Medicine practitioner of the ancient healing
art of Acupuncture . The scientific world remains divided about the basis of
acupuncture. But as I always think 5000 years of Chinese history must have some
truth to it. Science might say it is placebo effect – but then even sceptics
might add – ok. but if it works then who cares why ……
Click
HERE to visit Dr Cheung’s
website
Click HERE
to visit the Acupuncture Association of Australia
Click HERE
to read further info about Acupuncture from the Acupuncture Association of
UK
I
have heard some explain the the basis of acupuncture as the strategically placed
needles causing release of pleasure hormones like encephalins and endorphins
which reduce the perception of pain. I have seen the Chinese Meridian Maps and
an keen to find if there has been any scientific investigation of what these may
relate to in known physiological or anatomical terms.
The further I go in Medicine
and I have been involved in it for over 20 years the more open minded I become.
I realise that many things we rely on traditionally in Western Medicine are more
Art than Science.
There
is a big move in Medicine these days to find the “evidence base” for
everything we do. There is no doubt that health and the treatment of illness is
a mine field. Consumers are desperate for hope and can be vulnerable to good
marketing campaigns. It may be difficult to distinguish effective treatment from
quackery. So we do need some quantitative measures and sources we can trust.
With
treatments potentially having dangerous side effects we no longer see new as
necessarily equating to better, and remembering the potential for conflict of
interest given the huge financial gain in store for those who develop new
treatments it is essential that we can discern the truth.
The Cochrane Collaboration is
an attempt to do just that. This is a huge undertaking that has come about
through cooperation of many groups. The aim is to keep updating and correlating
research studies and information about diseases, treatments and procedures. The
information is assessed for its statistical significance and conclusions drawn
about scientific evidence for something being effective.
The is well worth visiting if
you want information on a particular medical topic.
Click
HERE to visit the COCHRANE COLLABORATION
Click
HERE to read
Cochrane Collaboration scientific review articles on accumulated studies of
effectiveness of Acupuncture – put the word Acupuncture in the search engine
131848
is the QUIT LINE
If I don’t hit you with the
same old medical about smoking – will you not give me the same old excuses why
you still do it ?
I
think there is no point trying to persuade someone to give up smoking if they
are not ready to do so. But I would qualify that by saying if you consider you
are not ready to give up then you also need to be ready to accept the potential
(or in some cases inevitable) detrimental effects that smoking will have on your
health.
There is a lot of support
available for those who do want to stop smoking and enough evidence to give good
reason to try. Its is also well known that its NOT EASY to do. So falling off
the wagon isn’t failing its just good practice for the next attempt.
Susie
Stillman is the Deputy Director Quit and she’ll be joining us to give us the
facts figures and assistance.
Click
HERE to visit the QUIT
While
there are many mixed messages about the whether alcohol in moderation might good
for your health by helping keep cholesterol under control there are no mixed
messages about the effects alcohol addiction can have on your life and those
around you.
The
hardest thing about alcohol addiction is that drinking it, like smoking, is a
social past time. People often talk
about over indulging as almost a natural part of fun night. But we know the
consequences of over indulgence in alcohol can be devastating if mixed with risk
taking or driving.
Alcohol is a drug that affects
the brain to cause disinhibition. We say and do things we normally wouldn’t do
– sometimes that might be ok but often it causes enormous problems.
Addiction
to alcohol can creep up on some people. But because of the perceived stigma
associated with being labelled an “alcoholic” some people wont face the
problem or seek help.
Support groups like Alcoholics
Anonymous have worked tirelessly over the years to reduce stigma. But there is
still a long way to go in dealing with medical and social fall out from Alcohol
abuse.
How
do you know if you have a problem ? Prof
Margaret Hamilton from Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre will join us to not
only answer that but also what steps can betaken to assist you if you want to
change your drinking habits
Click
HERE to visit TURNING POINT
Click HERE
to visit National Drug
and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC)
Click HERE to visit National Centre for Education and
Training in Addictions (NCETA)
Click HERE to visit National Drug Research
Institute (NDRI)
Tommy Hanlon Jnr
In
the mid 1950’s Australian Television was born and there are names we have
grown up with in our lounge rooms as if they are part of the family. A handful
of the family came from overseas but settled in as an integral part of our
Aussie family.Tommy Hanlon Jr is one of those people. He came here from America
with a back ground in circus performing as an acrobat and magician and comedy.
Through
out his life he has maintained all
his passions and become one of our enduring Australian Entertainment
icons.
In
1961 he started hosting his own program which would eventually become
Australia’s highest rating daytime television program ever -
“It Could Be You” . The show ran for years and was syndicated to 36
stations round the country. The tissues were always handy when Tommy would draw
back the curtain to reveal a guest’s long lost friend or relative.
Following
on the success of “It Could be You”, Tommy hosted “Pot Of Gold” the day
time talent quest which has spawned many entertainment careers – from 1975 to
1978.
Tommy
is an accomplished magician. And of recent years he has been seen returning to
his love of circus and touring the
country with Silvers Circus.
In
1995 The National Screen and Sound Archives had Tommy Launch their
Americans
and the birth of Australian Television, 1955-1965. a
collection which looks at the contribution to Australian TV by our American
Stars.
the picture on the left is from
the launch and taken from the National Screen and Sound Archives website. It
shows Tommy pointing to a photo of himself with the legendry game show host Bob
Dyer
Tommy joins us on the show today to talk about his life and maybe we’ll have a few surprises for him !
Click
HERE to
visit the National Screen and Sound Archive newsletter about the launch of
Star Spangled Manner ( it’s a pdf file – you’ll need adobe acrobat
reader to read it)
I
recall finding a dusty tarnished tea pot at the back of one of
my mother’s kitchen cupboards years ago . I
t
had etched on it “the perfect tea pot”. For some it is not about jiggling or
dangling making tea is an art form. They talk about blends and aromas the way
wine buffs talk of their best vintage red.
Tea
drinkers tell you that the pot must be warmed before you put the tea in. The
water must be the right temperature and you have to turn the pot just the right
number of times in the right direction in order to make the perfect cup of tea.
Barbara
Harper is the founder of the Tea Corporation she’s going to tell
us all about Tea – she should know – she supplies many of the good
resataurants in Australia and her teas are even being exported to Asia !!
Click HERE to visit the Tea Corporation
LOSING
WEIGHT
Our
Very first segment on our very first program was all about losing weight –
that was 3 months ago . So did you get inspired ? Never mind its never too late
to have another go.
Susie Elelman will be joining me again to give us another pep talk about losing weight and exercising for 2003
go to archives and see the before and after photos of Susie - click on the October 12th Program ( hmmm I note my web publishing skills have improved a little since then)
Yes with the New Year coming
this is the time to make the resolution to get over the fear and get into
computing .Nan Bosler president of Australian Association of Seniors Computing
Clubs will join us as she does regularly for some tips on getting into it.
Click HERE
to visit the Association of Seniors Computing Clubs and find out where you
nearest seniors computing club is