Magda Szubanski did not know what she was getting herself into when she agreed to host a national TV event on health in Australia. And she definitely didn’t know she’d walk away with a new health-obsessed bestie, in Dr Sandro Demaio. 

Together Magda and Sandro learned more and more about the barriers to health facing everyone in this country, and the project grew bigger and bigger.  

Before she knew it, Magda herself was at the centre of the story, undergoing tests and receiving results on a national broadcast! So when we say Magda has lived experience of the topics covered in this season of In Good Health, we really mean it.  

Now, Magda sits down with said bestie, Dr. Sandro Demaio, to reflect on what she’s learned about health this year, her vulnerability while making the show, and what she hopes to see for the future of health in Australia.  

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In Good Health is a VicHealth podcast, produced by Deadset Studios.

You can find out more at https://vichealth.vic.gov.au/podcasts   

VicHealth acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land. We pay our respects to all Elders past, present and future. 

Let’s say an old friend invites you to join their social netball league, and you’ve never played netball before. Are you super excited... or running for the hills?  

In this episode of In Good Health, Dr Erica Randle from LaTrobe University’s Centre for Sport and Social Impact, wants us to shift how we think about getting active, leaving notions of whether we’re good enough to move our bodies, behind. 

Erica shares some ideas and tools for anyone who wants to move more, or wants to help the people around them move more. 

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In Good Health is a VicHealth podcast, produced by Deadset Studios.  

You can find out more at https://vichealth.vic.gov.au/podcasts

VicHealth acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land. We pay our respects to all Elders past, present and future. 

No blue light after 8pm! Chamomile tea before bed! Eight hours or more... or else! 

In recent years, the world of sleep has become far less relaxed than you’d expect. Between wearable sleep trackers and an ever-growing obsession with self-optimisation, sleep has become the latest on a long list of activities you’ve done your whole life, but apparently should be doing better.  

But what if trying so hard is making sleep harder to come by?  

Dr Moira Junge, a registered health psychologist and the CEO of the Sleep Health Foundation, wants to set the record straight. She breaks down a listener’s sleep diary and explains the tools and tactics at play – and why you probably don’t need to use them all, all the time! 

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In Good Health is a VicHealth podcast, produced by Deadset Studios.  

You can find out more at https://vichealth.vic.gov.au/podcasts  

VicHealth acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land. We pay our respects to all Elders past, present and future.

Every Wednesday evening Vivien, Zach and Meg meet at a primary school in Melbourne’s northern suburbs. They set up the chairs, put the kettle on and distribute the sheets of music they’ll be singing from that night. 

They’re part of a community choir, where singers from all walks of life gather to rehearse - no auditions necessary. Anyone is welcome, and that’s the point. It’s a place where people can come to make friends, socialise and connect with one another.  

Even in this age of ultra-connectivity, young people have become the loneliest generation with far-reaching implications for their physical and mental wellbeing.  

Director of Social Identity and Groups Network at the University of Queensland, Professor Catherine Haslam, unpacks why we feel lonely and what we can do about it. 

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In Good Health is a VicHealth podcast, produced by Deadset Studios.  

You can find out more at https://vichealth.vic.gov.au/podcasts

VicHealth acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land. We pay our respects to all Elders past, present and future. 

Maybe you know the feeling. A couple of stressful days turns into a couple of stressful weeks, then months... and sometimes even longer.  

It doesn’t feel like stress anymore, more like exhaustion. You’re tired in your bones. So, are you burned out? 

You might think of burnout as something that only happens in the workplace, but as our work life extends beyond the bounds of a regular 9-5, we’re discovering that burnout can look very different these days. 

Tigist Kebede, a senior counsellor at Pola Psychology, explains how our thinking around burnout is changing, how to spot the warning signs and build your own burnout resilience amid all that overwhelm. 

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If anything has been raised for you in this episode, check out the following organisation’s for support: 

• Beyond Blue 
• Black Dog Institute 
• Headspace 
• Lifeline 
• Reach Out 

In Good Health is a VicHealth podcast, produced by Deadset Studios.  

You can find out more at https://vichealth.vic.gov.au/podcasts 

VicHealth acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land. We pay our respects to all Elders past, present and future.  

It’s 6pm. Your workday was exhausting. Traffic was horrible. 

And now you’re squeezing between other customers in the supermarket aisle, while you try to decipher exactly what’s in the food you’re about to buy. Unless you're a marketing and nutrition expert, you might have a tough time. 

How do you know which product is healthier? What should you be looking out for in the ingredients list? And why does sugar have so many different names?  

Dr Alexandra Chung, a qualified dietitian and food marketing researcher at Monash University, breaks down the techniques marketers use to get you to buy their products, and shares tactics to help you get what you actually need from your next trip to the grocery store. 

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In Good Health is a VicHealth podcast, produced by Deadset Studios.  

You can find out more at https://vichealth.vic.gov.au/podcasts  

Find out about your food options. FoodSwitch is an app from The George Institute that allows you to scan a barcode to access nutrition information and healthier alternatives. 

VicHealth acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land. We pay our respects to all Elders past, present and future.

We all want to live healthy lives. But sometimes this feels overwhelming, and we don’t know where to start.

It seems like there are so many things that influence and impact our health – some are obvious, but some are hidden in plain sight. 

Help is at hand. In season 4 of In Good Health, VicHealth’s Dr Sandro Demaio will guide you through the maze of unseen barriers, including those that keep us from staying active, connected and sleeping through the night. You’ll meet people navigating similar health challenges, and you’ll hear practical suggestions that you can implement yourself, and together. 

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In Good Health is a VicHealth podcast, produced by Deadset Studios.  

You can find out more at: https://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/podcasts

VicHealth acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land. We pay our respects to all Elders past, present and future. 

Building and maintaining social connections with friends and family is essential for our health and wellbeing. However, staying socially connected and maintaining social expectations can have its challenges. In this special episode we talk to one of our Future Healthy Community Champions Ravi, and discuss the value of meaningful social connections, the importance of creating safe spaces for young people and why trusting yourself always pays off.

Show notes:

To find out more about Future Healthy and our fantastic Community Champions, head to our website: https://futurehealthy.vichealth.vic.gov.au/

Make sure to also check us out on our social media under @futurehealthy.

To find out more information on the topics discussed in today’s episode, check out our blogs on the VicHealth website:

• Young people coping with coronavirus: interim report: https://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/search/young-people-coping-with-coronavirus
• Ten go-to mental health organisations for young people: https://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/search/ten-go-to-mental-health-organisations-for-young-people
• VicHealth Coronavirus Victorian Wellbeing Impact Study: https://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/search/coronavirus-victorian-wellbeing-impact-study

Growing your own food has many benefits, including eating fresher and tastier food, producing less waste and saving money. But sometimes, it can be tricky to even know where to begin. In this special episode we talk to one of our Future Healthy Community Champions, Felicia Lau, and discuss the journey of starting a veggie garden from scratch, which grew into a shared venture with the whole community.

To find out more about Future Healthy and our fantastic Community Champions, head to our website: https://futurehealthy.vichealth.vic.gov.au/

Make sure to also check us out on our social media under @futurehealthy.

To find out more information on the topics discussed in today’s episode, check out our blogs on the VicHealth website:

• Get the kids involved with lunchbox prep: https://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/search/veggie-snacks
• Healthy food without breaking the budget: https://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/be-healthy/eating-healthy-food-on-a-budget

How can we learn to love veggies and find joy in cooking with them? In this episode, we welcome back Alice Zaslavsky to discuss how we can learn to love veggies once and for all (even for our little ones), as well as a few tips and tricks on how to cook them along the way.

Show notes:

A few key words from today's episode:

• Borscht – a soup common in Eastern Europe and Northern Asia, where beetroot is one of the main ingredients.
• Braise – a cooking method that uses both wet and dry heat, where the food is first cooked at a high temperature, and then cooked in a covered pot in liquid.
• Brassica - is a genus of plant in the cabbage and mustard family, vegetables in this family include cabbage, broccoli, brussels sprouts, kale and turnip.
• Caramelised - the browning of sugar (natural or artificial), a cooking method resulting in a sweet flavour and brown colour.
• Celeriac – looks like a root vegetable but is actually a variety of celery.
• Kohlrabi – is a vegetable that is part of the wild cabbage family and has the appearance of a turnip (can be green or purple).
• Nightshade - a family of plants that includes tomatoes, eggplants, potatoes and peppers.
• Satsebeli – a Georgian sauce which is very hot.
• Secondary cut – referring to meats, this is usually a slightly leaner (and more expensive) piece of meat.
• Schmaltz – concentrated chicken or goose fat made into a paste.
• Tempeh – plant based protein, made from fermented soybeans.

To find out more information on the topics discussed in today’s episode, check out our blogs on the VicHealth website:

• Promoting healthy eating: https://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/our-work/promoting-healthy-eating
• Healthy food without breaking the budget: https://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/search/eating-healthy-food-on-a-budget
• Easy leftover school lunchbox ideas: https://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/search/quesadillas

We all have times in our lives where we find ourselves going through major life transitions, now more than ever with the impacts of COVID. In this episode, we welcome back Dr Michelle Lim and discuss how we can move through life transitions more successfully, in ways that help us thrive.

Show notes:

To find out more information on the topics discussed in today's episode, check out our blogs on the VicHealth website:

• Three tips from mental health experts as restrictions ease: https://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/search/three-tips-from-mental-health-experts-as-restrictions-ease
• Taking healthy habits from lockdown into ‘COVID normal’: https://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/search/taking-healthy-habits-from-lockdown-into-covid-normal
• Ten go-to mental health organisations for young people: https://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/search/ten-go-to-mental-health-organisations-for-young-people