HealthInsite Newsletter
 IN THIS ISSUE Volume 3, Issue 3
 Editorial
Welcome to the Christmas issue of the HealthInsite Newsletter!
It's been a frantic year for many of us with change coming from unexpected directions. Our thoughts especially go out to those who have been directly or indirectly affected by some of the turmoil that we've witnessed in various parts of the world. As we move toward a new year, it's useful to take a moment to reflect on the things that are most important to us: family, friends, health, how much we've achieved and where we would like to be in the coming year. Our very best wishes for the holiday season to all our newsletter subscribers.
In addition to the promised feature on dementia resources, we will also take the opportunity to looke at resources to help you cope with the frantic Christmas season, including tips on how to avoid over eating and drinking! It's also worth remembering that the holidays can be a hard time for people who are coping with loneliness or the loss of a loved one, and we will be including some resources on managing holiday depression.
Please feel free to also let us know if you have any problems or if you have any suggestions for future editions by sending an email to healthinsite.feedback@health.gov.au
Healthy Eating and Drinking
 
Diet plans and sensible eating resolutions usually go out the window at Christmas time, as Christmas parties tend to include eating lots of celebratory foods that can be high in fats and sugar. HealthInsite information partner, Nutrition Australia, provides some tips on how to manage your Christmas eating habits so that you don't end up regretting your indulgences:
http://www.nutritionaustralia.org/News_in_Nutrition/Media_Releases/xmas_release_xmas.asp
If you are going to a Christmas party, or hosting one yourself, you might like to provide a range of salads as a healthy alternative for people. Better Health Channel and Nutrition Australia have some salad recipes you might like to check out:
Pasta salad with yoghurt poppy seed dressing
http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcrecipes.nsf/pages/Pastasaladwithyoghurtpoppyseeddressing?OpenDocument
Potato salad
http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcrecipes.nsf/pages/Potatosalad?OpenDocument
White bean salad
http://www.healthyeatingclub.org/your-health/recipes/legumes/bean%20salad.htm
And for those you who just can't resist a traditional Christmas cake, here's a fantastic recipe from Better Health Channel:
Christmas cake with frosted fruit
http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcrecipes.nsf/pages/Christmascakewithfrostedfruit?OpenDocument
Christmas is also a time when many people indulge in a celebratory glass of champagne or three. For tips on how to manage alcohol intake over the festive season, check out this resource from MyDr:
Christmas alcohol tips
http://www.mydr.com.au/default.asp?article=2593
The Australian Alcohol Guidelines provide advice on alcohol and your health, including guidelines on standard drinks for men and women.
http://www.alcohol.gov.au/guidelines/index.htm
Holiday Stress
The Christmas season can be a stressful time, with so much to do and so little time to do it! Then there's the inevitable stress when the whole family gets together for a day of good will and togetherness! But for many it is also a time of loneliness, especially following the death of a loved one or when circumstances mean that they have to be away from the people they care most about. These HealthInsite resources can help with coping with the holiday blues:
Christmas - tips to reduce the stress
http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Christmas_tips_to_reduce_the_stress
Holidays and anxiety - Q&A
http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Holidays_and_anxiety_Q&A
The family and Christmas
http://www.reachout.com.au/default.asp?ti=79
Managing grief at Christmas
http://www.reachout.com.au/default.asp?ti=332
Help is always available if you need it. Lifeline offers 24 hour telephone counselling services
Phone: 131 114
http://www.lifeline.org.au/
Kids Help Line provides 24 hour telephone counselling services for children and young people
Phone: 1800 55 1800
www.kidshelp.com.au
Staying Safe in the Sun
The summer holidays are a time when many of us like to have fun in the great outdoors, be it on a beach, camping, playing sport or just soaking up the sights and sounds of summer. Unfortunately the summer holidays is also a time for soaking up the solar ultra violet (UV) radiation that can cause painful sunburns, and may lead to skin cancer later on in life. HealthInsite has a number of resources on how to stay safe in the sun.
Sunburn explained
http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Sunburn_explained
Sun protection
http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetails.aspx?p=114&np=305&id=1792
Quick tips for sun safety
http://www.mydr.com.au/default.asp?article=2575
Resource Guide for UV Protective Products
http://www.arpansa.gov.au/uvrg/main.htm
HealthInsite also has the following topic pages dealing with skin cancer:
Skin Cancer
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Skin_Cancer
Risk Factors and Prevention of Skin Cancer
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Risk_Factors_and_Prevention_of_Skin_Cancer
Treatments for Skin Cancer
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Treatments_for_Skin_Cancer
Dementia
Dementia is a term used to cover a number of diseases, including Alzheimer’s Disease, that cause a progressive deterioration in mental functioning. Dementia is most common in people over the age of 65, but can also affect people in their 40’s and 50’s. Some common symptoms of dementia include short-term memory problems, confusion, and loss of ability to perform everyday tasks. Dementia is not a normal part of the ageing process, and it is important to get a diagnosis of dementia as early as possible so as to best manage the disease.
The following HealthInsite partner organisations deal specifically with the issue of dementia:
Alzheimer’s Association of WA
http://www.alzheimers.asn.au/
Australian Huntington Disease Association WA
http://www.ahda.asn.au/index.asp
Australian Huntington’s Disease Association NSW
http://www.ahdansw.asn.au/welcome.html
HealthInsite has the following topic pages on the subject of dementia:
Dementia
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Dementia
Living with Dementia
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Living_with_Dementia
Alzheimer’s Disease
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Alzheimer_s_Disease
Treatments for Alzheimer’s Disease
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Treatments_for_Alzheimer_s_Disease
Huntington’s Disease
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Huntington_s_Disease
The following partner pages contain useful information on dementia:
Dementia explained
http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Dementia_explained
Old age and dementia
http://www.mydr.com.au/default.asp?Article=2266
Dementia
http://www.womhealth.org.au/healthjourney/dementia.htm
‘Normal’ older adult forgetfulness versus dementia
http://www.mydr.com.au/default.asp?article=3119
As always, when looking after someone with dementia, it’s important to look after yourself as well. The following topic pages contain information for carers of people with dementia:
Carer of People with Dementia
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Carers_of_People_with_Dementia
Respite Care
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Respite_Care
Support Services for Carers
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Support_Services_for_Carers
Your Feedback - A Look Back
Our user numbers continue to rise with over 1800 people subscribing to the Newsletter and an average of 7-8000 people visiting HealthInsite every day. We really appreciate your support.
Now the year is drawing to a close, it might be a good time to reflect on how HealthInsite has met your health information needs over the past year. How have we been performing? Have we introduced any new features that you particularly like? That you don't like? Let us know how you feel by emailing us at healthinsite.feedback@health.gov.au
Partner Spotlight - NSW Multicultural Health Communication Service
Every month we will include a brief overview of one of our information partners. This month we look at the NSW Multicultural Health Communication Service
http://mhcs.health.nsw.gov.au/
The Multicultural Health Communication Service is funded by NSW Health and aims to facilitate the communication of quality information about health issues and services to people of non-English speaking backgrounds. The site contains over 400 publications on health in a wide range of languages and new publications are added regularly.
Latest Resources
The HealthInsite team regularly adds new items to the database including
new information partners, new topic pages and news items. You can
find a list of new and updated material added to the database in the
past month at:
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/search/newsletter_search.cfm?id=26
Hot Tip - Personal Stories
Sometimes there's nothing like shared experience to help make sense of a disease or health condition. As a diabetic, I really value being able to talk to others who are managing diabetes because they have a very personal understanding of what it's like to live with a chronic disease. When I was first diagnosed I was overwhelmed by the potential side effects, not to mention having to give myself insulin every day. Reading the stories of fellow diabetics helped me to manage the fears that come with having to take responsibility for ongoing self management.
Many of our partners publish the personal stories of people living with various health problems. We've made them easier for you to find by creating a Personal Stories topic page. From here you will be able to read personal stories on how ordinary people have coped with a variety of experiences, ranging from breast cancer to obsessive compulsive disorder to arthritis. Read these stories for some truly inspirational tales.
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Personal_Stories
Wishing you a safe and happy holiday season
Thank you again for all your support in 2005 and we look forward to bringing you lots of new and exciting resources in the coming year
from all of us on the HealthInsite team
Denise, Jill, Prue, Steph, Russell, Julie, Emma, and Marlene
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