Vol 2 Issue 87, JUN/AUG 2024

There is a large proportion of our population who are wanting to age well. Dementia particularly is of concern to many, and with recent research pointing to a doubling of diagnoses by 2025, it was good to find new research on how a healthy diet can slow down dementia risk. It was a bit of a wake-up call to read about the opioid use in Australian care homes being 30 times higher than Japan, and good news that the government is putting $4m into shining the light on falls prevention in homes. But … as Hayley West says, we do need to start facing and talking more about death, and in her article she enlightens us about different methods of burial that will be coming to Australia. Similarly, the article by Jennifer O’Brien; Precious Time, is an example of how we can make more considered decisions towards the end of our lives. The article on why having a purpose is good for you can’t be overestimated, along with making sure you are drinking enough water every day (many of us aren’t). Sandra Surace has contributed an important piece on wellness washing, so we can understand the difference between giving wellness lip-service or really integrating it into strategic planning. And whilst we all know probiotics and prebiotics are the best foods we can eat, I don’t think we can ever over-emphasise this with seven ways we can include them in our diets every day. And I hope you enjoy the extract from Dr Michael Mosley’s latest book on sleep. Lots more in this issue including our popular book reviews and recipes. Enjoy and stay warm over Winter!