Help us end the Christmas heartache.

Thousands of Australian families will be without their loved ones this year.

Terry White Chemists are proud supporters of The Heart Foundation and the great work they do every year!

As a gift this Christmas, look beyond your happy family and beautiful Christmas Tree, donate to those who may be without.

You may just be the star on someones tree!

Andy Harrison born the 4th of March 1969.
Died from a heart attack, 16th of April 2009.

Click here to read Andy Harrisons story and find out how you can help today.

Here at Good Healthy Advice we consider ourselves to be your helping hand on finding out little BUT important information for your health. A healthy balanced diet should include the healthier monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. However, it’s not always easy to know where to find them or how to use them in meals.

Our friends at the Heart Foundation have put together a guide on using healthier fats and reducing the unhealthier ones in your diet.

Click here if you want to be in with the new fats and out with the old!

Get ahead of your health.

Source: Heart Foundation

A vaccine developed by Australian researchers whose potential ranges from preventing throat infections to saving the lives of up to 400,000 children each year has gone into production, with human trials expected to commence as early as next year.

The trial vaccine has proved effective against group A streptococcus (GAS) infections, the most common cause of bacterial throat infections in both children and adults, with an estimated 616 million new cases each year.

However, when left untreated, GAS infections can lead to the deadly conditions of acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD).

While ARF and RHD are rare in the western world today, RHD is the most frequent form of heart disease in children worldwide with Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations experiencing the highest rates of ARF and RHD in the world, said Dr Batzloff.

Sixty-three per cent of all cases of ARF in Australia were in children 9-14, all of them Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.

The exciting potential for this vaccine attracted funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the primary US agency for conducting and supporting medical research.

Being given the green light to proceed with production from the US regulatory authorities is a huge hurdle, so we re optimistic we ll be in a position to commence phase one trials in Brisbane next year, he added.

Heart Foundation CEO National Dr Lyn Roberts said that this research has the potential to make ARF a disease of the past and reduce Indigenous death and suffering caused by cardiovascular disease (CVD).

CVD remains the number one killer of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations. They are up to eight times more likely than other Australians to be hospitalised for ARF and RHD, and nearly 20 times as likely to die, said Dr Roberts.

The Heart Foundation believes a nationally coordinated, comprehensive control program with improved screening, management and treatment and a national ARF/RHD register is essential in preventing and managing ARF and RHD, she added.

The Heart Foundation, in conjunction with the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand published the first national guidelines for Diagnosis and Management of Acute Rhematic Fever and Rheumatic Heart Disease in Australia in 2006 to help policy makers and health professionals address inadequate diagnosis and management of ARF and RHD in Australia

Source: Heart Foundation

Almost three-quarters of smokers (74%) say they would try and quit the habit if cigarette prices increased by 50% according to new research released today.

The research, from the Cancer Council Victoria, also reveals 6 out of 10 regular smokers say they would smoke fewer cigarettes if tobacco prices were to go up by 50%.

Increasing price by 50% would see a typical packet of 30 cigarettes retail at around the $20 mark.

Fiona Sharkie from Quit said not only is an increase in cigarette prices the most important factor driving a drop in smoking rates across the whole population, it is also great for the average smokers hip pocket.

“With tobacco claiming 15 000 Australians lives and costing the community $31.5 billion dollars every year it is critical that proven tobacco control strategies, such as price increases, are implemented as soon as possible.”

On top of quitting smoking being one of the best things you can do for your health, it is also a great way to save money in tough financial times. A pack a day smoker can save almost $5000ayear by quitting.

That’s more than two monthly mortgage repayments on the average Australian home loan.

Dr Lyn Roberts from the National Heart Foundation said the data provides invaluable information for the National Preventative Health Taskforce, which is currently considering strategies to address tobacco use in Australia.

“Research such as this provides critical insight in to the best ways to reduce smoking.

“The public health gains from a drop in smoking in Australia are both huge and indisputable. However, unless there is ongoing exposure to mass-reach interventions, such as price increases, we will not see any population level change.

Professor Ian Olver from Cancer Council Australia said by increasing the cost of cigarettes, the Australian Government would be adopting an effective measure to ‘close the gap’ in health inequalities.

“Research illustrates price increases not only reduce the number of people smoking but also the amount smoked by remaining smokers, with greater drops observed among those in economically disadvantaged groups.”

The data also revealed:
The proportions of smokers from all socio-economic status (SES) groups reporting that they would quit smoking were high for a 50% price increase, with around three quarters of all smokers stating that they would quit smoking if the price of cigarettes increased by 50% (74%, 75%, and 70% of low-, mid- and high-
SES smokers respectively).

81% of Victorian adults approve of increasing tax on cigarettes if the money went toward services to assist smokers to quit smoking.

More than 60% of current smokers were in favour of a tax increase on cigarettes

Source: Heart Foundation

But do we have the willpower to keep our resolutions?

Newspoll research commissioned by the Heart Foundation showed that around two in three Australian adults planned to either make a New Year’s resolution to lose weight, be more physically active or adopt healthier eating habits in 2008.

However, only time will tell if Australians can keep their New Year’s resolutions. Almost half of those who have actively tried to lose weight in the last 12 months cite a lack of willpower and the urge to give into temptation as the main challenges for them to stick to a weight loss promise; a clear indication that even though many have good intentions, they find it difficult to maintain their resolve.

“It’s great that many Australians are thinking about improving their health this year and we encourage them to take a gradual but committed approach to achieving their goal”, said Dr Lyn Roberts, CEO of the Heart Foundation.

People often start with good intentions but set unrealistic targets or try to make too many changes at once.  List the changes you think you can make to your eating or physical activity habits and then decide ones to try first.  “The key is to start with just one or two changes.  Choose those you think you will be able to stick with and once you’re comfortable with them, try another”, said Dr Roberts. 

“Most of all, it’s important to stay committed, even if you’ve had a bit of a relapse,” said Dr Roberts.  Making lifestyle changes is for the long term and it’s what you do most of the time that counts,” she said.

The Heart Foundation’s top five tips for sticking with healthy living resolutions:

• Small changes to your eating habits can make a big difference. Try switching to reduced fat milk instead of full fat milk, ditching the cakes or biscuits for morning tea and choosing a piece of fruit or opting for wholegrain bread instead of white.
• Look for ways to build physical activity into your day.  Walk or ride a bike instead of driving.  If you must drive, park further away and walk the extra distance rather than driving around for the perfect park, or take a break during the day and go for a 15 minute walk.
• Review the changes you’ve made and note how you are feeling.  Changes should be long term so it’s important to be enjoying your life and feeling good about yourself.
• Reward yourself – when a change becomes a habit, buy yourself some new clothes, or visit a place you enjoy.
• Keep going with your changes – it’s normal to have days when it all becomes too hard, but don’t worry about it.  Just keep going with your changes the next day.