Archives for August 2017

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People often ask what is the best thing to put on to their toast in the morning for breakfast. There is a constant debate on whether butter is better as it is more natural or margarine is better due to its lower saturated fat content. At the end of the day it is up to you to decide what suits you best. A small spread of butter a day will not increase your cholesterol levels or affect your weight in a big way.

Bad cholesterol

Increased consumption of saturated fats raises the amount of LDL cholesterol in the blood which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Good cholesterol

Consumption of monounsaturated fats raises HDL cholesterol which reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease. Hence, spreads which are low in saturated fat and high in monounsaturated fats are the healthiest.

Types of spreads:

Butter vs. Margarine

Butter contains about 51g of saturated fat per 100g. Margarine on the other hand contains 15g per 100g of saturated fat. Churning cream will make butter, whilst margarine is made from a combination of oils through a process known as hydrogenation.

Olive oil spread

Olive oil spread contains approximately 17g of saturated fat per 100g and a high amount of monounsaturated fat (more than 35g).

Avocado spread

Mother nature has given us an amazing fruit which is high in monounsaturated fat (good for cholesterol), antioxidants such as Vitamin C which is protective against heart disease as well as fibre(4g/100g) which is important for gut health and reduces the risk of diseases such as diabetes and high cholesterol. One can have mashed avocado on toast or make it into guacamole by adding lime juice, tomato, onion, garlic and chilli.

Flora Proactive spread

It has minimal saturated fat and added plant sterol which may help to lower cholesterol in conjunction with an overall healthy diet that includes sufficient amounts of fruits and vegetables.

Reduced fat cheese

Although it contains a decent amount of saturated fat, it provides a good quantity of protein and calcium. Above all, it can be a good option to include couple of days a week.

Hummus

Originated from the middle eastern cuisine, hummus is very popular due to its amazing flavour and nutritional properties. Hummus is made from chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and garlic. It is low in saturated fat (bad fat) and high in monounsaturated fat (good fat). In addition, it is high in dietary fibre and low in calories (30 calories in 1 tablespoon).

Varying your diet with these different types of spreads can help break the boredom. It can also reduce the stress you might feel about over consuming saturated fat.

This article was written by our Dietitian and Nutritionist Juhi Bhambhaney. If you have questions about diet and nutrition contact your local doctor, who will arrange for you to see a dietitian and nutritionist. We‘ll provide you with a simple and effective routine targeted to your concerns. Contact us today!

The post What is the best spread for your toast in the morning? appeared first on ENT Wellbeing Sydney.

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First of all, what is hypothyroidism? Your thyroid gland produces thyroid hormones (T3 and T4), which regulate your metabolism. If your thyroid gland produces too much of these hormones, you will lose weight at a rapid pace, suffer from goiters, and your eyes may appear to bulge out of your face. That’s hyperthyroidism. Hypothyroidism, as you may have guessed, is the opposite.

When your thyroid gland does not produce enough T3 and T4, even with a healthy diet and exercise regimen, you will find yourself gaining weight and feeling sluggish. However, a lack of sleep or the wrong diet can also mess with your weight and your energy levels. You should never try to diagnose or treat yourself. Always consult with a physician if you are concerned about your health, but before you do, here are some hypothyroidism symptoms to look for.

Hypothyroidism comes with a host of symptoms. The most obvious, as T3 and T4 production govern metabolism, is weight gain. However, a lot of other factors could play into weight gain. If you have started gaining inexplicable weight, you should see your doctor. Don’t hesitate to ask about thyroid disease, but don’t insist that that is actually the cause of your ailment. Your doctor has the experience and tools to diagnose and treat you, and there may be something you’re missing that she will see.

Talk to Your Doctor About Hypothyroidism

In addition to weight gain, hypothyroidism symptoms include fatigue, depression, excessive sleepiness, and decreased concentration. Because the thyroid gland affects your metabolism, it essentially governs your overall energy levels. How your body uses the energy – calories – that you put into it will affect your moods and how rested or fatigued you feel. However, these symptoms are also related to clinical depression. Again, consult with your doctor. You may need to see a thyroid specialist, but you may also need to consult with a psychiatrist to ensure that you are not suffering from clinical depression and do not need medication to balance your brain chemistry.

If you find – in addition to weight gain and fatigue – that you are intolerant of cold, that your skin is dry, your legs swell, your muscles cramp, or you begin to suffer from constipation, you are very likely suffering from hypothyroidism. In severe cases, you’ll notice some puffiness around your eyes and a reduced heart rate. Untreated cases have been known to lead to comas. If you are suffering from a combination of any of these symptoms, you absolutely must see your doctor.

Untreated hypothyroidism can have serious consequences. Patients who go untreated long enough may require treament in hospital. Left untreated hypothyroidism can lead to an enlarged heart or heart failure. Hypothyroidism can be fatal if untreated.

Fortunately, though, if you consult with your doctor early enough, you will be able to live a normal, healthy life. Your doctor will most likely prescribe you with hormone replacement therapy, which will just mean that you take some extra pills in your daily routine. Pay attention to your body and your symptoms; keep a good relationship with your doctor, and you’ll never have to worry about extreme cases of any disorder.

If you are concerned about hypothyroidism because you exhibit any of these symptoms, or because you have a familiy history of thyroid disease, make an appointment with your doctor today. If you need further treatment, she’ll recommend a thyroid specialist who will be able to answer all of your questions and put you on the hormone replacement therapy regimen that you need.

The post How to Tell if You Have Hypothyroidism appeared first on Thyroid Clinic Sydney.

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Movies have become a popular means of entertainment with millions of people frequently visiting theatres throughout the year to watch newly released films. While the movies are often exciting due to the large screens and surround sound, people often fail to notice how loud the volume of sound they are exposed to. The American Hearing Research Foundation has stated that movies are “a source of premature hearing reduction.”

A sound level of 85 decibels “is where you want to stay below,” said Kit Frank, AuD, audiologist, NYU Langone Medical Center. Beyond that, “you start to hit into the range where you could potentially cause some damage” to your hearing.

TODAY national did an investigation into just how loud the movies we watch at the cinemas are. Investigative correspondent Jeff Rossen went to several movies to measure the volumes of sound with a sound level meter and come back with these results:

The Magnificent Seven a western with lots of gunfire, didn’t take long to reach 93.7 decibels and climb to 97.2. “Storks,” an animated feature for kids, stayed under 85 decibels for most of the movie, but at one point hit a peak of 99.3. “Deepwater Horizon,” packed with big explosions and destruction, hit 101 and then 104.9 decibels. “If you’re reaching over 100 for even minutes at a time, seconds at a time, you could be into that range where you could get immediate permanent damage, and If you leave the movie theatre and your ears are ringing that’s a sign that you could potentially have some damage from the loud noise,” Kit Frank warned.

There are standards on how movies are made and delivered in cinemas however; it is up to the individual cinemas to control the volume. The National Association of Theatre Owners stated to NBC News that just like in life, certain sounds in different movies will spike and movies don’t exceed 85 decibels on a consistent basis. They have also stated that complaints about sound levels are rare and infrequent.

Protect your hearing by wearing noise reduction earplugs or downloading a volume metre onto your phone. There are plenty of free decibel meter apps available including Decibel 10th: Professional Noise Meter and Sound Meter by Abc Apps.

Reference

www.today.com/health/loud-movies-some-theaters-could-damage-your-hearing-experts-say

The post Experts say that loud movies in some theatres could damage your hearing appeared first on ENT Wellbeing Sydney.

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Voice disorders are conditions involving abnormal pitch, loudness or quality of the voice, thereby affecting speech production. A voice disorder describes differences in voice that are inappropriate for an individual’s age, gender, cultural background, or geographic location. A person has a voice disorder if they express concern about having an abnormal voice that does not meet their daily needs. Even in the case where others cannot perceive the difference. Voice disorders are classified in a number of ways.

Most simply, voice disorders can be considered in three categories:

Organic

Organic voice disorders are physiological in nature and occur when there is a change to respiratory, laryngeal, or vocal tract mechanisms within a person’s body. There are two types of organic voice disorders: Structural and Neurogenic.

  • Structural voice disorders are caused by physical changes to the voice mechanism such as vocal nodules and oedema where the vocal fold tissue is altered by misuse or structural changes to the larynx that happen as a part of aging.
  • Neurogenic voice disorders are caused by dysfunction of the central or peripheral nervous system innervating the larynx, which in turn affects functioning of the vocal mechanism. This includes voice changes such as tremors caused through Neurogenic diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, paralysis of one or both of the vocal folds or involuntary movements known as spasmodic dysphonia.

Functional

A functional voice disorder is caused by the improper or inefficient use of the vocal mechanism. This is despite there being no abnormalities to the physical structures involves in voicing. Functional voice disorders can be caused by the presence of an organic disorder that leads to habitual, mal-adaptive vocal habits. Even after the organic change or long standing vocal habits have been treated. Some examples of functional voice disorders include vocal fatigue, muscle tension dysphonia, diplophonia and ventricular phonation.

Psychogenic

A psychogenic voice disorder occurs when there is no structural reason for the voice disorder. There may or may not be patterns of muscle tension (functional voice disorder) and the primary cause is psychological. While psychogenic components within voice disorder do occur, voice disorders caused by a psychological disorder are relatively rare. These individuals may benefit more from a referral to appropriate professionals other than speech pathologist such as psychologist or psychiatrist for treatment.

Most voice disorders fall into the first two categories and overlap is very common. One of the most common cases is when an individual has a functional disorder. This is where they habitually misuse their voice, and this leads to a vocal trauma. Eventually this can lead to an organic disorder such as vocal nodules. It is important to determine the correct diagnosis and cause for voice disorders. Treatment will differ depending on the type and cause.

Contact us for results focused speech therapy

This article was written by our Speech Pathologist Ashleigh Fattah who is a Speech Pathology Australia member. If you have speech pathology related questions, make an appointment. We‘ll provide you with simple and effective therapy targeted to your concerns. Contact us today.

The post What is a voice disorder? appeared first on ENT Wellbeing Sydney.

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Take the time this holiday season while the kids are on break to get the whole family involved in some fun interactive activities and get those language goals down pat at the same time by playing some fun Christmas and holiday themed game show activities. Here are a couple to get you started:

Holiday Family Feud

Work on improving semantic associations between words and increasing your child’s vocabulary with Christmas themed words by setting up teams to play family feud with vocabulary tailored to a Christmas theme and to the level that your child is working at. For example, if you are targeting increasing vocabulary for food, you can make up a list of Christmas food, write them up on a board and cover each answer. Then get team members to answer for the category “Things we eat at Christmas”. The team that guesses the most correct answers wins.

Who wants to be a millionaire this Christmas?

Language comprehension, through both listening and reading can be targeted easily in a fun game of who wants to be a millionaire this Christmas. Start with a written passage that is handed to the child that they can read through if you are working on written comprehension. If you are targeting auditory comprehension, you can use a passage that is read out instead. Once the passage has been read, go through a list of pre-prepared questions and present on a board (or on paper), a list of four answers (one correct and 3 incorrect) that your child can choose from. Add on a bonus hierarchy of prizes to work up to make the game even more fun and motivating.

Contact us for results focused speech therapy

This article was written by our Speech Pathologist Ashleigh Fattah who is a Speech Pathology Australia member. If you have speech pathology related questions, make an appointment. We‘ll provide you with simple and effective therapy targeted to your concerns. Contact us today.

The post Holiday Language Game Show Activities appeared first on ENT Wellbeing Sydney.

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