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According to me, smart eating is the practice of choosing and consuming a variety of foods from across the different food groups (wholegrain breads, cereals, fruits, vegetables, legumes, lean meat and low-fat dairy and healthy fats), that provide all the essential nutrients required by the body to function. The art of smart eating reduces the incidence of chronic disease and improves quality of life.

What does smart eating mean to you?

Leave your response in the comments section below on our Facebook page before Feb 20,2018 and the person with the best answer will get a 20% discount off the first consult!

The post Smart Eating Week appeared first on ENT Wellbeing Sydney.

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Diabetes refers to a condition characterized by abnormally high blood glucose levels.

Glucose is obtained from carbohydrate containing foods such as breads, cereals and fruits. The hormone insulin allows the glucose from food to enter the body cells so that it can be used for energy. In the case of patients with Type 2 diabetes, the glucose tends to remain in the blood because the body is resisting the insulin and the pancreas is unable to secrete more insulin in response. It is important to control diabetes as it can lead to long term complications such as heart and kidney problems.

Being a diabetic does not mean that one has to avoid all carbohydrate containing foods.

Carbohydrates are important as they are our main source of energy. However, one should choose the right kind of carbohydrates. These are the low GI carbohydrates. GI referring to the glycaemic index is a way of ranking carbohydrate-containing foods (from 0-100) based on whether they raise blood sugar levels a lot, moderately or a little. Low GI carbohydrate foods get digested slowly in the blood and hence prevent ‘spikes’ in blood sugar levels.

In addition, because they get absorbed slowly, they keep you full for longer and therefore control your appetite. Examples of low GI carbohydrates include wholegrain breads and cereals, oats and fruits.

On the other hand, foods with a high GI value get absorbed very quickly and cause an instant rise in the blood sugar levels. Examples of high GI carbohydrates refer to refined foods such as white bread, cakes, pastries and fruit juice.

In addition to consuming low GI carbohydrates, it is important to eat regular meals and spread out the carbohydrate containing foods across the meals. It is a good idea to have about 5-6 small meals, with 3 servings of carbohydrates with the main meals and one serving with snacks. This will help prevent the spikes and dips in the blood sugar levels as well as influence weight management. One serving of a carbohydrate is 15g. An example is a serving of a carbohydrate includes 1 slice of bread or ½ cup of cooked pasta or rice.

Regardless of the health condition, a healthy diet is one which comprises of wholegrain breads and cereals, vegetables, adequate protein, low fat dairy, lean meat and healthy fats such avocado and nuts.

Also, physical exercise is essential as evidence suggests that it improves insulin sensitivity and reduces body fat which can reduce insulin resistance.

Contact us for results focused nutritional advice

This article was written by our dietitian and nutritionist Juhi Bhambhaney. If you have any questions regarding health and nutrition, make an appointment with one of our dietitians. We‘ll provide you with a simple and effective routine targeted to your concerns. Contact us today.

The post Lifestyle management of Type 2 Diabetes appeared first on ENT Wellbeing Sydney.

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This is a common question for many people looking to book a speech pathology appointment. The real answer to this question is actually anyone. If you have a concern regarding your child or yourself, you can call a speech pathology clinic to book an appointment without a referral from another profession. While there are referrals you can get for speech pathology which entitle you to Medicare rebates, you do not need a referral to see a speech pathologist.

In order to receive a Medicare rebate for speech pathology session though, you do need a referral from either a general practitioner or a paediatrician. Both these health care providers can provide you with a care plan to receive rebates.

Often the first point of contact with a health care professional will be either a General Practitioner or Paediatrician however; you or your child may be examined by your GP for an Ear Nose and Throat assessment. An ENT specialist may then send you for a hearing assessment with an Audiologist to ensure there are no hearing difficulties at play. Both these health care professionals are important in determining the cause of a speech or language delay and once you attend a visit with a Speech Pathologist you may be sent to see either an ENT specialist or Audiologist. So it is useful to come prepared with results from both, if you have already completed these visits. The reason for this is that hearing difficulties may be the reason for a communication delay and will need to be addressed to help rectify the issue. Similarly, an adult may find that they have lost their voice and a check up of their throat with an ENT specialist may identify a structural change that requires addressing to assist with their communication difficulty.

For children, childcare workers and teachers may be the point of referral. While they are not health care professionals, they encounter many children on a daily basis and can give you an indication of how your child is progressing compared to other children their age. They can also identify issues that your child might be having which you may not notice yourself. This is a very common occurrence as you are more likely to be familiar with your child’s way of communicating and therefore can understand the message they are trying to get across more easily.

If your child has been referred for a speech pathology assessment by a childcare worker, ENT specialist, teacher or Audiologist; be sure to visit your GP to get an enhanced primary care plan or EPC referral so you can receive a Medicare Rebate where applicable.

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 Who can refer you to a speech pathologist? appeared first on ENT Wellbeing Sydney.

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One in five Australian children are obese, this is very concerning. However, obesity in children is largely preventable because healthy eating habits instilled in children while they are young. Are likely to remain with them throughout their life.

Here are some tips to help you ensure your child is eating healthy:

  • Healthy lunch boxes:
    Wholegrain sandwiches with leftovers or deli meat such as tuna or salmon, vegetables with a healthy spread such a avocado and fetta. The meat can be alternated with eggs and the spread with peanut butter. The vegetables can either be included in the sandwich or as veggie sticks. The best way to pack the lunch is using a Bento lunch box. Dairy in some form should also be included as part of lunch such as yogurt or a snack pack of custard.

  • Keep the pantry free:
    As adults we find it hard to exhibit self control when it comes to unhealthy food, we should not expect our children to be able to restrain themselves. Ideally it is better to simply clear the cabinets of foods such as chips, chocolate, cakes and juices. This also means that as parents you yourself should not be consuming these foods.

  • Portion control:
    Supermarkets such as Coles and Woolworths sell portion controlled snacks. This ensures that at a point in time, your child may have a small bag of popcorn rather than a big bag or a 200 ml can of lemonade rather than the regular sized 375 ml can and not more than that in a day.

  • Trial with different foods:
    It can be challenging at first to ensure your child is covering all the different food groups especially if your child is a young toddler. The different food groups to cover include meat, fruits, vegetables as well as wholegrain breads and cereals. Your children may not eat all foods everyday. Often the tendency for children is to stick to particular foods that they like. Hence slowly introducing small quantities of different foods can be a good way to start. Examples of recommended servings for toddlers include 1 cup of vegetables, 1-2 pieces of fruit, 500ml milk or cheese or 2 small serves of meat such as fish, chicken and egg. Snack options can include fresh fruit, yogurt or rice cakes with vegetable topping.

  • Eating patterns:
    As much as possible children should have regular meals and snacks. Some kids may have smaller appetites. Hence they can be offered small amounts more frequently. If they feel hungry, they can ask for more.

  • Get the kids involved:
    Getting the kids involved in preparing food, even its something simple as washing fruits and vegetables or setting up the table. This enables children to have their own relationship with food and slowly develops good cooking skills as they get older. Taking your kids along with you for grocery shopping is also another way to familiarize them with different foods.

  • Decorate food:
    Decorating food into interesting shapes and sizes to make it visually appealing for your children. Is a great way to grab your child’s attention to meals.

Contact us for results focused nutritional advice

This article was written by our dietitian and nutritionist Juhi Bhambhaney. If you have any questions regarding health and nutrition, make an appointment with one of our dietitians. We‘ll provide you with a simple and effective routine targeted to your concerns. Contact us today.

The post Healthy Eating for Children appeared first on ENT Wellbeing Sydney.

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The powerhouse museum will be holding an exhibition from now until the 28th of January where you can learn about the human voice, how it locates us socially, geographically and psychologically. This interactive exhibit combines performance, video, visuals and sound to present works by artists and vocalists and incorporated paintings, manuscripts, medical illustrations and ethnographic objects to take you on an acoustic journey. Learn about how the voice is so flexible that it can be altered with treatment and training, much like what occurs in Speech Pathology intervention. The exhibition will take you on an interactive tour showing you through the vocal tracts as well as speech devices to see how we convey meaning and emotion through voice patterns of rhythm, stress and intonation. This exhibit is a fantastic way for older children, especially those who have difficulties with their voice, to discover the power of voice beyond the words that make up our communication and understand the human voice.

Understand language through Chinese whispers

Chinse whispers is a great way for children to understand how volume plays a significant role in effective communication and how a message can be changed completely just by one sound being distorted. The game starts with everyone sitting in a circle and one person thinks of a short phrase. This person whispers it in the ear of the person to their right and that person then does the same and passes the message to the person on their right until the it comes around full circle. The last person then says the message out aloud and everyone has a laugh at how different the phrase has become.

Send messages through a DIY telephone

This activity is a nice way to get kids together to have a closer listen to how their speech sounds through a fun crafting activity. All you need is two cups, a piece of string, a pair of scissors and a needle or sharp pencil. First, poke a hole with the needle in the centre of the bottom of each cup just big enough to fit the string through it. Place the string though each hole, a few metres of string between each cup and tie a knot so it sits inside each cup to hold the string in place between the cups. Now the phone is ready for some talking. Make sure the sting is tight and the two speakers are far from each other. Place one cup over your mouth and the other person places their cup to their ear. Now talk loudly into the cup and the other person should be able to hear your message on the other end. This activity is great for listening and practicing speech sounds as well. Take turns making sounds and the other person has to guess what sound it is and make it back. This activity is also great for teaching children how the voice causes vibrations in the air, which travel in waves down the string the out the other end so our ears can interpret the message.

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 require speech therapy, make an appointment. We‘ll provide you with simple and effective treatment targeted to your concerns. Contact us today.

The post This is a Voice Exhibition at the Powerhouse Museum Sydney appeared first on ENT Wellbeing Sydney.

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