As a journalist who investigates the connection between our mind, body and health, I often come across phenomenal stories where healers produce miracle cures and witch doctors put curses on people’s longevity. I included one of these stories in my film The Connection, as told by Ian Gawler, a terminally ill cancer patient who travelled to India to meet a famed guru and recovered, despite his dire medical prognosis. If you’re scientifically minded like I am, you might be inclined to dismiss these stories as fantasy, or the result of a person’s gullibility rather than acknowledging that a genuine healing... Read full article »

If you’re really into a TV show at the moment and guilty of a few too many late night binge-watching sessions, then you’re probably going to hate reading this. If you’re prone to late-night Facebook habits, or enjoy staying up to play video games or shop online, then you probably will too. This blog post is about the scientific evidence showing there’s a connection between regularly not getting enough sleep and having bad health. It’s also about how I think one of the keys to good health is to switch off the TV, and put away your smart-devices after sunset.... Read full article »

The Australian media went into hyperdrive this week after former Miss Universe Australia and healthy living advocate Jesinta Franklin was announced as the face of a new range of Cadbury chocolates. The 25-year-old model has published a book (under her maiden name Jesinta Campbell) called Live a Beautiful Life, which among other things, includes sugar free recipes and advocates eating unprocessed foods. But after her deal with Cadbury reportedly worth up to $250,000, she’s facing wide-spread criticism for having transformed overnight to being “officially a chocoholic.” Franklin defended her new spruiking gig on morning television saying “If you’re guilty having... Read full article »

I gave a talk last week to a group of lovely women who wanted to know more about what I’ve learned from interviewing dozens of scientists about the connection between our mind, body and health, and what changes I’ve made in my life in order to get well and stay well after I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease. Afterwards, I invited them to ask questions and there were two things that struck me about what happened next. The first (and this is something that always strikes me when I talk at events) is that no one is safe from... Read full article »

I’ve spent the last 15 minutes trying to find the right word to describe a feeling that came over me this morning. It happened when I was cuddling my eight-month-old son. He nestled his head into my neck, snuggled his arms into my chest, and let out a soft, contented sigh. What happened next was the very definition of a heartfelt feeling. It started in my chest, like a warm glow, and then spread throughout my body. I’m still searching for the right word. “Joy” isn’t quite right. Perhaps it’s something like “comfortable” or “safe” that I’m looking for. Maybe... Read full article »

There is something monumentally heartbreaking about having to sit by and watch someone you love suffer with health problems that they can do nothing about. It’s a palpable kind of helpless hurt that squeezes your heart when you watch them in pain, or when medicine has no solution, or when the pronouncement is that “it’s just bad luck.” Then, there’s another kind of heartache. The kind that comes when you have to sit by and watch a loved one who is plagued with health problems that they can do something about… but won’t.I’ve written a lot on this blog about... Read full article »