Thrive

When we’re young, we don’t think about ageing. I reckon we think it’s just not going to happen to us. Ageing is an area of particular interest to me in my work. That feeling of being somehow immune to it is one I noticed when I started researching menopause for my book a couple of years ago; I recognised it in my younger self, too. Menopause, for a lot of younger women, was something that happened to older women; it wasn’t relevant. And yet, it’s inevitable. It is going to happen to all of us with ovaries, if we are lucky enough to live into our forties or fifties (something we can’t take for granted). The same goes for the ageing of our bodies. It’s not all that surprising that we’ve been…

Following: Paulina Porizkova, former 1980s supermodel, is now 57. Her supermodel genes are strong – she is stunningly, intimidatingly beautiful. But I love that she’s also vulnerable and regularly calls out ageist and misogynistic attitudes via Instagram, @paulinaporizkov. And she’s stopped me saying “still” when it comes to compliments about age or ability (never again will I say “still beautiful”). Looking forward to: The Doc Edge film festival is my favourite festival, and it’s back this year IRL after a couple of years of online-only screenings, with over 70 featurelength documentaries. I highly recommend Still Working 9 to 5; a look back at the 1980s hit comedy 9 to 5 and its continued resonance in the fight for gender equity in the workplace. The film explores what has and has not changed over…

Do you want fries with that? How about a side of sustainability? Time was, the backstory of our favourite quickservice food didn’t bother us much, as long as it delivered on flavour. Today, your answer to both questions is likely to be a resounding “Yes!”, with most of us as concerned about companies’ social and environmental responsibilities as we are their ability to produce fluffy-on-the-inside, crunchy-on-the-outside chips. Few family restaurants provide a feel-good factor quite like McDonald’s, and it’s on a journey to ensure that sentiment extends right back to the source of the ingredients their much-loved menu items are made from. It’s a steadfast supporter of our local farmers and growers, a commitment that benefits the producers, environment, economy – and you. Such a win-win-win-win requires the certainty that McDonald’s food…

…about FOOD PRICES Anyone who’s been food shopping lately will be aware that food, among other things, has become significantly more expensive, with the pandemic, fuel price rises and supply problems partly to blame. Consumer NZ says this is compounded by the lack of competition in the grocery sector, and it has launched a petition calling on the government to stop what it calls the “super profits” the two main supermarket chains are making. They’re asking Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister David Clark to look into regulating access to wholesale supply or setting up a state-owned wholesaler to create more competition, make profits fair and lower grocery prices. Find out more and sign the petition at consumer.org.nz. …it’s time to get a FLU SHOT Apart from stopping us getting the flu, a flu…

There’s a story about Petra Bagust that tells you everything you need to know about the TV presenterturned-podcaster – yesterday one of her neighbours popped over to borrow an egg and Petra “did a dance of joy”. “We’ve got some land on Great Barrier Island and it’s quite a close community there,” she explains. “You can’t always get in your car and drive to the shops, so people share everything from food to tools, and that’s what I’ve been trying to recreate in my Auckland neighbourhood. Yesterday, a neighbour came over to borrow an egg and I was overjoyed that people are joining in because now, more than ever, we all need that sense of community.” Aotea/Great Barrier is currently on Petra’s mind, because she recently returned from celebrating her 50th birthday…

Every week in New Zealand, nearly 50 women die of heart disease, yet many are unaware of the basics when it comes to heart health. Much of this lack of knowledge stems from the misplaced belief that heart disease is a “man’s disease”, when many cardiovascular risk factors are specific to women. So, if you are a looking to know more about your heart health and need some female-focused facts, where do you begin? Here are five of the essentials. 1 It’s not just a man’s disease Heart disease, also known as cardiovascular disease, is the single biggest killer of Kiwi women. This sobering fact may come as a shock to many women, unaware that they are even at risk of developing heart disease. Differences in biology between the sexes mean heart…