What's That Rash?

How does chronic stress affect the body?

When you're going through a stressful time it can have knock-on effects on your routine.Sleep, diet, exercise routines can be thrown out of whack. And when that stress does for weeks or months, it can have a serious impact.Norman and Tegan unpack the various forms of chronic stress, like burnout, and how they can disrupt your health.References:Chronic Stress - ScienceDirectPhysiology, Stress ReactionThe impact of stress on body function: A reviewStressor-Specific Microbiota InterventionStress and the gastrointestinal tractB cells and the stressed brain: emerging evidence of neuroimmune interactions in the context of psychosocial stress and major depressionStress, depression, the immune system, and cancerThe effect of multiple adverse childhood experiences on health: a systematic review and meta-analysis11 healthy ways to handle life’s stressors - American Psychological AssociationStress-related conditions such as adjustment disorder and clinical burnout can be effectively treated with a 12-week cognitive behavioural programme, both when delivered as a face-to-face treatment and when delivered via the internet If you enjoyed this episode, check these out!Why is the internet telling me to lower my cortisol?Are office jobs ruining our bodies? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why do some people get motion sickness?

Sea sickness, car sickness, space sickness – when it comes down to it, it’s all the same.But not everybody suffers the same. Some people are even lucky enough to grow out of motion sickness.Norman and Tegan talk about what’s going on when the world goes topsy-turvy, and what you can do about it.References:Motion SicknessValidating sensory conflict theory and mitigating motion sickness in humans with galvanic vestibular stimulation - NatureAre evolutionary hypotheses for motion sickness "just-so" stories?Three studies of motion sickness susceptibility – Federal Aviation Authority Genetic variants associated with motion sickness point to roles for inner ear development, neurological processes and glucose homeostasisMotion sickness diagnostic criteria: Consensus Document of the Classification Committee of the Bárány Society Survey of motion sickness susceptibility in children and adolescents aged 3 months to 18 years Hopkins History Moments: Neil A. Grauer explains how Hopkins expertise helped prevent seasickness Remedies for motion sickness: What works? - Harvard Health If you enjoyed this episode, check these out!Why is yawning contagious?Do glasses make your eyesight worse?Is emu oil the new snake oil? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How to drive down your cancer risk

Lately there have been lots of scary headlines about cancer rates rising in younger adults.What can you do to drive down your cancer risk?Norman and Tegan offer some practical tips, and discuss what's in your control versus what isn't.References:Overview of cancer in Australia, 2025 - Australian Institute of Health and WelfareEffects of diets on risks of cancer and the mediating role of metabolites Be physically active – Cancer Council Exercise packs a punch in fending off cancer – the Health Report“You do not get cancer by chance”: Communicating the role of environmental causes in cancer diseases and the risk of a “guilt rhetoric” If you enjoyed this episode, check these out!How worried should you be about microplastics?Is your (artificial) sweet tooth killing you?What's so bad about fine particulate air pollution? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Should you be taking calcium supplements?

Our calcium needs can increase as we age, especially for women going through menopause.Most Australians aren’t getting enough calcium from their diet, so are supplements a good optionNorman and Tegan discuss the conflicting evidence on calcium – in particular, could it be good for your bones, but bad for your heart?References:Calcium supplements have 'very little place' in modern medicine - the Health ReportNutrient Reference Values - CalciumEffect of age on calcium absorption in postmenopausal womenBiochemical Variables in Pre- and Postmenopausal Women: Reconciling the Calcium and Estrogen HypothesesCalcium Content of Common Foods - Healthy Bones AustraliaChoosing a calcium supplement: What you should know about taking calcium to boost your nutrientsCalcium Supplements and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease: A Meta-Analysis of Clinical TrialsAssociation Between Calcium Supplementation and the Risk of Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke: A Systematic Review and Meta-AnalysisAssociation Between Calcium Supplementation and Recurrence of Cardiovascular Events in Patients With Cardiovascular Disease: A Population‐Based Cohort StudyCalcium Intake From Diet and Supplements and the Risk of Coronary Artery Calcification and its Progression Among Older Adults: 10‐Year Follow‐up of the Multi‐Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA)Oral Calcium Supplements Associate With Serial Coronary Calcification: Insights From Intravascular UltrasoundIf you enjoyed this episode, check these out!Multivitamins: Are they a scam?Don’t Die: Is Bryan Johnson going to live forever?Can peptides keep you young and buff? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can tapping calm your nervous system?

There's a scene in the Devil Wears Prada 2 where a character is so stressed she starts "tapping" to calm herself down.What is this self-soothing technique, and should you try it out?Norman and Tegan talk through what Emotional Freedom Techniques, or tapping is and whether there's any evidence it lowers anxiety.References:How ‘tapping’ is dividing opinion in therapy circlesClinical EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) Improves Multiple Physiological Markers of HealthNeural changes after Emotional Freedom Techniques treatment for chronic pain sufferersEmotional freedom techniques for treating post traumatic stress disorder: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis Commentary: Emotional freedom techniques for treating post traumatic stress disorder: an updated systematic review and meta-analysisA Randomized Controlled Comparison of Emotional Freedom Technique and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy to Reduce Adolescent Anxiety: A Pilot StudyFood for Thought: A Randomised Controlled Trial of Emotional Freedom Techniques and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy in the Treatment of Food CravingsThe impact of emotional freedom techniques on anxiety, depression, and anticipatory grief in people with cancer: A meta-analysis and systematic review If you enjoyed this episode, check these out!Can you train yourself to sleep less?Why everything hurts when you turn 30MSG's messy myths and racist tropes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices