Minister’s message for Men’s Health Week

“Asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness.” That’s the message to Kiwi guys from Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey as Men’s Health Week cranks up for 2025. The Minister reiterated the message that MHW has been getting out through its ambassadors – talking to a mate can be the first step […]
Permission granted – by you

Many Kiwi men are waiting for permission Permission for what? ♦ To book a session with a counsellor? ♦ To get that lingering cough checked out? ♦ To go for a run before heading home from work? ♦ To stop drinking on weeknights – or weekends? ♦ To quit the job that’s burning them out? […]
Healthy habits for a longer life

Healthy habits – Why more men need to take charge of their wellbeing As Men’s Health Week shines a spotlight on how men’s wellbeing, the Southern Cross Healthy Futures Report offers a snapshot of where men are taking action with their health – and the areas we still need to work on. Each two years […]
Processed foods – convenient but how healthy?

Natural and Processed foods – what’s the difference and why should we know? “Where possible we should be trying to eat whole foods that are close to how they’re found in nature and dial back on highly processed foods.” Good solid advice for us all from the Heart Foundation’s chief adviser on Food and Nutrition, […]
10,000 steps: good but certainly not essential

It’s time to call BS on the idea that 10,000 steps is the gold standard of what we should be walking each day for optimal health. It’s not. Buy any step-tracker and you’ll find the default goal you need to aim for is 10,000 steps. It’s the magical number we never knew about from which […]
Go big or go home is bollocks

Go big or go home – not helpful advice guys Inspirational, motivating and macho as hell, but also just the dumbest advice you will ever hear. What started as an ad line for Harley exhaust pipes has become a by-line for achievement through max effort. In fact most of the go-biggers actually do end up […]
Here’s what the doctor says guys

Long-time Auckland GP Dr John Cameron joined TVNZ’s Haley Holt to talk about how the doctor-patient thing works these days. It’s quick, easy and non-judgemental. You chat, they take a bit of blood, that gets tested and the experts get an idea of what’s happening inside of you. Next time you get checked, these are […]
What do you mean it’s a ‘preventable disease’?

What are preventable diseases, and how to avoid them Each and every year, millions of men around the world die as a result of diseases that are, for the most part, entirely preventable. Eight guys in New Zealand die from one every day Of course women also die from these diseases, but men are much less likely […]
What’s stopping you seeing a doctor

Men are already on the wrong side of the health statistics.
Why do guys shun the doctor, but women don’t?

Lets face it, us men are really bad patients. Compared with women, we avoid going to the doctor, skip more recommended screenings and practice riskier behavior. Funnily enough, we also die about four or five years sooner, live with more years of bad health and have higher suicide rates. Avoiding = unconscious (and bad) dude […]