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Swimming legend Susie O'Neill breaks world record at 50 years of age

Susie O'Neill has broken a world record at the age of 50 in a triumphant return to international swimming at the World Masters Swimming Championships in Japan. The two-time Olympic gold medallist won the 50m butterfly, breaking the world record and championship record for the 50-54 age group. She touched out Britain’s Michelle Ware record by 0.52sec, with a time of 29.08 seconds, securing gold for her age group. The swimmer nicknamed Madame Butterfly during her career, proved that she's still got it after winning her first competition and butterfly race since the Sydney Olympics in 2000. This comes two months after she set another record when she swam an excellent time at the Masters championships in Queensland as part of her 50th birthday celebrations, which qualified her for the world championships. She agreed to compete at the relay event in the Masters championships to celebrate her 50th, with her Nova 106.9 Breakfast co-hosts Ash Bradnam and David Lutteral, plus one of their listeners. In a post-swim interview O'Neill told her co-hosts: “I felt like vomiting at the end to be honest,” “In the olden days I was nervous before the race, but I was calmer when I went out behind the block. This was like the opposite. I was calm before, but as I walked out behind the blocks I got a bit dishevelled compared to normal. Really jittery. “It was time to go out, and my goggles had come apart. My hands were shaking - and I couldn’t put my goggles on because they came apart at the nose-piece. “So, I had to get a lady to help me, and the girl that I ended up just beating was trying to calm me down. My nerves hit me really, really badly.” “I got a massive surge of adrenaline, and I reckon it helped me,” she said. O'Neill added that she initially didn't realise she had broken a record. “I wasn’t sure when I first finished.” Despite the challenges, the swimming legend relished in the camaraderie with a few swimmers that she had met in the past. “I met so many people in the marshalling area that I knew. For example, there was a Canadian girl in that race, and we swapped clothes in 1989 when we came to Japan for the Pan Pacific Games,” she said. The swimmer told Channel 7’s Sunrise that this was a one-off and she has no plans to continue racing. Images: Instagram

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EXCLUSIVE: Susie Burrell shares tips for getting your Omega-3

Looking after our health is incredibly important, especially as we start to get older. From exercising regularly and having healthy sleeping habits to maintaining our social lives and eating well, there are plenty of areas we need to balance out in order to stay healthy. When it comes to diet, ensuring we get the right vitamins and minerals can be particularly crucial as we age. To help figure out how to get the most out of your diet and improve your mental and physical health, we sat down with leading dietician and Tassal ambassador, <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/susieburrelldietitian/?hl=en" target="_blank">Susie Burrell</a>, and asked her some foodie questions. O60: What are the benefits of regularly eating foods rich in Omega-3 and B vitamins, especially as we get older? As we get older, it’s important to regularly eat foods that are rich in Omega-3 and B group vitamins as they can help to support cognitive function, support energy regulation, and optimise immunity. A high intake of Omega-3 fats is associated with improved memory, reduced risk of developing heart disease and reductions in inflammation. In addition, B group vitamins - including B12, folate, biacin, biotin, and riboflavin - are essential for older people as they support healthy nerve function, heart health and blood pressure. O60: How can diet impact mental health and energy levels? While it’s widely known that diet plays a key role in our physical health, it can directly affect our mental health and energy levels too. The connection between our diet and mental health stems from the relationship between our brain and gut microbiome - the rainforest-like ecosystem in your gastrointestinal tract where good and bad bacteria reside. Eating healthy food will promote the growth of good bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract, which tells our brain to produce neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, regulating our mood and emotions. One of the other things your good bacteria does is help absorb nutrients from the food you eat, including B vitamins, magnesium and iron, which are crucial for good energy levels. The bad bacteria has the opposite effect, and when they overgrow, the absorption of these nutrients is compromised. If the nutrients that are key for maintaining healthy energy levels are not adequately absorbed, then greater tiredness and fatigue is likely to follow. That’s why our diet is one of the main factors that affect this balance between the good and bad bacteria, and in turn, our energy levels. <img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="/nothing.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/1a03d132c986484080485d10291d4d70" /><img style="width: 500px; height:281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7844581/susie-burrell.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/a00dc2d21bc44a8b8b0feb85a9c2398e" /> Image: Supplied O60: What other essential vitamins and fats should we be consuming more of? Calcium and vitamin D are also important nutrients older Australians should be consuming, as they work closely together to support our bone health. As we know, calcium helps build and maintain healthy bones, while vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium. These nutrients can be found in foods such as dairy, dark leafy greens, and a variety of fish, like Tassal Tasmanian Salmon. With many of us still in lockdown and juggling work, home-schooling, and other responsibilities, what are some quick and easy ways to add more Omega-3 to our diets? A quick and easy way to incorporate more Omega-3’s into our diets is by consuming a variety of vegetables, fruits, nuts, and beans, and with two or more weekly servings of oily fish, such as salmon. I love to start my mornings with a nutritious, balanced, and mood-boosting meal, especially while we’re in lockdown, which is why I regularly have salmon for brunch. When brainstorming brunch ideas, you can be really creative. Rather than sticking to traditional options such as toast, cereal, porridge or eggs, switching to salmon will not only provide you with a nutrient rich breakfast option, but also get the entire family involved in creating something exciting and different. Some of my favourite brunch-inspired salmon recipes are Tassal’s<a rel="noopener" href="https://www.tassal.com.au/recipes/corn-fritters-and-smoked-salmon/" target="_blank"> Corn Fritters</a> or<a rel="noopener" href="https://www.tassal.com.au/recipes/slt-sandwich/" target="_blank"> SLT Sandwich</a> with either Tassal Smoked Salmon or cooked and ready-to-eat Tassal Hot Smoked Salmon. Image: Getty Images

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“How I kept the weight off”: Susie Elelman reveals secret to her weight loss

Susie Elelman is not only one of Australia’s most beloved media personalities, but she’s also one of the nation’s biggest weight loss success stories. At her heaviest, Elelman weighed around 135 kg. But it wasn’t until she was shamed for her weight that she decided to make a change. Now, over a decade since she released her first best-selling book Half My Size, Elelman has beat the odds and kept her 50-plus kilos off, and she’s got a new book to share her wisdom with others going through the same journey. Over60 spoke to Elelman to find out the secrets to her weight loss success. Tell us about your weight loss journey – what made you decide to lose the weight? How did you do it? I’ve had a weight problem all my life, but I knew I had to really get serious when I’d reached a size 22. I’ve since managed to shed in excess of 50 kilograms (yes, I’ve lost more than Posh Spice weighs) and am now half my size and back down to a size 12. Having been constantly on or off a ‘diet’ for most of my adult life, my weight has fluctuated vastly as a result, but it wasn’t until I implemented some permanent lifestyle changes that I’ve been able to make a long-term difference to my size and shape and keep most of my weight off for more than 10 years. The real question should probably be, how did I put all that weight on in the first place? I explain that complex issue in my new book Still Half My Size. Being an emotional eater, one important lifestyle change has been to not use food for anything other than being hungry. What made you decide to write a book about your journey? I originally chronicled my 50 plus kilogram weigh loss in 2005 in my first best-selling book Half My Size and since then there’s been a vast array of new information and science come to light in weight management, especially in what we eat and how much fat and sugar in particular that we should be consuming. I felt it was important to share what I’ve discovered in my new book Still Half My Size, which is filled with lots of interviews with experts in their field. One of the biggest adverse changes to my size and shape and emotions was going through Menopause and I interview Dr Gary Aaron from the Australian Menopause Centre in a Chapter I call “Managing the Menopause Madness”. How do you navigate food-centric holidays like Christmas and Easter? How do you stay on the wagon? Being a first-generation Australian growing up in a European family, food has always played a central part in all of our entertaining. The first thing Mum would think about when the doorbell rang was what do I have in the fridge to feed my visitors? Celebrations were always focussed on food and I think it’s important not to be a martyr and deprive ourselves at these times. Instead we should allow ourselves to have these as treats but the key is to know when to stop. Portion control is always important but even more so when we indulge in the heavily fat and sugar laden foods that dominate our Christmas, Easter and birthday celebration menus. Moderation has never been a word in the English language that I’ve been able to master very well so now when I over indulge I know I need to work off this energy with more exercise. One of the best exercises I can recommend is pushing ourselves away from the dinner table. What tips do you have for others who have lost weight and want to keep it off? Here are my top tips to losing weight and keeping it off: 1. Don’t weigh yourself – Muscle weighs the same as fat. Throw away your scales and only take your waist measurement instead. Women should be under 88cm and men under 102cm. 2. Read food labels – Keep an eye on the amount of hidden sugar, fat and salt in packaged foods and foods deemed as ‘healthy’ like yoghurt. 3. Exercise daily – start with a walk, take the stairs instead of the lift and Chapter 11 in my book is aptly called; Add SEX and double your results! 4. Mindful eating – Research shows we eat at least 30 per cent more when watching TV or when our mind is distracted. 5. Portion size – Eat off smaller plates, chew every mouthful and put your cutlery down in-between to help reduce your food intake and to give your stomach a chance to tell your brain that you’re full. 6. Baby steps – You’ll have a much better chance of long term success if you make smaller changes to your lifestyle habits over time. 7. Keep a logbook – Listing all the food you eat in a day and the quantity can be a real eye-opener and help you recognise what areas you’ll need to modify in order to get your weight under control. You don’t need to share this with anyone so be honest with yourself. <img width="148" height="226" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7816781/still-half-my-size-frontcover-final-hr_148x226.jpg" alt="Still Half My Size Frontcover FINAL-HR" style="float: right;"/> Still Half My Size (New Holland) by Susie Elelman is available now in bookstores and <a href="http://t.dgm-au.com/c/93981/71095/1880?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.booktopia.com.au%2Fstill-half-my-size-susie-elelman%2Fprod9781921024511.html" target="_blank">Booktopia</a>.

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6 foods that prevent middle age spread, according to a dietician

Susie Burrell is one of Australia’s leading dieticians. She is founder of <a rel="noopener" href="http://www.shapeme.com.au/" target="_blank">Shape Me</a>, an online diet and lifestyle program which gives users direct access to her to support them with their weight loss goals. None of us like it, but inevitably we gain weight as we get older. The combination of hormonal changes, a reduction in metabolic rate as we lose muscle mass over time and less active lifestyles mean that ‘middle aged’ spread equates to gradual weight gain each and every year. Finally we have some scientific evidence to show that the types of foods we choose on a day to day basis are crucial when it comes to preventing the ‘age creep’ many of us see in our older years. The study published by Tuffs University in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition tracked the dietary patterns of over 120 000 US health professionals over 16 years. The study found that the diets that had the highest glycaemic load caused by a regular intake of foods that course rapid rises in blood glucose levels were associated with weight gain over time. On the other hand, protein rich staples including dairy, seafood, lean chicken and nuts were associated with weight loss over time. From a physiological perspective these findings make sense – protein rich foods are not only nutrient rich but they help to control blood glucose levels and keep us fuller for longer after eating them. Refined carbs and sugars as found in white breads and rice, soft drinks, juices and snack food result in relatively high release of the hormone insulin, which is related to weight gain and increased blood glucose levels. From a practical perspective, the findings of this study are a good reminder of the need to work towards a balance of protein rich foods and a controlled amount of low glycaemic index carbohydrate in your daily diet rather than basing meals and snacks around carb rich foods such as rice, pasta, processed grains and processed snack foods made from white flour and sugars. For example Greek yoghurt with a couple of spoons of oats as opposed to a large bowl of cereal with a little milk; or a chicken salad with a slice of bread rather than a Turkish bread sandwich. Such changes reduce the glycaemic load of your diet which will only be of benefit for weight control and diabetes prevention long term. Specially, here are some of the other anti-aging superfoods shown in this study to keep your waistline thinner as the years tick by, as they do, seemingly so quickly! 1. Greek yoghurt Greek yoghurt not only contains much less sugar than the average serve of store bought yoghurt but it is much higher in protein which helps to keep your blood glucose levels regulated throughout the day. An added benefit will come if you choose a variety of Greek yoghurt which also contains probiotics, the live bacteria that will help to feed the good bacteria in the gut and is thought to have a powerful role in optimal immune functioning long term. Enjoy with some oats for breakfast, as a filling snack, as a light dessert option, add to smoothies and protein shakes or even as a dressing option with vegetables for a daily calcium boost. 2. Cottage cheese Cottage cheese is one of the most nutrient dense foods you can enjoy. With a hearty serve of more than 16g of protein per ½ cup along with calcium, magnesium and Vitamin B12, adding a serve of cottage cheese into your day is a great way to bump up your intake of essential nutrients for very few calories. When you consider that more than 4 million Australians have osteopenia, or a low bone density, eating calcium rich foods on a daily basis needs to be a priority throughout our adult lives. 3. Fish Exceptionally high in protein, low in fat and calories, any type of fish is a superfood when it comes to weight control. Served grilled, BBQ’d or even fried in a little olive oil, fish is a perfect base to light meals served with plenty of brightly coloured, nutrient rich veges. Of particular nutritional value are deep sea cold fish such as sardines and salmon which contain some of the highest concentrations from omega 3 fats, a natural anti-inflammatory. Aim for at least 2-3 serves of a mix of different types of fish each week and remember that fresh is always best as it contains much less salt than smoked or tinned varieties. 4. Chicken breast While good quality protein is required to protect muscle breakdown as we get older, the extra saturated fat found in fatty cuts of red meat or chicken legs and thighs is not. Chicken breast is exceptionally lean and is a rich source of protein, B-vitamins and magnesium. Enjoy with lunchtime salads, marinated with vegetables or made into mince to enjoy with zucchini pasta, burgers or in lettuce cups. 5. Nuts A serve of nuts each day ensures that we are getting a good dose of poly and mono unsaturated fat each day as well as protein, fibre and Vitamin E. When it comes to which type, a mix of different nuts will ensure you get the range of micronutrients different nuts offer. A nut based snack mid-afternoon is a great dietary habit. Not only will this help to ward off the pre-dinner munchies as nuts are a great source of protein and fibre, but the low carbohydrate content of nuts will help to taper off your fuel intake towards the second half of the day which is conducive to weight control. Just remember that 30g or ~20 nuts is a serve. 6. Eggs You will be hard pressed to find a more nutritionally complete food than the humble egg. Packed with protein, key nutrients including zinc as well as 20 other vitamins and minerals, eggs can easily be incorporated into any meal and prepared in minutes. Whether they are enjoyed for breakfast on wholegrain toast, added to sandwiches or salads at lunchtime or whipped into a quick frittata or omelette, eggs are the number one fridge food by far. And before you get too concerned about the cholesterol content of eggs, keep in mind that it is not cholesterol but saturated fat that increases blood cholesterol levels and 1-2 eggs each day will not have adverse effects on blood cholesterol when consumed as part of a nutritionally balanced diet.

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Swimming legend Susie O'Neill breaks world record at 50 years of age

EXCLUSIVE: Susie Burrell shares tips for getting your Omega-3

“How I kept the weight off”: Susie Elelman reveals secret to her weight loss

6 foods that prevent middle age spread, according to a dietician

Our Partners

News

Shop

Catalogues

Newspaper

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Entertainment

Travel

Health

Lifestyle

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Swimming legend Susie O'Neill breaks world record at 50 years of age

EXCLUSIVE: Susie Burrell shares tips for getting your Omega-3

“How I kept the weight off”: Susie Elelman reveals secret to her weight loss

6 foods that prevent middle age spread, according to a dietician

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