Most of us assume our tap water is safe - to drink, bathe in and cook with.  Yet increasingly questions are being asked about contamination. What is the impact of pharmaceutical residue? Of microplastics? Of fertiliser run-off? What is the impact of the chlorine and fluoride used to treat tap water? What else might be in it that we don’t even know about?   We talk with two experts from the field -  A/Professor Matt Hopcraft, leading Australian dentist and public health advocate and Professor Marc Cohen, pioneer of wellness and integrative medicine, and founder of Beautiful Water company. 

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We’ve come to accept that covid-19 has no quick fix. Whilst many countries have successfully suppressed numbers with distancing, lockdowns and masks, a wildly successful vaccine or silver bullet seems unlikely in the short term. Given this, how will we move? What does living with covid-19 look like for the months and potentially years ahead look like?  We talk to Dr Mark Chan - a leading Clinical Microbiologist who has been on the frontline of covid-19 testing here in Australia.  We then speak to Dr Mukesh Haikerwaal AO - former State and National President of the Australian Medical Association.

(Disclaimer: Both Dr Chan and Dr Haikerwaal's expressed views are their own)

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In the west, children and adolescents, particularly females, identifying as ‘trans’ has increased exponentially over the past decade. In parallel, trans-activists have lobbied for puberty blockers and affirmative hormones to be available to minors. In some instances, without full exploration of associated comorbidities.  What are the health implications of treating gender dysphoria in young people?   In part 1, we sit down with three passionate experts Dr Helen Joyce - Author, Researcher & Executive Editor - The Economist, Dr Ada Chueng - Endocrinologist & transhealth expert and Dr Sav Swicki - Non-binary transgender researcher and LGBTIQA+ community worker. 

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In part 2 of our two part special, we revisit the subject of trans kids and the role of nature in nurture. As is stands, gender dysphoria is increasingly being reframed from a psychiatric condition to identity.  At the same time it’s an identity warranting, in some cases, long term pharmaceutical and surgical intervention.   So, what are the long-term effects of gender affirmation? What does the experience of de-transitioners tell us about how we frame care moving forward? In this episode we sit down with Walt Heyer Former transgender male-to-female, De-transitioner and Sex Change Regret advocate and  A/Prof Ramin Shayan - Leading Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon and Director of The O’Brien Institute.

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As the Covid-19 global pandemic has raged on, the race to find a Covid vaccine has dominated headlines. Politicians have taken hold of promising leads as hope for a return to normal. Yet for many, it’s a prospect that is met with both scepticism, cynicism and in some cases anger. So is an effective Covid-19 vaccine realistic? Or are we investing in the wrong direction? We talk to Professor Terry Nolan AO - Paediatrician, Clinical epidemiologist and ​Head of Vaccine and Immunisation Research Group​ at the Peter Doherty Institute in Melbourne, Australia and Professor Marc Cohen - medical doctor and trailblazing thought leader from the world of wellness and integrative medicine. 

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Mental illness is a leading cause of morbidity globally. Examining clogged emergency rooms and justice systems, one must ask - at what point is this epidemic a disaster of our own making?  From justifying family violence and anti-social behaviour through to more extreme instances of homicide - Is mental illness used to  weaponise the vulnerability of others? To what extent is the symptom of a sick society? Join the conversation with Dr Raj Darjee Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist and Dr Anthony Tzannes Emergency Medicine Physician as we examine sharp edges of our relationship to mental illness and the collective path back to health. 

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Why has “Breast is best” verses “Fed is best” become such a battleground worldwide? For an increasing number of new parents - how do we address the stress, guilt and in some cases deep sense of inadequacy that comes with feeding choice?  We talk to Emma O’Callaghan - midwife, IVF nurse specialist and founder of Baby Sleep Expert and Margaret Grove - President and acting CEO of the Australian Breastfeeding Association.

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'Body positivity’ says we should have a good self image no matter what. So what happens in a world when so many of us are so out of shape? or less than mentally well? What is the impact of abstracting body image from body reality? We ask Jess Curl, Trainer and Founder of Project Better and Amelia Trinick - Clinician & National Team Leader for Butterfly Foundation to take us into a deep dive into our relationship between our health and our bodies. 

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It would seem that not eating (despite being an ancient practice) is being hailed as a new gateway to health. Still, others would argue that a healthy and sustainable relationship with food means integrating what we consume with how we relate. We talk with Clinical Dietician and Founder of Nutrition Plus Melanie McGrice and Matthew Landsown - Scientist, Health and Nutrition Coach and host of podcast series ‘How to not get sick and die’.

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Cancer and promises of a cure dominate the health press. Yet, for so many sufferers mainstay treatment experiences fall short of this holy grail - in some cases accelerating demise or even death. Many have come to question whether modern treatment, replete with deadly side-effects, is worse than the disease? We talk to Dr Mark Dawson - a leading researcher and frontline clinical oncologist and Tanya Wells, a naturopath who works to holistically optimise health in the face of cancer.

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