It’s Men’s Health Week 12-18 June, a chance to zoom in on some of the health issues men face and raise awareness around steps that men can take to address these. Channel put a few questions, covering everything from favourite healthy meals to winter goals and what good health means to them, to local guys from a variety of backgrounds, occupations and ages to see how they stay well.
John Appleton lives and breathes health these days. He is the man behind the website under his own name that sells health products like Lypo-Spheric Vitamin C. John grew up on the shore, at the Hauraki Road end of Takapuna Beach where he still lives today. He was a foundation pupil at Hauraki Primary School and went on to Belmont Intermediate and Takapuna Grammar. John says that back then, life was simple and a lot of fun, “The beach was our playground: swimming, surfing, water skiing, sailing and lots of fishing.” He’s worked in New Zealand since 1976, after an overseas experience in Europe. His work involved 20 years in the tourism industry with the Pride of Auckland yachts, working with Sir Peter Blake during the 2000 defence of the America’s Cup. He has since spent 20 years finding answers to challenging questions about health.
John’s been married to Christine for 47 years. They have two children and seven grandchildren. Now in his seventies, John reckons "so far the wheels haven’t fallen off".
What does good health mean to you?
Being able to enjoy everything that life has to offer without having to battle chronic health issues , and not needing to take any medications.
Do you have any regular healthy habits or routines you live by?
I do my best to eat health-inducing food (organic as much as possible) such as salads, plenty of vegetables and fish. I work hard to maintain a healthy weight. I don’t drink any alcohol and I take targeted dietary supplements daily.
Favourite way to keep fit?
Fitness is a priority. I love stand up paddleboarding and I am out on my board every day I can (summer and winter). My longest distance record is 30 kms. In the evening (regardless of the weather), I power-walk for three kilometres up steep hills.
Favourite healthy meal / food and why?
I am happiest eating salads. Raw foods provide the best options for obtaining key nutrients and one can have a lot of variation. I have grown up eating fish. It’s a great source of protein, it tastes great and it’s easy to digest.
Do you have any health or fitness goals this winter?
No specific goals, just more fun out on the water, being fit enough to take on the stronger winds and enjoying getting soaked when I am out walking. I have to be fit enough to keep up with my granddaughter to power-walk up Diamond Head in Hawaii.
Lewis Rudall is a master electrician and owner of Lake Road Electrical. He qualified in both the United Kingdom and New Zealand, and has over 15 years' experience in the industry. Lake Road Electrical is a local family-owned business based on the North Shore offering a comprehensive range of electrical services from small jobs at home to large-scale commercial projects, with an emphasis on cost-effective, energy-saving solutions. Originally from Wales, Lewis lives on the Shore with wife, Nadeesha, and their two children, Thane and Athena.
What does good health mean to you?
Good health means maintaining great physical and mental health in all areas of my life.
Do you have any regular healthy habits or routines you live by?
I love cooking healthy food for my family and making sure to get a good night’s rest.
Favourite way to keep fit?
My favourite way to keep fit is jujitsu which I’ve been training in for five years. Prior to that, I trained in wing chun. Martial arts are great for your body and mind. I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for a new hobby or lease on life!
Favourite healthy meal / food and why?
My favourite healthy food is a home-cooked curry, as my wife is Sri Lankan and has taught me how to whip up a lovely variety of curries – I’m very lucky!
Do you have any health or fitness goals this winter?
Compete in a national jujitsu competition.
Sam Bratton owns and runs Vondel, the popular all-day eatery in Devonport that specialises in meat and seafood dishes alongside vegan and vegetarian offerings. Sam was born and raised in Wellington and has had stints living in Melbourne, Madrid, Amsterdam and London before coming to Auckland. Good quality food is a focus for Sam. Making sure everyone feels comfortable ordering and eating in Vondel is a big thing for him. Sam talks to Channel about being comfortable with who you are, his marathon ambitions and nourishing his body with good food.
What does good health mean to you?
Good health, for me, means being comfortable and content in who you are. You get that in order and the rest will follow.
Do you have any regular healthy habits or routines you live by?
I try to get up at the same time every day and take the dog for a walk. Owning a restaurant isn’t always the most stable lifestyle, so I try to keep to a routine where I can.
Favourite way to keep fit?
Hospitality involves being on your feet for your entire shift, so there isn’t always a lot of energy outside of that for exercise! But the dog keeps me out walking and throwing his ball around, so I’m always grateful for that.
Favourite healthy meal / food and why?
It would probably be some variation of eggs on toast. Eggs are great because, if you want, you can make them healthy, but if you’re feeling a bit rough after the night before you can make them the opposite – they’re very versatile!
Do you have any health or fitness goals this winter?
I would love to run a marathon at some stage. I managed a half during the first lockdown but it wasn’t really an ‘official’ one. So that’s on the list for sure!
Tim Edmonds is chief executive of the Well Foundation, the charitable organisation funding critical healthcare projects at North Shore and Waitakere hospitals. Tim, his wife and three children, have lived in Browns Bay for 10 years, after returning to New Zealand from London. The plan was to live on the Shore for a couple of years, then head back ‘home’ to Christchurch, but Tim says the family has settled here ‘for the long haul’.
What does good health mean to you?
Good health is everything. Being in my mid-forties, I’m at that age where friends and family are dealing with health challenges more often. I lost my mum quite suddenly to cancer when she was in her sixties (a few weeks from diagnosis to her passing). That has shaped my perspective of never taking good health for granted.
Do you have any regular healthy habits or routines you live by?
I’ve played basketball at a competitive level since I was young, so that’s always been my regular blowout. It can be frustrating when the body doesn’t do what it used to, but the competitive fire to try and keep up with the youngsters in the Harbour basketball Wednesday night league is still there. Helping with my kids’ teams, through coaching and refereeing, is my most enjoyable way of staying involved with a range of sports.
Favourite healthy meal / food and why?
I’ve always snacked on fresh fruit, which helpfully offsets all my unhealthy snacking. My wife will be reading this so I should also give a shout-out to her top-notch vegetarian lasagne!
Do you have any health or fitness goals this winter?
This question forced me to make one. I love fair-weather mountain biking, but always enjoy the workout when I make the effort to go through the winter. I’ll aim to make the trek out to Woodhill more often before summer arrives.
What projects is the Well Foundation involved with that support community wellbeing?
We’re currently focused on raising funds to support an evidence-based youth mental health and wellbeing programme in intermediate schools on the North Shore. It is being led by the child and adolescent mental health team from North Shore Hospital, who co-deliver in the classroom with teachers. Skills Training for Emotional Problem Solving for Adolescents (STEPS-A) is a 30-week curriculum that has been shown to be effective in decreasing life-threatening behaviours in adolescents through developing skills in mindfulness, distress tolerance and emotion regulation.
We’re also currently working on an exciting project as part of the new hospital facility opening on the North Shore Hospital campus next year. The new facility will have 150 beds, eight operating theatres and four endoscopy suites. We will be bringing to life New Zealand’s first large-scale indoor hospital garden in the central atrium to benefit patients, hospital visitors and healthcare staff. From mid-October, we’ll be asking the North Shore community to ‘Give a bit of green’ and donate to the hospital ‘healing garden’, to help fill the atrium with more than 500 plants. We’re keen to hear from businesses who might be interested in getting behind this. To find out more, people can email me at tim@wellfoundation.org.nz.
