NSW deputy premier Prue Car reveals breast cancer diagnosis and will take time off to ‘fight this'
The deputy premier of New South Wales has revealed she has breast cancer and is taking time out to undergo treatment.
Labor's Prue Car said the cancer was discovered during a screening and that, because it was caught early, her doctors were optimistic about her prognosis.
'I've faced this challenge before, and I'm determined to beat it again,' she said on Tuesday. 'Testing has confirmed this is unrelated to my previous diagnosis.'
Car, who is in her early 40s and has a young son, took leave in 2022 after being diagnosed with kidney cancer.
In a video posted on social media she asked the community to 'bear with me while I get this done, while I fight this off'.
'I'll be taking this time to get myself well and spend time with my young family.'
Car has been deputy premier of NSW since Labor won government in March 2023.
Her portfolios of minister for education and early learning and the minister for western Sydney will be taken over by her fellow minister Courtney Houssos while she undergoes treatment.
'Breast cancer screenings are vital for early detection and treatment, and I strongly encourage all women to stay up to date with their checks,' Car said.
The premier, Chris Minns, said Car was a fighter and would face her health challenge with determination and grace.
'I fully support her decision to take the time she needs to focus on her health and recovery, and I know she will be supported by expert care and the love of her family, friends, and colleagues,' he said.
'I also echo her important message about early detection and encourage everyone to stay on top of their health checks.'
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Telegraph
8 hours ago
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Why milk, cheese (and even a smidgen of butter) is good for your health
Queue for a coffee in your local café and you'll hear a dizzying array of orders – oat flat whites, almond macchiatos, soya lattes. Increasingly rarely will anyone order a drink made with dairy, which has fallen so far out of fashion that in some circles it's become a dirty word. Since the 1970s, our consumption of cow's milk has halved – from an average of 140 litres per person per year to 70. Today, just under 35 per cent of British households buy plant-based alternatives, according to data firm Kantar, with annual sales of oat milk alone topping £275 million – up from £155 million five years ago. But while vegan alternatives are generally considered better for the environment than cow's milk, is giving up dairy good for our health? The latest research suggests not. A new study from the University of Reading has found that including dairy in your diet may help control blood sugar levels more effectively than a plant-only diet – and could help prevent diabetes. Participants were either vegetarians who included dairy in their diets, or vegans. Blood tests showed the dairy group had higher levels of acetyl carnitine – a compound that helps cells use fat for energy and reduces oxidative stress, the damage that can occur when blood sugar is too high. And this is far from the only benefit. 'Eating dairy is one of the easiest ways to get enough calcium,' says Dr Emily Leeming, a microbiome scientist at King's College London, dietitian and author of Genius Gut. Calcium is vital for bone health, muscle, nerve and heart function – and it's also strongly linked to protection against bowel cancer. The largest study to date on diet and bowel cancer found that people who ate more dairy tended to have a lower risk of developing the disease. 'An extra 300mg of calcium – found in a typical glass of milk – is associated with a 17 per cent lower risk of bowel cancer,' says Dr Leeming. Alongside calcium, 'dairy contains a high level of protein and other important nutrients including vitamin B12, iodine, phosphorus, potassium and riboflavin,' says Laura Southern, founder of London Food Therapy. So what type of dairy should we be going for – and how much? Skip to: Milk Cheese Yogurt Butter Milk can lower your risk of heart disease Many adults today claim to be lactose intolerant – a condition in which the body doesn't produce enough of the enzyme lactase to break down the sugar in cow's milk. It's believed to affect around 15–20 per cent of the population. Cow's milk protein allergy is common in babies – affecting around seven per cent of those under one – but most outgrow it, and in adults it's very rare. For most people, then, choosing a plant-based alternative is a lifestyle decision – but one that could have unintended health consequences. Our declining intake of cow's milk has led to a drop in iodine consumption – a trace mineral that's crucial for thyroid function. A 200ml glass of milk provides around 70mcg of iodine, half the adult recommended daily intake of 140mcg. 'Iodine is quite difficult to find in our diets, but it goes into cattle feed – which means it's in milk,' says Southern. 'We need iodine for our thyroid hormones. Thyroid disorders can cause low energy levels, poor metabolism, fertility problems and issues with foetal development during pregnancy.' Contrary to what many believe, milk isn't likely to make you gain weight or raise your cholesterol. Research from the University of Reading found that milk drinkers had lower cholesterol levels – and a 14 per cent lower risk of coronary heart disease. And semi-skimmed or skimmed options may not be the healthier choice. A 2024 study in the US revealed that drinking whole milk was associated with lower weight, BMI and obesity prevalence. Some plant-based drinks are fortified with calcium, vitamin B12 and iodine – others are not. Organic versions, which are the least processed, cannot legally be fortified. And while some fortified drinks contain added calcium, not all forms are equally well absorbed. The calcium in cow's milk is naturally occurring – and more readily used by the body. 'Cow's milk is a really good package of nutrients in an unprocessed bundle,' says Southern. Eat cheese to ward off dementia Cheese has long been vilified for its high levels of saturated fat and salt – but recent research suggests it offers far greater health benefits than previously assumed. In 2023, a review of dozens of studies by scientists in China and at Harvard University found that eating cheese – around 40g per day – was linked to a lower risk of heart disease, stroke and dementia. A possible explanation for its cardiovascular benefits may lie in its fermentation process, says Southern. 'The beneficial microbes break down the lactose – or milk sugar – and the proteins in cheese. Those are the elements that can have an inflammatory effect in the body,' she explains. 'What's left are the health-promoting components.' Bacteria in many cheeses – including Parmesan and cheddar – break down milk proteins into compounds similar to those found in blood pressure drugs known as ACE (angiotensin-converting-enzyme) inhibitors, potentially helping to prevent hypertension. Fermentation also produces vitamin K, which has been shown to slow the build-up of calcium deposits in the arteries and valves of the heart. Camembert and Edam contain the highest levels. A 2023 study of older adults in Japan found that eating cheese was associated with better cognitive function and lower rates of dementia. The cheese-eating group also had slightly lower BMIs and blood pressure – and walked faster. Hard cheeses are particularly rich in calcium. Parmesan contains 19 per cent of the recommended daily amount in just one 30g serving. Official guidance recommends no more than 30g of cheese a day. 'We don't want to eat too much because of its fat content, but I advise clients to measure two fingers' worth of hard cheese, chop it up and sprinkle it into a salad,' says Southern. 'That way you're getting the benefits, plus flavour, protein and satiety.' Vegan alternatives are another matter. 'They're mostly salt and fat and are very highly processed,' says Southern. 'Most varieties aren't health-enhancing – and cheese is notoriously difficult to replicate.' The benefits of the good bacteria in 'live' yoghurt for the gut microbiome are well established – making a daily portion one of the healthiest dairy choices around. 'I often advise clients to start their day with a couple of tablespoons of fermented or Greek yoghurt with seeds,' says Southern. 'It's very satiating, provides a high level of protein and helps keep blood sugar steady throughout the morning.' Several major studies have highlighted further health advantages. The most recent – published in Gut Microbes – showed that long-term consumption of two or more servings of yoghurt per week was linked to lower rates of one type of bowel cancer. Another study, based on data from 5,000 people, found that eating 40g of yoghurt daily lowered the risk of liver cancer by 5.4 per cent. Research from the Medical Research Council's epidemiology unit at the University of Cambridge also found that people who regularly ate natural, unsweetened yoghurt had a 28 per cent lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those who never consumed it. Still not convinced? 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'New research has shown that it's not just the nutrients themselves that affect health – it's how they're packaged within a food, something called the food matrix,' says Dr Leeming. She points to a study comparing the matched nutrients in cheese and butter, which found that cheese lowered levels of 'bad' LDL cholesterol – while butter did not. 'It suggests the food matrix plays a role in how our bodies respond,' she says. A major study published earlier this year, involving more than 200,000 people followed over 30 years, found that those who consumed more plant-based oils – particularly olive, rapeseed and soya – had a 17 per cent lower risk of death than those who regularly ate butter. 'We don't need to be frightened of butter,' says Southern. 'Although plant-based spreads are now largely free from unhealthy trans fats, I'd still choose butter for toast or baking. But for cooking, a good quality oil is much better for us.'
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10 hours ago
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Horror moment Qantas worker plunges 20ft from plane's airbridge fracturing spine & left with collapsed lung
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The Guardian
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Swing time: experts weigh in on TikTok's kettlebell challenge
We've all seen the headlines around the importance of strength training. But if you're not a regular gym goer, it can feel intimidating to know where to begin. What is the difference between sets and reps? How many should you do? What if you don't want to turn into the Hulk? The latest viral fitness trend of doing 100 kettlebell swings a day for 30 days might seem like a straightforward way in. TikTokers' videos showing them doing the challenge seem to have struck a chord, racking up millions of views, and promising the regime can flatten your stomach, make your glutes stronger and help with back pain. But experts warn people – especially beginners – to treat the trend with caution. While they encourage people of all ages to start strength training, for some, doing 100 kettlebell swings a day might be an 'injury waiting to happen'. Kettlebell training has been shown to increase muscle mass, which makes your bones stronger, and has been shown in some cases to help reduce fat mass as well as improve back and neck pain, Dr Kim Way, an exercise physiologist and lecturer at Deakin University, says. However, those studies have not assessed doing 100 kettlebell swings a day – typically they have examined some form of kettlebell exercises two to three times a week, Way said. 'There's certainly a lot of difference in … the amount of stress that's being placed on the body, in terms of exercising every day versus having some recovery to allow for the body to essentially adapt,' Way said. A/Prof Justin Keogh, an exercise scientist at Bond University, said the health benefits also depended on the weight of kettlebell used. A heavier weight will help increase strength, muscle power and mass, while doing more repetitions with fewer rest periods will improve strength and endurance, may reduce body fat, and can have cardiovascular health benefits, he said. Kettlebell swings can be advantageous because you have to coordinate different upper and lower body segments and it mirrors the movement patterns that are 'more similar to what life throws at us,' Keogh said. Doing 100 kettlebell swings a day carries the risk of 'going a little bit too hard, too early', Keogh says. 'The chance that your hamstrings, lower back, forearms, etc, are going to feel really tight the next three or four days … is pretty high, and then you might not want to do any exercise over those next couple of days.' Keogh encourages people to start strength training carefully and gradually intensify their workouts in order to minimise their chance of what's known as delayed onset muscle soreness, which occurs when muscles that haven't been used to the level of exertion get quite sore for several days post-exercise. Way also agrees 100 kettlebell swings is 'quite a lot of swinging', especially if done every day. 'What I see with trends like this is that you're getting people excited about an exercise, which is great … but exposing people, especially if they haven't had any exposure to an exercise, that's just an injury waiting to happen because you haven't had the time to allow your body to adapt to the muscle stress, and the joint stress, that potentially this exercise will be placing on the system,' they said. Way is also concerned people might not be developing the correct technique. 'While the kettlebell swing might not necessarily look like a super complex movement – and compared to other exercises, it might not be – but even if you've just got a little part that's a bit wrong, it can put yourself into an area of potential injury.' They encourage people to find resources to ensure that they're using the correct technique. Way also advises if a person is new to exercise, they should listen to their body because if they start to fatigue, 'this is where technique can really quickly break down' and make injury more likely. Our genes largely determine the maximum size and strength of our bones, which is what's called 'peak bone mass', but exercise can also influence whether we reach our full bone mass potential by the age of 25-30. People generally begin to lose bone mass from the age of around 40 onwards. Keogh says it's better to begin resistance training earlier because then your muscle and bone mass will reach a higher peak. 'But again, we do know that regardless of the age that you start resistance training, you will get benefits compared to those people who [aren't].' Way says that types of exercise like yoga and pilates, which require us to use our body weight as a form of resistance, are 'a great way' to get into resistance training. However, people should keep in mind that if they use body weight exercises for their main form of resistance training there probably is a 'ceiling effect' once you are strong with your own body weight. Then using external weights – whether at the gym or finding weights at home through using cans of food or filling backpacks – can be helpful to get some resistance. Way emphasises 'it doesn't need to be a lot' – sometimes the big fear people have is that to do weight training they have to emulate bodybuilders online who are training for two or three hours each time. 'It actually can be pretty simple,' Way said. You can just strip it down, allocating five to eight exercises targeting your main muscle groups (your chest muscles, back muscles and leg muscles), and doing two to three sets, anywhere between eight and 15 repetitions. 'When you're trying to get into exercise, the best form of movement is always going to be the one that you enjoy. Resistance training or weight training is definitely a great one, because it gives you a really big host of benefits,' Way says. Natasha May is Guardian Australia's health reporter Antiviral is a fortnightly column that interrogates the evidence behind the health headlines and factchecks popular wellness claims What health trend do you want examined? Your contact details are helpful so we can contact you for more information. They will only be seen by the Guardian. Your contact details are helpful so we can contact you for more information. They will only be seen by the Guardian.
