A balanced diet that is high in fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains and low in sugar and processed fats is important for good health. The following foods are particularly useful for brain health:

• green leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale, broccoli
• fatty fish such as salmon and tuna
• berries
• tea and coffee
• walnuts

Don't go on some random spinach only diet, balance is important!

According to an article in the Journal of Advanced Medical and Dental Sciences Research 60% of toothbrushes that are stored in a bathroom that share a toilet have faecal matter (poo) on them. Put the lid down on the loo before flushing to stop this happening. Toothbrushes can also be home to a host of bacteria and germs. You should change your toothbrush every three months. Today is the first day of Spring - if you change your brush at the beginning each season it's easy to remember when to change it. You should also change your toothbrush after you have been sick!

It's better for your oral hygiene if you change your toothbrush regularly but not so great for the environment. 30 million toothbrushes end up in landfill in Australia each year. If you use a manual toothbrush you could switch to a bamboo one instead. There are recyclable plastic electric toothbrush heads but they are not available in Australia as yet.

I suffered period pain since I was a teenager. Here are some drug free ideas to manage your period pain:

• Use a heat pack or hot water bottle on your abdomen or lower back. Just be careful not to burn yourself. This is my favourite but a bit hard to do at school or when you're out.
• Exercise - it releases endorphins. I know the last thing you feel like doing when you have cramps is to exercise but it really does help. Try pilates or yoga for relaxing stretches. 
• Relax - try a warm bath, hot shower or meditation
• Take natural supplements like Magnesium, fish oil, Vitamin B1 or Vitamin E
• Rub a few drops of lavender oil on your abdomen
• Eat dark chocolate - in moderation (obviously).
• Drink caffeine free tea - I enjoy chamomile with honey. Make sure you drink caffeine free tea as caffeine has been shown to increase pain.

You should see a doctor if:

• the pain lasts for longer than 2 days
• it doesn’t go away when you take the contraceptive pill or painkillers
• it stops you from doing your normal daily activities.

Just remember to be kind to yourself when you are on your period - try to eat well and get plenty of rest. Some extra self-care doesn't hurt either.
Source: https://www.jeanhailes.org.au; https://helloflo.com; https://www.healthdirect.gov.au

Dr Karl has some useful information about why we have to keep our distance from everyone right now.

Okay, there has been a lot of hysteria, sensationalising and media hype over the Coronavirus. If you are young and healthy you have very little to worry about. Every couple of years the world has an outbreak of a new virus. We've already survived Sars, Bird Flu, Ebola, and Zika so I'm pretty sure we'll survive this one too. Apparently, if you are under 50 and don't live in China, you have more chance of winning lotto (don't quote me on that - I got it from Facebook). If you do happen to get it, most cases are mild and you recover quite easily. The Australian Health Department lists three prevention tips:
1. Wash your hands often with soap and water
2. Use a tissue and cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze
3. Avoid close contact with others such as touching.
The first two are common sense and you should follow them all the time. As for the third one, I will still be hugging my friends and family (unless they have recently been in China or Iran) but I won't be giving out free hugs in the mall any time soon. 

So, don't stress. I know the news bulletins can be pretty alarming as they make it sound as if the world is ending. People stockpiling toilet paper isn't helpful either. I'm pretty sure this will blow over soon.

Even though I am old enough to know better I got sunburnt this week. I thought I was being SunSmart. I applied sunscreen all over (I like to do this before I put my bathers on so that I don’t miss bits and get it all over my bathers). I was under a cabana for most of the day and wore a hat. What I failed to do was to reapply sunscreen. According to the Cancer Council you should reapply sunscreen every two hours, and even more often if you are swimming or exercising. You can read more at www.cancer.org.au.

It's only March and you're probably already bored of your usual school lunches. Try one of these healthy lunchbox 'muffin' ideas from www.taste.com.au.