Healthier Together podcasts

Health is hard when you try to go it alone. GMHBA’s Healthier Together podcast series provides you with evidence-based and engaging insights into current health topics including mental health and wellbeing, nutrition, disease prevention and more from leading researchers and health experts.
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We often think with our stomach, go with our gut intuition and they say we are what we eat, but did you realise just how much of an impact what you eat and do has on your gut?
Nutritionist Mel Bald chats with Healthier Together about 10 steps to supercharge your gut health.

It is estimated that almost half of Australians will experience poor mental health at some point in their lives, and the findings are even more concerning for our young people. We speak with Martin Heppell, of The Resilience Project, about taking a proactive approach to addressing mental health and wellbeing.

It’s the dream for most to wake up feeling refreshed and ready for the day ahead. While for some, sleep comes easily, for many a good night’s sleep remains elusive.
We speak with nutritionist Mel Bald about the science of sleep and the impact that diet can have on our ability to get some decent shut-eye.
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How to eat to sleep better
It’s the dream for most to wake up feeling refreshed and ready for the day ahead. While for some, sleep comes easily, for many a good night’s sleep remains elusive. We speak with nutritionist Mel Bald about the science of sleep and the impact that diet can have on our ability to get some decent shut-eye.
Managing blood sugar with diet
Blood sugar isn’t just controlled by simply adding or removing teaspoons of sugar from our diet. Everything we eat can have an impact on our blood sugar levels. Nutritionist Mel Bald takes us through what blood sugar is, its causes and the simple steps we can take to support our blood sugar levels.
Eating for your hormones in menopause
Menopause is a part of life for around half of the world’s population, marked by hormonal changes that cause varying symptoms and experiences. In this podcast, nutritionist Mel Bald discusses the physiological changes and the role that the food we eat can play in supporting the body through this period of transition.
This podcast refers to women and a general age range for the onset of menopausal symptoms, however we acknowledge that menopause can affect a broad range of people and not only cisgender women (those whose gender identity matches the sex they are assigned at birth). Menopausal symptoms, caused by fluctuations in oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone, can also be brought on by certain medicines, health conditions, surgeries or hormone therapies, and do not always directly correlate with the age of menopausal individuals. For more information, please speak with your doctor.
LGBTIQA+ inclusion and allyship
In this podcast we speak with Queer Town founder and director Archie Beetle about the important work they do delivering LGBTIQA+ inclusion and allyship training along with practical tips for fostering inclusivity and showing your support for LGBTIQA+ friends, family and community members.
Nutrition for heart health
Good nutrition is vital for our overall health and wellbeing, and crucial to ensuring our body gets what it needs to function at its best. Nutritionist Mel Bald takes us through the foods to favour – and ones to avoid – to support our cardiovascular system and help maintain a healthy heart.
The importance of prehabilitation
Did you know that prehabilitation can help delay surgery or improve the outcome of surgery, potentially reducing your time in hospital and increasing your mobility? Director & Senior Physio at Kieser, Tim Dettmann explains the importance of prehab and busts the myth about strength training.
Improving immunity with nutrition
The immune system is our body’s way of protecting us against infection disease. In our latest Healthier Together podcast, we speak with Mel Bald about how we can support our body through what we eat to have the best defence against germs.
Supporting kids in sport
Kids sport isn’t just about cold weekends and participation medals. Sport teaches lifelong lessons about motivation, winning, losing and creates connections in the community. Presenting ‘Supporting Kids in Sport’ podcast with registered teacher and psychologist Tim Dansie.
5 habit hacks to help you eat better
Did you know that around half of our behaviour is habitual? Most people know what they need to do to live healthier lives, but ingrained habits often get in the way. Luckily, it’s never too late to do things differently.
Listen as Nutritionist Mel Bald takes us through 5 ways to hack your habits and finally make that change you’ve been thinking about.
Understanding your smoking addiction and how to improve your chances of quitting
Dr Sarah White was appointed Director of Quit Victoria in 2014 and is the leading national spokesperson for tobacco control. Dr White oversees the delivery of the Victorian Quitline, which is renowned for its development of new service and technology delivery models for smoking cessation (telephone) counselling. Other key areas of expertise include smoking cessation practice change models in health system settings, and the impact of smoking on health, particularly for priority populations, such as people with mental illness or substance use disorders.
The impact of physical fitness on the mental health of young people
Raigan Howard has spent 10 years as a professional youth worker in the Geelong region, specialising in high challenge activities and leadership development. Raigan is a fully qualified personal trainer and launched Hello Hurricane with a passion to see young people empowered through effective development approaches.
Physio tips on how to improve your running
Andy Chalmers is from Geelong Physiotherapy and currently works at the Western Bulldogs as a sports trainer, as well as head physiotherapist for the North Geelong Warriors (NPL).
Meal planning and shopping on a budget
Alison McAleese is an experienced dietitian specialising in public health and obesity prevention. For the past 6 years Alison has been the Healthy Lifestyles Campaigns Manager at Cancer Council Victoria.
Mental health matters: anxiety and depression in ourselves and others
Lorelle Zemunik has an extensive background in case management in community and clinical mental health services. She is a Senior Trainer at Mental Health Victoria and uses her lived experience of mental health in peer support, consultancy, and consumer research and training.
Sleep disorders – what are they and treatment options
Dr Andrew Bradbeer is the lead physician and medical director at Sleep Health Group, working as a specialist in respiratory and sleep medicine in Western Victoria, and the South East of South Australia since 2004. He also supervises a network of sleep centres and home sleep testing locations throughout the region.
The importance of eating seasonally
Alison McAleese is an experienced dietitian specialising in public health and obesity prevention. She also has a keen interest in reducing inequalities related to food nutrition. For the past 6 years Alison has been the Healthy Lifestyles Campaigns Manager at Cancer Council Victoria.
Starting an edible garden
Ben Shaw completed a permaculture design course and fell in love with the process, spurring his desire to share his knowledge and passion with others. He now runs edible gardening workshops all year round for both adults and children.
Top tips for feeding the whole family
Dr Joanna McMillan is a PhD qualified Nutrition Scientist and Accredited Practising Dietitian. She is one of Australia's favourite and most trusted health and wellbeing experts.
Getting a grip on understanding pain
Professor Lorimer Moseley is a physiotherapist and a pain scientist. He has a long-standing interest in using contemporary and innovative methods to ‘translate’ pain science into concepts and language that clinicians and patients can both understand and then integrate into their own decision making.
Physio tips: all about knee arthritis
James Nelson is an experienced physiotherapist that has been working at Geelong Physiotherapy group since the early 2000's. With an interest in lower limb rehabilitation, he frequently assists his clients with a range of knee or hip issues and injuries.
Getting started with exercise
Bree Filippone is the owner of group fitness business, the HIIT Project and is the founder of running collaboration The Finishr. Bree has a Bachelor of Exercise & Sports Sciences and Exercise Physiology, as well as a number of qualifications in the fitness space.
How to eat to boost your energy levels
Mel Bald is the Health and Nutrition Coordinator at GMHBA, she also has a Bachelor of Human Movement, Bachelor of Nutritional Medicine and a Post Graduate degree in Sports Management.
Infant sleep and settling
On this podcast, we will be chatting with Cindy Davenport, who is the Director of Safe Sleep Space. She is a registered midwife, IBCLC and a maternal and child health nurse. Cindy is passionate about the health and wellbeing of families and offers a sensible, response-based approach to help babies and children with sleep problems.
Your top dental questions answered
Dr. Anna Stokes works at the GMHBA Dental Care practice in Geelong and has more than 20 years’ experience in all aspects of family, general, complex and cosmetic dentistry.
Type 2 diabetes: who is at risk and can you beat it?
Maggie is an Accredited Practising Dietitian who is currently working across a range of nutrition fields including private practice (based in Geelong), aged care and sports nutrition (with Western Bulldogs AFL Women’s). Maggie is passionate about empowering individuals with evidence-based knowledge to improve their health and management of chronic diseases.
How to sleep better: science-backed sleep hacks
Tune into ‘How to Sleep Better: science backed sleep hacks’ with Professor Dorothy Bruck. Professor Bruck has over 70 peer-reviewed publications and is a founding Director and Chair of the Sleep Health Foundation. She specialises in and has particular interest in sleep/wake behaviour, mental health and chronic fatigue.
Brain food
On this podcast we will chatting with Dr Joanna McMillan, a PHD qualified nutrition scientist and accredited practicing dietician. Joanna will help explain how good eating and lifestyle habits can help to slow the ageing process of the brain.
Building resilience with young people
Andrew Fuller is a clinical psychologist who has worked with over 1,000 schools and more than 500,000 young people. Andrew is a Fellow at the University of Melbourne and has been a scientific consultant on the ABC. He has also written more than 8 books on the topics of parenting, resilience, and identifying strengths for young people.
Know your hormones
In this episode we’ll be talking to Dr Sonia Davison who is an endocrinologist with extensive experience and special interest in Women's Health. She is a Clinical Fellow with Jean Hailes for Women’s Health and has also been a research fellow at the Women’s Health Research Program, Monash University. She is currently working in private practice at Cabrini Medical Centre, Malvern, and at Jean Hailes for Women's Health, in Clayton.
Ask the endocrinologist: peri-menopause and menopause
In this episode we’ll be talking to Dr Rosie Worsley who is an endocrinologist specialising in women’s health on the topic of menopause. Rosie consults at the Jean Hailes Medical Centre and worked in the Alfred Hospital Women’s Health and Women’s Mental Health Clinics for 5 years looking after the endocrine needs of women.
Rosie completed her PhD in menopause in 2017 and has received the young investigator prize from the Australian, European and International Menopause Societies.
Caregivers of people with a mental illness
In this episode we’ll be discussing the issues faced by caregivers of people with a mental illness and how to reduce carer burden, as well as the development of novel therapies with Professor Michael Berk.
Michael is the Alfred Deakin Chair of Psychiatry at Deakin University and Barwon Health, where he heads the IMPACT Strategic Research Centre. He also is an Honorary Professorial Research fellow in the Department of Psychiatry, the Florey Institute for Neuroscience and Mental Health and Orygen Youth Health at Melbourne University, as well as in the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine at Monash University.
Mastering your health – tools to create lasting change
In this episode we’ll be discussing the tools to create lasting changes in order to break habits, plan for success and master your health. Shivaun Conn is an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD), Health Coach, Vice President of the Australasian Society of Lifestyle Medicine, and Director of Discovery Health Coaching. Shivaun has worked for over 15 years as a dietitian, health coach and presenter. She currently coaches individuals in nutrition and lifestyle, trains practitioners in health behaviour change, and develops health change programs across a range of sectors.
Food, mood & the gut
In this episode how food affects our mood will be discussed, along with strategies to maximise mental wellbeing with Professor Felice Jacka. Felice is the director of the Food and Mood Centre at Deakin University, and founder and president of the International Society for Nutritional Psychiatry Research.
At the time of publication, GMHBA have provided current, evidence-based information, however information contained in these podcasts should not be relied on as a substitute for professional medical advice. Views expressed in this podcast are not necessarily the view of GMHBA and we make no representation regarding the quality, accuracy or completeness of the information. GMHBA is not liable for any loss or damage suffered arising out of the reliance on the information, text, photos or advertisements used in this podcast, except that which cannot be excluded by law. All materials appearing in GMHBA’s Healthier Together podcast are copyright.