Verve’s new monthly round up of what’s new, interesting, and happening… in a paragraph!
Nothing but Goodness
Fifty kilometres southeast of Hamilton, in the small farming town of Tirau – the “corrugated capital of the world!” – a cool Kiwi company is carving out its own niche in the health food market. The awesomely named Nothing Naughty has veered from manufacturing for larger labels to craft their own range of health snacks and foods using ever evolving “sustainable and environmentally friendly practices”. The likes of protein bars, tomato sauce, peanut butter, and whey, bean and pea proteins are made using natural sweeteners and local ingredients whenever possible and embraced by NZ athletes such as off-road triathletes Sam Osborne and Samantha Kingsford, freeskier Blake Marshall, and mountain biker Ruby Ryan, who all serve as brand ambassadors. More goodness comes by way of Nothing Naughty’s fundraising projects alongside committees, schools, clubs, and charitable organisations.
Find out more at nothingnaughty.kiwi.nz.
Breast Be Aware
Breast cancer is New Zealand’s most common cancer for women and the country’s third most common cancer overall. (Breast cancer can also affect men, though it is very rare, with around 25 diagnosed annually.) As many as one in nine Kiwi women will suffer, with some at greater risk due to genetics, but most who get the disease have no history of it in the family, and the risk does not disappear with age. In fact, women in their 70s are at greater risk than those in their 50s. And although some in their 70s are eligible for free screenings, for most women the service ends after 69. It’s vital women check themselves regularly – and check in with their GP. Eighty-five percent of those diagnosed survive at least 10 years – but this rises to 95% if the disease is detected via a mammogram.
Slobbing Out
Widely regarded as the most popular haircut of all time, French actress Émilie Marie Bouchaud – better known as Polaire – is credited with first popularising the bob in the late 19th century. But it didn’t go mainstream until the Roaring Twenties – and all that jazz – before being reimagined during the Swinging Sixties thanks to Vidal Sassoon’s iconic angular take. The latest iteration of the streamlined style has been christened the ‘slob’, an ironic portmanteau of ‘slick’ and ‘bob’. According to London celebrity hair stylist George Northwood, the simple, one-length “stripped back” cut shouldn’t look like it has even been styled. “I grew up with the Vidal Sassoon school of cutting – I think that precision cuts like these are coming back, in a more undone kind of way,” he tells British Vogue. “The modern ‘slob’ is a perfect example of this.”
Night Life
Most of us wake during the night and fall immediately back to sleep. But for some, it’s not such plain snoozing. Middle-of-the-night insomnia – or sleep maintenance insomnia – is characterised by the inability to go back to sleep after waking at night or during the early hours and can affect as many as one in five people. It doesn’t just affect quality of sleep, but quality of life, too. Some research has found women more like to be at risk, with factors including advanced age and health conditions like sleep apnoea, restless leg syndrome, and depression. Worryingly, insomnia may also increase the risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure, and more. Experts recommend making lifestyle changes such as increasing exercise, limiting screen time and caffeine, and creating a pre-sleep routine. Cognitive behaviour therapy may also be helpful in identifying and changing behaviours that are exacerbating the problem.
Miracle Pill
Cystic fibrosis is the most common life-threatening genetic condition affecting Kiwi kids. In total, around 550 New Zealanders have the condition which is caused by a faulty gene that leads to issues with the respiratory and digestive systems which greatly affect quality of life. The current life expectancy for someone with cystic fibrosis is 35 years. Though there is no cure, a new drug called Trikafta has been hailed as a gamechanger that extends lifespans – and life quality – by nearly 30 years. As of April, it’s available in Aotearoa. “Funding Trikafta will bring life-changing benefits to people with CF, their families, whānau, the wider community, and our health system,” says Lisa Burns, chief executive of Cystic Fibrosis New Zealand. “It’s a major milestone that will deliver access to a medicine which will prolong the lives of hundreds of Kiwis.”
No More Weighting
History is littered with inventions used for purposes other than those they were originally intended for, known as drug repositioning or repurposing in the medical industry. Listerine, for example, was first meant to be a surgical antiseptic and later a treatment for gonorrhoea; Viagra was created to combat heart disease; and Coca-Cola as an alternative to morphine addiction. More recently, semaglutide, the drug in diabetes treatment Ozempic, has been lauded by influencers and celebrities like the Kardashians on social media for its weight-loss properties. Now available in New Zealand, University of Auckland endocrinologist Paul Hofman warns that the drug should mainly be looked at for its health benefits rather than its side effects. “This is about health, and I think it’s really important we focus on not on the perception of image, but on how well you are,” he told 1News.
