Positive Central is a community-based team of healthcare professionals who provide practical health support to people living with HIV in Sydney’s inner west. Their team includes social workers, an occupational therapist, dietitian and physiotherapists.
Angela Langton, dietitian, and Stella Di Laudo, physiotherapist, work with and educate people with HIV on how to live well. They believe a healthy diet and regular exercise can make a big difference towards preventing chronic lifestyle diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. They offer these facts for you to consider:
Fact: Cardiovascular Disease has now become one of the leading causes of death and illness within the HIV population. While HIV medications have helped increased life expectancy, they have brought with them some unwanted side effects. For example, we know that some antiretrovirals can increase your cholesterol and that the virus itself attacks blood vessels, sometimes causing damage to your heart or increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Fact: The news is not all bad. Without any medications or increased doctor or hospital visits, you can reduce your risk substantially yourself by taking control over what you eat and how much you move your body.
Fact: Research has shown that a diet rich in fruit and vegetables, low in saturated fat (eg low intake of full fat dairy products, fast food and commercial cakes and biscuits) and high in fibre (eg wholegrain breads, cereals, pasta and rice) helps to slow down the progression of cholesterol build up in the arteries and thus reduces your risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
Fact: By taking action to move your body through small amounts of walking, swimming, lifting weights, playing a round of golf or yoga most days of the week, you are already stepping in the direction.
Fact: Exercise helps reduce blood pressure, lower cholesterol levels, maintain a healthy weight and keep your stress levels down.
Before making any big changes to your diet or modifying your physical activity levels, contact Positive Central for a full service. We’ll provide you with the advice or to help you need to get started on your path towards improved health.
Positive Central is located at the Redfern Health Centre, 103–105 Redfern Street, Redfern and is open from 8.30am to 5pm.
Tel: 02 9395 0444