Man sitting on bench outside

A ‘wakeup call’ leads to better health

19.08.2024

Jason admits that his health was ‘heading for disaster’.

While he had always kept active, the 52-year-old had gotten into some bad eating habits, and it was catching up with him. Jason’s cholesterol was in an unhealthy range and his blood pressure was high – results that shocked the logistics worker.

“I wasn’t massively overweight so I got a bit of a shock to be honest,” he said. “A real wake up call.”

On his GP’s advice, Jason took the My Health for Life online health check and signed up to the free health coaching, a series that includes six sessions over 18 weeks.

“I had nothing to lose and I’m someone who’s happy to take advice,” he said. “My mum has had a couple of strokes and dad had high cholesterol, and he’s had a couple of heart attacks, and he told me I was ‘heading down the same path’.”

Jason was assigned a personal telephone health coach, Kate, and over the course of the coaching series, the pair talked through Jason’s eating habits and how some gradual changes could make a big difference.

After a decade without eating any fruit, Jason reintroduced fruit into his daily diet. He increased his vegetable intake at his evening meals along with more chicken and fish, and less red meat.

One of the biggest, and probably the toughest change, was decreasing the number of soft drinks he was drinking each day.

“In summer I could drink up to eight cans of high sugar soft drink a day,” he said. “But if I have a soft drink at all now, I choose one without sugar. My wife and son are really happy about that.”

Jason now takes a healthy lunch to work instead of buying from the take-away shops close to his work and starts each day with breakfast – a meal he used to skip.

The father of one who loves working out at the gym with his son, has started walking almost every day and improved his sleeping habits.

“I was a bad sleeper, always falling asleep on the coach,” he said. “I didn’t take any notice that it was hurting my health.”

With a better diet, less soft drink, more sleep and exercise, Jason says he, his family and work mates have noticed the difference.

“I’m less of a stress head and I have trimmed down a bit and I definitely feel better and more motivated,” he said. “My cholesterol went down to five in just three months and my blood pressure is better.”

Jason recommends the program to others whose health has gotten off track.

“The changes were gradual and the knowledge I gained was great. I was steadfast from the beginning and while it’s been a big change it’s been worth it.”

Jason’s focus now is keeping his health on track to look after his elderly parents.

“I want to make sure I’m healthy to be here for my mum and dad,” he said.

My health for life is all about making healthier choices and creating healthier habits that you can live with. 

Your simple steps start with an online Health Check to see if the initiative is right for you.

share this article