You may have heard that a new challenge has entered my life – I have a tumour in my brain. The good news is that it is a type of cancer which is very treatable. I have already started chemotherapy and the effect has been positive...in fact, rather than losing weight, I’ve gained 3 kilograms.

The specialist has reaffirmed that everyone is confident and that my lifelong devotion to health and fitness has prepared me incredibly well for the treatment ahead.

Thank you for your many messages of support.

Stay happy and healthy.

Dr John

Blood pressure is very good because it keeps you alive.  If you haven't got any blood pressure, you're dead.

There is a higher reading and a lower reading.  The high number is the pressure in an artery when the heart pumps and the low number is the pressure in that artery when the heart relaxes between each beat. 

Your blood pressure should be less than 140 (top number) and definitely less than 90 (lower number).  Every point above these levels give you a higher risk of having a stroke or suffering heart disease or a heart attack.  Readings of 130 over 85 is better and 115 over 75 is sensational.

The best way to reduce blood pressure is to have fewer blood vessels for the heart to pump the blood through.  And the best way to reduce the blood vessels is to have less fat on your body.  Simple, huh?

The most dangerous thing about high blood pressure is that you usually don’t know that it’s high until something goes wrong, so go and have a check up to see what level it’s at.

Deep breathing and relaxation techniques help to reduce blood pressure and meditation is sometimes necessary as well.  Talk this through with your doctor.

Hugging is very good, a loving sensation. We hug and cuddle babies. It gives them security. In the Western world, we tend to stop hugging our kids pretty early. Italians hug their kids forever. People say "oh yeah,  but my son's like seventeen". I say, "well, Italians hug their kids when they're thirty-seven and fifty-seven. They never stop". So what age were your kids when you stopped hugging them?

Australians are often 'too embarrassed' to go on hugging as the children grow up. Get over it.

When did you last walk to school with the kids?  Do your kids walk to school? "No, they've got heavy computers, heavy bags all that sort of stuff."

"No, we go in our SUV's and BMW's and four wheel drives." I hate to say "in the old days", but in the old days, I used to walk a mile and a half to school and a mile and a half home. And that was just par for the course, just normal, wasn't it?  So think of these things.  Maybe once a week, you walk to school with your kids.  "I haven't got time to do that." I know you haven't got time to do that.  You're too busy aren't you!