A last-minute cancellation by our programmed speaker meant we could have had a quiet lunch meeting, however PP Russell jumped into the breach and delivered one of his fascinating prepared talks on The Declining Health System in Australia. Russell’s research and enthusiasm for the topic following his own recent health scare meant he had information from the most recent sources and could provide solid advice eon the reasons why our society’s health across thee board seems to be declining, and a logical step forward to improving the situation.
We have uploaded onto our website (www.rccbg.org), Juris excellent presentation on “A Latvian Odyssey”. The explanatory notes together with the pictorial PowerPoint provide a very emotional “odyssey” through Juris’ lifge in war torn Latvia and building a new life from scratch in post -war Australia, I commend the presentation to you and your friends.
We continue to develop ideas for membership growth, tackling the gender imbalance and looking for affordable and sustainable projects to get outr teeth into. All ideas are being looked at. See you at the Golf Club next Thursday.
Warrick and Bill
Last week’s speaker:
On Thursday 4 September 2025 on the occasion of the guest speaker falling ill and being unable to give their talk, our member Russell Dew pulled a talk from his magic hat, on the decline of Western health, at what looked like 10 minutes notice. We bow in deference, Dr Russell henceforth.
Russell says that the information he drew on was peer reviewed research by top academics in various highly regarded institutes in the USA. The PowerPoint presentation he gave us was only the first half of what he could have given us.
The points that stuck out for me most, not that they were necessarily the best, given that the talk was jam-packed with overwhelming medical information, were the following:
The incidence of diseases has changed in unexpected ways:
diseases such as cancer haven’t necessarily become worse in the Western World – just more visible in a much older population that got as old as they are now;
in the 1900s we used to die of infectious diseases at younger ages, especially children, and women from childbirth;
nowadays we die of heart attacks, strokes and cancer, at older ages;
in hunter-gatherer societies people ate more healthily than we do, until they started eating Western diets;
diabetes rates have increased in Western and Westernising societies at alarming rates: in China they are now at 10%, India 11%, the USA 11% and Australia 5%, up from 1% 30 odd years ago; and
rates of other diseases such as cancer, heart attacks, strokes and respiratory diseases have increased substantially in Westernising countries as well as in Western countries.
Our health profile has changed with lifestyle diseases:
obesity is at epidemic proportions, even among children, as well as among our pets;
the cost of health services has sky-rocketed for countries like Australia;
prostrate, pancreatic and colo-rectal cancers have jumped from 2000 to 2024 by 500%, 200% and 173% respectively; and
the old food pyramids we used to refer to have been found to be wrong, even falsified to benefit vested interests.
What foods are our foes?
sugars and carbohydrates have been found to be the biggest culprits, because their glucose is absorbed into the bloodstream very quickly;
excessive amounts of these are now identified as the cause of diabetes;
lipids (fats and oils) are more difficult to store in the body;
sugar is most easily absorbed into the bloodstream and is addictive and toxic; and
carbohydrates became part of the human diet only with the advent of farming.
What foods are our friends?
fruits, vegetables and salads; and
the rest in moderation.
What other actions help?
fasting, even if intermittent;
the keto (high fat, low calorie) diet;
the paleo (hunter-gatherer foods only) diet;
exercise together with appropriate diets;
because exercise alone is barely effective.
PP Juris Jacovits
Type caption here
Notes on the Run.
A last-minute cancellation by our programmed speaker meant we could have had a quiet lunch meeting, however PP Russell jumped into the breach and delivered one of his fascinating prepared talks on The Declining Health System in Australia. Russell’s research and enthusiasm for the topic following his own recent health scare meant he had information from the most recent sources and could provide solid advice eon the reasons why our society’s health across thee board seems to be declining, and a logical step forward to improving the situation.
We have uploaded onto our website (www.rccbg.org), Juris excellent presentation on “A Latvian Odyssey”. The explanatory notes together with the pictorial PowerPoint provide a very emotional “odyssey” through Juris’ lifge in war torn Latvia and building a new life from scratch in post -war Australia, I commend the presentation to you and your friends.
We continue to develop ideas for membership growth, tackling the gender imbalance and looking for affordable and sustainable projects to get outr teeth into. All ideas are being looked at. This is the 3rdmonth of our Rotart year so surely SOMETHING can be done!
Warrick and Bill
Last week’s speaker:
On Thursday 4 September 2025 on the occasion of the guest speaker falling ill and being unable to give their talk, our member Russell Dew pulled a talk from his magic hat, on the decline of Western health, at what looked like 10 minutes notice. We bow in deference, Dr Russell henceforth.
Russell says that the information he drew on was peer reviewed research by top academics in various highly regarded institutes in the USA. The PowerPoint presentation he gave us was only the first half of what he could have given us.
The points that stuck out for me most, not that they were necessarily the best, given that the talk was jam-packed with overwhelming medical information, were the following:
The incidence of diseases has changed in unexpected ways:
diseases such as cancer haven’t necessarily become worse in the Western World – just more visible in a much older population that got as old as they are now;
in the 1900s we used to die of infectious diseases at younger ages, especially children, and women from childbirth;
nowadays we die of heart attacks, strokes and cancer, at older ages;
in hunter-gatherer societies people ate more healthily than we do, until they started eating Western diets;
diabetes rates have increased in Western and Westernising societies at alarming rates: in China they are now at 10%, India 11%, the USA 11% and Australia 5%, up from 1% 30 odd years ago; and
rates of other diseases such as cancer, heart attacks, strokes and respiratory diseases have increased substantially in Westernising countries as well as in Western countries.
Our health profile has changed with lifestyle diseases:
obesity is at epidemic proportions, even among children, as well as among our pets;
the cost of health services has sky-rocketed for countries like Australia;
prostrate, pancreatic and colo-rectal cancers have jumped from 2000 to 2024 by 500%, 200% and 173% respectively; and
the old food pyramids we used to refer to have been found to be wrong, even falsified to benefit vested interests.
What foods are our foes?
sugars and carbohydrates have been found to be the biggest culprits, because their glucose is absorbed into the bloodstream very quickly;
excessive amounts of these are now identified as the cause of diabetes;
lipids (fats and oils) are more difficult to store in the body;
sugar is most easily absorbed into the bloodstream and is addictive and toxic; and
carbohydrates became part of the human diet only with the advent of farming.
What foods are our friends?
fruits, vegetables and salads; and
the rest in moderation.
What other actions help?
fasting, even if intermittent;
the keto (high fat, low calorie) diet;
the paleo (hunter-gatherer foods only) diet;
exercise together with appropriate diets;
because exercise alone is barely effective.
PP Juris Jacovits
Coming up
"The Decline in Health in the Western World"
CARBOHYDRATES ARE NOT PART OF THE HUNTER GATHERER DIET SUCH AS WHEAT,
CORN, BARLEY, RYE, OATS, AND RICE.
HUNTER GATHERERS DID NOT PLANT CROPS AND RETURN TO HARVEST THEM UNTIL
ANCIENT BABYLON WHEN HUMANS SETTLED ON THE EUPHRATES AND TIGRIS RIVERS
AROUND 5,400 YEARS BC. CEREAL PRODUCTION THEN SPREAD TO EGYPT, GREECE
AND ROME, EVEN IN GREECE CELEAC DISEASE WAS KNOWN.
- a quote from Russell's talk. We are never too old to learn new things.
Russell with Monica Garrett discussing Rotary Foundation issues.
Member to propose Toast to Rotary, introduce guest, Thank, Write Up for Bulletin
11th September
Warrick
Michelle Jenkins : Walking in the Alps to beat PTSD
John
18th September
Eric or Warrick
Social Meeting: Regatta Point Café.
Visit Exhibition – Bill to talk on “Growing up in Canberra from 1958 – population 41,000”
Keith
25th September
Eric or Warrick
Dr Mark Lax The history of Coffee in the world.
Ross
2nd October
Eric
Wombat Bill – by Bill Waterhouse
Liz
Also coming up:
The Candle Festival at Canberra Nara Peace Park is fast approaching on Saturday 25th October. Make a note in your diary as we will need all hands-on deck to help with the sale of millions of Ninga Sausages, Beer, Wine and Sake, and Taiyaki pancakes from about 3.00pm to 9.30pm
