Page 40 - Tropic Magazine Issue 15

INDUSTRY • HEALTH

Healthy outlook

In Tropic’s new section, we
take a look at the Tropical
North’s health and well-
being industry.
Top Doc

Tropical North Queensland can now lay
claim to Australia’s best country doctor.
Dr Renee Cremen, Babinda Hospital’s
Medical Superintendent, has been
named the Rural
Doctors Association of Australia’s 2018
Rural Doctor of the Year.
The award recognises Dr Cremen’s
commitment to her patients as well
as her approach to teaching the next
generation of doctors.
She said working with students comes
with its own rewards.
“I really enjoy teaching our medical
students and watching them learn,”
Dr Cremen told Tropic. “I also get to
Better than cure sitting on the sofa with chips, beer and learn so much from these students
the remote control in your hand. Your because medicine is changing all
In our new regular column, doctor cannot fix you with a puffer the time.”
Dr Alexandra Bernhardi while you continue to smoke, a tablet
focuses on preventative to lower cholesterol does not mean
approaches to medicine. you can eat pizza and pies every day.
Your body has some basic
requirements (such as restful sleep, BIO
Reclaim your health, step by step clean water, nutritious food, moderate
exercise and stress management) and
If you want to be healthy, feel needs you to stay away from toxins
energetic and look at a life without (such as smoking, too much alcohol,
pain and pills you need to start processed food and pollution) as
taking responsibility for your body much as possible. In order to become Dr Alexandra Bernhardi (PhDmed,
and mind – NOW. fitter and more energetic you will FRACGP) grew up in Germany and
Modern medicine is amazing when it need to make some changes to your studied at Hannover Medical School,
comes to treating a blocked artery in current lifestyle. followed by futher education in
your heart or removing a cancerous There – it is out. Let me repeat it: You acupuncture and naturopathy. Dr
growth in your prostate. But unless will need to make some changes. Alex moved to Australia in 2005
you get to the root problems that have You will need to set yourself goals with her 3 children and worked at
caused the disease in the first place, and develop a strategy how to Mossman Hospital for a year before
treating the acute symptom does not achieve them. And you need to do it entering private practise as a GP
make you automatically healthier – again a bit better tomorrow. And the in 2006. She attained Fellowship of
you only got a second chance! next day. And the day after. RACGP (Royal Australian College
There is a difference between Knowledge is power – understanding of General Practice) in 2009 and
surviving with a bunch of tablets to what your body needs and what it has been a member of ACNEM
take everyday and living your life to cannot handle helps to make better (Australasian College for Nutritional
the fullest. The good news is that choices and to stick to your new habits. and Environmental Medicine) since
there are many way to improve your I would like to leave you with a 2015. Dr Alex has a passion for
health and whatever aspect of your statement of a very clever person: healthy nutrition, lifestyle medicine,
lifestyle you chose to work on first “If you have a problem that can be non-pharmacological therapies,
will be beneficial. fixed by action – you don’t have a the impact of heavy metal exposure
And for this you don’t need to be rich or problem!” and most recently epigenetics. Her
retired – improving your lifestyle can be focus is on preventative medicine
simple and achievable for anybody. Your’s, and trying to get to the root cause of
But good health doesn’t fly to you Dr Alex medical problems.

40 • Tropic • Issue 15