March 2010

Welfare and Pensions Column

FITNESS AND DIET TO ASPIRE TO

Getting fit

My husband and I went for our usual New Year tramps during the mid-summer break.  We did both the Milford Track and the Humpridge Track down in the South Island.  We had walked the Milford previously and realised just how unfit we were on that first occasion.  I can tell you that going for day walks on the flat is no preparation for going up and over the McKinnon Pass, and so last Spring we got into some hill climbs around the Wellington Region to increase our fitness levels.

We were walking the Milford in what many would term the luxury way.  That is we slept in decent beds, and had showers and were well fed and watered by the company that has a number of lodges along the track.  Definitely not the same as using the DOC huts, although I can report that they too are well appointed.  However, even though we were not carrying all our food we still had to carry packs with our lunches and snacks and clothing suitable for wet and cold weather.   We needed all of that clothing given that we had rain, sleet, hail and snow just before New Year’s Eve.

No doubt some of you are wondering where this is all leading.  The main reason for telling you about the Milford Track in particular is to report that fellow trampers ranged in age from 9 years old to 85 years old.  The 85 year old and his wife aged 82 years were the grandparents of the 9 year old and the fitness and tenacity of those trampers was great to see.  It brought home to us the need for all of us to try to maintain a reasonable fitness level based on our abilities.  We are all different and I would certainly not expect every 85 year old to turn round and say to their family and friends that they are going off to walk the Milford Track. 

Most of us can manage to go for a walk for some distance and the more briskly you can walk the greater the benefit.  For something a little more gentle you could try Modified T’ai Chi or yoga.  But, before setting out on anything to increase fitness you should always talk to your GP to ensure that you are not going to cause yourself any problems.   

Diet too is very important.  Fast foods are easy, and in many cases reasonably cheap to buy, but will they give you all the nutrition you need?  Probably not.  As a one off, not too frequent treat fast foods are all right, but we should all have our daily fruit and vegetable rations.  My brother-in-law told us the other day that we should now all be eating seven portions of fresh fruit and vegetables per day.  For those of us who eat meat; we need to cut off all the fat and discard it, and we should not eat large amounts of meat.  Fish, and particularly oily fish, such as salmon, tuna and mackerel are all good for us.  Our GP has also advised that we should cook in olive oil rather than canola or other oils. 

If we eat a good diet we should not really need vitamin supplements.  If, however, you have a diet based on what I had on one Saturday evening -  a pizza covered in ham and cheese and a bit of pineapple and washed down with a soft drink that contained six teaspoons full of sugar, then you are asking for trouble.  Your weight will increase and so will the possibilities of diabetes and heart problems.

Veterans' Affairs New Zealand

For those of you who are computer savvy I would suggest that you go and have a look at the updated Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand website at www.veteransaffairs.mil.nz   You will find lots of useful information there about War Disablement Pension, Commemorations, Memorials and Service Cemeteries, as well as Case Management and how to obtain Medals and Service records for those who have served in WWII and after. 
Remember that WWI veterans’ records are now held in National Archives in Wellington.  These records are slowly but surely being digitised and once they have been copied in digital form they are available on the National Archives website (http://archway.archives.govt.nz) for easy access.  The records are also available in paper form, but there is likely to be a fee for that service, as the Archives will copy the records for you.

British Military Records

I have been asked recently about how to obtain British records.  Again there is a website that will help - www.veterans-uk.info/recordsmedalsbadges.htm
There are forms to complete, and a payment to make before records are released for WWII and more recent veterans.  If you are not asking for your own records you will need to prove kinship to the veteran and if that person is still alive, their approval. 
Again WWI records and Merchant Navy records from many eras are in the National Archives.  This time of course the archives are the British National Archives at Kew, West of London.  Their website is www.nationalarchives.gov.uk.  To obtain records from these archives you will normally have to have someone who is willing and able to go into the archives to undertake the search and take copies for you.  If you don’t have family or friends who can do that for you there are researchers who can assist for a fee.  Names and contact details of researchers can be found on the Archives website.