Wednesday 9 January 2013

Second Australian man, Nick Parkin, dies in Laos following death of Kane Scriven on New Year's Day

TWO Australian friends travelling in Laos have been found dead within days of each other after reportedly overdosing from the same batch of drugs.

Kane Scriven, 40, died in Laos after a night of partying and heavy drinking on New Year’s Day with his mate Nick Parkin, who is from Perth.

The NT News understands that Mr Parkin, 39, was found dead in his Sinnakhone Hotel room in the capital Vientiane on January 4, after Mr Scriven was found dead on January 1.

It is not clear whether the deaths of Kane Scriven and Nick Parkin are connected but the men, who were holidaying together in Laos, were found dead within days of each other.

The ABC is reporting that both of the Darwin-based men died from overdoses, likely from the same batch of drugs.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed the deaths late last night but would not confirm if Mr Parkin was found in a hotel room or whether the deaths were connected.

Mr Parkin’s family in Perth have been notified.

Both men worked as crewmen for Workboats Northern Australia in Darwin and were holidaying in Laos.

Mr Parker's brother Timothy posted a prayer mentioning the death on his Facebook page.

Jaimie Hildebrand, a friend of Mr Parkin, said she was hoping to hear this was a prank.

"Love you with all my heart," she said.

Another friend, Luke Martin, said Mr Parkin was a great man and friend.

"Having known you has been an absolute pleasure and I'm sad to hear your (sic) gone, but so thankful for the fantastic memories," he said.

The men’s employer also posted this tribute on its Facebook page for the pair: “Everyone at Workboats Northern Australia is shocked by the sudden deaths of Kane Scriven and Nicholas Parkin.”

“We are supporting their close friends who still work with us and are respecting their requests to grieve in peace.

“Our thoughts and condolences go to the families of Kane and Nick. RIP.”

On Tuesday, the NT News reported that friends had not heard from Mr Parkin since January 2 when he informed them of his friend’s death.

Monday 27 August 2012

5 tips for healthy eating

Your health highly depends on what you eat. So here are five very important tips that will clear your concepts on what to include in your diet.

Eat nutrient-rich foods
You need more than 40 different nutrients for good health, and no single food supplies them all. Your daily food selection should include bread and other whole-grain products; fruits; vegetables; dairy products; and meat, poultry, fish and other protein foods

Make sure you have a healthy weight
The weight that’s right for you depends on many factors including your sex, height, age and heredity. Excess body fat increases your chances for high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, some types of cancer and other illnesses. But being too thin can increase your risk for osteoporosis, menstrual irregularities and other health problems. So make sure that you maintain the balance in your weight.

Don’t skip meals
Skipping meals can lead to out-of-control hunger, often resulting in overeating. When you’re very hungry, it’s also tempting to forget about good nutrition. Snacking between meals can help curb hunger, but don’t eat so much that your snack becomes an entire meal.

Balance is the key
Not every food has to be “perfect.” When eating a food high in fat, salt or sugar, select other foods that are low in these ingredients. If you miss out on any food group one day, make up for it the next. Your food choices over several days should fit together into a healthy pattern.

Know about your eating habits
To improve your eating habits, you first have to know what’s wrong with them. Write down everything you eat for three days. And then evaluate what you need to add and what you need to reduce.