The Chopping List

The couch is a lovely place to be, but is all that down time hurting your chances for a long and healthy life? Here, Merlin Thomas brings you the facts.

We tell our kids to eat the crusts on their bread so they grow up big and strong. But is this really sound health advice?

Smoking is the single most practical way to reduce your longevity. But what about other people's smoke?

"Go out and get some fresh air" - this is for the sake of your health, right? Here are the facts about fresh air and longevity.

Toast without butter is like a day without sunshine - but this smooth, creamy spread and popular ingredient has a dark side. Are the health costs worth it? Find out in today's episode of The Chopping List with Professor Merlin Thomas

Diesel used to be the 'good guy', but today there are calls to have diesel cars banned. It is known that diesel and petrol are both harming the environment and our health, but will diesel really kill us sooner?

The hangover often takes all the fun out of drinking, and while it might be the body's way of telling us to drink less, is there anyway we can add man's best friend, the hangover, to The Chopping List?

For some, there are fewer things better than a cold beer after a hard days work. But is this favourite beverage only good for obtaining the fabled beer belly? In this week's episode, Professor Merlin Thomas sees if this 'unsophisticated' beverage has a place on The Chopping List, or if it truly is mana from heaven.

Gluten rightfully or wrongfully is now viewed as dietary villain in the same vein as cholesterol, salt and saturated fat. While it's necessary for celiacs to avoid gluten, should the rest of the world be giving up on bread, beer and other gluten products that have become a staple in our lives? In this weeks' episode Professor Merlin Thomas sizes up Gluten on 'The Chopping List'.

In Episode 2 of "The Chopping List" Merlin looks at the highs and lows of Ladders. A household favourite, Ladders have made cleaning gutters and collecting your Cat from the tallest tree in your yard a breeze, but falling off in the process is even easier! For this reason, ladders may be more dangerous than we think!

Does chocolate help you live longer, and could ladders be more dangerous as we think? To tackle questions like these, Professor Merlin Thomas, a professor at Monash University, has created a new weekly podcast series entitled "The Chopping List." In the first episode Professor Thomas focuses on the much beloved Chocolate - Is it the secret to a longer life, or a direct path to obesity?