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Wellness

Wellness
Latest news and features on wellness, including diet, mental health trends, exercise, fitness, medicine and diseases.
last updated:
9 September, 2024
Good reasons to use a cloth handkerchief (left) rather than disposable tissues (right) include saving natural resources. Photo: Shutterstock
Disease

Paper tissues or handkerchiefs, which is better for you and the planet?

Cloth handkerchiefs are more sustainable than disposable tissues, although they can harbour germs if not washed or stored properly.

Smoking and vaping

World Expo 2025 host city Osaka in Japan bans smoking in public

How to age well

Health span and how to extend yours: tips for a long, healthy life

Health & Fitness

5 fresh starts for your exercise goals: 2025 looks from top fitness brands

The Zupe: Superhealth for Everyone app is on the iOS App Store, while other items on our list are available at your favourite high-street stores.

Celebrate Chinese New Year with Lululemon’s Scuba Oversized Funnel Neck top. Photo: handout
Ageing society

China’s rural healthcare challenge: spend more or move people to cities

With doctors and medical students avoiding China’s rural hospitals because of low pay, villagers don’t receive adequate healthcare.

How to age well

How losing 26kg took lawyer from sad and sick to healthy and happy

After a scary medical report, Singaporean Raeza Ibrahim changed his diet and sleep routines and worked with a fitness trainer to shed kilos.

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Lingerie

Sizing up your bra: how a proper fit may help your overall health

Doctors and midwives agree that many women wear the wrong size bra and therefore risk injury during exercise, and discomfort or worse during maternity.

A bra that fits properly is a must. Photo: Trunk Archive
Beauty

Why did Jessica Biel’s Epsom salts routine before New York’s Met Gala go viral?

The benefits of Epsom salts, from easing muscle and joint pain to improving sleep – and why they are proving a beauty and wellness staple with celebrities

How to age well

She can deadlift 102kg at 64. How building muscle helps women as they age

Building muscle through resistance or strength training helps protect from sarcopenia, an age-related condition women suffer more than men.

What to do in Hong Kong

5 of the best things to do in Hong Kong this weekend, January 24-26

Stock up on festive food, shop for panda-themed jewellery, do an outdoor hatha yoga class and more this weekend in Hong Kong.

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Join an outdoor hatha yoga session at Sun Yat Sen Memorial Park on Sunday evening, to get in touch with mind and body ahead of the Lunar New Year. Photo: Shutterstock
How to age well

It’s Dry January. How about dry every month? Medical experts weigh in

Studies show moderate alcohol consumption might be good for us, but it can also cause cancer, dementia – and deadly falls.

While some studies have shown moderate consumption of alcoholic drinks could have a protective effect on the brain, it may also increase the risk of cancers and, as we age, deadly falls and dementia. Photo: Shutterstock
International schools in Hong Kong

Hong Kong schools embrace physical education post-Paris Olympics success

The Education Bureau has proposed a grading system revision where PE scores will count for assessment – this is to enhance well-being and physical literacy

Music

The Omad diet keeps Bruce Springsteen fit at 75. Would it work for you?

Eating one meal a day is an extreme version of intermittent fasting, and has potential benefits but also downsides, doctors say.

Mental health

Airport sensory rooms offer a quiet space ideal for neurodiverse travellers

Sensory rooms at airports are areas of calm to counter the stress and overstimulation of travel, particularly for those with special needs.

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Pittsburgh International Airport is one of several with a sensory-friendly space, ideal for neurodiverse travellers and their families to relax before a flight. Photo: flypittsburgh.com
Beauty

How to create an at-home glam room – just like Kylie Jenner

Once a lipstick pit stop, this is now a full-blown curated retreat with immaculate lighting, luxury trimmings and dedicated storage, where getting ready is a ritual.

Kylie Jenner opts for bold choice in her glam room decor. Photo: Handout
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)

Traditional Chinese medicine remedies for colds, coughs, hair and more

Young TCM practitioners share tips on herbs and foods to help with everything from digestive, kidney and eye health to better hair and acne.

Food and Drinks

Beyoncé and other celebs love it, but how healthy is lemon water?

Loved by the famous, used for millennia in Ayurvedic medicine, the health benefits of drinking lemon water examined.

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How to age well

Why a cold plunge and shower to end a sauna are not a must

A plunge into icy water doesn’t have to follow a sauna unless after sports, says a rehabilitation expert, who suggests ‘gently’ cooling down.

Taking a cold shower after a sauna session isn’t necessary. Photo: Shutterstock
Dementia

What’s having dementia like? This experience reveals the pain, frustration

A psychologist’s ‘virtual dementia tours’ are designed to build sensitivity and awareness in those caring for others with the condition.

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South Korean celebrities

Anorexia, extreme dieting, body shaming: singers on K-pop’s dark side

Soyou of Sistar and other K-pop stars open up about extreme dieting and depression in a documentary, sparking discussion about body shaming.

Reproductive health

How to spot premature menopause so you don’t miss chance to have children

Claire Blackshaw was working in Hong Kong when, undiagnosed, symptoms of early menopause began. Now she’s out to help women see signs of it.

Menopause kicks in before 40 for one per cent of women. Photo: Shutterstock
Disease

Explainer | This condition could cause blindness. Only an eye test can detect it

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of severe vision impairment, comes in dry and wet versions, with treatment for both.

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Scheduling routine eye exams can help ensure you catch problems such as age-related macular degeneration early - and save your eyesight into old age. Photo: Shutterstock
Mental health

Over 300 new genetic links to depression found in big global study

Study of 5 million people of all backgrounds finds variations in hundreds of genes; previous studies were on people of European origin.

Ayurveda

Castor oil is a YouTube health and beauty favourite, but does it work?

Instagram and YouTube are full of praise for castor oil’s supposed health and wellness benefits, but a family doctor says to give it a miss.

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Sex and relationships

How your remote-controlled sex toy could be hijacked by strangers

Bluetooth sex devices could leave users open to data interception by anyone within range, research suggests. AI sex robots are a new threat.

Sex toys that can be remote-controlled via Bluetooth leave users open to the interception of sensitive information, research commissioned by the British government warns. AI sex robots are another risk. It plans legislation to protect users. Photo: Shutterstock
What to do in Hong Kong

5 of the best things to do in Hong Kong this weekend, January 17-19

From tasting tea to doing tai chi to an electronic music beat, five things to draw you out of your flat this weekend in Hong Kong.

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The Kalos x Squid Game 2 pop-up at Hysan Place, Causeway Bay, features copies of the motion-sensing doll and pink-clad soldiers from hit Korean drama series Squid Game’s season 2 on Netflix. it’s one of our must-sees this weekend in Hong Kong. Photo: Kalos
How to age well

Smokers, want to earn more money? Then quit, new study says

New research suggests that smokers are likely to earn less money than peers who abstain, and the more they smoke, the bigger the gap.

Food and Drinks

Word on the StrEAT: Hong Kong’s F&B experts on their resolutions for 2025

Maintaining a healthier work-life balance, taking a break from social media and keeping an eye on the small steps to success are among the goals for the new year.

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