The Art of Healing

One of the first articles we have in this magazine is on prevention being key to tackle Australia’s chronic disease epidemic, an article put out by the Royal Australian College of GPs, and a topic that is central to what The Art of Healing is all about – self-care. We have more on how digital technology is adversely affecting our children, including their emotional development, appearance-led social media content continuing to impact body image, and online sexual abuse which is now estimated to be 300 million children globally. A lot more on dementia too: olive oil helpful to lower risk, lifestyle changes also may reverse it, a new first-of-its-kind test that can predict dementia 9 years before diagnosis, and a wellbeing approach to distress in residential care homes “that honours the humanity and unique experiences of people living with dementia” by Dr Allen Power. We have a feature article on Long Covid to by Professor Steven Faux who is currently the Director of Pain Medicine at St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney, and some wellness travel reviews on retreats/spas in Bali. If you are unsure what neurodiversity is or why it matters, we also have a good Q&A with Gretchen Hillhouse who specialises in this area. Our book extract this issue is from The Chocolate Bar by Danielle Colley and entitled The Fairytale of Doing It All – something we think most of us can relate to these days. And one of the quotes we share: True humility is staying teachable, regardless of how much you already know.

Mysteries, Yes

The Art of Healing

CONTRIBUTORS

EDITOR'S NOTE

INNOVATIVE AND NOVEL • Melbourne Airport Opens First Health and Wellbeing Club

Red Flags Raised Over Toxic Hotspots Across Australia • A decade-long investigation by mapping and spatial intelligence experts raises red flags over more than 260,000 sites that could be toxic hotspots.

What Should You Do If Your Wearable Heart Rate Variability Changes? • It may be surprising when your wearable informs you that your heart rate variability is high or low, but what does it mean?

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioners Continue to Break Barriers • The health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples has received a boost with the number of registered Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioners hitting 1,000 across the country.

Cranberries Really Do Have Benefits For UTI • A new meta-anaylsis of 20 studies by researchers at Bond University in Australia suggests cranberry juice may be effective for combating urinary tract infections (UTI). Consumed regularly in randomised controlled trials (RCT), the risk of developing a UIT has been found to drop.

A Better Way to Restart Hearts • It's no exaggeration that knowing how to use a defibrillator properly can save someone's life. However a new study shows that where the pads are placed significantly effects how likely they will get the heart beating again.

Weak Evidence Behind Antidepressants for Older Adults • Antidepressants are frequently prescribed to manage pain in older adults, but emerging research highlights that the evidence supporting this practice is surprisingly weak.

Older Cancer Survivors Face Elevated Risk of Stroke and Heart Attack • Older cancer survivors face a higher risk of stroke, heart attack and hospital treatment for heart failure, especially if they have had chemotherapy, Monash University research study data has revealed.

Teens Risk Brain Damage in New Tik-Tok “Chroming” Trend • A resurgence of youth seeking a high from “chroming” - the act of inhaling toxic fumes from household items such as nail polish or permanent markers - could be due to videos featuring the practice on the social media platform, TikTok.

Emerging Fitness Trends for 2025 • Fitness programs for older adults, alongside a...