Sasha Gonzales

Trying something new and challenging can improve your memory and well-being. Photo: Dickson Lee

Health & Wellness

Boost your creative thinking by stepping out of your comfort zone

13 Aug 2018 - 5:53pm

Rhythmic, repetitive activities that make use of your hands and deliver an ‘effort-based reward’ at the end could alter your brain chemistry by boosting serotonin, dopamine and oxytocin, US researchers say

Health & Wellness

Get a grip: why keeping your hands busy can make you happier

30 Jul 2018 - 9:08pm 3

Jeanne Tai admires the scenery during her trip to Mongolia while on a sabbatical. Photo: Jeanne Tai

Health & Wellness

The case for taking a sabbatical to recharge, reboot and refocus

23 Jul 2018 - 7:38pm

Singaporean Umaglia Kancanangai Shyam Dhuleep (known as UK Shyam) has held the Singaporean national record for the 100-metre sprint for the past 17 years. Photo: Kiat Tan Wei Jie

Health & Wellness

How Singapore’s fastest man, UK Shyam, stays ahead of the pack at 42

10 Jul 2018 - 10:34am

Crying is known to have a soothing effect and ‘emotional tears’ can even help rid our bodies of stress hormones. Some organisations are now going so far as to open crying rooms for their staff and visitors for them to have good wail

Health & Wellness

Let it all out: why crying is actually good for your health

2 Jul 2018 - 9:02pm

Think about self-care every day. Spa treatments and wellness days are good for your mental health. Photo: Alamy

Health & Wellness

Feeling burned out? You need self-care to beat stress and be happy

21 Jun 2018 - 9:40pm

A female traveller looks out over the crystal clear blue water of the Indian ocean at Uluwatu beach, Bali, in Indonesia. Photo: Alamy

Health & Wellness

Want to be happier? Invest in life experiences, not material pleasures

4 Jun 2018 - 10:19am

Long-time friends 76-year-old Juliet Feng Yee-hsin (left) and 78-year-old Ivy Chow Chui-ying. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Health & Wellness

How your BFF helps you live longer. A 40-year friendship is proof

28 May 2018 - 7:52pm

Viswa Nathan (centre) and his wife Beboat with friends and neighbours in Masbate, Philippines. Photo: Viswa Nathan

Health & Wellness

How to age positively, live longer and avoid dementia

21 May 2018 - 5:56pm 1

Three to six per cent of new mums experience postnatal depression. Photo: Alamy

Health & Wellness

A mother’s battle with postnatal depression, and how she overcame it

2 May 2018 - 7:49pm

Perfectionists who get frustrated and angry with themselves when they fall short of their own expectations increase their risk of falling into depression. Photo: Alamy

Health & Wellness

Are you a perfectionist? Why you’re a depression risk and what to do

15 Apr 2018 - 7:43pm

Yoga, mindfulness and meditation are supposed to increase your powers of intuition.

Health & Wellness

How meditation improves your instinctive powers of intuition

10 Apr 2018 - 12:26pm

Grains, fresh fruit, oats, hard cheeses, nuts – whether you choose a low-fat or a low-carb whole food diet, you will shed the kilos regardless of calories or portion size. Why? They’re more nutritious, higher in fibre and lower in sugar than processed foods

Health & Wellness

Why more whole foods, and no processed food, helps you lose kilos

5 Apr 2018 - 7:50pm 2

Moan less and your well-being will increase. Photo: Alamy

Health & Wellness

Why moaning does you no good and how to be cheerful in adversity

26 Mar 2018 - 7:20pm 1

Eliud Kipchoge, arguably the greatest marathoner in the world right now, is often seen grinning during a race. Photo: Alamy

Health & Wellness

Smiling can improve running performance: tips on making it genuine

24 Mar 2018 - 6:31pm

Frequent traveller Vicky Lee with souvenirs she has brought back from trips abroad. Looking at them reminds her of good times she had on holidays. Photo: Nora Tam

Health & Wellness

Beat the post-holiday blues – pretend you’re not back at work yet

21 Mar 2018 - 7:45am 1

If you would rather spend time on your smartphone than interacting with your partner, it’s possible you could have a digital addiction. Photo: Shutterstock

Health & Wellness

Digital detox tips and how to avoid digital dementia: expert advice

12 Mar 2018 - 8:57pm

Dementia is not an inevitable consequence of ageing. Researchers believe that one-third of cases could be prevented through better management of nine lifestyle factors over the course of a lifetime

Health & Wellness

How to stave off dementia with these nine lifestyle changes

8 Mar 2018 - 7:19pm

Having empathy with others can guide your moral development and influence positively your thoughts and decisions. Photo: Alamy

Health & Wellness

Why empathy is more important than ever in a world full of hate

1 Mar 2018 - 3:06pm 1

The logical, progressional nature of Pilates appeals to people with similar personality types. Photo: Alamy

Health & Wellness

Hate the gym? How personality type affects your exercise preferences

19 Feb 2018 - 7:34pm 1

Our inner voice is shaped by our childhood memories, experiences, fears and early decisions.

Health & Wellness

How to turn your inner critic into your biggest supporter

12 Feb 2018 - 7:08pm

Raymond Lo does 15 hours of cooking, dishwashing, sweeping, mopping and laundry per week, and finds it therapeutic and relaxing. New research says men and women over 65 years old who enjoy household chores have better health

Health & Wellness

Household chores a good workout for old people, but don’t overdo it

11 Feb 2018 - 6:27pm

Jotting down tasks can speed up your trip to dreamland, while people who don’t write down all that they have to do before they go to bed, worry more about unfinished tasks and have difficulty going to sleep at night

Health & Wellness

How to get to sleep faster: writing a to-do list will help you doze off

5 Feb 2018 - 7:46pm

Getting outside in the sunlight in the winter months can help keep the weight gain at bay. Photo: Alamy

Health & Wellness

Why exercising outdoors in winter may reduce seasonal weight gain

29 Jan 2018 - 8:05pm 2

Exercising in groups is better for you according to recent studies.

Health & Wellness

Why you get better results from group exercise than going it alone

20 Jan 2018 - 7:33pm

More people the world over are turning to a vegan diet.

Health & Wellness

How vegan diet went mainstream, and its Hong Kong advocates

8 Jan 2018 - 7:41pm 4

Building good relationships with your colleagues and boss can help relieve the anxiety of going into work on a Monday. Photo: Alamy

Health & Wellness

Want to beat the ‘Monday blues’? Tips for a brighter start to the week

8 Jan 2018 - 7:41pm 1

Confrontations with online bullies regularly leave people angry, upset and stressed. Photo: Alamy

Health & Wellness

How to deal with trolls on Twitter and Facebook – experts’ advice

6 Jan 2018 - 7:51pm 2

Nursing mother Jasmine Smith (left) with her two children. The 34-year-old ate a varied diet when pregnant so her children would be exposed to a wide variety of foods from the get-go.

Health & Wellness

Eating right during pregnancy stops baby developing food allergies

5 Jan 2018 - 11:54am 2

It is important to keep a note of your progress in the early days to help you stay organised and productive. Photo: Alamy

Health & Wellness

How to keep your 2018 New Year’s resolutions: experts give their tips

30 Dec 2017 - 7:06pm

Planes on long-haul flights can be unhealthy places. Photo: Alamy

Health & Wellness

How to avoid getting sick from flying – keep clean, stay hydrated

26 May 2018 - 12:08pm 5

A walk on Hong Kong’s wild side can ease some of the stress of living in one of the world’s busiest cities.

Health & Wellness

Why stressed Hongkongers should take a hike, not a pill

11 Dec 2017 - 8:35pm 3

Coffee is good for you, but how good? Photo: Alamy

Health & Wellness

Filter or frappuccino: how to get biggest health boost from your coffee

5 Dec 2017 - 7:17am 5

‘Clean’ eating is all the rage, but is it as wholesome as it sounds or a slippery slope from healthy weight-loss practice to serious eating disorder? We take a closer look at this diet trend that’s got many of its followers obsessed

Health & Wellness

When you take healthy eating too far and develop an eating disorder

27 Nov 2017 - 7:42pm 1

It’s good to be busy, but not to the point where you struggle to sleep, neglect your health, and worry about work when you’re away from the office. Photo: Alamy

Health & Wellness

Mind your own busy-ness: how to slow down, not get ground down

18 Nov 2017 - 7:11pm

Acute inflammation is the body’s response to injury and perfectly normal. Chronic inflammation is another matter.

Health & Wellness

The best tips for avoiding and combating chronic inflammation

16 Nov 2017 - 7:21pm

Motivation plays an important role in determining your overall success or failure in anything. Photo: Shutterstock

Health & Wellness

How to stay motivated and keep striving to reach your goals

6 Nov 2017 - 7:16pm 1

Preparation of a placenta for encapsulation. Photo: Alamy

Health & Wellness

The pros and cons of eating human placenta, as Kardashians did

29 Oct 2017 - 6:09pm 2

A healthy breakfast every morning sets us up for the day ahead and jump-starts our metabolism. Photo: Alamy

Health & Wellness

Another reason not to skip breakfast: it may give you clogged arteries

3 Nov 2017 - 4:17pm 1

Being in a good mood releases hormones that interact with the immune system and are able to influence how well it works – which, as recent research suggests, could increase the effectiveness of flu shots. Photo: Alamy

Health & Wellness

Want your flu shot to be more effective? Reduce your stress

21 Oct 2017 - 8:51pm

The MTR can be a boring journey, so make the most of it to save your health.

Health & Wellness

Why boredom can be bad for your health, and how to beat it

16 Oct 2017 - 7:07pm 2

Books are especially prone to piling up over the years and are one of the more obvious targets when it comes to decluttering. Photo: Alamy

Health & Wellness

How to live a minimalist life in Hong Kong: expert tips on decluttering

9 Oct 2017 - 2:55pm 1

With some of the longest working hours in the developed world, it can be difficult to form or sustain relationships in Hong Kong. Given studies show loneliness is as bad for you as heavy smoking or obesity, here’s how to avoid it

Health & Wellness

How to keep loneliness from killing you in Hong Kong

18 Sep 2017 - 8:47pm 3

The whipworm is named for its distinctive body shape.

Health & Wellness

Can eating parasitic worms or their eggs treat some diseases?

7 Sep 2017 - 8:02pm 2

Midlife crisis usually happens to people between 40 and 60 years old.

Health & Wellness

Midlife crisis: how one Hongkonger turned it into an opportunity

28 Aug 2017 - 6:47pm 2

The researchers found books are more beneficial to read than newspapers and magazines because they are more engaging and stimulating for the reader. Photo: Alamy

Health & Wellness

Bookworms rejoice: reading may add years to your life, study finds

21 Aug 2017 - 5:33pm

Hong Kong physiotherapist and osteopath explain the different types of shoe, the foot types they are intended for, and the most important factor to consider when making a purchase

Health & Wellness

The ultimate scientific step-by-step guide to buying running shoes

31 Jul 2017 - 5:07pm