The Art of Healing

Solar panels made from waste crops without direct light; broccoli can help metabolise coffee; plastics labelling needs a new sustainability scale for consumers ... and did you know that social media use has now been linked to poor physical health outcomes – so it’s not just mental health. And we need to look at population growth in Australia – as well as climate change, if we have any hope of reducing food, water and energy scarcities in the future. Homelessness is solvable according to evidence from the largest community database on sleeping rough and homelessness in Australia; we share a lovely story from a doctor about how Covid-19 humbled him, how we can help students get through grief, and how mental health is becoming increasingly important. Find out how Australia fared in the second Annual Global Wellbeing report put out by Lululemon Athletica which explores how people feel about their physical, mental and social dimensions of wellbeing. And if you are seeking optimal health, moving your body is like a tune-up for your mind, with daily detoxification also needing daily attention and support. Read these articles and more in our latest Winter issue of The Art of Healing, bringing you diverse news and research that supports a holistic approach and empowerment to individuals and communities.

The Art of Healing

EDITOR’S NOTE

LINK BETWEEN HIGH CHOLESTEROL AND HEART DISEASE ‘INCONSISTENT’ • New research from RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences has revealed that the link between ‘bad’ cholesterol (LDL-C) and poor health outcomes, such as heart attack and stroke, may not be as strong as previously thought.

BARK OF NEEM TREE • May Protect Against Coronavirus Variants

SOLAR PANELS BUILT FROM WASTE CROPS CAN MAKE ENERGY WITHOUT DIRECT LIGHT

THE MIDDAY COFFEE • Why You Should Avoid It (Gasp!)

DRINK COFFEE TOO CLOSE TO BED? • A Sleep Expert’s Tip To Digest Coffee Faster

SOCIAL MEDIA USE TIED TO POOR PHYSICAL HEALTH • Social media use has been linked to biological and psychological indicators associated with poor physical health among college students, according to the results of a new study. Research participants who used social media excessively were found to have higher levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a biological marker of chronic inflammation that predicts serious illnesses, such as diabetes, certain cancers and cardiovascular disease.

PLASTIC LABELLING NEEDS SUSTAINABILITY SCALE • Labelling of plastic products needs a drastic overhaul including a new sustainability scale to help consumers, researchers say.

ALCOHOL ADS • CAN INFLUENCE MEN AND WOMEN TO SEXUALLY COERCE PARTNERS

POPULATION GROWTH HAS INCREASED AUSTRALIA’S CLIMATE EMISSIONS

NUMBER OF EARTH’S TREE SPECIES ESTIMATED TO BE 14% HIGHER THAN CURRENTLY KNOWN • A new study involving more than 100 scientists has estimated there are about 73,000 tree species on Earth, including about 9,200 species still to be discovered. Most of the undiscovered species are likely to be rare, with very low populations and limited spatial distribution.

YOUR BODY’S NATURAL DETOXIFICATION DESERVES DAILY ATTENTION AND SUPPORT

CHAGA MUSHROOMS A Powerhouse of Healing • The mysterious Chaga mushroom (Inonotus obliquus) is a non-toxic, medicinal mycelium with a propensity for birch bark. If you were to spot it while roaming through a birch forest in the Northern hemisphere, you’d probably assume (based on its rather unappealing appearance), that it was some kind of tree infection. But Chaga is a whole lot more than just an unsightly forest blemish.

HOW COVID-19 HUMBLED ME ... and made me a better doctor • It was spring of 2020, and I was in full personal protective equipment at the bedside of an elderly woman with COVID-19 pneumonia. I was trying to facilitate a FaceTime call with her family when...