Laughter Is The Best Medicine

Laughter is the best medicine. Fairly old adage. Probably still has some real relevance. Um, interesting work out of the Netherlands. A single inhalation of nitrous oxide was associated with significant, rapid, and sustained improvement of treatment-resistant...

The Health Benefits of Pet Ownership

A large number of people have pets and love their pets, and there's a lot of work that shows health benefits of owning a pet. Now, once again, it's not a treatment for any specific condition; it's part of enjoyment of life. Most of the attention has been on the...

What Happened to Comfort Always

There's an old joke: What's the difference between God and a doctor? God doesn't think he's a doctor. Times change, of course. These days, that idea might be more aptly applied to certain politicians, and certainly not to doctors in general. It could also apply to...
The Year Closes

The Year Closes

The impact of Covid 19 has made it hard to believe that another year is about to end. Those who lived through the past few years can reflect on how drastically life changed. Almost everyone you talk to, regardless of age, seems to wonder where the time has gone. Aside...

The Question

The Question

The term gaslighting is a colloquialism, loosely defined as manipulating someone to make them question their own reality. The term apparently derives from the title of the 1944 film Gaslight, though the term did not gain popular currency in English until the...

The Power Is In Our Hands

The Power Is In Our Hands

The pillars of health—genetics, lifestyle choices, and overall well-being—are often key to longevity. Last month saw the passing of Queen Elizabeth II at age 96. For many (myself included), she was on the throne before we were born and is the only British monarch we...

Human Connection

Human Connection

Human connection is at the heart of this experience, where voices unite in harmony, transforming a simple breakfast into a moment of shared joy and celebration. Imagine sitting at a table where there is a breakfast buffet. It is already a pleasant and relaxed...

Humans Are Complex Beings

Humans Are Complex Beings

The chemical imbalance theory highlights a tendency in Western medicine to adopt a reductionist approach, where conditions are often attributed to a single cause and treated with a singular solution, typically a pharmaceutical agent. This mirrors the adage that to a...

Breaking It Down

Breaking It Down

Learning from failure is a powerful concept I reflected on during a talk by Ant Middleton, the former SAS officer who gained fame through SAS - Who Dares Wins and SAS Australia. Regular readers will recall my interest in the incredible potential of the human spirit...

Making A Real Difference

Making A Real Difference

Even before Covid, mental health issues were on the rise accompanied by significant increases in spending and the use of medications. Despite this, the problems continued to increase. The advent of lockdowns in response to Covid has made the situation worse, in...

A Long Two Weeks

A Long Two Weeks

Most readers will be old enough to remember “two weeks to flatten the curve.” This was over two years ago. Finally, most of the world is living with Covid. Even Anthony Fauci has had to (grudgingly) concede that the pandemic phase is ending, and we are in the endemic...

Time – The Finite Resource

Time – The Finite Resource

Many years ago, I attended a seminar where the presenter made the point that the only limited resource we have is time. Achieving a healthy work-life balance is key to reflecting on how we spend that finite amount of time on this planet. Furthermore, the amount of...

The Present Moment

The Present Moment

Regular readers may recall that I have previously written about the TV program SAS Australia and the fascination in seeing what people may be capable of. The program must be doing well as there is currently a third season and it is being run at the start rather than...

Counting Down To Sanity

Counting Down To Sanity

Infectious disease has dominated global health discussions for the past few years. Part of me would have loved to start this year’s blog with something other than Covid-19. However, it remains the predominant, and in some jurisdictions, the only health issue that...

Almost Groundhog Day

Almost Groundhog Day

One of the great movies of all time, in my opinion, is Groundhog Day starring Bill Murray as a weatherman trapped in the same day. Every event and interaction he has is identical and he remembers that whilst everyone else is living it as if it was the first time....