The Art of Healing

Vietnam was the fastest-growing tourism destination in the world in 2025, with record expansion far above the global average. Statistics from the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT) regarding the health and wellness sector specifically show an increase of about 12 per cent annually from 2017-2024. And the good thing is that Vietnam as a country and the Vietnamese people seem to be taking this growth in their stride. It was wonderful to visit Vietnam for the first time in 2025 as a reconnaissance trip but also to visit three very special high-end retreats and spas which we have reviewed in this magazine for our Feature on Wellness Travel. And what you have heard is true – the people are really lovely. Also in this magazine, a cohort of health organisations in NSW have written a letter to the government with concerns regarding the prescribing and dispensing of medical cannabis. The number of patients using medicinal cannabis products in Australia has grown from 18,000 in 2019 to more than a million in January 2024. And did you know that just one can of soft drink may increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 38 percent? Or that eggs can actually lower bad cholesterol. Or that caffeine pouches (that look and work a lot like nicotine patches) deliver from 25mg to 200mg of caffeine (a typical mug of coffee contains about 100mg of caffeine). If these topics astound you, find out more in our latest issue of The Art of Healing magazine out early December 2025. Also more on microplastics and gut health, how to talk with someone from a different class, the rise of the armchair psychologist, and the illnesses you can’t see. Always jam-packed with solid research and info. book reviews, recipes, and lots of tips for maintaining supreme health and wellness.

The Art of Healing

CONTRIBUTORS

EDITOR’S NOTE

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Report Reveals Australia’s Fastest-Growing Women’s Cancer • Uterine cancers have become Australia’s fastest-growing women’s cancer, with incidence doubling over the past 25 years and projected to continue to surge. Without immediate action, more than 44,000 women are expected to be diagnosed by 2035, and 8,900 will lose their lives to the disease.

Better Funding Needed for Chronic Conditions • The Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP) has stressed that a public health system which forces patients with complex or chronic conditions to pay-out-of-pocket for longer consultations can’t claim to offer universal coverage, and has urged governments to protect patients from financial hardship.

Long Term Impacts of Eating Disorders Are Serious • Eating disorders can take a serious toll on the body, prompting experts to call for overlooked long-term consequences to be addressed by healthcare services.

Fasting Shows Dymanic Changes to Human Brains • Scientists looking to tackle our ongoing obesity crisis have made an important discovery: intermittent calorie restriction leads to significant changes in both the gut and the brain.

Is Sustainable Development Research Really Focused on Wellbeing? • For decades, progress on the United Nations’ sustainability agenda has been tallied in economic terms - GDP growth, productivity, investments. But how well does this consider wellbeing and the way people actually feel?

Forever Chemicals Found in Mother’s Blood • ’Forever chemicals’s already have a shocking reputation and now new research has linked these substances to brain changes in children born to mothers exposed to common PFAS (per and polyfluoroalkyl substances).

Music Positively Impacts Dementia Risk • Listening or playing music into old age could reduce the risk of dementia by almost 40 percent, a new study has found.

‘Superager’ Brains Defy Cognitive Decline • Superagers retain sharp minds into their 80s and beyond, defying the idea that cognitive decline is...