Health and Wellness Articles from IMI
Elderberry extract: a natural anti-viral agent to help you fight colds and flu
With the cold and flu season upon us, it’s ever more important to practice good hygiene, eat a nutrient-dense diet, improve sleep habits, and strengthen our immune systems. One of our go-to supplements in the fight against flus and colds...
Seven simple strategies to strengthen travellers’ immune systems
With the Lunar New Year holiday upon us, millions of people have planned a quick get-away, be it to rest and recharge or spend quality time with loved ones abroad. But, given we’re in the midst of the cold and...
Depression: it’s not all in your head
Many people believe that depression is caused by chemical imbalances in the brain, and in particular, a deficiency in serotonin – our ‘feel good hormone’. The textbook medicine approach is to prescribe anti-depressants to increase brain serotonin. This works for...
Nutrients to nurture your mind and decrease depression
Food is more than sustenance. Eating well feeds your body, soul, and brain. In fact, what you eat can significantly affect your mental health, and even decrease depression, researchers advise. The reality is though, no matter how clean you eat,...
How to silence your inner critic
“I should’ve done this!”, “What’s wrong with me?”, “I’m a fraud – I don’t deserve to do well,” “It’s my fault – I deserve this!”.There it goes again. Your judgmental and disapproving inner critic prodding at you, putting you down,...
What’s behind your anxiety? Discover sources and solutions with naturopathy and psychotherapy
Your health and happiness are dependent on seven factors: mind, body, emotions, spirit, energy, community and environment. Seemingly unrelated, these interconnected factors all play a significant role in how you feel and how you are every single day. Take Jane,...
How Osteopathy and Kinesiology overcame one man’s battle with anxiety
Anxiety had become George’s way of life for over five years, but it was his rising blood pressure and heart palpitations that brought the 46 year old to IMI. Recognising George’s health issues were interconnected, our naturopath identified and treated...
Wired differently: the superpowers that can change the world
“We need people who think outside the box, and who aren’t like everyone else,” says Greta Thunberg, a world-recognised 16-year old climate change activist. Greta is bold. She’s bright. She’s unafraid. And she’s unapologetic. She has Asperger’s, a condition on...
Brilliance on a bike
How cycling bolsters children’s learning abilities. Winner of two world championships and three Tours de France, Greg LeMond is widely lauded as the greatest American cyclist of all time. He’s an entrepreneur, a trailblazer, an innovator, a survivor and a...
The drug-free approach to ADHD
Over six percent of children and adolescents are affected by ADHD in Hong Kong, according to the largest ADHD study ever published. Year-on-year, the numbers are rising. Since 2001, the use of ADHD medications in young Hong Kongers increased 36...
Three natural ways to supercharge your immune system
With the cold and flu season now in full swing, it becomes all the more necessary to give our immune systems a powerful boost against bugs. At IMI, we recommend three easy, yet impactful ways to bolster your immunity: Eat...
Brain-boosting breakfast recipes for super smart students
Power the brain with porridge Oats are a wonderful wholegrain, says Graeme. “A rich source of magnesium and potassium, B-complex, vitamin E, some protein and plenty of soluble fibre, regular intake of wholegrain oats help to regulate blood sugar keeping kids calm and...
Breakfast for champions: start your child’s day the right way
Breakfast is essential for the brain, researchers advise. Did you know around 30% of students in Hong Kong skip breakfast? Here’s some food for thought: in two internationally recognized tests, students who ate breakfast every day performed better academically than...
You can grow a new brain every day
In one of the biggest neuroscience discoveries of the past 20 years, scientists recently revealed that our brain can generate around 700 newborn brain cells every day and especially at night throughout our entire life. What could this remarkable process...
Brain boosters. Recommended by practitioners.
Our brains mediate our world. Inner and outer. They form connections. Govern our bodies. Keep memories alive. Motivate us to follow our passions. Nurturing our brain is vital, but often neglected. It copes, in spite of high stress, pollution and...
How belly fat affects your performance at work
A big belly comes with big risks. Heart disease. Colorectal cancer. Sleep apnea. High blood pressure. Type 2 diabetes. But did you know obesity can dramatically impair your mental performance too? In a recent study of over 5000 people, researchers...
Top ten tips to protect against toxins
Did you know Hong Kongers only get around 50 safe air days per year, by WHO’s standards? We are particularly vulnerable to pollution in the air as the pollutants become trapped between the city’s numerous high-rises and infiltrate our homes...
12 brain facts that will blow your mind!
12 brain facts that will blow your mind! Your grey and white matter is full of surprises. Read on to learn more about one of the most complex and mysterious organs in your body. The average adult brain weights about...
Are you on the brink of burnout?
It’s all over the news: WHO officially announced burnout is a workplace disease. We’re not surprised: we’re treating an alarming number of professionals suffering from stress, anxiety, insomnia, and ultimate burnout every week. Burnout can have dire consequences – your...
A healthier gut for a healthier you
Three clients. Three conditions. All different. All connected. Susan, now 43, had struggled with acne since her early teens. Yearning for clear skin, she’d invested in a myriad of lotions, potions and facials. Until recently however, pimple problems affected her...