While we all know what lifespan is (the number of years one lives from birth until death), little is known (or we know but choose to accept) what health span is.

Have you ever thought of living to be 90 or 100 years old? By that time, will you be in good health condition? What if you live long only to be ailed with chronic diseases, and need caretaking? How can we make sure we are able to take care of ourselves, move around freely, and stay away from chronic diseases as we age?

Raising children can be demanding on your lifestyle – here are 4 ways for you and your family to restore vitality as the children are back to school.

Diabetes has become one of the most common non-contagious diseases in Hong Kong.
Currently, there are about 700,000 people with diabetes in Hong Kong, i.e. about 10% of the total population (1 in 10 people have diabetes). The number of people with diabetes is increasing rapidly, and it is beginning to affect a younger generation

Heart disease is the third most common cause of death in Hong Kong. According to the Department of Health of Hong Kong, the number of deaths due to heart disease in 2020 was nearly 6,600, accounting for 13% of the total number of deaths, which is the highest level in the past 10 years. It indicates that heart disease has already become one of the top public health challenges.

Understanding weight management begins from understanding the difference between muscle mass and fat mass. Muscle, compared to fat, is denser and takes up less space, using energy even at rest, while fat is a form of stored energy. This means that fat weighs less than muscle of the same size, and those with a higher muscle mass may weigh heavier but look leaner compared to those that carry more fat mass.

The gut breaks down the food you eat, helps the body absorb nutrients from the food, and supports other bodily functions. Having good gut health means having a healthy and balanced gut microbiome and reduced digestive symptoms, such as constipation, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and more. The gut microbiome is formed by around 200 different species of bacteria, viruses and fungi living in the large intestine, and this consists of good bacteria, which aids digestion and healthy gut activity, and bad bacteria, which contribute to some diseases and cause harm to the body. Different gut microbiome compositions and its health effects are still under research, but studies have shown that having a healthy gut can bring many benefits.

茹素父母都希望子女能一同建立素食習慣。在兒童的成長階段如果只進食蔬果類食品，或容易導致營養不良，甚至影響發育。如果家長希望子女茹素，需要注意補充充足的營養，並制定均衡的飲食計劃。兒童在發育期間需要足夠的能量，雖然蔬菜有豐富的纖維質，可以幫助消化和保持腸道健康，但其卡路里含量較低，能量低之餘又容易產生飽肚感，有可能導致兒童無法攝取足夠的營養，繼而影響如身高無法達至原本可生長的高度。

Parents are now becoming particularly concerned about the development of their babies’ immune systems in the post-pandemic era, where people have just begun to resume normal activity without masks and lockdowns. The new vaccine is now available for children aged 6 months to 3 years, and many parents are considering immunizing their children, but they remain concerned about the lack of data to support the impact of the vaccine on young children. Behaviors such as frequent wearing of masks and cutting back on going outside may reduce the chances of young children contracting viruses, but at the same time may overprotect their immune systems and make them more susceptible to invasions of common viruses. What should parents do to boost their babies’ immunity in the post-pandemic era? Many will be pleasantly surprised to learn that breastfeeding is the most effective way.