Health & Wellbeing

Your gut is a rainforest that determines everything from your weight to your mood, but modern life is decimating our critical gut microbes, making us all sicker. Ever wondered why mosquitoes seem to feast on some people while ignoring others? It’s your microbes. The bacteria on our skin produce chemicals that help determine […]

Christchurch Wellness Centre celebrates a decade of helping Canterbury move better, feel better and live well. Since opening on Memorial Avenue in June 2016, founder Dr Mary Patterson, chiropractor, and her team have welcomed more than 7200 new patients and delivered tens of thousands of expert chiropractic appointments. “I’m proud of what we’ve […]

He Waka Tapu is launching Project Hauora, a community fundraising campaign to deliver a purpose-built health and wellbeing hub for East Christchurch, marking 30 years of supporting whānau across Canterbury. Construction has begun on a modern, integrated health and wellbeing facility that will expand access to affordable, culturally responsive healthcare for one of […]

Cardiovascular fitness has long been recognised as a powerful predictor of longevity. Now muscle power is attracting attention, as research shows the message for New Zealanders is simple: don’t just train to stay strong, train to stay powerful. For decades, cardiovascular fitness, commonly assessed through measures such as VO max, has been central […]

A mastectomy sports bra and 44-piece breast cancer awareness collection responds to the real experiences of women affected by the one-in-nine disease. Australian activewear brand LSKD has created a new mastectomy sports bra in collaboration with 10 members from its community who have experienced breast cancer and undergone surgery, including mastectomies. Alongside it […]

Metropol deputy editor Tamara Pitelen tries out spinal energetics, a healing modality that works with the spine to release stored tension and emotional patterns. Christchurch-based somatic therapist and founder of Portal I Am, Fernanda Cecchi works with energy. Your body’s energy. Once you get on her massage table, through gentle, low-force and often […]

Say goodbye to stubborn and painful verrucas. Verrucas are painful, unsightly, and failing over-the-counter treatments make it feel like a cure is impossible. Freezing or acid treatments often fall short, leaving many people frustrated, out of pocket and still suffering. At Footprints Podiatry in Christchurch, there’s now a better option with Swift microwave […]

“Women are constantly coming to me because their hair colour has gone off track,” says master stylist Vicki Ogden-O’Fee. “Maybe your blonde has become brassy, your colour is too dark, your highlights have become stripy, or your grey regrowth no longer blends,” Vicki says, owner of V for Hair in Merivale. “Sometimes, after […]

A sense of belonging isn’t just a nice feeling, it is foundational to our mental wellbeing, which is why the theme of this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week from 12 to 18 October is Belonging Matters. With loneliness on the rise, the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand (MHF) has announced that this […]

Essential to a great smile are good teeth and dentures, and most people understand the value of a smile. “The fit of dentures is an exacting science which adds to your look, health and quality of life,” says Thomas Gu, senior clinical dental technician and director of Merivale Denture Clinic. “We use the […]