【推荐1】It has been around for centuries, but up until very recently, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) wasn’t fully accepted abroad. Proof of this can be found in The Treatment (《刮痧》), a 2001 film that tells the story of a Chinese man in the US who’s accused of abuse after he uses guasha, a form of TCM treatment, to cure his grandson’s disease.

During the last 10 years or so, however, TCM has been getting increasingly popular all over the world. A report released by the State Council Information Office on Dec. 6 says this style of health care, which includes different forms like herbal medicine and exercise, has spread to 183 countries and regions.

“We have set up 10 TCM centers outside China, and all of them are popular among locals,” Wang Guoqiang, head of the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, said at a news conference on Dec 6. “Governments of 86 countries and regions have signed agreements with the Chinese government on TCM corporation.”

One of the reasons behind the growing popularity of TCM is the increase of scientific research into it. And after Tu Youyou, the Chinese scientist who discovered the anti-malaria (抗疟疾) drug qinghaosu (青蒿素), won the Nobel Prize in 2015, TCM became even more famous internationally.

However, all these achievements in TCM don’t mean that it’s problem-free. Over the years, TCM has faced challenges in being able to prove that it has certain effects.

Some researchers have suggested TCM should be more exact and work together with Western medicine.

“Bringing together with Western medicine and TCM, rather than being in competition, is where the potential for great effects is,” said Bernhard Schwartlander, the China representative of the World Health Organization.

【推荐2】Valerian capsules (缬草胶囊)

A traditional herbal medicinal product used for the temporary relief of symptoms of mild anxiety and to aid sleep.

Each capsule contains 337mg of extract (as dry extract) from Valerian root (Valerian officinalis L) (equivalent to 1683mg-2020mg of Valerian root).

For oral use only.

For adults and elderly.

Mild anxiety — Take 1 capsule 3 times daily.

To aid sleep — Take 1 capsule 30 minutes to 1 hour before bedtime with an earlier dose during the evening if necessary.

Swallow the capsule with water. As the effects of this product may not occur immediately, the capsule should be taken continuously for 2-4 weeks.

Do not exceed (超过) the stated dose.

Do not take this product if you are:

Under 18 years of age

Pregnant or breastfeeding

Allergic to Valerian or any of the excipients in this product

Already taking a medicine for sleep or anxiety

Store the capsules below 25C.

Keep the bottle tightly closed.

Keep out of sight and reach of children.

NBTY Europe Limited, Samuel Ryder House, Barling Way, Nuneaton, Warwickshire, CV10 7RH, United Kingdom

【推荐3】I grew up in a home with a mother who believes that vaccines cause brain damage, and do not contribute to the health and safety of a society. The only shot I received was for tetanus when I was two months old. After that, nothing.

At the beginning of each school year, I was very nervous. Delayed term paper? Mischievous behavior? Late for school? None of them. I'd be pulled out of class and brought to the headmaster's office. The school doctor would tell me I haven't received any of the necessary shots to attend school. But the same thing occurred each time: my mom would exempt me from the shots and nothing would happen.

After doing a lot of research, I found although people who don’t vaccinate their children make up only a relatively small group, they can cause major consequences. People who, for health on age reasons, cannot receive vaccines are at a higher risk of catching a preventable disease.

Eventually, I turned 18. In Ohio, where I live, I had to wait until I became a legal adult to make the decision to receive vaccine shots. A huge factor in taking the step to ensure my health was the message board website Reddit. Last November, I asked Reddit users for advice about what vaccines to ask for and how to go about getting them from a doctor. After my post reeve more than 1,000 comments, I made an appointment with my family physician. Despite how strongly my mother felt, I went through with it anyway.

I did something every person should do. It wasn’t special in any way. Vaccines protect the health and safety of not only yourself but also other people. Vaccination is important because someone could die if you don’t get vaccinated. This was the biggest reason I got vaccinated despite the opposition.

【推荐2】Two years ago, Nikki Tysoe rarely rode a bike. Today, she’s become so addicted to the cycling world that she’s even helping to bring pedal power to mental-health nurses at the hospital where she works.

In April, the charity Access Sport introduced a program that provided bikes to The Royal London Hospital. Nikki pushed for this to be extended to Goodmayes Hospital, a mental-health facility in London where she’s a project manager. She said having the bikes not only enabled nursing staff to travel safely to and from work during the COVID-19 pandemic, but also let them blow off steam during their breaks.

Nikki wanted to do something to make life a bit better for the staff. There’s a lot of focus on the hospitals at the moment which are having an awful time but this is also an extra-stressful time for mental health staff. The bikes provide a complement to a “wobble room” within the hospital. It’s somewhere the staff can go when they’re really stressed, and the bikes are an extension of that.

Junior doctor Aiman is very grateful for the program. “Using the bike means I can get to work safely,” she says. “This has taken away a lot of worries from my daily life and allows me to focus on my patients. It’s definitely improved my mental well-being.” Stress levels are generally high in nursing and having bikes will make a big difference.

While Access Sport has provided Nikki with bikes, her dream is to have three or four bicycles permanently on site. Following the success of the bike loans, Nikki is working to extend the project beyond lockdown.

A nurse of 78 this weekend celebrates 60 years of walking the wards and she has no plans to retire.

Jackie Reid was 18 when she started work in 1953 — when the National Health Service (NHS) was just five years old — and is believed to be the oldest nurse in Britain.

The diabetes (糖尿病) specialist had to retire at 65 but returned as a nurse within two weeks and still does up to four seven-and-a-half hour shifts (轮班) each week.

Mrs. Reid said: “Nursing is hard if you do it correctly but I love my job. Working for the NHS has been my life. I have no other hobbies because I have worked all my life.”

Jackie has worked at a number of different hospitals — including one in Scotland.

Her specialist field has been diabetes for the past 40 years. She retrained after her 12-year-old daughter Michelle developed the disease. She currently works at Southend Hospital, Essex.

Over the last 60years she has treated tens of thousands of patients.

Jackie believes nursing should be protected from government cuts. She said: “There’re lots of things I would say to the government. If you are going to get good care you have to have the resources(资源), you can’t do it without enough money. They shouldn’t need the cuts that there are in the NHS. It’s hard now because there’s a shortage of staff.”

Jackie has lived alone in Grays, Essex, since her husband did three years ago.

The couple have two daughters Michelle, 50, and Karen, 54.

Jackie added: “My youngest daughter worried about me — she doesn’t think I should work as much as I do. I constantly say ‘don’t worry about me, I’m fine’, but she never believes me. I don’t like the thought of giving it up and will try to keep going forever.”