If you’ve been following iHeal Mag for a while, you’ll know that I have a special affinity for elephants...

Joy. Pen on paper. Discovery Bay, 2023. Many of us live with chronic conditions like high blood pressure, heart disease or chronic pain. And these all have an impact on our brain health, whether now or in the future. Consider the last time that your back (or knee, or whatever) pain was acting up. Your ability to work may have been partially impaired if you were distracted by pain, or perhaps you had to take time off for a day or two.  Our mental or emotional health also affects our brain...

Nai Nai. Charcoal on paper. Discovery Bay, 2025. My grandma Nai Nai (奶奶) celebrated her 106th birthday in May and died on August 29, 2025. She died as she had lived: tenaciously, relentlessly, and fiercely drawing her family together. Her love and resilience will continue to shape our future generations.  Early years My grandma Nai Nai was born in 1919 in the city of Changzhou in Jiangsu province. Nai Nai was The Girl Who Lived.  After having lost six infant sons in a row before she was born,...