In October 2019, Dr. Steven Taylor, clinical psychologist and professor at the University of British Columbia, published his eerily-timed book, The Psychology of Pandemics , just weeks before the first cases of COVID-19 were discovered in Wuhan. On this week’s episode, Dr. Taylor joins guest host Dr. Jack Muskat, Medcan’s clinical director of mental health, to discuss the lessons we can learn from pandemics and predict what the future of mental health may look like post-COVID. He also explores t...
Jun 14, 2021•29 min•Season 1Ep. 70
Here’s a little known secret: germs are good for you. Every single one of us has a complex and unique microbiome that lives on us and in us. It’s made up of microbes—things like bacteria and protozoa. Our microbiome plays a huge role in our health and, as microbiologist and University of British Columbia professor Brett Finlay has discovered, it is even connected to non-communicable illnesses like asthma or cardiovascular disease. That’s why pandemic-bred habits like cleaning surfaces with antib...
Jun 07, 2021•30 min•Season 1Ep. 69
As the global vaccination campaign continues, we continue to have questions. Is it safe to mix and match different vaccines? When is the optimal time to get my second dose if I’m aiming to maximize the resulting immunity? And: Will COVID-19 ever end? Medcan’s Medical Advisory Services team of expert physicians join host and CEO Shaun Francis to break down the latest information and provide need-to-know guidance. Featured in this episode is Medcan chief medical officer Dr. Peter Nord, clinical di...
May 31, 2021•36 min•Season 1Ep. 68
Regenerative cell therapy may one day help us all grow our own replacement parts. People with heart failure could get a transplant for an entirely new heart, made out of their own cells. Burn victims, or people who just want wrinkle-free skin, could grow new sheets of the stuff — from their own tissues. Younger cells may provide better raw material for these therapies than older versions, and so a commercial cell banking industry has sprung up to provide the required cryogenic storage for about ...
May 24, 2021•39 min•Season 1Ep. 67
When the holistic psychologist Dr. Nicole LePera decided that traditional therapy wasn’t working for her, or her clients, she began exploring the mind-body connection, and the responsibility of what she calls “self healers” to exert effort every day toward bringing about a desired life transformation. Dr. LePera eventually used social media to create a community of motivated #selfhealers, and wrote a book, the recent New York Times bestseller, How To Do the Work . Here, Dr. LePera is in conversa...
May 17, 2021•31 min•Season 1Ep. 66
It is an activity associated with cutting your risk of death from COVID by two and a half times, and cutting risk of developing severe COVID by two times. That activity is exercise, and the study that established its power as a modifiable risk factor against the coronavirus was led by Dr. Robert Sallis, past president of the American College of Sports Medicine and director of the Sports Medicine Fellowship program at California’s Kaiser Permanente Medical Center. In this episode he’s in conversa...
May 10, 2021•25 min•Season 1Ep. 65
Corporations around the world are confronting flagging mental health among their employees. The world’s largest wellness company, Johnson & Johnson, has since 2016 had a mental-health ambassador, Craig Kramer, who has spurred incredible changes within and without his employer. In conversation with Medcan’s chief people and growth officer, Bronwen Evans, Kramer describes the crisis of mental health in the pandemic, and the opportunity to create long-term change in the way employers manage the...
May 03, 2021•33 min•Season 1Ep. 64
As the author of the recent New York Times bestseller Hunt, Gather, Parent , Michaeleen Doucleff was already examining the culture and practice of mothering when the pandemic hit. Then everything changed for us all. Here, Medcan’s Dr. Daiva Barnicke, mother of two young children, explores Doucleff’s story as well as the pandemic’s impact on motherhood in a frank conversation that could have therapeutic benefits for struggling moms. https://www.eatmovethinkpodcast.com/podcast/ep-63-motherhood LIN...
Apr 26, 2021•34 min•Season 1Ep. 63
COVID-19 provokes all sorts of questions. Can I see my grandchildren after the first dose? How does the first vaccine shot affect risk of severe COVID? When will vaccinations push down ICU admissions? Every week Medcan’s Medical Advisory Services team of expert physicians get together to discuss trending topics. They develop advice to share with their corporate clients, which include some of the world’s biggest brands. The docs are witty, and the meetings entertaining, but more to the point they...
Apr 19, 2021•34 min•Season 1Ep. 62
Curious about how to lose weight? Most people think that when you want to drop pounds, you should eat better and exercise more. But Duke University Associate Professor and internationally recognized pioneer in human metabolism Herman Pontzer argues that exercise — while really important for mental and physical health — plays no part in weight loss. In his new book, Burn: New Research Blows the Lid Off How We Really Burn Calories, Lose Weight, and Stay Healthy , Pontzer says the only way to move ...
Apr 12, 2021•30 min•Season 1Ep. 61
Professional explorer Ray Zahab has crossed some of the most unforgiving environments on Earth. He ran across the Sahara in 111 days and traversed Baffin Island nine times, most of them at the height of winter. In conversation with Medcan CEO Shaun Francis, Zahab argues for the age-defying and stress-busting benefits of adventure travel. Like Shaun, Zahab is an advocate for the Japanese practice of “forest bathing” and argues that we can access similar perks by just getting outside and exploring...
Apr 05, 2021•33 min•Season 1Ep. 60
The pandemic has affected mental wellness for everyone — and teenagers are having a particularly difficult time. Youth unemployment is up. Competitive sports are on hiatus. Adolescents are stuck in a cycle of solitude, screen time, social media and boredom — creating all sorts of mental health problems. Here, Dr. Jack Muskat, Medcan’s psychology team lead, talks with parenting expert and Toronto entrepreneur Erica Ehm about the problems facing teens — and how to help. Links Ehm is the founder of...
Mar 29, 2021•29 min•Season 1Ep. 59
The coronavirus has mutated into numerous different substrains, including the three so-called “variants of concern”: B.1.1.7 from the U.K, B.1.351 first identified in South Africa and P.1, first found in Brazil. In this episode, Medcan’s chief medical officer, Dr. Peter Nord interviews Dr. Aisha Khatib, the clinical director of travel medicine, about how the VoCs are different from the original coronavirus. Are they more or less deadly? Do the variants make a third wave inevitable? How do the va...
Mar 22, 2021•27 min•Season 1Ep. 58
Most of the conventional wisdom about late-onset Alzheimer’s disease is wrong, according to Prof. Francisco Gonzalez-Lima of the University of Texas at Austin. In this conversation with Medcan Chief Medical Officer Dr. Peter Nord, Gonzalez-Lima argues against the old hypothesis that amyloid plaques and tau tangles cause dementia in the aged. Instead, he says neurological problems arise due to the inhibition of an enzyme called cytochrome oxidase—which can be treated with infrared lasers and a su...
Mar 15, 2021•35 min•Season 1Ep. 57
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Michael Moss ( Salt Sugar Fat , Hooked ) and Globe and Mail nutrition columnist Leslie Beck discuss snacking, processed food and addiction. What makes Oreos more habit-forming than nicotine? What prevented one well-meaning food company from limiting the amount of sugar in its products? Beck also explores Moss’s tips for how to control your snacking, and how the pandemic has affected the way we’re eating. (The second part of a two-part episode. Find the first part he...
Mar 08, 2021•21 min•Season 1Ep. 56
Snacking more during the pandemic? Ever wondered whether you’re addicted to food? The Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist Michael Moss, author of the new book, Hooked: Food, Free Will, and How the Food Giants Exploit Our Addictions as well as 2014’s Salt Sugar Fat , argues that the processed-food industry has engineered their products to compel us to eat them—causing all sorts of health problems at the population level. Here, Moss is in conversation with guest host Leslie Beck, the G...
Mar 01, 2021•29 min•Season 1Ep. 55
Nabeela Ixtabalan is Walmart Canada’s new executive vice president of people and corporate affairs—and when she introduced herself to the company’s 90,000 associates she identified as a “recovering workaholic.” That’s an apt label for someone who was running a multi-million dollar business in her 20s (then as an executive at Starbucks) while at the same time parenting her first child and putting herself through grad school. But the pressure she put on herself provoked debilitating panic attacks....
Feb 22, 2021•30 min•Season 1Ep. 54
Rapid antigen tests are cheap, easy and deliver results in just minutes. And their mass distribution is being touted by experts as something that will be crucial to helping society return to normalcy. In this episode we interview two of their pioneers. With her pilot program in Halifax bars and restaurants, infectious disease specialist Dr. Lisa Barrett was among the first in Canada to deploy pop-up testing on a mass scale. And author Joshua Gans spearheaded the thinking behind Canada’s largest ...
Feb 15, 2021•30 min•Season 1Ep. 53
Behavioural scientist turned dating coach Logan Ury knows how to sustain lasting and happy relationships. And now she’s written a book with her findings: How to Not Die Alone: The Surprising Science That Will Help You Find Love. In this interview with Medcan psychology team lead Dr. Jack Muskat, Ury helps listeners understand their romantic tendencies. She also provides research-based tips on how we all can find and nurture connections with loved ones.
Feb 08, 2021•31 min•Season 1Ep. 52
Soon, all adults will have the opportunity to get the COVID-19 vaccine. The Medical Advisory Services Team at Medcan compiled the top questions they’ve been hearing from corporations and clients. Here, host and CEO Shaun Francis takes them up with chief medical officer Dr. Peter Nord. The result is a timely and informative episode featuring easy-to-understand answers to your most pressing vaccine-related questions. For complete show notes and a full episode transcript go to www.eatmovethinkpodca...
Feb 01, 2021•23 min•Season 1Ep. 51
The point of preventive cardiology is to inform people they’re on a path toward developing heart disease and other cardiovascular problems—so that they can change their lifestyle and delay the onset of any issues. Recent advances in cardiology like new hs-Troponin testing are helping doctors detect heart health risks earlier than ever before. Heading into February’s Heart Health month, guest host Dr. Peter Nord talks about these advances with Dr. Beth Abramson, Medcan’s director of cardiology. F...
Jan 25, 2021•29 min•Season 1Ep. 50
Many of us want to transform our lives—yet something stops us from actually doing it. University of Victoria exercise psychologist Dr. Ryan Rhodes has devoted his academic career to figuring out what prevents people from making the changes they know will improve things. He’s also an expert at the techniques that will set us up for success. In this interview with Medcan’s Dr. Jack Muskat, Dr. Rhodes provides pointers designed to help us all cross the chasm. Find the full transcript and complete s...
Jan 18, 2021•28 min•Season 1Ep. 49
In Eat Move Think’s ongoing series about lifestyle change, we explore the story of Karma Brown, the best-selling novelist whose new non-fiction book, The 4% Fix , represents a compelling case study in the way small changes can lead to big effects. Years ago, as a working journalist and new mom, Karma Brown dreamed of writing her first novel. But between diapers and tight deadlines, she felt overstretched. How she achieved her life goal contains lessons for all of us. Find the full transcript and...
Jan 11, 2021•28 min•Season 1Ep. 48
Eat Move Think continues to explore behavioural change, this time with new Medcan psychology team lead Dr. Jack Muskat and executive producer Christopher Shulgan. The two men use their own personal experiences with lasting lifestyle change to extract lessons for those looking to use the new year, and the next phase of the pandemic, as an opportunity to improve one’s life. Find complete show notes at https://www.eatmovethinkpodcast.com/podcast/ep47-change-is-possible According to Dr. Jack Muskat,...
Jan 04, 2021•24 min•Season 1Ep. 47
As people begin to think about new year lifestyle change, Eat Move Think reposts one of our best-loved episodes. Medcan Director of Food and Nutrition Leslie Beck calls them “calorie blunders”—those little mistakes that can add up to significant weight gain. The good news is, those blunders can be beaten with easy behavioural tweaks. Here, Beck describes those fixes. Find complete show notes see www.eatmovethinkpodcast.com . For complete show notes, visit eatmovethinkpodcast.com . Visit Leslie’s...
Dec 28, 2020•27 min•Season 1Ep. 46
As we start to think about New Year’s resolutions, host Shaun Francis talks to Dr. David Macklin, who helps people manage their weight. Here, Dr. Macklin applies the tips he’s developed to help people eat better, and applies them to the creation of other positive habits, such as how to become more physically active. Tip number one, Dr. Macklin says, involves exploring the reason you want to change in the first place. Plus: The value of long-term thinking, and how to avoid getting derailed by sli...
Dec 21, 2020•37 min•Season 1Ep. 45
What a time to debut a wellness podcast! Host Shaun Francis wanted to break down the latest advice from scientists, MDs and academics in terms everyone could understand. In 2020 we explored nutrition, fitness and mental health—as well as a little virus known as COVID-19. This year-in-review session sees Shaun and producer Christopher Shulgan look back on Eat Move Think’s first 43 episodes, using the show’s 10 best moments to explore highlights, lowlights and fascinating exchanges in one of recen...
Dec 14, 2020•40 min•Season 1Ep. 44
Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca—their vaccines and others will dominate the public discussion for months to come. Are they safe? When will they start to change our lives? And what can employers do to make a difference in the fight against the pandemic? In an episode hosted by Medcan chief medical officer Dr. Peter Nord, occupational health experts Dr. Jason Abrams, Dr. Matthew Burnstein and Dr. Alain Sotto sound off.
Dec 07, 2020•20 min•Season 1Ep. 43
The Quarantine Backyard Ultra is a diabolically cruel running race that requires its contestants to run four miles per hour—for as long as they can. The winner is the last person standing. The fact that it’s an endurance contest with no clear finish line makes it a proxy for the coronavirus pandemic, argues running columnist Alex Hutchinson, who reviewed the science of races without finish lines to extract lessons that may help us all navigate the next few months.
Nov 30, 2020•28 min•Season 1Ep. 42
What actions create a healthy lifestyle? What preventative health measures should we all take to ensure a long, happy and active life? It’s all in here. With the help of such Medcan experts as chief medical officer Dr. Peter Nord, nutritionist Leslie Beck, fitness trainer Stephen Salzmann and psychologist Dr. Jonathan Danson, host Shaun Francis and producer Chris Shulgan distill the recommendations in a tidy half hour.
Nov 23, 2020•30 min•Season 1Ep. 41
