When Walmart Canada’s executive vice president and chief operating officer first joined the company in August 2020, she introduced herself to her new 90,000 associates as a “recovering workaholic.” Since experiencing anxiety, postpartum depression and burnout in her 20s, Nabeela Ixtabalan has transformed the way she balances work and wellness—and is working to help Walmart Canada employees do the same. In this encore presentation of her conversation with Medcan CEO Shaun Francis, Nabeela discuss...
Aug 01, 2022•30 min•Season 1Ep. 129
The latest research has shown that the MIND diet—a cross between the DASH diet and the Mediterranean diet— may stave off the onset of Alzheimer’s. There’s more research in the works, and it could make for even more progress in our understanding of the ways our diet can affect, repair and improve our brains. In the final of our three-part series on Alzheimer’s, Leslie Beck continues her conversation with two of the researchers who helped develop the MIND diet: cognitive neurologist Dr. Neelum Agg...
Jul 25, 2022•32 min•Season 1Ep. 128
A growing body of research suggests that your food choices can affect the long-term health of your brain to the extent that certain diets, such as something called the MIND diet, may significantly reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s. In fact, research indicates the MIND diet can be so protective of the brain that one study showed those who most adhered to it had a brain age 7.5 years younger compared to those who least adhered to the diet. So how does the MIND diet work? Which foods are in...
Jul 18, 2022•35 min•Season 1Ep. 127
Research into therapies for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia is progressing, and one day soon we may reach a point where those at high risk for cognitive impairment may be able to delay onset for so long that they never experience symptoms. How does Alzheimer’s really affect the brain, and how are doctors getting better at diagnosing it? Are there things we can do every day to reduce our risk? To learn about the latest in prevention, diagnosis and treatment, Medcan senior medical consultant Dr. ...
Jul 11, 2022•46 min•Season 1Ep. 126
What exactly is energy? Is it a chemical to be measured, a feeling or even just a “vibe”? We know when we have it, and know even more when we don’t. How can we get more of it? At Columbia’s Picard Lab in New York, scientists study mitochondrial biology to understand our energy levels, how they can be affected by our psychological state, and how we can get more energy to get more things done every day. Here, lab director and professor of behavioural medicine Dr. Martin Picard and Medcan CEO Shaun...
Jul 04, 2022•42 min•Season 1Ep. 125
“Liquid biopsy” is a form of cancer screening that detects biomarkers in the blood with a simple draw. Research indicates that it could help to detect disease months or even years before other, more expensive and more invasive forms of screening, helping to save lives. So how exactly does it work? Is it better at detecting some cancers compared to others? And how can it help oncologists treat already diagnosed cases? Medcan’s director of clinical innovation, Allison Hazell, investigates with the...
Jun 27, 2022•34 min•Season 1Ep. 124
Testicular cancer is the most common cancer in men aged 15 to 35. Experts recommend that men start to perform testicular self-exams in their teen years. Some middle aged men have never performed a self-exam in their life. To raise awareness during Men’s Health month, our Dr. Peter Nord checks in with Medcan’s director of urology and Michael Garron Hospital's chief of surgery Dr. Rajiv Singal (pictured above). He shares the latest in testicular and prostate cancer treatment and prevention, and di...
Jun 20, 2022•40 min•Season 1Ep. 123
In our last episode, How To Practise Mindfulness , Medcan psychologists Dr. Amanda Beaman (pictured above) and Dr. Jack Muskat put mindfulness under the microscope and explored its many benefits. Here, try it out yourself with a 10-minute guided mindfulness meditation with Dr. Amanda Beaman. Download this episode for easy listening while on a walk, your commute to work, or to otherwise incorporate into your self-care routine....
Jun 15, 2022•10 min
Many of us are spending more time on screens. The constant buzz and beeps of phone notifications, increasing work demands—does anyone else feel like the pace of contemporary living is harming attention spans and creating more of a need to engage in mindfulness and meditation practices? Here, Medcan clinical psychologists Dr. Jack Muskat and Dr. Amanda Beaman explore the practice of mindfulness. What is it? How does one do it? And can it help to relieve anxiety and increase our focus? Check out t...
Jun 13, 2022•44 min•Season 1Ep. 122
Summer is all about days in the park, meals in the backyard and weekends at the cottage. For more than 25 percent of Canadians, summer is also about red, itchy eyes and nasal congestion. Too often, seasonal allergies put dents in our summer plans—and over-the-counter medications don’t always help with symptoms. Dr. Anne Ellis, professor of medicine and chair of the division of allergy and immunology at Queen’s University, is director of the Environmental Exposure Unit, an internationally recogni...
Jun 06, 2022•29 min•Season 1Ep. 121
Scientific researchers believe that cardiorespiratory fitness, in the form of VO2max, should be a vital sign that doctors consider alongside heart rate and blood pressure—and Medcan has just taken steps to incorporate a test designed to provide clients with an estimate of their VO2max level. So what is VO2max—and why should you care? This episode provides the ultimate cardiorespiratory fitness explainer. Co-hosted by Dr. Peter Nord and Dr. Andrew Miners, we provide background about the value and...
May 30, 2022•32 min•Season 1Ep. 120
The relationship between diet, exercise and weight loss is more complicated than you think. You know that 500 calories you burned on your morning run? Your body doesn’t just credit you that energy for weight loss. In fact, the work of evolutionary anthropologist and globally recognized metabolism expert Herman Pontzer of Duke University suggests that your body will figure out a way to offset those burned calories after your exercise, possibly by decreasing calorie-burning inflammation in the bod...
May 23, 2022•31 min•Season 1Ep. 119
Cannabis has been legal in Canada for almost four years now. Eat Move Think’s very first episode at the start of 2020 explored the wellness implications of legalization. At that point, few gold-standard research studies had been conducted on cannabis, CBD and THC. So in this episode we revisit the topic. Medcan senior medical consultant Dr. Lorne Greenspan checks in with Dr. Mark Ware, the chief medical officer of Canopy Growth, one of the world’s largest cannabis companies. Can the plant and it...
May 16, 2022•35 min•Season 1Ep. 118
Which supplements actually help your muscles grow? Do plant-based eaters need more protein than meat eaters? Do sports drinks boost athletic performance? Is chocolate milk the perfect post-workout drink? To find out the answers to these and other questions, we consulted with two of the most prominent names in Canadian nutrition: Medcan’s director of food and nutrition and Dietitians of Canada chair Leslie Beck and McMaster University kinesiology professor Dr. Stuart Phillips. Together, they dist...
May 09, 2022•43 min•Season 1Ep. 117
Dog ownership skyrocketed during the pandemic. Lots of pet owners claim that owning a dog can boost your mental health. But which breeds are best? Dan McCann of the legendary McCann Dog Training family, joins Medcan mental health clinical lead Samantha Charan to explore the health benefits that can come with owning a dog. They’ll help you figure out if dog ownership is right for you, and unpack the reasons why these furry friends can keep us happier and healthier.
May 02, 2022•44 min•Season 1Ep. 116
Health Canada recently approved a new weight loss drug, semaglutide, also known as “Ozempic” or “Wegovy.” Experts refer to it as a “game changer” for its ability to curtail appetite and spur weight loss. In this episode, Medcan’s director of weight management, Dr. David Macklin, a co-author of Canada’s national guidelines for obesity treatment, provides host Shaun Francis with a semaglutide explainer. “We’re in a super exciting stage in my field of medicine,” Dr. Macklin says. Check out episode ...
Apr 25, 2022•40 min•Season 1Ep. 115
More people than ever before are exercising to stay fit and active well into their senior years. The field of sports rehabilitation and therapy is flourishing as a result, with lots of therapies generating buzz. But which ones work for aging athletes, and which ones are a waste of money? Here, Medcan’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Peter Nord, and the Director of Orthopaedic Surgery, Dr. Sebastian Rodriguez-Elizalde, explore platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections, prehabilitation, cortisone, hyaluro...
Apr 18, 2022•45 min•Season 1Ep. 114
It’s spring, and if you have a garden that means it’s time for yardwork—raking out dead leaves, planting annuals, fertilizing the lawn. Here, Medcan’s Dr. Lorne Greenspan teams up with the legendary gardening expert Mark Cullen to make the argument that gardening is one of the single best things you can do for your overall wellness, with compelling benefits from an eat, move and think perspective—regardless of your age. Link to episode webpage ....
Apr 11, 2022•42 min•Season 1Ep. 113
Intermittent fasting is an increasingly popular diet method intended to trigger weight loss. It’s also said to provide other health benefits. But does it actually work? And which form is appropriate for which people? Dr. Krista Varady is the University of Illinois, Chicago professor of nutrition and a globally recognized expert in intermittent fasting. Here she discusses her recommendations with Leslie Beck, the Globe and Mail nutrition columnist and Medcan’s Director of Food and Nutrition. Link...
Apr 04, 2022•37 min•Season 1Ep. 112
You know that exercising is good for your muscles and bones. But exercise can also improve brain health. In her new book, Move The Body, Heal The Mind , Dr. Jennifer Heisz of McMaster University’s NeuroFit Lab shares the latest research about how to use physical activity to optimize mental and cognitive wellness. Here, she speaks with Dr. Andrew Miners, Medcan’s clinical and product director of sports medicine, therapy, rehabilitation and fitness. For more information, links, and insights with t...
Mar 28, 2022•46 min•Season 1Ep. 111
The World Happiness Report has for the fifth year in a row ranked Finland as the planet’s happiest country. Yet the nation is darker and colder than Canada. So what are the Finns doing right? Could it have anything to do with sisu, saunas and plunges into ice-cold water? Medcan’s Clinical Director of Psychology, Dr. Jack Muskat, investigates with Eat Move Think senior producer Russell Gragg, who recently returned from five weeks of living in Helsinki. Featuring interviews with Finnish culture ex...
Mar 21, 2022•45 min•Season 1Ep. 110
The ultimate way to achieve a personalized wellness prescription is to base it on one’s unique genetic code—to have every one of your DNA base pairs mapped, in a process known as whole genome sequencing, and then using that information to create precisely the right strategy for you. With its Genomic Health Assessment powered by whole genome sequencing, Medcan is pioneering the most precise form of precision medicine available. Here, Director of Clinical Innovation Allison Hazell explores the imp...
Mar 14, 2022•33 min•Season 1Ep. 109
As you get older, your chances of getting sick and developing diseases get higher. But what if aging itself is the condition we should be treating? Dr. Nir Barzilai is the founding director of the Institute for Aging Research at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and the world’s leading expert on metformin. Here, he joins host Shaun Francis to discuss the potential of metformin to fight aging, and his new trial that could change the way we view and treat old age.
Mar 07, 2022•35 min•Season 1Ep. 108
Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices are being tested by elite athletes to determine whether better management of carbs and blood sugar can boost athletic performance. Dr. Michael Riddell is a professor at York University. As an athlete who lives with Type 1 Diabetes, Dr. Riddell has studied glucose for years and is on the scientific advisory board for Supersapiens, a glucose-tracking app. Here, Dr. Riddell explores the future of glucose monitoring and athletics with Medcan Fitness Manage...
Feb 28, 2022•36 min•Season 1Ep. 107
Positive psychology refers to a type of therapy that focuses on optimizing mental wellbeing, rather than fixing any specific problems. If conventional psychology helps people living with mental illness to achieve normalcy, then positive psychology helps people at a normal baseline achieve an optimal state. “Absence of symptoms is not the presence of wellbeing,” says Dr. Tayyab Rashid of the University of Toronto (Scarborough), also a faculty associate with the Human Flourishing Program at Harvar...
Feb 21, 2022•33 min•Season 1Ep. 106
Lots of studies have been done on the effects of exercise on men . But when it comes to exercise and women’s health, the scientific research falls short. Dr. Michaela Devries-Aboud is an exercise physiologist at the University of Waterloo. She’s one of a growing number of scientists examining how exercise affects the female body. Here, she and Medcan’s Clinical and Product Director of Sports Medicine, Therapy, Rehabilitation and Fitness, Dr. Andrew Miners, investigate what we know, and what we d...
Feb 14, 2022•40 min•Season 1Ep. 105
Romantic relationships are a key driver of personal wellness, and these days texting is the main way people communicate when dating. In her just-released book, Speaking in Thumbs , Dr. Mimi Winsberg, a Harvard- and Stanford-educated psychiatrist and Facebook’s former in-house psychiatrist, examined how to connect better online with potential and existing partners. Here, she’s in conversation with Medcan clinical director of mental health, Dr. Jack Muskat. Texting, says Dr. Winsberg, “is now the ...
Feb 07, 2022•28 min•Season 1Ep. 104
One measure of aerobic fitness is VO2max, which reflects your body’s ability to take oxygen from air and put it in a form that helps you go. We noticed that one ranking of the best-ever VO2max scores featured five cross-country skiers in the top 10 results. So for our Winter Olympic special, host Shaun Francis and his team investigated what’s so great about cross-country skiing. Including two Canadian Winter Olympians, Katherine Stewart-Jones and Emily Nishikawa, as well as McMaster exercise sci...
Jan 31, 2022•24 min•Season 1Ep. 103
COVID-19’s Omicron variant is airborne-transmitted. So does it make sense to buy a HEPA filter to reduce spread? Or are there more cost-efficient ways to increase safety? We assembled a panel of experts to provide their guidance, including two members of Medcan’s Medical Advisory Services team, Dr. Peter Nord and Dr. Matthew Burnstein, as well as NASA consultant R. Vijayakumar and Prof. Frank Kelly of Imperial College London. For links and insights with time codes, visit the Episode 102 web page...
Jan 24, 2022•27 min•Season 1Ep. 102
Mounting evidence suggests that our diet may play a role in our brain health as we get older. Age-related inflammation, or “inflammaging,” has recently been linked to higher risks of chronic disease, dementia and Alzheimer's. But how can we know which foods spur inflammaging? In today's episode, our host Shaun Francis talks with Medcan’s director of food and nutrition, Leslie Beck, RD, to explore the connection between diet, inflammation and brain health as we age. The episode also provides a gu...
Jan 17, 2022•18 min•Season 1Ep. 101
