The human microbiome includes trillions of microorganisms—viruses and bacteria—that live in and on us. 

Is there really such a thing as good bacteria? Believe it or not, there is. They help us fight illness, they’re involved in digestion, they keep us healthy.

We know our mind can affect how our gut feels. (Ever get a “knot” in your stomach when you’re nervous?). You’d be surprised by how closely the mind and gut work together. So, what’s the connection? 

Some gastrointestinal problems are caused by stress, anxiety and neurological disorders. Sometimes a gastrointestinal issue can cause or worsen stress or anxiety. Is it possible to change our gut to improve our mood?

Listen as host Mark Gomez, MD, and his guest, board-certified gastroenterologist Shivani Kiriluk, DO, discuss the gut-brain connection.

 

Guest

Shivani Kiriluk, DO – Board-certified gastroenterologist at Suburban Gastroenterology, LTD.

Who doesn’t want to have great-looking skin (men included)?

While women are generally more inclined to investigate and spend time on skin care, most men also want to put their best face forward.

This episode will answer a lot of questions. What’s the one thing people should do daily to help avoid wrinkles, skin discoloration and skin cancer? Is microneedling as scary as it sounds? What skin care regimen does a dermatologist follow?

Our skin is our largest organ, and its care can be complicated. Luckily, we don’t have to try to figure out the best skin care routine alone. Dermatologists and estheticians are essential partners to help solve skin problems.

Listen as host Mark Gomez, MD, and his guest, Dermatologist Alix Charles, MD, FAAD, discuss skin care techniques and treatment to keep your skin looking its best.

Guests

Alix Charles, MD, FAAD – Board-certified dermatologist and department chairman, Division of Dermatology at DuPage Medical Group.

In this episode, host Mark Gomez, MD, and his guests, Louis Malinow, MD, and Bonnie Kastin, RDN, LDN, break down common diets and offer practical tips on how to establish sustainable, healthy eating habits.

In Greek, the word “diet” means “way of life.”

For so many people, day-to-day life revolves around food. With all the choices available and a fast food restaurant on every corner, it’s more important than ever to focus on healthier eating.

Almost all diseases can be prevented or delayed with better nutrition. Eating a standard American diet (ahem, processed food, a.k.a. anything in a box or a bag) can seriously affect your health!

Since almost everyone relies on processed food on a regular basis, this could be troubling. Feeling overwhelmed? Don’t worry. Small changes in your diet can make a big difference in your health.

There are three things we can control: what we eat, how much we eat and when we eat.

As diet culture evolves, various diets rise and fall in popularity.

Fasting, keto, counting macros – which dietary trends are the healthiest to follow? And is it possible to change your eating habits if others in your household don’t?

Guests

Louis Malinow, MD - ASH certified hypertension specialist; Diplomate, American Board of Clinical Lipidology; Director of Education and Clinical Excellence at MDVIP.

Bonnie Kastin, RDN, LDN - Registered dietitian nutritionist and licensed dietitian nutritionist, Suburban Gastroenterology, LTD.

When someone has an allergy, it means their immune system is overreacting to something in the environment it considers to be foreign (like a virus or bacteria), but for the most part is benign.

An allergen could be mold, tree pollen or pet dander. It could be an insect sting, medication or food. What about an allergic reaction to a vaccine?

Does everyone with an allergy need to carry an EpiPen? Do allergies ever go away? Does local honey help treat allergies? Can adults develop allergies?

Allergies are very common and can severely impact quality of life. The good news: we don’t have to live with allergy symptoms.

In this episode, host Mark Gomez, MD, and his guest, Zachary Rubin MD, talk about common types of allergies and treatment, and bust some of the myths about allergies.

Guest

Zachary Rubin, MD - Double board-certified pediatrician specializing in allergy treatment and immunology at Oak Brook Allergists.

Good health is intertwined with good sleep. How have you been sleeping?

Sleep allows humans to recharge. It helps restore a natural chemical balance in our bodies.

You know how it feels when you don’t get enough sleep? Contrast that with how you feel when you get a great night’s sleep.

Sleep is as vital as food and oxygen for life and good health. 

So how can we get better sleep? First look at your pre-bedtime habits. There are a number of things that can thwart our natural sleep cues (such as binge-watching television or endlessly scrolling social media).

Does the room temperature make a difference in our sleep? Is there a bedtime that’s best for adults? If you take a nap, does it ruin your night’s sleep? Is it bad if you snore?

In this episode, host Mark Gomez, MD, and his guest, Alan Kominsky MD, FACS, uncover the truth about sleep, including how we end up derailing our natural sleepiness and how to get better rest.

Guest

Alan Kominsky, MD, FACS - Double board-certified in otolaryngology and sleep medicine; Assistant Professor of Surgery at Cleveland Clinic; Head & Neck Institute Residency Program Director and Head, Section of Surgical Sleep & Snoring. 

Additional resources

8 ways to get a good night’s sleep while springing ahead

Can’t sleep? Try this.

How to help someone who snores

Why cancer and trouble sleeping go hand-in-hand

How sleep affects your heart

Poor sleep is messing with your mental health

Weighing in on weighted blankets — do they really work?

Dos and don’ts for a good night’s sleep

How can lack of sleep affect your health?

Get your kids to bed at a decent hour

Sleeping for two: Moms-to-be get your zzz’s

How Much Sleep Do You Really Need?

Common Signs of Sleep Disorders

Eight Tips for Better Sleep

Learn more about Edward-Elmhurst Health Sleep Centers.

It’s not addictive and it won’t get you high. Experts are still trying to understand exactly how it works. 

So, what is cannabidiol? Is it safe?

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a chemical extracted from a cannabis plant. It’s primarily available as an unregulated supplement. You can get it in capsules, oils, topicals and food. You can even vape it.

There is a small amount of quality medical research on CBD. Some studies have found that CBD combined with THC can be effective for some types of chronic pain. Other studies found topical CBD on its own can help ease joint pain. Early study results also find CBD might help reduce anxiety and help you sleep.

However, questions remain about its effectiveness.

In this episode, host Mark Gomez, MD, and his guest, Aaron Weiner, PhD, ABPP, dig into details on cannabidiol, how it works and whether it could be beneficial to your health.

Guest

Aaron Weiner, PhD, ABPP - Licensed clinical psychologist, board-certified in counseling psychology and master addiction counselor; owner and founder of Bridge Forward Group, LLC; host of the “Let’s Talk” webcast on LinkedIn.

 

Additional resources

CBD oil: What is it and how does it work?

Do you need supplements?

Marijuana: a gateway drug that keeps growing stronger

Gummy bears incident abrupt reminder of marijuana dangers

How will legalizing pot affect the health of our communities?

At Linden Oaks Behavioral Health, we treat the whole person—physically, mentally, socially and spiritually. Learn more.

Who isn’t feeling stressed out these days?

Everyone is busy, a situation that has been complicated by more than a year of living through a worldwide pandemic.

And while some realize mental strain can lead to physical symptoms such as high blood pressure, many don’t know that taking a moment to intentionally pause the bustle of daily life through meditation can help them feel better, emotionally and physically.

Studies show mindfulness meditation can reduce pain up to 90 percent. And meditation is easier to do than most people think.

It’s the art of attention. It’s the art of not-doing. It’s focusing on awareness, presence. Taking time to tune in to your body, thoughts and feelings.

Intrigued? Wondering how to try it?

In this episode, host Mark Gomez, MD, and his guest, Todd Fink, CADC, break down some common misconceptions about meditation, and explain how it’s good for well-being and how to get started with your own practice.

Guest

Todd Fink, CADC - Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor at Linden Oaks Behavioral Health, artist and TEDx speaker, host of The Kind Mind podcast.

Resources:

Meditation isn't just mystical nonsense

How yoga can help your heart

Mindfulness: A powerful tool for addiction recovery

Bringing mindfulness to the dinner table

Mindfulness tools for everyday life

At Linden Oaks Behavioral Health, we treat the whole person—physically, mentally, socially and spiritually. Learn more.

If you could get fit with just 30 minutes of work per day, would you go for it?

Is that even possible?

The answer depends on your personal definition of fitness. Your goal dictates the amount of work required.

And that hinges on how much time you have to spend on personal fitness. If you can carve out 30 minutes for a workout (even breaking that up into 10-minute segments throughout the day) is that enough to get you feeling fit?

The good news: short 30-minute workouts can improve your fitness (you could even get fabulously fit)!

In this episode, Dr. G and his guests, physical therapist Luke Greenwell and fitness instructor Paula McBride, discuss how to get started, digging into the details with workout tips and ideas and advice on how to set a fitness goal.

 

Guests:

Luke Greenwell, PT, DPT, CSMT, CSCS – Owner, RecoverRx Physical Therapy, LLC.

Paula McBride – Fitness instructor, personal trainer, group exercise coordinator, Edward-Elmhurst Health & Fitness.

Resources:

This is your cold-weather workout plan

7 ways to make this your summer of fitness

10 best exercises for senior adults

Working stiff: how to keep moving all day

Think water for your workouts

How to deal with heat and humidity during outdoor workouts

Stronger heart, stronger relationship

Break outside over spring break!

The trick to avoiding weekend warrior injuries

How to motivate yourself to exercise

5 common injuries to avoid as you start running season

4 must-haves for an effective workout

5 fitness myths debunked

What’s HIIT all about?

Let’s dance the stress away

How long should you work out?

Can you change your fitness age?

Walking 10,000 steps a day: is it worth it?

As medically-based fitness centers, the focus of Edward-Elmhurst Health & Fitness is to help you integrate fitness—a key component of health and wellness—into your lifestyle. Learn more about Edward-Elmhurst Health & Fitness.

Social media use has exploded in the last decade, fundamentally changing our way of life. And when it comes to the impact of social media on our kids’ health, we may be facing the most important challenge yet.

Screen time and social media has become an integral part of our new normal during the pandemic. Kids are using it at younger ages for school and to stay in touch with friends.

Social media is here to stay, along with the influencers, likes, sexting and the fear of missing out it can inspire.

Are there benefits to kids using social media? Does it encourage risky behavior? How does it affect mental health?

What can parents do to set their kids up for safety and success?

In this episode, Dr. G and his guests, Steven Kovar, MD, and Meghan Kennedy, PsyD, discuss those questions and more.

Guests

Steven Kovar, MD – Board-certified pediatrician, Kids First Pediatrics, LTD; Chairman, Department of Pediatrics, Edward Hospital.

Meghan Kennedy, PsyD – Licensed clinical psychologist, Linden Oaks Medical Group, Linden Oaks Behavioral Health.

 

Resources:

Do you need a social media break?

Beauty in the eye of a photo editor?

What is too much screen time doing to our kids' mental health?

What to do if your teen is being cyberbullied

Is your child depressed? A yearly screening can help

Your teen’s brain has some growing up to do

Cyberbullying: Know the signs and how to keep your teen cyber-safe

Video game addiction: not all fun and games

Give your family screen time breaks this winter

Six Tips to Manage Your Child’s Screen Time

At Linden Oaks Behavioral Health, we treat the whole person—physically, mentally, socially and spiritually. Learn what to expect.

Find the right board-certified pediatrician or family medicine physician for your child.

Choosing a healthy lifestyle is important for many reasons, not the least of which is diabetes.

We know you’ve heard it before: eat healthy and exercise. But these are two primary ways to protect yourself against diabetes.

Diabetes is a journey. And for most adults diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, the journey began years earlier than diagnosis.

Diabetes is a disease that affects your body’s ability to remove sugar from your blood.

There are some telltale symptoms, but by the time most people take note of them, the disease is more advanced. Picking up on the warning signs of diabetes earlier with annual screening, before it causes symptoms, can give people facing Type 2 diabetes a chance to reverse the damage to their body from years of sedentary habits and unhealthy food choices.

If your parents or other family members had diabetes, will you end up with it, too? What are the symptoms of diabetes? Does stress or anxiety make diabetes worse? What about COVID-19?

In this episode, Dr. G and his guest, Susan Hudec, MD, discuss the answers to those questions, ways to prevent diabetes, the latest treatment options and more.

Guest

Susan Hudec, MD – Board-certified endocrinologist at Elmhurst Clinic.

 

Resources:

7 signs you might have diabetes

You have prediabetes -- can you fix it?

What is metabolic syndrome (and could you have it)?

What’s involved in a glucose tolerance test?

Don’t ignore these chronic conditions — especially now

What should people with diabetes know about COVID-19?

Diabetes clinic gives patients control over disease

Free program helps head off diabetes for those at high risk

Montgomery teen takes on type 1 diabetes

Managing diabetes during cancer treatment

How controlling your blood sugar benefits your heart

The truth about gestational diabetes

Top Risk Factors for Type 2 Diabetes

Understanding Prediabetes and How to Prevent it

Seven Factors to Know When Managing Diabetes

Make wellness a priority. Find the right primary care doctor for you.