"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." Ever heard this old saying? It's true. But too often we take a reactive approach to our health instead of a proactive one. What can we do to better monitor our overall well-being and stay ahead of chronic health issues? In this episode, we discuss the health metrics everyone should know and get tips for course correcting if one or more of those numbers is trending in a concerning direction.

Expert: Dr. Joshua Septimus, Primary Care Physician

Interviewer: Katie McCallum

Notable topics covered:

• The number most predictive of future health might surprise you
• Several additional metrics that are important to monitor
• More than numbers — why trends over time matter
• Why your primary care doctor should be your go-to health resource
• The most common chronic conditions you should aim to prevent
• Don't forget about cancer screenings, even if your numbers look good
• The "how to" of keeping tabs on your health, including check-up frequency
• Lifestyle habits that you can also track to help improve your health
• Why the relationship with your primary care doctor is like a marriage

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Americans are drinking far less alcohol than they have in the past, despite an uptick in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The shift in attitudes — almost 9 in 10 U.S. adults say alcohol use is “very” or “somewhat” harmful, according to a recent Gallup poll — follows research debunking the idea that drinking has any health benefit. The new trend: no- and low-alcohol drinks, known as the “NoLo” movement. NoLo, the fastest-growing part of the adult beverage market, is all about enjoying beverages and preserving their flavor without alcohol. NoLo drinks are becoming more popular among consumers, particularly millennials and Gen-Z, who want to reduce their alcohol intake, whether for health, social or personal reasons. For the sober curious or those simply looking to cut back, this episode explores the wide world of mocktails and NA drinks, and what mindful drinking actually looks like.

Expert: Mag Ayyad, Registered Dietitian

Interviewer: Kim Rivera Huston-Weber

Notable topics covered:

• The health benefits of drinking less
• Are mocktails and other nonalcoholic drinks simply just our favorite drinks without the booze?
• The ingredients to have on hand to make mocktails
• What to know about nonalcoholic beers and wine – and do they actually contain no alcohol?
• Alcohol-free doesn’t mean calorie-free, and why that’s an issue
• Can you overdo it with nonalcoholic drinks? 
• The differences between celebratory mocktails and ones you could enjoy every day
• Drinking mindfully: What should be your drink limit (including NA drinks)? 
• “I only drink on the weekends”: Why you may want to reconsider that approach
• How to meet yourself where you are with your drinking but still adapt your habits

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There’s no denying probiotics are big business — and it’s not just the dietary supplement industry, valued at $12 billion. Other sectors are getting into the game too, claiming their skincare, household cleaners and mattresses contain probiotics. Why?  Probiotics are alleged to provide gastrointestinal, mental, heart, vaginal and bone and joint health benefits as well as help manage weight and blood glucose levels. Is all that really possible? For what conditions do they work? And with probiotics seemingly everywhere now, how can you choose the right one? In this episode, we share how you can evaluate probiotic claims to find a product for your desired benefit. 

Expert: Dr. Eamonn Quigley, Gastroenterologist 

Interviewer: Kim Rivera Huston-Weber

Notable topics covered: 

• What are probiotics, and what do they do? 
• The different types of probiotics and their science-backed health benefits 
• Are probiotics used to treat any conditions?  
• Who benefits from taking a probiotic? When should you take them? 
• Where probiotics are “naturally” found outside of supplements 
• Is it better to get probiotics from a dietary source versus a supplement? 
• Probiotic sodas & processed foods: Are they worth the sticker shock? 
• Do you really need to take probiotics during or after a course of antibiotics? 
• What are prebiotics, and how do they differ from probiotics?  
• The risks of taking probiotics 
• How to choose an effective probiotic amid the dubious claims 

Links:

• Clinical Guide to Probiotic Products Available in USA

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Prostate cancer has been referred to as both a silent killer and the silent man’s disease. Why? For one, many men don’t like talking or even thinking about it, since the disease affects sexual and urinary function. For another, there are no obvious early warning signs. So what should every man know about prostate cancer? When should you get screened for it? And what are the risk factors, symptoms and treatments? In this episode, we shine a light on prostate cancer, a common but often misunderstood and underemphasized type of the disease.

Expert: Dr. Michael Brooks, Urologic Oncologist 

Interviewer: Zach Moore   

Notable topics covered:  

• BRCA gene mutations: They don’t just raise the risk of breast cancer     
• Symptoms common to prostate cancer and an enlarged prostate 
• Does an enlarged prostate increase the risk of prostate cancer? 
• PSA screening: when to start, when to stop 
• When do you need a digital rectal exam? Are they as bad as they sound? 
• The ages when prostate cancer treatment is most beneficial 
• Surgery or radiation? The advantages and disadvantages 
• High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU): the effective new therapy for some cases 
• A slow-moving tumor: Why more men die with prostate cancer than because of it 
• Active surveillance: The decision not to treat 
• Prevention? Just the standard proper diet and exercise 

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We’ve all come across home remedies at some point in our lives. Whether it was our parents offering ginger ale for an upset stomach or a friend suggesting local honey for allergies, there’s no shortage of at-home treatments people swear by. But do any of them actually work? In this episode, we explore some of the most popular home remedies to uncover what works and what doesn’t. 

Expert:  Dr. Megan Arthur, Primary Care Physician 

Interviewer: Zach Moore 

Notable topics covered: 

• Can a frozen water bottle hack plantar fasciitis? 
• What home remedies work for a sore throat 
• Does a steak or bag of frozen peas do anything for a black eye? 
• The effect of butter or coconut oil on burns, olive oil on chapped lips   
• Can coffee alleviate gout? 
• MacGyver skin care: toothpaste for acne, duct tape for warts? 
• Does vinegar actually get rid of lice?  
• Can ginger prevent or alleviate nausea caused by morning or motion sickness? 
• How prunes and prune juice, love them or hate them, affect constipation  
• Can cranberry juice treat a urinary tract infection (UTI)? 
• Is it OK to scare someone with hiccups? 
• Can the bees in your area cure your seasonal allergies with their honey? 
• The true powers of chicken soup 

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Weightlifting has been around for ages, but it’s never been more popular than now, thanks in part to new research on its health benefits. The classic form of strength training — one of the cornerstones of the CDC’s exercise recommendations — weightlifting is linked to better bone strength, balance, metabolism, fat burning and cardiovascular health. Plus, it may help reduce cancer risk and even extend lifespans. But how much do you really know about it? Are you ready to start lifting? Are you getting the most out of your sessions? In this episode, we provide the lowdown on everything you need to know about what some experts call the fountain of youth.

Expert: Dwight Adsit, Athletic Trainer

Interviewer: Todd Ackerman

Notable topics covered: 

• Is strength training now considered more important than aerobic exercise? 
• The rate at which muscle declines as you age 
• The most common mistakes made by weightlifters 
• Guidance for beginners intimidated by the prospect of lifting weights 
• Guidance for aging lifters unsure how much weight to hoist 
• How to maximize your workout without getting injured 
• Which is better: machines or free weights, more reps or heavier loads? 
• How long you should rest between sets 
• How much does weightlifting increase your protein needs? 
• Strength training’s underappreciated benefit: your brain

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Sinus problems are the bane of many people's existence, all that congestion and discharge, difficulty breathing, post-nasal drip, coughing, pressure. But is the issue an infection or allergies? It can be a tricky question, even for doctors, who see about 30 million people annually for sinus infections and more than 80 million annually for allergies. So what are the key distinguishing symptoms? Why is it sometimes so hard to tell the difference? And is there any overlap in the treatments? In this week's episode, we attempt to unlock the mystery of the two most common sinus ailments.

Expert: Dr. Mas Takashima, Otolaryngologist

Interviewer: Todd Ackerman

Notable topics covered:

• The tools sinus specialists use when severe allergies mimic symptoms of infections
• Is there a difference in the body's response to sinus infections and allergens?
• The study that found many chronic allergy sufferers' real issue was an infection
• Viral, bacterial, fungal — which sinus infection type is the most concerning?
• How to know if the antibiotic killed the infection when it's allergy season and you're still having symptoms
• Stricken with a viral sinus infection? Beware follow-up bacterial infection months later
• Do food allergies affect sinuses?
• How long is too long to have mysterious nasal symptoms?
• Distinguishing between long Covid and allergies or other infections

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A diagnosis of coronary artery disease, or CAD, should be taken seriously. But what does this mean exactly? CAD is the most common type of heart disease — 18 million adults in the U.S. live with the condition — roughly the combined populations of New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and our fair city of Houston. In this episode, we explore how we can prevent CAD from ever developing — and potentially prevent it from ever leading to heart attack or stroke.   

Expert: Dr. Mahmoud Al Rifai, Preventive Cardiologist

Interviewer: Kim Rivera Huston-Weber

Notable topics covered: 

• What causes CAD — and who’s at risk 
• Cholesterol: the major culprit behind the development of arterial plaque  
• Why someone should take a CAD diagnosis seriously 
• The four types of heart disease prevention 
• How cardiologists calculate your risk for heart attack or stroke 
• Coronary artery calcium score: The CT scan that can show the severity of CAD 
• The differences between heart disease, cardiovascular disease and CAD  
• Can you reverse the effects of coronary artery disease? 
• Ways to control CAD risk factors to prevent heart attacks, stroke 
• How to move past guilt, shame after a CAD diagnosis to change the course of the condition 
• How to support a loved one with heart disease 
• How stress and mental health affects your heart health  

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Body mass index, or BMI, has long been used to gauge whether a person's weight falls in a healthy range, but people are rightly wondering whether the measurement makes sense for today's world. Do we need better ways to talk about weight? In this episode, we explore what the formula does and doesn't measure, when focusing on BMI can lead to misleading conclusions and practical tips for keeping tabs on our weight.

Expert: Dr. Laura Choi, Weight Loss Surgeon

Interviewer: Katie McCallum

Notable topics covered:

• Is there even such a thing as an "ideal" weight?
• The "ancient" history of BMI, including what it measures and why it's so widely used
• The pros and cons of this measurement
• The misleading conclusions that can come from relying on BMI alone
• Why BMI is used for certain medical diagnoses and treatment plans
• If not BMI, how should you think about your weight?
• Alternatives to BMI: Could body roundness index (BRI) be a better tool?
• The importance of looking at trends (not single readings) when using a smart scale
• Body fat isn't all bad: The value of having some fatty tissue
• Number-free ways to think about your weight

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Milestone birthdays come with new rights and responsibilities. At 18, we can vote; at 21, we can drink; and at 40, women can get their first mammogram. Adding a potentially stressful cancer screening to your yearly to-do list (on top of everything else women manage) doesn't sound like much of a gift — but getting a mammogram is crucial to detecting breast cancer early, when it's easier to treat. In this episode, we explore what getting a mammogram (and the potential dreaded callback) is really like so you can feel confident about your first, fifth or twentieth.
 
Expert: Dr. Ainel Sewell, Breast Imaging Radiologist

Notable topics covered: 

• Why mammogram is the gold standard for detecting breast cancer 
• When (and how often) you should get a mammogram — and the criteria to start before age 40 
• The surprising conditions a mammogram can detect besides breast cancer 
• Know before you go: the time commitment, prep and whether you should schedule around your period   
• What a mammogram is like — from the time you step into the waiting room until the time you leave 
• How painful is getting a mammogram, really? 
• Do women with breast implants need to approach mammograms differently? 
• Is it common to get a callback — or be recalled — after your first mammogram? 
• Why consistency is key with mammograms (including where you get one) 
• You get a callback. How that "callback" appointment may go and the additional imaging that may be needed 
• You discover you have dense breast tissue or a benign breast condition. What's next? 
• What to expect if something suspicious is detected and you need a biopsy  
• Anxious or nervous about a mammogram? Why you're in good hands at a breast center 

If you enjoy these kinds of conversations, be sure to subscribe. And for more topics like this, visit our blog at houstonmethodist.org/blog.