The Good Health Cafe

In this episode our cafe guest is Dr. Yinka Akin-Deko. Dr. Yinka is a family physician based in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia with a special interest in dermatology and health equity. She came to the cafe to discuss the essential elements of a skincare routine and her tips on healthcare navigation and doctor-patient communication. Grab your warm drink and tune in for a great conversation!

Some key takeaways:

• The importance of sunscreen
• Components of a good skincare routine
• Melanoma warning signs
• Say what you’re concerned about
• ICE - Ideas, concerns, expectations

About Dr. Yinka Akin-Deko

Dr Yinka Akin-Deko is a Family Physician practicing in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. She finished medical school in 2004 and has worked as a family physician since 2012. She completed her postgraduate training in London, England.

Dr Akin-Deko moved to work in Dartmouth Nova Scotia in September 2019, a few days later she experienced her first hurricane!

Her clinic incorporates all aspects of Family Medicine including prenatal care, child health, preventative care and end of life support.

Her special interests are dermatology, especially skincare for black skin, and health equity. She is a member of various medical organisations and is a board member of the Health Association of African Canadians.

As an advocate for health equity, Dr Akin-Deko has a special insight having lived and worked as an immigrant on two continents. As a woman of colour herself, she is acutely aware of the desperate need to advocate for herself when seeking healthcare, and also make sure her black patients are able to vocalise their health concerns and demand the best of the healthcare system.

Dr Akin-Deko enjoys traveling and is passionate about reading black female authors. She enjoys running, reading and spending time with her husband and two sons.

The Good Health Cafe

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The Good Health Candle Company

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In this episode our cafe guest is Ms Angela Frazier. Angela is a speaker and the author of A Kid’s Book About Suicide. She came to the cafe to share her story of losing her mother to suicide, how her supportive family helped her through and some warning signs and risk factors for suicide. Grab your warm drink and tune in for a great conversation!

Some key takeaways:

• Support is key
• Benefits of group therapy
• Why she shares her story
• Warning signs and risk factors

About Angela Frazier

Angela N. Frazier, MPH is a speaker, Founder of Sisters in Public Health, and author of A Kids Book About™ Suicide. Angela received her Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences and Communication from Portland State University. She also holds a Masters of Public Health in Community Health from UTHealth School of Public Health. She was honored to represent her graduating class as the 2018 Student Commencement Speaker. Since the loss of her mother to suicide in 2016 she has dedicated her time and efforts to sharing her story by bringing tough topics to the forefront of conversation. This began with the opening of a shelter for survivors of domestic violence in honor of her mother. The Tami Best Emergency Shelter was created for survivors of domestic violence fleeing abusive relationships. In 2020, Angela founded a nonprofit, Sisters in Public Health (SIPH) to connect all women in public health. SIPH now has chapters in nine different cities and has awarded over $5,000 in scholarships to masters and doctorate level public health students. Hearing her reflect on her journey towards service and healing gives those who hear her a renewed and inspired sense of purpose, grounded in her shared resilience.

The Good Health Cafe

www.thegoodhealthcafe.com

Facebook and Instagram: @thegoodhealth cafe

Sign up for our mailing list: https://www.thegoodhealthcafe.com/submit-your-question

Sponsor Info:

The Good Health Candle Company

www.goodhealthcandle.com

@goodhealthcandle on Instagram and Facebook

The Good Health Cafe Feedback Form

https://www.thegoodhealthcafe.com/submit-your-question

@thegoodhealthcafe on Instagram and Facebook

Episode 65: Weight Loss that sticks

In this episode our cafe guest is Dr. Charmaine Woode. Dr. Woode is a practicing weight loss physician and coach. She came to the cafe to share some challenges to consistent behavior change, how to not get discouraged on the weight loss journey, myths and misconceptions about weight loss and of course, because this is The Good Health Cafe, we also get her perspective on how to advocate for yourself in the healthcare system. Grab your warm drink and tune in for a great conversation!

Some key takeaways:

• Tips to losing weight
• Know the aspects of self care. Some include: sleep, movement and nutrition
• Your doctor isn't a mind reader

About Dr. Charmaine Woode

Charmaine Blake Woode, MD is a practicing weight loss physician and Coach. She graduated from Oakwood University in 1990 with a B.S. in biology, received her M.D. from the University of Alabama in Birmingham in 1995 and completed her residency in Pediatrics at Emory University in 1998. After years of practicing pediatrics in the private, public health and academic sectors in Birmingham, Dayton, and Memphis, she and her husband Dwain Woode, MD, moved to Huntsville in 2011 and opened their own practice, Diabetes and Endocrine Wellness Center. In 2018, they opened a second practice, The Lighter Weigh, which focuses on weight loss. Individuals who have worked with Dr. Woode have been able to change their relationship to food, relate to themselves in a more loving way, develop the habits that lead to permanent weight loss, and bring unbalanced areas of their lives into balance so they could be successful in losing weight. What she loves most about what she does is seeing the increased energy, confidence and joy that accompany her customers’ weight loss journeys. When she’s not working, she enjoys travelling, taking pictures of nature while walking, completing jigsaw puzzles, and watching superhero and star-wars themed entertainment with her son, Blake.

The Good Health Cafe

www.thegoodhealthcafe.com

Facebook and Instagram: @thegoodhealth cafe

The Good Health Cafe Feedback Form

https://www.thegoodhealthcafe.com/submit-your-question

Sponsor Info:

The Good Health Candle Company

www.goodhealthcandle.com

@goodhealthcandle on Instagram and Facebook

In this episode our cafe guest is Ms. Jessica Lorion. Jessica is an actress and host of the Mamas in Training podcast.  She came to the cafe to share how she received her psoriatic arthritis diagnosis and how she was able to successfully wean herself off her medications. We also learn her motivation for doing so and her recommendations for living with an autoimmune disease. Grab your warm drink and tune in for a great conversation!

Some key takeaways:

• Know your why
• Be your own advocate
• Know your body
• Having supportive people in your corner is essential
• Sometimes it's better not to say anything 

Free medication tracker here

About Jessica Lorion

Jessica Lorion is an American TV, film, and theatre artist based in NYC. She’s also the Host and Producer of the Podcast: Mamas in Training.

Screen credits include Metro Park (Eros Now/Amazon Prime), Homicide City: Charlotte (Investigation Discovery) and a national commercial for King Clean. Her theatrical credits include the North American tour of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (Babette) and two productions of Mary Poppins (Mary Poppins).

She has been a part of new readings with Broadway Licensing Worldwide and recorded new works with Theatrical Rights Worldwide. She also helped create Ghost: The Musical - Chamber Version in a world premiere production (co-produced by The Fulton Theatre and Maine State Music Theater).

The creator, host, and producer of the podcast, Mamas in Training, Jessica is learning everything she can about motherhood before she is a mother. She created the podcast to give new moms guidance and community from moms who’ve been there. As she fights an auto-immune disease that delays her motherhood journey, she is learning right alongside you.

Listen to the @MamasinTrainingPod HERE OR, on iTunes, Spotify and GooglePlay.

The Good Health Cafe

www.thegoodhealthcafe.com

Facebook and Instagram: @thegoodhealth cafe

Sign up for our mailing list: 

Sponsor Info:

The Good Health Candle Company

www.goodhealthcandle.com

@goodhealthcandle on Instagram and Facebook

The Good Health Cafe Feedback Form

https://www.thegoodhealthcafe.com/submit-your-question

@thegoodhealthcafe on Instagram and Facebook

In this episode our cafe guest is Ms. Sophie Blondin. Sophie is a certified coach who has worked in oncology for 14 years. She came to the cafe to discuss how to support someone with cancer, her favourite resources for reliable information, share some misconceptions that she has observed among caregivers and supporters of those with cancer and debunk some myths. Grab your warm drink and tune in for a great conversation!

Some key takeaways:

• What’s not said is interpreted
• Life doesn’t automatically go back to normal after the last treatment
• You have cancer, you are not a cancer
• Just listen, be there and don’t forget yourself as a caregiver
• Don’t be afraid to ask questions

Free medication tracker here

About Sophie Blondin

Sophie has been working in oncology for 14 years. She worked in different organizations (CCS, Hope & Cope, MUHC, BTFC and ROCO). Combining her first career in education and her training as a certified coach, she put in place many services and programs for patients and caregivers.

Today while doing her research on coaching and After Cancer, she now works in HR in a hospital. Her work is to support the mental health of the hospital staff. 

In this episode our cafe guest is Dr. Dwain Woode. Dr. Woode is an endocrinologist and the owner and medical director of Diabetes and Endocrine Wellness Center and The Lighter Weigh in Huntsville, Alabama. He came to the cafe to discuss diabetes, its causes and its management and how to advocate for yourself in health care settings. Grab your warm drink and tune in for a great conversation!

Some key takeaways:

• There are two forms of diabetes - type 1 and type 2
• Diabetes is not a sugar problem
• Blood sugar levels are affected by more than just food and exercise 
• Sleep is important

Free medication tracker here

About Dwain Woode

Dr. Dwain Woode is the owner and medical director of Diabetes and Endocrine Wellness Center and The Lighter Weigh in Huntsville, Alabama. He is a graduate of Oakwood University in Huntsville, Alabama where he obtained his undergraduate degrees. He completed his training in internal medicine and pediatrics at the Boonshoft School of Medicine at Wright State university in Dayton, Ohio. His fellowship training in endocrinology, diabetes, and metabolism was at The University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine. Dr. Woode is a speaker, life coach, youTuber, father and husband. His goal is to educate, empower, and encourage his listeners to take charge of their health and life, avoid complications and live the life they have always wanted. He lives in Huntsville, AL with his wife Dr. Charmaine Woode, a weight loss physician and their son Blake.

In this episode our cafe guest is Dr. Judy Brangman. Dr. Judy is a board certified Internal Medicine Physician and Plant Based Nutrition Expert. She came to cafe to explain what lifestyle medicine is, the benefits of a plant based diet and how to advocate for yourself in health care settings. Grab your warm drink and tune in for a great conversation! 

Some key takeaways:

• You don’t need to be 100% plant based to reap the benefits
• You don’t need dairy to get calcium
• You can get adequate protein on a plant based diet

Free medication tracker here

Need help with health navigation? Learn more about The Good Health Cafe Lounge

About Judy Brangman

Dr. Judy Brangman, MD, is a board-certified Internal Medicine physician. Dr. Judy obtained her Doctor of Medicine degree from Wake Forest School of Medicine and completed her Internal Medicine residency at East Carolina University/Vidant Hospital. She is also certified in Lifestyle Medicine by the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine and holds a Certificate in Plant Based Nutrition from T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies. She has been plant based for over 7 years. 

Dr. Judy’s passion is helping people transition to a healthy plant based diet so that they can thrive and live an abundant life. She does this via online programs, courses, public speaking, and her social media platforms (@theplantbasedmd). She believes that in order to fully live the life you were intended to live on this earth, you need to be in optimum health (physically, emotionally, and spiritually). Dr. Judy is originally from Bermuda. She currently also works as a Hospitalist in Raleigh, NC. 

Dr. Judy’s website: https://theplantbasedmd.com 

In this episode our cafe guest is Dr. Quantrilla Ard. Dr. Ard is a passionate maternal health advocate. She came by the cafe to share her experiences of miscarriage and preeclampsia. Grab your warm drink and tune in for a great conversation! 

She offer her suggestions on:

• How to deal with grief
• How to support others
• How to advocate

Need help with health navigation? Learn more about The Good Health Cafe Lounge

About Quantrilla Ard

Quantrilla Ard, PhD, is a recent transplant to the Atlanta area along with her husband and three littles. She is a literary agent, faith-based personal and spiritual development author and speaker who believes in the power of collective strength, community, and fellowship. She recently graduated from Walden University with a PhD in Health Psychology and is an advocate for social justice with a focus on Black maternal and infant health and mortality. You can find her sharing stories of triumph at www.thephdmamma.com.

In this episode our cafe guest is Ms. Amadea Kezar. Amadea is the owner and clinical director of ASK Physiothérapie, a pelvic health physiotherapy clinic in Montreal. She came by the cafe to give us an overview of what pelvic floor physiotherapy entails, who it is for and why pelvic health issues are too common to be taboo. Grab your warm drink and tune in for a great conversation!

Some key takeaways included:

• Pelvic floor physiotherapy is for everyone
• It is much more than kegels
• There’s value in looking beyond, 
• Speak up 
• There is hope!

Need help with health navigation? Learn more about The Good Health Cafe Lounge

Free medication tracker here

About Amadea Kezar

Amadea Kezar is the owner and clinical director of ASK Physiothérapie, a pelvic health physiotherapy clinic in Montreal. She holds a Masters degree in physiotherapy from McGill University and is an expert in pelvic floor physiotherapy for cis and trans men and women. In addition to treating urinary, ano-rectal and pre-postnatal dysfunction she has a particular interest in persistent pelvic and genital pain.

Amadea is an international speaker and regularly presents for teaching hospitals in Montreal. In 2011 she created the “More Than Kegels” workshop which she hosts within the community to raise awareness about pelvic health and pelvic floor dysfunction. Her mission is to quicken access to pelvic health physiotherapy by addressing the taboo surrounding symptoms of pelvic health issues. 

Website: https://askphysiomontreal.com

In this episode our cafe guest is Karla Mans Giroux. Karla is a holistic health coach, facilitator and speaker. We discuss the 10 healing factors outlined in Dr. Kelly Turner’s book, Radical Hope: 10 Key Healing Factors from Exceptional Survivors of Cancer & Other Diseases, 

Grab your warm drink and tune in for a great conversation!

Some key takeaways included:

• Of the 10 factors 3 are physical and the remaining 7 are emotional/spiritual 
• This list was generated based on the research of Dr. Kelly Turner who analyzed over 1500 cases
• This research has now expanded to include other diseases

Need help with health navigation? Learn more about The Good Health Cafe Lounge

Free medication tracker here

About Karla Mans Giroux

Karla Mans Giroux is a cancer thriver living with metastatic breast cancer. She knows how important change can be, and never more important than when faced with a life-threatening disease.​

Karla was originally diagnosed with breast cancer in 2003 and underwent a mastectomy, chemo, and radiation. Eleven years later, in late 2014, a metastatic cancer challenge arose. With a goal to live to be 100,+ this did not align.

Karla embarked on a healing and learning journey to help herself regain optimal health and longevity. She is blessed to report stable scans / “no evidence of disease” since 2016! Now she is helping others find healing and wholeness on their journey through cancer.

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Karla received her certification as a holistic health coach through Wisdom of the Whole Coaching Academy, as well as the National Board of Health & Wellness Coaches (NBHWC). She is also a Certified Radical Remission™ Workshop Facilitator and Speaker, and is passionate about inspiring and teaching those on a cancer journey, as well as those seeking prevention, general health and longevity.​

Karla has every intention of making it to 100 and with the strength of resilience and a positive spirit she is loving every moment on that journey! Join her in December 2065 for the party of the century!

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Email: [email protected]

Tel: 847-306-9599

Virtual Workshop coupon code for $50 off: 50off

Podcast Sponsor Info:

The Good Health Candle Company

www.goodhealthcandle.com

@goodhealthcandle on Instagram and Facebook

The Good Health Cafe Feedback Form https://www.thegoodhealthcafe.com/submit-your-question

Subscribe to The Good Health Cafe mailing list here: https://www.thegoodhealthcafe.com