Eat Move Think

Dr. Jennifer Zelovitzky is the clinical director of the Menopause and Perimenopause at Medcan. Since the program launched this year, she’s been working with women at Medcan to educate them about their health and help treat their unique symptoms and situations. Here, she joins Marisa Ciarlitto to chat about the questions that she gets asked most, how she helped some of her clients get through common problems, and how you can get the most benefit out of your next appointment with your doctor. Check out the episode webpage for links and more info.

Adult acne affects 5.6 million Canadians (and 75% of them are women!). September is Acne Awareness Month, so in episode 187 of Eat Move Think, we’ve teamed up with Refine, Medcan’s dermatology clinic, for the ultimate guide to adult acne. Dermatologist Dr. Jennifer Tran breaks down the who, what, where, when and whys of acne, and how you can know what’s best for your skin. Check out the episode webpage for links and more info.

It’s an exciting time for the fields of nutrition and neurology. This year, two large studies determined that taking a daily multivitamin could improve memory and cognition in older adults. So can supplements actually improve your brain health? How else can food choices affect cognitive function? Here, our Eat host, Leslie Beck, RD, is joined by Toronto Memory Program medical director Dr. Sharon Cohen to provide a comprehensive guide to multivitamins and cognition. Check out the episode webpage for links and more info.

Whether you’re working on a deadline or enjoying time with friends, city noise is jarring to the ears and even worse for concentration. A growing body of scientific evidence also suggests that high noise levels can be harmful to your health, increasing risk of hypertension, stroke and heart attacks. Here, environmental studies researcher Dr. Tor Oiamo joins Medcan CEO Shaun Francis to explore the connection between noise and health. They explain what’s so bad about long-term noise exposure, and how you can know if you’re within safe sound limits. Check out the episode webpage for links and more info.    

Gastrointestinal health complaints form a large proportion of the reasons people visit their doctors—even though few people like to talk about what’s going on down there. And Medcan’s registered dietitians often get questions about how to promote digestion. So our Eat host, Leslie Beck, Medcan’s clinical director of food and nutrition, suggested a guide to all the gut, microbiome and digestive tract questions our listeners might otherwise not be comfortable asking. Here, Beck is joined by Medcan gastroenterologist Dr. Bharat Markandey to tackle: What foods promote gut health? Do probiotics and prebiotics work? And how can you tell whether everything’s working correctly? It’s all in here—and more!  Check out the episode webpage for links and more info.

Research suggests that “one in three Canadians is living with diabetes or prediabetes.” So if your doctor tells you that you’re insulin resistant, what steps can you take? Here, Dr. Peter Nord is joined by Medcan endocrinologist Dr. Susan George—who was named to the Order of Canada in 2020—to break down how you can eat, move and think your way to improved insulin sensitivity—and maybe even reverse your diagnosis. Check out the episode webpage for links and more info.

Learn about the benefits of strength training for all ages, including reducing all cause mortality and maintaining mobility. Get insights into optimal prescription for strength and muscle growth, and how to start with small amounts of exercise. Discover the significance of exercise for patients, including those resistant to it, and the importance of resistance training for chronic pain and osteoarthritis.

Intermittent fasting is one of the most popular fitness and nutrition trends out there right now—not only as an effective weight loss technique, but as a way to manage chronic disease risk and lower blood pressure. So what risks come with IF, and what should you know before giving it a try? In this encore presentation, Eat host Leslie Beck joins IF expert Dr. Krista Varady of the University of Chicago, Illinois to break down the various types of IF, and how to do it safely and effectively for your body. Check out the episode webpage for links and more info.  

Last year, Medcan director of weight management Dr. David Macklin predicted the diabetes medication semaglutide would be a game changer for those seeking help to lose weight. Now known by trade names like Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus, today semaglutide is advertised on billboards and in TV commercials — and the hashtag has more than 330 million views on Tiktok. So we invited back Dr. Macklin to get his perspective on the medication, now that it’s actually on the market and being used by hundreds of thousands of people across North America. Joined by Medcan CMO Dr. Peter Nord, Dr. Macklin explains semaglutide’s benefits, side effects and costs — and describes what’s different about Medcan’s approach to weight management in the semaglutide era. DISCLOSURE In addition to his role at Medcan, Dr. Macklin helped to write the Canadian clinical guidelines for obesity. He also receives consulting fees, honoraria, and licensing fees from Novo Nordisk. Novo Nordisk is the manufacturer of semaglutide (trade name Ozempic). Check out the episode webpage for links and more info.

Something about exercising in nature just makes you feel good. Hiking up a hill to enjoy forest views. Biking through the countryside. Even a walk through your community. And in fact, a new study suggests that working out in fresh air provides a special boost to your cognitive abilities – one that you won’t get if you exercise indoors. So how does exercising outside really affect your body? Here, Medcan CEO Shaun Francis sits down with the study’s lead authors, Dr. Olav Krigolson and Katherine Boere of the University of Victoria, to understand what’s up.