Well, Now

Each week, we’ve explored wellness from different perspectives, but we haven’t talked about what it means to live a full life while grappling with the real possibility of death. Most of us hope for a full, long life with “good” health. But a serious, possibly fatal diagnosis changes everything: Our relationships with work, loved ones, and even the way we see ourselves.On this week’s episode of Well, Now we speak with author, journalist, and artist Suleika Jaouad. Many learned about her work in the Oscar-nominated documentary American Symphony – which chronicled her marriage to musician Jon Batiste as his career soared and her leukemia re-emerged. But Suleika began documenting illness and identity long before starring in an award-winning film.If you liked this episode, check out: “People Feel Like They’re Drowning”: The Long COVID Survivors Left BehindWell, Now is hosted by registered dietitian nutritionist Maya Feller and Dr. Kavita Patel.Editing and podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to wellnow@slate.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Everyone has a different birth experience. Obstetricians and midwives are well-known members of the birth team. Along with the pregnant person, they are central to labor and delivery.Doulas are lesser known, but they can provide essential support for pregnant women and their loved ones. On this week’s episode of Well, Now: What to expect when working with a doula with Latham Thomas, founder of Mama Glow.If you liked this episode, check out: Overcoming a Complicated PregnancyWell, Now is hosted by Maya Feller, CDN and Kavita Patel, MD.Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to wellnow@slate.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Youth mental health has hit a crisis point. Just last year, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy released an advisory connecting young people’s use of social media with adverse mental health outcomes. But Murthy and other public health leaders are fighting back, including New York City Health Commissioner Ashwin Vasan. He’s leading the charge against social media platforms like Meta, TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube through litigation and legislation.On this week’s episode of Well, Now – holding social media companies accountable for the youth mental health crisis.If you liked this episode, check out: Is it Burnout? Or, Do You Have a Busy Brain?Well, Now is hosted by Kavita Patel, MD and Maya Feller, RD.Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to wellnow@slate.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For many Americans, wellness is about mitigating and navigating disease. They’re looking for reliable ways to live healthier, longer lives.But some are thinking even bigger than that and looking beyond what doctors view as the standard lifespan: 10, 20, 30, even 40 years beyond it. These people are often called “biohackers.”On this week’s episode of Well, Now we talk to someone who’s considered the “Father of Biohacking” Dave Asprey on what exactly this movement is, and whether is it feasible for people who aren’t ridiculously rich.If you liked this episode, check out: We Don’t Need to Cure AutismWell, Now is hosted by Kavita Patel and Maya Feller.Podcast production by Ahyiana Angel and Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to wellnow@slate.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For many, pregnancy is a time of heightened and joyful anticipation. There are doctor’s appointments, tests, preparation…All with a focus on bringing home a healthy baby. The other side of pregnancy–the complications–is not readily discussed. On this week’s episode of Well, Now we discuss all of these potential roadblocks with economist Emily Oster. In her latest book The Unexpected: Navigating Pregnancy During and After Complications, she arms patients with the data they need to advocate for themselves in their appointments.If you enjoyed this episode, check out: How a Former Surgeon General Took on a $5,000 ER BillWell, Now is hosted by Kavita Patel, MD and Maya Feller, MS, RD, CDN.Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to wellnow@slate.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Jerome Adams, discusses receiving a $5,000 ER bill and strategies to combat surprise medical bills. The podcast explores healthcare challenges, insurance disparities, hospital pricing strategies, and the importance of transparency in healthcare costs. Adams emphasizes the need for fair pricing and understanding healthcare coverage to prevent financial crises.

A vital component of wellness is taking care of our mental health. But mental wellness is more than just drinking water, doing yoga, and going for a walk.Author and podcaster Allison Raskin has lived most of her life with diagnosed mental illness. By navigating her mental health journey over the years, she’s been able to find community and humor through her diagnoses, particularly by writing about her experience with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.On this week’s episode of Well, Now – navigating wellness while living with mental illness.Further reading: If My Mental Health Bothers You, I UnderstandIf you liked this episode, check out: Is it Burnout? Or, Do You Have a Busy Brain? Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry and Ahyiana Angel with editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to wellnow@slate.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

April is Autism Acceptance Month, and how we’ve come to understand autism has evolved over the past several decades. For years, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) was thought of as something that needed to be cured. Through better data and years of activism, that misunderstanding is changing.On this week’s episode of Well, Now we discuss that evolution with Sara Luterman, caregiving reporter for The 19th.Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry and Ahyiana Angel with editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to wellnow@slate.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As we approach the warmer months and start spending more time outside, healthy skin couldn’t be more important. So how can we best protect our body’s largest organ?Feel free to stock up on all the products for a 10-step routine if you want. But the reality is healthy skin requires just three products. The rest is kind of BS.This week on Well, Now we talk all things skin health with Dr. Adarsh Vijay Mudgil, a dermatologist and dermatopathologist based in New York City.If you liked this episode, check out: Spring Cleaning Your Medicine CabinetPodcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry and Ahyiana Angel with editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to wellnow@slate.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Spring is a time for fresh starts. For a lot of us, that means spring cleaning.But don’t worry, we’re not talking about the whole house. This week, the Well, Now team is spring cleaning our medicine cabinets. What are some medicinal must-haves, and what things should we definitely toss?Joining us to help tidy up is Dr. Mauricio Gonzalez, a board-certified physician in internal, emergency and obesity medicine.If you liked this episode, check out: What “Wellness” Is and Isn’tPodcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to wellnow@slate.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices