Best The Better Healthcast Podcasts (2024)

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Episode 93: Ozempic makes you taller! 26:55

3M ago26:55

26:55

We're back! After a summer hiatus, we're discussing claims that GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic have beneficial effects beyond treating diabetes and obesity.

1
Episode 92: Our healthy habit hacks 37:37

6M ago37:37

37:37

We’re all creatures of habit - sometimes good ones, sometimes bad ones. We share our favorite healthy habit hacks and provide some suggestions on how to create your own.

1
Episode 91: Know thy enemy 29:09

7M ago29:09

29:09

In The Art of War, Sun Tzu wrote “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles”. In the battle for our physical and emotional wellbeing, the enemy is the the disconnect between our modern environment and our evolutionary biology.

1
Episode 90: To Love and To Grow 28:57

8M ago28:57

28:57

Amare e Crescere (To Love and To Grow): Our Common Purpose is “The Dad’s” new Substack publication exploring love and growth as the path to meaning and happiness.

1
Episode 89: AI in Healthcare 34:41

8M ago34:41

34:41

We are in (the beginning stage of) the artificial intelligence (AI) era. Ever since ChatGPT was released to the public in December 2020, this technology has captivated us with its possibilities, for better and for worse. AI will undoubtedly affect our lives in profound and, as of now, inestimable ways. This includes our economy - how we work to pro…

1
Episode 88: Dad has a colonoscopy 29:26

9M ago29:26

29:26

There were 153,000 new cases of colorectal cancer diagnosed in the US in 2023 and 52,500 people died due to the disease with another 1.4 million Americans living with it. However, colorectal cancer is also a disease which is almost assuredly avoidable - with proper screening.

1
Episode 87: The importance of resistance training 24:23

10M ago24:23

24:23

Resistance training (RT) associated with various health benefits that are under-appreciated compared with the perceived benefits of aerobic-based exercise. For example, RT participation is associated with reduced all-cause mortality and reduced incidence of cardiovascular disease, cancer, hypertension, and symptoms of both anxiety and depression.…

1
Episode 86: Semiglutide, Covid, Crisper - 2023 in Review 42:45

10M ago42:45

42:45

It was a year filled with amazing new treatments addressing some of the most challenging medical conditions as well as the continued battle against several intractable diseases.

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Episode 85: The state of Primary Care 36:01

1y ago36:01

36:01

There are several things happening within primary care medicine that are very interesting so wanted to have a general discussion around these trends and also get an update on the Dr’s direct primary care practice.

1
Episode 84: (Another) Covid-19 Update 29:37

1y ago29:37

29:37

We’re fast approaching the 4 year anniversary of the emergence of Covid-19, the disease associated with the Sars-Cov-2 virus. And, although the US declared pandemic emergency ended three months ago, the disease is still with us – As we learned in our home last week when Nonna contracted it (for the first time). She’s recovering but it kicked her bu…

1
Episode 83: Your mouth matters 25:06

1+ y ago25:06

25:06

Going to the dentist has always been one of my least favorite things to do. It seems people generally fall into 2 camps when it comes to dental hygiene – Some are like me. They have problems with cavities, gum disease or both and dental visits are long, painful and somewhat shaming – “Do you floss? You should waterpick, etc, etc”. Others who have b…

1
Episode 82: Random interesting health sh1T 31:57

1+ y ago31:57

31:57

The evolutionary basis for hypercholesterolmia. The Bayesian model of brain function. mRNA Cancer vaccine. A wristband hearing aid.

1
Episode 81: Ask the Dr Anything: Rapamycin, Metformin and more 37:55

1+ y ago37:55

37:55

Are Rapamycin and Metformin safe (and effective) longevity drugs? Do the the new class of weight loss medications - Mounjaro and Wegovy, promote muscle loss? Where are we at with Covid and vaccines? Should we be worries about bird flu now?

1
Episode 80: Bad Booze 24:21

1+ y ago24:21

24:21

We can’t fool ourselves any longer. It’s becoming clear there are NO net health benefits to drinking alcohol. We’re generally all aware of the downsides of alcohol consumption: liver damage, impaired activities such as driving, risk of addiction, excess calories, hangovers and poor sleep quality. But when we thought people who imbibed moderately li…

1
Episode 79: Turn! Turn! Turn! 29:30

1+ y ago29:30

29:30

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven…” Pete Seeger The song became a hit in late 1965 when it was adapted by the American folk group, the Byrds The lyrics are taken almost verbatim from the book of Ecclesiastes in the King James Bible. What does this have to do with health? Well - maybe we can use the conc…

1
Episode 78: The neurobiological link to cravings 32:48

1+ y ago32:48

32:48

In both Western and Eastern philosophy, craving has been considered a source of suffering and unhappiness. While craving is an important feature of substance use disorders, eating disorders, and other psychiatric conditions, it is also a general aspect of human experience. Identifying the neurobiological basis of this driver of human behavior is th…

1
Episode 77: Will AI eat Healthcare 36:03

2y ago36:03

36:03

In 2011 Marc Andreessen, the founder of Netscape and the A16Z VC firm, famously wrote “software is eating the world”. Meaning, software companies would significantly disrupt traditional industries. And, we’ve seen that happen – almost every company needs an IT person or department. Now, we’re hearing AI will eat the world. And, there are some incre…

1
Episode 76: The top 5 health stories of 2022 41:30

2y ago41:30

41:30

We’re taking a look back at the major health stories of the past year. Yes, COVID is still a big issue but the flu and RSV are on the rise too. The Dr is annoyed and frustrated about a number of things having to to with vaccines, new weight loss drugs, abortion rights and more.

1
Episode 75: Protein deep dive 45:11

2y ago45:11

45:11

There are three “macro” nutrients – Carbohydrate, Fat and Protein. We generally consume fats and carbs for energy to fuel our bodies. Protein is different. While it can be converted to fuel if needed, or if consumed in greater quantities than is required by the body, our protein consumption drives the processes that build lean mass and the creation…

1
Episode 74: Ask the Dr Anything 33:34

2y ago33:34

33:34

Should we get another COVID booster shoot? Can I get the flu shot at the same time? What’s this miracle weight loss drug all about? The Dr answers these and several more questions on another AMA.

1
Episode 73: Get Stronger. Live Longer 29:23

2y ago29:23

29:23

It’s been a recurring theme of ours - To maximize your healthspan you need to include some resistance training, aka strength training. While aerobic exercise (everything from brisk walking to jogging, biking, etc.) is also important, both are needed to get the best results – according to a study published in The British Journal of Sports Medicine t…

1
Episode 72: Direct Primary Care is hot! 41:00

2+ y ago41:00

41:00

Recent headlines include: Direct primary care provider Everside Health scores $164M Hint Health Announces $45 Million In New Funding To Fuel Growth Of Direct Primary Care Direct primary care: A path to achieving the Quadruple Aim of health care - Lower cost, better health, improved patient AND provider experience Why all the buzz?…

1
Podcast 71: Can we lower our risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia? 42:51

2+ y ago42:51

42:51

While the absolute number of people suffering from A/D in the developed countries of the world is growing, that is due to the general aging of the population. The age-specific incidence of dementia has fallen in many countries and the reasons for this decline point to some of the ways we may be able to control our risk for developing A/D. This is p…

1
Podcast 70: Can coffee help us live longer? 22:05

2+ y ago22:05

22:05

There have been a number of studies that indicate coffee drinkers live longer than non-drinkers. Previous research has linked coffee consumption with a lower risk of Parkinson’s disease, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, liver and prostate cancers and other health issues. Of course, all of these studies are observational epidemiological studies that …

1
Episode 69: Getting comfortable being uncomfortable 33:14

2+ y ago33:14

33:14

We humans evolved in a very challenging and uncomfortable environment. Threats of all types prevailed – predation, rival attacks, hunger, cold/heat, and significant physical exertion was required to survive. The fact that we’ve not only survived but thrived is testament to our ability to adapt. That adaptation includes genetic predispositions such …

1
Episode 68: Ask the Dr Anything - Exercise 43:09

2+ y ago43:09

43:09

Since we ran out of time in the last ATDA, as promised, we focus on activity and exercise in this episode. It’s a good thing we saved a whole episode for this subject because it went longer than we’d expected. Lots of great info on things like - Is all activity actually exercise? What’s the minimum effective dose of exercise? Should I focus on Zone…

1
Episode 67: Ask the Dr Anything: COVID, Mental Health, Nutrition 41:19

2+ y ago41:19

41:19

Another ATDA with Dr Ascanio covering topics from the pandemic and what we may expect this Spring to the epidemic of mental health issues we seem to be experiencing and finishing up with answer to a variety of nutrition questions - “Is peanut butter a health food?”

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Episode 66: Why we get hooked on unhealthy foods 33:07

2+ y ago33:07

33:07

Today most of us know that fast and processed foods are generally unhealthy. For example, it’s not like people are confused about whether a carrot or a cookie is a healthier food choice. So, why do we eat so much crap? It appears the reason many of us crave and consume fast and processed foods is that we are addictively drawn to these foods. Furthe…

1
Episode 65: Special three year anniversary episode 37:49

3y ago37:49

37:49

The Dr & Dad podcast debuted on February 1, 2019 with the goal of bringing new, interesting, evidence based methods for extending our healthspan to our listeners. While that still remains our mission, we’re shifting our emphasis a bit and focusing on how we can better help people adopt healthy habits and live longer, better lives.…

1
Episode 64: Arrivederci 2021 38:37

3y ago38:37

38:37

It was a pretty shitty year – We lost Nonno and Anthony, Covid wasn’t conquered by vaccines, political divisiveness reached new highs and our nations capital (and our democracy) was attacked. Inflation is high, supply chains are broken, climate catastrophes are becoming commonplace and I (the Dad) have to have more surgery… Despite all of this, the…

1
Episode 63: Omicron Oh My! 30:04

3y ago30:04

30:04

We recorded our first COVID-19 podcast on 2/21/20 and our last one in early September of this year when we updated listeners on the Delta variant. We speculated about whether it’d be the last time we talked about COVID and also if a new problematic variant would arise. Well…

1
Episode 62: Making healthy, easy and delicious food 54:19

3y ago54:19

54:19

It’s almost impossible to consistently eat healthy if you don’t regularly prepare your own food. This is a special holiday season episode and it also may be one of the most useful podcasts we’ve done because proper nutrition (eating healthy food) is one of the most important things we can do to support a longer healthspan. In this episode we share …

1
Episode 61: Liquid biopsies for cancer detection 42:19

3y ago42:19

42:19

The American Cancer Society estimates 600,000 Americans will die from cancer this year making it the second leading cause of death behind CVD. Finding cancer early, before it has metastasized and spread, is still the best way to fight this disease. Today, effective screenings are available for only five types of cancer – breast, cervical, colorecta…

1
Episode 60: Should we focus on weight loss or exercise for longer healthspan? 26:17

3y ago26:17

26:17

We’ve released several podcasts recently that focused on metabolic health including maintaining a healthy weight level. And, we’ve discussed that nutrition is a more potent lever than exercise if you’re looking to lose fat. In fact, lots of previous studies have documented the relative futility of relying on exercise for weight loss. However, inste…

1
Episode 59: COVID-19 - The Delta Variant, Vaccines and Masks 39:45

3y ago39:45

39:45

The US, and the world in general, is experiencing yet another surge in COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations and deaths. It was expected that the distribution of vaccines would protect us from this surge, but the variant of the virus spreading now (named Delta) is much more infectious and probably also causes more severe disease. So, we have some q…

1
Episode 58: Should you get a cardiac calcium scan? 37:15

3+ y ago37:15

37:15

A cardiac calcium scan (CCS) lets us know the extent of calcium within our cardiac artery walls. This Is important because this calcium forms over plaques which are the hallmark of cardiovascular damage. We have many tests that provide insight on our risk of developing cardiovascular disease (such as blood cholesterol levels, blood pressure, etc.) …

1
Episode 57: The benefits of carbohydrate restriction 39:11

3+ y ago39:11

39:11

We’ve discussed metabolic health and the benefits of carbohydrate restriction on a number of our past podcasts so listeners may wonder why we’re going back to this subject. Well, there are a number of new studies that have recently been published that have really put an exclamation point on the efficacy of carbohydrate restriction in treating thing…

1
Episode 56: A chat with the amazing Julie Foucher! 44:13

3+ y ago44:13

44:13

Dr. Julie Foucher is a board-certified family physician. She completed her medical school and residency training at the Cleveland Clinic, holds a Master’s in Nutrition from Case Western Reserve University, and has completed the Integrative Medicine in Residency curriculum through the University of Arizona. Julie competed in the CrossFit Games from …

1
Episode 55: The Dr’s Direct Primary Care Practice Update 45:03

3+ y ago45:03

45:03

At the beginning of 2021 The Dr left the large hospital system’s family medicine clinic where she’d worked for several years to open her own direct primary care practice. So, how has it gone? Does she have patients? Does she love it? These and other scintillating questions are answered!

1
Episode 54: Zone 2 training vs HIIT 36:53

3+ y ago36:53

36:53

We know that aerobic exercise is an important component of a healthy, active lifestyle. But, what type of aerobic exercise should we be focusing our time and energy on – Relatively low intensity workouts (so called “ Zone 2”), or high intensity interval training (HIIT)? Some recent studies may be helpful in answering this question.…

1
Episode 53: All about your Metabolic Health 45:49

3+ y ago45:49

45:49

What is “metabolic health and why is it important? As its name implies, metabolic health is related to our metabolism which is the set of chemical reactions that support life. Metabolic dysfunction, including obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and other problems is rampant within industrialized countries and the Dr’s primary patient challenge.…

1
Episode 52: Dr. Brandon Baartman joins to discuss vision health 48:44

3+ y ago48:44

48:44

Ophthalmologist Dr. Brandon Baartman, aka the Dr's husband, makes a guest appearance to tell us (almost) everything he know's about the amazing eye and how we can best protect our vision. We discuss how Brandon became interested in this specialty and his experiences in medical school, residency and during a fellowship. He explains the amazing physi…

1
Episode 51: Allulose – A miracle sweetener? 40:12

4y ago40:12

40:12

It seems as if Allulose has gone from a relatively unknown sweetener to our preferred type in about 3 months. (Except spellcheck on Word still doesn’t recognize it and marks Allulose as a misspelling) The average American consumes about 53 lbs. of sugar annually contributing to obesity, diabetes and other metabolic disorders. Could Allulose help so…

1
Episode 50 - How much exercise is need to lose weight? 35:56

4y ago35:56

35:56

It should be pretty simple – Begin or increase your exercise routine and weight loss becomes easier. We know from experience though that isn’t necessarily true. So why doesn’t the added caloric deficit of exercise translate to success in managing our waistlines? Is there a some amount of exercise that is likely to deliver weight loss results?…

1
Episode 49: The Dr. gets the vaccine, and other COVID-19 stories 32:29

4y ago32:29

32:29

Dr. Ascanio received the initial shot for the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine about 10 days ago. We discuss her experience as well as the vaccine rollout process and concerns around the possibly more virulent UK strain in our final episode for 2020.

1
Episode 48: COVID-19 Vaccines to the Rescue! 48:06

4y ago48:06

48:06

As the so-called “third wave” of the COVID-19 virus rages across the US and the world, encouraging news is coming from projects aimed at creating vaccines to protect us from getting the disease. Of course, the two questions on everyone’s mind are: “When can I get it?“, and “Will it be safe?” We offer our perspective and opinion on these issues and …

1
Episode 47: The best diet for health and longevity 36:10

4y ago36:10

36:10

Humans are opportunistic omnivores. We eat everything available that doesn’t outright poison us. The omnivore’s dilemma is the question of what should we be eating within such a large and diverse set of options. A new research paper asserts that a Pesco-Mediteranian diet along with intermittent fasting is best supports a lengthy healthspan.…

1
Episode 46: Direct Primary Care - A better healthcare model 43:49

4y ago43:49

43:49

The Dr. is making the transition from working for a large hospital system to private practice in a fast growing healthcare model. It’s called ”Direct Primary Care” (DPC) because the relationship between Dr. and patient is exactly that - direct. There’s no insurance carrier or corporate bureaucracy in the way and that allows for a much better health…

1
Episode 45: How to read a food label 34:38

4y ago34:38

34:38

There’s a ton of information available on food labels. All of it is mandated by the FDA, but it can be confusing and even somewhat misleading if you don’t know what to look for.

1
Episode 44: COVID-19 vaccine to the rescue? 35:51

4y ago35:51

35:51

We're beginning to hear that a COVID-19 vaccine is getting close to approval. Maybe more than one. But, given the shortcuts in the process (compared to the usual vaccine development timeline), can we be sure it will be safe to take? In this election year, of course this issue has become highly politicized and particularly confusing. Listen in to so…

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