Health Matters
Your weekly dose of health and wellness information, from the leading experts. Join host Faith Salie to get news you can use in your own life. New episodes drop each Wednesday.
Episodes
Research has shown that the outdoors can improve a person’s mental and physical health. In honor of Earth Day, Faith is joined this week by Dr. Erin Engle, a psychologist from NewYork-Presbyterian and Columbia to discuss the many ways that nature can reduce distractions and impact mood. Whether it's a brief walk around the block, playing outside with your kids, or volunteering at your local community garden, being outside has many ...
Recent surveys have shown that more than 60% of Americans are alcohol drinkers. But is there such a thing as a safe amount of alcohol? How does alcohol impact your health? Dr. Robert Brown, a hepatologist from NewYork-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medicine, explains the risks associated with excessive alcohol consumption and gives recommended intakes for men and women.
Filling in for Faith this week is Angelique Serrano, a managing editor at NewYork-Presbyterian. In honor of National Donate Life Month, Angelique sat down for a special conversation with living organ donor surgeon Dr. Joseph Del Pizzo, and his patient Steve Wilson, who donated his kidney to a stranger. Steve shares his journey — from his decision to donate to his recovery — while Dr. Del Pizzo offers his perspective on the procedur...
This week we revisit one of our favorite episodes. Host Faith Salie, talks to NewYork-Presbyterian psychiatrist, Dr. Adrian Jacques Ambrose, about high-functioning anxiety, the sometimes crippling stress felt by high-achieving, successful individuals. They keep it together on the outside, but may be filled with self-doubt and racing thoughts on the inside. Dr. Ambrose of NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia joins us to drill down into wha...
Are you seeing the headlines about lead poisoning?
Maybe you’ve heard that water bottles contain lead, or that cinnamon in applesauce was poisoning shoppers. Host Faith Salie talked with Dr. Adam Blumenberg to discuss the crucial context for news about lead poisoning. A toxicologist and doctor of emergency medicine, Dr. Blumenberg explains what lead is, what makes it poisonous, and how exposure might happen in our daily lives—and o...
Colon cancer is the deadliest form of cancer for men and the second deadliest for women under fifty, behind only breast cancer. Since 2020, colon cancer rates have risen nine percent in people under fifty. Millennials are at a higher risk for early onset colon cancer than previous generations have been.
Take all of that together, and it’s very clear that people of all ages need to educate themselves about the signs of colon cancer a...
Feeling tired? There are simple things you can do to maximize your energy. This week, Dr. Chiti Parikh shares with host Faith Salie ways to help our metabolism and circadian rhythms sync up — which will help with energy throughout the day. Dr. Parikh offers insights from her book, Intentional Health: Detoxify, Nourish, and Rejuvenate Your Body Into Balance, and explains how necessary it is to have a consistent daily routine. Along ...
Faith Salie brings back clinical dietitian Gabrielle Gambino to discuss how to combat inflammation through food. They discuss how fermented foods and fiber provide the basis for a heart-healthy diet, what inflammation really means, and how superfoods and nutrient dense foods give our bodies what we need to fuel a healthy lifestyle.
February is American Heart Month. When's the last time you measured your blood pressure? Do you know what "good" blood pressure even is? Or what about "good" cholesterol?
Brush up on the fundamentals – and get some clear guidelines for keeping tabs on your heart health - from Dr. Marc Eisenberg, a cardiologist from NewYork-Presbyterian and Columbia.
Click here for the episode transcript.
Are those chest pains signs of a heart attack…or a broken heart? Can a broken heart send you to the hospital? Broken Heart Syndrome is a real cardiac event brought on by an intense emotional reaction to life events. In honor of Valentine’s Day, our host Faith speaks with Dr. Joy Gelbman, cardiologist at NewYork-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medicine, about how the heart is a physical and emotional center of our body.
Click here for...
Have you kept up with your new year's resolutions? Dr. Jennifer Cruz, a clinical psychologist at NewYork-Presbyterian and Columbia discusses how to manage and maintain realistic goals. Dr. Cruz shares her perspective on setting goals, how to make them more achievable, and why you deserve credit — even when you feel like you’ve fallen short.
Many people started off the new year committing to a dry January. But what happens once the month is over? How should we approach alcohol in February and beyond? Whether you're having a dry January or a damp January, Dr. Robert Brown, the chief of gastroenterology and hepatology at NewYork-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medicine, explains why being mindful of our alcohol consumption has many health benefits, and how we can sustain...
It’s that time of year again - cold season. While sniffles and congestion are a hallmark of winter, there are a few respiratory viruses that can be far more serious. In this episode, Dr. Harjot Singh, an epidemiologist at NewYork-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medicine, explains why we’re more likely to get sick during the colder months and how to protect ourselves from the three major illnesses - COVID-19, the flu and RSV – that ...
For National Blood Donor Month, Courtney Allison speaks with Dr. Elizabeth Stone, assistant director of transfusion medicine at NewYork-Presbyterian and Columbia. Unprecedented blood shortages mean that the need for donated blood is as critical as ever. Dr. Stone demystifies the process of giving blood, explains blood types, and shares how both the recipient and the donor can benefit from a single donation.
Faith Salie talks with clinical dietitian Gabrielle Gambino, who offers advice on connecting our bodies and minds to our food choices. She explains why a rigid diet plan doesn’t work for most people, and how a mindful approach can help us be more compassionate to ourselves when it comes to what we eat.
To kick off the new year, Courtney Allison speaks with sports cardiologist Dr. Sonia Tolani about how we can set ourselves up for success with our resolutions around fitness. She describes which forms of exercise are recommended for improving our long term health, why focusing on exercise is more important than focusing on weight loss, and how much it can help to bring along others on our fitness journey.
We’re taking a break for the holidays. New episodes of Health Matters will return in January. For the holiday break, we are republishing one of this year’s most impactful episodes:
Faith Salie talks with Dr. Benjamin Lebwohl, a gastroenterologist at NewYork-Presbyterian and Columbia. He’s also the Director of Clinical Research at Columbia’s Celiac Disease Center, and an expert on the connections between gastrointestinal health and ...
This week our host, Faith Salie, talks to NewYork-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medicine endocrinologist Dr. Rekha Kumar, about the effects of sugar and artificial sweeteners on our health, recommendations to moderate sugar intake, and how to navigate the holiday season’s plethora of sweets and treats.
For Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, Faith Salie talks to Dr. Silky Pahlajani, a behavioral neurologist and neuropsychiatrist at NewYork-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medicine who specializes in Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Pahlajani describes how Alzheimer’s is diagnosed, what it really means in the body, and the reasons why Alzheimer's is more significant in women than in men. They also discuss why it’s important to challenge ourselves,...
NewYork-Presbyterian Managing Editor Courtney Allison speaks with Dr. Warren Ng, a psychiatrist at NewYork-Presbyterian and Columbia, who shares the health impacts of loneliness. Dr. Ng provides ways to strengthen our connections when we’re feeling lonely and gives tips on how to navigate loneliness during the holiday season.
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