Healthy and Litty

Join Nandita and Mila in Episode 32 as they discuss what palliative care is, the importance of quality of life and misconceptions associated with palliative care with our guest expert, Dr. Joyce Cheung. Dr Joyce Cheung is a Family Medicine and Palliative Care physician based in Toronto, Ontario. She is the current Chair of the Section of Palliative Medicine at the Ontario Medical Association, and an Assistant Clinical Professor at McMaster University and Toronto Metropolitan University School of Medicine. Main topics: - What is Palliative Care? - Common misconceptions - Importance of Quality of Life - Role of a caregiver - Canadian Policies and InsuranceResources: https://www.virtualhospice.ca/en_US/Main+Site+Navigation/Home.aspxhttps://www.hpco.ca/https://www.advancecareplanning.cahttps://www.advancecareplanningontario.ca

New year, new goals… but why do so many resolutions fade by February? 🤔 In this episode of Healthy & Litty, Nandita and Mila break down the science behind habit formation and why motivation alone is not enough to create lasting change.Using evidence-based research, we explore how habits form through neuroplasticity, how the brain responds differently to short-term rewards versus long-term goals, and why dopamine is more about anticipation than effort 🎯. We also debunk the “21-day habit” myth and explain what research actually shows about how long habits take to stick ⏳.Finally, we discuss how stress, sleep, and emotional regulation impact self-control and decision-making, and what this means for building realistic, sustainable goals 🛌🧘‍♀️.Whether you are a student, healthcare provider, or simply working toward healthier habits, this episode offers science-backed insights to help your goals last beyond January 💚🎙️Resources & Research Referenced 📚🔍Habit Formation & MotivationRavel S, et al. (2018). Dopamine and motivation. Trends in Neurosciences. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tins.2018.10.001Additional foundational work: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-9568.2006.04905.xStress, Sleep & Emotional RegulationArnsten AFT. (2009). Stress signalling pathways and the prefrontal cortex. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 10(6), 410–422.Shields GS, et al. (2017). Effects of acute stress on executive function. Psychological Bulletin, 143(6), 636–675.Ding X, et al. (2020). Sleep quality and self-control. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 607548.Palmer CA, Alfano CA. (2017). Sleep and emotion regulation. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 11(12).Gross JJ. (2015). Emotion regulation: Current status and future prospects. Psychological Inquiry, 26(1), 1–26.Pruessner JC, et al. (2022). Stress regulation and resilience. IJERPH, 19(13), 7621.Habit Formation & MotivationRavel S, et al. (2018). Dopamine and motivation. Trends in Neurosciences. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tins.2018.10.001Additional foundational work: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-9568.2006.04905.xStress, Sleep & Emotional RegulationArnsten AFT. (2009). Stress signalling pathways and the prefrontal cortex. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 10(6), 410–422.Shields GS, et al. (2017). Effects of acute stress on executive function. Psychological Bulletin, 143(6), 636–675.Ding X, et al. (2020). Sleep quality and self-control. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 607548.Palmer CA, Alfano CA. (2017). Sleep and emotion regulation. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 11(12).Gross JJ. (2015). Emotion regulation: Current status and future prospects. Psychological Inquiry, 26(1), 1–26.Pruessner JC, et al. (2022). Stress regulation and resilience. IJERPH, 19(13), 7621.

Join Mila and Nandita in Episode 30 as they break down what a family doctor really does and why primary care matters. In this episode, they are joined by special guest Dr. Christopher Haddad, a PGY-1 Family Medicine Resident at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), who is focused on the critical intersection of primary care, patient advocacy, and medical education.With over seven years of clinical experience across community and academic settings, Dr. Haddad brings a strong foundation in patient-centred medicine, health-system quality improvement, and the application of evidence-based practice.Together, they discuss the role of a family doctor, what appointments typically look like, and the behind-the-scenes realities of family medicine. The episode wraps up with an insight of what's covered at a visit to the family doctors under OHIP.Please note that a video version of the episode will also be uploaded.

In this episode, we discuss healthy aging and how to care for older adults with Dr. Alessandra Palombo. Main Topics: - Dr. Palombo's journey in family medicine and senior care - Barriers to accessing memory and aging services - What healthy aging really means (mobility, cognition, independence, connection) - Myths about aging and what's actually preventable - Daily habits in your 20s-40s that protect long-term brain health - How families can support seniors while preserving autonomy - Community programs that help seniors age safely at home - The role of technology in improving senior care and reducing isolation

In episode 28, we chat about social prescribing in the Canadian healthcare system with Dr. Nicole D'Souza, a health systems researcher.

In this episode, we discuss navigating homelessness in the healthcare system with Fred Ellerington, a homeless outreach counsellor.Resources:-https://www.toronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/9790-street-needs-assessment-report-2024.pdf -https://housing-infrastructure.canada.ca/homelessness-sans-abri/resources-ressources/housing-first-logement-abord-eng.html 

In episode 26, Mila and Nandita discuss with Dr. Ripudaman Minhas the impact social media has on children's health literacy. Resources:-https://kidshealthnetwork.org/ -https://www.cma.ca/healthcare-for-real-https://healthydebate.ca/2025/01/topic/health-misinformation-marginalized-communities/-https://www.cma.ca/healthcare-for-real/how-does-health-misinformation-spread

In this episode of Health and Litty, we delve into how DNA works, where it comes from, why it matters, and how one blurry X-ray photo changed everything.

Join Mila and Nandita as they explore define burnout, how it manifests and ways to cope with it. We obtained information from a poster we created in our capstone course: 10.13140/RG.2.2.35050.84164Deliverables: https://gecoxcel.weebly.com/deliverables.html

In episode 23, join Mila and Nandita, as they divide into analyzing the primary care access statistics for 2024 on the Canadian Institute for Health Information  website (https://www.cihi.ca/en). Virtual Care Resources Ontario: https://health811.ontario.ca/static/guest/homehttps://www.ontariohealth.ca/providing-health-care/clinical-resources-education/virtual-care-resources

In episode 22, join Mila and Nandita, as they divide into analyzing the healthcare expenditure statistics for 2024 on the Canadian Institute for Health Information  website (https://www.cihi.ca/en).

In episode 21, Nandita and Mila will explore epigenetics, the Dutch famine and how generational trauma can leave lasting impacts on DNA. Resources:

In episode 20, Nandita will be breaking down Canada's healthcare system: who’s covered, what’s covered, and what’s not. She draws insights from evidence-based resources, including the Canada Health Act, the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP), CanadaLife and Ontario Health.  Topics discussed: 1. Define Universal Health Coverage 2. Introduce new physician-equivalent implications 3. Discuss who is eligible for the healthcare plan 4. What services are covered and not covered? 5. OHIP coverage 5. Tips on how to chose the right healthcare plan 6. Ontario Ministry Health's strategy for the primary care crisis Resources: Canada Health Act: https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/canada-health-care-system.html Register for Primary Care Physician/Nurse Practitioner: Health Care Connect: https://hcc3.hcc.moh.gov.on.ca/HCCWeb/faces/layoutHCCHomePage.xhtml?sW=1536&sH=864&btype=Netscape&bver=5.0%20(Windows%20NT%2010.0;%20Win64;%20x64)%20AppleWebKit/537.36%20(KHTML,%20like%20Gecko)%20Chrome/132.0.0.0%20Safari/537.36&ajax=y Health811: https://health811.ontario.ca/static/guest/home References: https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/health-care-system/reports-publications/health-care-system/canada.html#a9 https://www.cma.ca/how-health-care-funded-canada  https://www.cma.ca/healthcare-for-real/health-care-canada-free#:~:text=Roughly%2070%25%20of%20health%20care,by%20private%20or%20employer%20insurance.  https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/health-care-system/canada-health-care-system-medicare/canada-health-act-frequently-asked-questions.html https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1005646/ontario-investing-over-18-billion-to-connect-every-person-in-ontario-to-a-family-doctor-and-primary-care-teams

📣Episode 19 is here!✨Many of us became acquainted with the World Health Organization during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this episode, we will learn more about the World Health Organization.Resources used to create this episode:United Nations. Sustainable Development Goals. Accessed December 17, 2024. https://sdgs.un.org/goalsWorld Health Organization. Global health standards. Accessed December 17, 2024. https://www.who.int/standardsWorld Health Organization. Health emergencies. Accessed December 17, 2024. https://www.who.int/emergenciesWorld Health Organization. History of WHO. Accessed December 17, 2024. https://www.who.int/about/historyWorld Health Organization. International health regulations (2005). Accessed December 17, 2024. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241580410World Health Organization. Polio eradication. Accessed December 17, 2024. https://polioeradication.orgWorld Health Organization. Smallpox eradication. Accessed December 17, 2024. https://www.who.int/teams/global-programme-on-evidence-for-health-policy/smallpox-eradicationWorld Health Organization. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and health. Accessed December 17, 2024. https://www.who.int/health-topics/sustainable-development-goalsWorld Health Organization. World health statistics 2023: Monitoring health for the SDGs. Accessed December 17, 2024. https://www.who.int/data/gho/publications/world-health-statisticsPlease note that ChatGPT helped create the script for this episode. The co-hosts verified all material to ensure that the information was accurate.

✨ Episode 18 is here! 🎉 Join Nandita as she dives into CPSO's policy on complementary and alternative medicine. 🎙️ Tune into today’s episode as we simplify the CPSO guidelines on Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM). Learn how these policies balance safety, evidence, and cultural respect in healthcare, ensuring informed choices for all.  🌿 Healthy Living Just Became LIT #ComplementaryMedicine #AlternativeMedicine #HealthPolicy

✨ Episode 17 is here! 🎉 Join Nandita and Mila as we dive into Healthcare Specialists That Make You Go O. 🎙️ Tune in to unpack the roles of different healthcare professions and distinguish between the ones that sound familiar.  🌿 Healthy Living Just Became LIT #Ophthalmology #Optometrist #Orthodontist #Otorhinolaryngology #Oncology #Obstetrics #Orthopedics

Episode 16 is out!Let's learn more about the One Health model and academic field. Resources: https://www.cdc.gov/one-health/about/index.html https://www.who.int/news-room/events/detail/2024/11/28/default-calendar/who-epi-win-webinar-one-health-intelligence-global-collaboration-for-emerging-health-threat-detection https://www.woah.org/en/home/ https://www.onehealthcommission.org/Please note ChatGPT was used to create this script, and the co-hosts fact-checked it.

Episode 15 is out!Join Nandita in exploring more about food literacy!Making decisions about what to eat can be hard, especially when there are so many micro-dieting trends. It’s important to understand what food literacy is and the basics behind nutrition.

✨Episode 14 is here! 🎉Join Nandita and Mila as we dive into "Behind the Scrubs: Confronting Nurse Burnout and Mental Health Wellness" with our guest speaker Sara Fung.🎙️We’re excited to have Sara Fung (she/her) on the Healthy and Litty Podcast. Sara Fung, MN, BScN, RN, is an experienced healthcare thought leader, author, advocate, speaker, and consultant. Sara has worked as a nurse for close to 20 years and has held a variety of roles at the frontline, leadership, and entrepreneurship.She is the co-host of the @gritty.nurse.podcast, which reached #2 on Apple Podcasts in the medical category, where she discusses hot topics in healthcare and is a #1 Bestselling author of The Wisdom of Nurses: Stories of Grit from the Frontlines.🎙️ Tune in to understand what burnout is, the prevalence of burnout in nurses and healthcare professionals, and mental health wellness strategies.🌿

Episode 13! Join Nandita and Mila as we dive deep into the importance of completing your antibiotic course, bacterial infections, and the rising issue of antibiotic resistance. From understanding the role of antibiotics to busting myths around their use, we've got you covered!Tune in to learn more about staying informed and safe with antibiotics. Whether you’re a healthcare provider, a student, or just curious about health, this episode is for you! 🌐💊 #Antibiotics101RESOURCESWorld Health Organization (WHO) - Antibiotic Resistance:WHO: Antibiotic ResistanceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - Antibiotic/Antimicrobial Resistance (AR/AMR):CDC: Antibiotic Resistance ThreatsNational Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) - Understanding Antimicrobial Resistance:NIAID: Understanding Antimicrobial ResistanceMayo Clinic - Antibiotics: Are You Misusing Them?Mayo Clinic: Antibiotic MisuseNational Health Service (NHS) - Why it’s Important to Take the Full Course of Antibiotics:NHS: Antibiotic Use