Healthy and Litty

Why is your liver so resilient? How can you better take care of it? Today's episode features Dr. Hemant Shah, a Gastroenterologist and Liver Specialist. In this episode he provides insights on: - Functions of the liver - Hepatitis and the stigma associated with it - How alcohol impacts the liver - Liver-friendly diets - Misconceptions associated with liver health and liver diseases - How we ca...

What exactly does a Pedorthist do, and why does it matter more than you think? Today’s episode features Brandon Nethercott , Registered Kinesiologist and Canadian Certified Pedorthist , as we break down the science of movement, foot health, and biomechanics. From gait analysis to custom orthotics and performance footwear, Brandon shares insights from over 20,000 gait assessments and counting. If y...

Join Mila and Nandita in Episode 33 as they discuss the structure of the Canadian medical education system with Lindsey Zhang, a 4th year medical student at the University of Ottawa and incoming Obstetrics and Gynecology resident at the University of Toronto.

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...

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 g...

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 clini...

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 t...

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.2.2.35050.84164 Deliverables: 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/home https://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...

📣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/goals World Health Organization. Global health standards. Accessed December...

✨ 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 #ComplementaryMe...

✨ 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 ChatG...

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...

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, o...

Episode 12 is here! 🎙️ Join Mila and Nandita as we dive into practical ways to help older adults navigate complex healthcare systems and access the care they deserve. Let’s make a difference together! #HealthLiteracy #PodcastEpisode #OlderAdultCare #FamilySupport #HealthcareNavigation

✨ Episode 11 is here! 🎉 Join Nandita as we dive into Clearing the Air: Myths About Flu Season and Immunity. 🎙️ Tune in to unpack what really supports your immune system, the truth about flu shots, and how to stay healthy this flu season 🌿 Healthy Living Just Became LIT #HealthLiteracy #InfluenzaVaccine #Immunology References: National Institutes of Health (NIH) - Understanding the Immune System...