On Health with Houston Methodist

Think you don't need to worry about your blood sugar? It's time to reconsider. A shocking 1 in 3 adults over age 20 have prediabetes, an early warning sign that there's too much sugar in the blood. What's more, nearly 80% of people are unaware they have the silent precursor to type 2 diabetes. In this episode, we discuss the factors that put you at greatest risk and the steps t...

If the phrase "heart-healthy diet" makes you think of poached chicken and steamed vegetables without salt or seasoning, you're not alone. But eating to improve heart health — whether to control blood pressure, lower cholesterol levels or slow coronary artery disease — doesn't mean signing up for a lifetime of bland food. In this episode, we explore the different ingredients, si...

Apologies for the bathroom talk, but we need to discuss a growing (and concerning) digestive trend. A recent study reported that almost half of all Americans are struggling with chronic gastrointestinal issues. It’s also estimated that 1 in 3 of us wouldn’t discuss our symptoms unless our doctor asked us about them first. Yikes. In today’s episode, we cover those bathroom questions you’ve been too...

You may think of colorectal cancer as an older person’s disease, but over the last 30 years rates in people younger than age 50 have increased by 50%. Indeed, for people under 50, colorectal cancer is now the No. 1 cause of cancer death in men and the No. 2 cause in women, behind only breast cancer. Why are cases jumping?  What are the symptoms of colorectal cancer? And how can you reduce your ris...

It’s been called the most common and serious condition you’ve never heard of. Metabolic syndrome, which afflicts an estimated 1 in 3 U.S. adults, occurs when the body’s metabolism is disrupted, increasing the risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Why is it on the rise? What triggers it? And how can you boost your natural metabolism to prevent the condition? In this week’s episode, we talk to...

The phrase “Got milk?” has taken on new meaning in recent years. Cow’s milk hasn’t gone anywhere of course, but the options have expanded to also include soy milk, almond milk, oat milk — even milk made from peas. Whether it's going in your coffee, cereal, oatmeal, smoothie or a glass by itself, which type is best for you? In this episode, we “pour over” everything there is to know about trad...

Are supplements helpful, harmful or just a waste of money? Is avocado toast the healthiest choice at brunch? Can you lower your blood pressure without taking medications? Hosted by Zach Moore, Katie McCallum, Todd Ackerman and Kim Rivera Huston-Weber, On Health with Houston Methodist is a podcast for the health conscious, curious and even skeptics out there. Each week, your hosts are joined by a H...

It’s no secret that America is facing an obesity crisis. But is there hope on the horizon? The new wave of weight-loss medications — Wegovy and Zepbound  — certainly seem to be game changers. Whereas previous options helped people lose only around 5% of their weight, these new medications can lead to up to 22% weight loss. But you’re not alone if you have questions. In this episode, we discuss eve...

Statistics show nearly 2 in 5 U.S. adults have high cholesterol, the excess of fat in the blood that can raise the risk of heart disease. For decades, people were told that foods high in cholesterol — eggs and butter, for example — were the major culprits. Now dietary cholesterol is thought to play only a minor role. So what are the real causes of high cholesterol, which lab results are most meani...

Running may get all the hype, but walking is Americans’ favorite form of exercise, according to numerous surveys. It’s low-impact, free and easy to get started, and it provides both long-term health benefits and the chance to unwind and recharge. Whether you’re a seasoned walker or just getting started, how much do you really know about the popular form of exercise? In this episode, we learn what...

There’s a lot to consider when deciding what’s for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Food choices often come down to personal and cultural tastes, our dietary needs and other factors such as time, money and access. And then there’s always the big, looming question: Is this food healthy for me? There’s only one way to find out: reading the food labels, including the Nutrition Facts. We discuss what you...

Achy knees that creep up on you with age. Lower back pain from overdoing it in the gym. Joint pain doesn’t just disrupt your day to day, it can be tricky to course correct. Should you stop exercising for a few days? Modify your workouts until the pain resolves? Could extra stretching and foam rolling do the trick? And when is it time to see a physical therapist? In this episode, we discuss all thi...

It’s Halloween, which caps a month of people watching their favorite scary movies, braving haunted houses and generally celebrating all things spooky. Is it normal to seek out things that frighten us? Aren’t we wired to avoid them instead? The mix of chemicals the brain releases is no different whether the fear is real or fictitious so what accounts for the difference between getting a rush and fe...

An estimated 80% of moms experience “mom brain,” the forgetfulness and concentration difficulties that come with pregnancy and motherhood. Ask a mom to describe the condition and she might mention anything from having a hard time finding words and engaging in conversation to lapses in judgment, missed appointments and emotional breakdowns. Science hasn’t quite caught up with how impactful mom brai...

There's a reason headache is considered slang for "nuisance" or "annoyance." Simply put, they can wreak havoc on your day — or life, if you get them often. We're all bound to experience a headache at some point, but some people — 1 in 7 globally — suffer from migraine, the usually recurrent, particularly throbbing version. Migraine is considered the third most common...

Almost half of adults have high blood pressure — the “silent killer” — so you’re not alone if you’re concerned yours isn’t in a healthy range. Medication might seem the obvious course of action, but it’s not the only way to lower your numbers, whether they’re already in the dangerous zone or just starting to creep up. In fact, there’s a lot you can do to prevent and lower high blood pressure — and...

Most everyone knows acute inflammation, that short-lived redness and swelling that characterizes the healing process in response to injury or infection. But you may not be so familiar with chronic inflammation, a low-grade, insidious condition linked to the biggest killers of Western world, including heart disease, stroke, cancer and Alzheimer's disease. A constant state of immune system over...

Hosts Zach Moore, Katie McCallum, Todd Ackerman and Kim Rivera Huston-Weber kick off the new season of On Health with Houston Methodist. Each week, we'll be joined by a Houston Methodist expert to explore an everyday wellness trend or significant health topic. Stay tuned for episodes on everything from whether it's better to walk fast or walk far to how to tell a headache from a migraine...

Christen Press, Catarina Macario, Vivianne Miedema, Leah Williamson, Beth Mead, Janine Beckie — some of the biggest names in soccer will be missing the 2023 Women’s World Cup due to ACL injuries alone. The frequency of the injury in women’s soccer has been talked about for decades, but are ACL tears on the rise? And why is this devastating injury so prevalent in the women’s game specifically? In t...

Heat, exercise, anxiety. There are a few things that make people sweat — more than we likely want, given how uncomfortable and embarrassing sweat can sometimes be. But what do you actually know about it? In this episode, we discuss everything from the important role sweating plays in your body to whether someone can sweat "too much" and everything in between. Hosts: Katie McCallum, John...

Hot dogs are a classic summer cuisine. In fact, Americans will eat 150 million of them on the Fourth of July alone. But hot dogs, as well as other types of processed meat, have a dark side — they’re classified by the World Health Organization as a Group 1 carcinogen and linked to stomach and colorectal cancers, heart disease and more. If this is news to you, you're not alone. In this episode,...

We all have go-to workout songs — ones you can always count on to help you get the darn thing done, no matter how unmotivated you are to exercise or how hard your workout gets. What is it about the connection between music and exercise? Is it just a way to distract us from the task at hand and make working out more bearable? Or does a song's tempo have a way of improving our physical performa...

Dementia is older Americans' most feared diagnosis, according to surveys. This is understandable given that, by 2050, such diseases are projected to rob nearly 14 million people — more than twice the current number — of their memories, personalities, ability to function. Is it just fate or can you do anything to prevent dementia? In this episode, we explore the risk factors for dementia, life...

Ice cream is one of America's favorite desserts, but all those calories and sugars and fats have lots of people considering alternatives — keto ice cream, plant-based ice cream, frozen yogurt, gelato, sorbet, sherbet, their own homemade ice cream. But are any really healthier? And what's the taste trade-off? In this episode, we talk with a dietitian about how we're biologically wire...

Rainy day doldrums, sunny dispositions, winter blues — plenty of phrases suggest a link between weather and a person's mood. But how real is the connection? Can unpleasant conditions put you in a bad mood, a beautiful day in a good one? Why are some people more sensitive to the elements? And can past experiences with severe weather cause a kind of PTSD? We've got a jam-packed episode thi...