Well, Now

After a year of nuanced conversations on wellness, we say goodbye by reflecting on how these discussions expanded what it means to live a full, well-balanced life.  We’re also joined again by longevity expert Dr. Darshan Shah to discuss what needs to change to make wellness more accessible for everyone. Well, Now is hosted by registered dietitian nutritionist Maya Feller and Dr. Kavita Patel . Edi...

For eons, humans have been trying to find ways to live longer.  It’s a quest that’s inspired legends and myths across cultures and continues to fuel controversy in the health and wellness industry today.  On this week’s episode of Well, Now we speak with Dr. Darshan Shah to better understand longevity science and hear about his journey from performing surgery to creating the longevity clinic Next...

For many, the holiday season is both a joyful time with friends and family and a period of high stress with dangerous ways to cope. This can be especially challenging for people with substance use disorder. On this week’s episode of Well, Now Maya and Kavita discuss addiction and recovery with Zac Clark . Reality TV fans may remember him as a contestant on The Bachelorette, where he opened up abou...

More than half the population will experience menopause if they’re fortunate enough to age. Yet so much of this full-body transformation remains a mystery. Journalist and filmmaker Tamsen Fadal is out to change that.  Her new documentary The M Factor: Shredding the Silence on Menopause premiered on PBS earlier this year. In it, her team interviews patients and health experts worldwide about the la...

Regular movement is crucial for lifelong health, but finding a routine that fits well in your life can be challenging and overwhelming. On this week’s episode of Well, Now we speak to retired volleyball player Gabby Reece on transitioning out of professional sports and talk about ways to realistically bring performance-level fitness to every kind of exercise routine. If you liked this episode, che...

How do women gain social influence?  Understanding this is crucial because research shows they often face unique challenges in having their voices heard and their expertise recognized, even in highly qualified fields like medicine.  The consequences of this could be dire, both for female patients and their healthcare providers. On this week’s episode of Well, Now, Kavita and Maya talk with psychol...

Hormones influence everything from mood and energy levels to fertility and long-term health.  Yet for many, hormonal health remains shrouded in mystery. When women do seek guidance from their OBGYNs, they’re often told birth control is the only option for treating hormone-related issues like PCOS and endometriosis. But that wasn’t going to cut it for Alisa Vitti . On this week’s episode of Well, N...

Nearly half of states – 24 and Washington, D.C – have legalized recreational marijuana. As more people report regularly using it, physicians are seeing patients with alarming side effects related to their cannabis use. On this week’s episode of Well, Now Kavita and Maya sit down with internist and pediatrician Dr. Brittany Tayler to better understand these conditions and who could most likely get...

Puberty is changing, and we’re not talking about developing Adam’s apples and growing hair in new places. It starts earlier and lasts longer. Regardless of when this necessary stage of life starts, youth and their adults need support going through it. On this week’s episode of Well, Now puberty expert Vanessa Kroll Bennett discusses the biggest ways puberty has changed for today’s youth and how be...

We live in a weight-obsessed world, and children are not immune. From the moment a child is born, their weight and height are tracked and recorded. Then throughout their development, these metrics are used as one of the main factors to determine their health. But as the Health at Every Size (HAES) philosophy continues to gain traction for some adults, is there use for it as a part of growing child...

Go to the supplement aisle at the grocery store, and the options are endless. Scroll through any Instagram or TikTok feed, and you’re bound to see videos of people claiming their latest supplement is life-changing.  Supplements can be used for health and wellness, but it’s important to know the facts before buying the next trendy capsule, pill, tincture, or gummy. On this week’s episode of Well, N...

GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic, WeGovy, Mounjaro and others revolutionized weight loss and chronic weight management. But what does it feel like for the patients who take them? On this week’s episode of Well, Now Kavita and Maya talk with journalist and author Johann Hari . Over the course of a year, Johann dived into the research and history behind GLP-1 drugs and how they became the latest and most ef...

Modern IUDs have been used for decades to prevent unwanted pregnancy and have been extremely effective at doing so. But they’re not without side effects. With few places to turn, many patients have resorted to TikTok to describe their experiences of painful insertion and removal as well as cramping, changes in menstruation, and mood shifts. But patients don’t have to be left in the dark. If there...

Nearly half of healthcare workers are at a breaking point, describing that they often or very often feel burnt out on the job. Most of us have heard the phrase “Put on your oxygen mask before helping others,” but rarely does that happen especially for those who work as caregivers. Psychiatrist Dr. Jessi Gold knows this firsthand when her mental overload caused her to make an unthinkable mistake wi...

Summer is ending and school is officially back in session. For many, a new school year is the perfect time to create new goals and establish a routine.  On this week’s episode of Well, Now, we are joined by primary care pediatrician, Dr. Edith Bracho-Sanchez . She discusses the importance of navigating the back-to-school season as a family, highlighting how parents can support their children and p...

Drag is one of the fastest-growing forms of entertainment, and has been making its way into the mainstream in recent years. On this week’s episode of Well, Now, we are joined by drag queen, actress, and trans activist, Miss Peppermint. She provides insight on self-advocacy, and how to navigate the healthcare system despite society’s tendencies to overlook transgender health. If you liked this epis...

Health at Every Size is an approach that shifts the focus from dieting and weight loss and instead promotes healthy eating and exercise patterns, regardless of body size and weight. On this week’s episode of Well, Now , Shana Spence, registered dietitian and nutritionist, provides insight on how to foster a healthy relationship with food.  If you liked this episode, check out: How Your Food Can Fi...

Every year, millions of Americans experience a stroke. Though the focus is often on prevention and immediate care, many patients are left with long-term effects for years –or even a lifetime– afterward. On this week’s episode of Well, Now , we dive into new approaches to overcome the cognitive and physical disabilities that often follow a stroke. Dr. Rajiv Ratan , executive director at Burke Neuro...

We all know the food we eat directly impacts our physical health. But that’s just the start of the story. Food fuels our emotional well-being, connects us with one another, and fosters a key source of identity. On this week’s episode of Well, Now we speak with award-winning food journalist Mary Beth Albright on her new book Eat & Flourish: How Food Supports Emotional Well-Being . If you liked...

Research going back decades shows adding more fruits, vegetables, and non-animal sources of protein helps us live longer, healthier lives.  A study featured in the Netflix docuseries You Are What You Eat: A Twin Study took that to the next level.  Stanford researchers asked 22 sets of identical twins to go 8 weeks eating a healthy, varied diet and regularly exercising. One twin ate an omnivore die...

It’s a fact that summers around the world are reaching record-breaking temperatures. Heat-related illness and death have hit a crisis point, and staying cool is more important than ever. On this week’s episode of Well, Now we speak with someone living in one of the country's hottest states.  Dr. Richard Carmona is a career first responder with more than 50 years of experience caring for people in...

A key component to wellness is gut health. But what determines if you have a healthy gut?  On this week’s episode of Well, Now, we dive into the fascinating world of the gut microbiome, a collection of bacteria and sometimes fungi that live in the human digestive system.  We are provided with insight from Dr. Colin Hill , professor of Microbiology at APC Microbiome Ireland on how to properly take...

We all know about the mental health crisis wreaking havoc throughout the nation and world.  On this week’s episode of Well, Now we’re continuing our ongoing discussions of mental health, and this time we’re tackling men’s mental health as a whole.  Prime’s new show Counsel Culture , hosted by Nick Cannon and medical professionals across the spectrum, invites men to open up about their histories wi...

Few drugs in the last century have changed the landscape of healthcare and weight management like GLP-1 agonist drugs — drugs like Ozempic and WeGovy. On this week’s episode of Well, Now we talk with Harvard professor and clinician Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford.  Her research revolutionized obesity medicine and helped pave the way to get a diabetes drug approved for treating a condition millions have i...

Women, girls, and people assigned female at birth make up more than half of the world’s population. Yet, many of them say they don’t feel supported, heard, or cared for in the doctor’s office — even in spaces designed specifically for their care like obstetrics and gynecology. Dr. Sharon Malone , veteran OB/GYN, is on a mission to change that. On this week’s episode of Well, Now, we speak with Dr....