08/03/25 The Healthy Matters Podcast S04_E21 - The Small, but Mighty ... THYROID! With Special Guest: Dr. Sreekant Avula, MBBS Sometimes, the why behind how we feel is a little hard to pinpoint. Are you feeling sluggish and tired all the time, even though you're getting enough rest? Are you gaining or losing weight without even trying? Well, it could have something to do with your small, but mighty, butterfly-shaped gland in your neck - the thyroid. Turns out ...

07/20/25 The Healthy Matters Podcast S04_E20 - Sweet Talk: Decoding Diabetes With Special Guest: Dr. Allison Estrada, MD We're open to your comments or ideas for future shows! Email - healthymatters@hcmed.org Call - 612-873-TALK (8255) Get a preview of upcoming shows on social media and find out more about our show at www.healthymatters.org.

07/06/25 The Healthy Matters Podcast S04_E19 - Hunger, Health, and Hope: Tackling Food Insecurity With Special Guests: Dr. Dianna Cutts, MD, and Amy Harris It’s pretty hard to concentrate, work, or pretty much do anything while you’re hungry. And while, for many of us, hunger is a passing moment, there are far too many children and adults living with this as a daily reality. Food insecurity extends well beyond the physical effects of being hungry. It can be a major s...

06/22/25 The Healthy Matters Podcast S04_E18 - The ABCs of COPD With Special Guest: Dr. Caroline Davis, MD Did you know that 6.5% of Americans have physician-diagnosed Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)? That's a pretty staggering statistic... You might think that people get it from smoking, and well, you'd be right. But that's not the only thing that can cause it! COPD is a disease of the airways where people have difficulty getting air out &nbs...

05/25/25 The Healthy Matters Podcast S04_E17 - Bedside Bots! AI Scribing in Healthcare With Special Guest: Brian Imdieke, MAN, ANP-BC Ever feel like your doctor is paying more attention to their keyboard than to you? You're not alone—and that's one of the problems AI scribes are trying to fix. But how do they work? How good are they? Is my data still private? And are we nearing the age of Dr. Bot, M.D.? In this episode, we'll take a look at how artificial...

05/25/25 The Healthy Matters Podcast S04_E16 - We're Talkin' Speech-Language Pathology With Special Guest: Adam Terrell, MS When it comes to the field of Speech Pathology, we might tend to think it's all about helping people with the challenges of a stutter or helping kids get out a proper "R" sound - but it turns out there's a lot more to it! Communication is a 2-way street, and there can be a lot to manage when it comes to speaking, listening and retaining information. F...

04/27/25 The Healthy Matters Podcast S04_E15 - Heat, Haze & How Climate Is Affecting Our Health With Special Guest: Beth Stegora, PT, DPT As global temperatures rise and extreme weather events become more frequent, it's not just our environment that’s feeling the impact—our bodies and communities are, too. Worsening air quality, heatwaves and supply chain disruptions are just some of the many ways climate change can have profound effects on both our physical and mental heath...

04/27/25 The Healthy Matters Podcast S04_E14 - Gut Check: Understanding Crohn's Disease With Special Guest: Dr. Jason Eckmann, MD We've all had a stomach bug at some point in our lives, and it's probably safe to say that every one of us would rather skip the next one. But for millions worldwide with a Crohn's Disease diagnosis (AKA Crohn Disease), that stomach issue is much like the condition they live with every day of their lives. Crohn's is a chronic condition, and whet...

04/13/25 The Healthy Matters Podcast S04_E13 - We Need to Talk (About Menopause) If there was something that had profound effects on more than half the population for decades of their lives, well, that something would certainly be worth talking about! Menopause is something that we've all heard about before, but very few women experiencing it say they were prepared for it. So on Episode 13 of the show, we're diving into the often mysterious world of Menopause with 2 special gues...

03/30/25 The Healthy Matters Podcast S04_E12 - Bipolar Disorder: The Ups, Downs, and In-Betweens... Bipolar disorder affects millions of people worldwide - and actually, a higher percentage of people in developed countries. It can bring euphoric highs and depressive lows at any time, with no rhyme or reason, and understandably, can have a real impact on those living with the condition, as well as their loved ones. But what is bipolar disorder, exactly? What's the liv...

03/16/25 The Healthy Matters Podcast S04_E11 - Why Are Kids Always Sick?! Let's Talk About It. If you have (or know) a kid, you've probably wondered: "How can such a tiny human catch so many illnesses?" And, "How is it humanly possible to create such an endless supply of snot?!" Let's face it, kids are mini germ factories. From coughs to colds to ear infections, kids seem to pick up everything. But which symptoms are just part of growing up, and which ones should actually worry ...

03/02/25 The Healthy Matters Podcast S04_E10 - Controlled Chaos: A Day in the Life of an Emergency Nurse There are a lot of important people in healthcare, but the medical system itself simply would not exist without one essential piece of the puzzle: NURSES. It might be impossible to give them enough credit for the many important jobs they do - from the Emergency Department to the clinics. They literally see it all, and regardless of how intense the situation might be, somehow ...

02/016/25 The Healthy Matters Podcast S04_E09 - Hypertension: Avoiding the Silent Killer High Blood Pressure, or hypertension, is often called The Silent Killer because it can wreak havoc on our bodies, oftentimes without us even knowing. It's estimated that 85 million people in the U.S. alone have high blood pressure, which is an alarming stat, especially given that it can be a major contributor to a whole host of bad stuff - like stroke, heart attacks and kidney disease, to name j...

02/02/25 The Healthy Matters Podcast S04_E08 - The MS Journey: From Symptoms to Solutions Did you know that 1,000,000 people in the U.S. alone are living with Multiple Sclerosis? We've all likely heard of MS before, and many of us may even know someone with the condition, but there are always a lot of questions when it comes to these types of diseases. Like, what's actually happening in the body? What are typical symptoms? And what help is there available to those l...

01/19/25 The Healthy Matters Podcast S04_E07 - Let's Learn About Lupus! Did you know that in 2024, over 200,000 people in the U.S. alone had Lupus? It's a condition that many of us have likely heard of, but it's one that often presents with a lot of questions - like where does it come from? Who is most likely to get Lupus? Is it a life-long condition? And what help is available for those living with it? On the next episode of the show, we'll be joined by Rheumatolo...

01/05/24The Healthy Matters PodcastS04_E06 - How to Live to be 100 (or Die Trying...)When it comes to our longevity, there's certainly no shortage of advice out there. We'll often get an earful about the superfood du jour, fad diets, or trendy exercise routines - but what's the word from an actual MD on the subject? Are there really keys to living a longer, healthier life? And can I still eat bacon?Well, on Episode 6 of our show, we'll be joined by an extra special guest - Dr. Dav...

12/22/24The Healthy Matters PodcastS04_E05 - A is for Alcohol. A Primer.Are you doing a "Dry January"? Do your family gatherings get a little more colorful when the wine starts flowing? Like it or not, alcohol plays a role in many of our lives, both directly and indirectly. It lives deep within the fabric of our society (and it has since ancient times!) but there've been quite a few changes to how the medical community has viewed it in the past decade. But is it all ba...

12/08/24The Healthy Matters PodcastS04_E04 - Decoding Food LabelsOur diets are a major contributor to our overall health, so of course it's important to know what's in the food we eat. And what better way would there be to find out what's in our food than to read its label? But let's face it, oftentimes food labels can be confusing, and sometimes even a little misleading. So how do you interpret what's on a food label? What does each of the items mean for our diets?&nb...

11/24/24The Healthy Matters PodcastS04_E03 - All About Gout!Gout! It's kind of a funny word, but ask anyone who's got experience with it, and it is no joke! It's on the rise in the U.S., and although men are the more likely candidates, women and even some dogs(!) are also susceptible. But what is it exactly? Why is it so often found in our big toes? And, which dogs can actually get Gout?!Many people who have experienced a Gout flare are quick to say it's the most...

11/10/24The Healthy Matters PodcastS04_E02 - Dr. Thomas Wyatt and the Hospital's Front Door (Open 24/7/365)It can be said that the emergency department is the front door between a community and healthcare - that never closes. Within it, there's an immense team of providers working together to attend to anyone and everyone who comes in through the door - every hour of every day. Safe to say, it's an intensely busy place with no two days ever being the same.Hennepin County Medical C...