Think shingles only affects people 50 and above? Think again. If you’ve ever had chickenpox, you’re at risk. When entrepreneur and former reality television star Ali Fedotowsky-Manno, 36 — best known as “The Bachelorette” in Season Six and as a contestant on Season 14 of "The Bachelor” — developed an itchy and painful rash, she thought it could’ve been from an insect bite or an adverse reaction to Botox. In this episode of Living Well with Alison Starling, a podcast brought to yo...

Alison Hall, national TV correspondent for “Inside Edition,” is known for capturing celebrity stories, but never expected one would save her own life. She was diagnosed with breast cancer at 32, when it was in its earliest stages, and has the actress Olivia Munn to thank. After reporting on Munn’s diagnosis, Hall took the same breast cancer risk assessment test on camera. Her results came back higher than expected, leading Hall down a path she didn’t anticipate at that point in her life. If n...

Nearly a year after leaving NBC4 Washington following a public battle with alcohol addiction, former co-anchor Leon Harris is sober. A veteran of more than 40 years in the news industry and a mainstay in Washington for nearly a decade, Harris stepped away to focus on his health and family. Now, he’s finding a new way forward — one grounded in recovery, resilience and reinvention. “You can't fall into the trap of thinking that you're the worst thing you ever did,” Harris said...

What’s the key to keeping your competitive edge? Start by staying in the moment. “It’s a practice, like learning the piano,” says Dorothy (“Doro”) Bush Koch, New York Times bestselling author of “My Father, My President” and co-founder of BB&R Wellness Consulting, in the latest episode of Living Well with Alison Starling. “And for those who feel like they’re going to lose their edge [if they slow down], there may be some long-term problems that come from that. Constant stress ...

Washington Commanders’ Quarterback Jayden Daniels has maintained the same pregame ritual for as long as he can remember: waffles for breakfast, warm up with one of his coaches and a phone call to his father so they can pray before he plays. “It’s something I’ve been doing my whole life,” Daniels said. “And then I’ll put the towel over my head and just get in that mode. When I take the towel off, it’s time to go out there and do whatever it takes to win the game.” An NFL superstar ...

When CNN’s Pamela Brown lost her mom during the height of the pandemic, she felt “unmoored, like I had lost my anchor in life and I was adrift in the ocean.” Not long after giving birth to her second child, she was hit with severe postpartum anxiety — fueled by grief, fluctuating hormones and sleep deprivation. “The fear inside of me was palpable. I literally felt like I didn't have control of myself,” Brown says. In this new episode of Living Well with Alison Starling, a podcast broug...

Less than 1% of the world's population is believed to be living with Usher syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that combines hearing and vision loss. Among them is Rebecca Alexander — a disability rights advocate, psychotherapist, award-winning author, sought-after speaker, fitness coach and extreme athlete who has completed the Alcatraz swim and climbed Mount Kilimanjaro. Diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa at age 12, Alexander struggled to see the blackboard at school. By college, her ...

When she was just a teenager, Jeannette Reyes, former FOX 5 news anchor and now a prominent internet personality, sensed that her irregular periods might be hinting at a larger issue. “I felt like something was off, and I couldn't quite pinpoint it — to the point where I pushed my mom to take me to the doctor and figure out what might be going on,” Reyes said in the latest episode of Living Well with Alison Starling, a podcast brought to you by VHC Health and WBJ. It took years ...

The first-ever Golden Bachelorette may have shared her heart on national television, but Joan Vassos has had a personal connection to heart health since she entered motherhood. In this episode of Living Well with Alison Starling, a podcast brought to you by VHC Health and WBJ, Vassos opens up about her daughter's congenital heart defect. Dr. Preya Simlote, a general cardiologist with VHC Health, also shares expert advice on caring for your heart at every stage. Plus, you’ll get an inside scoo...

Popular weight loss medications are playing a role in the fight against obesity, but are they a help or hinderance in the long term? “The number on your scale is not your only measure of health,” says WebMD’s chief medical officer, Dr. John Whyte. In this episode of Living Well with Alison Starling, a podcast brought to you by VHC Health and WBJ, Whyte and Dr. Arshad Ali from VHC Health Bariatric & Metabolic Health Center delve into medical weight management, discuss whether obesit...

Once the nation’s fastest swimmer in her age group, Hilary Phelps’ life took an unexpected path at the age of 14 when she tried alcohol for the first time. That one seemingly small decision opened the door to a 15-year battle with addiction. After college, she “just became a wine drinker,” — which is a common rationale in today’s wine culture. Her journey toward recovery began at 29 when she courageously took a significant step toward healing. In this episode of Living Well with Aliso...

Although there have been advancements in treatments for dementia-related diseases, a cure remains elusive. This cause is personal for the D.C.’s very own Food Network and Top Chef star Carla Hall who carries the gene for late onset Alzheimer’s. Her grandmother battled Alzheimer’s before she passed away at the age of 96 and her 84-year-old mother has dementia. In this episode of Living Well with Alison Starling, a podcast brought to you by VHC Health and WBJ, Hall and Dr. Usman Akhtar,...

Two fierce champions for the early detection of breast cancer join this episode of Living Well with Alison Starling, a podcast brought to you by VHC Health and WBJ. You won’t want to miss Starling’s interview with these trailblazing women: Dr. Molly Sebastian, a distinguished breast surgeon with VHC Health Physicians — Charlotte S. Benjamin Center for Women's HealthKatie Couric, iconic journalist, best-selling author, co-founder of Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) and founder of Katie Couric Media (...

There was a time when women whispered about “the change” and fear of hormone replacement therapy swept across the mid-life women’s community. Today, the culture has shifted, and menopause is having a moment. In this premiere podcast episode of Living Well with Alison Starling, brought to you by VHC Health and WBJ, three experts come together to discuss what has become a hot topic, including two certified menopause practitioners who are leading this care at the new VHC Health Outpatient...

Coming soon, VHC Health and the Washington Business Journal will launch a new podcast called Living Well with Alison Starling. Join the former ABC 7News anchor and Emmy Award winner for exclusive conversations with health care advocates and experts on today’s most timely health topics. You’ll discover what you need to know when making decisions about your well-being and how to empower yourself with knowledge to live well. Episodes will drop every month. Subscribe now! To lear...