Take Care

To many, a health care sharing industry is a rather unfamiliar term, but as a New Hampshire reporter shows, they’ve been around for decades, and two in particular are drawing some attention in his state. Todd Bookman is a reporter for New Hampshire Public Radio. He joined “ Take Care ” to talk about his work writing about health care ministries and what they mean for the patients that join them.

Get your piggy banks out. Despite technology, historical knowledge, the internet and so much more, Americans are still strapped for cash. But how do finances affect our health? Brett Whysel is a lecturer in the business management department of the Borough of Manhattan Community College and cofounder of DecisionFish.com . He joined us on “Take Care” to discuss finances and our health.

There have been plenty of studies surrounding the development of the human brain, but nowadays, scientists are increasingly looking at how modern technology impacts language development in children. As one researcher can attest, it’s not as simple as “screens are bad.” Dr. Michael Rich is the director of the Center on Media and Child Health and the Clinic for Interactive Media and Internet Disorders . He joined “ Take Care ” to talk about his and other’s research on language development and how modern technology plays into it.

Mysteries, by nature, are intriguing, and health mysteries are no exception. “ Diagnosis ” is a column in the New York Times Magazine, a book and an original series on Netflix -- all covering medical mysteries and delayed diagnosis. Dr. Lisa Sanders is a clinician at Yale School of Medicine and author of the popular column and book . She shares some stories of mystery diagnoses with us on “ Take Care ” this week, including how these kind of diagnoses can make a difference.

This week on "Take Care": new and noteworthy developments in health and wellness. We've been sharing the "latest in health" segment with you for a couple of years on the show, bringing listeners new studies and research, interesting developments and so much more. For this show, we're focusing on quite a few different stories in that vein. There's a popular column in The New York Times Magazine called "Diagnosis." So popular, in fact, that a collection of those stories have been included in a book by the same name. And if you're wondering why this might sound familiar to you, it could be because the most recent iteration of the series is a Netflix original series. We're joined by Dr. Lisa Sanders , the woman behind "Diagnosis." Sanders is an internist on the faculty of the Yale University School of Medicine. Our idea of health has evolved over the decades to include much more than just our physical health. The concept of wellness involves our mental health, overall happiness and so much

For many Americans, an exercise routine looks like a lot of time indoors -- treadmills, ellipticals, weights and more -- but as one researcher can attest, the benefits of taking that workout outside, especially if it’s for a hike through nature, can be more beneficial than exercise confined to gyms and homes. Dr. James Navalta , from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), is a fellow and associate professor in the department of kinesiology and nutrition science at the University of Nevada , Las Vegas. He joined us on “ Take Care ” to talk about how hiking can improve overall health.

The Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, is home to The Green Road Project , a natural healing environment for injured service members and their families at Naval Support Activity Bethesda, where the center is located. Dr. Fred Foote , a retired U.S. Navy physician, neurologist, professor and project administrator for The Green Road Project, joined “ Take Care ” to discuss the project and the major difference it’s made in treating soldiers with brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder.

To many Americans, the idea of foraging for food may seem like an ancient concept, but as one expert on gardening can attest, foraging and gardening provides numerous benefits for mental and physical health, and it’s helping to start a new culinary movement. John Forti is a lecturer, garden historian, ethnobotanist and writer and the executive director of Bedrock Gardens in New Hampshire. He joined “ Take Care ” to talk about edible landscapes and how gardening can make a big difference for individuals and the society they live in.

Deficit is not often a word associated with nature, but it is what one author is calling the lack of nature in people’s lives in modern-day society. Without nature, society and the individuals within it face many disadvantages, which is why he’s advocating for a rediscovery of the natural world around us. Journalist and author Richard Louv is the co-founder and chair emeritus of the non-profit Children and Nature Network , and his newest book is called “ Our Wild Calling: How Connecting with Animals Can Transform Our Lives - and Save Theirs. ” He joined “ Take Care ” to talk about his work and how we can cure our nature deficit.

Our relationship with nature has evolved over time, to say the least. Many of us buy our food from a grocery store, instead of working the land. We spent hours of our day inside, in office buildings void of natural light. And many of us are far from rising with the sun. But what does this change mean for our health? How does nature impact our physical and mental health? We ask those questions and more this week on " Take Care ." First, how to improve health with nature. Richard Louv is known for introducing us to the concept of nature-deficit disorder in his book "Last Child in the Woods." His newest work, "Our Wild Calling: How connecting with animals can transform our lives -- and save theirs," takes it a step further. When was the last time you had dirt under your nails? Nationally recognized lecturer, garden historian, ethnobotanist and writer John Forti joins us to share some ways we can cultivate edible landscapes -- spaces that are good for us and good for the planet. There's a

Discrimination is a word associated with a variety of populations, and as one author explains, mistreatment based on weight is common in our society, and she’s working to end the hate altogether. Virgie Tovar is an author, activist and expert on weight-based discrimination and body image. She joined “ Take Care ” to talk about her work and how to change the conversation around weight, body image and self-worth.

Traffic light food labeling, a practice used in Army cafeterias and in food labeling in Britain, is making headlines in the U.S. as studies show its effectiveness in helping people eat a healthier diet. Its simple design makes it easy to understand, but it’s not the end-all solution, cautions a National Institutes of Health (NIH) representative. With us today on “ Take Care ” to explore traffic light labeling and its effects is Dr. Charlotte Pratt, a registered dietitian and deputy chief branch and program director for the NIH.

There have been a lot of fads over the years that claim to help people lose weight. Right now, some of those fads include things like the Paleo Diet, Whole 30 and Keto, and a very popular one right now is intermittent fasting. Keri Gans , a registered and certified dietician nutritionist, joined “ Take Care ” to talk about intermittent fasting and the effects of practicing it.

New diets come out every year, each claiming to be the end-all solution to lose weight, but as one expert argues, all are short-term solutions that have long-term negative effects on one’s body and mind. Traci Mann, a professor of health and social psychology at the University of Minnesota, joined “ Take Care ” to talk about diets -- what they are and why they fail.

There are connections between what we eat and how we feel, and the growing field of culinary medicine looks to capitalize on that link by joining the foundations of nutrition science with teaching people how to cook healthy, tasteful meals. One North Country doctor’s office is taking it to the next level by offering patients cooking tips and techniques from a teaching kitchen that’s part of their clinic. Joe Wetterhahn, a family practice physician and his wife Gina, a physician’s assistant, ditch their stethoscopes one night a month for a set of knives and cutting boards, teaching patients how to make tasty, healthy food. The genesis of this whole thing? "Gina one day in frustration saying 'nobody is getting better. We’re spending time with people, doing the best we can, but the weight is going up, the blood sugars are going up, blood pressure is going up'," Wetterhahn said. "It’s not just us, it’s obviously happening across the country. But the way to really impact that is at the

Current trends have led to an influx of startups and established businesses investing in fertility technology, and though this is an encouraging prospect, there are still a lot of unknowns. Kate Clark , a journalist for TechCrunch who has written about technology in the infertility field, joined “ Take Care ” to discuss the tech and businesses she’s seen, why this new interest is happening and where we’re headed.

Infertility is not often thought of as a funny subject, but a comedian and author has made it her mission to find the laughable parts of the struggle to help others feel less alone. With us today on “ Take Care ” is Karen Jeffries , a school teacher and part-time stand-up comedian. She is the author of the book, “ Hilariously Infertile ,” in which she reflects on her experience with infertility and provides advice for others like her. Jeffries said that learning she was infertile was a rather heartbreaking and stressful situation for her.

Infertility is something millions of Americans struggle with, but treatments are available and advancing. To help guide us through the basics, infertility treatments and where we’re headed, we brought in Dr. Maribelle Verdiales , a doctor with the CNY Fertility Center . Verdiales, who is also a speaker and wellness coach, told “ Take Care ” that roughly 10 to 15% of couples will struggle with infertility.

Infertility affects about 10% of women ages 15-44 in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That's 6.1 million people. With infertiliy affecting so many, it’s important to understand what it is and how it’s treated. Dr. Zaraq Khan is a gynecologist at the Mayo Clinic. He joined us on “ Take Care ” to discuss the basics of infertility and what that means for couples going through it.

Infertility is not uncommon. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 12% of women between the ages of 14 and 44 have used infertility services. We're going to explore the topic of infertility -- a sensitive subject with some long held stigma. To cover infertility basics, Dr. Zaraq Khan of the Mayo Clinic is with us. Khan is a gynecologist working with those seeking treatment for infertility on a regular basis. He reevaluates the definition of infertility and provides insight on some causes of and trends in diagnosis. We then hear from a physician with CNY Fertility. Dr. Maribelle Verdiales works with couples seeking treatment -- from simple to more complex treatments. And with so many women and men experiencing the difficulties of an infertility diagnosis, we wanted to hear the perspective of someone who's been there. Karen Jeffries is a mother, teacher and part-time comedian. She's also infertile. The author of "Hilariously Infertile" shares her experiences -- highlighting some