The Good Health Cafe
by Nikita Boston-Fisher
How do I navigate the healthcare system? What do I ask my doctor? What should I do when I'm not being heard? Why does it seem like researchers are unable to make up their minds about the guidance they provide? Our goal is to give you tips on how to navigate the healthcare system and understand other matters of public health in plain language. We will be sharing experiences and having candid conversations with guests on both sides of the health divide: practitioners and those of us they serve. Good Health Cafe conversations will leave you more empowered to take charge of your health and make you a better advocate for yourself and your loved ones. Health is more than healthcare so other topics that will be covered include mental health, health disparities, social issues and so much more. It’s a place for casual, insightful conversations to empower you on your health journey.
Episodes
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Episode 77: Méno-Joie: Finding the joy in menopause
In this episode our guest is Marie-Josée Bourassa. Marie-Josée is an accomplished nurse clinician and founder and manager of the Méno-Joie Clinic, She came to the cafe to discuss menopause and how to find joy in this natural transition . Grab your warm drink and tune in for a great conversation!...
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Episode 76: Hope after stroke: a young mom's journey
In this episode our guest is Sasha Panday. Sasha is a mom to a young daughter and a stroke survivor. She came to the cafe to discuss her experience of having a stroke as a young woman in her 30s. Grab your warm drink and tune in for a great conversation! Key Takeaways: Strokes can happen at any…
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Episode 75: Navigating Mental Health in Pregnancy
In this episode our guest is Nadia Mbonde. Nadia is a MotherScholar, Multimedia Artist, Mental Health Doula, a doctoral student . She came to the cafe to discuss the importance of mental health discussions in reproductive healthcare, and the broader societal impacts of racial and gender bias.…
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Episode 74: Got consent?
In this episode our guest is A’magine. A’magine is an author, educator, speaker and filmmaker. She came to the cafe to discuss her documentary called At Your Cervix. A new film exposing the little-known unethical practice of conducting non-consensual pelvic exams on unconscious patients. Grab…
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Episode 73: Pediatric Occupational Therapy
In this episode our guest is Ms. Eliane Dionne. Eliane is a practicing pediatric occupational therapist who works in the province of Quebec while concurrently completing her doctoral studies. She came to the cafe to discuss what occupational therapy is, how to choose the right occupational...
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Episode 72: Pharmacy, more than a prescription refill in Montreal, Quebec
In this episode our guest is Mr. Alexandre Chadi. Alexandre is a community pharmacist, a clinical instructor and diabetes specialist. He came to the cafe to share the many ways that pharmacists can help us, how to manage our medications, what to do if we want to stop a medication and so much…
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Episode 71: From compliance to connection: transforming speech language therapy
In this episode our guest is Ms. Liza Selvarajah. Liza is a speech therapist who works with neurodiverse children and their families. She came to the cafe to share the importance of understanding and embracing different communication methods for non-speaking children, the benefits of neurodiverse...
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Episode 70: Value Based Healthcare
In this episode our guest is Ms. Eva Villalba. Eva is the Executive Director of the Quebec Cancer Coalition and a value based healthcare expert. She came to the cafe to discuss value based healthcare, precision medicine and various levels of patient advocacy. Grab your warm drink and tune in for…
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Episode 69: Chronic Disease and Nutrition
In this episode our guest is Dr. Amanda Adkins. Dr. Amanda is a board certified internal medicine and lifestyle medicine physician. She is also a board certified health and wellness coach. Dr. Amanda came to the cafe to discuss chronic disease, nutrition and some of her health navigation...
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Episode 68: Preparation for a hospital birth
In this episode our cafe guest is Tiffany Vassell. Tiffany is a labor and delivery nurse, author, and founder of Nurses for Black Maternal Health and Equity based in Boston, Massachusetts She came to the cafe to share her childbirth experience, how it motivated her to become a nurse and maternal...
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Episode 67: Skincare
In this episode our cafe guest is Dr. Yinka Akin-Deko. Dr. Yinka is a family physician based in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia with a special interest in dermatology and health equity. She came to the cafe to discuss the essential elements of a skincare routine and her tips on healthcare navigation and...
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Episode 66: Losing a loved one to suicide
In this episode our cafe guest is Ms Angela Frazier. Angela is a speaker and the author of A Kid’s Book About Suicide. She came to the cafe to share her story of losing her mother to suicide, how her supportive family helped her through and some warning signs and risk factors for suicide. Grab…
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Episode 65: Weight loss that sticks
Episode 65: Weight Loss that sticks In this episode our cafe guest is Dr. Charmaine Woode. Dr. Woode is a practicing weight loss physician and coach. She came to the cafe to share some challenges to consistent behavior change, how to not get discouraged on the weight loss journey, myths and...
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Episode 64: Jessica's journey with psoriatic arthritis
In this episode our cafe guest is Ms. Jessica Lorion. Jessica is an actress and host of the Mamas in Training podcast. She came to the cafe to share how she received her psoriatic arthritis diagnosis and how she was able to successfully wean herself off her medications. We also learn her…
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Episode 63: Supporting someone with cancer
In this episode our cafe guest is Ms. Sophie Blondin. Sophie is a certified coach who has worked in oncology for 14 years. She came to the cafe to discuss how to support someone with cancer, her favourite resources for reliable information, share some misconceptions that she has observed among...
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Episode 62: Diabetes
In this episode our cafe guest is Dr. Dwain Woode. Dr. Woode is an endocrinologist and the owner and medical director of Diabetes and Endocrine Wellness Center and The Lighter Weigh in Huntsville, Alabama. He came to the cafe to discuss diabetes, its causes and its management and how to advocate...
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Episode 61: Lifestyle Medicine
In this episode our cafe guest is Dr. Judy Brangman. Dr. Judy is a board certified Internal Medicine Physician and Plant Based Nutrition Expert. She came to cafe to explain what lifestyle medicine is, the benefits of a plant based diet and how to advocate for yourself in health care settings.…
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Episode 60: Maternal Health: Miscarriage and Preeclampsia
In this episode our cafe guest is Dr. Quantrilla Ard. Dr. Ard is a passionate maternal health advocate. She came by the cafe to share her experiences of miscarriage and preeclampsia. Grab your warm drink and tune in for a great conversation! She offer her suggestions on: How to deal with grief…
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Episode 59: Too common to be taboo - pelvic floor physiotherapy
In this episode our cafe guest is Ms. Amadea Kezar. Amadea is the owner and clinical director of ASK Physiothérapie, a pelvic health physiotherapy clinic in Montreal. She came by the cafe to give us an overview of what pelvic floor physiotherapy entails, who it is for and why pelvic health issues...
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Episode 58: 10 Healing Factors
In this episode our cafe guest is Karla Mans Giroux. Karla is a holistic health coach, facilitator and speaker. We discuss the 10 healing factors outlined in Dr. Kelly Turner’s book, Radical Hope: 10 Key Healing Factors from Exceptional Survivors of Cancer & Other Diseases, Grab your warm drink…
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Episode 57: Burnout
In this episode our cafe guest is Marissa McKool. Marissa is a coach who helps professionals eliminate their burnout without quitting their job. We discuss the health effects of burnout, the power of choice, the importance of your beliefs and why quitting your job isn’t necessarily the answer.…
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Episode 56: Perspectives of a MCH nurse
In this episode Kimani Daniel, a maternal and child health nurse and Assistant Professor in Nursing came by the cafe to share her recommendations on how to navigate the health system based on her years of bedside experience. Grab your warm drink and tune in for a great conversation! Some key...
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Episode 55: Parenting: Autism
In this episode Tonya Nash, a public health consultant and mom to two sons with autism came by the cafe to share lessons she has learned as a mom to children with special needs. Grab your warm drink and tune in for a great conversation! Some key takeaways included: Thinking about out of the box...
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Episode 54: Aromatherapy
In this episode Stacie Lampkin, a pediatric pharmacist and certified aromatherapist came back to the cafe to discuss aromatherapy. We discuss its benefits, safety, how to use it and what to look for in an aromatherapist. Tune in for a great conversation! Free medication tracker here About Stacie...
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Episode 53: Strokes and head injuries
In this episode our guest is Dr. Mikhail DeSantos, a neurosurgeon based in the United Kingdom. We discussed strokes (and how to recognize them), head injuries, how to get your questions answered and how he puts his patients at ease. Grab your warm drink and tune in for a great conversation! Free...
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Episode 52: Palliative care, transplants and more!
In this episode our guest is Alexandra Glezos, a registered nurse. She came by the cafe to share her nursing experiences with us and we also discussed palliative care and organ transplants. Grab your warm drink and tune in for a great conversation! Free medication tracker here About Alexandra...
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Episode 51: Connected yet lonely
In this episode our guest is Khan Bouba-Dalambaye, a mental health counselor based in Montreal. Today in the cafe we discuss suicide, societal expectations, social connections, how to support those close to us and so much more. Grab your warm drink and tune in for a great conversation! Subscribe…
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Episode 50: Managing Endometriosis
In this episode our guest is Laura Ibragimova. She is a women’s health coach who came to share her story of how she manages her endometriosis. Grab your warm drink and tune in for a great conversation! Subscribe to The Good Health Cafe mailing list here: https://www.thegoodhealthcafe.com Free...
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Episode 49: Diversity in Medical Illustrations
In this episode our guest is Mr. Chidiebere Ibe. Chidiebere is a Nigerian medical illustrator and medical student who created the now viral illustration of a black fetus in the womb. He came by the cafe to tell us all about how he got into medical illustration, what going viral has meant for his...
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Episode 48: Hosting the podcast - my who, my what, my why
In this episode our host, Nikita Boston-Fisher, is interviewed by former guest Jeannette Valmont. This episode gives you a brief background into how The Good Health Cafe got started, who Nikita is, why she does it and what’s next for the Cafe. For more info on the lounge please reach out to us by...
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Episode 47: Patient Assistance in Montreal
In this episode our guest is Mr. Julien Brisson. Julien joined us in the cafe to explain some resources for patient assistance in Montreal. He explains to us the journey of a patient complaint and also lets us know about patient navigation assistance that his office can provide. Tune in for a…
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Episode 46: Creating a positive relationship with food
Shop The Good Health Candle Holiday Sale!! - www.goodhealthcandle.com In this episode our guest is Dr. Bernadette Paul. She came by to share how we can have a positive relationship with food. Lots of interesting topics are discussed in this episode such as the protein myth, what constitutes a...
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Episode 45: Abnormal Vision is Never Normal
In this episode our guest is Judith Horn, a physical therapist. She came by to chat with us, not about physical therapy but about vision loss! Judith shares her experience with losing part of her vision to a rare condition called Non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION). We get to...
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Episode 44: Pediatric Patient Advocacy
In this episode Stacie Lampkin, a pediatric pharmacist came by the cafe to discuss how to be an advocate for children in their healthcare. She shared a lot of great information such as the questions you should ask when prescribed medication, the right age to get children involved in their...
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Episode 43: Vaccine Equity
In this episode Dr. Ananya Banerjee came by the cafe to discuss the topic of COVID-19 Vaccine Equity. In rich countries, people who want to receive the COVID vaccine have been able to receive it, the same is not true for people in less wealthy countries. Today we discuss the issue of vaccine…
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Episode 42: Black Health, Black Wealth
“Your health is your wealth” is a fairly common saying. In this episode we sit down with Dr. Zenobia Bryant of Black Health, Black Wealth to discuss health disparities, mental health, her tips and experiences navigating healthcare and why she founded her organization. Tune in for a great...
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Episode 41: WeCanVax
WeCanVax is a community initiative to help stop the spread of COVID-19 by promoting COVID-19 vaccine confidence in diverse communities across Montreal. In this episode our guests are Tammy Bui and Nehal Islam, the founders of WeCanVax. We discuss the initiative, how it got started, the results…
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Episode 40: Full Time Plus Volunteer
In this episode Jeannette Valmont, a long time volunteer and recipient of a Governor General Caring Canadian Award came by the cafe to share her experiences. She describes herself as a full time plus volunteer but also states that she has a PhD in personal suffering. During her visit to The Good...
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Episode 39: The sudden caregiver
In this episode our guest Karen Warner Schueler came by the cafe to share how she adapted when her life suddenly changed and she became a caregiver to her husband. She outlines some of the recommendations she has for resilient caregiving and shares how her experience led her to document a roadmap...
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Episode 38: Young Caregiving
Have you heard of the term young caregiver? According to a study by V. Stamatopoulos there are over 1 million young caregivers in Canada. Today’s guest Kabisha Velauthapillai came by to share her experience as a young caregiver and the types of supports she thinks young caregivers need from the...
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Episode 37: What is Functional Medicine?
Have you heard of the terms functional medicine, or integrative and holistic medicine? Today’s guest Dr. Aaron Hartman is a specialist in those areas and he came by to explain to us what they are and how the adoption of his children led to the exploration of those fields. We even touch a bit on...
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Episode 36: Demystifying the doula
If you’re a regular listener you know that we have had the term doula come up in at least two prior episodes, episode 21 with midwife Shani Robertson and episode 23 with Kimberly Seals Allers. On today’s episode we had a doula visit The Good Health Cafe, Ms. Tamara Mason, to tell us all about…
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Episode 35: Hearts need Art
Have you ever considered the connection between the arts and health? Today’s guest spends a lot of time doing just that. Her name is Constanza Roeder and she is a professional vocalist and founder of a non profit which supports patients and caregivers through the arts. On this episode Constanza...
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Episode 34: I'd do it all over again
How quickly can you plan a wedding? Today’s guest organized hers within a matter of hours and the venue was her mother’s hospital room! Kathleen Bilton came by the cafe to share her story of being a caregiver to her mother who had lung disease. In this episode we discuss what she learned about...
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Episode 33: 37 years living with chronic illness
Today’s guest is Ms. Rosemary Graham. Can you imagine what it is like to live with chronic illness for 37 years? Well, Rosemary has, and today she shares with us what her experience has been: pneumonia, systemic lupus erythematosus, interstitial lung disease, a rare disorder called polymyositis…
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Episode 32: Susan's "Glitches" Part 2
Today we continue with Part 2 of our interview with Ms. Susan G. Schroeder. Susan is a wonderful woman with amazing depth, resiliency and resolve who has had a surprising number of health challenges, which she refers to as "glitches". In this second part of her two part episode, Susan continues…
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Episode 31: Susan's "Glitches" Part 1
Today’s guest is Ms. Susan G. Schroeder. Susan is a wonderful woman with amazing depth, resiliency and resolve who has had a surprising number of health challenges, which she refers to as "glitches". Today, in the first of a two part episode, she came by the cafe to share her health journey with…
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Episode 30: Understanding Public Health Research
Have you ever struggled to make sense of the research process or how to decide which guidance to follow? Well struggle no more! Today’s guest is Dr. Mohammed Ali. He came by the cafe to give an overview of the research process, explain why it takes a long time for research to move to practice and...
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Episode 29: Nursing is Caring
Today’s guest is Dr. Stephanie Epps. She shares with us her passion for nursing, the importance of having an advanced care directive, what patients need to know in order to advocate for themselves, the value of patients speaking up when there’s a problem and so much more. Tune in for an...
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Episode 28: minus 77lbs in 9 months
Olivier Mankondo Today’s guest is our first from across the pond! We have Mr. Olivier Mankondo from the UK here to discuss why he decided to switch to a plant based diet and the results he achieved from making that switch. Tune in for an interesting conversation. About Olivier Mankondo Olivier...
About this show
How do I navigate the healthcare system? What do I ask my doctor? What should I do when I'm not being heard? Why does it seem like researchers are unable to make up their minds about the guidance they provide? Our goal is to give you tips on how to navigate the healthcare system and understand other matters of public health in plain language. We will be sharing experiences and having candid conversations with guests on both sides of the health divide: practitioners and those of us they serve. Good Health Cafe conversations will leave you more empowered to take charge of your health and make you a better advocate for yourself and your loved ones. Health is more than healthcare so other topics that will be covered include mental health, health disparities, social issues and so much more. It’s a place for casual, insightful conversations to empower you on your health journey.
Hosted by
Nikita Boston-Fisher