KPFA - About Health

With the holiday season upon us, it may be a good time to reflect on your relationship with alcohol. Rebecca Williams, PhD, author of the new book, Simple Ways to Unwind without Alcohol, joins Nurse Rona to offer strategies for behavior changes that can lead to more ease and better health. She encourages us to slow down, develop compassion for ourselves, and discover new ways of understanding what we need. The post 12/4/23 Simple Ways to Unwind Without Alcohol appeared first on KPFA.

A program designed to give listeners an opportunity to talk directly with experts in the fields of both traditional and non-traditional health, with Dr. Lenoir and Rona Renner, RN. The post About Health – November 27, 2023 appeared first on KPFA.

A program designed to give listeners an opportunity to talk directly with experts in the fields of both traditional and non-traditional health, with Dr. Lenoir and Rona Renner, RN. The post About Health – November 20, 2023 appeared first on KPFA.

A 2017 survey by the National Safety Council found that 76 percent of Americans feel tired at work. And, 4 to 5 percent of drivers per month report falling asleep or nodding off behind the wheel. That’s alarming given that it is estimated that drowsy driving is responsible for 91,000 crashes per year. So, what can we do about it? As our guest tells us this episode, some surprisingly simple solutions can help us not only get more sleep but also gain more energy during the day. And, it starts with knowing our “chronotype,” the natural inclination of our bodies to sleep at certain times and be awake at others. Host David B. Feldman interviews Dr. Michael Breus, clinical psychologist, clinical sleep specialist, and author of several book, including Energize! Go from Dragging It to Kicking It in 30 Days. The post 11/13/23 How to Have More Energy appeared first on KPFA.

Have you wondered about the safety of the products you use to keep your home clean, or the chemicals that are in your lipstick or hair products? You may be putting asbestos, formaldehyde, or even lead on your hair or lips. Every day we’re exposed to toxic chemicals in the air, water, food, and in the products we use. The more we know, the better chance we have of making good choices for our health. Join Nurse Rona and Kaley Beins, senior scientist at the Environmental Working Group (EWG). The post 11/6/23 Reducing Chemical Exposures appeared first on KPFA.

Ask yourself: What are the ingredients of a strong relationship? Our guest today argues that they include paying attention to each other, accepting one another’s quirks, showing appreciation, being affectionate, and giving each other the space you need to flourish. On some level, this may sound obvious—or even simple—but we all know it’s far from easy. So, how do we actually do all this? How do we show up in our relationships in mature and balanced ways, deepen our connections, and make sure that our relationships are as strong and meaningful as possible? These are just some of the questions we explore in this episode. Host David B. Feldman speaks with Dr. David Richo, psychotherapist and author of more than 25 books, including How to be an Adult in Relationships: The Five Keys to Mindful Loving. The post 10/30/23 Being Mature in Relationships appeared first on KPFA.

Although most people spend about a third of their time in bed, all too often people struggle to get deep and restful sleep. Sleep is essential to our bodies for maintaining mental and physical health. It’s reported that 50 to 70 million Americans have chronic sleep disorders, with the most common sleep disorders being insomnia, sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, and narcolepsy. Join Nurse Rona and Dr. Kin M.Yuen to answer your questions about sleep. The post 10/23/23 Sleep Matters appeared first on KPFA.

OCD is a mental health condition most of us have heard of but we might not know much about, and there are a lot of misconceptions about it. Yet, it’s a pretty common disorder, with approximately 2.5 million adults in the United States living with OCD right now. So, in this episode, we’ll talk all about OCD—what it is, what it’s like to live with the condition, and techniques people can use to treat it. Host David B. Feldman speaks with Dr. Kim Rockwell-Evans, psychotherapist and author of the book Breaking the Rules of OCD: Find Lasting Freedom from the Unwanted Thoughts, Rituals, and Compulsions That Rule Your Life. The post 10/16/23 All About OCD appeared first on KPFA.

A program designed to give listeners an opportunity to talk directly with experts in the fields of both traditional and non-traditional health, with Dr. Lenoir and Rona Renner, RN. The post About Health – October 9, 2023 appeared first on KPFA.

A program designed to give listeners an opportunity to talk directly with experts in the fields of both traditional and non-traditional health, with Dr. Lenoir and Rona Renner, RN. The post Special Fund Drive Programming – About Health – October 2, 2023 appeared first on KPFA.

A program designed to give listeners an opportunity to talk directly with experts in the fields of both traditional and non-traditional health, with Dr. Lenoir and Rona Renner, RN. The post About Health – September 25, 2023 appeared first on KPFA.

In this episode, we hear from a dermatologist about what doctors wish everyone knew about taking care of their skin. What kinds of products should we and shouldn’t we be slathering on? What are the most common mistakes people make in taking care of their skin? And what tips should all of us be following? Of course, another important aspect of our skin is its color. The color of people’s skin can expose them to racism, systemic bias, and prejudice in contexts throughout our society. As our guest today—founder of the UCSF Skin of Color Program—shares with us, the color of people’s skin can expose them to important disparities in dermatologic care, as well. So, we also talk about these disparities, important gaps in dermatologic education, and what she wishes all dermatologists could know about skin of color. Host David B. Feldman speaks with Dr. Jenna Lester, dermatologist and founding Director of the Skin of Color Program at UC San Francisco medical center. The post 9/18/23 What Everyone Should Know about Taking Care of their Skin appeared first on KPFA.

Death is a part of life, but too often people are afraid to talk about their fears about dying, and their priorities for care at the end of life. Many people find themselves in challenging situations when they are faced with a dying relative or friend, not sure what steps to take to honor the dying person’s wishes. Are you prepared? Do you have a will? An advanced health care directive? If not, you are not alone. Join Nurse Rona and Eileen Spillane for a conversation about death. The post 9/11/23 Conversations About Death appeared first on KPFA.

When you hear the word “doula,” you probably think of someone who assists another person through the child-birthing experience. But you may not know that doulas also assist people through other massive transitions, including at the end of life. The term “death doula” may not be one you’ve heard before, but it’s a growing profession. Death doulas are not providers of medical care—they’re different from doctors or nurses. They assist in important non-medical ways, from listening, to helping people connect with their priorities and values, to offering emotional support both for a dying person and also, perhaps, for their family. In this episode, we discuss what exactly a death a doula is, what they do, and how we might benefit from thinking in deeper ways about our own mortality, even if we’re far from the end of our lives. Host David B. Feldman speaks with Francesca Lynn Arnoldy, community doula, death literacy advocate, and author of three books, including The Death Doula’s Guide to Living Fully and Dying Prepared: An Essential Workbook to Help You Reflect Back, Plan Ahead, and Find Peace on Your Journey. The post 7/4/23 Death Doulas: What are they? appeared first on KPFA.

There has been a lot of talk about the Vagus Nerve these days. It can help us during times of stress or illness, and it’s one of the longest and most important of 12 cranial nerves in our bodies. It connects our brain to our gut, and affects our mood, digestion, heart rate, immune response, and much more. Join Nurse Rona and her guest Amelia Barili, PhD, to learn about the Vagus Nerve and ways it can help us in these challenging times. The post 8/28/23 Befriending Your Vagus Nerve appeared first on KPFA.

According to a recent survey, 30% of couples report arguing at least once a week, 28% report arguing once month or multiple times a month, and 32% report arguing once or multiple times per year. Add those numbers up, and you get almost everybody! People disagree, even those who love each other a lot. Yet, according to research, it’s not necessarily the existence of conflicts themselves that lead to relationships ending, but rather how those conflicts are managed. But, that’s the trick: How exactly do we manage conflicts in our relationships in a healthy way? Host David B. Feldman speaks with Lisa Gray, couples therapist and author of the book, Healthy Conflict, Happy Couple: How to Let Go of Blame and Grow Stronger Together. The post 7/21/23 Practicing Healthy Conflict in Relationships appeared first on KPFA.

One of the many health impacts the climate crisis has had in recent years is an increase is vector-borne diseases, including diseases caused by ticks, such as Lyme and Babesiosis. Lyme has been a challenge regarding diagnosis and treatment for a long time, leaving many patients with inadequate testing, high medical bills, and doctors who dismiss the varied, debilitating, and inconsistent symptoms of Lyme. Join Nurse Rona and her guests Olivia Goodreau and Dr. Richard Horowitz. The post 8/14/23 Complexities of Lyme Disease appeared first on KPFA.

Most likely you’ve heard of ChatGPT. But, you may not know that AI is also being applied in significant ways to healthcare: from smartphone apps, to systems that might eventually be able to offer us healthcare advice without waiting to talk to a doctor, to research applications like drug development. In this episode, we talk with someone whose career has been at the crossroads of medicine and technology for decades. We ask him what healthcare might look like in the future and discuss the promise of AI as well as some of the caution that’s worth observing. Host David B. Feldman speaks with Dr. Mark Braunstein, Emeritus Professor of Practice at Georgia Tech and Visiting Scientist at the Australian E-Health Research Centre. The post 7/7/23 How Artificial Intelligence is Changing Healthcare appeared first on KPFA.

Joining Nurse Rona will be author Elizabeth Rosner, discussing her book, Survivor Café: The Legacy of Trauma and the Labyrinth of Memory. As the child of parents who survived the Holocaust, Elizabeth explores the collective memory of the murder of 6 million Jews, the genocide in Rwanda, and the bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. She stresses the vital importance of telling stories as a part of the medicine needed to understand and heal from these horrific historic events, as well as from the racism, terrorism, and anti-Semitic traumas that people are experiencing in current time. The post 7/31/23 Inherited Trauma and Resilience appeared first on KPFA.

A program designed to give listeners an opportunity to talk directly with experts in the fields of both traditional and non-traditional health, with Dr. Lenoir and Rona Renner, RN. The post About Health – July 24, 2023 appeared first on KPFA.