Grandparent’s Guide

Grandparent’s Guide

by | Oct 30, 2026 | healthy aging, Lifestyle Medicine

October 30, 2026

Episode 250: Grandparents Guide

A lot has changed since you brought your bundle of joy home from the hospital. Learn how you can keep babies safe. 

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grandmother holding baby

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Grandparent’s Guide to Keeping Babies Safe

What You’ll Learn

Meeting a new grand baby this Thanksgiving? A lot has changed since we brought our own bundles of joy home, and this episode will catch you up.

From back-to-sleep to “please don’t kiss the baby,” I share what we know now that we didn’t know in the ’80s, plus a few stories from my own family (including one Thanksgiving with my in-laws I’ll never forget).

You’ll learn:

  • The ABCs of safe sleep, and why SIDS rates have dropped by about 70%
  • Why you can’t spoil a newborn, so hold away
  • Why kisses belong on top of the head for the first couple of months
  • What this year’s early flu season means for babies
  • Which vaccines grandparents can get, including RSV and Tdap, and why timing matters before you meet the baby
  • Why the flu shot still matters, even with a mutated strain.

Grandmother to grandmother: our job is to support, not decide. Pull up the rocking chair and let’s love these babies well.

This episode is for general information only and isn’t medical advice. Talk with your doctor or pharmacist about which vaccines are right for you.

If this episode has given you a better understanding of the science behind the time change, would you please go to Apple podcast and leave a review?

This episode is for informational and educational purposes only and isn’t a substitute for medical advice. Talk to your doctor before making changes based on this information.

 

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What it truly means to be healthy with Dr. Alan Rozanski

What it truly means to be healthy with Dr. Alan Rozanski

by | Oct 16, 2026 | Lifestyle Medicine

October 16, 2026

Episode 249: What it Truly Means to be Healthy

What does it really mean to be healthy?

Preventive cardiologist and lifestyle medicine physician, Dr. Alan Rozansky offers a fresh answer: 

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What You’ll Lear

HEALTH IS VITALITY

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Alan Rozanski, a nationally recognized expert in preventive cardiology who is also trained in health psychology, behavioral medicine, and lifestyle medicine. Instead of defining health as the absence of disease, Dr. Rozanski defines it as vitality, that inner sense of feeling alive and energetic. When your vitality dips, it’s a signal to look at his “vitality map,” six evidence-based domains of health: physical, cognitive, emotional, social, sense of purpose, and how you handle stress.

We talk about:

  • The power of the first step. Why walking just 5 minutes a day matters, what the UK Biobank data shows about short bursts of activity, and how small consistent habits change your identity.
  • Avoiding the overhaul trap. Why trying to change everything at once after a health scare sets you up for failure.
  • Purpose and longevity. How a strong sense of purpose is linked to longer life, less heart disease, and lower dementia risk.
  • Can you become more optimistic? Why optimism is partly inherited but can be built, starting with “small optimism.”
  • Social connection. Why friendships need intentional upkeep, why it’s never too late to reconnect, and how online community can become a real lifeline.
  • Overcoming inertia. Giving yourself permission to feel what you feel, starting with movement, and knowing when to reach out for help.
  • Resistance training. Why muscle care is the most overlooked part of healthy aging, plus simple ways to fit it into your day.

Whether you’re feeling stuck or looking for a new way to think about longevity, this conversation offers practical, hopeful steps you can start today.

🩺CONNECT WITH DR. ALAN ROZANSKI Website: https://alanrozanski.com/ Newsletter, including his free 12-part series on optimism: https://alanrozanski.com/newsletter/

LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/alanrozanski/

DISCLAIMER

This episode is for informational and educational purposes only and isn’t a substitute for medical advice. Talk to your doctor before making changes based on this information.

 

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All information associated with this website is for informational and educational purposes only and is not meant to be a substitute for medical advice.

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What is all the fuss about the time change?

What is all the fuss about the time change?

by | Oct 10, 2026 | Lifestyle Medicine

October 10, 2026

Episode 248: What is all the fuss about the time change?

Some people prefer permanent Daylight Saving Time, others want permanent Standard Time, and some want to just leave it like it is – switching back and forth twice a year. 

But this goes beyond personal preference. The data might change your mind. 

Watch HERE on You Tube

Dr. Vickie

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Daylight Saving Time vs. Standard Time

What You’ll Learn

The debate is over a century old:

in 1918, Woodrow Wilson signed a federal law that created Daylight Saving Time. It was called, the Standard Time Act. No wonder we are so confused!

It lasted a year and then it was repealed because the farmers hated it. 

The goal was to save fuel during WW1 and it was reintroduced during WW2 as War Time. But studies show that the energy savings barely even register. 

In 1974, they tried permanent Daylight Saving Time, but reports of children getting killed while going to school in the dark made it immediately unpopular and we went back to changing the time twice a year. 

Switching the clocks is the worst option.

Fatal car crashes increase by 6% when we spring forward into DST.

Physical health: There is a “spring spike” in heart attacks with a 24% increase when we switch to DST, but that doesn’t happen when we “fall back.”

Mental health: One study showed an increase in suicide and fatal substance abuse overdose when we switch to DST.

Economic cost: The estimated cost of switching to Daylight Saving Time is $300 million dollars

Advantages of Permanent Standard Tme:

A study done at Stanford University estimated that obesity could be reduced by 2.6 million cases and strokes reduced by 300,ooo. 

Advantages of Permanent Daylight Saving Time:

More sunshine in the evening, which is beneficial for outdoor sports like tennis and golf.

Less deer/vehicle collisions, which kill 440 people per year with a price tag of $10 billion.

For health and happiness Permanent Standard Time makes the most sense.

It better aligns with our Circadian rhythm resulting in better sleep and better health. It is endorsed by sleep experts, including the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

Switching back and forth is the worst option. 

Tips for making the change this fall

1. Get morning sunlight.

2. Try to make the change gradually, adjusting your schedule by 15 minutes a few days before November 1st. 

3. Avoid napping, or at least keep it short.  

If this episode has given you a better understanding of the science behind the time change, would you please go to Apple podcast and leave a review?

This episode is for informational and educational purposes only and isn’t a substitute for medical advice. Talk to your doctor before making changes based on this information.

 

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All information associated with this website is for informational and educational purposes only and is not meant to be a substitute for medical advice.

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Sleep Anxiety

Sleep Anxiety

by | Sep 18, 2026 | Lifestyle Medicine

September 18, 2026

Episode 245: Sleep Anxiety

You’ve got a big day tomorrow, so you tell yourself: I have to fall asleep tonight. And somehow, that’s exactly what keeps you awake.

In this episode, Dr. Vickie unpacks the sleep effort paradox, the frustrating truth that the harder you try to sleep, the harder sleep becomes. Learn what’s actually happening in your brain when trying backfires.

Dr. Vickie

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Can't turn off your mind and sleep?

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The Trying Harder to Sleep Paradox: Why Trying Harder to Sleep Makes It Worse

In this episode, Dr. Vickie makes the case that sleep might be exactly what’s standing between you and losing that stubborn belly fat.

What You’ll Learn

The scale can lie to you. In a Mayo Clinic study, healthy adults slept just four hours a night for two weeks (compared to a control group getting nine hours). On the scale, they’d only gained about a pound. But a CT scan told a different story: a 9% increase in total abdominal fat, and an 11% increase in dangerous visceral fat. Without the scan, it would have gone completely unnoticed.

It’s not about willpower. Participants in the study weren’t restricting food. They had free access to eat whatever they wanted. When sleep-deprived, they naturally ate over 300 extra calories a day without even realizing it. Their bodies were doing something most people blame on themselves: when sleep breaks down, so does appetite control.

Meet the hormones running the show. Dr. Vickie breaks down ghrelin (your hunger hormone) and leptin (made by your fat cells, signaling fullness) and what happens when poor sleep throws them out of balance. Then she covers cortisol’s role in cravings, and how insulin resistance can quietly drive fat storage around your middle.

It’s more complex than four hormones. The endocannabinoid system, GLP-1, and Peptide YY all play a role in appetite and sleep too.

Bedtime matters more than you think. Research shows people who stay up past midnight tend to carry more weight around the waist than those with earlier, more consistent sleep schedules.

Get the Free Guide

Ready to make sleep work for you instead of against you? Grab Dr. Vickie’s free guide, 3 Simple Strategies to Sleep Smarter plus a bonus sleep-friendly recipe built around real food sources of melatonin and magnesium.

 

👉 healthylooksgreatonyou.com/sleep

Is Melatonin Bad for Your Heart? Listen here 

This episode is for informational and educational purposes only and isn’t a substitute for medical advice. Talk to your doctor before making changes based on this information.

LINKS:

https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthy-aging-and-longevity/going-to-sleep-late-at-night-associated-with-obesity-big-bellies

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/the-endocannabinoid-system-essential-and-mysterious-202108112569

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9590398/pdf/41574_2022_Article_747.pdf

 

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All information associated with this website is for informational and educational purposes only and is not meant to be a substitute for medical advice.

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Sleep Anxiety

Sleep and Belly Fat

by | Sep 11, 2026 | Belly fat, Lifestyle Medicine, Sleep

September 11, 2026

Episode 244: Sleep and Belly Fat

 You’re exercising, eating whole foods, and doing all the things, but the belly fat won’t budge. What if the answer is not in the gym or the kitchen, but in your bedroom? A good night’s sleep might be the key to finally getting that belly fat to go away.

Dr. Vickie

Listen HERE on Apple

Can't turn off your mind and sleep?

Get your FREE sleep strategies. This is so much more than a sleep hygiene checklist. It’s evidence-based tools to help you get the sleep you need. 

Send it to me!

 

Sleep and Belly Fat: Why the Missing Piece Might Be Your Bedroom, Not the Gym

In this episode, Dr. Vickie makes the case that sleep might be exactly what’s standing between you and losing that stubborn belly fat.

What You’ll Learn

The scale can lie to you. In a Mayo Clinic study, healthy adults slept just four hours a night for two weeks (compared to a control group getting nine hours). On the scale, they’d only gained about a pound. But a CT scan told a different story: a 9% increase in total abdominal fat, and an 11% increase in dangerous visceral fat. Without the scan, it would have gone completely unnoticed.

It’s not about willpower. Participants in the study weren’t restricting food. They had free access to eat whatever they wanted. When sleep-deprived, they naturally ate over 300 extra calories a day without even realizing it. Their bodies were doing something most people blame on themselves: when sleep breaks down, so does appetite control.

Meet the hormones running the show. Dr. Vickie breaks down ghrelin (your hunger hormone) and leptin (made by your fat cells, signaling fullness) and what happens when poor sleep throws them out of balance. Then she covers cortisol’s role in cravings, and how insulin resistance can quietly drive fat storage around your middle.

It’s more complex than four hormones. The endocannabinoid system, GLP-1, and Peptide YY all play a role in appetite and sleep too.

Bedtime matters more than you think. Research shows people who stay up past midnight tend to carry more weight around the waist than those with earlier, more consistent sleep schedules.

Get the Free Guide

Ready to make sleep work for you instead of against you? Grab Dr. Vickie’s free guide, 3 Simple Strategies to Sleep Smarter plus a bonus sleep-friendly recipe built around real food sources of melatonin and magnesium.

 

👉 healthylooksgreatonyou.com/sleep

This episode is for informational and educational purposes only and isn’t a substitute for medical advice. Talk to your doctor before making changes based on this information.

LINKS:

https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthy-aging-and-longevity/going-to-sleep-late-at-night-associated-with-obesity-big-bellies

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/the-endocannabinoid-system-essential-and-mysterious-202108112569

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9590398/pdf/41574_2022_Article_747.pdf

 

Stay Connected!

ALL Episodes

All information associated with this website is for informational and educational purposes only and is not meant to be a substitute for medical advice.

Please visit the Disclaimer; Conditions, Terms of Use to learn more. Privacy Policy 

Have You Ever Health Challenge

Have You Ever Health Challenge

by | Aug 21, 2026 | Faith, Lifestyle Medicine, nutrition, Sleep

August 21, 2026

Episode 242: Have You Ever Health Challenge

I’m celebrating my birthday this week and reflecting on my health and aging. Come play along in the Have You Ever Health Challenge.

Dr. Vickie

Listen HERE on Apple

 

Have You Ever Health Challenge

It’s my birthday week and we are doing something different. I hope you’ll play along. In this episode, I’m sharing the parts of my health story I don’t usually lead with: the broken bones, the surgeries, the diagnosis nobody could explain, and the diabetes I reversed through lifestyle medicine. I’m also sharing a poem I wrote about my grandmother, who passed away on my birthday, and what her passing taught me about life, death, and faith.

Have You Ever?

Have you ever played along on one of these challenges? Have you ever broken a bone? Had stitches? Spent a night (or fourteen surgeries’ worth of nights) in a hospital bed wondering what comes next?

This week, in honor of my birthday, I’m turning the tables on myself. Instead of teaching mini medical school, I’m playing along with my own “Have You Ever” health challenge. Think of it as a way to celebrate with me. 

🎧 Listen to the full episode HERE  and if you’re one of the many people struggling with sleep, don’t forget to grab your free SLEEP resources HERE. 

  1. Have you ever broken a bone and been in a cast?
  2. Have you ever had stitches?
  3. Have you ever been in the hospital?
  4. Have you ever had surgery?
  5. Have you ever had complications from surgery?
  6. Have you ever had a bad reaction to a medication or serious side effects?
  7. Have you ever questioned a prescription you’ve been given?
  8. Have you ever been to the emergency room?
  9. Have you ever had an IV?
  10. Have you ever given yourself a shot?
  11. Have you ever been in a wheelchair?
  12. Have you ever been injured in a car wreck?
  13. Have you ever had a biopsy or been diagnosed with cancer?
  14. Have you ever had symptoms that your doctor couldn’t explain?
  15. Have you ever had a weird disease no one has ever heard of?
  16. Have you ever had a health scare that got your attention and made you get serious about your health?
  17. Have you ever reversed a disease with lifestyle?

Now it’s your turn. Listen to the episode, keep score, and then ask yourself: how does healthy look on you?

Healthy Looks Great on You is for educational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice.

 

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All information associated with this website is for informational and educational purposes only and is not meant to be a substitute for medical advice.

Please visit the Disclaimer; Conditions, Terms of Use to learn more. Privacy Policy