On Health with Houston Methodist

We’ve all had that moment of regret — maybe it was the medium rare burger at a backyard barbecue or that salad bar that was just too convenient to pass up. But the unfortunate result — food poisoning — is no walk in the park for the estimated 48 million Americans a year who suffer the ensuing nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and weakness. What are the first signs you ate something contaminated? How long do most bouts last? And what can y...

The blue light emitting from your screen as you read this has become a bit of a bogeyman, allegedly responsible for eye strain, headaches, poor sleep and much more. Enter blue light-blocking glasses, also called blue light glasses or blue light-filtering glasses. Advocates of blue light glasses claim these lenses can absorb or filter the short wavelengths of blue light produced by our devices, which in turn improves sleep, vision a...

Feeling as if your body needs a reset after a stretch of questionable food and drink decisions? A body cleanse might sound like a practical answer, but do detox diets and supplements really help? In this episode, we explore whether your body needs help detoxifying itself and how to support optimal health. 

Expert: Dr. Kyle Mueller, Primary Care Physician 

Interviewer: Katie McCallum 

Notable topics covered: 

• Are greasy foods, sugar...

The use of ice and heat as medical therapy dates to ancient times, easy-to-apply treatments for the management of everything from inflammation to stiffness. They’re today’s go-to remedies for minor injuries and workout recovery, and a recent survey found they’re also American’s most-used relief option for chronic pain. But how do they work? Are you using them appropriately? And are some of the old ways of thinking about them out of...

A plant-forward diet is your best bet for healthy aging, according to a recent high-profile study, but it doesn’t mean becoming a vegetarian or vegan. Plant-forward diets encompass a wide range of diets that include some meat — including pescatarian, flexitarian, and the popular Mediterranean diet — all of which are rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains, legumes and beans. This eating pattern doesn’t mean going full...

Coffee is the wake-me-up beverage used to start the day around the world. Americans alone drink 400 million cups of coffee each day, more than any other beverage except water. Whether you drink coffee for its unique flavor or you just want that jolt of java, you may wonder: Is coffee good or bad for my health? In this episode, we explore the benefits and potential downsides of coffee consumption. 

Expert: Dr. Priya Davar,...

Whether you love working out or just tolerate it, no one enjoys the soreness that sometimes follows. This explains why there’s no shortage of advice and products promising to help speed recovery — or prevent muscle soreness altogether.  In this episode, we break down why sore muscles happen and what actually helps your body as you recover.

Expert: Dr. David Braunreiter, Sports Medicine Physician

Interviewer: Katie McCallum

Notable top...

Artificial sweeteners are everywhere these days — soft drinks, iced coffees, yogurt, energy drinks, pre-workout powders, protein bars and the list runs on. The prevailing logic is that they’re smart swaps for regular sugar. But could artificial sweeteners be too good to be true? In this episode, we explore how even a “zero calorie” food or drink might still affect your blood sugar. 

Expert: Mag Ayyad, Exercise Dietitian 

Interviewer:...

Ultra-processed foods are ever-present in the American diet: they make up about 60% of what adults eat and nearly 70% of what children eat. These foods (and beverages!) are delicious and affordable by design, and they’re everywhere — gas stations, grocery stores, big-box retailers. And while they’re easy on the palate and pocketbook, they’re linked to more than 30 health conditions, including type 2 diabetes and heart disease. In t...

Losing weight is hard work, and hitting a plateau can feel frustrating, gut-wrenching and demotivating. You’re doing everything right — eating well, exercising, staying committed — but, suddenly, the scale won’t budge. Is it time to switch things up? Or should you just be patient? In this episode, we break down what’s really happening when weight loss stalls and provide tips for pushing past it. 

Expert: Dr. Garth Davis, Weight Loss...

Is your preferred sleep position hazardous to your health? You may not realize it, but how you sleep — on your back, your side, your stomach — not only can determine whether you get a good night’s rest, it can make you more likely to snore, exacerbate back pain and acid reflux disease or cause heart issues. So is there a best sleeping position? What are the benefits and downsides of each one? And just how detrimental can the wrong ...

Nearly half of all people in the U.S. have some type of heart disease, according to the American Heart Association, including coronary heart disease (CAD), heart failure, stroke, and high blood pressure. Heart disease has also been the No. 1 cause of death in the U.S. for over 100 years. So it’s safe to say that at some point, many of us will require care from a cardiologist. In this episode, we break down when you may want to cons...

Whether it’s stabbing, burning, aching or throbbing, back pain is one of mankind’s great curses. Afflicting 90% of people at some point in their lives, it’s one of the top medical problems for which people see doctors and the leading cause of job-related disability. So what should you know when the inevitable occurs? When can you self-treat back pain and when should you see a doctor? Is surgery the answer for chronic back pain? In ...

Plenty of supplements and wellness products claim to help boost immunity. But given that the immune system is one of the body’s most complex processes, is keeping it strong as simple as taking a mix of vitamins and minerals in a pill or powder? In this episode, we explore how immunity works and the things you can do to help give your immune system what it needs to function optimally.

Expert: Dr. Cesar Arias, Infectious Di...

Aging is something we all do if we’re lucky. As we add years in the rearview mirror, we can collect ailments over time, whether due to injuries or chronic conditions. Conventional wisdom says we get wiser as we age, but can we become or stay active? In this episode, we explore how we can adapt our exercise routines as we get older, including the key exercise recommendations to help you age well (but not necessarily get an Instagram...

It’s the new star of the wellness show, a once humble mineral now touted as a natural antidote for insomnia, migraines, constipation, anxiety, heart and blood sugar issues ... you name it, it seems. It’s true that magnesium is involved in more than 300 biochemical reactions, essential for many bodily functions and lacking in roughly half of people’s diets, according to two major studies. But is it really the holy grail of supplemen...

"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." Ever heard this old saying? It's true. But too often we take a reactive approach to our health instead of a proactive one. What can we do to better monitor our overall well-being and stay ahead of chronic health issues? In this episode, we discuss the health metrics everyone should know and get tips for course correcting if one or more of those numbers is trending in...

Americans are drinking far less alcohol than they have in the past, despite an uptick in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The shift in attitudes — almost 9 in 10 U.S. adults say alcohol use is “very” or “somewhat” harmful, according to a recent Gallup poll — follows research debunking the idea that drinking has any health benefit. The new trend: no- and low-alcohol drinks, known as the “NoLo” movement. NoLo, the fastest-growing p...

There’s no denying probiotics are big business — and it’s not just the dietary supplement industry, valued at $12 billion. Other sectors are getting into the game too, claiming their skincare, household cleaners and mattresses contain probiotics. Why?  Probiotics are alleged to provide gastrointestinal, mental, heart, vaginal and bone and joint health benefits as well as help manage weight and blood glucose levels. Is all that real...