Causes or Cures
Dr. Eeks
"For the Nerds and the Nerd Nots"Causes or Cures is a health podcast hosted by "Dr. Eeks"—an independent, offbeat, grassroots show driven by curiosity and a passion for breaking down complex health topics into bite-sized, easy-to-understand insights. Dr. Eeks is a public health professional specializing in applied epidemiology and health communication. She works on complex and timely public health issues and is all about making science relatable, often using a blue-collar sense of humor to drive the message home. On this podcast, Dr. Eeks talks with experts from around the world (doctors, researchers, public health pros, and more) to dive into the latest hot topics in health and research, all in a down-to-earth kind of way. She also includes people with compelling stories of healing and "characters" because life is too boring and short to leave out characters and not embrace the weird. ;)DISCLAIMER: Some topics are more controversial than others, so keep in mind that this is information only and not health advice. If you are battling an individual health issue, always check in with your doctor & don't run with anything on podcast as advice. Dr. Eeks doesn't endorse any of her guests' views, and despite a strict health routine, nor does she endorse any products, supplements, oils, magic socks or potions. (If an episode is sponsored by a company she likes, she will say so in the show notes.) While she has a MD, she does not practice medicine (she's a full-time public health nerd) so she does not give out medical advice nor should you treat anything on this podcast as medical advice. Causes or Cures is not a "news site." It's about having conversations, and Dr. Eeks is confident that she can have a respectful conversation with anyone, even people who think far differently than she does. (At least that's been her experience at hole-in-the-walls & on sidewalks across the world.) The point is to not take anything here as Gospel. Sometimes Dr. Eeks' dog Barnaby makes his opinion known, but the good news is that he's a smart dog. Most importantly, she hopes this podcast encourages folks to stay curious, empathic, hopeful, compassionate, honest, open-minded, and engaged. Freedom of discussion is a beautiful thing, delightfully messy, and one that many take for granted.*The views on this podcast do not reflect the views of anyone she contracts with or consults for on various public health projects. You can help keep Causes or Cure independent and ad-free by hitting the "Support" button in the upper corner.You can contact Dr. Eeks through her website, bloomingwellness.com.SIGN UP for her Newsletter HERE: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/xnqmy06
Episodes
Mentioned books
Feb 10, 2020 • 41min
The Keto Diet: Does the Evidence Support it for the Long-Term? With Dr. Shivam Joshi
Send us Fan MailThe Keto diet is incredibly popular. Passionate followers say they feel significantly better on the Keto diet, lose weight and even have better lab values. Keto recipes and tips are all over the internet, as it's a favorite diet of many wellness proponents. Yet others claim there is more hype than health benefits to the Keto diet, and that it doesn't really live up to its many claims. Who's right? What does the evidence say? How does it compare long-term to other well-studied diets, such as the Mediterranean Diet? In this Causes or Cures podcast, Dr. Shivam Joshi will discuss these issues, his published paper and more with Dr. Eeks. Dr. Joshi is a board-certified physician who earned his medical degree at the University of Miami and completed his residency in internal medicine at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital. He completed his nephrology (kidney) fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania and currently works as a clinician and clinical assistant professor at New York University. He has published over a dozen papers on various topics related to diet and health, including plant-based diets and the management of kidney disease, the Keto diet and its effect on obesity and Type 2 Diabetes, and the effect of unrefined carbohydrates on Type 2 Diabetes. He is currently writing a book on how a carnivorous diet impacts health. You can contact Dr. Eeks at bloomingwellness.com.Follow Dr. Eeks on Instagram here.Or Facebook here.Or Twitter.Read Manic Kingdom here.Listen to her short audio parody on the wellness industry here.Subcribe to her newsletter here!Support the show
Feb 10, 2020 • 58min
Alzheimer's Disease: The Latest on Prevention with Dr. Douglas Watt
Send us Fan MailAlzheimer's disease is frightening, heartbreaking and tragic. To some it seems like an unavoidable disease of aging, but others are more hopeful and believe there are things we can do to prevent it and/or slow its progression. One of those people is Dr. Douglas Watt, who happens to be today's guest on Causes or Cures. Dr. Watt took time out of his busy day to talk to Dr. Eeks about all the latest research on Alzheimer's Disease, what really causes it, who is at risk and what you should do if you think you are at risk. Most importantly, he talks about evidence-based things we all can do to significantly lower our risk of getting Alzheimer's disease. As heartbreaking as Alzheimer's Disease is, this podcast should leave you hopeful. Dr. Douglas Watt is a repeat guest on Causes or Cures. In a past episode he discussed the social brain hypothesis of depression, also worth listening to since depression is an independent risk factor for Alzheimer's Disease. Dr. Watt is a clinical neuropsychologist who is on the faculty of Boston University School of Medicine, Harvard Medical School and the Boston Institute for the Study of Violence. He has served as director and chief of two clinical neuropsychology departments in Boston-area hospitals. In addition to seeing patients with a range of neuropsychological issues, Dr. Watt has published 60 peer-reviewed papers on emotion, cognition, behavior and the brain. He currently lectures all over the world on depression, head trauma, delirium and various forms of dementia associated with Alzheimer's disease. Please listen, share and subscribe. To contact Dr. Eeks, do so through bloomingwellness.comTo read or listen to her new comedic parody on the sleazy side of the wellness industry, check out Yours in Wellness, Krystal Heeling on Amazon.Or you can listen to it from Google Play or Walmart! Or follow her on Instagram here. Or Facebook here.Subcribe to her newsletter here!Support the show
Jan 27, 2020 • 57min
How to Survive a Nuclear Bomb, with Nuclear Radiation Guru, Dr. Andrew Karam
Send us Fan MailMost people think that it's impossible to survive a nuclear bomb.It is if you're stuck in the fallout plume or come outside before it's safe and get a lethal dose of radiation. But.., is it possible to increase your chances of surviving a nuclear bomb? Dr. Andrew Karam, a world-wide nuclear radiation expert says it absolutely is. In this episode, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Andrew Karam. He will talk about where you should go once you hear a nuclear bomb is launched, how much time you have to prepare, what you should eat, drink, what you should do for your kids and pets, and he even talks about when it's okay to use hair conditioner again. And, since Iran was in the news recently, he talks about their nuclear capabilities, which might listen folks from an international relations perspective. Dr. Karam has a doctorate degree in environmental sciences and a masters degree in geological sciences. He's a graduate of the Naval Chemistry and Radiological Controls School and the Naval Nuclear Power School. Since 1981, Andy has worked in the radiation safety field. He started out working for the Navy and designed numerous radiation safety courses for the military and universities, including The University of Rochester, Rochester Institute of Technology, American University of Kosovo and The Center for Advanced Defense Studies. He's a board-certified international consultant for all radiological and nuclear matters, including radiological terrorism, and has consulted for the NYPD Counterterrorism division, NYC Department of Health, NASA Lewis Research Center, Honeywell, the International Atomic Energy Agency, Panama Canal, the Canadian Army, Constellation Energy group and more. He's worked as a professor and has written over 200 peer-reviewed articles, several books and over 100 technical papers on the subject. Listen, subscribe and please share. :) You can contact Dr. Eeks at bloomingwellness.com.Follow Dr. Eeks on Instagram here.Or Facebook here.Or Twitter.Subscribe to her newsletter here!Support the show
Jan 9, 2020 • 35min
An interview with Amber Romaniuk on Emotional Eating: Her Personal Story and How She Overcame It
Send us Fan MailIn this episode, Dr. Eeks chats with Amber Romaniuk, an Emotional Eating, Digestive and Hormone Expert who now helps women achieve optimal health through mindful eating and teaching them how to overcome their struggles with food. Amber describes her own struggle with emotional eating that involved her gaining and losing a total of 1000 pounds and spending 50,000 dollars on binge foods. She discusses how to identify if you are struggling with emotional eating, how it may be affecting your relationships, how she overcame it and how you can overcome it. She also talks about her Body Freedom program and how it's helping women all over the world. To learn more about Amber, visit amberapproved.ca.You can contact Dr. Eeks at bloomingwellness.com.Follow Dr. Eeks on Instagram here.Or Facebook here.Or Twitter.Read Manic Kingdom here.Listen to her short audio parody on the wellness industry here.Subcribe to her newsletter here!Support the show
Dec 9, 2019 • 28min
Fat-Shaming Celebrities & What That Does to All of Us: An Interview with Researcher Amanda Ravary
Send us Fan Mail Society loves to shame people for their weight. It's called fat-shaming, and even though it doesn't do anything beneficial for physical or mental health on a societal or individual level, it happens all of the time. It's a form of bullying that often gets a pass under the guise of concern, small-talk or encouragement to lose weight. Celebrities face constant scrutiny over their looks and weight and when they are fat-shamed, it's in a very public way: a viral social media post, a magazine article, a TV show, etc. And while we can imagine that this is a painful experience for the person being fat-shamed, does it impact the rest of us, and if so, how? Today's Causes or Cures podcast features Amanda Ravary, a clinical psychologist and researcher at McGill University that researched this topic. Specifically, she analyzed high-profile incidents of celebrity fat-shaming and studied the effects they had on a large sample of women. Click to listen, subscribe to the podcast! :) You can contact Dr. Eeks at bloomingwellness.cFollow Dr. Eeks on Instagram here.Or Facebook here.Or Twitter.Read Manic Kingdom here.Listen to her short audio parody on the wellness industry here.Subcribe to her newsletter here!Support the show
Nov 27, 2019 • 39min
Comedic Meditation with Comedian Carla Collins and Katie Reese
Send us Fan MailWhat is Comedic Meditation? Listen to find out, and we promise you'll want to try it. In this episode of Causes Or Cures, Dr. Eeks (Erin) chats with Carla Collins and Katie Reese, co-founders of Comedic Meditation. Carla Collins is an award-winning comedian who performs all over the country. She's also the bestselling author of Angels, Vampires and Douche Bags. You can watch her reality show Carlawood on Amazon Prime. Katie Reese is a former comedian and co-founder of Elements of Wellness, a LA-based functional medicine and wellness center. You can contact Dr. Eeks at bloomingwellness.com.Follow Dr. Eeks on Instagram here.Or Facebook here.Or Twitter.Read Manic Kingdom here.Listen to her short audio parody on the wellness industry here.Subcribe to her newsletter here!Support the show
Oct 29, 2019 • 29min
Forensic Elements of Killer Selfies, with Dr. Roger Byard
Send us Fan MailThe world has an obsession with selfies, and while there are many elements to analyze from a health and wellness perspective, this episode of Causes or Cures focuses on selfies that kill people. In this episode, Dr. Roger Byard discusses the forensic elements of killer selfies, or when people die taking selfies. Listen to find out who's most at risk, the countries with the highest rate of selfie deaths and how they are responding, and some of the more dramatic examples of selfie deaths. Dr. Byard dives into other interesting topics as well. Dr. Byard is a forensic pathologist and Professor of Pathology at The University of Adelaide. He has written over 700 papers in peer-reviewed journals and is the Editor-in-Chief of Forensic Science Medicine and Pathology. If you watch The History Channel, you might have seen him recently featured in Lawless: The Real Bushrangers. He also has a book coming out called The Pathology of Old Age. You can contact Dr. Eeks at bloomingwellness.com.Follow Dr. Eeks on Instagram here.Or Facebook here.Or Twitter.Read Manic Kingdom here.Listen to her short audio parody on the wellness industry here.Subcribe to her newsletter here!Support the show
Sep 29, 2019 • 29min
Why EMF Shields for Wireless Tech Do Not Work: An Interview with Dr. Paul Heroux
Send us Fan MailIn this episode, Dr. Paul Héroux joins Dr. Eeks to discuss electromagnetic fields (EMFs) from everyday sources like cell phones, WiFi, Bluetooth, and emerging technologies such as 5G.Dr. Héroux, a physicist and researcher studying the biological effects of electromagnetism, shares his perspective on how EMF exposure may interact with the body, including potential mechanisms that have been explored in laboratory and experimental settings.We also take a closer look at a growing consumer market—EMF shields and protective devices—and discuss why many of these products are not supported by strong evidence, and in some cases, may not function as intended.Importantly, we place this conversation in the context of the broader scientific landscape. Current evidence from major public health and regulatory bodies generally does not support a clear link between typical everyday EMF exposure and adverse health effects, though research is ongoing and continues to evolve.Dr. Paul Héroux holds a PhD in physics and is a researcher focused on electromagnetic field exposure and biological effects. He serves as a Medical Scientist in the Department of Surgery at the McGill University Health Center and leads InVitro Plus, a toxicology laboratory studying the therapeutic and potential pathological effects of electromagnetism. You can contact Dr. Eeks at bloomingwellness.com.Follow Dr. Eeks on Instagram here.Or Facebook here.Subscribe to her newsletter here!Support the show
Sep 29, 2019 • 28min
The Faulty Health Claims of Alkaline Water: An Interview with Dr. Tanis Fenton
Send us Fan MailAlkaline ( High pH) water is a very popular wellness product,and one you'll see in natural stores across the country.The alkaline diet is also trendy, with many websites and books dedicated to it. Both alkaline water and the alkaline diet are linked to various health benefits, but is there any solid evidence to support these claims? In this Causes or Cures episode, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Tanis Fenton via a phone call. She is a researcher who studied the alkaline diet, alkaline water and potential health effects.Through her research, she discovered that health claims made about alkaline water and the alkaline diet are unfounded and make no sense on a basic scientific level. Dr. Fenton is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Calgary, a Registered Dietitian, Epidemiologist and Evidence Analyst for Dietitians of Canada. She is the Nutrition Research Lead for Alberta Health Sciences. You can contact Dr. Eeks at bloomingwellness.com.Follow Dr. Eeks on Instagram here.Or Facebook here.Or Twitter.Read Manic Kingdom here.Listen to her short audio parody on the wellness industry here.Subcribe to her newsletter here!Support the show
Sep 15, 2019 • 24min
The Ineffectiveness of Homemade Sunscreen and the Sunscreens People Should Use to Protect their Skin: An Interview with Dr. Julie Merten
Send us Fan MailIn the world of wellness, skepticism around commercial sunscreen is at an all-time high. Wellness bloggers, moms, influencers and others have taken to creating their own sunscreen with various SPF claims. But are these "natural", homemade sunscreens effective at all? What's in them? How is their SPF value being determined? In this podcast, Dr. Eeks has a conversation with Dr. Julie Merten about her recently published research, "Pinterest Homemade Sunscreens: A Recipe for a Sunburn." Dr. Merten answers the above questions and in general, discusses the widespread dissemination of wellness advice from "wellness advocates" on social media and what that means for consumers. Dr. Eeks asks Dr. Merten about concerns over some of the chemicals in certain sunscreens, and Dr. Merten offers her advice on how to avoid them and still protect your skin from sun damage and skin cancer. Dr. Merten is an associate professor of public health at the University of North Florida. She is the Editor-in-Chief of the Florida Public Health Review and Chair of the Skin Cancer Prevention Task Force for the Northeast Florida Cancer Control Collaborative. Her research involves behavioral skin cancer prevention. Take a listen! You can contact Dr. Eeks at bloomingwellness.com.Follow Dr. Eeks on Instagram here.Or Facebook here.Or Twitter.On Youtube.Or Threads.SUBSCRIBE to her newsletter here!Support the show
