The foods we eat have a significant impact on how we live — from heart disease and cancer to brain and hormonal health. And our audience loves to learn about these connections. In this episode, we go behind the scenes with a look at how we decided on and developed our fall/winter 2025/2026 issue theme: nutrition and the body. During an uncertain time in our society, when much feels out of our control, we use this issue to focus on the choices we can control: the foods we eat. Yet, there are also choices our broader food systems make for us, often contributing to health issues. Hear how we used this issue to examine all aspects of health, through a food lens.

Guest:

Katie Scarlett Brandt, editor-in-chief of Chicago Health and Caregiving magazines

Related reading:

Fall/Winter 2025/2026 issue: Nutrition and the Body

Individual stories:

• Nourishing the Mind, Body, and Beyond
• Nutrition at a Glance
• Hormones in Menopause
• Menopause Meal Plan
• What's in a Diet?
• Healing Foods
• Supplements, Superfoods, and Snake Oil
• Food Insecurity in Chicago
• Weight Loss Drug Revolution

The longest living human ever recorded made it to 122 years old. Is that age a fantasy for most, or an increasingly realistic possibility? In this episode, we explore the ethics of aging, impacts on aging, and what the future may hold — from research on biological vs. chronological age, to risk factors in our control.

Guest:

Douglas Vaughn, MD, cardiologist and director of the Potocsnak Longevity Institute at Northwestern Medicine

Related reading:

Background story: Live Long and Prosper

Past coverage:

• The Face of 100
• Life in a Blue Zone
• A Centenarian's Sentiments
• Searching for Longevity?

What makes people vulnerable to news overwhelm? How can we stay grounded amidst the media chaos — and avoid polarization? Chicago Health contributor Dan Dean talks with media researchers about medical misinformation and disinformation, and how to protect your mental health during a stressful news cycle.

Guests:

• Stephanie Lynn Edgerly, PhD, Professor, Associate Dean of Research, Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications, Northwestern University
• David N. Rapp, PhD, Walter Dill Scott Professor, School of Education and Social Policy & Department of Psychology, Northwestern University

Related reading:

• Background story: How to Stay Calm in a Stressful News Cycle
• Past coverage: Health Disinformation Abounds Online