Small Conversations for a Better World Podcast

Gillian McCormick, Susannah Steers

Small Conversations for a Better World Podcast with hosts Gillian McCormick and Susannah Steers brings you interviews with experts, thought-leaders and influencers to answer the question "what is health?" More than the absence of disease, health is influenced by our connections and communities and a whole host of factors not always easily understood. Listen in to gain new insights into how to be healthy individuals, families and communities. read less
Health & FitnessHealth & Fitness

Episodes

Conversations About Decolonization, Episode 9 / Urban Indigeneity, Social Movements & Art
Apr 29 2022
Conversations About Decolonization, Episode 9 / Urban Indigeneity, Social Movements & Art
In this episode we talk about the final three modules of the Indigenous Canada course including Indigenous in the City, Social Movements and Indigenous Art. Wet’suwet’en: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_Canadian_pipeline_and_railway_protests@hesquiaht Carol Anne Hilton, MBA@helen_knott Helen Knott@KimTallBear Kim TallBear@DecolonizeWealth@Qchasinghorse Quannah Chasinghorse@_IllumiNatives IllumiNative National Association of Friendship Centres  https://nafc.ca/?lang=enNeechi Commons https://neechi.ca/First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) https://www.fnha.ca/First Nations Health Council (FNHC) https://fnhc.ca/First Nations Health Directors Association (FNDA) https://fnhda.ca/Nadia Myre - http://www.nadiamyre.net/“Indian Act” - https://150ans150oeuvres.uqam.ca/en/artwork/1876-indian-act-by-nadia-myre/#descriptionChristy Belcourt - http://www.christibelcourt.com/Artist/aboutstatement.html“Walking with our Sisters” - http://walkingwithoursisters.ca/about/Rebecca Bellmore - https://www.rebeccabelmore.com/“Trace” - https://www.rebeccabelmore.com/trace/Brian Jungen https://art21.org/artist/brian-jungenDuane Linklater https://duanelinklater.com/“Modest Livelihood”https://www.banffcentre.ca/modest-livelihood#:~:text=Shot%20by%20a%20professional%20camera,three%20families%20as%20they%20hunt Indian Group of Seven: https://www.native-art-in-canada.com/indiangroupofseven.htmlBill Reid https://www.billreidgallery.ca/pages/about-bill-reidThe Frog Radio - @thefrogradio (IG)The 1491s - Indigenous Improv Group https://www.youtube.com/user/the1491s Do your own search for more Indigenous Creators.Find the Indigenous Canada Course:Indigenous Canada via Coursera.orgIndigenous Canada via the University of AlbertaDiscover Small Conversations on Social MediaInstagramFacebookTwitterFind Susannah Steers at www.movingspirit.ca and on social media @themovingspirit.Find Gillian McCormick at https://physiogillian.com/ and on social media @physiogillian.
Season 5 Teaser: Conversations About Decolonization
Nov 23 2021
Season 5 Teaser: Conversations About Decolonization
Season 5 of the Small Conversations for a Better World Podcast is coming up in January 2022! This season, we're doing something a little different. We're dedicating this entire season to conversations about decolonization.  And we want you to join us! Here's the plan: Hosts Gillian McCormick and Susannah Steers are currently completing the Indigenous Canada course, created by the University of Alberta's Faculty of Native Studies. Indigenous Canada is a twelve-week long MOOC (massive online open course), available free through coursera.org.  As we proceed through the course, we'll be talking about what we're learning, how it might be different from Canadian history & social studies we learned in school, and how what we're learning might relate to things we see in the current environment. We invite you to register for the course and participate with us! During each episode, we'll talk about what we've learned in two weeks of the course.  We'll embark on some wide ranging conversations from the perspective of two settler women who have a lot to learn. We want to know better, so we can do better.  Here's how to join us: Sign up now for the FREE Indigenous Canada course at www.coursera.org. Start working your way through the course, at your own speed. If you have thoughts and questions, send them our way at info@smallconversationspodcast.ca - or connect with us on social media.  Join us Friday, January 7th, 2022 for Season 5,  Episode 1, when we'll get started discussing the first two weeks of the Indigenous Canada course. If you'd prefer just to listen in, without taking the course - we welcome your ears!  Join us every second Friday after that  for more about what we're learning in  the course each week, and for conversations with knowledgeable indigenous voices on topics of history, culture, health, and reconciliation. The Small Conversations for a Better World podcast is created inside the ancestral, traditional, asserted, and unceded territory of the Coast Salish nations, including the territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish),  and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh).   Links you Need! Indigenous Canada on CourseraEmail your thoughts and questions to info@smallconversationspodcast.caDiscover Small Conversations on Social MediaInstagramFacebookTwitterFind Susannah Steers at www.movingspirit.ca and on social media @themovingspirit.Find Gillian McCormick at https://physiogillian.com/ and on social media @physiogillian
Strength Training and The Menstrual Cycle w/ Amy Bowe
Oct 8 2021
Strength Training and The Menstrual Cycle w/ Amy Bowe
These days, there is more and more evidence to suggest that strength training is beneficial for women of all ages. For a lot of women, that has meant going to the gym and training in exactly the same way a man does.  But what if the variable and changing hormone levels in a woman's body affect performance in ways we have not fully accounted for? What if strength training could look, and maybe feel different in a woman's body?In this episode, we're talking to Warrior School founder, Amy Bowe, who believes that women can achieve better performance, and more sustainable results by aligning our strength training according to the phases of their menstrual cycles. Join us as we discuss the menstrual cycle, hormones, stress, nutrition and the myriad ways all these things can affect our strength training and athleticism. We're even exploring an unexpected  feminist twist! Maybe aligning our training with our menstrual cycles can lead to new confidence and better results and a "coming home" to our own bodies.   About Amy Bowe: Amy Bowe offers 12 years of experience in coaching, nutrition, hormonal health and training. In the last 12 years she has helped 100’s of women finally get the results they want in their training through understanding their cycle.She didn't always do this; prior, she was a Dietitian working in the Eating Disorder Space. So yes, she knows a thing or two about food!And before this, she was lucky to have super cool supportive parents that said create your own journey and do what makes you happy. Her Mama always told her, “I work so you girls can do things”. Thanks Mama!Amy had a chronic back pain 8-years ago. She was in pain, weak and broken. She spent 12-months cultivating a healthier stronger spine and then years after that building a strong resilient and capable bodyShe went from not being able to pick a 20kg bar off the floor to being able to clean and jerk 80kg. She has learned the processes and methods needed to get strong and get results.Amy Bowe is the  creator of WARRIOR SCHOOLWarrior School is the FIRST of its kind to bring training and the menstrual cycle together in this way. It’s an online coaching program and community to help you get strong by connecting your training, nutrition and menstrual cycle.Important Links: Warrior School WebsiteFind Amy Bowe on Social Media @AmyKateBoweDiscover Small Conversations on Social MediaInstagramFacebookTwitterFind Susannah Steers at www.movingspirit.ca and on social media @themovingspirit.Find Gillian McCormick at https://physiogillian.com/ and on social media @physiogillian
The State of Menopause w/ Dr. Dedeshya Holowenko - Part 1
Aug 27 2021
The State of Menopause w/ Dr. Dedeshya Holowenko - Part 1
Menopause. Traditionally, menopause has been something we don't really talk about. It has been something that women have had to deal with quietly and often on their own. Today - we're going to TALK about it! Join us for an eye-opening conversation with Dr. Dedeshya Holowenko, a family physician with a special interest in women's health.  We dig into some important questions: What is menopause and why it is important for women's health to understand it? What are some of the common symptoms? Why does it affect women differently? What can women DO to manage symptoms for a better quality of life during the peri-menopausal and menopausal years of their lives? Why is it sometimes so hard to get help during this time?  To be healthy is to be well-resourced - and this is certainly one time of life that finding quality of resources is key to well-being.  A friend of the podcast, Dr. Holowenko spoke to us in Season 1 about Breaking Down Barriers for Women Accessing Healthcare and again as the Covid19 pandemic was emerging as a global health emergency: Covid19 - What You Need to Know Today.  She brings a welcome perspective to all our discussions! About Dr. Dedeshya Holowenko Dr. Dedeshya Holowenko is a family physician with a special interest in women's health. She  has a referral based practice where she focuses on women and their unique needs.Website: www.Iskinpure.comDiscover Small Conversations on Social MediaInstagramFacebookTwitterFind Susannah Steers at www.movingspirit.ca and on social media @themovingspirit.Find Gillian McCormick at https://physiogillian.com/ and on social media @physiogillian
Health for Seniors in BC w/ Isobel Mackenzie
Aug 13 2021
Health for Seniors in BC w/ Isobel Mackenzie
Seniors in British Columbia  face a range of challenges, from healthcare to housing, finances and personal supports. The Covid19 pandemic exposed many of the ways that we need to think and act differently to better support our seniors in the later stages of their lives. Isobel Mackenzie, BC's Seniors' Advocate, joined us for a wide-ranging conversation about long-term residential care,  dementia care, elder abuse and neglect, pensions and finances and more. As we look toward a winding down of the Covid19 pandemic, these are some of the issues to hold font and centre as we move toward our "new normal." About Isobel Mackenzie Isobel has over 20 years’ experience working with seniors in home care, licensed care, community services and volunteer services. Isobel led B.C.’s largest not-for-profit agency, serving over 6000 seniors annually. In this work Isobel led the pioneering of a new model of dementia care that has become a national best practice. She led the first safety accreditation for homecare workers, among many other accomplishments. Isobel has been widely recognized for her work and was named BC CEO of the Year for the Not-for-Profit Sector and nominated as a Provincial Health Care Hero.Prior to her appointment as the Seniors Advocate, Isobel served on a number of national and provincial boards and commissions including the BC Medical Services Commission, the Canadian Homecare Association, BC Care Providers, BC Care Aide and Community Health Worker Registry, and the Capital Regional District Housing Corporation.Isobel received both her undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Victoria and has a Certificate in Health Care Leadership from the University of Toronto. Isobel lives in Victoria.Office of the Seniors Advocate  websiteTwitter: @SrsAdvocateBC Facebook : /SeniorsAdvocateBCDiscover Small Conversations on Social MediaInstagramFacebookTwitterFind Susannah Steers at www.movingspirit.ca and on social media @themovingspirit.Find Gillian McCormick at https://physiogillian.com/ and on social media @physiogillian
Big Data w/ Dr. Maya Gislason
Jul 30 2021
Big Data w/ Dr. Maya Gislason
Data is, by definition, the facts, statistics and information we gather for research and analysis. In our digital age, data is being produced, analyzed and used in volumes and ways that are difficult to imagine. Among other things, data is the stuff that health and public policies are made of;  the information that often decides where the money goes. We were curious to know where the data is coming from, who is looking at it, how it is being used, and what we're missing in the quest for equity and ethics in our society.  Dr. Maya Gislason gave us all that and more! As Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University, (home of the Big Data Hub),  Dr. Gislason's integrated approach to research, teaching and engagement,  organized around the common thread of critical enquiry related to social inequities in health, opened our eyes to the myriad ways that the data we produce, on an ever increasing scale, influences our lives and shapes the society we live in.  Established in 2016, SFU's Big Data Hub enables the convergence of data-driven expertise linking computing science to gender studies, statistics to climate change modelling, criminal justice to mathematics, epidemiology to policy and more.About Dr. Maya Gislason Dr. Gislason joined the Faculty of Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University in September 2014 as an Assistant Professor with a focus on health equity. Prior to this, she was a Banting Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Northern British Columbia, Canada with a focus on researching the intersections between public health and intensive resource extraction. Dr. Gislason holds a doctorate in Sociology (Medical Sociology) from the University of Sussex, UK, a Masters in Sociology and a double major in Sociology and Women’s Studies both from the University of Victoria, BC, Canada. A longstanding champion of ecosystem approaches to health, Dr. Gislason works upstream on public health issues by addressing the interconnection between human, animal and ecosystem health alongside her colleagues and community partners, including the First Nations Health Authority. She teaches on and guides research teams in developing Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) informed evidence generating tools, is a Sex and Gender Champion on tri-agency funded research, and is actively engaged in the dynamic space of intersectionality research and Gender-based Analysis Plus approaches to policy formation and evidence building. Dr. Gislason applies these tools and process to research on the impacts of climate change on diverse populations, addressing the environmental and community health impacts of intensive resource extraction on rural, remote, northern and Indigenous communities in Canada, and ultimately to advance the shared goal of Planetary Health.Maya Gislason SFU Big Data Hub Discover Small Conversations on Social MediaInstagramFacebookTwitterFind Susannah Steers at www.movingspirit.ca and on social media @themovingspirit.Find Gillian McCormick at https://physiogillian.com/ and on social media @physiogillian
A Conversation About Trauma w/ Tyler Milley, Part 2
Jul 16 2021
A Conversation About Trauma w/ Tyler Milley, Part 2
Trigger Warning:In this episode, we discuss mature themes, including issues of violence, indigenous traumas and more. Please consider whether this conversation is appropriate for you and/or others in your environs before pressing play.This episode is Part 2 of our in-depth conversation about trauma with  Registered Clinical Counsellor, Tyler Milley.  We pick up where we left off last time; as Tyler walks with us through the aftermath of a violent incident in North Vancouver, and the ways that experience affected a community.   With clarity and compassion, Tyler Milley provides perspective and gives us tools to  begin to  understand the challenges of trauma; in the context of a single event, and with a glimpse into the kind of trauma that crosses generations and affects entire peoples.  How do we create safe, open environments with empathy and humility that might illuminate a path toward healing the trauma in our communities?  Join us to explore the possibilities...About Tyler MilleyTyler Milley is a registered clinical counsellor in Vancouver with over 25 years of experience working with people of all ages. He has supported people with various experiences, expressions, and degrees of anxiety - including individuals and families suffering the effects of trauma. Tyler was born and raised on the North Shore of Vancouver but only recently bought his first mountain bike. He continues to happily live there, injury free for now, with his wife, Emma, and their three incredibly intelligent, good-looking children.www.tylermilley.comDiscover Small Conversations on Social MediaInstagramFacebookTwitterFind Susannah Steers at www.movingspirit.ca and on social media @themovingspirit.Find Gillian McCormick at https://physiogillian.com/ and on social media @physiogillian
A Conversation About Trauma w/ Tyler Milley, Part 1
Jul 2 2021
A Conversation About Trauma w/ Tyler Milley, Part 1
Trigger Warning: In this episode, we discuss mature themes, including issues of violence, indigenous traumas and more. Please consider whether this conversation is appropriate for you and/or others in your environs before pressing play. Trauma can be acute. Trauma can be chronic. Trauma is always overwhelming.  In today's episode, we're digging into what trauma is, how it manifests, and how it affects us, and the people around us.  With clarity and compassion, registered clinical counsellor Tyler Milley helps us understand this complex response, particularly with reference to a violent incident in the community of Lynn Valley, North Vancouver in the spring of 2021.  About Tyler Milley Tyler Milley is a registered clinical counsellor in Vancouver with over 25 years of experience working with people of all ages. He has supported people with various experiences, expressions, and degrees of anxiety - including individuals and families suffering the effects of trauma. Tyler was born and raised on the North Shore of Vancouver but only recently bought his first mountain bike. He continues to happily live there, injury free for now, with his wife, Emma, and their three incredibly intelligent, good-looking children.www.tylermilley.com Discover Small Conversations on Social MediaInstagramFacebookTwitterFind Susannah Steers at www.movingspirit.ca and on social media @themovingspirit.Find Gillian McCormick at https://physiogillian.com/ and on social media @physiogillian
Lost Immunity / w Daniel Kalla
May 21 2021
Lost Immunity / w Daniel Kalla
Lost Immunity is the latest explosive thriller from international bestselling author and physician Daniel Kalla. In a story with some uncomfortable parallels to the Covid19 pandemic, an experimental vaccine is deployed to battle a lethal outbreak - until patients start dying of unknown causes. Are the deaths due to bad science, or is there something more sinister going on?Join us for a conversation about the book,  and for some frank perspectives about the Covid-19 Pandemic from a physician working in the thick of it all.  Our discussion ranges from  his latest medical mystery to Covid19 vaccines, herd immunity,  the anti-vaxx movement and compassionate conversations about vaccine hesitancy.   About Dan KallaBorn, raised, and still residing in Vancouver, Daniel has worked as an ER Physician at St. Paul’s Hospital for the past twenty years. He is also the author of twelve published novels, which have been translated into thirteen languages. Two of his novels have been optioned for film, and his Shanghai trilogy is being developed for a TV series. In his twelfth novel, LOST IMMUNITY, Daniel tackles the issue of vaccine hesitancy and the potential impact on a global outbreak, applying his real-life experience working on the frontlines through the COVID pandemic.Daniel received his B.Sc. and MD from the University of British Columbia, where he is now a clinical associate professor. He is the proud father of two girls and a poorly behaved but lovable mutt, Milo.www.danielkalla.comDaniel Kalla on Facebook @DanKalla on IG and TwitterDaniel Kalla's Globe & Mail Op/Ed - May 7, 2021CBC's White Coat Black Art with Dr. Brian Goldman : The Vaccine Whisperer: March 6, 2021