Heart To Health Talk: Recent Episodes
Hearttohealthtalk
HTHT is a podcast about all things health related to youth. From battling FOMO, balancing sleep or finding our own healthy body. We’ll have conversation from the heart to understand these health issues, how they emerge & how we may tackle them. Featuring stories and experiences from experts, friends and strangers, join us as we explore and find out what health means to us! Reach us at @hearttohealthtalk.
What is Advanced Care Planning (ACP), and how can help us and our loved ones in times of severe disease? In the final episode of the New Summer, New Me series, we speak to Cynthia Chng, a member of the ACP team at the Agency for Integrated Care, to find out more about ACP, and how we can approach our loved ones to tackle a conversation that we think is too early, until it is too late.
As we return to normalcy after the pandemic, more and more people are placing greater emphasis on their mental wellbeing. Is there enough support from various stakeholders to support those with poor mental wellbeing? How can we improve our mental health literacy? Join us in our fourth episode of the New Summer, New Me series, where we speak to Dr. Wong Chee Meng John about these issues. Dr. Wong is a Senior Consultant at the Department of Psychological Medicine in the National University Hospital and the director of the Mind Science Centre.
In the second half of our third episode, we are discussing all things skincare! Dr. Etienne brings us through his own skincare routine and some ingredients to look out for in our skincare routine. He also discusses some skincare trends, such as the clean girl aesthetic and the 12-step Korean skincare routine.
How do we know whether a mole is cancerous? Are sunscreens really useful? In the first half of our third episode of the New Summer, New Me series, Dr. Etienne Wang brings us through the ABCDEs of moles and some myths about sun protection. He also talks about hair loss. Dr. Etienne Wang is a senior consultant at the National Skin Centre.
ADDENDUM: Dr Wang accidentally misspoke when describing the hair cycle. The catagen (regression phase) comes after the anagen (growth phase), and before telogen (rest phase).
Are eye exercises really effective? Do we really need those blue light filters in our spectacles? In the third episode of the New Summer, New Me series, Dr. Anna Tan and Dr. Loon Seng Chee debunk some myths related to eye care. They also bring us through LASIK surgery and Orthokeratolgy, which are popular methods of improving vision. Dr. Loon Seng Chee is the Head of Opthalmology at Alexandra Hospital, and specialises in surgery for glaucoma and complex cataracts. Dr. Anna Tan is a Partner and Senior Consultant at Eye and Retina Surgeons (ERA), Camden Medical.
We are picking up from where we left off! In the second part of our first episode, we continue our conversation with Wei Hao and Joel, who bring us through their own healthy living goals, and the setbacks they faced in maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Summer is here, and everyone is trying to get their ideal summer bodies, through means such as quick diets. Are the diets we follow sustainable? Do we still meet our nutritional needs in these diets? In the first half of our first episode in our latest series, New Summer, New Me, we talk to Wei Hao and Joel, the President and General Assistant of the Food Science and Technology Society at the National University of Singapore, to gain more insights on these issues.
If you ask your family and friends whether they are open to video consultations with their doctor, you might get a very different answer now as compared to back in 2019 or earlier. Indeed, the COVID-19 pandemic has shifted perceptions towards telemedicine services. In the final episode of our Digital Health series, we take a deep dive into the potential and limitations of telemedicine together with Dr Bobby and Juliana, two co-founders of Rescu. Rescu is your friendly neighbourhood house call doctor and telemedicine service based in Singapore.
What exactly is Telehealth? And how can it complement our local healthcare system and perhaps even help our parents and grandparents? To find out more, we spoke with Darren, a recent graduate from Nanyang Technological University. He is the co-founder of Igaku, a Telehealth platform working to improve healthcare accessibility in Indonesia.
Games like Just Dance or Pokemon Go are certainly fun, but their potential to encourage healthier habits (e.g., moving more) can often be overlooked by a casual player of these games. On the second episode of our Digital Health series, we speak to Dr Joshua Wong to understand how games and gamification can promote desirable health behaviours. Dr Wong is an associate lecturer at SIM Global Education who has conducted research on digital telehealth and the design of serious games.
FitBit, Apple Watch, Garmin. Chances are, you’ve heard at least some of these names before - a testament to the growing popularity of health and fitness wearables. In this episode, we are joined by Denise and Ze Hui, two colleagues who have been using wearables regularly for the past few years. Hear more about their thoughts on choosing the right device and the potential of wearables in the years to come.
The COVID-19 pandemic has heightened existing tensions and faultlines in many societies around the world. With this, cases of discrimination have been thrown into the spotlight. In this episode, Mayank and Simren talk about their experiences with racism and discrimination before and during the pandemic. Mayank is a third-year NTU Biomedical Engineering student and Simren is a research assistant at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.
The pandemic has shut borders and limited travel between countries. In this episode, we speak to Robert, whose home institution is in Canada, and was an exchange student at the National University of Singapore before the pandemic hit. He shares how COVID-19 unexpectedly doubled his time in Singapore from one to two years.
Ah, the dreaded awkward silence on Zoom. How have students been coping with home-based learning in Singapore? In this episode, two students at Ngee Ann Polytechnic — Niki and Totti — share their experiences with online learning, Zoom shenanigans, and how it has impacted their physical health.
What do you get up to when you are stuck at home with heightened restrictions? We continue the conversation with Phoebe, a final year NUS Nursing student, about productive procrastination through crafting and living under pandemic measures with a big household.
Feeling trapped at home? Well, you’re not alone! Join us as we speak to Phoebe, a final year NUS Nursing student, as she shares relatable experiences with Singapore’s circuit breaker and pandemic restrictions.
Who do you picture to be on the cover of Men’s Health? Chris Hemsworth? Song Joong-Ki? Has our impression of the ideal body been dictated by society, shaped by the media or possibly reinforced by the people around us? In this episode, we speak with Shaun Tupaz, an entertainer, radio personality on ONE FM 91.3, stand-up comedian and spin instructor. Tune in to hear his experience being on the cover of Men’s Health and his insights on body image.
In this episode, we continue our conversation with Samuel and Elmer to deconstruct social norms and the expectations surrounding gender and masculinity. We discuss topics such as National Service & its detrimental effects, expressing our emotions as men as well as the impact of language on shaping gender norms. Join us as we rethink & reconstruct masculinity.
What comes to mind when you hear the phrase "be a man"? From our formative years, our understanding of masculinity has been shaped unconsciously. In this episode, Samuel and Elmer share their thoughts on what masculinity means to them. Samuel is a comparative literature graduate and has just finished a stint as an English teacher in Japan; while Elmer is working in an SME before matriculating into university this year. Join as we find out more on how masculinity has been shaped in our society!
[Content Warning: Discussion of suicidal ideation from 3:23 to 3:52] What is a truly healthy and inclusive workplace? For the final episode of our series, we spoke with Ms Anthea Ong, a former Nominated Member of Parliament who works actively on issues concerning mental health, marginalised communities and the environment. Join us as we tackle topics like sick leave, OT culture & help-seeking in the workplace, and explore how to build a work environment that is conducive to our wellbeing.
With the COVID-19 pandemic and shift to Work From Home (WFH) arrangements, there has been a surge of interest in ergonomic workstation setups. This is all for good reason! As we will hear from Mr Patrick Ker, senior occupational therapist & director of the Postgraduate Allied Health Institute at SGH, maintaining good posture is an integral aspect to our health. Tune in to this episode to find out how you can work towards better posture.
Is it enough to just exercise for an hour a day, even if we spend all other hours of the day sitting? (Hint: Not really...) In this episode, we are joined by Dr Andre Mathias Müller, a sports scientist and lecturer at the NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health. We will take a closer look at sedentary behaviours, when they can become a problem and how we can go about tackling them.
What exactly is a vice? Is it just what we typically think of, like smoking and drinking? Join us for a chat with Ysanne, a designer and integrative nutrition health coach, as we unpack what vices might look like in our lives, and how we can manage them mindfully and intentionally.
What makes the school-to-work transition daunting? For some, it is the job-hunting aspect, and for others, it is getting settled into their first job. In the opening episode of our Adulting series, listen to Nina and Maline chat with us about some challenges they faced during this process, and what they have learnt along the way.
What does being 'healthy' really mean? Are social perceptions of a healthy body unrealistic? In our final episode of the Finding Balance series, we invite Prof Michael Chia, an expert on pediatric exercise and physical activity to share what a healthy person is really like. Join us as we discuss the different motivations and pressures to getting healthy and when staying healthy becomes excessive!
Everyone knows the importance of sleep, so why do we sacrifice it for something else? Today, we are joined by Professor Michael Chee, an expert on sleep deprivation on cognitive performance. We discuss the culture of hyper-productivity in Singapore and the differences between quality and duration of sleep. To end off, we explore tips for falling asleep easier and adjusting sleep patterns for all night owls out there (ourselves included)!
We've all experienced that feeling when we see our friends having fun while we're not there. On our first episode of Finding Balance, we explore that fear of missing out (FOMO) culture in Singapore and how social media shapes how we experience it. Joining us is Joanne, a friend and psychology student who'll be sharing her own experiences with FOMO. Together, we discuss different ways of dealing with FOMO or comparing with others, whether by our parents or ourselves.
It's time to introduce HTHT, our podcast about health made especially for youth! In our first series, we explore finding balance in health. We'll be zooming in on a few key aspects in our life; FOMO, Sleep and A Healthy Body. With the help of experts and friends, we’ll be having conversations from the heart about our experiences and how we can find balance in our lives.
Coming soon this April!