The Checkup: A Chicago Health Podcast

Chicago Health and Caregiving have always prioritized fact checking. Our writers appreciate the verification, and our sources share that they do too. And today, with so much health mis- and disinformation flying around, fact checking is absolutely crucial. Here's a look behind-the-scenes at our process, why we value fact checking, and what makes health information so vulnerable to deceptions. [Special shout out to our fact checkers: Jim Lacy, Ros Lederman, Shannon Sparks, and Derick Wilder.]

Prolonged stress from caregiving can show up in a variety of ways: as headaches, body aches, insomnia, moodiness. It can lead to a lack of interest in activities you previously enjoyed, and create feelings of loneliness and isolation.About 63 million Americans are currently serving as family caregivers, which equates to about 1 in 4 American adults. At an average age of 51, they’re juggling a lot — especially if they're caring for both children and adults, and balancing all of that with work. It’s a recipe for burnout, putting caregivers at risk for mental and emotional stress, health issues, and financial burdens. But knowing how to navigate this phase can make all the difference.
 
Guest:
Amy Brennan, executive director of the Illinois Family Caregiver Coalition
Related Reading:
Signs of Caregiver Burnout
New Caregiver Helpline
Once Upon a Caregiver
The Caregiver's Journey

Maybe you know this already, but in case you don’t — composting is a form of natural recycling. Take natural materials like food scraps or leaves, and under specific circumstances, bacteria, fungi, or worms can decompose these materials into compost. People can then mix the compost into their soil to enrich their plants.
How does this impact human health? Well, it cuts methane emissions — a greenhouse gas — from landfills. And composting improves soil health, which improves the health of the food we grow in that soil. It also saves water, because using compost in agriculture helps the soil retain more water, meaning farmers use less water to keep their plants growing.
We don’t quite have that yet in Chicago, though through the city’s Food Scrap Drop-Off Program, you can drop off food at certain local libraries. (Check the show notes for the list of locations.) Since its launch in October 2023, nearly 8,000 households have diverted more than 1 million pounds of food waste from landfills. 
At Rush University Medical Center on Chicago’s West Side, Ian Hughes, director of environmental sustainability, kicked off the medical center’s own composting program. In this episode, we hear more about that from Ian, in conversation with Chicago Health writer Dan Dean.
 
Guest:
Ian Hughes, director of environmental sustainability at Rush University Medical Center
 
Related reading:
From Trash to Treasure
Healthy Yards, Healthy People

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