Existential Relish

This episode reveals not only the details about a world-renown researcher, who is a scholar in emerging tech and the first Black woman to be President of a Canadian university, but the radiant human who embodies fearlessness and inspires so many. Friends for two decades, Host C-A Granatstein and Dr. Rhonda McEwen cover a range of topics, like Rhonda's move to middle America from Trinidad as a teenager; her research that informed the creation of Julia, the first Sesame Street Muppet on the autism spectrum; managing a student protest that evolved into a full-on occupation; and her vision for inclusivity at the University of Victoria in the University of Toronto.  

The episode starts out as a story about a broken down vintage Austin-Healey and a chance encounter with a real life superhero. It evolves into stories about helping others, being part of the fabric of the community, and aslo a big surprise for host C-A's friend Mike. 

It's the stuff of movies, mystery and faraway places. Records show that as early as 2,000 BC falcons were used to hunt and feed communities, for sport, and as highly effective pest control.  C-A has a fascinating conversation about falconry with the hard-working falcons Bullet and Petey, and Falconer Keith Everett from Falcon Environmental.  

C-A speaks to Steve Paikin, journalist, author, documentary producer, podcast co-host and host of TVO's flagship current affairs program, The Agenda with Steve Paikin.  The conversation focuses on interviewing, but Steve breaks out into song, recalls great moments, surprising moments, being starstruck and a few personal - but not too personal - nuggets.

In a follow-up to Episode 17, C-A speaks to Warren Kotler again, who is not only a guest this time around, but her husband, who lives with Stage 4 metastatic breast cancer. They talk about the unique conversations considerations that took place when they started dating and why they asked family and friends to donate to the OCTANE research project to mark the occasion of their marriage. C-A speaks with Warren's lead oncologist, Dr. Philippe Bedard, who is also the principal researcher of the Princess Margaret-led OCTANE study. To learn more about Warren's story and to make a donation to this research that helps expand options for personalized cancer treatment please visit: https://supportthepmcf.ca/ui/WarrenKotler

Fashion rentals, refurbishment and resale is just about the easiest and most enjoyable way to support local businesses, save money, reduce the carbon footprint of your clothing and rescue clothes from the landfill which pollute water systems and through their decomposition process and incineration, contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. C-A talks to Common Sort owner Nicole Babin about her three thriving resale clothing locations in Toronto, her business model, the challenges that come with growth and about her long-time employees who are happy and fulfilled because they get to work in fashion, in a sustainable and accessible way, for a boss that has embedded social responsibility into her operation. Fashion rentals, refurbishment and resale is just about the easiest and most enjoyable way to support local businesses, save money, reduce the carbon footprint of your clothing and rescue clothes from the landfill which pollute water systems and through their decomposition process, contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. After listening to Nicole, as well as one of her employees and a 20-something consumer/seller, you will want to give resale a try.  

This conversation with Dr. Kasra (Kas) Khorasani is about a unique approach that he developed for his inpatient psychotherapy groups using LEGO Serious Play methodology. Learn why group therapy is such a valued tool in for psychotherapy and how building with LEGO in Kas's sessions empowers further connection, allowing people to become authentic, genuine, non-judgemental, curious and kind. Show host, C-A Granatstein also does a little building with Kas to understand the process of these sessions. Music: Romance for Piano and Cello by Martijn de Boer (NiGiD) (c) copyright 2015 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/NiGiD/50238 Ft: AT

In March 2021, Glenna Gosewich became an non-directed living organ donor. 62% of her liver went to a stranger who was in need of a vital transplant. Glenna sees this as a form of charity, a good deed —  something she can do because she's able, despite the risks, post-op recovery and even judgement from others. Glenna is also a wealth of information on the topic as well as about blood donation. This episode will no doubt get you thinking about different ways you can help others. 

Just when you think all teenagers spend every waking moment on TikTok, there’s Naila Moloo. At 15 years old, this STEM researcher's drive to contribute to a sustainable future, her stellar networking tips and her ability to handle rejection with grace in order to get exactly what she wants... is so totally boss. You are guaranteed to learn one life tip from this episode, or at the very least, make you think about reaching just a bit further for your own dreams. 

Close to home: Stories of neighbourhood businesses in the COVID economy are conversations with six business owners in the St. Clair West community, in midtown Toronto.  Part one was published a year ago this week. Like so many things in the last 14 months, the conversations with Cocoa Latte, The Rushton, Ecoexistence, Playfulminds, Philosophy and Koko & Co were scheduled, cancelled, rescheduled, cancelled and rescheduled. Naïvely or optimistically, C-A wanted everyone to have a happy story to tell – that their businesses were fully open, but the pandemic just doesn’t work this way. Though the conversations are with six really different businesses, what’s universal are their strong feelings of accountability to a supportive community, and a real yearning to get back to serving them the way they know best.

Ed Lawrence is THE Gardening expert. He was the Chief Horticulturalist for six consecutive Governors General and has been a regular on CBC's Ontario Today show for the last 40 years. Whether you are a beginner gardener or you are well versed in the ways of plants, Ed is a joy to listen to and learn from. In this episode Ed's got plenty to say about growing food, the importance of getting kids’ hands in the dirt and how it always starts with the soil. Stay safe, and get into the garden!

The activity level of humans is generally at an all time low as people work from home, spend countless hours on devices and endure waves of lockdowns. Sitting is stressful on the back, hips, neck and shoulders. The lack of movement is being linked to a decline in mental health and an increase in injury. Dr. Waj Hoda is back on the show with preventative solutions and insights towards a pain free existence.

Smut, trash, beach read. All terms used to describe the romance novel. This genre often gets a bad rap despite it being a massive industry. C-A speaks to romance author Victoria Denault about writing sex scenes, an unexpected review from comedian Paul Scheer and #Bridgerton fever. As people dream of adventures while shut in, locked down and cut off from finding their needle in the haystack—their partner, lover, soulmate—the romance genre is on fire. Actually, it always was. Check out Victoria's collection at http://www.victoriadenault.com/ 

Dog loves you. Dog wants to teach you about love and presence and patience and forgiveness and gentleness and benevolence. Dog wants to cherish you, wants you to be a certain way and is always there to teach you. Dogs are meditation masters. Master dog trainer, mindfulness teacher, meditation instructor and soon-to-be author, Jesse Sternberg provides a ton of insight on becoming the peaceful alpha your dog needs and respects; how to tune into your dog’s world; have a deeper connection; more ease, more joy and more fun…all by being a better communicator. A treat to listen to if you have a dog, and even if you don’t. Jesse’s online course for pets and their humans can be found at peacefulalpha.com

Just in time for winter, second waves and lockdowns, C-A learns how to make chicken soup, also known as “Jewish Penicillin”, with help from her mother. Bones or meat? Gloves or no gloves? Turnips or parsnips? Together, but in different cities, mother and daughter get all of these questions answered and more. Check out the Show Notes for the full recipe.

C-A is ready to forget about what's happening in the world and wonders if it's possible for a mentalist to do a show over Zoom.  Mysterion the Mindreader, who is one of few to fool Pen and Teller, proves that yes, it is possible! Mysterion blows her mind with a few tricks and they also talk about the mindreading biz during the pandemic. "It's about fun. If I can take you out of that skeptical, headspace and put you into a headspace of wonder, then my job has been successful." - Mysterion Get in touch with Mysterion to book him for your next private or corporate event - in person or via Zoom: Instagram: @drmysterion Website: thesentimentalists.com Ticktock: drmysterion

C-A speaks to Kathy Hay, President and CEO of Kids Help Phone, Canada’s only 24/7, national support service that offers professional counselling, information and referrals, and volunteer-led, text-based support to young people in both English and French. C-A is a volunteer crisis responder with Kids Help Phone. She talks to Kathy about her experience on the texting platform, the spikes in demand and about the organization's commitment to anti-racism from recruitment policies to training to active rescues for black and indigenous youth.

In this episode, C-A talks to Sandy Carlton, owner of Arcadian Daylilies, an urban farmer in midtown Toronto in his backyard garden, where he grows about 300 different varieties of daylilies and other plants that perform well in a northern climate. Sandy offers up a wealth of garden wisdom like what chicken fat has to do with daylillies, how to get 400 blooms over the course of a season from one plant and the number one secret to growing healthy plants.   

Six entrepreneurs from the St. Clair West neighbourhood in midtown Toronto talk candidly about running their businesses over the past nine weeks since the COVID-19 pandemic took hold, how they are innovating and what people can do to ensure this community, and communities like St. Clair West, thrive in the new COVID economy. Very special thanks to Playful Minds, COCOALATTE,  The Rushton, Philosophy Fitness, EcoExistence, and KOKO + CO

C-A talks to her childhood friend, Dr. Daniel Labow, Chief of the Surgical Oncology Division and Vice Chair of Outpatient Services for the Department of Surgery at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City about the tough decisions he's had to make as a doctor, husband and father during COVID-19. They also discuss his toughest day on the job and the good that's come out of the chaos while working on the front lines in the epicentre of the US's COVID-19 outbreak. 

C-A turns to Wendy Lund from Ep. 2, Has Mindfulness Lost its Meaning to see if there is a meditation that could help cultivate a sense of peace in this time of uncertainty. Wendy walks listeners through Metta, or compassion meditation, to help send loving- kindness to the people in our lives and to ourselves. 

Dr. Waj Hoda, chiropractor extraordinaire from episode 15 - Your body knows, listen to it talks about how he’s helping clients virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic, his simple triangle approach to maintaining good health and things you can do to regain a sense of control in a time when everything feels pretty out of control. Visit @drwajhoda on Instagram for daily posts on health and wellness. He covers topics like Physical Intelligence, Preventing Running Injuries and Posture and Sleep in a time when taking care of ourselves was never so important. 

C-A checks in to see how Alan's doing during the Covid-19 pandemic and how the music industry is faring. Alan's of course got a few band recos plus some thoughts on the emergence of art when society is upside down. C-A gets an answer to a burning question she didn't ask Alan on Ep. 8 - Midlife Playlist. Hint: Turkeys.

Change is hard, but is it more difficult than waking up every day with a feeling that you're living the wrong life? From ad guy to futurist, ethics coordinator to horticulturist, and winemaker to senior leader in gene therapy commercialization, three people share their inspiring stories about reinvention, re-imagining and career shifting — also known as bravery, honesty and personal agency.  

“I knew coming to an oncologist, I wasn’t here for hemorrhoids,” is just one of the many Warrenisms in this episode about gratitude, whack-a-mole and living life to its fullest, every single day. We all have bad moments, throw ourselves the occasional pity party and hold onto angst longer than we ever should. This conversation with Warren, a person living with Stage 4 Cancer, is beyond worthy perspective. If you're ready to listen.    Sound mastering and music by Heavy Reverb

Camp Walden in Palmer Rapids Ontario is a very special place. Built by some very special people in 1970 it has impacted the lives of tens of thousands of kids. In this episode, Elaine Cole, Camp Director, nurse, head cook and camp mother talks about about running a summer camp for 35 years, the music and the man who started it all, her late husband Ted.

This episode with Dr. Waj Hoda gets into the many different ways the body signals what's really going on with you if you listen, what happens if you repress these signs, stress and the pelvic floor, and staying mobile in a time when we are allowing technology to turn us into sedentary beings. 

There are life coaches, psychologists, astrologists and family counsellors. What if there was a way to draw on all of these disciplines to help you understand your best qualities and also make you aware of those personality traits that can trip you up, leading you to a happier, healthier and more purposeful life? The patterns and cycles of the stars and planets are for the most part non-debatable. Spiritual Astrologist Donna Flood talks about their effect on us according to our own unique natal charts, debunking the naysayers, and how we move through the different phases of our lives from a spiritual and astrological perspective. Check out the Show Notes for all the resources mentioned in the episode. Support the show on Patreon and get bonus content as a patron! 

This episode is for people out there who are experiencing poor quality sleep because they are women, women who are in that life stage leading up menopause and beyond. Many are hanging on for dear life when it comes to not just getting a decent night’s rest but actually falling asleep. This conversation with Dr. Sara Nowakowski, a clinical psychologist at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston whose research focuses on sleep and women’s health, covers long-term solutions like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I), a new way to look at hot flashes that may actually help lessen their impact, medication considerations and more. Check out the Show Notes for all the resources mentioned in the episode. Support the show on Patreon and get bonus content as a patron! 

Scientist, Psychiatrist and hunter Dr. Albert Wong provides the rational approach on the topic of why shooting guns and hunting is a mental holiday much like yoga is for some, how this form of technical mastery allows humans to be humans in the completely artificial environment that we’ve created for ourselves and how we should save the hysteria for the criminals toting unlicensed weapons.

There are so many things that affect the quality and quantity of our sleep and many ways people go about to try and improve their sleep, from THC and CBD to sleeping pills and aromatherapy. With Dr. Michael Grandner, Director of the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Clinic, this episode explores some key issues around sleep: how to recognize when the Land of Nod is officially off the map and you've crossed into sleep disorder territory, myths about medication and tips to get this vital, yet elusive thing called sleep back on track. Show Notes Support the show and become a Patron on Patreon! Edited by Heavy Reverb

Dealing with a troubled teenage or adult child can be overwhelming. The kids need help and resist any interference in their lives. Parents feel like the only way to remedy the situation is to be "the enforcer,"  and make their child comply. Things escalate from there and when parents aren’t able to cope, it can make progress seem impossible, and everyone spirals. There’s good news. There’s help out there for parents. In this episode two parents talk about one example of a peer support group called HOPE – Helping Other Parents Everywhere. See the Show Notes for more resources for families and youth.  Editing and music by Heavy Reverb.

What makes more sense? Doing a bit of paperwork or letting your family duke it out with each other for decades, spending ridiculous amounts of money on lawyers fees as they fight over your stuff after you die?  On this episode, we learn why getting a will done by lawyer - for your children, for your spouse or partner, for the people you leave behind - is the only way to go.    Got a life? Get a will.  

Music journalist and industry veteran Alan Cross talks about the stickiness of the music we attach ourselves to, his own music journey, breakup tunes, the power of soundtracks and how both age and access to so much music may actually be getting in the way of broadening our music experience.  For the episode music playlist, please head over here. Music and editing of this episode by Heavy Reverb    

Going Grey author Anne Kreamer talks about dating, the corporate experience and personal transformation as she embraced and documented the journey of returning to her natural hair colour. Maria Petrou from Little Bird Salon talks about how to transition to your natural colour.   

There's a new anxiety in town. For real? Real enough that the American Psychological Association published a 69 page guide about the effects of climate change on mental health. In this interview, C-A speaks with Adria Vasil, the Managing Digital Editor at Corporate Knights and bestselling author about her experience dealing with this strange state of being as she faces environmental issues head on, different ways to cope and the choices she would make in a game of Would You Rather. Definitely check out: RiverBlue is a must-see documentary about the effects of the textile industry and fast fashion on the world's water. Four ways to talk to people about plastic without sounding like a jerk Making Sense with Sam Harris Ep. 150 - The Map of Misunderstanding with Daniel Kahneman, esp. @00:43:41 when they talk climate change. Alec Baldwin's, Here's the thing - Climate Science Explained.  Music and editing by Dave at Heavy Reverb  

In this farmside chat with one of Canada's favourite comedic performers, C-A talks with Sandra Shamas about the application for a waitressing job that changed Sandra's life, the rewards of climbing menopause mountain, her experience as a woman in comedy, teaching moments on stage and so much more.  This is intimate conversation is filled with wisdom, honesty and of course a few laughs along the way.  Please visit Sandrashamas.com to learn more about Sandra and to access her brilliant shows. 

This episode to about What to Expect when you're not Expecting to enlighten people about the symptoms of perimenopause, became an eye-opener about the retention of women in senior roles in the workplace. With 4.3 million women in the UK over the age of 51 in the workplace, corporate UK has recognized that should they neglect the health and well-being of this demographic, they will lose valuable talent who are at the top of their game. According to my guest Sally Leech, Founder of UK-based The Menopause Club, it’s increasingly common for menopause to be on the HR agenda. Policies and guidelines are developed for organizations and implemented to help support women in the workplace during this normal life-stage, while providing tools for both them and their managers. In a case brought forward to a Tribunal for wrongful dismissal and direct sex discrimination, the Tribunal upheld the employee's claims stating "that the manager would never have adopted 'this bizarre and irrational approach' with other non-female-related conditions." The manager's defence?: “His wife didn’t experience any of those symptoms.” 25% of women in the UK consider leaving work because of Menopause. What might that number be where you live? Learn more at The Menopause Club Music and editing by Dave at Heavy Reverb        

The gig economy is defined as part-time or contract work for more than one employer for under 30 hours a week. It is estimated that more than a third of workers in the US are working in the gig economy.  The HBR article, Thriving in the Gig Economy stated that 150 million workers in North America and Europe across demographics are working in the gig economy, also known as freelancing, consulting and precarious employment. No benefits. No guaranteed hours. No guaranteed nuthin. Generation X, those sandwiched between the Boomer and the Millennial generations are said to be the most financially unwell in this new work configuration as this is the generation who is supposed to be saving up for "retirement" with financial security feeling elusive to the point of causing high degree of stress. In this episode, C-A speaks with Inez Genereux who has only known the gig economy and is KILLING IT, to see if there are some lessons to be learned. Check out Inez on Instagram @inezu. She is unbelievably inspiring, brave and very busy...working.  Please share this episode with a Gen Xer or anyone you think could use some perspective on working in the gig economy. You can subscribe to the show to make sure you hear all the latest episodes: Music and editing by Dave at Heavy Reverb

An industry to commoditize or should we pay closer attention? Guest Wendy Lund is one of about three people in North America with a Masters of Science in Mindfulness studies and about one of 100 globally who hold this degree. Wendy has helped pioneer programs for those who engage trauma in their work to help reduce their risk of psychological injury in the line of duty and recently, with her company Wellth Management, she has created programs for the corporate sector - also a place where people experience trauma.  "Mindfulness is a simple yet powerful construct that asks, if you can you pay attention on purpose in a particular way, thoughtfully, without being somewhere else and without judging."  Links: Wellth Management - Wendy Lund, RN, BScN, MSc and CEO brings mindfulness to the corporate sector. Jon Kabat-Zinn - Doctor, teacher, thought leader (literally!) and author of many books including Full Catastrophe Living.  Vicktor Frankl - Neurologist, psychiatrist, "Father" of logotherapy - a form of existential analysis - and author of Man's Search for Meaning, the best-selling book and account of his life as an inmate in a concentration camp. It is in this seemingly unbearable arena that he explains how to find meaning in even the most difficult situations in one's life.  "Can you learn to be grateful for the difficult moments in your life?...In hindsight often we can see that great moments of difficulty and tragedy in our lives are actually the template for post-traumatic growth."  

Is an awkward conversation worth a good night's sleep? In this first episode of Existential Relish, C-A and her partner at the time, talk about their decision to sleep in separate bedrooms. If you value your sleep and your relationship, and both are showing signs of strain, or before they do, then this episode is for you. Music and editing by Dave at Heavy Reverb