Welcome to this episode of The Tonic, terrestrially broadcast on January 3 and 4, 2026 on AM740 and FM 96.7 in Toronto. Topics covered on the show track the lifestyle articles and themes published in The Tonic Newsletter and on the Tonic Website. We’ll discuss ParticipACTION’S Community Challenge with President Brian Torrance, the “Real Girl’s Guide to Midlife” with author Angela Burk, chemically converting steroids into disease treatments with researcher Dr. Stephen Seah PhD, and how to keep your pets safe in cold weather with integrative veterinarian Dr. Carol Osborne DVM.
We specifically discuss:
ParticipACTION’s Community Challenge
- Motivation to be active
- Supporting access to physical activity
- Behaviour change
- Taxation and public policy
- The ‘culture of movement’
- 150 minutes of physical activity
- Pets and social environment
- The ‘Community Challenge‘
- Promoting DEI values
- Successes to date
- Canada’s most active city
The “Real Girl’s Guide to Midlife”
- What does aging gracefully mean?
- What’s the problem with the concept of aging gracefully?
- Midlife isn’t a time of calm for many women
- Regular women don’t discuss the difficulties
- What is holding women back?
- Expectations and disconnect
- First steps: a personal contract and manifesto
Chemically Converting Steroids into Disease Treatments
- What are steroids?
- Converting steroids into therapies
- Cortisol
- Using bacteria to convert steroids into therapies
- What are the benefits of using bacteria?
- Challenges
- Bacteria changing bile acids
- Steroid based treatments for inflammatory diseases and cancers
How To Keep Your Pets Safe in Cold Weather
- Underestimating the threat of cold weather for pets
- Frozen paws
- Constipation
- Antifreeze is poisonous
- How can you tell if your pet has frostbite?
- When is it time to take your pet to the vet?
- What do you do with an active pet when it is too cold to go out?
- Salt and chemicals used to melt salt
- Rodent poisons and traps
- Should you feed your pet more food when it is cold?
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To learn more about show sponsors Novo Nordisk and ParticipACTION’s Community Challenge and Brian Torrance go here
To learn more about Angela Burk go here
To learn more about Dr. Stephen Seah PhD go here
To learn more about Dr. Carol Osborne DVM go here
