Introducing What’s Up Docs? With Chris and Xand van Tulleken
In their new BBC Radio 4 podcast, Drs Chris and Xand are on a mission to help us take better care of ourselves.
Apr 30, 2025•30 min
Just One Thing - with Michael Mosley
If time is tight, what's the one thing that you should be doing to improve your health and wellbeing? Michael Mosley reveals surprisingly simple top tips that are scientifically proven to change your life.
Episodes
A Celebration of Michael Mosley
On Just One Thing Day (12 July, 2024), BBC programmes, presenters, listeners and viewers celebrated the life and work of Michael Mosley. This is a compilation of our favourite moments from the day. Producer - Nija Dalal-Small Assistant Producer - Will Hornbrook Assistant Producer - Freyja Smith Mix Engineer - Richard Ward
Jul 13, 2024•44 min
There’s Only One Michael Mosley
Michael's last interview, How to Live a Good Life, is with psychologist Paul Bloom and was recorded in the BBC tent at the Hay Festival on 25 May, 2024. Paul is Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Cognitive Science at Yale and Professor of Psychology at the University of Toronto and he shares with Michael his top five tips for living a good life. And we hear Michael at his best - full of warmth, insight and enjoying his time with the audience and sharing some of his reflections on his life, car...
Jun 14, 2024•41 min
Eat Slowly
In our bustling modern lives, it can be all too easy to wolf down our meals on the go, and never take the time to enjoy them properly. In this episode, Michael Mosley finds out how simply slowing down the speed at which you eat can help you feel full for longer, snack less, and improve your digestion. Michael speaks to Dr Sarah Berry from the department of nutritional sciences at King's College London, who shares findings showing that eating slower can reduce your blood sugar response to food, a...
Jun 06, 2024•15 min
Volunteer
In this episode, Michael Mosley discovers that, as well as being a very rewarding thing to do, volunteering your time, labour or spare room can really benefit your health too. Michael speaks with Dr Edith Chen from Northwestern University in the US, who has been investigating the power of helping others. She tells Michael about her studies showing that by boosting your mood and empathy, volunteering can lower chronic inflammation, cholesterol and even help you lose weight. It’s also a great way ...
May 30, 2024•15 min
Yoga
Although yoga is thought to have been practised for over 5,000 years, its myriad benefits for our health and wellbeing are still being uncovered. Professor Rima Dada from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi reveals the extraordinary findings into the benefits of yoga - how half an hour a day can slow down ageing at a cellular level by protecting your mitochondria and your DNA. It can also improve your brain health and even reduce symptoms of depression. Just a few sessions a...
May 23, 2024•14 min
Read a poem
Reading poetry can reduce stress and help give you words to express the things you're feeling. And reading a poem out loud has been shown to be a surprisingly simple way to activate your relaxation response and bring about a sense of calm. It’s all to do with the way it slows and controls your breathing rate, which in turn stimulates your parasympathetic nervous system and can lead to many beneficial effects. Michael Mosley speaks to Dietrich von Bonin from the Swiss Association of Art Therapies...
May 20, 2024•15 min
Deep Calm - Ep 5: Using Music
Sit back, leave behind the cares of the day and take a sonic journey with Dr Michael Mosley. In this new podcast series, designed to help you let go and unwind, each episode focuses on a scientifically-proven technique for activating the body’s built-in relaxation response, and takes a deep dive to explore what’s happening inside as we find stillness and calm. Most of us instinctively know that music can have a huge impact on our mood. But it can also be an effective tool to tap into your body’s...
May 17, 2024•15 min
Deep Calm - Ep 4: Using the Power of Nature
Sit back, leave behind the cares of the day and take a sonic journey with Dr Michael Mosley. In this new podcast series, designed to help you let go and unwind, each episode focuses on a scientifically-proven technique for activating the body’s built-in relaxation response, and takes a deep dive to explore what’s happening inside as we find stillness and calm. What is it about the natural world that has such a positive impact upon our physiology - slowing our heart rate and blood pressure, settl...
May 16, 2024•15 min
Deep Calm - Ep 3: Using Your Imagination
Sit back, leave behind the cares of the day and take a sonic journey with Dr Michael Mosley. In this new podcast series, designed to help you let go and unwind, each episode focuses on a scientifically-proven technique for activating the body’s built-in relaxation response, and takes a deep dive to explore what’s happening inside as we find stillness and calm. If you imagine yourself somewhere safe and relaxing, using something called Guided Imagery, you can activate the body’s relaxation respon...
May 15, 2024•14 min
Deep Calm - Ep 2: Relaxing Your Body
Sit back, leave behind the cares of the day and take a sonic journey with Dr Michael Mosley. In this new podcast series, designed to help you let go and unwind, each episode focuses on a scientifically proven technique for activating the body’s built-in relaxation response, and takes a deep dive to explore what’s happening inside as we find stillness and calm. Deliberately tensing and then relaxing groups of muscles all through the body is a potent technique for engaging your body’s relaxation r...
May 14, 2024•14 min
Deep Calm - Ep 1: Using Your Breath
Sit back, leave behind the cares of the day and take a sonic journey with Dr Michael Mosley. In this new podcast series, designed to help you let go and unwind, each episode focuses on a scientifically proven technique for activating the body’s built-in relaxation response, and takes a deep dive to explore what’s happening inside as we find stillness and calm. By deliberately slowing your breath you can help bring peace and calm to your body and mind. We discover a sweet spot (it’s around six br...
May 13, 2024•14 min
Welcome to Deep Calm - with Michael Mosley
Sit back and take a sonic journey with Dr Michael Mosley as he focuses on scientifically-proven techniques for activating your body's built-in relaxation response.
May 13, 2024•2 min
Cook from Scratch
Michael Mosley investigates how cooking from scratch can be a simple way to eat healthier and avoid ultra-processed foods, many of which are associated with an increased risk of diseases like cancer, type 2 diabetes and heart disease. It doesn’t need to be complicated - simple recipes using tinned and frozen foods can be a great way to get started. Michael speaks to Dr Emily Leeming, a nutrition scientist from King's College London, to find out why cooking your own meals can be so beneficial for...
May 09, 2024•15 min
Nordic Walking
We all know that walking is hugely beneficial for our health and wellbeing, but we can get even fitter, and use nearly twice as many muscles, by introducing some poles and a simple technique. Join Michael Mosley as he delves into the science of Nordic walking to find out how it can enhance our walks by burning more calories and helping to ease back pain. He speaks to Dr Jennifer Reed from the University of Ottawa Heart Institute about her research, which has demonstrated why Nordic walking is on...
May 02, 2024•14 min
Try Flax Seeds
Michael Mosley gets his flax fix, as he finds out how flax seeds, also known as linseeds, can protect your heart, reduce your blood sugar levels, and might even keep your skin feeling smooth and hydrated! With the help of Dr Grant Pierce from the University of Manitoba in Canada, Michael learns about the key components of flaxseed, including alpha-linolenic acid, and how they contribute to its array of impressive benefits. Through his research, Grant has demonstrated that daily flaxseed can lowe...
Apr 25, 2024•14 min
Play an Instrument
Humans have been making music for thousands of years, but for Michael Mosley and our volunteer Matthew, the musical journey is only just beginning. Playing a musical instrument has been shown to strengthen your memory and lift your mood. It can even reduce chronic inflammation. Dr Sofia Seinfeld from the Open University in Catalonia tells Michael why it’s never too late to start making music, and how it can enhance your cognitive abilities by activating regions of the brain associated with motor...
Apr 18, 2024•15 min
Enjoy Olive Oil
Michael Mosley discovers that enjoying more olive oil in your daily diet can come with a whole host of surprising benefits, including protecting your brain, improving your memory and reducing chronic inflammation. The Mediterranean diet has been shown to be one of the healthiest in the world, and a major component of this is olive oil. Dr Bill Mullen from the University of Glasgow tells Michael about his recent research, which found that two tablespoons of olive oil a day can significantly reduc...
Apr 11, 2024•15 min
Get Fit with HIIT
There’s no question that exercise is important for our health, but many of us find it difficult to fit into our busy schedules. In this episode, Michael Mosley explores how high-intensity interval training, HIIT for short, might be the most time-efficient way to get fitter. It can also boost your cognitive performance, help you live longer, and improve your quality of life. Martin Gibala, Professor of Kinesiology at McMaster University in Ontario, reveals all about the beneficial impact of HIIT ...
Apr 04, 2024•15 min
Get Gardening
Michael dons some gardening gloves and gets grubby. It’s no surprise that digging, hoeing and heaving bags of soil around is great for our physical fitness. But Michael learns how gardening can also impact our microbiome from Dr Hannah Holscher at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She explores how gardening can boost the gut microbiome, benefitting our health and wellness. Our volunteer Caspar, tests his green fingers by growing some kitchen herbs and visiting a community garden. Seri...
Mar 13, 2024•14 min
Get Skipping
It’s time to dig out that skipping rope, as Michael learns that the popular childhood pastime could have big benefits for health and wellbeing, especially as we get older. Professor Urs Granacher from the University of Freiburg, shares how skipping is a form of jumping exercise, which could help increase not just our speed, but could also help us age healthily. These exercises help increase muscle power and can also strengthen our bones. Our volunteer Shona, a new mum based in Shetland, uses ski...
Mar 06, 2024•15 min
Snack Smartly
We are a nation of snackers and we tend to get a whopping 25% of our daily calories from our snacks. But surprisingly, snacking isn’t necessarily bad for our health. Dr Sarah Berry at Kings College London explores a pragmatic approach to snacking, and tells Michael how what you snack on and when you snack has the greatest impact on your health. You don’t have to stop snacking - just snack smartly by swapping in some less-processed options. Our volunteer Denise, a hotel facilities manager from Li...
Feb 28, 2024•14 min
Track Your Exercise
Tracking your exercise is a simple and surprisingly effective way to motivate you to move more. Most of us own an exercise tracker, whether it’s the fitness app on our phone or a special bit of kit on our wrist. But how do they make us more active? Professor Carol Maher, from the University of Southern Australia, has found wearing an activity tracker really can encourage more physical activity. She tells Michael how the instant feedback allows people to take control of their activity levels. Mic...
Feb 21, 2024•15 min
Get an Early Night
Michael discovers his long-time penchant for an early night could have some real health benefits. If you are someone who could go to sleep earlier and simply put it off with an extra episode or phone scrolling, Michael recommends going to bed an hour earlier than normal because getting enough sleep deeply impacts your brain, protecting against depression and other neurological problems. Professor Esra Tasali at the University of Chicago's Sleep Centre, shares her research that sleeping an extra ...
Feb 14, 2024•14 min
Eat Whole Grains
Michael discovers incorporating wholegrains into our diet, is a tasty swap that could really benefit our health. Wholegrains such as wholegrain pasta, bread and brown rice contain more fibre, vitamins and minerals, than refined grains. This simple swap can help reduce blood pressure, improve heart health and boost the gut microbiome. Michael talks to Dr Caleigh Sawicki, from the Brigham and Women’s hospital and Harvard Medical School, whose research suggests that the fibre consumption of wholegr...
Feb 07, 2024•15 min
Do a Plank
Michael adds a plank into his exercise routine and is surprised to learn of its huge benefits to our physical health. Dr Jamie O'Driscoll, a Reader of Cardiovascular Physiology at Canterbury Christ Church University, reveals how the plank is a form of isometric exercise, where muscles are held still, neither stretching nor contracting. Jamie shares his research that found these exercises, including the plank and the wall-squat, could massively reduce our blood pressure. Michael also explores how...
Jan 31, 2024•15 min
Drink Green Tea
Michael takes a break to brew up a cup of green tea, warming up to its distinctive taste and its health benefits. Dr Edward Okello, from the Human Nutrition Research Centre at the University of Newcastle, reveals how green tea can benefit our brain power and health. Green tea contains the polyphenol EGCG (Epigallocatechin Gallate) and Professor Okello explains how this polyphenol inhibits a destructive enzyme which harms our brain cells. Michael also learns that a nice hot cup of green tea also ...
Jan 24, 2024•15 min
Take Vitamin D
During the winter months, here in the UK, days are short and there isn’t enough sunlight for most of us to make the Vitamin D we need. Taking a tiny Vitamin D supplement is a minute change that could have a huge impact on our health. Professor David Llewellyn from Exeter University explains to Michael that Vitamin D helps clear abnormal proteins, such as amyloid plaques and tau, from the brain, which may help protect you from dementia. Having enough vitamin D can also boost your immune systems, ...
Jan 17, 2024•14 min
Be Kind
We could all use a little kindness in our lives. Surprisingly, a little altruism can actually have big benefits for our own health! Michael discovers that small acts of kindness can not only boost your mental health and improve your relationships but also boost the immune system. Dr Tristan Inagaki from the San Diego State University explains to Michael how her research has revealed that those performing acts of kindness had lower levels of systemic inflammation, which could reduce the risk of m...
Jan 10, 2024•14 min
Inflammation Special – with Prof Janet Lord
In this series of special editions of BBC Radio 4 podcast Just One Thing, Michael Mosley quizzes the world’s leading health experts on the best ways to live well. In this Inflammation Special, we hear from Janet Lord, who is Professor of Immune Cell Biology at the Institute for Inflammation and Ageing at Birmingham University. We hear the top tips that Professor Lord swears by to reduce the damaging effects of inflammation on our body. How can simply moving your muscles make anti-inflammatory ch...
Jan 06, 2024•38 min
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